Date: 2018-08-09
From: Scott Road - Cabin in the Woods

To: Pleasant Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Dave was doing his part to make sure today followed yesterday. He fixed me an omelet that filled half my plate. Soon thereafter he had me back to the trail and sent me on my way. Once again I am amazed at the generosity on display along the AT. Dave took it as a personal mission that I was in want of nothing during our brief stay together. He accomplished that mission with flying colors. I hope our paths cross again sometime. In the meantime, I pray that Dave and his family be blessed in full.It was 0830 when I started hiking and I actually had a deadline to meet today. The Kennebec River was 8 miles up trail and the only way across the river was by ferry (actually a canoe). The ferry runs from 9-2 daily. Fortunately most of the trail was fairly flat and smooth and I arrived before noon. I crossed a boggy stream early in the hike and spooked some loons into flight. A hiker named Sunshine came up as I was scanning the banks of the bog for any other signs of life. I had met her once before, several hundred miles back on the trail. She is hiking with a fellow named Beast who was not far behind. Sunshine and I ended up hiking together for the next four miles. I must say that the miles fly by when carrying on a conversation with another hiker. I stopped at Pierce Pond to take some pictures and get a snack. Sunshine moved on, but I would pass her a little further down the trail when she stopped to wait for Beast.After leaving the pond, the trail followed along the Cascading Pierce Stream for several miles. A thunderstorm moved in and hung around for a few minutes. Parts of the trail were a bit muddy, with lots of roots and slippery rocks. No complaints here. The trail also passed between Coniferous and Deciduous Forests.I reached the Kennebec River at 1145 and waited for the Canoe Ferry to paddle over from the far side. Another hiker from the UK came down a minute later. Sunshine and Beast arrived just as the canoe reached the shore. Today the Kennebec was running swift and high. At times it is lower and hikers in the past have tempted fate by fording the river. However, this is very risky because an upstream dam can release water without notice causing the water level to rise 2-3 feet. Just this spring a hiker was swept to his death trying to ford the dangerous river. A White Blaze is painted on the inside of the canoe, denoting it as the official method of crossing the Kennebec. Sunshine took some pictures of Honeybun and I crossing the river. I waited on the other side to return the favor. Just a short walk up the trail from the river is a road crossing. A side road leads .3 miles to the small town of Caratunk. The Caratunk House is situated in the middle of town. It is a hiker B&B with a nice resupply store. They also offer pulled pork BBQ sandwiches and milkshakes. I¢ll take two sandwiches and a chocolate shake, please and thank you. I had reserved a room for tonight, but decided to hike on since it was early and I still had 36 miles between me and Monson. I gave my room up to Sunshine and Beast and moved on after a couple of hours. It was a steady 6 mile climb to the Pleasant Pond Lean-to. A couple of hikers were already occupying the sides of the 6-Man shelter so I took up the space in the middle. It is dark now and a loon is calling out. Cool!The weather looks good for the next few days. Let¢s hope it is the onset of a new trend. Another glorious day on the AT in the books. Peace and BlessingsNext StepElevation Data:Ascent - 1,745Descent - 1,655Grade - 4.6Weather:Day - 78 / Scattered StormsNight - 65 / Mostly CloudyOver The Horizon: The 100 Mile Wilderness