Date: 2008-09-18
From: Old Speck Mtn, ME

To: East B Hill Rd, Andover, ME
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: clear sky

It started raining about 3am and by the time I woke up at 4:40am, the rain had stopped.I stuck my stove outside the tent and made 24.8 ounces of Stumpknocker's Blend coffee, ate the last three hard boiled eggs and my last iced honey bun for breakfast while I read a few chapters of the "Tom Sawyer" book I'm carrying.I was just about asleep last night when I rolled over toward the door of my tent and saw a brilliant, nearly full moon just rising over the distant mountains.It was another cool morning in the upper 30's and kind of dampish out with some wind blowing.I took my bandana and dried off most of the rain water on the outside of my tent, so I wouldn't have to carry that extra weight. It's surprising just how much water I can squeeze out of that bandana from wiping down the wet tent.I was packed and walking north on the Appalachian Trail at 6:45am on a cool, foggy, windy, wet morning.I had a 2,200 foot descent right off the bat down to Grafton Notch.I got down to Grafton Notch by 8:05am and saw there was a garbage can! I love garbage cans! :-) I got rid of my garbage, signed the log book, ate some fruit and walked on.I ran into two sobos just as I started the long 2,400 foot climb up toward Bald Pate...Tom Thumb and Mountainberry.I got about half way up the mountain and stopped just long enough at Bald Pate Lean-to to sign the register and use a smiley face sticker.I debated whether to get more water for the climb, but decided the half liter I had was plenty, so I continued climbiing.I got to West Peak, then went down into the col where I met Blue Meanie and Hicker Chick who were walking south to Duncannon to finish their walk they started last year. I asked them to say hello to Vikki at The Doyle for me when they got there. :-)I got out into the open and could see one of my favorite mountains on all the Appalachian Trail standing before me...East Peak of Bald Pate Mtn. I only had another 500 feet to climb in the next half mile to get to the summit. There's not another mountain like this one on the Trail. It's a big rounded rock with some smaller spruce trees growing around in spots. The summit is absolutely beautiful and the views are worth every foot of the climb.I didn't linger long today though because the cold wind was whipping over the summit. Even my hands and ears got cold. :-) I took a few pictures up there and one self portrait by the summit sign, then walked on to get back into the trees. It took about half a mile before I reached the tree line and got out of most of the wind.I descended about 1,500 feet to Frye Notch Lean-to and met Lead Dog and Lollygagger on the way. Lead Dog said that he and I had met on the Trail a few years back.I stopped by Frye Notch Lean-to and ate lunch...eating almost everything I had left in my pack. :-)I walked on after getting a liter of water from the stream and climbed to the summit of Surplus Mtn, then descended about 1,500 feet to Dunn Notch where I passed by Dunn Falls.I saw a nobo there who was waiting on some friends. I thought the guy he was asking about was a nobo I had seen at the last lean-to. I'm around a whole new bunch of hikers now that I got back on the Trail after doing The Long Trail and it's hard remembering everyone's name.I walked another mile to East B Hill Rd and saw three more nobos I hadn't met. Two of them were heading into Andover, but said they'd been there hitching for about an hour and only a few cars had come by. I got a ride with the second car that passed by. :-)Two guys that had been out bear hunting stopped in a small SUV. I asked if they were heading to town and they said yes. I asked if they could take those two guys sitting on the ground to town and I'd stay and catch a ride with someone else because there wasn't much room in the car. They said they thought we could all squeeze in...we did, but it was tight! :-)I had cell service in town, so I called out to The Cabin. Honey answered the phone and said she'd send Bear right up after me.I bought a few snacks and Bear showed up. It's always great seeing my friends along the Trail, and Honey and Bear have been good friends since the first time I stayed with them in '02.We talked a lot! They had gone out to Grafton Notch earlier today looking for me and had seen where I signed the log at 8:05am. They saw the two hikers I had passed by on the north side of Mahoosuc Notch yesterday and offered them a place to stay. It was good getting to know Butterfly Moon and Firesocks better. They had Luna with them, their white female German shepard. Luna and Molly, Honey and Bear's lab played together like old friends.I showered just in time for dinner...a real corned beef and cabbage dinner with potatoes and carrots too...and brownies and ice cream for dessert. They feed hungry hikers well up here in Maine! :-)Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)