Date: 2004-07-22
From: Katahdin

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: few clouds

I started to hike out of Baxter State Park on the Blueberry Ledges Trail...which is 4. something miles to the AT and about 5 miles from Abol Bridge. The trail looked awful, so I went back and started hitching. The first vehicle to come by stopped and took me all the way to Abol Bridge.I went into the store there and bought some Snickers, V-8 juice and insect repellent. Almost bought a bandana, but I couldn't bring myself to do it just yet. It is too early to replace my lucky, homemade one. As I crossed Abol Bridge over the Penobscot River, I saw a moose walking across the river.I was dragging along-I don't know why some days I feel so sluggish. After a half mile I met an amputee sitting on a rock. He wasn't doing will and told me he will quit the trail. He said his hands are blistered from the crutches. Later I arrived at Hurd Brook Lean-to and saw Surf again. He was also suffering from blisters and planned to stay at Hurd Brook until they improved. He was washing his clothes in the brook (a very big brook). Surf was the first person I met after I lost my bandana, so I asked him if he had seen by blue bandana. YES!! He picked it up and had already washed it.He asked if I had any spare duct tape and I gave him my roll and told him to take as much as he wanted. I continued on, passing a few other NOBOS and finally came to Rainbow Lake. I walked until I got to Rainbow Spring. Here is the best, clearest, coldest water I have found in Maine. I was filling my bottles when a spotted a loon swimming close by. I know it saw me, but it didn't fly away.After I got started again, I walked into a dip in the trail where the overhanging trees and the high ground water produced a very slippery rock. I fell and thought-this is it!-I was wedged into a break between two pieces of a boulder that had broken. I managed to get myself untangled from my pack and after a time, I got out. I sure have been lucky that I haven't gotten injured.From that moment on, the song that got stuck in my head was "Count Your Blessings!"   Now it was getting late and the sun was low. I looked up and saw a large doe eating near the trail. She looked at me and turned to walk a few feet off the trail and continued to graze as I passed. A few steps later I saw a big squirrel dart across the trail. It had something large in its mouth. When it stopped to check me out, I saw it was carrying a mushroom.Then when I was nearing the shelter I heard something sloshing around coming from the lake shore. I turned to see a moose walking out of the lake. I just got a glimpse at first, then I could see only its legs looking like moving tree trunks through the other trees. After a moment it walked onto the trail about 75 feet from where I was standing. It looked at me then moved on.At the shelter there was a troop of scouts and a section hiker Josh and I had met in Monson, plus two NOBOS about to finish the trail. My plan was to tent at this awful baseball bat shelter, but with the best tent sites gone, I decided to try to endure another night on the bats. Torture!At last I got to sleep inspite of the active, young scout who kept his light on for hours. All in all I'd sum up today as excellent.