RPH Shelter

Unfortunately, I didn't take the time to sit down and write and entry on the 10th.  The final day on the trail is always tough to document.  It seems I always get caught up with everything else waiting for me once I leave the trail. So, it is over a week later, but I will see what I can remember.

I remember having a great night sleep without the rain fly on and waking feeling pretty refreshed expect for pretty sore feet (next time I am using boots instead of trail runners!)  We wanted to push ourselves to make it to our goal and we also had a little bit more of a timeline than we had on previous occasions as Anne was going to be picking us up.

Peter's knee was hurting him pretty badly so whether or not he was going to make it all the way or stop at another road and get picked up later was kind of hour by hour decision.  In the end, we opted to just take things at a slower, more consistent pace, and that worked out for both of us.  He was able to finish the hike and I have to say, I enjoyed the more leisurely pace quite a bit!  For one thing, we needed less breaks and ended up maintaining a faster pace.

At one point during the first 4 miles on the trail, we almost double backed and started heading the wrong way.  That was very nearly a big disaster.  Luckily we realized our mistake after a 100 yards or so and were back on track.  Eventually we arrived at the south end of Canopus lake and started the hike around it.  We stopped for lunch around noon when we bumped into Big Country and Aaron eating lunch on the trail very near the north end of the lake.  They had just scored a bunch of free food from another thru hiker (Tiger) who it seems they regularly hike with.  As we were leaving at the end of the day, we off loaded our extra food as well.  They were glad to receive it.

Additionally, we may have helped land Aaron his trail name. During lunch, Big Country started laughing about how Aaron accidentally had thrown his pot, which they had just bought, in the fire while cleaning up after dinner.  The guy who had sold it to him had had a lot of varieties of the stuff and this particularly one had been called Reg or Reggie.  After a few good laughs, the thought cam to me "That is your trail name. Reggie!"  It is up to Big Country now but I am guessing this one is going to stick.... it comes with a painful/funny story and all.

After lunch, we pressed on passing a beautiful open summit at Shenandoah Mountain and rested a couple miles from the RPH shelter at a road crossing. Peter decided to press on at this last chance and we moved along.

Trail Magic!  First of all, the RPH shelter is amazing.  It is a cinder block structure, with nice bunks, and is well maintained.  There is even a club of locals who have adopted the shelter as there own.  As it turns out, they were having a trail work party that day and had coolers of ice cold drinks, BBQ, and salad which they were enjoying and sharing with the passers by.  Although I was .25 miles from Anne and the boys, I had to stop for a while!  2 Sprites, some chips and pork chop later and I was feeling great.  It is amazing to me the amount of effort so many people put into the trail and around the trail culture.  I know I get a lot personally out of being out there but it is a whole other thing to invest so much of yourself back into it.  Pretty awesome people....

Eventually I sprinted up the hill to the road and meet Anne under the Taconic State Parkway underpass.  The boys were excited to see me but commented a few times how unexcited they were to smell me!  After a drive to White Plains we all enjoyed a much deserved burger at a burger house before dropping Peter off at the train station. 

It was a great trip.  I am looking forward to duplicating the success as often as possible.  Backpacking and banking may in fact be incompatible but I was pleased to have figured out this weekend at least! 

Mileage: 11.0 miles

Dennytown Road Group Campsite

The day started early... I didn't have a watch but I bet it was before 6:00am.  At least it started out dry!  Before long, the sun was shining through the canopy and started to dry things out.  It must have rained until 4:00-5:00am.  Unfortunately, we weren't going to be able to wait around for things to dry out so we packed up wet tents and gear, put on wet clothes and hit the trail.  It reminded me of my long section through VT and NH where I was rained on every day for more than 10 days.  Peter got up at 7:45 so I burned a lot of time messing with gear, relaxing and enjoying the morning.  I enjoyed the quiet.

We passed the first 4 miles extremely quickly, talking about our philosophies regarding personal finance and talking about Peter's parents histories.  Before long, we popped out on Route 9 be the Appalachian Market. So what if it was only 11:00am... time for a Turkey Club and some Gatorade!  Also, interesting tid bit: this run of the mill convenience store and gas station has easily the nicest public bathroom I have ever seen in that kind of establishment... flat screen TV playing the news, plants, etc.

After that it was back on the trail.  The day was sunny and dry but surprisingly not hot especially under the forest canopy. We ran into the couple we met briefly at Bear Mountain Inn.  They, and a lot of other thru hikers, opted to rent motel rooms in town instead of camping out in the rain last night!  At one point we picked up a woman's hiking shoe that had dropped off a pack and guessed correctly that the owner was a NOBO hiker (hadn't seen any SOBO women hikers) as we found her and her companion a mile or so later.

My body was pretty tight and sore today and I developed a huge blister on my pinky toe but took care of food and hydration so there was no repeat of cramping today.

Peter and I enjoyed a couple of rest stops, one on a stone wall and a second by a stream where we soaked our feet while finished the other half of the Turkey Club!  Interestingly, we bumped into a day hiker we had seen on Bear Mountain just yesterday who was from Summit, NJ.  She was bringing new shoes to the woman whose lost shoe we had found earlier in the day!  The lost shoe couple was on day 2 of a 6 week hike up to Mt. Washington.

Peter's knee seems to be bothering him pretty badly but he is more fit than I am so we tend to yo-yo a bit.... me shooting ahead on down slopes and him on inclines.  In general, we make for good hiking companions as we have generally the same pace and enjoy the conversation.  It has been fun seeing his excitement for the new gear and for the adventure of backpacking.

My pack felt extra heavy all day as it and its contents were pretty wet.  When we finally made it to Dennytown Road we got the Webelos Den (and parents) to agree to let us dry everything out in the sunlight by the campsite so we and our gear our dry again!

A little more gear puttering, dinner making and..... a fire!  I love a campfire after a long day's hike.  All in all a great day... Oh! I can't forget, Peter brought a few marshmallows and we cooked them over his stove (fire was out at that point)... highly recommended.  An unexpected and welcome treat.

Now  I am laying in my tent, enjoying the sounds of the Scouts nearby skits, songs and campfire.  Definitely brings back memories.  We will have to see what tomorrow brings!  Mother nature was kind to us today.  My body is tired but I am so glad to have made it out here.  Tomorrow is the last day of this section.

Mileage: 12.3 miles

Peter's Father:  Raised in most WWII Germany and started at Mercedes as basically a custodian.  Worked his way up into the shop, eventually becoming a teacher of other mechanics and having national and international responsibilities for training.  His memories of having so little and relying on the charity of others are still evidenced in his thrift and unwillingness to throw anything away despite the plenty they have.  Very handy and kind of a motor heard (owns 15 motorcycles and cant get rid of cars)

Peter's Mother: After raising her two kids and suffering from low energy, weight problems, went on a walk with her persistent son one day.  She kept up the walking and 6 months later completed her first 10k.  Another 6 months, her first marathon.  Today she has competed in the Boston and New York marathons including winning the event in her age category!  Amazing story.  I love to hear those kinds of stories where people can make a change.  The high level of performance isn't even really the point but it makes it that much more impressive.

Hemlock Springs Campsite

First woken by a 5:30am rain squall but quickly was lulled to sleep by the same. Then my Blackberry went off at 7:00am and probably woke everyone up!  I thought I had turned that thing off.

It was nice to see the forest today.  It is your typical canopy you might find in the NE but without the density of underbrush so visibility was pretty high into the nearby forest.  The water source (spring) at the shelter seemed questionable and had a lot of debree  in it so we opted to not fill up.  Peter and I hit the trail by 8:00am.

A couple miles in I realized I had neither started this thing with enough calories of water in me... on top of it my water was low as a consequence of that morning's decision at the spring.  Basically a result of being so busy at wrk and last minute planning combined with excitedly hitting the trail without fueling up properly.  By the time we reached the top of Bear Mountain, I was cramping and feeling a little dizzy.  Luckily at the summit, Peter bought a Powerade from a vending machine and shared it and some water with me.  Oh.... and I forgot my wallet (another casualty of the rush) so I am relying on Peter for money too!  Anyway, we paused on Bear Mountain to explore the firetower, enjoy some views, dry our feet and eat lunch. 

After an hour or so we headed down the fill to Bear Mountain Inn.  The whole descent we listened to nearby ominous thunder and just as we arrived at the concession stand the rains came and escalated into a full torrent!  We enjoyed drinks and company (woman hiking w/ boyfriend... didn't get the names and he was off swimming somewhere).  The concessions guys generously filled our water for us which was appreciated as we were pretty much empty at that point.  Finally a chance to rehydrate and get some strength!

As the rain escalated, I decided to check my Blackberry for messages from the office.  Of course, there were a ton of messages (it is Friday afterall) and a staffing emergency. I had apparently left a loose end  open on a book for a client and the MD and staffer were both asking what the plan was.  I was getting a little panicked but Peter helped me think through the right response. After a few emails and a display of commitment to get the work done after coming out of the woods, my MD showed an amazing kindness by basically saying he wants me to have my vacation and he got someone else to take care of the job.  I was thankful for the result, appreciated his kindness and was relieved to have effectively reiterated my commitment to the team while still preserving my vacation time.  Time to turn the Blackberry off!

After waiting out the worst of the squall and having out significant others check the weather for us,  we learned the rain was going to be around for the rest of the day and night so we bit the bullet and took off in the rain hoping, beyond reason, that it wouldn't escalate again.  It did.  Soon enough we were soaked through.  Crossing the Hudson was on of the highlights of the day as was finally arriving at Hemlock Springs tent site a few miles passed the bridge.

This section of the trail doesn't have many shelters unfortunately.  It wasn't fun throwing up a tent in the rain but I was able to strip down, dry out and put on a dry set of clothes as the inside of the tent dried.  I am sure all my gear will still be soaking wet in the AM but at least I will sleep dry and comfortably tonight.

The water source here (spring) looks good so tomorrow should get a good start.  Since getting our tents up we have been holed up in our respective shelters but I did make it out to hang a clothes line and cook dinner during a relative break in the rain. It has been fun reading up on the trail ahead (yet another casualty of lack of preparation time before heading out) and being left to my thoughts about work and family.  I love getting out here.  On the trail life gets simple, worries are few and gratitude for it all is plentiful.  It is great to be back, soaking wet, first blister and all!

Mileage: 12.1

William Brien Memorial Shelter

After a few years of being away, I am finally back on the AT! The investment banking job has made getting out into the woods very challenging but luckily I was able to make it happen this time.  My supervisors are being very supportive and recognize I deserve the time off and opportunity to enjoy a vacation.

That being said I still didn't make it out of the office until just before 8:30pm.  I met Peter at Grand Central station and we made our way to White Plains where Anne picked us up and ferried us to Harriman State Park and dropped us off by the side of the road where the AT crosses Seven Lakes Drive. By the time we hit the trail it was 11:00pm. We enjoyed a nice night hike despite some humidity and I couldn't help having a little skip in my step because I was back on the trail even if it is just for a couple of days!

Along the way we saw a couple of deer. It ended up being a short 2 mile night hike to William Brien shelter.  A couple of NOBO thru hikers had a campfire going when we arrived (~midnight).

After chatting for a little while I grabbed the last bunk in the shelter and Peter set up his tent. Time to catch a few Zs before a full day of hiking arrives.

Big Country - from Alabama, hiked 560 miles in 2010 and is back to try again. Started in Feb and zeroed for 30 days in Harpers Ferry to earn money some money.

Aaron (no trail name yet) - from Maine so he is walking home

Mileage: 2.0

Crawford Notch Campground

Well I woke up at 5:45 and it was cold! Boy did it get cold last night. My bag kept me warm but my nose was chilly. The cold air made it hard to put my damp clothes on but I did just the same because the sky was completely blue! I don't think I have ever appreciated seeing blue sky so much.


I probably was hiking by 6:30 and was loving the views. I made it past Galehead Hut before 8:00 and then up South Twin where I was finally rewarded with the views I had been waiting for. The view may very well have stretched as far as the Adirondacks in NY and definitely included Mt. Washington to the NE.

I was very grateful for such a beautiful vista. I have enjoyed the whole experience with the rain and clouds but having this morning was a special reward. It is a good thing too because it didn't last!

I stopped at the Zealand Hut for hiker soup (leftovers from last nights dinner), some gingerbread, and lemonade for $5. I ate until I almost felt sick and then took off around 12:45.


I decided then that I was just going to hike out instead of staying at a campsite tonight. The hike down from the hut to the road was pretty amazing too because it flattened for miles! I think I may have even hit a 3 mile/hour pace for a few miles. ..... that was definitely a first. Not only was it flat but the trail was like crushed stone... heaven to walk on!


The only problem was.... it started pouring around 1:00. Ah.... all good things must come to an end. It was almost funny for me though because it was like the trail's farewell. The AT wanted to make sure that I was literally rained on every day! After making it to the parking lot, I met a guy named Mike who was waiting for his buddy Dave but was also doing some trail magic while waiting. I enjoyed a banana and gatorade and conversation and then I walked the final 1/2 mile to 302 where I was able to quickly get a hitch to the campground. The guy was a tourist from Boston and I was grateful for the ride which saved me from a 3 1/2 mile hike on the road.

After checking in I found that Cranky Pete was already there. He had hiked pretty far yesterday and finished the short hike to Crawford Notch today. Later on Mike, Dave, Pinenut, Half Ounce and Pogo all showed up. We have had a great time chatting, joking around and we all threw together a grill night of burgers, dogs and kielbasa.

I feel kind of wierd leaving the trail. I know it has only been 2 weeks but I feel like I am abandoning the people who are pushing on. They don't need me but there is definitely a sense of community. I feel like many have accepted me largely because of the large section I have been doing. It has been fun meeting them and sharing in their journeys.

That being said, I am ready to go home. My personal journey is back at home with Anne and the boys and getting my MBA. Staying here longer would be too self indulgent. I am grateful that I could come and that Anne supported me. Now it is time to go home and help support her. Kurt was nice enough to head up to get me early so I will be heading to RI tonight. I still have the goal to finish this trail and I will be back next year.... I don't know which section but I will be back!

Mileage - 17.4 miles on the AT

Garfield Ridge Campsite

Snake Whisperer, Shelter Monkey, Cranky Pete and I all caught Dutch's 7:30 shuttle back up to the bike path at the Franconia Notch State Park visitors center and took off. Would you believe it started pouring as soon as we got there? So much for the sun in the forecast! We split up soon after hitting the AT trail because it began its steep climb to Franconia Ridge. I felt very strong today and powered up the climb to Liberty Springs Campsite. Not too long after that I crossed above treeline and onto Franconia Ridge.

Now they say optimum hypothermic conditions are 40-50 degrees, cool breeze, and rain/mist. Unfortunately those are exactly the conditions I found all the way up to Mt. Lafayette.


So it was good that I felt strong becuase my body heat is what was keeping me from getting in a dangerous situation. I realized this and made it a point to never rest for very long. I was beat when I reached the summit at 11:45 and I began descending a little dissappointed that the forecasted sun had never arrived. That being said, hiking in the clouds above treeline was almost ethereal/other worldly. It kept reminding me of a scene from Lord of the Rings.


Luckily during my descent and then climb of Mt. Garfield, the clouds parted and I got my first real views of the trip. It was outstanding.

Because I was worried about being hypothermic, I had not stopped to eat or really rest this morning at all and by the time I reached the campsite at 2:30-3:00, I was feeling weak and kind of cold. I tore into my food and got out of my wet clothes and all was well.

During the long afternoon I had to kill, I chatted with the caretaker, Claire. She thru hiked the AT in '03 and was cool to chat with. In the offseason she manages the waste disposal and recycling operations at a science station at the South Pole! Sweet.

The rest of the time I read The Brothers Karamazov (or at least part of an abridged version) and chatted with the few others who came to the shelter. It started to get very, very cold so I crawled into my sleeping bag early. I bet by the time we went to bed it was in the lower 50s and probably will get into the 40s during the night.

I still haven't decided where I will hike to tomorrow. We will have to see if I want to stay at Ethan Pond or spend a 2nd night at the hiker hostel at Crawford Notch.

Mileage - .7 Franconia Notch State Park to the AT, 10.3 miles on the AT

Lincoln, NH

To say the rain is getting annoying would be an understatement! However, I would be lying if I didn't say today was a great day in it's own right. The day started early again (around 7:00). Our shelter had been full with only 5 hikers (Pond Scum, Cranky Pete, Professor, Blazing Socks and I). I knew it was going to be a short day for me so I told the guys who were interested that I would catch a shuttle from Dutch with them at the bottom and took off by 7:30.

I totally understand how hard the Kinsman Peaks would be but I must have been looking towards Lincoln too soon. The climbs were very steep and even a scramble at times in both directions. By the time I made it down to Lonesome Lake Hut my knees were screaming! I had got myself in front of the group of hikers so I stopped to wait in the cafeteria area of the hut. These places are pretty cool. You are way up in the woods and bam! there is a mini hotel. This particular one had enough space for 48 customers. Amazing. The only downer was that the staff wasn't really all that friendly. My guess is that they are tired of seeing thru hikers or something. Unfortunately, my overall impression of these AMC huts was that they are a cool, overpriced concept with unpersonable staff. Oh well! Not a great first impression but my mind could still change. I will have to see how things go the next time.

Anyway, I left because I didn't really care to hang around any longer. The lake was pretty cool thought. About 1/2 mile down the trail... guess what happened?.... it started raining! I didn't really care but it certainly is the continuation of a theme. I finally made it down to US 3. I wrung out my shirt and sat down and waited for some others to show up. Cranky Pete finally showed up and we walked to the Flume Visitors Center... you guessed it.... in the pouring rain.


After a reuben and french fries, Dutch came and picked us up and dropped us off at Chet's. After showering and doing laundry we headed into town (a short 1/2 mile walk) where I finally replaced my busted belt buckle and then we had pizza before heading back to Chet's. Today's theme has been getting to know people on the trail....

Chet's Place

My home for the night.

Cranky Pete - oldest of 4 boys plus 3 other adoptees. Lives in NJ near the high point. Graduated with an undergrad in marketing and is still sorting out what he is doing next in life. Went to Syracuse. Grandparents live in Peru, VT.

Professor - Went to Bowdoin College. Undergrad in Chemistry. Starting grad school in chemistry next month.

Blazing Socks - Undergrad in mechanical engineering. Recently married (I can't believe he is out here). Started on the trail in Virginia.

Dutch (trail name) - Has been yellow blazing (driving) and hiking sections as she goes for years. She is currently shuttling people around in Lincoln. She only charged Pete and I $3 for the ride. She wouldn't accept more than that. Just the cost of gas and that is it.

Grandpa Joe - Undergrad in Computer Science. He workds at US Steel making internal online apps. He is starting school again in 15 days and is probably going to miss the last 100 miles of the trail (that stinks)

Foot Note - From North Carolina. The only other LDS person I have met on the trail. I picked up on this when I heard him talk about his daughter going to BYU. He is writing a book about his trail adventures.

Chet (short for Chester) - The guy is amazing. In 2001 he had an accident with an MSR stove that left him badly burned and 7 years later he is still fighting the effects. His sight is still severly damaged. He really only sees flashed of light that apparently fire as his nerves continue to grow. is story includes 8 flatlines and many organ failures. Basically it is more than one miracle that he is alive. Anyway, his determination and outlook on life are inspirational. He basically now just loves to be part of the AT community and loves having us all here. He doesn't charge a dime but does accept donations from us. I have him $20 for his hospitality.

Well it was a good day on the whole. Not much for pumping out miles but great nonetheless. I have a 7:30 shuttle lined up for tomorrow and believe it or not the forecast is for .... sun! It couldn't have come at a better time because I am hiking up Franconia Ridge and above treeline tomorrow morning!

Trail Names - One Gallon, Grandpa Joe, Chet, Dutch, Snake Whisperer, Shelter Monkey

Mileage - 8.8 miles on the AT, 1 to the Flume Visitors Center

Eliza Brook Shelter

After a relatively short night's sleep (~6 hours) I woke up at 7:00 and packed up my gear. The hostel was fun for me (maybe a little expensive for what you get) but I have heard some complaints about it since from some of the NOBOs. I guess I just didn't know any better. It was just good to not have everything feel sticky for a few hours.

I started the day by fording the Olevarian Brook which had calmed down considerably since yesterday... which made the crossing a bit anticlimactic. The climb up Moosealaukee actually went really well. The trail wasn't very wet and it had a pretty constant pitch which seemed to help me just attack it. I actually really enjoyed the long climb and found myself at the peak with few breaks in the clouds where I could actually see the valley below. The sun tried hard to break through too but was mostly unsuccessful. This was my first summit on the trail above the tree line and although I didn't have any spectacular views, I still loved the hike.


The hike down the north side was just as engaging. After a lunch of Ramen and Pop Tarts, I headed down the treacherous (the forest service's words, not mine) north side of the mountain. Dangerous was right. The decline was very steep and it was stepped out with rebar hand holds in many places. Having it be wet only added to it.

The coolest thing was that the trail paralleled a brook that gained in volume and intensity as the hike progressed. So the hike was loaded with waterfalls, cascades and the sound of rushing water. It was awesome!

The only problem with having such a great morning was that I still had an 8 mile hike ahead of me and as luck would have it, it was all wet, all muddy, and mostly uphill! It was fine but I was really dragging by the end and was starting to lose the mental edge I had been maintaining. It was probably one of the hardest afternoons, physically, I have had.

The good news is that now I am a full day ahead of schedule.... like tomorrow night was when I was scheduled to be at this shelter. That means with just a few days left, I have a day to kill somewhere. I think I am going to take it as an extra day along the Franconia Ridge or maybe at the hostel in Crawford Notch. Either way, I am going to stay at the hostel in Lincoln (Chet's) tomorrow and hopefully, finally get my buckle replaced at the Lahouts outfitters in town.

For the last three days, have ended up with Cranky Pete, Blazing Socks and Professor at the same shelter. That has made for good conversation as we rehash the day, the impressions, the emotions and people's histories.

I can feel the end of the trail coming soon now. I do welcome it but I know I will long to return as well.

Trail Names - Pond Scum, Footnote (writing a book)

Mileage - 17 miles on the AT

Warren, NH

What a full day today! I actually had a great night sleep with only minor interruptions from the one snorer two pads over. My solution was to play the iPod and try and block him out. The thing that finally woke me up was a downpour that started around 4:00am. I woke up and went back to sleep hopelessly wishing it would stop before the morning came. As expected, 7:00 came and the rain was still coming down hard. I decided to get up anyway and hit the trail around 7:30 in the pouring rain. The first summit was Mt. Cube and hiking it in the rain was awesome! As I neared the summit and came out of the trees the wind and rain would pelt me and I had visibility of about 50 feet. I was loving it! It continued to rain all morning and as it did the hills began to release the water too. Our trails turned into streams, my boots filled with water and by 9:00am everything was a swamp. After a while, I just started stepping into puddles up to my ankles that I normally would try to avoid because the wetness just didn't matter.

At one point (Bartlett Brook?) a normally easy brook crossing turned into a ford because the water had swelled so high. I threw my boots around my shoulders and walked into the water completely barefoot (not normally a smart thing but I had a great time!). It was so much fun for me. The only downer for the morning was that I really, really had to use the privy for most of the morning's hike. By the time I reached Ore Hill Shelter around 11:15-11:30 it was at emergency status. It was easily the nastiest privy I have ever seen but it was a beautiful sight to me!

After some cocoa and a snack at the shelter, I decided to move. Clothesline opted to stay behind as he wasn't looking forward to more hiking in these conditions. There were also two hikers (Red and Thought Criminal) who were obviously taking a zero at the shelter. It seemed a lot of people weren't looking forward to moving today.

Around 12:30 the rain mostly stopped for the day and I was already on my way to Glencliff. As I was cruising along (~1 mile from my goal) I stopped in my tracks because about 20 feet off the trail was a big cow moose! She didn't seem too surprised to see me so I took a couple of shots and moved on.


Glencliff was pretty cool too. I decided to stay at the Hiker Hostel.

I showed up and there were already more than 15 people there (some for more than 3 days). The place is pretty cool (although it could definitely use a little bit of cleaning). There is a bunk room upstairs that sleeps 10 (3 bunk beds, 2 couches, and a couple of mattresses on the floor). I have a floor mattress. Also people tent outside. There is a grill, an outdoor shower, a computer, a common room, a DVD player, TV and hundreds of movies. I took a shuttle into Warren and stocked up on food including some instant gratification... namely some pizza and a sandwich. Our driver, Fat Chap, helps out with the hostel and gave us a tour of Warren that was pretty fun.

When we got back I enjoyed a lot of conversation, did laundry, did email, and took a shower. I had originally planned to do all shelters (no hostels) but I realize now that that would have been a mistake. Meeting all these people and experiencing this part of the trail is a big part of hiking the AT. This has been fun and a great recharge after a fun but grueling day in the swamp! It was easily the wettest day of hiking I have ever had. Tomorrow may be my toughest day yet if I try to make it all the way to Eliza Brook. We will see how things go. It is also the start of the White Mountains!

Trail Names - Half Ounce, Pogo, Pinenut, Fat Chap, Possum, Stretch, Red, Thought Criminal, Rockamimi, NoCar, Professor, Ozzy, Lieutenant (or Mr. F---ing Gentle Spirit), Slim, Bogie

Hexacuba Shelter

Well the plan was to start taking it a bit easier now that the White Mountains are getting nearer but since I left at 7:00 and was pretty strong until mile 10 or 11, I decided to switch things up from my original plan and stretch the day out. The hike up Smart's Mountain was pretty good but it was also tough. Along the way I missed one turn at the top of Holt's Ledge but was able to correct it .1 miles later at the chairlift for a ski resort. The views from Holt's Ledge and Smart's Mountain were both pretty spectacular. On top of Smarts Mountain there was a great big fire tower (kind of like Stratton Mountain in Vermont). From the top you could see pretty far off.

View from Holt's Ledge

Stairs heading down from the fire tower

I left Clothesline and Cranky Pete this morning assuming they would pass me sometime along the way but I never saw them today so I am not sure where they ended up. Blazing Socks was in front of me but I never saw him either. Last night was my first night without a woman in the shelter and all the bodily functions going on told the story as well!

I arrived at Hexacuba Shelter .... or more like dragged myself in around 5:00 to find it was mostly populated by SOBOs and this crazy old guy, "Biking Ray".... who seems to be a local of sorts. He is up hiking around for a few days and will be heading back down tomorrow. Oh! While I was writing, I guess, Clothesline walked by. I must have missed him. It is good to see that someone else made it in.

Anyway, the shelter is actually shaped like a hexagon. We are all sleeping with our feet together in the center and we are going to be packed in. On top of it it seems tent sites are likely to be packed as well. I already counted 12 people and more people keep trickling in.


Tomorrow, I am thinking I will make it all the way into Glencliff and have a nice dinner! It should be 15 miles or so but the hiking looks relatively easy.

Two of the SOBOs that showed up are obviously high and they were telling all kinds of crazy stories about their slack packing adventures and all the crazy experiences they have had in every town. Smoking (not necessarily pot) is definitely a trail pass time and is part of the hiking culture. Most seem to roll their own and the preferred brand appears to be American Spirit.

Trail Names - Beetle

Mileage - 17.9 miles on the AT

Moose Mountain Shelter

I jumped on the free Orange Route bus into Hanover at 7:30 and made sure to get a few errands done. I got a haircut (I decided to stay with the buzz cut), searched fruitlessly for a replacement belt buckle (although I did figure out an alternative to the duct tape I have been using since day 1.... I am now using a couple pieces of rope and a caribeener), got an everything bagel with cream cheese (ah... yeah!), did some email, bought season football tickets, and resupplied before heading out on the trail again. I was kind of lost resupplying at the Co-op and I am afraid I didn't plan well. In the end, I pretty much just grabbed some stuff and took off. I was on the trail before noon and headed up to Moose Mountain.

Today's hike was actually pretty easy. Maybe even the easiest 10 miles of the trip so far. The climb was gradual and the weather was cool. I have started to run into a lot of other NOBO-ers and it is fun to see the culture that develops as people catch up on each others stories and hear how friends in front or behind are doing. I can see how a lot of solid friendships are formed on the trail. So far I haven't stayed in the same shelter with the same people for 2 days but I can still see how it would happen. There is a pretty big group in the shelter tonight. There is one SOBO named Joel and three NOBO who seem to know each other really well. There is also a guy named Ben who is trying to section hike NH but he seemed to be in really rough shape on the hike up. I hope he does well.

Anyway, all in all, a pretty straightforward, uneventful day. It is just fun to be back out and as much as I liked being in a motel, I like better being out here in the woods with some company.



An example of trail magic. This one had bottles of ice cold water as well as Little Debbie snack cakes.

I am thinking of Anne a lot today because of how sick the bots have been. She is very supportive and totally cool for letting me go but when things like this happen, I feel bad that she is dealing with so much on her own.

Trail Names - Clothesline (from Cincinati, OH, UofTenn), Blazing Socks, Joel (not a trail name... he also did the PCT in '06), Cranky Pete

Vocab - "bounce" - sending some of your gear forward to another town to pick it up later, "flip-flop" - change from NOBO to SOBO or vice versa. This is usually done to avoid weather at the other end late/early in the season, "friendly" - pretty straightforward. It is a home, business, or individual who are friendly and otherwise help out hikers.

Mileage - 11 miles on the AT

Hanover, NH

Man, did it rain last night! The tin roof made for a very loud exciting evening! After such a long day yesterday, I decided I would sleep in this evening and sleep in I did..... I don't think I got out of my bag until 8:30 or so but when I did I hit the trail. The late start meant I wouldn't have much time in Hanover so I took off.

Of course, when I hit W. Hartford, I just had to stop at the Village Store and eat a large Pomfret and 2 powerades too! I was hoping to enjoy the lawn and chairs a little longer when rain reared it's ugly head again. So far I have dodged most of it but it looked like it would get me this time. Rather than sit on their porch in the rain, I threw on my gear and headed out which turned out to be a mistake because about 15 minutes later while hiking uphill (towards the interstate) I threw-up a mouthful of my lunch (sorry for the gorey detail without warning). Nothing serious. I just didn't give my food time to settle. No matter, I was still glad to have stopped and enjoyed the town food!

After hiking uphill a bunch, I finally reached the Happy Hill Shelter (which was actually pretty cool... as a side note, this is the place Sy asked me to bring him camping while looking over my shoulder during my trip planning). It was a stone shelter, was in better shape than most, and even had a lantern and bow saw available for visitors to use. I stopped for a drink when a man and his dog came bounding out of the woods. He had been out looking for mushrooms. He showed them off (orange and black varieties) and then bounded off again. Kind of eccentric but it is cool to mee the locals and get to chat with all these people who are so friendly with the hikers.

Eventually I came out on Elm Street in Norwhich which had two positives and one negative. + Beautiful homes! Holy crap. The street looked like a walk through a history book..... beautiful. + Watermelon trail magic! - Walking on asphalt....crap. The hike down Elm Street was steep and the surface, of course, was very hard on the feet and it continued even further (another mile or so) in Hanover.

Connecticut River, which is also the VT/NH border

The bridge crossing from Norwich, VT to Hanover NH.

Once I got into Hanover, I stopped by the DOC (Dartmouth Outing Club) but didn't find them to be much help so I called the Sunset Motor Inn. A really nice old guy answered the phone and offered to pick me up at the CVS since the bus wasn't running. He also offered to let me use the motel's laundry machines since they didn't have a coin-op option. That was pretty nice of him. It turns out he has some BYU connections. I think one of his daughters graduated from the Y.

I was just glad to have an evening if warm food (a calzone, ceasar salad, and a Dr. Pepper) and talk with Anne and the boys. It was nice to get all of my gear clean and dry too... not to mention me (the shower was great!) Tomorrow I will do a few chores and resupply before hitting the trail again.

Trail Names - Peanut, Wrongway

Mileage - 4.8 to W Hartford, 9.3 to Norwich, .2 blue blaze at Happy Hill Shelter, .5 in Hanover

Thistle Hill Shelter

21 miles baby! (I will figure out actual mileage later... I am beat!) Last night it poured pretty hard while we slept but the sound was relaxing. I felt bad for all of the tenters (like 5 tents) who were going to have to pack wet gear in the morning. I was awake at 5:20 and on the trail before 6:00. I know that I had a ton of miles to cover so I wasn't 100% confident that I could make it happen.

In the end, it was a pretty strong day. I was able to get into a rhythm on the inclines that really helped me along. One of the cool things about today's hike was that it left the woods and went into fields and clearings near roads and hilltops.

I think in most cases it was old farming land. The result was a bit better views than I usually get to see. The only negatives were the fields were always dense with brush (I kept thinking about Lyme disease) and sometimes were very, very swampy. One cool thing was the lookout just above the hill from VT 12. There is a pretty impressive cabin up there which is open to AT hikers. Some of the wood looked like it was rotting but it was still a sweet spot.

By the time I hit Wintturi Shelter, I was about halfway and feeling pretty beat. I didn't think about how much further I had to go but focused on making it to the On The Edge Farm at VT 12 which was about 4 miles away at that point. Just before 1:00 I rolled in and feasted on a loaf of bread, sharp Cabot cheddar, a fresh tomatoe, a nectarine, a banana, 3 Gatorades... mmmmmm.


I was too full to eat their pie and ice cream but that looked amazing too. The woman working there (Lisa) was very friendly and we chatted a bit while I waited out the rainstorm that graciously waited for me to stop before it hit. Eventually another local stopped for ice cream and we all chatted on the porch for a while. After almost 2 hours, I decided I needed to go. I still had more than 7 miles to go!

The miles were tough but I made it in around 7:30. There are two others here (both NOBO like me) and they had a great fire going (Thank you!).


The water supply here is a little bit of a hike but it is beautiful. It is a waterfall. You just walk right up and at chest level, fill up!

Whike sitting on the porch st On The Edge I got to thinking about how few places have the lifestyle that these people enjoy. Not many. I don't think I could necessarily do it but I respect them nontheless. The local gentleman having ice cream had been in Pomfret his whole life (70 years) less the 4 1/2 years he spend doing sonar on a destroyer in the Navy!

Trail Names - Sofa King (say it slowly.... tee hee), Chowdah (woman from Boston, living in Colorado), Buddy - Chowdah's dog (I feel safe sleeping next to a Golden Lab for some reason!)

Mileage - .4 blue blaze to On The Edge Farm, 9.6 to Wintturi Shelter, .4 blue blaze to Wintturi Shelter, 3.7 to VT 12, 7.8 from VT 12 to Thistle Hill Shelter

Stony Brook Shelter

So before I talk about today, I need to talk about last night. At 11:00pm, I woke up with water pouring/dripping on me from the bunk above. In my half-conscious state, it took me a while to realize what was going on. My bag was wet on the outside (but not on the inside, thankfully) and my pad had a puddle on it. I squished over to the side and pushed my pad the other way until the dripping stopped an hour or so later. It made for an uncomfortable night and I woke up more or less every hour.

That being said, I was up at 6:30 and out at 7:00. The forest was beautiful on top of Pico; old pine trees and clouds with the sun shining through. I made my way down the mountain (being passed by Hammer as I approached route 4). Hammer is probably in his 50's and he started his through hike in Georgia on March 25th.

I was really looking forward to Deers Leap but I could have made a better decision on the approach. I opted to take the trail near Willard Gap/Maine Junction (where the AT and LT split). The problem was that this trail was a steep climb up Deer Mountain, down steeply on the other side, and an even steeper climb up to Deer Leap Overlook... and then back the same way, of course. That added a lot of unnecessary elevation gain and mileage since there was an easier trail a little further north on the AT. All that being said, the view from the overlook was beautiful as usual.

I also had a great break at Gifford Woods State Park. I enjoyed a couple of sodas from the vending machine, the attendant let me dry my clothes on their clothesline, and I got to talk with Anne and the boys!

I almost didn't want to go but I still had a lot of miles (7) to go including the hike out of Ottoauquechee. The locals had made a pretty cool boardwalk through the marsh surrounding the river.

The hike was tough but I had one of my stronger mental moments during this climb. I was definitely beat but was able to keep the legs moving and pushed it to the end.

I finally made it to the shelter around 6:30 where there was a big crew of southbounders who have got to know each other over the last few weeks. I have been listening to their stories about moonshine, trail magic (one had a couple catch and cook book trout for him, another had a steak in the middle of the 100 mile wilderness) and they had a small fire burning which is always uplifting.


I am nervous about tomorrow because I am beat and tomorrow is my first ever 21 mile day. We will have to see how it goes!

Trail Names - Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Skeeter, Spoonful, T.T (Trail Trooper)

Mileage - 13.5 on the AT, .5 on the Pico Peak Shelter blue blaze, 2.2 on the Deer Leap Trail blue blaze

Pico Peak Shelter

Up at 6:00 and on the trail at 6:30. The hike this morning was pretty uneventful.... just pushing, pushing. Beacon Hill climb (climb out of Clarendon Gorge) was a pain in the butt but I survived and finally made it to Cold River Road and Upper Cold River Road just before noon.

Just after crossing Upper Cold River Road, I ran into some Trail Magic. Someone had left a chair and cooler full of Mountain Dew and Coke! There was even a trail register suggesting this spot was called the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. I had one dew, then another and then hit the trail with some extra skip in my step :)

I stopped 1.5 miles later for a long lunch at the Governor Clement Shelter. This place has a bad reputation because of all the parties that used to go on here. Shrewsbury put up a gate 2 months ago to bring the traffic back and one guy, George Hall, rides up there everyday to check in on the place. It turns out he is married to a Page (Jan). I will have to ask Randy about that when I come out.

Anyway after a long lunch and giving my clothes time to dry out (it was very muggy again today), I hit the trail just as Peanut Butter Jesus and Bird Nest came walking by. We leapfrogged each other a couple of times up to Cooper Lodge and then we hiked to Killington Peak together. It was a very short, very steep climb from the lodge. Oh, I forgot to mention, it pretty much poured rain for the full 4 mile hike up Killington. I made for a very misty summitting but it was beautiful in its own right.


By the time I left the peak it was approximately 6:00 and I needed to get a move on because I still had 3 miles to go to get to Pico Peak. I was wasted by the time I finally got there. I ate my pepperoni stick for dinner (too tired to cook) and was rewarded with some snickers from a sheltermate for sharing my pepperoni, mmmmmmm....... The stream at Pico Peak Shelter is just a trickle so I wasn't able to get water and I just ran out. I am going to need to find water early tomorrow.

Trail Conditions - Muddy doesn't begin to say it. There were puddles and even full on streams in the trail for most of the afternoon. I will be wet for a few days!

Animals - Tons of frogs and toads, a gartner snake, a chipmunk, an orange salamander

Mileage - 16.3 miles on the AT, .5 on the blue blaze to Pico Peak Shelter, .4 on the blue blaze to Killington Peak

Minerva Hinchey Shelter

I'm back! It was hard leaving the family but once I was on the plane, I started getting pretty pumped for the trail. The air travel was pretty uneventful except for the ride from Boston to Rutland, which I loved. It was a short 50min flight and we never got the Cessna above 6500ft so the views were awesome (when I wasn't sleeping!). There were only 4 other passengers in the little 1o seater. Needless to say, there was no beverage service!

Gina Page (Todd's wife) helped me out by picking me up and dropping me off where I left off last year. Just a couple of minutes before noon, I threw on my pack and took off with 12 miles to cover before it got too dark.

It was fun for me to hike on trails I had been on as a young man. I walked by Little Rock Pond and remembered jumping from the cliffs on the other side with our group of Boy Scouts. I remember more than one trip up to White Rocks (although it seems the route was different). Tonight I am camping 1/2 mile from Spring Lake where I would go with the Pages and Congdons and tomorrow I hike past Upper Cold River Road (Pages live 1.5 miles from the trail) and then up to Killington Peak where I used to ski.

Cliffs on the other side of Little Rock Pond

I love the challenge of being out here. I was good and tired after this first day but thankful to be on the trail. I only ran into one other person during my hike but when I got to the shelter, there were 5 other people there; a couple going to St. Lawrence College and 3 guys (2 from Jersey and 1 from Boston) who are SOBO (Southbound) on the LT (Long Trail). It looks like they are almost done! The couple is NOBO (Northbound), I believe. The whole group ws cool to hang out with and we spend a lot of time just chatting and playing a game where you have to list all the songs you know with fruit either in the title or lyrics. One guy also gave me his leftover potatoes from dinner. Well since I didn't get to camp until after 7:00 and everyone turned in at 8:30 the fun got cut short. I have a few ambitious days ahead of me, especially for the beginning of the trip, so I am going to rest up. Tomorrow is a 17 mile day up to Pico Peak Shelter.

Trail - I heard it rained the last 2 weeks and I believe it. The trail is wet and it is muggy out here!

Broken! - The buckle on my packs waist belt. This meant I carried a lot of the weight on my shoulders instead of my hips today. Tomorrow I am going to see if a little duct tape won't fix the situation.

Trail Names - Peanut Butter Jesus, Bird Nest, Indian Cucumber, Invisible Man, Bird Talker, Hammer, Sparkles

Mileage - 11.7 on the AT, .4 on the White Rocks blue blaze

A.T. 2008 - Danby, VT to Grafton Notch, ME

Now that I know I will be heading back to the trail for ~3 weeks this summer, I have had my nose buried in maps and guidebooks every chance I have had.
I am going to pick up where I left off in Danby, VT and hike through to Grafton Notch, ME (~250 miles) or Gorham, NH (~220 miles) depending on how things go. Here is a summary of the plan. The dates may change slightly but this is what I am currently thinking.

Day	Shelter/Lodging and Notes	Miles	Day of the Week	Date
0	Fly to Boston (arrive 9:50 pm on American Airlines)	--	Tue	July 22nd
1	Fly to Rutland (arrive 11:10 am on Cape Air). Cab or Friend to Trailhead. Minerva Shelter.	11.7	Wed	23rd
2	Pico Peak Shelter (apparently Cooper Shelter isn't in good shape.... Thanks Connie!)	16.8	Thu	24th
3	Stony Brook Shelter (hit Deer's Leap along the way)	14.0	Fri	25th
4	Thistle Hill Shelter (longest day of the trip.... maybe too long?)	21.1	Sat	26th
5	Velvet Rocks or hotel in Hanover, NH (resupply and do some laundry)	14.1	Sun	27th
6	Moose Mtn. Shelter	11.3	Mon	28th
7	Firewarden's Cabin (on top of Smarts Mtn.)	12.6	Tue	29th
8	Ore Hill Shelter	12.6	Wed	30th
9	Jeffers Brook Shelter	8.5	Thu	31st
10	Eliza Brook Shelter	15.9	Fri	1st
11	Liberty Spring Tentsite (resupply in N. Woodstock before hiking last couple of miles to campsite)	11.4	Sat	2nd
12	Galehead Hut (call ahead to make reservation at hut during busy weekend)	10.4	Sun	3rd
13	Crawford Notch (hostel or hotel)	14.7	Mon	4th
14	Lake of the Clouds Hut (just down the hill from Mt. Washington. call ahead to make reservation)	11.2	Tue	5th
15	Pinkham Notch Camp (call ahead to make reservation)	14.8	Wed	6th
16	Imp Campsite (last night on the trail)	13.1	Thu	7th
17	Trident Col Shelter (resupply in Gorham, NH)	13.9	Fri	8th
18	Carlo Col Shelter (right on the NH-ME state line)	11.1	Sat	9th
19	Speck Pond Campsite	9.5	Sun	10th
20	Grafton Notch. Shuttle to Pinkham Notch.	4.6	Mon	11th
21	Concord Coach Lines Shuttle to Boston	--	Tue	12th
22	Fly home (depart 7:30 am on American Airlines)	--	Wed	13th

All in all, I think I am being pretty conservative with the mileage. There is really only one or two days where I think I might be pushing myself a little too hard. Plus, I will be hiking in the White Mountains above the tree line for a good portion of the time so I want to play it safe. I would rather have the option to hike into Maine or come home a few days early instead of having to push myself to meet an overly aggressive itinerary.
I am really excited for the first week of the hike because most of it includes trails I hiked on while we live in Rutland (White Rocks, Deer's Leap, Spring Lake, etc.....). It will be fun bringing back some of those memories.
Also, if you are interested, here are links to my primary reference materials....
- Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker's Companion (2007)
- Appalachian Trail Guide to NH-VT (1oth Edition)

Danby, VT

Another night with just me in the shelter. I must have gone to bed too early because I woke up near midnight and couldn't fall asleep. I was up for 3 hours (or so) tossing and turning but eventually I fell back asleep. As usual, I was back up and running by 6:30am. 6:30-10:00am are definitely my best hiking hours. I love to get up and going. I feel strong, I move quickly, and I seem to feel the rhythm of the earth. The already calm woods seem even more serene and I feel like the only person in them. All of this does come with one big caveat though....... spider webs! When you are the first person on the trail you have the joy of clearing all the last nights cobwebs primarily using your face.... I hate that!
Anyway, I was out of the woods by 10:30am and after a few phone calls I finally got Pop. He was 45min away so I began the 3 mile walk to Danby but after about half of it was able to hitch a ride (a first for me). While waiting for Pop I got a drink and a couple pieces of pizza!! (nice breakfast)

It is weird to be out of the woods and I miss it already. Next year I will come back and finish the last 77 miles of VT. For now, it is time for Gill's, a shower, some laundry, and then maybe a movie.



Bye, AT. I will be back next year!

Peru Peak Shelter

William Douglas Shelter turned out to be a nice spot. The shelter was made with logs and not all the joints were filled so it had an ole' timey feeling. Then I read the register and the entry before mine was from the previous day. It was the only one that day and it was a shelter inspector.... Needless to say, nobody else showed up and I fell asleep as the coals of the fire were still glowing. I must have slept well too because I woke up a little later than usual. I had packed the night before though so within 15 min, I had hit the trail... probably before 7:00am still but I can't be sure.

The morning's hike was pretty uneventful but I found myself thinking of Anne and the boys. It will be good to see them in a couple of days. Bromley was pretty cool. The clearing for skiers at the top along with the observation deck made for some nice views. I pressed on and stopped to have my lunch at the base of Styles Peak on Mad Tom Notch Road. That ended up being a good thing for two reasons. I had just run out of water (bad planning).....

...... and the hike up Styles Peak was a kick in the nuts. It reminded me of the hike up Maple Hill coming out of VT-9. I was dying by the time I got to the top. I also noticed that my feet started hurting a lot sooner today. I should see a foot specialist before coming out on to the AT again. The pain is enough to really slow me down sometimes. In the end I still averaged around 2 miles/hour and arrived at Peru Peak Shelter around 3:00pm. First things first, I dropped everything and headed over to Griffith Lake for a dip..... tired feet or not, I was walking the 1/2 mile for a swim!

When I got there there was a couple. The guy was in the nude (getting dressed after a dip) and apparently I had just missed the wife doing the same. They were a very nice couple from New Hampshire up here for the weekend. Turns out he is quite the mountaineer and had lead groups up Mt. Rainer. We had a good conversation and they seemed to know something about feet and suggested I needed support for my "transverse" arch. Sounds good to me!

This shelter is a good one for my last night. There is a stream running about 20ft from the shelter and the sound is completely calming and hypnotic. It will be fun to fall asleep to that tonight.


I will be hiking out tomorrow (7.5 miles to the trailhead, and another 3.2 to Danby) and based on my pace, I will be there before lunch. I don't think Pop was expecting such an early arrival. Hopefully I will be able to get a cell call to him to minimize the waiting around. First thing I am going to do is shower (at the VAC?) then go over to Gill's for a veggie with bacon. I can hardly wait!

I still have a few hours before I am going to go to sleep but so far the day has been great.

Lost items:
- Headlamp (crap!)

William B. Douglas Shelter

So when I got in my hammock the weather was gorgeous. I fell asleep listening to the group of diabetes kids having agroup exercise around the fire. I was pretty comfortable but I was actually able to sleep better in the shelters. Good thing because at 4:00am it began raining! I rushed myself and my gear into the shelter and crashed for the next couple of hours. Once again before some of the others in the shelter were up...I took off. My goal was 20 miles.

My feet started hurting a little bit sooner today but I was able to manage. When I go up my legs and lungs hurt. When I go down my feet hurt! I enjoyed the mental challenge of the day again. The first real challenge was Stratton Mt. After 9 miles it was time to ascend >2000ft in 3 miles. I attacked it but was dead tired when I got to the top. Right as I got there it started raining again.... I forgot to mention, my first 6 miles had me ascend out of the rain and into the clouds. That was awesome. Anyway, I ran up the tower, took a couple of pictures and ran back down to find my bag already wet. I couldn't quickly find my pack cover so I assumed I left it with Pop and I headed down. That was a mistake. My bag and I both got pretty wet.




The highlight of the day was mile 15 when I finally reached the Stratton Pond Shelter. The thing is the Hilton of shelters, a loft, bunks for 20.... Of course, you have to pay $5. I used this shelter to eat a good lunch (a little late) and swim!! That's right. I jumped in and had a "bath." It was great. I also met a dad and his twin boys. They were backpacking but you could tell they were in over their heads. One son had had an upset stomach for 2 days. They all thought the VT trails were too tough and on top of it all they got lost on their first day (like 7 miles lost). They were from NY (near Larchmont) and you could tell they had had enough.

After all of that rest, I decided to make a shot at getting to Douglas Shelter (5.3 miles away). I finally made it but was wasted. My feet hurt and I had slowed to a snail's pace. Luckily the 4 college kids occupying the shelter were upbeat and had a fire going. Nothing like a fire to recharge the batteries. I have had a good time listening to their banter (it reminded me of college). They are studying biology, geology, religion/history, and neuroscience.



I am going to try and turn in early tonight because tomorrow is another long day.... 16 miles. If I can accomplish that it will leave a short final day to hike out.

All day I have been going through the exercise of choosing my first meal once I get out. Here is what I have developed.... Gill's for lunch (veggie with bacon) and taking the Page's out for steak for dinner. Sounds delicious.

Animals I have seen:
- Red tailed squirrel
- Chipmunks
- Frogs/toads
- Garter snake
- Lots of birds
- A bear log.... would have been embarrassing if I hadn't been all by myself!