Date: 8/1/04
Starting Location: East B Hill Road
Destination: South Arm Road
Miles: 10.1
Total Miles: 1936.5
Still on the mend after my cold, so I decided to take a shorter day and head back to stay at the Andover Guest House for one last night where it should be a bit quieter with everyone else back on the trail.
Footloose's daughter Jan arrived this morning to join Footloose for the rest of the hike to Katahdin, so it was really nice to walk with them for about 6 miles until the shelter where they decided to stop for the night. It was a very tough moment, to move on while they stayed, to say goodbye to Footloose, my oldest and dearest trail friend. Seeing as how I'm shooting to finish on the 19th, this was probably the last we'd see of each other on the trail, and it was sad to know that we would most likely not be summiting Katahdin together. We've spent so much time together on the trail that it's hard to imagine not having him nearby the rest of the way. Still, I know we'll keep in touch down the road and see each other on another of life's trails I'm sure.
A quiet and relaxing night at the Guest House here, chatting and watching movies with Deja Vu and my friends Chris and Anna, who arrived with their dog Beau this afternoon. It was yet another trail reunion to brighten my spirits after saying my goodbyes with Footloose.