Date: 2008-08-12
From: White House Landing Hostel

To: Rainbow Stream Lean-To
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

Breakfast was served at 8am and was pretty darn good with eggs, bacon, toast, coffee, juice, and AYCE blueberry pancakes. Well, maybe I should qualify the AYCE pancake part. The owners would cook a batch of pancakes that worked out to about four pancakes per person. They passed those out and said that they would have to cook more if anyone wanted more. It just seemed like there was a subtle hint that making more pancakes would be a pain. Indeed, no one asked for any more. Don¢t get me wrong. I¢m not being critical, it was just interesting to observe.I was able to get a weather forecast update while at White House Landing. As I had heard a couple of days earlier, the next four days (Tuesday through Friday) are supposed to be partly cloudy with no rain. I had also heard two days ago that Saturday and Sunday were supposed to have thunderstorms and Monday (8/18) was supposed to be clear. So I was planning on taking my time getting to Katahdin and climbing it on Monday, 8/18.But now the forecast had changed. Monday, 8/18 was also supposed to now have thunderstorms. I didn¢t want to plan on climbing Katahdin when there were going to be thunderstorms or if the visibility was going to be limited. It was doable to make it to, and climb, Katahdin on Friday, 8/15. That was the last day of good weather before the thunderstorms were expected.So here is the brief schedule I came up with:Tuesday, 8/12 (today) - I¢ll hike 16 miles and camp at Rainbow Stream Lean-ToWednesday, 8/13 ¢ 15 miles to Abol CampgroundThursday, 8/14 ¢ 10 miles to the ¢Birches¢Friday, 8/15 ¢ climb KatahdinBreakfast concluded and everyone payed their bills and took the boat ride back to the dock for the walk back to the AT. It was around 9:30am when I got off the boat and began hiking the mile back to the AT. Needless to say, the side trail was as flooded as before (wear your Crocs or sandals on this part of the trail).The trail went along the pretty Nahmakmanta Stream, which flowed between Nahmakmanta and Pemadumcook Lake. It was very nice, pleasant, and flat hiking for the next nine miles. Then would come Nesuntabunt Mountain.I took about a 20-minute break at Wadleigh Stream Lean-To. Then started my climb of Nesuntabunt Mountain, seemingly a tiny mountain, only at an elevation of 700 feet over the AT. Near the base I passed a huge rock formation with a large rock roof that looked like a perfect spot to take a break out of the sun or to dodge a thunderstorm if one was passing through.Though small in theory, Nesuntabunt Mountain was a challenging climb. The rocks were dry but there are several rock ledges and cliffs near the summit and the trail switched back between and over them, and then down the other side. I reminded myself that I was wearing boots with pretty smooth soles, and the footing was not great. Even with precaution, I slipped and fell a couple of times. No injury, just sore. I landed on the back of my pack and slid to the ground. This hasn¢t been the first time that my pack has saved me during a fall. Maybe packs should be rated on their ability to cushion the wearer during a fall?As I said, Nesuntabunt Mountain was the only real climb and descent in this section. The peak elevation isn't so high (only 1,520 feet) but the steep climb up through a rocky gorge filled with bright green moss was memorable. Large, old-growth red spruce and white pines are protected in here by the gorge rocks.The view of Katahdin from the mountain-top ledges overlooking Nahmankanta Lake was nice. From this point on the trail, Katahdin is only sixteen miles away "as the crow flies" but there was still thirty-five more miles to hike. I descended to and hiked around the really nice Crescent Pond. I treated some water at the Pollywog Stream and headed up the Rainbow Stream gorge. It consisted of a fascinating series of roaring cascades, waterfalls and rushing water. It reminded me a lot of the scenery back at Gulf Hagas.Four more miles and I was at Rainbow Stream Lean-To. No one else here, which kind of surprised me. For the past week there had been hikers at the other shelters I had stayed at. The shelter is situated only a few feet from the fast-moving waters of Rainbow Stream. Going to sleep I could easily hear the sounds of water over the rocks. Now, if the weather will just cooperate for three more days I¢ll have this trip completed.Trail Along Nahmakanta Stream