Date: 2016-07-08
From: Moxie Bald Lean-to

To: Shaw's, Monson, ME
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Got a little better sleep last night, somewhat interrupted by our Sobo friend next to me. I think there may have been a leak in the roof, and it was crowded inside the shelter. We wanted to get as much time as we possibly could in Monson, so we were out on the trail by about 6:15, and moving quick at that. My poor shorts were still soaking wet, and are just no fun to wear. I decided that I would hike in just my compression shorts today. The trail followed the course of Moxie Bald brook as it wound down toward the East Branch of the Piscataquis River. The terrain alternated between lovely logging roads and jumbles of rocks and roots that were tough to navigate and slowed me down. We managed to rock hop a number of smaller streams listed as fords, but came up against a much harder ford at the West Branch of the Piscataquis. Goldie, Seal Tree and Lightning all wear pretty light hiking shoes, and walked right in, but I decided to take the time to fully take off my boots. No sense soaking them when they're halfway dried out from yesterday. So this created a system in which I would fall behind at the fords and then catch up with them. At the other side of the west branch, a ridgerunner that we met laid into Lightning for taking a piss about thirty feet from the river's edge. Sure, don't pee near a water source, but lady: this isn't a spring or a tiny trickle of stream. This is a thigh-deep river. Claiming that what Lightning did would have any effect on the water supply is preposterous. Plus, people are WALKING THROUGH THIS WITH THEIR BOOTS which have God knows what on them, whereas we know that urine is sterile. We know you're charged with taking care of the trail, but we're not the bad guys....The trail continued on the banks of the Piscataquis West Branch, up a fairly steep bank. It did the common AT phenomenon of climbing up and back down the bank, creating more elevation change than it really had to... just before the East Branch, five miles later, I met another ridgerunner - much older, and shoeless - who told me to make sure to stop by the visitor's center in Monson and register for Baxter State Park. The gang was snacking at the ford for the East Branch, and I went across first in order to get ahead of them. I headed up one of the only small climbs of the day, about 400 feet, passing a road that made me feel like I was back in civilization. The trail then cut along the side of a hill, and down to Lake Hebron, which had a number of docks on it, seems like a place for the locals. Just around the side, the trail diverts from its old route, which led straight through the town of Monson and instead cuts due north across Buck Hill. I moved quickly over the new-cut trail trying to catch up with the gang so I could make sure to get a hitch with them. I enjoyed the view from the top of the hill away into the 100-mile wilderness. i could definitely make out the Chairback Range that I will probably get to tomorrow. When I came out to the road, the gang was still waiting there and hadn't actually called Shaw's for a ride yet. So we did that, and soon enough a van pulled up, and the drive introduced himself as Poet, who has taken over the ownership of Shaw's for the past couple of years. And so he drove us into town, which surprised me with how large it was. It's not big by any means, but t feels significantly more like a real place than Stratton or Andover, for sure.Shaw's is in a big white farmhouse similar to the Notch Hostel, but is oder and more well-loved. It clearly caters to hikers. Within the first minute or so of being there, I was treated to a PBR from Poet. We took off all of our gear and kept it out on the porch, then went inside and all grabbed beds in a large room upstairs. This is a nicer stay than most other hostels. Reminds me most closely of Woodchuck's in Damascus. Already in the room was a woman who introduced herself as Bananas. She's been hiking since February, but seems to have been just a couple days ahead of us for a while now. She has crazy big dreds and seems nice. I told everybody I had made it safely and with its only being about 1:30, the four of us headed out to find food. We went over to the Lake Shore House, which is the other place for hikers to stay, and though we would've loved to sit inside, were seated out back because we hadn't washed the funk off ourselves yet. It was chilly out and I got a little cold. Service was also pretty damn slow, but that is often the way at these places that are basically run by a couple and a few other people. In the middle of waiting I decided to go up and visit the post office and ask about the package I tried to bump to Monson. No dice, but the lady who helped me was very nice. I'm pretty sure the package just went to the Stratton Motel as it was supposed to, rather than the post office, so nobody would've had the chance to bump it. Ive only got a week left, my shoes seem like they'll hold out. On the way back to the post office I found Wonka, who is setting up for the night at Shaw's, too. Lake shore ended up being pretty tasty, I got a big steak and cheese "bomb" sandwich, as well as a nice ipa. After lunch we headed to Pete's place, a coffee shop next door, where Seal Tree got a whoopie pie - he's become obsessed - and I ended up getting a milkshake. Pete's place had some resupply, but we knew that Shaw's also had some, too, and we wanted to check which was cheapest. I didn't care all that much; unlike the other folks, I had a package of food waiting for me at Shaw's courtesy of my mom, who kindly put it together for me and shipped it up! We returned to Shaw's and took showers, put on loaner clothes, did laundry, relaxed. I picked out a fetching leopard print shirt for myself. An important discovery was made that Shaw's stocks Moxie for the price of 50 cents a can. I'm pretty sure we wiped out a 12-case and a half. As usual I ended up playing a bunch of guitar, and also listened to Wonka play as well as another Sobo. This is the largest grouping of sobos I've seen since Gorham. I suppose they might congregate around trail towns because they make take zero days more frequently? That is, I'm twice as likely to see a Sobo in town as on trail? Hurm. Poet demonstrated how to play the conch shell and the didgeridoo. Wonka showed up and pitched her tent outside rather than grabbing a bunk, and then Sorority Steve showed up! I retrieved my package from the attic of the barn across the way and sorted out my food and gear. Around dinner time, Poet suggested we head to Spring Creek BBQ, which is only open on certain days of the week, and we got lucky. So Lightning, Seal Tree, Goldie, Wonka, Bananas, Steve and I headed down the block. The place looks very newly renovated, and was crowded for such a small town. I put in my order for a pulled pork sandwich and some cole slaw and got an Allagash Black stout, which I very much like. The food was up decently quick and we all sat around the end of a long table. It's carolina BBQ which isn't really my style - I prefer the syrupy thick tomatoey stuff, but maybe that makes me a tourist. It was tasty, anyways.After dinner we went over to the visitors center and checked into Baxter park; this means that now the rangers will be expecting us and have some information on us before we get there. I pored over a 3d model of katahdin, examining all the different routes up. The AT route up is quite crazy but there are other trails ten times crazier, it seems. Everything now is so Katahdin-centric. There's a hundred miles left, but it seems like there's only one mountain. I used their computer interface to register and got a little receipt that I put in my wallet. The woman who worked at the center was really nice and closed up shop as we headed out. We made our way back to Shaw's. I hung around the common area where folks were watching a movie, but also did some final chores, cleaning my water filter, folding up my tent, which i'd been drying out. I also went and checked out the hiker box, where folks leave things they don't want. It's mostly stuff I would never want - a can of bear mace, a ziploc of cheerios - but occasionally you strike gold. Shaw's was more fertile than most, and after first nabbing some chapstick and a bottle of advil, I found a brand new pair of Dirty Girl Gaiters. First of all, I don't know how you throw those out. I love mine, one of my favorite purchases on the trail, and after almost 2000 miles (I got em in hot springs) they are absolutely beat to shit. And now herre was a new pair, ready to take on the world. They were bright yellow and covered in a bee design, and would make great replacements for my busted ones, which are now about 30% hole. Lightning could not believe I had made such a find.And with that, I wrap up the last trail town on the AT. One of my favorites, really. Shaw's is a great place, and Poet is a wonderful host. Tomorrow, into the Hundred for the final push. Dear God, it's almost over. This has been my job, my life, my love for four months now. All in all, I'm incredibly happy with how I've done it. It's had its share of hardships and trials, but I don't think I'd change much of anything.