Appalachian Trail SOBO Day 15 – Finally crossed the river
10th August 2023
S Branch Carabassett River (196.8) - Poplar Ridge Lean-to (209.9)
Daily miles: 14.1
Total miles: 216.2
The river looked a lot calmer this morning
I wake up and go straight down to the river. It’s gone down a lot and it’s definitely crossable.
The guys put the board back in place and the two NOBOs who were there yesterday morning were already there ready to cross. They made it over with their dog and they explained how there was nowhere to camp on the other side so they had to backtrack and climb all the way back up Sugarloaf to find somewhere for the night.
Excited to be getting out of my tent and on the move again
Cal and the Boys putting the plank back in place and helping the NOBOs across
NOBOs and dog safely across
With the first people safely across, we packed up camp and then we all went across the river at the same time. I wore my shoes – because I still couldn’t see the bottom and there were several large boulders – and the deepest parts were just over my knees, but more importantly it wasn’t flowing quite so fast as it was previously.
The boys crossing the river
Then it was time to climb. I started and gradually all the “Frenchies” passed me. It was a very steep climb initially - not one that would have been fun to go up (or down) in the rain – but it seemed to mellow fairly quickly and a lot of the top part was a big set of stone steps.
One of the boys got lost and he was calling out so I directed him back to trail and then later on the same boy was walking towards me - the wrong way down the trail!
The beginnings of a steep climb
Lots of rock climbing
A cheeky little view
So. Many. Trees.
At least the white blazes are clear
The boy and I walked together on the trail for the last little bit until the turn off to Sugarloaf mountain. I wasn’t going to go up Sugarloaf as it was a 0.5 mile side trail, but I was influenced by everyone else going up there and I left my pack at the junction with everyone else’s and climbed up. It felt like nothing without a pack, I felt so light and I was up there really quickly.
It wasn’t a scenic summit, it was full of mechanics for the ski lifts. I got a bit of phone service up there, sent a couple of messages and just came straight back down again.
The top of Sugarloaf Mountain
Weather stations maybe?
The view from the top
I made it up the next climb to Spaulding mountain – there was a side trail to the true summit of this one as well but I didn’t bother as it was just covered in trees anyway – and then down to Spaulding mountain lean-to where I could hear Cal and a bunch of other people who turned out to be NOBOs.
There was one guy who was just a bit too intense so I didn’t stay long, just enough time to have a handful of crisps and a cheese stick and then went to get water. I probably hadn’t drunk enough today although I’d had several wees, so that’s progress.
The next part of the trail was pretty chill actually, for the first time in a while – a bit muddy, but gentle ups and downs – apart from being a little overgrown, well, not overgrown, but lots of tall trees growing in close on the sides of the trail up to Lone mountain.
Still a little hazy
Back to the tree roots
Overgrown Christmas trees
Summit of Lone Mountain
Then came the big descent down to the river. The trail followed a creek for most of it and there were some nice looking natural water slides and swimming holes for those who like to get wet.
There was a really steep part of the descent down to the river, which was another river that was uncrossable a couple of days ago. When I got there, there was a man on the other side with a dog just starting to cross. The dog had a harness on and when the man picked the dog up to take him across the dog was paddling its legs even though it wasn’t in the water. It was very, very cute!
Going down
Knee high river crossing
I spoke to the guy for a while but the side we were on was in direct sun and I was just too hot so I crossed the river; shoes off and bare foot. It came just above my knees and the flow was decent but not too strong. It was a straightforward crossing.
I felt weird just sitting on the other side to the man so I moved up the trail a bit and sat and had a snack. The air was really different here, hot and close and thick. The thermometer read 26°C / 78°F which was a lot hotter than it had been recently.
There was a 2.5 mile climb up to the next shelter which we were trying to get to because it was due to rain this evening. The climb was tough, I think mainly because of the heat, and the mosquitoes were brutal too – they were massive! I got bitten loads. But mainly the heat and the humidity made it hard.
Top of Poplar Ridge
It was nice to finally make it to the top because the climb was one of those where I had to keep stopping. I passed a couple of NOBOs on the way up who smelt so bad I gagged a bit.
Then it was only 0.2 downhill to the shelter. There were 2 ladies there already getting set up so there was room for me. I chatted with them a bit and then Cal came along and he said the last climb really took it out of him too. He’s in the shelter. That 4 spots of 6 taken.
3 NOBOs came along and asked if there was room in the shelter. Not for 3, so they went and camped.
RJ arrived. He hated the climb and he said he was spite climbing which involved bashing his poles into the ground, but he likes to camp so he set up his tent. Then a NOBO guy came and he’s in a hammock. Then a NOBO girl came and she wanted in on the shelter. So we are 5 people, 6 would have been really cozy.
I ate my backpacking meal I had been carrying since Monson and I really don’t know why I keep buying them (laziness) and I vowed to not buy any more.
Cal asked me to have a look at a rash on his legs. It looked nasty and of course I had no idea what I was looking at. Then one of the ladies said “would you like me to take a look? I’m a nurse”. The trail provides!
It started to rain but not too heavy, enough to be grateful to be in the shelter though.
Looking out of the shelter
Around 8pm we all settled down. The NOBO girl was walking around the shelter with her shoes on, and stepping on other people’s stuff which is very bad etiquette!
