Maine Hike

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Summary: 6/1/09: Drive to Stratton, ME in the morning. Hiked all the way up Firewarden’s Trail to Myron Avery Tent Site on Bigelow (about 5.1mi). Paul summited Bigelow West Peak and Bigelow Avery Peak that evening (adding 1.6mi more). Aly’s farthest hike with full camp gear, so she slept once tent was set up.

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6/2/09: Paul + Aly tagged Bigelow Avery (.8mi total) in the morning with no packs, just carrying what we needed. Ate hot lunch then struck camp and headed down. (June 2nd’s total: 5.9mi) Drove miles to find an open gas station for Coca Cola and cookies. Drove 7.7 miles down Caribou Valley Rd. without damaging the car at all! Later that night, the battery died.

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6/3/09: Hiked up the logging roads from car-camp about 2.75 miles to the summit of Redington. Then back to push the car for hours trying to get a pop-start. Ended up having macaroni dinner while waiting for Chris (a Maine guru with a pickup) to jump our car. Saw many moose on the drive back to Lebanon that evening.

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Paul in front of Stratton Brook Pond with Mt. Sugarloaf in the background. (Day 1)

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Aly next to Stratton Brook Pond, Bigelow West and Avery in background. Windbreaker to shield from vicious mosquitoes. (Day 1)

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Favorites from Stratton Brook Pond (Days 1 & 2)

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The Firewarden’s Trail is long but mostly gradual. The last mile, however, is often referred to as the Stairway to Heaven. Steep and exhausting.

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Myron Avery Tent Site (Night 1)

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Aly on Bigelow Avery Peak. (Day 2) Foggy and windy morning.

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Paul on Bigelow Avery Peak. (Day 2, morning)

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So foggy that this building only a few yards away was nearly impossible to see! Aly didn’t even see it until Paul pointed it out.

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Paul waving from building on BigAve (Day 2)

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MYRON H. AVERY PEAK OF MT. BIGELOW NAMED IN HONOR OF MYRON HALITURTON AVERY 1899-1952 WHOSE FORESIGHT, LEADERSHIP AND DILIGENCE MADE POSSIBLE THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL THIS 2,000 MILE FOOTPATH FROM MAINE TO GEORGIA

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We caught a quick glance at Flagstaff Lake as the fog was clearing on our way down to strike camp. (Day 2)

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Paul made us hot lunch. (Day 2) The view of Avery Peak from camp.

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Aly hiking down the “Stairway to Heaven”. (Day 2)

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Past the Stairway to Heaven, it got pretty muddy in some places. (Day 2)

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One river crossing, then we practically jogged to the car! (Day 2)

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We wished we had planted the bikes by the river, from there on out it was packed soil. (Day 2)

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Once we found an open store, we spoiled ourselves with cookies and sodas before heading down Caribou Valley Road.

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The road started out fairly packed and smooth…

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…but gradually got worse. Much worse. Paul repaired many ditches (like this one ->) with logs to get us 7.7 miles down Caribou Valley Rd.

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We camped next to the car that night. This is Paul starting Redington on Day 3.

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Here are some fun pictures of us on the trail…(Day 3)

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Day 3

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Day 3

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Aly on summit of Mt. Redington with the Bigelows in the far background and the Crockers in between. (Day 3)

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Paul finished his last of the 67 New England 4000ers with Redington.

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Pretty pictures of animals, plants, & fungi. We saw 6 moose from the time we left home to the time we returned. Only one was on the mountains. This one was alongside route 4.

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A fresh moose track & our boots. Pretty moss-covered stick. A twisted log.

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Good thing Paul learned how to use the macro setting before spotting these bees! (Bee Photos by Paul!)

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Very small, cute, red fungi surrounded by lichen.

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Fun Facts from our Maine Trip: -Aly tagged her second and third 4000 footer, Bigelow Avery and Redington. -It was her longest campout ever. -Paul finished his last of the 67 New England 4000 footers. -He has 23 more peaks to finish New England’s Hundred Highest. -Paul’s total mileage hiked was approximately 18.1 miles. -Aly’s approximate total was 16.5 miles.

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THE END.