Date: 2008-07-16
From: Horns Pond Lean-tos

To: Little Bigelow Lean-to
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: clear sky

From: Horns Pond Lean-tosTo: Little Bigelow Lean-toToday's mileage: 10.2Total Milage:2001.5During the night I kept hearing strange noises such as clomping all around and snorts that sounded like horses. I got up a few times and shone my light out my tent but could not see anything. I found out later that there were moose around and many hikers saw them in the morning.We were up early again and headed almost straight up to South Horn (3805). I am finally feeling like my legs are getting stronger, as I did not feel too bad on this very steep climb. We then hiked down and back up to West Peak of Bigelow Mtn. At the bottom we met two south bounders who said the Bigelows were really hard but again we climbed up to above tree line and thought it was just spectacular. The summit at 4145 was like being in the White Mountains again but just enjoying it more. You were just walking on rocks above tree line with the most beautiful views of the Main wilderness with its many lakes, ponds, and hundreds of miles of nothing but forests. You felt like you were on top of the world. When you are in the Whites you mostly just see the other mountains, but here there are not so many 4000's footers so you can see down into the valleys better and all the water sparkling in the sun created a superb picture. At the peak we met Down Easter and stopped for pictures and conversation. We could look straight across and see Avery Peak and so went down to Avery Memorial Campsite to take a break and dry out our tents from the night before. The campsite and the peak are named for Avery, one of the main people who established the AT. We climbed to the summit where they have a fire tower and a plaque to explain Avery's contributions to the trail. Also at the summit we met Dan who hike the trial in 1974 (I can't imagine how different and hard it was to do it back then) and his daughter Fire, who hiked it in 2005. I think that is very one special bond they would have together. It bonds strangers together in minutes I can only imagine the one between father and daughter.We headed down and then had to go over one more mountain for today. The down was hard and steep and was 2 miles long. At about the half way point, we ran into a father and two boys who were trying to get to the top with only a small amount of water left. Recon showed the father the map and explained they still had a mile of very steep rocky terrain to cover and to turn around and go back and try it a day when they had more water. Once again it amazes me what people think they can do out here on this trail.We got to the bottom and started up Little Bigelow which turned into our hardest part of the day, not because of the steepness or difficult climbs but because we were tired and it seemed to go on forever. At the top we met Dogger, Venture, and Long Step, north bounders who had benefited from Mary Ann's trail angel stuff. She had gotten Susan (owner of Stratton Motel) to let them camp there and use her room to freshen up.A tired Recon and I rolled into the Little Bigelow Lean-to around 5:30. Down Easter, the three above mentioned north bounders, two section hikers and another north bounder 70 year-old Barefodder rolled in later.Tonight I learned that Loner is back on the trail and picked up in New York where he had to get off last year because he had broken his ankle. I had hiked with him from Georgia through parts of Virginia with him last year. And I also heard that Pebble and Sunny Side are off again (I found out later this was not ture and the summited on August 11). All the tent spaces were taken tonight so we are in the shelter but I am already getting eaten by bugs!