Day 279

Day 279 (AT 83): 28 miles

It’s funny how much instincts can wake you up. Last night I kinda woke up but not fully. I was still half asleep but I was aware that i wasn’t really asleep and then I heard a twig crack and all of a sudden it was like my body was ready for battle. I was fully alert and completely awake. Then I reminded myself that I don’t really care and tried to go back to sleep but it wasn’t easy since that had me fully awake.

I went to the privy this morning and was a little alarmed at what I saw (last picture), mostly just cause I’m sure a lot of young guys used it ironically at first cause they thought it’d be funny and then after a few minutes were just sitting there in silence contemplating their life decisions that brought them there.

I got a ride into Rangeley early and was able to get right at a gear store there. I got a new headlamp (my main point of concern), a new hat (since I lost mine a few days ago), and even got some replacement parts for my trekking poles that I broke.

My ride back out of town was with a male version of Uma Thurman in pulp fiction. I got in the car. We both said short pleasantries. And then we just sat there in silence without any pressure of trying to force a conversation. I could tell he didn’t really want to talk and he must’ve sensed the same out of me. It wasn’t an awkward silence at all. It was just 2 dudes hanging out and “shutting the fuck up” as Uma would like to say.

It was an alright day of hiking. The weather was good but most of the day was big ascents and descents without any real views at the tops cause there were trees everywhere. I was hauling ass later in the day to make it to the summit of Old Blue Mountain by sunset. I did. But there wasn’t too much of a view. I could see a pretty sky over the trees but not too much of a clearing.

Late in the day I came across a road crossing with 4 converging AT symbols. I can only assume it was a sacrificial site

Song of the day: glycerine-bush