Three-day Backpacking in the Bigelows
This post outlines all of the prep we did for our backpacking trip as well as the actual experience of backpacking in the Bigelows. I hope you find it both insightful and entertaining.
Preparation
It’s crucial to plan ahead for any backpacking trip. Running out of food or water or getting lost in the woods can quickly become problematic and dangerous. Therefore, preparation is the most important part of the planning process. This post outlines five important aspects of the planning process: food, water filtration, gear, emergency supplies, and planning our route.
Food
We wanted to keep our packs as light as possible, which resulted in us eating freeze-dried meals for breakfast and dinner. This was my first time eating freeze-dried meals, and I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty they were. The texture was about as good as you’d expect, but the flavors were solid. Also— there are so many options to choose from! Even our friend that has a long list of allergies was able to find meals he could enjoy. My personal favorite freeze-dried meals were the fettuccine Alfredo and the beef stew entrees from Mountain House.
For lunch, we ate protein-heavy bars and snacks like trail mix, granola bars, peanut butter, etc. This helped us conserve the amount of water we needed to carry as well as the amount of time we needed to stop for.
Water filtration
We brought two methods of water filtration. One was iodine tablets, which take about 30 minutes to sterilize your water. The second was the Sawyer Squeeze water filtration system, which requires you to fill up a large pouch with water and then squeeze it through a filter into a clean bottle or bladder, or you can also screw the filter onto a disposable water bottle and not spend the time squeezing the water into a bottle (which can be very time consuming). Personally, using iodine tablets is my preferred method of water filtration. I find it to be easier, less time consuming, and more lightweight friendly.
Gear
Besides food and water filtration, the next most important factor is hiking gear. I’ve found that this largely varies from person to person, so i’m just going to share what we found to be helpful and leave it at that.
First and foremost, overnight hiking packs. These vary in size, typically holding between 30-60 liters. My go-to for backpacking is my Osprey Eja 48 liter pack that I was fortunate enough to purchase on sale from L.L Bean. My favorite feature of Osprey packs is how well they sit off of your back to promote air ventilation.
The true MVP of the backpacking trip was my hiking poles. These Hikelite 4-season poles helped me stand upright so I could breathe better. They were an absolute life saver on this backpacking trip, especially because of how hot it was. They also helped relieve joint pain from my heavy backpack. They only weigh 1 pound 3 oz and can easily strap to your pack when not in use.
Both of our hiking boots are Salomon brand and they’ve held up for years. These X Ultra Mid Gore-Tex boots are my go-to summer hiking boot. Honestly, you really can’t go wrong with any of their boots. In my experience, the Gore-Tex boots are lightweight, water resistant, breathable, and have great traction. They pair perfectly with these Darn Tough wool socks.
For sleeping, I brought a two-person Microlight tent from L.L Bean, my inflatable pillow from Klymit, my Big Agnes sleeping pad, and my lightweight down sleeping bag from L.L Bean. In hindsight, I probably should have brought a blanket instead of my sleeping bag, because the weather was too hot and humid to be sleeping in a 20 degree sleeping bag. Plus my bed pad is insulated, which made our tent even warmer.
Emergency Supplies
Emergency supplies are arguably the most critical item in your backpack. I find that most people tend to underestimate how dangerous hiking is. Emergencies can happen to anyone at any time. You could fall, twist an ankle, get rained on and develop hypothermia, get attacked by a wild animal, etc. Making it crucial to have emergency supplies on hand.
For our trip, we brought this L.L Bean first aid kit, which holds medical and survival supplies for 1-4 people. We also brought emergency blankets, two forms of water filtration, compass, maps, a small multi-tool, headlamps, extra food, etc. It’s also important to pack items specific to the region you’re hiking.
Planning our route
To be safe, we decided to revolve our trip around having a base camp at Horns Pond, because we knew we would be able to use the pond as a water source (and go swimming after long, hot days on the trail!). We also made sure to pick a mountain range that had various trail options in case of an emergency. Because this was my first backpacking trip, we also decided that it would be best to only have to do 6 or less miles per day, because we aren’t used to hiking with so much weight on our backs.
History
The Bigelow Preserve was set aside by popular vote in 1976. It is now managed by the Bureau of Parks and Lands. Some of the trails in the preserve are part of the Appalachian Trail, which is maintained by the Maine Appalachian Trail Club. I grew up camping on Flagstaff Lake in the summer and my husband did as well, which is one of the reasons why we were both so excited to do my first overnight hike in the Bigelows.
Planning a trip to the Bigelows? Click here for a map.
Day 1
To get to the Bigelows, we drove north on route 27 in Carrabassett Valley until we met up with the Stratton Brook Pond Road. We parked at the Stratton Brook Parking lot, said our goodbyes to the world, and walked the 0.5 miles to the Cranberry Stream trailhead.
Due to our late start, our first climb on the trail was made even more challenging by the hot and sunny weather. Well, actually…every day was scorching hot, but they weren’t all sunny (thank god). We made our way up the Appalachian Trail, stopping regularly for water and snacks. 2.4 miles later, we arrived at Cranberry Pond, which was very beautiful but also very…interesting? Let’s just say we spotted several leeches in the water. Save your swimming for Horns Pond, friends.
After relaxing at Cranberry Pond, we decided not to summit Cranberry Peak, even though it was only 1.7 miles away. This decision was made in response to the lack of daylight. We wanted to ensure that we left ourselves more than enough time to set up camp, filter some water, go swimming, and eat dinner before it was pitch dark. So we made our way to Horns Pond.
Horns Pond was so nice. Home to a pond (obviously), a day-use lean-to (that was built in 1936), tent pads, two overnight lean-tos, privies, group sites, and several overlooks. There was also a super friendly caretaker, (whaddup, Becca?!) that was on duty and ready to answer all of our annoying questions. After filtering our water and swimming, we set up camp for the night and made dinner. I have to say…there was something extra special about enjoying a warm dinner of chicken Alfredo that night.
Like all places, there are some rules when staying at Horns Pond. First, there are no fires allowed. Dogs must be leashed at all times, you must carry in/carry out everything (even toilet paper and hygiene products!!), stays are limited to 3 nights, and groups cannot exceed 10 people.
Day 2
The next morning, it was raining. It wasn’t ideal, but it lightened as we ate our breakfast. Like every other champion, I had beef stew for breakfast. Because, why not?! After enjoying breakfast at the overlook across from our site, we re-packed our (slightly less heavy) packs and headed towards The Horns. After 1.7 miles of walking, we arrived! The views were great. We enjoyed a snack and then moved on, hearing thunder in the distance.
After The Horns, we hiked 2.9 beautiful miles to the summit of West Peak. This was probably my favorite part of the hike. There was about a mile of gorgeous, white pine forest. The summit of West Peak provided picture-perfect stunning views of, well…everywhere. We could see Sugarloaf, Flagstaff Lake, and mountains in every direction. We stopped here for about an hour to take in the views, take pictures, and take naps.
After much deliberation, and with encouragement from two very sweet older gentlemen, we decided to traverse the 0.4 miles to Avery Peak as well. It was worth it. The views from Avery Peak were a bit more panoramic, but very similar to those from the West Peak. Plus, we summited on a Monday, so there weren’t very many people.
After a great deal of reluctancy, we headed back to base camp at Horns Pond. While descending, the sun decided to come back out, which made us eager to swim as soon as we arrived at the pond. I didn’t even bother changing my clothes. I was too sticky to even attempt to get my bathing suit on. The water was refreshing and revitalizing. We filled our water bottles and headed back to our site for the night, where we enjoyed another fantastic freeze-dried meal of chicken and rice. It started to rain, so we all snuggled up and watched Tropic Thunder in the tent.
Day 3
The second morning was the hardest. It had rained all night and the humidity had caused every inch of my body to become sticky and I woke up sweating. But hey—at least my pack was nice and light from eating all of my food. We once again enjoyed breakfast by the overlook. To my dismay—it wasn’t a beef stew breakfast, but it did the trick.
With a bounce in our step and the temptation of Gifford’s ice cream sundaes on our minds, we trekked the 2.4 miles of the Horns Pond Trail, followed by the 1.2 miles of the Fire Warden’s trail back to the parking lot. I believe our grand total miles hiked was 15.2 miles, which was perfect for my first overnight hiking experience. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but keeping our daily mileage low gave us the freedom to sleep in, take lots of snack breaks, and really immerse ourselves into every view along the way.
Coming off the trail was a delight. We hit all the stops. Gifford’s for ice-cream sundaes, McDonalds for burgers and fries, and Hannaford for booze. And don’t even get me started on how nice it was to take a hot shower.
This was a fantastic first backpacking trip. Filled with sunshine, friends, and good food. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. There is no better time than time spent outdoors with loved ones.