buckyball1
New member
--back in Maine after 9 days of R&R in a warm climate...today's hike was the antithesis of many of my little journeys...often it's 3-5 hr drive to start, miles of dirt road, uncertain park/approach, then a relatively short, hard hike.....usually multiples on same day
..today was 2 hour drive to start, no dirt roads, knew exactly where to park and had good grip re how most of route would go...but crazy long/ambitious hike for me
Rainbow-1670'-Rainbow (NOT Rainbow Ledges) lies off the AT about 10 miles from where the AT crosses the Golden Rd NW of Millinocket.
It was odd driving on the right side of the highway this morning after trying so hard for 9 days to stay on the left. It gets more grim passing thru E Millinocket and Millinocket each year. The Millinocket Mill closed for good several years ago and E Millinocket is within weeks of joining it. An already economically depressed area is seeing more empty storefronts, "For Sale By Owner" signs everywhere, and a scheme to recruit 60 Chinese students to bolster the finances of the local high school-very sad
I drove about 20 miles from Millinocket on the Golden Rd ( two moose, 1 fox, 3 racoons) and parked just beyond ABOL Bridge where the AT crosses the road. Here's my usual pitch for you to take a drive out that way toward Ripogenus Dam-great "different" views of Katahdin, very pretty water, and Soubunge looks cool in the distance.
The plan was to hike in the AT, perhaps 8? miles, and find a trail i saw on some maps which would take me much of the way up Rainbow. The trek in turned out to be much longer and harder than anticipated-10 miles in instead of 8, and about 1.5 miles "up" to the summit of Rainbow--23 miles-yike. Rainbow at 1670' is only 1100' higher than where i parked, but all the PUDS on the trail make the actual "ups" around 3000', all for a 1670' hill-double yike. Add in the fact that much of the trail is in sad shape and i had a challenge on my hands.
I started off around 5 and found the going reasonably good til Rainbow Ledges about 6 miles in. The long stretch of bog bridges is rotted, twisted and in need of replacement. Passing Hurd Brook lean-to (mile 3.5) , i ran into a guy in the shelter who seemed a bit off kilter, perhaps because my passing startled him from sleep-didn't stick around to check on this. Rainbow Ledges are a nice open ledgy stretch where northbound thru hikers get their last and closet view of "K" before entering the Park.
After the Ledges, the trail was in rotten shape. There are numerous large blowdowns (many old) -makes for tuff going especially coming out. The bog bridges in here are completely shot/broken with the huge spikes still sticking up waiting to impale the careless hiker-one spike was pointed sharp end up and i was unable to turn the wooden piece over to conceal it. Mud and water are everywhere. Unfortunately there are a number of stretches of AT in Maine like this (sorry if i offend anyone, but...man..a major trail just left to deteriorate)
About 8+ miles in you come to and walk along Rainbow {yes, edited as i stupidly didn't realize this was Rainbow Lake last evening} a stunningly beautiful and quiet spot to hang out if ever you have the time. I proceeded along the lake to where i thought i might find the side trail (about 10 miles in) and nada...By this time i know i'm going to be gassed and probably hurting at the end of the day. The skeets down low and black+deer flies up high are in mid-season form-4 people i see today all have full bug helmets on..i just let them torment me. Since i can't find the "trail", i head into the woods toward the top around mile 10.
After a bit , i cross and take a blue blazed lightly used path which turns out to be a spur of the AT (it leaves the AT about 100yds past where i started into the woods) leading to stunning views on ledges NE of the top. Doubletop and OJI jump right out at you and the Hunt and ABOL Slide approaches to Katahdin are easy to follow visually. This is a great spot, but the spur continues away from the summit and i start a 3/4 mile 'whack--actually fun (scrubby veg and open ledge rock) except for the army of blackflies. The NE summit is "lower", open, and viewless. The SW summit is about 1/4 mile further, clearly higher, open and has peek-a-boo views. I eat some granola bars and down Gatorade while walking around as the flies are too thick to allow sitting.
Returning to the trail, i start my descent into some agony. I've been pushing pretty hard w/o rest save for a few nature breaks and am starting to cramp a bit in my inner thighs (can't remember the muscle, but common for me on very long, all out hikes on warm days), but the real problem is both my little toes are hurting making anything but a level foot placement a jolt of pain. The last 6 miles out after passing over the Ledges and a 500' PUD seem in slow motion. Surprisingly my "return" time is only 10+% slower than going in, but the last few miles feel like i'm a fly in amber.
Finally the car. (about 10 1/2 hours of constant motion) Rereading this TR, i find it a bit whiny
, but actually enjoyed much of the hike. I seem to do a few each year that leave me battered..like my Pogy adventure or the Barker, Twins, Saddles, Marble loop..you'd think i'd learn.
Appears i may lose both toenails..trying to figure out how to have minimal downtime-suggestions by PM or e-mail welcome.
jim
..today was 2 hour drive to start, no dirt roads, knew exactly where to park and had good grip re how most of route would go...but crazy long/ambitious hike for me
Rainbow-1670'-Rainbow (NOT Rainbow Ledges) lies off the AT about 10 miles from where the AT crosses the Golden Rd NW of Millinocket.
It was odd driving on the right side of the highway this morning after trying so hard for 9 days to stay on the left. It gets more grim passing thru E Millinocket and Millinocket each year. The Millinocket Mill closed for good several years ago and E Millinocket is within weeks of joining it. An already economically depressed area is seeing more empty storefronts, "For Sale By Owner" signs everywhere, and a scheme to recruit 60 Chinese students to bolster the finances of the local high school-very sad
I drove about 20 miles from Millinocket on the Golden Rd ( two moose, 1 fox, 3 racoons) and parked just beyond ABOL Bridge where the AT crosses the road. Here's my usual pitch for you to take a drive out that way toward Ripogenus Dam-great "different" views of Katahdin, very pretty water, and Soubunge looks cool in the distance.
The plan was to hike in the AT, perhaps 8? miles, and find a trail i saw on some maps which would take me much of the way up Rainbow. The trek in turned out to be much longer and harder than anticipated-10 miles in instead of 8, and about 1.5 miles "up" to the summit of Rainbow--23 miles-yike. Rainbow at 1670' is only 1100' higher than where i parked, but all the PUDS on the trail make the actual "ups" around 3000', all for a 1670' hill-double yike. Add in the fact that much of the trail is in sad shape and i had a challenge on my hands.
I started off around 5 and found the going reasonably good til Rainbow Ledges about 6 miles in. The long stretch of bog bridges is rotted, twisted and in need of replacement. Passing Hurd Brook lean-to (mile 3.5) , i ran into a guy in the shelter who seemed a bit off kilter, perhaps because my passing startled him from sleep-didn't stick around to check on this. Rainbow Ledges are a nice open ledgy stretch where northbound thru hikers get their last and closet view of "K" before entering the Park.
After the Ledges, the trail was in rotten shape. There are numerous large blowdowns (many old) -makes for tuff going especially coming out. The bog bridges in here are completely shot/broken with the huge spikes still sticking up waiting to impale the careless hiker-one spike was pointed sharp end up and i was unable to turn the wooden piece over to conceal it. Mud and water are everywhere. Unfortunately there are a number of stretches of AT in Maine like this (sorry if i offend anyone, but...man..a major trail just left to deteriorate)
About 8+ miles in you come to and walk along Rainbow {yes, edited as i stupidly didn't realize this was Rainbow Lake last evening} a stunningly beautiful and quiet spot to hang out if ever you have the time. I proceeded along the lake to where i thought i might find the side trail (about 10 miles in) and nada...By this time i know i'm going to be gassed and probably hurting at the end of the day. The skeets down low and black+deer flies up high are in mid-season form-4 people i see today all have full bug helmets on..i just let them torment me. Since i can't find the "trail", i head into the woods toward the top around mile 10.
After a bit , i cross and take a blue blazed lightly used path which turns out to be a spur of the AT (it leaves the AT about 100yds past where i started into the woods) leading to stunning views on ledges NE of the top. Doubletop and OJI jump right out at you and the Hunt and ABOL Slide approaches to Katahdin are easy to follow visually. This is a great spot, but the spur continues away from the summit and i start a 3/4 mile 'whack--actually fun (scrubby veg and open ledge rock) except for the army of blackflies. The NE summit is "lower", open, and viewless. The SW summit is about 1/4 mile further, clearly higher, open and has peek-a-boo views. I eat some granola bars and down Gatorade while walking around as the flies are too thick to allow sitting.
Returning to the trail, i start my descent into some agony. I've been pushing pretty hard w/o rest save for a few nature breaks and am starting to cramp a bit in my inner thighs (can't remember the muscle, but common for me on very long, all out hikes on warm days), but the real problem is both my little toes are hurting making anything but a level foot placement a jolt of pain. The last 6 miles out after passing over the Ledges and a 500' PUD seem in slow motion. Surprisingly my "return" time is only 10+% slower than going in, but the last few miles feel like i'm a fly in amber.
Finally the car. (about 10 1/2 hours of constant motion) Rereading this TR, i find it a bit whiny
, but actually enjoyed much of the hike. I seem to do a few each year that leave me battered..like my Pogy adventure or the Barker, Twins, Saddles, Marble loop..you'd think i'd learn.Appears i may lose both toenails..trying to figure out how to have minimal downtime-suggestions by PM or e-mail welcome.
jim
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