I love Maine and today only made me love it more. I’m not done with it yet, but so far Maine has definite been my favorite state. It’s beautiful, remote, challenging but doable and generally just exactly what I want it to be. 

I headed to the main house first thing this morning and sat down with The Oklahomies, expendable and few others for the 12 pancake breakfast I had been promised yesterday. The others had not stayed at the cabin but had made their way over this morning for breakfast. 

Tim put in front of each of us 12 pancakes stuffed with strawberries, blueberries and apples. As they were red white and blue he called them patriotic pancakes. He then gave us each 2 scrambled eggs and a sausage patty. 

When I say this may have been the best breakfast I have ever had, I am not exaggerating. The pancakes were incredible and, even though I felt a bit sick after eating 12, I knew I was going to be properly fueled and ready to go for my day! 

I walked the 3 miles to the river crossing with a group I had met the other day and we chatted about not much more than the day and our breakfast. We knew the others who had stayed at the shelter were likely to be in line for the ferry when we got there but still, it was a bit shocking to see a line of 15 hikers in front of us waiting to get canoed across. 

But the process was quick and orderly. The ferryman grabbed two hikers at a time, gave us each life jackets and told the hiker up front to paddle. When it was my turn an hour later, I hopped into the middle of the canoe and was paddled delightfully across the river. When I asked the ferryman how many trips he made across the river each day, he just said “that’s like me asking you how many miles you walk a day. I prefer not to think about it.”

I left the ferry a little after 10 and started the push forward from there. The terrain was again quite good for the most part and I decided to get in as many miles as I could. It’s supposed to pour tomorrow and I want to make it to town before that starts if possible. So I put my head down and went today. 

I mostly just walked all day but I stopped a few times to eat lunch or just enjoy where I was. It was another beautiful Maine day and, as I sat by myself next to yet another picturesque pond, I couldn’t help but think about how much I would miss this. The natural beauty I’ve been enjoying over the past months. 

While I think i am ready to get back to my real life and be around those who I know and love, there are so many parts of this experience that I just won’t be able to recreate in New York. 

I once again found myself racing daylight as I looked for a campsite. But I finally found one just a bit before the sun set. I sat down for dinner as the sky darkened around me and realized that not only had I done my first 20 mile day since Vermont, I had done 25 miles. 

I was too tired to set up my rain tarp and decided to just trust the forecast and hope that the rain doesn’t start before I wake up. 

Key stats:

Miles: 25

Elevation gained: 4700

Mile marker: 2069

Main hope for the night: no rain