Caratunk

Do you believe in magic?

I arrived in Caratunk at 9:15am, having re-supplied at the So. China Hannaford  and Green Bean Coffee Shop. Judd was not at the Post Office so I proceeded to the north end of the traffic hemi-circle where the AT crosses Rte 201. There he was, in his glorious yellow shirt, a couple hiking buddies right behind. They scarfed up my trail magic:  donuts, apricots and Gatorade, Rolling Rock,cherries and potato chips. (Did I say it was 9:15 A.M.?)  I felt like a fairy godmother. The through-hikers were in need of re-supplies in order to continue, so I ferried them up the 3 miles to Pleasant Pond where Judd had a re-supply box at friend Vic's camp.  As Judd was coming home for a spell and not in need of supplies, he was able to give away all his freeze-dried wonder food. Mav and Chin-Up were thankful for this boon and were back on the trail within an hour. Judd was happy to be in the 100% cotton T-shirt and shorts I had brought (SORRY! they're NOT yellow) and flip flops. Lessons learned to follow....

Where's Waldo?

You got a lot of moxie*...

No posts from Judd today but some Instagrams and messaging.  Of course most of the messages are about whether I've paid the bills on time and when can I schlepp Mav around on Saturday to restock. So, while I'm ensconced here on the deck with tiki torches and mosquito coils you are protected only by your jaundice-yellow shirt. The torrential rains yesterday cooled it off here--home you're cool.

"Yes,"and it rains too"

Pleasant Pond across Moxie Pond from Moxie Bald

**From the Urban Dictionary: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=moxy

Two notes from July 21st--"makes your feet feel good"

It's kelcy's birthday! I got trapped walking behind two Mennonites. Chet explained to me that after his girl friend broke up with him and his coach made him hurt himself he stood on tracks just like this to end it all and so began his mission as a preacher. I got ahead of them as fast as I could especially after overhearing the “one true god” discussion the other night.
We had to make a couple of fords today one at gulf Hagas and one at it Wilson stream. Moose carcass yuck. It sure makes your feet feel good. Took a wrong turn after one and stumbled into an old cabin maybe even homestead oops. It was a long day and I got into camp around 5. But it was a spectacular day for Maine sights ponds with pitcher plants gorgeous water falls all the sights you could ask for
73° Mostly Sunny
423–787 N Guilford Rd, Monson, ME, United States

Just one of the sights today. When I got into camp today, last one of course close to 5 pm, and dripping sweat. Everything hurt but it was a great day to be in the woods. I staked out a place for my hammock but just sat for a long time. There was a whoop from the stream down in front of the leanto and Betsey and Chuck had discovered a waterfall. That was just the frosting on the cake to sit under a waterfall and rinse in every stitch of clothing I haves  - was so good. It was so cold it just sucked the heat of the day right out of you. Tomorrow is Monson and I'm dreaming of a huge salad! IPooPed today!!!
75° Mostly Sunny
45.4336° N, 69.5743° W

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View from Sunday

Eating my last apple in the sun with this view. Expect to be in Monson in 2 1/2 days then on to Caratunk.

Long Pond and the back side of Big Spencer, from Roach

"Darn, this morning traffic"

Sunday pm: 

Another Rainey afternoon evening I've eaten and am laying in a nice dry hammock as the rains pitted pats on the tarp- seems to be getting harder. I left chair back gap shelter this morning at 6 and immediately started going up. Spend a good portions of the day going up . And this kind of up reminded me well of climbing a chair ack duh. It was hand over hand big rocks straight up and it was equally vertical going down. Mostly two ups and two downs . A mere 10.9 miles and I got into camp at 4:30 exhausted. That's why at 8 pm I'm in bed looking at a 12.1 day tomorrow ( lots of little ups and downs) which will put us within a half days walk to Monson the next day. Ole hasn't shown up but Mav and chuck and Betsey are here and a whole bunch of misfits. One guy Mav described as a kook. Fits perfect. Lost his socks at a river crossing. Long hair looks like a kook. The pastor boys showed up late Mennonites? I tried to walk with them today but all they did was talk talk talk. They aren't carrying a stove they are carrying Tupperware full of all kinds of food and a cloths line with cloths pins. That had fruit ups at supper. There's a kid we picked up at the last shelter who just graduated From high school not yet 18 and he's going to spend a gap year doing this. He was trying to reconstitute peas and beans when I left the leanto.
At the last lean to there was a work crew of 20 something's Interns volunteers and AMC crew spending about a week camped ther and working on improving the trail. It was muddy sweaty buggy back breaking work trying to build a rock stair in a particular trying section of trail. They did a communal kitchen and played music ( of sorts) afterward. There was only one Maine kid the rest were from all across the country. Kinda neat.

45.4211° N, 69.4106° W

Out OF Order

Today, Sunday July 20th,  is actually Trip Day 9 for Judd. His emails, Instagrams and rare phone messaging must get out unreliably, getting batched when he has a glimmer of cell signal. Either that or it's just hard for him typing with his thumbs on the smart phone to keep items archived and get them out to me in order. So, far below, is a post from 3 days ago, before he met up with Mike (Rocket Man.)

Rocket Man made it out of the wilderness yesterday to tell the neighborhood supper club all about it. He hiked 5-6 miles north from Gulf Hagas. He asked a couple SOBOs if they'd run into Father Goose but no one could ID him precisely from Mike's pic. When Mike got into the Carl Newhall lean-to, he discovered Mellow Yellow and a colleague had just arrived there from the north side. Mellow Yellow is the moniker hikers have given South Bound Judd. (Unclear whether because of his Mellow personality or his persistent and intensely Yellow shirt.) No wonder no one had seen Father Goose.  Judd was sure surprised to see Rocket Man AND his steak and potatoes. They shared a feast with fellow hikers. Mike replaced Judd's hiking poles and up-graded his hammock. Mike explained sleeping diagonally in the hammock to us but it's hard to get an idea of how comfortable (or not) it is to try to sleep 10 inches off the ground. Mike mentioned it was a little cold with your buttons hanging int the breeze. In addition to the tons of trail magic food, Mike had hiked in a Newman's knee fire stick and the buddies at the lean to autographed it for Judd. (pictured above.) Mike packed it out back to China in hopes I would hang it prominently in the living room. Sorry, Rocket Man, I can't create that possibility.  Maybe it can hang in Judd's Hiking Lair over the garage.

Can you spot the banana yellow shirt?

Hard to scrounge up firewood, huh?

July 17: Rained all day yesterday and the bugs were fierce. Got to copper brook falls shelter early and set up. Occasional breaks with sun went for a nice swim. Rain let up to cook supper and go to bed but came back in earnest around mid night . I was worried about the tarp shedding rain I had really just set it up to dry out figuring we had already had our share of wet- HA. It's cold this morning and from the warmth of my bag it sound like the wind is howling. That's good I guess something will get dried out. Come to find out the roar was the river and copper falls. Looks like another drippy day.
Sun is trying to come out am on Little Boardman mt . Broke my second hiking pole on the way up. These things just weren't built for Maine trails. A cold orange gator aid sure sounds good right now

Sent from Judd's iPhone, only when?

from July 18 & 19!!! - RocketMan

Ok so guess cahoots comes bopping into camp this afternoon right behind me? Rocketman! Talk about trail magic! I had rib eye and bourbon. Fresh garlic new potatoes and cheese and olives for appetizer- no gin. So we have our whole SOBO crowd Mav , and the couple Chuck and Betsey and Ole showed up after we had consumed all of Mikes treat. But it was good to see him catch up with us . He had gotten a bump on the head that the frozen Poland spring water trail magic did wonders for. The stream out front is full of 4 to 8 inch Brooke's and is is just amazing to watch them work. The pool they are holding in is all of 4 feet wide and 10 on he's deep. I tell all these tourists if they really want to see some Maine wildlife watch these native brookies for a bit. It's a beautif thing. I watched one come completely out of the wAter to take a caddis fly.

Came up over white cap today and I was going to eat breakfast there but the wind was blowing too hard. It was as clear as a bell and could see for miles in all directions. This is the last bit of high ground for the NOBOs and they get a good view of Katahdin and what they. Have to do to get there. Lots of ohs and ahs

Rocketman addenda: had a fantastic time on the AT with father goose and MAV. I've been told I have trail magic. Amazing what steak and potatoes for dinner can do! Thanks for letting me join you man for a taste of the 100 mile wilderness!
Here I sit onChairback Mt the last of my ham and cheese sandwich coming out of my teeth(compliments of Rocketman) an almost icey cold gator aide and two whole walking poles by my side compliments of you know who.
Stopped and talked to the ridge runner at Gulf Hagas crossing, she was sure chatty. Took a picture for the AMC magazine but forgot her name. Went over to repackage all my trail magic goodies and repackage for the last 3 days. After I left Mike and was on my way back to the trail I saw Ole on the other side waiting for his boat and tucking it up with the ridge runner. Seems like it has been all up hill since. It got kinda cold last night. I slept in the hammock Mike brought up its different but certainly longer, I dunno. Oh and breakfast was bacon and eggs and there's left over bacon for tonight. Mmmmm good!
73° Mostly Sunny
200–298 Williamsburg Rd, Northern Piscataquis CNT, ME, United States

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