Day 23 - Tuesday, July 5

Linda

Got our earliest start yet this morning - 5:15. Started up to the top of Bald Pate. It was clear when we started, but by the time we reached the rock ledges, the wind was so fierce we could hardly stand up, and we were having difficulty seeing from one rock cairn to another. We slowly picked our way over to the second peak. When we got there, we found a stone bench and a shrub planting in the shape of the AT symbol - more of those extra flourishes courtesy of the AMC.

The descent to Grafton Notch was awful - almost straight down over rocks and roots, with a lot of mud. We got to Grafton Notch Lean-to at 10:15 and had lunch and relaxed until 11:30. The area around the lean-to was beautiful and well maintained. No mud and lots of room for tents. There was also an A-1 brand new outhouse. We were tempted to stay, but really needed to push on to Old Speck. We reached the road quickly and started up the trail. The AMC has really put a lot of work into making log steps and bog bridges. They were much appreciated. Part way up, we passed a group of boys coming down. They were from Camp Chewanki, some ritzy summer camp. One of their members had collapsed from heat exhaustion and they called the rangers in, and the boys were carrying him out on a stretcher. The rest of the group came back later and finished up the trip.

We kept on at a slow, steady pace. It wasn't nearly as bad as we anticipated, and we made very good time. We even took time to go up the .3 mile side trail to the lookout tower on top. The views were outstanding! All afternoon the weather had been clear and warm, so we could see Bald Pate on one side and the Presidentials on the other. It was great to see New Hampshire. It means we have almost conquered Maine! Just to keep us from getting too cocky, the last mile to Speck Pond Shelter was a bugger. It went straight down over the rock ledges at first, and the wind was gusting wildly. The rest was all ups and downs, and we were grateful when the shelter came into view. We camped on a tent platform, as the lean-to was full of a noisy bunch who had apparently been there since the night before. We caught up with Mike who had been at the lean-to since noon. He said he'd met the Camp Chewanki bunch yesterday and was wondering if something serious was wrong to hold them up. They came dragging in about an hour later. We talked to their leaders and a couple of the kids for a while. The Van Auken crew also came in, so there were about 25 people camping at this site. There was a $1.00 charge per person to defray the cost of the caretaker and maintenance. They really need one in an area this popular. We hiked a total of 11.8 miles today, for a grand total of 268.2. We are really beginning to eat up the miles now.

Ron

Hiking started this morning at 5:15 in order to reach Speck Pond Lean-to. The climb out of Fry Brook was long and windy. By the time we reached the cleared area below the summit, the whole mountain was encased in clouds. We climbed the open summit with wind gusts of over 55 mph. It was an exhilarating feeling to stand there in the clouds and wind. I took several pictures of us all bundled up just below the summit.

The climb down Baldpate was long and steep. This kind of hiking takes a toll on my feet and knees. As we neared the bottom, the sun came out an the sky cleared. A perfect day had developed when we reached Grafton Notch Lean-to. We stopped for an hour to eat lunch and rest. The trail up Speck Mountain was not what we were expecting. Instead of a steep climb we found a very gentle trail. The climb was not nearly as hard as we were expecting.

At the top of the mountain we hiked the .3 mile to the summit platform. The views were fantastic! The sky appeared the clearest since leaving Mount Katahdin. To the south we could see the White Mountains in New Hampshire. We could even see Mount Washington in the distance. We hope to be there in a few days. Below us we could see the feared Mahoosuc Notch. It is said to be worst single mile on the trail.

Turning north we got a good view of Baldpate Mountain that we crossed over this morning. It's hard to believe the enormous change in weather since crossing Baldpate. Tomorrow we will be either one half mile from the boarder or out of the state of Maine. Tonight we are staying a Speck Pond Lean-to. The area is crawling with kids from the many summer camps in the area. With luck we can steer clear of the larger groups at night. They can really destroy an evening.

(11.8 Miles - 268.2 Total)