Following the awkwardness of Asa’s World Tour of Maine’s visit to the Fryeburg fairgrounds, my manager Llily Llama sent me to take a hike at Jockey Cap Rock. However, she didn’t give me any information to prepare me for this visit. So I decided to put the clues together myself. It has cap in the name, so I probably should wear one. It also mentions a jockey. Therefore, I must be giving a concert for well dressed horses and their riders at the summit!

Thankfully rather than climb straight up the 610-foot high granite outcropping, there is a moderate to difficult hiking trail that is 0.71 miles roundtrip. Along the way, I couldn’t help but notice an intriguing cave.

I decided to make my horse fans wait while I did a brief Bigfoot investigation, before continuing on with my hike. If Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses could keep audiences waiting for hours back in the day, I’m sure my friends can understand a brief interruption while I check for my buddy Bigfoot. Spoiler Alert: I didn’t find him.

At the summit I wasn’t greeted by horses, or even jockeys, but instead was treated to amazing views of surrounding mountains. Alright, the day was overcast, and there was wildfire smoke from Canada, so the conditions weren’t perfect.

Luckily at the summit there is a panoramic landscape compass dedicated to Robert E. Peary, commonly credited as the first European explorer to reach the North Pole. It has every visible summit to scale, and is aligned for identification at Jockey Cap Rock. Erected in 1939, it was made between 1876 – 1879, when Peary lived in Fryeburg.

I happily scanned the horizon for familiar peaks, including Mount Kearsarge, in New Hampshire, which was one of the first mountains I climbed with Angel Chuck Billy. I wonder if he knew it was originally named Pequawket Mountain?

Then I settled in, wearing my cap, to wait for any jockeys, horses, or friends to show up. Alright, true confessions, the hat isn’t mine. It once belonged to my brother, Angel Lemmy, who clearly had a smaller head than me. Also I wasn’t exactly focused on the view of the landscape, but instead on the pizza parlor and market below. Bon Jovi used the “pizza parlor jury” to choose the songs for their album, Slippery When Wet. Maybe my fans were waiting for me at the pizza restaurant below?

After a while someone suddenly appeared scrambling up the rocks. But it was I, who was the one to become starstruck, and not the other way around. I met Wally, who is completely blind! Just like me, he lost his vision in one eye at age 8. But unlike me, his other eye soon followed, leaving him completely blind due to glaucoma. But that didn’t slow Wally down, at 13 years old and completely blind, from exploring the rock face!

Thank you Wally, for inspiring me! To be honest, I’m having more difficulty maneuvering now in the evening and when there’s low lighting. My battle against Golden Retriever Pigmentary Uveitis continues! But it sure was the boost of confidence I needed to see Wally hiking off-leash.

Dogs are allowed at Jockey Cap Rock Trail in Fryeburg, Maine. I do caution though that the trail isn’t for all dogs, and can be difficult for some on the final ascent. Parking is available in a lot on US-302/Bridgton Road. Look for the sign! To learn more, visit the Upper Saco Valley Land Trust.