Visiting NY Friends

My day on Tuesday (6-28) started with Pilgrim at 7:25 AM.  I have decided to hike with him for the foreseeable future.  Our pace is quite similar and we get along well.  We experienced trail magic twice.  After crossing two roads there were gallons of spring water available for thru-hikers.  There was no other water source for 12 miles so the water was perfect.  It was nice to fill my CamelBak and water bottle with it and I didn't need to treat or filter the water.  We had lunch at the info center/bookstore of the Palisades International Parkway which was .4 miles off the AT.  Here is a picture of the Lemon Squeezer on the trail.  It is just two feet wide and 17 feet long.  The first picture is blurry but you can get an idea of how tight the squeeze is for me.

We followed the AT right through Bear Mountain Zoo.  Pilgrim continued to the Graymoor Spiritual Life Center to stay for the day.  I was picked up at 5:15 PM by Rosemary Burns and she took me to her house in Cortlandt Manor, NY.  I met Rosemary and Artie in May of 2010 on the Grand Circle Tour of the Western US National Parks.  After a shower and dinner, Artie took me to the grocery store to resupply.  I stayed with them overnight.  I hiked 14.2 miles.  On Wednesday (6-29) Artie drove me back to the trail.  I hiked just 6.4 miles so I could begin hiking on Thursday with Pilgrim from the Graymoor.  In the afternoon Artie took me to West Point to tour the campus.  It is a very impressive facility.  We walked on the football field, went to see the beautiful chapel and Eisenhower Hall Theater, saw the parade grounds, and drove around the whole campus.  Artie was a great tour guide.  In the evening I talked about my AT adventure with several of their neighbors.  They saw my pictures I have taken with my regular camera on a large TV screen.  It was a fun night and I really appreciated all Rosemary and Artie did for me while I was visiting them.  On Thursday (6-30) they drove me back to the  Graymoor so I could meet up with Pilgrim again.  We began hiking at 8:30 AM.  At 9:30 AM we came upon trail magic of cold pop.  We hiked until 5:45 PM when we reached the RPH shelter.  I hiked 18.8 miles.   Friday (7-1) was a cool and dry day.  We had lunch at the Morgan Stewart Shelter.  I decided to nap after lunch and slept for 30 minutes and Pilgrim continued hiking without me.  I enjoyed walking slowly to catch up with him.  One toe on my left foot hurts from the pounding it has taken.  Avoiding as many rocks as possible and walking slower help ease the pain.  There were no great camping spots but we found an area that was adequate at best.  I hiked 16.8 miles.

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.