Date: 2002-09-14
From: Maine

To: trying to get through Vermont
Miles today: 18.0

Saturday, September14, 2002I am up at 5, I heard some loud noises by my tent and this was no dear. Scared, really scared, could be a bear out there. I am hoping he doesn¢t rip my tent to shreds. The noises are really loud and it¢s still dark out at this time in the morning. Very Creepy feeling and noise, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, and sticks crashing, and twigs snapping but I didn¢t get a good look at it.   Whatever it is, it¢s big. Almost 6 not light yet, but I still hear the twigs breaking outside, and stomping, and it¢s only about 100 yards from here. 7 now and I have my pack on and ready to head out of here. Had to dig a cat hole. I know that doesn¢t sound very interesting, BUT, since there is no privy, it¢s something us primitive people have to do. Only the second time I have had to do that. Nice day, cool but good for hiking are starting out with a climb. Thinking about this morning about my experience with the large wildlife and it quite possible could have been a moose. I heard lots of sticks snapping etc. So it could have been, I have been looking for tracks and can¢t seem to see any yet.   One drawback about leaving so early in the morning is dealing with all the spider webs across the trail. Them spiders weave their webs across the trail to catch flies in the morning.   So if you¢re the first one out you have to break the trail first of course there is not anyone on the trail here anyway but even when I was up north, I was usually the first one out. I am sure they appreciated me breaking the trail, breaking through the spider webs for everyone else. I know when I left later times earlier on the trail or when I was in town and started late on the trail, I really appreciated not having to break through the webs. I have some pain in my hip sockets this morning. Don¢t know why, could be overuse or the way I was sleeping. Met a really nice kid, heading north. Trail name was Toga. Very nice, he said there were 3 more behind them. I was asking him about my animal experience this morning and he said it was most likely a moose. He said the bears will sneak up on you but the moose will just trudge on by. So I am sure it was a moose. I must have missed the shelter, I was going to sign in the trailbook and when I saw !toga he said it was only about a mile ahead of me and that was 9 and its 10 now so I must have walked right by it. I was watching but I didn¢t see it but that is the second shelter I have looked for and missed.   Down here they camouflage their signs and they are sort of weathered so they blend right into the landscape. In New Hampshire they had them painted bright orange so they were hard to miss. I¢ll just go on. It¢s about 1 now in the afternoon and I am walking along and in a deciduous forest and there are roots, roots, roots, rocks, and rocks.   Then all the sudden the trail turns into a pine forest and the trail is smooth and walking on the pine needles is like walking on carpet. Found some more wild apples and they are pretty good. Traveling on Kent¢s Pond, in northern New England they call their lakes ponds, instead of lakes.   Just met another North Bounder and his name is (Pan) !pan, like god of the forest, and he carries his guitar with him and he goes along and plays the guitar. A free spirit, he was from Boston but lives in San Francisco now.   Ran into a south bounder, her name was Wratchet ( !wratchet) she was with her father and he has since left the trail. She is from Connecticut. She is staying at the long trail inn, I am going on. I should know better, I stopped into the long trail inn and asked directions where the shelters were, they said oh yeah, brand new. I left there at 3 and it was supposed to be 3-4 miles and figure I could be there by 6. I head out and seems like I finally get to a sign that says Pico shelter point7 miles north on a trail that goes back north, so I said to hey with it and decided I could find a campsite.   I walked and walked on this ridge and it¢s 6:15 and I can¢t find a place. I finally got off the trail and pitched the tent in a bunch of roots. I can sleep anyway it seems now. Got a roof over my head at least and peanut butter. What more could I ask for. Well it¢s supposed to rain tonight. But it¢s a challenge; it¢s an adventure, yahoo. I think I got in 18 miles, should be mile 492 on day 39. I am not really in the safest place and there is a lot of down. But I was feeling desperate to camp for the evening.   So from now on I need to plan a little better. IF I get to a shelter earlier then I need to stay there even if it¢s earlier than I would like. It¢s safer at the shelter. I don¢t think I will make this mistake again.