Date: 2007-07-29
From: Northern Outdoors

To: Pierce Pond Lean-To
Miles today: 3.7
Weather: scattered clouds

dest. Pierce Pond Lean-tomi. 3.7sleep hammockday 17Well I made it all of 3.7 miles today. Today has to be one of my favorite dayson the trail. The terain was very easy based on what I have been seeing. Really only 1 up. Even some flat areas.The day started out early-ish. I set an alarm for the second time. First beingthe day I went up Katadin. Namely because I went to sleep at 12:30am after acouple beers. I still woke up and looked around at 5:30, the cabin tent I wasstaying in was all white and let the light in. I went back to sleep until thealarm went off at 7. I had to play the snooze game, something I do rather wellat home. I still made it packed up and to breakfest by 8am.Northern outdoors has a great breakfest. AYCE (all you can eat) buffet style. My goal was carbs and protein. I all the sausage, bacon, french toast,scrambled eggs, yogart, and miffin hit the spot. Throw in 3 OJ's and coffee andnot bad for $10.50 with good tip. The waiter in me cannot not tip unless thingsare really bad.I did manage to check in with all my cyber hanging buddies this morning and lastnight. Good to see all the hammock talk progressing. I think it will take me amonth to check up on all the new ideas and designs when I get back.I got to cross the Kennebec on the ferry today. I had to take the standard picof the whiteblaze painted on the bottom of the canoe and me sitting in thecanoe. Steve wasn't the one ferrying me across, but the guy who did was prettynice and good to chat with. He thrued in 05 and was talking about doing a longcanoe trip at some point. Something I have on the distant to-do list also.Today's short hiking was great. I stopped to check out Pierce Pond Falls. Itwas great. There was a series of cascading falls. The first one went downabout 10 feet into a small pool, then down a couple feet into a large pool, thendown 6 or so into another large pool, and then a bigger drop.I sat my pack down on the rocks next to the first large pool. It took me all ofa minute to sit down and take my shoes off. I slowly get in. It was greatswimming depth, read I couldn't touch the bottom. The current was only strongenough for you to have to do a little doggy paddling to stay in place. This wasa good 20 feet long pool or so.It didn't take much for me to make the 5 foot jump off the rocks in either. Icould have stayed there all day. My favorite spot on the AT to date, Katadindoesn't count everyone likes it. Something I like about swimmig in just coolenough 60 deg water on a warm sunny day.The hike past that was pretty chill. The trail goes right over a small man madedamn on the side of the pond. I think it used to be used for logging as thereare a few big sawed trees around it. It was pretty cool walking over it. Thewater from the pond goes out from different spots under the damn and makes upthe stream that I was swimming in earlier.I got to the shelter around 12pm. Stopped for a good swim in the pond. Ishould add that a lot of what is called ponds up here I would call lakes. Thisone is pretty big and really clear. There is some sort of a sporting campclose. I can see some motor boats on the beach near by.I sit around and had some coffee and snacked on the cookies I picked up atrivers and trails. I originally wanted to go on to the next shelter, also on alake. But it is another 10 miles. I could make it by 6 or 7 with my slow pace. I looked at the map and I have 31 miles to the next resupply. Still can't thinkin terms of small milage. I figured it would be 2 more nights, with mediummileage days, and an early to town day on day 3 if I went on. If I stayed hereit would mean tomorrow would be a 16 mile day over really chill terain, a 10-12mile day over bigalow, and a 5 mile downhill on the 3rd day to town. Needlessto say when I though of it like that it was easy to stay put. No need ruining aprefect day with a long and late hike into camp at the end.I did manage to get a big pile of firewood. Really easily to. Some was alreadyhere and this shelter has a lot close. I will also be able to start the fireohio canoe trip style. Dad you would be proud. Someone left a bunch of whitegas in the shelter after their dad got them it instead of denatured alcohol fortheir alcohol stove. I'm actually surprised it didn't eat through the bottle.Side note. I am typing this at around 2pm. I am soking up the sun on a rocknext to the lake. I was soaking my feet up until about a sec ago. I lookeddown to see leech festing on my foot. Needless to say I freaked out just alittle. This was my first leech on me. I flicked him off pretty quickly. Funny thing is on the hike in today I was thinking that I would stop and take apic of it on me first. For once taking a pic was the last thing on my mind. Now that I can add that to the list of things that biten me so far, I might becalm enough to take a pic of the next one. I actually didn't hurt and cameright off. There is only a little red mark where he was at. Still though, it'sthe thought of them.Anyways. I found another great spot next to the pond to hang my hammock. I amreally glad that I made the support straps long. This is another case that ifmy hammock wasn't 10 feet long and my webbing about 15' each, I would not havebeen able to hang there.Actually I take that back. The bite is bleeding a little with wierd teeth marksaround the parimeter in a circle with blood coming out of a hole in the middle. I'll take a pic of that.cont. at end of day.Well right after the whole leech insidant, at family slowly tickled in. They goby the name's of Greg and Ginger, moose, and pilot. They try to do a couplesections every year. They have hiked all of the AT in N.H. an up to here inMaine. In additon to a lot of other hiking. I think that is really goodconsidering he kids are 10 and 12.I got a chance to talk to them a lot. Pretty interesting people. Both used togo to Ohio State. He is actually from Hamilton, OH which is just north ofCincinnati. Crazy how many Ohio people I am meeting.Even with the whole leech thing I went for another swim. The trick is to jumpout and swim out a little ways. I had them take a pic of me. So I am finallygetting a few of me.A good part of having them here is that they are going into town toorrow andresupplying. So I was more than happy to axcept the extra oreos, fruit bar, andhigh octane jelly beans they offered me. Apparently there are jelly beans withmoe calories and vitmens in them. I got to find those. I did boil up somecofee and shared it with them. The mom was also having problems with blisters.