Day 61, Maher Landing to Rainbow Spring Campsite (100 Mile Wilderness). 19.3 miles.
Silver Bullet stayed behind when I left this morning. He is going to assess his calf and then either keep going or get off trail. There is cell service at Maher Landing, and yesterday two women camped there who are heading SOBO and can give him a ride from a logging road (one is not a thruhiker and has her car at a road crossing). There were also four other guys at the campsite still sleeping when I left. Silver Bullet has three days of food with him and all his gear, plus his Garmin inReach etc. I therefore felt okay about leaving him where he was and continuing to hike. He is in a good spot to get extracted if need be.
I hiked by multiple ponds, lakes, and cascades today on typical New England rocks and roots trail. I am so thankful for the abundant water sources because today was HOT. I sweat like mad nonstop. Made myself drink at least a liter of water with electrolytes every couple of miles, sometimes more water in fewer miles depending on the terrain. In spite of that hydration, when I got to our campsite at 4pm I had to sit for a while and wait before putting up my tent. No energy.
Climbed Nesuntabunt Mtn which was steep and rocky and felt so difficult because I was so friggin’ hot. This was a day to guard against heat stroke, for sure.
There is a piped spring at this site that flows into a lake – and it is a beautiful thing! I visited it after putting up my tent and – cold and clear water!! None of the lukewarm stuff! I gulped down a liter, filled containers, and used some to rehydrate some packaged meals I had bought at Shaw’s. I also put my head under the spring and washed my hair (with just the water). Felt so good! Hooray for cold running water!
Silver Bullet just arrived as I am typing. He is limping…I worry about him attempting Katahdin. That’s a climb one should not do injured.
We’re 11.2 miles away from Abol Bridge and 11 miles away from finishing the 100 Mile Wilderness. Will sleep at one of the Abol Bridge campgrounds tomorrow night since my slackpacking disqualifies me from being able to stay at Baxter State Park’s The Birches. Will summit Katahdin from Abol Bridge the day after tomorrow. So tomorrow is a fairly easy hiking day, though it will be extremely hot again.
Looking forward to the sun setting! I’m sweating just lying here in my tent. Nighttime brings the lovely cooler temps.
Oh wow, here come the three Amish guys I met a few days ago on trail. They also stayed at Shaw’s one night. Good to see them again.
Day 62, Rainbow Spring Campsite to The Birches at Baxter State Park. 21.4 miles.
First – it is HOT! Once again lying in my tent sweating away.
It did cool down enough last night for me to get some decent sleep. Silver Bullet once again stayed behind this morning to assess his calf. I saw Finn and Hot Dog this morning before I left; they had arrived during the night, and it was good to see them. Days ago, the four of us agreed to share a shuttle to a hostel in Millinocket after summiting Katahdin since we all had the same summit date goal. That did not mean we would all hike together or even camp in the same spots throughout the 100 Mile Wilderness, though. So it was nice to see Finn and Hot Dog this morning.
I told Silver Bullet we’d see each other at Abol Bridge Campground unless a miracle occurred and we could all get into the Birches at Baxter State Park. The Birches is a special area by Katahdin Stream Campground for long-distance AT hikers, and only the first 12 hikers who arrive at a sign-up sheet at the Baxter AT entrance are eligible to stay for the evening. Also, if one left the 100 Mile Wilderness for any reason, one cannot stay at The Birches. Since the four of us slackpacked the first three days of the 100MW, that meant we were not eligible. More on this later.
The day had some minor ups and downs and went past some pretty ponds/lakes, but it was HOT. I poured sweat nonstop. Made sure to drink a liter of water at every crossing, etc. The terrain was typical rocks/roots, though still easier than the first 45 miles of the 100MW.
The last mile of the 100 felt cruisy (AT word for easier terrain, a hiker can “cruise”), then I was at Abol Bridge! Got a photo of Katahdin looming over the West Branch of the Penobscot River, then headed toward the Abol Bridge Campground store. Bought two Ginger Ales, a Cliff Bar, and a raspberry chocolate whoopie pie. Downed the sodas and the whoopie pie quickly.
Baxter State Park’s Ranger Don was there at the store talking to other hikers. He asked if I wanted to stay at The Birches, and I told him yes but that I wasn’t qualified since I slackpacked. After thinking about it for a few minutes, he told me there were only three other people who had signed up thus far, and that I could go ahead and stay there anyway. I told the ranger about the other three of us who slackpacked and who were on their way, and he said since there were so few people signed up for the Birches that we could all stay there.
THIS IS AN EXCEPTION. Baxter SP is strict about who can stay at The Birches and who can’t. People who left the 100MW to stay at hostels/slackpack are not eligible. The only reason we are allowed to stay there tonight is because there were only three other people signed up midday. That is rare. Usually the sign-up sheet is full by 8am. Hikers, if you slackpack, don’t ask them about staying at The Birches as if you expect to get in. We got lucky. Plan on staying at Abol Bridge Campground if you slackpack the 100MW!
I told the ranger about Silver Bullet’s injury and asked him to help assess SB when he arrived, then I headed up the 9.5 miles to the campground.
Those 9.5 miles were flat sometimes and rocks/rooty other times. Thankfully the trail went by rivers almost the whole way because, again, it was HOT. Stopped every couple of miles to drink water. Also dunked my head a few times. Finally got to Katahdin Stream Campground and checked in with Ranger Pete. So glad to be able to stay at The Birches tonight since doing these nine miles tomorrow morning right before the extremely difficult climb of Katahdin would have absolutely sucked.
Tonight at The Birches we will have Finn, Hot Dog, Silver Bullet, father-son section hikers we met in the 100MW, a German guy called Speedy, and a fellow named No Views. Turbo is supposed to show up but isn’t here yet.
The Katahdin Stream ranger, Pete, came over at 5pm and gave us a talk about the rules on Katahdin. No alcohol, celebrate quietly since this is a sacred space, things like that. He is a super nice guy and answered everyone’s questions. The rangers here want to make summit day as easy and straightforward as possible for the AT hikers.
Silver Bullet just showed up. He says his calf is better than it was before, but he will continue to assess it tomorrow.
I am looking forward to being in air conditioning roughly 24 hours from now. I think I look forward to that right now more than I do the actual climb of Katahdin. It has been a sweltering few days, and I’ve put my body through a lot.
Day 63, The Birches to Katahdin! 5.4 miles on the AT going up, and another 4.4 miles down via Abol Trail. 9.8 miles total.
Everyone was up and early at The Birches. The forecast called for another scorcher – 90s in the valley with the summit in the upper 70s – so everyone wanted to get on trail and begin the ascent before the heat set in.
Everyone left five or ten minutes apart from one another. First stop was the ranger station where I put all my heavy things in a loaner daypack and stored that pack at a designated lean-to. Hid my bear canister in the woods behind the lean-to. This way I could slackpack up Katahdin with only the things I might need for the day.
The AT ascent (Hunt Trail) is like the steeper trails of the Whites until you get to treeline, and then it’s straight-up bouldering for what seems like forever. There are places where rebars have been placed to prevent one from falling off the mountain. In my opinion, there were places without rebars that could have used them. Nevertheless, I got up to the Tablelands unscathed, and from there it was a relatively easy hike to the final push up the summit cone.
The sun hadn’t risen far enough to reach us yet for most of the ascent, so all the difficult portions were done in the shade. There was also a slight breeze, and I am grateful for that.
Clouds obscured the sun for most of the time I was on the Tablelands, and I am grateful for that too.
Great views.
Reached the summit (took four hours to ascend from The Birches) and said congrats to Speedy, who had overtaken me a mile and a half back. A few non-Birches hikers were up there and offered to take my photo. I was much obliged.
Spent some time eating and feeling happy, then began my descent. Saw Finn and Hot Dog, and then not much later Silver Bullet, on my way back down to the Tablelands. We confirmed our shuttle plans to Millinocket, then I called the hostel to confirm the shuttle once I got back to the Tablelands (where the ranger asked us to make phone calls as opposed to the summit).
Took the Abol Trail down. The first half a mile-ish was a steep rock slide that took forever…and now the sun was out in full force. After that first half mile the descent got only slightly easier, it was all about careful foot placement and strategic butt-sliding…and again, all in the sun. Even when I finally got below treeline, I was mostly in the sun since now it was close to midday and the sun was directly overhead. And of course, the lower I got, the higher the temps.
I started feeling the effects of the heat and had to make myself sit down in what shady spots I could find from time to time, and I began rationing my water. All the springs on Abol Trail were dry.
Made small talk with a dayhiker who passed me, and when I finally thank-God made it to the Abol parking area, he was packing up to head out. From there it is a two-mile road walk back to Katahdin Stream Campground where my shuttle will arrive at 4 and where I left most of my gear in the assigned lean-to. The dayhiker, named AJ, happily agreed to drive me the two miles, so I was spared that hot and sunny roadwalk. Got back to the lean-to and went straight to the nearby river so I could drink my fill and dunk my head.
I now worry about the other three and hope they make it here okay with this heat.
The ranger said that lately they have had to do a lot of hiking up to people on Katahdin who have triggered their SOS devices because of heat issues. Usually after those people are provided with water/electrolytes they can get off the mountain on their own.
I’m really hot just sitting here in the shade by the ranger station waiting for the others. Checked the temp with my Garmin inReach. 92 degrees with a real feel of 96.
I am grateful to Mama K for granting me safe passage today.
Later – The others arrived together, and we took the shuttle to the 100 Mile Wilderness Inn in Millinocket. Silver Bullet had reached the summit while Finn and Hot Dog were still up there, and the three decided to descend together. SB’s calf is still very much injured, and I think he made it through the last three days on 100% willpower.
I stayed at the 100 Mile Wilderness Inn last year during my LifeQuest trip through Maine. Turns out I am staying in the same room this year. Great place with AIR CONDITIONING, which the other AT Hostel in town doesn’t have. So grateful for the AC!
The owner of the Inn, Gail, grew up in Baxter State Park as the child of a ranger. She grew up in the building behind the Katahdin Stream Campground ranger station where she picked us up.
Felt so good to get a shower and change into clean loaner clothes!! Finn, Hot Dog, Silver Bullet, and I met Speedy (who is staying at the other hostel) and went to dinner. Getting to bed late tonight. Tomorrow I will zero here, then I head to Bangor to get a rental car for my trip back to Poughkeepsie, NY. I’ll then take a bus from Poughkeepsie to Pawling.
