Date: 2006-07-27
From: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-To

To: Bemis Mountain Lean-To
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: broken clouds

Boy, I slept good last night. I'm up at 5 am to look at maps and the data book. I plan to get an early start today as I've been staring later since hiking with other people. But, I'm so drowsy. I nap. I eat breakfast, tell myself to get moving. Nap again. Finally, I sit up and decide to update my journal entries. Got behind on them since hiking with other people as well. Eat a second breakfast. Type some more. Finally, the sun is coming out. It's very peaceful here. I could stay awhile just listening to the sounds of the pond. A black and white little bird came and visited me in the shelter. I believe she is looking for food. She is just hopping around in here oblivious to the fact that I am sitting here.I think I hear Goatmilk starting to stir. He stayed here as well, but set up his tent. Hope he stayed dry during last nights storm. Well, if I start packing up now, I just might make it out of here by lunchtime! Oh, but my sleeping bag is so comfortable!!!!!I can't believe that I did not leave the shelter until noon. What was I thinking? But I'm hiking now and things seem to be going okay. It begins to rain. I slip on my pack cover and keep walking. I stop to tinkle and decide to put on my mildew smelling rain jacket as well. I don't know why I bother as it does a very poor job of keeping me dry. I think it needs to be washed with Nikwax or something to re-energize it's water resistancy. Of course as soon as I'm back on the trail, the rain stops and I wish that I was not wearing the jacket!I don't feel well hiking today. I think I have pulled a muscle in my chest. I'm getting frustrated with the trail too, as it is taking me hours to go small distances.Steep descent into the valley before climbing the Bemis Range. Climbing Bemis Peak One is steep. Straight up. It begins to rain - hard. I have to wait before summiting the mountain ledges because it is thundering. Don't want to be on an exposed ledge during an electrical storm. Done that too many times before and have the scar on my chin to prove it! Finally, the rain stops and I summit Bemis One and head on to Bemis Two. The rocks are slippery and steep. I want to quit. I'm done hiking. Now this is just crazy talk, because when you are half way up a mountain in the middle of no where you have to keep hiking if you want to get to a place where you don't have to hike anymore! Of course, just because the rain has stopped does not mean that the wetness goes away. Car wash effect: the bath a hiker gets from walking through recently rained upon tree branches. The branches rub against you and shower you with water. I pass some nobos and one of them tells me there are blueberries on top so I stop and pick a few handfuls to have with breakfast. So ready to be at the shelter. I'm always ready to be there at least a mile before I get there. It seems like I will never get there and then I see the sign. Hooray! I'm so ready to get out of these wet clothes. I realized about 3/10 of a mile before the shelter that I was getting chaffed. So ready for dry clothes and sleep.One more day of hiking and then I am going into Andover. I'm taking the first road into town so that I can make the post office before Saturday. Think I'll stay at the Cabin as it gets rave reviews from hikers writing about it in the shelter registers. Plus they have free internet.