Here is the journal of Jim's first three days:
Wed., Sept. 6 - We began day one of this hike on a very wet note, driving 80 minutes through mostly heavy rain. By 9:30
we had arrived at the Maine Tourism building where I had finished the
June hike. This is just over the NH state line, so over the next several
weeks I will be traveling across the state, from its western border
with NH to its far eastern border with Canada. Clad in a bright orange
raincoat, waterproof pants and hiker boots, I kissed Jane goodbye and
set off into the storm. In less than a mile I was trekking through
downtown Fryeburg, which will host a huge fair over Columbus Day weekend
that will draw many thousands of people to this small town. And I do
mean small, for within a few minutes I was through town and heading east
toward today's destination, the town of Bridgton. I am not sure why
that name doesn't have an "e" in it, but it doesn't.
The
rain varied greatly in intensity all morning, from heavy downpours to
light sprinkles. When the precipitation was heaviest I would shield
myself from most of it with an umbrella, though I failed to keep dry all
but my head. Fortunately there was no wind and just a slight breeze, so
the umbrella worked quite well. And with waterproof jacket, pants and
boots, I didn't feel wet at all. And the temperature was near perfect
for a rainy day - about 60 degrees.
Sometime
around 11:30 we spoke by phone and agreed to meet for lunch. She
arrived to get me exactly at noon and I drove to a restaurant in
Bridgton, where we enjoyed a leisurely big lunch and my body got to rest
for over an hour. I figured I had covered 8 miles this morning in 2.5
hours, and had a similar distance to walk in the afternoon. All day I
would be on the same road, state route 302 between the two largest towns
in this part of southwestern Maine, Fryeburg and Bridgton. So naturally
there was quite a bit of traffic going by me, but for the most part I
was fortunate to have a wide paved road shoulder to walk on.
Occasionally a big rig would zoom past and spray me with a shower of
road water, but except for that it was a pretty pleasant walk
considering the weather. The rain was coming down really heavy as we
departed the restaurant so I nixed thoughts of changing into sandals and
a lighter jacket for the afternoon. Bad decision, as the rain lessened
as we drove back to the morning's terminal point and stopped entirely
soon after that. So the umbrella was not needed at all this afternoon
and I took off the rain jacket and tied it around my waist after the
first several miles.
Tonight's
motel was right on my route, and I got there at 3:30 with enough energy
left to want to do a few more miles. So after changing boots for
sandals and tying a lighter jacket around my waist, I was back on the
road, walking into and then through Bridgton. Forty minutes later Jane
came to pick me up and we returned to our lakeside motel. Except for the
morning weather, this was a fine Day One, with feet and legs a bit sore
but not bad.
Miles Today - 17.5..... Total Cumulative Miles - 17.5
Thurs., Sept. 7
- After a filling breakfast at the local diner, and a stop to buy a
Subway sandwich for lunch, we returned to yesterday's endpoint. How good
it was to see the sun break through the cloud-cover soon after I began
the day's hike! After a few miles I was walking through the lakeside
resort community of Harrison. I enjoyed fine views of the lake, as the
road paralleled its shores for several miles. Trees on the hills in the
distance were beginning to change color, which I expect to see a lot of
in the next several weeks.
By
mid-morning I was dragging, my legs and feet sore and I had no energy.
What was wrong? I wondered. Giving it a lot of thought, I concluded that
this was likely a delayed reaction to hiking many miles yesterday in
relatively heavy and waterlogged hiking boots. And maybe my well-worn
sandals today needed to be exchanged for newer ones that could give me
better cushioning. So I decided to flag down Jane as she would be
passing me sometime late this morning and make the sandal exchange then.
Sure enough, Jane beeped as she passed me a few minutes before
noon.......but she didn't stop and soon disappeared around the next bend
in the road! Well perhaps she pulled off a little further on, but after
about a half mile without seeing her, I knew she was gone. And then
just as I thought that, I see her waving at me from a roadside rest area
with picnic tables beside a rushing stream. Ah, my lucky day! She had
interpreted my outstretched hand as a wave hello, not as a STOP! sign.
But she was perceptive enough to recognize a good place for spending a
little time together while I ate lunch. Smart woman.
After
another half-hour, I left the busy state highway for a five-mile hilly
rural road that would bring me into the town of Oxford. By the time she
picked me up and we got to our hotel, I was really beat. Feet and legs
ached and even several ibuprofen failed to relieve the pain. We ate
dinner at the casino restaurant conveniently located right across the
street, and after dinner Jane spent a little time feeding the slot
machines (without luck). Returning to our room, I fell asleep early
hoping for a better day tomorrow.
Miles Today - 17 Total Cumulative Miles - 34.5
Fri., Sept. 8
- After a breakfast at the hotel that wasn't nearly as satisfying as
yesterday's diner meal, we drove back to downtown Oxford. There I began
today's walk, feeling recovered from yesterday's ordeal. It was another
chilly morning, with temps in the low 50s and low humidity - great
hiking weather. A half hour later I walked into a Dunkin Donuts to buy
my luncheon sandwich and left there 20 minutes later with sandwich in
backpack, disgusted that it had taken that long to get a sandwich during
prime-time at a coffee store. Lesson learned - DD is NOT a fast food
joint.
Happy
to have resumed my roadwalking, I called Jane to ask her to stop when
she passed me today (unlike yesterday!) so she could give me the day's
map and directions that I had mistakenly left behind in the hotel room.
By mid-morning I was pacing through the town of Mechanic Falls when I
heard the familiar beep of her car. After several minutes of
conversation, she took off while I took in the Civil War memorial statue
and plaques in the local park. A huge statue of the Maine Regiment
soldier contained the names of 120 local men that did not return from
the battles of Gettysburg, Antietam, the Wilderness and Winchester.
Listed nearby were the names of the 423 soldiers that survived the
1861-65 conflict. So the casualty rate was over 20%.
I
was fortunate today to have a sandy or grassy road shoulder walk on.
This softer surface is far more kind to my feet and legs than pavement.
But there are some drawbacks: I have to watch each step to avoid uneven
surfaces that could cause a twisted ankle, and I have to avoid the
plentiful garbage that littered my pathway at times. I noted that the
gravel here is full of thin shards of mica, that in today's sunlight
shone like diamonds.
Today's
destination is the city of Auburn, an old mill town located on the
shores of the Kennebec River and directly across the river from
Lewiston. Here we will be spending two nights at a bed and breakfast we
stayed at back in June. By 12:45 I finally came to a suitable spot to
enjoy my sandwich and rest for a few minutes. It was a grassy spot under
some pine trees just off the road, a few feet distant from a sign
welcoming me to the City of Auburn. After letting Jane know I would be
arriving in about another hour, I was back on the road and glad to have
just 3 or 4 miles left to cover. And right on time, I arrived at the
B&B a few minutes after 2:00, and there on the porch was Jane
waiting for my arrival.
Miles Today - 16 Total Cumulative Miles -50.5
Pictures:
Day 1 - Jim Ready to Go in Fryeburg
Day 1 - Off He Goes in the Rain
Day 2 - Interesting Mushrooms at the Rest Area
Day 2 - Perfect Lunch Stop
No comments:
Post a Comment