Date: 2013-08-26
From: Caratunk, Maine

To: East Carry Pond, stealth camp
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: broken clouds

We all got a late start from the hostel today because the shuttle driver from the other outfit that shared duty with the Sterling never showed up. After an hours wait Eric said come on he would take us that we shouldn't have had to wait so long. It was right at 10 am when we got out of the shuttle at the trail head and headed for the Kennebec. It only took a few minutes of hiking in the woods until we came to the spot you take the free canoe across the river. There are many signs warning hikers not to ford this river as the water level rises rapidly when the dam up river releases water and since a hiker drowned years ago there is now the free canoe. When we got to the river the canoe was coming over to our side from the other side with "Hillbilly Dave" at the paddle. We all swapped cameras to take pictures for each other of the crossing. JD and Trip crossed first and then Highway and I. I showed JD the off on button and the shutter button but did not explain to him to hold it for a half second till the image showed and then click it. Yeah you guessed it no pictures for me. Highway emailed me one from his phone that Trip had taken for him. After the crossing we headed back into the woods and quickly became separated due to hiking styles and speed, I brought up the rear. Highway had said he was only going to do 10 miles today and stop at the beach on East Carry Pond, I told him I would probably join him there. We passed each other a number of times since we stopped along the way to sight see or take pictures at different places. Oh, I forgot to mention that Highway is a true Southbounder and not a flip flopper, he is just starting is 2100 mile journey. He said he is looking forward to the winter hiking and the solitude he will have later in the year. True to his word when I got to the beach at around 5 or 5:30 he was sitting there wet from a swim in the pond and had already set up camp further up the trail. It was truly a stealth camp in that he saw an opening between the trees way off trail and made it work. I found a similar spot close by. We talked and got to know each other better. I forgot to mention my mid-day emotional experience in which I became teary eyed just recalling what had happened at the Pierce Pond Shelter and in the pond during last years hiking season. I walked down to the shelter and the pond for lunch and took a picture of the log memorial to 'Parkside', a young through hiker that drowned in the pond while swimming. He was in his early 20's, a true extreme tragedy. I had been following 'Achilles' 2012 trailjournals site when that entry told of what had happened. At Parksides mothers request Achilles took ashes of Parkside up to Katahdin. This was by far my most emotional moment on the trail.As I was leaving the shelter to head on down the trail I decided to avail myself of the privy. There are 6 steps up to the door of the privy and when I came out of the privy and took my first step down my heel went forward like I was kicking an extra point and I bounced down to the bottom step. I walked in pain where only men can experience it for a few hours. That would truly have been a very indignant way to end the hike. "What happened to you, why did you come home?" "Oh, I fell on the sh..house steps". Ha ha. However, not so funny. Anyway that was that day and on to the next.