Date: 2007-09-14
From: Avery Campsite

To: West Carry Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: broken clouds

Today JB and I passed the 2,000 mile mark! Hard to believe we've walked that far, one stwp at a time, one day at a time. We passed markers in 2 locations, the first a line of white stones just off the summit of Little Bigelow Mt, and the second a painted sign on the asphalt of the Long Falls Dam Road. The Thru-hiker's Companion indicates the stones on Little Bigelow Mt were the actual 2,000 mile mark for this year.It was cold when we woke up this AM, 32 on my thermometer inside my tent. We packed quickly and hit the trail by 7.30 anticipating a tough climb over Avery Peak. It turned out we were correct. The climb to the old fire lookout was rocky and exposed with a strong and gust wind trying to tip us over and off the rock ribs at any moment. The last quarter mile was above timberline and had superb views over Flagstaff Lake to the north and back to Sugarloaf Mtn to the south. The clouds were hanging low over the peak and whizzing past on the high winds. We didn't stay long because the clouds were coming down quickly and it was getting colder. By the time we reached a viewpoint little more than a mile away the peak was covered by clouds and never reappeared that day. We had gone over it in the only window of the day.The descent to Safford Notch was only 2.5 miles but took more than 2 hours over some rough terrain that was still wet and slippery. I am still very slow on downhills and having to be very careful where my right foot goes. We ate a quick lunch in the notch then headed over Little Bigelow Mountain.Little Bigelow Mt is a long ridgeline that has multiple small peaks and lots of narrow outlooks. Unfortunately the thick haze and low hanging clouds made for poor visibility and the views were limited at best. JB and I took photos of each other at the 2,000 mile marker just past the summit sign. It was hard to believe we had made it that far. The day I hiked up Springer Mt in the rain did not seem that long ago or that far away.The trail down from Little Bigelow had a lot of open rock slabs tilted and sloped at various angles. Some were dry with good footing while others were wet and slick. Each required attention and careful placement of feet.We stopped briefly at Little Bigelow Lean-to for a snack and were caught and passed by Splendora and Mojo. They were also headed for West Carry Pond Lean-to for the night. The terrain was relatively flat but roots and rocks made the terrain a constant challenge for me. I lean heavily on my hiking poles for stability in the rocks and roots to minimize the constant motion of my ankle. The result is that I have been getting much more of a workout lately but only moving at about half speed on the flats.I arrived at the lean-to about 6.30, just before dark, and decided to sleep in the lean-to to be able to get an early start. JB and I hoped to make the 2.30 PM ferry over the Kennebec River, about 14 miles away. We had heard that the forcast was for rain overnight so I didn't want to have to pack and carry a wet tent tomorrow.Several times during the night I woke to loons calling from the nearby pond. What a treat!