Date: 2009-09-10
From: East Branch Leanto

To: Carl Newhall Leanto
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: clear sky

I got up very early this morning, 4:30. But I had a good night's sleep and wanted an early start. It was cold, 37 degrees in the shelter and then 33 degrees on the trail.Backpacking is the great warmer upper though. Going up hill with a pack on makes you warm. And by the time it had warmed up to 43 I had stripped to sports bra, although I still had on my long johns under my shorts. As long as I kept movng, going uphill I was warm and even sweating.Cloud, Brown Cow, Space, Ahab, Cruiser, and Muster passed me. Muster even knew who I was as she had listened to the podcast Toothless made with me on the trail last year. Cool. Storm and Rocket passed then and were pleased when I mentioned that I had read Storm's journal. At Logan Brook Shelter I stopped to eat some trail bars and immediately put my clothes back on including my down jacket or I would have gotten chilled.While there I met Kbarr and Susie Cream Cheese (who is male).Brown Chicken, Ltrain, Otter, and Slap Shot passed me shortly after the shelter as I was toiling up the hill.I came out above the main tree line to wondrous vews on White Cap Mountain. On top of White Cap, NOBO Goof took my picture. (I keep forgetting to have people take my picture. My daughter, Sara, will be unhappy to just see scenery and not her Mama.)Simple Man, Ice, and Dude on Couch passed me on top too.The views from White Cap were amazing! All the NOBOs get really pumped at the view as it has such a great view of Katahdin dramatically sticking up over surrounding lowlands. After 2000 miles their hike is almost over. I liked the view too but it did not have the emotional impact for me as for the NOBO thru hikers.Space Cowboy and Jellyfish passed me going up as I was going down. It was a regular highway of thru hikers today. I think this is about the center of "the pack."I had lunch at a trail crossing with a large rock. It is amazing how dense the forest is. I had to walk a ways and then push through lots of tree branches to find a piece of ground to water. There are places where the trees are growing so close together it is hard to get off the trail. This was one of those places.Old Goat passed as I headed down either Hay Mountain or West Peak. They are bumps on the trail on the way toward the river along with Gulf Hagas Mountain. So I guess I climbed 4 mountains today.I met Pocahantas and Little Bear at the tent site that had been my original plan for tonight. They were fun to talk to, a couple of Maine ladies doing the 100 mile wilderness. Pocahantess said she was often Pokey Hantess on the trail.Pocahantas mentioned that her mother was dying in a hospital and she would tell her that the pastor came calling. I got distracted by the direction of the conversation then. I later wished I had said a prayer for her and her mother then but never got back to the subject. I can, and did, of course, pray for them as I walked along but it often means more to the person for whom I pray if it is aloud in their presence. Sorry I let that moment slip by. I am an old pastor, easily distracted.I changed my plan to go 1.9 miles farther and make tomorrow a little easier. So I came to Carl Newhall Leanto.Wolf Pack and Hitch (NOBOs) are here with me, nice, young men. I had a really nice day.The weather has been absolutely beautiful, clear blue sky. Until today the daytime temps were high 60s and low 70s, perfect for hiking. Today was colder but it did get to the 60s and it was beautifully clear. May it keep being good weather. How lucky and blessed I am to have such good weather in Maine.And now it is 7:30 and dark and time for bed and life is good.