Date: 2015-08-06
From: Abol Pines

To: Birches Campsite
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: light rain

It was a little noisy on the road last night but the temperature was nice and cool. I woke up before 5 am so started packing up. Wookie did too and even though we initially planned to leave by 6 am, we were walking by 5:35. We made it to the Information Board but yesterday's sign up sheet was still up. We saw August, Peter Pan, OP, Hyrobics and Chimney had signed up yesterday. It was just before 6 am so we sat down to wait. Little Bird arrived. She is finishing up her last section of the thru hike she started 3 years ago but had to leave the trail because of Lyme Disease. Last summer she slipped on a rock and shattered a finger and needed surgery. So this summer she is finishing her last 250 miles. We sat and talked for an hour. Finally at 7 am, we modified yesterday's sign up sheet by changing the date and crossing out names and putting ours over it. We took pictures of it with a phone time stamp in it and crossed our fingers. We started hiking a pretty nice section of trail with occasional ups and downs. At the Lower Fork of the Nesowadnehunk River, we had to ford. Wookie made it across on top of the rocks but I didn't trust myself with one pole so I forded. The water was colder than most with a swift current and high enough to get my butt wet. Little Bird rock hopped barefoot. A mile later, we crossed the Upper fork but I was able to get across with minimal wet shoes. Less than a mile later we arrived at the side trail for Big Niagara Falls so we dropped out packs, grabbed a snack and headed over. Little Bird joined us and we sat on a rock next to the falls enjoying the view. Blue sky started appearing again. We found an occasional blueberry along the way. I took the side trails to Little Niagara Falls and Toll Dam but the others didn't. After that it was just 3.2 miles to go! I passed a few day hikers. I also stopped to take a few pictures of mushrooms I had seen the past few days. Finally I arrived at Katahdin Stream Campground and went to the Ranger Station but the office was closed till 4 pm and it was only 11:30 am. So I walked the 0.25 miles to the Birches Shelter where Little Bird and Wookie were. It sprinkled so Little Bird and I set up in one shelter and Wookie set up in the other. It was odd not to have anything to do. Wookie gave me the book he just finished "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" so I started to read. Bourbon Bill also arrived. It was breezy and rained on and off and I was strangely cold and zipped the legs back onto my shorts for the first time in a couple months!! I even dozed off for a short while which hasn't happened in months! Another hiker Flash arrived. At 4:15 pm, we walked back to the Rangers Station and paid our $10. Wookie and I were thru hikers 190 and 191 to register. I read a little more and then it was finally time to cook dinner!! Ever Ready and Unhinged arrived ... They had been hanging out at the campgrounds with their husbands watching other hikers come through. After dinner Six Strings arrived so I walked over to the "boys" shelter to chat. Suddenly, I saw Uphill, Sugar Magnolia and Crafty walking into the campsite! They had made it!! We knew they could catch up and do the miles but the wild card was where they would camp. The Birches was full and there isn't any place to camp except back at Abol Pines. Fortunately, Crafty got the last spot in the shelter and a SOBO had offered to share his campsite with Sugar Magnolia and Uphill. So we would be able to summit together!! It was great to see them and catch up. They had hikes hard the past few days. Crafty and I ended up being the only one in the shelter since Little Bird set up her hammock and Ever Ready, Unhinged and 9 Lives tented. The other shelter housed Wookie, Bourbon Bill, Six Strings and Flash were in the other one. It was nice! Though I didn't sleep well because I kept listening for mice noises and then woke up wide awake in the middle of the night for awhile. Ironically I shunned shelters but slept in one my last night on the trail. I wished I had set up my tent. But wanted to pack up quickly in the morning. It was like Christmas Eve as a kid. Everyone had made it, and tomorrow is the big summit. So much anticipation!