02 2018-08-31 Friday – Arrive to Caribou Pond Rd, start hike from Rangeley, ME

2018-08-31 Friday – Arrive to Caribou Pond Rd, start hike from Rangeley, ME

Note: AT mean Appalachian Trail

~06:20 wake up in Boston

07:17 – depart from Newton

08:55 – first sitting today – first stop on 95N Rest Area after 95 miles.  I am listening French language on CDs

WEATHER – nice and warm, but there is a 60% chance of rain on Monday and 40% on Tuesday.  It will be 21-28°C during day hours and 9-18°C at night.

Backpack was already packed.  I also took 2 Chipotle salads to eat today.  All is good

09:11 Lira packed cut Honeydew and I already eat it.  Plus banana.  I am sitting outside the rest area directly on the sun and absorbing the warmth and energy.  It is a pleasure.  ETA shown is 11:30.  I am few miles short of Portland, ME.  Everything will be great.

The most important thing is to experience CURRENT moment with every finger and every body part.  I am 138 miles away from destination.  I would need to stop at a gas station in about 70 miles

09:21 ODO 94.1 miles – +18.5°C

10:45 ODO 154.4 miles – +19.5°C

Gas station at Auburn, ME.  77 miles remaining.  ETA 12:41. Everything is good.  Second sitting today.  Paid $55.83 for a full gas tank.  Picked a colorful ME map with townships and counties

12:46 233.5 miles – +17.0°C

Arrived to AT parking lot at the gate on Caribou Pond Rd.

13:37 hid the buke in the woods about 0.7 miles from the gate and 0.15 miles from AT.  Heading back to the car.  I forgot to leave paper maps by the bike.  Now I would have to carry them on my hike – not a big deal.  My appetite is ready for lunch.

13:57 I am eating first Chipotle salad.  I{Phone is charging in the car.

14:12 Done eating.  I am sitting in the car.  Gate is located miles into the woods (233.5- 229.6 miles) from route 27/16.  There is a cell signal.  I am using a new APP – AllTrails on my iPhone, and I can understand how to add a new Waypoint even with instructions from them.

I am ready to drive 40 miles to my hike starting point – Piazza Rock Trail Head.  I must remember to drink a lot of water.

15:27 272.7 miles – +19.5°C (39.2 miles)

Piazza Rock parking lot.  Plenty of cars, people and even RV(s).

15:50 third sitting of the day – it is great! It will help me to “unload”.  And very good timing as well. Significant hiker traffic.  Weather is super great.  There is NO cell signal on this side.  Backpack is ready.  Finished last 2 apples while driving here.

16:58 arrive to Piazza Rock Lean-to after 2 miles of hiking

17:18 explore Piazza Rock and protruding rock formation that reminds a head of giant pre-historic creature.

17:45 one more lady-hiker arrives.  And she is already resting in her sleeping bag.

~18:00 I start the fire and consume my second Chipotle – what a great pick for the first day. I even find a way to use Chipotle aluminum cover as a wind screen for alcohol stove.  Mail hiker joins the company and brings food from Rangeley.

~19:15 a couple of through hikes decides to leave to do couple more miles today.  They must finish remaining 180 miles in 9 days as they already have plaint tickets from Portland.

19:57 IT is very dark.  I am now alone in the shelter.  Fire is dying down.  There is a headlamp with me.  I eat 2 more packets of trail mix with my tea.  Trader Joe’s sells individually wrapped portions of nuts and dry fruits, and it is very convenient.  Weather is very calm.  There is no signal, so Lira wouldn’t know about my whereabouts today.  Hopefully tomorrow.  It is not very cold yet.

20:02 About 100 yards from me there is couple of older hikers who are staying in a tent.  Everything is very good and very calm.  There are no mosquitos.  Strange.  But even if they appear – I do have a net.  This time I do not stick sleeping bag into the backpack but attached from outside.

Hiked here with ease – only 1.8 miles.  Did not even notice one hour of brisk hike.  I saw some day hikers, but the most amazing thing is that those 2 hikers departed into the darkness.  They will spend more time unfolding and folding their stuff in the dark.

20:08 It is completely dark.  There are no o sounds around me. Somewhere water is making its usual white noise.  Fire makes final crackling sounds. I have ear plugs and eye cover.  My folded clothes serve as a pillow.  Dark. Quiet. It is like a dream come through. It is not cold yet. According to forecast today I will have the coldest night of the trip.  Tomorrow I will filter some water and up I go.  It will be 8.9 mile for tomorrow.  I would have to conquer 4.1K feet mountain.

20:12 This is it – I am turning off the lights.