To Katahdin: 274.2
Maine! Thirteen down, one final state to go. It feels so close now, especially after knocking out Mahoosuc Notch this afternoon as well. Generally regarded as the most difficult (longest) mile of the whole trail. More on that later.
We began the day early, awakened to (near?) freezing temperatures and a gusty wind. Nothing but clear sunny skies though, which is all I can hope for from this point on. It was another rugged day, beginning with an ascent of Mt. Success, the last mountain not in Maine. The top was scenic but exposed and cold and windy, we didn’t stay long. The descent was more jagged and seemed to drag on as I eagerly anticipated finding the sign marking our entry into Maine. Finally we came upon it, taking a short break for a snack and all the necessary photos. Over 1900 miles to get this far!
We continued on, across Mt. Carlo, up and down all three peaks of Goose Eye Mountain, through the roots and the mud and the wet rocks, and past Full Goose Shelter, and finally we arrived at the main objective for the day, Mahoosuc Notch. As I said, many consider it the most difficult mile of the AT, many also consider it the most fun. Rather than just crossing the notch we’re actually walking lengthwise in it for about one mile, and it’s filled with a jumble of large boulders. Essentially a mile long rock scramble involving all kinds of maneuvers ranging from jumping over chasms to squeezing through small holes to taking packs off to fit through caves and crevices. It took us just over two hours to complete, and I would not hesitate to say it was an enjoyable mile. Difficult isn’t really a good word for it, time consuming sure, and it took a lot more acrobatics than walking a normal trail, but it wasn’t particularly challenging or dangerous.