Day 183
Start: Stafford Notch Campsite
End: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Miles Hiked: 22.6 trail miles
Miles on AT: 2042.0
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This morning was a cold one, so I quickly got my morning chores done and got right back on trail. Today was going to be a longer day since Mace and I planned to set ourselves up for a quick and easy trek to the Kennebec River to catch a ferry the next morning. But, I had a few tricks up my sleeve that I could use to make things a little easier.
About a mile or so into my day, I ran into Mace on the trail. He hadn’t made it as far as I’d thought and instead found a stealth site on the trail. He was still packing up, so we exchanged “good mornings” and I kept moving. In terms of elevation change, today wasn’t going to be that bad. There were no big mountains to climb, only small ones. After Little Bigelow Mountain, it was mostly downhill (and flat) from there.
When I hit the flat trail, I couldn’t believe my feet. I was walking with ease! Bright leaves scattered the ground, and someone had taken the time to make designs with all of the material. Suddenly, I could hear the lapping of water. When I stared through the trees, I saw a beach and a huge expanse of water. The lake was ringed nearly all the way around in orange, with a narrow channel at the far end providing a picture perfect view of the mountain in the distance. I had to sit and soak in all the beauty for a while before I found another spot on the lake to eat my lunch.
As I sat, I watched the rocks roll on the banks as the force of the water turned them into pebbles at a glacial pace. Squirrels played tag at the edge of the forest, running along logs, up trees, and into the tan-colored brush. What a perfect day. Again, I wished I could’ve experienced this place in summer time, when it would have been an unforgettable swimming spot on a sweltering day. But, on the other hand, I was grateful for the peace and quiet that came with being a late season hiker. I had the place all to myself.
With more miles left to cover that day, I moved on and quickly ran into Mace again. My master plan for today was to roadwalk and connect with the trail a little farther up. The roadwalk was probably a little longer mile-wise compared to the trail, but I could move faster on the road than the trail. Mace was skeptical about my plan, so he decided to make it a challenge. He would take the trail and I the road, and we would see who got to the shelter first. Deal!
At the next road crossing, I made a left while Mace went right. The only car that passed me was a logging truck before I turned onto the dirt road that I would need to stay on for a while. And I didn’t regret my decision at all. The gravel road climbed gradually for a bit and I could feel the warm sun rays on my face and see the forestland down below. As I turned a corner, I ran into a small logging crew. I waited to make sure it was safe to continue, and was immediately bombarded with questions.
The loggers, three gruff-looking guys from Maine, were dumbstruck when I told them what I was doing. After all of the typical questions, they went into dad mode and made sure I had the snacks I needed, giving me their leftover trail mix, beef jerky, and granola bars since today was their last day on that job. With a smile, a wave, and a bunch of thanks, I walked away with heavy pockets full of goodies for the day. Score!
I only ran into one other couple on the rest of the roadwalk. They were in a bright orange Jeep decked out in a full bright orange outfit, ready for hunting season. They gave me a heads up about a bridge that was out up ahead, so I was prepared to ford the small river when I got there. Luckily, it wasn’t deep or wide and I didn’t have to turn around to take the alternate route. I even spotted a bear track in the dirt. I guess I wasn’t the only one who wanted to roadwalk today.
Back on trail, I found myself once again ensconced in the heart of the deep green forest, the trail alternating between pine needle, packed dirt, and boardwalk. And while the trail was a little more slow-going than the road, it was mercifully flat. I arrived at Pierce Pond just before sunset and waited for Mace to arrive while I set up and ate dinner. It was well after 8 pm when he showed up, so I guess I won that round!
And that’s day 183.
A version of this post originally appeared on TheTrek.co.