Stratton Pond
6/6/2001 ~ Stratton Pond (15.7 miles hiked)
(This section was done SOBO. These are in NOBO order for consistency)
The GMC caretaker here was very nice and simply took my name and address and gave me a bill. Stratton Pond is indeed a special place. I fear the loons might keep me awake or wake me up. They are incredibly loud when then are doing their characteristic loony call. I saw another woodpecker today and several toads. I saw a loon dive away from me, but I didn't really get a good look at it.
There's a couple here from Boston and a guy from southern PA. The caretaker came over here from the shelter on the south side of the pond (in a boat) and we all sat around a smoky fire for a while. The bugs are the worst I've seen, and the fire really helped.
I finally found out what makes those giant piles of scat I've seen (looked a bit like deer, but the, um, individual pieces were too large as were the, um, loads). Moose! That also explains the very large (not as distinct as I'd like because of the mud) tracks I saw by my campsite last night.
I've seen a lot of people today including the cutest, shinest people ever at Spuce Peak Shelter. They were doing the Long Trail and had just graduated from college (two couples). Ah, so young and cute.
I did a lot of miles and I'm very tired. I'm not very sleepy though, which is unfortunate because I have a pretty big day planned tomorrow. You know I haven't seen a single spider here? That's SO odd. There are a few gnats or black flies in here with me, damn it. Time to do something about that.
I almost forgot! They (the USFS) is stocking the lake with fish tomorrow and will be dropping them out of a helicopter between 10:30am and 12:30pm. I wish I could be here to see it. Hell, I'm considering staying anyway, schedule be damned. How often does one get to see live fish dropped out of a helicopter, after all.
