(Sunday p.m.) miles to go: 30.1

First of all, a huge THANK YOU to Kumquat's parents for the great
trail magic! Your homeade pralines and brownies are exquisite. It's
amazing how much enjoyment you can get out of eating sandwiches on the
side of a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. And I mean nowhere. How
they found their way to that logging road in the middle of the 100
mile wilderness is beyond me.

Did I ever mention the water in Maine?Well, for starters, there is a
lot of it. I mean everywhere. Ponds, lakes, streams, brooks, bogs, and
even all over the ground. Yes, I am talking about mud. You thought
Vermont was muddy? Think again. You see, apparently there is not
enough dirt here, so under the tiny layer of topsoil is rock, so there
is nowhere for the water to go, so it sits there. And makes mud. And
bogs. And muddy bogs. And the wonderful MATC and AMC (thanks for all
your hard work) have constructed all these "bog bridges" out of
planks...in 1964. Some of them seem more recent, but I have to say,
one of the more dangerous parts of hiking around here is the half-
rotten, slimy algae covered wood planks propped up on rocks and other
rotting chunks of wood that sometimes sink down lower than the muddy
water when you step on it. When I put my poles down, sometimes they
just keep going...as in feet deep. My favorite is when the bogs are
large and they put up signs that say "Please stay on trail. Fragile
bog environment". Really? You have to tell me to stay on these little
pieces of plywood? I can't step off, maybe up to my armpits, or who
knows...maybe my neck, not even once. Please? Trust me people. I am
trying my very hardest to stay on the "trail". Even where the bog
bridges have completely deteriorated beyond recognition.

Oh, I was talking about the water. I digress. Yes, the water.
Sometimes it's brown. In fact, it's brown a lot. I don't mind it now,
at first it was a little disconcerting. Back when we first noticed
some of the streams were brackish, we all made fun and joked around
that it looked like pee. Hahaha. But here, it is not only brown, but
sometimes tastes like dirt with a peppery bite to it....mixed with
Aqua Mira. Yum. Yeah, I gotta say, I won't miss drinking Maine
water. However, I will say, some of those ponds, streams, and brooks
have been some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. Even
the ones with brown water.

Having hiked almost 44 miles in the past two days, I am now staring at
the very last page of my guidebook. It is completely surreal to think
this hike really is almost over. I saw my very first glimpse of
Katahdin today. It was ordinary yet extraordinary all at the same
time. I wonder how that will change once I am standing upon it.