Monson, ME 2079.8 to Small Stream 2100.2 (20.4 miles, 1,074.8 total miles)
My body naturally woke me up at 6AM again, and I got my last minute packing done before heading downstairs for breakfast.
I sat with Translator, his friend, a couple other hikers, and Sunshine. Her and Catchup had arrived at the hostel after me the day before last, as I’d apparently passed them in Caratunk, and I’d spent a little time around them yesterday at the fire.
I was sad thinking about what our plans had been previously, but understood we all had to do what was best for us. Sunshine sounded like she would be summiting the 21st or 22nd, so I’d probably be seeing her regularly till then.
Catchup was planning on summiting Katahdin the 24th, and doing a silent meditation through the 100 Mile Wilderness. Trash said he’d done that as well with someone else. Though I didn’t personally find it something I’d want to do, I hoped it went well for Catchup.
Breakfast was great again, and I tried to eat in the second wave of hikers so I would still have a full stomach as I hiked. I hustled to check out of the hostel and be in the first shuttle, since 18 people were all hitting the trail that morning.
A few of us weighed our packs, and with five days of food and a liter of water my pack weighed 27.5 pounds. I also had a couple pounds of snacks in my fanny pack.
Mine was the lightest of the few of us who weighed, but it was still more than I’d carried probably since North Adams, MA the day before I fell behind the Cult. I was a little nervous how the extra weight would impact my hiking pace.
I got on the first shuttle with Sunshine, Catchup, Captain Crunch, Cowboy, and several other hikers. Poet drove us, and dropped us at the parking lot. He took our picture and gave us some poetic, of course, pieces of advice before we hiked out.
I started off in the middle of the first group of nine, and ended up passing a few hikers within the first mile or so. The first 4 miles of the day were relatively flat, and the extra weight on my back didn’t seem to be affecting me too much at first.
A few miles in, Cowboy shot past me, and Pounder and I began to leapfrog each other. I passed a few ponds, and hiked over plenty of roots and sheer rock.
The day was warm and humid, with a chance of showers after 3PM, which thankfully never materialized. At 7 miles in, I stopped at Little Wilson Stream to collect water and eat a quick lunch before continuing on.
Next I climbed up to Big Wilson Cliffs, which had picturesque views south. At the bottom of that ridge was Big Wilson Stream, the first and only ford of the day.
Pounder arrived right behind me, and I saw Catchup and two other hikers across the stream that was fast flowing and looked more like a river to me. This was my first ford that did have a guiding rope.
Catchup indicated with his hand that the water came up to mid thigh on him. I put on my crocs and used the rope to get myself across the water.
Catchup left, and I chatted with the others while putting my socks and shoes back on. Pounder went for a dip in the water, and I found out the other two hikers were young NOBOs named Gumdrop and Rafter Man.
I headed out next, and hiked up and over another ridge to get to Wilbur Brook, where I found Pounder and Catchup taking a dip in the water.
Pounder referred to the water as icy, and I had no desire to get in, so I continued on. The trail took me gently upward past a couple more large streams and the beautiful Slugundy Falls, which carved their way through canyons to my left for quite a while before I reached the side trail to Long Pond Stream Lean-to.
That shelter had been my original destination for the day, 15 miles from where I started. I was planning on possibly going another 4 miles after that for an almost 2,000 foot climb up to the next shelter.
Cloud Pond Lean-to on the ridge was .4 off the trail, which is much more than I’d ever usually consider going for any blue blaze. However, I got to Cloud Pond at 3:30, and if felt too early for me to stop.
I did see Cowboy had set up camp there already, and there was a father with his two young kids hiking the 100 Mile stopping for a break, but were planning on making the climb.
I didn’t want to make the climb with so much food on my back, but I also knew the shelter might get crowded with the people who’d been at Shaw’s.
Plus it was supposed to rain quite a bit tomorrow, so the idea of getting the climb out of the way and being able to cut miles out of the next day of rain was attractive to me.
I was feeling the extra weight by then and needed my afternoon pick me up. After drinking caffeine and propel, I ate a cliff bar and a protein cookie, and allowed myself to listen to music to get up the incline.
I had to be careful with phone usage through the Wilderness, because I had to make what I had last, and I’d only get about three charges off my battery. So I’d hiked without listening to anything all day till then, and thought it would be good to reward myself with music and get me up the mountain.
The first mile was definitely the hardest for me. It was graded over 900 feet per mile, and my shoulders were aching from the weight of my pack, even after tightening my hip belt.
It took me 40 minutes to cover that mile, and I was sweating and panting, but I got to the reward of a nice easy cruise on a mile flat and a view from Barren Ledges before the final ascent.
I saw Gumdrop on the ledge, and he told me they were doing 8 more miles that day to the next shelter. It was already 4:30, so that definitely sounded ambitious.
The last mile ascent up Barren Mountain I actually found much easier than the first part. There was a little bit of a view before the actual summit, where I saw Rafter Man for a moment before they both passed by as I sat for a few minutes.
I was still undecided on my destination, but hiked on. I met some very cool SOBO flip floppers on my way a mile down to the Cloud Pond spur trail.
I started on the spur trail, my gut telling me to go to the stealth spot, but logic telling me to seek out the shelter. I walked the whole .4 there, unimpressed with the pond water source, and the vibe of the shelter. I also didn’t see any good tenting spots.
I turned myself around and walked the .4 back to the AT, doing an effective extra mile for no reason. It was 6:30, and I decided to go the extra 1.3 to the stealth tent site I’d read about in the guide comments.
I saw Gumdrop and Rafter Man while they were eating dinner near the trail, and talked with them for a bit before finishing the hike on a steep downhill to the stream.
I got there at 7, the sun very low in the sky, and collected water from the low and tiny stream. A tenth of a mile past and I found the site, which wasn’t as flat as I’d imagined but would do fine.
Racing the falling darkness, I put up my tent and made ramen with salmon and had skittles for dessert. As I was eating the skittles, a hiker came through that I recognized from the shuttle this morning from Shaw’s.
His name was Rosin and he was a NOBO hiker from the Boston area. I said he was welcome to join me, happy to have some company. He said most everyone else was going to the Cloud Pond Lean-to, and I hoped they’d all find space.
As I was talking with Rosin, Gumdrop and Rafter Man showed up night hiking, and said they wanted to join as well.
There was room for everyone, and I was happy to get to know them all better. I was relieved I wouldn’t have to stealth alone, and had gotten some good miles in today, so I had a buffer to avoid some weather tomorrow possibly.
I’m My first day in the 100 Mile Wilderness had been a definite success. I’d done a lot for starting my hiking day at 8:40AM, and was hopeful that I could avoid the worst of the weather tomorrow. It truly felt like the home stretch of the first half of my hike.