Day 150- Group Therapy

Aug 29, 2015

Frye Notch Lean-to(1927.8) to East B Hill Road(1932.3) 4.5 Miles

Today was a perfect day of hiking. I wish we could have hiked all day, but I was completely out of food, so it was time for a town stop to resupply. This was one of the most complicated resupply plans ever. I'll do my best to explain it. 

We were camped four and a half miles from East B Hill Rd. I woke up at six, so I would be ready to go by seven. The morning started off with a pretty good uphill climb, but the terrain was nice. The uphill consisted of mainly rock steps. It was a pretty steep uphill climb, but since it wasn't over bedrock I was a happy camper. The trail stayed very nice for us for the whole four and a half miles. I was able to stretch my legs again and finished the hike in just under two hours. It was a perfect morning! I also got to meet Warren Doyle, who is a very accomplished AT thru-hiker. He has thru-hiked the AT 16 times, he started the ATI, a course for hikers on how to successfully complete the AT. His students have a completion rate of 75%, way higher than the 25% of people who normally complete their thru-hike. 

Awesome trail

Eroded section that was actually fun to scramble up 

We had to make it to the road by ten o'clock to catch our shuttle into town, but that wasn't a problem. I made it there at 8:50. The town of Andover was located eight miles from the road. Art and Lynn had arranged to spend the night at a hostel in Andover and that hostel was picking us up to stay in town. Last night we had received a text message from Pace Car inviting us to stay with her parents in Rangley, Maine. The had a vacation home next to Rangley lake for a few days. Her parents kindly offered to pick us up in Andover and drive us to Rangley to spend the afternoon. 

Our shuttle into Andover was right on time. They took us to the Pine Ellis hostel in town, where we changed our reservations to stay to tomorrow night. We will spend tonight in Rangley with Pace Car's parents and then head back to Andover in the morning. Andover has another road into town that is located ten trail miles away. The rest of the group is going to slack pack the ten miles, but I'll carry my full pack. At the end of the hike we will shuttle back into town and stay at the hostel. A few days later we will be back in Rangley, as it is a trail town too. 

This is definitely one of the most complicated plans, but also amazing trail magic for us. 

We killed time in Andover waiting for Pace Car by going out for breakfast. The Little Red Hen, was a very quaint restaurant that had huge portions. I ordered the hungry hiker, which was three big pieces of French Toast, bacon, sausage, potatoes, and toast. I ate almost all of it, Airlock finished my last piece of French toast for me. After stuffing ourselves we headed over to the post office to wait for Pace Car, John, and Cindy to arrive. Just as they got there the post master came outside and went nuts on us. She accused us of loitering and said we had to leave. I've never been accused of loitering in my entire life. We quickly loaded the car and put some distance between us and the crazy mail lady. 

John and Cindy rented an amazing place in Rangley. We had a fantastic view of the lake and mountains. 

Rangley Lake 

Cindy and John put out a huge lunch spread. We took turns showering and stuffing ourselves. 

Lynn and Cindy

Once we were properly stuffed and clean, we started a load of laundry and relaxed. We spent time planning out our next few stops and decided that we were still on schedule. The Sterman's drove us to the grocery store so we could resupply. It was nice to go to a proper grocery store again. 

Once back at the condo, we immediately began repackaging our food and loading up our food bags. With that task complete we could sit back and relax. I had to sew up my running shorts. All of the sitting down and sliding over rocks had taken its toll. I repaired some of my other gear and before I knew it dinner was being prepared. There were too many cooks in the kitchen, so my help was not necessary. I sat outside and enjoyed the view from the patio. 

The dinner spread was very impressive. We had hamburgers, bratwurst, coleslaw, grilled onions, grilled pineapple, guacamole, corn, and a few different types of salads. There was a ton of leftovers, they really knew how to feed hungry hikers. After we were all properly wined and dined, it was time for brownies and ice cream. Man, I was bursting at the seams. We all helped clean the kitchen and then it was time for bed. The beds were very comfy and I was asleep in minutes. 

Dinner spread

"Learning to navigate the unpredictable terrain of life is an essential skill to develop. We can't live a happy life if we are unwilling to pave the path that will lead to our personal fulfillment and destiny. Learning to sit comfortably in the seat of uncertainty is challenging, but equally rewarding, because discovery is what waits just underneath the surface of that uncertainty and that gives us the chance to become fearless explorers, of our own lives." -Jaeda DeWalt