Date: 2017-06-14
From: Monson, Maine

To: Moxie Bald Lean-To
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Rolling Thunder and I bump fists, and then I reach out for a hug. Very non-hiker. Though we are all close, there¢s a strong awareness of the potential to transmit disease. Hence fist bumps are the norm.  Rolling Thunder is staying behind. Our paths have diverged. He wants to slow down. He got to Monson a half day behind me and will leave at least a half day after me. We spoke directly about it last night. With the degree of difference in our desired pace, to try and compromise would just cause friction.  We¢re moving on, but it¢s a long trail, and who knows? All packed up at 7:00 am, I had a second big breakfast here at Shaws Hostel. Just like at our house when we host hikers in the spring, Shaws had a sign inside the bathroom, ¢Please leave the door open when done.¢ Our signs say the same thing, but in 18 languages.  (Frodo: Europeans seem to be trained to leave the bathroom door closed behind them, so sometimes you get a line of American hikers lined up outside an empty bathroom!) At 9:00 I was back on trail, hoping to make it to Moxie Bald Shelter, 17.9 miles away. It was a late start, but the trail gods smiled, and the trail tread was more Dr. Jekyll than Mr. Hyde.  That was important. Frodo has told me that it¢s real important that I reach my next trail town, Rangeley, 106 miles distant, by Monday night. Six days. That¢s 18-mile days. ¢No, it¢s 17.6,¢ she said yesterday (Frodo: I was just KIDDING! I¢m not THAT fussy, even if I am a scientist!)  That stretch has stiff climbs, fords, and the usual AT roots and rocks parade. Next Monday is our 40th Wedding Anniversary. I heard in Frodo¢s voice yesterday how much she wants me to arrive in town. (Frodo: Okay, just to set the record straight, this is HIS fault. When we spoke on the phone a few days ago, he said that he was thinking of an idea for our anniversary, and he suggested that I do the same. So I did.) But I also heard in my mind that same voice saying, ¢Make wise decisions!¢ I¢ll see if my path cab honor both. If I use the standard set by the 100-Mile Wilderness, today the AT was pretty mild mannered. We did have three knee-deep fords, for which I stripped off my socks and rolled up my pant legs. I wouldn¢t think of crossing barefoot; absolutely have to have the traction of shoes.  I rolled in to Moxie Bald Lean-To at a pretty civilized 7:30. Frodo, I am on track. But there are two big mountains to go over tomorrow: Moxie Bald and Pleasant Pond. It would be ironic if innocuously-named Pleasant Pond Mountain is a bitch. [Should that have been a princess alert?]  The real water hazard today was in the picture-perfect Lake I sat and had dinner next to. ¢Scout, here¢s one!¢ Frostbite had (Frodo: I can¢t read the next word) it with a stick in the water. That pristine body of water harbored ugly, blood-sucking LEECHES! Look at how beautiful the lake was.  Think about this slimy 3-inch pestilence and its brothers attached to your body after a swim. (Frodo: I¢m supposed to put a photo of the leech here, but he hasn¢t sent it yet; sorry. Check back later.) And I had Cracker Jacks for dessert tonight. Thanks, Frodo. There was a prize inside, but the prize I really want is¢¦.   IMF.