Date: 2004-10-08
From: Polliwog Stream

To: Rainbow Lake, north end
Miles today: 10.0

0.1 off-trail milesWu Li passed my tentsite this morning. Had been up since 5 a.m. to make up for a wrong turn (and several miles of backtracking) yesterday after taking in one of the view points. It was good to see him.Chilly night. Warm enough with my light sleeping bag, fleece liner and two layers of clothes, but if the temps go back down into the 20s again, I may need to get to a motel before climbing Katahdin. Have been ridiculously lucky with the weather! If I were to do this hike again, I'd have my heavier sleeping bag and my goretex jacket with me, as well as a wool hat.Evening: Long corridors of yellow birch leaves today, with glimpses of Rainbow Lake through the trees for the last five miles. I'm camped on the north end of the lake, with Rainbow Ledges to climb first thing tomorrow morning, then on to Baxter State Park to sign in for one of the 12 spots at The Birches Lean-to.Met a southbounder this evening, Shane, carrying a huge, new-looking, army pack; he said there was already snow and ice on Katahdin when he summited. He ran out of water part of the way up, but he was able to break off icicles -- horizontal from the wind and icy rain that formed them! -- from the rocks at the top to slake his thirst. That was Tuesday, the cold day that I walked into White House Landing. It's warmed up since then -- must have been in the high 60s today. (I took a quick, cold dip in Rainbow Stream up to my waist, scrubbing off at least one layer of dirt, and was able to stand in the sun to dry off midday.) I'm hoping for a Class I day for my summit, which at this point will be Sunday or Monday, but I'll climb the mountain no matter how bad the weather is as long as the rangers say it's okay.After reading the trail register at Rainbow Stream Lean-to -- another really pretty spot, facing the stream, with a stand of pine trees on a hill above it -- which had lots of farewell sentiments in it by NOBOs nearing the end of their journeys, leaving new friends and the life of the trail itself, I found myself getting a little misty-eyed. Even though I still have 500 miles to do, I won't be doing it with the group of people whose names and faces and antics I've come to know -- some just in passing, some through their register entries, some from nights together in shelters or hostels. The SOBO I met today passed on a hello from two hikers ahead of me -- Mr. T and Scorch -- and didn't seem surprised at all when I told him of four people he's likely ot meet in the next two days, depending on his hiking speed. It gets to be quite a tight community out here.He was very surprised, however, coming from Pennsylvania, that "you can see all the way to the bottom of the lake! The water's so clear!" Shocking, but true -- there are still places where water is clear.I sat out on one of the boulders in the lake this evening after sunset, watching the sky change, looking at five birch trees, evenly spaced at the north edge of the lake in front of evergreens, perfectly reflected in the water, like five white candles on a forest-colored birthday cake. The nut hatches fussed, but there were no other sounds at all, not even the lap of water on rocks. Perfect stillness.And since retiring to my tent, the loons have started their mourning songs.A few mosquitoes out tonight -- apparently they never received the memo that we've already had our first freeze. (Get with it guys!) So I have a few more bites on my legs and arms.What a perfect last night on the trail before I enter Baxter Park to join the Columbus Day weekend crowds.I'm tired today -- no good reason to be, but I am. All walk and no stay makes Sanguine a tired girl.------------------Just as I was cleaning up my pot from dinner, I saw a headlamp through the trees; it had to be a NOBO thru-hiker (either that or an axe-murderer who'd lost his way). I called out a hello, and we introduced ourselves to each other's beam of light. Collin (a different one) was headed four miles up the trail, in pitch blackness, to Hurd Lean-to. Yow! Decided I'd leave him to it, but gave him fair warning that he may not get a place in The Birches tomorrow if The Crowd is there. He sounded disappointed, but trail news changes fast, so I told him not to change his plan based on my days-old information, so on he went into the night to negotiate the rocks, roots, mud, and stream crossings in complete darkness.