Date: 2015-07-08
From: Andover, ME

To: Gorham, NH
Miles today: 51.5
Weather: broken clouds

This was the longest stretch without resupply since the 100-mi wilderness. 7/2: better weather, 15 mi., on a great day for hiking through lots and lots of mud! Most days in Maine on the AT, I hike through "alotta" mud... but today was exceptional, even for Maine. I still have my objective to arrive at the end of the day with dry feet (if no rain that day), so for a few miles, I was slowed trying to be creative and find ways over, through, or around the mud and keep my feet dry. I passed very interesting and beautiful waterfalls. One of them reminded me of small Amicalola Falls (Georgia), except it was where only hikers would happen upon it, no sign, and if you were hiking northbound, might miss it unless you looked back while crossing the stream below. I am glad to be a SOBO on this day. The trail ran alongside the waterfall for a long while, giving an idea of the steepness of the trail. Maine has very steep trails, most of it very wet and slippery. Also of interest on this day was a set of over 20 gigantic wind mills along a ridge line. I was thrilled to see them. Renewable energy is vital and having hiked over the mountains in these parts have experienced some very powerful and omnipresent wind. I stayed at Frye Notch Lean-to this evening and was amazed at the scene of recently snapped trees. Wind in the mountains sometimes gets funneled up a cove or a "notch" as it rises to the ridge line of a mountain. As the wind moves up the mountain, it gets squeezed into a progressively smaller area, creating a very high wind. Nearly all the trees around this lean-to had been snapped off about 40 feet above the ground. A gust of wind (I am speculating) magnified, made for a very thin forest with lots of tree tops hanging upside down... very odd scene (see pic).7/3. Day 31. 10.4 mi. Started the day with a summit over Baldpate Mtn... several peaks to cross above the tree line. Great views, cold, lots of wind. I ate at the "Pop Tart Caf©". Very steep ups and downs today. I was passed by a "supported" hiker who graciously took my photo at the first peak. "Supported" generally means the hiker carries a very small pack and meets someone at each road crossing for supplies, meals, etc. He was very fast-paced. I tried to capture some perspective of size when I noticed just how far ahead he was when I saw him between the peaks. I will attempt to show in the photo album (see pic). I crossed a highway at Grafton Notch, rested, found a welcome trash can and privy, then read a sign reminding me about Benton MacKaye's vision for the AT. Back in the 1920's, MacKaye proposed to Congress a continuous trail through the Appalachian Range for the purpose of providing urban dwellers a place to find the wilderness. He felt there to be too little opportunity for urbanites to have a wilderness experience. The descent was brutal off Old Speck Mountain into the shelter for the night. From time to time, I run into someone who is completing, or in the progress of, a complete "section" hike of the AT (meaning each year they hike a different section of the AT until they have hiked all of the trail). I have met three hikers (separately) who are on the final leg of their 10-year quest to section-hike the AT. I muse at how they seem to be time capsules - they are still using the same equipment they started with 10 years ago.7/4: Day 32. 9.5 mi. Amazing hiking day, down Mahoosuc Arm and up the Mahoosuc Notch, up Filling Mill Mtn, then over Goose Eye Mountain's three peaks. Wow! Some say the Notch is the hardest mile, others say it's the most fun mile. Let's just say it's different and challenging. Mahoosuc Notch is 1.2 miles of boulder scrambles. The boulders were created when they broke off the cliffs over the course of 500 million years. The cold air sinks between two mountains and feels like a refrigerator. On Independence day, I saw snow and ice in caves under the boulders. In some places, water is heard running under the boulders but it is rarely seen. The Notch is nestled between to incredibly steep sections of trail, so whether north- or south-bound, a hiker has a steep descent then the notch, then a steep ascent. Once hiking these very difficult sections, I was introduced to Goose Eye Mountain this same day. Really great views, and as a final farewell to SOBOs of Maine, several 'stow-and-go's", steep, then lots of deep mud, and interesting vegetation. I also saw a very beautiful hare on Goose Eye, very kewl. I logged nearly 10 miles this day, though it felt like 20. By the end of the day, my entire body was spent.7/5: Day 33. 17 mi. (AT SOBO Mile 298.3)Made it to New Hampshire today. This was a very long day, the 5th in a row without a break. Ready for a welcome break at the White Mountains Lodge and Hostel. The descent into Gorham, NH was beautiful, steep, and long. Crossing the Maine-New Hampshire state line means reaching a significant milestone having completed the first state, and, many say, the most difficult to hike. Having only previously hiked the 500 most southern miles of the AT to compare it with, I can only agree. Maine has made me a much better hiker. I have added to my hiking repertoire of skills the following: scrambling, leaping, poll-vaulting, bounding, crabbing, fording, worming, constant use of trekking polls, improved resourcefulness on routing around obstacles such as mud and blow-downs, ability to better protect my knees on descents, and many more I will thinking of later. I will stay here a few days to let my body heal. I have bruised the entire bottoms of both feet, my right ankle is still feeling effects of the sprain sustain 2 weeks ago, I sprained my right knee a week ago, I pulled my right thigh muscle, my right foot has worn raw on top of my big toe and another spot on top of my foot. My left need hurts too. Both hips ache all the time. My feet seem to be swollen all the time, and both little toes from the toe nail all the way back to the heal are identically numb. Otherwise, I'm in great spirits and am very excited to resume my journey with the White Mountains of NH. My body, however, is telling me to take a few days off.7/6: Day 34. Zero Day. Spent the day cleaning my gear, planning with Lynette (PineCone) resupply through the Whites and where I'll stay. I've decided to hike shorter distances each day in an attempt to not tear my body down so much and to also enjoy the beauty and majesty of these great mountains that tower over Gorham, NH. In the White Mountains Lodge and Hostel is an interesting group of passers-through. Two hikers are a father-son team... the son is around 10 years old. They began at Springer Mountain in Georgia on February 28th. They are having the time of their lives, enjoying freedom, each other, and fearlessly learning about life. There is another group of two women and a 13 year old girl, also a group with 3 high school age girls.7/7 and 7/8: two more zero days in Gorham at the White Mountains Lodge and Hostel...a very peaceful, well-run establishment and suited for hikers.