Last night, I was telling one of my daughters how hard it is to hike during the Fall - the weather is on the edge of changing but hasn’t made up its mind. As a result, I’ve got to carry far more in my day pack than I did just 30 days ago - warm clothes, extra food, emergency gear, etc. My back doesn’t like the additional weight but, as I’d seen the day before, the Maine mountain weather can change in an instant - it’s much better to be safe than sorry! This morning I left Bingham a bit later than I’d planned and that put me into the “hotter” range of temperatures for this week (60s to 80s) for the hike. Not wanting to kill myself with distance (blister on toe) or exertion (up/down/up), I chose a section that started near the southern end of Moxie Pond (Troutdale Road). This trailhead was only about 20 miles from town on a series of gravel roads and I didn’t have trouble finding it. Started NOBO at 0930 - this involved a leisurely walk on the road I’d traveled until I reached a turn off towards the east. There, I got to ford another bridgeless river (“Dangerous Crossing with High Water”) - fortunately, there were lots of big rocks to use. After that, the trail was mostly uphill, although I noted that the terrain was much smoother than yesterday’s supposed “flat” grade... About a mile into my day, I passed a crowd of young people - smiles on every face - and asked them what the view was like from Moxie Bald. They reported spectacular vistas and this energized my gradual climb. Actually, these were the last people I saw for over three hours - I guess I found a gap between Thru hiker bubbles... After I passed the Bald Mountain Brook Lean To (didn’t stop), the trail turned decidedly steep as I made my way up the southwest side of the mountain. In places, the trail crossed what looked like one continuous rock (all the dirt was worn away). Fortunately, the rock wasn’t wet... After passing the Summit Bypass Trail junction, I had to use my hands a lot more to navigate the rooty/rocky surface of the AT. Slowly, I made my way around the south, then east and then west side (again) of Moxie Bald. Eventually, I found myself exposed to the elements on a huge rocky face with few trees. Moxie Bald dominated the nearby landscape and gave me the feeling I was flying above the clouds - wow! It was a bit windy but wasn’t cold. The views up there were tremendous! For one thing, I wouldn’t call it Moxie “Pond” - the water stretched north for miles. I could see many other bodies of water and distant mountains to the west. I had to leave the AT to visit the actual summit and got to see obviously well-named Bald Mountain to the north. After admiring the view, I made my way down on the east side and was treated to a stunning panorama of Bald Mountain Pond far below, as well as the Piscataquis Valley (where I hiked yesterday). When I reached the other end of the Summit Bypass Trail, I got off the AT to go around the north side of the mountain (followed blue blazes). After about half a mile, I rejoined then AT and started my backtrack to the car. I must say that I really got a good tour of Moxie Bald - it was well worth the climb! I made good time going downhill and was glad to be in the shade again because the temps continued to rise (it was 80 when I finished). Managed to jab a dead tree limb into my shoulder as I was clambering around some rocks - ouch! While I noticed evidence of moose again, the only wildlife (besides birds) I actually saw was a snake (garter?). About a mile from the road, I passed a solo female Thru hiker - like the ones I saw yesterday, she was in a hurry. Arrived back at my car by 1400 after about 10 miles (the signs, trail guides and my pedometer all had different distances so I split the difference). I was sweaty, tired, hurting (back and toe) but felt good again about getting some more trail miles. I drove back to Bingham and, after getting cleaned up (I also cleaned Nessie with some of the ATV towels in my hotel room), I headed north on US-201 until I found a place (Valley View Pizza and Subs) to eat. It looked more like a little grocery store but the guy at the register told me he could make a Buffalo Chicken pizza for me and pointed at some picnic tables where I could wait. I purchased a Natty Daddy(1745) to keep me company and went outside. There were pets roaming free and I wasn't bored - before long, the man behind the register came out with a delicious-looking pie and I scarfed it down quickly. The owner and his daughter talked with me for a while about their business and life in the Kennebec River Valley. It seemed like I picked a perfect time to visit the area, since the busy months were in the summer and the winter. Felt good and full after I was done eating and headed back to my room. More reading and relaxing (with some communication with the kids) before bed (2200). Hopefully, I can keep getting lucky with weather and views! AT Today = 5.0 miles / G.T. AT = 1664.8 miles
