Hikers Revisit Stratton Pond After 51 Years

A hiker has returned to Stratton Pond on the Appalachian Trail, a site first visited in 1975. The journey, documented on The Trek, involved a hike from Kelly Stand to Stratton Pond, covering 7 redline miles with an additional 1.8 bonus miles for a total of 8.8 miles hiked. The day's elevation included 1903 feet ascended and 1496 feet descended.

Headed to Stratton Pond

One of the hiker's strongest memories of the AT from 1975 was staying at Stratton Pond, where they saw and heard their first loon. They looked forward to sharing the pond with companions The Historian and Rock Rabbit. The trail started leisurely through the woods. Due to recent rain, fungi were rampant. They saw turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) and golden mushrooms (pholiota squarrosa) on one fallen tree, as well as many hoof fungi of varying sizes.

Stratton Mountain

The hike up Stratton Mountain was relatively easy. The forest changed from mixed hardwoods to boreal firs, and the air was heady with resin. In 1975, the Appalachian Trail did not cross over the summit of Stratton Mountain as it originally had in the 1920s, instead following old logging roads to the pond. In 1987, the AT was rerouted up and over the mountain, taking hikers past the Stratton Mountain fire tower. The hiker, who dislikes high things that sway, found the tower's stairs strong and steady. The group enjoyed the mountain views from the tower, feeling awe and wonder.

The Long Day's Hike

The group was happy with their steady 4.3-mile march to the tower and delayed lunch to cover more miles. They stopped for lunch at 3 PM after having covered 7 miles. Eating lunch so late was probably a bad idea, and their energy was flagging for the final mile to the Stratton Pond shelter. The hiker tried to lift spirits by singing loudly, but companions Rock Rabbit and The Historian quickly vetoed the performance with a "No, just no."

Stratton Pond Shelter and The Pond

They finally arrived at Stratton Pond shelter, but the hiker was disappointed because the pond was nowhere in sight. They decided to head to the pond, another quarter-mile away. Then there was the pond. It shimmered in the afternoon sun, encircled by mountains. A small island rose from the water on one side, creating the perspective of a mountain range reflected in the water. The wind stirred the water, breaking up its mirror surface and filling the air with gentle lapping sounds. A loon glided silently past. The perspective was rotated in the hiker's mind's eye, as they had stayed on the opposite shore back in 1975. Rock Rabbit immediately shed clothes and dove into the water with a joyful shake of his hair, proclaiming, "This swim is worth all that hiking!" The hiker described the scene as filled with "unadulterated joy." The hiker later waded into the surprisingly warm water, though only up to the thighs.

Reflections on the Trail

After a dinner of chicken, peas, bowties, and cheese, the group reflected in their sleeping bags. They concluded the swim was worth the five-decade wait and planned to seek out more ponds on their journey.