After an overnight and breakfast at the Hostel of Maine, I felt like I’d integrated into a NOBO Thru Hiker Bubble! After getting up at 0530, I went into the common area and overheard conversations about the best of various experiences (dehydrated meals, hostels, restaurants, etc.), “pre-hike” briefings (weather, trail conditions, etc.), gripes about sore joints and an underlining (and palpable) angst about whether one had enough days to reach Katahdin before winter weather. Each of these intense exchanges was counterbalanced by light hearted chatting about funny trail activities, jamming out to “granola” tunes, trades of favorite trail snacks and seeking sources of Mary Jane. The hikers refer to their group as a “Tramily” and there was plenty of bickering and bantering. Last night I’d learned the hostel ran a shuttle to two AT trailheads and I coordinated a drop off with the rest of the hikers. After we’d all eaten as many calories of the delicious breakfast as we could, the shuttle took about six hikers to the AT Trailhead on ME-27 - I followed in my car. From there, several of us got a ride to the trailhead on Caribou Pond Road (where I’d parked yesterday). By 0830, we were walking up the gravel road in search of the AT crossing point (0.5 miles away). Temps were in the 40s but there was very little wind. As a result, I only wore one layer (long sleeved shirt). Once at the AT, we headed NOBO. This section was known for including a “trail sign” (built out of collected trail rocks) that indicated the 2000 mile mark for the NOBO Thru hikers. This made them go slower, actually, because they didn’t want to miss it. Meanwhile, I just got down to hiking business and began the 2000 foot climb of South Crocker Mountain. It was a steep ascent but, for just over two miles, I didn’t stop to enjoy the occasional views because I felt energized and didn’t want to lose any momentum. As a result, I passed five “peak bagger” day hikers and left the AT Thru hikers behind. From an overlook just before the summit, I was able to see the full panorama of the Bigelow Range too - very impressive! As I reached the top, I met two SOBO LASHers (hiking the whole AT in Maine) and enjoyed the view at a scenic overlook. It was clear that the cooler temps in the last 48 hours had made a huge impact on the quality of the Fall foliage - there were far more bright colors visible on Sugarloaf than I’d seen the day before. The Thru hikers caught me there but I then departed the vista point before they did. A bit later, I literally stumbled across the “2000”, which was hard to see in the mud. It wasn’t really my milestone but I have walked that far (and more) so I took a selfie… I had to traverse a deep “saddle” that lay between South Crocker (4050’) and North Crocker (4228’) but, after climbing many similar summits in the Whites this year, I didn’t find the descent/climb too difficult. Passed a group of three more peak baggers just before I reached the second peak - was then disappointed not to have any view… By this point, I was five miles from my car and the trail began a long descent to ME-27. Strangely, I only saw one more person (young guy with his dog) for the rest of the day. I was able to set a good pace and was happy to find the trail stayed mostly in the shade because the sun came out and raised the temps into the low 60s. But there really weren’t any places to stop for views and I walked mindlessly for several hours with no sounds but those of birds and dropping acorns. At 1345, I reached the road and determined that I’d covered almost 9 miles. Very glad I was able to tackle this section today! All I’ve got left in the area is a hike between Sugarloaf and Saddleback - will try to finish that next summer. After cleaning up and checking my map (for the best route), I got an early start on my drive home. Used ME-27, ME-16 (all the way to NH border), NH-16, NH-110A, NH-110 and US-3 to reach Lancaster, NH (listening to audiobooks on the way). Stopped for early dinner at McDonalds (1615) and later continued driving on US-2. It started raining at around 1630 and never stopped. Meanwhile, I looked for a good gas price. I'd thought I had about 40 miles of fuel left and was trying to reach St. Johnsbury when my car's fuel gauge went screwy. As a result, I stopped short of town (at the intersection of VT-18) and got some (high priced) gas from PettyCo Junction station (1655). Relieved, got on I-93 nearby and used it to reach I-91. Despite rainy conditions all the way, I arrived home safely just before 1800. Unpacking in the rain wasn't fun... Feeling fortunate to have had another successful hiking weekend on the AT. Wish me luck for at least two more this year! AT Today = 8.3 miles / Grand Total AT = 2077.4 miles / AT Left = 107.9 miles
