On the AT - 2004 TRAIL UPDATES |
April 5, 2004 Brian and Sophia started their Appalachian Trail hike from Springer Mountain, GA, on Tuesday, March 30. Brian called me two days later (on April 1) from Neel's Gap. This morning, they resupplied in Bryson, the closest town to Nantahala Outdoor Center. The weather has been very cold at night, well below freezing, and shelters have been crowded. They are doing well, averaging about 20 miles per day, and expect to reach Hot Springs, NC next Sunday. April 10, 2004 Brian and Sophia called in from Hot Springs, NC, this afternoon (a day earlier than I expected.) That's 271 trail-miles they've hiked since March 30, for an average of 22.5 miles per day. The weather has been great, but they did some extra miles to reach Hot Springs today because they were pretty much out of food. Brian found a "Double Decker Hiker's Super Burger", and Sophie had a plate of fish sticks, deep-fried, of course! "Most excellent!" they both agreed. Next stop is Erwin, TN, and Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel, probably late on Tuesday, April 13. April 13, 2004 Our hikers reached Erwin, TN this afternoon and are staying the night at Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel. That's 339 trail-miles they've hiked since March 30, an average of 22.6 miles per day. They have endured torrential rains and cold nights for the past couple days. Brian said, "We've been expecting to see the Ark!" They hiked 31.5 miles yesterday to reach a shelter that had space for them to sleep, but the rain and wind made for a difficult night. The rain should end tomorrow. Brian and Sophie expect to be at Dennis Cove on Friday. They'll probably stay at Kincora Hostel. April 17, 2004 Brian and Sophie stayed at Kincora Hostel last night, arriving there late after a 30-mile day. They've hiked 405 trail-miles since March 30, an average of 22.5 miles per day. In the past three days, the weather has changed from snow and sleet to warm and sunny! They expect 80-degree temps today as they return to the trail. Bob at Kincora provided a ride into town (Hampton, TN?) this morning so our hikers could resupply at a real grocery store. They will check into "The Place", a Methodist hostel in Damascus, VA, tomorrow night. April 19, 2004 Our hikers left Damascus this morning, after spending the night at "The Place", a hostel run by the Methodist church. Their next stop will be in Atkins, VA, 75 miles up the trail. With continued good weather, I expect they will arrive there on Wednesday, April 21. Today I mailed Sophie a new pair of Vasque hiking shoes which she will pick up in Catawba, VA in about 10 days. All available space in the box was packed with Snickers bars! They've hiked 455 miles since March 30, or an average of 22.8 miles per day. April 22, 2004 Brian and Sophie reached Atkins, VA this morning and, after resupplying and calling in, headed back up the trail. They have hiked 530 miles, or 23.0 miles per day since March 30. Brian reports that the numbers of hikers has thinned out a bit, and those who are still on the trail are having a nicer time now that the weather has improved. Their next stop will be in Bland, VA, on Friday evening. April 23, 2004 Flyin' Brian and Silver Girl are in Bland, VA, where they will stay the night in a motel. They have hiked 575 miles to date, or 23.0 miles per day since March 30. Bland does not have a reputation as a trail-friendly town for some reason. Two years ago, I made a point of walking by it. Brian assured me that no one was throwing rocks at them, but the essential points of interest - motel, grocery store, post office, - were too far apart for a hiker without transportation to manage easily. The only restaurant other than a fast-food place was more than a mile from the motel. Perhaps Bland is not really unfriendly, but rather inconvenient for hikers. They will be in Pearisburg, VA, on Sunday. April 25, 2004 The hikers arrived in Pearisburg, VA, this afternoon and bought three days worth of supplies before heading back out on the trail. They've hiked 617 miles to date, or 22.9 miles per day since March 30. It's been threatening rain all day, but has not actually started yet. We hope it will hold off until they reach a shelter for the night. When I was in Pearisburg two years ago, I stayed at the Plaza Motel. It had been snowing. Sophia has been troubled by a blister under her heel, but it seems to be getting better. Other than that, they report that all is well. Brian is mailing me photos, so you can expect some pictures here soon. They should reach Catawba, VA, Wednesday afternoon. April 30, 2004 Brian called me from Daleville, VA, last night. They had gone through Catawba on Wednesday, as planned, but found no telephone there. They've hiked 709 miles to date, or 22.9 miles per day since March 30. They expect to reach Buchanan tomorrow. That's Saturday, May 1. Next Tuesday, May 4, we will try to meet Brian and Sophia either in Waynesboro, VA, or at Rockfish Gap, near the south entrance to Shenandoah National Park. My wife and I really hope this works out, but connections on the trail are always a bit uncertain. We certainly look forward to seeing them! I now have some good pictures from the trail, but will have to wait till we return home before I can post them to this website. May 7, 2004 I met Brian and Sophie at Rockfish Gap last Tuesday, May 4, as we had planned. They have hiked 843 miles, or 23.4 miles per day since March 30. Wednesday morning they continued north into Shenandoah National Park. Unless I hear differently, I will pick them up Saturday night, May 8, at Front Royal. At Rockfish Gap, I had the opportunity to hike a bit of the AT again myself. After meeting a hiker at the Gap who confirmed that Brian and Sophie were on schedule, I hiked south two miles to meet them. When they didn't show up there, I hiked back. They reached the Gap about five minutes after I did. It's interesting how things work out on the trail. The hiker whom I asked about Brian is named Grasshopper. He's the only hiker who could have given me the information I needed, as it turned out, because he stayed with Brian and Sophie in Harpers Creek Shelter the previous night and hiked the 27 miles from there to Rockfish Gap faster than Brian and Sophie. Add to that a remarkable coincidence: Brian says he and Grasshopper had met before, at the PCT kickoff party a couple years ago! Grasshopper is a strong hiker. He plans to hike the Pacific Crest Trail southbound this year after he completes the Appalachian Trail. Did Brian talk him into this? I don't know, but we wish him well! Finally, a quote from Sophie, who spotted some change outside the inn where we all stayed Friday night: "Oh, I found some money! Is it enough to buy a candy bar?" Thruhikers, and those of us who've tried to feed them, will appreciate the thought! May 10, 2004 At 7 pm on Saturday, May 8, I picked the hikers up at Front Royal. They've hiked 950 miles since March 30th, or 23.7 miles per day. It was a fast but enjoyable hike through Shenandoah National Park, and they took most of Sunday off at Greg's (Brian's brother) home in Springfield, VA. It was a time to make some minor equipment repairs and changes, and to resupply at a good grocery store. Late Sunday afternoon, Julianne and I drove them back to the trailhead. They planned to hike about 10 miles to the Manassas Gap Shelter. (Two years ago, two Copperheads resided in the roof rafters. Few hikers stayed there overnight!) Brian and Sophie should reach Harper's Ferry on Tuesday afternoon, May 11th. May 17, 2004 Brian and Sophie have passed the halfway point! Brian called in Sunday morning from Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. They've hiked 1,105 miles since March 30, or 23.0 miles per day. They expect to reach the 501 Shelter near Pine Grove, PA, Wednesday evening, May 19th. As you can see, I've finally got some current photos up on the site. That had to wait till we returned home from Virginia, where we were able to meet the hikers at two trailheads - Rockfish Gap, at the south end of Shenandoah NP, and Front Royal, just north of the park. It was great to see them! May 18, 2004 Brian and Sophie are off the trail! Brian called me from Duncannon, PA, today, telling me that Sophie has apparently suffered a metatarsal stress fracture. That is, a broken bone in her foot. They will stay at the trail-famous Doyle Hotel tonight, then take a bus to Connecticut to visit with Sophie's brother for a few days before returning home. They've hiked 1,127.5 miles since March 30, or 22.6 miles per day. Their present plan is to rest Sophie's foot for about twelve weeks, then consider returning to the trail to complete their hike. Unless this turns out much better than expected, Sophie will not be able to run the 100-mile Western States in late June as she had planned. (Our updates resume after 12 weeks off the trail.) August 22, 2004 Flyin' Brian and Silver Girl are back on the trail! They had hiked 1,127.5 miles since March 30, or 22.6 miles per day, to Duncannon, PA. Now, they are resuming their hike north from Duncannon after more than 12 weeks off. They plan to take it slower at first, and hope to finish at Mt. Katahdin, Maine, about mid-October. They started north on August 13th and reached Port Clinton 6 days later. Yesterday they called from Palmerton, PA. They're doing well, covering 110 miles, or about 14 miles per day so far. They spent the previous night at Bake Oven Knob Shelter, enjoying a spectacular thunder and lightning display! August 24, 2004 Brian and Sophie stayed at Delaware Water Gap last night. That's 146 miles from Duncannon in 11 hiking days. Sophie's foot feels okay, and the weather has been great the last couple days. They are at the back of the northbound thruhiker pack. Brian learned from a fast section hiker that there is only one person, "Doctor John", behind them who still expects to finish the entire Appalachian Trail this season. (There may be others; information about what's going on behind you on the trail is always sketchy.) Our hikers cross into New Jersey today and expect to pick up their mail in Unionville, NY on Saturday morning. August 30, 2004 Brian called from Vernon, New Jersey, Yesterday afternoon. They stayed in a church hostel in Vernon last night. All is going well with them, and they expect to reach Bear Mountain, NY, (where the trail crosses the Hudson River) on Wednesday. Brian and Sophia have hiked 210 miles since they returned to the trail at Duncannon, PA. They're averaging a bit over 12 miles per day. September 1, 2004 Brian and Sophia are staying the night at the home of "Sebastion", a fellow hiker and Trail Angel who lives in the Bear Mountain, NY area. Tomorrow, they cross the Hudson River. They expect to resupply in Kent, Connecticut on Sunday afternoon or Monday morning. They'll stay at the Mt. Algo Lean-to, a shelter about one mile out of town. The weather has been great, i.e., less hot and humid than normal for this time of year. The character of the trail has changed, with the woods more open, the hills not quite so challenging, and more towns than wilderness. This will hold generally until they reach Vermont. Our hikers have walked 256 miles since returning to the trail, or a bit under 13 miles per day. They still have 785 miles to go. To get to Mt. Katahdin by October 15, they will have to average almost 18 miles per day from here. September 7, 2004 Brian is aware that they must pick up the pace if they're going to get to the end of the trail by mid-October, and they are doing better. They reached Salisbury, Connecticut, this morning, having hiked 98 miles in the past 6 days. He and Sophia both feel good. The weather has been nice except for the bugs, and they expect to stop tomorrow night in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. September 8, 2004 The rain started this morning and is expected to last through tomorrow. When Brian called this afternoon it was in the mid-70's, hot and humid. The hikers will stay in Great Barrington, Mass. tonight. A shower, and restaurant food including ice cream and cheesecake were on their list for today. They should reach Dalton, Mass. on Saturday. Sophia's brother may meet them there. If anyone wants to send well-wishes or cookies, you can address them to: Brian Robinson or Sophia Lewis, c/o General Delivery to the Post Office, Hanover, NH 03755. They should reach there in about 10 days, and will check for mail. September 13, 2004 Brian and Sophia resupplied in North Adams, MA, this morning before continuing north. They are about 4 miles from the Vermont border, and 595 miles from Katahdin! They did meet Sophia's brother, Andy, in Dalton, and stayed with friends there on Saturday. I'm sure that was a pleasant break from trail life! It seems odd with all the hot, humid weather they have been dealing with, but they will soon reach the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Brian's brother, Greg, is shipping their winter gear to Glencliff, NH, so they will be prepared for hiking above timberline. 4,800-foot Mt. Moosilauke is just north of there on the trail. Their next stop will be a Manchester Center, VT, on Thursday. September 16, 2004 Brian called this morning from Manchester Center, VT, where they resupplied. They are presently following The Long Trail, which runs the length of Vermont to the Canadian border. The AT and LT share the same route through southern Vermont to Highway 4 near Rutland, where the AT turns east toward New Hampshire. They are meeting many LT hikers as well as southbound AT hikers. The weather is "excellent, fabulous, perfect...." The leaves are just starting to turn color at high elevations. Brian reported hearing their first loon this morning! (No moose yet.) They expect to reach "The Inn of the Long Trail" on Saturday, and will probably stay in Rutland Saturday night. September 21, 2004 Brian called this morning from Hanover, NH, the home of Dartmouth College. The leaves in New England are starting to turn color and the scenery is beautiful. They have seen some moose droppings, but no moose yet. The weather has been a bit chilly the past few days. They will pick up their warm clothes at the Glencliff, NH, post office on Thursday before they climb 4,802-foot Mt. Moosilauke. The summit of Moosilauke will be their first venture above tree-line since some of the balds on the southern AT. Their next stop will be in North Woodstock, NH, Friday night or Saturday morning. The town is about six miles off the trail so I expect they will stay there overnight if they can hike the miles. They are now 442 miles from Mt. Katahdin! September 26, 2004 Brian and Sophia reached North Woodstock last night, where they found a full hikers' dinner and a place to stay overnight. Both were a little more expensive than they would have liked, he said. They plan to reach Galehead Hut tonight and a "work for stay", to save the $80 each (or so) that it normally costs to stay at the Appalachian Mountain Club huts in the White Mountains. If they are lucky, they may meet Andy Skurka there. Andy is attempting to hike the Sea-to-Sea Trail from Quebec to Washington State. It would be a real treat to be there listening to Brian and Andy compare notes about their long-distance hiking experiences! The hikers will probably get to Gorham, NH, on Thursday, Sept. 30. They have 373 miles to go! September 29, 2004 The hikers reached Pinkham Notch late last night after three long days in the White Mountains. They crossed Mt. Washington - always a concern because of the weather - in the fog, but otherwise the weather was tolerable. Brian and Sophia both arranged to "work for stay" at Galehead Hut and Mizpah Spring Hut as they traversed the Whites. In return for their kitchen and cleanup efforts taking care of the paying guests, they received free meals and a place with a roof over their heads to sleep. That's something like $320 they saved. Also, because of the provided meals, Brian says they may have enough food in their packs to skip their Gorham, NH town stop and hike straight through to Andover, Maine. They may reach Andover, ME on Friday night, October 1, if the weather and trail hold good. Saturday seems more likely, though. October 2, 2004 Brian called this afternoon from Bethel, Maine, where he and Sophia will shop for food and stay the night at a B&B (cost, $45!). They did 23 miles yesterday and 10 today, in great weather. He also reported that they finally spotted their first moose, a cow. Because they are resupplying in Bethel, they do not plan to stop in Andover. They expect to reach Hwy 4 and stop in Rangeley, ME, on Tuesday, October 5th. That will leave them exactly 220 miles to trail's end at Mt. Katahdin! October 6, 2004 Brian and Sophia stayed in Rangeley, ME, last night. They were expecting some light snow showers overnight and today, but no serious weather problems. Sophia had a very close encounter with an irate cow moose yesterday. The cow charged her when its calf got too close while they were trying to pass. Nobody got hurt. Details will be reported in their next trail logs. They expect to reach Stratton, ME, on Thursday. October 10, 2004 Brian called early Friday morning from Stratton, ME. He says they ran into some snow on the ground, and rime ice, on Saddleback Mountain (4,120 feet). This late in the hiking season, the canoe that is to carry them across the Kennebeck River runs only between 9 and 11 am, so they will time their arrival accordingly. They should be in Caratunk, ME, on Sunday morning. October 12, 2004 Brian called last night from "The Shaw's" hostel in Monson, ME. (They were unable to get to a telephone in Caratunk.) They are doing well, and can almost see the end of their trek. They are 118 miles from Katahdin and should reach there on October 17, weather permitting. This will be my last update before they finish. (Vacation time, for us!) Brian will probably give everyone a final update here when he and Sophia return home. Reaching the end of a long hike is always both a happy and a sad occasion. We wish our hikers the best as they walk these last few miles! Thank you all for your interest, and over 4,000 visits to this page! October 29, 2004 Your recorder is back from Italy, and our hikers have finished their trail! I'll let Brian tell you about their last miles in his own words: Good news from the Appalachian Trail! Silver Girl and Flyin' Brian completed our Appalachian Trail thru-hike, covering the 2,174 mile trail in 120 days - not counting the 12 week "break" in the middle. We're even more excited about our bigger news: Sophia and I would like to announce our engagement, effected on Mount Moosilauke in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I surprised her there with "the question" on a warm sunny day with endless views. I decided against waiting until the very end of our trek to maximize the chances that the big moment could occur in good weather. Mt. Moosilauke, the first place the AT rises above timberline, was the earliest of several places I deemed acceptable. With the summit to ourselves except for one hiker who was taking our picture, I dropped to one knee and pulled out the ring. I am pleased to report that I completely surprised her, despite the fact that she suspected I might propose on Mt. Katahdin at the end of our trek. Several weeks later, Sophia and I climbed Maine's Mt. Katahdin and completed our Appalachian Trail thru-hike on October 20th. Ice and snow made conditions dangerous enough that we feared we might not be allowed to climb the rugged and steep 5,267-foot mountain. But after three days of waiting, the weather finally relented and we summited on a clear, sunny day. We're home now, resuming the off-trail portion of our lives and planning a wedding for which a date has not yet been set. Hiking on the east coast was great, but we both miss the comforts of home and running on our backyard trails in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We've missed you and look forward to seeing you again really soon, Brian and Sophia Brian's trail logs are now complete through October 1. I'll be adding more pictures soon, and the rest of his log book entries. In the meantime, we offer our sincere congratulations to Flyin' Brian and Silver Girl on the successful completion of their hike and, even more, on their engagement! November 6, 2004. Congratulations to Flyin' Brian and Silver Girl! They completed their Appalachian Trail thruhike on October 20th, taking 120 days to do it if you don't count the three months they took off in the middle to heal Sophia's broken foot. Brian and Sophia are back home, readjusting to the "normal" world. This will be my last update. I've added some more pictures of the last few days of their trek. Maine is beautiful! |
