8/28/01
Sometimes the climax of the movie or the story isn't always at the end. Such may be the case in my journey from the top of Springer Mtn., GA to the top of Mount Katahdin 2,168 miles away in Northern Maine. I know that reaching the summit of Katahdin will be the end point, and certainly a highlight, if not the climax, but last night's events may well be the most memorable and climatic of the entire great adventure. After the five episodes of "Animal Planet" television, the Fab Five turned out the light in our room for the night. I placed a fan in front of the unlocked screen door to pull in some cool air to make our sleep more pleasant. Medagator slept just outside the room on the second floor balcony to save a buck. Inside, Finn and Priceless were sleeping in the double bed, Redneck and I were in the double stacked bunk beds and Phantom took up the remaining floor space, sprawled next to the double bed. We had heard through the trail grapevine that Maine has an extremely low crime rate and that people still leave their doors unlocked at night, so we didn't give our open door a thought before going to sleep.
I was deep in sleep when the sound of an alarm awoke me outside around 2:30. I remember distinctly thinking that it was probably a false alarm across the street or possibly a car alarm sounding off because someone may have brushed up against the car. In any case, I returned to my slumber before being awakened again sometime later by the sound of voices in a conversation on the balcony outside the room. My first thought, once I actually began to awaken, was that a security guard found Medagator in the hallway and was asking him to pack up and leave the premises. Then I began picking up pieces of the conversation and realized that the man having the discussion with Medagator was talking about the alarm I had heard earlier and Medagator was being questioned as a possible suspect for some apparent crime which had occurred. Soon the investigator, who turned out to be deputy sheriff Barney Fife, uh, I mean deputy sheriff Sandy Burke, turned his flashlight toward our screen door. Priceless stepped up to the plate and went out to the balcony to inquire about what was going on outside. By now my brain was actually working as I listened to the deputy (heretofore I'll use his "trail name"...Deputy Fife) and Priceless engaged in conversation about an apparent break-in attempt in the restaurant part of the White Wolf Inn directly below us.
As the discussion progressed I heard Deputy Fife ask Priceless to show him his identification, then to see his sandals. Priceless popped his head through the screen door into the dark room and asked me to hand him his wallet, which was laying on the credenza next to my bunk. I handed him the wallet while Deputy Fife peered in at our room full of bodies and gear, with his flashlight. I noted the time which was 3:23 a.m. By now Phantom and Finn and Redneck were starting to wake up and Deputy Fife examined Priceless' ID and sandals. He then peered into the door and asked me to show him my identification card and sandals. I reached for the plastic ziplock where my wallet was stored, along with my data book and grabbed my sandals, stored next to me beside my pack. I went out to the balcony as Deputy Fife examined both requested items. He then collected IDs from Phantom, Finn and Redneck, but did NOT examine their sandals. At this juncture the Deputy said that he would be back in a little while as he left, sandals in hand and his notebook with all of our trail names and real names, addresses and driver's license information. We all sat in the room dumbfounded as we wondered what had just happened and why he was examining my sandals. We turned the light on in the room and awaited the deputy's return. I lost track of time, but I think about a half hour passed before Deputy Fife returned to our room.
He asked me to put on some clothes and come to his police car parked downstairs. By now I was sure I was the suspect in his eyes for whatever had occurred, but I was determined to prove my innocence through cooperation and professionalism on my part during his investigation. I sat in the front passenger seat of his car for twenty minutes while he talked into his two-way radio with someone back at the sheriff's office giving all of our names and drivers license information so they could check us all out for prior criminal activity. Then he questioned me for a few minutes about my relationship with the other guys. I think he was trying to establish the extent of our friendship to see if he could possibly question someone who might "give me away" or squeal on me. I convinced him with my answers that we are a pretty tight group. In any case, he questioned how much I had to drink, my family situation back home, whether or not any of us were having cash problems, what my current occupation was (duh, I'm a thru-hiker!). After all of his questioning he explained to me that there had been a break-in attempt in the restaurant section of the Inn just below us and that he had evidence to show that I committed the crime.
Obviously by now a whole bunch of different emotions were racing through my mind as I tried to figure out how I could possibly be a suspect. Then he showed me on a digital camera a photograph of a shoe print which he claimed was mine. I wasn't exactly sure what he was showing me, so I asked him what he meant. What he actually was showing me was a photograph of the print left on a door when someone apparently tried to kick the door in. I must admit that the zig zag pattern of the print looked similar to the design of the tread on the bottom of my sandal. So I could see from a glance how he initially connected the dots to form some suspicion that I might be the perpetrator. I, of course, told him that the print was not my shoe, that I was asleep when I heard the alarm sound, that I had not left the room we were sleeping in since eating dinner. The conversation continued for a few more minutes, then I was told to return to the room. My counterparts were anxiously awaiting my return to find out what in the heck was going on. I gave them an update on everything that had transpired in Deputy Fife's car, then we began discussing what we thought was going to happen next. Since we all knew that I was innocent, we figured that Deputy Fife would question the rest of us, realize that I had a sound alibi and would study the sandals vs. the print on the door, and would then leave us alone to return to sleep for the few remaining hours left in the night. I wasn't convinced he would leave me alone though, based on our conversation in his car.
Another half hour or more passed as we wondered what Deputy Fife was doing. Our guess was that he was waiting for the information to come back on our previous criminal records (all six of us were squeaky clean, by the way). Finally we heard footsteps as Deputy Fife walked down the second floor balcony to our room. This time he entered the room without asking and announced that only four of us paid to stay in the room and he wanted to know who didn't pay. A long frivolous conversation ensued as we explained to him that Redneck initially paid for the room for double occupancy covering him and Priceless, then I paid the additional person fee when I paid for my lunch, then Phantom and Finn both paid an additional person fee when they arrived. The deputy wouldn't accept our explanation since the proprietor's record apparently showed that only four had paid (though she had only recorded three names), so we asked the deputy to go get the proprietor to identify us. More time went by and minutes later Deputy Fife returned with the proprietor. They entered and she looked quickly about the room at the five of us, then announced that she had never seen Phantom in her life. What a lie! Phantom had paid her for the additional person charge at the same time Finn did. Phantom had even asked her about Chai Tea, which the restaurant was promoting, then later ate a full dinner in the small restaurant while she was there. Deputy Fife then demanded that one of us leave the room or pay her for a fifth person. By now I was completely fed up with the whole scene, so I reached for my wallet, pulled out $11 and gave it to the deputy to hand to the proprietor. I announced that we at least had one issue resolved, and that we needed to move on to the real issue.
She left and Deputy Fife said that he had a forensics investigator on the way and for us to sit tight because it would be a while. He left the room and we sat again for another hour or more talking and stewing over our plight. We finally turned out the light in the room as we were all exhausted and wanted to go back to sleep. Two minutes later we heard footsteps again. Deputy Fife arrived at the front door and asked me to come out to talk to Detective Thomas White II, who I will affectionately (not!) call "Ace Ventura" henceforth. Deputy Ventura introduced himself and played nice guy as we walked down the stairs, out to the police cars. Then he changed his tone and launched into his best interrogation room demeanor while telling me that he was positive the footprint on the door was mine and that I was guilty and that I would be receiving a summons to come to court and receive a ticket. We argued back and forth as I demanded my innocence and held my ground that the shoe print was definitely not mine. By now sunrise was taking place and Ace took me to the back of the Inn where the print was clearly evident on the door. Then he tooted his horn about his forensics expertise and told me that he was collecting sample from my shoe and from the door to confirm the match. If I had really been on the ball I would have held my shoe next to the print while he was there, but at the time I was more preoccupied with his continuing demands that I admit guilt so we could all go home. Finally our stalemate ended as we got nowhere with my demands that a full investigation of all hiker's sandals be implemented. Deputy Ventura maintained "not many people" in Stratton, ME wear sandals as I looked around as the other 30 hikers walked with sandals on (duh!).
I returned upstairs and told the guys that they intended to charge me with trespassing, pending forensic results. The room emptied as everyone went downstairs to rush to my defense. It was obvious that the investigation was over, however, and the two Keystone cops were convinced that they "got their man". I returned downstairs and offered my sandals to the deputies, but they said they had everything they needed and that they would find me in Monson, ME, pending the results of forensics. As soon as they left, all six of us (Phantom, Finn, Redneck, Priceless, Medagator, and me) walked across the street to breakfast. We discussed the incredulous events of the night while we ate and tried to figure out a new plan for the day's hike. We originally had planned a 15 mile day, but three hours of sleep shot that plan down. I was stewing throughout breakfast with anger and disgust at the ridiculous investigation and the even more ridiculous accusation that I committed a crime. I ate quickly and paid for my meal, then returned to retrieve my sandals. I went downstairs to the scene of the alleged crime, along with Priceless. I held my right shoe over the print and it was obvious that the two shapes weren't a match. Then I flipped the shoe over to study the zig zag pattern. Almost instantly Priceless and I looked t each other as we both realized, simultaneously, that my shoe print couldn't possibly match the print on he door. The zig zag patterns were opposite. Where my shoe pattern went down, the print on the door went up (looking at a mirror image of my shoe as it would form a print image). Hooray! I was instantly relieved and at the same time even angrier hat Deputy Fife and Deputy Ventura wasted so much of our time and created such a farce. On the other hand I was excited about sharing the story with my website audience. What a story for the memories of the AT adventure.
I immediately used my cell phone to call forensics expert Deputy Ace Ventura to inform him of he faux pas. Of course I was greeted by voice mail, so I left him a message to study the picture of my shoe closely and look at the tread pattern vs. The pattern on the tread mark left by the shoeprint on the door. Whoa! What a night! The Keystone Cops must have thought I was really stupid, really drunk, or both. If I had attempted breaking into the Inn, why wouldn't I close the door to our room during the hour it took them to drive to the scene? And why wouldn't I put on my heavy duty hiking boots to kick the door instead of a cheap $5.00 pair of Walmart sandals? And why would I cooperate fully and patiently if I had something to hide? Believe me, I thought of dozens of other questions that I can't answer as to why these jokers bungled their investigation. The truth is that they formulated a quick decision based on a single piece of circumstantial evidence, then narrow mindedly focused entirely on that evidence without considering anything else at that point! I am, as of this journal entry, still not officially cleared by them, but I will be proactively following up with the Franklin County Sheriff's department upon my arrival in Monson, ME this weekend.
Sooooo, I've beaten this story to death, so on with the rest of the day. I made a trip to the PO to mail out some postcards I wrote last night, as well as my bump box going to Monson and a box with film and journals to Mom and Dad Rabbit back home. The Fab 5 started packing up and doing miscellaneous errands as the morning wore on. Redneck was stuck in town waiting on his food drop package to show up at the PO, so it appeared he would have to spend another night in Stratton. Priceless got a jump on us hitching out, while Phantom, Finn and I eyed he pizza joint across the street from the White Wolf Inn for an early lunch. After stuffing ourselves, we were out of excuses not to leave town, so we hiked a block down Main Street to the PO, then stuck out our thumbs. Soon we were in the back of a pickup heading away from our night of hell in Stratton, MC. I couldn't wait to enter he safety and solace of the forest as we began our modified afternoon hike to the Horns Pond lean-tos. The trail was beautiful the entire 5.1 miles that we leisurely hiked, especially when we reached a rock outcrop exposed above the pond just below us. Clouds were working their way into the late afternoon picture, with rain the forecast, so we were thankful to get a space in the too crowded shelter for the night. The area is immensely popular with overnighters and we were mixed in with some Sobos and Nobos as well. My mood was much better now that I was back in he AT world, but many thoughts about last night's fiasco lingered as I chatted with new faces and shared the incredulous story. I cooked my dinner and was about to leave the shelter for some water when it began to lightly sprinkle. By the time I reached the pond, the rain was setting in, so I ran back to the shelter and didn't leave again the rest of the night. My air mattress and sleeping bag in the shelter were next to Leading and Trailing, a wonderful couple from Knoxville, TN, who section hiked last year from Springer to Pine Grove Furnace State Park, the halfway point, and are finishing heir hike this year. They made great company as we talked with them (Phantom and I) about the Smokies and other southern topics like UT football, etc. I began journaling this crazy day as nightfall set in, despite being 5 days behind on journaling. I didn't last too long as the three hours sleep finally caught up to me and exhaustion returned. I went to sleep to the sound of rain hitting the shelter roof with a stiff cool wind blowing clouds in and out of the shelter. Finn and Phantom lay sleeping soundly beside me and I knew Priceless was sleeping well in he other shelter along with Brodie, who caught up to us. I hadn't seen him since trail days in Damascus. All was well once again as I lay my head on he pillow for the night. Today's stats: low, not sure but I was cold on the balcony talking to Deputy Fife so let's say 52. High 68. Sunny to cloudy, with rain and falling temps. Today's mileage: 5.1; cumulative mileage: 1985.4.
