we got a slower start after that rainy night – everything was so cold and damp, making it very difficult to get motivated and moving. but as i said, things soon cleared up.
(i’m experimenting with pictures — hope this works…)
trying to avoid the muck...
we tackled a few smaller climbs (giving us some views – at last!!) and some more muddy, boggy areas. (our particular favorite was the crossing on the small, obstacle course style, slippery, rolling logs to avoid going knee deep in the muck.)we were joined by stripe at our lunch break – the rest of the crew, who had stayed in town when we left, had made it to the shelter before ours, planned to push on, but thought better of it as the rain started. we didn’t linger too long at the shelter for lunch. a southbound couple we met told us of some homemade whoopie pie trail magic awaiting us about 3 or 4 miles ahead. that was all we needed to make some quick miles!
now, to those who aren’t familiar with whoopie pies, allow me to educate you on these tasty little delicacies. these little gems, apparently originating in maine, are two round blobs of cake batter (usually chocolate), baked to perfection, then stuck together with a liberal amount of frosting (usually white). in fact, it just hit me that they are basically huge oreo cakesters – my other weakness. no wonder i love them!
one last ford...
anyway, trail magic in the 100-miles was pretty unexpected so we were very happy to have some homemade goodness to help fuel the last few miles of the day. we had one last ford to get across, but it was only about shin high so we crossed with no trouble. the skies started to look threatening once again so we hurried on hoping to make the shelter before the skies opened this time. but we needn’t have worried – it was smooth sailing over some pretty nice terrain, and the rain never amounted to more than a short-lived light drizzle. our tent spots that night were not the finest and we most likely would have been sleeping in pools of water had it rained, but we woke up high and dry and ready to tackle whitecap mountain – the last climb before katahdin.
our first glimpse
we made it to the top in good time and got there just before the day’s clouds rolled in, allowing us our very first glimpse of katahdin! after the descent down the other side, the trail really flattened out and we passed through some beautiful woods with soft, pine needles padding our weary feet as we hiked. the weather couldn’t make up its mind that day and kept spitting rain on us for a bit, then giving us some beautiful rays of sunshine.
dark clouds approaching
we got a bit worried though when some dark clouds started rolling in as we passed a lake, and thunder began to rumble ominously.
but again, the rain never amounted to much and we were able to set up a dry camp once again at the cooper brook shelter. it was a beautiful spot and we found great tent sites. had it been a teensy bit warmer, the brook would have been the perfect place for a dip, but we were just thankful that the skies cleared completely and we stayed dry!
the next morning, as i awoke around 5:30, i simply could not believe my eyes. there, outside the tent, greeting me, was nothing but pure, blue sky and early morning sunshine!! i couldn’t even remember that last time we hadn’t woken up to gray, misty, foggy, cloudy yuck in the morning. even if the day had then improved, we were still waking up to wet and cold. this was amazing. the kind of day when you can tell there won’t be a drop of rain and it’s just going to be beautiful all day long. it really does wonders for the spirit.
we had a full, ~21 mile day ahead of us, with a side trip in to white house landing to resupply, so we took full advantage of the great weather and got an early start. we needn’t have worried though. about 8 miles in we got to one of the jo-mary lakes – one of the most beautiful lakes of the whole trip. this campsite is also home to one of the nicest, some might even say the quaintest, privies on the trail. named ‘fort relief’, it even had a little wash basin and a cute curtain in the window.
fort relief
it was here we met some former thru-hikers who were out canoe-camping for the week and invited us to take some of the extra food they had packed. the timing could not have been better. we were able to get enough to skip white house landing and take our time enjoying the rest of the day. the trail continued around the lake and just a mile or two from the campsite, the burglar and i found a sandy beach that we couldn’t resist, not far off the trail. the sky was blue, the sand was soft, and the water was just the perfect temperature for a swim. we could have stayed all day.
the perfect spot
katahdin!
but onward we went and after our lunch break, we came to another lake which gave us a fantastic view of katahdin, towering in the distance. it really is the only mountain for miles around so it’s quite impressive to see it standing so tall above everything else. we kept a good pace the rest of the day, hiking along a beautiful river, and made the waufield shelter in good time, despite stopping to break with pipper, stripe, and forest gimp at yet another lake . the numerous lakes were definitely a highlight of this last section of trail. we had a great campfire that night and we settled in for our last night a shelter, getting ready to hike the last 23 miles of the wilderness.
