2019-07-01 MO – One long day to get to AT in Maine

After 2-day delay due to unexpected weekend work, I am finally ready to leave for my vacation.

04:43 – wake up without an alarm

05:00 – depart from Boston

05:19 – gas station on 128 in Lexington – 89 grade for $3,259 per gallon.  I did not take any laptops with me.  Work would have to wait till I return.

08:19 – 218.6 mile from home – Auburn, ME – exit 155 off 95.  Speed limit 70 mph.  Weather +19°C.  There is no emotion in me at this point.  Zero point zero.  There are 42 miles or 57 min till my first destination today – Monson, ME.  I will get my fruits in local Hannaford.

09:29 – 233 miles – stop at a Subway.  Where would I eat it?

10:07 – 260.8 miles – arrive to Monson AT parking lot near Spectacle Ponds – 18.5 °C – there is no cell signal here.

10:37 – on the shores of Spectacle Pond.  Bike is already hidden along with one apple and one orange.  I also should have added charging battery to lighten my backpack and to ensure continuity after arrival from wilderness.  I see that next section will be 100-mile wilderness that I will try to conquer in several gulps.  This is the longest AT stretch without paved roads, but gravel roads are there.

10:56 – I visit local Goodell Brook Falls – first introduction to bugs. Making myself to sit under a tree and just write down the smell of the needles and smell of Maine.

12:03 – 286 miles – 22.5 °C – lunch at a dam in Kingsbury Plantation, ME.  Double toasted Subway sandwich goes down well here.

12:41 – 312 miles – 24.5°C – AT parking lot in Caratunk, ME.  Here car will stay for a few days till I return on the bike with my backpack

To explore I will do down 0.3 miles to the ferry – simple canoe – where three hikers (Chuck Norris is a girl and 2 others) already waiting to be taken across.  I skipped this section back in May.

13:30 everything is ready, and I can start the momentous hike.  I took out couple of warm clothes items and added 4 apples, 2 nectarines, 2 oranges and 1 banana.  A sing show that it is 37.4 miles to next highway 15 where my bike is deposited.  I think it is a mistake as AT distance calculator was showing only 33.4 miles.  Now I realize that I was counting distance to Monson, not to a highway, that is additional 3.3 miles away.

14:39 first break after 2.8 miles.  Trail was very smooth up and a abrupt down to a river.  Now it will continue gradually go up without any jumps.  I already found a second walking stick to supplement my Cascade Mountain Tech stick from Canada.

15:45 -16:01 I am at the Hangtown Rd after 4.4 miles of hiking.  My average speed is 2.2 mph.  It looks like I forget to turn on the tracking after this point.

16:40 I am crossing Boise Road that I will use to return to the car on my bike.  This is a nice confident road that would by perfect for riding.

16:53 Peasant Pond Lean-to. I am now 6 miles away from highway 201.  Start setting up my tent 50 yard away from the shelter.

17:42 Found an exit to the beach area.  Water is great, warm and shallow, and there is only one more person standing knee-deep in the water.

18:11 back at the camp.  Time to boil some water.  I think will skip diner today.  Only tea and LARA bar.

18:46 most hikers gathered around the fire in front of the shelter.  Everybody cooks on their small stoves and fire there is just for decoration and fight bugs.

19:54 time for notes.  Everything is calm.  There are plenty of hikers in and around the shelter.

20:10 – hiding from mosquitoes in the hammock. LED light on my forehead, earplugs in the ears.  It is very, very quiet and there is no wind.  Everybody is already asleep.

Hammock is touching the ground.  Tarp is spread on the ground.  How quiet it is!  And warm.  For tomorrow, map shows no water for the next 5.7 miles.  It means I would need to carry a full load of water if I want to camp earlier.

20:38 – lights out.