Why is Walker dressing? Because had just had more of his clothes off, just when a school group came marching by.

Welcome to the Great State of Maine.

The way life should be. Ayuh.

Last state! The distance to Mount Katahdin is right this year, but sixteen miles have been added to the south.

My handywork, recreating what motorists see when they enter on the Turnpike or the Ossipee Trail. But no tough drunk hiking law!

I didn't want to go down the hill with my poles, so I threw them down. As luck would have it, I threw one, on several bounces, in to this hole. I had to fish it out...

...and was quite happy when it was duly recovered.

Looking back towards the Presidentials.

Still in the clouds.

Call this a trail?

They only put the ladders on the real cliffs.

Onward across the Mahoosuc Range.

Old Speck. Today, not even in the clouds.

Some color down towards Success Pond. Some logging, too.

Okay. Lots of logging.

How many types of bog bridges can you spot: normal, slanted, stairs...

Sometimes they are only one plank wide. But the soils are so thin (as you can see) they are necessary.

Step off and you might find yourself in two or three feet of mud, eh?

Old Speck.

Man make fire. Man be cold. Last night with the 35-rated sleeping bag.

Whoosh!

It only took the edge off. We never really got warm.

Fred and Walker [Texas Ranger] share a laugh.

It must be really funny, eh?

The Trail sign at Mahoosuc Notch. I was trying to beat the rain through the Notch is no fun.

What did I do to deserve this?

Yeah, it feels about that disorienting to go through Mahoosuc Notch.

Really? (Mahoosuc Notch, cont.)

Mahoosuc Notch begs the question: why did they route (not build) the trail through here?

Mahoosuc Notch: it's all in good fun. Until someone gets hurt 10 miles from the road.

Mahoosuc Notch: how long is this tunnel?

Mahoosuc Notch: what the hell does an X blaze mean?

A fearless spruce grouse on Mahoosuc Arm in the rain.

The spruce grouse stands on the end of a new bog bridge.

Then waddles on to a rotting bog bridge.

One more picture, and he/she flies away.

Speck Pond in the dense fog.

Too bad there are no views, I know for a fact the views are tremendous.

Bog bridges towards Old Speck.

Turning maples.

Pine trees disappear in to the fog.

AMC section ends, MATC section begins. The last of 31 trail maintenance clubs. With the longest (and hardest) mileage.

There were quite a few of these iron ATs in Maine.

Views off of Baldpate.

From West Baldpate to the barren East Baldpate.

East Baldpate is a rocky scramble.

Hey! I helped build the Grafton Loop in 2001. Now it is complete!

The clouds clear, revealing tremendous color in the valleys.

Dunn Falls was one of the nicest falls on the trail, just after the splendid open crossing of the Baldpates.

A slightly zoomed view of Dunn Falls.

looking down the valley from Dunn Falls.

Turning hobblebush.

Upper Dunn Falls.

Upper Dunn, from a different angle.

The top of Dunn falls, with a red maple in the background.

Again, Upper Dunn.

Another small falls along the stream.

Check out that reflection.

Further down, another falls. If it had been 90, I would have been swimming.

The lower part of Dunn Falls through the turning leaves.

Yellow birches.

Surplus Pond. Wouldn't that be a nice house?

More foliage near Surplus Pond.

Clouds above, clouds below.

Deep Maine forest only lets a little bit of light through. Here sub-alpine is down near 2000 feet.

Mount Blue on the left, and other Maine hills and lakes. It is a Great State.

Colour in the Trees.

looking through Sawyer Notch.

Rebar up Old Blue.

Looking back to the Presis, I think.

Trees, foliage and view from Old Blue.

Old Blue View.

Rangeley Lakes from Mount Blue.

Bemis Ridge has some great views of the Rangeley Lakes.

Maine Mountains and foliage.

Looking up the spine of the Maine Mountains, towards Saddleback and beyond.

Fog over the Rangeley Lakes, burning off quickly in the bright sunshine.

The deep blue of the Rangeley Lakes.

More foliage.

Sabbath Day Pond. Along a flat section of trail.

The best view of Saddleback I'd get.

Well, one of the best.

Trail Magic! Burp.

The trail is blazed across Route 4.

A colorful sunset. Without the sunset.

Morning trees.

Saddleback in the fog and rain. No views for me.

A dewy spiderweb.

The best view of the day when the clouds lifted at Poplar Ridge.

A trickle of a falls near Orberton Stream.

Rocky trail.

Looking down in to the Carrabassett Valley.

Up to the Carrabassett River Crossing. That 2-by-6 was rickety, and well cabled to a nearby boulder.

Fog envelops the Carrabassett Colors.

After the rain, my chilled hands register at the entrance to the Bigelow Preserve.

A rotting blaze.

Horns Pond, with foliage in the background, and the tiny-looking Horns Pond Lean-tos in the bottom left. Where I'd spent the night, cold.

Is it just me, or does Bigelow look kind of white?

No wonder they are called The Horns.

Oh! It is ice! Rime ice all over Bigelow!

Mount Bigelow, West Peak, with rime ice.

Mount Bigelow, West Peak, with rime ice.

Mount Bigelow, West Peak, with rime ice along the Appalachian Trail.

Flagstaff Lake beyond Mount Bigelow, West Peak, with rime ice.

Flagstaff Lake, foliage from Mount Bigelow, West Peak.

Sugarloaf ski area, foliage in the Carrabassett and rime ice on Mount Bigelow, West Peak.

Rime ice along the Appalachian trail, Mount Bigelow, West Peak.

That means YOU! Help preserve the fragile and rare alpine plants.

An icy scene on Mount Bigelow, West Peak.

An icy cairn on the Appalachian Trail, Mount Bigelow, West Peak.

An icy cairn, with foliage beyond, Mount Bigelow, West Peak.

Mount Bigelow, West Peak

The view across the Carrabassett Valley, with Sugarloaf in the background and Stratton Brook Pond to the right. Peak foliage. Mount Bigelow, West Peak

Flagstaff Lake from an icy Mount Bigelow, West Peak.

Long views from a cold Mount Bigelow, West Peak.

A solitary icy tree against the lower and warmer Flagstaff Lake on Mount Bigelow, West Peak.

The ice-encrusted sign at the summit of Mount Bigelow, West Peak, 4145 feet above sea level.

The view of the fire warden's cabin on the Avery peak of Mount Bigelow, from the West peak.

Ice melting in the sun, Mount Bigelow, West Peak.

Sun comes out on an icy Mount Bigelow, West Peak.

Nice pic, but my camera blew in to the corner. Cropping, here we come!

Ice on Avery Peak of Mount Bigelow.

The fire warden's cabin on the Avery Peak.

Me on top of Myron Avery Peak on the Bigelow Range. The peak was named for the Maine-born co-grandfather (along with Mass.-born Benton MacKaye) of the trail. And it has one heck of a view.

The Appalachian Trail plaque set for Myron Avery. We'll let the middle name Haliburton side this time.

The fire wardens cabin on Avery peak. Probably a cold assignment.

Mount Bigelow, Avery Peak.

Little Bigelow, topping out around 3000 feet (1000 feet lower) and flanked by foliage part way up.

Bright red foliage, peak season, on the south side of Mount Bigelow.

Foliage, Bigelow and Flagstaff Lake.

I really do like Bigelow.

The dammed dead river. Flagstaff Lake and Foliage.

Yippie. I made it 2000 miles to East Flagstaf Road (Route 16 until they dammed the Dead) and actually 2003.5 miles from Springer in 2006.

Night over East Carry Pond.

Pierce Pond Stream.

The Kennebec. I really don't want to ford it.

Here comes Mr. Ferry.