Southern Maine
Walking into Maine has been one of the biggest accomplishments of my life to date. I have never been to New England so walking through New England is such an accomplishment for me. Yes, I still have a little over half of the AT to hike, but getting here with my own two feet and walking into Maine with Sprout and Smudgy Cheeks was an emotional moment. I can't imagine how NoBos must feel.
As soon as we crossed the border the terrain got even tougher than New Hampshire! How is that even possible? There are large boulders, roots, and slippery moss galore. It's the hardest hiking I've ever done, but it's some of the most beautiful. Sometimes the moss carpets the entire forest floor and there is a variety of different colors of green. It's really a magical place and sometimes it doesn't even seem real. With all of its beauty it's still hard terrain, so I haven’t been able to get into a rhythm. When you have to continuously watch for roots and rocks it's hard to gain momentum. So far we have only hiked over 10 miles a day two times in Maine. At first I was frustrated and almost embarrassed, but then, after talking to my dad, I realized I don't have to do 20 mile days and kill myself to be like other thru hikers. People out here always say "hike your own hike" and that's exactly what we're doing. When we feel like stopping, we take breaks. When we want to fish, we fish. When we want to swim, we swim. Most everyone we meet is on a schedule and doesn't seem to have as much time to stop to enjoy all the beautiful things Maine has to offer. It makes me feel bad for them!
I wanted to talk about some of the most memorable moments in Southern Maine. One moment was hiking through the Mahoosuc Notch. We took our time and it still only took us around an hour and half. It was really a special day. We laughed a lot and stuck together as a team and family. Robby dropped his phone in a small hole and Smudgy Cheeks saved the day and got it. He did get stuck in the hole though! He said he had to "re-adjust some fat" to get out! Hahaha. We only went 2.6 miles that day because it was supposed to rain and we didn't want to tackle the arm in the rain. The arm is an extremely steep climb that can be dangerous when it's wet. We relaxed at camp and spent time together. It never rained and we laughed about it.
Another fond memory was swimming together in Lost Pond. We heard small waves crashing on the shore and walked through a small opening to the pond. The water was crystal clear and very cold, but if you swam out a bit deeper it got much warmer. We floated in the water and I thought to myself "is this real life"?
We also went swimming in Carrabassett River on a shorter hiking day. We sat in a small pool with a small waterfall and it was the most refreshing and wonderful day of swimming so far. We sat in the water together for over an hour. I can't explain how wonderful it is to sit in cool water after hiking up and down mountains. On the short mile walk to the campsite, after soaking in the river, I finally had service and was able to FaceTime my parents! Seeing my mom and dad always brightens my day and helps remind me why I decided to hike this crazy trail. My mom is my motivation every day and my dad is a HUGE support and always checking in on us. He keeps a chart of the miles we hike everyday and where we camp. He sends us incredible food drops. He helps us replace broken gear. Without my dad we wouldn't be able to do this. My parents always help facilitate our dreams and ambitions. We are blessed.
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