Date: 2004-08-09
From: Carlo Col Campsite

To: Speck Pond Campsite
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: few clouds

Everything was still pretty wet in the morning. The puddles on the paths in the tent site were smaller. There was a definite mist hanging in the dripping trees but through that mist was the unquestionable vision of a mostly blue sky. In time the bright rays of a glimmering sun came slanting through the trees and mists.Trail Life:It was a wonderful morning as our little thru-hiker community went through its morning routines each in his or her own way. And every one of these ways was right. There was no question that by now we all knew just what we were doing. We were all experts. It all came as naturally as every day life. This was our everyday life. And it was a mighty fine life.It's just possible this guy was not the last person out this morning but then it is all a bit foggy (pun intended). At any rate my boots were back on the trail up on the ridge shortly after 9am. Today the sky was cooperating with plenty of blue and dots of puffy white just for contrast and interest.The Mahoosuc range is just an outstanding piece of nature. The peaks are steep with lots of exposed ledge and rock. The ridges are strewn with the most amazing alpine bogs that afford amazing views usually reserved for summits. There is very little of civilization to be seen anywhere. It's hard to watch feet and keep going when surrounded by such amazing sights. Of course a misstep could land one knee-deep in the bog beside the bridge. Yuk.There is a pretty long ladder on the climb up what was most likely the North Peak of Goose Eye. I passed another guy just before getting to the ladder which made for a good sense of scale in the photo with him on the approach.Lunch part 1 started before 1pm at Full Goose Shelter. There were some other folks stopped for lunch too. We had a good time talking a bit but then it was time to climb over Fuller Mountain and make the plummet down into Mahoosuc Notch. That would be another 1000 foot descent in a mile. Not Again:Close to the bottom of the notch, a sadly familiar feeling returned. Blast. It was a headache and a bit of discomfort in my gut. This nonsense was supposed to be done with, at least in my book. There was a man and his early teenage son sitting at the trail junction with the Mahoosuc Notch trail where the AT joined in at the bottom of its descent. I actually took my pack off and used it as a back rest to lie on. We talked while I swallowed some vitamin "I" and rested my head. They were snacking.After some Ibuprofen and a nice long rest accompanied by a little chatting, I accompanied my new found friends through the maze of boulders. This was at least my 4th trip through but it was their first. They were a bit leery so my company was quite welcome. Their overnight packs being much bigger and thus were taken off frequently whereas my little 100 day pack squeezed through, if by force of determination only. We took pictures of each other passing cameras up and down between boulders. Surely, traveling solo would have been infinitely faster for me but it was nice to do a ¢good turn¢ for someone else. Besides, the fear of getting sick again loomed in my head and the company was fun. It's always fun to share an exciting place like this with someone. Especially if it's their first time.Mahoosuc Notch is quite a phenomenon. It is known as the longest mile on the Appalachian Trail and it most certainly is. So just what does that mean. It means that the next mile will take more time to traverse than any other mile on the AT. Most find that hard to believe till they get here. Then there are the rocks or should we say boulders. The cliffs have of course been dumping boulders as big as houses down here for an eternity. That makes for some interesting route finding. It could be that the folks who first marked this trail may have been just looking for the biggest challenge or most fun route they could find. Really though, it is hard to see a better way. Certainly there is no way less damaging to the ecology.It is interesting that upon stepping down the 10 feet from the nice tree lined section of trail into the boulder field at the base of the 2 opposing cliffs, there is a perceptible drop in temperature of about 10 degrees. It really is quite amazing.The trail leads between some huge boulders and then there is a white arrow painted on a rock that points to a hole or tunnel beneath a boulder. Once under the boulder there is another arrow pointing up a chimney between some other boulders. You think, oh come on, be serious. With a laugh you push you self up. Mahoosuc Notch is a narrow slot between 2 huge cliffs. Because of its East west orientation it sees very little of the sun even in the summer. This means that snow and ice can be found year round between some of the rocks.Some folks take packs off an pass them ahead or drag them behind. Other places require scaling giant boulders and then sliding down the other side back into some other hole. This obstacle course goes on for quite a while, perhaps a mile and takes a good sense of humor, balance, agility and a lot of time. The whole thing is a blast.My recollection is that the dad's name was Dave and his son was Sam. Dave was working hard but he made it through, though a bit on the tired side. Sam did fine but not without a little fear and challenge thrown in for good measure. Their plan had been to spend the night at Speck Pond as was mine. We had taken well over an hour in the notch. We got back to normal trail where I bid them a fond farewell and motored up the trail. It was after 4pm by now and there was more than a little concern on my part as to whether they would make it to Speck Pond.The trail out of the notch up to Speck Pond climbs crazy steep. Once again we have a climb rate better that 1000 feet per mile for a 1,500 foot gain in elevation. There are places here that are virtually vertical. For me it is a kind of game to avoid using my hands when hiking. Maybe that's why so often, they are loosely clasped at my hip belt buckle. Who knows. At any rate this trail requires me to use all fours at times. Honestly, the climb wasn't as tough as my recollection but that's probably just due to the conditioning of what was now 1,900 trail miles. Hey, wow, Mahoosuc Notch marked the 1,900 mile mark from Springer Mountain in Georgia. What a crazy thought.When the sun gets low in the afternoon it cast long shadows. They make me really happy. It can make for good photos too. Five thirty found me relaxing on the ledge summit of Mahoosuc Arm at 3,765 feet, just soaking in the sun. Now there were clear blue skies and striking views in all directions. Feeling quite healthy again it was safe for a late lunch part 2. As comfortable as this was the shelter was a mere 2 more miles of relatively easy hiking.Home for the night was Speck Pond at 6pm. My friends from the notch never did show up. I did alert the caretaker to keep watch for Sam and Dave. My guess is that they thought better of the climb and made good use of one of the fairly obvious camp sites before the steep part began. All that matters is that they were safe and had a good time. My thoughts were with them. There were a few folks in the shelter and a family of four on one of the lower platforms. An upper platform looked fairly secluded and to be a good spot for a night out under the stars. It was a great night after a nice 9.5 mile day.