Date: 2008-10-07
From: Katahdin Stream Campground, ME

To: Katahdin Stream Campground, ME
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Okay, so Katahdin is closed again today and Mrs Gorp has a meeting to attend back in Rutland, VT tonight, so the plan is that I'm staying in Maine until Katahdin re-opens, so I can finish this walk I started and Mrs Gorp is going home. She reserved a one way car rental at Bangor Airport, so that's where we headed right after another breakfast at Appalachian Cafe in Millinocket.It is a beautiful day....hard to believe that Katahdin is still closed, but it is.I drove my truck to Bangor and dropped Mrs Gorp off at the airport, then I drove around till I heard she got the car alright. We met in the parking lot and she got he pack out of my truck and she took off for home. :-(I was really looking forward to having her company when I climb Katahdin, but it just didn't work out this time. I do have to REALLY thank Mrs Gorp for letting my truck "summer" at her house in VT. I was just wondering why the truck had a Waste Management window decal on it though. Hummmm...................and why does the back of the truck smell like it's been hauling garbage?? Oh well. ;-)I also have to REALLY thank her for making the ending of this year's walk so easy for me by delivering my truck to Maine. When I thanked her before she left and told her that I'd never be able to repay her for all her kindness, she mentioned something about how many weeds her flower gardens have in them. I told her;   "Silly girl, that's simple......hire a gardener." ;-)Mrs Gorp drove off. She had just enough time to get back to VT for her board meeting. I checked my cell phone and guess what.....I HAVE DATA SERVICE!!!! Wow, that was a shock!!!!! My Verizon cell phone really worked out well for journaling and sending my journal to Mrs Gorp to post in thirteen of the fourteen states along the Appalachian Trail. Maine was the only state I had any trouble in. There just isn't data service along the Trail areas in Maine. That's really too bad because I had a lot of fun sending in pictures and having them posted the same day I had taken them along the Trail. It was a good way for anyone who wanted, to see what that section of the Appalachian Trail looked like on that same day. I guess I would still do it the same way with the cell phone to journal if I ever walk the Trail again. I would be prepared to journal another way while in Maine.I sat in my truck in a parking lot for almost two hours sending in pictures over the cell phone. I sent them to my Gmail account and figured I would caption them myself as I got each day's journal written. I picked up a hamburger when I was done and drove back to Millinocket for the night. I checked in with Ol' Man to see if he had heard yet whether Baxter rangers where going to open Katahdin to hikers tomorrow. He said....YES!!!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!   I GET TO CLIMB kATAHDIN TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!! :-)When I got back to my room, I started going through my backpack to see what all I was going to carry up the mountain. I decided to carry my tent, sleeping bag and warm clothes for any emergengy and the food I would need for a day.I went to bed early because I wanted to be waiting at the gate at the entrance to Baxter State Park by about 5am tomorrow morning. They open at 6am.Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)