Date: 2006-08-20
From: Monson, ME

To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: 0

Cell good.Today was my final zero day of this hike, I'll be heading out tomorrow morning, and I won't be back in civilization until I reach Baxter State Park.The zero today was to set myself up for a seven day hike through the "Hundred Mile Wilderness." It sounds pretty impressive, but basically it means I won't be passing anymore highways or towns. I will, however, be passing a lot of logging roads and access roads that lead to hunting camps. It is one of the most remote places in the eastern United States.I should be fine, and I don't expect to encounter any problems out there.I seem to be meeting new thru-hikers all the time, and we bond due to our common experience. I have always written my name in shelter registers whenever I stopped at one. I normally don't say much more than "Stopped for lunch and passing through, Old Goat," or "Stayed the night and passing through, Old Goat." I was writing it so that people who knew me would know how far ahead I was. I didn't realize that as others read it they had become familiar with my name. When they finally meet me, they feel like they know me. Those registers are the main communication for the hiking community. Not every shelter has one, but most of them do. Some have humorous things in them that really make you laugh. Some hikers take on pseudo personalities and write the craziest things. Someone keeps putting posts in and signs them Philip Drummond. The posts talk about how well the boys, Arnold and Willis, are doing out here on the trail. Philip Drummond is a TV character from a few years back and not a real person - so are Arnold and Willis. I'll give you a hint on what show they were on - a famous quote from it was when Arnold would say "What you talking about Willis?"Well it rained most of the day today, and I'm certainly glad I didn't have to be out in it. I'll pay the dues for this by having to hike through mud and deeper streams all next week. I've done it before, I'll do it again, I'll survive, and I'll finish the hike.Sue wrote in one of the previous journals about the readjustment we will encounter once I'm done. I know it will be a change for both of us, and probably cause some tension from time to time. I believe our love will allow us to accept the situation and re-adapt into our new normal life. As Sue mentioned, I will no longer have the same job that I did before the hike. I intend to continue working, and will seek employment after a short rest break. My father worked into his 80s and had the philosophy that a man needs a purpose when he gets up in the morning. He would say his retired friends spent too much time worrying about their ailments because they didn't have anything else to keep them occupied. I guess I've bought into that philosophy, and I don't want to stop now.I used to say I would like to work for the cable TV company so I could get free cable. Sue works for a cable company, and that isn't an issue. I still am going to try there because my skills are in electronics and that is what they do. If that doesn't pan out, I may look into the baking dept at the local supermarket. I enjoy cooking and baking and would find it both fun and interesting.Old Goat