Sabbath Day Pond
Sabbath Day Pond Shelter
July 31, 2006 - Little Swift River Campsite to Sabbath Day Pond Shelter
I woke up after sleeping well by a pestering squirrel dropping pine cones on my tarp! I got up and started fixing
coffee and then cooking fresh sausage and eggs with toast! I eat well on the first day out of town! I heard a sound
that I was waiting for. I grabbed my camera and there down by the lake was the biggest honker of a bull moose I
could imagine! I had heard him hit the water like a 1500 pound rock. I photographed that monster for 15 minutes
and then went and woke up the others in there sleeping bags. Elvis had never seen a moose and this was a treat for
him as well as for me. I got four good pictures of this big moose and will cherish them forever! The moose had a 50
inch rack maybe more. The moose would not look my way and I grunted at him and he posed for me for 2 minutes. I
left the camp area and hiked a short 5 miles to Sabbath Pond Shelter. My right knee needed a break since it was
sore. Sabbath Day Pond Shelter has been rebuilt since I was here last. It is a nice shelter and the lake is beautiful
with big rocks sticking up all around. The house flies are bad here. Other hikers have been leaving food around and
the smell draws them in great numbers. I went down to the lake and got some pictures of a mommy duck and
ducklings in the lake. She was not afraid of people and swam very close. I am using up an Isopro tank tonight. I hear
there is a trash can at the next road. Trash cans are rare on the trail up here. I just don’t understand this. More
trash cans mean less trash on the trail. I read that Lemon Lime had to get off the trail because of a really sore knee.
These mountains are hard on knees and you have to take it slower than usual. She was able to get back on later.
“Lightweight shoes and too many miles make for bad knees” {Goat Proverb} another Proverb, {speed kills} {arrive
alive} Man I could keep going but you get the idea. Tomorrow will be a tough day so I will rest up a little today. I ate
too much heavy food yesterday and today I have no energy. I burned a lot of trash here at the shelter when I got
here. I have observed that a lot of thru-hikers just use the shelters and don’t clean up or tidy up the place while
there or before they leave. The hiker has changed over the years. It is the me attitude now. Let someone else clean
it up for I am a thru-hiker and have no time for such things. I am up on the hill here at the shelter and I can hear
ducks quacking all over here. I also hear a loon here. I will be in Andover in three days. Seven other thru-hikers
came in at dark. I was asleep in the shelter when they arrived and crashed around for the next two hours. I said
nothing but thought how they would react tomorrow morning in the dark while they are trying to sleep!
August 1, 2006 - Sabbath Day Pond Shelter to Bemis Mountain Shelter
Finally August! I was up early. It was my turn to bang around and make noise. I was talking to a little dog and a
woman jumped up and said “people are sleeping” I said that I was sleeping last night when you came in and for 2
hours talked and cooked. I said deal with it because I am too old to put up with the likes of you, girly! They didn’t say
another word. I left shelter at 6:30 a.m. and hiked a moderate day. It got a little hairy when I had to hike in a
thunderstorm on Bemis Mountain. The whole hillside is full of blueberries! I ate many today and still didn’t get my fill.
After the big storm I had to change socks and try to dry out. It really came down for a while. Summer, a section hiker
finishing the trail this year and two Canadians who were at Swift River Pond with me are here tonight. I slept well and
had a good night except my feet twitched all night!
I woke up after sleeping well by a pestering squirrel dropping pine cones on my tarp! I got up and started fixing
coffee and then cooking fresh sausage and eggs with toast! I eat well on the first day out of town! I heard a sound
that I was waiting for. I grabbed my camera and there down by the lake was the biggest honker of a bull moose I
could imagine! I had heard him hit the water like a 1500 pound rock. I photographed that monster for 15 minutes
and then went and woke up the others in there sleeping bags. Elvis had never seen a moose and this was a treat for
him as well as for me. I got four good pictures of this big moose and will cherish them forever! The moose had a 50
inch rack maybe more. The moose would not look my way and I grunted at him and he posed for me for 2 minutes. I
left the camp area and hiked a short 5 miles to Sabbath Pond Shelter. My right knee needed a break since it was
sore. Sabbath Day Pond Shelter has been rebuilt since I was here last. It is a nice shelter and the lake is beautiful
with big rocks sticking up all around. The house flies are bad here. Other hikers have been leaving food around and
the smell draws them in great numbers. I went down to the lake and got some pictures of a mommy duck and
ducklings in the lake. She was not afraid of people and swam very close. I am using up an Isopro tank tonight. I hear
there is a trash can at the next road. Trash cans are rare on the trail up here. I just don’t understand this. More
trash cans mean less trash on the trail. I read that Lemon Lime had to get off the trail because of a really sore knee.
These mountains are hard on knees and you have to take it slower than usual. She was able to get back on later.
“Lightweight shoes and too many miles make for bad knees” {Goat Proverb} another Proverb, {speed kills} {arrive
alive} Man I could keep going but you get the idea. Tomorrow will be a tough day so I will rest up a little today. I ate
too much heavy food yesterday and today I have no energy. I burned a lot of trash here at the shelter when I got
here. I have observed that a lot of thru-hikers just use the shelters and don’t clean up or tidy up the place while
there or before they leave. The hiker has changed over the years. It is the me attitude now. Let someone else clean
it up for I am a thru-hiker and have no time for such things. I am up on the hill here at the shelter and I can hear
ducks quacking all over here. I also hear a loon here. I will be in Andover in three days. Seven other thru-hikers
came in at dark. I was asleep in the shelter when they arrived and crashed around for the next two hours. I said
nothing but thought how they would react tomorrow morning in the dark while they are trying to sleep!
August 1, 2006 - Sabbath Day Pond Shelter to Bemis Mountain Shelter
Finally August! I was up early. It was my turn to bang around and make noise. I was talking to a little dog and a
woman jumped up and said “people are sleeping” I said that I was sleeping last night when you came in and for 2
hours talked and cooked. I said deal with it because I am too old to put up with the likes of you, girly! They didn’t say
another word. I left shelter at 6:30 a.m. and hiked a moderate day. It got a little hairy when I had to hike in a
thunderstorm on Bemis Mountain. The whole hillside is full of blueberries! I ate many today and still didn’t get my fill.
After the big storm I had to change socks and try to dry out. It really came down for a while. Summer, a section hiker
finishing the trail this year and two Canadians who were at Swift River Pond with me are here tonight. I slept well and
had a good night except my feet twitched all night!
The Cabin at Andover Maine
August 2, 2006 - Bemis Mountain Shelter to The Cabin, Andover Maine
It rained like hell all night long. It must have rained 3-4 inches. I got up a little later than usual and was the last to
leave the shelter. I had breakfast and the rain continued so I hung around for a little while longer. There are still high
winds today for some reason. I finally left at 8 am and it was a miserable soggy day on the trail The trail was under
water in many places and the erosion was terrible. It made for slippery steps all day. The hike up Blue Mountain
wasn’t bad but the hike down to the road was the steepest I have encountered in Maine. I thought I would never get
down to the road. I fell two times coming off the mountain and hurt my right leg when I slid 15 feet and crashed and
burned into a big ledge. It would be easy to be done in an instant if one was not careful or lucky. One could be dead
too if he fell in the wrong spot. When I got to the bottom after much work there was a van waiting for another hiker
and I accepted a ride to The Cabin where I will stay. This was South Arm Road. I had planned to go here in two
days from the other road but it was raining and I had a free ride so I took it! The van stopped by The Andover
Roadhouse so I could pick up my mail drop. My hammock also came in and was there. We then went to The Cabin
and before I was able to take a shower I had a great supper. They serve family style for about 10 dollars and it is
definitely the best meal I got on the trail this year. We had chicken grilled, salad, Lasagna, potato salad, corn on the
cob, ice cream and cake. I was stuffed! They had email here and I caught up on them later and did my laundry and
called home. I got both meals and a bunk bed for $35 each night. This included rides everywhere and free fuel.
These people are in this for the love of it! Thanks Bear and Honey!
August 3, 2006 - 0 day at the Cabin
I was raining hard in the morning so I decided to stay another day. It rained all day. I walked to the post office and
got some business taken care of and went to the store and bought some supplies here in Andover. I then went
outside and set up my new hammock to get familiar with it. It will work out well I think. Beware that this little store has
more beer than anything else. Short term resupply only. I only got a few items and made do for now. We had a great
breakfast this morning. Again we had everything one could hope for. We fixed our own eggs the way we liked them
and then we had potatoes fried, pancakes, juice, coffee, bacon, and fruit. Wow, what a breakfast. This breakfast is
even better than Shaw’s in Monson. Shaw’s was great too. Bear had a pizza in the oven for us for lunch, on the
house, and we fixed some more food on the stove for all of us. We had another great supper. Lasagna, salad, roles,
green beans, ice cream, and cake for dessert too. I stayed up and had a coke and bourbon. We watched a little T.V.
and I made a few calls on the phone. I slept well with some booze in me.
It rained like hell all night long. It must have rained 3-4 inches. I got up a little later than usual and was the last to
leave the shelter. I had breakfast and the rain continued so I hung around for a little while longer. There are still high
winds today for some reason. I finally left at 8 am and it was a miserable soggy day on the trail The trail was under
water in many places and the erosion was terrible. It made for slippery steps all day. The hike up Blue Mountain
wasn’t bad but the hike down to the road was the steepest I have encountered in Maine. I thought I would never get
down to the road. I fell two times coming off the mountain and hurt my right leg when I slid 15 feet and crashed and
burned into a big ledge. It would be easy to be done in an instant if one was not careful or lucky. One could be dead
too if he fell in the wrong spot. When I got to the bottom after much work there was a van waiting for another hiker
and I accepted a ride to The Cabin where I will stay. This was South Arm Road. I had planned to go here in two
days from the other road but it was raining and I had a free ride so I took it! The van stopped by The Andover
Roadhouse so I could pick up my mail drop. My hammock also came in and was there. We then went to The Cabin
and before I was able to take a shower I had a great supper. They serve family style for about 10 dollars and it is
definitely the best meal I got on the trail this year. We had chicken grilled, salad, Lasagna, potato salad, corn on the
cob, ice cream and cake. I was stuffed! They had email here and I caught up on them later and did my laundry and
called home. I got both meals and a bunk bed for $35 each night. This included rides everywhere and free fuel.
These people are in this for the love of it! Thanks Bear and Honey!
August 3, 2006 - 0 day at the Cabin
I was raining hard in the morning so I decided to stay another day. It rained all day. I walked to the post office and
got some business taken care of and went to the store and bought some supplies here in Andover. I then went
outside and set up my new hammock to get familiar with it. It will work out well I think. Beware that this little store has
more beer than anything else. Short term resupply only. I only got a few items and made do for now. We had a great
breakfast this morning. Again we had everything one could hope for. We fixed our own eggs the way we liked them
and then we had potatoes fried, pancakes, juice, coffee, bacon, and fruit. Wow, what a breakfast. This breakfast is
even better than Shaw’s in Monson. Shaw’s was great too. Bear had a pizza in the oven for us for lunch, on the
house, and we fixed some more food on the stove for all of us. We had another great supper. Lasagna, salad, roles,
green beans, ice cream, and cake for dessert too. I stayed up and had a coke and bourbon. We watched a little T.V.
and I made a few calls on the phone. I slept well with some booze in me.
Hammock
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