Trident Coc Tentsite Day 36 Friday

Today I can mark several milestones:

-- I have finally left Maine for New Hampshire. Not that there’s anything wrong with Maine but it is nice to see progress in some fashion.

-- I have completed more than 10% of the trail, almost 300 miles at this point.

-- I feel stronger and seem to be making physical progress. I still have problems with hills and rock hopping but I feel like my experience has improved.

-- I’ve lost some weight. Yeah, I m looking trimmer. My pants don’t fit.

Today started off as a great day especially when I crossed the state line. I thought I would be in really bad shape from the Mahoosuc Notch. I actually wasn’t too badly off. My knees feel good. I did about 12 miles today. The weather turned nasty when I got to Gentien Pond Lean-to. After an hour it seemed to have passed so I moved on. Turns out it hadn’t really finished raining. I did the last 5 miles in 3 hours. Nico pushed on, I hope he found a good site if he doesn’t make ours. Everyone is here at the tentsite. I had a hard time finding a place to set up. A forest of trees and I can’t find two. I ended up setting up next to the privy. There are some lovely aromas wafting out every once in a while.

Tonight is a hammock night. Not only will I have a bad night’s sleep, but I am next to the bathroom on one side and an extremely talkative group. One person in the group can shake the trees with his snoring. I think I will dig out some ear plugs, especially since the trees are still dripping water, onto the tarp.

My shorts are damp from the rain. I am trying to dry them in my sleeping bag. I had heard that if you put damp clothes in the bottom, your body heat will dry them. SinceI will be in town tomorrow, I can always dry my bag then if it doesn’t work. Since my boots will not be dry in the morning, I will just put on wet socks.