The gentleman who also stayed in the shelter is awake as well. We both pack but he is more motivated to get on the trail so he can get to the Sterling Inn to resupply and get across the Kennebec before the shuttle closes. I, however, am not in such a hurry, only having to hike ten miles to the next shelter.
He is on the trail at 5:30 and I wish him a good hike. I finish packing and I'm on the trail as soon as I can hike without my headlamp, at 6 A.M..
It's not raining currently, but the brush near the trail is dripping, as are the trees overhead. I walk carefully, trying to avoid brushing against the small trees, wanting to stay as dry as possible to prevent getting cold from the wet.
The trail starts straight up to Pleasant Pond Mountain, gaining a paltry 1,100 feet over 1.5 miles. The effort warms me on the climb up. The trail is steep and rocky, but pretty tame, and I don't need to use my hands.
As I reach the summit the rain starts again, and I pull out my raincoat. I brought an umbrella, but it will only get caught in the twisted trees, so I forgo the protection it would offer.
The hike down is a little challenging, as the rocks and roots are slick with water. I crawl at a snail's pace for the next two hours. The descent is 1,700 feet, but distributed over four miles, with only a couple steep spots.
On the way down, I encounter a southbound section hiker who tells me how packed the next shelter was last night. He said it was really crowded and nine people were practically sleeping on top of one another. He seems a little traumatized by the experience, and I'm thankful that there were only the two of us in our shelter!
The trail comes out on a road next to Moxie Pond, which is a lovely spot with a small pier and ladder for swimming. The rain stopped a little while ago and patches of sun appear on the ground. I consider stopping here and sitting on my ground sheet for snack break, but there are still some dark clouds rolling overhead, and I'm almost four miles to the next shelter, so I press on.
Just past Moxie Pond, the trail leaves the road to cross Baker Stream. At periods of high water and after heavy rain, the stones across the stream are submerged and require a ford, but thanks to the low water level even with the rain, I am able to walk easily across the stream.
My stomach is grumbling when I walk through a clearing for power lines. Unmindful of the potential for absorbing too many electrical emissions, I take off my pack and rummage through my bear can for anything I can eat that won't deplete my supply too much. I am ravenous and eat one full baggie of nuts (1,000 calories), two pieces of cheese, and a guacamole single, taking on the fat macros full force. I spy loads of ripe blueberries nearby, and I eat handsful on the sweet fruit before shouldering my pack.
From here I make short work of the 2.5 miles to the next shelter, stepping across lots of muddy spots near a couple of bogs.
No one is at the shelter when I arrive, which is not surprising. I feel like it's too early to stop because it's only 2 pm, so I look at my app to see if there are any campsites between here and the next shelter, which there are not because the only thing between the two shelters is a mountain, so I guess this is where I'm staying tonight!
I really don't care if it's going to rain again, but I am not sleeping in the shelter again tonight. I will take my chances in my comfortable hammock. The good news is since I'm the only one here I have my pick of spots. The best campsite is between the shelter and the privy, but not close enough to the privy where I can smell it.
I get set up and send a message home on my InReach, and I'm less than thrilled to hear that I am next to a forest road that is very popular with ATV enthusiasts. Considering it's the Labor Day weekend I have a feeling that this is going to continue until dark, but it's a small price to pay for having camp set up, and a shelter where I can cook and eat and stretch out if it starts pouring again.
The tin roof of the shelter is dry in this small amount of sunlight coming through the trees, and I change out of my wet clothes and I spread them on the edge of the roof to dry. My shoes are drenched so I put plastic shopping bags over my bare feet, not wanting to soak my only pair of dry socks that I need to sleep in tonight.
I filter some water and I am starving again so I eat dinner early. I run down to the stream to grab a liter of water for the night, and when I return to the shelter I see a hiker with a scruffy beard sitting on the edge. I say hello and he says that he knows me, and I don't recognize him, but he says his name is Weedin' It. Of course! I met him for the first time at Upper Goose Pond in Massachusetts.
I sit on the edge of the shelter and we talk for a while The only one of his tramily left on trail is Mr. Shorty, who I last saw in the White Mountains. Weedin' It is going to Monson tomorrow to stay at the iconic Shaw's Hostel where he will zero the day after and wait for Mr. Shorty to catch up so they can hike the 100 Mile Wilderness together to summit Katahdin together.
I'm enjoying the company but say goodnight, even though there is plenty of daylight left. I'm tired and trail weary and just want to hang out in my hammock for a couple hours, where I don't need to use any mental energy. I read and play games on my phone until I'm ready to hit the hay at 7:30, when the ATV activity has ceased. This has been a wonderful couple of days for relaxing, since I know the next few weeks will be hectic.
Today's Stats: 9 miles, 1,949 feet gain
Trail Stats: 2,061 miles, 415K feet gain
Miles to Katahdin: 135
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