Happy New Years!

This is how it's done on the trail. It's 8:30 (hiker midnight), a nalgene and aluminum pot for cups. Now we just need a stove to explode for our fireworks!

Happy 2012!




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Appalachian Trail,Franklin,United States

I must be crazy

I took the last day and a half off as zeros, but will be back on the trail this afternoon.  I'm trying to setup myself so I can do something crazy again; I'm going to redo a 24 hour hike.  I really wanted to break 60, and I think I can.  This time, however, I'll pick the terrain to be more supportive of an attempt, and I won't do it on a whim.  I'll be trimming down my pack weight and removing many non-essential items, and only carry what I need.  I will also be flexible with a start time to allow myself to get as much sleep as possible.  I'll keep you posted on how it goes, and I hope everyone has a happy and safe New Year!

Just NC and GA left

Well, it's official.  Me and my pack have now hiked 2000 miles.  The term for someone who has completed the entire trail is a "2000 miler".  It's not exact (or even that close to the actual distance), but the trail was first estimated to be that distance, and since the actual distance is always changing, it's easier to just stick to one value.  So while I'm not a 2000 miler just yet, I'm getting closer every day.
I just came out of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park when I emerged at Fontana Dam last night.  It's a beautiful and fairly remote section that runs along at fairly high elevation.  I just reached the highest point on the AT, Clingman's Dome, so I guess from here on out it's all downhill!
I ran into some cool people yesterday, and enjoyed the limelight of being a thru hiker.  Many people respect and admire the feat, and it's fun to share the experience.  It was also nice to talk about gear with a few guys, including one planning for a thru next year.  I also ran into a guy who I met in Maine who completed his thru this year, so that was pretty neat.
However the rain that had been coming down all day turned into snow, and the trail was trickier to find than normal.  I probably didn't help that I was night hiking, yet again, in the stuff.  It was also very cool to pass the section that I hiked with my good buddies David and Jason for our spring break trip in 2005 (I think).  Unfortunately I had to do most of what we did at night, so I wasn't able to see it the same way.  It brought back fond memories of the thru hikers we met then, and how beautiful it was.
The rain and the wet snow however really chilled me, so it was very nice to meet up with ohMEGA at the end of a long day so that I could get dried out.  This is a really nice way to finish the trail; having a warm, dry place to escape to after getting soaked is the only way to manage with the chills of winter.  Well I'm not "thru" until I'm through, so it's time to get back out there.  Happy trails!

ohMEGA dropping off the homeless man at Newfound Gap. Don't give us change; we prefer Snikers

The view from Clingman's Dome, highest point on AT

Mollie Ridge shelter where David and I tried to kill Jason.  He was too tough though

Here is one of those awesome views I was talking about.  Notice how close to the edge of a cliff you can be!  Also, since there were no other hikers this day, I was the only person to see that view that day!  Kind of cool and now I can share it with you!

Merry Christmas

So where's your favorite thru hiker?  I don't know, probably at home.  But where's Reboot? Well I'm taking a zero with my family and ohMEGA.  They've come up to Franklin, NC near where I was supposed to come out of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.  The plan was for me to do the 110 miles from Hot Springs to Fontana dam in 4 days, but bad weather and tough terrain kept me from finishing the section on time.  Since there is no road for the last 40 miles, I decided to take a zero to spend time with them instead of spending Christmas in a shelter.  I'll get back on the trail and try to make up the miles soon, but my new expected finish date is probably January 2.

The Smokies are a beautiful section of trail.  Unfortunately, I've gotten some heavy rain, but the temperatures haven't dipped too low, and the views have been awesome.  I'm hiking up to some of the highest peaks, and will summit Clingman's Dome, the tallest point on the AT, the day I get back on.  Getting up to these elevations has required a good deal of climbing up, but it's pretty cool when you can hike to above the clouds.  The trail has been very empty though, so I've only been sharing these views with the two wild boar that ran into me (they weren't aggressive).


You may be wondering how I've been able to blog so much recently.  OhMEGA has been running awesome support for me, and I've been able to meet up and get the latest and greatest  trail news too you.  I wanted to thank her for making this last stretch so much easier and enjoyable.  I may not go fully insane after all.

Thank you all for the love and well wishes.  I wanted to give a big shout out to my friend Sarah in Boston for cheering me on the whole way.  Also it was great to see ohMEGA and my family for the holiday. I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.

Did a little time in the pen.  Don't worry, I escaped.

This is my backyard.

Some people think it would be sketchy to go into a little dark shack in the woods for a rainy night.  Notice the cage to keep the hikers from getting out.

Frosty and I built a castle and had a snowball fight.

Climbing out of clouds and being above them made me feel like an airplane.  Except I'm faster.

Only one state I haven't hiked in... Big G!

I'm now hiking in an area that's near the border of TN and NC.  It goes back and forth so it's tricky to know exactly where you  are at a given time.  Some parts of the trail are even the actual border!  That means left foot is in NC while the right is in TN!  Sooo crazy I know!  They have some big hills here too.  I haven't had to do multiple 1000 foot climbs in a while, but it feels good again.

I just had a birthday and for my present I got... rain all day and 40 degree weather!  But seriously, it wasn't that bad.  How come? Because ohMEGA was able to meet up with me and rescue me to Uncle Johnny's hostel AND the next day, ohMEGA, my dad, and my good buddy from college Jason were able to come join me on the trail and hike for a bit this weekend!  Awesome!  They must be crazy for wanting to come out and sleep in a shelter with mice in 20 degree weather.  I mean, seriously, who likes doing that stuff?  They must have lost their minds.  OhMEGA hooked me up with some awesome birthday sweets (which I ate greedily in the laundromat while wearing my raingear [this is what all hikers wear during laundry sessions]). Jason also hooked me up with some beer, which no bears came to pick a fight over fortunately.  OhMEGA also got me an awesome Golite down jacket so I will be able to survive the cold for the rest of the hike.  You guessed it; it's super light and yet still warm!  What more can a hiker want? It was great to hike with company and show them all how I've been living for the last few months.

Want to live a little in the life of Reboot?  Me neither, but I've been bored and made some videos for you if you're feeling like trying out being a wild, mountain person for about 4 minutes.

This was after a full day of rain and then the weather dipping into the 20's up on Chestnut knob.



Here's a video of me while I cross a stream that was flooded.  Some PG-13 language near the end (sorry about the slip up).



A big shout out to Larry, Manywaters, Dave, Steve, Otto, Sacco, and Pipe Maker for making my trip feel more like a thru hike than a solo adventure.  Conversations with fellow hikers are what makes the trail special and feel like a family.  Also thank you my buddy David's mom Ms. Lynn for sending some wickedly awesome cookies!  I could get used to this kind of diet to keeps the pounds on! Happy trails folks and if anyone else is crazy and wants to come camp out, let me know and it'd be great to meet up! Plus I need decoys for when the bears come.

Reboot and ohMEGA Christmas dressing (shoes are green!)

Jason wore out the thru hiker.  Next time go easy man, will ya?

Which way to the strip mall?

They left a trace! 500,000 of them! So much for LNT

New state

It's official now. Here's the mug for all the fans; both of you






- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Government Rd,Damascus,United States

3 states to go!

Sorry for the long delay. It's hard to blog when you hike 12 hours a day.  After spending a wonderful Thanksgiving break, getting back on the trail was tough.  I gained a few pounds back that I had lost, but my legs had already started getting used to the comforts of society and my "trail legs" had wandered off.  The first few days back on were hard, slow, and discouragingly tough.  I was trying to catch up to my friends, but was having a tough time making up the miles.  As I reached my first town since getting back on, Daleville, I got two texts; one good news and one bad news.  The good news one was from my friend Sharpie who lives in Blacksburg and said that it would be great to meet up when I came through his area.  OhMEGA and I hiked with him and his wife, Bubs, and had a really great time hanging out with them.  I was really looking forward to seeing them again.
The second text however, was from my friends who I was trying to catch, Scramblin Man and Tumbleweed, saying that due to a hip injury and the cold, they were getting off of the trail for the season and will finish it in May.  This was a major bummer.  After hiking about 1400 miles basically solo, having them for company was a major plus and something to look forward to.  By the time I was able to reach them they were already back home in Florida.  I miss having their company out there, and even when they were ahead, I felt like I wasn't completely alone in the woods.  I hope they're doing well and recuperating.
I was able to meet up with Sharpie and Bubs as well as my friends Kate and Michael.  Hanging out with them felt like spending time with family, and it was a wonderful break.  I even got to see the Blacksburg Christmas parade! I'm very gracious for the hospitality they showed me and it was really nice to spend time with them.
Hiking on, I ran into some nasty cold weather though.  It's snowed a few times, but I got two days of solid rain with the rain on the second day turning into snow as a cold front plummeted the temperatures.  As I was climbing a tall mountain that day, I stopped for 2 minutes to open a Snikers bar, and my fingers were so cold, I was having trouble.  A few moments later I started shivering because I stopped.  I realized then that hypothermia was a serious risk at this point, and when I reached the shelter at the top, I called it a day at only 10 miles.  It was the right call however, as hiking on could have been a dangerous.
In an attempt to see how stupid I can be, I decided to try and do a 24 hour hike.  I wanted to see how far I could go in a single day.  I had already done the 44 mile 4 state challenge, but I wasn't completely drained after doing that and could have gone further.  So I did.  Starting from Partnership shelter near Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area headquarters, I left at 3:30 in the morning and started hiking.  I had a full moon, so it was nice conditions (not considering it was hardly 20 degrees out) and I hike all day.  I climbed up multiple 1000 foot climbs during the day, and up Mt. Rogers and Whitetop mtn, the highest and second highest peaks in VA (the trail doesn't summit either).  At elevation there was more snow accumulated, and much of it had turned into ice which slowed me down and made the hike more difficult.  I kept hiking well into the night, but at 2:40, with 50 minutes still to count towards my 24 hours, I needed to sleep and pitched my tent.  My legs still had something to give, but I was extremely sleepy and generally tired and had to stop short.  In the end, I did 58.1 miles.  I was really hoping to do 60, and had the trail been more forgiving, I probably could have.  Oh well, I'm not going to try that again for a while.
I reached Damascus (where I am writing this), and got an awesome care package from Chuck, a nice hiker I met in SNP.  He hooked me up with some awesome dehydrated meals and a charger for my phone.  I can't wait to make it down to Georgia to meet up again with him and his son.  Since the hostels in town were closed due to the cold, I was going to tent in town, but while doing laundry, a nice guy who had also hiked, Larry, offered to let me crash at his place.  He had another hiker living with him who had been sucked into the awesome trail town of Damascus, and it was an unexpected break from the cold weather.  It was very generous of him and I'm very grateful for the hospitality the trail continues to show.
I look forward to meeting up with some friends soon and have a resupply package from ohMEGA that I'm looking forward to picking up too!  Hopefully the weather can hold and the hiking will be good.  It's going to be probably just me out there, but there's still 450 more miles of adventure waiting for me!  Happy trails!
P.S. If you want a postcard, send me an address and I'll try to get you one!  ohmega1e7@gmail.com

Virginia is BIG

I did the 4 State Challenge!  I woke up at 2 am, started hiking at 3, and with only about at 30 minute break (not counting getting a little lost), I finished at 7:15 pm.  Most hikers take about 18 hours to do it (if they try in the first place), and they do it during the summer months when they have more daylight to hike with.  It's slower going at night, but I was still able to do it with a few new batteries for my headlamp.  I didn't feel too sore afterwards, and my buddies Jon and Mark live near the area and took me out to a nice meal and gave me a comfy bed to crash in.  It was a really nice way to end a really awesome day! Now I'm toying with the idea of doing a 24 hour hike to see what my true limit would be for a single day.  I'll keep you posted on that, but I'm hoping that I would be able to break 60 miles!

Now I am in the great state of Virginia, home of almost a quarter of the entire AT.  I am currently stopped near Glasgow, VA and headed up to New Jersey to meet with family and ohMEGA for Thanksgiving.  Right before I got off the trail, I had a bad stomach virus that knocked me out for a day and I decided to leave early.  I had planned on taking 4 days off, but will end up taking 7 off.  I'll have to hike hard to make it back up and be able to finish by Christmas.

Near the beginning of Virginia, I went through the Shenandoah National Park. This is a very beautiful and scenic part of the trail that many tourists come to visit.  They're also famous for their abundance in permanent residents, bears!  Most thru hikers see a bear in SNP or New Jersey, but since I didn't see one in NJ, I was worried I'd go my whole hike without seeing one.  Right now, they are in full drive to bulk up and eat every last bit that they can before winter comes.  I'm not sure what their definition of winter is, but apparently the 20 degrees and freezing cold that we've been getting isn't enough.  Remember, these are bears we're talking about and apparently significantly more badass than every other animal and especially more than homeless looking guys who try living in the woods.

In an effort to catch up to my ever elusive friends, I decided pulling a big day of 33 miles.  The plan was to go into town for the night and resupply early in the morning.  I got within 1.8 miles of the road when I decided to stop at the shelter there first.  I met some cool weekend hikers, "Big Chuck" and Jim, who were out for a few days, but after a brief chat it was time to push on.  At this point it was completely dark, but it was only 1.8 miles, and the call of a warm bed was quite a motivator.  I was walking along the trail when all of a sudden, I saw something rustle on the trail.  My headlamp was dim, but I could still see the motion.  I froze in place, and my mind raced to try and identify what the unknown blob was.  It too froze on the trail, and in a quick motion, swung its head directly in my direction so that its eyes were now reflecting a cold green light in my direction.  I at once knew what it was.

A skunk. The little monster was maliciously blocking the trail so that I couldn't pass, while evilly mocking any attempt I made to advance.  A bang of my poles to try and get him to run off resulted in a raised tail and a threat to spray in my direction.  I couldn't walk forward and risk it all to be nearer him.  I was thwarted in my attempt to reach town.  Eventually he was gracious enough to carry on doing whatever it is skunks do at 7 o'clock on a Thursday, and I kept hiking down the trail.  When I was about 40 feet from the road however, I heard another rustling.  This time it came about 20 feet away and up an embankment of 5 feet or so.  My headlamp was barely more useful than 40 fireflies in a jar, but I could tell that this was a bigger blob.  I took about 10 more steps to get a better vantage, and sure enough, hugging a tree was a startled black bear.  He looked uncomfortable and was trying to play off his tree hug in a way that made it seem like he wanted to say, "yeah, this is what we do all the time, just hug trees and hangout." For a first bear encounter in the wild, being 20 feet away from one in almost complete dark is a bit frightening, but somehow, I was the one less worried.  I calmly talked to the bear to make sure I meant no harm, as I went for my camera to try and take a photo.  Most people would never dare take a step forward in such a situation, but I knew the lighting (absolute darkness) was no good, so I wanted to try and improve my chances of getting the flash to work.  I calmly kept chatting and when I got to a point in which I thought he would no longer put up with my proximity, I stopped and took a picture.

I wasn't able to get a hitch into town, so after an hour of standing in the cold, I gave up and decided to walk back to the shelter.  This was going right by the area I saw the bear mind you.  As I was walking near there, I startled one bear who was in a tree and decided that he was not comfortable up there, so decided to loudly descend, another who ran along a ridge while being illuminated from lights from behind.  This showed me his silhouette perfectly, and had I not known better, I would have assumed it was a wolf or a large dog.  It turns out that while I was busy keeping an eye on the bears, I got lost and had to walk back the way I came.  My poor headlamp was really dying now, and as I returned to this bear interstate, all I could see were two green eyes from one on the trail I just walked on, but this time the bear was poised and not moving out of fear.  This one startled me.  In the end I startled 3 and 1 startled me, so I think I got the better end of the deal.  I let him have the trail, and went off to find an alternate way.  I eventually got back to the shelter where I woke the poor guys trying to enjoy their trip, and got some rest.

The guys turned out to be pretty cool and fun to hang out with, and I ran into them a few times over the weekend.  They were really nice and helpful and it was a blast to have good people to chat with.  However, I knew my friends were close, and I was ready to meet up.  After going into town for my resupply, I ran into 2 different SOBO hikers who told me my friends were going to be at the next shelter only 10 miles away; also the same place my new weekend buddies were going to be.  I was excited to hear the news, and decided to hang out with this couple and talk "trail" with them.  Their names are Hatchet and Trailmix, and were a blast to hang out with.  Unfortunately they don't do big mileage, but I'm hoping to run into them again.  I pushed on to the shelter for the night and my friends... weren't there!  I was very bummed, and didn't know why not, but they were not to be found.  I did spend another fun evening with "Big Chuck" and Jim, but still was hoping to find my friends.  The next day I pushed hard to try and catch up, as I assumed they had just pushed on.  They weren't at the next shelter either!  I was all set to start hiking 20 more miles, but decided to check my phone just in case.  I got a text from them saying how they think I passed them!  They were 10 miles back, so I told them to catch up, and I walked back to meet them.

I got to hang out some more with the dudes, and well after the sun had gone down, my friends from Maine finally showed up!  After almost 1000 miles, I finally caught up to Scramblin Man and Tumbleweed (Jared and Tracy was how we first knew them in the 100 mile wilderness).  It was a happy reunion that Big Chuck got a picture of, and we've been hiking together ever since.  This is getting a bit long so I'll save the rest for another time.  Here are some pictures!

Raw bear photo

Zoom and enhance! Notice the hugging arm of death

Reboot, Scramblin Man, and Tumbleweed

Mountain top field

SNP

Snow, again.  This was after it rained and soaked all of our stuff, just to freeze solid.  Thanks Jack Frost!

Let's put in an oil rig

They kept screaming that they were trapped

I don't know what to call these, but I like the term frost garden

And a pretty sunset to tell you this is the end

Halfway!

I've officially gone over halfway! It's been tough navigating all the broken tree parts from the snow storm, but I am currently at the PA-MD border. I'm stopping here early in order to prepare to do the 4 state challenge; hike from PA through MD, through WV, and into VA all in one day. It will be about 44 miles, but should be fun. Nothing else for a bored, lonely SOBO to do so I'm looking forward to it. There have been very few people on the trail, although the weekend has brought out a good number including some trail maintainers cleaning up after the damage. Not many section hikers and I'm still a few days behind my thru hiking friends.
I was able to meet up with my good friends David and Patrice and their two girls in central PA. They picked me up, fed me, and let me clean up. It was a most welcome break and great to see them. Thanks again guys!
When there was snow on the ground, I got to follow some bear tracks along the trail for a while! I never saw the bear, but got to see where he veered off and got to play detective for about a mile. They seemed fairly fresh, but I'm still waiting for a bear sighting. I also treed two porcupines the next two days and they were the first ones I've seen in the wild. I didn't know they could climb trees. I'll try to post photos soon. That's all for now and I'll let you know how the "challenge" goes soon I hope!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Ridge Rd,Carlisle,United States

Happy Movember!

Somebody started early...

No hiking today

Too much snow. At least 12 inches of white stuff. Couldn't see the trail even if I wanted to. Hopefully I can roll out tomorrow, but it won't melt all of this. Fortunately the shelter I stopped at, the 501 shelter near Pine Grove, has a caretaker house and they gratefully have invited me to hang out and stay warm with them. The power has gone out, but the fire is going and it is better than being anywhere else on the trail. My magic hasn't run out yet!






When I woke up





Not too long later

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Rock Rd,Pine Grove,United States

The trail is a magical place

Just passed the 900 mile mark leaving 1280 to go.
OhMEGA was able to join me in hiking after Columbus day so that was really nice. We got a ride to the trail after parking in Kent. It was fun to hike together again and nice to have good company and she got to escape from the city. She got a reminder of why she's the sane one for not going out into the woods to play "homeless bum" night after night.
I also caught up to some friends we met in ME who are flip-floppers and it was fun to catch up with them.
I had a mini adventure one night. There is a tiny but official train station for a NYC commuter train on the AT called the Appalachian Trail station. As a good tourist, I took out my camera to get a picture. When I took it out, I heard a dull thud. Looking around for the source and seeing none, I ignored it. Three miles later and as darkness settled in, I started to unwind for the evening and was going to call ohMEGA. When I couldn't find my phone, which I had in the same pocket as my camera that day, I quickly put two and two together. It must have been my phone that dropped when I took out my camera. With a forecast of rain, I decided I had to head back at once for it if there were to be any hope of retrieving it. I grabbed some bars, my guide, and took a few swigs of water and I set out. Fortunately there was a detour by road, and after about an hour of walking, I found my phone under the bench. It took me another hour or so until I returned and was able to start my normal evening routine. I had a late dinner and more walking than planned, but all ended ok.
The other day when I crossed over from NY into NJ, was another very rainy day.  I was hoping to do big miles, but instead, the rocks got super slick and my day turned into a day of falling hard.  I had three big falls and got pretty badly bruised on my hip, knee, and elbow.  It was a very rough day and I have to admit I threw my poles out of frustration once or twice.  At the end of the day there was a detour that took my by some houses, and since my knee was cut, I wanted to wash it out.  I saw a house with a hose and a boy scout trailer parked outside, and decided to ask them to use the hose.  My luck was about to change.
Not only did the family let me borrow their hose, but soon I was offered a shower, a warm meal, to come in and rest, a bed to stay, and they even had their daughter who is a nurse look at my knee. I wanted to intrude as little as possible, so I tented in their yard, but gladly accepted their hospitality. That night they also happen to have a scout meeting and invited me to participate which was also a ton of fun and better than my standard evening entertainment of keeping an eye out for bears.  This family was extremely generous and I was very grateful.  They left the house unlocked that night in case I needed anything, and when they joked how they didn't think I would steal anything, I thought there was no need: had I simply asked, I feel they would have signed over the house and asked if I wanted the cars too.  In the morning, he wanted to make sure I had everything that I needed and even offered me cash!  This is from a man who not too long ago lost his job!  They were my trail angels that saved me when I needed a boost.  Thank you very much again to the Ruths.
As I was near the end of NJ, I had misread my guide and thought I had 40 miles to go to Delaware Water Gap, but when I rolled out of camp at the late hour of 9 am, I realized it was only 30.  I thought to myself, "hmmm, I've never gone 30 in a day" and decided to go for it.  So I pulled my longest day and pushed hard all day long and a little after dark.  I kept moving at as brisk a pace as I could manage, and by day's end, I had done 31.4 miles, crossed into a new state, and had a hostel to crash.  But I paid for it.  The next day, I noticed an array of blisters that had taken over my feet.  They were painful, and even though I treated them, putting on and walking in my shoes was hard.  The next two days I only did 24 miles in total, but yesterday I was back to a respectable 21 miles.  PA is very rocky and hard on your feet.  The sharp rocks are constantly forcing your feet into positions that you aren't comfortable with, and bending them this way or that.
Fortunately last night, I was able to meet up with a section hiker that we had met in the 100 mile wilderness.  He gave us his number at the time, and told us that we were welcome to stay with him when we reached his neck of the woods.  Again, when I needed a rest for my feet and the comforts of civilization most, the trail and its magic found me.  When I called, it turned out they were near where I was going to be the next day.  He and his wife came to pick me up, took me to the grocery store, hooked me up with shower and laundry, treated me to dinner, and made me welcome in their home.  We chatted a good deal about many topics including the trail, recent news, sports, and politics.  It felt like I was family, and in a way we kind of are.  Hikers know and understand their fellow hikers in a way that there is bond.  While many think we're crazy, hikers can understand why we do this and we all have a shared connection.  It's again, part of the magic of the trail that a bond between strangers can generate this feeling of belonging and fellowship.  I am very grateful for their hospitality and support, and the boost that they provide helps make the hike easier and lifts spirits high. Thank you again to the Carolans!
I have a few mail drops coming!  I am badly in need of new shoes among other supplies, and ohMEGA has arranged (from what I hear), an amazing care package; one for the ages.  Not only does it have new shoes in it, but also supplies to start a bounce box and other goodies I need on the trail.  She packed so much in, the lady at the post office complimented her for the deal she was getting by using a flat rate box.  I'm going to start a bounce box which is a box of items that are needed every once in a while, but not all the time, and you keep mailing to yourself again and again so that it "bounces" down the trail with you.  I'm really excited to see all the goodies that await me!  It's much easier to do the trail with ohMEGA providing support.  Be it logistical, looking up something quickly on the internet, and most importantly the moral support, the trail is much easier with her there behind me.  My trail angels and her as the biggest one of all, are what make this hike possible.  Thank you

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Nolans Way,,United States

Long time, no post

Sorry for the long absence, but I'll try to make up for it.  Since the last post, I finished VT (hiked its 140 miles in 7 days) and MA (the 90 miles in 4.5).  I've now hiked to the small town of Falls Village in CT which is close to the 700 mile mark.  That means that I only have 1480 miles to go and am almost 1/3 of the way there!  And Massachusetts was a blur!  Not because I was traveling at the time bending speed of 3 MPH throughout the state, but because I accidentally left my glasses in ohMEGA's car when she dropped me off and I couldn't really see very well.  Night hiking by headlamp never seemed so much of an adventure until then.
Going through VT gave me a first hand look at the damage Irene left behind.  While most of the trail was in ok shape, many of the areas and roads in low lying areas received heavy flooding damage.  The trail's only damage was near rivers, and the worst was an area that had some of the trail washed out and a new path needed to be bushwhacked, but not too hard.  In my opinion, the National Forest badly mismanaged the situation by drastically closing all of the trail for two weeks as they assessed damage.  Most of the trail was in "wilderness" areas, and they should have allowed thru-hikers to continue and warn others to only enter at their own risk.  Instead they barred the GMC, the club that maintains the section, and everyone else, until they did their own assessments.  This is silly, because the GMC is way more familiar with the section, and could have been much more efficient.  Oh well.
I also got a great deal of rain in VT.  I never could really dry out and it didn't help that VT is known as a muddy state, and the soil was saturated already so when it rained, I faced standing or running water.  Apparently rain is a motivator for me to hike hard, because the day it rained all day with only an hour respite, I hiked 28 miles, my most yet.  That day though, the "trail" was literally standing water puddles or impromptu streams for 5 miles of that.  It was rough, but I really felt as if I earned the privilege to sleep in the lean-to.
I also found VT to be very empty.  It was a bit lonely and I ran into very few fellow hikers, and only 1 section hiker the entire week.  I was telling my new friend Medicare Pastor what the condition of the trail was as a scout, but aside from that, didn't really talk to any other hikers.  I'm hoping it's not a taste of what's yet to come.
MA was a good state to hike in.  I got some mud, and started with rain, but the rest of the week was dry and sunny and very nice.  I did run into my first cold though, with a few nights dipping down to upper 20s/lower 30s.  It was harder to get up in the morning, but did warm up and wasn't too bad.

I got some good trail magic during the time there.  The first day for lunch, I was at the top of Mt. Greylock and was about to order a burger when the cook pops out and asks if I want to work for it.  I said sure, and helped her carry a few heavy trash bags to the dumpster, and 5 minutes later saved myself $8 and had a yummy meal.  That was cool.  I also had several hikers that I was able to chat with and meet some cool day hikers and weekenders.  I was going to walk to grab a quick lunch on Thursday because I was a tad low on food, and without asking for a ride, a nice couple pulled over and picked me up.  They were maintainers Mother Nature and Sourwood, and turned out that Sourwood was from Georgia and went to GT!  They were really kind, and made my day despite having just walked through a giant mud puddle.  Later in the day, some day hikers were really kind and packed out my awkward shaped trash.  That night I enjoyed chatting with a new section hiker Paul.  He was good company, and had just started getting hooked.
OhMEGA was able to come pick me up and I was able to take a break and get properly cleaned up.  Since she doesn't have classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, we're planning on getting back on the trail and hike together some.  It's always nicer to have good company! 
A few of the other highlights since last time were walking by the site of Shays Rebellion, seeing three snakes all trying to warm up in the sun within 10 feet of each other, and starting a new state!  Still working on catching up to friends, but still making progress.  Just have to keep an eye out for ticks carrying Lyme disease, and avoid pesky hunters and I'll be alright.  Happy trails!

Shoes, rain, and a new state

So as mentioned in the last post, Reboot has Rebooted.  Now I was a little bummed about having to trade in shoes so early in the hike.  True I got 350 miles on them, but I've heard from other hikers using trail runners that 500-600 is par.  I called La Sportiva to see what they had to say about them blowing out this earlier, and their response was not as helpful as I had hoped.  Now thru-hikers generally get well treated by gear companies.  We're gear junkies. All we talk about is gear and we do it for 2000 miles.  If your gear performs, we're their best salesmen.  When it doesn't, we remind everyone we see.  My story will fall under the second category.

I love my La Sportiva rock climbing shoes, and decided to go with the brand for my first pair of trail runners.  When I called their customer service number, it took me a while to reach a representative and when I told her my situation, her response was that there wasn't much they would probably do about it.  She said she was "surprised" and "amazed" that they had in fact lasted as long as they did, despite their competitors making shoes that last 500 to 600 miles. This would be like a car company telling you that they are amazed your sedan lasted 75,000 miles even when most cars can last well beyond 100 k.  It is my professional opinion as a full time walker, that La Sportiva does not make trail runners that can last as long and are therefore not worth buying.  Other brands make shoes that last longer for the same price, so that's who will get my business.  After my $20 shoes blow out.
This week was a rainy one, and I have again kept up my streak of always entering a new state while it's raining.  I was still able to make fairly big miles this week, but it resulted in me having to do a little night hiking via headlamp.  That is a harder task when it's raining.  I lost the trail on my longest day yet (a marathon distance) and had to setup my tent after it had been raining all day long.  Fortunately the weather ahead should be better this week.  I'm still glad to be in VT and hope to be in northern MA in a week. So far, VT doesn't appear to be closed, although there have been some hard hit towns.  There is a ton of damage in lower areas, and they still need help and your prayers.
I hiked with a cool couple, Cook and Splash.  They and their dog Henry were great company for the day I hiked with them.  I'm hoping they will be able to catch up, but their dog is still getting his trail legs so right now, they aren't doing big miles.  We all ran into a day hiker with a beautiful German shepherd, husky mix.  After hiking most of a day with a dog, it reminded me of how I would like a dog and two of the breeds I've thought about are an Alaskan malamute, and a Belgium shepherd, both similar breeds to the ones in the dog we saw. It would be nice to have the companion, but I'm not sure if now is the best time to get a dog, especially if my mileage is cranking up.  Oh well, something to think about on the trail.  IN Hanover, NH, I was able to stay with a nice lady, Ruby Slippers, who puts up thru hikers in her art studio.  She even made me dinner!  The town was also very cool, and seems like a nice place.  I didn't explore it too much the day I came through, but ohMEGA and I went there for the afternoon on Saturday when we met up this weekend.  Taking a break this weekend was much needed after the rain, and fortunately ohMEGA is a wonderful trail angel for saving me just in time. I'm not sure how I would stay sane and do this hike without her support.  Until next time, happy trails!

Cool old fire tower

What better to do in a creepy tower in the fog? Try to be creepy

Impossible looking flood damage.  Seriously, how did this happen? Stream flows from foreground to background btw

The Whites: part 3 crazy weather

I helped Medicare Pastor get down Franconia Ridge successfully. The wind was blowing, and the rain was pouring, but we managed to get down safe and sound. The wind chill was apparently 15-25, and it was a pretty tough day on the weather front, but we made it. We got lucky with a hitch (it always helps having a pretty lady), and ate a well earned pizza. It was a pretty good day in the end.

The next day, she pulled a zero and I moved on and starting cranking out miles again. The forecast was sunny, so I was really excited to get back on the trail. Little did I know what the weather really had in store for me. As I pulled out of Lincoln, I realized the liquid water droplets falling from the sky was probably not a good sign. They didn't let up for the longest time. As I climbed Kinsman mountain, I realized that as I gained elevation, the little water droplets were no longer liquid but were now snow. This is on September 16^th mind you. As I got further up the mountain, I saw through the fog that the trees were covered in white stuff. It turned out to be frost, but it looked like a winter landscape. It definitely would have canceled school for a week back in Georgia. It was a milk and egg stockpiling amount of ice.

This was an amazing sight, and even though I was cold, I spent a ton of time taking photos of the phenomenon. Turns out the forecast was partially right though. You could see in the distance areas where the sun had punched through and where others were having beautiful weather, just not where I was. In addition, you could see other mountain tops covered in ice. It was pretty beautiful. When the sun came out for us, the season rapidly changed from winter to spring, and everything started melting. The ice was raining down from the trees and it looked like a spring time day. It was an incredible transformation and one of the wildest weather days I've ever experienced.

I cranked out the rest of the day through rough terrain, and met ohMEGA for the weekend after barely avoiding finishing the day hiking in the dark. She hooked me up with an awesome resupply and taking a zero on Saturday was a well earned way to “spend” the miles I saved up by going faster. I hope to be in VT in 3 days, and MA in 10ish. VT is opened back up and it's time to check it out. If you want to meet up in western MA, let me know soon so we can plan. Till next time...

Fog

Trees covered in white stuff and white blazes

It's sunny and green over there

Welcome to spring!

Winter wonderland

Reboot re-booting for the first time (with $20 second-hand Montrail trail runners from the IME basement)!

Cold

It's cold. Frost and snow. Looks like winter.






- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Paine Rd,Franconia,United States

The Whites: part two

After getting dropped back off at Pinkham Notch on Sunday, I found a stealth spot off the parking lot. Aside from turning off my headlamp every time a car approached, it was a perfect alternative to the $65 for the lodge. The next day I was feeling good and pulled a 15 mile day with 4000 ft elevation gain. I summited Mt Madison and Mt Washington, but got fogged out on the latter and found out that the food stand had already closed so no hotdog for me. I was able to reach Lake of the Clouds hut and even though they were closed, they were in the process of shutting down and needed the help. I got a work for stay and had a great meal and time there.
The next day I was feeling good again and did a 19 mile day to Zealand Falls hut. It was also the first day I lost my white blaze purity status. The trail went around Mt Eisenhower but a NOBO had told me how it was one of his favorite views all trip so I blue blazed to the summit and back down. I'm now considering my hike to be an enhanced version of the AT and think it's legit since my detour was harder. The work for stay at Zealand was alright but I over ate for dinner and had a major stomach cramp. I was trying to plan my mileage, but was ahead of schedule and everything was spaced a little oddly. The next day after leaving Zealand and reaching Galehead hut at around lunch, I found my answer.
My answer came in the form of a 70 year old, grandmother of 6, with one titanium knee. Her name is Medicare Pastor as she is a retired Lutheran pastor on top of being a badass and a cyborg. She's doing her last section of the AT from Andover, ME through VT and has only 80 miles left on the PCT. Oh yeah, she did all of this since the age of 65 and with a bad knee for much of it.
Anyways, the weather forecast for Thursday was crappy with ice/snow a possibility and MP was very worried and bummed about the prospect of having to dodge a section of trail. Since my original plan was to pull into Franconia Notch on Thursday night and I was well ahead of schedule, I asked that if having me present would let her feel safe enough to go on. She said it would make the difference between bailing and going so my decision was made. I'm dialing down my miles to temporarily be MP partner to Franconia Notch and it's really not a big change of plans. It also lets me sleep in and update this thing.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Franconia Brook Trail,Lincoln,United States

The Whites part 1

Sorry for the long post, but it might be educational and perhaps even entertaining.  But probably neither.

After coming in from the Mahoosuc range yesterday, I spent the night at an amazing Hostel, White Mountains Lodge and Hostel. The owners couldn't have been nicer. They took me and another guy on a beer run and did our laundry for us. They also had an amazing breakfast with real orange juice! I love orange juice!
I'm planning on meeting ohMEGA and some friends this weekend to do some rock climbing again. She has again graciously run point on organizing everything and I'm very grateful. Since I had good weather Friday, I wanted to make the most of it and hike instead of pulling a zero in Gorham. In the Whites more than other places it is important to make use of good weather when it arises. The terrain is tough as is and slick rocks would make it harder. Also rain or fog would block the amazing views that were so hard fought and earned. As such I planned to pull a 15 mile day and 5 the next to meet ohMEGA in Pinkham Notch. That was the plan anyways.
To maximize my time to hike, I woke up bright and early for my hike and was able to roll out at around 7. This left me 10 hours to go the 15 miles to the Carter Notch hut which included over 4000 feet of elevation gain for the day. This is a long, hard day. Most north bound hikers don't do more than about 10 miles per day in the Whites and here is a big climb day and I'm taking it up a notch (no pun intended) mileage wise.
I was shooting for 5 pm because the AMC in the Whites run huts which are basically cabins in the woods run and maintained by a small crew. You can come hike all day and then sleep in a cozy room after eating a warm meal that the crew cooks. For most people, reservations are made and dues of $130 are paid. For hikers though, there is the option of working for stay. Do some chores, help the crew and you get a warm meal and a place to crash to for free. They only have a certain amount of space for bums like us, but they usually try to fit as many in as possible.  If you come in too early, they usually tell you to stop being lazy and hike on, and if you come to late, they usually have found all the help they need.  Usually the sweet spot is from 4-5.
Well after getting lost for 30-45 minutes due to a horrifically poorly blazed river crossing and an extended lunch break with the caretaker of Imp shelter halfway through my trek, I still managed to roll in to Carter Notch right on time at around 4:30, the holy grail of work for stay hut arrivals.  It was much to my surprise to find a Hooverville quantity of backpacks and gear outside of the hut when I arrived.  It should have clicked when I had only passed 3 NOBOs throughout the day when I was averaging about 12-15, but I quickly realized where this deficit was being realized.  When I walked into the hut, there were 11 NOBOs sitting around chatting, many whom I met at the hostel and took the 5 mile hike from Pinkham Notch that day.  When I asked about doing a work for stay, I was told that they were full and that I'd have to push on.  I was astounded that so many hikers hit the hut at around 4 since I knew they started in the morning and the hike wasn't too far. The crew told me that since they were closing down the hut this weekend, they needed help earlier and started taking hikers earlier than usual.  This meant that the NOBOs who rolled in at 12:30 from their shorter, and less elevation gain hikes got spots over me.  In addition, one kid was boasting how he pulled a zero mile day and was doing his SECOND work for stay in a row! Ticked off, I put back on my wet socks and shoes and gave the NOBOs a piece of my mind on how incredibly weak they were for only going a 1/3 of my distance despite a less demanding climb. They're only rebuttal was that I was just "jealous" and that I was spewing awfully salty smack talk for a mere SOBO. I began my search for a proper stealth camp 1 mile away and straight up a mountain and continued my rant of how weak the group was to other NOBOs who pulled real miles that day as I warned them about there being no room in the inn.  My first hut experience was not as jolly as hoped.
I did get to spend the night on top of Wildcat Mtn A in a stealth spot that despite being surrounded by trees, entertained me with 20 mph sustained winds throughout the entire night with gusts probably around 40.  Cooking was tricky, and I was a little cool after forgetting my wind gear at the hostel, but I did get a good view for sunset and sunrise.  My tent held up pretty well with one corner coming loose twice and it didn't even bother me when one side support fell on my face.  I was warm and content and couldn't care less.  After a quick climb down the path the lazy NOBOs took, I was able to meet up with ohMEGA early in the morning.  We're going to rock climb some and then it will be more fun in the Whites!  Hopefully the huts will be better.  After having a slight sense of inferiority, I finally feel like I have equaled my NOBO peers and earned my thru hiker cred.

Here are some photos:

Oh man, I just left Maine

Made a friend.  Didn't say much though. Think he's a flip flopper.

Wildcat sunset

I'm on a mountain!

Wildcat sunset still

Wildcat sunrise

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mahoosuc Notch!

Did the toughest mile of the AT with rain slick rocks was an adventure. It has been rainy and windy for most of the time since being dropped off. The first night I hiked up in a storm to a nice little stealth spot near the top and set up my tent in the rain. It was frustrating because I couldn't find my light and the stakes kept pulling out as it got darker and darker. I met up with my friend Dark 30 the next morning though and we did the Notch together.
Before the Notch though was the Mahoosuc Arm which normally just slick exposed rock but for us turned into a slick rock bedded river with small rapids. That was tough to get down and I slipped and got scrapped up some.
At the base was the famous Mahoosuc Notch which is the hardest, slowest mile of the trail. It's a giant boulder field with obstacles to scramble over and under. Tons of fun and only took us an hour and fifteen minutes with a ten min photo break. Fortunately there was a small break in the rain for that section.
Today though the rain was back and the wind kicked up. We got to the top of Goose Mtn and we got wind that must have been 60 mph. Stepped in some mud that went knee deep and it's been cold all day, but I'm loving it. Also I'm just about out of Maine!
If you want to come hike in the Whites, I'll be hopefully at Pinkham Notch on Saturday some time. Just send an e-mail to ohmega1e7@gmail.com if you're interested. Till next time, ya'll stay warm and dry you hear.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Burgess St,Berlin,United States

Happy Labor Day

This was a great weekend! I got off the trail on Saturday morning near Bethel ME when ohMEGA picked me up bright and early. What is one of the best ways to enjoy a weekend besides hiking all day? Rock climbing! She coordinated my pick up with our friends Kristian, Carrie, Keith, and Emmett to meet up and do some trad climbing at Cathedral in North Conway NH. Although the forecast was iffy, we had beautiful weather on both Saturday and Sunday. The climbing was a bunch of fun and it was ohMEGA's first time doing trad and multi-pitch. It was the best way to spend time off trail: doing something you love and being with excellent company.

I will be getting back on the trail tonight, and doing the famous Mahoosuc Notch tomorrow: a mile long section that takes over an hour to do. It involves climbing up and over obstacles and boulders and is highly technical terrain. Man, it's going to be fun! I hope everyone had a safe and happy labor day weekend. This was the best weekend ever and thank you a million ohMEGA for making it all possible!

Rain? No biggie.