Date: 2015-08-18
From: Gentian Pond NH 1901.7 miles

To: Full Goose Campsite 1912.3 miles
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: few clouds

Tuesday, August 18 The Iceman and 3D continued their 3 day hike, which started on Monday, and left the Gentian Pond campsite at 6:30am. The so called "beaver pond" water didn't cause the Iceman to grow any strange appendages and he's no crazier than when he started this journey. They hoped to get to Speck Pond and set up camp there. It's 15 miles from Gentian Pond but it turned out to be a very difficult and strenuous hike and they couldn't make it that far. The reasoning was, that if they made it to Speck Pond they'd only have 5 miles to hike on Wednesday, the last day of the trip. After hiking 9 1/2 hours they had only gone 10 miles. They were now at Full Goose campsite and set up camp. The hike was one of very steep ups and downs for a total vertical of 4000 feet. The trail consisted of steep rock out cropping's and while the Iceman was climbing one of these, he lost his grip on a rock ledge and went sliding down the boulder about 10 feet. The skin on his inner right arm, from the wrist to above the elbow, was ripped off causing a terrible abrasion and when he hit a boulder, at the end of his fall, he injured his left shoulder. He covered the bruise with Neoporin and continued his hike. A short while later he was walking across a high mountain bog, when he stepped on some black mud, that he thought was only an inch or two deep, and sank 3 feet into the mud. There he was, both legs in deep mud; so what does anyone do in this situation, which the Sherpa is SURE, you've all been in? Slowly - he pulled himself out so as not to lose his shoes (just think of that happening out in the woods with miles to go).   He continued on, covered in mud from the thighs down. What a capstone for a tough day!!! Around 4:30pm, 3D and the Iceman finally reached Full Goose Shelter and Campsite and the Iceman went to the stream,behind the shelter, and washed himself off the best he could with water he filtered. He put more Neoporin on his wounds and set up his tent, ate his meager supper and went to bed. Sleep didn't come until very late, if at all.   His thoughts were of hard climbs over boulders as big as houses; rock ledges to walk on that are only a few inches wide so that one must walk sideways with the backpack out over the deep drops; caves to climb through on his belly and rocks to crawl between after taking off the backpack because the spaces are so narrow.   He was wondering what it would take to finally make it to the pick up point on the ME26/Bear River Road at Grafton Notch in Maine. The Sherpa was a bit worried since no word of the Iceman came after Monday evening. After reading 3D's journal on Tuesday night she was more concerned as 3D had described the Iceman and his fall and mud incident. But she was happy he was with 3D for company and knew that he'd be back Wednesday to tell her in person of his adventures of the last 3 days. Dinner was again at the Wentworth and delicious as usual. Not only is the Wentworth an Inn but they also have condo's and a golf course. It's truly a perfect place for couples or families to spend a vacation.