Miles: 1,941.4 — Easy morning miles to East B Hill Rd, sun-drying gear while we waited for my parents (saints). Little Red Hen omelets, giant coffees, trunk resupply, and back to trail. We found good tent spots at Sawyer Brook and set a plan to meet my parents once more in Rangeley—still tracking for a mid‑September finish.
We got up early again, 6:30am (which in comparison to some hikers was not that early, but hey, it was for us). We took the easy walk to East B Hill Rd, one of the two that lead into Andover, ME. We mad it far quickly. This five-mile stretch was by far the easiest we had seen in quite a while. A blue blaze came up about a mile from the road and we were almost an hour early. The two of us decided to wander and see the waterfalls that the blue blaze offered. It was beautiful. We took a break and listened to the waterfalls, sitting on the damp, pine-needle-covered floor. The wet pine and dirt smell is one of my favorites.
We still got to the road earlier than expected and waited for Mom and Dad by the side of the road. It had rained during the night, but the sun had come out by the time we got to the road. The two of us took out our wet tents and clothing and dried them in the sun. Nearby, in the trailhead parking lot a group of high-school aged looking kids were getting ready to leave for their section hike, they stared at us while we laid on our drying tents, basking in the sun. True hiker trash. We knew this meant we’d probably be competing for a good tent site anywhere near a lean-to tonight. I rolled my eyes and starting checking Guthook for a tent-site ahead. My parents showed up about half an hour later and they drove us into town for a late breakfast.
We went to Little Red Hen and Miles and I had huge veggie omelets and the biggest mugs of hot coffee with cream and sugar. Just what I’d been craving all week. It almost felt like we weren’t real thru-hikers anymore, seeing my parents so often.
We saw other hikers around, but we didn’t really know any of them anymore and neither us or them bothered to break the ice. So, with most people it just kind of stayed that way. Miles and I had started keeping more and more to ourselves after Moosilauke because of the slackpacking. After that, it seemed like it was harder to make friends. I didn’t feel like I fit with the rest of the thru-hikers anymore.
Miles and I resupplied for the next couple of days out of the trunk of my parent’s car. They bought us groceries that we’d bought during the slackpack era and left at their house. Mountain House Meals, Dried Fruit, Bars, Gummies, Gu Gels, Instant Coffee (bleck), and more. After we’d filled our food bags and put all of our trash into a garbage bag in their trunk. They took us back to the trailhead and sent us off. Best. Parents. Ever. They drove over an hour on mostly Maine backroads to bring us a good resupply and take us out to lunch. Saints.
Anyway, they waved goodbye as we headed uphill on the AT. It wasn’t too bad of a hike into or out of town and we found good tent sites at Sawyer Brook campsite. Before we left, Mom and Dad agreed to meet us in Rangely one last time before we finished. We were on track to finish in September 18th, the day before my friends’ wedding, in which I was to be maid of honor.