(Daily Mi: 9.5) Passed through the Mahoosuc Notch today --> the slowest mile on the AT. The Mahoosic Notch is narrow, boulder strewn gorge cutting between two towering 3000 foot granite faces. Massive chunks of granite have fallen from the surrounding walls forming an obstacle course of granite tunnels and full on hand-over-hand obstructions.

The air is so still in the Notch that there is ice inside some of the formations 12 months a year, and sometimes as you enter a low tunnel of rocks you feel like you have entered a walk-in cooler.

Did virtually the whole day with ERTman and Red. We had a nice vigorous climb to the top of Goose Eye Mt (3860 ft) A bit of hand over hand climbing. Had to pass Red between us to get him up parts of the dog unfriendly climb.

Had to repeat this trick a few times in the Notch as well to get him over some the more dog unfriendly obstructions. But he paid us back by sniffing out the most travelled route over and through the boulders whenever we found ourselves out of sight of a blaze (which were sometimes painted in odd places).

Particularly with the dog, it did take us almost 2 hours to work our way through the mile or so of boulders. But honestly, the real challenge of the day was the hike up out of the notch and onto Mahoosuc Arm (3765 ft)

I stopped at Speck Pond Shelter. ERTman and Red continued another 5 miles over Old Speck to meet his wife waiting in the camper in Grafton Notch below.

Couple of camp groups at the sites adjoining the shelter. A goodly number of college aged thru-hikers in the shelter with me, but I feel unaccountably alone. Had a very nice hike with the ERTman today, but too much of it still feels like work.