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Sept
6 , 1983 Tuesday (188.5 mtg) From
Gonzo!s Appalachian Trail journal
Breakfast
at the Widow's Walk was nice with all the hikers sitting around
talking and having fun. Once we were finished we all headed down
to the post office to check for mail. I had none. I could have moved
on yesterday, but I believe setting the day out helped my heal,
and was a good idea. The others decided to wait for the mail to
be sorted this morning while I packed up and headed for the road
to get a ride. They were going to hike out of town on the old AT
which now was called the Bigelow Range Trail. I snagged a ride from
a woman in a green Barracuda with a passenger seat that refused
to fold forward to allow easy access to the rear seat for me to
put my pack. I did not let that stop me, I crawled in to the front
bucket seat, breathed in, and stuffed my pack in front between me
and the dashboard with very little room to spare. The ride was not
long, and I was soon back on the trail with only two more mail stops
between me and my goal - Katahdin. I discovered that my heal still
hurt somewhat, but was much better.
The biggest part of the day would be spent ascending and traversing
the Bigelow Mountain Range which included passing over various peaks
along that route. Once upon the ridge, the trail turned right and
continued on to Horn's Pond. Another solar toilet was located at
this shelter similar to the one at Gentian Pond in New Hampshire.
I read the register at the shelter and then set out for the climb
up to the South Peak just a mile away. Looking back while on the
ascent I could see Horn's Pond below, a beautiful mountain tarn,
a remnant from the ice age. The trail dipped down, went over a series
of up and down bumps and then ascended the West Peak. From there
I descended only about a quarter of a mile to my destination - the
Myron Avery Memorial Lean-to. I was immediately greeted by a fairly
large group of Harvard Orientation students, including one who was
wearing a "Powder Milk Biscuit" t-shirt popularized as
a sponsor of the Prairie Home Companion Show. At first I thought
that they might be the group that I had had read about that had
monopolized a shelter and caused "Cruel Shoes" to have
to spend the night out in the rain some time back. I was wrong,
and these guys were nice enough to even offer me cheese and crackers.
They were nice enough to tell me about the spring that was just
a hundred yards or so further north along the trail before they
left for Horn's Pond Shelter or where ever they ended up for the
night. Later another guy came by on his ascent of Avery Peak rising
up beyond the shelter, but did not stay. The rest of the crew
from Stratton did not show up that night. I spent the cool, windy
night alone and had a good, peaceful time.
Gonzo!
Appalachian Trail Journals ©1983
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