Date: 2004-09-20
From: Woods Road near Oberton Stream, ME

To: Moose Sighting
Miles today: 11.4

I slept well last night while sleeping on the ground under my tarp, insulated from the cold and wind.I broke camp and began an ascent of Lone Mountain (3,280 feet).After hiking for a few minutes, I heard a sound of movement in the woods to my right. At a distance of about thirty-five yards, a moose was trotting through the trees in the same direction that I was walking. This animal was a female, nothing like that scary looking bull moose¢a grim reaper with antlers¢I had seen beside the road two nights ago. My view of the animal was brief and it moved off. I continued walking and felt good about having spotted my first moose on the trail. Suddenly, a large bird burst into flight from a spot beside me. I think the bird was a spruce grouse. It launched into the air with a noisy flapping of wings that scared the bejeebez out of me. Afterwards, I chuckled at the fact that a bird had scared me but a several hundred pound moose did not faze me at all.After I summited Lone Mountain, the trail led me through some high country that was forested. The walking was easy, with few rocks and roots underfoot. On either side of me were spruce trunks with dead branches protruding from them. The living branches were visible on the higher parts of the trees. I stepped off the trail and bushwhacked to the edge of a steep incline There I pushed aside some branches and took in the view. Below me was a vast forest with hills and mountains in the background. But this wild area was not pristine. At the base of a hill, a logging operation had clear cut a swath of woodland.At midday, I turned on a spur trail and approached a shelter to rest and eat lunch. At the same time, a hiker was leaving the place. He was a big fellow with a noticeable gut. I surmised that he was not a thru hiker. We stopped and chatted. He told me that he was hiking for a few days. Then he informed me that last year, he had thru hiked The Appalachian Trail. He used the word "emaciated" to describe his physical appearance at the conclusion of his journey. He returned home and gained back five pounds per week. After hiking on easy terrain in high elevations for most of the day, I descended to a lower elevation. The descent was steep and rocky. I hiked painstakingly slow to minimize the impact on my knees.The trail led me to a gravel road. A large white cooler had been placed near it. Bold letters that spelled the words "Trail Magic" were written on the lid. The cooler contained juices, soft drinks, candy bars, and cookies. A note stated that the person, or trail angel, who had placed these items beside the trail was a former thru hiker named "Rick the Lone Wolf." I penned a message on the cooler that said, "Not all angels have wings. Thank you."I hiked one mile beyond the gravel road and followed a spur trail to a primitive campground; it has an outhouse, a fire pit, and three platforms for tent. The area where the platforms are situated is somewhat open. I strung up my tarp and hammock in the woods just beyond view of the platforms. I was not trying to hide¢actually, the place was deserted except for me¢rather, I was trying to seek a spot less exposed to the cold breeze that was permeating this area.I hiked 11.4 miles today. During most of this journey, that amount of miles would represent a mere chip off the block. But now, a daily of output of ten miles or more per day represents a chunk off the block. There are 195 miles between this place and the summit of Mount Katahdin.