Date: 2010-09-27
From: Peirce Pond Lean-to

To: Moxie Pond Road
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Moxie Pond Road,    Before our start this morning we had breakfast at Harrisons Lodge. We made reservations as required the night before. The were three other hikers that also did this, Babalu, Rock Steady and Mini Muffin.   Breakfast at the Harrisons was fabulous. We had 12 pancakes of four different flavors, rasberry, apple, blueberry. To top that off we had three sausages and two eggs. I ate all but three pancake that I gave to Babalu.   Hopper left well over one hour before I did this morning. I stopped along the way to check out the waterfalls along Pierce Pond Stream. I could not take to much time at the falls though because the last ferry crossing for the Kennebec River was at 11 am. The next one after that was at 2 pm. I did not want to wait at the river crossing for three hours, I also had to make it to the lean-to before dark.   I made it to Pierce Pond at 09:30 and still had 3.7 miles to go before 11 am. I was trying to walk as fast as I could over the rooted AT without tripping or slipping over a root. Even then I still fell on my ass more than a few times. I did not even stop to look at watch because I did not to waist any time because I knew I was just going to barely make it if I made it at all. I was on the last stretch going downhill and I could see the river but not the ferrymans canoe. I picked up speed to a slow job, low and behold I tripped and went flying forward. I landed on my left knee and skun it up pretty bad. I pulled out my phone and looked at the time. I made it with 10 minutes to spare. I waved at the ferryman (Hilbilly) and he came over in the canoe to get me. Just as I was getting in the canoe Cervasa also came up and told Hilbilly that her partner Power Nap was five minutes behind her. He got me accross and I cleaned up my bloody knee. He went back and got Cervasa and Power Nap. Then he left for his break. He was not due to come back until 2 pm. As soon as he left Patch came down out of the woods. He was going to have to wait three hours for the ferryman to come back. He ended up going up stream to were it was rockier and shallower and waded accross, it only came up to his thigh.Sparrow, Tarzan, Rock Steady, Mini Muffin, Mike, Lura and us all went to the Northern Outdoors for the night. Mike and Lura did not spend the night. They just showered and where going to start hitching south to try to make it to his sisters wedding in Philidelphia.   When we got to the Northern Outdoors Superman and 151 were in the hot tub. I chatted with them for a bit and sat down for a burger.   I was thinking about one of the troublesome issues that I came out here that I was hoping to get over. I should probably rephrase that and say one of the fears I came out here hoping to conquer has backfired on me on this hike. The fear I had hope to conquer was the fear of death. To most of everyone reading this it may sound really silly or even stupid. It is a fear that has plagued me through out my life. At times it is a heavey burden on me and then it goes away. I think being out here seeing all the beauty that the Appalachian Trail holds has made me appreciate life more. With that thinking that death with eventually over take me someday bothers me.   We did laundry tonight. We went down and put the laundry in the washer in the next building over and than said in the main building using the wifi connection. 20 minutes later she went and moved it to the drier. 25 minutes later I went to check on it and it was almost dry but I had to wait on it. When I got back she said she was ready to get in the hot tub and was done with the computer. I had not even had a half hour of time on it. She had had almost an hour on it. I had not had time to contact Kathy about our second drop box for the 100 mile wilderness or Vic about hiking with me in the Horseshoe Canyon area. I knew where this was leading. I just joined her in the hot tub because I knew I would pay the price later if I just did not go along with what ever she wanted.   The following stayed here last night, Gorp, Cervasa, Power Nap, Tarazan, Superman, Sparrow, 151, Buzzy, Bunyan(sobo).