Date: 2014-08-06
From: Carlo Col Shelter, ME

To: Speck Pond Shelter, ME
Miles today: 9.5

I started the day excited knowing this was going to be a challenging day. I was up early first around 3 am when I woke hearing some crunching sounds near where my pack was hanging... Crap I thought, mice were in my pack... I turned on my head lamp and there was nothing stirring in my pack but suddenly a mouse with big ears and big eyes popped his head out of an adjacent backpack. He stared at me as I got up to wake up the hikers in the shelter to find out who's pack it was. It turned out to be Oconie'a pack who is a northbound thru hiker. I asked him if he had food in his pack and he had forgot a small garbage bag in the back pocket of his pack. By now the mouse was gone. So he pulled the garbage bag out and put it on the floor. Everyone shut their lights off and hit the sack again. Not two minutes later the mouse was back in the bag going "crunch, crunch, crunch". Oconie picks up a broom used to clean up the shelter and "smack", he hits the bag with the mouse and says "goodnight". Everyone was laughing.... The mice are tough little buggers in the shelters.   Out of the shelter there were first lots of steep elevation changes between Carlo Col shelter and Full Goose Shelter. It took me almost 3 hours to go 5 miles. Then it was down to Mahoosuc Notch which is described in the AT guide book as the "hardest or funnest mile on the AT". The section consists of huge jagged truck size boulders (see photo). They have voids under them and in some places I could see snow from winter beneath some. There was an obvious cold radiating from the lower voids.   Many day hikers come in from side trails to try the climb. I think on average it takes 2 hours to complete but for some it may take as long as 3.5 hours. I found arm strength was a big help and greatly influenced the time for me to complete the section. At the start of the section I put all loose items on my pack inside the pack and also I put on my wet weather pants to protect my legs which was a smart move. There was a lot of climbing and crawling involved. About 1/4 way through the notch I stopped to helped one lady get up out of one of the deep voids. She was heading southbound. She was tired telling me she had been trekking through the notch for 3 hours already. She had many scrapes on her legs and arms. I slide down the rocks to her and had her pull her pack off. Then I helped get her started up the rock by placing my hand under her feet so she could shimmy up the slick boulder. Once she was on top of the boulder I tossed up her pack. She thanked me profusely and she headed on her way looking to get out of the notch in one piece.   I finally emerged from the notch about 1.5 hrs after my start only having to take off my pack once during the arduous trek. I ate a late lunch and then started the very steep trek up Mahoosuc Arm which was a 2000 ft climb over rocky scrambles. I finally reached Speck Pond shelter around 5 pm. I had spent nearly 8 hrs hiking and only covered about 9 miles. I was beat and decided to call it a day.   Two other thru hikers, Whitey and Winging It came by and we visited recounting the tough but exciting day. What a welcome to Maine this day has been. I wonder what tomorrow will bring....