Mahoosuc Notch? 06/19/2004 (Chomp & Mike P so far)

Tim suggested I post here to see if anyone is interested in joining us on 6/19. Plan is to meet at Hiker's Paradise in Gorham at 7:00 AM If weather is dry, plan is to spot a car or two at the Speck Pond Trailhead & start this trip by heading up Goose Eye, Thru the Notch & out over Mahoosuc Arm down Speck Pond trail.

Distance is 13.6 miles including what is believed to be the toughest mile on the AT & two of the NE 100. Is M- Arm still on that list? I checked the elevation gain last night real quick & if I remember if correctly it's between 4600 + 5,000 feet, I'll get actual gain from WMG over the weekend & add it if no one has done so by Monday.

In case of rain the notch (Tim Tells me) would be no fun so option would be spotting a car at end of Shelbourne Trail & then up Moriah (either from Stony Brook or Carter Moriah over to Shelbourne Moriah & down to the car.

I'll be staying at Hiker's Friday Night as I'll be doing Cabot, Horn & Bulge on Friday & Tim will be up at Hiker's Friday Night unless torrential rain is forecasted. So no matter what, I'll be hiking Saturday even in the rain, likely Moriah via C-M & down Rattle River. Dinner at Pizza Place in Gorham (same side of road,) Friday Night probable, if people want to go there Saturday post hike, okay too, although I'll likely head south (home) instead.

I'd say Mahoosuc Notch is the slowest milke on the AT, followed by the ascent of Mahoosuc Arm which is the toughest! First they beat you up, then you go up 1500' of slabes in a little over a mile. (Try it in 85 degrees like we did.)

Actually the Arm is no longer on the HH list. But it's still the toughest! Goose Eye is a HH and Old Spec is a 4k.

Pb

Just in case you arent aware, an alternative is to park at the Wrigth trail trailhead, hike up to Gooseeye via the west branch of the Wright trail, then head North on the AT, through the notch, then take the Bull Branch semi bushwhack back to the car. You obviously miss out on Mt Speck but the approach up to Gooseeye via the wright trail is a lot more interesting than from the Success Pond road side and its a lot quicker as you dont have to drive up Success Pond Road.

Have a blast - I hope you have perfect weather because that is the *finest* area I have ever hiked in. It's definitely slow through the notch (there's crawling and leaping), and going up the Arm will truly suck (we came down it ... ouch!)., and there are a lot of annoying PUD's. But Goose Eye is worth it - it's much like Baldface, open and amazing, and you get an open ridge walk heading to the Notch.

Bring trunks - Speck Pond is a great swim!

I was out that way last weekend. We were going to do a one day traverse, but Mark's plane had a bomb scare. He was detained in TN for several hours & didn't make the start. We hiked form Grafton Notch to Goose Eye & back. The Notch was great fun both ways. A little ice & snow. The Arm was nasty both ways. I took a 20' er on my Rimrunner down some slippery rock. The view from GE was great. We'll be up in NH again on 6/19. If the weather precludes a Presi Traverse , maybe we'll see you in the Notch

Wish I could, but I'll be tramping around BSP in the Russell and Davis Ponds area with Post'rBoy and Michelle. Suffice it to say we'll be getting a steady spruce/pine diet.

The Mahoosucs looked awesome from Rt 16 north of Milan, NH yesterday. While I was fishing, all I could think of was that it was a great weekend to backpack. Saw more wildlife this weekend than I can remember: 3 moose, deer, 2 eagles (multiple sightings, one adult, one immature), osprey (with immature eagle chasing it), herons, 3 beavers (2 separate areas), coyotes calling at night. And then there were the stars! Fishing was just "ok" - not as good as in the past.

BTW, I agree that Speck Pond is a great place to swim. Don't plan on fathering any more children after you do though - it is cold!

Elevation gain from Goose Eye to Car at end of Speck Pond Trailhead is about 4800 feet. It's 5,000 if you go as far as Speck Pond but less if you take May Cut-off near the top of Mahoosuc Arm. (it's 4650 at that point but the cut-off is just short of the summit.)

The elevation gain of the rainy day option is 3950 feet up Stony Brook, to CM to Kenduskreag to Shelbourne Trail out to FR 95 off of Route 2.

We have two cars so spotting on Sucess not a big deal, in face if I don't have to do it, I can get a small head start on Chomp, I'll need it. If I ended up solo, I'd do a different hike.

Thanks for suggestions & feedback. Anybody interested?

SherpaK, you're a man for all seasons. That wildlife spotting is one of the reasons I succumb to the paddling habit ... a lot like fishing except you don't have to make up stories about the one that got away.

Fellas, that Mahoosuc trip sounds pretty tempting ... a lot like one we did when we were bagging but we did it the other way and came down the Arm ... and stayed our first night at Spec Pond shelter. Any hike that begins at 7AM is a little early for my mental attitude these days.

DANG! I'll be leading a trip on the Baldfaces that w/e. I've been wanting to hike that trip.

If I could have come, it would have made the third weekend in a row that I saw/bumped into Chomp.

Brenda

If Chomp bails out (which would be due to forecast of rain, constant, substantial rain I think is what he said) & I'm solo the Baldfaces & Eastman were my back up (Eastman to avoid steepest of the Ledges on SB