WildPeaks
New member
I can't remember being so glad to walk in my house and see the AC on. 
Usually I hate it. But after this trip, I treasured it beyond description. Same thoughts as we got into the truck after hiking each day.
I don't think I ever hiked in conditions like that before. I've been on very warm trips, very buggy trips, & very muggy trips before, but never the triple crown!
The bugs love me for some reason, and they started in on me big time while setting up the tent. (I'll spare some of the details due to them being in the Maine trail conditions.)
We [My brother Ron & my nephew Bill (sister's son)] did get to hike North Brother & Fort late Friday. (1:35). It started out hot & buggy, but was nicer from N. Brother to Fort. A little cooler & the brush was scratching the bug bites. We did have to work a little around a few blowdowns, but we enjoyed it.
On the way back down we skipped the filtering of water to get out quicker. I know I had taken more than usual, but still ran out. We were out at 10:05.
The moose galloping down the road was a sight. Saw a lot of critters after that, on the way to the gate. Oh no, the gate's locked. Got out & saw that I could pull a pin on the other end of the chain to escape.
Got back to camp after 11:00. All were in bed sleeping and supper was cold sitting in a large pan on the porch. We still had two helpings each.
Morning came and they were all running arround after 5:00 some time. Me & Bill looked at each other & said no way. We'll see you a little later.
We did get up before they left, but weren't rushing by any means.
By the time we started it was hotter & buggier than the day before. I remember struggling a little just before the Camel's Hump, soaked & bitten pretty bad, but I convinced myself that once we we got above Timberline, the bugs & temp would chill due to the nice cool breeze. WRONG!
I usually enjoy climbing those areas, but I was SPENT! And so was he.
It took some doing to go on.
At that time waves of my brothers friends were on the way down, having gone up the Abol trail much earlier. (He later told me that they asked if I really enjoyed hiking with a headlamp & also said they didn't dare tell my nephew how much further it was to the summit by the look on his face.)
We did go on & finally got to the flats, but there was still a long walk ahead. It was beautiful seeing some of the blooms opening up, but there were faint rumbles in the distance, and the summit was clouding back up.
We got there & were glad we continued, although he did say if he knew it was that far from the base of Camel's Hump, he would have stopped.
As written in the trail conditions, the couple of in & out views we got from the top were something else. There were a lot of bugs up there, but these ones didn't like Italian food.
As we got crossed the flats coming back, the rumbles were getting closer and that encouraged us to push a little faster through the steep sections. We did get into the woods before the light rain started & filtered the first water we came to, because we had run out a long way back. As good as that felt, We still stopped at the crossing further down to cool ourselves & loose the bugs for a bit.
The mosquitos found me soon again and thunder was close now, so I really started moving toward the truck.
We got back to camp & supper was not as cold. I fed a few more bugs and off to bed.
I did enjoy it somehow, but I think I'll pass if they go for a multi day camp & hike at this time of the year again .
Usually I hate it. But after this trip, I treasured it beyond description. Same thoughts as we got into the truck after hiking each day.
I don't think I ever hiked in conditions like that before. I've been on very warm trips, very buggy trips, & very muggy trips before, but never the triple crown!
The bugs love me for some reason, and they started in on me big time while setting up the tent. (I'll spare some of the details due to them being in the Maine trail conditions.)
We [My brother Ron & my nephew Bill (sister's son)] did get to hike North Brother & Fort late Friday. (1:35). It started out hot & buggy, but was nicer from N. Brother to Fort. A little cooler & the brush was scratching the bug bites.
We did have to work a little around a few blowdowns, but we enjoyed it.On the way back down we skipped the filtering of water to get out quicker. I know I had taken more than usual, but still ran out. We were out at 10:05.
The moose galloping down the road was a sight. Saw a lot of critters after that, on the way to the gate. Oh no, the gate's locked.
Got out & saw that I could pull a pin on the other end of the chain to escape.Got back to camp after 11:00. All were in bed sleeping and supper was cold sitting in a large pan on the porch. We still had two helpings each.
Morning came and they were all running arround after 5:00 some time. Me & Bill looked at each other & said no way. We'll see you a little later.
We did get up before they left, but weren't rushing by any means.
By the time we started it was hotter & buggier than the day before. I remember struggling a little just before the Camel's Hump, soaked & bitten pretty bad, but I convinced myself that once we we got above Timberline, the bugs & temp would chill due to the nice cool breeze. WRONG!
I usually enjoy climbing those areas, but I was SPENT! And so was he.
It took some doing to go on.
At that time waves of my brothers friends were on the way down, having gone up the Abol trail much earlier. (He later told me that they asked if I really enjoyed hiking with a headlamp & also said they didn't dare tell my nephew how much further it was to the summit by the look on his face.)
We did go on & finally got to the flats, but there was still a long walk ahead. It was beautiful seeing some of the blooms opening up, but there were faint rumbles in the distance, and the summit was clouding back up.
We got there & were glad we continued, although he did say if he knew it was that far from the base of Camel's Hump, he would have stopped.
As written in the trail conditions, the couple of in & out views we got from the top were something else. There were a lot of bugs up there, but these ones didn't like Italian food.
As we got crossed the flats coming back, the rumbles were getting closer and that encouraged us to push a little faster through the steep sections. We did get into the woods before the light rain started & filtered the first water we came to, because we had run out a long way back. As good as that felt, We still stopped at the crossing further down to cool ourselves & loose the bugs for a bit.
The mosquitos found me soon again and thunder was close now, so I really started moving toward the truck.
We got back to camp & supper was not as cold. I fed a few more bugs and off to bed.
I did enjoy it somehow, but I think I'll pass if they go for a multi day camp & hike at this time of the year again
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