This August, my husband and I plan to attempt our first section in Maine, 58.6 miles NOBO from Andover (S. Arm) to Stratton. I worry that we won't be prepared for its difficulties. We've completed almost half the trail - so we're not novices - but we have no experience with this area, and its reputation is not taken lightly. I'm looking for encouragement (or discouragement if appropriate), and motivation to stick to our ambitious fitness regime.
I fear falling off cliffs, wild stream crossings, heart-pounding ascents, knee-crunching descents, and being too slow to get over the balds before the afternoon thunderstorm potential increases. I fear my legs turning into bruised noodles, my joints being stressed beyond repair, and creeping home in defeat ... while the trail-hardened thru-hikers blaze past us.
On the other hand, it's just walking, right? How freaking hard can it be? Is it even possible to overestimate Maine's difficulty?
Our tentative plan is to slack 13 miles from S. Arm to ME 17 (Oquossuc), slack another 13 miles from ME 17 to Rangeley, and then backpack the remaining 32 miles to Stratton over 4 days, with an option to bail early at Caribou Valley Road if we run out of time.
Not being familiar with the terrain, is it realistic for middle-aged 30-lb-overweight section hikers (no trail legs) to slack 13 miles in a day?
What are the most challenging parts of this section?
What physical training should we concentrate on: cardio? knee-strengthening? weight-lifting?
I'd especially be interested in photos, videos, or journal excerpts that show the reality of trail conditions we should prepare for.
Thank you!