i did it SOBO. i remember the descent down through the height of land and at the end into grafton notch. i dont recall them being all that tough though. i remember especially being surprised that the descent of baldpate wasnt more challenging.
ive read many people talk about how hard old blue is. all i remember about that mountain is camping at the summit and the stars at night. the hike up and down it left absolutely no impression of any kind on my memory.