Date: 2007-09-06
From: White House Landing Camp

To: Rainbow Spring Campsite
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke in the Shore House at White House Landing. The place is peaceful, paradise found. In the morning there¢s fog on the lake. Last night the stars were out very bright with the Milky Way and stars reflected in the pond. The loons called out and answered each other. This morning I go to the main house where the kitchen is located and heartily eat an AYCE pancake breakfast with scrambled eggs and bacon, toasted English muffins, coffee and orange juice. Well fueled, I am ready to hike. We muster at the dock and Bill takes us across the pond to a place closer to the trail. This has been a wonderful stay. I enter the forest and walk through more beautiful Maine wilderness. Most of the trail is pleasant and we warm up over Nesuntabunt Mountain with a nice view of Katahdin. The mountain looks so close. I am overwhelmed with emotion. The hike is coming to a close. I will finish soon. It, this ¢Trail World,¢ will be here, but I won¢t. Emotionally I will be here but physically I will reside on the other side. It¢s hard to comprehend. My journey will close and I will be whisked away in a vehicle with my family. First I will hike a few more days and have a summit day. I am hoping the weather is good, but will take what I get. I talked to Sleeper yesterday and he and Da Bear are planning on meeting and hiking with me from Abol Bridge. I am excited to see them. Taken and Lynne will meet me sometime soon and I think Taken will summit with me. All this occupies my mind as I hike like a man on a mission. To get closer to the end. I pass many ponds, all beautiful, with great shorelines. I hike next to lively cascading creeks, all equally beautiful. The forest is lush, it is sweet, and it is the way a forest should be. I reach the Rainbow Stream Lean-to, my initial goal, but find the stream a less than desirable source of water, and press on; thinking of the old game we played called the Hiker Hour. I basically haul butt for a few hours to reach a further location. I can¢t stop, or take breaks, and must walk briskly. It works and I reach the Rainbow Spring Campsite. Now this is what I like to drink, water from a spring. The spring has a pipe and the water is clean and cold. I sit by the shore of Rainbow Lake and listen to the loons calling out in their eerie way. I have selected a site close to the pond and am in my tent listening to a loon calling. The bird sounds lonely, and the place seems remote and wild. There¢s a slight breeze blowing in the tops of the trees. Today I noticed fall leaves on the ground. It¢s close to autumn. This is a great time to be hiking. Tomorrow I hike to the Abol Bridge campground where I¢ll meet Sleeper. It¢s only about 11 miles away. An easy day. I have hiked for 2147 miles since Springer Mountain in Georgia. I have personally come much further than the miles indicate. I have lost a lot of weight. I am a fit animal. I am competent and confident in the forest. I know how to live in the woods and deal with many challenges. The trail has given me many skills and I know I am an outdoors and hiking machine. I say this not to brag but to state a fact. It¢s been four months last year and over six months this year that I have lived in the forest. I have enjoyed myself and have spent many quality hours with friends and co hikers and many more hours and days as a solo hiker. The first half of the hike was with family, the second half solo. Each has its merits and I wouldn¢t change a thing. I will finish will friends from last year and with Taken. There have been some nice people hiking around me the last few days: Hemlock, Rio, JEB (J Edgar Boozer) and Caveman of Ohio. All are quality individuals and very competent hikers. I don¢t know who will be there when I summit. Time will tell. The loons are still actively calling and the breeze is picking up. I will say goodnight once again and hope for a great day tomorrow. Good Night. I went to sleep with the call of the loon echoing in my mind. This is a fitting end to my journey. And then there were the crickets and frogs, then a toad peeping, then the crickets and frogs and the wind in the trees and the call of the loon again. Perfect.