Date: 2005-08-26
From: Sabbath Day Pond Leanto

To: Piazza Rock Leanto
Miles today: 11.2

Happy Birthday Alicia! I hope you're able to celebrate somehow in Niger.Today was the easiest hiking thus far on this sojourn. Of course there were the usual rocks and roots along with small ups and downs but I made better time today than all previous days (but who's in a hurry?. Met many SOBO flip-floppers - one couple I remember is Boo and Stinkerbell. But the highlight came as I entered a section where the trail was narrow and saw someone approaching. "Narrow trail here," I called. "Cookerhiker, is that you?" "Yeah" "It's Sam" Sam - was it the Sam I met hiking in NC-TN last spring - a young guy from Silver Spring? But then I could see the hiker approaching me was older. "We met last Fall at that first shelter out of Hot Springs - you were starting your hike and I was ending mine." Yes, I remember - on that 2 week hike from Allen Gap to Rt. 64, he was the first hiker I met. He must have heard about me being on the trail from Vapor or Yard Sale or the others ahead. As we talked, I remembered that when he finished his hike last Fall, he'd said that all that remained was Mt. Washington to Katahdin. So now, he's hiking SOBO from Monson to Mt. Washington.The kicker: "I remember seeing you start your hike getting out of Wildcat's jeep." "Yeah, that's right but wait - I didn't know you knew Wildcat. You didn't say anything about it at the time." "That's because I didn't know him then - I just met him this past winter at a family reunion!" Wow, what a small world!I recalled that Sam was from Houston. "Actually, Sugarland." Well, Sugarland is the home base of the most pernicious, despicable politician in America: Tom Delay whose values are abhorrant to everything I believe in, such as, in this beautiful environment in Maine - clean air and clean water, preserving open space, and the need for governmental action to achieve such.Sam and I talked for a while longer then moved on. After filling my water at Little Swift River Pond and enjoying the frogs, I hiked on to Rt. 4, catching an impressive view ahead of Saddleback. I'm making such good time and also becoming hungry faster (no doubt the product of 80 miles on the Trail) so why not a trip into Rangeley? And so 15 minutes of holding out my thumb brought me a ride by a self-employed financial analyst right to the Red Onion restaurant where Vapor was sitting outside. "Yes, I'm staying on the Trail - see you at the shelter tonight"Good meal in a nice atmosphere. Radio, Krazy Katie, and Angry Andy were also partaking of a meal. Wouldn't mind taking a vacation up here. Rangeley has a lot to offer but not the crowds and congestion of Maine's coastal resorts. Phoned Laurine and then I was back on the road where 2 women one of whom has thruhiked, took me out of their way to the trailhead. A fairly easy hike brought me to Piazza Rock where the shelter was surprisingly vacant. A middle aged couple tenting nearby were cooking at the shelter. Their names hearken back to the 60s: Car 54 and Where are You? Then the expected shelter mates came - Vapor, Yard Sale, Pacman, Radio, Krazy Katie, and Angry Andy. That evening around the fire, Vapor led us in a guessing game involving what one brings on a trip to the moon (I won't take the time to explain here, but I did pretty well)followed by a discussion of religion, comparing Christianity, Buddahism, pantheism. Fascinating but it kept me from getting to bed on time.And one last highlight: another college orientation group (Tufts Univ.) was camped nearby and one of the leaders hailed from Ridgewood, NJ - the town I grew up in and spent so much time in last year cleaning out my late mother's house.