New York

On Friday (6-24) I started hiking at 7 AM on a very misty and foggy morning.  The trail had lots of swells, meaning the ascents and descents were not steep but there was one right after another.  There were almost no straight or level areas on the trails for even a short time until late in the afternoon.  I had a late lunch at Annabel's Pizza in Unionville.  I set up my tent at Pochuck Shelter at 6:30 PM after hiking 16.6 miles.  I had the shelter to myself so I set up my tent inside the shelter to keep the pesky mosquitoes away from me.  On Saturday (6-25) I got going at 8:50 AM.  I had planned to hike 14 miles for the day but I changed my mind along the way.  When I came to a road that would take me to Vernon, NJ, I decided to go to the St. Thomas Episcopal Church Hostel to rest my feet, use the computer, do laundry, dry out my boots, eat at a restaurant, shower, and enjoy a really nice indoor facility.  This hostel was one of the nicest on the trail to date.  There were about a dozen hikers there.  I ended up only hiking 6.5 miles which was largely through wetlands.  I walked on boardwalks for more than a mile and side by side planks for another mile.  After church on Sunday (6-26) at 8 AM, I was driven by a church member with Pilgrim back to the AT.  We began hiking at 9:30 AM and ate lunch at Wawayanda Mountain Shelter.  There was a 1,000 foot climb to reach the top of the mountain and shelter.  There were many difficult climbs and rock scrambles during the day.  We climbed over Prospect Rock (elevation 1,433 feet) which is the highest point in NY on the trail.  Here I am straddling the NY/NJ line.

We camped at Wildcat Shelter and hiked 17.2 miles.  On Monday (6-27) Pilgrim and I started our day at 8:25 AM.  About ten times we faced a rock scramble up the side of a small mountain.  There were very few flat areas during our hike.  We were repeatedly climbing and then descending over and over and over again.  It was a very challenging and tiring day of climbing.  We took six breaks of 5-10 minutes each time and they were absolutely needed or we wouldn't have made it.  We reached Fingerboard Shelter at 5:45 PM after hiking 14.3 miles.  After 98 days (14 weeks) I have gone 1,378.3 miles for an average of 14.1 miles per day.  This includes 5 zero days of hiking so I have hiked 93 out of the last 98 days.

Entering New Jersey

On Tuesday (6-21) I started out my day after breakfast at a local outfitter to have new pole tips put on my hiking sticks.  The old ones broke off on the PA rocks.  I began my hike at 10:50 AM and by 11 AM I crossed the Delaware River Bridge and I was in NJ.  The rocks were slightly less in number than PA but there were still plenty.  I saw a racer snake which was starting to cross the trail.  Within just a few quick seconds after seeing me, he turned and completely vanished into the underbrush.  A few hikers slightly ahead of me saw a bear cub and a rattlesnake but I missed them both.  I tented at a campsite at 6:15 PM and hiked 13.6 miles.  There was quite a lot of rain overnight into the day on Wednesday (6-22).  My tent was dry on the inside for the most part, but the underside and rain flaps were very wet.  I started hiking at 8 AM and when I stopped for lunch, I ate wild raspberries that I found.  I fell several times on the wet slippery rocks but thankfully my most severe "injury" was a 1/4 inch abrasion below my thumb which happened when I slipped while climbing a rocky area.  I stopped for spring water at a shelter.  I was warned by other hikers about a huge mosquito problem at that particular shelter.  The warnings were accurate!  I got several bites while I was briefly getting water.  I was glad to get out of there.  I arrived at Kevin's Steakhouse for dinner at 4:30 PM.  It was just off the AT in Branchville, NJ.  Tornado warnings and severe rainy weather were forecasted so I got a motel room for the night.  I traveled 14.7 miles.  On Thursday (6-23) the manager of the motel took another hiker and me to a small deli across from the AT.  I had three donuts, a banana, OJ, an egg and ham sandwich, and coffee for breakfast.  I started hiking at 9:00 AM and by 9:45 AM it began to rain heavily.  I was 1 1/2 miles from the next shelter.  I put my backpack cover over my bag hoping my gear would stay somewhat dry.  I got soaked and my feet sloshed inside my boots.  When I reached the shelter I checked my gear and I was pleasantly surprised to see that most things were still dry.  After talking with two hikers at the shelter, I put on dry clothes, ate lunch, blew up my air mattress, and slept for 90 minutes.  The rain finally stopped and I resumed hiking at 3 PM.  At 7 PM I found a grassy campsite since more rain was soon to arrive.  I only went 11.8 miles because of the conditions. 

Three Months

On Saturday (6-18) I reached Baked Oven Knob (a big rock pile, really) by mid-morning.  Other hikers and I complained about the poor signage.  I fell once on some rocks but I remembered what Swamp Dawg told me, "If you are falling, fall on the backpack.  It will absorb the shock."  I did just that and I was fine.  I was met on the trail near Palmerton by Hardy and Elke Kaffenberger from Kennett Square, PA.  I met them on my US Western National Park Grand Circle Tour in May of 2010.  They drove 1 1/2 hours just to get to the trail.  After they took me to dinner, I was back to hiking at 5:30 PM.  The highlight of my day is seeing friends along the way.  I climbed a very treacherous rock face leaving Palmerton.  The AT Guide Book says it's among the most challenging on the AT south of New Hampshire.  I fully agree--it is not for the faint of heart.  It is a long, very rocky, and an extremely steep climb.

I finished hiking at 8:30 PM and hiked 15.0 miles.  Sunday (6-19) I was back to hiking at 7 AM.  By mid-morning I was out of water.  I expected to hike a mile into a town to get water.  Just before the road I would have hiked on to get into town, there were two cousins camping.  I asked if they had any water.  They gave me two liters which they didn't need because they were packing up to go home.  They saved me a lot of time so they were a big blessing.  I had lunch on a flat rock and napped 1 hour and 20 minutes!  One of my longer naps happened on a giant boulder!  I must have been really tired.

I had dinner at Leroy Smith Shelter and pushed on another 3 1/2 miles before finishing at 7:30 PM.  I hiked 16.5 miles.  On Monday (6-20) I had plans to meet a new friend.  I didn't know how long I needed to hike to reach Route 33 which goes to Wind Gap, PA so I began at 6 AM.  I was meeting Jerry Lehman who I met 6 weeks ago while he was section hiking in VA.  He drove about an hour to meet up with me again and help me out.  After breakfast he drove me to the Verizon store, the laundromat, and the grocery store.  I had to buy a new cell charger at Verizon because the old one wasn't working.  It was great visiting with him and I appreciate him carting me around so I could do my errands.  After leaving Jerry, I hiked from 11:15 AM-7:45 PM and tented at the Presbyterian Church of the Mountain Hostel.  I went 16.6 miles.  After 91 days of hiking, I am averaging 14.1 miles a day and have gone about 1,300 miles.  Slowly but surely, I'll keep plugging away.

Waterfalls and Rocks Galore

Wednesday (6-14) was a cool day.  At 8:20 AM I approached a bridge with a white blaze on it that was about 60 feet long.  As I crossed it I noticed a waterfall on the left.  The sunlight illuminated it and then I noticed a smaller waterfall a few feet away.  I thought how beautiful the area was with the trees, the terrain, the lighting, and the waterfalls.  I crossed the bridge and kept looking at it.  Unfortunately, the AT went to the right at the end of the bridge and the white blaze was 30 feet to the right from the bridge.  I kept walking on a crushed stone road as I was thinking about the beauty of the area.  After 15 minutes I got worried when I realized I had not seen the 2 inch X 6 inch white blazes.  I finally turned around and walked 20 minutes back to the AT.  It is frustrating and time-consuming when I get lost!  I needed to resupply so at 11:40 AM I hitchhiked to Lickdale which was 2.4 miles away.  I was very fortunate to get a ride to and from an Exxon where I bought supplies and a sandwich from Subway.  There were very few cars around but thankfully an older gentleman picked me up.  In the late afternoon I napped at William Penn Shelter while no one else was there.  I resumed hiking to the 501 Shelter.  It has that name because it is located right off Route 501.  It is one of just a few shelters on the trail that has four walls.  I ordered a veggie stromboli and a cheeseburger from an Italian restaurant that delivered to the road 1/10 of a mile away.  There were six lower bunks at the shelter and I was the last and 7th thru-hiker to arrive so I got the top bunk.  I hiked 17.5 miles.  The AT is currently 2,180 miles long.  Since I have hiked 1,183 miles, I have less than 1,000 miles to go!  On Thursday morning (6-15) the temperature was in the low 50's.  My hands were cold and I was wearing two shirts and a jacket.  In the early morning I met up with "Pilgrim" who is a retiree from SC.  I had last seen him on Sunday before the big storm hit.  We hiked the rest of the day together because our paces are similar.  We experienced trail magic of pop in the mid-afternoon.  We camped after getting water from a spring 100 yards down a steep descent.  Overall the day had very little change with the elevation but there were endless rocks.  I hiked 19.7 miles.  Here is a tree growing right out of a big boulder.

On Thursday (6-16) I left the campsite with Pilgram at 6:30 AM.  We hiked 4 miles to a restaurant in Port Clinton, PA, population of 279.  After breakfast I got a ride 
1 1/2 miles to a Walmart from a local man eating at the restaurant.  He had coffee while I went shopping for supplies.  He took me back to the AT and after repacking my bag, I was on my way.  Pilgrim stayed at the Port Clinton Hotel to do laundry, resupply, and use a computer so we may meet up again soon.  I took a short break at Windsor Furnace Shelter.  At 6:45 PM as the threat of rain was evident, I set up my tent at a campsite along the trail.  I hiked 13.0 miles.  The rain overnight slowed my start on Friday (6-17) so I began at 7:40 AM.  PA rocks are plentiful and come in all sizes.  They haven't hurt my feet but they sure do slow my pace and cause mental fatigue.  After lunch at a campsite I napped for an hour.  As I was starting to hike again I saw a small sign that a spring was 80 yards down a steep trail.  I love springs because the water comes right out of the rock and I don't need to treat it.  Spring water is also cold and very refreshing.  When I see a spring, I usually get two liters which adds four pounds to my backpack.  I stopped for dinner at the Blue Mountain Restaurant at 6:30 PM.  I finished hiking at 8:30 PM and tented just off the AT.  I hiked 19.3 miles.  Happy Father's Day!

A Big Storm

I started hiking at 9:30 AM on Friday (6-10).  I stopped to visit the AT Museum in Pine Grove Forest State Park.  The museum displays Grandma Gatewood's hiking gear which includes a canvas backpack and the shoes she wore while hiking.

She was born in 1888 in Ohio and she successfully thru-hiked the AT three times.  The first time she was successful was in 1955 when she was 67.  She wore tennis shoes and carried an army blanket, a raincoat, and a plastic shower curtain, which was carried in a homemade bag slung over one shoulder. It was fascinating to look back through all the AT history.  After lunch I felt tired so I rested an hour on my Tyvek sheet in the shade.  I reached Boiling Springs at 7:15 PM and ate dinner at Caffe (yes, that is spelled right, two f's) 101.  I stayed the night at the Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse.  The thru-hikers have a special rate at this plush resort of $40 which included an excellent dinner.  I hiked 19.4 miles.  On Saturday morning (6-11) I walked 10 minutes back to the AT and started hiking at 9 AM.  The hike had two distinct parts.  The first 12-13 miles was flat and the trail winded through farmlands where corn, wheat, and soybeans were growing.  Some fields were just uncut high grass with the small AT path.  About 1/3 of the time I was in the shade of nearby trees, which was nice.  It was very hot so being in the sun for several hours was bearable.  After lunch at Darlington Shelter, I napped for a little over an hour on a wooden bunk in the shelter.  The second part of the hike was over an uneven and rocky terrain.  After a steep descent for the last 30 minutes, I reached Duncannon at 8:15 PM and ate what was called a "hearty haddock dinner" at a hostel called The Doyle.  At 9 PM I walked another mile to a campground on the Susquehanna River.  During my stay at the campground, many trains passed about 80 yards from my tent.  A few trains sounded like they might hit my tent.  I hiked 25.7 miles, a PR which I doubt will be topped on the rest of my journey.  On Sunday (6-12) I left the campground at 8 AM and had breakfast and bought some supplies at a Pilot truck stop.  Coming out of any town on the trail is tough as the towns have a much lower elevation than the surrounding mountains, so up and up I went, sweating profusely.  Of all the 14 states on the AT, PA is known as the rockiest.  At 1:30 PM I reached the parking lot on PA 225 and enjoyed trail magic of pop and a candy bar.  I started on my way towards the next shelter 3 miles away.  After I traveled about 1/4 mile, it began to rain.  It quickly started pouring and before I knew it, hail was pelting me and rain was coming down in buckets.  Within just a few quick minutes the trail turned into a creek and the water was running above my boots and my boots were filled with water for the first time ever on the trail.  I was cold and soaked.  I thought about hiking ahead to the shelter but decided that my wisest decision was to go back to the parking lot.  I turned around and when I got back to the parking lot, I saw four cars.  I approached one car with a man and woman in it.  I had seen them several minutes before as they were out hiking for the day.  I asked them if they knew where the closest motel would be located.  The man, Rick Steele, offered to drive me and all my soaking wet gear to a motel.  I arrived at the Days Inn in Harrisburg at 2:15 PM and the storm was still very much in full force.  I checked in for the night.  Although I only hiked 8 miles, I was thrilled to be able to do laundry, take a shower, and eat a meal at the Wendy's next door.  What a day!  Thank you Rick!  On Monday (6-13) after breakfast at the hotel, I got a ride at 7:40 AM from "Trail Magic Mary" to where I left off before the big storm which was 7 miles away.  Mary lives in Duncannon and is well-known in the thru-hiker community as someone who helps out hikers.  I started back on the trail at 8 AM.  I have noticed after heavy rain there are cobwebs everywhere so I use my hiking stick to clear the way.  It was a cool day which was really nice for hiking.  Although there were rocks everywhere, there were no steep ascents or descents and my feet thanked me!  The highest ascent I climbed for the day was 1,100 feet but that was over several miles.  I napped for an hour mid-afternoon and hiked until 7 PM.  I tented just before Rausch Gap Shelter.  I went 20 miles.  After 12 weeks, I have gone 1,166 miles for an average of 13.9 miles per day.  Carry on!

Leaving MD and Entering PA

I started hiking on Tuesday (6-7) at 7 AM.  This is the start of week 12 in this adventure.  I visited Washington Monument State Park.  It was built as the first monument to George Washington.  The bottle-shaped structure was built in 1827.

In the morning I saw my fourth black snake and in the afternoon I saw my fifth.  This one was thick and about four feet long.  Thankfully both of them slithered off the trail without me intervening.  I ate lunch at the Pogo Memorial Campsite.  After lunch I had an hour nap and it was just what I needed.  Just before reaching my final destination for the day at the Raven Rock Shelter, the AT took a very steep ascent.  I reached the shelter at 6:25 PM and went 18.8 miles for the day.  On Wednesday (6-8) I started hiking for the day at 7:00 AM.  It was in the 90's and also very humid.  At 8:15 AM I left Maryland and entered Pennsylvania.  I took a picture of the Mason-Dixon line.

I had lunch at Antietam Shelter at 12:30 PM.  I completed 40 miles in Maryland in just over two days.  MD is the sixth state I have completed and the least difficult one.  It was less rocky and steep than the others.  At 7 PM I reached US 30 in Fayetteville, PA.  I walked .3 miles to an Italian restaurant for a calzone, chocolate milkshake, and an ice cream cone.  After walking back to the AT, I set up my tent just off the trail near Route 30.  I hiked 22.8 miles.  Thursday (6-9) started early at 5:45 AM when I started hiking.  In order to get to the halfway marker on the trail and reach a recommended hostel, I knew I had to start the day bright and early.  I got lost in Caledonia State Park because the signage was poor and lost about an hour of time trying to get myself straightened around.  I had lunch at Birch Run Shelter and met a Bowling Green grad from Mansfield, OH.  I got to the halfway marker at 2:30 PM.

I reached Pine Grove Furnace State Park and had ice cream at 3:30 PM.  I stayed at the Ironmaster's Hostel for $27.50 which includes a spaghetti dinner and waffles in the morning.  I hiked 19.9 miles.

The Family Comes to Visit!

I left the Blackburn Trail Center (6-4) at 6:25 AM.  It was located on the side of a mountain just over a 1/4 mile below the AT.  It took 8 minutes and nearly 300 steps to get to where I could resume the hike.  I arrived in Harpers Ferry, WV at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Office at 11:30 AM and had my picture taken.  I'm #296 of the thru-hikers in 2011.  It was fun to look through some of the pictures and see lots of people I have met along the way.  After checking in at the Town's Inn Hostel, I had lunch and dinner.  A thru-hiker who lived in Lakewood, OH (an OU graduate) was in the next bunk.  I have met at least 10 people on the AT from Ohio.  On Sunday (6-5) hikers could make pancakes on a grill.  The first few pancakes I made were very doughy and didn't rise or brown up like normal pancakes.  Another hiker had the same problem as I did.  Finally, a woman section hiker said they tasted like flour.  It was then that we all realized what we thought was pancake mix in a plastic unlabeled container was really just plain flour.  So we opened a new box of pancake mix and they were great.  At 10:30 AM I walked about a mile to the Comfort Inn where I met my family at 11:00 AM--my wife, Nancy, my two daughters, and three of my grand kids.

We stopped at the AT Conservancy Office to see my picture on file.

They took me to the store so I could resupply.  Next, we all walked on the AT.

We made it to Jefferson Rock, an overlook on the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.  The rock was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson who was inspired by the beautiful view in 1783.

Then it was time to cut my hair.  My last haircut had been in mid-March.  Here I am before the haircut.

Finally it was beard-shaving time and Evan and Ryan helped out.

When I looked in the mirror after they were done, I saw a stranger!  Who was that person looking back at me?  What an awesome day!

On Monday (6-6) after breakfast at the hotel, I said goodbye to my family.  They took pictures of me with my backpack and they wanted to briefly see what it felt like to wear it.  They couldn't believe how heavy it felt.  I had a lot of food it in since I won't be able to resupply for several days.  I estimated that it weighed close to 40 pounds which is more than normal.

Within a few minutes of starting my hike, I crossed the Potomac River leaving Harpers Ferry.  For the first 4 miles into Maryland, the AT followed the C & O Towpath used also by bikers.  The smooth flat trail was in the shade and a real treat on which to walk.  Then there was an 800 foot climb over several miles.  I ate lunch at the Ed Garvey Shelter.  In the afternoon it was most often quite rocky but thankfully the ascents and descents weren't steep for the most part.  My feet were happy about that!  I arrived at the Dahlgren Backpack Campground at 5:50 PM and set up my tent on a gravel tent pad.  Maryland operates this campground with no fees for hikers.  It has individual picnic tables for each tent pad and indoor plumbing in the restrooms.  Luxury at its best!  I hiked 17.9 miles.  After 11 weeks, I have hiked 1,030.7 miles for an average of 13.4 miles/day.  I'm very pleased with how things are going.

Entering WV

After a hearty breakfast on Wednesday (6-1) at the Quality Inn in Front Royal, Bob Dowdy drove me back to the trail.  I started hiking at 10 AM.  I started in an area called Northern Virginia and I have just 48 miles left to go in this state!  I ate dinner at the Manasses Gap Shelter with two retirees from Ohio who are section hikers.  One was a Superintendent of Nordonia Schools and the other was a judge from Bucyrus (Crawford County).   It was fun to have dinner with Ohioans.  I resumed hiking until 8:30 PM when I camped near a spring.  I hiked 16.3 miles.  On Thursday (6-2) I began at 7:50 AM on a near perfect weather day.  The humidity was low, the temperature was in the low 70's, and it was breezy for most of the day.  I ate lunch at Rod Hollow Shelter.  Check out this big spider I saw while I was eating lunch.  You can see how big he is compared to the tip of my finger.  There was an even bigger one but he was too high up to get a picture.

After lunch I began "the roller coaster"--13 1/2 mile section of the AT with 10 very steep ascents and descents over rocky ridges.  The trail is certainly tough on the feet.  I arrived at the Bears Den Hostel at 6:30 PM.  I had pizza, pop, and a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream.  I enjoyed a shower at this very nice facility.  It is the nicest hostel I have seen to date.  The building is in great shape and the caretakers are friendly and helpful.  Here is a picture of it.

The hostel is owned by the Appalachian Trail Conservatory (ATC) but operated by the Potomac ATC.  I went 17.3 miles.  On Friday (6-3) I enjoyed a breakfast of pancakes and also a pint of Ben and Jerry's banana split ice cream.  Yes, I had ice cream with my breakfast.  That might have been a first!  I started hiking at 8:30 AM and reached the Blackburn Trail Center at 1:00 PM.  I finished "the roller coaster" and entered WV.  Here is a picture of the WV sign.

A few hours later I reached the 1,000 mile sign!

The Blackburn Trail Center offers a free spaghetti dinner every night so I took advantage of that for dinner.  I only needed to hike 7.7 miles today. 

10 Weeks Completed!

I began hiking on Saturday (5-28) at 6:45 AM.  I had lunch at the Loft Mountain Campground.  I wanted to buy a little food at the Big Meadows Store but when I arrived the signs were poor.  I stopped to ask a large family that was camping where the store was located.  They told me it was a mile back.  Scratch that idea.  The man, Jim Lilly, asked if I would like some water.  After getting me some water, his wife asked if I would like something to eat.  No need to ask me twice!  They fed me grilled steak and onions, bread, and an apple.  It was my lucky day!  Jim and his oldest daughter are section hikers so we shared some hiking stories and info.  I went back to hiking at 7:30 PM.  I tented at 8:45 PM (near dark) about 1/10 of a mile before Rock Spring Hut.  I hiked 23.7 miles.  On Sunday (5-29) I started at 7 AM and devoured a large breakfast buffet at the Skyland Dining Room.  The restaurant probably lost money on me!  In the afternoon as I was hiking I saw something quite large moving behind the trees and brush about 30 yards from the trail.  I stopped as I was ready to see my first bear but it was just a deer.  In the late afternoon my feet hurt badly as I was descending from a very rocky and steep mountain.  I went from 3,514 feet elevation at Thornton Gap to 2,307 feet in just 1.9 miles.  I thought my feet wouldn't be much of a problem after the first few weeks.  Not so!  I camped on a side trail at 6:30 PM about 100 yards from Skyline Drive.  As I was setting up my tent, I noticed something moving about 25 feet away, but again, it was just another deer.  As I looked at it, it slowly wandered off.  Then a few minutes later as I sat in my tent I saw a wild turkey.  The bird kept looking at the ground trying to find morsels of food.  When he was 10 feet from my tent I took this picture.  He is to the left of the tree.

I took the picture through the mesh netting so that's why it isn't as clear as the other pictures.  I hiked 19.4 miles.  Monday (5-30) was Memorial Day and it seemed odd to be hiking.  I started at 6:50 AM on a hot and humid day.  I reached Elkwallow Wayside at 8:20 AM for breakfast.  It didn't open until 9 AM so that gave me a chance to get a few things done.  After breakfast I bought a few items and resupplied at the store.  The trail was tough again on my feet due to all the rocks.  At 10:30 AM I finally saw my first bear!  I was able to take a picture on my regular camera but unfortunately, he moved away and I didn't get him on my cell phone.  As I walking along the trail at about noon, I was very thirsty.  I looked up and saw people standing around a car.  I asked if they had anything cold to drink and they offered me Gatorade.  The drink was just what I needed!  After exactly 10 weeks, I have hiked 956.6 miles for an average of 13.7 miles a day.  Tuesday's hike (5-31) started at 8:40 AM and I arrived at the Quality Inn in Front Royal at 10:10 AM.  I only needed to hike 2.9 miles to get to the road leading to town.  I then hitchhiked 3.5 miles to the hotel.  Soon after I arrived, Bob Dowdy, a friend from West Palm Beach, FL who lives a few months of the year in Richmond, VA, traveled 180 miles to see me.  He drove me to the PO so I could send home some unneeded items, took me to resupply, and drove me to lunch and dinner.  It was great to see him and I appreciated him helping me out for the day.