8.7 LT miles
Day two started with the climb up to Jay Peak. Looking up at the ski buildings was a bit intimidating but the climb actually wasn’t too bad.
Nice views up there in all directions. I was sorry I didn’t have time to stay longer until I met a big school group headed up the other side.
I stopped at Jay Camp near the bottom for water and potato soup for elevensies. Then came a series of climbs that took me over three mountains on my way to Hazen’s Notch. Not sure how hot it was but it was way too hot to be climbing mountains. The last big climb up Buchanan did me in.
The last two miles to camp were quite a struggle as my stomach was angry and not afraid to show it. I arrived in camp just before dark in pretty ugly shape. Getting the hammock up was all I could manage before collapsing. Then it started to rain hehe. I managed to sort of string the tarp over me, but didn’t have the strength to stake it out.
Knowing from past experience that hiking today would only serve to anger my stomach I opted to stay here today to see if I can recover. I hung out the wet clothes and even staked out the tarp.
The shelter here is a classic and smells like one inside heh.
There is a nice view of Jay Peak from just outside the door. Considering I came up the other side and all the way here on a hot, breezeless day certainly explains my body falling apart.
Tomorrow will tell me a lot once I hit that first climb. The weather has improved with cooler temps and a nice breeze so that will help. Hopefully yesterday didn’t do too much damage, but it certainly has given me some doubts.
Our little one is not so little any more and after some discussion we decided that she was ready for something a little more ambitious than previous family trips. We planned out a six day back country trip that meant the parent packs would be not so little as well. The Mama Pack came in at 38lbs with 2L of water while the Daddy Pack weighed 57lbs with 2L of water. That might seem unfair, but I had most of the food, so my pack lost more weight each day than hers 🙂
The first day called for a 4.5 mile walk from Nesowadnehunk Campground to the Center Pond LT via the Wassataquoik Lake Trail. Other than a bit of a climb right at the start this was a pretty level trail with little challenge. Great for folks getting out of the car after a four hour drive and donning heavy packs!
There was one small, two part, water crossing to navigate. Here Frau Stranger is demonstrating the extra safe, four pole technique. Well, in truth she is carrying our daughter’s poles as I had carried her over this section rather than let her get her shoes wet. She was not happy about that, but I knew doing the rest of the day’s hike wet would make for unhappy feet later and this was day one of a long, long adventure.
The weather was cool for August, mid 60s, with an amazing blue sky between the clouds zipping around above us. We stopped more than once to just stare at the view between the trees. We also stopped a few times to just look at the trees.
There were lots of bog boards in this section, even in places that didn’t really need them. Flat trails near the road always seem to be over improved while the deep back country sections get less love because they are harder to reach.
When the trees gave way to this large bog I knew we were getting close to Center Pond. Both the inflow and outflow areas were giant bogs as the flat elevation profile didn’t promote fast drainage.
Then we reached the pond itself as it came into and out of view a few times before we reached the short spur to the lean to.
It was a bit choppy out there and you can see from the color of the bag of water on the canoe that the pond had some tannin content, most likely from the bog feeding into the pond. Once filtered it would be fine to drink though still a bit brown. Easier to drink from an opaque bottle than a transparent bag despite the taste being just fine.
Another of Baxter’s fine latrines. Each one is of a slightly different design it seems and I always enjoy their craftsmanship. This one came with a clear roof that gave it wonderful light inside.
The LT was on the small side being a 4 person model, but enough room for us and all we’d carried in. With the cool weather we were happy to have a few walls to keep the wind off of us, though there was only a bit of a breeze.
Everyone seemed happy with day one and a bit amazed to think about having five more ahead of us. We were ready for bed when darkness came, though we were disappointed in the lack of a loon crying out there.
Dawn came with some interesting clouds on the mountains and some cool damp in the air.
The girls went out to pick some blueberries and the sun had warmed things up nicely by the time they returned. Most of these ended up in their morning oatmeal, but some went directly into our bellies. Just shy of being perfectly ripe they were riding the line between sweet and tart.
Then we were packed up and heading to the Little Wassataquoik Tent Site. Another 4.5 mile walk, but this one had a bit of a climb at the very end. Nothing too serious, but it looked scary on an elevation profile just because the rest of the trip was relatively flat.
There were a few water crossings, just small rock hops, but one stream paralleled the trail for quite a while. It was nice to hear the rushing water as we hiked but not have to worry about wet feet.
Soon it was time to hit the big climb. I am sort of joking, because it wasn’t really that much of a climb. I’m also a bit serious because with the heavy packs, getting up the little hill was a good workout. This is the beginning of the climb, but it got much steeper as it went up. I was definitely puffing by the time we reached the top.
My wife sounded hopeful as she read this sign and saw it was only 1 mile to the LT. She was really happy when I pointed out we weren’t headed there, but aiming for the tent site 400 yards the other way instead 🙂
There were some clouds floating by that looked a bit threatening and a chance of rain in the forecast so the first thing we did was get the tarp up. This would be our first time using the bug house under a tarp rather than inside a lean to which is why 
This is the view from in camp, looking at the rocky path that crossed over the brook on its way to the latrine. Definitely a place to keep your shoes and headlamp handy rather than trying to make the trip barefoot in the dark heh.
I got our house set up under the tarp, learning as I went exactly how I was going to do that. It worked well enough, but the next time I set it up I was smarter and it worked even better. The girls broke out the Yahtzee using my grill bag to roll the dice on.
By late afternoon the threat of rain had passed and we were back to watching happy clouds racing through deep blue skies.
Here is the view looking out at the campsite from bed the next morning. It felt extra special to wake up in this big, open air house rather than our tent. We weren’t covered in dew, so it didn’t feel like cowboy camping. It was similar, but better I’d say thanks to the tarp over head.
This shot almost captures how happy I was to be sitting there drinking coffee, but neither pictures nor words can really do it justice. Waking up in this site with the waterfall burbling and my two favorite girls there was already pretty dang special. Hot coffee was just the frosting on top!
Speaking of burbling waterfalls…here it is up close. There is a small spring just up the hill from the campsite and it was flowing nicely even this late in the year. We still filtered it, but it was some of the coldest, clearest water to be found in the park.
On our way to the Wassataquoik Island site we took the side trail to the viewpoint on the cliff. A short, 0.3 mile spur, but a hefty climb to the top.
The reward is an amazing view of most of Wassataquoik Lake down below. Our hike for the day would take us around the right side, all the way to the other end out of view behind the ridge on the left.
Being late August, late season flowers were wrapping things up before going to seed. With the cool weather there was a definitely sense that Summer was coming to an end and soon.
We had a glimpse or three of Little Wassataquoik Lake along the way. It really is little compared to its bigger sibling.
Green Falls is found via a very short, but wet and slippery, spur and is always worth the danger and effort of visiting. We stopped for snacks and pics as is the custom, at least it always is for me.
Finally we found the turn off to our island retreat. This was my first time visiting this site as it is only open for a few weeks of the year and hard to book.
The loons have right of way on the island and nesting there keeps humans off until the chicks have hatched and moved out into the lake.
These folks were out for a day paddle and seemed surprised to find us watching them from the lean to on the island.
We were glad to have a lean to that night as the sky was looking a bit ominous. There were a few periods of rain in the late afternoon, but we had some time to explore a little as well. We would like to come back again if we can get a two night reservation so we can explore both the island and the lake for an entire day.
Here you can see our canoe on the island and the rack on the far shore where we launched from. It wasn’t far, but much drier to use a canoe than walking across hehe.
I’ve gotten pretty good at setting up the bug house in shelters now. It makes a great place to play cards, rain or shine.
Finding wood on the island was a bit challenging, but I put together enough to make a small fire. Fire of course leads to marshmallow toasting!
It looks like this one turned out pretty well if she does say so herself.
I bought my daughter a small, blank paged journal for the trip that she could use to create an art journal. Each day she created a few pictures to capture the story of part of the adventure or to show something she found worth sharing. If she says it is OK with her I may post some of those pictures here in a future post.
My view outside as the sun began to rise. So quiet, so peaceful, so beautiful.
That goes for these two as well! So wonderful to come to such a special place with them instead of being here alone wishing they’d been able to come. They had worked hard to get here and deserved the chance to rest so I let them sleep in peace.
Later I caught this beautiful shot of my daughter looking out at the lake. That is no special filter there. That is shooting through the bug net, into the sun with a lot of zoom, but it sure looks nice to me.
Then came a series of challenges that might have sent other folks into fits of rage or despair, but only served to leave us laughing. We packed up fast and were well on our way to an early lunch until I tried to put on my pack after we put the canoe away. It seems I had lost part of my belt buckle and there was no way I was carrying the Daddy Pack without a belt.
It was another beautiful day in the forest and everyone was happy to be moving finally. We were trying something new on this trip and eating hot lunches once we finished our hike for the day so we were motivated.
Going back the way we’d come now we had familiar landmarks to tell us of our progress. 
The girls were headed up the final bit of climb and showing no signs of slowing down.
I ducked down a short path to Little Wassataquoik Lake to grab a few pics and feel the breeze blowing across the water.
Then it was back to the tent site to set up camp and eat that hot lunch. We had delicious potato soup on two days and salmon with rice one day and noodles on another. Heavy stuff to carry, but boy were we happy to be eating like royalty out there.
The next day dawned cold for August. I took a reading of 38°F that morning which I consider beyond cool for the time of year. We were glad we had packed plenty of warm layers along with the swimsuits that were never used.
Last year our daughter completed the Baxter Junior Ranger program and received an official badge which we augmented by buying her an official looking hat. Now she takes her duties very seriously, including raking the sites before we leave if there is a rake available.
She also watches out for her mother on trail. Here you can see her waiting to make sure Mama is safely across this little water crossing before heading down the trail.
Relaxing is not her forte though I’m afraid. After hanging the hammocks both parents would gladly have taken a nap, but someone had to stay on duty to keep the little one from jumping in the pond. My total hanging time after putting up both hammocks was probably less than ten minutes, but still worth the effort, especially because Mama got at least a tiny nap in.
A very peaceful afternoon on Center Pond even if I didn’t get a nap. The trip that had seemed impossibly long to start out now seemed to be ending too soon. Having some time to reflect (get it? 🙂 ) on our adventure was nice.
After dinner we decided to try putting some of those fresh blueberries to use in a couple of muffins. This is the first one going into the pot.
I’d been carrying the gear for days and was glad we were giving it a shot to justify the effort. We’ll see how they turned out later….
This wood grouse was making a lot of noise near camp so I had my camera ready expecting a deer or a moose to pop out. Frau Stranger whispered for me to hand her my camera and caught this shot around the corner from our camp.
More quiet reflection time (OK I will stop now)
Also time for more marshmallows. Not sure this one was as good as the one on the island, but she seemed happy enough with her effort.
I wasn’t that happy with my muffins though. The large pot seemed to leave the muffins below the heat at the top needed to brown them. They tasted fine enough, but didn’t fully rise like they should. We’ll apply the lessons learned next time and either use a shorter pot or a taller rack.
Last sunset of the trip with just a sliver of moon floating in the sky and in the pond.
One last peaceful morning on the shore. Definitely time to soak in that peace so you can carry it home with you.
Another chilly morning encouraged us to get moving though, first to make breakfast and then to break camp.
First we said our goodbyes to the camp and lean to…
Then we said our goodbyes to the pond….
Then we stopped to eat a bunch of blueberries!!!
These are the “Holy cow we survived!” faces as we reached the trail head with our car just around the corner. Who could have guessed that we would make it through six days out there and still be smiling?
This made me laugh when we got back to the car. You could see the rangers had to keep wiping off that spot to read our permit. I can imagine them each time thinking those poor folks must be lost for their car to be here so long, then seeing our permit through the dust and realizing we meant to be gone so long. Now that we’ve pushed our limits I can’t wait to see what we plan for next years adventures!
The road walk to start of about half a mile to where you pick up a snowmobile trail that leads to the real trail a mile or so in flew by this time. My pack felt light and so did my feet.
There are no big signs for the trail along the highway, but on foot these are easy enough to spot. They mark the field gate you need to walk around before following the snowmobile/GLT signs through the private property.
Crossing Bear River via the snowmobile bridge it was good to see some water. Western Maine wasn’t in as much of a drought as we were at home towards the coast and this wasn’t looking bad for August.
The small flows at the base of Bald Mtn were still running. Also a good sign that water wouldn’t be too much of an issue on this trip. Sounded nice too 🙂
Lunch break after climbing over the first mountain of the day. A little time with the pack off and some cheese in my mouth had me ready to hit the climbs I knew were coming up next.
Mossy glen in the col before heading up towards Sunday River Whitecap.
Closing in on the tree line you can start to see more sky between them. It gives you hope!
Then this!
The top of Sunday River Whitecap is always one of my favorite spots to be. There is just so much open sky with mountains lining the horizon in several directions.
Extensive board bridges and scree walls have been put in place to define the trail and protect the fragile alpine growth. Looking a bit beyond, you can see Old Speck on the left side of the notch, a bit of highway down below and then Hedgehog Hill and part of West Baldpate on the right. I’d worry about that the next day though. I just had a few more miles to my intended camp at Bull Run.
A big plus on this hike was the free fruit! A little hard to get there, but darn tasty and plenty to be found because this section of trail sees little traffic. I left some for the wildlife, but admit to eating more than a few.
Water at the Slide Mtn site was running low so I was happy to carry on another mile or so to the Bull Run site where the water, as usual, was flowing better.
The tarp isn’t up yet, but the laundry has been hung out to dry. Plenty of room on the platform to share and another nearby, but I have never seen another soul at this site. It helps that I usually hit it on a weeknight I imagine. With good water and a bear box I make it my first night’s camp every time I come up to try the loop.
Always windy here and there are lots of dead trees laying all around the campsite. I sleep well despite that because I know that when the tree with my name on it comes at least I’ll be well rested heh.
The climb up Old Speck from this side is always a joy because it starts out easy, with dirt under foot and actual switchbacks winding their way up towards the steeper climb at the end. We don’t see many switchbacks here in New England so they sort of make me giggle a bit because it seems so easy, even if you are wasting time wandering around the side of a mountain rather than getting to the top.
Looking back at Sunday River Whitecap, the big mountain of day one. Now we are above it, despite the easy climbing, which seems sort of unfair given the challenging climb the day before.
At the summit of Old Speck thin clouds were flying past from left to right almost obscuring the Baldpates on the other side of the notch. I didn’t waste any time with pics up there. I was hoping to make it all the way to the East Baldpate campsite that day and had the whole of the notch in front of me before hitting the big climb on the other side.
Half way down looking back up towards the summit of Old Speck. This descent has knocked me off trail before by slowing me down and making my knees weep. Not on this trip though. I just kept rolling down that trail at a steady clip.
A nice view of Hedgehog Hill, West Baldpate and finally on the far left the open slabs of East Baldpate. They were getting closer with every step and starting to look bigger too!
The falls were barely flowing on the brook near the bottom of the notch. I was glad I still had plenty of water from Bull Run so I didn’t need to worry about it for a while.
To heck with those Baldpates, I’m sleeping here. I made it as far as Baldpate Shelter on the climb up West Baldpate and found myself looking at it being too early to stop but too late in the day to get where I was headed. Having pushed too hard and failed before I opted to try the easy route this time and set up camp early. It would mean a very long hike the next day to get back on pace, but for now I could take my boots off.
About twenty AT thru hikers also spent the time at the shelter, though only one was actually camped in the LT. These were all or most all NOBO thru hikers and many of them opted to stop early rather than take on the rest of the climb that day, but they had come though Mahoosuc Notch that day so had earned a break.
I had a lot of miles to do and weather was threatening so this is the only pic from the first climb.
Just as I reached the summit the rain began to fall. Just a few drops at first, but more steadily as I made my way down into the col before the next climb.
With the wind picking up and water coming down I knew the exposed climb ahead would be “fun”. Those slabs can get a bit slippery when they are wet.
Dawns last gleaming or Sailor take warning. This was about the time the rain really began to come down and I suited up with rain jacket and kilt. 
One last pic of the disappearing mountains and then the camera was packed away for the rest of the very very very long day.
Completely soaked, exhausted and starved is no time to find out you have a tangled ridgeline. Had to sit down to calmly deal with that before I froze to death, then set up camp, get wet clothes off and get dry clothes and down quilts wrapped around me. Rough day 🙂 It had been 15 miles with 3.5 mountains climbed and steady rain for most all of it, but I was within a few miles of finishing this loop after years of failure. I wasn’t feeling great, but I was feeling hopeful.
There’s got to be a morning after, right? Well I was still feeling pretty crappy, but this sunshine certainly lifted my spirits. Putting on wet trail clothes is never fun, but I was stoked about finishing the climb up Puzzle Mtn for the first time.
The views on top of Puzzle Mountain were definitely worth the wait and the effort. I began to run into day hikers at the summit as well as a couple who were planning on doing the entire loop in two days. Ahhh, to be young! Not sure if they succeeded, but I wished them well.
It really was a glorious morning up there and if I wasn’t in a hurry to get down to search for a cheeseburger I might have stayed up there for hours.
The climb down was wet, steep rock slabs which were very tricky so no more pictures. We’ll just leave these happy little cloud pictures as the end of the story for now. This last shot shows most of the mountains along the loop. Perhaps that will help you understand why it has taken me so many attempts over the years to finally make it all the way around. If not this might help…
The first part of the trail was wide and flat. It was mid morning when I started out and already warming up so I covered this section as quickly as possible.
Then I arrived at the point where the trail split to create the bottom of the Baldface Circle Trail. I headed to the left intending on hitting both peaks early in the trip rather than tackling them on my way out on the last day.
Once I got past the shelter campsite the trail ascended a series of slabs interrupted periodically by cliff faces of varying height.
Each slab was like a giant step up and the views began to really open up after I’d found my way up the first few.
The shelter campsite was down there in the col before the knob on the left, but almost invisible from up here. I’d met a large group of kids with a couple of older leaders there doing a team policing of the site to pick up any trash before they moved on.
They were headed down, but I was still going up. This knob here wasn’t the actual summit, but the climb up to it was totally exposed.
There I found the intersection with a trail that allows you to bypass the cliffy slabs I’d just finished with. Following the Slippery Brook Trail around leaves you with a short and steep hike up to this point without the challenges of the cliffs.
This youth group, not the ones I’d met earlier, was taking advantage of the easier way down. They were split into three or more groups and seemed to be quite a few in number.
You can see another batch of them approaching and the actual South Baldface summit rising up beyond. This was a really fun area to hike with a lot of time above the trees.
Looking back at North Baldface nearing the end of my time on the ridge. Soon I’d be dropping down the back side via the Eagle Link Trail so I stopped here for a snack and to enjoy the views while I still had them.
There was plenty of pretty things to see on the Eagle Link Trail, but seeing the trail itself was not a frequent occurrence. It appears that almost no one uses this trail and being in the Wild River Wilderness it is not maintained or blazed. There was a faint footpath under all of those leaves at least so I was pretty certain I was headed the right way most of the time.
When I finally reached the Wild River down below the trail become easier to see as it was more well used and open.
Not seeing better options along the Wild River Trail I made it all the way to the Spruce Brook tentsite. They have removed the privy but left the sites at least. I was surprised to find a family camped there and even more surprised when several groups of folks arrived after dark. Seems this spot is easily reached from the campground parking lot just a few miles down river.
I moved out early the next day though I did not have far to go. I decided I’d just head the few miles up to Blue Brook tentsite and spend a, hopefully, quiet day there.
First I enjoyed a beautiful morning walking along the river. Sunshine on the greenery just made everything look bright and happy.
The sounds of the river bubbling along added to that sense of joy. Well and the fact that I knew I only had to hike a few miles that day didn’t hurt either.
There was some work to be done though as the trail ascended a bit after crossing the river. 
Then it ascended some more! Still this was a nice soft trail with dirt under foot in many places so I wasn’t really complaining.
I was sweating a bit and happy to arrive at the Blue Brook site. Before even setting down my pack I started exploring the waterfall.
Following it across the rock face for a while i found that it went all the way down. I stopped myself from following and headed back up to fill my water bag.
Then it was time to make myself at home! There was no one else there and while I heard a few voices on the trails nearby, no one else ever showed up that day or night.
With all afternoon to relax and explore I managed to find a way to get closer to the bottom of the falls. This must be something to see early in the year when the water is really flowing.
This certainly was something to see! It was about head high and one of the biggest I have ever seen.
Rim Junction was aptly named and I spent a minute checking out all of the arrows to make sure I followed the right one to get me up on the Basin Rim headed towards Mt Meader.
Even before the trees gave way there were hints at the beautiful views to come. I’d really gotten three beautiful days for this trip.
Of course there was still some more work to be done heh. I wasn’t excited about the climbs to come, but I was looking forward to being up on top of the ridge again.
Looking back wasn’t all bad either as the morning sun began to get a little higher.
Then it was time for me to get higher. There were a few relentless sections like this and even a surprising bit of water flowing out of the rocks at one point.
Then it began to open up more and South Baldface came into view. Looking at it from here it was hard to imagine I’d climbed up that ridge with a three day pack on my shoulders.
Now I was up on the ridge and feeling light footed with my food bag empty and a nice breeze blowing.
I found this couple set up in a nice spot working on some plein air art. We chatted for a bit about what a great place it was to spend some time before I left them in peace.
Then it was time for me to descend. Light pack or no this was a good time to go slow and try not to break my neck.
I knew that search and rescue crews rarely carry cheeseburgers so it was vital that I get down in one piece. There were a few tricky bits, but I think this side was easier to go down than the other side would have been.
I wasn’t too far from the parking lot at this point, but decided to stop to refill my water bottles and eat some cheese just because it was too nice of a day to rush out of the woods. I’d begun to see more and more people as it was summer Sunday so everyone was out for a walk. These last few minutes of peace were wonderful.
Back at the road there were cars parked for a long ways along Rt 113 outside the full parking lot. I’d say I saw at least 20 people milling about the area and made a point of loading up quick to be on my way. Even managed to get back to Fryeburg before running out of gas. Definitely a great trip all around and a lot of fun to explore some place new!
I hope you like this picture from the South Branch camping area looking towards Pogy, not so much because I put a lot of effort into it, but because it is the only picture from day one. We parked and loaded up packs just in time for a few sprinkles. I took a moment as we walked through the campground to the trail head to snap this. Good thing because soon after the sky opened and we were walking in rain for the rest of the day’s hike.
We were soaked when we arrived at the Pogy LT, but the rain stopped about that time so setting up camp was easier at least. A good dinner and sleep helped, but putting on wet clothes the next morning was not part of the original plan.
Things were still wet, on the ground and in the air. We set out in rain gear to protect against the wet undergrowth of the campsite spur.
Some nice views across Pogy towards the mountain despite the less than nice weather.
Things were starting to brighten up a bit as we passed through the Six Ponds area. Here we had the chance to test our balance using the outflow debris as a bridge at no risk since our boots were wet anyway.
Then things really started to look up as we made our way around Wassataquoik Lake. We had sunshine, a nice breeze and glimpses of the mountains and cliffs rising up around the lake.
The view from the shore in front of the Wassataquoik Lake LT didn’t include the island at the far end of the lake and we had no sense we were sharing this wilderness with anyone else.
None of my maps give a name to this little knob but it can be easily climbed via a trail that loops around the far side and has great views.
I had a nice view from under my tarp in camp too. With the lingering threat of showers it was nice to have some additional protected space since we were staying here for two nights.
I think the boys may have tried some fishing that first evening, but I was content to just shoot some pictures.
The mountain was getting ready for night, wrapping itself in what clouds it could find.
If we had known this was the last calm we’d see at this site we would have been out paddling or fishing. I was too busy enjoying how pretty it was to think that far ahead.
The next day was bright and breezy. Great weather for hanging out the hiking clothes, at least for a while. The boys were planning a quiet day around camp with hopes of fish for lunch, but I had a day hike up to Little Wassataquoik Lake on my to do list. 
It was a great day for hiking, not too hot and I had almost nothing in my pack besides water and lunch. Hiking below these cliffs was interesting in several ways.
Seeing these chunks that had come down long ago standing next to the trail made you think about gravity and time. Well they did that for me at least.
Then I reached my target for the day; the tent site named after Little Wass Lake, but not actually on the water. We had reservations to camp here later in the year as part of a family trip and I wanted to do a site inspection so we’d know what to expect. There was hope of leaving the tent at home and using the tarp and bug net to save weight. I made some measurements and took notes so I could figure out a plan later at home.
Then I headed up the back side of that cliff via a short viewpoint trail and while it was steep it was definitely worth the climb.
Looking back down at the lake our campsite was on the big point sticking out into the lake from the right side. It really isn’t that far or hard of a hike and would make a great day hike if staying down below.
Little Wassataquoik Lake is indeed little in comparison to the larger neighbor. It seemed shallow and rocky. I don’t believe there is a canoe here for that reason. Just a nice place for peace and quiet. 
I was quiet enough to not drive this doe off when she was first startled by my approach and announced her presence.
I resisted the urge to move to get a better angle and she rewarded me by moving around the trees to see what I was doing. She kept moving until I found myself snapping shots of her in this spot as she bobbed her head at me trying to figure out what the heck I was doing. This went on for a few minutes and I only wish I’d thought to hit the movie button.
Long time readers will know who this shot is for 🙂
Back in camp there was still plenty of time left to enjoy a lazy day off. Instead of planning a rugged mountain climbing adventure we were trying to relax more this year.
This camp on the lake was certainly a nice spot to spend some time. The water was amazingly clear and still nice and cool in the middle of Summer. The wind kept us out of the canoe and made for poor shore fishing, but we had a nice couple of days there.
On our way back out on day four we stopped at Green Falls reached via a short and wet side trail.
It is a neat spot I’ve been to several times now and I think I’ll always be willing to make time for this side trip when I’m near by.
Stopping to take pics and some video I sent the boys on ahead. Racing to catch back up I missed my turn onto the main trail and almost walked right into the lake. Since I was there I figured I would take a few more pics before racing back the other way after them.
Then we were back at Pogy for our last night on trail. This time we were dry and in much better spirits. Sunshine and dry socks will do wonders for morale.
It was hot though with barely a puff of breeze now and again. We sweltered through the late afternoon and then began to hear murmurs of thunder in the distance. As it drew nearer we made some efforts to prepare for a little shower while grumbling about the 10% chance of rain in the forecast. Given the lack of wind we expected vertical falling rain so I set up my tarp in a bit of a porch mode to get some air. Then there was this odd noise for a few minutes that we eventually placed as powerful wind and rain because it was upon us 🙂
The Tato tarp connector sliding down the ridgeline is what led to my doom. This was after ten minutes of driving wind and rain. My brother has done some sailing so I trust his judgement of the winds which he thought were maxing out north of 40mph. Combined with the heavy downpour there was a lot more stress put on that tarp than I’d rigged it for. I never settle for a single hitch on that connector now and always double it up so it can’t go anywhere.
After a while the storm tapered off into just a shower, but it had left a flood behind. This had been one whopper of a summer thunderstorm. Felt bad for anyone caught out on trail in that one.
I stepped out into a bit of a puddle, but was able to stay under the tarp while getting it hooked back up properly. The next day while driving out we kept finding tree limbs and entire trees laying across the road. Guess there had been some sort of storm come though 🙂 The Boys from Texas always bring out Baxter’s best weather when they come! Thanks again to my brother for documenting my fight for survival. 
Day five started with some heavy looking skies over Pogy Pond. We knew the trail would be wet from the previous day, but now we were worried about more rain falling too. Still it looks sort of pretty and we were walking back to the car which is always easier.
One last long look at the pond. Never enough of these moments so I try to soak them in when I can. Nature can be rough, make life difficult, but even at its darkest, there is great beauty.
Climbing the bluffs along Upper South Branch Pond is always bittersweet. It is the last real effort before the flat trail that returns to the parking lot. I’m always happy to be up there and done with the work, but know that soon it will be time to start seeing the end of the fun too.
Someone paddled over from the campground to start their day hike. We’ll end this trip here looking across South Branch Pond towards the campground, the car and civilization beyond.
The trip certainly didn’t start out rainy. It was warm sunshine when I left the Lincoln Woods lot around lunchtime. The East Branch was flowing well, but not terribly high.
The first mile or so was along the converted rail bed that makes the Lincoln Woods Trail so popular with families and older folks who may not climb mountains but enjoy a walk in the woods.
Overgrowth now blocks most of the view at the “downlook” so looking down isn’t what it once was. The perspective from this little outcropping perched over the Lincoln Brook far below can be a bit dizzying when you focus on the bottom of the valley far below.
Looking out at the sea of green was no problem though. Early Summer leaves were mixed in with the darker green of the pines as far as the eye could see.
Some nice white clouds in the deep blue sky made beautiful patterns if you looked up or if you looked at the shadows they threw down below.
Breaking out of the green tunnel of the trees for the final climb to the top of Mt Flume is always a treat. All of the hard work getting to this spot suddenly seems worth it when the sky opens up and you feel the breeze.
Of course you still have to climb up there, but climbing always seems easier when you are in the open and can see the top of the mountain in front of you. Well most of the time at least!
Of course the higher you climb on Flume the more you can see Mt Liberty which is the next climb and the col between which means you’ll have to give up some altitude before you can start climbing again.
Plenty of time to worry about that later. Looking back the other way seemed less ominous and darn pretty as well.
It may have been mid June, but there was some snow left hiding in the depths of that col. Despite the warm day out in the sun at the summit, it was nice and cool down in the dark of the forest. 
Then it was time to start climbing again so there was no need to worry about hypothermia. The final push up to Mt Liberty’s summit has some loose rock sections like this as well as a few big slabs that require some effort to get on top of.
The rewards this day were more great views and access to the breeze. I’ve been up here when it was too hot and too cold, but this time it was just about perfect.
There were a couple of guys taking a break there when I arrived, but they pushed on to Liberty Springs to make camp and left it all to me for a while. Usually this spot is crowded so I enjoyed being able to sit and listen to the breeze for a while.
From where I sat I could see part of the next day’s hike laid out there in front of me. I’d be dropping down off the ridge to camp first, but then I’d be headed past the ridge and over Garfield to the right.
Today’s work was just about done though. It was nice to be able to sit up there and appreciate the spot alone for a while before heading down to the tent sites at Liberty Spring.
The AMC caretaker gave me my choice of spots, but in looking I found there were only a couple of small platforms still open. I set up my hammock off to one side in case she needed to squeeze one more person in.
The sunset view from my site was partially blocked by trees, but the color coming through was great.
I timed it nicely to have my dinner in the cooking area and get back for the best part of the show. After that it was an early sleep both in hopes of an early start and from exhaustion after the day’s climbs.
I headed out a little after sunrise, but still in time to have the trail mostly to myself for a while. Ran into a thru hiker who had started at the bottom of the notch that morning. He soon left me behind as he intended to try to reach Galehead by dark.
Not sure what this pole was doing here, but if anyone needed a spare they were in luck.
Looking back where I’d come from I could see yesterday’s peaks below me now. You can also spot an early season black fly 🙂
Squeezing up this little rock outcrop is usually a good excuse to stop for second breakfast and take some pics. These short little trees are the last shelter from wind and sun for quite a while.
Breaking out on to the ridge I made it to Little Haystack before the crowds appeared, but not by much. I had the summit to myself for about five minutes before the first day hiker appeared. Several more soon followed and I could hear the ridge hikers from the tent site approaching as well.
Mt Lincoln loomed in front of me, looking larger than it really was. I knew from previous experience it was a relatively gentle sloping ridge I had to climb, but it certainly looks imposing from this angle.
This rock pile looks imposing as well. The large, loosely stacked boulders on the top always catch my eye. They’ve been up there a long time and I always hope they are content to stay there a few more minutes while I pass by.
The crowd on top of Mt Lafayette grew as I slowly approached. By the time I got up there I’d guess there were at least 50 people if not more sitting in clusters on the rocks or with cameras at arms length taking selfies. I opted not to stop there for a break this time despite the fabulous views since I knew from previous trips how hard it is to take pics that don’t have someone else taking pics in them heh.
I did take time to capture these little guys growing on the other side of the mountain. My wife loves small flowers growing in the rocks so I always try to catch a few with my camera when I spot them.
Once past the crowd on Lafayette the number of hikers dropped quickly. That speck of red in the distance is a guy from Scotland I chatted with briefly. He seemed to appreciate the lack of crowd on this end of the ridge too so I left him in peace.
Despite being way down there from up here I knew that getting to the top of Garfield was about going up. Every time I reach this spot I find myself wishing there was a zip line to get there in minutes instead of hours.
Of course that would mean I’d miss all of this beautiful terrain. There are some wonderful open slab sections before reaching the plummet at the end of the ridge.
Soon enough it would be time to head down into the trees, but there was still a little time to appreciate the sky behind the rocks.
Then the rocks ended and it was time to plummet! The climb up Garfield is a series of climbs and dips, but the drop from Franconia Ridge to the col below is down in a couple of steep drops.
Down below I found more snow! I also found some water bubbling out of the mud next to the trail. Normally I’d not consider that a water source, but I was badly in need and there were already two other hikers scooping from the little flow. It was coming out clear enough and filtered just fine so I was happy to have it.
The late day skies were starting to look a little threatening as I approached Garfield summit. This area sees some strong winds and most of the trees looked a bit ragged.
Just below the actual summit is this more sheltered area with a few big rocks which are nice for sitting. You’ll notice all of my trip reports from this area have a picture or three taken here. It isn’t just pretty. I’m usually exhausted by the time I get to this spot and ready to take a break!
After a peaceful night spent at the Garfield campsite I woke to gray skies. Just about the time I finished putting my pack on it began to rain lightly.
This was a mild storm by local standards. The shortened trees with missing tops told a story of strong winds and heavy snows on this side of the mountain.
Thankfully the rain was just getting started and the rocks weren’t too wet when I reached this section. This giant rock pile is part of one of the steepest half miles sections of the AT. Normally I’m grateful to be going down instead of up, but with wet rocks, down is not much fun either.
With the rain increasing and the trail becoming messy I decided that when I reached the bottom I’d turn off into the valley rather than remaining on the ridge. It meant giving up a visit to the Bonds, but it also meant avoiding a slippery climb up South Twin and the exposed peak I’d find at the top there.
The Franconia Brook was flowing much stronger than on my last trip where I’d sat in the middle of the mostly dry river bed.
I questioned my decision to come down off the ridge when the sun poked out for a bit. Still it was nice to be done hiking early and have camp all set up if things changed for the worse. 
They soon did and I spent a leisurely afternoon in my hammock listening to the rain on my tarp.
The best hanging trees were not lined up over the tent platform, but I’m learning to work with what I find rather than trying for perfection.
In this pic from the next morning you can see how close the sites are at the 13 Falls campsite. There was a group of guys from Mexico City set up in a couple of sites behind me. They hiked in with beer! Maybe not serious backpackers, but I was jealous when I heard them popping cold ones in the dark that night.
I had sunshine for the hike out and stopped for several big snacks along the way. A great morning for walking in the woods is always better with cheese and sausage!
There were plenty of little water crossings along the way and one big one. After the drought last year I was happy to see water everywhere again like it is supposed to be. Some of these crossings were bone dry last Summer.
The ponds were looking much better too though I think they need another year to really get back to normal.
The biggest one looked less scummy than last year but I think it could use another foot or so of water in there.
It being Friday I started to see more and more people as I worked my way out of the wilderness. Still plenty of pretty brooks to take pics of so I focused on that.
All too soon I ran out of trail, though at the time I seem to recall appreciating the cheeseburger I could smell on the horizon. Other than a little rain it had been a darn nice few days in the woods. Having done most of this route in the Fall it was interesting to see it in June. Different colors, different light, same amazing views!
Less traveled by 