Flatlands of Maine

My dad hiked with me for about a week through the ponds and swamps. We heard lots of loons and saw lots of toads, frogs, and mushrooms. The blueberries are ripe—making a lovely addition to our morning oatmeal. There are amazingly few biting insects out this year. We stopped to admire several bogs and didn't get chewed up. We crossed the Kennebec River—a dangerous ford because of the hydroelectric dam upstream that can release large volumes of water. MATC has provided a canoe ferry (and ferryman) to help hikers across. We did have to ford the East and West Branches of the Piscataquis River...but they were easy. Knee deep, gentle current, warm water. I'm taking a zero day in Greenville with my parents before heading into the 100-mile Wilderness. I'm taking my time and enjoying the rest of my trip, so several of my northbound friends have caught up and passed me. It sounds like August 1 is a popular summit day, but I will be on Katahdin a few days after that.