At 11:30am Kel flagged down a passing motorist and called with his cell phone to check in....his brother Larry drove up on motorcycle with pop up camper in tow to wait on route 17 after Bemis Mt. to try and catch them to give them hot soup and to help lighten their packs a bit! He waited all through Sunday and camped out in the area and waited Monday morning until he had to leave for another appointment down state. He didn't see the hikers but had left a note at the entrance to the AT where they would cross route 17 (the message said to call home). Cari got a call at about 11:30am and confirmed all was well with the family, and explained what Larry had done and that he will meet them on route 4 tomorrow or the next day. Kel sounded tired ("it's brutal, Care, but we are doing well"). They are pushing on to Sabbath Day Pond lean-to to sleep tonight. The weather is rainy,very windy, and getting worse. Hopefully they will be near a warm fire tonight! : )
STICKMANS' JOURNAL...6/3/07 & 6/4/07
6/3...Was fairly comfortable last night. Got up at 6:30 AM, with 50 degree temps, and an overcast sky. We were on trail at 7:00 AM. We need to get over Bemis Mtn. today, another six miles. Everything is wet, foggy, or overcast. Had places that must have been beautiful views, but what we saw looked like a TV station gone off the air! Nothing but grey. Hiking was less grueling as far as going up and down, but with all the rain, the trail had become a brook. Slippery! Dave and I have both fallen a few times, but no major injury...just bruised pride. I did take a good tumble, landing on my right hand, the one with the bad wrist, but it didn't break. Another time, I started to slide down a rock face (on my feet), and not on purpose. I was hating to think of where I might end up, but thankfully, after 20 or so feet, I came to a stop, and still standing at that! We hiked through patches of snow and ice on a couple of mountains, sure hoping that it warms up just a bit.
We eventually made it to Bemis Mtn. Lean-to at 12:30 PM. Six miles in 5 ½ Hrs., now that’s a little bit better! Even though it is early, we can’t make it to Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to, which is another 8.3 miles. Instead, we will lose a day’s worth of hiking, make our entries into our personal journals, and the lean-to journals, decide what to eat, rest, and lick our wounds. I had one of Cari’s energy bars, a ½ bag of trail mix, and a few banana chips.
We have some good company tonight! “Bookworm”, from Michigan, who started in Georgia in November, and a very nice couple, “Snowman”, and “Sparkplug”, who are doing a section hike northbound. They did all the way from Georgia to Massachusetts a few years ago, and had to stop their thru-hike due to an injury. Not ready to give up, they are completing their hike as they are able to take time off. I know that they will be successful! It sure is great to have such nice company!
Time to sign off for the night! God Bless!
Stickman
6/4...Bemis Mtn. Lean-to to Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to today. On trail at 7:30 AM, and at Sabbath Day at 2:30 PM. , which is 8.3 miles in 7 Hrs. flat, or just better than 1MPH. I had a tough time of it today, even though the trail wasn’t as bad. My legs and shoulders were killing me, but we made it.
Had quite a storm all day, and hiked in our raingear. We are soaked anyway, as you tend to do a bit of sweating. In fact, I’m starting to smell like a thru-hiker. I really need to clean up, but it is way too cold and wet. Just happy to get to the shelter, log in, write journal, eat and sleep. Exciting!
Saw a message in the dirt, on the shoulder of Rt. 17, as we were coming out of the woods and onto the roadway. It was simple and direct. “Kelly, call home.” Now, of course, when you NEED to use your cell phone, you don’t get reception...and that was the case in this instance. I stood by the side of the road for a few minutes, thinking about a possible hitch-hike into town to get to a phone. At this time, it was downright nasty weather, with high winds and rain, and me, standing out in the open. Then, fortunately, a fellow named Larry came by in a van belonging to his employer, Sherwin-Williams. I believe he said he worked out of Rumford. If you catch this, Larry, again, I thank you many times over for your kindness. He wasn’t able to give us a ride in the company vehicle, but he did have a cellphone that worked, and let us use it. I called Cari at work, all is OK. My brother Larry had left the message. He had actually come up the day before, stayed the day, and overnight, hoping to give us a little trail support. Unfortunately, we were running behind schedule. I need to adjust my schedule, and do something about getting a better phone. Anyway, thanks go out to the two Larrys! You guys are both great!
It was a little chilly last night, 46 degrees, maybe a little cooler now. I will have to do something about warmer sleeping gear, possibly a light bag, if the weather doesn’t warm up a bit. It’s not too bad if I make it to the shelter, but I will surely have to camp out again soon.
We have good company again tonight, Snowman and Sparkplug. They are both so nice. Bookworm breezed through earlier than us, left a quick note in the log, and was going to head to the next shelter. That would be another 11.2 miles North...Nah!...We’ll do that one tomorrow!
So, it’s off to sleep, rest up for the next days mileage...Good night all!...and God Bless!
Stickman
STICKMANS' JOURNAL...6/3/07 & 6/4/07
6/3...Was fairly comfortable last night. Got up at 6:30 AM, with 50 degree temps, and an overcast sky. We were on trail at 7:00 AM. We need to get over Bemis Mtn. today, another six miles. Everything is wet, foggy, or overcast. Had places that must have been beautiful views, but what we saw looked like a TV station gone off the air! Nothing but grey. Hiking was less grueling as far as going up and down, but with all the rain, the trail had become a brook. Slippery! Dave and I have both fallen a few times, but no major injury...just bruised pride. I did take a good tumble, landing on my right hand, the one with the bad wrist, but it didn't break. Another time, I started to slide down a rock face (on my feet), and not on purpose. I was hating to think of where I might end up, but thankfully, after 20 or so feet, I came to a stop, and still standing at that! We hiked through patches of snow and ice on a couple of mountains, sure hoping that it warms up just a bit.
We eventually made it to Bemis Mtn. Lean-to at 12:30 PM. Six miles in 5 ½ Hrs., now that’s a little bit better! Even though it is early, we can’t make it to Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to, which is another 8.3 miles. Instead, we will lose a day’s worth of hiking, make our entries into our personal journals, and the lean-to journals, decide what to eat, rest, and lick our wounds. I had one of Cari’s energy bars, a ½ bag of trail mix, and a few banana chips.
We have some good company tonight! “Bookworm”, from Michigan, who started in Georgia in November, and a very nice couple, “Snowman”, and “Sparkplug”, who are doing a section hike northbound. They did all the way from Georgia to Massachusetts a few years ago, and had to stop their thru-hike due to an injury. Not ready to give up, they are completing their hike as they are able to take time off. I know that they will be successful! It sure is great to have such nice company!
Time to sign off for the night! God Bless!
Stickman
6/4...Bemis Mtn. Lean-to to Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to today. On trail at 7:30 AM, and at Sabbath Day at 2:30 PM. , which is 8.3 miles in 7 Hrs. flat, or just better than 1MPH. I had a tough time of it today, even though the trail wasn’t as bad. My legs and shoulders were killing me, but we made it.
Had quite a storm all day, and hiked in our raingear. We are soaked anyway, as you tend to do a bit of sweating. In fact, I’m starting to smell like a thru-hiker. I really need to clean up, but it is way too cold and wet. Just happy to get to the shelter, log in, write journal, eat and sleep. Exciting!
Saw a message in the dirt, on the shoulder of Rt. 17, as we were coming out of the woods and onto the roadway. It was simple and direct. “Kelly, call home.” Now, of course, when you NEED to use your cell phone, you don’t get reception...and that was the case in this instance. I stood by the side of the road for a few minutes, thinking about a possible hitch-hike into town to get to a phone. At this time, it was downright nasty weather, with high winds and rain, and me, standing out in the open. Then, fortunately, a fellow named Larry came by in a van belonging to his employer, Sherwin-Williams. I believe he said he worked out of Rumford. If you catch this, Larry, again, I thank you many times over for your kindness. He wasn’t able to give us a ride in the company vehicle, but he did have a cellphone that worked, and let us use it. I called Cari at work, all is OK. My brother Larry had left the message. He had actually come up the day before, stayed the day, and overnight, hoping to give us a little trail support. Unfortunately, we were running behind schedule. I need to adjust my schedule, and do something about getting a better phone. Anyway, thanks go out to the two Larrys! You guys are both great!
It was a little chilly last night, 46 degrees, maybe a little cooler now. I will have to do something about warmer sleeping gear, possibly a light bag, if the weather doesn’t warm up a bit. It’s not too bad if I make it to the shelter, but I will surely have to camp out again soon.
We have good company again tonight, Snowman and Sparkplug. They are both so nice. Bookworm breezed through earlier than us, left a quick note in the log, and was going to head to the next shelter. That would be another 11.2 miles North...Nah!...We’ll do that one tomorrow!
So, it’s off to sleep, rest up for the next days mileage...Good night all!...and God Bless!
Stickman
2 comments:
Hi Kel!!heard your doing great, but the weather is not.........keep on walkin'...DeW tried to send a message but we goofed so, i retyped this...... God Bless you!
Sorry to have missed the gathering on Thursday, I had a shutdown at MPI and was late getting home. Hopefully at the end of the journey there will be another gathering for guitar playing as well as Kelly's tales of the hike!
We admire your courage and devotion. God Bless
Dale & Brenda Mullin
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