Monson or bust.

 After a seventeen day gig as the Hostel Night Manager it was time to move on. Reboot, the manager I temporarily replace while she did a SOBO, returned early. Seems that starting a SOBO in June is not optimal. Her descriptions of the black-biting-flies-from-hell and the nuclear mosquitoes that will slather themselves with DEET to attract their mate along with the Piranha Gnats that will rip the flesh of a person from their bones and leave only the skeleton remain in under a minutes plus a myriad of other Man devouring half starved insects one meets every single step of the way in the 100 Mile Wilderness was vivid enough to make a lot of us thru hikers reevaluate our life choices. 

Also the bubble had already passed and it was pretty dead around Hot Springs. I ended leaving about a week early. 

On Friday morning Gabe, with his sidekick rat bootie (ratatouille) took me into Asheville to the airport by way of Marshall NC. Marshall woulda been a better trail town than Hot Springs. Not that Hot Springs wasn’t nice but Marshall had a lot more amenities to offer but it also would have made the rambling indirect path of the trail just that much longer.   

At the regional airport I found the United Airlines ticket counter to check my mummy bag in. The scales said it weighs 33 lbs. I’ll have to shake down the pack in Bangor again. 

Then it was time to deal with those lovely folks that are the TSA.  This group was especially grumpy this morning.  Most of the TSAs I’ve gone through wants to see ID and the flight ticket.  This one only wanted to see ID and was getting pretty perturbed that folks were trying to hand him their tickets  

Then when loading my paraphernalia into the bins to go through X-ray another agent asked me if I had emptied all my pockets and taken off watches and jewelry. I patted myself down again and said I got it all.  She gave me a peculiar look.  Since the line was backing up a group of us were able to go through the old metal detector portal.  After I retrieved my bin I realized why I got the peculiar look; I was still wearing my medical ID.  There isn’t enough metal on it to set off the metal detector but I could have gotten harassed for it in the X-ray viewer.

United sent me a text the evening before that my flight would leave from Gate 3.  With only six gates it was easy to find.  After a few minutes I got another text from United saying my gate was now Gate 5.  Very easy to find as I relocate.  A few more moments and another text informing me that the gate was now Gate 4.  

United wants its passengers to be very aerobic by the time we board. I sat at Gate 5 until they called boarding then I moved to Gate 4.  I don’t think I needed the additional exercise this morning  

I boarded and was impressed. The seats had adequate leg room and with the lost of thirty pounds I didn’t have to grease myself to slide between the armrest to sit. 

Soon we were airborne and heading to Newark.  A pleasant flight with the usual amenities of refreshments we soon landed.  Then started taxiing towards our gate. But wait!  Where is our gate?!?  We spent maybe 45 minutes going from one area to another looking for a gate.  Finally we sat still for a half an hour waiting.  Then a gate opened and our pilot slammed us into it because he was beating out three other planes heading to the same gate. 

After I disembarked I now was going to experience Newark Liberty International Airport.  

Hav’ercy!  The only way I can adequately describe the Newark Liberty experience would be in a therapist office and using dolls.  I’ve seen better airport in third world countries.  I may never be the same again.

But soon I was heading towards Bangor.  A short flight but I shared my seat with a resigned naval officer who was a submariner.  Most of the anecdote we shared usually started with the phrase, “This ain’t no sh*t…”

When we landed at Bangor, from my advantage point on the right side of the plane, I couldn’t see the terminal. For a moment I thought we where going to have to cross the tarmac to get in but Bangor isn’t that primitive;  even with only having five gates.

I gathered my mummy pack and proceeded to unwrap it

I then tried the Uber app to see if I could get a ride to the Hotel.  The app informed me that this was a busy time and the 3 mile trip would cost $40.  I proceeded to tell that app what type of colitis it could have with itself  The app was not impressed.

So, that’s how I ended up doing walking tours of Bangor.  My first leg was the three mile walk out of the airport and to the hotel.  This hotel wasn’t situated near very many eateries and when I got there it was near dark.  I ended up ordering Papa John’s for delivery.

The next day I was out and headed towards the nearest outfitter in Bangor.  I was directed by the Galen Cole Family Land Transportation Museum but I had forgotten to bring my camera.  Well, there’s always tomorrow.  Beside the museum was a greenway that ran underneath the interstate and through a Golf Course to a major throughway to the down town area.  I got to walk through a residential area and it was pleasant to see the different architectural designs. 

I made the outfitter and got a couple of fuel cells with some Cliff Bars   for snacks on the trail.  After my purchases I checked out the Downtown area. There was a Gay Pride Celebration happening in the area and I walked around and checked out some of the vendors there: Interesting  

My route back to the hotel was different from the one I came and I went by the casino.  No I didn’t go in; if I’m too cheep to get an Uber then I’m definitely too cheep for a casino.

After I came back from dinner and was resting at the hotel I notice where one of my cousins asked me, on farcebook, if I found Stephen King’s house.  I had totally forgotten he lived in Bangor.  

I did a quick Google search to see how far out he lived and realized I basically passed by his house on the way to the outfitter today.  A visit was on the itinerary for tomorrow. 

The next day I packed and was moving by 1100. I basically retraced my route from yesterday to the outfitter but this time I was armed with my camera and the first stop was that museum. There was various interesting displays from old train, cars, buses, farm equipment, snow plows, ect…

There was even a 1980 red Mercedes’ Benz 300 D on display. Go figure, I use to own something that was worthy of being a museum piece. 

I continued on my way and soon came upon The King’s residence.  No mistaking it. The way the cars were roaring up and folks hoping out snapping pictures I knew I had arrived. 

 

That’s Pennywise waving from the front porch.  

About an hour later I was lunching at the Wendy’s next to the bus terminal. I had to wait a few hours for the bus that went to Medway ME. A short trip  and then the driver from the Appalachian Trail Lodge was taking us to Millinocket. 

I spent two nights in Millinocket because a couple of leap froggers where shuttling to Monson on Tuesday and we could all share the ride and it would be cheaper.  

Tuesday morning I was ready and made the decision to stay at Shaw’s Hikers Hostel so I could get a look around and know what to expect when I come back to tackle the 100 Miles Wilderness.

This Hostel is nice. Almost too nice. I need to make sure I leave tomorrow.