Date: 2016-08-15
From: ME 15, Monson, ME - Mile 2,074.6

To: Long Pond Stream North of Road - Mile 2,088.8
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: clear sky

The 100 Mile Wilderness - It begins today. What will this fabled section be like? Well, it was like a lot of previously hiked sections. We didn't hike many miles today. But, we hiked close to where we intended to hike as discussed at the beginning of the day and we ended early enough to have the plenty of camp time so the day felt pretty good. Not that the day was all good for me. I fell twice today. I think the last time I fell twice in one day was back in Virginia. On a separate occasion, I rolled my right ankle as badly as has been done this while trip. So not exactly a great way to start this section from a physical standpoint. Blues Brother was leading Stripe and me as we were in the last shuttle driven by Beth to the trail. Blues told us that he was on slippery granite and while he successfully moved off it, Stripe fell down behind me. I felt I was in "no man's land" on this slippery surface and soon found myself on my side taking a slide down to the bottom of the granite. This fall registered as one of my worst falls. I hit my left hip pretty hard and rode down on it. The slide was short but sliding on granite isn't fun. No injuries though so that was good. The fall and slide reminded me of one of my few skiing attempts. In the early years after college, Beth and I went skiing with Rob Hughes, one of our best friends and essentially a member of our family from the perspective of how much time we spent with him back then and how much we love him. Beth hadn't skied before so she took a lesson while Rob and I went off with the intention of coming back after Beth's lesson. Rob and I got lost up in the trails. We knew we were in trouble when we noticed that we were the only skiers wearing blue jeans on a slope that made no sense for us to be on. We didn't know how to get off this slope so we gave it a try. I remember skiing backwards before falling and sliding. The worst part was when I realized I was only half way down the slope and would have to make a second attempt to ski off the slope. I remember Rob and I took so much time that the day was over by the time we got back to Beth. I remember she wasn't happy with me.Subman pulled a fast one on us today as he "helped" guide us back to the trail to get to the Leeman Brook Lean-To. Subman was above us and told us to back up and go through a boulder series in a valley between us. Moments after we got through it, we learned that there was a much easier way on the trail to get to the spot that led to the Lean-To. So we owe Subman and revenge will be sweet. The interaction between Blues Brother, Stripe, and I was good. When I could stay with their reasonably slow pace, the stories of our hikes to date were flying. It reminded me of the column hiking experiences with Blues, Fresh Ground, and Who-Dat. I fell too far behind for a few minutes and paid the price for it in the form of losing the trail for a good 10 minutes. In my defense, I was hiking on a path it just was't the AT. I backtracked to the last white blaze and saw a blaze to the left. It took me a while and for the two of them to take a break before I caught them.Blues said we'd have lunch in the other side of Big Wilson Stream at Mike 2,084.3. Big Wilson required fording across the stream and there was a rope to assist getting across. I thought I spotted a rock hop sequence down stream 30 yards and went for it. Boy was that a mistake. Not having hiked with Blues for a while, I had forgotten how much he likes to stick my AT purist pursuit to me. He actually videoed me doing the rock hop to negate my thru-hike. My rock hopping was not successful and I ended up with two feet soaked as I came out of the stream to the blaze on the other side of the rope. Well, the ribbing intensified and was pretty good. Stripe needled me pretty good too. A new hiker, Patriot, came across the roped area as the ribbing continued. Patriot joined in and said that I was now a section hiker having sectioned from Georgia to this Big Wilson Stream and assumed I'd now do a section from Big Wilson Stream to Mt. Katahdin. I'll never live this one down and Blues and Stripe now refer to it as "The Big Wison". I was already soaked and should've just sloshed back and forth to shut them up. Wish I was golfing so I could take a "mulligan".So we're in the "wilderness" when successive southbounders tell us about upcoming trail magic. Sure enough, Scout is in his cabin serving up hamburgers, hot dogs, and cold drinks. He's been doing this for a few years now in his son's memory, James Adams. Nice guy doing a nice thing for a good reason. Love the trail and such moments like this.Long Pond Stream required fording so the "Big Wilson" ribbing resumed, if it ever had really ended. We'd heard the water source at the Long Pond Stream Lean-To was dry so we tented alongside the stream tonight. Subman and Suds, Blues Brother, Stripe, and I are here. Spirit of 76 went to a shelter a few miles beyond our campsite. We'll be sleeping to the sounds of Long Pond Stream happily cascading over sun-bleached boulders. Wilderness Day 1 is a pretty good deal. I forget the movie and the exact quote but in honor of hiking with this military gang today - thank you sir, may I please have another.