Day 52- Lakes of the Clouds Hut to Crawford Notch. 11.2 miles

For the first 5 miles today I got to hike along the ridge line in the Presidential Range. The weather was perfect and warm- another rare day in the Whites. I just strolled along and every time I looked up I was completely amazed. It's really amazing to be able to see for miles and miles and also be able to see where I've come from and where I'm going. Bomber and I talked the whole way about all sorts of random things and he had me laughing pretty much the whole day. We stopped in at Mizpah Hut around 11 a.m. and washed some dishes for leftover lasagne in return. It was full of veggies and absolutely delicious! I have been enjoying eating all of the fresh fruits and vegetables at the huts- I'm sure my body is very happy with me. The end of the hike today was really rough on me, though. We had a steep 2,500 ft. descent and my knees are still really messed up. I'm pretty sure I have tendinitis in them, as they haven't really healed since the 100 mile wilderness, but I'm almost done with the crazy mountains for a while and that'll give them a better chance to heal. Once we got to the bottom there was a sign for trail magic :) Two past thru-hikers had set up a nice area in a parking lot and gave me an apple, a mountain dew, a good chair to sit in, and lovely conversation. I told them that I was itching for a shower and they directed me to a coin operated one at The Highland Center and Lodge. When I got there I was informed that it closed at 5. I must've made a really sad face because the guy behind the front desk handed me a towel and told me to just go upstairs and use the guest showers. There was even soap and shampoo in the showers! It felt so good after the rough descent. I left the lodge feeling refreshed and Bomber and I went to find a stealth site near the trail. We ended up camping near a river and we made a nice dinner of Mac-&-cheese with tuna. For dessert we had gummies :) I'm exhausted tonight and am so happy to be clean and full. Also, I am finished with the Presidential Range!

Day 51- Madison Spring Hut to Lakes of the Clouds Hut. 7 miles.

Poor Bomber was freezing all night long and neither of us ended up getting much sleep because he was shivering and I was worried about him. When we got up this morning I went straight for the coffee and settled into a bench and read while waiting to eat leftovers from breakfast. I was so glad I stayed and waited because I had the best breakfast ever! I ate eggs with vegetables, oatmeal, pineapple, and hash browns. Such a nice treat! To finish off our work-for-stay we folded blankets and swept the bunk rooms. We left the hut well-fed and ready for the day. As soon as we walked outside the wind began slashing at us and it continued for the rest of the day- Chapstick was my favorite item in my pack today. There were points during the hike when my pack would be sideways from the wind. Bomber even threw his trekking poles into the wind and they came right back to him. By the end of the day both of our faces were wind burnt.
We hiked up to Mount Washington today, which is the second highest point on the A.T. at 6,288 ft. The hike all day was extremely rocky and required every ounce of concentration to not fall or twist my ankles. It was fun :). Once we were almost to the top of Washington a train passed by us and people waved and took pictures of us through the windows. Haha it was an interesting experience. Most people either take the train up or drive up in their cars, so seeing a person hiking up the mountain is quite the spectacle. There were at least 100 people at the top of the mountain. The lines for a picture at the summit, food at the snack bar, and in the gift shops were pretty long. I snagged a picture and some pizza and sat down for a while and enjoyed the warmth of the indoors. We sat there for a while and eventually headed down to Lakes of the Clouds hut, the biggest hut in the Whites. Once we got there, we were able to get another work-for-stay and were put to work washing dishes immediately. After finishing the dishes we went and sat at the lake, which I found to be a really neat spot for a lake given that we were still at a high elevation (5,000 ft.) Waiting for dinner was painful again, but this time we had UNO to distract us! Once dinner time for us rolled around I was so hungry that my stomach was cramping up, so I piled food on my plate and went to town. I went to bed fully satisfied and warm in my sleeping bag, curled up between two tables. Bomber found a wool blanket, so hopefully he stays warmer tonight and gets some good rest!

Day 50- Pinkham Notch to Madison Spring hut. 7.8 miles

Bomber joined me in Gorham last night to hike with me through the Whites! We stayed at the White Mountains Hostel and i was so sad to say goodbye to the owners and their dog this morning! They were such beautiful people and would do anything to make hikers as comfortable as possible. I hugged Jeri, one of the owners, goodbye this morning and was taken to Pinkham Notch by Greg, her husband, to start back on the trail. I also had to say goodbye to Mosey for a little bit, which makes me very sad because I love him to death, but I hope to be able to find him a little further down on the trail. His mother sent bubbles to me in Gorham (so sweet!) and I'll be blowing bubbles on top of the Whites :)
Bomber and I hiked up Mt. Madison today, which has an elevation of 5,366 ft. I was blessed with the most perfect weather imaginable to summit this mountain- there was barely any wind, it wasn't too chilly, and the skies were completely clear. At the summit, I could see for at least a hundred miles in every direction. The ascent was a long one and took me quite a few hours to do, but the good conversation and gorgeous views took my mind off of the climb. Before I knew it, we were sitting at the top and I was completely awe-struck. Bomber told me that such perfect weather only happens about 25 days out of the year and I am so thankful that I got to experience this on one of those rare days! We descended a little over 500 ft to the Madison Spring Hut and we were lucky enough to get a work-for-stay. We helped to set the tables for dinner as part of the work for stay. In return, we were given a spot on the dining room floor to sleep and a scrumptious dinner. Work-for-stays have to wait for the guests to finish dinner and for the kitchen to be cleaned before we can eat out dinner, which around 8 p.m. when all is said and done. I must say, it was such a torture to smell the food and see people eating and have to wait. I had to go outside just so my mouth would stop salivating. Bomber and I had a bit of whiskey and enjoyed the view with the other work-for-stays-
I even got to watch the sun set :) The wait was completely worth it and I was so happy to get pork, mashed potatoes, peas, homemade bread, red bean chili, pumpkin pie, and hot chocolate into my belly. I am very happy to be inside and out of the cold for the night and can't wait to crawl into my sleeping bag.

My trail name

Just wanted to share my trail name with you all! It's Chickadee. When I was young my father gave animal nicknames to everyone in the family. My mother is a donkey- stubborn! ;) My uncle is a skunk. My aunt a goat. My biological mother a pig, so on and so forth. I got lucky and he called me his little chickadee. I would even sign many cards and letters to my father "from your little chickadee". So, I named myself Chickadee on the trail (even though most people don't like it when hikers name themselves). I thought it was extremely fitting for the hike since my dad named me that. Now, trail names are really neat because it's the only name you use when you introduce yourself on the trail. Everyone out here only knows me as "Chickadee" and I've really loved going by that name. Most people say that it fits me well since I'm so chipper and can fly down the trail (if I really want to). Plus, the chickadee is the state bird of Maine, the state that I began my thru-hike in. So, there you have it, the story behind the name :)

Highway 26 to Gorham, NH

It took Mosey and me 4 days to get from Bethel to Gorham and it rained practically the entire time except for the last day, which was an absolutely gorgeous day.
The morning of the Mahoosuc Notch day I woke up to the rain and knew that we couldn't wait any longer. Mosey didn't have much food and we'd already spent a few days waiting for the rain to pass. I sat in the lean-to for two hours that morning just praying for it to clear up. Finally at 10 am it was do or die time and we headed out for the Mahoosuc Arm and Notch in the rain. The arm, which is only 1.4 miles long (a 1,300 foot drop) took us 3 hours to do. Water was still running down it like a stream. Mosey and I crept along the sides where there were trees to hang on to and soil that offered a little more traction. I was scared to death going down that mountain. The rock was so slick and any sort of fall could've easily proven to be very dangerous. Once we got to the bottom I exhaled a sigh of relief. I had survived the arm in very poor conditions. Luckily the bad weather cleared before we got to the notch, so we wouldn't have to go through that in the rain. The rocks were still extremely slick, though, so I knew that it would also be a slow process.
It took us another 3 hours to get through the notch (which was only a mile long), but it was so incredibly fun! I felt like I was 5 again! We had to crawl under boulders, shimmy across ledges, butt-scoot down steep drops- the entire thing was just a huge boulder pit, making you use muscles and twist your body is ways that you would've never thought possible. My feet touched the ground less than 10 times the entire 3 hours. It was intensely fun and tiring. We only did 5 miles that day and it took us around 9 hours to do it. My entire body has never been so sore!
The rest of the hike into Gorham was a big, muddy mess. I was hiking with Mosey, B. Rubbles, and The Goat during those days and we each fell at least 15 times- I even thought I'd broken my finger once. The mud made hiking more difficult and much slower. It was so thick that it would even suck my shoes off of my heels occasionally. Despite the icky weather and terrain, once I got to the Maine-New Hampshire border I was the happiest person you've ever seen in your life. The high from successfully hiking across a state carried me all the way into Gorham and the feeling of accomplishment that I have is absolutely electrifying.
I am now in Gorham at the White Mountains Lodge and Hostel preparing myself for the White Mountains. This is definitely the nicest place I've stayed so far- they even have conditioner and q-tips! It's the little things :) Bomber will be meeting me on the trail in 4 days to hike through the Whites with me. I just keep reminding myself that once I get through the Whites, the rest will be much easier. I have almost completed the most difficult terrain on the entire A.T. Bring it on New Hampshire, I'm ready for yah! The weather is looking good for the next week, so I'm hoping to get some amazing views off of 4,000-5,000 ft. mountains.
A little slice of trail magic that happened today was when a thru hiker came in to talk to me after I had told him my story earlier on in the day. He teared up, handed me a donation, and gave me a hug. He told me that his daughter is about 10 years older than me and that he really loves what I'm doing. It completely warmed my heart and served as a reminder for why I'm out here. I have met such wonderful people out here that truly believe in my purpose for hiking and it has been what's kept me going. A big thank you to everyone who has supported me! You all are the reason I am still out here and have made this such a magical experience for me! My faith in humanity has been renewed over and over again and, for that, I also thank you. In all that you do, do it with heart!

Bethel, ME- off of highway 26

The rain never stopped. It poured for 3 days and Mosey and I sat in the lean-to day after day praying for the weather to clear up. I was definitely not daring enough to do the Mahoosuc Arm and Notch in the rain, especially after getting stuck at the top of Baldpate in a thunderstorm. At the campsite, I ran into a northbounder who had climbed up the arm in the rain and told me not to even try descending it because it was like a river was flowing straight down the trail. So, in Bethel we patiently waited for the rain to pass. Each day we would hitch into town to get some food and we also got to see the new Batman movie at the matinee time. One of the days we went to a pizza place that had delicious pizza and I managed to scarf down a whole one. Mosey has had a craving for Caesar salad out here and he had been talking about how awesome it would be to have Caesar salad on top of a pizza. Lo and behold, this pizza place had a Caesar salad pizza. It was a sign- he had to get it. When the waitress set his pizza on the table we both just stared at it for a second- it was absolutely gigantic! It had at least 2 large salads on top of it- chicken, croutons, and all- and a large pizza underneath. Mosey ended up being able to eat all but a small portion of the salad and we both left the building with our bellies full.
Our last night at the lean-to I was up sick all night. I wasn't sure if it was the Norovirus or if my stomach just hated something I ate, but I was miserable all night. I woke up that morning to a clear and beautiful day and was so sad that my body just wasn't able to move. I wanted a bed and an indoor restroom to comfort me for the day, so we moved down the road to a hostel. I posted myself up on a couch at 9 am and didn't move until it was bedtime. I was feeling better by the end of the day and went to bed early, eager to get back out on the trail in the morning. The man who owned the hostel was really nice and had hard boiled eggs for us that he had gotten from his chickens. I ate those and a muffin in the morning for breakfast and we set out for the trail again.

Day 37- stealth site to highway 26 9.5 miles

Before I get into the adventures of today, there is a good story from a couple of days ago that I forgot to mention. Mosey and I were coming down Moody Mountain, which was a very steep drop (1400 feet in less than a mile). I was about 5 minutes ahead of Mosey, so I couldn't see him, but we were within yelling distance of each other. During the descent I heard him call out. I couldn't quite understand what he was saying, but he sounded a little off. I called back to make sure that he was okay and he replied that he was and he would tell me what happened when we got to the bottom. At the bottom, I sat by Sawyer Brook and waited for Mosey to arrive. When he arrived, he told me that he'd had a brush with death. He was going down the trail and tripped. The way in which he fell (forward and with trekking poles obstructing the use of his hands and arms) there was no way that he could catch himself. He fell on his stomach right on top of a pointy, jagged tree stump and as soon as he landed on it, it collapsed because of how rotted it was. There truly aren't that many rotten, sharp, and jagged tree stumps out here and he thought he was going to be impaled by this stump. I was completely in shock as he told me this and so thankful that it was rotten! I had heard a man and a
woman there with him when he called out to me, so I asked him if anyone was up there with him. His reply was that no one was around him at all and asked me why I asked. I told him about hearing the man an woman and he just sat there for a second. He then says, "I think I know who it was"- his grandma and grandpa. He said he immediately thought of them as a young couple- they must be his guardian angels :) I thought it was so cool that I heard them.
Back to today. Mosey and I made it the first 3 or 4 miles to a lean-to easily. Mosey said he was feeling sluggish, but that is a feeling not uncommon to us out here. While at the lean-to we met a northbounder who talked to us a lot about the discipline that is required in this hike. He was correct that it does take a tremendous amount of discipline to get up every morning, put on your sticky, smelly hiking 'uniform', pack up and set out to hike when most days your body is fighting you all morning for you to just stay put- not to mention the mental struggles that occur each day. You just have to know that hiking is what you have to do that day and just do it. The northbounder made me think that I definitely have a lot of discipline to learn out here. It was a good reminder of something to work on. He also talked about the rain and how it should get bad soon.
I left the lean-to a bit before Mosey and started climbing Baldpate Mountain. I was almost to the top when the skies opened up and rain starting pouring out like it had been collecting for months. Thunder started cracking all around me. I passed some northbounders who told me I should find a place to set up. I had just climbed up steep rock for atleast half a mile- ladders and slides included- and I knew that it was too slick for me to go back down with the rain. I couldn't go up any further because the top of the mountain was bald- I would be opening myself up even more to the elements and to easily being struck by lighting, especially carrying my trekking poles. The thunder just kept getting louder and the rain poured down harder. I had to do something. So, I found a mossy spot under a few small trees and crouched down there. I had set my trekking polls far away from myself, just in case. The top of the mountain offered no concealment from the wind, and so I quickly became cold, making me even more frightened than I already was. I stayed crouched under the tree for about 20 minutes, calling out for Mosey every few minutes, knowing that he would be worried and looking for me. I finally heard him yelling "Chickadee!!!!" and I yelled back. He came up and was so happy that I hadn't tried to push on in the rain- both he and I know that it would've been a terrible decision. He crouched down with me and we tried to calm each others fears- his were that I was okay and mine were that I was scared I would die up there. It was my first time hiking in the rain and it scared me half to death. Finally, the rain stopped and we gathered ourselves to move forward. Once we got to the top of Baldpate, the sun was shining warmly. We sat on a rock to dry off. As soon as we got into a valley between the two peaks it started to storm again and again we had to wait. It cleared and we descended the mountain easily and got to highway ME 26 before 6 pm. We were able to get a hitch in a nice van with two brothers, one whose two daughters were with him. They stopped at a gas station for us to pick up some dinner and I found a bratwurst that I managed to eat in 3 bites. Back in the parking lot, the driver handed us a soda named "Moxie" that he'd bought for us to try. It's a soda that's popular up here- tastes like a mix of sasparilla and soda. Not too shabby!
Mosey and I got a lean-to at Stony
Brook in anticipation for the storm that was supposed to hit in the evening. Sure enough, around 7 pm it started pouring and when I fell asleep it was still coming down hard. The Mahoosuc Arm and Notch are coming up tomorrow- the hardest mile of the A.T. Hopefully the rain will stop soon.
Pictures:
1- me at Sawyer Brook
2- Mosey and me at the top of Baldpate

Day 36- Hall Mountain lean-to to stealth site. 7 miles

Maine constantly screws up my productivity! Haha there are always so many beautiful places on the trail that I stop at multiple times a day and have to force myself forward. Every time I see a beautiful spot by water I want to make it my home for the evening! Around the 4th spot that Mosey and I came upon we just stopped and stayed. We sat on a rock figuring out how to make it to Gorham in the same amount of days and the plan we came up with is even better and more evenly spread out than the original.
I also chose a nice spot by a pond to eat lunch at. My lunch was a delicious fluffernutter, taking me back to my childhood. It was a very comforting and filling lunch :). I have been doing much better with my calorie intake and am practically eating constantly. My mother is sending some vitamins for me to pick up in Gorham and that should help some too.
Mosey and I are having another lovely evening talking and laughing while laying out on sleeping pads.
Song of the day: "Touch Me" by The Doors. Dirty sang it in Karaoke in Rangeley and I've had it stuck in my head ever since!

Day 35- Andover, ME to Hall Mountain lean-to. 4 miles.

This morning I awoke to a southbound hiker screaming because he didn't feel well and was fearing that it was the Mahoosickness (Norovirus). He was supposed to do the Mahoosuc Notch today, the most difficult and, to some, fun part of the A.T. (I will get to do it in a few days!) He was looking forward to it. I hope he feels better soon! After crawling out of my tent, I walked sleepily up to the dining room and sat down for breakfast. The woman who owns "The Cabin" fixes hikers an all you can eat breakfast of blueberry pancakes, sausage links, scrambled eggs, canteloupe, orange juice, and coffee. I ate sooooo much and felt so energetic afterward. It is completely awesome how I can feel energy changes in my body when I eat on the trail. I could be completely exhausted and just dragging myself up a mountain and then put a Snickers in my belly and perk right back up.
The rest of the morning was slightly stressful because Mosey and I were abandoned at the cabin with no way into town or the trail head (maybe they forgot?) So, I spent the morning cleaning the kitchen that's available for hiker use when I just wanted to be hiking! I was given a $5 discount on my $10 fee for the night because I cleaned though, which was really awesome :) By the time Mosey and I had been picked up, taken to resupply, and taken to the trailhead it was 2:00 in the afternoon. We wanted to do 8 miles and started the hike pushing for that, but the first 4 miles were straight up and down mountains and took too long to hike to be able to pull another 4 before dark. We ended up at a lean-to on top of a mountain with no one else around. The entire evening was relaxing- we just laid out our sleeping pads in the tent sites and talked for hours while lounging. It was a wonderfully deep conversation and I learned a lot about Mosey. He has become a very good friend of mine and I'm really enjoying hiking with him.
I realized today that I get to talk a lot about my father out here, which is really nice because in every day conversation the topic just doesn't come up that often. Within the past 24 hours I have talked to multiple people about my father. I've talked about the Coast Guard, him pulling me around in a little red wagon when I was young, him putting a window seat in my room, his last words to me, and even about his thoughts regarding death and the afterlife. I am so appreciative to the trail for allowing me to share my father with so many people and for also giving me a shared experience with him even after his death.
I am sure I will sleep well tonight- hopefully no Sasquatches invade my dreams tonight :)
Song of the day- Florence and the Machine "Shake It Out"
Pictures:
1- "The Cabin"
2- a teepee behind the cabin. It was huge and completely legitimate!

From Chickadee

Hello all!
I am asking for help in order to be able to stay on the trail. Money has been my biggest challenge out here and what I have raised and had saved up so far has gone to my gear and food. I'm now in the position where I'll have to raise more or go home. If you can think of any ways I can raise money from the trail or would like to help support the hike, it would be greatly appreciated! If you would like to donate, my PayPal account is connected to this blog. I am extremely worried that I'll have to leave solely due to a lack of money. The journey has been opened up to me by the help of so many and so I'd also like to thank everyone that has encouraged and supported me in this! I would not even be out here without that support and I cannot express how appreciative I am!!!
With hope and love,
Chickadee

Day 34- Bemis Mountain lean-to to Andover, ME. 8.7 miles. Mile 246.8

I felt like a champion mare today! I ate 3 Luna bars for breakfast and stopped to eat around every hour and just zoomed down the trail. Mosey and I got a late start due to the torrential downpour last night. My tent has held up well in rain until last night- I woke up around 2 a.m. In a confused state because water was hitting me in the face. So, I spent the morning drying out my things and eating as much as possible. We hiked over Bemis mountain today, which provided some really beautiful views. At the peak of Old Blue mountain, I could see tall windmills in the distance. I haven't ever seen any in the United States and to my surprise, they didn't detract anything from the view. When we got closer to Andover, we passed many northbound hikers that skipped the town altogether due to the "Mahoosickness" (as it's being called on the trail). It's actually a Norovirus and a NOBO informed me that the CDC has issued a warning for hikers in southern Maine and New Hampshire because of how many hikers it has infected. Many hikers have stopped in Andover with the sickness in order to recover, so the chances of getting it there are high. Unfortunately, I must go into Andover to resupply, so I'll just have to take my chances! Just before the descent into Andover, there was a beautiful overlook from which I could see South Arm Road, where I would have to find a hitch into town. The road was practically straight under me- an 800 foot descent in 0.5 miles. On the way down, there were even ladders and handles in the rocks- it was extremely steep! I'm finding the rock scrambles and steep areas to be extremely fun! As soon as Mosey and I got to South Arm Road we plopped down to wait for a car. We had been told that it is extremely difficult to hitch on this road because it's not used very frequently. Luckily, not two seconds passed before a van drive by and picked us up. What luck! The van was driven by a couple from Maine that was in the area on vacation. They dropped us off at the general store and I immediately grabbed some grub. Fried green beans and a barbecue sub hit the spot :). Mosey and I didn't know where we were going to stay for the night, but again the trail took care of us and the man who shuttles for "The Cabin" arrived at the store. He took us back to the cabin, where I chose to tent in the backyard for $10- laundry and a shower included! I hopped in the shower immediately upon arrival and am a little worried about my nutrition because I am losing a lot of hair :/. I'm still in the process of learning, but for my next resupply I'll have to pay much more attention to calories and nutrition. I spent the rest of the evening talking with other hikers, lounging on a couch, and watching "Charlie Wilson's War". It was a very relaxing evening. I went to bed late enough to see the stars :)
In the middle of the night I woke up after having the most vivid, strangest dream ever! Haha it was an "end-of-the-world-type" scenario where giant Sasquatches were eating people. I was having to survive by going into empty gas stations, grabbing a bag from behind the counter, and throwing food into said bag. I would then have to sneak out and dodge Sasquatches and get back to a safe place. All in all, the dream was completely nuts haha. I guess it could be attributed to my heightened survival senses out here. After the dream, I threw on some warm clothes and went to look at the stars again- it never gets old :).

Day 33- Sabbath Day lean-to to Bemis Mountain lean-to. 8.3 miles.

Song of the day- "Wouldn't it be loverly?" from My Fair Lady
At the beginning of the day, I thought for sure that it would be a terrible one. I had woken up at 1 a.m. feeling nauseous and thankfully I just fell back to sleep. I still didn't feel well when I woke, but I had to move or else I would run out of food before reaching Andover, my next resupply town. I ate a big breakfast and headed down the trail, passing the beautiful beach that I had enjoyed as my front yard for two days. I ended up warming up to the hike and was enjoying it again. When I arrived at the highway (about 4.5 miles in) there was a beautiful overlook and I stopped to appreciate it. I was just about to continue down the trail on the other side of the highway when I heard Mosey calling out for me to wait. He had the perfect idea of hitching into Oquossoc for lunch and he said it was on him since he knew I was short of calories and cash. We hitched in easily with a couple from Georgia. They had a big canoe in the back of their pick-up, so we had to sit under the canoe. It was funny and surprisingly comfortable. While sitting in the back, Mosey had reminded me of the fact that it will be fall when we are down south. I have been so disengaged from the future of the hike due to my feeling ill that I had forgotten about the fall. I am so excited to hike in the autumn and was thankful for the reminder. We ended up hopping off in front of a tavern in what seemed to be a two-block town. It was so quaint and beautiful- this is definitely the kind of place I'd want to spend summers at later in life. Mosey and I split bruschetta and ate fish tacos and after eating that I felt 10 times better. We got a hitch back out to the overlook after grabbing some whoopie pies in a small grocery store. The man who drove us back has been involved with the A.T. for quite a few years and he had lots to tell us about the surrounding area. Mosey and I have both learned from past experiences to not hike when you are full- you just end up wanting to throw up for the rest of the day. So, we used it as an excuse to sit at the overlook and relax for a while. Once we got going, the rest of the hike was easy breezy lemon squeezy. The climb up Bemis Mountain fatigued me, but not to the point of alarm that I was at two days ago. I am so thankful that whatever was affecting me is going away. I made up a little jingle today while hiking up Bemis. For some reason, I couldn't get "My Fair Lady" out of my head and the song that says "The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain" kept circuiting through. So, I changed it to "The terrain in Maine is nothing like a plain" and sang it up the mountain. It amused me because of its validity. I also sang "Loverly", which I had learned as a child with the accent and all. Once I arrived at the lean-to, I met a NOBO from Roanoke named Alpo. It was awesome to meet someone who knows where Covington is! I can't wait for a shower and to do my laundry Andover tomorrow- my clothes haven't been washed since Monson! (and I wear the same smelly black shirt every day). A big dinner will be nice too :)
Quote of the day: "Why do something tomorrow when you can do it today"- Mosey

Day 32- zero at Sabbath Day Pond lean-to

As hoped for, I didn't move for over ten hours. When I woke up, I was happy to see that I'd slept in until 8 a.m. and I got myself mentally ready for the day. As soon as I stood up and walked 10 feet from my campsite, I knew I wouldn't be able to go anywhere. The feeling of nausea overwhelmed me and I just wanted to crawl right back into my sleeping bag. I tried for about an hour to warm up to hiking, but I just kept ending up lying down in the fetal position. I felt like crap. "Hmmmm....there has been a virus going around in this area on the trail, maybe that's what this is. The symptoms I've heard about have seemed more severe, though, including vomiting and diarrhea," I thought. No matter what it is, after an hour of struggling to sit or stand, I drug my sleeping bag into the lean-to and allowed myself to lay down without having to get back up. I decided to take a zero day and I'm so glad that I did. The day ended up being a very uplifting and healing day. Mosey stayed behind with me and we layed in the lean-to and read and slept until it was too hot to lay there anymore. We then went down to the beach and I sat in the water and talked to some locals who had brought their boat to the beach. They were extremely nice and gave Mosey and I both a beer, which we both enjoyed while sitting in the water. The water was a perfectly warm temperature too, so I could stand to sit there for quite some time. I went back to the lean-to and Mosey and I gathered firewood in order to have me build my first fire. I was very proud of it once we were done- used birch bark to light it and everything! There are some NOBOs here that had the sickness. I have heard that it has taken northbounders off the trail left and right. I'm crossing my fingers that I don't get it! Going to be early again tonight in order to rest for tomorrow, which must be a hiking day.

Day 31- Rangeley to Sabbath Day Pond lean-to. 9.4 miles

Today was my worst day. I had such a hard time with even moving today. My body never seemed to warm up to hiking and the woozy feeling that I got before Rangeley became a permanent part of my day. Everything in me was moving slowly- even my thoughts were hazzy and moving slowly. I couldn't understand it because I had eaten so much the day before and was eating and breaking quite frequently. I was also feeling very nauseous and not desiring food, so I had to just stuff it down my throat. I asked Mosey to stay close to me today because I felt like I was on the verge of going into shock all day long. I'm thinking that it's all from the calorie deficit. Women's bodies seem to deal with the stresses of hiking much differently than men's. Men just lose weight and burn fat as an extra energy source, but a woman's body goes into storage mode and refuses to give up the fat until at the very last second. So, I'm stuck in this starvation limbo where I am starving, but not dying, so my body is just shutting down in order to conserve energy. I'm not sure what to do about it besides trying to get a higher caloric intake on the trail and then stuffing myself silly in towns. I finally got to the lean-to pretty late in the evening. The crew was there waiting for me and then we all went to sit on the sandy beach for a while. I made myself a pizza, ate some donuts and an apple, and it all made me feel a bit better. I sat there until after the sun set and walked straight to my sleeping bag. I fell asleep so quickly. Just before I fell asleep I thought that I had absolutely no intentions of getting out of it for at least 10 hours and then I gave in to pure rest.

Rangeley, ME- mile 220.4

The hike into Rangeley was an interesting one. I climbed up Saddleback Mountain and was given another beautiful view from Maine. The descent down the mountain was 4 miles and halfway through that descent I started getting a little woozy. I sat down right in the middle of the descent and started eating. I didn't feel hungry, but it most certainly wouldn't hurt. I also downed some water and sat there for a second trying to talk myself into climbing down the rest of the mountain. I made it to the next lean-to and made myself a hard salami and cheese wrap while waiting for Mosey to arrive. It started to pour rain while I was waiting and I felt bad that Mosey was still hiking in it, but the rain on the tin roof was such a peaceful sound. Mosey arrived and we headed out with Old School to Rangeley. The hike from Piazza Rock lean-to to the highway was so perfectly easy. It looked like someone had swept it with a broom- I was thankful for the easy trail and enjoyed the great terrain. Once we got to the highway, we had to hitch, so out my thumb went. I've been working on some good hitch hiking moves, like doing the 'running man' with my thumbs out. It seemed to work well :)
Once we had pitched our tents in the backyard of a lovely couple, we went to get dinner. I ate a huge plate of spaghetti & meatballs and enjoyed every second of it. Karaoke was going on that night, so the Zero Heroes had quite a few performances. I sang "Rumour" by Adele and was scared half to death the whole time (but figured 'why not?') and the group sang "Bohemian Rhapsody", which was EPIC. So much fun!
I went to sleep in a soft backyard and was so happy with the day.

Day 28- Spaulding Mountain lean-to to Poplar Ridge lean-to. 8 miles

I didn't sleep well last night, but I did get to see the stars again :) It's always a treat to see them since hiker bedtime is 8-9 and it's not dark enough to see the stars then. I couldn't seem to get myself moving this morning- I kept sitting down in the middle of packing up haha. It took me over 2 hours to leave the lean-to and when I finally left I still wasn't wanting to walk. I told myself, though, that my body was feeling good and I had better take advantage of the good day. I eventually warmed up to the hike about 3 miles in and then it turned out to be an awesome hike day. I was moving without difficulty over rocks and roots, climbing a mountain with no problem, and descending without much pain. Also, Maine gifted me with a relatively flat terrain in the middle of my hike today. I took quite a few 30 minute breaks today to make it even better :). There was a beautiful spot right before I started climbing up to Poplar Ridge that I stopped at. There was a stream and the water flowed to make a nice pool  and then cascaded down the mountain. I sat in the water to rinse off and could see the mountain I was about to climb in front of me. The view was perfectly framed by trees; it was such a lovely view. 

The weather this evening is very cold and windy, so I'll be staying in my tent. I did pop out long enough to meet Phoenix, a northbound girl that is my age and is also hiking the trail for her father. I appreciated so much to meet her and it was awesome to see her near the end of her journey on the A.T. 

The fire is blazing outside of my tent- going to warm up and have some time with the other hikers :)

Day 27- To Spalding Mountain lean-to. 5.1 miles

I have now hiked over 200 miles! With the average including my zero days, I have been hiking 7.5 miles every day. I think that's pretty good for starting out in Maine! I hiked over Sugarloaf Mountain today and got a really beautiful view on the side of the trail, so I sat down and enjoyed it for about an hour. 

I am really enjoying all of the weight I took off of my pack! I thank myself for it every time I pick it up. 

I am really surprised that I haven't accidentally killed a frog yet. They are all over the trail! Their exterior is camouflaged perfectly to blend in with the trail, so I see them trying to hop out of my way at the last second. Good thing I am a pretty slow hiker!

I am now laying out in the sun at the lean-to. Old School made some fresh coffee, we've all had a nice lunch, and I found a nice spot to lay my sleeping pad out in the sun to lie on- it's a good day :)

I realized that I haven't had to hike in the rain once since I've started (minus the 15 minutes it poured one day). I've been so lucky to've been dry for so long! 

There's a father/son duo at the lean-to tonight and I was taught how to properly build a fire. The father's trail name used to be Pyro, so I'm pretty sure I got some good tips :) Once I get comfortable with building fires, I would love to pack out some hot dogs to have for dinner on occasion. Yum :)

Day 26- Stratton to South Branch Carrabassett River tenting. 8.4 miles

I woke up ready to hike again this morning :) I shed so much pack weight in Stratton and I am loving how much better my pack feels! I grabbed some coffee, a breakfast croissant, and a vitamin water and then hit the trail. The 5 mile climb up North Crocker Mountain was extremely enjoyable. There was no view at the top, but I still really liked that mountain. The descent, on the other hand, was pretty brutal- extremely steep with sliding rocks, huge rocks, and tons of vines. It was like an obstacle course- good thing that only lasted for 2 miles! 

My mother had told me that my dog, Jasper, was acting out of character and my heart just sunk because I know he is so sad because I left. I have made the decision to get him as soon as I can and share the journey with him. I have talked to many hikers with dogs about how to go about it and I figure that it wouldn't hurt to try. If it doesn't work, he can always go back home. I know he will love it out here and it will be a good bonding for us. Plus, he already has a backpack from some trips in Texas, so we're all set! I have to figure out the logistics like how much food he'll need, what to do in trail towns, and how to introduce him to the trail, but that can be done soon enough. It makes me exhale a lot of stress over that issue to know he'll be joining me soon :) I can't wait!

Climbing Sugar Loaf tomorrow!

Stratton, ME

Before I start with Stratton, I must tell you something hilarious that happened during my rough 16 mile day into Stratton. It happened right as I was practically keeling over going up Avery Mountain. When I sweat on my face, I always wipe it with the top of my trekking poles since my hands are put through the loops. I was climbing up Avery, sweating like crazy, and wanted to wipe my face. As soon as I thought to wipe it a chipmunk made a noise beside me and I turned my head to look. I got so distracted that I didn't realize I had already planted my pole on a rock and was actually taking my face toward my hand. Next thing I knew, I was punching myself in the nose with my trekking pole. Hahaha it hurt so bad! I was so stunned that it took a minute to recover. It made me laugh :)

I took two zero days in Stratton and they were glorious :) The Stratton Motel, which is where I stayed, is owned by Sue. She and her dog thru-hiked in 2004 and it is super hiker friendly. She even has a kitchen for use, so the fellowship (now called the zero heroes) got together and made chili dogs with caramelized onions for dinner. I had been craving chili dogs for over a week! Another craving that I had satisfied was for a bagel and lox. The Stratton Diner had them and I was in heaven! My joints needed the rest again. They are not taking the hiking well, but everything is still getting stronger. The second day I was in Stratton was an at-the-last-minute stay. I got a couple of life bombs all at once and it just felt so heavy. So, I stayed in Stratton to handle all of it. Luckily, there was a cable TV in the room and I got to watch comedies all day with Mosey and kept my feet elevated. It was awesome and I haven't slept so well since I've been on the trail. This has been a healing pause :)