Date: 2015-08-03
From: Gorham, NH

To: Carlo Col Shelter, ME
Miles today: 17.0

Fortunately the need to pee at 8:00am woke me or I could've easily slept the day away. I started my morning with a shower and Yoohoo was waking up as I finished up. We slowly came to life, watching TV and drinking Yoohoo's, as we packed our gear. At 9:30 we, along with Huey and Rabbit headed for the motel lobby where we'd sit for the next half hour discussing the plan for the day, weather, possibly zeroing again, etc.. ISO and Bad Hiker joined us as they waited for Lavender to pick them up and take them to resupply. We were able to persuade her into driving us the ~3 miles back to the trailhead. At 10:45am and with packs feeling extra heavy with our resupply, we returned to the trail.The day would begin with an ~1,800ft climb to the top of Mt. Hayes which we'd do in a couple hours under the heat of a sunny day. We reached the top where a handful of day and section hikers were resting in what little pockets of shade were available on the otherwise exposed slab summit. We didn't have a problem relaxing in the sun since most of our days are spent under the shade of tree canopies. We breaked for a relatively quick lunch before getting back to it. The next hour was spent crossing up and over Cascade Mountainnas the sky quickly began to turn gray and the air feel with the rumbles of approaching thunder. With no shelters nearby, I began scanning the surrounding area as I hiked, looking for rock overhangs or anything to dive under should rain set in. As I reached a small rocky clearing on a corner of Page Pond, I saw Yoohoo beginning to set up his tent. He decided it'd be worth stopping and taking shelter versus continuing through the rain to a shelter we wouldn't reach in time anyways. He said I could take shelter with him in his tent so I quickly began helping him set up his tent. Huey and Rabbit showed up just as we were finishing up with the tent, the sky darkening and wind rustling the trees. Huey began setting up his tent and, telling Rabbit to jump in with us, closed the rainfly just as the first drops of rain began falling.Fortunately Yoohoo carries a larger 2-man tent for we were able to comfortably, though snuggly, fit the 3 of us in. Lying side by side, we'd each spend the next ~45 minutes dozing as rain fell outside and an occasional clap of thunder ripped through the sky nearby. Eventually the rain stopped and we had to talk ourselves into getting out of the tents and continuing on. Although we lost close to an hour of hiking time, the important thing was keeping ourselves dry which we accomplished.Soon after returning to hiking we passed the 1,900-mile mark, labeled with sticks in the middle of the trail. We exchanged a few "good job's," but the milestone was otherwise ignored. Continuing on through now wet trail, the mud puddles, rocks, and roots became more difficult to maneuver around. Past Wocket Ledge and Dream Lake, we'd eventually stop and break in the trail for an abbreviated dinner just past Gentian Pond Shelter. From this spot it was still ~5 miles to our planned ending point with only a view minor climbs and a ~1,300ft climb up Mt. Success remaining. Knowing the guys were slower on uphills, I made sure to take the lead as we approached Mt. Success - the last bigger mountain in New Hampshire. Despite what seemed like slow-going due to wet slabs of rock, areas of hand-over-hand climbing, and general fatigue, I found myself along the exposed summit quicker than I would've thought.From here to the shelter it would get dicey for not only would a wooden plank give way and completely submerge one of my boots in crap-smelling mud, but I'd also wipe out 3 times on the descent - smashing a finger, banging both shins, and landing on my ass in the process. Just as I was enjoying the start of my last sunset in New Hampshire, the Presidential Range still towering in the distance, it was giving me a crumby send-off. Within half an hour of leaving the summit I found myself standing at the New Hampshire/Maine border, a simple wooden sign standing at an angle beside the trail. I grabbed a quick picture, enjoyed it for a moment, and continued on since the light was beginning to fade.I reached the side trail leading to Carlo Col Shelter and would have to follow the boulder-strewn path for .3 miles before reaching the shelter at 8:15pm. A quick look around the area revealed that all campsites were taken by boy scouts and a few thru-hikers, meaning I'd have to sleep in the much-dreaded shelter. It's closing in on 9:30pm and the last of the hikers is currently settling down in his spot. Between Yoohoo and I is Wild Turkey, a thru-hiker from Lexington, KY who I met just before eapntering the White's. Snoring has already started from 2 hikers so here's to me remaining sane tonight.Here's to the earplugs I wish I had, 1,900 miles complete, and reaching the final state of Maine.*Thank you, Vici, for the kind words and for reading. Much kinder words than I deserve.*Bushmaster, great to hear from you again. Thank you for following the gang and myself over these last few months. What you did for us is still the stuff of AT legend. Cheers to you and William.