Short day but it was worth it. I got up nice and early and got hiking over Old Speck Mountain. It started off really foggy and cold, somewhere around 49 F. By the time I reached the top of the mountain, the fog broke and the view from the top was just beautiful. It’s like being on top of the world looking down at other mountain tops and clouds below you wrapped around the mountains. Then the long descent started down to Grafton Notch. It was clear it was a weekend as I was passing so many day hikers I lost count. I mentioned in my last post that Jason wanted to meet me and was going to bring me a Cherry Coke and a regular Coke for my hiking buddy, Sparkle. Well, he did more than that… and it was more than just him. Right as I reached the parking lot, here came Pete and and behind him waving her arms was Pam, my neighbors / friends / partners in crime. They’re my neighbors in Florida who also sold their homes and are again my neighbors in the apartment complex in South Portland, Maine. We’ll next start looking for lots of land to parcel out and build our houses. Then there was my husband, Jason, as well as my car. (Nice to see it in one piece. Will I still remember how to drive it when this is over? LOL) Sitting on my trunk was a whole station set up for making sandwiches with coolers next to it, seats and a cart full of resupply items. They were there to give trail magic and be trail angels. They got to meet Sparkle as well as a couple I’ve been hiking around, who are just awesome by the way, known as R & R (Robyn and Rodney). A couple other NOBOs showed up and joined the fun. Seeing Jason, Pete & Pam just made me feel normal again for a bit… a little piece of home. It was hard to hike away but after eating two roast beef sandwiches, brownies, bananas, two Cherry Cokes and two beers, it was time to hike on. I still had to get to the next shelter. It was only 6.9 official AT miles but it was worth it. I’ll see them again at Pleasant Pond where we have an AirBnB waiting for us where I’ll zero with them and then get ready to push on to two days to Monson and get ready for the 100-mile wilderness. After that, it will be the grande finale… Mama K herself… Katadhin!