Date: 2004-09-29
From: Chairback Gap Lean-To

To: Mystery Mountain
Miles today: 17.1

This morning, I began hiking without knowing for sure where my final destination for the day would be. One option would be to hike ten miles to the next shelter; that modest distance would give my body a chance to rest. The other choice would be to hike seventeen miles to Logan Brook Lean-to; this would require me to cross a valley and hike up and over a range of four mountain peaks.I began hiking with a brief ascent to the summit of Chairback Mountain. The shelter from last night was situated on the slope. The descent which followed was steep, rocky, and treacherous. My knees and the heel of my right foot were feeling tender from yesterday's hike; this descent early in the morning aggravated the soreness.The steep grade eased and the trail wound along the side of a slope in a spruce forest. As the elevation dropped, the evergreen trees gave way to deciduous trees. The transition happened quickly. Both types of trees mixed for about 75 yards.A grouse burst into flight ahead of me. After a couple seconds, its wings stopped flapping and it glided through the air just above the trail. It angled its wings like a rudder and turned to the right where the trail turned right.I met Pop Up and we hiked together for a while. We forded the west branch of the Pleasant River; the water was shallow. After that, we parted ways because he took a five mile side trip to visit a gorge.The trail led me alongside a stream. The hiking was up and down, up and down. I grew tired.During a lunch break by the stream, I debated how far I wanted to go. I pretty much decided to stop at the next shelter. My right heal was feeling sore and I was tired.I arrived at the next shelter at 1:30 p.m.. That time seemed way too early for stopping, so I decided to push on over the next range of mountains.On the ascent of the first peak called Gulf Hagas Mountain (2,680 feet), my feet slipped backwards when I stepped upon leaves that had recently fallen on the steep slope.I reached the summit and began descending the back side. After walking a short ways, I stopped dead in my tracks and stared through a gap in some trees. Off in the not so far distance stood a broad shouldered mountain. There was no other high ground between my viewpoint and the mountain I was looking at. I wondered if at last, I was gazing upon Mount Katahdin, the terminus of my journey. Upon further observation, I determined that the massive entity was Mount Katahdin. I felt a wave of happiness as I beheld this ultimate destination. It was a perfect morale booster on a hard day of hiking.I continued walking and ran into thru hikers Alabama and Sun Pig. I shared with them my enthusiasm at having seen Mount Katahdin.They told me that I was wrong. The mountain I saw could not be Mount Katahdin because it was located too close. They reminded me that seventy miles lay between us and the real Mount Katahdin. My bubble of enthusiasm burst.I climbed two other peaks, each one further sapping my energy. Alabama and Sun Pig passed ahead of me. They told me that they it was possible that I might be correct after all in my assertion that the mountain I had indicated was Mount Katahdin. But they needed further convincing.I began ascending Whitecap Mountain (3,654 feet), the highest point in the range. Given my tired condition, it was a struggle to climb its steep slope.At the tree line, I met up with Dutch, a thru hiker in his twenties who I am familiar with. I conveyed to him my initial opinion that the large mountain to the north was Mount Katahdin. He looked toward the mountain and told me that it was too close to be Mount Katahdin.It was late in the day when I reached the summit of Whitecap Mountain. The views were spectacular, possibly my favorites ones in Maine along with the scenery from the ledges on Barren Mountain. Above the tree line, a cold wind was blowing and I became chilled. I hurried to descend into the protection of the tree line. I looked again at the mystery mountain that bore a striking resemblance to Mount Katahdin. I scanned the horizon and looked for the real Mount Katahdin. I could not spot it.It was almost dark when I arrived at the Logan Brook Lean-to. It was occupied by Sun Pig, Alabama, Dutch, and a southbound hiker. Alabama immediately told me that I had been correct, that mountain which seemed too close was, in fact, Mount Katahdin. He had read some entries written in the register at the lean-to; other hikers had shared their enthusiasm at having seen for the first time Mount Katahdin.As the crow flies, Mount Katahdin is relatively close to this lean-to, but the span of trail between this place and the mountain in 71.4 miles because the trail meanders.I am sleeping in the shelter tonight because the temperatures are plummeting. My hammock does not provide enough insulation for winter like temperatures.Another hiker named K-Less has showed up. There are six men, including myself, sleeping on the floor of this lean-to. There are two dogs inside here as well. One of the dogs is large and has black fur. It is curled up into a ball on top of the sleeping bag which is occupied by the southbound hiker dozing next to me.I am concerned that my sleeping bag will not keep me warm enough tonight.There is an old expression that Indians from Alaska use to describe exceptionally cold nights; it is called a "three dog night." Picture an Indian sleeping with three husky dogs from his dog sled team. The temperatures on this night in Maine will not come close to a three dog night in Alaska, but I am glad that there are two canines snoozing in this cold shelter. Maybe the dog lying upon my neighbor will curl up on the floor between us. I could use the additional insulation from its body pressing against my sleeping bag. It's a two dog night here in the vicinity of Mount Katahdin.