Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to to Monson, ME

Friday, 9/18

AT Miles = 9.0 / 2063.8
Other Miles = 0 /63.0
Total Miles = 9.0 / 2126.8

Miles to Katahdin = 114.5

Not much to talk about today. I got up this morning and hustled down
the trail to get to Monson before the weather closed in. Dark clouds,
cold wind. It's definitely good to be in town today!

I am staying at the Lakeshore House, which is a combination
laundromat, pub and grill, and lodging house! And the food at the pub
is way better than I would expect to get in a small town like this.

I will be taking a zero day tomorrow. After hiking every day for the
last 15 days, I need a little break. I will also get my food and other
supplies squared away for the final push through the Hundred Mile
Wilderness. I've made arrangements with Jodi to meet me in Baxter
State Park next Friday or, more likely, Saturday. The following day we
will climb Katahdin together, and the day after that I will be home,
and likely a bit lost and disoriented.

But for right now, there's dinner in the pub a bit later, and music
in, of all places, the general store tonight.

--
~~~~~
Monkeywrench
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to to Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to

Thursday, 9/17

AT Miles = 13.0 / 2054.8
Other Miles = 0 / 63.0
Total Miles = 13.0 / 2117.8

Miles to Katahdin = 123.5

I often wonder how some of trhe other thru-hikers manage to have such small, light packs. Well, I found out at least part of the reason this morning. It was cold last night, and when I got up this morning a bunch of other hikers were talking about how cold they were last night. Not me. I was toasty warm. I am carrying my warm sleeping bag, plenty of warm clothing, and plenty of insulation for the bottom of my hammock.

First thing this morning I climbed to the summit of Moxie Bald. What a beautiful morning it was up there! The air was cold and crisp and still, the valleys below were filled with fog, and there were just enough puffy white clouds in the sky to give the sun something to shine on and to lend depth to the sky.

After climbing down the mountain I stopped at Moxie Bald Lean-to for an early lunch. The shelter is near the shore of Moxie Pond so I took my food bag down to the water and sat on a rock in the sun and ate lunch with a gorgeous view out across the water. It was so peaceful and comfortable that I toyed with the idea of staying there and spending the day sitting in the sun reading my book, but practicalities won out and I soon pushed on nine more miles to this lean-to.

Along the way I had to ford the West Branch of the Piscataquis River. As fords go it wasn't much; the water barely came to my ankles. But fords eat up time. You have to take your pack off, remove boots and socks, put sandals on, tie boots to pack, put pack back on, ford the river, then reverse everything. But, the cold water sure did feel good on my aching feet!

I will be in Monson tomorrow. I have been frantically trying to figure the logistics for the final leg from Monson to Baxter. The problem is that I need to know Jodi's schedule and cell phone reception is lacking around here. Right now I am planning to take a zero day in Monson on Saturday. I haven't had a day off since I got back on the trail in Gorham. Tomorrow will be my 15th straight day of hiking. If I leave Monson on Sunday morning, I expect I shouid be in Baxter Park next Saturday. I may be able to get there on Friday, but that would be piushing pretty hard. Once I get to Baxter I need one more day to climb Katahdin, and this summer-long quest will be over!

--
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Pierce Pond Lean-to to Broad Mountain Brook Lean-to

Wednesday, 9/16

AT Miles = 18.7 / 2041.8
Other Miles = 0 / 63.0
Total Miles = 18.7 / 2104.8

Miles to Katahdin = 136.5

A full day today. It got pretty cold last night, and I was warm and snug in my bag, making it a bit hard to get out and get going this morning. But I was anxious to reach the Kennebec River. For some reason that felt like a big milestone to me. I was hiking a few minutes after 7:00, and I reached the river around 8:30. Dragon Breath was already there, having camped near the river last night. We waited until 9:00 when Dave, the guy that ferries hikers across in a canoe, showed up on the opposite bank. He soon paddled across, and after signing liabilty waivers and donning life jackets, we were off across the river. By 9:20 I was back in harness and heading up the trail away from the river.

After lunch I climbed Pleasant Pond Mountain, and for the first time since Monday got cell phone reception. I sent yesterday's blog entry and checked email and voice mail messages. I had two messages from my daughter Anju informing me that the event I was going to attend with her next Monday has been postponed indefinitely.

So, big change of plans! Instead of going home for a week or so from Monson, I will be continuing on into the Hundred Mile Wilderness and towards Katahdin. Only problem is, I had sent my bounce box home from Stratton, and had told Jodi not to assemble and mail a food drop to Monson for me. As soon as I heard Anju's message I called Jodi and luckily caught her at home. I asked her to put together a food drop for me and get it in the mail today if possible. A bit later I remembered that the last three maps are in the bounce box I sent home, so I called again and asked her to include those with the food drop.

If anybody thinks hiking the trail is hard, think about how hard it is being the at-home support person. Jodi had just gotten home from work today when I called and started issuing frantic requests: send me 6 dinners, 10 packages of oatmeal, a package of English Muffins, a jar of peanut butter, etc. etc. And I will be in Monson by noon on Friday so you have to mail it today.

Jodi actually asked me if it was alright if she had lunch first. Not sarcastically, either. She was actually going to skip eating lunch to go run around getting everything I wanted.

It would be far more difficult foro me hiking the trail if I didn't have Jodi at home responding to my every whim.

When I was down almost to the molttom of Pleasant Pond Mountain I rqan into Bookworm hiking southbound. I had last seen Bookworm in Shenandoah National Park, at Lewis Mountain Campstore where I had stopped to tqake a shower, eat some junk food, and drink a beer. Bookworm is doing some kind of art project about h=the AT and is interviewing hikers, so we sat down next to the trail and did a little interview for 15 minutes or so, then I said good-bye and pushed on the last 4 miles or so to this campsite. I had run out of water about three miles before reaching here, so I was really happy to arrive and get water from the brook.

It is about 50 degrees right now, with predictions of a hard frost for tonight. I am only planning to hike about 13 miles tomorrow, so I can take my time getting up in the morning. Usually that means sleeping until 6:15 instead of 6:05. :-)

I expect to be in Monson by noon on Friday. My next task is to figure out Jodi's schedule and when she can meet me in Baxter, figure out how long it will take me to get there from Monson (right now I am thinking 7 days) then figure out if I have enough time to take a zero day in Monson. It will be 15 days without a day off when I get to Monson on Friday, so a zero day would be very welcome.

--
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Safford Notch Campsite to Pierce Pond Lean-to

Tuesday, 9/15

AT Miles = 22.2 / 2023.1
Other Miles = 0.3 / 63.0
Total Miles = 22.5 / 2086.1

Miles to Katahdin = 155.2

Yup, you read that right; 22.5 miles today. I don't think I've done that many miles in a day since back in New Jersey somewhere! Basically, I hiked the 5 1/2 miles I had hoped to do yesterday, then I hiked the 17 miles I had planned to do today.

That first 5 1/2 were up and over Little Bigelow Mtn, and I took my time with them. Once I got down Little Bigelow, the terrain really eased up. There were a couple of hills, but they were just hills, not mountains. One of them had about a mile of steady uphill, and the next maybe a mile and a half.

I stopped at West Carry Pond Lean-to, 12.5 miles into the day, and felt gfood enough that I decided to try to crank out the 10 miles to here. I left West Carry Pond at 1:15, and arrived here at 4:45; 10 miles even in 3:30. Sorry if I sound like I'm bragging, but I feel so good knowing that I could do this.

Okay, there's more to write about than just how great a hiker I am as long as the terrain is easy.

How about the weather? It was cool yesterday evening and I thought it was going to be a cold night. I rigged my hammock for frosty weather, and went to bed wearing my long johns. I got up about 11:30 to pee, and I was very overheated. I took off my long johns and crawled back into bed. A few minutes later it started to rain very lightly. There were very light, brief showers on and off during the night. It never did get cold, and in fact I think it was warmer when I got up this morning than it was when I went to bed last night.

It looked like we might get more showers all day, and in fact it still does, but so far no rain.

And how about water? It has been wonderfully dry weather for the last couple of weeks. That makes for great hiking. But it also means that the springs and small brooks that serve as the water source at many of the shelters and campsites are starting to dry up. At West Carry Pond, where I stopped for lunch today, there is a nice little spring that even has a spring house built over it. Only problem is, it's bone dry. That left the pond as a water source. It has been quite breezy all day, and the lean-to is sited at the down wind end of the pond, so there were quite large waves crashing into the rocky shore. The waves were big enough that they acted like surf breaking against the rocks, and while I was trying to dip my water bottle into the pond to fill it, a wave broke and got me full in the face!

From where I am tonigth it is only about 3 miles to the Kennebec River. The Kennebec is quite a large river, and the official way to cross is by ferry. Now, we are not talking about some big car ferry. We are talking about sa canoe. The ATC contracts with an outfitter to provide ferry service for hikers during the season. Right now, that means from 9 - 11 in the morning, and from 2 - 4 in the afternoon. I intend to be at the river waiting to be the first passenger of the day at 9:00AM. If I can do 18.7 miles tomorrow, and 13 on Thursday, that will leave me just 9 miles shoirt of Monson. That means I can be in Monson by noon on Friday. I am hoping Jodi is not working on Friday, and can pick me up then instead of on Saturday. Unfortunately I can't check her schedule, nor can I send this blog entry, as I have no cell service here.

Well, it is getting dark enough that I am having trouble seeing the keyboard, so I am going to go square everything away for the night, crawl into my hammock, and read for a while.

--
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

ME 27 to Safford Notch Campsite

Monday, 9/14

AT Miles = 10.4 / 2000.9
Other Miles = 0.3 / 62.7
Total Miles = 10.7 / 2063.6

Miles to Katahdin = 177.4

I was hoping, but not expecting, to make 15 miles today. That would have gotten me completely through the Bigelows, it would have positioned me to reach the Kennebec River in time for the morning ferry on Wednesday, and it would have gone a long way towards ensuring I reached Monson by Saturday morning, in time for Jodi to pick me up.

But my knees vetoed that plan, and I stopped here, at a campsite between Bigelow and Little Bigelow. That's alright. I am happy having covered 10 quite tough miles up and over the multiple peaks of Bigelow Mountain. After slack packing 6 of the last seven days, today I put my pack on again; and it was a heavy pack with six days of food in it.

It is about 63 miles from here to Monson. Tomorrow morning I have to go up and over Little Bigelow. After that the terrain flattens out dramatically so I expect I will still be able to reach Monson on Saturday morning. There is a shelter 9 miles south of Monson, and as long as I reach that by Friday night, I can scoot the last nine miles to the road while Jodi is driving up from Boston on Saturday morning. At least, that is what I am telling myself today. ;-)

It is quite chilly this afternoon. It is only a quarter to five now, and I am wearing my light weight silk shirt, my medium weight tops and bottoms, long pants, my doewn sweater, and a hat.

I was just thinking today, while hiking, that at the beginning of this hike I watched spring creep up the mountains, and now at the end of the hike I am watching autumn creep down the mountains.

This campsite is rather spread out, and there is now somebody in another part of the site making all sorts of noise. I can hear things crashing and banging. I can't imagine what they're doing. It often surprises me how noisy some people are in the woods. To me it seems natural to be quiet when out in the woods.

Brr. I think I will be breaking out my down jacket tonight! It's amazing how quickly I get chilled now that I am so darned skinny.

--
"Home is where I hang my food bag"

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Caribou Valley Rd to ME 27

Sunday, 9/13

AT Miles = 8.3 / 1990.5
Other Miles = 0.2 / 62.4
Total Miles = 8.5 / 2052.9

Miles to Katahdin = 187.8

I hiked a quick 8 miles over the Crockers today. 3 miles of uphill,
and 5 miles of downhill. I was at the Stratton Motel by 12:30. Even
with that short hike, after spending a couple of hours sitting on the
bed watching a movie streamed to my laptop from NetFlix, I could
barely stand. At least that reminded me to take some ibuprofen before
I go to sleep tonight.

When I got here today I found out that Gator and Tiger just left here
this morning, and so did Kiwi. I decided to skip stopping in Caratunk,
as from the book it looks like there isn't much resupply there.
Instead I will be leaving here tomorrow morning with six days' food in
my pack. I hope to get to Monson by next Saturday. I think I will
probably catch up with Gator and Tiger by Monson, unless they skip
ahead. They might do that because one or the other of them has a
deadline to reach Katahdin.

In any case, I have to get off the trail again next Saturday. I have
promised my daughter Anju that I will be somewhere with her on the
21st, and with Jodi's work schedule she will have to drive up and pick
me up on Saturday. I won't be able to get back up to Monson until next
Friday at the earliest, so I will be missing a full week on the trail.
That is a bit frustrating as I am starting to feel some momentum
towards the end of this hike, but that's life.

With the delay, that should put me starting the 100 Mile Wilderness on
the 25th, and at Katadin sometime around October 5.

So, does anyone want to come hike the 100 Mile Wilderness with me? Or
climb Katahdin? Jodi is going to drive up and meet me at Baxter Park,
but she has been battling running injuries all summer so she may not
be up to climbing the mountain with me.

Well, it's way past hiker midnight and I need to get some sleep. I
tackle the Bigelows in the morning.

--
~~~~~
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com

Photos - Gorham NH to Rangeley ME

I had been trying to get my photos uploaded for the three days I
stayed in Rangeley. I was using my cell phone as a modem for my
computer, but had only a marginal signal and a very slow connection.
Finally today, here in Stratton, I have a good WiFi connection and got
the photos uploaded. They can be found here:

http://www.allenf.com/gallery2/main.php/v/AT2009/GorhamToRangeley/

--
~~~~~
Monkeywrench
Allen F. Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com