Some days you just need to take a day off. I’m not sure how many of you follow the weather on the East Coast? There has been all sorts of warnings of rain up to many inches with certain flooding. Oh joy, and it has been raining all day. I am so glad that we are hunkered down in Monson at Shaws Hostel. They do everything they can to accommodate each and every hiker.

I woke up this morning to the smell of bacon cooking in the kitchen. You have no idea how that made my heart sing! With that came eggs over easy, homemade potatoes that they started prepping yesterday, and blueberry pancakes with real maple syrup. I don’t think New England knows or cares to know what imitation syrup is all about. There’s no such thing as Log Cabin or Aunt Jamima Syrup in these parts. Thank goodness. Just Pure Maple Syrup and Real Butter. How glorious and scrumptious is that!

After breakfast, we started tackling our list of things to do. Blue needed to find a Road Atlas so she could find all the backroads and hunt me down. I went to the ATC Office to be told of all the horrendous river crossings that were coming up. The Volunteer had some 15,000 miles of hiking different trails throughout United States and was the master of all things Doom and Gloom. If I listened to him, I’d hunker down till 2024! I’ll make sure that I have a buddy when I cross the rivers and Norman will be tightly secured.

Blue and I went to the Gas Station and I bought a new toothbrush, along with some cheese and chocolates for the trail. We sorted through our resupply boxes and between what I packed and Blue sent, I was ready for my seven days in the wilderness. It makes me giggle thinking the huge emphasis that is placed on heading out to the 100 Mile Wilderness. On the PCT, we’d be out for 15-20 days without giving it much thought. But then, you didn’t have the crazy wet and wild weather that Maine can dish out. I’m all packed up and the plan is that Blue will meet up with me every other day. This way I only carry a couple of days of food, rather than a weeks supply of provisions. It will certainly lighten my burden.

As for summiting Mt. Katahdin, as a thru-hiker no permit is needed as long as you are on a continuous footpath north. However Blue will be driving so I needed to figure out how to get her on the mountain with me. I called the AT Hostel in Millinocket, Maine, just outside of Baxter State Park. Cody, the owner informed me the only way to circumnavigate the dilemma of Blue driving into the park, would be to secure a campsite reservation. As he was talking with me, he got online and to his surprise there was one walk-in site available on Wednesday, August 16th. He told me to book it immediately as this is a fluke and it’ll be snatched up in moments. I hung up, got online, which is a feat in itself here at the Hostel with 30 other hikers on the Wi-Fi, and grabbed the one and only site available for the entire week. Thank you Lord. Now all that Blue needs to do is drive in on Wednesday, set up camp and we can hike Katahdin together on Thursday, August 17th. Once again, God provides. These campsites are much like booking for Yosemite. You get online, get ready to hit the reservation button six months in advance, and pray your fingers don’t slip off the keys. Once in a blue moon, you actually get a confirmation that you have obtained the most coveted spot, this side of the Mississippi. Blue and I have a site! So now we can celebrate!

So here’s the skinny. When I take off, I most likely, will not have any service or Wi-Fi for a week. I will continue to blog but it will just stay put on my phone. I most likely won’t be able to post anything for quite sometime. Now this could all change if Blue picks me up and whisks me away to some glamping camping in a hotel or motel near the trail. That’d be very luxurious but not expected. But if she reads this, who knows? I might be staying at a Hyatt or more realistic, a Yurt! And it’s possible a Yurt could, in fact, have Wi-Fi. No promises on the Wi-Fi, but a shower would be really nice!

With all that being said, I am anticipating that the Lord will be strengthening me, and providing me his love and protection while I am finishing this stretch of the Appalachian. It is difficult to think that Norman and I will be going it alone, without our mighty Blue & Bob the Bear. Yet, I am confident that I am ready, willing and able to finish what i started close to three months ago. This is what I have been training and preparing for and now is the time to focus on what the Lord has intended all along. He knew that Blue was going to leave, and that I would need to solely depend on Him. I am so grateful for this opportunity to seek his help and lean on Jesus every step I take and every move I make. How exciting a time this will be.