Day 145, miles today - 15.3, total - 2,013.0, miles to go - 172.9

August 10, 2013

Stratton, ME to Little Bigelow Lean-to.

Jamey cooked breakfast for everyone. B-Rocket and I got our backpacks and gear ready to go. We left the cabin at 8:30 am. It was 9:15 by the time we were on trail. A late start. Garfunkel was being dropped off in the parking lot. He had spent the night at a trail angels house.

We had a 2,000 ft. up to start our morning. We passed a couple small ponds. Each time I looked, in hopes of seeing a moose. After five miles I stopped at an overlook to take a snack break. The overlook was forty feet or so off trail. I left my trekking poles by the trail so that B-Rocket would know I had stopped. She was 5-10 minutes behind me. Several others stopped also. There was Bulldog, Todd, Maineiac, and a guy and girl with their dog out for the weekend. Their dog was super friendly. I was sitting on the ground and leaning back, twice the dog came over and started licking my face. The overlook was a warm and sunny spot with a view.

We went over Mt. Bigelow, Mt. Avery and South Horn. There was an amazing 360 degree view from each. It was windy and chilly, but very nice. The sky was very clear.

We leap frogged Mud Mouth, Yard Sale and Garfunkel a few times today. Each time stopping to say a few words. It's nice seeing familiar faces on the trail. Everyone we saw was headed to the same shelter. The scenery was beautiful along most of the trail today.

We passed a guy carrying a metal cabinet strapped to his back. He is the caretaker at the Horns Pond Lean-to. He was going to use it as a counter to cook on. It was very odd seeing him coming up the trail.

We got to the shelter at 7:45. Those there were The Triplets (a guy and two girls that are always together, Ocean Spray, Umble, Twilight), Garfunkel, Gonzo, Rainbow Braid, Maineiac, Todd, Mud Mouth, Yard Sale, B-Rocket and me. Maineiac had a campfire going when we arrived. I sat on a log talking to Garfunkel. I told him I stopped carrying a stove last weekend. He hasn't carried a stove since starting the AT. I put my stove and cook pot in my bag of tricks, as Jamey calls it. I'll explain below. B-Rocket slept in her tent.

                                                Garfunkle, B-Rocket, the Triples and Maineiac

Some thru hikers utilize what's called a bounce box. How it works is that you put items in a box and send it to a post office a week or more up the trail, addressed to yourself. When you get to that town you go to the post office to retrieve your box. You can take things out of it or add to it. Then you can send it (bounce it) farther up trail. In the box you might have cold weather gear that you don't need at the moment, but you might want soon. You could keep extra socks, food items, chargers, first aid items, anything really. Since I've been seeing Jamey once a week or so, she's been keeping a bounce box for me. My box and other items are in a large shopping bag. She refers to it as a bag of tricks. Whatever I need, I just pull it out of the bag. It's been very helpful.