Appalachian Trail Day 173 - Maine Route 27 to Safford Notch Campsite (Mile 2,010 to Mile 2,020)

I had an awesome night's sleep last night, and wake up around 5. The lights are off in Dad's room so I don't disturb him. I start organizing my things and scrub the nasty Talenti jar and my spork, which I forgot to scrub the last time I was in town.

I get caught up on the news and drink some coffee in the process. I'm not planning on going very far today and I'm in the mood for a chill morning. So many times the town days turn into a crazy hurry to get back to the trail, but today I want this feeling of relaxation to continue. 

I hang my tarp which is still wet from yesterday's rain across the posts in front of the motel room. Hopefully nobody notices since it so early, and it shouldn't take too long for it to dry.

I've eaten quite a bit this morning, and at 8 I go to Dad's room to let him know that I am ready. He has another breakfast ready for me. There is no way I'm going to lose weight on this section with him pumping me full of food at every opportunity!

We drive an hour to Maine Route 27 where Dad picked me up yesterday.  On the way we can get some beautiful views of Sugarloaf and the Bigelows, which I will be climbing up today.

I wave goodbye to Dad and hit the trail at 9. The weather today is 70's in the valley, but right now it's in the 50's and a cool breeze is blowing, and it is chilly in the shade of the trees. 

The trail starts out relatively level with some easy ups for the first couple of miles. I pass a stream and decide to get a little more water for the hike up, since the next water source is in four miles and 2,000 feet climb up to the North Horn.

A short way up the trail I pass the 2,000 mile marker! At this point I'm actually at mile 2,013 so this was the 2,000 mile point at some time in the past. The trail length actually changes year by year because of reroutes. I take a celebratory picture since I was in fear of dying two days ago when I crossed this year's 2,000 mile point coming down Sugarloaf on the rocky screen slope.

The hike up the Bigelows is absolutely gorgeous. It is a little challenging in a couple spots, but I don't mind it at all. The spruce trees are tall and moss covers giant towering boulders. This is like a fairyland forest; very mystical and old. 

Just before reaching the first view today, I see a familiar face. His name is Rod Stewart and I met him about a month ago down the trail, bit neither of us can remember where. I'm think it's Vermont or lower New Hampshire. When at the view, I pull up PeakFinder and it shows that we can see the tip of Katahdin from here,  which is really incredible because it's 160 trail miles away!

I pull on my fleece hoodie because it is cold up here! Not far from the first view I come to another one that looks down into Horns Pond, and I can see people gathered on the edge of the pond, and people are swimming in it! Good gravy, it must be freezing!!

The trail descends towards the pond and at lean-to at least a dozen colleged-aged kids are in and around the shelter. They are part of a Tufts University orientation group camping out for the weekend, and they certainly seem to be enjoying themselves!

Immediately leaving the pond, I start up to the first of the five peaks comprising the Bigelows. The hike up the South Horn of Bigelow is really steep (633 feet over a half mile), and the wind is really blowing and cold. I consider stopping to put on a wind layer but decide against it until I get to the top because I don't want to get drenched in sweat. As I start descending I get a beautiful view of Saddleback and Sugarloaf Mountains, and see the North Peak of Bigelow which looks really tall from here.  

While descending, I hear a familiar voice with a distinct southern accent walking towards me. Around the corner I see Planet Caravan hiking with Rapunzel! They are doing a southbound slackpack, and I realize this will probably be the last time I see them because they're planning on an 18 mile day tomorrow, so they will be way ahead of me.

The climb up the third Bigelow Peak, West Peak, is a little challenging but after New Hampshire it's fairly easy. I think it's funny that before New Hampshire I would have thought this kind of a hike was nuts, but now it's just ho-hum and interesting. The wind is howling from the southwest and it's cold.

I summit the West Peak (4,145 feet altitude) and stunned by the views. I can just barely see Mount Washington to the south, and to the north I can see Mount Katahdin. I can also see some very dark clouds overhead. I don't think I'll get any rain but I need to get down off this mountain just in case.

I still have one more peak before heading off the high ridge. Avery Peak is lower than West Peak, at 4,088 feet altitude, and the hike up is much easier.

From here the campsite is only two miles away but almost 2,000 feet of knee-pounding descent. I only have one more mountain to hike this week and then it'll be flatter ground until the Hundred Mile Wilderness and Katahdin.  I hope my knees and my achilles heal once I finish all of this elevation change.

The dense spruce woods are getting really dark when I reach the turn off for the Safford Notch Campsite. The hike is really amazing; to reach it you have to go through woods filled with big boulders covered in moss and go through a cave! Thankfully it's nothing like Mahoosuc Notch and I don't have to take off my pack to crawl through it.

The campsite is spread over a wide distance with two streams at either end of the campsite. There are a ton of people here and I wander around looking for a nice suitable spot in the dimming light. I even pass by Rod Stewart, who says hi from his hammock. 

I finally wander towards the back spring, where I see the Madison tramily. They probably think I'm stalking them,  the way I show up after they are set up. I keep seeing the same through hikers over and over, which means we're all doing about the same mileage per day which makes me feel good about my efforts.

There's really no room here and I should probably go back to the other side of the campsite, but I am so tired and hungry and it's getting dark. I set up my hammock in probably the worst spot I've ever set up in my life; on the edge of a hill and next to a ton of small trees that will probably poke me all night, but I don't care at this point. The Bigelows really whooped me.

I get set up and by the time I eat and filter water the sun has set and it's 8:00. Everyone else is already tucked in their tent by the time I get in my hammock. I am out like a light in no time at all.

Today's Stats: 10.5 miles, 4,100 feet gain

Trail Stats: 2,020 miles, 417K feet gain

Miles to Katahdin: 174

Appalachian Trail Day 172 - Crocker Cirque Campsite to Maine Route 27 (Mile 2,002 to Mile 2,010)

I went to bed so freaking early last night that I was wide awake at 4:00 a.m. I stay for a while in my hammock listening to the pitter patter of raindrops. The rain started about 3:00 a.m., but it isn't heavy - just a steady sprinkle. 

I get up and start organizing my things and brush my teeth and get my food out for the morning. First Light is also awake and getting packed up. We are both as quiet as we possibly can be, trying not to disturb the sleeping hikers. The good thing about camping near young pups and being an early bird, is that they can sleep through World War III, so I don't think we'll disturb them much.

At 5:30 I leave the campsite by the light of my headlamp. I make a privy stop, thankful that I can't see around the privy in the dark, and since I'm not worried about getteing seen, I leave the door to the privy open while I do my business. 

I stop at the spring and fill up a cup of water for my morning electrolytes. First LIght passes me while I'm doing this and I wish him a good journey before heading up to Crocker Mountain. Soon there is enough ambient light that I put away my headlamp. 

Crocker is not a very difficult climb, but it is steep and rocky. I don't have to stop once to use my hands - I'm able to stay upright the entire time, which is a really nice change of pace for mountain climbing around here.

The trail traverses a narrow rock slide but the cairns and paint on the rocks are easy to see. The rain has stopped and I can see the clouds drifting across the mountain tops obscuring the summits.

As I near the crest of Crocker the wind picks up, so I put on my gloves and raincoat as a wind layer to guard against the chilly breeze and damp morning air.

The top of Crocker is mostly tree covered. I don't bother to take the little side trail to the view since there won't be anyone anyway with all the mist. The short spruce trees are shrouded in fog.

I descend down 500 ft and then up the next Crocker peak without much ado. I'm thrilled to not have to rock scramble this morning especially with the recent rainfall.

I go over the second Crocker peak and then start downhill.  The first 2 miles are steep, but thankfully the rocks aren't too slippery and I can find dirt to step around most of them. The next 2 miles are tedious; the ground is relatively level and it's on the edge of the hill and eroding, so I step carefully on the edge around a lot of big rocks but it's relatively flat.

I get a little complacent with this easy hike because the last mile down to Route 27 becomes decidedly steeper and rockier, and with the recent rain mixed with the falling leaves and the spruce needles coating the rocks, the trail is quite slippery.

Dad picks me up and we go to the hotel. I am in desperate need of a shower and he takes my clothes to launder them at the local laundromat. 

I get a text from a dear friend, Melissa, that her family is in Caratunk, finishing up their annual family vacation. I Google Map the address and find that it's only 20 minutes from my hotel!! 

Dad and I drive to the lodge and restaurant that is owned by her nephew.  We spend an hour with Pat, Melissa, and one of her daughters, and get to meet her extended family. Everyone congratulates me on making it this far and wishes me a happy hike. I am so thrilled that I get to spend some time with such wonderful people! 

Today's Stats: 7.4 miles, 1,939 feet gain

Trail Stats: 2,010 miles, 413K feet gain
Miles to Katahdin: 184

Appalachian Trail Day 171 - Sluice Brook Logging Road to Crocker Cirque Campsite (Mile 1,991 to Mile 2002)

Last night was blissfully quiet even with so many people camping in the same area. We are disbursed along the old road so it's not like we were right next to each other, but everyone was out at 7:30 and even with all the campers it was blissfully silent.

I woke a couple of times to water the leaves; not surprising because I was so thirsty when I got to camp that I chugged a liter of water, but I was easily able to fall back asleep and woke up at *surprise* 5:07 am!

I start packing up slowly, the light is very dim on this western facing slope of the mountain. At 5:30 a.m. I hear the alarm of the two men on the other side of me, and I know that's my cue to start really getting going. I finish packing and I am on the trail at 6:15, tiptoing around the tents on the edge of the trail. 

The trail starts uphill from the road but it's gradual and not rocky  The trail parallels Sluice Brook for most of the first mile, and it's absolutely beautiful with pools of water and small cascades. I'm sure that during periods of higher water it would be a fabulous place to hang out for a couple days.

By 8:30 I have already climbed 1,600 feet and hiked three miles! I have no views but I have good cell phone reception at the top of Lone Mountain (3,261 feet).  I call home and check in, standing in one spot so I don't lose cell phone service. Once I finish, I continue along the ridge another two miles until the turn off for the Poplar Ridge Lean-to, where there is a little spring on the edge of the trail.

I stop to pony up on water since there won't be another reliable water source for five miles. I also eat a heavy snack and drink some electrolytes. To do everything that I would like to do today, I'm going to need all the energy I can get!

From the spring the trail travels for 800 feet to Spaulding Mountain.  The trail Is a little rocky but nothing that requires climbing, and is more like Pennsylvania rocks, which is actually a really nice change.  Near the peak there is a blue-blazed side trail that goes up to the peak from the Appalachian Trail. I decide to pass by it and continue on because I should get some really nice views from the other mountains today. I'm currently at 3,900 feet.

From Spaulding Mountain the trail goes through a thick spruce forest where most of the trees are dead. There is deadfall everywhere across the trail! Many of the trees across the trail had been cut up, but there's some fresh deadfall that I have to slide under and go over. I'm watching the ground and not really paying attention above me as I step over a series of downed trees. My head hits a spruce tree where a sharp branch has been broken off and scrapes the top of my head quite hard. The sharp pain brings tears to my eyes! My head is oozing blood, but not seriously. I'm going to have to be much more alert going through this maze of downed trees. 

The obstacle course continues for about another quarter of a mile. A couple is heading towards me with very full packs and they say they heard chainsaws up here yesterday. They ask if I am headed to Katahdin. When I say yes, I ask them where they are going and they say to Springer. Wow! They're getting a really late start for southbounders. I wish them luck on their journey and I'm happy to see the trail chills a little bit with blow downs from this point, and even some pretty views. 

The next mile is really easy trail until a short way after the side trail to Sugarloaf Mountain.  The mountain becomes progressively rocky and the descent gets steeper until I feel like I am going literally straight down. The rocks underfoot are slippery with dirt and smaller rocks. Many times when I take a step I dislodge smaller quarter size rocks that bounce down the trail. I can tell a lot of people have slipped here on the path; the scuff marks are very apparent in the dirt. 

This would be absolutely awful to hike, if not impossible, in the rain tomorrow.  I'm so glad I'm going down this today. I originally planned on staying at the Poplar Lean-to to, but now I'm so glad that I got ahead yesterday so I could get past this today.

The trail crosses the Carrabassett River which is flowing beautifully. Two men from the camp last night are filtering water and I stop as well. I really don't need the water, but a nice long soak in a frigid stream would do my feet really good right now.  There's a 30% chance of rain in the forecast tonight, but we all agree that the clouds that are darkening pverhead sure look like we could have more than a chance of rain. 

They leave and I soak my feet until they are cold, then I cross the river on a big board and head up Crocker Mountain to the tent site 1.1 miles and 500 feet of gain away.

I arrive at the campsite at 3:15 and see the trail family that I have been seeing off and on since hiking down Mount Madison. There are also four other hikers here. The sky is darkening and the wind is blowing and it's getting really chilly. I pull on my fleece and set up my camp. First Light arrives and sets up his camp on the tent platform next to me.

I sit in my hammock with the tarp hung but not tied down, ready to stake it out if any rain starts. I boil water on the stove and eat dinner sitting comfortably, watching two sobos set up and move their camp when they realize there is broken glass on the ground. 

I am updating this as I sit here and the mileage hits me: I crossed the 2,000 mile mark some time during the harrowing descent from Sugarloaf! I am now less than 200 miles from Katahdin!! Woo Hoo!! I say something to First Light, and he says he saw a small "2,000" written on a log up the trail. I was too consumed by the rocky descent to notice.

At 5:30pm I stake out the tarp and I lay down in my hammock to stretch out my back. I only intend to lay down for a minute, but I am awakened when dad calls at 7pm. Wow! I am tired! Saddleback really took it out of me yesterday. The others campers are all tucked in their tents for the night. I get ready for bed and go back to sleep.

Today's Stats: 11 miles, 3,406 feet gain

Trail Stats: 2,002 miles, 414K feet gain

Miles to Katahdin: 192

Appalachian Trail Day 170 - Maine Route 4 to Sluice Brook Logging Road (Mile 1,977 to Mile 1991)

I wake before five and since I had packed everything up last night except for my food, we are out the door and on the road by 5:30. We stop at McDonald's and arrive at the trailhead at 6:30.

I pack up my food for the next two nights and 32 miles of hiking until the next road crossing and give Dad a hug goodbye at 6:45.

The climb up Saddleback starts off relatively easy with only 500 feet of gain and the first couple miles are in the bag within an hour. 

I stop at the Piazza Lean-to which is right off the trail. The tramily that I hiked up and over Madison is at the shelter. There is a gaggle of very active boys with their dads camped in front of the shelter. I ask how they slept last night and they said the kids went to bed rather early but they made a mess of the fire pit.

I hit the privy which is a two-seater with a cribbage board mounted between the seats.  I don't play cribbage,  but I can't imagine shutting in a stinky privy for any longer than is necessary to play a game. Anyone who has that kind of time on their hands needs to carry a pack of playing cards and do it at camp,  IMHO.

Leaving the shelter the trail the elevation for the trail looks much different than what I've just covered.  I'm going to gain over 2,000 ft the next four miles. My pack right now isn't too heavy even though I have three days of food because I'm only carrying a small amount of water. I know that's going to change when I have to camel up at a stream further up the trail. As soon as I leave the shelter,  the trail starts ascending steeply on some rocks for 500 ft before I pass a pretty pond and eventually reach Saddleback Stream.

The stream is very low but it is flowing (barely) and two other hikers are gathering water. It's going to take me a little while because I'm going to fill up my water bladder; the water next water source isn't for seven and a half miles and over 3,000 feet of elevation gain. The process of filling my bladder consumes over 30 minutes with the dribble coming off the moss.

Leaving the stream the first mile isn't too terrible; it's rocky and rooty but the elevation gain is about 500 feet. The next two miles is a different story. The trail gets really steep and I start climbing up stone steps mixed with giant rock slabs. The weight of my pack is ridiculous, more than 30 pounds, and I have to crawl up a couple of rocks in a rather ungainly manner keeping from falling backwards. The trail is so steep and my pack is so heavy that the two combined slows my pace to a crawl.

The trail mellows a little bit as I get above tree line. Warnings on the FarOut app mention that the next two and a half miles will be exposed and to exercise caution in poor weather. I'm very thankful that today is clear and fairly sunny.

The rocks continue up to the summit of Saddleback (4,120). The views are gorgeous but a little hazy in the distance. I can see Mounts Washington and Lafayette, 120 miles away! I also get a good look at the mountains that I will be hiking over the next few days, and they are going to be hard. It's still so crazy to believe that I am hiking in the Maine wilderness and that in a few more weeks this journey will come to an end.

But before I can think about what's to come I need to take care of what's at hand. The elevation looks like it goes straight down and it does. The rocks are crazy steep in places and I have to boot scoot frequently down from Saddleback most of the 500 foot descent. 

The hike up The Horn, the second Saddleback peak, is about as hard as the descent from the first Saddleback peak, with another 500 feet of gain over some tough and huge rocks. I am making a mile in a whopping 50 minutes, but I'm pretty happy with it, given the terrain. 

I stop a short way from the peak sit and eat the sandwich that Dad packed for me.  It's mushed and doesn't look anything like it did this morning when I put it in my pack, but it's tasty. 

I go up and over The Horn and can look down onto the next two mountains I need to climb today.  My feet are already sore, and my knees are zinging, but I need to keep going to get down the mountain. 

The descent from The Horn is ridiculously steep and difficult.  At least my pack is a little less unwieldy now that I have lightened the load by drinking most of the water I had to carry over Saddleback. 

Once down The Horn, I get about 100 feet of level ground before climbing the third, and last, mountain of the day. Saddleback Junior is 600 feet of more challenging rocks. I swear I've been transported back to New Hampshire!

By 2:30 I have hiked 10 miles, gained 3,800 feet, and summited three peaks, two of which are over 4,000 feet. I am only a mile and a half from where I was planning on stopping tonight, and even though I'm tired and I would love to call it a night at the next shelter, I feel like it's too early to stop for the day. 

Rain is in the forecast for the day after tomorrow. If I hike a little further today then I can get a little further tomorrow, and that will leave me with only seven miles to hike in the rain on Monday.  

I arrive at the Poplar Lean-to at 3:15. There are a few gentlemen here filtering water. I am almost out of water at this point, so I drop my pack to do the same. While I'm filtering water I think of a woman named Inchworm who disappeared shortly after leaving this shelter, never to be seen alive again. The search for her lasted for months, but it was a few years ago that her remains were discovered miles off the trail. She had left the trail to heed the call of nature, then got lost in the wilderness.  She survived 28 days before succumbing to starvation.  

A man walks up and he drops his pack. His name is First Light, and he says he is staying here tonight. We talk as I filter some water. I tell him about Inchworm and he says he remembers her story. I say goodbye and I think of her as I continue down the trail, hoping she is at peace and hiking the golden trails of eternity. 

To get my mind off her misadventure, I tun on some music and bee bop my way down the mountain.  I descend 1,600 feet over three miles to a beautiful and big stream. Two hikers are filtering water and say the camping is one-tenth of a mile up the hill, but they think this is where to get the water, so I do the same. Everyone is feeling the scarcity of water,  and getting it whenever possible. 

Just up the hill from the stream, the trail crosses an old fire road. It looks like a campground because there are already five tents set up on the road. I am delighted to see another stream with a nice pool, perfect for soaking my sore feet!

I set up near the water and hydrate my dinner before soaking my feet in the cold pool until they go numb before I eat.

I am in my hammock at 7 pm! As I write this, I can't believe how quiet it is at 7:30 pm with so many other hikers camped nearby. The term "hiker midnight" is for that time when hikers finish eating and hit the hay the minute the sun goes down. I am beat and I am asleep before eight.

Today's Stats: 13.8 miles, 4,200 feet gain

Trail Stats: 1,991 miles, 411K gain

Miles to Katahdin: 203

Appalachian Trail Day 169 - Sabbath Day Lean-to to Maine Route 4 (Mile 1,968 to Mile 1,977)

Last night was quiet and I was very comfortable with the mini heat wave. The temperature feels like the 50's but I have now way of really knowing for sure. I slept a little late since I didn't get to bed until after 9 o'clock last night.  

I'm trying to filter water before leaving the lake while a chipmunk is industriously in the spruce tree over my head dropping pine cones. Most of them are going in the water but one narrowly misses my head in the process.

Walking up the trail from the lake I can hear a loon warbling from across the water.  They sound so cool and the sound is quintessentially Maine.

The trail meanders up and down but mostly up for the next two miles, but the ascent isn't very bad; it's only 800 ft which is very tame for New England. I stop to eat a snack at clearing for power lines and Expendable catches up to me. 

I ask him about the process for getting into Baxter State Park. He tells me about spending the night at the Golden Road and then getting up early the next morning because the first 12 people to register at the park ranger station near the road will be the ones who are allowed to stay at the Hunt Trail shelter, which is the start of the hike up Katahdin. 

Expendable is going to try to do 15 miles today, because he wants to get done and go home.  We say goodbye and I wish him a good finish to his journey,, then I get going as well.  

The next two miles is more of the same md ridge walking. You go up a little bit then you go down a little bit then up a little bit then down a little bit. My mind wanders and I start thinking about how it would be awesome to have my under quilt with me. It's going to turn really cold here really quickly, and while the heavier sleeping pad does give me a little more warmth, it's just not the same as having an under quilt. 

I check my cell phone service and see that I have a couple of bars of 4G so I call and ask Mom to go to my house and get my under quilt. She is agreeable and will ship it to the motel where Dad will be staying in Bingham next week. I think that I will carry my lightweight under quilt and a lightweight sleeping pad. It's a weight penalty but I will be nice and cozy and warm and still have the opportunity to sleep in a shelter if the weather gets hairy.

I'm looking for a game trails, which is one of the things that I think is fun when I'm hiking through the woods. Of course in this area I'm looking for moose trails. They're fairly easy to spot because there's usually several large piles of scat and it's easy to see where the vegetation has been trod down by their large feet. I come across a huge amount of scat on the side of the trail. This section of trail is like a super highway for the moose. I look on the map to see if there's a nearby pond because they'll go to the pond at night and then come back into the woods to bed down for the day

Five miles after leaving the shelter and 1,000 ft of climbing later I arrived at Little Swift River Pond Campsite; a beautiful and expansive campsite on the shore of Little Swift River Pond. Near the pond is a pipe spring that is barely dribbling, so I don't bother getting water but I sit down to eat a snack and see a large green resident frog in the mud under the pipe. The sun is sparkling on the water of the lake and a nice breeze is blowing. 

I visit the privy after I eat and find a journal inside. People have seen moose and bear at this location a couple weeks ago. I am still looking for "charismatic magnifauna" (per Steven Rinella), but nothing has appeared other than a very nice looking buck still in velvet that I scared up earlier today.

Leaving the pond, the trail is really easy for the next few miles. The sun is shining and with the stiff breeze the temperature is very comfortable in the mid-60s. 

I make it to South Pond by noon and stop to filter another half-liter of water.  Across the pond I can see Saddleback Mountain in the distance, where I will be tomorrow. It's BIG! Saddleback rises from the ground to dominate the landscape and looks so daunting from this perspective. Ugh! I can't even think about how hard it will be right now. I just have to concentrate on the ground underneath my feet.

For the next however two miles I can forget about tomorrow and be thankful for the easy ground. The trail is rather nondescript; it's just a really beautiful walk in the woods with the weather today being so temperate. Leaves are falling and chipmunks are busy gathering food for the upcoming winter.

One mile before the descent to the road, the trail passes by a beautiful view of Saddleback Mountain, which looks even more daunting from this angle, but the trail quickly takes my mind off tomorrow, once again.

From here the trail descends sharply, on a lot of uneven rock steps and loose dirt. The spruce needles make the hike a little treacherous in places. I step carefully and take my time, especially because my knees are getting sore, and soon I am at Route 4. 

Dad is waiting for me in the parking lot and we head into town,  where I have a motel room booked. It's so early that I will have time to shower and do laundry before we go to dinner.

I get cleaned up and we go have a big salad with grilled salmon. When I return to the room I pack as much as I can so we can get an early start in the morning.

Today's Stats: 9.4 miles, 1,404 feet gain

Trail Stats: 1,977 miles, 407K

Miles to Katahdin: 217

Appalachian Trail Day 168 - Random Trailside Campsite to Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to (Mile 1,952 to Mile 1,968)

Last night was cold. It was not the best night's sleep. I was down for over nine hours but I woke several times with cold spots on my back. Even with the heavier pad I really prefer to sleep with my under quilt because I don't ever get cold, but I don't want to carry a pad and an under quilt and I do need a pad in case in the event It's pouring rain and I need to sleep in a shelter. So it is what it is. Maybe I'll pick up a sleeping bag liner in town and that will help.

The sun is starting to break through the trees when I hit the trail at 7 A.M. I have on my fleece, my buff to keep my ears warm, and my wool gloves.  I'm comfortably warm while I'm hiking because I gain 1,000 feet in the first one and a half miles hiking up to Old Blue Mountain.

The top of Old Blue has some really nice views because of the big rock ledge, and even though it's surrounded by trees, they are very short.

 I can see The Northern Presidentials and Mount Lafayette on the distance. The visibility is so wonderful. I am at mile 1,955 and Lafayette is at 1,831, so the visibility is over 100 miles, which is absolutely incredible!

From Old Blue the trail meanders up and down for the next two and a half miles. I would say it's easy because of the elevation gain and loss is minimal; only five or six hundred feet of each, but the roots and the rocks make for some slow going. Even with the obstacles on the trai it's not that bad of a hike.

I come to the last water source for some time. It's a stream that is now a deep pool of water, a little brown from the tannins, but it's fresh and cold underneath the spruce needles that litter the top. I take some time to push them away and drink a cup of electrolytes, eat a snack, and prepare a second cup to get me to the next stop which will be the shelter.

The trail becomes more open rocky ledges with lots of little ups and downs for the next six miles to the Beamis Mountain Lean-to.  I take the side trail and go to the shelter. I locate the water source but I'm disappointed to see that there's just one small puddle. I don't even know if it's scoopable. There's no way I'm going to be able to get more than an inch of water into my dirty bag at a time so I pull out my cook pot and I'm able to easily fill it with a liter of water although it's full of debris.

I put away my water filter, dry off and pack my stove and then go to pick up the jar full of fresh filtered scummy pond water and knock the whole thing over! Oh screw it! I just don't have the energy to go down there and get another liter of water; I'm just going to have to make my water work until I get to the next water source four miles away.

The trail meanders over almost two miles of very rocky ledges lined with loads of blueberry bushes absolutely bursting with large ripe fruit. I don't want to stop, but I can't resist grabbing the berries as I walk by. I barely have to bend down as I walk by the bushes, and I can easily snag three or four berries at a time on the fly. 

The ledges offer some amazing views of the mountains to the northwest. I open my PeakFinder app and I am thrilled to see they are mountains I will climb in the next week or two. I can see Mounts Saddleback, then Crocker, and Abraham. They look huge from here! 

The trail starts to descend steeply with some tricky rock scrambles. I send Dad a message via the Inreach that I won't be to the road crossing until 4 pm, where he is bringing me dinner.  It's now 2 o'clock,  and I have a feeling these scrambles are going to continue down the mountain. 

I finally reach the bottom, and my feet are sore and my knees are starting to ache for the first time today. I hikes 11.5 miles over some rough terrain so far, but I have a ways to go. The trail crosses a dirt road, which has a wonderful breeze blowing through the gap in the trees. I reenter the woods and drop to Bemis Stream, which is flowing beautifully; the first nice stream I have encountered since leaving South Arm Road yesterday afternoon. 

I filter a liter of clear, cool water and chug some electrolytes with 800 MG of ibuprofen.  I'm going to need it for the hike to come.

From the stream, I cross another stream, wider but still running well. There are a lot of campsites scattered in the woods and this would be a wonderful place to stop for the night.

The trail goes straight uphill and I gain elevation quickly on the steep rocks, almost 700 feet over the next 0.8 miles to reach Maine Route 17. Dad is waiting for me at the road, but I'm too winded to say anything for a minute. We hug and walk to a parking area overlooking the huge and gorgeous Mooselookmeguntic Lake, surrounded by mountains on all sides. I point out the mountain ridges to the south of the lake, that I have been hiking all day.

We sit on a bench and he brings out a feast of delicious lobster stew and a lobster roll with fried onions.  I am starving and even though I try to savor the amazing treat, I eat entirely too fast. He shows me a video of the harrowing drive his navigation took him on to reach me; a one lane dirt road that is used by off-roaders, with which he had a close encounter. He is taking a different route to return to the hotel.

He brought a fresh change of clothes and a bottle of water mixed with soap, complete with a washcloth and towel! Just brilliant! The parking area is bustling with tourists taking in the scenery,  so I can't take a proper bath, but I do wash my hands, face, and legs, making a mess of the washcloth. I am filthy and the quick wash feels amazing. I change my shorts, then throw some food in the bear can. We hug goodbye and I jump back on the trail. 

I loaded up with water so I can camp as soon as I find a suitable spot. The hike is relatively easy,  even with the uphill climb, but the perfect campsite doesn't present itself,  so I decide to push on to the Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to, almost four miles and 1,000 more feet of climbing from the road.

The hike isn't too difficult until it climbs and then descends at the north shore of Moxie Pond, and the much bigger Long Pond. I get glimpses of the ponds through the trees and they are magnificent, surrounded by rocks and a thick forest of spruce trees.

The trail descends further and skirts the shore of Long Pond before going back into the woods. I was hoping to camp next to the pond, but two tents are already set up in a small campsite in the woods. I keep my eyes open for another site, but don't see anything on even enough ground, so continue to the shelter a short hike away. I do stop by the sandy beach next to Long Pond to get a picture of the sun just above the trees. The sun is reflecting brilliantly off the water, and I am dazzled by the glare for several minutes after.

At 7:30 pm I reach the shelter.  Several hammocks and tents are set up, but I find a great spot next to the shelter,  which is empty. Fifteen minutes later I am set up and walk to the nearby Sabbath Day Pond, hoping to see a moose in the twilight, but there is not one animal to be seen other than some scurrying chipmunks and squirrels. I return to my camp and settle in for the night. 

Today's Stats: 15.8 miles,  4,177 feet gain

Trail Stats: 1,968 miles, 406K gain

Miles to Katahdin: 226