Bittersweet Birthday.

Day 102 - 7/31/10
Stayed up kind of late watching television (more Discovery channel) so
when I woke up at 8 I was a bit groggy. Christie, Mom, and I went
downstairs and had the free continental breakfast, which reminded me a
lot of the one I had at the HoJos in Daleville. After eating we went
back upstairs and just did some good old fashion relaxing. Felt great.
Around ten we finally got to packing up, and by 11 had checked out.

I needed to get a new hiking shirt because the one I've been using
really smells. Had it since Springer Mt. in GA, so a new one was in
order. We drove back to Hanover, and I compared products and prices at
the two outfitters in town. I went with a Patagonia shirt from
Mountain Goat, and I'm happy with it. Hopefully it doesn't start to
smell right away. After that we walked around Hanover, going in some
stores and also around some of the Dartmouth campus. It was fun to
just stroll and do whatever, very different than most my days of late.

When it was lunchtime we went to the same pizza place I had gone
yesterday for my free slice. I tried a few of their different pies, a
BBQ pizza and a chicken bacon ranch Sicilian slice. Mom also bought a
batch of the garlic knots to share because of how good I said they
were. I think her and Christie both enjoyed them. It was funny going
back because half the patrons were hikers. That free slice gimmick
must bring in a lot of business, and is one reason why I'm sure they
do it. Word of free food spreads quickly on the trail.

The next place we hit up was Ben & Jerry's, which again I had done
yesterday after pizza. Almost like deja vú (sp?). I had some Cherry
Garcia, which is quickly becoming a new favorite of mine. I also
learned how that name and flavor came to be courtesy of a company
timeline poster. We walked back to the car as we finished our cones,
and by then it was close to 2pm so they had to get going.

We drove up to the trailhead, got out there and took some pictures.
They both walked over with me past the Dartmouth soccer field into the
woods where the AT continues on, took a few more photos, then said
goodbye. It was bittersweet because I was very happy to have seen
them, but it was over and done way too quickly, and so when I left
them I was a bit saddened and depressed. I started to really miss the
feeling of comfort, being able to see family, Jen, and real life in
general. I'm ready to get this thing done, but I know when I'm
finished I will also be sad that it's over. A lot of mixed emotions
going on.

Because I started rather late I didn't put in too many miles today.
Around 8.5. It was mostly flat out of Hanover, a few small bumps here
and there, but nothing like what's to come. I met a guy a few miles in
who just started today, doing a section from Hanover to Gorham, NH.
He's done everything south of there so he's very close to finishing up
the trail after this year. Pretty much just Maine left. We talked and
hiked together a bit, then I went ahead to be alone again. I kind of
wanted it to be that way today, especially after feeling a bit down.
Just so I could clear my head. Eventually the miles started adding up,
but when I came to Mink Brook and saw Kutsa, Tillerman, and Tequila
John had set up a nice campsite I decided to stay. By then it was
close to 6, so I was fine with stopping.

I called Jen after I had set up my tent and all. It was nice to be
able to talk to her a bit on my bday. Afterward I made dinner, then
hung out and talked with the others until about 8:30. A little past
nine now, so I'm heading to bed after this. Glad too because I'm very
tired. Tomorrow I have some mountains I have to start facing, and very
soon I will be in the Whites. Can't wait.

Total miles: 1745.9

12 down, 2 to go. (You stay classy Vermont)

Day 101 - 7/30/10
Woke around 6:45 and headed over to the convenience store a little
after 7 for breakfast. Fynias, Rainer, iTrod, and I all ordered the
"Full Belly Breakfast". Two eggs, two pieces of meat (your choice),
bread, hash browns, and two pancakes. Doesn't sound like all that
much, but the pancakes are what did me in. I couldn't even finish one
they were so huge, and ended up giving the other to Dewlap. I'm glad I
didn't try to tackle the whole breakfast because I would have been
sick, and what I ate of it fueled me all the way to Hanover.

When I left I hiked with Fynias to the first shelter. Another 3-4
miles where I was able to have some conversation while I hiked. Been
enjoying that lately. We made it to Happy Hill shelter around 10:30.
After breaking for 15 minutes we left and met up with Rainer and
Dewlap on the trail very quickly, so our group grew to 4. I led the
way and we trudged onward to town and NH. The hiking went by very fast
because we were such a large group, and before I knew it we were
crossing the Connecticut River into New Hampshire. We had a short 5
minute photo session at the border, so it was probably close to 1pm
when we actually strolled through the town part of Hanover. It was
somewhat of a bizarre experience because it's parents weekend at
Dartmouth, so the town was buzzing with activity everywhere.
Overwhelming in some ways.

First we went to the P.O. so the three of them could pick up their
maildrops, then we went to this pizza place that gives a free slice to
thru hikers. I ended up also getting some garlic knots and a Long
Trail draft beer. The knots were unbelievably good, drenched in
garlic, butter, Parmesan, olive oil, and herbs. After that gorgeous
meal Rainer, Dewlap, and I topped off the pizza with some Ben &
Jerry's ice cream. I actually had a milkshake. While there I called my
Mom who was on her way, just updating her on where to meet. We decided
on the library, so after the ice cream I headed on down there. I took
out a laptop, messing around until Mom and Christie showed up. As I'm
doing so I looked up from the computer and there they were in the
lobby area, looking around for me. I was shocked, I didn't think
they'd be able to find the library without a second phonecall. I ran
over to them, gave some hugs, then introduced them to Rainer & Dewlap.

After that we headed out so that I could shower asap at the White
River Junction Holiday Inn where my Mom got a room. Christie was
making many comments about my stink, so it was necessary to get that
over and done with right away. While I did my Mom threw my laundry in
the washer, and after that was done we headed out for some dinner at a
nice Italian restaurant in Lebanon, NH. Three Tomatoes I think the
name was. We got there probably around 6:30 and got seated right away.
The food was fantastic, great quality and sizes. I had chicken breast
with pesto, and then linguini with sweet & spicy sausage. It was a
nice dinner together, and we left there completely stuffed and
satisfied.

When we got back to the hotel I got a surprise phonecall from Far Far,
my grandfather, wishing me a happy birthday. It was great to hear from
him, and it's always nice to get a birthday greeting. After talking
with him we had some cake that my Mom made. It was awesome chocolate
cake with vanilla frosting and whipped cream middle. All homemade. My
favorite. Then I opened some cards, as well as a gift bag from Dad
full of trail goodies. I was overwhelmed with it all, and can't thank
everyone enough, but I will try, and hopefully when I'm done the trail
I can do a more adequate job. So thank you Mom, Dad, Mor Mor & Far
Far, Christie, Mary, and everyone else for making this a great b-day,
even though it is a day early it's still just as fantastic.

I'm very tired now, it felt like I did so much today, so I'll call it
a night. A late one for me, heading to bed now at 11:15. Hopefully I
can do a few more fun things with Mom and Christie before I head back
out.

Total miles: 1737.3

Early birthday present.

Day 100 - 7/29/10
Into the triple digits for hiking days. Almost can't believe it. Then
again that also means I'm getting closer and closer to being in Maine,
and then Katahdin, which is just as crazy to believe.

Anyway, it was a good decision to stay in the shelter last night. It
poured in the middle of the night, so hard and so loud that I couldn't
even sleep. I actually had a terrible night, tossing and turning the
entire time. It was tightly packed in there to the point where I
couldn't get comfortable. I guess I'd rather be a little groggier in
the morning then have a wet tent to put away though. There was a funny
moment in the middle of the night too. Rainer must've been having some
sort of vivid dream because suddenly he let out this loud yell that
woke everyone up. Maybe a nightmare of some sort. I think he was a bit
embarrassed, but actually it seems to be a common occurence out here.
I've heard a lot of people have dreams to the point of yelling. Not
sure why though, perhaps it's the abrupt change in lifestyle. Who knows.

I left Winturri shelter at 8, heading downhill to route 12. On the way
I passed the happiest blaze I've ever seen. Someone carved a big smile
and two eye slits into it, which made it seem like it was saying,
"Right this way, hiker. Come along, don't be shy. I'm happy to be of
service." I took a picture to remember the little guy. When I got to
route 12 I saw a sign on the AT billboard saying a farm was close on
down the road with all sorts of treats. I walked to it, was the first
customer of the morning, and bought a nice mixed berry mini-pie and a
soda. Now the pie in Deleware Water Gap was good, but this was
absolutely "gorgeous", as Churchill would say. I enjoyed that, then
went in and bought some buffalo meat sticks that were great as well.
All in all an excellent stop.

I was lounging for a while when I realized suddenly how much time I
had spent there, so I quickly got my pack on and booked it up the
trail. It was tough going from the farm, and when I had caught up to
iTrod around 12:30 I saw I had only done a measly 7 miles. I think it
was because the day was so tough, much like yesterday. Up and down, up
and down, again and again. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying it was
tough and slow-going. When I started up from that break things seemed
to pick up a bit, and by the time I had made the 11.6 miles to Thistle
Hill shelter it was 3pm. Rainer & Dewlap, iTrod, and Fireball all
rolled in right around when I did. I parked my stuff in the shelter,
met a SOBO from Richmond, VA, filled up on water, then headed out to
push for West Hartford like everyone else. We were all excited about
hitting up the convenience mart in town for sandwiches and ice cream.

I started moving really slow, and pretty soon I was alone. It was nice
though because a majority of it was downhill, and that 5 miles also
took me through some diverse locations. I went through thick pine
forests, so dark because the canopy was overgrown, a giant wide open
field atop the mountain with wind whipping around, and hordes of
overgrown sections. In those parts there were lots of raspberry &
black raspberry plants, so I was slowed down a little because of the
snacking opportunities.

I eventually made it into town about 6 and quickly hustled to the
store. The others had already made it and were eating delicious
looking sandwiches. I went with a buffalo chicken, bacon, cheese, and
ranch dressing sub called the Pomfret (named after a nearby town).
Delicious. After I ate I asked if there was a place nearby where
hikers could tent because I'd heard some folks in this town allowed
that on their property. There was one a few hundred feet down, and
when I went in to ask the lady instantly said yes. Her name was Kathy
and she was totally cool with it. Her and her husband have a big
backyard and they said anywhere was fine. It ended up being iTrod,
Rainer, Dewlap, Fireball, Phynious, and myself that set up tents. A
good amount definitely. Kathy and her husband have a nice big firepit
in their backyard so they got a fire going, then joined us as we sat
around it. Rainer and Dewlap had bought me a cupcake for my bday, and
everyone ended up singing "Happy Birthday" to me as I held it, a tiny
twig in place of a candle. The stick wasn't flaming, but the end was
burning, so after they wrapped up the song I extinguished it with my
pointer and thumb, then scarfed. Was actually a very good cupcake, but
just having that moment out here was even better. The singing and all
that I mean. It was so kind of them (R & D) to think of me like that,
and to have the song sung was like having an actual party. A great way
to end my day, especially after being another tough one. On to Hanover
tomorrow where I'll be spending some time with Mom and Christie. Can't
wait. Almost 11, gotta catch some zzzZZZs!

Total miles: 1727.5

Tough days.

Day 99 - 7/28/10
I had a strange dream last night. I was with a very random collection
of past and present friends, and we were making a stew. I think I was
cooking it, and all the friends were going to eat it. The stew had
potatoes, cabbage, beets, and probably other vegetables I'm not
remembering. Someone complained that it tasted like PCT roast beef
(whatever that means...?) and I clearly remember boasting how I had
doused it with salt and it shouldn't taste that way. Maybe there was
something in that Guiness stew that made me dream about making my own,
or it was just that good. Reading this it might not sound like a
strange dream, but for me it felt peculiar.

I had a late start, not leaving until 9:00. I didn't really get back
to the AT until even later because I had to take a steep sidetrail up
from the Inn. For the first few miles it was downhill, not bad at all.
As I was passing across Thundering Brook Rd. I met 4 day hikers. I
only stopped for a second to answer some of their questions, and I got
an orange out of it! Oranges are a great fruit to have on the trail,
something about that burst of citrus that's just really satisfying. By
the time I was crossing the boardwalk over Ottauqueechee River (sweet
name, right?) I had caught up to iTrod. We ended up hiking up Quimby
Mt. together, a super steep climb of 1100 feet in 1.3 miles. It was
nice hiking with someone for a while, I hadn't done it in a long time,
and we talked about all sorts of stuff, from jobs to school to reasons
for being on the trail and so on. We stuck together right up to Stony
Brook Shelter where we took a break at around 1:30.

We met two SOBOers there, Coyote (younger kid from Boston) and Hobbit
(older guy from Maine). They were both cool guys and we ended up
exchanging a lot of trail advice, places to stop, the best hostels,
and so on. Always good to get that info. When I left around two I soon
met Rainer and Dewlap at a watering hole, I think Stony Brook. They
had gone past me last night since I had gone down to the Inn, but when
I met them today we stuck together for a few hours. Actually we caught
up to iTrod soon, and then became a group of 4. I think that's the
biggest group I've hiked in for that period of time, close to 3 hours.
It was nice to have some external conversation for once instead of all
the stuff going on in my head.

We made it to Chateauguay Rd. and took a break, and that's where we
all parted ways. It was only 5.4 to the shelter from there so I really
wanted to make it asap. Rain looked as if it was on the horizon and I
was hoping to dodge it if I could. Those 5 miles were the easiest of
the day, but far from easy. Today was actually very strenuous, one of
the hardest I've had in a long time. Lots of steep ups, and then no
rewarding view at the top either. I made it in to the shelter before
seven, so I was happy because that had been my goal. A few others were
here, 3 NOBOs I'd never met, all very friendly. I parked my stuff in
the shelter, wasn't going to risk a wet tent tonight, and soon Rainer
& Dewlap showed up. Then iTrod pulled in, and even Fireball a little
after, so the shelter got full quick. It rained for a few minutes here
and there while I did my cooking, but not any sort of hard soaking
rain. I hope it does in the middle of the night, I don't want to have
slept in a crowded shelter for nothing.

Getting really excited for Hanover on Friday, can't wait to see my Mom
and sis! And I forgot to mention this yesterday, but I'm now under 500
miles to go! Whoa! Goodnight!

Total miles: 1711.1

An Irish ending.

Day 98 - 7/27/10
Didn't sleep too great even though it was a nice cool night. I kept
having to readjust my headrest, never getting it comfortable enough. I
woke up around 7, now my usual wake up time, and left a minute before
8. I started with a steep uphill, which changed to a gradual after a
while, then back down. There were a lot of road crossings early on,
not busy roads, but roads all the same. After crossing one I came upon
some cooler magic maybe 50 ft. into the woods. Ice cold Mt. Dew.
That's actually the perfect trail soda because it has the most sugar
and caffeine per can. The best part about that trail magic was that
whoever left it also provided a chair to enjoy it in. So I chugged my
Dew while sitting comfortably, then continued onward with a nice
caffeine buzz.

I made it to the first shelter, 5.8 miles away, around 10:30, and
iTrod was there. I only stopped long enough to eat a quick snack, then
left to tackle Killington. It actually was a very enjoyable climb, not
too steep, but enough to get your heart rate going. I was at the top
(well almost, the AT doesn't go over the summit) for lunch, so I
stopped to eat. The shelter up there is called Cooper Lodge, and man
was it cruddy. Glad I didn't stay there for a night. iTrod ended up
catching up while I ate, so we continued our movie convo a bit. He's a
real cool guy to talk to about that stuff, and I'm sure he and I could
have a discussion that would last hours. He had a lot of
recommendations for me that I'd never heard of, so I'll definitely be
checking those out when I'm done.

I left at 1:30, about 8.5 miles left to complete of the goal I had set
for the day. There was one more shelter I stopped at between then, but
only for a quick 10 minutes. From there to route 4 was mostly
downhill, but then from there to my destination felt like a horrendous
climb. The elevation profile in my guidebook didn't look too bad, but
I'd have to say it felt way off. The climb was steep and long, and
only after the AT & LT split apart did it get easier. It was 1.5 miles
from the split to the side trail that takes you down to the Inn at
Long Trail, so that felt pretty quick. I made it in at 5:30 or so and
went in to check the hiker rates. They actually weren't too bad, but I
decided to just tent nearby instead because my Mom and sister will be
meeting me in Hanover in only 3 days, and there I'll be able to shower
and have a nice bed.

So after I decided against that I went outside and made myself some
dinner, then set up my tent across the street in a free tenting area.
Then I went over to the Irish pub located inside the Inn to get myself
my first Guiness on tap. Watching him fill the glass was awesome, and
it took a good 5-10 minutes to do it because you have to wait for the
head to disappear. And he even put a clover in the head to top it off,
just like they do in Ireland, or so I've heard. That first sip was
amazing, and each one after that was even better. Guiness on tap
tastes completely different than a can or bottle, and is 1000 times
better. As you can see I really enjoyed it. I ended up meeting and
talking to another hiker for quite a while, Wildcat was his name.
Originally from Germany, he's doing a SOBO LT trip, then just
continuing south to Springer. Long ways to go, but he's hiked the AT
before so he knows what's in store. iTrod ended up coming into the pub
as well, and because he knew it was my b-day in a few days he bought
me a pint. I ended up having about 3-4 overall, plus a second dinner
(amazing Guiness beef stew) so needless to say I felt good leaving the
place.

It's getting late now, almost ten, so I should be getting to bed.
Hopefully I can get out of here at a decent time. Was looking at
something around 19 tomorrow. We'll see. Had a nice day, with an
awesome place to stop at the end. I hope I can come back here some day!

Total miles: 1693.1

Another day, another dolla--I mean mountain.

Day 97 - 7/26/10
Woke up about 7 and left by 8. Had a slow gradual uphill past 2-3
shelters in a span of less than 4 miles. In that time I passed a
really nice pond, Little Rock Pond, a very tempting place to swim, but
it was too early. I took an early break after 3.7 miles for a snack,
then pressed on after 10 minutes. I stopped again when I was almost to
the top of the mountain so I could finally post yesterdays blog. It
seems that service is getting spotty again, so I'll be having to do
more stops to check for service areas if I can't post at the end of
the night.

When I had that posted I pressed on and the woods suddenly changed
from a variant forest to a pine forest almost instantaneously. It was
bizarre, one second there was variety, the next it was just pine.
Through that section I passed a few what I would call AT shrines.
Hundreds of stacks of rocks upon rocks. I don't know if other trails
have those, so I will only apply this to the AT, but if hiking were a
religion out here the symbolic insignia would be a stack of rocks. Not
a pile, a stack. A pile is something haphazard and accidental, whereas
a stack takes planning and thought. Each piece is meticulously placed.
I love seeing those.

When I made it to VT 140 I stopped by a brook for lunch, having some
flatbreads with PB & Nutella. Then it was up and over Button Hill, a
fairly steep climb. Minerva Shelter came soon after so I pulled in to
refill water, eat a snack, then moved on. Pretty soon I was at
Clarendon Gorge, a vast fast-moving water source that would be a great
swimming spot on a hot day. Today was actually not hot though, perfect
weather with awesome breezes and cool temps. Ideal hiking conditions,
so I didn't swim. Clarendon Shelter was a mile after that, and I
decided to call it a day there.

I met another guy named Bodacious, also going NOBO on the AT. We
started collecting wood for a fire, and just as we were about to get
her started a guy came rolling in on his ATV. He's actually the
caretaker and was just checking in. He ended up staying quite a while
chatting with us. In the time he was there Fireball, iTrod, and Wink
(a girl NOBO LT-er) pulled in. He really loved to talk. I made dinner,
mac and cheese with some Italian salami pieces thrown in. The salami
didn't taste all that good so next time I'll get regular. That's what
I've been having, and loved it, so I wish I had just stuck with it.
While I ate iTrod and I had a long convo about movies and stuff, which
I of course greatly enjoyed. He knows his stuff too, and has seen lots
that I haven't. Definitely got some good recommendations.

Pretty average day today, nothing too crazy or exciting. Tomorrow
should be a lot of fun because I'll be going over Killington, one of
the highest peaks in Vermont. Plus I'll finish up my day right where
the AT & LT finally diverge. That means I'll be in NH very soon!

Total miles: 1674.8

Real life "Oregon Trail" fording.

Day 96 - 7/25/10
Remember that computer game? Well I lived it! More on that later.
Slept in for a change. Didn't get up until 8:45. After packing up
slowly I left Sutton's Place around 10ish, saying goodbye to Rainer &
Dewlap because they were meeting some family friends for breakfast. I
walked to Main St. and went into EMS (one of the two outfitters in
town) and asked where the best place to hitch might be. The guy said
just keep walking, stick out your thumb, and people will see the pack
and know you're a hiker and stop. On my way out I passed by Fireball,
a German kid I had met way back, but hadn't seen since Trail Days. We
did one of those excited, "How you been, man?" exchanges, then parted
ways. I ended up seeing him several more times throughout the day back
on the trail.

I started walking down Main St. with my thumb out, but had no takers.
I walked past a donut shop, stopped in there for a few, then went on,
and still no ride. I walked at least a mile out of town and still
nothing. Any farther and I'd be on the fast highway and then no one
would stop, so I waited right there, and finally the most unlikely
person pulled over for me. An older women, alone, driving a nice car,
maybe a Lexus. Her name was Mrs. Black, and I was so thankful toward
her. I had been starting to get frustrated with the amount of cars
that flew past me, but Mrs. Black made my day. Apparently she does
that sort of thing for a lot of hikers, she'll always stop if she sees
a pack, which I think is smart. I wouldn't stop for any random
hitchhiker, but if you see a large pack and poles you know they're
just a hiker needing a lift. For being such a kindly old lady she sure
had some fire in her soul. Not evil, just feisty. Another car had
pulled out in front of us when it shouldn't have, and then it was
driving slow, so she honked at it until they pulled into the other
lane. At least she made it a memorable ride.

She dropped me off at the trail around 11am, so I ended up starting
out much later than I had wanted. I had a few big uphills right away,
putting me back into the 3000-footers. My first one took me up to
Bromley Mountain. It's also a ski mountain, and they had the chairlift
running to give lazy hikers a shortcut. Or I guess friends could meet
up with someone on the trail. The next mountain was Styles Peak, and
then after that Peru Peak. In between those last two I met two guys
from Massachusetts who had started hiking only recently. They were
both obese guys, but seeing them work hard and push on even though it
was tough was awesome. It makes me happy to see overweight people out
here trying to change their lives. I hope they keep going, their goal
they said was either Katahdin or 160 lbs., combined not each.

Near the top of Peru Peak I met a guy doing the LT, and we hiked
together a bit. We split up when I stopped to put on my pack cover,
and thank god I did because a nasty rainstorm blew through drenching
me to the bone. I was only 20 minutes from a shelter too, if only I
had gotten that ride sooner. He was at the shelter when I came in, and
we waited out the rain. Fireball had caught up to us by then, but just
as we were leaving. He stayed behind to take a break. From that
shelter it was mostly downhill except for a small bump up onto Baker's
Peak. By then it had cleared up so we had a great view, even though it
was less than 3000 feet. I left there around 5:30, hiked the two miles
to the next shelter, stopped for a minute, then left to do 1.7 more to
Big Branch shelter. Right before I got there I had to ford Big Branch
River, and it took me about 15 minutes to find a decent spot to cross.
I took my boots and socks off, then slowly rock-hopped to the other
side. There were a few points where I had to walk through the water,
and that current was so strong I could have easily been swept away.
They (Green Mountain Club) actually advise using a detour, but it adds
three extra miles that I didn't want to do. Plus it was a fun
challenge. I made it across and soon was at the shelter. A few others
were here, iTrod, Jibitz, and Phynias, all hikers I have met but don't
know too well. All nice people for sure. I made dinner, some tuna and
rice, then set up in the shelter because I was nervous it might rain
tonight. Close to 9:30 now. Had a good mileage day for my start time.
Hope to put in at least a 20 tomorrow.

Total miles: 1657.9

Zero #11

Day 0 - 7/24/10
Woke up around 7:30 and went downstairs for breakfast. They had a
bunch of cereals down there so I had Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cocoa
Crispies. Nice to have some of that, I rarely get to have milk
anymore. Jeff shuttled me into town at 9:30 to the bookstore where I
met Rainer & Dewlap. I dropped my pack off at Sutton's Place, which is
where they were staying, then we walked downtown to get second
breakfast. I had scrambled eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, sourdough toast,
and coffee. Really tasty, and Rainer & Dewlap paid for mine because of
a pizza I had bought for all of us way back in Damascus, VA. Thought
that was really nice of them.

Afterward we split up and I went to check out the outfitter again, and
also the movie theater to see what was playing, but there was nothing
good so I walked back up to the place we were staying and caught up on
some guidebook journaling. I try to put notes here and there in my
book at places where something special happens or a cool view, and I
hadn't written anything since Kent, CT.

After I had finished up that I just lounged around, watching
television and eating. Today was the most relaxing zero I've had
because I really didn't do much. Most times I'm running around getting
things done, laundry, resupply, etc., but not today. Just what the
doctor ordered. I ended up getting sucked into this show for several
hours called Duel Survivor. It's on Discovery Channel and it's about
these two guys who go into different ecosystems and try to find their
way back to civilization. Makes what I'm doing seem tame in
comparison, but these guys also have years of experience and all. It
really is amazing what they can do out there with limited supplies. I
love the Discovery Channel.

After watching a ton of that I took a shower, then Rainer, Dewlap, and
I went out to get some dinner at a pizza place. I had a turkey and
bacon panini that was very good. They both had pasta. Then we walked
back to the Inn, and I was tempted to get a pint of Cherry Garcia on
the way back after realizing how good it was when I ate it at Green
Mountain House last night, but I was too full and didn't want to
overdue it. We made it back and started watching One Flew Over The
Cuckoos Nest on AMC. Good Nicholson flick. It's about 9:30 now so I'll
be heading to bed shortly. Back to the trail tomorrow. Been a nice day.

Green Mountain House, has more than meets the eye! Route 11, Vermont. (You'd get this if you're from Maine)

Day 95 - 7/23/10
I guess I'm a hypocrite because I used an alarm last night, but I'm glad I did because it allowed me to get into town early enough to do all the things I needed to. When it went off at 5:30 I groaned, laid there about ten minutes, then started breaking down camp and having breakfast. I was up and out by 6:30, very groggy and with a headache, but I wad moving.

Those first few hours were not all that fun, but by 8:00 I had made close to 4 miles and was feeling better. I went up and summitted Stratton Mountain at 9:30, an elevation of 3936 ft. and the biggest peak the AT crosses in Vermont. It's awesome to be hitting big mountains again, and there was a fire tower atop this one that had great views all around. Wind was fierce up there though, and frigid, so I didn't hang around too long. From there on out the rest of the day was rainy. The good thing was that it wasn't torrential, just soft constant rain. I'm now completely comfortable with walking in the stuff, it doesn't faze me.

One thing I thought about today was the mud. With all the rain we had it got real squishy, and my boots were squelching through it. That's legit, they really made a squelch sound. And with each sinking step all I could think about was that scene in Jurassic Park when the T-Rex first shows up and you see its giant foot submerge in the mud. I'm beginning to think they shot those scenes in VT. Anyway I hiked from Stratton all the way to two shelters away without breaking. In between that distance I met Dewlap's mom who was planning on meeting her and Rainer on the trail. She was nice and I talked with her a bit, but not too long because if you sit still in the rain you get chilly. When I made it to that shelter I didn't go down to it because it was .5 off the trail, so I just ate a quick snack at the trailhead. Had a cold ramen, which I haven't done in some time. Today would have been a good day to have it hot though, but again I didn't want to sit in the rain too long.

I stopped at the next shelter real quick to check the register, then pushed the last 2.8 miles to route 11 so I could get into Manchester. I was there probably around 3:30, which put me at 21.2 miles for the day. I think I could have managed a 30-miler if I wasn't going into town for resupply and it hadn't been raining. I was just feeling it. I was afraid it'd be a tough hitch into town because for one it was an extremely fast road with no real place to pull over, and two it was raining hard at that point and no one wants to pick up a wet person, especially if that person is also a smelly hiker. Fortunately a guy and two ladies pulled into the parking lot nearby, so I shamelessly went up to them and asked for a ride. They said sure, and the ride down was interesting. They weren't driving bad by any means, but I think because it's been so long since I've driven and it was rainy, wet roads, I was semi-freaking out in my head. The road was windy and I thought for sure we were going to crash. We did not, we made it safe into town, and they kindly dropped me off at the grocery store, which is actually right next to an outfitter. First I bought some new socks, then resupplied at the grocers, then went to McDonalds and relived my Big Mac craving a second time. After all that I met up with some other hikers who were also going to the Green Mountain House hostel. We called up Jeff, the guy who runs it, and he came and picked us up. Real nice guy, and right off the bat super friendly and accommodating. Plus this is an awesome house with a shower, bed, kitchen use, a pint of B & J's included, and for one night only an amazing trail magic dinner of steak, potatoes, corn, salad, bread, beans, sodas, eclairs for dessert, and probably 2 or 3 other things I've forgotten. All of it provided by some 2009 hikers who just wanted to pay it back. It was amazing. After getting sufficiently stuffed I went on the comp and added a new album of pictures to the blog, so check 'em out! It concludes Jerz and goes right up to today, and even has the pics of the firetower I climbed earlier today.

Tomorrow I'll probably zero in town with Rainer and Dewlap for free, courtesy of Rainer's dad. I guess he paid for a hotel room in town for two nights and I can't pass up a free stay, plus this is a nice town. And I overpurchased so I'll be eating down my rations all day tomorrow. 'Twas a fine day all 'round.

Total miles: 1641.4

Airing out some things.

Day 94 - 7/22/10
The thunderstorms I endured last night were insane. I stayed up a
while reading, then it started raining, then the thunder came, so I
ended up finishing the book because there was no way I could have
slept through that onslaught. The flashes were so close together and
so bright that I almost didn't need to use my headlamp for reading. It
was a tad scary because when it was right over me I just sat there
watching, waiting, listening for any falling tree limbs.

The hard rain created wetness in my tent that made for a slow and
uncomfortable morning. I didn't have everything packed and ready to go
until a little before 9am, and most of my things were wet (like my
tent) so it wasn't fun putting them away. I figured I'd have to air it
out when I could later on, which I did at the next shelter, Goddard.
It was about 7 miles away, around 3500 feet, and had a really nice
spring water source. The entire place was nice actually. Made we wish
I could have stayed there, but the timing wasn't right. I laid out all
my wet gear and took an extended break, and since I finished The
Hobbit I also put that out for anyone to take. Rainer & Dewlap showed
up maybe a 1/2 hour after I did, and Dewlap ended up taking the book.
That was fast! Hope she enjoys it.

I left close to 1 and soon came to the top of Glastenbury Mountain
(3748') where there was an observation tower. I climbed that to take a
look around, and man was it windy at the top. It was actually windy
all day, which was nice because it was cool and kept my sweating down
for once. Reminded me of weather from the beginning of my trip. I hope
it stays like this. Anyway, the view up there was great, a nice 360
degree of the Green Mountains. You could see lakes and ponds and towns
in many directions and all at different distances. I went back down
and hiked for a couple more hours to the next shelter, Kid Gore. There
was a decent view from that one down into a valley and some mountains
in the distance. Did another break there, and again Rainer and Dewlap
showed up soon after. They planned on stopping at the one after, but I
wanted to do more so I left and hiked the 4.6 to Story Spring Shelter.
A guy doing the LT was there, had a fire going and everything. His
name is Gentry and he's from L.A. I talked with him about living there
and stuff while I made my dinner. Turns out he works in entertainment
as well, so maybe I'll see him again down the road somewhere. You
never know where you'll meet a connection.

I had a pasta side with tuna, and of course Tobasco. What's so nice
about the mild version is that it has more flavor. I like the original
too, but it just makes foods taste hot whereas the green mild sauce
actually adds flavor. I'm glad I bought some. I was going to leave and
do a few more miles like I said, but I just wasn't feeling it so I
listened to my gut and stayed. I set up my tent (nice and dry, the
airing helped) and hopefully it'll be an early night so I can make the
miles into Manchester tomorrow for the hostel I have a reservation
for. I'm kind of annoyed they have you do that because it stinks
trying to make a schedule. You never know if you're going to have a
good day or a bad day, and so trying to plan in advance is tough. Oh
well, I either make it or I don't. The town does have a Ben & Jerry's
ice cream shop so I may have to get myself one or two of those flavors
you mentioned, Mom. Although my favorite is probably Half Baked. Mmm.

One last thing. Just wanted to wish my grandmother Mor Mor a Happy
80th Birthday! It's actually tomorrow (23rd), but I'm doing it in
advance so she can see it tomorrow morning. Can't wait to see you,
hopefully real soon! Love Dan.

Total miles: 1620.3

11 down, 3 to go. (Welcome to Vermud)

Day 93 - 7/21/10
That's what I saw someone write on a wooden register box near the
border. Very true too. As soon as you cross states there's a
monumental increase in the amount of mud in the path. Sort of strange
how that is.

I was moving around by 7, but I didn't leave until 8:15 because I got
caught up in reading while I ate breakfast. Hobbit spoiler alert: Bard
has just slain Smaug and now it seems as if war between the men/elves
and the dwarves will ensue. I'm sure good ol' Bilbo will get
everything fixed before it happens though.

My day started with a good climb, 1000 ft. in a little under 3 miles
to the MA-VT border. I recorded some songs onto my voice recorder to
have entertainment while I walk, and as I crossed over it happened to
be playing a Phish song. Thought that was appropriate to hear
considering they hail from Vermont. Got me in the VT state of mind.
Side note: Obviously for me to be able to listen to the recorder it
has to be working again. I figured it would because to be honest this
isn't the first time I've gotten it wet. Another time I had it in an
outside pocket during a torrential rainstorm and it got soaked. I
thought it was done that time, but it came back to life, so now I'm
wondering if it has nine lives like me, or three strikes and I'm out.
Either way, I don't want to test it again. I'm so happy it came back
this time.

As I said earlier, the mud started showing up everywhere, making my
new boots look very used rather quickly. I didn't stop at the first
shelter because it was off the trail, so instead I took a break at a
road a little further up. A little past that when I was hiking again I
met two women who were hiking the Vermont Long Trail. The LT and AT
are concurrent for a little more then 100 miles, so I bet the trail is
going to feel a little more crowded then it has been. Plus it seems
this is where a lot of NOBOs and SOBOs cross paths, so even more
traffic. I talked to them for a bit, then went onward planning to
break at the next shelter. Along the way I hiked past many ponds and
swamps, and there was one where the trail follows along the edge of
it, but the pond itself is higher up then you are by about three feet.
Dont ask me how it works, but it looked like there was a wall of
grasses and mud holding it off from flooding the trail. I took a
picture but it doesn't portray what I'm describing very well.

I made it to Congdon shelter just before a rainstorm hit, meeting two
other girls doing the LT. Both very nice. They hiked in the rain, but
I waited it out by eating and reading. I'm close to the end of this
book so now I'm having a hard time putting it down. Everything is so
climactic. The rain passed in about an hour, and by the time it
wrapped up the two LT ladies from before showed up. I was packing as
they unpacked, so again we talked a bit. Today was actually day 1 of
their trek. Must be exciting, I remember that time.

From out of that shelter it was a small climb up, then a big drop to
route 9. The downhill there was so steep, but fortunately they had
stone steps that made it a little easier. These weren't like the ones
at Bear Mt. in NY, but still very impressive craftsmanship considering
the location and terrain. Every time I go up or down stone steps I'm
always reminded of this scene in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
when Gollum has led Frodo and Samwise to a secret staircase to sneak
into Mordor. When they get to it he points up and says, "The stairs."
in his nasty voice. If there's a stone staircase out here, no matter
if I'm going up or down, I will always hear Gollum's voice saying
that. I can't help it. Sorry for that nerdy anecdote. Don't hate.

When I crossed route 9 and started going back uphill again my arms and
hips had had enough. I'd been sweating a lot today, and my tight
hipbelt and wet shirt has been irritating my skin to the point of
rashes. When I was heading uphill from there I had to stop and take a
break because the pain was so bad, especially on my hips. Just imagine
wearing the same salty, sweaty pair of shorts day after day rubbing
hard against your hips for 10-12 hours at a time. Not a comfortable
thought, right? Later on I was able to wash up my clothes in a brook,
and on Friday I'll be able to shower, so hopefully I can make it
through until then somewhat pain free.

I made it to the next shelter, Melville Nauheim, around 5:45. There
were some others around, Kentucky, Pacer, and Stumbler. I made dinner,
ramen with sweet and spicy tuna, plus some mild (green) Tobasco sauce.
It came out really good for some reason, one of my best recipes yet.
Maybe I was just really hungry. After dinner I did a few more miles to
Hell Hollow Brook to camp. I was drawn in by that cheerful name. It's
actually a nice brook (the one I washed up in) and I can hear it from
my tent. I always enjoy that. Not sure if it'll rain tonight, seems
like it could go either way. Let's hope not. Goodnight.

And I'll leave you with this: "Those immortal dead who live again in
minds made better by their presence." (The quote from the memorial on
top of Greylock)

Total miles: 1604.5

Buffet overload!

Day 92 - 7/20/10
I'm going to stop trying to wake up early and from now on just get up
when I feel like I can. It's not worth setting an alarm when you just
go right back to bed every time it goes off. And usually I'm moving
around by 7, so I'm done with alarms.

I left the church at ten past eight and immediately started a long
incline up to Greylock. The first mile or two were steep, but after
that it wasn't too bad. I took a break a little past Mark Noepel Lean-
to, finally finishing a bag of trail mix I've been carrying since
Deleware Water Gap (the PA-NJ border). Thank god because I'm so tired
of the stuff. No more of that for a while. While I was there a SOBO
past named Easy. Nice guy from S. Carolina. He stopped and talked for
a bit then headed onward. Crazy to think he's just getting past the
600-mile mark, then again he's also done with the hardest part whereas
I am not.

I left there and maybe a mile or so later I was getting up around 3000
feet. I could literally feel the temperature change, the air getting
cooler. My arms were now cold from sweat, not hot from it like they
have been as of late. This made me really happy and excited for those
higher elevations that are to come further north. I made it to the
summit of Greylock around 11:30, and there's a lodge and restaurant up
there so I stopped in for a snack and took another break. At the top
is a large Memorial for veterans, I want to say WWII, but I'm not
certain. I went inside and there was this really awesome quote on the
wall, so I recorded it into my voice recorder, but unfortunately I
dropped it in some water later in the day and now it isn't working. I
wanted to put the quote on here too, but I can't remember it. Oh well,
you'll all just have to go up there and see what I'm talking about.
Maybe the recorder will come back from the dead tomorrow or something.
We'll see.

After Greylock it was mostly downhill into town. Just as I made it to
Phelps Ave. I passed a group of SOBOs, 4 to be exact. Four! That's the
first big clump I've seen traveling together. I find it really exiting
crossing paths with these guys because you can exchange information
about future towns, shelters, restaurants, etc. And it's just neat to
see them because they really are a different breed of hiker. NOBOs are
where it's at though. I was soon at route 2, and as I was about to
walk into town (North Adams) for some Chinese buffet a lady was
pulling out of her driveway and asked if I wanted a ride. Ah, yes! Her
name was Lucy and she drove me over to Oriental Buffet, which
fortunately also happens to be right next to a grocery store.

I ate a lot, three big plates worth, plus a few sodas. It was good
stuff, nice selection and quality, but Ming's in Waynesboro is still
#1. It can't be beat. I actually didn't finish the 3rd plate, and I
was still stuffed. It made my grocery shopping experience tough, but
in another sense it was easier because everything I looked at was
unappetizing so I didn't overpurchase for once. I only resupplied for
a couple days because there's a town coming up I made a hostel
reservation in and it has a bunch of grocery stores. The walk back to
the trail felt really long, much longer than the carride with Lucy. It
was only 3/4 of a mile too. I guess it's one of those relativity type
things. Anyway, I was hurting bad from the full stomach, and with a
heavier pack it was even worse. On top of that the trail goes uphill
out of town. I stopped about halfway up by this brook to fill up on
water and that's when my recorder fell in the water. I was upset, I
had just bought new batteries for it in town less then an hour before.
Nothing I could do about it though. Fingers are crossed that it'll
work by tomorrow.

I made it to the campsite (Sherman Brook) a little past 6, considered
hiking on to make it across the border, but decided against it because
my stomach hurt too much. Plus my feet hurt a bit from the new boots.
So I stuck around here, setting up my tent on a platform. This
campsite is pretty decent, there's a good water source not too far, a
privy (very few campsites have these), and a bear box for my food.
It's only 8pm now but I'm very tired and want to make it an early
night. Tomorrow I will DEFINITELY be in Vermont. Woohoo!

Total miles: 1584.7

Bored walks on boardwalks.

Day 91 - 7/19/10
That's what the first few miles were like for me. Flat and through
areas dominated by wooden planks. They use those in places where
flooding can occur, near swamps, brooks, streams, and the bugs like
those enviroments too, so that was a little bothersome.

I stopped in at the first shelter, Kay Wood Lean-to, at around 10:45
just as a small rainstorm was passing through. I waited it out by
reading some of The Hobbit. I started that book over 500 miles ago,
and Bilbo still hasn't taken back the treasure from Smaug. Getting
close though. The rain stopped by 11 so I went back to the trail and
did the 3 miles into Dalton, MA in an hour fifteen. I saw a few
hikers, Pony, Brooklyn, and others hanging out at this guy's house
where he let's you tent. I guess they were all staying, and since it
was so early he was taking them into Pittsfield to see a movie. I said
goodbye, felt a little depressed I wasn't getting to see a movie too,
then walked through town about a mile to where it picks up the trail
again. I loved walking through because it reminded me a lot of home.
Small New England town. I miss it.

The hike out was uphill about 800 feet, but it was over a span of 3
miles so it was nice and gradual. Not much to see up there, although
near the top was a pretty pond. I'm really liking how there's a lot of
those at the tops of mountains around CT & MA. After getting to the
peak I started going right back down, making it into Chesire at around
4:20. I had already done 18.5 at that point so I decided to stay in
town at the St. Mary's church. It's a free place so there's no showers
or laundry, but they have a bathroom and a place you can put your
sleeping bag to sleep. Plus it's nice and air conditioned. After I set
up my spot I explored the town a bit, and unfortunately everything
seemed to be closed or closing. I made it to the convenience store
just in time to get a new lighter for my stove, then as I walked to
the pizza place I saw they're closed only on Mondays, the one day I'm
in this town. I ended up going to the liquor store for some snacks,
then to this dinky ice cream place that makes sandwiches and other
stuff. Dewlap and Rainer were sitting there when I showed up so we ate
together and hung out. Three Bears, the other hiker who's staying at
the church tonight, came by soon after and ate with us as well. I
ended up getting a roast beef sandwich, plus two small hot dogs,
smaller than average size, and an ice cream cone.

When I was done I went back to the church and just relaxed, reading
and listening to some music. It is so nice to have done a good 18+
mile day, and yet still be finished up by 4:30. Also I just want to
mention that the gear replacements, new boots and pack, are working
out well, so thanks Dad for helping me out with all that. Soon it'll
be bed time. Hopefully I'll get an early start out of here so I can
conquer Greylock early on. Might be in VT by tomorrow! We shall see.

Total miles: 1568.5

Back on the AT again.

Day 90 - 7/18/10
Woke up around 9 and left Boston by 9:30 with Big C and his girlfriend
Sarah. Just for those that don't know, and I should have said this
sooner maybe, Big C and Craig are the same person, so when I use one
name it's interchangeable with the other. Hope that didn't confuse
anyone in earlier posts. We drove back to Lee on 90, stopping at
Dunkin Donuts somewhere along the way so I could get some breakfast.
Shortly thereafter we stopped at a McDonald's, this time making sure
it was past 10:30. When we got there at 10:40 I still saw the
breakfast menu up, so I asked what the deal was and found out this one
didn't start up the hamburgers until 11. I just had to get me two all
beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a
sesame seed bun (Big Mac). Craig knew how badly I'd been craving one
so we all waited for 11 to roll around. Turns out Sarah had never had
a Big Mac either so she also ordered one, and Craig did as well. Big
Mac party! This may sound scary/sad/strange/whathaveyou, but when the
server handed me the bag I felt my heart rate increase. I was ultra
excited on the inside, and when I took that first bite it did not
disappoint. Nor every succeeding bite. In fact it was fantastic, and
now I can die a happy hiker. All of my food cravings have been met, at
least until the next one hits.

We continued on and around 12:30 is when we made it to the parking
area drop off point. I said goodbye to the two of them and then walked
over to the trail to start my day. As I was walking away Big C said,
"You're the man, Dan" but really he's the man. He drove 4 hours round
trip twice to pick me up and drop me off. Just so I could have a few
days to hang out and relax in Boston. So Big C, once again, you're the
man. I really appreciate what you did, had a great time with you and
all the other guys in Beantown. Word.

The hiking was really nice today in terms of terrain. Mostly flat and
easy. It was a bit of rough going the first few miles because on
either side of the trail it was overgrown with prickly bushes that
scraped your arms and hurt. But after that it was okay. I only planned
on doing a short day to adjust back after the time off, so when I made
it to the first shelter, October Mt. Lean-to, I stopped and was about
to get situated for the night. I decided to check my book first to see
if there were any campsites maybe a few miles further up, just to do a
couple more, and I saw that there was this one house coming up you
could camp at. Only 2.2 miles away, and home of "the Cookie Lady" as
well. That settled it.

I made it in under an hour and when I showed up I saw Rainer and
Dewlap sitting at the picnic table eating blueberries they had picked
themselves. (This place is also a blueberry farm where you can pick
your own. 1 lb. for 2 dollars) I couldn't believe they were here, I
hadn't seem them since Trail Days in Damascus, VA. Something like 1100
miles ago. It was awesome to see them again because we had hiked a
good amount together in the beginning. They didn't stay, wanted to do
the 6+ miles to the next shelter, but we're planning on meeting up
tomorrow in Dalton for a pizza or something. Hopefully I can make that
happen.

When they left Roy (the Cookie Man) brought out some cookies for
myself and Pony who was also here. We hung out enjoying the awesome
oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, then he left to also make for that
shelter. Since I was staying they have you do a little work to help
out the place, so I mowed some grass around the blueberry plants for a
while. In that time Seeker and a new guy I'd never met named Brooklyn
showed up to tent as well. When I was done mowing I made some dinner,
a nice miso seaweed soup and a couple cookies, 1 no-bake my mom had
made for me and one of those hermit cookies. Plus I bought myself a
coke from the cookie folk. A very tasty and all around satisfying
meal. After that I had some time to talk with Jen on the phone before
I typed all this up. Not sure where I'm going to go tomorrow, but I do
know I'm going through Dalton and at the very least to Chesire, which
is only 7 or so miles south of Mt. Greylock, the highest peak in Mass.
at close to 3500 ft. So now it's time for bed. Goodnight.

Total miles: 1550

Zero #10

Day 0 - 7/17/10
Because I stayed up later than my usual 9:30-10 bedtime I was pretty
tired and lazy when I woke up, but since it was a zero day it didn't
matter anyway. I could be as lazy as I wanted. Craig threw in my
laundry for me around 11:30, then he, Davin, and I went to BHOP
(Boston, not Bridgton) for some food. I had a slice of pizza and an
awesome chicken & bacon ranch wrap. Afterward we walked over to where
Davin was parked so he could grab his backpack and camera stuff. Then
we headed back to Craig's and had a throwback N64 session. Mario Kart,
GoldenEye, Hot Wheels Racing, and others. All the video games we used
to play for hours when we were kids. It was a lot of fun going back to
something I associate with my childhood. Those gaming machines did
come out when I was in 4th grade, so they're old.

After a few hours of that I took a shower, then got in touch with my
Dad to see how we'd could get together. I ended up taking a ride on
the T, which I'm actually happy about because it was like bringing
back old memories. I used to ride that thing all the time to school
and stuff, and it's just like I remember. Crowded, noisy, awesome. I
went all the way out on the blueline to Wonderland stop and met him
there. We went to Santarpio's for some pizza and sausage, which was
amazing. Their pizza is so good. Then we visited his friend Harold's
Mom's house and stayed there for a bit. She made this spice cake with
cream cheese frosting and it was delicious. I'm loving all the great
food I've gotten to eat on this trip in Boston. And on top of that,
when we left we followed that up with a stop into a pastry shop in
East Boston. I forget the name, but it was one my Dad had been to
before. I bought some hermit cookies for the trail and a couple of
vanilla cupcakes for the carride back to the subway stop. He dropped
me off at Wonderland, and even though we only had a short 3 hour visit
it was still a lot of fun.

I rode back into the city and made it back to Craig's apartment around
9. Man the day flew by. I packed up my new bag with all my gear and
everything was looking good. I'm really glad I was able to work out a
way to fix my pack problem so easily. After taking care of that
business I talked with Jen for a while, then around 9:45 we went over
to another friend of Craig's who had roof access. It was actually one
of the girl's (Taylor's I think) who we went to the beach with
yesterday. We only stayed there for a minute because everyone wanted
to go to some bars, so we walked over to this one near Fenway called
Lansdowne. The line was pretty long so Big C, Davin, and I ended up
leaving and going over to another place where Leif and Tom and some
others were. Pour House was the name of that one. It was a good time
and I'm glad I was able to see everyone before I went back to the
trail. We left there around 1am or so, and on the way back we stopped
at another place for some more pizza. 3 different kinds in one day!
You'd think I might be tired of it, and this might sound cliché, but I
love pizza. It's the perfect harmony of flavors and ingredients.

When we made it back to the apartment I was really tired so I crashed
in one of his roommate's rooms who was out of town. Everyone else
stayed up and continued to party, but again I'm so used to going to
bed at 9:30 that I was just too tired. I did have a lot of fun though,
and made it pretty late into the night. So again I didn't have time to
write this until the morning. Now it's time to get back to the trail
and finish this thing! About 650 miles to go.

Zero #9 (the 4th was #8)

Day 0 - 7/16/10
Had a horrible sleep in the cabin. Someone was sawing wood like crazy. So loud. Not getting any sleep resulted with me having a terrible headache when I woke up. Fortunately the caretaker had coffee ready, plus the pancakes like I had hoped (blueberry), so after that and a few ibuprofen my headache disappeared. I left there at 7am and made it to route 20 a little before 8. Craig wasn't there yet so I pulled out my book, and about 15 minutes later he rolled in. It was cool to see him, almost like it wasn't real. We hugged it out, then went on back toward Boston. On the way we talked about my trip and all sorts of other stuff. One thing we discussed was my still unmet craving for a Big Mac. So we stopped in at a Mcdonalds at one of the rest stops on the way, but unfortunately they don't start the burger menu until 10:30. Darn. Ended up getting some breakfast stuff instead, leaving there a little bit disappointed, but what can you do?

We got back to his place somewhere around 11. I immediately took a shower because on the carride he had mentioned how I smell. He didn't say it flat out, I asked, but he was honest about it. That's one thing you really get used to out on the trail because I didn't think I smelled that bad. Honestly I've stopped noticing it. The shower felt great though, one of the things I've been most looking forward to on this trip into Beantown. Some of his friends showed up a little later, two NE girls named Taylor and Chloe. We went to the beach in Gloucester, but not before picking up their other friend Missy on the way. Had a really nice time at the beach getting some sun and riding the waves. It actually wasn't too cold either so I went in multiple times. A couple other friends of Craig's showed up later at the beach, Adam and Dema. When we left we drove back through Saugus and went to Kelly's Roast Beef for some sandwiches. Really hit the spot after feeling a bit wiped from all the rays I got.

Made it back into Boston and took another shower, then Big C and I headed over to another friend's of his for a rooftop BBQ. Could this day get any better? We had burgers and hot dogs, plus some frosty beverages. The view from up on the roof was great too, you could see the skyline of Boston, the Pru and John Hancock and all those. I got to see a lot of my good friends from home, Leif, Thomas, Davin and others, which was really nice because I haven't seem any of them in a long time. We stayed over there for a long while so when we came back to Craig's I was too tired to write this up and post it until now. Anyway, had a nice day in and around Boston and looking forward to another tomorrow.

Cabin fever, of the Upper Goose variety.

Day 89 - 7/15/10
Had a nice slow morning, taking my time getting packed up. I was out
at 8:30 and had an opposite hiking day from yesterday. It started off
bad and ended up being a great day by the end. But when it was bad, it
was BAD! I've dealt with the heat, rain, poison ivy, ticks, and every
other annoyance you could have out here, but the mosquitos and
deerflies today almost caused me to have my first breakdown. I'm
outnumbered 1000 to 1, and they are frustratingly relentless with
their biting. They were so bad for the first 7-8 miles that I was on
the verge of insanity. I almost sat down on the trail and quit, not
for the day, but the entire thing. I couldn't stand it.

I pushed through it and eventually they died down in number and
agressiveness. I win AT! I beat you this round! It was certainly a
test of will, and I'm glad to say I overcame it. So by the time I made
it to Fernside Rd. they were gone and that's when my day turned
around. I could hike without bugs all up in my grill, and because of
that I was able to hike much faster. The miles flew by. Before I knew
it I was only 5 miles from where I planned on stopping for the day,
Upper Goose Pond Cabin. Sure enough that section flew by too, and at 6
I was pulling into the place.

It's a nice shelter, a cabin right on this large, clean pond. There's
no electricity, but there is a gas stove that the caretaker uses. I've
heard he makes pancakes for breakfast in the morning, fingers crossed!
It was a bit strange showing up here because all the other hikers here
are ones I've never met. All really nice though. There's Kutsa, Bear,
Aqua, Rocket, Tillerman, Tequila Jon, and a few others. Somewhat
overwhelming to meet so many new people at once, but fun all the same.

I made dinner out back and then hung out with the others afterward,
just talking and stuff. I'm tempted to swim, but since I'll be heading
into Boston tomorrow with Big C that means I'll get to shower, so I
guess I'll hold off. I can't wait for some time off, a couple zeros
where I can just relax with friends. I really pushed it to make it to
Lee, MA on time so I'm pretty beat. But I did it. Can't wait for
tomorrow.

Total miles: 1540.6

10 down, 4 to go.

Day 88 - 7/14/10
Finally was able to get that elusive 7am start again. It wasn't that
tough waking up this time round because I slept in the shelter and had
mosquitos buzzing around me all night keeping me up. I should have put
my tent up in there, then I would have been golden. I was alone too.
Oh well.

It was raining when I left and continued to do so for much of the
morning. I hit Bear Mountain early, the highest peak in CT, and
couldn't see anything around me it was so foggy. It almost felt like I
was climbing the highest mountain in the world with the fog settled
around the mountain creating the sense of an abyss all around. Pretty
soon after that I crossed the border into Massachusetts, which started
off with a nice climb up to a 2000' mountain. Race Mountain (2430 ft.)
to be precise. I think the last time I was over 2000 feet was in
Virginia. That's how long it's been. So I rather enjoyed the climb.
Plus on this one there were tons of wild blueberries, at least 2
different varieties, so I enjoyed many of those. I dipped down a
little then back up to another mountain, Mt. Everett (2602 ft.), which
was another fun one. By then the rain was stopping and the fog was
lifting so you could finally start to see the views down.

After going down that mountain a ways I came to the first shelter,
then the second one 1/10th of a mile after that. No idea why they put
two so close together, but they did. I went to the second one, Glen
Brook Lean-to. It was nice and had a good water source so I stayed
there a long time, maybe an hour. From the moment I woke up right up
to the point where I left that shelter it had been a really good day.
Even with the rain and being uncomfortably wet I was still having a
nice time. But from then on my day seemed to take a turn. One of the
biggest downers was my pack. I started noticing how it felt strange,
uncomfortable in a way I'd never felt before. I took it off and
noticed the back padding looked off, different in some way, but I
couldn't figure it out. It continued to bother me as I hiked so I took
it off again and investigated, discovering that a sewn buckle behind
the hip belt had ripped and was creating this sag in the bag. Later on
when I finally made camp I realized the damage was even worse than
that, and in fact the whole inside frame was broken. Luckily since
I'll be going to Boston this weekend I'm able to meet up with my Dad
who is helping me with the situation. So I only have one more day of
hiking with a broken, uncomfortable backpack.

The other downer about today was how long the end of it seemed to drag
on. I made it to US 7 and stopped at a antique store of all places for
a drink. It was the closet thing to a store near the trail, that's why
I ended up there. I had myself a coke and a bunch of penny candies,
Swedish fish, sourpatch kids, mini Reese's, etc. That was all nice,
but I left there around 5 and it took until at least 8 to make it to
Tom Leonard Lean-to. I almost was beginning to think this place didn't
exist because it was taking so long to get there. Then the water was
way down this steep hill. I didn't like that. The one cool thing
though is that there's one tent platform here set up overlooking a
ravine. I set up on it then did a quick dinner. The mosquitos were so
bad that after I was done cooking I ate in my tent. I hate those darn
things, and the deer flies, and both were driving me nuts all day. I
was sort of in a bad mood when I got here, but now that this day is
over and I know the bag situation will be fixed I feel better. Now for
some sleep.

One last thing. I think I can hear a porcupine chewing up the shelter
from all the way over here. When I saw that place you could see it had
been chewed to death, worst I've seen, and porcupines love to do that.
Whatever it is, I'm just glad I'm not in there. It's very loud.

Total miles: 1517.9

CT said, "I ain't done with you yet, boy." So I stayed.

Day 87 - 7/13/10
I can't for the life of me wake up before 7am now. I used to start
hiking by 7, but now I'm lucky if I start moving around by then. It's
not like I avoid waking up because I dread the day. It's more a sign
of how physically and mentally tired I am. I just can't do it. So I
hope the few days off in Boston will help me recoup and allow me to
start early once again.

I left around 8:20 after packing up then eating. Nothing much exciting
happened until I came to US 7 (road) and saw a big orange sign saying
Appalachian Detour. The trail is supposed to cross the Housatonic on
some bridge, but they are doing construction on it so basically I did
a long out of the way road-walk for about 4 miles. Not very fun. When
I made it to Falls Village (where the detour picks up the AT again) I
took a break in this park with some picnic tables. It was necessary
for me to regroup after the annoyance of detours, and it made me feel
better.

After that I passed by these crazy waterfalls that feed into a hydro
plant in Falls Village, then I came to a nice spring and stopped to
refill on the good water. Springs are always best because it's fresh
from the mountains. They are what I prefer. I hustled along and came
to some nice viewspots (Rands View), then this crazy stone that juts
out of the ground called Giants Thumb. It almost looked like it was
from outer space, with strange textures and the just the way it stuck
out in the middle of nowhere. I took some samples for further
analysis. (Kidding about that, but now I wish I had the more I think
about it.)

I came to the road you can take into Salisbury pretty soon after that,
and so decided to head into town for something to eat. I ended up
doing a really nice lunch by first going to a bistro and ordering a
panini, then going to the grocers and getting 4 plums, a bag of chips,
chocolate milk, and a Dr. Pepper. I took all of that to a small park
area nearby, plopped down, and enjoyed my feast. The panini was really
good, and again I was reminded of food from the Piano Row cafe at
Emerson. Remember those sandwiches Jen? We used to get them all the
time. When it was time to leave I realized I may have eaten a little
too much because it was tough going for a while. Too much pressure on
my stomach from the hip belt.

From out of Salisbury it was a good climb. The only bummer was that
it started to rain as I was going up, not heavy like the other day but
still enough to get you wet. So I made an unplanned stop into Riga
Lean-to to dry off a bit and get out of the rain. That stopped after a
while, but this place has an amazing view down into the valley, and
since I was the only one here I decided to stay. It's a few miles
short of where I wanted to be (I'm still in CT), but because I made it
in early I'm hoping I can get to bed at a decent time and maybe get in
one of those early wake ups that seems to evade me now.

I made dinner here, some mac and cheese, did some reading, and even
played around a bit with the harmonica and jews harp Evelyn gave me.
It was fun to get a chance to play finally, and since no one was
around I was free to be as terrible as I want. I wish I knew how to
play the harmonica a little, it's such a nice instrument but I don't
have any real knowledge aside from tinkering around. Guess I'll just
keep messing with it and see what happens. Still fun though. And I
also love the crazy sounds you can get out of the jews harp. It's a
litte past 8 now, not quite bedtime, so that means I'll probably do a
little more reading and playing. It's been a really nice evening, and
a great end to my day.

P.S. to Dad. We should go to Santapio's when I'm in Boston and we meet
up. Tell Mike B to come too.

Total miles: 1493.5

Things are starting to look familiar...

Day 86 - 7/12/10
Slept well at the church. Got up around 7 and had a lazy morning
getting my things together, partly because I had to wait until 9 for
the outfitters and the pharmacy to open. In the meantime I went to the
convenience store and bought some chocolate milk, donuts, and a Dr.
Pepper. I had all that plus my pizza leftovers for breakfast. When 9
came I went to the pharmacy first and bought some hydrocortisone
ointment because I think I have poison ivy again. My ankles and feet
are covered in the same itchy red dots as last time. Then I went over
to the outfitter and bought a new fuel for my stove, and ended up
getting an ice cream sundae at the shoppe attached to it. It was a
good decision because all that food kept me fueled up for a lot of the
day.

So I didn't get out of town until 9:55, and with the walk back to the
trail it was probably more like 10:15 when I started. I felt good
though and made solid time. Before I made it to the first shelter the
trail started skirting the edge of another sweet river, the
Housatonic, and the trail followed it along a good 4 miles I'd say.
The first shelter, Stewart Hollow Lean-to, was in the middle of that
4. I stopped there by myself and had a nice lunchbreak.

It was another 10 to the next shelter, and although it was an
enjoyable section not much happened worth mentioning. One thing I
began to realize though was how the landscape definitely started
looking more familiar. Now that I'm back in New England I can see and
smell the woods I grew up in. I even had visions of walking down the
path at the Stump Ranch to the lake because I walked along trail that
was covered in dead pine needles and the same looking roots as the
ones we have there. Just like being back at home! I made it to that
shelter somewhere around 6 and stopped for dinner this time. I didn't
stay because I wanted to make it to a campsite about 2.5 miles away.
I've got to stick to a strict schedule now for the next few days
because on Friday morning my buddy Craig will be picking me up in Lee,
MA and taking me into Boston for a couple days. So after dinner I
cleaned up then headed out, hiking faster now because daylight was
fading. I made it to the camping area around 8:20 and only one other
guy was here. His name is Ben and he's out doing a 10 day section
hike. We talked for a bit while I set up my tent, but then we hurried
into them because the skeeters are so bad. Tomorrow I have a 20-mile
day scheduled to another campsite that'll put me right over the border
into Massachusetts. CT was a quick state!

And to update you all, my knee felt better today. Not 100%, but
definitely better. Let's hope this continues.

Total miles: 1476.1

9 down, 5 to go.

Day 85 - 7/11/10
Sleeping next to a main road is not a good idea. Sleeping between a
main road and railroad tracks is an even worse idea. That's what I
did. So the sleep wasn't too great. Made for a later start again,
about 8:30. While I was cooking up breakfast a guy who worked there at
the Garden Center pulled up and washed his car. He came over and gave
me 2 Gatorades and 2 cans of iced tea. When The Crusher and Ichabod
woke up I gave them the Gatorade (I don't like lemon-lime flavor) and
one of the ice teas, then I mixed my can with some water in my bottle.
Reduce the sweetness a bit. It was nice to have something to drink and
taste aside from water.

The first few miles was farmland walking. Gradual ups and downs.
Nothing to strenuous. About 5 miles in I hit a great cooler of trail
magic. Cookies, pink lemonade mix for the 5 gallon water jug they had,
and the juiciest watermelon I've had in a long time. That was my
favorite part. I passed by the first shelter soon after that and
didn't stop for another break until the second shelter, the first one
in New England! I just used the privy, then went back to the trail and
found a nice secluded spot I used for lunching. While there I called
Jen. During our conversation a shirtless guy carrying something
appeared out of the wood and started walking the trail. As he walked
away I heard flute music, and thus realized that was his mysterious
item. It was sort of a strange occurence to witness.

When I headed out I crossed a big river, Ten Mile I think it's called,
and was tempted to go enjoy the crazy rapids and currents tearing
through it. What held me back was the thought of hiking in wet clothes
afterward. It was a nice walk from there to Bull Bridge Rd., but then
I had the hardest mile of the day right after that going up
Schaghticoke Mountain. 1000 foot climb in a mile. I took a break when
I made it up on top and was able to enjoy a breeze going through.

When I started up again I soon passed by Seeker, stopped to talk to
her for a minute, then moved on. Less then a half mile up the trail I
saw a note for her (and everyone else too) from Trashman. Guess he saw
two rattlers at one time on some rocks, so he was giving out a warning
to all. Sure enough when I made it to where he said I saw one of the
snakes. I took out my cam and got some okay pics, but it was acting
strange, following me up the trail and whatnot. Almost as if it were
guarding it, trying to keep me moving and away from his section. I
waited for Seeker and then told her where it was when she came by. Now
I've seen two rattlers.

It was about another 3+ from the snake to the road you use to get into
Kent, and it was the longest and toughest section of the day for me.
Not because it was exceptionally difficult, but because my knee was
hurting me so badly on the downhills. Going up is fine, but when I
head down I feel it every time. A shockwave of hurt goes right to my
knee. So that was rough. When I made it to the road I started walking
in and was eventually offered a ride from a passing car going in.
Guy's name was Randy, nice older guy who lives in the area and has
done a lot of hiking. He ended up driving me around town, giving me
the tour, which is nice because as a hiker you are often overwhelmed
by a town and have little to no clue where anything is.

He dropped me off at a local pizza joint in town and I had dinner
there. Just a medium pepperoni. Very good food. Afterward I walked
over to the church and was going to check and see if i'd be able to
tent there (I'd heard you could) but all I saw was Ichabod, The
Crusher, and Jibbitz (another Mainah - girl) standing around. The
pastor wasn't home, he was at a book club or something, so while they
went to eat I stayed and waited to see if he'd show. Eventually I saw
lights go on in his house next to the church so I went over and rang
the doorbell. He came out, I gave him my story, and he said sure to us
tenting around back.

It's about 10:30 now and I'm very tired. Gnawing on some pizza while I
write this to try and keep me awake. I won't be leaving here super
early tomorrow because there are a few things I still need to do.
Laundry and a stop at the outfitters for another can of fuel. Still
want to try and leave by 10 so I can put in a 20 though. Hope I can
make it happen.

Total miles: 1456.7

I smell clean people.

Day 84 - 7/10/10
Started out around 8:15, another later one. I hit some trail magic
less then a mile in, a cooler full of cokes, peaches, plums, and
cookies. I ate a plum there, stashed a coke for later, then carried on
up the trail. A little after that a torrential rainstorm hit and I got
poured on. I think it may have been equal to or greater then any
rainstorm I've been caught in so far. But because of the horrendous
heat wave this was a welcome sight. When it was really pouring it was
tough, my shorts, shoes, backpack, etc. were all drenched, but after
it slowed down my body heat dried me out a lot and I was comfortable
again, moreso than I've been in days. About halfway to the first
shelter I passed a couple of dayhikers, and this may sound pathetic
but I've started looking forward to the moment I walk by these people
just so I can catch a whiff of their clean laundry smell. These two
didn't disappoint.

I didn't break until I got to that first shelter, Morgan Stewart, and
had a big lunch there with Trashman and Ohibro. Had my coke with some
mashed potatoes and then a couple of PB flatbreads. Ended up staying a
while, not leaving until 1:45. The 7.8 mile stretch to the next
shelter went by fast, and I made it in before 5. Stayed there for a
bit, snacking and whatnot, then left maybe 20 minutes later. It was
only 3 more miles to where I planned on staying, so I was well on
schedule.

Unfortunately those last 3 were the worst of the day for me. Several
reasons. One, I had a bad fall about 10 minutes out of the shelter.
Probably my worst yet. Slipped on some wet rock and scraped up my left
knee and ankle bad. My knee was the worst, the pain is rough. Feels
badly bruised, something I think I'll be feeling for several days. On
top of that I seemed to be suddenly swarmed by deer flies, and they
wouldn't stop pestering me that whole stretch. They really sting you
when they bite, so I was slapping myself silly trying to get rid of
the stupid things. I swatted and killed at least 30 of them. It was
insane. One thing that did help through that stretch was some music I
had recorded onto my voice recorder. I don't know why this is, but for
some reason Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" is an ultra enjoyable
song to hike to. I listened to it at least 3 times in those 3 miles.
So having that saved me from total misery.

Made it to NY 22 where there's a garden shop on the road that let's
hikers camp out at. At first I didn't know where to go, so I wandered
across the street and up this long driveway because there were so many
cars up there I thought it might be an extention of the garden. Turns
out it was a private residence, and the cars were all there because a
couple was celebrating their 50th anniversary! Whoops! They were very
nice to me though, and even offered to let me stay there in the barn
and join in on their festivities with food and all. I declined because
I felt like I was intruding, but they did give me a coke for the road.
I walked back to the shop and figured out where to go, finding
Trashman and Ohibro already camped out.

The Crusher and Ichabod showed up after me and told us about some guy
parked by the store that had trail magic. So us three walked over,
Trash and Oh were already cooking dinner, and we met the guy, trail
name of Paddy-O. Really cool dude who hooked us up with mini calzones,
chips, iced tea, beer, and his own rendition of an Irish Car Bomb that
he called a Hiker Bomb. That was intense, but good! We hung with him
for a long while, he had a radio playing and LOVED talking about
music, good old music only though, like from the 50's-70's. So we had
a lot of fun with him and a great bit of trail magic to end the day
with.

It's late now, so I'm heading to bed. My knee still hurts, I hope it
feels better by morning. Anyway, goodnight all.

Total miles: 1438.4

Does this uphill ever end?

Day 83 - 7/9/10
Had a lazy morning, not leaving until about 8:15. I even read some of
The Hobbit while I ate breakfast. Very enjoyable, could be something I
continue in the future.

The temperature finally cooled down a bit, I think it only got up to
the mid 80's, plus there was many a nice breeze blowing throughout the
day. Today was still tough for me though, it felt like I was
constantly going uphill. The entire day. Yeah there'd be a steep dip
downhill here and there, but generally it seemed to be going up. Guess
it was just one of those days. I took a break right after I crossed
Dennytown Road because there was a spigot there and I wanted to take
advantage and drink a lot of water while I could. So I pulled out my
book and read some more, snacked, and drank. The Crusher and Ichabod
showed up a bit later, and I had an awesome Lord of the Rings
conversation with Crusher. Then some locals who had camped nearby were
walking back to their cars and offered us some leftover beers they
had. Sam Adams summer. Still cold too. That was cool.

I left there around 1:45, and just before I crossed NY 301 I saw a
giant black rat snake. At least 5 ft. and 3-4 inch diameter around
it's thickest part of the body. I poked it with my pole to see if it
would coil, but it just slithered away. Still neat though. When I
crossed that road and continued on up a series of hills that nestled
along a big lake I started to notice a ton of dry leaves covering the
trail. The crunching sound as I stepped over them reminded me of Fall
and Halloween. I guess it's been so dry that they can't even stay on
the trees. I'm not surprised, every water source I've passed in NJ &
NY listed as a brook, stream, or creek has either been dry or a
trickle that's pretty gross and almost stagnant.

Around 6 I hit a pretty good view up on Shenandoah mountain, and by 7
I had made it to the RPH shelter where the hiker feed was beginning to
wind down. I kind of missed mealtime, but there was leftovers I got a
chance to eat. Chicken, salad, and honeydew melon. Plus a couple
cokes. Not bad. Afterward I hung out with everyone else who made it
here, and I actually met my first SOBO thru hiker who started up in
Maine. Turns out he's from Maine too, and even crazier, Sebago.
Finally met someone who actually knows where Harrison is! Now it's
bedtime. Not sure where I'm headed tomorrow, but I think it's supposed
to be the coolest day of the week, so I'll have to take advantage of
that and really hike some bigger miles.

Total miles: 1418.5

Call me, The Traveler.

Day 82 - 7/8/10
Woke up around 6, had a nice sleep up there on the mountain. I was
woken up in the middle of the night at one point by a scratching sound
on the outside of my tent, and unfortunately when I woke up I found
some holes in the bottom of it. Not sure if that was the scratching I
heard, but I imagine it was. That bothered me a bit, although I had
some duct tape to do a patch job.

I began hiking at seven, and as soon as I did I started seeing deer
everywhere. Probably saw 10 today at least. I hiked down from Black
Mountain and crossed a crazy fast highway, which was a bit scary, and
saw a sign saying NYC was only 34 miles away. Kind of surprising how
close that is. Then I went straight up a steep incline to West
Mountain, and on the way down met a thru hiker from '91 (trail name -
Owl) just out for the day. He was really cool, and I talked with him
for a good 10 minutes. Also did the PCT two years after his AT hike.
He mentioned some trail magic going on at a shelter tomorrow,
something he's helping out with, so I'm going to try and catch that if
I can.

The next climb was Bear Mountain, not as bad as the first one. When I
made it up and over that as I was going down I saw a doe and three
fawns. Really cute little ones covered in white dots along the backs.
They weren't timid either, just stayed put as I passed. The north side
of Bear Mountain was amazing. Owl had told me about how new trail had
just been opened up there this year, but it was way more impressive
than even he made it seem. I guess since it's a very popular area,
being so close to NYC and all, it has heavy foot traffic, so they
decided to put in a stone staircase that would essentially last
forever. It took them 4 years to finish it, which sounds like a long
time, but after seeing the stonework I can see why. It was such a
pleasant downhill, the best I've hiked yet. I met a nice older guy
named Vladimir (Vlad) going down, and chatted with him. He's training
for some hike out in Colorado, so the stone stairway is what he trains
on.

When I made it down to the bottom I found myself in a park with lots
of little kids running around, people grilling, biking, etc. One group
of kids saw me and started wondering what I was, and as I passed by
one asked, "Are you a traveler?" I laughed inside, said sort of, but
it was tough trying to explain to them what I was doing. They were
only 5, if that. I like the traveler thing though, I'm going to
consider myself that from now on. A somewhat weary one at this point.

I walked through there, bypassed the zoo so I could walk into Fort
Montgomery to pick up a maildrop I had at the PO. Got that, sorted
through it, and also was able to send back my shoes I recently bought.
They can't refund my money, buy they are crediting me the price of the
shoes. Hopefully I'll find something I like online when I'm back home
and off the trail. I said I'd come back to the shoe/boot debate later
on, and so here it is. I'm a boot hiker. I suppose it's good I tried
the shoes, because at least I now know I don't like them. Getting that
done and out of the way made me really happy, and when I was on a bit
of a high from that Owl drives up in his car! I'd told him I had the
maildrop, so he came by to see if I needed a ride back to the trail.
Awesome! I took the ride and it was less then 2 minutes, but still it
beats walking back. Really nice of him.

I got back hiking around 2:45ish, and this time I went through the
Trailside Museum & Zoo. It was basically exhibits of local animals and
plants. One book describes the walk as "can be emotional", and I see
why. The animals are all in very small cages, and it's sad to see them
contained like that. They don't look too healthy either, the bears
especially. Their fur was all tufty and strange. Immediately after the
zoo I crossed the Hudson on a big bridge. Had a bit of Vertigo on
there with the wind whipping around me. I thought this was amusing
too. On the railings there were signs saying "Life is worth living"
and then a 24 hour hotline number. I've just never seen anything like
that on a bridge. I guess they found it necessary.

The next few miles were tough, the heat was up there, but around 6:30
I came to a road where there's a store right next to the trail called
Appalachian Market. Got a Dr. Pepper, and while I sat there and drank
it some others showed up. The Crusher, Ichabod (who I just met the
other day) and a few others. We sat and enjoyed the convenience of the
store. It was less then a mile to where we all planned to go, the
Graymoor Spiritual Life Center, so it was a quick walk to it. 15
minutes maybe. It's a place you can camp, they have a cold shower, and
a spigot. Apparently they used to let hikers stay in the monastery,
and give them a meal, but not anymore. But I can't complain, even what
they offer now is still awesome.

I cooked, set up, cleaned up, hung out, then got into bed. Been a
really nice day, felt like I saw and acomplished a lot, and it wasn't
as hot as it has been the last three days. Tomorrow let's hope it gets
even cooler.

One last thing. Happy Birthday Far Far! 89 and still rockin'! Hope you
had a good one. Love Dan.

Total miles: 1399.7

I love lakes.

Day 81 - 7/7/10
I didn't mention this yesterday, but the guy's name whose house I
stayed at was John and his wife's name was Susan. It's kind of funny
how I ran into an Aunt Mary earlier around Front Royal, and then
stayed at a place where the couples names are the same as my other
aunt and uncle. You must all be willing it to happen or something. So
please, keep it coming!

Had a nice sleep on his couch, then woke up around 6:30 to pancakes
with maple syrup, toast, cereal, and orange juice. He carbed us up
good. Then he shuttled us to the trailhead in shifts. I was in the
first load. The five miles from where he dropped us off to NY 17 was
very rocky, with lots of steep rockclimbing. But it was fun, and there
were nice breezes blowing every so often. I took a break on one
mountain in a shady spot, and the breeze through there was fantastic.

After 17 there was a big climb, about 600 ft. up to the Lemon
Squeezer. That was basically a giant cluster of ginormous rocks full
of tricky crevices that you have to navigate through. It was so rough
that there was one section where you could take an "easy trail", which
I ended up using, and that was still hard. Although it was tough, it
was still a lot of fun. From there it was a little more then 3 miles
to Lake Tiorati Circle, a small lakeside park where you can swim and
BBQ. Obviously none of us hikers can do the grilling, but it's nice to
enjoy a cool lake to swim in, plus there's vending machines with cold
soda and ice cream. I had a nice refreshing can of coke. Ahhh. Then I
went fora dip in the lake. Equally as refreshing as the coke I'd say.
Cooled me right down.

I stayed at the park until 5ish, eating some snacks, swimming a couple
more times, and doing some good old fashion hanging out. I wanted to
let the temp drop a bit before I continued on, and I'm glad I did
because by 5 I could definitely notice a difference. It wasn't cool by
any means, but it was cooler than it had been during the day. I hiked
the 4.2 to the next shelter moderately fast, mostly because I was
considering going to the one after that and I didn't have all that
much daylight left. I saw The Crusher leaving the shelter as I showed
up, and I knew he was planning on the next one, so I didn't break and
instead tried to catch him. He's 6'4" so he disappeared fast. Not
stopping to break caught up with me, and I started getting really
tired and hungry fast. I made it to the top of Black Mountain and
hopped off the trail into a blueberry patch 50 ft. away or so. Found a
nice flat spot and decided to call it home for the night. The breeze
is really nice up here, so I'm happy.

I made dinner after setting up my tent, and in the distance I could
see a couple deer grazing. I hope I'm not stomping on their grounds. I
thought I heard them making funny noises, almost like they were
peeved, although I'm basing this on zero knowledge of deer behavior.
It's about nine now, so I'll be getting to bed soon then hopefully
have an early wake up tomorrow. It's supposed to be "cooler", yet
still in the 90's. This is getting to be too much. Too much I say!

One last thing. Earlier on in my day there was a point where I saw
loads of tiny toads all over the trail. At least 50 little buggers
hopping around everywhere. On top of that there seemed to be hundreds
of daddy longlegs in the same vicinity. It was all very peculiar.

Total miles: 1385.8