Date: 2017-08-06
From: Moxie Pond

To: West Branch of Piscataquis River
Miles today: 12.7

8/6Tented by the west branch of the Piscataquis, ~mile 2063.3~12.7 milesIt rained for much of the night. A small river formed under my tent as water ran down from the hill above. I checked the perimeter and the inside of the tent was fine. I heard a loud thunk. Afraid that the branch holding my food bag had fallen, I trekked up the trail to check, dodging the new puddles. I don't know what fell, but my food bag was fine. In the morning it was cloudy. The inside of my tent was damp from the night's exhalations. I wiped down the walls but knew the tent would need more drying later. Two miles up the trail, I came to a trail sign that just said "privy". Sure enough there was an outhouse down the trail. About a tenth of a mile away, across a stream, lay the next shelter. I got lost on Moxie Bald. The trail markings were difficult. I followed cairns to a summit sign but couldn't see where it went from there. I scouted multiple options before realizing that the trail stopped before the actual summit, then turned nearly back in the direction I had come. With no blazes or other direction, the unidirectional cairns were not incredibly helpful. Thoroughly annoyed, chilled, and wind blown, I finally continued north on the trail. At the next shelter north I stopped for lunch. Walking up to the shelter I thought I saw feet dangling from the bench. When I came around the corner there was no one. Just several fresh drops of water near where the feet had been. I ate lunch, and the drops evaporated as I sat there. Somebody must have left from the right side of the shelter as I walked in from the left. Was it something I said?I made good time and thought to stay at Horseshoe Canyon Leanto tonight, but five miles out I caught a stick against the side of my shoe. It twisted my leg, forcing my knee into an unnatural position. I didn't hear a pop or feel a tear, but it hurt right away. It felt strained. The top of my calf hurt just behind my knee, and the iliotibial band or something near it hurt in the outside of my knee. It hurt very much to walk downhill. I revised my plan. A passing southbound hiker told me he had seen tentsites within the last mile or so. I stopped to get water at my first opportunity, then started looking for tenting. After about two miles I found a large established campsite. Grumpily I set up my tent, once again leaving it empty to dry out. I also evicted another of those damn orange slugs. This one had set up shopkeeping in the fold of the door and had spent all day rolled up in the tent in its stuffsack. I got to the site at 4:15. With lots of time to blow I cooked an actual dinner. I'm not sure what, if anything, to do for my leg. Rest should help. Tomorrow morning I'll have a better idea of how bad it really is. My planned rest day in Monson may stretch to two or more. I don't want to start the 100 mile wilderness on a sketchy knee that could leave me stranded or slow me down so much that I run out of food. I'd love to talk to somebody else about it but I haven't had cell service in days, and have not spoken with another human being for more than a few seconds. It seems unlikely that anyone else will camp here. Maybe I'll get lucky, though.