On July 25

East Branch Lean-To to the Carl A. Newhall Lean-To
Miles: 10.8
Hours: not sure

I hiked some today with Skullman, but then he was too fast for me and continued on without me.  I climbed White Cap Mountain.  Wow, the views were totally worth the climb. I spent an hour at the top just soaking it in.

I was really missing grandpa today.  It is hard to call my parents' house now because before when I dialed that number he would often answer during the day.  And he would be real good, considering.  And now I cry when I am dialing that number.  And my processing of the losses of the last year are smooshed together right now, so when I am thinking about grandpa it is connected to losing my job, and losing my job is connected to my anger at Christopher.  It's like "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie", except not as much fun.  You know, the wonder of the north Maine woods is that it is huge.  And beautiful.  And there is death and decay all around you.  Everywhere there are dead trees and composting-who-knows-what.  But the woods takes it, lives with it, and creates new life as well as supports old, majestic life.  It is a wonder to observe.  And I learned today that it is a bad idea to weep while hiking, for two reasons: a) it is hard to see the trail, b) it makes me hot and hungry, both of which hiking already did, so I don't want to make it worse.  So I have to wait and sit down to weep.  But that's o.k.

I hiked around Gulf Hagas, another place where there was a road I could have gotten out to a town if I had needed to do so.

I would have stopped at the campsite before the Newhall shelter but in the logbook someone wrote that they woke up with a Bull Moose in their campsite a few days earlier and I didn't have a light, so I kept going.  I spent the night at the Newhall shelter with Skullman and Teddy Bear and Greg (the volunteer who makes the 2,000 mile certificates for the Appalachian Trail).  The privy at the shelter rocked, so when you stood inside it you felt a little like you were surfing.  The Rocking Chair Privy.

As we climbed White Cap mountain I had to stop often to catch my breath (and look at the ground or look around).  Maine has many beautiful rocks.  Seriously, lots of quartz and granite and slate and who-know-what.  This one is purple.

View from White Cap Mountain.

All along the A.T. there are signs like this.