Bigelow In Maine

Been seeing quite a few photo albums lately on Facebook for Bigelow Mt in Maine and it looks to be a hell of a hike. Well beyond the realm of a day hike for me so I was looking to get some info on the "preferred" or "typical" way that people hike that ridge and peaks.

1)Campsite/Hotel recommendation?
2)Best route/trails?
3)Any other advice?

Other than skiing at Sugarloaf once about 20 years ago I pretty much know nothing about that area so if anyone can point me in the right direction it would be appreciated. Thanks.

Off the top of my head, there's a campsite at the base (on the south, along the AT), and a shelter at Horn Pond. Bet there's more - check the AMC map.

I made a loop dayhike from the south, didn't reach all the peaks, hope to go back and check out more peaks and more trails.

Cranberry stream campsite (I think that's the name of it) about a mile after you cross rt27 on the AT. Horns Pond campsite at about the 5 mile mark. Fairly easy to do in half a day. I started at 12:30ish and was at Horns pond by 5ish, and we didn't hike very fast. Avery Cool campsite between Avery and West Peaks. Safford Brook campsite in the Col before Little Bigelow. Little Bigelow shelter just before Flagstaff Lake. We did it on a long weekend. Started 12:30pm, stayed at Horns Pond, went to safford Brook and stayed and was at the car at Flagstaff by 10:30 am. Two half days hiking and one full day. The descent down to Safford Brook was a killer.

Up Horns Pond, where there is a shelter, across the ridge (North Horn worth the short side trip) to West and Avery Peaks, down Firewardens Trail. There is a terrific campsite right after you cross the outlet from Stratton Brook Pond; it has a nice view of the pond. Another campsite further up the trail. We did this as a dayhike and stayed at Cathedral Pines campground in Eustice ... ate at White Wolf in Stratton. You can also do the loop I describe as a dayhike out of Maine Huts and Trails' Stratton Brook Hut and that's an easy 3 mile hike from the parking lot (also bikeable).

If you want to do the entire ridge, that poses the challenge of a car spot. There are campsites and shelters along the way. MH&T has shuttles but they're for hut guests and I've been trying to figure a way to incorporate the huts in a larger loop with minimal backpacking gear.

This was one of our favorite and most memorable hikes ... we had a bluebird day but it was also one of our windiest hikes.

Here's how I did the Bigelows in 2010. I know people have done the car spot with a bicycle and at least one person did it with a kayak and camped on some of the island(s) along the way.


Tim

Greg Roy will shuttle. You dont have to be a MHT guest.

bikehikeskifish said:

Here's how I did the Bigelows in 2010. I know people have done the car spot with a bicycle and at least one person did it with a kayak and camped on some of the island(s) along the way.


Tim

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Thanks for the detailed answer/reference. I'll review and let you know if I have any questions.

Coming in a little late but a hiking body of mine and I treated ourselves when we went up to do Sugar/Spaulding and The Bigelows the next day. You can get pretty good rate at Sugarloaf this time of year. We did a 2 bedroom condo that cost us $100 each. We were the only ones in the building. Had this view at the end of the first day.


Oh, and just did an in and back via the Fire-wardens Trail for the Bigelows.

bikehikeskifish said:

Here's how I did the Bigelows in 2010. I know people have done the car spot with a bicycle and at least one person did it with a kayak and camped on some of the island(s) along the way.


Tim

Click to expand...

A few questions:

1) Do you know (or can someone else verify) that the Spillover Motel is still a nice place to stay? If you were there back in 2010 a lot could have changed in 7 years. Any recommendations on local restaurants? Looked like a few in your Trip Report but that info might also be pretty dated the way places like this come and go in little mountain towns.
2) You mentioned Bob's truck "made it all the way to the brook". Is the access road to trail head very rough? Is there an actual trail head or do you just get as far down the road as possible and then walk rest?
3) Why clockwise versus counter clockwise? Are there ledges/scrambles/some other feature that makes this direction more advisable? Looking at the map I'd be inclined to head straight up to Avery and get the climbing out of the way early and then descend the majority of the ridge. It also looks like there are numerous brook crossings so you could go very light on water and filter some in the upper sections.
4)West Horn? I don't see labeled on CalTopo. I assume it is the knob well West of the Horn Ponds at approx 3350'? I assume that is on the NEHH or NE67 list which warranted the trip over. Doesn't appear on satellite views to have bald top or many views (but hard to tell). Is it worth the side trip if I'm not doing the NEHH or NE67?

Appreciate any additional details you can provide. It does look like a great hike.

JustJoe said:

Coming in a little late but a hiking body of mine and I treated ourselves when we went up to do Sugar/Spaulding and The Bigelows the next day. You can get pretty good rate at Sugarloaf this time of year. We did a 2 bedroom condo that cost us $100 each. We were the only ones in the building. Had this view at the end of the first day.

Oh, and just did an in and back via the Fire-wardens Trail for the Bigelows.

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Interesting. That might work out nicely. My wife is recovering from knee surgery. If she can come along and have stuff to do I might be able to do this sooner rather than later.

South horn is on the AT. North Horn is on NEHH list, I believe. West Peak and Avery on on the 4k'ers list. Thats 4 different peaks. To go clockwise, or nobo, is easier because you dont have that 2 mile climb out of Safford Notch. The last time I was at Horn's Pond, the careyaker said she took the Horn's Pond trail, rather than Firewardens trail since it was gentler. Fire Warden's can get very steep.

You can also start in Stratton and take the trail that leads up Cranberry Mountain.

DayTrip said:

Interesting. That might work out nicely. My wife is recovering from knee surgery. If she can come along and have stuff to do I might be able to do this sooner rather than later.

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They have varying levels of accommodations. And as mentioned, once you start climbing on the Fire Wardens Trail it's pretty relentless to the col. STFU!

DayTrip said:

A few questions:

1) Do you know (or can someone else verify) that the Spillover Motel is still a nice place to stay? If you were there back in 2010 a lot could have changed in 7 years. Any recommendations on local restaurants? Looked like a few in your Trip Report but that info might also be pretty dated the way places like this come and go in little mountain towns.

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I'm been staying at the Spillover twice each year for the past 5 years and its very nice, inside all updated, clean enough that when the wife comes, she is satisfied with the rooms cleanliness. For breakfast, I hit the Looney Moose, within walking distance of Spillover. Dinner, White Wolf or Stratton Plaza in Stratton.

Too bad your wife is not mobile, there are several Maine Huts and Trails facilities in the area that would make a nice place to stay but they all require various distances in from the road to hike to (although some have a service road for deliveries that is gated) . If you do elect to do the trip all the way to Long Dam Falls road or the Flagstaff Road, be aware that the car spot is quite long. If the Carriage road is open it makes it far more tolerable but via public roads its takes a couple of hours and a Delorme Gazetteer to find your way via back roads.