[at-l] Monson & Katahdin 9/8-11

[Marsha]

Teej-
What a wonderful report! I met some of those hikers at Trail Days!!
Thank you.
Marsha

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Snodrog5 at aol.com>
To: <At-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 1:46 PM
Subject: [at-l] Monson & Katahdin 9/8-11


> Nice visit with the service providers and hikers in Monson Friday and
> Saturday. Stayed at Shaw's where Tortoise, Leprechaun, Yellow Belly, 
> Sanford,
> Hannah, Gotta Go, Little Engine, Stumble, Dirt, Comfortably Numb,  Yukon, 
> Texas,
> Long Knife, Doomsomething (about a salamander?), Dinosaur,  Heinz, Hobbit, 
> Gray
> Fox, UConn, and Pumpkin were enjoying the hospitality. Lake  Shore House's 
> new
> owners and kids were fun to hang with - and the food and  drinks at the 
> new
> pub were outstanding. Three hikers were working for food  at the Barb-B-Q,
> where they were rewarded with giant porkchops and fixin's. I've  had 
> barbeque all
> over the country, and Spring Creek is as good as any of the  best. Got in 
> a
> whole eight miles of AT hiking. Friday night at Tim's store was a 
> Bluegrass
> jamboree with a dozen players and storefull of singers and clappers 
> enjoying the
> fun. Tim can really pick! The crowd was mostly locals, but the  half dozen
> hikers were made welcome and enjoyed the free snacks Lulu was cooking  up 
> behind
> the counter. The Canadian Army made an appearance too, staying  the night 
> at
> Shaws in camo with Mapleleaf flag arm patches. They were planning  on an
> adventure training exercise across the 100 Mile. Next morning at 
> breakfast Fern
> said they'd reconsidered, and would just do Gulf Hagas north  instead. 
> Much
> ribbing over 3Xs commenced about the Canadian discounted  Wilderness. Went 
> up and
> visited the outfitter in Greenville too, which was a  hoppin' place during 
> the
> annual float-plane fly-in. On my way out of town I ran  Hannah up to the
> trailhead, just as her pal Pumpkin popped out of the woods. Ran  him back 
> into
> town too. The festival in Greenville had hit full stride - there  was an 
> actual
> traffic jam by the Indian Store!
> Up at Abol Bridge I talked with Linda at her store, and chatted  with
> PopTart the AT trailrunner and M & M, a very tall Birt who had  just hiked 
> in. I
> hiked north on the AT along the river, one of the prettiest  sections of 
> Trail I
> know. Saw four different young female moose, a pair of  muskrats, an 
> osprey,
> six day hikers, and two foxes in about a two mile stretch.
> Later in the day inside the Park (and after a heavy downpouring
> thunderstorm) I met up with M&M again - he stayed at the Birches by 
> himself, the only
> thru in the Park that night. Next day I hiked the AT  south out of Daicey 
> south
> and met Low Gear and Mountain Goat coming in, at  the head of a large 
> bunch
> they said. Went up onto the Hunt Spur, enjoying the  Class One day, and 
> chatted
> with several section hikers and day trippers. Back  down at the campground 
> the
> bunch behind Low Gear and Mountain Goat trickled in,  with some AT '01 
> alum
> finishing a 100 mile anniversary hike. Happy, Stryder, Da  Bear, Johnny
> Appleseed, Mr & Mrs Miller, Spitball, Wild Bill and OYBG (other  young 
> bearded guys)
> were met by recently finishing hikers Jellybean and Shasta  providing some
> magic. I got some excellent feedback about the Companion, and  some Maine 
> AT
> folks got some excellent compliments from the hikers. I was  invited back 
> to the
> Birches, and as the forecast called for another 28 degree  night, I took 
> over
> some firewood. I left them about 7 after laughing  too much while teasing 
> those
> planning a 2AM start. 3 of them, including Low  Gear and Mountain Goat,
> actually did hit the moon-bright trail at 2. What a  cold, but marvelous, 
> summit
> they must've had on yet another Class One day. Saw  the very bundled up Mr 
> & Mrs
> Miller, Johnny, Spitball and IFerget  as I was packing up in the morning
> hitting the Trail, (still just 35 degrees). I  took pictures for them at 
> the
> signpost as they headed up. Said good-by to my  friend Ranger Bruce White 
> and drove
> all the way around to Sandy Stream Pond  for a circuit hike. The "other 
> side"
> of Katahdin is where we camped and  climbed when I was just a pup, it's 
> wierd
> to know that I'm older than my  Dad was way back then.
> Had a great visit at Park HQ with Heather Haskell and the other  Rangers
> there, then headed down towards Brownville and the Jo-Mary Road. Hiked a
> thereandbackagain to Cooper Brook Lean-to, visited the Campground and the 
> Gatehouse
> folks. and missed a few Brownville contacts, but the rest of the  four 
> days
> were a fine time with the finest kind of folks.
>
> Teej
> _______________________________________________
> AT-L Mailing List.
>
> Go here to unsubscribe or change your options:
>
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/at-l