Date: 2018-09-04
From: East Branch lean-to

To: Carl Newhall Lean-to
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: scattered clouds

It was a night of broken sleep. As always you take chances sleeping in a shelter. There was a mouse party last night and it kept me awake.   There was a little rain shower this morning around 6:30am. I woke up just as Midwest Mama Was coming back from the creek. She had tented beside the shelter last night. She mentioned thunderstorms this afternoon. Her and I had a great conversation! She¢s from Chicago and her daughter is moving to Arlington Heights. I love Arlington Heights! Northwest Community Hospital¢s E.R. Is the best!  Midwest Mama left quickly. She had a food drop off scheduled for today. Since I had arrived in the dark, I decided to checkout the campsite. Wow! The terrain near the privy was like it was from another world. I felt like I was on the show Lost In Space. There were little islands of sorts. They each had a tree or trees growing on it. All of the trees had roots growing over big boulders. It just felt not of this planet.  Hugs and I hit the trail knowing we had a couple of big climbs ahead of us. I was in the lead but not making great time. The tree roots are so thick I couldn¢t look up at all. The next thing I know I whacked my head on a fallen tree. Hard! My teeth clanked together. I started looking up more often after that happened. I had started the ascent of Whitecap Mountain. 3644ft UP. At times it was difficult climbing. I had to use my hands and arms often to get up and over the next level/obstacle pretty often. It was usually a jump in land level with a giant tree root in the way...sometimes a boulder. Eventually I came to a reasonably clear path. There I saw a big fat toad. He¢s the first big one I¢ve seen in many days. There¢s a bajillion babies. It was nice at that moment and I was able to look up and around.  That¢s when I saw him...Flower Boy! Aka/Mike from Maine!  My heart skipped a beat!  We started this crazy thing at the same time in Georgia. He was one of my original trail brothers, and I¢ve missed him!  He looks great! Down 40lbs with nothing left to lose, but he¢s almost done. He can see Katahdin now! We joked how my trail name should be ¢hammer¢. I started this journey with a tiny hammer in my pack... ha-ha!!! It went home from Neals Gap! We gave a quick hug and had to hike on, but what a great blast from the past!  Another half mile up the trail was a shelter. A perfect lunch spot on this ascent. I refilled my water and washed a set of clothing before Hugs arrived. We shared a tuna roll up and chips for lunch. We met Opa there. He has a journal on Trail Journals too.  UP we go again! Soon Whitecap Mountain became all rock. Everything blended in on the trail. Mostly browns, greys, and whites. That¢s how I nearly stepped on a brown snake! I just didn¢t see the little guy. He scurried under a rock as I jumped back when I saw him move.  I stopped on the side of the mountain just before the summit. The view was spectacular and there was a nice cool breeze. I hung my laundry on my trekking poles in hopes they dry by tomorrow. Cell service was good right there so I just sat by myself for about an hour. Hugs caught up and passed me in that time.  Dark clouds started rolling overhead and I had 6 miles to the shelter so I better move along. It sprinkled a little bit, but nothing more the rest of the day. The sprinkles only heated things up. This has been one of my worst days for sweating. My eyes burned from sweat all day long!  Once again I¢ve wasted a lot of time and with no headlamp I need to get to camp before dark. That did not happen. I got water at the river just before dark then made my way up to camp with the tiniest little flashlight. I¢m so glad Papa Big Swig was insistent that I carry something for a backup! The moon is still pretty full and that helped as I pitched my tent in the dark.  Another great day...still no moose Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018)Where¢s your faith?