The Lists

Written by: Brandon “Monkey” Imp

We are less than two weeks away from Katahdin, and our negative-NH mentality has been completely flipped upside down. We are happy, healthy, and looking forward to re-entering society. While hiking, I got to thinking about the best way to prepare myself for society. What do I do in society that I do not do on the Appalachian Trail? Well, a lot. A whole lot. But to keep it simple, lists. I love lists. I love being organized, whether the organization is in my head, on a bookshelf, or written on a piece of paper.

The first list I made in my head was based on my surroundings – easy and convenient. What has the Maine terrain offered that we have seen infrequently on the trail?

1. Wind. Above treeline in Maine, we are practically blown over! I was filmed being held up by the wind while wearing my pack – that’s how strong the wind is up there.

2. The bouldering of Mahoosuc Notch. This notch (aka a valley) is one mile long on the AT and filled with boulders and ice caves. We have climbed over rocks before, but this was straight-up bouldering with a full pack. The one mile stretch took us two hours to get through – tough but fun!

 3. Lakes and ponds. They are everywhere and I love it! Mountain-top views are no longer shrouded by other mountains – you can see bodies of water for miles around. I thought the Finger Lakes were pretty neat, but Maine has one-upped upstate New York.