A late October wind blows cold as I stand alone at a place called Barren Ledges, 16 miles along the Appalachian Trail north of the famous path’s last civilized outpost of Monson. The view is extraordinary and one I have known and loved since I was a young boy. Below my feet sprawls beautiful Onawa Lake, across rises the steep profile of Borestone Mountain, and above to my left, the summit of Barren Mountain is topped by its old steel fire tower.
Shivering, I get a move on. The trail winds along the ridge and then steeply up the summit cone through the thick, mossy green woods. Tacked to the tower base is the sign, “Appalachian Trail. Barren Mtn. Elev. 2670 Ft. M.A.T.C.,” which brings a big smile to my face. The cab of the tower blew off a long time ago and lies in pieces in the brush. I consider scampering up the ladder for a better view, but the shadows are already getting long.
A mile ahead, I turn off onto a side trail and make my way into pretty Cloud Pond. The lean-to is empty, to be expected at this time of year, and I settle in, unpack and spread out. The temperature is dropping, though, and after an hour of hanging out in the open air, I gather up my things and trundle over to the tentsite and pitch. One final loving look at the pond in the last of the light, and I’m zipped in for the long night, warm and cozy like. It’s 4:45 p.m.
A filling dinner. Then headlamp and book. But with cold fingers, I give up after a few pages. Snuggling deep in the downy womb, I revel in the thought of 12 glorious hours of peaceful slumber. In the morning, there’s no rush, but there is plenty of hot cocoa and oatmeal. By mid-morning, I’m trampling over frozen ground back the way I came. A short trip, yes, but a real beauty that rekindles the love affair I’ve long had with the Barren-Chairback Range.
The Barren-Chairback Range is the first mountain cluster you come to on a northbound hike through the 100-Mile Wilderness. Barren Mountain is the first and highest of the five summits you’ll cross. In order, the rest are Fourth Mountain (2,383 feet), Third Mountain (2,061 feet), Columbus Mountain (2,326 feet) and Chairback Mountain (2,219 feet).
Don’t let the modest elevations fool you, however. Hike the 15.7 miles over all five peaks of the range from the Bodfish Farm-Long Pond Tote Road to the KI-Greenville Road near the West Branch of the Pleasant River and you’ll have climbed an impressive 4,000 feet overall on often rough treadway. No doubt about it, the Barren-Chairback Range is remote and rugged, a reputation that was first earned during the early days of the AT project.
The AT might have ended atop Mount Washington if Benton MacKaye, the trail’s visionary, had his way. But Maine’s Myron Avery insisted the trail terminate on Katahdin, which meant forging a path through what was then utter wilderness. The Barren-Chairback Range was a particular stumbling block, but thanks almost single-handedly to Walter Greene, a Maine guide from Sebec Lake, the trail was cut over the range. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Back in high school, when my wandering group of Bangor friends had explored the local area hither and yon, we yearned for something more. We found it on the Barren-Chairback Range, and with our Sears backpacks, K-Mart sleeping bags and other such primitive pieces of camping gear, we made multiple trips over time to these wild woods and peaks. This was a big adventure in a place bigger than our imaginations, and bug-bitten with cuts and scrapes and filthy head to toe, we had always the time of our young lives.
Thanks to the National Park Service and the Appalachian Mountain Club, the length of the Barren-Chairback is protected. Beyond Barren Mountain and its ledges, rock slide and idyllic Cloud Pond, hikers will enjoy the views from Monument Cliff, West Chairback Pond, the crags atop Chairback and East Chairback Pond. So pack your goods and go tackle one of Maine’s finest mountain traverses; you might just fall in love with the range like I did.
Carey Kish of Mount Desert Island is a Triple Crown hiker, freelance writer and author of three hiking guides. Connect with Carey on Facebook and Instagram and at [email protected].
