In Monson

[10-K]

Made it into Monson this afternoon about 2:30 and am at Lakeshore House kicking back and taking care of some chores. Looking forward to breakfast at Shaw's in the morning then off again.

Weather has been better and the hiking has been good but I'm ready to be done.

[Lone Wolf]

Weather has been better and the hiking has been good but I'm ready to be done.

why? quit now and save the last leg til you're ensused about it. seriously.

[Sly]

Weather has been better and the hiking has been good but I'm ready to be done.

why? quit now and save the last leg til you're ensused about it. seriously.

Sure he could save the 100 Mile Wilderness and Katahdin for another time but what's he going to do in Erwin on on Monday? Wish he were back in Maine!

[Canada Goose]

why? quit now and save the last leg til you're enthused about it. seriously.

There is some logic to this. Most people find the last 100 miles to be one of the highlights of their trip, due to the relaxing, reflective, and scenic qualities of this section. Better to treat it as vacation time, as opposed to a "job".

If you have time, maybe you'd like to go back to the Kenebec for some whitewater rafting. Or head over to the coast for some sightseeing at Acadia, and the quaint fishing villages around Bar Harbour. When you're tired of that and are ready to continue, look for a stretch of good weather that will allow you to soak up the serenity and ambience of the Maine woods.

That's something worth remembering!

Best of Luck, CG

[mudhead]

What is a quaint fishing village?

LW has a point, but I think 10K will be done before his ride shows.

[WalkinHome]

Cundy's Harbor, Bailey Island, Georgetown come to mind. I am sure that there are plenty more. They are out there.

[Lone Wolf]

What is a quaint fishing village?

Bass harbor

[Blissful]

That's why I'm going back in ten days. I never really saw the 100 mile wilderness in '07. And taking hubby with me to enjoy the ponds.

[mudhead]

Bass harbor

They have a NAPA over that way now. You would be amazed how suburban the backside has gotten. But it is different.

[10-K]

What is a quaint fishing village?

LW has a point, but I think 10K will be done before his ride shows.

I guess I'm doomed to be a section hiker.... Hiking 800 miles was enough for me.. I think 500 is my practical limit for future hikes and my hat is off to anyone who hikes the whole trail.

Hiking like that is hard - my diet was poor (all fat/high calorie), hygiene was poor, sleep was poor, the daily pounding my body took couldn't have been good - but even all of that I could deal with.
For me, hiking is 25% physical and 75% mental.... I don't have a problem doing the miles it's just that my mind tires out before my body does.

What eventually took the biggest toll on me was a combination of being away from my family and the realization that my job every day was to get up at dawn and hike till dark.

That, and I totally lost my mojo in the Whites and never really recovered.

[DavidNH]

You guys need to plan better. the 100 mile wilderness is high and away the most special part of the trail. Take your time, enjoy it, use the full 10 days.

10 K how do you lose your mojo in the whites where the real mountain scenery is just starting.


Don't quit now.


David

[10-K]

You guys need to plan better. the 100 mile wilderness is high and away the most special part of the trail. Take your time, enjoy it, use the full 10 days.

10 K how do you lose your mojo in the whites where the real mountain scenery is just starting.

David

I mean absolutely no disrespect for Maine or New Hampshire when I say this but I'll take the AT in Tennessee, North Carolina or Virginia over the AT in NH or Maine any day of the week.

New Hampshire is either straight up or straight down and made out of rock. Southern Maine is the same except it has dirt and northern Maine is roots, rocks, mud or some combination of those. I found neither state to be particularly good hiking according to my personal tastes.

Having said that, I'm very, very glad to have the opportunity to have hiked both states and met probably the nicest people I've ever met on the trail along that stretch.

The Whites were breathtaking (when it wasn't raining) and Maine, mile for mile, has the best scenary of the entire AT.

I won't write this in stone, but at the moment I can't see myself hiking on the AT north of SNP/Front Royal any time soon.

[Pedaling Fool]

I mean absolutely no disrespect for Maine or New Hampshire when I say this but I'll take the AT in Tennessee, North Carolina or Virginia over the AT in NH or Maine any day of the week.

No reason to apologize for your likes/dislikes. We all have our personal biases for whatever reason. There is no universal truth when it comes to beauty.

I won't write this in stone, but at the moment I can't see myself hiking on the AT north of SNP/Front Royal any time soon.

Don't worry the hiking bug will return.

[John B]

I guess I'm doomed to be a section hiker.... Hiking 800 miles was enough for me.. I think 500 is my practical limit for future hikes and my hat is off to anyone who hikes the whole trail.

Hiking like that is hard - my diet was poor (all fat/high calorie), hygiene was poor, sleep was poor, the daily pounding my body took couldn't have been good - but even all of that I could deal with.
For me, hiking is 25% physical and 75% mental.... I don't have a problem doing the miles it's just that my mind tires out before my body does.

What eventually took the biggest toll on me was a combination of being away from my family and the realization that my job every day was to get up at dawn and hike till dark.

I'm loath to quote an entire post, but I agree with every single point you made. I miss my family after about week or so, and being away from home is the hardest part for me. And I hate dealing with the dirt and grime that seems to accumulate exponentially. I find myself hiking increasingly bigger mile days just to get it over with. I have tons of respect for anyone who does a thru, but I'm 99% certain that I'll never be able to do it. Physically, no problem; mentally, I couldn't handle it. Sections are all that I can do.

[scope]

the realization that my job every day was to get up at dawn and hike till dark.

I'm curious, was this so because you made it so, because you were on a schedule to meet, or was there simply nothing in the hiking that made you want to get up everyday and see what was out there?

[mudhead]

It is nice to not have to look at your toes once in awhile.

Young eyes have less issue with this. At least mine did.

[10-K]

I'm curious, was this so because you made it so, because you were on a schedule to meet, or was there simply nothing in the hiking that made you want to get up everyday and see what was out there?

Well it's like this... The only thing worse than hiking when you don't want to is not hiking when you could be.

Don't get me wrong - I love to hike. I just don't think I want to hike 800 miles again. After 3-4 weeks it starts turning into work.

[weary]

Cundy's Harbor, Bailey Island, Georgetown come to mind. I am sure that there are plenty more. They are out there.

Three good choices. But the quaintness is wearing a bit thin as the commuters and tourists buy the quaintness and change it. One woman exclaimed to me about beautiful quaint kitchen in the mid 19th century coastal Maine farmhouse she and her husband had just bought at auction.

"The kitchen sold us on buying the house," she enthused, shortly before hiring an interior decorator from Boston to do a $40,000 kitchen modernization.

Weary

[weary]

Before I got out of Georgia, I had decided I would not be a thru hiker. There were too many interesting trails, scenic vistas, waterfalls, historic places.... to see and explore in the south. As a result I had to skip some sections as winter approached. But I never seriously thought of quitting until I reached Katahdin on October 16.

Missing family was not a problem. Siblings, inlaws, and grandkids kept showing up by the time I reached Harpers Ferry. I was sort of glad when fall arrived and they all went back home to school and jobs.

Weary

[Lead Dog]

Hey 10-k I talked to you before you left on your trip and wanted to know more about the 100 mile wilderness as I shall hike this starting Aug 18th. Glad you are hanging in there. I can't wait. I know it will hard, roots-mud-what have you, but ready for it. You finish on up and come back to 'them thar hills in TN'