Date: 2021-06-27
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to (mile 155.2)

To: Little Bigelow Lean-to (mile 172.9)
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke at 5:30 to Pancho breaking down his tent. The Pierce Pond was incredibly still, the water almost glass. The three of us walked over to Harrison's camp for Tim's famous pancake breakfast. Eggs, sausages, and a baker's dozen of raspberry, apples, and blueberry pancakes (patriotic red, white and blue per Tim). The hiker hunger has arrived in force. I polished off the food, OJ, and coffee and could have eaten more. Tim's eyes lit up when I asked him about the tractor for which he'd gone to New Hampshire yesterday. A new Kubota, it's his first tractor despite running this camp for decades, to help with all kinds of jobs. Today was a generally level walk from pond to pond on the old Carry Trail that Benedict Arnold's force followed to attack British Quebec in 1775. The trail varied between nice leafy tread and the usual rooty, rocky Maine stuff. Damp rocks and roots were dry by afternoon as the temperature climbed into the 80s and the sun shone much of the day.Thanks to all the ponds I got four swims in today - a grand slam! East Carry Pond, West Carry Pond, and Flagstaff Lake were all large, clear, lovely swimming areas with easy access by small pebble beaches or boulders. The last dip was in an cascading brook by Little Bigelow Lean-to with granite catches called the Tubs. The water was pretty chilly, but exhilarating on this hot day. A breeze came and went frequently all day, drying me fairly quickly each time. I even got to observe two loons fishing at East Carry Pond.Leaving the beach at East Carry Pond I found two northbounders snacking on the trail, a young guy and a fiftyish guy, both with prodigious beards."There's a great beach just ahead," I offered. The older one snapped back "Why are you SOBOs always trying to get us to go swimming?" Well, it was worth a try. I guess I could have parried "Because you stink!" But it illustrated two things: northbounders think SOBOs are annoyingly untested, and NOBOs are in too much of a hurry. I find NOBOs take me more seriously if I mention I thruhiked last year (NOBO of course). Lacking that context I'm sure I come off like some overawed greenhorn, rather than someone who's made the same mistakes they are but has had time to reflect on them. The hikers finishing early have almost always been in a hurry. Once they finish, they will probably wonder why they were so eager to return to normal life. I met only one hiker today not going a long distance, a guy named Chris who was covered head to toe under a wide-brimmed hat. He's piecing together Maine and out for a couple days. A young guy, but he's recovering from knee surgery so being careful not to overdo it. Other than him I saw two dayhikers climbing Moxie Bald two days ago. Everyone else is hiking at least a hundred miles, even the camp girls.I leapfrogged with Pappy and Pancho all day, and later with Viewmaster and Just Maine, the two girls who stopped for tea yesterday. They also took advantage of the lake and Tubs. Viewmaster just graduated from nursing school and is thruhiking before she gets a job. Just Maine was born in South Africa and bounced around the US, first as a horticulturalist and now as an EMT near Pittsburgh. She's accompanying Viewmaster for the first few weeks through Maine. The humidity tested me a little today. I had visions of cold sodas much of the day. Without the swims it would have been much more difficult. Late in the afternoon I seriously considered hitching to town from Long Falls Dam Road. I prayed for soda trail magic at the road. Not to be. Though I did find some empty water jugs and an empty box of Clif bars behind a rock. Pappy, Viewmaster, Just Maine and I ended up at Little Bigelow Lean-to and enjoyed an evening fire and cool breezes as the sun retreated. The water here is delicious.