2018 Section Hikers

[Berserker]

Preliminary plan for the year is to...do Rangeley to Monson in ME.

Got back a couple of days ago from this section. I split this one up into 3 subsections that were all hiked NOBO as follows:

• Subsection 1 – Caratunk to Monson
• Subsection 2 – Stratton to Caratunk
• Subsection 3 – Rangeley to Stratton

For those familiar with this piece of trail you already know that this was probably a good way of breaking this up as the subsections got progressively harder.

I’ve been battling some minor injury problems this year (knee and achillies), so I didn’t hit this section in the best of shape. It made it quite interesting because for the first time I couldn’t rely on my physical conditioning to power through, but rather I had to will myself mentally through this one. Let’s get to it.

SUBSECTION 1 – CARATUNK TO MONSON
This is neat section in ME because out of the 167.3 miles I’ve done in ME so far (NH/ME line to Monson) this was the easiest piece of trail. The weather on this piece stayed dry, but it was hot and humid. Nonetheless, the dryness resolved a lot of the mud issues that I was hearing about from the previously week of multiple days of rain. Highlights in this section were the beach at Pleasant Pond, the summits of Pleasant Pond and Moxie Bald Mountains, the absolutely heavenly ripe blueberries on Moxie Bald, the loons at the ponds and Horseshoe Canyon.

This section was planned for 4 days and 3 nights out, but I ended up finishing it in 3 days and then took a zero on the 4^th day.

SUBSECTION 2 – STRATTON TO CARATUNK
This section has Bigelow and Little Bigelow mountains in it, and they end up being almost half the section. The summits of the peaks of Bigelow were stunning, but the terrain had me dub this sucker “Big and Nasty”. It was more of the same hot and humid junk, but things took a turn on the first night. I was camped at Safford Notch, and it rained heavily for several hours during the night and kept going on as a lighter rain until lunchtime the next day. The heavy rain got a lot of my stuff damp, and I took on some water in the tent. Sil-nylon can only handle so much. It was warm so it wasn’t a big deal though.

I stayed at West Carry Pond the next night, but wasn’t able to dry anything out even though it cleared up as it was still humid and got a bit foggy overnight. Then I spent the third night at Pierce Pond. I got there earlier in the afternoon on a clear, hot breezy day, and the first thing I did was hang everything out to dry. It dried in like 20 minutes, and was a huge boost to moral. There were more loons at both ponds (I love loons because it’s a childhood memory from MN), and at Pierce pond there was a chorus of loons, bullfrogs and ducks going on all night, which was a weird combo but yet enjoyable.

Then of course there is the Kennebec ferry at the end of this section that was a neat experience.

SUBSECTION 3 – RANGELEY TO STRATTON
This was the beating. I came into this section a little worn out. This one is just 32 miles of going up and down the whole time, and the terrain ranges from moderately challenging (the Crockers and Lone Mountain) to the all-out ME smackdown stuff that resembles the Whites (Saddleback, Spaulding and the descent down the other side of the Spaulding ridge). Although I loved most of it I was ready to get the H…E…double hockey sticks out of there by the last day or two.

Highlights here are the summits of all the mountains. However, the Spaulding summit is not on the AT, and was fogged in when I went up there and North Crocker is wooded. My physical beating started with getting sunburnt and overheated going over Saddleback and the Horn. Got hit by a big T-storm that night at Reddington campsite. The next day was Saddleback Junior and it was all I could do to drag my arse to Spaulding Lean-to. Rained during the night and part of the next morning, so the hike over Spaulding pretty much blew. Drug my rear into the Crocker Cirque campsite and got some good rest. The cirque is really neat if you have a chance to check it out (continue up the blue blaze through the campsite about 0.3 miles off the AT). Got a very brief T-storm in the afternoon, and then it cleared out, cooled down and got drier. The next day was a pleasant hike in cool dry weather, but I was pretty beat when I got to the parking lot. I had to basically limp in because I had tweaked a tendon or something in my ankle a few days prior that was flaring up.

FINAL NOTES
So, with this trip in the books I have 155.9 miles left to finish the trail consisting of 41.4 miles in VA (Pinnacle Parking in SNP to VA 55 at Manassas Gap) and the final 114.5 miles from Monson to the summit of Katadhin. Hopefully somewhere around this time next year I’ll complete my section hike of the AT if all goes well.

[jimmyjam]

Hiked Marion, VA to Dragons Tooth VA. Hiked the White Mountains.

[Naughty Pines]

My wife and I recently purchased a beautiful piece of property near Little Wilson Falls (about 3 miles away) near the beginning of the hundred mile wilderness. We are hoping to host a few lucky hikers next year. We are 8 miles from the trail town of Monson ME. A great base camp for the 100 mile wilderness or day hikes to the falls or Baron Ledges. If you’re thru hiking and looking for the peace and quiet of the trail with all the benefits of a hostel (minus the chaos) or looking to section hike in the 100 mile wilderness private message us if interested.

[u.w.]

Finished (now yesterday) Saturday morning, 9/8/18 in the gravel parking lot off VT9 outside of Bennington, VT. That's every step, from the Approach Trail all the way to the sign on top of Katahdin, complete.

Was hoping to meet Gambit McCrae on this one as he was out hiking in the same area going the opposite direction (I went sobo f/Wentworth to VT9), but we missed seeing each other unfortunately .... I could write a novel right right about now... but... will not...
The signs were there all along... I did not know when I started this whole "I'm going to hike, and hike the AT" thing, that I was entering into a serious relationship with hiking and the AT. It became Very apparent to me as I began planning this last (now complete) section, and indeed hiking it too. I gave my heart to it so easily I didn't realize it at first... And now looking forward to the next & the next & the next...,

u.w.

[Carl7]

[QUOTE=u.w.;2222436]Finished (now yesterday) Saturday morning, 9/8/18 in the gravel parking lot off VT9 outside of Bennington, VT. That's every step, from the Approach Trail all the way to the sign on top of Katahdin, complete.

Congrats u.w.! Now it's time to start again with round 2!!!

My last big section to do is from Rutland, VT to Kent, CT. This weekend I start at Rutland in hopes of making it to Great Barrington for the section. I am so excited to go. During the prior section to Rutland, it was late July. I will be nice to hike this time in late September in cooler weather with maybe a little color in the leaves.

My prior section to that was in early April from Neal's Gap to the end of the Approach Trail. I had never hike the Approach Trail or the the last couple of miles from the last shelter to Springer. It's was so cool to hike south past so many hikers starting their journey to Katahdin. Their stories were awesome to hear.

Enjoy, Carl

[u.w.]

[QUOTE=Carl7;2222439]

Finished (now yesterday) Saturday morning, 9/8/18 in the gravel parking lot off VT9 outside of Bennington, VT. That's every step, from the Approach Trail all the way to the sign on top of Katahdin, complete.

Congrats u.w.! Now it's time to start again with round 2!!!

My last big section to do is from Rutland, VT to Kent, CT. This weekend I start at Rutland in hopes of making it to Great Barrington for the section. I am so excited to go. During the prior section to Rutland, it was late July. I will be nice to hike this time in late September in cooler weather with maybe a little color in the leaves.

Enjoy, Carl

Thank you very much!


The views from atop Killington, Bromley, Baker peak, among many others, and the towers atop Straton Mtn & Glastenbury Mtn, are Amazing and "wow" worthy for sure. When you look across the mountains from a viewpoint, you can see all the mountains are just starting to change from green into the orange, red, and yellow colors that they will become. In a week, it will hopefully be even more so.



Thanks again, and I hope you have a super great hike!


u.w.

[mkoltonuk]

This is Bigfoot.
Started mid April from Pearisburg VA to Rockfish Gap. Then next day flew to Newberg, NY and hiked from Bear Mt bridge over the Hudson on up to Rutland VT by June 12, 2018. Have now completed trail from Springer to Rutland. Next June will continue from Rutland to Katahdin.