Trail Updates and Random Information

  • November 27, 2008 - It's Turkey Day! With only a few days left on the trail, Graham and I are preparing for the final push back to CT where I'll complete my Flip Flop along with the Appalachian Trail. Graham will continue on from there to work towards his final wintery destination in GA come March. We have hiked (and stayed frosty) together since Stratton, ME where we were joined by Sensei and Kit. As the weather turned from rain to snow and ice we entered northern NH and the White Mountains. The Whites are hands down my favorite part of the trail. Almost the entire range is above 4000 feet with a large portion above tree line affording some amazing panaramic views. The Whites motivated us to creatively dodge the cold by camping under the foundation of one old cabin, and in the "Dungeon"of another. We experimented with tarp camping in the snow and chopped wood as a "work for stay" in many of the AMC huts. Winter on the trail has been beautiful, challenging and testing of our cold weather gear and "T"-Fortitude. With the little thought I gave to winter time (since I expected to be done and sleeping in sheets by now) I anticipated the pretty snow, adventurous climbs and cold extremities. I didn't forsee my water rebelously freezing while I hiked or solidifying in my bottle during the 15 minute purification process. Weve found that if at nighte, we fill a pot then come morning that giant ice cube can be melted down for hot drinks and oatmeal. (nine months of oatmeal...Yuuummmm) The "Death Star", our foam and LED light creation, has made a huge improvement in the evening time quality of life. With sunrise at 6:30ish and sunset around 420, it's usually headlamps and fire for work light once a camp spot is found. I have an incredible time on the trail. I'm now ready to be done, out of the woods and catching up with friends..in heated homes:) Graham, I'll be joining you for weekends my crazy winter thru hiker friend as soon as you've hit the big VA! Take care all, Solo
  • September 26, 2008 - Katahdin was incredible!! Thats the northern terminous of the Appalachian Trail. We (Kit and I) started our summit at 11:30 am after convincing the Ranger that our leaving an hour and half past cut off time was ok. (Total summit time 7 1/2 hour) Upon summiting, the mountain was covered in clouds with a "hands in pocket" cold. An hour later the sun came out yielding a 360 degree view. A quarter the way up, we came across a bull moose sitting on the trail. I've never encountered such a massive creature in person. (Brad, your close but the beast had 6 foot legs!:) He was the size of a huge horse with legs painted by Dali. Add to it a giant rack and long beard that gets shaken around in an OCD manner. That evening Kit and I sat around a fire reading passages from a book written by Henry D. Thoreau called KTAADN. It turns out that on the same day, September 8th, in 1846 Thoreau summited Katahdin. His description of the experience seems timeless. He describes "fields of boulders feeding on a rocky curd" and "clouds coming from nowhere as if by a cloud factory on the mountian." Upon finishing he wrote: "The tops of mountains are among the unfinished parts of the globe, whither it is a slight insult to the gods to climb and pry into their secrets, and try their effect on our humanity. Only daring and insulent men perchance go there. Simple races, as savages, do not climb mountains - their tops are sacred and mysterious tracts never visited by them. Pomola (a god) is always angry with those who climb to the summit of Ktaadn." The following 100 mile wilderness was the most peacefull stretch I've hiked. No towns or traffic in any direction for considerable distance. After 6 days, 5 river fords, two awesome climbs and two days without food or toliet paper I arrived at the Lakeshore House in Monson, ME. The establishment, catering to long distance hikers with its tag line "Liquor in back, washer up front and sleep on top" was a welcome site. Rebecca the owner has a beautiful building on the lake with a restaurant/bar in the back, laundry mat up front and lodging on the second floor. Towns are a funny place on the trail. After a week or so I'm itching to get into town for a shower, laundry and hot food (pizza). Once in town for a day I can think of nothing better than being back in the woods. Forty miles south of Monson I came upon the Kennebec river. The river at 100 yards wide is one of the few that can't be forded by foot. I watched from the shore as a canoe came toward me with it's captain. He wore a racoon skin cowboy hat with a bent feather sticking out. Along with green jumpsuit, long beard and life jacket. "One at a time, drop your pack, sign the waiver and climb in over the bow". The river on average reaches chest height. The dam up river adds the unknown variable by releasing water randomly. We paddled across with the bow pointed up stream while moving with a sideways motion. Maine has been beautiful. Southern Maine is the south bound hikers training for the coming White Mountains in NH. I'm looking forward to southern Maines Mahoosuc Notch. (meaning "home of the hungry animals") The notch has been explained to me as a pass with two hundred plus foot cliff walls closing in the 50 yard wide and mile plus long stretch. The interior is litered with boulders from VW to house size. This great big play ground takes most hikers a handful of hours to climb over, crawl under and through holes while passing on packs. Anything that falls into the notch stays including trees and amimals. A moose fell in last year which is evidenced by a moose skeleton between boulders. Take care all, Solo
  • September 8, 2008 - Dad's Update. Brian has completed his travel north so he can Flip-Flop (Approporiate in the current political season). CUrrently he is in Bangor Maine, about to board a bus to Medway Me. where he has booked a hostel that will put him up tonight, feed him tonight and tomorrow morning, and put him on a shuttle to the base of Mt. Katahdin early in themorning so he can summit (5,271 feet) and return to begin his southbound trek back to Salisbury Ct. He has reunited with another hiker he was with earlier in his hike and they are going to do the Flip-Flop together. That makes mama happy! As he arranged this move, he was able to stay at his uncle Marco's house in Boston as he planned the food and travel and assembled his winter gear.
  • August 17th, 2008 - Now in Delaware Water Gap, PA I've finished the last big state till Maine! This also means no more endless weeks of rocks, YEAH!!! Um, what I mean is...PA I'll miss your sights, people and SMALL fuzzy wildlife. They will have a place in my heart. PA trail, my feet have decided not to pursue the case for abuse as long as you never visit or wander outside of your borders. Now in a new pair of boots (I'm amazed the first pair made it almost 1300 miles, GO Asolo!) I'm ready to see the NJ sights. From what I hear, NJ and the following three states are beautiful 4 to 6 day hikes:) Take care all! Solo
  • August 2nd, 2008 - "I no longer think bears are cute!" Funny this incident should happen only hours after having a conversation with the parents about my not carrying bear spray. Six miles outside of Duncannon, PA on the ridge of Peters mountain, I rounded a corner and came upon a big, mean bear about 30 feet off. He looked at me and unlike all those timid bears in the Shenandoahs that ran off he charged straight at me. Damn bear. As per my instructions on what to do in a bear attack I made myself look big as possible and screamed uncontrollably at the beast. Around six feet from me he stopped and turned into the woods where he sat 10 to 15 feet from the trail looking to see what I'd do. I edged past walking backwards to keep my eyes on the perp. I turned around and another male bear was sitting in the path. Now between the two bears I started my we'll planned strategy of screaming and banging my poles in the normal chaotic, freaked out manner. About this time a family walked towards the bear and I causing the second bear to move closer on the trail. I yelled to alert the family of the bear and to hopefully stop his approach. Most likely, I interupted the two male bears having a little territorial spat. The second bear stepped off the trail and I joined the family in a hike north on the trail. The second bear actually followed along 30 or so feet in the woods! The man in the group agreed that they were very large bears...LARGE big headed ugly mean bears whom no longer make my cute list of fuzzy forest critters! After hitting the parking lot they offered to drive me to a local pizza joint where I quickly ate a 14 inch pepperoni pineapple pizza to still my self. (THANK YOU for the ride:) The pizza location gave me a ride to the hotel where I now reside for the night. Tomorrow I'll be purchasing a can of bear spray and then return to the trail. Now with no love for the fuzzy beast. Take care all, Solo
  • August, 1st, 2008 - (Entry Title) "Strawberry Short Cake in the Park" (Thank You Nancy!!) I've reached the mountain town of Duncannon, PA! The Doyle Hotel, located in the center of town will be home for the night. Nothing like cotton sheets, a shower and laundry. I'm sitting in the corner of a 103 year old, wood lined bar typing while a few large tatoo covered excon looking types play Sinatra "New York, New York" on the jukebox. Ahh, the never boring and generally highly entertaining small town experiences:) 4 days ago I ran into a hiker named Ryan while filling up at the water source just outside of Smithsburg. After a stretch of hiking and camping alone I was thrilled to have another hiking companion. That day we cleared 20 miles with a short but enjoyable stop at Pen Mar State Park. The park was once the site of a 1877 amusement park. Located on a mountain along the Mason Dixon line it overlooks 22 counties within 4 states. The parks pavillion/dance floor was full ball room dancers and a local band playing "Just a Gigolo" by Irving Caesar adopted in 1929. After a mad dash to the concession stand for the biggest freezer pop I've ever seen and a pepsi we took over a picnic table for lunch. Near by, Nancy and company were enjoying the cool weather and a picnic. Soon we were invited to join the group and share stories from the trail. I have a feeling we would have camped just a mile further in the woods if it wasan't for the strawberry short cake (awesome trail magic or Yogi) we were given. (If you want to earn the love of a hiker put stawberries and whipcream on cake instead of the normal trail lunch...MMmmm). The next few days we hiked 10 to 15 miles in the mornings, crashed out for a couple hours and then night hiked another 10. The second night while hiking down the trail with headlamps two big glowing eyes popped up ahead. Turns out, a big bobcat was crossing the trail. A beautiful fuzzy and slightly surprised beast. That night around 2:30am we made camp in Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Boiling Springs, PA ended the following days hike where the owners of the Garmin Haus B&B let me set up a tent in the back yard for $1. At this point Ryan and my hiking adventures took different paths (Hey Ryan, I had a blast. I hope the next chapter was as much fun and included an RV:). Ryan made his way to some near by tracks to "catch" a train, while I located the communuty pool for a desperately need yet heat challenged shower. Laundry was then washed in the sink by drowning my clothes in Dr. Bromers peppermint soap. The 12 miles out of Boiling Springs have been the flatest I've hiked on the trail. Corn, wheat and soy fields surrounded the trail up till the Blue Mountain climb and its views. In PA vitamin "I" (better known as ibuprofen) will be my close friend due to the amazing rock covered path spaning 40 some odd miles of the trail. It's 10:00pm and time for bed. Duncannon is having a chili cook off starting early in the morning that I wouldn't want to miss! Take care all! Solo
  • June 14th, 2008 - BACK TO THE TRAIL!!!! The brilliant (and highly recommended) physical therapist, has given me clearance to hike! I'll start back on the trail no later than the morning of June 15th near Marion, VA where I left off. I've changed a number of the post office listings on the chart below. The dates should be much more accurate now that I've had a bit of trail learning time. It's been wonderful catching up with friends and family along with reorganizing my pack, bounce box and itinerary. I've lightened the pack even more by dropping the fleece. Now that I've dropped all my winter gear I'm left more streamlined with my light weight summer load (T-shirt, Long Sleeve T, Rain Coat, Rain Pants, 2 pairs boxer briefs, 3 pairs socks, boots, crocs, man-danna, and shades). When this adventure started my portable home (fully loaded back pack) weighed in at a whopping 50lbs. Now with food, water, fuel and all the necessary accoutrements I'm weighing in at 35 to 38 pounds (depending on days of food being carried).
  • May 31, 2008 - Temporary Time Off :( While climbing down the ladder at Parnership Shelter near the Mt. Rogers NRA Visitors Center by Marion, VA I pulled a muscle in my left calf. The doc says I need a handful of days off before I continue on down the trail. A little R&R, time to update the website, answer emails and catch up with friends will be nice. I do prefer the story of injuring my calf while fending off the man eating bears with my trusty titanium spoon as I boil water for Raman and garlic mashed potatoes:)
  • May 31, 2008 - Trail Terms - Trail Magic can be in a number of forms. Generally it's when someone prepares, leaves or gives food and drinks to Thru Hikers. At Brown Gap "Ox" set up two massive tents and cooked cheese burgers for lunch, salmon for dinner and eggs with bacon and toast for all the Thru Hikers that happened upon this site over a particular weekend. THANK YOU OX!!! Another day I found a box of cupcakes, carrots, milk and coffee while summiting a mountain. The "trail angel" (one who performs trail magic) was unknown. Another term "Yogi" is when a day hiker ("tourist") offers food or drinks as you hike by. The last "Yogi" was when our group was given hamburgers, hotdogs, fruit, beer and sodas at Hurricane camp ground!
  • May 27 2008 - Trail Terms - NOBO and SOBO are the general terms for a North or South bound Thru hiker. A section hiker is just that, one who completes the trail over time section by section. One who does a "Yo yo" is certifiable. This is someone who walks the trail, turns around and walks back! If you do a "Flip flop" you hike to NY (for example) from GA. Then you travel to Maine and hike south to NY. While hiking one can "Blue Blaze" - take short cuts, "yellow blaze" hitch hike past parts of the trail without hiking on the actual white blazed (official AT trail mark) trail. A man or woman can "pink blaze" - follow someone of the opposite sex up or down the trail:) More trail terms to come..
  • May 27 2008 - Hitch hiking has become a weekly or bi-weekly event. There are now too many wonderful people to list under HH adventures.
  • March 22 2008 - Now experienced in the ways of "hitching" we boldly brandished our thumbs and within minutes were riding up the road in a F350 extended cab with Micah, the local handy man auto mechanic extraordinaire. Micah's friend to all demeanor and energetic conversation inspired this section of the blog. We exchanged information at the trail head parking lot, along with two hand warmers (which he kept for 2 years on his dashboard), said our good byes and continued up the trail.
  • March 21 2008 - After 30 minutes of wandering down the road we were picked up by a nice lady sporthing the newest in minivans followed by her mother in a olds model town car. We learned of all the wonders of Helen along with their local family history during our generous ride to the extremely hiker friendly "Helendorf River Inn"
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