Date: 2010-09-01
From: Full Goose Shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: clear sky

That's right folks.....5 miles. I agonized over the decision, feeling guilty/silly for only hiking 5 miles and stopping at 1:30 but it was absolutely the right decision. As you could probably tell by my entry last night, I really haven't been enjoying the rest of Hew Hampshire and south Maine at all, but this afternoon has given me the chance to slow down enough to reverse that. I feel great right now.   So.....Mahoosuc Notch. It took me almost 6 hours to hike today's 5.1 miles. On most of the AT it takes me under 2 hurs to hike that far. Mahoosuc Notch is an infamous mile long intenste scramble over, under and around giant boulders. For the last several days and even this morning I've gone back and forth between dreading it and feeling excited about it. Moments before I started it this morning I felt definite dread but as soon as I started climbing bounders I found myself actually having fun. It was incredibly challenging, yes, but I Enjoyed the intensity and the concentration it took. I expected to take about two hours but made it through in 1.5. I'd really love to come do it again with a small day pack. I can't say I was particularly sad when it was over but I was a bit surprised to be done already. It was also neat know that my brother, Alex, hiked the same exact section trail 12 years ago. I just wish he could have been there with me today, but hopefully we can hike together another time.   The tough climb up Mahoosuc Arm took me another 1.5 hours. It wasn't nearly as much fun as the Notch, but here the cool thing: after scrambling through the Notch I found I had a completely dsifferent outlook on the tough, rugged Maine trails. Instead of looking at a rock wall and saying, "Are kidding me?" I look up at it, put my head back down and start climbing. It didn't really get any easier but I feel like Mahoosuc Notch, I can do anything.   So, I got in here around 1:30 intending to take a lunch break and move on. I looked at the mileage and determined that staying here made more sens. This was my original goal for today anyway and I knew I would risk hiking after dark if I tried for the next shelter, 7 tough miles away. I am so glad I stayed! This spot is beautiful, on the highest body of water in Maine. Sat out on the lake, legs in the cold water for an hour or so earlier and plan to go back out as the sun sets. Right now thing are blissfully peaceful with ony Q-Tip, the care taker (Steve) and me here. The greatest benefit to a short day, though, is to allow me to slow down enough to look past the pain and the race to the finish to see the beauty of the experience and all that surrounds me. I have a tentative schedule of each hiking day from here to Katahdin and I'm going to try really hard from here on out to quit trying to rush and get ahead of that plan. I keep thinking "Maybe I can finish a day or two ahead of what I was planning." Sitting here today, though, I can't think of a single reason to do that. Three weeks just isn't that long, and finishing a day or two early isn't gonna make a difference in the grand scheme of things except keep me from enjoying the last three weeks of my journey. Patience was never my strong suit but I think here it will definitely serve me well.   Three weeks from this moment I should be done. Wierd.