Three weeks later: the walk

Today marks three full weeks on the road! It’s crazy how quickly I’ve adapted to life here. My routine has quickly become a series of waking up, walking for 8-10 hours, setting up camp, filtering water, making dinner, filtering some more water, and going to bed. I have enjoyed its simplicity and it really makes me appreciate the little things in everyday life. I never would have guessed that seeing a toilet with toilet paper would make my week, but here we are!

As we move through southern Maine and toward the whites, we have seen some difficult terrain. Many of our days have been filled with tough but fun climbs up mountain ranges like the Bigelows and Saddlebacks, but we’ve also made time to relax and spend time with the friends we’ve met. We had an amazing 4th of July at the Roadside Hostel where we had a BBQ and fire to end the night. It was fun to spend time with some friends off the trail and meet some of the hikers who were a day or two ahead of us!

As we begin to walk through longer and more difficult days, there are times that are more difficult than others. Recently, I woke up feeling nauseous and exhausted from the previous day. I knew we had 17 miles and 5,400 feet to climb during the day, so I pulled myself together and started walking. Throughout this entire trip, every time we came to a difficult spot on the trail that seemed difficult to maneuver, my dad (who often walks a little ahead of me) would stop to wait and see if I needed help. I rarely needed the support and sometimes I would roll my eyes and think, «How weak does he think I am here?» after I found the section to be easy. As I was feeling unwell on this particular day, out of breath on the smaller climbs, we came to a fight. Apparently, this was also the first time my dad decided to leave me hanging. I approached a HUGE rock that I had no idea how I would get up off of. I looked up, hoping he was waiting for me with a helping hand, but found nothing. Defeated and exhausted, I threw down my trekking poles and began climbing. I made it up and moved on. When I caught up to the group, my dad mentioned that he was surprised that I climbed that rock and that he thought about waiting for me but he didn’t want to stop climbing. As soon as he said this, our friend Ranas said, “I saw that too and couldn’t BELIEVE you were still going ahead!” Feeling validated at my lowest point, I definitely enjoyed watching my dad start to feel bad about leaving me behind, and it’s not something I’ll let him forget anytime soon.

Because I’ve been in such a high calorie deficit here, I’ve been working hard to eat high-calorie meals and foods. Tonight I had a delicious protein pasta with olive oil, pesto, a package of chicken and some parmesan cheese. A fan favorite that I will have much more often is a Thanksgiving dinner. To make this, gather hot water, cooking stuffing, instant potatoes, a packet of sauce, and a packet of chicken. It’s one of the best things I’ve had here so far and it’s packed with calories! Tonight, while trying something new, my dad stumbled upon the most calorie-dense meal yet. He mixed together an entire box of macaroni and cheese, an 8-ounce block of white cheddar cheese, instant potatoes, olive oil, a package of chicken, and some extra noodles. I’ve never eaten a heavier meal in my life and we all agreed it had to weigh a solid five pounds. It tasted absolutely delicious, but even he couldn’t swallow it all and he needed to pack away his last few bites.

If you didn’t know, we all think a lot about food here. One of my dad and I’s favorite games is «What Would You Order?» where we wondered what they would order at various places like McDonald’s, pubs, Culver’s, and even the Costco food court. Apparently, living off pasta and instant potatoes doesn’t quite satisfy us. all my wishes.

As we continue along the trail, one of the biggest challenges has been the fearmongering of other hikers. Everyone has something to tell you that will scare you about the future, whether it’s the harsh terrain, incoming weather, rattlesnakes, bears and more. After hearing so much of this, I found that it’s best to take it one day at a time and not think about it too much. If not, I think I’ll have nighttime nightmares about rattlesnakes until I get to Georgia. I found that many times that hiker had a very different experience than I did for a multitude of reasons. Through this, I learned the importance of the old saying: take your own hike. While listening to the warnings of others is always important, it is equally important to listen to your instincts, know yourself, and walk the path you set out to achieve.

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