Date: 2009-09-03
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Abol Bridge Campground
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

It was a cruddy night but a beautiful day. I hacked and hacked all night long. Maybe I got a little sleep but it surely wasn't much. Heck! I thought I was getting better. Oh well. Nothing for it but to get up and get moving when the alarm went off. Maybe tonight I will get sleep. Before I left the campsite I did a real bone-headed thing. I got the little baggie on my new bear bag set-up caught in the tree when trying to take it down. Fortunately the guys at the leanto across from me had a truck and with the aid of the campsite rake it came down. Good. I would hate to leave the unsightly mess of bear line hanging from a tree. Besides, I want the line. The pack seemed heavier than it should be. But as the day progressed it got better. Drinking water and eating food help. The trail first went by lovely lakes, some of which I saw 3 days ago. We went by Elbow Pond and Daicey Pond. Maine does have beautiful lakes. Yellow Jacket and Tripod and SloJo caught up with me before reaching Big Niagra Falls, where we all tok pictures. The Falls were lovely. Today was a day of water - ponds, falls, streams and rivers. Yellow Jacket is a physician and she offered to write me a prescription for cough syrup with codeine. But there is no pharmacy until Monson, several days from now and Codeine makes me sick anyway. I encouraged them to go on. I knew trying to keep up to their pace would be more than I could do and I don't want to hold anyone back to my speed. I know they were wanting to go farther than I wanted to go today. A bit farther on was the first crossing of the Nesowadnehunk Stream. The trail description says to cross on a bridge. I laugh! What passes for a bridge is three small sappling logs about 6-8 inches in diameter. As I was screwing up my courage to attempt the crossing, Frijole came up and I said he could go first. He did but he thought it dicey too. Next was my turn. I side stepped using all three small logs. All was fine until my pole had to stop stabilizing me on a rock. The next few steps were scary but Frijole held out his arm to catch and I did. Thank you, Frijole, for coming along when you did. Later on I had to cross an equally dicey "bridge" by myself. I was very careful and managed to cross without falling in. Right after that the stream met the Penobscot River and I followed along the riverbank nearly all the way to Abol Bridge, Other hikers met today include Ben from Seattle, a young section hiker, I think, Nobos: Tahoe, Solo, FirstofGothics, and someone at the store whose name I did not get. I had lunch at a lovely, peaceful spot by the river. Not long after, Bookworm caught up to me and we traveled along together until I had to stop to refresh my mosquito repelant. There are not clouds of mosquitoes. The first couple days I saw none. But more and more are coming out with the warmer weather. And they are ferocious and persistent little buggers. When I reached the Abol Campground Bridge, I bought some chocolate milk and some cheese and some cough drops and decided to stay in the campground instead of the camp sites across the road. They are both fee charges but the campground has showers. Decision made. I took my shower and washed some clothes and got dinner ready. Then the lovely wind from the river stopped and the mosquitoes attacked. On with long pants and long sleeves and bug net. I just got clean. I do not want to put bug stuff on. I retreated inside the tent to eat my pasta primavera in peace. Feedbag, Rocket, and Snarky came into the campground later and also enjoyed the shower. It is dark and time for sleep. I am clean and life is good.