Dates ........ Friday, September 6, 2002
Miles ........ 15.1 miles
From ........ Shaw's Boarding House - Monson, ME
To ............. Long Pond Stream Lean-to
Weather ... 45 degF, clear AM, dry air, warming to low 70's

Friday, September 6, 2002

Maine's 100 MILE WILDERNESS

Breakfast at Shaw's was as incredible as dinner. As you were seated Keith Shaw asked what and how much you wanted for breakfast. I requested - and got hot off the stove - three eggs over light, toast, three French toast, 6 bacon strips, a plate of home fried potatoes, orange juice and coffee. (I'd already had the last two pieces of my blueberry pie). I helped myself to a couple of the donuts on the table. Everything was cooked to perfection. After breakfast Keith Jr. dropped me off at the trailhead and I began my journey through the 100-mile wilderness of Maine, the finale of my AT hike. I was shaking with anticipation.

There were mountains to climb - significant ones - but nothing like southern main's Saddleback and Bigelow ranges. I planned on putting in more miles per day, perhaps even making up the day I was behind schedule. The less demanding terrain may allow me to do that, weather permitting. Well, here goes. 100 miles of beautiful Maine wilderness. No stores, no towns, no telephones, no paved road crossings for 100 miles. Look on a Maine map between Monson and Baxter State Park or Mt. Katahdin near Millinocket and you will see the 100-mile wilderness. Save for a few logging roads, there is nothing there except water and forest. I'm going to love it.

A sign at the trailhead sternly warned hikers to be prepared with 10 days of food and supplies. I had six days of food with me, figuring 5 days to my resupply and one day of reserve. From the resupply at Whitehouse Landing, I had another 5 days of food for what should be four days hiking, plus I could get more at Abol Bridge if I needed to. There was no way I would need to carry more. Ten days of food would be a sensible amount to carry IF I was not planning on and had not mailed a resupply to Whitehouse at Pemadumcook Lake. I could feel and did not like the weight of 6 days food in my pack, but I knew there was no way around it. A soldier can't march on an empty belly.

At this point I was out of belt notches. I have burned fat and built solid muscle mass and drastically altered my metabolism, throwing it into high gear. Since I can't carry enough food to match the calories I burn, I lose weight. All long-distance hikers do. Simply stated, as a long-distance backpacker I "work out" for 8 to 10 hours a day, and burn far more calories than I can carry or eat. The continual caloric deficit equates to weight loss while the continual workout builds muscle. That is a very good thing.

Right off the bat I go past a couple of beautiful ponds set deep in the woods, actually mountain tarns created by scouring glacial action, with lots of fascinating rock formations around them. Some of the rock "grows" in huge slabs vertically out of the ground, their striations straight up and down rather than the usual horizontal. It is quiet here, except for the sounds of nature. The first lean-to I reach is occupied by Sobo, a late riser in no hurry to move along on this chilly morning. We chat as I take a short break, then move on. A skinny little brown snake, the likes of which I have never seen before, scurries away from his sunny spot alongside the trail as I pass by. Loons call as they swim in the ponds. I roust an owl, napping in a nearby pine tree. Now, if only I could see an elusive moose. I'd even settle for a bear.

Unique and fascinating rock formations obstruct the trail in the 100-mile wilderness of Maine.

I met up with the two brothers hiking the trail north by going south- again. They are nice guys, great sense of humor. Actually, they are slackpacking and shuttling and hiking the trail in chunks that are the easiest for them, generally heading toward Katahdin. I'm doing it the hard way: no vehicle support. We passed each other near Mud pond, a pretty little mountain pond at the base of some big rock ledges the trail goes over. From atop the ledges I could see the Barren Chairback Range directly ahead on the horizon - tomorrows hike beckoning. I was really enjoying this day, the good weather helping me out considerably, not to mention the high-test fuel (great Shaw's food) I was running on.

Looking ahead to Barren Mt. Chairback Range (Tomorrow's hike)

After I traversed the rock ledges - boy, how I loved them - I came to big Wilson Stream and Gorge. Had there been a bit more water, it would have been spectacular. The water would have rushed down the gorge and shot over the falls instead of trickling and dribbling down the rocks. But, it was a very pretty gorge nonetheless. Two more hikers were lying on the big rocks when I crossed Big Wilson stream. It was a warm, sunny day and I was tempted to join them, sunning and swimming. Sometimes maintaining focus and making serious forward progress is a hard thing to do for reasons other than a difficult trail. Sometimes I just want to stop and enjoy the scenery or the moment.

Two guys I met earlier at Shaw's were resting and setting up camp at a nice clearing near the next stream crossing. They'd gone as far as they wanted to for the day and tried to get me to join them. Tempted as I was, I wanted to put in decent mileage today and be at the base of Barren Mountain so I could get its big climb out of the way early in the day. That was my plan and I was determined to stick with it. As tired as I was, I pushed on. As I crossed the road and the big Long Pond Stream I met a couple of day hikers from Syracuse NY - not too far from Binghamton, NY where I was raised and spent my working life. The trail paralleled Long Pond Stream after crossing it. It was a roaring cascade, considering the lack of rain. It must be a real spectacle in high water. I found a note in the middle of the trail advising northbounders (me) to get water from the stream - the lean-to spring was dry. I took the message seriously and added 3 liters of water (about 6 pounds) to my pack weight. Tired as I was and steep as the trail was at this point, it was a real grunt. But I was glad I did it - it saved me walking a half-mile back here to get water. Hikers do look out for one another.

Long Pond Stream cascade and rock formations.

I was the first to reach camp so I had the choice of any tentsite or the lean-to. Promising to be a really nice night, I pitched my tent in the woods behind the lean-to and had a nice, peaceful spot all to myself. Another hiker came into the lean-to and Dutch Uncle set up a tent near the lean-to. Both had to walk the mile to the stream and back to get water. Tired, I slept very well.

 

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