Date: 2009-09-25
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to

To: Bald Mtn Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: broken clouds

Best night's sleep in ages. I slept right through and, in fact although I had planned a late start, by the time I finally got moving at seven it almost felt like I had slept in.The rest of last nights crew (Bam Bam, Gordon Bombay, Aquafresh, Franklin and Rayelle) were heading to a near by lodge for breakfast but I had 2 packs of Poptarts and my eye on a breakfast stop by the Kennebec River so instead I bid them adieu and headed on my way.I thought the river was 1.7 miles away. I was wrong. After 70 minutes and with no sign of any major watercourse I realised something was amiss. It turned out that the river was actually 3.7 miles away but that the mileages in my book were incorrect. No problem, the Kennebec is crossed by 'ferry' (a canoe paddled by a local guide) and it only started to operate at 9 a.m and now instead of arriving early and having a leisurely breakfast I arrived bang on 9 and Hillbilly Dave was soon out on the water and heading over to pick me up.The morning was overcast, a bit cold and a moderately fresh breeze created a little chop as we paddled away but it was nothing untoward and Dave promised that a pleasant day lay ahead. I wasn't convinced but as it turned out Dave knew his stuff. It was still chilly as I passed by Caratunk and as the trail climbed up towards Pleasant Pond Lean-to but with each passing hour the skies cleared and the day warmed up. Life was good and it was also good to see and old face when I bumped into 4x4 for the first time since Unionville.The days highlight was up on the slopes of Pleasant Pond Mtn. It proved a steep and rocky climb but as I have said before now certainly nothing that cannot be done. A tiresome trudge in the early days of Georgia and North Carolina perhaps but now just an invigorating ramble through some truly wonderful scenery. There were spectacular views just shy of the top. I admired them at the time but when I carried on to the top and found the higher views obscured by trees I retraced by steps, found the perfect spot and set up shop for a good hour - shoes off, food bag at hand, books and writing material by my side - the pleasures of the itinerant lifestyle.The view stretched south over a large pond, across the rolling bottomland and on towards the Bigelows rising majestically on the horizon. Two inverted w's; the lower peaks to the left and West Peak and Avery Peak to the left. It would be a fine day to be up on them but it was equally fine to be here gazing back at them. Was it really only 48 hours since I trod through the clouds over those majestic peaks?The next couple of miles were a lot of fun. More exposed rock. More up and down but also easy miles under warm skies. I stopped again, this time watching a small bird flying back and forth to a tree in front of me where time and time again it visited the pine cones, presumably feeding. It was September so surely there were no young to feed, most likely my little feather friend was taking every opportunity to prepare itself for the winter ahead. Every night I fear the oncoming winter, the short days, the cold nights but what would this little fellow be thinking? Was he perhaps planning his own escape to warmer climes; preparing for a long journey south; like me would he soon leave these pleasant mountains behind.