Little Bigelow Mountain: We finally made it
If you have been following along on my journey, you know that I have had some trouble getting people to hike this mountain. It is not because it is a particularly difficult hike or anything, but it is super far away and a pretty big commitment. At the beginning of my journey, my dad said he would do a few hikes with me, so I finally talked him into doing Little Bigelow Mountain.
Two summers ago, I completed a hike through Saddleback, Crocker, and the Bigelows, but had stopped before Little Bigelow. At my summer camp, each “village”, or cabin, is named after a different mountain in New England. My first cabin I was a part of was called “little bigelow”, so I was bummed when it wasn’t included in our trip. I decided early on in the summer that a part of the 100 miles I was hiking in the summer will be dedicated to hiking the mountains that were the namesakes to my previous cabins. Little Bigelow was my first of these many hikes
Since Little Bigelow is a part of the Appalachian Trail, the trailhead was a little difficult to locate. After an almost 5 hour car trip, my dad and I came across a two mile dirt road that seemingly went on forever. After a few minutes of driving, we made it to a small parking lot, and on the other side of the road, opposite of the parking lot, was the trailhead.
Though not clearly marked, it was pretty obvious this was a trailhead of some sort, so we proceeded up the trail. After a few minutes, we came across a sign that finally confirmed that we were in fact on the correct trail. A few steps up from this sign, a ravine began to flow right off the trail. It was beautiful and I was excited to learn we would be hiking next to it for quite a while. After passing a lean-to and AT campground, it was clear we were on the Appalachian Trail, now all we needed to do was follow the white blazes and we would make it to the top.
The hike to the summit was not difficult, but was certainly not a walk in the park. There were multiple sections of exposed rock we had to scramble up, and hiking this mountain required many, many water breaks. The moments when we could look back and just take in our surroundings made it all worth it. There are multiple viewpoints leading up to the summit, including multiple 360 degree views. The landscape around Little Bigelow are one in a million and you have to see it for yourself to believe it. The mountains surrounding Little Bigelow include the Bigelow peaks which jut out of the earth like children’s drawings, and sugarloaf, which has ski trails that are recognizable year round. It truly feels like another world.
Of course, there were a few problems we came across, one being the wind. We lost a beloved baseball cap for a while (we did find it), and it was impossible to stay on the lookouts for too long because we would get blown away with the wind. Another unforeseen difficulty with our hike was the fact that the summit is wooded, and it is very easy to hike past the summit sign without even noticing it. This issue caused us to hike an extra mile and a half past the summit, only to have to turn around and retrace our steps.
One moment on trail turly solidified my love for hiking and the people I share the trail with. My dad has pretty poor vision, and owns a pair of glasses, yet for this trip, he decided to leave these glasses in his pocket. This decision was not without its consequences, and my dad soon lost his glasses on the trail. When we began our descent down, he realized his glasses were not in his pocket before, and was worried aabout where they were. After a mile or two of hiking, we came a cross a father and son through hiking and traveling north bound. They asked us it we had lost a pair of glasses and told us that they had left them with another group of hikers traveling south bound at the lean-to.
Normally, we would have been worried that my dad’s glasses were stolen or broken, but we knew that the people we shared the trail with would make sure they were safe until we got to them. At that moment, I knew I would probably trust these people with my life if it came down to it.
Overall, this trip was a once and a lifetime experience that my dad and I will talk about for years to come. The views, the weather, and the people make this mountain what it is and I would not hesitate to hike it again. Little Bigelow was definitely worth the wait, and I am so excited for my next adventure.
For Those Who Wander 