A blog is born.

Today, I begin the process of logging my preparation and execution of a 2,200 mile walk in the woods.

It seems like eons ago in a galaxy far, far away that I decided to start walking.  30 lbs heavier and full of cigarette tar, I decided to experiment with walking to stave off off my tobacco boredom and workplace frustrations on lunch break.  Every day at 11am (or 10am, or 12pm…whenever I could sneak away), I’d pound the pavement for an hour.  After a few weeks, I was covering 3 miles in an hour with a stop for food.  I was breathing easier, sleeping better, and the depressed funk I’d been wading through for a few years started to dissolve away.  I read about exercise’s effect on the brain and studied how the body processes different types of macronutrients.

A couple of months later, I was walking 3 miles on my lunch break every day and another 3-5 after work each night.  I pulled my bike out of storage and started riding some mornings and on the weekends.  I earned my junk food with rides around town and slept like a rock every night.  I needed more and more each day to get my fix and quickly found myself hiking up local mountains and riding my bike 12+ miles multiple times a week.

My first time seeing a shelter on an AT day hike near Atkins, VA.

When I decided I was going to thru-hike, my life became about preparation for the tedium of pressing on for miles and miles and I began to crave to the feeling of forcing my body onward.  Then one day, I started to get a stabbing pain in my lower abdomen that escalated, leaving me bedridden with a swollen knot and the worst groin pain I’ve ever known.  I did the google research…it had to be a hernia.

But it wasn’t a hernia, says my local ER doc who charged me $3000 to press on my stomach. It was a strain in my groin/ hip flexor. Turns out the warnings of going from couch potato to constant pedaling and pavement pounding are sage advice if you’re out-of-shape and approaching thirty.

As I’ve worked my way back up to a few three-day backpacking trips, I’m finally shaking the fear that each new step will rip my delicate, fatty insides apart. Hike on or be damned, come March I’ll be heading into the Georgia woods faster than a bad simile on a first post.

Enough fumbly, bumbly back story. Thanks for reading! Stay tuned….

(To start from the beginning, click the Archives Dec 2015 link. To read the latest posts about my adventure, keep scrolling.  Welcome!)

 

Fin

Spoiler alert: I FINISHED!!!

It feels surreal. I’m sitting in an airport in Portland, ME. Yesterday, September 5, I finished my Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike. 2,189.1 miles in 158 days.
In Rangely, Maine, I prepared for the 100-mile wilderness section of the trail (100 miles of no public roads, towns, stores, etc) by mailing myself a maildrop with 5 day’s worth of food to the last toen before the wilderness (Monson, ME).  I “forded” the Kennebec river via canoe courtesy of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, splurged in the small town of Caratunk, and headed for my mail drop a few days away.
Once I reached Monson, I had under 150 miles to go.  The wilderness was a photo op from heaven. 100 miles of wilderness means no cars or buildings or power lines. Unadulterated nature and a few thousand food bag – chewing red squirrels surrounded me. The first half of the wilderness was a wild ride of mountain crossing, while the second half was flat and covered in rocks and roots.
When I left the 100-mile wilderness, I stayed in Baxter State Park and left my final campsite at 4:30am to summit my last mountain as I did my first: solo.

After the climb down, the realizations began to drip into my mind–completion of the trail, my plane ride tomorrow from an airport 3 hours away, a bite I found the night before my summit that looks particularity tick-ey. I’m not ready for the stresses of everyday life yet!!!
A fellow named Alan happened to be driving by as I was leaving the park and hooked me up with a ride 2 hours south to a bus station, putting me at the airport a couple of hours later. What luck (and generosity)!  My mom will be picking me up soon to take me home to a real bed, refrigerator, and shower. I’ll be cleaner than I’ve been in weeks.  My level-headed family can help me convince myself that I’m not going to get Lyme Disease and be forever ruined (or I can visit a doctor for treatment).

So much change is coming over the next few days. Wish me luck in my transition. Time to settle back into civilization and figure out where to go from here. Look for another update once I’ve gotten home to my family and friends whom I’ve missed greatly over the last 5 and a half months.

“Fording” the Kennebec river via canoe. Since the death of a hiker here in 1985, the ATC has contracted a ferry service to shuttle hikers across the water, which can rise quickly because of dam activity upstream

The 100-mile wilderness begins

Fording streams (which basically means walking in knee-deep water ensuring that your feet stay nice and wet) was a common occurrence in northern Maine. I was much more successful in real life than I was in 3rd grade playing Oregon Trail.

BEAUTIFUL lakes abound in northern Maine

Jo-Mary lake–I got here an hour after a sea plane that delivered trail magic departed

I CAN SEE KATAHDIN!!!

100-mile wilderness DONE

Katahdin awaits

I really hope this isn’t Lyme Disease

Big Niagara Falls

Rock Scramble up Katahdin at daybreak

So close….

The Katahdin Table Lands

Views from the base of Baxter Peak

Henry David Thoreau Spring–1 mile to go!

My hike is complete! 2,189.1 miles in 158 days.

Alan–my final trail angel…thanks!!!

Airport – bound in Portland town

Welcome to Maine

I’M NOW IN THE 13TH AND FINAL STATE OF THE AT!
Over 5 months on the trail and it feels like it.  Southern Maine is quite a challenge. Lots of the terrain consists of rock slab mountainsides, which are tough to traverse when wet, and it’s been raining at least once a day for a week. I’ve banged up my knees and elbows enough for 10 thru-hikes. 
I haven’t seen a familiar face in a while, but I’m meeting lots of new ones, including a beaver and half a dozen college groups. Apparently, college orientation in Maine MAY consist of a week-long hike. 

There is actually a trail here…somewhere

Last state!

Doh

Officially in the land of lakes

It feels a little like Middle Earth here

Surprise trail magic in the middle of nowhere thanks to Lenny and Bruce. And we’re talking LEGIT hamburger/ hotdog trail magic

The Saddleback mountains were tough…and beautiful

189.1 miles left!!!

Into the Whites (Hanover to Gorham, NH)

After Hanover, an northbound AT Thru-hiker is days from the famous White Mountains of New Hampshire. The Whites brought back memories of the ups and downs of the south and the rocks of Pennsylvania. 
This is certainly the most challenging section of the trail. The Whites brought my 20+ mile days to a screeching halt. 10 miles became normal and I became very grateful for the “huts” throuout the park that offer work-for-stay to AT thru-hikers. 
I’ll be entering the state of Maine soon, 300 miles away from finishing my hike. Please enjoy these photos and excuse my terse entry. I’m checking out of the hostel in 10 minutes. 
Stay tuned….

VLOG #2 (Manchester Center to Hanover, NH)

After the descent from Mt. Killington and a few days of rain, I met up with some good friends, took a day off, and after being spoiled with home cooked meals and town food, returned to the trail. 
Arriving in NH today, I did some reverse trail magic (helping some older ladies move furniture), and had free stuff galore on Hanover. Just over 350 miles to go. Stay tuned!!!

Getting close…almost

I have a little more than 500 miles to go. I’m at an incredible hostel in Manchester Center, VT, trying to keep my eyes open. 

A week ago, I had one of the best days I’ve experienced on the trail so far. Coming into Massachusetts, I had perfect weather, a good breeze to keep me cool and bug-free, and varied terrain to keep me from getting bored and exhausted by the 20-ish miles into Great Barrington. Before I made it into town, I ran into the AT Hiker Friendly (who gave me trail magic back near Erwin, TN) and had soda and junk food. I then got a hitch into town from an awesome couple–John and Deb–who were on their way to a job for their excavation business. They chatted me up, gave me a tour of the town, and paid for my dinner at the brewery! The place was crawling with hikers Ive been seeing on trail.  They offered to take me along on their bar crawl but after two salads and two entrees, I went to the free tenting area behind the community center and fell into a food coma.
I zeroed in town the next day, then hit the trail again,  ranks to a hitch from a trail momma named Judy.  MA is my favorite state so far, but this may be due to the varied terrain in conjunction with the return to challenging ups-and-downs,  less bugs, and more water. 

I crossed the VT border a few days ago and will get off trail next week to visit some friends for a day or so.  3 states remain!

And a mouse chewed up my food bag! DUCT TAPE!

Soda and cookies from the “Cookie Lady” (but he was a man)

Getting pretty spoiled by all these tent platforms

Oh yeah…THIS is what thru-hiking is like (DWG to Kent, CT)

I finished PA!
Getting past the infamous PA rocks was quite a personal accolade and after doing so, I dove headfirst into New Jersey and New York. Both of these states were a breeze, figuratively speaking. There wasn’t much of a breeze–the stagnant air and water bred what must have been billions of mosquitos and gnats–but the hiking was incredibly easy.  Aside from the occasional valley of boulders and the rocky summits, NJ and NY spoiled my feet and legs. 
But the bugs were almost unbearable. Standing still meant instant attention from the buggers. My mornings consisted of bolting out of the tent to pee and grab my food bag, then back into the tent to pack everything up. I’d then break down my tent while doing a dance to keep the bugs off, and get moving as quickly as possible. The bugs also meant ignoring my body’s cries for breaks throughout the day, followed by the inverse of my morning routine at night. Before going to sleep, I found it necessary to sweep my tent for mosquitos. I missed one a few days ago and paid with a dozen or so bites by morning (in less-than-lousy places, nonetheless). 
While in NJ, I made it to a shelter during a downpour. I changed out of my wet clothes and ate dinner on the edge of the shelter, swatting away mosquitos throughout the ordeal. During a lull in the rain, I set up my tent and threw everything inside.  I then spent 10 minutes killing at least 50 flies and mosquitos before turning in.
The worst (and best) thing about New York was the water situation. After completing New Jersey, I returned ed to New York to find that water was almost nonexistent–the streams and brooks in my AT guide were generally muddy and void of any moving water. I tested my filter and stomach drinking water from stagnant, muddy pools. At least 6 times, I happened upon trail magic consisting of gallons of water placed at the trailhead by trail angels. I also experienced full-on burger/ hot dog/ snacks trail magic twice in a day while in New York. 
Today, I crossed the Connecticut border (though I’ll return to NY tomorrow before leaving the state for good). Once in Connecticut, I suddenly remembered how difficult the trail was back in Virginia…before the rocks and flattened landscapes I’ve traversed for the past month. I had to make good time to reach the Post Office (12 miles before 12:30pm), so I hit the trail at daybreak for what turned out to be a morning of PUD’s  (pointless ups and downs). My first mountain in Connecticut went up-and-down…and up again over two dozen times. 
My quads were on fire.  My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. Sweat drenched EVERYTHING.
This is thru-hiking. Stay tuned

Done with PA!

Sunfish Pond

NJ–the blueberry state!

Stumbled upon a tavern just as a rainstorm hit, so I got a burger and played some pool with Shaggy

Nothing beats the heat like a random beach

Stayed at the Murray farm during a rainstorm. There were donkeys.

Most creeks in the last leg of NJ and NY look like this

=mosquitos

One of the few NY rock climbs

Trail magic again! Courtesy of Fireball and Pluto

More magic!

These water caches saved us. Thanks!

Spent the evening with some section hikers named Tim and Chris. Saw this doe the next morning.

The “Lemon Squeezer” squeezed a clementine I forgot was in my pocket. Heh.

The sign says “Easy Way”

Apparently all water flows downhill from here forward. Lol.

Garbage flapping around in front of my face helps keep bugs put of my eyes. Not sure how to feel about this.

Nuclear Pond

Oldest oak on the AT. 300+ years old!

As soon as I entered CT–water!

The town food makes it all worth it!

I hate rocks (Pine Grove to Delaware Water Gap, PA)

Sometimes, the trail is muddy. Sometimes, it’s dirt. Dry, packed dirt.

Sometimes, I walk on pine needles for hours. I’ve traversed mazes of tree roots on occasion. Pennsylvania isn’t like that, though.
Well, sometimes it is.  But usually, it’s rocks. Little, sharp rocks that jab my soles with each awkward step. Bigger rocks that test my agility as I jump from one rock to the next…and sometimes the rocks give way.  Sometimes, it’s even bigger rocks that require that I strap in my trekking poles and use my hands to climb up and down and around.
The rocks consume me. 
My mileage is pitiful. My feet ache as if I’ve been dancing on marbles. But all I really have to do is keep walking, so it’s not so bad.  This is my last update from PA, as I’ll be entering New Jersey tomorrow.  The end is neigh, but not quite yet. The coming states promise to be more mountainous and strenuous, and I’m excited to meet them. 
Some weirdness is going down with the updated wordpress app. Photo captions sometimes can’t be saved and photos repeat/ are out of order. I’m on the trail and can’t address this, but hopefully you the reader can still enjoy my photos. 
Also, I hiked out of Palmerton PA in the dark and didn’t get a pic of my ascwnt, but if you’d like to see it, search Google images for “Palmerton PA Appalachian Trail rocks” to get a peek. Stay tuned….

Rock and Roll (Harpers Ferry to Pine Grove, PA)

After Harpers Ferry, a NoBo AT Thru-hiker crosses into Maryland. Maryland is part of the 4-State Challenge that some thru-hikers take on when nearing the halfway point. This thru-hiker didn’t, but to help one understand the size and length of the trail in the 4 states (Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania), let me explain: hikers attempt to hike in all 4 states in a single day. West Virginia is comprised almost solely of Harpers Ferry at this point on the trail. After reaching Maryland, hikers have less than 25 miles of trail before entering into Pennsylvania.

I’m still in Pennsylvania at this point, as the state’s piece of the AT is several hundred miles. Maryland was a strange lady, flat and wide trails made for easy walking, but in preparation for PA, the trail was lost at times among a sea of stones from a few inches to dozens of feet in size. When I reached PA, I found out exactly why it’s referred to as “Rocksylvania.” The further north I get, the bigger the rocks are. My 25-mile days are becoming 15-milers as the rocks take a toll on my leg-ends.

After a nero on Pine Grove, I’m heading back out for a hitch. I hope the showers I’ve had help quell the bugs for at least a couple of days. The mosquitos have had their fill of my blood it seems, but the gnats like to swarm my face by the dozens every day without fail. I pray for a breeze each morning when I leave camp.

It’s easy to see why the Northeast is home to the largest number of Lyme Disease as I hike through. The parts of PA that don’t look like dry creek beds of stone torture are usually lined on both sides with grasses and weeds that often pile onto the trail. I’ve removed several ticks so far…here’s hoping I can avoid the L word all the way to Maine.

The pics I’ve uploaded seem to be in reverse order (PA is first). At risk of losing them, Ill leave it be. Thank you! Come again!

Living on a Prayer (The Shenandoahs to Harpers Ferry, WV)

Waynesboro was a treat for the weary thru-hiker. The town had a free hiker pavilion with ample tenting and outlets for charging devices, and the local YMCA offered free showers. The Chinese buffet is the best $7.50 I’ve spent so far. Fully rested and well-fed, I was ready to hit the Shenandoahs.

The “Shennies” (a nickname I HATED until after the 100th time I heard it) were beautiful and full of bears. I got to see my progress through the park as several vistas revealed views to past and upcoming summits. 

The lush vegetation in the park was manicured along the trail, so the high grasses and thorns weren’t flirting with my legs as they usually do. I counted 19 black bears in the park. A few stood in the trail and refused to move. Most ran away when they saw me. I don’t like seeing animals that could kill me when hiking. I didn’t get any photos of bears…for fear of being the guy who died trying to get a bear photo.

Shenandoah National Park spoils hikers (and drains their bank accounts) with “Waysides”–short order restaurants with burgers and blackberry shakes–and camp stores throughout the park. I had more pancakes and burgers than I’d care to admit. 

I began my hike with a fear of heights and mice. I’m slowly overcoming both.

A few days from finishing the SNP section, my dad, grandma, and nephew met me in Luray and treated me to dinner and a hotel with a real bed for my birthday on the trail.  After being spoiled by town life, I got back on trail for one more day of the park.

In the Shennies, hikers are required to tent at shelters (called "huts"). I was glad to finally be able to drop a tent when my body said "I'm done."

My first shelter after leaving the park had a horseshoe pit, shower, and porch with chairs!

I thought these random flowers were fake. They weren't.

I encountered what’s known as the “Roller Coaster” (13+ miles of ups-and-downs) just before hitting the 1000 miles mark…

…followed by the unofficial halfway point at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harpers Ferry, WV. Hiker #717 northbound this year!

Now I head across the WV/ MD border.  5 states down!  More updates in the coming weeks.  Stay tuned….

Virginia Blues? (Daleville to Waynesboro, VA)

After leaving Daleville, I was officially in uncharted territory. Hitting the 700 (then 800) mile marker soon after, I feel pretty comfortable with my routine and hiking strategy. At this point in my hike, I’m spending most of my time doing one of two things: exploring novelty–blue blazes and views and on-the-fly plan changes–and becoming more efficient at getting miles-per-day.

I’ve found that if I have at least 3,000 calories per day (snacks being the most important), I can push through 20 miles per day wirh a couple of 1/2 hour breaks. 20 miles per day means finishing the AT nearly a month earlier…but 15 miles seems to be the sweet spot for not feeling like I’ve been run over by a bus. Nevertheless knocking out a 20 or 25 mile day does feel pretty awesome.

There’s plenty of novelty to keep one’s mind occupied on the VA trail. I’ve seen a pretty huge uptick in the amount of wildlife I’ve seen since crossing the state line. The vegetation is overtaking the trail; grasses and field flowers hang over the trail on both sides caressing all who dare enter with pollen and tick-laden fingers. The ups-and-downs reward the weary hiker once again with grand views of valleys and distant towns. Maybe this is the magic of Virginia. Maybe it’s just spring.

I’ve been roaming solo…catching the same small groups of hikers every two or three days. As soon as I left Daleville, I ran into another sign warning of a bear-related shelter closure. Hikers (day, thru, and both) are apparently getting sloppy with food storage and cleanup, which is attracting bears and making them associate people with food.  In anticipation of the “beareas,” I planned a couple of 20-mile days. This high-mileage approach evolved into a streak of 20-something mile days and before long, I passed the 800-mile mark.

I caught Long Stride as I left the trailhead at Buena Vista and he and I ride into town with Beast and family. Delicious sandwiches and resupply were had. After Buena Vista, Northbound Thru-hikers encounter one more resupply option (Waynesboro, VA) before entering Shenandoah National Park. I’m in Waynesboro, so the Shenandoahs are up next. The Shenandoahs are known for their high bear population, and the approach didn’t disappoint. I saw two BIG (picnic table-length) black bears going into camp last night. Snakes are also appearing everywhere. I’ve seen half a dozen since leaving Daleville.

Up next: Shenandoah National Park.

Stay tuned….

The view leaving Daleville

Blue-bellied lizard

Big Ascent

FAA Tower Scene straight ot of a sci-fi movie

The Guillotine

James River Footbridge--the longest on the AT

The James River

James River trail magic!!!

Shelter camping at Brown Creek

Reading and waiting for laundry to dry

Copperhead beneath my laundry line

Food with Beast and fam (and Long Stride)

Killer climb after Buena Vista

Packed Shelter before the impending rainstorm

Shelter mouse wants food

Climbing "The Priest"

Black snakes=no mice 🙂

BIG surprise snake