Date: 2003-09-07
From: Moxie Pond

To: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Caratunk, ME has a good energy. As I walk its lone street, I could envision myself returning. A lot of the good feeling has been the hospitality shown by postmistress Marie, and also Paul of The Caratunk House B&B.Paul has climbed Katahdin a number of times. He softens as he speaks of it: "It is a magnificent mountain. The Indians considered it sacred. I always feel peaceful when I go up there, even when the wind is howling. It's a very spiritual place. You will feel it. You'll see."We bid goodbye. I like Paul a lot. He wears a Moosewood Cafe tee shirt. His place has sometimes been called "the Elmer's of the North," a reference to the famous hiker-friendly B&B, The Sunnybank Inn of Hot Springs, NC.Scotty and Carol haul us down to Moxie Lake one last time. I like them too. They are friends of Paul and Jensen, retired and traveling around in a camper, with their motorcycles. We look for our old bog moose, but she has retreated.Chief takes a bag of gear up the trail for AWOL to recover as he passes through later in the day, sparing him some weight over Pleasant Pond Mt. We head off under clear skies and growing heat.The trail takes us past a bog where a big bull moose has been reported, but he is not here today. We cross over a beaver dam - yes, a beaver dam is also part of the AT "footpath."Stoker writes in the shelter log: "A big bull moose just stared me down as if I were insignificant. I am, but it's disconcerting coming from a moose."We climb Moxie Bald, and the bright day has clouded over. Views are middleground. A lightning strike has ignited and burned a seam of trees wedged into a rocky cleft. It's hard to avoid the message: lightning is king up here. New life is already springing up in the blackened dirt.We stop for lunch in Moxie Bald Lean-to and meet the upbeat Two Dogged, a British/South African woman who flip-flopped from Harper's Ferry. Her companions are her Weimaraner, Julie and Doberman, Isabelle. They have led her on many adventures, the latest being a trip into the swamp with their packs on. On another, Isabelle ran off, swam into the middle of the lake (again, with her pack on) and tired, paddling in disoriented circles. Two Dogged was forced to jump in the lake and swim halfway across to save her. The rest of the trail rode easy, plus we forded the West fork of the Piscataquis river. Chief took off his shoes and waded across. I remember my friend Skeemer trying to ford this one and falling in (or something) and so I took it as a personal challenge to rock hop this one. Though there were a few dicey moments, I ultimately triumphed with dry shoes and socks (You listening Skeemer?).At Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to, we ran into Serendipity, a last year's thruhiker, Deb and later, Rich. They worked for a group that took "at risk" girls on outdoor, team-building trips. Hover and Tadpole are there, taking their time to Katahdin. Ken and Marcia come in at dusk and tell us that Dreamwalker and Kiwi are tenting down by the ford.Tadpole and Hover have built a camp fire to keep the mosquitos away. It's been awhile since any thruhikers have built one, and it's nice.