Date: 2004-08-19
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: haze

I was awake about 4AM but stayed inside my sleeping bag. I was anxious to get going as today I would be hiking through Mahoosuc Notch. For years I've read or heard hikers talk about Mahoosuc and now I was going to hike it! Obviously the trail is not starting to bore me. Each day brings another adventure or spectacular view or something else special. Anyway, the hike started with a short climb up Fulling Mountain. There wasn't much view as everything was pretty much fogged in. We then decended into the notch. We regrouped before entering as we had decided to go through together. I had often imagined what the notch would be like but I guess I had it all wrong. I thought it would be much more open - I even brought a hat to keep the sun off my head. In reality the notch was dwarfted on both sides by sheer rock cliffs - just waiting to add to the rock pile below. Overhead you could see house sized boulders waiting for gravity to get the better of them. The thought made you want to quicken your pace but the notch wouldn't let you. For over a mile you climbed or threaded your way through the pile of rocks that had crashed from the above heights. They were piled at every conceivable angle and you had to find the best path through the maze. Sometimes you went under and sometimes you went over. At one point we passed through an opening that was too small to fit with your pack on so we pushed the packs through and then followed. It was fun but very tiring and not for the faint of heart. A few times I fond myself hanging by my fingertips not quite able to reach the rock below and afraid to let go. This was hiking - on foot, knees, elbows, hand, and especially on your butt. We really perfected the butt slide today. The one mile took us about three hours. It was fun but I wouldn't want to do it every day. It was also very rough on our gear - boots and packs can only take so much punishment. Almost everyone lost a little blood today - mostly just scraped knees. I did see a section hiker who had smashed one of the boulders with his head - a contest the boulder had obviously won. He was able to continue but wasn't feeling very good. After negotiating the notch we all took a long lunch break and then started the long climb up Mahoosuc Arm. It was steep and rates amoung the tougher climbs to date - probably because the exertion of doing the notch left us a bit spent. When I reached the top I stripped down to my underwear and hung my sweaty clothes to dry in the breeze. Immediately a parade of day hikers came marching by. Never fails.WW and I then continued on to the shelter and arrived just about the same time as the rain showers. It only sprinkled a short while but the skies are threatening to let loose anytime. We all decided to stay in the shelter and paid our $8.00 to do so. I just wish the AMC would use some of that money to buy some white paint. Anyway, we are all well fed and tucked in for the night. It will be a cold damp one. Speaking of cold and damp - there was ice and snow under the boulders in Mahoosuc Notch. It felt like we were hiking inside an icebox. Today was another wonderful day to be on the trail and I shared it with Wicomico Walker, Hammock Hanger, and Bearbag Hanger. Now it is time to get some rest so I can face what tomorrow will bring. Goodnight,Lwop