Date: 2003-08-20
From: Wilson Valley Lean-To

To: Cloud Pond Lean-To
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

It was a beautiful sunny day. For the first time in weeks the sun was out in full force and it was nice not to have to worry about rain.I hiked slowly so that when I came to a ford I could help my new found hiking friends. They are two very sweet ladies, both retired school teachers who live in Vermont. Phyllis has a son who works for Orvis so I have to stay in touch with her and Carol does antiques so Penny will be interested in talking with her. They live near Manchester and Carol told me there is a great mid-century modern store in the town. We will have to swing by there on our way back south from Katahdin.The long pond stream ford was a challenge. There was a rope to help you cross the second half. Did I use the rope? Nope. I looked upstream and thought that I saw a place where the rocks looked better and the current was not as severe. Let me just say that when I got to the middle of that stream the current was very strong. I had to make very solid foot plants or else the water would have knocked me on my butt. I made it across safe and sound but thought there is no way my two friends are going to ford the stream up in this area. Maybe the rope was there for a reason. This time using the rope I forded back across and it was nearly as bad.Phyllis showed up and we talked about the path to take across. She kept her pack but I took her poles so she would have both hands free. She got about 10 feet into the stream and out shot both legs. The rope kept her from tumbling downstream and she was actually pretty graceful during the fall. She had to struggle against the current to get her feet planted but once she did she took her time and had no problem getting herself on across. Next was Carol who I was more worried about. She whisked across the water with no problem at all.There was a difficult climb up Barren Mountain. It took me an hour to do the 1.2 miles but when I reached the top the views were spectacular. The sun was out, it was warm and you could sit on these ledges and take in a 360 degree view. The rest of the hike was mild except for the shelter being almost half a mile off of the trail. There was a couple (Mark and Chelsea) from New Hampshire who were tenting with their golden retriever. The campsite was one of the nicest ones I have seen on the trail.It was a quiet evening until around 7:30 when this other hiker joined us at the shelter. He was a retired airline pilot who did not stop talking for the next 2 hours. As we all headed for sleep he brings out some space blanket looking bivy sack. I'm sure he had no idea what a bivy sack is or but he was using the outer shell for his sleeping bag. Each time he would hardly move the thing would sound like 100 people balling up sheets of aluminum foil. None of us got much sleep since the condensation inside the bivy was making him uncomfortable and causing him to squirm all around. I didn't get a ton of sleep and I held my tongue the next morning as we broke camp.Breakfast was a small package of fruit loops with water added. Not bad but those packages contain nothing near a serving that is going to get me up a mountain. Four or five spoonfuls and it is finished. Lunch was a bagel with slices of American cheese on top and dinner was Lipton Beef Stroganoff with tuna added.Take care,Pasta & Crockett(Maine in 2003)