Date: 2008-07-09
From: Firewarden's cabin shelter

To: Hikers Welcome Hostel, Glencliff
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: scattered clouds

My actual miles were 20.5, if you count the walk here into glencliff..and if you add the accidental detour that i took today, it's even more than that... ha ha ha...So let me start this journal entry with....hot! hot! It's very hot here. The humidity is obnoxious too. I went to go try to get views from the firetower this morning, and i couldn't see more than a few miles, if that far. You know it's bad when it isn't foggy, but you can still see the sunbeams beaming through the trees in the morning... it was one of those days.We got a later start than i wanted... 6:30am. We were hoping to beat the heat. We did for the most part, but we were unable to escape the humidity. I was still sweating buckets. We got down from smart mtn. and up to the top of cube mtn. by 10am, which was good, because it was a lot of exposed rock at the top. That would have been hot. But there was a nice breeze up there, and it helped to dry us off and cool us off a little. Views were non existent, but those would have been awesome, if it was a clear day.We scampered down that mountain, and started the climb up the next one, and got to the shelter for lunch about 1:30. We had a rough time getting there because of the heat, and we had to stop for water a lot. But while we were there, the rest of the gang caught up to us. They were only about a half hour behind us, despite starting 2 hours after we did. sigh... i wish i was capable of hiking faster... oh well....We took 2 hours for lunch. Some time was spent eating, and the rest was spent waiting for a thunderstorm to pass by. Finally!! We were at a shelter when the mid day thunderstorm struck! That was awesome...We started out again about 3:45 and we got rained on some more, but that was good. I was just as wet from the rain as sweating, and the rain actually cooled me off. The only down side was hitting all the wet branches of the bushes as i walked down the trail. brrrrrrr!We got to the hostel about 7 tonight, and we did our chores, took showers and we're doing laundry now. My socks need it. I'm not sure what is going on with my feet, but PEEEEEEE-YEEEEW! My socks and boots are smelly. This goes beyond normal stinky... this is a special category of smelly. Even i can't stand the smell of my socks.As soon as i am done hiking katahdin, they are going into the trash. I am even contemplating buying new socks in millinocket or bangor just for the drive home. yes... they are that foul. if anyone would like them for a science fair project, let me know, because otherwise they must be destroyed for health and safety reasons.The trail was pretty good today, as far as hiking goes, but the climbs were tough. Mt. cube was actually tough due to elevation gain, but the others were moderate in elevation and grade, but kicked my butt because of the heat.Tomorrow is mt. moosalakie, which should be a challenge. It is supposed to rain tonight, so that will make things interesting tomorrow. Hope it dries out before we need to go down the mountain.Time to get the laundry out of the dryer, and then call it a night.