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.