Date: 2006-08-27
From: Carl a Newhall Lean-To

To: East Branch Lean-To
Miles today: 10.8

Lots of company last night. First came Steve ¢ a locksmith ¢ and Angela ¢ a student nurse - both from Maine, and out on their first overnight hike. They had stayed at the lean-to the night before, and spent the day hiking north, but only went as far as Sidney Tappan Campsite. They had loads of questions about backpacking, and I did my best to answer them. The best advice is the kind that is asked for. They decided to tent outside. I had gone to sleep about 8PM, when Miss Monkey ¢ from Switzerland ¢ and Mr. Butterfly ¢ from Michigan - arrived and stayed in the shelter. They had started NOBO and have flip-flopped. They came from East Branch Lean-To, and had had a difficult time with their first real SOBO mountains. They are an interesting couple. They have hiked 1,300 miles together and seem to have worked out a system of getting along with each other. They are extremely polite to each other ¢ and to me ¢ with lots of ¢Please¢, ¢May I¢, and ¢Thank you¢ and similar expressions flying between them. We had an interesting discussion about the differences between Americans and Europeans. No one likes President Bush, and I have yet to meet an acknowledged Republican on the trail. They said that they enjoyed talking to me because I was ¢so calm¢ ¢ a surprising remark to me, about a characteristic that I didn¢t think that I possessed! The day ¢ overcast and cold, but so far dry ¢ started out with a sharp ascent of Gulf Hagas Mountain in the early morning rising sun. Then, after an up and down along the top, a descent down into Sidney Tappan Campsite ¢ looks like a nice place to camp. I noticed a lot of ¢Deer Beds¢ in the ground cover ¢ circular depressions in the ground cover where the deer have sheltered and slept ¢ or maybe here they are ¢Moose Beds¢ Then it was a very sharp ascent up to West Peak ¢ the hardest climb of the day ¢ with a similar sharp descent into the gap, to start on an easier ascent of Hay Mountain, Across the top of Hay, and then another good descent back into another gap, and then a final climb up to the summit of White Top Mountain ¢ so it realy was a roller-coaster ride! White Cap was realy nice ¢ although very cold and windy at the summit ¢ forcing me to put the rain jacket back on again. At first I could not find the promised view of Katahdin, because as the trail hits the summit you are looking east. After a little hike further on the summit, I did at last see it. Way, way off in the distance you could see it, just sitting there all by itself. It was the strangest feeling to finally see the end of the AT at last. Still a very long way to go but in sight at least. No cell signal here on White Cap. I was disappointed, because with such an excellent view, I was sure that I would get some reception. KT has told me not to worry about it if I can¢t get in contact with her, but I need to me reassured by her that all is OK at home, as much as I want to reassure her that all is OK with me on the trail. Then I started down from White Cap. There is a realy extraordinary set of stone steps on the descent, just as the trail dips down under the tree line. I counted over 200 of them, as I went down. The stonework on this part of the trail is excellent ¢ I have not seen anything to approach it anywhere else on the trail. The guidebooks should make some mention of these 200+ steps ¢ they are realy a very special feature on the trail, and I would love to know who was/is the person responsible for their construction. Whoever did it clearly took great pride in their work. Because of the steps, the upper portion of the descent is straightforward, and it gets even easier as you go down. I stopped at Logan Brook to fill up at a nice water source and met two young ladies out for a day hike up to White Cap. The trail after Logan Brook rapidly became foot candy and, after the road, it becomes foot candy with desert. The trail winds between tall stands of conifers ¢ hemlock, pine and arborvitae ¢ and slopes down gently on a pine needle covered trail of immense pleasure and comfort. It was just magical. Soon I was here at this excellent modern shelter ¢ 1996 ¢ with transparent skylights and rustic picnic tables and benches. Over the entry to the shelter there is a ¢Branch¢ of a tree, with the word ¢East¢ carved into it ¢ get it? There is a tree close to the shelter that has grown on top of/around a large boulder. The net effect, of the boulder clasped in the roots of the tree, looked to me like a little door into the underworld. Or a home for Hobbits or Leprechauns! A fitting site for such a gateway. I have settled in here and have had a hot lunch. I am now splitting my morning English muffin in two, so that I can have half a muffin, with peanut butter, for lunch ¢ along with a trail bar, cheese [as long as it lasts] and one dried apricot. An excellent day¢s hike, I made good time and I have been reassured by several entries in the logbook here, of a reasonable trail for the next 16 miles. That is my planned hike for tomorrow to Antlers Campsite. A group of boy scouts from Florida did it OK, so I have some hope for myself! Just now it has started to rain, as per the five day forecast, it is getting colder and windy also. I am well contented with my situation. Physically I feel good, and emotionally I feel in harmony with the trail. Ask permission to climb, descend, take water, and shelter - all are gifts from the trail to the hiker and we need to express out thanks for them.Thought for today ¢¢Down to ValhallaOr up to the ThroneHe fares the fastestWho fares alone¢{From thinking about the positive and negative aspects of hiking with a companion, after talking with Miss Monkey and Mr. Butterfly}