Tough terrain pays off in the end

It's been a good restful time in Monson, and SOBO communion is exciting. About 8 of us headed out of town 8 miles up to Horseshoe Canyon shelter. A rough first day back on foot with recent beaver floodings for obstacles and a hot afternoon spent sweating out the "town poisons." Will get an earlier start tomorrow to beat the heat. 

The wailling loon music over West Carry Lake. Soothing shelter sleep. Sharing dreamspace with my friends Zach and Vallerie. Morning tea a bit chilly air temp. Nice and early start for big day over Moxie Bald. Looking to pitch camp on open summit, but weather does not permit. Brief rain to slippify long smooth granite slab slant walks. Down to shelter with Rinee the german. Everyone else already dry and settled at shelter. Rinee and I both had stopped beside Moxie pond for long nap earlier in the day.

STELLAR views from Bigelow Mountain's Avery peak. The freshest breezy weather day on the trail yet. This has been tough climbing for a rewarding night spent "Cowboy" style under a full moon atop North Horn for a sunsetmoonrise moonsetsunrise. Flagstaff lake skirting the north drainage.

After reaching the small town of Caratunk, ME and scoring big at the local whitewater outfitter's All You Can Eat Taco Tuesday, I make camp along the shores of the Kennebunk river. This is the A.T.'s most formidable bridgeless river crossing. Upstream dams create an unpredictable waterflow, so beginning in 1987 the A.T. Conservancy has provided a free ferry service for safe river crossing.

A full moonset over the river gives way to morning twilight... around 9am I meet the ferryman. Hillbilly Dave has been paddling hikers across the Kennebunk for the last 8 years. He wears a tattered felt hat and a freindly smile. Dave hands me a paddle and I jump in the front. Bow pointed upstream, we make our way across. The crisp breeze across the water and blue sky make for an unforgettable experience. Dave lifts our spirits as we cross "If this breeze keeps up then the mosquitoes shouldn't be too bad for a while. Oh and make sure to say hi to the Ridgerunner Johnathan up at Horn Pond." Me "Do you know...is his last name Lemberg?" Dave "Yeah, he finished up his spring season down at Springer Mtn, GA and now he's up here." This is where I realize my friend Johnathan is just a couple days walk away... certainly extra motivation to push ahead!    

So the next day when Twisted Turtle and I stopped at a lean-to for lunch I wrote an entry in the log book. It went something like: "In search of an old trail freind Johnathan the Ridgerunner, I hope to reach Horn Pond campsite to see him" I ended up not seeing him on the mountain, but he eventually caught sight of my log entry and tracked me down in the town of Stratton, ME where I was 'zeroing.' What a great surprise!

A reunion with trail friend and Ridgerunner Johnathan in Stratton, ME

Well I'm sorry to say I will be mailing my fly fishing pole home after several failed attempts for a trout dinner. This won't shed a whole lot of weight, but it will help.

So here's a weight breakdown 

my PACK with 5 days of food + water + stove fuel = 23 pounds

for emergency shelter I'm carrying some light nylon cord, 6 tent stakes, and a homemade Tyvek tarp.

other items include: small alcohol burning stove, small pot, water filter, sleeping bag and pad, bug netting, raincoat, headtorch, map, camera, and journal

Total weight with pack = 195

Pack to Body weight ratio = 16%

future considerations:

ditch the heavy boots after the white mountains

if conditions permit, carry only small amount of water, then have long watering breaks at springs and crossings

water could become something I may eventually carry more of as we move into a dry spell

modify pack to eliminate excess straps

drill holes in my toothbrush....seriously?