Date: 2007-09-18
From: Safford Brook Trail

To: East Flagstaff Rd
Miles today: 6.4

Tuesday, September 18, 2007Juncture of Safford Brook Trail and AT to East Flagstaff Rd, 8.6 miles (6.4 count)Breakfast at Harrison¢s with Kilgore Trout and Jungle Jim. One of Kilgore¢s favorite authors is the late Kurt Vonnegut (me too). Kilgore Trout's trail name is the name of a character, a science fiction writer, who appears in more than one of Vonnegut's novels. Kilgore feels Vonnegut slipped in his later years, his final novel an embarrassment that contains nothing new. I¢m feeling that same way about these journals. Nothing new. I figure I¢ll quit journaling after I finish the FLT journal this fall and this second-time-around AT journal next year. Kilgore¢s 2006 thruhike was cut short by Lyme disease. He had to get off the trail in VT. This year he¢s finishing up: VT, NH and ME.Tim tells Kilgore there¢s a pond just north of here named Kilgore Pond. It¢s loaded with trout. Anybody who¢s named Kilgore Trout should take some time to go up there and fish for trout! Jungle Jim, so trail-named because he is always climbing over everything, carries a Nikon camera with 2 lenses. Bet his photos are wonderful.Goodbye Tim and thanks for everything. We will pass along your regards to Sue in Stratton.   Goodbye to fluffy 3-times-washed Rusty because he rolled in scat yesterday, and goodbye to Tudie. We loved being here.Start 11AM at Safford Brook Trail, bringing enough gear for an overnight stay should we not make it out to East Flagstaff Rd before dark.12:25, at the juncture, hello to NOBO¢s Pittsburgh and Pippy.Stop for about a 15-minute lunch. Start up Little Bigelow. At the top, a day-hiker from Waterville calls Memere and Gray Feathers an ¢inspiration¢. I tell him to find another word. To Memere and Gray Feathers, ¢inspiration¢ means ¢old¢.What will Memere and Gray Feathers wear when they summit Katahdin? Costumes? Gray feathers? Alpine hat, lederhosen and leather wine pouch? Party gowns? I say, wouldn¢t it be perfect to finish the AT next year instead of 2009, hiking the rest of the south together in the spring (5-6 weeks) and the 100-mile Wilderness in September, summiting K with children and grandchildren in the middle or end of that month? GF and M, Purple Rose, Zig Zag and me, and maybe Lady Di too, all Class of 2008?Right now, Memere and Gray Feathers don't see how they can finish before 2009.Beautiful descent over rock faces/ledges and alpine vegetation, red-leaved low-bush blueberries. In August 2005 I stealth-camped here, an unforgettable night under the stars.4:55 we reach the side trail to the Little Bigelow Lean-To. We¢re about a mile from our exit point now.We retrieve the other car and drive both into the parking/camping area off East Flagstaff Rd. Though he¢s gone now, for the last 2 weeks Walkin Home has been providing trail magic here. Mala and Tucker are camping here. Mala has built a nice campfire. Memere and Gray Feathers pitch their tent, lining it with the foam mattress from the Element and Gray Feathers¢ thermarest. I spread out a picnic blanket, which the 3 of us sit on to eat guacamole, salsa, chips, salad, cheese, crackers and drink a can of beer.Memere and Gray Feathers retire early. I sit at the fire in one of Mala¢s chairs, listening to trail and other tales, including black humor story about a tank truck full of animal innards bound for a dog food cannery splitting open on the highway, engulfing the car behind it in which friends of Mala¢s were traveling to a party. Mala began hiking the AT in 1992. He¢s logged over 11,000 miles on it so far.I get a great night¢s sleep in the Element, on top of both my own thermarest and Memere¢s extra fat one. Beautiful stars and moon. Gentle night. Good sleep.