This route has captured our imaginations for years. While neither one of us was as conditioned as we had hoped, the time had come for the Bigelow-Flagstaff loop. To date, the run-paddle loop has been a mere footnote on the Bigelow Range Traverse FKT thread. Our mission was to set out a strong time in the hopes that New England’s best will show up to take it down.
After dropping the canoe on the east end of the lake the night before, we started the day at 7:28 am on October 9, 2021 at the public boat launch in Stratton/Eustis, Maine. The day was sunny and crisp and the foliage was utterly spectacular! After a 1.5 mi. jog through town, we picked up the ridge trail to Cranberry Peak. After sorting out a faulty pack, we eventually settled into the rugged non-stop steep climbing and descending of the ridge. Views were spectacular but also afforded a clear perspective of the daunting paddle ahead.
We had retrieved our bear bag and taken out the canoe 7 hours in. After a 15 minute transition, we set off to traverse Flagstaff Lake. The struggle had been real on the ridge and we were glad to take a seat in the open air. We found our groove on the water and only took one stop at Hurricane Island as we powered down the lake. Sunset and a light headwind greeted us for the final mile push to the finish. We touched the Northern Forest Canoe Trail sign 11:18 after starting the day. Paddle time was just over 4 hours.
Having done several of the region’s top single day routes (Presi, Pemi, Hut Traverse, Grafton Notch), I think this line rivals the best. Two of New England’s best natural features are rugged ridge lines and the wild northern lakes. Combing two of the best into a mega day will test and delight anyone who loves going fast and light through wild country.
Note: our tracking was accidentally paused for 39 minutes as we started the paddle. The elapsed time is still present on the track but the map will show a straight line of travel for this section.