Day 107 - 6/30

Daily mileage: 16.3
Total trail mileage: 1457.3 (approx)
Starting location: Before Wiley Shelter
Ending location: After CT 341
Weather: 60 degrees in the morning. 69 - 76 degrees during the day.
Clear and sunny all day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=41.733929,+-73.482741

I was putting on my shoes this morning, and I heard an angry buzzing.
Then I felt a vibration by my foot. Apparently there was a bumblebee
in one of my shoes and I put my foot in it. Fortunately it didn't
sting.

I passed through some nice sections of trail today. The trail
traveled through some pine forests and everything felt much more
open. It came down to the Ten Mile River, which was really wide but
not too deep. I stopped for a while and let my feet soak in the water.

I HAVE NOW COMPLETED MY NINTH STATE! New York is done; 5 left to go.
New York was more difficult than the Mid-Atlantic states, started to
have more changes in elevation, and had its fair share of rocks in
places. But, it wasn't bad. On to Connecticut. Connecticut is a
really short state ans so far it has been pleasant.

My dad was passing through the area and so stopped and met me at the
road leading into Kent, CT. We went into town and grabbed Chinese
food before returning to the trail. I ran into Darkstar, Castor,
Castor's Mom, and Sasquatch at the trail head. My dad left his car in
town and joined me for the night.

Day 106 - 6/29

Daily mileage: 22.5
Total trail mileage: 1441.0 (approx)
Starting location: RPH Shelter
Ending location: Before Wiley Shelter
Weather: 74 degrees in the morning. 77 - 84 degrees during the day.
Partly cloudy all day. Breezy at times.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=41.610955,+-73.561811

Today was a million times better than yesterday. I am not sure what
the direct cause was though. I am sure it was some combination of
feeling better (I still have the cold, but it is a lot better today),
the temperature coming down some, the air was drier, I had essentially
a day of rest, I got sufficiently rehydrated, and the trail was
relatively easy today. Any of those could have helped me enjoy the
hiking more. And, I am pretty close to back on my loose plan if I
hadn't taken the day off. So, win-win!

Last night was the first time I actually stayed in a shelter since
Shenandoah. The shelter was one of the nice ones with bunks. I slept
pretty well, especially considering I wasn't in the hammock. I only
woke up a couple times and that was either to add or remove my
sleeping bag (I have been using it as a blanket lately).

I met a day hiker today who was doing some time lapse photography
work. He made me wish for my DSLR, but I don't regret the decision to
leave that at home in favor of a Point and Shoot for this trip. I am
sure I would have damaged it by now, it wouldn't have always been
easily accessible, and it would have been heavy. I hiked up to Cat
Rocks with him, and there was an amazing view from the rocks.

On the topic of cameras, I realized this morning that I had
accidentally left my camera on sunset mode. Oops. A few of the shots
from the past couple days won't come out. Oh, well.

I saw the largest Oak tree along the AT today. It was huge! It has
over a 20 foot circumference. Each branch was bigger than most other
trees' trunks out here.

I came out to the "Appalachian Trail Train Stop", a stop on one of the
lines into New York City. The platform consisted of plywood and 2x4s
and was very small. It looked like somebody built it as a joke, but
it is a real stop.

Pictures Posted

My friend Patrick posted a few photos from this past weekend. They
can be found at:

http://cravens.smugmug.com/Travel

Day 105 - 6/28

Daily mileage: 7.0
Total trail mileage: 1418.5
Starting location: After Rt 301
Ending location: RPH Shelter
Weather: 79 - 94 degrees during the day. Clear and sunny in the
morning. Cloudy in the afternoon. Brief shower in the afternoon

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=41.514462,+-73.792168

The heat is killing me. And, my cold is still with me. So, I ended
up getting up late (I didn't even have the option to decide to get up
earlier, I just slept through). I was hiking for a bit, but between
the heat and my cold, I wasn't having any fun. And, I was crawling.
I had stopped for a long break at the first shelter, forced myself to
drink large amounts of water, and read a bit. Then, I decided to just
make it another short day rather than pushing on without enjoying it.
Hopefully things improve tomorrow.

For a while I was alone at the shelter. But then a few SOBO section
hikers showed up and brought beer. The shelter is right next to a
road, so we found a pizza place that would deliver and ordered
pizzas. A few other thruhikers and section hikers showed up. Hanging
around was a good time.

I really hope I am feeling better tomorrow. I need to start doing
miles again.

Day 104 - 6/27

Daily mileage: 16.0
Total trail mileage: 1411.5
Starting location: Hemlock Spring Campsite
Ending location: After Rt 301
Weather: A little rain last night. 72 degrees in the morning. 72 - 85
degrees during the day. Cloudy and humid all day. Short drizzle in
the morning

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=41.453723,+-73.840147

The hike today was fairly uneventful. It wasn't a bad section of
trail, but my mind was in a bit of haze. I could not convince myself
to get up when I had wanted to. My sore throat that I had yesterday
worsened a bit by morning and I developed a cold. This is my first
sickness of the trip. So, it didn't make the hike enjoyable, and some
sections became difficult that really shouldn't have been. I had been
thinking I was developing something as my appetite has not been what
it should be since last Wednesday morning. So, it isn't a surprise
that I am now sick. At least the throat began to improve throughout
the day.

A day hiker gave me a beer at one point. I must have been dehydrated
because that one beer hit me hard. One beer is never enough to phase
me. I was stumbling up the trail a bit and was even more in a haze.
It did seem to make the cold go away for a little while (at least I
wasn't paying attention to it).

I was planning on meeting up with my friend Risa's parents as they
live right around the corner of the trail. I screwed up though and
blew past the road that I should have turned on. They were willing to
pick me up at the road I did come out to (two miles too far), and we
went back to their place. We went swimming in the lake for a bit
(that was great!) and then had dinner (thanks!). After that, they
brought me back to the trail and I set up camp a little bit in the
woods (shh, I am not supposed to camp here).

I have no idea what I am doing tomorrow. I should get sleep to
hopefully kill this cold, but I shouldn't stay where I am too long as
it is pretty close to the road and within sight of the trail. I also
heard it is supposed to be hot again. Maybe a siesta schedule?

Day 103 - 6/26

Daily mileage: 9.7
Total trail mileage: 1395.5
Starting location: Black Mountain
Ending location: Hemlock Spring Campsite
Weather: 79 degrees in the morning. 81 - 89 degrees during the day.
Clear and sunny (but hazy) in the morning. Cloudy in the afternoon.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=41.311103,+-73.989518

We got up a little later than we were hoping to, but Patrick and I
were able to get hiking by a reasonable time. Crossing the Palisades
was the easiest crossing I have ever had there. Usually there is so
much traffic that you need to run and hope you make it. The climb up
West Mountain was fairly steep and Patrick's feet were in bad shape.
But, the climb up Bear Mountain wasn't terrible.

There were a number of motorcyclists and day hikers at the top of Bear
Mountain, but it wasn't mobbed like the last time I was there.
Unfortunately due to the haze, we were unable to see the New York City
skyline, but the rest of the view was pretty good.

The trail crews did a really nice job with the reroute. Part way down
the hill the trail became so easy. It was gravel with no obstacles
and granite steps whenever the trail descended. It was much better
than the badly eroded trail that existed the last time I was in this
area.

We found the mobs of people though as soon as we got to the base of
the mountain. There were a ton of picnicers, and the trail traveled
right in the middle of the crowds. I wasn't looking pitiful enough to
score a hamburger :( But, there was a concession stand, so Patrick
and I got root beer floats.

Then, the trail travels right through the Bear Mountain Zoo. It was
really weird that the trail was routed that way, and it threw me off
guard. I did see a bear in the zoo, but I am not going to count that
one. Shenandoah was like a zoo for bears, but this was an actual zoo.

I have an improvement idea for the park. They need a new exhibit of
thruhikers. We are just as wild as that bear is. The exhibit can
double as a hostel which would encourage thruhikers to stay in the
exhibit. And, there can be signs explaining what a thruhiker is and
to give them food if you see them in the wild.

After that Patrick's mom picked him up and also brought me with them.
We went back to Patrick's parents' house to take a shower and watch
the USA vs. Ghana World Cup game. It was a dissapointing finish, and
USA is now out. Patrick's dad brought me back to the trail, and I am
now camping a few miles up the trail.

Day 102 - 6/25

Daily mileage: 10.9
Total trail mileage: 1385.8
Starting location: New York Thruway 87
Ending location: Black Mountain
Weather: 79 - 82 degrees during the day. Partly cloudy all day

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=41.283971,+-74.040127

Patrick's mom made us breakfast (Thanks Mary Beth!) and then his
parents drove us back to the trail. When we got close to the trail,
we saw a black bear cub (we think it was a cub) run across the road
avoiding the traffic. I wasn't actually on the trail at the time, but
I think I can call this BLACK BEAR #9 for the trip! Then we got to
the dropoff point and continued/began the hike.

The forest today was different than it has been. It was very open
with grass and ferns growing among the sparse trees. It was rather
quiet and peaceful, and we didn't see many people during the day.

We reached the Lemon Squeezer, a rock formation with the trail
squeezing between two large boulders. I believe the last time I was
here we were headed down the rocks, which would have been much easier
than going up. This was the first time along the trail that I have
had to take my pack off to navigate the trail, and it involved
throwing my pack up the cliff face and then climbing up. Patrick
chose to wimp out (or be smarter?) and take the "easy way" around the
worst part.

Oh, Patrick wanted me to fudge the numbers so the blog showed that we
hiked 40 miles today. So, when you see him, congratulate him on the 40
mile day :P

We camped on Black Mountain with pretty decent views of the area.
Josey Wales came by later and decided to camp with us. The sunset was
decent, and the moon is really bright tonight.

Tomorrow we head over to Bear Mountain. Supposedly they have done a
major reroute of the area and the new trail just opened at the
beginning of this month. That is hopefully good news as I remember
the old trail being badly eroded from all the foot traffic Bear
Mountain gets.

Day 101 - 6/24

Daily mileage: 13.1
Total trail mileage: 1374.9
Starting location: After Village Vista Trail
Ending location: New York Thruway 87
Weather: 74 degrees in the morning. 80 - 89 degrees during the day.
Clear and sunny in the morning. Cloudy and thunderstorm in the early
afternoon. Partly cloudy the rest of the day

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.997242,+-73.957551

Today was the most challenging day of hiking I have had since
somewhere in Virginia. The trail had a lot of ups and downs and a lot
of big boulder climbs. At one point, the trail practically went
straight up a cliff. Whoever routed the trail in this section was
either sick and twisted or had a sense of humor. I enjoyed it even
though I went slower than normal.

However, NY so far has been the worst maintained state. There were a
number of blow downs that had obviously been there for a long time.
Oh, and I am not the only one who thought the blazes could use
improvement. Snowman wrote in the register that whoever is
responsible for the blazes in this section should be fired.

There was a patch with a ton of blueberries today. The bears in the
area must be lazy. Either that or they weren't willing to climb up
the trail.

There were a bunch of stone fences today and yesterday. Some looked
like property markers or farm fences, but others looked more like
bunkers. I am not sure when they were created.

The thunderstorm caught me off guard today. It was sunny and I didn't
think there was any chance of rain today. I heard some thunder, but
thought it was a passing truck on a nearby road. Then I looked back
and saw the looming cloud. Shortly after it started pouring but the
storm moved through quickly. It did leave the rocks nice and wet,
which made the steep decents tricky and slow going.

I met Patrick's mom near the thruway and she brought me back to her
house. I spent the rest of the day lounging around and Patrick
arrived before dinner. Tomorrow, Patrock and I will head to the trail.

Day 100 - 6/23

Daily mileage: 20.6
Total trail mileage: 1361.8 (approx)
Starting location: Pochuck Mountain Shelter
Ending location: After Village Vista Trail
Weather: 73 degrees in the morning. 80 - 86 degrees during the day.
Partly cloudy in the morning. Clear and sunny in the afternoon

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=41.232894,+-74.297137

I have now been out on the trail for 100 days! I can't believe it has
been that long. The days seem to fly by. Not too long ago I was
entering Virginia with less than a quarter of the trail complete. Now
I am in New York with less than 820 miles left to go.

Speaking of New York, I HAVE NOW COMPLETED MY EIGHTH STATE! New
Jersey is done; 6 left to go. New Jersey was dominated by bears,
blueberries, and the introduction to a lot of natural ponds and
lakes. Up to now, most of the lakes and ponds (which haven't been
many) have been man-made. Sure, there were blueberries in PA, but I
didn't feel safe eating them from the section I saw them in.

I got up this morning and had my leftover slice and a half of pizza
for breakfast (I ate the other 6 1/2 slices for lunch yesterday).
That was a good idea...the cold pizza tasted really good on the
trail. I crossed a long section of boardwalk and then got a pint of
icecream from a shop next to the trail. After that were a few views
and a lot of large rock scrambles. These are the types of rocks that
are fun. I felt like a mountain goat again, like I did on the Long
Trail.

I am not usually one to complain about markers as the trail in general
is very well marked. But, there were a number of times today where
the trail was ambiguous and there wasn't a marker in sight. There
were other places where the markers weren't used like they are on the
rest of the trail. For example, at one point the trail came out to a
dirt road. There was a double left-turn blaze before coming to the
dirt road. Ok. But, then the trail made a right off the dirt road
after about 10 feet with no blaze on the road and no blaze up the
trail. In the past, there have consistently been two ways to handle
this: (a) put a single blaze before coming to the dirt road indicating
that the trail essentially crosses or (b) put a double left-turn blaze
before the dirt road and then put a double right-turn blaze before the
trail. In both cases, there should be a blaze just up the trail
within sight of the intersection. The way the trail was marked today
should indicate that you turn onto the dirt road and then you stay on
the dirt road. Ok, end rant.

I wasn't able to watch the World Cup games today, but I was watching
the scores. Wow, USA got lucky with that final minute goal, which
will allow them to continue onto the bracket. Similarly Slovenia got
robbed of their position by that goal.

There was one and only one fly circling me continuously throughout the
day. It wasn't always the same fly though. I couldn't figure out if
they do shift work (work their 8 minute shift and pass me off to the
next fly) or zone-based work (each fly covers an acre zone). As far
as I can tell, their only job is to annoy me, but they may be paid by
the mosquitos to keep me distracted. At the end of the day, in either
a supreme sense of job loyalty or stupidity, the last fly dove into my
leftover boiling water and died, rendering the water undrinkable.

I didn't see any signs indicating that camping was not allowed after I
hit the state border, so I stopped a few miles short of where I
thought I had to push to. If I continued on I would have arrived at
the shelter just after dark. Now I am in my hammock with about 2
dozen mosquitoes trying to find their way in.

Tomorrow I go to my friend Patrick's parents' house for the night.
Then, Patrick will join me for the hike on Friday and Saturday through
Harriman State Park.

Day 99 - 6/22

Daily mileage: 12.4
Total trail mileage: 1341.2
Starting location: High Point Shelter
Ending location: Pochuck Mountain Shelter
Weather: 73 - 76 degrees during the day. Cloudy all day. A little
drizzle in the late morning. Rain in the afternoon through evening.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=41.271604,+-74.515459

I woke up late and read for a while before breaking down camp. The
trail today was a breeze. It is nice to have a smooth section of
trail with very few rocks. I can move at a much quicker pace. So, I
got to the road crossing leading into Unionville earlier than I was
expecting.

I went to the pizza shop and got a large pizza. I had met a couple at
the High Point monument last night that said they lived right there in
Unionville. But, I wasn't expecting the guy to come in to the pizza
place at the same time to get some food. We talked for a while and
then he left while I stayed to watch the Argentina vs. Greece soccer
game. After, I went to pay, and it turns out that the guy had paid
for my pizza without mentioning it. I didn't even have a chance to
object. I love this trail! Not for the chance to get free stuff, but
the generosity so many people show on and around the trail to complete
strangers. It is probably going to be the biggest thing I will miss
when I get off trail.

Then, I continued on my way (after picking up ice cream of course) and
it started raining. I got just as wet as I did when I went in the
lake yesterday, but today I couldn't just get out and dry off in the
sun. The trail went through a wildlife preserve (saw beavers and a
bunch of birds) and then went over a series of board walks.

Oh, I forgot to mention yesterday that it was supposedly Hike Naked
Day. I completely forgot until someone mentioned it last night.
Darn. That was going to be one AT tradition that I was going to
forego anyway.

I am shooting for a long day tomorrow. If I don't make it I will have
to camp illegally. Shhh... On to New York!

Day 98 - 6/21

Daily mileage: 17.2
Total trail mileage: 1328.8
Starting location: Viewpoint after Jacob's Ladder Trail
Ending location: High Point Shelter
Weather: 71 degrees in the morning. 79 - 84 degrees during the day.
Clear and sunny all day

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=41.315675,+-74.666803

Today was yet another fantastic day. Slowing down a bit has opened up
a number of options that I don't have when I am just trying to do as
many miles as possible. It makes the trip even more enjoyable.

I did manage to wake up for sunrise. I almost missed the best
colors. It was brilliant although I miscalculated where the sun was
going to appear by a bit. I was still tired, so after the sun came
up, I went back to sleep for a couple hours.

Then, I hiked up to another firetower. It was really clear today so I
could see for miles. And, I was able to see the High Point monument
down the ridgeline. I stopped at the next shelter, met two section
hikers, and found out that there was a place to swim near High Point.

I also found out that I probably wasn't supposed to camp where I did
last night; I am supposed to only camp near the shelters through this
area (nuts, I was going to try to avoid the shelters for a while).
This messes me up if I am going to follow the rules. The next several
shelters are all about 12 miles apart. So, either I do a really short
day or a long day. If I am going to stick with the shelters, 2 out of
the next 3 days will be short and 1 will be long.

I reached High Point and decided to go swimming. I took the side
trail down and found out it led to the opposite side of the lake from
the swim area. So, I started to follow the road around the lake. The
problem was that the road wasn't going to the swim area, although I
could see it. So, I bushwacked down the hill. The picnicers probably
thought I was a wild animal emerging from the forest.

So, I went for a swim (taking care of laundry at the same time!) and
ate dinner there while I dried in the sun. After, I got back on
trail. Thanks to the cool water and getting somewhat more clean, I
felt like I could run a marathon (and I wouldn't be surprised if I
actually could).

It was getting dark, but I wanted to see the sunset from the High
Point monument so I took the side trail up to there. Again, what an
amazing view and I got talking to a couple who are from the area. I
ran down the sidetrail back to my pack and hiked the remaining
distance to the shelter before it got dark.

Unfortunately, I didn't see any more bears today. I know, I know, it
is Monday and most of them had to go back to work. But, I figured
there would still be a few out. I did, however, see a porcupine
waddle off the trail. I didn't realize they lived this far South.

So, I think I am planning on a really short day tomorrow. I am going
to head into Unionville to get lunch and hopefully watch one of the
soccer games. But, plans may change.

Day 97 - 6/20

Daily mileage: 14.3
Total trail mileage: 1311.6
Starting location: Catfish Fire Tower
Ending location: Viewpoint after Jacob's Ladder Trail
Weather: 78 degrees in the morning. 77 - 87 degrees during the day.
Partly Cloudy all day. Hazy in the morning. Drizzle in the early
afternoon

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=41.167160,+-74.803527

Today was another great day! I saw BLACK BEARS #4, #5, #6, #7, and #8
of the trip! :) I know everyone said I would likely see bears in
Shenandoah and then in NJ, but I was not expecting five separate
encounters in one day. I saw more bears today than rabbits. #4 was a
rather large bear, but #8 was small, probably only 1 year old or so.
#6 took off when my camera flash unexpectedly went off (it wasn't even
a good picture), and #7 and #8 ran as soon as they sensed me. All of
them seemed to be out grazing today. I would hear some rustling in
the bushes and look over to see them (occassionally though it was a
deer or a squirrel).

So, yes I have competition for the blueberries :(. The blueberries are
slowing me down, and I think I have developed an addiction. They are
much sweeter than the blueberries you can get in the store, although
they are much smaller.

Between looking for bears, looking for blueberries, watching for
snakes (I almost stepped on a really large black snake today), and
looking at the scenery, I don't know where to keep my eyes. The only
real solution I think is to get a few more eyes.

At lunchtime I stopped for a long lunch at the top of Rattlesnake
mountain. There were really nice views, a nice rock to lay down on,
and a surprising break in the annoying bugs. So, I read my book for a
while.

I am now 60% complete. I have walked over 1300 miles this year and
have 867.5 miles left to go to Katahdin.

I made today another short day. I got to a fantastic overlook looking
out at a large lake. I am hoping to get up early tomorrow morning to
catch the sunrise from here.

Day 96 - 6/19

Daily mileage: 12.9
Total trail mileage: 1297.3
Starting location: Delaware Water Gap, PA
Ending location: Catfish Fire Tower
Weather: 78 - 85 degrees during the day. Clear and sunny all day

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=41.046568,+-74.972783

I met up with Gerry at the bakery in the morning. After I got my
required baked goods and coffee for breakfast, Gerry came over to the
hostel to check it out. Then, he drove over to the NJ side of the
Delaware River while I walked across the bridge.

I HAVE NOW OFFICIALLY COMPLETED MY SEVENTH STATE! PA is finally over,
and I can't say I am disappointed. Yes, PA was flat, but a majority
of the time the rocks were not fun. Plus, I found the state to be
rather boring. There were some interesting sections, but the lack of
any real peaks made the hike similar day after day. So far it is my
second least favorite state, just below Maryland.

I met Gerry, Keely, and Ed at the parking lot, and the four of us
began the hike through NJ. Along the way to Sunfish Pond, we saw a
snake eating a toad, which was quite unfortunate for the toad. At
Sunfish Pond, we had lunch (Keely and Ed gave me even more food :) and
then hiked around the pond until we reached the point where the AT
splits off. So, Gerry, Keely, and Ed took a side trail to get back to
the parking lot while I continued North.

So far, I stand by my statement that the trail goes through a pretty
part of NJ. From this area, you couldn't guess the rest of the state
is the way it is (overcrowded, overdeveloped, etc.). The trail, the
forest, and the landscape have drastically changed from what I was
walking through even yesterday. It really makes me happy to be out
here. I am planning on slowing up a little through this section (and
probably through the rest of the trail).

Woohoo, there were wild blueberries on the side of the trail! I
didn't even have to compete with any bears for them :). The rasberries
should be appearing shortly as well.

I decided to set up camp right near a firetower. Sure, it is another
short day, but this allowed me to read my book for a while and then
watch the sunset from the firetower. The sunset was great, and it was
a nice place to look out at the surrounding mountains.

Day 95 - 6/18

Daily mileage: 6.4
Total trail mileage: 1284.4
Starting location: Kirkridge Shelter
Ending location: Delaware Water Gap, PA
Weather: 63 - 78 degrees during the day. Clear and sunny all day

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.984991,+-75.142056

Since I was meeting my friends I got up late and read for a while
before packing up. I only had to do a few miles to meet Greg,
Veronica, Keely, and Ed at Mt Minsi. They showed up and brought me
all sorts of food (thanks!) and we had lunch at the overlook.

After a while we headed down the couple miles to the parking lot.
While standing around talking at the parking lot, Veronica pointed out
that there was a bear walking by, which became BLACK BEAR NUMBER 3 of
the trip :P. It looked smaller than the other two I saw and didn't
stick around too long, but didn't bolt off either.

Greg, Veronica, and I headed into town while Keely and Ed went to grab
a campsite at the nearby campgrounds for the night. We went to the
post office, dropped my stuff at the hostel, stopped by the outfitter,
and went to the diner for some ice cream. Keely and Ed met back up
with us there and we headed over to the bakery. The bakery dog played
with us for a while, but eventually Greg and Veronica had to head
home, Keely and Ed had to head to the campground, and I had to head to
the hostel.

Tomorrow morning I meet up with my previous director, Gerry, and Keely
and Ed again for a hike up to Sunfish Pond. After that, I don't know
where I am headed.

Day 94 - 6/17

Daily mileage: 17.3
Total trail mileage: 1278.0
Starting location: Smith Gap
Ending location: Kirkridge Shelter
Weather: Thunderstorms and heavy rain last night. 63 degrees in the
morning. 64 - 72 degrees during the day. Cloudy in the morning. Then
partly cloudy. Cloudy in the late afternoon. Windy all day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.936832,+-75.186359

Today was fairly uneventful until I almost stepped on (what I believe
to be) a copperhead. I was walking along and was bringing my foot
down when I noticed a little movement. I very quickly froze and
almost had a heart attack; my foot was 3-4 inches from coming down on
the middle of the snake. If it didn't move a little, I would have
stepped on it with the likely result of being bitten. As for the
identification, I am not sure what type it was. It was about 2-3 feet
long, tan, and had large brown circles outlined in black running along
its length. If these snakes were bright orange like the newts I
wouldn't be nearly stepping on them as much.

The rest of the day was also uneventful. I finished the last section
of bad PA rocks (woohoo!). I made it to Kirkridge Shelter, the place
that I did a warmup hike with some other people back in November.
Wow, it looks different now. So much undergrowth. I set up my
hammock close to my November site, but it is not in the same exact
location.

Tomorrow I'll meet up with my friends Greg, Veronica, Keely, and Ed
around Mt. Minsi for lunch and then hike down to Delaware Water Gap
with them. From here it is a short, easy hike into town and I'll be
practically done with PA! (officially, I will have a little bit left
crossing the bridge, so I won't be done with PA until Saturday morning).

Go USA tomorrow! (World Cup)

Day 93 - 6/16

Daily mileage: 20.0
Total trail mileage: 1260.7
Starting location: Bake Oven Knob Shelter
Ending location: Smith Gap
Weather: 62 degrees in the morning. 62 - 68 degrees during the day.
Cloudy all day. Brief shower in the morning.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.825629,+-75.413594

I SAW MY SECOND BLACK BEAR OF THE TRIP! :) There I was, walking down
the trail, and there was a bend in the trail. I couldn't see around
the corner because the trees and undergrowth were blocking my view.
Then I see a bear snout emerge from around the bend. Then the full
head. It noticed me at this point, immediately turned around, and
bolted down the trail in the other direction. Unfortunately no
picture as I don't think either of us expected the encounter, and I
sure didn't have enough time to grab my camera before the bear
disappeared.

This time was much more exciting than the last encounter. First of
all, I was only about 50 feet from it this time. Second, in
Shenandoah, it was kind of expected to see a bear. It was almost like
going to the zoo. This area is huntable lands, and the bears know
it. At any sign of humans the bears run, usually long before the
human is aware that there is a bear nearby. So, seeing a bear here is
quite unexpected. Finally, the bear reacted to me this time. At the
last encounter it just stood there.

Earlier in the day, I came out to a road, and there was a sign with
directions. It said to go down a bit, cross at the light, and then
come back 150 feet on the other side of the road. Well that was all
great, but there were signs all over that intersection indicating "no
walking" or "no pedestrian crossing". Right under one of those signs
were white blazes. So, let me get this straight...you aren't supposed
to walk on the Appalachian Trail, a "walk-only" path? I crossed there
anyway; I will follow the whiteblazes over traffic signs.

After that was a nice climb up a ton of rocks. The climb was all
exposed and there were a number of points where I had to ditch the
treking poles and use hands. My climbing practice actually helped. I
knew when I had a solid handhold and where I should position my center
of gravity. The fact that the rocks were wet made it a little more
difficult. But, it was fun and it was cool to look out at the river I
had just crossed and watch it get smaller and smaller the higher I
climbed.

The blueberries today were tempting, but the reason the ridge today
was exposed is because zinc-smelting in the area killed off mostly
everything. I didn't want to risk eating unhealthy chemicals.

I am glad I picked up water at the previous shelter. I didn't want to
carry full water all day, but I figured it would be better to be
safe. I intended to stop today at a trail leading down to a spring.
Somehow I blew right past it. Plus, it would have been 0.6 miles off
trail down to the spring. Oh well, now tomorrow is a little shorter
than I had planned.

Day 92 - 6/15

Daily mileage: 15.7
Total trail mileage: 1240.7
Starting location: Hawk Mountain Trail
Ending location: Bake Oven Knob Shelter
Weather: 65 degrees in the morning. 73 - 77 degrees during the day.
Partly cloudy and sunny in the morning. Clear and sunny the rest of
the day

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.700322,+-75.720841 (not very accurate)

Rocks, rocks, and more rocks. There were all sorts of rocks today.
There was even a section where I was hiking along the ridge, but the
entire ridge was made up of giant boulders. Some of the other guys
were flying down the trail. I don't know how they do it; I would have
killed myself. As it was, I had to be careful to avoid losing my
footing and going into a crevase. To be fair though, there were also
a number of really easy sections of trail today. It kept alternating
between very rocky sections and dirt roads. And, practically the
whole day was void of climbs or decents.

There sure were a lot of chipmunks running all over the place. I would
see them dash across the trail and then I would see a line of ferns
start shaking. It was like Jurassic Park (or Lost World - I can't
remember which) when the dinosaurs were running through the plants and
all you could see were the plants moving. At least these little
critters don't eat people like the dinosaurs did.

I also saw a few snakes today. There was one that I wasn't sure what
type it was. There was another that I saw while walking down the
trail. I put my foot down next to a funny looking curved stick, but
then the stick started moving. It was a small snake. Good thing it
didn't decide to bite me.

The beginning part of the day went through a section I did a year and
a half ago. Last time I was there was late fall and there was a
little snow on the ground. It is much easier to follow the trail now
because the plants fill in the sides of the trail and form a corridor
to walk through.

I had to get water at the last shelter just before I set up camp. The
water was 3/4 of a mile off the trail down the hill. I think it is
the farthest I have walked off trail for water so far this trip. But,
at least there was water. In this stretch coming up, that is
supposedly a problem.

I heard rumors that tomorrow is going to be a thunderstorm. Well, the
weather is usually wrong so hopefully I don't get too much rain.
Ironically, I need to push through this long dry section so I can have
water again tomorrow night.

Day 91 - 6/14

Daily mileage: 16.9
Total trail mileage: 1225.0
Starting location: Port Clinton, PA
Ending location: Hawk Mountain Trail
Weather: 73 - 77 degrees during the day. Cloudy and humid all day.
Brief drizzle in the afternoon

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.770214,+-76.221489

I got up to watch the first soccer game of the day, went to the post
office to get my package (yay, they were open), took a shower, and
checked out of the hotel. I was on the trail by 10am. I am not sure
if I should have bothered with the last shower before leaving town as
it was quite humid and again it was a climb out of town with a full
pack. Back at Boiling Springs was one of the first times I left town
without a climb and I didn't even resupply in that town :(

I entered into an area that I am familiar with. Earlier in the trip I
had covered sections that I had previously hiked, but those hikes were
so long ago that I didn't remember much. I have been to this area on
multiple trips somewhat recently. The Pinnacle had a spectacular view
of the countryside just like I remember. The streams and hills and
clearings were in the right places. The sections of rocks exist just
like before. However, one thing that is different is my perception of
difficulty. These "mountains" are baby hills compared to what I had
climbed further South. Miles feel much shorter now that I have walked
over 1200 of them this year. My pack feels lighter, because, well it
is.

Today I met two other thruhikers, Thrasher and Turkey, that I did not
expect to. I had never met them before, but I had listened to their
audio journals before starting the hike. They started mid February
and at that time I was looking for anyone posting journals to get an
idea of the trail conditions right before I started. It turns out
that they took a few weeks off shortly after I started the trek so I
missed them and they were behind me since. But then I was off the
trail which put me behind a bit. Again, the trail is a unique place
for running into people.

I met a number of other people today, both day hikers and thruhikers.
It seems like I have been meeting new thruhikers everyday. I think
there are so many thruhikers around me now that the faster ones will
keep passing me. Earlier a few would fly by, but they were usually
spaced pretty far apart. Now I am right in the main bubble of the
large number of people that had started in April. I can't remember
all the names of the people I have met; I have such a terrible memory
for names.

Day 90 - 6/13

Daily mileage: 0.0
Total trail mileage: 1208.1
Starting location: Port Clinton, PA
Ending location: Port Clinton, PA
Weather: Some sun, some clouds, some rain

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.582846,+-76.024635

I am mostly soccered out. I watched the three World Cup matches
today, ate some food at the bar, read some of my book, and watched
some tv. I went over to the outfitter to get a couple things and
found out they are out of business. Oh, well, I can get what I need
in Delaware Water Gap. Overall a fairly productive day ;)

Day 89 - 6/12

Daily mileage: 13.1
Total trail mileage: 1208.1
Starting location: Black Swatara Spring
Ending location: Port Clinton, PA
Weather: 61 degrees in the morning. 65 degrees during the day.
Cloudy all day, brief shower in the morning

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.582846,+-76.024635

Well, I woke up really early (5am) to get into town before the Post
Office closed. I made it into Port Clinton at 11:30 with a good 30
minutes to spare...and...the Post Office changed their hours :(. They
closed at 11:00 instead of 12:00. Oh well, now I am forced to zero
here and watch more World Cup games ;)

My feet are starting to get torn up again thanks to the rocks. I
don't know what is worse: the rocks or the ice I had early on. Both
slow down my progress. Both cause my feet and knees to twist in
horrific ways. I never know if a rock is stable when I step on it; I
never knew if I had solid footing on the ice. But, I think the rocks
might win because they cause my feet pain.

I did manage to make it to the hotel before the US vs. UK World Cup
game. So, I had lunch at the bar while watching with some other
people. The hikers that I expected to see apparently decided to move
on, but there were a few others. Surprisingly Mandy (now "Veggie")
was here...I haven't seen her since the morning of Day 4, before
Neel's Gap in Georgia. I never expected to see her again. When you
least expect to see someone on the trail, that is about the time that
you will see them.

Yes, tomorrow will be a day off, but I still plan on getting up early
to watch the first game of the day.

Day 88 - 6/11

Daily mileage: 18.0
Total trail mileage: 1195.0
Starting location: Before William Penn Shelter
Ending location: Black Swatara Spring
Weather: 59 degrees in the morning. 66-74 degrees during the day.
Clear and sunny all day

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.528811,+-76.201708

Nope, I didn't make it nearly as far as I was hoping. Today was the
worst day of rocks so far on the trip. They really slow me down and
are brutal on my feet. Ugh, the rest of PA will be fun. At least the
weather was great again.

The 501 Shelter is really nice. Too bad I couldn't make it to there
last night. It has a caretaker and you can even have pizza
delivered. I did get a soda and some cookies that were left by some
day hikers for us.

The caretaker said there were 27 people there two days ago. He said
not all of them were thruhikers but there were quite a few. Hmm,
everything I hear makes it sound like I am right behind and right
ahead of the crowds. I don't think I want to hurry too much.

I saw a big rattlesnake today. It had to be 5 feet long. It was
slithering in the opposite direction through the rocks. As soon as I
stopped moving (I was going to grab my camera), it started rattling,
so I promptly moved along.

I am going to have to get up real early if I am going to get to the
post office in time. I might zero in town even if I do get my
package. I hope the hotel and/or bar has a tv...if not, a number of
hikers (including me) will be dissappointed if they can't watch the
game...

Day 87 - 6/10

Daily mileage: 21.4
Total trail mileage: 1177.0 (approx)
Starting location: Clarks Valley
Ending location: Before Willam Penn Shelter
Weather: 61 degrees in the morning. 68-76 degrees during the day.
Clear and sunny all day

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.494891,+-76.479656

It was a nice day today. The weather was good, and I was able to get
most of my stuff dry. The trail was a really nice section to walk
through on a day like today.

I think I saw a baby copperhead. At least it was a baby snake and
wasn't the typical black or black with yellow stripes that I have been
seeing. It was tan with speckles in a different shade of tan. I am
not sure what baby copperheads look like, so I made sure I was clear
of it. I may have already mentioned this, but I have heard that the
young ones are even more dangerous as they don't have a way to control
how much venom they use. So, if they bite you, you get the full dose,
even if it was just meant as a warning.

I decided to stop prior to the shelter today. I had taken a few
breaks throughout the day without watching the time. The section I
was walking through was very overgrown, so when I saw a possible
campsite I stopped rather than risking walking in the dark.
Unfortunately there is only one pair of trees and they aren't ideal
for hammocking. The one tree is bigger around than the length of my
hammock rope. So, I had to throw the strap over one of the branches
which is rather high. I got the other end of my hammock as high as I
possibly could so it wasn't completely unlevel. This is the highest I
have ever pitched the hammock. If that branch breaks I'll be in a lot
of pain.

I almost forgot that I am headed for Port Clinton on a Saturday. I
knew I was trying to make the US/UK World Cup game, but I neglected to
consider that I need to pick up my maildrop and the post office closes
early on Saturday. So, I will try to make tomorrow a long day so I
can get into town early Saturday. If I don't make it, I'll just zero
in Port Clinton (which I might end up doing anyway), watch some more
of the games on Sunday, and then pick up my package Monday morning
before getting back on trail. I had scheduled in some slack for the
next section anyway so this might work out.

Day 86 - 6/09

Daily mileage: 17.9
Total trail mileage: 1155.6
Starting location: Duncannon, PA
Ending location: Clarks Valley
Weather: 58-61 degrees during the day. Cloudy and raining all day

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.451069,+-76.775406

After getting breakfast across the street along with a number of other
hikers, I set out back on the trail in the rain. I was realizing that
the rain doesn't bother me much anymore. Yep, I'll get wet, but I
just accept that and move on. The warmer temperatures help make being
wet more manageable.

However, when I reached the second shelter I stopped for a bit, trying
to decide to stop or continue. I started to get chilled because I
wasn't moving and was soaked, so I needed to make a quick decision.
The problem was that it was still early in the day and I hadn't gone
far enough, yet the next shelter was another 18 miles away.
Fortunately, someone said that there was an area to camp somewhere in
the middle of that stretch. So, Longshanks, Maple, and I continued on
while the others stayed at the shelter.

This stretch of PA has unfortunate shelter placements. Many are
really far apart with a few not that far apart. For example, if you
are sticking to shelters you are stuck with the decision of either
doing a 31-mile day or two 18- and 13-mile days. For thruhikers a 13-
mile day is short, but most people only rarely do 31-mile days. For
many section hikers, 18 miles is too far. So, I am happy with
ignoring the shelters in this section and just camping where I want to.

Other than being near a road, the campsite Longshanks found is nice.
It is right by a stream and is off the trail a little bit. And, there
are plenty of trees for my hammock.

It looked like there might have been a number of lookout points
today. Unfortunately, the view was just a white cloud.

Supposedly the rocks start to get bad at this point. I'll see what
Rocksylvania has to offer. The rocks today were ok, although I did
fall down once on a wet rock. Surprisingly I did not sustain any
injuries during the fall.

Day 85 - 6/08

Daily mileage: 11.4
Total trail mileage: 1137.7
Starting location: Darlington Shelter
Ending location: Duncannon, PA
Weather: 56 in the morning, 63-66 degrees during the day. Clear and
sunny and breezy all day

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.390917,+-77.030051

The temperature dropped overnight. It was so nice to sleep with it
cooler out. And then today was almost perfect hiking temperatures.

There were actually a few views today. It was nice to see out for a
change, and although the mountains are relatively tiny, at least there
are a couple. The last couple days have been pretty flat.

I missed the trail at one point today. The trail turned to go up the
hill while a side trail continued straight. I ended up in a parking
lot with no sign of the trail. Fortunately some other day hikers told
me where the trail was and I didn't end up going too far down the
wrong trail.

I now reached Duncannon and the hiker-famous Doyle Hotel. I am here
for the night and will get back on the trail hopefully early tomorrow
morning. I hung out at the bar with a bunch of other hikers all
night. This is part of what makes the trail so awesome.

Day 84 - 6/07

Daily mileage: 14.3
Total trail mileage: 1126.3
Starting location: Boiling Springs, PA
Ending location: Darlington Shelter
Weather: 75-83 degrees during the day. Clear and sunny all day

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.301517,+-77.086881

I got up and went to the breakfast buffet at the inn. It was the best
breakfast buffet I have had on the trail so far and was either $3 for
just the Continental or $6 for everything. The Playhouse really knows
how to treat hikers. DC, CJ, Indiana Jones, Moose, and Tetherball
were also there.

Since I decided to not go all the way to Duncannon today, I had an
easy day. So, I hung around the Inn for a while and went in the hot
tub and pool for a bit (it has been such a long time since I have been
in a pool). I finally left at 1:30 and got on the trail.

The trail today was so easy. It had to be the easiest 14 miles I have
ever hiked. The hike was completely flat until right at the end. It
went through and adjacent to farm fields all day. So, I made really
good time and got to the shelter long before I was expecting to.

There are a ton of people at the shelter tonight. And, there are a
lot of hammockers. The group consists of a number of thruhikers as
well as a number of long section hikers.

My shoulder is still hurting occassionally. Sleeping in the hammock
with my pad seems to be helping. The bed at the Inn was not and the
hammock without the pad was putting too much pressure on the
shoulder. I still don't know what I did to it.

Since we were explaining the concept of the AT Library to a non-hiker
last night I figured I should mention it. The AT Library forms when
hikers leave books in the shelters or hiker boxes. If you need a
book, you take one. If you are done with a book, leave it. It is
kinda neat, because you will often read books that you wouldn't
otherwise read and the same book travels far distances. There was one
that I saw in Georgia, but decided not to pick it up as I was already
reading another. Well, it turns out that DC had the book when he got
off the trail in Waynesboro, VA and will return it to the trail in NJ
when he sees family. So, the book will have traveled from GA to NJ
and will have been read by so many hikers. Once we hit Southbounders,
they may change directions and go South for a bit. I think all hikers
should write in the book when and where they picked it up.

Tomorrow is a nice easy day and then back to a hotel for the night. I
would skip this town since I was just off the trail, but everyone says
to stop at the Doyle Inn. Supposedly it is pretty run down but has a
lot of character and a fun atmosphere. I dunno, we'll see.

Day 83 - 6/06

Daily mileage: 17.7
Total trail mileage: 1112.0
Starting location: After Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Ending location: Boiling Springs, PA
Weather: 70 degrees in the morning, 74-84 degrees during the day.
Cloudy and drizzling in the morning and early afternoon. Clear and
sunny and breezy in the late afternoon

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.150728,+-77.113163

There were two interesting sections today. The rest was a really easy
"Green Tunnel". The first section was a giant boulder field on the
top of a mountain. The trail weaved around, through, up, and down the
boulders. It was a lot of fun climbing on the rocks. The second area
was going through Cumberland Valley farms. The trail is perfectly
flat (the longest stretch of flat I have seen on the trail thus far)
and I was walking right through the middle of the fields. I was
concerned about being covered in ticks, but nobody saw any in that
section.

It was threatening to really rain all morning, and the ridgerunner
said there was a tornado warning for the area. Fortunately, the storm
just missed us, and we only got drizzle throughout the early part of
the day. Supposedly a cold, dry front is moving in, so hopefully the
raininess and humidity will end for a bit.

I was not planning on stopping at Boiling Springs as I will be out at
Duncannon Tuesday night. But, I was unaware of an 18-mile camping
restriction. So, the only options were to camp in town (they have a
campsite), or stay at the Playhouse Inn. So, I stayed at the Inn
which turned out to be really awesome. It is one of the nicest hotels
I have stayed at on the trail and it is really cheap. Supposedly the
normal rates are something like $160 for the night. They give the
rooms to hikers for $25. There is also usually an option to have
dinner and a play, but the performance today was in the afternoon, so
I missed that.

There were a few other hikers here, so I hung out with them for dinner
and then we watched the Flyers game. For the next couple weeks, I
need to schedule my town stops around the World Cup games :)

Tomorrow I'll get half way to Duncannon, so I have an easy day into
town Tuesday morning. I wouldn't stop at Duncannon, but everyone says
I have to stay at the Doyle hotel in town. So, if I must, I'll
sacrifice and spend another night off trail...sigh...

Day 82 - 6/05

Daily mileage: 18.8
Total trail mileage: 1094.3 (approx)
Starting location: Quarry Gap Shelters
Ending location: After Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Weather: 64 degrees in the morning, 73-76 degrees during the day.
Cloudy and drizzling in the morning. Mostly cloudy in the early
afternoon. Cloudy and raining in the late afternoon and on

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.030242,+-77.287316

I redeemed myself! The Half Gallon Challenge was a breeze. I ate a
half gallon of Hersheys Cookies and Cream ice cream, but I wasn't
timing myself like some other people. The first 3/4 went down easy,
but I was slowing down on the last quarter. And then, after a short
break I ate a cheeseburger and fries. Mmm :). I wasn't feeling sick
at all and walking after it wasn't a big deal.

That also means I am now 50% done with the trail! Over 1089.55 miles
done and less than 1089.55 miles left. I can't believe I have walked
that distance.

I woke up this morning and found that the Outward Bounders left me 3
blocks of cheese. That will have to wait until tomorrow. I already
have had enough dairy for the day.

The hike this morning was easy. I was making really good time all
morning until I got to Pine Grove. At Pine Grove Furnace State Park
(the site of the Half Gallon Challenge) they were having the grand
opening of the AT Museum. That entailed a bunch of speakers and a BBQ
and everything. By the time I got there I had missed the main events
but was still able to go in the museum. There were a ton of people
there and I hung around for a long time talking to current thruhikers,
past thruhikers, section hikers, and people interested about the trail.

I think I found my new group of thruhikers. I am surprised, I was
expecting to come back to huge groups of people, but there really
haven't been too many. DC (who I had known from before), Cornpipe,
Panther, Ridley, and Merf were all at the State Park. Major Chafage
is just ahead and Chewie is just behind. I think those are the only
thruhikers I have seen since I left Harpers Ferry.

I can't believe I am actually saying this, but so far I like PA. The
hike has been pleasant so far and the rocks haven't been too bad
(yet). Maryland was much worse in sections.

Now I am at a campsite with a section hiker from Israel. He had
thruhiked the AT and PCT in the past, but is only out for a month and
a half this time. I am in my hammock as the rain is pouring down.
Let it rain so it clears up by morning!

Day 81 - 6/04

Daily mileage: 15.8
Total trail mileage: 1075.5
Starting location: Deer Lick Shelters
Ending location: Quarry Gap Shelters
Weather: 70 degrees in the morning, 74-81 degrees during the day.
Clear and sunny in the morning. Cloudy and thunder and lightning and
showers in the afternoon. Thunderstorm in the early evening

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.931508,+-77.487067

I enjoyed the hike today. I was making good time in the morning and
there was something about the forest that was nice. I can't really
explain it. And the trail passed over a couple streams, went by some
nice shelters, went past a couple parks, and went through some giant
boulder fields.

For some reason my shoulder was hurting yesterday and today. I don't
know what I did to it. It is not like I walk on my hands or anything.

I was planning on going further today, but the Quarry Gap Shelters are
really nice. I had to stop. They are well maintained with a garden
and a stream with rock walls and gravel in front of the shelter. I
had just decided to stay at the shelter and set up my hammock when it
started pouring. Again, I lucked out with the weather. It looked
threatening earlier in the day but ended up only being a few showers.
I guess the storm was waiting for me to get under shelter.

There was an Outward Bound group from Philly staying near the shelter
also. They joined me for dinner and gave me all sorts of food (tuna
mac and cheese, handfuls of M&Ms, blocks of cheese, etc.). I talked
to the teacher and he is going to get me some info regarding teaching.

At lunchtime I witnessed an impressive feat of strength. I was
sitting on a rock eating lunch when I saw an ant carrying a dead Daddy
Long Leg spider. Not only did the spider have more mass, but it was
also significantly larger with its legs all over the place. The legs
kept getting caught on things and the ant had to rotate around to get
it free. And then the ant and dead spider tumbled down the side of a
rock, almost like a dance. I thought about helping the ant out, but I
didn't know where it was headed.

It saddens me to hear that Mr. Harry Schmidt recently passed away. He
taught me a lot during scouts and is one of the reasons I am out here
doing the thruhike. I still think about some of the tricks he told us
about.

Day 80 - 6/03

Daily mileage: 9.6
Total trail mileage: 1059.7
Starting location: Raven Rock Shelter
Ending location: Deer Lick Shelters
Weather: 78-87 degrees during the day. Partly cloudy midday. Cloudy
and brief shower in the afternoon

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.766405,+-77.485261

Yea, I didn't get out of my hammock until after noon. I really needed
the sleep. Surprisingly I wasn't at all sore or stiff from hiking
yesterday. I forgot to mention yesterday that I wasn't counting on
the rocks in Maryland. They are probably what was causing my feet to
ache.

Unfortunately I had run out of water at the end of yesterday (another
reason why I stopped when I did). The next water source wasn't for 5
miles, and those 5 miles became much more difficult than they
otherwise would have been. I was really thirsty when I reached the
water fountain and immediately drank a full liter of water. I need to
be more careful now that it is a little drier and hotter.

It didn't take long back on the trail before I ran into nice people
again. I was sitting at a picnic table at the county park when an
elderly woman stopped by to ask if I needed a ride into town or
anything. And then a guy working in the park told me to go in the
work room and use the faucet there to fill up my water bladder rather
than using the fountain.

Although I was planning on reaching PA yesterday, I HAVE NOW COMPLETED
MY SIXTH STATE! Maryland is done. I don't have anything else to add
on Maryland other than what I said yesterday. Now on to the dreaded
Pennsylvania...ugh...

As soon as I reached PA, the forest started smelling like manure. I
am not sure what that is all about. And, the mosquitoes are starting
to bite but they are at least manageable so far.

I was going to go a little further today, but I might as well get some
more sleep. Last night helped a lot but I am still sleepy tired.
Plus, there was a copy of the book Animal Farm in the shelter. I was
thinking recently about rereading 1984...Animal Farm will be a decent
substitution.

Day 79 - 6/02

Daily mileage: 38.4
Total trail mileage: 1050.1
Starting location: VA/WV Border
Ending location: Raven Rock Shelter
Weather: 68-72 degrees throughout the night and into the morning.
75-83 degrees during the day. Partly cloudy and humid during the day

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.673177,+-77.52799

Mission not accomplished :(. Between the lack of sleep (6 hours total
for 3 days was not cutting it), the distance traveled continuously,
and the pounding of my feet on rocks, I found the limitation of what
my body can handle. My feet were aching for the last 10 miles of the
hike, I was traveling slower and slower, and I was half falling asleep
while walking. If I didn't look right at the ground, I couldn't walk
straight, and I felt like I would pass out. So, I decided to call it
quits 4.9 miles from the border. Oh well. I think if I had had sleep
and didn't lose the trail a number of times at road crossings I would
have been fine.

So much for 2 weeks of showers and trying to eat as much as I could.
It didn't last long before reverting to my normal uncleanliness and
hungryness.

I ran into a few new people today. I also ran into DC. He had taken
20 days off in Waynesboro and has been trying to catch up.
Unfortunately, he said he has only run into one other person from our
crew. From the logs though, First Man might only be a couple days
ahead.

During the beginning part of the day it was great to be walking
again. While nighthiking (I started walking at midnight), I could see
eyes staring at me and I could smell all the flowers. During the
daylight, there were tons of blooming Mountain Laurels that the trail
was passing around. There weren't many views today though.

I HAVE COMPLETED MY FIFTH STATE! West Virginia is done and Maryland
will be finished tomorrow. Both are very short states, had only a few
views, were well graded (I don't remember any major climbs), and
passed over land with historical relevance (Harpers Ferry and a number
of Civil War sites).

I will sleep for a long time tomorrow and then see where I end up. I
probably won't be traveling too far.

Day 78 - 6/01

Daily mileage: -2.3
Total trail mileage: 1011.7
Starting location: Harpers Ferry / Home
Ending location: VA/WV Border
Weather: 80 degrees in the afternoon. Mostly clear and sunny in the
afternoon

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=39.310708,+-77.737407

It's good to be back! I just wish I could fit everyone I care about
in my pack so I could bring them with me. On the train from DC I ran
into a section hiker (Safety Pins) who reads all the trail journals
and ran across my name a few times. A thruhiker from the class of
2001 was also right in front of us. As soon as I got into Harpers
Ferry I began to run into a new crew of NOBO thruhikers like I was
expecting. It was still weird though...I was hoping to see the guys I
know even though I knew they wouldn't still be here. Unfortunately, I
don't remember the new peoples' names, although they knew me by
reputation. Apparently someone else was going to be named Hobbit but
they said I claimed the name first :)

After grabbing a calzone I started the hike backwards. Yep, the
negative daily mileage is correct. I got back to the same exact point
that I camped at 2 weeks ago and plan on getting 3 hours of sleep
before attempting the 42 or so mile day.

My legs feel strong, my back feels strong, my feet are good, and my
shoes seem to be adequately broken in. I was concerned that taking
the 2 week break would not help the situation, but so far it seems
ok. If I can maintain endurance and if I don't fall asleep
prematurely I might have a chance of making it to PA tomorrow.

Either way, I wouldn't expect much of a post tomorrow. Either I will
finish and be exhausted or quit because I was exhausted.

Calendar is updated

I updated the calendar with my expected arrival dates at some of the
towns along the way. This should be read as a loose plan and not as a
schedule as the dates will likely shift around a bit for any number of
reasons. Let me know if you want me to try to reach certain points at
more convenient dates and I will see what I can do.

Back to the trail :)

Well, my vacation from my vacation is now over. I am headed back to
the trail via train to pick up where I left off. It was nice to be
home for a bit, and it was great to see everyone, but I was also
missing the trail. I was afraid that I would have to convince myself
to go back to hiking, especially in the pending heat, but that wasn't
the case.

Coming back home was a shock. The traffic and general busyness was so
drastically different from what I have been dealing with since the
beginning of March. I had to try to ramp back up in order to accept
the faster pace of the "real world". Being away from the trees and
the rocks and the dirt was a shame (although I do need to figure out a
way to have showers and laundry available while on the trail). I
couldn't sleep much for the first couple days home because it is noisy
around my house compared to the woods, the air inside my house is much
drier, and my sleeping surface changed from a hammock to a mattress.

And then there was driving. I managed to avoid much driving for a
couple days, but then I fell back into the trap of relying on the
convenience of a car. Surprisingly, the mechanics of driving did not
escape me at all. But, my reaction time was definitely reduced from
normal. On the trail there is no need to react to anything very
quickly. On the road (at least around NJ), that is certainly not the
case. I got up to 45 mph on one of the roads, and it felt so fast.
Normally that is a slow speed on that road.

I tried walking to a few stores, but having to constantly watch out
for cars wasn't as fun as walking on the trail. And, I just felt so
out of place as there are often no sidewalks and cars are steadily
whizzing by. I had had delusions that when I finished the AT, I would
try to walk to work. I am not sure if that is going to be practical.

One thing that was not a problem was adjusting back to having readily
available food without having to carry it. The hiker hunger
fortunately subsided a bit after a couple days, altough I did notice
that I had to eat more frequently than normal and each meal consisted
of a larger portion. And, I always had a supply of icecream around
for any time of day.

My schedule reverted to my college schedule...go to bed very late and
wake up somewhat late. I was unable to catch up on sleep, so that
will be a priority when I get back on trail (well, at least after the
4-state challenge attempt). I thought I was going to get bored during
last week with nothing to do, but that was unfortunately not the
case. I only finished a fraction of the things I wanted to do while
home, but I believe I did finish all the things I needed to do (at
least I hope so). Last night I got 2 hours of sleep as I was trying
to finish off my necessity todo list.

I did lose a good 16-17 pounds during the course of the first half of
the trail. And that isn't counting any weight transferred from fat to
muscle. If I continue at that rate, I am probably going to have
problems near the end. I tried gaining back a few pounds, but only
succeeded in gaining back a little. I'll just have to make sure I eat
even more when I hit towns ;). If you are looking for a weightloss
program, just go long distance backpacking! All you need to do is
walk, and you can even eat anything you want :)

I made a surprisingly small amount of gear changes. I finally
switched to a new pair of shoes and replaced one pair of socks. I
dropped my emergency hand warmers as it is extremely unlikely that i
will need them for a while. I believe everything else stayed the same.

As I was going back through the photos of the trip so far, I was
surprised by how different the trail looked at the beginning of March
compared to now. Everything was white and devoid of growth. Now
everything is green and alive. Prior to looking at the pictures, it
didn't really set in regarding how much distance I have actually
walked in the last 3 months. I feel like I have done so much more
with my life than spending those 3 months working and living my life
in NJ.

And then finally there was the reason I went home in the first
place...Matt and Melissa are now married! The wedding and all the pre
and post activities were a ton of fun and everything went fairly
smoothly. My beard did get trimmed back quite a bit so I didn't look
like a homeless person, but there is another 3 months or so to grow
that back :)

Back to the trail I go. Now that I am getting closer to home, a
number of people have expressed an interest in meeting up. So, if you
want to come for a section or a day hike or to just meet up in a town,
let me know when and/or where and we'll work something out. Today
will be a little backtracking, a nap at the VA/WV border, and then an
attempt at the 4-state challenge starting at midnight. Nope, I really
don't think I am going to make it as it will be my first real day back
on the trail. But, I might as well try and see where I get :)

Photos Uploaded!

I finally got some more photos posted! Click on the Pictures link to
the right.

I am also trying to get them uploaded to facebook, but that might not
happen before I have to leave to go back on trail.