Date: 2014-09-29
From: Abol Bridge Campground

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 9.9

Had breakfast, packed, and went to the store for a cup of coffee. We were on the trail at 8, and the first 2.4 miles went by in an hour on easy trail. The whole walk was not quite as easy, but we made good time, even managing to rock hop safely the two fords and take a couple of half hour breaks. The woods are more beautiful every day, with bright reds and yellows contrasting with areas of green. In a few places, we walked under red maples whose leaves had turned red, and the light shining through reflecting off the leaves on the ground gave a pink glow.We got to the campground at 1:30. Whereas the morning had been warm after a few record-breaking warm days,the weather was changing and the temperature dropping. We found the tent site, and I left Journeyman to set up his tent while I went to the ranger station to sign in. The office was closed, but there was a sheet on the porch to self-register. When I got back, RW was there, having just come off the mountain and the end of his thru-hike. He was glad to be done and not terribly disappointed to have summited in a cloud. He described the hike, and it sounds like some will be pretty challenging, especially coming down. He waited for his wife to pick him up and said he would tell Hopper and Bismarck of our plan to summit Wednesday.Journeymen was tired and got in his tent for a nap. I decided to set up my tent for Debbie and get some of my stuff organized while I waited for Lee. Glad I did, because the rain soon began. I walked up to the day use area and sat with Rambler and Bottle Cap, who were waiting for Bliss and Dory to get a ride into Millinocket. The latter two eventually arrived with cupcakes and donut holes they had carried as trail magic on their slack pack from Abol Bridge, but they all had a long wait until Dory's mother arrived about 7:15. We spent time speculating about what might be delaying both her and Lee, and we had the ranger radio the front gate to be sure neither had come into the park (no cell signals in the park). I had told Hobo-NOBO and Caddyshack we would take them to Millinocket with us and bring them back, so they were part of the group waiting in the little pavilion by the entrance. We eventually concluded that they had better make dinner here, and they kindly gave me a Mountain House dinner.About 7:30, the ranger came to tell me Lee had gone through the gate, which meant another 20-25 minutes for her to cover the 8 miles to the campground. I decided to go out to the entrance with my rain jacket inside out (it is white on the inside) so she could see me and so I could direct her to our site. It turned out that her drive had been 450 miles -- longer than she thought it would be -- and she left at 9:30 instead of 8. I was just glad she was okay. Fortunately, the rain had stopped, so we were able to set up the new Big Agnes tent, having to contend with just wind. It seems palatial compared to my solo tent. And, she had brought a feast! Knowing we would not get to Millinocket for dinner, she stopped at Hannaford and brought beer, chicken, roast beef, salad greens, bread, etc. We carefully ate in the tent, put the food away in the car, and went to sleep. Journeymen slept all the way through, though I had told him Lee was in the park.