Date: 2006-06-13
From: Monson, ME

To: Stratton, ME
Miles today: 70.2
Weather: broken clouds

It is now the second leg of our journey and the rain continues to batter our spirits. We got a maildrop of food in Monson, ME and continued on another 7 miles that same day. On the evening of june 8th we stayed in a shelter with three other thru-hikers heading South named Webster, Mono, and Agate. Most people will have a trail name and many of them will sound very strange or comical. I have previously used the trailname, longben, but will be adopting a new one for the AT. The specifics of that name have yet to be determined.    Everyone in Maine is talking about the record amounts of rain. The trail is flooded on at least 60% of its length and this makes the going frustrating. Our feet have been wet for a long time, and this could lead to problems down the road if conditions do not improve. All the streams, brooks, and rivers are running incredibly high, but nothing yet that looks truly dangerous has crossed our path.    On our second day out of Monson we crossed the West Branch of the Piscataquis River and it was a lot of fun. Boy was that sucker running high. The pack was inches from being under water, and it was shockingly cold. The forests of Maine can be truly depressing under these kinds of skies, but we are making the best of it. The lean-to shelters are really a lifesaver because they allow us to at least partially dry out our gear.    Three days into this section we arrived in Caratunk, ME. This is where you are ferried across the famed Kennebec River. Steve is the name of the ferry man, and he was impressed with how large the river was. He stressed respecting the river, and managed to say respect more times in 10 minutes than I have said in my entire 22 years. General Tso and I were each carried across at separate times and both of us reached the opposite shore safely. A bit later that morning is when the weather finally began to clear after 11 days, and the weather has been bearable if not beautiful ever since. For this we are very thankful. The bugs are even beginning to ease up a bit especially at the higher elevations.    Near the end of this 70 mile section we came across the rugged Bigelow Mountains. The weather was superb and we were greeted with expansive views of Maine at all of its many peaks. The Bigelows are a grand set of mountains towering 4,145 Feet above the broad valleys of Maine. Stratton is nestled at the base of these mountains, and due to its low elevation the bugs staged a comeback while we were in town. The hitch into Stratton from the trail was incredibly simple and I didn't wait over 10 minutes when going to or from town.    In town we got food and chugged some chocolate milk at Fotter's Market. A small establishment with a surprisingly wide selection and fair prices. Much more vast than the meager stock at the Monson General Store. After shopping we ate a good meal at the Stratton Diner, and then headed to the post office and to do some laundry. While in the laundromat we sorted through the bounce box and got what we needed. A bounce box is a box that we use to supply ourselves with a few essential items for when we are in town(ex. nail clippers, soap, extra cloths, and a battery recharger). In short order we had taken care of business, however we missed the post office by 6 minutes and were forced to wait there overnight. We slept for free in a bug infested patch of woods just outside of town. That night we had a few pitchers of Pabst Blue Ribbon at the local bar and had some very interesting conversations with the colorful local crowd. Noone seemed to mind that we were fairly ripe after 11 days without a proper bath.    In the morning we mailed off our packages and continued on to the trail.