View Full Version : Hittin the Trail ...
Footslogger
08-04-2007, 16:57
Everything is packed and all arrangements made. We fly east early in the morning to begin our section hike from Rangeley to Monson. We will be hiking northbound, leaving Rangeley some time in the morning on 8/6.
This is an important segment, since it is the last mileage needed by my wife (BadAss Turtle) to complete her end-2-end AT hike started back in 2001. She was injured and unable to complete her hike that year. We have been going back every year since then and "filling in the blanks", so to speak. But this it IT !!
When we reach Monson our plan is to jump up to Baxter and summit Katahdin ...a fitting way to end a 6 year effort. Hoping to see some of this years thru-hikers and anyone else who happens to be hiking in that section over the next week and a half.
The best to all ...
'Slogger and BadAss Turtle
Good luck to you, 'Slogger, and congratulations to B.A.T. for reaching her goal!
We've had a period of very hot and humid weather. That's due to break soon. With any luck, the humidity will drop-off and you'll have some great hiking weather.
Enjoy!
Here's your sign ! (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=17827&c=member&imageuser=7914%5D%5Bimg%5Dhttp://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/7/9/1/4/100_0266)
Have a great trip! Hope your skies look just like that. I'll be on Saddleback tomorrow for the day :sun
Woodsy
woodsy, I followed your link. What a view from that piece of real estate! :-?Who owns it and is it for sale?
Mt Abraham is protected and not for sale.
Well, I'm glad to hear it's protected.:) That means everyone gets to enjoy it! How did it come to be protected?
Well, I'm glad to hear it's protected.:) That means everyone gets to enjoy it! How did it come to be protected?
http://www.matlt.org/Abraham%20PR.asp
Chaco Taco
08-04-2007, 18:32
Hey Slogger,
Ill be thinkin about you guys while hikin in TN. Have a great hike!!!
Colonel Chaco
Congratulations to B.A.T. Footslogger: my wife, Gutsy hiked with you for a bit in 2003. Great to hear that you will be doing this section with your wife. Enjoy.:sun
MATLT
MATLT's an organization worthy of our support.:sun
'Slogger and his hiking companion are sure to have a great hike in the High Peaks region!:cool:
Footslogger
08-04-2007, 19:19
'Slogger and his hiking companion are sure to have a great hike in the High Peaks region!:cool:
======================================
Getting antsy just sitting here thinking about it. One of those times I wish I could wiggle my nose or tell Scotty to "energize" and beam me over. But, it gives us something to look forward to on the long flight from Denver to Boston in the morning.
When I hiked this section on my thru in 2003 the temps dropped overnight at Spaulding Shelter/LeanTo and we woke up to snow. Ended up hiking most all of the Bigelows in sub freezing weather with snow covered trees and ice on all the exposed rock. That, in and of itself, was a beautiful sight but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to seeing the Bigelows in warmer weather in all their glory.
Are we there yet ???? ....
'Slogger
Footslogger
08-04-2007, 19:20
Congratulations to B.A.T. Footslogger: my wife, Gutsy hiked with you for a bit in 2003. Great to hear that you will be doing this section with your wife. Enjoy.:sun
====================================
Thanks Ed ...and yes, I do remember meeting and hiking some miles with your wife, Gutsy.
'Slogger
Hope you'll get to stay at Pierce Pond.:)
Footslogger
08-04-2007, 22:42
Hope you'll get to stay at Pierce Pond.:)
==========================================
That's our plan. We should get to Pierce Pond late in the afternoon and plan on heading out early to catch the first ferry across the Kennebec. Have a mail drop at the PO in Caratunk and need to make some miles that day, otherwise we'd probably take a zero there. Hopefully we'll see a beautiful sunset on the pond and hear a loon or two.
I was moving so fast through that area in 2003 that it is all a blurr. Had called ahead from Stratton and arranged an afternoon shuttle across the Kennebec and really had to didi mau to make it there on time. NOT THIS TIME !!
'Slogger
hopefulhiker
08-04-2007, 22:45
Good Luck!
Footslogger
08-04-2007, 22:48
Good Luck!
====================================
Thanks ...appreciate that !! Along with good health and good weather we shouldn't have a problem.
Are we there yet ??
'Slogger
Have fun, Slogger and B.A.T.!
Have a great section....
Steve
handlebar
08-04-2007, 23:28
When you stay at Pierce Pond be sure to check out the breakfast at Harrison Camps if Tim is still putting it on. We got to Pierce Pond early and I remember it as one of the most magical nights on the trail.
Congrats to BAT on the final miles and enjoy the summit. Just back from 2 weeks of trail crew and a reprise of my 06 summit via Abol Slide Trail and return over the KnifeEdge on 8/2. Much better weather than my summit on 10/3/06. Surprised I still felt the rush on reaching Baxter Peak after a year.
Handlebar
GA-ME 06
Have fun my friend! Ah Maine...one part of the AT I have to go back to at some point...
Hammock Hanger
08-06-2007, 12:09
E N J O Y !! :p
Icehiker12
08-07-2007, 15:12
Yea good luck n enjoy ever minute of it.
Footslogger
08-09-2007, 11:26
Well ...we've made it from Rangeley to Stratton so far, but not without some excitement. Those of you following the weather might have heard about the storms in southern Maine over the past couple days. Well, out timing was perfect. About 3/4 of the way over Saddleback the sky opened up and lightning started flashing all around us. We could literally see sparks flying as the bolts hit the rocks withing a stones throw of where we were standing - it was a hair raising experience and all I can say is it was great to be back down below tree line, even with the deluge that followed. Did I mention it was raining ??? Should have been NO problem for someone who hiked in 2003 but even I had to admit that a lot of rain had fallen in a short period of time.
Made it to Spaulding Mtn. Lean-to about 4 and decided to make dinner and then hike on. Got as far as the cut off to the Sugarloaf Summit Hut and it was getting late, dark and looking stormy so (and very unlike a couple of typical northbounders) we climbed the 0.5 miles to spend the night in the hut ...and thank goodness we did. A storm even worse than the day before blew in during the night and the normal 360 view from atop Sugarloaf Mountain was reduced to about 20 feet visibility at best. By about noon yesterday the rain stopped and it appeared to be clearing a bit so we headed out again. Got as far as the Carabasset River and found that ALL the rain we had gotten the night before had cause water levels to rise well over 3 feet. The wooden plank running between the rocks had been washed into the rapidly flowing water and it was not safe to attempt a ford. We decided to suck it up and camp on the south side of the river for the night and wait out the water. By this morning the water levels had dropped somewhat but there was still no way to cross on the AT. I backtracked along the river and found a spot to ford (still chest deep) at a spot and then work my way back along the river on the north side. The wooden plank was dangling on a steal cable in the rapids but I managed to get it out of the water and back down on the rocks. By 8 AM we crossed the river and hiked the rest of the way into Stratton.
Sorry for the long post but figured it was somewhat noteworthy. We are all showered and fed and doing laundry and planning on hiking out in the morning. Sincerely hoping for better weather as we make our way toward Monson.
All for now ...
'Slogger (and BadAss Turtle)
Sounds like a great trip! The lightning must have been scary, but you made it out and now have some awesome stories. Good stuff.
Sounds like you guys had a bit of a hair raising experience.
If you don't like the weather in Maine, wait a minute.....if you do like it, wait a minute. This (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=17928&c=newimages&cutoffdate=7%5D)is what Saddleback looked like on Sunday from Saddleback Jr.
Glad to hear you got through it ok including the raging Carrabassett River.
Woodsy
Footslogger
08-09-2007, 16:28
Sounds like you guys had a bit of a hair raising experience.
If you don't like the weather in Maine, wait a minute.....if you do like it, wait a minute. This (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=17928&c=newimages&cutoffdate=7%5D)is what Saddleback looked like on Sunday from Saddleback Jr.
Glad to hear you got through it ok including the raging Carrabassett River.
Woodsy
==========================
Hey Woodsy ...thanks for the entry in the shelter register at Poplar Ridge. Not every day you open up a shelter register and see your name(s) mentioned !!
Yes, it was memorable to say the least. My wife is carrying a small camcorder and shot the scene of me re-setting the "plank" bridge between the rocks at the Carabasset River this morning. To be honest I wasn't sure I could even do it on my own but I somehow managed to get across the river upstream and then wrangle that plank back in place. Guess the rest of this years hikers passing through can thank the 'Slogger for being able to cross with dry feet !! You know what's funny ...drove out by the Carabasset River today and it is as calm as a kitten. Amazing what a days worth of hard rain can do to the flow and volume in a river like the Carabasset.
Thanks again. Dinner soon and then onto getting packs ready to hike out early in the morning.
'Slogger (and BadAss Turtle)
Uncle Silly
08-09-2007, 17:08
To be honest I wasn't sure I could even do it on my own but I somehow managed to get across the river upstream and then wrangle that plank back in place. Guess the rest of this years hikers passing through can thank the 'Slogger for being able to cross with dry feet !!
Thanks, 'Slogger, for the impromptu trail maintenance. I'm looking forward to that river crossing later this season. Hope your fix keeps for a few weeks!
Jan LiteShoe
08-09-2007, 17:14
==========================
My wife is carrying a small camcorder and shot the scene of me re-setting the "plank" bridge between the rocks at the Carabasset River this morning. To be honest I wasn't sure I could even do it on my own but I somehow managed to get across the river upstream and then wrangle that plank back in place.
'Slogger (and BadAss Turtle)
I got two words for you Toots - "You Tube."
:)
Those adventures always make great stories in the retelling.
Congrats BA Turtle!
Footslogger
08-09-2007, 17:14
Thanks, 'Slogger, for the impromptu trail maintenance. I'm looking forward to that river crossing later this season. Hope your fix keeps for a few weeks!
===========================
Well ...all I really did was put it back the way it was before the deluge. In reality what really needs to be done is something more substantial and a bit wider. Not suggesting any major construction project but I do plan on suggesting to the MATC that a wider, reinforced plank be placed AND at a higher level on the rocks so that elevated and swift moving water levels don't knock it out.
As far as my "fix" holding goes ...that will depend on the weather. Granted, that was one hell of a rain storm and a lot of water drained into the Caribou Valley in a very short period of time but honestly that plank, even under best of conditions, only sits a few inches above the water level and it spans about a 6 - 7 foot gap between the two rocks.
Anyhew, all's well for now. Hope your hike and Carabasset crossing goes well.
'Slogger
I reset "the plank" (http://s128.photobucket.com/albums/p200/woodsy2007/?action=view¤t=100_0133.jpg)once late last fall and crossed it earlier this year when it was in place. It's 10''-12" wide and about 12' long and only cabled to the north side of river. I'm sure everyone headin north will appreciate Slogger's fording and putting the plank back in place.:cool:
woodsy: What camera did you use in the Saddleback shot?
Thanks
woodsy: What camera did you use in the Saddleback shot?
Thanks
It's a Kodak C875
Icehiker12
08-09-2007, 20:11
good camera,, use it on the trail a good bit.
Footslogger
08-10-2007, 06:09
Well, we're off !! Heading out to the trail crossing on Rt 27 at 7
AM this morning and onward north toward Monson. Met a handful of early/fast northbounders here in Stratton but it sounds like the "first wave" is about 2-3 weeks south of here yet.
Weather looks like it might hold for a few days, which would be a pleasant contrast to the freezing rain we hiked out in 4 years ago. Packs are heavier ...bigger food bags. Hoping for spectacular views in the Bigelows.
Re-living the Dream ....
'Slogger (and BadAss Turtle)
Hope it's clear for you on Avery Peak.:sun
It's a Kodak C875
And I can assure you that the camera model # and my # of posts when this was posted have no correlation...honest! Purely coincidental:-?
On another note, the atmospheric conditions today in Maine were ideal for an assult on the Bigelows. Slogger and mate deserved a break after their trek across the Saddleback Range. In fact, several more good hiking days are on tap.:)Think I'll have to go for 'a walk in the woods'.:D
I was able to catch Slogger and BAT at West Carry Pond Lean-to Saturday afternoon and we spent the night there and sat around talking and listening to there adventures of going over Saddleback and crossing Obeton Stream. It was nice to catch them and enjoy good company.
Footslogger
08-19-2007, 12:19
As promised ...here are a couple pics from BadAss Turtle's big day !!
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/5/0/MadeIt.JPG (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18164&original=1&c=newimages&cutoffdate=1)[/URL]
[URL="http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18166&original=1&c=newimages&cutoffdate=1"]http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/5/0/AchingFeet.JPG (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18164&catid=newimages&cutoffdate=1)
'Slogger
Nice pics. Thanks for sharing them.
I'm saddened to see the sign indicating the A.T.'s northern terminus doesn't appear to have been repainted since last year. It's a shame to see it in such poor condition.
BSP might consider having 2 identical signs and rotate them annually or as needed. One would be on the summit and the other would be reconditioned and held in storage until packed to Baxter Peak and bolted into place and the other brought down for reconditioning.
It likely wouldn't be practical to do that for all BSP signs, but maybe the northern terminus sign is worthy of such special attention?;) :-? Perhaps someone might feel likewise and could offer to take on this task.
Footslogger
08-19-2007, 12:50
I was able to catch Slogger and BAT at West Carry Pond Lean-to Saturday afternoon and we spent the night there and sat around talking and listening to there adventures of going over Saddleback and crossing Obeton Stream. It was nice to catch them and enjoy good company.
=============================================
...and here are a couple pics
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/5/0/TrollandHammock.JPG (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18167&original=1&c=newimages&cutoffdate=1)
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/5/0/SloggerBATandTroll.JPG (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18168&original=1&c=newimages&cutoffdate=1)
'Slogger
Footslogger
08-19-2007, 12:52
[quote=Shades of Gray;394194]Nice pics. Thanks for sharing them.
I'm saddened to see the sign indicating the A.T.'s northern terminus doesn't appear to have been repainted since last year. It's a shame to see it in such poor condition.
=========================================
I noticed the deterioration myself ...especially since my 2003 summit. Tough conditions up there.
'Slogger
Did you get a good pic of Flagstaff Lake from Avery Peak you would be willing to share with readers who have never been there?
Footslogger
08-19-2007, 13:31
Did you get a good pic of Flagstaff Lake from Avery Peak you would be willing to share with readers who have never been there?
========================================
Unfortunately we did not. Camped at the Avery Memorial Campsite the night before going over the peak. The morning we hiked over Avery there was quite a bit of mist and cloud cover. Flagstaff was visible on and off but not long/clear enough to get a good shot.
Here are a few pics from that morning. You do catch a small glimpse of the edge of Flagstaff on the last shot of Little Bigelow ...
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/5/0/AveryPeak1.JPG (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18169&original=1&c=newimages&cutoffdate=1)
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/5/0/AveryPeak2.JPG (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18170&original=1&c=newimages&cutoffdate=1)
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/5/0/LittleBigelow.JPG (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18171&original=1&c=newimages&cutoffdate=1)
'Slogger
Perhaps you'll return again someday when you'll be able to see for yourself what I've seen. It's a special place even when clouds hide Flagstaff Lake from hikers who can only wish they might see it.;)
Footslogger
08-19-2007, 13:57
Perhaps you'll return again someday when you'll be able to see for yourself what I've seen. It's a special place even when clouds hide Flagstaff Lake from hikers who can only wish they might see it.;)
====================================
We're already talking about another thru in 2010 ...but this time TOGETHER !!
We shall return ...
'Slogger