Date: 2014-08-02
From: South Arm Road

To: ME Route 17
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Aug 02It was nice to sleep in a bed again last night. This stretch of trail is kicking my butt. Probably the fact I have walked 1,950 miles may have something to do with being tired. Today was only 13 miles, but again no good walking terrain. You here so much about how hard the Whites are, but southern Maine is tougher in my mind. In about 40 miles things should get much easier. Till then I will just keep plugging along.I am still hiking with Hoss DFI and Shroomer. Cape has been doing the same sections, but he is faster than us. Shroomer was struggling for the first half of the day. We are all tired. Once we had lunch we all felt better. Shroomer took off first. I took off 5 minutes later and didn't catch him till we were close to the road.The trail was fairly quiet till the end of our day. We were thinking since we were going south today that we would see all these nobos. Only saw 2, Neckbone who I have seen off and on since PA and Tigger who I had never met. We also saw 3 section hikers walking north. On the final decent I caught Shroomer. He was talking to a day hiker. When I got closer I realized it was Shaun from Rhode Island. To backtrack a bit, when I was going across the Wildcat ridge in NH I found a drivers license on the ground at the top of the Wildcat gondola. The picture was not familiar so I thought it may have belonged to someone who rode the gondola up, so I left it in an obvious place. Two miles down the trail I caught a day hiker and asked if he was from Rhode Island. He was surprised I knew that. It was his license I had seen. I hike with him for a few miles and explained right where I left it so a Wildcat employee could grab it for him. After a few miles he headed back down the ridge and I figured that was the end of the story. The next day I arrive at a hostel and there on the table is the license. I called Shaun's home phone to tell him I had his license back and was mailing it to his home. Again thought this was the end of the story. So coming down the hill Shaun and Shroomer were talking and Shaun asked Shroomer if he knew me. He replied that I was rihht behind. I show up and tell Shroomer about the license and he just laughs and says he was the one who brought it down to the hostel. He said how two brothers had found it and weren't sure what to do with it so he brought it to town. Shroomer then says it was the guys I knew, Will I and Third Half. As we are standing there chatting who walks up but the two brothers. What a small world. What are the odds of all of us getting together 100 miles up the trail. We had a good chuckle together. I told Shaun his license should be at his house when he returns from his vacation. We walked to the road together and said our good byes.In town the restaurant had all you can eat pizza. Talk about a hiker magnet. There were over 10 of us there. I knew most of them. Zacksquash and Pyro are here. Solo is off at a wedding. Tomorrow should be an easy day, we can use one. The hike is 13 miles to Rangeley. The forecast is for an 80% chance of rain. Hopefully we can beat the rain since it supposed to start in the afternoon. Andover has been great. All the people have been a pleasure to meet. We went to the same restaurant 4 times so they recognize us when we walk in. Same with the general store. It has been fun being here for 3 nights yet still making progress up the trail.