"The caretaker at the shelter told us it was like a jungle gym down here..."

"...well, it's like the Jungle Gym you were scared to death to go on as a kid."
-Carrie Tweeten about the Mahoosic Notch (USA Today article)

July 11, 2001

Today, I did the Notch.

The Notch is considered the toughest mile of the whole Appalachian Trail.  Some dispute that claim, but it is definitely not easy, and is definitely the longest mile.

The Notch is a narrow valley (down to about ten inches at one point) which contains thousands of rocks that have fallen to cover a stream (you can hear it sometimes but never see it).

It took me about 2 1/2 hours, even though I stopped and played.

Journal drawing of choices in the Notch

In the Notch you have several choices to make in order to get through it.  Sometimes, when there were two that looked interesting, I would go through one, come back, and do the other one for fun!

A) Crawl through a narrow cave

B) Climb over tall, wet rocks and fall down other side

C) Crawl through mud and pine needles of the Trail, ruin the precious alpine plants, and possibly step in moose crap

Choice of crawl under or over (see different white arrows)

Crawling through a hole in the Mahoosic Notch

Tight squeeze in the Notch (I had to climb 10 feet up to get through with my pack on)

The Notch falls into one of those categories you do and tell your mother about afterwards.

When I was telling my parents about it, I described slipping at one point and falling into a hole.  My fingers caught hold of the rock lip while the rest of me dangled into the hole.  I looked down to see only inky blackness and hear the rush of some mysterious, subterranean stream.

Immediately, adrenaline flexed my arm muscles shooting me back out of the hole and onto the safety of sturdy rock.

My mom agreed that it was best she knew about this incident only after I had finished the Notch.

One more item:  the beginning of the day.  I got going early knowing I had a big day and was greeted with this awesome view:

View from Mahoosuc Arm

See the clouds settled into the valley in the distance?  It was like that in every direction like a sea filling the valleys.  Nothing stirred except a few early birds starting their morning songs.  

I soaked up the peace and beauty, taking this one picture knowing it would never capture the moment.  

And the ridge in the picture?  It's the one that's been rolling boulders down into the Notch.