Date: 2009-10-07
From: RAINBOW STREAM LEAN TO

To: KATAHDIN STREAM CAMPGROUND
Miles today: 24.9
Weather: moderate rain

I GOT UP JUST BEFORE 6 AM AND GRABBED MY RADIO AND HEADED TO THE PRIVY. I SAT THERE WITH A BLEAK BROADCAST OF RAIN HEADING MY WAY WITH HEAVY RAIN EXPECTED AND DONT BE SURPRISED OF THUNDER. JUST GREAT. WELL GOOD THING IM LEAVING EARLY RIGHT. WHATS THAT I HEAR ON THE ROOF OF THE PRIVY. I PUSHED THE DOOR OPEN ONLY TO SEE THE RAIN JUST STARTING. WONDERFUL. SO I HEAD BACK TO THE SHELTER WITH THE BLEAK FORCAST. CAN I DO IT. I GET ALL DECKED OUT IN ALL MY RAIN GEAR AND I SAY TO MYSELF. ONE MORE TIME. JUST ONE MORE TIME. I CAN DO THIS. IVE DONE IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN. I JUST GOT TO GO FOR IT. THEN I WENT FOR IT. IT RAINED AND RAINED AND RAINED ON ME. ALONG RAINBOW LAKE NOTHING BUT RAIN. UP TO THE RAINBOW LEDGES AND THE TRAIL WAS JUST A HARD ROCK WITH AN INCH OF WATER ON IT. NOTHING I COULD DO EXCEPT HIKE THROUGH IT. WATERS NOT AN ISSUE SO IM NOT CARRYING AS MUCH. I CAN GET IT RIGHT OFF THE TRAIL. I WENT DOWN TO A STREAM AND FILLED UP ONLY TO FIND THE HURD BROOK LEAN TO JUST IN FRONT. I STOPPED IN AND IT DIDNT HAVE A REGISTER. I HAVE NO SNACK FOOD. SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO. THERES SUPPOSEDLY A STREAM AT THE ABOL BRIDGE. THATS ANOTHER 3.5 MILES. ITS RAINING HARDER NOW. I GOT TO GET THE 13.7 MILES IN AND ITS STILL EARLY. HELL, IM GOING FOR IT. OFF I WENT. I FINALLY GOT TO THE SIGN THAT SAYS YOUR ENTERING THE 100 MILE WILDERNESS ON THE NORTH END AND I WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT. ONLY 14 MORE MILES LEFT OF THE AT. I GOT TO GOLDEN ROAD, ABOL BRIDGE. AS I HIKED UP TOWARDS THE CAMPSTORE A GENTLEMEN PULLED UP IN A TRUCK AND ASKED IF I NEEDED A RIDE TO MILLINOCKET. AT THIS TIME IM STANDING IN POURING RAIN. I SURE WOULD BUT I GOT TO HIKE TO THE CAMPSTORE. I SAID THANKS BUT NO THANKS AS I SAW A RIDE OUT OF THE RAIN CONTINUE ON DOWN THE ROAD WHILE I FELT I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE. I CANT DESCRIBE THAT FEELING AS HE DROVE OFF. I HIKED UP THE ROAD LOOKING FOR A STORE WHICH I FOUND. THATS WHERE I RAN INTO SPIDER AND LASER HANGING OUT. THEIR PACKS OUT IN THE RAIN. I DROPPED MY PACK AND WENT IN. SURPRISE SURPRISE. FLETCH IS IN THE HOUSE. THERE PLANNING ON HIKING THE 9 MILE TO THE BIRCHES. THEY TOLD ME THE CHINESE TOURIST HAD ARRIVED AN HOUR EARLIER AND WERE SLACKPACKING THE NINE MILES AND WERE GONNA CATCH A SHUTTLE BACK TO MILLINOCKET AND NEEDED TO GET THE NINE IN TODAY TO SUMMIT ON A GOOD DAY ON THURSDAY. CAN I CATCH THEM IS THE QUESTION. SPIDER SAYS THATS EASY. NINE MILES IN THREE HOURS. THATS IT. GOTTA TRY. I GRABBED A FEW ITEMS JUST IN CASE I COULDNT. SOME BREAKFAST AND A FEW SNACKS AND A COUPLE HOT CHOCOLATES. I PULLED OUT MY EMERGENCY 5 HOUR POWER DOWNED IT AND BOOKED RIGHT PAST SPIDER AND LASER WHO WERE GETTING RUN OUT OF THE STORE. I HURRIED PAST AND HAULED MY BUTT AS FAST AS I COULD ALONG ABOL STREAM. SIGNED IN FOR SPACE AT THE BIRCHES. I RAN INTO THREE SIGN IN SHEETS. THE THIRD THE TOURIST HAD WROTE FLETCH CALL ME. THEN I WAS OFF TO THE RACES. TRIED TO CROSS KATAHDYN STREAM ONLY TO FALL IN. ALMOST LOST MY HIKING POLE. WELL NO NEED TO STAY DRY LETS HAUL SOME BUTT. I WAS KEEPING TRACK OF THE FOOTPRINTS BECAUSE I CAN ALWAYS TELL HOW CLOSE IM TO SOMEONE OR IF SOMEONE IS IN FRONT OF ME. THE RAIN HAS WASHED THERE FOOTPRINTS AWAY. NOW THAT MY SHOES ARE SOAKED THE LAKES ON THE TRAIL ARE JUST FORDED AS I WALKED RIGHT THROUGH THEM AS I KEPT MOVING. I DID OVER 6 MILES IN NO TIME. I STARTED TO NOTICE FOOTPRINTS AND FELT I WAS GETTING CLOSE. HOPING I COULD CATCH THE SHUTTLE AND KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE CLOSE I BEGAN CALLING OUT MARCO IN HOPES I COULD GET A POLO FROM THE TOURIST. IM STILL MOVING HOWEVER I FEEL IM SLOWING DOWN. 1.8 MILES TO THE CAMPGROUND AND I HAVE TO PICK IT UP. MARCO.....MARCO.....MARCO..... I KEPT HOLLERING TO SEE IF I GET A RESPONSE. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN......MARCO.... AND I HEAR SOMETHING. JUST AROUND THE CORNER I RUN INTO SOMEONE AND I ASKED DID YOU SEE THREE HIKERS COME THRU? HE SAID ARE YOU FLETCH? I AM. IM BOBS FRIEND. WHOS BOB? THE CHINESE TOURIST. YES....YES.... YES.... I DID IT. THE CHINESE TOURIST WAS SLACKPACKING WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND AND BEST FRIEND. HIS BEST FRIEND WAS JUST GOING SLOW TO TAKE SOME PICTURES. SO BY THE TIME WE CAUGHT UP TO THE TOURIST. HE YELLS OUT LOOK WHO I FOUND. WE DID IT. WERE GONNA SUMMIT TOGETHER AFTER ALL. THEY ALREADY HAVE A SHUTTLE SO I CAN GET OUT OF HERE TO MILLINOCKET FOR A HOT SHOWER. THURSDAY SUMMIT IS TOMMORROW. THANK GOODNESS. I DID IT. I CANT BELIEVE IT. I DID IT.P.S.REUNITED WITH TIMEBOMB AND THIMBLE WHO SUMMITED ON TUESDAY. JUST MISSED ALL I HAD TRAVELED WITH BY A DAY.