I got a good night's sleep and got out of bed raring to go! Forecast said sunny and in the 70s but when I looked out the window, it was raining and in the 40s. Fortunately, I was warm and dry in my hotel and had planned to do some driving anyway. I checked out of the Comfort Inn in Wilton at 0740 and drove a short distance to the east on US-2. I stopped to do some shopping (mostly snacks) at Walmart in Farmington and was finished at about 0815. It was raining REALLY hard when I got back to my car - I was drenched and everything was wet. But then I made things even worse with my attempt to pour a drink (from a newly purchased bottle of "Mr. Pibb"). Let's just say that things "went awry" and I ended up with a soda explosion in the car - what a mess! It took a while to clean up Nessie and the rain continued without a break. With few comfortable options for a pleasant hike, I decided to drive to the northeast to a hiking zone near Monson, even though I expected that the weather would follow me (and it did). The route (US-2, ME-27, ME-234, US-201A and US-201 to Bingham) was very familiar because I used it last time I was in Maine - but the low ceilings and cold/wet was definitely a downer... One highlight: I got to witness a mass exodus of Labor Day tourists - the roads going south were clogged with fleeing vacationers while I was the lone vehicle going north. The weather improved slightly when I switched to ME-16 - but I really began to wonder if I was going to be denied a pleasant day. Took ME-6 and then Pond Road (became Barrow Falls and then Abbot Road) to the little town of Blanchard. I’d last hiked in the area (from Monson to the Shirley-Blanchard Road crossing) in 2014 so I had to look around a bit for a place to park - fortunately, I got the last spot in the AT Lot. It was still raining by then (1015) and the temps were in the low 50s. Undeterred, I left my car (SOBO) wearing a long sleeved shirt and plunged into the wet forest, with only the high canopy to keep off the rain drops. The AWOL and NatGeo guide books both indicated this was generally a flat (slight incline) section. Within the first mile, I figured out why: it paralleled the Piscataquis River. I actually had to clamber over a beaver-dam-like “bridge” just to keep following it - didn’t fall in! Started to meet hikers soon after that (some Thru, some weekenders). One lady started talking to me and never took a breath - I now know more about her life than almost anyone else I’ve ever passed on the AT! Somehow, I got back to hiking... The trail initially lived up to its billing, terrain-wise, and it was pleasant to stroll along with the sound of rushing water. The sun tried to peek out of the clouds a few times but it mostly stayed overcast. When I neared the Horseshoe Canyon Shelter, I learned how it got the name - the trail took a decidedly “not flat” turn and I soon found myself looking down on the river from several hundred feet above. That gave me some great views before the trail returned to water level and I resumed my easy stroll. My day started to get harder after that, though - there were six more up/downs like that in the next three miles and I was cursing the Trail Designer through every one! Eventually, the roller coaster “fun” ended and I walked on a flat section for a while. But then the trail disappeared! I came to a clearing next to the river and I couldn’t tell where to go. Then I looked on the back side of a tree on the water’s edge and saw a white blaze - Son of a... Like my earlier crossing, there was no bridge - unlike before, though, there was no beaver dam (just little rocks). And I had to cross TWO arms of the river to reach dry land! It was only then that the warnings on the trail maps about “Dangerous Crossing at High Water” made sense... The next few miles were mostly flat (finally!) but I had to navigate through a few morasses near the edge of the river. Started seeing Thru hikers in this area - at least five passed me and they were all in a hurry (trying to reach Monson?). By the time I reached the first sign of civilization in almost four hours (Foss Pond Road AKA Bald Mountain Road), I was really tired. Took a break for some lunch by the road and a couple of locals (on their way to do some kayaking) stopped to chat with me. They gave me the impression I could easily walk all the way back to Blanchard on Taylor/Perkins Road. Since I was no longer in the mood for PUDs, I decided to give that route a try (plus, I could scout out road quality for my next hike). My pace significantly increased on the backtrack and I was able to cover roughly the same distance (over 7.5 miles) as the outbound leg in about two thirds of the time. The wind kicked up and, even though the sun finally appeared, it was “just right” with my long sleeve (still 50s?). I only saw a few people on the road - a man searching for brass in an empty lot, two ladies doing road cleanup and (when I finally reached town) an older local couple out for a stroll. I chatted with the latter pair for a little while (they were originally from Cape Cod) and then resumed my walk through town. The last mile was (finally) on blacktop and I reached my car at 1645. I’d covered well over 16 miles and was relieved to sit down for the first time in 6.5 hours. Decided to drive back to towards the Kennebec River for the night (more choices for AT hikes) and had a nicer drive (with pretty sunset views of Sugarloaf to the west) than the morning. When I got to Bingham, I found a little spot (Bingham Motor Inn) just off US-201. When I checked with the manager, I found out the prices were extremely low ("the season just ended") and decided to get a room for the next five days (1705). Felt good when I unpacked in the room - it's nice not to have to keep moving around and Bingham seemed like a good headquarters for the week. Spent the evening reading and texting with the kids. Bed was at around 2200 again. Glad I fit in the hike today, despite all the obstacles in my way - once again, it took more mental toughness than physical stamina to complete the section. But I do have a blister on my foot now - that may "help" to determine my plans for the next few days... AT Today = 7.7 miles / G.T. AT = 1659.8 miles
