Pushing Hard

August 23 & 24

Miles: 18 & 20 (2127/2189)

Location: Stealth camping near Crawford Pond

Weather: A bit too warm yesterday, but pretty much perfect today

Complaint of the Day: My feet are sore. They are really looking forward to the end of this hike

Back in North Carolina they all told us that the trail would be way easier once we hit Virginia. It wasn’t. In Virginia they said that the trail would be easier once we hit Pennsylvania. It wasn’t. In Pennsylvania they told us that things would be a lot easier once we got up into New Jersey and New York. It wasn’t. Again and again people kept promising things would be getting easier once we hit a certain point, but the trail is never easy. I have learned that again and again and again. So why is it that I totally believed people when they told me that the trail would be so much easier once I got to the Hundred Mile Wilderness? Things have not been easy. Thankfully they haven’t been super tough, but they certainly have not been easy. 

And this matters quite a bit. I have a deadline that is fast approaching. I have airline tickets booked for August 30, which means that I have to finish the trail by August 29 at the absolute latest; finishing by the 28th would make my logistics much simpler. Getting to the summit by the 28th, though, means I have to average at least 18 miles a day through the Hundred Mile Wilderness. That goal didn’t seem too tough back when everyone was telling me how easy the trail would be. But now things are a little rough. I had to hike a full 12 hours to get 18 miles yesterday. Today was a little easier so it “only” took 11 hours to go 20 miles. I am tired. 

From here though, things really should be a lot easier. The trail between here and the base of Katahdin is almost totally flat. I am sure that there will still be lots of rocks and roots and mud around to slow me down and prevent me from having things too easy, but I think I can deal with that. 

Tomorrow will be a little shorter day. U only have to go 16 miles to get to the backcountry hostel where I had my last box of food mailed. I should be able to rest and relax a little bit there before pushing on the last couple of days to the summit.