So we had hiked the Hunt Trail up Mighty Mt. Katahdin. We also hiked the Saddle Trail down Mighty Mt. Katahdin. And we slept in the bunkhouse at Roaring Brook Campground in Baxter State Park. But, we were still 18 miles from our shelter at Katahdin Stream Campground. What now?

Well, sit in the parking lot and ask as many people for a ride as we can, of course. All we needed was someone nice enough to drive four strangers and their heavy packs 18 miles through the remote woods of Maine. Shouldn’t be too hard to find right? No, not for my rule for life: When in doubt, pray it out!

That was the plan. We woke up at about ten and ate our oatmeal. Then packed our gear and headed for the parking lot. Thankfully there were picnic tables on the edges of the parking lot.

Gig and Tink sat and swatted mosquitoes while I cased the parking lot. The problem was that most people coming into the parking lot are there to hike. I realized it would be rude to ask those pulling in and focused on those pulling out. Many of those leaving had their own equipment and had no room for us. Additionally, driving us would be well out of their way down potholed dirt roads. So the pickings were slim. But God!

I asked as many people as I could. We got to the parking lot at 11:00 and finally got a ride at about 13:00 from two men in a minivan. I had seen them pull in earlier for a hike, but since they were hikers I did not ask them for a ride when I first saw them. But two and half hours after they had started their hike they came out of the woods heading for the van. They agreed to take us to the main gate, which was about 6 miles away. There we could try getting a ride from someone going to the campground where we were staying. Sounded great.

I was shocked when the older man opened the trunk for us to load our packs. The van was completely empty. Turns out they were in Maine for a visit with relatives and had borrowed the van to hike instead of hanging around waiting for their family to gather. Tink pointed out to me that Christian music was playing on the van’s radio. Glory to God!

We talked the men, during the bumpy ride, until the main gate appeared in the distance. Then the driver took a right and headed down the road towards our campground without saying a word. They must have agreed to take us the whole way without informing us. I was speechless!

We could not thank them enough when they dropped us off at the Katahdin Stream Campground ranger station. We waved as they drove off.

We then walked to our shelter.

Katahdin Stream Campground Shelter

We found Off there, sound asleep. He was happy to see us when woke him and he told us of the solitary battle he’d had during the night with the Maine mosquitoes. It was clear from his tired expression that he had not won the fight. Off had a ping-pong ball sized welt on his forehead as a testament to the mosquitoes bloodthirsty ferocity.

And so, together again, we rested for the remainder of the day. We would be heading south on the morrow.