Date: 2015-09-15
From: Stratton Motel, Stratton ME

To: East Flagstaff Road
Miles today: 16.7

I wanted to hike all the Bigalows at once, but I did not want to bite off more than I could safely chew. I carefully studied my maps, the AT guide, and the weather. I also checked Guthook. Yes, I am now "serious" about hiking the AT because I now have Guthook. And I talked with Shane about exit points if I determined I could not do all the miles or needed to get off the AT due to an emergency. I marked those points on my AT guide. One involved 4 non-AT miles down a steep side trail and the other involved 2 non-AT miles down a steep side trail.I had hoped to be at the trailhead by first light, but I did not get there until closer to 6:30 a.m. The AT dipped for almost 2 miles, then started a steady climb for the next 2.5 miles. The climb was tough and challenging, but not treacherous. I collected water along the way. I knew water would be scarce after the first peak.I took a break at the Horns Pond Shelter and enjoyed chatting with the Caretaker before continuing the climb to the summit of South Horn at 3831 feet. I noticed I could see my breathe and realized that I was hiking through a low cloud. MY breathe was actually water vapor.The AT followed a ridge from South Horn to Bigalow Mtn west peak, to Avery Peak. I was feeling good and making good time. The weather was perfect - dry, cool, low humidity, and a breeze. And the terrain was not too bad. I decided to do all 16.7 miles. But I was going to have to hit it hard to finish before dark. I stopped briefly to take a few pictures, but otherwise I kept moving. I liked the fitting memorial to Myron Avery, who took the AT from an idea to reality.   A plaque is attached to a boulder up on the ridge above treeline with an absolutely beautiful view of the AT and Maine.The descent from Avery Peak was steep in places, but overall not that bad. The AT dipped back below treeline and seemed to randomly zig zag through the forest, occassionally becoming a bit challenging. There was no water directly on the trail.Finally I started the long climb up little Bigalow which, with exposed slick rock, was more treacherous than any of the earlier climbs. The profile in the AT guide makes it appear that little Bigalow is essentially flat on top. It isn't. Instead it is a series of climbs. Just when you think you have reached the top, the AT takes a small dip and then climbs again. I thought it would never end. But then I remembered I now have Guthook, and I was able to determine exactly where I was and when the climbs would finally end.The initial descent from Little Bigalow was steep and challenging, but eventually smoothed to a more gentle decline. I was running out of daylight. In fact I hiked just about all of the last mile in the dark by headlamp. When I say it was dark, it was pitch black out there. The forest in Maine is extremely dense. If the moon or stars were out I did not see them. To add insult to injury, I was out of water and could hear the brook rushing beside the AT.My ETA was 7:30 to 7:45. I made it to the trailhead at about 7:50. Shane was there waiting for me.The AT is calling. I am SOOOO glad I have all of the Bigalows, along with all of the other high peaks in Maine, except for Katahdin, behind me.