8/16 Feeling Slugush

15.3 hiked today, 2095.4 miles N, 78.6 miles left
Carl A. Newhall Lean-to

After the long day yesterday I thought today would be another to get me big miles but alas it wasn't so.

The morning started with a fast and easy climb up Chairback Mountain. I had heard this was a difficult climb but that has been mostly from southbound hikers and section hikers who usually do not have their trail legs. The weather today was lovely and so the view from the the summit of Chairback was very nice.

The big sight of the day was a side trip I made to the Gulf Hagas Trail. This is a 5.2 mile loop trail is is supposedly one of the most scenic spots along the AT so despite the long detour I decided to check it out. The descriptions I have heard had promised 5 waterfalls in a deep canyon. Another called it the grand canyon of the east. I suspect the second description is a bit of an exaggeration but no matter what it was a sight to be seen. The western wall of the canyon was very steep and completely unsuitable for a trail but the eastern side provided plenty of places to get around. A trail weaved up and down and frequently there was a side scenic overlook with perched in view of a water fall or along a rapids.

Of the five falls I saw my favorite was the first, Screw Auger Falls. What made this fall so special was several factors. There were a few excellent views of the falls. The fall was the biggest I saw in Gulf Hagas. Finally the shapes it had eroded into the rock was my favorite characteristic. The fall fell in free fall over an overhang. Behind the fall from the presumably thousands of years it had been flowing there was a large smooth bowl carved into the rock. Below the fall was a patio of sorts, a rocky ledge the was higher than the water level of the stream. The fall had carved a large shallow basin into this rock and down stream from the falls you could see the once white water flowing over the lip of the basin smoothly down stream.

The other falls we all nice and I took photos of several of them. I stopped at "The Jaws" fall which was not particularly spectacular but it had a very nice rocky ledge near that put me a few feet above the water in the sun. There I stretched out for an hour or so reading and munching. By this time my energy had started to plummet, I have no idea why. I felt great in the morning. Even though the fall wasn't much to look at I loved staring into the broad strong dark current of water flowing by, listening to the white noise, and seeing all the tenacious plant life clinging to the near vertical far wall.

After that I was kind of a wandering zombie. I still enjoyed the views but I think I would have liked them more if I had more pep. Fortunately after the Gulf I only had four miles left to cover. As part of those miles I wandered through a spacious pine forest with a soft bed of needles. I was so zonked that I took a nap for about half and hour in the curve next to the trunk of a large tree. After that I only had a mile left to get here which did not take very long.

I saw some wildlife today as well. I have been seeing red squirrels all over so seeing that is not new. However today due to my sluggish nature I spent a bit of time watching them move around. They never seem to walk, they sprint from one place to the other and then stop to eat or look around. Sometimes when they stop it seems mid-sprint. When they do this however they seem to always pick one paw up off the ground so they are standing on three paws only. I have no idea why they do this but it is rather cute. In addition to the squirrel I saw a reddish brown variation on the garter snake amongst the base of some pine trees trying to hide from me. Very cool. I saw a green frog rapidly trying to escape when I hiked through a marshy stretch of trail. With a little work I got some very good photos of him though. Finally there was a tan colored rabbit that wandered through the shelter site tonight.

Given my energy level I am happy enough with the distance I have covered today. I know I would not have been happy if I had made a push. The Gulf Hagas loop really was very nice with the falls framed by high rocky walls. I am glad I took the time to see it. Most hikers are so stricken by Katahdin fever they can not bear the side-trip.