What a wonderful evening of sleep. I woke up at the crack of dawn, and ready to move out. With the rain we had last night everyone was waiting for the rocks to dry out. So we finally left at 7 AM.

Today was much better day weather wise. It’s amazing how the lack of rain can change your attitude. Even with my wet clothes on, I was ready to tackle Mahoosuk Notch and Arm. The fact is that we have been paralleling the Mahoosuk Trail for the past three days. It’s the last section that is considered part of The White Mountains, and it has lived up to the hype. For the next mile northbound, the Mahoosuc Trail (AT) travels through Mahoosuc Notch, one of the hardest and most fun sections of the entire Appalachian Trail. It is composed of car and building size boulders that are sky high.

Blue and I stuck together like glue. Once we entered the Notch, it was “game on.” We were so blessed that we had good weather. If it would’ve been raining, we’d have to stay at camp. But the skies were clearing and we were playing on rocks. The fact is that there are different kind of boulders. There are the ones you walk or skip across, and then there are these boulders, that you climb. Our hiking poles were stashed and Norman gave me some pointers. Anytime you see a tree, use it! You can hang from it, pull yourself up, or you can use it’s roots to climb up and over. There are many uses for trees, roots and limbs. Have some fun, but please do not throw me over the ledge, AGAIN!

We were super cautious. I felt almost meditative as I was going through this notch. I was slow and calculated and both Blue and I were fixed on one another. Sometimes she would take a low route and I would take a high route to find the best option. It was like working out a puzzle to see what goes where and how to find a solution. It took us 2-1/2 hours to go one mile! Yep, you read that right. It was painstakingly slow but neither one of us fell or hurt ourselves, and there were many opportunities for all of that!

I think the best part of this was doing it with my friend. Blue is athletic, adventurous and honestly, there’s no one else I could have expected to do this with me. She is cool as a cucumber and flexible as Gumby. She has grace like a cat and strength of an ox. And best yet, she doesn’t complain. And there is a lot to complain about!

Once through the Mahoosuk Notch, we had lunch and refueled for the next part, Mahoosuk Arm. It is one of the steepest climbs on the Appalachian Trail, with the trail climbing 1500 feet from Mahoosuc Notch to the edge of the arm in just one mile. It was a doozy. There were not the super exposed cliffs like we had in Wild Cats, but it had rocks that were wet from yesterday’s rain and mossy covered slabs. It definitely had its challenges.

At the top of the mountain, though, is a nice, rocky slab with space to sit and rest. When Blue and I arrived, we opened up our packs and dried out everything we owned. Sleeping bags, tents, clothes, and even Norman caught some rays! We stayed for a couple of hours, basking in the glorious sunshine and looking at the mountains of Maine. We could finally see them.

We headed down the mountain around 5:30pm and made it to Speck Pond. Speck Pond Shelter 3414’ is the highest elevation shelter on the AT in Maine (Avery Col Tentsite is higher, but has no shelter), and is located at one of the highest alpine ponds in the state. The shelter, rebuilt in 2017, is large enough for ten or twelve people. There are six wooden tent platforms just uphill from the shelter. Blue and I found platforms and started building our homes for the night. Mary Poppins was already in her tent resting. For someone who has been sick for close to two weeks now, that gal must use her umbrella to fly over the trail.

Well today was one of my favorite days on trail. The sun started shining, the wind was non-existent and the trail, well it wasn’t much of a trail but a climbing exercise. Yet, when it was all said and done, it truly was a fabulous day. I am so grateful for these memories. And I am so blessed to have a body that allows me to push myself at any age. I am sure there will come a time that I may not continue rock climbing and bouldering, but until then, I’m going to thank my lucky stars and God above, for allowing me to experience such a place as this, the strength to continue and the food to nourish me. It truly is magical, especially when it’s not raining!