Date: 2004-08-19
From: US 2 near Gorham, NH

To: Day 118: Gentian Pond Campsite, NH
Miles today: 11.8

On AT Day 118 Hot Chocolate and I were able to ¢sleep in¢ to 4:30 a.m. since the AT trailhead on US 2 was only about one mile from our trailer at the Timberland Campground near Gorham, NH and so I was still able to start hiking by 6:20 a.m. The day began with dense fog and a temperature of around 60-degrees. It remained cloudy for most of the rest of the day and the temperatures only climbed to perhaps 70-degrees.The actual hike began on the streets of Gorham and as has been the case several times before, ¢Wrong Way FireBall¢ somehow got off the trail. This time the unwanted detour only cost me about a half-mile, but it wasn¢t the best way to start my day. Shortly after getting back on the trail, actually a gravel-dirt road, I turned into the forest on the AMC¢s Centenial Trail constructed in 1976 to celebrate the first 100-years of this wonderful organization. I then began an arduous 1,700-foot climb over 2.8 miles and crossing several open ledges to reach the turnoff to the 2,555-foot summit of Mount Hayes.Shortly thereafter, I followed the AT as it descended about 500 feet along the Mahoosuc Trail to reach a muddy col where the trail began its ascent to the 2,631-foot summit of Cascade Mountain where I stopped for my morning Power Bar snack. The AT then very steeply descended a little over 500-feet to reach the Trident Col Tentsite and then it more gently reclaimed most of this altitude by the time it reached Page Pond where I stopped for my traditional bagel and peanut butter lunch ¢ and where I saw my first moose! Perhaps 50-yards across one edge of the pond, I spotted a large female moose foraging in the shallow water with what appeared to be her young offspring standing on the bank. They could clearly tell I was close by and only gave me enough time for one good picture. Hopefully I will see more of these strange and wonderful beasts as I travel through ME.Exiting Page Pond, I was forced to cross a completely submerged trail at the pond¢s outlet stream partially blocked by a beaver dam. The AT then climbed another 500-feet or so in about a half-mile to reach the scenic Wocket Ledges and shortly thereafter a ridge-plateau that passed by Dream Lake and then Moss Pond where I stopped for my afternoon Power Bar snack. Over the next hour or so, the AT descended about 500-feet to reach the Gentian Pond Campsite where I stopped for the night after a total hike of 11.8 miles.In route to this final destination I passed two groups of two SOBO AT through hikers and in each case we traded tails of the adventurous trail to come. I was especially interested by the admission from one of the young hikers that it had taken him about three hours to cross the fabled Mahoosuc Notch. At the Gentian Pond Campsite I met up with several other AT through hikers, both SOBO and NOBO, but rather than discuss the trail, I was forced to concentrate on new emergency.Somehow in my haste to repack for this AT segment I had forgotten to pack my spoon! How was I going to eat? As I hiked about a quarter mile to the inlet stream for water I racked my brain for a possible solution and I even went so far to collect, trim and then rinse off a stick to mix and somehow slurp up my soup and cereal. Then as I was about to make my dinner I picked up my folding 1/3 cup measuring spoon and it hit me to use this large implement to ladle or pour the food into my mouth. Not pretty, not convenient and certainly messy, but at least I wouldn¢t starve!With all of the mud puddles, submerged bog walks and overflowing streams I had to cross this day, my boots and socks were soaked. Luckily it wasn¢t all that cold so even when the evening rains came I wasn¢t particularly worried about hypothermia. By now I had gotten quite used to ¢wet walking.¢