I hit the Maine Junction first thing this morning, where the AT splits off from the Long Trail. The LT continues north and we head east to Maine. Soon after that we were at the Mountain Meadows Lodge, a gorgeous property on Kent Pond, where we sat on the lawn for a long time eating lunch.

We had plans to go to Rich’s house near Woodstock for dinner so I made good time after that, going over several steep climbs. I met Greg and Papa Chip at Chateauguay Road after 14.5 miles, a gravel road that it had taken them forever to find. Mama Chip was waiting farther up the road with their camper since it couldn’t make it all the way, and Chipmunk had already come in, so they borrowed Greg’s bikes to get back to the camper, with plans for us to get them back when we drove out. (Chipmunk is a fifteen year old girl thru hiking solo, and her parents meet her at roads.)

We waited for everyone else to come in and it took so long, and the gravel road was so in the middle of nowhere, that we made arrangements with Rich to get there tomorrow night instead. We just stayed where we were to camp so as to get an early start in the morning.

My hospital shoe is starting to fall apart. I don’t think it likes rocks and mud. I’m going to try to glue it together as long as possible, hopefully wearing it until the Whites. It’s over a week and a half since I broke my toe though and it’s feeling pretty good.

image

image

image

image

image