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Well, we made it to Caratunk. I picked up at drop at the post office. I needed a small resupply so I went with Mr.T and Flint to a place to buy food. We ended up zeroing with Tarzan and company. We went to Northern Outdoors for football, food, air hockey, cranium, and a hot tub. We are “cowboy camping” tonight by the road, then hiking tomorrow!!—STRESS FREE, Baby!!!!
Same town story most of the morning—library, P.O., store, goodbyes, hellos, waiting for mail, breakfast, phone calls to family and friends, etc., etc. Left from Shaw’s for a 3-mile slack to the road, then another 3 miles to the first shelter. Today I entered the 100-mile Wilderness with Mr. T and Flint. The Wilderness is a 100 mile section where there is no convenient Resupply, so you have to carry additional food. I entered Wilderness with a 51 lb pack, obviously mostly food. I think I have about 10 days worth of food for an 8 day stretch. I tend to think of my food bag more like a “pantry” so that I have choices for meals and snacks instead of a ration of exact numbers of meals and snacks. But at least I’ll be eating well, right? I’m camping at Leeman Brook Lean-to tonight with Mr. T and Flint as well as two section hikers who came in late, Patrick and John, who are nice guys. After dinner Mr. T wanted to play a card game so she made an attempt to make a deck using index cards cut in fourths with number and suit handwritten in black magic marker as a substitute for store-bought playing cards. Amazingly, it was the first attempt for me to play cards on the trail. We tried to play a game with our small, spontaneous fabricated deck but the first round took so long. Finally, without a thought, I just tossed my cards into the fire to my left and on that, so did everyone else. It was a good idea that just didn’t work too well. We all laughed at our ridiculous stupidity and blamed the entire episode on Mr. T.
The night is clear and crisp and cool. Our fire is roaring down to embers. It’s the first fire we’ve (or at least me) had in a long time; they sure do add a nice mood to any night spent on the A.T. I want to get up early for a good 16 mile day tomorrow. I just might bump into the crowd that left Monson yesterday and today. Everyone’s so pumped about summiting Katahdin! I’m definitely glad to be so close to Katahdin, too. I’m looking forward to seeing the family.
Well, time to rest. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll see a moose. If I don’t see a moose, it would be the only large eastern U.S. animal that I haven’t seen on my trek. I can’t wait to see a moose!
I was on the trail by 8:15 this morning. It was overcast and foggy when I past Mud Pond. By the time I past Little Wilson Falls, it had mostly cleared. The 60 ft falls were incredible and I took my first break here. I took some photos, filtered water and continued north. Next, Flint & I came to Big Wilson Stream, which was more like a river. Given no choice, we had to ford it. Maine trails do not use bridges because the trail builders and maintainers believe it takes away from the wilderness experience. Flint and I found some dead logs nearby in the woods and used them to make our own bridge across. It took some time, but we were waiting on Mr. T anyway, so it didn’t much matter anyway; the project filled the hour we waited. In the end, Flint didn’t trust our bridge, so he forded the river by removing his shoes and walking through the water; I, however, had faith in our bridge and chose to cross using it. I walked very carefully and made it to the first rock on the other side of our log bridge. Thankfully, I made it through the most dangerous portion of the ford, the 10-ft log walk, unscathed. From there, I had to rock-hop about 4 or 5 rocks across to the shoreline. On my second hop, my left foot slipped on the algae-covered stone and it plummeted into the water. Of course, I quickly pulled it out and urgently made it to the bank. Crossing the bridge was very unsteady—probably stupid, especially with my heavy pack, but fortunately I was very, very lucky to make it over safely without falling entirely into the rushing water below. However, of all that crossed the river—either by our bridge or through the water—I was the only one to have a wet boot. I thought it was funny.
I ate lunch about a ½ mile later @ Wilson Valley Lean-to. Since I’m carrying so much food I’m trying to eat big meals, heaviest items first, as frequently as I can tolerate eating. Mr. T and Flint arrived shortly later and also ate lunch here. The remainder of the day was fairly simple. We had another stream to ford, Long Pond Stream, but it was not as deep or as wide or as rapid moving as our first ford; I rock-hopped across with ease. I waited here for Mr. T and Flint but the never showed so I kept walking. Walking north was a nice walk along the stream. The fall colors are really coming out so nice and the stream added another element to the grace and splendor of the landscape. Even though I’m out here everyday I feel like I am missing something because the change happens all so quickly. I arrived @ Long Pond Stream Lean-to at 5 p.m.; it was another 4 miles to the next shelter, which was my original destination. I waited for Mr. T and Flint at the shelter for two hours before they finally showed. Mr. T had taken a bad fall while fording the last stream and re-injured her right ankle. So, here we are, in for the night at Long Pond Stream Lean-to; 12.1 miles covered today. It is raining now softly on the tin roof of the shelter. It is quite soothing. The time is now 8:57 p.m. and I’m out for the count. Good hiking today!
It rained all night. Nevertheless, by morning the sky was clear and blue and perfect! Sleeping through the night rain and waking to its remnants is somewhat charming. It was cold this morning; clearly a mark that fall has arrived. It seems to get chillier as the night gives to morning.
We in the shelter were up and moving by 7 a.m. For me, breakfast was two homemade dehydrated fruit/nut/oat cookies. I generally have two each morning to help keep me regular! They take such a long time to eat though; they’re so dense and chewy it can take me 30-40 minutes to eat both of them. As a result, I was the last to leave the shelter at 8:30 a.m.
From the shelter, first thing, I had a 1700 ft climb up Barren Mountain. I caught the others shortly (I love the climbs). Flint and I were the first to reach the apex followed by section hikers John and Patrick and finally Mr. T. At the top was a fire tower. The tower was old and rusty with a very small platform; I didn’t climb to the extreme top but just below instead. Everyone else admired the terrific views—the perfect, cloudless blue sky, the mountains covered in yellows and reds and dark greens, a gleaming, glassy lake—from the top of the mountain. It was sweet from whichever point of view.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t spend much more than 30 minutes here; we had to keep moving northward toward the “Fatty K.” Since I rested on the summit, I passed Cloud Pond Lean-to, only .9 miles north past the fire tower. If I would have been thinking I would have stopped to get water. I needed water. Given that my pack is was so much heavier than normal due to added provisions, I hadn’t been carrying water, opting instead to camel up from source to source. Today it was a mistake; the next water source was 5.1 miles north! Man, was I ever thirsty! I hadn’t had a drop of water since leaving the shelter this morning. I bolted ahead of the group and over two fairly large mountains before I came across a stream. When I finally arrived at the stream, I rested and I drank 2 liters back to back. My body was so relieved! I wasn’t fully dehydrated, but definitely parched!
I made it to Chairback Gap Lean-to by 2:30 p.m. where I ate lunch. Again, I waited for Mr. T and Flint. We had said that we wanted to hike past the shelter a couple of miles and camp at perhaps Pleasant River, an additional 4 miles. I thought they’d be an hour or so behind but 3 section hikers, Rooster, Guy, Brood X, and Momma’s Boy all arrived before they did. It was 5:45 in the evening when they finally made it to the shelter. By this point, I was so cooled down that I just wanted to stay. Moreover, only about 45 minutes of daylight remained. So I stayed and they pushed onward to camp. I hike faster than they do together anyway, so I said I’d catch up to them tomorrow. I’m planning a long day, too. I’d like to hike the Gulf Hagas Trail, a 5.2 mile side trip. The Gulf Hagas, a 500 ft deep gorge featuring 5 major waterfalls has been called “the Grand Canyon of the east!” I don’t see how people can pass it up but they do! Also, our last major climb (other than Katahdin) is White Cap will be tomorrow. It’s going to be a tough, strenuous hike. I am excited! I plan on waking before sunrise (about 5 a.m.) to get my day started.
On that, I should be getting some sleep. Goodnight! Oh, 11 miles today! I am cowboy camping under the awning of a hemlock grove—through the canopy I can see the stars and moon. Ain’t life grand? *grin* More adventure waits to be discovered tomorrow…
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