Backpacking the Bigelows (Avery Peak, 4,090' and West Peak, 4,145') and the Horns

on

CHOOSING HARD

Hard will happen without our trying
alone at night with a weighty chest
almost no room to breathe
space widening between us and
all that used to make sense.
We will think we understand
all that came before wasn’t real
until time, with its clouded fabric,
folds us into another day, until
we find ourselves here, choosing hard
struggling up the side of another peak
bug-bitten and weary, but grateful
for 40 pounds of bulk, not burdens,
grateful, that our bodies work today.



 







 
 



 

 




White-Spotted Sawyer (wood-boring beetle)

Hike level: Moderate
Location: Carrabessett Valley, ME
Driving distance from Boston: About 4.5 hours
Cost: FREE to hike; You can car camp and backpack in Bigelow Preserve which includes over 36,000 acres of public land. For car camping near trailheads, there are both established sites and dispersed camping off the dirt road. For backpacking there are several shelters and tent sites along the trails. All are first-come-first-serve. Here is a map of the established car camping and backpacking sites.
Description: Using the book, AMC's Best Backpacking in New England, we did a backpacking loop (Trip 32) in the Bigelow Range that included the Bigelows (Avery Peak and West Peak, two of NE67s) and the Horns (you can add in North Horn as a side hike off the loop). We had few options for where to stop overnight and ended up staying at Myron Avery Tentsite, which allowed us a second summit up Avery Peak in evening's light. Total mileage for the loop, according to the book, is 12.7 with 4,000 ft elevation gain.

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