Well, I am starting to feel like the end of the trip is near and I feel a little sad. Some folks at the hostel are skipping ahead to the next town, or a couple of towns north so that they can hike at a reasonable pace through the 100-mile wilderness, an area just south of Mt. Katahdin that feels quite remote. An inspection of the topo maps for this area show a number of unimproved roads within a few miles of the trail and a few bisect the section, so its not as remote as it once was. Having said that, I suspect these roads are rarely travelled so its still remote. The books tell you to bring 10 days worth of food, however most people get through in less time. There are many water crossings so although much of the terrain is flat, a flooded stream could be impassable for a few days.
Ok- got out of track back there. So, I feel a little sad because I am in the most beautiful state and I want to take my time and enjoy every moment. However, we don't have a lot of time to get there and I'm feeling the effects of 1900+ miles in my knees and other joints. My body is tired. We could get to Mt. K without jumping ahead, but only if we pull big miles and I'm not sure if my knees can do that.
Post-trail concerns are also starting to bog me down. I have lots of things going on once I leave the trail - some things that I look forward to and others that I wouldn't mind putting off. And all the people I've been traveling with these last 5-6 months are going to go their separate ways. Its going to feel strange knowing that I won't catch up to them in the next town or vice versa.
I didn't think this email would take a bittersweet note when I began composing it, but sometimes these are things that occupy my thoughts when I hike.
Steph
www.hikingat.com
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