Date: 2016-08-17
From: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to

To: Monson, ME / Shaw's Lodging 
Miles today: 17.9

Aug 17, 2016 - It rained quite a bit during the night and the rain continued into the morning. I was rudely awoken by a drop of condensation that caused me to bolt upright in panic thinking that the rain had bested me yet again. The No-See-Ums were dreadful agin this morning so Peach and I skipped our morning coffee and got moving early again. I had 17.9 flat miles to Monson, ME, the southern terminus of the 100 mile wilderness. It rained for most of the morning, which was rather annoying - usually, the rain is very refreshing, but I just wasn't feeling it today. In fact, today was one of those days I just didn't feel like hiking at all. The deceptively flat terrain made my legs ache like they do after walking through an amusement park all day. I had 2 rivers to ford today - and, unlike most of the rivers we've had to "ford" lately, these were wide and deep enough that walking through the water was actually necessary. I stood staring at the water for a few minutes debating whether or not I wanted to take my shoes and socks off. I just said screw it and walked through the knee-deep water with everything on. It was already raining anyway. Another bizarre thing I noticed in the woods today is that autumn was already underway. Leaves had started to change color and had already begun to accumulate on the forest floor. It's only mid August! When I don't feel like hiking, I just keep moving for fear that I'll stop and get stuck somewhere. So, I finished my nearly 18 mile day by 12:30 pm. While waiting for Peach, I ate an entire jar of cinnamon raisin peanut butter. Breakneck, who was forced off trail with less than 300 miles left because of 2 broken bones in his foot, randomly showed up and gave me a ride to Shaw's Lodging in Monson, ME.I've only stayed at about 5 hostels the whole trip, but I sure do pick the right ones. This place was incredible - I was immediately treated to a beer upon arrival and, since I was tenting in the backyard, offered a shower. I did laundry and then explored this small mansion equipped with a full resupply and gear shop, 3 bunkhouses, 3 bathrooms, a cabin, and a restaurant level kitchen that supposedly produced a legendary breakfast every morning. The staff - Poet and AJ - were super cool and accommodating. Peach, Cookie and I headed to the community center in town where we pre-registered for our permits for Katahdin. Our summit date will be August 25. Next up was lunch / dinner at the Lakeshore House followed by relaxing the rest of the evening.I needed a large resupply to get me through the next 100 miles. The 100 mile wilderness meant no towns or resupply points for the next 100 miles. I would be completely off the grid.Later that night, I somehow got into a conversation with Poet about life and how the AT changes you whether you realize it immediately or not. This guy was a high school teacher for nearly 15 years during which he hiked the AT with his wife. Then, after falling in love with the hiker community, Poet took a risk and purchased Shaw's 2 years ago. He loves every second of it. Even if purchasing the hostel hadn't worked out, he insists he wouldn't have regretted it because if he hadn't taken the risk, he wouldn't have been able to stand always wondering what would have happened if he did. When I explained to Poet my situation, he actually urged me to try to marry engineering to something related to the great outdoors.Worse comes to worse, if I hate it, then I could just pull myself out of the field like I already have to hike the AT. Poet even went so far as to offer me a potential work for stay position in the hostel in the future that would keep me busy while I figure out what I want to do. While I don't plan on taking him up on this offer, it just goes to show what this hiker community can be like. The last piece of advice Poet provided was to never make a decision based on money - it's just not worth it if there's no enjoyment associated with the large paycheck. These words really echoed the thoughts and conclusions that had already been bouncing around in my head during my long, quiet walks in the woods.17.9 Monson, ME / Shaw's Lodging