Date: 2009-09-02
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to

To: ME 15, Monson
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: clear sky

Andy did make it in last night, but I never heard him! While he made a fire in the morning, Poptart remained snuggled in his sleeping bag, saying that he did not want to get out until it was 80 degrees out! Strider was just getting up. When Andy was about to go get some water in his bare feet, I had to warn him that it was far away and suggested that he might want to put his shoes on!   I was the first to leave and had a little over three miles to go before I got to the East Branch of the Piscataquis River, which I had to ford. Off with the gaitors, shoes and socks, and on with the crocs, once again! As I was drying my feet on the other side, along came Strider. He perused the situation and spotted a rock path that he thought he could use to get across without taking his boots off. He said he hadn¢t taken them off yet! Sure enough, he made it across just fine. It was amazing to watch!   A little later on, I found him sitting in the middle of the trail and I thought something was wrong. He was just stretching, though. He said he always likes to get his body warmed up before he does that. Smart guy! I told him it was important to do (and wished I had done that all along!).    I didn¢t see him again for quite awhile and wondered if he took the blue-blaze that leads directly into Monson. He was talking about that last night. But then he appeared and mentioned something about hitching. I think he wanted to try to get a ride with me. I told him I didn¢t have good luck with that, to which he responded that maybe he wouldn¢t wait for me then! I kind of regretted saying that, as I also would have liked to have someone to hitch with! Oh well. I didn¢t want to hold him up.       I finally made it to the road and Strider was gone. I stuck out my thumb and waited. Another hiker that I didn¢t know came out of the woods, crossed the street, and leaned up against the guardrail. Then, a big white truck pulled over. I got a bit scared and asked the other hiker if he was going into Monson, but he said no. So, I climbed up into the passenger seat and hoped for the best. The driver turned out to be fine. He talked about an article in a backpacking magazine concerning the recent trend of using goats to haul the hiker¢s gear! I don¢t know about that one... I think people should carry their own things! The ride was very bumpy and I wondered how this guy could spend so much time in it! It seemed like it had no shock absorption! My voice box was vibrating like crazy every time I tried to talk!      He didn¢t know where Shaw¢s was, so he dropped me off at the General Store, when we got into the tiny town of Monson. I dropped my pack down and the owner came out of the store. ¢I don¢t mean to be rude,¢ he said, ¢but your pack is as big as you!¢ ¢I know!¢ I answered. His name was Tim and he was the nicest guy! I asked him his advice on where to stay and where to eat, and he gave me all of the options. He was friends with all of the business owners and said I couldn¢t lose no matter what choice I made. He told me what his cook had on her menu, so I went inside for some French toast and coffee. I really liked that store! They had a nice big guestbook that I looked through while I ate.       I knew I had a mail drop at Shaw¢s, so I made my way over there and checked out the place. A nice man gave me a tour of the rooms, to help me make my decision on where to stay. Then, I went to the Lake Shore house to get my debit card, which I had sent there. I asked Rebecca about it, and she informed me that another Wendy had just left, so she had the envelope returned to the post office! She said if they didn¢t have it, she would let me borrow money to get me through to the end, since it was her mistake. I went to the post office and the woman behind the counter told me she had sent it back to the sender! I couldn¢t believe it! Now, I wouldn¢t be able to get my debit card until I returned home! I was not happy about this! At least I had asked Erik to fed-ex me some cash! Because Rebecca didn¢t have any private rooms, I went back to Shaw¢s, where I signed up for a semi-private room, knowing that I had a good chance of getting my own room. On the way, I saw Minnesota IPA, Joker, and a few others in the big group who were planning on summitting on the 9th. They only wanted to do three miles later in the day in an attempt to pace themselves. I also saw Spicoli, Moontower, and the other 2 guys in that group of four. They were about to head out as well.   I headed over to the library to check my e-mail, and then returned to the Lake Shore House for dinner. After looking over the menu several times, with my blood sugar dropping, I ended up ordering my staple cheeseburger with bacon on it. It was the only thing that I thought would satisfy me! I was given the biggest glass of cranberry juice that I had received on the trail and went outside to enjoy my delicious dinner and the beautiful evening. The food was amazing here! Mischa and Blackbear were relaxing on the lake (until Mischa tipped over the contraption they were sitting on, dumping Blackbear into the water. She didn¢t seem pleased...) I wished I could have taken the kayak out on the lake here, but I was running out of time. I had too many chores to do to get ready for the 100 mile Wilderness, and a schedule to follow, as Erik was coming to finish with me. I decided to get the brownie sundae for dessert, along with a coffee. It was the biggest sundae I have ever eaten! I was so stuffed!   I returned to the hostel to do my laundry, shower, and then start the arduous task of packing for the last leg of my journey- a 100 mile stretch! This was going to be one heavy pack!! I turned on the TV and found a musical show that featured kids singing and dancing in a drama. I liked it! (It turned out to be ¢Glee¢). I was up until midnight sorting and packing and wishing desperately that I could be sleeping! Shaw¢s famous breakfast was to be served early in the morning, so there was no time for sleeping in!