Melanie's big day on the AT, ......"but I've got the map."

Grafton Notch Trail, Newry, ME

      I got my day in the sun on July 5. After 
leaving extensive directions for our Daisy sitters (Kelcy and Ryley) we were off. We needed to stop in Augusta for some chores (a protracted wait at Supercuts for Judd to get a kinda haircut and me going to every store we could think of between China and Bethel to find a small gas canister that fits into Judd's stove kit.  (They were all sold out the week BEFORE the 4th of July.)

      Judd and I drove circles around Bethel looking for the gas canister and finally gave up.  We found our Jolly Drayman's Inn and Pub and went to check in.  They don't really open until 5pm but the innkeepers let us drop stuff early so we could go hike.  I'd about lost hope that I'd get a day of AT with Judd as Siri kept saying it was another 1.5 hours away, but the maps told us it was 22 minutes, so we went for it. We parked at Grafton Notch Campground parking in the Grafton Notch State Park (yes, that's in Maine.)  I had researched "day hikes around Bethel" and chosen Table Rock Trail (as it was one of the only ones less than 17 or 23 miles.) Out of the car, Judd heads east, the opposite direction as the trailhead and I said 'but the trail is west. across the street.' Judd said, "but I have the map."  But the trail I wanted WAS to the west, across the street where the giant AT marker stood. 
        I chose Table Rock because it was a 1.9 mile loop--2-3 hours. We took the left trail up(blue blazes after you leave the white blazes of the AT;) it was purported to be the kinder and gentler straight up path.
After reaching the top, we'd passed so many people who had come up the right (orange blazed )really-steep path who said they'd never do it again, that we decided to go back down the way we came. We encountered bevies of camp girls 10-15 at a time, Rocko from NY who was traveling with someone who said I looked familiar and turned out to be a respiratory therapist from MaineGeneral from my stint there years ago.
We had our picnic lunch and photo op and went down, still looking for an actual AT hiker to whom I could leave my "trail magic"--4 newly, road-stand-purchased whoopie pies. Nearing the end of our hike, we came across a mom with 3 girls just hiking in so I asked permission to give them magic.  The mom said to expect another mom coming along with 2 boys and we did give them the last one. When we were alone the last 10 minutes of my walk in the woods, Judd turned to me and asked my trail name.  I hadn't planned one and no one had named me. So I spontaneously said, "Little Miss Sunshine."  I wish I had a yellow shirt too.

The Jolly Drayman's Pub

Judd, with the map