Date: 2007-07-27
From: Moxie Bald Lean-To

To: Pleasant Pond Lean-To
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: few clouds

mi. 13.1dest. Pleasant Pond Lean-tosleep. hammockday 15Well that whole keeping to around 10 mpd thing didn't last too long. But theankle is feeling great, so no complaints. I think I am going to wear the anklewrap for a few more days, than go without and see what happens.I started out pretty early. Funny how at home I would stay up until 2 or 3amand get up around 10am. Now it's bed at 9pm and up at 5-6am. Today I washiking by 6am.It was a really nice morning. I had a great view from my hammock of the suncoming up. It also woke me pretty early.A note on a white tarp. Light shines through really easily. I didn't have iton last night, but even when I do the light wakes me up early. Not nessecarilya bad thing.I said my goodbyes and goodlucks and hit the trail south. Really soon I had the1st of my 2 climbs today. I made it to the top of Moxie Bald by around 8am. It's funny how the trail goes right up the side of a mountain only to stop short20 yds from the top. On this one I walked over the rocky bald and took a nicebreak for awhile. I am getting better at my tin whislte. Maybe in anothermonth or so I might be good enough to play it around people.The trail down wasn't bad at all. I finally got some wild blue berries today. There were 2 sections where the trail passes under some high tension power linesthat had some growing. Probibly zipped with plenty of radation, but at leastthey tasted good. I eat a few and put some in a ziplock for later. Word to thewie, if you do this the outside pocket of you pack is not the best place tostore it. Mine are now a little flat. I am going to try some for breakfest andsee how it goes.It was really hot today. I sit my pack in the sun and the thermometer on mywatch said 98 degrees. When I was walking it read 86. Plenty hot any way yousay it.I got to the next shelter around 12 and took a long coffee and snack break. Idecided to push on. No use stopping so early when everything is feeling good.I then started up Pleasont pond mountain. This this is pretty crazy goingsouth. Not in terms of trail, but in terms of false summits. The map showed 4,the northbounders yesterday told me 7, and I swear it was 10. It was up andover over the course of about 4+ miles. So a long drawn out climb. You knowthere is a lot when the names middle peak and forth mountain is used. Theybasically ran out of names.Also I think I am going to start reading the map and guide more before I start. There is a stretch until the shelter without water for about 6 miles. Not crazyfar, just my farthest yet. I was rationing and just about out when I got to theshelter.This mountain northbound or my decent is pretty tough. There is an elevationgain of around 1100 feet in just over a mile. I'm glad I was going down and notup. Not a rock scramble but a lot of rocks and roots. Tipical Maine stuff.I also almost forgot. I was taking a break at the last false summit when itstarted to cool off and get cloudy. Then it started to sprinkle. I put myshoes and socks back on, and my shirt on and hiked on. It didn't rain too hard,but it did thunder. At this point my best bet was to hike on. I didn't see andlightening and it wasn't too bad. Although the last peak was pretty exposed. But I made it down ok.I also learned an important lesson today. On the shelters with 2 trails leadingto them, 1 to the north and 1 to the south, I am going to walk over to thenorthbounder one. Usually easily and closer to the water. Plus on my way out.Today's southbounder trail was pretty crazy. It lead down a trail to a road. Across the street was another blue blaze to the lake. Yet no shelter. I walkedback and started back the blue blaze trail, yet thios time I ened at theshelter. I figured I most have missed something being tired, hungrey, andthirsty.I eat and had a lot to drinkl and headed to the lake for a swim. When I got tothe road apparently the trail ends at the road and 3 feet over heading back theway I came is the shelter trail. Come on trail maintainers throw ussouthbounders a freakin bone once in awhile. All I saw was a sign 15 feet upthat said AT was this way.I ended up going for a nice swim. The pond where I am at is a big local touristplace. I can hear plently of people screaming and driving their boats from theshelter.I am enjoying a nice place and campfire with a couple weekenders headed toMonson. Nice couple from Boston. She had done a lot on the AT in the south. This is his first trip. The went up here because of now hot and dry it is inthe south.I was just thinking, through all of todays hiking and false summits, my mood waspretty good. Not even the rain or lack of water really got to me. I think Ifinally shook the bad mental stuff and figured out how I need to do my hike.