Post offices!

Richard S. Ianniello
General Delivery
Andover, ME 04216
Hold for A.T. Hiker ETA July 28

Richard S. Ianniello
General Delivery
Gorham NH, 03581
Hold for A. T. Hiker ETA July 31st

Richard S. Ianniello
General Delivery
North Woodstock NH, 03262
Hold for A. T. Hiker ETA August 6th

Update from Stratton Maine

So apparently the pictures from the last few days got saved on my camera's internal memory where I'm having trouble accessing it, so no pictures.
I started out again last Friday to do the 71 miles between Monson and Stratton ME. Lots of beautiful waterfalls, some deep river fords, mountains with big rock outcroppings, and a canoe ride across the Kenebec River, since it would be hard to ford at 7 or 8 feet deep.
Sunday night at Pierce Pond I met 2 other south bounders and 4 north bounders (one of them who had started on April 27th, that's over 20 miles every day!) There was good swimming and a beautiful sunset. That night I started to feel really sick, cold chills and muscle aches and stuff. I felt alright the next day, woke up, got some delicious pancakes from a cool old guy at a little fishing camp half a mile down the trail, and then started out again. After 7 or 8 miles I realized I was still pretty sick, and figured in the middle of the woods by myself wasn't the best place to be. So I headed out another 5.5 miles to a road, calling the hostel in Stratton on the way to get a ride out. Turns out I got a staph infection, and the itchy red bumps on my legs weren't bug bites, but from the infection. No idea where it came from. I went to a doctor in the town of Rangely 20 miles south and got hooked up with some antibiotics yesterday. Feeling a lot better now, going to give it another day of rest, and then head out tomorrow.

Mount Katahdin and the '100 mile wilderness'

So I got into Maine last thursday, but with no backpack. Apparently the airport code for Bangor Maine is similar to somewhere in New York... so my bag went there instead. But, it came into Millinocket where I was staying at a Hostel at 9am the next morning, apparently too late for me to get shuttled to the base of Mount Katahdin.

So I began my hike on July 9th last Thursday. Katahdin was pretty epic. Felt like something out west, climbing over boulders, getting up above tree-line. The weather was beautiful too, unlike the day before which was apparently cloudy and raining.

Since camping in Baxter state park (where katahdin is) is 20 bucks a night, I decided that after the 4,000 foot climb and 10 miles of Katahdin, I would hike 13 miles out to Hurb Brook shelter. Loooong 13 miles. Fortunately a small store 10 miles out provided me with Dr. Pepper and a cookie to get me the next 3. Hurb Brook shelter was devoid of people, and I spent a creepy lonely night there before heading out the next morning.

The next day I encountered, a lot of mud, as well as a brother and sister hiking that went by Crash and Bam Bam (trail names, I still don't have one.) We hiked to the next shelter where we met 4 more south bounders from massachussettes, who informed us that there was a place in the hundred mile wilderness where you could get 1 lb burgers.

So the next day, under the directions of out guide book, the 7 of us set out, hiked 8 miles in the morning to a boat dock, blew an air horn, and were ferried across a lake to where we had an amazingly delicious lunch.

We continued on that day, taking it easy as my knees were pretty unhappy, probably from hiking 20 miles the day before, and 24 the day before that. Lots of hiking, mud, swimming, and wading along the way. Bam Bam peaced out due to a sybling argument, but gifted me with some hiking poles for which my legs are forever greatful. Crash and I left the massachussettes boys as they smoked lots of weed and didn't hike too far in a day, and we were low on food. First big mountains after that made the hiking days a little harsher, especially on the knees. I camped out in another shelter last night, 3 miles from Monson where I'm at now. This morning I hiked out, falling 12 or 13 feet on the way due to a really slippery rock, but my thumb is okay, and I'm showered and clean. Still hungry, but all you can eat tacos tonight, so I'm saving up.

I hope everything is going well back in the real world, I'm just gonna keep hiking.

Leaving for Maine

So I haven't been updating this at all since I've been having entirely too much fun with a certain
awesome girl named Megan, but I'm heading out on my hike tomorrow, and this is probably the best way of keeping everyone updated on where I am and how I'm doing, so I imagine I'll start using it again...

Richard S. Ianniello
General Delivery
Monson, ME 04462
Hold for A.T. Hiker, ETA July 17th

Richard S. Ianniello
General Delivery
Stratton, ME 04982
Hold for A.T. Hiker, ETA July 23rd

(I'll be putting the next 2 or 3 post offices that I'll be checking for mail at the beginning of each post. Address it like I wrote, and mail it so that it will arrive a day or two early in case I overestimate.)

So I'm packed up and ready to go. Excluding food and water my pack weighs 20 lbs, so 25-35 depending on where I'm at on the trail, which seems reasonable.

I fly out of Asheville tomorrow at 5:35am (ew). Get to Bangor, ME at 2:00, take a bus then a shuttle to a logde, and then a shuttle to Baxter State Park on monday morning. From there I'll hike up Mount Katahdin and back down, then off into the 100 mile wilderness. Monson, ME is just on the other side, so I guess I'll be trying to update everyone from there.

If you feel like mailing me anything, candy, food, or just a letter, send it to the addresses I post on the top of the page. I plan on being self sufficient, so I don't need any mail, but I'd definitely appreciate anything. I'll be sure to send you a post card or something back.

Also I am bringing my cell phone, so that'd be the quickest way if anyone needs to get in contact with me. 335-8989 (WNC area code)

I guess that's all, I'll let you know how the first leg of my hike has gone sometime next week!