Monday, 9/14

AT Miles = 10.4 / 2000.9
Other Miles = 0.3 / 62.7
Total Miles = 10.7 / 2063.6

Miles to Katahdin = 177.4

I was hoping, but not expecting, to make 15 miles today. That would have gotten me completely through the Bigelows, it would have positioned me to reach the Kennebec River in time for the morning ferry on Wednesday, and it would have gone a long way towards ensuring I reached Monson by Saturday morning, in time for Jodi to pick me up.

But my knees vetoed that plan, and I stopped here, at a campsite between Bigelow and Little Bigelow. That’s alright. I am happy having covered 10 quite tough miles up and over the multiple peaks of Bigelow Mountain. After slack packing 6 of the last seven days, today I put my pack on again; and it was a heavy pack with six days of food in it.

It is about 63 miles from here to Monson. Tomorrow morning I have to go up and over Little Bigelow. After that the terrain flattens out dramatically so I expect I will still be able to reach Monson on Saturday morning. There is a shelter 9 miles south of Monson, and as long as I reach that by Friday night, I can scoot the last nine miles to the road while Jodi is driving up from Boston on Saturday morning. At least, that is what I am telling myself today. 😉

It is quite chilly this afternoon. It is only a quarter to five now, and I am wearing my light weight silk shirt, my medium weight tops and bottoms, long pants, my down sweater, and a hat.

I was just thinking today, while hiking, that at the beginning of this hike I watched spring creep up the mountains, and now at the end of the hike I am watching autumn creep down the mountains.

This campsite is rather spread out, and there is now somebody in another part of the site making all sorts of noise. I can hear things crashing and banging. I can’t imagine what they’re doing. It often surprises me how noisy some people are in the woods. To me it seems natural to be quiet when out in the woods.

Brr. I think I will be breaking out my down jacket tonight! It’s amazing how quickly I get chilled now that I am so darned skinny.

—
“Home is where I hang my food bag”

Monkeywrench
Allen Freeman
allen@allenf.com
www.allenf.com
allenf.blogspot.com