Day 22 - Max Patch (April 30)

We started this morning from Standing Bear hostile after three breakfasts. For my first breakfast, I had a danish and some orange juice. Breakfast number 2 was a pizza I split with Thought Foot and Road Rash. Breakfast number 3 was eggs, biscuits, and pancakes that Hobo Joe made. Road Rash was too sick to cook this morning.

Road Rash is going to zero today. He's going to yellow blaze to Max Patch tomorrow morning, and catch up with us by Hot Springs.

The beauty of Max Patch can not be described. It is an open field on top of a mountain. We were just looking at a picture of Max Patch on the cover of an AT guidebook. You can probably find pictures online. Unfortunately, my phone camera is not working. Can someone tell me what Max Patch is? There has to be information about this area online.

I blew out my first pair of hiking shoes this morning. The stitching on the top came apart. There is an outfitter in Hot Springs. I should be able to pick up a new pair of shoes there. The ruggedness of the terrain will prematurely end the life of any shoe.

Yak and Bojangles were staying at the hostile last night. They had that aggressive NYC attitude that really does not belong on the trail. I came close to telling both to chill at different times.

I talked to Needles a little while today on the trail. He is an acupuncture student that was staying at the hostile with us last night. He's been practicing his skills on the trail. He was also telling me about a conversation he had with Road Rash last night about finishing the trail. He said Road Rash really helped him understand that the trail is not about getting to Katahdin. Road Rash and I have talked a lot about the trail. I will expand our ideas in a separate post.

We did a 20 mile day today with little effort even thought we left the hostile at 10 AM. We decided to practise better hiking skills and start leaving camp earlier. We will probably stay at another hostile tomorrow night.

Speaking of hostiles, I hear that Red Eyes skipped out on Standing Bear hostile without paying for his food and not working enough for his stay. Thought Foot overheard the owner and manager talking about going to Hot Springs to find him.

Thought Foot and I finally caught up to Wing Ding today, and neither of us have a sharpie pen. We have been chasing Wing Ding for the last 150 miles. He has been writing on trees, fire towers, shelters,and anything else he can find. We were looking forward to writing Trees Were Here all over his tent, but Road Rash has the sharpie. I feel like a failure.

There is no phone service here tonight. I will have to send this message later when I have service.