Date: 2005-09-06
From: Horseshoe Canyon Leanto

To: Rt. 15 - Monson
Miles today: 9.0

Diana was up before 5 getting her breakfast. I stirred at 4:55. Today is the coldest morning by far; the sleeping bag by itself was not quite sufficiently warm last night. Henceforth on this trip, I¢ll have my fleece pullover by my side. Diana was gone just as it was light enough to hike. I was out by 6:05.Slowly, subtly, Fall is making its presence known. Some leaves are turning at their edges. A few have changed completely although the predominant view of the forest is green. A casual glance from a distance would not detect the changing leaves but walking in the woods does avail the colors, another advantage of going on foot.Like much of the past few days, today featured lots of muck. Normally a downer, I¢ve resolved to not worry about it and only avoid the truly deep areas; afterall, this is part of the Northern New England AT experience. And with the eager anticipation of a town visit, I¢ll admit that I was tempted to take the side trail to Monson to avoid the final 3 miles to Rt. 15 but I¢d have to make them up eventually. So I continued.Today¢s ford was the East Branch of the Piscataquis. The combination of an early start and cold night (first morning in which I didn¢t start in short sleeves) made for a rather frigid crossing when I arrived there at 7 AM. That certainly woke up my feet! But the sun¢s warmth emerged rapidly enough that I spotted a good-sized (by Maine standards) snake about an hour later.After a spirited but entirely manageable ascent up Buck Hill, I arrived at Rt. 15 at 11:15. Slightly over 5 hours for 9 miles wasn¢t bad considering the muck and stretches of rocks & roots, not to mention the ford. But nearly an hour passed before my hitching yielded a ride to Monson. Some days are better than others. Being ravenous, I first sought lunch at the General Store but the cook was out for a little while picking up her daughter from pre-school. And you know what? I liked that; it was such a mark of community here in true small-town rural America, this wasn¢t a corporate-type fast food establishment long on efficiency (perhaps) but short on character. So I checked in at Shaw¢s where I met Mrs. Shaw and Keith Jr. who showed me the room and accommodations. Said hello to Pacman and Critter, both of whom are expecting their Dads to join them later. Buckeye is also here; he had to take Elizabeth to Lewiston to catch a bus home where she resumes classes at Ohio State. He may start tomorrow depending on his arrangements for shuttling his car to Millinocket. Rabbit who passed me at Moxie Bald Shelter was there. And finally, Forever North, to whom I provided some small Trail Magic last June in Shenandoah National Park, was there with his dog.Back at the General Store, I ordered a fish sandwich and shopped for supplies. While limited, there was just enough of what I needed. I then spent an amusing 2 hours waiting for my credit card transaction to process. I cast aside my customary impatience and sympathized with Tim, the store owner as he underwent painstaking dealings with a bureaucracy which cast my former employer - the Federal Government - as a model of speed, efficiency, and customer service!Did laundry, phoned Laurine, used the internet, and called Northern Harrier. So he¢s meeting me at Abol Bridge September 13. Hmm - this could make for an exhaustive trek through the 100 Mile Wilderness. I promised him I¢d try but no guarantees. In my first few hours in Monson, I felt tired enough to consider a zero day but now I feel better and the weather¢s terrific. So onward tomorrow.Reflections on Monson: like Andover and Stratton, I like it because it¢s not overly touristy. Their tourist business is hikers, hunters, fishermen, snowmobilers - not the rich chic tourists from the cities who gentrify the Maine coast and many New England small towns. Its position off the beaten path for now at least gives it a homey, genuine feel. What will Monson be like in 50, 100 years?