Date: 2010-08-06
From: Riga Lean To

To: Race Brook Falls campsite
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: clear sky

Day 18 - Fri Aug 6Plan: 8.5 miles from Riga LeanTo to Race Brook Falls Campsite. About 1 mile flat then climb Bear mountain 750 up then down 1000. Flat section through Sages Ravine then climb Race Mountain 1200 foot up then 1000 down to Race Brook Falls.Weather - fair and very pleasantly cool after a heavy rain yesterday.The (almost) perfect day...but let me begin at the beginning. I am certain that we were visited by a bear last night around 12:00-1:00. At first I thought it was Joe the Marine growling but it didn't really sound human. However it was close to our tent and he had warned us about his snoring so I was hoping for the best. But then there was loud Conga drum banging on the camp provided bear can. I knew that wasn't Joe. When we checked the can out in the morning there were new scratches on it - the claw marks indicated a very large paw. Another good reason (other than the mice) for not staying in shelters. I'm sure he made a visit by the shelter too and it is just an open lean to. Although let's face it a tent is no more than a candy bar wrapper. We wake up at 5:00 to view the famous sunrise at Riga. We are not disappointed. Bands a of pink and orange grow in intensity over 30 minutes and then the ancient sun peaks over a distant mountain and comes up quickly - a big red ball. Truly spectacular. I have a sequence of pics but it will never capture the real thing. It is Rangler's 50th birthday for real today since we have now actually figured out what day it is. We lost track there for a while. I give him one of my special merino wool shirts for birthday present. After 1500 miles on the trail he needed a new shirt. A couple of nights ago he gave me a bottle (glass bottle) of Porter that he had carried for 1500 miles and had intended to open and drink on Mt. Katadyn in Maine at the end of the trail. I think Rangler and I will be friends for a long time. He is also a sailor. We head out at 9:30 with Genevieve and Rangler leaving me behind as usual. I don't mind. The forest is alive after the heavy rains of yesterday. Everything is happy and singing or making whatever happy noise it can and the forest smells fresh and clean. Not too much later the 750 ft Bear Mtn climb begins. It is challenging but fun. I finally got my legs under me. My pack feels just right. It is hard work and the upper third is especially technical and challenging. Bear Mtn is the highest elevation in Conn and there is an interesting stacked rock monument at the top - built in 1885. The downslope is even more challenging. At one point I throw my trek poles down the cliff and scramble down with only toe and fingerholds. Great fun and a sense of accomplishment. There is about a one of flat next and since it is 12:00 I take a break, dry socks and eat lunch. Beautiful day. But after lunch the next two miles are just amazing. I am in a place called Sages Ravine and the trail meanders right along with Sawmill Brook. I stop as soon as I reach the brook and fish for about twenty minutes and hook but do not land a couple of the smallmouth bass I've been seeing. I put the fishing gear up because I still have 6 miles and Race Mtn in front of me. Well I don't walk 50 yds and then there is another even more beautiful pool behind a log jam. Against my better judgement I rig up again and don't even bother to get out of my boots. I have to walk downstream and then up to get in a good casting position carefully stepping on rocks to avoid getting boots wet. I tie on a #18 Royal Wulf lay a gentle cast into a corner of the pool. Slam! Something clears the water coming after that tiny fly! I dry the fly and lay another soft cast just short of the little falls created by the log. Slam! This time I'm on. Fish puts up a good fight and to my total surprise when I get him up closer I can see it is about an eight inch brown trout! Gorgeous! I forget where I am and step off into the stream and water goes over the tops of my boots. Oh well. I manage to get a picture without stressing the fish too much and let him go. Wow! Finally a trout! I collect myself and make another soft cast this time to the right corner. Slam! Hit and miss. I dry the fly and lay a soft cast right back in the same corner. Slam! And I'm on. Another brown. I get a picture and then let him go. Got a lot of trail in front of me. I didn't know we would walk right along Sawmill Brook. The water kept getting better and better. About every 50 yards there was a little falls and a trout pool. This went on for about 2 miles! I would love to have spent a day working that stream! But I travel on. At the end of Sawmill Brook I cross the state line from Conn into Mass. And start the 1200 ft climb that is Race Mtn. What a challenge but it feels good to be climbing. At 4:15 I reach what I think must be the peak and since I am ahead of schedule I stop for a sock change. There is an incredible view out to forever. We are about 2000 up looking out over Twin Lakes. I decide to take a nap. After 45 minutes Genevieve shows up. She has set up camp and walked the two miles back to find me. I didn't know what was in front of me but she did! I was not at the peak of Race Mtn yet. Oh no. Not een close. The next two miles we walk along the eastern ridge of the mountain with three feet to my right a sheer cliff of 2000 feet. When we finally reach the peak the wind is blowing about 35-40 mph. Big thrill. The downslope also is quite techinical but great fun. I am getting good at balancing on the boulders and my boots stick like spiderman glue. We make it down into camp about 6:30. What a perfect day! Rangler left earlier when he and Genevieve first made it to Race Brook Falls camp. He has to start putting some miles in if he is going to make Maine. He has tears in his eyes when he says goodbye. Of course when I get there Genevieve has everything all set up but we need to get water. I have conserved and have about one liter left. Genevieve is completely out. However there is no good water source here. We like to get water from running brooks but with a name like Race Brook Falls camp we are surprised to find only a semi-stagnant pool of water. Definitely not flowing. Genevieve is not happy. Well I broke the water filter handle at Riga but Genevieve is determined. She pulls out her bandana to improvise a "handle" and pumps like she is drilling for oil. I get tired watching her but we have only 1/2 liter between us. Gotta do what ya gotta do. She pumps. I hold the bottle. Bless her heart. She gets the bottle half full and we notice that the water is yellow. Yellow. Oh well maybe it is the bottle she mixed the lemon flavored electrolyte mix in. It is a feeble attempt at an explanation and we both know it. You may have guessed that we are now at the "almost" part of the almost perfect day. We look around and notice that the entire camp including the privy (though far away) drains into this so called stream. Maybe our filter is no longer working? Maybe it is iron in the water or maybe tannin from the leaves? The charm of Race Brook Falls campsite is wearing off. We manage to filter two liters and then treat it and boil it too and then we still are suspicious. Once the seeds of doubt enter the mind they grow like a bunch of nutgrass weeds. We have a meager dinner conserving water and decide to break camp early and head for Guilder Pond about 2 miles down the trail. Almost a perfect day. We are having fun.