Date: 2005-08-27
From: Skowhegan, ME

To: New Milford, CT
Miles today: 0.0

start: Skowhegan, MEfinish: New Milford, CTmiles: 0.0Today wasn't a hiking day, just a lot of driving. But I wanted to do some trail magic before I headed south so I picked up 4 12 packs of soda and looked on the Maine Gazetteer and in Wingfoot for a good place to put them. It's more difficult than you might think. I wanted a stream because since I wasn't coming back here I didn't want to leave anything behind in the woods besides the soda cans, which each hiker would carry out. So no cooler and no plastic bags full of ice. Also, I didn't want a main road where hikers would have just come from town, as magic isn't needed there. I was going to leave it in the Whites but then realized that on the weekend it would all get drunk by weekend hikers. So I decided on a 8 mile dirt road out of Oquossoc, ME hitting the trail just south of rt. 17 and within a tenth of a good stream. Great place, as not everyone uses rt. 17 to hit town. And there wouldn't be too many weekenders in this area.On my way there I stopped briefly at the Rangeley trailhead (rt. 4) to see if any hikers needed a ride. I met Songline in the parking lot repacking his gear. He, Clockwork Orange and Scared of the Dark (good name!), nobos all, had just returned from town.I drove around to my magic spot and grabbed half the soda out of the back of the car and headed down the trail to Bemis Stream. I saw a southbounder named Two Step on the other side of the ford (rock hop). She gladly accepted some soda and we talked for quite a long time while I made a little rock corral in the stream so the sodas didn't wash away. For some reason root beer cans float and orange soda cans don't. Hmmm, interesting that there should be any difference. I went back to the car to get the rest of the soda and when I returned some other sobos had arrived: Tumbledown Dick, Bimodal, and Mad Captain. These guys remembered seeing Goldilocks with his guitar in the 100 mile wilderness, but somehow I missed them.It was so nice standing there in the cool water, talking to hikers. I wanted to go with them, but today is the day I drive home, and I gotta go back to work later this week. Sigh.This will be my last entry for a while, as I'm saving the final 43 mile section between Hanover and Glencliff until October. I'll hike it southbound and time it so I walk into The Gathering. I'll journal that hike as well, but probably nothing until then.So I'll take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone I came in contact with this year. I couldn't possibly mention all the names, and then I'd go and forget someone, but a few really special ones do come to mind.Goldilocks. It was the highlight of the trip to be able to hike with my very good friend, and son, and I'm grateful for his wonderful accommodating nature and constant cheerfulness.Mrs. Moosie. My wonderful wife supported me every step of the way, not least of all by taking such good care of Stewie the bulldog and sending out maildrops. She was also very hospitable when I said I wanted to bring even more hikers home to stay with us. Thanks also to the rest of my family for all their support and encouragement.Riskmetrics, the company I work for, for giving me the time off to do this.Carolina Scout and Melba. Thanks for getting us off to a good start. Your hospitality and assistance getting to the trail is much appreciated.Stumpknocker. He was a trail angel supreme many times for us, starting by driving all that way from the Florida Trail to see us off in Georgia. That said, you still shouldn't believe anything he says about me. It's good to have such a good friend.Howdy. Another trail angel. He drove all the way from Mississippi to Franklin to find us. He even brought us some of his special home dried spaghetti and meat sauce. I know how much work that stuff is to prepare. Thanks!Xie. Thanks so much for helping on the home front when the sky fell. And for coming all the way to Vernon to pick us up! Thanks also to all my other scouting friends who offerred their support and assistance.Underpants and Simone. For taking us and our friends all the way back to Trail Days, and putting up with our stench and our need to eat every half hour.Honey Boy and Dee. I don't think you remembered me when I called, but said it was OK to come stay with you, then asked "tell me who you are again?" As Tea Break says, you're a dude.Mrs. Gorp, and Larry Gorp. This evil woman brought us to her home, out of the rain, and then tried to entice us to forget about hiking and go to the movies. And her husband, who according to her doesn't really like hikers. We got along just fine.Miss Janet, Queen Diva, and Rob Bird. The three hostel owners that stand way out in my mind. I not only had wonderful stays in each place, but I'm happy to call them my friends.There were many-many more. Those who gave trail magic, trail maintainers, the seemingly hundreds of people that picked us up hitchhiking, other hostel, B&B, and motel owners, outfitters (MRO comes to mind), and last but never least, all the hikers we shared the trail experience with. Many of you I'll probably see on the trail again sometime. I hope so, anyway.