01 TH May 27, 2021 – far away from home across private lands

05:05 – wake up in Boston.
05:45 – 000.0 mi – depart for Maine.
06:36 – 051.8 mi – rest stop in Seabrook, NH – I do not see a lot of masks. I have a headache. And a general feeling of unease.
Very uncomfortable first-time traveler feeling. Why am I doing this? Why is car rattling? Are tires are going to blow on me? What is with the headache?
08:26 – I started to feel better almost instantly. That is three hours into the trip. I even looked at the watch. The headache is gone and now I know I can do this. Bring it on.
09:18 – 218.6 mi – Hannaford supermarket in Newport/Palmyra, ME
A pop-up messages on my phone – BYND and RGR both sold in an unexpected jump up. Nice surprise. It took BYND only 8 calendar days to stop falling at 99 and sold at 144. Life is good.
10:15 – continue driving. From supermarket remains 50-60 miles to private North Woods
11:44 – 278.3 mi – KIW checkpoint. Drop 35 lb. backpack to pick it up several hours later. Careful planning begins here. Sunglasses are going with me. But fruits would stay here in the backpack.
12:35 – 295.6 mi – at the Jo Mary checkpoint. Pay $16, drop the bike (bikes are not allowed) and continue driving on a private road to AT parking. Careful planning continues. It is sunny, but only =16°C. I would need a light jacket to walk back, but the rest of the warm clothes can stay by the bike.
13:11 – 307.3 mi – at Cooper Brook AT parking – one car parking. AT sign indicates 28.1 mi to KIW Road. That is the section I would cover for sure.
13:30 – start walking back on the road to checkpoint. I am 11.5 miles away from there. My pace is about 3.3 mi per hour. No water and nothing in my hands. I am pretty sure I would not have to walk all 11 miles. Someone will get me.
14:21 – After an hour walk, I was picked up by two fishermen ladies on a pickup track – this was the first and only car in my direction. At the gate they offered to keep driving. I loaded my bike into the trunk, and we drove another 11 miles on route 11 towards KIW entrance.
14:57 – Now I am so much closer to the starting point of this trip. I still need to ride 6.5 mi to KIW checkpoint, drop the bike, pick up my backpack and somehow go another 6-7 miles to AT parking on this side of the woods.
15:55 – I am at KIW checkpoint. I showed my receipt, so I do not have to pay second time. They offered to store my bike at the shed – a very nice gesture. And let the hike start.
16:00 – 18:13 – 2H and 13 min to cover 6.5 miles. Not a single car in my direction. Along the way truly beautiful camping spots along lakes and rivers. I believe they charge additional if you decide to stay at one of these spots.
18:13 – finally I am at a spacious AT parking lot on KIW Road. Although road is private the land around AT belong to AT. So, when you park here, you are not a private land. They cannot charge per day usage. Parking here is ample – probably 30 cars can fit. And only 2 cars present at this moment. My Car is 28.1 mi away – parked on Jo Mary Road. That is where I am going.
Here I would miss 0.5 mi of AT that goes parallel to the road.
18:23 – fording the Pleasant River – easy crossing with my Keens on and without socks. Keens sandals will be dry in 20 minutes.
From parking lot to the camp spot – only 0.3 mi. Found a flat area on a riverbank. Mosquito situation is intense. But temperature is falling quickly, and soon mosquitoes would have to fly for cover. Temperature could fall all the way to 1°C tonight. That is cold if you plan to sleep outside.
19:01 – hammock is already swinging. I am not cooking anything tonight. Just porridge from home with a LÄRABAR. Not evet a tea, just water. I saw some bear dung on the ground. So, to be safe, I used a long string and hanged my food in a bag high above ground and far from the tree trunk. I was fun trying to throw a stick with attached string over a high branch. But it worked.
20:33 – 21:10 – diligent notes taking inside the hammock