Day 150-Slackpacking Up a Cube

Aug 15-11 miles-25C to Dirt Rd

Second day of slackpacking is complete! Just 11 miles today, but within those 11 miles I climbed another mountain. This one is called Mt. Cube (it didn’t really seem like a cube...). 

This morning the owner of the hostel drove me back to where I finished yesterday. Frosty is 75 years young, and I very much enjoyed riding with him. Him and his daughter ride their bikes across the country, including a good long section of the ACA Northern Tier. Which reminds me...yesterday when I was dropped of at Kinsman Notch, I realized I had ridden on that road when I went from Minneapolis to Maine. I remembered a Kinsman Ridge Trail sign. 

Shortly after starting today’s hike, I stopped at this pond. 

A pond of the beaver variety. 

This gal was there. We talked for a moment, and she said, “I think we’ve met before...back in Georgia.”  I didn’t remember until I asked her name. When she said Kodak, then I remembered meeting her. It’s so weird to see someone again (and even more weird that she remembered me)!

I continued hiking, and stopped for lunch at a brook at the base of Mt. Cube. The climb up wasn’t too bad. 

Okay, there were a few rocks...

And this ladder. 

And this massive tree growing over a rock. 

The summit was quite nice. 
Flat Will and LB on the summit sign. 

It’s quite a long way down. 


I called the hostel and talked to Jane. I told her I was 3 miles from my pickup point it was 1:20. We settled on a 3:30 pickup time. Turns out, I would need every bit of that time to get to the dirt road. 

The descent was pretty slow going with big rock slabs, and very steep. 

Going down. 

I ran into Mosey and Irish, but couldn’t take much time to talk to them. Then I had 1 mile to go when I saw Sure Foot. I had 45 minutes, so I talked with him for a few, then I took off. 

I popped out onto the dirt road at 3:27. But, I had to walk down the road because the shuttle van wouldntbeabletogo beyond a closed gate. I just kept walking until Frank came driving up the road. 

Back “home”, I told Jane, Frosty had told me to take one of the e-bikes for a test ride. I took the drop bar Yamaha. It is a pedal assist e-bike. I had it up to 27 mph in nothing flat. It was fun to ride. 

I showered and ate dinner afterward. Later, I was going to go organize my stuff. Happy Feet, Canoe Guy, and Jane were going to the store. Since I needed some more food to eat here, I tagged along. We also ended up going to Taco Bell/KFC. Yay, more food!

Now it’s 10:00, and I am going to try to do 18 miles tomorrow. Jane is driving me back to the dirt road at 6:00. I’d better go to sleep!