Date: 2017-10-01
From: Stealth Campsite by Jo-Mary Road

To: Campsite near Nahmakanta Lake
Miles today: 15.0

10/1Stealth Campsite by Jo-Mary Road to Campsite near Nahmakanta Lake15.0 miles Total miles: 2148.8I took advantage of the fact that our food drop wasn't scheduled until 9:00 to sleep in this morning. It was wonderful to lie in my sleeping bag and watch the day begin. Tomorrow it will be back to getting up at five o'clock to take advantage of the available daylight. Gary, from Shaw's, was right on time and even brought a thermos of coffee, which really hit the spot. By the time we had everything packed up, it was ten o'clock when we hit the trail. I was able to check the weather forecast, as I was surprised to have service at the road. The good news was that the sunny weather is expected to last several more days. The bad news is that rain is in the forecast for Thursday, the day I have hoped to summit. Tengo, Gravity, and I discussed it, and we are going to try to up our mileage to try to be able to summit on Wednesday instead. It will prove a challenge, but we think we can do it. The trail for the first several miles was very good, and I made excellent time. The trail followed alongside a brook, which provided yet another example of the beauty of Maine. After about four miles, I arrived at Antlers Campsite, which lies on the shore of Jo-Mary Lake. It's a shame I wasn't able to stop for the night, as the campsites were well placed and the views of the lake were spectacular. I decided noon was a tad early to call it a day. After Antlers, the trail became much more rooty and rocky. After climbing the only hill for the day, I arrived at Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to and had lunch with Tengo and Gravity. We decided we would try to get as far as we could before dark, especially if the trail remained the way it was. The chance of getting hurt by tripping over a root in the dark this close to the end is just too real. The trail followed alongside a beautiful stream for several miles. I waited until I was almost out of water before stopping to filter more, as I figured there was no sense carrying it if I was walking next to it. The trail was an interesting mishmash of roots, rocks, water, mud, and sunshine. I took a photo, but my poor camera didn't know what to think. The resulting photo is quite unique. The trail eventually left the stream by climbing over a ridge. It was here that I met Joanie, Emmy-Lou, Spencer, and Gideon. These four make up one of the more interesting hiking families I have met. They were camped along the trail, waiting for their friend, Protector of the Universe, to arrive so they could hike together. Joanie, who is a person, and Emmy-Lou, a dog, were too shy to be photographed. Spencer and Gideon had no problem with having their pictures taken, which made me happy as they are the first goats I have seen hiking the AT. The trail soon paralleled a stream again, as I approached Nahmakanta Lake. I was still a few miles from where I hoped to be, but it was getting dark and the roots and rocks were still out in force. I began looking for a stealth site large enough for three tents when I smelled a campfire. I came out of the woods near Nahmakanta Lake and saw a very nice campsite with a man sitting by a fire. He immediately invited me over. This is how I met Two-Toned Albatross, an avid hiker who had been providing Trail Magic from this campsite for the past two days. He apologized that he was all out of chili, but did offer me a cup of tea. I realized I had found home for the night and quickly set up my tent as darkness set in. I did take time to check out Nahmakanta Lake as the sun went down. Simply beautiful.  Tengo and Gravity arrived soon after I did, and we cooked dinner and chatted with Two-Tone. He explained that he received his unique trail name from friends, because an Albatross is a strange bird and because he got badly sunburned once while wearing a short-sleeve shirt. He has hiked extensively on the AT and wanted to give back to the trail by supporting thru hikers as they approach Katahdin. He is another example of the special, unique personalities that make the AT community so special. Thanks again, Two-Tone, for the fellowship and the tea! I had to turn down an invitation to sit by the fire and continue chatting, because hiker midnight arrived early. The plan is to be up at five and ready to hike by daybreak. If we can make good miles the next two days, then we should be able to summit on Wednesday. If we are delayed, we can always take our chances with Thursday. As I learned so well in the Whites, however, storms can get pretty nasty at altitude, and I would hate to have to delay my summit until the weather improved. I have thirty-six miles to cover in two days if I am to summit on Wednesday, so I best get back to sleep to be ready for tomorrow.