Approach to Katahdin

Despite some mist and thick clouds early, today turned into a good hiking day for the easy 10 miles into Baxter Park. Trail was mostly flat, following rivers upstream with some nice falls. Here's "Big Niagara" falls:



And a Katahdin view



At Katahdin Stream campground we met a group who had just summited today, guys I shared a rainy night in a shelter in Vermont last month, celebrating with beer. And sharing same.




And also a trail celebrity, "Miss Janet" who runs a hostel in Erwin TN but who enjoys giving out trail magic in Maine when northbounders are finishing up:




Tomorrow we leave the hostel at 6am to get an early start on the mountain

Out of the 100 mile wilderness

Rain today (and tomorrow) persuaded me to come into Millinocket early, staying at the AT Lodge. Seeing lots of folks here who got ahead of me as I slowed down the last two days when temperatures soared into the high 70's. Took baths in lovely lakes, but the reappearance of mosquitos was a major nuisance.
Tomorrow I will go back and do the easy flat 10 mile hike into Baxter State Park and return to this hostel. Then summit on Wednesday, the 5 very difficult miles up Katahdin when the sun returns.
Here are some pictures from the wilderness. You meet all sorts of people on the trail, among them" Astro Guy" Guy Gardner, space shuttle pilot on missions in 1988 and 1990, standing with Sue our shuttle driver out of Monson, as well as Catfish.



Screw Auger falls in Gulf Hagas



A Spruce grouse, too stupid to be afraid



Distant view of Katahdin



Another closer one



Old style privy, "Fort Relief"



Blueberries still edible on Rainbow Ledges



Big bull moose

Monson again, mile 99.2

Today was cool and mostly sunny, perfect for hiking even if fighting off a cold. After another huge breakfast, Catfish and I were driven into the 100 mile "wilderness" and walked a mile up to join the AT. Then a long day of ups, downs, and turnarounds back to town, 15 trail miles. The day featured several stream crossings, usually rock hopping, but one serious ford. Here's how not to ford a river:

This woman was crossing barefoot on the slippery rocks and went in up to her waist. But all her gear was in a big plastic bag inside her pack so no damage, just severe embarrassment followed by a quick change of clothes. Here's Catfish successfully crossing, also barefoot (I wore my crocs and had no problems)

Monson zero day

Given the early morning rain, the huge breakfast I ate here at Shaw's, and the fact that I didn't sleep well, taking the day off was an easy decision. I'm also not the only hiker here with cold symptoms. I shipped my food drop and arranged to slack pack 15 miles back here tomorrow, and hope I'm well enough to enjoy the better weather coming the rest of the week.
At breakfast I chatted with John Vogel who is doing a long section hike. Turns out I had read about him -- he, his wife, and twin sons bicycled from the Artic Circle to Terra del fuego and blogged and wrote a book about this 3 year adventure (see http://familyonbikes.org)
Here he is in front of the lodging house before heading back to the trail.

Shaw's is for sale, after being run for 9 years by Dawn and Sue. They bought it from original owner Keith Shaw, who started it as a hiker hostel in 1977. More changes coming to the trail.
And I ran into another guy I hiked with in Georgia back in May, Hungry Horse.

Monson, mile 114.5

I'm staying at Shaw's lodging house, an institution on the trail, here for years (but for sale so future in doubt). This is the start of the 100 mile "wilderness" but there are roads through it and so it's possible to slack parts or to arrange food drops, so you don't have to carry full weight. I'm sharing a 5 gallon bucket with two others, which will be cached at mile 56. That's assuming I feel well enough-- unfortunately I've caught a cold. Fighting it with big doses of vitamins (Equate) and some cold medicine. Not too bad yet, walked the 9 miles to the trailhead just fine today. So I'll see how I'm doing tomorrow am after the rain clears up.
Here are some more shots of the limo, my cabin at Harrison's Camps, and the massive rocks on Pleasant Pond Mt.

Pleasant Pond Mt. Mile 144.2

It was very cold night but glad to be in cabin with wood stove even if I had to refill it every few hours. Great breakfast at this very traditional sporting camp.


And the shuttle we got back to the trail yesterday morning was very surreal.

Stratton again, mile 171.5

Another good slack, over 17 miles of the Bigelow range and 6000 vertical feet of elevation gain. 7am departure in back of pickup, hiking at 7:45. Cool, clear and breezy, with wonderful views. Took all day, but a most pleasant one with such a light pack, and back at hostel by 6:30pm




Encountered again Double dog and Dareya, two hikers and dog I shared a shelter with in the rain in VT. Note the shovel handle with the carved Mark Twain's face- - the glasses were lost a while back. Their second dog had to leave the trail back in VA.



Since I was walking south back toward Stratton, met lots of north bounders on the way.
Did cloud up later, and rain showers are possible tomorrow, then turning quite cold, lows in the 20's at night. To get out of the freeze and the damp, I plan to stay at Harrison's camp for bed, shower and famous pancake breakfast.

Stratton, ME mile 188.2

Left Andover 2 days ago, getting shuttled back out to Rt 17. Cool, cloudy, windy, but relatively flat 13 miles. Son Miles and I had slacked this stretch back in 1999. Got to Rt 4 that afternoon and road walked to the driveway for the Hiker Hut hostel, where I met owner Steve just pulling out. His hostel is primitive, but he has shower and laundry privileges at another hostel closer to town. I jump in and go there for quick shower and hand off of my dirty clothes for him to start wash. This hostel, the Farmhouse, is where the hiker "Senator" is celebrating his 26th birthday, so I say hello, before dashing off with Steve to grocery store. Then back to pick up the wash and then back to his hostel, where I meet his partner Catherine who hands me huge bowl of brown rice and lentil stew. They live in India 6 months of the year, so very interesting conversation around the fire.



This hostel is off the grid, no electricity, no running water, no heat, except stream and campfire. We have popcorn for desert, then bed, frost predicted. I survive night in my sleeping bag just fine, then breakfast and trail at 9am. Cold climb up Saddleback but great views.



Long day, for 15 miles, end up camping in dark on old logging road next to stream. Rain starts early am, enough to get tent and trail wet. Everything else, myself included, is damp and cold. Leave at 7:30am, hike all day in wet and cold and fog, though finally clears late afternoon sliding downhill. To road and quick hitch to Stratton, arriving at hotel hostel 6:15pm.

Forever Andover

Today was my zero day, at rest. I got a ride midday from Donna the massage therapist to Bethel, where she had an appointment and there is an outfitter, so I could get new raingear. Later, after a nap, I had another relaxing massage before dinner. Rain did come in late afternoon, but tomorrow should be sunny, when I return to the trail and hike the 13 miles to Rangeley, and still another hostel. 

I've enjoyed staying here at the Pine Ellis Hiker Lodge. Here's a photo of: seated, manager Naomi and owner Ilene; standing, the two shuttle drivers,  Ilene's son-in-law David (from Guatemala) and Gloria, and hikers Naturally Hob and Chickadee Deb.



"Hob" stands for "hike or bike" -- he and his wife Deb are retired school teachers who have biked on a tandem across country 6 times, topping my 4. They also have hiked all over Europe, fascinating to talk to.
And Andover, with a population of only 800, has a neat little library in a former church, a wood paneled octagonal structure. It also has a terrific bakery/restaurant, the Little Red Hen, Great breakfast plus all you can eat pizza and salad tonight.

Andover, again. 233.6 to Katahdin

Another day slacking, 13 miles, including the long climb up "my" mountain, Old Blue. Very cool to start, then cold fog on top, with Senator, Tumbles, and Turtle.



Later in the afternoon there were long views north toward the Rangeley lakes, but we were hurrying to catch the ride back to the hostel in time for Tumbles to get his massage. He and I chatted a good part of the day, and he hopes to do the Camino pilgrimage trek from France into Spain next year, perhaps with his hiking companions Yeti legs, Breaktime and Senator. Maybe even me? I had spent a rainy night in a crowded shelter back in VT with them, so it was fun to see them again. I was invited to meet them in Rangeley for Senator's birthday, which they plan to celebrate with a double zero --2 days off. Since I'm taking tomorrow off to go to an outfitter for some rain gear upgrade and parts for my pack, I can meet up with them, and hike with them again.
Forecast is for 32 degrees tonight, and chance of seeing the northern lights.

Slack time: 246.8 to Katahdin

I took the 7am shuttle out to where I was picked up yesterday, and hiked the 10 miles to the next road crossing carrying less than 5lbs. Long uphill but easy with no weight on my back, up into mist. Which eventually became showers, but not until the shelter about 6 miles in. Intermittent rain, but constant dripping from trees and sideways from overgrowth on the trail. Steep and slippery, but balancing is much easier carrying so little weight. Steep 1000ft down into Sawyer Notch and right back up Moody Mtn. Luckily there were some hiker aids to ease the climb: stone steps, iron rods, and log ladders. Up top the rain came down more seriously, all the way down to the road and my shuttle back to Andover. Had to carefully cross the boulders over a large stream at the end, but didn't fall in. Lovely way to hike in the rain, knowing a shower and dry clothes (and a massage and then beer!) await you. Enjoyed slacking so much I'll do it again tomorrow, knocking off the next 13 plus miles.

Andover, ME, mile 256.9 to Katahdin

I survived the Mahoosic Notch, barely. A little scratched, and it took twice as long as 15 years ago.

I managed to bump my legs dragging the rest of myself over, under, around and through the rockpile. Here are some pictures of Turtle struggling. She made it unblemished, but she's only 26.





I'm now at a hostel, staying 2 nights. Tomorrow I'll go back to where I was picked up this afternoon and then slackpack (carrying a daypack of just food and water) the 10 miles to the next road crossing where they will pick me up, hopefully before the forecasted rain showers come in.
Today was tough only because I'm sore from the Notch and then the tough uphill after it, hardest 2 miles on the AT. I'll take it easier tomorrow, just a walk in the hills.

Into Maine

The last two days have been much less humid, and it even got cool last night. The trail is rugged and slippery, and will only get more so tomorrow when I go through the Mahoosic Notch, the most difficult and fun mile of all, a jumble of boulders.

And here's another photo from Lancaster with the young hikers I came in with, Simba, Rock Sloth, and Bluebird, and two of our hosts, Elizabeth and Jeremiah, just before we left to go back to the AT.

On the trail again

I started hiking from Pinkham Notch below Mt. Washington on Thursday 9/4, heading toward Maine. After 3 months of not hiking, except for a 3-day slog in rain and wet boots 2 weeks ago in Vermont, I'm badly out of shape. I'm also breaking in new boots, whose soles don't grip at all well. I slipped a few times, no damage yet, trying to get used to them- - like wearing roller skates compared to my old boots. Steep ups and downs meant it took all day to go 13 miles to Imp shelter, arriving at dusk and cooking in the dark. Decided to take it slow the next day, just 8 miles to the road to Goreham NH, where I planned to take a day off to wait out the forecasted rain.





I walked a bit with Simba, a young woman hiking with friends Bluebird and Rock Sloth. They had started late March separately but had been together awhile. We met 2 bearded guys coming up the trail who told us about their planned hostel, in Lancaster, 30 miles north of Goreham. Not really open and no charge to stay, but we were welcome to call for a ride and try it out. They represented one of the communities in the messianic Christian group the Twelve Tribes, and Simba and friends had stayed at their hostel in Rutland VT. Sounded interesting so I thought I'd check this out. Simba waited for her friends to show up down at the trailhead before calling for a ride to the hostel, while I went on before them, hitching a ride with a German couple touring Canada who had driven down to see the AT. They of course had read Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods in German, title translated as "Beer for breakfast."
In Lancaster I met the many members of this religious group and was very impressed with their sincerity and generosity. This is the same group that was in the news in the 1980's about alleged child abuse in the Northeast Kingdom of VT. The state police raided them based on rumors and placed all the children in foster homes. The press coverage was entirely negative, and I doubt anyone remembers that all charges were thrown out by a judge as unfounded and the state's conduct was unconstitutional.



I found them friendly and cheerful, the children curious and delightful, and they fed us well. I was the first "fruit" or guest of their potential hostel, and have enjoyed my time here. Saturday they observe the Sabbath, with no work,  just resting and socializing, exactly my goal. This afternoon before the rain we had fun playing games, bocce, croquet, even kickball. Quite a break from the trail.