Date: 2006-08-27
From: campground-RV

To: Little Lyford Pond Camp
Miles today: 5.2

After breakfast we packed to make our way over to the Hermitage. Our plan is to hike the Gulf Hagas loop first, which most hikers will pass on because they are so focused on getting to Katahdin. As we were driving along we noticed that the leaves have already started to change to their fall colors. It¢s to bad we won¢t be hear for peak season.We have to stop at the Katahdin Iron Works to pay a fee before we can continue to the Hermitage. At the pay station area there is still some ruins of the old iron works mill which I did get some pictures of. There are a few markers with pictures and the history of the buildings that remain there. It is worth the time to stop and learn the history like so many other places hear in Maine. Maine is also filled with many logging roads that you must pay a fee to travel on, just like we ¢ve done here before going on to the Hermitage. Navi has traveled these logging roads in some very remote areas in order to pick me up at different trail crossings. She¢s a brave women, or just down right Crazy. When we got to the trailhead for the parking lot, there were more cars than I thought there would be. We went two tenths of a mile before we had to ford the West Branch Pleasant River which wasn¢t deep at all but enough to get over your ankles and into your boots if you had them on. I just happened to have my Tevas this time. Once the ford was accomplished we hiked a short distance to where the the blue blaze trail would take us to the Gulf Hagas loop trail. This is probably going to be a good warm up for Navi since she has decided to join me to summit Katahdin. We had some beautiful views of the waterfalls and the chasm about 500ft deep.The gulf was formed by water eroding the slate walls of the canyon, thousands, or even millions of years ago. The Screw Auger Falls is one of the many beautiful falls that was sculptured by the waters. We found a place on the rim to have lunch that put us about 100ft high up from the waters edge. I got a picture of the top of a pine tree that stood about 40ft high from the canyons edge below. We made our way back to the river for the crossing and we saw another couple making their way across. They asked us many questions about the hike in the Gulf Hagas and we told them it was well worth the time to do the hike but, we advised them not to do it today because the weather was taking a turn for the worse, and it would be dark before they could make it back out to cross the river. We made it back to the Tracker and on the 8mile drive to camp I thought of crossing the river one more time when I resume my hike north. When we got to Little Lyford Pond Camps we went to the main lodge to check in and met the caretakers who showed us to our cabin which was called the Den. It was awesome. It has a bunkbed, gas powered lighting, a small sink with running water, and a small wood burning stove that I promptly made a fire which made it so cozy. We went to dinner at the main lodge and ate family style with the other people who were staying there. There were two couples with their children and one of them with the in-laws. There was another couple and the man was from England, but loves to spend his time here in the states with the woman he is seeing. She works for the AMC, and her name is Sandy. Neel is a detective in England, but was not interested in talking about life in England, he was more focused on my hike, and why I was doing it. That lead me to start from the beginning, when I attempted my first thru-hike in 02¢,and how my first steps in hiking came to be. He was amazed to say the least, as many people are when they hear my story. There was another older couple at dinner that have done many hikes all over the world, and it turns out that they did hike in Europe and there¢s a good chance that they hiked The West Highland Way in Scotland at the same time we did in 05¢. They didn¢t look familiar, so we could have been days apart. It was great to sit there and listen to their adventures around the world. As time went by, the weather took a turn for the worse, so we decided to hang out with Neel and Sandy till it was time to head back to the cabin. By the time we got back, it was time to start another fire to get it all nice and cozy again. This has been a very enjoyable day for Navi and I, and it¢s always great to meet people from all over the country, and the world.