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.

Virtual AT: The Hundred Mile Wilderness (Part 1)

"Beans here...and ready for, what has been called, the toughest part of our adventure...."

The name Hundred Mile Wilderness sounds vaguely Pooh-ish...like A. A. Milne's 100 Acre Woods, of Christopher Robin's Adventures.

Not so much.

There are warning signs at the trailhead (see above)

For the next hundred miles there is no available supplies...no Friendly Foods or Publix...if you don't pack it in....well...you won't have it...okay?  Break an ankle or a leg...you're gonna spend many hours with that broken bone (and its pain) until you are rescued.

Thru-Hikers are advised to bring at least ten days worth of food..

Realtime this section takes 7-9 days.

(...since we are doing this virtually...we will be crossing in two...)

Our goal for today is Chairback Gap.

We outfitted yesterday and our pack is probably the heaviest it has been since we started the trail. 10 pounds of the weight is just food! At least 1/2 pound is a large wedge of peach pie that I snagged for the road...er..trail...lol

Thankfully, water is not an issue in Maine. It is available everywhere!!!

Starting out this morning we are lucky...the White Blaze App. confirms that the unseasonably warm temperatures are still with us...it is 44 degrees now but should top out in the high 50's today.

Overcast, sunshine later in the day!

And we're on our way...

 Leaving the Boarding house after eating a big meal, and a slice of hot apple pie...for luck...

 The First Few Miles

It is eerily quiet here in the morning mist...with only a few bird sounds and the shuffling whisper of our feet through pine needles.

And a lot of beaver dams.

The beavers here an industrious lot...although rather reclusive. Evidence of their work everywhere, although there was not one beaver to be seen.

The real first site we discovered was Wilson Falls....a slate falls

Which was heard  before it was seen...and beautiful!

Take a Listen for Yourselves

Wilson Falls

https://youtu.be/b7DrfS9P8i0

Down Big Wilson Cliffs

to the first ford at Wilson Creek

(...ford just means hiking through the water...no bridge...)

Pants rolled up..water-shoes on...only about 60 feet across...water at its deepest about knee high...but sooooooooooooooooo cold.

Up some railroad tracks on the other side. Quite steep.

 To Wilson Valley Shelter

Where we build a fire...get warm...and put on proper hiking gear again after our water crossing.

No idea how many fords we will have to do in this wilderness.

(...hopefully not many....)

After leaving the shelter we engaged in some PUDS (pointless ups and downs)
for quite a ways...and a few small steams low enough to rock hop across.

Rock Hopping.

Finally reaching Long Pond Stream.

and the Long Pond Stream Shelter

Thinking how peaceful it must be to sleep here, listening to the streamwater babbling over the rocks all night

But we have miles to go.

Up again...this time 1200 feet to Barren Mountain.

View From The Top of Barren Mountain

Also at the top an old lookout tower in varying stages of decay.

Although one of our small herd decided to climb it...it was a hard pass for me...with rusted metal and splintered wood on the ground below.

More muddy ridge walking and we finally reach Cloud Pond

And our first moose today.

We seemed much more interested in it..than it was with us.

Onward we press.

Really wasn't expecting the kind of elevation we are seeing here...or the string of PUDS. So many the mountains here barely have names...the Third Mountain...Columbus...The Fourth Mountain..you get the idea...

Most have little to no view...just tree-line.

Third Mountain treats us with a bit of a view, finally.

And at last we reach Chairback Pond

And hike our way up to Chairback Gap Shelter...where we'll be stopping for the night.

It is early enough to put beans on to simmer...they will be good with some of the cornbread I brought from Monson and that wedge of Peach Pie!

Until tomorrow,


Love, 

"Beans"

Today's Progress

A McRib/Sprawlmart/CatNapping Saturday... Last Sunday's Games with the Chiefs...and More

 What does one do after Sprawlmart, McRibs, enjoying the Fall afternoon together, and spoiling Sofi and Suri with their own KFC?

Synchronized Cat Napping, of course!

Our little Pride snuggled together for almost 2 hours.

It was a wonderful (surprise) afternoon, guy!

We ended the week together...and began the week together (online) 

 when we stayed up late Sunday to watch the Colts-Chiefs game!

We were 2-2

They were undefeated at 4-0

All the talking heads had the Chiefs beating us badly.

I am sure a lot of folks lost a lot of money on THIS game.

Despite our heavy injured list...with many out before the game...and the multiple injuries on the field (both us and them)

And there were a LOT of injuries this game.

An inordinate amount.

Like the late 80's Chicago Bears Games.

And despite a lackluster 3rd Quarter...with no points scored at all from either side...

We Did It.

And the Chiefs are no longer UNDEFEATED!

And we are 3-2 and enjoying our BYE week!!!!!

Also the running commentary between John and I...and the popcorn...yes...and the win...made it perfect!

Until the next morning...when we BOTH realized we may have gotten too old to stay up past midnight watching a football game...and be expected to get up before noon...lol

Suri found my backpack and Our Adventure Bear- Ralph, this week.

"Damned Paparazzi"                    
                      ~Suri


Separate Brunches and Chat out this week with both Brenda and Diane.

Catch up and chat with all the kids, and Loretta.

And last night...

The Movie of The Week:

JOKER


With Joaquin Phoneix in the starring role.

An empathetic look at how The Joker becomes...well...The Joker.

They took a lot of liberties with the original backstory...but (for me) it worked well. If you are a purist...you may want to skip this one.

A perfect storm of events that finally pushed a honestly nice guy right on over the edge.

Hell of a performance by Phoneix!

I enjoyed it!

You might, too...

This Week's Book

This series of essays from Ellis are as nice as sweet tea on the porch in the hot summer-time.

If you've ever used the term

"Well, BLESS YOUR HEART..."

in that special Southern Way

(...which is South Mouth for ya'll can't help it that you're so dumb...or ugly...or whatever...)

This is the book for you!

Excellent Read!

And...because we must...a moment to revisit

This Week in Trump-land 

(...bless his heart...)

And seriously...what is left to be said.

Subpoenas have been flying.

Two associates of Guiliani and Trump have been caught and jailed trying to flee the country.

Barr may face disbarment (which would be kind of ironic actually)

Another acting HSD has quit...this makes 4.

Now Trump is calling Congressional Oversight "Presidential Harassment" 

(Fun Fact: Nope...they are only doing what is their JOB as outlined in The US Constitution annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd...if you stop breaking the law,,,they will have nothing to bother you about...)

Oh and we are sending troops to Saudi Arabia (...land of bone saws, dead jounalists and 9-11 terrorists) but we have pulled out of Syria leaving The Kurds (...who stood side by side with us to fight ISIS...) to genocide by The Turkish.

Oh, and a few of our Military who have already been caught up in the bombing as well.

OOOPS...

And Shepherd of Fox News has finally said ENOUGH of this endless propaganda and left...resigned.

He is writing a book, though...

That should be INTERESTING!

I think Nickelback speaks for all of us

"...these three words in my head....are we having FUN yet..."


 More Anon...