Mountains Under Foot

From Hazard’s notes:
Travel:
Day 118: September 4, 2009
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to, ME
To: Logan Brook Lean-to, ME
Beginning: 6:30am
Ending: 5:30pm
Number of miles hiked:
a) Trail – 24
b) other – .4 back to AT
c) AT Mile Marker – 2106.8 cumulative.
Weather:
AM & PM: Surprisingly comfortable wake up temperature and perfect weather throughout the day.
People: Pennywhistle, Strider.
Animals: Birds floating above the ridges, the wild bulldozer and other loud machinery.
Money: $0, $2141 cumulative.
Notes of the day:
AM: My alarm went off at 5:00 am this morning and both Spoon and I took one look at each other and then fell back asleep. I finally pulled myself out of the tent about a half hour later and noticed how bright the moon was reflecting off of the pond. I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped a few shots of the moon as it sank behind the mountains in the distance. As we ate breakfast Pennywhistle was already on the move and she booked it out of camp before it was even light out. I walked up to the shelter and could see Crocstar still working on breakfast and told him and Nick that Spoon and I were going to get started and agreed on stopping at Logan Brook Lean-to this evening. There had been some disputes as to how fast we wanted to go through the 100-mile wilderness to either summit on the 8th or the 9th. The benefits of Nick’s parents meeting us on the 7th outweighed the benefits of summiting on 9/9/09. Today was definitely going to be the hardest day through the 100-miles as we had to go over the 4-5 peaks leading up to Chairback Mtn. before descending into the valley to loop back and go up the triple threat of West Peak, Hay Mtn, and finally White Cap Mtn. Spoon and I started the day off right by powering over Fourth and Third Mtn. Somewhere along the way I stopped to take a few pictures of the exotic and rare carnivorous pitcher plant that grows in the peat bogs of Maine. By the time we got to West Chairback Pond Trail Crocstar had caught up to us and when we stopped for water at a mountain stream that bisected the trail Nick joined the pack. Spoon and I finally caught up with and passed Pennywhistle coming down Chairback Mtn. and she told us she saw Mt. Katahdin on one of the peaks behind us but I never saw anything or even know what to look for on the horizon. I realized I had been hiking toward this mountain for almost four months and had no clue what it looked like or what to expect. She said the best way to figure out which one was Mt. Katahdin was to look for the mountain that rose steep on the sides but had a flat top. I found myself looking all day for something that fit the description but I also had no idea in what direction or distance to look for the mighty Mt. Katahdin. Once we got down into the valley the trail makes a strange and unnecessary turn backward so that we can go up spine of the next big ridge. No skipping any mountains for us! If one looked at a map of the 114 miles or so leading up to Mt. Katahdin you would see how the trail snakes back and forth going around lakes, pond, and over mountains adding up to a considerable amount of “bonus” miles. Down in the valley, Spoon and I came upon the west branch of the Pleasant River which we had to take off our boots and ford. After that little refreshing splash we sat down on the bank of the river, dried our feet, ate lunch, and listened to a sour old British hiker complain about the trail.

PM: Pennywhistle joined us shortly afterwards and then we all left the river at the same time. As we approached the side trail to Gulf Hagas we ran into a MATC ridgerunner from we which stopped and got some trail information. The gulf was formed by water eroding the slate walls of a narrow canyon resulting in a stretch of many spectacular waterfalls that as a result receives a lot of visitors. Pennywhistle hung around talking to the ridgerunner while Spoon and I moved on. At Carl A. Newhall Lean-to, where we initially planned on stopping, we took a break to eat some food and resupply water at Gulf Hagas Brook. Crocstar came hiking through from the side trail to the shelter and stopped for just a minute to chat before moving on towards Gulf Hagas Mtn. On the way up Gulf Hagas Mtn. I was astonished as to how much the trail had been maintained and that much of it looked like new trail as the dirt was still loose around the rock staircases. We hiked up two more peaks, I thought I saw Katahdin through the trees a few times. We couldn’t find the trail around Sidney Tappan Campsite, and finally made our way up White Cap to the final peak. I got in front of Spoon when he stopped for a Snickers bar and powered my way up White Cap but was hugely disappointed when I got to the top because all of the view was directed south so there was no view of Mt. Katahdin. I thought for sure we would finally get a peek at the monster we had been chasing for so long. From the peak, the rocky trail circled around to the other side of the mountain and when I broke my concentration from my feet and looked out over the horizon – I saw it. Far away in the distance a mountain that fit Pennywhistle’s description perfectly. Right then I knew I was looking at Katahdin in the distance and I was blown away. I pulled out my camera to take a few shots and then sat down on the trail to admire what the Indians call the “greatest mountain.” Spoon came up behind me and took a minute to relish the moment we had been waiting for so long. Unfortunately the sun was setting and we needed to get to the shelter so we continued down the mountain to our destination. A little while later we came upon Crocstar and Nick hanging around the shelter and we were the only ones who were there at the moment which we were stoked about. I had speculated that after all of the people we had seen the past few days that the shelter would be full. After dropping my pack I headed over to Logan Brook to fill my water and was warned by Nick to be careful not to slip and fall in as he had soaked his shoes earlier getting water himself. I came back just as dry as I left and prepared dinner for Spoon and I. Late that night Pennywhistle came into camp and we all wondered if Strider was going to make it to the shelter tonight. Pennywhistle and Strider had made a pact to summit Mt. Katahdin on the 7th of September because Strider had a plane he needed to catch. From tonight’s shelter they would have to do back to back 33 mile days to make it in time. And that is why you don’t buy a plane ticket out of Maine in advance.