After hiking 15 miles on yesterday I came to the road that leads to Monson, Maine. I had officially completed the 100 mile wilderness! More importantly good food, showers, laundry, a bed with pillows, food, and more food awaited me. Did I mention food? I was starving. I had enough food for 6-7 days in the wilderness doing little miles but with my broken lighters and pushing big miles I ate all my other food like crazy. All I had left going into Monson was 2 packets of pasta from the night I didn't get to cook. As I got to the road there was my buddy Coffee Break. We had met in Millinocket where he was recovering from an injury. He had already completed 50 miles of the 100 miles wilderness at that point and headed back on the trail the same day I climbed Katahdin. Jokingly he had said that I would catch him in the wilderness... well catch him I did. I bolted out of the wilderness and sure enough he was sitting there at the roadside parking area. There were 2 guys with a van supporting a fellow by the name of Karl Meltzer who is ultra marathon running the AT at a shot at the fastest thru hike record and he was due to come out of the wilderness at any moment so they were there waiting for him. I called the Lakeshore House Hostel to come pick me up from the trail. Coffee Break had a reservation also so he tagged along. Shower, laundry, a big burger, fries, a 12" pizza, a 4 berry cobbler, coca cola, chips and dip, and I was ready for bed. That was just in the first evening... I weighed myself and I had only lost 2 pounds. But I lost like 5-10 lbs off my gut and gained a ton of muscle in my legs which made up for what I lost. But I still need some fat so when I get into winter I am not freezing to death which is why I am eating a ton in town. I knew it was going to be like this and that I would have a massive appetite so I did budget for eating a lot in town. I am writing this at the end of my zero day (day 7 on the trail) and am looking forward to getting on the trail in the morning. Having 1.5 days to rest my legs was very important especially after pushing it like I did. I did over twice the distance as Coffee Break in the same amount of time as a reference. Everybody has to hike their own hike so I am not trying to judge anybody by any means I simply am using it as an example. The 100 mile wilderness was a magical place that I wish I could have spent longer there but the problems I had justified doing it quickly. I did see my first moose (although it was dead and lying next to a river so it doesn't count) that I forgot to mention I think. I also saw a bear on day 3 (second day in the wilderness) which was 100 ft down the trail but bolted off before I could even think about taking a picture. I don't think I ever got affected by drinking the untreated water much... at least not yet. I did have diarrhea a few times yesterday evening/night but that was it. I never had any fatigue or nausea and no more diarrhea so I think the little bit of a bug I did get from the water is gone. I would think most major water borne illnesses would have hit by now but we will see. It is interesting talking to NOBO's because about 50% of them never filter/treat their water and have never been sick. No thank you I am not joining that crowd. I got batteries though for my Steripen and have a thing of back up Iodine as well as a new lighter and back up matches so I think I should be set for future issues like I had in the wilderness. I am ready for a good nights sleep and will hit the trail in the morning. It will be 2 days to Caratunk, Maine where I will resupply/pass through and on to Stratton a few days after that. I will try to do blog updates every couple days or so we will see how the weather holds out and if I can get phone reception and data on top of mountains or not. Thanks for reading and don't forget to look at the pictures.
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