Day 150, Zero day, total miles - , miles to go -

August 15, 2013

Zero day in Monson, ME.

I got up at this morning a little before 7:00. At 7:15 I walked 0.5 miles to the Shaw Hostel for breakfast. Lakeshore doesn't serve breakfast. Shaw's has an AYCE for $9.00. It was very good. There were a dozen thru-hikers eating there. Most of them had stayed at Shaw's. There was Garfunkel, Mud Mouth, Yard Sale, Gonzo, Rainbow Braid, and Roadrunner.

After breakfast I went back to Lakeshore House. I took a shower, and B-Rocket and I washed all of our clothes together. They had loaner clothes for us to wear while doing laundry. I laid on my bunk bed for a while and took a nap on one of the couches in the afternoon.

The people here at Lakeshore will do a food drop about half way through the 100 Mile Wilderness. We put food in a five gallon bucket, they put our name on the lid, then they take it to a spot in the woods near the trail. They said there will be a pink ribbon tied to a tree and that our buckets will be fifty feet behind there. The location is at a gravel road crossing. Doing this will help keep our pack weight down. One of my chores for today was going through the food I bought yesterday. Making sure I had enough food for each section.

I laid in the hammock at the edge of the lake for about one hour. Listening to the waves hit the shoreline was very peaceful. I thought back to the first day of my hike. I remember wondering about what experiences I would have and all the people I would meet. Now, after over 2,000 miles behind me, I'm sure I've met at least a thousand people, and I've had enough experiences to fill a lifetime. It's been a grand adventure.

B-Rocket, Roadrunner and Patches went swimming in the lake while I laid in the hammock at the lakes edge.

This afternoon Patches, the sobo, and I realized he gave me a ride in Harper's Ferry when I was hitch hiking. That was over two months ago. I thanked him again for picking me up. Patches is thru-hiking southbound.

I had a pizza for dinner here at Lakeshore House. Back upstairs I  watched TV for a couple hours. I'm anxious to start the 100 Mile Wilderness tomorrow.