Date: 2003-10-11
From: Stealth Site, Mountain View Pond

To: Antlers Campsite
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: clear sky

Had a hard time getting any sleep last night. I don't know if I was worried about the whole moose trampling idea, or if I was too busy trying to send a telepathic message to Freeda, to try and get her to meet me at Jo-Mary Road. Anyway, suffice it to say that sleep was elusive last night. Big Bird got up before I did, and was eating breakfast and watching a moose on the other side of the pond when I got out of the tent. It was difficult to see it well, as it blended in with the bank, but we were pretty sure that it was a bull. We were watching him when I heard a noise closer to our camp. To our left was a huge cow moose, drinking and munching on underwater plant life. We got our cameras out and took a couple of pictures, then stood watching her for awhile. She started to move closer...and closer. I was having flashbacks to the Davis Farm Campsite incident. She made some moose noise, and the one across the lake responded. Then she said something back. Suddenly, sh!e was way too close for comfort, having come out of the water, onto the shore. She was eying us rather warily, walking closer. I tried to disguise myself as one of a stand of pine trees, leaving Big Bird on his own. She made her way around the tent, and us, then stood in a clearing near us. It was fairly obvious that she wasn't going anywhere, so I gave up being a tree and sat down to eat breakfast. After about 5 minutes or so, I looked up to see another moose, this one much smaller, most likely the cow's calf, approaching from the same direction the cow had first come from. Ah...she was trying to divert our attention away from her kid! It all made sense now. I could now translate the conversation between the older moose (mooses?). It went something like this: She: "There are people here. Have you seen Junior?" He: "No, I thought he was with you!" She: "You're right...he followed me over to this side of the pond...I'll distract them." Anyway...the mom and kid b!oth headed to the top of the hill behind us and were reunited. Our morning could continue normally, without worry of rampaging moose (meese?) We got an early start, despite the moose incident. The day was FABU! Truly beautiful, here in the woods...the colors of the leaves are spectacular, especially against the backdrop of the bluest sky ever. The air was warm, and the woods smell wonderful...that crisp odor of fall. The terrain also was great today...a minor ascent, then down and flat all the way. We were able to do well over 2 miles per hour all day, and ended up doing our longest day since leaving Glencliff, which seems like a lifetime ago. At the first shelter, we ran into The Littlist Hobo, who was heading south. He had summitted Katahdin on the 30th of September, but hung out in Millinocket for awhile because he kept running into people he hadn't seen in a long time. He was planning to go as far as Monson, then be done for this year. I think most of us are just tired and want to go home. I am now counting the days...4 more on !the Trail, then a few days at my Mom's, then home. I can't wait...I'm ready to be done. Maine has been treating us wonderfully so far (y'know, except for that snowy welcome), and I'm looking forward to summitting Katahdin, but I'm also looking forward to my after-Trail life. Anyway...back to today...we were going to push for an 18 mile day, but both Big Bird and I were experiencing some knee and foot pain. Besides, when we arrived at the Antlers Campsite, it was too beautiful to go on. It is situated on the shore of Lower Jo-Mary Lake, which provides a gorgeous vista. The colors of the leaves on the far shore are absolutely riotous, and reflect off the lake's surface. The loons are calling from the far side, and I feel like I'm visiting the set of "On Golden Pond". Which isn't a bad thing. Dinner, then an early night...here's hoping I can get some sleep to make up for last night. And Freeda...next time, pay attention to those late night telepathic messages! (Heheh!e...don't worry, I'll see you next week when I'm at Mom's!)