Free Spirit’s ( Al's )

Appalachian Trail Journal

Mt. Washington, NH to Mt. Katahdin, Maine

Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail

(Part 8)

Dates ........ Tuesday, September 3, 2002
Miles ........ 14.7 miles
From ........ Kennebec River US 201, Caratunk, ME (Rivers & Trails Cabins)
To ............. Bald Mt. Brook lean-to
Weather ... A.M. 55 degF, humid and cloudy, Cloud mist then rainy afternoon, 60's.

Tuesday, September 3, 2002

Pleasant Pond, Pleasant Pond Mt. 2477' Middle Mt. 2300', Moxie pond

Steve's hired hand fixed all of us a great breakfast - bacon, eggs, pancakes and coffee. I ate breakfast with BeFree at the picnic table outside, then left Rivers and Trails camp with Sunshine to be the first to hit the trail. It was overcast and cloudy. The trail from Caratunk to the base of Pleasant Mt. was nice, following Holly Brook a good part of the way up. After a quick stop to sign the trail register at Pleasant Pond lean-to I started the ferocious climb up the side of Pleasant Pond Mountain.

That mountain is small by Maine standards, only 2477' elevation, but the climb up it is tricky. It is mostly rock, nearly vertical, and tough. Foot and hand holds were necessary. This was a mountain I climbed, rather than just walked up. Adding to the difficulty was the rain and wind. I could not keep my glasses clear of water and/or keep them from fogging up, so I took them off. Well, I couldn't see that way either. Here I am on a mountain, wind and rain blowing, wet, slippery rocks and roots everywhere, and I can't see. Wonderful! Somehow, I made the summit. I was soaked, but that I didn't mind. Hiking in the rain is refreshing and I enjoy it, but it gets nasty when it makes the roots and rocks slippery and blows in under the brim of my cap, messing up my eyeglasses. On top of the solid rock summit I met Clydesdale and Gray Jay, two other hikers enjoying the messy day.

After I climbed down the mountain the rain diminished and it started to clear up. I dried out a little, except that the trailside brush and branches were still wet. One highlight of the day was my lunch; delicious cooked hot dog sandwiches that I made last night. I really enjoyed them. For dessert, I had several handfuls of Maine wild blueberries. I met two other southbound backpackers at Moxie Pond, along the road. I crossed the inlet stream by boulder-hopping and started the climb up the foothills of Moxie Bald Mt.

The shelter was a welcome sight at the end of this wet hiking day. Sidewinder was there, getting ready to cook his supper. I went out for water in the stream next to the shelter. Despite the rain, I found only stagnant pockets of water in little widely separated pools. The stream was essentially dry. I had to take my water from the pool that held the most promise of being the least stagnant. Sometimes a backpacker's choices are made for him. Sunshine and Cheetah came into the shelter. Sunshine stayed, Cheetah moved on, wanting to get over the (Moxie Bald) mountain before calling it a day.

Sidewinder enjoys supper at Bald Mt. Brook lean-to.

I pitched my tent inside the shelter to keep the hordes of hungry mosquitoes away from me. It was a preferable alternative to dosing up with toxic bug repellant. That, and nice quiet shelter mates, allowed me to sleep well.

Daily Journal Entries

~ Journal Part 8 ~

Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thur
Fri
Sat
08/21/02 08/23/02 08/24/02
09/01/02 09/02/02 09/03/02 09/04/02 09/05/02 09/06/02 09/07/02
09/08/02 09/09/02 09/10/02 09/11/02 09/12/02 09/13/02 09/14/02

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Spring/Fall hikes - 15 miles/day - Contact Al. aljohn@jmclum.com.
Last Updated 12/26/02