Date: 2015-08-09
From: Rangeley, ME

To: Spaulding Mountain Shelter, ME
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: broken clouds

6:00am wakeup and a 7:00am shuttle from the Farmhouse owner, Stacey, back to the trailhead. After a round of thank-you's and an exchange of hugs, we returned to the woods for our planned ~19 mile day. The day began with a ~5.5 mile ascent up Saddleback Mountain, a gradual climb at first, but becoming a steep series of slanted slabs near the summit. Leading the way with Yoohoo, we climbed the several false summits leading to the official one marked with a sign stating we were at 4,120ft. Huey and Rabbit caught up soon after and we'd break inside of a wind block of stacked rocks just off the summit. The morning was sunny and warm with little wind and the hours spent along the exposed ridges between Saddleback Mountain and Sattleback Junior were very enjoyable.As I continue deeper into Maine, I encounter more and more lakes and hidden ponds. If Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, Maine must be the land of 9,999. With our break completed, we continued ~1.5 miles down a steep rocky ridge and up the side of The Horn, topping out at 4,032ft. We ran into Forward on the summit who we bumped into in Rangeley during our bike outing. After another quick break, the USS Bennington continued down another steep ridge and up the side of Saddleback Junior, a ~2 mile stretch leading us back up to 3,655ft. Reaching the summit ahead of the group, I waited ~15 minutes for the group to arrive before we continued down the other side to a stream lined with thick green moss. What was originally planned as a water resupply would turn into lunch as we sat along the small creek, its cool, clear water softly flowing by. After a quick lunch consisting of crackers and miscellaneous chocolates, I threw my food bag behind my head and laid in the soft, memory foam-esque texture of the moss. Yoohoo quickly followed suit and we were soon snoozing under the warmth of the overhead sun. In what could've easily been a blown day sleeping away the afternoon, I managed to persuade Yoohoo and myself to continue on in order to reach camp early in the evening.The next ~4 miles passed by silently as we listened to music and descended down to Orbenton Stream. Another break would follow as we shoved in calories in preparation for the last climb of the day. Procrastinating so that we wouldn't have to begin the climb, we took turns skipping flat stones in the calm waters upstream. Eventually, however, we got to it and began busting our butts up Lone Mountain, a ~3 mile stretch taking us back up to 3,260ft. I broke away from the group as with most climbs, reached the summit, and continued the final ~2 miles to Spaulding Mountain Shelter, lying at the foot of Spaulding Mountain that I'll enjoy for breakfast in the morning. Reaching the shelter at 5:30pm, I found a group of French-Canadian campers already occupying most of the flat camping spots. Forward was relaxing in the empty shelter. I managed to score one last flat spot about ~50ft away from the shelter and quickly claimed it before the guys arrived.It's currently nearing 7:45pm, I'm layered up inside my tent, and plan to try and sleep as soon as this entry is posted. It'll be a treat to fall asleep while the sun's still up for a change. Tomorrow's plan is to hike ~13 miles into Stratton, ME, but a few sizeable climbs and descents are to be had in that stretch. Tomorrow brings 2 more big milestones: the 200 miles remaining mark and the 2,000-miles hiked point. My goal is starting to feel like it's creeping closer with every step.Here's to the hospitality of Stacey and the crew at the Farmhouse, rewarding views atop the Saddleback's, and the feeling of almost being a 2,000-miler.*Thank you, Bonnie, for your support. I'm sure there are many other hikers more talented than myself when it comes to sharing their own unique adventure. You will just have to find them. We all have a story to tell. I'm always open to the idea of a little competition and wouldn't be opposed to Maine putting up a good fight.*Thank you as well, Don. If you feel as though you're hiking along with me, I must be doing something right. Consider yourself lucky that your knees (hopefully) aren't feeling like mine. I've heard nothing but good things about the wilderness and am looking forwards to it myself. Cheers.