Day 69: (Sept 7) 16.4 mi (2066.4 – Monson) Day 70: (Sept 8) Zero

Our goal for the day was to get into Monson and hope that there was room at the infamous Shaw’s Hiker Hostel. We were successful on both accounts.

The tread was accommodating, at first, providing us with mile upon mile of perfectly lined stepping stones, indicative of how waterlogged and muddy this section normally is. We felt blessed to have caught this section on an “abby-normal” day. This didn’t mean that we didn’t get away “un-wet.” While the forecast was good, the actual weather for this area was a bit “undecided,” requiring us to break out our rain jackets and pack covers. My knee was becoming a bit unhappy with the “stroll” along a winding stream and the continual mud encased rock hopping, so we explored and pieced together an alternate. As with all creative alternates, there was a price to be paid. In this case, it was the crossing of a deep stream where a bridge had been washed out. We bushwhacked through thick shrubbery (pretty sure it was accented with poison ivy) and down a steep Ravine, followed by a precarious crossing that led to a “walk em dry” situation. With that completed, it was all a matter of finishing the miles into town.

Our first stop was the Monson Appalachian Trail visitors center. It was time to finally get our AT hang tag and be externally recognized as AT hikers. In classic fashion, it was closed. The tag would have to wait. Our next destination was Shaw’s and hope that they had bunk space, as we were now in the midst of a thru-hiker bubble.

With two bunks secured, we set off in search of food…and our tags. At the AT visitor center, the long-time volunteer gave us our tags and explained the logistics of summiting Katahdin and all the reliable cell service places. One was the corner of a particular privy.

One of the interesting things about Shaw’s is Poets Gear Emporium.  It reminded us of Dave’s at Stemple Pass on the CDT. Everything a hiker needs, including beer. When you check into Shaw’s, you are given the choice of a beer (PBR) or a soda. We, of course, chose the beer. Shaw’s also offers a breakfast of coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, 3 eggs, 3 strips of bacon, home fried potatoes, and “all you can eat” blueberry pancakes, for $11. A thru-hikers’ dream.

Shaw’s also offered a resupply drop option for a significant fee, of course, as a way to reduce pack weight during our last several climbs through the 100-mile Wilderness. We expected our march through the 100-mile Wilderness would take 8 days. And because of where the climbs were located, we bit the bullet and secured two drops. One for 2 days of food at the Katadin Ironworks Rd (KI) and the remaining 4 days at  Jo Mary Rd, 60 miles into the 100-mile Wilderness. Each drop, which was secured in a 5 gallon bucket, cost $80/ea. It’s a little pricey, but in the end, you always pay for weight reduction, be it gear or services. This math would put us into Baxter State Park on the 17th, with us summiting Katahdin the morning of the 18th. As we were planning thus out, who should appear but our trio of trail friends…Rolling Stone, Scout and later on Sweat Potato, and even Collosus.

To say Shaw’s was packed would be an understatement. It was full to the gills, with even Leaping Lena’s Hiker Hostel, across the street, found itself nearly full. While at Shaw’s, we finally got to talk with all the other hikers we had been leap frogging with. We even caught up to “Little Bit”, who we had met back at the Abracadabra Coffee shop in Vermont.

With a plan in place to finish this section of trail and flip back to Pawling NY and complete the remaining 1400 miles or so SOBO, we took a zero to relax a bit before the big push to Katahdin. Sweat Potato and Collosus both wanted to summit with us on the 18th. Rolling Stone and Scout didn’t want to chance rolling the dice on the weather for the next 9 days, and purchased the next 3 days of camping at Baxter so they could “choose” the best weather day. Their plan, once having summited, was to head SOBO all the way to Caratunk from whence they flipped. They tried to entice us to join them, but we were secure in our 10-day weather window, so we opted to continue our Northbound march to Katahdin. With nothing more to fret about, it was time to eat.

    We all had the meat “sweats” after this