Date: 2020-09-24
From: South Arm Rd

To: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-To
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: overcast clouds

A final breakfast feast at The Cabin - omelets, pancakes, bacon, skillet potatoes - courtesy of Hopper. Hopper, by the way, lives in Virginia and comes up for the summer to help Honey run the hostel. She's headed home in another week. She thruhiked years ago, but because she stopped in Andover during her hike to help out Honey and Bear for a few days she had to skip ahead forty miles to rejoin her group. So she refuses to call herself a thruhiker. At the South Arm trailhead Wild gave all the leftover pancakes to three SOBOs: Drainage (she drinks her dishwater), a guy named Viggie/Vigorosity, and an unnamed girl. At first they donned masks to approach but once they saw the pancakes they came off.The day started with a very steep climb up to Old Blue. It dipped then climbed the Bemis range, which has multiple bedrock summits with the now familiar alpine plants. The fall colors continue to spread, with whole hillsides of birch now gleaming yellow, while orange and red maples and oaks dappled the valleys. The hiking was usually not difficult. I was able to maintain 2 mph without much effort, even with occasional breaks at views. In the middle of the day a very light rain sprinkled on and off, enough to wet a few trees and, more concerningly, a few rocks. I pulled out my trekking poles in case of a slip. The sun went in and out of the clouds, alternately warming or letting the cold wind have its way.From Bemis Mountain I could see Mooselookmeguntic Lake, largest of the Rangeley Lakes District. It spread below to the horizon and beyond, great forking arms running off for many miles, surrounded by painted hills. Several times I would see a small snake, always the same black with patterned back. And always it noticed me before I it, and it raced ahead of me until it could find a hole to slither in. I wondered why they were out today, as I'd not seen any before. Perhaps, like the squirrels, they were looking for food before winter sets in. A steep climb brought me up to Route 17 where a road turnoff provides a spectacular overlook of the lake. I rested and dug into the pancakes, cantaloupe, and brownies I'd packed out. A woman admiring the view asked me how the hiking was today, assuming I was out for the day. When it came out I'd been hiking since Georgia she was amazed, practically speechless. "You hiked all the way from Georgia? Good for you! Good for you!" she repeated The last four miles to the shelter were easy. I stopped at a beach on Long Pond and took a bracing dip in the cold water. The air was warmer, though not by much. Still, I can't expect it to get any warmer farther north. I wanted to get at least one swim in Maine.At the shelter three older guys out for a long weekend were tenting on a platform. In the shelter was a flip-flopper originally from South Boston named Fenway. He started March 17, got off after two weeks, returned in May, and flipped from McAfee Knob. He fell behind his tramily when he injured his ankle. And recently he was hospitalized for a concussion from hitting his head on rocks. After resting a few days in Rangeley he's back on trail. He lives in San Diego these days, and hopes to hike the PCT next year if the AT doesn't kill him first.Cooked up Ramen and threw in some rotisserie chicken I packed out from yesterday's dinner at the Cabin. Delicious! Not too cold this evening, forecast looks good for the next two or three days.