The Horn, Saddleback Mountain and The Hiker Hut

I got an early start this morning, after coffee with NO slugs. We broke camp and set out at about 7:45 a.m., climbing from the lean-to's elevation of about 2,920 feet toward the 3,500-foot Saddleback Junior. Once we reached this summit, I could see The Horn (also called "Saddleback Horn") and Saddleback Mountain, which are 4,000-foot alpine peaks within the same ridge, surrounded by miles of dense forest. Summiting these peaks would include steep climbs and descents covering about 4 miles. I gritted my teeth and began the approach to The Horn.

It was a tough, tiring climb. At about 3,500 feet we broke out of the treeline and walked over rocks to the summit of The Horn. From there, we were rewarded with incredible views of the surrounding area and the 2-mile ridge walk we would take south toward Saddleback Mountain.

Although there were some high clouds, we were lucky to have mostly sunny weather today. The following photograph was taken 1.3 miles before the Saddleback summit. You can see the Trail winding it's way to the top.

When we reached the summit of Saddleback Mountain, the views were just breathtaking. I video-chatted with my wife so she could see it with me. To the West we could see the Rangeley Lakes, and to the east we could see more high peaks.

Forest took a much deserved rest in the shade under a rock outcropping while I had lunch. It doesn't look very comfortable, but he was snoring in just minutes.

When we got going again, we were facing 2.2 steep miles down and then what looked like 4 easy miles past Ethel and Eddy Ponds and the Piazza Rock Lean-to to the Piazza Rock Trailhead (ME 4/Main St.), where my next resupply package was waiting.

We made it to The Hiker Hut in Plantation of Sandy River, Maine, at about 5 p.m. I picked up my resupply package and took an outdoor solar shower. The owner of the hostel (Steve; The Hiker Hut) had burgers and potato salad for those of us spending the night. He's a very nice and accommodating guy and had saved a bunk for us. After I ate, we hopped the shuttle into Rangeley, one of the nearest towns. The Hiker Hut is very off-grid and doesn't have electrical outlets, so I needed to go into town to a restaurant to charge my phone and battery pack. While everything was charging, I ordered and ate a salad. Exhausted, we headed back to crash at the hostel at about 8 p.m.