Date: 2023-09-07
From: Crocker Cirque Campsite

To: Shaws Hostel, Monson, ME
Miles today: 81.0

Google Photos Photo AlbumDay 85Crocker Cirque to Horns Pond Lean-toAT miles 10.8Miles hiked 13.5Mileage-wise this is supposed to be a short day but I had a feeling the Crocker Mountains were going to strike a balance between miles and effort. The hiking turned out to be pretty decent and there were a lot of great views along the way. I came to a trail intersection with a backpack leaning against a tree and a spruce grouse in a tree across the trail. I took some pics of the grouse who seemed totally unconcerned by my presence. I then took the short spur trail to take in the view. The view wasn¢t bad but wasn¢t worth the detour. The grouse was still there when I got back. I started wondering, with all the grouse I¢ve seen and the fact that they don¢t seem to mind people being around, how grouse hunting is even a thing. Like, where¢s the challenge?South Crocker Mountain provided views of the mountains I¢d hiked over the past couple of days. Whenever I look back where I¢ve been it¢s alway kind of amazing to see how far I¢ve walked. Of course, the times when I can look ahead at what¢s to come my legs sometimes preemptively start hurting knowing what they¢re in for.The climb up North Crocker was pretty challenging. Not looking forward to more of the same, I was pleasantly surprised at the smooth downhill hike I was experiencing. There were a couple of blowdowns and creeks to negotiate but this was the nicest couple of hours of hiking I¢d experienced in several days.Finally down at the freshly paved parking lot, Silverback called for our shuttle. I was out of water and the nearest place to get water was a ways uphill from where we were standing. I couldn¢t wait for our ride because I wasn¢t climbing back up. One of the Jenns showed up to get us and we were on our way. When we got to the hostel she gave us a quick tour then took us to their resupply room. They had just about everything hikers normally buy which made this pretty easy. She had to do another shuttle so we just lounged around and ate while waiting for her to return. Hang Time, James, and Chad were there and Hang Time and I talked for a bit. He said GOAT was at the urgent care place gettting her ankle checked out but that it looked like her hike might be over. She stepped on the edge of the freshly paved parking lot at Rte 27 where we got picked up and rolled her ankle.  About an hour later Jenn returned and we loaded up to return to the trail. This was a pretty quick turn around. Back at the parking lot we had a long five mile climb awaiting us. On the map it looked fairly gradual and we thought we¢d make the eight mile hike to the Bigelow Col Campsite by dark. We were hiking pretty fast and covered the first four miles in about 90 minutes. This was more impressive because there were several stretches where we had to use our hands on several climbs up and down. As we were hiking we started hearing the first rumbles of thunder. Just over the summit, while gasping for breath, we got our first spatters of rain and the thunder was growing closer. We pulled up Far Out to reconsider our options not wanting to tackle the Bigelows in a thunderstorm in the dark. About a mile away was a campsite that had water so we decided to stop there.The campsite was big and well maintained. The spring was low and a little muddy but we were able to get water nonetheless. Instead of bear boxes this campsite had five gallon plastic buckets with lids held down by rocks. By way of explanation there was a paper attached to each bucket recommending we put our food bags in the buckets to protect them from the CHIPMUNKS. Oh yes, those evil creatures. We met a couple of SOBO hikers who made us feel better about our decision to stop here for the night, saying the climb up the North Horn was going to be challenging ¢ especially in the dark and possibly rain.  The rain stopped long enough for us to set up and eat dinner. After dark a couple of other hikers came in and I heard Silverback give them directions to the shelters and privies (there were two shelters and two privies at this campsite.)Sometime in the night we had a pretty good rain, complete with thunder and lightning. Thankfully I stayed dry inside my tent and slept pretty good.Day 86Horns Pond to Flagstaff CampsiteAT miles 12.8Miles hiked 12.8Overnight the rain had stopped and it got windy. By the time I woke up my tent was dry. I started fixing breakfast and packing knowing we had a hard 18 to 20 mile day planned.  Shortly after getting on the trail it started raining again. At least it was not storming. The climb up North Horn had some technical sections and overall would have been a pain but not the worst thing I experienced in the dark if we¢d tried the climb the night before. However, the views were amazing and we would have missed them in the dark. I felt like the Bigelows were turning out to be kind of like a miniature Franconia Ridge. There was a cloud inversion over the valley to the west along with views of a huge lake in the valley. Mostly the hiking was pretty nice. The climb up Bigelow West was surprisingly nice and the views just kept getting better. Coming down West Peak I noticed a stone structure. This was on Avery Peak. When I got there I saw that the structure used to be part of a fire tower. Now it was a great place to get out of the wind and eat lunch. After lunch I went over to see the monument to the peak¢s namesake, Myron Avery, the driving force behind the creation of the Appalachian trail.As the day went on, the on and off misting rain dissipated turning into a sunny, warm day. The climb up and down from the Bigelows had me kind of tired but I was determined to make the last few miles to West Carry Lean-to to put myself in position for the famous breakfast at Harrison¢s Pierce Pond Cabin. However, I came to the shore of Flagstaff Lake and thought how nice it would be to camp there. Moving on I passed a SOBO hiker who asked if my trail name was Taps. Wow, how did he know? He told me my buddy Silverback was just up the trail waiting for me. I hurried up the trail to see what was up. Seems Silverback was also, like me, tired and wanted to camp here for the night. There was a nice campsite with a privy so we stopped. I set up, fixed a snack, and went down by the lake to chill, swat mosquitoes, and watch the scenery. After my snack I was still hungry and went up to my tent for more food. Just after getting to my tent it suddenly went from sunshine and no rain to sunshine and a downpour followed by darkness, thunder, and a more intense downpour. I dove in my tent and ate some cheetos and candy bars then immediately fell asleep. I woke up about two hours later still hungry, so I fixed dinner and went back to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a trail race of sorts.Day 87Flagstaff Campsite to Harrison's Pierce PondAT miles 15.4Miles hiked 15.8Thankfully, according to the elevation profile, this hike would not involve a lot of climbing. That was the good news. The other news is that Tim (the owner of Harrison¢s Pierce Pond Cabin) only serves 10 breakfasts per day and you have to make in-person reservations. I so wanted to experience that pancake breakfast. So, this was really a 15 mile foot race.  After a quick breakfast I was off. Right off the bat the trail was an uphill obstacle course of tree roots, overhanging branches, and random bowling ball sized rocks. Not in the plan and not conducive to fast hiking. Undaunted, I slipped, tripped, and fast-hiked up the trail. Whenever there was a cruisy section of trail I was gone. At one point I stopped to filter water and there was a red squirrel who seemed to take exception to my presence. He kept running up to me barking and chattering then I¢d chase him off and he¢d come back with more of the same. One thing I¢ve noticed about those red squirrels, they may be small but they have big attitudes and they are fearless.I made it to the shelter a little before 4 and there was a cooler of trail magic. I grabbed a Gatorade and thanked whoever the mystery trail angels were then continued to the cabin. I made it! There were 3 spots left for breakfast when I arrived. After I signed up, Tim, the owner, gave me directions to the stealth campsite nearby. So off I went to set up camp. Silverback was already there along with 3 other hikers. We hiked the AT back to the shelter on the blue trail, including the river crossing so that we wouldn't have to do that section the next day and could instead hike straight out of camp after breakfast.T and T, a husband and wife hiking duo, had built a small fire so we sat in the smoke to keep the mosquitoes at bay while we ate dinner.  By then it was dark which means bedtime in the hiking world.I tried to use my Instinct 2 to send a message to Robin but it wouldn't connect to my phone. I sat my phone down and suddenly I had a phone signal. Great! When I picked it up to text, no signal. I set it back on my sleeping pad and no signal. After moving it around a bit I found one place that in a certain position I had a signal. Ok, gotta work with what I've got. In checking my messages a fellow coach was looking for a map of a cross country course. Robin, having real Internet tried in vain to find the map online with no luck. The link no longer worked. I ended up typing the directions in this awkward position for what seemed like forever. That done I was off to sleep.Day 88Harrison's Pierce Pond Cabin to Sterling Inn, Caratuk, MEAT miles 3.1Miles Hiked 4.5Today I would experience two iconic experiences on the AT. The first would be Tim's famous pancake breakfast at his cabin. The second would be the canoe ferry across the Kennebec River.  Coffee was served at 6:30 and breakfast promptly at 7:00. I was up at 6 (even though my body was begging for more sleep) and got myself up to the cabin by 6:20. The coffee was already waiting for us. Breakfast was 12 pancakes, syrup (of course), scrambled eggs, sausages, and orange juice. It looked like a lot but I made quick work of cleaning my plates. Tim is a big music lover and accomplished piano player.  He played some while we were eating. After breakfast I was noodling on the piano and he and Bill said I needed to play something for them. I tried to decline saying it had been years since I played. They insisted so I played a song that was on the piano. I surprised myself at how it didn't sound too bad and they were very complimentary.Bill is at least in his 70s and is finishing up his thru hike. Amazing! We were standing around talking when I looked out the window and saw that it was pouring. It wasn't supposed to rain until the afternoon. I just love packing up in the rain. I quickly said my thank yous and goodbyes and headed back to camp to pack up. Thankfully it was a short hike to the Kennebec then we would be staying in a hostel for rest and resupply. The final push of the north bound leg is coming up.I packed up pretty quickly and was on trail headed towards the famous river crossing.  This hike was one of my favorites in Maine so far. There were big hardwoods, big rocks, spruce forests, waterfalls, and a hike along a river. The rain made everything seem so fresh. It stopped raining about a mile into the hike but the wet vegetation along with the overflowing stream made sure I was thoroughly soaked.Shortly before the river I came to a section of trail that had been rerouted. I¢m not sure of the condition of the old trail but the way they created the new trail was designed to be an erosion problem in a very short time. They used the old ¢rake a path through the woods¢ method of making a trail. Not in keeping with the latest sustainable trails methodology.When I got to the river I met a SOBO who said I just missed my ride but if I stand on the bank the guy will come back and get me. Sure enough, within 5 minutes he was paddling back across the river with his dog in the canoe. At first glance, other than being wide, the river didn't seem so special. It looked like I could easily wade across. Looks can be deceiving. When the guy pulled up I started to get in but he stopped me. First I had to sign a waiver. I jokingly quipped, "Oh, in case we tip over."He replied, "that or if your pack and belongings get wet."Oh. I get it. I filled out the form, he grabbed my pack and had me put on my PFD then allowed me to get in. As we were underway I asked if he wanted me to paddle. He said it was up to me. So I paddled. Why not? About 20 meters from shore I soon experienced how powerful the river was. We were paddling upstream to go across. Once we made the other bank I thanked him, grabbed my gear and headed up the trail to the road. I decided to walk the mile and a half to the inn rather than call and wait for a shuttle ride. Once at the inn the clerk registered me and showed me around. Now time for a hot shower and to do laundry. You know you stink when you can smell yourself. At 1:30 they drove us to Boatman¢s Bar and Grill for lunch and left us for 3 hours. We ordered lunch for there and a meal to go. As we were leaving, a hiker, Pig-Pen, showed up to eat lunch with some of her river guide friends. While she was telling us about the trail up ahead I commented on her VT slides. She told me she graduated from Tech in 2017 and while she was there she was one of the Hokie Bird mascots.At 4:30 our ride came to collect us and take us back to the Inn. Staying in our room was a hiker trying to save every page of a mushroom identification book on his phone. Also there was a 2022 thru hiker, Eight Eyes who was helping his dad, Mudski with his thru hike. We quizzed him about trail conditions compared to last year and he told us that last year they worried about not getting water since it was so dry. Not an issue this year. The remainder of the day/evening we ate snacks and laid around resting until it was time for bed. Day 89Caratuk to Bald Mountain Brook Lean-toAT miles 15.3Miles hiked 15.3We woke to a downpour outside. Not surprising.  After settling our accounts at the inn the owner drove us back to the trail. The rain had stopped just before we left. The weather forecast showed 5 days of rain. I had to rummage around in my pack before we started hiking to find a ziploc for my phone. While I was trying to do this two vehicles were having problems getting in the parking lot so I moved all my stuff so I wouldn't get run over. They figured out how to drive up the road so I could finally start hiking.The rain from the night before had made a mess of the trail. Muddier mud. Slicker rocks and roots. There would be no fast hiking on this section of trail.About 30 minutes into my hike I reached for my phone and it wasn't there. My first thought was that when I had to move for those vehicles it fell on the ground. I wasn't excited at the prospect of hiking back but I did need my phone. Before hiking back I at least had the presence of mind to check my pack and found my phone in my food bag.  That was good news.It didn't take long for the rain to resume. Fun. It only lasted about an hour but the humidity had to be around 100 percent. I was going to be wet no matter what.Despite the soggy trail the woods were nice and the hike was pleasant. The forest smells amazing after a rain.I stopped at the top of Pleasant Pond Mountain for a pleasant snack. Now that it was time to start going back down the mountain on exposed slate and granite it started raining again. At least I made it down that mountain and back up and over Middle Mountain without falling. There were plenty of slips all followed by good recoveries. Once at the bottom the rain stopped.I finally made it to Bald Mountain Brook lean-to to camp and quickly set up while it wasn't raining.  I ate dinner at the shelter with Silverback and three other hikers who were Virginia:Fire Tower and 007. Both are trail maintainers for the Old Rag Saddle Trail near Shenandoah National Park.I made it to my tent just before the rain resumed.  Day 90Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to to Hebron LakeAT miles 17.7Miles hiked 17.7Three months on the trail! When I was originally planning out my hike and trying to figure how long it would take, I guesstimated that I would make Katahdin on September 21. Somewhere in Pennsylvania I decided I could make it by September 15. I'm a little behind my "revised" pace but feel I'm doing OK. My ego driven revision didn't account for the weather, the Whites, and southern Maine. I didn't expect this much rain and the amount of rain we've had makes for slow hiking.Looking at the map and elevation profile we thought this would be an easy day. Not so. The previous days of rain combined with today's rain made for some slippery trail. Think bacon grease on a tile floor.Right off the bat we climbed Moxie Bald Mountain. In good weather it's one of the highlights of the trail and a sure sign you're getting close to the northern terminus. Today it was just another big hill surrounded by white. Keep moving. Nothing to see here.On the way down I stepped over a fallen tree and did the one foot mud ski until my foot got traction then I was rolling on the ground. Thank goodness for all this rain. The mud cushioned my landing so I didn't get hurt. After gathering my senses I was back on my way. I came to Bald Mountain Pond lean-to and being cold and feeling really hungry I stopped to cook a pot of ramen for lunch. I met another hiker, Sylvan, from Harrisonburg, VA. He too started his hike at Rockfish Gap only he went south to Springer then flew up to Millinocket and headed south from Katahdin back to Rockfish Gap. After lunch we said our farewells and I headed up the trail. Oh no! When I reached for my phone it wasn't in its little pouch. I ran back to the shelter and couldn't find it in the shelter or my pack. Wait! I must have lost it when I fell. Sylvan said he'd watch my pack while I raced back down the trail to look for it. As I started to cross the stream near the shelter two hikers were coming towards me. I asked if they had seen a phone. One of the hikers held up my phone and asked, "does it look like this"?I was ecstatic. He said they were coming down a hill and he saw a ziploc. When he got to the ziploc there was a phone inside. Then he saw the skid marks in the mud and figured out what must have happened. He didn't figure it would be so easy to find the owner. I didn't figure it would be so easy to find my phone. We introduced ourselves. It was S***water Fireball Queen of the Salamanders and Love Child. After finishing the trail I found out the S-water was a Trek blogger. A hiking celebrity! After profusely thanking them I was on my way again.During the hike there were three river crossings. Bald Mountain Stream, the first, was mid-thigh deep. The next was some unnamed brook that was about calf deep.  The final stream, the West Branch of the Piscataquis River, was pretty wide and flowing fast but just over knee deep.Following the final river crossing the trail was often very muddy. I finally made it to camp, falling only one more time. Shortly before reaching our campsite it stopped raining. Silverback had hung his poncho from a tree branch so I¢d be able to find our campsite in the dark. No sooner than I had my tent set up it started raining again.  I fixed dinner under my tent fly then dried and powdered my feet and put on my dry sleep clothes. I then ate dinner, wrote today's journal entry, and crawled under my warm sleeping quilt.Day 91Hebron Lake to Shaw's Hostel, Monson, MEAT miles 4.3Miles hiked 4.3We had a short hike today into Monson where we were staying at Shaw's hostel for rest and resupply and to figure out what's going on with Hurricane Lee. We took off and hiked the four short miles over wet, muddy trail to ME 15. In my Data Book Warren had mentioned watching out for slick slate. I took note of that comment but didn¢t appreciate its significance until I was sitting on my butt about 20 feet from the road. Slick hardly describes the conditions of what I wrongly assumed were just some black rocks on the descent to the road. Silverback managed to stay upright there but I talked to many hikers who took a spill there.Once at the parking lot Silverback called Shaw¢s and asked if we could get a ride even though we were earlier than the scheduled pickup time. We¢d have to pay but we didn¢t mind. It was cold and we were wet. Not a good combination.  Shaw's is a very popular stop for hikers. The hostel was started in the 70s. Hippie Chick and Poet bought the hostel in 2014. SOBOs stop there for pack shakedowns and equipment adjustments. NOBOs stop there because it's the last resupply before the 100 Mile Wilderness. A few minutes after we called a van driven by Hippie Chick, a former thru hiker and part of the dynamic duo that runs Shaw's, pulled into the parking lot. Our chariot had arrived! We threw our gear in the back and piled in. It was a short drive to the hostel. We were given the usual tour and rules walk, got checked in and found our bunks. Then it was off to take a shower then find something to eat. Silverback and I were sharing a room with T and T (the husband and wife team from Michigan we¢d met at Harrison¢s.), Fire Tower and 007.As soon as we showered and started our laundry we went off to the gas station to find lunch. After lunch we got busy trying to figure out what we did or didn't need for this next stretch including food. Lynn had sent me some backpacking meals so I only needed snacks and to fill in any missing meals. When I dumped my 7 days of food on the floor it was depressing. Firetower and 007 were looking at it and wondering if I needed a Sherpa. No way would this fit in my pack. The solution was to repackage everything into ziplocs. That done, I packed my pack to make sure everything fit. It did. Barely.  Now it was dinner time and the rain was coming down. Another trip to the gas station for dinner and some snacks. I will say, the guy cooking at the gas station was a good cook.The topic of conversation at the hostel the whole day revolved around Hurricane Lee. Some hikers were choosing to stay and wait out the storm. Some were calling to come in off the trail. A group of us were willing to take our chances with the storm since it seemed to be moving out into the ocean and should probably be a tropical storm by the time it hit. Fingers crossed.Hiking the Dream!