June 26. Carry Pond -> Little Bigelow Lean-to

Half day today, about 8 miles from Carry Pond Shelter to Little Bigelow Lean-to. Got here about 12:30, a woman named "T" was here, having a snack break. Very nice woman in her 50's, finishing her last section up to Katahdin. She's from Kentucky and has an adorable Southern accent (the dialect where "cold" is pronounced "code"). It started raining while we talked hiking, but we sat at the front of the shelter and stayed dry. She hiked on after awhile, heading North to Carry Pond, where I'd stayed last night. Today's hike was fairly uneventful, kind of muggy with your typical up-and-down walk in the woods. Not much to recport there. Lots of logging activity, crossed several roads, one paved, the AT ran along one for a short distance [actually walked past a street sign!]. Can hear logging machinery in the distance even now, a start change from the isolation of the 100 miles. A little gnat followed me my whole hile (I have no proof that it was only one) and performed an insipid, stupid little dance right in front of my glasses the entire way. I get it, gnat, I see you, stop being such an attention whore, it's quite unbecoming. I decided to stop early, because the next shelter is 10 miles over the Bigelows, Big-Bigelow[Avery Peak] being a 4000 footer, and I'd love to start them fresh, early in the morning. Good thing, it's raining now, and some serious thunder is happening in the distance. Smash and the boyz are putting in big miles today, trying to get to Avery campsite, up and over Avery Peak. I imagine they're not having too much fun right now. I'll shoot for the next shelter tomorrow, 10 miles over some reportedly rugged but gorgeous terrain. Some in the register here at the lean-to have compared it to the Whites. Til then! Going to scare up some dinner and enjoy being dry in the lean-to. -Ups