Wednesday July 3, 9.9mi/15.9km

Abol Bridge (2176.9) to Katahdin Stream campground (2186.8) (ME)

I slept in, and wandered into the kitchen around 7am, and had a very energizing breakfast.

I spent a few hours doing planning for my next hike (which I figured out I will start on July 14th), and then walked to the other side of town to hitch a ride back to Abol Bridge. Three hitches later, including riding in the back of a truck, and I was there!

Abol Bridge is basically just a campground and store.

I crossed the bridge over the Penobscot River, and got a great view of Katahdin!

A few minutes later, I crossed into Baxter State Park. They make it very obvious when you enter… and post all the rules too.

I walked along the Penobscot river for an hour, and the sound of rushing water was a nice distraction. There were many people out tubing and kayaking too.

Then the trail climbed up a small hill, along a different smaller river. But still plenty powerful!

It had a couple of waterfalls, Big Niagara falls, and little Niagara falls. Not tall, but super powerful.

Little Niagara falls :

Then the trail entered the woods, and everything was super mossy and green.

And finally, I walked by Daicey Pond, which is a popular place to camp and canoe.

I arrived to Katahdin Stream campground at 5pm, and some hikers that I had hiked with a few days in the Hundred Mile wilderness, Wow and Lightfoot, invited me over to their campsite! It was a fun last gathering together.

After I setup my tent, I walked over to the ranger station. Tim was the ranger, and gave me a Thru-hiker permit card for the summit. And he allows hikers to borrow a free loaner daypack for the summit hike!

I went back to the campsite, made dinner, and enjoyed one last night with my fellow hikertrash. They are summiting Katahdin tomorrow, I will go up on Friday with a group of friends from Boston!

Tuesday July 2, 11.4mi/18.3km

Rainbow Spring campsite (2165.5) to Abol Bridge (2176.9) (ME)

I got moving later than usual, knowing it was a short 4-5 hour hike into “town”. It was another beautiful sunny morning, and the trail was flat for the first 5mi/8km.

I walked along Rainbow lake for a couple of hours, and every once in awhile the trail would get close enough to the water to walk out and have a view.

I started the climb up to Rainbow Ledges, and for some reason someone left an entire bag of food on the side of the trail… like three days’ worth. And good stuff too!

I didn’t take anything, in case someone was caching food in the woods. But they better get here quickly, the rodents will eat thru the bags!

The climb up was uneventful, except for this funny sign.

And it even had some sections of really good trail, like PCT-quality. The tread was built up with gravel and dirt, and super dry and smooth!

The top of Rainbow Ledges had nice views.

Thunder started rumbling, I definitely wouldnt want to be up on Katahdin today!

I was a half mile from the road, and it started hailing… hard. I took a video, its hard to see, but shows little ice balls bouncing off the ground.

Hailstorm video

As I was walking the road, a nice woman offered me a ride to town! I got a cool Katahdin photo from the car.

She works at the AT Cafe in Millinocket, and even though it was her day off, we drove there and had lunch. And a milkshake!

The Cafe is a cool place, and has AT memorabilia all over.

All the past AT finishers have signed a ceiling tile somewhere here… neat!

I’ll be back here in a couple of days after I finish, to eat and sign a ceiling tile, of course!

Afterwards I went to the AT lodge hostel, got a shower and laundry, and took a nap. More hikers came in later, and we discussed all our future plans. I ended up giving an impromptu presentation on hiking the PCT, since it was on almost everyone’s to-do list. What a random night!

Monday July 1, 25.2mi/40.6km

Antlers campsite (2140.3) to Rainbow Spring campsite (2165.5) (ME)

I was woken by the sun reflecting off the lake into my tent, and it got very warm inside by 6am.

All morning I walked along lakes and rivers, which meant mosquitoes were always around.

But, I could move fast because I didn’t have to carry any water! (and had little food left). I stopped at a shelter, and caught up to the group that I was camped with two night ago. We all loved the new longdrop toilet!

A mile later, we passed another lake, with a great view of Katahdin!

Sometimes the trail had rooty sections, but overall was pretty nice today.

There was even a set of metal stadium-style stairs to get up a riverbank. Convenient, but it seemed very out of place.

For lunch I stopped at Nahmakanta Lake, it had some nice beaches with sand and soft stones.

I even got to do a quarter mile of beach walking! It’s almost like the Te Araroa…

There was a quick but steep climb up a short mountain, which had great views over the lake, and also to Mt Katahdin. I won’t attempt to spell the mountain.

After descending the mountain, it was an afternoon full of more lakes and small rivers. I’ve noticed that it’s some sort of Maine tradition to leave a rowboat or canoe by the water for people to use.

And there was a nice surprise, the next river crossing was on a bridge! Usually hikers have to ford, as Maine doesn’t seem to know about bridges.

Hiking up along Rainbow stream, there were many small cascades. They provided some nice entertainment for a couple of miles.

I walked another five miles, to camp on Rainbow Lake. A girl scout troop had occupied the lower section by the lake, so I camped in the upper section with a local trail maintenance crew.

They were a fun group to talk to, and two of them were former thru-hikers themselves. And they offered me their extra food!

Perfect timing, since food supplies are usually low at the end of a section. Tomorrow I get to “town” at Abol Bridge. It’s a restaurant and convenience store with showers, good enough for me!

Sunday June 30, 25.1mi/40.4km

Sidney Tappan campsite (2115.2) to Antlers campsite (2140.3) (ME)

Gotta keep on moving!

I knew rain was in the forecast, so I got hiking at 6am, so I could get over the last of the mountains before it started. It was a very foggy morning, and the trail was smooth walking.

I was only half awake, so before I knew it, I had climbed 700ft/200m up to Hay Mountain.

The next mountain on the ridge was a couple of miles away, but easy walking, and I was on the summit before 8am. I had an hour before rain started, gotta keep on moving!

Foggy views, though!

The alpine flowers were always fun to see, I will miss them, White Cap mountain was the last high summit on the AT (besides Katahdin, of course).

I descended a couple thousand feet, well below treeline, and then the rain started at 9am as predicted. Umbrella time! My legs were soaked though, having to walk thru this carwash:

There were a couple of lakes along the way. I almost went swimming… but then it got windy. Keep moving!

The rain didn’t last long, and stopped shortly after noon. I had been warned about the mosquitoes in this last section, and as soon as the rain stopped, new clouds formed…clouds of mosquitoes. If I kept walking, it wasn’t bad. So, keep on moving! All the rest of the photos were taken at 3mph/5kph..

Cool flowers, I wish I knew their name.

I stopped just before 5pm and camped at Antlers campsite, an established spot on Jo-Mary lake. The view from my tent was great, being inside my tent with mosquito netting was even better!

There were no other hikers around, and weirdly, there was cell service. So I watched some episodes of LWT with John Oliver, and did some planning for my upcoming hike… on the PNT (Pacific-northwest-trail)! And as I was going to bed, I got a Skype call from my sister. She and Scott had some fun news to share!

Congratulations you guys! (Assuming you got Jeff’s permission, haha).

Only three more days until I get to Katahdin! Weeeee

Saturday June 29, 18.5mi/29.8km

Cloud Pond shelter (2096.7) to Sidney Tappan campsite (2115.2) (ME)

I was hiking by 7:15am, since the elevation profile for today suggested some slow miles with all the ups and downs. Even though I was on a ridgeline all morning, there were still plenty of wet bogs too.I did get some partial views from the Fourth Chairback mountain and Third Chairback mountains.On my way up one of the Chairback mountains, I passed a couple of guys going south. They were from the Boston area, and somehow knew me, and knew that I was about to complete my “Triple Crown” of hiking – finishing the PCT, CDT, and AT. They really wanted a photo of me, and I took one of them too.The sky cleared a little later in the morning, and I got better views. These are from First Chairback mountain.And then, the descent. Which was so steep, I often had to lower myself with my arms!But once I got down, the trail was a nice carpet of pine needles in a mossy forest. These forests in northern Maine feel so silent and old.After lunch, I crossed the West branch Pleasant River. There is a popular trailhead nearby for the Gulf Hagas rim trail, so I saw plenty of hikers fording the river with me.And this sign was a nice reminder of how close the end is!There were plenty more waterfalls on this section, and also heaps more people hiking around visiting them.The final climb up to Gulf Hagas mountain was steep, but it was cooler weather, and I got to camp at 5pm. Tomorrow I’ll try to get an early start, to do a 25 mile day!

Friday June 28, 19.2mi/30.9km

Hwy 15/Monson (2077.5) to Cloud Pond shelter (2096.7) (ME)

I woke up to the smell of bacon and coffee, which is a pretty awesome way to start a day. I stuffed myself full of breakfast, packed up, and got a ride back to the trail. After hiking only a minute, I passed this sign. The Hundred Mile wilderness! The suggestion for ten days of food was humorous…

There were plenty of nice views of ponds and lakes along the way today.

Which also meant plenty of bugs, but some Deet kept most of them away. My favorite spot today was Little Wilson Falls, a 60-foot waterfalls with a canyon at the bottom.

I stopped there and had an early lunch. My Nutella had a message for me!

After lunch, I got into a nice rhythm and the trail was smoother, and the distance flew by.

There was a spot where the trail disappeared, since a beaver had built a dam in the same spot. I had to walk on the sticks to get around the new pond.

And of course, it was very wet there. So many mushrooms!

There was one climb, at the end of the day. Barren Mountain was short, and had a view to the south.

I continued on, and arrived at Cloud Pond shelter at 6pm. There was a large boys group camped nearby, who were all very interested in my hike. I camped near the pond, and it was a nice spot to see the sunset.

Two other section-hikers arrived, and we chatted about other trails. One of the guys is from Tasmania (Australia), so of course he was encouraged me to hike some of the trails there! But first, I need to finish this trail – only 95 miles left!

Thursday June 27, 17.9mi/28.8km

Bald Mountain Pond shelter (2059.6) to Hwy 15/Monson (2077.5) (ME)

I was excited to get to town, so I started walking at 7am. The view from the campsite this morning was nice. Not pictured: hundreds of mosquitoes.

There were no significant climbs today, only a few river fords. The first ford looked easy, but a few seconds after I took this photo, I slipped on a rock and took a swim. Oops.

Since the trail is in the lowlands now, everything is very green, and there are many more bird noises.

The next river ford went more smoothly, and there was even a rope to hold onto!

Being down low also means more moose!

The trail followed along the W branch Piscataquis River for several hours. It was nice having the sound of water for background noise.

Just before I got to the road, there was a small climb, and the hill had an obscured view of the valley I was about to enter.

I got to the road at 1:45pm, got a hitch from the third car that passed by, and was in town at the Shaws hostel by 2pm. One of the owners, Poet, welcomed me and gave me a tour. They even have a gear shop!

Then after a shower, I headed over to the only restaurant in town, the Lakeshore House pub. I saw some interesting transportation on my walk over… oh, Maine!

I was starving, so I ordered the biggest thing on the menu, Pot roast with vegetables and potatoes. Then I stayed a little while for the entertainment of open mic night.

I headed back to the hostel, repaired my leaky thermarest air mattress, and planned out my last week on the AT. Tomorrow I enter the hundred mile wilderness!

Wednesday June 26, 18.8mi/30.3km

Hwy 201/Caratunk Hostel (2040.8) to Bald Mountain Pond shelter (2059.6) (ME)

I slept in until almost 7am, and went over to the main hostel building for breakfast. Bacon, home fries, French toast, eggs, and fruit! Then, an hour later, I got a chocolate milkshake… just because I could. Paul (“one braid”) is the hostel owner, and he has hiked the AT, PCT, and he makes the best milkshakes!

By the time I finished my milkshake, did some planning for my travel to Montana next month, it was already 11am! The river crossing canoe only runs 9am to 11am, and I had seen some new hikers come thru, but not Bob. So now I don’t think he is behind me, and no one ahead of me has seen him… maybe he quit the trail? It’s a strange mystery.

I did a short roadwalk back to the trail, and it was a surprisingly sunny and hot day.

The first five miles were flat and easy, and there were all these purple flowers.

I stopped for a break after five miles at the Pleasant Pond shelter. It had a fancy new long drop toilet, always nice to see.

I also took a very quick dip in nearby Pleasant Pond, since the water was so cold.

It felt good, but I had to reapply the bug repellent, there are so many mosquitoes! The climb up to Pleasant Pond Mountain was steep and slow, with lots of roots and rocks.

The top of the mountain didn’t have much of a view, but it was fun to walk on the big slab of rock.

The descent was easy, and soon I was at a river ford, the first of many this week. There is even a blaze on the rock in the middle of the stream!

There was a nearby pond that was connected to the stream, and the good views were quickly disappearing as a low cloud moved in.

The low lying marshy areas were nice to look at, but there were so many bugs!

The next climb up to Moxie Bald Mountain was easy, and towards the top there was a jumble of boulders that made a cool cave system.

The views on the top of the mountain were completely blocked in by fog. Oh well.

It was getting late, so I hurried down to mountain, and arrived at the shelter at 7pm. Only one other SOBO thru-hiker was there, and the two of us shared the shelter, along with the two hundred mosquitoes. Usually I would tent, but the sky is a little drippy, so I’m hiding in my sleeping bag tonight!

Tuesday June 25, 19.1mi/30.7km

Flagstaff campsite (2021.7) to Hwy 201/ Caratunk Hostel (2040.8) (ME)

What a great night of sleep! I love my tent, it stays dark and mosquito-free, unlike the shelters. This is the view I had when packing up my tent:

I said goodbye to Claire, and got moving at 6:30am. It was an early start, but the goal was to catch Bob, who presumably camped a little further last night. I covered the 5 miles to the next shelter quickly, and arrived there just after 8am. There were plenty of SOBO hikers still packing up, but none had seen Bob… strange. Maybe he’s behind me, and not ahead like I thought? I continued on, and passed another nice lake, I think it was called West Carry lake.

After this lake, the AT followed the historic route of Col. Benedict Arnold’s army.

It was nice easy, flat hiking, and I cruised the morning miles.

I arrived to East Carry Lake soon, and stopped for an early lunch.

The area after the lake was a wet, marshy area. There were many boardwalks, and the water was full of yellow dust – pine pollen!

This looked like prime moose territory… but no moose. Sad.

The trail passed by Pierce Pond, and it was constructed in a very strange way… the trail was also the rock dam that was holding back the lake!

The trail went downhill for a few miles, following a stream with many small waterfalls.

I arrived at the Kennebec River at 2:30pm, and it is the largest unbridged river crossing on the entire AT. There is a free canoe ferry service, but it strangely only runs from 9am-11am.

So I waited by the river, since I knew another hiker had arranged a ferry for 5pm. I waded in the river, and it has a powerful current, so I can’t imagine people ever fording this river. The hiker, Ranger showed up at 4:30pm, and a few minutes later, the canoe shows up!

Cheryl has been canoeing hikers across the river for years, and she lives right across the river.

It was a quick 2 minute paddle across the river.

Ranger and I gave her $20, and we walked the last half mile to a hostel. Upon arrival, we were given a quick tour, and they even have a resupply store for hikers!

Then, it was off to the local bar, which was having their usual Tuesday night special, Taco Tuesdays. All you can eat tacos for $8! I took down 11 (yes, eleven) tacos before calling it quits. I met a nice group of SOBO hikers, IceFire, H2No, and SpecialEd, and we swapped trail stories at the hostel until bedtime.

Monday June 24, 17.9mi/28.8km

Route 27/Stratton (2003.8) to Flagstaff campsite (2021.7) (ME)

I slept in a little, it was nice to have dark windowshades to block out the 5am sunrise. I got packed up, finished my quart of ice cream, and the motel owners drove me back to the trail. It was another perfect hiking weather day!

Since it was warm and sunny, I saw many forest friends today too.

So many reptiles! A few miles in, I passed a sign for the 2,000 mile mark. The trail changes distance every year (usually increases), so this sign must be from a few years ago.

Maine seems to have many ponds and lakes, and today was no exception.

The Horns pond, in front of South & North Horn mountains.

I climbed up to 4000ft elevation for the last time, hitting both of the Bigelow summits. West peak is 4144ft/1263m high.

Looking ahead to Avery peak, which is 4088ft/1246m high.

The descent down was steep, as the trail dropped off the ridge.

Just after the summit, there was a plaque for Myron Avery, one of the founders of the AT, and for whom this summit was named.

Up on the ridge, the trail was surrounded by these nice white flowers. There were thousands of them, so it also attracted lots of bugs.

After the descent, I passed a ridiculous trail junction with a typo. The viewpoint was certainly more than 10cm from the AT!

I also passed thru Safford Notch, which was filled with dozens of house-sized boulders.

The final descent of the day was nice, heading down towards Flagstaff lake.

I hiked a couple of miles along the lake, and setup camp at an official spot. The water was nice and clean.

I was soon joined by another hiker, a SOBO named Claire (no trail name yet). It was fun to talk to other hikers, and swap trail stories. We even setup a food hang, which I haven’t done in many weeks!

After dinner, we sat by the lake and watched the sunset, and tried to go for a swim, but the mosquitoes prevented that…darn.