Everything was wet. Our clothes. Boots. Sleeping bags. Sleeping pads. Towels. Everything. The tent’s rain fly had done an admirable job keeping out the waterfall we’d slept under the night before, especially considering we’d put it on upside-down in our haste to get out of the storm. The problem was that it had rained so hard that the rain drops had bounced off the ground back up under the rain fly, thus accumulating puddles in the tent. With neither of us excited to get out of our sleeping bags and into wet clothes, we got off to a much later start the morning of day six then we would have liked. Needless to say, morale was at an all-trip low.
Once we got going Mother Nature seemed to be toying with us. The sky cleared up and the sun came out, giving us hopes of drying out. Ten minutes later it was cloudy and raining again. As soon as we got our rain gear on, the sun was back out. Then it rained again. Repeat cycle.
Eventually the sun came out for good and we were able to put in a good day of hiking, covering 13.1 miles over Spaulding Mountain, elevation 3988. The final half mile of which was a mini boulder field with an elevation loss of about a thousand feet.
We ended up camping at a stealth, unofficial campsite along the South Branch of the Carrabassett River. At about eight o’clock that night a man that looked a little and sounded a lot like Matthew McConaughey circa “Dazed and Confused” came through. It had taken him 90 days to get to that point from Georgia, a ridiculous pace, especially when he said that he had taken 17 zero days due to injury. When he told us that he planned on doing the remaining 8.4 miles over Crocker Mountain to Route 27 that night, even though he might not get there until midnight, it wasn’t hard to see how he kept getting injured.
We waited until daylight on day seven to do the remaining 8.4 miles to Route 27, where we had planned to meet up with our parents and stay with them at a local campground for the night. With pizza, hamburgers, french fries, frosty cold beverages, flushable toilets and, perhaps most importantly of all, showers, we pushed it over Crocker and out to Route 27 by 12:30 pm.
Even so, it seemed the longest 8.4 miles ever. One thing on this hike has become apparently clear, which is that there’s a discrepancy between actual physical miles and mental miles. In other words, we are always further from our destination than we think we are.
We were also having a problem with getting trail names. When we first started out, our youngest brother was with us, and a couple we met started calling us Darrell, Darrell, and my other brother Darrell. Without him with us for the remaining duration of the hike that name didn’t seem appropriate any more. Brad and I also agreed that we didn’t want to name each other, because that would turn into a contest, the results of which wouldn’t be flattering for each of us. So we’ve settled on Captain Kirk for Brad and Scottie for me despite my lack of a Scottish accent and red hair (or even hair for that matter). We came to this because Brad keeps telling me to push it and I keep responding that I’m giving it all I’ve got.
With almost a 100 miles under our boots, we’ve got 187.8 left until Katahdin. I’m also currently losing the slip and slide battle, 7-6.
Well you guys are doing a good job so far. We toasted you last night at the Puritan Restaurant with a Sam Adams ! Fran bought you a new Stove to cook on once you get home. take care and be safe.
Nat
Hey there Scottie – glad to hear you guys are doing well so far and made it through the thunder storms. Sorry you’re losing 7-6 and tripping is out of the question since it counts against you. But if a branch were strategically placed in a trippable manner, does that count against you? I’d think about that one… and i’m surprized you didn’t use the names of Frodo and Gollum. You are bigger fans of that movie and Brad could do the Gollum voice and it’d be a very interesting trip (not that it hasn’t been already). 🙂 Enjoying the posts and pics and have fun guys and be careful!
-Maggie
Great Pictures! Keep up the great hard work. Great weather ahead of you I believe…
Your in our prayers!
Love you guys Aunt Debbie and Uncle Bruce
Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?
Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.
Nice post. I be taught one thing more challenging on different blogs everyday. It will at all times be stimulating to learn content material from different writers and apply a little bit something from their store. I’d choose to make use of some with the content on my weblog whether you don’t mind. Natually I’ll offer you a link in your internet blog. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, Neat post. There is a problem with your site in internet explorer, would check this… IE still is the market leader and a good portion of people will miss your wonderful writing due to this problem.
You could certainly see your enthusiasm in the work you write. The world hopes for even more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to say how they believe. Always go after your heart.
Thank you for sharing with us, I think this website really stands out : D.
Utterly written subject material, thanks for entropy.
Hi there, i read your blog occasionally and i own a similar one and i was just curious if you get a lot of spam responses? If so how do you prevent it, any plugin or anything you can advise? I get so much lately it’s driving me insane so any help is very much appreciated.
Hey there! I know this is kind of off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are you using for this website? I’m getting sick and tired of WordPress because I’ve had issues with hackers and I’m looking at alternatives for another platform. I would be great if you could point me in the direction of a good platform.
Some truly interesting points you have written.Helped me a lot, just what I was looking for : D.
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and extremely broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here. The sketch is tasteful, your authored subject matter stylish. nonetheless, you command get bought an impatience over that you wish be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come further formerly again as exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you shield this increase.
Thanks for one’s marvelous posting! I really enjoyed reading it, you will be a great author.I will be sure to bookmark your blog and will eventually come back sometime soon. I want to encourage yourself to continue your great work, have a nice holiday weekend!
great issues altogether, you just won a brand new reader. What might you recommend about your publish that you simply made a few days in the past? Any certain?
I¦ve learn some good stuff here. Definitely value bookmarking for revisiting. I wonder how much effort you place to make such a fantastic informative website.
Great paintings! That is the kind of information that are supposed to be shared across the internet. Shame on Google for now not positioning this post upper! Come on over and discuss with my site . Thanks =)
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wished to say that I have truly loved surfing around your blog posts. After all I’ll be subscribing for your feed and I am hoping you write once more very soon!
I truly treasure your piece of work, Great post.
I wanted to post you a little remark in order to say thanks once again on the fantastic solutions you’ve documented here. This has been quite strangely open-handed with you to allow extensively all that most people would have made available as an e book to generate some money for themselves, certainly since you might well have tried it in case you desired. The tips likewise served like the great way to be sure that the rest have the same dreams the same as my very own to know the truth lots more in regard to this problem. I believe there are many more pleasurable situations in the future for many who look into your website.
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to your webpage? My blog is in the exact same niche as yours and my visitors would truly benefit from a lot of the information you provide here. Please let me know if this okay with you. Thanks!
I would like to thnkx for the efforts you have put in writing this website. I am hoping the same high-grade site post from you in the upcoming as well. In fact your creative writing skills has encouraged me to get my own web site now. Actually the blogging is spreading its wings fast. Your write up is a good example of it.
I believe that is among the so much significant information for me. And i am happy studying your article. But should observation on few basic things, The web site taste is perfect, the articles is actually nice : D. Excellent process, cheers
very good publish, i definitely love this website, carry on it
I have read several excellent stuff here. Certainly price bookmarking for revisiting. I surprise how so much attempt you set to make this type of fantastic informative website.
Awsome article and right to the point. I don’t know if this is really the best place to ask but do you folks have any thoughts on where to hire some professional writers? Thanks in advance 🙂
Perfectly written content material, thanks for entropy. “He who establishes his argument by noise and command shows that his reason is weak.” by Michel de Montaigne.
I think this internet site holds some really excellent information for everyone :D. “We rarely think people have good sense unless they agree with us.” by Francois de La Rochefoucauld.
Saved as a favorite, I really like your blog!
Whats Happening i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It positively useful and it has aided me out loads. I am hoping to give a contribution & assist different customers like its aided me. Good job.
Great paintings! That is the kind of info that are meant to be shared around the net. Disgrace on the search engines for not positioning this put up upper! Come on over and visit my web site . Thanks =)
I’ve been surfing on-line more than three hours these days, yet I by no means discovered any interesting article like yours. It¦s lovely value enough for me. In my view, if all web owners and bloggers made excellent content as you probably did, the net will likely be much more helpful than ever before.
I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.
Howdy! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist with Search Engine Optimization? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good success. If you know of any please share. Cheers!
I precisely had to say thanks once again. I do not know the things that I would’ve implemented without these opinions shown by you over such a area of interest. It seemed to be an absolute intimidating condition for me, however , finding out this specialized manner you processed the issue made me to cry for happiness. I am just grateful for your assistance and thus sincerely hope you are aware of a powerful job you have been putting in educating the mediocre ones through the use of your web site. Most probably you haven’t encountered any of us.