Date: 2014-07-25
From: Poplar Ridge Lean To

To: South Branch Carrabassett River
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Brrr! What the? I'm guessing we're just in a weird protected nook because it's friggin cold this morning. I wore my puffy all night in a zipped up sleeping bag (which I never do. It's always unzipped and just laying on top) AND I had to fish around for my knit cap at the bottom of my clothes bag. Both of which I wore hiking for the first half hour. Of course as soon as I got to the other side of the mountain and some sunshine they came off. Forecast for today is storms again later. I'm dreading. Fortunately it's a shortish day - 13 miles - that I should finish by about two or three. Hopefully for once that's early enough to avoid it. First half of the day is the challenge. Down all the way to Orbeton stream then back up over the next mountain, Spaulding. The rest is downhill to another river to ford and the campsite. About an hour in I ran into Deep Blue. He brought a pole with him and fishes when he can. Caught a small trout last night! He also carries a chair with him. I'm envious but weight is weight so it's boulders and logs for me. He was packing up so I moved on up ahead and got really hungry. Even though it was only 9:30 decided to have the first half of lunch - a pepperoni and cheese roll up. This is my mainstay and I've had it every lunch for months. I won't be sad when I get real food but for now it's fine. But, while cutting the cheese (hee hee) I slipped and sliced the top of my knuckle off! I mean right off. Gross. Can't believe I've been doing this for months and this is the first accident. Glad I saved that one antiseptic wipe when I purged my medical kit of all that single use junk. It bled and bled but finally got it somewhat cleaned and with a bandaid and then medical tape over it. Even grosser I was just resigned to eating the chunk as it was somewhere in the cheese but I found it at the last minute and threw it to the birds. The things you get comfortable with out here. The rest of the day was no biggie. Climbed a completely unnecessary mountain only to come right back down the same side. Dealt with some really tricky boulder downhills but thought they were kind of fun. And discovered I had been bitten by a black fly at some point under my ear as it was a dried bloody mess. This happened to Rose too when we did the 10 mile last week so I guess they like under the ears. I had heard the black flies are ridiculous until about July 4th and have rarely seen one. Good thing! I'd be a bloody mess The clouds thickened about noon so I ran downhill and made it all the way to the river and camp. Deep Blue was fishing. It's so early I considered going further but really I have a mountain directly in front of me, it's only eight miles to Stratton tomorrow, and it'll probably start raining the minute I leave so even though it's three I think I'll stay. I can get everything super dry, clean my wound, read a little, take a nap, try and keep my mind off that I want one more serving of Nutella, and then stroll into Stratton tomorrow for a nero. After a two thousand foot climb of course. I've been here a few hours now. Mary Poppins, Thin Mint, and Davinci showed up so I have company. Also I just finished my eighth or so book. It's called Hunting Badger by Tony Hillerman. Had no idea what to expect and had never heard of him but I liked it. Crime mystery set in the southwest. He knows his area for sure and it was vivid and interesting. Now means one more book for the trip I hope I can find tomorrow in Stratton.