Date: 2003-09-16
From: Speck Pond Campsite

To: Grafton Notch, Hwy. 26
Miles today: 4.6
Weather: mist

It rained all night. Come morning, it's still raining. I'm nobo, but I'm not going anywhere. I want to quit. I've had enough. This has kicked my ass. Sun Dance feels the same and I listen to her plead with the gung-ho boyfriend not to head down the Arm and into the Notch in the rain. Man, I want to go home. Just get me to a motel, a bed and breakfast, something with a shower and clean sheets.I've been out here forever it seems like. Am playing it by ear, but the rain lets up finally. Sun Dance and the boyfriend finally head out with a couple of others and everyone is promising to help Sun Dance through the Notch. Hope they made it. Myself, I'm headed in the other direction.The shelter caretaker, Storm, tells me that, if I can get to the parking lot at Grafton Notch, I may be able to yogi a cell phone and call to The Cabin outside of Andover to come pick me up. That's only 4.6 miles. I can do that! The rain is almost over when I head out after lunch to do the miles to Maine Hwy. 26. The Trail is a river and rock hopping sucks, but there are no more boulderfields to cross, no more killer slopes, only normal human Appalachian Trail sloshing along, trying not to fall into the bogs or creeks or off the slippery wet logs as you jump from place to place. The parking lot looks great! Someone even has left trail magic...A sack of candy and Granola bars, Cup-A-Noodles if you wanted them, even pkgs. of hot chocolate in the sack. God Bless 'em!My legs are done for and I pull up a rock to munch up on some of these Granola bars. Along about now, the forest ranger shows up. This is the same guy that banished Mala from doing Trail Angel stuff from this same parking lot. Apparently, Mala and his bunch were making themselves too much at home in this part of the forest? Well, he's the boss, but the regulations don't permit him to give me a ride in the forest service truck. He will make a call for me on his cell phone though. "Is there anyone in particular?" he asks. "I've heard that The Cabin is a local bed and breakfast that caters to hikers, but if the line is busy, I'd be happy for anyone to come pick me up outta this parking lot." "No problem. I'll be back later" he tells me, as he leaves to get back to his ranger duties. To tell the truth, I was beat, and it was getting late. I didn't want to have to climb up out of that notch and do another two point something to the next lean-to that late in the day. (If a UFO had showed up, Texas Jack would have climbed happily on board). Thankfully, the weather continues to improve, and I sit there like a bump and watch clouds flee across the distant slopes while praying a silent prayer that someone will come carry me off to clean sheets and a shower. A cheeseburger wouldn't hurt anything either. God bless 'em! Here comes the ranger back again! The bad news is The Cabin is full. The good news is, Lene from Pine Ellis Bed and Breakfast is on her way. I could have kissed him! This guy has been pure gold to me! "She will be here in a bit, 'cause it's a thirty five minute drive from where she's at." Wheeoh! Didn't know that! And The Cabin was ever farther away. Could be that's why they didn't want to come? Who cares? Pine Ellis is smack in the middle of Andover, Me. I'll be able to walk to the grocery store, the pizza parlor and a cafe. I'm gonna get a shower tonight! Lene shows up with home made lemonade! I'm in love! I'm gonna be so nice to these folks. Gonna keep my mouth shut. Not gonna be a problem! I love 'em, I love 'em! I love 'em! The lemonade is cold and sweet and Lene chatters on about herself and her husband, Paul, and how they became a B & B out here on the AT. Her voice is like angels singing, as we ride back to Pine Ellis. I said RIDE, not hike. I am SO ready for a rest. Slack pack? Who knows? Lemme get a shower and some food down me before I can deal with anything important!The hot deli at Andover General Store and Grill turns out some excellent subs and hoagys. T Bird is there, Glacier, too. Mala and his bunch stop by. Andover Guest House is right across the street and full up, it seems. Lots of hikers in town and why not? It seems that everyone is using Andover lodging as a base of operations while doing day-pack/slacks in all directions. You mean that people will haul me out in any direction and I can stroll back to clean sheets and a hot meal, carrying only a day pack? Sign me up! I'll take two. No! Make that three. The farther they haul you, the more it costs, but there's a little hard-as-nails Brit, and a couple of buddies, who are doing 22 mile slacks from Pine Ellis. Paul and Lene will slack 'em all the way into Rangely (but that's 40 mi). I'm sold. I'll do 10 mile days. I can do that! With a smile on my face, I fall asleep after a hot shower in one of the private rooms at Pine Ellis. So it costs more than the bunkroom, so what! I don't have to listen to any one else snore, and they don't have to listen to me. Nite All!