Almost Like Taking a Leak in the Woods

For all those who competed in the 2007 Pee-A-Tree competition on the Appalachian Trail, here is the perfect urinal for your home.

You're welcome, Hey Man Crew.

Wakeup Accountability

I am publicly posting my wakeup times, so I can embarrass myself into getting up every day at 6:30a. It seems that no matter when I go to bed I've been rolling out of bed around 7:30a, and I really want to make better use of my mornings. You can watch the drama here as it unfolds.







(You can track your own nerdy data and statistics by requesting an account over at Daytum).

Sleddog Sightings

Today I received a call from a friend who currently lives in Bellingham, WA, who asked to remain anonymous. All I can say is that we met him on the A.T. and his name rhymes with "Nearwater."

My friend could not believe his eyes, but was calling to report that he has now twice seen Sleddog, the trail legend of 2007, on the streets in Bellingham.

Since Sleddog has the ability to attach himself and take advantage of anyone who directs attention his way, my friend has not yet spoken to him. From distant observation, Sleddog appears to be in a transient situation, living on meals from the mission and relying on Bellingham's programs to help homeless.

It would be fascinating to hear what he's been up to.

Back in the Land of Cotton

After our five month excursion, our bodies tell us they want to be in motion. It is very difficult to sit still for more than an hour. I find myself wanting to stretch, walk, do push ups, or calf raises on a step. This condition is exaggerated when travelling in a confined space, which we've been doing lately.

After a shuttle from Millinocket to Medford and then a bus on to Bangor, ME - we split a rental car with some fellow hikers who drove to New Hampton, NH where we stayed with our friend "Gorbo" (his winter hiking website). In the morning we rode on with "Safari-26" and "Turbo Turtle" to a quick stop by the Inn at the Long Trail to see what hikers had signed in after us. Shortly after they dropped us off in Rutland Vermont, as they continued on to the mid-west.

We've been spending a few days in Rutland, VT with friends from the Twelve Tribes who we originally met at Trail Days and then stayed at their hostel when hiking. Lauren and I have been learning how to make Spelt bread in their bakery and are decompressing from our summer at the café. It is enjoyable to work together learning something completely new. We look forward to continuing the momentum and unity we've experienced and discover how that develops in the chapter of our lives.

Later this week we're planning to reconnect with Sally and Ellen from the Mahoosucs Boundary Project and see our friend, Tom, who is also in the general area. If he is still headed down to the ALDHA (American Long Distance Hiking Association) convention, we're thinking we may be able to share a ride with him - although we won't be attending.

Many people have written us with congratulations and asked about how we're feeling. So far, we are feeling relaxed, satisfied and proud of completing such a rewarding undertaking.

What a treat to be clean and wearing cotton again, which we picked up at the thrift store in Rutland. Now I just need to find some comfortable shoes so I can destroy my wretched hiking shoes and also get out these $2 flip-flops.

We've Run Out of Trail

We summited Katahdin just before 8am on September 27, 2007. The northern terminus of our 2,174 mile journey on the Appalachian Trail. (Yesterday I left a message with my sister, Bethany, who will post when she finds time between college classes. Thanks for your huge commitment this summer, Bethany!)

We are elated, satisfied and happy not to be walking in the rain this morning. We're in Millinocket Maine this morning, enjoying coffee and breakfast at a diner. I will be posting more stories and photos as I have available internet access. We are taking it slow and lying low for the time being, just adjusting back to town life.



Our view of Katahdin from Abol Bridge, just 10 miles to the north. What an amazing mountain and conclusion to our adventure.



We began our summit attempt at 4am. The fog lifted just after 5am giving us sweeping views of the surrounding peaks.

We were joined by "Turbo Turtle" and "Safari-26" on our steep boulder scramble up Katahdin. Our friends "He-Man" and "She-Ra" summited with us as well, barely visible in the background of the photo above.

Update - Monson, Maine (Mile 2059.5)

Today we hiked to ME15 after six miles, and hitched into the friendly town of Monson, Maine. With mixed emotions we're enjoying our LAST trail town before Baxter Park and our climb up Katahdin. This afternoon we're relaxing, preparing for our final stretch, and spending the night at Shaw's Lodging. We'll be loading up with 7 days of food, so we can take it nice and easy in the 100 mile "wilderness."



Our traverse of the Bigelow Range was one of our more dramatic moments on the trip. Avery Peak - named for 1930's A.T. visionary and builder, Myron Avery - was stormy and covered in clouds all day except for the hour that we passed over. The clouds swirling along the ridge line and Little Bigelow peaking through made our day!



On Monday (9/17) we hiked to the Kennebec River, where we were safely escorted across by M.A.T.C. ferryman Steve Longley. The river was about 6 feet deep where the trail crosses, and has a dam upstream that automatically releases more water during increased power demand. The Maine Appalachian Trail Club has paddled over 9,000 hikers across this river in the last 30 years.



We're delighted by all kinds of colorful surprises as September comes to a close. This week we discovered that the bright green moss we've been seeing all summer is now turning to an intense crimson.



So far we've seen three moose and heard another running away. This one was just north of Andover. We watched each other for several minutes before parting ways.



Cousin Amy, we received the congratulations card at the Post Office today. Thank you so much! There is no town of Katahdin, Maine - so they figured out where to send it to us anyway.

Another Day in Stratton, Maine

We decided to stick around Stratton for an extra day today, giving Lauren's shin splint some extra time to recover. She is feeling somewhat better, but is definitely walking gingerly. We are going to walk a few miles north of Stratton tonight and be ready for a full day tomorrow.

We are about 2 days from Caratunk, and then 3 days from Monson - our final town stop, where the final “100 mile wilderness” begins.

Update - Stratton, Maine (Mile 1986.2)

After drying out in Rangely on Monday, the following two days en-route to Stratton have been the most challenging conditions we've faced on the trip.

Our 9am climb over the Saddleback Mountains on Tuesday (9/11) was above treeline and consisted of several hours of slippery steep rock slabs in howling wind. We hiked through rain-laden clouds that deposited their moisture as they whipped past. In such conditions we struggled to make more than one miler per hour. Although the temperatures were probably in the high 40s, the wind chill numbed our hands and reminded us to keep moving to retain our body heat.



I did not bother with a photo during that stretch, in the interest of the camera's and our own well-being. All told, we did hike a surprising 15 miles that day and saved our insulating clothing for camp, where we were cozy through the night.

We heard later from our friends Josh and Sara (aka He-Man and She-ra), that by time they arrived at the same summit 4 hours later, the gusts were strong enough to move a 175lb person (maybe 70mph). They retreated to treeline where they huddled in their tent for 18 hours, before heading 6 miles back into Rangely to regroup.



The following morning was difficult mentally to put our toasty feet into cold, wet socks & shoes and then head out into the same blustery and soaking conditions. Fortunately our day was entirely below treeline and we were pleasantly surprised when the sun pierced the clouds by 10am. By the afternoon, the winds were strong and the clouds had broken up allowing views from the Crocker Mountains. With that encouragement we continued on all the way into Stratton by 5pm where we found a comfy hotel room at the White Wolf Inn.



It's been almost three weeks since we took a complete day of rest (our "days off" doing trail work didn't count...) and we've been feeling the effects. Lauren's right ankle has been increasingly bothering her with an overuse injury that is probably a shin splint.

Yesterday it took her an above-the-doctor-recommended dose of Advil to make it into town. Today she is completely off of her feet resting in our hotel room. We may take another day off tomorrow for good measure, but will make that call in the morning.



Now that the rain has passed through, our skies are clear blue and the temperatures distinctly crisp. Fall is upon us in the northeast, and the first changing colored leaves are beginning to poke through.

It is difficult to believe that we are now 187.8 miles from the northern terminus of the trail, Katahdin.

Update - Andover Maine

As one might guess, Maine has been incredibly beautiful so far, although unseasonably warm. We were in the 80s today!



Lauren and I hiked through the rugged Mahoosucs over the last couple days. The Notch and Arm were quite challenging stretches and slowed us down quite a bit. At certain points you need to take off your pack and crawl under house-sized boulders.



It took us about 2.5 hours to come through the nothch, mostly because Lauren's sugars were not all that strong and she was also spooked by the grusome moose carcass that is literally on the trail. (He fell down the cliffs over a month ago and we've been hearing about it since Massachusetts. He was "mercy-killed" after 5 days and now has prayer flags over him.)



Our stealth camp sites at night have been some of our most favorite of the trip. The weather has permitted us to sleep out under the stars or under a canopy of trees, without using our tarp.



Our friends at the A.T.C. made arrangements for us to stay with "Bear" and "Honey" at "The Cabin" in East Andover. The cabin is actually fairly full so they put us up in the pop-up outside. When hikers wash clothes we usually wear our raingear, so complimentary wash duds are always a treat.

Thank you for the notes and encouragement... Lourdes, Adrian, Matt...
We're having so much fun.

Update - Gorham, N.H. (Mile 1876.1)

We had fantastic weather through the White Mountains which is a rare gift. For much of our above-treeline walk we could see to the horizon, including 100 miles to the Atlantic Ocean.



The hut system in the Whites was an interesting change of pace for us, although expensive for regular guests. As thru-hikers we were able to do work-for-stay and receive a meal and sleep on the floor in the dining area. We arrived at Lakes of the Clouds Hut about 20 minutes after our hail-storm episode and were grateful to dry out and relax for the night.



In the morning we summitted Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeast. It's reputation as the "worst weather in the world" did not disappoint, as we had visibility of about 25 feet. The much anticipated Cog Railway was an unsusual spectacle as well. Evidently they are now ticketing thru-hikers who try to participate in the long-standing tradition of mooning the passengers.



We were rewarded with some amazing trail through the Whites, although some was quite treacherous. Our pace averaged between 45 and 60 minutes per mile, which is nearly double what we have been used to hiking. Slippery rocks and steep elevation changes just require much more concentration, careful foot placement and strength.

This evening we are resting in Gorham,NH, only 8 miles from the Maine border. Our friend "Ping" who we haven't seen since NC has opened her house to us while we're here. As planned, we will be joining Sally and Tom in the morning to do some "sherpa-ing" for the border maintenence project in the Mahoosucs. We expect to be continuing on our journey on 9/4 or 9/5.

Big thanks to the people who truly enhanced our experience in this stretch: the Canadian cheese people, Clearwater, Tim and also Marie for the rides at Franconia Notch.

Update - Hanover, NH (Mile 1732.1)

On our road walk into town on Tuesday afternoon, we met Figgy's parents who drove up to see us and were walking southbound to meet us. Together we crossed the bridge over the Connecticut River, which is the VT/NH border, and made our way to the college town of Hanover, New Hampshire.

In preparation for the next stretch we are joining Figgy's parents and Nan back for a day off, where we'll be relaxing, regrouping and resupplying before heading out this weekend.

Anticipating cooler temperatures, we now have our cold weather gear back with us including: insulated jackets, heavier sleeping quilt, insulated hats, gloves, rain mitts - all of which I made. We will also be carrying our alcohol stove with us again since Figgy's favorite comfort food on the trail is a hot cup of coffee.

We are glad to have new shoes (our 4th pair) that should take us to the end of our journey. Thanks again to Clyde and Lynda for coordinating our wardrobe change and helping us in this final resupply.

In Hanover we connected with our friends He-Man and She-Ra who joined us all for excellent Indian food, exchanged lively trail stories and crashed on the floor at our place. Although we've known He-Man and She-Ra since Pennsylvania, we've only actually hiked with them a few times. In Maine we're planning to align our schedules and will probably summit Katahdin on the same day.



Today we hiked another 14 miles north of town and were joined at the end by Figgy's parents, since they love hiking and so we don't lose our forward momentum. We continue to hike past sugaring lines (for maple syrup), enjoy the cooler temperatures and lack of bugs, and love the scenery that we pass through.

Update - Rutland, VT (Mile 1686)

With our harrowing Thursday night on top of Killington, we were happy to have some time in town to dry out and warm up.

On 8/17 we stayed at the Inn at the Long Trail which is also home to the McGrath's Irish Pub. After completing some afternoon errands in town we spent the evening in the cozy pub listening to live Irish music.



Saturday we made our way down the road into Rutland for the first annual Long Trail Festival. Although only its first year, we were impressed with the 50 or so A.T. and L.T. hikers who showed up and with the local turnout. Lauren and I watched a presentation on the Continental Divide Trail (C.D.T.) and another on the Long Trail and enjoyed live music, great food and a warm fire late into the chilly evening. For us, the highlight was meeting up with fellow thru-hikers that we have not seen for hundreds of miles who had hitched up to the festival.

That night we stayed at the hostel in Rutland operated by a messianic community called the Twelve Tribes. We had met community members Ranan and Keshir back at Trail Days in Damascus when they had first told us about the Rutland festival, so we were delighted to see them again. I do not know the finer points of their theological beliefs, but I was impressed by their warmth and generosity and their thriving businesses including the Back Home Again cafe that is as busy as any I've seen in Los Angeles.



Work-for-stay at the hostel is encouraged, so Lauren and I spent two enjoyable hours on Sunday morning washing festival dishes at the cafe. By the afternoon, it was tough to get back in gear and get back on the trail - a refreshing town stop typically is - but we set a manageable goal of 6 miles for the evening and were proud of ourselves to be moving again.

Update - Manchester Center, VT (Mile1636.2)

We've crossed 1600 miles this week and the 75% mark! Vermont is treating us well with spectacular views, lush green trail and some fantastic weather. We think the bugs are behind us and the best part of the trail is still in store.



We continue to see amazing beaver dams - one 100 yards long and 5 feet high. They are truly impressive engineering spectacles. This week we've also seen our first signs of moose - droppings and tracks - and can't wait to see them in person.



Lauren has been having some emotional ups and downs on the trail, but her friend She-Ra (Sara) has been a great support lately. Lauren's parents are visiting with us in Hanover, NH when we arrive there next week.

We're feeling great and feel so fortunate we've made the decision to be out here this summer. Thanks to everyone for the emails and comments:

Big Jim Hays, Tim, Kimiko, Erin D, Amy & Ray, G, Cousin Carrie, Staaaats, Adrian, Rob, Matt, Dan & Tracy, Fatherof2, PassionPhish, Clearwater, Koza...

We read all of them, but can't get back to everyone personally right yet.

Happy Six Years

This morning we grabbed a quick shower at a powerplant along the trail here in Connecticut, and then walked a few more miles into town.

Salisbury, CT (Mile 1484.2)

Today is out 6th year anniversary and we spent the morning walking along the Housatonic River making our way to Salisbury, CT. We'll be taking the rest of Saturday off along with Sunday and enjoy the charm of this quintessential New England town.

Tonight we'll enjoy a dinner at the White Hart Inn. Tomorrow we'll no doubt be spending some time at The Roast Coffee House. When we head out on Monday morning we're 7.3 miles from the Massachusetts line and the Birkshire Mountains.

We haven't seen a tick for days and couldn't be happier.

- - - -



UPDATE: We ended up staying with a fiesty 78 year old German woman with a sharp tongue and a great sense of humor. Maria takes hikers into her home and treats them like family. We shared our anniversary picnic dinner in her yard and had a wonderfully memorable stay.

Update - Kent, CT (Mile 1451.2)

Last night we crossed the Connecticut border and into New England. We hiked into the town of Kent, CT by 11am where we met up with our reappearing friend "Clearwater" and our new friends "He-Man" and "She-Ra".



Today we're taking care of the usuals like laundry, post office, coffee and email. Tonight we're hoping to head out and see the new Simpson's movie with Clearwater.

Doing well and hoping to take a full zero on Saturday in Salisbury, CT to celebrate our 6th anniversary.

Staying on Track Through New York

(Phone Message Transcribed by Bethany)

It’s Wednesday August 1, 2007. Lauren and I are at US 22 in New York, which is where the Metro North tracks cross the trail and lead to NYC. It’s about a 1 hour train ride and originally we were planning on visiting my brother Jonathan, but plans have changed and we feel like we need to stay on the course and stick to the trail.

A couple of days ago we woke up, and we apparently had slept in a deer lay, and due to that mistake we had pin size deer ticks everywhere (shown in the picture above). It took us one full hour to remove 70 embedded ticks, and by the end of the day we had pulled over 100 our of her. I pulled about 50 from me. We were completely grossed out.



I’m okay because I’m already taking the prescribed medication, but we are going to get some Lyme Disease Medication for Lauren in Kent, Connecticut.

As far as the trail in New York goes, I told Lauren that since we hadn’t heard anything about this section of trail going into it, I thought it would be a gentleman’s walk, but that was not the case. We’ve gone through sections called "Agony Grind" and the "Lemon Squeezer." The section south of the Hudson River has been quite grueling.



If you are a fan of Walker Texas Ranger you would be able to relate to my excitement... Yesterday I had the good fortune to hike with Chuck Norris! As I was hiking with him following me all I could think was, "when you’re [on the trail], look behind you because that’s where the Ranger's gonna to be." Anyway, he’s a guy who’s trail name is Chuck Norris, and he looks like him too. That was kind of fun.

We’ll be in Connecticut tonight, and probably hit Kent, Connecticut tomorrow at noon.

That’s it for now. Over and Out.

Update - Vernon, NJ (Mile 1342.5)

This morning we made quick work of the beautiful boarwalk into Vernon, NJ. This part of the trail used to be a road walk, but several years ago the 2.2 miles of boardwalk were constructed and now the trail heads straight through beautiful New Jersey wetlands.



Figgy's Mom and Nan drove up a few hours from southern New Jersey to spend the afternoon with us. We shopped for three weeks of resupply, sorted everything in Dunkin' Donuts and then packaged the boxes on the lawn of the Episcopal Church.



In the evening the four of us went out for a great dinner and shared stories from the trail as well as Lynda's recent trip to Romania. We wanted to give a special shout out to Figgy's Nan who has been following our adventure closely through printouts from Figgy's Dad. Recently when Lynda and Clyde were out of the country Nan went to the library on her own and got "inline" to read our stories on the computer for herself. Thanks Nan!

Waiting for Improvement at DWG

It's a rainy day here on the PA/NJ border - the perfect type to cozy up with some steaming coffee at the town bakery. And that is exactly what we've been doing.

I started by antibiotics shot/oral cycle nearly 24 hours ago, and so far I haven't noticed much difference in my hand. Figgy and I will certainly be sticking around town until I see some definitive changes for the better.



The pastor here, Karen Nickels, and a few fellow hikers, Peach and Rex, who are both pharmacists, are helping me keep an eye on it. They say it may take up to 48 hours. I've also been wondering about the possibility that I have a recluse spider bite, but I've got no real epicenter or bite mark, so that is doubtful and would be treated nearly the same anyway.

These physical/mental/financial obstacles have crept up quite frequently in our journey, but truth be told, we are not discouraged in the least and remain excited about our summer adventure. I'm looking forward to some healthy hiking, even rainy healthy hiking. Soon, I'm sure.

Looks like Kevin has uploaded the contents of my latest memory card. Thanks, man.

Update - Del. Water Gap, PA (Mile 1279.2)

(Phone Message Transcribed by Bethany)



It’s Sunday July 22, 2007. After seeing the swelling in my hand continue to spread and move to the next finger over, my middle finger, I had a helpful conversation with my dad and decided to head on over to the emergency room. I spent about an hour in the ER today. I got an antibiotic shot in my leg that was extremely painful - they said my buttocks didn't have enough fat! - and I got a prescriptions to treat both Lyme's disease and the infection in my hand as a safe guard.



We’re going to take an extra layover day tomorrow here in the Delaware Water Gap. It is a very nice place to be. We are tarping on the yard of The Church of the Mountain. Tonight, they have a free classical concert in their yard. We’re also right next door to a well known jazz club, The Deer Head Inn, where we enjoyed a glass of red wine last night and enjoyed some good music. We’re being well taken care of and we’re hoping that this infection subsides and we’re able to be on our way before too long. That’s it.

Over and Out.

The End of Rockiness In Sight

(Phone Message Transcribed by Bethany)

Update from Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania.

Today is July 21, 2007. Lauren and I arrived in water gap in the early afternoon and we’re enjoying the accommodations at the Church of the Mountain which offers a nice place to stay for hikers. We are extremely proud of ourselves because we reached the Pennsylvania border today! That means that we are nearing the end of the rocky portion of our trip.





The last few days have been ridiculously rocky at points causing us to laugh a bit. There were several points were Lauren just about lost it, but we supported each other and we helped each other get through this time.

On another slightly disappointing note, my left hand is very swollen; I most likely have Lyme disease which is a serious but not urgent condition. We are going to be taking Sunday and Monday to rest and visit a family doctor and hopefully I’ll be able to start up on the antibiotics on Monday. I did have a deer tick on my hand one day, and that’s the spot where my hand is swelling up. My fingers look like sausages.

Chalk that up for an additional inconvenience but it’s not anything that feels like a major setback at this point. I don’t exactly remember the mileage at the gap but I believe that we’ve covered roughly 1250 miles of the AT this far and we are happy to be taking a zero day at the cute town of Delaware Water Gap.



The weather has been surprisingly cool and mild providing gorgeous hiking conditions making it pleasant to hike this portion of drought and limited water. I’m feeling tired, it’s a little after 9:30 pm, and I’m looking to get some sleep. I appreciate everybody’s concern and I hope to post once I know the diagnosis.

Over and Out.