Remember: you are on vacation, the walk

After approximately 2170 miles on the path of the Apalaches, somewhere in the 100 mile desert, the Mountains of the Apalaches begin to decrease. The path continues in a last set of peaks, offering the first good look at Katahdin ahead. It is closer than you think, since there are still 70 miles to get there. But those are miles of trails, already measure that the crow flies, that distance is halfway, thanks to the winding that the path takes (possibly to avoid the areas of logging in the «desert» of 100 miles, which is bordered by road roads and the occasional sound of chainsaws in the distance, only Fyi). From the point of view on the top of White Cap Mountain, there is a valley between you and Katahdin, the ultimate goal of all this effort. The valley seems flat, and Katahdin remains alone, not much further. The end of what is left of this old mountain range that has been used over time.

For a Thruhiker in the north direction, this can be a bittersweet moment. A look at the finish line, a calculation with the fact that the trip is almost over, which does not matter how slow I take the next few days, the end is inevitable.

Some three are relieved to see this end, and the path will end in 3 or 4 days from seeing Katahdin if they maintain the rhythm that have been for most of the path, reaching that goal with both open hands, eager to finish the routine and return home. Others try to savor the last days in this section finally flat of trails, camping for each lake and taking enough time every day to stretch in the sun, swim, take a fire, drink some wine.

My classmates and I predicted our end date for this trip, and we found extra time before friends and family came to unite us and take us home. Therefore, we have time to reduce the speed, although running without food in the middle of the week, it really slows down in things, fortunately we had planned accordingly and took a bucket of food on one of the logging roads mentioned above, courtesy of the Shaw hostel in Monson. So, while we had 1.5 days of hunger and walking with empty stomach and empty food bags, now we have enough supplies to last until the end with an extra day of extra rest in a lake in a good extent.

So here we are, getting closer and more to the Baxter State Park, spending all the time we can sit next to a lake, assume everything, enjoying the time we still have. We have assured us our decision to reduce the speed by other hikers who have accumulated days ahead and now send the message: «Stay out all the time you can.»

As an anonymous anonymous hiker wrote in a private one hundreds of miles, «remember, you are on vacation.»

Although, to that, I would say: you can always plan a vacation to Maine with your friends and camp next to a lake, you don’t have to walk here from Georgia to enjoy it. 😉

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