Maine 9/9

I received a short and crackling phone call this afternoon from Ryan.  He was on a mountain peak high enough to gain phone access.  He was on a borrowed Iphone.  His go-phone will not be usable for the balance of the trip to Baxter.  We are still trying to get his Iphone fixed and back to him.  We are running out of drop package options as he moved further into the Maine wilderness.  It’s likely he’ll be without through most of the trip to Baxter. Reception will be very limited regardless.  There are only a handful of trail towns left.  He will try to make contact when he comes to a land line. 
The first 50 miles of Maine are the hardest miles of the trail.  This is the section of trail he has hiked over 1900 miles to experience.  Yesterday he passed through Mahoosuc Notch which is the hardest mile of the hardest section.  It has been raining for the last 3 days and is forecast to continue through the weekend.  The weather is cold.  The trail is wet and slippery.  He claims to be in heaven. His enthusiasm and excitement is very high.  You can hear it in his voice and his struggle for the right words to describe his surroundings. He said the only description he could come up with is “awesome” but he’s worn that one out.  Apparently the woods of Maine are somewhere beyond awesome. He said he couldn’t explain it and you couldn’t imagine it if he could.  Grand ideas often lose their luster when the reality sets in.  Talking to Ryan today it became crystal clear that his reality is at least as good if not better than the idea.  He has not only conquered a significant portion of the idea, he has turned it into the realization of a dream. He has not hesitated or backed down since announcing the trip.  He has never mentioned quit and listening to him I am confident it has not entered his mind.   The trail is simply a matter of will. He demonstrated to himself his own power over his will.  
   

These are very rugged and rocky mountains.  He said most of the hiking is hand over hand. You do as much pulling yourself up as you do pushing yourself along.  Mahoosuc Notch is a cut between two rocky peaks.  The trail is littered with car and bus size boulders that have fallen from the peaks from either side.  Many times he had to remove his pack and drag it behind to squeeze between the boulders. The climb out of the notch rose 1500 feet in a mile.  While this section is particularly rugged it is typical of the trail ahead for the next 300 miles. 

I don’t expect to hear much from him in the coming week.  Hopefully he will be able to send GPS pings so we can track his progress. He is still hiking with Kipper, Chimp, Bluefoot, and the young lady in the last pictures.  I cannot remember her name.  I will get it.  This group will finish the trail together.  Most of the thru hikers around them are all pairing up for the final weeks.  Fellowship has advantages in this wilderness.  I get the impression that they all need to share the experience with someone capable of understanding the accomplishment.