Day 75 - Mail woes 2: the return of mail woes (14/9/2016)

Still no package, and for some reason the USPS has sent it to New Hampshire for processing. I tried to call USPS, but as is the case a lot these days, it's impossible to talk to an actual human and there was no option for reporting lost mail.

I debated squatting on the post office property in protest, but figured I should get some miles instead. This meant that I'd be walking with no map, and no guidebook for the next little while until my mail drop made it to me. I hit the trail mid-afternoon and it was hot and humid. I decided to keep my clothes on this time, and attempt a new strategy: sleep through the heat and walk at night. I napped for a bit on the forest floor and started hiking, aiming to do 15 miles or more. At the 5 mile mark I stopped at RPH shelter for dinner, where Half-fool caught up to me and decided to join me for the night-hike. It was a great evening - we had some nice moonlit views of lakes from the ridges, had a snack on a beach at night, and I got to meet my first copperhead snake.

We managed the 15 miles around 1 AM and set up camp on a nice little site.

Start: Stormville, NY
End: Dennytown Rd
Distance: 15.3 miles

Day 74 - Mail woes (13/9/2016)

Today I was hoping to pop into Stormville and pick up my missed mail drop.

Today I popped into Stormville for nothing.

I'm sleeping behind a deli with Eskimo, Broadway, Troll and Ser Blue hoping the package will arrive tomorrow.

Start: Nuclear Lake
End: Stormville, NY
Distance: 8.3 Miles

Day 71 - My Kingdom for a Glass of Water (10/9/2016)

Another morning where putting the pack on hurt. A bit of rain made the morning temperatures bearable, but I fell hard for the first time since New Hampshire, Pouch's rain cover is now torn, and the tip on one of my trekking poles is broken. I've been walking in the same socks for 6 straight days, lost one of my camp shoes, and messed things up so I won't be able to make my next maildrop. The rain also didn't last and we were back to hot, humid, and water-less. To try and help stay comfortable I spent most of the afternoon walking in just my underwear. I still ran out of water before coming on a really sad source where I fought frogs for access. I called it a day and camped down there.

I have to say that the best parts of the last few weeks of hiking have been the days I wasn't hiking. I'm not sure how much more drought I can [or want to] endure. No one who attempted the Connecticut challenge today made it.

Start: Pine Swamp Brook
End: Skiff Mtn Road
Distance: 14.2 miles

Days 45 and 46 - Hanover your gear! (15-16/8/2016)

I arrived in Hanover, went to the post office and discovered that my bounce box is missing. My bounce box holds the next map I need, most of my guide for the trail, cables and such for charging my watch and camera, clothes for town, one of my notebooks, and some other stuff that I'd really prefer to have.

So the last two days have been mostly preoccupied with food and finding my mailbox. So far, no one has any idea where the mail might be. I will say, though, that the USPS staff have been extremely generous with their time and energy. With any luck, it'll turn up soon.

Hanover, NH is easily the most hiker friendly town I've ever been too. One pizza place gives every thru-hiker a free slice of pizza, another bakery gives us a free donut or muffin. There's a community centre that will let you store your pack for the day, and offers cheap showers and laundry. There aren't many hostels, but the local college keeps a list of people who are willing to host hikers (trail angels). It's a busy time, so it took me a while to find someone with space but last night I stayed with the priest at an episcopal church just across the state line in Norwich, Vermont. This means that I've officially passed the 20% mark!

The minister also has a puppy, who woke me up this morning by a) licking my face, and b) stealing my cheese. I got up, had coffee, and joined the minister and her puppy on their morning park visit. God I love dogs.

My attempt to hold my feet together...

There's also some very good options for outfitters, so I've been able to replace my shoes, buy a new shirt, get a map to replace the one in my bounce box, and replace Pouch's rain cover!

I wasn't planning to zero here, but since I'm waiting on news about my mail I'll have to. I could do worse - there are some really nice places for food and drink here, and I haven't had time to try them all yet.

Start: um. Mile 425 or so.
End: Norwich, VT (though to be fair, I took a bus from Hanover to Norwich)
Distance: 18.3 miles

Days 41 and 42 - Xmas in August (11-12/8/2016)

I hadn't thought I'd have much to talk about these last couple of days, but how wrong I was!

I'd planned to collect a bit of mail in Glencliff, only to discover that a "bit of mail" was:

2 t-shirts
2 tensor bandages
Some safety pins
2 bags of Nibs
4 boxes of smarties
An SHDC adapter for my camera
A USB cable
2 letters from Russia
A bag of maté tea
A rittersport candy bar
Electrolytes
A pound of Italian speck
A pound of Italian parmesan

I took a bit longer to get organised than I'd expected, but last night I had a speck and parm pasta dinner that could rival any Italian restaurant. All I needed was a nice Pinot Grigio.

This morning I set out to do 16-18 miles. I made it 3. A group of hikers waved me over to the truck that had just dropped them off. Indicating the driver, one said "This is Pete. You should go hang out with him for the day."

I paused. I'd just promised friends I'd be in NY in 3 weeks, which already meant 16 mile days.

Then I remembered a decision I made early on: since getting to Georgia wasn't the most important thing on my list, I would take advantage of any opportunities that could prove interesting. This seemed like one of those.

Pete, it turns out, is the son of a former state Governor who runs a sugar shack. For decades he has had hikers sleep in his shack in the summer, giving them free coffee, pancakes and maple syrup. Let me repeat that: pancakes and maple syrup, from the very shack I'm sleeping in, are FREE!

So here I sit, on the porch of a sugar shack, stuffed with pancakes and sipping beer, having completed only 13 miles in 2 days.

Life is good.

MacGruber, Sweetfeet, & Trotter at the sugar shack

Start: Mooselaucke peak
End: Mt Cube Farm
Distance: 13.5 miles

Mail drops

Rather than posting mail drops regularly, I'm going to maintain a list at this address: http://wallabyonthewallaby.blogspot.com/p/maildrops.html

You can also find a link in the sidebar to the right, or on mobile devices I think there's a drop down menu that reads "Home" by default.

Day 26 - Andover (7/27/2016)

Woke up this morning to find that Trout had hiked a marathon (over 26 miles) to catch up, only to arrive under dark with me already asleep. It was good to hear his voice in the morning, though. We had a short day planned into Andover, where I was planning to take a night and deal with some mail things. Legs and Timber were just coming in for food and then heading out. Trout, Eskimo and Littlefoot were all staying as well.

Surprisingly, Pancake showed up too! Her ankle has recovered enough to keep her walking. I hope to catch up to Timber and Legs in Gorham, but it'll be fun to have the PELT group around (Pancake, Eskimo, Littlefoot and Trout).


Start: Hall Mountain
End: Andover (East B Hill Road)
Distance: 5.4 Miles

Upcoming Mail Drops

I now have several packages chasing me down the trail since it turns out that anything from Canada or abroad takes 8-14 business days to get to me. I'll try to start posting addresses further down the trail from now on.

My next locations will be:

Serje Robidoux (trail name Wallaby)
c/o Hiker's Welcome Hostel
P.O. Box 25
Glencliff, NH 03238
ETA: 12/8/2016

Serje Robidoux (Hold for Hiker)
c/o General Delivery
50 S Main St,
Hanover, NH 03755
ETA: 15/8/2016

Serje Robidoux (Hold for Hiker)
c/o General Delivery
2046 Route 4
Killington, VT 05751
ETA: 18/8/2016

As always, if you send something please let me know by email (and include a tracking number if you have one). That way I can bounce things forward if I outrun them. From Canada, XpressPost seems to be very fast (but I assume expensive).

Next Destination

My next resupply/mail stops will be Rangeley, ME, Andover, ME and then Gorham, NH. I may skip Rangely depending on speed and food situations, but I should be in Andover mid next week. Gorham might be a better choice if you want to mail something. (And that's right before I hit the White Mountain range, which is meant to b a very difficult section.)

Serje Robidoux
c/o General Delivery
165 MAIN ST
GORHAM, NH 03581-9998

ETA: 31/07/2016

If you do mail something, send me an email with [TopPriority] in the subject line. If I miss your letter/package, I can call the post office and ask them to forward it on.

Days 10 and 11 - strapping on the feedbag (11-12/7/2016)

I lost 5lbs. Now that we're in Monson I made up some calories:

Lunch- 28 inch pizza with sausage (ate every crumb in a single sitting)
Dinner - 9 chicken wings, fries, beer and a juicy red tomato
Breakfast - 3 eggs, bacon, home fries, 4 blueberry pancakes
Lunch - Black Bean burger, large salad
Dinner - French onion soup, side salad, 12 Oz rib eye with crumbled blue cheese, baked potato with sour cream, and an enormous brownie sundae. And beer.

After a nero and a zero, time to prep for the trail.

Poet, the owner of the hostel here, did a shakedown of my pack and helped me cut almost 10lbs of base weight. It wasn't cheap, but then my knees and hips will benefit as much a if I'd seen the physio (and for the next  2100 miles).

Start: Little Wilson Falls
End: Shaw's Hostel, Monson, ME
Distance: 7 miles (11km)

Day 6 - "be out of the rain" (7/7/2016)

"Be in the moment" has given way to "be out of of rain."

All day rainfall has made for fast hiking, low mosquitoes, but cold breaks and night. I could really have done with a warmer fleece. When I get to Monson I think I'll need to swap some of my warmer gear from my bounce boxes sooner than expected.

Camp tonight was a shelter with Trout, Swiss Miss and One-A-Day. Trout and One-A-day have been around a but for a while, but Swiss Miss is a half-hike North bounder (NOBO). She was terrific for chat and advice and we also met a couple of older Canadian guys doing the 100. Overall a good time with some Jack Daniels, dark chocolate and laughs. A nice way to end a cold day.
Rain makes for business-like walking, but I sure hope the weather breaks soon. Right now we're hearing two more days of rain at least. :(

Start: Jo Mary Road
End: Logan Brook Lean-to
Distance: 15 miles (24km)

Next Destination

My next stops will be Caratunk, ME and then Stratton, ME. I should get to Stratton by the 18th. I'll definitely pop into Stratton for a resupply and to check mail, but I might not stay overnight.

I had a delightful surprise package from an old friend that was so unexpected it almost made me cry (it was also food and I was soo very hungry....;) )

Serje Robidoux 

c/o General Delivery 

95 MAIN ST 

STRATTON, ME 04982-9998 

ETA: 18/07/2016

If you do mail something, send me an email with [TopPriority] in the subject line. If I miss your letter/package, I can call the post office and ask them to forward it on.

Away we go

Day 1 was today. Slackpacking up Mt Katahdin and back.

Not much to say except that I almost cancelled the first day because of the threat of hail and thunderstorms. When you're above the tree line, you make a great lightning rod. In the end, I decided that if I have to die by lightning on a mountain, then I have to die by lightning on a mountain.

I didn't die by lightning on a mountain.

Tomorrow it's on the trail for real (as in with a full pack, and several days of food, and no chance of blackened haddock and a pint of IPA at the end). I'm already tired and craving a burger.

A few people have asked about how to send me things on the trail. I'll try to post mailing addresses that I can pick mail up at. The first one will be Monson ME's post office [Ed: on the 11th of July, if all goes according to plan]. Use the following address:

Serje Robidoux
c/o General Delivery
2 GREENVILLE RD
MONSON, ME 04464-9998

If you do mail something, send me an email with [TopPriority] in the subject line. If I miss your letter/package, I can call the post office and ask them to forward it on.

Some photos of Day 1:

Registered for the climb 

It's official: As of now, I'm heading Southbound
on the Appalachian Trail.

The view on my way up.
If you look closely, there are some people there.

The same view on my way down.
If you look closely, there are still just rocks and a cloud.

Also, I have to thank my dad, who very awesomely drove down here with me and has ferried me about and taken care of errands while I play around in the woods. Best. Dad. Ever.