Date: 2011-08-19
From: Stratton Motel and Hostel

To: Little Bigelow Lean-to
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

(In which I hike over the Bigelows and cross the 2000 mile mark)Despite staying up late to cram in more internet time I wake up before anyone else and head downstairs to make a bagel with cheese in the kitchen. The hostel stay also includes a ride back to the trail, and the hotel proprietor has already arranged to help two section hikers drop off a car at the trailhead at 7:30am, so I tag along and get a early start on the trail.At the first lean-to (as the shelters are called in Maine) I read a registry entry by a hiker who has ranked the 14 states on the trail in order of trail preference. When I try to write my own list the ordering of the top spots is tricky (less so for the bottom spots), but I do notice that my top 7 spots contain 6 of the first 7 states, and that the early states are highly correlated with high rankings. This surprises me, as I recall having enjoyed the second half of the trip even more than the first (at least up until the Whites). The ranking might be an artifact of being able to recall the unpleasant specifics of the more recent states better, but I don't think it is only an artifact, as I can't recall ever disliking a state before Jersey.A nicely staired trail takes me up to Mt. Bigelow, the second amazing view in Maine so far after Saddleback. On a clear day Bigelow is supposed to offer the first view of Katahdin on the trail, and while it's too hazy for that, I do get an impressive view of the enormous Lake Flagstaff, whose waters are the pale milky blue of reflected clouds. The initial climb pays off again with the nearby and equally spectacular Avery peak, and shortly after this second peak I come to a hand painted sign that says only "2000" in large numerals. It's only the third milestone sign other than state lines, and I'm glad that someone took it upon themself to help celebrate the occasion. Crossing this line makes me feel like I am in the home stretch for the first time, and no matter what else happens, it's comforting to know that one time I walked 2000 miles from Georgia to Maine.On the way to the last lean-to I see Sherpa and Sprout, and meet their friend Lil' Scrappy who has joined them for the hike to Katahdin. They slowed down for the last two days to give Scrappy a chance to ramp up, but plan to pick up the speed again and summit on August 31st, the same date that I had tentatively hoped for. This seems like a slightly faster than ideal pace for someone who hasn't been hiking all summer, but Scrappy is unconcerned, having trained by running over the summer. I am glad not to be in her position, my own experience being that running did little to prepare my knees for even the weight of a sub-20 lb pack.At the shelter Sherpa and Sprout continue the process of teaching their friend how to live the food-centric existence of a hiker. "Everyone expects that we will come to deep realizations about ourselves and overcome some inner weakness," Sherpa says. "But then they actually talk to us and we're all, 'Ohmygod have you TRIED Skittles Blenders?!'" This reminds me of my brother's grand epiphony on his through hike: that when you stop to think about it, Reeces Pieces look a lot like the turds of a Reeces Peanut Butter Cup, and their name even sounds a lot like Reeces Feces.I have yet to obtain any insight of this significance yet, but with 172.5 miles still to go, I have not given up hope yet.