Date: 2004-09-22
From: Sugarloaf Mountain ME

To: Stratton Maine 
Miles today: 10.0

09/22/2004GatherWake up, eat and pack up. Really cold up here on top of this mountain this morning.Pack up and hit the trail.We pas by the South Branch of the Carrabassett River Ford, keep pushing north, always north we go. Pass by South Crocker Mountain 4.040 ft, climb North Crocker Mountain 4,228 ft.Finally make it to the trailhead at Hwy 27, hitch a ride into Stratton Maine. Man drops us off at the White Wolf Inn. Stratton is a real nice place, very friendly people here in Maine. Kent CT could really take a lesson from these people.Check in and crash on the bed for a bit, feels good it does. Get something to eat and explore the town, which doesn¢t take long at all. Stratton is a very small town, very friendly town.I call home, Freckles my dog (has cancer) is still doing good mom says. Mom tells me Jorma stayed here also.Dad tells me Ed Wright from Jensen Beach FL is still keeping tabs on me, and is going to send me the money for the cheeseburger (expensive) I bought in Fort Montgomery NY.Dad says, that is if you make it to Katahdin! I tell dad it¢s not if, it¢s when. Thank you Mr. Wright.Dad tells me Ed was hit pretty hard by Frances down there in FL, but he¢s ok. Below is the paragraph from the August 4th, 2004 entry that caught Ed¢s eye.¢There's a nice steak house nearby. I walk over to it, go in and it's really dark in there. Lady seats me, waiter comes over all dressed up like he's going to a funeral. He asks " Sir, are you joining us for dinner tonight" ? I say no, I'm eating by myself. He lights a candle so I can see. I order a cheeseburger, fries and have a piece of cheesecake for dessert. Waiter brings the bill. I look at it and it's $17.00 !I call him over and explain to him I have never had a $17.00 cheeseburger in my life. He smiles and said " Welcome to New York". Man for $17.00 I can get enough cheeseburgers at home to feed, me, Will, Josh and Marty. Well maybe Will and Josh, Marty can really put away some groceries¢Dad tells me Will Ward called last Saturday concerned about all the rain up here, not to worry Will, I didn¢t miss any of it, got it all. Thanks Will for the concern, you¢re concern turned out to be a reality last Friday night when Ivan caught up with us.My next stop will be Caratunk ME, then Monson ME and on to the 100 mile wilderness which I¢m looking forward to.Thank you Toni Ayers of the Denton NC Orator Newspaper, and all the Orator staff for keeping up with Slimer and I as we make our way north. Thank you to all who have signed our guest book, and all who are following us via the Orator and here on trail journals. The link for the Orator is below if anyone wants to take a peek at it.Hello to all my friends in Denton and elsewhere,It¢s getting late, I¢m tired I tell dad,Sugarloaf Mountain ¢ To ¢ Stratton Maine ¢ 10 milesMiles behind me: - 1,986.3187.8 miles to Mt. Katahdin, the big ¢K¢09/22/2004SlimerWake up, cold again. Wonder how Gather is doing? Eat, pack up and head north on the trail.Climb up Pleasant Pond Mountain 2,470 ft, keep pushing. Come to a beaver pond, stop to rest. Standing there looking out over the pond and felt something on my foot, looked down. A little chipmunk is setting on my foot staring up at me, he sets there a while and then scurries off. These little critters are not afraid. One even ate Granola Bar from my hand!! I like them, it gets very lonely out here.Push on, go by Bald Mountain Brook Lean-To. Climb up Moxie Bald Mountain 2,629 ft, keep digging. Come to the West Branch of the Piscataquis river, no bridges through here I have to wade it across. Water is cold as hell it is, comes up to my knees almost.Make it to Horse Canyon Lean-To 870 ft, decide to call it a day here. Look around, crowded, push on about three miles. Stop beside the East Branch of the Piscataquis river.Cowboy camping tonight, set up my stove, cook and eat, getting really cold. Crawl in my bag. ¢¦¢¦¢¦¢¦¢¦¢¦¢¦Pleasant Pond Lean-To ¢ to - East Branch of the Piscataquis river ¢ 25.0 miles, good day!!09/23/2004SlimerWake up, COLD this morning, cook, eat and pack up. I¢m standing here looking at the river, It¢s cold and I have to wade across it. I stand and stare at it a while trying to get up enough nerve to stick my foot in it. I finally start across, deepest part is about 12¢ where I¢m crossing. My feet and legs are numb by the time I get across, that is some cold water.Push on, Monson is just up the trail. I¢m thinking of the 100 mile wilderness I will enter after Monson. I have to carry enough food for 7 to 10 days they tell me. Worried about the weight and my knee. Also the last couple of days I¢ve noticed my appetite is not as good as it was.This is truly a sportsman¢s paradise, followed a white water stream yesterday for several miles, full of trout and salmon, reminds me of those TV shows about the Alaskan out-back. Streams, ponds and lakes everywhere. Only way to get to them is by float plane or hike in. Canada is only about 25 miles from here.Keep digging, heading north. Finally get into Monson Maine, last stop before the wilderness!! Then it¢s Katahdin!!Monson is a very beautiful little town. I soon find there are no ATM¢s here!! They tell me the Post Office will give you $50.00 from your card, I head there and get money.I can hear float planes taking off and landing. I want to rent a canoe so bad, just not enough time. There¢s a general store with hardwood floors, they creak as you walk across the floor. Everyone¢s friendly here. All the trucks here have canoes and kayaks on them.This is my kind of place.They are having a bluegrass hoedown here tonight, it¢s free. Bunch of locals get together on the porch of the general store every Friday night picking and singing, it¢s really good I hear. While I¢m setting on the porch at the General store, man in a pickup pulls up with a bear he had shot, this is also a wildlife check in station.Only three places to stay here, Shaw¢s Boarding House, The Pie Lady¢s and the Lake Shore House. I go to the lake Shore House, the others are crowded. I think I have caught up with every hiker on the trail here, never seen so many hikers before in one spot.Podini, Poky, Regular Brian, Rooney, Buckwild, Alabama and his Dog Kaya, (Alabama is wearing his Kilt) Sunpig, Pacemaker, Nine Monkeys (group) Rally and many more are here.The Lake Shore House where I¢m staying is really nice, has a huge kitchen (available for guests to cook in) it¢s completely stocked with all kinds of food, and choice meats. And all this is free!! Has a laundry room, everything you need is here. And it only costs $25.00 a night. I can¢t believe this place.I call home, talk to mom and dad, all ok at home. Freckles is doing ok they say. Teresa Archie¢s wife tells dad Archie is out of the hospital, and now Funny is in the hospital. Archie & Funny I hope you both get well quick.I sent another journal and three roll¢s of film home from here, mom and dad will love to see that coming at them.I tell dad I¢m going over to the general store and listen to the local music, then come back and hit the sack. I¢ve already re-supplied and am planning on hitting the trail in the morning. I will step into the 100 mile wilderness, it will take me at least 7 to 8 days to get through there. This is the last obstacle before Mt. Katahdin.Thank you Toni Ayers and all the Orator staff for putting up with us out here, thanks to all my friends, and all who have signed my guest book. Thanks to all who have followed us via the Orator and here on trail journals.As they say down in Georgia, ¢it ain¢t over until the fat lady sings, but I can feel she¢s warming up¢The link to the Denton NC Orator Newspaper is below if anyone wants to take a peek at it.Miles Behind Me: = 2,056.3Miles To Katahdin: = 117.8 left to go -