Caratunk to Stratton, ME

Half a day in rainy Stratton:

After our stay at the resort in Caratunk we crossed the Kennebec River on the canoe ferry. The ferryman was very kind and quite the story-teller. He's been ferrying hikers for 17 years across the only river that the ATC has deemed unfordable. We've now met about 10 northbounders who've come from Georgia. They say that southern Maine is pretty tough with a 4000+ peak nearly every day.

We got to meet both Trek and Bone Pac, the first two Northbounders. Trek stayed at the hostel with us in Monson. The next day we were setting up camp at the next shelter south and in comes this lean hiker who said he was looking for Trek and trying to beat him! He had already come 30 miles that day after fording the Kennebec (yes, he swam it) at 4:30 am. When we told him he was only a day behind Trek and that Trek planned to summit Katahdin on that Friday, Bone Pac zoomed off to Monson to round off a 37 mile day. We just learned through the grapevine that Bone Pac was able to pass Trek at the base of Katahdin and summit in first place on Thursday! Bone Pac was a really friendly guy, father of 2 in his late 30's. He said his main motivation for finishing so quickly was to get home to his family. Congratulations to Bone Pac!

We stayed in Caratunk an extra day at the resort because I (anna) had slipped on a rock a day before and perhaps fractured my tailbone. The day off helped a lot and carrying Garrett's lighter pack for a couple days helped too. (he kindly carried my heavy pack) We moved on from Caratunk toward Stratton passing through the Bigelow Range which was incredibly beautiful. We had gorgeous weather to hike the summits of Avery and West Peaks where we could make a very distant shadow of Katahdin about the size of an ant hill on the horizon. We also thought we caught a glimpse of Mt. Washington in the other direction. Nice to see where we'd come from and where we're going.

We had some what of a Christmas here in Strattton where there were 5 packages waiting for us and a number of letters. I got a free replacement of trekking poles from REI because mine tended to retract at inopportune times and eventually (yesterday, in fact) just snapped in half. Garrett and I both got our new Montrail Hardrock trail runners. We sent home our leather boots. Good ridence. I also got a new back pack in the mail which I had decided to order while in Caratunk. After having a lot of knee pain ascending and descending the mountains and the worsening affect my heavy pack had on my tailbone injury when I fell, I decided that a lighter pack with less volume was really what I needed. I decided to try out the Gregory Z-pack with Garrett's recommendation. It came today and I was able to fit all my things inside and dropped the pack weight alone from 7 pounds to 3 pounds. With a few other things dropped as well my pack weight is probably now down to 25-27 pounds. A big improvement! Hopefully this will help my body feel better and help us pick up our pace.

We are aiming to get to Gorham for the 4th of July even though we're about 3 days behind our schedule now. This means really picking up our pace to about 14 miles per day through the high mountains of southern Maine. My friend Tom is meeting us for a few days around the end of June.

Garrett was very happy to get a hot meal of spaghetti after talking about for days. We were surprised by some trail magic on the north side of the Bigelows when Sunset's (a northbounder) mom came to shelter and cooked for him and everyone else who happened to be there. There were 4 of us (the same four- buster, cotton, hansel and myself) and Sunset and 2 other "top 500" hikers from Tennessee and we all got spaghetti, fresh green salad and black walnut bread. It was delicious! thank you!

Now that we are headed for the higher mountains we should hopefully leave the deep mud and mosquitos and swift rivers behind. New adventures await. We'll keep you posted as we go!

buster and bluebird

Katahdin to Caratunk

We started out on the 6th of June, after staying at the "AT Hostel" in Millenocket the night before catching the MinuteMan Taxi early in the morning. He drove us right to Katahdin Stream Campground and with the help of a couple confused old ladies, we started our trip.

We had a gorgeous day to hike up Katahdin and down. There were no clouds in the sky so we could see for almost 80 miles in all directions. After Katahdin we hiked out of Baxter State Park and into the 100 mile Wilderness. It got its name for being the longest portion of the AT between re-supply points and being in the most remote and unhabitated.

Hikers are advised to pack 11 days of food to get through it. We packed only 6 days thinking we would hitch a ride into town at the one road crossing. Starting weights with the 6 days of food were: Anna at 34 pounds and Garrett at 22 lbs.

In a nut shell, the Wilderness was muddy (knee deep for miles sometimes), buggy (head nets and rain clothes and gloves were in order), and quiet (other than the few people who started South on the same day, we only saw one Northbound hiker). We had rain for 3 days which brought up the water levels pretty severly. The Maine Appalachian Trail Club never builds brides across their many streams but in a few cases will drop a log across the streams. (We heard this was for liability reasons. If someone fell off into the river MATC could be sued) So instead, the rivers must be forded by whatever means a hiker can find. The deepest water was just above our hips but the current in a couple places was extremely strong. I (anna) fell in once off a slippery rock, but other than that there were no accidents.

We've been hiking pretty consistantly with Jack - "Hansel" of Hansel and Grettle who was his little brother who hiked through the 100 mile wilderness and dropped trash accidentally - and Connor - "Cotton" because every piece of clothing he brought is cotton, rather than nylon or fleece which is more traditional for hikers. We've taken the names of Buster (Garrett) & Bluebird (Anna).

I've (Garrett) been amazed at the non-hiking in Maine. The day we spent in Monson, we went Kayaking, we've been able to spend some time on a couple of Maine's sandy beaches (which happen to be gravel). And right now we're in a white water resort enjoying 10$ campsites and free showers, internet & pool games!

We're a couple days behind schedule but we should be able to pick up the pace after Anna drops some weight from her pack, and we get used to the higher mile days.

Off to Stratton!
Bluebird and Buster

Daisies to Begin

The journey begins on Monday. Garrett and I will go off into the blue yonder.

I do not know how the journey will change me. I do not know what the trees will whisper as the breeze tosses their leaves. I do not know where the blue bird will fly, above and ahead and below. I do not know what flower blooms on the farside of that hill. These things I do not know. I leave now, with unadorned reverence for the unknown. I leave now, and go into the mountains.
akb

Daisies

It is possible, I suppose that sometime we will learn everything there is to learn: what the world is, for example, and what it means. I think this as I am crossing from one field to another, in summer, and the mockingbird is mocking me, as one who either knows enough already or knows enough to be perfectly content not knowing. Song being born of quest he knows this: he must turn silent were he suddenly assaulted with answers. Instead oh hear his wild, caustic, tender warbling ceaselessly unanswered. At my feet the white-petalled daisies display the small suns of their center piece, their - if you don't mind my saying so - their hearts. Of course I could be wrong, perhaps their hearts are pale and narrow and hidden in the roots. What do I know? But this: it is heaven itself to take what is given, to see what is plain; what the sun lights up willingly; for example - I think this as I reach down, not to pick but merely to touch - the suitability of the field for the daisies, and the daisies for the field.
Mary Oliver

-Anna