June 29--Gorham, NH

Well, he made it to NH. He walked 17 miles today before 2:00. He said he can feel that he's getting his "trail legs." He said he didn't even feel a difference walking up the mountain. He had to walk 17 miles today because he only walked 4 1/2 yesterday. I thought about him several times yesterday because I knew there was a storm up that way. He said he was in the first stages of hypothermia. Always great for a mom to hear!! He said his extremities turned blue, and he stopped shivering. This is supposedly the first stages. He was soaking wet, and the wind got up to 65 mph on the ridge of the mountain where he was walking. He said he was pelted with hail and sleet all day. He didn't have any outerwear (because he sent that all home the second day, and it still hasn't gotten here.) :/ He had a fleece pullover from me waiting for him in Gorham, and I just put money in his account for him to go buy a coat!! He's about to go through the White Mountains, and I need him to have a coat!! He said that yesterday when he got to the shelter, a guy that he had met a couple of weeks ago was there. He gave Trand a coat to use for the day. He said he took off his wet shirt and put on the coat and just laid down for hours until he felt semi-warm again. He said it was the nicest shelter so far--with four walls. It did have a big opening for a doorway (with no door) but at least the four walls kept the wind out. He said it was because it was only a couple of miles from NH, and the NH shelters were much better than the Maine lean-tos. 

He called around 2:30 today and said he had hurried to get there a day earlier than he expected so he could call Cedar on his birthday!! ❤️ That boy LOVES his family. He's also excited because this is the first town he's been in with a McDonald's!! Yuck!! His plan was to stuff himself tonight with McD's. I told him to expect to be sick tonight. He said he was. Ha!! He said he only lost 4 pounds over this week because he's figuring out how to make himself eat more on the trail. He gained 12 pounds while he was in the last town (2days) and only lost 4 so he's 8 pounds more now than he was when he got to Rangeley last week. He's was pretty happy about that. He said he hardly recognized his skinny arms. Haha!!

He's planning to see a few familiar faces come in during the next day or so. He plans to leave out again on Wednesday morning, but he said it's supposed to downpour all day. I hope he stays put. But we'll see. He's riding into town this evening to go to Wal-Mart and McDonald's. Living the big life now!! 😂 

I'll talk to him again tonight or tomorrow and update again before he leaves!!! Thanks for the prayers. Thanks for all who ask about him. I've told him that people ask, and it really warms his heart. Thank you for loving him.