Date: 2008-09-22
From: Gull Pond Lodge, Rangeley, ME

To: Near Spalding Mtn Lean-to, ME
Miles today: 18.7

I woke up at 5am because there were three hikers that wanted to leave at 7am. I decided to leave with them and get started early, so I packed up all my stuff and walked downstairs and watched The Weather Channel to see what's coming. Looks nice! :-)Bob got up about 6am and started coffee and set up breakfast. I had some cereal and some fruit and lots of coffee.I enjoyed my overnight stay at Gull Pond Lodge, but was eager to get back to walking. I settled up with Bob and we all loaded our packs and headed off. There was a bull moose crossed the gravel road in front of Bob's place as we left.There was lots of frost in the open fields and it was foggy, but I could see patches of sunlight.I got dropped off at the trailhead at Rt 4 and started walking north on the Appalachian Trail at 7:35am.I was at Piazza Rock Lean-to in a couple miles. It was full of thru hikers. I signed the register and walked on. I knew Bandit at the shelter, but all the rest were new faces, so I didn't even try to get their names.I had about 2,400 feet of climbing to do to summit Saddleback Mtn. I passed by Ethel Pond, then Eddy Pond, then Bandit and Kovis passed by me. :-) I kept climbing, really enjoying the coolness of this first day of Autumn. I got above tree line and had spectacular views...of not only the surrounding mountains, but also of Saddleback Mtn. It's a beautiful mountain! I never realized how nice it really was...maybe because I've almost always had bad weather up here. There are lots of false summits for a northbound walker, but I eventually got to the summit.I ran into Hiker Dave. He had gone home a few months ago, but said he could only stay away from the Trail for two weeks and had to come back and finish his walk.I kept walking...descending 600 feet to a col, then climbing 600 feet to The Horn. I descended almost 1,000 feet next, then climbed the 600 feet to the summit of Saddleback Junior. I walked just far enough past the summit to get out of the wind and I sat down for lunch. That took about 30 minutes. Not many people get those kinds of views with their lunch. :-)I walked on a couple miles to Poplar Ridge Lean-to and stopped just long enough to sign the register and use a smiley face sticker, then climbed to Poplar Ridge before the long and sometimes steep descent of 1,500 feet down to Orbeton Stream. I was able to rock hop across that stream. The next 200 feet of climbing was extremely steep, then it turned to just normal climbing for about 800 feet.I was walking along a brook that was flowing down the mountain and after a mile, the Trail crossed the brook. I stopped to get water and saw a porcupine just above my head in a tree. I got a few pictures of him, got my water and by that time the porgy had come down out of the tree. I got a couple close up shots of him. He even went into a defensive mode for a few seconds till he figured out I wasn't a threat. He walked of one way and I walked off in the other direction.I had originally planned on sleeping somewhere near Perham Stream, but it was shortly after 4pm when I got there. I looked at my map and saw Spaulding Mtn Lean-to was just 4 more miles, so I decided to head there and tent for the night.I had a 1,000 foot climb, then it leveled off a bit. I crossed over Lone Mtn, then Mt Abraham and got to the lean-to about 6pm.I met Pull Up and Bandit there getting ready to build a fire. I set up my tent after getting water. Kovis and his sister, Naps, came walking in just as I was crawling into my tent to get in my sleeping bag and eat dinner.I had some hard salami and swiss cheese wraps and a few jelly beans and cashews for dinner, then listened to some classic rock on my mp3 player and fell asleep.Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-)