Hiking with your dog

Here is a new installment of hiking tips. I got an email asking about hiking with your dog. Here are some general tips and things that I learned along the way. Feel free to email me (harveysgwilliams@gmail.com) if this brings any questions to mind. Enjoy.

Packing: I used the Ruff Wear Palisades pack (size medium) for Harley. It is an excellent pack and I would highly recommend it. The major advantage of that pack is that you can detach the saddle bags from the harness which is really nice when you are hiking. It means that when you take your pack off for a break, the dog can do the same. With the other packs, you have to take the entire thing off, including the harness. It may not seem like much, but when you are doing it 10 times a day for 5 months, it makes a difference. This pack also comes with two water bladders, but I found that there was more than enough water on the trail, so these just added weight, though they are a nice touch. It didn't take long for Harley to get used to the pack, but I know that some dogs take longer than others. The thing to do when you first get the pack is to fill it with light bulky things so they get used to the added width. A blanket on either side and a box of mac and cheese (so they can hear it) works well. After a while, you can add weight until you reach the target weight (Fully loaded, Harley carried a maximum of 14 pounds which would last him for about 8 days). The dog should probably not carry more than 20% to 30% of their body weight. Harley weighed 80 lbs so I made sure his pack was less than 16lbs. Its really easy to go ultralight as a dog because you pretty much only have to carry your food. The rest is pretty simple.

Other gear: Harley also carried a set of dog booties, a blanket, food/water bowl, leash, towel, and a doggie first aid kit. Although he did not wear them at all, it is probably a good idea to carry a set of dog booties and make sure your pooch is comfortable walking in them. Harley got a set for Christmas and I made sure that I took him out for walks with them on so he could get the feel for them. He did not like them at all (probably because my sister laughed at him when I first put them on...he did look funny though and walked along like he was swimming in water). Just don't laugh at them when they first put them on. Dogs get embarrassed too. You have to be reassuring and make sure that your dog trusts you.
The blanket was homemade. My girlfriend sewed a fleece airline blanket to a sheet of tyvek (warm on one side, waterproof on the other). He ended up sleeping more on my sleeping bag than the blanket, but it was good to have a spot that was his, especially in crowded shelters. But in all likelihood,
the dog is going to snuggle up to your sleeping bag.
Instead of using one of those collapsible canvas dog bowls from REI, i suggest using the bottom of a 32 oz Gatorade bottle. It is super light, easy to clean, and durable. The only downside is that it is small and you will have to refill it multiple times at dinner. The major benefit is that if it does get funky, just buy a new Gatorade and forget the mess. With the collapsible bowls, they are very hard to clean and you can easily get bacteria/fungus build up.
Leash - self explanatory. Most of the time, Harley was off leash and under voice command. You need to develop a strong rapport with your dog and make sure that they are under control at all times.
Towel - Lightload beach towel (available at REI). I liked using the beach towel because it was actually large enough to dry him off at the end of the day. Just make sure you store it in a ziploc bag so it doesn't get wet as you are hiking along.
Doggie First Aid kit - This was made up of a bunch of medications that my vet suggested we carried. We ended up using none of it, but it was nice knowing that we were prepared. Talk to your vet before you leave and see what they recommend.

Sleeping situation - Me in my sleeping bag, him half on my sleeping bag half on his blanket. I did not have any problems with people in shelters, even when he was wet. Just make sure that you are courteous as not everyone likes trail dogs.

Food - Harley ate EVO dog food on the trail. It is more expensive than regular food, but it is more calorie dense (meaning that he can get the same level of nutrition while carrying less weight). This is super important when you have 6 days stretches in between towns. Again talk to your vet to see what they recommend. EVO worked for us.

Leash - He was off most of the time, but would respond to my commands. I made sure that he understood that if he didn't listen, I would put him on the leash. He learned the lesson pretty quickly and would stop at every road crossing. Use your judgment here. If there is a leash law, you are putting yourself at risk for recieving a fine, etc. The only places where you can't take the dog is the Smokies, the Zoo on the Hudson river, and Baxter State Park. Don't even try to mess with the rules here. They are very strict.

Water - Harley drank from every puddle, stream, river, and lake that we came to. Its hard to tell a thirsty dog not to drink. That being said he did have some GI issues that we dealt with over the course of the hike. That is something you should discuss with your vet and see what they say. The important thing is to make sure that your dog is having fun. If their health becomes an issue, then it is no longer fun for them (this is what happened to my dog). As the owner, you are responsible for them. Don't take that lightly. Sending my dog home was a very tough decision, but I know that I made the right choice. Ok enough ranting.

Thanks again for reading. Feel free to contact me with any questions. I love talking about the AT.

News article

Just a quick update. My story was published today in the local newspaper (The Brighton Pittsford Post). The story (complete with videos and an archive article from February) can be found here:
http://www.mpnnow.com/towns/pittsford/x1754593689/VIDEO-Harvey-and-Harley-return

Thanks again for your support. I hope my journey has inspired you in some way.

-Jolly Rancher

Passing the torch

Hi all!

It's been a while since I last updated here, so I thought I would post an update and also start adding some info for people who are thinking about doing their own hike. Things are good in sunny Rochester. I start working with Americorps this Friday. I still don't know my placement yet, but I should find out next Friday. Exciting times! I also just started my anatomy class at FLCC last night. I decided to enroll because I am considering other options in the healthcare field other than med school, and most of them require anatomy, which I didn't take at Cornell. The classroom setting is very different from Cornell (feels more like high school than college) but I am looking forward to it. Rachel is doing well in med school. She has her first final tomorrow. Everyone send positive thoughts her way. So that is pretty much the news. Things are finally settling down and the house is looking good. I'm looking forward into getting into a weekly rhythm. I tend to do better when I have some structure to my time.

I have received a couple of emails from future thru-hikers who are seeking advice. I thought I would post this one because it may answer some questions for others. If you read this and it sparks more questions, please email me at harveysgwilliams@gmail.com and I will answer your follow-up questions here. Thanks again for all your support. Happy trails.

1. How often did you tent and was the Kelty tent good?

I tented only about 10% of the time I was on the trail. With my early departure date (Early means before March 1), I never ran into a crowd at the shelter (until I met the big group of SOBO's in Maine). So I would say if you are planning on starting early, then you don't really need to carry a tent (a lot of the guys I was walking with didn't carry one for most of the journey).
As far as which tent to carry, I was quite happy with my Kelty Teton 2 tent in the beginning. I elected to carry a two person tent as I was hiking with my dog Harley and didn't want to make him sleep outside in the rain while I was nice and warm in a constricting one person tent. Because of that, I was carrying a little extra weight. In Pennsylvania, one of my friends decided to send his tent home, for the reasons described above, so I borrowed his from him and sent mine home because of the weight savings. His was a Tarptent Squall 2. That is an AMAZING tent! I absolutely love it and would recommend it to everyone on the trail. It is so light that you can afford to carry a 2-person tent just for yourself (and then your gear can stay dry too!). It only weighs 34 ounces which is ridiculously light. It is a single wall design tent that does require set up with your trekking poles. It also has a bathtub floor that can be adjusted so that it sits correctly on whatever terrain you are on. So long story short, if you are looking to get a new tent for the trail, I would recommend a Tarptent. There are some really nice one-person tents that I saw on the trail (including the MSR Hubba and the REI Quarter Dome 1) but I think that the tarptent is all you really need (and that is the goal of going lightweight). They also have a couple one person models if you want to shave a couple more ounces. Here is a link to the website: www.tarptent.com

2. Were you comfortable with your winter layering? I was thinking baselayer, midlayer and was deciding between marmot fleece afterburner or the mountain hardwear compressor (similar to your montbell) as an outer layer. Any suggestions on the differences between fleece and the mh compressor?

I was very comfortable with my layering scheme. I derived it from Winton Porter at Mountain Crossings in Neels Gap (Check out the November 2008 issue of Backpacker Magazine. There is an article about him on page 58 and a breakdown of what you should carry for the AT on page 63. This was a really good resource for me as I was figuring out gear, and especially clothing). I started from Springer with two light polypro shirts (I never used a medium polypro), one light polypro bottom, one pair of zip off hiking pants, two pairs of socks (liners and outers), one long sleeve button up hiking shirt, one rain jacket, one pair of rain pants, one montbell synthetic jacket, sun hat, warm hat and gloves, and a ski mask. Immediately, I would eliminate the ski mask, the zip off pants (in favor of normal shorts), the rain pants, the sun hat, and one of the polypro shirts. Eventually I learned to walk without liner socks, and when the weather warmed up, I eliminated the hat and gloves. I also know some people that got rid of their rain jackets (when it rains, you get wet no matter what), but I chose to keep mine. If you are looking for a lighter rain jacket, a lot of hikings like Frogg Toggs or Dry Ducks though they tend to rip. The benefit is that they are much cheaper and lighter than traditional rain jackets. The only thing I would advise adding to that list is a pair of "sleep socks" that live at the bottom of your sleeping bag and never see the light of day. You should at all times ensure that you are carrying one dry set of clothes (for me it was my polypro layers. This is ESSENTIAL to your survival. This means that when its raining out, you get out of your sleeping bag, and change into your wet clothes from the day before. It feels terrible, but you have to make sure you have a dry set of clothes to change into at the end of the day. Plus that cold feeling is more motivation to get hiking. You will warm up eventually when you get moving.
As far as fleece versus a synthetic or down jacket, the fleece loses every time. Not only is the fleece heavier than the down or synthetic jacket, it is also really bulky and does not pack well. If I had to recommend only one piece of gear to a new thru-hiker it would be my Montbell jacket. It doesn't matter if you choose down or synthetic, they are both rediculously warm, lightweight, and compressible. I was able to sleep through sub zero temperatures in a 15 degree sleeping bag because of that jacket. Most of my friends couldn't fall asleep that night because they were shivering!


3. Were you comfortable with your departure date? Do you think there is a more ideal date?

I was very happy with my departure date. I was able to sty ahead of the crowd the entire way and had a very positive experience on the trail. The only thing you have to worry about with and early departure is snow, and more than likely you are going to have to take a zero day somewhere because of the snow. That being said, I managed to sail through with only 3 inches of snow at most, but people ahead of me and behind me were walking through feet of it. Its all just luck of the draw.
There is usually a big group that leaves on March 1 and a huge group that leave on April 1. If you want to walk with the crowd, not have a spot in the shelters, and not have time and space to yourself, then leave later. For me, Feb 21 was the ideal date. You are going to meet people no matter when you leave (I made a handful of great friends that are friends for life). So bottom line is, if you can deal with the cold weather, leave early and enjoy the solitude.


4. Did you wear boots or shoes? Pro and cons of each and suggestions for avoiding blisters and overall feet comfort?

I started out with Merrell Chameleon Wrap low top Gore-tex boots. Let me tell you that low top and Gore-tex don't mix well. They were tremendous boots and got me all the way to Port Clinton PA in two pairs, but if you want Gore-tex (which I do not recommend) then get a taller boot. The reason I do not recommend Gore-tex is because your feet are going to get wet, no matter what. In fact, your feet are going to get soaked. There will be weeks that you will only have dry feet when you are in your sleeping bag (the reason you should always carry one dry set of everything!). Although I was lucky and did not have problems with blisters, I saw many people that got blisters because they were wearing Gore-tex. Blisters come from moisture and heat derived from friction. With Gore-tex boots, when you get wet, they stay wet longer, therefore trapping moisture against your skin and increasing the chance of blisters. With normal tennis shoes that "ventilate" well, the mesh dries out faster than Gore-tex and therefore decreases the chance of blisters.
In Pennsylvania, I switched to Montrail Streak shoes and never looked back. These shoes wee amazing. A lot of the people I was hiking with used Montrail shoes and most people really liked them. Solomon is also getting big in the hiking sneaker market. The main thing is to try the shoes on at a store and pick the one that is most comfortable for you. Try every single shoe on the rack until you find that perfect fit. You'll know when you find it. When you do, you will be in shoe heaven and blisters will be a faint memory.

5. Not including gear, how much did you spend on trail hostels, food, luxuries, etc...

Haven't had time to add it all up yet, but I would estimate 3,000 to 4,000. They say that the average thruhike costs 3 to 5 thousand. When I add it up, I 'll post it on the blog.


6. General advice for must have books for both prep and then on trail (I know you had the companion).

Definitely either carry the Thru-hikers Companion or the Appalachian Pages. These are by far the two best books on the trail. There are a couple others that plain old stink. I carried the Companion and loved it. The nice thing about the Pages is that it has a built in elevation profile and comes in an unbound copy.
As far as prep, the only book I would recommend reading is AWOL on the Appalachian Trail. Very good account of his thru-hike and really helps you understand what you have decided to get yourself into. If you plan on doing mail drops, then the ATC has a planner book that may be helpful. Check out their online store. Having done mail drops the entire way, I would not recommend them unless you have someone at home who is very organized and is sending you really good food (Mom sent me her leftovers that she had dehydrated). You can easily just buy stuff along the way and meet your basic needs, though you will get sick of Ramen and Lipton Sides.
The one thing that I would recommend NOT buying is the map and guidebook set. You really do not need it at all. I bought the whole thing (for $200) and ended up having my mom copy the elevation profile from each. If you decide to use the AT Pages, then you have the elevation profile already and the maps are useless and heavy. Bottom line: don't buy them. Save your money for cheeseburgers in town.

7. Did you find poles to be a must? all the hiking ive done (not much), haven't been with poles?

Yes. Especially if you carry a Tarptent (can't set it up without poles). I do know two guys that went the whole way without poles. I don't know how they did it. Not only do they take some of the pressure off you legs, they allowed me to catch myself so many times when I would have face-planted. If you get your base weight light enough (sub 10 lbs) then maybe you won't need them, but I would still recommend them anyways.

8. Did you go with one bag for the entire trip or did you switch to a summer bag? What temp. rating did you use?

I started with a Marmot Sawtooth Long 15 degree down bag. It was great and I carried it all the way to New York. At that point I switched to a Lafuma Warm'n Light 600 g 40 degree down bag. That was warm enough to get me through the Whites and all the way to Katahdin (and was relatively cheap at about $100). I was happy with my two bags and would definitely recommend this system. Also make sure you go with down, synthetic bags are just too bulky.

THANK YOU!

Dear family, friends, and supporters,

Thank you so much for following my great adventure on the Appalachian Trail. It truly was the trip of a lifetime and my proudest accomplishment. I finally climbed Mt Katahdin with my family on July 18th, 2009 as the 24th Northbound thru-hiker of the year.

I could not have done it without your support. I would especially like to thank those who have made a donation to the American Red Cross. Together, we have raised over $750 (including online and offline donations). I am very proud of the money that has been raised and I know that it will be put to good use right here in my hometown. Thank you again.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my travels and perhaps it has inspired you to get out there and experience something new for yourself. Although my trail blog is officially complete, I hope to keep this website running for some time as a resource for others that are planning a thruhike of the AT or some other trail. In the coming weeks, I hope to upload some video reviews of the gear I used, as well as advice and answers to some of the questions that I have gotten along the way. Please check back soon for updates.

As for me, I am making the transition back to life here in the "real world." I am currently trying to juggle med school applications, family time, and the "honey do list" while allowing my body to recover from the five months of torture that it endured. My feet especially are in a great deal of pain and swelling. Nevertheless, I am happy to be home, reunited with my family and friends (and of course Harley).

Please feel free to contact me at harveysgwilliams@gmail.com if you have anything you want to ask about the trail or my journey. As an alumnus of the trail, I hope to be able to give back to the AT community, and one way I hope to do that is by helping the next generation of hikers by passing on what I have learned. Please feel free to contact me directly or pass my information on to anyone you know that may be planning a thruhike.

Once again, thank you for being a part of my journey. Happy Trails.

Jolly Rancher
GAME 2009

Mt Katahdin 7/18/2009

Photos: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/573635048xbXNBc?vhost=good-times

7/18/2009 - 9:00 PM - Appalachian Trail Lodge - 5.2 mi today - 2178.3 mi total

Woke up at 5 AM and got the daypacks ready for Katahdin. Had breakfast at the Appalachian Trail Cafe with Mom, Dad, and Rachel. The weather looked really nasty early with light rain and fog. Ate our fill and then made the drive to Baxter State Park. The ranger at the entrance station informed us that there was a 100% chance of rain and thunderstorms today. Got to the trailhead and began our hike at 8 AM. First mile flew by. Before we knew it we were at the Katahdin Stream Falls and took some pictures. The terrain wasn't bad to that point, though we were all getting wet quickly from the water falling off the trees. The higher we climbed, the more strenuous the terrain became. The boulders got larger and there was more scrambling higher up. Trekking poles quickly became useless, so we stored them on my backpack. Once we finally reached treeline, the terrain became ridiculous. We had a brief view looking West, but the fog thickened up quickly. Although the rain had stopped, the wind was picking up and the fog was thick. We reached the part known as "the wall" and had to use the rebar handholds to climb 12 feet vertically. We met some other thruhikers coming down at that point and they were making a big deal about it which frightened Mom. We all made it up that obstacle, then down a short slide, and then up over two more similar walls. Finally, we got to an obstacle that put Mom past her limit and forced her to turn around. Katahdin is a serious mountain and people get injured on it every week (last week a guy broke his ankle, and yesterday a woman broke her kneecap). I was proud of Mom for how far she came up the mountain, but I was more proud that she knew her limits and didn't put herself in a dangerous situation. She said a tearful goodbye, and headed back down the mountain to the parking lot. Dad, Rachel and I continued up the mountain and the conditions only got worse. The fog was very thick, the rocks were slippery, and the winds above treeline were gusting up to about 50 mph. We slowly made our way up and eventually saw a sign in the fog. I thought it was the famous Katahdin sign, but it wasn't. We had only reached the tableland, a relatively flat section of the climb, and still had a mile and a half to go. Frustrated, cold, wet, and worried about Mom, I hurried along towards the summit. We passed Thoreau Spring and I knew I was on the last mile of my hike. Finally, we could see the sign in the fog. I took the last few steps with Dad and Rachel and burst into tears. All that hard work. The ups and the downs. I was so happy to be there, but I was so sad for it to be ending. It was a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside of me. I collapsed on the sign and embraced it for a while. Dad and Rachel shot some pictures. I sat on top of it and took my summit photo. The fog was so thick that you can hardly recognize my face when you look at the photo. Took a couple pictures with Dad and Rachel. I did it.

At this point, we were all freezing and anxious to get back down off the mountain. After a short photo session and snack break, we turned around and started to head back. The descent was slow and the weather was much of the same. Luckily, the thunderstorms held off and we were not in danger. By the time we reached the bottom and were reunited with Mom, we were all exhausted, wet, cold, and sore. I signed my last logbook on the porch of the ranger station and found out that I was NOBO number 24. Woohoo. Hopped in the car and headed back to Millinocket for a shower, dinner, and some much needed rest. Great day on the AT, and what a way to end the hike. This is by far the best thing I have ever done in my life.

Monson, ME to Baxter State Park, ME 7/12/2009-7/17/2009

Photos: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/573642399UmLVSS?vhost=good-times

7/12/2009 10 PM – Long Pond Stream Lean-to – 15.1 mi today – 2078.8 mi total

Woke up to the smell of bacon. Good things happen on bacon days. AYCE breakfast was excellent. I had 6 eggs, bacon, and sausage, and 5 pancakes and home fries. Yum. Had to clear some space for it. Bought Aqua Mira and settled up. Hit the trail at 9. Took a picture at the 100-mile wilderness sign. Definitely not carrying 10 days of food. Very pretty walk. Sun was out and it was a beautiful day. Stopped for lunch at little Wilson falls. Really enjoying the 100-mile. Crossed Little and Big Wilson Streams. No problem there. Met Old Spice at Wilson Valley Lean-to. He started March 18. Nice guy. Cruised to Long Pond Stream Lean to and Splinter was there! Clean-shaven, it took me a second to figure it out. He finished June 26 and was coming back to do trail magic. He figured out where I was from my blog with some help from the people at Shaws. He had brought some beer up from his car, so we all drank and reminisced. He had some funny stories from katahdin. After 2 weeks off he wants to be back out here. Wonder what it will be like for me. Went to bed late, drunk, and happy!

7/13/2009 9 PM – Carl A Newhall Shelter – 20.8 miles today – 2099.6 mi total

Woke up at 6:30 and started to pack up. Rained overnight. Said thanks to Splinter as he headed to the car with all the empties and our trash. Hit the trail at 8 and took it slow. Spent a lot of time reflecting on my experience and getting misty eyed. Nice view from Burren Mountain. Couldn’t see Katahdin, though. Cruised along and enjoyed the scenery. 100 mile is very pretty, and we have been lucky with the weather. Stopped for lunch at 3^rd Mtn, and just as we were leaving a huge rain shower hit. Had a little bit of hail too. Didn’t last long. Nice view from Chairback Mtn across to Whitecap. Pretty and easy descent to Pleasant River and an easy ford. Last 6 miles were gradual uphill and I was getting hungry. Shelter was full when we arrived, but EKG sweet-talked some SOBOs to give up their spots. EKG, Panama and I are inside with some section hikers. Old Spice had to tarp out. Felt bad for him. Hope it doesn’t rain. Thinking about big miles tomorrow. Only 2 more pages of guidebook left! End is near. Hoping for a good view of Big K from Whitecap!

7/14/2009 9 PM – Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to – 30.3 mi today – 2129.9 mi total

Woke up at 4:30. That was early. Got on the trail at 5. Wanted to get early start to push big miles. Had a snack at Sidney Tappon Campsite. Had Chariots of Fire stuck in my head. Thought about my XC days. 3 quick drinks and we were on top of White Cap looking out over a valley towards Katahdin. Summit was under clouds. Got a quick picture and moved on as wind was high. Snack break at Logan Brook Lean-to. My stomach was all messed up because I didn’t have my normal breakfast and was snacking all day. Cruised past East Branch Lean-to. Terrain was pretty easy today. Short uphill over Little Boardam Mtn. Afterwards it was super flat. I flew along to Cooper Brook falls lean-to and ate a massive breakfast/lunch. Met a SOBO who had injured herself and taken a month off. Hope to avoid the injury bug these last few days. Panama, EKG, and I flew the last 11 miles in 3.5 hours. Held a 3 mph pace for first time in a long time. Felt good to open up the stride again. Trail wasn’t too muddy, but there were a couple boggy spots. Got to the shelter at 6:30 with plenty of daylight. Bugs were bad so we lit a fire, though they are still buzzing around. Had a nice big dinner and enjoyed the company. Staying with a SOBO tonight. Planning another big day tomorrow, so we will be getting up early again, we’re definitely going out in style. Less than 50 miles to go. On the last page of the guidebook!

7/15/2009 9 PM – Abol Pines Campground – 33.2 mi today- 2163.1 mi total

Woke up at 4:30 again. Felt really stiff. Quietly made breakfast and swore a bunch. Popped 4 Vitamin I. Hit the trail at 5:15. Spring for the shelter was really cool. Water was bubbling out of the ground. Sun coming through the trees at a low angle was pretty. Had a nice view of Katahdin from Pemadumcoak Lake. Cloudy on top, but its getting closer. Trail was a bit muddier than yesterday, but not bad. It would have been really bad a week ago, but the recent nice weather had dried it out a bit. Saw some canoe campers across Namakanta Lake. That would be a fun way to see Maine. Rounded Wadleigh Stream Campsite at 9:15. Passed Panama pitter-pattering like a fat kid at a stream crossing. He was pissed when I just leapt across. Hilarious! Got some water and stuffed myself with snacks. Hit the trail again and had the last real climb before Katahdin. Nesuntabunt Mtn. Was very steep. Called home from the top. Started daydreaming on the downhill, which slowed me, down. Had to really focus to catch up to Panama and EKG. Got to Rainbow Stream Shelter at 1:15 and cooked a dinner for lunch. My legs were aching, but the hot food did wonders. Popped 4 more Ibuprofen, wrote in the shelter log and read some nostalgic entries from other NOBOs. Hit the trail again at 2. After 4 miles, I had Energy GU and Panama had 5-hour energy. Those things really work. Energy drinks and ibuprofen have really helped us on the last stretch through New England. Panama was flying and I did my best to keep up. Trail was pretty muddy and we had to dance from rock to rock. Managed to keep my feet pretty dry. Kept our head down and pounded out the miles. Beautiful view of Katahdin from Rainbow Ledges. Got to Hard Brook Lean-to just before 6. We could smell the finish line, but had to take a brake for sore legs. Saw a couple greenhorn SOBOs at the shelter. Absolutely crushed the last 3 miles and completed the 100 mile wilderness at 7. Took us 82 hours to walk 100 miles. Awesome! That makes today my longest 1-day, 2-day and 3-day stretch. What a bad ass way to finish. Got to the Golden Road at Abol Bridge and met Panama’s dad and brother. They fed us well and we demolished everything on the table. Recounted the day and basked in our success. After dinner, we went across the street to Abol Pines to claim our spots in the shelter. We were all thoroughly exhausted, but happy. Stayed up for a while reminiscing about all the good times at the trail. I’m really going to miss the trail when it’s over. Still living the dream and have 15 miles to go. Onwards!

7/16/2009 8 PM – Katahdin Stream Campground – 9.9 mi today – 2173.1 mi total

Woke up at 5:15 and was starving. Panama shared some trail mix and yogurt covered pretzels. After a while, I realized I wasn’t going tot fall back asleep, so I got up and wrote my journal and had breakfast. Abol Pines is a nice place. Right on the Penobscot River, it’s a peaceful place..until a logging truck blasts by. Took my time packing up and wandered over to the campground store. Ate ½ lb cheeseburger and 3 donuts. Hit the trail at 9 and the bugs were out. Signed in at the information kiosk and the BSP boarder. Didn’t stop long as the bugs were terrible. Took it easy and cruised all day long. Had two stream crossings. Managed to make it across the first one with dry feet, but not the second. Took a nice long break at Big Niagara Falls with Panama and reflected on the trip. Met his dad and brother-in-law near Daicey Pond and chatted for a while. Cruised into Katahdin Stream Campground around 1. Registered and chatted with the Ranger. The Birches were full with trail crew, so we got another lean-to. She also gave us some free firewood because we are cool NOBOs. Set up camp and got a fire going to keep away the mosquitoes. Sat around for a while until Blackgun showed up. He had just climbed Katahdin and was heading into town. He’s flip-flopping so he has to make his way to WV to finish (WV – GA) He lost his entire pack in one of the river crossings in the 100 mile wilderness because the water was so high. Yikes! We got pretty lucky with the water levels. Started to rain so I took a nap. When I woke up Panama’s dad and brother had brought us pizza, pasta, beer and McDonalds. Woo Hoo!! Stuffed ourselves thoroughly. Hung out for the rest of the evening. Great last night on the trail. Heading into town tomorrow to wait for Dad and Rachel. Only 5 miles left!

7/17/2009 6PM - Appalachian Trail Lodge - 0.0 mi today - 2173.1 mi total

Got up early and saw Panama and EKG off to the Hunt Trail. Enjoyed a fire over leftover breakfast pizza and then went to the road to hitch into town. Waited 2 hours for a ride. Bugs were bad. Finally arrived in Millinocket at 10:30. Went to the Appalachian Trail Cafe for breakfast number two. Charming place. Had some really funny AT illustrations on the wall from theartfulhiker.com that brought back many memories of the trail. Checked into the lodge and relaxed for a while. Caught up with my family as they were leaving Rochester and starting the long drive up here. Went to the library in the afternoon. There is a Harley Owners Group bike rally in town this weekend, so I saw the parade this afternoon. There were over 500 bikes. Pretty cool. Panama and EKG arrived around dinner time. Panama's family showered and then hopped in the car on their way to the coastline for the rest of the weekend. Sad to say goodbye. EKG and I went to the Cafe for dinner and another thruhiker, James, completed the Sundae Summit Challenge, which is 14 scoops of ice cream, snickers, M&M's, pie, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. It was ridiculous. He looked in pain when he finished it. The biker guys were impressed. Afterwards, I retired to the Lodge and watched tv until my family arrived. Glad to see them. Looking forward to tomorrow. Hope the weather is good.

Rangeley, ME to Monson, ME 7/6/2009-7/11/2009

7/6/2009 - 9:00 PM - Gull Pond Lodge - 13.4 mi today - 1971.6 mi total

Woke up at 7:30 and was really sore from the marathon day yesterday. Took vitamin I and had breakfast. Lazy morning. Organized slackpacking with Bob at Orbeton Stream. Stopped by the post office on the way to the trail so I could pick up my mail drop. Glad that Bob knew where to go because the logging roads are very confusing. He's a typical Mainer. I asked him how to get to Poland Spring and he said "Ya cayn't get therr frum 'ere!" He always has a witty remark. My favorite part of this hostel is the picture of him leaning against the Katahdin sign with the back of his Chevy Suburban in the corner of the picture. He offered to take us up there and save us a whole heck of a lot of hiking. Recent rain had washed out part of the road, so we had to walk 40 minutes to get to the trailhead. Finally started real hiking at noon. Crossed Orbeton Stream without a hitch and started climbing. Stopped at Poplar Ridge Lean-to for lunch. Weather was looking really nice and sunny for a change. Was still feeling groggy on top of Saddleback Junior, so I had a 5-Hour Energy. Those things work! Flew up the next summit and waited for Panama Red and EKG to catch up. Beautiful views. Some locals pointed out Katahdin to us. Woohoo! First view of Big K. Could also see Mt Washington to the South. With the late afternoon sun came thunderstorms, so we got off the ridgeline quickly. Bypassed the Piazza Rock shelter and got back to Route 4 around 6:30. Hitched into town and must have passed Bob going the other direction. Met up with him in the IGA parking lot. Went back to the hostel and cooked dinner. Watched some Deadliest Catch and went to bed around 11 after a shower. Good recovery day. More slack-packing tomorrow!

7/7/2009 - 10:00 PM - Stratton Motel - 18.8 mi today - 1990.4 mi total

Got up at 6:30 today and was in the truck at 7. Wanted to get an early start to get to Stratton. Had to walk 40 minutes to the trailhead again, so didn't get started until about 8:30. Big climb up Lone Mountain. Stopped at Spaulding Mountain Lean-to in the fog for lunch. Wet and cold day. Good day to slackpack. Went up and over Spaulding Mountain and bypassed the Sugarloaf side trail as there was no hope for a view today. Steep downhill to the Carrabassett River. Were able to get across without getting our feet wet. Big climb up and over Crocker Mountain (2000 up and down). Panama took a 5 hour energy and left me in the dust. He got to the road 20 minutes before EKG and I and was standing there shivering from the cold rain. Hitched a ride into Stratton around 6:30. Got our spots at the Stratton Motel and went to the White Wolf Inn for Wolfburgers (halfpound cheeseburgers with bacon and sausage). Yum. Got a pint of Ben & Jerry's from the general store for desert. Came back to the motel and took a shower. Watched TV and crashed on the couch. It will do me good to get away from TV for a while...

7/8/2009 - 10:00 PM - Sratton Motel - 16.7 mi today - 2007.1 mi total

Woke up at 6:30 and had breakfast. Suzie took us to the trailhead at East Flagstaff Road, so we could slackpack back to Stratton today. This is our 5th day of slackpacking, but it has been really good because it allowed us to get through the mountains of Southern Maine while saving our legs. Its a battle every morning just to get out of bed. Ibuprofen and energy drinks are a necessity. Hit the trail at 8 in the fog and wet. Climbed over Little Bigelow quickly. Found a dry spot under a huge boulder to have an early lunch. Big climb up Bigelow. No views at all from the top as the weather was crappy. Stopped by Horns Pond Lean-to for a snack break and talked to the caretaker. We think we are somewhere around number 20 for NOBO's. Woohoo. Very easy hike from there to the road. Finished by 5 PM. Hitched into town and ordered pizza from the General Store. Bought some beer to celebrate crossing the 2000 mile mark. Also planning to complete the "12 pack challenge" tomorrow on Panama's birthday. Should be fun. No more slacking, but we are now back on schedule for summiting on the 18th. Mixed emotions as I get towards the finish line. One day at a time.

7/9/2009 - 8:30 PM - Pierce Pond Lean-to - 15.9 mi today - 2023.0 mi total

Woke up at 6:30 and wished Panama happy birthday. Had my granola, but decided to get 2nd breakfast at the Stratton Diner. Waitress was a sweet old lady. Had an omelette. Settled up with Suzie at the motel and hopped in the car with my full backpack plus a 12 pack. That felt super heavy after 5 days of slackpacking. Had our first beer at the trailhead and the next soon thereafter. Took pictures at the 2000 mile sign (it's actually at mile 2009 on Long Falls Dam Road). Cruised to West Carry Pond Lean-to for lunch and met a couple SOBOs and ate by the pond. Beautiful day and the water was flat. Had beers 6 and 7 and stumbled down the trail. Really flat hiking in the afternoon. Mix of bog bridges and rock hopping. Got to Pierce Pond at 6 and completed the challenge. Beautiful place. Washed my shoes and socks and went for a swim with the leeches (very short swim). Pumped water and cooked dinner. Drying my shoes out with newspaper. Can hear the loons on the pond. Bugs are bad tonight. 155 miles to go.

7/10/2009 - 9:00 PM - Moxie Bald Shelter - 22.8 mi today - 2045.8 mi total

Woke up at 6:30 to a beautiful view of Pierce Pond. Saw 2 loons swimming. Dry shoes didn't last long. Coasted downhill to the Kennebec River by 9. Beautiful day with no clouds in sight. The ATC provides a ferry across the river because it is so big and there is a dam upriver that releases on an irregular schedule. Dave paddled over in his canoe and loaded our packs. Signed a release form and then made our way across. Current was pretty strong (8mph). Panama sat in the middle and took pictures, so I had to go up front and paddle. Haven't had an arm workout in months. Stopped by the Post Office in Caratunk and shipped home 7 pounds of gear (Panama shipped 4 lbs). I am litterally carrying only what I need to survive now. Hopefully this will allow us to sprint to the finish. Mom will probably flip when she opens the box. Feels like I am slackpacking again... almost. As we were leaving town, a lady offered us a beer each. Gotta love trail magic. Tough hiking without my poles. Used a leafy stick for a while but got tired of it. Lunch at Pleasant Pond Lean-to where SOBOs had written about the 2 mountains north of there as if they were Everest. They were really just little 1000 foot bumps. They have a lot to learn. Steamed over Pleasant Pond Mountain and took a short break at Bald Mountain Brook Leanto. View from Moxie Bald was was spectacular. First good view of Katahdin. The end is near! Stopped for the night at moxie Bald Leanto. Bugs are bad tonight. Time to slap on some DEET and hit the sack.

7/11/2009 - 10:00 PM - Shaw's Lodging - 17.9 mi today - 2063.7 mi total

Woke up at 7 and was sore from yesterday. Got moving slowly and was on trail at 8. Easy to pack the bag when you don't have much. Another beautiful day. Wonder how long this nice weather will last. Really flat day. Fording the West Branch of the Piscataquis was a little sketchy. Had to get a leafy stick. Lunch at Horseshoe Canyon Leanto and met some SOBO's. EKG lost her camera sometime in the morning. Bummer. Cruised along in the afternoon. East Branch of the Piscataquis was much lower. Easy crossing. Reached Monson by 3:30. We were really cruising! Got my mail, including my new shoes (pair number 4). Good thing because I blew holes in the side of my old pair. I look like a total newbie with my shiny new shoes and fresh socks. Called home and then went to the local BBQ joint. Had a plate and then hit the gas station for a hiker sized calzone. Panama sweettalked the girl behind the counter and she threw some bacon in the calzone for free. Had a beer to celebrate the last town on the trail. Only 114 to go. Came back to the hostel to hang out. Think it will storm tonight. Glad to be inside. Met some SOBO's. The beards get shorter the farther North we go. Enter the 100 Mile Wilderness tomorrow. Woohoo. One week to go!

Gorham, NH to Rangeley, ME 7/1/2009-7/5/2009

7/1/2009 9:00 PM - Carlo Col Shelter – 16.9 mi today – 1897.3 mi total

Woke up at 7 to find the SoBos gone. Make breakfast, caught the weather forecast (crappy for a week), and packed up. Got dropped off at the trail at 9. Met four more SoBos. They are all bunched up right now. Androscoggin River is really high right now. Eased into the day’s warm and humid intermittent rain. The news said this was the second wettest June on record. Shoes were wet quickly. Trudged through the mud all day. Snack break at Tridet Col Tent site. Lunch at Getain Pond. Climbed Mt. Success, which was very anti-climactic (no sign at top!) Trudged through some more with soaking wet feet. Finally at 7:30, we crossed into Maine, great feeling! Took some pics and celebrated with Panama. Officially a GA-ME hiker. Got to the shelter shortly thereafter and met 3 section hikers. Cooked dinner, pumped water, and now to bed. Psyched for Mahoosuc Notch tomorrow! Only 281 miles to go and 17 more days!

7/2/2009 8 PM – Speck Pond Shelter – 9.5 mi today – 1906.8 mi total

Woke up at 7 and hit the trail at 8:15. SPOT is playing me up and won’t send OK messages, only tracking. Very frustrating. Cloudy, wet, windy, and cold today (again). First four miles were some of the worst of my entire trip. Had lunch at Full Goose Shelter and felt down and out. Read the shelter log and it sounded like a lot of other NoBos felt the same way. Panama and I stuffed ourselves and hit the trail. Mahoosuc Notch was awesome. Very narrow canyon with huge boulders that you have to climb over and around. There were some really tight spots, but we kept our packs on the entire time. Took about 2 hours to go one mile. Huge climb out to Specks Pond. We were in a pond so everything is damp. Getting to bed early and will sleep hard tonight. When will this rain end?

7/3/2009 9 PM – The Cabin – 14.9 mi today – 1921.7 mi total

Woke up at 7 feeling groggy. Slept pretty hard last night. Got on the trail at 8:15. Thick fog and wet trail to start out. Climbed up and over Speck Mtn. Descended to Grafton Notch where the sun finally broke through the clouds for the first time in 3 days. Didn’t last long. With this much moisture in the air, sunlight leads to heat lends to atmospheric destabilization leads to T-storms. Happens like clockwork. Ate lunch at Baldpate lean to 2 miles down the road and the T-storms rolled in. Moved on during a break in the storm. Climbed Baldpate Mtn. And got our first view in Maine. It was beautiful, but I knew it meant more rain to come. Called the Cabin to set up a pick-up. Pumped some water in Frye Notch lean to and climbed over Surplus Mtn. It poured on us. Every day I get more wet than I was the day before! Dunn Falls were flowing fast and hard so we took the blue blaze around. One false step would have been perilous. Met Earle at East B Hill Road and he had towels for Panama and I. Stopped in at the store in Andover and got some milk and cookies. Got to the cabin and downed all the beef stew we could have. Ate ice cream afterwards. Went to bed happy, warm, dry, and full. Looking forward to slack packing tomorrow.

7/4/2009 9:15 PM – The Cabin – 10.1 mi today – 1931.8 mi total

Woke up at 6 to an enormous breakfast. Cook our own omelets, blueberry pancakes, biscuits, gravy and of course bacon. Took some of the leftovers for an afternoon snack. Yum. Packed up the daypacks and hit the trail at 8. The trail was wet and muddy all day long (no surprise there!). We were cruising early, but got our directions mixed up and ended up walking the wrong way down a dirt road. Probably walked an extra 2 miles, very frustrating, especially when it started to rain. Its tough to keep your head up when you are cold and wet and homesick. In tough times you have to take it a day, a mile, and sometimes even one step at a time and just refocus yourself. To be out here is a blessing, but in tough times it is hard to see that. Trudged along behind Panama to Hall Mtn Lean-to. Had our snacks and talked with White Hat and ½ measure who were also slack packing today. From there it was 1500 ft down to Sawyer Notch, fording Sawyer Brook, 1500 feet up over Moody Mtn, and 1000 ft down to ford Black Brook, which was at waist height. Passed a couple that were rock hopping around the puddles and looked embarrassed as we plowed through the water. Met Earle at the road next to the Black Brook and decided to call it a day as it was already 2. Got back to the cabin and did some logistics. Planed my next week, but all is likely to change. Dinner was excellent. Cheeseburger for the 4^th. Here with EKG and 180 tonight. Big day tomorrow, so time for bed. SPOT is broken L Hoping for sun tomorrow.

7/5/2009 11 PM –Gull Pond Lodge – 26.4 mi today – 1958.2 mi total

Woke up at 6 and had another enormous breakfast. Packed up a couple of biscuits for the trail. Bid farewell to Maggie, Mollie and Earle and hit the trail at 8. Started with a big climb up Old Blue Mtn. Cold and windy at the top so I didn’t stay long. Trail was muddy as usual, but there were some spots that appear to be drying out a bit. Slack packing felt great and we were finally able to open our stride and crank out the miles. Stopped for lunch at Bemis Mtn Shelter. Slick descent from Bemis to the stream where we had to ford, but water was surprisingly slow. Next 13 miles were gently rolling. Had some nice views along a couple small ponds. Called Bob at Gull Pond Lodge and arranged our pick-up at 8. Drove to Rangeley and saw a beautiful sunset over Rangeley Lake. Hope this nice weather sticks around. Stopped by IGA to pick up some dinner (rotisserie chicken) and lunch for tomorrow (big sub). Got to the Gull Pond Lodge after dark. Ate, showered, and now to bed. Good day on the trail. Only one more town to stop after this one. Countdown is on!

I climbed Katahdin!

Yesterday (July 18th) I finally climbed Mt Katahdin and completed my thruhike. Woooohoooo! Thanks everyone for your support the whole way. Today we are driving home, a 12 hour ride, but I will fully update my blog in the coming days. Happy Trails!

Jolly Rancher
GAME '09

Quick update from Stratton ME

Hi all! Sorry for the delay in uploading my blog. I am in Stratton, ME with 187 miles left to go. I'm still hanging with Panama Red and we have picked up a new friend in EKG. The past five days, we have slackpacked from Andover to here and we will be slacking again on Wednesday as well (surpassing the 2000 mile mark and getting up and over Bigelow Mountain). Once we clear that hurtle, it's fairly smooth sailing to Katahdin (in terms of elevation gain/loss... miles are still miles). We are shooting to finish on July 18, so we need to average about 18 miles a day, which is definitely doable. Unfortunately, my SPOT has broken, so you won't be able to watch me climb Katahdin, but I promise to post all of the journal entries, photos, videos, and a bunch of other stuff after July 18th. I won't have time to upload much between here and there. The weather has been wet (no surprise there), but we are keeping our fingers crossed for sunny skies as we near Katahdin. We got our first glimpse of her from the top of Saddleback on Monday, though she was really far away. So that's the news. I sent my full journal home and got a fresh one a couple days ago, so look for the July 1-5 entries soon. Thanks to everyone for your support. I really needed it through the crappy New England weather. On to Katahdin!

~Jolly Rancher

Glenclif, NH to Gorham, NH 6/22/2009-6/30/2009

Pictures: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/573311599EczLsP?vhost=good-times



6/22/2009 - 8:30 PM - Eliza Brook Shelter - 17.0 mi today - 1796.8 mi total



Got up at 7 to find the hostel empty. All the old fogie section hikers got up at 5. Not for me thanks! Made breakfast and hit the post office to ship a couple things home. On the trail at 8. My nice dry shoes were wet within 5 minutes as I had to ford a stream. Almost was able to rock hop the whole way across, but my right toe took a dip on the last leap. So frustrating! Pretty steep climb up Moosilauke. Passed a section hiking couple that I met yesterday. Must be tough for them to hike the Whites without "trail legs." The summit was cold, wet, windy, and under a cloud so I didn't get a view. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg58ma0iDnY Had lunch at Beaver Brook Shelter. Descent from Moosilauke was fun! Very steep, but they have put in step and rebar handrails in certain tricky spots. You follow a waterfalls all the way down the mountain. Very pretty. This is what the AT is all about! Only 7 miles from Kinsman Notch to shelter, but it dragged by. Had to skip around the mud a lot which slowed me down. Fun hiking, but I felt like I had gone farther than I had, which is frustrating. Got to the shelter at 7:30 and met Pi and Old Fat Dad. They were already in their sleeping bags, so I quietly went about my business. Blackflies are out tonight. I must have passed Panama Red somewhere because I haven't seen him in any of the shelter logs. Hope to see him tomorrow.



6/23/2009 - 9:00 PM - One Step At A Time Hostel - 8.8 mi today - 1805.6 mi total



Woke up to find one shelter mate already gone and the other loading up. Checked my watch and it was only 5:30! No wonder I was tired. Hit the trail at 6:30, probably my earliest start ever. Climb up Kindsman was tough. Steep and rocky. Trekking poles were more of a hindrance today. Took me 3 hours to go 4 miles. Slow going today. Stopped in at Lonesome Lake Hut to see what those were all about. Met two southbounders (sobos) names Mr Hungry and Stumbles who told me about this hostel. Glad they did. Got picked up from Liberty Springs Trailhead parking lot around 1. Met Chet, a really inspirational guy. Showered and walked into town for a large mushroom pizza. Yum. Walked by the movies and was just in time for the 4:10 showing of The Hangover. Very funny! Wierd to go to the movies alone, though. Hit up P&C for some oreos and chocolate milk. Came back to the hostel and hung out with everyone. Met Watchman and SOHO. Panama Red and Little Tree showed up late. Must have passed Panama the second day out of Hanover. Really glad I took a half day here.



6/24/2009 - 10:30 PM - Galehead Hut - 13.0 mi today - 1818.6 mi total



Got up at 7:30 and decided to go out for breakfast. Went to Pam's in North Woodstock with Panama, Little Tree, Watchman, Soho, and Dutch. Had the Hungry Man's breakfast and split the stuffed french toast special with Panama. Wow! Really good. Went back to the hostel and packed up. Said goodbye to Chet and hit the trail with Panama and Little Tree. Sun was out, though the mountain tops looked under cover. Huge climb out of Franconia Notch. Had an energy drink so I flew up the hill. Once we got on top of the ridgeline, we were walking in the clouds. Took a snack break and the clouds opened up. Absolutely beautiful views. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cvfFCj4ioU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpLb19XvJ-w http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q--NTi4vtbA Awesome walk along the ridge up Mt Lincoln and Mt Lafayette. Dropped below treeline and cruised for a while. Took a break at Garfield Pond and I went in for a swim. My feet sank about 6 inches into the muddy bottom, so I did more of a belly flop than a graceful dive. Panama got half a toe in and then jumped out. Felt alive and refreshed after the swim. Quick climb up Mt Garfield with more beautiful views. Last couple miles to the hut were tough. Arrived at 8 and were welcomed with a huge dinner. Great end to a perfect day. We did "work for stay" which meant that we did the dishes and they gave us the leftovers. I went to bed stuffed and happy. Best day on the trail to date.



6/25/2009 - 7:25 PM - Ethan Pond Shelter - 11.8 mi today - 1830.4 mi total



Woke up at 6:30 and hung around the hut. One of the crew sang to wake the guests in the bunkroom. Made my breakfast and planned out the day. Ate up the leftover pancakes and bacon. Swept the floor to pay for our stay. Panama and I hit the trail at 9 about 30 minutes behind Little Tree as she was trying to meet someone. She must have also taken one of Panama's gaiters by accident because one was missing this morning. Big climb to start with and some nice views back to Franconia Ridge when the clouds burned off. Met a bunch of dayhikers from the huts. Got to Zealand Falls Hut at 1:00 and scored 2 pounds of deli turkey. Panama and I ate some and the packed the rest. Somehow our food bags are getting heavier the farther we go. Flat five miles to the shelter. Very buggy, but no caretaker yet so we didn't have to pay. Think the weather may finally be clearing for us. Hoping for good views tomorrow.



6/26/2009 - 6:15 PM - Mizpah Spring Hut - 9.3 mi today - 1839.7 mi total



Woke up at 7 after a long deep sleep. Made breakfast and packed up camp. One of the work crew warned us about early afternoon thunderstorms. The rangers had issued a thunderstorm warning, which is serious business above treeline. Hit the trail at 7:45 and cruised. Descended into Crawford Notch and got some water at the Saco River. Chugged an energy drink and flew up the hill. Beautiful views from Webster Cliffs, Mt Webster, and Mt Jackson. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph3v_idUsdA Had a clear view of Mt Washington and saw the cog train going up the side. About a mile from Mizpah Hut we started to hear thunder. Hurried along and arrived at the hut just before the rain started. Arranged to do work for stay and ate some leftover pasta for lunch. Played frisbee with some of the croo and then did our chores (dishes and refilling the salt and pepper shakers). Skies cleared a bit, but it was too late to set off for Lake of the Clouds. Don't want to tempt fate above treeline. Set up a slackline for the croo with Panama. He has a lot of experience with that. Had some bug juice and hung out with the croo. Played chess and Uno with some of the guests before dinner. Ate our fill and talked to some of the guests about thru-hiking until lights out at 9:30.



6/27/2009 - 9:00 PM - Madison Springs Hut - 11.8 mi today - 1851.5 mi total



Woke up at 5:30. slept terribly last night. The croo were playing guitar and singing for a while in their room. Had breakfast and hit the trail at 6:30. Sailed along in the morning. Got to Lake of the Clouds Hut at 8:45 and sweet-talked the croo into making us bacon and giving us leftovers. Yum. I went for a swim in one of the lakes. Very cold (lakes above 5000 feet are usually snowmelt). Panama got some great pictures of my plunge. Summited Mt Washington and had some views in and out of the clouds. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7js8s_FHGA Bought some postcards and enjoyed the views. Descended from Washington and mooned the cog train as it chugged up the hill (another thru-hiker tradition)! Didn't get arrested (8 hikers were arrested in 2007 for indescent exposure). Rocky hike from there to Madison Springs Hut. Rained and thunderstormed for a while so I got soaked. Saw around 100 other hikers along the ridge because its a weekend and this is a heavily used trail. Panama and I were both wet and tired by the time we got to the hut, so organized work for stay again even though it was only 3:30. Ate all the leftovers and then scrubbed the fridge. Swept the floor after dinner and had roast turkey. After we ate, Panama and I gave a presentation on thru-hiking to the hut guests as we watched the sun go down. We were talking for close to and hour and answering all kinds of questions. Hope that we inspired everyone. Miles have dropped significantly here in the Whites, but I'm having a lot of fun and eating well. Miss Harley, but I know that he is having fun and recovering at home.

6/28/2009 - 1:00 AM - Carter Notch Hut - 13.7 mi today - 1865.2 mi total

Woke up at 6 and got packed up. Thick fog outside. Swept the floor to earn our breakfast. Ate our fill and hit the trail at 8:30. Must have taken a wrong turn immediately because we found ourselves walking around Mt Madison instead of over it. Very rocky and slow detour. Eventually found the trail again, but it was very slow going. After 2 hours, we had only covered one mile! Frustrating. Huge downhill along the Osgood Trail (about 3000 ft descent). Finally got to Pinkham Notch at 3:00 and had lunch at the visitor center. Very wet. Climb out of Pinkham was cold, wet, and windy. Trail took us up and over all five peaks of Wildcat Mtn. Trecherous terrain. One of those "grind it out" days where you really find out what you are made of. Was starting to get really cold towards the end of the day and started to worry about hypothermia. The White Mtns are no joke. Luckily, I was able to trudge on following Panama's lead. Got to Carter Notch Hut around 8:15 drenched and freezing. The croo let us sleep in the bunkhouse as they didn't have many guests. Changed my clothes and I felt better immediately. Croo made us dinner and then the beer started flowing. Epic night ended around 1AM when Panama and I staggered back to the bunkhouse. Tough day, but feels good to test your limits.

6/29/2009 - 10:00 PM - White Birches Loft - 15.2 mi today - 1880.4 mi total

Woke up really hungover at 9. Staggered to the privy and down to breakfast. Recapped the night over pancakes and apple crisp. Took some ibuprofen and packed up the bag. Did all the dishes and finally hit the trail at noon. Wet clothes, sore muscles, and a hangover is not a fun way to hike. Trail was a stream the whole way due to the ridiculous amount of rain we have had recently. June has been a very wet month. Hiked for a solid 4 hours through the elements to Imp Shelter. Panama decided to stop there as his knee was aching, but I pushed on. Met a couple sobos on the descent. Hitting the crowd now. Big downhill off of Mt Moriah. Had to ford the Rattle River three times at the bottom of the hill. Water level was very high and there were no bridges. Last crossing was very scary. Charged along the last 2 miles and called the hostel from the road at 8:15. I hiked a 8 hours without dropping my pack. Wow. The people at the hostel were very surprised that I made it across the river because a couple of sobos were unable to cross this morning and had to turn back. That made me feel pretty good. Full house at the hostel and everyone was impressed by my river fording skills. Showered and had dinner. Going to zero tomorrow to recover from the Whites and gear up for Maine.

6/30/2009 - 3:15 PM - White Birches Loft - 0.0 mi today - 1880.4 mi total

Pretty relaxing zero today. Took care of business in town and am at the library now. About to go stuff my face. Hope everyone enjoys the blog, pics, and videos. Onward to Maine tomorrow! WOOHOO!

Quechee, VT to Glenclif, NH 6/18/2009-6/21/2009

6/18/2009 - 10:00PM - Dartmouth College - 9.8 mi today - 1736.5 mi total

Woke up at 8:30 and had a wonderful breakfast. Kate came over and picked up Harley. I said a tearful goodbye. Called Rachel and she helped me calm down and focus on how awesome his journey was. He hiked almost 1500 miles! I'm going to miss that dog. Alex and Gervais dropped me off on the trail and I met Panama Red (Wes) coming out of the General Store in West Hartford. Glad to see a familiar face. I had not seen him since North Carolina, so it was good to catch up on all the funny trail stories. He had me laughing in no time. Stopped for lunch at Happy Hill Shelter. Panama pushed on ahead to Hanover. Sad to write my name in the logbook without Harley. Got moving again and got soaked in the rain. Weather report doesn't look good. Reached Hanover by 3 and called Kate, who was still in town. Went with her to pick up her car from the shop and said goodbye to Harley for the second time. Met Panama and went to a pizza place for a free slice of pizza and a beer. My friend Jeremy was in town and dropped by as well. Good to catch up with him. From there, we hit up the food co-op and the library. Afterwards went to Jeremy's friend's frat to crash. Stupid house dog stole some of my food and pooped all over the house. Gross. Still, I was glad to be warm and dry tonight. Weather report looks crappy for the next three days and maybe beyond that. Really want the rain to stop.

6/19/2009 - 9:50 PM - Moose Mountain Shelter - 11.0 mi today - 1747.5 mi total

Woke up at 7 and recapped the night with Panama. Aparently, I slept through a lot of noise. Had some pop-tarts and packed my bag. Stopped by the Bagel Basement for second breakfast. Perused the outfitters in town. Panama bought some new shoes, but I managed to avoid spending money. He hit the trail and I talked to home. Had a burrito for lunch and went to the library. Hit the trail under overcast skies, but stopped at Ben & Jerry's before leaving town. Some mud on the trail, but not as much as in Vermont. Cruised all afternoon and got to Moose Mtn at 7:45. Cooked dinner as it started to get dark. First night alone on the trail (no dog or people). Feels really wierd. Miss Harley a lot. He usually warms up my sleeping bag for me. Its the little things that I'll miss the most. Plan to catch up with Panama tomorrow so I have someone to talk to.

6/20/2009 - 8:15 PM - Hexacuba Shelter - 17.7 mi today - 1765.2 mi total

Was feeling pretty tired after a couple late nights, so I slept in until 7:30. Had breakfast and pumped water. Missed hanging out with Harley. Hit the trail at 8:45. Considering that they forecast rain for 4 straight days, today wasn't bad at all. No rain, but cloudy and humid all day. Cruised along to Holts Ledge where peregrine falcons are nesting. Didn't see any, but had a nice view. Bypassed Trapper John Shelter and pushed forward toward Smarts Mountain. Got really hungry during the final ascent to Firewarden's Cabin. Had lunch on the Fire Tower at 3:00. Another nice view, but White Mtns were shrouded in clouds. Pretty easy hike to Hexacuba Shelter. Interesting hexagon design (and pentagon shaped privy). Met two section hikers that just finished grad school in Boston. Nice girls and watching them try to set up their tent in the shelter was entertaining. One pole is broken, so they tied it to the roof of the shelter. Hitting the sack early. Wonder if I'll see Panama tomorrow at the hostel in Glenclif. Hope I can avoid the rain.

6/21/2009 - 7:00 PM - Hikers Welcome Hostel - 14.6 mi today - 1779.8 mi total

Woke up at 7:00 and ate my pop-tarts. Rain held off overnight, but the trail was slick from dew. Today is the first day of summer, which in the hiking world is hike naked day. Many thru-hikers from previous years have warned me about today, always saying "You can't say you don't like something until you try it." One of the five goals I laid down for myself at the beginning of this hike was "seek out adventure," so i decided to give it a whirl. Wearing copious amounts of bugspray, I climbed Mt Cube and took a video (that will not be posted to youtube!). After about an hour, it started to rain, so I donned my rain gear and plodded on. Guess I can check that one off my lifelist. Had lunch at Ore Hill shelter around noon. The clouds started to clear and the sun came out to play finally. Pretty easy walk from there to Glenclif, though the bugs were out. Got to the Hikers Welcome Hostel around 3:30. Caught the end of the USA-Egypt soccer game. USA advanced! Woohoo. After that, I grabbed a shower and threw my laundry in the machine. I was walking around in a towel while waiting for the laundry to finish, and the hostel owner gave me a hard time saying "You young bucks don't have decency in town." I thought "good thing you didn't see me earlier today, buddy!" Called home and then organized my mail drop. Donated Harley's food to the hiker box. I hope that another trail dog gets to enjoy it. Cooked dinner and chatted with the other hikers here. Nice relaxing day. Tomorrow I will stop by the post office before entering the White Mountains. It begins with Moosilauke tomorrow. Hope that it doesn't rain too much over the next week.

North Adams, MA to Quechee, VT 6/10/2009-6/17/2009

Photos: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/573085599MzDdVz?vhost=good-times

6/10/2009 - 8:30 PM - Melville Nauheim Shelter - 20.0 mi today - 1602.1 mi total

Woke up at 7 and got packed up. Mixed Harley's food with a doggy sports drink mix called K9 GoDog (I call it Doggy Gatorade). He seems to like it and its supposed to help him stay hydrated, which is important as we get farther into summer. Rob drove me to the trailhead. Started at 9:30. Pretty steep climb to start. Hot and muggy so I was sweating like crazy. Crossed the MA/VT border and met Sunn. Hiked with him to the next shelter. Met the first two southbounders of the season (Brad and Will). They're trying to finish by early August, which is super fast! Cruised all afternoon. Very muddy all day long. The dog got really dirty, but cleaned up pretty well. Got to the shelter at 6:45. Met 4 Long Trail (LT) hikers and Sunny. Cooked dinner and pumped water. Nice to have a good conversation. Heading to bed now at dusk. Harley is pooped.

6/11/2009 - 8:30 PM - Story Spring Shelter - 17.4 mi today - 1619.5 mi total

Woke up at 7 and had breakfast. Sunny was already up but the LT guys were still asleep. Only one of them was up when Sunny and I hit the trail at 8. Guess they aren't in the routine yet. Muggy hiking all day. Soaked in sweat by lunchtime. Vermont has more hills than the last couple states, but also doesn't have many views. That wasn't an issue today, though, as the low clouds obstructed any view that I would have had. Hiked with Sunny all day. Nice guy from Texas going to law school in the fall. Lunch at Goddard Shelter at 11:15. The afternoon flew by. Took a break at Kid Gore Shelter and saw evidence of porcupine activity. Really hope the dog doesn't come into contact with one of them. Got to the shelter at 4 and called it quits. Nice easy day. Met trail maintainer Henry and LT hiker Tom. Both very nice. Rained after we arrived but didn't last long. Cooked dinner and relaxed. Nice to have time in camp. Shooting for manchester Center tomorrow. Mail drop waiting there.

6/12/2009 - 9:30 PM - Spruce Peak Shelter - 18.3 mi today - 1637.8 mi total

Got up at 7 and made breakfast. Rained overnight. Sunny had to pack up a wet tent (He was worried that Henry would snore... he doesn't, but most old men on the trail do). Glad I chose to stay in the shelter. Got going at 8:15 in steady rain. The trail was extremely muddy. Sunny and I tried to dance around the puddles to no avail. Our feet were soaking wthin a short while. That's the major disadvantage of my new trail runners. Took a snack break on the way up Stratton. No view as it was too cloudy. Had lunch at Stratton Pond Shelter a couple miles later. Pretty easy afternoon and the sun finally started to come out a bit. Met a LT hiker named Laura. Had a beautiful view at Prospect Rock. Manchester Center sat at the bottom of a green valley surrounded by green mountains. Looked very European. Cruised along and reached the shelter at 6. Nice place that even has a woodburning stove. cooked dinner, rinsed my muddy socks, and chatted with Sunny and Laura for a while. Trying to dry out my boots with candles tonight. e'll see how it works. Plan to drop into Manchester Center tomorrow morning to pick up my mail drop. Did a good job eating my food this week and will hit town with no extra food on my back. Hope the weather is nice tomorrow.

6/13/2009 - 9:00 PM - Big Branch Shelter - 19.3 mi today - 1657.1 mi total

Woke up at 6 and hit the trail at 7:20. Laura joined Sunny and I for the descent to Route 11 as she is spending today in town. Hitched a ride on a mini-bus (there's a car show today so they are using minibuses to transport people around town). Picked up my mail drop and met Sunny outside Friendly's after he went to Price Chopper and EMS. Got a donut from the bakery and said goodbye to Laura. Hitched out and hit the trail at 11:30 (very quick town visit). Big climb up Bromley Mountain to begin with a nice view at the top (FINALLY!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYHcv3MFt9Y. Met a girl from Rochester, and an amateur film maker. Had lunch there with Sunny and then moved on. Nice view from Styles Peak, though the black flies were biting. Pretty obvious where the Green Mountains get their name. Nice mix of trees in the forest (evergreen and deciduous). Trail in incredibly muddy most of the way. Took a snack break at the Peru Peak Shelter and then pushed on to Big Branch. Nice to have a hiking partner with the same pace. Sunny and i talked all afternoon. Got to the shelter at 7 PM. Not bad timing for a resupply day. Threw the dog in the stream because he was so muddy. Cooked dinner and tried to plan the next week or so.

6/14/2009 - 9:00 PM - "Secret Shelter" (AKA Swansong Shelter) - 22.7 mi today - 1679.8 mi total

Woke up at 6:30 and went through the morning routine. It's second nature now. Hit the trail at 7:30 and trudged through the mud. It rained overnight, so it was extra muddy this morning. Little Rock Pond was very pretty. Hoping to see a moose in one of the many ponds that we are passing. No luck yet. Passed two really cool rock gardens before lunch. Got soaked from all the water that had collected on the pine trees and fell on me as I passed. Lunch in the sunshine. Climbed up Bear Mountain from there, but no view. Took a break at Minerva hinche Shelter to pum water. Three miles later, sunny and I went swimming in Clarendon Gorge to cool off. Harley was a baby and didn't get in (he's not a big fan of water). Chatted with a local, and then his brat of a kid threw mud on Sunny's back for no reason. The father displayed his terrible parenting skills by letting the kid get away without apologizing too! Got back on the trail again with a pretty rocky climb. Cruised through the mud for a while, and then the skies opened up. I got soaked. I was not happy, and neither was Harley. Trudged on through the rain and eventually found the sign for the secret shelter. We had heard about it from other hikers and decided to stay here. Found an orange soda (score!) and a bunch of candles. Cooked dinner and dried off the dog. No just chilling in the candle light trying to dry everything out. Really hope that this wet weather ends soon. Muddy trails and wet clothes make me a frustrated hiker.

6/15/2009 - 6:45 PM - Churchill Scott Shelter - 8.7 mi today - 1688.5 mi total

Woke up at 7 and found that Sunny was already eating his breakfast. Got moving so as not to keep him waiting. harley obviously did not want to hike today. He has developed some raw spots on his elbows where the pack rubs him. Started to whimper when I put his bag on. I felt bad, but there wasn't much I could do. I cut a hole in a pair of my socks to make a sleeve for his arm, but they fell off within 5 seconds. Will try to make an adjustment tomorrow. He seemed okay after a while, but I'll have to keep an eye on that. rain held off as we climbed Killington. Just as we reached Cooper Lodge, the sky opened up and we had a huge hail storm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVjS8VjjT1Y. Sunny and I had lunch and waited out the storm. He pushed on when it cleared, but I stayed behind to make some phone calls. Unfortunately, Rachel's dog Lucky has passed away. It brought back memories of our last family dog, Charlie. I made sure to give Harley some extra love today. Left the shelter at 2:30 as the rain started up... again! Really crappy weather and trail conditions in Vermont. Got very frustrated and stopped for the day at the next shelter 3 miles later. Harley was glad to stop. Pumped water and had dinner. Now I have about two hours of daylight to kill. Hoping to attack my med school application essay. I've done some good thinking on the trail, but now I have to get that down on paper. The blackflies are biting now. I am not enjoying Vermont at all. Looking forward to a night off the trail on Wednesday with some friends.

6/16/2009 - 8:00PM - Wintturi Shelter - 21.8 mi today - 1710.3 mi total

Woke up at 7 and dragged myself out of bed. Hit the trail at 7:45 in wet shoes and socks. I don't think my shoes have been completely dry in the past week. Can't seem to find a solution to prevent rubbing on Harley's elbow. He's in some discomfort and avoided the pack more than normal this morning. Will call the vet when I get in town. Chewed through the miles early, plodding through the mud some more. Really hope this ends soon. Ate my GORP next to Kent Pond. Saw Thundering Falls and took some pictures. Nasty climb up Quimby Mountain. Sweated a lot as the weather was heating up. Nice to see the sun again. Lunch at Stony Brook Shelter was cut short by the black flies. Had to climb down a ladder just North of there. Harley found another route down. Met some forest service workers that said this was a dry summer compared to last year. Glad I'm not hiking last year!Cruised until I reached a lookout from the top of a cabin. The owners allow hikers to climb to the top to check out the view (one of the very few I have had in Vermont) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG-Krs0nJms. Beautiful panoramic view. Nice to be rewarded for my efforts. Got to the shelter at 6 and met 5 section hikers. Cooked dinner and am getting an early night. Looking forward to Alex's house tomorrow.

6/17/2009 - 11:30 PM - Alex's House, Quechee VT - 16.4 mi today - 1726.7 mi total

Woke up at 7 and was left camp at 7:45. None of my shetermates were awake when I left. The guidebook made it look like the terrain would be rolling gently the whole way as the elevation numbers were all close. What I didn't take into account was the hills in between all of the landmarks. What a bumpy ride! Sailed through the first 4 miles by 9, but then slowed down significantly until lunch. Luckily the trail wasn't very muddy and the sun was out all day long. There was only one spot where the mud was unavoidable, and it was probably the worst section of the trail so far. I was in mud up to my ankles. Just when I thought my shoes would finally dry out. I was pissed! Walked through a stream just to get the mud off my feet, and then squelched along in wet shoes for the rest of the day. Had lunch on a hillside under some trees. Stopped in at Thistle Hill Shelter to pump water and then pushed hard to reach Route 14 by 3:30. My right knee started to hurt during the last two miles. Hopefully that doesn't become a problem over the next couple days. Met Alex, Elissa, and Ali at Route 14. The car windows all opened as I sat down in the car. Drove to Alex's house and hosed off the dog. His sore spots look really bad today and have been bleeding a bit as we hiked. Decided to call the vet and send her some pictures to see if there was anything I could do that would allow him to heal and hike. After a lot of deliberation and phone calls back and forth, we decided that it is in Harley's best interest that he get off the trail. This is not how I wanted it to end for him. He has been a terrific companion for me and I will miss him terribly over the next 450 miles. My friend Kate is driving back to Rochester from Hanover and has graciously agreed to give Harley a lift. Not looking forward to saying goodbye tomorrow morning. The next few days are going to be really tough for me to transition back to hiking on my own. The crappy weather forecast doesn't help matters either. Apart from that really disappointing news, my stay here in Quechee has been wonderful. I was able to shower, do laundry, and have an amazing dinner. I thoroughly stuffed myself and am looking forward to breakfast tomorrow. Now it's time to hit the sack and cuddle with Harley for the last time on the trail. Here's to a speedy recovery and many more trail miles.

Peekskill, NY to North Adams, MA 5/27/2009-6/9/2009

Hello world! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been on the trail since May 27 and haven't had the opportunity to find a computer until today (I'm currently taking a zero in Dalton, MA). Hope you enjoy the new entries. I'll be entering my 12th state (Vermont) tomorrow. Next update will probably be from Hanover, NH. Thanks everyone for the emails and comments. I'll try to catchup with them today.

Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/572933007WUyEGm?vhost=community

5/27/2009 8:15 pm - RPH shelter - 7 miles today - 1417.7 miles total

First day back on the trail after an 8 day hiatus. Had a really good time at home and in Maine. Glad to see the family and eat good food. Went to the vets and Harley has lost 10 lbs! I lost about 16, but put some back on (thanks to Dinosaur BBQ and Maine lobster). Interviewed with RNews and the story ran on Sunday. Also interviewed with Americorps, and fingers crossed things will work out. Organized everything for the second half (third third) of the hike. Updated schedule and blog. Rachel and I left Rochester at 9 this morning. Easy drive as it was highway all the way. Made life-lists and talked about the future. When I get back, we'll be moving in together. Exciting! Got to the trail at 3:30 and said goodbye to Rachel. I'll see her on Saturday. Bit of an adjustment back to the trail. New shoes, new poles and new pack for Harley. Cloudy and cool. Got to the shelter at 6 and met Firepit, Jail Bait, and Dubs. Cooked dinner and pumped water. Weird adjusting back to the trail. Pleasant evening with new friends.

5/28/2009 9 PM - Telephone Pioneer Shelter - 16.8 miles today - 1434.9 miles total

Got up at 7 and hit the trail at 8:45. Tough to get back into the routine. Hit the deli at Route 52. Bought a breakfast sandwich and muffin. Gave Harley his first dose of doggy Gatorade. Had lunch at Morgan Stewart Shelter. Left my spot behind and didn't realize until 5 miles down the trail :( Suddenly my 16 mile day turned into a 26 mile day. Dropped my stuff and jogged back and forth. got to the shelter at 9 pm. Just me and Dubs. Ate some gorp and went to bed. Hope my legs are okay in the morning.

5/29/2009 9:15 PM - Mt. Algo Lean to - 21.1 Miles today - 1445.6 miles total

Got up late today at 8:15. Hit the trail at 9:30. Rain held off all day. Passed over Dubs which was massive. Took a video at the train station. Train passed and it was powerful. Had lunch at Wiley Shelter. Bypassed Ten mile Shelter. Crossed in to CT, my 10th state. Kind of rocky in the PM. Got to shelter at 7:45 and rain hit. Had gorp for dinner again. Shelter leaks. Sharing with 5 including Dubs. Time for tick check!

5/30/2009 9 pm - Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to - 17.3 miles today - 1472.0 total

Got up at 6:30 but was last out of camp. Harley was slow eating his breakfast. Got moving because I wanted to make sure I wasn't late for Rachel's arrival. Cruised to Stunt Brook Lean to for lunch along the Housatonic River. Nice flat walk for 5 miles. Was on pace until I found Guinea Brook was so full that the stepping stones were underwater. Took the blue blaze around to avoid wet feet, but added about a mile to my day. Thought I would be late, so hurried the last 4 miles to West Cornwall Rd. Timed it perfectly as Cheryl and Rachel pulled up in 10 minutes. Got the bags packed with food, fuel, and sleeping bag and said goodbye to Cheryl. Rachel's first mile was a pretty teep uphill that included a narrow crevice "squeeze" she did great. Got to the shelter around 6:30 and showed her the whole routine. Shared shelter with Dubs, Turtle, Navigator, and 96. Also had a group of Boy Scouts camping nearby. Good day and glad to have Wiggles on the trail with me :)

5/31/2009 9 PM - Plateau Shelter - 16.6 miles today - 1489.5 total

Got up at 6:30 and made Wiggles breakfast in bed. Showed her how to pack everything away (except the thermarest). Hit the trail at 8:30 which beat Flo by 3 hours I think! Climbed Mt. Easter and took a break at Hang Gliders View. Could see Lime Rock Racetrack from there. Tailed the Boy scouts for a while. Decided to push on a bit before lunch. Found a detour at Rt. 7 that was an incredibly long road walk. Did the first mile and stopped for lunch under a tree. As we were packing up, a girl offered us a ride. We gladly took it and avoided the worst of the road walk (I don't like to road walk with the dog). She dropped us off right by the Great Falls at the end of the detour. Snapped a couple of photos and hit the trail again. Covered the next 3.5 miles fast and got to the shelter earlier than expected. Decided to push on as we still had daylight and energy left. Wiggles did especially well. Mostly downhill for the last 4 miles, including a steep drop into Salisbury. I hitched into town to buy a new lighter (mine broke yesterday). Got a ride from a guy named Bob who drove me both ways and waited for me outside the store! Nice guy. Got soda for dinner to. Reached the campsite at 6:30 and did the chores. Made Mac and cheese for dinner. Harley doesn't have much of an appetite today. Not sure whats up. Rachel also freaked out about a snake today. She's worried about bears tonight. First night in the new tent. So far so good. Can't believe Wiggles did 16 her first day! Proud of her :)

6/1/2009 7 pm - Laurel Ridge Campsite - 8.5 mi today - 1498.0 mi total

Woke up at 7:30. Made breakfast while Wiggles and Harley stayed in bed. Mixing Harleys food with doggy energy drink helped. Packed up and left camp at 9:30. Gradual uphill to start. Met an 05 thru hiker that gave us a Snickers bar. Climbed Lions Head and had a GORP break. Very pretty views. Nice walk to Bond Shelter where we had lunch and put a really funny entry in the shelter log. Climbed up Bear Mtn with a couple locals. Met a lot of day hikers. One guy saw Harley carrying a pack and asked if I had ever gone camping with him. I was dumbfounded and simply said yes. Nasty descent to Sages Ravine. Very pretty brook at the bottom with a lot of little waterfalls. Entered MA, state number 11. Gradual uphill to Laurel Ridge Campsite. Set up camp and had Mustard Chicken for dinner. Early to bed so we can get a good start tomorrow. Have to climb 2 mountains early tomorrow, Race and Everett. Glad Wiggles is here. Harley loves to snuggle with her.

6/2/2009 9:30 PM - Travelodge Great Barrington MA - 12.7 mi today - 1510.7 mi total

Woke up at 6:20. Wiggles got the food from the bear box, I made breakfast. Hit the trail at 8. Began with a climb up Race Mt. Dramatic drop off to the East made for great views the whole way up. Ate Gorp at the top. 2 miles later we charged up Mt Everett. Climb was quite steep and rocky. Had a Jolly Rancher each at the top. Also finally meet ACE, a thru hiker that has been tailing me since Georgia. Descended to Glen Brooke Lean to for lunch. Long walk to Jug End Summit with a steep descent from there. After crossing Rt. 41 we entered a 2 mile stretch through a swamp, Mosquito Alley. Used up all our bug spray and put bug netting over our heads. Rachel was embarrassed wearing it, but then realized that everyone else had it on too. Bugs ended at Shay's Rebellion Monument. Pretty easy walk from there to Rt. 7. There was supposed to be a place called the Corn Crib with fruits, veggies, showers and camping. It was no where to be found and we didn't want to camp next to the road. We decided to stay at a hotel as the next nearest shelter was 7 miles away. Called the place to get a room and hitched a ride into town. A lady on her way to her sons little league game and drove us straight there. Paid for the night and took a shower. Had dinner at the brewery next door and tried the Barrington Ale. Very good with my meatloaf special. After dinner we hit price chopper for a couple items and Ben and Jerry's. Went back to the room and collapsed on the room. Ate desert and watched ESPN until I fell asleep. Great day on the trail!


6/3/2009 9 PM - Mt. Wilcox South Lean-to - 11.7 mi today - 1522.4 mi total

Got up at 7:30 and took another shower. Felt great! Hit the continental breakfast in the lobby. English muffins were a bit stale but I still had four of them. Got all packed up and hitched a ride back to the trail. People are very friendly and helpful around here. Got on the trail at 10:!5. The miles crawled by in the early going as today was mostly uphill. Had some nice views back towards Everett and Jug End. Nice when you can see what you have done already. Had a late lunch at Tom Leonard Lean to. 96 rolled in as we were finishing. Enjoyable walk from there although Harley got quite muddy. Good view from the ledges and the birds were quite noisy. Got to Mt. Wilcox Lean to at 6:15. There are 2 shelters here. One built in 1937 and the other in 2007. The new one is sweet and we are staying in the loft. Though it was difficult getting Harley up here. Wiggles made clam chowder while I pumped water. The next two days should be pretty easy going, another great day on the AT.

6/4/2009 7:35 pm - Tyringham MA - 8.8 miles today - 1531.2 mi total

Woke up at 7:30 and took our time getting up. We knew today was a short day, no rush. Ate breakfast and packed the bags. Hit the trail at 10. Steep climb to begin. Made good time as Wiggles is hitting her stride now. A couple buggy spots but not too bad overall. Had lunch at Shaker Campsite. Harley got stung by a bee but was OK. Beautiful hiking weather today. Played a few alphabet games in the afternoon and the miles sailed by. Took the second road into Tyringham to save ourselves a mile tomorrow. This town is tiny. There is a post office, small library and fire station...that's it. We are sleeping under a picnic pavilion. Feels a bit strange sleeping outside in a town. We will meet Nick tomorrow at Upper Goose Pond Cabin and day hike with him on Saturday. Hitting the sack before sundown.

6/5/2009 9 pm - upper goose pond cabin - 8.1 miles today - 1538.2 miles total

Harley barked at 2 kids walking along the road at 5:20 this morning. That was much earlier than I wanted to get up. Went back to sleep and got up at 7:30. Had breakfast and on the trail at 9. Couldn't get a hitched so we walked a mile to the trail. Had our gorp after a good climb. Meet up with 96 and Jared. Rest of the day was pretty even. Got to Upper Goose Pond before 3. Pond was very pretty. Meet the caretaker Wanderer. He showed us the place and made us feel welcome. We are staying here with Pooh Bear, Tortoise, 96, Jared and Julie. Had lunch on the porch. Choose our spot in the bunkhouse and then went for a canoe ride while everyone else napped. Paddled to an island and managed to get out of the boat without wetting our feet. Very serene place. Paddled back and had hot chocolate with everyone. Wanderer lit a fire and our friend Nick (trail name Gecko) showed up. He had been taking care of Wiggles car all week and is meeting us for a day hike tomorrow. Had dinner and enjoyed the company of others. Wanderers told us the history of the cabin and some funny hiking stories. Sat around the fire for a while and are heading to bed now. Great place, great people.

6/6/2009 9:30 pm - Cookie Lady's House - 11.0 miles today - 1549.2 mi total

Woke up at 6:30 and went out with the dog. Wiggles and Gecko slept a little longer. Harley and I went down to the lake which was flat and beautiful. Went back up to the cabin for breakfast. Wanderer cooked everyone pancakes. I had 10 of them. Yum. Packed our stuff and hit the trail. Crossed over I-90 after a mile. This was a major mile stone for me as I have driven under this spot countless times. Glad I am out here doing this. Got to the car and dropped all our gear for a slack pack. I carried the food and water for the day. Wiggles was super fast without a pack. Had lunch on top of Baldy Top. Managed to eat up most of the food. Enjoyable walk with Wiggles and Gecko. Beautiful weather all day long. Harley is going to miss Wiggles when she leaves tomorrow. Got to the cookie lady's house at 4:30 and had cookies and coke. The cookie man Roy drove us back to the car and pointed us in the direction of town. Decided to eat McDonald's for dinner. Went back to the Cookie Lady's to camp and the bugs are biting. Last day for Wiggles was a good one. Now back to the normal routine for me. Should hit VT pretty soon.

6/7/2009 10 pm - The bird cage, Dalton MA - 9.6 mi today - 1558.8 mi total

Got up around 7 and packed up camp. Said goodbye to Gecko and Wiggles. Hit the trail at 8:30 and realized a half hour later that I still had Wiggles ID. Called her and set up a meeting place. Had my first view of Greylock from Warner Mt. Met Wiggles at 11:15 and said goodbye a second time. Easy 2 miles from there to Dalton. Met trail angle Tom on my way in. He gave me a huge bowl of ice cream and told me who had recently passed through. Very nice guy. Called Rob Byrd who I had met in Unionville and he brought me to the birdcage. Met his son Gary and another guy named Sam. Very friendly place. Wall hanging in the bathroom sums it up best : "guest: you are welcome here, be at your ease. Go to bed when you're ready. Get up when you please. Happy to share with you, as much as we've got. The leak in the roof, the soup in the pot. You don't have to thank us, or laugh at our jokes. Sit deep and come often, you are one of the folks." Amazing what a smile and friendly welcome can make you feel like. Threw in my laundry and took a shower. Caught a Red Sox game in the afternoon. Had some chicken and mashed potatoes and then Rob gave me a tour of Pittsfield. Went to Friendly's and got sundaes. Afterward came back and watched the Lakers game. Great relaxing day. Looking forward to 23 mile slack pack tomorrow. Hope to catch up to other thru hikers quickly.

6/8/2009 10 PM - The bird cage, Dalton MA - 23.3 mi today - 1582.1 mi total

Today is my 100th day on the trail! Woke up at 7 this morning. Had some breakfast and packed up the day pack. Rob drove me to North Adams on the north side of Greylock so I would slackpack 23 miles back to Dalton. Started with a very steep climb. Gained almost 3000 ft in 6 miles from North Adams to Greylock. Felt great to slackpack. Meet a section hiker and 2 guys starting the Long Trail (a trail that coincides with the AT and goes to Canadian Border). Signed the register on Mt. Williams though bugs prevented me from staying long. Summited Greylock at noon and took a snack break. Beautiful views and the weather was perfect. I could see 5 states (MA, CT, VT, NY, NH) including the White Mountains in the distance. Bascom lodge was closed for renovations. South of the summit I saw a moose crossing the trail, very exciting! Though I was relieved that the rustling in the woods was not a bear. Pushed on through to Cheshire where I ate lunch and had a milkshake. Talked with a couple nice old ladies at the post office and met a cop at the ice cream store. Another climb out of Cheshire though not as bad as earlier (only 1000 ft). Very pretty views all day. I am certainly getting back into the mountains. MA has been a kick in the pants after the last 4 states have lulled me to sleep. From here it should be rewarding. Got back to Dalton at 7 and showered. Rob took me to the Misty Moon diner where I attempted the Godzilla omelet. This brick of an omelet has 12 eggs, 12 toppings, toast and hash browns that you have to eat in 30 minutes. I made a valiant attempt but fell short. I was on pace having eaten 3/4 of it with 7 minutes to go, but I didn't have enough room in my stomach. I didn't want to push my limits because I had learned my lesson in Waynesboro, VA. Took the last quarter home for breakfast tomorrow. Sad I didn't win a t-shirt but glad I kept it down. Took the dog around the block to walk it off and now hitting the sack. Supposed to rain tomorrow.

6/9/2009 - 2:00 PM -The Birdcage, Dalton MA - 0.0 mi today - 1582.1 mi total

Decided to take a zero today as the weather is rainy and there are a couple of errands I need to run in town (especially update the blog!). Seven miles left in Massachusetts, and then it's on to Vermont!