Location: Full Goose Shelter
My last full day in Maine. Tomorrow I’ll cross into New Hampshire. I only have five miles left in this state.
Stick showed up at the campsite this morning before I had fully woken up. He stealthed on top of the mountain last night. He says that Flying Turtle has been forced off the trail again because of a busted kneecap. Too bad. Turtle was forced off for similar reasons last year, and now he must wait even longer to finish his hike.
I successfully passed through the Mahoosuc Notch today. The hike wore me out but was fun. I stored my poles because of the boulder scrambling and climbing. Many times I had to take off my pack and push it through a crack, up on a mantle, or under a boulder. Some boulders were the size of houses and others the size of doghouses. There was a lot of moss and many downed trees. Big blocks of ice still lingered in the cracks of rocks and in the spaces between boulders. A cool mist escaped many of the cracks and hung in the gorge in bright rays of sunlight. The ice cooled the notch. It felt like I was walking through a refrigerator much of the time, and a freezer when white-blazes pointed me into a tunnel beneath large boulders. I enjoyed the notch, and it felt good to use muscles that I don’t use while hiking normally. I bet that my arms will be sore in the morning. Already today I am waddling in pain like I was in the 100 mile wilderness.
When I arrived at Full Goose Shelter, Stick was waiting for me. To make sure that we skip the next pay campsite, we decided to hike nine miles tomorrow and eleven the next day into Gorham. I really disapprove of the fee charging sites. Apparently through most of New Hampshire I will be paying for places to stay. I’ll probably try stealth camping in the Whites if it’s not terrible weather.
Tomorrow I’ll hike into New Hampshire!
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