Small Stream 2100.2 to Carl Newhall Lean-to 2115.7 (15.5 miles, 1,090.3 total miles)
I got up at 5:15 this morning, the idea of hiking to beat the rain getting me packed and hiking by 6AM. Rosin was right on my tail, and we saw what I thought were pitcher plants while crossing Fourth Mountain Bog.
I pulled ahead and saw the place crash I’d heard about, then went up and over a small climb, before stopping at a set of open rock ledges for a few minutes when I found cell service.
I started hiking with Rosin after that, through the cloudy day. We climbed and descended Third Chairback and Columbus Mountains, with plenty of rocks and roots to keep us on our toes.
The conversation was nice and helped the miles go by, especially because I wasn’t listening to anything again, keen to conserve my phone battery.
We talked about books we’d read, disaster movies, our histories of backpacking, and more. Rosin got his name because he carries a small violin on the trail, which he played a little last night at the tent site.
Almost 6 miles in we arrived at Chairback Gap Lean-to, or rather the privy that was on trail before the shelter. We took turns using it, had snacks, and filtered water we’d collected from a stream a mile and half back.
I noticed I was starting to feel quite chilly after only 10 minutes, and we hiked on, a couple hundred feet up to Chairback Mountain, which had a very pretty view of the Whitecap Mountain Range ahead.
It was very windy up on the exposed ridge, and we could definitely feel a weather front was coming in. Right after the summit, we had a steep little rockslide to traverse.
I threw my poles down a few times and climbed after them. We’d both heard that Katahdin involved a lot of rock scrambles as well, which we’d each already experienced at various points on trail.
We continued descending off the ridge, and I sped up to my normal speed as I cruised down. When I was toward the bottom of the ridge, I passed an older man on the final steep descent.
His name was Einstein, and he was LASHing the AT in thirds, and had gotten quite a bit done, including last year. He’d set out to hike the 100 Mile Wilderness with five other hikers, though one had gotten off already, and another was about to as well.
I hiked with Einstein for a bit, down to Katahdin Ironworks Road, where Pharmadillo and Honeybadger were waiting. They were hiking with Einstein, and waiting for Shaw’s to pick up Farmadillo.
I chatted with them for a few minutes, then hiked on. When I was a couple hundred yards down the easy decline, I had a thought, and turned around and walked back to the road.
I asked Pharmadillo if he would take my trash with him, and I was able to unload a gallon bag of food wrappers with him. I’d been worried about how much trash I was going to generate and have to carry with me for the next few days, so that was a big help.
Half a mile later, and one large downed tree to climb over, I arrived at the west branch of Pleasant River. This was the one ford of the day, and though the comments had spoken about deep water and a fast current, the conditions had improved since then.
The water only went up to my shins and the current was slow, so it was easy going. As I was sitting on a log after the crossing, I saw Rosin arrive across the river.
He forded barefoot, not having camp shoes, and passed a couple going south on the way. We sat together for a few minutes, joking around, filtering water, and having snacks.
I didn’t want to break for too long, especially as Rosin happened to notice that there were raindrops falling on the river. I put my rain jacket over my bag and he put on his pack cover, and we hiked out around 11:45.
We made our way down to a sign telling us Katahdin was only 89.3 miles ahead, and I noticed a skull sitting on a log to our left as we strode forward.
We started climbing a very gently graded uphill as the rain picked up. It was 5.5 miles to the shelter, and I wanted to get there as soon as I could, so I shot ahead again after a bit.
What followed was 4 miles of me hiking in the rain, mostly beside cascading water to my left, with several small waterfalls.
I put my head down and hiked over slick roots and rocks, through a dead silent forest, past vibrant greenery and mushrooms so orange they looked red.
Less than 2 miles to the shelter, the rain relaxed and tapered off, save for drops that fell from the trees in the plentiful breeze around me.
I was feeling hungry and tired from carrying pounds of extra food for two days. My shoulders, hips, knees, and the tendons of my feet were hurting.
Till the last minute, I’d considered going an extra 7 miles up and over the Whitecaps to another shelter, but thought it would be good to end my day early and get a break, plus eat the rest of my food for the day, lightening my pack to three (very generous) days of food.
At the shelter, I met Wicked and Longshot, who were the other counterparts to Einstein’s crew. Both were very accomplished hikers. Longshot had yo-yo’d the AT previously (hiking NOBO then turning right around and going SOBO).
Wicked had done a NOBO thru hike attempt last year and had made it all the way quite far into Maine. Longshot took off after a bit to keep hiking, but Wicked was staying, along with a couple section hikers.
Rosin stopped by to say goodbye to me and have a snack. He was finishing on the 20th, so I wouldn’t be seeing him again this hike. I was glad we’d gotten to hike some miles together, though.
Multiple people I’d met at Shaw’s had suggested I change my pace and summit a day or two early with them. I was very flattered by that, but was locked into my reservation at the campground with Ashley, and honestly thought that would be a better memory in the long term.
After Rosin left, Gumdrop and Rafter Man arrived to eat a meal and rest before the Whitecaps. They were finishing the same day as Rosin, so we said our goodbyes as well before they left just after 4:00.
Einstein and Honeybadger arrived and set up their tents nearby. A section hiker took a shelter spot and a thru hiker named Nude Beach I’d met at Shaw’s got the last one. Sunshine stopped by shortly after, but decided to hike a couple more miles to a campsite further up the ridge.
I had mashed potatoes and chicken for dinner, then cookies and a Kit Kat for dessert. The rain fell steadily on the metal roof, and there was plenty of wind outside, making me feel grateful to have a spot in the shelter.
After my last experience, I really didn’t want to risk a wet tent again. I was nervous for tomorrow, because the weather was vaguely calling for rain and possibly a thunderstorm all day. I’d just have to see how it looked in the morning.