Make it count: Day #148

Friday, August 7th - Day #148 - AT Hike

Miles Hiked Today - 14.2
Total Miles Hiked on AT - 1997.5/2,193 (91.09%)

Poplar Ridge Lean To (1983.3) to Crocker Cirque Campsite (1997.5) - tent at Crocker Cirque Campsite

Total ascent - 4,133’
Total descent - 4,337’

Total States Completed - 13/14

**No Rain - Nice weather day. Mid 70’s - high. Mid 50’s - low

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A tough, tough day out there today. 14.1 miles, over 4,000’ vertical ascent and descent, and 10-1/2 hours on trail. A couple steep climbs started the day. We got near the peaks of Mt Abraham, Spaulding Mountain and Sugarloaf Mountain (all 4,000’ Mountains). Then - we were hit with a massive technical descent off Sugarloaf Mountain in the afternoon.

You really can’t accurately describe how treacherous some of these descents are in NH and Maine. In the Guthooks app I’m using, hikers add comments all the time. It’s often very helpful as you prepare for the next section of your hike. Here’s an entry under the Sugarloaf descent: “This is a very treacherous descent on exposed bedrock. It is just like the worst spots in the Whites. This was where I decided I wanted to be done with my thru-hike”. I had to laugh when I read this. I don’t know what it is - but knowing other people struggle out here - it makes me feel better.

So - I’m only 2.5 miles away from a VERY BIG MILESTONE — the 2,000 mile mark. I’m really excited - besides finishing in Katahdin - this is the most significant mark on the AT. A 2,000 miler (hiking 2,000+ miles in a year) — it’s a pretty distinguished club in the hiker community.

Tomorrow is a low mileage day (7.3 miles) - but we hike over both South and North Crocker Mountains. The goal is to get into Stratton, ME by mid afternoon. We’ll be staying at a Hostal and doing a resupply.

I actually have a plan in place to get me through the finish. 8th - into Stratton, 9-11th - into Caratunk, 12-13th - into Monson, 14-19th - the 100-mile wilderness, 20th - into Katahdin campground, 21st - summit Katahdin.

Weather, injury, fatigue — the schedule can be altered - but I’m completely pumped that I now have a road to the finish. Focus, patience — remain strong.

Today was a little somber on trail. Back in 2012 - a 66-year old women - thru-hiking the AT - got lost in the same section I hiked today. She was last seen at the shelter I stayed in last night. Her body was found 3 years later in a remote area of the forest - less than 2 miles from the AT trail. She supposedly went into the woods for a bathroom break - and couldn’t find the trail again. There were a number of things she could have done to save herself. She was within a 1/2 mile of a logging road that she could have walked in either direction to safety. Stories like this scare me a bit for sure - but sometimes it’s good to hear them so you can learn from them. I don’t know how the trail looked in 2012 - but today (although there was dense cover) the trail was marked very well.

Here’s to remaining strong and healthy - and staying safe on trail. Tomorrow - I push for the 2,000 mile marker!