WE DID IT!  WE ARE IN MAINE!  1,882.0 MILES FROM SPRINGER MOUNTAIN and 280.9 MILES FROM MT. KATAHDIN!

        ANTICIPATED SUMMIT DATE:     OCTOBER 8, 2003

In about three weeks this wonderful adventure will be over for me.  It's hard to believe - this dream of mine for years has come true.  I am, and have been, living my dream!  And I have begun to ponder what lessons I have learned and how my life will be different off the trail.  I only know that I will never be the same, that never again in my lifetime will I experience such freedom, and that I will never be able to put it behind me. It will always be there - the Trail - the greatest experience of my life.

Before I start on this week's adventure, I would like to talk a little about how a thru-hike forges friendships.  I would estimate that I have met and hiked with over two hundred people, and I can name almost everyone of them.  (And I will at the end of my journey.)  But some friendships become so strong, it is like these people are part of your family.  And for a lot of hikers, it lasts a lifetime.  There are a couple of groups that I am aware of that continue their friendships year after year.

One group is called HoboCentral.  Some of the members of this group are Pirate, Wee Willie, and Ratman.  They meet each year at a get-together at Brown Gap called Ratfest.

Another group is called Billville.  These guys hiked in 1999.  Right before Trail Days in Damascus, Va., these guys wandered into the Tractor Supply store where there was a stack of red tee shirts with the word "Bill" written on the front.   They were twenty-five cents each.  So they each bought a short and the group "Billville" was born.  AFter an hour later, the shirts were marked up to fifty cents since they were selling so well!  Some of the members of this group who have reunions are Bag of Tricks, Blister Sister, Jester, and Baltimore Jack.

Most all are in Damascus for Trail Days, and each group sets up together at the campsite.   I'm sure there are more groups but these two are the ones I'm most familiar with.

Well, I know you are wanting to hear about all the fun I've had this week so let's get started.

Monday - We hiked 16.5 miles today from Gorham, NH to Carlo Col Shelter, the first Shelter and 5.5 miles into Maine.    There are lots of ponds everywhere. 

I am not looking forward to tomorrow.  We are 15 miles from Mahoosuc Notch, which I have heard is the hardest mile of the Trail.  So I will get a good night's sleep and hope for the best.

Tuesday - The day started off all wrong.  It has been raining hard all day, and it is very cold. Also, we are going over very difficult terrain.  Greenman snapped his pole.  Since Mahoosuc Notch is coming up later in the day, I have decided to stop at Full Goose Shelter.  All of 4.1 miles from where I started this morning.   Greenman, Sunkist, and Jack went on.  Feral stayed with me.

I do not want to climb over slippery rock with all this rain.  I had rather stay put in this shelter and hope for the best tomorrow.  Anyway, I can't film in all this rain; and I really want to video the "hardest part of the trail."

Wednesday - Answered Prayer!  It is a good day - no rain, great weather.  I'm so glad I waited, especially since Mahoosuc Notch is only about 4 miles from Full Goose Shelter; and I will be going through the Notch in the morning while I am still fresh and full of energy.

Bgone - you're gonna love it!  Mahoosuc Notch is a V-shaped valley inside a walled canyon stacked with boulders the size of a car or refrigerator.  They are so close together that only a few times can you squeeze between them.  And then you have to take your pack off.  You are climbing hand over hand, boulder over boulder for a mile.  I cannot imagine doing this in the rain.  I managed to get through this canyon in one and a half hours.

It comes out at a creek, and then you have to hike up the embankment.  We stayed at Grafton Notch along with Jay, Jason, Steamboat, Sing-a-Lot, and two section hikers from Alabama, David Smith and Tim Rich.

David and Tim met at the University of Montevallo and started hiking in 1989.  They have taken one week vacation each year to section hike the A.T.  David is 39, and Tim is 38.  If all goes according to plan, they will summit Mt. Katahdin in 2005. Way to go, guys!

Thursday - We hiked 10 miles from Grafton Notch into Andover and to the Barn Hostel.   Jack, Sunkist, and Greenman are here.  The Hostel is owned by Margie and Earle Town (Honey and Bear).  Please plan to stay at this hostel when you get here.   It is a three-story log cabin with a bunkroom and costs $10 which includes shuttle back to the trail, kitchen use with grill (if you have anything to grill which you won't), shower, TV, VCR, Internet access.  The bunkroom, TV room, and hiker's kitchen are on the first floor.  The dining room, and Earle and Margie's kitchen is on the second floor, and the third floor is Earle and Margie's living quarters. 

There is a small charge for doing laundry, and you can wash all your clothes at one time because they have cabin clothes to wear while your clothes are washing and drying.   When I left home, I wore a size 36 jean.  I am at this time lounging around in a size 32 pant, and it is a little large.  I haven't had a size 32 waist since I was a freshman in high school.

Meals are all-you-can-eat - breakfast $4.50 and dinner $6.50 (no dogs).  For dinner we had Maine lobster with lots of hot, melted butter, corn-on-the-cob, and lemonade.   This is without a doubt the best trail meal yet.

Earle and Margie are great people.  They maintain a section of the 100 mile wilderness - a very remote section.  They go up two or three times per year and have for the last ten years.

Oh yeah, on that rainy day at Mahoosuc Notch, Jack fell climbing over the slippery boulders and bruised himself all up.  I am double glad I waited a day.

Margie and Earle also have an RV with a bed and a couch that makes into a bed.  When it came time to turn in, Jack told me that he had reserved the "Honeymoon Suite" for us.  We got to sleep in the RV, where there was a lot more room and it was very peaceful and quiet.  Of course, Jack got the bed and I got the couch, but I didn't mind one little bit.  I always thank my lucky stars that I met Baltimore Jack.   He's got more rabbits in a hat than a magician!

You know that Miss Janet in Erwin, Tn. introduced me to Jack when she took me to Ratfest at Brown Gap.  Remember, I had the hiker's virus and had to hole up at Miss Janet's hostel for a week.  I would say that meeting Jack is the single best thing that has happened to me.  After hiking the trail eight consecutive years, he knows the A.T. inside and out, and a million people along the Trail.  He's just the most intelligent, interesting person and the best Jeopardy player ever.  And a great storyteller.

Friday - There are a lot of hikers here.  Some of the people I have been hiking with lately - Bodhi, Tuff (a girl) and her dog, Ruff, Triple T, Sleepy Floyd, Backdraft, Little Dirty Barn Monkey, Moo and 42, Footslogger, Happy Feet, Graymatter and Ladybug, Chigger, Greenman, Feral, Crow Dog and Prairie Chicken, Steamboat, Sing-a-Lot, Jay, Jason, Peach Monkey, Peanut, Indiana Slim, Texas Jack, and of course, Baltimore Jack.

Today it's about 50 degrees, and last night it was about 38 degrees.  The wind is blowing about 10- 15 miles per hour.  I'm slackpacking today, ten miles to South Arm Road.  Didn't want to overdo it.  Greenman, Sunkist, and Chigger are about ten miles ahead of me, and Feral is about 10 miles behind me.  It was ups and downs all day, elevation up a 1,000 feet and down 2,000, and up 3,000 and down 1,000.  I was glad to get back to the Cabin.

Tonight we played Jeopardy and of course, Baltimore Jack won most of the game but guess who won all, and I do mean all, of the sports questions!  Mountain Dew, mainly because they were all baseball questions, and I played baseball in high school and college and of course followed all the pro teams carefully.  I know a lot of baseball history so baseball trivia is my thing.  Anyway, a lot of people were surprised that I could answer all the questions correctly.

For dinner we had spaghetti, salad, and all-you-can-eat apple pie and ice cream!   Isn't this the best place ever.  Well, I did have it pretty good at Miss Janet's and at the Outfitters in Harper's Ferry when I stayed with Ron and Laura.   Life is good!  

And tonight we watched "The Last of the Mohicans".  it was filmed in and around Asheville, NC, and you know that the Trail goes right by here.  Some of us spotted the "White Blaze" on a tree in the background.  Others said we didn't.  We are going to watch this movie again tomorrow night and prove it.

Also saw my buddy Bodhi today while hiking.  He had on boots with no socks.  He said all of his socks got so nasty and rotten that he threw them away.  He's using baby powder like Earl Schaffer did.  Earl never wore socks, and as Bohdi says, "What's good enough for Earl is good enough for me."

Saturday -  I saw Retro and Orbit yesterday.  I met them back at Neel's Gap, only a week into my hike.  Retro got off the trail some time ago, and she is back to finish with Orbit but she has had some problems so she is mainly doing car support for him.  I really want them to finish with our group.  I'm also looking forward to seeing Orbit's brother, Rocketman, who lives in Plano, Tx, not far from me.  He is coming up for the finish.

Hiked (slackpacked) about 13  miles today to Oquossoc.  Weather still good and holding, thank goodness.  Makes all this rugged terrain easier to go up and down when not muddy and slick.  It seems like you are still in the White Mountains.   

This is a good story.  After you eat dinner at the Cabin Hostel, the dining room table is turned over so you can sign your name and the year you hiked on the backside of the table.  Earl Schaffer came through here in 1998, the 50th anniversary of his very first thru-hike in 1948, so he signed his name with each of the years he thru-hiked - 1948, 1968, and 1998.  Isn't that amazing!  Of course, when Baltimore Jack signed his name, it was after he had signed in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and now 2003.

We watched "The Last of the Mohicans" movie again tonight, and we still say you can see the white A.T. blaze on the tree in the background.  Get out your movie, folks, adn see if you can see it.  Jack says we are all fools.

Sunday - I sure hated leaving the Barn today. Wish there was one every night to come home to.  Left out today, a little late, with Feral, Triple T, Peach Monkey, Peanut, Texas Jack, and Indiana Slim. We managed to make 13.5 miles into Rangeley.  More ups and downs but the weather is still good.  We are staying at the Gull Pond Lodge, owned and operated by Bob O'Brien.  Bunkroom is $15, or a private room is $30, includes shower, linens, and fuel refill.  There is a kitchen, TV, phone, laundry, slackpacking, and shuttle back to the trail, which is good since it is nine miles from the trail to town.

I ate dinner tonight with Dave and Tim (the Alabama boys) at the Red Onion.  I'm very tired tonight; and with a good bed and a full stomach, I expect to sleep very well.   We will attack Saddleback Mountain tomorrow so we need all the rest we can get. 

A note to Tim Rich - Great hiking with you and David.  I think I will be in your area on Thursday, October 16 and will do that part of the hike on Friday, October 17.  I will be at Miss Janet's in Erwin, Tn. on Tuesday or Wednesday, October 14 or 15, and will e-mail you from there.

And to Jon from Boston - was good seeing you at Carter Notch Hut.  Stay in touch.

Jessica from Florida - Thanks for your support.  I intend to keep this website up for several months after I return home.  I would like to post a lot of things on the website that I do not have time to do while I am on the trail, like expenses, gear, packing and unpacking, what maps and journals to take with you, and a bunch of little pointers on things that I had to cope with on the trail (like crossing fords, food, mail drops, things I should have done, etc).  You can always e-mail me at hudson1010@aol.com.  Be sure and plan to do your thru-hike between college and getting a job - it's the best time and maybe the only time you will be able to do it all at one time.  Section hiking is good but it is only second best.  The real adventure is the complete thru-hike.  Stay in touch.

A great big hello to my very good "Trail Magic" buddies - Scott, Robbie, Allison, and Roni - who provided us with a very good meal at Caledonia State Park.   Good to hear from you.

Allen McDermott in Rhode Island - We had great weather on Mt. Washington.  I think our group was about the only one that did.  I loved it and plan to come back here.

Todd in Waynesville, N.C. - Good luck on your planned 2005 AT hike.  Don't give up the dream!

Hi, Lillian!  And Pauline - and Babs Evers.  And Just Plain Jim.

Bgone - we had absolutely no repercussions from "Isabel" whatsoever.  We were at the top of New Hampshire by then and I guess it died out somewhere over Pennsylvania.

What a good life you are leading, Nathan Baney!  Doing all that hiking on the West Coast.  Take time to do the thru-hike on the AT - it's the greatest!

AND A BIG HELLO TO MY FRIENDS AT THE OUTFITTERS IN HARPER'S FERRY - RON AND LAURA.  I can't tell you how much I enjoyed staying with ya'll while I was there.  Jack is still "relying on me to get him through the Wilderness"  (ha ha!)

ALL MY FRIENDS OUT THERE - DO NOT FORGET TO STOP BY THE OUTFITTERS WHILE YOU ARE IN HARPER'S FERRY, AND TELL RON I SENT YOU.  THESE ARE THE VERY BEST OF PEOPLE AND THEY HAVE A TREMENDOUS STORE THERE.

I guess when I get home I'll paint a white blaze on my door, or enlarge one of my pictures to poster size and put on the inside of the door to my bedroom so that I can see it every night.  Not a day will go by that I won't reminiscence about some part of the Trail.        

ONE MORE WEEK UNTIL WE BEGIN THE 100 MILE WILDERNESS.  I WANT TO LEAVE YOU THIS WEEK WITH THIS THOUGHT.  

               THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS IS FREEDOM,
               AND THE SECRET OF FREEDOM IS COURAGE.
                              .....Thucydies (B.C. 460-400)