Date: 2006-09-18
From: Stealth spot on south side of Hay Mtn

To: Kokadjo B Pond Rd
Miles today: 12.0

Monday, Sept 18, 2006Stealth spot on the south side of Hay Mtn to Kokadjo B Pond Rd, S to N, 12 miles. Amoeba is the taskmaster, prodding everyone to leave early and to delay breakfast until they get to a clear spot.Purple Rose scuffles up the spots where they were lying down. No trace left.Walking by 6:20.Maybe they will breakfast on the summit of Whitecap, looking off at the views.At 7:30 they meet at the junction with White Brook Trail. A little break and snack before they start the ascent.At 8:10 Amoeba reaches the windy summit of Whitecap. Unlike yesterday, sun is in your eyes today. A dark gray haze obscures some of the view. To the east, some streaky clouds. Wind is strong, need windbreakers. Breakfast.Coming down off the top, there¢s a Sound of Music feeling, an exhilaration. Alpine plants like you see in the Whites abound. Mountain cranberries are ripe and delicious.Fabulous serpentine stone staircase made of flat rocks with shallow risers.   The steps seem to go on forever. Purple Rose says she thinks she read somewhere there are 240 steps. Zig Zag says, Boy, I thank the Maine Appalachian Trail Club.Purple Sherpa and Dixie have hiked all the way to Logan Brook Shelter to meet up. All 5 walk down to the camper parked on a dirt road. Out at 11:30. Get water from a piped spring just before the dirt road. Amoeba drinks it without treatment.They spend a little less than an hour eating lunch, planning the next hikes, regrouping. Amoeba wants to go to White House Landing. She missed it in ¢04. But that¢s 18.2 miles from Kokadjo B Pond Rd. Too far for us say Zig Zag and Purple Rose.They discuss splitting up.Amoeba hiking the 18.2 tomorrow, the next day hiking from WHL to Pollywog. If someone will drop her car at Pollywog, that night she'll drive to Abol Campground and the next day all 3 of them can hike from Abol to Pollywog. That night everyone will stay again at Abol. The next morning, 9/22, Amoeba will drive to Stratton. The plan for Purple Rose and Zig Zag is to hike Kokadjo B Pond to Jo Mary (or Cooper Brook if there's road access), Jo Mary (or Cooper Brook) to south shore of Nahmakanta, Abol to Pollywog with Amoeba and on 9/22 south shore of Nahmakanta to Pollywog, driving to Stratton on 9/23.OK! Agreed.The hike from the dirt road out to Kokadjo B Pond Rd is hot. Unusual warmth for this time of year.Purple Rose tells tales from her RN training days.2 garter snakes.No need to ford East Branch Pleasant River. Easy stepping stones are above water level.Top of Little Boardman. Clouding up.8 bunchberries still in bloom!Lots of nut-brown acorns.All the beeches look diseased. Amoeba remembers not that long ago whole forests full of smooth gray barked beech trees. The beech bark fungus now mottles the bark with acne-like protuberances and splits.At the checkpoint Darryl says there is no AT access (except perhaps ATV access) at Cooper Brook. Purple Rose and Zig Zag will have one 7 mile hike and one 14.2.Purple Sherpa has booked campsites at beautiful JoMary campground.JoMary campground by 7:30. McDonald¢s chicken salads embellished with croutons, Rose¢s homegrown cherry tomatoes and little red peppers, oil and vinegar and feta cheese. A glass of wine. Loons calls on the lake, some melodious, others plaintive, lullaby them to sleep.