Date: 2003-07-30
From: Gorham, NH

To: ? 
Miles today: 0.0

Start: Gorham, NHEnd: ? The past day and a half havebeen INCREDIBLE. You know a couple of daysago, when I was talking about that sensation I had on Webster Cliffs, that I could just spread my arms and fall, and there would be someone to catch me? Well, I think it was an omen. The stars are aligned in my favor. Something cosmic is going on.I blew into this town two days ago alone, and came to the Barn to stay (yes, it is a actual barn). I was pretty set on heading out the next day, but it was not to be. Nasty, who I met back at Terapin Station Hostel, was here and had been here for almost two months, working od jobs aound town. I was lazy all day, and took my time with my town chores, riding the loaner bikes all around town for groceries, mail drops, food and outfitter. At night, there was music in the park, and a couple of us went down to play frisbee. The frisbee game multiplied, as more and more hikers came into town and joined. It was so pretty: the sun was setting and there was this beautiful sky, a park full of happy people, and the mountains rising up in the distance. The hikers retired to the barn, and I bought some beer. We drank, watched movies. I was almost passed out, when Flavious called me outside to his truck, where people were hanging out. He is a thru-hiker from last year, and came up from Texas to visit some friends, who are SOBOs this year. The three friends have been here working for a week or so. (Gorham seems to be one of those trail towns that just sucks you in.) I was sitting there in the front seat of his truck, looking through his music collection, and talking to Wonderboy and him about music, when he just whips out these two Phish tickets. They are for the It show in Limestone, Maine, in five days. I have been hearing about this show for months. There are hikers rushing to finish their hikes, so they can see this show. And he gives them to me. He can't go, since he is hiking with his friends. He just hands them over. oh, My, GOD! This is like, three hundred dollars and forty-eight hours worth of great music in my hands. This is the most incredible magic ever.So I go to bed completely pumped on adrenaline. I couldn't sleep. In the morning, I toss. I keep looking over to see if Cliffdweller is up yet. Finally, he starts tossing coins at me from across the room. I tell him to come over, I show him the tickets and ask him to come along. He starts flipping out, too.But it gets better, I swear. So we have breakfast, and as I am walking back to the Barn, I hear someone shouting behind me. I turn around, and it took me a minute, but it was Kathy's mom! Bob and Mike's grandma, Bob elder's mother-in-law. They tell me that BobMikeBob are in Franconia Notch today, about five days back. So hopefully, I will be hiking with them when I get back from the show. And as I am there, my phone rings, and Ohmygosh, it's Lady Walksalot, and it's not a hernia, it's just a pulled groin muscle, and she's coming back to the trail. She'll be starting from Manchester Center, so she'll be behind, but she might skip up when BobMikeBob and I summit to go with us, and then finish up next year. Extra bonus: she lives really nearby the LT, where I will go immediately after finishing the AT.So, really, things are pretty incredible. I am just astounded by the way things worked out. I've been pinching myself all day.Tonight, we're hitching a couple hundred miles to Limestone. It's about as far north as you can get, and still be in the states. Wowee-Zowee. Times three.