Date: 2003-09-21
From: Wildcat Mountain

To: Monson, Maine!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The day started early when the sound of jingle bells drifted down the hall of the lodge we are staying in. The sign says that we are woken at 6:45 by a gentle mountain alarm, and I guess this is what they meant! Bumpkins snoring didn't even falter, so I relaxed for a few more minutes before I woke her up. We are meeting Trisha this morning for a gondola ride up Wildcat Mountain to do trail magic and I am really looking forward to it!Trisha rolled up promptly at 9:30 and we took off up the mountain laden with an ice chest of cold drinks and assorted fruit and goodies. We spread out our wares in the sun and waited for our first victim, I mean, thru hiker. We didn't have to wait long before Scooter, a southbounder, came along. This young college student was tall and lean with a curly mop of hair and an infectious grin. He looks exactly like a picture that the Appalachian Mountain Club would put on a poster recruiting for thru hikers, and he looked like he was having a blast on his hike!We only had one other thru hiker today...a result of the lateness of the season, I think....But we had a steady stream of day hikers, so we got to meet a ton of neat people. Taba, which is short for "there and back again", was our last hiker, and he regaled us with stories of biking across the US and of parties on the trail. He is a super-fast hiker and as he left us to hike another 18 miles today, I watched in awe. I don't think I will ever be THAT kind of hiker! The highlight of our day came after we loaded up everything and headed towards Gorham. Rumor has it that a bunch of hikers had arrived at the hostel and we wanted to say hello. When we got there, we were glad to see that Riff Raff was still there. With his pixie grin and lightning fast sense of humor, he is always fun to run into! The real treat of the day, however, was that Tito, Nova, and her fabulous dog, Bosco were all there! We haven't seen them since Virginia where we all stayed at the same hotel and hung out together. He is a swarthy, handsome Italian with a dead-pan sense of humor, and she is a beautiful flower child with a smile that lights up a room. They are two of the neatest people I have met on the trail, and it was great to see them again!After catching up on all the trail gossip, Bumpkin, Trisha and I finally had to bid farewell to everyone. A quick dinner was had and we found ourselves hugging our friend Trisha good-bye. She has been so much fun, and knowing that we would see her at the Gathering in a few weeks made it easier to watch her go.So, we are headed for Monson, and tomorrow we are entering the 100-mile Wilderness. This is an area with no development or phone access for 100 miles. It is supposed to have some of the most amazing views and rugged trail on the AT, and I am really looking forward to it! We will be in it for at least 10 days, maybe 11 or 12, so I will not be able to send any updates or answer any emails for that time. However, when we get back into town, I will send out a ton of journal entries and catch up on my messages. Until then, think of me traipsing though the Maine wilderness keeping a close eye out for Moose! :)Love, Anna aka Mud Butt