Date: 2004-08-14
From: Frogcaller and Lew's Cabin, Greenville, ME

To: Franconia Notch Trailhead, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Zero miles todaySleeping in back of my truckFranconia Notch Trailhead, NHI slept good in my truck last night and when I woke up, I went inside the cabin and Frogcaller had already made coffee. Zulu and I sat at the table and talked while we had out coffee.Pretty soon, Lew came downstairs and Frogcaller came in from reading. We all headed into Greenville for a special breakfast that the community was putting on. We were first in line...can you imagine that. It was very good. We had eggs, pancakes, sausage, homefries and a Maine favorite...baked beans. We all had everything except for the baked beans. They sound terrible for breakfast, but people up this way eat them in the morning...yuck.The rains from yesterday were gone and it was a beautiful morning. We drove up to a spot to see the Chairback Mountains and on the way up we spoted a bald eagle sitting on an old dead tree that was standing next to water. That's the first bald eagle I've seen in a while. When we got back to the cabin, I took a shower...that's right, it's Saturday. I got ready to leave and thanked Frogcaller and Lew for their hospitality and said goodbye to Zulu. They are fantastic people. If anyone wants their address so they could stay with them, just send me an email. I think they could probably take up to about 8 people at a time.I headed into Monson and decided to stop and get somemore coffee. I ran into Stanimal at the payphone. He introduced me to Fuzzy. I wasn't sure if she was a hiker at first because she was wearing a dress, but Stanimal said that she was. Bigfoot came up a little later and then Keith Shaw, Jr. stopped by and said hi. I decided to go to Caratunk and take a look at The Caratunk House. Stanimal said that Paul put it up for sale. I walked through it, but I don't think I want to get tied down with something that big. I drove up to the po and Hippie and Coughdrop were there. I thought they would have been long gone by now. We went down to the snack wagon at Moose Crossings and they ate lunch. I still was't hungry after that breakfast I had so I just had a piece of the rasberry pie that Frogcaller put in the back of my truck and Coughdrop helped finish that off. I took them to Longley's and they bought some food to pack out and then I took them to the trailhead to drop them off.They had about a two hour wait before Steve Longley would be at the river to ferry them across. There was a bucket in the parking lot that was turned upside down and had a rock on top of it. I jokingly said that they should see what kind of critter was under the bucket. I didn't think there really would be anything there, but when they lifted it up, a gerbal came out. He stayed around them and Coughdrop didn't know what to do. She thought about taking it, but realized she couldn't do that, so they set the bucket where he could get in and out from under it. I drove off as they were hiking on down to the river.I headed for North Woodstock, NH. I am going to leave food drops at a couple of roadcrossings, so I should never have to carry more than one days worth of food through the White Mountains. That should make it really nice. My backpack should only weigh about 14 or 15 pounds at most. I parked in front of the grocery store in Lincoln and sorted my stuff out and cleaned out the back of my truck. I resupplied and then ate a small dinner.I called my sister-in-law in California to see if she heard how my other sister-in-law did with the hurricane.They live in Boca Grande, right where the hurricane came ashore. They live on waterfront property, so I was worried about them. The only damage they recieved was that all the coconut palms in their yard were gone on their chimney is gone, but everything else is in pretty good shape.Their neighbor decided to stay in her home and ride it out. She had just walked into her house from an enclosed porch when the porch blew away. She was very lucky.I should start hiking south out of Gorhan, NH on Monday morning. Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy, so it will be a good day to stash some food drops.My plan is to hike from Gorham down to Glencliff before I go out to hike the John Muir Trail with Skeemer and company. I will get a ride back to my truck on the 24th from Glencliff to Gorham. Lew said he would pick me up after he drops Frogcaller off to do another long section. She will have less than 700 miles to do when she gets this section in. Good job Frogcaller!! I'll drive out to Skeemer's home in Ohio and ride out to California with him.Another great day near the A.T.