Date: 2008-07-16
From: Abol Bridge Campground

To: Rainbow Stream Lean To
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

Abol is pronounced ¢A-bowl¢. Took me awhile to lock into my mind the correct pronunciation of Katahdin (Ka-TAH-din) and still on our last day at the campground I found I was having to think before I said Abol.The morning was a slow start for us. We are usually out of our tents at daybreak and on the trail soon after. It's a habit we got into back in the scorching temps of Hot Springs. This morning though we were working out the logistics of having two new team members. Walking them through some of the things we've learned along the way about packing up. I'm sure we'll move faster with each day. Today we didn't get out of camp until 8:30.The 100 mile wilderness isn't really quite 100 miles, it's a few miles short. I've heard it's not really a wilderness either. There are a few roads that cut through it along the way where you can get a ride out in an emergency. There is even one place you can stop for a meal and overnight stay if you'd like. We'll check it out tomorrow. It is however several days with no resupply options. That means our packs got heavy again. Food is a killer on pack weight.I also added a head net into my pack. I used it a lot at Abol. I added gators, which I may drop. They gave me a terrible heat rash around my ankles. I brought back my Patagonia puff vest because I was afraid the night temps might drop, but so far they haven't. Most of the added weight though is just food. We brought enough for six days. I suspect the hike may take seven days, but I always end up with extra food so I'm not worried.We were looking forward to today. The maps showed us hiking along Rainbow Lake most of the day. We had plans to stop along the way for a swim. Right after we connected with the lake was a nice swim spot, but it was way too early in the day to stop. We didn't realize that we really wouldn't be next to the lake for the rest of the day. The trail took us up on the hillside away and out of sight of the lake. It finally brought us back at the end of the day at what is called the 'deadwater'. It's the water between the lake and the stream. We searched the area for a place to camp near the water but there was nothing. Earlier in the day we had passed a couple NOBOs who had warned us that the lean to at Rainbow Stream was real buggy so we were trying to avoid it. We finally realized it was our only option.Turned out not to be too buggy. The shelter was okay, but there was a very nice campsite on the hill above. When we came into camp there was one young woman already here. Her trail name is Bluebird. She was very glad to have the company and we were glad to be done for the night. Really nice lady, we had a great conversation.The only really neat thing along the trail today was seeing a moose. Tigger, Greg and Nick had stopped at the deadwater in search of a swimming hole while Soaring, Owl and I moved on looking for a campsite. The water kept changing from large flat ponds to moving stream. At one point it opened up into a pond again and we stepped off trail to look upstream to see how far it went and standing in the middle of the water was a female moose. I think the females are called cows. She looked right at us and moved out of the water toward the bank... the bank that was in the same direction we were walking. I had already been warned about getting off the trail if I hear a thundering noise coming toward me, but I realized I really didn't know much about the temperament of moose. Would a female be annoyed by having her bath interrupted? I walked cautiously forward. Around the next bend, there she was on the trail. Looking at us. She studied us. We studied her. She didn't seem to like being watched so she moved off into the woods.As we walked on up to where she had been, I looked over into the woods. There was no sign of her. How can something that big disappear so quickly and quietly? I thought it was very interesting.Other than that the day was filled with rooty, rocky, muddy paths and mosquitoes. Lots of mosquitoes. It's good to be inside my tent.Roo is having her second sleep over tonight. Her first was back at Seely-something shelter with Rubber Duckie. Tonight she walked up to Nicks tent and stuck her nose in. He let her in and she curled up with him. We'll see if he lets her back in tomorrow after he sees what a bed hog she can be. :o)Rabbit, Owl and RooJoshua 1:9