To be or not to be…
Afternoon Cowboy and Smokie we’re gone when I woke up, I heard their alarm when it was still dark and them preparing to leave. I turned over and went back to sleep.
I woke to another hiker drop their pack on the front of the lean-to, it turned out to be Ulga. Funny how all it takes to become acquainted is a couple of hours hours hiking together. I felt pleased to see him as a brother seeing a brother after a time apart.
The others, Truncle and Botan were up now also (part of the dirty bubble). Ulga said he was going to hike high today and took several toaks on his weed pipe before shouldering his pack and heading off into the already warm dry weather.
I ate some pop tarts, drank a hot black coffee and hit the trail. Botan passed me as I adjusted me shoes.
I hiked for a few ours mostly climbing rocky ass trail until I came to a stunning view. I sat, removed my wet sweaty top, socks ands shoes. I prepared my second coffee of the day.
The view in front of me as I sat at almost 4,000 feet high was a vast panorama of mountains covered in pine trees. I was so hungry I ate another 600 calories worth of various bars.
Now came the 5,000 feet of descent and boy oh boy did this kick my ass. I felt like a 90 year old with a walking stick except slower. The rocks were wet and slippy, one foot in the wrong place and asta lavista baby.
Finally I realised how tense I had become and laughed out loud. I said to myself @CONE ON”, “Down Over” (Trail name given to me by Cave Bear, a Sobo) “you can do better than this, you have become all ridged and are scared of falling” after realising I had let fear take over, I grabbed the steering wheel back and took control again. Downwards I flowed, fearless and happy.
I arrived at a flowing river. The sun was beating down and I was hot. Time to swim, I stripped and got straight in sitting exactly where a small waterfall was and sighed out loud with delight at the coolness of the water.
Truncle turned up and jumped in too. Truncle was given his trail name by Botan it means Trail Uncle cause he is so cautious about stuff and looks out for the other hikers even though he looks pretty young.
I washed my dirty socks, drank a third coffee and set off just as Road Soda turned up with Goat and a Female hiker, Do not know her name.
I climbed for what seemed hours up South Crocker Mountain. Close to the top I bumped into French Broad, I had met her for the first time at the road I hitched a ride into Andover.
She seemed to just setoff after some break and we ended up hiking with each other for the next 10 miles or so. Conversation flowed and the miles disappeared without noticing. We talked about our lives to one another, it really amazes me how hiking on a 2193 mile trail forms such a community. We are pretty much all one big family.
French Broad and I got to the road that goes into the town of Stratton. We said “see you down the trail” and went our separate ways, me to Stratton and French to the Maine hostel.
I hitched into Stratton, got picked up in minutes. The guy (not sure what his name was) a young guy playing a medley of songs on his stereo.
Once in Stratton (small town with two shops) I went into the family owned gas station and ordered cheese burger, fries and a large can of Dr Pepper. I finished that off with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Amercone Dream, over 2,000 calories in one sitting.
I hitched back to the trail after more conversations with Bull and a hiker named Lash (long ass section hike).
Hiked two miles, to a camping area (unmanned place to pitch tent in the woods), saw two snakes, heard what seemed like a bear or moose in the woods and got constantly bit by big mosquitoes.
Goodnight
