Date: July 6 2000
Trail Day: 36
Miles Today: 15.5
Location: 6 km from Nictain
Section Mile: IAT 473.8
ECT Mile: 473.8
Got up warm and dry. All my clothes and equipment had dried out. The cabin
was warm while it had been windy and cold outside. In Kedgwick I had
decided to bypass Mt Carlton and take the Sentier NB trail instead. From
Kedgwick to Plaster Rock (about 5 days of hiking) is all roads. The
Sentier NB trail is an old railway line where they have taken out the
rails. It runs among numerous other places, from Kedgwick to Plaster
Rock. But then after talking to Maurice Simon and looking at the maps
it looked as though the NB trail meanders a lot to avoid slopes.
So I had decided to do Rte 385 instead and touch Mt. Carlton. I am now
very glad I did. I got a chance to dry out, got a warm nice place to
sleep in and got to meet very friendly, wonderful people. It is always
nice to meet warm people. Its a morale booster especially on a hike
where it can get quite lonely.
Spent the morning hiking Mt. Carlton, Mt Head and Mt. Sagimook. It
was about 12 km. One of the park employees gave me a ride to the base of
Mt. Carlton from where I started my hike. The hikes of the first two
peaks was fairly easy. Mt. Sagimook was steeper and rockier. Took a
photograph on Mt. Carlton. You can tell when you are nearing the peak -
the wind will almost knock you off. I got done at about 1:00 pm and got
a ride from an old gentleman who drove extremely slowly. He had a cup
of soda that he was drinking . Between sips he would put it on the
dashboard and it wouldn't even come close to tipping over - and we were
on a bumpy dirt road ! He told me of an Indian friend he had named
Kuppaiswamy, who was an engineer in the Indian Navy. He had some problem
getting a US visa but a Canadian one was easier (This was 30 years ago).
So the American company transferred him to Canada and then after
things were straightened out over years he moved him back to the US.
He married a native Indian girl and had two children who are now
grown up. The old gentleman offered me some grapes as I was leaving.
Only politeness prevented me from snatching the whole bag and
gobbling it. They were delicious.
As I was done with my Mt. Carlton hike fairly early, I decided to get some
trail miles in. Said thanks and good byes to the park folks and started
walking Rte 385. About 5 minutes into the hike I saw a fox with a pup.
It was sitting on the road and continued to look at me as I approached,
then ran half up a small hill and looked at me for a while and then
ran away.
Saw Dick Anderson and Will Richards again. Looks like they had bad
weather at Parc de la Gaspesie and had to return early. They also
said Henry, the President of ALDHA (Appalachian Long Distance Hikers
Association) was doing the IAT and that I would run into him soon.
Soon afterwards I set up tent, cooked and got into my tent.
Then I heard a voice say "Excuse me, is this the way to Cap de Gaspe".
It was Henry. His trail name is Trickster. He also set up his tent
nearby. We chatted a little about AT, ALDHA and other related stuff.
Date: July 7 2000
Trail Day: 37
Miles Today: 20.5
Location: Everett
Section Mile: IAT 494.3
ECT Mile: 494.3
It rained off and on all night. However, by morning it had stopped.
Packed up, took a photo of Trickster and said good bye. About half an
hour into the hike it started raining again. I got completely wet.
I stopped by the salmon traps just as I entered Nictane. I recommend
this to all hikers. The caretakers showed me the traps and the station
where they are weighed and measured. They are held in this large
section of the river for their protection and then released
just before the spawning time. Atlantic Salmon return to the fresh water
to spawn every year while some of the Pacific salmon spawn and die.
I also got to see the salmon in the river very clearly. They were
also jumping around a lot. I also stopped by at Bill Miller's place. Bill is well known in the IAT circle. He makes wood canoes and has been doing so for the past 25 or so
years. He gave me some sandwiches, chips and hot chocolate - good
after the rain. He let me use his computer. I took a look at the
web page. Charlotte Collard from my old Louisville workplace had
made a guest entry. Nice to hear from her after quite a while.
Hi Charlotte !
Bill showed me around his workshop. The canoes are made from cedar.
He cuts the trees and makes them into strips himself. A rib cage kind
of thing is made by bending strips of cedar. Then strips of wood
are rivetted on top. Then it gets a covering of fibreglass and
then varnishing. Quite fascinating. The canoes are surprisingly light.
He also makes miniature ones that can be set up as a coffee table -
very nice.
I then continued on to Riley Brook. Had lunch at a restaurant. I am
yet to have a good hamburger in Canada. It is always under cooked and
bland. Even some hot peppers that I asked for could not save this one.
Off topic - I would like to polish off a banana split.
Continued hiking. I decided to hike till Oxbow and reward myself from stuff
from a little store they have there. But by the time I got close to it, it was
past their closing time. I dont have a watch and lost track of time
as it was cloudy all day. I decided to camp instead and buy breakfast
tomorrow at the store.
I am now beside the Tobique river and it is raining. No cooking today.
Date: July 8 2000
Trail Day: 38
Miles Today: 12.4
Location: Campground at Rock Plaster
Section Mile: IAT 506.7
ECT Mile: 506.7
It rained almost continuosly all night. Middle of the night I realized
that my sleeping bag was getting wet in the middle. In the morning, I realized
that my tent and sleeping bag were quite wet. I saw two deer about 100 ft
from my tent. They seemed curious. I was able to get fairly close to them
for a photo before they ran away. I hiked to Oxbow where there was a
small store. They had banana splits on their menu and I ordered it
immediately. The counter woman was a sour faced, metallic voiced lady -
the kind you try to talk as little as possible for fear that she may snap and bite
you any minute.
I continued down the road and talked to an old gentleman. He asked where I
had walked from and where I was headed to. I told him. Then he asked
if it was very expensive. Told him no, because most nights I sleep in
my tent. He was about to give me a couple of dollars but I told him I was doing fine.
I got to Plaster Rock and found a camp ground. It had large fiddle heads
made of concrete in front. Fiddle heads are fern like plants that take
the shape of fiddle handles when they sprout. They are edible although
if you are not used to them it can give you the runs. I tried to get
a fire going but could not because everything was wet. The couple from
the next tent site tried to help me with logs from their fire -
still no luck. They then invited me over to their fire. Being wet and
cold I gladly accepted.
They are from Germany. The man was an electrical engineer while the
woman was a teacher. They were going to tour Canada, US and Mexico
for a year. We talked about paddling, hiking and travelling. Also
had a good session of US bashing. The themes were - fat people,
junk food, over commercialization of everything and ignorance of other
cultures and countries.
Later on, some local teenagers set up tent. Some more joined them and
soon it was a party. There was alcohol, drugs and sex all around.
They were loud and obnoxious and I could get no sleep till early morning.
They certainly had no parental supervision or concern. With such parents
I can easily see a "Columbine" incident happening. Anyway, the
skies cleared up late night and tomorrow should be a better day.
Date: July 9 2000
Trail Day: 39
Miles Today: 21.1
Location: Near Tobique Narrous Dam
Section Mile: IAT 527.8
ECT Mile: 527.8
Could not get much sleep last night due to the morons partying. It was
drizzling in the morning. I waited for it to let up and started packing.
Said good bye to the German couple - they are very nice people. Had some
difficulty finding the trail. First the guy I talked to had no idea
of a Sentier NB Trail. Finally, he said he knew of an old railroad bed. I said
that was it.
Had lunch at Arthurette. I still havent gotten over how expensive food
is here. I am down to about 20 Canadian dollars now. Will have to stretch
those dollars. The trail was swarming with ATV's. They are not even allowed
on the trail. Not very law abiding. The trail roughly parallel's the Tobique
river. At one point it crossed over a river. It was not supposed to cross
the Tobique river. There was no way to tell whether it was the Tobique or not.
Confused I thought to myself -
"Tobique or not Tobique
That is the question"
Date: July 10 2000
Trail Day: 40
Miles Today: 9.7
Location: Ft. Fairfield
Section Mile: IAT 537.5
ECT Mile: 537.5
It rained again last night. Waited for the rain to stop and got a late
start. The trail continued along the abandoned railway bed beside the
Tobique river. Tobique river merges with St. John river. The trail
follows this river to the town of Perth - Andover where I had lunch.
Then it crosses the river and then continues along the river north
to a town called Aroostook. Here it uses another abandoned railbed
called Timber which runs west into the US border. Then it runs along
the US border till Ft. Fairfield. The border is fairly easy to tell.
About 50 ft. of the forest has been cleared and there are concrete
markers every km or so which says US on one side and Canada on the
other. At one point there was a large beaver pond. I got quite
disoriented trying to work my way around it and found myself walking
in the wrong direction. Off the border some of the places are very
dense and it is easy to get lost. Finally found my way back by
spotting the electric lines that also run along it part of the way.
I also saw a moose with its calf. It did not run away immediately
and I was able to get my camera out and get a
shot. I also took a
shot of me near one of
the concrete border markers.
I then tried to get a lift from the border to the town of Ft.
Fairfield about 4 km away. No luck, had to walk the whole way. The
post office was open, so I got my mail drop from Vivek. There is
a Potato Festival here. I tried to find a hotel/motel or bed and
breakfast. There is only a B+B with the owners absent. Folks around
here aren't sure if they are still operating the B+B. The door to the
porch is open so I decided to wait there. I think I will wait here
and if no one shows up, sleep here in my sleeping bag. I have no other
choice.
Customs was no problem. Looks like every customs officer has a sour
puss and I always get him. He almost regretfully told me that my documents
were fine and that I could proceed.
Wrote too soon. Around 10 PM a couple came in. I think they were taking
care of the B+B in the owner's absence. They told me that there was no
B+B anymore. They wouldn't even let me put a tent in a nearby lawn that
belonged to the post office. I started walking out of town back to the
trail. On the way I saw a little pond with some mowed areas. It was quite
out of town and near the border. I put my tent up. As soon as I got
comfortable in my sleeping bag it started pouring. I was lucky. It has been
raining here a lot. I think I have had about 10 days of rain in the past
12.
Also a note on the trail quide description for New Brunswick. Almost all
the stated mileages are under estimates. It says Mt. Carlton to Plaster
Rock is 67 kms, its actually 81. Plaster Rock to Perth Andover it says is
25. Its actually 41. Road mileages are easy to obtain and therefore
there is no excuse for them not to be accurate. This needs to be corrected.
Date: July 11 2000
Trail Day: 41
Miles Today: 18
Location: Top of Mars Hill
Section Mile: IAT 555.5
ECT Mile: 555.5
Frogs croaked all night at the pond. The rain let up at morning. I packed
up and started hiking. The trail continues along the US - Canada border
for another 12 miles. The beginning was rough. It was very over grown and
there were several bogs. In one I got my foot stuck about a foot deep
and had a hard time pulling it out. Later on, the border cleared area
was also used by ATV's, so it was much easier. I think the GORETEX in my
shoes have failed. My socks get soaked when I walk on wet grass. This
did not happen before.
It drizzled a little during the day. It also became cold and windy. I could
see Mars Hill in the distance almost as soon as I started hiking today
morning. At first it was a faint blurry hill. Then all of a sudden it was
the next hill. The trail up the hill is a good one. It runs through lush
forests. Absolutely no water though. I did not drink any water today because
I was not thirsty on the border which had lots of water. Once the trail
left the border and went up the hill, I got a little thirsty but no water.
I am also totally out of food. I was planning on having breakfast and buy some
food at Ft. Fairfield but since I got kicked out I did not get a chance
to. Anyway, I will be in Mars Hill by about 11 AM tomorrow.
Saw a wonderful lean-to (shelter) at the US border built by IAT. Had I
known it was there I would have got out of Ft. Fairfiled earlier and
slept there. There is another lean-to here on top of Mars Hill. But it is
very cold due to the wind. I may have to put on my thermal underwear -
unbelievable in mid July ! I think I can also see Mt. Katahdin though
I am not sure.
Incidentally, yesterday was an important day as I crossed over to the US.
One country down, one more to go. Two states down, sixteen to go.
A grassy trail
Katahdin sighted 1.
Katahdin sighted 2.
Date: July 12 2000
Trail Day: 42
Miles Today: 25
Location: Littleton
Section Mile: IAT 580.5
ECT Mile: 580.5
Last night was cold. I had to zip up my sleeping bag fully - haven't
done this in 20 or 30 days. Also had to keep my face fully covered
to let my breath warm the bag up. I talked to a guy later during the day
and he said there was frost. The day however was bright and shining.
A good change from the past several days.
Started down Mars Hill. It follows a service road but uses several back
tracks to cut out the steep portions. These trails are also good. The
climb down was surprisingly quick. It also used the ski slope at the very
bottom. Saw my favourite part of the ski slope - the bunny hill. This is
the only place I can ski without breaking my neck. Got out of the parking
lot and on to the road to the town of Mars Hill. As I kept walking it
looked as though the town had nothing - no stores, restaurants or gas
stations. But then it took a turn and all of a sudden everything.
I had breakfast at Al's diner served by a beautiful but spaced out girl.
Had a large breakfast and two milk shakes - Uhmmm. Sent a roll of film
to Suriyan and my travel documents to Vivek. I am now well inside the
border and won't be needing them anymore. The people at the post office
were quite interested when I told them I was headed to the AT. They
wished me well.
Note on geographic awareness : Looks like there are some places where
geographic awareness of an area changes quickly. In all of Quebec
people knew Park Forillion and Cap de Gaspe. Also true for New
Brunswick till Kedgwick. Then when I entered Riley Brook they had no
idea where it was. But they knew Gaspesie - the general area. Then
when I entered the US no one knew Gaspesie. So I now have to say I started
from Quebec.
Anyway, I bought some trail food and headed out of the town of Mars Hill
by an abandoned railroad converted to an ATV trail. Got to Bridgewater
and followed US 1 to Montriello where I had lunch and talked to the
old gentleman who ran the store. He worked in the jewelery business
for 50 years and is now 78 - doesn't look it at all. Continued on the
railroad track to Littleton. There was a store nearby. So I bought a half
gallon of lemonade and sandwiches. I have eaten quite well today. I guess,
to make up for yesterday.
I have also decided to use the southern approach to Katahdin. It is a
lot more road. I don't have a choice. It looks like the Baxter Park employees
are being hostile to IAT hikers. I had asked Suriyan to make reservations
for the northern approach for tenting. But it looks like I will be there much
sooner. The idiots there need about a month in advance applications. With
that it is impossible to time the IAT hike.
