Date: 2006-09-21
From: Abol Bridge

To: Pollywog Stream
Miles today: 17.4

Thursday, Sept 21, 2006 Abol Bridge to Pollywog Stream, N to S, 17.4 milesLeave 6:25. Amoeba leads, hiking off towards Katahdin. Zig Zag saves the day by asking, Where are you going? 10 minutes lost. Off the road at 6:35.7:15 hello to Delicious. He¢ll summit tomorrow.At the shelter, Shenanigans, asleep, or else just lying there in his bag.   Goodbye and good luck. It¢s been great meeting you so many times on the trail.Shelter thermometer says 50 degrees.Amoeba takes some photos of entries in the shelter register. People¢s thoughts and emotions as they near the end of their journeys.Many leave email addresses and urge their AT family to stay in touch.2 more successful leaf-catches: one dangling from a spider web. Purple Rose is skeptical about Amoeba getting credit for this but Amoeba reminds her, Rose, this has already been decided. As they say in the law: Res Judicata. Last year's dangler not only scored for the catch but also scored for it being a miracle. (Check 2005 AT Journal, Nov 8). The other, a large striped maple leaf, temporarily resting on a spruce branch on its way to the ground. With a few gentle puffs, Amoeba assists it on its way and catches it as it leaves the bough.   Purple Rose gives her another look: partial credit, at best. Rose, are you in cahoots with Stumpknocker?Rainbow Ledges. Sure footing on dry sandpaper rockfaces. Zig Zag and Purple Rose DANCE their way up.  See today¢s photo. Aren't they so cool? Dramatic clouds, one of which to Amoeba, who lives in the snow capital of the US, looks like a snow cloud. A snow cloud? It¢s been so warm lately. Today, though, with the wind, temperatures are chilly.Goodbye to River Weasel. He¢ll summit tomorrow. He doesn¢t want to summit with too many other people. River Weasel, we read Bama¢s journal. Sounds like you got your wish! Congrats!!Hello again to Otter. He¢s from the same small town in North Carolina as Purple Sherpa. Both started their working years as bag boys at the same A and P!Cohiba, Pinata and The Bruiser summiting Saturday.Baldylocks, summiting Saturday. He warns that the blazing coming up is confusing, pink ribbon, no white blazes. New trail?Fiddlehead and Rusch Hour.Grandpa Bear catches up to Amoeba, Zig Zag and Purple Rose and joins them for the rest of today's hike.Leaf #3 for today falls onto Amoeba¢s hiking poles as she¢s carrying these in her left hand. She plucks it off with her right.Float plane lands on 5-mile long Rainbow Lake. Why didn¢t they think to give Purple Sherpa a float plane ride today. That would have been a great ¢thank-you¢.In ¢04 this stretch was thick with mosquitoes. Today, not one.Rising Sun, Lightweight. She Bear: Watch out for the scary log bridge leading to the next shelter. 42: Remember me to Bob and Pat Peoples at The Gathering. 42 spent 6 days at Kincora with shin splints.She Bear to 42 as they eye Zig Zag's lunch: Do you think the 2 of us could roll her for those tomatoes and carrots?G Man and Jersey.Sparkles of sun on the lake.Old Moose, with kind words to say about Grandpa Bear. When Old Moose was having trouble with his muscles the day he climbed Barren Mtn, Grandpa Bear waited for him to make sure he was all right. Last night Old Moose had another Smartwool tree, this time in front of a campfire that dried out all the socks.Everyone makes it across the scary log bridge.Last person they meet on today¢s hike is Karuna Miel. I¢m ready to be done. God Bless you, she says. You too, Karuna.At the cafe in Millinocket, a festive supper, to celebrate Purple Rose and Zig Zag's longest day. Pre-birthday cake for Grandpa Bear.Catman and Mrs Catman join in. Catman summitted today. Halfway up Katahdin he ran into snow and ice. He persevered and made it.Congratulations all around.