Grafton Notch to Bigelow

After all the scrambling about in northern New Hampshire, we were ready for some easier hiking miles in Maine. We were warned that the trail would continue to be hard going until half way through Maine, and sure enough, although we do occasionally get stretches of easy hiking, we have also had plenty of stiff climbs and long knee-jarring descents.

We had a good lazy day off in Bethel, rounded off by enjoying ice cream on the motel balcony with Dingo, while a thunderstorm flashed and rumbled and rain lashed down. The air was warm and clammy, and even the morning after, the temperature had barely dropped.

After our shuttle driver dropped us off back at Grafton Notch, the stiff climb started immediately with an ascent of Baldpate Mountain, the bald head being the huge area of granite slabs at the top of the mountain. We padded up the steep slabs, then near the top the slabs started to level out in a series of terraces. The weather was fine and sunny, and the views were outstanding; it felt good to be back on the trail.

We soon changed our minds! The sky clouded over and large drops of rain began to fall. It was totally pointless to put on waterproofs – it was so warm, we would have ended up drenched in sweat in any case. The drops of rain became a steady downpour, and the path deteriorated to a washed-out, rubbly, rooty mess, with wet vegetation hanging over it, slopping more water onto us and making it hard to see where you were putting your feet.

By the time we got to Hall Mountain shelter we were drenched and tired, but really pleased to catch up with Happy Hour and Grasshopper, and also Bear Taco, Yard Sail and Longlegs. Happy Hour was thin and exhausted, and planning a day off followed by some low mileage days; Bear Taco had sprained his ankle and had a swollen face; Longlegs was still nursing her sprained foot. So most of us were feeling rather beaten up in one way or another!

The next day was to prove even harder. An awkward river crossing and a brutally steep ascent up Moody Mountain; lunch with Longlegs on top of Old Blue Mountain, over Bemis Mountain and on to Bemis Mountain shelter. We were pretty tired by the time we got to the shelter at 5pm, but we really wanted to press on for a few more miles, as we planned to head into Rangeley for resupply the next day and wanted to get into town early. So we ate some trail mix, took some ibuprofen, and hiked on. It was a beautiful evening, with low angled sunlight on the granite slabs and alpine bushes, and even though we needed to get a move on, we couldn’t resist taking a few photos.

By the time we found campsites by Bemis Stream, three and a half miles later, it was starting to get dark. We pitched our tent near Dingo’s, cooked dinner, and turned in for the night.

6am felt too early to be getting up, but we forced ourselves to get on with it. When Neil asked Dingo if she was awake, he got a grumbly “yes, unfortunately”. We were away before 7, and after 14 miles of relatively easy hiking over mountains and past ponds (we would call them lakes, they’re huge), we arrived at the highway. We stuck our thumbs out, put Dingo at the front and hid Neil at the back, and within 5 minutes got a lift into town. Showers, laundry, resupply, a good meal and “Toy Story 3” on TV, and we all felt a lot better!

The next morning we enjoyed a huge cooked breakfast in a local hotel, then headed back to the trail. A steep ascent took us up and over Saddleback Mountain – two and a half miles of hiking above the treeline, definitely our favourite type of hiking! The granite slabs were lovely, the air was clear, and there were long views in all directions. The Appalachian mountains stretched out to the north, west and south, with just a few ridges running out to a flat horizon to the east.

The descent was rough and slow going, and it was getting late by the time we got to Poplar Ridge shelter. There was definitely a nip in the air too – just a month after the solstice, but feeling a bit autumnal. But we were snug in our tent, and glad of our warm down quilts.

Since then, the trail has returned to the “green tunnel” – the slightly disparaging term for trail through the trees, with not much in the way of views. It’s been pleasant enough though, with squirrels keeping us entertained with their antics, and we’ve enjoyed the easier miles, allowing us to finish hiking a little earlier and get a good rest. We’re currently enjoying a rainy rest day in a beautiful hostel in the ski resort of Bigelow, which is brilliantly set up for hikers. Our laundry is done, we’ve resupplied in the hostel shop, and we’re just relaxing in a very comfortable lounge. We have less than 200 miles to go, and we should soon be able to see Mount Katahdin, our finish point, on the northern horizon! It’s getting close!