Date: 2006-07-15
From: Greenville, Me

To: South of Moxie Bald Mountain, Me
Miles today: 14.6

14.6 miles todayTentingSouth of Moxie Bald Mtn, MeToday got off to a slow start, but more about today later. I want to catch up with yesterday first.I spent the morning drying out my gear and washing all my clothes in Frogcaller's washing machine. They needed washed!! :-)))My plan was to leave and start walking tomorrow (15th) with Mrs Gorp from Caratunk to Monson, then go up in the seaplane, but Frogcaller said Zulu had a dentist appointment on Monday, so that wouldn't work.She suggested we call Jim from Katahdin Air Service and see if he could take us up in the seaplane later today.Frogcaller called and we got an appointment for 7pm.Mrs Gorp and I still had some resupplies to get, so we left and met Lew and Frogcaller in Guilford.I stopped at the Monson PO on the way and picked up a care package that Shortcut sent me. It had a card, some vanilla candy and German coffee. Thanks Shortcut!!! :-)))Zulu couldn't make it for the seaplane ride, so it was going to be just the 4 of us going.We ate dinner along the way, then headed to Millinocket and met up with Jim.We got in the seaplane...Frogcaller got in the back so she could look out both windows, Mrs Gorp and Lew in the middle and I was in the co-pilots seat. :-)))The take off was awesome!! It was everyones first time in a seaplane, so we were all pretty excited.We put on headsets to talk to each other and the pilot.We headed straight for Katahdin first. We could see where the AT goes up the Hunt Trail...where we all were just 2 days ago.We flew all the way around Katahdin and I got to see where the others came off the mountain.I was taking lots of pictures. Ended up with 120 pictures of just the flight.We headed in a straight line towards the Monson/Greenville area...basicly following the AT through the 100 Mile Wilderness.We flew over Abol Bridge, White House Landing, all the ponds and lakes we had walked by, White Cap Mountain, the Barren Mountains, then on to Lower Wilson Pond where Frogcaller and Lew live.I saw their cabin and dock, then Jim brought the plane around again and turned it on it's side to look straight down at their cabin before heading back towards Millinocket, passing all the stuff we flew by on the way south.We started looking for moose in the ponds and ended up spotting 7 or 8....a couple were big bulls too.The landing was really exciting. We started coming in towards the lake and flew right over a boat. Jim bought it down so smooth, you couldn't feel the landing.The water started spraying off the pontoons and next thing I knew, we were slowly approaching the dock.Frogcaller had a smile on her face everytime I looked back.Lew had just as much fun as the rest of us and Mrs Gorp was all smiles too.This really does complete Frogcaller's AT hike!!! :-)))Lew dropped Mrs Gorp and I off at my truck and we headed to Caratunk.It was late when we got there, so we were lucky to get a room with 4 bunks at Northern Outdoors.OK, back to today. :-)))I didn't wake up until 7am. I hit the bed last night and I was so tired, I didn't know a night could go by so fast...I slept like a baby.We went down and got breakfast and some really good coffee. I ended up having 3 cups of that coffee. :-)))We drove down to talk to Steve Longley, but he was gone to a wedding. (Not his)We drove to the Caratunk PO and I mailed Moosie a little something I found the other day. I'll try to remember to say what it was in a few days after he gets it. (I don't want to ruin the surprize)There was a cardboard in sign Caratunk saying "parking" and it was at a house just a few doors down from the trail, so Mrs Gorp asked if it was alright to park my truck there for a week or so.The guys name was Carl and he was very nice...he let me park the truck, but the sign for parking was for a funeral tomorrow.We ended up walking onto the AT at Caratunk trailhead at 1:25pm and headed north towards Monson.It was very warm out today. It was 86 degrees when we started and is supposed to stay hot for a few days.I stopped by the side trail to Pleasant Pond Lean-to and got some water and was taking a break when Mrs Gorp came walking up.We talked a little, then I headed up the steep ascent of Pleasant Pond Mountain.When I got to the summit, I waited on Mrs Gorp while I was drying myself and my pack out on the rocks.It was a beautiful spot with large rounded rocks and nice evergreen trees, but still lots of long distance views.I had found a rock in my backpack this morning and didn't really want to carry it. I stuck it in Mrs Gorp's backpack, just in case we needed it later. :-)))When I left her at the stream before the ascent of Pleasant Pond Mountain, she found it.She asked me if I heard her scream.I didn't, but wish I had. :-)))She was upset about having to carry it 6 miles, but stopped whining when I asked her if it looked familiar.She knew it was the one she stuck in my pack. :-)))I saw a sobo by the name of Allison who I had met in the 100 Mile Wilderness last week.She was tired and ready to get to the shelter.There must have been some really rough weather come through this area because there were lots of trees that had just been cleared off the trail.There were still some trees leaning over the trail and when I was stooping down to go under one, my foot got caught up and I took my first fall since I broke my arm.I landed on my left arm, the one I broke, but I rolled with the fall and didn't hurt anything.The deerflies have been really bad today. Everytime I kill one or two, another couple come buzzing around my head.It always makes me feel so good when I smack one and make a flat deerfly out of him. :-)))I started hearing thunder to the east of me. It got close enough to sprinkle on me a little, but mostly missed us.I got out the cheeseburger I had packed out from Northern Outdoors and ate it while I was walking.I knew we would be stopping before long and I don't like to eat just before I get in my tent.I saw a spot big enough to set up our tents shortly after passing Moxie Pond, but Mrs Gorp wanted to keep going.I almost stayed, but she gets up earlier than me and I didn't want to have to catch her tomorrow, so I kept walking.We found a large site by a nice stream about 2 miles later and I set up my tent, then took a bandana bath.She set her tent up far enough away that I won't have to listen to her snore tonight. :-)))I was just about done writing this journal, when a small animal ran part way up my tent. :-)))It's almost 10pm and it's time for some sleep.