7/22/06 Saturday: Baldpate Lean-to to The Cabin, South Arm Rd, Andover, Me. (18.1mi)

Pictures:
1. 0643 view of the East Peak of Baldpate from the West Peak
2&3. 0701 Summiting the East Peak... A bit hazy but still some wonderful views...
4. 1015 Beautiful water source just NE of Dunn Notch
5. 1506 A look back during my ascent of Moody Mtn. The rebarb reflects the steepness of the ascent...1200' in <1mi:(...

I awoke at 0530 to overcast skies and temps in the mid 60s... Perfect hiking weather...:)... By 0615 I was a gain heading north with no fewer than 4 peaks to climb today, I would need all the time I could get to accomplish an 18mile day... My first challenge of the day was to cross the Peaks of Baldpate. As the name implies, the summits are rock with views in every direction... The climb both up and down were both challenging, and I was thankful that I had dry weather to keep from sliding on the rock faces... My first short break would come at the Frye Notch Lean-to where I got some water, used the privy and jotted down a few notes in the shelter journal. After about 30 minutes I returned to the trail and began the long slow descent to East B Hill Road where I had the option to hitch in to Andover to The Cabin or continue to the next road 10mi away and from there hitch to The Cabin for the night. At 1200, I arrived at the first road and decided to push on to the second one. I was motivated by the fact that my pack was as light as ever with only 1 meal left with a couple of snacks... I was gonna be resupplied at The Cabin which means carrying an extra 10lbs of food. And the concept of ascending Moody Mtn, a 1400" climb in less than 1mi, with another 10lbs on my back was not a pleasant one..;)... Before Moody Mtn though was Wyman Mtn which was a relatively easy 900" ascent over 3 miles. At about 1330 I reached the scenic view on Wyman Mtn and stopped to make a few phone calls. I called Jackie to say hi and let her know that I was thinking of her...;)... and I called The Cabin to let them know I would like to spend the night in their hostel... They also offered to provide transportation from and back to the trailhead, a 9mi each way ordeal. Sounded great and I gave "Bear" an ETA of 1700. I continued on my way looking forward to the home cooked meal,a shower, and bed...:)... By 1500 I was at Sawyer Notch knowing I was about to tackle one of the steepest climbs of the entire hike. It took me about an hour to reach the summit of Moody Mtn. with its assorted stairs and rungs, it was quite a climb... With 2 miles left on the descent a light rain began to fall.. I persisted with my descent and arrived at the road early at 1630. "Bear" arrived just as I made my way across Black Brook to the road, and what a welcome sight he was too... We stopped in town on the way to the hostel and I picked up a few snacks before arriving at the hostel around 1715. We had a wonderful meal, and I watched the end of the REd Sox game :)... before retiring for the night...