Date: 2004-09-08
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to, ME

To: Day 133: ME 15 near Monson, ME
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: mist

On AT Day 133 I had an unusual challenge. My Horseshoe Canyon campsite was only nine-miles from my pick-up target on ME 15, four-miles east of Monson, ME. Why was this a challenge? Well when I was planning my hiking schedule for this segment I thought it would be a lot more difficult than it turned out to be and I expected my last day¢s hike to be 17.9-miles and as such I told my wife to not expect me until at least 4:00 p.m., perhaps after 5:00 p.m. Regardless, I still decided to get up at 4:00 a.m., take my time in packing and then hit the trail by around 6:30 a.m. I wanted to get started right away as I was a little concerned about fording the East Branch of the Piscataquis River since like its West Branch ¢cousin,¢ the guidebook said it could be dangerous. However, when I reached the river around 8:00 a.m. the 20-yard crossing turned out to be relatively easy as the current was slow and it was only mid-calf deep. As I was crossing the river, it started to rain, a foreshadowing of the deluge that was expected from the remnants of Hurricane Frances and a clear reminder that these rivers can rise fast.The rest of the morning¢s hike was pleasant enough, although the skies never cleared and the light rain softened up the mud patches. I reached ME 15 around 11:45 a.m. and immediately tried to call Hot Chocolate using my cellular phone. I was pleased that using the roaming mode I could at least make a call, but all I got was her voice mail. I then called the Deerfarm Campground and they told me that my wife had left about an hour before to move our trailer to our new campsite in Millinocket, ME. They also told me that my wife had said she would stop by the pick-up spot on the way since she was way behind schedule. I was elated by this news since that meant Hot Chocolate should be coming by any time now and we could both be on our way. No such luck!When my wife got to the Monson area it was only 1:00 p.m. and thinking that I would not be at the pick-up spot for another 3-4 hours she decided to go directly to the Hidden Springs Campground in Millinocket. At about this same time I decided to phone this new campground and they told me my wife had not yet checked in, but that they would tell her I was waiting at the pick-up spot. And wait I did. Around 4:00 p.m. I called my wife again and this time the call went through and she told me that she had just arrived at the Hidden Springs Campground and that they had given her the message to pick me up ASAP. She apologized for making me wait, but I assured her that it was my fault since I was the one who got to the pick-up spot way ahead of schedule.In any event, during the five-hours I waited for my wife to arrive I had the chance to meet and speak with at least four groups of SOBO and NOBO hikers, including 30-30, Giggles and Mushroom. Two of the SOBO hikers warned me about a challenging river fording that I would face up ahead. Standing around by the roadside, I also proved to be a local attraction for vacationers who were excited to meet a real AT through hiker. I was questioned, video taped, photographed and encouraged. I also passed the time by listening on my radio to three highly entertaining (in my newly warped sense of humor), but a bit scary (do people really believe what these guys are saying?) talk radio shows.As I look ahead to next week when I finally enter ME¢s famed ¢100-mile wilderness,¢ I expect I will be challenged with more deep river fordings and sloppy mud (especially with the rain we have been having for the past two days), but I remain confident. Stay tuned to see how I make out.