Pollywog Stream Trailhead and Nahmakanta Lake

In the 100-mile Wilderness, it's important that I restrict my cell phone/text use and all of my battery backups to necessary use (e.g., Guthooks navigation, critical communications), so my posts will be brief. Cell service is virtually nonexistent in the Wilderness, and we are on a strict schedule to ensure that we make it through this part of the Trail before our food runs out. I'll update any new details or additional photos after I leave the Wilderness and arrive in Monson, Maine.

Yesterday (Tuesday, July 10) we hiked on from the Hurd Brook Lean-to past Rainbow Lake and the Rainbow Stream Lean-to, crossing lots of big rocks and tree roots. Thanks to the cooler temperatures (70s during the day and 50s during the night) and light breezes, Forest and I have gotten our trail legs back quickly and are enjoying the new scenery full of lakes, streams and waterfalls. We stopped for the night near the Pollywog Stream trailhead/parking area (SOBO mile marker 32.6).

Today, we started out at about 8:30 a.m. and hiked on ledges along Nesuntabunt Mountain, which afforded beautiful views of Nahmakanta Lake. From this vantage point, we were able to look back to Mt. Katahdin and appreciate how far we have come in just three days.

We stopped for the day, collected water and set up the hammocks about midway between the Nahmakanta South Campgrounds and the Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to, at about SOBO mile marker 45 (indicated by the red star below). I'm pleased with our progress; we are right on schedule.