Date: 2012-08-18
From: Carlo Col Shelter

To: Mahoosuc Notch 
Miles today: 7.2

Last night it got down into the 40s but we stayed warm. We were awake and on the trail by 7:15am. First thing this morning we had to finish going up Mt. Carlo. It was a good warm up climb. We made it to the top and started down the other side towards the Goose Eye Mountains. On the way down we passed Snorting Ox and was passed by Float. We made it down Mt. Carlo and soon it started to clear up. The sun was out but there was still the occasional low cloud that would blow through and we would be in the clouds. We started up the West Peak of Goose Eye Mountain. The trail did not go up too steep and we passed over a few open ridges. We made it to the last bench and we could see the top of the West Peak. It was very steep. We started up and soon got to a sheer rock face with rebar bars in the side, then we got to a section with a ladder and soon we were on the top. We took a break at the top and soon we could hear Foster way down in one of the bald flats, he sometimes plays music on his iPod while he hikes. He showed up at the top and also took a break with us then he continued on. We continued on a little later and started down into the notch between the east and west peaks. We got to the bottom and started up towards the East Peak of Goose Eye Mountain and was on the top in no time. Then from the east peak we headed towards the north peak. The trail went along the exposed ridge for a while and was really muddy. There were a lot of board walks and some of them had sunken down into the mud but we had to walk on them anyway even though they were six inches into the mud because on either side of the boards the mud was over two feet deep at some places. We made it to the top then we started down the other side towards the next shelter. It started out being an easy downhill but the last little bit was steep and slippery. We got to the shelter right at noon and took a break to eat lunch. From the shelter we had one mountain to go up and down then we would start the Mahoosuc Notch. We left the shelter at 12:30 and started up the mountain and then down the other side. It was really steep going down the other side. It took us a while but we made it down to the notch. The Mahoosuc Notch is described in the guide book as either the most difficult or fun mile of the trail. The trail goes down the notch with a bolder jumble down the middle. There is a 1000 foot (approx.) cliff on either side and over the years boulders have fallen down into the notch. The trail goes over, under, around, trough, and any other way it can on these boulders and the average time to hike this mile for a thru hiker is two to four hours. It was really tough. We had to crawl on our stomachs through a very tight hole under a huge bolder, slide down long slippery slopes, shimmy up a narrow crack up and over a boulder, and so on. It ended up taking us a little over four hours, it was very difficult but I honestly expected it to be worse. There was supposed to be a campsite near the bottom of the notch so we continued on up the trail to find it for the night. We found a small muddy flat spot but we did not think that was it so I dropped my pack and went ahead a half mile and found the one I was looking for. I went back to Big Sky and Hill Hiker and grabbed my pack and we all went to the camp site. When we got there Einstien and Foster were there and soon after Samheacan, Brusels, Prout and a few others showed up as well as a southbounder so it is a full place again tonight. Tomorrow we are planning another short day because we have to go up and over the Mahoosuc Arm which is supposed to be another hard mountain so I need my rest for that...night all.