Date: 2007-09-22
From: Chairback Gap Lean-to

To: Sidney Tappan Campsite
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up about 6.30 to find a thick fog hanging heavily in the forest canopy. I ate breakfast using as little water as possible to ensure I would have at least 1 liter for the hike over chairback Mt. About 8.00 I went to sign the shelter register on my way up the trail and discovered that Roni the Israeli had come in sometime during the night. He had hung his hammock inside the shelter from the rafters and was still snoozing in his bag. I signed in then quietly headed up the trail. I hadn't gone 50 yards when Marco Solo came in to the shelter and began giving Roni loud grief for still being in his hammock. So much for my being quiet.The fog that rolled in overnight closed off all the views I expected from the cliffs and ledges on top of Chairback Mt. The winds were gusty on the open summit ledges but not too bad. Unfortunately the fog had left the rocks quite slippery and I took it slow going over the ledges. Just past the summit the trail nosed over and dived straight down a narrow scree chute that led into a steep rock slide. It took me almost half an hour to get down the chute and hand and foot my way down thru the boulders to the bottom of the rock slide. The fog and wet rock made footing tricky and finding the next blaze a treasure hunt. I was very glad I had decided not to try to come over Chairback Mt yesterday evening when I would have been doing this in failing light near dark.I kept looking for the side trail up to East Chairback Pond but somehow missed it. The pond sounded like a wonderful place to camp but I'd probably have missed the side trail in the dark last night and walked by it anyway.It was a steady and relentless downhill run for several miles to the crossing of the West Branch of the Pleasant River. Just before the ford I heard a barred owl calling from nearby in the riparian corridor. I had not realized barred owls occurred this far north in Maine and did not expect to be hearing them calling this late in the season or in the middle of the day. Pretty neat! Barred owls have turned out to be one of the more abundant birds on my trip, and are without a doubt one of the most widely distributed species along the AT corridor.The ford across the Pleasant River was easy and no more than calf deep, but was about 75 yards of cold and fast water to wade. Fortunately the day was warm and sun was shining on the far bank where I stopped to put my boots back on. At each ford I take my boots off and wear my crocs across the river, carrying my boots strapped to my pack. Having crossed the river I filtered up about 3 liters of fresh, clear water and drank most of it while eating lunchI spent about an hour after crossing at the ford talking to the ridgerunner and the constant string of day hikers headed for the Gulf Hagas loop trail. Eventually Roni and Marco Solo also arrived and we kept the ridgerunner entertained for another half hour or so.For a short distance the trail passes thru a Nature Conservancy propery named The Hermitage. It is home to stands of oldgrowth eastern white pines. I saw a number of trees over 30" dbh and more than 100' tall. They were truly impressive trees and probably were too small to mess with when this area was first logged about 100 years ago. I didn't take the Gulf Hagas side trail because I didn't think I would have time to see it and make my intended campsite before dark. I was sorry to have pass by this narrow and deep canyon with its many waterfalls. It would have been a nice diversion if I had had the time. Its strange how sometimes you still have a schedule to keep even when you're in the woods with no obligations.I made decent time up the 4 mile hill to the Carl Newhall Lean-to, arriving just before 4 PM. After refilling my water containers I immediately began the climb of Gulf Hagas Mtn. After a relatively short steep climb of 700' it turned out to be one of the easier peaks I have had in several weeks. I completed the 2 miles up and over the mountain and down to the saddle and the Sidney Tappan Campsite in about 45 minutes. By the time I arrived at the campsite a thick fog had settled in again and a very gusty south wind was blowing across the narrow ridgeline. I set up my tent in a thick stand of spruces hoping for some protection from the wind for the night. Adam and Eve are camped in a small clearing on the trail and have a nice cheery fire going. Adam thru-hiked in 1997 and they are a very nice couple whose company I greatly enjoyed.I hope it will be clear tomorrow when I cross Whitecap Mt because the north slope has the first good view of Mt Katahdin. Katahdin is only about 35 air miles away but there is still about 75 trail miles to walk before climing the big mt. The ridgerunner told me that Katahdin dominates the view and this view of the mountain is one that most thru-hikers remember for many years to come.