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Hiking
the Appalachian Trail
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Twelfth
Report |
Hey how are you doing. All is well here on the AT.
I'm in Monson, Maine. It is right before the 100-mile wilderness. I am planning to Summit on Friday October 6.
Let's try to plan on meeting on Thursday, September 5th. Go to Katahdin Stream Campground. The guy I am hiking with, his father works for the park service and he rented us a cabin. I will be somewhere in the campground. We have a cabin there on the 4th and 5th. We will get up Friday morning the 6th and summit on that day.
I will try to call when I get to the ½-way point of the 100-mile wilderness.
I am only 117 miles away from Katahdin. It is really hard to believe. I am almost there!
I just got back from the Common Ground Fair in Unity Maine. It was just wonderful. It is an organic farmers fair. Everything is organic. There is no coffee, no smoking, all natural. We hitched from Monson to Unity, since we are professional hitchhikers as well, always hitching rides into town. It is amazing how easily we get rides with a backpack when you are close to the trail. It took us three rides to get to Unity. We were in the back of a chicken truck during the last ride. This guy Bean that I have been hiking with, his dad works at the information desk so we got to volunteer to pick up trash. If is funny how I have seen all these beautiful scenes and views from sunsets to sunrises and camped out on bald mountains. But the music has been what has stood out in my mind. Bluegrass, jazz, folk music. It is like all these good things are building up to the grand finale of the summit of Katahdin.
It is funny - I do work for stay a lot now because I had originally planned on making this a 5-month hike and I am now in my 7th month. Instead of it taking me 5-7 days to get to the next post office, it would take me 10 days. I would have to run into town and get peanut butter and jelly sandwich then hitchhike out of town and get back up into the woods and back on the trail to get to my next mail drop where there would be money or food. That is what I was living off. The sponsorship from Clif Bars really came in handy since I was running out of food and money about the time they came in the mail. They are very nutritious and they taste good! Thanks again Clif Bars!
I did not want to mention this earlier because I knew that everybody (all my friends) who read this would be trying to send me money. I really don't need it. However, I am POOR right now!
When we could not work for stay, we would sleep beside a grocery store or behind a gas station. I guess when my mom reads this she will think I am crazy, but it has all been good.
Maine is awesome. Sunday night we stayed at this girl named Sweetgrass house. She has already done the trail. She finished the 17th. Then we went to her friends' house and stayed there for a night.
We are going to try to do the 100-mile wilderness in 9 days. We want to try to stretch it out so it works out to 7 months on the trail.
Just wanted to fill you in - like I said I am living on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but loving every minute of it.
Hope to see you at Katahdin Stream Campground.
If you would like to sponsor Perry's quest to hike the Appalachian Trail, please click here