Somewhere, over the rainbow

An AT-widow's version of Day 1

First message I got from Judd was a text Sunday morning in response to my text Saturday night:


                                                                I just got home (and found your hot sauce.)  Pole pole. (*)
                                                                          (me)

Yup. Can you call Tim and tell him we're not planning
on being at the closing August 5.
          (Judd)


All that tells me is he found a hill with cell service. Did he find water?   Did he hang his food up away from that mother bear and cub he saw yesterday?  Did he catch any fish now that he's packing a rod? Did he sleep in a lean-to or in his cocoon?  i.e. his hammock where the screen and /or rain fly envelope him and he dangles a foot off the ground all night.

hammock practice in the garage this spring

* = sorry (in Swahili)

First news from Judd

Monson drop

I didn't really get to see Judd hit the trail last time either. Last September, I put him on a plane in Portland and he got himself to Atlanta then to Springer Mountain.  So it's okay that I didn't drive back the 1/4 of a mile to see the Abol trailhead with Judd. I saw his sunshine yellow shirt sleeves and blue Osprey pack loaded to the gills through the serious dust in my back windshield. The Golden Road from Kokadjo, where Judd filled up his platypus with spring water,  was more of a dirt brown road than a golden road.  It was very dry and from next to no rain this week. We only got lost once on the unmarked dirt roads and decided to call it a "short cut" from Silas Hill Road to the Golden Road. We saw the compulsory moose causing traffic to stop on the road side.  Judd avers that he saw a bear and her cub.  ("Second bear sighting I've had ever in Maine.)  "LOOK!" he had shouted, pointing no where, so I looked out the wrong window, at the wrong shadow on the wrong side of the road, and I saw no bear, no cub.

Friday night we had departed after dinner, Judd having packed, tidied, sorted, temporized all over the place. (No, the bathroom is not done, but progress has been witnessed.) We left Ryley in charge of catdog feeding and walking. Judd wanted to leave a drop box in Monson where he will finish up the 100 Mile Wilderness so we decided to break up my drive and stay at the hostel overnight there. Shaw's Lodging is a legend AT hiker hostel. We walked right in to the living room and I saw someone I worked with at Togus VA.  HIs wife co-manages the hostel during summer months. Hikers come and go, some just starting, some just finishing a long stretch, some just day hiking.  The place is a trove of leftover hiker food, supplies, clothes for the taking. We were walked up the thin, steep steps to the "purple room. " Comfortable bed, two bathroom choices right down the hall. Clean towels, shared bulk shampoo etc and special hiker amenities in the bathroom like poison ivy cream and bug spray.

We walked a block over to the Lakeshore House for a refreshing adult beverage and view. We had some chicken wings and fried cauliflower just to be polite while taking up a bench seat at moonrise over Lake Hebron. It was astounding to think how idyllic it was for such a short summer season. We could envision how cold and desolate it must be in the winter.

Saturday, we had the massive, famous breakfast, family style with other travelers sitting around various tables. They bring you 3 blueberry pancakes as a first course. Then they take your order. 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 eggs, cooked as you like, with bacon, sausage, home fries on the side. It was daunting to try to get the lady to stop delivering food for us. At our table a Connecticut couple and a retired looking gentleman had just completed the 100 mile Wilderness. Another guy had completed the trail many years ago, but now volunteers on various sections and had much wisdom and factoids to impart. if Judd had hiked last week he would have had 6" standing water on many trails. The nice Connecticut couple asked where we were from.  We said China, just a couple hours south.  "How far a drive to Albuquerque ?" she asked the other hiker. He explained he was flying back to New Mexico.  Maybe the lady thought there was an Albuquerque, Maine. Maybe there is. 

Deja Day 1 vue

Judd hit the trail (well, the road) about 11:45 this morning. I left him just crossing Abol Bridge. His map had told him the trail was just to the left. He had options to hike about 4 miles to the first camping place at Hurd Brook or  or 11 miles to the Rainbow Lake Campsite.

Stories of getting there in following posts (my stories, if he doesn't have any better cell phone coverage that we did today driving there. We might not hear until he gets out of The Wilderness  in 10 days.

Stay tuned for more of that fluorescent yellow shirt 

Is that even right-side up?

Yes, that's an autographed plastic lobster he's taking as a talisman

Day minus two

The hiatus is over. Judd is packing. He's sending food/restock boxes around the state. He's a SOBO this time (south bound.)  Tomorrow, we plan to drop a box at the hostel in Monson and Saturday, I'll drop him at Abol Bridge.  (As a section hiker, he's done Katahdin so many times, he doesn't need to start at the summit. )  He's looking to do the 100 Mile Wilderness before the Caratunk International Mexicans and Aliens Food Fest. 

The "Last Supper:"

fresh peas and Judd's invented rhubarb-garlic-scape slaw

cat-dog chill in' on the deck

fish tacos....

Planning the next section - July 9, 2014

Judd dropped a food package at Caratunk today. He's walking daily in his boots and bug dope. He's planning the 100 Mile Wilderness......