[at-l] Hundred Mile Wilderness, Day 10

[ARTCLOUTMN@aol.com]

8/11/99  Daicey Pond Camp Ground

    What a wonderful day.  Sunny, cool, dry breeze!!!!  We left camp at 7:45 
AM.  The hike to Abol Bridge was pretty easy.  Only one bog bridge and lots 
of pine groves were easy on the feet.  We passed a sign congratulating us on 
completeing the Hundred Mile Wilderness.  We reached Abol Bridge by 9:30 AM. 
    The camp store at the bridge provided limited supplies but I found the 
best Pepsi I have ever tasted.  John had a heathy orange juice and I bought a 
package of two strawberry pop tarts one of which I shared with John.  They 
tasted fantastic.  
    By 10:00 PM we were back on the trail heading for Daicey Pond.  We hiked 
along the West Branch of the Penobscot River for about 1 mile.  We saw white 
water rafters floating down the river.  I tryed to get a picture but the 
camera decided that was the time for the batteries to go dead.  By the time I 
had replaced the batteries the rafters were out of sight.  The trail then 
followed the Nesowadnehunk Stream up toward the entrance to Baxter State 
Park.  There were numerous waterfalls and views of the stream.  The Boys 
Scouts stopped at one of the waterfalls so we took the opportunity to get 
ahead of them knowing that campsites would be scarce at Daicey Pond.  We met 
many day hikers heading in the opposite direction obviously camped at Daicey 
Pond or in Baxter Park for the day.  By 1:30 we were at the ranger station 
for Daicey Pond Camp Ground.  Marsha, the head ranger, registered us and 
checked to see if there were sites available at Katahdin Stream Camp Ground - 
it would get us 2 miles closer to Katahdin and our hike tomorrow.  There was 
nothing available.  So we took space in one of the tiny 4 person lean-toos 
really only big enough for 2.  
    That means tomorrows hike will be 15 miles round trip.  A tough task but 
we are up to it.   Just Harry completed his third thru hike of the AT today.  
Well actually tomorrow when he summits the Big K.  He is using the other 
Lean-To.  While he was gone to the office a women bounced into camp 
introduced herself as Joy and sat down beside me at the lean-to.  She asked 
if we had met Just Harry and we sais Just 10 minutes ago he will be right 
back.  She apparently met him earlier in the week and was going to offer to 
drive him to NYC where she is a Middle School English Teacher.  He will be 
that much closer to his home in Philidelphia.  Later she took him to her 
cabin to spend the night.  I guess she did not want him to disappear on her.  
They were very nice. 
    The Canadian girls are camped around the lean-tos.  They are hiking K 
today with the exception of Emma, who sprained her ankle yesterday on her way 
from Abol Bridge.  She is really bummed since she has hike all of the AT in 
Maine over her four summers at camp.  I have been reading some of her 
register entries - at least those in English.  She is from Florida but met a 
young lady formerly from Canada who convinced her to go to this camp 4 years 
ago.  I gave Emma some candy I had been hoarding and talked with her while we 
wated for her friends to return.  They came into camp very excited.  Hugged 
and kissed Emma.  Many put necklaces around her neck that they had worn while 
summitting.  One young lady had scraped her knee pretty badly so I helped her 
clean it up and put some New Skin Liquid bandage over the wound.  She did not 
like that it stung but was very polite and thanked me for my help.  I really 
do love kids.
    John and I  each took a swim in Daicey Pond.  Marsha warned us not to 
skinny dip because there were a lot of visitors who would not understand.  I 
would not do it with an audience anyway.   
    The Four Boy Scouts arrive about 4:30 PM and set up tents.  At dinner 
time they offered to share the part of dinner for Eight that they did not 
finish.  John and I said sure since that ment we did not have to cook a meal. 
 Well the really pigged out finishing all but a couple of cups.  So we had to 
heat up some water anyway.
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