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.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Duncannon, PA to Delaware Water Gap, PA 5/4/2009-5/11/2009
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.
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.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Harpers Ferry, WV to Duncannon, PA 4/28/2009-5/3/2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Front Royal, VA to Harpers Ferry, WV 4/25/2009-4/27/2009
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.
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.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Waynesboro, VA to Front Royal, VA 4/18/2009-4/24/2009
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
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
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