1981 Appalachian Trail Through Hike Journal

WEEK 15 - June 29 to July 5, 1981

June 29. 1981

A mere 19 miles from Pico to Gulf shelter. It seemed more difficult than when I did this section years ago. The mountains are not high but the trail is constantly up and down. Another factor may have been that the day was warm and a few stretches were exposed to the sun due to the caterpillar damage. Still, I arrived at about 4 p.m. and have had a relaxing evening plotting my course through the Whites and reading the shelter register. The register here has entries from last year’s thruhikers! Don "the bobcat" Mantra breezed through here about two weeks ago. Unless somebody rolls in late, it appears I will be spending another night by myself. I saw only one southbound hiker today. He was going to Massachusetts from Hanover. There were supposed to be two northbounders just ahead of me stopping at Stony Brook but they vanished - probably got lost there as the area is poorly marked.

July 1, 1981 (morning)

Day 100 of the trip and a new month. If all goes well I will get to Katahdin before the end of the month. I arrived here at Happy Hill cabin about 4 p.m. yesterday. Objectively it was not a difficult day and in fact I was not that tired when I got here. But I have been dragging a bit the last few days and probably need to take a rest day. The two half days at Stratton were not nearly as effective as whole day off would have been. I have therefore decided to take some time here. The best view between Sherburn Pass and Hanover is from the top of an unnamed hill about five miles into section 2. I stopped to have an early lunch there knowing that there is a store in E. Hartford. (There is an AT register at the store.) It seemed to be a day for bird watching. Among others, a young towhee learning to fly, an indigo bunting, and a scarlet tanager. I saw only two other hikers yesterday and none since I arrived at Happy Hill last night. All of the trail registers that I have encountered the last few days all have entries dating back to last years Georgia to Maine group.

July 2, 1981

Arrived at Trapper John shelter about 4 p.m. Who know what time I was up and out of Happy Hill? It was barely light. I had absolutely no urge to "pig out" in Hanover. I had a hoagie ("grinder") and pint of milk while my clothes were whirling about in the laundromat machines. I feel like going on to Smarts Mt. shelter, but I know better. Having done the climb before I have the "smarts" to do it in the morning, not after nineteen miles already. A long day tomorrow would be a good logistic move in preparation for the Whites. I’m actually playing this whole section into Gorham by ear (or by foot). Lots of robins and oven birds around the shelter. I seem to be hiking in a void. If nobody shows up this evening it will be the fourth consecutive night that I have had the shelter to myself. Except for two day hikers today, I have not seen a southbound hiker in the last three days. Maybe something on Smarts Mt. eats hikers. Had another grommet pull out of my hip belt today - two down, one to go. I guess I better think about how to replace the belt.

July 3, 1981

A 28 mile day made easier by being only 26 miles. Apparently the guide book is incorrect. Still have seen no more southbound hikers. I caught up with four northbound section hikers having their breakfast on Smarts Mt. Camped this evening "200 feet off the trail" just past Wachapauka Pond. Started the day in a misting rain and got some sprinkles in the afternoon but otherwise it has merely been overcast and cool - good hiking weather.

July 4, 1981

Over Mooselauke to Kinsman Pond today. Heard a pine siskin for the first time this year in New England. The holiday brought out some people but the threat of bad weather held down the crowds. There were quite a few people along the Beaver Brook trail but the peak of Mooselauke and the Kinsman Ridge were empty of hikers. Mooselauke was fogged in but Kinsman offered occasional views through the breaks in the clouds. There were only three other backpackers at the Kinsman Pond shelter. One was a fellow just finishing a two week trip from Grafton Notch. Saw the most wildlife in a while today - a porky and a rabbit on the peak of South Kinsman and a huge snowshoe rabbit at the shelter. The 22 mile trek turned out to be harder than I expected. I didn’t remember how steep the climb up South Kinsman Mt. is.

July 5, 1981

I’m being extravagant this evening and staying at the Galehead hut. The weather was poor for hiking today as it was windy, cold and wet. The Liberty Springs trail and campsite looks much better than when I was there last. The crew tell me there has been an effort to improve the area in the last five years. On the way up the trail I met two "peak baggers", one of whom declared "Number 47!". They both asked me many questions as the younger of the two wants to attempt a through hike of the trail. I reached the summit of Lafayette at the same time as two men and two young boys. The wind was howling and the rain coming in sheets and they beat a hasty retreat having achieved the summit. I rested for a moment and was about to push on when suddenly an apparition appeared out of the fog. He was very tall and wearing a black poncho. He carried a long thin walking stick with multi-colored tassels at the top. His poncho hood was down revealing a thin angular face. His long white hair and the tassels on his walking stick fluttered in the wind. He reached the summit and faced into the wind, defying it to defeat him. It was only then that I noticed that he was accompanied by a very young lady, similarly clad in black but with her hood up so that only her face and dark eyes showed. When I turned my gaze from him to her she looked up at me and said "He’s my grandfather - he wanted to come up here.". That was the last people that I saw until I got to the hut. There are a large number of people here, all except two in the same group, people from the Bruce Trail Club, a Canadian trail that runs north from Niagara Falls. The Appalachian Trail today could have been renamed the Appalachian River.