Date: 2007-07-28
From: Pleasant Pond Lean-To

To: Northern Outdoors
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: light rain

mi. 6.2dest. northern outdoorssleep hotel/resortday 16I got a later than usual start today. I didn't get moving until about 7:30amtoday. That little more sleep felt great. I almost ended up in the shelterlast night. We had a fire going and I was enjoying talking and watching thefire. I laid in the shelter watching the fire go for about 30min or so. Then Iremembered how bad the shelters felt in comparison to my hammock. So thehammock won out.The miles today were not that bad at all. I got to the trail head around 10 orso. I took off my gaiters and bandana. I stood by the road for 10 minutes orso and no luck. First off the guide book says west. Well the highway runsnorth and south. I figured I wanted to go south. Problem is all the touristsgo that way. From what I understand the locals would have given me a ride, butthe minivan french canadians don't want any part of it. Steve who I talk aboutlater has a great rant about them.I looked at the map and saw there was a side trail from where the ferry takesyou across. The Kennebec is the only place where you should not ford. Theriver rises fast due to a hydroelectric damn upstream. It is 40+ yards wide. Ithink it is really doable if you know the river is not going to rise.I got there and Steve, the ferryman, was sitting there with someone talking. Italked for a little while and caught a ride back to his place. He runs Riversand Trails. It is a great resupply spot and hostel. I resupplied there and gotsome great ben and jerry's ice cream.The other guy with him was someone who thru-ed before. He writes for anewspaper and was doing a story on hikers for next weekend. He really neededsomeone to interview and no one else used the ferry this morning. I said Iwould and talked with him for awhile. So if anyone gets it my story and maybe apic is going to be in next Saturday's Bangor Daily News. I gave him my parentsaddress and he said he would mail a copy.I got to talking to him and he is the maintaineer for the stretch of the AT overpleasent pond mountain. I had to complient him. That was one of the bettersouthbound blazed parts so far. He also doesn't use a chain saw. If only usesan axe on blow downs. He said he cleared 10 or so this year. That is a lot. He said he spent 5 weekends clearing and blazing this year. That crazy descentwas also his. There really is no other way to go about it.He asked me how heay I thought my pack was. I said 25-ish. He thought therewas no way. So I stood on the scale there, then held my pack. My pack weighedin at 25 lbs. It had 1 full jetboil canister in addition to the other one I wasusing, my gaiters, my camera, and some food. I think that is pretty good. Hesaid he started north with around 50 lbs. Definitly not for me.On a related note I weighed in at about 15 lbs lighter than when I started. Ileft at 230 sans clothes by my parents scale and weighed in at 215 with shoesand clothes at 215, whatever that means. When I hit 200 I am really going toadd as many calories as I can.I caught a ride with him to northern outdoors. It is a little rafting place 2mi from the trail. I got a 4 person cabin tent for $9.65, Not too bad. Add inthe $22 for dinner, tip, and beer I just spent and I am doing pretty good. Imay add some more nachos later since it is only around 4pm.I resuppled at steve's place. It was very resonably priced. For 2 dinners,pepperoni, chz, 4 candy bars, cookies, fig newtons, and ben and jerry's I spent$24. That along with the food I have left should get me into the next town. Iam havng a hard time gauging how much food I need. I went 114.5 miles and 38.5miles between resupplies. Now it is only 35 miles. Crazy how I only had 2resupplies in 150 miles.I am now sitting around a lot of tourons after they just got done rafting. On agood note more women in bakini's.It also rained for a good hour. It felt great sitting inside drinking watchingthe rain come down.I think after today I am going to wait until Andover to stay in a town. I don'twant to blow the budget before I get going. That is 100 miles and about 10 dayssouth. I think I am going to start limiting myself to 1 town night every otherweek. I can still roll through places and do lunadry and shower.I added some camp sudds at Shaw's. I want to pick up an old water jug or watercontainer at some point. I think that would work well for washing clothes andmyself at night. I got the idea from Brawney of Dancing Lite Gear's book. Ishould have when I saw one at the last shelter. Oh well another one will comemy way.I took a long nap listening to the thunder storam and rain. Thinking of hownice it was not to be in it. I got out of my litle cabin tent and who do I seein the one next to me but Clint, Clay, and Jason. We all headed over to getsome food. This place has pretty decent food. Although I spent a little more than I wantedto. I had fun. I think it was good. At 9pm a live band started. We playedsome pool and it was very reminisant of my bar nights in Cincy. Drinking, livemusic, people dancing, loud atmosphere, drnking, and pool. Although my poolskills were really off tonight.They have a big hot tub here too. I have been thinking about it for awhile now. All of us wanted to hitit up, but there was that guy in it. The one with his arms spread wide lookingfor anyone to join him. He was all alone. He had to of been in there for overan hour looking around. None of us could bring ourselves to get in.All the noise helped me realize that how much I wanted and like getting awayfrom all of this. I think Jason commented that he would rather be out in thewoods somewhere. I couldn't agree more.I was going to try a big-ish day tomorrow, but I think I probibly won't. Iwon't be able to get across the ferry until around 10am. I think another liteday is in order.