Maine: September 4th-September 9th, 2022

My trip over to Maine was delayed about a week due to an inflexible moving date for my dorms on the part of the college, which was quite frustrating. Anyhow, I started in the Maine High Peaks before bouncing to Baxter and back, finishing on Saddleback and heading back to Hanover after six days of straight hiking in a row. Not since my Adirondack trip in June had I felt so exhausted by hiking, and I don't think I've truly pushed myself as hard in the time since then, which speaks to my better logistics and planning as much as it does to not having such rigid deadlines. Anyhow, these were my favorite hikes of the entire 115, and I hope you'll enjoy some of my little reflections on them two years after the face :)

Sugarloaf Range, September 4th

Sugarloaf I went up from the AT after driving up and resting at the trailhead between it and Crocker. Up Sugarloaf was straightforward, with it being a typical prominent ski mountain the like of Killington or Whiteface. Along the ridge over to Spaulding was uneventful, although I did meet a few delightful thru hikers on the way up. Abraham is a peak I look forward to doing one day when it isn't so obscured, because it really has the potential to be of the quality I ascribe to Haystack and Boott Spur, which is a pretty high praise from me tbh. Anyhow, I took some logging roads and bushwhacked down to the creek and followed an ATV path back to the trailhead, and along the way I saw the first of only three Moose I've seen outside of Alaska!!! Fun stuff

Crocker Range, September 5th

Crocker was a slong through some cold rain, with most of the trail being unexceptional, although I will say that no bushwhacking is required for Reddington, although that information is useless delivered a year and a half late lmao

North Brother, September 6th

Driving from the rest stop outside of Millinocket, I got to the Martson trailhead and then started up, finding the goings to be pretty easy. Treeline being so low threw me for a loop, and I got some fantastic views below the clouds at about 4300ft, with the lumbering mass of the massif in the background obscured, only adding to the anticipation of the following day

Katahdin, September 7th

In my trip report for Katahdin a year later, I note that the weather conditions and lighting were nearly identical to this instance, and for that reason, you'll have to go check out that report to get photos of the landscape. This hike was one of the best I've ever done, and my only regret was that once I got to the summit of Baxter, I had a bit of a panic about taking my flag in front of about fifty people, so I went down the north side of the mountain and took my photos there after crying for a bit. It just goes to show how far we need to go that someone who had literally done this over a hundred times before would get so worried about harassment when alone in such a public place. Anyhow, it was still a wonderful hike and I hope to do it a third time in the winter one of these years - though I'll have to become a significantly better ice climber first

Bigelow, September 8th

After crashing at the start of a logging road on the eastern side of the Bigelow Preserve, I went over to the Fire Warden's trailhead and started up, finding the goings to be pretty straightforward and appreciated. Absolutely spectacular views on top of both peaks, and I met a guy who also had only three peaks left in his 115, and we bonded at the summit. And the best part of the whole thing? When I got down the mountain and got reception to check my phone, I found out the Queen of England died. Boy was I celebrating in the north woods that night - as if that week couldn't get any better ^_^

Saddleback and the Horn, September 9th

After waking up and heading over to the Saddleback ski area, I started up one of the runs and made it up to the ridge despite the brutal sun. Going along the ridge was one of the coolest alpine traverses I've had in the entire northeast, and the Horn well lives up to the hype it gets. After this I headed back to Hanover to recover for a day and start classes the day after