June 22. Monson -> Horseshoe Canyon

Easy 9 miles on relatively flat terrain today, many more road crossing and signs of life and industry [logging] than in the Wilderness. Spend most of the morning chatting with fellow hikers, eating breakfast, drinking too many sodas. Dana shuttled Smash and the boys down to the Route 15 trailhead, and picked some other folks up. She seems so in her element when she's helping people out. We put my food together [well, Dana did, I was so full of nervousness/excitement/anticipation that I was pretty useless at this point], and some boxes for the future, and Dana dropped them off at the PO. Kaleigh was panicking a bit about her pack weight; we advised her to mail some of her food to Stratton, but the PO was closed by then, so Dana will do it from home. My pack weight is only 25 pounds with 4 days of food and water, which I'm glad of. I also weight less, so that helps! Dropped 10 pounds in the Wilderness, if Shaw's scale is accurate. Hit the trail as about noon, in the light rain. Dana dropped me off. I'm going to miss her a lot. My first bit of trail magic happened today, at about mile 6 I came across a cooler with cold beer, water, soda, and seltzer. I grabber an orange seltzer; it was great. After and easy ford I got to Horseshoe Canyon lean-to, where I thought Smash and the boys might be, but - thankfully - they're not. A little frat-boy for me. Big Squirrel is here, though; we ran into him a couple of days ago near Monson. Also a section hiker kid, very young, Switchback, who if he's out of high school I'd be surprised. Nice kid, started in Gorham and going to Katahdin, and doing 20+ mile days. He's a good source of info about what's to come - though, if I've learned anything out here, it's never trust anyone's information. People have a hard time factualizing distances and times, it's so subjective, it seems... "not too far" can mean right around the corner, or 10 miles of grueling hiking. Hugh - fuckin' Hugh [as we endearingly referred to him after he gave us bad info about White House Landing in the 100 miles - he's actually a very good dude, quirky and interesting] - is a guy we met as we were hiking toward White House Landing. We was going from Monson to Katahdin, then going back to Monson and heading South, what's known as a flip-flop hike. He told us White House wouldn't pick you up after 6, which is innaccurate - they will if you're staying the night. So, we busted our asses to get there, needlessly. It's important, I'm learning, to develop your own system of judging time and distance, and be realistic about it. People are good sources of info about where to start, people to meet and talk to, where to get a good burger - but not numbers. Not out here, anyway. Made some beans and rice (dehydrated), with my cat food stove, which worked well, and will probably turn in soon, though it's early. Hiking alone is different, after so many miles with a partner. I was a little sad and lonely for the first couple of miles in the rain, but feeling good now. "Fixing a Hole" by the Beatles has been in my head all day, I suppose beasue of the rain. Also, today is the first day I've really felt like I can do this. :) - Ups