My decision to tackle to Yo-Yo started from I heard rumor back in September that there has not been a documented double Mahoosuc Traverse. This sparked my interest mostly because I haven’t spent any time in the Mahoosuc region but hear how beautiful and remote some of the sections are, not to mention a huge challenge to undertake for an out and back. I’m not a person built on speed but know the parameters of what a challenge like needed to take. I was ready to do whatever was needed for my body to be pushed to max while maintaining my ability to make good decisions when the darkness of the night was going to be on both sides of this journey both the start and the finish. Well, initially thought I was going to make it before the second night but who was I kidding. It was about the adventure and experience I wanted to have.
I wanted to see what this trail was all about but wanted to keep what I knew about it pretty limited so I’d have my own experience from my perspective looking in. I knew the basics; distance, elevation gain and a little bit of the how the trail rolls at a bare minimum. I wanted to onsight this route and prove to myself what I was able to accomplish as an unsupported attempt. I carried 3 17oz flasks, two with a filter and one I kept circuiting with Tailwinds High Carb formula, ummmm amazing by the way!! The temperature ranges for the Mahoosuc Yo-Yo were on the chiller side which played in my favor for hydration retention. I packed away high calorie gels and chews (some with 150 to 200mg’s of caffeine), a few assorted sandwiches, a red bull stuffed for when the moment struck and the most important was Go-Go squeezes for a refreshing burst of veggies and fruit. The temperature ranges for the Mahoosuc Yo-Yo were on the chiller side which played in my favor for hydration retention.
A quick jolt from the 1:30am alarm and it was time for a quick bite to eat, grab some water and hit the trail! It was 2:16am and time to get the journey going from the rail road bridge in Berlin. Knowing I had a long journey a head of me I kept the pace medium the majority of the way. I told myself in the beginning to walk the uphills that need walking and to run all of the downhills that were manageable. The majority of the route felt really good in the morning and my trail legs were on auto pilot From the railroad bridge, to Mt Hayes and up and over Cascade Mountain. As the day went on water became more sparse from Cascades Mountain to Gentain Pond so I had to manage the intake not really know what was down the road for resources.
The one thing I really noticed about this trail was how isolated it was. The first couple people I saw on the summit of Goose Eye, about 7ish hours into to the adventure. The woods were quiet, the wind was mild most of the morning and the sunrise through the trees was absolutely nostalgic. I had some pretty crazy run ins with some spruce grouse that just didn’t want to move to the side of the trail to let me pass. Knowing the Mahoosuc Notch wasn’t too far away I was really excited to see and experience first time what it was all about. I wanted to give it a hard push with everything I had knowing it was the slowest section of the AT. Well, how fast could I do it? I felt like a little kid going up and over bus sized boulders and just getting lost in the moment. Over to Old Spec it was and down the steep pounding hill to the parking lot at Grafton Notch. I set my alarm for 30 minutes to take a break, drink some water, eat some food, change socks and clothing and then process the route and how I wanted to tackle my way back to Berlin. It was 20 minutes and I was ready to head back. It was about 2pm under a sunny sky, let’s felt fresh, mind was clear and it was time to pursue the opposite direction.
The plan on the way home was to walk the uphill and gain some more ground on the downhill. I knew from the way out that this trail was going to push me mentally, emotionally and physically. With about 12 hours on the clock I knew darkness was going to greet me sooner than later. I had to endure what the moment was and take each step as they came. I was excited to push my capacity to the max and tackle one of the toughest solo adventures I put my mind to. Shoes were tightened and it was up to Old Spec I went. The way home was definitely a way different experience mostly due to a bit of fatigue and enduring the dark again for another time, just this time for 11 hours. My mind was quiet, my breath was soft for the most part and it was time to get to work. Back into the Mahoosuc Notch I went but this time at night. Strange shadows were casted through the deep caverns, weasels were running around trying to hunt during the dark hours and it was the just keep going mentality that stuck in my mind. Throughout the night I periodically I had some pretty insane moments of hallucinations where I kept hearing babbling water and coyotes but nothing was in sight.
The push became harder and the focus needed to remain both calm and motivated to get this done. My last 10 miles were probably the toughest moments because I knew I was closing it out but had some terrain I still had to tackle. The mental game and the inner voice started to take over a bit in not such a nice way. Clear the mind, take a breath and everything is going to be fine. Just keep pushing! It’s amazing the stillness of the night and what type of connection you can find with oneself during tough moments. I felt a bust of inner motivation half way because I knew I was going to complete something that was so challenging. Run the downhill faster with more ease and keep your mind clear, you got this! At one point my mind was so tired I started having a conversation with my wife Katherine and dog Murphy who were at home in bed asleep. I carried my running partners spirits with me to help those last few hours pass by faster.
It was 3:00am and I had about 5 miles to go from Cascade Mountain. I had to hold onto a mantra an old friend passed down to me from his coach which was, “it’s not capable of, it’s what you’re willing to do”. Keep pushing, keep running and finish the task was all I could think. The clock hit 5:30 and the sun started to break as I got to the bottom of Mascot Pond. Fatigue was at an all time low but body was feeling great! It was time to close this sucker out!
What a beautiful and challenging route the Mahoosuc Traverse Yo-Yo was. Knowing that I was the first person to document this Yo-Yo route/FKT it was kind of nice to know that I was chasing someone or their time. Feeling no real pressure I was able to move fluidly for the out and back while stopping for less than 1 hour at Grafton Notch and did a great job managing all the pieces I wanted to check my boxes with (nutrition, hydration, stoppage time, taking in such a beautiful trail and of course face-timing my wife Katherine when i needed some company)
I've done long distance endurance runs/races in really challenging conditions/terrain and this Mahoosuc Traverse Yo-Yo may be, if not the toughest sub 100 mile efforts I've done to date.
I’d like to go back to see if I could do it faster but now it’s up to others to push their limits and maximize their own capabilities.