Date: 2018-08-02
From: South Arm Road - Andover

To: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I scrambled up a dozen eggs this morning to share with Doc and Chief. The eggs went nicely with the muffins provided by the Pine Ellis Hostel. I took an early shuttle back to the trail and I was hiking up Old Blue Mountain by 0630. It rained most of the night and a thick gray cloud hung over the mountain as I trudged 2,200¢ to the top. Without any wind to stir the sticky air it didn¢t take long for me to work up a sweat. Between my perspiration and the wet vegetation that clung tightly to the trail I was sopping wet when I reached the summit. Finally, a cool breeze at the top, The trail provides. Next up was Bemis Mountain. The sun was out now and beaming on the open rocks as I worked my way along the ridge between the two Bemis peaks. Rock cairns marked the path through the maze of small pines, shrubs and blueberry bushes. Hot, tired and hungry, I was ready for a break and lunch. I ate ripe blueberries right off the bush as I worked my way to the Bemis Mountain Shelter. Before reaching the shelter a clearing opened up a view to the Saddleback Range and an abundance of lakes and ponds. A young hiker named Jeremy was at the shelter when I arrived. He started his hike in Key West Florida and will follow Trails past Katahdin to Canada. That¢s pretty amazing. He also had a very small pack that he said weighed 5.6lbs without food and water. I lingered at the shelter for about an hour. I devoured a deli sandwich that I had picked up at the General Store last night.Back on the trail I was having problems finding a hiking groove. The combination of heat, rocks, roots, and mud puddles had me a little frustrated. I was feeling sorry for myself as I thought about how nice it would be to be with Which Way visiting the kids, going to a movie, playing games, going to church, eating good home cooked meals, looking for a job (scratch that last one). My knees and feet were taking the brunt of a steep decline. Then, just about the time my pity party was reaching critical mass, Trail Magic! The trail crossed a gravel road where Snowman was cooking up hamburgers and hotdogs for hikers. I sat in the comfy lawn chair, drank a soda and ate a banana as Snowman threw a hamburger and two hotdogs on his small propane grill. Snowman and his wife, Teddy, do a trail feed at this same spot every Monday and Thursday through mid-September. Teddy was in a nearby brook trout fishing while Snowman held down the fort. For dessert they had an assortment of Little Debbie¢s snacks. The trail once again provided with a little help from two amazing Trail Angels. An hour later I was ready to hike again. As I was getting going Doc and Chief showed up. Were they in for a treat! Teddy also returned and tagged Snowman. He now headed to the stream while Teddy took care of the two arriving hikers.The trail followed the gravel road for about 100 yards then crossed Bemis Stream. It was listed in the Guidebook as a ford, but I was barely able to rock hop my way across. The terrain for the last 5 miles of the hike was tempered a bit. More importantly, I had a better attitude. I hiked just above a large body of water named Long Pond. It was an amazing sight through the trees. A little further I came to Sabbath Day Pond. A shelter was located up a side trail. Time to call it a day. Most of the tent sites were taken so I stayed in the shelter. Doc and Chief showed up about an hour later. The three of us shared the spacious shelter. It started raining just as we all got settled in for the night.Peace & Blessings - NSElevation Data:Ascent - 5,255Descent - 4,300Grade - 10.6Weather:Day - 77 / Partly SunnyNight - 65 / ShowersOver The Horizon: Saddleback Mountain, ME