Days 165-171
September 12-18
Gentian Pond Shelter, New Hampshire, to
Spaulding Mountain Lean-to, Maine
Day 165
Gentian Pond Shelter, New Hampshire, to
Carlo Col Shelter & Campsite, Maine
Today's weather started out sunny and then progressed to overcast with a light rain. The trail was particularly tough today. There was a lot of rock scrambling with a decent amount of technical climbing. In addition, the number of boggy areas seems to be increasing.
I entered my 14th and final state on the AT, Maine. I was very glad to say goodbye to New Hampshire.
It's taking longer to get to my next food resupply. I generally carry an extra day's food in case I need it. This trail section is taking me two extra days. I'm running low on food, so I split my remaining rations to have food for both days. I am looking forward to a good meal in Bethel, Maine.
There is so much mud around the Carlo Col Shelter and Campsite that the AMC has build tent platforms. I have to say that the platforms are great. This is the first time that I have had to use one.
Day 166
Carlo Col Shelter & Campsite to
Stealth Site in Rocks at Mile 1922.5
I couldn't have asked for better weather. The sky was clear with temperatures in the upper 60s, although the morning was a bit brisk.
The closer I got to Mahoosuc Notch, the harder and more technical the trail became. I spent most of my day bouldering and climbing rock faces. The problem is that a good percentage of these rocks are wet and covered in mud and algae, making them very slippery. During one steep, rocky scramble, I slipped and ended up sliding down the rocks on my stomach. Luckily I had no injuries. I did get covered in mud and slime.
I ate lunch at Full Goose Shelter. I met a young man and woman from the UK. They were covered in mud. Apparently one of the boardwalks snapped and dumped them into the bog. They were good natured about it and were searching for some place to wash off.
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| Full Goose Shelter & Campsite |
I started hiking the Mahoosuc Notch trail around 4:00 p.m., figuring that I had two hours of daylight to hike this section. This trail section is rated as the hardest and most fun mile of the AT. I agree with both statements.
What I didn't realize is that it gets real dark real fast in this slot canyon. By 5:00 it was dark and cold. I considered pushing through the technical climbs with my headlamp but quickly decided that wouldn't be a good idea. I figured I better find a reasonably flat spot in the rocks to camp. I lucked out and found a spot just barely big enough for my tent. Even better, there was water. Lucky for me, I have a Nemo Tensor sleeping pad that smooths out the rocks.
Note from Sally:
Titanium did not have cell service at his tentsite in the rocks, of course, but he was able to send a good-night message from his Garmin. He told me that he was eating the second half of his last Ramen package, rationed over the last two nights before his next resupply.
Day 167
Stealth Site in Rocks, Mahoosuc Notch Trail to
Route 26 Trailhead to Bethel, Maine
The weather was great with temperatures in the high 60s and dry.
The Mahoosuc Notch is very tough. It's all about bouldering with a bit of scrambling thrown in for fun. It took me 3.5 hours crawl up and over around and through the boulder field.
Note from Sally:
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy's Thru-Hiker's Companion says of the Mahoosuc Notch:
"Famous for ice in deep crevices throughout the year. Many call this scramble under, around, over, and between boulders the most difficult mile on the Trail."
The Mahoosuc Arm of Old Speck Mountain started directly after the notch. Initially, there was a lot of rock scrambling, and then it just got steep. It took me two hours to climb the steepest one-mile section of the trail (a 1,500-foot gain in elevation).
The descent from the Arm leads to Old Speck Pond.
I had run out of food. This section of trail took two days longer than I expected. The section hikers were being picked up at the trailhead and were passing through Bethel, Maine, my restock point. I asked for a ride, and they said yes.
They dropped me off at about 8:30 p.m. at a motel that Sally reserved for me. I tried to order some food, but none of the local restaurants delivered, not even the pizza places.
The hotel clerk's shift was ending, and he agreed to drop me off at a gas station convenience store that had a deli. I was starving at this point. I ordered a pizza, salad, and a few other edibles and walked back to my motel while eating cookies and conversing on my phone with Sally.
It turns out that there was a large wedding and reception at the facility. The wedding party had rented most of the facility for its guests. The revelers were very noisy most of the night. Others were up early and leaving in the morning. I didn't get much sleep.
Day 168
Zero Day in Bethel, Maine
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| Bethel Village Motel |
The motel I stayed at last night was two miles from town and the services I needed. I tried to hitch a ride but had no luck, so I hiked into town. I found a laundromat and washed clothes, then went to the grocery store to restock for the trail.
I tried to schedule a shuttle to get back to the trail, but none were available until the following day. My options were to find a place to camp or find a motel. I chose the motel.
I ended up staying at the Bethel Village Motel, a small motel owned by a woman who caters to thru-hikers and does not advertise online. The motel was very nice and located next to the post office and bakery.
For my fun on my unintended zero, I went to the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum and to the movie. Both were located within easy walking distance from the motel. I'm not sure that popcorn for dinner was such a good idea, but the movie, "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice," was pretty good.
The movie theatre was easy to spot. It was painted in harlequin patterns and colors.
Day 169
Bethel to Route 4 to Piazza Rock Lean-To
Interesting day. The shuttle driver was two hours late. He had to wait for an injured hiker to come off the trail and then take the hiker and his companions to the ER. The guy broke his arm while rock scrambling through the Mahoosuc Notch.
The shuttle driver was a bit flustered about being late for all of his scheduled pick-ups and was dealing with irate customers. In his distraction, he ended up dropping me off a bit farther up the trail. I didn't realize it until after he had left and I turned on my GPS. I'm actually good with that.
Stomach issues. I must have eaten something bad. I suspect a fruit and tea drink from a convenience store. It tasted a little strange, but I thought it was the combination of fruits. Whatever it was, it caused me to have volcanic activity from both ends of my body. This is never fun, but it's even worse on the trail. I was feeling pretty dehydrated and sat down to drink some water. I woke up two hours later.
I hiked until I reached the Piazza Rock Lean-To campsite and set up camp. I decided to check out Piazza Rock, which was on a 1/4-mile side trail. It's a giant granite overhanging slab that looks like a snake crawling out of the mountain. At least that's what it looks like to me.
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| Piazza Rock |
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| Piazza Rock Lean-To |
There is an interesting outhouse at the campsite. The sign on the privy says, "Your Move." It's a double-holer with a game board between the seats. Whoever built this had a good sense of humor.
Day 170
Piazza Rock Lean-To to Redington Stream
Pretty day with temperatures in the low 70s and a light breeze -- perfect for backpacking.
It was a steep, rocky climb to the top of Saddleback Mountain. There were great views even though the valleys are a bit smoky from Canadian forest fires.
The traverse and climb up to the Horn was steep but not technical. Then I had flashbacks of the Wildcat Mountains. The trail on the backside of the mountain turned into a nasty technical climb and rock scramble. My pace dropped from 1.7 mph to .5 mph or less. At this pace, there was no way I was going to reach my goal of the next shelter.
It's now getting dark around 6:00. I decided to camp by the next water source. As I was filtering water, three hikers showed up. They had the same original destination as I did but were foiled by the terrain.
My camp was at 3150 feet of elevation, and it was a bit cool. Luckily, there was no wind, and I had a pleasant night's sleep.
Day 171
Redington Stream to Spaulding Mountain Lean-To
The weather was great with temperatures in the low 70s.
The hike yesterday up Saddleback and Horn Mountains was moderately strenuous, but the back sides down the mountains were extremely steep with areas requiring down climbing.
Most of the bogs on the trail have those wooden boardwalks, but they are not in great shape. Many are broken while others are rotted and ready to collapse. You have to be very selective as to which boardwalk is safe to use.
Mother Nature has thrown another obstacle my way. While the Fall colors are beautiful, fallen leaves on the trail obscure the rocks, holes, and roots. I'm now having to be even more cautious, which equates to hiking even slower.
I'm camped near the Spaulding Mountain Lean-to, and I'm the only one here. I arrived as the sun went down. I quickly pitched my tent while I still had light, then put on my headlight and went to the creek for water. By the time I returned, it was pitch black.
I heard a weird noise behind me, and it was a Bard Owl sitting on a branch about three feet away. It was really watching me. Now it's in a tree close to my tent. I guess it finds me interesting, or maybe my headlamp is attracting the right kind of bugs. It feels like it's going to be another cold night. I'm glad that I now have my cold weather gear.
Day 172 Preview
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| Titanium at the 2000-Mile Marker |
Lately it seems like every week there is a section of the AT that is purported to be the worst mile or half mile on the entire AT. Which really is the worst section and why?
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