Spell of the Wild

Friday  9/1/00  21 miles/3621 Total.  223 Trail Days.  Pinkham Notch to US 2 near Gorham, NH.

Another hot day for high adventure.  Betty had me on the trial before 6:30AM.  The climb up Wildcat Mountain was long and steep.  Wildcat Mountain is a popular ski area with five cleverly named peaks: Peak A thru Peak E.  When we first saw the parking area for Wildcat, Betty and I both realized that we had been here about 12 years ago.  We had come here to ski with friends, Roy and Joan Burgess.

Now I have hiked up Wildcat Mountain and pass the top of the ski lifts.  Then a steep 1200 foot drop into Crater Notch and back up and over a series of Carter peaks.  It was five miles to get over the Carter family.  The 1300 foot descent to Imp Shelter was another steep one.  While descending I was overtaken by “Commodore”.  We hiked together for almost an hour then he stopped at Imp Shelter to get water and would stop for the night a few miles down the trail.

Eventually, I climbed over Mount Moriah and started a six mile descent to US Route 2.  Betty had left the car at the trailhead parking area and walked back to the RV.  Earlier in the day she moved the rig to Timberland RV Park.  Our little home was all hooked up when I arrived.  It was a long haul with nearly 5000 feet of vertical climbing.

Betty: Saturday 9/2/00  Chuck left this morning for an area that will take him three days to hike and he will have two overnights, with big pack and all the trimmings.  He was busy packing up this morning and was on the trail about 10:00.  We are hoping he will have good weather, but the forecast is for scattered showers.  I will pick him up on Hwy 26 in Maine on Monday.  Scott Sheldon is planning to come up and hike again for a day or two.  He will be visiting family in Maine.  Mae, “Crabby Trails”, (Chuck’s sister and my best friend) is coming back in about a week or so and we’re sure looking forward to her visit.  She will be at  Katahdin with us.

Saturday  9/2/00  10 miles/3631 Total.  224 Trail Days.  US 2 (Gorham, NH) to Dream Lake.

Betty helped me cram food, tent, sleeping bag, water filter, etc. into my pack for the three day trip across a remote mountainous area.  The two thousand foot climb up Mount Hayes was long but not steep.  On the way up I was overtaken by two young Quebecqois (French Canadians).  As they approached, I heard them speaking French and when they passed, I whipped my best French on them.  Thirty seconds later, after exhausting all of their language that I could remember, we switched to English.  They and four others, who followed, live east of Montreal.  They were here for the three day hike through Mahoosuc Notch.  They were carrying huge packs, but quickly climbed out of view in front of me.  Later, I found that those huge packs were loaded with all types of mouth watering delicacies.

It started raining early in the afternoon making rocks and roots slick and muddy.  Over Cascade Mountain through Trident Pass and eventually to Dream Lake, my intended campsite for the night.  It was still raining and this lake was no dream.  It had a marshy shoreline and no suitable campsite was obvious.  Finally, I located a site someone had used some time ago.  I was about a hundred feet off the trail and several hundred feet into thick woods from the dream lake.  Setting up camp in a downpour has never been one of my better activities.  Within about two minutes the tent was up, I tossed all my gear inside and crawled in behind it.  I was glad this site was back in the woods and out of view from the trail, it was really a sloppy job.  But, it was raining and I was inside and I didn’t have to look at it.  As I was cooking my dinner under the little vestibule, I heard voices.  Peering from inside the tent, I could see two figures, in rainsuits with hoods over their heads, moving back and forth on the trail.  It was obvious they were searching for a campsite.  I yelled to them and offered a sort of flat spot near mine.  They took it.  It was “Sirroco” and “Aimless”, two southbound ladies I had met a couple of months ago near Roan Mountain.  At that time they were hiking south to Springer Mountain.  They then did a “wrap around” by driving to Mount Katahdin, Maine and are hiking south to their starting point at Harpers Ferry, WV.  They spent more time setting up their rather large tent, it looked better than my sad operation.  My skillet potatoes were great, I was asleep before dark, and it was still raining.

Betty:  Sunday  9/3/00  It is indeed a day that the Lord has made.

I searched the phone book for a Lutheran church and found one in Berlin, NH which is about 10  miles north of Gorham.  I called yesterday and talked to the pastor and could tell right away that this was going to be a great experience.  For those of you in Lime Springs – this is St. Paul’s Lutheran and it’s on Norway street and you turn at Oleson’s Norwegian Village (store).  Today,  as I pulled into the parking lot, I saw a gentleman getting out of his car – and to my surprise it was “Jimmy B”, a hiker on the trail who recently had some health problems and had to stop hiking, but is now helping “slack” other hikers.  He had “Tigger” (we first mentioned “Tigger” in New York/New Jersey and then saw her again at the Hiker Feed about a week ago) and “Slug”, both thru-hikers.  What excitement.  They are camping in Gorham, but at a different campground.  It was great to see them.  We all sat together in church.  I met the most wonderful people.  The congregation welcomed us into their fold, as did Pastor and Mrs. Stone.  We all had coffee and goodies after the service and visited – it was really hard to leave!!!  Pastor Stone said I could come back on Monday and update my website.  So you’ll be reading this soon.  Is there any doubt that God is at work in our lives.  We are very blessed and thankful.

I got back to the campground and Claire, who is working as a campground volunteer had checked out our site.  She came by and we talked and she offered to check to see if my update had taken, it didn’t – so she told me I could come by her place and try to update it again.  Sometimes I have a problem getting the updates to take, and this evidently was one of those times.  Claire and her husband, RV “full time” and work at some of the campgrounds they stay in.  They were going to be here long enough that they had a phone connected.  She’s been telling me all about volunteering and also that they have already visited the Gasp* peninsula.  While at Claire’s, I couldn’t get the journal to update, but did figure out how to delete the photo album, so maybe the next time I try to update the journal, it will work.  Computers, I love them and hate them.

Sunday  9/3/00  11 miles/3642 Total.  225 Trail Days.  Dream Lake (NH) to Full Goose Shelter (ME)

At 6AM it was still raining.  I dressed inside the tent then stuck all my belongings in the pack.  Once outside, I dropped the tent and quickly shoved the wet thing in it’s stuff sack.  This wet sack then went into the pack.  I said good-bye to “Sirroco” and “Aimless”, still snug in their dry tent and I was on my way.

I passed the Gentian Pond Shelter at 9AM.  Section hikers, “Stringer” (I think) and Victoria were there fixing breakfast.  “Stringer” is a member of the International Appalachian Trail Chapter in Maine.  A resident of Connecticut, he is very knowledgeable about the IAT in both Maine and Canada.

A few miles later I met “Wishbone” and “Odd Rod”, both northbound thru-hikers.  “Wishbone”, Monica Miller, is also a Florida Trail member.  She lives near Jacksonville.  We talked for several minutes and took some pictures.

One mile on up the trail, I crossed the state line and entered Maine.  As usual, in this area, the trail is rugged with lots of ups and down, lots of rocks and roots, and for two days lots of rain.  Crossing the two peaks of Goose Eye Mountain, the trail was nearly at treeline.  The plan was to stay at Full Goose Shelter for the night.  The area was full of campers when I arrived at 6PM.  Twelve hikers had their sleeping bags in the shelter and there were over a dozen tents behind it.  My wet tent went up on a platform which also served as a cooking counter and dining table.  While preparing dinner (red beans and rice), a young woman hiker walked through the area looking for a spot.  I pointed out a flat area adjacent to my site.  She immediately called that spot, “home”.  Her name is Monica Morris and she is a senior staff editor at Backpacker Magazine.  I think she is doing an article on hiking the Mahoosuc Notch.

It continued raining through the night, I slept well.

Monday  9/4/00  10 miles/3652 Total.  226 Trail Days.  Full Goose Shelter to Grafton Notch.

It was still raining as the overcast sky got lighter with the dawn.  It was another wet pack job.  I was just leaving as Monica stepped out of her tent.  I asked if it was OK to get a picture.  She must be a hardcore backpacker because most women would have had harsh words for such a request the instant they crawled out of a tent, but she smiled, flashed her “Backpacker Magazine” name tag and I snapped the picture.  I was the first to depart the camp.

An hour later, the rain stopped and I entered the much talked about, “Mahoosuc Notch”.  This mile long canyon is about 200 feet wide and has vertical rock walls over five hundred feet high on both sides.  During the past several thousand years, large chunks of rock have fallen to the bottom of this notch.  These rocks are the sizes of houses, buses and VW’s and they are piled high for a full mile through this narrow slot.  The trail goes over, under, around and through these huge rocks.  It is a large puzzle to figure out how to negotiate each obstacle.  There are several ways through many of the blockages.  Some may require climbing 20 feet up over a vertical wall using tiny cracks for handholds, others require long stretches or jumps.  Two times I removed my pack and pushed it through a small hole then squeezed through myself.

While having fun in this large natural playground, my Quebecqois friends, Oliver and Pierre, caught up to me.  We had all done some mountain climbing in the past and found those techniques enhanced our enjoyment.  A few times we negotiated the same obstacle more than one way.  It was a fun time and would have been even better without a pack.  I spent about an hour and forty-five minutes playing with this one mile stretch.

The steep climb out of the notch up Mahoosuc Arm took the remainder of the morning.  Then it was over Speck Mountain and a gradual 2500 foot descent over three miles into Grafton Notch to meet Betty at the trailhead.  I arrived about an hour earlier than expected, and Betty was there.

She had arranged to meet our friends, Scott and Missy Sheldon, their son, Luke and Scott’s parents, for dinner at the “Moose’s Tale”.  I had beer and Maine Lobster, lots of both.  I don’t know what anybody else had, but it was a good time.

Tuesday  9/5/00  10 miles/3662 Total.  227 Trail Days.  Grafton Notch to East B Hill Road.

It was a steady climb up Baldpate Mountain.  The West and East Peaks are at about 3800 feet and they are covered with flat rock.  It was cool at about 45 degrees and the wind on these unprotected peaks was about 25 mph.  I dug out my windbreaker.  The views in all directions were wonderful.  The green hills and mountains of Maine go, seemingly, forever.

At Frye Notch Lean-to, about 10 hikers had all stopped for lunch.  “Mississippi Hiker” was there, also “Wishbone”.

“Mississippi Hiker” and I hiked the last mile of the day together and met his brother “Golden Eagle” who took us back to the Stony Mountain RV park.  During the day, Betty had moved our RV to this park.  “Golden Eagle”, “Virginia Bluebird” and “Mississippi Hiker” were parked next door to us and invited Betty and me over for dinner.  Good food, good wine and good company.  Life on the trail is good this day.

Wednesday 9/6/00  10 miles/3672 Total.  228 Trail Days.  East B Hill Road to South Arm Road.

“Mississippi Hiker” (“MH”) rode to the trailhead with Betty and me.  “MH” and I planned to hike together and meet Betty after a short day.

It was 8AM, we had been on the trail about half an hour when “MH” stopped abruptly.  He quietly said, “There is a Moose just around this bend in the trail”.  About 40 feet in front of us was a bull moose with a huge rack.  He took note of us and moved about 15 feet.  Some leaves were dangling from his mouth as he stood there posing for a few pictures.  This big animal was still there when we decided to hike on up the trail.

We were over Wyman Mountain and down to Hall Mountain Lean-to (shelter) well before lunch time.  Several hikers were there.  An older guy, “Skate”, looked familiar.  He said we had met near the “Smokies” when he was hiking south from Harpers Ferry.  He is now hiking south from Katahdin to Harpers Ferry.

“MH” and I crossed Sawyer Notch then climbed 1300 feet to the top of Moody Mountain and stopped for lunch with a great view on this beautiful clear, but cool day.

It was a short hike down to South Arm Road.  We were almost an hour earlier than planned, so was Betty.  She drove up about three minutes after we arrived.  The day was exceptional: short hike, perfect weather, friendly terrain and we saw a moose.

Thursday  9/7/00  13 miles/3685 Total.  229 Trail Days. South Arm Rd. to State Rd 17.

Betty had “MH” and me on the trail before 8AM.  It was another beautiful day, clear and cool with unlimited visibility.  The first steps were up and the ascent continued for three miles and an elevation gain of 2000 feet.  On the top of Old Blue Mountain we found “Buck”, “Frito”, “Bean” and “Hogie”.  They had slept under the stars and were just breaking camp.  The night was windy, cool and wonderful, they reported.  The view from the mountain top was great with Maine’s mountains and lakes continuing endlessly in all directions.

We continued across Elephant Mountain at a brisk but comfortable pace.  The trail was now in the Bemis Mountain Range.  It was 2:30pm when we arrived at State Road 17.  Wayne and Mary were waiting for us and they gave the four mountain top campers a ride to Oquossoc.  Even though it was ten miles out of his way, Wayne never mentioned it.  Mary offered them water and chips.

When we reached our RV in the town of Mexico, Maine, Betty had refreshments waiting for us.  She had asked the Town Manager, Joe Derouche, for permission to park the RV overnight in the lot behind the town hall.  She told him about our hike and he agreed.  He gave her two T-shirts for “the hikers” and said he would like to send a reporter to talk with us.

Eileen Adams from Sun Journal joined us shortly after we arrived.  She was interested in the hikes that “MH” and I were doing and in our rather unique support arrangements.  She received some good input from Wayne, Mary and Betty about their vital roles.  Before Eileen left, Bruce, a reporter from a rival newspaper in Rumford, ME arrived.  He got some basic facts about our trips, took a couple of pictures and we were off to eat at the Mexico Chicken Coop.  We wanted to go to a Mexican restaurant, but there is no Mexican restaurant in Mexico.

Betty: However, Joe said he is working on getting a Mexican restaurant.  They will also have a new super Wal-mart soon.

Friday  9/8/00  13 miles/3698 Total.  230 Trail Days.  State Rd. 17 to State Rd. 4.

Again, Betty had “MH” and me on the trail before 8AM.  It was another beautiful day and the easiest trail we have had in weeks.  The total elevation gain was less than one thousand feet.  “MH” and I chatted the miles away.

“Silver”, “Sweep” and “Pigpen” had spent the night on the shore of a picturesque little lake.  We passed by as they were packing.  Later, we hiked a while with “Good Foot”, but soon pulled away as we clipped off the miles.

We reached the end point an hour and a half early and realized we had not stopped to eat lunch.  While waiting for our ride, “Mad Scientist” and “Smokin Joe” arrived.  After talking with us a few minutes, they decided to hitch-hike into Rangeley, ME.  Within two minutes these young, grubby, smelly guys were picked up by a lone young woman driving a convertible with the top down??

Wayne and Mary were right on time, again they gave some hikers a ride to a town that was out of their way; this time it was three southbounders.

We moved to Deer Farm RV Park as did the Howells, “Golden Eagle” (Wayne),  “Virginia Bluebird” (Mary), and “Mississippi Hiker” (Harold).  Betty fixed a great dinner T-bone steak, baked potato and salad.  Life is good.

Betty:  This RV park is another neat park.  It sits on a hill above Kingfield.  It is quiet, peaceful and is on the 45th parallel, that’s halfway between the North Pole and the Equator. It’s probably going to start to feel like the North Pole soon, but right now the temperature is great!  There is a pond just across the road at which you may sight moose and loons.  Also, of importance for me, is they have a modem hookup!!!!  I saw two more moose this morning (9/9/00) after dropping the guys at their start point.  It was a young moose and it’s mother.  They were both in the road.

Saturday 9/9/00  24 miles/3722 Total.  231 Trail Days.  State Rd. 4 to Caribou Valley Road.

Today promised to be a long hard day.  We planned to hike 24 miles over six mountains, a total elevation gain of about 8,000 feet.  Since the days are shorter now we knew an early start was essential if we hoped to finish before dark.

“Mississippi Hiker” (MH) joined us at 5:30 AM and Betty drove us to the trailhead.  We were climbing up to Piazza Rock at 6:20AM.  Then, it was a 2000 foot climb on up to the top of Saddleback Mountain.  We were above treeline and in a cloud.  Even though we were sweating from the steep climb, the wind near the rocky summit forced us to don our jackets.  After a 500 foot climb over The Horn, we descended below treeline.  After climbing over Saddleback Junior we descended 2000 feet and crossed Oberton Stream.  We took a short break here to purify two liters of drinking water for each of us.

Of course, every time we go down we must climb back up.  This time it was up Lone Mountain, then Spaulding Mountain and finally Sugarloaf Mountain.  Sugarloaf is a popular ski area in Maine.  The descent down to Caribou Valley Road was over 2 miles long and very steep in places.  Betty met us with cold beer and a ride home.

It had been a long tiring day.  Our pace had been brisk with few breaks, the longest being 20 minutes for lunch.  It took just under eleven hours to do the 24 miles.  We finished well before dark and we were glad to see Betty.

Betty:  I hadn’t anticipated that they would be early and even though I was a half hour early they had already been there nearly an hour.  They put their warm clothes on, but still probably got chilled waiting.

It’s Sunday now, “Swamp Eagle” and “MH” are on the trail.  Today is a short day for them.  We’ve invited “MH”, “Virginia Bluebird” and “Golden Eagle” over for dinner tonight – so I’d better get busy.

 I went to Kingfield United Methodist Church this morning.  Had a wonderful time and met a great group of folks.  After church I went to North New Portland (our next stop) to scout out a place to park the RV.  We will dry camp at least one day and maybe two.  I found a Presbyterian Church that is used only occasionally and a library that is open on Saturdays and Wednesdays.  They share a parking lot, which is nice and flat.  The librarian, Jan Kooistra, was at the library and gave me permission to park in their lot.  Well, we’ve said all along that the trip is really made by the wonderful people we meet along the way, and Jan is another example of the wonderful people we’ve met.

Sunday 9/10/00  9 miles/3731 Total.  232 Trail Days.  Caribou Valley Road to Stratton Brook Pond Road.  Sunday, easy day, late start.  Wayne had us on the trail just after 9AM.  He repeated his plans for the day several times, watch football, have a couple of cold beers.  “Mississippi Hiker” and I were not phased, we had our own great day ahead.  It was yet another perfect day and we only had nine miles.  It would be a 2000 foot climb over Crocker Mountain, then a long gradual descent to our pick-up point.  The trail was kind to us and we made good time.  We arrived early and so did Mary.

On the drive back to the RV park, we saw a red fox.  Also, Mary, an avid birder, helped “MH” and I identify a bird we had seen earlier.  It was a White-winged Crossbill.

Betty fixed a great lasagna dinner for the five of us.  We had a good time swapping stories.

Monday  9/11/00  18 miles/3749 Total.  233 Trail Days.  Stratton Brook Pond Rd to Long Falls Dam Road.  It was a 22 miles drive to get us on the trail, but Betty had us there at 7AM.  In front of us were the renowned Bigelow Mountains.  A 3000 foot climb put us above the treeline and on top of first West Peak, then Avery Peak.  We were in the clouds and the wind was about 20 mph; we stopped to put on our wind breakers.  “Mississippi Hiker” and I both like hiking above the treeline, it is exhilarating.

During the eleven mile descent we took a break on Little Bigelow Mountain and along came “Gaited Mule” and “Ram Kitten”.  It had been over a month since we last saw “Gaited Mule”.  He caught us up to date on the location and activities of many thru-hikers.  He is temporarily being supported by Gordon and Sue.  At East Falstaff Road we met this interesting brother and sister team.  They have been supporting thru-hikers for years, mostly on the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail.  Earlier this season they supported “Grandma Soules” until she caught Lyme Disease and was forced to drop her AT attempt.

We were early, but Betty was waiting for us at Long Falls Dam Road.  She had made arrangements to park both our RV and the Howell’s RV in a Library/Church parking lot in North New Portland.  We met Jan and Donna who were working late at the library.  They are great ambassadors for the State of Maine.

Tuesday 9/12/00  14 miles/3763 Total.  234 Trail Days.  Long Falls Dam Rd. to Trail to Harrison’s Pierce Pond.  As of today we have 2000 miles behind us on the Appalachian Trail.  Someone painted “2000 miles” on the pavement at the trailhead to make certain this milestone did not pass unnoticed.

The trail today was nearly flat, the total elevation gain was less than 1,000 feet.  In several places the trail follows a lakeshore and has a beautiful view across the water.  The miles were easy and went by quickly.  We met “Lone Wolf” and hiking partner who are now southbound after a flip flop from Harpers Ferry.  I remembered meeting them earlier as they were hiking north, maybe in southern Virginia.

As we started today, Wayne (Golden Eagle) volunteered to slack (haul the packs of) “Gaited Mule”, “Big Dig”, “Ram Kitten”, “Turbo Turtle” and “Split Pea”.  Their support van refused to go on Pierce Pond Road to meet them.  Also, even before we started, we saw a large bull moose in a long bog.  I think I got a decent picture.

The roads to the trail heads are getting longer and more remote; today’s trip was nearly 40 miles, one way.

Wednesday  9/13/00  15 miles/3778 Total.  235 Trail Days.  Trail to Harrison’s at Pierce Pond to Moxie Pond Rd.

The convoy departed at 6AM in a light rain.  Betty had identified a temporary parking area in Bingham, Maine and the Howells, Wayne (“Golden Eagle”), Mary (“Virginia Bluebird”), and Harold (“Mississippi Hiker”) followed us the twenty miles.  Wayne and Mary then gave us all a 25 mile ride to the trailhead near Pierce Pond.  Along the way a moose ran up the road in front of us.  By now the rain had stopped.  Betty and Mary planned to hike three miles with us to the Kennebec River.

It was a beautiful trail along Pierce Pond Stream.  The air was clean and cool, the forest was very green with moss and ferns on the forest floor, green leaves overhead and green moss on tree trunks in between.  Mary spotted a winter wren and several other birds.  At the Kennebec River we waited for a canoe to ferry us across, two at a time.  Wayne was there to give Betty and Mary a ride back to the RVs.

“Mississippi Hiker” and I hiked twelve more miles over Pleasant Pond Mountain and down the gradual descent to our meeting place at Moxie Pond.  Betty was there to give us a 40 miles ride back to the RV, then it was 20 miles more to Balsam Woods Campground near Abbot, Maine.  This expansive country is sparsely populated.

Thursday  9/14/00  18 miles/3796 Total.  236 Trail Days.  Moxie Pond Rd. to Shirley Blanchard Rd.

The weatherman says that today will be our last good one for a while.  Evidently, tropical storm Florence is moving out into the Atlantic and we will be getting some bands of rain.

Today is clear, sunny and great.  Our first chore is to get over Moxie Bald Mountain at 2700 feet.  It was an easy climb with great views in all directions from the summit.  We can’t be certain, but we think we might have seen the top of Katahdin.  It is about 60 miles as a loon flies.

The trail along Bald Mountain Stream was easy hiking and very scenic.  Everyday more leaves are starting to turn to their autumn colors.  At one point we saw fresh bear scat right on the trail.  Later, hiking along the West Branch Piscataquis River, we were about 80 feet above the river looking down into Horseshoe Canyon.  The afternoon sun shining on the water careening over rocks and on the already yellow ferns that lined the river was awesome.  “Mississippi Hiker” and I met Betty at Shirley Blanchard Road.

After showers back at the RV park the three of us ate at the campground snack bar.  We all had fresh lobster cooked right in front of us while we listened to tales of the north country.  Great!!

Betty:  Jay and Lynn are the owners of the campground.  It is really a nice campground and very accessible.  We have a nice pull thru site with water and electric.  In their snack bar they serve, lobster, clams, hamburgers, etc.  That’s a really nice touch.  Today while scouting, I went past the “Pie Lady’s” house.  She has rooms she rents to hikers and also runs a hiker shuttle.  She also bakes and sells breads and pies.  I stopped in to buy a pie (blueberry) and also talked to her about different routes in to the trail.  “MH”, “Swamp Eagle”, Jay, Lynn, and Marc (another RVer) all had pie after dinner, and it was great!

Friday  9/15/00  13 miles/3809 Total.  237 Trail Days.  Shirley Blanchard Rd. to Little Wilson Falls.

As predicted, it rained.  Wet rocks and roots slow progress on the trail.  “Mississippi Hiker” and I wore our rain parkas all day.  Before noon we crossed Highway 15 and entered the much bally-hooed One Hundred Mile Wilderness.  Signs warn all that enter to be well prepared.

For weeks, I have been expecting to meet “B & B” on their journey south from Cape Gaspe’, Quebec.  They actually started at Springer Mountain, Georgia, hiked north to Harpers Ferry, WV then flipped to Cape Gasp* and are now hiking south to complete their trip at Harpers Ferry.  The president of the International Appalachian Trail, Dick Anderson, has been keeping us posted on their progress.  A few days ago he told Betty we should meet them near Monson, Maine.  About one-half mile after we crossed the road to Monson, a figure in the rain and fog ahead yells “Chuck Wilson”.  It was Bryant of the “B&B” hiking team.  We excitedly told of our different experiences since we last hiked together in Bland, Virginia over three months ago.  A few minutes later, Beth arrived.  They loved hiking in Canada and gave me a quick summary of what I could expect to find there.

“MH” and I hiked on north and “B&B” departed to the south; it was still raining.  Our plan was to find a side trail at Little Wilson Falls and hike one mile out to meet Wayne.  Fortunately, Wayne hiked in that mile and was waiting at the intersection on the AT to lead us back to his truck.

Back at the RV park, we showered then Betty and I drove to Monson to meet with “B&B”.  We met at the Appalachian Restaurant and they traced along on our maps telling wonderful stories of their Canadian adventure.  It was late when we got back to move the RV forty miles northward.  We parked at a place Wayne had located at a little used air strip.  A neat site.

Thursday  8/17/00  18 miles/3385 total.  208 Trail Days.  Arlington-Wardsboro Road to Vermont Routes 11/30.

Betty moved the RV from the repair shop parking area to a “park and ride” lot near Manchester, Vermont.  She then deposited me on the trail.

The morning was cool, no rain and clear, it promised to be a good day.  It was an easy, but steady 2000 foot climb up Stratton Mountain (3936 feet).  On top the wind was a breezy 25 mph and the temperature was 48 degrees.  Several ski slopes wind down the mountain from here.  The gondola lift operates through the summer for those who want a good view of southern Vermont.  They allow hikers to ride free so they can go down to the town of Stratton and spend their money.

After a few minutes I cooled off and started down the far side.  Even though this is August, I was getting chilled.  I pulled a light fleece jacket out of the pack and it felt really good.  I think this is the first time I’ve needed a jacket since the Smokies in May.

On the way down, I met the caretakers of the tower on the top of the mountain and this area of the AT.  They were both friendly and said to say hello to Nimblewill Nomad when we see him.  We expect to meet him on the trail in the next few days.  He is hiking south from Cape Gaspe*.

Stratton Pond, 3 miles west of Stratton Mountain, is a picturesque mountain lake.  The AT skirts the eastern shore.  “Bevis”, the caretaker, was having lunch in his tent.  He offered me a cup of coffee and I chatted with him while we ate.  As caretaker, he maintains a shelter, a tent camping area and a portion of the AT.  His canoe, on the shore of the beautiful lake, made me envious.

Two miles later the trail enters the Lye Brook Wilderness Area.  While passing through this special area, I met “Orren”, a southbounder.  A strong, young hiker, he was really clipping along but stopped to talk for a minute.  I asked if he had seen Nina, “Water Fall”.  His eyes sparkled as he told me that he had hiked with Nina and her two friends.  He thought they were about four days behind him.  “Orren’s” dad keeps track of some hikers on the internet so I passed along our website address.

About five miles from the finish, the miles seemed to drag along slowly.  I’m not sure I’m back in the groove yet.  Betty was waiting and whisked me away to the RV and a cold beer.

Betty:  We moved the RV to Emerald Lake State Park.  It is a beautiful park, but their fees are $13 and they have no hookups.  They do have a dump station and fresh water, and we need those amenities.   We will stay here one night.  Tomorrow, I’ll look for something better.

Friday  8/18/00

Betty:  As I was out scouting this morning, I ran across a wonderful RV park about 30 north of where we are.  Perfect!!  As I pulled into the park, I saw “Golden Eagle” and “Virginia Bluebird”.  “Golden Eagle” is supporting his brother, “Mississippi Hiker” and his wife, Mary, “Virginia Bluebird”.  Mary isn’t hiking every day now, but still is out there quite often.  It was so nice to see them again.  We were last together at West Point family campground.  They were taking 6 days off because Harold’s “Mississippi Hiker” wife was coming for a visit.  We’ll most likely be leap frogging again.  The campsite was great.  The owner told me we could have a site that has its own telephone connection.  WOW!  I’ve moved the RV up to near where I pick up Chuck and then we will travel forward to the site.  For you RVers out there – the campground is – Iroquois Family Campground south of Rutland, VT and near North Clarendon, VT.  Large grassy sites with a beautiful view of the mountains.

Friday  8/18/00  17 miles/3402 Total.  209 Trail Days.  Vermont 11/30 to Danby-Land Grove Rd.

It is a cool morning, clear and dry.  The hiking is very enjoyable.  The temperature was in the high thirties last night and now my fleece jacket feels good.  The climb up Bromley Mountain is about 1500 feet and soon warms me.  By the time I reach the top, the jacket is back in my pack, shirt sleeves are rolled up and the front is unbuttoned.  This is another mountain top with a ski area.  The top lift station, ski patrol warming hut and an observation tower are all clustered near where the AT crosses the top.  Down to Mad Tom Notch then back up to Styles Peak.  The large flat rocks are a natural setting for lunch, and with a great view.

I was about to descend off Styles Peak, when “Sail Man” arrived, then “Lightning Bolt” then “Shaggy”.  As “Lightening Bolt” walked up he said, “Swamp Eagle, we finally meet”.  He is the son of “EZ Duz It”, who we met on the Florida Trail.  Both father and son are hiking the AT now.  “EZ” is a week or so ahead of us.

At this point, the day was all downhill.  The last ten miles seemed to drag on forever.  My right ankle has been complaining after I banged it against a rock two days ago.  I’m not able to rock-hop over mud holes as easily as before, plus it just plain hurts.  At day’s end I came limping in to meet Betty nearly three hours later than planned.

Saturday  8/19/00  14 miles/3416 Total.  210 Trail Days.  Danby Land Grove Rd. to Vermont 103.

It is a great day, clear and cool.  The Green Mountains of Vermont are beautiful.  During the past few weeks we have been entering what I think of as the “north woods”.  Maple, Paperbark Birch, Fir, Hemlock and Spruce are now predominate species in the forest.  A couple of days ago, I saw Moose sign: tracks and droppings.  This morning the Loon were wailing at Rock Pond.  This country is irresistible.

As Betty dropped me at the trailhead, we noticed that four of the six vehicles in the parking area had been vandalized; all had a smashed window.  Betty took their plate numbers and notified the sheriff’s office.

The first several miles were a joy.  Dappled sunlight dotted the trail and the cool air made it feel good to step out smartly.  As the trail skirted Little Rock Pond, I met the caretaker, Tracy Blanchard.  Tracy has worked as a caretaker in many different locations and in both summer and winter.  I asked her if she had parked a vehicle at the trailhead.  Unfortunately, her Rodeo was one of those that was vandalized and that Betty had reported.  She quickly made plans to hike out to the trailhead.

As I rounded a corner, a female hiker was approaching, she said “Hey, Swamp Eagle”.  It was Nina Baxley, aka “La Nina – the Rain Goddess”, and now “Water Fall”.  We had last seen Nina, in April, in Alabama, on the Pinhoti Trail.  At that time she was on a two week shakedown hike in preparation for her southbound thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.  It was then that she was caught in a flash flood and was washed downstream losing her tent, glasses, and hiking poles.  She had improvised a shelter with two garbage bags and made it through a cold rainy night in spite of wet gear.  I found her the next morning and helped get her gear together and we hiked to a road.  Betty then helped her locate replacement gear, get new glasses, and get organized to continue her journey on the Pinhoti Trail.  Nina spent some time in the RV with us and we had some great conversation swapping hiking stories, discussing equipment, and comparing our plans for the AT.

Now as we meet on the AT, we had some excited greetings and arranged to meet for dinner.  Betty would pick up Nina at the trailhead I had departed from this morning on Danby Land Grove Road.  Before we parted, Nina said she was really “down” because she had somehow just missed her good friend “Belcher”, a northbounder.  She said she had been crying as she hiked and that our meeting helped her snap out of the blues.  We headed off our separate directions and only minutes later I heard a male voice say, “Swamp Eagle”.  It was “Nimblewill Nomad” on his southbound journey from Canada to Key West.

“Nomad” did the northbound (Key West to Canada) hike two years ago.  He was very helpful when I was planning my route.  Betty, Mae and I have corresponded with him via email for months and we had a few long planning discussions on the phone.  “Nomad” came to meet us at Woody Gap near his home in Dahlonega, GA. as we started the Appalachian Trail.  We last saw him at Trail Days in Damascus, VA.  He made an impressive presentation there just before he left to begin his southerly hike at Cape Gaspe, Quebec on 23 May 2000.  Mae is reading both our journal and “Nomad’s” journal on our respective websites and has been projecting our expected meeting point.  Since we both put in nearly 20 miles per day, our closure rate is almost 40 miles daily.

The meeting was a sensational moment in both our journeys.  With a total of over 9,000 miles on the same route, this was the one time that we would be at the same point at the same time.  Two sweaty old guys with gray hair and beards embracing in the wilderness of Vermont’s Green Mountains is probably not a pretty sight, but it was an intense moment for both of us.  After some babbling about our respective sagas, I asked him to join Nina, Betty and me for dinner.  He agreed and said that Nina’s friend “Belcher” had been trying to find her and was just a “little way” in front of me.  I said that was great and I would try to catch her and ask her to join us so that she and Nina could meet.  Now “Nomad” and I went our separate directions; he went south to meet Betty at Danby Land Grove Road and I would hustle north to catch “Belcher” and meet Betty at Vermont Road 103.

Even though I thought I was flying down the trail, it took nearly two hours to overtake “Belcher”.  We introduced ourselves and she said that I could probably tell that she had been crying because of her worst disappointment on the trail.  I told her of our plans to meet Nina and she excitedly lead the way down the trail with non-stop chatter about herself and Nina. (Belcher and Nina have never met – they’ve been good friends on the internet for the past two years.  This will be the first face to face meeting.)

Betty met Nina and “Nomad” at the trailhead then took Nina to Manchester, VT to pick up a supply package she had mailed earlier.  We all met at the Whistle Stop Cafe.  Everyone was keyed up and the excitement never waned.  After dinner we returned to the RV campground for showers and some beer while we continued to swap stories.  Nina and “Belcher” were intensely engaged in gibberish that continued well into the night.  Betty got out maps for the Canadian portion of our trip and “Nomad” showed us what he had done and gave us lots of good tips.  After some beer and wine, we more mature folks, retired for the evening while the younger gals were just getting started.  It was an absolutely great day.

Sunday  8/20/00  19 miles/3435 Total.  211 Trail Days.  VT 103 to Gifford Woods State Park (VT 100). 

We all had coffee and breakfast at the RV then Betty dropped “Belcher” and me at VT 103 to head north and would take “Nomad” and “Water Fall” to Danby Land Grove Road to continue their hikes south.

As “Nomad” and I said farewell the gravity of the situation hit us.  We would each be hiking the very route the other had just completed.  For “Nomad” that meant nearly eight months to walk to Key West and for Betty and me it would be three months before we reached Cape Gaspe, Quebec.  We each knew the many hardships and joys the other would experience before reaching our respective destinations.  “Bitter-Sweet” and we were gone.

“Belcher” and I hiked across Killington Mountain, a very popular ski location.  Neither of us talked much, instead we were wrapped in our thoughts as we each mentally replayed the events of the past 24 hours.  Along the way we met “Spider”, a southbounder, coming from Cape Gasp*, Canada and going to Key West, FL.  “Nomad” told me that I would meet him today.  We exchanged information about our hikes and made arrangements to link up again in Florida, then we were off our opposite directions.

“Belcher” finally located her hiking partner, “Puck” at Gifford Woods State Park.  Betty met us at Vermont Route 100.  We said good bye to “Belcher” and started back  to our campground.  As we passed the “Inn at the Long Trail”, it looked too good to pass by without stopping.  It is a great place.  Typical of a ski lodge, it has a lot of wood, fireplaces and an atmosphere that is magnetic.  While having a beer with dinner, we ran into “Shaggy”, “Kramer”, “Mossy Old Troll” and “Gilligan”.  Just more good times on the trail.

Monday  8/21/00  19 miles/3454 Total.  212 Trial Days.  Vermont 100 to Vermont 12.

Another absolutely great morning for hiking, cool and clear.  I soon started a steep 1200 foot climb up Quimby Mountain.  “Mossy Old Troll” and “Gilligan” caught up to me at Stoney Brook Shelter during lunch.  About mid-afternoon I met “Soul Trek”, a southbounder.  I recognized him from our meeting several months ago in North Carolina.  He is on a “flip-flop”.  He started in Harpers Ferry, WV. and hiked south to Springer Mountain, GA then flipped to Katahdin, ME and is now hiking south to Harpers Ferry.

By pushing most of the day, I made good time and arrived at our meeting point before Betty for the first time in weeks.

Betty:  We’re dry camping now for a few days.  Found a great spot in Woodstock, VT.

Tuesday  8/22/00  23 miles/3477 Total  213 Trail Days.  Vermont 12 to Hanover, New Hampshire.

Great weather, easy trail, Vermont and the Green Mountains are wonderful.  The trail goes through some pastures and past some farm homes.  Most houses burn wood for heating or pleasure, or both.  One house had 27 cords of wood neatly stacked outside (a cord of 2 foot sticks of wood is 4 feet high and 16 feet long).  This place is ready for a long, cold winter.

On top of Dana Hill, I saw “Wahoo”.  We last met in New York at Appalachian Trail Railroad Station.  Later, we came upon: “Sweet Tooth”, “Boose”, “Leprechan” (a barefoot hiker) and Josh.  I left them to their berry picking and fun conversation to push onward.  Josh and “Wahoo” caught up to me as I was finishing lunch at Thistle Hill Shelter.

Later in the afternoon, I overtook “Skirty”.  Yes, this guy really hikes in a skirt.  When we got to Norwich, Vermont, we stopped at a country store for a snack.  As I paid for my ice cream, I couldn’t help myself, I also paid for “Skirty’s” sandwich and drink; I think it was the dress that got to me.

As I hiked across the border and into Hanover, New Hampshire, Betty was just arriving to get me.  We drove through Dartmouth College as we left town.  This is a very nice place.

Wednesday  8/23/00   18 miles/3495 Total.  214 Trail Days.  Hanover, NH to Lyme-Dorchester Rd.

Betty drove the RV, towing the Honda, from our dry campsite at Rock Church in Woodstock, Vermont to Hanover, New Hampshire.  As she passed my starting point on a busy street, I stepped out of the RV and she was on her way.  I felt like I was getting off a bus.  The trail goes through the middle of Hanover, NH and Dartmouth College, both are interesting. 

Soon the trail left town and started a gradual ascent up Moose Mountain.  By midmorning I was in a cloud/fog and it was raining.  The fog got thicker as I got closer to the top.  I was soon wet and kept moving to keep from getting chilled.  If I had put on raingear, I would have sweat to the point that I would have been just as soaked as now.  Rain gear feels restrictive and clammy, so I avoid it when possible.  In addition to the possibility of getting chilled, water runs down my legs and into my boots.  The irony of it all is that these “high tech” boots have a waterproof, goretex liner inside which catches the water and holds it.  I may have to start carrying gaiters (a short sleeve that snaps over the top of a boot and fits closely around the calf) or maybe wear the rain pants.  Anyway, this is all academic now, because I am still soaked.  As usual, when it is raining, I eat lunch on the move.  The idea of sitting in the rain is not too appealing plus there is the chilling problem. 

Betty realized that I would be ready to stop early and found a place to meet me two miles closer than our planned location.  What a good site it was to see her waiting in a warm dry car.

Betty:  After dropping Chuck in Hanover, I continued into the town of Lyme, NH.  Yesterday I had scouted ahead and found a factory that had a nice large parking area.  No one was there yesterday (it was after 5PM), so I couldn’t ask permission to park.  Today I pulled in and went inside and asked the owner if I could park outside in the lot (possibly, even overnight).  He said “Absolutely”.  So I unhooked the Honda, parked the RV and went about my business.  In the afternoon it started raining hard and I realized it would be better for us and our wet gear if we at least had electricity, so I scouted ahead and found a campground.  It’s not in any of my books, but it is great.  They have water and electric hookups.  The Pastures Campground is located on the Connecticut River in Orford, NH.  Beautiful, grassy sites, clean restrooms/showers.  Laurel Berwick gave me a great corner site that would be easy for me to move into.  I hustled back, hooked up to the RV, and pulled up to the campground.  In talking with Laurel later, I found out they also have an internet hookup.  This campground is only 17 miles north of Hanover, so on a future visit, we will definitely keep this in mind.  What a find.

 One of the things I’ve become resigned to, is that we just don’t have the time this trip to see the sights.  Every once in a while I have time or take time to go to a museum or some other site, but this area is filled with historic places and beautiful natural sights that we will have to come back to see.  My AAA guide book states that Dartmouth is the ninth oldest college in the nation and the northernmost Ivy League school.  Its beginning was in one log hut built by Rev. Eleazar Wheelock in 1770.  There are still many Colonial structures on campus, one of the oldest classrooms dates from 1784.  The Baker Library is a Georgian structure dating from 1928.  It contains about two million volumes and has 3,000 square feet of murals painted by Mexican artist Jose Clemente Orozco.  We drove around the campus when I picked Chuck up yesterday, it is beautiful.

Thursday  8/24/00  16 miles/3511 Total.  215 Trail Days.  Lyme-Dorchester RD to NH Rte 25A.

During the rain yesterday, water ran into my boots by the cupful.  Today, I wore gaiters that were given to me by Joan Hobson, a fellow member of the Florida Trail Association.  These gaiters are sleeves made of goretex material.  The bottom of each gaiter fits over the top of the boot and the top is snug just below the knee but above the calf.  The idea is that rain or water from weeds and bushes will roll off the gaiters instead of going into the boots.  They seem to work really well, this is the first time in the 3500 miles of our trip that I have worn them and the rain stopped almost as soon as I tied them.

It was a long grind going up Smarts Mountain (3240 feet) then a gradual descent down to South Jacob’s Brook.  I had lunch by this beautiful stream with water cascading down many tiers of waterfalls.  Frank Lloyd Wright should have seen this.  After a quick lunch it was a 1500 foot climb up Mount Cube, marvel at the great view and descend 2000 feet to meet Betty at NH Route 25A.  She had quite a wait, because I had failed to add the time needed to make these long climbs.  Usually the small stuff is figured into the average rate, however, when the mountains are higher and often steep, it takes longer and this must be added to our time estimates.  Most backpackers add 1 hour per 1000 feet of vertical ascent.  Because I am carrying only a light day pack, I have found that the addition of one-half hour per 1000 feet is about right.  Today, I added nothing and was an hour and a half late even though I had been really hustling to make up time.

Along the way I hiked with: “Godfather”, “Riddler”, and “Yoda” whom we had met before.  With them was “Foxy”, a young girl from Israel, who is hiking from Hanover, NH to Andover, ME.  The “Godfather” has been taking it very slow, we took nine days off and are still with him.  He is typical of many hikers that go slower as they get near the finish at Katahdin.  They just don’t want the best time of their lives to end.

Friday  8/25/00  20 miles/3531 Total.  216 Trail Days.  NH Rte 25A to Kinsman Notch on Rte 112.

The hike today was absolutely spectacular.

Betty dropped me off at the starting point using the “bus technique”.  She slowed the RV almost to a stop and as I stepped off she pulled away.

The first ten miles of trail had a total elevation gain of about one thousand feet and went by quickly.  Betty met me for lunch at the trailhead near Glencliff.  She had located a little deli and brought along some great sandwiches.  After a quick lunch, I changed socks and boots and started up the long climb to Mount Moosilake, 4810 feet.  It was a steady climb that took three hours.  About 800 feet below the summit, the trees, mostly fir, were dwarfed to about 6 feet high.  Then, with about 300 feet to go, there were no trees.  This fragile alpine area is one of many in the White Mountains that is above the tree line.

At the summit I talked with Fred, a recent graduate from Dartmouth College.  He is working for the Dartmouth Outing Club during the summer and he said that this fall he would have to get a real job.  It was cool and windy on top, after a few minutes we hiked northward and continued our discussion.  Fred soon took a side trail down to the mountain lodge he was using as a base.  He cautioned me that the descent on the AT was very steep and dangerous.  It was only a few minutes until I saw the reason for his warning.  The trail descends over 2500 feet steeply down what appears to be a rock slide with huge boulders.  Parallel to the trail is a beautiful mountain stream which cascades down this same 2500 feet.The stream often looks much like a waterslide, then it will have a series of waterfalls then it will again slide sharply down slick rock slopes and chutes.  It was unbelievably beautiful.  The trail was, as Fred had warned, very steep and dangerous.  Even a small slip could mean a fall of twenty feet or more into large sharp edged rocks.  Or, maybe worse, at points, one could fall into this cascading stream.  Such a fall could result in ricocheting hundreds, maybe even a thousand feet down this nearly vertical, rocky waterslide.  It seemed that every view of the falling water was more spectacular than the last.  At one point another note someone had left on the trail warned of bees ahead.  I have seen several such warnings during the past few weeks and have never yet even seen a bee.  About ten seconds later I felt something flying into my forehead.  As I brushed it away, I had another on my left leg, then another on my left wrist, then on my cheek.  While this is happening, I’m trying to negotiate a steep and slick area just above that beautiful, cascading stream.  When I could spare the use of a hand, I brushed quickly in the direction of a recent bee landing.  All ended well, no bee stings, no falls into man eating rocks and no terminal waterslide rides.  It took nearly one and one-half hours to descend this fantastic area and arrive in Kinsman Notch.  Betty had just arrived and we were then off to move the RV forward.  We moved the RV to Clarks Trading Post parking lot in North Woodstock, NH.  Great dry camping.

Saturday 8/26/00  0 miles/3531 Total.  217 Trail Days.  Hiker Feed at Kinsman Notch, NH.

This was a great trail day.  Zero miles, lots of camaraderie with other hikers, plenty of food and cold beer make a winning combination.  Four previous thru-hikers and the families of some thru-hikers put on a great “feed” at Kinsman Notch trailhead.  During the past week, or longer, we have seen little cards posted on trees on the trail telling the date and location of the “Hiker Feed”.  Excitement on the trail has been high in anticipation of this event.  Some hikers, like us, arrived here yesterday and stayed an extra day to attend the festivities, others had hiked past Kinsman Notch a few days ago and hitched rides back, some were still a few days south and hitched rides forward.  And, of course, some hiked directly into the little celebration this afternoon.  It was good to talk with some of the hikers that we had not seen for weeks.  We also met hikers that we had only heard about or had read their entries in the registers.  We learned via other hikers, about the progress of friends we had lost track of and in some cases did not know if they were ahead of us or behind us.  This splendid event was organized by: “Rock Dancer” 97, “Gold Thumb” 97, “Giggler” 99, “Wak-a-Pak” 99, “Stiches”  and several others to include the families of previous thru-hikers.  One of them brought a trailer with a grill, table and coolers of food, others brought goodies in their cars; some drove several hundred miles to get here.

Betty and I took a cooler full of beer, soft drinks, and some extra ice, plus some folding chairs and a large folding table.  A total of about 50 hikers drifted in during the day.

We met “Nomad” 98 (not to be confused with “Nimblewill Nomad”) who did the AT in 1998 with our good friend “Rascal” and they both started the trail again this year.  It was sad to learn that “Rascal”, his wife “Baby Ruth”, daughter “Sunny” and son, Jason, had to leave the trail and return to their home in Kansas.  After Betty and I returned from our trip to Iowa we inquired many times about “Rascal”, et al, and I checked many trail registers, but could not find their entries.  “Nomad” 98 told us that “Sunny” had gotten Lyme disease and the doctor she went to see misdiagnosed it.  Without treatment it developed into a more serious advanced stage.  Our thoughts and prayers are with them.  We will try to contact them at their home.  We learned of a few other hikers who had to leave the trail, but none seemed as serious nor as close to us as “Sunny”.

Sunday  8/27/00  16 miles/3547 Total  218 Trail Days.  Kinsman Notch, NH to Franconia Notch (US 3).  Betty had me at the trailhead before 7AM.  A couple of early risers were stirring in the area that most of the “Hiker Feed” folks had camped.  “Old Goat” met us then “Rock Dancer” appeared.  I started up the trail and Betty visited with some of those who had camped here then had some of the great breakfast that they cooked for the group.  She said at least 30 hikers were there for breakfast.

It was a long trek up Mt. Wolf then down to Brook Reel and 2000 feet back up Kinsman Mountain.  The six mile descent was uneventful other than finding a pile of moose droppings.

Betty:  It was fun to get together with everyone again this morning.  We were treated to a wonderful breakfast – pancakes, scrambled eggs, coffee, muffins, etc.  Wow. People came and went – we milled around until nearly noon.  “Yoda” needed to go into town, so I drove him and “Foxy” to a drug store.  “Riddler” hadn’t been feeling well, and “Yoda” picked up some medicine for him, plus other supplies.  We headed back to the trailhead.  On my way back to town, three more hikers were hitching, so I picked them up.  It was “Genesis”, “Funky Monkey” and “Sweet Thing”. 

After picking up Chuck, we moved the RV forward to Twin Mountain Motor Inn and RV Park.  I have another computer hookup and so will be able to update the web and check messages.  Chuck will have several overnighters in the next few weeks, so he is getting his packs and supplies organized.

We had a nice surprise when we pulled into the campground.  “Golden Eagle”, “Virginia Bluebird” and “Mississippi Hiker” are here.

Monday  8/28/00  10 miles/3557 Total.  219 Trail Days.  Franconia Notch (US 3) to Garfield Ridge Campsite.  

Since I would be spending the night on the trail, I packed the tent, sleeping bag, campstove, warm clothes, food for an extra day and water purification unit.  The extra items add about 15 pounds bringing the total weight to about 30 pounds which includes water.

The trail immediately started a 3800 foot climb.  At 4600 feet was Little Haystack Mountain, then Mount Lincoln at 5089 feet and Mount Lafayette at 5249 feet, all are above treeline.  The weather was clear and warm; the views were fantastic.  Black smoke from the cog trail going up Mount Washington, nearly 30 miles away, was clearly visible.  The Presidential Range of the White Mountains has many trails lacing the area and in the barren alpine area dozens of hikers could be seen climbing and descending the various peaks from different directions.  I could have lingered here until sundown, but it was still several hours to a suitable campsite.  The sun was getting low in the west as I descended 1500 feet down the side of Mount Lafayette only to go 800 feet back up Mount Garfield, then descend 1000 feet into the Garfield Ridge Campsite.  I pitched my tent on a level spot near the shelter.  “Swiss Miss”, “Swiss Cheese”, “Wacky Jackie” and “Nomad” 98 were among those at the shelter.  Dinner was the next very important order of business.  My little stove was cooking rice with broccoli.  It was dark when I scraped the last morsel out of the pot.  It was 8:30PM as I crawled into a cool tent; I could already hear someone snoring in the shelter.  I was zonked in seconds.

Betty:  “Virginia Bluebird”, “Golden Eagle” and “Mississippi Hiker” invited me over for a cookout.  They are in the same campground.  I had a great time; we chatted about family, future, trail, and everything else.  It was a great evening – Chuck would have enjoyed it.

Tuesday  8/29/00  18 miles/3575 Total.  220 Trail Days.  Garfield Ridge Campsite to Crawford Notch (US 302).  

Someone was stirring in the shelter at a few minutes after 5AM.  Quietly, I folded up camp, stuffed it all in my pack and headed up the trail a little before 6AM.  As I passed the open side of the shelter, I saw that “Nomad 98” was awake, but still in his bag.  We silently waved farewell.  It was quiet, cool and foggy; it felt good to be hiking in the mountains.

About 8AM, I passed Galehead Hut and stopped for a cup of coffee.  The huts in the White Mountains are staffed by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) of New Hampshire.  All supplies, food, etc. must be packed in or brought by helicopter.  Some huts can get supplies by a ski lift.  For a fee, they provide dorm style accommodations, dinner and breakfast for hikers.  Those staying the night are guaranteed meals.  Hikers who “just stop by” are offered anything that is left, sometimes at a charge and often free.  The coffee was 75 cents and I did not wait to see if there would be any breakfast available.  South Twin Mountain and Mount Guyot are both over 4500 feet and kept me occupied all morning.  It was a steep 2000 foot descent off Mount Guyot.  At 2PM, I stopped at Zealand Falls Hut.  They were passing out beef stew to hikers.  It was superb.

The next seven miles were reasonably flat, then the last mile was a sharp descent down to US 302 in Crawford Notch.  I arrived an hour and a half early, but Betty was also early and picked me up a few minutes later.

Wednesday  8/30/00  13 miles/3588 Total.  221 Trail Days.  Crawford Notch to Summit of Mount Washington.

Today was hiking at its best.  It was a steep, but easy 2700 foot climb out of Crawford Notch to Mount Webster then a dip and up a couple hundred feet to Mount Jackson.  The temperature was in the seventies, the sky mostly clear and the views great.  From the top of Mount Jackson it looked as if it might be 25 miles to the distant peak of Mount Washington, but the map indicated about eight miles.

AT 6288 feet, Mount Washington is the highest peak in the northeast and has some of the most severe weather in the world.  Winds were recorded at 231 mph in 1934 and wind chill temperatures of 150 degrees below zero are not uncommon in winter.  Even in summer wind chill gets below zero frequently and did so about two weeks ago.  Almost every summer, at least one hiker or tourist dies of exposure.

Our plan for the day was that Betty would drive the “road to the clouds” and meet me at the summit of Mount Washington at 6PM.  Betty later found that they close the road at 6PM, so she brought lots of warm clothes, tent, sleeping bag and other gear.  In the event I did not arrive before they closed the road, she could leave the gear for me.  Actually, her plan was to leave the car with the gear inside and take a shuttle vehicle off the mountain.  And, if all else failed she had enough warm gear that we would both be toasty overnight.  Fortunately, all went well on the trail.  Once above the treeline, about 4500 feet, the vistas are captivating.  The miles went by so fast I wanted to put everything on “pause”.

Apparently, the powers that control this sort of thing, are naming a nuisance little bump (4310 feet) along the way “Mount Clinton” (possibly this is a renaming of Mount Pierce).  Anyway, since I did not have any champagne to help christen the recently named “Mount Clinton”, I made do with a cup of used coffee.

Past Mount Eisenhower, 4761 feet, Mount Franklin, 5004 feet, Mount Monroe, 5385 feet and into the Appalachian Mountain Club Hut at Lake of the Clouds.  From this busy hut it is a steep 1300 foot rocky climb to the summit of Mount Washington.  On the way up this part, clouds moved over the summit and eventually, I hiked up into this fog.  Soon I was on top (almost 2 hours early) and found Betty reading inside the visitor center.  The temperature was 48 degrees and the wind speed 18 mph.  We were lucky, the weather was kind to us.  The fog obscured the great views we had hoped for, but it was very comfortable.  We drove the little Honda CRV, loaded with the survival gear Betty had packed, down the steep road. 

It was a great day.  The spirit soars when in alpine mountains on a beautiful day.  It’s all downhill from here.

Betty:  I had scouted out a place to move the RV tomorrow on the way to take Chuck back to the trail.  The plan being that we will drive the RV to Gorham in the morning, we will dry camp tomorrow night and then have a reservation at Timberland RV park for Friday through Monday.

Thursday  8/31/00  12 miles/3600 Total.  222 Trail Days.  Summit of Mount Washington to Pinkham Notch (NH Rte 16). 

Betty had me at the Stage House well before they opened.  This outfit has been running shuttles up Mount Washington for over one hundred years.  They started with stage coaches pulled by six and eight horse teams.  Now they use White vans.  When they opened I bought a one-way ticket to the summit.  They promised that I would be on the first “stage”.  However, when they called the names, they loaded three couples and closed the doors.  I complained to the driver and he said that I would be on the “hiker van”.  As they drove away, I went back to the stage office to find out why I wasn’t on the first shuttle.  The “stage” dispatcher called them on the radio and they returned to take me along.  It was already past 9AM and Betty and I were both concerned about getting me on the trail as soon as possible.  We feel they try to keep hikers on a separate van because of the odor thing.  Anyway, I didn’t get any complaints.

From the summit of Mount Washington, it was down 1500 feet with beautiful views and into a valley to Madison Springs Hut for lunch.  The hut staff had pumpkin soup on the stove, all you can eat for $2.00.  One bowl was all I could eat.

It was a 500 foot climb to the summit of Mount Madison then a steep, tortuous, endless descent of 3000 feet.  The knees and other body parts complained.  The temperature was high.  It was a tough afternoon that went on and on until after 7PM when I met Betty at Pinkham Notch.

We saw the first moose of the trip alongside the road on the way back to the RV.  It was about the size of a horse and very dark brown.  I think it was a “chocolate moose”.

Tuesday  8/1/00  21 miles/3284 Total.  201 Trail Days.  MA Rte 23 to US 20.

Early start, misting off and on, good hiking day in the Berkshire Mountains.  Yesterday, wet socks and faulty boots chaffed the skin off the back (Achilles) of my left foot above the heel.  Today I wore low cut, synthetic pseudo boots (New Balance 961) which were low enough not to irritate the area chaffed by the Vasque Sundowners yesterday.  During the day, I overtook “Pioneer” and his hiking partner plus met seven southbounders.

We are camped in the October Mountain State Forest, their hot shower was great.  Then, Betty drove us into the town of Lee, Mass.  We ate at the Cactus Cafe, it was good and plentiful.  Lee is a small, clean, interesting town, I think we like Massachusetts.  It’s amazing what little things can do for the attitude: a good night’s sleep, fewer mosquitos, no rain, hot shower, a margarita, good meal and a healing heel.

Betty:  The Berkshires are a cultural Mecca, with museums, concerts, historic places,  fantastic restaurants, most of which we don’t have time to take advantage.  However, today I went to the Norman Rockwell museum.  What a treat.  Many of his pieces were away on a traveling exhibition, however, there were enough pieces left behind that I spent five hours browsing through the museum.  I loved it!  The museum is on the outskirts of Stockbridge.  One of Rockwell’s well known pictures is of  “Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas”.  Rockwell said, “I just love Stockbridge,…. Stockbridge is the best of America, the best of New England.”  I’d have to agree that it’s pretty special!

Wednesday  8/2/00  16 miles/3300 Total.  202 Trail Days.  US 20 to Grange Hall Road.

The trail climbed from the trailhead on US 20 to the top of Becket Mountain.  It was a gentle grade and within 15 minutes I had climbed into a cloud.  The Berkshire Mountains are great for hiking, not too steep, not too high, glacial lakes and a lot of variety in the forest.

I overtook some section hikers, “Old Goat” and “Irish” (retired Special Forces) have taken five weeks every summer for the past four years to hike the AT.  Next summer they will reach Katahdin in Maine and complete their five year journey.  This is quite an accomplishment, most section hikers never complete the entire trail and the few who do may take over 20 years.

For a lunch break, I stopped by October Mountain Lean-to (a shelter).  While there I met “Skid” and “Rambunny”.  They are both very knowledgeable hikers and know the AT well.  “Skid” thru-hiked the AT last year and did the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) three years ago.  The CDT overlaps the Colorado Trail for 130 miles and I hiked it the same year “Skid” was doing the CDT.  We knew a lot of the same characters.  This year “Skid” started the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and after doing 1200 miles was having problems with his asthma at the higher elevations.  AT the same time his friend “Rambunny” was moving north on the AT, so he came here to be with her.  The three of us hiked the last few hours of the day talking about all sorts of mutual interests.

At Blotz Road, “Skid” said we had to get off the trail a few minutes to visit the “Cookie Lady”.  It was a farmhouse about 300 meters down Blotz Road.  This lady has been passing out homemade cookies to thru-hikers for nearly 20 years.  Good cookies and no charge.  We tried to give them something for the cookie-jar but they insisted that it was their treat.

After Betty picked me up, we moved the RV to Bonnie Brae Campsite north of Pittsfield. 

Betty:  This is one of those times when I had two campgrounds to choose from and chose the wrong one.  The other was north of here in Lanesboro, both told me they had computer access so I could update my website.  This was closer to the main route, so I chose it.  They had a computer hookup attached to their pay phone, however, it didn’t work.  They also had a separate line in the office, but wouldn’t let me use it for fear she’d get stuck with a long distance call, even though I explained that aol has a local number and I also have an 800 number.  Some people just amaze me!!

Thursday  8/3/00   13 miles/3313 Total.   203 Trail Days.  Grange Hall Rd to Outlook Ave. near Cheshire.

We planned a short day so that we would be back when our “old” Army friend, Rodger Warren, arrives this afternoon.  We were stationed with Rodger and Lynn in Germany 27 years ago.  Rodger has been keeping up with our trip on the web site since we started last November.  Somehow his mom, in north Florida, became interested in the hike and Rodger copies our latest web posting and mails it to his mother.  Often when we have not updated the website for a few days his mom will ask him to check on us.  We have lots of fond memories of the great times in Dexheim, Germany with the Warren’s and a few other close friends.  We were all young, ecstatic to be in Europe and eager to drink in life to its fullest.  To say we’re excited about meeting with our old (Lynn isn’t old) friends is an understatement.

It is overcast again today and more humid.  The miles go by quickly and soon I am in the town of Dalton, MA.  A small prim house in the middle of town has signs welcoming hikers to camp in the yard and use the front porch.  While there I met “You can just call me Dave”, a southbounder.  While talking we discovered that we both know Nina Baxley, a thru hiker from Louisiana.  Dave said Nina had told him about our meeting on the Pinhoti Trail last April.  That was just after Nina was caught in a flash flood and spent a cold wet night in a makeshift garbage bag shelter.  He said she had chosen a new trail name: “Waterfall”.  How appropriate.  We look forward to meeting Nina as she hikes south in just a few days.

Later I caught up to “Skid” and “Rambunny”, we hiked and talked our way up Crystal Mountain.  On top, we found “Too Far” and “Too Soon” drying their gear on some rocks in some elusive sunshine.  I stopped to have lunch and “Skid” and “Rambunny” pushed onward.  Even before my pack hit the ground, a thunderstorm was rolling over the mountain.  With a sandwich hanging out of my mouth, I put the rain cover on my pack and made haste in getting off the mountain top.  The “Too’s” were scurrying to pick up their gear.  Minutes later, loud, continuous, rolling thunder with nearby lightning then rain started and continued for over an hour.  By the time I reached Betty, I was soaked.

Friday  8/4/00  7 miles/3320 Total.  204 Trail Days.  Outlook Ave to Summit of Mt. Greylock.

This is the best hiking weather we have had in months.  It is sunny with low humidity and a light breeze.  The temperature is about 72 degrees.  The 2500 foot climb up Mount Greylock is not steep and goes by “without a bit of ease”.  A lot of the trail is still muddy from the heavy rain we had yesterday and last night.  Betty met me at the summit and we climbed the Veterans Memorial Tower (92 feet) then had lunch at Bascom Lodge.  We ate with “Skid” and “Rambunny”.

Our friend Rodger Warren was delayed a day in order to replace a waterpump on his pickup truck.  Actually, he is lucky he missed all the rain.  He arrived at the RV park a few minutes before we returned from Mount Greylock.  We spent the afternoon catching up on each other’s lives over a couple of beers.  We had dinner at the Dakota restaurant just south of Pittsfield, MA.  We have only seen Rodger one time, 12 years ago, in the past 25 years and yet it was almost like it had only been a long weekend.  Each of us eagerly told of family and mutual friends.

Tomorrow, Rodger, Betty and I will hike from Mt. Greylock to North Adams.  Rodger’s wife, Lynn, and daughter Kayce, will meet us after the hike.  Can’t wait!

Betty:  This is going to be one of those rare opportunities where we have two vehicles and can position them so that I will be able to hike with Rodger and Chuck.  Should be a beautiful hike and the weather is supposed to be great.

Saturday  8/5/00  7 miles/3327 Total.  205 Trail Days.  Summit of Mt. Greylock to North Adams, MA. (Rte. 2). 

What a great day.  It is sunny with low humidity.  Rodger met us for breakfast at the RV then we positioned his truck at the ending point of our day’s hike.  It was cool with a light breeze on top of Mt. Greylock (3491 feet).

Rodger, Betty and I hiked along a long ridgeline, across Mt. Fitch then up and over Mt. Williams.  I was glad that it was a good day to hike.  The three of us had hiked a lot 25 years ago in Germany, in the Taunus Mountains, the Black Forest and the Alps.  It was easy to tell we had all aged; we were now more cautious on slick rocks and through wet and muddy areas.  The dialogue was nonstop as we made the descent down Prospect Ridge across Paull Brook and into North Adams.

Rodger drove me back up Mt. Greylock to get our Honda.  WE met Lynn and Kayce on top near the World War I Veterans Memorial.  Back at the campground our age was showing again as Rodger and I only had one beer while we all visited before hitting the showers.  The Warren’s took us to dinner at the Boston Seafood Restaurant in North Adams.  The food and the conversation were great.  Kayce has grown into a very nice and interesting young lady (of course, how could she miss with Rodger and Lynn as parents).  Kayce said she was hearing tales about her parents that they had never bothered to tell her.

From the stories we heard, daughter Kerye also has grown into a fine young lady.  The time went quickly and we said our good byes and all promised to get together again soon.  In days of old, this session would have lasted into the wee hours instead of only 9PM.  Note to Mrs. Warren in Williston, FL:

Thanks for letting your son Rodger come out and play on the mountain with us.  He was a good boy – this time!

Sunday  8/6/00

Betty:  We’ve been having a great time with Rodger.  The hike was beautiful, as anticipated.  We met Lynn and Kayce after the hike and all went out to dinner in North Adams, MA.  It was so much fun to be with them and chat about old times.  Kayce loved the stories!!!   We moved the RV to North Adams and are in the Historic Valley Campground.  Sue, the manager, told me I could update the website on her phone this afternoon.  So I’m off to get that deed accomplished.  More later.  Our sincerest thanks to Sue, the updating went well.  Historic Valley Campground is really nice and very clean.  We are enjoying our stay.

Sunday  8/6/00  18 miles/3345 Total.  206 Trail Days.  North Adams, MA to Vermont Rte 9.

Thirty-four years ago today the beautiful young Betty Ann June Johnson of Lime Springs, Iowa became my bride.  She quit her job with the FBI in Columbia, SC to follow me around the world.  Moving 21 times and living in ten states and three foreign countries, she has always been a devoted wife and mother providing a warm loving home without complaint.  Now, in our retirement years when she could be back in the Florida sunshine lounging around a pool, she is out here with “the curse of the gypsy blood”, in the mountains of New England in yet another downpour.  I love this gal!

The day’s hike started in North Adams, MA.  Over an iron footbridge that crosses the Hoosic River and the Boston and Maine Railroad tracks, the trail begins a long gentle climb up East Mountain.  It is a beautiful trail running alongside Sherman Brook for several miles.  Four and one half miles from North Adams, MA. the trail crosses into Vermont.  We are leaving the Berkshire Mountains behind and will now be in the legendary Green Mountains.  Near the border, I overtake “Web Breaker” and “Gaited Mule”.  It has been a few weeks since we have seen them; we hike together and stop at Seth Warner shelter for lunch.  “Bull Dog”, a speed hiker, stopped in for lunch.  He took off his lowcut trail shoes, wrung out his socks, ate two packages of cracker snacks and was back on the trail.

Later on the trail, I was checking my map when Franz caught up to me.  We last saw him in Pennsylvania.  We had both just finished a 27 miles day and he was in a bad way.  Today, he told me that he had been having abdominal pains and passing blood.  His wife, Anna, had just started supporting him and she insisted that he go to a hospital to be checked.  They admitted him and kept him for four days.  Evidently, he had been experiencing knee pain and was popping lots of Ibuprofen, which had burned a hole in his lower intestine.  Anyway, this ex-Special Forces trooper is now back on the trail knocking out 25 miles days back-to-back.  He introduced me to his hiking partners: “Dark Horse” and “Dos XX”.

During the afternoon, “Mad Scientist” blitzed by me.  He is another speed hiker, this guy carries a pretty large pack and still flies down the trail.

About four miles from the end of the day’s hike, the bottom dropped out of the sky.  What had been an overcast, misty day with some light showers was now a gully-washer.  I was moving down the trail as fast as I could and still remain upright.  Behind me, I hear someone singing; it was “Dark Horse” blasting out the words of “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head”.  He and “Dos XX” were also pressing to complete the day’s hike as soon as possible.  As we made the steep descent off Harmon Hill the footing was precarious.  Anna was there to meet Franz and the young couple.  She told me Betty had left a half-hour ago to take “Mad Scientist” and “Smoking Joe” to a nearby town and would be back shortly.

A few minutes later Betty was back.  She brought dry clothes for me.  On the way to the RV park, we had dinner at the Jaeger Haus for some great German food and drink.  The rain continued through the night.

Monday  8/7/00 

It is still raining today and projected to rain for several days. We’ve decided to head for Lime Springs, Iowa and spend a couple extra days there.

Monday  8/14/00

We are in Toledo, Ohio and are on the way back to the trail.  Chuck will be back hiking on Wednesday.  We had a great time in Iowa.  I went to my 40th Class Reunion.  It was so neat to see everyone, renew acquaintances, hear about each other’s families, careers, etc.  We were and are a great group.  We had a dinner on Saturday evening and the town of Lime Springs had their Sweet Corn Days parade on Sunday in which we rode on our float.  Warren Williams came up with two great banners – one of which said “They saved the best for last”.  When you read on you’ll know why.  It was a great time and it was hard to leave.  Our class was the last class to graduate from Lime Springs High School because a month and a half before graduation the school burned down.  All the classes that graduated after us, are envious and NO we did not burn the school, although as we were approaching main street, on our float, the parade was stopped because a business in town was beginning to burn.  Unfortunately, the fire department couldn’t save it.  So there are those who are saying we’re a jinx.  What a sad note for the end of our reunion.  My best friend from High School, Linda Taraldson, was at the reunion and it was especially good to see her.

Also, we had a chance to visit and spend some time with my family, which is always fun.  We’ll be posting the journal in a few days or when I find computer access. 

Wednesday  8/16/00

Chuck is back on the trail.  We’re behind schedule now, so will have to push to make up at least some of that time.  We left the RV at Battenkill Auto and RV repair shop in Arlington, Vermont.  The dash airconditioner still needed to have a compressor clutch installed.  When we were on the way back, we received a call from Donna at the repair shop telling us that someone stole the bikes that were locked to the back ladder on the RV.  So, today I’ve been at the police department giving them details.  I expected to have them stolen in New York, where we were only 50 miles from the city, but who ever heard of things being stolen in Vermont.  Well, that shows how dangerous stereotypes can be.

Wednesday  8/16/00   22 miles/3367 total.  207 Trail Days.  Vermont Route 9 (Bennington) to Arlington-Wardsboro Road.

It was a tough day after nine days of “the good life” off the trail.  A thunderstorm moved through about 4AM and it continued raining off and on until about 2PM.  Evidently, it has rained for the past 13 days, and luckily we missed nine of them.  The trail has mud and standing water on the flat areas and water streaming down the trail on the slopes.  Streams are swollen and some trail bridges have washed out making crossings tedious.

The Goddard Shelter seemed like a good dry place to have a late lunch.  It was 1:15PM and “Train Man” was still packing his gear.  “Walk About” and “Machine”, a young Aussie couple arrived a few minutes behind me.  The four of us celebrated “Walk About’s” birthday.  For three days, “Machine” had been carrying gifts, a candle with musical holder and chocolate pudding cups (in lieu of cake) just for this occasion.

At the next shelter, Caughnawaga, I met several southbound thru-hikers: “Looking Glass”, “Sweet Sicily”, “Chilly” and “Brisco, who are from Orlando, Florida.  “Looking Glass” and “Sweet Sicily” started at Mount Katahdin with Nina, aka “Water Fall”, aka “La Nina, the Rain Goddess”.

It was slow going through mud holes and over slick rocks and roots.  I arrived at Story Spring Shelter at 7PM, the time that Betty and I had planned to meet.  It was another four miles to our meeting point on Arlington-Wardsboro Road.  While at the shelter, I met “Nemo” who we last saw about a month ago. It was well after dark when I linked up with Betty at 9PM.

Betty’s note:  To key your memory – Nina is the hiker who was caught in the flash flood on the Pinhoti Trail in Alabama and Chuck ran across her the next morning.  We expect to meet up with her in the next few days.

We’re spending the night in the repair facilities parking lot.  They have electric hookups for RV’s and Donna said we could stay and hook up.  She even offered the use of her phone line, however I hadn’t done a good job of keeping the journal up, so wasn’t ready.  She and her husband are a great couple and we’re glad to have our RV airconditioner fixed again.

Sunday  7/16/00  17 miles/3025 miles.  185 Trail Days.  Wind Gap to Delaware Water Gap.

So here we are in the famous Pocono Mountains.  Somehow, the Poconos don’t seem to be any different than the forested, rocky trail that we have been on for weeks.

It rained hard last night but had mostly stopped by 7AM when I hit the trail.  During a mid-morning break at Wolf Rocks, “Urban Camper” and his brother-in-law caught up with me.  “Urban Camper” has about as many guest hikers as we do.

About three miles west of the Delaware River, the trail enters the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.  This is a very popular escape area for the densely populated area around New York City.  Every few hundred feet, I met day-hikers climbing the steep trail.  The view from Mount Minsi, overlooking Delaware Water Gap is worth the effort and a pleasant sunny afternoon was a bonus.

This gap is really a gorge with the Delaware River and Interstate 80 at the bottom.  A walkway on the I-80 bridge leads hikers across the Delaware River and into New Jersey.  Betty was waiting at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Visitors Center.  We went back to Wind Gap and drove the RV into New Jersey and to Cedar Ridge Campground.  It started raining about one minute after we were parked and hooked-up.  We must be living right.

Betty:  We were “dry-camping” in Wind Gap.  We found a pharmacy that had been closed and had a nice big parking lot which was no longer in use.  It made a nice home for a few days.  I went to the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wind Gap this morning.  Pastor Alfred Ruggiero and the congregation welcomed me into their midst.  Worshipping with them was a great honor and I hope to visit their church again one day.

 Monday  7/17/00   18 miles/3043 total.  186 Trail Days.  Delaware Water Gap Visitors Center to Blue Mountain Lakes Road.

Another hard rain during the night, but by the time we arrived at the Visitors Center the rain had stopped.  It was an easy 1200 foot climb up Kittatinny Mountain.  The 41 acre Sunfish Pond is a beautiful, clear, glacial lake near the summit ridge.  The AT passes along the west shore at the water’s edge.  This pristine lake reminded me of the lakes in northern Minnesota or Canada; it seemed out of place in New Jersey.  A copperhead was trying to hide between some of the large rocks on the lakeside trail.  It waited long enough for me to get a picture.  Shortly after passing by the snake, two young ruffed grouse exploded into flight right at my feet.  I nearly took flight myself.

The views from the ridge across the valley are surprising.  I had expected New Jersey to be urban, densely populated, and industrial.  There are some farms and a few small villages in the valley and the ridges and hills on the far side of the valley are covered with green forest.  It is difficult to imagine that only 40 miles east is one of the largest, most active and important cities in the world.

During lunch, “Urban Camper” and his brother-in-law passed by, then “Guinness” made a short appearance.

Several people had told me of bear sightings in this area.  I saw fresh sign, but no bears to be seen today.

In the late afternoon, while on the home stretch, I met First Lieutenant Schober,  He is with the 225th Civil Air Patrol and he was conducting search and rescue training for one of his teams.  We talked for several minutes and he told me about their training and search techniques.  He is very knowledgeable and loves his work.

Betty had been waiting at Blue Mountain Lakes Road for nearly three hours.  She had intended to work at the Mountain Home Hostel, but the minister who manages the hostel foolishly said they did not need help.  Any hostel I have ever seen had more work that needed to be done than a 10 man crew could do in a month.  I’ve heard that this one is no different.

Betty:  Everyone has a bad day from time to time.  My last bad day was in Georgia, so I guess I was due another.  I had heard and read that the Church of the Mountain hostel will not support hikers who have support (access to a vehicle, RV, etc.), which I think is a good decision, since there are so many thru-hikers and so few services.  I like to help out along the trail when I can, and since my drive from the RV to where I was dropping Chuck off was about 45 miles and I dropped him off near the hostel, I thought I  would go offer to help with whatever they needed, until it was time to pick him up, rather than make the drive back to the RV.  Well, it was a bad idea.  The minister was sure we wanted to stay there even though I explained that we had a car and a RV and didn’t want to stay.  She couldn’t seem to hear that I just wanted to spend a few hours helping out if there was anything I could do to help, as in take hikers to the grocery store, wash sheets, whatever.  Anyway, I left feeling awful.  I had talked to “Gaited Mule” prior to going up to offer help.  He told me he was out of food and I had offered to take him to the grocery store (about 8 miles up the road), so I did take him to the store which offset the rejection I felt after talking to the minister.  It reminded me of what “Nimblewill Nomad” said about one of his trail experiences.  He had been on the trail a long time, was looking pretty shaggy, probably smelled pretty bad and had taken a break in a town and was sitting on a bench.  A lady and her daughter came out of a store.  The woman looked at him, gave her daughter $10 and said “Give it to the man.”  Now, little did they know that Nimblewill is a retired doctor, and he didn’t need the $10, but he said to reject their gift would have been to reject them.  So, he graciously accepted it and the mother and the little girl went away feeling good about having helped someone.  The Church of the Mountains Hostel does a tremendous service to thru-hikers who have no support, and I guess my main disappointment is that I wanted to be a little tiny part of that, and it just didn’t work out.

Tuesday  7/18/00  16 miles/3059 total.   187 Trail Days.  Blue Mountain Lakes Road to Sunrise Mountain.

After a late start and a long drive to Blue Mountain Lakes Road, I was ready to start hiking at about 9AM.  Then Betty said, “Look, way up the trail, here come “Rascal” and “Sunny”.  She hurried to get the video camera and document their appearance.  After chatting a few minutes she saw “Urban Camper” and his brother-in-law, Van, now “Alapha”, so she got the video camera out again.  Then we saw “Guinness”, so Betty captured his arrival and asked him to tell a little about himself.  We topped off their water bottles and offered them soft drinks as we visited for about a half hour.  It was a good time, but I did not get on the trail until almost 10AM.

First it was the side trail to Buttermilk Falls, then over Rattlesnake Mountain, and then a stop for lunch on this long narrow ridge line.  It was a good spot for lunch, in the shade of a pine tree with a good breeze coming over the exposed ridge.  The temperature was forecast to be 88 degrees today so the shade and breeze were a welcome relief from the heat.  As is my custom on a hot day, I hung my sweat soaked shirt on a limb to dry and draped my socks on some rocks.  The insoles of my boots were also laid on rocks to air and hopefully dry.

The crew that we met at the start point leapfrogged with each other throughout the day.  After some cell phone coordination, Betty picked me up on top of Sunrise Mountain.

During the day, Betty had done some grocery shopping at a local supermarket.  This part of the country has a different ethnic mix of people and a different variety of foods in the supermarket.  For dinner we had Pierogies, a mixture of greek olives, Portuguese bread spread with creme de Brie, and a mixed fruit tumbler.  All these goodies were washed down with a little beer and a glass of wine.  Life on the road continues to be good.   Happy Birthday, EJ.

Wednesday  7/19/00  19 miles/3078 total.  188 Trail Days.  Sunrise Mountain to US 284.

A cold front slipped in during the night and it was 48 degrees as we packed our gear this morning.  It felt good to hike in cooler weather, the miles seem easier.  About 10AM it started raining and continued until mid-afternoon.  The sound of the rain on the trees covered the noise of my footsteps and I walked right up on a young buck.  We were face to face and about eight feet apart before he made a hasty departure.  Within the next hour, I saw three more deer but none nearly so close.

About 11AM, I entered High Point State park.  It has New Jersey’s highest point (1761 feet) and a monument on it to make it even higher.  Just past High Point, the trail turns eastward and is often directly on the New Jersey/New York state line.  The AT will parallel the state line for 27 miles before turning north into New York.

During the afternoon I hiked for an hour or so with “Stretch” and “Sweep”, a young couple from Knoxville.  They told me that “EZ Duz It” had taken two days off to hike with some boy scouts.  He was their scoutmaster a couple of years ago.  Betty and I had been looking forward to linking up with “EZ” again.  I first met him hiking in the Osceola National Forest in Florida.  Then Betty and I saw him in White Springs, FL and we had dinner together.  Our last meeting was in Damascus, VA at Trail Days.  I could tell from entries in various trail registers that we were slowly gaining on him.  Sorry to miss seeing him, but now we have an excuse to stop by New York City (EZ’s home) on our way back to Florida this fall.

Thursday,  7/20/00  19 miles/3097 total.  189 Trail Days.  US 284 to Long House (Brady) Road.

The morning hike was pleasant and uneventful.  “Lost Sailor”, “Popcorn” and I hiked more or less together the last two hours before lunch.  The “trail telegraph” told us of a country store that has good homemade ice cream.  We had lunch at Heaven Hill Store and the ice cream was very good.  Since the half-gallon eating episode at Pine Grove Furnace on the fourth of July, I have been avoiding ice cream.  Betty is now stocking it in the RV freezer again.

After lunch, Betty just happened to be driving down the road by the Heaven Hill Store.  She saw me walking back to the trail and stopped.  “Lost Sailor” needed a ride to a hostel, so they drove off while I hiked the steep trail up Pochuck Mountain.  It was an easy one thousand foot scramble then easy going the rest of the afternoon.

A few days ago, I met this guy hiking south and thought he was a bum then I was told that he was the first southbound hiker coming from Katahdin, Maine this year.  Most of the hikers I have talked with agree; the guy was a bum.  This morning, Brian, a trail “Ridge Runner”, confirmed our suspicions.  Then late this afternoon I met “Red Dog”, the real first southbounder.  We talked for about 15 minutes and I’m convinced that he is legit!

After I met Betty, we went on a wild goose chase to recover the water filter that “Lost Sailor” had left at the shelter early this morning.  We drove about 45 minutes on backroads to find that some other thru-hikers had found the filter.  They checked with everyone else that was at the shelter and by elimination knew that it must belong to “Lost Sailor”.  They hoped to locate him tonight.

Friday  7/21/00  15 miles/3112 total.  190 Trail Days.  Long House Road , New Jersey to West Mombasha Road, New York.

We spent the night in a shopping center in Port Jervis, NY.   It was dry, level, quiet, dark and free; what more could we ask for?  After breakfast we moved the RV forward to Chester, New York.  Betty drove me back to the start point at Long House Road in New Jersey.  At the trail head, we saw “Popcorn”.  We offered him a cold Pepsi then he and I hiked together.  He is very independent, set in his ways and proud of it.  He lives in the backcountry mountain town of Victor, Colorado.  Self employed as a “Wood turner” for spinning and weaving devices, he told his customers to forecast their orders for the next six months and he delivered them before he left to hike the AT.

About noon, we crossed a line painted on the huge rock surface that was the AT.  On the west side of the line were the initials “NJ” and on the east side was “NY”.  A few minutes later we met “Baby Ruth” who had hiked out a few miles to meet “Rascal” and “Sunny”.  “Popcorn” pressed on and I stopped for lunch.

During the afternoon, I met more southbound thru-hikers.  As far as I can tell, the order thus far is:  “Red Dog”, “Optimist Prime”, “Driftwood Dog” and “Salamander”, and “Tinkerbell” and “Peter Pan”.  They told me that they had all been traveling more or less together.

During the afternoon I passed Fitzgerald Falls, a beautiful waterfall about 50 feet high.  An hour or so before the end of the day’s hike I overtook “Party Animal”.  Minutes later I was on top of Mombasha High Point.  It is said that on a good day the New York City skyline can be seen from here.  Today must not have been a good day, no skyscrapers were in sight.

Betty was waiting to whisk me back to Chester, NY.  We moved the RV to a Family Camp at West Point, NY.

Betty:  The West Point Family Campground is another military campground.  It is really nice.  The sites have water and electric.  There is a large pond that the sites look out on.  There are several pavilions in the park and the area is well used by military families.

Saturday  7/22/00  23 miles/3135 total.  191 Trail Days.  West Mombasha Rd to Bear Mountain Inn on the Hudson River.

It was a long day.  Lots of ups and downs, much of it over huge rocks.  The last 15 miles of today’s trail was in Harriman State Park.  It is a wonderful area for hiking and has many trails other than the AT.

“Party Animal” and I hiked together for about three hours.  He is from Baltimore and first thru-hiked the AT in 1981.  He said that was back when he really was a party animal.  His destination is also Cape Gaspe in Quebec.  We shared information concerning the IAT (International Appalachian Trial) and swapped stories about our travels elsewhere. 

At one point the trail goes between two large rocks, this tight passage is on the side of a steep hillside and is known as the Lemon Squeezer.  My smaller pack made it through fine.  “Party Animal” followed without removing his much larger pack.  It was a tight fit, but he kept rocking from side to side while steadily pushing forward and made it through.

During the late afternoon the trail descended steeply down Black Mountain and crossed the Palisades parkway.  I remembered speeding along this beautiful parkway and thinking that someday it would be fun to scramble around on the rocky hillsides and cliffs.  Today was the day.

The last mountain of the day was Bear Mountain, then a steep descent into the Hudson River valley.  The views were great and Betty walked up the trail to meet me.  This was a beautiful, but tiring 23 mile day.

Sunday  7/23/00  15 miles/3150 total.  192 Trail Days.  Bear Mountain Inn to Dennytown Road.

Sunday morning, the AT through the very popular Bear Mountain-Harriman State Park.  Activity is beginning all around the Bear Mountain Inn, large picnic areas, ballfields, etc.  The trail leads along the southeast shore of Hessian lake; many folks are out for a quiet early morning walk.  As I pass by a bench, an older man speaks to me.  He is wearing a Disabled American Veteran hat and is seated with his wife and “Uncle Al”.  We talk about his experiences in WW II and my hike.  His grandson is now a major in the Army, was stationed at Fort Drum, NY and will be moving to Germany soon.  I told him how closely that paralleled Suz and EJ’s situation.

AT the edge of the park, the trail goes through the middle of a natural history museum and zoo.  The gates to this area were locked, but a little scouting led me around the tall iron fence and down their main walkway.  The outdoor exhibits were interesting.  A large, maybe 15 foot tall, bronze statue of Walt Whitman had been donated by the Harriman family in honor of their mother, Mary.  In the 1920’s Mary Harriman gave the state ten thousand acres and one million dollars for a state park.  This grant was the start of the extensive Palisades Interstate park system and provided the land for the first portion of the Appalachian Trial.  Walt Whitman, a native New Yorker, poet and naturalist, has inspired millions to seek the solitude and adventure of the outdoors and the “Open Road”.  As a kid, my imagination was stirred as I read portions of my mother’s copy of “Leaves of Grass”.  Whitman’s statue in this huge park, along this very first part of the AT is most appropriate.

The trail crosses the wide Hudson River on the Bear Mountain Bridge then continues up and down through a forested and rocky corridor moving northeast.  Trail maintainer, Bob Reardon, was removing the charred rocks and logs of an “illegal” campfire.  He is a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) and has volunteered his work on the AT for more than 25 years.  Betty was “patiently waiting” for me in Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park at Dennytown Road.

Monday   7/24/00   16 miles/3166 total.  193 Trail Days.  Dennytown Road to NY Route 52.

Just after starting this morning, I met a photographer returning from an early morning “shoot”.  Jerry Sadonic had been photographing mushrooms.  I picked his brain for tips to take better photos and wasn’t pleased with the advice.  He said:  Get a better (and heavier) camera, carry a sturdy (and heavy) tripod and be prepared to spend hours (maybe several different days) and rolls of film to get that one great picture.  I thanked him and marched off with my little, light “point and shoot” auto camera and my one and one-half ounce mini-tripod.  While photo chatting, “Archon” arrived.  We hiked on together for about 15 minutes then he dropped off for a while and I did not see him the rest of the day.

Since Southern Virginia, there have been many old rock fences in the forest.  Most are falling down and many have trees growing up through them.  This is a very rough estimate but my guess is that I have seen nearly fifty miles of rock fence.  Today the trail ran alongside a rock fence for over a mile.  Many times the trail crosses rock fences and often those fences extend into the woods as far as can be seen in both directions.  Sometimes these rock walls form pens or other squared off areas.  Some are fitted together tightly and must have taken a great deal of time and effort to construct, others look to be just long high piles of rock.

Over Shenandoah Mountain, across Taconic Parkway, then over Hosner Mountain and down to meet Betty at New York Route 52.

Tuesday  7/25/00   15 miles/3181 Total.   194 Trail Days.  NY Route 52 to NY Route 22.

We moved the RV forward to Walmart/Sam’s parking lot in Fishkill, NY then Betty drove the Honda to my starting point.  It was early, cool and the grades were gentle.  Before I knew it, I was at NY Rte 55 and a small sign pointing me to the Elite Hot Dog stand.  Out along this remote highway was Bob’s Elite Hot Dog vehicle parked on a wide shoulder.  I had the Max Burger, fries, ice cream and a Pepsi.  Bob chats with each thru-hiker and asks that each sign into his log book.  In looking over the past entries I found other Key West to Cape Gaspe entries.  “Otter” (Scott Gallaway) passed here on 25 August 1999 moving south, I hoped to meet him in January or February as I hiked north in Florida, but didn’t.  “Vagabond Rick” (Rick Guhse), a Florida Trail member, was here on 15 August 1999 section hiking north to Cape Gaspe, I talked with him when he did the Florida Keys section.  More recently, “Spur” (Chris Bagby) signed in on his way from Springer Mountain, GA to Cape Gaspe the 2nd of July this year.  Since he is 23 days ahead of me we will most likely not meet on this trip.  His chances of completing the hike to Cape Gaspe are excellent.  Early autumn storms are likely to send us packing back to Florida before we reach the trail’s end.

As I finished the day at Appalachian Trail Station, I found “Wahoo” and “Tigger”.  This small 6 foot by 12 foot platform is an actual stop on the railroad, it is a little over an hour to Grand Central Station in New York City.

Wednesday  7/26/00  11 miles/3192 total.   195 Trail Days.  NY Rte 22 (Appalachian Trail Station) to Bulls Bridge.

We were on the road early moving the RV forward to Kent, Connecticut.  While zipping up I-84 we hit one of the many potholes which set the RV steering into an oscillation that was difficult to control.  I thought it must be a blowout and pulled to the side.  An inspection of the tires and steering mechanism revealed nothing.  We unhooked the Honda and I followed Betty into Kent.  Somehow I managed to get on the wrong road and attempted to turn the rig around in the large parking lot of “The Kent Specialized Care Facility”.  We thought their mostly vacant lower parking area would be a good location to leave the RV while we scouted for the trail and a place to park overnight.  Betty said these facilities are very security conscious and it would be best to ask permission to park.  Since Betty recently worked as a hospital social worker and worked closely with assisted living and extended care facilities, I took her advice and went inside to seek permission.  Donna, the receptionist referred me to Linda Ford, Director of Recreation.  We immediately hit it off; she said we were living her dream.  Linda is a hiker and hikes on the AT at every opportunity.  We struck a deal; we could park in the lower parking area for a couple of days and in return we would give a short talk to their residents about our trip.

It was 11 AM and raining when we finally got to our start point.  We met “Rascal” and “Baby Ruth” there.  “Rascal” and I hiked together until about 3PM when his daughter “Sunny” joined us at a road crossing.  By this time we had hiked into Connecticut.

Betty picked me up at Bulls Bridge (a covered bridge).  We spent a couple of hours in the quaint little town of Kent then returned to our mobil assisted living facility.  This was the night to experiment with “Archon’s Margarita recipe.  It was a very good mixture and a little experimentation made it even better (Nancy and Linda we need an unbiased opinion).

Thursday  7/27/00   12 miles/3204 total.  196 Trail Days.  Bulls Bridge to River Road (3 miles north of Kent). 

At 10:15AM, Betty and I gave a talk to about 25 residents of “The Kent”.  I told about the hiking portion of our trip and Betty told about the work.  She explained how we used the RV to support this long hike.  Most of the residents attending our presentation were women and they found Betty’s part of our team interesting.  This elderly group asked a lot of questions.  We took some pictures that we will share on the web when they are developed and we had a great time.  As we finished, Betty went around to every person, she shook their hand and chatted a minute with each one and thanked them for letting us be a part of their community.  They all loved it and were eagerly awaiting their turn.  One lady, Camilla Donaldson, is 100 years old.  She was very interested in our trip and later when she had lunch with her daughter (76) and her granddaughter (47) she told them all about it.  Mrs. Donaldson goes for a walk outside everyday, weather permitting, using a rolling walker.  Betty and I had a great time with this group.  Linda, the Activities Director, had everything organized and is very good at her job, she has an excellent rapport with the residents.

After lunch, Betty put me on the trail at Bulls Bridge.  The rain that started two days ago continued through the afternoon.  Much of the route was on a ridgeline or on steep slopes, and with wet rocks and slick mud the going was slow.  I was especially careful descending from Calebs Peak down over St. John’s Ledges.  All of the streams were swollen making crossings a little tricky.  My boots and feet remained soaked all afternoon.  Other than that it was a good hiking day.

Betty:  I believe this is another example of God’s intervention.  We could have been just camped in front of another store, but he knew it would be mutually beneficial to us and to the residents of “The Kent” to share our experience.  Many of the group who attended our talk had lived in the mountains and hiked and played in them as children and adults, so they have a natural love of the mountains and outdoors, and perhaps this brought back some of those memories.  Linda also loves the outdoors and mountains, and shared that she had grown up near Bear Mountain, New York.  It was just a wonderful, rewarding experience.  I can’t wait to get the pictures back.

Friday  7/28/00   18 miles/3222 total.   197 Trail Days.  River Road to US 7 Bridge on Housatonic River (near Rte 112). 

We moved the RV from The Kent Specialized Care Facility to downtown Kent near the Post Office.  Then Betty took me to the trailhead.  The rain stopped during the night, but the trail was still wet and muddy and slick.

After a few miles, I saw a small notice posted on a tree.  It informed hikers that in case of highwater they must go back about a half mile then take a one mile detour to get around a small stream that was just ahead.  As I approached the stream (not wanting to go around), “Rascal” and “Sunny” waved to me from the far shore.  The rocks that normally provide a crossing were submerged and the water was roaring over and around large boulders.  A fallen tree provided a 20 foot alternative crossing.  When I pointed to the tree crossing, “Rascal” smiled and nodded “yes”.  The downed tree trunk was 10 or 12 inches in diameter and a little slippery.  I took my time and walked across without incident.  “Sunny” introduced me to her friend Jason, who is from Kansas and is visiting her for a week.  “Rascal” and I hiked together and lagged about 300 feet behind to allow this young couple some time to walk and talk.

After the hike, Betty and I moved the RV about 30 miles north near Canaan, Connecticut.  Betty had arranged for us to park in the Couch-Pipa VFW Post 6851 parking lot.  This is a good deal, not only does the VFW let us stay with no charge but, when we went inside to thank them, they bought us a beer.  While talking with Jack, the guy seated on the next bar stool, he informed me that the Indians on the Schagticoke Reservation which I had passed through yesterday were hostile.  A couple of years ago they actually closed their eight mile portion of the AT.  Apparently, the Schagticoke tribe is trying to get some of their native lands returned to them.  From now on I’ll keep an eye out for Indians.

Saturday   7/29/00   11 miles/3233 total.  198 Trail Days.  US 7 Bridge on the Housatonic River to SR 41 near Salisbury, CT.

It was an overcast day and a little cooler, the miles went by quickly.  The trail parallels the east side of the Housatonic River, at one area the local community has incorporated the AT into their walking/jogging path system.  At Falls Village the trail crosses the river and leads upriver to the Great Falls.  It is a beautiful cascade down about 50 feet with huge boulders and major rapids at the bottom.  Enough of the visual refreshment, back in the woods and a gentle one thousand foot climb up Mount Prospect.

The number of rock fences continue to amaze me.  They are evidence of the many changes that this area, and our country, have undergone during our relatively short history.  This area was Mahican, Mohawk and Schagticoke country, then, about 300 years ago white settlers started clearing the forests in the valleys for homesites and fields.  Rocks removed from fields were piled to make fences.  A high grade of iron ore was discovered in this area.  Limestone was also here to purify the iron and the many rivers provided power for forges and this became one of the country’s major iron producers.  Charcoal was needed to process the ore and the remaining trees were cut from the mountain sides.  While this part of New England became known for its ironworks esp. bridge iron and guns, their forests were disappearing.  After the Civil War ended, the demand for cannons ceased, and many of the foundries closed.  Also, by this time coal from Pennsylvania and West Virginia was shipped here to fuel iron processing. The Industrial Revolution had begun and many farms were vacated as better paying jobs drew the work force to urban centers.  Idle fields were reclaimed by the forests, new stands of timber were growing on mountain sides and seedlings were sprouting up through rock fences.  Now these rock fences are still running for miles but new forests have grown up all around them.  Trees two feet thick have grown through some of the rock fences.  In some places stone used for foundations, chimneys or cellar walls is still in place.  It is easy to imagine an active farm with fields, a garden and all the necessary buildings.

Meanwhile, back on the trail, I have already arrived at the parking area where Betty will retrieve me.  But first, a car drives in and a couple places beer, soft drinks and a bag of oranges behind a tree at the trailhead.  Trail angels are at work.  This time it is “U-Turn” a northbound thru-hiker.  His girlfriend from Boston has come to meet him and he will take a few days off the trail.  Now is his chance to help other hikers.

The next arrival at the trailhead is David, a Ridge Runner.  We talked until Betty arrived.  David, “Aneus”,  hiked with Nimblewill Nomad in 1998 and was excited to hear that he would be passing through this area in a few weeks.

Back at the RV, Betty and I took care of a lot of little maintenance tasks.

Betty:  Getting access to a phone line still remains my biggest headache on this trip.  Today I had decided to take my computer along and just go to a library and use their computer to check my messages, but I would need my computer for email addresses.  I’ve tried to get phone access at some libraries before, and have never been able to achieve this.  When I went in I asked about using the computer and the librarian, Frances, said “Let me get my best computer person.”  Shohreh came over and asked what I needed to do, so I explained that optimally, I would like to plug my computer into their phone line, but if that wasn’t possible, I’d like to use their computer to check my messages.  She said, “Why don’t we just unplug this computer and plug yours in.   Wow!!!  What wonderful folks and they really take the frustration out of my “job”.  You read the last few pages due to these wonderful people.

Sunday  7/30/00   17 miles/3250 Total.  199 Trail Days.  SR 41 to Jug End Road.

As I was turning the RV around behind the VFW, I scraped the right rear panel on a picnic table.  This is the same spot on the RV that I rearranged last summer in Minnesota.  We moved the RV forward to Sheffield, MA.  After we filled the gas tank, we parked behind City Hall along a railroad track.

When Betty deposited me at the trailhead we felt some sprinkles, one-half hour later it was pouring rain and I was soon soaked.  My socks were the last to succumb but, between wading through streams and water running down my legs the boots were overflowing.

Most thru-hikers seemed to know better than to be out today.  I saw only  one other hiker all day.  The descent off Bear Mountain was closed due to the rain making the rocks too slippery to be passable.  The detour was an additional 2.4 miles which I did not need.

It rained all day so progress was really slow.  The steep descent from Mount Everett was especially tricky, I was making only about one mile per hour.  At 1PM, I forded a stream in Sages Ravine and was in Massachusetts.

The day was long, cold and wet.  My feet were sore from being in water all day and rubbing on wet socks.  I was tired from lifting water filled boots over large slick boulders.  I knew I was behind schedule and called Betty on the cell phone to change our meeting point to a road that was about four miles closer.  I think this is the first time on this trip that we have done that. 

About 7PM, as I descended a steep hillside, I could see the little green Honda CRV below.  It was especially nice to link up with Betty this evening.

Betty:  When we parked the RV behind City Hall, I happened to notice that the First Congregational Church of Sheffield was just a block away and their service was at 10AM.  So, when I dropped Chuck at the trailhead, I returned and got ready for church.  It was an interesting, old, historic church dating back to the 1700s.  Also interesting was that they had a visiting minister who was Presbyterian.

I have a class reunion that is coming up on August 12th.  Chuck was going to heft his big pack while I was gone, but we have decided it would do us both good to have a little break, so he will go too.

We will most likely leave the trail about the 10th, spend two days driving to Iowa, spend two days there, and two days driving back.

Monday  7/31/00   13 miles/3263 Total.  200 Trail Days!!!  Jug End Road to MA Rte 23, near Great Barrington.

On the trail at 7:30AM and across the Sheffield Valley, this five mile lowland is mostly swamp and is mosquito infested.  So far Massachusetts is not at all what I had expected.  As I arrived in this old “colony”, I anticipated a rider galloping by yelling “a thru-hiker is coming” and men wearing three cornered hats insisting that I join them for a tankard of ale and women in long black dresses with white aprons and wearing those quaint white caps offering me turkey sandwiches left over from the great feast.  I thought that every afternoon at 4PM sharp there would be a proper tea party hosted by the Boston elite, something that might put the Brits to shame.  But no, there was no rider, no ale and no tea party.  Instead I must ford a knee deep stream just to get into the state and suffer perpetual rain and now I am the feast for a bumper mosquito crop.  Other than that it was a good day in Massachusetts.

Saturday  7/1/00  23 miles/2772 total. ATC-HQ, Harpers Ferry to I-70.

It was an early departure from the RV due to a long drive to the starting point.  Plus, we were expecting friends we knew in Hawaii to arrive in the afternoon.

The early morning hike through Harpers Ferry was special.  Everything was quiet in this neat little parklike town.  The AT passes the old fire station in which John Brown and his men barricaded themselves in 1862.  The US Marines later stormed the building.  John Brown was captured, found guilty of treason, murder, and inciting rebellion.  He was hanged two months later.

The Shenandoah River and the Potomac River join at Harpers Ferry.  Both rivers are full of rapids and make a beautiful view.  The  C&O (Chesapeake and Ohio) Canal was built to bypass the rapids and it extends to Washington, D.C.  The canal is no longer functional and the many locks have been removed.  A narrow raised bank between the Potomac River and the C&O Canal has a multiple use trailway on it.  I saw many folks hiking, running and bicycling.  The AT is also on this path for three miles then it turns north along a ridgeline.  About 10 miles later the trail passes through Gathland State Park (Maryland).  A Civil War reenactment group was wearing Union uniforms and demonstrating as an Artillery Battery.  The cannons seemed to be louder than modern artillery that is hundreds of times more powerful.  “Stonewall Jackson” and his Regiment fought several battles in this area.  General Reno was killed during the Civil War  about six miles north, near where the AT is now located.

At noon I met “DMA” a robust thru-hiker from L.A.  He said the belt on his old pack would not reach around his midsection when he started at Springer Mountain three months ago.  Also, he said his pack then weighed 62 pounds.  He has now lost over 30 pounds of his own weight, plus he has reduced his pack weight by 30 pounds, so he has gotten rid of more total weight than his pack weighed at the start.

When I arrived at the campsite, our friends, Scott and Missy Sheldon, were there with Betty.  Their young son, Luke, is now 6 months old.  We had a good time catching up on each other’s activities and the whereabouts of mutual friends.  Betty whipped up lots of tacos; Brendan had five and E.J. and I refused to track the number we had.

Betty:  Susan and I prepositioned the Honda at Chuck’s ending point and then she,  E. J. and the boys went to Gettysburg for the day.  The boys had noticed, after their return to the campground, that Tom was building a wonderful fire at the community fire pit.  Just as soon as dinner was finished the boys were anxious to explore the area and to roast marshmallows.  Scott is staying to hike for a few days.  Missy and Luke headed back to Columbia, Maryland, E.J. and the boys headed out to the fire, Chuck was working on his journal and Susan and I were finishing up the dishes and then headed out for the marshmallows.  The boys had a great time at the community fire.  There is a lot of camaraderie here, and it is like a big happy family.  It didn’t take the boys long to get to know the other campers and Mikey was soon entertaining them.  This campsite is really neat, we have a lounge, bathrooms/showers, and a little office with computer hookup.

Sunday  7/2/00  18 miles/2790 total.  171 Trail Days.  I-70 to Pen-Mar.

Betty drove Scott and me to the start point.  While in the parking area, we met a man from Switzerland. He and his wife are touring North America in a VW camper.  They plan to drive to Alaska, then south through Mexico and possibly on to South America.  They plan to be on the road about a year.

Meanwhile back on the AT, Scott and I had an easy morning hike.  We stopped for lunch at a new shelter called Ensign Shelter.  “Speck” and his brother stopped in while we were eating then “Mercury” and his hiking buddy arrived.  The afternoon was just beginning to drag when we heard little voices on the trail ahead of us.  It was the grandsons with E.J.  They showed Scott and me the view from High Rock.  Scott did really well for his first day on the trail, plus he is in the final stage of breaking in new boots.  He wisely decided to stop after 15 miles and ride back with E.J., Susan, and Mikey.  Betty, Brendan and Bobby hiked the remaining few miles with me.  The three mile trip down to Pen-Mar and the Pennsylvania State Line was rocky and slow going.  The boys were full of energy and breezed right through the rocky areas.  It was good to hike with Betty again.  Suz, E.J., Mikey and Scott drove on back to the RV while we were finishing our hike over the rocks.

When we arrived at the RV site, we saw “Golden Eagle” parking his Montana RV (5th wheel).  We met him about three weeks ago.  He is supporting his wife, “Virginia Bluebird” and his brother, “Mississippi Hiker”.  We will all be at the same campsite for the next few days so we plan to carpool a few times and give the support teams a little break.

Monday  7/3/00   18 miles/2808 total.  172 Trail Days.  Pen-Mar to US 30.

Wayne, “Golden Eagle”, and I agreed that he would drive “Mississippi Hiker”, Scott and me to the trailhead at Pen-Mar (Pennsylvania-Maryland).  Betty would then pick us all up in the afternoon.

Scott set the pace and he planned to drop off at a road crossing after about eight miles.  At Antietam Shelter, Scott stretched his hammock between two trees alongside the East Branch of Antietam Creek, near where we would pick him up later.  “Mississippi Hiker” set a fast pace going up the hillside to Chimney Rocks.  By lunch, we had knocked out all but five miles for the day.  We sat on the grass at the entrance to a Vision Quest (VQ) camp and ate lunch.  One of the VQ staff members was working nearby and told us that VQ had many camps and activities for “troubled” youth.  They take long bike, canoe and wagontrain trips across the country.  We took our time hiking the last few miles and Betty met us at the trails intersection with US 30.  She then drove back to pick up Scott, then took us back to camp and we called it a day.

In the evening, we all went to eat at Sheraton’s Mallard Restaurant in Chambersburg, PA.  We were having an early celebration of Susan and E.J.’s 11th Wedding Anniversary.  It was a good time!!

Betty:  Susan, E.J. and the boys went to the Hershey factory.  When they returned they had some presents for me – a Hershey bear (same size as the beanie bears) and a box of candies.  They know what I like!!  We’ve been having such a great time, but their departure is coming too quickly!

Tuesday  7/4/00  20 miles/2828 total.  173 Trail Days.  US 30 to Pine Grove Furnace State Park.

As I started up the trail, Betty attached a small American Flag to the top of my pack.  It fluttered just behind my head all day.

The first 2 1/2 miles up to Quarry Gap Shelters went quickly.  “Top Dog” had spent the night there and was packing his gear.  As we talked, hikers arrived every few minutes.  “The Groom” and “Wall Street”, both large muscular guys with heavy dark beards, were followed by “Swamp Fox” and his wife Debra, who is visiting from the S.E. coast of Florida.  Then, “Mississippi Hiker” and “Virginia Bluebird” arrived just as I was leaving.

At the eleven mile point, I crossed Shippensberg Road and saw a shaded grassy area that was just right for a lunch break.  As I was nesting into a comfortable position, with a hickory tree for a backrest, two women drove up in a Mercury Mountaineer, got out and asked if I would like soda, beer, iced tea or chilled water with my lunch.  These “Trail Angels” were “The Bride” and “Wildflower”, the wives of “The Groom” and “Wall Street”, respectively.  Soon most of the hikers that were at Quarry Gap Shelter were sitting on the ground having lunch.  “Wildflower” and “Bride” are thru-hikers that were driving Debra’s SUV and carrying the large packs of many hikers, allowing them to slack-pack for the day.

Betty drove to a trailhead a few miles from our ending point and dropped Scott so he could hike in with me.  The day’s finish was at a General Store along the AT in Pine Grove Furnace State Park.  Because this store is very close to the exact half-way point of the AT, it is a tradition that thru-hikers eat a half-gallon of ice cream before proceeding up the trail.  I chose Butter Pecan and Betty and Scott claimed they were exempt because they were not actually hiking all of the AT.  It took me about 40 minutes to down the whole thing.  On the way back to the RV, Betty and Scott stopped at KFC to get something to eat.  They knew I did not care for KFC and that I definitely was not hungry.

We celebrated the “4th of July” by sitting around a large community fire socializing with other campers.

The campers and Tom were all talking about how much they enjoyed Brendan, Bobby and Mikey.

Betty:  This was the day we had been dreading.  Susan, E.J., Brendan, Bobby and Mikey were packing up to head back to Charlottesville, VA.  We said our farewells and they were off for the long drive back.  Scott was not going to be hiking until late today because of a blister and I had asked if he would help me install a zip drive and also show me how to get my scanned pictures onto the website.  This is something I’ve been hoping to learn to do.  If there is a picture on the front page, you’ll know it worked and that there will be more pictures to follow!  Missy and Luke will be coming to pick Scott up tomorrow.  Missy called and said she was bringing a casserole of Ziti and garlic bread.  I will prepare a salad.  We’re looking forward to seeing her and Luke again.

Wednesday  7/5/00  11 miles/2839 total.  174 Trail Days.  Pine Grove Furnace State Park to PA 94.

Scott and I departed Pine Grove Furnace State Park and easily climbed the gentle 700 foot grade up Piney Mountain.  We had lots to talk about and the miles went by quickly.

Scott was a co-founder of the Aloha Hash House Harrier running group in Hawaii.  Betty and I were active in the Aloha Hash.  It was a good mix of military and civilian runners.  We loved the challenging runs, the socializing and the fun.  I think Scott and Missy met on one of the Aloha runs.  She and several other female runners worked for Northwest Airlines.  It is interesting to see this young couple in their new role as the very dedicated parents of six month old Luke.

About three miles from the end of the day’s hike, Scott found a place at a road crossing to stretch his hammock and cool his heels.  I continued to the end point, then Betty and I drove back to retrieve Scott.  We all like these short pleasant hikes that give us time for other activities.  Today, we wanted to be at the RV park before Missy and Luke arrived to pick up Scott.

Missy brought Ziti, garlic bread and brownies with her, Betty made a large salad and I was in charge of the wine.  We had a great meal and a good visit.  As with Suz and E.J., we enjoy hearing the plans and dreams of young couples as they eagerly plot their course through life.  We are glad they made the effort to join us for a few days.

Thursday  7/6/00  19 miles/2858 total.   175 Trail Days.  PA 94 to US 11.

The first order of business was to drop the RV off for some repair work.  Betty had located D & J Truck Repair, that was nearby and recommended by another RV owner.  We wanted them to check the brakes, fix the dash air-conditioner, and investigate a pungent, “burnt-like” odor that had filled the coach just as we pulled into Letterkenny campground.  Also, they would change the oil and lube it while in there.

Betty had me on the trail by 9AM.  The first six miles were up and down through a wooded area.  Over Rocky Ridge then down and back up over Center Point Knob, it was a comfortable and interesting hike.  Then the terrain became flat and wandered through corn and wheat fields, pastures and along small streams.  It was a departure from the “green tunnel” that has held us for so many miles.

Along the way, I met a young couple hiking south.  “Blaster” and “Pie” had started in Delaware Water Gap and were on a grand flip-flop.  They planned to hike to Key West then flop back to Cape Gaspe, Canada.  They had heard that Betty and I were hiking from Key West to Cape Gaspe and had been hoping to find us.  “Swamp Fox” was a mile or two in front of me and alerted them that I would probably be the next hiker they met.  They had a thousand questions about the portion I had already covered: the Benton MacKaye, the Pinhoti, connector trails, road walks, the Florida Trail, etc.  They wanted to know about hiking in the Florida Keys, where they could get maps of trails that most outfitters have never heard of, and about the difficulty of the swamp hikes, and much more.  It seemed a little bizarre to be standing in the woods in the middle of Pennsylvania telling strangers how to hike to places over two thousand miles away, places from which I had hiked.  We swapped “points of contact” and I promised to send them more information, then we were gone, them south and me north.  It was a strange feeling.

The trail led through downtown Boiling Springs, PA, a quaint little town around a long narrow lake.  Someday I’ll have to bring Betty back to see this special place and we’ll eat at the old (est. 1882) Boiling Springs Tavern.

The trail was so easy to hike that I arrived at our meeting place over an hour early.

Friday  7/7/00  19 miles/2877 total.  176 Trail Days.  US 11 to Duncannon, PA.

We spent the night parked outside D & J’s Truck Repair.  They completed all the repairs except the dash air conditioner and the parts that are needed will not arrive until Saturday.  Apparently there was a short in the AC control.  Not only did the AC not operate, but the melting plastic in the control box caused the pungent odor that concerned us.  The brake problem was due to a sticking caliper.  The net result of all this is that we will spend two nights in D & J’s large truck parking area.  They stay open until midnight and tractor trailers are in and out at all hours plus dozens park all night with their generators serenading us.  We found a quieter spot in the back which is close to Interstate 81 with its own nightly whaling.

After dealing with the repair shop, Betty had me on the trail a little after 10AM.  During the first five miles through Pennsylvania Dutch farms and valleys, I met “Mother Hen” hiking south.  She is well known on this part of the AT for the generous “Trail Magic” she casts upon thru-hikers.  She shuttles hikers to and from her house near Boiling Springs, PA, provides meals, accommodations, etc.  On the Fourth of July she had over 25 hikers at a big feed and party that lasted all afternoon and ended with fireworks in the evening.  Today, she had shuttled some hikers well north on the trail and was hiking back to Boiling Springs while another hiker drove her vehicle back home.  We must have stood in the middle of the trail for over a half hour talking.  She is typical of a lot of folks associated with the trail; they are intelligent, energetic, caring people who see more to life than making money.  It is obvious that “Mother Hen” and her family are rich beyond dollars.

As the trail climbed Blue Mountain, the rocks started.  We have all heard much about the “rocks of Pennsylvania”.  Past Tuscarora Trial, Darlington Trail, Thelma Marks Shelter and Hawk Rock, the trail descends steeply down a rocky mountainside to the Susquehanna River and Duncannon, PA.  This quiet little river town is filled with large and small old homes, some are neat as a pin and others are in disrepair and have junk that has accumulated over the years.  The nicely mowed lawns, colorful flower beds and boxes, and large shade trees looked inviting.  After 19 miles on the trail I was tempted to walk up on one of the large porches and join some of the older ladies in a cool glass of lemonade.  Since I was running (walking) a little late, Betty and Levi walked south through town to meet me.  After making a three mile loop they drove back and picked me up about a half mile from our intended rendezvous point.

Back at D & J Truck Repair, we will have another night with the big rigs.

Saturday  7/8/00

Betty:  It is afternoon and the part for the air conditioner has arrived.  The air conditioner is being repaired as I am finishing up the last of the journal entries.  From here we will head for the trail with a gas stop at Flying J’s where I have found they have computer connections and will load these entries on the website.  Then it’s back on the road and off to the trail.

Later:  Things didn’t turn out as they should have on the air conditioner or the computer.  For some reason, the computer and I can’t agree that it will update the website, I could get online to send and receive messages, but couldn’t get the website to load.

Saturday  7/8/00  0 miles/2877 total.  177 Trail Days.   Maintenance Day.

The air conditioner switch was due here before noon.  Since it is over 30 miles north to our start point on the AT, we decided to wait for the part, have it installed, then drive the RV forward so we would not have to drive back after it.  Result: the part did not come in  until 2PM, it was installed by 4PM, but the air conditioner still did not function, and no hiking for the day.  Apparently, the clutch on the air conditioner compressor is broken and the switch overheated while continuously cycling to start it.  Of course (?),  the repair folks could not know this until the switch was replaced.  Anyway, they close at 4PM on Saturdays and are not open on Sunday and we are out of here.  We’ll make arrangements to take it in someplace on up the trail.

We moved the RV forward to the little town of Ono.  One of the three or four stores in town is the O’Yes Convenience Store.  We ate at Antonio’s Pizza, another of the stores.  It was not one of our better days.

Sunday  7/9/00  18 miles/2895 total.  178 Trail Days.  Duncannon, PA to PA 325.

Out of Duncannon, across the Juanita River and the Susquehanna River, then up the switchbacks to the ridge on Peters Mountain, the day was off to a good start.  I met “Baby Ruth” coming back from a hike in with “Rascal” and “Sunny”.

The trail stayed on top of this rocky ridge all day.  Just before lunch I overtook Theran and “Cincinatus”, then I met a couple of day hikers from Lancaster.  They were carrying an extra hundred pounds or so each and neither had a pack.  The lady explained that they had read Bill Bryson’s book “A Walk in the Woods” and were motivated to hike and get in shape.

Shortly before starting the descent down to Clarkes Gap to meet Betty, I saw a hiker lying on his bedroll about one foot off the trail.  It was “Ziggy” who said he likes to hike at night and when he gets tired he drops his gear and calls it home.  “Ziggy” is an interesting guy; he is from NE Alabama and tries to night hike the week before and the week after every full moon.  He said the biggest problem was trying to sleep during the heat of the day.  I suggested that a more secluded location might have less interruptions.  He didn’t seem to think that was a problem.

Betty was at Clarkes Creek and whisked me back to our “dry camp” at Ono for a hot shower and a cold beer. Oh, yes!!

Betty:  I found a Lutheran Church this morning after dropping Chuck off on the trail.  I had noticed since coming into Pennsylvania there are a lot of Lutheran churches.  This afternoon, I headed back to pick up  Chuck.  I went out about an hour early, since he is often early.  When I got to the trailhead, “Golden Eagle”, support person for “Mississippi Hiker” and “Virginia Bluebird”, was there waiting for his hikers.  As we were chatting, “Baby Ruth” and “Sunny” came down the trail and joined us.  A few minutes later, “Rascal” appeared, followed by “Mississippi Hiker” and “Virginia Bluebird”.  After chatting for a few minutes, everyone went on their separate ways.  “Swamp Eagle” appeared on the scene about a half hour before his expected arrival.

Our “dry camp” is a parking area where there are some stored tractor trailers.  There was a vacant concrete slab there between two trailers, and it looked like “home” for a couple days.

Monday  7/10/00  27 miles/2922 total.   179 Trail Days.  PA 325 to PA 645.

Early morning, light fog, an easy grade up the trail to the long ridge on top of Stony Mountain, life is good.  A few hundred feet up the trail a young doe is grazing, I stop to watch for a few minutes then she and I both move onward.  Earlier, as Betty drove me to the starting point, we saw a doe and two fawn on the side of the road; it was a beautiful scene.

About six miles up the trail, I found “Rascal”, “Sunny” and “Baby Ruth” taking a break at the ruins of Yellow Springs village.  “Baby Ruth” wanted to explore what was left of the old mining community, then hike back to the trailhead and move their camper forward.

During a short “map break”, “Mississippi Hiker” caught up with me.  We hiked together the rest of the morning and into the afternoon.  He dropped off about 3PM at Swatara Gap to meet his support crew, “Golden Eagle”.

In another life, I had hiked this portion of the AT across Swatara Creek.  It was in 1979 and I was on temporary duty at Fort Indiantown Gap.  For about ten miles the AT has been tracing along the northern border of the military reservation.

A few switchbacks and the trail climbs out of the Swatara Valley and is on the ridgeline of Blue Mountain.  Interstate 81 paralleled this long narrow ridge southwest of Swatara and Interstate 78 follows it all the way northeast to Allentown.  Many times, over the years, as I have speeded along on these super highways, I have dreamed of being on the AT and that ridgeline which is within site, but a lifetime away.

It was a long day and just a couple miles from the finish I overtook Paul Johnson, a 72 year old section hiker carrying a huge pack.  He said he started section hiking the AT at age 41 as a scout leader and has done all the trail from Springer Mountain, Georgia to this point.  He said that, at this rate, he will complete the AT at Katahdin at age 100.

Betty was waiting at the trailhead with ice cold soft drinks and a ride back to the RV.  We moved the rig forward about 60 miles to Sacony Campground near Crystal Cave.

Betty:  Sacony Campground is another of the Passport America participating campgrounds.  It is really pretty.  It’s back in the country (about 7 miles off the interstate).  We have a nice, big, beautiful, grassy lot.  There is a creek that runs along the back of the campground and it apparently is good fishing, since there are several people out there casting.  We haven’t been disappointed in any of the campgrounds we’ve found listed in the Passport America camp book and because you get your site for half price, we’re really happy about that.  I told “Golden Eagle” about it and gave him the book to look through.  He has joined now also and they are moving into this campground tomorrow.  A campground, such as this one, that is normally $24 is $12 for us, so in four nights you have paid for your membership.  The membership for PA is $39 per year, but if someone joins due to your recommendation, you get a $10 certificate toward your next year’s membership.  What a deal!!

Tuesday  7/11/00   26 miles/2947 total.  180 Trail Days.  PA 645 to Port Clinton, PA.

This was another 26 miles day, so I tried to knock out some quick miles early.  After about two miles, I met a group of thru-hikers as the AT crossed PA 501.  “Limbo” called out my name and I walked over to talk with them.  She introduced me to “DR”, “Sailboat” and “Poster”.  They have two cars available for a few days and are “reverse slack-packing” to put in a lot of miles in a short time.  Today, “Sailboat” and “Poster” are driving 24 miles ahead to Port Clinton and will hike back to pick up the second car at PA 501.  “Limbo” and “DR” will hike directly into Port Clinton.  Since we were all slack-packing we made good time.  These youngsters hike a little faster than I care to sustain for a long distance, but they take longer breaks so we kept leap-frogging right into Port Clinton where I introduced them to Betty and she treated us all to a cold soft drink.

Along the way, I overtook “Wasabe”.  We hiked past the location of old Fort Synder, established in 1755. Young Benjamin Franklin was assigned here and probably drank from the same spring that hikers now use as they rest here.

The descent down into the Schuylkill River Valley and Port Clinton was very steep.  There were almost no switch-backs, just an “elevator-like” descent.  The very much inland Port Clinton (maybe the very first example of “Clinton speak”) was so named because in the early 1800’s a canal constructed by the Schuylkill Navigation Canal Company connected the nearby coal fields with the sea.  Residents chose the name Clinton due to admiration for Governor Dewitt Clinton of Erie Canal fame.  It is an interesting town with some quaint shops, watering holes, and a population of about 400.  On our way out of Port Clinton we were hailed by “Urban Camper”.  He, his son (who has been hiking with him recently), and his brother were eating at a quaint little bed and breakfast.  We stopped and joined them.  Soon we were joined by “Mr. Zip”, a retired postal worker.  It was great fun, and a wonderful meal.

Wednesday  7/12/00  0 miles/2947 total.  181 Trail Days.  Visited Aunt Vivian and Poochie.

We took this day off to visit my Dad’s sister, Vivian MacDonald, and my cousin, Vivian (Poochie).  They live near Collegeville, PA which is about a hundred miles from the AT.  Pooch has done a beautiful job modernizing an old coach house that was typical of this area about 150 years ago.  The setting is perfect with a large yard, garden, and huge shade trees.  We had a very enjoyable afternoon visiting and talking about old family stories and ancestors.  Pooch and I are both interested in our family tree.  She showed us the results of some of her intensive research.  About a year ago I gave her a single floppy disk with all the data I had collected over the years.  Today she gave us eight disks with all the information she had added.

Growing up we didn’t see this family much because Pooch’s dad was in the Air Force and they were always stationed in some exciting, far away place like Alaska or Timbuktu.  Their travels enchanted me and eventually I was following a similar path, “… the curse of the gypsy blood”.  The few times we have been together in recent years, we have instantly “connected” as relatives should.  This was one of those special times.

Pooch and Aunt Vivian are getting ready for a move back to Indiana.

Thursday  7/13/00  27 miles/2974 total.  182 Trail Days.  Port Clinton to PA 309.

“Mississippi Hiker” and his crew are camped in the Sacony RV park near our site.  Last night Betty volunteered to drop “MH” off at his starting point then take me to Port Clinton to start where I had stopped two days ago.

The climb out of the Schuylkill River Valley and up Blue Mountain was, thankfully, more gently graded than the descent on the west side.  Just past Pocahontas campsite I overtook, “Web-Breaker”.  He retired from the Army the same year I did so we had lots to talk about as we hiked on to Windsor Furnace Shelter for a morning break.  “Rascal” and “Sunny” arrived right behind us, since I had a long day ahead,

I excused myself and pushed on to Pulpit Rock.  Over a hundred young Civil Air Patrol cadets were training in this area.  They were honing their skills in rock climbing, rappeling, search and rescue, etc.  Of course, this military-like operation was like deja vous so I spent too much time talking with their leaders and learning about the CAP mission.

“Rascal” and “Sunny” caught up to me.  As we hiked on “Rascal” told us to pick up a rock from the trail and carry it a short way for a special purpose.  Around a bend and just prior to the Pinnacle was a huge pile of rocks.  A circular mound, nearly ten feet high in the middle and about 40 feet in diameter, was the result of hikers tossing rocks from the trail.  The trail was a little smoother for a few hundred feet.  We had lunch on the Pinnacle then I quickly moved on to address the 17 miles that remained for the afternoon.  My goal on most days is to have “single digits” (less than ten miles) by lunch time.  This wasn’t one of those days.

Near Balanced Rock, I overtook “Molder” and “Skully”, a young couple who pack light and move fast.  We leap-frogged the remainder of the afternoon.  Fortunately, the last five miles were mostly smooth trail with a slight downward slope – ideal.  The day’s end was a trailhead parking area along PA 309.  Betty was there, as was “Baby Ruth” and Franz, with his wife, Anna.  I had not seen Franz for over a month.  Retired from the Army Special Forces, this “Snake eater” is a really gung-ho hiker.  Anna is now supporting him using their Ford Bronco.  This is similar to the method of car-camping support that Betty and I used on the Colorado Trail three years ago.  We had a good time talking, relaxing and rehydrating.  Franz and I were both drafted when we had dropped out of college, we both were in Air Force ROTC, we both wanted to learn to fly, we were both based out of the same small Special Forces camp in Kontum, Vietnam and we made careers in the Army.  Now, we are both happily on the AT with our loving wives supporting us.

It was a long but a good day.

Friday  7/14/00  19 miles/2993 total  183 Trail Days.  PA 309 to Little Gap.

We moved the RV forward to the town of Wind Gap, PA.  I started the hike late.  It was a long hike with lots of rocks and I ended up with sore feet.  There was a long, very steep, rock scramble out of Lehigh Gap which was exhilarating with great views.  The vegetation at the top of the mountain was all dead, maybe due to zinc smelters.  This area is now an EPA Superfund clean-up site.  I encountered a three foot copperhead on the trail,  it’s the first poisonous snake I’ve seen in weeks.

A good but hard day.  A beer and a bed sound great.

Saturday  7/15/00  15 miles/3008   184 Trail Days.  Little Gap to Wind Gap.

It rained during the night and early morning, but stopped just before Betty got me to the start point.

More rocks on the trail, mostly small stuff.  During lunch “Mousetrap”, “Goin Home” (from Maine), “Welches” (from Tampa), and “Magnum” passed me.  They planned to stop at the Leroy Smith Shelter a few miles ahead.

Just after I cleared Smith Gap, I met a man coming down the trail toward me.  He was wearing dirty clothes, had long hair and a beard, and he had his belongings in two bags.  He had a long pole balanced on his shoulder and a bag was attached to each end of the stick.  Now, most of us out here look pretty bad and borderline homeless, but this guy really looked like a bum.  He said hello and asked how far it was to Smith Gap, but he never stopped walking.

About three miles later, beside the trail was a bundle containing a foam mat, it was covered with plastic bags and duct tape.  After shouting to see if anyone would claim this litter, I stuck the end of my hiking stick through some of the duct tape.  Now, with my stick over my shoulder and the bundle dangling from the end, I surely looked like a bum as I carried this trash the seven miles to Wind Gap and a trash can.

Later, a Ridge Runner, Vince, told me that the unusual hiker with the long pole and a bag on each end was “Springer”.  Evidently, “Springer” is the first southbound hiker of year 2000.  This is a very prestigious honor among thru-hikers.  It is rather like wearing the yellow jersey at the Tour de France.  Again, I am reminded not to judge others so quickly.

Betty met me at Wind Gap and whisked me back for a shower.  After dinner we went to the small local movie theater to see “The Patriot” with Mel Gibson.  This was the first movie we have seen in over six months; it was good.

Betty: Congratulations Swamp Eagle on going over 3000 miles today!!!