Date: 2021-07-02
From: Poplar Ridge Lean-to (mile 209.7)

To: Rangeley Rt 4 (mile 220.4)
Miles today: 11.0

Woke to rain that had fallen through most of the night. It tapered off as I lingered in the shelter, eating my last honey bun, and I headed out around 7:15.Leapfrogged the whole day with Prepack, Beach Day, Viewmaster, Just Maine, and the two section hikers. Pappi had cleared the mountains and gone to the Maine Roadhouse yesterday evening, surprising everyone including himself.Today's highlight, the three Saddleback peaks and the three miles of open alpine ridge between, were in the clouds. No sweeping vistas from Katahdin to Mt. Washington today. At 4000 feet it was in the high 40s, wet, and generally windy, though Saddleback peak itself was oddly calm. My hands were cold and I lost dexterity. Of course I didn't pack any gloves. But this was nothing compared to my traverse in a tropical storm four years ago August, where the pouring rain and whipping wind sent me into hypothermic shock to the point I couldn't even think clearly. Lots of northbounders were coming up from the road to Rangeley. A sixty-something guy from Quebec City named Not Yet, a seventy-something flip-flopper named Forager who planned to get some more cortisone injections to control his knee pain before flipping back to Harper's Ferry, and a few more NOBOs who weren't as chatty.But most impressive was the Trout family - Mom, Dad, and five children that looked to be between 10 and 17 - who had started in Georgia and are still trucking north. They all had the same green emergency ponchos covering themselves and their packs. They briefly stopped to exchange words but marched on swiftly to keep up their body heat. Once below treeline, after an interminable stretch in the alpine during which I grew increasingly colder, the trail descended precipitously. It dropped off large boulders gnarled with roots, and slid down bedrock slabs at steep angles. All of it soaked and slick, of course. The outside temperature rose slightly and the physical effort raised my body temperature. By the time I reached Eddy Pond I felt I was warm enough to take a dip and keep the streak alive at 17 days. The pond was covered in thick mist. I hesitated before plunging in, but the water was warmer than the air and felt good. The bottom was soft and muddy though, and the water shallow, so I soon got out. The air was chilly but not as much as I expected. Back on trail I cruised the last three or four miles to the road, stopping to wish Chris the section hiker and his buddy well as they drove home to Augusta. They lamented the lack of views on this trip. It hadn't occurred to me, but yes, to them it has all been green tunnel or fog. The Crockers were largely forested. I had climbed peaks on side trails like Sugarloaf and Abraham which had outstanding views, and of course had been hiking for two weeks before this stretch and taken in plenty of panoramas. White-outs on a few peaks are to be expected and only a minor disappointment to a long-distance hiker. But if you have only a few days and it takes you the whole day to climb a couple of peaks, then you are gambling the trip on the short-term weather. They live close enough however that they could dayhike the Saddlebacks if they really wanted to take in the view. I met a dayhiker going to Saddleback's Horn who had climbed what he said was an easy 1.7 miles from the base lodge of Saddleback ski resort. An older dayhiker couple was ambling through the pleasant fir forest a mile from the road. Compared to the summit, it was drier and warmer down here and the moisture in the air felt invigorating rather than oppressive. I commented on the nice weather and they looked at me like I was crazy. I asked the man how he was doing and all he said was he felt "moist". I guess it's all relative.At the Sandy River crossing the trail bridges a narrow cataract created by walls of neatly cut and stacked boulders on each side. I wonder if a water mill stood here once. The Hiker Hut was a quarter mile up route 4 and was quiet after a very busy evening yesterday. The first person I saw was Rooster, a guy I met twice last year: first in Virginia, then in New Hampshire after he flipped to Katahdin and went south. This year he's hiked a thousand miles from Harper's Ferry and is headed to Katahdin. This is not the first time I've met someone on trail I knew from an earlier year.Beach Day and Prepack beat me in, and Viewmaster and Just Maine followed later, along with a northbound girl named Sunrise that Rooster knows. Joseph, whom I last saw crossing the Kennebec, was also here finishing up a zero day. There are several small cabins with bunks. Everything is off the grid, so no electric service, no indoor plumbing and no heat. There's a porta-potty, and an outdoor shower with gas-powered hot water. Steve, our host, made us egg sandwiches in the tiny kitchenette cabin. An open fire was the only heat, and only place to dry wet clothes. Steve usually shuttles hikers into town. But because of the staggered arrival times he handed me the keys to his minivan and I drove the guys into Rangeley. The girls had to hitch once they'd showered because Steve's partner Vera didn't show up with the other vehicle in time. But everyone got their laundry done at the laundromat, and Beach Day, Prepack and I hung out at Sarge's pub for three hours charging devices and nursing beers between plates of food. On the way back we stopped at the IGA to resupply, rushing up and down the aisles since they closed in ten minutes. It was only 8 pm. Dark but cozy here in the bunk cabin with five people. An upgrade from a damp shelter for sure. It has continued to drizzle throughout the day and into the night. Tomorrow is a zero day with fireworks in town. Hopefully the weather improves.