TRAIL DAY 6 (CONT)
The bunk room was empty now. The “older” couple had gone their way and OD and Andrea had returned to the trail. One always had to resist thoughts such as, “Oh, they’re getting ahead of me” and return to the long-standing trail wisdom, “Hike your own hike.” We can be jealous, competitive, envious, self-centered people – not to mention judgmental. This centering directive and the intractable realities of Mother Nature brought a boots-on-the-ground solidarity to precisely where you were on the trail, to the task at hand, to the recovery group wisdom of “just do the next right thing.” Life is not a race. It is a day – this day – this place – this task – these rational and reasonable plans. Just hike. Get ready and. . .hike. . . . Remember, too, the beautiful wisdom of trail communities past – wisdom that grew out of the hardship and beauty of life in the woods: “The last one to Katahdin wins.”
So, they’re back on the trail. Godspeed. Center.
And take careful note, too, of Nick who seemed always to be in the common area. He was awaiting a package. And the fellow in the smaller bunk room who was sick. I had some Pepto Bismol for him which I hope helped.
Awaiting a package. There is much to be said about this. Packages can contain gear or food. Some hikers prepare their food in advance, maybe even dehydrating and shrink wrapping it on their own and numbering boxes to be mailed to certain locations. I suppose it’s possible to figure out all your mail drops beforehand and have all deliveries pre-determined. Or, you can have supplies all set aside ready to be boxed when called for. I did a good amount of this and had a supply of boxes in two sizes from Amazon ready for my wife to assemble the food items and ship to wherever I might need them next.
In my experience, it’s best to plot a destination about 2 weeks out for a mail drop. This avoids rush postage rates and gives the sender time to do what’s needed. In addition, it was my practice to have items mailed to “Hiker Sojo” at a hostel or motel so the recipient would know to hold the package for a thru-hiker. Many would have items mailed to a post office which I could never understand. The hours might not suit and you’d have to take a shuttle to the post office wherever that was. Why not have your goods available on arrival?
Except for a change of gear or something you need from home, why have anything mailed to you? Resupply food in town. If you would get a box you didn’t really need at the time you could bounce it forward at no extra cost. If you opened it, you’d inevitably have more food than you could carry and you’d have to pack the excess in a smaller box and pay additional postage to send it forward involving logistics you’d just as soon avoid. Figuring out the next several days in the woods, what provisions to take and where the next stop would be presented enough issues without adding the complications of receiving and shipping packages.
I had showered my first night at Wolfpen Gap but I have no recall of doing laundry. It had been cold and dry the past few days, so probably nothing was real dirty. Nonetheless, in time, laundry, shower or bath, good food and drink and resupply became the essentials of every night off the trail.
My last day at Wolfpen Gap ended with another pizza and bed.
Day #6 Wolfpen Gap Country Store 0 miles