Luckily, Tinker, our trail angel yesterday, gave us some water, because we have a big water haul to do.
Normally 10 miles without water isn’t a problem, but it’s hot and very sweaty today. I could drink a liter of water every 3 miles, easily. So today water is on our minds.
Follow-up conversations
My father and I talked a little about careers, jobs, and also what I wanted to do for a living after Katahdin. Bottom line: I’m still not exactly sure. This is something that worries many hikers. They were often laid off or needed a break from everything.
After a while, PK joined the conversation and we talked about content and writing about this experience, including what to write if the ride goes uneventful, which happens quite often. Today is no exception.
From now on, Dreamcatcher and I share the same thought on the trail: that long-distance hiking is the only «sport» in which there is a level playing field for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a man, a woman, 18 or 80 years old, the route is the same for everyone. And you can never know who is going to finish and who isn’t.
600 miles!
After our little trail talk and hours of staring at our feet, we hit the 600 mile mark! That’s 1000 kilometers. That’s already a ridiculous distance.
My mood is declining…
This seems strangely appropriate.
After a long haul of water, we ran out of water. Luckily there is finally a water source again. But the water in this shelter is… questionable. There was no flow, just a stagnant puddle of murky water with dead bugs floating in it. Unfortunately, we have no choice. It is the only source for many kilometers. I’m putting all my trust in the water filter. It is best to also add an electrolyte packet to mask the cloudy smell and taste.
After this, the sun started to hit us even more than it already did. It’s really hot. The water we carry seems to evaporate. We hurried to the next water source and therefore took fewer breaks.
To make matters worse: my little finger hurts again. After yesterday’s walk in the rain, all the calluses I worked hard on started to fall off. So my toes feel pretty raw again.
The views suck, the terrain stinks, everything is overgrown, I’m tired, I’m hot, I hurt, I’m sweating, I’m thirsty… yeah, I’m not having the best day here.
everything gets better
Knocked down, we reach the crossroads toward Trent’s Grocery: a small gas station and convenience store where we can resupply, grab a bite to eat, and drink ice cold sodas. I need an ice cold soda…
Dreamcatcher stuck out his thumb and got us a hitch, so we don’t have to walk 0.5 mile of trail. Every little bit counts!
Half a liter of cold ice cream, a large cold soda and a hot pizza. All in one air-conditioned building – what a great place.
Rested, refreshed, and fueled, we only had two more miles to go. And what a place for a tent, right next to the waterfall. After a hot day like this, a little bath is a must!
Today was a hard day, but in the end it was all worth it.
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