Date: 2014-09-03
From: Carlo Col shelter

To: Speck Pond Shelter and Campsite
Miles today: 9.5

RW Means: Rumble WaterLast night I was so glad to sleep in the shelter. Thunderstorms rumbled and poured rain most of the night. When I got up at dawn, the clouds were thick and the forest soaked. The streams were flowing fast, sometimes over their banks, which is such a contrast to yesterday when the water sources listed in the guidebook were dry.The trail was wet and dangerous. I only had 4.4 miles to the next shelter but it took me 4 hours of hard climbing with many descents. Incredibly hard trail, much harder than the Whites. With the trail wet, every step needed to be determined in advance or risk a fall. While the trail is as hard or harder than the Whites, Maine added an extra hazard... bogs. Frequent bogs blocked my path and the walkways were underwater due to last night's heavy rains. I carefully slogged along in ankle-deep water and mud. To step off the boards which were somewhere below my feet was disaster. My trekking poles frequently never touched bottom in the bogs. I saw a hiker ahead make a misstep and sink up to his waist. He used a lot of colorful language that nobody but me could hear! All morning the wind howled at 40 miles per hour or more and the clouds were so thick until 11:00 that I couldn't see 300 feet. It was a cold, wet, windy, and generally miserable hiking morning. I planned to hike only 4.4 miles if the weather didn't improve because past the next shelter is Mahoosuc Notch, the hardest and/or most fun 1 mile on the entire trail. It is recommended that the notch only be crossed in reasonable weather.At 11:30 I arrived at the Full Goose Shelter and Campsite and had to decide if I would go through the Notch. Thru-hiker Affirm was there trying to decide what to do as well. While I ate lunch the sun came out and Naked Paul arrived. The three of us talked about the Notch. Naked Paul and I decided to hike it together, Affirm decided to wait and make sure the recent good weather would hold, and if so, he would brave the Notch alone.Naked Paul and I hit Mahoosuc Notch about 1:00 and started in. The Notch is a small river valley between two 1500 towering cliffs. Over time, monster size boulders have fallen off and filled the notch. The boulders are as large as a 4 room house and many are much larger. The Notch is a maze and to get through it one must figure out how to get by each boulder or group of boulders, over, under, left or right. Naked Paul and I worked together and each scouted a potential path and then we chose one. After 2 hours struggling through this 1 mile we had gone over, under, left and right. Some boulders were unstable and unnerving but still needed to be passed. It was the greatest 2 hours of fun I have had on the trail yet! Incredibly difficult and tiring. I wish I had more time just to play in the Notch, but I needed to make miles and the miles ahead were difficult. I loved the Notch!After the Notch was a brutal and terrible hand over hand climb up Mahoosuc Arm, a 1607 foot climb in 1.5 files. The trail was straight up with not even one switchback. It took me 2 hours to make the climb and I was beat. I stopped for the night at Speck Pond Shelter and Campsite and the caretaker charged me $8 which I was happy to pay because I was so tired. It was 6:30 when I arrived. At the Shelter were Bismarck, Hopper, and Journeyman. Later Affirm and Mallet arrived. Journeyman and I hiked together in Pennsylvania just before I got off the trail. He got off the trail for 11 days with Lyme Disease. The Shelter is nice and situated on a beautiful lake, which I didn't swim in because I was too tired. I just ate and went to bed by 7:00.