Date: 2007-11-15
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-To, Maine

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-To, Maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

It was 15 miles to Abol Bridge which is the beginning of Baxter State Park. It also rained all night and was still raining and looked as if it would rain all day. I decided to stay here through the day and wait it out. I thought about climbing Mt Kathadin all day. OK, the pros and cons of Climbing Kathadin.#1) it is closed; so, climbing it would be against the law and the way things go with me, I nearly always get caught. I had not been in trouble with the law, since 1986 when i got caught stealing a chicken as a college prank. It wasnt too cool. I had just been to court and I had a 120 dollar fine that could be paid over time; but, I needed 7 dollars to be paid right there for the chicken. I did not have it; so, I was heading to the Rutherford County Tn Workhouse. While I was getting ready to be transported an older black man asked me what I was in here for. I told him and he said that I did not belong in the workhouse and gave me the 7 dollars and i gave it to the jailer. They let me go. I did not understand then what a favor the inmate had done for me. I had long blonde hair and totally nieve. It would have been pretty bad for me. A month later, I joined the army and had this charged dropped and it has not ever showed up on any security clearances. I guess it will now. Anyway, so breaking the law and prison is not a good option for me.#2)if I could evade the Park Rangers; who I bet, just wait and dream of busting someone that tries to climb the mountain illegally; it wuld be a serious technical winter ice climbing event. I did not have ice axes and crampons; so, it would be tough. I could do it; but, it would be a very athletic event. It would also entail a stealth campsite. OK, lets say I evade the man; then i get up there: everythings cool, then lets say, I break my leg: Im dead. No one wuld find me until spring. I just have to think that way.#3)So, it looks like I will go to Abol Bridge where the Park starts and stop there and do a climb with "Bearman" in January, legally and much more safely.#4)The logic is on my side here. My entire hike has been to follow the white blazes, unless weather or something else had me to take blue blazes. In this case, the white blazes are closed; so, they are not white blazes. I will send in for my 2000 miler patch. It will be everything on the AT except a closed terminus. If the ATC will not give me the patch; then they are putting guys like me in a tough position of climbing a closed mountain or putting our hikes into time boxes(get here by this time or your hike is not complete). Tell me what is more fair: giving all the blue blazers and yellow blazers who skipped hundred of miles a patch or giving one to a guy who looks up to a 5200 foot snow capped wind whipped ice covered closed mountain? Or maybe both of us? We'll see. As I was Telling "Rambin Rose": this year and it is probably the case evry year: there are only around 50 people that did most of the white blaze. There are probably 300-400 who will apply for the patch. Most everyone else skipped hundreds of miles of the AT. I dont care necessarily, "Hike your Own Hike." What is a patch, anyway?