There is little to write about the short, rainy 4.5 miles I took on today. There were wet rocks, wet foliage brushing me even wetter, a few scary descents on more wet rocks, wet mud. Leaving The Cabin Hostel and my friends behind put me in a better position to hike fewer, more enjoyable miles over the next four days as I encounter the famous Mahoosuc Notch and the Mahoosuc Range peaks. I expect Tuesday to be one of the more interesting days on the hike. The wet, rainy day was worth the effort. The wet photos tell the story.
The numerous AT hikers I met on the trail in recent days and at the hostel yesterday been an opportunity to understand the northbound hikers who will finish their journeys within two weeks. They will hike 20 or more miles per day in order to reach the end as soon as possible. This is true for most but not all the NOBOs. I met Track Star at the shelter I am camped this evening. Track Star hiked 20 miles today, including the Mahoosuc Notch, a one mile long crawl through, around and over boulders. It was described to me as crawling through an above-ground cave. “I purposely raced through it to see how fast I could get through. Took me 45 minutes I think.”
Honestly, most AT hikers will take at least one hour to do the Mahoosuc Notch Mile. Me? I think 90 minutes. No hurry! I just want to avoid injury. As a SOBO hiker I will not reach the end of my journey until December. Yikes!
A lot of the hikers at the hostel are “slackpacking”, which enables the hikers to carry only day-gear for 10 to 15 miles after a shuttle driver delivers them to one trailhead and picks them up at another. Some even choose what they think is the optimal direction to avoid descending extremely steep boulders knowing it’s safer to climb bouldery pitches. Seems confusing to me. I am choosing the consistency of carrying all my gear southbound and southbound only. It is perfectly fine for the other hikers to choose their pace, style, etc. It is why we often say, “hike your own hike!”
Looks like Oregon
Nice photos, Roger