Date: 2006-08-17
From: West Branch of Pleasant River

To: East Branch Lean-to
Miles today: 16.3

The walk was so easy on the nice flat well-groomed trail. Dodger and I went down to the Screw Auger Falls. The waterfall was just like its name. The rock formation caused the water to squirt up and spin around as if it went through a cork screw. Back on the AT I followed a trail that was covered in pine needles making the path soft and had it not been for all the the roots it would have been an incredible nice smooth walk - well, had it been that easy I wouldn't have had anything to complain about Carl A Newhall was a nice shelter tucked in behind a cover of spruce trees. I stopped to take a break there. Billy Goat came in as I was about to head out again. He was trying to do 30 miles a day to catch up with friends so they cold climb Katahdin together. THAT is friendship if you do 30 miles for several days. The first 4 miles of the day had passed easily but I also knew that the next 8 wouldn't be quite so leisurely. I had 4 peaks to climb including White Cap Mtn. On the other hand, after having summited so many mountains since Springer Mtn I have learned (as my legs got stronger) that climbing a peak here on the AT is rarely as hard as I think, especially after hearing "horror stories" from other hikers about how hard it was. Most often the mountains seem to alternate between tough and easy sections with the tougher parts closer to the peak. I have come to love the really steep but short mountains as I can put my hiking boots in 4th gear and just "run" to the top - and then hope to get there before I run out of gas! Well, Gulf Hagas Mtn was waiting and it was exactly one of my favorites, steep but not very long. I could tell the trail had recently been relocated as the soil had not yet been compacted as it would have been if 1000s of hikers had walked on it and there were lots of fresh roots sticking out. Before I knew of it I had passed the relative flat summit and was at Sidney Tappan Campsite. A blue blazed trail lead to a spring 200 yds down but it was well worth the effort. The water was so pure and cold and it tasted so good coming straight out of the ground, definately one of the best water sources in ME. Next was West Peak and Hay Mtn. None of them were hard to climb it rather felt like a walk in the woods (the green tunnel all over) with spruce trees growing close together on either side of the trail blocking out any good views. I reached the trail junction between White Cap Mtn summit and White Brook Trail. I now knew the summit was only 1.1 mile away. The trail got really steep and rocky and more than once did I run out of gas and had to stop for 30 seconds to take a breather and let the heart rate go down a little. The white blazes had a little white cap painted on top of them to match the name of the mountain. The rocks got smaller and the trail leveled off some - I was at the top. Looking to the SSW I could see the Horns and the Bigelow Mtn. I had climbed those a week ago. A trail with a painted description saying "View" lead to the other side of the summit. I walked among some low growing bushes and trees and came to an open area. As the trees cleared away I could see the mountain right in front of me - Mt Katahdin. It looked so huge and majestic. A big mountain standing tall all by itself amidst flat land, forrests, and lakes. It was so awesome to see my final destination. Final destination! I am not sure I like the sound of that. It is going to take me almost a week before I can summit, so close and yet so far. The sun felt good up there on White Cap Mtn so I took a long break enjoying a snack and watching the crickets play and "sing". I even got to see two of them sing to one another and eventually mate, that was a neat little romance. Going down White Cap was really easy as a lot of rock steps had been constructed. What a "wilderness". Logan Brook Lean-to was at the foot of White Cap and there were a small but beautiful waterfall there, which served as the water source. Snack break, sign the register, and then get going again. 15 minuttes after I had laft the shelter I heard someone behind me - it was Dodger He had seen my note in the shelter and saw that he had only missed me by a few minuttes. He then caught up to me instead of taking a break. He must have walked really really fast because I had not exactly been lalligagging. Now the trail was really flat and it went through a forrest of spruce and pine trees. All the dead logs and huge boulders were completely covered in moss. The trail was weaving in and out among the rocks and trees and over tiny little hills, I almost had the feeling of walking in a fairytale, expecting to see a fairy or a troll to jump out in front of me. Unfortunately it was only a herd of mosquitos that jumped out in front of me. Had they suddenly moved from Jugs End (Worst mosquito place on the AT) to here? As they got worse I walked faster and within an hour and fifteen minuttes we had covered 4 miles. Home Brew was already at the East Branch Shelter but nobody else was there so there were lots of room in this big shelter. The water source was not very good but I had seen worse. What a wonderful day it had been with clear skies, good walking, and I had seen my first clear view of Mt Katahdin - a special day it was.