Date: 2003-06-18
From: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to

To: South Arm Road Campsite
Miles today: 17.0

Today has been a great day!!!   I started hiking this morning around 5:30. I hiked over Spruce Mountain this morning and made it to Maine Highway 17, which was about 3.8 miles before 7:00 AM. The road goes into Oquossoc, ME and I wasn't planning on stopping, but I decided that I would sit there for 20 minutes and if anybody picked me up I would go, if not, I would keep walking. After saying a prayer and waiting about 3 minutes, a guy in a huge Ford diesel stopped and said hop in! God provides! He gave me an 11 mile ride into Oquossoc and I had a roast beef sandwich, a rice krispy treat, Doritos, and 2 Dr. Pepper's! I also called home and surprised mama! When I called she said, "Where are you?" She wasn't expecting me for another 2-3 days. I stayed there about 2 hours and then I caught a ride in the back of a Chevy Silverado back to the trail. By the time I got to the trail, I was pretty much frozen, but I got out of the truck and smiled and said thank you. I wasn't about to complain about a free ride!!! I started back hiking and went way down into a valley and forded a small river and then I started up Bemis Mountain. Bemis Mountain has 3 peaks, so I first summited First Peak, then Second Peak, and then I got to Bemis Mtn. Lean-to around 11:15. I had great views from the summit of Second Peak! It's another beautiful, sunny day today! I talked with two northbounders for awhile at the lean-to. One had started in Georgia, and the other had started in Key West, FL!!! He had walked all that way!!! And he was going to do the IAT which goes into Canada too! It was neat to talk to them and find out that we are doing the hardest part and that it gets easier after the White Mountains in New Hampshire! That's very encouraging!!! It's really beautiful up here and I'm definitely enjoying it, but it is definitely tough!!! Everyday we climb up and down 2-3 big mountains, not to mention the small "hills" we go over. Whoever decided to call this the Appalachian Hiking Trail was badly mistaken, it should be called the Appalachian Climbing Trail!!!:) After eating at the lean-to, I headed out for South Arm Road, which was another 8.6 miles. I climbed up the main peak of Bemis Mtn. and then down again. After Bemis Mtn., I climbed up Old Blue Mtn. (3600') and got beautiful views from the top. I then started my descent down to South Arm Road. I had heard in Oquossoc that it was supposed to start raining this afternoon and the clouds started rolling in and I started to feel a cool breeze and a few drops. I prayed that God would allow me to get to the campsite and put my tent up before it rained, because it's yuck putting up a tent in the rain. When I got within 6 tenths of the road, I had a very steep descent to get down into the valley, and the rain looked like it could start anytime, so I pretty much ran down that mountain. It was very steep and I slipped a few times and I really tired myself out, but I made it to the campsite and put my tent up first thing, and I was very happy! God really does answer prayers!!! I camped right between the road and a river. Each one was 5 feet on either side of me. I thought about hitching a ride into Andover for the night, but decided against it since I already had my tent up. I stuffed myself with tortillas and Snickers Bars and cheese crackers! I saw a grouse today and two deer. I also see tons of toads everyday. They just hop along the trail and I about step on them all the time! I laid down about 6:30 and was out like a light soon after!!!