Date: 2003-08-20
From: Campsite beside Pollywog Stream

To: Hurd Brook Lean-To
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

What an excellent night it was to be out camping. I got up when total darkness fell and made my way out onto a rock that jutted out into the river. The night sky was just unbelievable. I must have stayed there for a half hour, lying against the rock and just staring up into space. I'm not sure how much more a mind could relax. It was awe inspiring to be able to look all around and see the night sky just bursting with millions of stars.I slept pretty well as the sound of the river slowly helped me fade into my dreams. I once again thought about going fishing with my dad up in the North Carolina Mountains. How much he enjoyed planning the trip and how well we would eat the first couple of days. Always a corn beef brisket that we would grill with swiss cheese on two pieces of rye bread. I didn't realize then how much I would cherish those little trips or how often I would think about them.I hit the trail just after 7 and took my normal time getting started. My PUR water filter is getting tougher to pump with each passing day and I felt as if I had tennis elbow by the time I had pumped the bladder pouch full. I could just see if anyone asked me in the future if I had any injuries while out on the trail. Oh yes, I got a severe case of tennis elbow while I was out in the woods by myself. I can just fathom the conclusions that people would draw from that.For many miles the trail followed Rainbow Stream and then skirted around Rainbow Pond. It was not physically hard but I had to pay attention to every step. There was either a slick rock or even slicker roots along the entire path. My original plan was to hike to Rainbow Spring Campsite and then have an 11 1/2 mile day tomorrow. Well I reached the campsites by 11:00 so I decided to go on. There was one minor mountain to climb between where I was and where I was going to be tomorrow so I decided to just go ahead and tackle it. The climb turned out not to be that bad and I had to see the elevation sign before I realized I was already at the top. Rainbow ledges had a lot of open areas that had been formed from a forest fire years ago. It offered beautiful postcard views of Katahdin and a great place to break for a long lunch.I pulled out my map during lunch and realized I was only 2.5 miles from the Hurd Brook Lean-To and the majority of those miles were downhill. I think maybe it was the adrenalin from knowing I get to see Pen tomorrow but before I knew it I had kicked out another 8 miles of trail. Tomorrow I only have slightly over 3 miles before I reach Abol Bridge Campground.Maybe I can grab a shower and buy a new shirt before Penny arrives because right now I flat out stink. If I take off the shirt I have on I'm pretty sure it will maintain the stiff shape of my sunken bird chest. The other shirt has some how fermented and smells like a compost dump that you would find behind a farmhouse tucked up in a hollow of Kentucky.I kind of celebrated for dinner by having a freeze dried meal of teriyaki chicken with cashews. It was pretty darn tasty and I completed my dining experience by eating every crumb of a brownie that I had purchased from White House Landing.There is an older Canadian couple who just started their hike and want to complete Maine and New Hampshire. They have plenty of stuff and I wondered how much their packs weighed. He was pulling out whole loafs of bread and big boxes full of crackers. I figured the two of them had been hiking for 40 years and probably had their way of hiking down to a science. Here I am just happy when I get my whisper light stove to light without burning any of the hair off my forearm.I am now going to try and get some sleep. I just want tomorrow to arrive so that I can see Penny once again. I've really missed having her beside me each day and sharing each experience with her. I think this time has made me appreciate her even more and allowed me to fully realize just how lucky I am to have her be my partner. Into the sleeping bag I crawl to wait for the first rays of sunlight to wake my stinky self up. Take care,Pasta & Crockett(Maine in 2003)