Rain rain go away

MA

Well I have made it to MA. I am trying out a new post system, it just takes me a lot longer since I have to type it up on my phone. Missing that full iPad keyboard right about now. For the last 2 weeks the landscape has been beautiful. Open pine forests are quiet and peaceful with soft pine needle floors. Any mountain overlook that greets us has been a clear view of all the surrounding areas. My little troupe has been very lucky with weather the past month or so. Any time there has been any questionable weather, we have found space in a shelter or managed to find a local person willing to let us escape the rain on a porch. Yesterday was a downpour though and it looks as though today will be the same. I haven't had to use my rain jacket much because past rains have never been cold. A warm rain that merely stole all the salt off my body and refreshed my morale as well. Yesterday was not at all that way. 

Lightning would flash across the sky then would come a thunderclap no more than a second after. The rain was heavy and cold while the fog made for less than morale boosting conditions. It's not every day that a vicious storm hits, it's even harder to go further on a day like that when you make it to a shelter and have temporary escape from such fury of nature. Short days will happen, and yesterday was a very short day. 

Ok I am gonna lighten the end of this post with some random fun. 

Recently a hiker friend showed us a video of him crossing a state

Line and doing a little dance to music to celebrate. He has since joined my group and we are now doing fun little dances to celebrate crossing state lines. The aptly titled "crossing into MA" dance is on YouTube. But you can find it below. It's silly. But we have to find all the amusement we can out here.

http://youtu.be/_oXRQY-5Sk4 

Hopefully I can keep this new post system working a little bit quicker than previously. I am no longer distracted by my books. Still mad about that but oh well. 

Depressing news - death of the iPad

I am sorry to announce to my readers that I may not be able to update my blog as much. I know that posts had been few and far between but today my iPad has died. It is by unknown circumstances that it has frozen and failed. It refuses to turn back on and as such I have lost many posts, pictures, and videos that I have made or collected on this trip. I am excruciatingly crushed by this not only at the loss of my irreplaceable documentation of my trip, but also because of the books I have been reading along the way. I swear if anyone ruins game of thrones for me before I finish reading the series, I will end you.. 

I promise to update as much as I can in the coming weeks. I pray that I try to restart my iPad tomorrow and this was just a temporary nightmare... 

Cooking

Recently I did a post about grocery shopping. I only included how I shop and eat and failed to bring on the craziness that is other thru hiker meals...  

The majority of what people eat out here could be considered abominations of huge culinary world, but because we as thru hikers are only able to push calories into our engines and go, sometimes some bad concoctions are continuously implemented.. Take for example this first recipe

Take one regular sized tortilla

Slather with peanut butter

Slather with Nutella

Sprinkle peanut M&M's 

Center one full sized snickers bar

Roll up like burrito and enjoy 

Not to your liking?

How about no. 2

Take one tortilla 

Add one spam single 

Slather in peanut butter 

Add hot sauce 

Crumble and sprinkle corn chips 

More hot sauce 

Roll up and enjoy 

A lot of our cuisine involves tortillas 

No. 3 

Boil 20ish ounces of water 

Make ramen

Add entire packet of instant potatoes

Add hot sauce 

Stir into noodly potato mixture...

I'll see what other crazy food inventions I can seek out from my companions in e coming weeks 

Grocery shopping

As a hiker, one of the most exciting trips I make while in a town is to the grocery store. At the beginning of my trip it was a continuous game of trial and error to distinguish what I needed versus what I wanted to eat on the the trail. A few weeks back I got moused, a term we use when a mouse eats through a food bag and thus renders the food bag less useful. The food bag I lost was much smaller than its current replacement, and as such I have been buying more food. Hiker hunger hit me light a freight train and that little bag was just not cutting it anyway. The problem that I am now facing is the weight of my bag overall has gone up significantly. Without water and with the minimal amount of food I a carrying at the beginning of the trip, I was under 30lbs. With water and then all the food and extra snacks I have to carry, I am now something closer to 40lbs. While a lot of heel go people I hike with have a much lighter pack the weight does not bother me. When you need something as a hiker your body learns to adjust quickly. 

Now back to grocery shopping... The trips to the grocery store are both the most exciting and most difficult decisions for me to make. I have to take a trip down every aisle just to make sure I am not missing anything, and at the ffont of the he store I have to sort through what is reasonable to carry and what are hungry impulse purchases and cut the latter. 

Just so you have an idea of what I eat on the trail

Snickers bars 

Pay days 

Pasta sides 

Easy Mac 

Peanut butter 

Sandwich rounds 

Sleeves of tuna 

Oatmeal bars 

Oatmeal 

I swear after this trip if I have to eat any more peanut butter or oatmeal I might die... 

Thoughts on PA

Put of everything I have passed over thusfar. This is probably my least favorite state. I am not a huge fan of the rock scrambling that it had to offer. Not that rock hopping isn't fun, it just loses it's allure when you have to do with for .3 or more mile stretches. another reason I am not a huge fan of Hutu state is because my brand new shoes that I had acquired right before, we eaten alive be the ferocity or the rocks. The shoes are luckily under warranty and because falling apart far too soon for it to be considered "not defective", so REI will be receiving a call from me any day with my receipt number. Another reason I am a little judgmental about PA is how little I feel I actually saw of the state. A much energy and focus is being put into looking down at one's own feet that you miss everything but the views from the top. I could have very well walked past a silent parade and never have known the difference. 

Update on my injured hiker friend

Mocha pot has had the full array of test done on his spine and ribs and is on his way to making a full recovery. Initially there was some fear that he would need surgery, and thankfully that is not the case. He is resting and rev covering at home currently. A few of the group were able to visit him in the hospital before he went home but we have no pictures of him in recovery as of yet. 

Pictures

Walking next to a beautiful golden field 

How many steps to the spring!?!

No thank you, I'll wait.. 

Timber rattler 

Cliff jumping off a 35ish ft cliff...

Cormick! Hiker dog going all the way to Katahdin. Also our mascot... 

Fourth of July

Happy 4th everyone. 

Boy did I have an exciting day. Leaving out of Port Clinton, PA, my group and I decided to hike to an overlook be watch fireworks room all the surrounding towns. A easy 10 miles to a place called the pinnacle. The day didn't even start for our little troupe until the early afternoon. On way out of town we managed to waste another hour cliff jumping into the river. The beautiful day spent at the river was incredible. Eventually we dried off and packed out. It was still a really slow day even after we had swum because we were fairly sure that there would be plenty of fireworks to watch when the sun went down. Why got to the view point around 8 and then something crazy happened. All of us were exploring, talking, or cooking dinner when a member of our group fell from the rock face he was climbing. Had a local that was sitting on the edge not seen him fall we might not have known for some time. He fell at least 20 vertical feet and from what we could tell tried to stand and was so disoriented in a boulder field he lost his footing and rolled another 30 or so feet. Over the next 5 hours something like 30 responders came to the scene, he was lifted out by cables, and then air lifted to a hospital. He had no memory of where he was, what day it was, or even how old he was. Needless to say it put a damper on our 4th of July night with everyone holding their breaths writing to find out if he wads going to be ok. We received word this morning that he has 6 broken ribs, a few fractured vertebrae, possible serious concussion, but should have no lasting damage. I spent most of my time once we arrived at the cliff climbing and exploring a cave not far from where he fell. I am glad he is ok but maybe I will think twice before I go bouldering again. Since we found out he is gonna be ok team morale has gone up exponentially. 

I need to light off some fireworks at some point. I am aching for some red neck celebrating..

More to follow later today and pictures!

Just cause

Grocery shopping

As a hiker, one of the most exciting trips I make while in a town is to the grocery store. At the beginning of my trip it was a continuous game of trial and error to distinguish what I needed versus what I wanted to eat on the the trail. A few weeks back I got moused, a term we use when a mouse eats through a food bag and thus renders the food bag less useful. The food bag I lost was much smaller than its current replacement, and as such I have been buying more food. Hiker hunger hit me light a freight train and that little bag was just not cutting it anyway. The problem that I am now facing is the weight of my bag overall has gone up significantly. Without water and with the minimal amount of food I a carrying at the beginning of the trip, I was under 30lbs. With water and then all the food and extra snacks I have to carry, I am now something closer to 40lbs. While a lot of heel go people I hike with have a much lighter pack the weight does not bother me. When you need something as a hiker your body learns to adjust quickly. 

Now back to grocery shopping... The trips to the grocery store are both the most exciting and most difficult decisions for me to make. I have to take a trip down every aisle just to make sure I am not missing anything, and at the ffont of the he store I have to sort through what is reasonable to carry and what are hungry impulse purchases and cut the latter. 

Just so you have an idea of what I eat on the trail

Snickers bars 

Pay days 

Pasta sides 

Easy Mac 

Peanut butter 

Sandwich rounds 

Sleeves of tuna 

Oatmeal bars 

Oatmeal 

I swear after this trip if I have to eat any more peanut butter or oatmeal I might die... 

Things I have learned in the the woods part 2.

1. Hitch hiking- there is no easy way to put this, so I will make it easy for all of you gentleman out there that may be considering hitch hiking at some point. Find a cute girl and have her stand in front of you. Under no circumstance is it going to be easy to get picked up when you have 3 smelly hairy guys that look like they could be related to Sasquatch. If you wanna get into town quick do yourself a favor and find a nice girl who can put up with your grotesque musk long enough to get you a ride... Bonus points if she is is traveling with a dog..

2. Bodily functions - if it's questionable, never trust a fart.... Ever 

3. Seasonal gear change - If you have the available resources, plan ahead and as soon as the weather gets warm, exchange your cold weather sleeping bag for a lighter one. I just use my cold weather bag as a quilt of sorts, but be aware that some nights it is gonna be exceptionally warm. 

4. Hammocks - yes you look comfortable. Yes you probably are. We are tired of hearing about how ultralight you are because of your stupid hammock... 

5. Customer service - this space was originally reserved for some choice words to a specific and rather large outdoor company who refused to help me with an item of mine that is currently falling apart. So rather than making this specific, I am just gonna sum up my rant with a simple and understandable justification from the standpoint of a hiker. If I am using your equipment in the environment that you advertise it for, then you should take some responsibility for it's premature failure. As a thru hiker, I obviously cannot send said back to you for 2 weeks and then  wait for you decide whether or not I have a reasonable claim. Said item is far too critical to my hike to wait for you to decide. Many other companies will accept pictures of items that have failed(with description) and if a thru hiker has a reasonable claim, will Mail replacement items to a destination of a hikers choosing. I will be purchasing my gear from one of these companies in future. If you have any questions about which companies these are, email me. I will be glad to spill the beans. 

6. Underwear - completely unnecessary at this stage of the trip. Always sweaty and never dry, they make for conditions where rash becomes too common. Shorts with liners work well because of the quick dry material. Rinse off in every stream you can. Dry sweat makes for bad rash conditions after 1 - 3 days depending on humidity and temperature ... 

7. Sense of smell -  hikers smell bad...Smells that we somehow cultivate on our bodies, are down right offensive at times. It is hard to face the public when you know you smell like a gym bag. Hikers can't smell themselves though. We usually can't smell each other or ourselves, we can however smell all kinds of other stuff with hypersensitive detail. Flowers, pungent food, perfume, fresh clothes. It is an almost superhuman talent. I don't know how to explain it, but I can smell fast food before we are in the parking lot. I can smell perfume 30 feet away at times.. The sensory smell of perfume I understand because it is probably the most pleasant stimulation to the nose I have had in months, but fast food? 

I got a few more but I a gonna divide them up into a separate post. 

Half way and a half gallon

The title alone should give you some idea of what has happened over the last few days. Let me back track and elaborate a little though. 

6/24

Today marks the longest hiking day that I have ever done. I don't quite remember what my last record was, but it has bee no roughly shattered now. The day started easy enough. A past thru hiker (shepherd) who had returned to do a section, offered my group the opportunity to slack pack something like 10 miles before taking us into town to eat and resupply. Now I should explain that while was redoing a section of trail he was using his car as a support vehicle. He would hike forw             ard and hitch back to his car thus allowing himself the opportunity to make bigger miles by not having to carry any weight. I graciously accepted his offer to slack pack and set off hiking at something like 6 am. I wanted to get into Waynesboro, PA and then get back to the trail with enough time to make significant miles by the end of the day. I arrived at the pickup point with the rest of the group around 10:30, we had taken our time because of a Chinese food buffet that opened at 11. After resupplying and overeating at the buffet, shepherd agreed to take us back but was going to do his own section of hike consisting of 25 miles of trail. I asked him if he would let me slack pack again for the 25 mile section and he said yes, so starting at 2:30pm I began what could only be described as a 25 mile trail run. I managed to make the entire 25 ish mile trip by 9:50 pm. So what should have taken the better part of a whole day walking, I managed to accomplish in under 8 hours after already completing 10 miles and after eating at an all you can eat buffet. Needless to say I have yet to have a night on this trip where I was more exhausted. The final mile count at the end of the day came to 35.9 miles. I didn't even remotely have enough strength to want to find a campsite, luckily shepherd allowed me to cowboy camp in the bed of his pickup truck. A Successful day to say the least. 

6/25

Today

 marks three months being enveloped by cold, disoriented by the green tunnel, continuously equipped with dirty clothes, and having been carrying my whole world on my back. I love this adventure. My morale runs just as high as it did when I started, though I will say my personal goal for the trip has been somewhat adjusted(the only part of this trip I even remotely see different). I envisioned the trail to be this hyper introspective journey of personal pilgrimage through the wilderness for 2,200 miles. While in a nutshell that is what the trail is. it completely is, and is not at the same time. I never thought I would make such close friends and grasp such enjoyment out of this extended trip. I looked at the trip like an extended run through the woods, a south to north endurance race of sorts. I saw the trip as a mental endurance race just as much as a physical, and at the beginning of my trip treated it as such. I have been wrong so many times it is immeasurable. Add one more to the "I was wrong" column. 

I love going off on a tangent of how much I am truly enjoying this trip, but for the sake of my writing lets get back to the 25th of June. It worked out by some miracle and luck that on this same day I managed to cross the halfway point of the trail.. Halfway on the trail should have a better marker. All we get is a laminated piece of paper saying we made it half the distance. I realize that my expectation at this point is probably a little too high, but I wanted fireworks and a parade. Ok maybe not a parade but a little more than a piece of paper please. The traditional thing to do when you pass the halfway point of the trail is to go to a small store right after the marker and eat a half gallon of ice cream. I came half way, now let's celebrate with a lot of calories. I am sure that of the flavors they had to choose from, I certainly picked the hardest to consume in record time. Moose tracks is not something you wanna try and ingest at high speed.... Ever.. Thick sections of fudge are not nearly as enjoyable once they begin to melt.. 

These two days in a row make for enormous checkpoints on the trail. There are no more 500 mile sections like Virginia where nothing will happen. By the time this is posted I will already have crossed into 2 more states. And will only be a few more days from another. The trail has a long way to, go but my body is ready and I no longer have any plans to take extended trips off the trail. 

A few day trips here and there are what make the trail and the experience. I haven't visited many of these northern states and because of that I wanna spend as much time exploring them as I can. I cannot however lose site of the trip/goal I started. If anyone has any good day trips I can do off the trail I would love to hear about them. 

The only 1 I currently have planned is to go into NYC on the train. I may even try to get on good morning America just to hold up a big AT sign. It's all about the little things after all. 

I don't know if I have told to joke yet, but here goes.

How do you tell the difference between hikers?

 

A day hiker will see a skittle on the ground at a shelter and walk past it. 

A section hiker will see the skittle, grab it, brush it off, and eat it. 

A thru hiker will grab the skittle, eat it, and brush away the leaves looking for more. 

I can somewhat attest to this, but while my 5 second rule may be somewhat askew, it is not digging in the dirt for candy... 

More fun and random updates soon. 

Pictures

What it looks like when 3 hikers and packs fit into the back I a Prius.

Trail magic

Found this guy just off the trail

There is an enormous amount of magnify on this little guy. But look at that color

All hiking stops for te World Cup 

Finally......

Finally made it to the ATC in harpers ferry

USA vs Portugal.. We were so loud in the room all to ourselves.. 

Hike naked...?

So 6/21 was international hike naked day. The beginning of the summer solstice is apparently a day when hikers all around the world go on adventures in the buff. Now I have known about naked hike day for a long time, but whether or not I was going to participate has been up in the air since I learned that it is a real thing. Considering how hot it has been, I was not opposed to at least considering participation. 

Sadly in the end I did not participate. A combination of it being a weekend and also how close we were to a town made it impossible to do I without exposing myself to  many Boy Scouts/families. I will may attempt a naked section of the trail just because, but I think it will need to be when I am much farther from any real amount of civilization. Maybe near a river so I can go swimming and wash all my clothes at the same time.

Night hike Waffle House

One of the things hikers look forward too most is getting into a town and finding that one food item that teases there imagination while in the woods. One of my favorite places to eat is Waffle House. I say that not because it is the best food or even the cleanest establishment. I say that because it I consistent and because I am sure I have a small obsession with breakfast food.. And hash browns. So now that you know what I was after I I set the remainder of the stage. We wake up and we are something like 25 miles outside of a town (that has Waffle House). The plan is to make it to town by 5. Heat and beautiful stop along the way hinder our progress and then an early afternoon nap to escape the heat ruins said plans. By the time we reach a shelter before town it is 7 pm and town is still a healthy 9 miles away. 

Now at this point I  also have to add that 2 of our party members had never been to a Waffle House before, so the idea idea of a night hike for breakfast food and hash browns seemed like more trouble than it was worth. In the end the whole troupe packed up again and and then immediately trekked to town. All of us were in town at waffle house by 11. I don't think I have ever been so excited to see a Waffle House. Our 2 Waffle House amateurs got a tour through the hash brown toppings and loved every bit of our late night feast. Now we had only one minor flaw in our plan. Not at any point during our lusting after Waffle House did we make any plans on where we were to sleep. Only after we had finished our triple orders and began slipping into Waffle House comas did we even begin to consider what in the world we were gonna do. I paid and walked 5 steps outside and noticed that a large grass field was located right behind the building. So rather than pretend we were gonna try and get back to the woods, all 6 of us cowboy camped in a field next to a Waffle House. By far one of my most favored memories and random adventures of this trip thus far. 

Oh the places you'll go.. In Virginia

So let me first apologize for lacking in my blog posting. Lack of posting has been from my own laziness, lack of inspiration, and tech problems to top it off. The majority of that pie chart belongs to the hank is being lazy though, which is unacceptable. 

Next order of business That I believe to be in dire need of addressing is where I am. Currently, I am sitting just outside of DC at a friend's house. A healthy sized group that I have been hiking with for a bit, decided we are going to go into DC and lay the tourist game for a few days. This has been difficult to plan considering  how badly the group split up before DC.

In other news the last few weeks have been a nice collection of beautiful hot days or the exact opposite with rain and humidity. As a hiker it is hard to decide which is better. Since I last wrote I have also had food poisoning twice, crossed the 1000 mile mark, and changed into a lighter pair of shoes. 

The food poisoning was chicken both times, and on each occasion I managed to have more than a few uncomfortable trips to the restroom with a painful fever added to my symptoms. The second encounter with food poisoning was on a 12 mile hike to get picked up by my aunt. I barely made it into Harpers ferry where she would be meeting me. She picked me up and I was able to go see my cousin and her new baby Lincoln. 2 days spent with them was spent relaxing and recovering. Taking on solid food was a difficult task, but thanks to them being such gracious hosts and letting me nap a lot.. I was back up and moving in no time. 

1000 miles is exactly what it sounds like, and incredible milestone. It is almost unbelievably daunting knowing that you are still under halfway, it is such a short lived feeling though because you know nothing will stop you if the first thousand didn't. The rush of joy I received know I had accomplished that much and hit the quadruple digits made me giddy all afternoon. Almost immediately after encountering the mile marker, I exited Virginia for the first time. Two monumental points of celebration within the same day.

Considering putting everything in chronological order is not the easiest thing to do. I am just gonna tell stories now.. I have plenty of stories to recount. I'm going to make sure I tell them in full glory though. 

Trail fun

Random trail remixes volume 1 

As many of you know, I have far too much time to myself to think while hiking trail. During these longer olds of time I have taken to writing really bad jokes or teasing my own imagination with what kind of delicacy I am going to enjoy in the next town. My most random activity is taking songs and redoing them as if they were writing by a hiker on the trail. So I now give you Stevie Wander's trail remixes volume 1. 

The first song I would like to present is to the tune of Janis Joplin's - Mercedes Benz

O lord won't you send me

Some pasta side meals 

My friends all packed cliff bars 

My hungers too real

My food bags run low 

All I've got lefts oatmeal 

O lord won't you send me 

Some pasta side meals 

O lord won't you send me some... Darn tough socks.

My smart wool leave blisters 

My feet look like muck

Got many more miles 

To Katahdin to walk 

O lord won't you send me some... Darn tough socks.

O lord won't you paint me some clouds in the sky 

It's well over 90 

The temp is too high 

Drank way too much water 

Still my mouth is dry 

O lord won't you paint me some clouds in the sky

Join us next time for possibly some hard core rap remixes.... 

Pictures

Hiker prom

Some friends of mine got permission from a hostel owner to paint a dragon on the side of his van..... I drove the dragon mobile...

Macaffe's knob

Apple orchard falls 

800 miles as of 6/3

Little pool at 800 miles where I took something similar to a bath... Sort of 

Deer encounter next to the trail. It didn't run just watched us stop and then kept eating.. 

5/18-5/20 hardcore trail work

Sunday morning was a rough morning to get up bright eyed and bushy tailed. The prom had gone late into the night and the remaining shenanigans had not stopped until the early hours of the morning. Everyone involved in the hardcore program was to meet and be ready to leave by 8 am. I would liked to have slept in on my birthday but I was not gonna back out of the program I came back to trail Days for. I hit snooze on my phone more times than I care to admit, and with 10 minutes to 8, I got up grabbed my bag and headed on. I knew glen would not be up yet so I would have to say my goodbye and thanks over the phone later. 

Many of the group that arrived to participate in hardcore looked a little ragged. I think a good portion of them were flying off the he fumes of the he previous night as well. Our packs were put into a covered truck bed and hikers were divided into cars to be taken to the work site. I got put into a car with 3 other hikers, all very nice and 2 just as tired as I was. Had it not been for the driving of the previous thru hiker, I might have been able to sleep during the ride. Riding in that kids car felt like being on a roller coaster I was led on while boindfolded. Hell bent and no breaks, it seemed like he was racing to be the first one to the site. Mountain roads were the worst. I did manage to doze off one time only to subconsciously hear another passenger loudly exclaim "oh shit" at which point I sat up and panicked for a split second. The kind of moment when one is asleep and have that feeling of falling. Yea it was way worse. 

Somehow by miracle of the almighty we made it to the work site without harm or police encounter. Tools had been laid out in groups depending on which switchback you would be working on. Some groups would be clearing trail areas with pulaskis. some groups would be doing rock work with sledge hammers. Each of us was provided with a hard had and some tools to carry down the trail. Initially I was in a trail clearing group. I was assigned to clear a section of trail marked by flags and impeded by a few dead trees. The actual making of a trail is not that hard I came to find out, with everyone working next to each other, it just kind of appears all of a sudden. One minute I was looking down worrying about cutting the roots of a dead tree so I could rip it out of the ground, and the next there was a very clear outline,of the future that was to be the new section of trail. I along with the rest of my 8 ish man group managed to clear our section fairly clearly. The Pulaski tool I was using did give me a little bit of trouble when the metal head of the tool came ricocheting off the dead tree I was cutting out of the ground. The metal heads cracked against my knee and although no serious damage was suffered, my knee was swollen and not nearly as flexible as it had been in days past. Not wanting out I risk another chance encounter with questionable tools, I switched groups to a team that was collecting larger rocks to build a path over a section that was a little mucky. The remainder of the day was spent gathering any size rocks to cross over the less than sturdy section. Worry was without the rocks the section might was away with a heavy rain. The day ended with anyone that had helped with the mucky area covered in mud and looking like creatures from the swamp. 

Dinner was provided by the ATC group in charge. The dinner they provided for us was more than was necessary. Each hiker went went back at least 1 time for some of the leftovers. After dinner everyone was once again ushered back into the cars to return to Kincora hostel where we would all cram in or around for the night. My knee had swollen and was turning a pretty awesome color as well as my motion being painful and limited. I was not excited about the next day. I found out that a number of volunteers would need to sign up for cooking dinner the second evening. I went ahead and planned to stay at the hostel and do prep for dinner since I wasn't sure whether it would be painful on my knee. The next day everyone got up and left and the remaining hiker chefs waited around for our ingredients and our heads chef to show up. We spent the rest of the day prepping all sorts of food as well as organizing room for about 100 people to eat. 

The day went by slow and easy enough although my knee gave me some trouble going up and down stairs. In between shifts of food prep there was plenty of IMHO ice it and read. I even managed to catch a goo afternoon nap. 

Late in the he afternoon the mob of hungry people returned and were promptly

Fed. An ice cream bar and 2 very large cakes were produced and after everyone had eaten far too much(the consistent theme of hikers when around all you can eat) we all began to slow down. Some of here workers were to leave wht but night and some would catch rides the following day. I managed to go straight to bed and then jump back into the 4 wheeled death ride back to where I got off the trail. 

5/15-5/17

Trail days 

Thanks to one of my best friends glen McDowell I was able to get picked up in Pearisburg, VA. He arrived early Thursday morning, so we decided to sleep in the car and then head to the trail festival in Damascus. A German woman who was also looking for a ride to the festival jumped in with us as well. The drive back to Damascus want terribly long, yet I managed to sleep the majority of the way waking up only for breakfast at bojangles. Getting to the festival is was a little overcast and dreary. We threw up our tent and then just tarted walking around to see what was there. It immediately started to rain. The vendors themselves don't truly open till Friday, so that combined with the rain made for nothing really to see. 

My only reason for coming back this early to trail days was to make sure I could sign up for a program called hardcore. It is a program dedicated to building new sections of trail on the AT. The section we would be building was a section on Roan mt. That was in dire need of some switchbacks. Sign ups would be on Friday at 9 am. I was first in line at 7:30.

The rest of the 2 days spent here is just a collection of hikers getting free stuff and a lot of shenanigans. I would honesty describe trail days as a music festival but without the music. You have those returning, and current hikers, festival volunteers, and then a lot of cops. Lots of cops. Where we stayed was called tent city. Our camp site was backed up to the woods where one could say the wildest festival participants camped. Luckily we were far enough away to not have to endure their noise. I didn't manage to win any of the drawings like I had hoped, but I will take a free pair of darn tough socks and be happy with that no question. 

Of the random activities that were provided there were free hiker feeds, a parade, a talent show, a hiker prom, free haircuts, free check ups, free movies were shown, free showers, and lots of giveaways. It was quite a sight. I got a couple free showers just because it was the best feeling ever to have wrk water rush over the film permanently glued to my body. I even got a free haircut, a Mohawk of course. I know some of you are a little confused/concerned even with my Mohawk, I just thought tomorrow is my birthday and I am sure I will never have another chance to do something like this.  I didn't participate in the talent show although I wanted to. I couldn't come up with a good enough song to sing where I thought I would grab hue he attention of the hippies in hue he crowd. I was gonna try and play to the mob I suppose in hopes I won that way. I did however participate in the parade. Which I can say with all honesty, may have been the smelliest parade ever in history. I don't know if any of the people in that parade took advantage of the free showers or not but I know every few people I waked past smelled as though Something had had died inside their tent at which they had snuggled with it thinking it a stuffed animal. There was one parade participant who was holding a piñata the entire parade. He smashed it at the end and every hiker scrambled for the contents. Chicken nuggets and mini liquor bottles. Best piñata ever... 

My time at trail days ended with the final activity Saturday night of hiker prom. Now when I think prom I think suit. Since my friend glen was coming I asked him to grab my suit. It was to my surprise that the majority' of everyone going to prom wasn't wearing anything dressy at all. So glen and I ended up being the only gentleman there wearing full suits. The only time in my entire life where I felt like a celebrity. The  prom took place at the Damascus brewery which is by far one of the coolest places I have ever visited. All run and operated by one guy named Adam. Before he was brewing beer he was organizing and categorizing DNA sequences. He decided he wanted to brew beer and a few years later he has a good business with great beer and even better clientele. I'm sure the boost in business from the hikers doesn't hurt  either. If you are ever around or near Damascus I urge you to visit. Brewery is open Thursday - Saturday 5-9, but if it gets rowdy enough he stays open till 12. 

Alright I am finally getting caught up... Kinda. Next install should be right(soon) after this. 

Pictures

I

Me and my kick ass wedding date. 

To the guy who let me hitch a ride to Dairy Queen.. Dude slow down.

My kind of trail magic 

Swimming at the falls on my zero day

Crawfish boil

And the aftermath

I made rock statues at the waterfall

Short shorts and all.. Yea I got pink. Manly man... 

4/28-5/15

Ok I am gonna just run through these days quickly and kinda give and overview of how I felt. 

4/28 

crossing over mt. Rogers

This should have been a very fun day all in all. This area of the trail has wild ponies that are supposed to be quite friendly.. When I crossed the area where the ponies were supposed to reside it was storming more violently than I had seen on the whole trip. High elevation matched with wind, rain, and a thunderstorm crashing over my head sent the ponies seeking shelter somewhere I did not we them. From what I understand, I might be only person in my bubble of hikers that didn't see the ponies. I was absolutely less than pleased about this knowledge. I have every intention to return to the Grayson highlands and then make another trip to mt. Rogers at some point.. 

4/29

I got up early this day and started booking it to partnership shelter. The day was a complete turnaround from the day before. Clear skies and easy trail all the way. The significance of partnership shelter is it is located right next to Marion, VA. This town is where I would be getting picked up the following day to go to a wedding. The is also one of the only shelters on the trail where you can order a pizza and have it delivered to the shelter. I did not order a pizza myself but since there were plenty of leftovers I got a few pieces. One of my favorite shelters overall on the trail not because of the Pizza but because it has a shower attached to the building. Everyone he go stayed in the shelter that night was definitely in good spirits after pizza and some showers.

4/30 

A shuttle runs into Marion for a quarter a ride and after getting into town I just sat at McDonald's and waited on dad to come get me. The ride back wasn't stressful at all, more of a confusing kind of realization. The space we covered in just a couple hours would have taken me something like 2 weeks or more on the time schedule I had been pushing thus far. It was somewhat discouraging, but what gave me optimism and inspiration, was knowing all the things I could write, learn, see during those 2 weeks rather than the 2 hours in my car. Heated seats though... I could always do with some heated seats. 

5/1-5/2

I ate and showered to my hearts content.. I got to see some friends and also got to just do nothing. I should have been more adamant about catching up on my writing while I was home with nothing to do, but the ability to just relax and not have to stress about anything took over. I wanted to play soccer one of these nights but I worried if I got hurt that one silly injury would keep me from going back to the trail. 

5/3 wedding!!!!

I went to my nieces softball game before the wedding. From the way it was explained to me by my brother, this was probably going to be the only game they won all year. I would like to think that is because of the rowdy support I brought to a little league softball game. 

After the game I got all my stuff together at home and got all spiffy looking to go to the wedding. I would like to thank Kari once of my closest friends in Knoxville for inviting me to her brother's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding and to Kevin and EB, may you all have each other forever. Then came dancing and too much food. I ate far too much food. One day I will learn. 

5/4

Knowing that I was to return to the trail the next day I spent all day just relaxing. I watched tv shows I wanted to catch up on, I ate, I napped. Not a single thing of any real importance got done except for the slow repacking of my bag.

The stress of packing again is much harder when you have had some fun at home and known what you will be returning to for the next few months. 

Later in the evening disaster struck. My kitten was run over by a car. The culprits did not stop. I am not one to let things get to me but I loved my cat, so my return was postponed 1 day. 

5/5 

For those who know me, Luna (my kitten) was my baby. I loved nothing more than to read in my recliner and have her nap on my legs. She was snugly and warm and I still remember getting her for Christmas and bringing her home in my pea coat pocket because that's where she fell asleep and because I didn't have a cage for her. I buried her in my cage and for a split second when I was more than shaken I almost thought of not returning to the trail. I was just mad and upset and I quickly wrote that off as not even a remotely possible option. I spent the rest of hue he day with my brother enjoying the 5th of May as many others do. Enjoying a margarita and then having a cookout with my brother. An incredible feast was prepared by Justin and I once again ate far too much. 

5/6

Got a late start as far as getting my ride back to the trail. Justin agreed to drive me and after a few hours in the car I was back at the shelter. I was still somewhat down when I got out of the car and began walking back to the trail, not because I wasn't excited to be there, but because the friends I had made had surely hiked ahead and would be way too far to catch soon. I walked back to partnership shelter thinking I would spend the night there and then get a full day of hiking in the following day. Low and behold, friends I had made far earlier on the the trail had just arrived there. I knew they wouldn't keep pace with me forever but it was nice to arrive back at the trail and see some familiar faces.

I stayed at the shelter again just to catch up the people I had passed on the trail. It was a good night sitting around a campfire, listening to funny stories and shoring our thoughts about the trail in the future. 

One thing I had neglected to do while I was home was resupply a few things. Again  I hopped on the cheap shuttle back into Marion and after a quick trip to the grocery store I was back on the the trail. It's getting hotter and hotter and rather than hiking in my mountains hard wear or Columbia shorts, I am not hiking in the lightest soccer or athletic shorts I can find. While in Marion a group of guys went to walmart, and the collective group of us all bout matching short shorts of different colors. Initially this I'm sure sounds a little unnecessary and maybe a little ridiculous. But considering how comfortable they are, I am running with it. 

5/7-5/15

This point of my trip I had to move a little slower than usual. On the 15th I got picked up in Marion to go to the AT trail days festival. I didn't have than many miles to cover before I would arrive in marion so I took it slow and stopped at a lot of places. I am just gonna go over some of my high points during this time. 

I got trail magic one day with a full spread of fruit and vegetables. A much as I wanted a loaded chili dog which they supplied in unnecessary quantities, I ate all kinds of vegetables and fruit thinking the whole time how much better of a befits ion it was. 

The day before Mother's Day I came upon a trail magic that was coking a giant pot of tortilla soup, had 3 different kinds of cupcakes, and home made back country apple pie moonshine. I didn't want to be rude so I had a little bit of all 3. Best trail magic thus far. Made the remainder of the day a little less productive, but I wasn't in any hurry after all. 

I love Dairy Queen but sadly all of the ones that used to be located near me have shut down. In a town called Bland, I had my first dip cone in years. For those of you who don't know, it is a very simple and delicious concoction consisting of softserve vanilla ice cream dipped down to the cone in chocolate syrup. The syrup hardens making a kind of crunchy outer shell. I ate a big one and it was sheer and utter joy not just because of the taste but because of the good memories that went along with them. 

After bland I night hiked after  a rather lazy day to Dismal falls. I slept at the top of the waterfall and had the beautiful sounds of the cascading water caress my senses while I slept. I had enough time left over to take a zero at the waterfall before I would get picked up which was perfect considering how beautiful the place was. I spent the day swimming, catching craw dads, napping ing the sun, and reading. 

Another hiker and I managed to catch enough big craw dads to have a small boil and that was the pinnacle of the evening.

My last night out on the trail before I got picked up I spent at woods hole hostel. The hostel is probably one of the most interesting I have come across on the trail. Everything cooked at the hostel has been grown or slaughter on the premises. Some of the other food that isn't grown on the premises is traded or bought from and Amish community not far away. The hostel has free yoga every afternoon and meditation every night. The hostel itself has more of a hippy commune vibe rather than a place of business. Everyone helps make dinner, do dishes, or clean the bunkhouse. People that stay multiple days are given chores having to do with the gardens or livestock. It is a strange but wonderful kind of place and i thoroughly enjoyed my attempt at yoga and meditation. 

2nd half of my missing adventures coming soon.

Where in the world is he.....?

To begin, I am alive and well. I got a little overwhelmed and stretched my time too thin for the last few weeks. To top it off all the writing i had done in my iPad's notes decided to delete themselves. I am spending this afternoon racking my brains and catching up everywhere that I can and I will be back to daily posts after today. I have taken a few pictures as well so I will do at least one photo post as well. 

Traily yours,  

          Hank

Ps. I love puns... 

4/27

A plethora of color lay before me as I woke up with the sunrise. The sun itself had already breached the far mountaintop but the colors surrounding it were a warm pink faded to blue as you looked higher in the sky. Once again I dawdled a little in the morning but no where near the extent of the day before. I hit the trail and before I knew it the temperature was already miserably high. Heat stuck to me as I sweated profusely. After something like 12 miles I took a rest at a shelter. The heat as it was, I had been unable to travel very far without taking interval water breaks. I waited out the remainder of the beating down sun in the shade of the shelter. I can't wait to start exercising a plan for the summer temperature that I learned from Toast and Big Spoon. Treats and snoozing is I the name of the plan, and it is basically exactly what it sounds like along with an earlier idea I had.. This one just sounds better. 

Treats and Snoozin 

The idea is to merely get up early enough where you are hiking during the cooler temperature points of the day rather than hiking/suffering through extreme heat and building up a layer of sweat and slime that would otherwise take days to accrue. 

In the the middle of the day you ingest your "treats" (lunch and snacks, what have you) then immediately following it is time for a snooze, thus avoiding the high temperatures around the middle of the day. Bonus points for snoozing in shelters or finding air conditioning to lounge in (few and far between). Treats have no specificity.

I left the shelter around 6 with news that a storm would be rolling in. I hoped I would make the next shelter with a little bit of night hiking but around 10 I felt the first rain drop and immediately put up my tent and just called it  a day. 

My first night hiking adventure was not so much fun, but I think I am less bothered by the darkness now. This second attempt was cut short by weather so I will have to make a third attempt when it isn't overcast and about to rain to give a true test on my thoughts about night hiking. 

Tomorrow should be really interesting, there is a section along the trail with wild ponies that I have a been told are quite friendly. I would love nothing more for another day with stellar weather so I may enjoy their company on a hillside. Shoulda brought a bag of apples.. 

4/26

I woke early knowing that I needed to get out of town. My new timeframe allotted me a little time for dawdling though so with one last sweep through town I stopped at the last little cafe on the outskirts to merely read and enjoy something good to eat before I departed. Letting myself become enveloped in the "pages" of my ebook, i soon realized how late it had become. It was already past noon by the time I had surfaced. I grabbed my things and refilled my drink one last time only to suck down the contents like it would be my last and departed. The days are getting hotter still and as I traversed out of the town the hot pavement was no friend. At a point, the AT joins the Virginia creeper trail. As I headed north I was passed by many families and what seemed to be Boy Scout troops on weekend outings. The trail split and rejoined with the creeper several times before finally departing fully. My final destination for the day was just outside of town. I left far to late to get a good days hiking in and because of that I just allowed myself to stop early. I read all afternoon in the shade of a pine grove. The bed of needles on the floor making a soft nature made mattress that I would fall asleep on for a spell. I know I should have gone further but I really was in no mood.

The first day out of a town is usually a climb. The trail will always drastically drop in elevation to meet with the town and on the other end the reverse is said to meet with the surrounding mountains. Every time a full restock is done, the pack weight is above the average for sure. Putting quick rise in elevation and pack weight together made for a not fun afternoon. My last and final misfortune of the day was only that I started when I did. Starting at noonish meant that I was to encounter some of the worse part of the climb out of town right during the hottest portion of the day. 

Well at least in this town I didn't overheat 

4/25

Today marks my having been on the trail for exactly 1 month. I feel a though time hasn't moved that fast yet my unkept facial hair and miles covered tell otherwise. I feel like my days at work and socializing out at night are right behind me. If I went back I feel like everything would be foreign for a little bit like brain was working through math problems. I stand here having learned so many new skills and tricks while on the trail, and all i I can think is, when I get back I want to plan another adventure for next year. Maybe not such a long outing next time though. 

The day in itself calls for rain, I am going to leave out of of own in the afternoon and try to avoid all the vicious showers the day is calling for around noon. 

It's strange for me to think that I will be doing the exact same thing I have been doing for another 3 months or more. Like Atlas, the weight of the entire journey sits heavily on my shoulders both literally and figuratively, but seems to pull me down a little more than usual today. I know this is part of the trail so I see no  reason  to think that I will let this temporary attitude affect me the rest of the the day. It is just a matter of lacing up the boots and moving out before I can dwell on it anymore. Zero days make it a little harder as well I think too. Getting comfortable and enjoying some consistency rather than getting up and just moving all day has the problem of allowing a hiker to slip back into the cotton lifestyle.

Cotton lifestyle - hikers all wear microfiber or ultralight gear while people living in towns wear cotton. Cotton lifestyle in is case I am comparing to going home and back to the same old routine one had before the trail.

I need to be more careful of how comfortable I allow myself to be if I do another zero any time soon. Planning a destination out of town to make sure I leave after my zero day has finished would help to limit my break rather than just hanging around. In my defense though, I have pulled big miles and if I wanna hold out of the rain, the I am going to avoid it. I will be back in Damascus in less than a month anyway for trail days. 

Planning my pick up and return to the trail took a lot longer than I thought. Not having phone service and having to use wifi all afternoon hindered my departure and I ended up just camping outside of town when it was all said and done. Not a bad day overall, but the last thing I wanted to do was allow myself 2 zero days. 

I am getting picked up Wednesday in Atkins VA which is only 70 miles away so I have plenty of time to take the next few days at a relaxing pace and then still get there. 

I will be in Knoxville from Wednesday to Sunday after the wedding and then I will be rolling back to the trail. I may try and cut some weight while I am home. Leave some of my old weather gear and then mail it back to myself in a few months. Now that it is truly warming up I don't seem myself wearing much more than a shirt and shorts. 

Being home for a few days is gonna feel strange I think. I may try and work for a few days since I would be sitting around otherwise. I still don't seem myself finishing all the books I loaded I my iPad, but I may add a few extras to give myself some varying literature to delve into. 

I set up my tent right as a group of Boy Scouts came back from dinner. This was far worse than any snoring in any hostel. I am not gonna be mad about boys being boys, but how much soda did those children drink at dinner? Damn kids go to sleep. That's either me getting old or my hiker side, can't tell. 

Toast and big spoon

http://youtu.be/-q9UUbrQ3Ns

http://youtu.be/DWL-CYHvpDw

Left - big spoon

Right - toast

These guys left the trail today to go to a Merlefest. I hope to see them again and if I do I will have to get more videos of them. It completely slipped my mind to video them playing rocky top. I can't believe I missed that opportunity. Have fun at the festival guys. See y'all down the trail

After looking at this post on the web page I just wanted to put a note down at the bottom here. There are 2 links to videos I took of the guys at the top. They don't show up very well with the background. Just wanted to make sure they were found. 

Adjusted trail plans

So having left Damascus I was just gonna hike until trail days and then hitch back enjoy trail days and then head back to wherever I got off. I am gonna make a random pit stop and go to a wedding. 70 miles from Damascus I will be picked up in Atkins VA and then have a few days to just sit, cut some weight off my pack, wedding, and then get dropped back off on the trail again. I will update every day and keep my random posts coming as well. There will be a separate post this afternoon with YouTube links to big spoon and toast playing music. If I think of anything else I will post it up as soon as possible. 

4/24

Today is a rest day, otherwise known in hiker lingo as taking a zero. Knowing I don't have to do anything feels good. I get up early and got breakfast in town with a few of the the guys. Damascus is so small but has quite the allure about the simplicity of the town. Everything one could want is located within a mile walking distance. And bike rentals are located all over the place for any who would wanna ride the Virginia creeper trail. After breakfast I sit around with some friends who organize their packs in a picnic area located just outside the hostel we had stayed in. Sunny and clear I read and then fall asleep in the grass. I wake after a bit and split a pizza and some snacks with a friend. There is a carefree nature to every zero hiker that I pass. Knowing our bodies won't be pummeled by repetitive beating and heat is enough to make anyone a little lax I infinitely. I love moving and seeing the trail one a day to day basis, but towns like this make it hard to go back to my gypsy like pack life. 

Later in the afternoon everyone kinda does their own thing. I split off and read and write in a quiet restaurant for a few hours finishing one book and beginning another. Around 4 toast and big spoon walk in. They had been playing on the street and the owner of the restaurant asked them if they wanted to play a gig in the very place where I was reading that evening. They said yes and after spreading the word to friends we have made we all gather into the tiny hole in the wall place enjoying good live music from me duo and great food. Seeing is little place packed is an idea of what the whole town will look like when trail days hits in mid may. I am excited at the thought of returning and just enjoying a weekend dedicated to the trail. 

After the set finishes the entire group rallies to visit a local brewery and the remainder of the evening is spent sitting enjoying craft beer. I fade out to my hostel later than I have stayed up this entire trip. I wasn't particularly tired. Just kinda blah. The day was fun but there still was a part of me that felt as though I let the day go to waste somewhat. I could have hiked out of town a few miles but of well. Tomorrow for sure. 

4/23

6:00am

I feel bad getting up early and disturbing everyone. It's funny how at the beginning of the trip I would have been the one that would be fighting to go back to sleep. I lounge in my sleeping bag and read till the sun is fully up and then I scramble to get on the trail. I have come to enjoy my daily routine and the consistency that it holds for me. Continuing the trail is far easier when you have a plan you can execute on a daily basis. Same could be said for anything I'm sure, but out here I have seen people go home because they can't find a rhythm or never get accustomed to the daily little things. 

It's clear and warm. Trees are still somewhat barren or beginning to bud now. The foliage on the forest floor seems to have a little more color and I continuously see more and more wildflowers. Many more insects have begun to make their presence known as well. I think spring will finally set in over the next few weeks.

3 miles outside of Damascus a sign tells me I am out of TN.  From here it is something like 500 miles of VA. There will not be as many vicious mountain climbs with elevation change to irritate me. Ah I have been told when the leaves truly grow in, one will only see the trail and green while in VA. Apparently the canopy and the rolling hill sections cause one to feel almost enclosed in nature as you walk the trail without view of open space around you. I will have to see how I feel about these descriptions given to me when I get farther in. I have a tinge of sadness as I look over the sign again. Up until this point I never wanted to drop out by any means yet there was some comfort in knowing that at any point I could jump in a car and be home in a couple hours. No longer will that be the case, I have no intention of abandoning my adventure and into the unknown I tread now, with spirit as high as the day I started and mind open to the exceptional. 

Got into Damascus around 5 and all I could think about was candy and food. I got a burger and some cheap candy, set up my bunk at a local hostel and then just looked for something to do. Arriving in town always prompts people to do their own thing depending on what kind of adventures they plan on having off the trail. 

Having run into some friends I have made along the way, we lawless decide for a draft beer and good company. It's nice that hikers can get together and we have such a kind community. The small town bar we visit ends up holding something like 20 hikers and we play cards and run the jukebox. Hiker midnight hits hard early and we all head to our respected bunks. 

Hiker midnight is a new term I have learned that means, around 8:30 - 9pm when we all get tired, that feels like midnight to us for sure.. 

4/22

Mattress or not, I seem to always toss and turn these days. The nightmares I was having at the beginning of e trip have vanished completely now, but I never seem to get a full nights sleep either. I am always forcing myself of I go back to sleep around 3. My brain seems to think that it is time to get going while my body is about 10 paces behind. 

I got out of my bunk far earlier than I had intended to. Coffee is not my style so hot tea with a little honey was the best course of action. I went ahead and started to preheat the over for my pizza breakfast and drank green tea while I read. 

The slack pack group was dropped off at the lake to continue on around 8. The day was absolutely beautiful. I couldn't believe how lucky we were considering weather was calling for scattered showers. 

5 or so miles in I realized I wasn't as lucky as I had initially thought

This is how I feel when I wake up to a beautiful day and I am about to hike 

And then this is how I feel when the day turns to crap with rain and fog. 

The day quickly became a mess. The views from the mountains I was climbing quickly became void of color. Like peering into a haze all around me, my day became more confined visually. I made about 15 miles into a shelter and it was only 2:30. I weighed my options about going on and as I I did so the rain came harder. 

I spent the remainder of my afternoon eating everything on my food bag as I curled up and read. I know I can make Damascus VA tomorrow if I want. It will be a long day but there is not any challenging climbs either. I guess 15 miles in a day is pretty good. I would just prefer to be dry if I can help it. 

Pictures

Ms. Janet's hiker box

Little guy I found crossing the trail

Chimney remnants located on the trail

Over mountain shelter, possibly my favorite thusfar 

Toast and big spoon playing with the view from over mountain shelter behind them..

Double rainbow from over mountain as the sun set

Where the hardcore hikers take breaks 

Laurel fork falls outside Hampton 

The backpack I picked for slack packing

Size - infant 

Bob Peoples - I can't wait to work hardcore after trail days with this guy. He is the most interesting person I have met on the trail

Bear proof trail magic - little Debbie's, soda, first aid... Thank you to whoever stocks it

Completely out of TN now. No more dancing on the boarder..