Trail
Days |
Date |
DOW |
Start |
Finish |
Miles |
Total |
Notes |
| 160 |
Oct 21 |
Thu |
Ed Garvey Shelter |
Harpers Ferry, WV |
7.0 |
2179.1 |
His wife Sandy walked north
from Harpers Ferry and met him at 10:00 on the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal Trail. They walked back together to the AT Headquarters in
Harpers Ferry. I received confirmation that he finished at
11:01am. Lots of celebrating going on with balloons, a crown
and refreshments! Completed his thru-hiker paperwork at the ATC. Congratulations! 100%
Done. |
| 159 |
Oct 20 |
Wed |
Pine Knob Shelter |
Ed Garvey Shelter |
16.6 |
2172.1 |
Left Pine Knob Shelter a little after 8:00 and passed by the
original Washington Monument, the Dahlgren Back Pack Campground and
Gathland State Park. He ran into a grade school group at the
Washington Monument and stopped to tell them about his hike. The
trail today was smooth and rock free, except for a couple of hours up
and then down Lambs Knoll. Passed the Crampton Gap Shelter Trail
and arrived at the Ed Garvey Shelter at 3:19. |
| 158 |
Oct 19 |
Tue |
Pen-Mar Park |
Pine Knob Shelter |
17.8 |
2155.5 |
Started at Pen-Mar Park, MD at 9:49am and is hiking south.
Checked out the Devils Racecourse Shelter at 11:57am. It's in good
shape and was last used on the 17th. He also looked at the Raven Rock
Shelter which is new and appears finished - complete with a cable bear
bag system. Passed Ensign Cowall Shelter and enjoyed the views at Black
Rock Cliffs and Annapolis Rocks. Arrived at the Pine Knob Shelter
at 5:22pm. |
| 157 |
Oct 18 |
Mon |
Pen-Mar Park |
Caledonia S.P. |
18.1 |
2137.7 |
Started alone at Pen-Mar Park,
MD at 9:30 am and hiked north. Passed Deer Lick Shelters, Tumbling Run
Shelters, and the trail to Rocky Mountain shelters. Trail was
still rocky, but he made good time on the mostly level section.
Crossed US 30 and arrived back at Caledonia S.P, arriving at 4 pm. |
| 156 |
Oct 17 |
Sun |
Pine Grove Furnace S.P. |
Caledonia S.P. |
19.9 |
2119.6 |
Restless Legs and Low Step started at 8:45 at Pine Grove
Furnace and continued south. They passed the AT mid-point and
Tom’s Run shelters in the morning, and met the caretaker at the
new Quarry Gap Shelters a little after noon. Made good time and
arrived at Caledonia State Park at 2:43pm. Went to Junkers house
again and got a wonderful Sunday dinner prepared by Sandy, and got a
shower and did laundry. |
| 155 |
Oct 16 |
Sat |
Boiling Springs |
Pine Grove Furnace S.P |
19.2 |
2099.7 |
He started at Boiling Springs,
and made good time. He stopped for a break, and Low Step,
who camped in Boiling Springs the night before, caught up with
him. They walked together the rest of the morning. Restless Legs
met his friends Barry (FlickerBird) and Virgil (Silver Fox) who were
day hiking north from Pine Grove Furnace to meet him. They walked
back together to Pine Grove Furnace where a fall festival was taking
place. Dome Light and Dodger were already there enjoying the food. Low
Step came in, and they all went to the new Appalachian Trail
Museum. Afterward, he finished the half-gallon challenge!
Spent the night at Junker’s hiker cabin with Low Step. |
| 154 |
Oct 15 |
Fri |
Cove Mtn. Shelter |
Boiling Springs |
21.6 |
2080.5 |
Left shelter early at about
7:00 because he woke up several times cold during the early morning
hours. Passed the Darlington Shelter Trail about 9:45 and ate a
quick lunch at the Scott Farm Trail Work Center from 10:55 to
11:15. Scored some trail magic snacks from some section hikers
eating lunch at the Center. Got into Boiling Springs at 2:24pm
with plenty of time to get his mail drop at the post office and meet up
with Junker at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Office. Junker’s
wife Sandy fixed a hot dinner at their house and he stayed in the hiker
cabin behind thehouse.
|
| 153 |
Oct 14 |
Thu |
Peters Mtn. Shelter |
Cove Mtn. Shelter |
15.3 |
2058.9 |
They all started the
day early,
leaving the shelter at 6:15am to get a head start toward Duncannon
before the expected rain. Night hiked basically for an hour, but made
good time. A light rain started about 9:30. It picked up later but
wasn't too bad until they were hiking in the open when crossing the
Susquehanna River and Juniata River. Got to the Doyle Hotel at 10:15,
but found the bar doesn't open until 11am so they went across the
street to Goodie's Restaurant and had a wonderful late breakfast. Dome
Light and Dodger were there so he got to say goodbye to them. Tunes and
Tootsie Pop were also there. Had two huge pancakes, sausage, two eggs,
toast and coffee so he was very happy. After the meal he exchanged
contact info with everybody. Coconut showed up.. he been staying at the
campground. Went across the street to look at the rooms in the Doyle,
said goodbye to Coconut and Clover who were staying in town overnight,
and got Low Steps contact info. Went down to the bar and learned that a
section hiker had prepaid a beer for the next several SOBOs who showed
up. So he enjoyed a free Yuengling. Left town about 1:30pm .. made
really good time .. steep and rocky climb up Hawk Rock. It was still
raining when he reached the Cove Mtn. Shelter about 2:52pm. His socks
were damp, but not soaked so was hoping they would dry overnight. Had
the shelter to himself so he could spread things out, catch up on his
journal and make a couple phone calls. |
| 152 |
Oct 13 |
Wed |
Rausch Gap Shelter |
Peters Mtn. Shelter |
18.0 |
2043.6 |
Started out a little
after 8am. Has
some limited views at Kinter View. About 2pm there were several
military jets on maneuvers flying low over DeHart Reservoir in the
valley and right over Peters Mountain where he was hiking. Made it hard
to concentrate on the rocks. Reached the Peters Mtn. Shelter at 3:00pm.
Met a section hiker there with her dog and soon Low Step showed up.
Clover was also there that night and they played Gin Rummy with Low
Step providing some liquid refreshment. Clear and cold at night, less
than 37�F. |
| 151 |
Oct 12 |
Tue |
501 Shelter |
Rausch Gap Shelter |
17.5 |
2025.6 |
Left the 501 shelter a
little
before 9 and found the trail to be really rocky. Anxious to find a
section without all the PA rocks. He reached the Rausch Gap Shelter
about 3:30pm. The shelter is dug into the hill with a stone foundation
so it was warmer than the more exposed shelters. The spring feeds a
stainless steel trough which collects the water .. very handy. Poor
cell reception. Fewer rocks than the day before. That night a couple
guys walked past with headlights without stopping at the shelter and a
helicopter flew very low overhead. |
| 150 |
Oct 11 |
Mon |
Eagle's Nest Shelter |
501 Shelter |
15.1 |
2008.1 |
Still trying to figure
out how to
load the ULA loaner pack so it rides better.. it's making his shoulders
sore because it just doesn't fit right being an older model. Trail was
not as rough as previous sections, but he will be glad to get to get
out of the rocky sections. Reached the 2,000-mile mark about 11:55am.
Reached the 501 Shelter at 3:00pm. Clover and Coconut were already
there and later Low-Step showed up. The shelter is like a pole barn
with a giant dome skylight.. 6-7 bunk beds and lots of floor space and
a picnic table inside. The shelter had a solar shower which wasn't
hooked up. With such a nice shelter it was ironic to have such a poor
privy with no door located down a long side trail. He didn't sleep well
that night and was awake every couple hours. Coconut was having feet
problems and got a ride into Duncannon with the help of Trail Angel
Mary. |
| 149 |
Oct 10 |
Sun |
PA 61 |
Eagle's Nest Shelter |
9.3 |
1993.0 |
Got up early and had a
breakfast feast. Had to double back to pick up some of the trail around
a bridge construction site. Climbed up from the railroad yard, but then
had some level hiking. Reached the Eagle's Nest Shelter at 4:40pm.
Coconut & Clover were there. They had spent a cold night in a
pavilion in Port Clinton the previous night. |
| 148 |
Oct 9 |
Sat |
.. |
.. |
0.0 |
1983.7 |
Took a zero day at
Barry
and Paula's house. Enjoyed a great breakfast to start his "zero".
Worked on setting up the replacement pack that ULA had sent
as a
loaner. Found there had been a fox in the henhouse.. literally. Worked
on planning out the rest of his schedule to estimate a tentative
completion date. Got some Lipton dinners, gorp, pop
tarts, candy bars and peanut butter to stock up. Had
some
extra time so he got a haircut and cleaned up a bit. |
| 147 |
Oct 8 |
Fri |
Allentown Hiking Club Shelter |
PA 61 |
22.1 |
1983.7 |
Started
hiking about 7:30. The PA rocks are really beating up his feet so all
sections on old road beds provide a welcome relief. Crossed Hawk Mtn
road a little before 11am. Would have missed The Pinnacle, but was
urged by some section hikers to backtrack a bit and take the blue side
trail. He found a large group of people there when he arrived at
12:46pm .. including a couple school groups. Ate his lunch there and
rested his feet some. Arrived at PA 61 - near Hamburg, PA at
4:46pm where he met Barry. Stopped to eat some burgers on the way
to Cabelas to get a Sea-to-Summit bag liner to add some
warmth at
night. Stopped on the way back to Barry's house to get moreburgers,
fries and milkshakes to eat. Later that night he had half of a
chicken sub sandwich. |
| 146 |
Oct 7 |
Thu |
Jail House Hostel, Palmerton |
Allentown Hiking Club Shelter |
17.7 |
1961.8 |
Left
the
hostel late (9:15) and needed to get more groceries. Just hasn't been
able to eat enough calories lately. Started the day hiking in dry
weather for a change. About 10:06 until he reached the AT again.
Found a cold drink waiting for him at the George W. Outerbridge
shelter. Trail was very rocky, but it was great hiking weather. Reached
the Bake Oven shelter about 1pm. Met three guys watching hawks at the
Bake Oven Knob. Still not much color in the trees. Had some short
stretches on old road beds, but mostly ankle twisting rocks. A little
after 5pm he reached a spring and was able to get water before arriving
at the shelter. He arrived at the Allentown Hiking Club Shelter at
5:32pm. Very nice shelter all to himself. 90%
Done. |
| 145 |
Oct 6 |
Wed |
Leroy A. Smith Shelter |
Jail House Hostel, Palmerton |
15.8 |
1944.1 |
Felt a little cold
when he woke
up. Going to pick up a Sea to Summit liner - for some extra warmth -
when he gets to Port Clinton. Left the shelter about 8:15 and had to
wear raingear because it was cold. Trail was mostly level, but rocky.
Had a few minutes of sun in the morning. Saw an Amish group from
Lancaster section hiking about 12:45. Reached Little Gap (Danielsville,
PA) at 1:21pm. Passed the deforested ridge due to zinc smelting. Boots
and socks were soaked again due to hiking through the wet vegetation.
Reached PA 248 and was able to hitch a ride into Palmerton. Arrived at
the Jail House Hostel about 3:30. Was able to get things dried
out
and get a shower. |
| 144 |
Oct 5 |
Tue |
Church of the Mtn Hostel |
Leroy A. Smith Shelter |
20.4 |
1928.3 |
Left the Hostel a
little bit
before 8am. Light drizzle all day, boots and socks are soaked with no
good way to dry them out. Climbed up Mt. Minsi was very steep and
rocky. Passed the Kirkridge Shelter side trail about 10:45, but didn't
stop. Got to Wolf Rocks, but had no views due to the rain. Rocks are a
real pain since they are small and ankle twisting. Reached the Leroy A.
Smith Shelter at 4:34pm. Met a SOBO thru-hiker and a NOBO section
hiker. Had to go down hill a half mile to get water. Tried to spread
things out to dry a little in the shelter. |
| 143 |
Oct 4 |
Mon |
Mohican Outdoor Center |
Church of the Mtn Hostel |
10.3 |
1907.9 |
Trail around Sunfish
Pond was
very rocky. Rain stopped about 9:30. The trail after the Backpacker
Campsite in the Worthington State Forest was mostly a road bed. Went
under I-80 about 11:30. Stopped a few minutes at the Kittatinny Visitor
Center and it soon started raining again. Rained the rest of the way
into the Delaware Water Gap - arriving at 12:24pm. Both
outfitters
in town were closed, but the owner of Edge of the Woods came by and
left him in so they could "brainstorm" about keeping the left strap of
his pack from sliding. Was hoping to get a bag liner to add some
warmth, but ended up just getting some fuel. Clover and Coconut showed
up at the Church of the Mountain Hostel a little after 3pm. |
| 142 |
Oct 3 |
Sun |
Gren AndersonShelter |
Mohican Outdoor Center |
20.9 |
1897.6 |
Reached the Culvers
Fire Tower
about 8:30. It was locked, but he climbed up and got some
photos.
Met the fellow from the day before at US 206 and learned there
were great sandwiches at Joes to Go on 206. He turned around and got
one with bacon and some coffee for $3. Passed the Brink Road Shelter a
little bit before 11:30. Been having problems with his left
shoulder strap .. trying lots of things. This puts strain on the hip
belt which starts popping open. Going to need a loaner pack to finish
the hike. Had some nice views from Rattlesnake Mountain, but not many
fall colors yet. Climbed the Catfish Fire Tower which was also locked,
but he took somo photos. Lots and lots of rocks, feet were very
sore. Reached the AMC's Mohican Outdoor Center a little
before
7:30pm. Was unsuccessful at trying to do a work-for-stay. Had some rain
that night. |
| 141 |
Oct 2 |
Sat |
Unionville, NY |
Gren Anderson Shelter |
20.1 |
1876.7 |
Had a breakfast of
2-egg cheese
omelet, 2 English muffins, 2 sausages and a coffee. After which he was
still hungry so they repeated the process and he ate another round of
everything and was a very happy hiker. He is the last hiker to stay at
the Dog House as the former
mayor is getting married. Got a ride back to the trail in a Toyota
Prius. Had lots and lots of rocks, but no big climbs... 80% rocky areas
on the trail. Passed by the Lake Marcia dam about 11:40am.
Climbed up a tower and had a view of the High Point Monument. Passed
some shelters, reached the Sunrise Mountain Pavilion parking
lot a
little before 4pm. The rocks decreased after that, but still 60% rocks.
Passed a suspicious looking character dressed all in cotton which made
him a bit uncomfortable.
Reached the Gren Anderson Shelter at 7:23pm. Clover and Coconut also
stayed at the shelter which worked out well. Temp got down to about
40° at night so he was wearing everything he had. |
| 140 |
Oct 1 |
Fri |
Vernon, NJ |
Unionville, NY |
11.8 |
1856.6 |
Before leavingt St.
Thomas he did a load of hiker towels and then helped a lady deliver
some books to be donated to the library. She said she would deliver him
back to the trail. Instead of the town library - it was the county
library about 15 miles away and then she dropped him off at the wrong
trail intersection so he had to backtrack north on the boardwalk and
then turn around and hike back south. In the afternoon he passed the
Walkill National Wildlife Refuge for migrating water fowl and
shorebirds. The AT goes across a levy and beside the wetlands. Once he
reached the General Store in Unionville, he got directionto
stay the "Dog House" and arrived at 4:57pm. Had a great supper
of
spaghetti. He was the only hiker staying there. |
| 139 |
Sep 30 |
Thu |
Wildcat Shelter |
Vernon, NJ |
17.1 |
1844.8 |
Rain
started about
5:30 in the morning. He headed out in a downpour about 8:30am. Got
caught in part of the tropical storm rain most of the day. The trail
was smooth up Prospect Rock (highest point on the AT in NY) and he
almost fell twice except for the trekking poles. One time he slipped
off to the left down off a rock - slid down 16' but stayed on his feet
and wasn't injured. It rained 80% of the time from when he started in
the morning until 12:30pm, and about 70-80% of the time in the
afternoon. It was a tough day to be hiking. He hitched into town and
arrived at the St. Thomas Episcopel Church in Vernon, NJ at 4:47. There
he met Coconut & Clover who were also SOBO - they had been
there a
couple nights trying to avoid the rain. While in town
he grabbed
some dollar burgers at Burger King - took a shower - did laundry -
and checked his email. The hostel was very nice, clean and
user
friendly. |
| 138 |
Sep 29 |
Wed |
Fingerboard Shelter |
Wildcat Shelter |
14.3 |
1827.7 |
It was a windy day for
hiking and his books and socks were really wet. Passed through
the
Lemon Squeezer this morning. Arrived at the East Mombasha Road at
11:45am. Some of the trail was very rocky and difficult with a steep
climb up Buchanan Mtn. Arrived at the Wildcat Shelter at
3:27pm.
Made plans to stay at the Dog House in Unionville on Friday. |
| 137 |
Sep 28 |
Tue |
West Mtn. Shelter |
Fingerboard Shelter |
8.4 |
1813.4 |
Rain had stopped by
the morning. Dome Light & Dodger had planned to go
22+ miles
to the Wildcat Shelter to catch a ride into NYC. Crossed the Aren
Valley Road at 12:08pm. Arrived at the Fingerboard Shelter.
Dome
Light & Dodger took off at 1pm. Needed to go down to Lake
Tiorati
(1/2 mile each way) to get water. A little after 5pm a trail angel
Pattie-O showed up with beverages and treats. Great time
talking
about the AT and how it will gain significance after you finish and
have time to reflect on the experience. Pattie-O likes to travel
up/down the trail and provide trail magic. |
| 136 |
Sep 27 |
Mon |
Graymoor Spiritual Life Center |
West Mtn. Shelter |
12.2 |
1805.0 |
Left the shelter
about 7:15am to look around the buildings. Figured out you can access
Graymoor right from the trail. Got to the post office (resupply box) at
Fort Montgomery. Sent his underquilt and lighter bag home and got a
heavier bag and quilt. Got some water, apples and granola bars as trail
magic. Tried to get some food, but there wasn't much supply. Climbed up
Bear Mountain and found all the buildings were closed and
there
was no water. Hard to follow the trail in the fog. Arrived at
the
West Mtn. Shelter at 6:32pm. Had been planning to go to the William
Brien Memorial Shelter, but due to the weather he stopped. The West
Mtn. Shelter is old, dirty, and has a leaky roof - but it was
"home" for the night. Dome Light and Dodger showed up about 8pm. It was
very windy that night. |
| 135 |
Sep 26 |
Sun |
RPH Shelter |
Graymoor Spiritual Life Center |
18.8 |
1792.8 |
Started about 8am.
Some ups/downs but nothing too bad. Some nice views. Got some water at
a spigot on the pump building on Dennytown Rd. Stopped for lunch just
south of NY 301 at 11:12am. Reached the Graymoor Spiritual
Life
Center at 4:23pm. Got to the ballpark shelter and went for a shower in
a block building, but it was only cold water and too cold to stand
under. Feet were hurting from all the rocks so he went to bed at 8am. |
| 134 |
Sep 25 |
Sat |
Telephone Pioneers Shelter |
RPH Shelter |
16.8 |
1774.0 |
Started the morning
after 8am. Sweating a lot due to the heat. Stopped for long lunch at
the Morgan
Stewart Memorial Shelter at 11:41am. Asked a section hiker about water.
Met Old School again (Maine) who was slackpacking. Stopped for
a
break climbing up
Hosner Mtn. at 3:04pm. Reached the RPH Shelter a little after
4pm.
Met a section hiker who was showing his family the shelter. Very nice,
clean, grass mowed, caretaker must live close. Ordered two large pizzas
and a coke and talked about water sources up ahead. Very late (9pm)
Andy & Carli arrived .. another very hot night. |
| 133 |
Sep 24 |
Fri |
Mt. Algo Lean-to |
Telephone Pioneers Shelter |
21.1 |
1757.2 |
Crossed into New York
today. 80%
Done.
Left Mt. Algo about 8am. Andy, Carli & Low
Step were at the shelter, but they had to go into town to resupply. Got
some water at the Ten Mile River Lean-to at 11:49am. Got some water and
apples from some day hikers. Got some water on CR 20 near
the Dover Oak. Arrived at the Telephone Pioneers
Shelter at
6:16pm. Cooked his supper, but hungry all the time. He was the only one
at the shelter that night. |
132 |
Sep 23 |
Thu |
Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to |
Mt. Algo Lean-to |
17.3 |
1736.1 |
Hiking
alone every
day which allows him to set his own pace. There are usually some others
at the shelters by 8pm, which provides a "safety net" for any
unexpected problems.Today he hiked along the
Housatonic River. Got some water at Caesar Brook, reached the Old
Sharon Road at 10:51, and got some more water at the Guinea Brook.
Right before noon he started to walk along the Housatonic River. The
walking was easy on a bed of conifer needles. Along the way he met a
fisheries biologist who was doing some electro shocking for brook
trout. About 2pm
climbed up St. Johns Ledges .. tough climb up late in the day. Got some
water from a school group rapelling in the area. Climbed over Caleb's
Peak and then about 3:45 he got to CT 341 and got a ride into Kent to
resupply at the IGA store. Was eating some yogurt in the parking lot
when he asked a
guy wearing hiking boots if he was going back to the AT in
his
car. He wasn't but agreed to shuttle him back to the
trail. Continued
on to the Mt. Algo Lean-to arriving a little after 5pm. There was
nobody there at first, but then some weekend hikers and some SOBO
hikers also showed up. |
| 131 |
Sep 22 |
Wed |
Brassie Brook Lean-to |
Pine Swamp Brook Lean-to |
21.0 |
1718.8 |
Got some
water at the stream to start the day. Went past Lion's Head and a
little after 9:00 he got to US 41 and about 9:40 he got to US 44 which
he took into Salisbury, CT for an short resuply. Had a steep climb up
from US 44. Found a bridge detour near the power plant - so no chance
of a shower plus an hour long road walk - not a fun hike on the hard
road surface in the hot sun.Got some water at a water spigot in a
cemetery. Climbed up from US 7, CT 112 to Belters Campsite where he got
a little water. Seemed to take forever to get to the Pine Swamp Brook
Lean-to but he finally arrived at 6:47pm. |
| 130 |
Sep 21 |
Tue |
Tom Leonard Lean-to |
Brassie Brook Lean-to |
23.2 |
1697.8 |
Hunted some more for
water without success. Got a bottle of water from some day hikers. Once
they got near a house they asked permission to refill their bottles
from a spigot. Crossed the Housatonic River. Passed the Shay's
Rebellion monument before noon. Saw another flock of turkies. Had some
really beautiful views along Jug End.. took some photos there. Climbed
up Mt. Everett .. no views. Climbed Race Mountain which had
360°
views, but nothing spectacular. Arrived at the Laurel Ridge
Campsite at 4:52pm. Had some dramatic views of the valley below. Found
some water in Sages Ravine. Crossed over the
Connecticut line and up the steep climb over Bear
Mountain. Got the the Bear Mountain Monument about 6pm. And finally
got to the Brassie Brook Lean-to about 6:45pm .. very tired
and
ready to eat. Lots of acorns falling on the roof during the night. |
| 129 |
Sep 20 |
Mon |
Upper Goose Pond Cabin |
Tom Leonard Lean-to |
21.1 |
1674.6 |
UGP Cabin caretaker
made breakfast of pancakes and coffee. Hiked back to the A.T. Walking
through mixed deciduous forests, fields and pastures .. very pleasant
walking . Arrived at MA 23 (1531.9) at
11:28am. Went along The Ledges (1522.5) about 3:30 ..
ahead
of the fall color
change .. but got some great pictures. Trouble finding water. Acorns
have been falling like crazy, like a war zone while walking and
listening to them hit the metal roof of the shelters at night. Lots of
busy chipmunks
and squirrels. Crossed MA 23 again (1519.9) and got some water from the
stream as he had heard the water source at the Tom Leonard Lean-to was
dry. Got to the Tom Leonard Lean-to at 5:33pm. No
water so he had to made do with what he had. Andy & Carli
arrived
later that night, but had not picked up extra water so he shared some
of his. Had some frost in the valley that morning .. nice view
of
Ice Gulch. |
| 128 |
Sep 19 |
Sun |
"Bird Cage" - Dalton, MA |
Upper Goose Pond Cabin |
20.6 |
1653.5 |
Saw
some turkies on the trail. Trail was relatively smooth but still had
some rocks and roots. Got some fresh cookies and a couple
hard-boiled eggs from the "Cookie Lady" near Becket. Stopped
for
lunch near the Blueberry Hill Airport at 12:49. Crossed of the MA
Turnpike/I-90 a little before 5pm. Finished the day at the
Upper
Goose Pond Cabin at 5:52pm. UGP Cabin is ½ mile
west of the
trail and has a caretaker part of the year. There were two section
hikers already there and later, Andy & Carli showed up. Really
nice
2-story shelter, nice view of the pond. Must have stretched
his
stomach out at the AYCE supper the night before, so he was hungry all
day. |
| 127 |
Sep 18 |
Sat |
Mark Noepel Lean-to |
"Bird Cage" - Dalton, MA |
13.7 |
1632.9 |
Met Rob
Bird at MA 8 near Cheshire about 9:30am who told him he could
stay
at the "Bird Cage" that night. Rob also showed him where he could get
some water from a faucet which was great since water has been hard to
find. About 12:45 he met the founder and past CEO of the Frontier Co-op that
his wife has belonged for many years. Had a great discussion about
medicinal herbs, etc. Arrived at
The Cobbles at 11:08am. A little before 3pm he arrived at the Shell
Station in Dalton, MA and they called Rob Bird for him. Rob
showed
up with "Old Goat" & "Rock" that he last saw in Maine. Took a
showder, did laundry and had an AYCE supper at the Old Country Buffet
.. which was nice. Updated "Old Goat" & "Rock" about Padre and
his
status. Andy & Carli showed up right before everyone left for
dinner. Resupplied at Price Chopper .or. might have been Dollar
General. |
| 126 |
Sep 17 |
Fri |
Seth Warner Shelter |
Mark Noepel Lean-to |
16.5 |
1619.2 |
Had light
"tree rain" in the morning, slept well. Started out about 8am.
Soon he was off
the Long Trail overlap
and
into Massachusetts. At 10:37 he hitched a ride into Williamstown for
a Mexican
dinner at Desperados. About 2:30 he got to the Wilbur
Clearing Lean-to. Made a wrong turn on Mt. Williams and went back down
the hill
.9 down .. had to turn around and go back up .9 for an extra 1.8 miles.
Climbed over Mt. Greylock
and halfway down the other side arriving at the Mark Noepel Lean-to at
6:42pm. There wasn't any water in the stream so he had a cold
supper. |
| 125 |
Sep 16 |
Thu |
Bennington, VT |
Seth Warner Shelter |
11.5 |
1602.7 |
Left
about 10am, had a hard time hitching a ride. Slow-Steps father picked
him up and took him to the trail. Started on the trail about 11am and
had a steep climb up from Rt. 9. Ate lunch at the Congdon Shelter.
Started to rain a little after 3pm. Met a SOBO hiking with her dog.
Arrived at the Seth Warner shelter at 4:05pm Already another SOBO there
and some NOBOs arrived later. Glad to be in a shelter with the rain
that night. |
| 124 |
Sep 15 |
Wed |
Story Spring Shelter |
Bennington, VT |
19.0 |
1591.2 |
Trail
was slippery after the previous night's rain. Climbed
up Glastenbury
Mountain at 11:29am and up the fire tower. The trail was smooth which
made for nice
travelling. Wasn't able to hitch a ride into Bennington, but was
offered a ride by someone helping some slackpackers.
Arrived at the Friendly's restaurant in Bennington at
4:03pm. Met
another guy who worked from the Army Corp of Engineers.
Stayed at Chris & Marla's .. Carli & Andy
were already
there. Ate some fish & chips and then went to the
Dollar
Store. |
| 123 |
Sep 14 |
Tue |
Green Mountain House Hostel |
Story Spring Shelter |
21.1 |
1572.2 |
Jeff
from the Green Mtn House Hostel dropped him off at the trail. Met a guy
named "Rico" Climbed up the fire tower. Saw a porcupine, but wasn't
able to get a photo. Arrived at the Stratton
Pond Shelter about 1:37pm. Reached the top of Stratton Mountain at
3:02pm. Arrived at the Story Spring Shelter at 6:12pm. Later Andy
&
Carli showed up and later a late northbounder hammocker arrived.
"On July 7, 1840 Vermonters showed their support for William
Henry Harrison at the Stratton Convention. Daniel Webster was the
spokesman. Log cabins were erected at the rally sight and people
flocked to Stratton Mountain." - Vermont
History |
| 122 |
Sep 13 |
Mon |
Bromley Mountain |
Green Mountain House Hostel |
3.0 |
1551.1 |
Left the warming hut
and
arrived in Manchester Center, VT by 9am. Went to the
outfitters
and decided to send his hammock home and stay in the shelters or sleep
on the ground under the tarp. Stayed at the Green
Mountain House -
Hiker Hostel. Very nice place. The owner lives between Akron &
Cleveland, but bought a house in the area to operate as a hostel. |
| 121 |
Sep 12 |
Sun |
Greenwall Shelter |
Bromley Mountain |
21.6 |
1548.1 |
Reached the top of
Bromley Mtn. and stayed at the warming hut 5:57pm. Passed a whole lot
of shelters again that day. They are constructing a new shelter in that
area. Also doing some construction on a bridge in that area. Saw a
porcupine in a tree and met some Long Trail hikers. Had eight people
inside the shelter - four walls - cooking in there - got nice and warm. |
| 120 |
Sep 11 |
Sat |
Cooper Lodge |
Greenwall Shelter |
18.9 |
1526.5 |
Hiked past a lot of
shelters. Saw many more people he had previously hiked north with. Andy
& Carli went to the state fair. Reached the Greenwall Shelter
at
5:59pm. 70%
Done. |
| 119 |
Sep 10 |
Fri |
Stony Brook Shelter |
Cooper Lodge |
16.3 |
1507.6 |
Rain started during
the
night and continued into the day. Went into a lodge and talked to Billy
- coffee and a bagel - helped set up some tables for an event. Stopped
at the Inn on Long Trail. Hiking some with Andy & Carli. Cold
and
rainy day. Started down the Long Trail overlap section and took the
long climb up Killington Peak to Cooper Lodge at 5:27pm. Many
of
the windows in the lodge are missing so they hung tarps over the
windows and climbed up on the roof to watch the sunset. |
| 118 |
Sep 9 |
Thu |
Near S. Pomfret, VT |
Stony Brook Shelter |
15.4 |
1491.3 |
Lots of roots and
rocks
climbing over the mountains. Had to pick up some water before arriving
at the Stony Brook Shelter since it has no water. Arrived at the Stony
Brook Shelter at 3:48pm. |
| 117 |
Sep 8 |
Wed |
Happy Hill Shelter |
Near S. Pomfret, VT |
14.9 |
1475.9 |
Went
through some mixed deciduous forests. Stopped at a village
store
in West Hartford and met Pale Blue Dot who he had hiked with in
Virginia. PBD had broke his wrist and had to take some time off the
trail. Arrived at the Thistle Hill Shelter at 1:13pm. Stopped on the
hill above Stage road at 5:16pm. |
| 116 |
Sep 7 |
Tue |
Just east of Hanover |
Happy Hill Shelter |
6.9 |
1461.0 |
Stopped for a while in
Hanover,
then continued into Vermont and arrived at the Happy Hill Shelter at
4:37pm. |
| 115 |
Sep 6 |
Mon |
Lambert Ridge, past Smarts Mtn Cabin |
Just east of Hanover |
21.4 |
1454.1 |
Stopped for lunch at
Goose Pond
Road at 11:37am. Stopped for a break just east of Hanover at 6:01pm. |
| 114 |
Sep 5 |
Sun |
Ore Hill Shelter |
Lambert Ridge, past Smarts Mtn Cabin |
13.3 |
1432.7 |
Left the
shelter a little after 7am. Met "Slightly Inappropriate. Climbed Mt.
Cube - not too bad - summited about 10:15. Saw a couple with a couple
small dogs at the top. They were day hikers and gave him a turkey
sandwich and a large expresso chocolate bar. Very, very nice trail
magic! Talked to "Puck", a hockey coach he had last seen in
Daleville. Stopped for lunch at South Jacob's Brook at
12:45pm.
Climbed up to Firewardens Cabin and tower at the top of Smarts
Mtn. Got some good views. About 4pm he saw "LB" .. last on the bus ..
who he also saw in Daleville. Had a nice visit. Stopped partway down
Lambert Ridge at 5:27pm at a nice hammock spot.. |
| 113 |
Sep 4 |
Sat |
Beaver Brook Shelter |
Ore Hill Shelter |
15.5 |
1419.4 |
Nobody
started very early due to the rain. He left about 9am after the rain
had stopped. Climbed over Mt.
Moosilauke "the Moose" - it was cloudy, windy and cold. At
the
top he met a day hiker. About 11 he saw "Food Network" and two other
hikers.Stopped at the Jeffers Brook shelter
at 12:27pm for lunch. Got off at NH 25 and walked to the Hikers Welcome
Hostel to resupply, but they didn't have much of a selection so he got
some pop tarts, ramen, gorp and pepperoni slices. Got back on
the
AT about 2pm and climbed up Mt. Mist and arrived at the Ore
Hill
Shelter at 5:37pm. "Pepper" & "Chili" - a
father/son team was
there. Saw a mouse immediately after setting up. Mouse got into his
gorp and all night they had mice running across their hands,
tyvek, and just being a nuisance. |
| 112 |
Sep 3 |
Fri |
Lonesome Lake Hut |
Beaver Brook Shelter |
14.9 |
1403.9 |
Was
talking with "Slow Go" and soon the high school students spotted a huge
moose with it's rack in full velvet heading up the mountain on the back
side of the hut. Left the hut about 8:30 after breakfast and
cleaning the tables. The high school group left early due to the
approaching hurricane.Arrived at Kinsman Pond about 9:30am. At little
after 10am he saw "Gypsy Girl" who is from Austrailia. He is passing a
lot of thru-hikers that he had hiked with earlier in the year. About
11am he crested Kinsman Mtn. He arrived
at the Eliza Brook Campsite Shelter at 12:28pm and met a workcrew who
was starting construction on a new shelter. He refilled his water and
started up Mt. Wolf and then downhill to Kinsman Notch. About 4pm he
met "Baggins" who he had seen at the ALDHA meetings and "The Place" in
Damascus during Trail Days. At Kinsman Notch / NH 112 he got some water
from some day hikers since he was out. Had a long, hard climb up to the
Beaver Brook
Shelter and arrived at 7:07pm. There were 8 Dartmouth College students
there on their orientation. Packed 3 more thru-hikers in a 10-person
shelter. One NOBO hammocked outside. There was a very long, hard rain
that night.. |
| 111 |
Sep 2 |
Thu |
Franconia Notch |
Lonesome Lake Hut |
2.9 |
1389.0 |
Woke up
about 3am trying to get his pack lighter after picking up his food drop
and some winter gear. Went to Lahout's Summit Shop and was able to
repair his bent trekking pole and get new tips. Picked up a pack cover.
Spent most of the day with his friends from Vermont. Got his laundry
done and sorted through his gear. The winter bag was just too bulky to
fit in his pack - and it was a pound heavier than his down bag so he
shipped it back. Kept the underquilt and will just wear his insulated
jacket to bed. Saw a "Jaybird" there .. quite a few with the same
trailname. Got lunch at a sandwich shop and then he did a final gear
cut. Started back on the trail about 5pm and arrived at the Lonesome
Lake Hut at 6:30pm where he was able to do "work for stay". There was a
group of high school students there and "Slow Go" whom he had last seen
in Damascus, VA. Lonesome Lake Hut was probably the best hut he stayed
at - great views right out the front door. |
| 110 |
Sep 1 |
Wed |
Galehead Hut |
Franconia Notch
|
13.0 |
1386.1 |
Left the Galehead Hut
at 8:30am
after breakfast and chores. Met a couple from Florida (Rex
&
Colleen)
.. nice folks. Later he met "Ugly Tuna" - a retired federal employee he
had hiked with around the Smokies. Very hot on the uphills .. in the
90s. Mt. Garfield was a long climb. Saw "Hopper" at 11:45 who he had
last seen in the Pearisburg, VA area. At 12:55pm he summited
Mt.
Lafayette and met "Giant"
at
the Greenleaf Hut. About 2pm he met "AT
Troll"
who was in a hurry to catch up with "Hopper". About 2:30pm he peaked
Little Haystack Mtn. and the view going down to Franconia Notch were
just fabulous. He took some pictures, but they probably won't do the
scenery justice. Very sunny day, had to use sunscreen twice that day
since he was hiking on an exposed ridge. He arrived at the Liberty
Springs Tentsite about 3:30pm and got some water. Took the long - long
downhill to Franconia Notch / US 3 - very rocky and tough on
the
feet. Arrived at the bottom about 5:30pm and 15 minutes later was able
to get a ride to Chet's in Lincoln, NH with one of Chet's
neighbors. Ate some supper at McDonalds. |
| 109 |
Aug 31 |
Tue |
Crawford Notch |
Galehead Hut
|
14.3 |
1373.1 |
Started
out about 7am and got to the Ethan Pond cut-off about 8am. Spent lots
of time bog walking on the boards, easy to make good
time. Arrived
at the Zealand Falls Hut at 10:04am - left about 10:35 since there was
no free food. Climbed over Mt. Guyot and arrived at the Galehead Hut at
3:30pm and was able to do a work-for-stay. Their water system had been
down at the hut so they had a big mound of dishes that needed
washed and were eager to have hikers do work-for-stay. Hook and
Lift-n-Step were there. |
| 108 |
Aug 30 |
Mon |
Carter Notch Hut |
Crawford Notch |
11.5 |
1358.8 |
Left
the hut about 10:15am after a bunch of scrubbing walls in the morning.
Climbed over Mt.
Franklin, Mt. Pierce and stopped by the Mizpah Spring Hut. .. newer hut
.. gorgeous place .. really liked it there. Got some bread there .. ate
a lot of bread that day. Climbed up Mt. Jackson, Mt. Webster (4pm) and
camped
beside Avalanche Brook near the Willey House near 302. Met a
small
guy who hikes very fast - they "flew" down the trail to 302 where there
was a rumor of trail magic. It turned out to be soft drinks provided by
Stone Dancer. About 7pm Radar and Roo showed up. The night was very
breezy and warm and he was almost too hot in the
hammock. [Willey
House Note - Back on August 28,
1826 (almost 184 yeas to the day), the family of Samuel Willey, Jr.
heard a landslide and fled the house. Samuel, his wife, five children
and two hired men were all killed, but the house was untouched.] |
| 107 |
Aug 29 |
Sun |
Osgood Tentsite |
Lake of the Clouds Hut |
10.1 |
1347.3 |
Left
a little after 7am. Had a tough climb up Mt. Madison with 50mph winds
and 75mph gusts. There was no protection from the wind since the trail
climbs up a big boulder field. Arrived at the Madison Sping
Hut
about 10am and talked with a couple SOBOs .. Andy & Carly who
were
just leaving. Got some free apple pancakes .. stayed about a half hour.
Most of the day was spent hiking on rocks. The trail followed the ridge
which means parallel to the ridge, not across the top. Arrived at
Edmands Col at 11:56am. Climbed up Mt. Washington about 2:30pm .. very
windy .. tried to make some phone calls but had no
service. Arrived at the Lake of the Clouds Hut at 3:30pm.
where he
could do work for stay. It doesn't always work out well as they didn't
get to eat until almost 9pm that night. His work-for-stay involved
moving matresses and scrubbing walls as they were past their peak
tourist season. Tough to balance all the time required for
work-for-stay with the food you get. |
| 106 |
Aug 28 |
Sat |
Carter Notch Hut |
Osgood Tentsite |
10.7 |
1337.2 |
Started
a little before 9am. Had some steep climbs up Wildcat Mtn. followed by
a steep / slow climb downto Pinkham Notch. He met Cricket, Skink and
Scatter who had had hiked with previously on the trail. (Skink and his
wife recently purchased the Hikers Inn in Damascus.) He stopped by the
Pinkham Notch Visitor Center .. lots of people .. just ate something
and left. Later continued on to the Osgood Tentsite arriving
at
5:32pm. Talked to a guy who was an oboard-ship naturalist for an
expedition ship in Alaska. |
| o105 |
Aug 27 |
Fri |
Imp Campsite Shelter |
Carter Notch Hut |
7.2 |
1326.5 |
Shelters
have
a big door cut in the 4th wall, so it's easy to sleep in... didn't get
started until 8:15am. Very windy in the
morning. Some steep, hard, hand-over-hand climbs -
passed North
Carter and Middle Carter, then stopped for
lunch at Zeta Pass at 12:00. Very steep climb down to the
Carter
Notch Hut, arrived at 2:27pm.. Got a work-for-stay cleaning the stove.
Had a lot of food for dinner with chicken, salad and coffee. Went to
bed late, didn't sleep well in the bunkhouse. |
| 104 |
Aug 26 |
Thu |
Gorham, NH |
Imp Campsite Shelter |
8.0 |
1319.3 |
Got a hitch back to
the
trailhead and got back on the trail about 11:45am. Ate a quick snack at
the Rattle River Shelter. Had a long climb with six days of food, so it
was a very heavy pack climbing up Mt. Moriah. Arrived at the Imp
Campsite shelter at 5:45pm. Did some work for the caretaker. Now he's
in the "Whites" or White Mountains of New Hampshire. |
| 103 |
Aug 25 |
Wed |
Trident Col Tentsite |
Gorham, NH
|
6.9 |
1311.3 |
Got
started about 7am, had to stop and put on raingear. Got a ride
into Gorham about 11am, met 2 SOBOs and 1 NOBO. Did his
laundry.
Outfitter didn't have a replacement section for his Leki pole. Picked
up a Mtn Hardware Epic rain jacket. Went to
the library and checked email - ate in town. Some section hikers took
him to Walmart so he could resupply on Wednesday night. Stayed at the
Barn. 60%
Done. |
| 102 |
Aug 24 |
Tue |
Carlo Col Shelter |
Trident Col Tentsite |
10.1 |
1304.4 |
Crossed
into NH
today. Summited Mt. Success around 9am, but no views due to the
weather. Stopped for lunch at Moss Pond at 11:12am. Arrived at the
Trident Col Tentsite at 2:14pm. Thought of going on, but everything was
soaked.aPadre had to get off the trail to rest
a possible pulled muscle. He fell
twice today on the wet rocks… he has one broken pole and a
hole
in his pack and rain cover. Stayed in his hammock. Met some section
hikers. He planned to get repairs at the outfitter in
Gorham |
| 101 |
Aug 23 |
Mon |
Speck Pond Shelter |
Carlo Col Shelter |
9.5 |
1294.3 |
Started
out about 7am, wore rainpants all day. Today he completed the
hardest mile on the AT .. Mahoosuc Notch .. a valley filled with house
sized boulders that you have to climb over - or under - as you work
your way through the maze. Took about 2 hours to get through.
Got
delayed due to a moose blocking the trail so it became
the Mamoosic Notch for the day. At 12:41 they stopped for
lunch at
the Full
Goose Shelter. Arrived at the Carlo Col Shelter at 4:04pm. Now only 1/2
mile from the NH-ME border. Stayed in the shelter. |
| 100 |
Aug 22 |
Sun |
Dunn Notch & Falls |
Speck Pond Shelter |
14.1 |
1284.8 |
Stopped
for lunch at 11:13am at
Baldpate Mtn. (E. Peak) Really started raining hard - had to go below
tree line to get out of the wind and put on his rainpants to shield his
boots. Met some NOBOs eating lunch at Baldpate Lean-to. Moved on and
had a tough 2500' climb up Old Speck Mtn. Arrived at Speck
Pond
Shelter at 5:37pm. Stayed in the shelter to let some things dry
out. Happy
Birthday |
| 99 |
Aug 21 |
Sat |
Black Brook, S. Arm Campground |
Dunn Notch & Falls |
10.9 |
1270.7 |
Left the
S. Arm Campground with Padre. Took longer than expected as Padre
struggled on the wet rocks. Stopped for lunch at Hall Mtn.
Lean-to at 11:14am (1928.6). Padre was having increasing pain in his
leg, so at East B Hill Road they flagged down a car and got
Padre
a ride into Andover. Camped in his hammock near Dunn Notch
& Falls. (1921.8) Hung food bags 5'-6' off the ground, but
something still got into his food bag - might have been some type of
squirrel. Drizzeled all night so the tarp and hammock were wet in the
morning. |
| 98 |
Aug 20 |
Fri |
Bemis Mountain Lean-to |
Black Brook, S. Arm Campground |
8.7 |
1259.8 |
Started about 7am.
Climbed the
Bemis west peak, but no views due to the cloudy conditions. Went up Old
Blue Mtn. and stopped for lunch at 11:52am (1935.5).
They then
had a long descent down to S. Arm Road. Went into Andover and got his
mail pickup. Padre caught a ride in about an hour later. Got resupplied
even though Andover offers few options. Their next resupply will be
in Gorham. |
| 97 |
Aug 19 |
Thu |
Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to |
Bemis Mountain Lean-to |
8.3 |
1251.1 |
Started out about 7am.
Padre's
previous hiking partner "Mule" was to meet them at the Bemis Lean-to.
No views at the top of the peaks, but nice alpine vegetation. They
arrived at the Bemis Mountain Lean-to at 1:43pm (1941.4) Stayed in the
shelter that night. Talked a lot about the trail, anxious about the low
miles. Right before 11pm they had a tremendous storm with lots of
lightning, glad to be in the shelter that night. |
| 96 |
Aug 18 |
Wed |
Piazza Rock Lean-to |
Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to |
11.2 |
1242.8 |
They left at 6:15am
and got to ME 4
where they caught a ride with a hairdresser driving into Rangeley. They
ate breakfast at the BMC Diner. Went to the Alpine Shop Outfitter where
Padre got some Aqua Mira and Restless Legs got some alcohol for his
stove. They resupplied with food and got back to the trail by
11am. They had a long uphill climb to the shelter. They reached the
Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to at 4:46pm. (1949.7) Stayed in his hammock with
sleeping bag and liner. The night started warm, but about 11pm it was
cold enough he needed to put on his wind jacket and later he needed to
add a long sleeve shirt. They were camped right on the pond. |
| 95 |
Aug 17 |
Tue |
Poplar Ridge Lean-to |
Piazza Rock Lean-to |
8.9 |
1231.6 |
Reached the top
of The Horn at 10:35am. It was an open, bare rock climb with great
views. Reached the top of Saddleback Mtn. at 12:01pm
(1964.8) and ate a second lunch. Reached the Piazza Rock Lean-to at
3:32pm (1960.9) Stayed in the shelter again. Met an IBM retiree
"Mahooch Man" who talked a bit and continued on though he was tired as
he wanted to charge his cell phone battery and use the internet. Met
another section hiker from ME who was very familiar with the
area. |
| 94 |
Aug 16 |
Mon |
Spaulding Mtn. Lean-to |
Poplar Ridge Lean-to |
8.0 |
1222.7 |
Woke up to rain. Had a
mouse
chewing on his finger at 5am which woke him up. Stayed until about 8am
until they left. Slow going on the wet granite. Rock hopped across
Orbeton stream. Had lunch there about 11:30am. It rained, drizzled and
tree dripped all day. Arrived at Poplar Ridge
Lean-to
at 2:59pm (1969.8). Stayed in the shelter again. Three more thru-hikers
arrived and a French-Canadian couple came in and set
up a
tent. Saw a tan snow-shoe hare, but only got a picture of it running
away. Started raining about 9:45pm. |
| 93 |
Aug 15 |
Sun |
ME 27 / Stratton, ME |
Spaulding Mtn. Lean-to |
13.5 |
1214.7 |
Taking lunch at N.
Crocker Mtn. at
11:45am. Finished the day at Spaulding Mtn. Lean-to at 6:20pm (1977.8)
Stayed in shelter. Had a tough day, lots of extreme climbing with hand
over hand climbing. Padre was having an especially tough time. Climbed
up Sugar Loaf Mtn. There was supposedly a great view 1/2 mile off the
AT, but due to the tough day they passed it up. Only 1 NOBO there -
"Bodacious" from GA. Thought there was going to be rain that night. |
| 92 |
Aug 14 |
Sat |
Horn's Pond Lean-to |
ME 27 / Stratton, ME |
5.1 |
1201.2 |
Hiked to ME 27 and
called Sue of the Stratton Motel to get a ride into Stratton. They
spent the night at the Stratton Motel - took showers - did
laundry - and resupplied for possibly three
days until Rangeley. |
| 91 |
Aug 13 |
Fri |
Little Bigelow Lean-to |
Horn's Pond Lean-to |
10.2 |
1196.1 |
Started out before
7am. Had ups/downs all day. It was a beautiful day for hiking as they
climbed four peaks with 360° views. Arrived at the Safford
Notch Campsite at 9:47am. (2001.7). Stopped for lunch on Bigelow Mtn. -
Avery Peak at 12:27. They were amazed at the size of Flagstaff Lake.
After eating they continued on to Horn's Pond Lean-to and arrived at
4:25pm.
(1996.4) There are two shelters there and they met Jeff the caretaker
who talked about development in the area. He and Padre had one of the
shelters to themselves. |
| 90 |
Aug 12 |
Thu |
Pierce Pond Lean-to |
Little Bigelow Lean-to |
17.3 |
1185.9 |
Started
out at 7am and had a good uphill climb. Stopped for lunch at the West
Carry Pond Lean-to at 12:04pm (2013.9). Climbed up Roundtop Mtn. which
wasn't bad. Arrived at Little Bigelow Lean-to at 5:15pm
(2006.6)
Met a couple other hikers at the shelter. He set up his hammock and
cleaned up. Got up during the night, but didn't see any sign of the
Perseid Meteor Shower. |
| 89 |
Aug 11 |
Wed |
Bald Mtn Brook Lean-to |
Pierce Pond Lean-to |
18.7 |
1168.6 |
Started
out at 6:30am as they wanted to get to the Kennebec River before the
canoe crossings ended for the day. Stopped for lunch on Pleasant
Pont Mtn. at 11:02am (2034.9) Reached the Kennebec River at 3:26pm.
It was a hard climb up out of the river valley Arrived at the Pierce
Pond Lean-to at 5:55pm (2023.9) He set up his hammock and was glad for
his underquilt. They listened to the loons on Pierce pond.
They
skipped the pancake breakfast at Harrison's Pierce Pond Camp. They
watched a tan animal on the other side of the pond, probably a yearling
moose. |
| 88 |
Aug 10 |
Tue |
Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to |
Bald Mtn Brook Lean-to |
13.0 |
1149.9 |
Started
out by 6:45am and took their shoes off to wade across the west branch
of the Piscataquis River. Arrived at
the Moxie Bald Lean-to at 11:39am (2046.7) He and Padre talked
about their hiking plans and mileage. Padre was looking to finish in
late October, but RL was hoping to attend the ALDHA meeting in October.
At this point they have continued to hike together. I was a long 2-mile
climb up Moxie Bald Mtn. so they enjoyed a long lunch. From they top
they had nice views so he took lots of pictures. Arrived at the Bald
Mtn. Brook Lean-to at 3:38pm. (2042.6) After a bit some NOBOs showed
up. It rained from 5:30-7pm so he stayed in the shelter. Now 15 miles
from the Kennebec
River / canoe crossing. |
| 87 |
Aug 9 |
Mon |
ME - 15 |
Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to |
9.0 |
1136.9 |
He
needed to wait in Monson and make a phone call about a potential job
opportunity after his hike. Left about 9:50am with a heavy pack -
loaded with food - and continued on with Padre. It had rained from 4-7
and the rocks were very slippery. They were able to rock hop across the
east branch of the Piscataquis River. There they got some trail magic
of soft drinks provided by an '03 thru-hiker. They arrived at
the Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to at 3:49pm. (2055.6) There they met a tall
fellow (6'4") who had started in Harpers Ferry and was NOBO, planning
to jump from Katahdin back to Harpers Ferry and then proceed SOBO. It
looked like rain that night so they all stayed in the shelter. |
| 86 |
Aug 8 |
Sun |
Shaw's - Monson |
Shaw's - Monson |
.. |
.. |
Really
enjoyed the AYCE breakfast for $7. Grabbed a cup of coffee and took a
nice stroll around Monson in the morning. It was a good day to take
a zero. He received the Southbound edition of the A.T. Guide
and spent some time switching some notes from his Northbound edition.
In the afternoon a group of six hikers split the $20 shuttle cost to go
get supplies.. |
| 85 |
Aug 7 |
Sat |
Wilson Valley Lean-to |
ME - 15 |
10.4 |
1127.9 |
He
and Padre set off toward Monson with more bouldering. By lunch he was
down to some granola bars and some gorp that the mice hadn't gotten in
to. At Arrived at the Leeman Brook Lean-to at 11:41am. (2067.6) Soon
they were through the 100-mile wilderness and standing at ME 15
(2064.6) where he called for a shuttle to Shaw's. The 100-mile
wilderness had more ups/downs than the profile maps had indicated. They
met some NOBOs
there who were also heading to Shaw's. Arrived in Monson at Shaw's at
4:35pm. Took a shower, did laundry and enjoyed supper at a BBQ place. |
| 84 |
Aug 6 |
Fri |
Chairback Gap Lean-to |
Wilson Valley Lean-to |
15.6 |
1117.5 |
He
left soon after 6am and was glad to find water by 7am. A little after
9am he reached the Forth Mtn. (2085.8) Arrived at the Cloud
Pond
Lean-To at 10:45. Reached Barren Mtn. for lunch at 11:13 (2082.8). Met
a guy from Maine on top who had recently been diagnosed with terminal
leukemia. This was sobering and a reminder to be thankful for health.
He got some nice panoramic shots overlooking Lake Onawa and then moved
on. Passed by the Long Pond Stream Lean-to at 1:30 and arrived
at
the Wilson Valley Lean-to at 4:41pm (2075.0) where he met Padre. Padre
had been getting discouraged about hiking alone. Right before dusk
three SOBO brothers from Cleveland, OH arrived. He hung his hammock and
placed his food bag in the shelter on a "mouse proof" string with an
inverted can to block a mouse's descent.
|
| 83 |
Aug 5 |
Thu |
Logan Brook Lean-to |
Chairback Gap Lean-to |
17.1 |
1101.9 |
50%
Done. Got
up early and reached the peak of White Cap Mtn. by 7am. Iit was hazy
and cloudy so no good views. Had some tough ups and downs climbing Gulf
Hasas Mtn where he had lunch. Reached the Carl A. Newhall
Lean-to
at 10:34am (2100.5). Forded the west branch of the Pleasant River using
his crocs - no issues. Light rain at Chairback Mtn, pretty tough trail
with the exposed rock ledges in the rain. Arrived at
the Chairback
Gap Lean at 4:59pm. (2090.6) It was empty so he set his stuff
up
in the shelter. A couple NOBO thru-hikers Ridley
& Panther
soon joined him. It was his toughest day hiking in Maine since
Katahdin. He hung his pack on a nail in the shelter and awoke the next
morning to find that mice had chewed into his pack - found his food bag
- chewed into his gorp and ate the M&Ms and peanuts. |
| 82 |
Aug 4 |
Wed |
Antlers Campsite at the Lower Jo-Mary Lake |
Logan Brook Lean-to |
19.6 |
1084.8 |
They
got to the Mary-Jo road by 8:30 so "Kensen?" could catch a
ride out. He stopped for a break at the Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to from
9:45-10:45 - nice place. Met some NOBOs who were section-hiking. Kept a
good pace most of the day. Steep trail up to Little Boardman Mtn.
Passed some NOBOs finishing up their thru-hikes. Learned "Padre" was
only a day or two ahead. Arrived at the Logan Brook Lean-to at 4:31pm.
(2107.7) Stayed in the shelter as there were not may options to hang
the hammock. |
| 81 |
Aug 3 |
Tue |
Wadleigh Stream Lean-to |
Antlers Campsite at the Lower Jo-Mary Lake |
13.6 |
1065.2 |
It
rained
fairly hard during the night and was raining while they were packing up
in the morning. At 6am the rained stopped, but the rocks were very
slippery. They had lunch at
Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to (2130.8).He slipped a half dozen times and
bent one of his trekking poles, but
never completely fell. The 18-year-old hiking with him fell hard and
hurt his knee. Upon arriving at the Antlers
Campsite at
1:56pm. (2127.3) they found they had cell service and called the A.T.
Lodge folks to pick up "Kensen?" at a road crossing on
Wednesday. He stayed in the shelter, but Loons calling from
2am-4am made sleeping difficult. |
| 80 |
Aug 2 |
Mon |
Hurd Brook Lean-to |
Wadleigh Stream Lean-to |
19.6 |
1051.6 |
They were up
before 6:30am and soon hiking along Rainbow Lake. Had lunch at Rainbow
Stream Lean-to (2149.0) which had the best spring/pool he has seen on
the trail. ON top of Nesuntabunt Mtn. he got some great pictures of
Katahdin. They got to the Wadleigh Stream Lean-to at 5:16
(2140.9) |
| 79 |
Aug 1 |
Sun |
Katahdin Stream Campground |
Hurd Brook Lean-to |
13.4 |
1032.0 |
He had dropped
one of his water bottle clips in the AT Lodge van and needed to wait
until 10:30am to retrieve it before he could start hiking. The trail
was good and he talked with a girl who had thru-hiked in '08 who was
section hiking with her father. He was now in the 100-mile
Wilderness. Signs suggest having 10 days of food before entering, but
he will probably be through in six or seven. They arrived at the Hurd
Brook Lean-to at 4:20. (2160.5) There was lots of tannin in the water
so he appreciated being able to borrow a filter. |
| 78 |
Jul 31 |
Sat |
AT Lodge, Millinocket, ME |
To Katahdin peak and back. |
5.2 |
1018.6 |
Up early and with 2 other hikers he headed to Baxter
State Park.Climbed
up Katahdin (2179.1) reaching the top at
12:44pm. It was a sunny day with great views in all directions. He met
a couple thru-hikers who were completing their hike - one had a base
weight of 7 and one had a base weight of 12 who was hiking in sandals.
Returned back to the Katahdin Stream Campground where they spent the
night (2173.9)
|
| . |
Jul 30 |
Fri |
Home |
AT Lodge, Millinocket, ME |
.. |
.. |
He switched out gear AND spent some time making job
contacts and updating his resume for possible post-hike
employment. At the AT
Lodge
he got the SOBO special which includes getting picked up at the bus
station, over night stay, breakfast and transportation to
Baxter
State Park. |
| 77 |
Jul 22 |
Thu |
David Lesser Shelter |
Harpers Ferry |
8.6 |
1013.4. |
Arrived at the ATC
Headquarters in Harpers Ferry at 12:15. Going to run back
home, then head to Maine to start a flip-flop. |
| 76 |
Jul 21 |
Wed |
Sam Moore Shelter |
David Lesser Shelter |
14.1 |
1004.8 |
Working through the
math.. 1166
miles to go after Harpers Ferry .. averaging 15 miles per day .. would
put him at Katahdin on Oct 8. In some years, access to the park road
and trails up Katahdin can be closed by snowstorms up to two
weeks before Oct 15. Considering a flip-flop. Passed the 1000-Mile
mark.
|
| 75 |
Jul 20 |
Tue |
Dick's Dome Shelter |
Sam Moore Shelter |
15.3 |
990.7 |
Passed Ashby Gap, US
50 around
10am. After lunch at the Rod Hollow Shelter he enters the
“roller
coaster,” a 13.5-mile section with ten ascents and descents.
The
Virginia corridor is narrow here, leaving Trailcrews very little choice
other than to route the path up and over each of these viewless and
rocky ridges. |
| 74 |
Jul 19 |
Mon |
Thom Floyd Shelter |
Dick's Dome Shelter |
18.8 |
975.4 |
Lunch at Jim &
Molly Denton Shelter. |
| 73 |
Jul 18 |
Sun |
Byrd's Nest 4 |
Thom Floyd Shelter |
21.3 |
956.6 |
I just missed him as I
was in
Harpers Ferry completing a 31-mile section hike with the scouts on this
day. We visited the ATC headquarters, had our picture taken, and I
noted when some thru-hikers Restless Legs has been hiking with -- had
reached the ATC headquarters. Jul 7 - "Skink", "Giant",
"3-Ball",
Jul 8 - "Cricket", Jul 9 - "Squid" & "Pale Blue Dot".
|
| 72 |
Jul 17 |
Sat |
Skyland Resort |
Byrd's Nest 4 |
13.1 |
935.3 |
Continued on without
his brother. Took a short hike with "Andante" who then went back to the
Skyand Resort. |
| 71 |
Jul 16 |
Fri |
Skyland Resort |
Skyland Resort |
0.0 |
922.2 |
Brother still wasn't
doing well, took a zero day.
|
| 70 |
Jul 15 |
Thu |
Rock Spring Hut |
Skyland Resort |
4.5 |
922.2 |
Had lunch at Skyland
and discuss options again. Called their sister and worked out that she
would come pick up "Andante".
|
| 69 |
Jul 14 |
Wed |
Bearfence Mountain Hut |
Rock Spring Hut |
10.8 |
917.7 |
Left late since it had
rained all
night. "Adante's" stomach still upset.. he was having a good time but
felt he was slowing thingsdown too much. They had lunch at
Milam Gap. They stopped again at Big Meadows to get some
"normal"
food. Continued on to Rock Spring Hut. Stayed outside the shelter in
their hammock and tent. |
| 68 |
Jul 13 |
Tue |
Hightop Hut |
Bearfence Mountain Hut |
13.1 |
906.9 |
Had a long climb up
Hightop
Mountain. Scored some soft drinks as trail magic. Saw another bear on
the west side of the trail... just posing there with his front paws up
on a log. Not sure if the photos are clear. Rained very hard for a half
hour. Water was pouring into their boots, so they were happy to arrive
at Bearfence
Mtn. Hut at 5:46pm and dry things out. There were four at the shelter
that night. Trying to decide how to deal with "Andante's" stomach
issues and resupply options. Met Uncle Don and TAAT - Uncle Don will be
a Triple Crowner - they were putting in big days. |
| 67 |
Jul 12 |
Mon |
Pinefield Hut |
Hightop Hut |
8.2 |
893.8 |
Took their time
getting started.
"Andante" was not doing well so they discussed options. He was
concerned about slowing their pace, but it was a good time to catch up
and talk about their families. They had taken food for 15-mile days but
were not going to be able to accomplish that. The idea of leaping ahead
and then completing the skipped option after Katahdin was
discussed. They arrived at the
Hightop Hut at 4:18pm. Rained most of the day and was cooling off.
Jumped into bed early with dry clothes and a wind jacket. |
| 66 |
Jul 11 |
Sun |
Blackrock Hut |
Pinefield Hut |
13.2 |
885.6 |
Had lunch at Loft Mtn.
Campground. It was cold in the morning, got woke up about 5am by a
Whipporwill. Lots of bear scat filled with lots of purple berries.
"Andante" saw a bear which walked down the trail in front of them for a
while. Took a break at Skyline, had lunch at Loft Mountain.
Arrived at Pinefield Hut about 5pm, only three at the shelter. All were
tenting outside the shelter, lots of crashing of branches during the
night - had his light on red and saw eyes - but switching to white the
light revealed a deer standing in a depression. |
| 65 |
Jul 10 |
Sat |
Calf Mountain Shelter |
Blackrock Hut |
12.3 |
872.4 |
40%
Done.
Met up with some ultralight / skinny thru-hikers with lots of
questions about nutrition and electrolytes. Took a "boots off" lunch
break at Turk Gap, where they met a concert pianist. Elf was doing a
section hike with his son and grandson. He's a 3-time thru hiker but
his heart was acting up. Arrived at Blackrock Hut about 4:30, saw some
thru hikers from the shelter the previous night. A bear with two cubs
spent an hour eating berries near the shelter and ignored the hikers. |
| 64 |
Jul 9 |
Fri |
Rockfish Gap/Waynesboro |
Calf Mountain Shelter |
7.0 |
860.1 |
On the trail again!
Hiking with
his
brother "Andante". Climbed up Bear Den Mountain and saw a humingbird
moth, enjoyed the tractor seats on top. Five thru-hikers in the
shelter. |
| 63 |
Jun 28 |
Mon |
Paul C. Wolfe Shelter |
Rockfish Gap/Waynesboro |
5.0 |
853.1 |
Was able to easily
hitch a ride into Waynesboro, VA - staying at the campsite at the YMCA.
Will be taking a break to visit his son's family in Vermont
for a
week or so. |
| 62 |
Jun 27 |
Sun |
Maupin Field Shelter |
Paul C. Wolfe Shelter |
15.8 |
848.1 |
Left Maupin Field
Shelter at 7:22am. Trying different things to deal with the blisters,
they don't seem to be healing. Nice view at a scenic overlook. Stopped
again at Cedar Cliffs. Climb up Humpback Mtn was hot and very tough on
heels. Was impressed by the stone fences along the trail. Painful
walking even downhill. Saw another black bear - medium sized
- but wasn't fast enough to get a photo. Tried a second time
to
get a picture, but the camera made a sound and the bear ran off. Stayed
in the shelter, no good place to hang the hammock. |
| 61 |
Jun 26 |
Sat |
Porters Field Campground |
Maupin Field Shelter |
19.5 |
832.3 |
Passed
near Crabtree Falls today - water drops over 1,000' in multiple
sections. Coming down off The Priest was very rocky. Had a tough climb
up Chimney Rock. Feet were hurting a lot. Had some nice views, arrived
at Maupin Field Shelter and was soon joined by Cricket. |
| 60 |
Jun 25 |
Fri |
Brown Mtn .Creek Shelter |
Porters Field Campground |
16.9 |
812.8 |
Left
the shelter about 8am. Had a 3,000' climb up Bald Mountain. Saw some
volunteers working along the mountain. Very hot and uncomfortable. Got
water at Hog Camp Gap. Took his time and saw a photographer
taking
pictures of the Brown Leaf Orchid. Went to a campsite a mile north of
Seeley-Woodworth Shelter. |
| 59 |
Jun 24 |
Thu |
Matts Creek Shelter |
Brown Mtn .Creek Shelter |
22.2 |
795.9 |
Left Matts
Creek shelter early, crossed the James River foot-use-only bridge, got
water at Johns Hollow shelter. Got some ice water from a service
worker. It rained, but didn't really cool things off. Slept in the
shelter and just used a silk liner due to the heat. |
| 58 |
Jun 23 |
Wed |
Bryant Ridge Shelter |
Matts Creek Shelter |
22.6 |
773.7 |
Had
lunch at the Thunder Hill Shelter. Was really hoping for some trail
magic of soft drinks. Arrived at Matts Creek Shelter at 8:30pm. Having
a hard time with heel blisters on both feet. Slept in the hammock to
avoid mosquitos, slept well. |
| 57 |
Jun 22 |
Tue |
Wilson Creek Shelter |
Bryant Ridge Shelter |
20.8 |
751.1 |
Left Wilson Creek
Shelter at 7am. Really wanted a cold drink so he went with Cricket and
Skink for cold sweet tea. Couldn't get a ride back from the Peaks of
the Otter Lodge so he started walking back, but got picked up on the
way. It's been awfully hot and humid, taking advantage of swimming
opportunities. Got a ride to/from a Subway by "Roadkill" who was
section hiking. Had to finish the hike to the shelter with headlights.
Really cool shelter with multiple levels. Some mosquito/gnat
problems... those sleeping on the porch really got bit up.
|
| 56 |
Jun 21 |
Mon |
Daleville, VA |
Wilson Creek Shelter |
11.2 |
730.3 |
"Hike Naked
Day".. no. Left Daleville and hiked 11.2 miles. Got some bandages that
morning and got more sock liners and Aqua Mira at an outfitter. Heels
were hurting on the uphills, lots of open areas, very hot. At 3:20
arrived at Fullhardt Knob Shelter - talked with ??. Got to Wilson Creek
Shelter |
| 55 |
Jun 20 |
Sun |
Campbell Shelter |
Daleville, VA |
15.4 |
719.1 |
Tinker Cliffs was a
great place, took lots of photos. Took a break at Lamberts Meadow
Shelter. Met "Giant" and "3 Ball". Arrived at US 220 about 5pm, saw
"Giant" and "3 Ball" at the gas station. Saw "Baltimore Jack" there.
Ate at a Mexican Restaurant. Stayed at the Howard Johnsons on
220. |
| 54 |
Jun 19 |
Sat |
Pickle Branch Shelter |
Campbell Shelter |
17.0 |
703.7 |
Made it to McAfee Knob and got a photo taken. Went to
bed around 9pm. |
| 53 |
Jun 18 |
Fri |
Laurel Creek Shelter |
Pickle Branch Shelter |
22.5 |
686.7 |
Took some pictures of the Keffer Oak. |
| 52 |
Jun 17 |
Thu |
Pine Swamp Branch Shelter |
Laurel Creek Shelter |
18.5 |
664.2 |
Had to
use a zip line to get across to the shelter. Arrived at the War Spur
Shelter by 4:18pm. Went to the Laurel Creek shelter. 30% Done. |
| 51 |
Jun 16 |
Wed |
Pearisburg, VA |
Pine Swamp Branch Shelter |
19.3 |
645.7 |
Had a
nice breakfast at the Holy Family Hostel before heading out. Got a
hitch from Steve back to the trail, saved a couple miles walking back
to the trail. Met "Hook" and "Jaywalker" at the Rice Shelter. Hiked the
last half hour in the rain. There were 22 scouts and 3 leaders at the
shelter. They moved back to their tents/hammocks to make room for the
thru-hikers. Cricket, Pale Blue Dot, Skink & Restless Legs. |
| 50 |
Jun 15 |
Tue |
Doc's Knob Shelter |
Pearisburg, VA |
8.2 |
626.4 |
Started the day by hiking 2-1/2 miles back to Woodshole Hostel
to get his journal and trail guide. Got back to Doc's Knob by 10:10,
and headed north. Stopped for a break on top of Pearis Mtn. and dried
things out. Angel Rock provided great views so he took lots of
pictures. The trail going down to Pearisburg was slippery and he almost
fell a couple times. Someone picked him up and took him
to Food
Line for supplies, Hardies for some supper, and then dropped him off at
the Holy Family Hostel in Pearisburg, VA. Soon PBD
and
Cricket both arrived. Wizard, Bear and a few others were there for the
night. He now has 3 blisters to care for. It's been very hot and humid
- rains most afternoons.. |
| 49 |
Jun 14 |
Mon |
VA 606 |
Doc's Knob Shelter |
16.1 |
618.2 |
On the trail by 8am, stopped a bit at Dismal Falls
which had a bunch of empty beer cans and bottles. About 11am he saw his
second bear in a quiet pine forest. Always on the watch for large black
objects. The bear simply turned around and walked away. Saw a couple
deer, box turtle, garter snake, etc. He took the 1/2 mile side trail to
the Woodshole
Hostel and
found the place interesting, but he wanted to put in some more
miles. It was dark early at Doc's Knob Shelter due to the
heavy
tree cover, and when he went to write in his journal he discovered he
had left both his journal and guide book back at Woods Hole. [Taking it
easy for at least the first week is obviously going to be tough for
him. After 3 weeks those legs are really restless!] |
| 48 |
Jun 13 |
Sun |
VA 611 |
VA 606, Trent's Grocery |
9.6 |
602.1 |
He was doing great at the Jenny
Knob
Shelter, so he decided to continue on and camp at Trent's Grocery with
Cricket and Pale Blue Dot (PBD). Didn't have trees to hang his hammock
at the campground, but he set up his tarp under an RV awning and slept
good on the ground and had no rain.
|
| .. |
May 28 |
Fri |
.. |
.. |
.. |
.. |
"I found out today that I DO NOT have a stress
fracture,
which is good news! I will start physical therapy on Tuesday
in
Canton and continue three times/week for at least three
weeks.
After three weeks, I have an appointment with my orthopedic doctor to
assess my progress and hopefully determine when I can expect to go back
on the trail. Hopefully the physical therapy will do the trick and
resolve the issue. I'll be looking for new boots/shoes while I'm off
the trail." |
| 47 |
May 25 |
Tue |
Heading home to heal up. |
* Home * |
.. |
.. |
Shin
splints require Rest, Icing, Compression, Elevation and Vitamin I.
Stress fractures require a total break from high impact activity to
heal. X-ray results suggested a stress fracture so "Restless
Legs"
is off the trail and heading home to heal up. Only time will tell when
he has "Rested
Legs" and can return to the trail... |
| 46 |
May 24 |
Mon |
Big Walker Hotel |
VA 611 |
9.0 |
592.5 |
Had a big free breakfast with a dozen other hikers
provided by a local church group. Got a short haircut. After getting
back to the trail he was having REALLY bad pain in his shin after three
miles. His goal was to get to VA 611 and try to get a ride to
the
hospital in Pearisburg, VA. |
| 45 |
May 23 |
Sun |
Big Walker Hotel |
.. |
0.0 |
583.5 |
His niece suggested he elevate his leg, keep ice on
it, and rest to ease his shin splint so he took a zero day. "Buzz"
arrived and got a double room, so he shared the
room. "Buzz"
started at Springer in March, but is leaving the trail to
return
home..
|
| 44 |
May 22 |
Sat |
Camped along the trail. |
Big Walker Hotel in Bland, VA |
3.0 |
583.5 |
On the trail early - at US 52 he found more
trail magic including oranges. Got a ride into Bland to the Post Office
- got there at 7:52 -
normally they open at 9am but they were willing to give him his package
early so he has a new pair of Keen shoes. Asked someone where
the
hotel was and got a ride to the Big Walker Hotel. Shared a room with
"More
to Do" - a section hiker who was returning home. |
| 43 |
May 21 |
Fri |
Chestnut Knob Shelter |
Camped along the trail, |
18.7 |
580.5 |
Started on the trail before 7am. Left
shin was really hurting. At a break he losened his shoe laces which
helped. At 11:30 he arrived at the Jenkins Shelter (571.8) and soaked
his feet. Climbed up Bushey Mtn. and found trail magic at VA 615 of
Girl Scout cookies, etc. Had a great view across the valley. |
| 42 |
May 20 |
Thu |
Crawfish Valley |
Chestnut Knob Shelter |
16.7 |
561.8 |
Shin is hurting bad. Trail magic today of
sandwiches, soft drinks, peanut butter and jelly. Arrived at the Knot
Maul Branch Shelter at 11:07, dried tarp on sunny bald, tough - long
climb up to Chestnut Knob
Shelter - very nice stone building with all four sides and a door.
Dried tarp in a sunny area. Some people from Texas were there. "Blue
Sky". |
| 41 |
May 19 |
Wed |
Partnership Shelter |
Crawfish Valley |
17.9 |
545.1 |
Dealing with shin splints in his left leg, very
sore. At US 11 he called Keen to have some new shoes shipped to
him.Reached Crawfish Valley - the 25%
point at 4:04pm. Soaked his feet in a stream which helped. Hammocked
there. |
| 40 |
May 18 |
Tue |
Hurricane Mtn. Shelter |
Partnership Shelter |
19.7 |
527.2 |
Had a little rain and saw his first bear on the trail
about 10am - down the hill running away from him. He
passed by the Trimpi Shelter
(516.5) which has a fireplace and continued to the Partnership Shelter
near the Mt. Rogers
Visitor Center. Tagless
& Tag-along had provided trail magic of
subway
sandwiches, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, oranges and Cokes. He made
use of the shower and got some
clothes rinsed out. The phone at the Visitor Center was used multiple
times to order
multiple pizzas, Kentucky fried chicken and beverages. |
| 39 |
May 17 |
Mon |
Thomas Knob Shelter |
Hurricane Mtn. Shelter |
16.0 |
507.5 |
Woke up to a light drizzle, the area
in front of the shelter was flooded. Walked in the light rain. Arrived
at Wise Shelter about 11am. Got some pictures of the ponies at
Grayson Highlands.
Passed the 500-Mile
mark. More downpours after he reached the Hurricane Mtn. Shelter. Got
very cold that night, used his underquilt on top of him to supplement
his lightweight bag. |
| 38 |
May 16 |
Sun |
Elk Garden, VA 600 |
Thomas Knob Shelter |
4.2 |
491.5 |
Started with a hiker
breakfast provided by AWOL
and then I dropped him off at Elk Garden/VA 600 to resume hiking north
with "Buzz". With the rain, lightning and thunder that afternoon he
decided to just stay at the shelter. |
| 38 |
May 15 |
Sat |
Damascus, VA |
~ |
0.0 |
~ |
Trail
Days in Damascus, VA
- Enjoyed hiking in the parade - Spent time Saturday night going
through gear and deciding what to keep, what to swap, and what to send
back home. |
| 37 |
May 14 |
Fri |
Damascus, VA |
~ |
0.0 |
~ |
Trail
Days in Damascus, VA |
| 36 |
May 13 |
Thu |
Damascus, VA |
~ |
0.0 |
~ |
Trail
Days in Damascus, VA |
| 35 |
May 12 |
Wed |
Elk Garden, VA 600 |
Damascus, VA |
23.8 |
487.3 |
Got a shuttle to Elk Garden/VA 600 and hiked
23.8 miles back to Damascus. |
| 34 |
May 11 |
Tue |
Abingdon Gap Shelter |
Damascus, VA |
10.2 |
463.5 |
Cruised into Damascus, VA for Trail
Days! Staying
at "The Place" hostel for a couple days. Might get a shuttle north 23
miles and hike back to Damascus to avoid sitting around. |
| 33 |
May 10 |
Mon |
Iron Mountain Shelter |
Abingdon Gap Shelter |
15.9 |
453.3 |
Arrived at Double Springs Shelter (445.0) by 11:12am,
Double
Spring Gap (450.4) by 1:18pm. Arrived at Abingdon Gap Shelter
(453.3) at 2:52pm. |
| 32 |
May 9 |
Sun |
Watauga Lake Shelter |
Iron Mountain Shelter |
13.9 |
437.4 |
Had put in 10.9 miles by 12:52pm. and 13.9 by 3:41pm.
Might
be stopping at Iron Mtn Shelter. 20% Done. |
| 31 |
May 8 |
Sat |
Kinkora Hiking Hostel |
Watauga Lake Shelter |
10.7 |
423.5 |
Arrived at 4:28pm. Next shelter is 7.1 miles away.
|
| 30 |
May 7 |
Fri |
Mountaineer Shelter |
Kinkora Hiking Hostel |
15.6 |
412.8 |
Kinkora Hiking Hostel at 412.8 for a 15.6 mile
day. Had
lunch with a former Philmont Ranger. Got a bunk, ate at Arby's, did
laundry and made some phone calls. |
| 29 |
May 6 |
Thu |
Overmountain Shelter |
Mountaineer Shelter |
18.0 |
397.2 |
Was at the Apple House Shelter before noon, made
it to
the Mountaineer Shelter at 4:53pm for an 18 mile day. Really
enjoyed the balds, got some great pictures. Saw a turkey on
the
road and got some water from a church spigot. |
| 28 |
May 5 |
Wed |
Clyde Smith Shelter |
Overmountain Shelter |
13.1 |
379.2 |
Climbed over Roan Mtn. today. Arrived at
the Overmountain Shelter by 3pm for a 13.1 mile day. Set up
his
hammock in the top level of the barn. Been having trouble with his back
when sleeping in the shelters. |
| 27 |
May 4 |
Tue |
Curley Maple Gap Shelter |
Clyde Smith Shelter |
22.0 |
366.1 |
Cherry Gap Shelter at 2:18, then continued to the
Clyde Smith Shelter arriving at 6:34pm. Now less than 100
miles
from Damascus. He's sure got "restless legs" since the 22-mile day
included a 2,000'+ clumb up Unaka Mountain (5,180) from the Curley Map
Gap (3,070). |
| 26 |
May 3 |
Mon |
No Business Knob |
Curley Maple Gap Shelter |
10.5 |
344.1 |
Picked up supplies in Erwin.
Arrived at Uncle Johnny's at 10:30am, hitched to Post Office to get
bump box. Dave of Mt. Roger's Outfitters picked him up. Hard to get
around Erwin, hitched a ride back to the trail from "Pee Wee". Left
Uncle Johnny's at 3:15pm after getting some candy bars and fuel
- and headed back into the woods. Saw some turtles and
salamanders. Met "Skywalker" and a couple others. |
| 25 |
May 2 |
Sun |
Bald Mtn. Shelter |
No Business Knob |
10.6 |
333.6 |
Was hoping to get to a hostel in
Erwin, but the rain caused him to shorten his day. Mostly downhill
except for "High Rock" area. Got some trail magic at Spivey Gap - 8 or
9 eggs, homemade muffins, soft drinks. Quit early since he didn't want
to spend the night in Erwin. |
| 24 |
May 1 |
Sat |
Sugarloaf Gap |
Bald Mtn. Shelter |
15.0 |
323.0 |
Ate lunch between Hogback Ridge
Shelter & Bald Mountain Shelter. Met up with a former coworker
"Ohio Bro" who is hiking the trail for the second time. Finally got to
see a bald on a sunny day. Got a Coke, Pepsi and apple left by as trail
angel. Also met Bonnie, known for her smoking. |
| 23 |
Apr 30 |
Fri |
Little Laurel Shelter |
Sugarloaf Gap
|
16.6 |
308 0 |
Climbed up 1,100+ feet to start the day, next 9
miles
across the ridgeline between 4,100-4,700'. No evening update so I'm not
sure if he stopped at Sugarloaf Gap or continued on to the next
shelter. Tried to catch up with V & Diesel who were ahead of
him. |
| 22 |
Apr 29 |
Thu |
Hot Springs, NC |
Little Laurel Shelter
|
19.6 |
291.4 |
Ate lunch on Rich Mtn. Instead of taking a zero in Hot
Springs, he kicked it into gear and put in an almost 20 mile day. Met V
& Diesel - a couple section hiking. As he
spoke on the phone that night, the wind whipped the tarp off
his
hammock. |
| 21 |
Apr 28 |
Wed |
Walnut Mtn. Shelter |
Hot Springs, NC
|
13.1 |
271.8 |
He decided to make his resupply
stop in Hot Springs which included a trip to do laundry, check e-mail
at the library, and stay in a warm bed. He shared a room at Elmers
Sunnybank Inn with another thru-hiker named Kevin. The sun was out
today and he had a nice downhill trek into Hot Springs, but heard
predicted temps were to be be in the low 30's again that night. Erwin,
about 5 days away would be his next food resupply. Supper was
cheeseburg and fries at the
Smokey Mtn Diner. Bumped his box up to Erwin. |
| 20 |
Apr 27 |
Tue |
Groundhog Creek Shelter |
Walnut Mtn. Shelter
|
13.1 |
258.7 |
Climbed 1800' up
to Max Patch
Summit and then split the distance to Hot Springs by continuing to the
Walnut Mtn. Shelter. Rained all day so he stopped hiking at 2pm. That
night while in the shelter there was rain, sleet, snow, hail,
more rain and freezing temps. Some late arrivals had a lot trouble
setting up their tents in the weather. Lost a bandana. |
| 19 |
Apr 26 |
Mon |
Standing Bear Hostel |
Groundhog Creek Shelter
|
7.2 |
245.6 |
Met up with some section hikers and slack packers
who were finishing up so he scored some M&M, cereal bars and
other
goodies. It was raining all day and blowing hard so he made it a short
day and hoped for better weather/views before heading up Max
Patch. |
| 18 |
Apr 25 |
Sun |
Tricorner Knob Shelter |
Standing Bear Hostel |
18.1 |
238.4 |
Long uphill hike to Mt. Guyot. Basically walking in
a stream as the water was flowing down the trail. Was busy with his
camera trying to set the timer to take a photo of himself and
walked right near a timber rattlesnake. Was able to call home. Also
called and learned they had a vacancy at the Standing Bear
Hostel. |
| 17 |
Apr 24 |
Sat |
Icewater Spring Shelter |
Tricorner Knob Shelter |
12.6 |
220.3 |
Ate lunch at Pecks Corner Shelter, went to the
Tricorner Knob Shelter for a 12.6 mile day. Got a good photo at
Charlie's Bunion. Walking along the knife edge you really need to be
careful. Rained from 1pm until the rest of the day. Cold and wet
afternoon with a full house at the shelter, then the rain really got
hard and rained all evening. A break around midnight, then at 3am the
wind was blowing hard and lightning flashing around. Signs of lots
of bear activity in the area. 10% Done. |
| 16 |
Apr 23 |
Fri |
Silers Bald Shelter |
Icewater Spring Shelter |
15.5 |
207.7 |
Standing on Clingmans Dome at 11am. Road up was
closed for repairs, so only hikers were on top. Still lots of snow on
top. Continued to
Icewater
Spring Shelter instead of jumping off at US
441 (204.7) for a 15-mile trip to Gatlinburg, TN. |
| 15 |
Apr 22 |
Thu |
Mollies Ridge Shelter |
Silers Bald Shelter |
17.2 |
192.2 |
Hiking the ridge line between NC & TN. Had the
shelter by
himself.
Saw two deer and signs of bears, but no bear spottings. |
| 14 |
Apr 21 |
Wed |
Fontana Dam Shelter |
Mollies Ridge Shelter |
11.3 |
175.0 |
Entering "The Smokies" and soon his third state -
Tennessee. Over 2800'
elevation gain from Fontanta Dam up to Doe Knob. Very cold weather, but
he stayed warm in the shelter. Blister on left foot. |
| 13 |
Apr 20 |
Tue |
Stecoah Gap, NC 143 |
Fontana Dam "Hilton" Shelter |
15.1 |
163.7 |
Picking up a supply box and his new titanium caldera
cone. Had sent way too much food. Repacked his extra food and mailed it
forward. Sent home his
broken caldera cone and rain pants. |
| 12 |
Apr 19 |
Mon |
Nantahala Outdoor Center |
Stecoah Gap, NC 143 |
13.6 |
148.6 |
Stopped at Stecoah Gap, NC 143 to catch a ride back to
NOC. Had been hiking with a slackpacker. |
| 11 |
Apr 18 |
Sun |
Wayah Bald Tower |
Nantahala Outdoor Center |
17.2 |
135.0 |
Took a tumble and hurt his knee, but he is having a
great time. Planning to catch a ride to Hot Springs for Trail
Fest on April 24. Has teamed up with a slack-packer and is using the
van as a
mobile "bounce box". Spent the night at a hotel in Bryson City. |
| 10 |
Apr 17 |
Sat |
Bearpen Trail, USFS 67 |
Wayah Bald Tower |
20.1 |
117.8 |
Started the day climbing Albert Mtn,
passed 100-mile mark. Spent the night with "Circuit Rider"
& "Sherlock" http://www.heartbeatat.com/ |
| 9 |
Apr 16 |
Fri |
Deep Gap, USFS 71 |
Bearpen Trail, USFS 67 |
14.4 |
97.7 |
Begins the day climbing over 1100' up Standing Indian
Mtn. Stoppe just before Albert Mtn. |
| 8 |
Apr 15 |
Thu |
Blueberry Patch Hostel |
Deep Gap, USFS 71 |
15.8 |
83.3 |
Starting north again with a dozen other hikers after
breakfast. Crossed the GA-NC line at 1:35pm. At Bly Gap he missed the
twisted tree and picking up water which made climbing up 800'+ to
Courthouse Bald and through Sassafras Gap even tougher. It was raining
when he got to Muskrat Creek Shelter .. which was full .. so he pressed
on and camped at Deep Gap. He did see and hear some Ruffed Grouse. |
| 7 |
Apr 14 |
Wed |
Hiawassee, GA |
Blueberry Patch Hostel |
0.0 |
67.5 |
Enjoying a "zero" at the Blueberry Patch
Hostel. Got caught up with his journal. Has not spent any nights in the
shelters, uses his hammock. |
| 6 |
Apr 13 |
Tue |
Tray Mtn. Shelter |
Hiawassee, GA |
11.0 |
67.5 |
The lure of a shower, motel and AYCE food draws him to
Hiawassee Resupplied, contacted the "Tin Man" about a titanium Caldera
Cone.. |
| 5 |
Apr 12 |
Mon |
Low Gap Shelter |
Tray Mtn. Shelter |
15.0 |
56.5 |
“Trail Magic” experience with
cookies and a
beer! May need to hike backwards to offset the growing sunburn on one
side. |
| 4 |
Apr 11 |
Sun |
Walasi-Yi @ Neel's Gap |
Low Gap Shelter |
10.8 |
41.5 |
Restless Legs reports that he is having a good time.
|
| 3 |
Apr 10 |
Sat |
Woody Gap |
Walasi-Yi @ Neel's Gap |
10.6 |
30.7 |
Cold streams help with sore feet on day 3. Enjoyed
taking a shower at the Walasi-Yi. .. and purchasing new rain pants. |
| 2 |
Apr 9 |
Fri |
Hawk Mtn. Shelter |
Woody Gap |
12.3 |
20.1 |
Carrying too much food. There are a ton of people, full
shelters.. he broke away from the crowd as soon as he could. |
| 1 |
Apr 8 |
Thu |
Springer Mtn. |
Hawk Mtn. Shelter |
7.8 |
7.8 |
Stood on top of Springer Mtn. at 3pm. Old rain pants
don't repel rain. First night was uncomfortably cold. |
