Not Sure Where!

Haven't heard from the hikers in a couple of days...really not sure where they are...guessing possibly around Carl Newhall Lean To. Hopefully we will be able to get reception this weekend. I am also guessing that they will be hiking Katahadin the middle of next week if the weather holds. It all remains to be seen!

STICKMANS' JOURNAL...6/21/07...Thursday...Left the shelter at Chairback Gap at 9:00 AM. After going up and over Chairback Mtn., we descended to ford the West Branch of the Pleasant River, which was very beautiful. Then, uphill for 6 ½ miles to the top of Gulf Hagas Mtn. Once on top, it was just another mile until we arrived at Sydney Tappan Campsite...Yup, campsite...figured it would be the perfect place to finally try out my hammock. It actually did work out quite well, even though I didn’t have it set up perfectly. I needed about two more feet between the two trees I chose, to be able to properly stretch out the fly. I made do, though, and I was quite comfortable, sleeping well, and waking up dry in the morning. It had rained pretty hard during the early morning hours of the day. All in all, it was a wonderful day, having had a chance to share the mission trip with some of the hikers. Other hikers were to hurried to stop and chat, as they scurried for the next shelter. I can’t blame them for not wanting to stop, as it rained off and on all day, depending on where you happened to be. We met a couple of fellas from Canada, and a few other hikers, including Lunar and Solar, and Shasta and Billie Goat. In the evening, we shared a fine fire with Roger, a programmer from Texas. It is always so much fun meeting other hikers, listening to their stories, and finding out where they are from. All in all, it was a wonderful day. We covered about 12 ½ miles today, getting to camp at about 5:30 PM...So, I would say we did it in 8 ½ hours. Not bad, when you factor in “talk time”, and such....Getting late, so it’s “lights out”...Good night, God Bless!

Stickman

STICKMANS' JOURNAL...6/22/07...Friday...We got everything wrapped up, packed up, and were on trail at 9:00 AM. We put in a super long day, getting to Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to at 7:15 PM. We were able to cover 17 miles in 10 ¼ hours...I believe that most of those miles were slogged in the rain. My feet took a real bad pounding today, but I have tried my best to take good care of them. They, (my feet), get a nice alchohol rubdown at night, followed up with a nice powdering. Happy feet! We need to try to get 16 miles in tomorrow, to reach the White House Landing, and get a good meal and a sleep in a bunk. We saw very few hikers today, and the ones that we did see were “on the fly”, trying to make some miles, even in the rain. One pair of hikers did stop to chat. They were Tod and Contact. Tod said that he would go to my website and leave his blog address. Contact was hilarious...he has all the gadgets, GPS, solar charger, and more! He was from New Hampshire, Tod from Georgia....We have had our evening meal, and I am exhausted...Oh, yeah! We got pictures of a moose yesterday, on the trail, and today I got pictures of a porcupine and an owl! Love to see the wildlife!...I guess I’d better close for the night, get a little shuteye...ah, sweet, blissful, sleep...all for now, good night, God Bless!

Stickman

Barren Mountain

I heard from the hikers this noontime. they were headed for Barren Mountain. They had made it to the Long Pond Stream Lean-To and were pushing on. We are hoping that the rain will miss them, although it was clouding in when we were on the phone. They met two hikers today....both from Georgia... But they were not hiking together! They expect to meet a few more hikers coming toward them from Katahadin. Kel is still trying to get a blister on his heel to heal, and David has been fighting an upset stomache. But, other than that, all is well! This is the 100 Mile Wilderness...70 plus miles to go!

STICKMANS' JOURNAL...6/19/07...Tuesday...On the trail @ 8:15 AM, leaving the Leeman Brook Lean-to, skipping the Wilson Valley Lean-to, and arriving at the Long Pond Stream Lean-to at 7:00 PMish. Racked up a total of 12 miles. Not many hikers are around, and we only got to talk to a few of them. Where is everyone??? We did get to give out a few cards, and were able to share our Mission with Surge and his hiking partner, and a couple of others, one being a section hiker. Our meetings are few, but good. I am settling in for a good meal, and (hopefully) an equally good night of sleep! So, it’s good night to all of you, as I need to rest my body, and let the bruises heal. God Bless you all.

Stickman

STICKMANS' JOURNAL...6/20/07...Wednesday...Skipping down the trail this morning at about 8:10 AM. It was quite overcast, with occasional bursts of sun popping out to warm us. The weather actually had held up fairly well, until just after we checked out the magnificent “Barren Slide”. As we began to make our way up Barren Mtn., the rain became steady. Everyday, however, has it’s bright, shining moments...one of today’s was meeting Alpine and Princess Brat. They both work at the Walasi-Yi Center, in Neel’s Gap, Georgia. They worked until the NOBO’s had moved through, then scooted to Katahdin to do a SOBO, having to be back at work in November, to serve the other SOBO’s and the Fall tourists. I shared with them our ministry, and gave them a card. Alpine asked that God might Bless me!...something that you don’t hear too much on the trail! He also said that they might be interested in selling our ScriptureSticks at Neel’s Gap! Who knows what God has planned! I tried not to hold them up too long, talking, as they were trying to get some miles in for the day. They also needed to make time, as they were down to one day’s food remaining. They assured us that they were OK on food, and as they left, Alpine again asked God to Bless our journey. With steps much lighter from words of encouragement, we also headed on our path, up and over Barren Mtn., past the Cloud Pond Lean-to, and finally, knocking off Fourth Mtn., too! I was now having a bit of a time, as I had hyper-extended my right knee several times, once badly. I then proceeded to take a good tumble, while going downhill. I landed hard on my left side, doing minor insult and injury to my shoulder and elbow, and spraining my wrist. The icing on the cake was that I bent one of my poles! I managed to straighten it out somewhat, and I think I can get quite a few more miles out of it...Next was Third Mtn., and finally, it was up, and over , Columbus Mtn., arriving at Chairback Gap Lean-to, at 6:30 PM sharp! To my amazement, we had traveled a little over 11 miles! Not bad! Alan, Smokey, and Kenneth are also here, and we all got a nice fire going to warm us up and dry things out a bit. I always seem to have the best time foraging for the wood! It is a major challenge to find good wood, especially when everything is soaked! Well, we have all cooked and eaten our suppers, shared some stories, and I got to share the ministry, which I never get tired of doing. Some folks are indifferent, some polite, some curious, and occasionally, someone is genuinely interested! I still love to share with them all, and I also enjoy their stories too! Hard to put the feelings to words, sometimes...Everyone is sound asleep now, except for Faithful and I, so I guess it would be prudent for us to follow their lead...time to close this one out, it is after 10:30 PM...Please keep us in prayer! God Bless!...You’re very sleepy now...there goes a mouse...sleepy...sleepy...OWL!...sleeeep.....sleeeeep......sleeeeeeeeep.....

Stickman

100 Mile Wilderness

Greetings!
The hikers spent 2 days with family and friends. They made it to Monson and Faithful's family came to take him home for resupply and visiting. Stickman stayed at the Shaw House, a WONDERFUL , friendly place with GREAT food! How nice to sleep in a bed and get a hot shower, too. Tim at the General Store was great and directed the boys up to the Mobile place for their first food off trail. Faithful consumed an Italian Sandwich and a 12 inch pizza, and Stickman had 2 whoopie pies, a 12 inch pizza and a 2 liter pepsi! Hungry dudes! The weekend was filled with the great hospitality at the Shaw house (thanks Dawn, Dick,Dana, and Sue....you are wonderful!), new faces ( Murphy, Emily, Zoe, One Tree Hammock, Huck (love that picture of the moose....don't forget to send it!), Whiskers,Wizard and Munchkin (hope that ankle is better soon and you are back on the trail), and other names I am sorry I can't recall. All wonderful people with great storis and advice about the trail. And, words of encouragement. We love the caring spirit that seems to be the common thread amoung the hikers. An unforgetable weekend that ended with Sunday night guitar playing and singing (One Tree...we christians certainly do love you!) Many sticks were given out here and much sharing of faith and God's goodness.
Today, they are back on the trail and sleeping in the firstLean-To heading north to Katahdin tonight. LIllian hiked the first 3 miles or so. She said it was beautiful. She was picked up at an intersecting road by the people at Shaws to get back to her car..... 91 plus miles to go for the hikers...but all is well. Kel and Dave say Hello to All...wish you were here!

STICKMANS' JOURNAL...6/16/07...Saturday...Great day today! Got up early, was out of the shelter by 7:00 AM. We had a good hike, doing over 9 miles and having to walk the two miles into town from the trailhead. That’s OK though, got a few more interesting pictures because of it. By the way, we got into town about 11:30 AM, 9 miles in 4 ½ hours...Not too bad! Can’t say as we had much contact with people, until we made it into town. We came down Pleasant Street, past Shaw’s, where I would be staying. We went to the Monson General Store, where there is a payphone. I had tried all day to get a call through to Cari, but could not get a signal. I decided to try one more time, before using the payphone, even though I was in a low spot in town. OK, Lord, help me out, please! Tap, tap, tap...Ring, ring, ring! It went through! But, I soon found out, if I moved in any direction more than a step or two, I caused the signal to weaken. I stayed put, and managed to get a hold of my love, Cari. She was in Waterville, trying to get the shopping done. She said that she would come up for the night, which pleased me to no end. Love that girl! Then, we called Faithful’s folks, and they said that they would like to come up and bring him home for a brief rest, and church on Sunday, if he liked. He liked. So, since Faithful and I had some time to kill, we went on a serious hunt for food. We found it at the local fuel station/grocery/deli. As it happens, it is where my cousin, Gerald “Jerry” Hibbard had worked before he passed on. Most everyone in Monson had known him, and liked him. That connection opened up a lot of opportunities for conversations with folks, and I really enjoyed talking with everyone. There are very friendly people in this little town, and I thank them for their hospitality. There was a nice young lady doing the cooking at this store, and she did a great job in getting us fed. Faithful got an Italian sandwich and I got a 12” pizza...and a couple of whoopie pies...the real good ones made by Steves’ Snacks, out of Skowhegan, Maine. I managed to wash it all down with a Boss Pepsi! Then, something went haywire for Faithful! He had been drinking a juice with his sandwich, but it just wasn’t working out right! He also had to buy a 12” pizza, so he could have something to eat with his leftover drink...As you might guess, he also had to purchase another drink, so he could finish his pizza...It’s a vicious circle, folks, it really is! But, it seemed to eventually work out, and all ended well. His folks showed up, we chatted for a bit, then they were on their way. I yakked with a few other folks, and a real nice lady asked if I was doing the trail. I answered to the affirmative, and that I planned to get a room at Shaw’s for the night. She said that she worked there! I asked if she might be able to hold a room for Cari and I, and she did. When I arrived there, much later, all was taken care of. Thank you so much Dana, you’re wonderful! While I waited for Cari, I stopped at a yard sale, browsing and chatting. I helped a gentleman load a very interesting workbench/desk into his truck. It weighed a ton, but we managed to get it into the truck. Then, the lady having the yard sale chatted with me, and we talked of all sorts of things, such as Rusty Farrin moving his auction house out of Skowhegan. Yes, Rusty, we certainly miss you out on Rt. 201, even the good folks of Monson...We chatted some more, which I think we were both fairly adept at doing, and she offered me a soft drink, which I accepted. Now, killing time can, at times, be hard work, but all these nice people in Monson kept me busy, and I found their kindness to be genuine! What a great bunch of people...they aren’t even deterred by the fact that hikers tend to be a bit odiferous! I eventually moved on, and got to talk to many more people in town, explaining that I was hiking the trail as a Christian Mission. They even listened as I explained t. God is so good. As I got over to the corner of the towns main thoroughfare and Pleasant Street, which I needed to venture up to get back to Shaws, I found myself standing by the payphone again, and eye to eye, so to speak, with the Monson General Store. Now folks, if you’ve never been to Monson this might be a good reason to go. In fact, a great time to go to the General Store would be any Friday night. I, of course was once again, a day late...but I went in anyway. What a treat! I got to sign a hiker’s register, and then sat at a little table with the owner, chatting, as we sipped on ice cold drinks. Great, friendly conversation and cold cream soda...life is good! The owner of this fine establishment is Tim, who is a friend to hiker’s. Actually, he is a friend to everybody, and I repeatedly observed him treating folks like kin, instead of strangers. By this time, I’m beginning to think that I may not make it all the way up past the next four or five houses to get to Shaws, because I might get invited to supper by somebody! No kidding! Friendliest people I’ve ever met! As Tim and I chatted, I found that he loves music, and opens up his little General Store on Friday nights, letting folks come from all around to play and sing. They bring along quite an array of instruments, banjos, mandolins, guitars, and whatever else they can make music on and just have a good time. Boy, did I miss out! For sure, some Friday night, I will go back to Tim’s place, the Monson General Store. Hope to see you there! Now, things are starting to go into full swing, as my lovely wife, Cari, has just arrived...and it’s off to SHAWS. Hey everybody, this is hiker heaven! We got to pick out our own room, and it is awesome. They have fixed the place up wonderfully, and it is soooo relaxed. Dana, who reserved our room, is super. She’s also Dawn’s daughter. Dawn is a co-owner with Sue. Oh yeah, can’t forget Dick. He is Dawn’s husband. These people are very accommodating, and fun! We got all settled in, then had a bit of time to meet other hikers. We got to know some of them a bit, and shared our ministry with them. One girl asked about the sticks, and the scripture on them. “You mean, like from Proverbs and Psalms?”. You bet! She had to go out for a bit, and while she was gone, I had brought a stick in. When she returned, she looked at the stick, and said, “Hey, that’s the verse I just had in my head!”. Again, GOD IS GOOD! We have her address, and will send that ScriptureStick to her home. And that is what is going on in Monson, Maine. I am starting to ramble on, so will stop for now...God IS good, and I pray He Blesses you!

Stickman

STICKMANS' JOURNAL...6/17/07...Sunday...Another great day! Started out with a fantastic breakfast, and some wonderful folks to eat it with. Meeting some super people here, Zoe, Whiskers, Emily, Murphy, One-Tree Hammock, Huck (a fellow Christian), Chuck Norris, and a couple from New York...can’t recall their names right now, but hopefully will remember in a bit... Dawn, one of the owners of SHAWS, had invited Cari and I to their Church, but we had made plans to go to Monson Community Church, Pastored by David Ray. We had made that connection through Faithful’s dad, Dan, who had Pastor Ray in one of his classes. As it goes, we never made it to the service. Instead, Cari and I drove the New York couple to Bangor, so that they could get a rental car. He had twisted his ankle badly, and they were having to come off the trail. They are planning to resume the hike when he is better, so I hope to see them again. We did take the opportunity to leave them with a ScriptureStick for their son. The day was quite pleasant, and when late afternoon rolled around, someone said that I would be awesome (or something like that) if I could come up with a guitar. Always up to a challenge, I headed out. I first went and ordered a big pizza, which Cari and I shared with our fellow hikers. The young girl that made the pizza said that she would loan us her guitar, but it was in Abbott, and she had no one to bring it to her. I asked around, left a message for Tim, at the General Store, and at the same time tried to find out where Pastor Ray lived. Eventually, I tracked him down. He lives right beside Shaws! I introduced myself, told him my needs, and he began making phone calls. He had no luck, but I thanked him for his efforts, and left him with a ScriptureStick. As I walked back over to Shaws, he came outside and told me he had found one! Hooray for Pastor Ray! We went for a little ride to get the guitar, from a man named John. It was a beauty! Thanks so much John! Well, I was a hero when I got back to Shaws! The great thing, come to find out, is that Murphy has LOTS of talent on a guitar, and is a fantastic singer to boot! He kept us entertained late into the night with his music, and his easy way. When Murphy was done for the night, we found that One-Tree Hammock and Whiskers could also play. Well, we did wrap it up eventually, and some of us went to bed...Good night! God Bless.

Stickman

STICKMANS' JOURNAL...6/18/07...Monday...Got up early with Cari this morning, and set up my meals in preparation for the “100 mile wilderness”. We got it all together, then Cari had to leave to head back to Madison, and work. I miss her already! I got my stuff into my pack and waited for breakfast. It was another great day at the table, with Murphy, Emily, Whiskers, One-Tree, and Huck. There was lot’s of banter with Dawn, as she and Dick were todays cooks. They are so nice! I hung out with the group as they came and went, checking for their mail and such. I got to have great conversations with Huck and One-Tree. Then, I went down to the General Store to visit with Tim a bit, and he said that he was sorry that he wasn’t around last night, as he would have loaned his guitar. As it ended up, I did borrow his guitar, as the other one would need to be returned. It made me smile when I walked up the driveway at Shaws, and from inside the house, I heard, “He’s got ANOTHER one!”. Thanks Tim, you are one of a kind. And thanks again to Pastor Ray, and John, you guys are great!...Lillian showed up with Faithful, and we left Shaws for the trail. She hiked with us from the Pleasant St. trail junction to Route 15, a distance of about 3 miles, and did a great job! At Rt. 15, she gave us a nice helping of blueberry pie! Yummy! Thanks, Lillian! Then, we were off on the trail again...We met the “Brit” a little ways along. He was having a bit of knee trouble, but was still moving well. I checked with Shaws later, to see if he had made it in, and he had. Here’s hoping that you heal up quickly, Brit! On we went to the Leeman Brook Lean-to, arriving there at about 6:40 PM, having started out at about 2:00PM. We had walked about 6 miles, which was not bad at all. It was pretty quiet around camp, so we had ourselves a nice meal together, before we called it a night. Now it’s time to get some rest, so good night to all of you, and God Bless!

Stickman

Friday Night

No new news from the hikers...we are waiting for a call from Monson tomorrow so that we can head up to bring them more provisions for the 100 mile wilderness...then they will be climbing Katadin!

STICKMANS' JOURNAL...6/14/07...Thursday...Woke up to a fire and fresh coffee! Thanks, Larry! King Crimson and Tengu are ready to roll, so I offered them some fresh fruit to go. It was only about 6:00 AM, so they were off to a good start. Larry (Diehard), Faithful, and I sat around having coffee, breakfast, getting things ready to go, and swapping funny stories. Larry decided that he better get headed for home, as he had some work to do, and Faithful and I doused the fire and finished packing. Boy, were those packs heavy! But, on the upside of that, the packs were full of food! Off we went, at 8:30 AM, climbing up and over Pleasant Pond Mtn., then down to Moxie Pond. We stopped at the pond to pump some H2O, and noticed a pontoon boat going by, headed towards the ponds inlet. We finished filtering our water, and headed off. As we walked toward the inlet, we had to pass the boat, which was sitting idle, the occupants having a good time fishing. I waved, said “Hello”, and made the comment that that is exactly how life should be. It got a chuckle, then I heard, “Hey, Kelly! Are you starting your trek!?” I couldn’t believe it. The Lord has continually provided all our needs so far, has given us several opportunities to share our mission, and has continued to bless us with meeting friends along the way! In the boat was Peter Lloyd, a long time acquaintance, who is an owner of M.L. Lloyd and Sons, in Anson, Maine, across the river from my hometown of Madison. They are earthmovers, road builders, etc. In fact, when I asked how it happened that they were not working on a Thursday, they joked that I was to tell everyone that they were building the road to the pond! Good bunch of guys! My nephew, Cory Peterson, is also an equipment operator for their outfit. Anyway, Pete was there, and his son, Scott. Also, someone I hadn’t seen for quite some time, Peter Chenevert! (Sorry, Pete, if I misspelled.) Pete and I were in High School together, and he also had his son with him. So good to see you Pete! We all had a good chat, as I watched a trout being landed. (Further proof that they were not really working!). I got to share with them all why I was out hiking the trail, and I also got a chance to thank Peter Lloyd for letting me cut poplar saplings on the company property, to make the ScriptureSticks. Again, Pete, thank you so much!...Off we went again, to do our last 3 miles of the day. All went smoothly, and we arrived at Bald Mtn. Brook Lean-to at 4:40 PM, doing a total of 9 miles for the day. It’s almost 5:30 PM, I will start a campfire. So nice to have, and other hikers really enjoy arriving to camp with a fire already going. I hope some folks show up! Well, that’s all for now...God Bless!

Stickman

STICKMANS' JOURNAL...6/15/07...Friday...Got up a little late this morning, but then again, I have no clock to punch. We did get off to a bit of a slow start though, leaving Bald Mtn. Lean-to at 9:30 AM, and arriving at Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to at 6:30 PM, having trekked a distance of 13 miles. Moxie Bald Mtn. is awesome! The views from the top are absolutely beautiful! We sat awhile beside the elevation/summit sign, and had ourselves a snack, trying to take in all of God’s incredible creation. I am still struck by it! Also, someone had built a stone dog at the summit, a “rock hound”, if you will. Always so much fun to see what people will come up with! Afer the Moxie Bald, we came off mountain, and had no more big hills to climb. Our trek into Monson won’t be to bad either, just 9 miles, and tending to go upward. We met a few hikers today, usually getting to speak to them briefly, and was able to speak with all but two hikers. They just breezed on by when I stopped to say “Hi”. They nodded, but kept on hiking, heading up Moxie Bald. I am sure that they had a pretty good head of steam, and didn’t want to lose momentum. We generally get to share that we are hiking the trail as a mission trip, and get to tell them about our ScriptureSticks and such. We also direct them to our website, in the hopes that they will be interested enough to get on it, and read the message there. I also make them aware that I have a blog that is accessible through the website. Some of the hikers we met today include Tom and “Bo”, Lacey and her dog, “Diesel”, Sprocket and Ranger, and some other hikers here at the shelter. Oops! Forgot about two young ladies, Rambo and Dreamer, who I got to speak with for a few minutes. One of the girls was from Winston-Salem, NC, and the other from Asheville, NC. I shared with them that Cari and I had lived in Garner, NC. When I told them about our mission trip, and having the youth groups give out ScriptureSticks, they thought it was great. One of them asked how she could get one, and the other said, “Me too!”. I got the address for one of the girls, and will have Cari send them each a stick. I was kind of thinking Proverbs 3:5, and Proverbs 3:6, so that the girls will always be “joined” by the ScriptureSticks, much as the two scriptures go together. Hope you have a wonderful hike girls, and also that you enjoy the walking sticks. ...Back to the shelter...We have Grey Goose, Yellowbird, and Neal here. Yellowbird is Grey Goose’s daughter, and I got to get to know them a bit while Neal gathered more wood for the fire that he had gotten started. The girls were pretty tired, and eventually went off to sleep. Faithful and I stayed up to cook while I had a really great conversation with Neal. He is a very kind young man, and always at the ready to help wherever he can. We got to talk about many things and places, and I thoroughly enjoyed his company. Before he turned in, he jotted down the ScriptureSticks website. I hope to meet Neal and the others further down the trail, after we flipflop back to Andover, Maine, and head South. Neal says that a lot of the hikers have already dropped off the trail. Well, I hope they don’t! Hmmm....guess I’d better think about stopping for now, and getting some sleep myself. It’s after 10:30 PM! I know I always have more to say, but seem to run out of time. Good night, God Bless!

Stickman

Caratunk,Pleasant Pond Lean-to

Kel and Dave are in Caratunk tonight at the Pleasant Pond Lean-to. They arrived in town at about 11am from Pierce Pond...after a wonderful 12 pancake breakfast (each!) complete with sausage links and a side of the most wonderful fluffy scrambled egs! Yum Yum! The gentleman from the Harrison camps at Pierce Pond cooked and served and they had a great time....and then they were on their way. Kel made aquick call to Cari from the rangers station in Caratunk, she called Larry, and a plan was born to visit the hikers around a warm campfire that night! Dave's mom, Lillian drove to Madison to meet Cari and close friend Lisa... and, after picking up fruit, italian sandwiches, chinese food, and supplies, they were off! What a beautiful ride up through North Anson, Solon, Bingham, and Moscow. As the roads narrowed and the trees got denser, it gave you a small sence of what the trail was like. Larry had gone ahead to meet the hikers, and had fed them before the gals arrived. More food, hugs, and conversation...what a great time. Two other hikers shared the lean-to (we shared the food!), and time went too quickly. Kel and Dave look great and are going well. They have met many hikers and others along the way and continue to share their faith. So far 17 sticks have been given out, many cards, and 25 sticks to the Cannan youth group to give at a hike they will organize soon. We are so thankful for God's provision everyday!

STICKMANS' JOURNAL...6/12/07...Tuesday...Wow! What a day! Went all the way from Little Bigelow Lean-to, to Pierce Pond Lean-to. Started hiking at 8:00 AM, got to camp at 6:10 PM. We did our biggest miles yet, 17.3 miles. It was good walking, although the blister on my right heel is a bit of a problem. My knee, however, is holding up quite well. We had quite a surprise when we hiked from Long Falls Dam Rd., up Roundtop Mtn. We met a young fella with the Maine Conservation Corp. He said that they, and a group from Americorps, were in doing some trail work. Awesome! Well, as we walked up the hill, we kept coming across young ladies that were quite busy, wielding pick-axes, shovels, pry bars, and the like. Come to find out, it was a group of about 30, comprised of 3 guys and the rest young women. Tell you what, they were all working extremely hard. All the way up the trail, they had constructed waterbars, placed step-stones, done ditching, and had completed other work. As we met them, we shared with them all why we were on trail, and we were warmly received. We handed out many ScriptureStick cards, and several said that they would check out the site. Before we moved on, we thanked them all for their hard work. When you get out to hike, and see all the trail work out there, remember that a lot of it is done by these young folks. If you see trail workers, stop and thank them!...Upon our arrival at Pierce Pond, I dropped my pack, and went looking for Harrison’s Pierce Pond Camps. I found it, and the owner, Tim Harrison, and set it up for Faithful and I to have breakfast at his place. Then, Tim and I sat and talked for a bit. I shared with him the details of our missions trip, and he shared that he was also a Christian. We also found that we knew a lot of the same people, including my former employer, Val Roy, at Campbell’s Building Supply, and my cousin Chet Hibbard, who owns the pharmacy up in Bingham, Maine. Such a small world...there were others, also, but the bugs are eating me alive, as I write this down, so it looks like it’s “lights out”! Good night, God Bless!

Stickman

STICKMANS' JOURNAL...6/13/07...Wednesday...Up at 5:30 AM, pack up, and head to breakfast. I had set it up with Tim Harrison to be at his place, Harrison’s Pierce Pond Camps, by 7:00 AM. We got there at 6:50 AM. Tim treated us much better than we should deserve! We each had a 12 pancake (BIG pancakes!) breakfast complete with sausages, scrambled eggs, coffee, and juice! The eggs were some of the best I’ve ever had, but the PANCAKES! Wowza!!! They were light, fluffy, and full of berries. Top that off with some syrup, and yummy! I think that the best part of the meal may have been having the opportunity to share it, along with some great conversation, with someone that you immediately like upon your first meeting. Seemed like we had been friends for years...I told him that I would get a ScriptureStick up to him, and he said that if I could get it to cousin Chet, Chet would get it up to him. We sat and chatted about many things, and at 9:00 AM said our goodbys. He asked us to contact him later, and let him know how our trip went...can do, Tim. Tim talked with Steve Longley, the Kennebec River Ferryman, via radiophone, and let him know that we were on our way. The ferry service ends at 11:00 AM, and we had 3 miles to hike. We got to the river at about 10:40 AM, and saw the canoe on the opposite shore. It wasn’t Steve in the canoe, but David Corrigan, who promptly came across to get us. I had a great conversation with him, and gave him my last card that I had with me. Dave is a Master Guide, and he helps out in the ferrying. Dave’s outfit is “Fletcher Mountain Outfitters”, out of Concord Township, Maine. As he ferried us across, I noticed a young lady on the other bank, who was taking pictures of us. She was doing a photoshoot for promotion of different activities available in the area. She works for a local river guiding/rafting outfit. Forgive me, I don’t remember her name...Stephanie seems to be it, but not sure... Sorry! She asked us who we were, if we were doing a thru-hike, etc., and I told her that we were doing it as a mission trip, and about the ScriptureSticks. Who knows, we may end up in a promo! The next wonderful thing to happen was that we were lucky enough to find Forest Ranger (Extraordinaire) Darrell Rich, onsite at the Caratunk Ranger’s Station. We got to chat for a bit, and he was able to let me use the phone to call Cari, as I had no reception. Thanks, Darrell, wonderful to have you be part of our “trail experience”! Looks like we may have some company tonight. Cari, my sister Jody, and my brother Larry? Hope so!! We got to the shelter at 3:50 PM, it is now 5:05 PM. I will probably walk back out to the road and wait to see if anyone shows up. Two young fellas (anyone younger than me...) showed up to stay the night at the shelter. They are Tengu and King Crimson. Tengu is doing a thruhike, SOBO, and King Crimson is doing a section of the trail with him. I took a walk out to the road, sat down, and brother Larry drove up. I showed him a better way to drive in towards the shelter, allowing for a shorter hike to the shelter itself. Then, I gave Cari a call. She and Lillian are on their way here also. I headed back to the shelter to spend some time with everyone, and gather some more firewood. Real nice fire going tonight, helping to keep the bugs down. I eventually walked back out to the road, and as I got to it, I heard a vehicle coming. I looked up to see that it was our friend Lisa Mann, and she had Cari and Lillian with her. What a great surprise! They brought in all kinds of goodies, Chinese food, Italian sandwiches, and extra supplies. We all shared with the other two thruhikers, who had already eaten. But, as is typical, (and polite), they found a little more room in their bellies for food. We all had a great time! Lillian had brought her ScriptureStick walking stick along, and showed it to our fellow hikers. That was really nice, as it puts something tangible in front of them to look over, rather than just trying to explain it. Thanks Lillian!...Well, the girls eventually went home, as it was getting late, but Larry was prepared to spend the night, and set up his tent. We all had a great time, the other hikers zonking out, as they wanted to get off to an early start in the morning. With full stomachs, we eventually all settled in, the remains of the fire warding off the bugs. Looks like another great night! God Bless!

Stickman

Beautiful Day/Some Clouds for the Hikers

Jody heard from Kel today...he was up on top of the Bigelows but we are not sure where! He sounded chipper and said it had been sunny and was just now (early afternoon) clouding in a bit. Larry got a partial message...not sure just where they were....all he heard was the Bigelows, too. They are having a great time and about on the schedule that is posted on the web site. We hope to know soon what day we will try to meet them in Caratunk.

STICKMANS' JOURNAL...6/11/07...Monday...Up early, pretty day. No one at the campsite, anywhere. I left a card at the shelter, maybe someone will look at it, go online, and read the message. Pray they do. Ok, time to filter some H2O, then get hiking. 6:50 AM, and 10 miles to hike. We got to Little Bigelow Lean-To at 5:30 PM, 10 ½ hrs. of hiking. Have the H2O filtered for the night, and Faithful has the soup on. It was a very strenuous day for me. My right knee is giving me some trouble, hurting considerably when I bend it. I pray that it gets a lot better over night. I have a shorter, and hopefully, easier day ahead tomorrow. We met just a few hikers today, all SOBO (Southbounders) and thru-hiking. I didn’t get all of the names, but one group was “Three boys and a Boo (dog)”, two of the crew being Anchor and Firebox. I gave Firebox my card, and he thanked me. I believe that they were from Texas. Two others were from Oklahoma, and a very nice Father/Daughter team were from Kentucky. They were Mr. Cowpie and Jessie. I gave him my card, and he said that he hoped God would bless this ministry. That lifted my spirits quite a lot. We talked for a bit, and took pictures for each other. We met at Avery Peak, and both groups posed by the sign. Mr. Cowpie is a children’s entertainer. Please check his site out, at MRCOWPIE.COM...Neat little site! As we parted, he again said, “God Bless”. Thanks, Mr. Cowpie, you lifted me! I will keep you and Jessie in my prayers, hope you have a safe and happy hike!...Well, let’s talk about feet. They do a lot of work for us, and we tend to neglect them. Tonight I am giving mine the royal treatment. A nice alchohol rubdown, followed up by an even nicer massage of baking soda and corn starch...Ahhh! I also have to patch up the blister on my right foot. The “second skin” that I had applied has fallen off, so I will now try “Newskin”. It didn’t really bother me today, but it looked bad, just the same. Oh yeah, the middle toe on my right foot...the toenail has turned kinda blue, so I suppose I may lose that nail eventually. We’ll see...I think I will close for now, get my bed all made, and read my Bible. It’s about 7:45 PM, so I won’t be awake much longer. Good night all, God Bless!

Stickman

Sunday Back on the Trail

Stickman and Faithful are back on the trail after 2 nights sleeping in their own beds and good home cooked meals! Stickman has dropped 14 pounds in 8 days! We call it the AT diet...anyone care to join them? They had left the trail in Stratton when they came out onto route 27 on Friday. A neighbor from Madison, Jim Elias, picked up the two hikers and drove them home after taking them to the local store for gaterade and whoopie pies! He had been in the area on business, and had passed them by, but turned around after he recognized Kel. Thanks, Jim! Kel enjoyed visiting friends and family, ice cream from his favorite place the Kennebec creamery, and Sunday services at Crossroads Bible Church. We are adding more info daily along with the pictures to this blog. Some of the past entries have Stickman's journal added to it. We hope you are enjoying following this awesome trip as much as we are as it unfolds.

STICKMANS' JOURNAL...6/10/07...Sunday...Yum!, breakfast with the family at Charrier’s Restaurant in Skowhegan, had a wonderful time! Looks like brother Larry will try to continue to be a big part of our support while we hike, meeting us where he can, and giving us awesome computer support. Thanks, Larry! We got to Church, had a great service. I spoke briefly about God’s provision, and how everyone’s prayers are so important, not just for this mission, but for the group headed from Crossroads Bible Church to do missions in Ecuador, and for every other Christian you know. As Christians, we ALL have a mission, and we ALL need to be held up in prayer...Now, it’s off to Rt. 27, to jump back on trail. Cari stopped at the little store, and I dropped a ScriptureStick off with the clerk, and asked him to give it to Sue. When we got to the trailhead, I left another hiking stick at a vehicle that was at the parking lot. We then started the 5 mile trek at about 3:45 PM, and reached the Horn’s Pond Shelter at 7:45 PM. I grabbed a snack, and started making some calls. Sorry, Doc, we seem to be playing phone tag, but we will talk. Love you, man! Very mild night, crashing out for a good nights’ sleep. God Bless!

Stickman