Date: 2013-10-04
From: Rainbow Stream Lean-to

To: Abol Bridge Campground
Miles today: 15.0

I didn't sleep great last night. All the elements for a good night's sleep were in place- flowing water, cool temperatures, tired body, full stomach, Carrots. But still, I tossed and turned. Maybe I'm just anxious. Maybe I thought a mouse or some other little critter was going to get into our stuff. I slept off and on, but not solidly. I got up a little before 5:45, but I went back to sleep. Carrots was ready to get up, but I managed to hold him at bay for another 20 minutes. We had breakfast and got packed up. It took me a bit to get my right foot sorted. By 7:20 we were off. We crossed a double log footbridge, and I tured around to take one last look at the shelter. It dawned on me that this was the last shelter I would sleep in on the trail. When would I sleep in another? Ever?The trail took us along Rainbow Lake. I'm guessing that it's named for its shape rather than any particular coloring. We looked for moose, but if they were there they were hiding. The lake was smooth and calm. The reflection of scarlet red leaves burned on the surface of the water. There were canoes and flat bottomed boated pulled up onto the treelined edges. Someone comes here other than hikers. You really start to realize how much these woods are used and the variety of activies they host. We walked along, not rushing or even attempting to keep up a fast pace, and yet we still managed to average more than 2 mph. We talked about different events in the news (I've realized how detached I've become), the military, Carrot's life, my life, our life, finances, bringing each other up to speed on all sorts of stuff. This time together is such a golden opportunity for us, and I sincerely think it's helped to usher in the smoothest "reintigration" for us both. Rather than trying to reacquaint ourselves while competing against all of the normal distractions, we are out here in the woods. Just he and I. Neither of us trying to fit into the schedule and routine of the other. The AT bestows yet another blessing!We found ourselves atop Rainbow Ledges around 11:45. We decided to take a quick lunch break. We looked out over some far-off hills, none of which were Katahdin. And honestly, its nice to look at something other than the upcoming finale climb. I took off my shoes and socks and found a big, fat blister under my right big toe. Really? Now? All the other piggies on that foot were screaming, so I bandaged them up as well. I finished off my roll of gauze in the process. My poor feet.We were back on the trail by 12:30. We did some slab-walking; we followed along the "sidewalk" as it roller-coastered and started its descent. There were tons of stone steps, and mercifully my feet went numb so I could walk rather than hobble. Carrots took the lead and kept up a great pace. We went over some boardwalks and hopped over bogs. I got stuck knee-deep in the mud, and Carrots had to come and pull me out. Whew! There was a loud suction noise when my foot finally released. Carrots walked upon a ruffed grouse and was able to get within 3 ft of if before it flew away. We saw plenty of piles of moose poop but never the moose that left it behind. We crawled across some giant boulders that scattered across a root-locked crrek. Suddenly in the distance I saw Hurd Brook Lean-to, the last free shelter on the AT before Mt. Katahdin.It was simple structure with a baseball bat handle floor. We chatted with a hiker named Gary that was doing a shakedown hike in preparation for a 2014 thru-hike attempt. Without realizing it, I starting dolling out advice. I knew good and well what it feels like to get bombarded with unsolicited counsel, and sometimes I appreciate it and sometimes I get annoyed by it. And here I am, as guilty as anyone else. I managed to stop myself. But now I'm going to throw out three little nuggets that I've found most helpful:1) Treat your thru-hike as a string of day hikes. Hike one day at a time, not more. It becomes overwhelming otherwise. 2) Stay humble to the trail.3) Expect to have a breakdowns/meltdowns. For the longest time I thought it was only me. But the more I talked to other hikers I realized that they were having them, too, and often they were happening at the same points in one's hike.I wrote a note in the shelter register. It seemed that the other hikers were devulging their "real" names, so I did it, too. I guess we are all starting to ease back into our former lives. Carrots asked if I was ready to go. No. I felt a pang of sadness. I realized that many of the people who'd signed the register were now done and off the trail, headed back to their other lives. The trail is like anything else in life, you can try to hold on to it, to keep it in some suspended state, but you will fail. Time moves forward. So should we. We picked up our packs and headed on. The last three miles were a breeze. We passed over a long single board bridge, chatting away as we did. We got to a hinged wooden box nailed to a tree. There was no trail register inside, but written in pencil on the outside of the box was "Call Your Mother." A few steps late we passed a sign telling hikers heading south that they were about to enter the 100-mile Wilderness. We'd made it!We stopped at the trailhead to pick up an empty styrofoam cooler and a bag of garbage. Tom had left some trail magic a few days earlier. It was all gone. I wondered who'd been the lucky recipiant. I wonder if any of the beers he'd put out had made it to the top of Katahdin. We walked along the Golden Rd and it crossed Abol Bridge and the Penabscot River. There standing before us, skirted in fall colors and staring at its own reflection was Katahdin. Holy Shit. I thought my heart was going to explode.We took some photos and then hobbled to the Abol Bridge Campstore. Uncle Buck, Baltimore Jack and a few others were hanging out. We talked to them, and Tom gave them the cooler for future trail magic. We dropped our packs and went in the store to get a campsite (We ended up with site #26 which is FREAKING PHENOMINAL! It has an unobscured view of Katadhin, no exaggaration, probably the most beautiful campground campsite I've ever had), and then we headed to the cafe to get something to eat. We split some buffalo hot wings and poutine and then ordered a second order of hot wings. For the first time in our entire relationship, I out-ate Carrots on hot wings. The food was delicious.We headed to our campsite and set up our tent. Carrots found some firewood someone had left behind. Trail magic, he called it. He built us a roaring fire. The golden hour set in, and then the evening light shifted to pinks. The water of the pond and river looked like it a rose dye had been cast. I lay in our tent, looking at the silhouette of Katahdin with its entourage of twinkly stars that reflect back on themselves from the pond below. Only two more days of hiking. I'm officially on the last page of my guidebook. Epic adventure stories with such happy, idealic endings usually annoy me because they seem unrealistic. And yet here I am, living perhaps the sweetest and most idealic adventure story. Thank you, Universe. Thank you, AT.