04 2018-09-02 Sunday – 8 miles hike to Spaulding Mtn Shelter

2018-09-02 Sunday – 8 miles hike to Spaulding Mtn Shelter

05:44 wake up with older gentlemen even in the darkness

Sun is making its tentative appearance

Eat my breakfast with cold water

07:13 – 07:41 I climb high above the shelter for washing and drying. There is a signal.  Weather promised to be dry for the last couple of days – excellent!  I can hear load voices of the students

08:15 start the hike and immediately discover the top of Poplar Ridge (3,120′).

10:12 I crossed Oberton Stream – 1,602′. Time to swim and refresh. Next will be trail up again towards Spaulding MTN.  Forecast for Monday changed again – 50% PM rain.

I crossed the river again to be on the sunny side of the river and I am sitting on a fallen tree and eat my snacks.  Sun is very pleasant and nurturing.  River is prattling in it own language. My alcohol fuel supply is low, but I still can boil water (for meals) on a small fire under my titanium pot.

I can mark this spot as a middle of a trip.  2 nights behind, 2 night ahead.

This time my appetite is very strong. Apparently, I have fewer fat reserves after fasting in Canada in August 2018.  And this time I did not pack a large pack of dates and trail mix.  Lessons of the trip: –1– one more hole in a belt; –2–pack more dry fruits and nuts.

Today I already completed 2.8 miles with average speed 37 min/mile.  Very soon I will cross my bike road that I will be taking tomorrow.

11:05 crossing very good 4WD that used to be an old rail road track. Filter water from the stream – not very good.

I see a large trail departs to the left (North) and it is blocked with trees.  At the time, I was thinking that it is some kind of a detour, but later map examination confirmed that is a route of old AT that is still shown on many topo maps and even on Google.

12:04 crossing completely overgrown road – I hope my bike road tomorrow would be better than this.  Road is long gone, but a tree corridor remains.

12:26 I am crossing the road that will be my bike path tomorrow (2,316′).  Road is in decent shape, but bridge is out and who knows what the road conditions beyond the bridge are. I think this should be Banjum Rd.

Sun is shining brightly and pleasantly, and I am sitting simply on the ground.  %miles done, 3 more to go.  Elevation since river was very gradual, trail well maintained and just slightly up all the time.

I am thinking to take an extended cooking stop here, but then older couple catches up with me and disappears on the trail, and I decide to go get a better platform site at the shelter instead.

14:09 -14:20 I am at Lone MTN – 3,280′.  I am slightly above the shelter and there are 2.2 miles remains.

There is a signal, and I called Lira from here.  It very hot in Newton right now – +29°C.  My Weather APP showed +26°C and it was most likely 22-23°C at my height.

15:25 reached Spalding Mtn Lean-to. Last 2 miles were very flat and very fast.  I remembered to turn off both GPS tracking APP(s).

Pick a spot, setup hammock and tarp, pack a bag to carry with me to a main firepit.

At the shelter filtered plenty of water, gathered firewood and started a fire. I cooked not one, but 2 meals and plenty of tea (with sugar) on open fire.  Family of four – our companions – they gave me fresh onions and 4 carrots.  Onions II put immediately into my hot meal, but carrots will be my snack for tomorrow. Of course, my titanium pot is now covered in soot, but it is OK. Hikers continue to arrive making new connections and new acquaintances.  Everybody welcomed a chance to spend time beside the fire.

19:30 it is getting dark fast in the forest and it is time to go to sleep.  It is a nice warm night in the wild.

22:35 I am in my hammock, but I can’t sleep.  There is too much gas, and I even hear snore from a nearby tent.  I have nice filtered water with me. My hammock is intentional toughing ground. Bulk of the weight is on the ground and I do not have to sway in the wind.

At the firepit, one hiker with a trail name Bitcoin recommended to stick with Bitcoin.  I probably will buy more on a dip.  I would need to utilize sudden 5-6% uptrend Bitcoin bursts to my advantage.

For over a day now we are going closely together with an older couple and a family of four with 2 daughters.

I am very comfortable here away from the shelter between 2 trees.  Almost everything that I packed is needed.  I will review the content of “Rarely Used” bag and remove several items from there upon arrival back home.  It is very quiet. There is no cell signal.  Ear plug in the ears and eye cover ready for the morning light.  My head is propped by hammock and body is sprawling on the ground.  Very comfortable.

Examine an option to by a gas stove like older hiker couple have (Primus – Eta Express Stove $90 – 15.8 ounces).

There is no space constrains here in the wild. All my clothes are hanging comfortable from the hammock stings.  We do not expect any rain tonight.  Body reacts with a firework to a mushroom meal that I ate previous night, but it is not a problem here on an open air.

My hiking pace is still very slow, but comfortable.  New Adidas shorts with pockets are working out great.  It is a great addition and pockets are a great convenience.  I was hiking one day in green and one day in blue ensemble.

I think I am now ready to go to sleep with a good feeling.  Tomorrow I will have 4 miles of hiking, including a climb to Spaulding Mtn (about 4K feet) and then a long descent into the valley (about 2K feet) to Caribou Pond Road.

I think both parties hold primaries on Tuesday, September 4 for Governor Baker and others.  I might arrive home just in time to the vote.

The only unknow for tomorrow is where I will be sleeping – at home by the river with my bike.  They are predicting 50% PM rains for tomorrow – Labor Day.  Right now it is amazingly quiet, not noises, no wind.  All hikers are long asleep in their tents.  Through hikers are all dreaming about their Katahdins.  It is strange, but I do not want to sleep at all.  Everything that is need is already here.  Multiuse Starbucks mugs stirs comments and memories about comforts of modern life.