August 29, 1981 -Camp near Avery Peak to West Carry Pond camp-
Marjo and I left top of peak at 7:00a.m. I fired up big bertha and we had a hot cup of coffee on a very cold morning.
This was the clearest and nicest sunrise and rated best sunrise of the trip thus far. This is the last big mountain we
will cross until Mount Katahdin and I am truly glad I spent it up on top where the air is brisk and the mind can think.
The sunrise included the sun coming up behind a lake which had clouds formed over it because of the moisture
created by the lake. A truly remarkable sunrise!!! We started to walk and went over Little Bigalows. Hiked up to
West Carry Pond . Marjo, Steve Robinson and I camped for the night. We got a good fire going. I tried and failed to
catch a fish with my pocket fisherman that my parents sent me in Rangeley. I will probably send it back at Caratunk.
Nice easy day of walking after getting over the Bigalows. Steve got lucky and found a beer in Jerome Brook lean-to
today. We would have stayed at Jerome Brook lean-to but it had the baseball type floor which was very
uncomfortable if not impossible to sleep on. (Baseball type floor is a floor with tree limbs nailed on larger logs. to
make a floor. It is without finishing work and many of the tree limbs still have the knots on them. A real pain.)
August 30, 1981 -West Carry Pond Campsite to Pierce Pond Lean-to-
Left campsite at 7:00a.m. or so. Easy day of hiking all day to Pierce Pond lean-to. A very pretty shelter. Went
swimming and tried to catch a fish again with no luck. Marjo and I went to the carrying place and bought a Pepsi to
drink. We have a good fire going tonight. There will not be many more of these gratifying fires before the end so we
are making them count now! Man and girlfriend came into the camp late who had hiked the entire trail last year. We
have to get up early tomorrow for the crossing of the raging Kennebec River. "GO FOR IT"
Marjo and I left top of peak at 7:00a.m. I fired up big bertha and we had a hot cup of coffee on a very cold morning.
This was the clearest and nicest sunrise and rated best sunrise of the trip thus far. This is the last big mountain we
will cross until Mount Katahdin and I am truly glad I spent it up on top where the air is brisk and the mind can think.
The sunrise included the sun coming up behind a lake which had clouds formed over it because of the moisture
created by the lake. A truly remarkable sunrise!!! We started to walk and went over Little Bigalows. Hiked up to
West Carry Pond . Marjo, Steve Robinson and I camped for the night. We got a good fire going. I tried and failed to
catch a fish with my pocket fisherman that my parents sent me in Rangeley. I will probably send it back at Caratunk.
Nice easy day of walking after getting over the Bigalows. Steve got lucky and found a beer in Jerome Brook lean-to
today. We would have stayed at Jerome Brook lean-to but it had the baseball type floor which was very
uncomfortable if not impossible to sleep on. (Baseball type floor is a floor with tree limbs nailed on larger logs. to
make a floor. It is without finishing work and many of the tree limbs still have the knots on them. A real pain.)
August 30, 1981 -West Carry Pond Campsite to Pierce Pond Lean-to-
Left campsite at 7:00a.m. or so. Easy day of hiking all day to Pierce Pond lean-to. A very pretty shelter. Went
swimming and tried to catch a fish again with no luck. Marjo and I went to the carrying place and bought a Pepsi to
drink. We have a good fire going tonight. There will not be many more of these gratifying fires before the end so we
are making them count now! Man and girlfriend came into the camp late who had hiked the entire trail last year. We
have to get up early tomorrow for the crossing of the raging Kennebec River. "GO FOR IT"
Caratunk Post Office in Maine
August 31, 1981 -Pierce Pond lean-to to Jo’s Hole Lean-to-
Left shelter very early. (6:10 a.m.) Hiked a very fast pace to the Kennebec river. We made it to the river by 7:10 a.
m. I got a good stick and went for it!! Half way across I took off my pack and got several shots of Marjo and Steve
crossing the river. I made it across in 10 minutes flat. A piece of cake! This river is approx. 100 yards wide at the
narrowest point. We then hiked on in to the town of Caratunk where I bought groceries and (Coleman fuel) unleaded
in a Coleman can. The man would really mess up some hikers by doing this without telling them but big bertha wasn’t
too particular. Bertha will burn unleaded but she smokes very much while doing so. I met Bob Barker for the third
time on this trip again in Caratunk. (man with M.S.) I got mail at the post office, which happens to be in the same
building as the store and Mario and I split a ½ gallon of ice cream again. Made it to Joe's Hole lean-to for the night.
17 miles for the day.
September 1, 1981 -Jo’s Hole Lean-to to Breakneck Shelter-
Left Joe's Hole Lean-to at 7:10 a.m. Hiked over pretty terrain today to Breakneck Shelter. We decided to stay here.
It is 8½ more miles to Monson and we figured it was too far for this day.
We will be 2000 milers tomorrow. A long awaited day! Yahooooo! Katahdin here I come!!!!
Left shelter very early. (6:10 a.m.) Hiked a very fast pace to the Kennebec river. We made it to the river by 7:10 a.
m. I got a good stick and went for it!! Half way across I took off my pack and got several shots of Marjo and Steve
crossing the river. I made it across in 10 minutes flat. A piece of cake! This river is approx. 100 yards wide at the
narrowest point. We then hiked on in to the town of Caratunk where I bought groceries and (Coleman fuel) unleaded
in a Coleman can. The man would really mess up some hikers by doing this without telling them but big bertha wasn’t
too particular. Bertha will burn unleaded but she smokes very much while doing so. I met Bob Barker for the third
time on this trip again in Caratunk. (man with M.S.) I got mail at the post office, which happens to be in the same
building as the store and Mario and I split a ½ gallon of ice cream again. Made it to Joe's Hole lean-to for the night.
17 miles for the day.
September 1, 1981 -Jo’s Hole Lean-to to Breakneck Shelter-
Left Joe's Hole Lean-to at 7:10 a.m. Hiked over pretty terrain today to Breakneck Shelter. We decided to stay here.
It is 8½ more miles to Monson and we figured it was too far for this day.
We will be 2000 milers tomorrow. A long awaited day! Yahooooo! Katahdin here I come!!!!
Typical sign in Maine
| Belt buckle picture taken in 2006 ¼ Pound of dead weight! I carried this through the 100 mile wilderness. |
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