Date: 2005-09-08
From: Cranberry Stream Campsite

To: Bill Ville, East Flagstaff Road
Miles today: 14.8

Up and gone by 7:30 that morning. The Bigelow Mountains, the last so called "hard section" before Mount Katahdin, lay ahead of us that morning. For the past few hundred miles the trail talk always included the Bigelow's (or "Big's" as I called them) and how the trail was easy after that. These were the last of the large mountains that climbed to over 4000 feet. The last of these in fact was Mount Avery at 4088 feet (there are other photos posted). There was no rush to complete them and though not planned, we did the entire range in one day. We took many breaks along the way and did not push it at all.   Protieus was in the lead and I am hear to tell you, the boy could find the views. There would be a sign along the trail with an arrow pointing towards the vista. If I knew he was there I would call out and ask him, "Is it worth it?". In other words was it worth the effort to come to check it out. Today he said simply, "Oh yeah" and was he ever right. The view point looking over Horn Pond was awesome to say the least. The weather was perfect and clear. We stayed there for a while and just soaked it all in. I could hear some people below us at the Horns Pond Lean-to and I figured I would stop by on the way through (you never knew who you may run in to).   The Lean-to was nice and it sat right along the pond, back in the woods about 100 feet. This would have been a nice place to stay for the night if the timing was right. There behind the lean-to was one of the best Privy's on the trail. A true working maintained Privy. A young lady was working it when I stopped in to use it (she was processing the waste turning it into rich fertile soil). It was a "room with a view" with information on how it worked posted inside (very informative). The young lady was even singing in the background, what an experience. Something to read, a view and music to "go" by. I had to comment to her when I was leaving. She told me her name but I failed to write it down. She also told me her time there (as a maintainer) was about up and that she was soon going to get a ride to Mount Katahdin and walk a section south. I told her I would look for her and indeed we did see each other about a week or so later "up north".      Levi and I hooked up with each other at the lean-to and began the hike up the "West Peak" of the Bigelow's (4145 feet). A 1000 foot climb in just over two miles, not a bad climb at all. The terrain was difficult but at least it was dry and there were lots of views to enjoy. The miles just flew on by. Up and over West Peak, now it was time to do Avery Mountain, the last of the 4000 footers (there was no big down to get there, thank the Lord, it was near the same elevation as West Peak with just a small down in between). There was a box spring though on the way up to the summit that had some of the best tasting water on the trail. Paul caught up to us there as well as the owner of the "Hikers Welcome" Hostile (who I met back in Glencliff, NH). His trail name escapes me but, I must have seen him a half dozen times over the next week or so (he was there at Bill Ville, The "Gathering" in Caratunk and I saw him doing trail maintenance along the way, I will explain all soon). Now that I thought on it a while, I think his trail name was "Pack Rat".   On the way down I could hear Protieus calling from the vista at Old Man's Head. We were all heading down to Bill Ville. Bill Ville was a yearly gathering held by a former thru-hiker named, you guessed it, Ray (not Bill). He set up a nice get together at the parking lot near the trail on East Flagstaff Road (mile 2003.8). We had just past the 2000 mile mark and Bill Ville was a great place to celebrate that. A few of the boys took the blue blaze there (shorter by trail distance but a longer road walk). My purist ways pushed me on up the white blazed trail with Paul and Levi.    Interestingly enough I found, by shear accident, while walking of in to the wood line to answer the call of nature, a rock formation that created a natural shelter. You could actually stand inside of it and it would have kept you dry in a storm (it even had adequate ventilation whereas you could have started a fire). Large enough that you could sleep in as well. It was off to the right as you walked to the Safford Notch Campsite. Another one of the, "how many people slept here before" moments.   When we got to Bill Ville it sure did look like rain. As I was setting up my tent, Fig and Just Visiting walked up to me to say hello. What a great surprise, we had not seen each other since Trail Days way back in Damascus, VA. It was so good to see them and I was hoping we would bounce in to each other before the end. After hugs and handshakes I told them about the time when I passed them while they were sleeping at the Tumbling Run Shelter. Fig told me that he may have been awake at the time I passed, and that we just missed each other by minutes. I also told them I waited for them at the Caledonia State Park for about an hour. Funny how just a few hours can separate hikers for such a long time. Later up the trail they apparently passed me by when I took time off the trail to be with the family in July. Once again I was so happy to see them, I have known them from the beginning.   Ray and all the others really put together some great trail magic. There was so many familiar faces. I would see them all again at the gathering in Caratunk not far up the trail however, this was the first time we all gathered together like this since trail days. This night was filled with stories, good food, beer and friends around a fire. Ray told me he did this because, in his words "I do not have a life". I told him that he was so wrong, as much happiness he provided to us (the weary thru-hikers), I told him I would call it being "Blessed". Thanks Ray, you da man!