Date: 2011-08-10
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to

To: White House Landing 
Miles today: 15.5

142-I slept well, did not hear any mice but not sure I would have with the creek running next to the Lean-to. I woke up at 5:00am when it started to rain and got my clothes off the line that had been drying. I was up for good at 6:00am and on the trail at 6:38am. My plans were to stop around 10:00am or so and eat something. The goal today was to get to White House Landing, an old fishing lodge that now caters to hikers. This was 15 miles away and I did not know what to expect from a terrain standpoint or how long it would take. Not too far into my hike, I slipped in a dry creek bed and was unable to catch myself with my poles. I went down with my right forearm catching the brunt of the fall but also hitting my right cheek. I told myself that I needed to be cautious because the rocks were damp and slippy. Fortunately, I was OK. I got to Nesuntabunt Mt. and ate some summer sausage, cheese and bread. If it had been a clear day I would have been able to see Mt. Katahdin but all I saw was clouds. In the afternoon, the trail actually left the woods and walked along the shoreline of Nahmakanta Lake. This shoreline is referred to 'sand' beach, down south we would call it a 'gravel' beach. Regardless, the view was nice as it went along the lake shore for a hundred yards. The sand beach then went into some basketball size rocks before heading back into the woods. BOOM, I was on my butt before my mind could comprehend what had happened. It was if I had hit a patch of black ice. The granite boulders normally are rough and abrasive, like 60 grit sand paper. However, these rocks had an invisible coating of slim. Once again, I was on my back, luckily my back pack absorbing most of the impact. My left foot did slide out into the lake and I hit my right forearm for the second time today. After taking inventory to make sure I was OK, the real fun began...how to get up. Everything was slippery and I could not get a grip on anything. I was finally able to get my trekking poles down into some crevices and lifted my self up. God continues to watch over me and protect me, I could have been hurt badly. To get to the White House Landing you must walk a mile off the trail and go to the boat dock, blow an air horn and they come get you. If you have read my journal you know I hate wasted miles but I had to do this. I needed to eat a meal, dry my clothes and get out of the rain. I got to the side trail to WHL at 3:30pm and was at the boat dock at 3:55pm. The lodge is across the lake and they come and get you in a boat. Bill picked me up and showed me the 20 person bunkhouse. There was a couple from Minnesota there and we had the bunk house all by ourselves. There is no electricity at the lodge, everything is run off propane or wood. I took a nice shower, rinsed my clothes out and hung them up the bunk house to dry. There was a wood fire stove in the bunk house and it must have been 85F* in there but it actually felt good. We had clothes lines above the stove so the clothes dried fairly quickly. The lodge is known for its one pound hamburger, which I had no problem consuming for dinner. Bill and Linda run the lodge in the summer months and go to Florida in the winter. I did 15.5 miles today, which was good considering the weather and all my bumps and bruises. My total is now 1,166.4 with 1,014.6 to go.