Author: Julie Blouin

There was another day of hiking but I’m too lazy to write up what happened. Yesterday we walked 10.5 miles then got to town!!! Monson, Maine! The end of the 100 mile wilderness, the longest stretch of the AT without a town. It was so exciting to have reached such a milestone.

Thorny had his car so he drove the stinky bunch of us into town. We checked into a hostel which is right on a lake and felt like heaven. It was a relief to take off my hiking shoes and put on my flip flops. I took a shower for the first time in ten days and did laundry. I can’t remember the last time I felt so clean. I’d lost a bunch of weight from burning SO many calories each day and not possibly being able to eat enough to replenish them so I did my best to make up for that by eating a ton. A cheeseburger and fries never tasted so good. Thorny and Popeye drove us into Greenville, the next town over today to get some supplies. I stocked up on lots of stuff to care for my blisters and got new shoes that already feel better on my feet. The best worst uncle ever sent me food he that he selflessly made me and my parents sent some too so due to their kindness I didn’t even have to spend a second worrying about my upcoming meals. Being in town, while tough on my wallet, has been a much needed physical and mental break. My blisters still hurt but are getting slowly better and I feel much more rested and reenergized.

Everyone in town and the other hikers staying here have been so incredibly kind and welcoming and I can already tell that my favorite part of the AT will likely be the people I meet.

We head out hiking again tomorrow morning (after an all you can eat breakfast of course). I’m excited to get going again (and to be carrying less food). Thanks to everyone for their kind words and encouragement. They help far more than you may realize.

I’m running out of time in town to write and post all my blog entries so I’m consolidating/skipping.

Day 7 was East Branch Lean To to Carl A Newhall Lean To
Miles today: 10.8
Total miles: 78.6

We slept in this morning and also slept in the lean to last night for the first time. We spent the morning climbing uphill until a lunch break at Logan brook shelter. Then we continued our climb with a strenuous ascent up to white cap mountain. The views were amazing but it was exhausting. We had lunch at the top and then had a descent then a climb then a descent then a climb and yep you guessed it, another descent and then a climb. My blisters were doing a lot better today thanks entirely to my wonderful hikin partners Sharing athletic tape and wrapping my feet for me. I was more tired than usual throughout the day, I think bc I needed more to eat. I had a package of six cheese cracker sandwiches and at the top of each of the three mountains after White Cap I rewarded myself with two crackers. We got to the shelter after a long downhill around 5 and had dinner. Some northbounders came in around 6 and we talked to them for a bit. Coops dirty mike chino and ace. One was from mass. Long day tomorrow, 16.8. I’m leaving the tape on my blisters as bad and gross for them as it may be because I don’t have enough to retape them the before getting to monson. I hope it holds up because I have two long 16 mile days then only 3 miles and monson!!! And food and showers and beds and 114 miles complete! It’s crazy how much better not being bothered by blisters made my day.

Day 8: Carl A Newhall Lean To to West Chairback Pond

Miles today: 11.6
Total miles: 90.2

James (Wolf Birs) snored so much last night that ray set up his tent in the middle of the night. It was rainy this morning and none of us felt like getting up. Didn’t get hiking til around eight.
Day started out with me falling in the river immediately after the lean to and breaking one of my trekking poles. And getting wet feet. So then I hiked the next five or so miles with just one pole and had to keep alternating sides because one leg Would get an extra work out. Finally I found a good walking stick and used that the rest of the day. The morning was pretty easy, almost all downhill. Forded a river which was knee high and wide but easy to cross. Feet were wet the rest of the day. Then lots of climbs up to chairback mountain. Hiked with brittani all day and ran into Popeye and thorny and mdot. Hiked uphill at Popeye and thornys pace and learned very slow and steady is easier. Got to what we thought was chairback but still had another huge climb. Got to the lean to and James and nick had waited two hours for us even when they wanted to go seven more miles. We convinced them to camp by pond. We found canoes and oars that were unlocked and went out in the pond. So pretty. Ate by pond. Boys caught minnows and ate them whole. Sleeping on an incline. Ugh 17.8 tomorrow. I hope my feet feel better. They are still bad but tape helped before. Then monson day after!!!!!!!!

Stung by a bee today too

Miles today: 16.7
Total miles: 67.8

I didn’t write anything on this day. I don’t remember much because it was so long and tiring and also because my blisters got so bad. We walked 8 miles and then had lunch and napped at a lean to. Then we had 8 more miles. I was lagging way behind the group (5 of us have now pretty much stuck together: Cool Blue, Wolf Bird, Shuffle, Google and me). I remember thinking I was in so much pain I really couldn’t walk more. I kind of had a mental breakdown alone in the woods and came to the conclusion there really was no other option but to suck it up and walk the next 50 ish miles until I get to town and my blisters can heal. At the time I was in bad spirits and at a low point and really thought I couldn’t make it because of how bad my feet hurt. But now after the fact I’m really proud I kept going and made a conscious decision to not let the pain dictate the rest of my day or trip. I tried to ignore it as best I could. My little trail family was beyond kind and helpful, giving me tons of first aid stuff and even wrapping my feet for me. So even though I don’t remember much about this day, it was a low but also high point in that I overcame something I thought I couldn’t.

Miles today: 7.8
Total miles: 51.8

Today was a test in patience. We got up especially early at 4:30 to get going by 5:30 so we could go to White House Landing for breakfast by 8. WHL is a hostel and basically the only place in the 100 mile wilderness where you can get supplies or real food. We didn’t want to stay, we were just going for their breakfast and maaaybe staying for their one pound burgers for lunch. To get there we had to walk 0.9 miles off the trail through tons of mud to a dock where we sounded an air horn. Then we had to wait for them to come across the lake and bring us there by boat.

We got to the dock around 7 after walking three miles. We blew the air horn and waited. We’d be talking up this breakfast since yesterday and thoughts of pancakes got me through some tough uphills. Finally the boat came after waiting a long hour and 15 minutes.

We immediately discovered breakfast was for guests only. In my head I was comforted by the fact we could just wait until 11 for the one pound burgers. BUT NOO. We found out they stopped doing that this year for non guests too. Blasphemy!! We were already on the boat at this point and stuck going there (and we’d planned our entire day around it anyway). We were all disheartened. I may have been most devastated.

We settled for going there and picking up some supplies like bug sprays and dinners for the rest of the wilderness. Well we got there and they told us to wait while they did some chores. A mere THREE HOURS later they let us look at their supplies and buy stuff and then took us back across the lake. It was so frustrating to just sit there while they did their chores at their pretty relaxed pace when we could have been hiking (or eating a great breakfast…). I suppose it was our own fault but it definitely put a damper on our day.

The rest of the day was only six miles and it was easy. The campsite we stayed at was so beautiful and right on a lake. Brittani, trail name Shuffle, Cool Blue, and James, newly named Wolf Bird (I will do a trail name post later.,. Mine is Sherpa) found clams in the lake which we boiled and ate with some spices.

I got really bad blisters on my heels which made hiking difficult. New pains keep appearing! Always an adventure!

Miles today: 13.9
Total miles: 44

I am basing my entry off hastily written notes in my journal so it will be less descriptive.

The first six miles went by quickly but ended with a decent sized mountain/hill. It had an amazing view of Katahdin far away. I can’t believe we have walked that far.

We had an epic lunch at this beautiful sand beach on a lake. We ate our lunches as we sat in the water. We took a long break and swam around in the crystal clear water with no one else around. What a way to spend the Fourth of July.

There were still about 6 miles to go after lunch. The last two were killing me and felt endless. My little toes felt better but now I have blisters that were killing me. At one point I went the wrong way on the trail and for some reason went as far to climb under fallen trees to follow what I thought was the trail. That was frustrating.

Overall it was a good but long day. The 100 mile wilderness is taking longer than I originally expected and is hard but I’m glad I’m with a group. Also even the fit guys in the group are struggling and tired so I’m glad it’s not just me who is worn out at the end of each day.

Miles today: 11.5
Total miles: 30.1

Wow. What a day. We started off pretty early getting up at six and off around seven. We hiked in mini groups and split off as we found our paces. I spent most of the day leap frogging with Cool Blue, Mika, Brandon, Popeye and Thorny.

The day started out with a steady climb which woke me right up. After a couple miles we reached the top of the hill that was supposed to have a view of Katahdin. But alas it was cloudy and we couldn’t see it. The next couple hours were downhill mostly and flat.

However the majority of the day is what I will remember most of Maine I think: Roots and mud and bugs. So many of all of them. Literally like walking through a swamp but I didn’t want to get my feet wet so I had to hop from stone to root which made my feet very sore. The last two miles were endless. Soo much mud and bugs flying around my head and into my eyes. It’s funny bc I was semi miserable but also the last two miles were so beautiful right along the (flooded and muddy) bank of a huge lake surrounded by pines. At least that helped make it a little better.

Got to the shelter around 220 and it was right next to a beautiful stream with fast moving water. We got in and washed ourselves a little and it was super refreshing. We set up camp and hung out and greeted others as they arrived. Even had the luxury of playing cards for a bit.
All in all it was a good day but tougher. My feet are sore as are my shoulders. But I’m really worried about my pinkie toenails. They hurt so bad and I think they’ll eventually come off but right now they are making walking pretty unbearable. So I hope they come off sooner rather than later

Tomorrow we are planning a 14 miler. Gonna be an early start to try to avoid the heat and get a move on since it’ll be our longest day yet. Hope my feet feel better and I get some rest tonight.

Miles today: 13.4
Total miles: 18.6

Today was a good day. I slept through my watch alarm again (ive given up on it) and got up later than I wanted. I was on the trail by 8 and it was a wet drizzly morning which made it hard to get moving. I was sore from yesterday but after the first hour I felt good. I was alone for the first two or three hours. It was so peaceful with mist rising over quiet ponds surrounded by pines. A couple times I thought I lost the trail because the white blazes are not always very clear especially with intersections with other trails.

About two hours in I came to a register and saw two sobo girls were about 20 min in front of me. I hiked at a quick pace to try to catch up. I did before I knew it and met Brittani and Robyn. They are from Georgia and starting together and met bc of the AT. I was so glad I ran into them bc soon after was a river crossing. But it was no little rock hop across. There were rapids and white water and you had to walk in the water to make it to the other side. Another southbounder brendan was on the far bank and he said he fell while going across and got totally soaked. I was so scared and Brittani and Robyn were looking for places to cross while I decided I’d blue blaze (take a detour not on the AT for 0.9 miles) on the high water bypass trail. They eventually decided to also and we later found out everyone else did except one guy. I think usually the water is wayyy lower. This would prove true again when Brittani and I had to wade through water up to our upper thighs where the trail usually is. It was crazy. I did it barefoot so my shoes didn’t get soaked for days. I hiked with Brittani nearly all day. It was great to have company.

There are SO MANY bugs. It’s ridiculous. 100% deet helps but when you stop for just a minute you will get at least five bug bites. After all the bugs and several water crossings we made it to Abol Bridge. There is a small shop there and it’s the last place to resuppy before the 100 mile wilderness. When we got there we ran into James and Cool Blue (another southbounder) hanging out. I got two pieces of pizza and a soda and as we rested Robyn, Steve (MDot), Ray, Brendan all caught up. We set off in a nice little pack for the last 3.5 miles to the shelter.

The boys were so fast. I tried to keep pace with them but got worn out and ended up in the middle alone which was nice. I got to enjoy the wilderness and beautiful moss covered scenery.

We got to the shelter around 4 or 430. There are two older guys (Popeye and Thorny) doing the 100 mile wilderness and one flip flop hiker (Bus–he says it stands for Big Ugly and Slow). He’s already hiked from Georgia to Harpers ferry (the at halfway point). And now is doing Maine to harpers ferry.

I’m tenting tonight and so are many others. Met two other southbounders Mika and Brandon from Texas. James picked up his dog Mabel today so it’s fun to have her around. It was nice, we all cooked our dinners together and sat around chatting and trying to teach Mabel tricks. We’ve got a nice little group going. It is such a relief there are so many of us bc going southbound that doesn’t always happen. I think most of us are aiming to get to the next shelter tomorrow which is about 11 miles away. Everyone is sore and tired.

I’m actually feeling surprisingly good but the shelter after that is 19 miles and that does not seem like a good idea. I don’t want to push it so early and like the group so i will stick with them for now. And 13 was plenty today So I can’t imagine 19. It’s 8 pm and every one is in their tents winding down. I’m feeling good and happy. Originally when walking alone this morning I thought to myself “wow how am I going to do all this?” But now having found others my morale has picked up and I’m feeling good. Excited for tomorrow especially because the next shelter is supposed to have a swimming hole (I’m getting stinky I think).