Day 176
~ Zero Day ~
Bethel, Maine
Miles Hiked: 0
Miles on AT: 1930.0
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Zero day! I slept in for as long as I could (which was probably until 8 am) before I got up and started my town chores. Aside from that, it rained all day today, so I spent much of the day in the room. The grocery store was right next door, so after a quick trip, I headed to the bakery one block down the street for a breakfast sandwich.
Gemini Cafe and Bakery was a gem of a spot. They had freshly made bread and pastries, deliciously crafted coffee, and some amazing pottery. And they were definitely hiker-friendly. After I ordered my meal and sat down, one of the bakers guessed that I was a hiker and gifted me a piece of their plum cake (which was mouthwateringly good by the way).
I spent a good amount of time in the cafe; I was amused by a little girl of around 2 or 3 who just wanted to be friends with everyone. Her mom came over to talk to me and it turns out she had hiked the AT around 2015 (I think) with her now husband. They liked Maine so much that they put down roots and had started a family here. We chatted about the trail and life afterward; meeting someone who had already finished the trail years ago was a serendipitous little treat. There’s nothing like talking with another thru hiker.
After that, I headed back to my room and spent the rest of the day in bed. I kinda felt worse in bed than I did on trail, but I know my body appreciated the rest (and all of the cough drops I consumed). Despite the rain today, tomorrow was forecasted to be clear day, perfect for hiking!
And that’s day 176.
A version of this post originally appeared on TheTrek.co.