Date: 2005-07-14
From: Bald Mtn Brook Lean-to, ME

To: Caratunk, ME
Miles today: 14.7

14.7 miles todayCaratunk, Maine I got a very good nights sleep last night. I only woke up once at 2am and rolled over and went back to sleep until 5:30. I stuck my stove out the tent door and started my coffee. I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast, then packed up and was on the trail at 6:30. The first interesting thing that happened today was when I was walking across the top of a beaver dam. I heard a beaver slap his tail on the water and when I had my balance, I looked, but only saw where the water was still rippling. I got out my camera and stood real still. Pretty soon a beaver surfaced and started looking all around, then another one started swimming around. One went to the other side of the pond and one came closer to me. The one closest to me was swimming around looking at me. He stayed between 20 and 30 feet away. I kept taking pictures and then he swam right towards me. He got to about 7 feet away before he turned away. I got some great shots. I always thought the beaver's tails were wider than what they are. I hiked on after staying there for about 20 minutes watching those beavers. Four miles into my hike I had just started climbing Pleasant Pond Mountain when a deer ran off for about 30 yards before he stopped to look at me. While I was standing there watching him, a moose calf got up that had been bedded down and started running right towards me. I moved a little so it would see me and then I started looking all around for the calves mother. I've seen how alarmed the cow moose can get when she's worried about the calf. I didn't see her, so I assumed she was out in the pond feeding. I got a few more pictures and then hiked on. I was wondering what I was going to see next, but that was it other than the normal little red squirrels and birds. I ran into 2 nobos by the names of FunGuy and Vince Cannuck. We chatted a while before going in our own directions. I got to the summit of Pleasant Pond Mountain at 9:50am and drank my last little bit of water. I had been going easy on the water because I hadn't seen any streams in a while. I found a nice cold stream at the bottom of the mountain. I drank 1 1/2 litres and packed out another litre. I took a short break there before hiking on. I ran into River Wizard and Uncle Mike who are finishing the last part of a 4 year section hike of the A.T. They were pretty happy to be within striking distance of Katahdin. I ran into Orphan, a nobo next. There was a nice stream that I followed quite a ways down towards Caratunk. The water was crystal clear and it was flowing pretty good. There was alot of mud in the trail in the last 4 miles of today's hike. I came out into the trailhead parking area and picked up my food cache I left there the other day when Lew and I were driving around. I got out to the road and was busy puting that food in my pack when I saw a car come by. I stuck out my thumb and got a ride several miles north to Northern Outdoors. I love those easy hitches!! There were 2 girls in the car and the passenger looked familiar, but I couldn't figure out from where. She thought I looked familiar too. Her husband and I must have run into each other somewhere because I recognize his name...Walking Home. He had some injuries down south this year on the trail and is healed and starting from Katahdin on the 21st. Thanks for the ride!! I went in and was going to get a private room, but they were all booked so I took a tent cabin down right next to the Kennebec River. I had a delicious 1/2 pound hamburger with fries and slaw and a coke. They had a shower in the bathroom area of the lobby so I got in with all my clothes on and washed them while I got clean too. It was very humid out today, so it really felt good. I went down to the tent cabin about 2pm and hung my clothes to dry and started to answer some emails. There was some thunder and dark skies when I got to the tent cabin, but it only rained a little. I was writing an email and fell asleep until 5pm...guess I needed a nap. I walked up to the lodge and had dinner. While I was eating dinner I spotted another hiker already eating.Turns out he's a sobo that I've seen signed in some of the registers by the name of Wasso. He seems like a good guy. He said he's carrying too much food, so doesn't plan on going to town until Andover. I'll be in 2 towns before that. I saw there's a weekend breakfast buffet in Stratton, so I think that's my next goal...Stratton early sunday morning. :-))) There was a computer in the lodge, so I checked the weather coming up for this area. Looks like about 80 degree highs and 50 degree lows for a while.