Date: 2006-08-30
From: Katahdin Iron Works

To: Logan Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 13.2

We were up early and on the road to the Katahdin Iron Works for the last time on this hike.We disconnected the Tracker and Navi drove me to the parking area again and she walked the .2mile to the river, then crossed it one more time with me and walked me to the trailhead where I go north to White Mtn. I hope she keeps up the walking to prepare for Katahdin because she¢ll need it. I think it¢s awesome that she wants to summit with me.Today looks to be a rough day according to the profile map starting from here at 750ft and climbing to 3,650ft. ¢ No Problem!¢ I have all day to do it. I was surprised that the trail was so nice and the inclines were gradual. The Gulf Hagas Mtn. wasn¢t a problem, and West peak either, but Hay Mtn. was a little different with some rock climbing involved. I had a flashback of the day I fell when my right foot slipped off a rock, that almost ended my hike. Well, this climb wasn¢t bad at all, and today when I climbed White Cap Mtn. I was very impressed with the stairways the MATC put in on both sides of White Cap Mtn. If you had done any trail maintenance at all, you would understand how much hard work that is. It sure made life easy. I tend to get a little ahead of myself when I journal, and that is the case now. As I was hiking towards White Cap, just after Hay Mtn., a couple of hikers asked me about Sidney Tappan Campsite, and if there was water there. I told them I had stopped there for a break and that the water source was great.They were very happy to here that. This has been a very pleasant day for weather, not very warm, just right. I met a woman hiker, a sobo, and she said that the Logan Brook Lean-to was packed with teenagers and not even any room for a tent. I thank her for the info. and as I was approaching the lean-to from a couple hundred yards away, I thought to myself, ¢ OH S--t!¢ the noise was unreal. There must have been thirty or forty young people hanging around all over the camping area. I slipped into the shelter where there was two other hikers sitting and sipping on a bottle of booze. I can understand why! They said that there were a few tent sites about a 1/8mile down the trail but when I investigated, there wasn¢t anything in sight. I even looked to see if I could camp near the brook, but it was to steep to get down to the brooks edge. I made my mind up to stay at the lean-to and just use my earplugs to block out the noise. I met the group leader and he said that he left the shelter open to the hikers which left plenty of room for me. I was to tired to go another 3miles. I believe the group was from a college in NH out here to celebrate their graduation. I have to say they were all very friendly, just a little noisy is all. The two hikers I met in the shelter are out here to do the 100mile Wilderness. They had a lot of questions about my hike for their future sections of hiking. After I made my dinner and ate, it was starting to get dark so I took my pot and headed for the brook to clean it. Well, I didn¢t pay attention to where I was going and walked smack into a downed tree laying across the path. I saw stars, and then a lot of blood running down into eyes and down my face. The knot on my head felt like a golf ball. After getting myself cleaned up, I made my way back to the shelter and the hikers couldn¢t believe their eyes when they saw my head and the blood that started to run down my face again. They asked me what happened, I replied, ¢ I had a fight with a tree and, it won!¢ We had a little laugh, then I took two Tylenol, put earplugs in, and hit the sack. Nice hiking day.