8/10 Last Hard Stretch

8 hiked today, 1994.2 miles N, 198.8 miles left
Avery Memorial Campsite

Today started as your average town day with chores to do such as laundry, resupply, and email. My pants are starting to wear out so I had to do some sewing too. I made it to the trail by 3 which was later than I wanted but no big deal as the things I did in town were things needing doing.
Today is a great day in that I am told the Bigelow Mountains are the end of the hard trail. Everything from this point on will be a cruise minus, of course, the climb up the Big K. I took my time on the climb taking breaks at every oppertunity. The views were great with large lakes filling in the basins between mountains surrounded by trees and rocky bluffs. The ponds and lakes are so numerous that my guide book has started to omit mentioning them.
The ridgeine was beautiful and as I walked on it the sun started getting low on the horizon turning the clouds ruby. When I looked north I can actually see the end of major ridgelines with only occasional peaks poping up in the largely flat area north.
I came across some odd blueberries. Usually they are uniform in color while they ripen but I found ones that have splashes of two colors. I am not sure thoose are safe to eat so I am avoiding them.
At Horns Pond I saw the largest caretakers tent yet, about 10'X30', and not 1 but two massive shelters each able to hold about 12. I assume this place is very popular on the weekends!
The trail has been covered in moose droppings. I can't go a quarter mile without see some it seems. There must be an astonishing amount of moose here that I can not see.
I have been lucky with bird though seeing what looks like Woodpeckers in that they walk on the trunks of trees but are called Nuthatchs. The are blue with white belliesand move just woodpeckers but are less shy so I am able to get a good look.
I made it a short day heading into this tentsite rather than making a push so that I would have pleanty of light to put my tarp up in. The tenting platforms are fairly widely spaced so I am pretty much on my own and having a very quiet night.
I just realized I have less than 200 to go. I will be home really soon now.