Mahoosucs section conditions

[Ramapo]

Next week I am planning on doing the Mahoosuc section from Gorham to Grafton Notch. This will be my first time doing any of the AT in NH/ME. I usually hike 17-20mi days and know this is one of the hardest sections so figure 3 days should be sufficient for these 31 miles (though I'm flexible if it's it necessary to take longer). Any tips for this section? I'm guessing this is one of the best times of year for the section so hopefully weather/mud/water/bugs shouldn't be a major issue but any updates on the recent conditions that may require additional prep than usual?

[illabelle]

Haven't been there yet, but it's coming up in a year or two. From what others have said, we're budgeting 6 days for those same 31 miles - going from one lean-to to the next. Please come back and post how it went for you. We may adjust our plans.

[BirdBrain]

4 days is advisable for many.

Day 1) Gorham to stealth at Dream Lake
Day 2) Dream Lake to Carlo Col campsite
Day 3) Carlo Col to stealth after Mahoosuc Notch
Day 4) Mahoosuc Notch to Grafton Notch

Just my opinion. I did it that way in reverse. Be advised, if you do it in 3 days, the water at the shelter before the Mahoosuc Notch is the worst of the walk. Water at the 3 stops I described is good.

[peakbagger]

Great time of the year to hike it but expect company as its thru hiker season. Bird Brains itinerary is typical. Dream Lake gets a lot of use but far more head over to Gentian Pond. (Water in Gentian Pond is nasty, get water at the designated stream in the inlet). Its worth stopping at Gentian Pond Shelter as its one of those sites that folks dream of for a shelter location . Full Goose Shelter water is very iffy but afternoon thundershowers usually keep it running. There are multiple camping spots just after you leave the notch after the trail diverges away from the brook, once the trail goes level and uphill, it starts the climb up Mahoosuc Arm and there really aren't any good spots to camp on prior to Speck Pond unless you dry camp.

[Rain Man]

I did that section August before last. Was happy to average 6 miles a day. Usually hiked 15 miles a day on other parts of the AT farther south.

Of course, I'm not 26. LOL

[Slo-go'en]

Three days?

RT 2 to JGentian pond. A top 10 shelter for a view. 11.8 fairly difficult miles

Gentian to Full Goose shelter. 10.4 pretty hard miles. Bunch of 1 mph sections here.

Full Goose to Grafton Notch. 9.7 miles of totally insane, curse out loud miles. Up on over Old Speck at the end of the day is painful.

This is only possible if you have NO rain. Rain makes the trail treacherous which slows you way down. Mud should be moderate, with only a few bad spots. The top of south arm is typically a bad spot. If you do get caught in an all day soaker or an afternoon thunderstorm, or scattered showers, conditions can change quickly.

[Ramapo]

I did that section August before last. Was happy to average 6 miles a day. Usually hiked 15 miles a day on other parts of the AT farther south.

Of course, I'm not 26. LOL

Yeah I tend to hike pretty quick. I'm sure there's a ton of enjoyment in doing 6 miles/day in this section but especially when I'm hiking alone as I will be this time, I tend to keep myself moving pretty consistently and cover a good amount of ground. 10 miles a day already sounds low to me but I've come to understand that it will probably be reasonable for this section. Kinda looking forward to covering less ground/day


Three days?

RT 2 to JGentian pond. A top 10 shelter for a view. 11.8 fairly difficult miles

Gentian to Full Goose shelter. 10.4 pretty hard miles. Bunch of 1 mph sections here.

Full Goose to Grafton Notch. 9.7 miles of totally insane, curse out loud miles. Up on over Old Speck at the end of the day is painful.

This is only possible if you have NO rain. Rain makes the trail treacherous which slows you way down. Mud should be moderate, with only a few bad spots. The top of south arm is typically a bad spot. If you do get caught in an all day soaker or an afternoon thunderstorm, or scattered showers, conditions can change quickly.

This is about the daily breakup that I was expecting to do. Agreed that I figure poor weather will definitely slow it down much more than sections I'm used to and probably extend it a day. I have more time flexibility than usual for this hike so I'm excited about that.

[Slo-go'en]

This is about the daily breakup that I was expecting to do. Agreed that I figure poor weather will definitely slow it down much more than sections I'm used to and probably extend it a day. I have more time flexibility than usual for this hike so I'm excited about that.

The 30 miles from RT 2 to Grafton notch is about the most difficult stretch on the AT. It is not to be underestimated. It is fun though because it is so challenging. My knees hurt just thinking about the couple of times I've stumbled through that section...

[JohnHuth]

I just got back from the Mahoosucs. There was a big rainstorm when we descended from Mahoosuc Arm - very slippery and slow going. The notch was slow on account of the wet rocks. Most of the rest of the Mahoosucs have mini sections that resemble the arm - relatively steep exposed rock slabs that you have to pick around. In dry weather, not so bad - in wet weather more difficult.

I'd plan on 4 days in case of rain. For reference, I was doing 15-16 mile days with my son in North Carolina during his thru hike (just finished), but did about 7.5 here. Even the NOBO's were slowed down in the rain. I suspect a healthy NOBO in dry weather could do 15 mile days, but that's kind of the limit.

[brian039]

I did 8-10 mile days through that section on my thru-hike. It's an obstacle course/puzzle. You hike a little bit, then you stand there and try to figure out how to get up/down/around what is next.

[Ramapo]

I did 8-10 mile days through that section on my thru-hike. It's an obstacle course/puzzle. You hike a little bit, then you stand there and try to figure out how to get up/down/around what is next.

This makes me really excited for the hike. Based off the forecasts for Gorham and Newry, the low temperatures appear to be around 60ish. Can I expect it to be much colder in the mountains or probably nothing to have to worry about extra clothing?

[BirdBrain]

The Mahoosuc Notch is always a little cooler. The way the mountains are situated, it does not get as much sunlight as the surrounding area. Mahoosuc Mountain shields much of it in the afternoon. It gets dark early there. Even so, with the current weather pattern I would expect little problem hiking through with your normal clothing. The Notch is a workout. That will keep you warm.

Given that the Arm and the Notch are the biggest obstacles, I advocate doing that area SoBo. It is nice to go down the Arm in the afternoon when the sun is beating on it. It is easier to predict what those conditions will be when it is the first day of the trip.

[BirdBrain]

Bumping this because I am certain there are more qualified opinions than mine out there. I can't be the only voice. The Mahoosucs are memorable. Certainly someone else has some input as well.

[tdoczi]

Bumping this because I am certain there are more qualified opinions than mine out there. I can't be the only voice. The Mahoosucs are memorable. Certainly someone else has some input as well.

ill actually agree with you about something without reservation for once- do it sobo.

i would say 3 days. going sobo once you're out of carlo col it gets much easier. not EASY but the super hard stuff that creates the reputation it has is mostly on the maine half.

and yes, weather here will really turn it into a nightmare. i made that mistake. i would say if theres any serious chance of rain do not find yourself between old speck and carlo col in it.

[BirdBrain]

ill actually agree with you about something without reservation for once- do it sobo.

i would say 3 days. going sobo once you're out of carlo col it gets much easier. not EASY but the super hard stuff that creates the reputation it has is mostly on the maine half.

and yes, weather here will really turn it into a nightmare. i made that mistake. i would say if theres any serious chance of rain do not find yourself between old speck and carlo col in it.

As I started to read this, I thought you were going to say that you agreed that there were more qualified opinions. :D Can we agree about that too. ;) Anyways guys... help the OP out. Let's have more input. The Mahoosucs are the best. This discussion should be 10 pages long at least.

[peakbagger]

It has been hazy hot and humid for the last week in the area and is expected to be so right through the weekend. It didn't drop much below 65 degrees last night at my house in Gorham which is at 1400 feet. The only cold spot is Mahoosuc notch. I normally throw on a long sleeve polypro and light liner gloves as it can be cold in there but it rapidly warms up on either end. In weather like this, there is usually a fog bank at the entrance and exit of the notch. I would carry a very light sleeping bag 40 F plus Recent weather patterns in the last ten years or so favor afternoon thunderstorm development over the Mahoosucs to a greeter extent than even Mt Washington. Don't know why but that ridge line over to Andover seems to get hammered every time there is a dark cloud in the area. Just keep an eye out and be aware of exposed terrain if you see something heading in. If you decide you aren't in a rush, the short trip to the crashed DC3 on Success is a short diversion. Always a bit sobering how they missed the top of the ridge by so little.

By the way, worth stopping by Sunday River Brewing in Bethel on the way back and the Barbeque Shack down the road is worth a stop.

Given the weather, I have scheduled a day hike to Mahoosuc Notch's nearby "little brother", Ice Gulch in Randolph NH this weekend. I use that as a qualification trip for folks who want me to take them for a day hike through the Notch, if the like the Gulch, they like the notch, if they don't like the gulch I don't waste my time taking them through the Notch. Its a bit more open than the notch but we usually find some ice.

[BirdBrain]

Another spot not to be missed (missed by many) is the actual peak of Old Speck. It is a 0.3 mile blue blaze. If you climb the tower there and have good weather, you will have this view. The Notch is the caved in spot in the near left. The Goose Eyes are just behind it. To the immediate right is Mahoosuc Mountain. In the distance to the left is the Carter Moriah Range. In the center in the distance is Mount Washington with the flanking Presidentials to the right and left.

~

[tdoczi]

Another spot not to be missed (missed by many) is the actual peak of Old Speck. It is a 0.3 mile blue blaze. If you climb the tower there and have good weather, you will have this view. The Notch is the caved in spot in the near left. The Goose Eyes are just behind it. To the immediate right is Mahoosuc Mountain. In the distance to the left is the Carter Moriah Range. In the center in the distance is Mount Washington with the flanking Presidentials to the right and left.

~

no i have to disagree with you ever so slightly- the view in that direction is just as good, if not better, from out on the top of the arm, round speck pond. if theres any worthy reason to go to and climb the firetower its the view the other direction towards grafton notch.

[Slo-go'en]

I don't think it matters much which way you go. SOBO you have a punishing climb up Old Spec right off the bat. It's kind of a toss up between going up or down the south arm. Either way is difficult. And I think I'd rather go up the rebrab ladders on Goose eye then down them.

Mahoosuc notch typically has ice under all those rocks pretty much year round. Not too sure of this year as it's been pretty hot. But it's always much cooler down in the notch. Icy Gulch here in Randolph always has ice under the boulders and is at least 10 degrees colder than outside of it. Its really refreshing on a hot and humid day like today. Icy Gulch is about a 1/2 mile of climbing over and around big rocks, but is nothing like Mahoosuc notch.

Don't know exactly when the OP plans to do this hike, but hope it's not Friday or Saturday as that is apparently when the thunderstorms hit us.

[BirdBrain]

no i have to disagree with you ever so slightly- the view in that direction is just as good, if not better, from out on the top of the arm, round speck pond. if theres any worthy reason to go to and climb the firetower its the view the other direction towards grafton notch.

I have a bunch of those shots. It is all in the eye of the beholder. I took about 20 shots from the fire tower. The one I posted is my favorite. I do not recall any great views from the pond. The pond itself is beautiful. The view from the Goose Eyes are nice too.

~

[BirdBrain]

I don't think it matters much which way you go. SOBO you have a punishing climb up Old Spec right off the bat. It's kind of a toss up between going up or down the south arm. Either way is difficult. And I think I'd rather go up the rebrab ladders on Goose eye then down them.

You mean these? :)

[BirdBrain]

Of course if you go SoBo, you have to go down these.

~

[tdoczi]

I have a bunch of those shots. It is all in the eye of the beholder. I took about 20 shots from the fire tower. The one I posted is my favorite. I do not recall any great views from the pond. The pond itself is beautiful. The view from the Goose Eyes are nice too.

~

not from the pond itself, but i recall somewhere between the tower and the descent down the arm having a long open "above tree line" walk that was much more impressive (looking back towards the whites) than the view from the tower.

[tdoczi]

I don't think it matters much which way you go. SOBO you have a punishing climb up Old Spec right off the bat. It's kind of a toss up between going up or down the south arm. Either way is difficult. And I think I'd rather go up the rebrab ladders on Goose eye then down them.

compared to any other climb of any other 4K ive been on in NH or ME (so basically the ones on the AT excluding katahdin) old speck from grafton notch is definitely one of the easiest, if not the easiest. my day that day was up old speck, down the arm, through the notch. up old speck was by far the easiest part of it.

[BirdBrain]

not from the pond itself, but i recall somewhere between the tower and the descent down the arm having a long open "above tree line" walk that was much more impressive (looking back towards the whites) than the view from the tower.

The view from the Arm is great. I only took shots from one spot there though. There is a huge boulder near the top where you can climb out and get a clear view. I took a few pictures there. If I find that view (not my favorite), I will post it as well. The rest of the time I was busy not falling. :)

[BirdBrain]

compared to any other climb of any other 4K ive been on in NH or ME (so basically the ones on the AT excluding katahdin) old speck from grafton notch is definitely one of the easiest, if not the easiest. my day that day was up old speck, down the arm, through the notch. up old speck was by far the easiest part of it.

I agree that Speck is an "easy" 4000' hill. So many variables make certain spots difficult for different people. We flew up Old Speck though. I can imagine if it was really humid or pouring rain, we might have felt different.

[BirdBrain]

Here is a view from the top of the Arm.

[BirdBrain]

Here is another from the same spot. Zooming in allows the camera to pick up a better view of the Presidentials over Mahoosuc Mountain. They are washed out in the wide view.

~

[Ramapo]

Don't know exactly when the OP plans to do this hike, but hope it's not Friday or Saturday as that is apparently when the thunderstorms hit us.

That's actually exactly when I expect to be in that section :/. I have a shuttle scheduled from Grafton Notch to Gorham Thursday morning so I will be hiking NOBO and starting that morning. That will probably put me right in the tougher stuff at that time so hopefully the storms blow in a different direction or through quick so it's not too terrible.

[tdoczi]

Here is a view from the top of the Arm.

i think the notch is more obvious and impressive from that vantage point than from on the top of old speck. but really, the main upside to that view is it isnt out of the way and up another ladder. its more or less the same as from the tower, looking in that direction.

[tdoczi]

That's actually exactly when I expect to be in that section :/. I have a shuttle scheduled from Grafton Notch to Gorham Thursday morning so I will be hiking NOBO and starting that morning. That will probably put me right in the tougher stuff at that time so hopefully the storms blow in a different direction or through quick so it's not too terrible.

having been dumb enough to try it, i'm telling you, you do not want to do it in the pouring rain. i'm sure you wont take my word for it (i wouldnt either probably) but if you do youre going to find yourself walking up soaking wet wood steps and planks and climbing on cold wet rebar and wondering what the heck you were thinking as you stare at a view of a wall of grey 3 feet in front of you the whole way.

[BirdBrain]

i think the notch is more obvious and impressive from that vantage point than from on the top of old speck. but really, the main upside to that view is it isnt out of the way and up another ladder. its more or less the same as from the tower, looking in that direction.

Having several great views to debate is a good problem to have. I went to the peak to get another 4000' hill on my way by. I do this wherever I am. This plan (and this year's peak bagging) has allowed me to get 60 of the 67 in New England so far. The view was a surprise. I liked the one from the tower best. The Goose Eyes were a close second in my mind. There is a long section there with great views of the Presidentials. The view from Dream Lake was third in my eyes.

[BirdBrain]

That's actually exactly when I expect to be in that section :/. I have a shuttle scheduled from Grafton Notch to Gorham Thursday morning so I will be hiking NOBO and starting that morning. That will probably put me right in the tougher stuff at that time so hopefully the storms blow in a different direction or through quick so it's not too terrible.

Peakbagger's words come to mind here as well. Lightning storms seem to funnel right over that section. Be safe. Avoiding the afternoon storms will be tricky and likely set you back a bit.

[tdoczi]

Having several great views to debate is a good problem to have. I went to the peak to get another 4000' hill on my way by. I do this wherever I am. This plan (and this year's peak bagging) has allowed me to get 60 of the 67 in New England so far. The view was a surprise. I liked the one from the tower best. The Goose Eyes were a close second in my mind. There is a long section there with great views of the Presidentials. The view from Dream Lake was third in my eyes.

i went to the top of old speck for similar reasons, though ill probably never get all 67 nor am i ever trying. honestly though, by the end of the day i found myself wishing i hadnt bothered.

i saw goose eye in the pouring rain. it sucked like nothing else ever or since. thats a do over.

[BirdBrain]

i went to the top of old speck for similar reasons, though ill probably never get all 67 nor am i ever trying. honestly though, by the end of the day i found myself wishing i hadnt bothered.

i saw goose eye in the pouring rain. it sucked like nothing else ever or since. thats a do over.

You regretted taking a 0.3 mile detour over fairly flat ground to those views? The walk to the peak is about an easy blue blaze as you will find. You must have been really tired. Yes, go back and get the Goose Eyes under blue skies. It is worth it.

[peakbagger]

I have a copy of the original sighting map from the firetower. Hand drawn by the Maine Forest Service in the 1920s. The lettering is all oriented in the direction the spotter would be looking. Around the edge is hand drawn profile of the horizon with little flags showing all the other fire towers that the spotter could see.

The tower was closed for many years and the summit had grown in so it used to be worth skipping since there were no views. Money from conservation plates paid to clear a view and rebuild the tower as a viewing platform. The hike down the south face via Grafton Loop trail is one of the more impressive pieces of trail construction in Maine. I highly recommend the westerly side of Grafton Loop trail as an overnight. I did it as a day hike and the 18 miles is pushing it.

[tdoczi]

You regretted taking a 0.3 mile detour over fairly flat ground to those views? The walk to the peak is about an easy blue blaze as you will find. You must have been really tired. Yes, go back and get the Goose Eyes under blue skies. It is worth it.

roundtrip .6 miles plus the time spent. could have been used wiser. we knew rain was coming, maybe we at least make the summit of fulling mill before the storm if we dont go to speck, who knows.

[BirdBrain]

roundtrip .6 miles plus the time spent. could have been used wiser. we knew rain was coming, maybe we at least make the summit of fulling mill before the storm if we dont go to speck, who knows.

I hear you. All valid points. So many views are all about timing. I have been blessed to mostly have good visibility as I have gone over them. Hopefully this discussion has some value to the OP as well.

[rafe]

I don't recall this section being quite as tough as SloGo'en makes it out to be, but it was almost 20 years ago when I last hiked it. I did it in two full days and two partial days. I went through the notch on day 3, camped at the north end of the notch, then up South Arm and down Speck the last day. For sure the notch itself is killer, but fun. Took me a couple of hours to get through it. It was August and there was still ice down under some of the boulders.

[colorado_rob]

Yikes! I'm heading there soon myself in a couple weeks and I had 2.5 days "budgeted" for that 31 miles, totally naïve of me, thanks for all the wise words, ye folks that know those parts. I'll back way off my expectations. Still, looking forward to this section.

[rafe]

peakbagger, I'm interested in hearing more about Grafton Loop (west) hike. Slo and I did the east half last fall -- right at peak foliage. Freakin' awesome views.

[tdoczi]

I don't recall this section being quite as tough as SloGo'en makes it out to be,

has anyone EVER found anything to be as hard as he makes everything out to be? when i hear him say "oh yeah, thats a piece of cake" i'll be heading straight out to see what the world's easiest hiking trail looks like. one day he's going to post about how walking the canal towpath in HF can be deceptively difficult. if he hasn't already.

[tdoczi]

Yikes! I'm heading there soon myself in a couple weeks and I had 2.5 days "budgeted" for that 31 miles, totally naïve of me, thanks for all the wise words, ye folks that know those parts. I'll back way off my expectations. Still, looking forward to this section.

i think 2.5 days is fine, personally. especially if 2.5 is really more like 2.7. it ended up being broken up over 2 trips, but condensing it into 1, day 1 was grafton notch to the end of mahoosuc notch, day was mahoosuc notch to carlo col (not a full day, quit mid afternoon due to rain, bailed out next morning) "day 3" was carlo col to gentian pond (a couple hours walk after getting shuttled out success pond road and hiking back up the carlo col trail. "day 4" was gentian pond to the parking lot, done by mid afternoon.

my original plan was grafton notch to full goose, full goose to gentian pond, gentian pond out. i have little doubt that in good weather and doing it myself (my 2 companions were fine hikers, but the great lesson of that trip is that a group going over stuff like is slower than 1 person doing it, no matter how skilled you all are) i could have executed that plan and been done mid to late afternoon of the 3rd day.

[rafe]

tdoczi, Slo and I have done a few hikes together and have a similar pace. (The section that we're discussing in this thread, I did in 1997, by myself.) We're both old pharts. What I recall about the Gorham to Grafton Notch section was that I hadn't hiked New England in quite some time, but I was psyched and spirits were high from beginning to end. I might have forgotten some of the difficult bits, but mostly I remember it as a fun but tough hike.

Slo and I both did the northernmost 30 miles of LT a couple weeks back and it was truly, without a doubt, unquestionably, tough and nasty. We averaged 1 mph. Got it done in 2 full + 2 partial days. I broke a rib.

There's no question in my mind that southern Maine has some of the toughest terrain on the AT. Quite comparable to the White Mountains, but without the crowds.

[Slo-go'en]

That's actually exactly when I expect to be in that section :/. I have a shuttle scheduled from Grafton Notch to Gorham Thursday morning so I will be hiking NOBO and starting that morning. That will probably put me right in the tougher stuff at that time so hopefully the storms blow in a different direction or through quick so it's not too terrible.

The weather doesn't sound great straight through the weekend. It will be beastly hot and humid with a good chance of afternoon thundershowers. They will be hit or miss and can be quite localized. I would try to get up as early as you can and try to be finished by late afternoon.

[egilbe]

peakbagger, I'm interested in hearing more about Grafton Loop (west) hike. Slo and I did the east half last fall -- right at peak foliage. Freakin' awesome views.

The only real view is from Sunday River Whitecap and climbing the tower on Old Speck. Most of the hike is through woodlands, fairly good water sources and the gf and I cleared up most of the blow downs on Memorial weekend. There are a couple notable blow downs we left, like the maple tree that had a four foot thick trunk. I'm hoping someone else cleaned up the campsites, because we never got back to it, I guess we've semi-adopted the trail.


tdoczi, Slo and I have done a few hikes together and have a similar pace. (The section that we're discussing in this thread, I did in 1997, by myself.) We're both old pharts. What I recall about the Gorham to Grafton Notch section was that I hadn't hiked New England in quite some time, but I was psyched and spirits were high from beginning to end. I might have forgotten some of the difficult bits, but mostly I remember it as a fun but tough hike.

Slo and I both did the northernmost 30 miles of LT a couple weeks back and it was truly, without a doubt, unquestionably, tough and nasty. We averaged 1 mph. Got it done in 2 full + 2 partial days. I broke a rib.

There's no question in my mind that southern Maine has some of the toughest terrain on the AT. Quite comparable to the White Mountains, but without the crowds.

Western Maine. Southern Maine is fairly flat. The White Mountains extend into Maine, also.

[tdoczi]

tdoczi, Slo and I have done a few hikes together and have a similar pace. (The section that we're discussing in this thread, I did in 1997, by myself.) We're both old pharts. What I recall about the Gorham to Grafton Notch section was that I hadn't hiked New England in quite some time, but I was psyched and spirits were high from beginning to end. I might have forgotten some of the difficult bits, but mostly I remember it as a fun but tough hike.

Slo and I both did the northernmost 30 miles of LT a couple weeks back and it was truly, without a doubt, unquestionably, tough and nasty. We averaged 1 mph. Got it done in 2 full + 2 partial days. I broke a rib.

There's no question in my mind that southern Maine has some of the toughest terrain on the AT. Quite comparable to the White Mountains, but without the crowds.


i didnt mean to imply western maine isnt hard, ive hiked it all and while the time lapse between them might account for it, im currently inclined to call rangely to east flagstaff harder than ay comparable length section of the whites. ive never been to the northern LT but have heard from many people how hard it is.

all that said, slo' is WB's resident doomsayer about how everything is way harder than you think. thats hard to deny. thats his thing, it seems. not even saying that to put him down, but almsot everytime someone asks about how hard a section is, or a time of year is, or any facet of any difficulty level of hiking, there he is telling us all how hard something is.

[BirdBrain]

My toughest day was Bemis to Hall. My slowest days were in the Mahoosucs. The deceiving thing about the Mahoosucs is all the obstacles. They slowed me down enough that I was never really exhausted, but the pace was slow all the same.

[tdoczi]

My toughest day was Bemis to Hall. My slowest days were in the Mahoosucs. The deceiving thing about the Mahoosucs is all the obstacles. They slowed me down enough that I was never really exhausted, but the pace was slow all the same.


haha and i still say slow IS hard, but its all good.

[Ramapo]

The doomsayer predictions in the thread are still useful to make sure I give the trail the proper caution and respect. Though I'm a pretty stubborn hiker and keep moving without many long breaks (similar to stated above - a solo hiker like I will be can move a whole lot quicker than a group) so I'm still confident I can finish in possibly 3 days though definitely "expecting' 4 due to weather possibilities. I'm super excited and will be sure to come back with a trip report for all others hiking this section soon.

[BirdBrain]

.... and will be sure to come back with a trip report for all others hiking this section soon.

Looking forward to it. Try to not hurt us old farts egos too bad when you end up flying through it with no issues. :D

[rafe]

Personal estimations of difficulty of specific sections, climbs and descents ought to be taken with a grain of salt. So many times I've struggled with what should have been easy sections, or breezed through sections that were alleged to be difficult. So much depends on my mood and attitude at the time.

That said, there is nothing easy about Mahoosuc Notch or South Arm. I think you will find near-universal agreement about that.

[Slo-go'en]

all that said, slo' is WB's resident doomsayer about how everything is way harder than you think.

Resident doomsayer. Hum, I need to change my name :)

I'd say more, but it's divergent from the straight forward subject at hand.

[Nodust]

That said, there is nothing easy about Mahoosuc Notch or South Arm. I think you will find near-universal agreement about that.
Nothing easy is right. Me and my sons walked in from Success pond road through the Notch to Grafton park. It was fun but tough on the legs and lungs. Especially coming from flat Louisiana.

[Ramapo]

I've returned from my trip and while I agree that was the one of the most difficult hikes I've done it was easily one of the most fun! Weather ended up being much better than expected.

Started the hike Thursday morning and had perfect weather for pretty much the whole day - terrain was tough but relatively easy compared to the rest of the section. Camped the first night at Gentian Pond which was a great site where I enjoyed relaxing up on the rocks for awhile in the evening watching a beaver swim around in the pond below.

Second day was much tougher. I expected rain all day so was pleased when I woke up and there was just occasional light rain/drizzle. That pretty much carried on throughout the day with heavy clouds that eliminated almost all views. Goose Eye was a fun climb and wish I could have enjoyed the above treeline section without the clouds but there were no storms to speak of so at least didn't have to hurry while up there. Skies appeared to be kinda clear in the far distance so could get at least a minimal view up there. Got to Full Goose mid-afternoon and took a break before deciding to push on through the Notch since the weather wasn't too bad and I wasn't sure what was in store weather-wise the following day. The Notch was definitely an experience and a lot of fun - lot of of interesting climbs and maneuvers including a few squirming on my stomach through openings to allow my pack to fit through. Sun actually started to peak through while I was down there and still did see a little ice under some of the rocks. Took me around 1.5hrs to get through the notch at which point I was spent for the day and camped at a stealth spot right after the notch.

Saturday I woke up expecting possibility of rain since last forecast I heard was from Thursday calling for it. I was very happy then to look outside my tent and see blue skies. Weather could not have been much more perfect for that day. The Mahoosuc Arm was a pretty insane climb at times but was fun and I was thankful that it wasn't too wet and that I was going up rather than down. Also was nice to do that early in the day with rested legs. Spectacular views throughout the day on the Arm and on the pretty open climb of Old Speck. Took the blue blaze to the Old Speck summit sine I couldn't miss it in that weather. Really happy I did that since the views from the observation deck were amazing. Finished with the long but much less punishing descent down Old Speck and finished up in Grafton Notch a little after noon.

All said and done finished the hike in about 2.5 days which was definitely faster than I expected but weather treated me well and as a solo hiker I definitely naturally pushed myself a good amount during this hike. Was definitely a wild section and felt more remote than most which I loved - didn't encounter too many other hikers and pretty much all of them were thrus. There were 3 older thrus that I would cross paths with multiple times a day that were great people and fun to talk with. Also after 400 miles of section hiking I was finally assigned a trail name (Big Red). Overall it was an amazing section that was challenging, always interesting and tons of fun and I can't wait to do more sections up in the beautiful NH/Maine trails.

[tdoczi]

I've returned from my trip and while I agree that was the one of the most difficult hikes I've done it was easily one of the most fun! Weather ended up being much better than expected.

Started the hike Thursday morning and had perfect weather for pretty much the whole day - terrain was tough but relatively easy compared to the rest of the section. Camped the first night at Gentian Pond which was a great site where I enjoyed relaxing up on the rocks for awhile in the evening watching a beaver swim around in the pond below.

Second day was much tougher. I expected rain all day so was pleased when I woke up and there was just occasional light rain/drizzle. That pretty much carried on throughout the day with heavy clouds that eliminated almost all views. Goose Eye was a fun climb and wish I could have enjoyed the above treeline section without the clouds but there were no storms to speak of so at least didn't have to hurry while up there. Skies appeared to be kinda clear in the far distance so could get at least a minimal view up there. Got to Full Goose mid-afternoon and took a break before deciding to push on through the Notch since the weather wasn't too bad and I wasn't sure what was in store weather-wise the following day. The Notch was definitely an experience and a lot of fun - lot of of interesting climbs and maneuvers including a few squirming on my stomach through openings to allow my pack to fit through. Sun actually started to peak through while I was down there and still did see a little ice under some of the rocks. Took me around 1.5hrs to get through the notch at which point I was spent for the day and camped at a stealth spot right after the notch.

Saturday I woke up expecting possibility of rain since last forecast I heard was from Thursday calling for it. I was very happy then to look outside my tent and see blue skies. Weather could not have been much more perfect for that day. The Mahoosuc Arm was a pretty insane climb at times but was fun and I was thankful that it wasn't too wet and that I was going up rather than down. Also was nice to do that early in the day with rested legs. Spectacular views throughout the day on the Arm and on the pretty open climb of Old Speck. Took the blue blaze to the Old Speck summit sine I couldn't miss it in that weather. Really happy I did that since the views from the observation deck were amazing. Finished with the long but much less punishing descent down Old Speck and finished up in Grafton Notch a little after noon.

All said and done finished the hike in about 2.5 days which was definitely faster than I expected but weather treated me well and as a solo hiker I definitely naturally pushed myself a good amount during this hike. Was definitely a wild section and felt more remote than most which I loved - didn't encounter too many other hikers and pretty much all of them were thrus. There were 3 older thrus that I would cross paths with multiple times a day that were great people and fun to talk with. Also after 400 miles of section hiking I was finally assigned a trail name (Big Red). Overall it was an amazing section that was challenging, always interesting and tons of fun and I can't wait to do more sections up in the beautiful NH/Maine trails.

gentian pond to the other side of the notch in a day is an impressive haul. making it from there to grafton notch by noon the following day isnt too shabby either.

[BirdBrain]

Very happy to hear you were not soaked the whole time. The weather report did not look good. The Mahoosucs are the best. Glad you took the blue blaze to the tower. Did you see any Canada Jays up there. They are normally on that hill. Very friendly bird. Man, I have to get back in the section. I am very jealous of your weekend. :)

[Slo-go'en]

Yeap, he definitely lucked out with the weather. Glad it all worked out despite my doomsaying :)

[BirdBrain]

Yeap, he definitely lucked out with the weather. Glad it all worked out despite my doomsaying :)

And he was nice to not phrase things in a manner that shamed our old fart slow pace. I only feel mildly humiliated. :D

[JohnHuth]

Glad to hear it worked out and you had decent weather!

[tdoczi]

Yeap, he definitely lucked out with the weather. Glad it all worked out despite my doomsaying :)


come now, we all know if he had posted the itinerary he followed ahead of time you would have told him it was too hard.

truthfully i might have too (perhaps a bit less strongly though).