Saturday, August 6th

Redington Stream Campsite (1982.0 mi) to Caribou Valley Road (1997.8 mi)

Hiking Miles: 15.8

Total Ascent: 4,370.4 ft

Total Descent: 5,336.3 ft

Total Grade: 615.7 ft/mi

Steps: 39,257

THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT – Eye In The Sky

Gator/Sunrise: I did not get a good night’s sleep at all. I had felt a bit squeamish throughout the night and actually had to make a quick dash to the woods (only the fourth time on trail that required me to dig a cat hole). I was feeling weak and like my body was not in complete control of its functions. I was definitely feeling the effects of exhaustion from the repeated long days of hiking.

I packed my gear and headed on trail by 4 am. I must not have been my usual quiet self while exiting the campgrounds because there were a few hikers who subsequently said they heard me leaving this morning. Luckily for me the air temperature was cool which helped to elevate my energy level. I caught a killer sunrise at the top of Saddleback Junior, and that is where I decided to stop to make my usual morning mix of oatmeal, chocolate Instant Breakfast and coffee. I also video-called Teresa (who was enjoying a cup of coffee on the porch) and we exchanged sunrises. It was comforting knowing how nice it was that we were sharing the same sunrise, but at different angles.

Croc and I were especially excited today whereas he reserved a stay for us at one of the finest hostels in Maine for the next three nights, including two days of slack-packing, one being on my birthday. Today was likewise a relatively low mileage day (15+), however for Maine it was considered above our daily average thus far. The terrain wasn’t too difficult actually (including some pretty spots)… until we reached Sugarloaf Mountain.

The dirt path leading down Sugarloaf was extremely dry and dusty, and the traction was essentially non-existent. We were exposed to the sunlight for most of the descent and it was hot. I slid on my butt a few times, while I heard myself cursing this section of trail at least a half dozen times, wish it would conclude. I fell far behind Croc and moving at a snail’s pace to avoid a misstep and possible injury. This one-mile section was definitely unexpected. It was even more frustrating because I wanted desperately to get the hostel and rest in air conditioning. The only positive note was the pleasant view I saw of Carrabassett Valley below.

Fording the S. Branch Carrabassett River in bare feet was no picnic (another slow and deliberate task). Croc was smiling and waiting patiently for me on the north side of the river where he had been chatting with a few thru-hikers who were washing off and resting on the bank.

To say Caribou Valley Road was “just” bumpy would be an understatement. It was more like a half-mile safari ride littered with rock protrusions and moon crater-like divots. We were being jostled around in the back seat of a sedan and I was feeling queasy from motion sickness. Anyone experiencing back issues would undoubtedly be in pain. It took several minutes to reach Town Line Road where the hostel was located.

We were immediately checked in and given lockers located across the grounds from the hostel to store our outdoor belongings. After a much needed shower, we ordered dinner from a BBQ restaurant called “The Rack”, one of the choices recommended by the hostel. BBQ Pulled Pork and Brisket were our choices (Delicious!) along with a variety of tasty sides.

Unfortunately, the bunk room that we were assigned was surprisingly hot and uncomfortable, and I had a difficult time getting back to sleep after waking up for my first of three bathroom breaks. So I spent time in the lightly air-conditioned open living area while lounging in a cool leather chair, with a ceiling fan operating above. It was quiet and peaceful.

Croc: Today I got up much later than expected. It was much cooler today since we were on top of a mountain, so it probably also helped my sleep cycle. I never really set an alarm when I was on trail except for the early days where we got up before 5:00AM. Sometimes I would set an alarm when I would wake up at 6:00AM and test my luck going back to sleep in the hopes I wouldn’t sleep in until 10:00AM.

Anyways, I followed my same routine with packing up my tent, making breakfast, and grabbing water for the road. Shortly into my hike, likely at Saddleback Jr., I saw Keystone again standing at the top of the mountain. He was the guy we met early on trail at the Bear’s Den in Virginia and then again at the Barn Hostel in New Hampshire. It was actually very picturesque with him at the top of the mountain in the early morning sun. All I saw was his silhouette in the sun holding his trekking poles. For a second I thought it was Gator, but I was almost hoping it wasn’t since it was only a few miles in and that would mean trouble. I ended up talking to him for a bit since we must have crisscrossed somewhere during our zero day since we went ahead of him in New Hampshire.

The rest of the day was fairly status quo in regards to Maine with the tough terrain, mountains, beautiful views, and river crossings. Honestly though, we were pretty used to it by now so although it was tough, we just prepped ourselves for some slow miles. We did actually make some great progress and were hoping to finish the day relatively early with only about a mile to go. The last mile looked like it would be a steady downhill down Sugarloaf Mountain, which I thought we could breeze through in 30 minutes. Per usual, I was very wrong (again), as we found ourselves descending down a very steep, dry, rock climb that involved some butt sliding, jumping, pack throwing, and decision-making on each step. There were a few times we had to push ourselves to the side to let others pass by. Eventually, after a lot of cursing Maine for its terrain and lack of switchbacks, we made it to the river at the bottom of the mountain, which ultimately meant we were almost at our destination.

I met a group of hikers that were soaking their feet in the river at the bottom of Sugarloaf and they were planning on camping there for the night. If I wasn’t going to a hostel, I would actually be kind of jealous since it was a nice spot to camp and would have reminded me of the tramily days.

Gator and I did have to walk about half a mile down a logging trail to get picked up. Luckily, two of the hostel caretakers offered to grab us at the logging parking lot where we had a VERY bumpy ride to the hostel. I’m surprised their car even made it. I was very thankful because the hostel owner (who was more of a mountain biker and not a hiker) originally asked us to hike to the main road that was over 3 miles away. Luckily, the caretakers were LASH-ers (long-ass section hikers) who completed a big section of the AT until they ran out of funds, so they knew going 3 miles to a main road was not ideal. I completely forgot their names, but they were incredibly nice.

When we got to the hostel, we were blown away. You can see in the pictures, but it looked like a brand new log cabin style hostel in the middle of the Maine wilderness. It even had outside lockers for our dirty bags, a porch to relax on, clean bunk rooms and pristine bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, and multiple floors. Once again, this is the type of place you’d zero at. Also, when we first arrived I spotted a backpack that I would never forget… Didjeridoo’s small, lightweight backpack with one hiking pole sticking out of it. I once again never thought I’d see this guy again after him breezing past us in CT, then seeing him again multiple times in MA, again in NH, and now halfway through ME. We were definitely going to summit with him.

After getting the rundown by the caretakers, I was relieved that we were actually able to get bunks. When I first called, the caretakers were willing to let us stay for three nights, but they didn’t have enough bunks for a few of the nights. I think the plan was to sleep on the floor, or couch, which would be totally fine, but they ultimately figured something out.

This hostel was extremely clean, so we were first instructed to leave our bags in the lockers, immediately shower and put on loner clothes, and then clean our dirty clothes in the laundry. It was actually really nice that they had this method to keep things tidy. After our chores we grabbed some takeout and relaxed in the kitchen. This is when the vultures came, but we were fortunate to eat our food fast enough to avoid the awkward eye contact. Another hiker who made a frozen pizza wasn’t so lucky when Didjeridoo wandered into the kitchen mentioning how sick he was feeling (again) and that he was hungry, but didn’t have anything substantial to eat. The hiker offered him some pizza that Didjeridoo happily accepted.

Before we went to bed, Gator and I decided that we’d skip ahead and do the longer slack-pack over the Bigelows tomorrow and then jump back to do the shorter slack-pack over the Crockers the next day. There were three reasons for this. First, the radar looked like it was going to storm in a few days and we’d much rather do the shorter hike in the rain. Second, most of the hikers at the hostel were doing the longer hike tomorrow (hour car ride), so it made sense to all jump in the car together to cut costs. Third, we also wanted to do the more fun hike on Gator’s birthday and celebrate during the evening not having to worry about the next day’s hike. After we made our decision, we headed to bed for a good (hot) night’s sleep.