Monday, July 30, 2018

Sugarloaf and Spaulding Mountains; Spaulding Mountain Lean-to

We spent a nerve-wracking night in the gap between North and South Crocker Mountains watching lightning and listening to thunder all around us. Every crack of a tree limb made me jump, nervous about limbs or even trees falling on our hammocks. This morning, we got a slow start as I was hoping for a break in the rain and wanted to give my shoes a chance to dry a little. I also rolled my ankle again yesterday, and it was sore when I woke up this morning. Finally, I got Forest out of his hammock and packed up. We got on the move at about 11:30 a.m.



A relatively easy walk through the woods, our hike started out with simultaneous sunshine and rain. Most people probably think it would be miserable hiking under these conditions, but I actually like it. It kind of matches my mood. Sunshine and rain.


We hiked about a mile, navigating tree roots and rocks, before working our way up to a pretty steep climb to the peak of South Crocker Mountain. It got cloudier as we went. There were just high peaks and deep notches in this section of the Trail, as we passed Sugarloaf and Spaulding Mountains; no continuing ridgelines, no low points. This is just the way it's going to be for the rest of Maine and through the White Mountains in New Hampshire.




I set out carrying 4 liters of water today, which turned out to be unnecessary with all of the little streams running with rainwater in the gap. In addition, we had to ford the South Branch of the Carrabasset River, which is largely a boulder field but the water level was up there as well, thanks to all the recent rain. I couldn't have predicted this weather...apparently, the weatherman couldn't either, as they said it was supposed to clear this morning. That's mountain weather for you. It just does what it's going to do. And then, just as you think the rain's going to last forever, the sun peaks through.


One thing I don't like about the current weather pattern is the lightning. We are climbing alpine peaks now, which means they are just rock sticking up out of the treeline. They are essentially lightning rods, so we have to time our climbs and sometimes wait out the weather to be sure we emerge on the peaks when it's safe to do so. These delays present another form of danger for us if they extend the section of a hike beyond my plan for food rations. I try to always have one extra day of food for each of us, but an extended delay means we go hungry, and a hungry hiker that is trying to hurry and make up time is not necessarily a careful hiker. It's these unforeseen events that worry me the most.

Forest has become unbelievably nimble and athletic, and he's always happy to be back on the Trail. He's gotten so brave and agile at fording streams and crossing over high, narrow foot bridges. For the next 200 miles, we're going to encounter a lot more rock climbing and maneuvering. For that reason I'm paying extra attention to his feet to be sure he doesn't injure himself. I don't like the boots they make for dogs; I've found that he needs the dexterity that comes with direct contact with the earth. I've actually seen him use one toe at a time to navigate tough spots, and the boots don't allow that. I'm still carrying boots and socks for him, but they will play more of a first aid role—if he has a foot that seems to get sore or a pad gets cut, I can put them on him to provide padding or give a worrisome spot a chance to heal.

Maine is absolutely beautiful and I love it, but there is one thing that I don't see as often as back in the South: cold, clear mountain springs that you can see bubbling up from the source. Where you do find a spring here, the water is warmer and colored like tea, probably from all of the tannins from the pine trees. There are a lot of birch trees, which are a pretty change, but I'm continually seeing places where bushcrafters are peeling the bark off. I'm not sure if they realize that in many cases it will eventually kill the tree.

Psychologically, I'm not hiking the whole Trail any more; I'm hiking to one town at a time. Being in town stresses me differently than the Trail does, and because of my PTSD I approach my tolerance limits quickly. I'm starting to miss home a lot, but I can't let that become overwhelming. I have to trust the voice of the guy that came up with this plan back in January, and not the voice of the guy who's missing home and bone tired.

We stopped a few times today to rest my ankle and grab food, so we made about 8 miles today. We stopped just past Spaulding Mountain Lean-to (about Mile Marker 202) and set up camp.

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How It All Began

In August 2017 Canines for Service Inc. in Wilmington, NC, provided Service Dog Forest to me (U.S. Army Veteran "Fisher"). It was ...