Date: 2008-08-24
From: Monson, ME

To: Monson, ME - Back on the Trail
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

August 24, 2008   Monson, Maine   Back on the trail again. 114.5 miles to Go.   Well - after a Nero Day and two full Zero Mile Days I am ready to get back on the trail.    I have the 100 Mile Wilderness (HMW) to cross before entering Baxter State Park. Then a 4000 ft climb straight up Katahdin.   My next resupply stop is White House Landing Wilderness Camp about 70 miles up the trail. I am carrying seven days food which will easily be enough to get me there.      The weather was great last week and it looks like more warm and mostly sunny days are coming up this week.         My knee feels much better than it did a few days ago.   I'll see how it goes the first few miles with a 27 lb pack. If it gives me any problems then I will turn around and come back to Monson.            Shaw's Lodging is great place to Zero. Dawn, Dick, Sue, and the others are Awesome. They really make hikers feel at home. Every morning they serve a fantastic All You Can Eat - egg, bacon, sausage, homemade hash browns, and pancake or french toast breakfast.    Monson is a nice little lakeside town. Not much here except a Post Office, Municipal Building, Elementary School, a General Store, a Church, several Antique Shops, a Gas Station/Variety Store, a BBQ eatery, and the Lakeside Tavern and Lodging.    This past week I have had a great time hanging out with hikers both on the trail and as they passed through town.    The mood here is strangely different from all of previous trail towns. Much more subdued and reflective.   Its interesting that most of the northbound thru-hikers here are not in a big hurry to leave town. Most plan to do fairly low mileage days rather than blast through the Wilderness.    I think it is a combination of fatigue and lowered mileage expectations after weeks of slowly slogging through lousy, rainy weather on wet, difficult, muddy trails - and - from the realization that our simple lives on the trail will soon be over and we will have to re-enter the "real" world.      Hiker Sightings;         I met northounders SoJo, Recur, Boat, and Conan for the first time last Tuesday at the Pleasant Pond Lean-To. They started into the HMW on Thursday. So did Greenwood who I last saw in VA.   I met Just Jill (the sports massage therapist) and her son Rock Hopper last Thursday near Moxie Bald.   I spent time with Hangman, Vagabond, and Smelly Cat here in Monson on Thursday. They all got a late afternoon start into the HMW on Friday. I think Filadelphia Greenburg was here for a couple days. He headed into the HMW yesterday (Sat) with Tangent, Rocko and father and son hikers Rusty Rat and Meat Hook.               Street Fighter, Turtle, and their dog Yankee also started into the HMW yesterday. They met on the AT during their 2005 thru-hikes and are doing a Gorham to Katahdin trek.   Peeper and Ink arrived here yesterday. I believe they are heading north today. Stubble and Bounty Hunter came in late yesterday. I don't know what their plans are.   Captain Jack Sparrow has been here most of the week waiting for a package that is lost in the mail. He is on the southbound leg of a N/S flip-flop hike. Hopefully his package will come on Monday and he can get back on the trail.   Southbound thru-hikers Chad and Cory took a Zero here yesterday and they are heading out today.   Yesterday morning Bronco and Alf drove in to drop off Bronco's truck here, and then got a ride back to Rangeley. They said they are hiking with Pack Animal and plan to leave Rangeley today. It has been many weeks since our paths last crossed. It was good to see them.   Those are the people I have seen. I read through Shaw's Hiker Log and saw entries from many of my friends who came through over the past few weeks. Apostle, Site See, Alohawk, Forest Gimp, Pipper, Memphis Tim, and others all stayed here. Its hard to believe that they have all summited Katahdin and are back home now moving on with their lives.   OK - I guess its time for me to get moving.   I will do my next update as soon as I can. That may be a week or so from now.   Bye for now.   -Wes-