Day 117: 3/4 Done

Woke up early and had hot oatmeal and a pop tart. Everyone was up and ready to get going, and the view of the sunrise from the shelter area was gorgeous. Stratton Mountain was on the agenda for today, and it's just under 4000 feet in elevation.

We left and hiked. Another beautiful, crisp morning with low humidity and bright sunshine. I REALLY hope this weather trend continues. Scatters and I hiked with Boss for a while until we caught the rest of the gang at a beaver pond. Short snack break then we hiked until we came to a stream a few miles away. Another [longer] snack break. Then we were off to conquer Stratton.




Nice, smooth climb, and since it was Sunday, there were quite a few people out. We saw a few sobo's, too. After an hour and a half of climbing, we summited and relaxed in the grass. There must've been 30 people up there waiting to climb the fire tower - it was bizarre to see them all. Eventually, our whole group had made it to the top, and we snacked and chatted with a sobo named Triple P. He told us good things about what's north, and we told him all the good things to come down south. It was a nice exchange. He's seen TEN moose so far!! So hopefully, I'll have a few moose stories soon.




Once the line went down, we went up in the fire tower and enjoyed the beautiful view. Tree tops, ponds, mountains, clouds. Nature appreciation at its finest. It was nice. And the tower was enclosed, so the wind wasn't bad. After a bit more relaxing in the grass, it was time to descend the mountain and look for a campsite.




Somehow we were able to find a stealth site big enough for the eight of us. Scatters, Boss, Deetz, Power Pack, Tripper, Wizard from Oz, Miles and me. Good find! And it's right by the river. We were at camp by 6pm, and set up and done eating dinner by 8pm. We talked around the fire a bit before it was time for an early bed - we've got work tomorrow! ((Oh and some of you have asked who these hiker pals of mine are. A few of them have their own blogs at www.trailjournals.com. You can search for them by trail name.))


I am currently 546 miles from Katahdin. This means I'm 3/4 done. Only one quarter left?! It's really starting to sink in how soon this trip will be over. It's going by too fast - could be as little as only six weeks! As much as I miss a few of the comforts of home, I'm really going to miss this lifestyle. It's completely liberating and, with my luck in finding such awesome hiking friends, it's a heck of a lot of fun. I plan to enjoy every last minute.
(17.1mi 8st)


-- Posted from the trail...

Location:Campsite near the Winhall river