SteveHiker
New member
So I couldn't get anybody interested in going with me, so I went by myself. It's too bad, you really missed out. The weather was the best I've had this summer to hike in. The views were good, although a little hazy on the horizon.
What a day. Nothing like 8 hours or so of driving for 8 hours or so of hiking. But watcha gonna do? Maine is just so big. I left at 5:30 from Hooksett, NH and got to the Firewarden's trail head about 9:45. This includes having gotten off 95 one exit too early and driving a little extra on Route 4 thru Gray, but I guess I missed a tollbooth. The one thing I've noticed about the area around Sugarloaf is that the roads don't have exactly the same names as on the map. But it could be worse, they could be like Vermont and not have any signs (I'm just kidding, so relax ToeCozy )
Stratton Pond was pretty cool. Despite the deerflies. There were dozens of dragonflies buzzing around and I nearly got run over by a chipmunk fleeing from a red squirrel. Never seen that before. I've seen chipmunks chase chipmunks and squirrels chase squirrels, but never an interspecies chase.
The Firewarden's Trail in the early going is a lot like Lincoln Woods, except no railroad ties. The uppermost mile or so is really steep and has hundreds of stone steps. I salute whoever built those. This stretch is the first place I saw any other people. 3 people passed me and I passed 2 others. Everyone eventually caught up to each other on top of Avery. The view is incredible and qutie extensive, although other than Sugarloaf I have no idea what I was looking at. Getting up to West Peak was pretty much a snap as well, although the view is much the same.
The stretch of AT between West Peak and the Horns is pretty mellow. Mostly downhill or flat until you go up South Horn. You're in the woods most of the way and only get a glimpse of the Horns here and there. They never seem to get any closer until you're going up them. There was one blowdown about halfway across, but it really isn't a problem unless you have really short legs. There was one other short section where the trail is pretty overgrown with pricker bushes and for a moment I wasn't sure if I was on the trail or not.
Heading down from South Horn is a little steep too. I stopped at the Horn Pond campsite and talked with the caretakers for a few minutes. They were very helpful. I asked what I had been looking at up top and she said most of it was in Canada. She also said that despite the beautiful weather hardly anyone had come by today. While I was talking to her, a southbound thru hiker came by and stopped and chatted for a few minutes. He was planning on staying the night in Stratton. I headed down the Horns Pond Trail which pretty much just gradually descends to the Firewarden's Trail and then headed out. I caught up to a guy near the bottom that I had seen on West Peak doing the loop in the opposite direction. He was a surgeon from North Carolina that was working temporarily in Lewiston. You meet all kinds on the trail. To further prove this, minutes later near the parking lot I came upon a young guy (he looked underage to me) carrying a case of Budweiser. On his head!
I didn't keep close track of the time for most of the way. I started about 10 and got done about 6:30. Give or take. I did chicken out and park where most everyone else parked. I didn't drive all the way to the trailhead. Walking along the road in the morning I felt it was a good move seeing how deep the mud was in spots. Of course, on the way back there was a Ford Taurus parked at the trailhead. Oh well, it wasn't really that far.
The four hour drive each way wasn't even that bad. I enjoyed it more than my one hour commute to work that's for sure. But I am looking forward to having Amstony or Alpinista drive next weekend.
What a day. Nothing like 8 hours or so of driving for 8 hours or so of hiking. But watcha gonna do? Maine is just so big. I left at 5:30 from Hooksett, NH and got to the Firewarden's trail head about 9:45. This includes having gotten off 95 one exit too early and driving a little extra on Route 4 thru Gray, but I guess I missed a tollbooth. The one thing I've noticed about the area around Sugarloaf is that the roads don't have exactly the same names as on the map. But it could be worse, they could be like Vermont and not have any signs (I'm just kidding, so relax ToeCozy )
Stratton Pond was pretty cool. Despite the deerflies. There were dozens of dragonflies buzzing around and I nearly got run over by a chipmunk fleeing from a red squirrel. Never seen that before. I've seen chipmunks chase chipmunks and squirrels chase squirrels, but never an interspecies chase.
The Firewarden's Trail in the early going is a lot like Lincoln Woods, except no railroad ties. The uppermost mile or so is really steep and has hundreds of stone steps. I salute whoever built those. This stretch is the first place I saw any other people. 3 people passed me and I passed 2 others. Everyone eventually caught up to each other on top of Avery. The view is incredible and qutie extensive, although other than Sugarloaf I have no idea what I was looking at. Getting up to West Peak was pretty much a snap as well, although the view is much the same.
The stretch of AT between West Peak and the Horns is pretty mellow. Mostly downhill or flat until you go up South Horn. You're in the woods most of the way and only get a glimpse of the Horns here and there. They never seem to get any closer until you're going up them. There was one blowdown about halfway across, but it really isn't a problem unless you have really short legs. There was one other short section where the trail is pretty overgrown with pricker bushes and for a moment I wasn't sure if I was on the trail or not.
Heading down from South Horn is a little steep too. I stopped at the Horn Pond campsite and talked with the caretakers for a few minutes. They were very helpful. I asked what I had been looking at up top and she said most of it was in Canada. She also said that despite the beautiful weather hardly anyone had come by today. While I was talking to her, a southbound thru hiker came by and stopped and chatted for a few minutes. He was planning on staying the night in Stratton. I headed down the Horns Pond Trail which pretty much just gradually descends to the Firewarden's Trail and then headed out. I caught up to a guy near the bottom that I had seen on West Peak doing the loop in the opposite direction. He was a surgeon from North Carolina that was working temporarily in Lewiston. You meet all kinds on the trail. To further prove this, minutes later near the parking lot I came upon a young guy (he looked underage to me) carrying a case of Budweiser. On his head!
I didn't keep close track of the time for most of the way. I started about 10 and got done about 6:30. Give or take. I did chicken out and park where most everyone else parked. I didn't drive all the way to the trailhead. Walking along the road in the morning I felt it was a good move seeing how deep the mud was in spots. Of course, on the way back there was a Ford Taurus parked at the trailhead. Oh well, it wasn't really that far.
The four hour drive each way wasn't even that bad. I enjoyed it more than my one hour commute to work that's for sure. But I am looking forward to having Amstony or Alpinista drive next weekend.
