Nimblewill Nomad
Long Distance Hiker/Author
Journal 168-ODYSSEY 2021: Bama to Baxter-Hike On!
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Friday–August 6, 2021
Trail Day–168
Trail Mile–-11.0/1,904.5
Location–Primitive Campsite at AT Mile 2127.4, 100-Mile Wilderness
712.9 Miles Remaining
We had camped and were enjoying our evening meal, sitting benches beside a campfire, when the rain started. By the time we’d finished eating and made it to our tents it was coming down steady. An okay ending to an otherwise fine day.
Wet campsite, wet gear, no fun breaking camp under these conditions this morning. Nathan goes back down to the (trickle) spring for more water for us. I get my (heavy) wet tent packed away and manage to get on trail at six-fifteen.
More rocks, more boulders and roots, plus lots of climbing today, first, up and over West Peak, then Hay Mountain, and finally, the long ascent to the top of White Cap Mountain. Final ascent for the day flanks Big Boardman Mountain around and up to Mountain View Pond. Hikers have already set up for the evening at the small primitive site by the pond, so we move on a short distance further to a small spring, where we call it a day.
A tiring day from all the climbing (4,000 feet +-), but a very fine day, cool and clear, fine mountaintop vistas–views out and across the vast mountainous region of northern Maine.
The tops of mountains are among the unfinished parts of the globe,
whither it is a slight insult to the gods to climb and pry into their secrets,
and try their effect on our humanity.
Only daring and insolent men, perchance, go there.
(Thoreau – The Maine Woods)
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