Start: The Maine Roadhouse Hostel (AT mi 2004.9). Stop: Bigelow Col Campsite (AT mi 2012.9). Today’s miles: 8 miles. Total AT mileage: 988.2 miles
I slept so incredibly well. The mattress on the bed I slept on was phenomenal. I should have looked at it now that I think about it. I may just have to call Jen and find out what brand it is. Anywho, I got up at 6:45 and used the bathroom before heading downstairs to breakfast.
It was a feast! Eggs, bacon, toast, fresh fruit, pancakes, and hash browns. I’m shocked I’ve lost any weight with the way these ladies at the last two hostels have fed me! Man, it’s been good. After breakfast I paid Jen for my stay and my resupply, then headed upstairs to pack. Since they have to take several trips to the trailhead because of all the hikers, I took my time. I wasn’t ready to go either way.. those pj pants almost had me tell them I wanted to zero.. I came sooooo close!
I packed, but before I changed or stripped the bed, I laid back down to work on yesterday’s blog. Why rush? Lol.. I loved every second spent horizontal! When I finally couldn’t justify laying around any more, I stripped the bed and changed my clothes. Ugh. It was so sad.
Downstairs, while waiting for others to get ready for the shuttle, I got my picture taken for their hostel wall. They just opened this season and they are doing so incredibly well. I’m excited I got to be on their wall.. and I saw SO MANY of my friends on there too! Sauce & FarOut, Lilo, Killer, Wizard, TBird, TownLegs, DoubleDecker, Smiles, Flamingo, Lost&Found, Spring, Trippin.. omg. So. Many. Friends.
Once we got a group ready, we went to the trailhead. Flow is a SOBO hiker I met last night, he’s an ER nurse, so we talked shop a bit. I don’t miss work, but I do miss the people I work with.. he was telling me with covid getting worse again, he may come off trail to do a crisis contract. I did enough of that last year and the first few months of this year. If covid somehow stops my trail, I’m sitting my butt on my couch for the rest of this year regardless.
He and another SOBO hiker set out southbound and Luau, Proton and I started north. I was technically in the lead while they stretched and got ready.. they both passed me within the first hour, Proton within like 15 minutes.. haha, the kid is quick.
It was super muggy today. I hit the trail by 9:30 and was completely soaked through like I jumped in a lake (just way less refreshing) by 10. I ended up chugging 2 liters of water before 11 and refilling both bottles. And we were just climbing to a peak with no name. Cool. It was close to 4 miles uphill to get to this viewpoint, which I actually took the side trail to. Then, a mile or so later I came to the junction that had the shelter down one path and a pond down the other. I chose the pond route for my lunch.
Once down there, Scout, Spaceman, and NoRush were there doing the same thing. Everyone had taken off the super wet with sweat clothes to let them dry out some while eating lunch. I did the same, I also got into the pond (the water looked clear) and used a bandana to splash myself and cool off a bit while my shorts and shirt air dried. I sat on a rock and ate leftover pizza from yesterday while chatting with everyone. It was a glorious lunch. And beautiful day. Hot, but better now.
Originally, my goal was to only get to this pond/shelter for the night. But, after spending an hour there, even after the others left, I decided I had it in me to hike on. They were all going at least another 10, I was considering doing 3.. and if that went by fast-maybe 6 total.. but I was 100% not aiming for the 10. It was already 2pm and that would get me coming in to a full shelter and trying to set up my tent late. No thank you.
So. From there, I had to go up and over the horn (another horn, you’d think they’d give it a different name). It was another steep climb, but not really technical at all. It was just so humid again. On the way up Bigelow West Peak, I could sense that rain was coming. Something about it suddenly feeling that much muggier and clouds rolling by that you just know the sky will break soon. I decided to pick up my pace and huff it out so I could get over the peak before the rain hit.. initially concerned only with slick rocks on the downside.
I was literally 0.2 miles from the exposed rock summit when I heard a crackle of thunder and saw the flash of lightening. I stop dead in my tracks and hunched down in the middle of the trail. Then, immediately as my knees bent to hunch, the sky dropped buckets on me. I turned and headed as quick as my feet would carry me back down to bigger tree coverage. I was literally at the sign saying to stay on trail and not trample the fragile alpine flowers when all this happened.. aka: right in the danger zone.
I was standing off trail amongst the bigger trees when I see the water turn the trail in front of me into a river. About 10 minutes later, as quickly as it came, it just stopped. And the sun was shining. I came out of hiding and started back up, cautiously. I made it just a bit further than before, right by a high rock cairn, when just ahead two lightening bolts cracked across the sky at the same time. The thunder came before I could get the one out for one Mississippi. I turned around and sat in the trail, as it felt like the lowest point I could get to in that second. I waited a minute, and then took my pack off, set it and my poles beside the cairn-covered them with the rain cover, and darted back down trail to the safety of those bigger trees.
I had my phone with me, TownLegs had messaged me checking in on my lovely detergent rash. I chatted with her a while and she unknowingly calmed me a bit and confirmed I made the right choice to wait out the storm where I was. I then called and talked to my mom for awhile. When ya got service, you take advantage.. even in a thunderstorm apparently.
I waited there for almost a full hour before creeping slowly back to my pack. The weather app said more storms will come later, but there will be an hour or so lull in between. But to be mindful of wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour. Hmmmm. So, at 5:45pm I treaded lightly to my pack, put it on.. stared a bit, then made a dash for it. I was 0.1 miles from the rock summit here, and only 0.4 miles from the campsite between the 2 Bigelow Mountain peaks.
Between where I was standing and the summit, the wind was coming in huge waves attempting to blow me off. I almost lost my rain cover, I snatched it as it went to go flying.. as I tucked it into my waist belt, I realized during it’s almost departure off West Bigelow, one of my empty 1L smart water bottles was blown off into the abyss. I stopped and tried finding it, but it was a lost cause.. it could be in Canada by now lol
I strapped the only other water bottle I have in a little tighter, then carried on.. quickly as possible while crouching low to not get blown off myself. I snapped a quick picture of the summit sign then darted down the trail to the tree line. Apparently I am capable of moving quicker than I thought on wet slippery surfaces. Who knew? Lol I let TownLegs and my mom know I made it safely to the other side and to camp.
I found a flat spot for my tent back behind a caretakers building that’s all boarded and locked up. Technically im supposed to be set up on a tent platform, but with the storms coming through tonight, I decided I’d risk a magical person appearing to make me move in order to have my tension on the tent safely staked down.
I then made the trek to get water, with my one water bottle.. lol. It was uphill on trail 0.2 from where I set up camp. It’s annoying to know I’ll have to do that same uphill tomorrow morning, and it’s a lot of boulder scrambling, too. Lovely.
Once I got back, I filtered my water and took my food down to a tent platform to sit and eat my food a little more comfortably than on the wet ground or in my tent. While in the process of making that move, a man showed up. I showed him where the tent platforms were and we chatted while I ate and he set up. He was coming up the other Bigelow when the storm hit, just father down.. haha. How fun has today been?
Now I’m all set up in my tent, he’s just down the way a bit and we’re the only ones here between the Bigelows listening to the rain and wind whip through here like we’re teenagers in trouble. The tent is holding up steady and I’m nice and warm. I was so hot earlier today, and then after getting soaked through with the rain, I got chilly. Now there’s a chill in the air with the wind.. which is all perfect for me because I sleep better when it’s just a little cool.
Speaking of, that’s exactly what I plan to do now.. goodnight y’all.
such beautiful views!!