Date: 2004-09-22
From: Maine Rte 27 Stratton 

To: Safford Notch Campsite 
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: few clouds

9/22/04 Day 25Start: ME Rte 27 St5ratton @ 10:15. Stop: Safford Notch Campsite @ 6:00Mileage on trail: 10.4; cum. 265.0   Off trail: 1.6; cum. 9.8?Weather: sunny, warm, windyMajor Landmarks¢ Bigelow Range (South Horn, West Peak, Avery Peak)        After a great meal of steak and shrimp at the Mainely Yours Diner in Stratton, we went back to the motel and I watched the Red Sox pull one out of the bottom of the 9th, 4-3 over the Orioles. NY is in town this weekend, so here is their chance to gain in the East.        This morning we were able to sleep in since the P.O. doesn¢t open till 9:30. After the continental breakfast at the motel, we walked to the P.O. to mail stuff, then headed back to the motel to get our packs and start hitching. It¢s amazing, the first vehicle stopped, a guy in a pickup pulling a huge trailer of hay which he had bought in Canada. Hitching in Maine has been great¢first or second vehicle each time.        Soon after starting the long climb up to the Bigelow Range, we ran into Doc Narly. He and Matt had stealth camped in town last night. We made good time up the first climb to a beaver pond, where we took a break. Then it was climbing up through boulders to the ridgeline and on to Horns Pond Lean-tos where we had lunch. From there we could clearly see North and South Horns, our next ascent. After S. Horn, we dropped down and traversed the ridge toward West Peak. We got a good view of its rocky summit along the way. As we headed up West Peak, we could hear the wind howling and as soon as we broke tree-line, it became a new challenge trying to stay upright while negotiating the rocky trail. The wind must have been blowing about 50 mph and would gust so that it threw you off your balance. We finally got to the top and could see Avery Peak ahead, another healthy climb after a good drop down. We met a couple headed south as we were climbing Avery. They asked how West Peak was and we said windy. They said the same about Avery, and sure enough, we soon were fighting to keep our balance again as we ascended the rocky summit of Avery.        As we neared the summit, one of my hip belt straps ripped out and down went my camera again. Fortunately, we weren¢t near one of the cliffs that drop off steeply and I was able to retrieve it. I tied the hip belt to a loop on the padding and that worked fine.        From Avery summit, it was a long 2 miles down to the side trail to the campsite. Near the bottom of the trail, we passed through huge boulders that had fallen off the cliffs above, but at this point we were both too tired to really enjoy the trail and the light was starting to fade. We finally made it to the side trail, another 0.2 mil. through huge boulders, tired and ready to rest. It was dinner by headlamp tonight.        But, we¢ve made it through the Bigelows, at least the big ones, the 4,000 footers. Tomorrow we have just Little Bigelow, a little over 3,000 feet, and then fairly clear sailing into Caratunk. So at this point, all the 4,000 footers are behind us. Save the one at the end, there¢s about 175 miles to go, and tomorrow we pass the 2,000 mile mark. Yippee!