Date: 2008-08-11
From: Gorham, NH

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

Oh my gosh..can you believe I didn't wake up till 11:00 a.m.! I did wake uparound 7:30 a.m., but decided to just lay there awhile and next thing Iknow...it's 11:00! I feel very rested now, as I should.We decided to go to a cool little place called the Moonbeam Cafe here in Gorham,for breakfast. Oh, it's raining...still, and stormed last nite again too. So,this cafe is very cool, good food too. Just before I walked in, a policeofficer walked out and I started talking to him (figuring if I get pulled overin this town too...maybe it will be him and I'll catch a break LOL). He wascool, and asked what my trailname was. I think it's neat when local people getinto trail culture, even if it's just understanding it. Anyway, I got thethru-hiker's special, and folks, my appetite is so out of control, I wasactually worried all of the food wouldn't fill me up. 3 eggs, 3 bacon, 2toast, 1 pancake, and a potato cake. I was pleasantly full, but not stuffedafter all of this. Oh, add a large OJ and a mocha too. Karen is going to haveto put locks and chains on the fridge when we get home.This cafe has a great atmosphere and there was a book on the shelf, "The Historyof Gorham," in there. It showed a town map from 1892, and it always amazes methat the street names are still the same...you know, the normal names, SchoolStreet, Church Street, etc.After breakfast, I decided to go to the P.O. before resupplying, because I knewKokopelli had sent me a box! Well, I had a box from her, from Persistent, and1 that I had sent to myself from Bad Influence's and had forgotten about, so Isurprised myself! It was like Christmas. I met sobo's Oreo, Timber, and hisfiancee, Michele at the P.O.I walked out to the parking lot and opened my boxes in the back of the car. Ohman, it's so freakin fun!!!! Kokopelli sent lots of great hiker food, candy,brownies, some bandaids, and the most hilarious thing of all...some dentalfloss and toothpaste (she's in the dental field!), and this really wonderfulletter telling me about current events and how much she misses the trail. Shesigned it, "From your Trail Sister, Kokopelli," which made me feel so honoredthat she'd refer to me that way. I've heard thru the grapevine she's hiking inVA right now, wish I could hook up with her, but don't know how long she'll bethere. Thanks SO MUCH Kokopelli! I appreciate your gifts SO MUCH!!!!Then Persistent, who I thought was just sending me my next memory card, sentmore goodies too, but I have to admit, the coolest thing was a note she wrotein the baggie with my memory card saying, "Will pictures of Katahdin be on thisone?" Man, my brain isn't believing that pics of that mountain will more thanlikely be on that memory card. Persistent, you're the best...(even for aground dweller), thanks so much woman. It's made all the difference in theworld having you at the wheel of my logistical issues this year.So after evaluating my FREE supplies, Karen and I went to Wal-Mart. I only hadto pick up a few things now, and Karen picked up a few things to keep in thefridge in the room so she won't have to spend $ on going out to eat all of thetime, which gets expensive.After resupply, we drove back to the room and I finished getting my pack readyand picked out my food for the next 4 days. After reading further in myguidebook, I realized there are also campsites at 2 of the 3 huts (Lake of theClouds Hut, 1 mile before Mt. Washington does NOT have camping anywhere near).I am playing it by ear, but I might actually try hanging at these campsites,which cost $8.00 pp, instead of dealing with the huts. That will make only 1nite of hut staying. We'll see though, a lot of it depends on the weather.I got my pack all ready to go and went outside to cut my new gel soles, and acouple of Nova Scotia were sitting outside their room and struck up aconversation with me. Really nice people whose son had just gotten marriedlast weekend, and they were convinced I should come up and visit and meet theirmiddle son, named Michel (they are French), which made us all laugh because myname is Michele. They were shocked when I told them what I was doing, but theman gave me his card and wanted me to email him when I got home safely. Wetalked politics a bit too, and were all pretty much on the same page with howbadly things seem to be going in this country now.Everything's ready to go, and I just caught the weather. Looks like I might begetting some better weather, with this low pressure slow moving system movingout by tomorrow. But, the weatherman said "some" of his weather models areshowing the possibility of a Noreaster, which is actually a winter weatherpattern, but he can't count it out. Oh man...that would suck if I got caughtup in the Presidentials in a Noreaster, but I'm going to believe in thepositive side, that sun will soon be part of the day again here in NH.I'm excited to get back out there, and know I'll have only 1 more leg of theWhites after I complete this 4 days. Wow...can it be true?So we've got the Olympics on...man, did you all see that men's swimming relaywin last nite? Amazing swimming...I'm getting ready to eat...again, and play some cards. I have to give creditwhere credit's due...Karen slaughtered me in cards 2 days ago. I told her "ofcourse" it was because I was exhausted. Man, I'm such a brat. So back tohiking tomorrow. I'm ready.~Certain