The weather in Maine is worse than I could possibly have imagined. Every single day is depressing, especially when you have to go hiking. The trail is so sloppy that by the end of the day, you've got mud caked so heavily on your shoes and legs that you can't discern their original shape.

We've had one day so far since I got into Maine where there were any views at all, which I suppose was nice. It's frustrating going over what could be stunning scenery and seeing only the 50 yards around you. There are only so many pictures depicting bad weather that I can take... gray is gray is gray.

Since my last entry, I've changed tack a bit... Jordan and I were hanging out in Andover when Forest Gimp showed up, so the three of us went to dinner and decided to finish our long distance slog together on August 18th. If it wasn't for the commiseration, I'm pretty sure I'd either have quit or gone completely insane by now. Having other people around makes decisions like "let's just sit around and watch TV today, because they're calling for 2 inches of rain" a lot easier. And hiking together makes a day of miserable hiking go a lot faster... it's been story time for Gimp and I for the last few days.

I think our (un)merry band of muddy hikers has picked up another member: Stripe! The guy who inherited the beard book after I read it. It'll be good to have two resident beard experts in our miserable gang of wet hikers.

The good news is that Maine is an amazingly friendly place. I think since everyone here is depressed thanks to the weather, they all try to be as warm and welcoming as possible. When Forest Gimp and I pulled into town a couple of days ago, we got into the mudroom of the local pub and started taking our wet shoes off when the waitress came running up and said "COME IN! COME IN! SIT DOWN! WHAT CAN I GET YOU?" without any worry that we were dripping mud all over the place. Normally, people are ticked if you smell bad; here, people are ticked until you're warm and comfortable.

I should probably get back to laying around and watching TV... this internet thing is really wearing me out. I thank you for your continued prayers for a sudden, drastic drought in Maine. If it rains for too much longer, they're going to have to get the National Guard in here with a million Shop-Vacs... or just change the US map to remove Maine because it's officially become part of the Atlantic Ocean.

The countdown to August 18th begins! From here on out, my strategy is to spend as few nights in the woods as possible. So far so good, Gimp and I have figured out how to cover almost 100 miles with only one night outside. Too bad the 100 Mile Wilderness won't be so well-roofed.