Distant Journeys

Day 2: On our first day we will warm up with a day hike. There are many great options to choose from including the rocky summit of Burnt Mountain or one of the high peaks of the Bigelow range. Here are two of the options:

• Burnt Mountain: With its rocky summit above the tree line, Burnt Mountain (1,775’) has striking 360-degree views. The trail begins near Brackett brook, climbing through a forest of mixed hardwood and conifer trees. As we emerge from the forest and approach the high point of the hike, we are greeted by fantastic views of the Bigelow range, Sugarloaf, and Crocker Cirque. We will circle back to our Inn for a hearty dinner and overnight stay.

• Appalachian Trail to Cranberry Peak: After a short transfer we will hike a section of the Appalachian Trail as it begins its ascent to the Bigelow Range. After about 2.5 miles we will reach the Range Trail, and begin heading west towards Cranberry Peak. Passing Cranberry Pond, a beautiful tarn nestled in the mountains and formed by a glacier, we will continue climbing to reach the highest point of our hike, 3,213 feet. From here, after taking in the view, we begin to descend, steeply at first, into the town of Stratton and back to our Inn for dinner.

Day 3: Leaving the Inn, we will begin with an easy 5-mile walk along the Narrow Gauge Pathway as it follows the Carrabassett River. We will then make the gradual 2-mile climb to the hut, passing Popular Falls along the way.

• The Maine Huts and Trails is a newly formed organization, now in its fifth year of operation with three backcountry huts open and completed.

Their mission: “Maine Huts and Trails was founded by Mainers who share a vision for preserving our state’s naturally beautiful remote areas. To that end we will build and operate a 180-mile recreational corridor from the Mahoosucs to Moosehead. The corridor will include a network of huts, trails and waterway corridors. This unique resource will preserve some of Western Maine’s best backcountry for the purposes of conservation and environmentally sensitive economic development, and ensure public access for generations to come”

Day 4: Leaving Poplar Stream Falls hut after a hearty breakfast, our day will be spent among the forests and mountains of the Flagstaff Lakes region, and along the shores of Flagstaff Lake all the while being watchful for Maine moose!

We will be hiking through a great expanse of Maine wilderness, which encompasses 36,000 acres of public land, including seven mountain summits, most of which we will see along the way. Much of this wilderness is part of the Bigelow Wilderness preserve, created in 1976, to protect the area from the development of a new ski area.

As we continue on the newly constructed trail, which hugs the shoreline, we will have views of the lake as well as the entire Bigelow range. The lake, in the shadow of the Bigelows, was formed in 1950 by the damming of the Dead River, flooding the village of Flagstaff.

Day 5: We begin the day with a short boat transfer to Round Barn, on the other side of the lake, where we begin hiking on the Safford Brook trail. Following the brook, we climb gradually at first, then more steeply until we reach the junction of the Appalachian Trail at 2,250 feet. From here, we continue climbing to the summit of Little Bigelow. Crossing the ridge, possibly joining some “thru hikers” we will descend at the end of the Bigelow Range and walk back to the lake shore where we meet the boat to transfer to the Flagstaff hut.

Day 6: Today we will have an option of hiking the entire way to Grand Falls Hut or breaking the day up by canoeing a short section of the Dead River.

Our day will begin with a pleasant lakeside walk as our route follows the shoreline for a few miles. Entering the woods for a short time, the trail reemerges on the banks of Flagstaff Lake, where its waters rush into the Dead River. As we continue along the confluence of the river, there may be the possibility of spotting one of many eagles that inhabit the area, flying overhead.

Reaching the section of the river where the waters flow more gently, we’ll have an opportunity to canoe five miles of the Dead River as it slices its way through this remote and beautiful corner of Maine wilderness. Once back on land, we’ll hike by Grand Falls on our way to the hut. An imposing 40 feet high and 120 feet across, Grand Falls is one of the most powerful and scenic undammed waterfalls in the Northeast.

Day 7: After a transfer from the hut to The Forks, we will have the option to do an afternoon hike or enjoy the amenities of our cozy Maine lodge. The Forks is a small town, officially called a plantation, that is well known in Maine for its rafting, and where two major rivers join together, the Dead river and the Kennebec river. Pleasantly tired after our journey through Maine’s western mountains, this evening we’ll enjoy a farewell dinner of traditional Maine fare.

• A plantation, the term now only used in Maine, is a previously unorganized township that the state has granted a limited form of self-government.

Day 8: The trip will end after breakfast with a transfer back to the Portland International Jetport.

Note: Our September/October itinerary is slightly different as the pontoon boat on Flagstaff Lake will have stopped its service for the season. For this trip we will spent two nights at Poplar Stream Falls Hut and one night at Flagstaff Hut.