Day #42, Wind, waves, and no walking--miles hiked: 0.0

Today I woke up to the sound of Shabbat cooking bacon and eggs on our camp stoves...and the tummy gave me permission to indulge!

After breakfast, we journey to the Acadia visitors center where we planned our adventures for the day. We DROVE to the top of Cadillac Mtn (highest point in the park), and I must say, it was much easier than hiking.

After that, we continued along the scenic park loop road and spent a few hours sitting on the rocky coast until the tide came in too far to stay dry.

I remeber coming to Acadia as a child mainly via a picture a whole lot like this one:

After the park, we began making our way back to Portland where we will fly home early tomorrow morning.

Before I close this post, there are a few loose ends that need tying up.

First of all, the wipe out competition standings have changed quite a bit over the past 100 miles. The final numbers are as follows:

Minta-21

Emily-17

Mr. Berry-15

I bought Shabbat a chocolate lovers banana split in Rangley.

Today he bought Emily and I frosties that he has owed us since we hand-washed his socks before the Whites.

Home tomorrow!

Day #41, Traveling once again--miles hiked: 0.0

Although I've had to deal with one of those pesky 24-hour stomach viruses (praising God we're not trying to hike today), today has been a full day of travel.

On the way to dinner last night, we ran into our Tennessee friends again and they kindy offered to drive us 50 miles to a bigger town where we can rent a car. We have plenty of paying it forward to do when we get home!

We arrived in Acadia in time for a short walk to the crashing waves on the rocky coast.

Although I spent the evening curled up in my sleeping bag, Shabbat and Double Dip enjoyed a lobster dinner. We're "dump camping" tonight and our backpacking gear doesn't exactly fit in with the rest of the car camping scene, but it seems luxurious to us!

Hoping for a calm tummy tomorrow and more coastal exploration.

Day #40, The journey is the destination--miles hiked: 4.7

Today we hiked into Rangely, ME in the pouring rain...but not to worry, Shabbat used Episcopalian chanting to pass the time.

Rangley is a neat place!

More importantly than miles and rain, we took an inventory of our goals, hike, and next steps last night and made some decisions. Because we based our expectations for the amount of miles we could cover this summer on Shabbat's previous lengthly AT hike (which was from Georgia to somewhere in Virginia), we made a vast overestimate. Hiking 12 miles in a day here is equally time-consuming as 20 elsewhere simply because of trail conditions, etc. We would love to finish with lower mileage, but because our time is quickly running out, Mt. Katadyn isn't going to happen this time around. The three of us are all in agreement that the personal things that we brought to the trail have been worked out and we are beginning to walk just for the sake of getting well, not to the end. Thus, we have decided it's time to end this section and come home...it's been almost 2 months since I've seen my family. I'm a dreamer and an extremely committed individual--one who tends to finish what she starts, and pulling out like this is a bit difficult. But as resistant as my flesh tries to be, He's teaching me through this, and the journey really is the destination...and what a journey it has been! 

We have spent 38 days on the trail and walked 422.1 miles in 4 states.

Since we have a few more days and are already in Maine, we're heading to Acadia National Park tomorrow for one last hoorah before heading home.

Day #39, Racing the rain and friends from back home--miles hiked: 12.9

Today we enjoyed another day of relatively easy walking...oh what a relief it is! Also, the past few days have been the first and only ones of the trip where everyone has enjoyed relatively blister-free feet! Anyway, check out this bench that was perched by a road we crossed this morning:

We stopped for lunch and met a lady from Sparta, TN of all places! She thruhiked in 2011 and is now hopping around helping one of her friends finish section hiking the trail.

The rain started just minutes before we reached Little Swift Pond Campsite--another amazingly dry day.

Day #38, Up and down and night time activities--miles hiked: 12.8

Today we headed down one mountain and up another called Moody Mtn. It was incredibly steep with metal rungs nailed into some of the rocks (we climbed 1500 ft in less than a mile). Not to complain, but there wasn't even a view on top!

The next mountain was even more of a big boy called Old Blue. It was there that Emily finally ate a pear she had been carrying since before the Wild Cats.

The last 6 miles were decently gentle as we hiked on down to Bemis Mtn Lean-to. Check out this bench on the trail!

When we got there, the shelter only had one spot left, so we set up the tarp. 

However, it's a bit cozy for 3 people, so we decided I should sleep in the shelter. Shabbat checked out the situation and everyone seemed pretty tame...however, two of the guys in there started smoking weed after dark. What a cultural experience. The good news is no one burned the shelter down and our last full trail day before Rangley is tomorrow. Happy trails!

Day #37, An Andover surprise and easy walking--miles hiked: 10.5

Today the trail actually felt like walking in the South--and given the fact we took a short day, the miles flew by! However, I still managed to fall for the 19th time--and it was a bloody one (no worries, all bones still intact).

We reached a road to Andover ME and decided we had no reason not to go in for lunch, even though we didn't really need to resupply. There was just one problem--in 45 minutes of waiting patiently by the road, not one car went by in our direction. Thankfully, another AT hiker popped out of the woods who just happened to have a car: problem solved!

The hitch back to the trail was even more exciting as Shabbat got to visit with a WWII vet while Double Dip and I rode in the back of his pickup with his dog, Maverick.

Tonight we're staying at Hall Mtn Lean-to with a few guys who are absolutely fascinated with our cooking skills and 15 Québécois boys out back. 

Ps--although someone told us there was another hurricane coming (we believe he was misinformed), we have been really blessed with the weather so far. There was a 7 am downpour, but it cleared off really fast and the rest of the showers held off until we got to the shelter. 

Day #36, A lovely mountain and a trash can--miles hiked: 12.8

Today we headed up out of the gorge containing Mahoosuc notch and on over to Old Speck Mountain. 

There was a giant pond between the two peaks and tons of moose poop to prove its popularity.

After the second peak, we began what Shabbat lovingly called "the descent to Hades" as we dropped 2500 ft in 3 miles heading down into Grafton Notch. It may have been the descent to Hades, but that's exactly where my rancid chicken belonged--and there was a trash can!

After we left Grafton Notch, the trail upkeep switched from the AMC to the Maine ATC...and all of the sudden we climbed a mountain with something that resembled switchbacks--amazing the difference! 

The last mountain of the day was another new favorite: Bald Pate

Tonight we're staying at Bald Pate Lean-to (the Mainer way to say shelter). Happy trails!

Day #35, Geese, new states, and notches--miles hiked: 12.3

Today we headed out early for the top of Mt. Success...and then the NH/ME border.

Once in Maine, we hiked towards Goose Mtn--which Shabbat and I have voted as our favorite stretch of trail yet!

For miles, the trail meandered over and thru bald peaks with bog bridges and all sorts of flowers in between!

The last attraction of the day was what many consider the hardest mile of the entire AT--Mahoosuc Notch. It only stretches for a mile, but took us almost 2 hours to complete as we scurried around on (and sometimes under) boulders the size of cars.

When we reached camp, Emily and I decided to sleep under the stars...happy trails!

Day #34, A picture perfect birthday--miles hiked: 11.7

Today, Emily became my elder and we celebrated her 19th birthday on the trail. We left the White Mountain Hostel and headed up what was the first physically reasonable stretch of trail in a long time...'twas almost like hiking in the south!

We passed several ponds--this one (Page Pond) was particularly neat.

I can tell we're almost to Maine by all the bog bridges we've been walking on.

Since the mileage was short and the trail was pretty easy, we rolled into a shelter with an absolutely gorgeous view at 3 pm...thus we enjoyed naps and rest time before dinner.

While cooking with the wonderful view, I discovered some opened chicken that I had meant to throw away in town--and it was absolutely rancid! I knew right then that the next few days of carrying the stuff were going to be stinky.

Dinner is served!

Tomorrow we head into Maine!

Day #33, Deja vu zero day--miles hiked: 0.0

By now, you all know what we do on zero days...eat, groceries, eat, sleep, etc. However, today was a bit different as we got to watch soccer with two European dudes and a hiker movie with actual hikers...both were more interesting than normal. Here are some pictures of the White Mountain Lodge and Hostel where we are staying.

Italian for lunch!

Thank you mom Berry for the care package!

Tomorrow we head out for 5-6 days of trail that will take us into Maine...rest assured the blog will be up and running again in the next town. Happy trails!

Day #32, A road more or less traveled--miles hiked: depends who you ask

Today we left Imp Shelter to go up to Mt. Moriah and down out of the Whites.

My phone died after Moriah, so the pictures stopped but the adventure did not.

I felt great today, but my cohorts contracted a case of tired legs...thus I ended up a bit ahead. The AT in these mountains is a linkage of many pre-existing trails, and requires a bit more careful attention. There was a tricky junction today that took Shabbat and Emily on a scenic detour from the AT and left me wondering where they were, but after some note writing and nice German man, we all made it safely to a lovely hiker hostel right on the trail. Based on the physical and mental condition of the crew, tomorrow is another zero.

Day #31, Wildcat Mtn peaks A-E and so on--miles hiked: 13.2

After a final meal at McDonalds, we hitched out of Gorham to complete the final stretch of the White Mountains...and as is tradition for coming out of a town, the trail headed straight up the side of Wildcat Mtn. The mountain has 5 peaks with excellent views of Mt. Washington and the other presidentials.

After peak D, we finally found that gondola straight to a restaurant we have been looking for since the first week...but we resisted the urge for today.

After enjoying massive Walmart sandwich that I justified carrying up the mountain, we stopped by Carter Notch Hut--the final one in the system.

After the hut, we hammered out 7 more miles in the wind and rain...the weather really does change in an instant here. The final destination was Imp Shelter where we enjoyed a nice, dry nights sleep.

Ps--the current fall standings are as follows:

Double Dip--16

Blueberry--13

Shabbat--11

Day #30, Zero miles and countless smiles--miles hiked: 0.0

We have spent the entire day in Gorham, NH and enjoyed every minute of it. I have been too lazy to take very many pictures, but here's the day in bullets:

-sleep in

-walk to Dunkin' for breakfast

-go to the laundromat and entertain the other family in there by telling them to turn around while we strip all of our clothing and change into rain gear

-watch a parade in our rain gear

-hitch hike to walmart in a pickup bed

-groceries 

-hitch hike back to town 

-nap and repackage food

-lay around some more

-hot tub

-pizza for dinner

-fireworks (postponed from all the weather until now)

-more food and ice cream indulgence

-showers!

-pack to hike tomorrow

-bed 

Day #29, A blustery walk to town--miles hiked: 8.7

We woke up at Madison Hut this morning with the hurricane winds still whipping.

But today was a town day--so onto the exposed ridge line with 70 mph winds we went! 

Close your eyes. Imagine you weigh about 120 pounds and have a 30 pound pack (or sail) attached to your back. Now add rocks all around and what feels like a tornado throwing you in all directions as you struggle up a mountain. Oh wait, what just happened? Oh yeah, a 70 mph gust just slammed you into a rock cairn (aka, a giant pile of rocks about as tall as me) and you end up on your belly for the next one. Case and point: it was 2 miles I will certainly never forget.

Once we reached treeline again, the wind attacked the trees instead of the hikers. But wait, there's still more excitement! We saw a moose! Thankfully, I was not alone for this encounter and Shabbat and I had the tree we would hide behind if she charged all picked out...but this was a docile moose, phew!

And a bunch of tourists who were sure to warn us of the 20 foot drop we would encounter on the trail ahead (basically what we've dealt with for days). 

After hitch hiking with some Chinese tourists, we now rest safely in Gorham, NH and are looking forward to a zero day tomorrow!