They have been having a very rough go of it since my last post. Almost every day or night has had rain. They have been slogging through ankle deep to calf deep mud every day. Last week, while on the trail, Tripwire took a pretty bad tumble. He was trying to do his usual mountain goat bouncing up the trail and slipped on some rocks. He fell down into a gully and had to be lifeted out. The fall wasn't too far, but the bouncy fall down didn't help things.
The next morning he came up lame and wasn't willing to jump up when Hollywood called him. Melissa doesn't want to risk permanent injury to her puppy so when they got into town in Andover, Jordan was taken off the trail to heal.
I started this blog as a tail of Jordan's adventures and I'm kind of split over whether to quit posting now or continue on until Hollywood reaches Katahdin. I know the stories have been largely about the whole experience though. What started as Jordan's story has often turned into the story of Hollywood's hike up the trail. You will know if I'm continuing if you see future posts.
Hollywood called me last night from the Poplar Ridge Lean-To 1971.7 NoBo. She hase gone through Rangely Maine, and over Saddleback Mountain. The last four 4000 foot peaks, South Crocker Mt 4039Ft 1986.9 NoBo, North Crocker Mt 4228Ft 1987.9NoBo, Bigelow Mt 4145Ft 2000.9 NoBo, and finally Avery Peak 4090Ft 2001.5 NoBo should be achieved this week. After that the going is nice and flat right on up to Katahdin.
They are quickly coming up to the most isolated stretch of the AT, The Hundred-Mile Wilderness 2066 NoBo. There is no help past Monson ME until they reach Millinocket ME at 2165.6 NoBo. That is a mere 15 miles shy of Katahdin.
They have already forged streams that are waist deep. These are streams that are normally ankle to calf deep. While in the Hundred-Mile Wilderness, there will be at least one fording that will be waist high normally meaning it will be chest high or over her head depending on how dry it stays between now and then. The nights have been getting down into the 30's on a regular basis. This is the part of the trail where no matter how beautiful it is, the days are simply torture. Hollywood has said she has seen a lot of views that rival the best views in the White Mountains. But cold nights, and more importantly cold mornings trying to get started harken back to the miserable days of April when she was just getting her hiking legs. The weather will be nearly the same at the end as it was at the start. There is a possibility of snow between now and Katahdin. That will make it even more so.
So I leave the blog open ended. I hope to post at the very least one more final post peak summary. I hope you have enjoyed the description of the adventure as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you. And even though it isn't turning out the way ANY of us had thought it would, there is no doubt this has been the adventure of a lifetime for Jordan the Wonder Dog, His mom Melissa and her cousin Christina.
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