Thursday, August 21, 2025. Up at 6:45. Cool and overcast going up to 77 and sunny. Weather looks great until 4 days from now on Sunday August 24.
Had a great hot breakfast at the Inn. Got a ride to the trail in the back of a pickup. Been about 40 years since I did that! On trail (mile 2047.1) at 8:50.
Pretty chill hike for the first 5.5 miles then a 1.7 mile solid climb up to Pleasant Pond Mountain. Passed Flash, Crash, Toni, and Cruise Director who are slacking back to the Inn for the night. Had lunch on top of the mountain at 12:50.
YouTube video from Pleasant Pond Mountain.
Called Pitcrew and chatted a bit as this is the last cell service until Saturday afternoon. Back on trail at 1:20. We have 7.7 miles to go.
Stopped for some questionable water about 3.3 miles from camp. Beggars can’t be choosers so we filtered a liter each. I’m gonna have to give my filter a serious cleaning when we get to Millinocket! Lots of dirt and debris in the water.
Got to Bald Mountain Brook Lean-To (mile 2061.8) at 5:00. I’m pleased with the pace we had today to get here by that time.
Set up tents and walked .2 miles to get water from a puddle under a bridge. Even worse than the water this afternoon. Water is a big challenge up here this year. Reminds me of Virginia and Pennsylvania in the drought last summer. We will have to carry 4 liters with us tomorrow morning assuming we can get that much out of the puddles under the bridge. First good water tomorrow is 5.8 miles out with a big climb first.
There are 4 people in the shelter and one tenter. The couple in the shelter are an older couple from Germany doing a large SOBO section. Two guys in their 50s are on their next to last section for finishing the AT. One is a dentist from Silver Spring, MD and the other is from Rochester, NY and is in charge of continuing education (GEDs and such) at a maximum security prison. Interesting stories !
Not a bad hike this afternoon. Sort of a sawtooth over 8 miles but steadily downhill. Unfortunately we have a big 1.7 mile climb to start the day tomorrow. We decided that we felt so good today and made such a good pace that we will try to do the 18.5 miles into Monson tomorrow instead of the 12.5 that we had planned.
In bed and reading at 7:30. We are hearing coyotes howling fairly close. First time for that this trip.
Technical Notes:
- Coffee w cream 80
- Breakfast casserole 500
- Blueberries 100
- Fatty Beef Stick 300
- Pro Adventure Meal beef and Korean rice 750
- Fritos 300
- Water liters 2.5
- Miles 14.68
- Time 8:10
- Up 3445
- Down 2644
- Calories consumed 2100
- Calories burned 3433
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