Rangeley

Took my first ride in an ambulance today. Don’t panic, I’m fine. I was hitchhiking into Rangeley and was out on the road for about fifteen minutes, had a couple drivers wave at me but no rides. I stuck my thumb out at the ambulance thinking there was no way they were pulling over for me. Yet there I was, crouching beside the gurney and all the medical instruments for the eight miles to town. Best hitch ever? Maybe. I’m not sure how you top that. Monster truck?

Rangeley is on the 45th parallel, which means right now I’m equidistant from the equator and the North Pole. It was actually pretty cool today, maybe high fifties, with wind coming off the lake making it feel colder. The original plan was to get into town, get what I need, and keep on hiking, but after nine miles of mud I opted for a hostel stay. Laundry, shower, food that isn’t freeze dried, these are powerful draws to a thru hiker. It’s going to be cold tonight, so I’m happy to be inside a bunk room for once.

Got to see the stars tonight and they were phenomenal. I even saw the faintest cloud of the Milky Way. You might think I see stars every night, but I’m usually in the tent by the time it’s dark, and even if I’m out I’m almost always under the canopy and don’t have big open skies like I did tonight. Also, the forest comes alive after sundown, and there’s all sorts of creatures going about their nightly business that I don’t care to meet.