Day 3: July 31, 2006
In the course of the night my knee didn't improve at all, but after breakfast and a stroll around the campsite it hurt moderately less. Matt's knees were also hurting and he was pretty much planning to go home. Meanwhile I started to think that just maybe I could limp along for another couple days, as long as I took it slow and easy. I got out the map and found a shorter route than the one we had originally planned, and I became determined to keep going. I convinced Matt to come with me along the shorter route too, and everything worked out nicely. We all got a late start, but found a supply shop in Bethel where I bought not only a new belt clip, but some hiking poles, which I hoped would help me move along despite the knee (and also, I plan to do a lot more hiking in the future, so it's a good investment). We had a mini-adventure driving to—and then through—Berlin, NH without a city map, looking for a dirt logging road (Success Pond Road), and then 8 bumpy miles along Success Pond Road. Matt and I dropped off Dan and Mark at the Mahoosuc Trail, leading into Mahoousuc Notch (characterized by amazing views and boulder scrambling, this notch is "the toughest mile of the entire Appalachian Trail", and not a wise hike for someone who can barely walk). Then we drove up a few more miles to the shorter (and with only one mountain) Speck Pond Trail.
The day's walk: 3.6 miles (for my path; probably about 5 for the other)
Red = me and MattOrange = Dan and MarkNOTE: Elevations are marked in METERS on this map.
Pack and new poles
This trail was in much better shape than the Grafton Loop trail, and it had some really beautiful sections.
Near the top of Mahoosuc Arm, our access trail joined up with the Appalachian Trail.
Not bad for three days in the woods
We took a side trail to the summit, and from there could sort of see Mahoosuc Notch. Dan and Mark were probably down there somewhere while I took this photo.
Just past the top of Mahoosuc Arm we came to Speck Pond, where a popular AT shelter and campsite are located. On the other side of the pond from the campsite, we rested for a while, enjoying the traquility of a pristine pond at over 3000 feet.
This was the water source for the campsite. It was a mixed spring-fed/runoff source, but we drank it untreated because it seemed pretty safe, it wasn't a place where a pump would work, and we were sick of iodine flavor (the caretaker didn't exactly recommend drinking it untreated, but said he occasionally did and was fine) The water tasted great, and was probably a lot less dangerous than most tap water.
