Date: 2003-09-30
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to

To: US 201, Caratunk, ME.
Miles today: 14.0

It's been a good nite. No problems, and today looks like more of the same. The plan is to do the 10 miles to the next lean-to and to stay there, overlooking Pierce Pond, and to wait for the arrival of the resident moose. The hiking is so easy that I'm at the Pierce Pond Lean-to by 2:00 p.m. It's only 3 more miles to the Kennebec River, and the ferry (read canoe) will carry me across until 5:00 p.m. I hadn't planned to do this, but I decide to do the miles to the river and spend the nite in town at the B and B. For those of us who need some background on the river and the ferry shuttle, here it is. The A.T. used to ford the Kennebec River, (same as all the other rivers in Maine.) It's several hundred yards wide and, until they put a dam in up river to generate electricity, it was no more dangerous than anything else. However, when the dam starts to release water, the river rises rapidly, and one girl hiker got swept away and drowned some years past. The ATC saw this as bad public relations and hired a man to ferry hikers across in his canoe during set hours. This solution worked well, and the man performed flawlessly for almost 20 years, but finally told 'em to find someone else. It turns out, someone else is not so easy to find, but they have hired 2-3 part-timers, and as of this season, the ferry still operates. But you have to get to the pick-up point before 5 p.m. and raise the "Pick-up-hiker" flag. I manage to be here at 4:00.As a matter of interest, the water is rising and 4 to 5 ft. deep in places as we paddle across. The lady who runs it today is vocal in her displeasure with the ATC contract that has her paddling a canoe. She's quite sure that she won't be doing this again next year. She doesn't know who will, but it won't be her! I mention to her how her freckles seem to stand out when she's angry, but it doesn't seem to make things any better. She's still belly-aching as I hike away, and she starts back across to pick up the next bunch.It's a matter of a few minutes until I'm standing in front of the Caratunk House Hikers B and B. Paul Fuller is one of the owners and proud of it. It shows. Jenson Steel is his partner and it would be hard to say how he feels about things, but Paul is wonderful. He whips up huge cheeseburgers and to-die-for milkshakes. Also, will shuttle lodgers to the grocery store, the ATM, any one of several restaurants, or slack pack you out and you can hike back to spend another fabulous nite at this B and B. Never mind his gourmet monster breakfasts, cooked over a wood stove, including homemade blueberry muffins. All of this is modestly priced, including bunkhouse, shower, and light re-supply. I sign up for everything!The only fly in the ointment is some stuff that Paul is addicted to, called "Moxie Cola". It's invented and produced locally and tastes like floor stripper and Dr. Pepper and it comes in a can that makes you think you're about to get a mouthful of orange soda. If there's only 2 cans left, Moxie and anything else, take the can of anything else and leave the Moxie for Paul. It's THAT bad and he just loves it!The lady next door is in and out and claims that at least 25 of her extra pounds can be blamed on cheeseburgers and milkshakes from Paul's place, and I guess she would know. Paul takes us to the grocery store and to the restaurant this nite, and except for coming out on the front porch after we get home and telling me and Indiana Slim to quit playing the harmonica at 11:00 p.m., everything was just wonderful. (Guess we'd had a few, but it was time to go to bed anyway.)