Started the day with the breakfast spread at the hostel including homemade bread, bagels, muffins, eggs, and coffee. Delicious.
I had arranged to slackpack the Bigelow Mountains so I minimized my pack contents and got in the shuttle. The plan was to do the section southbound so my pickup at the end would be close to the hostel.
It was a bit of a later start than usual, but I figured the day would go quickly, and it did. Since I was going in the opposite direction I saw HOP, K-Won, and Candyman again.
Climbing Little Bigelow first I saw a sign for "Old Man's Head" with an "Excellent View".
It delivered an expansive view of Flagstaff Lake.
Next I was up Avery Peak and back above treeline. For Avery and the following Bigelow peaks I had full 360° views of the surrounding area. Really amazing. I sat and had lunch trying to take it all in.
Hiking down was steep but went fairly quickly. The sunny days had made the rocks dry and no longer slippery. I was back to the road and picked up before 4pm.
Back at the hostel I met Weatherman (again) and Rocket. Weatherman was a through hiker. Rocket was doing the northern section from NJ to ME between school and starting a job. We hung out and chatted over dinner.
Today is the day I crossed the 1000 mile threshold on the trail. Getting closer to the end.