Katahdin: Days 165-169

August 19, 2021 in Blog Entries

Some final reflections:

We summitted Katahdin at 10am on Wednesday, August 11th, concluding our 2021 NoBo Appalachian Trail thruhike. We have been thruhiking from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine, since February, 24th. These past five and a half months on trail have held the adventure of a lifetime.
We hiked 2,193.1 miles on the AT (and an unknown quantity of additional miles walking to and from shelters, campsites, privies, hostels or stores)! We accumulated over 464,464 ft in elevation gain and loss, which is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest 16 times. We each had only one embedded tick and I only sh*t my pants once. Ranger bonked his head too many times to count. Our highest mileage day was 26.4 miles.
In nearly half a year of living on trail we were sure to experience a full range of human emotion—the highs and the lows. Regardless, we genuinely loved every day on trail, and despite the challenges I can honestly say we never once considered quitting. I always felt I was where I was supposed to be.
Words cannot express how grateful we are to everyone who encouraged and supported us: our families and friends back home, the trail angels and trail maintainers, and the tramilies we formed along the way. It is impossible to convey just how deeply this Appalachian Trail thruhike has touched each of our lives and consciousness. I am forever changed.

- Sticks

It were as well to be educated in the shadow of a mountain as in more classic shade. Some will remember, no doubt, not only that they went to college, but that they went to the mountain.
- Henry David Thoreau

Day 165: 19 miles hiked (trail mile 2149.1)

We set foot on trail at 7am having hardly slept a wink because the loons were so rowdy last night. They make such a beautiful call that I hardly minded, though. The trail today felt like a reward for hiking over two separate mountain ranges in the last two days. It was buttery smooth and flat with water sources everywhere so we felt like we were flying.

Swimming hole right in front of Cooper Brook Falls Lean-To

As I was coming around a bend in the trail I heard a crashing through the woods and spotted the silhouette of a huge female moose bounding away! We also spotted a turtle and a couple large frogs on a water crossing.

For lunch we stopped at Antler’s Campsite, on another pond, and talked to a thruhiker that we had met back at Shaw’s. It was starting to get hot, so less than two miles north of our lunch spot we went for a swim in Lower Jo-Mary Lake on a big sandy beach.

When we first stepped onto the beach, we caught our closest glimpse of a loon before it dove below water. The lake water was cold, but especially where the sand bar suddenly dropped off into deeper water. Just as we were packing up to go, Bess and Jazz showed up and blew up some inflatable floaties they had carried with them! I’m always so impressed by the joyfulness that these two create each day on the trail.

After the lake, we stopped at a water source that had absolutely rave reviews on Guthooks. People called it the ‘Fountain of Youth’ and the ‘Best Water of the AT’ so we made a point to let ourselves get a bit thirsty before getting there to achieve maximum pleasure. The spring at Potaywadjo Spring Shelter fully lived up to the hype. A split log led out into the center of the source where cold and clear water gently bubbled up through smooth gravel. We ceremoniously chugged about a litre apiece and then filled up a half litre each to get us to Namahkanta Shelter for the night. Generally, we have been carrying little to no water through the 100 Mile Wilderness because the water is so plentiful, instead choosing to camel up at each water source.

At Namahkanta we set up our tent at a flat site near the shelter and hung the bear line. Just as I started to cook dinner a surprise thunder storm arrived. We sat beneath the shelter with the others and ate dinner while the storm roared outside. One by one, hikers who had been caught in the storm came rushing into the shelter, dripping wet. The shelter was packed (and we later learned from sleep-deprived friends that the shelter had a couple chainsaw-snorers) so we were thrilled we had opted to tent. We both agree this has been one of our favorite days on trail.

Day 166: 17.5 miles hiked (trail mile 2166.6)

We departed camp at 7am. There were lots of roots and rocks today but nothing can bring down our high. Like Jpeg said, “We’re running out the clock now… running out the clock!”

At one point we passed a sign stating, “view of Katahdin”. When we processed this, we looked at each other and, without speaking, made a u-turn to take the little side path. At first, straight across the pond you could see a little mountain… is that it? We looked to our left, and there it was, a giant mountain towering in the distance. What an incredible feeling it was to catch our first glimpse of the mountain we’ve walked over 2,000 miles to reach!

We hiked to the top of Nesuntabunt where we had cell service for the first time since White Cap. Ranger called his mom from the top to wish her a happy birthday.

We hiked past Rainbow Stream Cascades, a beautiful stream with deep swimming holes and fast flowing water. It was tempting to brave the icy cold water for a swim but our desire to make it to camp won out and we pressed on, stopping for the night at Rainbow Spring Campsite.

The campsite had a nice spring and a rock to sit on the water. From the rock we spotted a bunch of big leeches, expanding and contracting as they moved along the floor of the lake. Jazz and Bess had their feet dipped in the water when the leech discovery was made and immediately yanked their feet out of the water to peer at the leeches below.

We shared the site with Jazz and Bess who—due to the lumpy terrain—had to set up so close to our tent that it felt a bit like we were in a shelter! It was an appropriate way to end our last real night on the trail as we knew it (everything after this will be in Abol Bridge or Baxter Park).

Today was our last full day on trail with a respectable 17.5-mile day and we are happy to be camped by a lake with these friends who we serendipitously shared the 100 Mile Wilderness experience with. Tomorrow we will wake up at 4am to fulfill another trail goal: a 10x10! 10 miles before 10am.

Day 167: 11.5 miles hiked (trail mile 2178.1)

By 4:45am we were on trail with our headlamps on. Being first on trail this morning we were hoping to see a moose but had no such luck, despite passing a few different ponds. We both really enjoy the sensation of being already moving on trail when the first light arrives. It’s such a great way to start the day.

We stopped on the Rainbow Ledges to pick blueberries that we plan to leave as an offering on the top of Katahdin. Here we also braked for breakfast and enjoyed our last Larry and Lenny’s cookies of the AT. Soon, gone will be the glory days of cookies for breakfast. We had just enough cell service here to check the forecast for Katahdin. Weather was supposed to be perfect the day before our summit day and looked potentially icky on our planned summit day, so we will keep our eye on things and if we must push, and summit the day before, we will.

We had no problem completing our 10x10 and arrived at Abol Bridge at about 10:30. The bridge just before Abol Pines campground offered an excellent, unobstructed view of Katahdin although the top of the mountain was cut off by dense clouds.

Back to civilization (sans cell service)

Outside the convenient store we spoke with Olive Oil, a thruhiker flip-flopper who had completed her masters in Edinburgh, just south of where I’ll be in Dundee, Scotland, for my Medical Illustration MSc. It was fun meeting another thruhiker who did grad school abroad, and she was a joy to talk to. She had absorbed a wealth of knowledge about Baxter State Park, and the dizzying regulations around summitting Katahdin. In hindsight it’s honestly not so bad, but it’s quite a bit to process when you’re used to just taking things at your own pace and answering to no authority.

We scarfed down some chips, pop tarts, and crackers outside the store, and then went back in for a resupply for the next two days. The store offered nothing but junk food, so these next couple days will be some of our worst nutrition on trail. Running out the clock…

After resupplying, we hiked just under a mile (.7 to be exact) to the sign-up sheet for the Birches campsites in Baxter State park just to see how it works. We felt if there were any slots left for today we had a moral obligation to take them, knowing how many people are coming in behind us today. There weren’t any slots left but we saw that Dallas, Lighthouse, and Bug had secured spots at the Birches tonight, meaning they will be summitting tomorrow!

Back at Abol Pines State Park—confusingly directly across the street from, yet unaffiliated with, Abol Pines Campground—we set up our tent. Other thruhikers trickled in thoughout the afternoon since the park is much more reasonable than the campground which wants $27 a person just to tent! I took a nap in the tent while Ranger did coin laundry back across the street.

Bess and Jazz showed up with an entire gallon bag of blueberries they picked on top of Rainbow Ledges! — Bess and Jazz with foraged blueberries!

Just as I came over to get a shower, Meta and Grasshopper arrived. It’s Meta’s birthday today so I asked about the cost of wine and corkscrew, intending to return to get Meta a birthday treat for this evening. A few minutes later as I was standing outside talking with them, a patron came out of the store and handed us the wine and bottle opener, saying “Happy trails.” Incredible trail magic! Bess and Jazz also showed up with an entire gallon bag of blueberries they picked on top of Rainbow Ledges, which they presented to Meta as a contribution to her impending birthday feast.

It turned out Meta and Grasshopper had rented a “cabin” at the Abol Pines Campground which turned out to be packed with 6 creaky bunk beds. They offered their extra bunks to Ranger and Me, and Jazz and Bess. Bunks sounded preferable to tenting so we ran back across the street and broke down camp to join our friends for the night, thankful that we hadn’t already dropped our money in the pay box.

Front to back, left to right: Jazz, Meta, Grasshopper, Nate, Jasmine, Prime, Bess, Hiccup, Sticks, Ranger, Chaser, Jeff

Sitting with Meta and Grasshopper at the picnic table we had wine, chips and salsa, Ritz crackers, and Mike and Ike’s for dinner. Later we enjoyed showers in the park bathrooms, feeling a bit on-edge since there was a guy riding around in a golf cart that seemed hell-bent on checking that everyone had paid for their spot in the campground and weren’t crashing with friends (like us), but managed to avoid confrontation. Eventually, other friends joined us at the campground including Hiccup, Prime, Jazz, Bess, Jeff, Chaser, Jasmine, Nate, and Jpeg (who we hadn’t seen since Uncle Johnny’s in Virginia). It turned into a proper birthday party for Meta!

It turns out a few of these folks are now planning to summit tomorrow to take advantage of the better weather. We thought about it, but decided against a higher mileage day since hiking the AT into Baxter, summitting, and descending all in one day would be nearly 20 miles. Instead, we have decided to wake up super early on our summit day to beat any afternoon thunderstorms.

Meta, Jasmine, Nate, Jazz, Hiccup, Bess, Prime (& Katahdin)

Day 168: 9.7 miles hiked (trail mile 2187.8)

It’s safe to say we all slept terribly. The bunks would screech with every small movement, and between 6 of us in this small space it was an absolute cacophony, but it’s fine since we only have 9 miles to the Birches in Baxter State Park at the base of Katahdin. Running down the clock!

We left camp with Meta and Grasshopper at 5:30am and made it to the sign-up sheet by 5:45. Jpeg and Mose were already there. Mose had apparently been there since 3am to ensure his spot since there had been comments on Guthooks claiming that the sign-up sheet for the 12 coveted spots at the Birches campground has filled up completely by 4:30am before.

While we were waiting for the Ranger to show up, trying to evade the mosquitos that had laid siege upon us, the rest of our crew from yesterday came hiking by. Their plan was to go ahead and hike to the park and then summit, all in the same day! They are sure to have a beautiful summit today.

Prime, Bess, Hiccup, Jazz, Jasmine, Nate

The Ranger showed up at 6:50 and posted the sign-up sheet. Once all the logistics were sorted, we took our time hiking the 9 miles to the Birches campground. We stopped for a long break with the whole thruhiking crew that would be with us at the Birches. Then we stopped briefly at a pretty cascading brook, followed by a nice long break at Big Niagara Falls. The AT is a nice gentle trail all the way to the Birches, the calm before the storm that is the 5-mile 4,000 ft climb we will be hiking up (and then back down) Katahdin tomorrow.

Jpeg got this great sneaky pic of me and Ranger

At a parking lot crossing, a Maine resident named Jim told us that a short walk up the road off trail would take us to a pretty lake with a view of Katahdin. It did not disappoint, and we decided to stop and have lunch in the Adirondack chairs beneath the covered patio of the park library. Across the lake was a magnificent view of the mountain. Jim shared Gatorade and stories with us awhile, and then we hiked on.

When we arrived at Katahdin Stream Campground to check into the Birches campsite we ran into Dallas, Lighthouse and Bug, who had just made it back from summitting! Lighthouse’s parents were there and gave us some trail magic.

View of the mountain from Katahdin Stream Campground

When the Ranger eventually showed up we went through yet another check-in process and received our official summitting cards, and paper slips that we have to deposit when we finish. Ranger is the 343rd NoBo thruhiker to finish this year and I am the 344th. Baxter State park has a reputation for having a “wilderness first, people second” mentality which is actually awesome, although it makes for a lot of logistical challenges for thruhikers, especially since there is no cell phone service from near the end of the 100-mile wilderness all the way up to the top of Katahdin. We also signed the summit logbook and saw many of our friends names in days prior!

We signed the summit logbook and saw many of our friends names in days prior!

The mother of a hiker named Beebop was set up doing trail magic with burgers, drinks and chips over in the pavilion area, in anticipating of her daughter’s arrival from summitting today. We ended up spending a few hours hanging out there eating veggie burgers while hikers who had summitted today trickled down from the mountain. Bug was waiting on her mom, too, and when she showed she came bearing more trail magic of fresh fruit and a carrot cake with the AT mileage written on top in the icing! Jpeg and I bonded over our $10 Casio watches – the perfect no-frills watch, and he sang the praises of his ultralight trail bidet.

At the Birches this evening there ended up being just the 7 of us from the sign-up sheet this morning, and only one other hiker showed up. Jpeg set upon methodically breaking and sorting sticks for a campfire, and we all gathered around the fire and shared lots of stories and laughs from the trail. The perfect way to spend our last night on the trail.

When we went to bed around 7pm we had an entire shelter to ourselves. With no prospect of other hikers showing up unannounced, we decided to pitch our tent in the shelter to provide protection from the hyper-aggressive mosquitos of Maine. Tomorrow morning, we will be leaving camp at 4:30am to summit Katahdin!

Rhino, Ranger, Hotwheels, Sticks, Mose, Jpeg, Meta, Grasshopper

Day 169: 5.3 miles hiked on the AT, ending at trail mile 2193.1

There is a lean-to outside the Ranger Station where thruhikers can leave any gear that is not required for the summit. We emptied items like our tent, quilt, kitchen and other equipment we wouldn’t need today into a couple of day packs and left them in the shelter. We started up the last few miles of the AT at 5am.

The climb started out at a gradually sloping grade, and we did two rounds of 92’s to cover some ground swiftly before it started to get challenging. Soon, the ascent became highly technical, with hand over hand climbing and the occasional rebar handle to assist.

There was a plaque honoring Thoreau at ‘Thoreau Spring’ – a puddle of dubious looking water. Thoreau climbed Katahdin in 1846 and wrote The Maine Woods.

After having hundreds (or even thousands) of miles ahead of us for most of the trail I was really rattled by the sign stating one mile to the summit and was met with an unexpected flood of tears. We are so sad it’s over, so happy it’s over, so proud and so grateful, so many emotions all at once. We laughed nervously when I verbalized that at least we’re close enough now that if one of us broke a bone we could still drag ourselves to the summit. So much of the trail is about just keeping yourself together physically but it is equally a mental game, and we are exhausted.

Thoreau Spring. Thoreau first climbed Katahdin in 1846 and wrote The Maine Woods — Thoreau Spring

Taking plenty of breaks, the climb took us about five hours in total, and we reached the summit around 10am. Near the top we had passed Meta and Grasshopper, descending from their successful summit, and then on top we saw more friends from the Birches last night: Jpeg, Mose, and Rhino. We left our blueberry offering on the cairn at the very top of the mountain and then, collecting ourselves after what had been a highly emotional last mile of the trail, touched the Katahdin sign together on the count of three.

The weather was chilly and wet as clouds rushed past us, accumulating on every inch of our bodies so that water dripped from our hair, clothes, and packs. We didn’t get a view on top of Katahdin but that’s ok, it would have been unreal to get views on Franconia ridge, Mount Washington and Mount Katahdin.

With cell service on top of Katahdin for the first time in days we were able to check the forecast and see whether we needed to attempt to rush down the mountain to make it below tree line before any afternoon thunderstorms were to hit. The local man we met at Daicey pond had told us that from the top of Katahdin you could see any bad weather coming in from the west but we were so socked in by clouds that we wouldn’t have known what was coming our way except by the sound of thunder which is almost always too close to do anything about by the time it’s within earshot.

The handwritten weather forecast that had been posted at the kiosk near Abol Bridge at 7am the day before had warned of afternoon thunderstorms and was part of the reason we got such an early start up the mountain today. If something happens and you have to turn around because of bad weather the chances of getting a second shot at summitting are very slim, because while thruhikers have one week to summit from when the summit permit is issued, they only get one night at the Birches and don’t get to spend another night in the park. Shuttles to Millinocket are very costly and difficult to arrange because of the lack of cell service in the park. All this to say, we felt we absolutely must summit today, and were mentally prepared to do so under just about any conditions. The question was how to safely get back down.

Ranger was determined to take the Knifes Edge down because he didn’t get the chance to take it down the first time, in 2005. His hard stance was that the Amicalola Falls Approach Trail is the classic way to start a thruhike and the Knifes Edge is the classic way to end it. Since the weather seemed to be mostly cooperating and chances of thunderstorms had cleared, we decided to do the Knifes Edge.

It was an incredibly rugged connector trail over a ridge line between the Katahdin and Pamola peaks that spanned only 1.1 miles but took us over two hours to complete. We inched along at a snail’s pace over the jagged and narrow ridge line in the fog and wind. Some sections were only a few feet wide and up to 2000ft drops on either side. There may have been more tears, but there were no regrets.

However challenging the Knifes Edge was, we agreed that completing the AT left us feeling like a weight had been lifted and we laughed at how carefree we felt on the remainder of our hike with a ride and shower and bed awaiting us at the end. I asked gleefully asked Ranger, is this what dayhikers feel like?!

When we began to transition back into tree line, we picked a half litre of wild blueberries for Ranger’s parents on our way down the Helon Taylor trail to Roaring Brook Campground where they would be waiting for us.

To keep spirits high and stave off any melancholy over our thruhike coming to an end, Ranger poetically rattled off all the things that would be a positive change once we’re off trail:

Soon we’ll be in a world… where we won’t have to ask if the bed has sheets.

Soon we’ll be in a world… where you don’t count the days by how many “sides” of your underwear you’ve worn since laundry day.

Soon we’ll be in a world… where we don’t manually filter our water for drinking or cooking.

Soon we’ll be in a world… where you don’t have to inflate your bed with your mouth every night.

Soon we’ll be in a world… where the toilet flushes.

Soon we’ll be in a world… where we don’t share a single fork.

And on and on…

When we finally emerged from the forest, Ranger’s parents were there waiting for us. We checked in at the Ranger Station to log our trail completion details, just as we had done yesterday evening in an interview with a Park Ranger detailing our hiking plans. They had asked about everything from departure time, to which trail we’re taking up, which trail down, and details for how we planned to exit the park.

We put all our gear in a trash bag so it wouldn’t stink up the car and drove an hour and a half back to Katahdin Streams Campground where we retrieved the gear we had left in the lean-to by the Ranger Station.

Ranger’s mom and dad had brought us snacks for the car ride and his mom had designed us custom travel mugs memorializing our thruhikes! On our way through Bangor, Maine, we stopped at a ramen bar for dinner and laughed when we realized we had accidentally chosen a gourmet version of trail food for our first meal off trail. It is good to be reunited with family and we are looking forward to some serious rest and recovery over the coming weeks.

Thanks for following along!

100 Mile Wilderness: Days 158 - 164

August 15, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 158: 15.6 miles hiked (trail mile 2047.7)

We left camp at 6am and hiked strong all morning. A few miles before the Kennebec River we had our first Maine river fording which Ranger managed to rock hop while I opted to wade through in my sandals. We caught up to Meta and Grasshopper just before the Kennebec crossing and all emerged at the shore at 10am having already hiked 9.5 miles. It feels incredible to have terrain that we can cover at a full stride again and we have enjoyed the plentiful stretches of low elevation over the past couple of days.

The Kennebec is a large river that is treacherous to attempt to ford because of the daily dam releases upriver. As an alternative to fording, the ATC employs someone to sit at the river with a canoe all season and ferry hikers across. The ferryman operates the canoe from 9-2 every day. His golden retriever, Maggie, comes along for the ride each way. Her job is to give and receive affection.

Meta and Grasshopper being safely escorted across the Kennebec

A short walk from the river took us to the pickup point for the Sterling Inn, in Caratunk, which offers free shuttles from the trail to the inn where they have a little shop with all the standard resupply items. This was the perfect mid-day break, as we had also shipped ourselves a box of food and toiletries that we had purchased on a supply run to a super Walmart when staying at Rattle River in Gorham, NH. We hung out on the porch and ate lunch (tortillas lathered with peanut butter and topped with marshmallows—a recent discovery) and worked on the blog.

Around 1pm we shuttled back to the trail and hiked an additional 5.5 miles to Pleasant Pond Lean-To. We sat down at the pond (lake) for a while with Meta and Grasshopper. This pond has a very different feel from the more remote ones we encountered the last couple of days and its shores are peppered with boats, houses, and people out noisily enjoying this pretty Saturday.

Back at the shelter we set up our tent on a weird patch of gravel that felt a bit like an old parking lot, at least it was flat. The water source was pretty challenging to scoop water from, but we have become skilled at using a wide, flat leaf to direct the trickle into the smartwater bottle.

Later, we talked to some south-bounders (sobos). We have been passing multiple sobos a day in this stretch. We also chatted with Malibu, the ridge runner for this stretch of trail from Caratunk to the Monson Visitor Center.

Day 159: 21.9 miles hiked (trail mile 2069.6)

Squirrel was adorable eating its mushroom.

Last night we heard our first loon calls on Pleasant Pond. What a beautiful sound. We left camp at 7am and hiked up Pleasant Pond Mountain where we snacked on blueberries as we walked.

We also crossed paths with a hiker named Bouncer and his blue heeler, Aussie, who we originally met back in the southern states. Bouncer told us that he left cans of Mountain Dew and Pepsi on the back bumper of his ride, so when we made it to the road crossing we stopped and Ranger selected a Mountain Dew. Meta and Grasshopper had just sat down for lunch, so we joined them to eat before pressing on to climb the final mountain of the day.

Moxie Bald was a formidable mountain but something of a natural rock ramp ran all the way up and down the other side, so we greatly enjoyed the uniqueness of the hike. On top of Moxie Bald the cloud formations were beautiful and told of a coming storm.

When we made it down Moxie to the shelter at the northern base of the mountain we ran into Meta and Grasshopper, and Dallas. They all decided to stay in the shelter, but since it was supposed to rain all night tonight, and all day tomorrow, we wanted to get as far as we could today. We set our sights on the Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to nine miles away and managed to keep up a 3-mile-per-hour pace all the way to the shelter, so we arrived around 7pm. Just a short distance from the shelter, we encountered Jasmine and Nate, a couple section hikers we’ve been seeing more of lately. They were setting up their tent and, to our dismay, told us that there was a big overnighter group at the shelter. We needn’t have worried about space, as Gadget was the only other person sleeping in the shelter. The big group had set their tents up all together a short way away. We gleefully hopped up beside our friend and set up our bedding.

We saw our first kangaroo mouse on trail as we cooked our dinner when it came hopping through the sitting area. Tomorrow, we will hike (in the rain) the last nine miles to Monson, where we made reservations at Shaw’s, one of the oldest and most famous hostels on the trail.

One thing we have found out here is that it’s best to plan ahead for hostel days and try to reserve a bed or room at least a day or two in advance, sometimes more for more popular hostels. More than once I’ve found myself calling or texting a hostel from the top of a mountain for the best cell service. It's a running joke between me and Ranger that you can tell the thruhikers from the dayhikers in the more remote parts of the trail because they whip out their phones on top of the mountains to try to get messages out to loved ones or make reservations in the next town.

Day 160: 9 miles hiked (trail mile 2078.6)

Sleeping in the shelter turned out to be the right call because it rained hard all night long and well into the morning. We slept in until 7am just listening to the rain and left just after 8am when it lightened up a bit.

There was another river ford today, but we were able to cross without taking our shoes off on a structurally sound beaver dam.

Sure enough, it rained off and on all morning during our hike to Monson. Someone from Shaw’s picked us up from the trailhead and shuttled us to the hostel. The hostel has been around a long time and has its processes dialed in. It’s not the fanciest hostel we’ve encountered on trail, but they impressively manage a high volume of hikers and are well-placed, a couple blocks from downtown Monson and only a short distance from the trailhead for the 100-mile wilderness.

The hostel is full tonight and tomorrow and many of our friends are here. We are sleeping on a futon for both nights we will be here. It’s priced at only $35 as a “semiprivate bed” because we’re on the landing that people with private rooms will have to cross through to get to and from their private rooms. Someone else is sleeping on the sofa in the common room below us on the ground floor. The sprawling yard between the various houses on the property is a tent-city.

It’s a tent city behind Shaw’s — behind Shaw’s

We showered and picked up our resupply boxes, then walked with Dallas to the General Store where we ordered hummus sandwiches from the deli to eat on the patio. Meta and Grasshopper joined us, and we laughed and feasted awhile. After filling our bellies we swung by the ATC Visitor’s Center to get information on Baxter State Park, the logistically challenging finale to the thruhike at the summit of Mount Katahdin.

Sticks, Dallas, Grasshopper, Meta, Ranger

Back at the hostel we also saw Bug, PB&Jazz, Bess, Lighthouse, Gadget, and Jeff. We alternated between productive tasks and hanging out with friends until bedtime.

A sweet note from my sister in our resupply box

Day 161: 0 miles hiked (trail mile 2078.6) 13th zero

We signed up for Shaws’ famous community breakfast, and Ranger secured us seats at 6:45 since breakfast is served at 7 and word on the streets was that you needed to get there early if you wanted a seat at a table. They provided a plant-based breakfast for both of us although I ordered eggs with mine. The blueberry pancakes were deliciously fluffy.

I worked on administrative tasks all day, like applying for my UK student visa, and took a break to eat lunch with Dallas, Ranger and a section hiker named Picnic Basket at the local pub right on the water. Dallas treated the whole table to a tasty brussels sprouts appetizer.

Later, Jeff and Ranger walked to the gas station to buy some fritos, and bonded awhile as I returned to my visa application, already a difficult process, but exponentially so on my phone and with the poor wifi. Ranger watched part of an old school video on gear for hiking the AT that the hostel was screening and saw a lot of his old gear. The younger hikers were evidently shocked by the bulkiness of the gear which tickled Ranger and some of the other more seasoned backpackers. We took care of the rest of our town chores and turned in at 9pm.

Shaw’s ended up being a fantastic spot to zero and get in the right headspace for the last leg of our journey.

Day 162: 14.4 miles hiked (trail mile 2093)

Today was another incredible pancake breakfast with potatoes and eggs. I bought my plane ticket to Scotland during breakfast knowing I likely wouldn’t have internet again until after we summit Katahdin in another 10 days if everything goes according to plan.

Chaser, a sweet woman supporting her husband Silver Goat on his thruhike, gave us a ride back to trail. We started the 100-mile wilderness the same day as Meta and Grasshopper, Gadget, Jeff, PB&Jazz and Bess, Hiccup and Prime, Jasmine and Nate, and a bunch of others. Immediately upon entering the 100-mile wilderness was a sign warning of the difficulty of this section and suggesting hikers bring “a minimum of 10 days supplies” with them. This gave us a good laugh since we had exactly 5 and a half days of food in our packs.

We lunched perched on a ledge beside at a waterfall that poured over shale rocks into a deep pool far below. The trail in this section has been absolutely beautiful so far.

Jazz and Bess perched above us on the falls

We stopped about 14.5 miles in at a really wonderful campsite next to Long Pond Stream where Meta, Grasshopper, Jasmine, and Nate had stopped for the day. Bess and Jazz joined us later, and we all ate our respective dinners together perched on some rocks in the wide stream, simultaneously soaking our feet in the cold water. This is the life.

We spent about an hour this way before turning in around 7:30. We need to cover some good mileage tomorrow to put ourselves in the position to finish this section on time with the supplies with the allocated, so will be waking up early.

Day 163: 19.8 miles hiked (trail mile 2112.8)

We departed camp at 6 and began our hike up into the Chairbacks mountain range. We had several peaks today and munched on wild blueberries along the way.

One of our favorite moments was walking through a bog filled with rare and endangered plants, including carnivorous pitcher plants that were actually flowering! We had seen these flowers once before in the Whites but were unable to get close enough to identify them.

We crossed paths with Gadget and hiked together awhile in the rain which varied in degrees of intensity until sundown. There were some really technical descents coming down the Chairbacks that had us scooting on our butts down the wet slabs and descending cautiously. Others were downright angry about how treacherous this stretch was, and we heard loud curses from below as other hikers attempted to navigate the wet rockslide, which was not well marked at all.

Somewhere along our hike we stopped to pay a visit to a decent privy that was conveniently placed right off trail. My joints ache so badly these days that I no longer have squatting ability. We usually relieve ourselves a few feet off trail (give or take) wherever the urge hits, but try to take advantage of a privy (or especially a bathroom!) when the opportunity presents itself. Since my knees can’t support my own weight in a crouched position anymore, I have had to improvise these past few weeks by assuming a crab-walk position, resting on the palms of my hands, to poop in the woods. I have also become accustomed over the past few months to painfully, stiffly, hobbling around for the few minutes to half hour before my joints get warmed up again. This is known as the hiker-hobble and it’s pretty hilarious to look around camp in the morning and see all these extreme athletes (for lack of a better word) limping frailly around camp. I can only hope there are no long-lasting physical impairments that come from all this excessive hiking.

After separating from Gadget, who stopped to camp at a site a few miles before us, we forded a wide but shallow river.

From there we immediately entered the Hermitage, a 2-mile-long stand of old-growth white pines over 100 feet tall. We were in awe of the giant, towering trees all around us and also grateful for the relatively flat trail through this small section. There was no camping permitted in the Hermitage, but we knew there would be stealth sites galore once we exited the protected zone. Here we also passed the turn off for the Gulf Hagas Loop Trail which is famously referred to as the Grand Canyon of Maine. We have made a mental note to return to hike the Gulf Hagas Loop sometime in the future.

Sure enough, we found a site by a brook and got set up during a brief break in the rain. Jazz and Bess showed up just after dark and joined us for the night at our wet little site by the brook.

We are proud of ourselves for doing 19.8 miles today with a 5-day resupply in our packs, up and over an entire mountain range with over 5500 ft ascent and just about as much descent. The 100-mile wilderness is beginning to feel much less daunting as our packs are only getting lighter and the elevation will flatten out considerably by the end of tomorrow’s mountain range.

Day 164: 17.3 miles hiked (trail mile 2130.1)

It rained all night and finally tapered off in the morning. We left camp at 7am and hiked up into the mountain range that climbs from Gulf Hagas Mountain to White Cap Mountain. This is the last formidable mountain range before Katahdin.

The trail crews did amazing work on this mountain, and the climbs and descents alike were well-blazed and comprised of many well-constructed stone steps. We braked for lunch on top of White Cap and laid out our rain gear, socks, and tent rain fly to dry in the sun and breeze. It shaped up to be a warm day, and the last few miles turned into a bit of a sweaty trudge.

As we were hiking by Crawford Pond at dusk, PB&Jazz and Bess called to us from a stealth camping area tucked in the woods a couple dozen yards from shore. Camped nearby was a hiker who introduced himself as Underpass. He thruhiked NoBo in 2018 and was beginning a SoBo thruhike this year. We all sat on the sandy beach and cooked dinner while loons called from the middle of the pond. They don’t seem curious about people and kept their distance far out in the center of the pond.

We have begun to call Maine’s so called “ponds” Humble Lakes. They often have sandy beaches, waves lapping at the shore, and crystal-clear water just about as far as the eye can see.

I went in for a dip and the cool water felt wonderfully refreshing. I’ve been waiting for the perfect swimming opportunity all trail, and this was it.

The Bigelows: Days 150 - 157

August 12, 2021 in Blog Entries

I’ve fallen behind on the blog thanks to the frequent lack of cell service/wifi in Maine, which offers some of the most remote wilderness on the entire trail. Although we have by now finished our thruhike, I will continue updating the blog every few days with the notes I typed up on my phone each night before sleep in the final sections, all the way to the grand finale <3

- Sticks

Day 150: 10.1 miles hiked (trail mile 1946.3)

Ranger got us a hot breakfast from the Mills General Store Diner across the street which seems to be the central hub of this small town of Andover, population under 1000.

Speedy picked us up at 8:30 and had us on trail by 9am along with Hangin’ and Belch. We hiked strong and lunched at a shelter.

Wild Blueberries are often found among these beautiful clouds of lichen — Wild Blueberries

In this stretch we’ve feen a fair amount of a curious berry we identified as White Twisted Stalk (aka Watermelon Berry) and of course the small wild blueberries we have been stuffing ourselves with that are often found among beautiful clouds of lichen

We got caught in a mild thunderstorm on the way down the last mountain of today’s 10-mile stretch and waited at the crossing for Speedy. These short days have been a nice treat and chance to allow our bodies to recover from the wear and tear the Whites and the Southernmost part of Maine bestowed upon us.

Day 151: 13.3 miles hiked (trail mile 1959.6)

For breakfast we had another classic meal from the general store diner. Speedy picked us all up at 7am and we were on trail by 7:30. As we were hiking, we saw a beautiful male grouse right on trail.

On top of Bemis Mountain, we found dozens of loaded blueberry bushes. We spent a half hour filling a ziplock bag with about four cups worth of wild blueberries which we plan to use to celebrate our last morning at the hostel tomorrow with homemade blueberry pancakes.

Speedy picked us up from an overlook point with a beautiful view over some big lakes. It must be a popular destination because there was both a vintage corvette club and a motorcycle club enjoying the view.

Back in town we all walked down the street from the inn for ice cream from a local ice cream shop. I had sorbet with sour gummies and skittles on top. Ranger got us calzones (sans cheese) for dinner from the Mills General Store which were pretty good. Back at the inn we bathed and turned in early.

Day 152: 0 miles hiked (trail mile 1959.6) 12th Zero

For breakfast we made breakfast with Hangin’ who added the wild blueberries we picked on top of Bemis mountain yesterday to the batter. The convenient store sold us a to-go cup of real maple syrup, hash browns and farm eggs, too, making it a proper feast.

Hangin’ whipping up some gourmet wild blueberry pancakes

We spent the entire day doing absolutely nothing to the best of our abilities.

This evening, we collaborated with Hangin’ and Belch on cooking an elaborate veggie taco dinner using about a dozen different canned vegetables from the general store.

After, Ranger and I spent a bit of time on the porch just holding hands and talking. A quiet, easy moment such as this is a rare treat on this long journey we’re on. Hangin’ and Belch put on the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone movie and Ranger joined them until it was time for bed.

Day 153: 14.9 miles hiked (trail mile 1974.5)

Speedy drove us back to the trail at 8:30 and Professor T came along for the ride from the West Bethel Inn. Speedy provided us with this much needed respite when we needed it the most after the challenges of southern Maine. We left overflowing with gratitude for this incredible trail angel and the magic he brought to our experience of Maine.

Belch, Hangin’, Sticks, Ranger, Miles (& Lucy), Speedy

We hiked with Belch and Hangin’ all morning and stopped for lunch at South Pond which had an unofficial campsite and two canoes with paddles. We took a paddle around the pond and investigated a beaver home on the other side.

Later, we hiked past the parking lot nearest Rangeley, Maine, and on to the Piazza Rock Lean-To. We are now in the land of ‘Lean-To’s’ as Maine calls its shelters.

Piazza Rock had a nice mix of platforms and dirt tenting sites and to my surprise Ranger expressed preference for a tent platform. We found a spot a bit tucked away from the busiest part of the shelter vicinity and took care of our camp chores. Since we are so close to finishing the trail, we are doing everything we can to keep our clothes and gear from falling apart completely. I have so many holes in my shirt and large patches that are fully threadbare on my back where the pack rubs, but at this point it has become a personal challenge to wear this shirt for the entire thruhike. It would feel wrong to change into a new shirt now, after all we’ve been through together, me and this shirt.

Day 154: 16.9 miles hiked (trail mile 1991.4)

We got going out of camp around 7am this morning, knowing that Grasshopper and AZ were going to catch up with us at some point this morning on the way up Saddleback Mountain. They caught us just before the sharp climb to the summit which turned out to be clouded in, very windy, and cold. This was the most severe conditions we’ve experienced above tree line in quite some time, which says a lot about how lucky we’ve been, because it honestly could have been much worse.

After AZ turned back around and headed to his car we carried on with Grasshopper and summitted The Horn and Saddleback Junior. The clouds eventually cleared up, lending us some excellent views.

At a creek crossing we took some time to soak our feet in the cool water. An aluminum boat could be seen crushed like a can among the flood debris in the center of the river, a warning sign for how strong these rivers can be in times of heavy rainfall. We are lucky to be hiking Maine during a relatively dry period, making for easy river fording.

At one point we passed right by a family of grouse. The chicks blend in so thoroughly with the forest textures that you can hardly see them when they’re standing right in front of you! We passed Poplar Ridge Lean-to, the shelter where we later learned that Gerry Largay (Inchworm) had spent her last night on the AT in 2013 before accidentally getting off trail and becoming fatally lost in the Maine wilderness.

We braked for lunch at the purportedly haunted (or otherwise occupied by ancient spirits) Redington Stream campsite, where we did pick up on a bit of an unsettled feeling, although it’s hard to say if some of the Guthooks comments weren’t the source of that, then pushed on to the Spaulding Mountain Lean-To, arriving at camp at about 7:45. It was a big day with nearly 6,000 feet of elevation climbed.

Day 155: 13.5 miles hiked (trail mile 2004.9)

Last night was chilly, in the mid to low 40’s. Back in Virginia we sent one of our quilts home in order to free up space for more food. Ever since, we have been sharing a quilt, supplemented with a small fleece blanket, and although we have been determined to just finish the trail this way, this is not a choice either of us would make again as the shared quilt has not offered enough coverage to stay comfortably warm when temperatures drop into the thirties or even the low forties. If we get the chance to do another thruhike we’ll probably opt for 10 degree quilts for the cold season (0 degree was definitely overkill) and then swap those out for 30-40 degree quilts for the summer.

We departed camp with Grasshopper around 7am and descended a steep trail to a river crossing. The trail immediately took us straight back up to another mountain range: the Crockers.

On South Crocker we ate lunch on an overlook and saw a few more grouse chicks. While perched on the overlook a falcon soared playfully above in the updrafts of the mountainside. We passed 2000 miles today which means our journey is nearing its bittersweet end.

We also hit 2000 miles today! — 2000 miles hiked!

As we hiked down to the parking lot for Stratton, AZ and his dog Rangeley met us about a mile out from the trailhead and hiked with us back to the parking lot. Here we were greeted by Elizabeth and Meta with a giant spread of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other snacks and drinks!

AZ, Elizabeth, Grasshopper, Meta, Sticks (& Rangeley under the table)

We hung out awhile, talking and grazing on snacks, and then AZ drove us to the Hostel of Maine where we had made reservations for a private room. The hostel is spotless and beautiful—a log cabin mansion that caters not only to hikers but other mountain adventure sports. Right now, the season seems to have them filled up with primarily hikers.

We ran into Gadget and a few others from the AT. There was a donation-based spaghetti dinner prepared that we ate with the others sitting at tables in the dining room, and a complete resupply with great selection available that we also took advantage of. We spent most of the evening taking care of chores and relaxing.

Day 156: 10.4 miles hiked (trail mile 2015.3)

After the 7am buffet style breakfast with bagels, boiled eggs, and fresh baked muffins, we took our time enjoying the hostel, feeling no rush to get back to the trail today. I ate a muffin while soaking in a hot bath which was an indescribably luxurious experience. While I lounged, Ranger chatted with a section hiking couple from Rhode Island and hung out by the fireplace with other thruhikers.

AZ picked us up at 11am and took us back to the trailhead where Meta and Grasshopper were waiting. He and Elizabeth and their dog Rangeley (named for Rangeley, Maine) joined us for the first couple miles in. Rangeley is a young labrador with a silvery brown coat. He enthusiastically ran ahead and then back again, attempting to pick up and carry every stick or log in sight no matter its length, which was hilarious.

Rangeley tried very hard to make this “stick” work

AZ and Elizabeth have become our friends and we are so glad our paths crossed on the AT. After saying goodbyes, we hiked strong up the initial climb into the Bigelows. We stopped with Meta and Grasshopper for a late lunch at a pleasant, elevated stealth site on a bed of pine needles with a partial view.

We have enjoyed the Bigelows immensely and got to take in many fantastic views. This is the final mountain range over 4,000 ft until we summit Katahdin at the end of our thruhike!

It started raining around 4:30pm and didn’t let up for the rest of the night. Thankfully the heaviest rains held off until 9pm when we were already cozy in our tent at the Safford Notch Campsite.

Day 157: 16.8 miles hiked (trail mile 2032.1)

The rain finally tapered off around 7am and we left camp at 8. There were lots of blueberries on top of Little Bigelow Mountain which we snacked on while hiking. Our whole descent from Little Bigelow had fantastic views of the ponds below, where we were headed.

For lunch we stopped at Rocky Beach just past Little Bigelow Lean-to and dried out our tent while waves crashed on the sandy beach. Meta and Grasshopper arrived moments later and laid out their tent to dry, too. We could see a family picnicking on a small beach on another part of the pond with their motorboat docked near the shore.

Rocky Beach even had waves breaking on the shore

As the day wore on, we began to rethink our 23-mile goal. So, when we ran into Meta and Grasshopper 17 miles in and saw their tent set up on the edge of East Carry Pond, we decided to stay. We poked around a little deeper into the woods and found a wonderful tent site. We all ate dinner perched on a big rock sticking out of the water.

A sandy beach catty corner to our tent site — A sandy beach just before our tent site

Meta shared a mini bottle of fancy whisky with Ranger, and we stayed there enjoying each other’s company as the sun set over the pond. A little family of ducks swam past, foraging for dinner. Since all our food bags were down to almost nothing, we hauled all four bags up on the same line and turned in just before sundown.

Meta and Grasshopper, sipping whisky on the pond

How lucky we feel to have such wonderful tramily. These past few weeks have been especially nice since we know so many of the people ahead and behind us now, so no matter where we end up, we run into people we know.

As Ranger and I were doing our nightly tick check we heard the clamoring steps of a large animal in the woods not too far from our tent site. We scrambled out of our tent to try to catch a glimpse by headlamp (and partly out of fear of being trodden on) but it was already gone. It had to have been a moose!

Southern Maine: Days 143 - 149

July 31, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 143: 4.8 miles hiked (trail mile 1873.7)

Thankfully we only had five miles to Pinkham Notch Visitors Center this morning. When we arrived, Dallas, Lighthouse, JP and Zane, and Hangin’ and Belch were already there finishing up an all-you-can-eat breakfast. We sat down for brunch and chatted a bit with one of the kitchen croo who gave us a mound of candy to snack on from his own personal stash.

The Rattle River Inn hostel picked us up at 11:30 and took us by Walmart for a resupply on the way to the hostel. Upon arriving at the hostel, we went through the (very involved) intake process before being permitted to enter the common space: we left our shoes and trekking poles outside, hung our packs in the gear room, selected loaner clothes from a hanging rack, showered and deposited our dirty clothes in a mesh bag.

Once in our room we spent some time planning ahead for our next section and preparing for the Wildcats, the final 21-mile stretch of the Whites.

Some of our dearest friends and former roomies from Austin had collaborated on assembling and mailing us a box of goodies, so we gleefully munched on quality snacks and read the lovely notes they included in the box. We had resupplied at Walmart forgetting that we had this box awaiting us, so we decided to set aside an assortment of food to mail ahead to ourselves. There are going to be a couple small towns in Maine that may be a challenge for us to get a full resupply at.

We made a stir fry for dinner and as we were sitting to eat, Bug walked in! We hadn’t seen her since the Smokies and were overjoyed to learn that she hasn’t been too far ahead of us all along and get to swap stories. The Rattle River Inn sits right on trail but also shuttles guests to and from the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center as an included service for guests. Since Bug just stepped off trail a few yards to arrive here, whereas we shuttled from Pinkham Notch, she is still two full days ahead of us on trail. Ranger and I will return to this hostel once again, except this time on foot, coming out of the Wildcats.

Day 144: 13.1 miles hiked (trail mile 1886.8)

Ranger woke me up with Beyond Meat breakfast sausage biscuits and we prepared to depart on the 7:30 shuttle back to Pinkham Notch to hike a two-day section of the Wildcats. Thankfully our packs are lighter than usual since the hostel agreed to let us leave some gear and food that we won’t be needing for this overnight section before we end up right back at the inn for another night.

From the Visitor Center we hiked straight up a super steep two-mile climb into the Wildcats. All in all, it was a challenging day, and we averaged a little over one mile per hour thanks to the steep ups and downs, and the rain.

When we braked for lunch at Carter Notch Hut, the northernmost hut of the White Mountains, the rain began. We ate chocolate cake from the hut in addition to our sandwiches and started back out into the rain, equipped with trash bag rain skirts. Thankfully we started back off almost immediately with a big climb, so we warmed up quickly despite the rain.

On top of Mt Moriah, we were able to see Mt Washington, where we had been just a couple days before, and encountered some of our favorite views of the Whites. Knowing that we’d already hiked them and being able to enjoy the view with a sense of accomplishment, rather than the sense of a looming challenge, made the view that much better…

Toward the end of the day, we descended a wet, steep half mile downhill section that there was simply no other way down than scooting down on our butts. Some thruhikers, the youngest and most spry among us, engage in what can only be considered a controlled freefall down these types of terrains, but neither of us is willing to accept that level of risk.

We made it to Imp Shelter around 8pm and opted to shelter sleep because of the incoming rain. More often these days we try to avoid getting our tent wet to save on the added weight a wet tent adds to the pack. It is really a fantastic feeling to sleep dry and cozy in a shelter while it pours down rain outside. Tomorrow is sure to be a wet one, but we are still happy with our decision to break up the Wildcats into two days. Many people attempt to do them in one go. We ran into Hangin’ and Belch, and Baby Bear hiking on her own, and as they were undertaking this daunting task, but we would likely not have finished until midnight at the rate we were going and were not feeling up for a long night hike on this terrain.

One of the best info graphics I’ve seen describing the composting privy maintenance and process

Day 145: 8.2 miles hiked (trail mile 1895)

Rain pounded on the shelter all night and we slept soundly in our warm and dry corner. We almost never get to sleep in the corner of a shelter because we’re almost always the last to arrive and end up shoving somewhere in the middle. Tonight, someone pointed out that the edges are a double-edged sword, as you get more privacy, but you’re also more exposed to the mice that scurry around the perimeter of the shelter. Around midnight a man and his sons came into the shelter, clearly shaken, and woke everyone up talking about how their tent had collapsed in the rain. They eventually squeezed in up top, and everyone fell back asleep.

This morning we departed the shelter, stepping out into the steady downpour around 7am, and hiked until we were soaked to the bone. When we reached a swollen creek crossing without a footbridge our feet were already so drenched that the most obvious route was straight through the water. The last three miles, however, were the flattest we’ve had in over a week and we felt like we were flying.

Just after noon we came out of the woods to a short road walk to the Rattle River Inn where we are staying again tonight, this time in the bunk room.

We are feeling justified about our decision to break the Wildcats into two-days; it was hard. We showered and the hostel caretakers did our laundry. Ranger made us a delicious frito pie which we followed with a luxurious two-hour nap in our respective bunks.

Jay, the hostel caretaker, saw me writing something, evidently liked my handwriting, and asked me if I wanted to revise a piece of signage for $5 off our stay. I ended up going overboard and illustrating an AT-themed border for the sign and he liked it so much he knocked $20 off our stay!

To top off an excellent day, Sunshine, the live-in hostel chef, made some cinnamon rolls from scratch which I enjoyed as a late-night snack, straight out of the oven. Heaven.

Day 146: 11 miles hiked (trail mile 1906.6)

Ranger woke me up with another delicious sausage biscuit breakfast. We took our time getting out of the hostel this morning and it turned out to be a good thing. We made it less than ten steps out of the door when it started aggressively pouring rain. We turned right back around and stood around in the intake room for about 20 minutes, with Hangin’ and Belch. When it became apparent the heavy rain wouldn’t be stopping any time soon, we left our packs and shoes and poles and wandered back into the common area where we wiled away a couple hours watching a movie, catching up on the blog, and chatting with Baked Potato.

Around noon the rain tapered off and we begrudgingly headed out into what were sure to be heavily waterlogged trails. At least our upper halves would stay relatively dry.

We climbed up and up, hiking strong for the first five miles of decent terrain. It was so muggy out that when we stopped for a break, we were amazed to see steam wafting off Belch’s shirt in visible plumes into the cool, damp air. After that, the trail disintegrated into a poorly maintained, mucky, waterlogged, overgrown stretch where we had to take our time carefully picking through bogs, trails that looked more like streams, and felled trees. Toward the end of the hike, we just walked straight through the ankle-deep water that had drowned the boards that were meant to elevate hikers above the alpine bogs.

When we arrived at Gentian Pond Shelter this evening, 12 miles in, we encountered Mama Bear, Baby Bear, Dallas, and a handful of other hikers. Just about everyone else had been caught in that downpour and every square inch of the shelter has clothes and gear strung up to dry. Too tired for anything else, we had a cold dinner and turned in, thankful to be sharing a dry shelter with comrades. This is a lovely shelter with a view, and we got to watch the moon rise over the distant mountains.

Day 147: 14.7 miles hiked (trail mile 1921.3)

Since Mt Success, our first climb of the day, is full of alpine bogs we pulled on our socks from yesterday, still as wet as when we hung them to dry last night. We set foot on trail at 6am knowing well that today would be a long day. Southern Maine is known to be the hardest part of the AT, and today’s stretch in particular because of the Mahoosuc Notch, a stretch of rock-crawling/bouldering that spans just under a mile, before a steep ascent.

We had also read of an unmarked, overgrown trail near the top of Mount Success leading just over a quarter mile to the remains of a plane crash from the 1950’s. This was not something we wanted to miss. Guthooks commenters said that the side trail required some major alpine bog bushwhacking and that you were sure to get very wet, especially if it had rained recently. We were already so thoroughly soaked by the time we neared the summit of Mt Success that it was no additional trouble at all to muck through some off trail bogs in search of this plane. Thankfully, the topo map on Guthooks provided a dotted line to what we supposed was the plane crash and we eventually found it without too much difficulty.

The plane was much bigger than we had envisioned and although it has been vandalized and stripped down over the years to its most basic structure it was still eerily intact considering it has rested here for over 80 years. Here are some details of the crash (thanks Amy!) https://www.scenicnh.com/blog/2010/08/mount-success-douglas-dc-3-plane-crash/

Funny little ladder boards assisted us in coming down the other side of the mountain

We crossed into Maine in late morning. It is so surreal to be on the final leg of our journey. However, it felt simultaneously more real than ever because the trail immediately became immensely difficult to traverse, more so than the Whites, or anything else we’ve experienced on trail. We encountered some serious scrambles that required much troubleshooting to safely traverse; a mere taste of what was to come in the infamous Mahoosuc Notch.

A bright spot in the day was encountering a grouse right on trail that fearlessly held its position so that we had to inch around it to pass.

Just before reaching the Mahoosuc Notch in the afternoon, we stopped at a sunny tenting platform to dry out our feet/socks/shoes, which was a morale boost before taking on the Notch. If we had timed things differently it would’ve been nice to sleep here and take on the Notch first thing in the morning. When we approached the Notch, a .8 mile stretch of large boulders sandwiched between two cliffs, we experienced an instant temperature drop of about 10 or 15 degrees. There was still snow and ice peeking out from beneath many of the boulders.

We collapsed our trekking poles and cautiously began the grueling climb/crawl. The whole thing took us just over two hours to complete and we rather enjoyed getting to traverse in a different way than usual. At one point, when I felt certain we must be over halfway through and wanted the endorphin rush of seeing progress reflected on the map, I checked Guthooks and was shocked to see we had made it less than a quarter of the way! After that I resolved not to look again.

Translating the X and arrow hieroglyphs was tricky, but when successfully located and interpreted correctly they indicated whether to go under, over, or around a given mound of boulders and provided some semblance of support in this choose-your-own-adventure maze.

Bouldering with a 20lb pack on proved cumbersome but Ranger managed to keep his on the whole way as a personal challenge, while I opted to shove mine ahead of me through some of the crawl spaces. Our only casualty was my knife, which and was lost forever down a deep, dark crevasse.

It was dusk by the time we finished the Notch but we opted to go ahead and climb the Arm—a steep ascent coming out of the Notch—to Speck Pond Shelter so that we would still have the option of hiking to Andover tomorrow, with Bethel as a bail out option. We said hello to Dallas, who appears to be the only person tenting on this side of the notch tonight, and started the climb. We made it halfway up before true darkness set in and we had to switch on our headlamps. The mica sparkled by the light of our lamps, and it felt magical.

Near the end of the climb, we started to hear thunder rolling in the distance, so despite our exhaustion we pushed hard to make it to the shelter, and hiked into camp around 10pm, 16 hours from when we began our 14 mile hike this morning. Unbelievable. The shelter was completely packed (by thruhiker definition, meaning people were body-to-body) and all the tenting platforms were taken so we dejectedly found a spongy, damp stealth site in the mossy overgrowth down by the water. It wasn’t until after we had fully set up camp that we realized we were in a tree graveyard and one giant, very dead tree was leaning heavily over our tent.

Too exhausted to move on, we made peace with our situation as best we could and agreed on getting a few hours of rest then breaking down camp super early so we could get out of there before the caretaker would notice our infraction. It rained gently for a while and there were a few big claps of thunder but by some miracle the storm just skirted us and eventually we slept.

Day 148: 4.6 miles hiked (trail mile 1925.9)

I snapped a shot of our stealth site after we broke down camp this morning. The pond is visible through the trees.

During our swift exit from camp this morning we ran into Gadget, and JP and Zane, who had apparently been among the sleeping bodies we had scanned with our headlamps last night while desperately looking for a place to sleep.

We hiked over and down Speck Mountain to Grafton Notch where the owner of the West Bethel Motel, who goes by the name Speedy, was to pick us up along with Hangin’ and Belch. On the last downhill stretch, I rolled my ankle for the first time in awhile and cried out of frustration and fatigue. Everyone around us seems a bit shell-shocked over the challenges of the last few days, and everyone is looking forward to a night in town. Once in the shuttle with Speedy, he pit stop by the Stop n Shop so we could resupply, and Dunkin’ Donuts, bless the man. Back at the motel we took some time to dry our gear out in the sun.

Moss Rock, Belch, Hangin’, and Goose waiting for pick up

AZ, our friend from the NY/NJ stretch who did so much wonderful trail magic for us and those around us, had returned to the area to continue supporting folks he had spent time with further south. This time, his wife Elizabeth came along as well as their handsome labrador Rangeley. AZ and Elizabeth picked us up at noon from the motel and took us to a little eatery a few miles away for lunch. It had a surprisingly good selection of plant-based options and we each had a tempeh BLT. We had a lot of fun catching up with these two wonderful people - this is just another example of the incredible bonds that form within the AT community.

Back at the hotel this afternoon I took a nap while Ranger made us a fabulous stir fry dinner in the motel’s fully equipped kitchen. The portions were so big we had to eat in two phases!

Day 149: 10.3 miles hiked (trail mile 1936.2)

This morning Speedy drove us back to the trailhead with Hangin’ and Belch. We had seriously considered taking a zero, but the weather was too nice to pass up a hiking opportunity after so many so many days spent out in the rain. When we passed the Dunkin’ Donuts Speedy said “oops my car seems to be on autopilot” as he turned into the parking lot. When we returned with our donuts to the car told us he had a proposition. “If you’re interested you can stay in my brand-new hostel in Andover, Maine, 20 miles up trail from here, for the next three nights while I slackpack you over the next 33 miles. I won’t charge you a dime. All I ask is that you offer feedback and suggestions for ways to make it a great hostel.” What incredible kindness.

It was a resounding and incredulous YES, of course, and we even ended up leaving some of our overnight items like the quilt, tent, etc. in the car since we would be at the hostel tonight.

We had a great hike with Hangin’ and Belch and talked the entire way. They are an awesome pair from Jersey who are completing their hike of the AT after having to get off trail in 2019 for reasons outside of their control. They are vlogging their hike at: https://youtube.com/c/ItsWhoWeAre

At the 10-mile mark, just after passing a lovely waterfall gorge and a crystal-clear swimming hole, Speedy picked us up at the next road and took us to the inn.

So here we are in this 150-year-old recently renovated inn, in a newly outfitted room, with the entire place to ourselves tonight. We spent the evening hanging out with the caretakers, Maggie and Miles, a free-spirited young couple with a sweet little dog named Lucy.

Ranger made us all tacos with canned veggies and beans that we were able to scrounge up from the general store across the street. We are getting pretty good at coming up with ways to cook plant-based meals from convenient store options. After dinner, Miles showed Ranger how to properly hold a sitar, which they had brought back with them from travels in India.

We cannot believe this incredible situation we have found ourselves in and are looking forward to a quiet night in our pristine quarters.

The White Mountains: Days 136 - 142

July 21, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 136: 9.5 miles hiked (trail mile 1803.7)

The rainfall estimates from Hurricane Elsa, passing just east of us, decreased in severity, so we made a last-minute decision this morning to take the gamble and climb Mount Moosilauke, the first mountain in the Whites.

The shuttle for the Moosilauke slackpack departed at 7:30 and Atticus drove us to the northern side of the mountain so we could slackpack 10 miles over the mountain and then return to the hostel for one more night. The other people signed up for our shuttle bailed in the morning because of the bad weather risk so it was just us in the van. We just needed to make it up the 1.5 mile extremely steep grade ascent along Beaver Brook before the rains hit, because of how treacherous it becomes when the falls are raging.

We were glad to be climbing rather than descending such a steep and slick route and ended up greatly enjoying the climb for its unique challenge and beauty.

At times we had these funny little steps to climb!

Once on top of Moosilauke we found ourselves in thick cloud soup and enjoyed occasional patchy views as the clouds swirled around the valley below. From the mountain top we could see light, puffy clouds below us and dense, dark clouds above. Hurricane Elsa hovered visibly in the distance to the east, dumping buckets of rain just a few miles away from us.

Despite this, we never encountered anything heavier than a sprinkle. There were few people out on the mountain today, but we did cross paths with Bess and PB & Jazz, JP and Zane.

The hike down was also quite steep, though manageable, and as we approached the base of the mountain, we were relieved to have bagged our first peak of the Whites. It felt a bit like releasing a pressure valve with the excitement and anxiety that had subtly built up about the Whites as we approached over these past couple weeks. There is so much hype built up around these mountains in the hiker communities—and rightfully so—but anyone who has made it this far on the AT is well equipped to engage in the appropriate planning, preparation, and risk assessment for a successful crossing. Toward the end of the hike, we passed through a monarch rehabilitation field and saw a couple monarch butterflies fluttering around the milkweed!

The choice to summit Moosilauke with a hurricane passing so close was not without significant risk, but we had come out on top in this one. I joked to Ranger that of course a hurricane that shares a name with my grandmother wouldn’t hurt us!

Back at the hostel we snacked, showered, and relaxed with the others. Sitting that afternoon with Dallas, Lighthouse, Meta, Grasshopper and Mountain Goat eating our respective dinners, it began to pour suddenly while the sun remained out the entire time. It was exciting experiencing such heavy rain in the bright light of the afternoon sun and the droplets glittered and glinted all around us like falling jewels.

Lighthouse, Mountain Goat, Grasshopper, Meta, Dallas

We also discovered that Lighthouse is a secret YouTube star! His followers call him the Bob Ross of hiking because of his calm demeanor: https://youtube.com/c/ShakerHikes

Day 137: 11.5 miles hiked (trail mile 1815.2)

At 8am we were dropped at Kinsmans Notch with full packs containing only 1.5 days of food for the next 17 miles to Lincoln, NH. The elevation profile is deceptive, and our shuttle driver had adamantly discouraged us from attempting to do the entire thing in one go. This was absolutely the right decision.

The terrain all through the Kinsmans was incredibly challenging and all in all it took us a little over 10 hours to go a mere 12 miles. Even the sections without major elevation gain consisted of giant, slick boulders that we had no choice but to scramble 10 feet up, 10 feet back down, rinse and repeat.

A boulder scramble with some nice roots to assist

We braked for lunch at Eliza Shelter then climbed a 2.5 mile steep ascent (that began by following a cascading waterfall) to the top of the Kinsmans we found ourselves in stretches of long, uninterrupted scrambling by hand and foot.

At one point we passed a breathtakingly beautiful, boggy mountain pond surrounded by crimson red carnivorous plants.

We enjoyed many stellar views and could see Franconia ridge, where we are headed, from an overlook on the south side of the Kinsmans about half a mile from the shelter.

The descent from the ridge was highly technical and steep, and we arrived at Kinsman Pond Shelter at 6pm to find an absolutely jam-packed campsite. The Whites are a popular weekend destination for overnighters which seemed to make up the bulk of the population at the site this Saturday night. Unable to find a site to pitch our tent we squeezed into the last space available on the top level of the shelter.

Although campsites are paid in the Whites the Caretaker never showed up to collect our dues – perhaps we just missed them getting seconds before sundown, as is our habit. We filtered water from the lily pad and tadpole-filled mountain pond and had an unfortunately stale tasting Backpacker Pantry Pad Thai for dinner.

Day 138: 4.9 miles hiked (trail mile 1820.1)

This morning we hiked from Kinsmans Pond Shelter to Lonesome Lake Hut, the first that we’ve encountered of the hut system sprawled across the Whites. Each is placed about eight miles apart. A bunk in a hut costs about $175 a night so most of the time thruhikers stay in the shelters/campgrounds for $10 a person or find stealth sites by either knowing where to look for keeping an eye out for little paths that look a bit like game trails but lead to well-worn sites tucked just a short ways off trail (generally these can be found fairly close to the huts).

Historically, the huts used to allow thruhikers to sleep in the dining rooms in exchange for a couple hours of labor, which is how Ranger did it on his first thruhike 15 years ago, but this has been phased out because of the pandemic. Regardless, the huts are fun to stop in at for a baked good or bowl of soup, or if you get lucky, some leftovers from the meals prepared for the paying guests. They are also a chance to escape the severe and sudden weather that can occur in these mountains or use a sparkling clean composting toilet (as opposed to the fearsome privies that thruhikers become accustomed to at the shelters).

Inside Lonesome Lake Hut we lucked upon a big stack of leftover pancakes, some scrambled eggs, and oatmeal. We hung out for a minute to graze on breakfast items and identified some of the plants we’ve been seeing from a small botanical guide for the region.

With only two miles left to the parking lot where we intended to get a ride into Lincoln, we iced our feet for a few minutes in the lovely and absolutely freezing Cascade Brook.

When we got to the interstate crossing, we hiked off trail about a mile to the Flume visitor center where we attempted to get a hitch to town. Tourists at the visitor center must be out-of-towners with no awareness of the proximity to the AT, because we stood there for about a half hour to no avail. Some people even rolled up their windows in obvious apprehension as they approached. We were about to give up and try to call a shuttle when Meta’s sister drove by and picked us up! She was in town to pick up her son Mountain Goat, Meta’s nephew, as his section hike with his aunt and uncle was coming to close.

They dropped us at Chet’s Place. Chet is an experienced trail angel that was accepting hikers on a word-of mouth-only basis during the pandemic. We had lucked out and met someone a few days before who gave us his info. Chet is a former hiker who is now wheelchair bound due to an accident. For the past 13 years he has hosted thruhikers as a way of supporting the hiker community. He converted his garage into a large bunk space and common area for hikers with 24-hour access to the bathroom and laundry facilities in his basement. While he used to host 6-8 hikers a night, he dropped his numbers way back as a result of the pandemic coming right on the heels of some unfortunate incidents with addicts posing as hikers taking advantage of the space for drug binges.

Chet has a heart of gold and we loved taking time to get to know him and hearing of some of his incredible former adventures in the Whites.

From Chet‘s we were able to take a short walk into town where we saw a bunch of other hikers also resupplying for the next five day section of the Whites. In town we took care of laundry, resupplied at the Price Chopper and the outfitter, shared an ice cream cone, and had Mexican food for dinner.

JP and Zane rode by on some loaner bikes from the Notch Hostel while we were eating dinner

Just as we were winding down for bed, we met Teri (Pterodactyl), another prominent thruhiker-turned-trail-angel of Lincoln. He swung by just to chat for a spell and shared some fun stories from the trail as well as encouraged us not to worry too much about the storms on the forecast. Despite the shared love of the AT, Chet and Teri were comically opposite in demeanor, and where Chet was gentle, soft spoken and deeply concerned for our wellbeing with the storms on the forecast, Teri was bold, excitable, and told us to get out there, weather be damned.

He wisely reminded us that the weather can change on a dime in these mountains and pointed out that the locals love to tell hikers how bad the weather is going to be up there only for it to turn into a lovely day. Once Teri cleared out, we had the place all to ourselves for the night and are grateful for it.

Day 139: 10.7 miles hiked (trail mile 1830.8)

Today was our first day in the Whites with our full packs. We expect this next 50-mile section of the Whites, over the Presidential range to Pinkham Notch, to take us five full days at a little over 10 miles a day. Due to the elevation changes, scrambling, technical sections, and weather that can turn deadly on a dime, the general guidance for planning a hike in the Whites is to take your normal daily mileage and cut it in half.

We said our goodbyes to Chet and got a shuttle to the trailhead. When we asked Marlene if she would drop us right on the side of the interstate where the trail goes underneath, rather than at the parking lot a mile from the trail, she obliged which set our day off to a great start.

We started climbing at 8am and climbed about 4000 ft to Mount Lincoln where we arrived shortly before noon. On top of Lincoln we were reunited with friends including Dallas, Lighthouse, Mama Bear and Baby Bear, and Blueberry. We ate our lunch on the peak together and enjoyed the spectacular 360 degree views while clouds swirled all around us.

Blueberry, Mama Bear, Baby Bear, Dallas, Sticks, Ranger

Next, we summitted Mt Lafayette, then finally Mt Garfield. We opted to skip Garfield shelter in favor of stealth camping, to save a few dollars.

We found a cozy stealth site tucked a short distance into the woods and barely visible from trail. The rest of the evening was spent taking care of camp chores and we turned in early, by 7:30pm.

Jeff, a man in his 70’s who is hiking the ECT (Eastern Continental Trail) from Key West, Florida to Newfoundland, of which the entire AT is a middle section, walked into our camp around 8 on his own quest for a stealth site and we directed him to a site a few yards beyond our own.

As challenging as these sections of the Whites have been, it’s incredible being able to stop a bit earlier than usual in camp and not worry about pushing big miles.

Day 140: 12.1 miles hiked (trail mile 1842.9)

We had a restful night at our awesome stealth site. After checking the forecast and seeing that rain was coming in at 7am we scrambled to break down camp by 6:30 and hit the trail.

Rain arrived as scheduled and we arrived at Galehead Hut soggy but with the satisfaction of having a dry tent in our packs. The hut had vegan chocolate cake and coffee available, and we sat there for about an hour or two waiting for the storm to pass.

A bunch of other thruhikers bottlenecked here with us because of rain, including JP and Zane, the Cornell Kids, Mama Bear and Baby Bear, Jeff (who was apparently awoken by the downpour) and a few others. The rain continued to increase in intensity, so we waited until 9:30 when it finally began to let up before climbing South Twin Mountain.

There were no views to be had since we were in the clouds, but we were fine with the cool temperatures.

Just before reaching Zealand Hut we braked to enjoy lunch on a ledge next to a waterfall. Swiss Miss’s mom, who is joining her daughter through the Whites as they hike together from hut to hut, slipped upstream and dropped her trekking pole into the fast-moving brook. The pole was carried downstream, and we were able to rescue it before it went over the falls.

At Zealand Hut we had a bowl of lentil soup and a slice of lemon ginger cake, then hiked another three miles until we found a good stealth site next to Pemigewasset River. We finished with camp chores by 7pm and will try to get an early start tomorrow.

Day 141: 11.1 miles hiked (trail mile 1854)

We left our stealth site by 7am and swiftly hiked a gentle five miles by 9:30am, then began the three mile climb up to Mount Webster. There was some fun scrambling toward the top where we just collapsed our poles and climbed by hand and foot.

On top of the ridge, we also crossed an alpine bog of liquidy black mud that was as deep as a fully extended trekking pole in some areas where we tested it. There were faint footprints in some areas telling of poor souls who overestimated the strength of a foothold or just totally missed their mark, presumably never to be seen again… joking… maybe.

We made it to Mizpah Hut by 3pm and got a great tent site on one of the elevated platforms in Nauman Campsite near the hut. The area around the hut as we approached was like a green waterlogged sponge, so finding a good stealth site seemed unlikely. Dallas, Blueberry, and Lighthouse splurged on a bunk in the hut while JP, Zane, Mama Bear, Baby Bear, Hiccup, Prime and the other thruhikers in our vicinity set up in the tenting area.

We paid $10 each and received a “pass” that enables us to get $5 off at the next paid AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) sites we stay at if we present the pass, 2 free baked goods from the huts, and a free bowl of soup. This was our first time having to set up our tent on one of the infamous wooden tenting platforms throughout the Whites and it was tricky to stake out the rainfly though we did eventually manage to rig it. These platforms are an even bigger challenge for people who use trekking pole tents, but we saw people hack together a solution time and time again.

AMC Hut staff have to pack in all hut supplies using these giant wooden pack frames! — AMC Hut staff pack in all hut supplies using these giant wooden pack frames!

Ranger played Settlers of Catan with others at the hut and explored the upstairs library with Zane while I took a nap in our tent. The huts are known for giving hikers leftovers from the meals that they make for customers staying at the hut, so when I meandered back to the hut around 8pm there were about a dozen thruhikers hovering around in hopes of free food. The hut did not disappoint, and they clattered serving dishes consisting of the day’s remains of rice, meat, veggies, and bread along with small plates and eating utensils so we could all partake, buffet style. Thruhikers are clearly one of the initial stages of the waste-reduction/composting process at the huts.

Mizpah Hut had one of the nicest dining spaces

We were also able to use our AMC pass to once again get a couple free slices of vegan chocolate cake!

Tomorrow will be a big day as we will be hiking from Mizpah Hut to Osgood tent site at the base of Mt Madison. This will be about 14 miles in total, including the 12-mile stretch above treeline referred to as the Presidentials.

Day 142: 14.9 miles hiked (trail mile 1868.9)

Because we had read and heard how challenging the terrain would be today, we got a 6am start out of Mizpah along with Baby Bear, Mama Bear, JP and Zane, Dallas, and Lighthouse.

From Mizpah we climbed rapidly above tree line and were met with an incredible early morning landscape above the clouds.

We hiked strong the first five miles or so to Lake of the Clouds hut where we met a croo member who explained how they are measuring clouds here at the base (and top) of Mt Washington. The cloud measuring device added to feel of otherworldliness in this stretch.

Cloud measuring device made us feel like we were on another planet! — Cloud measuring device

Apparently our 6am start wasn’t early enough because by 8:30 they were already cleared out of breakfast leftovers. So, there was nothing to do but begin our climb of Mount Washington. Mount Washington is touted as having the worst recorded weather in the United States and frequently has sustained winds of over 200mph. Hikers are repeatedly warned by maps, signs, and conversationally, not to attempt to complete this stretch of the Whites if there is even a chance of thunderstorms, so we are very fortunate to have this one clear day amidst the storms of late. We wonder aloud what our friends one day behind us will do tomorrow if the forecasted storms come to fruition.

In the distance we could hear the whistle of The Cog, the first mountain-climbing train established in the world that carries hundreds of visitors a day to the top of Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Whites. At the top of Mount Washington sits a gigantic visitor center complete with a museum, gift shop, and cafeteria. We ate our peanut butter sandwiches with snack bar supplements and waited for a gap in train loads to get our photo next to the popular Mount Washington sign with its ugly backdrop of the visitor center.

Beginning with Mt Washington the terrain degraded into a seemingly never-ending talus field, and we poked along climbing mountain after mountain at what felt like a turtle’s pace. The views were incredible all day long, as well as the unique alpine vegetation, and kept our spirits up.

Alpine vegetation is so delicate and special

Faster, more nimble hikers than us took the side trails to bag the peaks that weren’t directly on the AT, and then would come flying past us again further along. But we knew if we were to make it out before dark we needn’t diverge from the designated path.

The trail was marked by cairns such as this through the talus fields — The trail was marked by cairns through the talus fields

In the evening we reached Madison Hut, positioned right beneath Mt Madison which was to be the challenging finale to the Presidentials. At the hut we stopped to collect ourselves and made one of our best meals on trail yet: dehydrated ReadyWise veggie chili with Fritos, the last of our dehydrated trumpet mushrooms from Hanover and nutritional yeast.

Here we met a guy who told us how he quit the AT on an attempted thruhike a few years ago after getting caught in an unexpected thunderstorm on his way to Lake of the Clouds Hut. He said he had been so terrified for his life as he stumbled along in the sudden pitch black, thunder, lightning, and high winds that he had bartered with God for his life, promising that he would immediately return home to his wife should he survive the ordeal. When he finally made it to the hut alive, he bailed off the mountain, and the AT, the very next day. Now he is back to finish the final stretch of his journey to Katahdin.

Fueled by our incredible chili Frito pie and some fresh lemonade from the hut we enjoyed the steep climb up Madison. The climb was immediately followed by a steep and highly treacherous 2.5-mile, 3,000-foot descent down a massive talus slope to Osgood campsite. I wish I had taken a photo but was at the time too consumed by the task at hand to take out my phone. Guthooks user comments on this section said things like, “Satan would be impressed” and “this section was designed by a sadist.” I nearly kissed the dirt when we finally made it back below tree line. We trudged into camp with our last energy reserves just before darkness crept in and set up our tent on a group tenting platform next to Hangin’ and Belch, who have the same tent as us, Big Agnes Cooper Spur UL2 – except theirs is a 3-person.

Blueberry Peach Pie: Days 129 - 135

July 16, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 129: 0 miles hiked (trail mile 1706) (11th Zero)

By 8am we made our way down to breakfast where we had an omelet with potatoes. Breakfast was actually included with the room and was absolutely delicious!

When we saw that rain was expected all day long (and heard the rain pounding outside) we decided to enjoy a zero here.

Deep Fried picked us up for lunch in a rental car. He is taking some time off to recover from an injury while providing trail support for Trippin’ as she continues. We swung by a local food co-op for some snacks then picked up Thai food and brought it back at the hotel.

Ranger and Deep Fried played the “Life on the Farm” board game while I took a nap. We spent the rest of the day taking care of various chores – namely working on the blog and planning ahead.

For dinner we had sourdough bread and hummus that we had picked up from the grocery store. A perfectly relaxing zero…

Day 130: 15.4 miles hiked (trail mile 1721.4)

For our complimentary breakfast this morning Ranger had oatmeal and I had French toast. We took our time packing up, side-eyeing the rain still falling outside our window, but finally donned our rain gear and checked out around 10. Half a mile back uphill to the trail and we were off.

We hiked past a cascading waterfall, and then through a short boardwalk section with some pretty wild lilies in the marsh.

We hiked in the rain all day—which was thankfully never very heavy—and enjoyed the lush forest along the various mountain ridges. Today consisted of a lot of PUDs, all in all about 4200 ft of climbing and about the same in descent.

We stopped around 7pm at The Lookout, a privately owned cabin about .1 mile off the trail that the owners generously allow AT hikers to use. It is astonishingly nice, with windows, no leaks or drafts, a door that latches, and a second story sleeping loft.

Contrary to expectation, when we arrived there were only two other hikers here: Zane and JP. Today is their first day out in their final section: Northern VT to Katahdin. They are a Father and Teenage Son duo that have been hiking sections since 2017 and will complete the trail in 11 sections total.

Since no one else arrived, we strung our gear all about the cabin to dry out overnight.

Day 131: 19.7 miles hiked (trail mile 1741.1)

Upon waking much of the fog had cleared and we were able to climb the ladder to the “lookout” platform on the roof that the cabin is named for. From here we had a spectacular view of the mountains all around us, and even Mount Moosilauke, the southernmost mountain in the Whites, in New Hampshire, where we are heading!

We could see Mt Moosilauke (the southernmost mountain in the Whites of New Hampshire) from here! — We could see the Whites from here!

We began hiking around 7am and by 10 am had made it 6.5 miles to a road crossing where we were able to take a short road walk off trail to visit a farm that we read about on Guthooks. On the Edge Farm has a little farm shop that sells fresh berries and homemade pies and many other little goodies from local makers. Ranger and I split a full-size blueberry peach pie between us, starting in the center and working our way out. Small things like this really make us feel like we’re living life to the fullest out here! We also bought a few things for my sister and her partner, who are watching our dog while we’re away, as the farm shop offered a shipping service as well.

Beautiful pie, fresh baked this morning!

Fueled by pie, we conquered the next few climbs with an abundance of energy, eventually breaking for a real lunch on a surprise bench with a view of the mountains. We could see a rainstorm off in the distance, but it was sunny where we were, and that’s all that mattered.

Later, just before beginning our descent to West Hartford, it began to rain again. We put on our rain gear and moved down the mountain as quickly as we could without slipping, and eventually arrived in the small town.

A family of wood ducks was paddling through the strong currents on the river through West Hartford — A family of wood ducks, mama duck and lots of little ducklings, were paddling their hearts out through the strong currents on the river through West Hartford.

Hikers had commented on Guthook that thruhikers must stop in to say hello to Linda at the house across the bridge. Linda is a famous trail angel who allows hikers to sleep in her barn and camp in her yard. I had rehearsed what I would say in my head in the hopes of her offering us shelter for the night, and lo and behold, when we walked up there she was sitting on her porch. The first words out of her mouth before we even had a chance to speak was, “should be space still in the barn”.

JP, Zane, Lighthouse, and Dallas were already here and had ordered pizza from Domino’s. We opted to share a twin bed since this was a bring-your-own-blanket situation and we share a quilt. Ranger and I cooked dinner on the porch while chatting with Linda. She has been hosting hikers for many years and does so on a donation-only basis. She had all kinds of snacks on her porch and a mini fridge with cold drinks.

We sat with her for a couple hours and watched the sunset and 4th of July fireworks in the distance, while bats chirped and swooped across the lawn.

A wonderful day.

Day 132: 11.3 miles hiked (trail mile 1752.4)

This morning we hung out on Linda’s porch for a while and enjoyed a hot oatmeal breakfast as she told us wonderful stories from her decades of experience hosting hikers from the trail. She told us stories about her brush ups with Warren Doyle. One of the most fascinating things was hearing about some of the weird and surprising things people carried with them, and how she has observed the gear change dramatically over the decades. I can hardly imagine someone carrying a cast iron pot today. Ranger was pretty tickled that he was the first person she had ever met who carried an electric bug zapper as his luxury item.

Once we got going, we hiked 10 miles from West Hartford, VT to Hanover, NH. In Hanover we passed by Dartmouth University and stopped in at Lou’s bakery on the downtown strip because we heard that thruhikers get a free pastry. We figured it would be just a donut or something from a limited menu, but to our amazement they told us to pick whatever we wanted in the case! We each selected a giant Apple fritter.

At this point it started getting unbearably hot out and we decided to wait out the hottest part of the day at an Indian restaurant. Unable to exercise patience, I ate my apple fritter as an appetizer to my main course.

After lunch we resupplied at the fancy co-op grocery where we were able to find certain dehydrated items that we had been keeping an eye out for to add to our various hot meals, including seaweed and mushrooms!

Just past the store, the trail turned back off into the woods. After debating sleeping just inside the tree line where many others had obviously set up camp before, we decided to make the one mile up out of Hanover to Velvet Rocks shelter. Comments on Guthooks warned that this site has a reputation for unsavory characters from town making their way up to party, and harass thruhikers, so we were relieved when Hiccup and Prime arrived and it was evident that we would have the place to ourselves tonight. We ate dinner and hung out with them a while. Hiccup had hiked up the mountain carrying their Indian food in a to-go bag!

They spread out in the shelter, and we set up our tent in the clearing in front of the shelter. Later in the night when I got up to pee I just happened to notice a dead branch hanging over our tent that we had both missed before. After much analysis by the light of our headlamps, we decided to be on the safe side and go ahead and move the tent to a different site. The branch did not seem particularly dangerous but certainly would’ve shredded our delicate tent. Ease of relocation is another beautiful aspect of having a freestanding tent. We simply unstaked it, walked it a few feet over, and restaked it. As we were getting settled into our new site, PB & Jazz and Bess arrived, and joined Prime and Hiccup in the shelter.

Day 133: 15.2 miles hiked (trail mile 1767.6)

The rain arrived in the morning just before our alarm went off, so we slept in and finally left camp around 9:30 when the rain tapered off. Everyone else had the same idea so it was funny to crawl out of our tent at 9 and see everyone still asleep in the shelter. You never know with thruhikers, but most people are usually out of camp by 7/7:30 at the latest. It turned out that Prime had been bitten on her finger by a mouse overnight – presumably the mouse smelled food on her fingers.

Not too far into the trail this morning Ranger found a trail magic beer from a small red cooler at a road crossing. There was a riddle and a logbook. I can’t recall the riddle, but our favorite answer was, “What would Bill Bryson do?”

We stopped for lunch with Meta and Grasshopper and Mountain Goat at a big fallen tree. Then later, on the last big climb of the day, a small porcupine crossed Ranger’s path and climbed up a tree!

The last climb felt so hard, and we trudged into camp at 8:30pm, exhausted.

Day 134: 19.2 miles hiked (trail mile 1786.8)

Eager to beat the rain and try to make it over Smarts Mountain before any incoming weather, we departed camp at 6:45. In the early part of our hike we came across a chilly, crystal-clear brook that had a pooling area about 20 feet down that was perfect for a foot soak. As I prepared to step into the pool, Ranger urgently whispered, “Sticks! Bears!!” Two black bears had run past just uphill from the brook. Bears can move with incredible speed and ease through the woods. Since I was down in the pool, I missed the sighting entirely.

We climbed strong over Smarts Mountain and enjoyed views of the Whites of New Hampshire, where we are headed, from the fire tower on top of the mountain. We had lunch with Meta, Grasshopper, and Mountain Goat sitting on the ground near the fire tower and hiked all together the last 12 miles to camp.

It ended up being another day with a lot of elevation change and we were beat by the time we made it to camp. There was a high school summer group out for a short section that had taken over all the good established tent sites, so we ended up bitterly hunting around for and eventually finding suitable stealth sites on the outskirts of the tenting areas. Hiccup and Prime set up near us. We all went and ate dinner sitting in a clearing with the high school group and listened to their counselor give them motivational talks and try to build good character.

The campsite had a privy fit for royalty: the Castellum Excrementi

Day 135: 7.4 miles hiked (trail mile 1794.2)

Once again it rained in the early morning, and we left camp at 9 after the rain stopped. We hiked on and off with Killer and Wizard and made it to the road crossing for Glendale around noon where we took the short road walk to Hikers Welcome hostel. It turned out to be a great high-volume hostel, sturdily built and smelling of pine. The single outdoor shower, laundry, bathroom and sink station worked surprisingly efficiently for the number of people staying there.

In the late afternoon the hostel took us on a run to the nearby convenience store/deli for a resupply and to pick up dinner. We lounged around all evening and fell asleep early, around 7pm. Despite the huge number of (occupied) bunks on the upper level where we are, it’s so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The last thing I heard before falling asleep was a “zap” from Ranger’s bug racket eliminating a rogue mosquito from the bunkhouse, doing us all a favor.

Vermont's Long Trail: Days 122 - 128

July 08, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 122: 13.2 miles hiked (trail mile 1602.4)

Hesitant to leave our cozy bunks, we enjoyed a slow start this morning. Just before leaving the lodge, we met the owner of Greylock Resort and learned about the Caretaker Program, a system that Massachusetts has for community members to propose and execute business plans for transforming old state buildings.

Before descending the mountain, we took a moment to explore Greylock Monument, a tall lighthouse-style war monument built in 1931 to honor our veterans. The mountain was encased in a soupy fog, so we didn’t get much of a view from the tower.

While descending Greylock mountain we encountered trail magic from a former AT thruhiker named Schmutz, and three of his relatives. They had chips, fruit, beer, and Gatorade. It turns out Schmutz is setting off on a SoBo thruhike of the PCT in a few days and will be documenting his experience on his YouTube channel and Instagram under the handle “sobodoc”.

Near Williamston we detoured a half a mile off trail along a highway to a Stop n Shop for a resupply. It happened to be the fanciest grocery store we’ve visited on trail! On our way out we ran into ET. He joined us for feasting and repackaging at a shaded picnic table outside—what a luxury! —where we munched on cheesecake, berries, and sandwiches. ET is a well-travelled young guy from NYC and is only a couple weeks into his flip flop thruhike. We hiked with him awhile and then carried on to the next shelter when he stopped at a campsite.

On the last leg of our hike, we climbed through a burned section with lots of little buds springing up through the ashes. The contrast of life and death, dark and light, was beautiful.

Near the end of the day, we crossed into Vermont and the start of Vermont’s Long Trail. This 273 miles trail overlaps with the AT for its first 105 miles before charting its own path to Canada. We are told that a Long Trail thruhike is something of a rite of passage for young people in Vermont.

Vermont is lovingly called “Vermud” by some thruhikers and lived up to its nickname. We do a lot of rock-hopping in parts of the trail that are just mysteriously gloppy, with no water source in sight, even!

At the Seth Warner Shelter tonight we ran into Meta and Grasshopper and met a woman who is setting out to thruhike the Long Trail. It was a pleasant surprise to find a bear box here, even though it was unlike any one we’d seen before and suspect it might have just been a large tool storage box. We all used it anyway.

Hiccup and Prime showed up just before dark. There was a moment of alarm when Hiccup thought he accidentally locked everyone’s food in the weird toolbox, but through a team effort we were able to get it open again. We ate the last of our perishable sandwich fixings for dinner and turned in for the night. It is warm enough, and without threat of rain, to sleep without the rain fly.

Day 123: 21.6 miles hiked (trail mile 1624)

We left the shelter around 7am and hiked until we encountered a beautiful beaver pond that was too nice to pass up the chance for a scenic break. There were little salamander larvae in the water which made the whole scene feel like we were living in the land of the dinosaurs.

We braked for lunch at a shelter and then made a steep descent down to a river, followed immediately by a climb straight back up the other side. We did over 5,500 feet of climbing today, which is a lot for what we’ve gotten used to lately. This kind of thing is preparing us for the Whites so I suppose we should be grateful.

Often I only take photos of the above average shelters. Here is a standard shelter (with extra points for windows and a covered picnic table!) — I usually just take photos of the above average shelters. So here is an average shelter (kind of old and rundown) with bonus points for windows and a covered picnic table!

We hiked through the Glastonbury Wilderness from afternoon to evening. It was a lush and green section with lots of ferns and moss. Apparently, there is plenty of folklore about the Glastonbury Wilderness area, too, people disappearing and that sort of thing. I wish I’d researched before hiking this stretch. It was a major push to climb Glastonbury Mountain at the end of a high-mileage day. Just before dark we limped into Goddard shelter a short walk from the summit. We were enthusiastically greeted by a handsome golden retriever named Ember, out for a section hike with her parents. We then pitched our tent on a soft bed of pine needles and spongy soil just behind the shelter, surrounded by lichen and moss-draped trees.

Day 124: 19.4 miles hiked (trail mile 1643.4)

We left the shelter around 8:30 and climbed to Glastonbury Mountain fire tower where Prime and Hiccup had camped. The view from the top was exquisitely eerie thanks to the fog.

While later eating a snack at a rather exposed and thus battered shelter (but boasted a decent view over the valley from the shelter floor) Meta and Grasshopper caught up to us. They had stopped to camp nearly four miles from the Glastonbury shelter, so they had already done some good mileage this morning to make up for it. We are all aiming for a shelter about 20 miles away from Glastonbury Mountain, which will make for a big day for them. We hiked with them all day to motivate one another, and the time and miles quickly passed thanks to good conversation.

Ember cleaned out our peanut butter tubs for us

Just before our big climb: trail magic! Someone left a bunch of cokes up for grabs from the chilly brooki. — Just before our big climb we encountered some trail magic! Someone left a bunch of cokes chilling in the cold brook. It was a welcome morale boost.

Together, we hiked up Stratton Mountain, where Benton McKay is said to have come up with the idea of creating the Appalachian Trail. On top of the mountain, we passed a humble little cabin belonging to the caretakers of the mountain: a woman and man who have been living in that cabin from Memorial Day until October every year for the past 50 years.

We also took a moment to climb the fire tower and were rewarded with some incredible views.

Later, when we finally made it to our shelter, I was ceremoniously inducted into the “Order of the Snake Stompers” for helping Meta and Grasshopper do their longest day yet!

Day 125: 10.6 miles hiked (trail mile 1654)

As of today we are more than 3/4 of the way to Katahdin!

We left the shelter at 7:30 having never met the caretaker who supposedly collects $5 from each camper as a fee for maintaining the space. Aside from the bear box, the shelter was standard, and we tented anyway, so we were glad we didn’t have to pay even such a nominal fee.

We hiked ten miles to the trailhead parking lot in some of the muggiest weather we’ve encountered. We got a hitch into town in 20 seconds flat. The woman who picked us up had hiked the Camino de Santiago in 2018 and lived in the next town over. She dropped us off at Thai Basil in downtown Manchester, Vermont, about four miles from the trail. Since the restaurant seemed a bit upscale, we sat outside to offending the patrons and waitstaff with our thruhiker stench.

After lunch we visited the Mountain Goat, the local outfitter, where Ranger got a new pair of shoes. He is trying out the Scarpas now which seem really promising. His La Sportivas tread wore out in just over a hundred miles so we will be returning those when we finish the trail. We then walked to the Price Chopper for a resupply and the Green Mountain Hostel caretaker picked us up from there.

Green Mountain Hostel is at only 50% occupancy tonight at the discretion of the hostel caretakers, which was just fine with us. It is perfectly catered to thruhikers, with a well-organized hiker box/shelf, a laptop for use, snacks for sale, all the toiletries you could ever need, a full kitchen, and best of all: it’s sparkling clean.

At the hostel we met Mama Bear and Baby Bear, a mother and daughter duo who are finishing the trail together after having to get off due to Covid last year. When caretakers Duffy and KC offered us the chance to slackpack tomorrow and stay here one more night, we didn’t hesitate… it will be incredible to cover some miles while light on our feet, and have another night at this charming hostel.

We made a delicious home cooked meal for dinner and turned in.

Day 126: 17.7 miles hiked (trail mile 1671.7)

We set out on our sobo slackpack about 18 trail miles north of Manchester and started hiking back to town. Mama Bear and Baby Bear headed north from the trail junction since they had slacked south the day before.

Around mid-day we crossed paths with Meta and Grasshopper and their high-school age nephew Ezra who is joining them for a two-week section hike. They must be the coolest aunt and uncle in his eyes. We also saw Parmesan, Killer, and Wizard.

We experienced a beautiful forest on top of the mountain just north of Mount Bromley, and Bromley itself had spectacular views. During the winter it functions as a ski resort and had a ski lift and warming hut that hikers can use. At the summit we saw Hiccup and Prime. We had lunch up there and watched an ominous storm brewing in the distance and inching our way.

After lunch the storm began to look rather serious, so we hustled down the mountain in hopes of avoiding being smacked. The storms in these mountains are something else. It seems one minute everything is dandy and the next you’re practically drowning and praying to not be struck by lightning. Once back at the road we caught another easy hitch back into Manchester with a friendly construction guy who told us the reason everyone seems so happy in Vermont is because weed is legal here. Back in town we did a mini resupply at the local health food store where Duffy picked us up.

At the hostel we each had a pint of ice-cream since the hostel had a policy that your first ice cream (from the freezer stocked full of Ben and Jerry’s) costs only a dollar. They even had dairy free option! I then worked on the blog—which turned into a nap in the living room—while Ranger did his own thing on the computer.

For dinner we had leftovers from the night before: veggies, beyond brats, and baguette, with the addition of diced sweet potato and a zucchini from Derby. We met the other lodgers, including Stroop, Lizard, Derby, Outlaw and Waterdoc who started SoBo this year just outside Katahdin since it wasn’t open for the year yet when he started his hike. It’s been so fun overlapping with the Long Trail (also trail magic has been strong through these parts). We might be a little sad when the two trails diverge in a few days. We are told the Long Trail gets exponentially harder once it splits from the AT. One day we want to come back and finish it!

Day 127: 21.8 miles hiked (trail mile 1693.5)

Duffy dropped us off at the trailhead at 8:15. He had some good advice for us on Katahdin where Ranger’s parents meet up with us at the end of our thruhike. Baxter state park is known for being a logistical nightmare due to the popularity of the site, daily visit number caps, and no cell service.

A short way into our hike we passed a crystal-clear pond near Little Rock Pond shelter and waded in a way. We wanted to swim, but it stayed shallow, and we didn’t want to risk getting cuts on our feet so didn’t go any further toward the center in search of deeper water. Hiccup and Prime stopped to say hi, too.

Later, we met Buttercup, who we had caught word of on trail already. She discovered backpacking in her late sixties/early seventies and is now solo hiking the entire trail at 73 years old!

After hiking over 1600 miles without seeing a single grouse (though we heard them thumping their wings) we startled not one but three grouse throughout the course of the hike, sending them flapping loudly into the forest as we hiked by.

We spent some time at a shelter to eat lunch and keep an eye on the weather since we had been hearing thunder rolling in the distance for quite some time. Here we ran into a section hiker with his smart/outgoing elementary-age twin children who were well versed in backpacking (parent goals!). Stacy (a LTer) and her big dog Nacho also showed up, followed by Killer and then Wizard.

We decided to brave the threat of storms and press on to the next shelter which Guthooks comments warned has had a lot of recent bear activity. Feeling strength in numbers, Killer and Wizard joined us for the next four-mile stretch. We lucked out on two accounts: we must’ve only gotten the very edge of the storm and we also saw a Peregrine Falcon soaring above the cliffs, even hearing its call! Peregrine Falcons have a fearsome reputation for attacking hikers if the trail winds too close to the bird’s nest.

The Gorge looked like a wonderful swimming spot!

After crossing the Gorge, where there were some local kids swimming in the river, we received trail magic from the parents of two teens, ages 15 and 18, who are halfway through their SoBo thruhike of the Long Trail. They gave us Oreos and drinks, which helped us climb the steep ascent to the next shelter. Ranger and I felt good so decided to press on another six miles to Governor Clement Shelter, right at the base of Mount Killington, to position ourselves to climb the mountain first thing in the morning while still fresh. We hiked raced against the setting sun through some lovely forest, said hi to Mama Bear and Baby Bear who had decided to tent in a densely wooded stretch, and then arrived at the shelter right at nightfall.

As of today, we have less than 500 miles left on trail.

Day 128: 12.5 miles hiked (trail mile 1706)

It started raining just as we were about to crawl out of the tent, so we slept in instead. The rain tapered off around 8 and we left camp by 8:30, hiking four miles up Mount Killington. We skipped the .2 mile blue blaze to the actual summit because we were fogged in.

Black flies were thick on top of the mountain, but it was Ranger to the rescue with his bug zapper. This was the first that we’ve really had the classic cloud of black flies. They look innocent until you find one boring into your skin like a scarab beetle from The Mummy.

Later we hiked through an amazingly green part of forest showed us why these are called the green mountains.

Then, half a mile off trail we reached the Inn at Long Trail where we lucked out and snagged one of the last walk-in thruhiker rate rooms available. We love our folksy little room: no tv, old but well-built furniture, cozy, nice bathroom… everything a thruhiker could want. My sister Andrea sent us a resupply box with my new Superfeet insoles and our tent footprint, and some surprise snacks! Between the food we have left over from Manchester, the food I was able to forage from the hotel hiker box, and what Andrea sent, we ended up having enough food to get us to Hanover, New Hampshire without having to take the bus to Rutland for a resupply.

With some unexpected free time, we were able to meet up with friends for food at the hotel pub. We had dinner with Gadget, Deep Fried and Trippin, Mama Bear and Baby Bear, and Anahaga. It has been raining outside all evening and we are sleeping with the window open, grateful to be in a cozy, dry bed.

Mount Greylock: Days 115 - 121

June 29, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 115: 23.3 miles hiked (trail mile 1507.1)

Caterpillar poop and hairy caterpillars rained down upon us the whole first half of the day in an apparent Gypsy Moth invasion of the area. There was so much falling poo that it sounded deceptively of the pitter patter of rain. Swollen, waterlogged caterpillar poops coated the stream beds, and with each step I unavoidably squashed 2 or 3 caterpillars underfoot with a crunch. The forest, formerly so lush, was as barren as when we started the trail back in the dead of winter, and partially chewed leaf litter covered the ground in crunchy, hole-punched leaves that made it somewhat reminiscent of fall. However, the absence of shade combined with the intensity of the unobstructed summer sun zapped any illusion of a crisp fall day and we were relieved when we finally entered an area with leafy canopy once again.

We stopped for lunch by a spring, flicked caterpillars off our packs and clothes, and then braked again at an ivy-covered building with a bench thoughtfully placed beside an electrical outlet that hikers can use to charge devices. By the time we left the bench the heat of the day had passed, and we finally got a second wind to complete the rest of our hike.

A few miles before the shelter we passed the Thumb - a giant rock formation in the shape of a thumb. Near the Thumb that we encountered an amicable solo hiker named Lighthouse.

We got to the shelter just before dark and found Frogman, Side Hustle, and Sketchbook already there. Rigo shelter has a beautiful view of the valley from the picnic table, and we made mac n cheese while watching the last of the light fade from the valley.

Day 116: 16.8 miles hiked (trail mile 1523.9)

Today’s hike from Connecticut (Riga shelter) into Great Barrington, Massachusetts was one of the most beautiful sections of the AT thus far. We hiked along a crystal-clear forest brook that flowed over tiers of small waterfalls into transparent pools that shimmered in the dappled light, and continuously stopped to silently take in the beauty of the forest.

Eventually the path left the denser forest, and we began climbing a series of two mountains, ending with Mount Everett, a deceptively challenging peak that left us—and just about everyone else we talked to later this evening—utterly spent. While descending Everett we met some young camp counselors with a backpacking summer camp called Overland. They were out doing training before the kids show up in a couple weeks. It sounds like a neat summer job and makes me wish I had been more adventurous in my early twenties, but glad I’m making up for it now!

Near the bottom of the mountain, as we hauled ourselves up and over a small boulder in the middle of the trail, a timber rattlesnake took us by surprise as it sunned itself atop the boulder. Thankfully it was unconcerned with our presence and didn’t even rattle.

The entire trail we have gotten by without having to hitch, so numerous have been the shuttles, places within walking distance, and folks offering rides. Hitchhiking is very prevalent on the AT and—before cellphones or all the new trail services—the absolute only way you could make it into town for a resupply. As we made calls trying to set up a shuttle it became evident that the time to thumb for a ride had finally arrived. Ranger assured me that people who live so near the trail are familiar with giving rides to hikers and that hitching would be a breeze. We are probably in the minority of hikers having made it this far without choosing to hitch.

We ran the last three miles to the road, driven by a desire to make it out before dark, before the presently increasing drizzle became a full-blown rainstorm, and out of a desperate desire to flee the swarms of mosquitoes in the final 3-mile boggy stretch before the road to Great Barrington. Packs clinking and flopping, slapping our bodies to kill hostile mosquitos biting through our clothes, Ranger running behind me swinging his electric bug zapper at the cloud that followed in my wake – made for an exhilarating and cacophonous end to our day’s hike.

In less than two minutes of thumb-work a friendly local guy picked us up in his SUV and dropped us at the hiker-friendly Travelodge 5 miles down the road, pointing out landmarks in the town as we passed through on our way to the motel.

We picked up dinner across from the motel at a wonderful Mediterranean restaurant and ate at a picnic table in front of the motel. The evening was spent showering, doing laundry, and lounging about our room.

Just on the edge of town, right on trail

Day 117: 0 miles hiked (trail mile 1523.9) (10th Zero)

Thanks to the blackout curtains on our hotel room, we managed to sleep in until about 10am when housekeeping banged on the door. We said hi to Whistler in the room above us then started out on a 2-mile stroll to downtown Great Barrington. Our first stop was at Asia Barong, a giant Asian art and antiques shop packed with ornate carvings, paintings, weapons, and furniture. We could hardly believe a shop of this magnitude and caliber would be in such a seemingly remote part of Massachusetts.

Ornate doorframe carved from a tree’s root system!

It’s impossible to capture on my phone how mind blowing this place is. — It’s impossible to capture on my phone how mind-blowing this place is.

In downtown Great Barrington we visited a candy shop, and each had cherry cordial before making our way to a Thai restaurant for lunch. Ranger received a lovely origami rose atop his straw which set the tone for an incredible meal of yellow curry and green curry.

We ran into Spots and Snapshot who were staying at a hotel downtown and also zeroing today. After touring a fine art gallery with some incredible art, we stopped into a beautiful gift shop on the edge of town to lust over all the tasteful homemaking items we would wish for if we weren’t living on strictly the bare minimum essentials that can be carried in a backpack.

Pastoral, by Stephanie Anderson (graphite on clayboard)

On our way back to the hotel later we stopped at a chocolate shop and sampled some truffles and chocolate covered fruits. All in all, today felt like a relaxing vacation in the more typical sense of what a vacation is. There have been debates among hikers about whether a thruhike can be classified as a vacation. When I think of a thruhike in juxtaposition to the desk job I left to have this adventure, I am more inclined to see the vacation angle, albeit a highly unconventional and challenging one! However, for many, and often for myself as my city life starts to feel more and more unfamiliar to me, thruhiking feels more like a lifestyle.

This evening we resupplied for the next stretch of trail at a Price Chopper supermarket right next to our hotel and took it easy for the remainder of the night.

Day 118: 17.7 miles hiked (trail mile 1541.6)

Today was the first day of summer! It was also hike naked day, although we neither encountered any naked hikers nor hiked naked ourselves. Later, however, we did hear from others who fearlessly honored the holiday.

We got a ride back to the trailhead with Whistler and Ed, a section hiker. Joe is a trail angel who does donation-based shuttling between Great Barrington and the trailhead in his retirement. He keeps a printed binder of graphs and charts containing data that he has collected over the years on all the hikers he has shuttled that riders can review, including gear types, NoBo or SoBo, home country, and so on. It was entertaining to look at and I love seeing how a love for the Appalachian Trail manifests differently in everyone.

We hiked with Whistler up to the ridge and lunched at the Ice Gulch. The Ice Gulch is so deep that apparently ice or snow can remain at the bottom until mid-summer. As we peered down below we felt its powerful presence.

Later, when passing a beaver pond, we spotted a beaver swimming in the center! Animal sightings are always exciting.

Toward the end of the day, we caught up with Orange, one of Whistler’s trail buddies. They hiked on while Ranger and I took our time getting to Shaker Campsite. The last stretch was beautiful, and pockets of cold air streamed across our legs from underground caves. This was an enchanting section.

At the Shaker Campsite another group of Overland counselors had already set up so it’s a packed campsite tonight. It’s funny how (particularly in New England) so many campsites or shelters will say in the Guthooks map notes, “space for about 4 tents” then by the end of the night there are at least 20 tents strewn about. This campsite is evidently an old Shaker village and there are a few old stone walls around.

Day 119: 18.8 miles hiked (trail mile 1560.4)

When we left camp around 8am it almost immediately started to rain. The rain continued all day long at varying degrees of intensity.

At one point we crossed a road and encountered a small red structure with “AT Trail Stand” emblazoned on the side. Since this wasn’t on our map our curiosity was piqued and we discovered that it contained a fridge, some boxes of snacks, a couple trashcans, and chalk (to write trail names on the walls). On the fridge was a list of all items for sale: farm fresh eggs, candy, soda, etc. and an honor system money pouch perched on a shelf. Ranger bought a box of Mike and Ike’s and we continued, crossing through some cow pastures while munching joyfully on candy.

Then, just before noon, we exited the forest and saw a trail angel just getting set up to share food and drink with hikers. Running Water has been section hiking the AT since 1991 and prides himself in providing top notch trail magic. I had just been sulking over the fact that we wouldn’t have an opportunity to seek any shelter from the rain for another 12 miles when we came across Running Water’s set up, complete with a large pop-up tent and two large coolers of snacks and drink. Ranger and I shared an extra-large lemonade Gatorade and a giant bag of potato chips before heading back out.

Unwilling to bother with making lunch in the rain we pressed on to the Berkshire Lodge where the owners were kind enough to let us sit outside under the awning to make our sandwiches. I plugged my phone in inside and Ranger bought a cup of hot coffee.

The rest of the hike consisted of a few beaver dams and bogs, and a couple pretty lakes.

We made it into camp around 6:45 where we set up our tent, put on dry clothes, and went to the shelter to cook our soy ramen dinner under the overhang. We heard peeping coming from a bird’s nest inside the shelter on one of the rafters. One of the guys sleeping in there said that mama bird had been flying back and forth all evening. It seems like a nice place for a nest—very protected.

Day 120: 16.5 miles hiked (trail mile 1576.9)

The trail took us straight through the town of Dalton this morning. A short walk off trail took us to Hot Harry’s Burritos, a chipotle style burrito shop where we purchased a gigantic burrito and burrito bowl. The burritos fueled the next big climb out of town in a major way.

Front yard of a trail angel in Cheshire who lets hikers camp in his yard!

Only four miles outside of Dalton we stayed at Crystal Mountain Campsite, a well-maintained campsite with a picnic table and bear box.

Day 121: 12.3 miles hiked (trail mile 1589.2)

First thing in the morning we hiked four miles to Cheshire where we did a resupply at a Dollar General. Outside the store we met ET, who told us about a lodge eight miles away, perched atop Mount Greylock, which offers a hiker rate of only $35 a bunk.

We reserved a couple bunks on the spot and passed the word along to a section hiker named Babbit who was hanging out outside.

Ranger grabbed us an amazing breakfast from Dunkin’ Donuts in a Shell station a few blocks down the highway, which we ate while sitting on the ground outside the Dollar General like proper hiker trash.

While hiking out we ran into Whistler and Orange. It may be the last time we see Whistler before the end of the trail as he and Orange are going to skip north 100 miles to meet up with Suzanne and do some group slackpacking. It makes me sad to think about not running into Whistler day after day anymore, but it sounds like this group is excited to finish the rest of the trail together.

After saying our goodbyes we hiked eight miles up Mount Greylock in what turned out to be a beautiful climb through a gloriously lush forest.

There was a lovely little pond with an empty cabin sitting on it that we stopped at for a short break. I wonder how often thruhikers choose to sleep in this cabin, it’s really neat.

On top of Greylock we reached our destination for the night: the Greylock Monument and the Bascom Lodge. Our bunk mates included ET, Parmesan, Babbit, and Daybreak with her dog Cora. Babbit had us rolling in laughter as he recounted that it was the first day of his section hike and that he had taken our recommendation to stay at the Bascom Lodge and booked a bed before realizing that I had left out the ever so minor detail that it was on top of the next major mountain!

We have a fantastic view of the valley from our mountaintop room. There is an open window circulating cold air into the room, so I am bundled up in my puffy and lodge-provided fleece blankets for sleep.

Ranger fell asleep early but ET and I walked to the monument for a view of the strawberry super moon over the valley.

New England: Days 108 - 114

June 23, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 108: 17.6 miles hiked (trail mile 1408.9)

We wanted to make it to the trailside “zoo” before last entry at 3:30 and so departed the shelter at 6am. For the first time since northern PA our little tramily disbanded for the hike. It was great fun hiking with Whistler and Gadget from Northern PA to Southern NY. This was the first time that we’ve had friends that match our own pace and mileage so closely, and we enjoyed much conversation and laughter. However, part of the trail experience is meeting new people—as well as finding solitude—so we were all in agreement that it was time to hike our own hikes again.

At one point Ranger overturned a log on accident with his foot on a downhill, serendipitously uncovering a black salamander! We later saw a group of wild turkeys bobbing through the tall ferns in the woods.

Finally, we summitted Bear Mountain, which offers a view of New York City from the tower on top (closed to the public right now because of the pandemic). At the bottom of Bear Mountain, we encountered some neat educational signs about trail construction. It is an incredible feat that volunteers from all over the country not only built the Appalachian Trail but have continued to maintain it all these years. Trail building is complex, and we can’t help but stop at times to marvel at the ingenuity involved in constructing a functional footpath through such challenging terrain (and elevation) using only hand tools.

The so called “zoo” segment of trail was a bit depressing but does seem to be more of a rehabilitation center; as all of its animals are either recovering from injury with the goal of releasing them back into the wild or would be unable to survive in the wild due to disability or being born in captivity.

I liked these illustrations explaining the zoo’s mission

We hiked across the Hudson River on a giant suspension bridge and up to Hemlock Springs Campsite where we ended up camping with our whole crew from the last few days: Gadget, Whistler, Baked Potato, Grasshopper, Meta, and a couple of her friends who were joining her for a small section. We also met a thruhiker named Sheep. She is recovering from a broken ankle so is trying to take it slow. Just before retiring to our tent for the night a day hiker with a giant dog named Oso kindly offered to pack out our trash for us.

Ranger and I retired early to our tent, ordered new shoes online for each of us and turned in.

Day 109: 18 miles hiked (trail mile 1426.9)

5:30am start just because we can! At 3.5 miles in we stepped out of the woods and arrived at the Appalachian Market, a convenient store/deli with a reputation for being very hiker friendly. Here we were able to charge our devices for a little bit and resupply for 3 days with Larry and Lenny’s cookies for breakfast, peanut butter, and dried cranberries on fresh baked rolls for lunch, ramen for dinner and of course snacks! We also ordered giant breakfast burritos from the deli and ate them at the picnic tables outside with Deep Friend and Trippin’.

When we hiked back out it was raining lightly, and we passed a historic inoculation station where General Washington had his troops vaccinated for smallpox.

We met a couple hikers named Sari and Shadow on trail and later lunched with Whistler and Gadget in a field in a clearing next to a road to try to escape the mosquitos in the woods. The mosquitos are like small hummingbirds but at least they’re big and slow—easy to smack.

Our tenting spot for the night was at Canopus Lake SP, which was a half mile off trail which was really pushing the threshold for how far we’re willing to hike off trail for a spot to sleep. It was well worth the extra hike, however, as the park supplies thruhikers with a large field to tent in and a bathroom with a hot shower and electricity that’s open 24 hours. When we arrived, I showered immediately then dried off with the wall-mounted hand dryer as best I could, pulled on my Smartwool base layers, and walked to camp where Ranger already had the tent set up. Gadget had arrived just before the park concession stand closed and bought me an apple juice—my favorite trail drink!

Day 110: 14 miles hiked (trail mile 1440.9)

Around 8:30 we crawled out of our tent and saw that no one else had budged, either. We must have collectively decided on the 14-mile shelter rather than the next one at 22. Besides, the slow start allowed the heavy condensation from the lake/field effect that had collected on our tent overnight to dry off before packing it away.

We enjoyed a relatively smooth trail for much of the day and stopped at the RPH shelter for lunch with Sheep and Gadget. Here we filled up on jugs of trail magic water since this section has unusually poor water quality. Everyone’s filters are nearly shot from this New York section which has heavy tannins and sediment in the water. There are many sections with “filter and treat” warnings on the water sources and we’d just as soon use town water in these scenarios and do bigger water carries.

RPH Shelter had all kinds of quirks like this

Our hike ended at the Morgan Stewart Shelter, which has an old iron pump that must be aggressively cranked over and over to get the water flowing. It is really a two-person job to get the water to flow into the bottle as about ⅔ of the water released from the spout just sprays out chaotically and is difficult to direct into a container. It was certainly entertaining, and fun to get to use a functioning old pump like this.

We chatted with Tie-dye, Gadget, and Whistler awhile and made it to bed nice and early.

Day 111: 10.9 miles hiked (trail mile 1451.8)

At 5am we felt the winds change and the pressure drop. Shortly after we heard a far-off rumble of thunder, so bolted up from out sleeping pads, packed up our (dry) gear and were ready to go before 6. Gadget had the same idea and the three of us went to sit under the shelter and await the storm. The heavy storm came and went in about 15 minutes flat, and we hiked out when the sun started to peek back out from behind the clouds. However, it had been a trick, because about 20 minutes later the skies went black once again and we were instantly drenched in a second wave of storms. Nothing can phase us today, though, since my parents will be picking us up in the evening for a few nights with them in an Airbnb.

We braked for an early lunch at a shelter and Gadget arrived a few moments later. We wrung out our socks (this never stops feeling so hardcore) and let our bare feet dangle off the shelter ledge while we ate so they could dry out a bit.

Once down from the ridge we entered an overgrown boggy area with big sections of plank-walking.

Emerging from the bog we encountered the Dover Oak, the largest white oak in New York, and estimated to be over 300 years old.

A few miles later we walked the lovely Swamp River Boardwalk and exited at the Appalachian Train station. Here, hikers have the option to take a high-speed commuter train into NYC at $50 for a 2 hour ride (including one transfer) to Grand Central Station.

Immediately on the left after the train station, where the trail turns sharply for a short highway walk, is the Native Landscapes and Garden Center. They are a hiker-friendly establishment and sold us drinks from a fridge in the employee break room and let us hang out in the pretty gazebo amidst all the outdoor plants. Gadget arrived moments later and spent some time with us in the gazebo before he pressed on, and we called a shuttle into Pawling to do laundry while we waited on my folks’ arrival.

In Pawling we sat in a laundromat that played great music and took care of laundry while wearing only our rain jackets and a pair of shorts each that we intended to hand-wash and air dry later. Doing laundry in town is quite the ordeal when every item of clothing you have is filthy. Once laundry was finished, we wandered around town a bit, nibbling on various town food as we went.

Mom and Dad showed up around 5:30 at which point we swung by a grocery store for dinner supplies, and Mom and Dad picked up some supplies to do trail magic! Our Airbnb in Sherman Connecticut is a beautiful farmhouse surrounded by woods and horse pastures. Ranger and I each have a cozy twin bed on the second story while Mom and Dad have a beautiful suite. We collaborated on a stir fry with a side of tofu for us and a side of steak for the parents. This will be a wonderful spot to rest for a couple days.

Day 112: 10 miles hiked (trail mile 1462.8)

After a fantastic homemade breakfast at the Airbnb, we headed out for some slackpacking. We started off walking the Swamp River Boardwalk from yesterday with Mom and Dad and saw a muskrat, two garter snakes, a deer, and a lot of birds!

Mom in the “Maine” directional chair and Dad in the “Georgia” directional chair

Dad hiked on with us for seven miles up and over a ridge while Mom did trail magic at Hoyt Road (where we would emerge after our hike) right at the Connecticut border.

Dad, Ranger and I took turns carrying the pack and saw a wild turkey on our hike! It was a great sample slice of the AT for dad to experience and included pastures, a decent climb followed by a ridge walk, a shelter, some trail magic in a cooler by a road (dad ate some Oreos), a creek crossing next to a crumbling footbridge, and even crossing into the state of Connecticut!

Dad crosses the creek next to the crumbling bridge

Mom had 13 hikers come through and hang out awhile to eat snacks and drink beer, wine and sparkling water, including Meta and Grasshopper, Sheep, and Jolah. I was so glad my mom and Meta got to meet since we discovered one day that they had the same alma mater!

From there Ranger and I struck off on our own to do four more miles up and over a small mountain called Ten Mile Hill. On the other side we met back up with Mom and Dad at Bulls Bridge, a 19th century covered bridge with views of the Housatonic river.

Back at the Airbnb we had dinner and wound down for the evening.

Day 113: 10.2 miles hiked (trail mile 1473)

This morning Ranger and I set off on our own to slackpack seven miles to the highway road crossing for Kent. Mom and Dad sat this one out to get moved out of the Airbnb, and set up to do some trail magic at the road to Kent while they waited on us. When we emerged on the road, Frogman and three others were hanging out receiving trail magic.

For lunch we met up with Whistler and Gadget at a restaurant in Kent called The Villager, then took care of some town chores. Ranger and I each got a new pair of socks and Ranger bought a bug zapper racquet that he has been talking about wanting for weeks. The mosquitos have gotten so bad I’m pretty much ready to try anything.

After wrapping up town chores we hit the trail again for the last 3.4 miles of the day—this time with Mom leading the way!

We immediately climbed about 1000 feet of elevation and walked along a ridge for the rest of the hike during which we saw two bucks sporting tiny antlers. Dad parked the car at the pickup point and hiked in to meet us. He found us with just a little under a mile left in the hike and we got to all hike together for the last bit.

On our way to the Airbnb in Hilldale, NY, right on the edge of Massachusetts, we pulled off at a Cidery with outdoor seating for dinner. As we were eating, all these fancy, vintage sports cars kept pulling up, seemingly out of complete coincidence. New England has certainly been living up to its reputation as a place with a lot of wealth.

Our Airbnb is beautiful. The Mount Washington House, a 14,000 square foot mansion built in 1882, was originally built by a couple of newlyweds as a summer home gift from the bride’s family. It has served many uses throughout its time, functioning as a tavern, a speakeasy, a ski resort, and even a schoolhouse. We slept in what was once the servants’ quarters.

Winding down for the evening Dad found a tick embedded in his leg. Also, Chris found out he was accepted into UT’s Eastern Languages program! (TBD whether he chooses to attend.)

Day 114: 10.8 miles hiked (trail mile 1483.8)

We got a nice, slow start this morning around the Airbnb. Ranger and I walked to the grocery across the street for a resupply and visited the Hillsdale General Store which had a fantastic assortment of knickknacks, new and vintage. I could have spent all day in there. Back at the Airbnb we took some time spray permethrin on our packs and new shoes. Speaking of shoes, I had to size up a half size!

We had lunch at a little farm-to-table restaurant next door to the General Store and topped it off with a basket of fresh, backyard-grown strawberries from a local family. The strawberries were the juiciest (and most delicious) I’ve ever had and bled a deep red juice.

We said our goodbyes to my folks and were back on trail around 3pm. Mom and Dad left the remainder of the trail magic goodies on the side of the road for other hikers with a note “From Sticks’ Parents!”

Naturally, we had to do a photoshoot with Mom and Dad wearing our packs

Even with the late start we managed to make it a little under 11 miles to an official campsite. Along the way we hiked beside the Housatonic River and ran into Spots and Snapshot. It’s hilarious that without planning it (in fact our two parties often make very different decisions about mileage or where to stay – they are very fast hikers) we have ended up in the same parts of trail at the same time as these two over and over since we originally met just outside the NOC in Georgia at just under 150 miles into the trail.

A few miles out from camp we crossed another creek with an out bridge by managing to find a large, felled tree that spanned the entire creek. We night-hiked into camp at about 9pm, jammed our food into an impossibly full bear box, and turned in.

Tramily: Days 101 - 107

June 16, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 101: 16.5 miles hiked (trail mile 1295.9)

Mountain Laurel everywhere, ranging from shades of white to pink

We broke down camp and hiked out by 6:30am, hiking strong all morning despite the rocky trail. Something about knowing we’re heading into town (and entering another state tomorrow) enables us to power through anything.

Today was another day of drinking from water caches. We saw many efts on trail. Perhaps they are anticipating the coming rain. They are so cute and clumsy, and it has become customary that whoever is in the lead shouts out an alert at each eft sighting, so they won’t get stepped on.

We ran into AZ at a shelter six miles outside of the Delaware Water Gap and joined him for lunch. Meta and Grasshopper arrived with Baked Potato and we all ate together around the picnic table. AZ’s original plan had been to come out and hike a section of the AT, which he thruhiked in 2014. However, he soon shifted gears, deciding he felt more called to trail magic – and has taken Meta, Grasshopper, and Baked Potato under his wing.

Baked Potato, AZ, Grasshopper, Meta, Ranger

Within a mile of leaving the shelter and with more than five miles left to town we got caught in a heavy thunderstorm. We hiked amidst giant claps of lightning, roaring thunder, and shin-deep water on parts of the trail. The last couple miles were like hiking down an actual waterfall to town. In the deluge we saw a big salamander… newt?

We also saw a deer with a tiny, speckled fawn that took off in separate direction from its mama in a big clap of lightning. I really hope they found each other again later.

The rain was so heavy that we became utterly drenched within mere minutes despite our raincoats. Ranger and Whistler’s “waterproof” boots were quickly rendered entirely useless by the ankle-height waterfalls pouring down the trail. Yet another reminder why people are adamant about not using waterproof footwear on the AT. When it rains it pours, and all that waterproof boots will do is trap the water inside with your feet and take an eternity to dry out.

Perhaps needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed our last few miles of the day! It was something different and quite exhilarating.

When we got to the trailhead we were picked up by Rewind, one of Whistler’s buddies who was his original inspiration for hiking the AT. Once at the hotel, we had to wait while they rebooted their systems which had crashed in a big power outage during the storm. We resupplied at Walmart in Stroudsberg and ate at Thai Orchid for dinner.

Back at the hotel I repaired a slow-leak hole in my sleeping pad while Chris sprayed our shoes and socks with permethrin and let them dry on the balcony overnight to prevent ticks.

Day 102: 15.5 miles hiked (trail mile 1313.4)

First breakfast took place in our hotel room: microwaved breakfast burritos from the Walmart, with chips and salsa. Second breakfast occurred just down the street at a bakery a couple blocks from the hotel, right on the road back to the trail. The bakery had a spacious garden patio which was packed with hikers. We ordered apple cider donuts and an apple turnover, and ate outside with Spots and Snapshot, Whistler, and Gadget.

Spots and Snapshot, packing out an apple turnover

From there we picked back up where we left off on trail the day before, crossing the Delaware River into New Jersey! A few cars honked in celebration with us as we crossed the bridge.

We hiked past a big pond where we spotted a snake and some large tadpoles. While the rocks are certainly not as bad as the jagged rocks of PA, NJ is still pretty rocky and we had to hike more slowly than we would have liked to. We caught up to Spots and Snapshot and took a break at a spring with a beautiful frog in it.

As the day wore on it became increasingly hot, and although we had caught word that AZ was going to be doing trail magic at a road crossing 7 miles ahead, we took a necessary break to soak our feet in an ice-cold creek. Sweet relief! Whistler got a leech.

From there we hiked as fast as we could to the parking lot where AZ and another trail angel called Hungus were both set up to give trail magic! Hungus has completed two thruhikes of the AT, and between him and the AZ/Meta/Grasshopper/Baked Potato crew many hikers were well fed. We hung out in a semicircle around Hungus’ grill for a couple hours just enjoying the trail community.

Gadget hiked out about a half hour before the rest of our group and found a great campsite 3.5 miles ahead where everyone was able to fit. Our campsite that evening consisted of me and Ranger, Whistler, Gadget, Spots and Snapshot, and Trippin’ and Deepfried.

We found a few ticks today although fortunately none embedded. We hung out with everyone and chatted until sunset. New Jersey has been awesome so far.

Day 103: 14.3 miles hiked (trail mile 1327.7)

Leaf tannins in the water tint the water red (and clog up our filter)

When we broke down our tent this morning, we saw a mama spider carrying a few dozen newly-hatched spider babies on her back. Then, later we encountered a large porcupine, right off trail! It turned to look at us for a moment then ambled off.

Can you spot mama spider and baby spiders?

Today was a grueling and hot day, so when we saw the option to hike off trail a short way for a hiker-friendly tavern situated right on a small lake, we knew we had to stop. We ended up there with our whole crew from camp last night plus Meta, Grasshopper, Baked Potato, and AZ.

Deep Fried, Gadget, Snapshot, Spots, Sticks, Ranger, Trippin’

A water snake came swimming up right at this moment

When we finally arrived at Gren Anderson shelter we were exhausted and overheated. We decided to call it a day and took an hour-long nap in our tent before walking down to the picnic table to eat dinner. Here we met Skirt (a ridge runner aka trail caretaker), and 3 section hikers: KJ, Shoelace, and Woodchuck. They were a hilarious bunch and shared trail stories with us – they had us rolling about an oblivious hiker who actually took down their bear bag (after they had worked really hard to hang it) and walked into camp to scold the dumbfounded section hikers for “feeding the bears” – the actual opposite of a bear bag’s purpose.

Day 104: 18.3 miles hiked (trail mile 1346)

A few miles into our hike we ran into Meta, Grasshopper and Baked Potato taking a break at the next shelter. They were slackpacking today and told us that there would be more trail magic today for dinner! We hiked until High Point State Park where we braked for lunch. It was unbearably hot out by this point—in the low 90s—so we piled onto the floor of the air-conditioned park headquarters to eat lunch.

When we hiked past a blue blaze to a monument Ranger and Gadget went uphill to see it while Whistler, Trippin’, Deep Fried, and I chose to wait with the packs to cool off.

Gadget, Deep Fried, Trippin’, Whistler, Ranger, Sticks

From there we hiked all the way to the trail magic. Just before arriving at the parking lot where AZ had set up, we saw a perfect bear print in the mud on trail!

When we reached AZ’s trail magic set up, we hung out for about an hour, eating hummus, Oreos, and watermelon before pushing on to the Secret Shelter.

The Secret Shelter is an unofficial shelter that is not managed by the AT. It’s less than .1 off trail on someone’s private property. The owner supports hikers and leaves a small shack on the property available to hikers for use as a shelter. The spot is complete with a bunkhouse with a covered patio, an electrical outlet, potable well water with a pump, a privy, and plenty of camping space. Best of all, a friendly, free ranging miniature donkey named Jake spends all his time here! He roams from tent to tent to pilfer unattended bear bags or stands in front of the shelter patio watching people eat.

Before bed we took turns bathing in the cold, thin stream of water that poured from the well pump and went to bed happily free of sweat and grime.

Day 105: 13.6 miles hiked (trail mile 1359.6)

We left the Secret Shelter around 7am and encountered Meta, Grasshopper, and Baked Potato during a pasture crossing. In the pastures were wild strawberries! They were about the size of a thumbnail and not quite ripe yet, but oh so beautiful.

In mid-morning we crossed over some manmade ponds supporting migrating waterfowl. Here we witnessed a young snapping turtle scuttling across the trail toward a pond. As we hiked on the temperatures began to rise so that it became super-hot and muggy. Many of us peeled off our hiking shirts and enjoyed the cool breeze on our sweaty skin.

As we were hiking along a pretty boardwalk that spans a little under a mile of the trail, a big storm began to roll in. The first wave of rain got us a bit wet but was mild.

Just after crossing a large suspension foot bridge, tree line within eyesight, we noticed a dark wall of heavy rain racing across the marshlands toward us, accompanied by chest-rattling thunder and lightning. Someone shouted “Run!” and we sprinted for the tree line getting smacked with the downpour just as we leapt beneath the canopy.

Whistler on the suspension bridge after the first drenching

Once the storm has swallowed us whole, the trail almost immediately turned into a river, and we became entirely drenched. I didn’t even bother putting on my rain jacket and the cool water felt nice. I felt it washing away the salt that had crusted on my skin over the course of the day. We hiked in the thunderstorm for about an hour before it began to subside.

Finally, a last pasture crossing with a few cows and a flock of Canadian geese that must have made an emergency landing when the storm hit.

Canadian Geese waiting out the storm with an unaffected cow — Canadian Geese waiting out the storm with an unconcerned cow

On the opposite side of the pasture, we turned onto a road and hiked about 100 yards to a roadside garden supply shop that sold baked goods, produce, ice cream. The owners are very hiker-friendly and allowed everyone to take shelter from the rain in one of the covered shopping isles outdoors—between the terra cotta pots and the fertilizers—as we munched on goodies from the store and watched the storm calm into a steady rain outside. The owners later offered for anyone who wanted to set up their tent out of the rain to go ahead and sleep overnight!

By then we had already taken Baked Potato, Meta, Grasshopper and AZ up on their offer to sleep in their Airbnb a few miles away. AZ picked us up once the decision was made to seek dry shelter for the night and we dropped Spots and Snapshot, Whistler, and Gadget at a motel on the way to the Airbnb. We were a bit sad to miss out on the chance to camp at the drive-in movie theater in Warwick, but ultimately the siren-call of showers and laundry won out over the movies.

How many thruhikers can fit in a back seat? Answer: at least 5 — How many thruhikers can fit in a back seat? At least 5

At the condo, we all ordered Chinese food for dinner. AZ generously drove us to an ACME for a quick resupply and then we called it a night. Ranger and I slept foot-to-foot on a big comfy corner couch.

Day 106: 17.2 miles hiked (trail mile 1376.8)

Since this crew was going to be slackpacking again today, they invited us to leave one of our packs in the car and slack with them. We would be able to hike about 15 miles with one very light pack and then pick up the rest of our gear and keep going northbound from there. We set off from Vernon and began an immediate climb to the ridge, setting our sights on the creamery 15 miles up trail for a late lunch. We eventually caught up to Whistler and Gadget and hiked as one big group for a while, navigating the big boulder scrambles together and feeling grateful that we weren’t having to inch through this section in the recent rain, which was sure to make these boulders dangerously slick.

On our trek we saw two young copperhead snakes, then mid-way through the day we crossed from New Jersey into New York!

When we reached the Belleville Creamery, we had strawberry sorbet with sour gummies on top and ate pb&js from our packs. Whistler turned 59 today so we all sang him Happy Birthday over a banana split and he blew out Gadget’s lighter for a candle.

In other news, Ranger got his first blister on trail. The shoes he purchased last minute at the Cabelas in Unionville did the trick for getting him over the jagged rocks of northern Pennsylvania, but waterproof/heavy-duty shoes are not so good for warmer weather and normal trail.

We set up camp at the Wildcat shelter and got our tent up just before the rain arrived. We must have gotten just the edge of the thunderstorm because we could hear a lot of thunder but only got a little bit of rain.

Gadget pointed out this anvil cloud which is a sign of a brewing storm

Day 107: 14.5 miles hiked (trail mile 1391.3)

7:15am start. We climbed some rock stairs past a cascading waterfall.

There were lots of rock scrambles and big boulders to scale, in addition to a lot more classic AT PUDs (Pointless Ups and Downs) than we have become accustomed to over the last few hundred miles, so we were moving slowly. Sweet AZ passed us in the morning and gave us a clementine and a banana.

Then, when we braked for lunch on the ridge just before the Agony Grind (a very steep downhill—or uphill if SOBO) Ranger found a newborn baby bird that had fallen from its nest.

A trail angel named Fred was parked at the bottom of Agony Grind, set up on the side of the road with a cooler of extra-large Gatorade bottles (a real treat!) and fresh baked sweets in his car trunk!

Fred, serving homemade baked goods at the base of Agony Grind

A short distance later we hiked past Island Pond. Ranger, Whistler and Gadget dipped their feet in a while.

Next came the “Lemon Squeezer,” a 20 foot or so section of trail that narrowly cuts through a large boulder. So narrowly in fact that we had to shuffle through slowly, maneuvering this way and that, scraping our packs and bodies against the crevasse until emerging on the other side and then bouldering up the steep rock face that led back up to the trail. While these types of things slow us down significantly, they add a fun additional layer of challenge to the trail—we think of them as mini side-quests!

This deer was contentedly nibbling fallen flower petals off of the ground and was undeterred by our presence — This deer was contentedly nibbling fallen flower petals off the forest floor, unconcerned by our presence.

That evening we ended the hike a little sooner than usual at the Fingerboard Shelter. Right after arriving we saw a couple deer that seemed unafraid of people and a very young fawn that followed its mama, happily wiggling its tail. This shelter has had lots of bear activity in the past, so the ATC has installed bear cables. Most shelters in New York have had no food storage options so this was a treat.

Gadget joked that so many deer seem like a pretty good sign that there aren’t too many bears around. Then, as we perched on the big rock outcropping making dinner, Whistler spotted a bear walking only a stone's throw away from where we were sitting! The bear walked right past the bear cables and kept moving in an arc around the shelter until it was out of sight. Our first bear sighting! It was impressive how quickly and silently it moved through the undergrowth.

Shortly after, Trippin and Deep Fried showed up, then about six others we hadn’t met yet. Three hikers slept in the shelter and the rest of us tented, tent to tent, at the one available tenting site down the hill from the shelter. We spent a little time stargazing on the rock outcropping next to the shelter while Whistler’s stargazing app provided ambiance with soothing music that I can only describe as galactic.

Another good day.

Rocksylvania: Days 94 - 100

June 06, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 94: 15.7 miles hiked (trail mile 1194.1)

Feeling competitive about making it to the next shelter ahead of this giant bubble, we got a 6:15am start. Right Wanting to try to make it to the next shelter ahead of the giant bubble, we got a 6:15 start in the morning. Right off the bat we crossed about a 50-yard section of trail that was flooded by beaver dams. We could’ve used the blue Blaze route around, but it would’ve added .6 miles to our day, and we decided to roll the dice with the flooded section, despite the Guthooks warnings of “Zombeavers” and a harrowing tale of someone who attempted to cross in sandals and stabbed their foot on a stick. Ranger made it across without getting wet while I somehow managed to completely submerge one shoe in beaver-poop water.

Meta and Grasshopper, a couple of Michiganders we first met at the campsite last night when they hung their bear bag next to ours, crossed the beaver dam right after us. We hiked with them the first few miles at a good clip, powered by great conversation. They relayed to us that someone in the group heading to the next shelter had a nasty cough and that they were going to be finding a hotel room in the next town of Pine Grove. It is supposed to heavily rain all night and the next shelter, the “501 Shelter” is a fully enclosed space with room for 12 people in bunks and however many more would fit on the floor. The place would have been completely packed tonight with all the thruhikers heading there from last night’s spot, the rain, and any weekenders. Ultimately, we made the decision to shuttle to a hotel at 15.8 miles in; still a respectable day in terms of mileage.

We braked for lunch at an overlook and watched the storm roll in, then took a short hike down to the William Penn shelter, another architecturally unique PA shelter that would’ve been neat to ride out a rainstorm in.

We loved this simple (and comfortable!) bench

When we arrived at our pickup point for Pine Grove, there were a couple section hikers with their friend who was doing trail support. They had packed out way too much food and told us to dig through the box of food they weren’t going to use and take whatever we wanted! We grabbed a couple pop tarts and fruit leathers.

Thanks to our early start and a strong push to try to beat the rain, we made it 15.8 miles by 2:30pm. We arrived at the Comfort Inn with plenty of time to shower, do laundry, relax, and resupply at the Dollar General next door. For dinner we had a giant pizza delivered which we covered with nutritional yeast, bacon bits, and tahini.

Day 95: 17.1 miles hiked (trail mile 1211.2)

Today is an exciting day: less than 1000 miles left to go! 999 miles to be exact. We ate an instant oatmeal and cereal breakfast at the hotel then went down to the lobby to hang out with Whistler and Gadget. Brave was also in the lobby, a section hiker from California who completed the AT back in 2014 and was out to do a section with a friend she met on trail. Since it had rained all night and was still pouring outside the hotel staff gave us trash bags to fashion into rain skirts, and Brave hosted a mini rain-gear fashion show.

We shuttled back to trail with Whistler and Gadget and started hiking by 9:30. Only a few feet into the trail awaited some trail magic: a Costco size package of corn nuts, apples, and water. We did ninety-twos with Whistler and Gadget all day and were happy to discover that we all hike at a similar pace and daily mileage.

At a road crossing this afternoon we met Merlin, who was doing trail magic out of the back of his pickup truck. He has a daughter on trail that he had come to visit and wanted to also offer some trail magic. He had chips, soda, water, candy, and other snacks, and offered to take our trash. So nice! The generosity of folks out here never ceases to amaze me.

We reached camp 17 miles north by 5pm despite the extremely rocky trail sections and the rain, which fluctuated between drizzling and actively raining all day. Temperatures also began to drop in the late afternoon, so we were relieved to make it to the shelter and find some good tent sites. There are few people here tonight, and the four of us were able to snag a little campsite that has its own picnic table and is well protected by trees. We cooked and ate dinner in a steady drizzle of rain, enjoying a Knorr Sides beans and rice with tahini, olive oil, bacon bits, nooch, and shoestring potatoes. By 7:30 we were all damp and shivering, and the temps had fallen to the low 40’s, so we turned in. Fingers crossed this will be the last cold night of the season.

Later in the night: It must have dropped into the 30’s. Ranger struggled to fall asleep with how cold he was on the low R-value Z-lite and we ended up shoving raincoats and pack covers under his pad to try to help with warmth retention. Sending home one of our quilts was a bad idea.

Day 96: 14.7 miles hiked (trail mile 1225.9)

These cute little efts are all over the trail in northern PA!

It was still raining this morning so we started around 9 when the rain began to taper off. A few hours later it picked back up again, and our little group hiked in the rain all morning until reaching the junction for walking into the town of Hamburg. We also crossed the Reading Railroad tracks!

No shuttles were available, so we walked the death-defying 1.2 mile highway shoulder into town, in the rain. Ranger and Whistler got new shoes at Cabela’s which will hopefully help with the jagged Pennsylvania rocks on trail, then we all ate a big lunch at Red Robin.

At the Walmart—while resupplying for the next section of trail—we ran into Meta and Grasshopper again! When we hit the trail again with 3 hours to sunset and about 7 miles to go, with a decent climb out of the valley, the rain had finally subsided. We reached Windsor Furnace Shelter by 8pm and found a few campsites down near the shelter water source.

Day 97: 16.5 miles hiked (trail mile 1242.4)

We have been enjoying hiking with Whistler and Gadget, so continued our ninety-twos with them all day. First thing in the morning we hiked over the Pulpit and Pinnacle Rock, a couple popular overlook hikes in PA.

We lunched at the Eckville Shelter, another fancy shelter that is maintained by a caretaker called Lazy. Lazy was equal parts gruff and friendly and gave us otter pops for dessert.

We are all feeling tired and beat up by all the rocks and were relieved to finally make it to tonight’s shelter. Ranger and I miraculously found a flat tent site among all the slanted/rocky options, and we ate dinner at the picnic table with Jolah and Frogman before turning in.

Day 98: 17.7 miles hiked (trail mile 1260.1)

This next section has less water than usual, so we are carrying a full day of water with us. We all departed camp around 8am and hiked strong through a beautiful, fern-covered forest. There were fantastic campsites, too, with pine needles cushioning the forest floor, makeshift stone seats, and campfire rings. We later found out that Spots and Snapshot, who are just behind us now, snagged one of those awesome sites.

Around mid-day I discovered my first tiny, embedded tick. A couple hours later, Ranger found his first embedded tick, too. Both were surprisingly small, but thankfully easy enough to remove (intact) with tweezers.

We were joined in the late afternoon by Frogman, whose name is inspired by the fact that he is working toward a PhD in herpatology with a specialty in… you guessed it, frogs. He participated in a round of ninety-twos and despite the painfully rocky terrain we made good time getting into the last shelter before town in a rotation of five people.

Toward the late afternoon we neared the descent to Palmerton where Will would be picking us up for a rendezvous in Bethlehem, PA. Ranger and I met Will when we stayed at the alpaca farm. He and his girlfriend, Elisa, were staying there on a road trip to the Smokies and we all hit it off in the brief time we got to chat at the hostel. Elisa is a sports medicine doctor and Will is a medical student with a background in law. They both have an infectious positive energy about them. They were adamant that we should contact them when we made it to the Lehigh Valley, so we did!

Will picked us up in the evening and we rode about 25 minutes into Bethlehem. Ranger and I stayed at Will’s condo while Whistler and Gadget got a hotel room down the street. We got cleaned up and then headed down to a local brewery for dinner. Will ordered just about every appetizer on the menu and we gorged ourselves on incredible food and drinks, sharing stories about the trail and getting to know Will a bit more. He seems to have thought of every detail that might make us more comfortable during our stay here, including a fridge stocked with fresh and healthy foods like blueberries, avocados and hummus. Once again, we are humbled and heartened by the incredible kindness from someone we only just met.

Day 99: 4.5 miles hiked (trail mile 1264.6)

Whistler and Gadget walked over from their hotel room around 7am. Will brewed a big pot of coffee and made delicious egg sandwiches for everyone.

From there we left Will to attend his class while we explored Bethlehem’s Steel Stacks. The town is home to Bethlehem Steel, a giant steel plant that was in operation up until 1995. The steel stacks have since been transformed into a free, self-guided history lesson. Visitors walk along the catwalk through the stacks and are provided historical context via historical markers places along the catwalk.

The space around the stacks has been transformed into an event space with a stage, PBS station, movie theater, and memorial park. After exploring the stacks, we walked to a little coffee shop and had some refreshments before making our way to the Industrial Museum. It was in a converted old factory space right by the steel stacks and contained lots of incredible relics from the industrial revolution including ornate machinery, automated silk weavers, and so much more.

When we were finished, Will picked us up and took us to a Giant for a resupply, then back to his place for lunch. He made turkey burgers for Gadget and Whistler while Ranger and I filled up on hummus, dolmas, salad, and donuts. Elisa arrived shortly before our departure, so we were glad to get to say hello before taking off. We hope they will be able to take some time to join us on trail for a small section somewhere further north.

We were back on trail by 4pm and immediately began the most challenging climb of the entire trail: a rocky and mountainous ascent that turns into full-blown rock climbing at some points. To make matters more challenging, our packs were quite heavy with the recent resupply plus enough water to get us through the night at our tent site.

Day 100: 14.8 miles hiked (trail mile 1279.4)

Today was hard. The trail was full of jagged rocks sizing from small to extra-large, all day long and with no reprieve. Once again there was very little water on trail so we relied on the water caches that generous locals keep filled for thruhikers coming through this dry section.

Feet aching, we decided to call it off early at a little under 15 miles in, so we could be inside our tent by the time the rains hit again. We had a decent little tent site but a dead branch super high up in the tree was positioned a too directly overhead for comfort so Ranger heroically threw the bear bag line over the branch and pulled it down with a giant crash!

Once in the tent, we called my mom to celebrate her retirement from teaching! My mom is the kind of teacher who makes kids fall in love with science and learning. She has been balancing a lot for a while now and I’m so excited to see her reclaim some of her time. Congratulations Mom! ♥️

Brood X: Days 84 - 93

May 29, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 84 – 88: 0 miles hiked (trail mile 1104.8) 5th-9th zero

Since our Philadelphia chapter is a bit of a divergence from the main focus of this blog I’ve decided to condense it into one big summary:

Our first day in Philadelphia we walked to Dottie’s Donuts to pick up breakfast—have I mentioned donuts are my main craving on trail? We passed a Rite-Aid on the way there and decided to ask if they had any extra Covid-19 vaccines so we could go ahead and get our shots ahead of our scheduled time. They did, so we received our second-round Moderna vaccine and headed back to the apartment to await the side effects.

That evening, Mark and Andrea took us to an REI to resupply on some gear items and by the time we got back to the apartment that evening fevers had set in. I ran a 101.1 temperature before taking an ibuprofen while Chris never measured his but also felt feverish and uncomfortable. The next day we were completely wiped out and spent the day resting and napping.

The dogs thought it was just great having so many group-nap opportunities as we recovered from the trail and our vaccines — The dogs thought it was just great having so many pack-nap opportunities as we recovered from the trail and our vaccines

By evening we felt a bit better and walked to Triangle Tavern with Andrea and Mark for some plant-based wings to celebrate. Across from the tavern is a grocery store with a big historical marker indicating that a prison used to sit where the grocery store now is. It is the location of HH Holmes’ execution. Philadelphia has so much history, it’s interesting to see how time seems to fold over itself here. The indications of the passage of time are everywhere and historical markers pepper the city in the most unexpected places.

I spent much of my time in Philadelphia completing the book I’ve carried this far, so I don’t have to pack it out again. It’s a good book—an autobiography by James Alder about his career as a tree-top wildlife photographer—but we’ve been carrying that thing since Georgia and I’m happy to finally shed the weight.

Philadelphia has mentally been our destination for so long that we need to shift our focus toward Maine now. We’re excited to see what the northeastern part of the States holds, and eager to hear the call of the loon when we reach the northernmost sections of the trail. Although Pine Grove Furnace SP was the halfway point in miles, it stands to reason that we are well past our halfway point in time. These days, we are doing such higher daily mileage on average that we should be well on track to meet our goal of finishing the trail by late July/early August.

Ranger is excited to try the famous Dodah’s Cheesecake with some craft beer!

Our time in Philadelphia was just perfect. We got to take Eppie on walks and snuggled with her every night. We also had a zoom call with my mom’s 4th grade class who has been following along with the blog; they asked us some great questions about the trail and told us about some of their own hiking plans for the upcoming summer break!

One morning, we had the best breakfast of the trail at Grindcore House, a heavy metal vegan coffee shop in south Philly. Andrea and Mark took us to explore Bartram Gardens, a botanical garden near the Schuylkill River. We ate a small picnic that Andrea had packed out with fresh strawberries, leftover baked goods from Grindcore, and some olives.

Following snacks, we laid around and read books near a thriving community garden on the outskirts of Bartram Garden. I even fell asleep for a short spell. I can’t remember the last time I felt this relaxed. The trail has been incredible but “relaxing” is not a word I would use to describe it. Andrea and Mark have been such incredible hosts, too, providing the most wonderful space for recovering and resting.

On the way home we explored west Philly by car to marvel at the giant old houses that have been converted to apartments. That evening we watched a great documentary about the Dust Bowl by Ken Burns. Learning about how tough life used to be nearly a century ago makes the challenges of the trail seem trivial and reminds me just how resilient and adaptable we humans are.

Day 89: 2.8 miles hiked (trail mile 1107.6)

The following day we celebrated Andrea’s 29th birthday! I am in awe of my little sister: all that she has accomplished and the wonderful life she has built for herself in Philly. I woke up early to make a big breakfast for everyone to kickstart a full day of birthday activities. After breakfast we drove downtown to explore the Philadelphia Art Museum. The museum is massive, and Chris alone made it all the way to the third floor. The rest of us were tuckered out by then and went to lay in the grass in the sculpture garden. I will have to return to visit the third-floor Asian art exhibit, which contains whole buildings transported to Philadelphia and reconstructed inside the museum.

We really loved this scupture by Roxy Paine; it’s just like all of the fallen trees in the trail that are caught by other trees on their way down… but all metal. — We really loved this sculpture by Roxy Paine; it’s reminiscent of the fallen trees in the trail that are caught by other trees on their way down.

That evening we relaxed around the house and made a stir fry with chili crisp as a topping. Chili crisp has immediately become a favorite condiment and I suggest anyone who hasn’t tried it yet locate some immediately. It pairs well with just about any savory food!

A final element of birthday celebration: Cake!

Andrea and Mark dropped us back on trail at Pine Grove Furnace SP in the evening. Eppie rode along with, and we snuggled the whole ride out. It is so hard to leave that girl behind, but I know she is in the best hands.

Andrea and Mark wore our packs for about 100 yards before we said our goodbyes. We night-hiked out a little over two miles to an unofficial campsite just outside of the park bounds and fell asleep.

Day 90: 16.4 miles hiked (trail mile 1124)

We slept without the rain fly and were awakened early by the sound of rain. Scrambling out of the tent, we broke down camp quickly and set off. It rained off and on all day. There were a few minor rock scrambles today, as the trail is becoming noticeably rockier as we move further north in Pennsylvania. Hikers call it “Rocksylvania” for the dense concentration of jagged rocks on trail that northern PA is known for. The worst is certainly yet to come.

We also started noticing cicadas and cicada shells everywhere for the first time today! We have been looking forward to observing the emergence of Brood X. Learn more about this natural phenomenon here: nps.gov/articles/000/cicadas-brood-x

We stopped at Alec Kennedy shelter at only 12 miles in, intending to call it a day. Once we had camp set up, we treated ourselves to a short nap but were jarred awake by the rising winds identifying a creaky widow-maker that we hadn’t noticed before that was positioned precariously near our tent. This was all the excuse we need to hike on to Boiling Springs, so we packed up camp and hustled the last four miles into town before dark.

Widow-makers are one of the most dangerous parts of camping that are often overlooked by new campers. We always thoroughly check each site before establishing camp to ensure that there aren’t any dead branches or trees directly over our site and pay special attention when a storm is brewing.

Boiling Springs turned out to be a quaint little town that centers around the AT and fly fishing. There were lots of people fishing on the river and lake. With the town’s history of iron forging there were many interesting old stone structures around town that are testaments to the town’s industrial history.

A fisherman cast his line in the town’s crystal-clear, spring-fed lake.

Geese and goslings on the trail as it passes through downtown Boiling Springs

Because of the camping restrictions for the next 14 miles due to private pastures and agricultural land we made a last-minute decision to stay at Lisa’s Hostel in town. Lisa’s husband picked us up at the trail head and helped us get settled into the converted shed/hostel. For $20 a person it will do the trick. The only other person in the bunk house is Chooch and his giant dog, Rebel, who has hiked with him all the way from Georgia. We are sleeping in super narrow bunk slots that are surprisingly cozy.

Day 91: 21.6 miles hiked (trail mile 1145.6)

Lisa dropped us off at the trail in downtown Boiling Springs with Chooch and Rebel the dog who joined us for coffee and juice before heading out.

Rebel, half Pitbull and half Australian Shepherd

The morning consisted of 14 miles of pasture-walking, which was a fun change from the normal wooded view. Near Carlisle we came across an injured orange tabby cat right on trail that had no use of its back legs. Fortunately, a section-hiker arrived right when we did and knew someone in the area that he called to come pick it up and try to get it some help.

A couple with this sweet Great Dane gave us some trail magic Gatorade as we breaked for lunch at an old barn — A couple with this sweet Great Dane gave us some trail magic Gatorade as we braked for lunch at an old barn

Toward the end of the pasture section, we were wading through waist-high grasses and fearing the worst as far as ticks were concerned, although we needn’t have worried, neither of us had a single tick tonight!

At 5:30 we stopped at a quaint little tent site next to a steam and had dinner before tackling the last 3.5 miles to Cove Mountain Shelter. To our immense joy, the shelter had a bear box and some excellent campsites nearby. We met a flip-flopper named Bulldog, set up our tent, and called it a night.

Day 92: 15 miles hiked (trail mile 1160.6)

We left the shelter around 7:30 and hiked 3.5 miles into Duncannon. Duncannon instantly proved itself one of the most hiker-friendly towns we’ve traversed yet. The Sunoco had a great little selection and were super friendly, but we wanted to do a grocery store resupply, so walked a little over half a mile off trail to the Mutzabaugh Market via a well-marked road-path through a quiet neighborhood. At Mutzabaugh we did a resupply for 4 days. As we were finishing up, a store employee approached us to let us know if we ask at the register one of the store employees will drop us back on trail. While we were waiting for our ride, a local pulled up in her truck and told us to hop in, she’d take us right then and there. What a generous place!

Once on trail we hiked a short distance to The Doyle, a historic hostel and restaurant that Ranger stayed at on his first thruhike in 2005. The accommodations are bare bones but it’s an AT-famous spot for its hiker-friendly vibe, neat historic building, and shockingly low rates.

QB, the manager of the restaurant, lugged out some giant film photo albums from 2005-2007 when she learned that Ranger had first thruhiked back in ‘05. It turns out she took photos of many of the hikers that passed through in those years and although Ranger didn’t find his own photo, he found those of many of his thruhiking companions.

Ranger and QB with the album of 2005 thruhikers

After leaving the Doyle we completed a long and hot nearly 2 mile stretch through town and across the Susquehanna River, climbed over a parked train that was blocking the entrance to the trail, and hiked back into the mountains.

When we reached the ridge, a storm hit fast and hard, dumping rain on us in sheets. Once the rain let up, we had a nice hike the rest of the way to Peter’s Mountain Shelter. Here we met a giant group of thruhikers, including Baked Potato, Moss Rock, Giggles, and Goose. They appear to be about 20 people strong and have apparently been just behind us since beginning the trail. We squeezed our tent into a pocket next to all the other tents and managed to get inside just before the rains began.

When the cicadas first emerge from their exoskeletons they are pasty white

Day 93: 17.8 miles hiked (trail mile 1178.4)

Today we lunched at a pretty campsite where we were able to take some time to dry out our rainfly from the night before. Although we used a chamois cloth to wipe it down (repeatedly wringing out the cloth) before packing it away, it was still drenched.

Later in the afternoon we saw a cluster of flowering pink lady slippers near a large mound if coal. We have been seeing signs indicating that old mining communities lived around these woods, so this must be a relic from that past.

We found a huge tenting site with lots of great flat spots at the turn-off for the shelter. That same giant group of thruhikers set up there, too, although we set up our tent on the edge of the campsite. Two thruhikers named Meta and Grasshopper set up their tent near ours and said hello as they bear-bagged off the same easy-access branch we did.

Pine Grove Furnace: Days 78 - 83

May 23, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 78: 19.7 miles hiked (trail mile 1025.2)

Upon waking, we hung out awhile at the Bear’s Den in the living room. In walked Denim Dan, a man from west Texas who fully looks the part. He is hiking the trail in denim jeans, a cowboy hat, a red bandana, and a healthy handlebar moustache.

92 is getting off trail after Harpers Ferry so we said our goodbyes here. We love that guy.

Still not quite refreshed from our big day yesterday, we trudged through the last of the Rollercoaster and set our sails into Harper’s Ferry. Halfway through the day we crossed into West Virginia. Right on the state line is where thruhikers will camp before beginning the ‘4-state challenge’. There are many challenges on the trail but this is decidedly the most popular. Those who undertake the challenge attempt to hike across 4 states (45 miles) on the AT in 24 hours: Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. We briefly entertained the idea but ultimately decided not to risk injury and instead keep challenging ourselves a little bit at a time.

Toward the end of the day, we kept encountering big, sweet-smelling purple flowers fallen all over the trail and eventually identified them as belonging to the invasive Princess Tree. Invasive or not, it made for a pretty change of scenery.

Just before sunset we crossed the Shenandoah River on a busy Highway bridge and checked into the Quality Inn. We ordered pizza and salad from a local joint that delivered to the hotel and took it easy for the evening. We are looking forward to exploring Harper’s Ferry tomorrow!

Day 79: .9 miles hiked (trail mile 1026.1)

Our morning was spent lounging around our hotel room and recovering from the last couple high-mile days on The Rollercoaster. We checked out of our room at 11am and walked up the road to Kelley Farm Kitchen, a vegan restaurant with a breakfast-all-day menu. Here we delighted in plant-based chick’n and waffles followed by lemon cake for desert.

Then, we walked to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s headquarters and took our pictures in front of the classic stone wall and ATC sign. In normal years the ATC takes a Polaroid picture of every thru-hiker and adds it to a giant album that dates back decades. We are a bit bummed we didn’t get the chance to flip through the album and find Chris’s picture from his 2005 hike but such is thruhiking in a global pandemic.

After this we cut through Storer college, a historic Black college from the segregation era that is now a national park. We then returned to the AT to fill in a small section from the Quality Inn into downtown Harper’s Ferry. On the last bit of the AT section, near Jefferson Rock, we ran into Caramel and Curator with Curator’s parents.

From there we all walked to a pub in the historic downtown and enjoyed some drinks. Blue Jacket showed up and pulled up a chair, too. Curator is recovering from a knee injury and Blue Jacket offered up his apartment in Maryland not too far from Harper’s Ferry if Curator needs more time to heal before getting back on trail. Blue Jacket to the rescue!

After leaving the pub, Chris and I walked around the historic downtown a bit together. We had to stop at the outfitter to do a small resupply to carry us another 80 miles. The outfitter selection was meager but will suffice. For being one of the most famous stops along the trail and home to the ATC headquarters, it’s funny how little Harper’s Ferry has to offer in terms of trail services: no hostel, only a single outfitter, etc. After wrapping up at the outfitter we strolled through some of the self-guided museum tours. Basically all of the historic buildings and sites operate as an open air museum and you can wander aimlessly as we did or follow the numerical order. We paid a visit to a candy shop that sold candy that was meant to mimic candies dating back to ancient times and as recent as the 1970’s. Ranger bought sugarplums and peppermint Gibraltar’s and I got a moon pie.

We ate dinner again at Kelley’s Farm Kitchen and again marveled at how delightful the food was. Caramel and Curator’s parents picked us up after dinner so we could sleep on Curator and Caramel’s floor which they generously offered up. We had been planning to hike out in the evening but a nero will be a nice treat for our feet.

Day 80: 17.2 miles hiked (trail mile 1043.3)

Curator and Caramel dropped us off at the trail in downtown Harpers Ferry at 8:30am. The trail here cuts right by the site where the war to end slavery is said to have begun at John Browns Fort. Crossing the footbridge that runs along the railroad bridge across the Potomac River, we were accosted by a giant pit bull who came running up to green us like we were long lost friends. As she joyously escorted us across the bridge we saw an osprey land in its nest atop the bridge, and a train rushed past us into the tunnel carved into the mountainside.

We walked the first couple miles along the C&O Canal, a historic canal that has been converted into a bike path covering 184.5 miles from Washington D.C. to Cumberland, MD. Along this section we spotted a family of geese with four tiny goslings, and a blue heron. We also met another NoBo thruhiker by the name of Second Shot.

Mid-day we stopped for a break at Ed Garvey shelter where we met a ridge runner. This first shelter in Maryland was very impressive in both its unique build and cleanliness. Further up the trail we ran into Whistler, who we first met at the Bear Den, and hiked with him awhile. We lunched near Gath’s tomb, an ornate tomb that was built for a man named Gath but never occupied by him because he was ultimately buried elsewhere, against his wishes.

History all along the trail through Maryland!

We hiked strong with Whistler and reached Dahlgren Backpacking Campground by 4:30 at mile 17.1 and decided to call it a day. This free backpacking campground is extra glampy with functioning bathrooms complete with hot showers! As we were sitting down to enjoy a campfire, Ninja Kitty and their partner Kurt stepped out of the woods, and we all hung out around the fire until nightfall.

Day 81: 17.9 miles hiked (trail mile 1061.2)

Guess we need to be on the lookout for the Snarly Yow, per this historical marker a few miles into our hike today

You can tell it’s the weekend when you suddenly encounter massive amounts of day-hikers and overnighters, and such is the case today. It’s kind of fun answering questions about thruhiking and seeing all the variety in gear.

Shortly into our hike this morning we encountered the Washington monument, built by nearby villagers in honor of George Washington in celebration of the 4th of July, in 1827.

It was an uneventful hike until a steep, steep ascent at the end of the day to our resting point for the night at the beautiful Raven Rock Shelter. Once on top we encountered a beautiful fern-cloaked undergrowth with long-trunk trees glowing in the early stages of golden hour. We found a nice tent site near the shelter on a bed of pine needles and Whistler set up his tent near ours. The shelter and surrounding tent sites are very crowded. As we get further north there is a definite uptick in folks getting out to backpack on the weekends. No surprise, as this country is simply gorgeous. We have made a mental note to get into camp a bit earlier on weekends to secure a site, especially when closer to civilization.

While cooking dinner at the picnic table in the shelter we got to chat with Whistler, another thruhiker named Scrambles who was surviving this section on Spam alone, and a section hiker named Tor. Tor was a neat guy with a career-military background. He had a lot of incredible stories from his Army Ranger days but also had a humble and quiet way about him.

Once back in our tent we spent awhile hacking off parts of our packs that we hadn’t found use for this far with our knife. In the name of comfort and saving money we’ve decided to stick with the packs we’ve been using rather than switching to ultralight summer packs as many do. In closely inspecting our packs, however, we realized there were a lot of extra pieces that we could cut from our packs for some additional weight savings, e.g. the clips that hold “the brain” which neither of us ever use, the ice-ax loop, extra little straps and loops, the load stabilizing strap inside the pack that tends to just get in the way… it was a cathartic activity to say the least.

We are constantly trying to find ways to shave off a bit more weight. Every gram and every ounce might seem insignificant, but they add up quickly and the feet notice.

Day 82: 26.3 miles hiked (trail mile 1087.5)

Determined to make some good miles today to make it the next 46 miles to our pickup point tomorrow by late afternoon, we got a 7am start out of the shelter. We’re eager to spend a few zeros with my sister Andrea and her partner Mark in Philadelphia, who have been dog sitting for us. It will be a good time to rest our muscles and joints and get some delicious calories (the food in Philadelphia is incredible). We said goodbye to Whistler, who is also planning to get off trail for a few days to visit family. We may end up getting back on trail the same day next week.

An early start makes a huge difference in mileage morale, as you can knock out 4-6 miles before most even leave camp, as 92 liked to remind people. We took a 9am snack break at Penn Mar Park, about 5 miles before the border of Pennsylvania. Shortly after, we crossed the Mason Dixon line and entered Pennsylvania!

For lunch we braked at Iron Forge Park and watched some dark clouds roll in. It looked ominous for a couple hours, but we never got more than sprinkled on.

In the afternoon we were passed by Dead Eye, who we hadn’t seen since the Shenandoahs. It turns out he did the 4-state challenge and accidentally started at the first VA/WV state line and thus hiked 17 miles before reaching the actual start of the 45-mile state challenge. He decided to continue and just see how far he could get in 24 hours and ended up hiking 58 miles! Mindblowing.

We had entertained the idea of camping at Caldonia State Park at mile 24, but since the actual campgrounds were nowhere in sight from the AT we decided to press on to the shelter and do a marathon day (more than 26.2 miles). Just before continuing from the park, we received trail magic from a little girl who gave us each a ring pop! We sucked on ring pops all the way up the massive climb to the shelter and arrived at what is hands down the most well-maintained shelter on trail.

Quarry Gap Shelters was comprised of two freshly stained and painted shelters with a covered picnic table between, potted flowers hanging outside, the cleanest privy I’ve seen (with a painting hanging over the toilet), and a porch swing!

Here we were united with Dead Eye who told us he was considering a yo-yo. This is the term for when you finish the AT heading one direction and then turn back around and head the other way. Dead Eye took one of the little shelters and Ranger and I took the other. What an excellent treat this stop was after such a long day of hiking!

Our private (3-walled) shelter for the night

Final thoughts before sleep: I can’t wait to be rid of my z-lite, which has turned into the greatest trial of this journey, leaving me emotionally wretched from lack of sleep, and testing even the seemingly endless patience of Ranger who is (understandably) getting sick of all my lamenting. I should also mention that Snapshot absolutely called it that this would happen.

Day 83: 17.3 miles hiked (trail mile 1104.8)

We took off for Pine Grove Furnace state park, where Mark would be meeting us with a car to take us to Philadelphia. Thanks to the marathon yesterday we only had a little over 17 miles to the park and were able to have a more leisurely hike than the day before. By mid-morning we were passed by Denim Dan and Dead Eye. I hope we see those guys later up the trail.

Southern Philadelphia offers some of the gentlest terrain we’ve encountered thus far, and we had a nice hike into the park, peppered with many a snack break.

At Pine Grove Furnace we snacked at the general store and hung out with Denim Dan and Second Shot until Mark arrived. Mark brought us a slice of pie to eat on the drive and we had a lot of fun catching up while we hurtled toward Philadelphia in a vehicle. Eppie, our terrier mutt, was so startled to see us again (and in our stinky/woodsy/backpacking state) that the reunion was more fraught than we had hoped it would be. Once her initial alarm wore off, we were glad to be on the receiving end of her deep well of affection. To celebrate our arrival, we ordered plant-based pizza and Philly cheesesteaks from Triangle Tavern and called it a night not too long after dinner.

Warning, Entering The Rollercoaster: Days 71 - 77

May 13, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 71: 18 miles hiked (trail mile 903)

This closed cell foam pad z-lite… forget it. It is so hard I feel like I’m sleeping on a slab of pebbly cement. Also, the fabled fire alarm bird paid us a few visits last night and squawked to the tune of “BEEP-WHOOPWHOOP” over and over and with such unwavering consistency that I began to sincerely wonder if we were close enough to a parking lot that there actually might be a car alarm going off.

By morning we were out of camp by 8am and made a pit stop by a picnic area for a restroom break and water resupply. Being in the National Park is so fancy: picnic tables, bathrooms, potable water, bear boxes, campgrounds and wayside/camp stores have made our hike through the Shenandoahs unparalleled in terms of comfort.

We saw a Pink Lady Slipper right off trail! Such a unique plant.

After a few miles, we peeled off at the first camp store in the park. The store is giant—filled with irresistible goodies—and we gorged on snacks and drinks in the company of the Hiker’s Union and Spots and Snapshot. Today was the first day the camp stores have opened back up for the year, so we’re thrilled to have our hike through the Shenandoahs accented by quick and easy resupplies.

Caramel and Curator showed up toward the end of our break and we hung with them for a bit before all departing together. That evening we all reconvened at an unofficial tenting site near an overlook. There was a tent site down the hill a way that was softer and a bit more sheltered from the wind, so we set up our tent there for the night. We ate dinner with our friends and then retired to our tent. My feet ached all day and I think it’s the new shoes breaking in. The consensus from our crew is that it takes a couple days to break in new trail-runners when hiking big miles on them right out of the box.

Day 72: 15.7 miles hiked (trail mile 918.7)

What an incredible day! It was cold and windy when we awoke so we let the sun warm the tent awhile and departed our site around 9am. We hiked strong for the first 10 miles and stopped at a picnic area around 1 for a quick lunch of pb&j bagels. Thanks to some confusion we had around a water source, and with the assistance of the cool weather, we managed to make it the first 12 miles with only a half a litre of water apiece.

We have dubbed these smooth Virginia trails you get every now and then the “can’t believe it’s not butter trail” — We have dubbed these smooth Virginia trails the “Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Trail.”

At 15 miles we hiked off trail a couple hundred yards to a campground store that had high reviews on our Guthook map for being thru-hiker friendly. When we hiked up, we saw our crew from the night before drinking beer and eating snacks at a picnic table out front. We purchased some snacks and drinks and each paid $1 for a 5-minute shower. You had to insert quarters to get the shower flowing and it was hilarious that when the time is up the shower just cuts off without any warning with a loud “CLUNK”.

Thankfully we timed it alright and managed to get clean and enjoy the hot water awhile. I also got to plug my phone and power bank into an outlet outside the store for a couple hours. Our friends made the decision to join us at the next shelter and we all left in our respective pairs to make our way there. Ranger and I hung behind to make an Annie’s vegan mac and cheese dinner in our pot so we could wash the pot in the sink after.

On our way down to the shelter, we saw a rabbit who let us get within a few feet of it while it munched on dandelion flowers.

When we arrived, we scored a decent tent site near Caramel and Curator behind the shelter. The huge crew that hiked out of Waynesboro the same day we did has now passed us so that we are staggered one shelter behind them the rest of the way and will have better campsite selections.

Day 73: 8.1 miles hiked (trail mile 926.8)

It was a cold night. These z-lites really don’t cut it in 30-degree temps with their low R-value. This was the last straw for me, and I will be ordering a different pad as soon as possible. We left camp at 7am and hiked in cold drizzly weather until the turn off for the Big Meadows Wayside. Chris had a cup of coffee, I chugged an apple juice, and we did a light resupply in the general store.

We ran into our crew at Big Meadows Lodge about 8 miles in, around 11am. Apparently, we all had the same idea of dodging the rain. We were seriously considering booking a room, but it was decided for us when we learned the lodge was completely booked. Once inside the lodge lobby it started pouring outside. We made the decision as a group to wait out the rain by enjoying the lodge restaurant and taproom. Mason, a section hiker we met at the shelter the night before, joined our table for lunch.

Mason, Caramel, Curator, Spots, Snapshot, 92, Sticks, Ranger

We ate and drank steadily in the restaurant until the taproom opened at 3, then relocated. 92 showed up, followed by Krash and Hothands. Mason and 92 had both scored one of the last rooms available at the lodge and were quick to offer their floors to anyone who was interested. Considering how chilled we were the night before, compounded by the rain and further dropping temperatures, we decided to take 92 up on his offer. Caramel, Curator, Spots and Snapshot pushed on to the next shelter only 3.5 miles up trail while Krash, Hothands and Deadeye took Mason’s floor.

View from Big Meadows Lodge of rain falling over the Shenandoah Valley

We had a relaxing evening hanging out with 92 in his room and slept decently on our z-lites on the floor (thanks to additional layer of padding provided by the carpet). Also thrilled to be out of the cold and wet for the night.

Day 74: 17.6 miles hiked (trail mile 944.4)

We said our goodbyes to 92 and left the lodge at 7:30am. It was a cold morning, so we hiked fast. We made it to Skyland Lodge around 10:30 and nibbled on some snacks in the lobby. At Skyland we also bought an AT ornament for our Christmas tree.

Later, we enjoyed almond butter bagels for lunch in a beautiful picnic area right on trail.

After hiking awhile, we ran into 92 and his friend who was doing an overnight with him at Byrds Nest #3 Shelter. It was a cool shelter with a fireplace but by this time we had made up our minds to push on.

Nearing our pickup point, we stopped awhile to observe four juvenile buzzards, playfully trying out their wings on a gusty cliff side. It was a comical display; they rocketed around together on the brink of losing control a couple times, squabbled a little bit on land, let their feet dangle down awkwardly as they flew, and floated in place or even drifted backwards while they let the wind woosh beneath their wings. We watched them for a few minutes before leaving them to their escapades.

We made the call to stay at Open Arms Hostel tonight in Luray because they offer free pickup from very near where we intended to call it a day, and it’s supposed to be another very cold night.

Allison and her super sweet dog Blaze picked us up at 5pm from the trailhead where it crossed a major road at nearly the 18-mile mark.

At Open Arms we ran into Hothands and Krash again who were killing a bit of time waiting for Deadeye to catch up. Alison took care of our laundry while we got showered and then took us into town to a Walmart for a resupply. During our drive to the store, she pointed out some of the main sites in Luray. We are both impressed with this quirky town which seems to have much to offer. Since we only must go 30 miles or so until our next hostel we got a tiny resupply, including a couple personal-size frozen pizzas and some fresh foods to cook in the hostel kitchen.

We shared the kitchen and dinner table with Jim, a wanderer who left his corporate job a few years ago to travel in his van and has never looked back.

This was yet another incredible hostel experience for the books; one of the best in fact. We are so glad we made the spontaneous decision to stay here.

Day 75: 21 miles hiked (trail mile 965.4)

After a night of terrific sleep and a hearty breakfast, we got a ride back to the trail with Alison and Blaze. From the top of a mountain, we called our mothers to tell them how special they are.

This afternoon we stopped at Elkwallow Wayside where we once again encountered Mason. We all hung out and snacked awhile before pressing on.

At dusk we saw a couple deer on trail. One was an adult and the other a juvenile that had lost its spots already. Like the deer in the Smokies, the deer in the Shenandoahs are also less timid around people and these two seemed to cock their heads at us in curiosity.

At 21 miles in we stopped about four miles from the edge of the park in a wonderful unofficial tent site (mainly defined by flatness, abundance of trees, absence of widow-makers, and ease of bear-bagging). Tenting options were mediocre throughout the Shenandoahs so this tent site was a treat!

Day 76: 15.1 miles hiked (trail mile 980.5)

We broke down camp at 8. Only about a half hour into our hike 92 caught up with us, having already hiked 6 miles from the shelter we passed him at last night. He proposed that we try out a marine training technique he used to have his recruits do where each person in the group leads at the fastest pace they can steadily maintain for a mile at a time before falling to the back. We did this from 8:30am to 3:15pm.

We also had a flock of wild turkeys run across the trail! Can you see them? Little specks near the left tree line and across the trail.

At one point we stopped at a trail magic cooler left by the local 4H club. It was stocked with gummies, oranges, and juice boxes, and was a delicious treat!

We lunched at Mosby’s Campground. We are passing through some big historical areas from the civil war and this area was supposedly where a confederate troop encampment was established.

Thanks to the swift hiking pace we made it 15 miles to our pickup point for the Stumble Inn Hostel in Front Royal by only 3:15pm. One of 92’s buddies was in town to visit him and he graciously offered us a ride to our hostel.

Break time at the Jim and Molly Denton Shelter - this shelter was FANCY: 2 levels, picnic table pavilion, solar shower, Adirondack chairs and a horseshoes game

The hostel exceeded expectations in cleanliness and kindness. Ranger and I shared a bunk room with 4 twin bunks, but no one else showed up so we had the whole room to ourselves. Spots and Snapshot had the private room across from us while Mason and Mountain Slug occupied the other bunk room. We did a speedy resupply in town at a Martin’s grocery with robots patrolling the isles, ate dinner back at the hostel and turned in for an excellent night’s sleep.

Ranger with a flower from the Tulip Tree or Yellow Poplar

Day 77: 25 miles hiked (trail mile 1005.5)

First thing in the morning, the Stumble Inn owners called us all upstairs to the dining room for a family-style hiker breakfast. David made a vegan African peanut stew with rice for Chris and me. Everyone else got biscuits with sausage gravy and other traditional breakfast fare.

David dropped us back off at the trail this morning. Spots and Snapshot needed to be dropped off at a different junction and needed to swing by the post office for Spots’ new boots, so Danielle took everyone else in the van. David explained to us how they were starting up a foundation as a part of their hostel business called AT Kids. The couple had thruhiked the trail via a flip flop back in 2018 and decided to open a hostel/nonprofit to teach kids from local communities about backpacking.

Native blackberries are in bloom; the berries are sure to soon follow!

We were back on trail by 8:30 and used 92’s marine training hiking technique to cover miles as quickly as possible. We have begun referring to these as “Ninety-Twos”.

Halfway through the day, we sped past a day-hiker, and she called out “do you want some trail magic?” We screeched to a halt and she dug a couple cold Gatorades out of her pack for us to chug. Her trail name is Daisy and she and her 21-year-old daughter are planning a thru-hike for next year. For now, she is doing trail magic and always carries snacks and drinks with her for AT Thruhikers when she day hikes.

The morning zipped by, broken up by two snack breaks, and we stopped at a shelter for lunch at 15 miles in at 3pm. Immediately after lunch we stepped into a section dubbed The Rollercoaster. It is an intimidating 15-mile section of trail just before Harpers Ferry that consists of many steep and rocky ups and downs, each between .5 and 1 mile up and then back down the other side. We barreled through this as quickly as we could, enjoying the challenge of it. Just before sunset we passed 1000 miles!

Guthook elevation map of the Rollercoaster

The reason for this giant push was to make it to the ATC-owned Bear’s Den hostel by nightfall. In this we succeeded, hiking out of the woods and into the hostel—positioned right on top of one of the rollercoaster mountains—just as the final light was disappearing. Now we know we can hike 25 miles in exactly 12 hours.

Hiking at sunset is one of the best experiences! Everything becomes drenched in warm, vibrant colors.

Approaching the Bear’s Den, an ATC owned hostel that has the look and feel of a castle

Hiking 25 miles is also the length I will go to avoid sleeping on that god-awful z-lite. I guess on the bright side we are enjoying this excuse for a little string of hostels. We are now only 90 miles from my replacement sleeping pad, the x-lite.

Caramel, Curator, 92, and Blue Jacket were already here, along with a few others. We were thrilled to see Blue Jacket again since he is getting off in Maryland to figure a couple things out before hopefully getting back on trail.

92 (in loaner clothes), Ranger, and Blue Jacket

We cooked up some vegan mac and cheese in the kitchen and met Whistler, a man who had to get off trail in 2019 and picked back up where he left off in Hot Springs to LASH the rest of the trail to Katahdin.

We are sleeping in an 8-bed bunk room, but we are the only ones in here! Everyone else is down in the basement in the big bunk area.

Such a neat idea, to capture the spirit of a place in each season.

Entering the Shenandoahs: Days 64 - 70

May 07, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 64: 18.2 miles hiked (trail mile 797.8)

All morning we enjoyed an easy hike down to the James River. We hiked along the river for about a mile and saw our first rhododendron buds!

The longest footbridge on the AT is here and it was neat walking across such a wide river on such a narrow bridge. Once across, we began almost immediately ascending back into the mountains; a 4,000ft climb. It’s been in the upper 80’s in the afternoon these past couple days which feels so much hotter while hiking. In anticipation of the heat during the approaching climb, we took a break at a shelter near the base of the mountain to drench our clothes and hair in the cold stream and fill our water storage systems to full capacity.

At the top of the mountain, we saw (nearly stepped on) a baby bunny right in the middle of the trail and took a moment to gently coax it to hop off trail a couple feet so that it wouldn’t run the risk of being trampled by a hiker.

There was also a plaque on the very top of the mountain solemnly honoring the memory of a 4-year-old named Ottie Powell whose body was found in that spot in the late 1800’s after he had wandered away from school and become lost in the mountains.

Once at the shelter for the evening we took care of camp chores while chatting with Boomer, a friendly section hiker. It is the warmest night we’ve had on trail yet and I’m enjoying writing this with the quilt kicked off and using only my midweights to regulate body temperature. Punchbowl Shelter, where we are staying, has a pond right in front of it. There is an impressive chorus of frog song in the air and I’m excited to sleep with the steady ambient forest noise. I wonder if the frogs are what caused a recent Guthooks commenter to write, “a bird kept us up all night mimicking a fire alarm.”

Day 65: 17.6 miles hiked (trail mile 815.4)

This morning we yogied some toilet paper from 3 nice section hikers in camp who were hiking out today. They understood our plight, affirming that “toilet paper anxiety is real.” They gifted us a couple small rolls of paper and a bag of sea to summit wipes. I had underestimated just how much toilet paper we would need for such a long section so it was a relief to know we wouldn’t have to resort to using leaves.

First thing in the morning we passed 800 miles!

Around mid-day we hiked a 1.4-mile section that contained ruins from a community of freed slaves that lived there and farmed the land in the early 1900’s. It was wonderful having a wayside exhibit to explain the history of our surroundings today. Often, we see old ruins with little to no explanation whatsoever.

We once again wet our clothes in a creek before a huge climb. Today feels like a repeat of yesterday: hot, with a huge down followed by a huge up, with no water for a 10-mile stretch. We hiked with Boomer, who kept our minds off the brutal 6-mile climb with great conversation. He is a retired chiropractor from Florida who returns to the AT twice a year to section hike. He has over 900 miles of the trail under his belt already.

There were tons of flowers on our hike today. It has been amazing to observe the growth of the plants around us as they leafed out and are now beginning to flower. Next will come fruit!

When we arrived at Hog Camp Gap, a windy field very near the ridge line, we said hi to Krash, Garfield, and 92, who were set up near the ridge, then made our way downhill toward the water supply in hopes of finding more protected campsites at lower ground. This was the right call. Only 100 yards or so downhill we found a large campsite with soft pine needles coating the ground and huge pine trees to block the wind. Hot Hands and Dead Eye showed up shortly after, and eventually the other guys broke down camp up top and came down to join us out of the wind. Of the thruhikers, 92 alone weathered the windstorm up top.

Day 66: 21.9 miles hiked (trail mile 837.3)

The wind roared all night, but the tent held up well. I crawled out of the tent at one point in the night just to shine my headlamp up at the tree limbs lashing around above and guyed out the tent to give it a bit more structural integrity. The cacophony made it difficult to sleep. When Garfield emerged from his tent this next morning, he was covered with a layer of dirt that had blown in under his tarp tent.

We lunched at a shelter with Boomer before parting ways, since we wanted to pull big miles today.

Later, we chatted awhile with Mona Lisa at the Priest shelter where everyone writes their confessions in the trail log. Our confession is that we never write in the trail logs; and this was no exception. It was entertaining reading others’ confessions though.

After a short stint of night hiking we arrived at Harper Creek shelter, making our longest day of hiking yet at 21.8 miles. It took a good while, but we finally found a flat tent site off on its own in the darkness.

I took an Advil tonight before bed because my aching feet and knees had kept me up the night before. I didn’t want to risk a repeat of that experience when we need to do 22 miles the next day. This is only the second time I’ve taken an ibuprofen on trail, which I’m proud of.

Day 67: 22 miles hiked (trail mile 859.3)

Sticks found a newly emerged butterfly on the trail with still crumpled wings!

When the sun rose and we clamored out of the tent to retrieve the food, we saw that the tent site we had chosen in the darkness beside the creek was in fact an incredible camp site. Although we prefer to have camp set up before dark so that we can have our bearings on our surroundings, there is something wonderful about waking up to a campsite revealed in the morning light.

We got moving around 8am and climbed 3 miles up a mountain. We were both dragging a bit today and around 2pm received a much-needed pick-me-up from a trail angel named Car Hop. We sat around Car Hop’s vehicle on the sidewalk at a vehicle overlook with Dead Eye and Krash, and snacked on Oreos, skittles, Gatorade, and chips. Car Hop completed the AT last year and is now supporting the trail community as a trail angel. He even had hand sanitizer refills, which we had been running dangerously low on.

That evening we ran into 92, a retired marine who hikes big miles. He and Chris discovered that they shared some community affiliations off-trail, and we were fueled on our last 8 miles by good conversation and camaraderie. 92 pointed out the stone walls we had been passing along the ridge lines in this region and told us that they were old barriers from the civil war.

We had resigned ourselves to stagger into camp around 10:30/11 that night to make our goal of 22 miles but thanks to 92 setting an aggressive hiking pace, we careened into Paul Wolfe Shelter right around 9pm, only night hiking by head lamp for about a half hour.

Garfield pointed out a suitable decent tent site to us and we quickly set up camp, ate dinner, and hung the bear bags on a bear pole—the first of many as we head into the Shenandoahs.

Day 68: 4.9 miles hiked (trail mile 864.2)

At last! We made our way out of the woods in a short 5-mile hike from the shelter. We managed to complete the 130-mile Daleville-Waynesboro section in 7.5 days.

It was a beautiful, flower-filled hike out, and just before the entrance to Shenandoah National Park a couple of guys out day hiking (a father and 19-year-old son who we later learned hike together every weekend) offered to give us a ride into Waynesboro. We gratefully accepted and they dropped us at the Quality Inn. We spent the rest of the day doing town chores and recharging.

Day 69 - mile 864.2 (4th zero)

When we saw the rain coming down this morning and the thunderstorms forecasted for the evening, we decided to hold off one more day before entering the national park. It will be nice to feel fully refreshed going into this next section.

We walked to the post office, picked up our REI packages and sent more gear home. We finally went back into our Lighterpack gear list and updated it with everything we’ve cut from our packs since the beginning of the trail. Our pack base weight is now down to about 14lbs each! I’ve sent so much gear home at this point I can fit my new z-lite sleeping pad inside the pack.

We each took an Epsom salt soak in the tub and spent the rest of the day resting. I applied to another scholarship (I found out I received the first one I applied for!) and we both caught up with family on the phone.

Day 70: 20.8 miles hiked (trail mile 885)

For breakfast we had Beyond Meat sausages with bagel buns, microwaved burritos, cereal, and frozen blueberries. Snapshot set up a ride from Stanimals, the Waynesboro hiker hostel, to get back to the trail. Once back on the AT we almost immediately entered Shenandoah NP. We filled out paper permits and deposited them in a metal box at the trailhead. The main permit attached to the outside of our packs.

We hiked on and off with Spots and Snapshot all morning and ate lunch on a rock near a spring with Mona Lisa who we’ve learned is a carpenter from New Orleans.

A storm rolled in suddenly around midday and we welcomed the rain and cooler temperatures after a warm afternoon. After the weather cleared, we saw a small ring neck snake. Later we came upon a grey goose walking northbound on the AT. When it saw us, it waddled quickly around a bend in the trail and was gone when we made it around the bend.

Just about a half mile from our destination, we found a few cans of trail magic food carefully placed in the center of the trail and lovingly adorned with flowers. We snagged the Amy’s vegetarian chili for dinner tonight and left the other two items for the next hiker. We later learned that Snapshot had scored a beer from this same trail magic cache only moments before we arrived!

When we walked into Blackrock Hut (the Shenandoahs call their shelters Huts) Dance Party, who we hadn’t seen since the Smokies, was there! She had taken 4 days off right after the Smokies and had been just behind us ever since. She caught us after doing a 24-hour challenge in which she managed to hike 42 miles straight.

Spots and Snapshot pushed on because there were no good campsites left (especially for their 3-person z-packs tent) but with my ankle hurting and only a 2-person tent we were able to find a rocky and root-filled little site that we will have to make work. I expect doing a 21-mile day on shoes right out of the box is what is causing the ankle pain. Tonight is our first night sleeping on our z-rests; the ease of set up is certainly nice but we will see what quality of sleep we’re able to get.

Virgina's Triple Crown: Days 57 - 63

May 03, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 57: 15 miles hiked (trail mile 690.2)

The temperature began to drop in early afternoon as we headed into another cold front, which could be the last before spring. Not too far into our hike, after crossing pastures and passing near some farmhouses, we encountered an oak tree called the Keffer Oak which is thought to be over 300 years old. Its trunk is enormous, and it is a sight to behold.

Back up in the mountains we hiked a long ridge in our fleece hoodies with the addition of rain jackets to break the extra cold wind. All along this ridge were big rock cairns that are said to be left by early settlers, but no one knows what they were for. Others suppose they are a product of extraterrestrial activity. Whatever the reason, it is an incredible number of rocks piled up along this stretch and is interesting to speculate over.

For lunch at another rock overlook we enjoyed our latest backpacking concoction consisting of a tortilla stuffed with vegan cheese, tahini, bacon bits, hot sauce, dehydrated roasted chickpeas, and fresh spinach; delicious. Grumper passed us with a wad of greens strung up on his pack. It turns out he has a bit of foraging knowledge and enjoys making himself fresh salads with plants he finds. On his menu today is Garlic Mustard greens, something we have been seeing everywhere but hadn’t known what it was! Learning to forage confidently is a huge bucket list item of mine.

We also crossed paths with a young thruhiker who was feeling very ill. He had apparently tried the cold-soak method with dried beans, not realizing that there is a huge difference between dehydrated/freeze-dried beans that have been cooked already, and just plain dried beans. We gave him a few tabs of immodium and pepto from our zip-lock bag pharmacy to tide him over. Drugs like immodium, pepto tabs, benedryl, advil, etc., weigh next to nothing when re-packaged and carried in small quantities, and are a no-brainer to carry in an emergency stash.

Toward the end of our hike a small vole scurried across the trail right at our feet. At first, I thought it was a mouse, but it had no tail and had very tiny ears and eyes. After scurrying back and forth for a moment it finally located its hole and dove back underground.

We had a light sprinkling of snow all afternoon. The sky was so cheerful that it was hard to believe it was snow. At first we thought small white flowers were blowing in from somewhere. We chose to tent at a site only 15 miles in so that we would be done with camp chores and inside our quilts well before sunset since it will be below freezing tonight (have I mentioned what a life-saver AT-weather is?). We found a great site beside a creek and enjoyed a leisurely evening. There was a fresh bundle of dried sage and lavender left in the fire pit so we saged our site and now are huddled inside our quilts while the wind gusts outside.

Middle of the night: we awoke to gangsta rap growing louder and then fading away again as a lone hiker hiked past us in the night. I was a little surprised they didn’t stop as there were ample flat tent sites and so far, we were the only ones here. Their audible music was probably serving a couple different ends: alerting animals of their presence and keeping the nighttime jitters at bay.

Day 58: 14.3 miles hiked (trail mile 704.5)

After an early start to the day, we made our way up a steep grade. I love having a climb first thing on a cold morning as it both warms us up almost instantly and lends to a sense of accomplishment that permeates the rest of the hike. We reached the iconic Dragons Tooth in the afternoon. It was sunny, 45 degrees, and (again strangely) lightly snowing. We took turns climbing up the peak and taking in the incredible views. The peak felt quite perilous when the winds gusted and while I don’t usually have a fear of heights, only Ranger made it to the top for the photo op this time.

We also met a couple who was hiking the ATI. They started the Florida Trail in Key West Florida in January, continued to the Benton McKay trail, and made it to the start of the AT in late March. They will finish their trail in Canada. So impressive! We could tell they were experienced hikers as they zipped past us like an arrow shot from a bow – silent and powerful.

After a surprisingly strenuous descent from Dragons Tooth that had us scooting along on our bums, we stopped at the edge of the protected section between Catawba and Daleville. Because Dragon’s Tooth, Mcafee Knob, and the Tinker Cliffs are so popular for dayhikers and overnighters alike, the forces that be have severely restricted camping in this 20 mile section in order to lessen the environmental impact and allow for revegetation. We know we want to be in Daleville the day after tomorrow when the rain hits so we made the decision to walk up the road .3 miles to Four Pines hostel, a donation-based bunkhouse behind a residence.

Just before turning off trail to make our way to the hostel, we saw a Pileated Woodpecker! They are giant birds compared to the smaller Downy Woodpecker. It was so neat to see one up close. Before this we only had heard them with their slow and deliberate “clunk, clunk, clunk” pecking sound compared to the rapid-fire pecking the smaller bird makes.

This is our first time staying in the bunkhouse at a hostel. So many have the vaccine at this point—and we should be about 25% protected by now—so we decided to go ahead and share a bunk to get out of the freezing temps. Chris played Magic the Gathering with the hostel caretaker and drank free beer with Bachelor Party while I lay in my bunk and chatted with Waddle, a LASHer who is getting off trail tomorrow (LASH stands for Long-Ass-Section-Hike). He plans to try to camp under the interstate in Daleville because camping under an interstate bridge is the only thing on his bucket list for this hike that he hadn’t accomplished yet.

Day 59: 16.4 miles hiked (trail mile 720.9)

Today was a special day on our thruhike. Yesterday we did Dragon’s Tooth and today we visited McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. These are some of the most iconic parts of the Appalachian Trail and just happen to be concentrated in a 25-mile section.

We slept surprisingly well in the bunkhouse at Four Pines. The bunks were completely full and a couple hikers slept on the couches, yet there was a minimal amount of snoring and rustling so we were able to get some decent sleep without reaching for our earplugs. We shared a bunk, not much narrower than our tent footprint anyway, and left the suggested donation of $20 per bunk. A hiker’s partner surprised him at the hostel, showing up with a huge assortment of food for everyone. I took a tomato and an oat bar for later.

We hiked through pastures all morning and even passed a few cows this time, as well as a deer skeleton. Pasture walking is always lovely and has been a distinct feature in Virginia.

After about 9 miles, and a steep climb that we hiked hard on, we reached McAfee Knob. On McAfee we did the iconic photoshoot atop the ledge and had a snacky lunch while looking out over the view of the valley.

Later in the day, as we were approaching Tinker Cliffs, a heard of adolescent cows came confidently marching down the center of the trail. My first thought was that they were bears until logic kicked in. Behaving like dogs who had escaped a pen, they zig zagged all over the place, eagerly smelling and consuming all they could.

When we reached Tinker Cliffs, we were so impressed with the view and the seclusion. It is a far less popular destination than McAfee Knob, but the views were spectacular. Here, we also observed a hilarious buzzard mating ritual where the male kept stalking around with his neck and wings out while the female looked on casually.

We stopped for the night at Lamberts Meadow shelter, which is packed with thruhikers and overnighters, but fortunately has plenty of good camping sites. For dinner we had mashed potatoes, doctored with nutritional yeast, oil, bacon bits and salted chickpeas.

Day 60: 9.4 miles hiked (trail mile 730.3)

We awoke to the sounds of chirping birds and decided to get out of camp quickly to get into Daleville before the incoming rains. We broke down camp and were on the trail by 7am. After climbing Hay Rock, a giant Boulder that permits an excellent view of the valley and reservoir below, we reached town by noon.

Just before getting to town, we got a text from Caramel letting us know that she and The Curator, as well as Spots and Snapshot, were still in town and getting Mexican food across the street from the hotel that evening. We were elated to reunite with our friends in town! We checked into the Super 8 which was about a 5-minute walk from the trail, and switched into town-gear which includes orchestrating errands and tasks like showers, laundry, grocery resupply, outfitter, and post office… and eating everything we can get our hands on.

Our first order of business was combing through all our gear and doing another paring down of gear that we don’t think we’ll need moving forward. With only one more cold night in the forecast, and already heading into May, we are making some adjustments to our sleep set up. Namely, I’m sending home my quilt so we can just share Chris’s by opening it up all the way and draping it over our pads. It’s a bit of a gamble but we’re desperate to shed any extra weight and this will create a significant savings. At the next opportunity we will switch to lighter weight warm weather z-rest sleeping pads.

We walked to the Kroger a half mile up the highway which was situated right next to an outfitter. At the outfitter we picked up a few dehydrated dinners and a replacement filter for our Be Free Katadyn since the flowrate had become frustratingly low despite cleaning it every time we could.

We entered a kind of hiker heaven at the Kroger, which had absolutely everything we could have asked for to resupply for this next section (and to put some good and fresh calories in our bellies in town). The folks that work in the deli don’t blink an eye in these trail towns when I bat my eyelashes and ask for “7 to 10 packets of Mayo or jam, please”. The Kroger had a Daiya vegan cheesecake, the likes of which I’ve been dreaming of since we started the trail. We also bought some fresh raspberries to eat with the cheesecake. After the resupply, we sat outside the store and repackaged the food, discarding all of the external or excess packaging, so we wouldn’t have so much bulk to carry on the road back to the hotel.

Before departing the shopping center, we paid a visit to a Japanese restaurant where we ordered tofu noodles and rice dishes that we scarfed down before heading out to meet our crew for Mexican food. It was awesome reuniting with everyone at second dinner since we had been a few miles behind all of them since Damascus.

Back at the hotel my former coworker, Eric, who lives only a few minutes from the trail, swung by to help us out by picking up the gear we needed to ship home. How cool it was to catch up with that guy for a second under such unique circumstances, and what a huge help it was to be able to shave that extra weight off our packs before this next section.

We were up late prepping for tomorrow’s departure but feeling great about the restful night of sleep we will get tonight, and the amazing food we will have to get us through what will be the longest stretch we’ve gone without a resupply: 130 miles.

Day 61: 11.2 miles hiked (trail mile 741.5)

After eating lunch at our hotel, we left town at noon and hiked out only about 12 miles into the mountains. Our packs are very heavy, bulging at the seams with the food we are carrying to get us through this next big section.

There is so much new growth on the trees that the forest is a brilliant green. The azaleas are also in bloom all over; I love their dramatic display. When we reached Wilson Creek shelter, we saw 92 and Waterboy, who had bunked in the beds next to us at Four Pines hostel.

There are frequent rumors of Fresh Ground being in our area doing trail magic, but we have yet to encounter him again.

Day 62: 20.8 miles hiked (trail mile 762.3)

Oops, I left my Kula Cloth back at the shelter this morning draped over a branch, and didn’t realize until we were much too far to turn back. I will pay penitence by picking up trash along the trail today.

We had a beautiful hike along the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway all throughout the day.

We continuously crossed paths with Hot Hands, Krash, Dead Eye and Shotgun. Dead Eye has a thing for snakes, and pointed out a green tree snake in a tree just off the trail. After a day of focused hiking, we made it to Bryant Ridge Shelter making our biggest day yet of 20.8 miles. Purported to be one of the coolest shelters on trail at 2-stories tall and with a big wrap-around porch, we were looking forward to staying here.

When we arrived at the shelter, we could already tell there were weird tensions between the non-thru-hikers and the thru-hikers but were too tired to move on. The crew we had been hiking around all day was there as well as a LASHer and an overnighter. All had been partying for at least a couple hours by the time we arrived. After some really award confrontations, the guys all decided it best to leave and night hiked out around 9pm. We could hear them howling at the pink moon through the trees as they put distance between themselves and the shelter.

Too fatigued to move on, we opted to sleep on the porch of shelter, a magnificent wrap-around patio. Garfield napped inside the shelter, planning to catch a few hours of sleep before hiking by moonlight through the night, and Nine to Five arrived after dark and set up his pad on the porch near us after pulling a 30-mile day to catch up with his friends (the ones who just left). My phone was already near-death and Nine to Five generously shared one of his mega power-banks with me. Nine to Five is working his full-time job out here so carries his laptop and other necessary devices, along with all the power he requires to be able to work from literally anywhere. There is no way we would make it out of the section with phone power without his help.

Day 63: 17.3 miles hiked (trail mile 779.6)

The LASHer and overnighter continued to make a huge commotion even after multiple confrontations throughout the night asking them to quiet down. Garfield eventually gathered up his stuff and left without getting any sleep. My x-therm sleeping pad also developed a hole because I stupidly slept on it directly on the porch and deflated fully every hour. Now I know why hikers tend to still lay down a tarp beneath their pads in shelters: to safeguard against splinters. After getting no sleep we decided to ditch the shelter at 4am and hiked by the light of the full moon until the sun came up.

On our hike we found a phone on the trail and brought it with us, assuming it probably belonged to one of the guys who night-hiked out of the shelter last night. As flustered as I was from the situation back at the shelter and the lack of sleep on top of that, it was nice to hike in the cool air up the next big ascent. We ate breakfast while watching the sun crest the mountains with the moon still on the horizon on our opposite side which was an amazing feeling. Just before sunrise we hiked past a person laying on the ground and realized it was Garfield, who had stopped to cowboy camp a few yards off trail.

3.5 hours later we arrived at the next shelter north by about 5 miles. Sure enough, this is where the guys had crashed for the night, and the phone belonged to Krash, who had already pushed on. Shotgun, a 17-year-old kid who graduated high school early and is now solo-hiking the AT, offered to carry it to the next hostel where he would be seeing Krash later tonight. Here we were also reunited with Spots, Snapshot, Caramel and The Curator! We hung out for a bit and commiserated over the situation that transpired last night and then pushed on toward Waynesboro.

On a mountaintop we took a moment to order me a new pair of trail runners, since my Solomons will have made it over 800 miles by the time we reach Waynesboro and the sole is starting to visibly compress, not to mention the holes forming in the mesh. I have been so impressed with these shoes. Many already had to replace their shoes as early as 400 miles in. We also ordered a couple Z-lite Sol Thermarests primarily because we’re tired of blowing up our pads every night and these will be perfect for a speedy camp set up and break down.

On top of Apple Orchard Mountain, we encountered a giant FAA tower. An apple orchard would have been cooler, but we’ll take what we can get I guess. We also had a black rat snake and a garter snake cross our paths during the hike. Around mid-day we passed beneath the famous Guillotine: a fallen boulder wedged tightly between two other larger rocks. The trail passes just beneath the boulder.

It's a hot day. We braked at a shelter for lunch with Hot Hands and Dead Eye, and refilled our waters in a small spring with a couple big bullfrogs in it. Mmm, bullfrog tea. I also peed in the buggiest privy I’ve ever used the toilet in – the flies had taken over. Shortly after, we saw our first tick crawling up my leg. It is time to start being extra vigilant. Black flies and horse flies are starting to become a big nuisance, too. The black flies arrive the second you stop and like to rip large chunks of flesh from your body while gnashing their teeth (at least this is how I visualize it). The horseflies have made the privies even more unappealing than they were before and now we both just use the woods to take care of business as often as we can. Speaking of, I also squatted in some stinging nettle today. It only takes once to be able to identify that one with confidence.

The trillium has begun to bloom, and mayapples are everywhere.

We finally made it to our stopping point for the night: a campsite in a somewhat open area with grass. We found a flat spot a little way uphill from the other campers and managed to get our bear-bag hung after what felt like a long hunt for a decent hang. We are sleeping without the rainfly. It is sure to be another bright night with the full moon. Time for some much-needed shut-eye.

Woods Hole: Days 49 - 56

April 24, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 49: 12.8 miles hiked (trail mile 558.6)

Today is Chris’s birthday! We enjoyed cereal and donuts for breakfast, with fresh strawberries.

After breakfast we gave the strawberry tops to the chickens, and Chris was sneak-attacked by the rooster a few times. We then spent some time ordering gear online—including new shoes for Chris, an extra battery pack for my phone (we’ve made it this far with a tiny freebie power bank that won’t even give my phone a full charge), replacement odor proof bags, and bug nets. We used the next hostel we plan to stay at as the shipping address.

At 10:30 we started out from hostel with ultra-light packs. We are camping in the woods tonight but returning tomorrow morning for our vaccines and planning to take a Zero at the Long Neck Lair. Because of this we were able to leave half of the stuff we don’t need from our packs at the hostel in a big cardboard box.

While hiking out of town the pharmacy called and is switching us to the Moderna vaccine because the J&J is being pulled due to reports of rare but severe blood clotting.

Today we passed a sign on trail indicating that we have now made it a quarter of the way on our thruhike to Maine! We’ve come a quarter of the way! We’ve only come a quarter of the way…

Towards the end of the day, we walked through some pastures, clamoring over the tallest fence ladders we’ve had yet. We didn’t see any cows and were grateful since some of the comments on our map app, Guthook, were about being chased by angry bulls.

We ended our hike at a campsite next to Possum Creek, a stone’s throw from a parking lot just a short distance from Bear Garden Hostel from which we will be getting a ride back into Marion for our vaccines. The campsite was excellent, although a bit close to vehicle access for our taste. Thankfully we were the only ones here.

Then, a man suddenly approached our tent just before sunset just as we were starting to doze off, bending over to peer into our tent and introduce himself. He said he was looking for a hiker named Victory Girl and was putting up flyers for her to call him so he could help her out. His story was hard to follow and the interaction shook us up a little bit. Weirdness like this is exactly why we prefer to camp away from roads/parking lots.

Day 50: 0 miles hiked (trail mile 558.6 (3rd Zero!)

We woke up early and walked a short distance to Bear Garden Hostel. Bert (short for Roberta) gave us a ride to Marion with a solo-hiker named Jiffy Bear, an older man who we first met just outside of the Greyson highlands, chain-smoking cigarettes in the shelter in the dark, but this was our first chance to meet him in daylight. Jiffy Bear had been shelter-sleeping the entire way, and carrying a machete, but must have decided that a tent would be more useful than a machete, so was heading to Walmart to pick one up. Jiffy Bear is one of many distinct characters we’ve met out here – it’s always interesting to meet people who break the typical thruhiker mold.

We arrived early in Marion but the pharmacist told us they could go ahead and administer our vaccines. A painless shot in the arm and we were free to go; we will have about 50% protection from Covid-19 in 2 weeks time. In 4 weeks, we will be able to get our second shot somewhere farther up the trail.

We tagged along with Bert and Jiffy Bear on their errands and got a bonus trip to Ingles out this arrangement and were able to pick up more fresh food for our Zero back at the alpaca farm. We knew we wanted to stay here post-vaccine because it was such a relaxing and clean environment where we could enjoy a tub soak and lounge all day.

Day 51: 20.6 miles hiked (trail mile 579.2)

This morning we got a ride from Ken back to Possum Creek, the campsite where we had left off on the trail. We had a nice morning of hiking, both fully aware of how much the day of rest had helped with recovery.

When we reached Lick Creek, we discovered the bridge had washed out so we had our first creek fording. The water was take-your-breath-away cold, and we caught sight of a crawdad scooting through the water around our feet.

Chris demonstrating how cold the water was!

Around midday we hiked through a burned section; a wildfire had ripped through the area only the day before. Although thruhikers were permitted to pass through the area, wildfire fighters were still combing the perimeter of the burned area. One of them told us they had been working nonstop since yesterday.

While lunching, perched on a log, we met Splinter and Turtle Power, a couple of retired guys who are platinum blazing the trail. Platinum blazing is where you hike during the day and sleep in hotels, Airbnb’s, etc. at night. They have two vehicles and always leave one at either end of the section they’re on that day.

From there we hiked up to Chestnut Knob Shelter where we were reunited with Blue Jacket, and Squirrel with his well-behaved scruffy dog, Texas.

Definitely one of the nicest shelters we’ve encountered

Determined to pull a 20-mile day today (and forced to move on due to the lack of water on the ridge) we decided to carry on hiking into the night. Just before dusk we encountered a few deer which acted unafraid of us. We night hiked for a couple hours as a surprisingly cold night set in, temperatures dipping below freezing. We also saw a speckled salamander by headlamp!

The deer blend in with the forest so well

At 20.7 miles, just after breaking our mileage record, we stopped at the first stealth campsite we could find. We hung our loaded bear bags, chugged some water, skipped dinner and got into our quilts. The night is clear, so we are sleeping without the rainfly.

Day 52: 16.8 miles hiked (trail mile 596)

We slept well at our little stealth-site although the temperatures fell into the twenties rather unexpectedly and in retrospect, we wished we had put the rain fly on for the 10 degrees or so of warmth it adds (but couldn’t be bothered to get up in the night to improve our situation). We are getting more confident with our bear bagging, too. Chris is skilled at flinging the rock bag over just the branch he’s aiming at, and I’ve developed a system for tying it off neatly, so we take on the task as a team each evening. In the mornings I’m usually the first to go retrieve the bag, driven by the promise of breakfast. We are eating more cold, ready-made breakfasts now to save on time and cover more miles.

We hiked until about noon and braked for lunch at a surprise picnic table near a road crossing. It is a rare treat to have a table or a bench on the trail, so we usually stop to enjoy these luxuries when they make an appearance. We rehydrated a pouch of freeze-dried chili, ate it with a side of Fritos and fresh spinach, then filled up 5 liters of water to carry us through until next morning, since there is no good water source to be had for the next 15 miles or so.

There was about a mile and a half of road walking today. During our road walk we met Rabbit, a fast-moving, young solo hiker who is going to law school at Berkeley when she is finished with the trail. We also saw a weasel crossing the road!

In the last mile of our hike, we ran into Hothands, who was planning to push on to Jenny Knob shelter. When we made it to our tiny campsite on a ridge line around 7:30 we got set up quickly, took care of camp chores, and were in the tent before sunset.

Day 53: 17.9 miles hiked (trail mile 613.9)

We had a good night on the ridge. The winds stayed fairly calm and temperatures hovered in the mid-thirties. On our hike we met Sunrise, a hiker who is starting at Harpers Ferry and hiking to Springer then flip flopping to hike Harpers Ferry to Katahdin. She assured us that Woods Hole, our next shelter, was sure to be an incredible experience. Dr. Who had also advised us early on in our hike, while we were still in Georgia, that Woods Hole was a special hostel.

Hiking down from the ridge we passed through a more open area, part field, part woods, filled with blooming flowers and trees. We then crossed a neat suspension foot bridge.

On the other side of the bridge, we ran into a dayhiker from Salem, VA, that we had seen on and off during her hike today and she gifted us a small tangerine. A burst of fresh flavor, however small, is so welcome on the trail, especially when we are toward the end of a 4-5 day section and subsisting only on processed foods.

We eventually settled down for the evening in a small unofficial campsite tucked in between rhododendron groves. Much of the end of our hike today was through long stretches of rhododendron tunnels which are quite dim and make us feel like the sun is setting even when we have a few more hours of daylight left. Long rhododendron stretches make me feel a bit broody, a bit like hiking in fog does.

Day 54: 11 miles hiked (trail mile 625.5)

Ranger, enjoying a pot of gruel (aka Great Value Oatmeal) for breakfast — Ranger, enjoying a pot of gruel (aka instant oatmeal) for breakfast

It was a cold morning, so we took the time to make some instant oatmeal we had found in a hiker box and wait for the sun to reach us. Our morning hike took us through a pine forest (always exquisite) and more rhododendron tunnels. We snacked next to a man-made pond with some lovely, well-maintained campsites around it before continuing the rest of our short 11-mile day to the detour for Woods Hole Hostel, then another half mile down a gravel road to the hostel. Even though we will stay at a hostel in Pearisburg, 13-miles up trail, we had heard wonderful things about Woods Hole and had logged it as a must-stay hostel along the trail.

At the hostel we met Singing Hawk, who is working at the hostel this season. He has a meditation podcast and is going to be returning to the trail in June to complete his hike from last year. Neville, the owner, led a free yoga class for all the hikers in a circle on the lawn. She is a mindful, creative, and sustainability-focused person with a magical touch for the hostel business.

There are 3 friendly dogs and 2 cats at the hostel, and one of the dogs kept eagerly running from person to person during the yoga session to jam his nose under a hand or arm in search of affection.

The hostel is steeped in history and filled with interesting art and antiques and other knickknacks. You can tell that every little thing is given careful attention, including the systems that are in place to keep the hostel running smoothly. There are little hand-painted notes everywhere to provide guidance to newcomers.

Because there was a mix up with our room, we ended up being moved to a different part of the house: a private lofted space in the original log cabin part of the home before it was added onto. The space is so charming, and we felt as though we had our own apartment, complete with a dining room table, sofa, wood burning stove which exuded an incredible amount of heat and sleeping loft with a view over the farm and mountains beyond. We could hardly believe our luck. For dinner we had a loaf of homemade fresh baked bread and dipping oil from the hostel combined with some mashed potatoes and jam that we had in our packs.

We received all our REI packages that we had ordered from the Alpaca Farm and Chris reveled in the feeling of having new shoes. His shoes had fully blown out on the sides by the time we hiked up to Woods Hole, fully exposing his sock in places, so he was well overdue for some new ones. We kindled a fire in our wood burning stove and checked out some of the interesting books in the little library in our room until it was time for bed. Chris found an anatomy book and I photographed some of the pages with my phone so I can study up on some basic anatomy knowledge while hiking to prepare for grad school.

Day 55: 11.6 miles hiked (trail mile 637.1)

Neville led us all in a gratitude circle after ringing the breakfast triangle on the patio. We all went around the circle and voiced our name, where we are from and something we’re thankful for. I’m thankful for this hostel, which is the perfect place to nourish body and soul.

Following, we enjoyed a huge family breakfast that fed about 20 people with peach cobbler made from peaches from the Amish community down the road, fresh baked bread with an assortment of homemade jams and hummus, farm fresh eggs cooked in a giant cast iron skillet, oatmeal with syrup and fruit and seeds, a salad with greens from the garden, and leftover homemade espresso cake. When we settled with Neville before departing, we left a donation for the Broke Hiker Jar. It’s a unique idea to allow hikers to pay it forward to one another and allow a hiker without the funds to still partake in a community meal or receive a bunk at the hostel. We receive so much kindness and generosity out here we were glad to partake.

After breakfast we headed back to the trail on the road, Chris wearing his new shoes and insoles, and with them a fresh outlook on life. We hiked awhile with 4 hikers that call themselves the Hikers Union, including Ninja Kitty and Mona Lisa. They are fast hikers, so we lost them quickly, but enjoyed their good spirits.

We hiked along a ridge for a while and ate pb&j tortillas while perched on a cliff overlooking Pearisburg, where we are headed. As we reached lower elevations the woods became vibrant green and coated with wildflowers of all different colors.

Doc Pepa, owner of Angels Rest Hiker Hostel where we are staying tonight, picked us up from mile 637.1 at the parking lot on-trail near an old cemetery. We are sleeping in a room inside the house, which has a fully equipped kitchen we can use. We ate an oily dinner at the Mexican restaurant across the street and later regretted not using the kitchen at the hostel to make something more nourishing. After dinner we did a resupply run at the Food Lion and Walgreens then returned to the hostel to repackage food for our trek to Daleville.

Chris chatted in the kitchen with the hiker staying in the room across from us, Sky, while I hid in our room and caught up with family back home. The trail can feel so social sometimes that when I’m at a hostel I find myself taking any moment of private time I can get.

Day 56: 18.1 miles hiked (trail mile 675.2)

This morning we had to shuttle around a 20 mile section that has been closed to hiker access for months now due to a storm that damaged some major power lines and blew down a bunch of trees. There have been rumors of hikers trying to traverse this section despite the warnings. One decided to turn back and exit the way he’d come. Another made it through, but it took her twice as long because of the blow downs and overgrown trail. We’d rather just come back and fill in this section at the end on our road trip back to Texas.

The last 20 miles

A note from the future: We did end up coming back to complete this section on our road trip back to Texas. We weren’t purists in the most rigid sense, but since we had the opportunity to not skip a whole 20-mile section we decided why not. The month after we summitted Katahdin, we pulled into Angel’s Rest Hostel with my sister, Andrea, and tented/hammocked in the yard. Early the next morning, Doc Pepa drove us to the far point so we could slack-pack back to the hostel. It was so much fun giving my sister a taste of the trail, and the gentle rolling hills of Virginia were a treat after the physical feats required by the most northern parts of the trail.

We woke up early to shower and eat some cereal before our shuttle arrived at 8:30 with a couple other hikers in it, Glacier and Bachelor Party. We were dropped off at mile 657 and began a steep ascent back up into the mountains. At one point we heard a fighter jet flying low through the mountains. You can’t help but stand still and observe when they do this because the sound is so powerful and reverberates throughout the mountains. After the first major ascent we stopped for a short break at a shelter where Chris found a neat, melted hunk of glass near the fire pit. Someone had installed a nonfunctional outlet in the shelter as a prank. Cruel and hilarious!

While lunching on an overlook, Chris saw a Black Hawk Helicopter which glinted at us in the light. The hike was challenging with our full packs, the steep elevation changes, and rocky terrain. It rained on us a bit about 4 miles from the shelter, but the sun went on shining, and we witnessed a vibrant rainbow through the trees.

When we finally made it to the shelter just before sunset, we were surprised to find the largest crowd we’ve encountered since the Smokies: 4 in the shelter and about 12 tents around it. It was not a great area for bear bagging, but we found a branch that will at least present an obstacle for the bear. We ate chili with Fritos on a log beside our tent in the dark, moon in half-waxing phase above us. Turns out we did just over 18 miles today… not bad, all things considered. We are falling asleep to the pleasant sound of light rain on the tent.

Virginia is for (Alpaca) Lovers: Days 42 - 48

April 15, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 42: 7.3 miles hiked (trail mile 471)

A couple miles outside of town we encountered Blue Jacket on trail and ended up hiking with him all the way down to Damascus. We all stopped at the local diner with our packs on the way to our hostel and ate veggie burgers at the patio tables out front.

Once checked into our hostel we visited the two outfitters down the street to survey the selection, and then took a short nap in our room before making our way to the local Food City grocery store. It was a pretty, flat walk to the store on a trail next to the river. The store had a surprisingly good selection. We probably bought way more food than we will be able to eat while in town but will give it our best try. Leaving the store, we were absolutely loaded down with bags, and a guy pulled over almost immediately to offer us a ride back to our hostel about 1.5 miles away. We accepted gratefully and rode with him and chatted with windows down all the way back to our hostel.

For dinner I made a huge veggie and tofu stir fry while Chris repackaged food from the store. Repackaging food is a whole ordeal since you don’t want all the extra packaging weighing down your pack and taking up space! It’s a satisfying task, and something I’m honestly going to miss when I’m back in the real world. It also makes us hyper aware of just how much unnecessary waste food packaging creates…

Day 43: 5 miles hiked (trail mile 477)

First thing in the morning I sprayed our hiking clothes and tent base with permethrin in anticipation of the higher volumes of black flies, ticks, and mosquitos that spring will bring. It is still early in the season, but we figured why not be prepared. After, we made a lovely breakfast at the hostel and prepared for a day of logistics. “Nearos” (near zeros) are not very restful but are still a chance for our bodies to take a break from lugging around the backpack weight.

I walked to the outfitter down the road and replaced my Superfeet insoles which are supposed to be replaced every 500 miles. My feet had started to recognize every rock and root beneath them, and I pulled out my insoles in Damascus only to discover that they were absolutely crushed in certain places… offering almost no protection. It feels amazing to have fresh cushion in my shoes. Chris needs to replace his La Sportivas shoes soon; they have both blown out on the sides. My Solomons may have another few hundred miles in them, especially now that I have new insoles. I’ve been really impressed by the build and durability of this shoe, especially watching many Altra users replace their shoes after only 300-400 miles.

We decided to ship home some of our gear that we barely ever use, including some of the winter gear that we hardly touched even when it was at its coldest. This shaved 4.5 lbs off our packs! Good thing, too, because we are packing out an absurd amount of good food this time, including a half-full gallon bag of vegetable stir-fry leftovers, hummus, vegan cream cheese, bagels, a gallon bag of spinach, and other fresh goodies.

We left town around 4pm by way of the AT and Virginia Creeper biking trail which run parallel to one another, occasionally merging into one, for the next dozen miles or so. About 6 miles in we stopped at golden hour at a campsite tucked right between the AT and the Virginia Creeper Trail. It was a beautiful site, near a bridged creek. This was after skipping over a campsite that a Guthooks user had commented something to the effect of, “this used to be such a nice campsite until all those people were murdered”. Pretty good trick to deter campers if you asked me… I wasn’t going to take any chances. We dined on cold veggie stir fry from a ziploc bag with hummus and ritz crackers.

Our food bags were so stuffed that we couldn’t even close them completely, but we figured out a trick for hoisting the rope that made a huge difference. Once the string was looped over a strong branch, I wrapped the end we needed to tie off around my trekking pole and just walked it back as far as I could, wrapping the string around a tree a few times before tying it off. This method is going to be a game changer! Tonight’s lows are in the 40’s so we are going to try sharing one quilt, draped over the both of us.

Day 44: 15.7 miles hiked (trail mile 492.7)

Breakfast this morning consisted of the last of our cold veggie stir fry leftovers, scooped straight from the gallon bag with ritz crackers and vegan cream cheese. A weird breakfast, but nourishing—and that’s what matters. The hike was beautiful though uneventful. We hiked along the Virginia Creeper trail for a short section where the trails overlap and families on bicycles whizzed past us. At one point in the woods, I spooked a wild turkey, and it flew off through the trees, thumping its wings heavily to carry its large body into the air. We also ran into a section hiker who caught a rainbow trout in the creek.

During the last leg of our hike, we crossed a bald just a few miles below Mount Rogers. It had begun to rain, and the winds picked up right as we crossed it. We were rewarded with a glorious double-rainbow that touched the very mountaintop we were on; how amazing it was to see the end of a rainbow!

We stopped to camp at a large, designated camping area and ended up with a lumpy site down the hill. Ever the last ones into camp we often end up with the least desirable site. We ate the last of our perishables and strung up the bear bag before sleep.

Day 45: 17.5 miles hiked (trail mile 510.2)

Only a few miles into our hike this morning we came across a public trash can at a parking lot before crossing into the ascent to Mount Rogers. We joyously dumped our trash weight (it’s the little things!) and hiked up to Thomas Knob shelter with extra spring in our step. Here we encountered the much-anticipated herd of wild ponies.

The parks service introduced the ponies to the Grayson Highlands in the 60’s as hardy range animals that could graze the balds. They free-range in a huge territory and are obviously comfortable with backpackers and dayhikers. A few are almost friendly, while most seem to keep their distance merely out of disinterest. A particularly food-motivated one ate a carrot that we had packed out right out of Chris’s hand and let me touch its mane!

There are incredible campsites all over the Grayson highlands, and we mused that this would be the perfect section to return to and backpack with friends or family on a shorter trip.

We enjoyed our hike through the highlands very much, and as we hiked on, we were met with spectacular views and wild ponies everywhere. Around mid-day we also crossed the 500-mile mark! Later we clamored through Fat Man Squeeze with our packs and hiked through a short section of Greyson Highlands State Park.

At the next shelter we ran into Monchichi, a solo hiker we first met back in Damascus at our hostel. She was receiving a tongue-bath from a bold pony who has figured out that thruhikers are basically walking salt-licks.

We hiked on to Old Orchard Shelter, eyeing a storm off in distance that had been threatening to form all day. The last six rocky miles of our day absolutely wrecked our feet so it was a relief to finally hobble into camp. At our tent site we tried a delicious backpacker meal dessert cobbler by Alpine Air and ate trail mix for dinner… because we can! It started raining as soon as we finished up our chores and got in our tent. Perfect timing.

Day 46: 14.1 mikes hiked (trail mile 524.3)

It rained all night and winds rattled our tent but we both slept well. We broke down our damp tent and left camp around 9. Luckily, we enjoyed nice weather all morning despite the storm clouds still looming in the distance and hiked strong all day. The terrain was much better than yesterday’s rocky trail, so our feet are happy again. We did a little 1.5-mile road-walking section because of an official reroute due to a downed bridge.

At about 3pm the rains arrived, and we hiked another couple miles before deciding to stop at the nearest shelter for the night in anticipation of the coming storm.

Attempting to hang dry our clothes as our tent is battered by rain

We pitched our tent a little way uphill from the shelter at a site that looked like water would run off rather than pool and got to call it an early night - all camp chores completed by 6pm.

Virginia has been such a treat after Tennessee which was incredibly minimal in terms of trail resources. Someone told us that Tennessee folk believe in roughing it, which certainly seems plausible. Whatever the reason, Tennessee makes up for its bare-bones resources with the incredible natural beauty and mountain balds. In stark contrast, every shelter we have encountered so far in Virginia has bear boxes and nice privies. The shelters appear well constructed; each one is architecturally unique.

Day 47: 12.1 miles hiked (trail mile 536.4)

It rained hard most of the night but tapered off and eventually stopped a few hours before dawn. Love it when this happens. We took a couple hours to lay in our tent and read while our gear dried out a bit.

Chris hung all his wet clothes on his pack to let them dry in the wind!

On our hike today we crossed paths with another nonvenomous snake that was in the middle of a hunt! It was an easy 9.5-mile hike to the Partnership Shelter, also known as the Pizza Shelter, because it is located near the Mt. Rogers Natl. Rec. HQ which has a free landline phone outside that hikers can use to call for pizza delivery.

Not ones to pass up the opportunity for extra calories, we ordered an extra-large supreme pizza with no cheese, with salads and onion rings. When it arrived, we doused it with nutritional yeast and bacon bits and gulped down the entire thing. Since the pizza shelter didn’t allow tenting, we decided to push on to the next tent site and call it an early night since we only have about 10 miles to go tomorrow to reach the alpaca farm we’ll be camping at. We found a good site about 2.5 miles in and decided not to push our luck since this section has so many dead trees which can make campsite selection challenging.

Day 48: 9.4 miles hiked (trail mile 545.8)

This morning the trail went right past an early settler’s museum and schoolhouse. The museum was closed for the winter, but the schoolhouse was open for anyone to step inside and look around. I suspect hikers may shelter here from time to time.

All day we hiked through beautiful spring scenery: tiny white flowers powdered the ground like snow and yellow swallowtail butterflies danced all around.

During a short boardwalk section of the trail, we saw an alligator snapping turtle the size of a toilet seat cover (thank Ranger for this analogy, accurate albeit weird) beneath the swampy waters. Exiting this section, we encountered our first directly-on-trail gas station/convenient store. Here we picked up some snacks to fuel our short hike up to our hostel, a functioning alpaca farm called the Long Neck Lair.

Since the hostel (more like an Airbnb, but the hostel is in the works) was full, we set up our tent on the side of the house where we would have some protection from the winds. The owners’ daughter, Meghan, gave us a tour of the property and we got to meet the alpacas. A couple of them let us scratch their necks!

At the hostel we got to know Cornpop and Suzanne a bit, who we have bumped into a few times over the last few days. Suzanne cooked and dehydrated most of her food before leaving for the trail and is receiving shipments all the way up the trail so she can continue eating plant-based, and sustainably, while on her thruhike. So inspiring!

My generous aunt Pammy, who has worked tirelessly to locate a vaccine for us, sent us a link to a vaccine finder and we managed to secure a couple slots for the J&J one-shot vaccine in Marion for the day after tomorrow! The pharmacist was super accommodating and even listed our address as the pharmacy’s own to help us be considered eligible as residents of Virginia. Once we secured our appointments Cyndi, the owner of Long Neck Lair, drove us into town to resupply at Ingles.

Back at the Hostel that evening we met a lovely couple from Lehigh, PA who were road tripping to Tennessee. They invited us to contact them when we get to their area for some trail magic and a place to stay!

For dinner I cooked plates of asparagus, broccoli, and garlic with vegan grilled cheese and tomato soup in celebration of Ranger’s birthday.

Cold Snap: Days 34 - 41

April 07, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 34: 20.3 miles hiked (trail mile 364.5)

We rode with Charlotte (the owner of Uncle Johnny’s Hostel) and Kitchen Sink to Iron Mountain Gap to slackpack back to our hostel. In hiking SoBo, we passed most of our friends hiking back up the mountain with their packs, including Spots and Snapshot, Bee, all of team Rocket, and Smoky. The first part of the hike was very cold until we generated enough internal heat through movement.

During the first half of the day we hiked through a gorgeous spruce forest on top of Unaka mountain. Lots of ethereal ice patterns had formed between tree roots and in little grooves and pockets on the trail.

Only a few miles from the hostel we saw our first nonvenomous snake! In all, we hiked 20.3 miles down the mountain today and should be well positioned to make it to the next hostel before the weather turns severe once again. The evening was spent packing and preparing for an early departure tomorrow.

Day 35: 19.7 miles hiked (trail mile 384.2)

with full packs. It was a beautiful day for hiking and hard to believe that a storm would soon be rolling in. We hiked strong and braked for lunch around the 11-mile mark, a bit startled by how much ground we had covered by noon. Perhaps we had only needed to do a 20-mile day yesterday in order to break our own thresholds and teach our bodies that we could do it.

One of the wonderful things about hiking in cold weather is being able to pack out fresh food without it spoiling, so we enjoyed a couple sandwiches and a bag of spinach and salt & vinegar chips.

After lunch we summitted Roan Mountain, climbing through another rare and protected spruce forest. Icicles hung all over the mountain and further enhanced the beauty of it all.

On top of the mountain we took a short detour to check out Roan High Knob Shelter. At over 6000 feet elevation the shelter is fully enclosed like a cabin to protect from drafts. This is the first shelter we’ve encountered like this. It is 2 levels, and enclosed on all sides, even with a front door. We would have liked to stay here, but with a winter storm arriving tomorrow we opted to position ourselves for less miles to cover tomorrow in order to give ourselves a better chance to make it over the last couple balds to make it to our hostel before the most severe weather hits.

We hiked over Jane Bald and took a moment to rest our feet when the rest of the crew finally caught up to us (we would have been a few miles behind them were it not for the slackpacking yesterday). We saw them coming from far off in the distance and could easily identify Spots and Snapshot from their gaits.

We begrudgingly decided to set up camp at Stan Murray shelter as there seem to be no good spots to camp along this ridge which is super gusty. In defiance of the weather, Spots and Snapshot followed through with their plans to camp at a spot on one of the balds they’ve visited before in training for the trail. It is going to make for an interesting night... After a 19.75 mile day we are exhausted. I’m practically falling asleep writing this (as I write these daily summaries each night I usually have to call it when I start dropping the phone on my face as I fall asleep mid-sentence).

Day 36: 11.1 miles hiked (trail mile 395.3)

The wind gusted all night and the rain arrived around 5am. We broke down camp at first light and scarfed down some animal crackers (mmm, nostalgia) in the shelter before setting off to cover the next 6 miles of balds before the thunderstorm was set to arrive around midday. We moved as quickly as we could (rain gear and waterlogged packs are so cumbersome) and managed to make it over Hump Mountain before noon. From there we began our descent to Mountain Harbor Bed and Breakfast where we plan to wait out the winter storm and take our second Zero. Our joints seem to be doing better overall but this last mountainous section was a huge push—40 miles covered in 2 days—and our bodies are feeling it.

The trail inevitably turns into a creek in massive rainfall. Our Sealskin (not real seal skin) socks have become a favorite piece of gear out here. — The trail inevitably turns into a swollen creek in heavy rainfall. Our Sealskin (not real seal skin) socks have become a favorite piece of gear out here during winter storms.

We hiked a bit with Snapshot and Spots, who caught up with us about a mile from the hostel. Sure enough, they had camped on top of Grassy Bald and had a rough night; the winds were so high that at one point their tent (a Zpacks Triplex) collapsed. We parted ways with them about a half mile from the hostel when we decided to stop for lunch during a break in the rain. It was nice to slow down after such a rush out of the mountains and take a moment to appreciate our surroundings. Chris explored a small cave above our lunch site that only went back about 10ft.

At mile 395.3 we turned left off the trail and onto a highway with a huge shoulder that we followed for about a quarter mile to the bed and breakfast/hostel. All the bunks were full because everyone else is also trying to escape the pending winter storm, so we ended up with a higher priced room in the main house, but are looking forward to an excuse to spoil ourselves a bit.

When we arrived, we knew immediately we would enjoy our stay here. The place is very charming, consisting of an old barn-turned-hostel, a creek with a footbridge, outdoor patio, tiny resupply shop, food truck, treehouses, a mama duck sitting on her nest, and a big red house up the hill where we are staying tonight.

We picked up some loner clothes from the hostel so we could get showered and have clean clothes to change into while our other clothes are in the wash. At the hostel we met Mustard and Dr. Katahdin. After showering and taking a short nap we met the others down at the back side of the hostel where the little general store and food truck are. With no set hours, the faimly opens them up when asked. It’s so cool what lengths some hostels go to take care of thruhikers. We ordered veggie burgers with fries and onion rings from the food truck and ate with Spots, Snapshot, Caramel, Rocket Man and The Curator at a picnic table in the lower part of the hostel.

After dinner we relaxed in the living room in the house. The family that lives here has 3 sweet old dogs. Rose, their ultra-affectionate boston terrier, crammed herself between me and Chris where she snored away contentedly.

I worked to publish the latest blog post on my phone and Chris read a copy of Thoreau’s book A Life Without Principle that he found in our room. We drank tea from the little tea station in the kitchen and agreed that this hostel has all the trappings of home and is the perfect place to rest.

Day 37: 0 miles hiked (trail mile 395.3) – 2nd Zero

With temps in the teens outside and still aching from our push over Roan Mountain, we giddily opted to take our second zero. Most of our crew chose to do the same. In the morning we joined everyone for breakfast and enjoyed some apple cinnamon oatmeal. We chatted with a man carrying a ukulele with him on the trail which he played a bit for us - very talented! A classical guitarist by trade, he tells us he usually hikes with a mini classical guitar.

After breakfast we hung out with The Curator, Caramel, Spots, Snapshot and Rocketman in the living room while our hosts flipped our rooms. Chris and I are staying in the hostel tonight because a cheaper room came available. The hostel has a couple cats that are very sweet. Also, the ducklings hatched overnight! It’s difficult to catch a glimpse of them, as the mama duck is protectively sitting on them to provide warmth in this snowstorm.

We got moved out of the house into our new room in the hostel where we spent a few hours just lounging. It’s a cozy nook with a full-size bed and rolling doors that block the space off from the bunkroom. I wrote some postcards and applied for a scholarship on my phone for the next chapter after I finish the trail and move to Scotland for grad school. Fingers crossed. Chris also did some adulting and then took a little nap. We ate dinner with everyone and once again enjoyed veggie burgers, fries, and onion rings. Early to bed tonight, and tomorrow we will hit the trail again. There is much less elevation in this next section than we’ve done in this past month so it should feel like we’re soaring.

Day 38: 18.4 miles hiked (trail mile 413.7)

As hard as it was to leave the comfort of Mountain Harbor, we were equally ready to be back on the trail. We had some apple cinnamon oatmeal for breakfast as we packed and caught a glimpse of the mama duck cautiously leading her ducklings out of the nest.

Our hike went smoothly. The elevation changes were only moderate, and we kept moving to stay warm in temperatures that hovered around the upper thirties and lower forties depending on whether we were on a sunny or shady side of the mountains. From a small field we caught a glimpse of the balds we passed over just before the winter storm. We could see snow on them from here. We also took a short detour to see a waterfall which had frozen over in some areas. Beautiful!

Chris did some trail-maintenance volunteer work on this section of the trail back in 2005 on his first thruhike so memories came flooding back to him all day as he recognized parts of the trail.

As much as we have enjoyed hiking without headphones for the first month of the trail and agree that it has strengthened our connection, I have begun trying out listening to audiobooks on the trail. I reserve only an hour or two a day for this to preserve phone battery. The rest of our time is spent in conversation or silence.

We started looking for campsites around mile 15.5 but ended up hiking 18.4 to a shelter because there was nothing suitable before it. We managed to make dinner and my fingers nearly froze trying to hang the bear bag over the tall branches at the campsite just as darkness set in. It is going to be a Very cold night, so we are burrowed under our quilts and even used one of our HotHands packets from my aunt Pammy. As I type this I’m completely cocooned inside my quilt.

Day 39: 12 miles hiked (trail mile 425.7)

An owl hooted nearby all night long. With the temperatures in the teens overnight we took our time emerging from the tent in the morning so the sun would have time to warm our site a bit first. We found a frozen mouse lying near our tent in the morning. Spots and Snapshot hiked by as we were packing our bags to leave and said their full water bag (they use a gravity filter system) was hanging in a tree overnight and froze rock-solid.

Around noon we saw two bald eagles circling overhead. We hiked 6 miles on the trail and turned right at a parking lot to road-walk half a mile to Black Bear Lodge to resupply for the next 50 miles to Damascus, Virginia. We are loving the greater frequency in towns/hostels in this region as it allows us to carry less food between resupplies, which lends to higher-mile days.

When we got to Black Bear Lodge the owner let us into the general store and we found the usual meat and dairy-free trappings: Quaker oatmeal for breakfast, random lunch items (including a dehydrated flax and berry thing that I’m actually really curious to try), Knorr Sides Spanish Rice for dinner, and pop tarts, chips, and granola bars for snacks. We are beginning to tire of some of these things already so will need to figure out how to mix it up more. We bought a couple cans of Amy’s soup for immediate consumption and the owners of the hostel let us use the “bear den” to heat up our soup in bowls in the microwave. We ate lunch at a picnic table overlooking a wide creek and watched a man catch one fish after the other with his fishing pole. When we finished eating and packing our resupply into our bags the hostel owner offered to drop us back at the trailhead—so nice! We hitched a ride on his golf cart.

Back on the trail we made a super steep (and long) descent down to Laurel Falls waterfall and had a beautiful hike along the river, including a narrow section of trail cut into the cliff-face, with the river flowing to our left, before heading back up into the mountains. Despite a late start and breaking to resupply we still managed 12 miles today, which we are pleased with. We made it to our campsite destination of Pond Flats in time to make dinner, bear bag, brush our teeth and get in the tent before complete darkness; a rare event for us!

Day 40 – 18.6 miles hiked (trail mile 444.3)

Having noticed some litter the night before, and being so close to civilization (trash cans), we took some time to clean up the campsite before leaving. Most sites and sections of the AT are litter-free until you get within a short distance of a town or major road. Leaving camp, we noticed a tiny white flower bud had just unfurled its petals on a nearby tree. We are seeing more signs of the arrival of spring every day.

We hiked down toward Watauga Lake about 3 miles and swung into Boots Off Hostel to leave some food we don’t want in the hiker box and dig around for some substitutes. We ran into Spots and Snapshot heading back to the trail having stayed at Boots Off the night before. Chris drank some complimentary coffee and I got a donut – I’m always craving donuts on the trail! We decided to try high protein granola bars for easy lunches and later delighting in how much one of them tasted like a Girl Scout thin mint.

Leaving Boots Off we hiked around the lake for a few miles and came across Caramel, The Curator and Rocketman. Caramel had developed severe shin splints seemingly out of nowhere. They had made the difficult decision for her to catch a shuttle to Damascus, a town about 40 miles north where she will take some Zeros while Rocketman and the Curator hike to meet her. She plans to come back and fill in this section at the end.

Crossing a dam just before leaving the lake behind and returning to the woods we encountered a film crew. A couple actors were dressed in combat gear and a severed head lay upon the ground. We kept moving.

We had an uneventful hike until we reached the site we had intended to camp at around mile 15. It was in a saddle between two mountains, appeared muddy and a bit buggy, and felt all around creepy and unappealing to camp at. Despite the sun setting, we decided go ahead and cook dinner with the water source and move on in search of a better site. Dinner was nourishing; we had some hot Wild Zora flax porridge with bananas, strawberries, and almonds. After dinner we hiked on looking for a good campsite for much longer than intended, as with most higher mile days.

We hiked through beautiful golden hour and were just getting ready to pull out our headlamps when we came upon Spots and Snapshot at an unofficial campsite with space for another tent. They had a fire going already and we had just enough light to get the tent up and the bear bag line tossed. We enjoyed the fire for a spell and then I accomplished my first solo bear bag suspension while Chris collected water downhill to put out the campfire.

Tonight, we are sleeping without the rainfly so we can see the stars clearly. It’s a rare treat to sleep without a lid. So far, most nights on the AT are either too windy, cold, or rainy for this.

Day 41: 19.4 miles hiked (trail mile 463.7)

Today was an easy grade, better classified as rolling hills than mountains. However, we are aching, and feel fatigued from the low-quality food we’ve had the last couple weeks, so it was still a struggle. I googled how many calories a thruhiker burns per day on average and the consensus seems to be in the arena of 6500 calories a day, give or take a few hundred. It is practically impossible to consume that much food in a day out here, which presents a bit of a conundrum. We have increased our calorie intake, so we aren’t as hungry all the time but many of them are empty calories so I’m not sure it’s helping too much with energy levels. Today was a poor eating day; we mostly snacked all day because resupply options were so meager at our last couple stops. I tracked our calorie intake though and despite eating high calorie junk food all day (pop tarts, crackers, chips, granola bars, etc.) we only got a bit over 2500 calories each. I’m interested to track this over time and work on increasing our average calorie intake with higher quality foods.

We crossed through a lovely pasture today. Someone had hung plastic Easter eggs from a tree at two different road sections before and after the pasture stretch. There was a paper tacked up on a wayside map announcing vegan shakes available just down the road… tempting, but we pushed on.

It was a warm day, reaching into the 70’s, which made for some beautiful hiking. I’ve found that about 55 degrees is my favorite hiking temperature, though. With the warm weather also comes the bugs. I got my first ever black fly bite today and it was a bit of an eye opener to just how awful those things are. It drew blood as it seemly tried to burrow into my skin! We are going to have to treat our clothes with permethrin once we get to Damascus, Virginia in preparation for the emergence of black flies, ticks, and mosquitos. It’s about time to get some head netting, too.

Around mile 19.5 we snagged a little unofficial tent site just a stone’s throw from the trail. We had hoped to pull a 20-mile day but chose to get the tent set up before dark, instead. It lends to a certain peaceful transition to night.

Through NC/TN we developed a bit of a tramily (trail family), which formed in the Smokies and continued through NC/TN. This tramily inevitably fractured a bit once we hit Virginia and found our different strides. We also feel we have our food situation under control, both what we’re eating and how efficient we’ve become at the actual act of resupplying. We have stopped losing weight and stopped feeling hungry all the time. We eat fresh food in town and pack out as much fresh food as possible for the first couple days on trail before switching to dehydrated foods and snacks. The terrain in NC/TN was challenging—rugged and mountainous—and we picked up our mileage to about 15-18 miles a day.

Tomorrow morning, we cross into Virginia!

Hemlock Tree Campsite: Days 27 - 33

March 31, 2021 in Blog Entries

Day 27 – 13.2 miles hiked (trail mile 275)

The water on the AT is so clear, cold, and abundant!

We powered through a 13-mile descent into Hot Springs, stopping to rest on a big mossy rock just before the final descent. At the turn off for Gragg Shelter we stopped at a tiny cemetery for two people sharing the last name Gragg. One of the tombstones was very old, dating from 1882-1940.

Today was our first hint of warmer weather to come, with temps reaching the high 70’s. By the time we made it to Hot Springs we were both exhausted. It is obvious that spring has arrived in this town; many of the trees and bushes were in full bloom and daffodils and periwinkles lining the sidewalks had flowered.

Our inn is incredible. Chris wanted to stay here because he has fond memories from staying here on his first thruhike in 2005. As luck would have it, it is still run by the same owner, Elmer. Elmer thruhiked the AT in 1976 and stayed here when the inn was operating under its former, by then elderly, owners. He stayed in touch with them, and a couple years later they asked him if he would like to take over its operation. He obliged, and has been running the inn ever since.

The house was built in 1875 and is considered the oldest home in Hot Springs. It has a long and rich history as a boarding house. Some of its most famous guests include the Song Catcher Cecil Sharpe who recorded southern ballads that had formally only been passed down orally, and Earl Shaefer, who was (by most accounts) the first person to successfully thruhike the AT in 1948. The house is Italian Victorian style, with 6 porches, many rooms full of antiques, and an enchanting library full of obscure books.

We are lucky to have snagged a reservation as they are limiting occupancy to 4, from the original 12, due to the pandemic. On April 1, peak hiker season around here, they are going to start serving vegetarian house meals again, too.

After hot showers we walked to the only restaurant that was open in town, the Iron Horse. Here we ran into just about every hiker that we’ve been hiking around since the Smokies, including Team Rocket, Snapshot and Spots, Hothands and Spider, Blue Jacket, and Heath. We also finally met Bee, a solo female hiker that we had first seen coming out of the NOC about a hundred miles back. She is on sabbatical from her job and is going to see how far she can get in 12 weeks.

We got a table with Bee, and Colgate and Carter (the two staying at the inn in the room next to us) and enjoyed huge greasy meals with a fried green tomato appetizer - Chris’s first time trying the dish!

Day 28: 0 miles hiked (trail mile 275) – our first Zero!

Our morning was spent tracking down breakfast and running errands. We visited the outfitter a few blocks from our inn, placed literal inches away from the AT which passes straight through downtown Hot Springs. In preparation for the rising temperatures I purchased a hiking skirt with mesh shorts underneath, and a pair of ultralight waterproof mittens to go over my liner gloves. Tomorrow we will mail home a few pieces of gear we’ve decided not to carry, including my heavy-duty winter gloves, which have proven too hot to hike in even in the coldest temperatures, Chris’s fleece pants, and a few other miscellaneous items.

We settled in for brunch at the restaurant next door to the outfitter and ate Greek and quinoa salads on their patio, supplemented by snacks from the outfitter. Rocket Man and Gandalf passed us on their way out of town; we will likely catch up with those guys much farther down the trail.

After brunch we went back to our inn where I took some time to sit in the garden and write postcards. Later we joined up with Chris’s Uncle Fred and Aunt Denise, who have been road tripping since January in celebration of Denise’s retirement and just happened to be in our area. They came bearing a birthday package from my sister, loaded with all kinds of trail goodies, and a fluffy cookie with a candle stuck on the outside so I can have a birthday cake on trail!

We walked to Big Pillow Brewing and had some tacos for dinner, then followed it up with an hour-long soak in the Mineral Hot Spring fed baths that the town is named for. The group tub was giant and in our own private gazebo; we hung out with Fred and Denise and chatted until we pruned. Fred regaled us with fascinating stories from his career as a medical examiner.

Day 29: 10.9 miles hiked (trail mile 285.9)

Fred picked us up at 8am so we could join him and Denise at their campground for breakfast. They made us pancakes with all kinds of toppings and then Denise made biscuits right on the spot in their camper toaster oven with the extra flour mix!

A delicious home-cooked breakfast with Fred and Denise

Chris’s aunt Sylvia who lives a couple hours from Hot Springs arrived around noon with her boyfriend Robert. Together we all went to lunch at a restaurant by the river and sat on the patio to dine. It was wonderful to spend a bit of time with Chris’s family on the trail and they sent us off with full bellies and hearts.

Chris with Denise, Fred, Robert and Sylvia

We hiked out of Hot Springs around 3pm and climbed back into the mountains. We later visited Rich Mountain fire tower a little ways off the trail just in time to catch the sunset view. We encountered a guy who was just leaving, and informed us that he had lost his baggy of weed up there and that if we found it we could keep it (we didn’t find it).

We were determined to make it to the first shelter 11 miles north of Hot Springs so that we could make use of the bear cables with our ridiculously heavy, freshly stocked food bags. This meant we got to do our first bit of night hiking! After about an hour and a half of hiking with our headlamps on we made it to the shelter where we swiftly took care of camp chores and climbed into our tent.

Day 30: 16 miles hiked (trail mile 301.9)

This morning we were up and out of camp by 8am with the intent of breaking down camp before the rains hit. We hiked 8 miles to the next shelter so we could eat our lunch out of the rain. At the shelter we ran into Smoky and a couple of section hikers. They told us the weather was supposed to get worse overnight and they decided to hunker down where they were. But the shelter faced directly into the wind and even while eating lunch we were getting soaked by the rain being blown into the shelter, so we decided to take our chances and do 8 more miles to the next shelter. We passed some signs that indicated that it’s Peregrine Falcon nesting season and to be on the lookout when hiking near cliffs!

In the next section we hiked a mountain ridge along Big Firescald Knob. We encountered some rock scrambles, high winds, and amazing views all around. We got super lucky and climbed that section during a brief break in the rain and fog.

Ranger Chris is in his element out here!

Fueled by our good fortune we powered through the final miles to our campsite near Jerry’s Cabin shelter. The shelter was already completely full, so we opted to tent a short distance from the shelter in case we needed to bail out in the night. We snacked inside our tent and shared my birthday cake (cookie) for dinner to avoid dealing with the stove in the rain. Ranger heroically put his rain gear back on and ventured out into the rain one last time to hang the bear bag and double check for widow-makers, since the storm was picking up serious momentum outside.

Day 31: 15.6 miles hiked (trail mile 317.5)

The storm absolutely raged outside our tent all night long. I was grateful for my earplugs. At one point I took them out thinking the storm must have died down and was greeted with a storm roaring so loud that it sounded like a train was on top of us. Earplugs back in. When we woke up the next morning nearly everything we owned ranged from soggy to soaked. Since the sun had come out, we decided to take our time getting out of camp and let our things air dry, draped over the tree branches around our site.

While relaxing around camp Smokey came hiking by, reporting that the shelter we had stopped to eat lunch at yesterday had been a miserably wet occasion. We are relieved that we weathered it in a tent instead. We also met one of the hikers that stayed in the shelter nearest us. His name was Quiver because of his ultralight backpacking set up which looked like an arrow quiver.

We finally set out to hike around 11:30, but thanks to the sections of relatively easy terrain were able to make it just under 16 miles regardless of the late start. We stopped for lunch about 8 miles in, and enjoyed sundried tomatoes on triscuits, with a whole myriad of other snacks to accompany them… the birthday gift that keeps on giving!

It was a beautiful day for hiking; you would never have guessed how wet and foggy yesterday was. I was able to try out my skort and was elated by how lightweight, airy, and non-obtrusive it is. After lunch we experienced our first fence crossing into pasture. Apparently, these become very common once you reach some of the flatter states.

As we climbed along a waterfall, we spotted a salamander (or maybe a newt?). Before cresting the mountain we met Lemon and Hiccup, a couple hikers who had gotten off around Hot Springs last year and were a week into their second attempt at hiking the trail, having picked up right where they left off.

Just before dark we made it to Hogback Ridge shelter and got our tent set up. We ate a pad thai Backpacker Pantry meal and listened to coyotes in the distance under a bright full moon.

Day 32: 16.5 miles hiked (trail mile 334)

We broke down camp and were moving by 8:30 to cover good miles before another storm was expected to hit. The day was uneventful until we reached Big Bald Mountain, an aptly named .5 mile stretch of a mountain bald (meaning no trees, just 360 views).

About half a mile from the bald we felt the wind suddenly pick up. To our left, through the trees, we witnessed a wall of darkness rushing toward the mountainside. We immediately scrambled to put on our rain gear: raincoat, rain paints, water socks, pack covers, rain gloves. Chris skipped the water socks to his later regret and didn’t have time to get gloves out of his pack before the front was upon us. Temperatures instantly plummeted, thunder and lightning cracked overhead, and the rain went from a couple drops to a downpour and then pea-sized hail in less than a minute. A group of dayhikers passed us, all whipping out their raincoats and proceeding down the mountain. I had to laugh at this display of mountain preparedness which must be engrained into the people who live in this region. (Hailing from the plains of central Texas, I can count on how many mountains I’ve climbed on one hand, so this is all entirely new to me).

As we hiked along in the storm, Chris gave me a verbal crash course in CPR (in case one of us were to be struck by lightning) which I’m certain I will retain for once because it was conducted under such pressure!

After a few minutes of waiting at treeline, Big-Bald in sight, the lightning and thunder started to sound farther away, and we decided to venture onto the mountaintop. Adrenaline pumping, we rushed over the half-mile bald as quickly as we could. Our rain gear cracked in the wind, drops pelted our faces like a million little needles, and we were buffeted about like rag dolls despite the added weight of our packs. My feet screamed in pain but slowing down wasn’t an option. We were flooded with relief when we reached the treeline on the other side of the bald. A short distance into the woods we reached the next shelter and were able to sit down for a hodgepodge lunch during the subsequent break in the rain.

After lunch we walked another 8-ish miles until the sun began to set. Because thruhiking means you hike through it, emphasized by popular sayings like “No pain, no rain, no Maine” or simply, “Embrace the suck.” During the last leg of our hike, we found a nice red Marmot rain jacket that someone must have dropped, and will carry it with us to Erwin. If we don’t find the owner, it will go in the hiker box. We filled our water in a beautiful waterfall-fed pool which would make a great swimming hole in better weather.

Exhausted, we found a little unofficial campsite just off the trail with a perfectly flat tent site tucked underneath a hemlock tree. It felt like something out of a dream. We were granted a very brief break in the rain during which we managed to throw the tent up and dive inside. We opted for a couple cold trail snacks for dinner, took care of camp chores as quickly as possible, and turned in for the night.

Too trying of a day for photographs.

Day 33: 10.2 miles hiked (trail mile 344.2)

It was raining by the time we broke camp at 8:30. We thanked our hemlock tree campsite for appearing just when we needed it the most and joked that it must magically appear for thruhikers only in times of great need.

Smoky passed us first thing in the morning with a smile on her face; she is running a 34 mile section in the rain. We are in awe of her unwavering energy and positivity and agree that we both want to be like her “when we grow up”.

We ate snacks for lunch and powered through a mostly downhill, and still rainy, 10 miles to Uncle Johnny’s Hostel. It is a stone’s throw from the trail before the Nolichucky River crossing. The river is swollen with floodwaters.

At the hostel we were reunited with Team Rocket and Bee. Our little cabin is just what we needed to be able to lay out all our gear to dry. The whole hostel is quite charming and the people who work here are so warm and friendly. We took some time to do our laundry, shower in the community bathrooms, and then wash our dishes in the outdoor kitchen.

After chores we caught the shuttle to town where we resupplied for the next section of trail and ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant. The level of appreciation we have for restaurant food is remarkable; the trail makes even the smallest things you used to take for granted about civilization feel like downright luxury.

Once we returned to the hostel, we retired to our cabin to prepare for a 20 mile slackpack the next day. We had cereal for a late night snack; a product of one of our rambling trail conversations (often about food) where we discovered a shared love of Golden Grahams.

BLOG COLLECTION

ANTHOLOGY OF ANYTHING BLOG

As the name implies, this blog is an anthology of, well, anything. A salve for modern diaspora, my intent is to use this blog to share my (heart)beat—from gardening tales to creative processes and side-quests—with a broad community.