Date: 2004-09-24
From: Arnold Point, West Carry Pond 

To: Rte 201, Caratunk 
Miles today: 13.3

9/24/04 Day 27Start: Arnold Pond West Carry Pond @ 7:30. Stop: Rte 201, Caratunk @ 3:00Mileage on trail: 13.3; cum. 291.2. Off trail: 0.9; cum. 10.7Weather: sunny, warmMajor Landmarks: East Carry Pond, Pierce Pond, Kennebec RiverMajor Milestones: 151 miles to Katahdin!        It was another warm night. We went to bed after watching the sunset over West Carry Pond with a loon swimming around near the shore. Once in my tent, I could hear the loons calling, and then there was a howling which to me sounded more like a wolf than a coyote. It was a lone howl, much lower in pitch than coyotes¢ and a longer howl. A little later, a second voice joined in the howling. After that, it was a quiet night and a great sleep.        We were up early and on the trail by 7:30 to be sure and make the ferry. The first part of the trail follows the Arnold Trail, the route Benedict Arnold took with 1,100 men, a couple hundred bateaux, and supplies in the late fall of 1775 in an attempted surprise attack on the British in Quebec. In traversing the land between the Kennebec Rive and the Dead River, they became bogged down in the same bogs we now crossed on bog logs and their attack ultimately failed.        It was an easy hike to East Carry Pond where we took a break. Pretty soon White Patch came along listening to his MP3 player. Blue shouted to him, but he didn¢t see us until he looked up and jumped in surprise. Pretty soon the rest of Team Smoke Break , Mousebait & Ketone, came along. We caught up with them again at Pierce Pond Lean-to. From there, it was 3 12 miles to the Kennebec River. The trail followed Pierce Pond Stream with many waterfalls as it cascaded down to the river.        When we reached the river, Ketone was just starting across the river with Bill and 2 Packs. They paddled upstream some distance, then headed across as the current brought them back downstream. Bill then paddled the canoe back across the river and picked up Mousebait & White Patch. Finally, Blue and I crossed with our packs. I paddled in the front as Bill stirred and paddled in the rear. At times, it seemed like we were going nowhere as we paddled upstream against the current, but we made it across and thanked Bill for the ride.        From there we all headed into town. Blue and I had each mailed a bounce box ahead to the Caratunk House, but when we got there, it was closed and there was a for sale sign out front. There were two big ice chests there with soda and candy, so we all took a nice break and downed a couple sodas. We walked to the P.O. and they had held our boxes for us, so we had food to get to Monson. After another stop at the goody box, we headed to the main road to hitch to Northern Outdoors Center. The first pickup coming out of town picked us all up and brought us right to the center. So, here we are, all 5 of us in a lodge room with shower and toilet for $14 each.        In the room we took turns taking showers and we all piled our dirty laundry in the middle of the room. As each of us emerged from the bathroom having taken a shower, we exclaimed about the foul odor in the room from the steaming pile of ripe clothes. Thankfully the pile was soon in the laundry.