Appalachian Trail - Day 141 - ME Route 15 to Barren Mountain

Day: 141

Date: Tuesday, 12 September 2023

Start:  ME Route 15 (AT Mile 2083.7)

Finish:  Barren Mountain (AT Mile 2101.9)

Daily Kilometres:  27.0 (Ascent 4534', Descent 3117')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3414.7

Weather:  Mild and overcast with almost continuous rain in the morning and an occasional sprinkle in the afternoon.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Cooked breakfast 

  Lunch:  Trail mix 

  Dinner:  Pop tarts

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported 

Highlight:  None really

Lowlight:  Wet, muddy and slippery trail.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We again enjoyed the hostel's big breakfast at 7:00am and were shuttled back to the trailhead in a packed van with about seven other thru-hikers in light rain at about 8:15am.  The hostel co-owner and driver, a former thru-hiker (and English Lit teacher), gave us a spiel about the 100 Mile Wilderness and a few short poems about the trail and how life-changing it can be.  Impressive!

For our last 100+ miles to the trail's end on Mount Katahdin, we have a Plan A, that sees us finish in six days on Sunday, and Plan B that sees us finish in seven days on Monday.  Plan A is relatively aggressive, but we really would like to finish on Sunday so for today our goal was 17 miles which we knew would be challenging given our late start and knowledge that the first two days of the 100 Mile Wilderness were reputed to be difficult.  If we can stick to the schedule for the first two days our confidence will be high.

For the morning we decided to hike non-stop the six plus miles to Little Wilson Falls which took us the best part of four hours.  The trail was tough with ups and downs, bogs and slippery roots and rocks.  In particular, the wet slate was treacherous and we had to take great care.  At the first creek crossing Dave slipped and fell half into the water which made him very unhappy.  All the while it was raining with varying intensity and as we leapfrogged some of the other thru-hikers we joked about how much we were all enjoying ourselves.  Misery loves company, and it was good to know that nobody was having a good time.

For the next section, there was an alternative route of about the same distance, including a long roadwalk, that avoided two significant fords and we decided to go that way.  A number of the other thru-hikers we met during the day made the same choice.  The roadwalk was along a quiet forestry road which was pleasant but the linking track that took us back to the AT had long stretches of extremely boggy and unpleasant trail.

We rejoined the AT about 4:00pm and made the choice to try and get over Barren Mountain and to a shelter/campsite on the other side before stopping for the night.  This would be a couple of miles beyond our target for the day, but there was no water in between (and we didn't want to add water to the weight of our already heavy packs for the climb) and it would likely be dark by the time we reached there.

The climb proved slower than we hoped and provided just one hazy view.  By the time we reached the summit of Barren Mountain (2670') it was almost dark and we decided to camp without water or cooking dinner rather than continue on the difficult trail in the dark.  We found a barely adequate space for a tent near the summit soon after 7:00pm, set up the tent and crawled in, still very dirty from the muddy trail with only some wet wipes to clean ourselves before getting into our sleeping bags.  Not a good start to our last five or six days, and more rain forecast for tomorrow.

We passed the 2100 Mile mark today.

Appalachian Trail - Day 140 - Day Off in Monson

Day: 140

Date: Monday, 11 September 2023

Start:  ME Route 15 (AT Mile 2083.7) but staying at Monson.

Finish:  ME Route 15 (AT Mile 2083.7) but staying at Monson.

Daily Kilometres:  0

GPX Track:  Click here and here for Julie’s Strava & Photos from her walks around Monson today.

Total Kilometres:  3387.7

Weather:  Dreary and overcast with occasional rain.

Accommodation:  Hostel

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Cooked breakfast and pancakes.

  Lunch:  Ham & cheese rolls.

  Dinner:  Pizza, brownie & ice-cream 

Aches:  Nothing to report.

Highlight:  A relaxing day at the hostel contemplating, with fellow thru-hikers, our last week on the trail.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

At 7:00am we joined our fellow guests at the hostel for the cooked breakfast for which the hostel is renowned.  It was good and filling and some of us sat around for a while afterwards chatting about this and that.  While most of the 20+ people staying here are thru-hikers, there are also several cyclists as the town is also on a long distance mountain/gravel-bike route.

We then picked up the large box of food we had mail-ordered to the hostel from Walmart just in case they didn't have what we wanted for the next 5-6 days and repacked it for hiking.  After that we walked down to the volunteer-run Appalachian Trail Information Office in town where a very patient lady explained everything we needed to know (hopefully) about the 100 Mile Wilderness ahead of us, including problematic river/stream crossings, and the somewhat officious process for getting approval to camp near the base of Mt Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, and approval to climb it.  Weather could always be an issue for the latter.

For the rest of the day, Dave spent time on admin, planning and reading while Julie went for some walks locally.  Of all the hikers staying at the hostel, she is the only one who had any interest in doing such a thing on her day off.

For dinner, we bought some take-out from the nearby gas station cafe and afterwards finished packing for our return to the trail.  After breakfast tomorrow, there is an 8:30am shuttle back to the trailhead.  Sadly, a lot of rain is forecast for the coming week.  Internet coverage will be sparse, so it may be a week before the next blog updates.

Appalachian Trail - Day 139 - Bald Mountain Pond to ME Route 15

Day: 139

Date: Sunday, 10 September 2023

Start:  Bald Mountain Pond (AT Mile 2065.8)

Finish:  ME Route 15 (AT Mile 2083.7)

Daily Kilometres:  30.0

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3387.7

Weather:  Mild, overcast and showery.

Accommodation:  Hostel 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts 

  Lunch:  Trail mix

  Dinner:  Bacon cheeseburgers & fries apple crumble & ice-cream.

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  Reaching Monson, the last town near the trail for northbound thru-hikers and the start of the 100 Mile Wilderness.

Lowlight:  A couple more falls for Dave, but no damage done.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We woke at 5:00am and were hiking by 6:00am on a cool calm morning.  During the first half hour the sun emerged over the pond to our right and shafts of brilliant orange sunlight angled through the forest creating a magical effect.

We were on a mission again today, with 18 miles to go until ME Route 15 from where we intended to go to the village of Monson and stay in a hostel for two nights.  The hostel ran shuttles from the trailhead every two hours and we figured that if the terrain wasn't too bad and we didn't mess around we could be there in time for the 4:00pm shuttle.

Our first challenge for the day was to ford Bald Mountain Stream where we both got at least one foot slightly wet despite taking great care.  Knowing there was another ford coming up across the Piscataquis River where the water was likely to be thigh-deep, we decided to keep our feet dry and took a suggested alternative roadwalk that was slightly longer.

As the morning progressed the sky became ominously grey and it began to rain while we took our first break, though it didn't last too long.  The majority of the roadwalk was along a traffic-free forestry road that wasn't very interesting but, on the plus side, we made good time.  We reconnected with the AT around 11:30am, having done about 12 miles in total and stopped a mile further on for a lunch break.  Although the roadwalk was a welcome change from the trail, it was nice to be back on the trail which, generally, was pleasant walking despite the occasional sections of rocks, roots and bogs.

Our last five miles for the day involved a gentle climb over the shoulder of Buck Hill and a heavier rain shower which made us glad we were staying in a hostel for tonight.  Rain showers are forecast to continue overnight and into tomorrow.

We reached Route 15 around 3:20pm and, after checking by phone with the hostel that we would have until 4:00pm for a shuttle, decided to try hitch-hiking and were picked up about five minutes later for the four mile drive into Monson.

After checking into the hostel, which seems to have a lot of hikers in residence (20+?), we were shown to our room and later had showers and did the laundry.  For dinner, we walked down to the local gas station and bought some take-out, eating it back at the hostel.  A few late thru-hiker arrivals included Matthew and Christine and some other hikers we know, and we were also introduced to an Australian girl from Sydney who is also staying here and on the final leg of her Appalachian Trail hike.

We were both tired and had an early night, satisfied with how the day has turned out.

Appalachian Trail - Day 138 - Caratunk to Bald Mountain Pond

Day: 138

Date: Saturday, 09 September 2023

Start:  Caratunk (AT Mile 1047.0)

Finish:  Bald Mountain Pond (AT Mile 2065.8)

Daily Kilometres:  30.5 (Ascent 4400', Descent 3694')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3357.7

Weather:  Mild and mostly sunny.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Continental breakfast 

  Lunch:  Trail mix

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals 

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported 

Highlight:  It's not often that the last four miles of the day are a highlight, but today was an exception.  In serenely calm and clear conditions we climbed over Moxie Bald Mountain (2629') as the evening sun sank low and enjoyed stellar views in all directions from the vast open rock slabs on the summit.  We could easily see the Bigelow Range that we had traversed a couple of days ago along with many other mountains we may have also climbed but couldn't identify.  Ahead were other mountains we may yet have to climb.  Closer below were the mirror-like ponds and lakes of all shapes and sizes surrounded by forest and mountains.

Lowlight:  Dave had a bad morning, falling three times and filling the air with curses.  No harm done apart from some minor cuts and abrasions, but it reinforced his desire to have done with the trail.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We woke, finished packing and were ready for the continental breakfast at the inn at 6:30am when it opened.  Like everything else at the inn, it was well-organised and good quality and we ate our fill.  The inn provided a shuttle back to the trailhead, which we took along with three other thru-hikers, and were hiking by soon after 7:30am.

Our plan was to reach Bald Mountain Pond, about 19 miles away, by evening which seemed a little ambitious given we hadn't hiked that far in a day for a while (it also seemed ambitious to the three middle-aged thru-hikers with whom we shared the shuttle), so we were a little apprehensive.  However, the trail through the early autumnal forest wasn't too bad and we averaged the two miles per hour we needed.  There were the usual rocks, roots and bogs, but the gradients weren't too bad except for our two mountains of the day - Pleasant Pond Mountain and Moxie Bald Mountain - which slowed us up a bit, but weren't too technical and both offered fantastic views from their open rock slabs summits (see above).

Otherwise there wasn't much remarkable about the day apart from the beautiful ponds we passed and the Moxie Pond ford which we managed safely without getting our feet wet.  We may not be so lucky tomorrow with two more fords coming up.

We reached Bald Mountain Pond just before 7:00pm and were surprised to find no one else there, either camped or staying in the shelter.  It was an absolutely beautiful evening and we regretted not having been a bit earlier so we could enjoy the sunset over the pond.  We found a very nice tent site close to the pond shore and set up camp, washed and ate and were in bed by 9:00pm having had a very satisfying day.

Appalachian Trail - Day 137 - Carrying Place Stream to Caratunk

Day: 137

Date: Friday, 08 September 2023

Start:  Carrying Place Stream (AT Mile 2040.1)

Finish:  Caratunk (AT Mile 1047.0)

Daily Kilometres:  11.0

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3327.2

Weather:  Overcast and humid in the morning with some light rain, then very warm and humid and partly sunny in the afternoon.

Accommodation:  Bunk room in Inn

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Pop tarts

  Lunch:  Pizza pockets/Hot meat roll.

  Dinner:  Meatloaf burger & fries, ice-creams

Aches:  Dave - the usual; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  Crossing the Kennebec River by canoe, another major milestone on the Appalachian Trail.  Back in 1986 when Dave first hiked the trail, you had to ford the river but, after a couple of drownings and more near-misses, the Appalachian Trail Conference arranged for a canoe crossing to be available and deemed it to be the official route.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

The night was marked by thunderstorms with some lightning strikes seemingly very close, and quite a bit of rain.  We woke at 5:00am to a very wet tent fly but at least it was not raining.

We were hiking by 6:00am in the faint hope of reaching a hunting and fishing lodge three miles away where we knew hikers could get a good pancake breakfast, though you were supposed to book it in person the night before (it is close to a shelter/campsite on the AT), that only a limited number of hikers were allowed and that it started at 7:00am.  We didn't have our hopes up and just as well as we missed out on all counts - hadn't booked, were too late and exceeded the permitted numbers.

Just before we reached the very rustic lodge at 7:30am, it began to rain, so we ended up eating our pop tart breakfast on the covered verandah of the lodge and chatting to Matthew and Christine who had made it to the lodge breakfast.  They then left for the four mile walk to the Kennebec River and we soon followed as the rain let up and the humidity returned.

The four miles was not particularly easy walking after some of the better trail of yesterday, but we also knew they were our last miles of the day, which often seem to drag.  We reached the river around 10:00am and waited a short time to cross, two at a time plus the boatman, with us split between two trips.  The river was impressive, subject to fast rises and falls depending on dam operations upstream, and an AT milestone (see above).  We do feel like we are in the home stretch now.

We had booked two bunks in the bunkroom of a B&B Inn which goes out of its way to cater to hikers.  They picked us up from the trailhead near the river crossing and a few minutes later we were checking in and had our showers and laundry done by lunchtime.

We have a couple of days hiking to the hamlet of Monson from here and then tackle the 100 Mile Wilderness which takes us to near the end of the trail on Mt Katahdin.  We will need to carry food for 5-6 days for that last stretch, so spent a bit of time after lunch today making up a parcel of gear we do not think we will need for the remainder of the hike to lighten the load (a very little).  Julie then walked to the tiny Caratunk Post Office (run by one of the two guys who run the Inn) and mailed it to ourselves care of a post office in Boston where we will pick it up post-hike.

The balance of the afternoon was spent on admin and reading on the lovely big verandah of the Inn on a very warm breezy afternoon.

Later we took a shuttle to a pub a few miles away where we had dinner with Matthew and Christine before returning to the Inn and an early night.

Appalachian Trail - Day 136 - Little Bigelow Mountain to Carrying Place Stream

Day: 136

Date: Thursday, 07 September 2023

Start:  Little Bigelow Mountain (AT Mile 2022.3)

Finish:  Carrying Place Stream (AT Mile 2040.1)

Daily Kilometres:  28.9 (Ascent 2037', Descent 3780')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3316.2

Weather:  Very warm and humid, partly sunny, with thunderstorms in late afternoon and evening.

Accommodation:  Tent

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Egg & sausage rolls, pastries.

  Lunch:  Pop tarts/Trail mix 

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals.

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  We had been told by a hiker we met going the other way yesterday that there was a group offering "trail magic" at the next road crossing and that they will be there until Friday.  So, we set off from our campsite at 6:30am, with a little over four miles to the road, with some optimism that we would get a good breakfast, though we didn't want to get our hopes up.  With a mile to go, a couple of day hikers confirmed that there was a big spread awaiting us.  It was put on by a group of friends who camp out at the trailhead for a few days each year, one of whom had been doing the "trail magic" for 22 years.  We enjoyed a couple of egg and sausage rolls each along with multiple cold drinks and other goodies along with interesting conversation.  It was a very good way to start our day.

Lowlight:  It was hot and humid most of the day (heat advisory for central Maine) making it unpleasant for hiking and also seemed to bring out the mosquitoes which made it doubly unpleasant.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We gave ourselves a 30 minute later start because of our late finish last night and were hiking by around 6:30am.  We were hoping for a good breakfast when we reached the road crossing ahead (see above), but first we had to cross over and descend from Little Bigelow Mountain.  It wasn't a particularly difficult or long descent, though Dave did slip on some wet rock and removed what little skin was left on one of his elbows, but it did require care and was slow.

With a mile to go, however, the trail flattened out and became easy walking and we reached the road and "trail magic" at 9:00am.

After eating and drinking our fill, we got back on the trail, eagerly anticipating that it would be easier for the next few days as we had been told.  It was easier, with a better surface and gentler grades, but the day's heat and humidity made it hard work, and we were bathed in sweat and drinking plenty at our breaks.

Most of the remaining day was spent passing a series of beautiful and peaceful large ponds/lakes with low hills in between.  Despite the rocks, roots and bogs that dominated long sections of the trail, it was easier walking and we were back to the two miles per hour average we managed before we hit New England.  It was nice to feel we were making good progress for a change.

During the afternoon we had our first moose sighting, though glimpse better describes the encounter.  Julie, up ahead, must have disturbed it, and it disappeared quickly with the sound of thunderous hooves attracting our attention.  Julie got a brief glimpse of its rear end while Dave saw the big black shape galloping through the distant forest.

We reached a good tentsite beside a small stream at the nice time of 5:45pm and decided to call it a day, having gone a little further than anticipated.

Appalachian Trail - Day 135 - ME Route 27 to Little Bigelow Mountain

Day: 135

Date: Wednesday, 06 September 2023

Start:  ME Route 27 (AT Mile 2010.0)

Finish:  Little Bigelow Mountain (AT Mile 2022.3)

Daily Kilometres:  20.1 (Ascent 4862', Descent 3317')

GPX Track:  Click here for Julie’s Strava & Photos

Total Kilometres:  3287.3

Weather:  Very warm and humid and partly sunny.

Accommodation:  Tent 

Nutrition:

  Breakfast:  Breakfast buffet

  Lunch:  Turkey, ham & salad subs 

  Dinner:  Rehydrated meals 

Aches:  Dave - the usual niggles; Julie - nothing reported.

Highlight:  The 360 degree vista from the summit of Bigelow Avery Peak (4088'), named for Myron Avery who first had the idea of creating the Appalachian Trail, was spectacular and made the climb worthwhile.

Lowlight:  None really.

Pictures: Click here

Map and Position: Click here for Google Map

Journal:

We enjoyed the hostel's excellent buffet breakfast, shared with a number of other hikers amidst some good conversation, at 7:00am, so a bit of a sleep-in.  Our French Canadian friends, Matthew & Christine, were also staying there and were shuttled back to the trailhead with us after breakfast. They hike faster than us, though Christine is on anti-inflammatories for a foot injury, so soon disappeared into the forest ahead of us.  They seem to be on a similar schedule to us through to the end of the trail, so we will likely see them again.

Given that we didn't start hiking until around 8:30am, and that we had about 5000' of climbing in front of us as we tackled the Bigelow Mountain range, we didn't have high expectations of how far we would get today.  After a couple of relatively easy miles we climbed more steeply to a lookout from where we could see the beautiful Horn Pond far below, before we descended to walk along its shore and then began the serious climbing.  Up, up, up to the Horns (3831') then a long technical descent before another long climb through the gnarly moss-carpeted conifer forest until we emerged above the treeline to reach West Bigelow Peak (4145') with great views and where we took a lunch break.  We could see the peaks we had climbed in a chain behind us and the peaks we still had to climb up ahead.  Awesome and sobering at the same time.

It had been a hot sweaty climb on a very humid day but, thankfully, there was a nice breeze at the higher altitudes and that made the hiking and day much more tolerable.

After lunch, there was another long descent before we climbed to Bigelow Avery Peak and more good views (see above).  By this time it was starting to get late and we decided that we would collect some water, which was scarce along the range, as we headed towards Little Bigelow Mountain, the final peak in the range, then look for somewhere to camp.  Both finding water and finding a campsite proved difficult, but we managed both in the end, eventually nestling the tent in a tight spot on a sloping root-covered spot at about 7:00pm.

It got dark as we set up camp and ate dinner by headlamp but we were satisfied with our 12 miles and the scenery we had enjoyed throughout the day.