Date: 2013-09-26
From: Stealth camp beside Bald Mtn. Stream

To: Lakeshore House, Monson, ME 15
Miles today: 15.9

Before last night I'd never heard a moose run through a campsite. And if someone had asked me to describe what I thought it would sound like, I'm not sure I could have given them an answer. But at 1:38 a.m. this morning, I awoke to the sound of two moose crashing through the trees and running so close to my tent that the walls quivered and the ground shook. I could hear their breathing and squeaking/snorting. My heart pounded, and I was seriously scared that I might be trampled in my tent. I never saw them, but there is aboslutely no doubt in my mind as to what it was. Luckily, I was left unscathed, but I have a much greater appreciation of how soldiers in a combat zone must feel like when mortars are incoming and all they can do is laying in bed and hope it doesn't hit them. It's a helpless feeling. It took a little bit to relax and be able to go back to sleep.I set off in the morning, and within the first half mile I twisted my ankle. It was a good one. Boy, was it. The trail was rocky like Pennsylvania. I stepped wrong on the side of a rock and hit the ground. Pain shot up my leg. I felt hot. Then I felt cold. I thought I would throw up. I stood up, but the pain didn't subside, so I sat back down for a few minutes. It took a few minutes, but finally the pain evaporated. I wrapped my ankle and wished that I had done it earlier. I've developed a blister on the inside of my right foot, so I changed my gate/stride to take pressure off. In doing so, I rolled it. But once I put the wrap on it, my foot held snuggly in place. I got to the West Branch of the Piscataquis River. There as a rope strung across it. I had my wet socks on, so I changed into my crocs and forded it easily. It had been making good time, but it took 20 minutes to get my feet patched back up (wrap off, rebandage feet, wrap back on). Fortunately, the rocky, rooty trail changed into smooth easy trail. I made good time, but I wasn't feeling great. I stopped on the north sdie of the East Branch of the Piscataquis River (another ford) to have lunch. I was freezing by the time I got moving again. Finally I got to ME 15. I called the hostel for a pick-up, but Rebecca (the awesome hostel owner) said the shuttle was out picking up some other hikers from a different road crossing. It would be a half hour or so before they could come get me. I said that I would try to catch a hitch instead. I was ready for this day to be over. A car pulled into the parking area. A familiar face jumped out of the passenger seat- Hammy! I hadn't seen her since the beginning of the Smokies. I had assumed she had gotten off the trail. It was great to see her again I caught a hitch with Leo, a local and former Marine. He'd given up hiking and now walked the roadsides picking up cans and bottles. He said that once a year he turns them in for a deposit and comes away with a small fortune. Brillant! He dropped me at the Lakeshore house. For about 5 glorious minutes I had a private room. But then someone called and reserved it out from under my nose, so I was moved into the bunkroom. Oh well. I talked to Tom and collected my mail drops. Both had celebratory bottles of booze. LOL. I gave them away without any trouble. I headed down to the restaurant and joined Wanderwoman and Clark Kent. I had quesadillas and two beers. It made my hurt ankle (it's in pretty bad shape. I know I should give it a few days to rest, but I'm eager to get to Tom) and private room-turned-bunkroom situation better. I saw another truck pulling a trailer with a dead moose in the back (Current count: 3 moose on the trail, 2 moose in the middle of the road, 2 moose on trailers). I got to talk to Tom again. Have I mentioned how much I like being about to call him 10 times a day if I so please? And now I'm sleepy. I plan to hike out tomorrow if I can get the supplies I need and if my ankle is in some type of functioning shape. It makes weird cracking and popping noises. Hmmmm.... Sweet dreams.