We woke up late and didn’t get started packing until after 8:30pm – we were both still tired. And things weren’t being helped by the fact the privy was a quarter mile away. We didn’t leave camp until close to 8:00am. We gathered water from a near-pristine cistern before summiting Avery Peak at 9:00am.
The Bigelows are gorgeous.
Greyhound took refuge from the wind in the foundation of an old fire tower and enjoyed a quick break before we began our descent. The trail was mossy, rooty and full of rocks and boulders. We took another quick break under a giant boulder at 10:15.
We were making slow time, making sure to enjoy the amazing views.
We crossed Little Bigelow at 3:00pm and headed down towards East Flagstaff Lake – we were hoping to find another spot to have a break. Instead we stopped – we were resting on an amazing lake-side stealth campsite. It was too good to pass up – we were in desperate need of a break.
We stretched out our sleeping bags on the sandy beach and laid down to go through the AT Guide. As we were making notes and reviewing the days ahead, we watched a small chipmunk run over to my food bag, inspect it, and then scurry around our campsite. We stared intently as he made his way behind us – right before jumping on my calf to take a break.
I loved it! Man, I’ve got a thing with chipmunks! We cooked a quick dinner and enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the lake. We had big plans for tomorrow and fell asleep after sunset.
How to Hike 2000 Miles 