Date: 2005-09-23
From: Monson, Maine

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: few clouds

start Monson,MainedestinationKatahdin Stream Campgroundmiles 10.1 Strider picked Papermaker and I up and took us out for breakfast.Of course wetalked non stop about our hike and the hikers we had met. It was really great tosee him again.I had made arrangements with Buddy to shuttle us to AbolCampground today so when we got back from breakfast,we loaded up our packs andheaded north. Buddy dropped us off at Abol Campground ,then took our packs aheadto Katahdin Stream Campground. What fun,slack packimg again! We ran into a snagfor getting a camping spot for tonight.It seems like the promise of a greatsummit day/weekend has brought people out of the wood work and everything isfull.It is ironic that with thousands of acres of forest,there is no place forus to pitch our tents.I can certainly understand Percy Baxter's wish to keepthis place undeveloped.I just think that with only 12 places open for thruhikers,and almost any day there is double that many hikers coming in,that moresites could be made available.There are no dogs allowed! here,or radios,televisions or even cell phones! We put our names on a waitinglist and sat outside of the ranger's office and waited.I was surprized to see afamiliar face when I came to check in.Just Mike was in line to register tosummit tomorrow.The weather is supposed to be fantastic on Saturday,and I amstill undecided as to whether to climb that mountain again.I have said for twoyears,it would have to be a class one day,perfect weather for me to summit thatmountain again.Papermaker says he wil climb it again with or with out me.We had waited around until after 4:00,when a thru hiker came in and gave up hislean to because a family member had drove in and he was going to stay intown.Hurray!Hurray!We not only have a lean to,but it is the closest one to wherethe trail to Mt. Katahdin begins.My God is a great God!He wants his children tohave the desires of their heart,even when we are unsure of what our heart'sdesire is. There are no tents allowed unless you want to put a free standing one insidethe shelter. Africa had just a few days ago said that"He would have to knowsomeone pretty well to share a shelter with them."Well,he doesn't know us verywell,but he is going to have to make our aquaintance really personal reallyfast. There is a creek running in front of the lean to. The low temperature fortonight is supposed to be right at 32 degrees. I asked that Africa andPapermaker just pull their sleeping bags really close to either side of metonight I had purchased a nice knit hat back at the restaurant and tonight itfeels really good on my head! We bought a bundle of fire wood and built a firein the fire ring.Papermaker came up with the novel idea of putting some riverstones on the fire grate to get them nice and warm.We took them of of the firejust before we went to bed and put them inour sleeping bags. Oh!!how wonderfulthat warmth felt. The low tonight is supposed to be around ! 38.It will be very hard to climb out of this sleeping bag early in the morning. We will stick close to Africa for the next few days as we hike south thru thehundred mile wilderness because he has enough food to more than feed us andseveral other hikers combined!Plus ,he is carrying it all. Bumpkin                           5 Million Steps for Polio