What a glorious sunrise. Sleeping on a roadside has never been so good. There was a full moon and at first I thought it was another camper with a very bright headlamp. Then I imagined a car parking near my tent which didn’t make much sense. And finally I realized it was the moon shining down on me! It was brighter than anything I have ever seen.

The fog and low lying clouds encompassed the lake below. It was magical. I packed up and just took in the morning. Blue was slow to rise which worked out fine. More time to be in awe. Nails packed up and we never saw him again. But on this trail, we will eventually meet again.

Blue and I finally got moving around 7am. It was fine. We had a pretty easy day with little ups and downs. Our first little jaunt was Sabbath Pond Lean-2. There were so many lakes along the way, Moxie Pond and Long Pond. The morning was cool with a breeze and I had my long pants and long sleeve shirt on. So did Blue. Maine has a bit of a Northeastern Breeze that cools the temperature down quite a bit. I love it!

We made it to Sabbath Day Pond and found a wooden platform with some trees to hang our gear. Tents were wet from condensation and so was my sleeping bag. Everything was strung out warming in the sun. Then the bugle started sounding! It was a moose calling for his herd. Such an incredible sound of nature, at its best. If you ever heard an elk bugling then imagine the same sound, just a bit lower octane. It was magnificent to listen to. When it stopped, I made my imitation of a bugling moose, and he started up again. So cool!

We packed up and headed down the trail. We ran into Peace and a few Sobo’s, but no Nobo’s. The terrain was manageable with little elevation change. I thought we might be on the wrong trail but evidently we were right where we were suppose to be.

Blue and I passed many lakes and finally made it to Little Swift River Pond. We sat and had lunch. Hiking burns up 5-6000 calories a day easily, if not more. All I can think of is when the next food stop will be. I have no idea how much weight I’ve lost, but with the town food and beer, maybe not as much.

We found a gal Nikki to pick us up and take us to the town of Rangeley. Blue has somehow misplaced her camp shoes. She called The Cabin where she had them last and no one could find them. This is a very important piece of gear as once you’ve been walking all day in your mucky wet shoes, the last thing you want to do is put them back on to pee at night. Or when you get to town, which we do ever so frequently, you need a pair of town shoes. So here again, a piece of equipment in your backpack must have two or more purposes. Nikki said she could meet us at the trailhead at 4:30pm. Perfect. We headed down the final five miles and made it just in time. The Outfitter closes at 5pm. We jumped into her car and off to Rangeley we went.

Rangeley, Maine is a town of 1,222 people per the 2020 Census. For outdoor enthusiasts, this is the place to be. They have more lakes than land, endless hiking trails and summits to climb, amazing fishing with record size Brook Trouts, kayaking and canoeing, motorcycles and off-roading, and every type of winter sport you can imagine. In its rating of outstanding destinations, Rand McNally described the Rangeley Lakes Region as “one of America’s few remaining vacation spots where one can truly escape most of the disadvantages of civilization.” Who’s to argue with such a respected source? It’s quite a happening place and Blue got her replacement shoes at the Outfitters.

Since we were here, we stayed the night at the Rangely Historic Inn. It’s was built in the early 1900’s and has been remodeled, but still has all its old charm. It sits on Rangeley Lake and offers free kayaks and canoes to its guests. We are not the typical guests at this Hotel, but they took our money and we had the most luxurious sleep on the trail to date. I’m sure the thread count is 1,000 with Egyptian Cotton Sheets, and a white comforter that I was afraid to sit upon. But after taking a shower and putting on cleanish clothes, I did. Norman jumped onto the bed and had no concerns. He didn’t walk through muck today and was relatively clean, for a monkey!

Life is good on the trail. I have to say my feet are a bit tired, and my knees get sore at the end of the day. The mosquitoes keep biting me and the muck about ate my shoe todayj, but in the end, I wouldn’t trade it for anything else! It’s not for everyone, hence the reason people are getting fewer and fewer on the trail. With the weather this year, and the trail closures, there’s only a handful of us left on the Appalachian. Yet, Blue and I are making the best of it, obviously, and we are moving northbound. All in all, it’s been a remarkable experience and journey that will live in the cobwebs of my mind for years to come. And God-willing, He will continue to push me and refine me as I make my way to Mt. Katahdin.