Day 178

I was a bit worried this morning when my alarm went off at 5am and the wind was gusting and water was still being blown off the trees and onto my tent. My Tempe thermometer said 53 F. With how wet it was all night and moisture in the air, nothing dried. I got out of my warm dry clothes, put them back in my dry bag into my pack so they’d be dry when I needed them again and I put back on my cold & wet socks, shoes, gloves and rain gear. After packing up a heavy wet tent for the second day in a row, I started hiking wondering how miserable the day was going to be. It turned out to be pretty nice; exhausting but nice. First thing was a steep climb up Saddleback Junior, which is also above tree line in an alpine zone but it’s very small. It was a steep up to the top, got my pic at the summit in the foggy, windy air just like the day before and then quickly descended back under tree line. After that, the sun broke through and the rest of the day was great. The climb up Lone Mountain was very long going but gradual. That can seem more exhausting than a steep, quick climb though, as you don’t get a break. It’s just constantly climbing up and up. I put on some fast beat music with my earbuds and just pushed to the summit. I got to Spaulding Mountain Lean-to with plenty of time to tie my bear line like a clothes line and hang some stuff in the sun to dry. I also set my tent up with nothing in it and had it all open to let it dry off and then shook most of the grime that was stuck on it. I’m all set to get up early tomorrow and do the 13.6 miles over Spaulding Mountain, South and North Crocker Mountains, and down to Route 27 where we’ll head into Stratton, ME and stay at Maine Roadhouse. It’s time to get cleaned up and do a small resupply to get me to Pleasant Pond on the 23rd.