July 21, 2006 - Pierce Pond Shelter to West Carry Pond Lean-to
Everyone went to eat at the Harrison Camp and I left soon after. This was an easy day of hiking around two big
lakes. East and West Carry Ponds were a treat to walk around and many birds were around the lake. I hiked into
West Carry Pond Lean-to as it began to rain. The spring was dry here but the lake water looked fine so I filled up
and hung out at the shelter the rest of the afternoon. I picked up a one liter water bottle here which I will carry. I will
use one of my old bottles for booze and burn the bugger old water bottle. The others stopped and went on after a
break. Wrong decision. It rained very hard soon after they left. Lemon Lime wasn’t even carrying a rain cover for her
pack. Everything she had was wet. The outfitter told her it was waterproof! , and she believed it. I met Stumpknocker
and Lady Gorp this morning after leaving the shelter. I had read their trail entries over the last 18 months and I
finally met them. I also met them at White House Landing. I is raining harder than I have seen it rain on this trip just
now. I have been seeing a lot of loons and moose around here. I am up to 9 moose in Maine so far. I really enjoyed
Pierce Pond Shelter last night. I will come back here again someday. I may bring up my canoe and spend some time
on the lakes here in Maine. It is in the top 10 of places on the entire trail. This area reminds me of the Adirondacks
where there are many shelters around the also many lakes in the Putnam Pond area.
Everyone went to eat at the Harrison Camp and I left soon after. This was an easy day of hiking around two big
lakes. East and West Carry Ponds were a treat to walk around and many birds were around the lake. I hiked into
West Carry Pond Lean-to as it began to rain. The spring was dry here but the lake water looked fine so I filled up
and hung out at the shelter the rest of the afternoon. I picked up a one liter water bottle here which I will carry. I will
use one of my old bottles for booze and burn the bugger old water bottle. The others stopped and went on after a
break. Wrong decision. It rained very hard soon after they left. Lemon Lime wasn’t even carrying a rain cover for her
pack. Everything she had was wet. The outfitter told her it was waterproof! , and she believed it. I met Stumpknocker
and Lady Gorp this morning after leaving the shelter. I had read their trail entries over the last 18 months and I
finally met them. I also met them at White House Landing. I is raining harder than I have seen it rain on this trip just
now. I have been seeing a lot of loons and moose around here. I am up to 9 moose in Maine so far. I really enjoyed
Pierce Pond Shelter last night. I will come back here again someday. I may bring up my canoe and spend some time
on the lakes here in Maine. It is in the top 10 of places on the entire trail. This area reminds me of the Adirondacks
where there are many shelters around the also many lakes in the Putnam Pond area.
West Carry Pond
July 22, 2006 - West Carry Pond Lean-to to Little Bigalow Lean-to
I left shelter after a great night sleep. I got a Charlie horse in my leg last night at dark and had to run around outside
in the rain and walk it off. The mosquitoes attacked me badly while I was dancing around and the others at the
shelter were laughing their asses off at me swatting and screaming while working the cramp out. I guess I did look
funny running around in my underwear in the dark and the rain and all, along with the swarming bugs!! I guess you
just had to be there. I got up and left shelter at 7am and while walking the weather started to cloud up a bit. I got to
the shelter after a nice ridge walk overlooking the valley. I also walked by a nice beaver pond. The shelter here has
a phone hanging in it. This shelter is also famous for the tubs in the creek here. They are big enough to get into and
you can sit in them and soak. The water seems to be awfully cold compared to other creeks! My feet were blue after
10 minutes in the creek. I picked up a romance novel and tried to read it. “The Promise of a Kiss,” by Stephanie
Laurens. The people screw in every chapter! It is like a porno without the pictures! I felt like I need to smoke my pipe
after a chapter in this book. I will start hiking the Bigalows tomorrow. There is a lot of climbing in this range but it is
beautiful. I will stay at a camp site tomorrow. A couple of thru-hikers came into the shelter later. No Cheese and
Nightrider from Long Island. I hope this rain quits so tomorrow is clear on top of this big mountain. Finally another
hiker came into the shelter at around 9 pm. He had been walking in the rain for 3 hours and everything he had was
wet! He was very stinky too, even though he had been washed off by the rain. We all slept well and it rained all
night.
I met a dad and daughter today hiking north. She was carrying a calico cat on top of her pack! They did not stop
and talk but at least I saw them. This was one of the weirdest things I have seen on this trail this year.
I left shelter after a great night sleep. I got a Charlie horse in my leg last night at dark and had to run around outside
in the rain and walk it off. The mosquitoes attacked me badly while I was dancing around and the others at the
shelter were laughing their asses off at me swatting and screaming while working the cramp out. I guess I did look
funny running around in my underwear in the dark and the rain and all, along with the swarming bugs!! I guess you
just had to be there. I got up and left shelter at 7am and while walking the weather started to cloud up a bit. I got to
the shelter after a nice ridge walk overlooking the valley. I also walked by a nice beaver pond. The shelter here has
a phone hanging in it. This shelter is also famous for the tubs in the creek here. They are big enough to get into and
you can sit in them and soak. The water seems to be awfully cold compared to other creeks! My feet were blue after
10 minutes in the creek. I picked up a romance novel and tried to read it. “The Promise of a Kiss,” by Stephanie
Laurens. The people screw in every chapter! It is like a porno without the pictures! I felt like I need to smoke my pipe
after a chapter in this book. I will start hiking the Bigalows tomorrow. There is a lot of climbing in this range but it is
beautiful. I will stay at a camp site tomorrow. A couple of thru-hikers came into the shelter later. No Cheese and
Nightrider from Long Island. I hope this rain quits so tomorrow is clear on top of this big mountain. Finally another
hiker came into the shelter at around 9 pm. He had been walking in the rain for 3 hours and everything he had was
wet! He was very stinky too, even though he had been washed off by the rain. We all slept well and it rained all
night.
I met a dad and daughter today hiking north. She was carrying a calico cat on top of her pack! They did not stop
and talk but at least I saw them. This was one of the weirdest things I have seen on this trail this year.
Going up Avery Peak
July 23, 2006 -Little Bigalow Shelter to Safford Notch Campsite
I was up later than usual on this rainy morning. After a while I decided it would not rain hard and I left. It did mist on
and off but did not rain. The trail was wet and slippery and overgrown resulting in me and my boots getting saturated
completely. I stopped a couple of times throughout the day to eat and ring out my socks and kept moving along. I
made it to Safford Notch camp site and pitched my good tarp recently sent to me on a tent platform. It rained a little
all along but not hard. I walked around the campsite and explored the tent platforms and the outhouse. There was a
nice little creek flowing from a nice spring farther up and I got water and had hot drinks all afternoon. There is no
one else here at this nice camp. It is a 10 minute walk off of the main trail but it was well worth it. I tried to get a fire
going but everything is wet and I did not succeed. This is rare for me but there wasn’t any dry to get it started easily.
It took me 5 hours to go 5.3 miles today in tough hiking. It was beautiful and I got some great views on a cloudy day
but still well worth it. I just cooked up a tasty lunch. I had mashed potatoes with a gravy mix, butter buds, olive oil,
pepper and garlic with hamburger added to it. It was one of the best meals I have eaten on the trail thus far. I got to
see Avery Peak today as I was climbing up a mountain. In 1981 I cowboy camped with Marjo up on Avery Peak. We
about froze on a 30 degree night in September! It is quiet here with the birds singing in this little Notch. My mosquito
net has come in handy every night since I bought it. I works under my rain tarp perfectly too. It is getting cold enough
to have to put on my sweater and rain gear I also put on dry socks to stay warmer. I recently found a longer fork
which I will replace with my short one. You can’t stir food very well with a short fork. I hope to get a longer spoon too.
I was up later than usual on this rainy morning. After a while I decided it would not rain hard and I left. It did mist on
and off but did not rain. The trail was wet and slippery and overgrown resulting in me and my boots getting saturated
completely. I stopped a couple of times throughout the day to eat and ring out my socks and kept moving along. I
made it to Safford Notch camp site and pitched my good tarp recently sent to me on a tent platform. It rained a little
all along but not hard. I walked around the campsite and explored the tent platforms and the outhouse. There was a
nice little creek flowing from a nice spring farther up and I got water and had hot drinks all afternoon. There is no
one else here at this nice camp. It is a 10 minute walk off of the main trail but it was well worth it. I tried to get a fire
going but everything is wet and I did not succeed. This is rare for me but there wasn’t any dry to get it started easily.
It took me 5 hours to go 5.3 miles today in tough hiking. It was beautiful and I got some great views on a cloudy day
but still well worth it. I just cooked up a tasty lunch. I had mashed potatoes with a gravy mix, butter buds, olive oil,
pepper and garlic with hamburger added to it. It was one of the best meals I have eaten on the trail thus far. I got to
see Avery Peak today as I was climbing up a mountain. In 1981 I cowboy camped with Marjo up on Avery Peak. We
about froze on a 30 degree night in September! It is quiet here with the birds singing in this little Notch. My mosquito
net has come in handy every night since I bought it. I works under my rain tarp perfectly too. It is getting cold enough
to have to put on my sweater and rain gear I also put on dry socks to stay warmer. I recently found a longer fork
which I will replace with my short one. You can’t stir food very well with a short fork. I hope to get a longer spoon too.
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