Camping Pleasant Pond Lean-to 2044.3

We got up at 3, had a quick snack from the trail magic and then hiked on. Even though it was in the middle of the night we had some light from the moon and we pushed hard to make it worth getting up that early. Tired and exhausted we reached the Kennebec River about 10 hours later to get on the ferry.
A few years ago someone died fording this river because there are unpredictable currents due to a dam. So they needed to figure out a safe way to cross the river. A bridge would cost a lot because it would need to withstand the ice in the winter. So ultimately they decided that the best option is to hire someone to maintain a ferry service for some hours a day. Those hours are currently from 9 AM to 2 PM. Outside of these hours you can either ford the river or pay 50$. So this ferry is a canoe with three seats, the captain and two passengers. The river is crossed within less than a minute so it seems like a bit of exaggeration to sign a release form and wear life jackets...
Afterwards we treated ourselves with a milkshake, burritos and our usual lunch at a nearby Hiker B&B. There was supposed to be a thunderstorm incoming later in the afternoon so we just had a quick stop there before moving on. Luckily the last bit was a gentle uphill and we reached the Lean-to before it started raining. But the Lean-to was already full so we sat up the tent & tarp construction and fell asleep after a crazy long day.Read more