Date: 2004-08-10
From: Monson, Maine

To: Near Stratton Maine
Miles today: 3.5

3.5 miles todaySleeping in the back of my truckNear Stratton, MaineI woke up in the middle of the night last night, probably from having a caffeine drink before bed. I caught up on my journal and answered a few emails. I got up at 5:45am and I could hear John Galt getting up. He slept in the back seat of the truck and said that it was a tight fit. I walked across the street to see if the general store was open yet to get coffee, but they don't open until 6:30am. When I went back to the hostel, I went inside and layed down in the bed between Hippie and Coughdrop...that got them up in a hurry.We were all ready to leave by 6:30am and drove to the gas station and I got coffee and two breakfast sandwiches to go. We drove down Pleasant Lane and dropped off Hippie and Coughdrop, then John Galt and I drove around Monson and out to the trailhead on Rt. 15. I parked the truck and we headed towards the girls. In 30 minutes we could hear them coming up the trail, so we stuck our Leki poles in the middle of the trail and hid. They threatened us, so we gave up. We didn't want to make them mad because they both carry big knives.While we were there, I took a picture of all 4 of us. That might be the last time we all are together on the trail. I gave Hippie the keys to my truck and John Galt and I kept on walking south. They continued north toward the truck.We got to the trailhead where we dropped the girls off earlier and they showed up with the truck about a minute later. That worked out great. We all got 3 1/2 miles in and didn't have to hitch hike.That finishes off Maine for me all the way down to Gorham, NH. I've also got Springer Mountain, Ga done up to Glasgow, Va...just about half the trail for this year's hike.I'm going to play for a while until I'm supposed to start the John Muir Trail on Sept 3rd. That will put this hike into late December before I get the A.T. done. That's ok because I prefer late fall and winter hiking anyway.We went back to Monson and John Galt and I went over to Shaw's and we each bought a shower. I talked to Keith, Sr. while I waited on John Galt to finish. I went to the p.o. and got a package that I had sent there and a card from CheapShoe that said that she could have sent cookies or chocolate or something like that, but she thought I would rather have a picture of her summiting Katahdin. Yeah right, keep the chocolate and give me the picture of the girl on top of Katahdin with a mustache drawn on her face.Pretty funny SmartbuttamusShoe.John Galt and I said goodbye to the girls and took Bull and Bobby up to the trailhead before we drove up to Abol Bridge to get John Galt's car.Hippie and Coughdrop are continueing their sobo flip.When we got to Abol Bridge, we headed for Skowhegan so John Galt could buy me a seafood dinner at the same place that Mailar took me a few weeks ago. It was payment for a quilt I let him have. Dr. Dolittle called while we were eating to make sure I was ok. I said goodbye to John Galt and headed for Stratton, Maine. I had a great time hiking with John Galt, Coughdrop and Hippie up Katahdin and through the wilderness.I parked by the A.T. trailhead and crawled into the back of my truck. Writing my journal now at 10pm and there is a pack of coyotes howling not too far away from me.Another great day on the A.T.