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.