Date: 2005-07-31
From: ME27 Trailhead

To: Little Bigelow Lean-to
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: broken clouds

Late start, did 15.3 miles, great views with pictures taken, passed the 2000 mile mark. Last night there were only two of us staying at the Stratton Hostel. The other hiker, Grandpa Bob, is doing a flip flop. This is where you start at one end and someplace before Katahdin you stop and go all the way to the other end of the AT and hike back to where you stopped. This is still considered a thru-hike. He started in April at Springer going North in and stopped in Daleville, VA. From Daleville he went to Katahdin and is now going South until he gets back to Daleville to complete his hike.We both had breakfast and I won the eating contest. I had 4 eggs, 4 pieces of toasts, 3 pieces of bacon, home fries and two glasses of milk. I have never eaten a breakfast that big before except on the trail. I also went across the street and got a pint of chocolate milk and had that with my cookies.Because of the breakfast, I didn't get started until 8:15. I wanted to try and get to the shelter so I hiked hard and skipped lunch. I got here at 6:10pm. I did take a couple of breaks to soak in the view. There were all sorts of wild blueberries on the way down from Little Bigelow and I walked right pass them. Stealth and Ninja made it here and were talking about how they stopped picked some. There was also an entry in the shelter register from Cotton Joe saying the same thing. You can bet that I'll be looking for some in the future. The Lean-to (shelter) I am staying at tonight is sometimes called "The Tubs". There is a big spring nearby and it feeds down the side of the mountain to a big pool. Lots of hikers go there to cool off. I didn¢t take advantage of the pool. There is a camp group here with 12 young girls here and I don't think taking a skinny dip would have been the best thing to do. The girls did have a camp fire and sing along. They are out here for five days but are only hiking about five miles a day. They appeared to be having fun. I can hear them all behind the shelter where they have tented.Tomorrow I need to do 17 miles. I want to get to the Pierce Pond shelter. There are no climbs but with the low elevations and rain it could be real wet. The reason I want to get there is one avoid sleeping in my tent and packing up a wet tent. Two, I can hike the .7 of a mile to the Harrison camp and have a "lumberjacks" breakfast in the morning for $8.00. It includes pancake breakfast with 12 pancakes, 3 sausage, 2 eggs, juice and milk or coffee. (Editors note: Good God.)Today was the first day I did a face first fall. It really surprised me because I usually catch myself. I've now fallen forward, backwards and on each side. I hope that was the last one. I've been lucky and the worst I've gotten is a sore rib. It¢s finally feeling better and I can tighten the straps on the backpack the way they should be.I've now gone over 2000 miles. The Little Bigelow Lean-to was at 2002.4 miles into the hike. It seems so long ago that I was making my first three day landmark at Neels Gap. The only way I will remember some of the things in between is the journal I've been keeping.