The Hardest Mile

   J.R.R. Tolkien wrote "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy (which I have read several times). While writing these books, Tolkien reached the point where Frodo and his companions were in the mines of Moria and had just reached Balin's tomb. Readers don't usually know this, but Tolkien paused for about a year when he reached this point in writing. I can understand that. It's been about 9 months since I have posted on this blog. Life happens, and there are many distractions. But I remember learning in kindergarten, "if you start something, finish it!" And so, after a long pause, I am going to try to finish this blog. So, dear readers, here we go:

   All of the Appalachian Trail is physically challenging. Some sections are harder than others. In Virginia the trail follows a lot of ridges which makes for easier walking. Other places have lots of steep ups and downs. But there is one mile on the Trail that is the hardest. It's called Mahoosic Notch. I'm pretty sure that it's in New Hampshire, but it is very close to Maine.

   What makes Mahoosic Notch the hardest? Imagine a narrow valley with steep sides. Now imagine giant boulders the size of small cars fills the bottom of the valley. That's Mahoosic Notch! Hiking through a giant boulder field with a full pack is not easy. I had heard stories from other hikers, so I knew what to expect. Some hikers would take a long time to traverse this mile, exploring the remnants of ice still present under the rocks even though it was past mid-summer. When I got there, I was by myself so I knew that I needed to be careful. But I also love challenges. I decided to see how quickly I could get through this one mile stretch.

   Under normal circumstances I could hike about two to three miles per hour (as long as I had some rest stops along the way). But this was not your normal trail. I quickly discovered that my hiking staff was no use, so I put it in my pack which freed up both of my hands. Following the white blazes that marked the trail, I scrambled up and over the boulders. A few times I had to squeeze through narrow holes between boulders. The challenge was on and my stopwatch was ticking away. When I finally reached the end of the one mile boulder field, I laid on the ground utterly exhausted. How long did it take? Right at one hour.

   I was through the hardest mile of the Appalachian Trail, but I still had many miles to go. I knew that if I kept going I would eventually make it to Mt. Katahdin in Maine and stand on the summit in victory. Onward and upward!