Date: 2014-07-11
From: Pierce Pond Lean-To

To: Pleasant Pond Lean-To
Miles today: 9.7

Birdman and I packed quickly this morning and hustled over to Harrison¢s Pierce Pond Camps, where our twelve-pancake breakfast was being prepared. It¢s a wonderfully rustic cabin in the woods, full of vintage wooden furniture, pool tables, shelves lined with various books, and, of course, stuffed moose, bear, deer, and coyote heads. Here we were reunited with Nails and LoJack, two fellow NoBo¢s who we keep crossing paths with. Together with several section hikers, we attacked our fruit-filled, crepe-thin pancakes with gusto, leaving nary a crumb for the trashcan. I wonder how long my appetite will last after leaving the trail; the grocery bill may be heartbreaking for a few weeks at the very least.After a quick three-mile jaunt over even more flat trail, we reached the Kennebec River, where hikers are required to take an ATC-provided canoe across. This is because a series of dams upriver release water at unscheduled times¢the water can rise without warning over five feet within just a few minutes. In 1985, a thru-hiker drowned when she attempted to ford the river; ever since, the ATC designated the free canoe ferry as the official route for hikers, even going so far as to paint a white blaze on the bottom of the boat. Frankly, I was all too happy to oblige, as the canoe trip across the river was a nice change of pace from even more hiking. I crossed over the river with a little old lady who was section hiking with a few of her friends. I asked her to take a few pictures of me paddling the canoe, but unfortunately she placed her finger over the lens for every single photo she took. I guess this part of my trek will just have to live on in my memory.After the crossing and a brief stop at a nearby post office, Birdman and I made our way over to the Sterling Inn in Caratunk, ME. It looked like a great place to stay¢I always value those few hostels that prioritize cleanliness¢but we still had a few miles to go in order to stay relatively on schedule. Thus, we simply resupplied, showered, and washed laundry before grabbing a shuttle to a nearby pub for lunch. Note to Future Me: wolfing down a full plate of loaded nachos just before a hike is not the best idea.When we finally got back on the trail, we were moving very slowly with our full bellies. Knowing we wouldn¢t make it to our planned campsite before dark, we decided to pull up short and stop at the first lean-to we crossed. It was a great decision, and I promptly put up my tent and took a three-hour nap.We are running into a constant stream of Southbounders now, with us NoBo¢s definitely being the minority. Most of them are still very fresh, with a relatively small amount of miles under their belts. They are all very fresh-faced and eager for the rest of their adventure, and I¢m reminded of how I felt just a few short months ago. There are a few experiences, however, that I¢m glad that I missed: one of the SoBo¢s here tonight is in full denial that he has contracted giardia, though his constant trips to the privy should inform him otherwise. Looks like I will be avoiding that location for the foreseeable future.