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My Summit Estimate Is October 20th

Day 194

Tuesday October 3, 2017

Miles: 1956.4 - 1971.2 Completed: 14.8

Time: 6:15am - 5:00pm

Weather: Cold start, clear blue skies, cool but nice temps

Tented inside Piazza Shelter

Big miles today compared to lately. It was nice to start building that average back up. With full packs the easy peasy terrain allowed us to hike with less strain completing more miles. Yes, we need to enjoy ourselves but at this point in time we just want to get this done. My summit estimate based on what I did in 2015 compared to our hiking strength this year is October 20th. That's 17 days away. As long as the weather and our health continue to cooperate we should be able to do that.

We are starting to get requests from friends to join us. We were disappointed when fellow hiking friends were not able to join us. Work and family got in the way for some and another one also lost his dad. It would have been great to see them all. For quite some time it's been just the three of us. We have lost any sort of hiking bubble. Most others have hiked far ahead or have flip flopped. There are only a few other hikers we have seen consistently still out here.

Maine never seems to get old. I've lived here all my life, well, since I was 4. I don't remember anyplace else. I never tire of its beauty. Today there were lots of ponds. We passed this one early in the day. The morning sun danced on the water's ripples like diamonds on a trampoline. It took me forever to hike the shoreline. I was enveloped by it's performance.

Then at day's end as we were heading to the shelter there was a solo leaf on a plank. It was as if someone had put it there as a welcome mat.

There is so much beauty out there and most of the time we are too busy to notice it. Sometimes it's huge like a sunrise or sunset and other times its small like a lonely leaf. But no matter the size, it is there for us to enjoy if we just take the time.

Happy Hiking.

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