Day 181
Start: Saddleback Junior
End: Hostel of Maine
Miles Hiked: 13.9
Miles on AT: 2009
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It was soooo cold and windy last night, but cowboy camping was well worth it. In the middle of the night, I’d gotten up to pee and, wow, the stars were twinkling brightly in the clear sky. With no large towns nearby, there was little-to-no light pollution, making the inky sky that much darker. This morning, however, the clouds had rolled in and I couldn’t even see the sky.
Mace and I had talked about our plans last night. I was going to follow the blue blaze that Spooky Noodle had told me about way back on top of Wildcat Mountain, and Mace seemed to like that plan, too. The blue blaze cut between two mountain ranges and saved a couple of miles as well as some elevation gain. I wanted to get into the Hostel of Maine today so I could get some R&R before the second-to-last leg of the hike. With all of that said, Mace and I left Saddleback Junior behind in the clouds and loosely hiked together.
I’d gotten an early start this morning and hadn’t eaten breakfast because it was so cold and windy up on the mountain. So, when I passed by the next shelter, which was only a mile or so downhill, I stopped to make my hot granola + Breakfast Essentials meal. And, wouldn’t you know, there were more hikers there! Wiki, who I hadn’t seen since the beginning of New Hampshire, was there along with two other hikers in a tent. Wiki and I caught up, and when Mace arrived, it really turned into a reunion. Apparently they had met each other all the way back in Virginia. Crazy how the trail can bring people back together.
After sharing stories for a good while, it was finally time to get back on trail. We told Wiki about the blue blaze, but he’d had a bad experience with a blue blaze earlier and didn’t seem inclined to take this one. Still, on I went. I caught up with Mace and passed him a few miles in, and then found the overgrown logging road that indicated the start of the blue blaze. Clouds hung low above the trees and it was a bit damp and chilly, but the “road” looked inviting, so I took it.
And it was the best blue blaze I’d taken on the AT! I felt like I was walking through a Christmas tree farm; firs stood strong and tall on either side of me, but the path was wide enough for me to still see the sky. The fall colors popped in and out between the dark green and the rough path gave me a sense of being truly outdoors instead of on a manicured trail. I loved it! Plus, I spotted a bull moose right at the top of the climb. That was definitely a sign that the blue blaze was the way to go.
Now, it wasn’t all fairy tales and sunshine. The trail on the way down was a watery bog and, despite how much I tried to keep them dry, my feet got wet and cold. I had to fight some trees to cross over a couple of small streams, but I did get to follow moose tracks nearly the whole way.
Eventually, I was spit out onto a gravel road that led straight to Maine Route 27 and dance-walked my way down, happy to be free of the overgrown foliage and onto a flat, dry surface. A few hundred feet away from me, I saw two figures that looked like hikers. They were at the AT crossing afterall, so I waved and one of them waved back. As I got closer, I realized I knew one of them. It was Gray Ghost, the hiker I’d met the day before! He and his hiking partner had just finished another section and were headed back to their car, so he offered me a ride to the hostel. Of course, I couldn’t say no.
The ride was short, but we still had a chance to talk trail and share stories. They were still doing sections as day hikes and had to go pick up the other half of their hiking crew after they dropped me off. Gray Ghost dropped me off and made me promise to send him a picture when I reached Katahdin. After a selfie and another hug, they were gone.
Walking into the Hostel of Maine was such a breath of fresh air. It was the nicest hostel I’d seen on trail so far (not that I’d seen many), with new bunks and a ski cabin feel. Given that it was super late in the season, I was the only thru hiker there so far. But, I got settled in in no time, took a shower, ate a meal, and waited for Mace to show up. After he got showered and settled, we chatted for a while, sharing our life stories. An older couple doing day hikes in the area sat down to a game of Scrabble, and we spent the night warm and cozy in this beautiful hostel.
And that’s day 181.
A version of this post originally appeared on TheTrek.co.