The Toughest Mile of the Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail covers 2,160 miles, from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Katahdin in Maine. Which one of those miles is the toughest?  Backpacker Magazine put that question to hiker and writer Michele Morris, who put it, in turn, to other writers and trail experts. The winning mile?  A frustrating stretch of loose boulders and fallen trees know as Mahoosuc Notch in the Mahoosuc Range of Maine. Here’s what Morris has to say about it.
“Mahoosuc Notch is a glacier-carved gash winding through precipitous
granite cliffs. For added drama, it’s filled halfway with immense
blocks of schist cleaved from the walls above by countless
freeze-and-thaw cycles. Tree roots snake through the clefts and
crevices. Water gurgles somewhere beneath the boulders but is seldom
seen. Even on blindingly sunny days, it remains a chilly, Gothic place
hiding pockets of snow and ice.
In the best conditions, the route is still so challenging that
backpackers consider it a point of honor to keep their packs on while
clambering up or shimmying under the gargantuan boulders. Be
forewarned: The Notch is a graveyard of Nalgene bottles, trekking
poles, and anything else not securely stashed inside a pack. Rain
covers, knuckles, and nerves often emerge a bit more ragged on the
other side.
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