Date: 2007-08-10
To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: clear sky

mi. 7sleep hammockdest. Speck Pond Shelter Well as you can see I didn't go the 12 I was wanting to do. I got to the shelter before the notch and figured that was far enough. The day started out good. I was on the trail by 7:30. That even left time for breakfest. It was pretty cold last night. Into the 40's I think. I tried coffee, but couldn't make the press workout. I did eat a protein bar and some gorp. The day started out with a downhill. Not too bad. I was feeling really low on energy. But the time I got to the road I had already eat my snickers and cerol bar I was wanting to last me to the shelter. This strech was only about 2.5 miles. Then came one of the biggest climbs to date in Old Speck Mountain. I was going from 1500 to about 4100 in about 3.5 miles. The trail wasn't even too bad. I stopped about 30 minutes into the climb. I just wasn't feeling it. So I decided to have a second breakfest, which was originally going to be lunch at the shelter where I was staying. Mash potatoes, stuffing, pepperoni, veggie oil, onion flakes, and chilli powder. It really hit the spot. I also drank a good bit of water. About 30 minutes or so later, I was feeling a lot better. I made it to the top and was still leaving ok, but not on top of my game. There were really good views from the top. I was told but forgot, but there was a lookout tower .2 miles on a side trail. That would have been cool. The mountain was high, but tree covered. The backside of the mountain was open. It was another rock slab. Not too bad, but there were couple places where I had to jump a little. On the way down I still wasn't feeling it. I got to the shelter around 1pm or so. Plenty of time to make it to the next shelter. The section coming up is down the Mahoosuc arm which is a 1500 foot decent in 1.5 miles that is basically a rock scramble in whole time {climbing down giant rocks}. Then the Mahosuc Notch which is quoted as being the hardest mile on the trail. It is a long rock scramble that takes people about 2 hours at my hiking pace to make it though. Then another steep climb up Fulling Mill Mountain. I learned later there was a good stealth campsite with water after most of the steep down and before the notch, about 2 miles away. If I had known about this I would probibly have moved on. But I have a rule that if I am in doubt on whether or not i should stop and I am in a good place, then I'll stop. Basically if there is any doubt, then there is no doubt. So at 1pm after 7 miles I called it a day. I forgot, I did get some good trail magic today. I passed a guy heading back with a youth group. The kids were a little ways in front of him. I was talking with him and asked him about the trail. I commented I had enough food to stay where I am tonight but not enough to zero. He asked if I wanted any. I wasn't going to say no. But he gave me a big bag of prunes, a bag of dehydrated peas, and some dehydrated peppers. He said that the zaterains was ahead somewhere in the kids pack. I took it and thinked him and moved on. But man those prunes are heavy. This probibly adds 3 lbs to my pack. Add in the fact I just throw it in the back pocket, and later the top of the pack, it felt like 10. At the shelter I stopped and eat some more. That helped. I also figured out a way to make coffee. I only make 1 cup. I add the water and the grounds, boil the water, then use the press like a strainer to get out the grounds. Worked great. I ended up with 2 cups tonight. I also had 2 quarts of fruit punch from a mix that my mom sent. Those worked wonders. I got to thinking about it, and I think I determined my problem today. I went from having 2 or 3, 2 cup sevings of really strong coffee a day to nothing. I took about 3 days but it hit me hard. Major caffine withdrawl. Lets just say that is not the time to do arguably the hardest day of the trail so far. I think what I had plained would either beat katadin or give it a good run for it's money. I did get a chance to go for a swim in the pond here. The guide book says it is the highest pond in Maine. I'm glad I swim in it, but man it was cold. Very cold. But after me I saw 6 other people swim, so I'm not the only one. After and before that I laid in the sun. Great feeling. The privy here cracks in up. Not a 2 person one or anything like that. But it has a white blaze above the seat. Yeah I took a pic. Got a god laugh about it too. Freakman said there is supposed to be a metor shower tonight peaking on the 12th. It is starting to cloud up, but I'll have to check it out. Maybe I'll plan a good spot tomorrow or the next night. I did get the chance today to have a good talk with someone that goes by the name Gatergump. Him and freakman are tenting close to me. He has a trailjournal and people were talking online about some of the things he does. I will have to say that he is a good guy and doesn't strike me as vastly different than anyone else out here. He gave me some great places to stop and see and I told him about a couple I had.   He had an interesting comment. He asked if either of us have spent 24 hours without seeing another person. Staying at home with someone close watching tv, listening to the radio, or being online does not count. 24 hours without human contact. He was thinking about going a mile off the trail in the wilderness and zeroing there and doing it. I got to thinking about that. I have never done that. I realize I am a social person. But I want to do that at some point on this trip. I think I will do it at some point in the south. I think I will look for a great spot and do it. That will be one of those days where I write the journal the next day. I consider my pocketmail I am writing on a link to the outside world. I also think this is my last night in Maine. I wasn't trying, the other 3 guys I was hiking around where. But I'll be out of Maine within the first month. I think that is pretty good mileage wise. I only had 1 zero and 3 or 4 neros, I'm considering anything under 5 miles a nero. I really think I have stopped to smell the roses so to speak. Looking back, my only regrets are not spending more time at a waterfall in the wilderness. But it was when my ankle was bothering me. And missing a couple swims. Other than that I am really happy with what I have seen and done so far in my hike.