Rumor has it that we arrived in Maine recently, though I’m not so sure. I mean, the sign said we’re there but with the rain/fog/clouds lately, we haven’t been able to see anything. Tonight we’re staying at Pine Ellis (a “B&B”) in Andover, ME and we couldn’t be happier to be indoors and dry.
Before we set out on this trip, the two things we were told were:
1. Be safe
2. Have fun
We tried to argue these points, but realized it was good advice; safety before fun. Well, constant rain for nearly 2 weeks along with temperatures hovering between the 40’s and 60’s has left everyone on the verge of hypothermia for days. Couple that with the incredibly slick rock surfaces (and the upcoming chest high river fords – again, all this due to the record rains) and safety has been a legitimate concern lately. In the interest of finishing this hike in the same number of pieces in which we started and with our desire to have fun, we’ve decided that jumping up to Rangeley, ME looks like a great option right about now.
We’re still doing our best to have a great time but we miss some of the people who have gotten ahead of us and it’d be more important to us to finish with friends, having a great time instead of sluggishly plodding though Maine just to say we’ve done every mile. We’ve got some great pictures from the Presidential Range in New Hampshire but USB ports have yet to be introduced in New England. Oh and hey, we went through the Mahoosuc Notch yesterday, allegedly the toughest mile along the entire AT but unfortunately were unable to pull out the camera due to the moisture – go to YouTube and search “Mahoosuc Notch” and you may get a small sample of the thrill. Actually, we enjoyed it. All the way up until the trail was under two feet of water. Wish us luck as we head on, the forecast is calling for 10 straight days of rain.
