Slackpacking Trip - Day 2

It was still raining this morning when I woke up (0630), so my plan to climb Mount Katahdin was out. Decided to start hiking in an area at the southern end of 100 Mile Wilderness. To get there, I drove north out of Pittsfield (0700) on Higgens Road to US-2E and then turned onto ME-152N at Palmyra. Also used ME-154W, ME-152N and ME-150N to Guilford. Stopped at an IGA there and picked up snacks for the trail. When I departed town, I ended up hitting a dead-end at Sebec Lake. Turned around and found a gravel road that took me through Willimantic. Continued to Borestone Mountain road into Bodfish Valley. The road kept changing names: Wilson Stream Road, Elliotsville Road until I found ME-15 near Monson. Found the trailhead north of town (0915). By that time, the rain had stopped and I headed into the woods, bound for Little Wilson Falls. It was cool and windy and I'm glad I dressed well for the experience. On a few stretches, I spotted the distinctive s-shaped pattern on the trail (~ ~ ~) that I've seen all over the AT. I wonder about the cause of that pattern... In addition to some great vistas, I experienced two things Maine has that I hadn't seen before: BIG tree roots and slippery slate surfaces. Add lots of fallen foliage and remnants of the recent rain and the game was on: Jim vs the AT... Still, after all the rocks I've already crossed, I thought I was ready. Two big falls later (one of which broke one of my hiking poles under me), I was much humbler. Fortunately, no breaks or cuts - there would be no help coming in this stretch. Much of the trail required actual rock climbing - varsity stuff. I also had to get really creative to cross swollen streams (jump!). My spirits were lifted, though, when I encountered the last NOBO Bubble of the season (several groups of hikers who have stayed close during their through hike). They are all excited to nearly be finished - felt good to share the vibe... Followed a couple of them for a bit and saw the rest on the backtrack. Waterfall was well worth all the effort (and I kept telling myself all the way back - gritted it out). The view of the falls was great, too. Saw a deer and some beautiful lake views on the way back. After more than 14 miles today (some due to getting a bit lost, due to downed trees and missing blazes), I made it back to my car (1715). Using my AT Hiker's Guide book, I found a place to stay in town - Shaw's (hikers lodge) - there was no one there when I arrived but a sign on the door said "make yourself at home." I found two other hikers inside "Blueberry Bear" (flip-flopper, finished entire AT today) and "Heidi" and visited with them until the owners returned. Found out that most of these hostels will be cash only - will need to find an ATM. Watched some baseball this evening, read more of "The Shipping News". Also spent time sharing stories of the AT (and Heidi talked about the PCT) - it got me even more excited about the trip! Total today = 6.99 miles / AT Grand Total = 166.01.