The first day out of Caratunk was fairly smooth. I was excited about the fact that I could start doing bigger miles again and even more excited about getting closer and closer to the big K (and I'm not talking about Kmart). Moxie Bald offered some spectacular views. I think I may have seen Katahdin because the day was so clear but I couldn't be sure. That night, I arrived just before dark at Moxie Bald Lean To and was greeted by none other than Jukebox. We hadn't seen each other since Harper's Ferry. I love these trail reunions. It feels great to see a fellow thru-hiker that you knew from earlier in the GAME closer to the end.
The next 18 miles to Monson were pretty cruisey. In general, the terrain chills out around here. The greatest challenge is dealing with constant wet feet because of all the fording. Maine has a ton of streams, brooks, rivers, ponds, and lakes. There is so much water in Maine. So very much. The reunions continued in town. Prana (GAME'06) described Monson as bittersweet, and I have to agree with her. The promise of finishing is exhilarating, but you are also aware that many of these friendships will be missed. That day, I was reunited with Tigger, Wobegon, Team Mofo, and Darvey. A few of us chatted late into the night.
I always planned to zero in Monson and zero I did. After the big Shaw breakfast, I spent most of the day on a giant raft in the lake behind Lakeshore Hostel and Pub with Jukebox. He impressed everyone with his ability to swim out to the raft with two drinks in hand. You could tell he had practice.
Leaving Monson, I had planned to do the 100- mile Wilderness in about 6 days, but I started to max out miles right away. The terminus was pulling me. I hiked 19 miles to Cloud Pond Lean To. These miles took all day because the beginning of the Wilderness is not flat. Also, more fording. It rained that evening but luckily I was in my bag by then.
It took all day to do the 17 miles on the next day. I fell 3 times, but I had the company of Wisp who is the only other woman my age that I have met this year. We both expressed our excitement about communicating with someone other than a 23 year old or 55 year old white man. Don't get me wrong, "Some of my best friends...." But, it was a nice break.
Day 3 of the Wilderness had a very treacherous ford. The night before, it poured continuously so that contributed to it. In addition, the rain made the trail a creek in many places. Even on the top of Whitecap, it was WET. Knowing that I was completing the last mountain range before Katahdin, I started thinking about doing the Wilderness in 5 days, and I wondered if I could do 29.6 miles the next day which would be my longest.
I woke up at 5am the next day, and I was in motion by 6:15. The trail is flat but Maine doesn't let up on the roots, rocks, and mud. I motored along pretty quickly until I ran into Hettie, who is the aunt of my friend Holler (GAME'08). She gave me some great trail magic a few years ago, and I stopped and chatted with her and her husband. Its pretty funny running into people in the Wilderness. Although, the 100 mile stretch is not really so remote. There are roads and even a hostel within the stretch. In fact, i got trail magic at 3 different roads during the 5 days.
This almost 30 mile day will remain significant in my head forever because it was during this day that I saw Katahdin clearly for the first time. There was a little sign near a lake that said "Katahdin view" with an arrow pointing right. I walked over and didn't notice a thing until I looked left and there it was.....Huge and majestic. I just sobbed and sobbed. I was so grateful that I was by myself because I worked up a good ugly cry. After that, I was almost running to the shelter. I ended up passing some friends that I would have like to see once more but they were at Whitehouse Landing and I had a one track mind. I made it to the shelter by 7:30pm and had plans to rise at 5 again.
That night, 2 hikers came in at midnight. Thats like arriving at 4am. Midnight is so late, so I wasn't so fresh in the morning when I woke up at 0'dark thirty. I carried on though. I can't really describe how surreal things get at this point. Being so close is a trip. The reality setting in is powerful. Plus, 15 miles into the day, there is a camp store with sandwiches, so I was really ready to get there.
After the food and some beer and meeting CJ the Ridgerunner, I walked the final 9 miles to the base of Katahdin. Trashcan, one of the hikers that came in at midnight the night before, was with me. We both kept muttering to ourselves that we couldn't believe we were finally there. This was kinda funny because it took me 5 and a half months and it took him 3 and a half. He's a whippersnapper.
When we arrived at the Katahdin Stream Campground, Jetpack invited us over for some trail magic with her family. We happily joined them before we settled in for the night at The Birches. The Birches is a shelter area strictly for thru-hikers. They like to keep us out of the way of the campers. Seriously, there is no telling what kind of antics we'll get into. That night, many different numbers were thrown around for wake up calls the next day. Besides myself, Jetpack, Eats, Kenyan, Sweet Pea, Sage, Trashcan, Wisp, Vinka, and Poncho Verde planned to summit as well. We knew that rain was coming late morning. We knew that the next day was a better day to summit, but none of us were waiting. I waited too long already. I planned to get up by 4:30am and be hiking by 5:30am. Trashcan and Wisp were the only ones that were down with that time and that was fine by me. I was going up that MOUNTAIN as soon as possible.
The morning brought clouds. It was cloudy at the campground. We had no idea what it was like above 5,000 feet, but I was ready to find out. The first couple of miles are fairly mild on the ascent of Katahdin. Nothing I hadn't seen before. Things changed drastically once I got about 2.5 miles in. Big boulders that were wet appeared, and I couldn't see more than a few feet ahead of me. It was dramatic. After a few miles, I was convinced I was at the top. I think the lack of visibility was throwing me off. At this point a 2 miles marker appeared on a rock, and I swear I heard the mountain say, "You didn't think I was gonna give it to you that easy, little girl?" Thats exactly what I felt like. I felt like a kid holding on to slippery rock, pulling my body up and to something I couldn't see. I would cry off and on at this point. Some sobbing and some quiet tears. Wisp was well behind me and Trashcan was well in front, so it was very quiet and private. Except the wind was howling off and on. I thought I was close again when I saw a 1 miles marker. At this point, I realized I hadn't really eaten enough, so I popped some snacks in my mouth and wondered if there was really an end.
I had to get within about 5 feet of the sign to see it. It seemed like the clouds parted and Trashcan was sorta bending over it in one of those traditional summit poses. I weeped a little more, and then I said, "Hey, I thought it was supposed to be red!" Trashcan agreed with me. We were both surprised about the brown color. Moments after we did our photo shoots, people started arriving. First, Capone (a section hiker), then another section hiker who's name I didn't catch, and then the rest of us riff raff. The rest of us nuts that walked all the way from Georgia to see this sign. It was a moment.
Just as soon as it started, it was done. Well not really. I still had to walk the 5.2 miles back down the now even slippier trail. These were bonus miles to boot. I mean, I was already a thru-hiker at this point. I had finally captured the title, the experience, and the glory. Still had to walk down the treacherous path, though. To the real world.
The real world didn't come right away though. Capone, the section hiker that we met at the summit, later became the most generous trail angel I have ever met. Not only did he provide me and Trashcan with a ride to Portland. He treated us to a lobster dinner, a night at the Clarion in our own rooms, and breakfast the next morning before we got on our buses to Logan Airport. Unbelieveable really. Needless to say, nothing really sunk in at that point.
Maybe it hasn't yet. I chased this dream for a long time. All I know is, I walked all the white blazes from Georgia to Maine in 2011. For most of them, it was the second time, and for some of them it was the third. This year, I started from the beginning and I didn't skip a blaze. I am officially a thru-hiker, and that is the end of this chapter.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Caratunk, Maine
Leaving Andover, I expected to slackpack with Team Mofo, but it was pouring, so I thought I might zero. Later, I realized that that town is no place to zero and hightailed it out in the afternoon. I only did 7.4 to the Sawyer Brook Campsite where I ran into a trail crew run by "The New Guy" (GAME '08). Apparently, while I was looking for a site, one of the guys told him I was some black girl named Cayenne with tattoos, and he was like I gotta go see if there are two of these chicks out here. He soon found out I was the one he met in '08 and we had a little reunion before I did my chores and went to bed.
The next day, the trail was crowded with French Canadians. I keep forgetting I'm so close to Canada. First, I met a large group of girls while I was going down Moody Mountain. Later in the day, I pushed on from the shelter 'cause it was crawling with a large group of French speaking boys. Someone pooped in the water source at that shelter too. Could not believe it. I had to walk way upstream to get water and it was difficult. Pooped in the stream! Unbelieveable! The upside of this day was that on all the pretty exposed parts there were blueberries or huckleberries. Yummy. Wow, I just said yummy and pooped in the same paragraph. No time for editing out here, ya'll. I camped a little past Bemis this day.
I hit Rangeley on the next day and was super happy. I decided to get my own room because I realized that I hadn't been alone in a room and away from dirty hiker boys since Virginia. VIRGINIA! The upside of this day was that the trail decided to mellow out a bit. Now Maine has alot of bog bridges. Me and the bog bridge are not friends, but on this day we did a little meadering around ponds and I like that.
After a zero in Rangeley, I took off pretty late and only made it to Poplar Ridge Lean To. I developed a pretty bad head cold the night before and was walking while blowing a snot rocket every 5 minutes (my mother will love this comment). The day was filled with spectacular views from Saddleback. 360 degree gorgeous views. There is a ton of work but a ton of pay off on clear days.
I took Nyquil that night and had trouble getting up. Didn't get moving until close to 9, but made it to Crocker Cirque Campsite. The day was cloudy and overcast and there was some treacherous downhill but other than that not so bad. I camped with a lovely couple who were flip flopping, Freethinker and Firehawk. They were kind enough to share their fire with me.
Hiking into Stratton was made a bit difficult by my persistant cold, but it wasn't the worst terrain. The descent was long though. I was happy to run into some familiar faces in the town, and it was difficult not to zero the next day when I heard the weather was going to get bad. The problem was that the weather was going to be even worse the next day...
...and it was! I hiked out late after resupplying at a general store for the first time on the trail because my maildrop was not there. The weather was fine for the majority of my hike, but when I tried to leave Horn's Pond Lean To, the crazy loud thunder started. The bigelows are not small mountains, so I decided to turn around after a half mile and head back to the shelter because I was afraid of going farther up in a storm. That night, I found great company in section hiker Alder and caretaker John who gave me mint Oreos.
I finished the Bigelows in rain. Lots of it. I hiked in pouring rain for 17.5 miles. It was my soggiest day yet. I do not remember what I saw. I just walked. It was cold and wet, and I'm glad my cold hasn't gotten worse. In fact, I think its going away. That night, I made it to West Carry Pond Lean To where I ran into Grasshopper who I was happy to see. There was another thru-hiker there that decided to pee into a Gatorade bottle right in front of me in the middle of the night but I will not mention that person's name. Grossy.
Today, I hiked to Caratunk. The miles were fairly easy and flat, and I finally got to take the ferry across the Kennebec which is a big thru-hiker deal. It was all that I hoped for. Grasshopper and I went across together after signing the waiver and dawning the life jackets. We were guided by Hillbilly and when we got across the guy that retired after doing it for twenty years was there and handed me an AT pin and said, "Today you are queen of the AT." I was like, "Honey, are you kidding me? That's every day!"
The next day, the trail was crowded with French Canadians. I keep forgetting I'm so close to Canada. First, I met a large group of girls while I was going down Moody Mountain. Later in the day, I pushed on from the shelter 'cause it was crawling with a large group of French speaking boys. Someone pooped in the water source at that shelter too. Could not believe it. I had to walk way upstream to get water and it was difficult. Pooped in the stream! Unbelieveable! The upside of this day was that on all the pretty exposed parts there were blueberries or huckleberries. Yummy. Wow, I just said yummy and pooped in the same paragraph. No time for editing out here, ya'll. I camped a little past Bemis this day.
I hit Rangeley on the next day and was super happy. I decided to get my own room because I realized that I hadn't been alone in a room and away from dirty hiker boys since Virginia. VIRGINIA! The upside of this day was that the trail decided to mellow out a bit. Now Maine has alot of bog bridges. Me and the bog bridge are not friends, but on this day we did a little meadering around ponds and I like that.
After a zero in Rangeley, I took off pretty late and only made it to Poplar Ridge Lean To. I developed a pretty bad head cold the night before and was walking while blowing a snot rocket every 5 minutes (my mother will love this comment). The day was filled with spectacular views from Saddleback. 360 degree gorgeous views. There is a ton of work but a ton of pay off on clear days.
I took Nyquil that night and had trouble getting up. Didn't get moving until close to 9, but made it to Crocker Cirque Campsite. The day was cloudy and overcast and there was some treacherous downhill but other than that not so bad. I camped with a lovely couple who were flip flopping, Freethinker and Firehawk. They were kind enough to share their fire with me.
Hiking into Stratton was made a bit difficult by my persistant cold, but it wasn't the worst terrain. The descent was long though. I was happy to run into some familiar faces in the town, and it was difficult not to zero the next day when I heard the weather was going to get bad. The problem was that the weather was going to be even worse the next day...
...and it was! I hiked out late after resupplying at a general store for the first time on the trail because my maildrop was not there. The weather was fine for the majority of my hike, but when I tried to leave Horn's Pond Lean To, the crazy loud thunder started. The bigelows are not small mountains, so I decided to turn around after a half mile and head back to the shelter because I was afraid of going farther up in a storm. That night, I found great company in section hiker Alder and caretaker John who gave me mint Oreos.
I finished the Bigelows in rain. Lots of it. I hiked in pouring rain for 17.5 miles. It was my soggiest day yet. I do not remember what I saw. I just walked. It was cold and wet, and I'm glad my cold hasn't gotten worse. In fact, I think its going away. That night, I made it to West Carry Pond Lean To where I ran into Grasshopper who I was happy to see. There was another thru-hiker there that decided to pee into a Gatorade bottle right in front of me in the middle of the night but I will not mention that person's name. Grossy.
Today, I hiked to Caratunk. The miles were fairly easy and flat, and I finally got to take the ferry across the Kennebec which is a big thru-hiker deal. It was all that I hoped for. Grasshopper and I went across together after signing the waiver and dawning the life jackets. We were guided by Hillbilly and when we got across the guy that retired after doing it for twenty years was there and handed me an AT pin and said, "Today you are queen of the AT." I was like, "Honey, are you kidding me? That's every day!"
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Andover, MAINE!
Leaving Hanover was like leaving Vegas. A Dartmouth student invited us to a party on campus the night before, and even though I'm way to old for college parties, I went with 4 fellow hikers. Lets just say Ivy League kids don't mess around. We got back a little past 2:30am and fell in to our tents. At 5:30am, the campus police woke us up and made us leave. Apparently, we were supposed to be in the woods just 5 feet back and not on the field. Needless to say, I was not ready to start hiking. Because I had a maildrop to get to by Saturday afternoon, I hiked out. It was a rough one that was made even harder because the heat wave started on this day. 16 miles in a heat wave with 3 hours of sleep is super dooper fun. I was only one of three to make it out of town that morning.
Someone told me that the part of New Hampshire before the White Mountains is easy and flat. They are a liar and are lucky I can not recall who they are. The ups start right away. Luckily, I spent the next day slacking with Book Smarts courtesy of Blink, a former thru-hiker who runs a little seasonal hiker camp. The following day, I hiked the 10 miles to Glencliff, got my package in time, and was treated to some great trail magic. Prana (GAME06) and her family took a bunch of hikers in, let us swim in their pool, do laundry, and eat up a storm. Such luck. I actually met this woman on a section hike in 2006 and she happened to be driving by when Miss Janet was giving us a ride to the store, so we lucked out on the invite.
The morning meant Moosilauke. This is the first real New Hampshire mountain. The ascent is nice and gradual and the views are above treeline and beautiful. The day was gorgeous. The descent was our first taste of what the Whites have to offer. Steep and rocky. I was hiking with Book Smarts and Trauma and she took a spill going down the mountain that really shook her. That night we stayed at Chet's Place in Lincoln, a hostel run with donations and the settlement Chet received from a lawsuit with a camp stove manufacturer. Chet is a really neat guy and puts up with some serious busy nights as his place is where Northbounders and Southbounders colllide. The place stays packed for awhile.
The next day was a short one to Eliza Brook Shelter but definitely had me noticing how long miles take up here even when there are no climbs. Same goes for the next day. I ended up taking an unintentional zero when Book Smarts started having irregular heartbeats coming out of Franconia Notch. Both Trauma and I walked back down with him and escorted him to the Medical Clinic for tests. He was hoping his electrolytes were just low. Pretty scary business considering he's only 28.
The next morning, we lost a soldier for the cause when the doctor informed Book Smarts that his electrolytes were fine. Later we would learn he had Lyme Disease, but at the time there was a sad parting. He'll be getting back on the trail after some rest and a round of antibiotics.
I said hello to the nitty gritty of the Whites that day. The climbs take forever. I can not get over how low my mileage per hour has plummeted. Its all a bit dramatic because while you are sweating and groaning, you are surrounded by the most breathtaking scenery. I have never seen anything like these views, and I have never felt this sore before either. Had to pay 8 bucks for my mousetrap shelter that night. They're Gansters at the AMC.
I did work-for-stay at my first hut the next day. For those that are not in the know: The AMC has several huts that they charge people over 100 bucks to stay in a bunk and sleep with multiple people in the same room. Thru-hikers can neither afford nor plan to stay in these bunks that are booked well in advance. The AMC solution is to let the first few of us that arrive at their door begging- to sleep on the dining room floor and do some chores. Chores can range from cleaning the freezer to washing dishes. I washed dishes at Zealand Hut and was rewarded with leftovers and floor space. That night some scout leaders kept us thru-hikers up 'til 10:30pm while they played cards. 10:30 is like 1:30am in hiker time.
I did a huge White Mountain Day, 18.9 miles, on the next day. I'm not sure what possessed me but I can only say that the first 7 miles were uncharacteristically easy followed by 5 hard slippy rock up and down crazy miles and the last ones were gorgeous and gradual all of the way to Lake of the Clouds Hut. They tried to make us sleep in the dungeon that night for the bargain price of 10 bucks. At first, I was excited because it meant I got a bunk but then I went down and saw the place. It really is a dungeon. Drippy wet, cold, windy loud, and drain on the floor where Lord only knows what crawls out of there at night. No thank you. I slept upstairs on the dining room floor with the rest of 'em.
Mount Washington was like Disneyland the next morning. People were everywhere just meandering around. I almost had an anxiety attack walking behind the slowpokes going uphill. Luckily, as Badger later noted, they drop like flies while getting air and taking pictures. Washington was pretty anticlimactic but everything after was pretty spectacular. Exposed with 360 degree views on another clear day. But then things got harder and harder. Going down Madison means descending a giant rock pile only to descend another giant rock pile. Beautiful and treacherous. At what seems like the end of the descent, you go back in the treecover and descend some more. I was in some serious pain at the end of this 15 mile day and headed to White Mountain Lodging and Hostel. This is a new place run by the Somerville family and they are fantastic. Just what the doctor ordered.
After the last few rough days, I decided to go slower. I hiked just 13 miles to Imp Campsite. Just 13. They felt pretty hard and took me all day. The next day was a short one back to the hostel and follwed by a zero. I spent the day playing monopoly with Whoop, Badger, Spark, and Orange Blaze and enjoyed the break. Also, I was celebrating the end of the White Mountains.
Maine. 17 miles the next day brought me to Maine. I wasn't sure I could make it in a day but the first 10 were fairly easy then it got all treacherous Mainey on me but I was determined to get there at that point. Maine goes all kinds of hardcore the next day with the Mahoosic Notch. Its a little over a mile of boulder scrambling. It took me two hours to get through it and then followed that up with the Mahoosic Arm which is just rock face straight up a mountain. Thats all. That's all it is. This place makes me feel like a novice. I am humbled and tired and sore. I ended up paying a final 8 bucks to the gangsters at AMC that night to camp at Speck Pond.
So here I am in Andover. I'm staying at Pine Ellis Hostel and I was fortunate to jump in on a slackpack with Team Mofo, a group of older men, who know how to hike the trail in style. They took pity on me or were bamboozled by me. Depends how you want to look at it. Point is, I slack packed today and will slackpack tomorrow and am so grateful because after New Hampshire kicked my ass, Maine has come looking for a piece. So close yet so far away.
Someone told me that the part of New Hampshire before the White Mountains is easy and flat. They are a liar and are lucky I can not recall who they are. The ups start right away. Luckily, I spent the next day slacking with Book Smarts courtesy of Blink, a former thru-hiker who runs a little seasonal hiker camp. The following day, I hiked the 10 miles to Glencliff, got my package in time, and was treated to some great trail magic. Prana (GAME06) and her family took a bunch of hikers in, let us swim in their pool, do laundry, and eat up a storm. Such luck. I actually met this woman on a section hike in 2006 and she happened to be driving by when Miss Janet was giving us a ride to the store, so we lucked out on the invite.
The morning meant Moosilauke. This is the first real New Hampshire mountain. The ascent is nice and gradual and the views are above treeline and beautiful. The day was gorgeous. The descent was our first taste of what the Whites have to offer. Steep and rocky. I was hiking with Book Smarts and Trauma and she took a spill going down the mountain that really shook her. That night we stayed at Chet's Place in Lincoln, a hostel run with donations and the settlement Chet received from a lawsuit with a camp stove manufacturer. Chet is a really neat guy and puts up with some serious busy nights as his place is where Northbounders and Southbounders colllide. The place stays packed for awhile.
The next day was a short one to Eliza Brook Shelter but definitely had me noticing how long miles take up here even when there are no climbs. Same goes for the next day. I ended up taking an unintentional zero when Book Smarts started having irregular heartbeats coming out of Franconia Notch. Both Trauma and I walked back down with him and escorted him to the Medical Clinic for tests. He was hoping his electrolytes were just low. Pretty scary business considering he's only 28.
The next morning, we lost a soldier for the cause when the doctor informed Book Smarts that his electrolytes were fine. Later we would learn he had Lyme Disease, but at the time there was a sad parting. He'll be getting back on the trail after some rest and a round of antibiotics.
I said hello to the nitty gritty of the Whites that day. The climbs take forever. I can not get over how low my mileage per hour has plummeted. Its all a bit dramatic because while you are sweating and groaning, you are surrounded by the most breathtaking scenery. I have never seen anything like these views, and I have never felt this sore before either. Had to pay 8 bucks for my mousetrap shelter that night. They're Gansters at the AMC.
I did work-for-stay at my first hut the next day. For those that are not in the know: The AMC has several huts that they charge people over 100 bucks to stay in a bunk and sleep with multiple people in the same room. Thru-hikers can neither afford nor plan to stay in these bunks that are booked well in advance. The AMC solution is to let the first few of us that arrive at their door begging- to sleep on the dining room floor and do some chores. Chores can range from cleaning the freezer to washing dishes. I washed dishes at Zealand Hut and was rewarded with leftovers and floor space. That night some scout leaders kept us thru-hikers up 'til 10:30pm while they played cards. 10:30 is like 1:30am in hiker time.
I did a huge White Mountain Day, 18.9 miles, on the next day. I'm not sure what possessed me but I can only say that the first 7 miles were uncharacteristically easy followed by 5 hard slippy rock up and down crazy miles and the last ones were gorgeous and gradual all of the way to Lake of the Clouds Hut. They tried to make us sleep in the dungeon that night for the bargain price of 10 bucks. At first, I was excited because it meant I got a bunk but then I went down and saw the place. It really is a dungeon. Drippy wet, cold, windy loud, and drain on the floor where Lord only knows what crawls out of there at night. No thank you. I slept upstairs on the dining room floor with the rest of 'em.
Mount Washington was like Disneyland the next morning. People were everywhere just meandering around. I almost had an anxiety attack walking behind the slowpokes going uphill. Luckily, as Badger later noted, they drop like flies while getting air and taking pictures. Washington was pretty anticlimactic but everything after was pretty spectacular. Exposed with 360 degree views on another clear day. But then things got harder and harder. Going down Madison means descending a giant rock pile only to descend another giant rock pile. Beautiful and treacherous. At what seems like the end of the descent, you go back in the treecover and descend some more. I was in some serious pain at the end of this 15 mile day and headed to White Mountain Lodging and Hostel. This is a new place run by the Somerville family and they are fantastic. Just what the doctor ordered.
After the last few rough days, I decided to go slower. I hiked just 13 miles to Imp Campsite. Just 13. They felt pretty hard and took me all day. The next day was a short one back to the hostel and follwed by a zero. I spent the day playing monopoly with Whoop, Badger, Spark, and Orange Blaze and enjoyed the break. Also, I was celebrating the end of the White Mountains.
Maine. 17 miles the next day brought me to Maine. I wasn't sure I could make it in a day but the first 10 were fairly easy then it got all treacherous Mainey on me but I was determined to get there at that point. Maine goes all kinds of hardcore the next day with the Mahoosic Notch. Its a little over a mile of boulder scrambling. It took me two hours to get through it and then followed that up with the Mahoosic Arm which is just rock face straight up a mountain. Thats all. That's all it is. This place makes me feel like a novice. I am humbled and tired and sore. I ended up paying a final 8 bucks to the gangsters at AMC that night to camp at Speck Pond.
So here I am in Andover. I'm staying at Pine Ellis Hostel and I was fortunate to jump in on a slackpack with Team Mofo, a group of older men, who know how to hike the trail in style. They took pity on me or were bamboozled by me. Depends how you want to look at it. Point is, I slack packed today and will slackpack tomorrow and am so grateful because after New Hampshire kicked my ass, Maine has come looking for a piece. So close yet so far away.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Hanover, NH
Yes, Betsy, I stayed at the Green Mountain Hostel, and it was great. Jeff still gives you a pint of Ben and Jerry's with each stay. It really is a treat in that neck of the woods considering that everything else is so spendy and he only charges 20 bucks for all the amenities.
Leaving Manchester Center, VT, I hiked with some buddies and met up with other buddies at the top of Bromley Mountain where there is a ski patrol shelter room which is rather swank for hiker digs. Darvey had slept there the night before and upon arriving we were greeted with his homeade sign that read, "Darvey's Hostile Inn." So many of us are overlapping on each other. Many of us met as far back as the Smokies. I finally saw Hazard again. He's one of my favorite kids on this trail. This end of the trip feels like a partial reunion most of the time. This turned out to be a perfect place for us all to hang out after a nero. The digs improved even more when Darvey discovered an alpine slide that led to a bar about a half mile down the hill. We had a blast at the Bromley Resort and then took a lift back up.
Here's the thing about the alpine slide. You shouldn't attempt to stop your slide by leaning into the fiberglass walls. If you do this you will take off quite a big chunk of skin. I know this because I have a skinless right knee. It looks like a bad skating accident, so I've been telling people I did it on the halfpipe.
The next day, brought crappy weather, but it doesn't change the fact that Vermont is BEAUTIFUL. I love it. There is some mud, but the pine forests and the lush green foliage make up for it all. We all ended up at Little Rock Pond Shelter that night, and I was so happy to be reunited with another member of Cayenne's Trail of Wayward boys: Maniac. These days the hiking crew has swollen and earned a new name: Terra Squad, coined by Drum Solo, a kid with swagger beyond his years.
I hiked into Rutland the next day, and bunked at the Back Home Again Hostel run by the 12 tribes. Now anyone that knows me, knows I'm fascinated by culty fringe religions and I love communes, so I ended up staying for 3 days. We did a slack pack between VT103 and Route 4 on one of the days and saw gorgeous views from Killington Mountain. We watched Harry Potter on the 3rd night and took up a whole row: Stanley Thermos, Hazard, Cayenne, Maniac, Trauma, Book Smarts, Darvey, and Drum Solo. Hiker Trash rolling deep. Drum bought a large popcorn and soda which we proceeded to pass down the row over and over again and then refill. Hee hee hee.
We finally walked out of Rutland and headed to the Lookout where there is a cabin that has a beautiful panoramic view from the top. It would have been perfect if it didn't storm that night and force everyone to huddle in a one area where there were actually shingles on the roof.
I've been waiting to tell ya'll this. Here comes my favorite update of the blog: I jumped off a bridge. Yeah! We hiked into West Hartford, VT and after a 19 mile day, I jumped. The boys were so proud of me when I just went for it after Hazard. In the end, Hazard, Darvey, and I were the only ones with the guts to do it. It was invigorating. That night we tented in town at a very nice man's house.
Which brings me to Hanover, NEW HAMPSHIRE! Yes. This is the last real town for awhile so we're soaking it up. We arrived here yesterday and walked around like it was Halloween collecting all the free stuff they give thru-hikers. Free slice of pizza, free coffee, free beer, free snickers. I even finagled a free pair of shoes. Hanover is better than reported. Bring on the Whites!
Leaving Manchester Center, VT, I hiked with some buddies and met up with other buddies at the top of Bromley Mountain where there is a ski patrol shelter room which is rather swank for hiker digs. Darvey had slept there the night before and upon arriving we were greeted with his homeade sign that read, "Darvey's Hostile Inn." So many of us are overlapping on each other. Many of us met as far back as the Smokies. I finally saw Hazard again. He's one of my favorite kids on this trail. This end of the trip feels like a partial reunion most of the time. This turned out to be a perfect place for us all to hang out after a nero. The digs improved even more when Darvey discovered an alpine slide that led to a bar about a half mile down the hill. We had a blast at the Bromley Resort and then took a lift back up.
Here's the thing about the alpine slide. You shouldn't attempt to stop your slide by leaning into the fiberglass walls. If you do this you will take off quite a big chunk of skin. I know this because I have a skinless right knee. It looks like a bad skating accident, so I've been telling people I did it on the halfpipe.
The next day, brought crappy weather, but it doesn't change the fact that Vermont is BEAUTIFUL. I love it. There is some mud, but the pine forests and the lush green foliage make up for it all. We all ended up at Little Rock Pond Shelter that night, and I was so happy to be reunited with another member of Cayenne's Trail of Wayward boys: Maniac. These days the hiking crew has swollen and earned a new name: Terra Squad, coined by Drum Solo, a kid with swagger beyond his years.
I hiked into Rutland the next day, and bunked at the Back Home Again Hostel run by the 12 tribes. Now anyone that knows me, knows I'm fascinated by culty fringe religions and I love communes, so I ended up staying for 3 days. We did a slack pack between VT103 and Route 4 on one of the days and saw gorgeous views from Killington Mountain. We watched Harry Potter on the 3rd night and took up a whole row: Stanley Thermos, Hazard, Cayenne, Maniac, Trauma, Book Smarts, Darvey, and Drum Solo. Hiker Trash rolling deep. Drum bought a large popcorn and soda which we proceeded to pass down the row over and over again and then refill. Hee hee hee.
We finally walked out of Rutland and headed to the Lookout where there is a cabin that has a beautiful panoramic view from the top. It would have been perfect if it didn't storm that night and force everyone to huddle in a one area where there were actually shingles on the roof.
I've been waiting to tell ya'll this. Here comes my favorite update of the blog: I jumped off a bridge. Yeah! We hiked into West Hartford, VT and after a 19 mile day, I jumped. The boys were so proud of me when I just went for it after Hazard. In the end, Hazard, Darvey, and I were the only ones with the guts to do it. It was invigorating. That night we tented in town at a very nice man's house.
Which brings me to Hanover, NEW HAMPSHIRE! Yes. This is the last real town for awhile so we're soaking it up. We arrived here yesterday and walked around like it was Halloween collecting all the free stuff they give thru-hikers. Free slice of pizza, free coffee, free beer, free snickers. I even finagled a free pair of shoes. Hanover is better than reported. Bring on the Whites!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Manchester Center, VT
After leaving Salisbury, we wanted to make sure we camped on the Massachusetts side that night. Connecticut forbids campfires, so we were looking forward to having a fire again. Grandpa, the older gent of our crew, was really excited as he likes a fire every night. Unfortunately, our campsite was not fire friendly, but at least we had another state down.
The next day was filled with beautiful views. Parts of the AT in Mass are really quite pretty. Race Mountain offers a half mile walk on an open and scenic rock ledge. That night we camped at a little place called Dolls and Dwellings where they sell interesting tchotchkes. Bum Knee, Darvey, Mean Gene, and I walked down the street from there to a BBQ joint where we tore up some grass fed burgers and I had fried kale chips. Oh yes, fried kale chips...but more on the hike.
It poured like crazy on the next day. We hiked for about 8 miles before we all decided to bounce on down to a hostel for the evening. Ray Jardine says that he can easily hike all day in the rain, and I want to be like him. I really do. But hiking in the rain sucks, no matter how ya look at it.
There was no sleeping in at this hostel. At 7:53am, the caretaker came in and asked for the pillow case I was sleeping on. Time to go. What we thought would be a leisurely exit turned kind of rapid. As we were walking the mile back to the trail, a man appeared next to his trampoline in front of his house. He said, "Enjoy your hike!" I said, "Can I jump on your trampoline?" Then he replied, "Yeah, and come in quick and I'll make you breakfast." No joke. The life of a thru-hiker. Let's just say that our mileage was reduced on this particular afternoon. We made it to Shaker Campsite that night.
We hiked to October Mountain Shelter the next day. Unfortunately, our spacing didn't set us up for Upper Goose Pond which is a nice cabin with bunks and a lake to canoe on. We did stop there. Grandpa was pulled in by the promise of coffee and pancakes in the morning, but the rest of us pushed on. That night, we met Newt, our first Southbounder, and she's a woman :)
We hiked into Dalton the next day where we asked about the Birdcage at the Shell Station and a man named Rob Bird drove over and piled us into his minivan. At his house/hostel, we took showers while Rob did our laundry and then drove us to the buffet and store. Hooray for stealth hostels.
Rob slackpacked us from Route 2 the next day, and we were all very happy to do those 23 miles over Greylock without our heavy packs. It had been so long since I slacked that I felt light as a feather and made great time even though we went up the harder way. Also, on this day, I passed the point of Cheshire where I got off last time.
We weren't able to get back on trail until late afternoon on the next day, but we were determined to make it past the state line and get to Vermont AND we did. Once we reached the border, the mud immediately appeared. This state is gorgeous but muddy, and they've had alot of rain, so my calves are a mess. But I'm in Vermont, ya'll. Yes.
Day 2 in VT, brought a little pain. Even though, I ran into Bennington to get a maildrop, I still did 23.3 miles. The terrain was fairly easy if you can deal with the mud, and I did ok with this part. I did, however, get my shoe stuck on a log which brought me straight down on the trail. I have never fallen like this. It was super scary, and I was very lucky that nothing was in the way of my face or other important places.
I spent much of the next day, waiting for the guys I've been hiking with. I had pulled ahead of them yesterday and wanted to reunite, but they were too far behind. I camped at Spruce Peak Shelter right before Manchester Center, VT, with some other friends last night.
Here I am in Vermont. I have never seen any of this part of the trail before. Bring it.
The next day was filled with beautiful views. Parts of the AT in Mass are really quite pretty. Race Mountain offers a half mile walk on an open and scenic rock ledge. That night we camped at a little place called Dolls and Dwellings where they sell interesting tchotchkes. Bum Knee, Darvey, Mean Gene, and I walked down the street from there to a BBQ joint where we tore up some grass fed burgers and I had fried kale chips. Oh yes, fried kale chips...but more on the hike.
It poured like crazy on the next day. We hiked for about 8 miles before we all decided to bounce on down to a hostel for the evening. Ray Jardine says that he can easily hike all day in the rain, and I want to be like him. I really do. But hiking in the rain sucks, no matter how ya look at it.
There was no sleeping in at this hostel. At 7:53am, the caretaker came in and asked for the pillow case I was sleeping on. Time to go. What we thought would be a leisurely exit turned kind of rapid. As we were walking the mile back to the trail, a man appeared next to his trampoline in front of his house. He said, "Enjoy your hike!" I said, "Can I jump on your trampoline?" Then he replied, "Yeah, and come in quick and I'll make you breakfast." No joke. The life of a thru-hiker. Let's just say that our mileage was reduced on this particular afternoon. We made it to Shaker Campsite that night.
We hiked to October Mountain Shelter the next day. Unfortunately, our spacing didn't set us up for Upper Goose Pond which is a nice cabin with bunks and a lake to canoe on. We did stop there. Grandpa was pulled in by the promise of coffee and pancakes in the morning, but the rest of us pushed on. That night, we met Newt, our first Southbounder, and she's a woman :)
We hiked into Dalton the next day where we asked about the Birdcage at the Shell Station and a man named Rob Bird drove over and piled us into his minivan. At his house/hostel, we took showers while Rob did our laundry and then drove us to the buffet and store. Hooray for stealth hostels.
Rob slackpacked us from Route 2 the next day, and we were all very happy to do those 23 miles over Greylock without our heavy packs. It had been so long since I slacked that I felt light as a feather and made great time even though we went up the harder way. Also, on this day, I passed the point of Cheshire where I got off last time.
We weren't able to get back on trail until late afternoon on the next day, but we were determined to make it past the state line and get to Vermont AND we did. Once we reached the border, the mud immediately appeared. This state is gorgeous but muddy, and they've had alot of rain, so my calves are a mess. But I'm in Vermont, ya'll. Yes.
Day 2 in VT, brought a little pain. Even though, I ran into Bennington to get a maildrop, I still did 23.3 miles. The terrain was fairly easy if you can deal with the mud, and I did ok with this part. I did, however, get my shoe stuck on a log which brought me straight down on the trail. I have never fallen like this. It was super scary, and I was very lucky that nothing was in the way of my face or other important places.
I spent much of the next day, waiting for the guys I've been hiking with. I had pulled ahead of them yesterday and wanted to reunite, but they were too far behind. I camped at Spruce Peak Shelter right before Manchester Center, VT, with some other friends last night.
Here I am in Vermont. I have never seen any of this part of the trail before. Bring it.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Salisbury, CT
I forgot to take my journal to the library, so I'm gonna try and wing this one. The boys are watching my pack at the grocery store.
I've been hanging with Bum Knee, Mean Gene, Darvey, and Grandpa for quite awhile now, and I've been really enjoying their company. It does get hard being the only woman sometimes, but I manage.
In Greenwood Lake, I had my first mad dash to the post office. I ran down the mountain and through the town and arrived 5 minutes before closing. I felt like I was on the Amazing Race. Bum Knee ran ahead to hold the door open in case I couldn't make it. Though I'm not sure the woman would have waited for me. Later, we went to Murphy's where we were treated like royalty. Free rounds and a man even gave each of us a 2 dollar bill for luck.
I was not a huge fan of New York the first time that I hiked it, and I can't say that much has changed. I'm just as confused about the routing of the trail in this area as I was last time. They take you over every silly rock outcrop, but for no recognizeable reason. All fun and games without a pack. We, however, are packing. At least the 100 mile deli made up for it. I've eaten so very many sandwiches in the last couple of weeks.
I am gross and disgusting. I have stains all over my shirt. There is a hole in the ass of my skirt. I have strange bumps on my thighs, and I live with a thick layer of dirt on my calves pretty much at all times. Luckily, I am still having a blast.
I wish I had more time and could continue to give the daily play by play, but that luxury seems to have gone the way of the Dodo. I'm getting closer and closer to the point I got off last time, and I have serious butterflies. I can't wait to see new trail.
I've been hanging with Bum Knee, Mean Gene, Darvey, and Grandpa for quite awhile now, and I've been really enjoying their company. It does get hard being the only woman sometimes, but I manage.
In Greenwood Lake, I had my first mad dash to the post office. I ran down the mountain and through the town and arrived 5 minutes before closing. I felt like I was on the Amazing Race. Bum Knee ran ahead to hold the door open in case I couldn't make it. Though I'm not sure the woman would have waited for me. Later, we went to Murphy's where we were treated like royalty. Free rounds and a man even gave each of us a 2 dollar bill for luck.
I was not a huge fan of New York the first time that I hiked it, and I can't say that much has changed. I'm just as confused about the routing of the trail in this area as I was last time. They take you over every silly rock outcrop, but for no recognizeable reason. All fun and games without a pack. We, however, are packing. At least the 100 mile deli made up for it. I've eaten so very many sandwiches in the last couple of weeks.
I am gross and disgusting. I have stains all over my shirt. There is a hole in the ass of my skirt. I have strange bumps on my thighs, and I live with a thick layer of dirt on my calves pretty much at all times. Luckily, I am still having a blast.
I wish I had more time and could continue to give the daily play by play, but that luxury seems to have gone the way of the Dodo. I'm getting closer and closer to the point I got off last time, and I have serious butterflies. I can't wait to see new trail.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Vernon, NJ
I was somewhat apprehensive about leaving Duncannon. I've been so lucky with falling in to great groups that I feared my luck might run out. It turns out that there was no need to worry. As I rounded the corner to the Quik Mart ,which is right on the trail, I ran into Bum Knee, Mean Gene, and Grandpa. I'm a lucky girl.
I hiked out of town with these guys and I've been hanging with them ever since. The first night we hit Peter's Mt. Shelter and the second I spent at Rausch Gap Shelter. On the third evening, I did my first Marathon Day, 26.4 miles, and a little night hiking to a campsite where Bum Knee and Mean Gene had already started a fire. Some of you may remember that the rocks begin to show up around here, so this was not without its challenges.
Headed into Port Clinton the next day. That descent is still as treacherous as it always was. My new crew and I were reunited with some old friends while in PC. I was very happy to see Darvey again, so we all celebrated with a double zero and spent the second day lounging around the pavillion.
We managed to leave town eventually and did 22.3 miles to Allentown Hiking Club Shelter, after ordering food at the Eckville Shelter that took a millenium to come. The caretaker was about a 6pack in when I asked him if everyone was allowed to drink there. He replied, "I can drink you under the table." I took that as a yes, but we hiked out before we could confirm.
The next day brought us to Palmerton. This was my first visit to this town as I stayed in Slatington 3 years ago. I wish I had visited Palmerton earlier. The people were so friendly. We stayed in the jailhouse hostel which is really just a government building that they let hikers bunk downstairs in. My bud, Bum Knee, had to watch the door while I showered as it was something straight out of the HBO series, OZ. Really a once in a lifetime experience. They give you a free apple at the grocery store. For real. Any apple you choose as long as you're a thru-hiker. That's what I call hospitality. Palmerton wins best PA town for sure and is in the running for top five of the trail.
After doing laundry in the morning, I hiked out with Darvey. We got a ride back to the trail from a guy in a convertable. Climbing out of the gap was really fun. It was a beautiful day and I really enjoyed climbing the rocks. I know that sounds crazy but I really like this spot. The views are fantastic. Sometime after summiting the climb, I ran into Mean Gene and Bum Knee who were picking huckleberries. The first berries of the year. We spent a good 45 minutes picking and eating. That night we stayed at Leroy A. Smith Shelter.
We hiked into Delaware Water Gap the next day and stayed at the Church of the Mountain Hostel. The following day we were all convinced to zero because the weekly church hiker feed was not to be missed, and we're not ones to turn down free food.. I had a great zero in the DWG. I spent most of the day walking around with Mean Gene and Giggle. I found a straw cowboy hat in the clearance bin at the outfitter and I've been sporting it ever since.
We eventually left DWG, but not before I purchased new trail runners. They are bright red and Bum Knee calls them my ruby slippers. That day we got stormed on and ended up at the Mohican Outdoor Center. Bunks for 31 bucks which is not exactly a deal but its run by the AMC (Appalachian Money Club), and I've never been under the impression that they are too keen on thru-hikers. The don't even have a sign at the gravel road that leads there from the trail. At least we had a dry place to sleep.
20.9 miles to Gren Anderson Shelter the next day but not before stopping at Gyps. Quick shout out to the Bulls, and Thinker (all GAME '08) who Tailgate and I have fond memories of sharing some food and beer there with a few years ago. Gyps hasn't changed much. I sorta had to convince the boys not to start a bar fight though. They get worked up sometimes.
Yesterday we hiked into Unionville where the mayor no longer runs a hostel. We stealth camped behind the clerks office and were all woken up at 2 am when the drunken youth of the town decided to come and play basketball right next to us. Bartless said it was a scene straight outta American History X.
I'm writing this from St. Thomas' Episcopal Church Hostel. Thank goodness for the kindess from the churches of all denominations along the trail. We really are lucky that so many of them reach out and give shelter and so much more to us grubby travelers. Today was hot and not so tree covered. Glad to be here.
I hiked out of town with these guys and I've been hanging with them ever since. The first night we hit Peter's Mt. Shelter and the second I spent at Rausch Gap Shelter. On the third evening, I did my first Marathon Day, 26.4 miles, and a little night hiking to a campsite where Bum Knee and Mean Gene had already started a fire. Some of you may remember that the rocks begin to show up around here, so this was not without its challenges.
Headed into Port Clinton the next day. That descent is still as treacherous as it always was. My new crew and I were reunited with some old friends while in PC. I was very happy to see Darvey again, so we all celebrated with a double zero and spent the second day lounging around the pavillion.
We managed to leave town eventually and did 22.3 miles to Allentown Hiking Club Shelter, after ordering food at the Eckville Shelter that took a millenium to come. The caretaker was about a 6pack in when I asked him if everyone was allowed to drink there. He replied, "I can drink you under the table." I took that as a yes, but we hiked out before we could confirm.
The next day brought us to Palmerton. This was my first visit to this town as I stayed in Slatington 3 years ago. I wish I had visited Palmerton earlier. The people were so friendly. We stayed in the jailhouse hostel which is really just a government building that they let hikers bunk downstairs in. My bud, Bum Knee, had to watch the door while I showered as it was something straight out of the HBO series, OZ. Really a once in a lifetime experience. They give you a free apple at the grocery store. For real. Any apple you choose as long as you're a thru-hiker. That's what I call hospitality. Palmerton wins best PA town for sure and is in the running for top five of the trail.
After doing laundry in the morning, I hiked out with Darvey. We got a ride back to the trail from a guy in a convertable. Climbing out of the gap was really fun. It was a beautiful day and I really enjoyed climbing the rocks. I know that sounds crazy but I really like this spot. The views are fantastic. Sometime after summiting the climb, I ran into Mean Gene and Bum Knee who were picking huckleberries. The first berries of the year. We spent a good 45 minutes picking and eating. That night we stayed at Leroy A. Smith Shelter.
We hiked into Delaware Water Gap the next day and stayed at the Church of the Mountain Hostel. The following day we were all convinced to zero because the weekly church hiker feed was not to be missed, and we're not ones to turn down free food.. I had a great zero in the DWG. I spent most of the day walking around with Mean Gene and Giggle. I found a straw cowboy hat in the clearance bin at the outfitter and I've been sporting it ever since.
We eventually left DWG, but not before I purchased new trail runners. They are bright red and Bum Knee calls them my ruby slippers. That day we got stormed on and ended up at the Mohican Outdoor Center. Bunks for 31 bucks which is not exactly a deal but its run by the AMC (Appalachian Money Club), and I've never been under the impression that they are too keen on thru-hikers. The don't even have a sign at the gravel road that leads there from the trail. At least we had a dry place to sleep.
20.9 miles to Gren Anderson Shelter the next day but not before stopping at Gyps. Quick shout out to the Bulls, and Thinker (all GAME '08) who Tailgate and I have fond memories of sharing some food and beer there with a few years ago. Gyps hasn't changed much. I sorta had to convince the boys not to start a bar fight though. They get worked up sometimes.
Yesterday we hiked into Unionville where the mayor no longer runs a hostel. We stealth camped behind the clerks office and were all woken up at 2 am when the drunken youth of the town decided to come and play basketball right next to us. Bartless said it was a scene straight outta American History X.
I'm writing this from St. Thomas' Episcopal Church Hostel. Thank goodness for the kindess from the churches of all denominations along the trail. We really are lucky that so many of them reach out and give shelter and so much more to us grubby travelers. Today was hot and not so tree covered. Glad to be here.
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