Harvey and Harley's GA to ME Trek

More speaking engagements... and e-book?

2012-01-29T13:18:00.002-05:00

I haven't really visited this space much recently. My first year of teaching is keeping me extremely busy. Still, I am finding some time to give my talk about the AT at local libraries, and have begun work on converting my journal into an iPad compatible e-book using the newly released iBook Author program by Apple. It is a lot of fun, though progress is slow because of my limited time. I am also in training to complete a Half-Ironman in June. I don't know where I find the time to do all of this. Anyways below are my upcoming speaking engagements. Feel free to swing by if you live in the Rochester area.

February 16, 2012 7PM - Ontario Public Library
May 7, 2012 7PM - Irondequoit Library

More to come!

So tell me... Do you have an iPad? Are you interested in my ebook? I have no idea how much interest there is out there and what the market is for Appalachian Trail ebooks. Hope everyone is enjoying this mild winter!

Radio Interview

2011-09-18T20:54:00.001-04:00

Monday September 19th from 8:15 to 9PM, I will be a guest on a radio show out of Fairfax, VA. You can listen in here: http://www.fcac.org/radiofairfax

Should be fun. Happy trails!

Speaking Engagements

2011-08-11T08:34:00.005-04:00

I have begun to visit many local libraries around Rochester (with Harley of course) to tell the story of our journey on the Appalachian Trail. So far, they have been very well received. Below is the list of my past and upcoming dates. If you are in the Rochester area, please come along and join in. If you are interested in having me come talk to your group (libraries, scout troops, senior centers, Rotary meetings, school groups, etc.) then please contact me at harveysgwilliams@gmail.com

March 22, 2011 - Pittsford Library
July 18, 2011 - Brockport Library
July 27, 2011 - Scottsville Library
August 10, 2011 - Chili Library
August 16, 2011 - Rush Library
October 10, 2011 - Pinehurst Senior Living Center
October 18, 2011 - Greece Library (7:00PM)
November 12, 2011 - Charlotte Library (12:00PM)
December 4, 2011 - Webster Library (2:00PM)
January 19, 2012 - Fleming Point Senior Living (6:30PM)
January 22, 2012 - Penfield Community Library

More to come...
Happy Trails!

Videos from Maine

2010-09-26T12:05:00.003-04:00

I was just going through my Youtube videos the other day and realized that I never posted anything from Maine. Here are the last few videos from my hike. You can also check out my redesigned Youtube Channel page where you can easily access all of my Youtube videos.

http://www.youtube.com/user/hsgw2009

Fifteen seconds of the trail in Maine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ER6X91n8lY

Saddleback Mountain, July 6 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjGbMqhN2FQ

Kennebec River, July 10 2009 featuring Panama Red:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm5jGx-AEf0

Whitecap Mountain, July 14 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxbN6htlPGo

100 Mile Wilderness, July 15 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i82zuhcp6fE

Katahdin Stream Campground, July 16 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1olzJBAE4Zg

Millinocket Bike Parade, July 17 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoVDq5UpFhw

KATAHDIN! July 18 2009:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSZaEm4jv5o

I forgot how awesome my beard looked back then. Those were the days. Nowadays I am spending lots of time reading and observing a high school biology classroom. I am currently working on my Master of Education at the University of Rochester and will hopefully be working as a high school biology or chemistry teacher next fall. Its going really well, but there isn't a day that passes without me thinking back to my time on the trail. It really was an amazing experience.
As always, feel free to email me if you have any questions about the Appalachian Trail. I love talking about it. Thanks for following my blog. Happy Trails!

Gear Review Videos

2010-07-05T11:14:00.002-04:00

So I finally got around to editing and posting my gear review videos to Youtube. They turned into 10 different episodes... guess I'm a bit of a talker when it comes to gear. The links to each part are posted below. Feel free to post comments or email me if you want to discuss anything. Happy 4th of July to all!

The series contains 10 segments:
1. Backpacks - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY4f5NzC2fo
2. Tents - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH4cIOqHsBA
3. Sleep Gear - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=051lgHtZX-U
4. Boots - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uusKFXAmXqM
5. Clothing - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqU25zQyz68
6. Kitchen & Water - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAFpWPioaxQ
7. Other Gear - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DiNxvCxqZ4
8. Stuff you don't need - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ir1nYquBYk
9. Dog Gear - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs1nRAtfL7Q
10. Last minute tips - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLdZ_CSa93A

Exciting Developments

2010-05-21T21:50:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I last posted anything, so I thought I would update the world on what is new in my life. I just got into grad school at the University of Rochester for my Masters of Education in Adolescent Biology and Chemistry. I am really excited to be in the program, and classes already started this past week! It is a 15 month program, which means that I should be done by the end of next summer (and theoretically employed soon after!). As part of my coursework, I have to write a weekly blog where I reflect on what I have learned and how I am progressing as a future educator. Thus, if you enjoyed my trail blog writing and would like to follow along this year, you are invited! Here is a link to my new blog. I will be updating this weekly at the very least (partly because my grade depends on it) and I am looking forward to getting back into the blogging routine.

The second piece of big news is that Rachel and I got engaged last weekend. Go us! Having just begun my Masters program and with Rachel in the midst of med school, we don't anticipate getting married until summer 2012.

As always, if you ever have any questions about the AT or hiking in general, feel free to email me. I love thinking back to my time on the trail. I have done a follow-up video review of all my gear that I wanted to edit, but seeing as my free time has recently evaporated I may have to post it unedited. I will add links here when it goes live. Happy trails!

Picture slideshow

2010-03-11T20:26:00.002-05:00

I finally organized my pictures and created a slideshow. It is posted to Youtube in three parts. Here are the links:

Slideshow Part 1

Slideshow Part 2

Slideshow Part 3

I will also be posting a video in the near future that talks about what I ended up carrying on my hike. I shot a video as I was packing my bag the night before hitting the trail, and a lot of people have emailed me asking what things I liked, didn't like, sent home, etc. Hopefully I will film this in the next couple weeks and post it online. Thanks to everyone who was a part of my journey. Enjoy the pictures!

One year later...

2010-02-22T07:49:00.003-05:00

So it has been a full year since I started hiking the Appalachian Trail. I find myself thinking back to my experience everyday, thinking about where I was, who I was with, and what obstacles (both physical and mental) I was dealing with at the time. I guess I really do have a case of "Springer Fever." Although the final numbers have yet to be reported, the ATC website is showing that 343 of the 1425 Northbounders finished (~24%). I feel blessed that I was able to succeed and at the same time share my experience with so many people. Thank you all again for your support last year.

Hiking with your dog

2009-09-30T16:34:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-16T16:36:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-09T12:38:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-07-21T15:57:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-20T17:10:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-20T17:09:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-20T17:08:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-20T17:06:00.001-04:00

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!

2009-07-19T07:32:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-08T02:11:00.002-04:00

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

2009-06-30T13:08:00.005-04:00

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

2009-06-21T18:07:00.004-04:00

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

2009-06-17T23:33:00.004-04:00

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

2009-06-09T13:55:00.004-04:00

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!

Birthday and RNews story

2009-05-25T09:01:00.003-04:00

Today is my 22nd birthday! Woohoo. I'm looking forward to some mini-golf, batting cages, and Dinosaur BBQ with my family and a close group of friends. I am still planning on hitting the trail this Wednesday, but still have to organize the food drops for the second half of the trip. Lots to do. I also wanted to post a link to the RNews story about my hike that aired yesterday in Rochester. Click below to see the story.
http://www.rnews.com/content/other_features/viewfinder/472528/a-walk-with-harley/Default.aspx
I just got back from spending the weekend in Maine for Rachel's graduation. It was great to see all of our friends and was tough to say goodbyes. Hope to see many of them soon.

Week off the trail

2009-05-21T02:01:00.004-04:00

Hi all and thanks for visiting my blog. I am currently off the trail for about a week as I will be heading up to Maine to attend my girlfriend's graduation on Saturday. I hope to get back on the trail on Wednesday May 27th. Look for more updates then. Also, if you live in the Rochester area, check out RNews this Sunday as they will be doing a piece on my journey. I'll post a link to the story when it goes online. Thanks again for following along!

Delaware Water Gap, PA to Clarence Fahnestock State Park, NY 5/12/2009-5/18/2009

2009-05-20T13:00:00.008-04:00

5/12/2009 - 9:00 PM - Brink Road Shelter - 24.5 mi today - 1308.3 mi total

Got up at 6:30 and had breakfast. Had to wait around for the post office to open at 8:30, so I killed time by packing my bag and going to the bakery for my second breakfast. Also bought a small Fruit of the Forrest pie to bring with me on the trail. Sent home my tent and a couple odds and ends at the post office as I will be using the tent that Easy Goin' lent me for the rest of the trip. The switch will save me about 3 pounds of weight! Hit the trail at 9:30. Crossed the Delaware River along I-80 and entered New Jersey, my 8th state (check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xttA6rZqO0). Pretty walk in the morning, though it is still rocky. Almost stepped on another snake, but luckily it wasn't a rattler. Took a break at Sunfish Pond which is a beautiful glacial lake. Had some nice views throughout the day. New Jersey certainly makes a great first impression. Ate lunch on a little bridge near the Mohican Outdoor Center. Easy Goin' showed up just as I was packing up so we walked together in the afternoon. Climbed a fire tower and had more nice views off of Rattlesnake Mountain. I enjoyed walking with Easy Goin' as we are both at the same stage in life. We are the same age and have both just graduated from college and are trying to figure out the next step. After having walked alone for a while, it was a good change to have someone to talk to and bounce ideas off of (Harley never really gives me any good feedback!). Reached the shelter at 7:30 and met three section hikers from Baton Rouge. Pumped water and had dinner in the dark. Food has to be stored in bear boxes here in New Jersey as it is estimated that there is one bear per square mile in this area. Wonder if we will see one. Decided to save my pie for breakfast, so I made sure the bear box was closed properly. There is no way that I will let a bear steal my pie.

5/13/2009 - 10:30 PM - "The Outhouse" Hostel - 26.7 mi today - 1335.0 mi total

Our shelter mates started moving at 5;30 AM. Harley was pissed. He gave me a look as if to say "Are you kidding me?!" Needless to say he is not a morning dog. Ate my pie for breakfast and it was delicious. Best trail breakfast by far. Hit the trail at 7AM and got to Culvers Gap at 8:15 AM. Called "the outhouse" hostel in Unionville to try to organize slackpaking (Thru-hiking lingo for "hiking without your backpack"). Unfortunately, they didn't have anyone available to drive out to pick up our packs. Easy Goin' and I were disappointed because we had been looking forward to it all night. We stopped in at Joe To Go coffee which is a notoriously un-hiker-friendly place. Joe seemed to be in a grumpy mood, but he gave Easy Goin' a bagel without complaint. I didn't order anything as I have a large food bag. Hiked a bit more and then climbed another fire tower for a great view. I am pleasantly surprised at how beautiful New Jersey is. Ate lunch at the pavilion on Sunrise Mountain with more beautiful views. Met Half Measure and White Hat at the High Point State Park headquarters. They are to Brits hiking from Harpers Ferry to Katahdin. Also answered a bunch of questions from a true New Yorker. This guy drove up in a station wagon that was filled to the brim with stuff and had bikes strapped to the top. His car was riding really low and he asked us the usual set of questions ("how do you get food?" "the dog hikes too?" "You hiked here from Georgia?!!") in a thick New York accent. Its funny to think that he brought a car load of junk with him on his vacation and Easy Goin and are able to carry all of our possesions on our back. To each his own. Solid hike from there, but thankfully we have emerged from the rocks of New Jersey (or so I thought!) and are now in the low land swamp area. Reached Unionville at 7 and was picked up by Butch who drove us to "The Outhouse." The three rules of the Outhouse are (1) when you are here, you are home so treat it as such (2) jiggle the handle on the upstairs toilet and (3) the only dishes that you wash are the ones in your backpack. Very hiker friendly. It is the house of the former Mayor of Unionville who allows hiker to sleep in his basement and really makes you feel at home. We met Dick "the Mayor" on his way out to Damascus, VA for Trail Days (the annual AT hiker festival). Very funny guy. Also met two hikers resuming an '08 thru-hike (TLC and Piece of Work). Took a shower, did the laundry, and ate dinner. Harley was tired so he had dinner in bed (check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXOcSyXU79k) Sat around chatting for a while. Hoping to slackpack tomorrow. Looking forward to a cooked breakfast. Great day on the trail.

5/14/2009 - 8:45 PM - "The Outhouse" Hostel - 17.3 mi today - 1352.3 mi total

Got up at 6:30 today. Harley had breakfast in bed as usual. I made the mistake of feeding him in bed one day and now he expects it every morning. I went upstairs for breakfast and Bill treated us to scrambled eggs, sausage, and pancakes. Yum! Packed my food and water and hopped in the car with TLC, Piece of Work, Easy Goin' and Butch. Hit the trail at 8:00 17 miles North of Unionville. Nice to have a light pack, but wierd to be walking South. Harley was very happy about slackpacking and he was high tailing down the trail all day long. Saw Itchy, One Shoe, and Endor at the road. They are planning to drop into New York City, so hopefully I will see them soon. Nice walking, but the rocks haven't ended yet! Descent from Wawayanda Mountain was steep and rocky. Rained a little bit which made for slick conditions. Got to Route 94 and visited Heaven Hill Farm Market where I got a milkshake, muffin, and split a dozen donuts with Easy Goin'. Yum! From there it was a flat board walk over a swamp. Saw a lot of birds as we meandered along the boardwalk. Had lunch at Pochuck Mountain Shelter. Easy 5 mile walk from there to Unionville. Passed through a wildlife refuge and had a long road walk. Got to town at 4 with plenty of time to shower and check Harley for ticks. Grizzly Adams, Chert, Wally, and Pacman arrived around 6. Great to see them again. We got caught up on all the trail news. There are four other section hikers here tonight (including the three from Baton Rouge). Good thing it was pasta night as it is tough to feed ten hungry hikers. Butch and Bill gave Wally and Pacman a hard time about their British accents. It was a hilarious dinner. Afterwards, we watched a video of Paul Potts, which I guess is a sort of tradition at the Outhouse. Pretty inspiring story. Now just getting ready for bed. The guys are watching Into the Wild. Wierd to be able to watch tv. Officially cross from New Jersey into New York tomorrow.

5/15/2009 - 8:50 PM - Wildcat Shelter - 11.7 mi today - 1364.0 mi total

Got up at 6:30 for breakfast. Scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, and toast today. The two ladies from Baton Rouge were up early again today. Harley was pissed. Had to wait for Easy Goin' to pick up his mail drop from the post office, so we didn't get to the trailhead until 9AM. Said goodbye to the Brits and Californians as I likely won't see them again due to my upcoming week off the trail. Had a lot of bouldering today. Took Harley's pack off a couple times so he could safely navigate a couple spots. He nearly took a couple tumbles. I fell over twice and bashed up my elbow and scraped my hand. The boulders were pretty wet and slick. Crossed the New Jersey/New York border (check out the videos here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nggdG7pB-Sg and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGgig4qLdvc). I am officially in state number 9. Glad to be in my home state. Had some nice views of Greenwood Lake as we walked along a ridgeline. Got to 17A and took a short walk to Bellvale Creamery for a milkshake and lunch. Easy Goin' pushed on as he was trying to do a 26 mile day. I took my time as I had planned on just going to the first shelter. Stopped at Wildcat Shelter for the night and found a March 2009 copy of Backpacker Magazine. I read it cover to cover and then cooked dinner. Three section hikers showed up as I was cleaning up. Nice conversation and they gave me some food. Tomorrow is my last full day of hiking before my week off. Looking forward to a break, but don't want to get too comfortable back in society. I still have a lot of ground to cover.

5/16/2009 - 8:30 PM - William Brien Memorial Shelter - 19.6 mi today - 1383.6 mi total

Woke up at 6 and had breakfast. Reread some of Backpacker Magazine while I waited for Harley to finish his breakfast. Hit the trail at 7:30 and made a conscious decision to not look at my watch and take it slow today. I have a bad habit of counting down the miles throughout the day. I want to shake that way of thinking and instead enjoy the scenery as it comes. It's very easy to get wrapped up in pace, mileages, or time and forget that this is a walk in the woods, not a race. Climbed up Fitzgerald Falls and got some pictures. Someone had used pebbles to write "WHY?" on a boulder along the trail. I had to think about that for a while. It's a question that thru-hikers deal with a lot, especially when the going gets tough. I settled on an answer ("Why not?") and continued on. Good food for thought. Had a couple snack breaks. Humid and cloudy all day, but no rain. Met "Paddy-O" on the way down Agony Grind and scored some major trail magic. He showed me to his truck where he set up a propane grill and cooked me some calzones. I also had a bagel, cookies, chocolate milk, soda, and a "trail bomb" (essentially an Irish Car Bomb). He really made my day. He had everything set up in his truck bed and has been doing trail magic for the last nine years. The trail community is certainly something special. Floated along in the afternoon. Conquered the "Lemon Squeezer" which was quite fun. Stopped in at Fingerboard Shelter and met a guy from West Point who had just finished his finals. Walked .3 miles down Arden Valley Road to get water from a spigot and scored a ride back to the trail from the mother of a thru-hiker ("Big Goose"). I have really lucked out with the trail magic today. Maybe it is an early birthday present from the trail. Got to the shelter at 6:30 and met a bunch of weekenders from Connecticut. Had a fire going which drove away the flies. Called Mom to double check the arrangements. Planning to meet her at Graymoor tomorrow.

5/17/2009 - 9:00 PM - Peekskill Inn - 15.3 mi today - 1398.9 mi total

Thunderstorms overnight. Found out that the shelter was leaky. I didn't care though because I knew that I would be in a motel tonight and would be able to dry everything out. Got up at 6 and hit the trail by 7:15. Cloudy but no rain today. Luckily I miised rush hour at the Palisades Parkway. I have heard horror stories of hikers who have had to wait 20 minutes to cross that road. Highlight of the day was Bear Mountain. Climbed the observation tower with Harley, but didn't have much of a view of New York City due to the weather. Had a snack break, and all of a sudden a large group showed up and started doing a Taekwondo class on top of the mountain. Not what you expect in the middle of the woods. Steep descent from there to the Hudson River. Walked around the Trailside Zoo as Harley wasn't allowed in. Crossed the Bear Mountain Bridge over the Hudson River (check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXlss5WVZFs) and passed the lowest point on the trail (124 feet). Pretty hilly walk from there to Graymoor where I met Mum at 2:30. Harley and I were happy to see her. Harley instantly fell asleep on his bed while I checked him for ticks. He's a spoiled dog. Drove to Peekskill and found a motel. Showered up and went to the store to get lunch food for tomorrow. Had dinner at a little Mexican restaurant with live music. Ate a quesadilla appetizer, combo platter, half of Mum's conbo platter , and a fried banana for desert. Went back to the hotel and had some milk and cookies. Now to bed.

5/18/2009 - 9:00 PM - Peekskill Inn - 11.8 mi today - 1410.7 mi total

Got up at 6 and let the dog out. Had breakfast at the hotel. Really enjoyed orange juice in the morning. Packed our bags and drove to Clarence Fahnestock State Park to drop off the car. Got a taxi back from there to Graymoor. Hit the trail around 9. Started with an easy downhill, but it didn't stay that way for long. Was quite hilly throughout the day without many views. Passed by a number of rockwalls that date back to the Revolutionary War. We passed through one area that looked as though it might have been a large army camp. Met up with Grizzly, Chert, Wally and Pacman. Glad that Mum got to meet them too. Had a variety of terrain today, including a boardwalk over a swamp and some rocky climbs and descents. It was a gourmet day as we had hummus, bread, cheese, and of course summer sausage. After lunch was a very pretty walk as we crossed a stream leading to a waterfall and then climbed a rocky hill that had a massive tree groing with huge roots descending down the rock face (check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVRaVvfTi5E). I also found a white blaze on a piece of bark on the ground next to the trail. I kept it as a memento. I've been looking for one of those for 1400 miles and finally found one. Very exciting. Got back to the car at 4:30 and found that the Fearless Four had left me a message. Harley had a whole bag of snacks as I had accidentally left them in the car this morning. He was giving me a lot of nasty looks about that today. From there we drove to the top of Bear Mountain so Mum could check out the view of the Hudson. It was a beautiful clear day, so we had a great view of New York City. Both of us were stiff getting out of the car. Afterwards we went back to the hotel to shower and got pizza from a local Italian place. Also stopped by the supermarket to pick up milk and cookies which we will deposit on the trail tomorrow for the Fearless Four (little bit of trail magic). Had some Oreos myself and now am going to bed.

Duncannon, PA to Delaware Water Gap, PA 5/4/2009-5/11/2009

2009-05-11T21:50:00.003-04:00

5/4/2009 – 8:45 PM Peters Mountain Shelter – 11.3 miles today – 1148.6 mi total

Got up at 7 today and started organizing my stuff. Went through my food drop and put half of it in my bag and sent the other half to Port Clinton, PA. That will save me a lot of weight over the next 4 days. Had breakfast and hung out with Harley. Had to wait until 11 for the bar to open so that I could get on the computer. Packed my bag and checked out of the room. Meet the owners of the Doyle Hotel Pat and Vicky. Updated the blog and uploaded some pics and videos. Had a big lunch (same as last night) and decided to head off into the rain. It had been raining all morning, so I was debating a zero, so the weather is going to be crappy for a while so I wouldn’t gain anything from sitting around. It was one of those days where you had to look yourself in the mirror and say I’m not a snowman, I won’t melt in the rain. Harley wanted to go as well. Said goodbye to Pat and Vicky and hit the trail at 2:30. Got batteries at the hardware store on the way out so my SPOT won’t breakdown again. Plotted along in the rain over the Juniata River and Susquehanna River. Climbed from there to the ridgeline. Must have been a major accident on one of the roads because I heard sirens all afternoon. Got some good views back of Duncannan. Very rocky at times. I past Clarks Ferry Shelter at 4:30 and pushed onto Peters Mountain Shelter. Rain stopped at 5:30. Arrived at Peters Mountain at 7 PM. Promptly fell on my butt while going down the steps to the privy, going to have a nice bruise. Water was way down the hill. We are with Itchy and One Shoe tonight. A bit chilly, glad I get to snuggle with Harley, hope the rain isn’t too bad tomorrow.

5/5/2009 – 6:15 PM Rausch Gap Shelter – 17.5 mi today – 1166.1 mi total

Woke up at 6:30 and got breakfast ready. Hung with Harley for a while as I knew it would be a short day. Itchy and One Shoe left as I started to pack my bag. Decided to half my lunch before I left and I knew there were no shelters before Rausch Gap. Finally got on the trail at 9:45. Pretty easy walking all day and the rain held off for the most part. Met a ’08 thru hiker at Clarks Valley. He was asking about all of his favorite hostels along the way. Only one climb today and it was pretty long and easy. Had a couple of jets fly overhead but couldn’t see them. Must have been above the clouds. Felt a bit homesick. Smelled a Lilac yesterday and it brought back so many summertime memories of Rochester. Hope to see the lilacs when I take my week off. Funny how a smell can trigger memories and emotions so quickly. Got to the shelter at 4:30 and meet Swamp Fox, Skiman, and Catchup. Itchy and One Shoe were also there. Cool shelter with the spring literally 10 yards away and a nice table around a tree. Cooked dinner and got ready for bed. Everyone else is already in sleeping bags and we still have 2 hours of light. Dog is making the most of it and is asleep already. Looking forward to Pizza tomorrow.

5/6/2009 – 7:20 pm 501 shelter –17.4 mi today –1183.5 miles total

Woke up at 6 and made breakfast. Harley had breakfast in bed. Skiman and Catchup and Swam Fox were out early. I hit the trail at 7:45. It rained overnight but stopped by 5 am. Overcast and a bit foggy all day, but no rain. Pretty easy day. Got to one stream crossing and the water was flowing over the stepping-stones. I didn’t want to risk it, so I found another way across via a road just east of the trail. Glad I did that because those who crossed the stream there said it was dangerous. Crossed under I-81 for the last time. From here I go northeast to New Jersey. Had lunch at William Penn Shelter where I met Santa’s Helper. He is 65 years old and resuming a 2007 thru hike after suffering a heart attack last year. There was a nasty slippery rock field just before William Penn shelter. Hope it dries out soon because it is no fun to slip on the rocks. Easy walk to 501 shelter. Here with Rocky, Swamp Fox, Itchy, One Shoe, Skiman, Catchup, and Santa’s Helper. We ordered food from an Italian place in Pinegrove PA. I got a mushroom Pizza yum. This shelter is fully enclosed but it has a nice large skylight in the middle. Now it is raining and starting to get dark. Hoping for Port Clinton tomorrow but it is supposed to be rocky North of here. Hope the rain stops by morning. Itchy drew a picture of me. I also passed the 1000 mi to go mark today. WOO HOO!

5/7/2009 9:30 pm – Port Clinton, PA – 23.7 mi today – 1207.2 mi total

Got up at 6 today and was on the trail by 7. Leftover pizza was yummy. Rain had stopped by morning but it was still wet all around. It has rained a lot recently, so the literally became a stream for a 2 mile stretch. I had to trudge through 6 inches for over an hour. I found out that my right boot is not water proof. By the end of that stretch both of my feet were soaking, water had come over the top. I had to ring out my socks to avoid getting trench foot. Stopped at Eagle Nest Shelter for lunch after 15 miles and the sun finally came out. Afternoon was nice and sunny, though the PA rocks have begun. My feet got a beat down today. Glad that I am getting my superfeet insoles tomorrow. Got into Port Clinton at 6 o’clock and the outfitter let me in just before he closed up shop. Bought denatured alcohol, a new camelback mouthpiece, and a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream. Set up camp at the pavilion, ate my ice cream and them went back to town for dinner. Got a mushroom Swiss burger at the Port Clinton hotel with onion rings. Yummy Yummy Yummy in my tummy. Met Itchy and One Shoe there. Went back to camp and called home, now I am going to bed. Glad the weather has gotten better. Really tired.

5/8/2009 8:30 PM – Allentown hiking club Shelter – 22.6 mi today – 1229.8 mi total

Got up at 6 and made breakfast. No rush as the post office didn’t open til 7:30. Got my food and superfeet in the mail. Just in time for the worst of the rocks. Left Port Clinton at 8:15. As much as people talk about PA being very rocky, there are many stretches of no rocks at all. Today had a lot of short intense rocky sections, separated by long flat easy sections. Had an early lunch at Windsor Springs Shelter. I think I pampered my stomach by eating 2 nice dinners in a row. It was hungry by 10 am. Got some since Views from Pulpit Rock and the Pinnacle. There was a school group there that liked Harley and gave him lots of attention. A little while later I passed a couple out for a day hike. They had reached a large puddle and didn’t know how to get around it without getting their feet dirty. Harley and I plowed right through the middle of it. Stopped at Eckville Shelter to use the solar shower. It was freeeeezing but I definitely needed the shower. The bugs were really bad this afternoon. I broke out the bug spray but it didn’t do much. I hate when they fly around my ears. It makes some of the rock fields even more dangerous because instead of planting my poles I am swatting at flies. Got to Allentown Shelter at 6 and met The Brothers Grimm, two brother’s section hiking year by year. They gave me some of their food as their hike ends tomorrow. Found 4 ticks on Harley. Hope neither of us gets lime disease. Shooting for Lehigh Gap tomorrow, which is supposed to be the worst of the PA rocks. Elevation profile looks nasty there but the rest is flat. Glad to have a campfire tonight because it drove away the bugs. Warm night.

5/9/2009 8:50 pm – Little Gap – 22.8 mi today – 1252.6 mi total

Got up at 6 and had breakfast. Nice thundershower overnight. Said farewell to The Brothers Grimm and hit the trail at 7:15. Easy walk to start but it didn’t stay that way. Almost fell over twice along the Knife Edge. Not fun. Got to Bake Oven Knob Shelter at 11 and found a beer. I was really excited for the trail magic, and then I tasted it…YUCK! Never going to have Jaguar beer again. In true thru hiker fashion I finished it anyways. Waste Not Want Not. Stumbled from there to Outer bridge Shelter. It was getting hot so I doused Harley at the spring. He hates it when I do that. He also has decided that he doesn’t like Milkbones. When I give them to him, he half chews it and then spits it out. He doesn’t know how good he has it. Climb out of Lehigh gap was intense but fun. It is 1000 ft elevation climb slash rock scramble. Had to help Harley over a couple of rocks. Luckily there was a nice breeze to cool us off. Easy walk after that next to the EPA superfund site with views of Palmerton. Found a campsite just North of Little Gap for the night. Pulled at least 100 ticks off of Harley. Warm night so no sleeping bag. Pretty flat walk tomorrow, I am exhausted!

5/10/2009 9 PM – Kirk Ridge Shelter – 24.6 mi today – 1277.2 mi total

Woke up at 6 as usual. Rolled over and drifted back to sleep. Got up at 6:45 and had breakfast. Hit the trail at 8. Rocks all day long. They ranged in size from golf balls to boulders. Most are solid but some move when you step on them. All of them are hard and give your feet a beat down. Flat walk to Leroy Smith Shelter. Got there at noon for lunch. Met 2 locals on a day hike. They were self-proclaimed amateur ghost hunters – whatever that means. Pumped some water and hit the trail again. Beautiful weather all day long. Partly cloudy cool and breezy. Passed through wind gap and hand a boring 6 mile ridge walk with no views or landmarks. Finally ended at Wolf Rocks with a bit of a view. This is apparently the southern boarder of the glaciers in the last ice age. Got to Kirk Ridge Shelter at 7. There is a spigot here as well as a portable radio. I listened to it over dinner and heard some really good music. It was awesome! I really appreciate music now. I usually just have one song stuck in my head all day, so variety is always nice. Pulled a bunch of ticks off of Harley and got ready for bed. 2 section hikers arrived and one had a guitar. I am being spoiled tonight with all of this music. Tomorrow I will drop into Delaware Water Gap and probably spend the night. Then it is on to NJ!! (never thought I would be excited to go to NJ).

5/11/2009 9 PM- Delaware Water Gap - 6.6 mi today – 1283.8 mi total

Got up at 6 to make breakfast. Hit the trail at 7:15 before my shelter mates woke up. Easy walk into Delaware Water Gap. Had some nice views of Delaware River and NJ. Got into town at 9:30. Staying at the church hostel tonight. They offer hikers a shower and a bunk for free. Friendly people. After I dropped off my stuff I went to the bakery and pigged out. I ate 2 hotdogs, a cheeseburger, a grilled cheese, 2 pieces of pie, 3 cookies and a milkshake. It was great. Picked up my mail drop and picked up my mail drop and did my laundry by hand in a bucket as there is no laundry in town. Called home and planned out my next stretch until I meet mom on Sunday. Hoping to crank out the miles this week. Staying with 2 other guys tonight No Sense and Easy Going. Both very friendly. After dinner (bakery again) Easy Going offered me his tent as he was planning to send it home tomorrow. It is significantly lighter than mine and he showed me how to set it up on the front lawn. So excited! Guess I’ll be sending my tent home tomorrow. Glad I took it easy today.

Harpers Ferry, WV to Duncannon, PA 4/28/2009-5/3/2009

2009-05-03T19:27:00.007-04:00

Photos: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2020129630104728652hsnzjx

4/28/2009 - 9:00 PM - Crompton Gap Shelter - 19 mi today - 1023.9 mi total

Woke up at 6AM this morning when my alarm went off. Said goodbye to the boys from Winchester (gave them a Jolly Rancher each) and hit the trail. Cruised in the morning. Took some nice pictures of the redbuds. Trees are getting leafy. Crossed the Shenandoah River and entered Harpers Ferry. Walked the short side trail through the old Stover College campus (now a National Park Service training center). When I arrived at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), I found Chert, Grizzly Adams, Wally and Pacman loading up their packs and getting ready to move on. It was a nice little reunion and we exchanged stories from the trail. Gary from the ATC came outside and took my picture for the yearbook. I am officially Class of 2009 Northbounder #16. Woohoo! I also picked up my packages (including my new boots) and stated organizing everything. Grizzly took my old shirt, but everything else got sent home. Those boots served me well! Stopped by the Post Office and Ariano's Pizza for lunch (really good!) before calling home. Said my goodbyes to the ATC staff and headed to the lower town to find the ATM. It was out of money, but the guy at the ice cream store let me get $40 using my debit card (minus $3 for an ice cream). Hit the trail at 2:30 PM about 3 hours behind the other guys. The C&O Canal was a nice easy introduction for the new boots. Took a video of some of the turtles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHO1bFeFTzE). It was hot, so Harley went for a swim in the Potomac. Climb from there to Ed Garvey Shelter. Met "Highway Man" who is on the trail for the first day on his way to Katahdin (completing a flip-flop). Took a short break and pushed on. Pretty easy ridge walking, though I notice a difference without the Superfeet insoles. Will call home and have them sent to me in Port Clinton. Got water at Gathland State Park and thought I got stung by a bee, but nothing happened (I'm allergic so I was expecting it to swell up). Arrived at Crompton Gap Shelter at 7 to meet Craig (beginning a flip-flop) and two section hikers. Nice group. Didn't catch up to the "Fearless Five" but still got in a full days of hiking even though I had to resupply. Looking forward to the shower tomorrow at Dahlgren Campground and should get near the Pa?MD border. Can't believe that I'm in state #6 and will hit #7 tomorrow. Woohoo! No more Virginia Blues! Pleasant night. The temp has dropped to a nice level. Hopefully tomorrow will be cooler as well.

4/29/2009 - 9:00PM - Ensign Cowall Shelter - 20.7 mi today - 1044.6 mi total

Got up later than usual this morning. Was the first one out of bed at 7:45. Temp had dropped overnight with a short rain shower. Clouds stayed all day. Got on the trail just before 9. Took it pretty easy in the morning. Stopped in at Rocky Run Shelter for what was supposed to be a short break. Ended up spending 45 minutes there reading my guidebook and munching on teddy grahams. Got going again, but stopped to read the Civil War markers at Reno Monument Road. I have never really been all that interested in Civil War history, but for some reason I found it appealing today. Maybe I am starved for reading material. Harley found it quite boring. A mile later I took a free hot shower at Dahlgren Backpackers Campground. Thank you Maryland Park Service! Two miles later, I found a payphone at the Washington Monument State Park and was able to call Dad. He's going to send my Superfeet to Port Clinton. I decided to have lunch there as it was starting to drizzle. Got going again around 2:15. Just before Pine Knob Shelter, I crossed the I-70 footbridge. Its much nicer to cross over interstates than walk along roads underneath them. Much safer too. Between Pine Knob Shelter and Ensign Cowall Shelter was a long ridgeline walk with quite a few rocky sections. My feet started aching and I started to worry about the infamous Pennsylvania rocks to come. Hopefully they won't be as bad as everyone makes them out to be. After a couple of hours of walking through the drizzle, I decided to call it quits at Ensign Cowall. Got in at 6:30 with plenty of time to do all my chores before dark. Met a SOBO fli-flopper named "Footnote" who was a Blue Ridge Parkway Ranger for 12 years. Nice guy. Hear a Great Horned Owl just as I got in my sleeping bag. Looking forward to Pennsylvania tomorrow.

4/30/2009 - 9:00 PM - Rocky Mountain Shelters - 24.7 mi today - 1069.3 mi total

Woke up around 6:30 and had breakfast while chatting with Footnote. Really nice guy and a great story-teller. He got packed up and left before I even got out of my sleeping bag. Harley was especially sluggish this morning. Finally got on the trail at 8:15 under overcast and cool conditions. Stayed that way all day. Met a couple SOBO flip-floppers from Queens at the trail to Raven Rocks Shelter. Decided not to go down to the shelter as it was off the trail down a hill. Had a snack break on a log and took my jacket off. Couple miles later I took the side trail to High Rocks to check out the view. It's also a hand-glider launch site, so there was a steep drop off. Unfortunately, there was a lot of graffiti. Steep hike downhill through a rock field. Harley had no problem with it and flew down the hill. I took my time and picked my way down slowly. Mat a large group of prep-school boys. Some were inquisitive, some just stared at me, some made their opinions known (one shouted "animal cruelty" as I walked away!). Boys will be boys. Had lunch at Pen-Mar Park just before the border crossing. Took a video as I crossed the Mason Dixon line. There is also a pronunciation change at this point from App-a-lat-chun trail to App-a-lay-shun trail. So far the terrain in PA is super easy. Got to Deer Lick Shelter at 3:00 and knew I would be able to extend my day to Rocky Mountain Shelters. The shelters in Southern Pennsylvania tend to have 2 four person buildings instead of one larger one. At Tumbling Run Shelters, one was labeled "snoring" and the other "non-snoring." Took a picture of Harley outside of the "snoring" one. He didn't think it was very funny. Trail was pretty easy for the last 6 miles, though my feet were aching by the end. Didn't help that the shelters were a quarter mile off the trail and the water source was a half mile downhill. That adds a mile and a half that doesn't count! Met up again with Chert, Grizzly Adams, Wally, and Pacman. Good to catch up with them before they drop into Gettysburg to visit the battlefield. Another great day on the AT. Happy to be in state #7!

5/1/2009 - 6:30 PM - Toms Run Shelter - 19.2 mi today - 1088.5 mi total

Pinch and a punch for the first of the month. Today is my 70th day on the trail, which means that I have been out here for 10 weeks! It's funny to think what I would be doing if I wasn't hiking the AT. I'm glad to be out here with Harley. Woke up at 6:30 and got breakfast ready. It rained overnight. Some guy arrived late last night and set up his tent. He didn't realize that there were two shelter and plenty of room for him. Hit the trail at 7:45 and said goodbye to the Brits and Californians. They were planning on visiting Gettysburg today and resupplying. Got to Route 30 and promptly fell on my face. I slipped on a root and was on the ground before I knew it. Didn't hurt at all, but it must have looked funny to the people driving by. Brushed myself off and continued on my way. Easy walk through Caledonia State Park and then a bit of a climb to Quarry Gap Shelter. That place was beautiful! It was nicely landscaped, had a covered picnic table, and even some hanging flower baskets. It was so nice that I decided to have an early lunch. The sun came out for a bit, but ran away as soon as I got ready to leave. Got pretty wet on the way to Birch Run Shelter, but I just put my head down and cranked out the miles. Took a nice long break there and read an article from a current copy of the New Yorker that someone had left there. Reminded me of my semester in NYC. I prefer it out here. Got going again around 2:30. Easy walking all day long. Finished at 4:45 at Toms Run Shelters. I'm the only one here, so I had the pick of the shelters (chose the one without the birds nest). Made dinner, pumped water, toweled off the dog, and still have about 2 hours of daylight to kill. Guess I'll write my postcards and get caught up with my journal. Looking forward to the "half-gallon challenge" tomorrow. I'm currently 0.65 miles south of the midpoint of the trail (4.7 miles south of the midpoint marker). I'm hoping to hike 19 miles tomorrow, but we'll see what my digestive system says after all that ice cream. I'll be at the store at 10 AM tomorow.

5/2/2009 - 8:45 PM - Boiling Springs Campground - 22.8 mi today - 1111.3 mi total

Got up at 7:30 this morning and got moving slowly as I knew that it was less than 4 miles to the store. Hit the trail at 8:30 under overcast skies. It rained a little overnight, so the trail was quite wet. Stopped and chatted with some weekenders. Lots of people on the trail today. Arrived at the Pine Grove General Store at 9:45 and signed the register while I mentally prepared myself for the challenge. The "half-gallon challenge" is a thru-hiking tradition. Hikers are supposed to eat a half gallon of ice cream to celebrate reaching the halfway point on the AT. Not everyone can do it, but i felt that with my previous experience as an scooper at Bill Wahl's Ice Creamery, I had a pretty good chance. The store opened at 10 and I purchased a half gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream. 26 minutes and 25 seconds later, it was gone. Easy! That was 2240 calories of bliss! Took a load of pictures and a couple videos. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnXJ_hdvheA and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWNEskLA5Ng) Afterwards, I still felt a bit hungry, so I ordered a cheeseburger and grilled cheese sandwich. Took a little while for my stomach to get acquainted with everything, but I kept it all down. I know my limits after that Chinese buffet in Waynesboro! Hit the trail again and enjoyed an easy stroll through Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Took a bunch of pictures at the midpoint marker. Woohoo!I've hiked half of the AT! Easy hike from there to James Fry Shelter, where I had my normal lunch (I'm a metabolic machine!). Pretty easy hike from there to Alec Kennedy Shelter, though there was one ridgeline that they made us zigzag over about 10 times through rock crevasses and over crazy obstacles. Harley had a blast. Decided to move on from Alec Kennedy as I hope to make it to Duncannon tomorrow, and I wanted to get a couple more miles under my belt. Last mile was litterally through a farm. Flat! Got to the little hiker campsite South of Boiling Springs. It's right next to the railroad tracks (less than 30 yards). One just went by and Harley nearly had a baby. Could be a long night... Dinner was great (tofu lasagne, Kit Kat, and Powerbar). Pretty sure I ate more than Michael Phelps today. Hope it doesn't rain tonight. Wet tents are never fun.

5/3/2009 - 11:00 PM - Doyle Hotel - 26.0 mi today - 1137.3 mi total

There were 7 or 8 trains that went by the tent last night. Most of them between midnight and 4AM. I thought I was a heavy sleeper, but there is no way that anyone can sleep through that noise. The dog got used to it after the second or third train. Finally at 5:30 AM, I decided to get up as yet another train went by. It rained a bit overnight, so I had a wet tent to put away. Stopped in the ATC office in Boiling Springs to get water and sign the register. Was on the trail before 7. The first 12 miles today were literally flat. The trail traverses across the Cumberland Valley, crossing the Penn Turnpike and I-81 to skirt around Harrisburg. The easy terrain allowed me to crank out the miles. I reached Scott Farm (the ATC work crew headquarters) at (;45AM, which means that I hiked 10 miles before 10 AM! It was drizzling rain all morning, so I was happy to get out of the rain and have my lunch on the porch. My socks and shoes were soaked from walking through the tall grass. Talked to a guy from Ukraine who had a lot of questions about the trail. Got back to the trail at 11 and met a women two miles north who was sitting in her tent by the side of the trail. It was the same $20 Walmart tent that Dad bought. She had a candle lit (open flame inside a tent is a bad idea) and said that she had been section hiking in Georgia, but decided to come up to Pennsylvania because there wasn't enough oxygen down South. Interesting character. Did the one big climb of the day to Darlington Shelter (all 800 feet of it!). From there it was about 7 miles to Cove Mountain Shelter, but the ridge walk was pretty rocky. Gave my feet a beatdown. Didn't stop at the shelter as it was off the trail downhill. Met a guy at raven Rock who was pretty bummed about life. Gave him a Jolly Rancher and tried to cheer him up. Got to Duncannon, PA at 5PM. Checked into the Doyle Hotel (very hiker-friendly place!). Set up my tent in the room to dry out, and then went downstairs for dinner (burger, onion rings, hushpuppies, and grilled cheese). Called home and now just doing laundry. Weather report doesn't look too good for the next couple days. Guess I'll just grin and bear it.

Front Royal, VA to Harpers Ferry, WV 4/25/2009-4/27/2009

2009-04-28T01:18:00.005-04:00

4/25/09 8:30 PM – Manassas Gap Shelter – 13.7 mi today – 970.3 mi total

Yesterday afternoon we went to Wegmans, which was amazing! I was so happy to be in a Rochester institution, something so familiar so far away from home. We got all the stuff I needed for resupply and steaks for dinner. Went back to the Walker’s house and I took Harley for a little walk. It was a nice relaxing zero day. We had steaks for dinner, as well as corn and grilled tomatoes. Excellent! After dinner I sewed up one of the pockets of Harley’s pack, we’ll see how long it lasts. Told trail stories to the Walkers during a nice chat on the couch. After that it was time for a last check of ESPN and then off to bed. Woke up the next morning to the smell of bacon. Had a pretty big breakfast, but not as big as the day before. Afterwards I packed my bag up, including my overly large food bag and a whole bunch of trail magic. Last night I packaged up 8 cans of soda and candy bars to deposit on the trail to other hikers. That weighed a lot. We all hopped in the van and drove back to the trail. It was hot and sunny. We managed to find the small dirt road that I had been picked up on, where I said goodbye and thank you to the Walkers. Climbed a short side trail back up to the AT and continued on my way North. Was feeling really hot under the heavy backpack and intense heat. Luckily I found a small stream within the first couple miles where I left the trail magic. Hopefully whoever finds it will appreciate the nice cold soda and candy bars. Took it pretty slow all day as we were hiking in the hottest part of the day. Harley learned a new trick—lay down in the stream in order to cool off. There were bugs everywhere. I guess you could say that spring has finally sprung. After crossing Rt 522 the trail runs along side the National Zoological Park Research Center. This is where the national zoo has their breeding grounds and sometimes you can see exotic animals on the other side of the fence. I wasn’t so lucky. Just before I got to the first shelter I passed by a group of 20 brand new young scouts. It was good to talk with them and remember what I went through back in the old days. Stopped in at Jim and Molly Denton Shelter, decided to keep moving as the heat was starting to subside. Passed under I-66 just as the NFL draft was beginning. I wonder who the Bills picked. Got to Manassas Gap Shelter and met a thru hiker in planning named Do-over and three guys from DC. Glad I got there when I did, because a thunderstorm rolled through 15 minutes later. I ate dinner. Then sat down and checked Harley for ticks. I found 8 on him. There are the first I’ve found, including one on his nose. I pulled them all out and he quickly learned to dislike the tweezers. Now he is suspicious every time I try to give him a belly rub. Wrote in the shelter log and hit the sack.

4/26/2009 8:30 PM – Sam Moore Shelter – 19.8 mi today – 990.1 mi total

Woke up at sunrise and was on the trail by 7:45. Spring has finally sprung on the AT, especially at the lower elevations. Flowers are in bloom(lots of trillium today), the trees are budding, and the insects are out. It is a welcome change from the lack of greenery that I’ve had until this point. The temperature started out cool but rapidly increased as the day went on. I took a short break at Dick’s Dome Shelter, which has an interesting shape. I decided to try and get to the next shelter 9 miles north by lunchtime in order to avoid the worst heat of the day. Harley again took the opportunity to lie in the streambed and cool off along the way. We went through Sky Meadow State Park on the way, which is a nice state park with well-maintained trails. Got to Rod Hollow Shelter at 12:30. The temperature was 88 degrees in the shade. Harley and I took a 3-hour lunch break. I was able to relax, eat, pump water and take my first “trail shower” as there was a pipe connected to one of the springs and a bucket that allows me to dunk myself. I poured the bucket over my head three times. That felt cold and refreshing! I also noticed my shoe was starting to fall apart as the sole of my left shoe is ripping away. I tried to fix it with duct tape, but apparently duct tape is not qualified for shoe repair. With only 30 miles to Harpers Ferry I don’t think it will be that big of a problem. We left the shelter around 3:30 and began the “roller coaster” which is 10 climbs and descents in succession in a span of 13 miles. Luckily there was water available in each of the gaps, so Harley was able to drink and I was able to pump water. I think I drank about 2 gallons of water today, double what I normally drink. We got to Sam Moore Shelter at 6:30 and I took my second trail shower of the day. It felt really good. I made dinner and checked Harley for ticks. It was still hot when I unpacked my stuff so I decided to forgo the sleeping bag. Then I hit the sack. Hope to get close to Harpers Ferry tomorrow. Don't think I can get there by 4 (when the Post Office closes), so I'll wait until Tuesday to cruise into town.

4/27/2009 11:30 PM – David Lesser Shelter – mi today – total

Slept really well last night even without the sleeping bag. Got up at sunrise and the temp was in the 60s. Had breakfast, Harley and I played with the stick for a while. Got going around 8 am for the second half of the "roller coaster." Within about 15 minutes of hiking, we came across a turtle on the trail. Harley didn't even see him. I took a little video (will post later) and moved him off the trail. Second half of the roller coaster wasn't that bad, but it started to heat up quickly. Luckily there are a lot of water sources along the way. We also crossed the border from Virginia to West Virginia. I shot a video as I entered state number 5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvlpnLA0TOE). Four miles later, I hit another milestone as I reached the 1,000 mile mark on the trail. It feels good to check off each accomplishment as I go. We were battling the heat as we approached the middle of the day, but thankfully reached Blackburn Trail Center at 1:00. It's a really nice facility run by the PATC (Patomac Appalachian Trail Club). The caretaker welcomed me with an orange soda. I filled up my water bladder, dunked Harley (he didn't like that but it was necessary), and had a nice long lunch on the hostel porch. I ate as much as I could because I knew that there was a big box waiting for me in Harpers Ferry. Harley took a nap as I used the payphone to call home. Everyone was happy that I made it to the 1,000 mile mark. At 4PM, I decided to hit the trail again (even though the temperature was still 85 in the shade). On my way back to the trail, I almost stepped on a Timbe Rattlesnake. Harley must have walked right by it (unscathed luckily). I walked around it. About an hour later, I stopped at David Lesser Shelter for water and decided to stay the night. It had a nice porch with an inviting Adirondack chair. I had the shelter to myself and again left my sleeping bag in my backpack. Saw a lizard while making dinner (lots of wildlife today!). After I had done all of my chores, I wandered down to the campsites to hang out with a group of guys from Winchester, VA. They were out to celebrate the return of one of their friends from the army. I had a couple drinks with them and enjoyed the campfire. Nice group. When I finally returned to the shelter, the lens popped out of my glasses. Luckily, I was able to fix it with my Leatherman (in the dark!). Looking forward to Harpers Ferry tomorrow. Hope I can get up and moving in the morning despite the late night.

Waynesboro, VA to Front Royal, VA 4/18/2009-4/24/2009

2009-04-24T09:51:00.007-04:00

Photos: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2360642510104728652QPzdhF

4/18/2009 - 10:15 PM - Waynesboro, VA - 0.0 mi today - 852.5 mi total

Busy zero day! Showered at the YMCA at 7AM (first person in the building...Mum would be proud). When I was all cleaned up, we all (Chert, Grizzly, Wally, Pacman, and I) headed over to the pancake breakfast. Yum! Ate 9 pancakes and 5 sausages. OJ and milk went down well too. Next, we went to the Post Office, then laundry. Afterwards, I hit Kroger for a couple odds and ends. Updated the blog at the library and went back to camp. The other guys decided to hit the trail today, but I had more stuff to do and chose to stay. Called home and contacted Trail Angel Norman for a ride in the morning back to the trail. Splinter (a guy I had met in Damascus) cme into town and we got a ride from a local youth minister who told us about a time he got mugged and then gave the guy a hug...interesting character. He dropped us off at Ruby Tuesday which was a good 2 miles away from camp and gave us the most confusing set of directions for how to get back. I had the Colossal Burger. Yum! Got a taxi back as it was getting dark and we didn't think we would have much of a chance hitching without our backpacks. I just managed to sew a new sleeve for Harley's pack using just my headlamp for light. Quite pleased with myself, but we'll see how long it lasts. Now to bed. Good day of rest. Looking forward to Shenandoah.

4/19/2009 - 8:45 PM - Blackrock Hut - 19.9 mi today - 872.4 mi total

Got up at 7:30 and started to pack. Cloudy and muggy all day, but no rain. Started to walk to Kroger, but met Norman on his way out of church. He gave me a ride to the trail. Started hiking at 10AM. Filled out a backcountry permit at the Shenandoah National Park entrance station. Pretty easy hiking all day. Had lunch at Calf Mountain Shelter. As I was walking in the afternoon, a tree fell over about 25 yards to my left. It made a lot of noise and was a reminder that anything can happen in the woods. Glad that I had my SPOT with me just in case. Harley is supposed to be on a leash in the park, but having been off leash for the past month or so, he's not too happy about having to stay within six feet of me(and I don't like being tugged in every direction or tripped by the leash). I'm trying to work around it as best I can. I think I will just try to keep him close and clip him in when we get near Skyline Drive or a campsite. We crossed Skyline Drive 7 times today and will cross it 21 more times before we leave Shenandoah National Park. Got to Blackrock Hut at 6:45 and met 6 section hikers. All of them liked having a dog around. Pumped water and had dinner. The bear bag hangers here are pretty annoying. They are twelve foot tall poles with hooks at the top and you have to use another long pole to lift your bag to the top, but the two poles are chained together, so you don't have much range of motion. When your food bag is as heavy as mine usually is, it can be quite troublesome. I almost took my head off. Looks like an easy 20 tomorrow. Might be rainy though. Nice little fire tonight, though it didn't last long.

4/20/2009 - 8:30 PM - Hightop Hut - 21.4 mi today - 893.8 mi total

Got up around 7 and retrieved my wet food bag from the bear pole. Rained solidly all last night and looked like it wasn't going to stop all day. I begrudgingly put on all my rain gear. Took a break at Loft Mountain Campground with a couple from Richmond. It was nice to get out of the rain for a snack break. Pushed on to Pinefield Shelter for lunch. Met another thruhiker named Primitive. He started a week before me and I have been a couple days behind him the whole way. He's slowing down now as his girlfriend joined him in Waynesboro for the rest of the trip. Really like the wraps for lunch (cheese, summer sausage, and honey). From there it was 8 miles to Hightop Hut. Decided to shed my rain pants about three miles before the shelter as I was getting hot and sweaty and the rain had lifted. Big mistake. When I was one mile away from the shelter, all of a sudden there was a thunderclap and a huge downpour. I threw my jacket back on and made a charge for the shelter. It was no use. I was soaked to the skin by the time I got there. Harley was scared of the thunder and mopey from being wet. There were already 8 people at the shelter huddled together out of the rain. They were all very nice and made room for me and the wet dog. I dried Harley off as best as I could and then he went and snuggled on someone's sleeping bag (luckily they were dog lovers). Started to do my other chores and the rain broke and the sun came out. Virginia weather is getting to be more and more like Rochester weather! One of the section hikers (Trailname is "I'll Try") works for the ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) and told me that I am in the first 20 thruhikers of this year and the first one with a dog. Woohoo! We'll have to see what number I am when I get to Harpers Ferry and have my picture taken at the ATC headquarters. We were able to get a fire going, so I dried out my clothes and socks. Crustless Pizza was awesome for dinner (came out more like a stew, but tasted like pizza). All of the other hikers were jealous of my home cooked meal. Forecast doesn't look good for tomorrow (Somebody had a Blackberry). May pull a short day tomorrow. I'm not in any rush.

4/21/2009 - 8:00 PM - Rock Spring Hut - 23.9 mi today - 917.7 mi total

Two months ago today, I began my journey at Springer Mountain in Georgia. I've come a long way since then (so has my beard!). Was the last out of bed this morning. Felt a bit lazy and let everyone else pack up so I had more space to manuever (it gets pretty cramped with so many people in a shelter). Left camp at 9AM, but had passed everyone within the first three miles. Stopped for a snack break at the 900 mile mark and ran into "Bluegrass", a NOBO thruhiker turned flip-flopper (EXPLANATION: He hiked Northbound (trail lingo = NOBO) from Georgia to southern Virginia, and then got off the trail to go to a Grateful Dead concert somewhere near the trail. After the concert, he couldn't get a ride back to the trail, so followed the band to Washington DC where he caught the train to Harpers Ferry, WV. From there he is hiking south until he gets to wherever he got off the trail. "Flip-flopping" is when you hike half the trail in one direction (the "flip") and then "flop" the other way. Most "flip-floppers" start or end both of their sections in Harpers Ferry, WV as that is pretty much the halfway point of the trail. Hope that all made sense. I realize that I use a lot of trail lingo in this blog and should probably explain myself a but more. If you're confused, write me a comment and I'll try to clarify next time). Nice guy, but he had a case of the "Virginia Blues" as he hasn't seen many thruhikers in a while (EXPLANATION: "Virginia Blues" is a pandemic that usually hits thruhikers somewhere in the middle of Virginia. Basically, a lot of people leave the trail in Virginia just because it is long (over 500 miles) and they start to get frustrated and depressed as it seems that you will never get out of the state. Having personally experienced the "Virginia Blues," I can tell you that you feel homesick, you wonder why you ever decided to hike this trail, your feet complain every step of the way, the weather is bad, etc... It's a bad state of mind to be in when you are hiking.). Cruised on through and had lunch at Bearfence Mountain Hut. The beautiful morning weather turned cloudy and eventually rainy over lunch. I decided to try to push through it as I knew there was a little restaurant at Big Meadows Wayside where I might be able to eat some real food. Rain came harder and I picked up the pac. Got to Big Meadows and must have walked right past the wayside without realizing it. By the time I realized where I was, it was too late to double back as they were closed (one of the downfalls of not carrying a map). Very dissappointing. I was soaking wet and would have paid anything to stay at the Big Meadows Lodge and just get out of the rain. It was closed for the season. Cue the "Virginia Blues." I didn't have much of an option, so I kept walking to Rock Spring Hut and the sun finally came out and the rain stopped. What a relief! I found the shelter empty and happily hung a laundry line to try to dry my clothes. Cooked dinner (Chicken and couscous) and watched a beautiful sunset over the valley. Funny how a crappy rainy day can get you down, but a couple hours later you can be on top of the world. Now just looking at the city lights in the valley. Harley is having an intense dream. Let's see if he growls at me tonight (last night he growled at me when I tried to move him so I could get in my sleeping bag. He very quickly realized that I'm the boss!).

4/22/2009 - 8:30 PM - Pass Mountain Hut - 15.3 mi today - 933.0 mi total

Got up at 7, but took my time getting ready much to Harley's chagrine (He likes to get moving in the morning). It was cold last night! Glad I still have my winter gear. Left camp at 9 under partly cloudy skies. Wasn't in a rush as I had planned to hike a short day. Got to Skyland Lodge (one of the attractions along Skyline Drive) at 11AM and found that the breakfast buffet had ended at 10:30 and lunch didn't start until 12. Frustrating! I ordered a box lunch for $12 (ouch) but it was good. First time I have had a sandwich with real bread in a long time. The cookie was delicious. It started to snow as I left. Cue the "Virginia Blues." I can't wait to get out of this state. Pretty easy walk from there. Found a note at Bird Nest #3 Hut from The Walkers, family friends, offering to have me to their house for a night or two. That was exciting. Found another note a couple miles later (They had left notes for along the trail near road crossings). Found a payphone at a road crossing and tried to call, but it went through to voicemail. Will try again tomorrow from Elkwallow Wayside. Looking forward to seeing them and spending a night off the trail (especially with the weather of late). Also tried calling home to no avail. From there it was only one mile to Pass Mountain Hu. Arrived at 4:30 to find an empty shelter and made dinner (lasagne...mmmmmm!). Thought about moving on so that I could get to a payphone earlier in the morning, but decided that I didn't trust the clouds and wanted to avoid a wet tent and dog if possible. Built a nice fire (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVyQRbg9i54) which cured the "Virginia Blues." Off to bed now and an early morning tomorrow so I can meet Mrs. Walker at Tom Floyd Wayside tomorrow.

4/23/2009 - 10:00 PM - The Walker's House, VA - 23.6 mi today - 956.6 mi total

Alarm went off at 6 this morning. Harley didn't want to get up. Had breakfast and hit the trail at 7. It did rain a bit last night, so I am glad that I stayed in the shelter. It was still partly cloudy when I left, but it cleared as the morning progressed. I was really moving as I was motivated by the thought of a night off the trail and real food. Got to Elkwallow Wayside at 9:30 and found that the grill was open. Ordered a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a blackberry milkshake (it's never too early for a burger!). Called Mrs. Walker and decided on a time and place to meet. She mentioned that they lived near to a Wegmans and I was overjoyed. It's been too long since I was last at a Wegmans! I hit the trail again at 10:15 and felt like I was floating along. The combination of friendship, milkshake, and good weather boosted me along the trail. Stopped at Gravel Springs Hut for my second lunch of the day. Ate my normal portion as the burger had gone down without touching the sides. Crossed Skyline Drive a couple more times in the afternoon and finally exited Shenandoah National Park at Possum Rest Overlook. Shenandoah is a really nice park, but due to a combination of the Virginia Blues and some bad foggy weather, I don't think I was able to fully appreciate its beauty. I hope to come back here someday and hike the park again and also drive the length of Skyline Drive. It is a bit wierd as a hiker, though, because you walk along in the trees lost in your thoughts, and all of a sudden you hear a car zoom by about 30 yards to your right. Personally I prefer the backcountry where the nearest road is miles away. There is something to be said for a mountaintop view when the only way to get there is by hiking. It kind of takes something away from the view when you look down and see a road overlook 20 yards below you with car tourists scattered everywhere. Alright enough rambling. Got to Tom Floyd Wayside with 15 minutes to spare and quickly signed the shelter log. The shelter looked really nice and even had a porch area with seats. I hear that the shelters between here and Harpers Ferry are nice. Look forward to checking them out. Found the side trail to VA 601 and follow it to the "parking lot" which was a pulloff on the side of a dead end single lane dirt road in a rural neighborhood. Decided to walk down the road to the nearest intersection in hopes that Mrs. Walker would be able to find it more easily. Good thing I did because she had trouble finding me. Harley and I were very happy to see her and jump in the minivan. She had brought me orange juice, clementines, grapes, and a load of candy for the car ride to the house. I was in heaven! It was kind of wierd to be hurtling down an interstate, but it was a nice break from the trail. We stopped in at the Giant grocery store to pick up stuff for breakfast and then went to the house. I took a shower and threw my laundry in the machine, and then enjoyed a nice dinner with Dr. and Mrs. Walker. I made sure there weren't any leftovers. Called home and got my ESPN fix. The NFL draft is this weekend, which I will obviously be missing. Last year, I was in New York City and attended it in person. Guess I'll just get the full report on Monday or Tuesday when I get to Harpers Ferry. Really glad to be here. Its a little bit of home away from home. After a day of rest tomorrow, I think I will be ready to tackle that last bit of Virginia (I only have 50 more miles in Virginia) and keep heading North.

4/24/2009 - 12:00 PM - The Walker's House - 0.0 mi today - 956.6 mi total

Enjoying a nice zero day here at the Walker's House. I got up early this morning (it's hard to break the early morning habit) and enjoyed a huge cooked breakfast. I think I had 8 eggs, 10 pieces of bacon, two potatoes worth of hash browns, a yogurt, two pieces of toast, and three glasses of orange juice. That should hold me over until lunch time. My body is a metabolic machine right now! I have spent a while updating my blog and adding pictures and videos. I have added a picture link to each of my blog posts so you know which pictures correspond to which entries. I have so many pictures online now, it is starting to get a bit confusing. Here is the link to my "bookmark page" which breaks the album up into different sections: http://community.webshots.com/user/HarleyandMe/bookmarks. Also, if you want to check out the ATC interactive map, check out the link here: http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqLTIYOwGlF/b.4850633/k.9733/Interactive_Map.htm. This afternoon, I look forward to visiting Wegmans and taking the dog for a walk around the neighborhood. Now it's time for lunch. Please feel free to leave comments below (I love reading them) or shoot me an email at harveysgwilliams@gmail.com

Black Horse Gap to Waynesboro, VA 4/13/2009-4/17/2009

2009-04-18T13:09:00.006-04:00

Thanks everyone for following my blog. I'm getting pretty close to the halfway point (Harpers Ferry, WV) which is a big milestone on the AT. If you enjoy reading about my adventures, please consider making a donation to the Red Cross through my site (Just click on the "Donate!" button on the right side of this page) or scheduling a blood donation. Thanks very much to those who have already contributed. I hope that the spring time weather gives everyone a chance to get outside and shake those winter blues!

Photos: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2491622930104728652fYCBUt

4/13/2009 - 8:35 PM - Bryant Ridge Shelter - 17.4 mi today - 750.4 mi total

Woke up at 7AM and started organizing my food and packing my bag in the hotel room. It all fits in much better now that I have switched out the Ridgerest for the new Thermarest that Dad bought. The hotel breakfast was excellent. I had mini-omelettes, pancakes, sausage, a bagel, yogurt, and orange juice. We definitely got our moneys worth. Finally got packed up and decided to go to the outfitter to buy a pair of Superfeet (aftermarket insoles...they make a huge difference!), but they were closed. My socks weren't quite dry after washing them in the sink last night, so we hung them out the window of the car as we drove around town. That drew a couple funny looks. Went to the coffee shop and decided to go to Walmart to pick up a couple odds and ends. Got a couple dry sacks, carabiners, webbing and more Easter candy. Cadbury Mini-eggs are my guilty pleasure. Finally hit the trail at 11 after Dad made an adjustment to Harley's pack. Said our goodbyes and I started to crank out the miles. Took a picture at Harveys Knob Overlook. Stopped for lunch at Bobblets Gap Shelter (nice privy!). Felt a bit homesick after saying goodbye to Dad. We did have a really good time on the trail together. Hit the trail again at 1:30. Cruised most of the day. Met a couple ladies that thru-hiked in 2007. Got to the shelter at 6:30 and decided to stay. This shelter is massive (built for 20) but I am the only person here. Cooked dinner, pumped water, and got ready for tomorrow. Hoping to do big miles so I can catch up to the "Fearless Five minus one." Set my alarm for 6:30. Hopefully I'll hit the trail at 7. Thermarest is very comfy. Harley is sleeping on the Ridgerest until I can catch up with Pacman (He may switch his out as his has a puncture). Feeling a bit lonely and homesick. Tonight is the first night that I have been alone.

4/14/2009 - 9:20 PM - Johns Hollow Shelter - 26.6 mi today - 777.0 mi total

Alarm went off at 6:30, but there was no way I was getting up. Thermarest was way too comfy. Woke up an hour later when a turkey hunter stopped by the shelter and asked me if I had seen any "gobblers" around (I'm still in my sleeping bag, dude...). A little too early in the morning for me to comprehend that there were more people like him running around in the forest clucking like turkeys with rifles over their shoulders (he demonstrated his turkey cluck). That was pretty good breakfast entertainment. Left the shelter at 8:30. Made sure Harley stayed close to me all day. Foggy and rainy, so no views today. Somehow, Harley caught a chipmunk about 5 miles in. Since then he has been sniffing every downed tree and hole in the ground. Pretty major hill climbing this morning. Had lunch at Thunder Hill Shelter after walking under the Guillotine (a rock that is precariously stuck between two boulders... of course the trail goes right underneath it). Got to Marble Spring at 4:45 and decided to kick it up a notch so I could push mast Matts Creek Shelter to Johns Hollow Shelter. Shins started to hurt on one of the downhill switchbacks. Tried to stretch them out and took some vitamin I. Met a trail maintainer from New Jersey at Matts Creek. I asked him how the trail was to the next shelter and he gave me a detailed description through Burlington, Vermont including where I should resupply along the way. James River had an almost perfect reflection when I crossed it. No wind at all today. Made for humid conditions. Fearless Five are only 9 miles ahead I think. Maybe catch them tomorrow. Probably the next day. Harley is snoring again.

4/15/2009 - 9:45 PM - Salt Log Gap - 28.6 mi today - 805.6 mi total

Got up at 6:45 and was on the trail at 7:30. The section hiker I shared the shelter with packed out my trash. Started with a pretty good climb and again found myself in the fog. Not too many views today. Had lunch at Punchbowl Shelter where I met a work crew from the Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Club installing a brand new privy. I was the first to use it. Never before have I had my picture taken or hand shaken just for doing my business. (Check out the picture here: http://mikerieleyspics.shutterfly.com/231) I also got some trail magic (an apple). Nice to eat some fresh fruit. In the shelter log, I found that the Fearless Five left me a challenge... I have to get to Pizza Hut in Waynesboro for dinner on Friday night. Little do they know that I am right on their tail and was already planning to get to Waynesboro on Friday. Still is a long hike. Decided to eat dinner early so I wouldn't have to cook in the dark at the end of the day. Had mac and cheese at Brown Mountain Shelter and pumped water too. Major climb from there to Bald Knob. Had a bit of a view on the way up, but not much. Decided to bypass Cow Camp Gap Shelter as it is .6 miles off the trail. Walked for about an hour in the dark with my headlamp before I decided that it was too foggy and wet to continue. Set up the tent in Salt Log Gap and ate some GORP and Mini-eggs to fill my tummy. Now just about to brush my teeth and go to bed. Shooting for Maupin Field Shelter tomorrow (26 miles). Hope to catch the guys there as I think I am only 5 miles behind. Looking forward to better weather.

4/16/2009 - 9:30 PM - Maupin Field Shelter - 26.1 mi today - 831.7 mi total

Alarm went off at 6:15. Caught a nice sunrise at 6:45 and hit the trail at 7:15. Was pretty flat to start. Had a snack at Seeley Woodworth Shelter and met a group that had stayed with the Fearless Five last night. Told me that I was only about an hour behind them. Checked out the view at Spy Rock and ate lunch at the Priest Shelter. Nice spot and beautiful weather. Enjoyed the sunshine. Nice to have a clear day after three days of fog. Big downhill off of the Priest. Got to a trail intersection where I could have cut off 4 miles and potentially got ahead of the other guys. I thought about it for a half second, and then continued on the AT. I guess I am a purist. I'm not going to yellow blaze like that. Once you break the rule once, its much easier to break it again. Had a snack break at Harpers Creek Shelter and met a section hiker named Steps. Big climb to finish the day with some nice views. Took a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDhpMdSMXVM
Rolled into Maupin Field Shelter at sunset to wild applause from Chert, Grizzly Adams, Wally, and Pacman. Glad to see everyone again. We all exchanged stories and got caught up on the latest trail news over dinner. Waynesboro tomorrow. Glad to be back with the crew.

4/17/2009 - 10:15 PM - Waynesboro, VA - 20.8 mi today - 852.5 total

Got up at 7:15 and on the trail by 8:30. Was able to take a late start as we only had 20 miles to hike today. (Can't believe I just said that!) Still was a tough day as the other guys hike at a faster pace than I usually do. Struggled to keep up in the morning. Harley had no problem. Had lunch at Humpback Rocks. Tried to clear out my foodbag to make room for the maildrop I will be getting from the Post Office. Still have a little Easter Candy stashed away. Afternoon flew by. Hiked fast to Paul Wolfe Shelter, took a nice hour long break, and then hiked fast to Rockfish Gap. Arrived at 5:30. Called a local trail angel for a ride. Checked in at the YMCA (they let us camp on their grounds and shower for free!). Set up the tent and wandered into town. As I was setting up the tent, I took my shirt off for a bit. It was so covered in sweat that it stood up in its original shape all my itself. Yikes! Decided to eat at the Ming Garden Chinese Buffet because the Pizza Hut was only AYCE(all you can eat) salad, not pizza. That was not your average buffet! They had crablegs, sushi, shrimp and mussels in addition to an impressive spread of other foods. We all thoroughly stuffed ourselves (21 plates between 5 people). Chert and I almost ate too much (both of us were sweating pretty good). Only cost $14 per person. Amazing! Here's a video of us waling back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5EaVsrli3g
We strolled back to the campsite and I split off to call home from the payphone in the YMCA lobby. There were kids everywhere running around screaming. Gave me a headache after a while. Now just getting ready for bed. Lots to do tomorrow (shower, library, Post Office, laundry, etc.). Not sure if I will zero or not. Depends on how long the chores take. Apparently the local Kiwanis Club is having a $5 pancake breakfast tomorrow at a church down the street (Jackpot!). Don't want to think about food now, but tomorrow morning, I should be in the mood again.

Pearisburg, VA to Black Horse Gap, VA 4/6/2009-4/12/2009

2009-04-13T02:13:00.004-04:00

Photos: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2775015860104728652QtuTZw

4/6/2009 - 9:00 PM - Bailey Gap Shelter - 23.2 mi today - 649.1 mi total

Woke up an had granola. Got all my stuff packed quickly as I wanted to hit the trail. Everyone else was planning a short hike, but I wanted to get some mileage done before I met my Dad. Paid for the room and said my goodbyes. Hit the trail at 9:15. First couple miles were ugly. The trail passes by a chemical company and then a landfill. Not very nice scenery. Pretty good climb out of Pearisburg, then it was flat ridgewalking for miles. Weather was raining off and on most of the day. I had lunch by myself at Rice Field Shelter, and just as I was about to leave, Stumblefoot arrived walking the other direction. She's a really nice lady. She's 66 and has section hiked about half of the AT over the past 16 years. Pretty impressive that she can do 12 miles days regularly. From there to Pine Swamp Branch Shelter was a breeze. Got there at 5:15 and started cooking dinner. Met a couple thruhiking with their dog. They started in early February, but didn't seem to know too many other thruhikers. Ate and decided to push for Bailey Gap Shelter as I still had daylight and it was only 4 more miles. Pumped water on the way. Finished with a 1000 foot climb in the sleet. Got here to find someone in a huge Coleman dome tent in the shelter...obviously not a thru-hiker. We'll see who emerges in the morning. This guy might be a bum. Hope it doesn't get too cold tonight. Supposed to snow tomorrow, so we'll see what happens. Already a thin layer on the ground. Time to snuggle with Harley.

4/7/2009 - 9:00 PM - Sarver Hollow Shelter - 21.0 mi today - 670.1 mi total

Woke up to a winter wonderland. Harley was not impressed. Temp was in the 20's. I wrapped him in the sleeping bag while I packed everything else. The bum complained about having to walk 1.5 miles in the snow down to the road. Pretty sure he was trying to sound like a hiker and wasn't actually planning on moving all day (later confirmed by some of my friends). Hit the trail at 9:15 and was slow going. Was quite rocky most of the morning along the ridgeline. Had lunch at War Spur Shelter after taking four hours to hike 9 miles. Privy had an April 2009 golf magazine! Took a long lunch. Saw Stumblefoot for the third day in a row and she told me that my friends had decided to take a zero in Pearisburg yesterday to avoid the weather. I left a message in the shelter log calling them the "Fearless Five" and then changed it to "Feeble Five." I told them that I was planning on going to the AYCE in Catawba and that they should get moving if they wanted to make it to Southern BBQ night. Got going again at 2:30. Precarious stream crossing to start with. Harley almost fell off the poorly constructed bridge. Pretty long climb back into the snowy hills. Hit Laurel Creek Shelter at 5 and decided to continue against the dog's wishes. There were a lot of fence crossings near the two roads. Walked through a couple farm fields. One had a mule that did not like Harley and chased him around the field. I broke for the fence in a panic and the dog ran in a terrified circle around the mule and met me at the gate. Once we were both safe on the other side of the fence I had a good laugh. It was scary at the time, but hilarious afterwards. Wish I had a video of that! Harley was not amused. Later we saw Keffer Oak which was massive! It's about 300 years old and 18 feet around. Very impressive. Got a video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooAS90WagA4
As we walked the final mile along the ridgeline, it began to snow again. I had to laugh because the sun was shining, but it was still snowing. Kind of made me miss Rochester weather. Got to the shelter at 7:30. Nice and new with a covered eating area. Met two section hikers (Think Tank and Becky) who are getting up early tomorrow. I'll probably pass them at lunch. Dinner was good and now to bed. Hoping tonight won't be as cold as last night for Harley's sake.

4/8/2009 - 7:45PM - Pickle Branch Shelter - 16.1 mi today - 686.2 mi total

Woke up today at sunrise. Think Tank and Becky were already moving. Ate my granola and took my time as I knew it was going to be an easy day. Still managed to hit the trail at 9. A bit rocky to start. The sun started to heat everything up pretty well. Passed Think Tank and Becky on the way to Niday Shelter. Had peanut butter and imitation crabmeat in m wraps. Tasted really good! Tried to eat up most of my lunch supplies so I can pig out at Homeplace AYCE in Catawba tomorrow. Really looking forward to that. After Niday, there was a pretty big climb up to the next ridgeline, then flat for a long time. Passed a monument for Audie Murphy, the most decorated WWII vet who died nearby in a plane crash. Kind of made me realize that even though I am so disconnected from everything, the world is still turning and stuff is happening. I wonder what President Obama did today. There were a ton of leaves on the ridgeline, so I took off Harley's pack and let him roll around in them. Got a video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ7mStDKn-Y
Got to the shelter at 5 PM. Harley was happy with the short mileage. Pumped water and a thruhiking couple arrived (Adam and Melissa). I've leapfrogged them a couple of times, so it was nice to finally get to talk to them. Adam is from Buffalo, so we talked about the Bills and TO. Still can't believe he is on the Bills. Had dinner and got ready for tomorrow. Hoping to get a good jump on the day and get to Catawba in the early afternoon so I can make my phone calls before Dad's arrival. Dragons Tooth is supposed to be pretty perilous. Hope Harley does okay with it. Looking forward to AYCE and seeing Dad.

4/9/2009 - 8:30 PM - Campbell Shelter - 17.0 mi today - 703.2 mi total
Got up at 7 and made breakfast. Everyone was excited for AYCE. Left camp at 8 and began the long ascent to Dragons Tooth. I had heard a lot about it through the shelter logs, so the anticipation was mounting. Each time I saw some rocks, I got my camera ready, only to discover that it was just a dragon molar (this happened about five times). Finally I got there and found that the "tooth" was down a blue-blazed side trail. Checked it out and took some pictures. Guess I had built it up too much in my mind because I wasn't overly impressed with it. Took an early lunch, but didn't eat much (I didn't want to spoil my appetite for AYCE). The descent from Dragons Tooth was really cool. Very steep and quite precarious. There were even a couple rocks that had ladders bolted in. The dog had no problem getting down and jumped from rock to rock. From there I tried to pick up the pace so I could get to town and use the payphone. Reached the parking lot at 2PM and tried to get a ride the the general store one mile down the road. The lady in the parking lot didn't pick up on my subtle hints that I needed a ride. Decided to try hitching, but it was a busy road and I nobody pulled over until I was about two thirds the way there. I was thankful all the same. Got Harley some water while I ate a grilled cheese, Mountain Dew, and ice cream sandwich to hold me over until the restaurant opened at 4. Called Dad and found to my dismay that he was much closer than expected and would be ready to hit the trail shortly after 4PM. After a 10 hour car ride, he wasn't really in the mood to stuff himself with Southern BBQ. He told me to go ahead anyways, but the timing didn't work out. At 4:15, the shuttle rolled up and took me back to the trailhead, away from the sweet smells of Homeplace. Glen and Pam (two of my Dad's friends) were getting their packs on as we rolled back into the parking lot. Hit the trail again at 4:30 after almost getting run over crossing the road. Glen dropped his water bottle in the road and dad left his in the car. Regrouped at the shelter one mile down the trail. Dad didn't have any water and I hadn't pumped since this morning, so we shared what little I had left. Decided to check out the view from McAfee Knob as the forecast for tomorrow looked grim. The view was absolutely amazing. Probably the best of the trip so far. I got a video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcQMDLxS_No
Zak (another thruhiker) caught up with us there and warned me that Chert, Grizzly, Wally and Pacman were on the hunt for me as they had taken my "Feeble Five" statement as a challenge. They had done mega miles to catch up and meet me for dinner, and of course I was on the trail instead of at the restaurant! I feel bad that I missed them, and I am sure they will give me crap for it tomorrow when they do catch up. The view did make up for the lack of BBQ. Got to Campbell Shelter and set up the tents. Pumped water (double dose) and cooked dinner in the dark. Dad accidently grabbed the wrong dinners (singles instead of doubles) so we had to cook dinner twice. We made the best of it and enjoyed Mum's home cooking (peanut butter chicken for Dad and Keelbassa stir fry for me... YUM!). Mum's dinners are getting better every time. She should start a business. Even so, I wish that my belly was more full. Hope the weather doesn't turn sour tomorrow.

4/10/2009 - 8:00 PM - Hay Rock, Tinker Ridge - 11.4 mi today - 714.6 mi total

Got up at 7 and started making breakfast. Dad wanted oatmeal, so I got the water boiling for him. He also bummed some coffee off of Glen. Glen hit the trail first, Pam followed shortly. Dad and I took our time packing up. It was nice to take the day slowly and not rush anywhere. About 2 miles before we stopped for lunch, Grizzly, Chert, Wally and Pacman caught us and started to roast me. I got a lot of crap for laying down a challenge and then standing them up at the restaurant. They made sure to describe just how good that dinner tasted. I gave them my box of Cheez-its to appease them. Laughs all around. Had some great views from Tinker Cliffs. Ate lunch at Lamberts Meadow Shelter with everyone. Started to rain on and off. Dad and I pumped water and Pam treated her big blisters. Got going again around 2 after a long filling lunch. Took it easy in the afternoon also. Found a pretty good spot to camp under a huge rock about 4 miles before Daleville. Glen had to set up his hammock in a windy spot, but our tents were well protected under the rock. May have thunderstorms tonight. Mixed two different pastas for dinner, and it turned out really well. Mum's food is getting better by the day. Dad lent me his ipod so I listened to three of my favorite songs in the hopes that the stupid "CC's Cat" song would be banished forever. It's a curse! Looking forward to eating by the thruway tomorrow. Great day on the trail with Papa Jolly today. Hope tomorrow is just as good.

4/11/2009 - 8:00 PM - Fullhardt Knob Shelter - 9.0 mi today - 723.6 mi total

Got up at 7 to a nice sunrise. Clouds were cool colors. Glen was already packed up by the time Dad and I got out of our sleeping bags. Guess he had a windy night. I left my tent door open so I could watch the lightning. The rock protected me well all night. Had breakfast and slowly descended into town. Got to the car around 11 and found everyone else in the parking lot. Glen and Pam had already chowed down on Wendy's and were moving on to Bojangles. Chert, Grizzly, Wally, and Pacman had hit the outfitters and then went to Krogers for food resupply. At one point we had the car surrounded with 8 backpacks as everyone was off doing their errands. I sorted through the food boxes while Dad went to get coffee. The coffee shop aalso filled up our water bladders with ice water. Once everyone had done all the town chores and I had taken care of Dad's micro-blister, it was food time. Glen and Pam were set, so they hit the trail again. The rest of us headed to the Mexican restaurant and Dad treated us all to a great lunch. It was the first time the Brits had tried Mexican. The dessert was amazing. Some kind of fried cheesecake creation (xango?). After lunch, Dad hit the trail while I shuttled the guys to Dollar General and the Post Office. Hit the trail again at 2:45. Easy 5 miles to the shelter, but my left foot was hurting more. Felt like it was falling asleep, so maybe I just have the laces done up too tight. Will adjust tomorrow. Got a nice fire going (sitting by the coals now) and cooked dinner. Another great day on the trail. Hoping the weather holds tomorrow too. PLanning to camp near the Blue Ridge Parkway for an easy pick-up on Monday morning. Really enjoying my hike with Dad, Glen, and Pam.

4-12-2009 - 11:30 PM - Comfort Inn - 9.4 mi today - 733.0 mi total

Woke up at sunrise to temps in the high teens. Got up and made oatmeal for breakfast. The fire coals were still hot, but it was too much effort to get them going again. Hit the trail around 9 and had a nice easy walk to start. First hour was a breeze. The closer we got to lunch, the more steep the hills became. Dad had some trouble with his knees, but managed to push through it. Got to Wilson Creek Shelter for lunch around noon. I went down the hill to pump water while Dad took care of his knees and played around with his layering system. Rehydrated a hummus mix for lunch and ate it with rice crackers. Yum! Also finished up some jerky and pepperoni. It was a nice little cocktail party. Dad wrote in the shelter log, and after a nice long two hour lunch, we pushed on. At Black Horse Gap, the trail meets the Blue Ridge Parkway, which it parallels for the next 200 miles. At the Taylors Mountain Overlook, we decided to call it quits. It was only about 4:00, so instead of camping in the woods, we called a local trail angel named Del for a shuttle back to where the car was parked in Daleville. He was a really nice guy, though I had trouble understanding what he was saying through his accent. I did learn that a couple of my thru-hiking friends have unfortunately fallen off the trail. Aparently SpiritFingers is battling some ort of illness that has taken him off the trail. I hope he is feeling better and is able to continue his hike. Also, one of the guys I met in Damascus (Splinter) has developed a staph infection and is headed home to recover. I send my best to both of those guys, as well as Steamboat, who should hopefully be returning to the trail soon. When we got to the parking lot, we decided on Wendy's for dinner. Dad and I had a triple stack cheeseburger each with a large order of fries. MMMMM that went down well. After a filling dinner, we decided that we would rather spend a night in a motel than camp on the ridgeline, so we headed to Comfort Inn and paid the "hiker-corporate" rate of $40 for a double room. After playing around with my gear, uploading my photos and videos, I am finally ready for bed. Be sure to check out my Webshots account as all of my pictures have been uploaded. I have also inserted the new videos into my older blog entries. Tomorrow, Harley and I will hit the trail with an overflowing food bag as Dad, Glen, and Pam head back to Rochester. This has been a nice change of pace, but I am ready to get back on the saddle and crank out some miles. I am hoping to get to Waynesboro by Friday or Saturday. Look for my next update then.

Atkins, VA to Pearisburg, VA 4/2/2009-4/5/2009

2009-04-13T00:57:00.006-04:00

Photos: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2455432780104728652bSQWdZ

4/2/2009 - 9:00PM - Chesnut Knob Shelter - 23.0 mi today - 561.3 mi total

Woke up to the smell of bacon at 7 AM. Breakfast was excellent! We ate all the French toast, eggs, bacon, and hash browns we could take. Finished it off with chocolate cake. After breakfast, it was time to take care of Harley and pack my bag. Loaded up the truck and van and hit the trail at 9:15. Cloudy, but dry to start. That changed. It soon got foggy and wet. Pretty boring walk due to the crappy weather. Quite hilly (for Virginia) most of the way. Harley managed to climb over one of the fence crossings. He couldn't repeat the feat, so it must have been beginners luck. Lunch at Knot Maul Branch Shelter. Tried to eat a lot. Got pretty wet during the last 9 miles. Had to pump water a mile before the shelter because there is no water source here. The pond water clogged my filter and made it hard to pump. This shelter is fully enclosed as it used to be a firewarden's cabin. I really appreciate that as it looks like we are in for a big storm. Weather is supposed to be bad tomorrow as well. Shame because this shelter is supposed to have a beautiful view. The shelter I am heading for tomorrow only sleeps 6, and it looks like we'll have 7. Need to get there early to claim a spot. Not looking forward to the rain. Harley is snoring loud tonight.

4/3/2009 - 8:30 PM - Helveys Mill Shelter - 24.0 mi today - 585.3 mi total

Last night was the worst on the trail by far. If that wasn't rock bottom then I don't want to know what is. I woke up at one point to go to the bathroom. When I came back, I decided to move to the concrete floor because I was feeling cramped on the overcrowded sleeping platform. Good thing I did, because not too long afterwards, I awoke to the sound and smell of Harley vomiting on the side of my sleeping bag six inches from my face. To be honest, it was probably my fault. Rambunny gave me some bacon and leftover bacon grease to mix in with his food yesterday morning. I knew I shouldn't have given it to him, but I felt bad for making him sleep out in the barn on his own all night. I'm sure that is what threw his digestive system for a loop. No more people food. Period. So I spent about a half hour in the dark cleaning up the mess and comforting the dog. I used my entire 10 pack of tissues and my green bandanna. When I finally got back to bed, I tried to put things in perspective and thought to myself "At least I have a roof over my head and I am warm and dry." Ten minutes later, just as I am about to drift off to sleep, the storm picks up and we discover that the roof is leaky, and of course it starts to drip on my face. I moved for the third time, and finally got some sleep. Got out of bed at 7 and we all laughed about the eventful evening. It was really foggy and windy out, so much so that the pivy had a major updraft. If you timed it wrong, then you had to duck so the TP didn't come back to hit you in the face. Trail life is certainly entertaining. Eventually, I dragged myself out of the shelter and headed North. I was feeling sluggish due to the lack of sleep and sore legs. Usually, I speed up after the first hour, but not today. It took me almost five hours to walk ten miles. I was really feeling down about the trail. It certainly is a roller coaster of emotion. The dog did his best to cheer me up. I had a big lunch and gave myself a peptalk. Hit the trail again at 2:30 with a fresh outlook. Felt much better and was finally able to get up to speed. Crossed over yet another Brushy Mountain. Whoever is on the naming committee in this area needs to get more creative. I have climbed 5 "Brushy Mountains" in 3 days. Found a trash can at Laurel Creek and bid farewell to my green bandanna and Harley's mess (Leave No Trace!). Also found an empty trail magic cooler. Bummer. From there it was a very windy walk. Crossing I-77 was not fun. You walk along a road for over a mile. Finally got to the shelter at 7:30 and was glad to meet up with my friends. Today started out terribly, but I was able to dig deep and turn it into something. I'm proud of myself and Harley for pushing so far today. Hopefully he feels better and tonight will be without incident. The sleeping bag doesn't smell as bad as I thought it would, but I am planning on washing it in Pearisburg.

4/4/2009 - 8:30 PM - Wapiti Shelter - 24.0 mi today - 609.3 mi total

Woke up to a great sunrise. Didn't even have to get out of my sleeping bag. Ate my granola and fed the dog. He didn't quite have his appetite back yet. Pretty easy walk in the morning. Made it to Jenny Knob Shelter by noon. Had some pretty intense food fantasies along the way (Garbage plates and Dinosaur BBQ and french bread with slices of brie cheese...). I can't remember the last time I had fresh bread. Pumped water after lunch and hit the trail again. There was a grocery store a half mile away from the trail. I decided it was worth the extra mile roundtrip. Almost got a ride, but the lady had pet allergies. Bought two grilled cheese sandwiches, a coke, York Peppermint Patty, and beer for dinner. That was a nice treat. Sailed through the last 8 miles and met up with Grizzly, Chert, Wally, Pacman, and Spirit Fingers at the shelter. Weather was great today which made for fast happy hiking. Made chili for dinner (yum) and got into bed. Harley had his appetite back. Hitting Pearisburg tomorrow and looking forward to AYCE Chinese. We're going to put them out of business!

4/5/2009 - 11:30 PM - Rendezvous Motel - 16.6 mi today - 625.9 mi total

Woke up and had granola for breakfast. Harley was feeling especially lazy this morning. Last night I woke up to find myself sharing the pillow with him and getting a full blast of dogbreath every time he exhaled. He also went for a midnight stroll and came back 5 minutes later. There was no way that I was going to get out of my bag to follow him. He's a funny dog. Foot was hurting a bit to begin. Had a pretty good climb to start with. Got some excellent views from the ridgeline. Weather was wonderful (sunny and 70's). Had lunch at Doc's Knob Shelter with everyone. Descent into Pearisburg was major. Lots of switchbacks. There were a lot of day and section hikers out due to the nice weekend weather. One of them kept talking to me for about ten minutes, and then when we saw another hiker approaching, he complained about how its so hard to find "peace and tranquility" out here with so many people on the trail! Got to the motel, and they agreed to let all six of us stay in one room with two double beds! It will only cost $9 a person. Showered and watched the weather channel...not good. Once everyone was ready, we decided to hit up the Chinese place. Luckily, a section hiker named Stumblefoot let us borrow her car so we didn't have to walk a mile there. I drove for the first time in six weeks. I love driving, so it was a nice treat. Had 3 heaped plates of Chinese plus a plate of desert. Only cost $9. Amazing! Afterwards, we went to Food Lion and Dollar General to resupply. I bought a pack of fun size Snickers to give to Stumblefoot as a thank you. Started the laundry and watched some late night tv. I called home and found out that my SPOT hadn't sent up a message in two days. Mom was panicking and about to call the police. I put in new batteries, so we should be all set to Harpers Ferry. Looks like I will meet Dad in Catawba on Thursday. There is an AYCE place there that I hope to hit up while I wait for him to arrive. Also found out that Steamboat is off the trail for two weeks because of his shin injury. Hope he is feeling better. Everyone was bummed to hear that. It can happen to anyone. I'll try to listen to my body more from here on. No sense in risking the hike for a couple extra miles.

Update from Catawba VA 4/9/09

2009-04-10T01:17:00.002-04:00

Hello!

Unfortunately I have not been able to access a computer recently, and do not have time now to update my blog. Just wanted to let you all know that I am happy and healthy on the AT! My dad and some friends are joining me to hike for the next couple of days which should be fun, and then I am off to Waynesboro where I will hopefully get the chance to catch up with my blog and add some more pictures to the album. Thanks for following me and supporting my journey, happy reading!

Damascus, VA to Atkins, VA 3/28/2009-4/1/2009

2009-04-01T17:31:00.007-04:00

Photos: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2793970840104728652VnLVGR

3/28/2009 - 11:30 PM - Damascus, VA - 0 mi today - 463.0 mi total

Busy zero day! Woke up at 8:30 and had leftover pizza for breakfast. Hit the Post Office at 9:00 and got my bounce box. Sent it on to Pearisburg. Next went to the library to update the blog. Ran out of time and the librarian wouldn't let me back on even though there was nobody waiting. (Maybe I should have chatted her up and mentioned that my Mum works at a library!) Did the laundry and called home. Got a milkshake and went back to the hostel. Hung on the porch with everyone until dinner time. Two other thruhikers came in (Splinter and Endor). Nice guys. Had dinner at Fatty's Diner. One pound burger was filling! Some local firefighter attempted the five pound burger challenge, but only ate about half of it. I bet a thru-hiker completes the challenge in the not so distant future. Had desert back at the hostel and hung on the porch some more. Going to bed now. Looking forward to hitting the trail again. Harley is ready to go too. He's not a big fan of towns.

3/29/2009 - 7:00 PM - Lost Mountain Shelter - 15.8 mi today - 478.8 mi total

Got up at 8 this morning. Let Harley out and gave him breakfast. He did not want to spend anymore time in town. He wanted to get back on the trail and off the leash. Took my time packing my stuff and chatting with Steamboat. He decided o take another zero in Damascus as his shin is killing him. The medical center was closed for the weekend, so I think he is going to drop by there on Monday morning. Hope he is feeling better. Went to the only restaurant open on a Sunday morning (all the other ones were closed for church). It was pretty good. Got an omellette and orange juice. Harley had to stay outside so he pouted and gave me dirty looks through the window. Finally hit the trail around 10:45 with Wally, Pacman, and Spirit Fingers. Said goodbye to Steamboat, but I am sure that I will see him soon (according to his SPOT, he is back on the trail!) It's going to be wierd to not hike with him for a while. We've shared a shelter almost every night since Springer. Still, I have to hike my own hike, and that means that it is time for Harley and I to move on. Started out slowly. Pack felt heavy with 5 days of food. The trail follows the Virginia Creeper Trail (an old railway line) for a while, but then diverges and runs parallel through the woods for about ten miles. It was quite frustrating to hike up and down the hills and look to the right and see a nice well graded, gently sloped trail meandering by the river. The switchbacks in Virginia seem very gradual compared to the three previous states. Had lunch at Saunders Shelter with Wally, Pacman, and Spiritfingers. Tried honey and tortilla. Yum! Got cold and moved on. Trail was pretty easy. Follows the Virginia Creeper for a bit which was a nice break. Chert, Grizzly Adams, Wally, Pacman, and WizKid were all at the shelter when I arrived. Spirit Fingers followed, but he moved on after dinner. Harley was asleep on the ground when I went to pump water, but when I cam e back, he had moved to my sleeping bag. Cheeky dog! Snowed a bit during dinner (St Patricks Stew... yum!). It's going to be cold tonight! Snow is already starting to accumulate a bit. Trying to plan out the next couple days based on how much food I have. Of course, I packed in too much! Hope Harley stays warm tonight. He's under his blanket now. Looking forward to orange juice in the morning (I packed it in as a special treat!).

3/30/2009 - 8:30 PM - Old Orchard Shelter - 23.2 mi today - 502.0 mi total

Great day on the trail! Woke up to E.L.O. (Wiz Kid couldn't find his cell phone in time to shut off the alarm. I didn't mind because it got a new song stuck in my head. I was sick of the stupid "CC's cat" version of "Jessie's Girl!"). There was a light coating of snow on the ground. Temp was pretty cold. I quickly packed up and had breakfast (Poptarts and real OJ!). Was on the trail at 8:15. Took a load of picture of the snow and Harley. Climb up Whitetop Mountain was long. I felt like I was in a time warp at one point as I started to think that I recognized trees that I had passed fifteen minutes before. As I approached the summit, the trees thinned out and offered some great views. Temp was in the 20's with a strong wind. Got a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz65ScDQAtk
Walked in a big group for a while. When we got to Elk Garden, everyone stopped for lunch, but I decided to keep going. Saw that Grumpy had signed in today on one of the trail registers (there are a lot in this stretch). He's doing a day hike with his wife. I tried to catch him, but never did. Hopefully, I will see him up the trail. Pretty walk with the snow everywhere. Wind was knocking it off the trees so it covered the ground and looked like coconut shavings. Met up with Spirit Fingers at Thomas Knob Shelter. He is pushing hard to meet his Dad tomorrow. Said he walked over Whitetop at 9 last night and was knocked over by the wind! The wind was bad at the shelter too. It stole one of my tortillas and fed it to a puddle. Ugh! Other guys caught up and moved on while I ate. Walk from there to Wise shelter was really cool! There was a tunnl that we had to squeeze through (called Fat Man Squeeze Tunnel). Harley navigated it with ease. I had more trouble. This area is also known for wild ponies. Harley and I saw a total of nine. He was very well behaved around them which was a pleasant surprise. Two of the ponies came up to me and licked my hands. I think they wanted food as they were sniffing the pocket where I keep Harley's treats. They let me pet them too. Got some really cool pictures and a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwo2A6iSV9Q
Caught up with everyone at Wise Shelter. Also met a section hiker from Maine. Cooked dinner and decided to move on as I still had energy and daylight. Cranked out the last 6 miles to reach Old Orchard Shelter before dark. It's a six person shelter, so I decided to tent with the dog. He goes crazy everytime I set it up. He loves it for some reason. I toweled him off before I let him in and now he is lying on his back between my legs asleep (literally like a hot dog!). I got a picture of it. Really enjoy having him here. Nothing like a great day of hiking with your best friend!

3/31/2009 - 8:30 PM - Partnership Shelter - 24.7 mi today - 526.7 mi total

Got up around 7:30 this morning. Went to pump water and found a tiny leak in my Camelbak. Not the way I wanted to start my day! Packed up the tent and hit the trail at 9 after everyone. Took my lunch break at 10:30, which was early. Not too many interesting sights today. Allowed me to get through the miles quickly. Reached Trimpi Shelter at 2 PM and caught Wally and Pacman. About a mile after the shelter, I found the abandoned yellow bus in the field that had been featured in the movie Trek. If anyone wants to know what it is like to hike the AT, watch Trek. I saw it before I left, and it gave me a good preview of what life would be like out here. Took a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ_cQYVMrPY
Nice to knock off another landmark. Reached Partnership Shelter at 6PM. I average 3mph today! Definitely have my trail legs now. From here, you can order pizza from Atkins, which we did. I ate a large pepperoni and split a 2 liter of Coke with Wiz Kid. Yum! Harley cleaned all the pizza boxes. Nice to be able to relax after a long day and still have some daylight. Wiz kid let me use his special glue on my Camelbak. Hopefully it will plug the hole. We'll see tomorrow. Dog is sleeping on me hot dog style again. Living the dream! Will hit Atkins tomorrow, but not sure about the hostel. Might just shower and move on. Have to pick up my packages from the Barn Restaurant.

4/1/2009 - 8:15 PM - Happy Hiker Hollow Hostel - 11.6 mi today - 538.3 mi total

Heard the rain last night and a coyote howl at one point. Pacman sat bolt upright, but Harley barely stirred. Harley was a bit sluggish this morning. We had breakfast in bed, and then he decided to take a nap on my sleeping bag as I was trying to pack it up. I didn't mind as I was feeling lazy too. Finally got on the trail at 9:30. After a mile, I realized that I had left my SPOT at the shelter! Harley and I dropped our packs and walked back to get it (2 miles of walking that don't count towards the total!). Got going again at 10:30. Had lunch at Chatfield Shelter and tried to finish off my lunch supplies as I knew there would be a load waiting for me in town. Caught up with everyone else outside a shut down Exxon station. Everyone was debating their options. I nipped across the street to pick up my package(s) from the Barn Restaurant. I had three! The guys were laughing at me as I came out fully loaded (turns out that one was for me, one was for Harley, and the other was trail magic for everyone from Rachel). We called the Happy Hiker Hollow and they came out to pick us up. Somehow managed to cram seven people, one dog, and seven packs in the old minivan. We were riding low! Got to the hostel and relaxed. The dog is outside in a little barn. He slept almost all afternoon. He's not happy with me because I left him out there on his own all day. I unpacked my boxes and got it all portioned into my stuff sacks. I'm going to do a straight seven day run from here until my Dad meets me next Thursday morning (April 9th). We'll see how far I get. I have enough food for seven days. Took a shower and tried to upload photos to Webshots. Dinner was amazing. They had a full spread out for us. We had turkey, gravy, bbq chicken, salad, stew, dinner rolls, and of course cake to finish it off. They looked a little disappointed when we didn't finish both cakes they had ready. Looking forward to breakfast tomorrow (French toast, bacon, and eggs!). About to go call home and then hit the sack. I feel weel rested and ready to tackle a long stretch of trail.

Erwin, TN to Damascus, VA 3/21/2009-3/28/2009

2009-03-28T10:00:00.007-04:00

Photos: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2794972420104728652XbaGGl

3/21/2009 8:00 PM - Curley Maple Gap Shelter - 4.2 mi today - 344.1 mi total

Harley woke me up at sunrise. Everyone else was getting up then as well. Got dressed and sorted out my bounce box and food bag with Dad. Steamboat, Flo, Dad, and I went to the Huddle House for breakfast. Omelette was excellent. Hit the post office on the way back. Packed up my bag and hung out with Dad and Flo for a while. Got a burger at Sonic for lunch. Dad and Flo left for New York. Took it easy in the afternoon. Harley napped for a while in the sun so he probably won't sleep much tonight. Chilled with Wally and Pacman for a while. Cool kids. Finally decided to hit the trail at 4:30 PM. My pack was loaded! Probably close to 40 lbs with all the food and water. Nice 4 mile hike through the woods. Met three section hikers at the shelter. All local high school band teachers. Nice guys to hang out with. Made ramen with canned crab. Cut a whole in the can and attached it to a string from the ceiling (This is supposed to prevent the mice from crawling down the ropes into food bags. Not sure if it actually works, but they are at every shelter). Improves the shelter and makes less trash for me to carry out. About to hit the sack now. Looking forward to a good long hike tomorrow.

3/22/2009 - 9:15 PM - Greasy Creek Gap - 20.1 mi today - 364.2 mi total

Harley was up early and moving around a bit. Having only hiked 4 miles yesterday, he was well rested. Got up and made breakfast. The section hikers were still in their sleepin bags when we left camp. Got a good start and hit the trail at 8:45. Pleasant walk to begin. Took a break after two hours. The climb up Unaka Mountain was pretty steep. At the top, the trees were all evergreen and it looked a lot like Maine. Steamboat and I found a nice spot for lunch at the top. Met a trail maintainer. Headed down the hill and pumped water at Cherry Gap Shelter. We decided to shorten ou day and head to the Greasy Creek Friendly. Tough hike towards the end. I fell over for the first time, but didn't hurt myself luckily. When we got to Greasy Creek Gap, we had to walk half a mile down a forest service road. There were no sign posts, so we hoped we were walking down the right road. Luckily, we were right. Got to the place and met CC. Very nice lady. Aparently, she has a crazy neighbor that runs a lawnmower all night long so the "hiker trash" can't sleep. Haven't heard it yet, so maybe we'll be lucky. Amazingly, Harley was still running around with lots of energy, despite the long hike. I don't know where he gets it. That dog food must be like jet fuel. Mike and I split a pizza for dinner and watched the end of the basketball games. Syracuse is in the sweet sixteen. Woohoo! After dinner, I showered and sat in the house chatting with CC and Sheperd (the work-for-stay guy). Aparently she's writing a book. As she says, there's never a dull moment at Greasy Creek! We watched My Name is Earl and then Steamboat and I realized that we don't have enough cash to cover the bill. Yikes! I hope we can work it out with her in the morning. Maybe she takes credit cards. Not looking forward to that. At least I have a warm bed tonight.

3/23/2009 - 9:00 PM - Overmountain Shelter - 14.8 mi today - 379.0 mi total

Got up really late. Surprisingly, CC's crazy neighbor wasn't very loud last night. At 2AM, he honked the car horn for a couple minutes, but that was all I heard. I saw his lawn mower in the front yard, but he didn't run it for some reason. Went inside at 9:00 for breakfast. Explained our lack of cash situation to CC, and she was nice enough to accept an online check. Once that got sorted out, she made us a nice breakfast. I had cheese grits for the first time. Yum! We also ate scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and toast. Really good! After breakfast, we packed our bags and took a couple pictures. CC also performed two songs for us with her big cat Nemo. First was "Fat cat, fat cat, wacha gonna do? Whacha gonna do when they come for you?" Second was "Oh I wish I had CC's cat!" It was quite entertaining. Harley didn't know what to make of it. I've had those songs stuck in my head all day (and all week!). We got a hug each. As we were leaving, at 11:30, Wally and Pacman showed up for lunch. They had heard about the crazy neighbor and wanted the full experience. Steamboat, Harley, and I sluggishly made our way back up the hill to the trail and headed North. Took a break after 2 miles at Clyde Smith Shelter. Picked up the trash there and packed it out. It's annoying when people leave their trash in the woods, but I guess we increased our hiker karma. Also found a good luck message from Grumpy in the shelter log. He's 5 days ahead of us, so he is likely in Damascus now. From there, it was a couple miles to Hughes Gap where the accent of Roan Mountain begins. In 2.6 miles, we climbed 2160 feet! Halfway up, the dog showed me his new trick. It's called "play dead." He flopped over on his back and pretended he was dead. I got a video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghSl9rAP2Kc
Very funny! At the top, we had our lunch at the site of an old hotel. This is the last time we will be above 6,000 feet until Mt Washington in New Hampshire. Again, the evergreen trees reminded me of Maine. Descending from there, we reached Carvers Gap, where there was a real road. I thought there might be a trash can, but no such luck. From there, we walked over three balds in a row. I got a video from the middle one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKiwxEyOiok
Pretty views, but there must be a forest fire in NC because there was a lot of smoke that way. From there it was mainly downhill to the shelter. A lot of the path was covered with leaves which really sucks because they hide all the roots and rocks that will trip you up. Quite frustrating. Got to the shelter at dusk. Saw a nice sunset from the last ridge. Pacman and Wally must have passed us at lunch because they were already here with Wiz kid and 3 section hikers also. Shelter is an old barn that has been set aside for hikers. Looks out over a valley. Should be a nice sunrise. Steamboat and I are upstairs. Tons of room. Had mac and cheese for dinner. Yum. Now looking forward to an 18 mile day tomorrow. We will also officially leave North Carolina and cross into Tennessee. Thank goodness. Its annoying when you don't know what state you are in!

3/24/2009 8 PM Mountaineer Shelter --18.0 miles today -- 397.0 miles total

Woke up a little too late to see the sunrise. Apparently it wasn't that good anyways. Wiz Kid had already left. Made cold oatmeal for breakfast. Cinnamon flavor was pretty good. Steamboat and I got on the trail at 9:15 a little behind the Brits. Hike over Hump Mountain was spectacular. Great views, took a bunch of pictures. There was a government SUV at the top and the guy didn't get out to say hi either, it was a little strange. The descent started out nice but soon we were shuffling through leaves again. It is frustrating when you can't see the obstacles you are about to trip over. Took a snack break at Doll Flats and celebrated our official entrance into our third state, Tennessee. Since I started the Smokies the left half of my body has been hiking in TN, now the right side has decided to join. We should hit the fourth state, Virginia, in three days. Had lunch at Apple House shelter. Meet a couple of trail maintainers and an Australian guy that was looking at his elevation profile upside down. He was pretty frustrated that he had a long uphill ahead of him instead of a long descent. Crossed 19E, pretty major road with no crosswalk. Pretty pleasant walk from there. Saw Jones Waterfall, which was really cool. Took a video there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt935sAIhtM
The dog took a nap. Steamboats legs were hurting him pretty bad. My knee is much better than it was before the Smokeys but still give me pain now and then. Ibuprofen helps a lot. Walked along Elk River for a bit. Daffodils were in bloom. Got some pictures for Mum. Reached the shelter just after 6. Nice and new, built in 2006. Water source is at the top of a small waterfall. Cooked Goulash for dinner, which was excellent. Sharing the bottom level with Pacman and Wiz Kid. Steamboat is upstairs and Wally is in the loft. Feels like it might storm tonight. Hoping the rains come overnight so we don't get wet on the walk to Kincora. Looking forward to meeting Bob Peoples. He is a legend on the trail. Must get there by 6 so we can catch the shuttle for AYCE chinese. We'll have to leave the dog behind. We'll see how that goes. Only 15.6 miles tomorrow. Elevation doesn't look bad either. From there hoping to hit Damascus in a two day run. Still having fun and the dog is behaving himself most of the time. I did wake up at one point last night to find myself pushed off the sleeping pad with him sitting on it. He leans into me pretty hard at night. Hope he wakes me up early tomorrow so we can get to Kincora in the early afternoon.

3/25/2009 10 PM Kincora Hiking Hostel -- 15.6 miles today --412.6 miles total

Didn't sleep well last night. Tossed and turned and listened for the rain to roll in. Of course it didn't start raining until sunrise, convenient! Everyone slept in to try and avoid the rain. Finally got up and made breakfast. Hit the trail at 10. Boring hike. Rain dampened my mood considerably. Wore all my rain gear but still got soaked because I was sweating so much. Had lunch at Moreland Gap Shelter. Some section hiker had a fire going but the smoke and ash were blowing into the shelter. Ate and left. Last 6 miles were pretty boring as well. Got to Kincora at 4:30. Nobody was there because the shuttle had left at 4 0'clock. There was another dog at the hostel that didn't behave himself very well. Section hiker couldn't control it. Felt better after a shower and a phone call home. Ordered 8 large pizzas for 7 people. Yum. We'll have leftovers for breakfast tomorrow. Met Bob Peoples. Really cool guy. Wish I had more time to chat with him but I have to keep moving. Got my mail drop. Thanks Kat for the orange juice. Got all packed up and ready for tomorrow. Need to get moving so we don't run out of sunlight. Weather looks terrible. Yuck. At least I have a warm dry bed tonight and all my stuff is clean and dry. Looking forward to Damascus but the next two days are going to be tough. There are 12 people here tonight and everyone is heading for the same 6 person shelter. Steamboat and I are the slow ones, so we will likely be tenting tomorrow. It is going to be tough to tent with a wet dog. Guess I just have to put my head down and crank out the miles.

3/26/2009 10:15 pm Double Springs Shelter -- 31.9 miles today -- 444.5 miles total

Wow what a long day. My longest by far. Steamboat and I woke up at 6:30. We set our alarms for 6:30 so we could get a jump start on the group. He promptly went into the kitchen and knocked over some pots and pans. Our plan was foiled and everyone was up in 15 minutes. Still managed to be the first two out the door, which drew surprised looks from everyone as we were usually the last. Hit the trial at 7:30 am in dim light. Overcast and a bit humid to start. First couple miles were quite fun as we walked past Laurel Fork Falls. Got some good pictures. From there it was up and over an 1800 foot mountain that we easily could have walked around. The people who planned that part of the trail must have been laughing about that little trick. Churt and Grizzly Adams passed us at the top while we took a snack break. From there we went back down 1800 feet to Watuaga Lake. Steamboat and I stopped at the shelter for lunch. Wiz Kid and Zack stopped as well. While we were eating Wally and Pacman and Spirit Fingers also passed us, but Steamboat and I figured we would still have a spot in the shelter as long as Churt and Grizzly Adams tented, which they usually do. Crossed the dam and headed up the ridgeline lading to Damascus. The trail literally follows the ridgeline 35 miles to Damascus. So there aren't any big climbs or descents to spice up the journey. With landmarks few and far between the hike was pretty dull. Caught up to everyone at the Vandeventer Shelter but Steamboat fell behind with a shin problem. We also discovered that Wooden Spoon and Wooden Duck were also ahead of us heading for the same shelter. Having not seen them since Hot Springs, there is only one way they could have passed us...YELLOW BLAZING! This pissed me and Steamboat off because it meant they would be taking our two spots in the shelter. The last 6 miles to Iron Mountain I debated my options. The weather was crappy and I didn't want to set up my tent in the rain. The closer I got to camp the better my legs felt. By the time I got there I made up my mind that I was going to push on and turn my 24 mile day into a 32 mile day. The Shelter was overful with Wally, Pacman, Spirit Fingers, Wiz Kid, Zack and the Wooden Duo. I gave Harley his dinner and announced my plan to move on. That drew quite a few shocked looks. With about 45 minutes of light left Harley and i hit the trail again. I tried to push myself to make use of the limited daylight. The dog lead the whole way. Once it got dark I used my headlamp, but Harley knew where to go. Before I knew it we were crossing a road at the half way point. Soon the fog rolled in and I really couldn't see anything. I got worried that I might get lost in the fog, but then I would pass a white blaze, Harley really is amazing on the trail. We hit the handicap accessible half mile and walked across the field. Harley stopped and started to growl at one point. I banged my poles together and whatever threat he sensed subsided. We continued without issue. Crossing the field was probably the scariest part because I had no clue if I was on the trail or not. Once again the wonder dog came through. I really must change his trail name because Kneecaps doesn't do him justice after this performance. We rolled into the shelter just before 10 oclock having hiked the 7.6 miles in 2 hours and 20 minutes. We found 4 section hiker sleeping and Harley woke them up. They graciously made a spot for me and gave Harley a well deserved belly rub. I unpacked and jumped in before having dinner. Harley promptly began to snore. I didn't care at all because he had earned his keep. Still can't believe I broke the 30 mile barrier, we'll see how the legs feel tomorrow.

3/27/2009 11:30 pm Damascus, VA -- 18.5 miles today -- 463.0 miles total

Woke up around 7:30 and chatted with my shelter mates. Nice group of people. Answered a bunch of AT questions as I packed my stuff and ate breakfast. Hit the trail at 9 oclock for an "easy 18". Found some trail magic at Low Gap, sodas and Snickers. I loooove trail magic. It really makes your day. Got to Abingdon Shelter around noon for lunch. Weird to eat alone. From there it was 10 miles to down. Pretty boring walk and it started to rain. Harley is a weenie when it starts to rain. He tried to hide in Rhotodendrum bush. Didn't bother to put my rain jacket on so I got soaked. Crossed into VA at 3 pm. Took a video and pictures of Harley:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IyqBhF_pY0
Got to town and arranged a two night stay at Dave's Place Hostel. Pretty basic, but adequate. Too late to get to the post office. I showered and toweled off the dog. He has to sleep outside tonight :( Bought some post cards and wrote them on the porch. By 6 oclock everyone was in town including steamboat who was pretty hopped up on pain killers. He said he is going to the medical center tomorrow to get his shin checked out. Grizzly Adams, Churt, Wiz Kid, Pacman, Wally, Spirit Fingers, Steamboat, and I went to the pizza place for dinner. MMMM mushroom pizza. They had live music going. A violin and a guitar. Afterwards I hit the Dollar General and got some supplies. Came back to the hostel and relaxed on the porch for a while. Everyone was telling trail stories. We have so many to tell now that we have come so far. Really good group of guys. Late now so I have to hit the sack. Harley is pissed that he can't sleep next to me tonight. I think I'll sneak him inside the hostel tomorrow.

Hot Springs, NC to Erwin, TN 3/15/2009-3/20/2009

2009-03-21T00:01:00.006-04:00

Photos: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2992940430104728652mEltxp

3/15/2009 9:00 PM - Spring Mountain Shelter - 11.0 mi today - 282.8 mi total

Dad, Flo and Harley arrived at 6:30 yesterday (Check out the video of Harley's arrival here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgXywoG7rWI). Great to see them. Had dinner at Smokey Mountain Diner. Excellent. After, we all went to Steamboat's cabin so our families could meet. Steamboat officially named Flo "Florence Gump" (Gump for short). Nice to hang out and watch basketball, though Syracuse lost in the Big East final. Bummer. Spent a long time organizing Flo's stuff for hiking. ried to upload some more pictures, but still have a load to do. Got up this morning in time to make it to breakfast at the Sunnybank Inn. Really good food and nice people. We were there for about an hour and a half eating and talking. Went back to te room and packed the bags and made adjustments. Hit the outfitter on our way out of town. THe four of us walked up the first hill out of town, and then Dad turned back. Flo, Harley, and I continued on. Harley was great! We let him off the leash as soon as we were away from traffic. He walked about 20 yards ahead of us all day and kept checking back every 30 seconds. He was adorable! Flo had fun as well, though she got hot spots (precursurs to blisters) in the first mile. We'll check them in the morning. Felt longer than 11 miles today. We were all beat when we rolled into camp. Luckily the rain held off most of the day. Just kind of foggy, so everything is wet anyways. Sharing the shelter with one other section hiker. He was already in bed when we arrived at 6:45 PM. Thats over an hour before sunset. Flo and I pumped water, and got the stove going. Made arroz con queso, which was delicious, but huge! Flo ate about a quarter of it, but I polished it off. Harley is in the shelter with us tonight. Can already hear the mice running around.

3/16/2009 8:30 PM - Little Laurel Shelter - 8.6 mi today - 291.4 mi total

Woke up a couple times last night. The dog was moving around a bit. He went out of the shelter around 5. I got up as well and found the section hiker sitting outside in the dark shaking hands with Harley. He was complaining about too much sleep. Thats what happens when you go to bed that early! Brought Harley back inside and snuggled with him for a bit. He was ready to go and didn't want to settle down. Flo slept like a log. That's what college does to you. Got up at 9:30 and everything was wet. The fog had soaked everything through. Showed Flo how to get the bear bags down from the cables. We decided to do a hot breakfast and made oatmeal. Usually, I eat cold breakfast, so it was a nice change. Also had to pump water because we were low. Finally got going at 11:4 and it started to rain. It was expected, so no big deal. Wasn't too hard. Flo and I took it easy today. She got blisters yesterday, so I didn't want to push her. We treated them with moleskin and duct tape. Had lunch when the rain broke. Timed it perfectly because it started raining hard when we left again. Played some alphabet games while we walked to help pass the time. We really suck at naming countries. Flo also conveniently left the summer sausage out of her pack at lunch, so I was carrying an extra 12 ounces this afternoon. Last hour in the rain was tough. The dog looked mopey and Flo didn't enjoy it much either. Glad to see the shelter. Arrived at 4:45 and changed into dry clothers. Cooked dinner (chicken rag out) which was better than expected. Another couple from Knoxville arrived, so we made space for them. Plenty of room for all, though with wet clothes hanging everywhere it looks like a laundromat. Hanging the bear bags was an adventure. No bear cables here, so I had to toss my own line. Of course with food for two people and a dog it was too heavy for one line. Decided to cut the cord in half and hang two, which actually worked. Took about a half hour, and a little help from our shelter mates, but I now ave two perfectly hung PCT bags. Woohoo. Harley decided he likes my sleeping bag more than his fleece blanket. He curled up on it and went to sleep while we were eating dinner. I had already toweled him off, so I didn't mind. Now he is sleeping between Flo and I. He's chasing a rabbit in his dreams I think. His paws are twitching and he's snoring softly. He is great on the trail, it's just going to be a lot to handle when it's raining out. I can't wait for the rain to stop. Still, I'm having fun and glad to have Flo and Harley.

3/17/2009 9:00 PM - Flint Mountain Shelter - 12.7 mi today - 304.1 mi total

Woke up a little after sunrise today. The dog slept much better last night. Didn't move around as much, which was a relief. Ate my granola and chatted with our shelter mates. They are a really nice couple, and even offered to pack out our trash! Harley was getting impatient with us. He was ready to leave, but we had to pump water and pack the bags. Major uphill out of the shelter. It was tough putting on wet clothes in the morning, but they dried out fast. We got a great view from White Rocks Cliff. We took a long snack break and snapped a bunch of pictures. From there, we were walking along an exposed rocky ridge. It was quite fun, but slow going. The dog did really well, and was constantly having to wait for us. There was only one spot where he got wedged in between two rocks. He's still not used to his wingspan. We decided his trailname is "Kneecaps" because he isn't used to his new wingspan and is constantly bumping into people and clipping Flo's knees. We did a video from the top, which you can watch here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XCRREadWDY). Today is St Patricks Day. What a change from last year! Had a really nice lunch at Jerry Cabin Shelter. Sunn and warm, so we laid out all the wet stuff to dry. We hiked over Big Butt, which was the 300 mile mark. Woohoo! The last mile and a half was very steep downhill. Glad we didn't have to hike up it. First ones to the shelter at 6:15. Flo and I are getting the system down. I pumped water while she cooked. The dog took a nap after his dinner. He'll sleep well tonight. He's already snoring next to me keeping Flo awake. Steamboat arrived as we were eating dinner and Wizz-kid (got his name because he urinated in his water bottle one night and didn't rinse it out very well the next morning) was right behind him. Glad to see familiar faces and meet new people. Pretty chilly night, but great for stargazing. Not sure of tomorrow's destination, but it should be fun.

3/18/2009 8:00 PM - Hogback Ridge Shelter - 8.8 mi today - 312.9 mi total

Got up at first light and retrieved everyone's bear bags. Made Flo breakfast in bed. She doesn't know how lucky she is. The dog was ready to go in 5 minutes. We took a little longer. Hit the trail at 9:45, which was our earliest yet. Walked with Steamboat all da. Flo set a quick pace to begin and we hit the first 2.7 miles in 45 minutes. The got us to Devils Fork Gap where we had to climb up a set of steps to cross a fence. Got a picture of the dog doing it. He really is excellent on the trail and a lot of fun to walk with. My only concerns are how to deal with him in the rain and in towns. Not all towns are dog friendly and I would feel bad tying him up somewhere while I run my errands. If it was a short backpacking trip, there is no question that I would bring him, but it gets really complicated when you have to resupply every few days. I'll talk it over with Dad o Saturday and make a decision then. Right now I am 50/50, but I really do enjoy walking with him. Back to today. After Devils Fork Gap was a serious uphill! I hadn't looked at the elevation profile yet and wasn't expecting it. Of course Harley was in the lead wondering why it was taking so long. Had lunch halfway up. I really enjoy a hearty lunch. The rest of the hike wasn't too bad. Flo's blisters are looking bad. I'm running low on duct tape from having to treat it everday. She says her legs feel fine, its just the blisters that hurt. She's definitely in better shape than I was when I started the trail. Wizz-kid was already at the shelter when we got here. Guess he had taken a long lunch and then decided to stay. We got in around 3 so we had tons of time to do everything. Flo got a little bored and was wanting a book to read. I talked to Rachel on the phone and was hoping to make my March Madness picks, but she was in Disneyland and couldn't take them down at the time. I'll have to make them Friday and avoid hearing any results before then. Dinner was clam chowder which was good. Glad to get rid of the can of minced clams No more canned goods. Period. They weigh too much! A bunch of people rolled into camp after us. I already knew Wes, but met Pacman, Wally, Grizzly Adams, and Chert. We had a lot of laughs over dinner, especially when it came time to do bear bags. Pacman may have giardia. Yikes! I'm glad I haven't been risking it with my drinking water. I'm tenting with Harley tonight just to test it out. He's snoring again.

3/19/2009 8:00 PM - Bald Mountain Shelter - 10.1 mi today - 323.0 mi total

We were supposed to take it easy in the morning because it was only a 10 mile day. Harley didn't get the message. I didn' mind though because I was ready to get up. Steamboat and Gump were not. I made Gump breakfast in an attempt to sprun her on. Harley gave her a good morning kiss. We were the last group to leave as we had to triage Gump's feet. Ran out of duct tape and had to borrow some of Steamboat's. Whoops. Hit the trail at 9:15, our earliest start yet. Found Wizz-kid's camera about a quarter mile out of camp. Gave it to him when we met up at I-26. There was a wanted poster at the trailhead by the interstate. Hope we don't run into that guy. There was also a trash can at the parking lot. It's the little things that really make your day. Between there and Big Bald wasn't all that memorable. We stopped for lunch at a spring and rehydrated the hummus that Mom had sent. It turned out really well. We saved half for tomorrow. Harley took his lunchtime snooze. We also broke out the Easy Cheese. Steamboat, Gump, and I played the alphabet game between lunch and Big Bald. Gump lost. Big Bald was great. Views were good, though the clouds looked menacing. A couple from Indiana took our picture. Harley rolled around in the grass. Easy hike from there to the shelter. We thought it would be a full house, but it was empty. We moved the table under the overhang to avoid the rain. Good thing we did. After we pumped our water, the rain came. We managed to stay dry as we cooked. Mac and cheese with turkey and peas were excellent. Gump's favorite dinner. Afterwards I made hot chocolate for everyone and then broke out the cheesecake mix that I had saved for Gump's last night on the trail. It was great hanging out with just the four of us (Steamboat, Gump, Kneecaps, and me). We read a lot of the old entries in the shelter log and just chatted. The rain has stopped now, so we are hoping that it will hold off tomorrow as well. Shooting for Erwin, which will be Gump's longest day at 17 miles. Will also be a test for the dog, though he has beat us up every hill so far. Pretty sure I'm going to keep him with. I'm willing to deal with whatever extra obstacles I meet in town and in the rain. It's been fun hanging out with Flo this week, despite her foot problems. Hope she had a fun relaxing time. Looking forward to eating in town. Steamboat and I are planning to get from Erwin to Damascus in sevenn days. Should be a good 120 mile push. Just have to take it one day at a time. Living the dream!

3/20/2009 11:30 PM - Erwin, TN - 16.9 mi today - 339.9 mi total

Staying at Uncle Johnnys tonight, but haven't had a chance to write my journal yet. Heres the summary: Good hike. Flo is a trooper for putting up with her blisters. Made my March Madness picks. Went to a sports bar with Dad, Steamboat, Flo, and Old Man River. Got to watch some basketball. Syracuse won! Came back and hung out with the rowdy Nascar fans. Managed to upload all of my pics and videos! Here are the links to all the videos on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Julheyy-le0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pH_V5iaE-LU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnpTTqpAokY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XCRREadWDY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYxvQ0l0Rfo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgXywoG7rWI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7N2nvmK2kg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXNGpUZTlp8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcvIUwgTQbw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A1uz4catfA

The pictures are all on my webshots account. Here's the link: http://community.webshots.com/album/569839690UGnCpG?vhost=community&start=0

I'll add my entry for today when I get the chance. Thanks for following and please leave me comments!

UPDATE: Here is the full journal entry for 3/20/2009.

Woke up to catch a nice sunrise. Got moving fairly quickly, though it was cold when we got out of our sleeping bags. Camelbak tubing was frozen. Taped Gump's heels and hit the trail at 9. Mostly downhill today, but still got a couple views. Had lunch at No Business Knob shelter and ate up the last of the food. I almost lost my SPOT down a steep hill, but was able to rescue it. Called Dad as we got close to Erwin. He met us about a mile up the trail. Gump was a trooper and carried her pack the whole way, despite the blisters. Turns out its a Nascar weekend in Erwin, so all the places in town were fully booked, including Uncle Johnnys Hostel. For $8 we were allowed to tent on the grass. Showered and set up camp while Dad went to Walmart to buy himself a $21 tent. That thing is a piece of crap. After showers, I made my March Madness picks and we went to Johnson City to go to a sports bar. Watched basketball and enjoyed nachos, quesadillas, burgers, and beer. Excellent food. Got back to Uncle Johnnys and found a rocking Nascar party. Free beer was nice. Some of the guys were pretty hammered, especially the guy that works here. I'm convinced this guy just jumped out of a pirate movie. I went to the bunkhouse to warm up and update the blog and upload pictures. The people who reserved the bunkhouse didn't show up. That's annnoying. It was really warm in there. Five day forecast looks very good. Steamboat and I will hit the trail tomorrow after a grocery run. I've decided to keep Harley on the trail. I really enjoy having him, though he needs to stop snoring. He's pretty loud!

Davenport Gap to Hot Springs 3/12/2009-3/14/2009

2009-03-14T15:56:00.005-04:00

Photos: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2615870070104728652kERaFp

3/12/2009 9:30 PM - Walnut Mountain Shelter - 20.3 mi today - 258.7 mi total

Woke up this morning around 9. Tried to quietly pack my stuff so as to not wake the others. Paid Curtis (the owner) for my stay and signed the guestbook. Gave out my blog address. I should make up business cards to hand out like Steamboat. Hit the trail at 10 AM. First 4 miles were pretty serious uphill. 2400 feet gain in 4.7 miles. At the top was an FAA radar facility. Had a snack there and got really cold. From there we hiked to Groundhog Creek shelter for lunch. Chowed down until we got cold and hit the trail again. Steamboat and I were chatting the whole way today. Really helps to pass the time when you can get lost in conversation. As we crossed Max Patch Road, we came across some trail magic. Someone had left two sodas and Snickers in the stream. It was amazing! I love trail magic. We suspected the Jerky Girls left it there on their way to Hot Springs. Whoever it was, thank you! We decided to save the sodas for dinner, but ate the Snickers immediately. At that point, we realized that we could stretch the day into a 20 miler as we were feeling good. From there it was a short hike up to the summit of Max Patch Bald where we met Frank the painter. With 360 degree views of beautiful mountains, he had a lot to paint. I introduced myself as Jolly Rancher for the first time and gave him one as I celebrated summiting Max Patch. He offered me GORP in exchange, which I politely declined. In addition to my normal supply, Steamboat's sister also sent me some so I now have GORP coming out of my ears! Took some pics on Max Patch, but I doubt they will compare to what it looks like in person. As we continued down the trail, we found some more trail magic... cans of baked beans with a fire ready to light. We decided to leave it behind for other hikers to enjoy as we already had loads of food and it was getting late in the day. Stopped by Roaring Fork Shelter to sign the log book and pushed on from there as it was 5 miles to Walnut Mountain Shelter. Got lost once, but backtracked and found where we went wrong. Last couple miles were tough and we were losing daylight. This area supposedly has a bear that steals bear bags that are hung too low. Knowing that somewhere in the woods was a hungry bear made us hike a little faster. Reached the shelter as it got dark and bumped into the Wooden Boys. They left within 10 minutes of our arrival as they were planning to night hike to the next shelter. Tried out my new stove and it worked perfectly. Glad I got that sorted out. Peanut butter chicken was excellent. Now I'm just going to try to ignore the mice and get some sleep. Today was a great day!

3/13/2009 11:30 PM - Hot Springs, NC - 13.1 mi today - 271.8 mi total

Woke up to a really strange noise coming from the side of the shelter. Think it was the sound of a dying mouse. I spilled some rice as I was making dinner, and I'm pretty sure the little guy ate it overnight. They say you shouldn't throw rice at weddings because it kills birds. Guess you should always spill a little rice at AT shelters. Steamboat and I were pretty lazy getting up. Pumped water and hit the trail around 10:15, one of our latest starts yet. Today's 13 miles felt a lot longer than yesterday's 20. It always seems to take a long time when you get close to a town. It also doesn't help that you have to descend into towns. My legs were killing me on the downhills. They wanted vacation a day early. We ate lunch at a campsite about 6 miles along. Only saw one group of hikers today. They were going the other way and smelled nice. Must have been their first day. We stopped in at the shelter 3 miles out of town to sign the log book and prepare for the final descent. That hurt! By the time we got to the bottom of the hill, we were groaning like old men. The AT literally goes right through Hot Springs, so we had a nice flat walk into town on the sidewalk. I checked into the Sunnybank Inn (Elmer's Place). I was greeted by a nice girl named Ren. She gave me a tour of the house and showed me my room. Originally, she was going to put me in with another hiker that seemed a little wierd. She changed her mind and gave I have a nice private room with a queen sized bed. After I dropped my stuff, Steamboat and I went to pick up the key to the cabin that his family was renting. We walked through town, which took all of 20 seconds because everything was closed for the day. After getting the lay of the land, we hit the Smoky Mountain Diner. I ordered the "Hungry Hiker" (3/4 pound cheeseburger) with onion rings, hush puppies, and baked beans. MMMMMMM. Excellent! After dinner, we hiked up the hill to check out Mike's cabin that looked a lot like a trailer. It was pretty nice inside and had a tv so I got my ESPN fix. Syracuse beat Uconn in 6 overtimes last night! What an amazing game. I am really going to miss March Madness. At 7, I headed back to the hostel to shower and organize my stuff. I gave the Wooden Boys my old stove as I didn't need it anymore. The new one is perfect. After making my phon calls, I went back to Steamboat's cabin to meet his family and watch the Syracuse game. Jen (Steamboat's girlfriend) sent him a sweet cookie cake that said "You smoked the Smokies" and had the AT symbol. It tasted awesome. It was really nice to meet his family and sit on the couch with the dogs. Did my laundry while I watched the game. Cuse won in OT over West Virginia. Great game. It was fun to watch a game again. I really miss sports. Hoping to catch up on all my teams at the library tomorrow. Dad and Flo are leaving Ithaca in the morning, so I will take a "zero" (hike zero miles) in Hot Springs. Have to do some chores before they arrive. Also looking forward to pancake breakfast at the hostel. Nice to sleep in a warm bed.

3/14/2009 4:45 PM - Hot Springs, NC - 0 mi today - 271.8 mi total

Woke up at 11 AM today, so I missed breakfast. That was the best sleep I have had in a while. Checked out and signed up for breakfast tomorrow morning when Dad and Flo will be here. Met Steamboat in the outfitter. Bought a couple things and had lunch with his family at the Iron Horse restaurant. Checked into the motel as they were the only place that allowed dogs and had vacancy. Now I am just using the computer at the outfitters. Nice people here. Great day to take a zero as it's pretty rainy. Looking forward to seeing my family in about an hour. Tried to upload my pictures. Looks like I have about 200 now. Check them out. I'll hopefully get to upload more from Dad's computer tonight.

Nantahala Outdoor Center to Davenport Gap 3/5/09-3/11/09

2009-03-12T00:01:00.009-04:00

Photos: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2812404750104728652AdfdMj

3/5/2009 6:48 PM - Brown Fork Gap Shelter - 16.0 mi today - 151.0 mi total

Yesterday was very relaxing. Mike and I got double chesseburgers for lunch at the River's Edge Restaurant at the NOC. Wow that was good. We watched the world go by as we chowed down. A couple white water rafts floated past. After lunch I went back to the outfitter to fill my fuel bottle and buy a couple postcards. It was so nice and sunny out that I sat by the river and wrote home. It was nice to be able to let my feet air out. They appreciated the time off. When the sun dropped behind the mountains, I went back to the room to organize my purchases and get my bag ready for the trail again. I also called home and gave everyone the update. Everyone seems to be adjusting to the new routine. At 6, Mike and I returned to the restaurant (only one in town) for pizza and beer. We couldn't quite finish a large meat lovers between us so we saved the leftovers for breakfast. Hit the sack around 9 though we could hear the rafting guides partying for a while after. Woke up this morning at 7 and hit the trail at 8:15. The climb out of the NOC is major! Over 8.1 miles we gained 3340 feet in elevation! That's almost an 8% grade. THere was a great view back to the NOC from Jump-Up Lookout. We met a SOBO (southbound thru-hiker) halfway up. Nice guy but pretty overweight considering he had already hiked over 2,000 miles. Granted he took the holidays off. We pumped water at Sassafras Gap Shelter and found that Grumpy stayed there last night. He must have passed through the NOC while we were in the showers. Had a massive lunch on Cheoah Bald. Here is what I have had to eat today:
Granola w/ carnation instant breakfast = 500 cal
slice of leftover meat lover pizza = 300 cal
slim jim = 150 cal
2 oz cheese = 225 cal
bagel w/ honey = 350 cal
1/3 bag of teddy grahams = 325 cal
kashi bar = 150 cal
fruit by the foot = 100 cal
fiber one bar = 150 cal
GORP = 600 cal
Gatorade mix = 200 cal
3 bean chili = 400 cal
3 Muskateers bar = 250 cal
Jolly Ranchers = 50 cal
TOTAL = about 3750 calories
I can't believe how low that is. I pigged out today and still only broke 3500 calories. THey say that thruhikers burn somewhere between 4,000 to 6,000 calories per day, so I am still at a calorie deficit. Not sure if I have lost weight yet. Maybe I'll have Dad bring the scale down when he drops off Flo next week. Beautiful view at lunch. Temp was in the 50'sand the sun was out. The afternoon started with downhill. My left kneecap was especially sore from the downhill. I took 3 ibuprofen to get the pain to a manageable level. We passed a trail maintainer midway through the afternoon. Nice guy, but when you see a guy walking down the trail with a machete in his hand and a chainsaw slung over his shoulder, it can be a little unnerving. Glad I was walking with Mike. Last 2 miles of the day were intense. We had a very steep climb that resulted in a pretty poor view. When you work really hard on the uphills, you tend to expect a view. It pushed us past the 150 mile point, though, so we had a Jolly Rancher each. We reached the shelter at 4:45 to find it empty. Pumped water and cooked dinner. Had a nice sunset and are now getting into bed. We can already hear the mice getting ready to party. I made sure that all of my food is in the bear bag so hopefully I won't be bothered. I also hung my shoes so I won't find droppings in the morning. Tonight shouldn't be too cold. Looking forward to getting an extended forecast at Fontana tomorrow. This time tomorrow I'll be at the "Fontana Hilton." Smokies here I come!

3/6/2009 7:40 PM - "Fontana Hilton" - 13.0 mi today - 164.0 mi total

Woke up and the wind was blowing on an overcast day. I went to use the privy and was amazed at how basic it was. Most privys have walls on three sides and a roof. The nice ones have a door. This one offered 360 degree views. It was just a throne with a holey roof. I took a picture. Had a bagel and a granola bar for breakfast. Wanted to get moving to get to the Post Office so we left camp at 8 AM. Started out slow but got going towards lunch. Mike snapped one of his hiking poles and faceplanted in the morning. The opinionated Leki salesman at Neels Gap did say that "them are girlfriend poles!" Guess he was right. I also had a stumble as I stupidly grabbed the root of a blowdown (tree that has fallen accross the trail) while trying to maneuver around it. It snapped off and I almost went tumbling down the hill. Luckily there was a small tree that caught me and I only came away with a fresh coat of dirt in my hair. Pigged out at lunch again. Tried to eat everything before my mail drop. Really started to kick it after lunch. Did 2.9 miles in the first hour and then shifted into low gear the rest of the way into town. Mike fell behind as he had to tend to a blistered toe. On the downhill, my knee was throbbing again and in the last half mile my left foot hurt too. I don't know what is going wrong with my left leg, but hopefully it won't slow me down in the Smokies. We have an ambitious schedule to keep to. Got to the road at 1:15 and Mike soon caught up. We decided to try our luck hitchhiking the two miles to the village. No luck with the first car. 2nd car was a Range Rover and we sarcastically stuck out our thumbs. To our utter amazement, the lady pulled over! We threw our stuff in the trunk and off we went. Turned out the lady pick up hikers quite often. She drove us straight to the Post Office. It was amazing! I don't know why I was so worried about hitching. Got my food drop from the post office. It weighed a lot! I went through and replenished all of the stuff that was running low (namely ibuprofen and toothpaste). Rachel also sent me a letter with a small roll of toilet paper. How sweet! I charged my camera and tried to call home, but everyone was unreacheable. When I sent along my "bounce box" (a box full of extra gear that you send from town to town as you hike along) we headed back to the trail. We walked about a quarter mile before two veterans in an SUV pulled over and gave us a ride the rest of the way. They had metal detectors in the trunk and had evidently spent the day "hunting." They were quite impressed when Mike said that he had found Civil War shells in his backyard. They also complained about how the such-and-such Archealogical Act of 1979 had really hurt metal hunting. It was quite hilarious, though I really had nothing to contribute to the conversation. They took us right back to the trail and from there it was about one mile to the "Fontana Hilton" (the nicest shelter on the AT). Mike and I had the place to ourselves, besides the mice. We cooked dinner and admired the view of Fontana Lake, which is currently low. After dinner, I tried to call home from the visitor center, only to find that the payphone was broken. Tomorrow we start the Smokies.

3/7/2009 - Russell Field Shelter - 13.5 mi today - 177.5 mi total

Woke up in a thick layer of fog. It looked like it had rained last night. Two other people must have arrived after we fell asleep because they were heading out as we were waking up. Got up slowly and sluggishly put the stuff in my pack. My knee was already weary and complaining about another day of hiking. I popped 3 ibuprofen to get it to shut up. Started out with rain pants, shirt, and rain jacket on. That didn't last long. Once we crossed Fontana Dam and entered the Smokies, it started to heat up quickly. Mike found a good replacement stick as we started to climb Shuckstack Mountain. Within the first ten minutes, I lost the jacket and changed into shorts. Shuckstack was a serious climb! We went up 2100 feet in 4.4 miles. Thats even steeper than the climb out of the NOC. The sun was quite hot and I was huffing and puffing all the way up. There was a nice observation tower at the top that had a beautiful view of Fontana Lake. Climbed to the top and enjoyed the last of the Thin Mint cookies that Mike's sister sent me (Thanks Kat!) A mile down the trail I was out of water and had to pump from a spring. It was muddy, so it clogged my prefilter. I ended up getting half the water I needed and dropping my cup in the mud. Frustrating! Got back to the trail and took it slowly. We share this section of the trail with horses, so you have to be careful where you step. Had lunch on Doe Knob. Not really much of a view. Stuffed my face with pepperoni, cheese, crackers, granola bars, fruit rollup, and Crystal Light. After lunch we took it easy as well. My feet definitely appreciated the change of pase from yesterday. At one point, I think I saw two bear cubs. They were down the hill running between the trees, so i didn't get a great look. Pretty exciting at the time. Met a ridgerunner (guy who counts thruhikers for the ATC) at Mollies Ridge Shelter. From there it was just over an hour to Russel Field Shelter. Two locals named Possum and Kitchen Sink were already making a fire so they could grill their steaks. I got by with soup. One of them let me borrow his cell phone which was very much appreciated. as I hadn't been able to get through to the people at home yesterday. Now I'm just trying to ignore the mice running around the shelter. Aparently Possum and Kitchen Sink are notorious for snoring. They were bragging about it before bed time.

3/8/2009 8:00 PM - Silers Bald Shelter - 14.7 mi today - 192.2 mi total

Didn't sleep well last night. Possum and Kitchen sink snored like crazy. That didn't really bother me though. I just had a hard time getting comfortable. Daylight Savings made us turn the clocks an hour forward this morning. Funny how when you live from sunrise to sunset, you really don't lose an hour of sleep. Had granola and Carnation for breakfast. Pumped water as we were anticipating another hot day. Began day 2 of our 8 day push to Hot Springs at 9:30 AM. Mike and I both want to get there by next weekend to meet family, so we are trying to cover the 100+ miles in 8 days. It's doable, but we'll see what the feet say every morning. It was pretty windy early. Funny how yesterday we started in the fog and climbed out of it while today we started below the clouds and climbed into them. After .8 of a mile, we drew the number 2000.0 in the snow and took a picture of it. Only 2,000 miles to go! Did some pretty serious climbing in the morning and summitted Rocky Top, the mountain the University of Tennessee fight song is written about. Didn't have any views because we were in the cloud. Ate some GORP on Thunderhead Mountain. Second half of the morning dragged by. Mike fell back because of knee pain. Ate lunch at Derrick Knob Shelter. Met a couple spring breakers that wanted to know more about thruhiking. Treated me like I was an expert even though I'm less than 10% though. Popped some more ibuprofen at lunch and continued down the trail. Mike fell back again, so I took the time to do some thinking. Guess I'm not good at multitasking because Mike caught up to me. Focused on hiking after that. Arrived at Silers Bald Shelter to find it empty. Decided to stay because the shelter log made it seem like the next one would be pretty full. Dinner was excellent (chicken and mustard sauce). Tomorrow is Clingmans Dome. As of today, our daily mileage average is over 12. We are moving!

3/9/2009 9:15 PM - Icewater Spring Shelter - 15.5 mi today - 207.7 mi total

Tossed and turned a bit last night as well. It rained at one point, but passed by morning. When I went out to get the food bags, there was a deer about 15 feet from the shelter. He wasn't easily spooked and hung around as we ate breakfast. Ate my granola and packed the bag. Got a hole in one in the woods. Hit the trail at 9. Took it nice and easy to start. Took a break at Double Spring Gap Shelter after an hour. The terrain changed pretty dramatically from deciduous trees to evergreen between there and Clingmans Dome. It was nice to have a change in scenery. Got up to Clingmans Done around 11:30. Took pictures and video to celebrate the accomplishment (highest point on the AT). It was worthy of a Jolly Rancher. As we decended from Clingmans, the path was really icy. It was like trying to walk down a frozen stream. It was at least 4 inches thick. In the sunny spots, the ice had melted and made for some really muddy hiking. There were miles where you would literally be trudging through mud the whole way. We had lunch nea the side trail to Mt. Collins Shelter. The shelter itself was half a mile off the AT, so there was no way we were going to walk there for lunch. The weather was beautiful all day long. Sunny and warm. As we kept hiking we noticed a lot of downed trees. More than usual along the AT. The guidebook told us that this is due to a combination of pollution and balsam wooly adelgid. I felt like I was walking through a graveyard at one point. Quite saddening. There were a lot of trees that had uprooted themselves as they fell over. Some of the root balls we passed were 12 to 14 feet across. I've never seen a treet from that perspective before. I think the death of the trees contributed to the muddy conditions on the trail. Eventually, we reached Newfound Gap which is where you can hitch into Gatlinburg. Mike and I had decided to skip that as we are pushing through the Smokies quickly. We did take an extended break there and talked with a couple people at the parking lot. It was wierd exited the woods into a parking lot. It felt so foreign and unnatural. There was a busload of high school kids. There were Americans of every description enjoying the view. Most didn't stray more than 100 yards from their car. There was a sign that had AT mileage (1972 miles to Katahdin). As I was taking a picture of the sign, a man asked his young daughter how far they should go (1.7 miles or 1972.0 miles). I said "I'll take the far one if you take the short one." He was amazed by the whole thru-hiking concept. Also talked to a couple guys from Cincinatti that were impressed as well. After a short while, Mike and I noticed a couple other groups of people pointing at us. Talking to people in the parking lot helped me to realize what a monumental task this is and how cool it is. I've already hiked over 200 miles in 17 days and three states. That's not even 10% of the AT (we'll reach that accomplishment tomorrow) but it is still an awesome accomplishment. Leaving the parking lot and heading to the shelter three miles away, I felt rejuvenated. It's so easy to get caught up in mileages and pace and elevation. Talking to non-hikers helped me to put it all in perspective. The last three miles also included a 900 foot climb, but I hardly noticed the hill. I was caught up with AT fever. When I got to the shelter around 7, I met Rail and three guys from New Hampshire on spring break. All were really nice and fun to hang out with. Mountain Hopper came a little later after hitching to Gatlinburg and back. He brought Skittles and Starburst to share. They were great! Made curried vegetables for dinner. Yum! I'm really glad Mom and I did food prep for the hike so I don't have to eat ramen noodle every night. Shelter is nice, though I saw a mouse scurry out of my backpack after dinner. Luckily he didn't get into my food bag. Hung out chatting by the fire until around 9. Really enjoying myself out here and my knee felt good today. It's still a little swollen, but the Ibuprofen really helps. I have officially thru-hiked farther than Bill Bryson. He started yellow blazing from Gatlinburg (Thru hiker lingo for cheating. White blazes are found on trees and you have to walk to see them. Yellow blazes are found on roads and you can see them from a car). Weather is supposed to be good tomorrow. May strive for 20 miles. We'll see how the legs feel in the morning.

3/10/2009 10:00 PM - Cosby Knob Shelter - 20.3 mi today - 228.0 mi total

First 20 mile day! Legs don't feel too bad either. Woke up around 8 and had chocolate granola for breakfast (my favorite). Hit the trail at 9:15. The first little bit was another frozen stream. It was pretty slippery going down. Was rocking a pretty steady pace early. Got some great views from Charlie's Bunion. Made it to the first shelter in just over 3 hours. Met a family of section hikers. They asked me if I had a trailname yet. I told them not yet, but that I was open to suggestions. As I was walking away, they said that I should be Mountain Banshee, but didn't really have a reason why. I don't even really know what a banshee is, but it does sound pretty burly. I tried it on for size today and might stick with it when I get a solid definition. I asked around for what it meant and I got answers ranging from female hyenna to ghost to hairy mountain beast. We'll see tomorrow when I can ask wikipedia. Caught up with Mountain Hopper for lunch with an awesome view. He's a really cool guy. Sucks that his section hike ends tomorrow. I hope he gets to do his thru-hike someday. He's just one of the many awesome people I hope to meet along the way. After lunch, we headed out and made it to the second shelter around 3:30. We picked up another cool guy named Nick who will be starting his thruhike as soon as his semester ends in May. The four of us made the push for 20 miles. Tough going and I had to take 2 breaks to get through, but I churned out the final 7.7 miles in under 3 hours. I was really happy with my performance today. Today rewarded us with the best views of the Smokies. Anyone looking to do a nice section hike should really consider Newfound Gap to Davenport Gap. Pulled into camp at 6:30 with plenty of time to cook dinner. The shelter was full tonight (12 people) with a bunch of spring breakers. Met some cool kids that just graduated from Ithaca High School, Wooden Spoon and Wooden Duck. Mountain Hopper shared his banana and I shared my freeze-dried ice cream. Yum! Overall a great day. First 20 miler, made some great friends, and might have gotten my trail name. I'm living the dream. Looking forward to a shower tomorrow.

3/12/2009 2:21 AM - Standing Bear Farm - 10.4 mi today - 238.4 mi total

It's really late at night, so I should be in bed. Haven't written my journal entry yet tonight, but here's a quick summary. Took an easy day. Mainly downhill. Piled 6 people and 6 packs into Nicks car. Drove 15 miles down a really windy road to get lunch at a gas station. Amazing food! Good times. Walked the last two miles to the hostel through a smoldering wildfire (happened last night, but was safe to walk through. Got some cool pictures). Mike found a pair of Leki poles on the trail (TRAIL MAGIC!) Met the Jerky Girls at the hostel (really cool). Found out that banshee is a female ghost. Dropped that name really fast. Sat around the campfire for a long time. Mike officially named me Jolly Rancher (woohoo! I finally have a trailname). Been typing since midnight and am ready to hit the sack. Unfortuntaly this computer sucks so I can't upload any pictures. Hopefully I'll add some when I get to Hot Springs on Saturday. Hope everyone is having fun reading this. Please leave comments. I love to read them :)

UPDATE! HERE IS THE FULL ENTRY FOR MARCH 11:

Was the first one out of bed at sunrise. Had granola and enjoyed a bit of a sunrise (a little cloudy). Within a half hour, everyone was out of bed. Chatted with Mountain Hopper and Steamboat about the descent to Davenport Gap. Nick offered us a ride to a local restaurant, so we set a meeting place and everyone left camp to hike at their own pace. Steamboat and I were the caboose. The Wooden Boys (Duck and Spoon), Mountain Hopper, and Nick were much faster at the descent. We met up with everyone about halfway down at a nice vista and took a load of pictures including some group shots. Used my gorillapod for the second time. Hope to use it more. Steamboat and I chatted about our dogs on the descent. We are both looking forward to seeing our four-legged friends this weekend (Harley, Brinkley, and Molly). At the bottom of the hill, we all met up again and piled 6 stinky hikers and 6 dirty packs into Nick's SUV. It was pretty cramped. Wooden Duck was in the back under two packs. We then drove 15 miles down the windiest road imaginable. By the end of it we were all pretty sore or car sick or a combination of both. We found a restaurant called Mama's Kitchen that was part of a gas station. It looked like a hole in the wall place. What a great find! Our waitress was excellent. I apologized for out stench and she said "Don't worry. It's all a part of livin'!" There were old pictures of men making moonshine and some "redneck windchimes." I ordered a double cheeseburger, grilled cheese, onion rings, and cornbread. It was amazing. The waitress said "Y'all haven't seen real food in a while, huh?" No ma'am! All that food only cost $12. It was great! After we were all full, we piled back into the car and took the interstate back to Davenport Gap (much less windy). When we got back to the trailhead, Steamboat, the Wooden Boys, and I hopped out and got ready to hike again. We said our goodbyes to Nick and Mountain Hopper as they both had to go back to school. Hope they had safe travels and many more happy hikes. From there it was a short hike to Standing Bear Farm as we passed under I-40. As we were climbing the hill away from the interstate, we met a Forest Service worker who had thru-hiked in 2000. It's great to talk to trail alumni. I could see how envious he was that we were just beginning our journey. He also told us about how there had been a wildfire around the trail the day before, but it was contained and safe to walk through. He had gone through and cleared the trail for us, which was very nice. Great guy. As we approached the burned area, Steamboat stumbled upon some awesome trail magic... a set of Leki poles! One appeared to be broken, but after some tinkering, we managed to fix it and he now has two perfect poles. It was a bittersweet moment, though, because it meant that he had to leave his wooden stick behind. We left it in the middle of the trail for another hiker to use. It lasted throughout the entire Smokies, so it was a great stick. As we walked through the burn area, there were still smoldering logs and a good amount of smoke. There was one tree that was burning but still standing. Got some cool pictures. From there it was a short walk to Standing Bear Farm. The hostel was really nice. Met Rock Hound who is the handyman around the place. They have a cabin and a bunkhouse for hikers to stay in. Steamboat and I decided to stay in the loft of the cabin. Met the "Jerky Girls" (Sweet n Tangy and Hot n Spicy), Stallion (SOBO), and Graham (SOBO). Did all my chores, including washing my clothes by hand (they didn't have a washing machine). Luckily they had a drier so we didn't have wet clothes. Rockhound got a nice fire going. Steamboat and I split a pizza and we sat around the fire chatting with everyone. Eventually it got down to just the Jerky Girls, Steamboat, and myself. We sata around the fire until close to midnight. The Jerky Girls are both Marines and are really fun to hang out with. They had some crazy stories to tell. Wish them the best. They also let me try some of the moonshine they had bought from Rock Hound. It was pretty good. We also decided that my trailname should be Jolly Rancher for obvious reasons (had to scrap banshee because it means "female ghost"). I like it. Glad to finally have cool trailname. After everyone went to bed, I hit the computer and updated my blog. Really enjoy reading all the comments. Thanks everyone for the support!

-Jolly Rancher

Winding Stair Gap to Nantahala Outdoors Center 3/2/09-3/4/09

2009-03-05T23:41:00.006-05:00

Pictures: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2104530870104728652IIKBZQ

3/2/2009 4:03 PM – Siler Bald Shelter – 3.7 mi today – 111.4 mi total

Really cold! Temperature is somewhere in high 20s now. Supposed to drop to 12 degrees overnight in town. Should be even colder in the mountains where we are. Got up at 8 this morning. Showered and got packed up. Had breakfast at Wilson’s Restaurant. Little old lady server was funny. Went to Ingles for small resupply. Went back to motel and had a bagel for lunch. Went to post office and sent home about 1 lb of clothes. After I caught the shuttle to the trail. I walked about 4 miles to the shelter. Got here around 2. Ate beef Lo Mein for dinner and got into sleeping bag. Hoping to survive the night. Too cold to write anymore. It is gonna be a long night.

3/3/2009 6:35 PM – Wesser Bald Shelter – 17.9 mi today – 129.3 total

Wow it was cold last night. After an hour of lying in my sleeping bag with all of my clothes on and double thick socks my toes finally warmed up. It was weird being in bed so early. Meet a guy named Kabar who was supposedly in a 0 degree bag and still cold. That being said it was a Coleman bag that was likely bought at Wal-Mart. Not to be a gear snob, but there is no way a Coleman 0 degree bag is going to keep anyone warm at a temp below 20 F. I managed to fall asleep sometime around 5:30. Mike didn’t and said that the conversation turned to a description of the Senate and the House of Representatives for Kabar among other things. Glad I am a heavy sleeper. I managed to sleep through most of the night. I probably woke up around 5. Being in the torture tube for so long, I had to pee really bad. At the first sign of light, Mike and I got up and made breakfast to go. The temperature was around 10 F when the sun rose at 7 am. Who knows what it was overnight. We hit the trail at 7:15 and it took a while to get fully warmed up. We saw our first bald from a distance, Siler Bald. After about an hour we hit Wyah Gap and got some funny looks from passing cars. From there it was a long uphill to the top of Wyah Bald. There was an old stone observation pallet that offered us good views all around. We could see Mt. Albert to the south and Clingmans Dome to the North (highest pt on AT). It was nice to have such a clear view after 3 days in the fog. We had lunch at the Wyah shelter and by the time we left it was still before noon. We decided to shoot for Wesser Bald Shelter and make it a long day. Powered through the next section, mainly flat until 1 pm when we encountered our first trail angel (people providing free services to AT hikers). His name was apple and offered hot chocolate and reese’s PB cups. He also had a massive orange tent which he allowed thru hikers to stay in over night. Mike and I were his second and third customers of the year. Last year he helped 333 hikers. He was a really nice guy and the food/drink was very much appreciated. It really helped us get up the next hill. When we passed Cold Spring Shelter at 2 o’clock we still had 5.8 miles to go. It was tough to leave the shelter behind, knowing we could easily stay there after a respectable 12 miles. Hard work pays off. The down hill to Tellico Gap wiped out any inkling of getting to the NOC today (24 miles) as the pounding really started to ache my knees. Climbing out of Tellico Gap we summitted Wesser bald and were treated to an even better view than earlier in the day. We got our first look at Fontana Lake, the gateway to the Smokeys. We should reach there by Friday. Manzanita, another thru hiker, was already cooking his dinner at the shelter when we arrived at 4:45. I made chedder brocolli rice which was Okay. It was nice chatting with Manzanita. He is a triple crowner, so he has a lot of backpacking experience (hiked all off AT, PCT, CDT). As we were getting into the sleeping bags a stray dog came up to the shelter. Mike tried to get it to come inside but it didn’t trust us. I wonder if we will see it in the morning. Not as cold tonight, but still chilly. Tomorrow will be a short day to the NOC.

3/4/2009 12:30 PM – Nantahala Outdoors Center – 5.7 mi today – 135.0 mi total

Mike and I decided that today was going to be an easy day and we wouldn’t get up too early. 6:50 am rolled around and we were up making breakfast before the sun rose. It is tough to break the early rise habit. As soon as it gets light out you feel the need to hit the trail asap. I didn’t pump enough water last night, so I had to get some more from the spring. That adds an extra quarter mile to my day. Temp 25 after sunrise. It was pretty chilly, but compared to yesterday morning it felt tropical. Hit the trail at 8. No sign of the dog from last night, hope he found his way home. Most of today’s miles were downhill. We descended greater than 2500 ft over the 6 miles. It was really tough on the knees. Vitamin I helped to dull the pain. We got to NOC just before 11 am. I bought body glide, another pair of liner socks and a small Platypus to use as a fuel bottle. We also got laundry soap and quarters. Checked into the hostel and dropped the stuff in the room. 2 bunk beds and a wooden floor, simple but effective. Hit the shower and it felt great. Now we are just waiting for the laundry to finish before we get a bite to eat. Hope that some of our friends catch up today. Making sure I take full advantage of the rest as we hope to hit Fontana Dam by Friday afternoon. Need to get there to pick up the mail drop. Feels weird to not be hiking in the afternoon. Looking forward to real food at the restaurant.

Dicks Creek Gap to Winding Stair Gap 2/27/2009-3/1/2009

2009-03-01T21:19:00.004-05:00

Pictures: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2559336470104728652lYWYhD

2/27/2009 7:30 PM - Muskrat Creek Shelter - 11.8 mi today - 79.3 mi total

Spent a great night in the bunks. Woke up around 7:30 and organized my stuff. At 8:30 we were invited into the house for our cooked breakfast. It was amazing! They had cheese biscuits, sausage, pancakes, and homemade blueberrysyrup. Everything was delicious. I especially appreciated the orange juice. I really miss that on the trail. The guys suggested I take the name Juice as my Trailname. We'll see if it sticks. After breakfast, we loaded 6 people and 5 packs into the Jeep and drove to the trailhead. When we got there, I saw Tater again, the guy I met on top of Springer. Everyone had their rain gear on as we started out. It wasn't really raining at the beginning, so I shed my jacket after 5 minutes of climbing. Of course that meant that 5 minutes later it started raining pretty hard and I got soaked before I could put it back on. The rainy hike was misurable. I definitely had a tough time with it. I was walking solo and just had to keep thinking positive thoughts as I plodded through the mud. I caught up with everone at Plumorchard Gap Shelter for lunch after 4.5 miles. I was tempted to stop there for the night as I didn't really want to go back out into the rain again. Luckily, it eased up in the afternoon and made for some good hiking. We passed a stuffed bear the held a good luck sign. It read "Boo Boo wishes y'all good luck thru hike." Not the best grammar, but appreciated all the same. I got a picture. At 2:45, we hit a major milestone as we crossed from Georgia to North Carolina. I got my picture taken with the sign. The rest of the hike was pretty steep as North Carolina gave us quite the welcome. We pulled into camp and got set up to make dinner. I had alfredo pasta with some summer sausage mixed in. The major adventure of the day was hanging the bear bags. "Grumpy got to the shelter before us an hung his "PCT style" as we were cleaning up. Of course this led to us trying to do the same and failing miserably. Mike and I both had trouble even getting our ropes over tall enough branches. It was a pretty hilarious time. Eventually we got it all figured out with some assistance from Grumpy. I have hung s many bear bags and I still manage to screw it up most of the time. It was a great way to end a tough day. Hope the rain isn't too bad tomorrow.

2/28/2009 7:05 PM - Carter Gap Shelter - 12.5 mi today - 91.8 mi total

Woke up to rain. It had rained all night and didn't look like stopping. Jeff had spent the night in his tent and aparently got soaked through. He left camp at 7AM as we were just waking up. Grumpy followed him out around 8AM. Dan was next. Mike, Wes, and I took it really slow. It was tough getting out of a wam dry sleeping bag to plod through the wet cold mud all day. I eventually departed camp at 9:30. Mike and Wes soon followed. I took it really easy in the morning. There wasn't much elevation change, so it was a pretty smooth walk. I stopped at noon for lunch at Standing Indian Shelter. Wes and Mike came in about 10 minutes after me. I departed quickly, but still got cold. After lunch was the only real hill of the day, which enabled me to warm up. The rest of the afternoon was pretty slow. At one point, I thought I felt my first hot spot developing on my big toe. Not wanting to drop my pack, I was somehow able to balance on my right foot as I took off my left boot, outer sock, and liner sock, apply duct tape, and reverse the process without getting my foot wet. I earned a JOlly Rancher for that little trick. I use Jolly Ranchers as a reward for different accomplishments on the trail. It goes back to my days hiking with Troop 8 in California. This morning, I had to give myself one just for getting out of bed. There were some cool parts to the trail today. I crossed a couple streams balancing on a log. I pulled into camp at 4 and cooked some Spring Onion noodles with summer sausage. Yum. I also had much better luck with the bear bag today. Got it on my first try and nailed the PCT method. Its supposed to get really cold tonight. I might hit Franklin tomorrow. That would be a 16 mile day. Will break 100 miles easily.

3/1/2009 8:30 PM - Winding Stair Gap - 15.9 mi today - 107.7 mi total

Woke up around 7 today and got moving. Had a quick breakfast of Nature Valley bar and honey. No cleanup required. It had rained most of the night but didn't turn to snow. Hit the trail at 8:15 with Mike. Cruised for the first couple miles and knocked off 5 miles in under 2 hours. Major hill of the day was Mt Albert just before lunch. As we were about to start the accent, it began to snow. Steepest climb yet. Had to drop the poles at one point so I could use my hands to climb. Got to the top and snow was falling thick and fast. Stopped at Big Spring Shelter for lunch. Ate quickly but still got cold. Snow had layered everything by the time we left the shelter. Kicked it into gear after lunch. Really muddy for a while. Slipping and sliding a lot. Got to "old ROute 64 but decided to hike the extra 3.1 miles to "New Route 64." Those were tough miles. I was beyond tired by the end. As we reached the parking lot, a van pulled up and it was the motel shuttle with Tatonka and Dan inside. Perfect timing! By 3:00 we were heading into Franklin, NC. Van driver said that over 150 people left Springer Mountain this weekend! Glad to be ahead of the pack. Staying at the Budget Inn tonight. Split a room with Mike for $20 each. Took a nice long shower and got the laundry done. After walked a half mile in my flip flops to find out that the AYCE Mexican was only a lunch deal. Went to Cody's Roadhouse instead. Had a mushroom cheeseburger and a cold beer. Tasted great after a long day! Weather Channel is predictinf tomorrow's overnight low at 13 degrees. Grumpy, Jeff, Dan and Tatonka are taking a zero tomorrow to avoid the cold. Mike and I are thinking about it. We'll se what the morning weather report says. Hopefully the SPOT will work better over the next couple of days. The fog has been blocking the signal.

Neels Gap to Dicks Creek Gap 2/24/2009-2/26/2009

2009-02-26T16:22:00.008-05:00

Pictures: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2314640220104728652CpplsO

2/24/2009 6:30 PM - Low Gap Shelter - 10.8 mi today - 41.5 mi total

Tough day! I really felt every mile. Woke up at seven. Pirate was walking around mumbling something and taking pictures of everyone for the wall. Probably got a great shot of my morning face. Had a Pop-tart and bagel with honey for breakfast. Must buy honey at the next stop as it goes well with a lot of foods and has a lot of calories. After breakfast, I started packing my stuff and helped Gentle Ben set up his tent. He hadn't done it yet, so we showed him how. He's a really nice guy, but he seems a bit timid about headin into the wilderness. He bought all of his gear there and has been hanging around for a number of days. It didn't look like he would be leaving today, though he said he intended to. After packing I went to the store to buy some food. Only had to get two dinners and a Pop-tart as I still had a lot of food left over from the last leg of the journey. Also bought fuel and a lighter and I picked up a nice rain cover for my pack from one of the "hiker boxes" which is gear left behind by people for someone else to use. Mike got the "shakedown" and I stuck around to see part of that. Left Neels Gap at 10:30 solo. Went pretty slow to start. Had lunch at 12:30 on Wolf Laurel Top. Mike caught up just as I was finishing. We hiked together easily until 3:00, but were still 4.4 miles short of where we wanted to be. We kicked up the pace leaving Hogpen Gap and made it to Low Gap Shelter in an one hour 45 minutes. Lone Wolf and Jeff, a section-hiker, were already here. Pumped water and got dinner going (Switchback Spaghetti). Stove is not going to last. After dinner, I hung my bear bag and looked at the map. Lone Wolf and Jeff got a fire going and it feels really nice now. Dustin just arrived. He was walking with his headlamp. Great way to end the day. Shouldn't be too cold tonight either. I think I'm developing a Southern drawl. Mike sez all ya have to do's slur your words togethabit.

2/25/2009 7:00 PM - Tray Mountain Shelter - 15.0 mi today - 56.5 mi total

Long day! Went to bed last night kind of late as the fire kept me toasty. Woke up this morning after a long night. As I was falling asleep, I could hear a couple of mice scurrying around and squeeking a bit. I woke up at one point to feel one crawling over my feet. I kicked him away and sat for ten minutes trying to figure out why I seemed to be getting the attention as the other four people in the shelter slept soundly. I suddenly realized I had left a bag of GORP in the side pocket of my bag! I uickly grabbed it and threw it to the bottom of my sleeping bag. Upon further inspection in the morning, I found two little chew holes at the corner of the GORP bag and some droppings in my boots. Gross! I had Pop-tarts and apple leathers for breakfast and hit the trail with Mike at 8:30. We started on a gradual uphill and were amazed to find that we had covered 5 miles in under two hours. We took a short snack break and hiked to Blue Mountain Shelter for lunch at 11:30. We left at 12:00 and made it to Unicoi Gap by 1:00 for another snack break. My legs were feeling good and we decided to shoot for Tray Mountain Shelter. While in the parking lot, I saw some mice in the leaves. Aparently word had already spread that I was the bearer of GORP. From the road it was 1,000 feet up to the top of Rocky Mountain. This was the first straight 1,000 foot climb so we rewarded ourselves with a Jolly Rancher each. We moved past the summit at 2:00 and it was a long hard four miles from there to the shelter. My feet were definitely feeling the pounding. I popped a couple "vitamin I" for the last 2 miles. We pulled into camp at 4:30 after summitting Tray Mountain, which is only 20 feet shorter than Blood Mountain. Wes, who had also stayed at Hawk Mountain Shelter the first night, was already there. I made White Mountain Stew for dinner and might have figured out my stove problem. I'm going to play around with the potstand tomorrow and see what I can adjust. I hung my bear bag and it started to sprnkle as we built a fire. It was nothing compared to the blaze we had last night, but it warmed my toes nicely. We chatted with Wes for a bit and a section hiker with his dog "Butters" arrived. He was friendly, but had no control of the dog. I hope that Harley enjoys it out here. It might rain tomorro. We are going to try to make it to Hiawassee and stay at Blueberry Patch tomorrow night. In the mean time, my GORP is safely stored in my bear bag.

2/26/09 10:20 pm—Dicks Creek Gap—11.0 mi today—67.5 mi total

Slept pretty well last night. I didn’t hear any mice which was a relief, though apparently they were chewing on Wes’ glove a bit. They must have been going for the salt. I had chocolate granola with dried blueberries and dehydrated milk for breakfast that was good. It was really foggy when we woke up and it look like it had rained overnight. Everything was damp from the humidity. We packed up and made tracks at 9 am. Started with a pretty easy pace and covered 4.8 mi in the first two hours. It always feel good to put away miles early in the day. I had to play around with my layering system a bit to get it where I wanted. Eventually I got down to just shorts and a shirt. The toughest climb was Kelly Knob just shy of 1000 ft. We took a nice long break at the top and applied some Gold Bond cream to stop the chaffing. We were walking in and out of mist all day, and I got some cool photos of the trail. From Kelly Knob it was mainly down hill to Dicks Creek Gap, although there were one or two PUDs (pointless up and down) along the way. The down hills are tough on the knees and the feet. At the beginning of my hike I was flying on the down hills, but now I am taking my time to prevent injury. We got to Dick’s Creek Gap by 2:15 and we skipped lunch as we knew there was AYCE (all you can eat) in Hiawassee. We called Blueberry patch hostel and Gary came to pick us up. He thru hiked in 1991 and converted his garage into a hostel after his hike. It is a great place. He has bunks for 8 with a hot shower, fridge full of coke and hot breakfast tomorrow morning. When we arrived we meet two other thru hikers, Jeff and Dan. After claiming bunks and handing over our dirty laundry, he gave us the keys to the Jeep and told us to head into town. Our first stop was China Grill Buffet. For 9 bucks a piece we got all the Chinese food we could take and free refills of soda. I had two fully loaded plates and left stuffed and happy. The next stop was the library to update my blog and check the email. Thanks everyone for the support and emails. Keep them coming, I love to read them. While I was in the library I caught a look of myself in the mirror—I look like a bum! We finished our of Hiawassee with a trip to Ingles Grocery Store. I spent 58 bucks on 4 days of food. I am pretty sure I over bought. My appetite hasn’t increased that much, but I am sure it will soon. When we got back to the hostel we drew numbers for the first shower. I got last, so I took the opportunity to break down my food and call home. It looks like the new stove is going to make the first shipment, which is great. I am also hoping to cut weight from the maps by just copying the elevation profiles and leaving the rest behind. It may not sound like much, but it adds up. Shower felt great, love that clean feeling. The rest of the night was spent chatting with the other guys, comparing gear and preparing for the next day on the trail. This is now officially my longest backpacking trip as we topped 50 miles yesterday. Tomorrow we should hit another milestone as we will hopefully cross from GA to NC. Unfortunately the weather doesn’t look good the next two days, rain is forecast. I can’t complain too much though, because we have been very lucky to this point. I am also pretty psyched to have scored a pair of Superfeet insoles from the hiker box. They are supposed to make a big difference. We’ll see. I am keeping my old insoles just incase. Also, I am going to keep a log of interesting people I meet on the trail. So far the list consists of Booger (farting talkative marine), Lone Wolf, Pirate, and Dartman—lets hope there are many more. I also hope to post some picture to my Webshots account as soon as I get my camera cable. Check back soon!

Springer Mountain to Neels Gap 2/21/09-2/23/09

2009-02-23T21:40:00.007-05:00

Pictures: http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2992579620104728652pBZTSW

2/21/09 1:20 pm—Springer Mt—0 mi today—0 mi total

Just summited Springer with Mom, Dad and Harley. Sitting next to first White blaze! Beautiful weather—here’s to adventure!

2/21/09 7:00 pm – Hawk Mt. Shelter—7.5 mi today—7.8 mi total

Great first day! Camping in the shelter with about 8 others. Left Mom and Dad at 2:30 in parking lot. Hiked 6.8 solid miles in 3 hours. Good pace, got to shelter with enough time to cook dinner: chili con carne. It was excellent! Stove worked well, going to bed now.

2/22/09 7:10 pm – Woody Gap – 12.3 mi today – 20.1 mi total

Great day! Woke up to 2 in of snow. Slept well except for a space blanket next to me, the man next to me sounded like a plastic bag all night long. Went to bed at 9 last night, stayed up late talking with Mike and Dustin. Both cool guys, from Colorado and Mississippi. Cooked up oatmeal in the morning. Stove needs work, it is hard to get primed. I should have attached a wick. Matchbox that I brought is really crappy, it shredded when I tried to strike a match. Dustin let me borrow his lighter. Pumped water from spring. Love the pump I brought, it is fast and easy. I got all my stuff packed up and was fourth to leave, although I was the last out of bed. The talkative farting Marine went first, then Wess, then Mike, and then there was me. Dustin looked about 5 minutes from leaving when I took off, although I didn’t see him all day. Good pace in morning, hiked fast to stay warm. Lots of snow and cold wind on the trail. I wore just long underwear, pants, shirt and bandana, although I probably should have worn gloves. I took a picture at Horse Gap as I broke double digits (10 miles)!! I had chicken salad and crackers for a snack on Justus Mt.. At 12 I met Mike finishing his lunch as Justus Creek. Made 2 mi/hr at this point. I had a quick lunch and followed the back trail. I passed Gooch Mt. Shelter quickly towards Gooch Gap. I caught up with Mike there as well. We hiked together to Woody Gap. We have a similar pace, the last couple of miles my legs were not happy L We got to Woody Gap at 3:30 pm, just shy of 2 mph for the day. Windy!! Set up tents, but then we found a better spot so we moved our tents 30 yards. Pumped water from spring. I accidentally left my poles behind but Mike brought them back. I cooked chicken and nuts stir pot for dinner. I need to upgrade stove and fuel bottle. I hung a bear bag but left my breakfast in the tent. I hope I don’t get eaten by a bear!! I hope to get to Neels Gap by tomorrow afternoon. It is 10.6 mi from here. Blood Mt. (highest point on AT in GA is in the way). Hoping it doesn’t snow again. My 2-person tent is nice and roomy without Harley, although I would rather have him here with me.

2/23/09—6:10 pm—Neels Gap—10.6 mi today—30.7 mi total

Woke up to FRIGID temperature! Some guy in a car said it was 16 degrees!! With wind it felt really cold. I ate my cream of wheat and Carnation instant breakfast…cold. It tasted pretty good. I almost got frostbite trying to clean the dishes. Definitely not worth it. I warmed up at the privy. I packed up and left at 9 am with Mike. It was a beautiful view from first mountain, Big Cedar Mt. I took some pictures and got some solid miles in. Took a snack break at Henry Gap (4 miles and 2 hrs). My water hose was frozen until this point. I must remember to blow it clear every night. I reached Jarrard Gap at noon. I ran out of water, but was not going to walk .3 mi down a hill to get it. I continued to Slaughter Creek. I arrived at 12:50 and pumped water. I attacked Blood Mt. and summited at 1:30 (highest point on the AT in GA). Here I took an hour for lunch and had some gouda cheese and a Nutrigrain bar. I met 3 guys, who were trying to meet up with 3 other guys…they all had matching backpacks. They were nice, but they had no clue how to read a map. I came down Blood Mt. (steep and rocky). Got to Mt. Crossings (a store) at Neels Gap around 3:30. I took some pictures outside. The store is really cool! Everyone is very friendly. I paid for a night in the hostel (16$) and washing load ($3). I met Ben, a nice guy attempting a thru hike. After I showered I ate dinner with others in hostel. Pirate cooked beans and pork with cornmeal for everyone. It was really good! I watched a bit of an old western about Sam Houston (there was a small VCR at the hostel). Dustin arrived after dinner. It turns out he was at Woody Gap last night too. I can’t believe we missed him this morning. After dinner I called home. It was nice to hear familiar voices. Ben cooked 2 frozen pizzas to share and Cool Breeze passed around a PBR (beer). This is a really friendly group. I am planning on taking stock of food tonight before bed, and making purchases tomorrow. Mom says the SPOT is working well. I hope everyone is having fun at home following along.

Springer in the morning

2009-02-20T22:31:00.004-05:00

After a long two-day drive, we finally made it to Amicalola Falls State park at 6:00 this evening. Of course we forgot to check the weather forecast before we left Rochester, so we drove through a blizzard as we made our way from Buffalo to Cleveland. It was whiteout conditions at some points and we saw a bunch of cars that had skidded off the road, including an 18 wheeler at one point. I was white knuckle driving. We made it to Cincinnati on Thursday night and hit the road this morning at 9. I had a lot of time to think and I'm pretty sure the only thing I forgot was a sponge to clean my cook pot after every meal. I was just going to suck it up and use my bandana, but Mom found one at a gas station.

The drive also let me get mentally prepared for the trail and come up with a list of goals. I think it's an important part of the preparation and will help me to guage my progress in a unit other than miles. Here is the list in order:
1. Have fun
2. Hike my own hike
3. Find myself
4. Seek out adventure
5. Summit Mt Katahdin
I hope that by reminding myself of these goals it will help me to enjoy myself but also push myself and get outside my comfort zone so that I can grow as a person.

When we did finally arrive at Amicalola Falls State Park, the visitor center was closed so I had to register outside in the binder. There was only one other entry on the thru-hiker page, a guy who left on February 9th carrying a 60 pound pack! I had my official weigh in before I left Rochester and my pack weighs around 20 pounds without food and water. When I hit the trail tomorrow, I will be carrying 6 pounds of food and about 4 pounds of water. I am very happy with that number considering the fact that when I did my 50 miler hike in 7th grade with the Boy Scouts, I was carrying a 35 pound pack! I am 9 years older, at least 60 pounds heavier, and a couple inches taller then I was back then. This should be a piece of cake! [insert weak chuckle here] I currently tip the scales at 185 pounds. I wonder how much I will lose on the trip. I know that I will definitely lose the donut I have been carrying around since freshman year.

After registering as a thru-hiker, we walked around the visitor center and found a cool plaque and "the portal" as I like to call it which marks the beginning of the Approach Trail to the top of Springer Mountain. I will not be hiking the Approach Trail as it is an extra 8 mile path that leads to the top of Springer and is not considered part of the Appalachian Trail proper (it's not part of the 2178.3 miles). Instead, tomorrow morning we will drive around Springer to the northern side using Forest Service roads and park one mile down the AT from the summit. From there we will backtrack to the top of Springer Mountain, take a load of pictures, sign the register, take a look at the shelter that is at the top, and then hike back to the parking lot. Then it is time for good-byes. Mom and Dad will head to Charlotte to visit some old family friends and I will head North to Katahdin. My goal is to hike at least the first 7.8 miles to Gooch Mountain Shelter. Beyond that, I will likely depart from the schedule I wrote out.

It is still hard for me to believe that I start hiking tomorrow. It is hard to put the whole scope of this trip into perspective. If everything goes well, I will be hiking almost every day for the next six months. That is just RIDONCULOUS!!! I just hope that it is an adventure that I can look back on fondly when I am an old man. I doubt that I will sleep much tonight. I am too excited to get out there!!

Tomorrow morning I will shave for the last time until August (that is if my girlfriend lets me get away with graduation pictures with a beard). As for now, I am gonna try and get some sleep so I am ready for my big day tomorrow. Here is to adventure!

p.s. - I added some sweet pictures of the trail head to my webshots, check them out!!

We're off!

2009-02-19T13:50:00.000-05:00

The car is packed, I'm shutting off my computer for six months, it's time to go! Here's to adventure.

Hit the road

2009-02-19T04:20:00.003-05:00

I am finally ready to go. I just videoed myself packing my backpack so I know exactly what I started with. I am sure it is a really boring video because I am dead tired, but I'll post it to youtube anyways. It will be interesting to see what equipment I shed along the way. I feel like I have eliminated everything unnecessary, but I may find at some point that I don't need a specific article for some reason or another. I am also looking forward to seeing how the food works out. Mom and I have spent hours reading recipes, putting shopping lists together, walking around Wegmans discussing options, measuring quantities, and filling up Ziploc bags. We have the first 850 miles covered. Mom has agreed to finish doing all the food prep while I am hiking which I really appreciate. I just hope that I have stuck the magic balance between weight and calories. They say you should carry no more than 2 pounds of food per day on the trail. My first set of rations was right on. I am sure I will learn a lot as I hike.
So the plan for Thursday is wake up, load the car, review the food drop plan with Mom and Dad, and hit the road. We will take two days to drive down to Springer Mountain. I'll hit the trail on Saturday morning.

One day to go...

2009-02-18T00:23:00.002-05:00

Wow I can't believe that I only have one more day to finalize everything. I will get it all done, but there are so many loose ends I need to tie up tomorrow, in addition to completing my last pre-hike workout with Mom at the Y. The past few days have been a blur. I had a great weekend up in Maine visiting Rachel and all of her roommates. On the way home, I stopped by Skidmore to visit my friend from high school Derek. He drew me the most complicated map ever showing how to get to I-90, but it worked! I was also able to try out my SPOT satellite messenger which I will be carrying on the hike.

Since getting back to Rochester, I have been packaging up food like crazy. Mom and I put together about 35 dinners tonight. We are using some recipes from a couple of books that I got for Christmas, but towards the end, we were just throwing ingredients together and making it up. It's more fun that way. It's a time consuming process. I also tried out one of the recipes tonight using my backpacking kitchen. It worked pretty well, though the food was a bit bland. Because of that, Mom and I were adding spices and flavoring to each entree. Tomorrow, I need to go shopping so I can put some more dinners together and then get everything boxed up. I have all the food planned and packaged up to Shenandoah National Park (850 miles down, 1328 to go).

So thats the news for now. Thanks everyone for all the supportive emails and facebook messages I have been getting. Hopefully this blog will be a tool for reflection for me and a source of inspiration for you.

Trip to Maine

2009-02-12T16:28:00.002-05:00

I just activated my SPOT Satellite Messenger in time for my trip to Bowdoin College to visit Rachel. I will be carrying this with me on my hike, so the car journey up was a good opportunity to test it. You can now see where I am by clicking on the map on the toolbar at the right. It will show a seven day history, so when I start my hike next weekend, you will be able to see my weekly progress.

Thats all the news for now. My mom and I have been working really hard to get the mail drops planned over the past couple days. When I get home from Maine, I will be making the final preparations before heading to Georgia on Thursday. Look for more updates early next week.

Change of plan

2009-02-04T22:51:00.002-05:00

My parents and I decided that it would be best if I started the trip without Harley until I am north of the Smokies. It makes a lot of sense. This means I get to hike the entire trail (instead of simply skipping the Smokies like I had planned before. It also allows me to adjust to trail life on my own without having to worry about the dog. The only thing that worries me is that I will lose the connection I have with him during the three weeks I am away from him. Since I returned home from college, we have spent a lot of time together and we have grown used to having each other around. He gets quite upset when I leave the house to run errands as he sits by the door waiting for my return. I guess that is what we have to deal with. There are only three sections of the AT that don't allow dogs: the Smokies, a one mile stretch in New York where the trail passes through a zoo, and the finish in Baxter State Park in Maine. The zoo in New York has another trail that circumvents the stretch, and now thanks to my parents, I have the other two areas sorted out as well. Dad is going to drive him down on March 14. This also means that the first three weeks of my schedule are set in stone. I don't have to follow my plan exactly, but I do have to cover about 235 miles in three weeks. Hopefully I am up for the test. I have updated my itinerary to reflect the changes.

Less than three weeks!

2009-02-03T18:37:00.002-05:00

Sunday was the first of February, meaning that I leave in less than three weeks! I have so much to do before I leave (plan the menus and package up the food drops), but I know that these couple weeks will fly by and soon I will be on the trail.

Harley's new pack came last Friday. It is definitely an upgrade over the previous model. Originally I bought a Kelty Chuckwagon from REI, but after a couple test hikes, a hole developed where the leash attaches to it because he had been pulling so hard. Luckily REI has a GREAT return policy and gave me a full refund no questions asked. Instead I bought the Ruff Wear Pallisades II pack from geartrade.com for cheaper than the Kelty. It had a broken clip, so they had to sell it at a significant discount. After replacing the clip which cost me one dollar, I had a brand new pack for $35! It seems to fit him better as well and I really like the fact that the bag can be detached from the harness. Hopefully we will get out to Mendon Ponds Park on Thursday for a hike.

Apart from that, I am working hard with mom to come up with the menu plan. I have all of the mail drops planned out, now we just need to package them up with enough food. I'll post the mail drop schedule for all to see. I think that the hardest part is going to be rationing out the food because I have no idea how much food will sustain me on the trail. I know that I will want to eat like crazy because I will be burning 4000+ calories a day. We have the dehydrator going non-stop.

Food planning

2009-01-30T21:21:00.003-05:00

So I didn't get as much done today as I thought I would. I was hoping to plan out all the mail drops so that I could start to figure out the menus. Instead, I went shopping at BJ's and a local natural food market with Mom. We got a lot of stuff to start putting the packages together, including GORP ingredients, instant oatmeal, fruits to dehydrate, and six pounds of ground beef to make some more jerky. I'll put some jerky in the dehydrator tonight before I go to bed so it will be ready in the morning. At this point I have no idea how much the food bill is going to be, but I am making steady progress. This is just one of those things I am going to have to learn through experience, like many things to come.

Apart from shopping, I was able to resume my workout schedule. I hit the Stair Master at the YMCA and did some weightlifting after. It felt really good to get a solid workout in. Hopefully I will get a good hike in over the weekend so we can try out Harley's new pack. On Monday, I'll be back to pilates and spinning class. I go with Mom twice a week as it's really good cross-training. I am one of only two guys in the pilates class, the other is a nice old man named Sam. He saw me warming up today and wanted to know why I had skipped class. I promised him I would be back on Monday.

Planning, planning, planning

2009-01-29T23:03:00.002-05:00

I never imagined the amount of planning that goes into organizing a six month trip. I had experience planning a 50-mile backpacking trip when I was in middle school, but the scale of this trip just blows that out of the water. I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of the menu planning yet. Hopefully tomorrow, I will have a clear idea of how many mail drops I will have so I can start packaging them up. I anticipate being on the phone for quite a bit tomorrow talking to hostel owners and outfitters trying to figure everything out. Luckily Whiteblaze is an amazing resource for the trip planning. I don't know what I would do without it. It is a lot of fun though and I am enjoying myself while doing all of the logistics.

Today was a pretty productive day. I was interviewed for the local paper and that went pretty well. The article should be coming out in about two weeks. I'll definitely post a link when it is published. I also watched TREK, which is an awesome DVD about the AT. It is the story of 4 guys attempting the trip in 2001. It really puts the whole thing in perspective and the thing that I found most valuable was learning more about the struggles that you face on trail. Of course not everyday is going to be rosy. There are going to be days that will be an absolute hell. But I think the movie did a good job of showing how you have to roll with the punches and take everything in stride. As I look forward to my trip, I hope that I am able to persevere through the tough times and become part of the 10% of thru-hikers that complete the trail.

Tomorrow, I look forward to returning to my workout plan. I have fallen off of the wagon the past two days because I tweaked my back while shoveling snow on Tuesday. It was absolute agony on Tuesday evening, but with the help of vitamin I (AT code for ibuprofen) and the massage pillow that my mom got for Christmas, I am feeling much better tonight. I'll be hitting the stair-climber in the morning. So that's the latest news. Time to hit the sack.

Introductions

2009-01-28T16:42:00.005-05:00

Welcome again everybody to my blog. I think I have it set up the way I want. I added the FirstGiving link on the right hand side last night. I also uploaded my gear list complete with pictures (just click on the item that you want to see and it links you to my webshots account). This list will likely be tweaked as I go along, but right now my base weight, sans food and water is around 17 pounds! Pretty darn good!

I thought that I should give everyone a proper introduction to the main characters of this adventure, namely Harvey and Harley. I am Harvey. I just graduated from Cornell University this past December with a BS in Human Biology, Health & Society. Basically that is a fancy name for pre-med. I have applied to med schools for this fall, but unfortunately have not been interviewed anywhere to this point. This is one of the reasons I am taking this trip. I want to step back from the world, get in touch with myself and reevaluate my options. I need to decide if medicine is really the path I want to take. Maybe there is something better out there for me. Only time will tell. Enough with the Debbie Downer stuff, time to talk about the other character that you will undoubtedly be readin about, Harley.

Harley is a 1 and a half year old Yellow Lab/Coonhound mix. My family adopted him from the Ithaca SPCA last summer and he has quickly become a member of the family. He can get into mischeif quickly, but is a loyal and loving dog. He has tons of energy and is ready to hit the trail. Above is a picture of him in the tent I took with my phone. A couple of days ago, I set up the tent in the basement to introduce him to it. We slept in it overnight, and in the morning he liked it so much that he didn't want to get out. I had to start collapsing it on him in order to get him to leave. Hopefully that won't be a regular occurence on the trail.

Today I also experiemented more with the food dehydrator. Hopefully that will turn out well. I have already made beef jerky and turkey jerky earlier this week. Today I experimented with fruits and New England Clam Chowder. Hopefully I'll post some pictures tomorrow. Also tomorrow, my good friend from my days in Boy Scout Troop 129 is going to interview me for the Brighton-Pittsford Post. He writes for them now, so hopefully I'll get a cool article that will encourage people to follow my journey through this site. Well it's exteremly late now, so I am going to bed. Happy Trails.

Opening Thoughts

2009-01-27T21:57:00.001-05:00

I am 21 years old, recently graduated from Cornell, have a wonderful loving family and girlfriend, and am about to embark into the adult world. Why, in the prime of life with my future awaiting me would I decide to escape to the woods for six months with only my dog for companionship?
Even as I sit here making preparations for the trip, it seems like an impossible task that only fools would chase. And yet it appeals to me. Perhaps I am a fool after all.
A month ago at my college graduation, the President of the University challenged myself and the other new graduates in the room to "lead the life of the traveler, not the tourist." Although I have a plan, I do not know where this adventure will take me or where I will finish (Maine hopefully). All I know now is that I am about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. Hopefully, with self-reflection through this journal, I will learn more about myself and document my experiences for all to enjoy. Thanks for reading.