Date: 8/3/04
Starting Location: Bemis Mt. Lean-to
Destination: ME 4
Miles: 17.7
Total Miles: 1962.9
Finally, an easier day of hiking with most of the miles being pretty flat. I happened upon a nice cooler of trail magic soda this morning, but it was nothing compared to the trail magic I got with Chris and Anna after walking through rain until we hit a road crossing this afternoon. A guy standing there next to his pickup offered us not only a ride into town for resupply, but also a place to stay the night at his family's home in Rangeley. We gladly accepted and were quickly whisked away to a stop at the grocery store and then on to a beautiful home on the shore of Rangeley Lake, complete with whirlpool, sauna, and steam shower. We had a wonderful sit-down dinner with Conor and the Beliveau family, got laundry done, and went to bed under some nice cozy blankets. Apparently, another son in their family had once thru-hiked the trail so from time to time they bring other hikers home from the trail for a night as guests. Incredible hospitality from complete strangers—another wonderful trail experience.