Date: 2010-09-10
From: Poplar Ridge Shelter

To: East Flagstaff Road
Miles today: 16.7

Once upon a time there were four hikers. The first hiker believed that you must "climb every mountain and ford every stream" in order to be considered a through hiker. He refused to use the ferry provided to cross the Kennebec River. But he did have a supported hike, so he didn't always carry a heavy pack.The second hiker believed that you must carry a full pack and touch every white blaze to be considered a through hiker. He considered it foolish to refuse the ferry, and he looked at the first hiker with disdain for not carrying a full pack.The third hiker had every intention of doing a proper hike. But, he discovered that his age was a problem. His knees didn't always cooperate. His balance was not as good as it used to be. So he decided to use his navigation skills to walk around potential dangers. The first two hikers called him lazy. The fourth hiker was younger than all the others. He became bored with it all and decided that time constraints meant he should just catch a ride. So he jumped in a car and went to Katahdin. After climbing the mountain, he proclaimed himself a through hiker. Naturally the other three didn't agree.Somewhere in the middle is a fifth hiker. That would be my hiker friends. They do a proper hike, but don't look down on those who do it differently. (except maybe hiker four...) They understand that hiking is different for different people. They don't question my integrity as long as I am walking my miles. Thank you!Sue from the Stratton Motel dropped us off after breakfast at the Looney Moose. I walked the mile to the Stratton Pond Road and turned, knowing that I was skipping the Bigelows. My friends would be doing 15 hard miles up and down rock scrambles. But my old knees simply couldn't do it. Stratton Pond Road turned into a trail that was wet, but well marked. It ran south to Huston Pond Road in the Penobscot Indian Reservation. There I was looking for Carriage Road. This road was used by Benedict Arnold (before he changed sides) in his march to Quebec. It was used to carry canoes and goods. I came to an All Terrain Vehicle trail marked "carriage road" and wondered, but passed it by. After a mile or so, when I still didn't find the Carriage Road, I turned around and went back to the ATV trail. I climbed up it, all the way to the power lines, realizing that it certainly wasn't the road I wanted. It went back down to the road, in a full circle. I continued on the road, not knowing exactly where I was. After what seemed like hours, a truck came by and I managed to stop him. Just as I was asking him where Carriage Road was, another truck pulled up behind him. A woman jumped out and came running up to me. It was Dutch Tape! She and Cabana Boy were headed to Katahdin. They had stopped by a hiker feed in the area and were now headed north to climb the mountain in the good weather promised tomorrow. But first they drove me the short distance to the hiker feed.Several Maine AT Club members were doing trail magic. I had a couple of burgers, then decided to camp for the night. Thanks to Hydro, Walking Home, and Mad Mike for the amazing trail magic!