On the AT - East Flagstaff Road to Caratunk

August 4, 2008 | Miles: 19.9
Start: East Flagstaff Road
End: Caratunk

Photos here

Today's hike actually started yesterday. With the logistics of this section, we decided to drive up to Caratunk yesterday, drop off a car (and a cooler filled with gatorade, crackers and cookies as trail magic for any thru-hikers coming through), and then drive back to East Flagstaff Road, where we set up camp at Round Barn, a great rustic camping area on the shores of Flagstaff Lake. The camp area was deserted except for one other couple. We set up our camp chairs looking out at the lake, and ate our cold pizza (purchased at a random convenience store/grill). After dinner we took a walk around, enjoyed a few shoreside blueberries, played some cards and caught the end of the sunset over the lake before calling it at a night.

It rained pretty hard during the night, and was still raining when I awoke at 6am, our designated wake-up time. So, back to sleep we went, at least until 6:45 when the rain had stopped. We quickly packed everything up, had a quick bite to eat and took off down the road to the trailhead. We were on the trail by 8am. An hour later than we had hoped, but still hopefully with enough time to make it to the Kennebec River ferry before the last shuttle across at 4pm, especially since we were traveling light.

So... the hike... Short story: it was wet. Damn wet.


The trail was a river, a mud pit, a stream, a swamp and so on. Basically, our feet were wet from the start to the finish. As was the rest of us, as it rained several times during the day too. We boogied along as best we could, running when the trail was flat and dry(ish), walking as fast as we could when things were wet, slipping and sliding around on the rocks and roots and bog bridges, splashing through the mud puddles and the streams, fording several streams. Between us, we had many slips and slides, with me winning the prize on two counts: 1) for my almost face plant into one of the rivers we were crossing. The stream was flowing with a swift current, overflowing its banks, and up to my knees. I took one wrong step, and couldn't quite right myself. Luckily, on my way down, I caught myself on a big rock, and only got the front part of me wet. A close call, but a good save! and 2) in the bruise department. On one of the many slippery bog bridges, I again, took a wrong step and slipped off the side, slamming my right shin into the side of the bridge. OW! That hurt. It also left a good mark!

The trail didn't offer any mountaintop views, but we did pass several beautiful lakes: West Carry Pond, East Carry Pond (where the trail wandered right along the pond edge, allowing us great views of the pond, a Belted Kingfisher sighting and some yummy blueberry picking), and Pierce Pond. The trail also paralleled the Pierce Pond Stream for several miles before it converged with the Kennebec, and that was quite spectacular as well, especially given the high volume of water.


We hit the Kennebec around 3:15 pm, in plenty of time. The Kennebec is one big river. It looked strong and deep, but very beautiful with tons of milkweed blooming along its banks, and even more beautiful as the ferryman was on the other side waiting for us! He canoed over to get us, and he and Snowman paddled us back across. Then a quick 0.3 miles back to the car and we were done. Hurray! 7.5 hours/19.9 miles. A solid day. Although I was tired by the end, it wasn't a super hard day, just a frustrating one, with all the water. Absolutely ridiculous.

But the best part of the day was that after being wet and muddy, we got to come home, take a shower and put on dry clothes. There are perks to this section hiking deal. And to being crazy enough to do this stretch in one day :-)

Flora and fauna report: Lots of toads and frogs; with two toads smaller than my pinkie fingernail! A pair of Belted Kingfishers on East Carry Pond; a grouse roadside on our way to the trail; Robin and Wood Thrush. Chickadees and several Red-Breasted Nuthatch around our campsite at Round Barn. Lots of Indian pipe, bunchberries, blue bead lilies and lots of yummy blueberries.