Wow, we’re in Maine.  Hanging out in Rangely for the day for some much needed rest, and watching Earl march up the coast, bugger.

We made it out of the Whites without to much trouble, except for two days of howling winds and heavy rain on Mt Washington (figures).  Therefore, we were forced to use two of the AMC huts, Lakes of the Clouds and Madison, with 94 and 40 other hikers, respectively.  Here we caught colds, which we woke up with the day after we left the Whites.

The first 5 days in Maine have been tough, as the terrain is even crazier than the Whites.  Many of the summits are treeless, with glacially smoothed rock that has a fine little lichen growing on it, which becomes very slippery at the slightest addition of water.  Most of this rock is also pitched at a 45 degree, making many descents more of an uncontrolled slide.  I panicked on one of these the other day…I was trying to lower myself through a small crevice of rock that was pitched down, my foot on slippery rock beneath me, when my hips became stuck in the crevice.  I couldn’t move my feet, and I didn’t have enough strength to push back with my arms as my pack weight was pushing down against me.  I was tired of the crappy trail conditions and just wanted to sit there and cry.   Philip had to come and take my pack from me so I could get out of my little trap, thank goodness we’re doing this together.

So, 12 more hiking days to go, but the weather is taking a turn due to the arrival of Earl, perhaps we’ll be done by the third week of September.  Daydreaming of a bed and a bathtub…and no more slippery rocks!

Oh, its been awhile.  Sorry about that…Phil and I made it to Pomfret, VT last Friday, August 6th, for my family reunion in VT.  It was great to see all of the stunned looks on family members faces as the walking skeletons of Phil and Jen moved about the place.  Even better was all of the yummy food.  We’ve stayed off the trail now for six days, for a much needed rest and some weight gain.  Being able to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s every night while on days off has been the most fulfilling part to walking the trail. 

The mid-Atlantic (really from central Virginia to the border of VT) took its toll on us.  The heat was relentless, and so was the lack of water on the trail.  Lucky for us there are lots of road crossings with near by houses/businesses to fetch water at.  The trees were also relentless.  Up you go, with no view at the top, they call it the green tunnel for good reason.  We are now capable of dealing with profoundly boring boredom (and we thought we were good at this from the eagle job!!) for hours on end.  Professional zombie hikers, 20-24 miles a day of trees for two, almost three months.  If you can believe it, Phil and I are talked out, well nearly.  A small, five minute encounter with another hiker is still capable of sparking at least and hour of conversation between the two of us, thankfully. 

So, now its off to New Hampshire and Maine.  We have 32 days of hiking left, with low mileage scheduled so we’re able to get through the rough terrain.  Now let’s hope for some good weather…

Wow, here we are in NJ.  The mid-atlantic has been living up to its reputation for hot and humid summers.  Also lots of bears, rocks, and rattlesnakes.  Bugs too.

We had our first bear sighting of the whole trip yesterday, two cubs and their mum.  Phil says “oh, look at those bear cubs!”  and looks the other way for the female.  I look the next to the cubs and spot her, about 12 feet away and staring us down.  She doesn’t seem as though she wants to move out of her blueberry patch, so we scurry off, yikes!  We’ve since seen three other bears, so much for our no bear streak.

New Jersey is surprisingly scenic, lots of ridge top outlooks, lakes, and old homesteads out in the woods.  Even a few good climbs, although a 600 ft climbs feels like a 3000 ft climb when its nearly 100 degrees out.  Soon to be over though, as we head into NY tomorrow night (and maybe some cooler weather?)

Looking forward to VT/NH!!

Howdy,

I just heard from Jen. They are at the Delaware Water Gap and are doing just fine. They have a hard time getting access to computers. Go figure. So here I am filling in.

They are planning on being in Vermont by the end of the month. The trail passes through the upper valley area so perhaps a party will be in order. More on that as it comes.

Well, we’re surviving the heat so far, being able to find water is a big help.  Hopefully only two more days of record highs to go…we’ll be leaving Harpers Ferry this afternoon, after a nice four day break in DC with our friend Matt.  Hanging out in a nice cool house has been wonderful!!

I’ve been dreaming about the walk, my legs squirm and my feet twitch.  Funny how I sometimes dread putting on those hiking boots (my little torture devices) in the morning, with 22 miles forecast for the day.  At the end of it I’m in a daze, toes numb and bunion burning.  Now off the trail for a few days and I look forward to the torment once again.

Our friend put in a critter question, the list so far:

lots of millipedes

snails (4 types)

slugs

newts

mud puppies

salamanders

box turtles

coyote

deer

rabbits

all sorts of birds (the list is long)

ticks (mostly on Phil)

gnats (those are the little ones that bounce around in front of your eyes while walking)

no-see-ems

ants

spiders

and not a single bear in 1,014 miles

We hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Jen just got some photos up so i’ll publish them here:

AT GA-NC 2010

– Springer Mt, April 5, 201005-Apr-2010 09:48OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 4.0, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 50	– 06-Apr-2010 08:35OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 2.8, 6.3mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 50	– 06-Apr-2010 08:36OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 4.0, 10.9mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 50
– 10-Apr-2010 11:48OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 3.2, 10.9mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 50	– Shortstop10-Apr-2010 16:13OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 2.8, 6.3mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 50	– Chickenfeathers11-Apr-2010 12:13OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 2.8, 6.3mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 50
– 11-Apr-2010 12:14OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 2.8, 6.3mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 50	– 13-Apr-2010 13:56OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 3.2, 32.9mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 100	– 15-Apr-2010 15:41OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 4.0, 10.9mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 50
– Lennie and Gary @ the Blueberry Patch16-Apr-2010 08:10OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 2.8, 6.3mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 100	– 17-Apr-2010 10:02OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 2.8, 6.3mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 50	– 19-Apr-2010 11:30OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 2.8, 6.3mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 50
– 19-Apr-2010 11:31OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 3.2, 10.9mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 101	– 19-Apr-2010 11:33OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 3.2, 10.9mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 50	– 19-Apr-2010 11:55OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 2.8, 6.3mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 50
– 19-Apr-2010 14:36OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 3.2, 10.9mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 50	– 22-Apr-2010 10:40OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 3.7, 63.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 50	– 22-Apr-2010 12:49OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 3.2, 10.9mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 50
– 22-Apr-2010 14:37OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 3.2, 10.9mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 50	– 22-Apr-2010 14:37OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 3.2, 10.9mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 50	– 22-Apr-2010 14:38OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 3.2, 10.9mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 50
– 23-Apr-2010 08:13OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 3.2, 10.9mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 53	– 23-Apr-2010 14:17OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 2.8, 6.3mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 50	– 23-Apr-2010 14:18OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 2.8, 6.3mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 50
– 23-Apr-2010 14:19OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 3.2, 10.9mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 81	– 23-Apr-2010 18:33OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 2.8, 6.3mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 50	– 23-Apr-2010 18:34OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 4.5, 27.9mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 50
– 25-Apr-2010 07:58OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 4.5, 10.9mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 50	– 25-Apr-2010 08:04OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 5.0, 10.9mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 50	– 25-Apr-2010 08:07OLYMPUS CORPORATION C750UZ, 3.2, 10.9mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 50

That’s right, 853 miles, mostly sweaty, with little black flies bouncing in front of your eyes.  Virginia has featured the slimiest rocks so far, leading everyone to believe they need new boots.  But the rocks will soon stop (or so we’re told by the alumni) as the Shenandoah beckons.  We are staying in Waynesboro for a day to rest up, then off we go.

Phil and I took our friend Steve up on his offer to join him at the beach for Memorial Day weekend.  We were able to get off the trail for six days, a much needed break.  Steve and his friends from home make this an annual gathering at Carolina Beach, NC, referring to the ensuing craziness as “mullet madness”.  5,000 permits  are issued to camp on the beach, 4×4 trucks only allowed to drive on the beach, and it seemed to be a requirement that everyone also brings a healthy amount of alcohol.  The madness went on for four days.

Things on the trail have been going well for us, despite the heat.  So far we’ve been able to find water right along, but I guess this gets tougher as the summer progresses.  Phil found a deer tick on him last week, so now its daily tick checks…we heard about one case of Lyme disease already.  Besides ticks we’re also dealing with tons of bugs, mostly no-seem-ems, lots of ants of varying flavors, and spiders galore.  Some folks out here aren’t dealing with the bug thing very well at this point, and we haven’t even gotten to mosquitoes yet, let’s hope they get there bug zen soon.

So now that we’re in VA, the hoards of people we started with are rapidly thinning out.  We now have the opportunity to pee and not get caught, walk through a mountain meadow without having 10 people out there, and sometimes even have a quiet night in a shelter.  We’ve also noticed the number of people hiking with a pack has dropped, as most folks are slack packing the state of VA.  Slack packing:  spend the night in a hotel, get a ride 20-30 miles up the trail with your little day pack, hike back to the hotel.  This has divided the crowd into two separate camps, as you can imagine.

There’s more, but not enough computer time (computers are far and few out here), but stay tuned.  We’ll be out of the Shenandoah and in Harpers Ferry, WV by next week, then off to DC to visit some friends for the weekend.

Jen got new boots at trail days, and a smaller pack.  Now Phil can’t keep up out on the trail.  I’m just happy not to have smashed toes anymore.

Trail days was crazy, too much to do and too many people to see.  We headed out for Hardcore to do trail maintenance on Sunday and returned on Tuesday by noon.  It was great to meet Bob and work with him on a few trail reroutes!  The Hardcore cooks also made up some good eats for all of the trail volunteers, served up in the rain and mud.

So, we’re back on the trail, and having a little resupply/rest stop in Atkins, VA.  Our friend Steve is completing his thru-hike next week, so we’re going to hike with him until he’s done.  Steve started in Maine last July, got snowed off the trail in Perisburg, VA  on New Year’s, then back on the trail in Georgia in April.  It has been nice hiking along with someone who has done the northern portion of the trail, as we have been able to get all sorts of good tips from him.  We wish Steve well after his hike!

I was just informed by our host that in 6.7 miles we will be 1/4 of the way to Maine, I can’t believe we’ve come so far.  Let’s hope that our luck with fair weather continues!

Wow, our dogs are sore.  Phil and I hiked 27 miles yesterday to make it here (Damascus, VA) for trail days.  Thanks to Dad for a late evening weather forecast, we got here early enough this morning to each get a bunk at “The Place”, a church run hostel for hikers.  They’ll be about 10,000 people in town by tomorrow, lots of good food, drink, and stinky hikers.

We signed up to do some trail work with Hardcore for Sunday and Monday, then back on the trail Tuesday morning.  We’ll post again before we head out.

Well, we made it to Hot Springs early this morning, after getting rained on one last time.  Phil and I hiked over 100 miles in the past week, and we need a rest!  The Smokies were a bit of a disappointment due to the weather.  We encountered thick fog and rain through the most scenic section of the park, then lots of snow and mud, but we made it out alive.  Now it’s hot hot hot, spring is in full down here, very lush and green, and humid. 

Phil has lost about 15 lbs, I’ve lost 12 so far, not that were trying.  Its very hard to carry enough food on the trail, the more you carry, the more you burn, the more you need to carry, etc,  a vicious cycle.  Hopefully we get this one figured out before Phil blows away in the wind on top of some hill.

Maybe you’re wondering what a day on the trail entails…for us this is generally it:  wake up at before sunrise when the first birds start to sing their morning songs, or when your shelter neighbor needs to get up to pee and knocks something (usually loud) over.  We’ve been tenting whenever possible,  so I start to clear out  the tent while Phil gets our bear bags down.  We  break down the tent, eat breakfast, pack our bags, get water, and head out, usually by 7:00.  Then we hike, the trail nearly always takes you up, then down, maybe flat for awhile, up again, etc.  Any elevation gain is always lost before you encounter another hill, we climbed a hill the other day that went up for 6 miles, then down we go another 4, then up again.  We take a break for food nearly every hour or so during the day, and we stop to filter water maybe once (if its hot out).  Lunch or later in the afternoon we sometimes take a big hour or two long break for boots off,  feet up, nap time.  We’re generally done with the day around 6 when we arrive at a shelter or campsite, set up the tent, make dinner, hang the bear bags, and SLEEP!  Get up the next day and do it again, hopefully not in the pouring rain.  Then things get complicated, or at least your stuff gets wet.  We had that happen this morning, but things are all dried out now.  That’s the best part of trail, its ever changing.

Maybe Jason could help me post some photos sometime, since I am resigned to using dinosaur library computers. 

We hope all is well with everyone, and you’re enjoying your spring!