Date: 2005-09-11
From: Rivers & Trails Hostel (Caratunk, ME)

To: Rivers & Trails Hostel (Caratunk, ME)
Miles today: 0.0

7:03amYesterday Red Wing, Hopeful and I may have set a record for the earliest people to arrive at Shaw's Lodging in Monson. We had camped a mile and a half from town and rose early to hike in. Just before the parking lot we passed a flip-flopping southbounder, Swingin' Jane. She told us we just missed Keith Shaw in the lot by minutes. It still wasn't a bad hitch, though. We were quickly picked up by a colorful local with a story for every situation.At Shaw's we inquired about a ride back to the White Blaze Fest in Caratunk. He wasn't sure what he could do, but he gave us the phone number of the Pie Lady. Up through last year she ran a hostel. This year she retired but continues to run shuttles. Hopeful quickly lined up a ride for us with her. While waiting we rummaged through our respective maildrops. I received my cold weather sleeping quilt, my ridgerest, and my tarp. Goodbye hammock, it's been a good run but it's getting too darned cold for you. I also received a special someone in the mail. That alone made my day. Things on Katahdin will be nearly presidential.It took about an hour for the Pie Lady to drive us to Caratunk. It's 37 trail miles and 55 road miles. Along the way we learned about the ins and outs of her experience running a hostel and all the trail gossip of the last decade in Monson. She seems like quite a nice lady with a will of her own. I'm glad I had the chance to meet yet another one of the trail's established personalities.Caratunk wasn't quite hopping - yet. We and a flip-flopper named Chopsticks that we passed descending Moxie Bald were the only hikers present though a few organizers were milling about such as Baltimore Jack and Plugger. But the hikers began trickling in. Many were familiar faces - Sam-I-am, Origami, Troll, Anchor, Oblivious, Fig, Just Bob, Wilderness Bob, Pumpkin of the Muppets, Just Visitin' spring to mind. Others I'd briefly met before, such as Many Faces. A few were names I recognized from the registers but had already summited Katahdin such as Scared-of-the-Dark and Clockwork Orange. Still others were organizers like AT Troll (the whiteblaze.net webmaster), Lion King, and Blister Sister (an old hiking partner of Professor Nutbag's). But a surprising number were new faces some that I know from registers and some that I didn't. For the first time I met Red Blaze, Squid Jerky, Leviathan, Proteus, Buttah, Wildcat, and a whole host of blurred faces and names.And finally, the faces I most hoped to see came walking down the road; Professor Nutbag and Ug. Low Bridge, unfortunately, had twisted his ankle the day before and took a day off. He didn't make it. But all in all, there were enough hikers milling around that there was never a shortage of activity. There was a sense of excitement in the air. After hiking in a void for so long it was nearly sensory overload ¢ so many hikers!We had a pre-lunch game of hacky-sac with a circle composed of Many Faces, Professor, Ug, Squid Jerky, Origami and myself. When Many Faces pulled out his hack I looked at it curiously and asked where he'd gotten it. He had picked up the very hack I had left behind at The Cabin in Andover!The main attraction at any hiker gathering is the food. And boy did we eat well. Burgers, hot dogs, chili, and corn for lunch; leftovers and lasagna for dinner. And of course, the snacks were plentiful ¢ carrots, grapes, bananas, chips, sodas, and assorted junk food that hikers love. Every hiker was stuffed by the end of lunch and even more so after dinner. In between we hung out reminiscing and swapping trail stories with old and new friends. Two guys were present making a movie on trail angels and they interviewed practically every hiker present, myself included. As the day turned to evening we started a good old fashion bonfire with room enough for all to gather. S'mores were shipped out but weren't quite as popular as one may have expected. We really were stuffed. As the embers faded so did hikers, slowly trickling back to their tents ready to pass the chilly night with full bellies and shared dreams.