Some loud neighbors woke me up early again. This wasn't too much of a problem because I'd slept well. I packed up my car and went across the street (to North Country General Store) to get breakfast (0635). I then left Bingham and drove about 20 miles north (on gravel roads) to reach the AT Trailhead on Troutdale (AKA Moxie Pond) Road. The weather was awesome (temps in the 60s and a high overcast)! I started SOBO just before 0730 and found myself in a climb almost immediately. This was not unexpected, though, and the terrain was much easier on my legs/feet than anything I’ve seen in months. There were still roots and rocks but very little mud or boulders that required scaling. Even the climbs were only a few hundred feet each time - this gave me time to get psyched before I reached them. I’d expected to see some of the NOBO Thru hikers I’d met yesterday during my outbound leg but didn’t - instead, I encountered a young man (Thru hiker) who I’d already seen at least twice this year (the last time was in New Hampshire). He was in a hurry so we didn’t chat long. I kept on chugging uphill, crossing Middle Mountain, until the views were spectacular - visibility was tremendous! I found the sign for the Pleasant Pond Mountain summit and took a break in the pleasant breeze. I heard sounds of people scaling the peak from the other side and decided to keep moving. During my backtrack, I passed five SOBO Thru hikers and ended up talking to one of them about the 100 Mile Wilderness (he didn’t like it). He was disappointed to learn that the Kennebec ferry only ran until 1400 (he wasn’t going to make it) because he only had 60 days to reach Harper’s Ferry (yikes!). While I was chatting with him, another hiker approached from the south - we recognized each other from yesterday. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep up with “Woods” but I ended up hiking with him for over three miles. He was Thru hiking the AT in two parts (central VA to Katahdin and then central VA to Springer) and was a wealth of information about tough parts I’ve still got to hike. He told me he was glad to have a hiking partner for a few hours because he’d lost his earlier “AT buddy” in Gorham. I said goodbye and wished him well when we reached Moxie Pond (1315, almost 11 miles) - it would have been nice to have continued with him but I’ve already hiked all of the next 20-30 miles… In any case, I’m glad to have filled in another gap in my hiking tracker - every little bit helps! The cool waters of Moxie Pond were only 50 feet from where I’d parked my car, so the decision to follow up my hike with paddling was a no brainer. I launched easily and explored the southernmost end of the 7.5 mile long lake. The wind was very strong and large waves raced southbound, making things harder. In fact, I wasn’t able to get through the narrow “neck” that led to the northern part of the lake because I simply couldn’t paddle fast enough… I settled for a circuit in my little part of the pond and allowed the breeze to push me (only steering required) back to the landing. I was only on the lake for about an hour (finished at around1430) but enjoyed the “cool down” after the hike I’d just finished. After a great day of hiking and paddling, I headed back to Bingham. Back in my room, I cleaned up and read some more. I called Mollie and then ate dinner (snacks in the room). I told the front desk I'd be checking out in the morning (early) because I'd discovered that a huge rain storm was coming. Spent the evening doing some telework and working on my travel blog. I also talked to my dad and read before bed (2200). AT Today = 4.9 miles / G.T. AT = 1836.7 miles / AT Left = 348.6 miles
