Date: 2018-08-19
From: Full Goose Shelter & Campsite

To: Speck Pond Shelter & Campsite
Miles today: 5.1

DAY 166By the time we were up and ready to head out, the others with the exception of Izzy had already left. Mary was excited because before we even got to the notch we were climbing down steep rock on iron rungs and ladders still wet from the previous days rain. When we reached the sign for Mahoosuc Notch, I set my watch so we could see just how long it would take us to get through the mile that is either the most difficult or most fun mile on the Appalachian Trail.Mary here: Mahoosuc"k" Notch is a rock scramble where you have to climb up on rocks, through rock "caves", and sometimes take your pack off to get through tight areas. I'm very tentative on rocks, and this was a struggle for me. There are sheer cliffs on both sides, so the sun doesn't reach this section much, and at one point Alan pointed out ice that was still lingering in a spot below. I know some people really love the rock scrambles, but I don't. This section seemed to go on endlessly for me. At some points Alan had to give me a boost, other times he went first and had to pull me up. At one point, trying to squeeze through one of the "tunnels" with my pack on I got stuck. While trying to force my way through I realized I jammed the stay out the bottom of my pack. I guess I should have taken my pack off, I'll have to find a temporary fix until I can call ULA.Once we arrived at the north end of the notch we took a well deserved break and had lunch. Our day was not over though, we still had to climb up Mahoosuc Arm which is described as one of the steepest sections of trail on the AT. Once again since this section is so steep much of the trail has eroded down to bare rock which you either have to hike up over or find an alternate way around. This made the climb both strenuous and time consuming. Part way up Mary had to take a pack off break since it was pretty warm out and she was getting a little dizzy. We were rewarded with a view once we reached the top of the arm.After doing the notch and the arm we decided we were just going to get to the next campsite and possibly take a swim at Speck Pond. We walked around Speck Pond and made it to Speck Pond Shelter. This shelter is the highest elevation shelter on the AT in Maine, and has an AMC caretaker. We had thrown out our orange card we received back at Nauman campsites and we were hoping the caretaker would believe our story that we had stayed at an AMC site and should receive a discount here. As I was checking in and relaying the story to the caretaker she said she recognized us, as she was the caretaker on duty the night we stayed at Nauman! So, we got our site for half price, and headed to set up our tent on a nearby platform.Since arriving and setting up it has cooled down, so we opted to forgo the swim. Actually, we put our fleece tops on and headed to the cooking area to make dinner. The thru-hikers we have been with lately have all made it further today, but there are some section hikers in camp tonight. One of the hikers told us "you still have Bald Pate & Bemis to go over!", apparently thinking that those are going to be real tough climbs for us. Another asked what I thought of the Bigelows from my previous hike of the AT, I told him I thought the Bigelows seemed similar to Franconia Ridge with equally outstanding views.Food bags into the bear box, and off to bed. There is a chill in the air letting us know fall is coming soon...