Date: 2007-08-26
From: East Branch Lean-to

To: Chairback Gap lean-to
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I'm at Chairback Gap, and this has to be one of the oldest shelters on the AT. The ALDHA thru-hiker Companion states the shelter was built in 1954 and I believe it. The floor-boards are pretty warped and the damn thing is on an incline. You know what, I'm too tired to care. This was a tough day. It started with a steep climb up Whitecap Mountain in the morning and the rest of the day was spent climbing and dropping 500 or so feet here and there. The trail was once again muddy as all get-out thanks to a massive thunderstorm the night before. That was probably the most spectacular storm I've ever had the privilege to witness. East Branch lean-to has a roof that is part see-through, and I just laid back and watched lightning flicker non-stop across the sky. And when I say non-stop, the flashes were every 2 or 3 seconds. It seemed like it started as cloud-to-cloud lightning, but as the storm progressed, there were some nice strikes, some of which had to be within a half-mile, judging by the tremendous booms. And the rain - good lord it was as if someone turned on a faucet. The downpour lasted a solid 30-45 minutes before easing up a bit, just a bit. The couple with the dog weathered the entire night in their tent, and I didn't hear a peep from them until they woke up this morning. Props to them. A few guys flip-flopping the AT had tented it as well and they were taking advantage of the 20-30 mph winds on white cap to dry out their gear. They would hold one end of their tent and let the other flap in the breeze. Some of the gusts must have been damn near 40 mph because a couple of times those guys nearly left their feet. They said they were going to head for this shelter as well, but the sun has set and I still have the shelter to myself. They may have called it a day after fording the West Branch of the Pleasant River. In 2000 I rock-hopped across that stretch of water, but with the massive storm, only three rocks were visible above the water. The Gulf Hagas trail is right near the ford which is a pretty big tourist spot, and some dude had to pick his dog up and carry it across the water because the dog refused to go more than 15 feet out into the water. I waded across (the water was just above my knees) and sloshed 4.4 miles uphill to this here shelter. Now I have a blister forming just above my right heel and another starting on the top of the fourth toe on my left foot. I'll pick up a needle in Monson and do some doctoring if I need to. A big old rabbit just popped up in front of the shelter. Quite a fat bastard really. I guess with no real predators at this elevation, that tubby f-er can eat as much as he pleases. My legs are definitely feeling the past five days of hiking, but my only real health concern is my lower back on the right side. I slipped a disc or something way back in January that had me in bad shape for awhile. Maybe it's just too much weight in my pack so early in the hike, because I took a three-day hike in Maryland with an English class of mine in March and it felt fine. I plan on sending a few items of clothing ahead to Gorham for the Whites, and with far less food to carry from here on out, maybe things will work themselves out. A squirrel keeps darting in and out of the shelter, eying my food-bag. There might be some warring going on tonight.