Date: 2005-09-14
From: Monson, ME (Ed's House)

To: Wilbur Brook
Miles today: 13.6

Today started out like any other morning out of town on the AT. We had planned to be up and out by 9:30am. We were off to a good start by getting up around 6'ish, but between Ed fixing coffee for everyone, last minute trips to the post office, and Snowbunny realizing her shoes were the wrong size, it was 11am when we got on trail. Today it was time to enter the long awaited 100-mile wilderness, 114.5 miles from Katahdin! The terrain was rather smooth this morning and in no time (an hour-ten to be exact) we were at the first shelter 3 miles out. Not too shabby, but it quickly began to go down hill---quite literally!After a little bump of a hill, we started down the other side, me (Ms. Priss) in the lead, and I made the mistake of placing my foot on the wet slab of slate in front of me and before I knew what was happening I was on the ground. I was surprised that I didn't hear Snowbunny hollering, "hiker down, hiker down!" I believe though that she realized the seriousness of the situation when I didn't bounce back up like normal. I landed this time on the palm of my left hand and my elbow. A bit scuffed and a bit shakey but I am fine....this is getting to be a normal thing for me. My palm has been pretty tender today; it seems it had just gotten better from falling right before Grafton Notch.Shortly thereafter, we paused at Little Wilson Falls for an hour lunch break and enjoyed onion soup flavored mashed potatoes and we continued to enjoy them the rest of the afternoon as we burped them back up. The view was much better than the meal, and the falls reminded me of a place I grew up camping---Fall Creek Falls. This is definately a place I would come back to. There were many places to camp along the stream below the falls. Next was the first ford of the day. It looked low enough to rock step across, especially with the aid of a rope tied across the stream. Snowbunny was 99% done when she slipped and sat right down in the water. Bug and I made our way across unscathed and continued along the trail. I began to get a little frustrated though....with everything! I guess one could say I hit my wall as we are so fond of saying on the trail. Apparently it isn't all that unusual to hit the wall in Maine, but I would have thought it would have collided with me somewhere further back. Basically, it comes down to this: I'm sick of walking everyday, sick of falling and skinning myself, sick of rolling my ankles, sick of not liking anything I eat, and I am sick of missing my dogs so much. But what makes this so much worse is that I feel this way in some of the most beautiful parts of this great country. It really stinks to be homesick, but I know that in just a few short days this adventure will be over and it will be on to a different phase in life. Bug gladly held me in his arms and let me cry all I needed to.Next it was Big Wilson Stream. Here is where our adventure continues. I wasted no time in pulling off my shoes and socks for the ford ahead. Bug and I watched as two fellows made their way across. One wasn't taking any chances as he had stripped down to boxer shorts and socks. I started in and quickly realized that this ford was much swifter and much deeper than I had anticipated. Carefully, I stepped and felt my way across, planting each trekking pole before I made my next move. Upon reaching the opposite shore, I looked back expecting to see my husband right on my heels as he usually is. Instead, I see arms flailing and legs kicking. Bug had lost his footing and had gone down. After I realized he was indeed ok, and saw that he too was laughing I couldn't help but laugh myself at the picture he made. Once he realized he was soaked but not going to drown, he went after the Leki pole he had dropped and went splashing downstream diving after it. He did retrieve the! pole, and I managed not to wet my pants as I laughed. There is one thing about it, no one can turn my day around and make me laugh like my husband!Teams T-drop and Hairbunny got ahead after the last ford and we were close on their heels as we came up to the 2nd shelter. We recieved their note that they planned to hike on and stealth somewhere, so we followed suit. That is how we have ended up here this evening, camped just before Wilbur Brook on a nice snow-mobile trail. We had some tasty Mountain House meals (yay! no clean-up) and now we are tucked snugly into our bags. Can't wait to see what our adventure on the trail has in store for us tomorrow!