Date: 2004-08-16
From: Gorham, NH

To: 10 miles south of Gorham, NH
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

10 miles todayStealth tenting 10 miles south of Gorham, NHI didn't feel like I got enough sleep last night. I woke up at 4:40am and watched The Weather Channel for a little while, then rolled over and went back to sleep until almost 7am. That's the time we all decided to meet for breakfast. I drove to Welsh's and LWOP, Hammock Hanger, Bear Bag Hanger and Wiconico all went with me. They decided they were going to take another zero day because Wiconico wasn't feeling 100%. I thought about it, but it's been about 5 days since I hiked, so I decided to be the only one brave enough to hike out with rain predicted. It had been raining all morning, but stopped for a while about 10am. I took everyone to the library, but the computers were being used. Hammock Hanger and Bear Bag Hanger stayed there to wait on the computer.I got LWOP to drive me to the trailhead in my truck. I told him he could use the truck today while they were in town. He's parking it at the motel when they hike out tomorrow.I said goodbye to him and hiked into the forest. I could tell he was impressed that I was hiking out with rain on it's way.I think LWOP is a fair weather hiker. In fact, since he was so afraid to get wet, I think a better name for him would be Dewdrop. I hiked on to Rattle River Shelter and took a 10 minute break.I hiked on up the mountain. I had been climbing for about an hour when I ran into a nobo by the name of Lint. We talked for about 5 minutes before I hiked on. It started raining at about 2pm. I stopped to cover up my pack and I decided to eat half the Subway sandwich I had packed out. The temperature never got out of the 50s. It got close to 60, but as the day went on and I got up to 4500 feet high, it was only 50 degrees. It felt pretty cool when the wind would blow and the rain was heavier.I ran into two more nobos and the one said that he knew me from somewhere. We talked for a while and figured out it was in Pa. that we saw each other. When I flipped up north, I stopped at Rainbow Slick and Goosebump The Snow Princess's home and we went out and did some trailmagic one day. This hiker's name was Tapeworm and he got some of that magic. He thanked me again for doing that. He said that Grey Squirrel who is also a friend of mine that happened to get in on that trail magic, ended up getting off the trail for this year. Grey Squirrel told me from the beginning that he probably would get off before Katahdin. The other hiker was Cotton. We talked a while more and then I hiked on.I climbed up a pretty steep hill to the top of North Carter Mountain. It was still raining, so I had to watch my footing. It was pretty slippery.I kept leaving the trail looking for a suitable, legal stealth site. The 3rd time I tramped around in the forest, I found a spot just big enough for me to lay in and I set my tent up in the rain. It was 5pm when I stopped walking today.I stood outside in the rain and ate the last half of my sandwich, then got in my tent for the night.It sure felt good to hike again. I can't believe how much I missed it after just 5 days. I am packing my 10 degree Western Mountaineering sleeping bag. I'm in it right now and I'm glad I brought it. My 45 degree quilt is fine for warmer weather, but when it would get down to 50 degrees, I started sleeping colder. It's in the upper 40s right now and I'm nice a snug.If it snows, I'm ready, so bring it on!! It's not going to snow, but I'm so warm in my bag, it wouldn't bother me if it did.Another great day on the A.T.