Today, I hiked 4 miles…4 miles…haha to a trailhead. On normal days, it takes me a mile or two to get warmed up and loosen up the legs and feet.
I ran into one person on the trail today. It was a guy who just got dropped off at a road and today was his first day on trail. He is doing the 100 Mile Wilderness to Katahdin. His longest hike ever, he was so excited and I am happy for him.
From there I stuck my thumb out and got a hitch into Monson, Maine. It is a neat small town. I am staying at Lakeshore House. I am taking the rest of the day off today and a zero tomorrow. Then off I go into the 100 Mile Wilderness.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy has an information office here. I stopped in to get information on hiking the 100 Mile Wilderness, Mt. Kathadin and how to start getting back to St. Paul, Minnesota (it likely will include a long hitch to a town, then a bus ride or long hitch to a bigger city with transportation options). I just have to trust it will work out. It sounds complicated on some level, but I made it this far, I will figure it out.
I went and got some food for my 100 Mile Wilderness leg. I thought about getting a food drop, but decided against it after speaking with the ATC person. It will be my heaviest pack weight of the entire trail. I hope my pack holds up, so far so good.
Nice quiet hostel on a lake. The owner and staff are great. They had a band for 3 hours this afternoon. I had a local beer called Dead Man Ale…
A lot of past thru hikers warn of a post thru hike depression and they all say it is very real. They say after the hike to keep busy and getting out in nature for day hikes or weekend trips or find other ways to burn off energy and keep busy. They say others will not understand what you went thru and are experiencing. I know I have great people around me and I have things to keep busy and burn energy off on. Even so, I suspect it might be a hard transition. But the trail has shown me that I can do anything with a plan and focus. Who knows, it might be a fun transition!
I will be doing my blog updates as I go north. Just speculating that cell phone/internet coverage out there is darn near zero, so I will post updates as best as I can.
J's Blog 
Keep plugging away Jason. You are doing great. I cannot believe all you have done.
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thanks
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Great pictures the last few days! Really insightful discussion about finishing, too. I’m glad you’ve been able to talk to several people about how to handle the drastic change when transitioning back to your previous life. You will be a changed person, with a rich experience and an even stronger knowledge of your ability to handle almost any situation. I will definitely miss the updates!
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Learning is a lifelong pursuit and I have learned a lot on this journey for sure. I am changed, this I know and for the better in my opinion. I am not sure what is next in life, be there will be something, sometime. Thank you again a million times over.
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Happy to hear from you buddy. Wow, hard to believe – 100 to go. It’s like hearing the 10 to go on a NASCAR race and keeping you on the edge of your seat. It gives me the goose bumps knowing the thoughts and emotions that are flowing through your veins. I’m happy for you. I’m proud of you. Happy and proud of all you have accomplished and overcome so far. 100 to go buddy. Tighten your belt a little extra and make sure you don’t overdrive the corners. Keep a steady pace and hold your line. The end is near but I have a feeling it’s just the beginning. Like I said – happy for you! 🙂
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That means so much. I literally get goosebumps and varied emotions all day long. I keep them in check by being present in the moment and enjoying each day. When I get to the summit of the last mountain, I have no idea what’s going to happen, but I think a lot of emotions will dump out all over that poor mountain! haha
Ya…about the belt tightening thing…not sure how much more I can tighten…I may have to send a photo of my pants on me…not a dirty one, don’t get excited!!! just kidding. Your guidance is wise for a young fella, I am proud to know you.
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Lakeshore House looks like a great place to stay, wonderful reviews, and the menu looks so good, hard to choose what to eat, but try the onion soup for starters. 100 mile wilderness, just the name is so interesting, bet you will love it after you eat some of your weight.
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it’s a good place to relax.
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What are you going to do when you finish this? I know I am going to suffer severe withdrawal from the daily updates! And the beautiful photography….. the immense amount of TLC on your part.
Your friend is correct about the depression. You have had surges of serotonin and adrenaline into your system on a daily basis for the last many months. This is all natural and as it should be. It’s just after you get back in the world we live in that won’t happen. Take up jogging or swimming?
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I will get back to running and working out at the gym I suspect. I am going to eat better, cut out processed foods. Try to adjust to urban life. Maybe see you when I visit my folks…
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