Date: 2010-08-20
From: Gorham

To: Gentian Pond Shelter
Miles today: 11.8

20th Friday August ¢ 11.8m to Gentian Pond ShelterThe sound of raindrops hitting the tin roof was the first thing I heard. That is, after I take out the ear plugs. Lowrod is already up and packing for an early 7am departure. Lowrod told me that there was a tremendous thunderstorm last night. That made me happy! I love being indoors during rough storms. I love being under a roof when it rains! I feel guilty for spending $15 to stay here and now I¢m leaving at 7:15am. We prefer to loiter around the hostels until they kick us out the door. Well at least I got in the pool, split the laundry and had a free cold shower.Golden Waldo is shuttling us back to the trail. On the way he asked if we wanted to skip the 34 mile road walk unless we were ¢some of those damned purists¢? I laughed and voted that I didn¢t care. Lowrod didn¢t speak up so we assumed he wasn¢t a ¢damned purist¢. Maybe Lowrod wouldn¢t have cared that he skipped that section if Seeker and Strider (old man) weren¢t at the trailhead when we got dropped off right in front of them. I¢ll admit it did feel funny to pass Seeker and Strider in a van while they walked the gravel road. Funny in a hilarious way! Lowrod¢s conscious was getting to him so he decided to hide his backpack in the woods and back track the 34 mile non-scenic road. When Lowrod reluctantly dropped his pack, I laughingly tell him, ¢See ya!¢ and walk into the Mahooscus all alone!I passed Seeker quickly after I started hiking. She remembered Lish and I from Waynesboro and then some. I really expected today to be a fight to get anywhere, but this terrain is not comparable to the Whites at all. Some really buff SOBO lady with a deep voice asked me what to expect south of Mt. Hayes. I told her its an absolute torture marathon from here to Glencliff. She responds with an attitude. ¢I know it¢s hard, it¢s NH!¢ said the buff SOBO lady. I guess she knew the answer to her own question then! I think it¢s funny when people ask questions that they already know the answer to. From now on, the SOBO doesn¢t have anything on the NOBO thru-hiker. We¢ve been hearing how much more difficult the Whites are than anything we¢ve encountered thus far. Well, the Whites just happen to be behind me today! I¢m done with the Whites!The effects of my head cold are my only souvenir from the Whites. Wishing I had taken the time to get some medicine. Trying to take my time today because I know Backward and Conan are coming to Gentian Pond Shelter! How are they? How do they look? Are they still having fun? I can¢t wait to see them again.Stopped to refill my water at Trident Col tent site. Needed to take a crap but I forgot my toilet paper by the trail intersection. The privy reminded me that I¢d forgotten to keep the most important piece of equipment with me at all times. TP is essential! I hate using leaves. The water I get from Trident is yellow but I don¢t have a choice.Sat around the campsite trail and the AT for a while waiting on the stragglers coming from town but hardly anyone passes by. Spent time admiring the cool breeze and fluttering leaves while shoveling M&Ms. Kutsa and her fellow pass by me. Grapevine shows up walking south. I recognized that I¢d met him before but couldn¢t recall his name. I haven¢t seen Grapevine since that truck ride back to Uncle Johnnys. That was the day Snickers, Gouda, Abe, Stitch and I were trying not to ride in the death cab shuttle with the maniac. Grapevine is flip-flopping because he wasn¢t making his deadline or something.I passed Seeker again on the way up Wocket ledge but I never saw Strider again. Passed a few ponds and I¢m already on the lookout for moose! Passed wonderful beaver dams and swimming holes with lily pads. Found our shelter¢s name sake, ¢gentian¢ pond but I doubt anyone will be swimming today because of the chilly temperature.Sticks and Hollywood are at the shelter already. They tell me that there was a blue blaze trail that split today¢s distance in half. The blue blazed trail leaves Gorham and goes straight to the shelter. It¢s actually the old AT they tell me. I wonder if you can call that ¢Retro-blazing¢? There¢s a group of Harvard girls here on freshman orientation and they¢re taking up all the room in the tent sites. I can¢t take anymore of the conversation so I try to take a nap.I spent a little time writing in my journal to get ahead and save time. Maybe I can spend a little more time chatting with everyone I¢m expecting to arrive at this shelter tonight. My stomach¢s in knots because I¢m so excited to see my old buddies! I¢m almost asleep inside the shelter when I hear Michigan¢s loud voice! I take out my ear plugs and throw my pillow at him. He didn¢t know I was in the corner. ¢SKIPPY! We¢re going to Maine! Come with us!¢ shouted Michigan. Strider (young one), T-Funk, Wookie, and Michigan are going to sleep at the NH/ME border tonight. Poundtown blue blazed also. Wookie, who is wearing mirror image rayban sunglasses, introduces himself to me for the 5th time like he¢d never met me. He¢s really nice but I have to call him on it. ¢Boy, that¢s the 5th time you¢ve introduced yourself to me!¢ I smirked and everyone in the shelter laughed at him. I¢m not going to Maine tonight. I¢m waiting. Michigan tells me that he saw Backward and Conan coming up to the shelter. When Backward and Conan arrive at the shelter, Michigan tells them ¢Yo, this dude named Skippy was talking shit about you guys!¢ They haven¢t seen me yet. Conan responded in disbelief, that I was nearby. Backward saw me in the shelter and everyone said ¢Hello!¢ It¢s so good to hear their voices! They¢re the only two people left that I¢ve known the longest. They¢re so skinny now. They both look a little older and weathered than the last time I saw them. Conan has a tan and sunburned nose. His red hair is long and messy! They both look more mature and comfortable that ever before!Tree and Jenn show up and it¢s like a family reunion. Ewok, the SOBO entertains us with stories of Maine. Ewok¢s trail name is hilariously descriptive of his physical features! It¢s hard not to laugh out loud when he tells people his name.I¢m staying here tonight! I feel at home as I catch up with Conan about their trip to NY, giardia, and the drought that I avoided through New York. They tell me that Thunder went to Daytrippers brothers wedding and they¢re restarting the trail later in Glenncliff. Fig and SuperMax are here also but neither of them hung out with us very long. It¢s hard for anyone else to get a word in between all the laughter and crazy stories we¢re telling.