The perfect storms of Rangelly & Saddleback (ECT 199)

• Walking today: 11.5 miles
  • APPALACHIAN TRAIL (1,977.2 – 1,988.7)
• Total walking: 3,921.9 miles
• Total rowing: 99.5 miles

Climate: 60-80 ° F, sunny with clouds, rain and thunder at the end of the afternoon, then clear

Elevation: 1,577 – 4,120 feet

South Hwy 4 Scattered site to Planto Ridge refuge sites

I felt quite managed to have obtained these 11.5 miles today. Upon entering today, it was particularly unknown how it would be. Scheme for a resupply visit of the combined city and returned to the path to cover a challenging section. And, the forecast was doubtful. So many different things could go wrong. But that’s how it happened …

I had only a brief walk to Route 4 of Maine. There, I was surprised to discover that he didn’t look great to get hooked. According to comments, it seemed that people had no trouble getting walks, but I was seeing a winding and very fast path with little area for cars to do it.

Welp did not matter what he thought, one of the first vehicles stopped for me, practically even on the road. Today was Jackie, a 2020 (I think) in Hiker, who saved me. I was planning to make a path on the path where I left, but I left his way to take me to the grocery store! Very kind. I offer cash for gas money and only to thank each driver who stops for me, but so far in AT no one has accepted.

I was charging my energy bank outside the building very early, which was what I expected. I needed to get a complete load again before returning to the road. The store opened at 7:00 am and was aligned waiting as it used to do it (still?) For Black Friday offers.

I left the Rangelley IgA until 12:30 pm when leaving, my pack had really transformed into the helmet again. To understand why, I think we need to take a look at this date from the movie The Perfect Storm. I promise, explain everything …

«Look, look at this. We obtained the hurricane grace moving north of the Atlantic coast. Huge … making huge. Two, this low south of the island of saber, ready to explode. Look at this. Three, a fresh and fresh front is poured from Canada. But a journey is trapped in the jet current … and is being determined towards hell to the Atlantic. What if the grace of Hurrica runs of the Babyshunging?

– Todd Gross (the television meteorologist in the movie the perfect storm)

You could be through your whole life and never see something like this. It would be a disaster of epic proportions! Dun, Dun Dun.

Ok, so for me … 1) the last stretch I felt that I didn’t have enough and I was doing a super rationing (I didn’t want that to happen again), 2) I entered the voraciously hungry store (never a good idea), and 3) the store was a bit expensive, so I went by offers without thinking about weight (amateur error). There you have the perfect storm. Maybe a section, but that’s where my brain was. As evidence, I affirm that the animal cookie bag that I bought was 1 pound in itself!

I also ate a lot of food in the store, including this coffee flavor milk, which was very delicious (basically one of those cold Starbucks drinks), and almost all these four rolls of cinnamon.

I received a trip with a boy named Peter. He saw me sitting next to the energy exit and I was already bringing two other hikers back to the path, the pancakes and the moment was perfect, so I took him to his kind offer.

Back at the beginning of the path, those two guys began to trekking, but I sat down lunch. Soon, a truck stopped. He had talked to the owner when he was in the store. This was Angelica and her husband John is also up to it and she is pulling in the truck to get support. A fairly demanding job, a lot of logistics and then find things to do in the meantime too. She generously offered me some cherries and also ate my messy sub sandwich. We had a good talk.

I have walks at 1:30 pm after crossing the road, I started on the wrong way, but fortunately I discovered it quickly. So, I was up and certainly felt the return of the helmet. The first 3 miles were not so bad, but after Eddy Pond, things rose to 4,120 feet Saddleback Mountain. I had been fearing the climb, but it wasn’t as twisted as expected. Swampfoot and Pony boy passed me. They can really fly, particularly my uphill I have noticed. They just go!

There was a short side path that would be supposed to drive through a series of rocks and tunnels, similar to Mahosuc Notch the other day. I wanted to check it, but I ended up taking the wrong lateral path. It was short but very steep and bothered a little. I never found the «caves» as they were called, but then reflected that my little trip was ordered. Look, I found Mufasa’s rock pride and a small tunnel …

After Swampfoot and Pony boy passed, I saw some sunglasses in the middle of the path. In general, with this kind of thing I leave it or how much to be more visible. You never know if someone could return for it or in which direction the owner, north or south had been. However, I had the feeling that these were one of those guys, so I took them for when I saw them below.

Going up, I started getting views to look back from the mountain …

To what I thought like the southeast, some particularly dark clouds approached. They didn’t seem to hit; I thought I could lose the storm. Well, I have never been good to predict things like this and when I was completely in the Alpine area, I heard the first round of thunder. It’s not great!

Although I still felt that the main body of the storm was going to spare, I got nervous and began to accelerate hiking with the hope of climbing and exceling, to the lower lifting chair. The path is immersed between Saddleback Mountain and the following mountain called, the horn. There, I hope there could be some tree cover. However, the peak continued to grow. When the rain began to splash myself aside, my anxiety grew with her, but I kept walking in a fast walking mode.

The point is that this mountain has a quite long exposed area. It reminded me of Moosilauke really. And in better weather I would have taken my time and I am amazed is the magnificence. Today, however, several more rounds of thunder sounded distantly while continued on supervision. Fortunately, after twenty minutes or so (?), It seemed to decrease and that the rain was also becoming lighter.

I found Swampfoot and Pony boy in my chair, but by the time I arrived, the sun began to go back again and we all feel safe to continue walking. We walked a little, but I couldn’t keep up with Youngins. It seems that our planned rhythm on a larger scale for the last part of the AT could be similar, so it could be seeing more of them.

They spent a lot to try to overcome the storm. I discussed the early installation in a different camp than my goal, but finally went ahead. At 7:15 pm, I arrived, once again being received by Swampfoot and Pony boy who were already configured haha. That was when I remembered the glasses and discovered that they were in fact Pony Boys Oakley’s.

Instead of sleeping in the shelter, I moved to the hill to some places and made camp. It was a bit lump and I’m starting to think that there is no place in Maine to the store without roots of the trees that stand out! Even so, happy for anywhere to rest after another great day on the path

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