Location: East Flagstaff Rd / Stratton Motel (2017.6 miles)

It stormed overnight, with rain and lightning, but the weather cleared up nicely by morning, and it was a nice day out.

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View North from Little Bigelow Mountain
Location: East Flagstaff Rd / Stratton Motel (2017.6 miles)

As I mentioned yesterday, today’s hike is 16.7 miles from ME 27, over the Bigelows, the last major mountains before the Hundred Mile Wilderness, to East Flagstaff Road. With a 7:30 am shuttle planned, I was able to “sleep in” until about 6:30. The shuttle wound up not leaving for the trailhead until closer to 8, though, delayed as a result of picking up hikers from other hotels.

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2000 Miles!
Location: ME 27 / Stratton / Stratton Motel (2000.9 miles)

I got up today at 5:30 am for a scheduled 6:15 shuttle: today would be a longer day — 17.4 miles (plus a mile and a half to get to the AT) — from Barnjam Rd to ME 27, so we decided on an earlier start time. Unfortunately, the shuttle was late, and we didn’t get to the trailhead until almost 8 am.

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View from Saddleback Mountain
Location: Barnjam Rd / Farmhouse Inn (1983.5 miles)

I wound up not sleeping well last night; I don’t think I got to sleep until after 2 am. (I think my bed was at fault; I don’t think it was quite level.) It also rained, with lightning. Fortunately, that was all done and over with by morning.

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Long Pond
Location: ME 4 / Rangeley / Farmhouse Inn (1968.7 miles)

Papa Monkey, Pigeon Toe, and I, along with some other hikers who were getting shuttles to ME 17 but not slackpacking, headed off to the trail shortly after 7. On the drive there, we saw a moose in a clearing with a small lake to the side of the road.

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