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!