My Journey to Freedom and Ultralight Backpacking by Carol Wellman

Author:Carol Wellman [Wellman, Carol]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sport
ISBN: 9780972815406
Google: 3qbfAAAACAAJ
Amazon: 0972815406
Publisher: Fire Creek Pass Publications
Published: 2003-01-31T23:00:00+00:00

Stepping Into Maine

Phoenix and I stopped a moment to take photos when we crossed into Maine on August 1. Maine is indeed a rugged state, but I am told it evens out after 80 miles.

The next day, we hiked through Mahoosuc Notch. It took us 2 hours to get through that one-mile boulder field, with hidden streams flowing underneath. Climbing over huge boulders, weaving through narrow cracks, and ducking under massive ledges, we scraped skin and gear all along the single worst mile of the Appalachian Trail.

The ascent out of the notch, up Mahoosuc Arm, was a scramble over smooth-faced, slippery, near vertical rock.

We then went up and over Baldpate Mountain to reach Frye Notch Lean-to, a 15.5-mile day. Every muscle hurt, but I slept soundly.

We resupplied in Rangeley after an easy hitch into town. Phoenix and I went to the Laundromat after buying trail food and some lunch from the nearby grocery store. We washed clothes, ate our sub sandwiches and repackaged the foodstuff. He picked up some carburetor cleaner fluid to use as fuel, which although it says “flammable”, burns sooty and reluctantly. After those chores were done, we got back on trail and camped at Piazza Rock Lean-to. The young caretaker was very friendly, and boys who were eager to climb the Piazza Rocks filled the campsite.

The Saddlebacks, Lone Mountain and Spaulding were marvelous. We decided to hike half-mile up to the Sugarloaf Mt. Ski Shelter. This place has windows all around, with a 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains. We slept on the picnic tables inside, and used the microwave to our heart’s content. Earlier that day while crossing the Saddlebacks, I pulled a muscle in my right thigh. Every step caused excruciating pain. It wasn’t my knee, but Phoenix insisted I wear his knee brace. I was taking 2 Ibuprofen every 3 hours, and it didn’t touch the pain.

My thigh muscle continued to ache incredibly. The 3,000 ft. ascent next morning, in spite of an Ibuprofen tablet every 2 hours, reactivated the agony. But, a thru-hike is about pain. Just before the rains began we called a halt for the day at Horns Pond Lean-to. I gave the knee brace back to Phoenix.

The next morning my thigh felt good until I started rushing to catch up with Phoenix near Little Bigelow. It was time for us to part company. I am a soloist, and slowly but surely we were getting on each other’s nerves. I met some section hikers who stopped to chat, and encouraged me with news of smooth trail along the lake, which was just to the north. It became an exceptionally pleasant day of solo hiking, with beautiful lakeside views all the way to Pierce Pond Lean-to. A man and his son welcomed me to the shelter when I arrived. Later, southbounding thru-hikers came and we exchanged information about upcoming trail.

Even though the ferry doesn’t run across the Kennebec River until 9 a.m., just 3.7 miles away, force of habit, and some unknown urge drew me to the trail by 6 a.

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