Date: 2008-09-20
From: South Arm Rd, Andover, ME

To: Near Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to, ME
Miles today: 17.0

I woke up at 2am and caught up on my journal. I always have a hard time writing the journal when I'm around other people, so that worked out great. I also have to say just how bad the data service has been in this part of the world. I've only had a little data service once since Pinkham Notch, NH and I sent in the three journal entries I had then. This one will make four entries that I'm behind on. Hope I get data service in Rangeley. :-)I fell asleep again and didn't wake up till 6:30am for another great breakfast that Bear prepared and I also had lots and lots of coffee.I decided to carry my pack today, so I got everything packed and got a group picture of everyone that was at The Cabin just before we left.Honey took me out to the trailhead at South Arm Rd and I started walking north on the Appalachian Trail at 8:55am. It was another gorgeous morning with full sun and temps about 40 degrees when I started climbing Old Blue...about a 2,300 foot climb in 3 miles. Old Blue has a few steep parts to it. I just climbed slowly and was amazed at all the moose poop and moose tracks I was seeing. More than anywhere else on the AT so far this year. I kept looking for moose all through the day, but never did see one. :-(I had one of my favorite nights ever on Old Blue a few years back. I was cowboy camping right on the summit and it was very dark out when I went to sleep. One of those nights when you couldn't see you hand in front of your face if you held it there. I woke up about 10pm to a beautiful full moon coming up over the mountains which made it seem more like daylight out. I fiddled around with my camera till I learned how to use the night mode and got some great pictures.When I got to the summit this year, I saw where a large moose had recently been there. He had come up from the north, stood around a while and walked off to the north on the AT. I kept hoping to see him, but never did. I could see the wet mud chunks that fell off it's feet on some of the rocks, so I knew it hadn't been long since he was there.It's beautiful up here and today and I could see fog in the valley below. I took a five minute break before walking on. I descended about 700 feet off Old Blue, then climbed about 300 feet up and over Elephant Mtn.I ran into two nobos that were slacking south back to South Arm Rd...Peace Dragon and Va Creeper.I climbed Bemis Mtn next, then descended to Beamis Mtn Shelter and ate a late lunch and filled up my water bottle and walked on after about 30 minutes.I still wasn't sure what I was doing today. I've never stopped at Gull Pond Hostel in Rangeley and I really would like to experience that this year....so maybe. :-)This is a beautiful section of trail with the spruce growing around the solid rock mountain. The solid rocks keep the trees sparse enough for some great views while you are walking along.I passed a nobo by the name of Sgt Pepper and kept walking and descending off Second Peak, then First Peak before getting to an old gravel road.The Trail only went down a little more after that, then I crossed Beamis Stream and made a 700 foot climb up to Rt 17.I saw a papar by the road with Gull Pond's phone number, so I called Bob. He said it was a $30.00 shuttle from where I was at, so I made arrangements to be picked up at Rt 4 tomorrow and I walked on.There were a few short climbs that took me by Moxie Pond first, then Long Pond where I had planned on sleeping on the beach. I couldn't sleep on the beach because there wasn't any beach this year. The water was so high that it came right up to the woods.I walked on to Sabbath Day Pond and stopped at the lean-to long enough to sign the register, then went and found a tentsite nearby. I was the only one there. I could hear some coyotes yipping along the south shore of the pond while I was setting up my tent.I went back out by the Trail and cooked some soup for dinner. Sgt Pepper came walking up and stayed at the shelter. A few more people came in later after I had already gotten into my tent for the night.I was laying there reading my Tom Sawyer book when a loon started making his beautiful, lonely call out on the pond. I love that! :-)I woke up a few times during the night listening to the loon. I also heard a noise right next to my tent and I shined my light out to see a large hare about 5 feet away. He just sat there eating with his eyes shining in the light.Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)