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30th August 2002

From:  East Branch Lean-to
To: Antler's Campsite
State
: Maine
Miles
:
? 2117.0 (1662)
Miles today:  16

It's 4:30 P.M. and I've just set up camp on the shore of Lower Jo-Mary Lake. There's a really good camping area here and fortunately I am the only one here so far. When I first arrived it looked very stormy and there were high winds so I rushed to get my tent up. Now, the weather has abated and all is calm again.

It's been an unusual day. This morning was cloudy and cold, around noon it got quite hot and steamy, and later in the afternoon, it cooled and got stormy.

As expected, the trail was great today, probably the best it's been in 500-600 miles.

I pulled off the trail and into Cooper Pond for lunch and sat by a small dam wall for 30 minutes watching a family of five birds catch insects. The birds were about 4" tall, grey/green plumage, helmeted with black masks around the eyes. Some of them had yellow tips on their tail feathers.

Maine is exceptionally dry. In a year of normal weather, AT hikers would have to remove their boots at least 10 to 20 times to ford streams and rivers. This year, we will not have to ford any. High on the mountains many, many plants, ferns, and mosses are either dead or dying. The lake I'm camped at is two feet below its normal level. Today I probably walked across 20 bog bridges varying in length from 10 to 200 feet, and yet, all of them were dry underneath. If this drought continues into a sixth year I wouldn't be surprised if thru-hikers couldn't pass through Maine next year as most streams are dry and many of the rivers are very low now.

Tomorrow will be an easy day - a six mile hike to Pemadumcook Lake and over to the hiker hostel at Whitehouse Landing. I'll be able to shower and wash my clothes, and resupply with a few items that will see me through to Katahdin. I'll stay at the hostel over night and get out early the next morning (Sunday).

I've just discovered my watchband is ripped so I'll have to carry the watch in my pocket; lucky I spotted it. It’s a victim of the tough life on the trail. I'm surprised I haven't had more equipment failures. The loons have just started calling - fantastic!

That's it for today, folks. Goodnight all.

 

 


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