Date: 2017-08-22
From: Moose Mountain Shelter Tent Site 

To: Smarts Mountain Summit Tentsite
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: scattered clouds

8/22Moose Mountain Shelter Tent Site to Smarts Mountain Summit Tentsite12.3 milesTotal miles:  1770.9In spite of good intentions, I slept in until nearly six o'clock this morning.  Dustin and I were ready for the trail before eight, when I headed for the privy. It was an unusual one, with a raised platform, four roof supports, and no walls. There was also no toilet seat. I can't imagine what would induce some ne'er-do-well to make off with a privy seat, but all that remained were the hinge hardware and a roughly oval, wooden hole. No matter, as nature called. As soon as I could, I returned to our campsite to begin out daily hike. Unfortunately, I failed to notice my parachute cord clothes line that I strung up last night, and it got left behind. Nearly twelve hours and a challenging day's hike later, Gravity refused my friendly request that he go back and fetch it for me. Truth be told, his refusal was a tad on the rude side. Go figure. We started the day by completing the ridge hike along Moose Mountain and then began a steep descent to Goose Pond Road. At the road, we found a five gallon jug of water that some Trail Angel left for hikers. While we had enough water to make it to the next source, it was refreshing to be able to get a good, extra drink. We then began the sharp ascent up to Holts Ledge. Along the way, we met JayBird and Towhee, a couple who were doing a flip-flop thru hike.  JayBird had previously completed a nobo hike in 2011 and completed the Pacific Crest Trail in 2012. It seems I finally met my match in love of ice cream. JayBird and Towhee hiked north to Pine Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania,  which you may recall is the home of the famed AT Half Gallon Challenge. They decided they like ice cream so much that they got a ride to Katahdin and are now returning southbound to enjoy a second helping at Pine Furnace when they complete their thru hike. They are a delightful couple, and I wish them all the best as they complete their quest for more ice cream. With a lightened step and a warmed heart, Dustin and I continued upward to Holts Ledge.  Upon arrival, I found that while there is a precipitous drop-off, as advertised in the guidebook, it was not necessary to hike along it. Nonetheless, Dustin was kind enough to gift me with my own, personal, portable coping stone. I took a photo of him at the view from the Ledge, holding my stone, before I tucked it away in my belt pouch. I will carry it to Katahdin and will never be in need of coping stones again. I figure I will just transfer it to whichever belt pouch is facing the precipice I am transversing.  On the way down from Holts Ledge, we came to Trapper John Shelter and decided to eat lunch there. It was 0.3 miles off trail, but I couldn't resist going to a shelter named after a fictitious doctor. The shelter was a standard eight-person affair that includes the remains of a large, stone fireplace left over from the cabin that used to reside at the spot. There was a good water source and a very ambitous chipmunk.  The little fellow must have figured we were intruding on his home and were the height of rudeness by not offering him a host gift. If we left our packs unattended for even a few seconds, he would rush over from his perch by the fireplace to see if he could help himself to any goodies. Although it is a very rare occurrence for me, I decided to visit the privy after my lunch time nap (taken while Dustin kindly safeguarded our packs from Mr. Chipmunk). I had to return for my camera, because this privy more than made up for the one this morning.  Not only did it feature an arm chair for a toilet seat, it also provided helpful instructions. A large "Exit Only" arrow was thoughtfully provided on the back wall, with the arrow pointing straight down. As directionally confused as I am known to be, this little reminder, while probably unnecessary, certainly provided me with a hearty laugh. Back on the trail, Dustin and I continued toward today's objective of the summit of Smarts Mountain.  It became very warm and muggy.  In just two miles we reached Grant Brook and decided to drink our fill and also tote an extra liter up the mountain,  since the water source at the top is considered unreliable. Here we met Minutes, Sun, and Gravity (who had passed us by not going to the shelter). The brook and the area around it were cool and inviting. We all delayed awhile as we got water, none of us enthused about the upcoming climb up Smarts Mountain.  We left the brook with full bottles and an extra two pounds of.water at 4:00 to complete the 3.7 mile hike to the top, with an elevation change of 2,100 feet. Dustin was introduced to rock and boulder scrambling, along with some very steep climbing and ridge walking. It took us nearly three hours to complete the hike, as thunder started rumbling ominously in the distance. The end of the climb was extremely steep and included one area where there were log stairs, followed by rock stairs, followed by rebar stairs. Most of the time, you were left to your own devices to figure out how to keep moving upward, in true AT fashion. I know I will be in the Whites in a few days, so I might as well get all the conditioning I can get. We finally reached the tent area at the summit as the wind picked up and the thunder increased.  Gravity arrived shortly after, and we soon had our tents set up. Room was tight, and we needed to make sure we had adequate tree cover for the imminent storm. This is when I realized I no longer had my parachute cord, as I wanted to add an additional tie from my tent to a tree on the windward side of my tent. After Gravity rather ingratiously refused my request to run back the 12.3 miles to fetch my rope (hey, he could have slackpacked), I made due with an extra shoelace. The rain picked up thirty minutes after our arrival, and we all headed for our tents. The thunderstorm began in earnest at 9:00. I could hear the wind blowing hard in the treetops, but the trees offered good protection and little reached my tent. The rain has stopped for now (it is 12:30), and the temperature has stopped significantly. There is a fire tower 0.1 miles further on at the summit of Smarts Mountain, and I would love a good view of my upcoming challenges in the Whites. I'll settle for a non-rainy morning, but I guess I'll take what I get. I had another great day with Dustin and am pleased that he is getting a representative taste of what hiking the AT is all about. We plan on 12.9 miles tomorrow and will see what the trail dishes up for us tomorrow. I'm sure it will be fun, even though it probably won't include ice cream.