Goodbye Maine, Hello New Hampshire

Hi readers! Amber here. We've made it to New Hampshire. That's right- we've walked all the way through majestic, mossy, muggy, Maine. (insert happy dance) We are currently resting at the White Mountains Lodge & Hostel before we enter the infamous "White Mountains." Let's see . . . since the last update, not only have we crossed our first state line, these things have happened:I got my trail name: Dandelion.

• We raced down Baldpate Peak in thunder and lightening. 
• A tree was 12 ft away from falling on our tent one night!
• Chief Badweather finally got a sleeping pad.
• We made it through the Mahoosuc Notch! (in the rain)

 You can find photos of our journey through Maine on my Facebook page, here. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we trek home!

  "Ode to Maine" written by my dad also known as "Chief Badweather."  

Maine, 

You have my respect for being a true "wilderness." Your mucky bogs (some knee deep) have slowed our pace. Your black flies and mosquitoes have fed off of us for days. Your many river crossings are cold and deep. Your trails are wet, rocky, full of roots and some straight up and down. 

Our equipment has suffered with breaks, rips, tears and smells just plain ole plum nasty. 

Our bodies are swollen, bruised, bit, scraped, cut, blistered and smells just plain ole plum nasty. 

After 281 miles we are leaving so that you can greet the next bunch of hikers. We will remember the days of hiking through you for the rest of our lives. Seeing equipment from hikers that went before us scattered all over the first 25-50 miles made us nervous. What was the rest of the trail going to do to us? The clothes, tents, tarps, packs, sleeping bags, pots, pans, cups, bowls, axes, machetes, food, water bottles, rain gear, cold weather gear and more was just laying everywhere on the side of the trail. It looked like the dark forest just chewed up the lone hikers and spit them out on different parts of the trail. (I had named the lone hiker . . . "Divorced Hiker" . . . since the trail had taken everything.)

Our memories will be of the days that we topped out on mountains like White Cap, The Bigelows, Old Blue, Old Speck, The Baldpates, The Horn, the grand daddy, Kathadin, and my favorite, Avery Peak. Sleeping at Antlers campsite and the other big ponds and lakes while watching the beavers play and hearing the loons at night will never be forgotten. 

Thank you, Lord Jesus for this time of my life and letting me have a true wilderness experience in the state of Maine. The people of Maine have treated me and my small tribe from East Tennessee very well. May the Good Lord Bless those on and around the Appalachian Trail. 

Ricky J. Adams, "Chief Badweather" SOBO 2014, leaving Maine . . .