Yesterday’s weather was so spectacular that I really hoped to “ride some coat-tails” into the middle of today. Unfortunately, it started raining during the night and was pouring by the time I woke up at 0500 (I actually couldn't sleep by then because the raindrops on the roof of the car were so loud...). I read, packed up and ate a light breakfast (mostly staying in the car so I'd be dry). Departed my campsite by 0600 and drove a short distance north (to the AT Trailhead on Jo Mary Road). While I was getting ready to leave the car, I saw another car drop off a hiker and depart again. For my part, I departed the parking area (NOBO) at 0630. I’ve rarely departed my car with a 100% chance of rain for the whole hike but that’s what I did today... It was warmer than I’d expected (low 50s) and I wore my rain poncho which helped to maintain my core temp. Within the first mile, however, all exposed parts of my body were soaked. Around this time, I caught up to a Thru hiker who was headed the same way I was. Her trail name was “Spark Plug” and she was a great-grandma from Arkansas who was working on her third attempt to Thru hike (she’d aborted for injury and family drama two previous times). I hadn’t expected to stay with her but we both must have wanted the company on such a miserable today and we hiked together for my entire outbound leg. We had several stream crossings and lots of muddy areas (made worse by the incessant precipitation) but we kept plodding north until we reached the Antlers Campsite on the shore of Lower Jo Mary Lake. The trail markings weren’t clear here and we debated which way we should go - then a disembodied voice said “Go Left!” and we knew the way. (During my backtrack, I met the person who had helped us - she was the female half of a couple hiking the HMW together and had been giving the advice since the previous afternoon since their camp was at the trail junction.) Spark Plug and I kept going, slogging through mud, until we reached the glacial boulder I’d used as a turnaround point the previous day. We said goodbye, but not before she asked me to pass a message (via “Trail Mail”) to another NOBO named “F Log”. I agreed to do this and started my backtrack - only later did it occur to me that Spark Plug (and her husband) may have been the people I encountered at the campsite the night before... It was strange to be hiking alone after that but I soon had other problems to consider - my socks had finally succumbed to the non-stop rain and I started wondering if I’d get a bad blister. But there was really no where to stop and get dry so I just kept going. I actually didn’t get any snacks or try to change clothes during the entire hike… Meanwhile, I passed about 15 other hikers, all Thrus except for an older couple who were bound for a wilderness campsite on the other side of Pemadumcook Lake (by boat) and two LASHers (who may have been the folks who left some Trail Magic at Johnson Pond Road Trailhead). The last hiker was F Log and I was finally able to pass the message. I reached Jo Mary road again by 1230, about six hours and 14 miles since I’d left it. There was a big crowd of hikers getting their resupply from a driver from Shaw’s (I’d met him in August). I didn’t hang out with them long because everything I was wearing was full of water (but my backpack, protected by the poncho, was almost completely dry). Just then, it stopped raining... After changing out of my wet clothes, I drove south on Jo Mary Road until I had cell signal. I actually stopped there so I could check on emails, etc. - I ultimately departed the area at 1330. To get home, I basically backtracked via the same route I'd used to get to the hiking zone (ME-11, ME-6, ME-150, US-201A, US-2, ME-156, US-2). Listened to more audiobooks on the way. Rain was intermittent throughout the drive. Got a gas fill-up at Irving in Gorham (1720) and then used US-2 to reach NH-116. Eventually continued via US-302, NH-10, River Road, NH/VT-25 and I-91. The rain got worse as it started to get darker... Finally arrived home at 1930 and unpacked in the downpour. Despite the long drives and difficult weather, this weekend was quite satisfying - unlike the previous two, I was able to knock out some serious mileage (16+) without using any side trails. Crossing my fingers for a few more days like this before the end of 2022! AT Today = 6.9 miles / Grand Total AT = 2066.9 miles