Make it count: Day #157

Sunday, August 16th - Day #157 - AT Hike

Miles Hiked Today - 17.1
Total Miles Hiked on AT - 2121.6/2,193 (96.74%). 71.4 miles left!

Chairback Gap Lean To (2104.5) to Logan Brook Lean To (2121.6) - tent at Logan Brook Lean To

Total ascent - 4,562’
Total descent - 4,164

Total States Completed - 13/14

**No Rain - Overcast and cool most of the day. Rain looks like it could be coming tonight.

————-

Coming to you live from my tent at the Logan Brook Lean To. Today was the last day of significant climbing before Katahdin. We climbed 4 separate peaks - Gulf Hagas Mountain, West Peak, Hay Mountain, and White Cap Mountain.

We all started together at 6:00am - Sam, Slider, Granger, and myself. It was a long grinding day out there (11 hours). The 4 peaks all came late in the day. I was completely exhausted when I arrived into camp around 5pm. We stayed together the whole day - they all dusted me on the last descent - I just had nothing left (and wanted to be cautious).

The early morning involved a pretty technical downhill (reminiscent of the Whites) and also a river crossing (took off shoes and wore camp sandals).

My gear is taking a beating out here. My new Osprey pack took a major rip in the back mesh pocket coming down the technical descent today. Granger had a safety pin that we used to latch it back together. (She’s now sewn 1 rip and helped me with a safety pin for another). My CNOC water bags are filled with holes. I collect water and little water streams shoot everywhere. I’m able to still use them because the holes are tiny - I just have to filter right away and not store in my pack. My Hokas are falling apart. The front and sides of the shoe are tearing away. I’m worried if I catch a stick the wrong way - the whole bottom cushion of my shoe will fall off. Tomorrow- we have Shaw’s bringing us a resupply - I’ve asked them to bring me a pair of Lone Peaks (they didn’t have Hokas - I used the Lone Peaks the first 1,000 miles of this journey). I’m going to see how the Hokas due tomorrow - I duct taped them today. They have been getting progressively worse every day. I might just buy the Lone Peaks and carry both. I want the cushion of the Hokas for Katahdin - but I also want a shoe that’s not going to fully fall apart on me.

I’m including my proposed schedule for the final 5 days of my journey. I have 2 really long mileage days tomorrow and Tuesday - then a couple very reasonable days before Katahdin.

Final 5 day schedule

Day #162 - 10.6 miles (5.3 to peak of Katahdin - then have to descend the same way) 4,187’ ascent. 4,187’ descent. Birches (2187.7) to Katahdin (2193)

Day #161 - 9.8 miles. 862’ ascent. 392’ descent. Abol Pines (2177.9) to Birches (2187.7)

Day #160 - 15 miles. 1,555’ ascent. 1,981’ descent. Rainbow Stream Lean To (2162.9) to Abol Pines (2177.9)

Day #159 - 21.6 miles. 2,884’ ascent. 2,374’ descent. Antlers Campsite (2141.3) to Rainbow Stream Lean To (2162.9)

Day #158 - 19.7 miles. 1,410’ ascent. 3,258’ descent. Logan Brook Lean To (2121.6) to Antlers Campsite (2141.3)

——————-

It’s 8:30pm now - I’m going to shut it down early again tonight. My body is so weak and fatigued right now - sleep is absolutely vital to me

I don’t have strong enough signal to post tonight - I hope to find somewhere tomorrow - but I’m not sure because there will be no mountains.

Goodnight from Maine - 71.4 miles left in my journey!!!