8-19-12

AT miles hiked today: 11.2
Total AT miles hiked: 1084.9

It's my 4 month trailversary! Tomorrow, when I hike mile 1092.2, I will have hiked exactly half of the 2184.4 miles of the 2012 AT. That will happen nearly at the peak of Saddleback Junior, where I will have somebody take a picture of me.

The four of us women and Chucky da Phish and Standing Bear all arrived at the parking lot together and amazingly all of us got a ride into Rangeley with Sue who owns hiker hostels and hotels in Stratton. She was dropping off a hiker and agreed to take all six of us into town (thank you, Sue!). We told her we were planning to stay at her hostel in a couple of days when we get over the Saddlebacks. We had planned today as a nero day so we knew we would have to hitch back to the trail and hike a couple of miles to the closest shelter.

Sue dropped us off at the Outfitter, where I got a yummy caramel (though it wasn't an apple) and new Aqua Mira drops. Then we got Thai food and got the lunch special. Then I got a soft serve twist ice cream cone. Yummy! A nice man at the ice cream shop gave us a ride to IGA and we resupplied there and packed up our food outside of the store. The four of us hitched back to the trail in pairs and got rides by two different cars. We started hiking by 6pm and got to Piazza Rock Lean-to around 7pm. It's getting dark around 7:30 lately so we ate dinner in the dark.

I'm tenting near running water and I love the sound. It's getting cold. I saw my breath this morning at Sabbath Day Lean-to and there was mist rising off the pond. It was beautiful and serene and I did a little meditation by the water as I hoped to see a moose. I had no luck with that, though there has been tons of moose poop on trail. I really hope I get to see a moose, but we don't leave camp early enough or hike late enough to increase our chances.