Date: 2007-08-09
From: Hall Mountain Lean-To

To: Baldplate Lean-To
Miles today: 14.0

mi. 14sleep. hammockdest. Baldplate Lean-to day 29 I fogot to add yesterday at the shelter there was a sign that read scenic view and gunsight 100 yards. I had to go check it out. No pics though, I was still wet from the rain. The gunsight wasn't what I was picturing. I was picturing, well a gun sight. It turned out to be a channel with 2 rock faces about 2-3 feet apart, about 30 yards long and 10-20 feet deep. It looked like a giant gunsight. I also saw some rather large poo, a lot larger than the tons of moose poo I had been seeing. The only thing left was a bear. From what I hear the bears are really skidish up here and hate people. I had all intensions of bear baging. But when I went to bed it was so cold I just hang it in the shelter with everyone elses and went to sleep. I was 20 yards away in my hammock anyways. That and the french girls food was closer to me. I got a latish start today. It was pretty cold. It had to get down to 45 deg last night. It was 52 in my hammock when I woke up. It is usually a good 10 deg colder outside. Plus the wind was blowing something ferce. I also started eating breakfest before I leave camp. I think that makes a big difference in the day. The only tradeoff is a later start. Side note, I am having a little coffee emergency. I wash out my jestboil cup at each hostel. Well in Andover I acidently dropped one of the small pieces down the drain. I figure ok I'll get it out of the trap. Nope, this one had some weird pvc trap box thing that was all glued together. I tried to make some but failed big time. Tons of coffee grounds. I have an idea to try out tomorrow. Gorhem has an outfitters and I am going to try to get a new coffee press there. Todays hiking has great. I really felt good. I was going to make it at least 11 miles to one shelter or 14 over bladplate to the next. Today ended up being on of my longer days through some elevation. All of my previous long days were on relitively flat ground. My big day in the wilderness had a long flat section in the middle. I went the rest of the way up and over Wyman Mountain, the shelter was pretty close to the top elevation wise anyways. On the way down I caught up with the some of the french group. I did end round a corner to see 3 standing next to one girl going to the bathroom on the trail. That in itseslf I have no problem with. Most of the time I go right off the trail. A lot of times, including this one, you really can't walk off the trail. The brush was too thick. My issue was they knew I was behind them, I caught up and passed them each day, and they passed me as I was getting water to start off my day. Why couldn't one of the girls stand just a! round the corner from the one going to the bathroom and let me know to wait. They did tell me after I was there, so I guess it was the thought that counts. On the way down I stopped at a pond for a break. I was going to swim, but it was pretty cold and for once I was dry. I did get some tin whistle practice in. I'm slowly getting better. The french group was just behind me taking a break. At first I stopped to let them get some distance on me. I walk a pretty steedy pace up or down hill, they take off on the downs. But then they stopped just past me to wait on the rest of there group. This is when I decided that if I made it to the first shelter by 3pm I would continue on. Actually I was thinking it all morning after the above surprise. I have really seen enough 14 year old girls in their underwear or bikini's to last me pretty much the rest of my life. About 7 miles into my day I started the climb. It wasn't too bad. There were some switchbacks. The climb was about 1500 feet in 3 miles not too bad. One the way up I passed a guy that was on his second day of an 85 mile section hike. I think his goal was the road I just passed. I think he only did the 3 miles from the road north to the shelter I was aimming for. Ok this is my first rant about this. First of all I try my hardest not to give anyone advice or tell them something I would do, unless they ask. So far the only times I did was adjusting Bre's pack in the wilderness, Clay with the jetboil he picked up, and with Clay, Jason, and Karl when they asked about warm clothes in the Whites. The reason I bought this up was the section hiker commented a couple times and made sure that his point got across that I would not push on past the shelter. I should stop there for the night. This was only noon and probibly 2.5 miles away from the first shelter. I just said I'll figure it out and move on. I point is, don't give unwanted advice. Sometimes it is warrented, but 260 I think I got a grasp on how I am feeling and what I should do. If you can't tell it irked my just a little. I guess this was how the northbounder felt that I read a shelter entry of. He titled it, "things a southbounder should not say to a northbounder". "Man! that pack looks heavy. Would you like me to help you take some weight out of it?". I thought that was pretty funny. If you carry something 2000 miles, who is anyone else to tell you what to do. Sorry for the rant, but I think it was understandable. He did tell me something useful. The next southbounders were only 20 minutes or so in front of me. I was a little surprised to hear that. So I pushed on. I got to the shelter right around 2:30pm. The southbounders in the registry were Jen and Maich. They stopped in for a break and were pushing on. They where the kids that Mama Bear was looking for the night I spent with her at Sabbith Day Pond Lean-to. I stopped and make an early dinner. Mac and chz with 1 of the sloppy joes, veggie oil, powdered milk, and cilli powder. Actually pretty tasty. I packed up, got water, and hit the trail by 3:15. It was only 3.5 miles to the next shelter. But it was up and over baldplate mountain and it's 2 peaks.   The climb wasn't too bad. Only 1500 feet over 1.8 miles. OK it was bad in places. I caught up with them almost at the top. Really nice people. They were wondering when we would catch them. I chatted a little and pushed on to the top. This mountain isn't above treeline per say, but it is bald on its first and tallest peak. It is basically a big solid rock. At the top I stopped and took a good break. It was only 4:50, so I had plenty of time. A few mintues later Jen and Maieh walk up. I had them take a picture for me. I don't have too many of me. I took one for them for the same reason, they don't have many of the two of them. The walk down from the first to second peak was solid rock. It was pretty cool walking and navigating my way down. The second peak was not very bad at all.