Date: 2018-08-12
From: ME 15 - Monson 

To: Wilson Valley Lean-To
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: few clouds

For years I have dreamed about hiking through Maine¢s 100-Mile Wilderness. Today I crossed the threshold and began the final leg of my AT journey. Somebody pinch me!As Which Way mentioned, I spent yesterday afternoon in Monson. The small town is located on Route 15 which is a somewhat major route north to the well-known Moosehead Lake Region, to which Monson is sometimes considered a gateway. This route eventually leads to the Canadian Province of Quebec. Monson is also the last town located near the AT and is the gateway to the 100-Mile Wilderness for NOBOs. I stayed at Shaws Hostel while in Monson. Poet and Hippy Chick, the proprietors, are great. WW sent me a re-supply to the hostel so I did not have to do much in the way of shopping. That left me more time to eat. I hit the local gas station with a pizza oven for lunch. That might hold me over until dinner. The local BBQ joint has a prime rib special on Saturday nights. I ordered up a big, juicy and delicious cut of meat, a salad, roasted potatoes, and a large piece of cornbread that tasted more like dessert. A sweet lady named Bonnie who has been following our trail journal also left  me a package at Shaws. It had a load of hiker treats in it. I ate a bunch of it, packed what I could, and gave the rest to a couple of hikers in need.Before taking off this morning I weighed myself and my pack. To my surprise I was down to under 170 lbs. That is 10 pounds lighter than the last time I weighed in and makes a total of 25 lbs that I have lost since starting the trail. Must eat more pizza, prime rib, and ice cream. Poet and Hippy Chick did their part to get my calorie count up. They fixed up eggs to order, bacon, fried potatoes and all you can eat blueberry pancakes. Yummy!After breakfast I weighed my pack with and without food and water. My base weight (without food and water) was 15lbs. Add 5 days of food and 2ltrs of water and I was up to 32 pounds. I guess I will just have to eat my way to a lighter pack.I took the 0900 shuttle back  to the trail and was hiking into the wilderness. THE 100-Mile Wilderness. It runs from the spot I entered the forest to Abol Bridge,  just south of Baxter State Park. It is generally considered the wildest section of the AT and one of the most challenging to navigate and traverse. It consists of a small corridor of protected wilderness surrounded by large tracts of public and private land controlled by paper companies. An increasing amount of the adjoining lands are being protected by groups like the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Nature Conservancy.In 2000, a series of new logging roads and a marked side-trail offered hikers re-supply and lodging opportunities between miles 55 and 65 heading northbound from Monson. This commercial refuge is not officially recognized by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and has been controversial since it became accessible. Hikers also have the option of having Shaws or another supplier to deliver a cache of re-supply items to a predesignated location. I began this section with 5 days of provisions and will resupply at Whitehouse Landing, about 60 miles in. More on that later. Not long after entering into the 100-Mile Wilderness, the sound of automobiles traveling  along ME 15 began to wane. I passed three ponds in as many miles and saw plenty frogs and mushrooms. I also saw a snake, the 4th one in the past  5 days.After stopping for an early lunch and stretch at Leeman Brook Lean-to, I hit the trail and soon came to the nicest pond of the day. North Pond had an island in the middle of it and it stretched beyond my field of vision. As I came up from an excursion to the pond, a couple hiking SOBO walked up. The wife, Laura (Butterfly) asked if I was Next Step. Her and her husband, Kevin (Huckleberry), have been following our journal. Huckleberry sent me a note about a week ago letting me know they were hiking from Katahdin and that our paths might cross. Huckleberry and Butterfly are from Thousand Oaks, California. They started hiking the AT in 2014 and made it to Carlisle, PA before a life event interrupted their journey. They are finishing what they started this year. Good for them. They are documenting their hike on trailjournals.com. Give them a shout out. Butterfly told me that our journal was inspiring couples to hike together. I don¢t know about that, but I am happy if that is the case. I¢m a firm believer that couples should find recreational activities that they can experience together.After chatting with Huckleberry and Butterfly for at least a half hour I got back to hiking again. A moderate climb took me up to Bear Pond Ledges. Down the other side I came to Little Wilson Falls. The powerful falls thundered into a canyon. After leaving the falls there were several other small rises and falls in the terrain. The trail came to Big Wilson Stream, where I had to ford through knee deep water. Not much further up the trail I came to Wilson Valley Lean-to. At 6:30 I was the first to arrive. Four SOBOs eventually showed up.It was a good first day in the wilderness.Peace & Blessings - NSElevation Data:Ascent - 1,955Descent - 2,205Grade - 7.6Weather:Day -  78 / Mostly SunnyNight - 60 / CloudyOver The Horizon: Baxter State Park