Date: 2013-07-10
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Abol Bridge Campground
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up early, around 5:30am , and after a brief consultation it was agreed that the weather was not conducive to climbing Katahdin so we decided to go ahead and start hiking south. The weather window was iffy and we felt that at this moment the smart decision was to try to get to Abol Campgrounds 10 miles away. This would set us up for a decent mileage day, that is for someone just starting their thru hike   So camp was broke down and we were off to walk our first 10 miles of Maine. Photos were taken, and as we walked down the dirt road anticipation was high. The trailhead was found and we started walking the 9 miles to Abol Bridge. The forest path was great. Loamy, not many roots and unlike where I generally hike in Virginia, no rocks! The trail was flat and I was able to take a leisurely hike in the woods. That is .....untill.......The freaking mosquitoes!!! The trail fools you. For 5 miles the trail was beautiful. Deep forests, the smell of pine, the peeling white bark of the birch and around every corner water. The water, wow, quintessential Maine views were the order of the day. Picturesque ponds ready for a day of paddling in a wooden canoe, a boggy wetland that was just waiting to be photographed, or a mountain stream just waiting for a fly fisherman to cast a wet fly. It was a perfect couple of hours on the Appalachian Trail. Untill.....A fork in the trail and a decision presented itself, a stream crossing that was running high and swift, or a high water trail that leads around two stream fords. If the first ford looked sketchy, what about the second one. Would it be worse than the first? There was no way to tell. So playing it safe, the high water trail was chosen. And in choosing that, the trail changed from beautiful to a monster. No, there were no painfulclimbs or boulder fields to cross, the monster was a small insect set to ambush hikers on the Appalachian Trail. A dive bombing freaking vampire. The Maine bloodsucking mosquito. There they have a name now. The Maine Blood Sucking Mosquito must communicate with their brethren in the following way. "Hey fleet 1 to fleet 2,3,4,5,and all others in the vicinity, we have hikers. The scouts state this is prime A- blood like you have never tasted before. Prepare to attack!!!!And attack these aerial blood suckers were vicious! Stop for a second and there were hundreds of these buzzing, droning, flying syringes lined up on my arms and legs. Talk about an infestation. So the last five miles were nothing but a battle. No stopping for views, food or conversation. Keep on walking and don't stop. Luckily 5 hours after we started at the campgroundsthat I had reservations at, it appeared like a mirage. Food, indoor seating with no Mosquitos and iced tea. The waitress was great and we were able to spend the afternoon in the dining room talking with other hikers and refilling on sweet tea. I set up my tent in the campgrounds, got my rope for my bear bag stuck in a tree, and am now back at the restaurant charging my phone and getting ready for it to rain. Looks like the rain tomorrow will keep the aerial assaults down but it will be a wet slog. Hope it is rain and not thunderstorms.So tomorrow will either be a four mile day or eleven depending on weather. Wish me the luck of a duck. I will need it.