May 29, SUN – wake up after 7:30AM. The night sleep was good, and I did not feel cold at all. So far, Nemo Disco 30 shows itself well. I quietly gather my things so not to disturb another sleeping hiker. He arrived yesterday after 9PM in the dark. He was hiking in the dark for about an hour going up from Mahoosuc Gorge and then down from South Peak.
07:40 – I picked from my back a large tick that was not willing to go. Luckily, it is a large dog tick and not a dangerous tiny deer tick. I am sitting in the hammock with me legs down and still inside the sleeping bag.
08:20 I spread all my thing on the sun. I can do Duolingo Française – there is a cell signal here! It is sunny and +11°C. There are 3 tent platforms here – very large and inviting. The bugs did not find me just yet. The first small notebook is coming to an end, and the next one is ready to start. Remember, the one I almost forget to pick from my bike bag.
Start the hike late – around 10:30. I need to go only 5.1 miles today, but interesting turn of events will make this day trip even shorter.
11:20 I am on top of South Peak 0.5 up the trail from the shelter. I am covered with sunscreen. Today promised to be an all-sun day – not a cloud in the sky.
12:14 – 1.5 mi complete, 3.6 mi to go. I am at the Notch Trail – the beginning of Mahoosuc mile. It is considerably colder here because of all the ice and snow in the gorge. Now I am covered in both sunscreen and bug spray.
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12:57 – a rest stop after only 0.22 mi into the gorge. I ate my three clementines and continued to climb the nooks and crannies of the famous Mahoosuc mile. In the gorge, I encountered only one girl hiker who was doing an unofficial local loop from nearby parking lot, bush waking to Mahoosuc and then returning over the Goose using officially marked trails. Very nice to learn about such interesting loop option.
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| On the way to bolding South Peak. This is the last high before the Mahoosuc low | This shelter will be rebuilt soon. All the materials, tools and even a donation box are dropped by a helicopter |
14:32 – I finish the Mahoosuc mile, and after another 0.5 miles I planned a rest near the brook where I was splashing last time – 5 years ago. However, this time I noticed that top flap of my backpack was open and, ooaa God, one of the pants – the left one – was missing. It must have fallen off somewhere between clementine’s’ stop and here. It is only 1.3 miles, but 0.8 of that is a Mahoosuc mile. After a bit of hesitation, I dropped the backpack, turned around and started almost running back down. It was 15:26.
In 17 minutes, I was back at the end of Mahoosuc mile. I’ve met another hiker – a guy, and he did not see a lost pant on the ground. Nothing else to do – just continue to scramble over the Mahoosuc boulders, trying to remember what path I took just a few hours ago. And was surprisingly successful in retracing my steps almost exactly, although there are several ways to cross the terrain – over, under or on one of the sides. I do not think a lot of people walk Mahoosuc mile 2 time a day, but I would need to do it three times today just to find a lost left pant from the hiking pants.
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| Mahoosuc – navigate among boulders even if it is next to impossible | It is a wonderful thing to find what you lost and rest on your laurels in the evening |
By 16:39 I arrived at the resting spot, where a was consuming mandarins around 1PM today. Here I opened the top flat of the backpack but forget to close it. It took me 1H 13 min to traverse distance of about 1.3 miles. It is only strange that out of all other things only one piece of clothes fell out within two hours of treacherous track. I looked all around, took another picture of the place, and started briskly back to the backpack. Again, I was trying to precisely match my lefts and rights, my ups and downs as not to miss anything. And what a miracle – at 16:45 I see a neatly folded khaki colored pant laying in front of my eyes. What a turn of events! Two and a half hours invested in the search party were not wasted. Now I begin to whistle the Canadian hockey theme that you often hear at the games – started whistling at the top of my lungs benefiting emptiness for miles around. Shortly after I’ve met the fellow hiker again 2 the same guy – he was returning now. He did not hear my whistle – strange! I hoped and hooped from boulder to boulder. This time I finished the Mahoosuc mile before I even knew it, and started to climb again – already visited, already familiar. At 17:50 – some 2H and 25 min later, I arrived back to the river, to the backpack and I am ready to resume my journey. But really, what to do next? Go forward or start thinking about food and shelter. Ahead of me is a steep climb to the top of Mahoosuc Arm and then another mile down to the shelter. No. I am staying right here near water, near the trail. I will celebrate the miracle of persistence and perseverance. Miracle of deduction as well as miracle of traveling pants.
17:56 I came back to my backpack. It took me 21 minutes from Mahoosuc Gorge up the trail back here. I am sitting on a stone in the middle of the river. Sun set is at 20:30, and potentially I still can go on for 2 hours.
18:07 I gathered and filtered beautiful white water and I understood that there is no need to go anywhere – I have arrived.
18:57 I hanged the hammock and tea water is already boiling.
19:28 Second round of water – for the meal. Lira sent me a very long abbreviation from first letters of a phrase: YHNWTBBIYB. I can only guess what it means. My meal today is Alpine Santa Fe Black Beans & Rice.
20:06 mosquitos disappeared. My hammock is flying high above ground.
20:23 Tea is consumed. All my stuff is packed into backpack. It is time to go to sleep. Tomorrow should be the last travel day.
Navigate through the List
- 01 A brief overview of May 2022 AT trip (2023/05/18)
- 02 May 26 THU - Ride the bike without the rucksack (2023/05/19)
- 03 May 27, FRI - hiking from Gorham, NH to Gentian Pond Shelter - again (2023/05/20)
- 04 May 28, SAT - hiking from Gentian Pond to Full Goose Shelter (2023/05/21)
- 05 May 29, SUN - Mahoosuc Gorge - miracle of traveling pants (2023/05/22)
- 06 May 30, MON - hike over Mahoosuc Arm and Spec to car (2023/05/23)
- 07 May 31, TUE - drying out and resting up (2023/05/31)
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