PamW
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- Oct 26, 2010
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I signed up to do a Mahoosucs traverse with a meetup group-- yes I know--it’s potluck, but I am ok with that. I'd heard so much about the notch and wanted to get Old Speck for my NE 4k list, which I started recently, and, since I kinda sotra started the hundred highest too, Goose Eye as well. I convinced Randy, who I hiked with on Mansfield the weekend before, and is also working in the NE67, to join me. I needed to leave for the car spot around 4:45 but my daughter woke up at 3:30 feeling nauseous, luckily settling down after taking some antacids. Oh well, an earlier start than I had planned but what the heck.
At the meeting spot only Julie, the organizer who's from NY, Craig, a 20 something fairly new hiker, Randy and I showed up. Julie said she was too tired to do the whole hike so suggested she go in the notch trail and we catch up to her after doing Goose eye and an extra what turned out to be 7.5 miles and 4,000 ft (yeah, right). The car spot took forever since my AMC intel suggesting going around to 26 and avoiding the beginning of success pond road with a regular vehicle. We took the wrong road at first (you need North Pond, not York Pond, and by the way, and IMHO the road is fine on both sides just take it slow) and finally started the hike at close to 11 -- Randy, me, and Craig.
Screw-up number 2 (or is that already 5?): we missed the cut off for the Goose Eye trail and were following Mt Carlo trail. Randy noticed and turned us around-- the sign was easy to miss nestled in the shady hardwoods. Ok, now we are on the trail making good time on what was so far a pretty flat trail. But wait, what's that noise? Kinda of a screechy growly noise. A mother Spruce Grouse. Oh wait, she's chasing us down the trail, flapping and growling. We regroup and wait. She's still there so we try to bushwhack around. She follows us and gives chase. I'm already sick of this so I sprint for the trail and while she chases me, she doesn't catch me. I wait for Randy and Craig who try to bushwhack further around her only to receive the same treatment. Eventually they give up and run too. She comes close but doesn't catch them.
Ok, now we are finally on our way. Craig keeps a stiff pace up the steady trail through birches and then evergreens replete with lots of wildflowers. It is a beautiful day with robin's egg blue skies and only a few small wispy clouds, although the forecast is for showers late at night and a small possibility in the evening. I figure we will be off the trail by 10 or so. The trail starts to climb briskly over some ledges with great views to the exposed summit. Really incredible wilderness feel with views into Maine, the Presis, Franconia Ridge, and much more.
We only see one other person on the trail going up, and a family at the ledgey bare summit of Goose Eye. We make good time for 3.1 and 2,400 ft not including the backtrack (probably added 3/4 mile) and the grouse incident and hit the summit at 1:15. Randy and I open our food bags and start lunch. Craig pulls out some almonds. Don't you have any other food I ask? Nope he responds. Egad, we're going on a 15-mile hike and the guy has a handful of almonds? Luckily Randy and I have enough to share and we do.
We don't hang out for too long and then head for nameless peak #1, then nameless peak # 2, 3, and 4 each with hundreds of feet elevation gain and loss with ladders, rough scrambles, exposed ridge, alpine meadows, ledges, and scrubby forest between. It is really a gorgeous piece of trail, reminiscent of the Bonds or Baldfaces (or so I hear since I've never been there). Highly recommended! Really, really beautiful.
After 4.1 more miles we finally reach the notorious Mahoosuc Notch. I can't remember but I think it was close to 3:30 or 4. Just before our last nameless peak, I slipped on a log and fell backwards bruising and cutting my cheek (the other one) and ripping my shorts. Luckily I was well prepared with clothes etc to change into and carried by far the heaviest pack of the group with lots of extra of everything including water. The extra weight was on purpose for training for the Presi Traverse I'm doing in late June. Having a scraped and bruised butt is not a good way to start a 1.3 mile scramble! Ouch!
The notch is an amazing place, although none of us were prepared for how long it would take. It is so sheltered that there is still a lot of snow and ice in the bottom, so it feels a little like stepping into a fridge. Refreshing on a hot day! I wonder how long it lingers? Although we had to walk on it a bit, there is really not much walking at all. Instead, it is a series of large granite blocks which one climbs up, around, under, and over like an obstacle course or a jungle gym. Sometimes you have to take off your pack to squeeze through some tight spots.
We had a blast for the first hour. But then it got annoying as we were ready go get out of there--we knew we still had a long way to go. But it just kept going and going and going. It’s supposedly the hardest mile on the AT but it’s really more than a mile and then there is the stiff climb up to Mahoosuc Arm. It took us an hour and 45 minutes to traverse that mile and (1/4? 1/3?). Very hard on the arms and I strained a pectoral muscle hauling myself and my heavy pack up the boulders.
After we left the notch Craig set a blistering pace up the arm. Guess what, he didn't have a headlamp! Luckily I had two and Randy had two. But Craig had never traveled after dark and he was worried. I couldn't keep up at the 3 mile pace he set up that steep slope, so Randy grabbed my pack and carried it and his. I retrieved it at the top with gorgeous 360 views in the darkening sky. I took the lead and we got to Speck Pond shelter at around 8. Lots of people there and we treated water, had dinner (I bummed some for Craig) and got out the headlamps. Unfortunately, my spare lamp was out of batteries and I didn't have any extra. Randy pulled out his spare but it just wasn't bright enough to really hike with. So after a little while of walking down the trail, I convinced Craig and Randy to go back and bum some spare batteries because I DIDNT HAVE ANY. Duhhhh. I kept going in the darkening evening. It had started drizzling while we were at the campsite and the rain now became steadier. I continued on slowly and noticed my light starting to dim. Oh great. My batteries were beginning to go too! Arrgh, what an idiot! When Randy and Craig returned, I hiked between them in order to see anything. It was mostly slippery ledge and rough scrambles. Very slow going in the rain and dark and the mile and a half to the top took us over 2 hrs. We submitted about 10:50 pm. I was still feeling strong and surprisingly happy despite all the mishaps and late hour. We had snacks and took a summit picture.
Now for the 3.5 mile descent. I traded my now dead lamp for Randy's spare, but it wasn't much better so I had to stay between the two guys to see anything. We lost the trail a couple of times, struggled on slippery rocks and ledges, and cursed the PUDs. The rain became fairly hard at times, otherwise a drizzle. I struggled with not being able to see and being alternately wet and overheated. But we finally made it down at 12:50 am! Tired but in one piece. But my car was 45 minutes away. We were overjoyed to be in a car though and it actually went pretty quickly and was complete with Moose running in the headlights in front of us. Only when we stopped did it divert from the road and into the brush. At my car at 1:45 I was in no condition to drive so I rolled out my mat and sleeping bag and didn't open my eyes 'til 6:45-- in time to drive to Twin Mountain for breakfast and the long ride home. Turns out Randy couldn't make it far either and slept in Grafton Notch for two hours, then dropped Craig in Gorham, and then drove to Vt and hiked Camels Hump. The animal! I was a basket case all day and into the next.
A very worthy hike and a lot of fun, but at 16 miles and over 6,000 ft of elevation gain not one to start at 11:00 am, especially without working headlamps and spare batteries!!!! Lesson learned.
All the pics: https://picasaweb.google.com/phwilmot/Mahoosucs52712#
At the meeting spot only Julie, the organizer who's from NY, Craig, a 20 something fairly new hiker, Randy and I showed up. Julie said she was too tired to do the whole hike so suggested she go in the notch trail and we catch up to her after doing Goose eye and an extra what turned out to be 7.5 miles and 4,000 ft (yeah, right). The car spot took forever since my AMC intel suggesting going around to 26 and avoiding the beginning of success pond road with a regular vehicle. We took the wrong road at first (you need North Pond, not York Pond, and by the way, and IMHO the road is fine on both sides just take it slow) and finally started the hike at close to 11 -- Randy, me, and Craig.
Screw-up number 2 (or is that already 5?): we missed the cut off for the Goose Eye trail and were following Mt Carlo trail. Randy noticed and turned us around-- the sign was easy to miss nestled in the shady hardwoods. Ok, now we are on the trail making good time on what was so far a pretty flat trail. But wait, what's that noise? Kinda of a screechy growly noise. A mother Spruce Grouse. Oh wait, she's chasing us down the trail, flapping and growling. We regroup and wait. She's still there so we try to bushwhack around. She follows us and gives chase. I'm already sick of this so I sprint for the trail and while she chases me, she doesn't catch me. I wait for Randy and Craig who try to bushwhack further around her only to receive the same treatment. Eventually they give up and run too. She comes close but doesn't catch them.
Ok, now we are finally on our way. Craig keeps a stiff pace up the steady trail through birches and then evergreens replete with lots of wildflowers. It is a beautiful day with robin's egg blue skies and only a few small wispy clouds, although the forecast is for showers late at night and a small possibility in the evening. I figure we will be off the trail by 10 or so. The trail starts to climb briskly over some ledges with great views to the exposed summit. Really incredible wilderness feel with views into Maine, the Presis, Franconia Ridge, and much more.
We only see one other person on the trail going up, and a family at the ledgey bare summit of Goose Eye. We make good time for 3.1 and 2,400 ft not including the backtrack (probably added 3/4 mile) and the grouse incident and hit the summit at 1:15. Randy and I open our food bags and start lunch. Craig pulls out some almonds. Don't you have any other food I ask? Nope he responds. Egad, we're going on a 15-mile hike and the guy has a handful of almonds? Luckily Randy and I have enough to share and we do.
We don't hang out for too long and then head for nameless peak #1, then nameless peak # 2, 3, and 4 each with hundreds of feet elevation gain and loss with ladders, rough scrambles, exposed ridge, alpine meadows, ledges, and scrubby forest between. It is really a gorgeous piece of trail, reminiscent of the Bonds or Baldfaces (or so I hear since I've never been there). Highly recommended! Really, really beautiful.
After 4.1 more miles we finally reach the notorious Mahoosuc Notch. I can't remember but I think it was close to 3:30 or 4. Just before our last nameless peak, I slipped on a log and fell backwards bruising and cutting my cheek (the other one) and ripping my shorts. Luckily I was well prepared with clothes etc to change into and carried by far the heaviest pack of the group with lots of extra of everything including water. The extra weight was on purpose for training for the Presi Traverse I'm doing in late June. Having a scraped and bruised butt is not a good way to start a 1.3 mile scramble! Ouch!
The notch is an amazing place, although none of us were prepared for how long it would take. It is so sheltered that there is still a lot of snow and ice in the bottom, so it feels a little like stepping into a fridge. Refreshing on a hot day! I wonder how long it lingers? Although we had to walk on it a bit, there is really not much walking at all. Instead, it is a series of large granite blocks which one climbs up, around, under, and over like an obstacle course or a jungle gym. Sometimes you have to take off your pack to squeeze through some tight spots.
We had a blast for the first hour. But then it got annoying as we were ready go get out of there--we knew we still had a long way to go. But it just kept going and going and going. It’s supposedly the hardest mile on the AT but it’s really more than a mile and then there is the stiff climb up to Mahoosuc Arm. It took us an hour and 45 minutes to traverse that mile and (1/4? 1/3?). Very hard on the arms and I strained a pectoral muscle hauling myself and my heavy pack up the boulders.
After we left the notch Craig set a blistering pace up the arm. Guess what, he didn't have a headlamp! Luckily I had two and Randy had two. But Craig had never traveled after dark and he was worried. I couldn't keep up at the 3 mile pace he set up that steep slope, so Randy grabbed my pack and carried it and his. I retrieved it at the top with gorgeous 360 views in the darkening sky. I took the lead and we got to Speck Pond shelter at around 8. Lots of people there and we treated water, had dinner (I bummed some for Craig) and got out the headlamps. Unfortunately, my spare lamp was out of batteries and I didn't have any extra. Randy pulled out his spare but it just wasn't bright enough to really hike with. So after a little while of walking down the trail, I convinced Craig and Randy to go back and bum some spare batteries because I DIDNT HAVE ANY. Duhhhh. I kept going in the darkening evening. It had started drizzling while we were at the campsite and the rain now became steadier. I continued on slowly and noticed my light starting to dim. Oh great. My batteries were beginning to go too! Arrgh, what an idiot! When Randy and Craig returned, I hiked between them in order to see anything. It was mostly slippery ledge and rough scrambles. Very slow going in the rain and dark and the mile and a half to the top took us over 2 hrs. We submitted about 10:50 pm. I was still feeling strong and surprisingly happy despite all the mishaps and late hour. We had snacks and took a summit picture.
Now for the 3.5 mile descent. I traded my now dead lamp for Randy's spare, but it wasn't much better so I had to stay between the two guys to see anything. We lost the trail a couple of times, struggled on slippery rocks and ledges, and cursed the PUDs. The rain became fairly hard at times, otherwise a drizzle. I struggled with not being able to see and being alternately wet and overheated. But we finally made it down at 12:50 am! Tired but in one piece. But my car was 45 minutes away. We were overjoyed to be in a car though and it actually went pretty quickly and was complete with Moose running in the headlights in front of us. Only when we stopped did it divert from the road and into the brush. At my car at 1:45 I was in no condition to drive so I rolled out my mat and sleeping bag and didn't open my eyes 'til 6:45-- in time to drive to Twin Mountain for breakfast and the long ride home. Turns out Randy couldn't make it far either and slept in Grafton Notch for two hours, then dropped Craig in Gorham, and then drove to Vt and hiked Camels Hump. The animal! I was a basket case all day and into the next.
A very worthy hike and a lot of fun, but at 16 miles and over 6,000 ft of elevation gain not one to start at 11:00 am, especially without working headlamps and spare batteries!!!! Lesson learned.
All the pics: https://picasaweb.google.com/phwilmot/Mahoosucs52712#
