Oct 4

Hunger Games

Even after a big couple of days, we haven't caught up with Slims.  Apache and Rainbow should be a half day  or so behind.  The rest of the League and I got up at 5am, and we were out on the trail by 6:30am.  I feel conflicted with our group split up a bit, but the overwhelming drive to get through the Wilderness trumps all other thoughts right now.  Thankfully, the last 2 days have been great.  Easy terrain, nice weather.  Early in the morning, I had a decision to make.  I came to a dirt road that led to the White House Landing Wilderness Camps.  They have showers, food, bunks, and resupply available - the only such place on trail in the Wilderness.  Running low on food, the smart thing would have been to head to the camps.  After waffling back and forth, ultimately I decided it would take too much time.  If I went there I would probably end up staying, based on what usually happens during this hike.  I'll just go light on meals and snacks for the next 2 days and push to Abol Bridge at all costs.  The hiking this morning has been incredibly flat.  I walked by, and  crossed over, one stream after another.  Earlier this morning, I walked past the shore of Pemadumcook Lake, where I had another view of Katahdin.  The mountain is looming even larger as I draw nearer, fueling my desire to keep hiking.  It's been early mornings and long days lately, but the need to get out of the Wilderness and to the base of that mountain has been overriding any urges or trends that I had formally been used to.  My stomach had been grumbling for many miles now as I arrived at Wadleigh Stream lean-to.  Instead of my usual tuna and tortilla lunch, I decided to bulk up and eat a heavy dinner meal.  I figured that would do better in providing me fuel to hike on for the rest of the afternoon.  This turned out to be a great idea.  After lunch there was a short climb up Nesuntabunt Mountain.  This was the last climb of any significance before Katahdin.  I was surprised how steep it was.  For the entire afternoon, I was continuously hiking around streams and ponds.  The terrain was easy, and I managed a 3mph pace all the way to the next shelter, at Rainbow Stream.  After a short rest there, I pushed on for several more miles in the late afternoon, all the way to the Rainbow Lake campsite.  It was just before 5pm, when I rolled into camp, finishing a 22 mile day.  I managed to catch up with Slims here too.  The rest of the group came into camp over the next hour or so.  For dinner I ate half of a pita and two pouches of tuna.  The only things left in my food bag are some coffee, some drink mixes, a single pouch of Spam, and a serving of couscous.  I wanted to eat that couscous and Spam so bad, but I knew I needed to save it for breakfast.  Right at dusk, it began to rain.  There was the last little bit of daylight left when, with a grumbling stomach, I crawled into my tent to get out of the weather.  No matter how bad it seems right now, I know all I have to do is hike 11 miles in the morning and I'll be able to stuff my face.

View of Katahdin from Nesuntabunt Mountain.
16 miles line-of-sight distance, but still  36 miles away by trail.