Day 30 - 7/8 - Goodbye to Shaw’s and Kennebec Crossing

Pleasant Pond Road (146.2) to West Carry Pond Lean-to (165.4)

Kennebec River Warning Sign

After four days of staying at Shaw’s hostel this morning, I had to say goodbye. Not before enjoying one last pancake breakfast, though. Once we left, my dad dropped me off at the trailhead for one last five-mile slackpack down to the Kennebec River. The Kennebec is the largest and most treacherous river that the AT crosses, as it is four hundred feet across and downstream from dams that can create surges, suddenly raising the water level. For this reason, fording is not allowed, and a canoe ferry service is offered free of charge. I said goodbye to my dad and then crossed the Kennebec and continued southward.

West Carry Pond

The AT here follows the Great Carrying Place Trail, which is the portage from the Kennebec to the Dead River used by American soldiers in the Revolutionary War to reach and attack Quebec. It is really incredible to think of the 400-pound boats carried by just 5-6 men for 15 miles. It doesn’t make my 35-pound pack any less heavy, but it does make it seem a little more manageable. In the late afternoon, I reached a campsite and lean-to at West Carry Pond and set up camp. I had a quick dinner on the shore of the pond and headed to sleep early.