Date: 2009-07-29
From: The Pine Ellis Lodge, Andover, Maine

To: Hikers Paradise, Gorham, New Hampshire
Miles today: 51.4
Weather: broken clouds

Hello Friends who are keeping up with our Adventures on the Appalachian Trail.Joshua here writing a synopsis of our last 51 miles from Andover Maine to Gorham New Hampshire.*** We Made it to New Hampshire!!!! we have completed a whole state, a 280 mile state, the state of Maine.Everyone has told us that Maine and New Hampshire are the hardest states on the trail, At least that's what the North-bounders say as they finish there journey. We are still beginning ours but are amazed that we have spent over a month on the trail, hiking with brief intervals in small trail towns.Right now we are in Gorham New Hampshire staying at what for us is the nicest cheap motel room we have had at a place called "Hikers Paradise". With a name like that what could be bad huh? Well funny enough as we hiked toward Gorham and asked people where to stay Hikers Paradise had a bad reputation. We don't know why, the owner is Bruno who was born in Poland and is a quirky and great guy, Anya and him exchanged some Russian phrases that Bruno had to learn when in school in Poland. The place is nice and it is the largest town we have been to yet. The town has a super Walmart! Thats huge in terms of trail towns we have come across. We decided to take two days to rest here as we had quite a hike in to New Hampshire, Below are the Highlights.This section was primarily the Mahoosuc Trail, which was tough. We averaged around 8-10 miles a day. The hiking had lots of ups and downs and some technical climbing on each day.We started out with a hike by water falls, then it got progressively harder as we climbed Baldpate mountain which peaks around 3,810 feet and since it was foggy and wet rocks we took a long time climbing down the steep descent, at the lean to were the 4 musketeers, four guys who are also Southbounders who we stayed in shelters with for a while until they out hiked us.The next day we climbed to Speck pond Shelter and Campsite, This climb also took a very long time, The mountains are rocky and harder hiking, getting into the shelter we were spent, even though we got in around 4pm. Usually you have to pay at this campsite. But lucky for us the caretaker was away from the camp at a meeting and we did not have to pay. We met the husband of Dawn (one of a group of 3 Maine ladies who 2 of which were hiking with there dogs.) They had just finished hiking to the Maine/New Hampshire border. Everyone we have met have been really nice. The small towns folks and the hikers.The next day we hit the Mahoosuc Arm, We had heard worse things about it than we thought it was, it was steep hiking down, but we have been hiking down steep trails alot in Southern Maine. Then after about 20 minutes of hiking after the Arm we came to famous Mahoosuc Notch. This is a mile of just boulder fields in between two mountains on our left and right. I loved it! it was really a change of pace as we put away our hiking poles and had to scramble over, around and under giant boulders and rocks. The further we got into the notch it got colder, down low below the boulders were ice caves that we could see snow and ice at the bottom of. Its really wild to get lower and see snow and get higher and feel warmer! Anya didn't like the notch as here knee was hurting her, but as I Liked the adventure of the climbing and the fun of trying to squeeze through boulder caves and scramble over rocks I had fun. After the notch we could only just make it Full Goose Shelter as we wound up taking 4 hours to scramble through at 1 mile of the Mahoosuc Notch! We only did around 5 miles that day :-).The next day we were sore and tired, but hiked on and reached the Maine- NH state line! Anya kept wanting to get out of Maine, as though as soon as we crossed into New Hampshire the mud would dry up, the rain would stop and the path would be paved with gold. Funny enough as we approached the New Hampshire state line, the sun did come out and we had a warm hike continuing on to Mount Success (that is the name of the first mountain in New Hampshire) It then got pretty foggy on top of Mount Success and Anya slipped on her way down, Mount success reminded us that success is a journey not a destination and to not get too cocky.:-) We slept that night at Gentian Pond Shelter/Campsite, a very pretty site that is by a pond that actually looks like a pond. In Maine they would call something a pond and it would be HUGE, it would look like what we call a lake in GA. In Maine they call something a Brook and its raging like a river. New Hampshire seems to have there bodies of water size more towards our expectations.After a rainy night and it being our 5th day out on the trail and being trail weary from all the climbing and rock scrambling we pushed on to get to Gorham. on the way we spoke about how we both craved fruit (we don't get much fruit or vegetables and 0 fresh fruit and veggies on the trail as they are not feasible to carry for the weight to calorie count ratio) We got to Our first town in New Hampshire for some much needed food, rest and laundry/ showers.Big Highlight!!* after walking the mile on the road to get to US 2 which is the road to Gorham (Gorham being 3 miles away) we saw 3 northbounders trying to get a hitch to the Walmart to resupply food and then they were going to continue the same day. Alot of Northbounders we have met don't really stay in towns that much, they just hike into town get a hitch in for food and supplies and maybe some Ben & Jerry's ice cream and then they Hitch back to the trail and hike on. Anya and I are not there yet, when we have been getting to towns we have gone in to rest and shower, we still are thankful for some time off the trail, although we are really grateful for what the trail is teaching us, about ourselves, each other, and life. Anyway, these 3 northbounders had been waiting for a hitch for 20 minutes. Knowing that we would never get a hitch if we stood by these guys (it would look like 5 dirty hikers looking for a ride rather than 2, us, or 3, them) I said to Anya lets start walking and try to hitch up the road a bit.. We started walking towards town and before we had gone half a mile a guy in a mercedes who was driving in the opposite direction, away from town, turns around and pulls over to pick us up.He says that he had thru- hiked the trail a few years ago and that he vowed that if he ever saw a hiker needing a ride he would give it to them. He invites us into his car moving some clutter aside to make room for us and our packs, but he says that there is a condition, He has a cooler full of fruit that he is sick of and he wants us to take the fruit off his hands!!! AHHHHH serendipity, Anya and I happily gorge on grapes, blue berries and cherries that he gives us from the cooler! Exactly what we had been craving on the trail. As he gives us a ride into town and we chat with him he says that he should tell us who he is. His trail name is "501" He is the now editor of The Thru-Hiker's Handbook ( a book famous on the trail, originally written and edited by Wingfoot, now edited by 501) He recommends that we stay at the Hikers Paradise as an affordable place and we are glad he did. Needless to say we do not end the hitch until we have his book and pictures. What luck or serendipity to be picked up by someone so connected to the trail.Later in town we were hitching out from Walmart after buying our food for the next week and a woman who picked us up also was trail magic. She turned around from driving the opposite direction to pick us up and brings us and our groceries to the door of our motel, I show her some yoga poses to ease pain in her back as she is moving from her house and then Gina invites us to stay at her house that she is moving out of when we get to Pinkam Notch and gives us her phone number!We may take her up on that depending on how we feel after the next 30 miles.We are grateful for the many people on the trail who offer help. It really seems to me that simplifying your life, you get more out of life. Things hold us down. Its an amazing experience just to hitchhike and hike and get by in many ways on the kindness of strangers.We have much more to experience. Anya and my spirits are lifted by our rest and recovery in town and we are excited about hiking in New Hampshire.Thanks to all the trail angels that we have encountered and we still have a long journey ahead.Peace and Love,Joshua