:bse I've been researching the AT for a while now, and I thought I was going to go to the AT in Maine. Now I am having second thoughts because I have read quite a few things about the AT in Maine not having enough resupply points for a beginner. I am 21 years old and consider myself to be in excellent shape. Please tell if it is safe for me to start in maine; will I be able to resupply enough? I figure lots of other people have started a SOBO in Maine, so should'nt I be able to? Any info on resupplying in Maine would be excellent!What were your experiences in resupplying in Maine? Any suggestions are great! God Bless!

IF you've been researching then you know there is plenty of re-supply in Maine. No problem.

21?'':-? , be VERY careful NOT to have too much FUN. Wish I'd known about the trail at that time of life :sun

I think you are worrying to much about the small stuff, the only place I had a problem getting to was Andover from the southern most access road, why no traffic. Or very little.

All of the other places and little ways from the trail, but plenty of plenty of pickup trucks. I had one where a guy and his were in the cab, near stratton (I believe) he stopped and said I hope you don't mind riding in the back, I said no sir, the way I smell I prefer to ride in the back, he chuckled I jump in the back, we got to the post office he said I will drop you here, this is where most hikers want to go first. I thanked him gratefully, we both waved and we were both off.

The next day on the way out of town a lady in a pickup stopped 30 seconds after I put my thumb out, reached over open the passengers door, I tossed the pack in the back jumped in the cab, off we went chatted for a couple of minutes and we were at the trail.

Here is what I tried to do, 1) wash up a little the morning before going into town, so you do not smell so bad.

2) If you do ride inside a vehicle open the window some, no matter how cold it is, you can be sure the driver is going. You do not want them to remember a how stinky you were the next a hiker comes along.

3) If offer a ride a from a pickup, which is a lot of the cases, hop in the back even if it cold out, you are going to stink and you do not want to ruin it for the next person.

4) Always be polite, and grateful, alway's so thank you and please, and mean it.

5) never use foul or inappropriate language in town or in someone's vehicle's, remember you are a visitor or a hitch hiker.

6) Rebuke those are loud, obnoxious or using foul language, the local's will appreciate it.

7) If can not handle your booze, then don't drink. I had maybe 6 beers, the whole trail.

The above was directed at you, I put it there for everyone's benefit.

Check out Baltimore Jack's resupply info. It's in the "articles" section of this website, or

http://www.whiteblaze.net/index.php?page=content&p=90408

Since I dind't have the benefit of so much help, I ended up walking from Stratton to Gorham with out any resupply in between.

That is certainly not the reommended way now,but it did provide a different perspective of Maine.