Hey all,
I am writing from Lincoln, New Hampshire after traveling up to Maine and hiking through to the Whites. There is a lot to say, being that this stretch of the AT is both the most difficult and beautiful. Firstly, we hiked up Mt. Katahdin on a perfect Friday morning, when there wasn't a single cloud in the sky and the cool breeze massaged our faces. We took the Helon Taylor trail up the mountain, eventually climbing on a two-way cliff called the Knife's edge to get to the top. I can't begin to explain the incredible rush of scrambling over boulders and sharp rocks while three feet on either side of you large cliffs beckoned. Eventually, I'll post pictures so that you can see how truly magnificent this mountain is. At the top, we sat soaking in the sun for a couple of hours, while watching thru-hikers get to the top and complete their journey (some of them having taken 7 months to walk the whole thing!). Watching the looks on each of their faces as they stood an took in their accomplishment with a mixture of glee and sadness reminded me a lot of seeing people end a marathon race and placing their hands on their knees with relief. Also, it kind of felt like being in an airport, and watching people come off the plane after a long journey somewhere. Needless to say, it made us a little jealous that they were finishing while we still had 750 miles to go.
Afterwards, we hiked through the 100 mile wilderness- a stretch of forest that we were told had no places to resupply, no roads, and no help. In other words, no civilization. On the contrary, we were able to stay the night at a hostel right in the middle of the 100 mile wilderness, but it was an unusual way of getting there. We had to hike to a large lake where a sign was posted. Then we blew a foghorn once, and a man drove a boat across the lake to pick us up, and take us back to his place. His hostel was a bit of paradise in the middle of the wilderness, with beautiful cabins overlooking the lake and seats situated on the water's edge. He also served us 1 pound hamburgers which solidified in my mind that Shangri-La does exist and it can be found in Maine. We also saw moose in the 100 mile wilderness, eating the weeds growing at the bottom of lakes. Once, we sat and had lunch with one, watching it dive underwater to emerge with a mouthful of plants.
After the 100 mile wilderness, the trail became extremely difficult, with massive mountains looming each day for us to hike. It seemed that whenever we got to the top of a mountain we could see other large peaks and know that we would probably have to climb those as well. It was here that my other brother, Zach, joined us for a little over a week. The only word I can use to describe him is TOUGH because I believe that no mere mortal could have survived what he did. Without any warm up, any preparation, Zach bested some of the largest mountains that gave us experienced hikers nightmares just thinking about. Worst off, I failed my brother in his greatest time of need. On his second day out, I decided that we could push on for a few more miles before the day's end. It was getting dark, and we had already climbed two massive peaks almost a mile up. As we marched on, Zach started to become rapidly ill, clutching his stomach in pain and complaining of a mindsplitting headache. Now hiking with our headlamps on in the dark, I tried to urge him on while looking for the shelter that we were planning to camp at. To my utter most shame, I began to fear that I had missed the sign for the shelter. After what seemed like hours of hiking, I became convinced that we did miss the shelter, and turned to Zach to tell him that we had to hike backwards to try and find it. His only reply was, "are you effing kidding me," but he obliged, trudging back up the mountain cloaked in blackness, stopping every ten feet to attempt to puke. It was Isaac and Jake who eventually saved us, coming to find us and saying that the shelter was literally ten feet from the spot that we had stopped to turn around and go back! When we finally got to camp, Zach went immediately to bed without a word. Anyone who experienced what he did would probably have taken the next ride home the next day, but Zach responded like a pro, hiking the very next day, and eventually covering almost 100 miles in a little over a week (among these miles is the mile considered the toughest on the AT). He also hurt his knee, but trooped on , epitomizing the phrase, "that that does not kill you makes you stronger." I am extremely proud of my brother, and am glad that for better or worse he got a chance to experience the trail with me.
Lastly, this past week Isaac, Jake, and myself hiked the Whites, a range of mountains in New Hampshire known for their beauty and awe. The majority of the range is above treeline, so you spend a lot of time hiking with 360 views. 2 out of the 3 days we've spent in the Whites have had nice weather, however the day we hiked Mt. Washington was not so pleasant. On the summit, winds were whipping at us at speeds of 60mph, rain was pouring down sideways, and the clouds made visibility approximately 10 feet in front of you. We spent the night in an emergency shelter on Mt. Washington known as the dungeon, because it was too dangerous to try and walk to the next shelter before nightfall. At night, the temperatures dropped to below freezing, so we burned all our fuel in one of our pots to try and keep warm.
The fall foliage is in full bloom these days, so stay tuned for more stories about our travels through Vermont, Conn., Mass. , and New York as we complete the last 500 miles of our trip! it is unbelievable that we are only about 5 weeks away from the end. Hopefully, there are still a ton more experiences to be had before we return to the "real world."
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Hey all,
I am writing from Lincoln, New Hampshire after traveling up to Maine and hiking through to the Whites. There is a lot to say, being that this stretch of the AT is both the most difficult and beautiful. Firstly, we hiked up Mt. Katahdin on a perfect Friday morning, when there wasn't a single cloud in the sky and the cool breeze massaged our faces. We took the Helon Taylor trail up the mountain, eventually climbing on a two-way cliff called the Knife's edge to get to the top. I can't begin to explain the incredible rush of scrambling over boulders and sharp rocks while three feet on either side of you large cliffs beckoned. Eventually, I'll post pictures so that you can see how truly magnificent this mountain is. At the top, we sat soaking in the sun for a couple of hours, while watching thru-hikers get to the top and complete their journey (some of them having taken 7 months to walk the whole thing!). Watching the looks on each of their faces as they stood an took in their accomplishment with a mixture of glee and sadness reminded me a lot of seeing people end a marathon race and placing their hands on their knees with relief. Also, it kind of felt like being in an airport, and watching people come off the plane after a long journey somewhere. Needless to say, it made us a little jealous that they were finishing while we still had 750 miles to go.
Afterwards, we hiked through the 100 mile wilderness- a stretch of forest that we were told had no places to resupply, no roads, and no help. In other words, no civilization. On the contrary, we were able to stay the night at a hostel right in the middle of the 100 mile wilderness, but it was an unusual way of getting there. We had to hike to a large lake where a sign was posted. Then we blew a foghorn once, and a man drove a boat across the lake to pick us up, and take us back to his place. His hostel was a bit of paradise in the middle of the wilderness, with beautiful cabins overlooking the lake and seats situated on the water's edge. He also served us 1 pound hamburgers which solidified in my mind that Shangri-La does exist and it can be found in Maine. We also saw moose in the 100 mile wilderness, eating the weeds growing at the bottom of lakes. Once, we sat and had lunch with one, watching it dive underwater to emerge with a mouthful of plants.
After the 100 mile wilderness, the trail became extremely difficult, with massive mountains looming each day for us to hike. It seemed that whenever we got to the top of a mountain we could see other large peaks and know that we would probably have to climb those as well. It was here that my other brother, Zach, joined us for a little over a week. The only word I can use to describe him is TOUGH because I believe that no mere mortal could have survived what he did. Without any warm up, any preparation, Zach bested some of the largest mountains that gave us experienced hikers nightmares just thinking about. Worst off, I failed my brother in his greatest time of need. On his second day out, I decided that we could push on for a few more miles before the day's end. It was getting dark, and we had already climbed two massive peaks almost a mile up. As we marched on, Zach started to become rapidly ill, clutching his stomach in pain and complaining of a mindsplitting headache. Now hiking with our headlamps on in the dark, I tried to urge him on while looking for the shelter that we were planning to camp at. To my utter most shame, I began to fear that I had missed the sign for the shelter. After what seemed like hours of hiking, I became convinced that we did miss the shelter, and turned to Zach to tell him that we had to hike backwards to try and find it. His only reply was, "are you effing kidding me," but he obliged, trudging back up the mountain cloaked in blackness, stopping every ten feet to attempt to puke. It was Isaac and Jake who eventually saved us, coming to find us and saying that the shelter was literally ten feet from the spot that we had stopped to turn around and go back! When we finally got to camp, Zach went immediately to bed without a word. Anyone who experienced what he did would probably have taken the next ride home the next day, but Zach responded like a pro, hiking the very next day, and eventually covering almost 100 miles in a little over a week (among these miles is the mile considered the toughest on the AT). He also hurt his knee, but trooped on , epitomizing the phrase, "that that does not kill you makes you stronger." I am extremely proud of my brother, and am glad that for better or worse he got a chance to experience the trail with me.
Lastly, this past week Isaac, Jake, and myself hiked the Whites, a range of mountains in New Hampshire known for their beauty and awe. The majority of the range is above treeline, so you spend a lot of time hiking with 360 views. 2 out of the 3 days we've spent in the Whites have had nice weather, however the day we hiked Mt. Washington was not so pleasant. On the summit, winds were whipping at us at speeds of 60mph, rain was pouring down sideways, and the clouds made visibility approximately 10 feet in front of you. We spent the night in an emergency shelter on Mt. Washington known as the dungeon, because it was too dangerous to try and walk to the next shelter before nightfall. At night, the temperatures dropped to below freezing, so we burned all our fuel in one of our pots to try and keep warm.
The fall foliage is in full bloom these days, so stay tuned for more stories about our travels through Vermont, Conn., Mass. , and New York as we complete the last 500 miles of our trip! it is unbelievable that we are only about 5 weeks away from the end. Hopefully, there are still a ton more experiences to be had before we return to the "real world."
I am writing from Lincoln, New Hampshire after traveling up to Maine and hiking through to the Whites. There is a lot to say, being that this stretch of the AT is both the most difficult and beautiful. Firstly, we hiked up Mt. Katahdin on a perfect Friday morning, when there wasn't a single cloud in the sky and the cool breeze massaged our faces. We took the Helon Taylor trail up the mountain, eventually climbing on a two-way cliff called the Knife's edge to get to the top. I can't begin to explain the incredible rush of scrambling over boulders and sharp rocks while three feet on either side of you large cliffs beckoned. Eventually, I'll post pictures so that you can see how truly magnificent this mountain is. At the top, we sat soaking in the sun for a couple of hours, while watching thru-hikers get to the top and complete their journey (some of them having taken 7 months to walk the whole thing!). Watching the looks on each of their faces as they stood an took in their accomplishment with a mixture of glee and sadness reminded me a lot of seeing people end a marathon race and placing their hands on their knees with relief. Also, it kind of felt like being in an airport, and watching people come off the plane after a long journey somewhere. Needless to say, it made us a little jealous that they were finishing while we still had 750 miles to go.
Afterwards, we hiked through the 100 mile wilderness- a stretch of forest that we were told had no places to resupply, no roads, and no help. In other words, no civilization. On the contrary, we were able to stay the night at a hostel right in the middle of the 100 mile wilderness, but it was an unusual way of getting there. We had to hike to a large lake where a sign was posted. Then we blew a foghorn once, and a man drove a boat across the lake to pick us up, and take us back to his place. His hostel was a bit of paradise in the middle of the wilderness, with beautiful cabins overlooking the lake and seats situated on the water's edge. He also served us 1 pound hamburgers which solidified in my mind that Shangri-La does exist and it can be found in Maine. We also saw moose in the 100 mile wilderness, eating the weeds growing at the bottom of lakes. Once, we sat and had lunch with one, watching it dive underwater to emerge with a mouthful of plants.
After the 100 mile wilderness, the trail became extremely difficult, with massive mountains looming each day for us to hike. It seemed that whenever we got to the top of a mountain we could see other large peaks and know that we would probably have to climb those as well. It was here that my other brother, Zach, joined us for a little over a week. The only word I can use to describe him is TOUGH because I believe that no mere mortal could have survived what he did. Without any warm up, any preparation, Zach bested some of the largest mountains that gave us experienced hikers nightmares just thinking about. Worst off, I failed my brother in his greatest time of need. On his second day out, I decided that we could push on for a few more miles before the day's end. It was getting dark, and we had already climbed two massive peaks almost a mile up. As we marched on, Zach started to become rapidly ill, clutching his stomach in pain and complaining of a mindsplitting headache. Now hiking with our headlamps on in the dark, I tried to urge him on while looking for the shelter that we were planning to camp at. To my utter most shame, I began to fear that I had missed the sign for the shelter. After what seemed like hours of hiking, I became convinced that we did miss the shelter, and turned to Zach to tell him that we had to hike backwards to try and find it. His only reply was, "are you effing kidding me," but he obliged, trudging back up the mountain cloaked in blackness, stopping every ten feet to attempt to puke. It was Isaac and Jake who eventually saved us, coming to find us and saying that the shelter was literally ten feet from the spot that we had stopped to turn around and go back! When we finally got to camp, Zach went immediately to bed without a word. Anyone who experienced what he did would probably have taken the next ride home the next day, but Zach responded like a pro, hiking the very next day, and eventually covering almost 100 miles in a little over a week (among these miles is the mile considered the toughest on the AT). He also hurt his knee, but trooped on , epitomizing the phrase, "that that does not kill you makes you stronger." I am extremely proud of my brother, and am glad that for better or worse he got a chance to experience the trail with me.
Lastly, this past week Isaac, Jake, and myself hiked the Whites, a range of mountains in New Hampshire known for their beauty and awe. The majority of the range is above treeline, so you spend a lot of time hiking with 360 views. 2 out of the 3 days we've spent in the Whites have had nice weather, however the day we hiked Mt. Washington was not so pleasant. On the summit, winds were whipping at us at speeds of 60mph, rain was pouring down sideways, and the clouds made visibility approximately 10 feet in front of you. We spent the night in an emergency shelter on Mt. Washington known as the dungeon, because it was too dangerous to try and walk to the next shelter before nightfall. At night, the temperatures dropped to below freezing, so we burned all our fuel in one of our pots to try and keep warm.
The fall foliage is in full bloom these days, so stay tuned for more stories about our travels through Vermont, Conn., Mass. , and New York as we complete the last 500 miles of our trip! it is unbelievable that we are only about 5 weeks away from the end. Hopefully, there are still a ton more experiences to be had before we return to the "real world."
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Hey Folks,
It has been a long time since I have last posted a blog, and I apologize for not keeping everyone more updated. I am currently writing from my friend Jake's lakehouse, as we prepare to drive to Maine and complete the last leg of our trip. As of now, we have hiked a total of 1300 miles, and have a little over 800 miles left. Those passing us while heading south on the trail describe Maine and New Hampshire as dazzingly beautiful and pristine. Imagine hiking on open mountain ridges, above tree line, while overlooking glacier lakes and streams. Apparently moose wander these parts, and can be seen wading through freezing waters. In addition, we will be walking back to New Jersey as the seasons change, and will witness the leaves turning colors; into hues of brown, yellow, orange, and red. The temperature will also drop, which is actually a nice change when considering how hot it can get hiking in 90+ degree heat. Overall, I am super excited about experiencing all this, and finishing the journey that we have started seemingly so long ago.
As for interesting things that have happened to me on the trail lately, lets just say that this has not been a boring and uneventful last month. Firstly, my younger brother jacob joined me for a week (a really cool time). He trooped through hot temperatures and rocky straits, without complaint, eventually hiking a total of 100 miles in a week's time! It was great having a new face in our group while on the trail, but it was also good to spend some time with my brother. He showed me that in reality he is not very little anymore, and can more than hold his own.
Secondly, a dream of mine came true in Front Royal, Virginia. Finally, a Civil war general attempted to recruit me to fight the good fight in the 7th Virginia regiment. It all started when we befriended a guy who ran the local outfitters. He offered to give us a ride back to the trail, and when he opened his trunk to let us put our packs in the car, there on the floor laid an authentic 1862 Enfield rifle. After "impressing" him with my Civil War knowledge, he admitted that he was the colonel of a local reenactors regiment, and offered to enlist me at no cost for the next battle. Needless to say, this got me a little excited.
I also got to see my first rattlesnake while walking on moon-like terrain. In the Lehigh gap, an old zinc factory had destroyed the wildlife on that mountain, leaving barren rocks and orange tinged water springs, thus giving off and aura of moon travel. Hiking early in the morning along this wierd trail, I came in contact with my first rattlesnake. He had beady eyes, a fat midsection, and was curled up in the middle of the path. We tried to get him off the trail by throwing rocks from far away, but to no avail. Then, Jake stepped closer and took his poles to poke at the beast. At that moment, the snake unraveled his body, coiling high up off the ground, and began rattling intensifely. We ran back several yards screaming like kids. Then collecting ourselves, we walked around it while keeping our distance. Jake uploaded pictures that we took of the snake, which you can see on his blog.
While walking all day, a hiker has a lot of time to think about music and sing (yes people have walked in on me belting tunes). Since there are no ipods or radios on the trail, mostly our brains decide which song comes to mind. Therefore, I'd like to provide you guys with a sort of "hiker's playlist" of songs that pop into my head at different times. You can listen to this playlist at home, and put yourself on the trail with me...
Here Comes the Sun(Beatles): for early morning wakeups, around 6ish.
You Can't Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones): for when going over the mileage that we have to cover for the day.
Get Rythmn (Johnny Cash): For starting the day and getting your stride going.
Get on Top (REd Hot Chili Peppers): for going up a mountain.
Old Man (Neil Young): For when I feel like an old man, with every part of my body hurting.
Break on Through (the Doors): for getting through that tough part of the day. There is always one, and you can always break on through.
Like Eating Glass (Bloc Party): For eating 3 power bars at lunch cause you need the energy/nutrients.
Theme song from the Lion King: for great views of the sun rising or setting.
As I Went Down to the River to Pray (O, Brother Where Art Thou): for going down to the river... to fill up your water bottles.
Smile Like you Mean It (the Killers): for when someone asks you how you are doing, and you reply, "GREAT!"
Its a Beautiful Day ( U2): for Just a great day of hiking.
It Hurts (Angels and Airwaves): I think this is clear.
And Another One Bites the Dust (Queen): for going to sleep at night.
Enjoy
It has been a long time since I have last posted a blog, and I apologize for not keeping everyone more updated. I am currently writing from my friend Jake's lakehouse, as we prepare to drive to Maine and complete the last leg of our trip. As of now, we have hiked a total of 1300 miles, and have a little over 800 miles left. Those passing us while heading south on the trail describe Maine and New Hampshire as dazzingly beautiful and pristine. Imagine hiking on open mountain ridges, above tree line, while overlooking glacier lakes and streams. Apparently moose wander these parts, and can be seen wading through freezing waters. In addition, we will be walking back to New Jersey as the seasons change, and will witness the leaves turning colors; into hues of brown, yellow, orange, and red. The temperature will also drop, which is actually a nice change when considering how hot it can get hiking in 90+ degree heat. Overall, I am super excited about experiencing all this, and finishing the journey that we have started seemingly so long ago.
As for interesting things that have happened to me on the trail lately, lets just say that this has not been a boring and uneventful last month. Firstly, my younger brother jacob joined me for a week (a really cool time). He trooped through hot temperatures and rocky straits, without complaint, eventually hiking a total of 100 miles in a week's time! It was great having a new face in our group while on the trail, but it was also good to spend some time with my brother. He showed me that in reality he is not very little anymore, and can more than hold his own.
Secondly, a dream of mine came true in Front Royal, Virginia. Finally, a Civil war general attempted to recruit me to fight the good fight in the 7th Virginia regiment. It all started when we befriended a guy who ran the local outfitters. He offered to give us a ride back to the trail, and when he opened his trunk to let us put our packs in the car, there on the floor laid an authentic 1862 Enfield rifle. After "impressing" him with my Civil War knowledge, he admitted that he was the colonel of a local reenactors regiment, and offered to enlist me at no cost for the next battle. Needless to say, this got me a little excited.
I also got to see my first rattlesnake while walking on moon-like terrain. In the Lehigh gap, an old zinc factory had destroyed the wildlife on that mountain, leaving barren rocks and orange tinged water springs, thus giving off and aura of moon travel. Hiking early in the morning along this wierd trail, I came in contact with my first rattlesnake. He had beady eyes, a fat midsection, and was curled up in the middle of the path. We tried to get him off the trail by throwing rocks from far away, but to no avail. Then, Jake stepped closer and took his poles to poke at the beast. At that moment, the snake unraveled his body, coiling high up off the ground, and began rattling intensifely. We ran back several yards screaming like kids. Then collecting ourselves, we walked around it while keeping our distance. Jake uploaded pictures that we took of the snake, which you can see on his blog.
While walking all day, a hiker has a lot of time to think about music and sing (yes people have walked in on me belting tunes). Since there are no ipods or radios on the trail, mostly our brains decide which song comes to mind. Therefore, I'd like to provide you guys with a sort of "hiker's playlist" of songs that pop into my head at different times. You can listen to this playlist at home, and put yourself on the trail with me...
Here Comes the Sun(Beatles): for early morning wakeups, around 6ish.
You Can't Always Get What You Want (Rolling Stones): for when going over the mileage that we have to cover for the day.
Get Rythmn (Johnny Cash): For starting the day and getting your stride going.
Get on Top (REd Hot Chili Peppers): for going up a mountain.
Old Man (Neil Young): For when I feel like an old man, with every part of my body hurting.
Break on Through (the Doors): for getting through that tough part of the day. There is always one, and you can always break on through.
Like Eating Glass (Bloc Party): For eating 3 power bars at lunch cause you need the energy/nutrients.
Theme song from the Lion King: for great views of the sun rising or setting.
As I Went Down to the River to Pray (O, Brother Where Art Thou): for going down to the river... to fill up your water bottles.
Smile Like you Mean It (the Killers): for when someone asks you how you are doing, and you reply, "GREAT!"
Its a Beautiful Day ( U2): for Just a great day of hiking.
It Hurts (Angels and Airwaves): I think this is clear.
And Another One Bites the Dust (Queen): for going to sleep at night.
Enjoy
Friday, July 10, 2009
Ridges, Fireworks, and Flank steak
Day 44 on the trail and we are officially into the heartland of Virginia. After recovering from Girardia, I have felt my strength slowly return, and the pace of my hiking begin to speed up. Overall, our group mentality is to take more time enjoying scenary, watching our mileage so that we don't push our bodies to far, and making more town stops to resupply and eat greasy hamburgers. In many ways, this trip can be described as a hamburger tour of the east coast given that by my mark I have already eaten at least 100 since june. Another figure to think about is that we have officially gone over 600 miles (a notable feat and approximately 1/3 to 1/4 the total trail). On the way, we have passed some unbelievable views while hiking on the ridges. The terrain in Virginia usually allows you to spend hours hiking on relatively flat ground, above the cloud line, overlooking the deep valleys and green gorges below. We also got a chance to find a hidden falls where we spent an afternoon swimming with minnows that cleaned the dirt of our legs and large crawfish that painfully went for our toes. For the 4th of July, we climbed a mountain and spent the night setting off the largest fireworks you could legally buy in the state, drinking a bottle of rum that we transferred to a light weight container, and dancing around a mammoth bondfire singing (horrbily) the national anthem. Quite a unique holiday.
A few days ago, we bought large steaks in a town called bland, hiked up to the nearest shelter on the trail, and cooked them right over the fire. To do so, we first marinated the steaks in barbecue sauce, while building a large pit of ambers. Then we placed two large logs on either side of the fire, and laid fresh pine and hickory sticks (that we wittled doen to be flat on one side) across the simmering flame. While the steaks laid on the branches and cooked, we doused them with pepper, salt, and sarachi sauce. The end result was delicious! That meal was well worth the risk of attracting every single bear in Virginia to our campsite.
On the trail, there is a certain language hikers use that at first sound unfamiliar. Here are a few words that I have learned while on the trail that you can add to your "Hiker vocabulary"...
Puds: a term describing when the trail goes up a steep mountain unnecessarily simply to hike right back down. Stands for P.ointless U.ps and D.owns.
B your T: simple phrase meaning to brush your teeth. Hikers must force others to keep threir teeth clean by asking whether or not they have "B'd their T?
Daywalkers: those who take day hikes on the trail, rather than thru-hike or spend overnites. Usually, daywalkers are accepted in the hiker's society but looked at as lesser human beings.
A few days ago, we bought large steaks in a town called bland, hiked up to the nearest shelter on the trail, and cooked them right over the fire. To do so, we first marinated the steaks in barbecue sauce, while building a large pit of ambers. Then we placed two large logs on either side of the fire, and laid fresh pine and hickory sticks (that we wittled doen to be flat on one side) across the simmering flame. While the steaks laid on the branches and cooked, we doused them with pepper, salt, and sarachi sauce. The end result was delicious! That meal was well worth the risk of attracting every single bear in Virginia to our campsite.
On the trail, there is a certain language hikers use that at first sound unfamiliar. Here are a few words that I have learned while on the trail that you can add to your "Hiker vocabulary"...
Puds: a term describing when the trail goes up a steep mountain unnecessarily simply to hike right back down. Stands for P.ointless U.ps and D.owns.
B your T: simple phrase meaning to brush your teeth. Hikers must force others to keep threir teeth clean by asking whether or not they have "B'd their T?
Daywalkers: those who take day hikes on the trail, rather than thru-hike or spend overnites. Usually, daywalkers are accepted in the hiker's society but looked at as lesser human beings.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
In light of my recent episode with Giardia (and my second trip to the ER in three weeks) I have decided to pay tribute to the untamed beast, which is the AT, by writing an acrostic poem. My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Spriggs, would be proud...
Going to the water source,
Into the well goes the pump.
A bag of fresh new water,
Ready to drink cool spring.
Don't sleep, can't eat, won't walk
In goes the food, only to go right back out.
Another trip to the hospital, back on the trail tomorrow.
I aspire to be Robert Frost, but fear I missed the mark a little bit hear. Oh well. I am sure some new ailment will visit me and I will have another chance.
Going to the water source,
Into the well goes the pump.
A bag of fresh new water,
Ready to drink cool spring.
Don't sleep, can't eat, won't walk
In goes the food, only to go right back out.
Another trip to the hospital, back on the trail tomorrow.
I aspire to be Robert Frost, but fear I missed the mark a little bit hear. Oh well. I am sure some new ailment will visit me and I will have another chance.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Day 22: On a Hiker's Psychology
The first month is almost finished, and there is a lot to say. The gang has traveled through Georgia, into Tenn. and the Smokeys, and we are now marching on the North Carolina border toward the doorstep of Virginia. For the past week we have been blessed with severe thunderstorms that have followed us for 100 miles, pouring rain on our heads and rattling our tents with each thundering lightening strike. We are progressing nicely and can practically smell the homecooking as we approach our respective homes. To this date, our largest day mileage wise has been 24 miles. Overall, we are averaging around 20 miles. Hikers we meet are amazed at our "blistering pace" and it would be a lie to say that we aren't proud to be seen as the cream of the crop in that regard.
Thinking about interesting anecdotes has never been my forte. Boastfully, I could mention our closest bear encounter yet, where in the midst of night two bears (we think) came within 10 yards of our tents. We heard loud rustlings in the bush outside, and Jake poked his head out to see two glowing eyes in the dark. Softling, he let out a curse word, to which the bear grunted (in what could be considered the bear version of the same word) before running off. In a more embarassing yet similar fashion, I could tell about the time I was walking the trail when I surprised a large doe. The deer sprinted up the mountain side some 20 yards, all the while making a high pitch shrieking sound. Then, it turned to face me. Feeling slighted that the deer was not scared enough to sprint away all together, I made myself big and made some noise by banging my poles together. Unexpectedly, the deer merely stood there and began stomping its feet in a display of defiance. I won't tell you who was the first one to flinch and walk away, but lets just say that you should never underestimate the utter ferociousness of nature, even does.
In a more philosophical note, the trail gives you a lot of time to simply think. Staggering up a mountain a few days ago, I came up with this connection between a hiker's mind and the trail. In the hiker world, we follow a strict routine, in terms of eating, sleeping, setting up shelter, etc. To disturb such an order causes a hiker to become extremely annoyed and upset. When your'e hiking up a mountain, your mind tends to wander to all the things that are wrong at that moment. You didn't eat enough breakfast, your sleeping pad is wet, your blister on your left foots looks like a bad playdo session, or you simply didn't like the way your pack feels on your shoulders. With each step that you dwell on the bad, the trail seems to get steeper and more rocky. At times, you reach what you think is your breaking point . You can't go another step. The only option seems to fall back down that mountain. At other times, your mind is thinking positively, and that same trail becomes one of those smooth paved walkways found in airports. Although the trail takes on the shape of your mood, I would argue that it isn't a totally mercilous demon. Even in the hardest moments, the trail gives you something back. When hikers finally reach the top of that mountain, andthey are too exhausted to even cheer or hoot outloud in triumph, insteadthey let out a soft sigh. That sound is by far one of the sweetest sounds I have heard on the trip thus far.
Take care, and I'll try and write again as soon as possible.
Thinking about interesting anecdotes has never been my forte. Boastfully, I could mention our closest bear encounter yet, where in the midst of night two bears (we think) came within 10 yards of our tents. We heard loud rustlings in the bush outside, and Jake poked his head out to see two glowing eyes in the dark. Softling, he let out a curse word, to which the bear grunted (in what could be considered the bear version of the same word) before running off. In a more embarassing yet similar fashion, I could tell about the time I was walking the trail when I surprised a large doe. The deer sprinted up the mountain side some 20 yards, all the while making a high pitch shrieking sound. Then, it turned to face me. Feeling slighted that the deer was not scared enough to sprint away all together, I made myself big and made some noise by banging my poles together. Unexpectedly, the deer merely stood there and began stomping its feet in a display of defiance. I won't tell you who was the first one to flinch and walk away, but lets just say that you should never underestimate the utter ferociousness of nature, even does.
In a more philosophical note, the trail gives you a lot of time to simply think. Staggering up a mountain a few days ago, I came up with this connection between a hiker's mind and the trail. In the hiker world, we follow a strict routine, in terms of eating, sleeping, setting up shelter, etc. To disturb such an order causes a hiker to become extremely annoyed and upset. When your'e hiking up a mountain, your mind tends to wander to all the things that are wrong at that moment. You didn't eat enough breakfast, your sleeping pad is wet, your blister on your left foots looks like a bad playdo session, or you simply didn't like the way your pack feels on your shoulders. With each step that you dwell on the bad, the trail seems to get steeper and more rocky. At times, you reach what you think is your breaking point . You can't go another step. The only option seems to fall back down that mountain. At other times, your mind is thinking positively, and that same trail becomes one of those smooth paved walkways found in airports. Although the trail takes on the shape of your mood, I would argue that it isn't a totally mercilous demon. Even in the hardest moments, the trail gives you something back. When hikers finally reach the top of that mountain, andthey are too exhausted to even cheer or hoot outloud in triumph, insteadthey let out a soft sigh. That sound is by far one of the sweetest sounds I have heard on the trip thus far.
Take care, and I'll try and write again as soon as possible.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Day14
Two weeks in, and I have already found my favorite and least favorite parts of the trail. Favorite: going into towns that consist of a gas station and a motorcycle only bar and emptying the land of all their Cup of Noodles.
Least Favorite: Walking
Favorite: Campfires and beautiful views.
Least Favorite: Pissing blood.
My two companions, Isaac and Jake, are good friends, helping me get through the trail during the hard times. We spend the days talking about best movies, actors, books, models, food we dont have, all the time meanwhile arguing about how much miles we should walk that day. We are picking up the pace, hitting overr 20 miles for the past 4 days, which I believe is attributed to us wanting to finish as quickly as possible.
Nature wise, I have seen much, but there are still some things I am looking out for. The AT is often called the "green tunnel" because it literally is a narrow trail cloaked in bushes and trees. I have seen several small snakes (no rattlesnakes), a few wild turkeys (one that attacked us for coming to close to its nest), 12 newts, 17,000 insects, 8 wild boar (very cool, they saw us and stampeded away into the fog one morning), and about a million mice. The mice are the worst part, because you can hear them crawling all over everybody in the shelter, and going through bags looking for food. The other night, Jake left a bit of his tent open, and awoke to a mouse crawling all over his face. Isaac was laughing at Jakes misfortune until later that morning he found a family of mice that had made a home in his pack. I am waiting for my bear encounter. hiker we met said that earlier in the week he was alone at a shelter when a bear came into the campsite and began pacing back in forth. Scared, the hiker said that he threw a large rock at the bear (sounds like a very stupid idea). Afterward, the bear did run off which makes me slightly more believe when he said that he once had a "Nolan Ryan fastball" back in the day.
I will write again in a few days to let you know how the second leg of my journey went. Please forgive any misspellings, 40 other hikers are waiting to get on this one computer in Tennessee.
Least Favorite: Walking
Favorite: Campfires and beautiful views.
Least Favorite: Pissing blood.
My two companions, Isaac and Jake, are good friends, helping me get through the trail during the hard times. We spend the days talking about best movies, actors, books, models, food we dont have, all the time meanwhile arguing about how much miles we should walk that day. We are picking up the pace, hitting overr 20 miles for the past 4 days, which I believe is attributed to us wanting to finish as quickly as possible.
Nature wise, I have seen much, but there are still some things I am looking out for. The AT is often called the "green tunnel" because it literally is a narrow trail cloaked in bushes and trees. I have seen several small snakes (no rattlesnakes), a few wild turkeys (one that attacked us for coming to close to its nest), 12 newts, 17,000 insects, 8 wild boar (very cool, they saw us and stampeded away into the fog one morning), and about a million mice. The mice are the worst part, because you can hear them crawling all over everybody in the shelter, and going through bags looking for food. The other night, Jake left a bit of his tent open, and awoke to a mouse crawling all over his face. Isaac was laughing at Jakes misfortune until later that morning he found a family of mice that had made a home in his pack. I am waiting for my bear encounter. hiker we met said that earlier in the week he was alone at a shelter when a bear came into the campsite and began pacing back in forth. Scared, the hiker said that he threw a large rock at the bear (sounds like a very stupid idea). Afterward, the bear did run off which makes me slightly more believe when he said that he once had a "Nolan Ryan fastball" back in the day.
I will write again in a few days to let you know how the second leg of my journey went. Please forgive any misspellings, 40 other hikers are waiting to get on this one computer in Tennessee.
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