Date: 2003-08-16
From: Bethel, Maine

To: Mahousic Notch
Miles today: 17.0

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty, that is all ye know on earth and all ye need to know."         John Keats Satuday was a do nothing day, despite seeing old friends and shuttling new ones. Took the two sobos up to the trailhead at Grafton Notch said our farewells and I was off to search for the trailhead of the Notch trail. Found it 45 minutes later and almost an hour away from Bethel Outdoor Adventure. It was 10 miles down a lumber road and way back in the woods - now I was set for sundays hike into Mahoosuc Notch. Got up early, like 630 early - coolest thing! I had forgotten that the campground delivers papers to each of the campsites! Read the paper got coffee and I was on my way. Started hiking a little after 10. The Notch trail is 2.5 miles from the south end of Mahoosuc Notch, rumored to be the toughest mile on the entire AT! The Notch Trail was a leisurelly climb up 800 feet. It was in good condition but still offered a few challenges. Had to cross the same stream several times. Some of them were over large rocks! It was fun - on the way up, I kept seeing piles of large gumball sized scat, no idea what type of animal this came from. Interesting. Definitely not bear, it must be some huge deer, maybe an elk? Hmmm??? Also kept seeing these unique looking flower buds. The 3, low to the ground, leaves were orchid like, then a long stem yeilding one, single indigo blue flower. The flowers hadn't bloomed yet, so it looked like a large, gumball sized blueberry. No idea what it is. Maybe some type of wild orchid. Where is Strider when I need him. He knows all the names of the flowers. I got email from him and he's in Massachusetts. Got to the Notch around 11:30 and made my way in. Chloe was very hesitant. She struggled going up Mt.Washington. So I wasn't going to force her to go. Tied her to a large root and she perched and watched me. I caught her napping a little too. She seemed fine just watching. Mahoosuc Notch was created by huge boulders that fell off high cliffs on both sides and landed in the notch. I headed down maybe 20 feet and the temperatue change was amazing - must have been 20 degrees cooler - neat. Climbed up, down over and under huge, car and house sized boulders for what seemd like an eternity, but it was only 15 minutes. Then I headed back. Wasn't too hard, but very possibly the hardest mile on the AT. The hike back to the car was all down hill, a gentle glide down the 800 feet. Stopped a few times to let Chloe play in the stream and in some bushes. She tried to chase a few red squirels, but I wasn't having any of that. Then all of a sudden we heard a strange clatter 30 feet up on a ridge. Chloe sat down and stared up the hill. I looked too and suddenly realized I was looking at a moose - excellent! It was a female and fairly good sized. So that's who made all of those piles of scat. It was moose poop. Got back to the car around 2 and headed back for a much needed shower. At the campground Pattie invited me to a potluck desert party with special surprise entertainment. Suddenly I had evening plans. Had dinner at Pats Pizza again. I had the baked haddock and salad. Yum - then said my farewells to the gang. Had a half hour before the shindig, so I threw all my dirty cloths in the wash. Seems the evening entertainment was being provided by a fulltiming couple. Fulltiming is!living in your RV and travelling across the country. You can stay at campgrounds for free, just work 20 or so hours a week. I think I mentoned I did it here 2 summers ago. Anyway, I head over to the tent and everyone is seated before the couple. In one hand they held up a 4 foot pole, in the other was a drumstick. On the pole, starting near the bottom and working up were a tamborine, cowbell, wood block and topping off the stick was a 10 inch cymbal. The pole also had reindeer bells attached. At the bottom of the pole was a spring. You hit the bell, block, tamborine and cymbal with the drumstick and bouce the pole to make beautiful music. The best part is the couple had choreographed several moves and applied them to many country music songs, like Elvira, Rocky Top and so on. It was hyterical fun! They had a total of 4 of these instruments they call boombahs and everyone had to play. If you didn't play, you didn't get desert - so of course I played to a Mary chapin Carpenter song and some other ditty. It was a total hoot and I was told I was pretty good - plus I got desert. Tomorow, off to Monson and the beginning of the "100 mile wilderness". I'm a little nervous about heading out into the wilderness alone. Not many nobos here yet. I could be very much alone. peace and positivity,Molasses