Date: 2005-08-25
From: Pierce Pond Lean-to

To: Bald Mtn Brook Campsite
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: broken clouds

start: Pierce Pondfinish: Bald Mtn Brook Campsite miles: 18.4I slept very well last night by the lake. I was in the mood for it to be a bit colder, though. I'm ready for some 40 degree sleeping weather.I packed up and walked over to the Harrison's right at 7:30. They didn't quite have breakfast ready so I hung out on the back porch overlooking the stream and waterfall. They have hummingbird feeders and there were a bunch of the little guys flitting around. I saw one go and sit on a tree branch and look around. I've never seen a hummingbird not in flight or feeding before.Nomega showed up and in a few minutes we were ushered into the dining room. Soon the dayhiker I had seen yesterday walked in with a friend. It turns out Nomega, who is currently doing the Maine AT northbound, thru-hiked southbound in 1994, taking 330 days. And the dayhiker's trailname is Moses, and he thru-hiked twice - in 1981, and again in 2001. I thought he was moving too fast and smooth on the trail yesterday. Hah.I made a perfect cup of tea, and breakfast was set in front of me - a huge plate of 12 pancakes, eggs and sausages. Sweet. I must be getting soft. I left the last two bites of pancake on my plate. And I call myself a thru-hiker. Shameful. Oh well, another cup of tea and I was ready to hit the trail, planning to get north of Moxie Bald today. (I didn't).The weather was pleasant, sunny and a bit warmer than yesterday. Few to no bugs. I was hoping to run into some nobos somewhere today, but I didn't, and haven't seen any on this leg. I didn't even see any sobos today, just a very few day and section hikers.I saw Steve Longley at the ferry crossing. It was nice to see him, as I hadn't seen him since October 2002. He mentioned that Moose Crossing takeout restaurant was opening in a few minutes and that was all the coaxing I needed. It's run by a very nice lady. I had a milkshake and a couple of root beers. That's all I could fit on top of all the pancakes.This morning when people asked me about my hike I'd end up telling them how I was filling in a section, and that I had hiked with my son Goldilocks. Tim Harrison, Steve Longley, and the Moose Crossing lady all remembered him and friends. Steve said it was like a circus at the river, with Goldilocks swimming across the Kennebec for fun, and everyone splashing and having a wild time.I stopped by Caratunk House to say hello to Paul aka One Braid, the owner of the now closed hostel. He wasn't in, but a neighbor promised to tell him I came by.Climbing north of rt. 201 and the Kennebec, the trail is easy and smooth, and eventually comes to Holly Brook and crosses it several times. It's a nice clear stream and I washed out my shirt. There were no pools large enough to sit in, or I would have.The climb up Pleasant Pond Mountain is short and steep northbound. I've always done this southbound and it's a pain, with lots of false tops. Northbound is much nicer. The mountain is completely dry, though, and by the time I got down to the road at the bottom I was thirsty. I didn't want to drink any of the pond water down there though, so I waited.I went for a swim in Moxie Pond, which was very refreshing, and it got the salt out of the clothes. After that, the ford across the inlet was a rock hop.Finally, a few miles beyond Moxie Pond, just before the climb up Moxie started, I crossed a clear brook I was interested in drinking. Sitting there I realized I didn't want to climb Moxie today, pushing all the way until dark to get down and find a campsite. I liked this spot, and it has nice water. So I'm home at 6:00 pm, a luxury for me. I really notice how early it's getting dark now. I can only hike until about 7:30 and even then it'll be dark as soon as I get set up.So I'm comfortably in my tarp, making a home-dried chicken enchilada dinner, about 6 feet from a noisy brook. Very nice. And it feels like it may get cool tonight.