July 19, 2025 5 min to read

AT Blog: Day 132 and 133

Canoe Ferry and High Water Crossings

Day 132:

I “sleep in” at Harrison’s Place by waking up at 6:30 AM, kinda funny how that’s sleeping in now, the sun rises super early here in Maine in Summer. Anyway I get most of my stuff together and head over to get breakfast. Shortly after I went to bed last night a through hiker named Happy also got a place here. She was already in the common room and we chatted for a while. She is completing her triple crown on the AT.

At 7, Tim comes in with breakfast; orange juice, a sausage patty, scrambled eggs and a huge stack of blueberry and apple slice pancakes. It was a great start to the day. We all chat for a long time about all sorts of stuff, like Charlie the dog, flooding on trail, people who have stopped by in the past and more. Guthook, the guy who made farout stopped by this place on his way north. The owner built the bridge outside himself, after it was washed out a couple years ago.

Around 9ish we both head out. There’s a few mile hike to the ferry, and I stop by one of the side trails to visit Pierce Brook Falls. It was gushing majorly when I visited, might be a nice place for a swim when the water recedes. On that point the trail is still super boggy from yesterday’s rains, but no rain today yet.

I pass by a dozen or so people heading southbound in groups, people who had ridden the ferry together. When I get to the Kennebec River where the official route is via a canoe ferry, the river is very high. I remember seeing photos of a proper beach landing, instead it’s just the trail ending in the flooded water. The canoe was rowing towards me when I got there, Happy was also there before I arrived.

After the canoe lands and the 2 hikers get off, Birdman the operator has us sign waivers and gives us brief instructions. I get to sit up front and man an oar, while Birdman is in the back with another. He tells us about the strong current and how the river is about a foot away from when he shuts down the ferry.

We have to paddle upriver close by shore a ways before we can continue across the river. The whole time our nose is pointed straight up river and I paddle on my right side to keep it that way. We slowly cross the hardest current and make landfall next to an underwater 3 foot tall bench.

Birdman lets us out and tells us about the local area in case we need anything. While Happy goes on ahead I call the Sterling Inn to get a resupply. I don’t get much as all I need is enough for Monson, but I also get an ice cream dessert to eat while I’m there and recharge my devices.

I head back to the trail slowly making my way. At a river crossing I did something a little dumb. So I carry a smart water on a shoulder strap and it has a little noose meant to keep it secured. When I don’t tighten it can slide upwards when I’m jostled around. So when rock hopping it decided to fly off into the river and quickly away. Fortunately I have a dirty bottle and a clean Gatorade bottle still so I just can’t carry as much water till Monson.

The rest of the day I take slow, I see beautiful views on top of Pleasant Pond Mountain and take camp there. I only hiked about 12 miles but it was an adventurous day to say the least.

Day 133:

Start day with a slight rain shower hitting the top of the tent.

Hike a few miles and the trail is still soaked and flooded, more so with the rain starting, but it stops raining about an hour in.

Crossing Baker Stream Ford was difficult, it was pretty wide and whatever trail there was is 6 inches under at least. Plus all the brooks and streams are filled with silt so I can’t even see the bottom in places.

Moxie Bald is pretty with some neat rock coverings in some places. I take a lunch break at Moxie Bald lean-to.

Bald Mountain Stream was bad. At the halfway point (and the water at my hips) I slipped on the rocks and was forced to start swimming against the current. I wasn’t at any major risk but it is scary to be swept away like that, I made it to the other side and decided to change tacks for the next section.

There’s a bad river crossing for the west and east branch of the Piscataquis River, that I had been warned about and 2 hikers had to be rescued from yesterday. The water level has gone down, but based on the previous stream, it’s still feet above normal. So I decided to take Bald Mountain Stream road to Blanchard road as a bypass, it’s popular for that. Also it adds an extra mile vs the normal trail path. But I would rather be safe than end my hike at the river.

The road is a gravel logging road, with not too much to see. I pass another hiker using it and hike the 10ish miles. When I make it to the intersection with the trail again at mile 2076.4, there’s a van that stops and asks if I need a ride. So I decided to use that to get to Shaw’s. (As an added detail since its a year later, it was the seediest car ride I ever got, with a busted up van, 2 dogs in the back, non functioning seatbelts, fortunately it was only a couple mile drive so I was ok)

It’s a great place, resupply and I get a bunk. Plus they have all amenities (also Maine is a legal state so I can say this, they have a donation based system). I get a brief tour before completely shutting down.