[at-l] Mahoosuc Notch article

[logan.park at gmail.com (Logan Park)]

There most certainly is ice in august in shadowed parts of the notch
(at least this year).  I watched my toothbrush tumble out of my pocket
and into one such patch of ice, beyond reach, during a particularly
tricky scramble.

Hop

On Sun, 3 Oct 2004 16:31:08 -0400, ellen <ellen@clinic.net> wrote:
> This particular article has been bouncing around internet trail sites for several days. The idea of Mahoosuc Notch being the most difficult mile has been bouncing around trail circles since at least the "completion" of the trail in 1937.
> 
> In my opinion it is no more difficult than many other miles. But I agree that it is the "slowest" mile -- slow not because it is difficult or dangerous, but because a lot of that mile involves crawling on all fours -- plus occasionally, one's knees.
> 
> I've been through the notch a dozen times, winter and summer. The quickest was a winter hike, when all those rock scrambles over boulders and through caves were hidden under four feet of snow. We trooped through in 20 minutes.
> 
> The longest was one October in a heavy rain when I emerged after three hours to find the trail for the last miles to the Full Goose Shelter was through wet snow.
> 
> There's no special danger that I've ever noticed. But a traverse on even good days is slow -- at least for wise hikers, and most are pretty wise by the time they reach the notch, either from Springer or Katahdin.
> 
> The article, like most dealing with the outdoors, has a bit of hype. "rocks are slippery and often covered with moss. Cool, dank and lush, the place has the feel of a temperate rain forest," this article proclaims.
> 
> Well, the early hikers certainly experienced moss-covered rocks. But the moss disappeared decades ago. That's the nature of moss. Footprints quickly wear away the moss. Sadly, it doesn't return until the footprints go away and that hasn't happened in decades and won't as long as the trail exists.
> 
> As for the "feel of a temperate rain forest," that may be true on some balmy summer days. It has never felt very temperate as I've wandered through in sub freezing conditions, and once or twice in sub-zero conditions.
> 
> Rumors say some deep caves contain ice year round. Maybe. I've just never seen ice in August. Nor has anyone else I've heard about. But the breeze emanating from some of the caverns certainly feel unseasonally cool at times.
> 
> A more accurate description of Mahoosuc Notch than either "difficult" or "dangerous" is simply "fasinating."
> 
> Weary
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > ------------Original Message------------
> > From: "Marsha" <atrailhiker@adelphia.net>
> > To: at-l@backcountry.net
> > Date: Sun, Oct-3-2004 2:39 PM
> > Subject: [at-l] Mahoosuc Notch article
> >
> > Am I slow or has someone already posted this?
> > Marsha
> >
> > http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6057225/
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> 
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