Another Maine Morning. Woke up, Ate up, and Packed up.

Heading South!

We were planning on hiking out of Baxter State Park. The park has some very restrictive rules. I love the place, but was ready to leave the crazy rules. We were trying to hike all the way to Abol Bridge.

9 Miles…

It was looking to be a beautiful day. But by the time we got to Daicey Pond it was starting to heat up. But we kept hiking. Then we noticed the bugs. There just seemed to be more than usual. ALOT more than usual. We started putting on DEET. But it didn’t seem to phase them for long. My hands and elbows turned into giant welts and we had to reapply the bug spray every twenty minutes.

We did get a break from the Lil’ Blood Suckers at the Big Niagara Falls.

Big Niagara Falls!

We hiked along for awhile and then came to the blue blazed high water trail that the owner of the Appalachian Trail Lodge had advised us to take. Look, I don’t consider myself a purest, after all we were flip-flopping North and South on the trail, but it is just water right? “We don’t need to take no stinking high water trail…” I said as I headed down the AT.

A short while later we heard the roar of a river. It did not sound like a creek, it sounded like a river. We rounded a bend and saw the water. I looked at it. Listened to it. I thought, “Oh no… Now what.”

So we sat and pondered how to cross this obstacle. We searched up and down the banks for a safer spot to cross. We went left and found deep fast flowing water with no boulders. We went right and the water got more and more turbulent, until it fed itself into an even bigger and faster flowing river. I knew that if any of us got swept to the right and went into that bigger river it would be very bad.

So we sat and stared some more. After awhile Gig and Off said they thought that we could do it. They would even carry Tink and I’s packs over. “No,” I said, “I’ll carry my own pack over.” Is it stubbornness or stupidity? Maybe it is both . . . I see how I get after the fact, But can’t help myself in the moment!

At that point we changed into shorts and water shoes and stared at the water some more. Then another hiker arrived and stared with us. He stared for awhile and then tried to boulder hop across. He got about three quarters across and could not go any further without getting in that winter melt water. We all watched his face as he eased himself into that torrent. We could tell from his expressions it was cold, swift, and dangerous. But with some maneuvering and balance he made it across.

It was Gig and Off’s turn. They were ready. They donned their packs and headed off into the water. I forced myself to watch as they inched along. It was tough watching Gig. I kept thinking about how I would have to jump in after him if he got swept down the river. I tried to remember all the river disaster and survival stories I had watched and read through the years. Thoughts of strainers, pressure waves, and submerged boulders cycled through my head. I just hoped I was mentally cool enough to remember those things in that raging and frigid water.

Thankfully, they made it without incident.

“The River!”

Once across they took off their packs and crossed back over. Gig picked up Tink’s pack and helped her across.

Off got ready to chuck our boots across to the other side. Once Gig was ready to catch Off tossed a boot over. Gig caught it. Off tossed another, but this time not hard enough. The Boot tumbled end over end but it’s arch was obviously too short. Gig stood on the other side reaching. “That boot is going to get washed into that big river and Gig won’t have anything to hike in…” I thought looking at Gig reaching. Then the boot plunked into the water.

But to my complete disbelief . . . As if in slow motion . . . I watched Gig dive forward into the river after it!!! “Oh crap. We are going to die!” I thought as I turned to my right to find a place to jump into the water after Gig. I scrambled along the bank trying to stay ahead of Gig while he “valiantly” swam with the current to save his Boot! All I could think about was jumping in before he reached the place where the two rivers converged. Then in the blink of an eye Gig caught the boot and grabbed the edge of a boulder. He held on catching his breath, while I caught mine. Then he climbed the boulder and hopped to the opposite bank.

I can’t tell you exactly what I yelled over the water at Gig. I think I may have been a little out of it. But I’m sure it was as colorful as my face must have been in my anger. When I got back to Off, he just stood there preparing to throw another boot. I tried to calm down.

Off definitely didn’t want a repeat of the last throw! So he huffed my boot high into the air. Again, as if in slow motion, I watched my boot fly high in the sunlight and then lodge itself into the branch that hung ten feet out over the river. We all stared dumbfounded. And all at once burst out in hysterical stress-relieving laughter.

Off tossed my other boot right into Gig’s hands. Then , while I carried my pack, we crossed over together for safety. We then spent the next ten minutes trying to rig a rope system for retrieving my boot. Which we were able to do without it falling into the water.

Gig went into the woods to change. When he came back he was wearing basketball shorts and sneakers that I didn’t know he had stashed in his pack. And as unconventional as always, we marched off victoriously into the woods.

Leaving” The River!”

By the way, I found out later that this very spot is mentioned in the book Hiking Through by Paul Stutzman. Check it out, it is an amazing book.

We then walked along the Penobscot River and under an amazing forest of huge pine trees. We were tired and hungry. At one break, while trying to satisfy hiker hunger, we dined on a Slim Jims dipped in Nuttella! Ah . . . Trail food!

We finally made it out of Baxter State Park . . .

Baxter Border!

And on to the Abol Bridge Campground for the night. It was a long and exciting day!