The muck and rain is awful. The trail is underwater. The trail is a stream in many places. The muck is ankle deep with unseen holes that are knee deep. I stepped in one hole, and jammed my knee into a fallen log. Words can not describe how awful the trail conditions are here. What's worst is going up and down slopes. The rocks are wet and there are no rock stairs. One slip, and you can be off the trail for good.
Maine is getting record rainfall. Its been raining every day since I got into Maine, and the forecast calls for rain every single day. We are wet. Our feet are wet. Our shoes are soaked and very heavy. Walking is very difficult.
The shuttle driver told me this morning that he is taking northbounders off the trail now. They are quiting because of the rain and trail conditions. I've heard of other northbounders who are so disgusted with the weather and trail conditions that they are hitching to Monson to start the 100 mile wilderness. I think the trail gets a little less dangerous after Mount Bigelow. I still have about 60 miles of this stuff. After Bigelow, the trail will still be wet and mucky. I'm just hoping it will be less dangerous.
We had to ford a very fast moving stream today. Fortunately, there was a fallen tree across the stream. We sat on the tree and pushed our way across. If it wasn't for the tree, I have no idea how we could have safely crossed the stream. I was hiking with Stripe and Limeonaid at the time.
I'm at the Sabbath Day Pond lean-to with Stripe, Limeonaid, Cricket, and New Guy. We were talking about the danger level on the trail. The danger level is much higher than we expected or think is reasonable. The trail is very poorly maintained in Maine. Cricket wants to write letters to trail people letting them know how dangerous sections of the trail are here. I don't think anyone cares. It would have been nice to have had better warnings before starting the trail. There is a difference between physically difficult which is how this portion of the trail is usually described and physically dangerous which is what this portion of the trail actually is.
I noticed that I am hiking a lot slow lately. It helps to hike with others now. I can't seem to get into the same rhythm that I used to have. I think I'm getting burned out on all of the dangerous stuff we have to do on the trail, the awful trail conditions, and the weather. There are no views. Everything is wet. Walking is extremely difficult. Our shoes are very heavy with water and muck. I calculated that I can be on Katahdin 12 days after leaving Rangely, which I should be at tomorrow. I'm just slogging out miles now.
Maine is getting record rainfall. Its been raining every day since I got into Maine, and the forecast calls for rain every single day. We are wet. Our feet are wet. Our shoes are soaked and very heavy. Walking is very difficult.
The shuttle driver told me this morning that he is taking northbounders off the trail now. They are quiting because of the rain and trail conditions. I've heard of other northbounders who are so disgusted with the weather and trail conditions that they are hitching to Monson to start the 100 mile wilderness. I think the trail gets a little less dangerous after Mount Bigelow. I still have about 60 miles of this stuff. After Bigelow, the trail will still be wet and mucky. I'm just hoping it will be less dangerous.
We had to ford a very fast moving stream today. Fortunately, there was a fallen tree across the stream. We sat on the tree and pushed our way across. If it wasn't for the tree, I have no idea how we could have safely crossed the stream. I was hiking with Stripe and Limeonaid at the time.
I'm at the Sabbath Day Pond lean-to with Stripe, Limeonaid, Cricket, and New Guy. We were talking about the danger level on the trail. The danger level is much higher than we expected or think is reasonable. The trail is very poorly maintained in Maine. Cricket wants to write letters to trail people letting them know how dangerous sections of the trail are here. I don't think anyone cares. It would have been nice to have had better warnings before starting the trail. There is a difference between physically difficult which is how this portion of the trail is usually described and physically dangerous which is what this portion of the trail actually is.
I noticed that I am hiking a lot slow lately. It helps to hike with others now. I can't seem to get into the same rhythm that I used to have. I think I'm getting burned out on all of the dangerous stuff we have to do on the trail, the awful trail conditions, and the weather. There are no views. Everything is wet. Walking is extremely difficult. Our shoes are very heavy with water and muck. I calculated that I can be on Katahdin 12 days after leaving Rangely, which I should be at tomorrow. I'm just slogging out miles now.
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