Date: 2014-08-17
From: Harrison's Pierce Pond Camps

To: Caratunk
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: light rain

Harrison's Pierce Pond Camps. What a great place. One of the best I've stayed at on the AT. Slept like a baby and woke up refreshed. Ready for breakfast. Right Here and I sat down in the rustic, log, dining room. Tim served up eggs, sausage, OJ, coffee, and 12 pancakes. Red, white, and blue pancakes with raspberries, apple, and blueberries. The old, non hiker, me was appalled by the mound of pancakes. But the hiker me just dug in and devoured everything without pause. There was plenty of room left over. My internal fires were appeased, but would soon demand more fuel. Meanwhile, it's raining. Oconee and Tomahawk show up from the lean-to to get breakfast. Right Here and I head out on the 3.6 mile hike down to the Kennebec River. The canoe ferry operates from 9:00 to 11:00 and 2:00 to 4:00. The ATC provides this ferry for safety reasons. At least one hiker who forded the Kennebec drowned. There have been many close calls. The dam upstream has unannounced water releases. The canoe is the official AT. There's a white blaze on the deck. We hiked in steady drizzle. The roots, rocks, and ground were slippery. But the trail followed a river most of the way. Beautiful. The mossy forest. Everything glossy in the rain. And a quick hike to the ferry. Once across the river it was another quick hike into Caratunk, in the rain. The forecast was for rain all day. And clear weather starting tomorrow. I ended up at the Sterling Inn. Enough hiking in the wet. Call today a nero. It continued to rain much of the day.Back in the beginning I hiked through the rain. The trail stretched out forever before me. Not hiking in the rain wasn't an option. Now, I'm so close to the end. It didn't take much thought to take advantage of nearby lodging today, and duck out of the wet. Obi Wan is zeroing here. As are Dirty Harry and Bugbear. Tomahawk is also here, along with Right Here. I'm not saying we're fair weather hikers. There will be more rain before the end. But right now it's nice to take advantage of a roof. And this is a great place. Very hiker friendly. Tomorrow I start for the last town before the 100 mile wilderness, Monson. I figure 2.5 days will get me there. I've resupplied for 3. There's at least one major river ford, but the water level will drop quickly once this rain stops. I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow. Gradually, I'm altering my attitude and beginning to think of life after the AT. It's exciting to contemplate. In the last few days I've come to terms with my hike. Did I want it to be over? Or last a while longer? I still live in the moment, but I will be glad to return to "normal" life. Where toilets flush and hot water comes from a tap. Where my feet don't hurt and my knees can mend. Without this mental adjustment I'm afraid I would reach the summit of Katahdin and be like a deer in the headlights. I'm thinking the summit is only 10-12 days away. Even at my more casual pace. The trail no longer stretches ahead in the distance. It now lays behind in a collage of memories. Months have gone by. I'm not even trying to process it all. Katahdin is still the goal out there. These are very exciting times.