Day 24 - Mooselookmeguntic Lake, ME, to Rangely, ME

T-2016-9-13

Start: Students Island on Mooslookmeguntic

End: Maine Forestry Museum Lean-to (“The Halfway Hilton,” it’s named, which was cute enough to convince me to end my day early and stay.)

On the Way:  Mooselookmeguntic Lake, Students Island, Oquossoc, Rangeley Lake, Rangeley, Haley Pond, Gull Stream

Miles: 23.  Not bad.  Milepost: 428.5!

Map: 8, 9

Weather:  Clear, little windy.

Map 9: Rangely to Spencer Stream, ME

Trail Overview

A lovely day full of giant lakes, which are easily my favorite medium of this trip.  And, I hate to day it, the last day of them for quite some time…  Ahead lies the South Dead River, which, completely faithful to its name, is dead for nearly every paddler from early June onwards.  “Ancient waterway” my ass.  Well, to be fair, the ancients probably didn’t see as many extreme weather years as we post-Industrial Revolution folk have brought upon ourselves.  Still, I chatted with a guy who works with hydro plants at the Oquossoc grocery store, and he said this was the worst year for rain in 6 or 7 years.  My timing.  It’s fabulous.

So next is lots if portaging along Route 16.  24.5 miles of it, according to The Book.  Gonna tackle it first things in the AM, which I should be more vigilant about taking advantage of.  I get too comfy in my hammock, and then I’m not up until 0800.  Days are getting shorter.  Have to use all of them.

The Rangely Lakes Region Logging Museum.  Wasn't nobody around when I rolled in for the evening, and left in the early morning, but the giant sheds were full of antique logging equipments, chainsaws, and other fun toys.  I didn't get to see this kind of excitement...

I was planning on being 2.5 miles into the portage tonight when I passed this “Hilton” lean-to that the Forestry Museum folks built.  The home-routed sign, the lovingly cleared little bluff above Gull Stream, all the cleared pine wood rotting for want of being burned, the fresh evergreen branches someone has stuffed in the lean-to chinks for air freshener—these element all conspired to get me to call it a day at 1700 and stay the night.  As soon as I had made the decision and was moving down the trail to stash my boat behind the Museum, two young Belgian men, probably younger than me, asked if they could camp out, too.  They seemed harmless, so I said sure.  They were appreciative: they told me that, for want of camping spots, they had been spending the night in their two-seater yellow Mustang rental car.  Yipes.  It’s past dark as I write this and they’re not back from their grocery run, so perhaps their plans changed.  I have a campfire going and plenty of wood standing by, figuring they’ll like the full camping experience.  If they come rustling in like varmits in the middle of the night, I’m going to be perturbed.

The cozy "Halfway Hilton," with plentiful logs and fresh pine boughs lying around (thank you, logging museum).

[They ended up being total gents, and lots of fun to talk to.  They’d been touring the Northeast for a short holiday, flying into Boston, and with plans to hike a bit in the White Mountains.  I was excited to tell them my favorite trails.  They also had taken a jog to the Harvard Coliseum, and were amused to hear that I live right across the river.]

Things Learned:

+ Groceries should be bought when the chance presents itself.  There ain’t no time for 2 shopping trips.  I passed on oats and carrots in the Oquossoc grocery, thinking they’d be cheaper at Rangely’s IGA.  IGA turned out to be a couple miles from the Trail.  Eit!

Trail Magic: 

+ Upon hearing this, the owner of Ecopelagion (the cutest and most friendly outfitter I’ve visited yet) gives me the Instant Oats right out of her own pantry!  She was entirely too night.

+ Lit a fire tonight with just a touch of the lighter.  Might have been all the dry, pitchy pine, but I like to think it’s because I’m a wizard.

+ I saw Katina Daanen’s name in the Forestry Museum register!  She’s the writer of The Book (the one I like), and apparently was visiting on a side trip from the AT.  Talk about a badass.

I fangirled hard enough to pull out the cell phone and use some of its precious juice to get a picture.

+ This is the start of the NFCT’s overlap with the AT, so saw some through-hikers in town.  For once I’m not the scraggliest character, and I know the library is comfortable with smelly denizens.  I also feel kind of ostracized by this: when I was picking up a sandwich in the gas station, the cashier offers the motley group of people nearby (me and three hikers) the old sandwiches for free.  There were four sandwiches, but the hikers swooped in and grabbed them all.  I know I’m not on as epic of a quest as those guys, and I probably don’t look quite so buff and grizzly as a result, but still: I’m roughing it, too.  Frowny moment.