Date: 2014-09-16
From: West Carry Pond Lean-to

To: Caratunk, ME (Sterling Inn)
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I managed to respond to the alarm and got going with breakfast and packing with the headlamp on. Sunrise is now well after 6, and I was on the trail at 6:35, with RW close behind. It was raining lightly and probably about 50, and I began with rain gear, gloves and rain mittens. The hiking was fairly easy, the rain eventually stopped, and I made the ten miles to the Pierce Pond Lean-to by 11:50. The others, who had passed me during the morning, were still there finishing lunch. Another lovely Maine pond. I ate cheese and a tortilla and left at 12:30. I hoped to be at the Kennebec River between 2 and 2:30, depending on the trail. After crossing a very rocky and then wood sort of dam at the edge of the pond, the trail ran along the strong outlet stream, taking many rocky and rooty ups and downs. I finally made it to the river just a couple of minutes after 2:30. Journeymen and RW were still on the bank with three others, waiting for the canoe with the white blaze on the bottom to take them across. The ferryman was very skilled, knowing just how far upstream to paddle before getting into the strong current to cross and make the landing on the other side. The ferryman took two at a time, and I was in the third pair with Beirut. I asked the ferryman what he does in the off season, and he said everything necessary to keep food on the table, a common life in this remote part of Maine. He has been doing the AT ferry for eight years.We gathered on the bank (Bismarck and Hopper had already crossed and waited for the rest of us) and walked to the post office, where I got my package, and the woman in the PO called for our shuttle. The Sterling Inn, about 2 miles east of town, is an early 1800s house, added to in the 1850s and then more recently. Eric, the proprietor of three years, is very nice and savvy about hikers. After we got registered, we all changed, and he drove us to the pub on the other side of the town road, the Kennebec River Pub and Brewery.Loon, a hiker from Japan joined us for dinner, so we were six. Since we got there early, we had the place to ourselves. It is part of the Northern Outdoors Lodge, which operates rafting trips on the Kennebec. Evidently there is a gorge just west of Caratunk that offers opportunities for white water rafting. I had an excellent burger with olives, lettuce, and tomato, one of my favorite combos, two of their IPA, and a huge brownie sundae. Good conversation. I told the group that even though I am the oldest, now I understand what the little brother or sister feels like when trying to keep up with older siblings. I am definitely the slow one.Back to the Inn to do laundry and organize for tomorrow. There was no cell service but good wifi, so I arranged with Lee to do a Skype call. Fun to see her, though she said my image was pixelated. We discussed arrangements for Katahdin. So strange that I expect to be there, ready to climb the big mountain, in just two weeks. When I started in April, it seemed almost too far to imagine that I could walk over 1500 miles to get there. Just 151.2 left. Then, of course, I have that 633.3 miles waiting for me in the south.