Date: 2013-07-28
From: Stratton, ME

To: KATAHDIN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

2034.3 Miles Caratunk, ME   7/28/13Made it from Stratton in good time, even over some nasty climbs. But first there are some people in the Stratton I would like to mention. A couple of days before we got to the highway into Stratton, I took a fall and bent one of my trekking poles very badly. When I tried to straighten it, it broke. Luckily for me there was an outfitter in Stratton called Ecopelagicon. They were a Leki warranty dealer. My poles are Lekis. So I had to hike for 2 days with one pole, which is like using 3 legs instead of 4. But I made into town and Linda, one of their reps, helped me get the broken piece out and replaced it with a new one and made it as good as new. This meant a lot to me because these poles have held me up for over 2000 miles and I wasn't going to leave one behind. Even if I couldn't have gotten it fixed, I still would have packed it home with me.Then there was Perry and Stephanie Fielding who Picked us up Hitching into Stratton and dropped us off at the outfitters and advised us on which motel to spend the night in. They even picked us up and dropped us off at the trailhead the next morning. Great people that I'll never forget and can't thank enough.When we got to the highway to go into Stratton there were a lot of people at the trail head. 2 Game Officers interviewed Mot and I about a missing female hiker. She would have been about one day ahead of us. We gave them as much information as we could, but we couldn't recall meeting her. That was on 7/25. As of today they still haven't found her.After we left Stratton we made the climb up over the West Peak and the Avery Peak of Bigelow Mountain, and the views were spectacular. We also had an all day view of Sugarloaf Mountain Ski Area. It was very difficult day of climbing and descents and it took us over 10 hours to make only 10 1/2 miles. We made up for it the next day when the terrain was a little better and we made almost 18 miles to the Pierce Pond Shelter, our last shelter before we cross the Kennebec River.Before we got to the shelter I found some cell service and I called Mike and Terri Stasiowski at Cedar Mill Farm and Cabins. They are located near Athens, ME. I first met them when I came up to hunts snowshoes with all the guys from DuBois, PA. Mike and Teri are fantastic and they treat you just like family when you are here. So Sunday morning Mot and I left Pierce Pond and headed for the Kennebec River. Foxtrot was there before us. The ferry, which is actually a canoe, only crosses from 9 to 11 in the morning and from 2 to 4 in the afternoon. So we waited our turn and made the crossing without getting wet. After crossing we headed for the highway and hitched to a restaurant from which I contacted Teri and she said she was on her way to pick us up. In the mean time our eyes got all foggy and we were spell bound by those spectacular words we always love to see, ALL YOU CAN EAT breakfast buffet. So we went in and plunked our skinny, trail starved bodies down and ate until we couldn't eat any more. After paying, and just before I thought I was going to throw up, I went outside for air and Terri pulled in. She's fantastic!! She drove about 45 minutes to pick us up, then washed our clothes, then drove us into Skowhegan to the Wal-Mart to pick up supplies. And tomorrow she'll drive us back to the trail head. We'll be staying in one of their cabins for tonight. I got some more trail magic also. I found out that Bob Bish and Dick Weiss from DuBois, PA are picking up my tab for my stay here. Thanks guys!! Hard to think of Bob and Dick as an angels but they are now officially trail angels angelTomorrow we'll start the approximately 35 or so miles to Munson, then do the 100 mile wilderness. I guess technically it's not really a wilderness anymore but it sounds romantic. Anyway, we'll have heavy packs because we got enough supplies to go straight through Munson without stopping.Maine is very beautiful. It's not what I had expected to see. Even after getting out of the bigger mountains, I'm still getting great views. Sometimes when we are at the top of one of the high peaks with a killer view, I'll ask Mot, "Wonder what the rich folk are doing today"? and Mot will say, "I don't know, but they don't have it as nice as us".151.2 Miles to KatahdinHappy TrailsPunkin PieSomewhere on the AT