Date: 2004-08-27
From: Mahoosuc Notch north end (Campsite)

To: Frye Notch Lean-to
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: broken clouds

In the morning, Crash told me that shortly after I hadturned off my light, I was snoring. Snoring! Yes, hesaid. "If anyone asks you if you snore, say yes."Actually, I knew I was snoring that night. I wokemyself a few times because of it. I think I scaredsomething away too because I could hear the slow stepsof a large animal near my tent moving off. I askedCrash if he let Cadbury out of the tent. He said no.Wonder what that was then. The Mahoosuc Arm was a struggle to climb but SpeckPond Campsite was a refreshing reward. I jumped intothe freezing water and cleaned off all the dirt. Now Ijust have the scrapes and bruises to prove I've beenhere. I met Drifter, a very relaxed Southbounder. He hadsome information about what was ahead. Pretty much allday, I was right behind Crash. After Speck Mtn, we hada long descent to Grafton Notch. Crash was impressedthat he only waited 35 minutes for me to show up. Grafton Notch, a parking lot, was pretty active whilewe sat there. A group of students were prepping for ahike to the Baldpates (north). Warden, whom I met inGorham when he stayed at the Barn, was getting pickedup by his Mom. He had completed his section and, withmixed feelings, was heading home. Nice to meet him. I got started shortly after the large group ofstudents set off into the woods. Their destination wasthe same as ours but they were moving rather slowly.In fact, when I passed them, I managed to filter acouple of liters of water before I saw them again.Crash had also passed them, and then passed me. "Arewe hiking today?" he asked. We met up again at the first shelter before theBaldpate peaks, aptly named Baldpate Lean-to. We bothcommented on the new Maine profile maps which squishthe miles together and exaggerate the steepness of theclimbs. As we sat there munching on snacks, a Korean gentlemanwith a friendly, welcoming smile emerged from nowhere,said hello, and then disappeared into the distantwoods. Crash and I looked at each other with raisedeyebrows. Who was that mysterious man? (I laterlearned that he is Mr. Clean who has completed thetrail a few years ago. He knows many things aboutmushrooms and currently lives happily in the woods. Heis probably one of the more clean-cut AT Hobos I'veseen). The Baldpates were two dome peaks of granite abovetreeline. The view was too hazy for pictures but finefor the naked eye. The weather was glorious for ahike--a nice breeze at the top. I could see and hearCrash about a half mile behind me in the valleybetween the two peaks. He took a speck picture of meand I took one of him and his dog, Cadbury. The Maine Appalachian Trail Club has signs requestingthat we protect their fragile lands by staying on thetrail. However, I couldn't figure out which way to goup the Baldpates. They stopped painting white blazesand used strangely placed cairns. Istepped over short bushes to keep on track with thecairn markers. As usual, I kept losing my perspectiveand balance which is a bit unnerving when you arestanding on the edge of the world. Walking down the second East Baldpate was scary. Ifelt I was walking on the edge of a marble ball, readyto tumble down the mountain. I had to trust thetraction of my muddy boots since my poles keptslipping. The rock was still slick from recent storms.But I made it okay, I guess. At this shelter is Hotrock, Abominable Slow Man, JoeFlamingo, Crash and Cadbury. The students decided tostay the night at Baldpate Lean-to because they weretoo winded. I was in good spirits because I was finally taking abreak in Andover that weekend. I needed it so badly.The forests are not so enchanting when you are verytired.