Date: 2004-08-26
From: Gentian Pond Shelter

To: Mahoosuc Notch north end (Campsite)
Miles today: 12.2

Okay, so I'm in Maine. The last state. But Maine is hard! I forgot this fact even though Ihave passed through this section a little over a yearago. The Mahoosuc Trail has some extreme ups anddowns. They are so short that you cannot see them onthe profile map. Gentian Shelter had a great morning view of a mountainrange in the distance. Although slightly hazy, it wasa nice day again. I'm starting to feel spoiled.Amazing how those depressing rain days are so easilyforgotten. I reached the West Goose Eye Peak by noon where I had lunch with abunch of first year Harvard Medical Students. A lot ofcollege orientation groups are wandering the woods.What a place to be. They had the usual questions for me about hiking thetrail. I could see Crash and Cadbury crossing the valley below in the distance. But they did not stop atthe peak for lunch. This was unfortunate since I hopedhe would accompany me through the notorious MahoosucNotch. I did not want to tackle that alone. Crash hadmentioned getting that section done before nightfall. Along the way to the next shelter, I almost stepped ona small snake in the process of devouring a frog. Itwas both a horrifying and fascinating sight. Somethingyou don't see every day, I guess. The snake was tryinghard to eat and squirm out of my way at the same time.I decided to pull ahead so it could enjoy its meal. Crash was having a slow day and I caught up with himat the next shelter where we discussed the advantagesto completing the Notch tonight instead of tomorrow. On the way to the Notch on a tough downhill (Iremembered this to be much easier), I met a womannamed "5-2-2" who did the trail in '02. We also sawtwo other hikers working their way south. Theycouldn't believe we were tackling the Notch at 3:30pm. The Notch is considered the hardest mile of the AT. Ipersonally find it a fun challenge. After the valleywas cut by a deep river, the cliff walls relaxed anddropped their fallout into the valley. The result is amess of humungous boulders balanced over a stream thatyou can hear, but not really see. The caves formed bythis pile-up are so deep that ice and snow form yearround. As you work your way through the Notch, you can feelextreme changes in temperature. Sometimes refreshing. But also the Notch is very remote and difficult. I wassurprised how tired I was. As some people say, it is a"pain in the ass" more than a challenge. But I gloatas well. While it took us an hour and 45 minutes tonegotiate this section, I had only removed my backpackonce to pull it through one of the four caves. We also had the dog with us. Interesting that what wefound hard, the dog found easy. And what the dog foundhard, we found easy. Sometimes we would just letCadbury lead the way. Behind me I could hear Crashsnapping at his dog to hold up, then go. I could hearthe dogs nails scrape against rock as it slid down aslanted boulder. One of the nasty scrapes beneath my right knee wasfrom the Notch. But I can't say that it was from anheroic maneuver of jumping 20 feet over a crevasse. Iwas waiting for Crash and Cadbury at a flat section oftrail. When I turned around, I stepped on a rock wrongand fell over. I blame it on bad balance again becauseI had put my hiking poles away. We found the little campsite beyond the Notch shortlyafter the trail pulls away from the stream. Therewasn't very much room but we managed to fit two tentsin a tight corner on wet dirt. After dinner, Icrashed. Crash, on the other hand, did not till late.