Date: 2009-08-26
To: Post Hike #7
Miles today: 0.0

OG notesIt was nice to stay at Shaws last night and partake in one of their breakfasts. They start cooking the sausage and bacon at 6:00am and start serving at 7:00am. You literally wake up smelling the bacon and coffee. I'm usually awake by 6:00 so the smells get me moving easily. After breakfast we went down to the general store where we saw some familiar backpacks sitting in front. We went inside to meet a big group of friends inside, it was a great reunion with them. They had just arrived in town and not being guests at Shaws this was the place for them to get breakfast. We all walked back to Shaws where they checked in and everyone started their town chores. We hung around and spent time with them for a while while they buzzed around us and as they waited for the showers.We left Monson about 12:30 and headed for Augusta. We're now resting in a motel room and thinking of trail friends. Before we left home I had wondered what it would be like seeing them again near the end of their journey. For four months we dreamed to be there too and now we are only visitors and not participants. We had worried that we might fall apart being here with them and have to make excuses why our visit was so short. Fortunately everyone made us feel accepted and not as outsiders looking in. I was so afraid we would be considered as outsiders looking in, wannabes hanging on. We didn't contact friends in Maine in case we ended up feeling rejected and needed a quiet retreat.Tomorrow we'll be in Southport, Maine, the Maine C6 has been visiting since early childhood. Her greatgrandparents built a cottage in 1910 right on the coast. The cottage and scenary are beautiful and thankfully still in the family. That's another story that has nothing to do with the trail. We'll re-enter the trail story in a few days when we drive up to Katahdin on Sept 1st.      C6 notesWhat an exciting day today! After a delicious breakfast at Shaw's, our friends started arriving in town. We were so excited to see Newt, Miss Scarlett, Sunbeam, Half Moon, Hellbender, Saint, Windup, Hermes, Samwise, and Rusticus. Stretch and Tinman weren't with that group, but we believe they should be summiting on Sept 1st or 2nd, so we hope to see them next week. We'll be at Mt Katahdin on Sept 1st and hope to be at the top of the mountain when the group we saw today end their thru-hike.It seems everyone has their stories of falling...lots of times for some. I've had moments of feeling as if I wimped out. But I still have periods of time where my head just feels "off." (It's hard to explain.) Most of the falls we've been hearing about have resulted in scrapes, cuts, and bruises, and some have caused major knee concerns. None have involved head injuries, thank heavens. I'm sorry friends have gotten hurt. I still feel our decision to stop hiking was the right decision.It was so nice to see our friends. They now know we'll be at Mt Katahdin Campground next week and that we hope to climb the mountain the day they do. But for now we head to where our son and his family are to enjoy the weekend with them. We're looking foward to that, too! :-)What's amazing to me about these two weeks is that if we were still on the trail who knows when, if ever, we would see these friends again. it feels so good to be able to see them again and cheer them on as they near the end of their treks. I know how good it felt when hiking friends seemed to be so happy to see us. I can only hope we've offered that good feeling to the friends we're seeing now as well.We have been disappointed to not find Neal (O.G.), Prarie Dog, Angry Beaver, or Tord. We'll try to find them next week when we go back to Monson and the AT towns before we head home again.Old Goat & Check Six