Legs and Borders

Back on trail and out of New Hampshire to the last state on the AT, Maine. It was only me, Tum Tum and Iceman going back to trail today, everybody else in the hostel was taking the zero day. Paul packed us into his white Cadillac at 7:10 AM and off we went. Fifteen minutes later we were climbing our first hill, we got joined by Treadmill who came yesterday to the brewery but was staying at the different hostel. Me and Tum Tum were a bit faster than other two guys and so we left them behind, we talked about all the trail gossip and news until my Achilles tendon started to hurt and I had to slow down. Before that happened Tum Tum said that if it was up to him to give me a trail name, he would call me "Steinbeck" which I really liked (I was carrying Steinbeck's book in my backpack for a long time now and was mentioning him frequently on the trail), perhaps I could change it for the next thru hike! Terrain was still very demandi...

"I didn't have a shower since Pennsylvania" Snail A nero day followed by a zero! In the morning I've fairly quickly got through the remaining 7 miles of the trail to the road and got a hitchhike to Gorham where I was planning to stay for the next two days. White Mountain's really kicked my butt, tendons in my legs were hurting even while I was going through fairly easy terrain and I needed some time to rest. I've managed to get a quick hitchhike to town, I ate a footlong Subway and went to check in at the Barn Hostel even though it was just noon. I've got greeted by Biscuit and MacGyver an older section hiking couple I've met at the Madison Spring Hut, they've been taking some time off trail as Biscuit's knees were not doing good, she already had one of them replaced in the past because of hiking. I've advised them to hike Carter's Dome I've just finished (they got a shuttle to Gorham from an earlier mile) so...