After my "Hail Mary" audible yesterday, I awoke (at 0600) in a trailhead parking lot to the northwest of Greenville (near Moosehead Lake). I spent a little time cleaning up my "campsite" before I departed for town. I’d slept pretty well, although it got pretty chilly during the night. On the way out of the woods (close to ME-6), I encountered two moose cows who were grazing on the side of the road. That seemed like a good omen! Since some local maps showed me that I didn’t have to enter the KI / Jo Mary Multi-Use area (located just east town) but could, instead, use a gravel track (Frenchtown Road) that started east from the town of Kokadjo, I decided to try that option. After first checking out the Marina and sea plane “corral”, I headed north from Greenville. The back roads didn’t have names or many signs but I managed to locate a parking area near a gate where a short walk could get me on the AT just north of White Cap Mountain. By 0800, I left my car and was soon (0.3 miles of walking on Logan Brook Road later) at the AT trailhead. It was overcast and cool (low 60s) with a light breeze. A NOBO Thru hiker (“Ranger Randy”) was crossing the road just then and I followed along with him as we made our way towards Crawford Pond. Randy was hiking his second AT Thru (the last was in 1989) and I had a great time hearing his stories about the differences in distance (42 miles had been added), support (very few of the old businesses he’d patronized were still open) and culture (varied philosophies on equipment then and now). He showed me how he was keeping track of these differences in a guidebook he had (color coded). Since Randy had just finished his military career, we found even more things to talk about. We passed a small group of SOBO section hikers on the way but didn’t see anyone else. After a few miles (that seemed like they had flown by), we stopped for a break at East Branch Lean-To. Normally, I don’t take too many breaks - this stop was entirely due to Randy telling me about how he’d met his wife on the 1989 hike and that they were still together. I also learned that Randy had skipped almost all of the AT in Vermont (because that’s where he lived) so he could finish that after summiting Katahdin. After we’d gotten some food and he’d finished his stories, we continued north. Just 0.1 miles later, we reached the East Branch of Pleasant River and found a crossing that required us to get wet (once again, because there was no bridge). Waiting at the water’s edge, considering his options, was Randy’s friend, “Red Dot”. I’d recently bought some Crocs and this allowed me to follow the lead of my hiking companions (old pros) in crossing the stream with minimal impact on my socks or boots. After putting my regular footwear back on, we all continued north again. Red Dot was a retired Physician who lived a half mile from the AT in Delaware Water Gap. He was actually LASHing from near Harper’s Ferry and planned to do the southern section in 2023. Red Dot was full of info on human anatomy, bird calls, trail trivia and life in general. I should mention that the other two were older than me but I guess I’m now keen on the kind of things old guys like to talk about… After our river crossing, we started a long climb up the southwest side of Little Boardman Mountain, which I’ve heard is the last mountain south of Katahdin. The climb wasn’t too difficult but the descent down to Crawford Pond (Johnston Road) looked steep enough that I decided to save it for another day. Reluctantly, I said goodbye to Randy and Red Dot and started my backtrack. Not long after this, it began to rain. I was mostly dry under the thick tree canopy but my main concern began to be the river crossing - maps showed that the water could rise enough to be more difficult. Yeesh... On the way back towards my car, I passed more than a dozen NOBO Thrus and all were unhappy about the conditions of the many water crossings they kept encountering. And, when I arrived, I swear the water level looked higher after the recent downpour. Taking advice from one lady I met before my second traverse, I tried to get across the river by bushwhacking downstream and (with boots still on) using some rocks that were (mostly) sticking out of the stream. This worked out mostly well until I lost my balance and, in an effort to avoid full submersion, stepped into the river with one leg (to my knee). Drat! I wrung out my sock at the shelter and then squished my way back to the road. It stopped raining long enough for me ti make it to my car and change clothes (1530) but then it really started to pour. Feeling good about how I was able to hike almost 12 miles before the skies opened, I packed up my car and backtracked into Greenville. When I finally got a cell signal again, I figured out that weather was going to suck for the next few days - and not just in the Moosehead Lake area, but across New England. At first, I was going to see if I could stay in the area for another (small) chance of AT miles. After looking around town, though, I realized I was beaten and just drove towards home... Knowing I'll have to return to this area several more times before I'm done with the AT, I used a Google Maps route what was kind of different than I initially expected. After taking ME-15 to ME-16, I got on ME-151, which took me to ME-150. This road continued all the way down to Showhegan. From there, I used US-201A and some back roads to meet US-2. Encountered lots of rain on the way... I took US-2 west and, just before Farmington, used some back roads to avoid the shopping areas. From there, I just rode on US-2 all the way to Gorham. I got dinner at McDonalds (1945) - there was a LONG wait for food because so many people had the same idea. By the time I had my food and was back in the car, it was dark. I wasn't looking forward to another two hours on the road (worried a bit about hitting a moose) but kept going. Got startled by some (stupid?) folks hitchhiking for rides along US-2 (north of Mount Madison) - yikes. Used NH-116, US-302, NH-10, River Road and NH/VT-25 to reach I-91. Trying to stay awake, listened to audio books. Made really good time with very little traffic or slow downs (just a couple of hiccups near Littleton), meaning that the whole drive from Greenville back to my house was only about six hours with the food stop included. Arrived at my condo by 2200 and unpacked - whew! I didn’t get another lucky weekend of good weather and logistics but I did learn some more about the HMW, met some interesting people and chipped away at my remaining AT miles. So maybe I can still declare victory... AT Today = 5.4 miles / Grand Total AT = 2042.8 miles
