I thought that sleeping in a bed with sheets, a blanket and a pillow would result in a good night’s sleep, but that wasn’t the case. I suspect it was the loud fan noise, or maybe the large amount of food that I ate that was to blame. Or, it could have been all the things on my mind, trying to figure out which food resupply point to pick in The 100 Mile Wilderness, deciding whether to send home some warm clothes I had carried in my pack but hadn’t used for a while and probably wouldn’t need, and determining what additional food and supply items I would need. And then there’s the matter of understanding the rules and permit/registration requirements for entering Baxter State Park and climbing Mount Katahdin. I wasn’t worried about any of it but it all had to be sorted out.
I was awake until after midnight and woke from a fitful sleep around 3:30 a.m. I stayed in bed until 5:30, when the coffee would be put out. Breakfast was at 7:00, three eggs over easy (I normally only eat eggs scrambled but I ate them anyway), home fries, bacon, blueberry pancakes, orange juice and more coffee.
After that I opened and sorted the food resupply box Karen sent. It contained 8 days of food based on a 12.5 mile per day average to get through The 100 Mile Wilderness. I chose the resupply point nearest the middle of Wilderness, and decided on a 4:00 p.m. delivery time on the fourth day. I then pulled out the extra clothes and other items and set them aside. After that I double checked all the other items and made a list of what I needed, toothpaste, toilet paper, extra batteries for the headlamp, and a new gas canister for the stove. I was a bit short on food for some days so I added a couple of food items to the list. I sent Karen my food resupply plans and a list of the unused clothes and asked for her opinion. Even though she is at home she plays a big role in helping me figure things out. She confirmed my plans. She had also done some research on the rules/requirements for Baxter State Park and climbing Mount Katahdin and put me at ease about the process.
I decided to take a break and walked to a local restaurant for lunch. All of the tables were taken. A hiker I’d seen at the hostel was sitting alone at one of the tables. I asked if I could join him and he agreed. His name is Hugo and he’s from Paris, here for 3 months to hike as much of the AT as possible. He had started at Mount Katahdin and was hiking south. We talked about a lot of things. He indicated the biggest problem he’s had is that the U.S. doesn’t use the metric system of measurement. He was very generous and paid for my lunch. On the way back to the hostel we stopped at the corner market and treated him to a pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. He said they have Ben and Jerry’s in Paris, but not the selection we have here. We joined two other hikers at a table and talked while we ate our ice cream.
After we got back to the hostel I made arrangements for the food resupply in The 100 Mile Wilderness and to send my unneeded clothes home. I also bought the needed supplies and food items. After that I read a bit, and then ate again, even though I wasn’t hungry. I’ll be glad when I can get back to normal eating, when I’m hungry, of healthy food that I like.
It has been nice to have a somewhat normal day, but I’m really looking forward to completing the hike and getting back home.
Tomorrow’s agenda starts with another big breakfast and then getting back on the trail. I just hope that comes after a good night’s sleep.
Prone to Wander
Prone To Wander's Epic AT Journey 