Date: 2017-09-22
From: Safford Notch Campsite

To: West Carry Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 12.6

9/22Safford Notch Campsite to West Carry Pond Lean-to12.6 miles Total miles:  2024.6I slept until 6:00 this morning, and it was 7:45 before I was ready to hit the trail.  The campsite is really quite impressive with tent sites constructed by building up one side of an area with rocks to create a level spot large enough for a tent. A good deal of effort went into each pad's creation. I hiked back out the side trail and took a photo of the cave/tunnel on the way back to the AT.  I was headed north again by 8:00.  The first order of business was to hike up Little Bigelow Mountain, the last of the Bigelows. The climb was straightforward, again in perfect hiking weather.  There was a view as I reached the ridgeline, which stretches on for over a mile. The summit itself is tree covered with no view.  I then began the long descent down to Flagstaff Lake. I ate lunch along its shore, and Flagstaff Lake looks as impressive close up as it does from atop the Bigelows.  A single pair of birds swam in front of me. Unfortunately, I'm not too good with  bird types, but I was told they were mergancers. I have good friends at home that will help me make a positive identification.  The trail all afternoon qualified as regular trail, albeit with lots of rocks and roots to add some spice.  It felt almost strange to just be hiking again and not ascending and descending steep mountainous trails. I came across yet another 2,000 mile marker, and someone had painted "2,000 miles" across Long Falls Dam Road. A proofreader with a spray can corrected the error by crossing out the errant number and replacing it with the correct mileage: 2,021.1. Three and a half miles later, I hiked into the West Carry Pond Lean-to area. It was only 5:15, which made for a much more leisurely evening in camp. I walked down to West Carry Pond to get water and sat on the bank for awhile enjoying the view. Another pair of birds, identical in appearance to the ones at Flagstaff Lake, swam together in the lake.  I am presently 13.6 miles from the Kennebec River, which presents a bit of a dilema. Fording the Kennebec is strongly discouraged, and the ATC and the MATC provide a free ferry service via canoe across the river. Unfortunately, the ferry service only runs until 2:00. If Gravity, Tengo, and I can get to the river before then, we will be able to cross and get to Caratunk tomorrow. If not, we'll need to wait until the next day. Our plan is to all hike to Pierce Pond Lean-to tomorrow, which is 4.2 miles to the river and reassess our chances then. The terrain is conducive, as the entire route is basically flat with a slight descending tilt towards the river. We're planning on getting an early start, but not pushing to the point of stressing about it. I'm sure there will be plenty of roots and rocks to hike over, around, and on, so we'll still need to be careful. Either way, the canoe ferry is another fun part of the AT experience, and I'm really looking forward to it. Right before waking up to write this, I had a nightmare that I was being forced to hike at night while writing my journal at the same time. Believe me, trying to hike by the light of a cell phone is no easy task. It's still very early for me to be writing this (10:30), and I'm looking forward to going back to sleep while listening to the calls of loons and the howling of coyotes.  Another wonderful day in Maine draws to a close.