|
WEEK 17 - July 13 to July 19, 1981 |
July 14, 1981
Arrived too late last night at crowded Piazza Rock shelter for a journal entry. Not much to write anyway. It was a long wet day. By the time I reached Sabbath Day Pond you would not expect that I was going to hike almost eleven more miles. A cold, steady rain had soaked me to the skin. Out came the svea < my camp stove > and I used a full charge of fuel to warm me and dry my clothes. Then it was a race with the sun to Piazza. The race was just about a tie. The area was mobbed - some sort of camp group and a full shelter. Quite a few were there jut hiking in from the nearby road. Some were there for the third consecutive night. No chance to dry out. The trip over the Saddlebacks was the same as last year, only colder. Wind and rain again. The lack of any trail maintenance and the wet weather have combined to reduce my daily mileage. I was hoping to get to Pierce Pond Thursday and take a two day break. But I am a half day short at best and I’ve been eating more so I may not be able to stay there. No chance to dry out as the shelter is mobbed and another group from the infamous Canadian camp group is here. In the shelter are three heading south from Katahdin. Two are out for two months, the other for the duration. Also, there are three northbounders. One, Jane, is hiking from Hanover to Katahdin. She has been traveling with a couple, Len and Cindi, who started at Springer and were only one day behind the couple that were murdered. So they got off the trail and thought about it a while and then started north again from Massachusetts. They will do the missing portion later in the year. This couple had never backpacked before. Len said that he thought the climb up South Kinsman was the kind of thing that you do with ropes. I have not been well today. I’ve had stomach cramps and "the runs" all morning. Hopefully, its nothing serious. I have also been very tired. That may be related but I know that I need a rest. I haven’t had a full day off since before Hanover.
July 15, 1981
Quite cold this morning but I stopped for a while on the north side of Sugarloaf Mt. on top of the cirque and admired the view of the Crockers and area. I ate a second breakfast despite my dwindling food supply. I am feeling better today, although I am still tired. When I got to Rt. 27, there was Jane! She had taken a shortcut over Sugarloaf. I had one of the two Horns Pond shelters to myself so I could finally spread out and dry all my gear.
July 16, 1981
Glad to get over the Bigelow Range into easier terrain today. I had a lot of fun today identifying the various mountains that I had traveled over the past few days. A southbound hiker pointed out that you can see Katahdin from Avery peak of Bigelow so I got my first look on this trip at my final goal. From Avery, Katahdin is just a tiny bump in the haze way out on the horizon. I hoped to get as far as East Carry Pond but ran out of both time and ambition. Amazingly, I camped at the same spot as Jane again. Once again she knew a shortcut and had skirted around Little Bigelow Mt. Noticed some seagulls this evening.
July 17, 1981
A short day of 9.5 miles to Pierce Pond and "The Carrying Place". This is a planned stop - the last days off before finishing the trail. The hike was flat and uneventful although quite swampy in places. I arrived well before noon. My intent is to rest until Monday morning. There is a fairly large group here. There are two men with their two children, Sue, a southbound hiker with two of her friends, and Jane. Interestingly, the southbound hikers say that they met a northbound through hiker in Caratunk who crossed the Kennebek River at about nine this morning. Yet nobody else southbound from the Kennebek has seen him and he would have to have passed me somewhere. And there have been no shelter registers with his entry. Apparently, he just appeared mysteriously on the south side of the Kennebek and continued north! As far as I know the only through hikers ahead of me are "The Bobcat" by now finished, "The traipsin' Tarheel", and "Bamaman". Had the Friday night hiker's dinner at the Carrying Place Camps - steak. It was a large, filling meal well worth the $10.
July 19, 1981
Well, I’ve been here at Pierce Pond for nearly two days resting up for the final 150 mile assault on Katahdin. It was a long tiring trip through the rugged mountains of Maine with cold wet weather and high winds above treeline. This first rest since Hanover and the last (probably) before Katahdin was much needed and much enjoyed. Early tomorrow morning its onward to the north with Katahdin now visible on the horizon. Pleasant company was abundant with Jane and southbounders Sue and Matt also taking a day’s rest here. There is a young woman working at the Carrying Place who was a northbound hiker before stopping here. Yesterday, while swimming in the pond, she was harassed by a kingfisher. The moose that we saw here last year is still resident and has made an appearance.