I lengthened and shortened my stride, trying to find the fastest gait, but never held my concentration long enough to take any comparative measurements. Puffy clouds drifted across most of the sky, providing glorious relief from the hot sunshine as I pumped my legs as fast fast they would go. After a quick poop and pack-up, I got going myself, blazing in mind and stride, pushing to make up my hour deficit as quickly as possible. I sweltered in the tent after she left, harnessing the groove that I felt, letting my thumbs do the talking as I attempted to capture the emotions I had felt on Katahdin, confined by what could be expressed with the English language. By the time she got moving around 8am, the day was blinding and warm. She needed to fill the sleep quota that had been perforated by the night-long cacophony and burning in her feet as the nerves screamed their final, anguished death-cry. Spice hadn’t been so lucky, and snoozed long past the horrendously early sunrise. The memories of crescendoed drumming were plentiful when I beat my alarm to the morning, yet I felt rested and somehow knew that I had slept great. How could you not!Ĭonsidering how loud the rain thundered on our tent throughout the night, it was hard to believe that I got any sleep at all. I found out days later that Spice took a picture of this same exact leaf. And if a change in plans means that I get to eat at Subway earlier than expected, then I’m all for it. But hey, that’s the beauty and challenge of a thru-hike. Tender blisters and stumpy feet reminded us to take nothing for granted, and that sometimes plans change. Still, even the easy days are not entirely without pain, and Spice took on more than her fair share. Even the few showers that gave us a rinse were warm and friendly, like the endless sky was giving us the sloppy licks of an eager puppy. The hiking was as cruisy as could be, smooth and mostly flat, with clouds and a steady wind to keep us cool and bug-free. Picking up where we left off, the IAT led us from dirt to pavement, where we stayed until catching a ride into town. The endless treadmill of northern Maine continued for at least one more day as SpiceRack and I continued our roady march to Canada. Elevation change: 1224ft gain, 1421ft loss
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