June 30, 2006 – Pine Point Camp Site to Abol Pines Campsite and Shelter
It got cool in the night and the bugs were not bad while I broke camp. I left the campsite at daylight and had
breakfast an hour later on the trail. I am really sore still but will only go five miles today and stay in the woods if need
be at Abol Bridge. After the sun came up the mosquitoes were brutal. I had to wear long rain gear all day and also I
had to wear my bug net for my head. The bugs are as bad as I have ever seen them anywhere! I had to smoke and
eat at the same time. My pipe got a workout today! It was easy hiking today to get to Abol Bridge. Yesterday I had
two tricky river fords which were swift and dangerous. I took a break at Abol Stream footbridge and saw two moose. I
never saw one moose on my first trip and I saw two before I got out of Baxter Park! It is getting better all ready.
There is a camp ground across from the store here at Abol Bridge and the woman who runs the store told me there
was an A.T. style shelter for hikers there. It costs $5.00 but the rain is suppose to be here all day so I will spring for
it. I had planned to buy a tarp at the store anyway so it saved me from doing that. I found the shelter and it is almost
new and very nice. In the front of the shelter people have been rafting by on a river all day. I got some pictures of
them. There is no spring here so I had to use the river water which I treated with chlorine. I called Virginia at a pay
cell phone at the store. This place is out in the booneys. They are on generator power there too. I am in the shelter
alone but there are several people with pitched tents here canoeing. They will be here before dark. The bugs are
bad here so I will pitch my tent and sleep in it. Today the bugs were terrible. I asked the lady at the store that in
1981 I had signed a petition to make the mosquito the state of Maine’s bird. I asked her what became of that. She
smiled without hesitation and said that they ran out of paper! I will need to buy some bug repellent tomorrow. I have
already used a full bottle in two days.
It got cool in the night and the bugs were not bad while I broke camp. I left the campsite at daylight and had
breakfast an hour later on the trail. I am really sore still but will only go five miles today and stay in the woods if need
be at Abol Bridge. After the sun came up the mosquitoes were brutal. I had to wear long rain gear all day and also I
had to wear my bug net for my head. The bugs are as bad as I have ever seen them anywhere! I had to smoke and
eat at the same time. My pipe got a workout today! It was easy hiking today to get to Abol Bridge. Yesterday I had
two tricky river fords which were swift and dangerous. I took a break at Abol Stream footbridge and saw two moose. I
never saw one moose on my first trip and I saw two before I got out of Baxter Park! It is getting better all ready.
There is a camp ground across from the store here at Abol Bridge and the woman who runs the store told me there
was an A.T. style shelter for hikers there. It costs $5.00 but the rain is suppose to be here all day so I will spring for
it. I had planned to buy a tarp at the store anyway so it saved me from doing that. I found the shelter and it is almost
new and very nice. In the front of the shelter people have been rafting by on a river all day. I got some pictures of
them. There is no spring here so I had to use the river water which I treated with chlorine. I called Virginia at a pay
cell phone at the store. This place is out in the booneys. They are on generator power there too. I am in the shelter
alone but there are several people with pitched tents here canoeing. They will be here before dark. The bugs are
bad here so I will pitch my tent and sleep in it. Today the bugs were terrible. I asked the lady at the store that in
1981 I had signed a petition to make the mosquito the state of Maine’s bird. I asked her what became of that. She
smiled without hesitation and said that they ran out of paper! I will need to buy some bug repellent tomorrow. I have
already used a full bottle in two days.
Hurd Brook Lean To
July 1, 2006 - Abol Pines to Hurd Brook Shelter
I slept well in the tent after the bugs drove me out of the shelter at dark. I got up and ate breakfast and left the
shelter to go to the store within sight. I called Virginia again at the pay cell phone and bought a few items and raided
their hiker box. I bought a small can of mushrooms to make this can into a coffee cup. My cup was smashed on the
bus and I found it out last night. I used the plastic handle off of the original cup and duct taped it on. It works very
well and will make do till I find a better one. The Hurd Shelter is only 3.5 miles away but my sore legs are not getting
any better yet. Taking it easy today will help I fell. I got to the shelter at 11:30 a.m. and got a smoky fire going at
once to drive the critters away. Most people from this area know that birch bark is the best stuff to start a fire and
the best stuff to smoke out the bugs. I got a tin can and put holes in it, filled it full of bark, lit it and turned it upside
down on the ground and it smoked for 45 minutes. It worked great in the shelters and I used it for the first three
weeks on this trip. This smudge pot as I call it was a big hit on the trail and I used it when I took breaks on the trail
when the mosquitoes are bad. I took pictures of my little tin can at different places. Twenty minutes after arriving at
the shelter it rained very hard and by 2:30 p.m. it had stopped and the sun was back out. A trail maintainer stopped
by here and we talked for a while. I went to the creek and got my water for the evening and cooked up some ramin
noodles and dehydrated venison hamburger that I dried before I left. This hamburger goes along way on the trail. A
pound can last ten days and you can carry it until you use it. I season it spicy so I don’t have to add spice to my food
when cooking it. My little oil can stove is working out very well so far. It has replaced my Svea 123r on this section
hike to help me out on the weight factor. It does not have the versatility but it is light. I also carried a M.S.R. pocket
Rocket on this trip. The little stove is 3 ounces and I can find free fuel canisters all over the place 1/4th full. I will use
it for now and send it home when I want to. My pack weight will only get better every day as I go through the
wilderness area. Hurd shelter where I am tonight is one of only three remaining Baseball bat shelters. Baseball
refers to the way the floor looks. They were constructed out of the material on sight and consisted of the small
baseball bat size wood and were used for the floor. It was customary in the early years to put spruce bows on the
floor for comfort and warmth along with mosquito repellent. But in later years it was not allowable to cut fresh bows.
Now it is just plain uncomfortable to sleep on these floors even though the new Therma-rest style pads have made it
a lot more bearable. I am glad they kept a few of these old shelters to let everyone know how it was in the good ole
days. It is quiet here this evening. The birds are singing and the brook is babbling. I know why I am here! I have
shown several people my belt buckle so far and all love it. There is a nice stand of evergreen trees here at the
shelter. I am going to stay here another night to heal up my very sore legs. I stayed at the shelter until 8 p.m. and
went up to the little flat spot where I pitched my tent and slept without bugs bothering me. I slept well and it got cold
in the night. At daylight it started to rain as it did in the night. My tent suddenly started to leak like a sieve. I packed
up my stuff and got into the shelter. My sleeping bag got a little wet. My tent didn’t leak a drop in Florida and now it
leaks badly. I don’t get it?
I slept well in the tent after the bugs drove me out of the shelter at dark. I got up and ate breakfast and left the
shelter to go to the store within sight. I called Virginia again at the pay cell phone and bought a few items and raided
their hiker box. I bought a small can of mushrooms to make this can into a coffee cup. My cup was smashed on the
bus and I found it out last night. I used the plastic handle off of the original cup and duct taped it on. It works very
well and will make do till I find a better one. The Hurd Shelter is only 3.5 miles away but my sore legs are not getting
any better yet. Taking it easy today will help I fell. I got to the shelter at 11:30 a.m. and got a smoky fire going at
once to drive the critters away. Most people from this area know that birch bark is the best stuff to start a fire and
the best stuff to smoke out the bugs. I got a tin can and put holes in it, filled it full of bark, lit it and turned it upside
down on the ground and it smoked for 45 minutes. It worked great in the shelters and I used it for the first three
weeks on this trip. This smudge pot as I call it was a big hit on the trail and I used it when I took breaks on the trail
when the mosquitoes are bad. I took pictures of my little tin can at different places. Twenty minutes after arriving at
the shelter it rained very hard and by 2:30 p.m. it had stopped and the sun was back out. A trail maintainer stopped
by here and we talked for a while. I went to the creek and got my water for the evening and cooked up some ramin
noodles and dehydrated venison hamburger that I dried before I left. This hamburger goes along way on the trail. A
pound can last ten days and you can carry it until you use it. I season it spicy so I don’t have to add spice to my food
when cooking it. My little oil can stove is working out very well so far. It has replaced my Svea 123r on this section
hike to help me out on the weight factor. It does not have the versatility but it is light. I also carried a M.S.R. pocket
Rocket on this trip. The little stove is 3 ounces and I can find free fuel canisters all over the place 1/4th full. I will use
it for now and send it home when I want to. My pack weight will only get better every day as I go through the
wilderness area. Hurd shelter where I am tonight is one of only three remaining Baseball bat shelters. Baseball
refers to the way the floor looks. They were constructed out of the material on sight and consisted of the small
baseball bat size wood and were used for the floor. It was customary in the early years to put spruce bows on the
floor for comfort and warmth along with mosquito repellent. But in later years it was not allowable to cut fresh bows.
Now it is just plain uncomfortable to sleep on these floors even though the new Therma-rest style pads have made it
a lot more bearable. I am glad they kept a few of these old shelters to let everyone know how it was in the good ole
days. It is quiet here this evening. The birds are singing and the brook is babbling. I know why I am here! I have
shown several people my belt buckle so far and all love it. There is a nice stand of evergreen trees here at the
shelter. I am going to stay here another night to heal up my very sore legs. I stayed at the shelter until 8 p.m. and
went up to the little flat spot where I pitched my tent and slept without bugs bothering me. I slept well and it got cold
in the night. At daylight it started to rain as it did in the night. My tent suddenly started to leak like a sieve. I packed
up my stuff and got into the shelter. My sleeping bag got a little wet. My tent didn’t leak a drop in Florida and now it
leaks badly. I don’t get it?
Baseball Bat Floor
July 2, 2006 - Hurd Shelter
I decided to stay at this shelter another night. I have
been on the go for 6 days and I need a complete day
off. It is raining anyway so I will stay dry too. I sat
around and reorganized my pack a little and tried to
dry out my sleeping bag. Two flip floppers stopped
by here at the shelter and went on. [A flip flopper is
someone who starts usually in Georgia and runs out
of time to get to Maine before cold weather. They
come up to Maine early enough to hike back south to
finish where they got off at.] The flip Floppers were
going through the 100 mile of wilderness in 6 days.
That is way too fast for this old Goat! This night I set
up my little bivy style tent and slept well with mosquito
protection.
I decided to stay at this shelter another night. I have
been on the go for 6 days and I need a complete day
off. It is raining anyway so I will stay dry too. I sat
around and reorganized my pack a little and tried to
dry out my sleeping bag. Two flip floppers stopped
by here at the shelter and went on. [A flip flopper is
someone who starts usually in Georgia and runs out
of time to get to Maine before cold weather. They
come up to Maine early enough to hike back south to
finish where they got off at.] The flip Floppers were
going through the 100 mile of wilderness in 6 days.
That is way too fast for this old Goat! This night I set
up my little bivy style tent and slept well with mosquito
protection.
Home
Buggy Place
2