Hawkeye and Wildman begin the 100 mile wilderness

The Bigelow Mountain Range

The Bigelow Range is just north of Stratton Maine

Thankyou

8/28/2013


Thankyou


This hike is not complete........ but the end of it will be a mad scramble..... to Summit Katahdin, get back down...... and get home.  That will involve lodging, shuttles, bus rides, and airlines.  Once home, part three of this trip will begin.....finding a place to live and catching up on a ton of post hike business.

So I am taking time now,  to say thank you.  Thank you to  everyone who helped me.  We did it!!!  I could not have experienced this amazing, slow motion adventure, without a ton of help, from an incredible number of people.....some known.....many anonymous....never to be known.  Thank you for rides.... for food.... for companionship,  for phone calls,  texts,  e-mails.

Thankyou for trail magic..... from exotic canopied outdoor grills, with tables and chairs, and 100 different choices of food to eat..... to simple water bottles at trailheads..... when I was out of water. Thank you for saying "You can do it!" Thanks to all of the unheralded trail builders and maintainers.  I have seen you out there working to repair and maintain our AT, in the 90 degree heat. 

The AT trail community is an amazing thing. 

Thank you to all the hotels,motels, hostels, shuttle drivers...... the vast majority of whom treated me as a friend..... some of whom actually made me feel like a family member...... rather than a customer. Thank you all, for your graciousness and kindness.

Hiking the trail has strongly renewed my faith in the people of this country, and boosted my confidence in it's future.  Yes, that sounds a bit corny......a bit melodramatic, for a hike in the mountains.....but it is true.  There are wonderful people....everywhere.  We are surrounded by them.

I give a special personal thanks to my family members,  and friends who have encouraged and supported me.

Lastly..... but first in order of help and incredible support...... I want to thank Beth and Ray.  Because of both of you, I was given the opportunity to follow my dream. 

Soon we will all climb Mount Katahdin.  We will make it to the very top.  We will do it together.  Thank you so much...... to all of you.  "Hawkeye". 

Maine

Maine Moose

Saw this cow moose yesterday afternoon.  Tried to get closer but she was not willing. 

New Shoes, Maine Wild Blueberry Ice Cream, and Fall

8/22/2013


New Shoes,  Maine Wild Blueberry Ice Cream, and Fall


Sewed my pants, for the second time, this morning.  Sewed my tent for the second time, two days ago.  Will sew the netting on my pack, for the third time, later today. Hiking gear takes a beating and eventually starts to break down.
Then I put on my sewn pants and my brand new shoes......

( Picture included so you can see what they look like....recall what the pair that I tossed this morning looked like after 1 and 1/2 days?  See earlier post) and hobbled accross the road to the General Store/Deli.  I know all five owners/ employees over there already.  I love my new shoes....I just love them!  There is a chance of rain this afternoon.  It is surprisingly warm today and was yesterday...an August heat wave...and a chance of rain in the morning.  I hope for continuation of this incredible period of good weather.  It has not rained on us for 12 days, by far the longest dry period of this hike.  Dry shoes, and dry rocks to hike on is hiker bliss!

I hobbled because I have "in town" syndrome, as I call it,  bad today.  My feet are swollen and hurt....my knees hurt ....my hips hurt....everything hurts.  I have spoken of it before.  You hike up and down the mountains all week....no problem.  Two hours after you get to town, everything quits working.  It really is funny....I kid you not.  Tomorrow I will go back out, and this same hobbling, beat up, body will say, "Ok...lets climb Mt Bigelow!" How it works is a mystery.( I got that line from the movie "Shakespeare in Love".  I do love Shakespeare. )  But tomorrow I will be fine. 

I did the grocery store/deli, and bought an exotic roast beef sandwich with home made bread, a quart of V-8 Juice , and a quart of Giffords Maine Wild Blueberry Ice Cream.  The ice cream container would not fit in the freezer....not a problem.  I thought of Wild Blueberry because "Moxie", "Bear Bell", and I, who spent a bit more than a week together, including squirreling our way through Mahousuc Notch....the toughest 1 mile of the whole AT........ really got into the wild blueberrys in the Bemis Mountain area,  a couple of days ago.  Maybe they have a shortage of bears over there, because the blueberries were plentiful and tasty.

Anyhow..... yesterday afternoon I bought 2 deli sandwiches, 1/2 pound of cheese, Triscut, 1/2 gallon of Orange Juice, grapes....... and a bunch of chocolate too. 

That held me over till I had dinner at the motel next door to this one, with my friend "Wanderlust", and a couple of day hikers from Massachusetts.  Ate Haddock, fries, cole slaw, and this really great strawberry/rhubbarb cobbler, with vanilla ice cream on top.  I will also eat 2 of the 4 foil packets of Pink Salmon and tuna that came with my resupply box.  I don't need them for my five evening meals, so if I can eat em before tomorrow, that is 10 ounces that I don't have to carry.  I think I can do it.

On Zero Days like today, I try to nap a bit, and I eat....constantly.  It is planned.  If I just totally stuff myself, it does not work.  My body objects. But if I munch continuously.....every 2 hours say, then I can pack on the calories! When I go up Bigelow I will have strength in my legs!  "Bigelow....Hawkeye is coming!"

Oh yeah, I wanted to tell you that Fall is sneaking into the mountains.  The ferns are turning brown up top, and here and there, a Sugar Maple Leaf has floated to the ground.  I am amazed.  It was not that long ago, that we were hiking the Smokies with frostbitten faces in 18 inches of snow!
A thought like that brings the romance of this journey to the surface.  WOW!  Now 

it is nap time...then dinner time.....then on to Monson....and Katahdin!

Maine

Saddleback Mountain

Update

8/21/2013


Update

I have arrived in Stratton, Maine.  I'll take a day off here, and then head for Monson.  I am meeting my brother, Ray,  there.   We are hiking the 100 Mile Wilderness,  and then summiting Katahdin together.   The 100 Mile Wilderness is not as fearsome as it sounds.  You just do not have access to any towns and ordinary resuppply.

I have been bagging lots of Maine peaks.  Saddleback Mountain was especially fun.   Maine is 90% woods and lakes.  The trail so far is scenic and challenging, but the truth is that it is easier than The Whites of New Hampshire.  Maine residents take great pride in their peaks,  and may scowl a bit at my saying so....... but the "Whites" were tougher..... a lot tougher.  I have yet to climb Bigelow, White Cap, and of course the waiting giant....Katahdin.  Still, the end of this adventure is in sight.  Counting....and I am.... the Springer Mountain approach trail,  where this amazing journey began....I am just over 2000 miles into this hike,  and have a bit less than 200 miles to go.  Barring injury,  we will summit Katahdin.  Taking more time off has increased my strength,  and I have even gained back some pounds.  I feel good and look forward to the rest of the journey. 

Please note that phone service is sporadic and often not sufficient for photos.  I will keep you informed as best that I am able.