Rainbow Stream Lean-to

[Former Admin]

Info, questions, comments, experiences (good or bad) regarding - Rainbow Stream Lean-to

Past hikers - what can future hikers expect here? Have any good stories or memories from here?

Future hikers - any questions?

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[attroll]

Went through and stopped for lunch in August of this year. It is a baseball bat style lean-to. For those that do not know what I mean it is a normal lean-to in all respects except the flooring is made of about three inch round trees. So it is not flat board like most are now. Hence the name baseball bat style.

There is a nice flowing stream in front of the lean-to but the water levels were real bad this last year. Maine was in a drout. So there was not much of the stream but there was still plenty of water. Real nice place.

[TJ aka Teej]

Could be the only lean-to on the AT with a Totem Pole :O)
Usually the last shelter stay for hikers heading thru the wilderness. Just 15 "flat" miles to the Abol Bridge Store! Wicked buggy in June, grass grows in the streambed by the end of summer as the forest dries out, and by late September hardly flows at all. Probably the mousiest shelter in Maine. Grab one of the tentsites, or continue N to official Rainbow Spring tentsite or the unofficial sites at the N end of Rainbow Lake.
edit:
Pictured on the cover of the 2004 DataBook!
Old Fhart's photo of lean-to and tents on the hill:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/sh...cat=622&page=1

Celt's photo of "baseball bat" floor:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/gallery/sh...cat=622&page=1

[Footslogger]

Stayed at Rainbow Springs on our 2001 hike. Ditto to what everyone else has said ...especially the log floor, which was the main reason we chose to tent that night. There is one thing (somewhat unrelated to Rainbow Springs itself) I do remember about getting there that day. Rainbow Springs is a pretty good haul from Whitehouse Landing and water along the way was sparse. We pulled into the campsite around 6 PM that night and it was cold and wet. We took one look at that the lean to and saw the log floor with only one other hiker inside and decided that the ground might be a better choice. Fortunately there are a lot of good tent spots up the hill behind the lean to.

[BioNerd]

I stayed at this shelter this past July (2003). The stream was flowing well. With a thermarest the baseball bat floor wasn't a problem. mosquitos were pretty bad there. I think going on up to the tent sites up the hill probably would make a big difference. The privy is pretty rank (composter).

[walkin' wally]

Just to clairify, Rainbow Stream lean-to and Rainbow Spring tentsite are two different places. They are located about three and one half miles from each other. Rainbow Stream lean-to does have some nice tent sites just up the hill from the lean to.
The totem pole is a left over from the huge white pine that uprooted and crashed on to the roof during the night some years ago. There were two people sleeping in the lean-to at the time, they thought it was just thunder. The stump is just to the right (north) of the lean-to.

Walkin Wally

[Kozmic Zian]

Yea....Rainbow Stream Lean To. When I stayed there, the infamous tree had just crashed into the roof a few days (weeks) before and the maintainers hadn't had a chance to cut it out and repair the roof. We tented. I remember it as the last hut before Abol for me, I was out of food and only had one power bar left. I really ate that one very slowly, guys. Talk about houngry! Man, I ran that 15 miles in a total downpour, and in that section it's pretty low, there was 3 ins of water the whole way there. When I got to ABol, I just about ate the store. I guess the lady keeper there, thought I was really out of it, or nutz....I was. KZ@

[walkin' wally]

The people in the Lean-to were very lucky... So was the roof, it only got one small hole. The MATC also has a photo of the tree on the roof. like KZ says, it was really something to see.

[Cookerhiker]

Just finished a 4-week section hike in Maine. Rainbow Stream LT was my last night before Abol Bridge and the first in which I experienced a mouse problem. I watched the mouse casually stroll down the rope over the tuna can and help himself to my pack. I ended up bear-bagging the entire pack a short distance away. Per the shelter register, I wasn't the first one with this issue.

Otherwise, I liked the shelter, even the baseball bat floor. Having the stream nearby helped since at this point, my feet needed a good soaking every night!

[B Thrash]

Stopped in this shelter in September 2005 for quick lunch and photo. The walking logs that you see in all the photo's were gone, this was the last stream heading north that I had to wade in the 100 mile Wilderness.

[neighbor dave]

smelly bad tastin' water, dark gloomy shelter more fun tentin' out back!

[weary]

....With a thermarest the baseball bat floor wasn't a problem. ....

"Baseball Bats" sound much worse than they are. I've found they are as comfortable as any sleeping platform with a decent pad. I've slept many a night on them with just a 3/8th inch foam pad. I did have a bit of a problem one night when I arrived at a baseball bat shelter in winter and discovered I'd left my pad at home.

Weary

[the goat]

I did have a bit of a problem one night when I arrived at a baseball bat shelter in winter and discovered I'd left my pad at home.

Weary

dude, talk a/b a heart-sinking realization! did you manage to get any winks that night?

[weary]

dude, talk a/b a heart-sinking realization! did you manage to get any winks that night?

Luckily, "irresponsible" hikers had left a lot of unwanted clothing and plastic in the shelter, so I made do.

[walkin' wally]

smelly bad tastin' water, dark gloomy shelter more fun tentin' out back!

Smelly bad tastn' water?? Thats a first for me. I've stayed there many times and never experienced that. The lake that supplies Rainbow Stream is one of the cleanest, clearest lakes in Maine.

[Cookerhiker]

Smelly bad tastn' water?? Thats a first for me. I've stayed there many times and never experienced that. The lake that supplies Rainbow Stream is one of the cleanest, clearest lakes in Maine.

I had no problem with the water either. Now, I indulged my feet which needed a good soaking - maybe you tasted the water shortly afterward downstream!

[neighbor dave]

I had no problem with the water either. Now, I indulged my feet which needed a good soaking - maybe you tasted the water shortly afterward downstream!

that was prolly it! honestly, i've been there twice and both times in august, and the water smelled kinda ruff and tasted even worse! don't ask me why, i'z only statin' what i see'z!!
p.s. the first time i stayed thar a family of ducks was swimmin' upstream. maybe that had sumptin to do wid it!!