Day 30, July 29, 11.8 miles
Can you say Creme Brûlée French toast? Yep, that’s what was for breakfast, but that’s just the beginning. Marnie fixes plates and hands them out at 7 am. On the plate is a giant piece of the French toast, a huge chocolate chip muffin, two potato cakes, and two sausage links. Yummiest breakfast!! Just what hungry hikers need. And oh, there was coffee, milk and orange juice too. It was soooooo good. Almost too good. We had a long climb right off the bat and I slogged up the mountain until my food could digest and then I did have a little energy from all the carbs.
I know you all that have been reading have read that I’m hiking with 3 men and how that all came about. People do end up hiking with others out here that hike about the same pace or cover about the same miles each day. As you read in an earlier post, Poego, Still Thinking and I all were staying at The Notch Hostel at the same time and we were all hiking alone and we were heading into the White Mountains the next day. The weather was bad and we all 3 were closely monitoring the weather to decide whether to hike the next day or not. We all ended up taking 2 zeros to wait out the weather. It was then we discussed hiking as a group because none of us was comfortable hiking the Whites alone. We don’t hike together much, unless the weather is real iffy or unless there is a scary and dangerous section to cover. One day after a stay at a shelter, Wanderer joined us because he was uncomfortable hiking the Whites alone too. Just to fill you in on what I’ve learned about them–Poego is 57, married to Steph, lives in Harpers Ferry, WV, has 4 children and 4 grandchildren. He’s retired military and teacher and is doing a Flip-Flop thru hike. He got his trail name because his last name is Poe. Still Thinking is 46, has a live-in girlfriend, is from Denver, CO, has no children, and is an architect. He also is a Flip Flopper. He got his trailname because he is indecisive and is always still thinking about it. Wanderer is 60 and is married to Vicki and is from Charlotte, NC. He also has 4 children and 4 grandchildren. He is an ordained minister of a Presbyterian church in Charlotte. He has been section hiking for 15 years and is finishing the trail. Says he got his trailname from the saying, “All who wander are not lost.”
So while we don’t always hike together during the day, we plan where we’re going to stop and it has been nice to know that if one of us doesn’t show up, the posey will be searching.
We’ve been leapfrogging for at least a week with a young group like us. Neon, Bender, Gooch, Fireman and Caption. All spread out during the day, but end up at the same place. It’s nice to know we’re kind of keeping up with some of the young folks.
Today was a hard hike. It was a very hot day, but it was so nice to be climbing and descending dry rocks and boulders and roots. What a difference it makes. I heard some turkeys in the woods gobbling today, but couldn’t see them. The water source here tonight is a pond. I saw a beaver in the pond when I went to get water and the frogs are croaking up a storm right now. It’s the first time, but I not only filtered my water, but I used iodine tablets that I have incase my filter malfunctions and as a third precaution from beaver crap, I boiled it too.
Today I crossed the 1900 mile mark and I also now have less than 300 miles to go. Slowly, but surely. Tomorrow I will complete my 13th state (NH) and will walk into the last state of Maine.
We are at Gentian Pond Shelter tonight. As usual, the guys are in the shelter and I’m tenting. Hoping it’s not going to rain tonight. Neon and Fireman are in the shelter as well. Bender and Gooch are going to the next shelter. Caption hasn’t made it here yet, but she usually likes to tent also. Hope to see her. She’s a cute, young girl from Long Island.
Hearing from a few SOBO’s that tomorrow is going to be a tough day for us NOBO’s. So what? Every day is tough it seems until we get to the 100 mile wilderness.
Speck In The Woods 
Awesome job! 👍 Really enjoying your blog. It is like reading a book that you can’t put down, gotta read the next chapter! You may need to hike BACK to GA so I can keep reading! ! Haha 😂We love you! ❤ stay safe.
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