Forty Dollars worth of food at White House Landing
July 7, 2006 - Potaywadjo Shelter to a Campsite 4 miles north of Cooper Shelter
I slept well with a few bug problems early in the night. It was another easy day of hiking. I stopped at Old Antlers
camp today where I washed clothes and jumped into the lake. This is a very pretty lake and the camp site is one of
the nicest areas I have ever seen. Orlando stopped by here also and we took a long break at Antlers Camp.
Orlando is from Ipswich Mass. and knows of the Russell family who owns a large apple orchard there. In 1981 I knew
a ridge runner, Laura Russell who was the daughter of this family. I stopped here in 1981 and there is still remains
of a cabin which was in good condition then. I saw another moose yesterday ½ mile before the shelter. Orlando had
been looking for them and I saw a small fawn in the road. It still must have weighed 15 pounds. I am ½ mile south of
Jo Mary Road tonight and am camped on Cooper Creek. I am camping under my new tarp and am enjoying all the
firewood on a cool evening. I am finally starting to feel better after 50 miles on the trail. I have plenty of food after
resupplying at White House Landing. I was not impressed with that place at all. The owner gripes all the time and I
have no time for that. I bought $40.00 worth of food worth about 18 dollars in the real world but I was comfortable
with the added cost because of the convenience factor. The trail to White House Landing sucks big time and in my
opinion it is not worth the trip unless you need food.
July 8, 2006 - Jo Mary Lakes Road area to Cooper Creek Shelter
Bugs were a big problem last night. They buzzed me until my smoky fire ran them out. I had to keep my fire going all
night and sleep close by too. My third lighter stopped working and I also needed to keep the fire going to have a hot
breakfast in the morning. I will bum one off someone with an extra one if possible. I usually carry extra ones too. I
thought 3 would be enough through the wilderness but they were all defective. It was warmer than usual and I
sweated like a dog in the bag trying to stay away from the bugs.
I got up at 4:30 a.m. and it was daylight already. I had grits and coffee for breakfast and hiked quickly to Cooper
Shelter by 8:00 a.m. Orlando was leaving the shelter as I got there and gave me a lighter to replace mine. I was
grateful. The brother and sister left a lot of food at the shelter due to having to get off the trail early and I will now
have much food for the trip to Monson. I got 5 pounds of dried fruit and 4 dinners and powdered milk, chocolate and
all sort of goodies. My glasses broke and I am now looking through one piece of glass at a time! My water bag also
has a lamination problem. I bought a platypus from M.S.R. and I like it but they leak way too early in their life. It is
guaranteed for life but when it doesn’t work on the trail it is not convenient to replace. I feel it need to be built a little
tougher or discontinued. I finally got it replaced when I got back to Florida. This shelter was very full in 1981 when I
was here and I slept outside of the shelter. This time it had 4 people in it and a lot of thru-hikers in hammocks and
tents outside. This shelter also has the best swimming hole on the trail. I am glad I got here early to enjoy this
shelter one more time. The outhouses here in Maine sometimes have curtains and sinks in them and are unusually
clean and neat. Make sure you stop and look at them as you pass them in Maine, it is worth it.
I slept well with a few bug problems early in the night. It was another easy day of hiking. I stopped at Old Antlers
camp today where I washed clothes and jumped into the lake. This is a very pretty lake and the camp site is one of
the nicest areas I have ever seen. Orlando stopped by here also and we took a long break at Antlers Camp.
Orlando is from Ipswich Mass. and knows of the Russell family who owns a large apple orchard there. In 1981 I knew
a ridge runner, Laura Russell who was the daughter of this family. I stopped here in 1981 and there is still remains
of a cabin which was in good condition then. I saw another moose yesterday ½ mile before the shelter. Orlando had
been looking for them and I saw a small fawn in the road. It still must have weighed 15 pounds. I am ½ mile south of
Jo Mary Road tonight and am camped on Cooper Creek. I am camping under my new tarp and am enjoying all the
firewood on a cool evening. I am finally starting to feel better after 50 miles on the trail. I have plenty of food after
resupplying at White House Landing. I was not impressed with that place at all. The owner gripes all the time and I
have no time for that. I bought $40.00 worth of food worth about 18 dollars in the real world but I was comfortable
with the added cost because of the convenience factor. The trail to White House Landing sucks big time and in my
opinion it is not worth the trip unless you need food.
July 8, 2006 - Jo Mary Lakes Road area to Cooper Creek Shelter
Bugs were a big problem last night. They buzzed me until my smoky fire ran them out. I had to keep my fire going all
night and sleep close by too. My third lighter stopped working and I also needed to keep the fire going to have a hot
breakfast in the morning. I will bum one off someone with an extra one if possible. I usually carry extra ones too. I
thought 3 would be enough through the wilderness but they were all defective. It was warmer than usual and I
sweated like a dog in the bag trying to stay away from the bugs.
I got up at 4:30 a.m. and it was daylight already. I had grits and coffee for breakfast and hiked quickly to Cooper
Shelter by 8:00 a.m. Orlando was leaving the shelter as I got there and gave me a lighter to replace mine. I was
grateful. The brother and sister left a lot of food at the shelter due to having to get off the trail early and I will now
have much food for the trip to Monson. I got 5 pounds of dried fruit and 4 dinners and powdered milk, chocolate and
all sort of goodies. My glasses broke and I am now looking through one piece of glass at a time! My water bag also
has a lamination problem. I bought a platypus from M.S.R. and I like it but they leak way too early in their life. It is
guaranteed for life but when it doesn’t work on the trail it is not convenient to replace. I feel it need to be built a little
tougher or discontinued. I finally got it replaced when I got back to Florida. This shelter was very full in 1981 when I
was here and I slept outside of the shelter. This time it had 4 people in it and a lot of thru-hikers in hammocks and
tents outside. This shelter also has the best swimming hole on the trail. I am glad I got here early to enjoy this
shelter one more time. The outhouses here in Maine sometimes have curtains and sinks in them and are unusually
clean and neat. Make sure you stop and look at them as you pass them in Maine, it is worth it.
Cooper Brook Lean To
July 9, 2006 - Cooper Brook Shelter to East Branch Lean-to
I was up early after a great night sleep with the brook babbling all night long. I was a little sad to leave this pretty
place. I had oatmeal and coffee for breakfast along with some dried fruit. It was a fairly easy day of hiking but the
extra weight in my pack from the food I picked up was a burden. I will just have to eat it up! I got to this shelter East
Branch Shelter at 2p.m. and went down to the water source which was a murky beaver pond outlet water. I washed
up in the brook and got my water and went back up to the shelter after ½ hour down at the creek. There is a nice
sitting bench by an old gnarly tree at the creek and it would be a nice evening sitting spot. I had a ramin and
hamburger for lunch. This shelter is a fairly new one and a pine thicket with nice surroundings. A nice outhouse is
nearby too. It has a skylight and is big enough for 8 people. It has a homemade table to eat on and a nice fire pit. I
gathered up some firewood and burned all existing trash lying around and relaxed. I got lucky here and found a nice
bake light coffee cup to replace my mushroom can. I also burned an old pair of wholly pants left here and got the
belt off of it and used it on my pack. It was a regular style strap with quick release. It actually matched one I found in
Tenn. in the spring in 2005. So now I have a matched set of straps found over 1800 miles apart. I am a scrounge! It
is getting windy here tonight. I stopped by a very nice spring 1.3 miles before I got here. It was coming off Boardman
Mountain and I was out of water. I am feeling fine but I am getting tired too quickly each day. I am getting better
every day. I saw a 700 pound bull moose today while taking a break at Crawford Pond. I could not get a picture of it
but I tried. He was still in velvet. All of the dried fruit I got yesterday is working on me. Hugging trees was often today
on the trail. I have gone 68 miles as of today. I am starting to get in a grove but I am still going slowly. I have all the
time in the world. I picked up more stuff at this shelter. I got a small can of gasoline along with some new liner socks.
I was up early after a great night sleep with the brook babbling all night long. I was a little sad to leave this pretty
place. I had oatmeal and coffee for breakfast along with some dried fruit. It was a fairly easy day of hiking but the
extra weight in my pack from the food I picked up was a burden. I will just have to eat it up! I got to this shelter East
Branch Shelter at 2p.m. and went down to the water source which was a murky beaver pond outlet water. I washed
up in the brook and got my water and went back up to the shelter after ½ hour down at the creek. There is a nice
sitting bench by an old gnarly tree at the creek and it would be a nice evening sitting spot. I had a ramin and
hamburger for lunch. This shelter is a fairly new one and a pine thicket with nice surroundings. A nice outhouse is
nearby too. It has a skylight and is big enough for 8 people. It has a homemade table to eat on and a nice fire pit. I
gathered up some firewood and burned all existing trash lying around and relaxed. I got lucky here and found a nice
bake light coffee cup to replace my mushroom can. I also burned an old pair of wholly pants left here and got the
belt off of it and used it on my pack. It was a regular style strap with quick release. It actually matched one I found in
Tenn. in the spring in 2005. So now I have a matched set of straps found over 1800 miles apart. I am a scrounge! It
is getting windy here tonight. I stopped by a very nice spring 1.3 miles before I got here. It was coming off Boardman
Mountain and I was out of water. I am feeling fine but I am getting tired too quickly each day. I am getting better
every day. I saw a 700 pound bull moose today while taking a break at Crawford Pond. I could not get a picture of it
but I tried. He was still in velvet. All of the dried fruit I got yesterday is working on me. Hugging trees was often today
on the trail. I have gone 68 miles as of today. I am starting to get in a grove but I am still going slowly. I have all the
time in the world. I picked up more stuff at this shelter. I got a small can of gasoline along with some new liner socks.
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