Days 172-179
September 19-26
Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
to
Monson, ME, and the 100-Mile Wilderness
Day 172
Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
to Hostel of Maine
Today is Sally's Birthday. Happy Birthday, Sally!
Note from Sally:
Many thanks to all the people Dan/Titanium enlisted to send me happy birthday messages. That was a lot of fun, and I had a great day!
Back to Titanium:
Today's weather was warm with intermittent cloud cover -- a good day for a hike.
The trail started out relatively easy. It was hilly with few obstacles. then it changed back to the nasty sharp, steep rocks reminiscent of a survival course or "Fear Factor."
I had followed this trail for about a half mile when I encountered another thru-hiker. She asked if I intended to hike to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. I said, no, and neither did she. We were hiking down the mountain when we encountered another hiker who was unknowingly headed up the wrong trail. I'm not sure if this was just a bad sign placement or someone moved the sign as a cruel joke. Either way, it wasn't appreciated.
I passed the 2000-mile marker today. 200 miles to go to Mt. Katahdin!
Suddenly I caught up to several hikers who had passed me earlier. It was not hard to see why. The climb down to the trailhead near the Carrabassett River was treacherous. It was a rock fall consisting of large, sharp, angular boulders and slabs. This stretch took a bit of skill and time to traverse. It took me an hour to get through this quarter-mile boulder field.
I don't understand why the AT trail builders thought this was good idea. Intentionally placing people in these hazardous situations is never good, especially when there is no warning or reasonable alternative once you have arrived at the danger zone. Many of the shuttle drivers and hostel owners hiked the AT in the 70s and 80s. They claim that the trail has been rerouted to include the peaks and nastier trail sections and that some of the trails they hiked are now blue-blaze trails.
I made arrangements to stay at the Hostel of Maine, which has been rated the best on the AT. The hostel shuttle picked me up at the Carrabassett River trailhead. I was pretty beat at that point and enjoyed the ride.
It's easy to see why this hostel received its rating. It is a beautiful lodge that is meticulously maintained. The staff are courteous and well trained. And the included breakfast was great.
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| Hostel of Maine |
Day 173
Hostel of Maine Layover (Zero Day)
I wasn't originally planning on taking a zero today, but I was feeling pretty well drained physically and in need of rest.
At breakfast, I was enjoying hot and homemade bread, banana bread, eggs, and coffee. I realized that I just didn't have any energy. I booked another night at the hostel and went back to bed. Come to find out, several other hikers did the same thing. I guess that's what six months on the trial and treacherous situations will do to you.
I went to the store and bought food for dinner. I was joined for dinner by Zorro and Don Quixote. Zorro and I have been leapfrogging each other for the past four months. I first met Don Quixote about a month ago. We grilled chicken and cooked sweet potatoes, fresh green beans, and charred tortillas on the grill. This was a real treat having food that didn't require rehydration.
The conversation and time spent with these guys was extremely enjoyable. It was good to hear that they were experiencing the same issues I have been. This trail is hard on a person both mentally and physically.
At the end of the day, I was feeling a lot better and was ready to hit the trail in the morning.
Day 174
Hostel of Maine to Stealth Camp at Mile 2039.1
Today the temperature was in the high 60s with overcast skies -- nice hiking weather.
The shuttle dropped me off at the Long Falls Dam Road trailhead. Something strange and wonderful has happened. I'm no longer in the mountains. the trail has ups and downs and obstacles, but no massive climbs and hopefully no boulder fields. I feel like I'm flying down the trail.
There are a lot of lakes in this part of Maine. I considered going for a swim, that is until I tested the water temperature. It's cold, so no swimming for me.
The trail passes over a lot of cranberry bogs. Luckily, there are bridges and boardwalks over these areas. In 1775, during the Revolutionary War, this route was used by Colonel Benedict Arnold to lead a group of soldiers to attack British soldiers in Quebec. I can't imagine how hard that would have been slogging through the bogs.
I saw and heard something I haven't since a canoeing trip in Quetico, Canada, with friends Rick and Ed, back in 1995. Loons. It's hard not to recognize their haunting warble floating across the lake. I watched and listened for a while.
I got a late start but still managed to hike 13 miles before sunset. I'm definitely enjoying this part of the trail. I pitched camp near a stream, not far from some other NOBOs (northbound thru-hikers). One I know; three I hadn't met before.
I heard one hiker say that she felt like a hiker again instead of someone clinging to rocks and fearing for her life. I definitely second that sentiment.
Day 175
Stealth Camp at Mile 2039.1 to
Harrison's Pierce Pond Camp
The weather today was warm and overcast with brief breakthroughs of sunshine. This trail section was meant for cruising. There were very few rocks or roots to contend with.
I didn't get too far today. It was a four-mile hike to Harrison's Pierce Pond Camp, a traditional Maine lodge. I originally intended to cross the Kennebec River today but mistakenly believed that the river ferry ran until 4:00.
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| Harrison's Pierce Pond Camp Cabin |
The camp owner informed me that I needed to be at the river by 1:30 to make the last ferry at 2:00. It was noon, and I still had four miles to hike to the river.
I decided to stay at the Camp, as did Zorro and two young women thru-hikers. The cabins were nice but rustic, with no electricity but with comfortable beds, wood stove, table, and kerosene lamp. My cabin was quite cozy with a warm fire and soft flickering glow from the lamp.
I spent the day investigating the lodge and grounds, studying maps, and discussing the lodge's history with the owner.
Dinner was sensational. We had braised hog wings (pork shanks), grilled chicken, rice pilaf with broccoli and olives, corn on the cob, and for dessert--honeydew melon. The group spent several hours after dinner shooting the breeze (talking). All in all, a very enjoyable day and evening.
Day 176
Harrison's Pierce Pond Camp to
Pleasant Pond Lean-to
The lodge only serves breakfast by reservation. The Camp dining hall filled up with thru-hikers ready for breakfast being served at 7:00 a.m. sharp. The lodge is well known for its twelve--red (raspberry), white (apple), and blue (blueberry)--pancake breakfast with scrambled eggs, sausage, cranberry juice, and coffee. I put eight of my pancakes in a plastic bag for trail snacks and tomorrow's breakfast.
The trail had lots of roots and rocks with small hills. It was tough, but I still made reasonable time. There were quite a few creeks and waterfalls along the trail before reaching the Kennebec River.
The AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) determined that the Kennebec River is too deep and swift for hikers to ford, and they provide a free canoe ferry ride for AT hikers. The canoe actually has a white blaze painted on its hull, signifying that it is officially part of the AT.
My canoe ride was provided by Matt and his dog Ivy. The ride was fun but way too short.
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| AT Ferryman Matt & Ivy |
I hiked until the sun was about to set and ended up camping near the Pleasant Pond Lean-to. There were five NOBOs there that I hadn't met, plus Zorro and a SOBO (southbound thru-hiker). I'm seeing more and more hikers that I haven't met before. I seem to be entering a NOBO bubble of late hikers trying to summit Katahdin before Baxter State Park closes.
Day 177
Pleasant Pond Lean-to to Bald Mountain Brook
Today was a bit cool with intermittent clouds. For the most part, you could see for miles.
I think the last few days lulled me into thinking that I was done with hard climbs until Mt. Katahdin. Boy, was I wrong.
I had planned my day around hiking an average of 2.5 mph. I didn't realize that the AT had other plans. Pretty much right out of camp this morning, I started climbing. It started out gradually but quickly turned into a steep root and sharp rocks-encrusted climb and descent. I found myself traveling way below my intended speed, around 1 mph on the steep ascents and descents.
I had planned on hiking 15 miles but managed only 9 miles.
I will say that the views from the top of Pleasant Pond Mountain and Middle Mountain were spectacular. I did catch my first glimpse of Mt. Katahdin. It is 148 trail miles away and about 50 miles away as the crow flies.
I camped by Bald Mountain Brook. When I arrived, it was getting dark. I set up camp, fixed my dinner, and then crawled into my sleeping bag. Shortly after, four hikers came down the rocky trail with headlamps blazing. It didn't take long for my quiet location to become a high-concentration tent park. Those guys also misjudged how hard the trail still is.
Day 178
Bald Mountain Brook to Monson, Maine
It was cool and overcast today. On top of Moxie Bald Mountain, it was cold, drizzling, and foggy. Later in the day, we received another light drizzle.
Today I needed to hike 18-plus miles to catch a 6:00 p.m. shuttle to Monson, Maine, and ultimately to Leapin Lena's Hostel. Luckily, the trail today was mostly built for cruising.
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Moxie Bald Mountain |
There were a couple of moderate climbs and areas of rocks and roots, but nothing that slowed me for long. In fact, I arrived 30 minutes early for my shuttle ride.
When I arrived at Leapin Lena's Hostel, I discovered that I knew several folks staying there. While eating our dinner of biscuits and gravy, we had a chance to catch up and joke about our trail mishaps.
Day 179
Layover (Zero) Day in Monson, Maine
I was originally planning on restocking in Monson and then hitting the trail in the early afternoon. Mother Nature also had plans for today. Rain. Not just a light rain but an all-out full washer.
I decided to stay dry and take my time. I switched over to Shaw's Hostel, which is across the street from Lena's. Shaw's had a private room available, plus it has a resupply store, shuttle, and 100-Mile Wilderness food drop service.
I purchased my food, sorted it, and split it; half went in my pack, and the rest went in my food drop bucket. Most important: Don't forget the toilet paper! Tomorrow I'll arrange for the date and time of my food bucket delivery. Shaw's delivers to the Wilderness 50-mile mark via an ATV on an old logging road.
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| Shaw's Food Drop Bucket |
I visited the AMC Center for some directions regarding the trail and creek conditions through the 100-Mile Wilderness and for logistics regarding permits to climb Mt. Katahdin. Sally will be joining me on the climb. We needed to confirm parking and Baxter State Park entrance and permit requirements. One thing for sure: NO DOGS ALLOWED!
Day 180-Plus Preview
The 100-Mile Wilderness and Beyond
Note from Sally:
Titanium began his trek through the 100-Mile Wilderness on Day 180, September 27th. He sent these photos, including this one of the 2100-mile marker he passed on that day. As of this writing (October 1st), Titanium has been keeping in touch primarily via his Garmin because he often has no cell service in the 100-Mile Wilderness. He has fallen a few times on tough terrain but is doing okay, and soon the terrain is supposed to even out a bit leading into Baxter State Park, where Mt. Katahdin is located.
I will be leaving on October 4th after work to begin the three-day drive to Maine, and yes, the dogs will be with me! We plan to board them at Katahdin Kritters, a kennel in Millinocket, Maine, while we summit Katahdin. Baxter State Park has some very strict rules, including no dogs even in the car if you're driving through. We have a couple of days to choose from for the Katahdin summit depending on the weather. The big day for reaching the northern terminus of the AT at the top of Mt. Katahdin should be either October 8th or 9th.
On the way home, Rocky will rejoin Titanium to begin making up those missed miles in Virginia from the Memorial Day weekend injury that took Titanium off the trail for a few days. After a week or so, Rosie and I will return to Virginia to finish with them. Rosie has no idea what she is in for, but Rocky had a very intense look on his face when he sniffed his pack the other day while I cleaned it for him! Here they are in a lighter moment at our cabin property a few days ago:
I am going to do my best to post a blog update in the week between my trips. The computer with the blog program is at home, so I'm afraid no blog updates from the road. Please stay tuned for news of Titanium on the top of Mt. Katahdin!!
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| View near the Beginning of the 100-Mile Wilderness |
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