Horn’s Pond Lean To
July 24, 2006 - Safford Notch Campsite to Horns Pond Lean-tos
I slept well at this lovely camp alone. It cleared in the night and at 6 a.m. the sun was already coming up. I left camp
an hour later and had an 1800 foot climb right off the bat up to Avery Peak. It got foggy and windy as I got closer to
the summit. I later got great views on the West Peak and at the horn there was thunder and lightning. I hurried along
but enjoyed the views on a most spectacular mountain. In 1981 I met two ladies on Avery Peak who were relatives of
Myron Halliburton Avery. The shelter has been taken out from this camping area but the memorial plaque is still
there. There is also a fire wardens cabin used buy caretakers now. I ran out of gas 1.5 miles from the shelters so I
stopped and fixed some coffee and had a bite to eat. I got to the shelter locations at 2 p.m. and walked around the
big camping area. This area is used a lot and has caretakers all the time in the summer. The original shelter at
Horns Pond is still here right on the trail and is used as a day use area or an overflow area. The new twin shelters,
the only twins outside of Pennsylvania are very big and nice with green roofs. You can look up and see the South
Horn of Avery from these shelters. This area is gorgeous. The caretaker stopped by and is a nice fellow. I had to
laugh though. He told me to make sure and pee in the outhouse. It is 200 yards away. I am lucky to make it 3 feet in
the middle of the night when nature calls. There are no fires allowed here either. I can live with that. It got into the 40’
s last night. My 40 degree bag was warm. There are a total of 4 people in these two shelters tonight. I have been
eating large quantities of blueberries every day.
I slept well at this lovely camp alone. It cleared in the night and at 6 a.m. the sun was already coming up. I left camp
an hour later and had an 1800 foot climb right off the bat up to Avery Peak. It got foggy and windy as I got closer to
the summit. I later got great views on the West Peak and at the horn there was thunder and lightning. I hurried along
but enjoyed the views on a most spectacular mountain. In 1981 I met two ladies on Avery Peak who were relatives of
Myron Halliburton Avery. The shelter has been taken out from this camping area but the memorial plaque is still
there. There is also a fire wardens cabin used buy caretakers now. I ran out of gas 1.5 miles from the shelters so I
stopped and fixed some coffee and had a bite to eat. I got to the shelter locations at 2 p.m. and walked around the
big camping area. This area is used a lot and has caretakers all the time in the summer. The original shelter at
Horns Pond is still here right on the trail and is used as a day use area or an overflow area. The new twin shelters,
the only twins outside of Pennsylvania are very big and nice with green roofs. You can look up and see the South
Horn of Avery from these shelters. This area is gorgeous. The caretaker stopped by and is a nice fellow. I had to
laugh though. He told me to make sure and pee in the outhouse. It is 200 yards away. I am lucky to make it 3 feet in
the middle of the night when nature calls. There are no fires allowed here either. I can live with that. It got into the 40’
s last night. My 40 degree bag was warm. There are a total of 4 people in these two shelters tonight. I have been
eating large quantities of blueberries every day.
| Don the owner of Stratton Motel |
July 25, 2006 - Horns Pond Shelters to Stratton Motel, Stratton Maine
I slept well with the bug net. This is the best 40 bucks I have ever spent. I was up at 5:15 a.m. and out an hour later.
It was a fairly easy hike down to Stratton road crossing. I got to Maine 27 and got a quick ride into town with the
owner of the local T.V. station channel 17. She let me get my mail and then dropped me off at the motel. I checked
in at the motel, $20.00 for free internet and long distance phone along with a soft bed. This place had kitchen
privileges and a nice shower too. The owner, Don will take you back to the trail too. He downloaded my camera card
and emptied it for me, and put it on a C.D. I spent the afternoon emailing everyone and calling everyone on the free
long distance phone here. I did my laundry and went to the grocery store across the street too. Don the owner
looked familiar to me but I had to think a bit but the light came on. He was the fellow who brought Freddy Bear and
me trail magic in the Shenandoah’s in 2004. This is a truly small world. Don remembered me and I thanked him
again for bringing me that trail magic. The original mentioning of Don, though I didn't know his name was
July 30 2004, almost two years ago. Don was trying to build a hostel in Staunton Virginia but the deal fell through.
He ended up here and now owns with a partner The Stratton Motel. Don had thru-hiked the trail in 2002. He had
several nice trail magic encounters too and was just repaying others back. To this day he still is! Later in the
evening after I had showered and did my laundry, two women came into the parking lot and was talking to Don, I
could tell they were hikers. They soon came into the hostel. I was reading a book and didn’t look up. Suddenly I
heard a voice. “Rowmin goat is that you?” I knew who that was from the accent. A Brazilian accent. It was Tartaragus
whom I met near Harper’s Ferry last fall. She was hiking with Anxious. They had also stayed with Freddy Bear at the
motel in the snow storm. We talked for a while and hugged. They had to go to the overflow house in the area and I
did not get to visit with them anymore but it was great to see her. She was finishing the trail and will be done when
getting back to Katahdin. I called Virginia 4 times and I then got on the internet again. I looked up and ordered a
Hennessey hammock which I will have sent to Andover in a week.
I slept well with the bug net. This is the best 40 bucks I have ever spent. I was up at 5:15 a.m. and out an hour later.
It was a fairly easy hike down to Stratton road crossing. I got to Maine 27 and got a quick ride into town with the
owner of the local T.V. station channel 17. She let me get my mail and then dropped me off at the motel. I checked
in at the motel, $20.00 for free internet and long distance phone along with a soft bed. This place had kitchen
privileges and a nice shower too. The owner, Don will take you back to the trail too. He downloaded my camera card
and emptied it for me, and put it on a C.D. I spent the afternoon emailing everyone and calling everyone on the free
long distance phone here. I did my laundry and went to the grocery store across the street too. Don the owner
looked familiar to me but I had to think a bit but the light came on. He was the fellow who brought Freddy Bear and
me trail magic in the Shenandoah’s in 2004. This is a truly small world. Don remembered me and I thanked him
again for bringing me that trail magic. The original mentioning of Don, though I didn't know his name was
July 30 2004, almost two years ago. Don was trying to build a hostel in Staunton Virginia but the deal fell through.
He ended up here and now owns with a partner The Stratton Motel. Don had thru-hiked the trail in 2002. He had
several nice trail magic encounters too and was just repaying others back. To this day he still is! Later in the
evening after I had showered and did my laundry, two women came into the parking lot and was talking to Don, I
could tell they were hikers. They soon came into the hostel. I was reading a book and didn’t look up. Suddenly I
heard a voice. “Rowmin goat is that you?” I knew who that was from the accent. A Brazilian accent. It was Tartaragus
whom I met near Harper’s Ferry last fall. She was hiking with Anxious. They had also stayed with Freddy Bear at the
motel in the snow storm. We talked for a while and hugged. They had to go to the overflow house in the area and I
did not get to visit with them anymore but it was great to see her. She was finishing the trail and will be done when
getting back to Katahdin. I called Virginia 4 times and I then got on the internet again. I looked up and ordered a
Hennessey hammock which I will have sent to Andover in a week.
Carved Bears at Stratton
July 26, 2006 - Stratton Motel to Crocker Cirque Camp site
I was up at 5 a.m. I took a shower and went across the street to have breakfast and coffee. Others from the motel
were here too. I got my pack ready for the hike and took several pictures of Don’s wooden statues of bear hikers.
One is 7 foot tall! After breakfast Don took me to the trail and I took a picture of him. I promised to send him an email
when I could and send him his picture too. I did when I got home. I had a 3000 foot climb first thing. It was not as bad
as I thought it would be. Coming down off Crocker Mountain I got great views of Sugarloaf Mountain which I will skirt
around tomorrow. I am at the campsite now and I have put my tarp on a tent platform. It has been storming a little
and it will rain in a little bit. I stayed dry under my medium sized tarp. The bugs weren’t bad here because of the
cooler weather and the rain. I ate well here tonight. I had picked up and ate odds and ends picked up at hiker box. I
like to try different things and if I don’t like it I won’t buy it later! I hung my food in a trash compactor bag and am
going to bed now at dark.
July 27, 2006 - Crocker Cirque Campsite to Spaulding Mountain Shelter
It rained hard last night. I stayed dry under my tarp. I had a pop tart and coffee for breakfast. I hiked hard all day
and only did 6.2 miles for the day. I got to the shelter at 2 p.m. There are many people here tonight. The water is
very good here. Everyone looks at me like I am going to die because I just drink the water when I know it is good. I
am writing this three months after I finished the entire trail. I did not die from bad water!
I was up at 5 a.m. I took a shower and went across the street to have breakfast and coffee. Others from the motel
were here too. I got my pack ready for the hike and took several pictures of Don’s wooden statues of bear hikers.
One is 7 foot tall! After breakfast Don took me to the trail and I took a picture of him. I promised to send him an email
when I could and send him his picture too. I did when I got home. I had a 3000 foot climb first thing. It was not as bad
as I thought it would be. Coming down off Crocker Mountain I got great views of Sugarloaf Mountain which I will skirt
around tomorrow. I am at the campsite now and I have put my tarp on a tent platform. It has been storming a little
and it will rain in a little bit. I stayed dry under my medium sized tarp. The bugs weren’t bad here because of the
cooler weather and the rain. I ate well here tonight. I had picked up and ate odds and ends picked up at hiker box. I
like to try different things and if I don’t like it I won’t buy it later! I hung my food in a trash compactor bag and am
going to bed now at dark.
July 27, 2006 - Crocker Cirque Campsite to Spaulding Mountain Shelter
It rained hard last night. I stayed dry under my tarp. I had a pop tart and coffee for breakfast. I hiked hard all day
and only did 6.2 miles for the day. I got to the shelter at 2 p.m. There are many people here tonight. The water is
very good here. Everyone looks at me like I am going to die because I just drink the water when I know it is good. I
am writing this three months after I finished the entire trail. I did not die from bad water!
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