Virtual AT: The 100 Mile Wilderness (Part 2) Chairback Gap to Rainbow Stream Shelter

"Beans again...ready to finish the 100 Mile Wilderness today..."

An overcast morning down Chairback Mountain and across about 4 miles of
talus field.

Talus is just the jumbled accumulation of broken rock that you find at the base of many mountains...like scree but a larger amount and thicker in my observation, covering a much larger area.

Finding an end to it was really great. This crap is a good way to break an ankle.

To Pleasant River where we stop for water.

And stumble on another moose...not realizing the old bull was there until he rose like some behemoth shaggy brown boulder that seemed to keep rising forever from the brush.

Fortunately...he seemed as morning-addled as the rest of us and by the time he had composed himself we were long up the trail and no longer a threat he had to deal with...

And changing into water-gear to ford Pleasant River.

 Okay...so THIS sucks first thing in the morning.

Hypothermia comes to mine.

It is 45 degrees out...the water is much much colder...and up to my thighs...

(...good thing this is virtual...nope...would have never ever made it all the way on this trail...not even in my prime...)

And drying and changing again on the other side.

Up another 1200 foot climb to the Carl A. Newhall Shelter

 Where we meet up with two other hikers who tell us about the 8 mile Gulf Hagas Trail that spurs off the AT here...billed as the Grand Canyon of Maine.

Face it...how can you say NO to that?

And we are instantly glad we took the extra time.

 Beautiful chasms covered in firs trees and multiple waterfalls.

Just beautiful!

(...and I realized I had been looking at the 100 Mile Wilderness just as something we had to get though...something to ENDURE to reach The Prize-
Mount Katahdin...which is a really poor attitude to have...going to enjoy everything between here and there...from here on out...)

This may be the Trail Zen everyone talks about.

It certainly was mine.

Gulf Hagas

Gulf Hagas Rim Trail

https://bangordailynews.com/2015/06/23/act-out/1-minute-hike-gulf-hagas-near-brownville-2/

with video.

Although the video is just a drive in day hike...it is wonderful...don't miss this one! Love the sounds of all the falls!

So glad we decided to do the little side trek.

Now to make up some time and to the Summit of White Cap Mountain. 
The clouds have parted and the day is warming up.

White Blaze App says in the mid-60's!!! Feels wonderful!

The White Cap Mountain Trail

Stats- White Cap Mountain

White Cap from Above

View from White Cap Mountain

Another view from the top.

And then it is all downhill. Down a long set of slate stairs...through a paper birch forest...yellow-orange with the fall colors...

Past the East Branch Shelter

Where to our excitement we found some still on the bush...wild blueberries!

Tiny but oh-so-sweet!

And up the Little Boardman Mountain

 The View from Little Boardman.

And down again to Crawfords Pond.

Which would make a nice would make a nice swimming and clean up spot in the hot summer with its sandy shores.

Almost beachy.

Onward through more of a scattered rounded boulder pathway...flat...toward Antlers Campsite.

Antlers.

On past Crescent Pond

First View of Crescent Pond through the trees.

And the Rainbow Stream Shelter

From here it would be easy to push on to the Abol Bridge...in fact, I had planned to...but by the end of tomorrow...just miles from here across the Penobscot River- our 5 month journey will come to an end.

So...tonight we will stop here in this wild place.

We have the rest of our lifetime for tame.

Until tomorrow.

Love,

"Beans"

Today's Progress.