Date: 2020-09-25
From: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-To

To: Piazza Rock Lean-To
Miles today: 11.2

Reasonably warm morning. Aside from last week's cold snap the weather has been exceptionally good throughout New Hampshire and Maine. I know it can't last, but I'll enjoy it while it does. The flip side of no rain is that many of the streams have run dry and most of the rest are just puddles. Now that I'm cooking again, I have to plan my water carefully before I reach the shelter each evening.Spurs was tenting at the shelter, though I didn't see him last night. I caught up with him near the campsite at Little Swift River Pond. But there I stopped, because someone had brought canoes up to the pond. I took one out for a spin on the secluded little lake. The shoreline was hemmed in by stately firs and showy maples and oaks, flaming red and orange. The sun moved in and out from behind the clouds. Another five miles down to Route 4 were uneventful. A garter snake darted away. I flushed grouse - this usually happens several times a day. There is a sudden thunder of beating wings and a crash through the bushes that at first makes you think a bear or moose is charging you. I've learned not to overreact to their furious flight. One particular grouse, a male judging by the red neck, didn't flee, but stood around watching me and slowly stalking off the trail. Maybe mating season? I've seen groups of wild turkeys near roads recently as well. The males in one group, females in another. At the road I walked a quarter mile west to the Hiker Hut, run by Steve and Catherine since 2012. Spurs was there resupplying. They have a hostel which consists of a handful of small cabins but are off the grid - no electricity, no plumbing, no cell service. Many hikers rave about it, and I'm sure it's a relaxing spot in the height of the season. But the couple had just stopped taking overnight guests and were busy insulating the A-frame cabin for winter. Although they offered to put me up, I hesitated and rethought my plan to Nero here, given it had no more amenities than a shelter. Instead I opted to run into town for a late lunch and small resupply then hike out to the next shelter. I waited an hour until Steve was ready to drive into town. He wanted to pick up Thai food for dinner and the place didn't open until 4. He dropped me at a pizza joint and went to the library to use their WiFi. On the way back we stopped briefly at the IGA, the last supermarket on the trail. Along the way I learned Steve has wintered in India for 23 years, once biking 2000 miles across that country. He bought the Maine property as a hermit retreat, but ended up opening the hostel for some extra income and constantly having guests. Ironic karma, he thought.  He ended up charging me $20 for the trip, which I thought was a bit exorbitant considering I was basically tagging along on his errand. Should have just hitched, or hiked right through. Stopping in town was more psychological than anything. I didn't want to skip Rangeley and head right up Saddleback Mountain. I had a bad history with that mountain and needed to psych myself up.It was only two miles up to the shelter. Passed two young guys early in their southbound thruhike, not even with trail names yet. I considered going another mile or two up to one of the ponds and tenting. Perhaps I'd see a moose. Steve said they were common around here. But I wanted an easy setup so I spread out in the empty shelter and called it an early night.