Appalachian Trail Adventure Day 10 (6/26/21)

Bemis Mountain Lean To to Andover

8.6 Miles

I awoke this morning to a crowded shelter. Everyone was awake, but no one wanted to get up. They were waiting for Captain to give the word, but I finally declared that it was time to get up and released the air from my sleeping pad. Ironically, that got everyone going except Captain. However, it takes me forever to get everything together in the morning, and so only Bear and Hard Goods rolled out after me.

The morning began with a hard but pretty climb up Bemis Mountain. The days are getting hotter, and I was quickly sweating profusely. The climb up Bemis may have been pretty, but the summit was just a sign in the woods, so I quickly moved on.

I passed Loco not long into the day, and then I found Magic and Vortex at a water source. That water source wasn’t fantastic, but boy was it welcome. It was the first reliable water we had seen for miles. I filled up both my bottles before continuing on.

This hike today was hard on my right leg. First I scraped my shin on a log, which drew blood. Then, I smacked the top of my foot into a rock. Next, I rolled my ankle in a ditch. Then, to complete the set, I lost control of my trekking pole and smacked it into my lower thigh, triggering a feeling similar to a cramp.

Overall, this day was my hardest on trail so far. I wasn’t mentally or physically in the game. I knew this was likely to happen in southern Maine, but it is definitely hitting me hard. I know that this is the hardest part of the entire Appalachian Trail, and it’s acting like it.

One bright spot today was music. You never know when a song will be just what you need at a given time. Two songs helped me today. The first was “Little Lion Man” by Mumford and Sons, which gave me a boost of energy when I needed it. I was bounding down the trail singing out loud until I noticed a northbounder coming and shut my mouth.

The second song was “I’m Already There” by Lonestar. It’s a fantastic song anyway, but it really got me today because of two reasons. First of all, I miss Dragonfly, and the song speaks to missing those you care about. Second, I still remember when I first heard the song. As a high school graduation present, my parents gave me a trip for my father and I to attend the George Strait Country Music Festival in San Antonio, Texas. Well, that was where Lonestar debuted the song. I think my father and I both knew that it was going to be a smash hit, and of course it was. I have loved it ever since. The connection to my father was the second reason why the song means so much to me.

When I completed the day’s hike, I got to the road at my appointed pickup time of 11:30, as I was going to stay at The Cabin tonight. The Cabin had been recommended to me by Poet at Shaw’s. It certainly isn’t as fancy a place as the Hostel of Maine, but it has a lot of charm in its AT history and homey feel.

My pickup didn’t go off at 11:30 because the driver, Don, told me that we were waiting for two other people, but wasn’t sure who. First Vortex and Magic came through, but it wasn’t them. Then Zack did likewise, but it wasn’t him either. Finally Bear showed up, and confirmed that it was him and Hard Goods, who both needed a zero day in town.

On the way to town, we stopped by a little convenience store that Tim Sample would certainly call The Store. When we went inside, we ran into Gazelle, Captain, and Medicine Man. They were not originally planning on doing so, but decided to come back to the hostel with us. This led to a little bit of confusion due to lack of space in the car, but we eventually got it sorted out and went back to the hostel in two waves. The first wave was Hard Goods and I, and everyone else was the second wave.

Back at the hostel, we all had to find loaner clothes. Gazelle made the most “stylish” choice, wearing a blazer with no shirt. Medicine Man wore a robe, while everyone else went with more conventional choices. I have actually gotten to like Bear’s town shoes, which are rainbow crocs. Not that I would want any; I like my Xero sandals.

We met Ali, a northbounder who was also staying at the hostel. Amazingly, she still doesn’t have a trail name after 1900 miles. 

During a conversation, someone said something and I replied, “You’re all so young.” That got us going around in a circle listing off our ages. The results were kind of depressing for me. Ali is 25, Bear 24, Hard Goods 21, Medicine Man 19, Captain 22, Gazelle 31, and I am 40. Yes, that means other than Gazelle, I am the only one over 25. I suppose there’s a positive way to spin it, though. It’s pretty impressive being 40 and able to keep up with a bunch of 20 somethings.

Dinner tonight was amazing. We had salad, spaghetti, garlic bread, and cheesecake, all included with the price of the stay. What I loved most, though, was the atmosphere of camaraderie as we all sat around the dinner table together. It reminded me of family dinners in a time long since past.

I learned that Earl Shaffer, the very first AT thru-hiker, had stayed at The Cabin during his 50th anniversary thru-hike in 1998, and there was a picture of the event on the wall. There was a lot of other memorabilia as well.

Honey, the 89 year old owner of the hostel, compared notes on the Whites with Ali and I while everyone else listened, and she told us stories of some of the great hiking history she had witnessed. Upon meeting her, I knew why Poet told me that I had to stay at The Cabin. Honey is a big part of the living history of the AT.

After dinner, we made plans for tomorrow. I am going to do a slackpack and come back to The Cabin again tomorrow night. Until that entry, always remember that you can’t take flight until you spread your wings.

Sorry, I am out of flower pictures for now. I will bring back that feature if I find new ones.