2019-07-30 TUE – Logistically loaded day

05:33 late wake up due to late preparation yesterday

06:20 – 0 mi – depart for Maine – weather is super great – warm and sunny

07:30 – 75 mi – refueling in York, ME – $55.64

09:59 -10:37 – 219 mi – Newport, ME – Hannaford stop for fruits, cherries, 5 green apples, nectarines, blueberries, tea – $22.56.  I washed all the fruits in the restroom.  I am approximately 1.5 H behind my July 1 schedule.

11:06 – 239.0 mi – Toots Delicatessen – Subway sandwich and a Styrofoam cap for $7.71 – I will eat it only about 5 PM today.

11:55 – 12:15 – 272.9 mi – turning from main road to KIWR.  This is a private road and I need to pay $15 to proceed. Bikes are not allowed

12:47 – 12:57 – 286.9 – arrived to AT on Katahdin Iron Works Road (KIWR).  I just made a Way-point and continue.  I am not allowed to hide my bike here.

13:15 – 13:28 – 292.5 mi – I’ve reached the second Checkpoint – 12.4 miles down the road.  Here I drop the bike with the elderly couple – the guards, who will be relieved in 2 days anyway.

14:08 – 315.3 mi – arrive to Monson AT trail-head. This is a familiar place.  I already visited here on July 1 and then again on July 5 of this year.

15:01 – 15:16 – ready to depart. Barren Mtn is shown to be 18.2 miles away.  Let’s use this as a benchmark, to see how much I hike all together.  There are 3 miles ahead till the first shelter.

Almost immediately I realize that I dropped camera batteries somewhere in 100-meter stretch.  Several careful trips back and forth, looking under leaves and grasses – and I’ve found it!

15:19 – 15:20 entering 100-mile wilderness.  Have at least 10 days of supplies with you! And the Spectacle Pond again -someone left his XXL swim trunks here.

15:48 – crossed all forgotten forest roads – I do not see any roads on the map

15:56 – I am at Bell Pond – good, romantic, boggy.

16:40 – 17:07 – I am at Lily Pond – first swim, good time to eat Subway sandwich without worries of spills and slips.  I am about 30-40 yard from the trail, and I can see all the passing parties. But no one can see me.  There is a traffic.  Large groups too.

17:46 – I arrive to Leeman Brook shelter.  Here are plenty of people from US and Canada.  Large groups of students with guides.

Found a good spot for the hammock nearby. Quickly hang it close the ground.

19:17 my tea is ready after 15 minutes fight with the alcohol stove.

19:46 finished 2 slices of pizza that Lira wrapped for me (from yesterday’s Bertucci’s trip).

20:18 – time to close the eyes and sleep.  Day was long, but everything went very close to the plan. There are no hiking emotions yet. I am to fresh from the world.  Let’s try to contemplate my unexpected trip more tomorrow.