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July 13, 2010 10:42 am
I had heard lots about the Mahoosuc Notch for a while. I heard a lot from other hikers. I heard how fun it was. I camped a little out of the Notch the night before trying to catch up with the gang.
I set out very early and made my way down the very dangerous Mahoosuc Arm and took a break at the bottom. Just as I sat down Brookie and Walker came walking out of a nearby site! Talk about trail magic:)
They said the girls were just ahead and guessed the Notch started soon. Looks like we all caught up just in time to do it all together.
The Mahoosuc Notch is basically a huge pile of boulders were 2 mountains meet. You get to crawl through the boulders. It’s a lot of fun without too much vertical gain. The temperature in there is very cool and despite being in the upper 80’s above there is snow & ice in the crevices of the notch.
We had heard some rumors about a moose skeleton in the notch. Some had it hanging from the sides above, some had it in the rocks but we never saw it.
It was a blast in there!!! Brookie crawled into one of the crevices, grabbed some snow, threw snow balls at me and made a snow man in July. We all posed for a picture with the snow man:-) it was definitely one of the most fun times I had yet hiking this trail.
July 12, 2010 11:45 pm
From: Alabama
NOBO Thru-Hikers
I met this father & son team at Pine Ellis Hiker Hostel. They have been section hiking the whole trail a month a year for the last 5 years. They will finish the whole trail this year wrapping up at Katadihn.
They are lots of fun to hang out with. We had such a great time laughing and joking with them. Rob is about the closest guy to my age I have met, a former computer programmer and current IT manager so we have a lot in common and got along pretty well.
July 12, 2010 2:40 pm
Date: 7.12.2010
Location: Andover, Maine
While in Andover I stayed at the Pine Ellis Hiker Hostel. It was a pretty cool place. David and his mother-in law Eline ran the place. They were both great and very accomodating of my World Cup needs:)
We met Rob and his son Johnathan there. They are NOBOS who have been hiking the trail 1 month a year since 2005 and are about to wrap up their last section to finish the trail. They were lots if fun and Rob bought us all breakfast in the morning they left! Very cool people.
I was able to get a haircut and beard buzz from David which I the cleaned up with a razor. I was very happy about that!
David also gave me some silver polish so I could give my moon goddess pendant a much needed cleaning.
I was able go watch both World Cup final games:-)
There were basically only 2 places to eat and only 1 place to buy a very limited selection of groceries. I heard from NOBO’s the food options get better further south. This is good because I am living on power bars and very pricey ones at that.
We met a few other NOBO’s there. Some were ok. I appreciate advice on which hostels to stay or not stay at, trail advice etc. but some North Bounders are a little cocky, and try to tell you everything you are going to feel, do and experience and everything you are experiencing right now because they have experienced it all. Not so wild about that. I’ll have my own experiences thanks. oh don’t even try to tell them Maine will be difficult!!!.
Overall it was a very, very fun stay. I really enjoyed some rec time with the gang!!!
I am a day behind the group now and have to play catch up again.
July 12, 2010 2:33 pm
These are bog bridges. They are built to protect the natural bog ecosystems. They are very common on the Appalachian Trail in Maine.
July 11, 2010 10:41 pm
Date: 6.11.2010
Location: Andover, Maine
Last week was pretty ruff. The heat and humidity made hiking almost unbearable at times. I grossly underestimated my food needs and hiked 2 long hard days of hiking on about 400 calories. I was tired, beat down and depressed most of the week. It was rough but I pushed through.
There were some positives. I caught up with Brookie, Flora and Fauna. We all hike at our own paces during the day but have been camping together. It was great to have good company at nights and in the morning.
We all made it into Andover together and I have some writing to do about a very fun weekend.
Feeling sick now. Back to the trail in the morning.
July 10, 2010 10:49 am
My buddy Freddy the frog:) This little guy was not camera shy at all!
July 10, 2010 3:57 am
From: Guatemala
David and his mother in-law run the Pine Ellis Hikers Hostel in Andover, Maine. He plays the Native American flute. He is really down to earth and easy to get along with. He enjoys World Cup soccer. He makes jewelry out of moose dung:)
July 9, 2010 2:41 am
From: Gainsville, Georgia
SOBO Thru-Hiker
I met Connor and Clara at Chairback Mountain after a very wet day of hiking. Connor has just wrapped up high school and is doing the trail before beginning college. Connor, Clara, Brooky, Glen and I have been hiking and camping on and off together. She is very bright, always seems to be in good spirits and has a smile. She is a very fast Hiker.
July 9, 2010 2:30 am
From: Gainsville, Georgia
SOBO Thru-Hiker
I met Clara and Connor at Chairback Mountain after a very wet day of hiking. Brooky the girls and I have met up in town and several times since, camped together and done a little hiking together. Clara has just finished a degree in Biology from Georgia Tech, is very Sharp and a fast hiker!
July 9, 2010 2:23 am
From: Columbus, Ohio
Age: 54
SOBO Thru-Hiker
Glen and I have been catching up with each other in trail towns as well as doing a bit of hiking together. He is very easy going, great to get along with and has a new found interest in soccer!!! We have watched a few World Cup games together and he is a lot of fun!
He is a avid cyclist, teaches cross country skiing to the blind and he plays great Beethoven on his recorder!!