Date: 2017-08-05
From: Caratunk

To: Moxie Pond
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

8/5Tented just north of Moxie Pond, mile 2050.612 milesI slept very well. At five my bladder pressed me to get up. I tried to go back to sleep but it was too late. My brain had already started making lists of things to get in Monson. Thanks a lot, brain. We could have slept at least another hour. I gave up and went to get coffee and sit in the kitchen with Paul, who was making breakfast. I found out that he was an antiques dealer, hence the house full of them. And he had cooked professionally. That was good news for us hikers, because it probably contributed to the spectacular breakfast he made. Thick sliced French toast, an enormous omelette with cheese and broccoli and mushrooms, perfectly cooked bacon, perfect home fried potatoes, big slices of bananas, and orange juice. We hikers ate family style in the dining room. It was just right for me. Enough to feel full, not so much that I was overstuffed. It took some investigation to find all my laundry. One sock, one bandanna, and my camp towel had migrated to a different load. I have no idea how this happened, as I know it all went in together last night, and I stuck my hand in the dryer and felt around when I got my load out this morning. I told Paul my theory about laundry machines being portals to alternate dimensions. I seriously considered staying at the hostel today due to the forecast, but decided to go at least as far as Pleasant Pond Lean-to and re-evaluate. I paid my bill, got a great big hug, and set out for the trail. At the trailhead were some dayhikers. I chatted with one, Malcom, briefly and it turns out that he's a member of the Tidewater ATC, of which my friend Just Blue Skies is the president. What a coincidence! There's a reasonably good chance that he and I were on the same work trip last year or thereabouts, when I drove down to Sherando and helped the TATC pull garlic mustard - an invasive species. At Pleasant Pond I ate a snack and hoped the sky would provide me with definitive information, but it didn't. The summit was only a mile away so I decided to start walking again. I figured the worst case scenario was that it would get stormy and I'd  backtrack to the shelter. However I was unaware that the trail continued over exposed ledge for miles on the north side of the mountain. It all worked out, though. It never did thunder or rain. At five I got water full of leafy bits from a stream, and started looking for a campsite. The first one was occupied, but they said there was another site past the next stream. Rock hopping across one end of Moxie Pond, I found the site shortly up the trail. It's a little closer to a road than I like, but it's a little travelled dirt road and I've heard more owls than cars. It should be fine. I set up the tent and let it air out for a while as it was still damp from East Carry Pond. I found a place to hang my bear line, then returned to the campsite. With my most important chores complete, it was time for dinner. I picked up tortillas in Caratunk, so I rolled up some sausage and cheese in them. This wasn't nearly as good as the same sausage and cheese on bagels. Ah well. It's food. I was almost done when it started sprinkling. I stowed my pack under the tent door, finished my wrap, and hung my food. When I got back I threw everything into the tent and climbed in. It's been raining off and on since then. I only hope there's a break in the rain when I need to pee before I sleep. In the mean time I'm enjoying being cozy in my tent and reflecting on what a nice day this turned out to be. It was cooler and cloudy so I could hike more comfortably. I didn't soak my clothes in sweat and today's heat rash is barely noticeable. Given that I hiked a full day and even set up camp before the rain came, it's a best case scenario.