Journals

According to Pittsburgh:

SEPTEMBER 10, 1997 - WEDNESDAY
the ladies awoke early and were on the trail by 5:45 am (oy). the BIGELOW RANGE loomed large as they visualized the day. PANTHER FAN, PETER PAN, and I set a more leisurely pace. we eventually left town and did some scouting of road crossings ahead. we made it as far as MONSON ME, there making reservations to stay at SHAWs BOARDING HOME for two nights (sunday and Monday), plus picked up mail and new boots for SUNSHINE...
we finally arrived at EAST FLAGSTAFF ROAD, and set up camp at the trail crossing. TAGALONG was there also. the ladies arrived one by one. BUZZY, JOURNEYMAN, and STARLIGHT also arrived. SUNSHINE was happy to get her mail and shoes...

SEPTEMBER 11, 1997 - THURSDAY
   SUNSHINE, TIMMY, NTO, JOURNEYMAN, AND STARLIGHT, plus TAGALONG, hiked out from EAST FLAGSTAFF ROAD. the rest of us went to breakfast. PETER PAN drove his vehicle, I drove the SLACKPACK VAN, and PANTHER FAN drove TAGALONG and BUZZYs van. PETER PAN headed for HANOVER NH after breakfast. PANTHER FAN and I drove the two vehicles to the trail crossing near PIERCE POND, then a couple of miles north to a primitive campsite off to the side of the road. I left PANTHER FAN there to set up camp and returned to the trail crossing...
   everyone arrived within a minutes of one another (convenient). we all headed to the campsite and settled in. I returned to the road crossing to await FRODO, BOY WONDER, and SUPER TRAMP. we are supplying them with groceries, and tonight is a supply night. they arrived, after dropping their packs at PIERCE POND SHELTER, and I took them to our camp. they supplied, then I returned them to the trail...
   NTOs daughter CELIA arrived and had a late supper with me. after we all settled in for the night, two pickup trucks full of rude idiots arrived. they whooped it up until midnight or so, totally unconcerned that we were there trying to get some rest. they flooded the area with the lights from their trucks, made one hell of a racket setting up their camp, and proceeded to drink, yuk, and cuss. der mamas dun nevah learned dem no manners, eyup...

SEPTEMBER 12, 1997 - FRIDAY    we were much more courteous to dem good-ol-boys this morning then they had been to us. everyone took their time getting going since the times for the KENNEBEC RIVER canoe crossing (three miles up the trail) is 9am to 11am. no sense hurrying if you have to wait when you get there...
   PANTHER FAN and I secured a motel room in BINGHAM ME, then drove to SKOWHEGAN ME and did the shopping for the remainder of the trip (gobs of groceries), then stopped at a laundromat to dry the tents out. we rewarded ourselves with PIZZA HUT for lunch. I left PANTHER FAN at the motel, then headed to the trail crossing south of MOXIE POND. TAGALONG was there. after everyone arrived, we headed to the motel...
   it was nice being indoors after two wet nights outdoors. after showers, we all went to supper, along with JOURNEYMAN, STARLIGHT, BUZZY, and TAGALONG...

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