Date: 2016-08-24
From: Rainbow Lake Campsite

To: B&B
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: clear sky

Today is the next to last day of hiking. How bizarre is that idea? Hiking is what I do. It's all I do, haha.And so I did, about 7 miles. It wasn't bad at all and before I knew it I was at the Hurd Brook Lean-to. There was an inexplicable pile of dead mice out front of the shelter. Someone must've been packing a few mouse traps and must have been busy all night. Part of me thinks this is terrible and not his place to do that, and the other thinks hey, mice are terrible, acrobatic pests out here. In the end, I am indifferent.Just before I reached the Abol Bridge Campground, someone had left Hershey bars on a rock. Trail magic chocolate is not to be laughed at. This is amazing and gives me a boost as I nearly jog down the gravel road to the restaurant at the campground. Multiple very full, very tall logging trucks kick up dirt as they bounce by. Life is good.When I reached Abol Bridge general store, I went into the restaurant and Patches and Gold Rush were there. Wait... Gold Rush got off the trail months ago for foot fractures. But he's back! Instead of giving up on his hike, he took a few months off and just started his hike going southboind. Good for him! That takes serious determination.Radar and Orion showed up and we had burgers and Allagash White beers. Mmm! I asked the waitress what their soup of the day was and when she said "New England Clam Chowder", Radar and I both audibly gasped, celebrated and ordered that as well.Ranger John of Baxter State Park came inside and introduced himself. He informed us that there were only two spots left at Katahdin Stream Campgrounds, so Radar and Orion wanted to hurry and grab them.Radar and I hit the resupply for just a few snacks for Katahdin (four snickers for me) and then we hiked out the last few flat miles, and the final stream ford to reach Katahdin Streams campground.When we arrived, we knew that we needed to check in to the Ranger Station. We came up on Ranger Ed talking to a group of hikers. We spoke with him and got checked in to Baxter State Park and I was discussing my plans to hitch in to Millinocket when someone in the group overheard and offered me a ride. That was the fastest hitch ever!I got in the SUV and met M'lynn and Arthur. They are the wife and brother of Paul of Paul's Boots. Paul was an Australian gentleman who dreamed of thruhiking the AT, but passed away before he could realize this dream. 3 pairs of his boots have been carried by various hikers along the AT to take them from Springer Mountain Georgia to Mt Katahdin in Maine. Two pairs had summitted that very day. It was a very emotional day for them both and I felt honored to have met such kind people.The other three guys in the car were Jaba, who had just finished his thruhike, and the two guys who make up Duct Tape and Beer Productions, and also the Dirtbag Diaries Podcast. They are filming Paul's Boots, the documentary. These guys were a lot of fun.Jamie was already on her way to the park when she got my texts that I was on my way to the B&B, so we passed each other like ships in the night. She finally got my texts not to go to the park (a lot of Maine has very spotty cell signal) and turned around. By this point, I was waiting on the porch for her when she pulled up. The feeling was indescribable. A rightness where it had only been wrong before. My wonderful wife!Now it's time to take a shower and gear up for Katahdin. The end of the end.