- 6/7/2022 –
Rose at 3:15am, mind swirling with last minute preparations.
My wife was already up at 4:45am when I checked on her. Left close to planned time of 5am for the airport.
We parked. My wife entered the terminal with me – and good thing! Lines for check-in were extremely long, weaving the length of the floor. Extremely crowded! Lissa helped me check in, then navigated us to the long (but much shorter) TSA PreCheck line. Thanks Lu – you saved the day!
Both Lu and I had worked recent days relentlessly to finish that, for me, the reality of this moment hadn’t set in until Lu had to step out of line and watch. Then the tears welled.
No one could know for sure how long this adventure might last, but if all went well we knew it might last 6 months. That’s a long time to be away from those you love. Life would be very different in nearly every way. For both of us.
I spent most of my flight time refining notes that I’ll need for the journey. Especially “my Why”.
Walked about a mile with what is likely the heaviest pack I’ll carry in the next six months from the airport to the Concord Coach Lines bus station. Saw a couple of women carrying packs who appeared likely headed to the AT. The young man behind the counter asked as I ordered a bus ticket to Medway, “You doing the 100-Mile Wilderness or attempting the whole trail?” Guess folks like me, who buy a ride to Medway, are usually headed to the AT.
I somehow fit most contents in my bulky bag into my pack, including 10 days of food. Introduced myself to the two women (Tater Tot and Palette). Indeed they were headed to the AT, and to the Appalachian Trail Lodge. Palette was signed up for the Super SOBO Special and scheduled to start on June 9th ( my start date). Tater Tot was scheduled to start tomorrow. We talked about the rain expected on summit day, and how to decide whether to go for it or wait a day.
Folks trickled in during the afternoon also headed to Medway. Jesse planned to start a SOBO hike when the weather cleared – in the meantime he’d wait in Millinocket (the closest town to Baxter State Park). This was Bill’s 4th thru-hike attempt of the AT (with one success). He climbed Katahdin the prior three times but said weather made all the difference in terms of success and difficulty. Spoke highly of the AT Lodge.
Altogether 11 assembled for the Medway bus; all were also heading to the AT Lodge. Bill and Reboot had completed thru-hikes before. I asked why again. Reboot is obsessed with the trail and hikes each year. She owns Laughing Heart Hostel in Hot Springs, NC. Better is very sight challenged – sees maybe 10 feet tops. How he’ll climb Katahdin, much less pull off a thru-hike I can’t imagine, but he seems determined. We had a good discussion in the bus station.
Colin and Jack are climbing tomorrow. Rain is predicted. I asked how they felt about it. Jack was silent. Colin laughed.