Author Archives: atsioneva

Back in the tent, I had a much better sleep than I had in the comfortable bed at the hostel in Caratunk. Odd, but true… When I roused enough to check the time, it was 5:30! Time to get up and on the trail… But I lingered until 6, before beginning to pack up. 

Arriving at a shelter or campsite these days, I have the same routine, since I have come to prefer tenting to staying in a shelter, despite the extra time it takes. My backpack is packed accordingly. At the very bottom lie the clothes bag, then on top of that, the stuff sack holding my sleeping pad. Since both are very compressible, having them at the bottom frees up more space; also, they are non-essential for setting up camp, so it is good to have them out of the way. The bag holding the cooking gear fits in nearly next to the sleeping pad. The two things that always take up the most space are the tent and the food bag. These go on top, nestled next to each other – it is much easier when the food bag is almost empty, of course. Tent poles and stakes are stored separately, in a long side compartment on the pack, not inside the main.

But, back to the routine. After finding as good a tent spot as I can (tonight, mine is sloped, but relatively rock and root free), the tent body, which is mostly all mesh, gets set up. If the weather cover is dry, I immediately put it over the tenr; otherwise I stretch it out to dry while I make supper. After eating, I toss a variety of gear into the tent: sleeping bag, air pad, toilet paper, headlamp, clothes bag, and the ever-handy fleece jacket. Rarely anything more, nothing less. Certainly never any food. 

The tent, when fully set up, has two triangle-shaped vestibules. The now mostly empty pack fits neatly under the left side vestibule, the right one shields my crocs and boots from any bad weather. Cooking gear and the snack bag get stuffed into the waterproof food bag, which I hang from a convenient tree well away from the tent, or, as ronight, from the mouse-proof hangers in the shelter. Trekking poles just spend the night leaning against a tree.

Why am I telling you all this? I’m not sure. I feel logistical tonight – not a bad turn of mind, considering organization is going to be needed tomorrow and the next day!

But, about today’s hike. Immediately on leaving the riverside where I was camped, the trail began climbing 2 miles to the summit of Moxie Bald Mt. However, this was mostly all ‘sidewalk’ – a narrow strip of path where the sod was gone, leaving just bare rock. It was not a hard climb, and the views from the top were lovely. I got at least one good pic. I ran into a freshman orientation group from Colby College, and cheerfully took some group photos for them before continuing on. 

The descent wasn’t hard either, I made good time. Not as good as yesterday’s, but quite decent! Sometimes the path was soft pine needles, sometimes it followed an old stream bed and was all rocks – did not care for the latter. Still made great time.

I stopped for a break about 2:30 at Marble Brook, a lively little stream with a pebbly shoulder. Very idyllic! I had only 3.5 miles to go to the next shelter, which would make it a 13 mile day, and I intended to go past and make it a 15 mile day. At least. 

Well, that 3.5 mile stretch was supposed to follow a river. It did… But sometimes it got bored with staying right next to the river, and for no apparent reason would climb 100 or 200 feet up the side of the river gorge, follow a narrow sandy path high above for a while, then pop right back down as if nothing had happened. It was okay the first or second time, but after the sixth, it was getting tiring and time was marching in.

I hit the shelter at 5:00, which was plenty of time to do at least 2 more miles, but I was tired – sat and ate a beef stick while I pondered what to do. In the end, I ended up staying. Which means I will have to do a 9 mile day tomorrow, not quite the nearo I planned, but I’ll live. 9 miles isn’t that bad.

I hike on!

From yesterday’s breakfast to today’s, I ate so much! Today the hostel served French toast, blueberries, bananas, home fries, scrambled eggs with mushrooms, muffins, and excellent coffee! Fueled up and ready to go, I was on the trail by 8 am.

About the first 5 miles of trail – if all of Maine were like it, I would never want to leave! It literally was just a walk in the woods, some roots, but nothing major, very gentle incline… I did 6 miles in 3 hours, which is amazingly fast, at least for me lately!

Pleasant Pond Mt. slowed me down some – not a very big or high mountain, but the path spiraled seeming endlessly before reaching the top. Middle Mt. was just an afterthought. 

I’d originally only planned to do about 12 miles, but I made such great time early on, it was only 4:30 when I hit the camping spots at Moxie Pond I was aiming for. Too early to stop! So I pushed on another 2.8 miles, to the tenting area just before the next shelter. 

Arriving at 6, plenty of time to set up the tent and cook a hot meal. Predictably, I am still hungry, of course. There is a brook chuckling to itself about thirty yards away, a very cheerful sound. I’m glad I made the decision to push on… Monson was 37 miles away, now only 22;  if I can do another 15 tomorrow, and the elevation map is in my favor on that possibility, I can do both a nearo on Monday and a zero on Tuesday in Monson, before hitting the 100 mile wilderness. I do need a day off, I will have hiked non-stop Andover-Rangeley-Caratunk-Monson, each of those towns being about 37 miles apart, so about 111 miles without a break. My feet deserve a rest. 

It is chilly tonight, and very peaceful here. There are several others tenting – in fact, I may have been the last to.arrive, not sure. 

I cannot wait to get to Monson. I am very eager. 

I hike on!

The answer to the question everyone is dying to ask, and few get to us… Yes. The Ziptie, after walking all this way, can indeed completely demolish a plate of 12 large, but thin, pancakes, studded with apple, raspberries, and blueberries. In addition, she can also find room for 4 sausage links, 2 eggs, 1 glass of juice, and 2 cups of coffee… And be hungry again 4 hours later! 

Today was an easy day in terms of hiking, partly because it was short, only 4 miles, partly because I had an amazing amount of energy from the large breakfast, and partly because the first 2 miles of trail were a soft, cushioned, pine-needley trail that was very easy on the feet.

It devolved into a tangle of rocks and roots at mile 3, stunning even by Maine standards, but did not drag my mood down, even so. I endured, and after some minor ups and downs, reached the Kennebec River. This is one of the largest rivers in Maine, and trying to ford it is severely frowned on, and quite foolhardy. I didn’t try. But I did completely enjoy the brief canoe ride across it!

.3 miles from the river is the Caratunk Bed & Breakfast and Hiker Hostel. Oddly enough, the main highway does not pass through Caratunk proper, but rather is perpendicular to the road that actually does. 

This hostel is famed far and wide for it’s $4 burgers and $4 milkshakes. I tried both, and believe me, the fame is well deserved! So tasty! I inquired about room rates, expecting to hear the usual $25-$30 rate for a bunk… No. $30 for a real bed in a room all to myself! I’ll take it, please! This bed… Well, the owner of the business, Paul, collects antiques, so this is a genuine four poster bed, so high off the floor, I almost need a stepstool to climb into it! And so very comfortable!

The digestive system was working overtime today, because even after the huge breakfast and the burger and shake, around about 5, I was feeling peckish… again. Paul shuttled a few of us to a brewpub nearby. Two blueberry beers (with real blueberries added), some steak and cheese rolls, and 8 chicken wings later, I was feeling quite content. Though, I nearly set my head on fire by trying a chicken wing with a sauce that turned out to be chocolate chipotle – nothing on the menu had indicated the degree of heat. Eeesh!

This brewpub also rents rooms, and while I was not staying there, they had no objection to non-guests using their hot tub. I took the chance to soak my feet in hot water for a while, and I was hardly the only one!

This post has been sprinkled with ! – well, what can I say? It was a good day. Tomorrow, after breakfast here, which should be a very good one, I will press on, trying for 12 or 15 miles, depending on time and terrain. I have restocked the food bag with enough food for 3 days, which should be easily enough to get to Monson. (Autocorrect keeps wanting to change Monson to London. I find that amusing. 🙂 )

I smile. And I hike on.

1000 miles of wear on the feet…

1000 miles of wear!

Yes, people. Today, I reached 1000 on the AT odometer! Actually, I reached 1010, because today was that 15 mile day I needed! I am typing now from Pierce Pond Shelter, 4 miles out of Caratunk, and .3 miles out from a 7 am breakfast of 12 pancakes, eggs, and sausage. Can I eat it all? We shall see! I am where I planned to be today, and that is very good!

Maine is… well, wearing me down. New Hampshire was difficult, but fun; in general, Maine is just difficult. Ascending, descending, or just level as it was today, the trail still has me stumbling over rocks, roots, dodging mud patches, rockhopping frantically over liquid mud or water. I am sad to report that in terms of least favorite trail, it has definitely pushed PA to a distant second place. Frustration levels registered very high today.

Still… I did do 15 today. And it was worth it! My tent is set up right next to the pond, which is actually lake-sized, and I am listening to the loons and the lapping water. There is the smell of a campfire drifting from the shelter above me. And I got some gorgeous sunset pictures, as well… And a hot meal! (Still hungry though.)

Tomorrow, after 7 am breakfast at Harrison’s Pierce Pond camps only that short walk away, I walk four miles to the Kennebec River, where I will be canoed over to the other side… in a canoe with a white blaze painted on the bottom. After a hiker drowned trying to ford the river, the ATC contracted to provide free canoe rides across as part of the official route. 

Caratunk lies on the opposite shore. I will take a nearo, because I need to resupply, get a shower, do laundry, and want to dry out my gear. The skies keep dumping rain at night onto my tent. Last night, it was even a thunderstorm. Tonight looks clear though.

I hike on!

The dog ate my homework? No, but the WordPress app ate my post before I could publish it! It was a good long post, too, but now, sadly, you just get the bulletpoints. Because life has a tendency to move on. 

• The climb up Avery Peak was steep, but short; much easier with trekking poles then with empty water bottles though!
• The climb down Avery Peak was long, tedious, filled with the customary, annoying, four Maine trail staples, and took 3 hours to descend 2.3 miles. Blech!
• Little Bigelow was a picnic in comparison, and it was on this mountain I had an epiphany; the 15 mile day was better saved for the section of the map where the elevation graph looks like a broken heart rate machine.
• I ended the day at a lovely campsite next to Flagstaff Lake, after a 10 mile day, where my Bic picnic lighter refused to light. Having failed the basic Neanderthal test – I could not make fire – I traded use of my Steripen for use of a Bic lighter loaned by another hiker. Hot meal, oh, yes!!!

I hike on!

Today, only 8.something miles again, but I had extenuating circumstances! I did not get on trail until about 10:30 – there were emails to write, a sleeping bag to be mailed to Maryland, other trail logistical details, a breakfast sandwich to be consumed, but most importantly, a phone call to make to the Dad to wish him a happy 78th birthday!

And I have to admit, starting that late, the temptation to not start at all today was very great. But I hiked on! I am resolved not to take another zero until I reach Monson, in about 70-80 miles now. Barring unforeseen circumstances.

So, two mountains today – into the Bigelow group of mountains. There are four of them, I will hike the other two tomorrow. First though, I passed Cranberry Stream Campsite and a side trail to Cranberry Pond. I don’t know, but I am sensing a theme here. 

One part of the trail wove through and around a massive jumble of huge mosscovered rocks. I absolutely loved this part. It was like an outdoor maze, the trail going this way, then that way, turn the corner around a huge boulder, go off another direction… Though in a hedge maze, you can’t cut across the ‘walls’ the way I did when I completely lost the AT. Luckily, I spotted a blaze up the hill and behind me, and was able to continue pretty quickly.

The trail was good, a gradual incline until the Horns Pond Shelter, just before South Horn. Then it shot up to gain nearly a thousand feet in half a mile. Quite impressive actually! My legs felt the burn!

And dipping down again… And back up to Bigelow. Now, this mountain rises above treeline and has some of the best views in the state. I tried to get some good pictures, but only one actually ‘took’, and my finger was in the corner. Blech. It was quite windy up there, and when they say summit, they mean summit; it came to a roundly sharp peak, the trail close enough to sheer drop-off to make me edgy. Still, I do wish I had gotten better pictures, or pictures at all, the 360 degree view was quite stunning. 

The Avery Memorial Campsite where I am tenting Now is not a shelter, just a campsite and a very annoyingly laid out one at that. The tent platforms are haphazardly scattered around, the outhouse is tucked away on the Ile de Muerta and can only be found by those who already know where it is, one water source is nothing but a muddy puddle at this point in the summer, and as for the other…! Blandly listed on the sign as “Water, 250 yds”.

 *pause to tear hair out*

They neglect to mention that the boxed spring of admittedly excellent, very cold water, is 250 yds up a very nasty little rock scramble that is not exactly easy to navigate while carrying two empty water bottles! I swear, I got more scrapes just getting water than I did all day!

Silver lining though – coming back down, I did get some glorious pics of the sun setting behind the Bigelows. No intrusive finger pictures either. And no accidental selfies.

By the time I got the water and got back to camp, it was too dark to /do/ anything with it. Like cook. Sulkily, I ate tortillas and tuna and pepperoni and cheese and gorp, and washed it all down with very cold spring water.

I am very grateful to have the 20 degree sleeping bag tonight; the night is quite chilly! A couple who are hiking together lingered up top on Bigelow Mt. for the sunset, I am listening to them setting up their gear and eating now. 

Tomorow, I hope to cover 15 miles. We’ll see… Once past the Bigelows, I am out of the high mountains and into the bogs – my mileage should start increasing again. I can hope!

All is well.

I hike on!

Oh, but I am tired tonight, and I am not sure why exactly. I only covered 8.something miles today. 

I really wanted to sleep in, both because the rain kept up off and on and kept waking me up, and because I did not want to get up and deal with a wet tent. Eventually, I had to take care of business, so I had no choice; seems that my body will not let me rest past 6 am. 

During the night and the rain, the very dry streambed became a nice, active streambed, much handier for water bottle refill than the river. Breakfast was a Clif bar and two protein granola bars; I was on my way by 7:15, and immediately began climbing. 

South Crocker was a bit of a challenge; at two points, the trail went up some old rockslides, so some scrambling was required, a 82nd I left some skin on the rocks, but nothing serious. I thought it would be above treeline at 4040 feet, but it was not. 

A brief dip down into a col between the two peaks was wet and very slippery; I did slide a couple times, but otherwise unremarkable. The climb up to the summit of North Crocker was likewise on rock-studded dirt path, and not technically difficult at all. Relief there. 

The climb down from North Crocker to the tiny town of Stratton was a long, tedious, boring 5.1 mile trek down typical Maine RRWM… It was not steep, the decline being so gradual, but due to the rain, it was wet and slippery. 

So I decided to liven things up by falling three times. The first time, backwards somehow, landing on my pack; no harm done. The second time, my foot slipped on a rock, and my knee made contact with another one… Everyone say it with me, “OW!” Still, no serious harm that I can tell. The third time, I found myself unexpectedly sitting on my butt on the trail. At which point, I decided if I was going to be sitting anyway, I might as well take a water and snack break. Someone came along a few minutes later, asked if I was okay, and we had a good laugh over the circumstances before I got back up and continued on.

Made it to the road, ME 27, about 2:30, and got a shuttle into the hostel. My eagerly awaited package with the cold weather sleeping bag was not there! But they hadn’t picked up the mail from the post office yet, so I moseyed off to the post office, and sure enough, package! 

Other town chores included SHOWER, hanging the wet tent and sleeping bag out to dry; recharging the phone; laundry at the laundromat, where the change machine would not take my wet money; and a bit of resupply. I only really needed to buy two days worth of breakfasts, the next town, Caratunk, is only 3 days away. 

And also eating. And a beer.

Tomorrow will be either a 9 or 11 mile day; I have to wait for the post office to open at 8:30 so I can ship the summer sleeping bag to my sister in Maryland. I’d like to sleep in until 7:30, if my body lets me (doubt it). Tomorrow I tackle the Horn and Bigelow Mountains.- 4 total, it looks like. A lot of up and down. At least I will have a dry tent!

I must sleep. I am very very tired!

I hike on!

In about 70 miles, or 6 days hiking, I will be hitting Monson, ME, on the edge of the 100 mile wilderness – after that, Katahdin!

Usual format for the address, to the post office there. I am getting increasingly excited as I get closer!

As the rain drums down on the outer rain cover of the tent, I curl up in my sleeping bag and listen to it. Just beyond, the South Carrabassett River makes it’s own sounds. I am tented on the north bank of the river, and am very glad that my hanging food bag is waterproof. The sounds of guitar music and conversation are drifting over from one of the other tents clustered here as well.

So, today. Let’s see. The first 13-miler I have been able to do in a while. I started out about 7:15, after chatting online with the bro. I rockhopped several streams; Maine is full of ponds and streams, which is great for thirsty hikers. 

Then I climbed Lone Mountain, which is amazingly unique in that it had an ‘up’, but no real ‘down’. I stayed at pretty much the same altitude for a while, which made for easy walking. Yesterday, Maine felt like New Hampshire; today, it felt like Vermont, with Pennsylvania accents – a lot of pine forest and pine trail, with sharp, pointy rocks akin to PA’s thrown in for good measure. 

Spaulding Mt. was nothing major either. Just a bit of up and down enough to make it’s point that it is a mountain. Just before climbing it though, is a shelter, and I stopped here to eat a real, honest lunch, instead of just snacks. It was 1:30, and I’d already covered 8 miles, so I gave myself a good break, and re-energized with real good. 

And then there was Sugarloaf. And only two miles to go to the tenting area. Maine reasserted it’s utter Maineness during the first mile – rocks, roots, mud, and water. 

And as for the second mile? Well, I envisioned something like this:

(Scene: Maine Appalachian Trail Club meeting. Present are four MATC trail maintainers, and a case of beer. Agenda: determining the course of the trail from Sugarloaf to the South Carrabassett River.)

1st MATC member: “I know! I know! Let’s make it over this section, where they will have to somehow make it down the tallest boulders imaginable! We can get them out of the trees and onto exposed cliffs and sheer dropoffs here, here, and HERE!”

(1st MATC member jabs at the map on the table at several points, and gulps a beer.)

2nd MATC member shakes his head and speaks up: “Not good enough! Why don’t we throw in a really bizarre U-Turn when they least expect it, and make them climb back up again for a while, before bringing them back to the exposed areas where the winds can all but blow their hats off?”

(Applause fills the room. Everyone has another beer.)

3rd MATC member, thoughtfully: “You know, the boss really likes rock steps, he’s going to insist we add a few. We could do it after the really terrifying part, lull them into thinking it’s all over, y’know?”

(Someone spills beer on the map. A pause while a new map is brought in.)

4th MATC member is giggling drunkenly, claps his hands for attention. “Fine, rock steps, but make sure they can both see and hear the river below… Then make them meander forever, even go back up again before finally… Hey, pass me another beer!”

(Curtain falls.)

Yep, that is what I was imagining for the last mile. /Finally/ reached the river, crossed, was able to get the tent up and eat a quick, no-cooking dinner before the rain started. My food bag is hanging out there – I hope nothing gets into it.

Tomorrow, Stratton is only 8 miles away, but I have to climb North and South Crocker Mts. first, and now they will be wet. Blech. I’ll just have to be extra careful. And I’ll be carrying a wet tent. Double blech. 

Ah well.

I hike on!

Every time I turn on my phone, it assures me that Life is Good. Can’t argue with that today…

Though I had weird dreams last night, I had the most comfortable bed at the hostel, I swear. Tonight I am lying in my tent, in my sleeping bag and little airpad, with a fleece jacket pillow, and I am just as content. That must mean something!

Up early this AM, though my shuttle back to the trailhead wasn’t until 7:30. So I filled the time with breakfast – mixed up some waffle batter, Spongebob had some leftover homemade hash browns he donated (yum!), and I snagged a lemon-blueberry scone as well. I rounded it out with coffee and milk, a very tasty breakfast and good trail food!

Ah, but the first 1.8 miles to the Piazza Rock Shelter were so easy. This shelter is unique for it’s skylight in the roof. And also for the privy, which has a sign “Your Move”. Inside… A doubleseater, with a cribbage board between the holes. Weird and weird, and weirdly cool! I was lucky I got there when I did, there was a line of about six people waiting that formed just after I got there.

Underway again; I passed two ponds, Ethel Pond and Eddy Pond, and helped thru-hiker Tinker, who has a truly impressive white beard, and who had somehow gotten turned around and was walking south instead of north. With the power of Guthook, I eventually convinced him that I was not going the wrong way, he was. 🙂

Ah, then. After Eddy Pond, it was time for the loooong climb up Saddleback Mt. Not a technically difficult climb, but I was swept by a wave of unexpected nostalgia for the Whites as the trail climbed up above treeline, above 4000 feet. It felt very familiar, and I enjoyed the next 3 miles above treeline very must. Just bare rock, most of the time, and some gorgeous views – Maine is liberally dotted with ponds and small lakes. 

Saddleback had a couple of summits, then the trail dipped down very briefly into stunted pine, before the climb up the Horn. I didn’t care much for the descent; a lot of buttscooting. I preferred climbing up!

Between the Horn and Saddleback Junior was a campground, but it was only 4 pm, and there was a shelter 3 more miles on, so I pushed on. Saddleback Junior is lower in elevation – not above treeline, but some good views anyway. And a lot of rock steps on the up; more scooting on the down. I was tired at this point, just wanted to make it to the shelter and eat.

Which is where I am now. Lying down. The privy is south of the shelter, back on the AT, which is kind of weird. Usually both the shelter and privy are a few tenths of a mile down a side trail, but this time, they are right on the trail.

I only covered about ten miles today, but it was a good, full, satisfying hike. Not tomorrow, but the day after, I will be tackling some more 4000 footers. If the weather holds, they should be fun – today’s weather was absolutely perfect for hiking above treeline!

Guess I have babbled enough for tonight.

I hike on!