Brian's Trail Logs - Appalachian Trail, 2004
(The first trail log here is actually the second  one Brian has written on this hike.  He gave his first mailing to a fellow hiker in Bryson City, NC, who was going to the post office.  So far, it hasn't shown up.  We hope she will eventually find the envelope and drop it in the mail somewhere along the trail.)    
April 5, 2004.  Brown Fork Gap Shelter.

After resupplying in Bryson we got back on the trail about 1:30 pm.  That's a pretty late start, but it could have been worse.  We were very lucky to get a ride from almost in town all the way to Nantahala Outdoor Center.  I thought we'd have to walk all the way to the main highway to get a ride.  I guess hitching as a couple is easier than hitching alone.  A car stopped in less than five minutes.

Since Bryson has a large grocery store, we bought six days' food, enough to get us to Hot Springs, North Carolina.

This afternoon's hike took us over Cheoah Bald.  For the first time since Springer, the top of a mountain was warm and sunny.  There was no wind!  We sat and enjoyed the view for quite a while even though we knew we'd get to this shelter after dark.  But there was a nice campfire burning when we arrived and we've enjoyed everyone's company while eating dinner.  There's a full moon tonight, too.


April 7, 2004.  Mt. Collins Shelter, 10 pm.

Yesterday we walked to Fontana Dam and filled out a thru-hikers' permit for Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  The Fontana "Hilton" Shelter is as nice as I remember it.  It sleeps 24 comfortably. 

Since we already had supplies to get us through the Smokies, we immediately headed uphill, past Shuckstack and all the way to Mollies Ridge Shelter for a 24-mile day.  There were a lot of nice hikers to talk to there, so I didn't get my journal written.  It was a nice clear night  hurray!  So, we camped out under the stars behind the shelter.

Today was a long, hard day, 25.7 miles to Mt. Collins Shelter through the snow.  There's still at least 6-8 inches of the reportedly 14 inches that fell on Clingman's Dome in the last storm.  It's melting fast so the trail is a real mud-hole.  Slippery, too.  In many places the snow is still covering the trail.

Even though these conditions are far from great, they're so much better than the 4 feet of soft powder I trudged through here last time.  We covered two days' worth of trail today with much less effort than in 2001.

Still, it was tough.  Sophia's and my hiker hunger is kicking in now and we don't have enough to eat.  That and wet feet, sore almost to blistering, made today a hard one to endure.  But we made it over Clingman's Dome, at 6,643 feet, the high point of the AT, and the view was quite spectacular.  I hope I can sleep on this narrow bench tonight.  My macerated feet and I need some rest tonight. 


April 8, 2004.  Tricorner Shelter, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 8 pm.

This morning we left Mt. Collins Shelter about 8 am, just as others were leaving, too.  We got to Indian Gap first, though, and discovered some great trail magic there.  Jane Brewer was there with two others serving up Cokes, bananas, turkey & ham sandwiches and saltwater taffy.  It was all really good.  I've been running a calorie deficit since my hiker hunger kicked in a few days ago, and I really needed the two sandwiches I ate.  We bought food to last until Hot Springs, but we'll have to supplement it at Mountain Momma's.  I just can't seem to get enough to eat.

We hiked through snow all day today.  This entire section is above 5,000 feet and the trail is really wet with slush from melting snow.  My feet are soaked and not doing too well.  My skin is macerated from being wet all the time and I'm developing sores where grit is wearing holes in my skin.  I washed my socks twice today and that's helping.  I have to put the wet socks back on, but they feel much better, anyway.

Today we took a short blue-blaze route through Charlie's Bunion.  It's a rocky outcrop where the trail is routed along a cliff.  Even with some snow on it, it wasn't too dangerous.  I bypassed it in 2001 because I thought it would be dangerous in the snow.  I probably could have made it then, too.  I think the white blazes should be routed through that area.  It's really scenic. 


April 9, 2004.  Groundhog Creek Shelter.

We're finally down out of the snow and shush of the Smokies!  What a relief it is not to have wet feet.  My feet are still sore from all the pounding while muddy and wet.  I don't have any blisters yet, but it wouldn't take much longer to develop them in such wet conditions.  Keeping my feet as clean as possible helped, but I was losing the battle.

The 4,000-foot descent from the Smokies to Davenport Gap was quite a thrill.  Up top it was cold and the trail was covered in ice.  By the time we got to the bottom it was 70 degrees and the trail was dry.

We stopped at a new place on the trail called Standing Bear, on Waterville School Road.  It's quite a place, with all the amenities.  Most hikers stopped either there or at Mountain Momma's for the night.  We just ate a meal, bought some snacks to tide us over to Hot Springs and hit the trail.  We got into camp well before dark after a 25.5-mile day.  We're really hiking well. 


April 10, 2004.  Alpine Court Motel, Hot Springs, North Carolina, 10 pm.  

We continue to see lots of thru-hikers despite our speculation that the snowstorm in the Smokies would leave a gap between those who got through before the snow and those who had to wait for better weather.  We passed about a dozen thru-hikers on the trail today.  Perhaps the "gap" is still ahead.

Max Patch was a beautiful place to stop and enjoy a can of Pringles this morning, despite the fact that the air wasn't nearly as clear today as it was 3 years ago.  But it was much warmer and several people were camped on the summit.  The grass there resembles the fairway of a golf course.  It's really comfortable.

The 26.4 miles today passed quickly.  Sophie and I wanted to get here as early as possible in case all businesses are shut tomorrow for Easter.  The grocery store will be closed, but everything else, including the outfitter, which sells groceries, will be open. 

What should have been of more concern was finding a place to stay on a weekend.  Almost everything in town was full when we arrived about 4:30 pm.  Fortunately, this motel had a cancellation or we might have been camping tonight.  Since it looks like it might rain tonight, I'm glad to have a roof over my head.  The shower, heat and real bed aren't bad, either!


(It seems we're missing another section of Brian's trail logs here, from April 11 through the18th. He mailed the following entries to me here in Virginia.  Perhaps the missing logs are waiting for me back in California.  If so, we'll add them later.) 


April 19, 2004.  Campsite near White Top Mountain Road, VA, 9:30 pm.  

Today Sophia and I said goodbye to Sam and Willie.  They took a zero day in Damascus.  We headed back out on the trail, but not before getting a decent breakfast at the Side Track Café.  It was a good, if somewhat expensive, meal but we got to check our web sites at the internet terminals.

While we were there, a hiker named "Bramble" came up to us and explained that he was going to be giving a radio interview by phone and that he would be handing the phone around so that some of us could participate.  Sophia wasn't too sure she wanted to do that, but when her turn came she took the phone and did very well.  They asked a lot about her 100-mile experiences at Western States.  I, of course, talked about the Calendar Triple Crown, but I'm not sure they really understood what I was talking about.  Or maybe they didn't believe me.  Since it was a Connecticut radio station and Sophia's brother lives there, we talked about the remote possibility that Andy heard us talking. 

We left Damascus about 10:30 am and walked gingerly up the trail.  Sophia has a blister on the ball of her left heel.  There's no way to avoid stepping on it, so she's just being as gently on it as possible.  We still managed 21.3 miles in 9-1/2 hours.


April 20, 2004.  Old Orchard Shelter, 8:30 pm.

It rained for a little while today.  Unfortunately it was while we neared the last shelter for 12 miles, so we decided to stop after just 17.7 miles.  Of course the weather cleared up during dinner.  Oh well.  At least we get a break to rest up our tired bones.  We were really dragging all day. 


April 21, 2004.  Chatfield Shelter, VA..

After yesterday's short total, Sophia said she felt bad about stopping when we did.  So she was off early and walking quickly this morning.  Her blistered heel is still bothering her, especially near the end of the day, but early it didn't slow her down at all.  We cruised.  By 4 pm we were cleaning up in the warm water available at the Partnership Shelter and contemplating pizza delivery.  The shelter is beautiful and spacious, but packed, so we moved on, arriving here about 6:50 pm.  Not bad for 31.8 miles. 

We've been seeing more wildlife recently.  Yesterday there were two white-tailed deer at Thomas Knob Shelter in addition to the famous ponies.  Today we saw several more deer and a flock of turkeys. 


April 22, 2004.  Chestnut Knob Shelter.

It's blowing hard outside, but warm in here.  This shelter has four walls and a door, so there are no drafts.  That's really nice, since it's at 4,410 feet on top of this Knob. 

This morning Sophia and I left Chatfield Shelter about 7 am and made our way to Atkins for breakfast.  The "2 x 4" I had was excellent!  Two eggs, two bacons, two sausages, two pancakes and home fries.  Yum!  Sophia had an omelet and coffee.  We resupplied in a gas station convenience store and headed out.  We'll stop tomorrow in Bland, so we didn't need to buy much. 

We almost stopped a couple miles short of this shelter at the last water.  There's good camping there.  But we weren't certain the weather would hold.  We were right.  Although it has not rained, the wind is really howling out there.

We saw a few more white-tailed deer today and the hardwood trees are really starting to get their new leaves.  At lower altitudes, it's getting hard to see through thick stands of them.  Many other trees are in full bloom.  The various flower colors are amazing.


April 24, 2004.  Near Wapiti Shelter, 9:30 pm.

The sunrise from Chestnut Knob yesterday morning was beautiful.  The wind was still blowing pretty hard, but the temperature was in the 50's, so it didn't matter too much.

Sophia and I sing songs together on the trail.  Yesterday and today we tried to recall all the words to Don McLain's "American Pie."  It has lots of obscure lyrics and many verses, so I'm sure we've mixed things up pretty badly, but we think we've got most of it right.  It'll be interesting to compare our lyrics to the real ones when we get a chance.

Hitching into Bland, Virginia, took over half an hour, but eventually we got a ride.  After we were dropped off in town, we were told the motel is a mile outside of town, so we had to walk.  The bonus mile increased our total for the day to 22.5 miles.

There's not much in Bland.  No laundry.  Only two places to eat.  The Dairy Queen was the only eatery close to the motel.  If it wasn't for the Post Office and an IGA grocery store, no hikers would visit.

In the morning, we packed up and headed back toward the grocery store and post office.  Along the way we stuck out our thumbs and caught a great ride.  A retired man took us to the store and post office, and then came back later and took us to the AT.  That was very nice indeed!

At the post office we mailed home a couple pounds each of our cold weather gear.  Without my heavy jacket, tights and mittens, I estimate my base pack weight is 12 pounds without food and water.

It was another beautiful, sunny day on the trail today.  After so much cold, windy weather, it's really nice.  Expecting a mild night, we camped in a nice spot under some rhododendrons.  It got dark before we reached Wapiti Shelter. 


April 25, 2004.  Rice Field Shelter, 9:15 pm.

After a few days of fairly hot, humid weather, it rained hard this afternoon.  Thunder clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped as the wind picked up.  It felt great at first, and although it never got too cold, I was definitely chilled after getting soaked to the skin.

Today was resupply day in Pearisburg.  We bought supper and three days' groceries at Wade's Supermarket.  We had a really efficient town stop of just two hours, but it was enough to eat an entire Sara Lee cheesecake, at least what I didn't trade with Sophia for some of her sardines and egg salad on whole wheat.  A couple bananas completed the meal and we were off. 

On the way to Rice Field Shelter, we saw two new animals, a box turtle and an emu.  The emu sighting was quite unexpected!  It appeared out of the mist on the trail ahead, and kept just ahead of us as we walked.  It acted like a wild animal, so I suspect it was feral rather than an escaped domestic emu. 

The forest down to Pearisburg and up the other side is the first fully leafed-out forest we've yet seen.  It's really beautiful.  Several layers of trees, and the shrubs and wild flowers on the ground, capture every ray of light.  The forest looks much more impregnable now.  The humidity also reached a new high before the rain came.  It was quite clammy where we camped last night, and the climbs early today were stifling.  I was soaked through with sweat. 


April 26, 2004.  Bailey's Gap Shelter, VA, 9:30 pm.

It turned out to be a 16.4-mile day, seemingly quite short, but it was just right today.  Yesterday's afternoon rain turned into a big storm overnight.  It rained so hard on the tin roof of the shelter that it woke everyone up.  I checked to make sure that my shoes which were sitting on the ground underneath the shelter weren't floating off.  They weren't.  The shelter area is well-drained.

The rain poured hard all night and into this morning.  Nine of us were in the shelter and no one did more than peek out of a sleeping bag until 9 am.  It was that hard.  So we all sat around talking until after noon when the rain slowly eased up.  It was nice getting to know our fellow hikers for a change.  Gentle Ben and Moonshine, 30-30 and Giggles, Dragonslayer, Boston Lobstah and Sugar Daddy were all an interesting bunch.  Only the first two are still with us tonight.

At about 1:30 we hit the trail in a gently rain.  It lasted a couple more hours but eventually ceased.  But late in the day we had to ford several rain-swollen creeks and got our feet wet again.  My feet stink badly enough when dry, but when a little rotting shoe smell is added to the mix, I really reek.


April 27, 2004.  Niday Shelter, 8:45 pm.

It looked like it was going to be a great day today and in many ways it was.  We awoke to nearly clear skies and cruised early.  But the temperature dropped throughout the day as it clouded up.  By late afternoon we were really cold, and snow was falling on us over Sinking Creek Mountain.  With the cold weather gear gone, we were not comfortable, but it didn't last long.  It was just a thunder cloud.  It's going to be a cold night, but we still have our good down bags.  Thank God everyone squeezed us in here at the shelter.


April 28, 2004.  Four Pines Hostel, Catawba, VA, 8:30 pm.

This was another fine weather day, this time for real.  But the good weather brought a measure of lethargy with it, and Sophia and I struggled most of the day.  I get quiet when I'm hurting and Sophia needs the distraction of conversation when she hurts, so I don't help her much on days like this.  We ran short of water and I ate too much white chocolate, which didn't sit well with me, so it was a really tough day. 

Still, we hiked to Catawba and hitched in on Hwy 311 for a 21.8-mile day.  The woman who picked us up suggested we go to the Four Pines Hostel, which we'd passed up earlier in the day because we wanted to hike farther.  But we'll be able to hitch back easily enough and visit the Catawba post office on the way.  We're expecting new shoes for Sophia.


April 29, 2004.  Fullhardt Knob Shelter, 9:30 pm.

Today was a double town-stop day.  We started in Catawba, getting Sophia's shoes and some extra socks and Snickers Bars for me at the Post Office.  Sophia's last pair of Vasque shoes did very well, lasting over 700 miles on the AT, and they didn't start out new.

About 5 pm we came through the I-81 interchange area near Daleville and stopped for a pizza, phone call and some groceries.  The whole stop was less than two hours.

During the phone call, Dad told me an interesting story.  He got an email from a guy named William, if I recall correctly.  He was one of the people who picked up Sophia and me at Bryson City when we hitched back to Nantahala Outdoor Center.  It seems he was interested enough in our lightweight gear to ask a friend of his about it.  She referred him to a web site for more information.  It turns out the web site he was referred to was mine, and the friend he consulted was my cousin Kim Clark!  Small world!


April 30, 2004.  Bryant Ridge Shelter, VA, 9 pm.

This was our first full day on the trail for a while, so the 26.8 miles today wasn't a huge tally.  But we got into this beautiful shelter by 6 pm, which is pretty early by our standard of late.  We had time to extend the day 5 miles and reach the next shelter, but we didn't see much point to it.  We'll be going into Glasgow tomorrow regardless.  We need a motel stop. 

This shelter is huge.  It could sleep 50 in a pinch.  It's got a main sleeping platform plus an upstairs area and a lower deck.  With just three of us here tonight we've got all the room we need.

The notable occurrences on the trail today were the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway and a colorful box turtle which we took pictures of.


May 1, 2004.  David Horton's home, Lynchburg, VA, 4 pm.

It was a warm, wet day today.  We awoke to clouds and humidity which gave way to sprinkles before Apple Orchard Mountain and heavy rain after.  We wore rain gear up high, but didn't need the rain pants at lower elevation where it was quite warm.

The intense green of the new foliage amazes me.  I never see it in California trees, and it only shows in California grasses for a few weeks each winter.  It's powerfully vibrant to see such intense green all around us as we walk through the forest.  What a treat!

We emerged at the James River and crossed on the converted railroad bridge.  At the road we intended to hitch into Glasgow, and were actually loading our gear into someone's car when David Horton drove up.  He'd been looking for us after a day of running near the Tye River. 

We were really glad to see him.  We knew there was a chance he'd meet us on the trail and this was the most likely place, but we didn't want to get our hopes up.  David is an avid ultramarathon runner who has won the Hardrock 100 twice, finished Barkley and once held the Appalachian Trail speed record.  Sophia and I first met him at the Western States in 2001. 

David and his wife Nancy invited us into their home, gave us showers, laundry and a bed for the night.  They treated us to an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner and drove us to Walmart so we could buy groceries for our next section.  We talked about the trail, walking and running all evening.  It's been really wonderful.


May 2, 2004.  Brown Mountain Creek Shelter, 8:30 pm.

It's been over a month since we got on the trail, but we just got caught from behind by someone.  Grasshopper, who says he met me at the PCT Kickoff Party in 2002, started the AT on April 2nd, three days after us.  He's averaging about 26+ miles per day.  Not bad!

Today was a fine day for hiking, but a bit short at 19.6 miles.  The next shelter is over half a mile off the trail and way down the hill, so we didn't want to go there.  The one after that is almost 16 miles from here, so 19 it was.  We are scheduled to meet my father, Roy, and Mother, Julianne, at Rockfish Gap near Waynesboro in two days.  To get there we need to hike 30 tomorrow and 27 the next day.  So, we'll be getting some decent miles in.

It was hard saying goodbye to David Horton this morning.  He and Nancy took great care of us and I really enjoyed our visit. 

The last couple days the Rhododendrons have started blooming.  The big clusters of pink blossoms were worth the wait.


May 3, 2004.  Harper's Creek Shelter, VA, 9 pm.

Even though we didn't get on the trail until 7:30 am, we hiked the planned 30.1 miles today, finishing well before dark.  We hiked well most of the day, didn't get rained on much and had plenty of daylight hours this time of year. 

We're sharing this shelter with Grasshopper, who we met last night, and First Light and Mousetrap, who we've been trailing closely for a couple days.  It's a nearly full shelter.

After some easier days resting, Sophia's feet felt much better today.  Hopefully that will continue into tomorrow's 27-mile day.  I continue to feel okay.  I'm happy with our current mileage but could do more if Sophia feels up to it.  I'm trying not to push.  I want us to have a good time out here together.  So far it seems to be working.  I'm certainly glad to be hiking with her. 


May 4, 2004.  Marriot Residence Inn, Charlottesville, VA.
May 5, 2004.  Blackrock Hut, Shenandoah National Park.   

I didn't get a chance to write last night.  I was too busy doing laundry, shopping for food, eating pizza and visiting with Mom, Dad, Meredith and Zack.  But that's getting ahead.

The morning of the 4th, at Harper's Creek Shelter, we awoke to find a stray dog sharing the area with us.  He was really skinny and had a "nest" under the shelter.  My shoes and socks stink so badly I can't keep them inside, so I store them under most shelters.  When I went to retrieve them, one sock and one insole were missing.  I suspected the dog and crawled under the shelter.  I found them lining his "nest".  Bad dog!

We got a late start from the shelter, so we didn't meet my Dad as scheduled at 6 pm at Rockfish Gap.  We were about half an hour late.  But it was great to see Mom, Dad, Meredith and Zack again.  Zack has doubled his weight in the last few months.  He's really growing fast!

We all went out for pizza, which was great.  I had a large pesto pizza which I ate all of except one slice.  Since I've lost so much weight, I didn't feel bad about stuffing myself.

Today we entered Shenandoah National Park after a big breakfast at Weasie's Kitchen in Waynesboro.  Dad remembers it from his 2002 thruhike and wanted us to see it too.  It has lots of decent food for a good price. 

Sophia and I started hiking about 10:30 am and made slow progress under packs heavy with four days' food, so we stopped after just 20 miles.  We'll push for more tomorrow.


May 6, 2004.  Bearfence Mountain Hut, Shenandoah National Park, VA, 9 pm.

It was a 14-hour day today, almost, but we logged a new high mileage total, 34.3 miles.  Obviously, we didn't sit around much today, but we saw a lot along the way, including a black snake, several deer and our first bear!  The bear was a small one which ran away when it saw us coming.  I've seen many before, but this is the first truly wild bear that Sophia and I have seen together, so it was a thrill.

Curious George walked all the same miles we did today and we passed each other several times during the day.  He's really bushed; sacked out in his sleeping bag already.  I'm thinking that's not such a bad idea myself.  It was a tiring day.  Sophia has heel blisters which got quite bad today.  Finally they emerged from under the callouses so we could drain them, and she felt much better, but they're sore and ugly-looking.  I hope they heal up soon and don't get infected. 


May 8, 2004.  U.S. 522, Roadside where AT crosses. 

Dad's supposed to pick us up at 7 pm but he said he might be early and hike in a bit to meet us.  I hope we haven't gotten crossed up about where to meet.  We got here before 6 pm, but at least I get a chance to write in my journal.  Last night I didn't write because we got into Pass Mountain Hut a little late; just before dark. 


May 8, 2004.  Greg and Meredith's home in Springfield, VA, 10 pm.

Dad arrived and now I'm comfortably situated at my brother's home.  Washed, fed and seated in a cozy chair, I'm feeling much better now.

As I said, last night Sophia and I got in late.  We cooked and ate dinner but by that time everyone else in the shelter was asleep, so we cut our evening short.  With 27.1 miles hiked after 34 the day before, we were really tired.

Not five minutes after I turned out the last light, in walked Drifter!  We hadn't seen him in two days during which we'd walked 61 miles!  Drifter had walked 41 miles that day.  Wow! 

Today Sophia and I saw Drifter several more times as we all walked another 26.7 miles.  Drifter was just leaving Elk Wallow Gap as we arrived, and recommended the eats.  I had an egg and cheese muffin and a chocolate shake, while Sophia had the same muffin with a cappuccino.  Once again it all tasted really good.

When we returned to the trail, Sophia spotted a mother bear with two cubs nearly as large as their mother.  They trotted off as we watched in wonder.  The green forest quickly swallowed them up.  So much is alive here! 

Here at Greg's home, the forest is right out their back door.  Only I've never seen it with leaves before.  It's as if the forest has moved much closer to the house than it used to be!


May 9, 2004.  Manassas Gap Shelter, 9pm.
It's thundering out there right now. It's an awe-inspiring sound even when I have to be out in the rain, but from inside a shelter with one wall open to the show with plenty of dry space to enjoy, it's really wonderful.
Today was a very short 10.7-mile day, but we spent most of it in Springfield visiting and resupplying. Food shopping is now routine, but Sophia shopped for a silk sleeping bag liner at REI. Her bag is too warm and has a very short zipper, so she needs a very light bag to use when it's hot. She'll cover up the liner with her other bag if it gets cooler later tonight.
Drifter is here tonight too. He took a short day too after spending time in Front Royal. He's trying out a hammock he "bought" for 5 candy bars. It was really a gift from a hiker who didn't like it and heard that Drifter wanted one. It's getting a real test tonight with all the rain. (Later that night Drifter dashed back to the shelter. His sleeping bag was pretty wet. I can only guess that it was raining so hard that water was pouring down one of the tree trunks the hammock was attached to and it ran down the line and under the canopy.
May 10, 2004.  Sam Moore Shelter, Maryland, 6 pm.
It's been so hot and humid the last two days I car barely stand it. Today we stopped a little early because of the heat and because the next shelter is too far away to reach before dark. We considered staying at Bear's Den hostel but are saving our money for a motel in Harper's Ferry.
I expected the humidity and I knew it would be miserable, but it's worse than I thought it could be. It just sucks the energy right out of us. We're carrying lots of water and trying to stay hydrated, but I've been soaked in sweat from head to toe for hours each day. When an afternoon rain comes, it is a great relief; the cooler air and wind that come down out of a thunder cloud are wonderful. Sometimes it's cool enough that getting wet doesn't seem like a great idea, but today it really felt good.
May 11, 2004.  Charles Town, West Virginia, down the road from Harper's Ferry, 10 pm.
Today we finally completed Virginia and almost finished off West Virginia as well. Not bad for 23 miles!
One of the people at Sam Moore Shelter last night turned out to be "Sugarfoot," the current ATC treasurer and apparently a big fan of mine. We had a nice long talk. A little later "Heald" with "Dog Wonder" arrived. They've walked much of the AT several times. It almost seems like they live on this trail.

May 13, 2004.  Deer Lick Shelters, Pennsylvania, 9 pm.
One day in West Virginia, one in Maryland and now we're in Pennsylvania. Last night we stayed at Rocky Run Shelter with Drifter and had a great evening talking about trail stuff. He stopped one shelter back today because he is heading into Fayetteville tomorrow for a graduation and doesn't need the miles. He'll be off the trail for four days, so it'll take him awhile to catch up, but perhaps he can do it if he chooses.
It was a beautiful, warm and humid day. I seem to be getting used to being soaked in sweat up every hill. Strange.
The view from Annapolis Rocks was not great due to haze, but was worth the visit anyway.
Mosquitoes seem to be emerging now. I'm surprised it's taken them so long; in the Sierra they emerge as soon as the snow melts. But so far they're not voracious or huge in number. We still await the first "Brood X" cicadas.

May 14, 2004.  Birch Run Shelter, PA, 10 pm.
I don't write about most of the incidents where people recognize me. There's too many of them. I usually enjoy the recognition, and some people seem to get a real kick out of meeting me. Today there was an unusual twist to the typical encounter. At a road crossing Silver Girl and I were talking to another couple. They are section hikers who have pieced together 700 miles of the AT since 1988. Who I am came up in the conversation and although I could tell there was some recognition on their part, it didn't seem to be a big deal, so our conversation didn't shift to the usual questions about my Calendar Triple Crown. But about a minute later the man pulled out his 1988 AT data book, in which he keeps track of which sections they've hiked. The bookmark is a newspaper article about my hike, cut out and saved since 2001! It even has my photo on it. Of course I autographed it on the spot. That's a first for a chance encounter.

May 15, 2004.  Alec Kennedy Shelter, PA, 9 pm.
Today I joined the half-gallon club. I ate a half-gallon on ice cream at Pine Grove Furnace State Park, the half-way point on the AT. It took about 45 minutes and I was stuffed by the end, but not ill. Sophia and I walked out almost immediately afterwards. The prize is bragging rights, of course, but also a little, flat wooden ice-cream spoon marked, "Member of Half Gal. Club." It makes a decent bookmark in the AT data book.
Now that we're past the half-way point, I'm concerned that Sophia and I are not yet feeling really strong on the trail. Perhaps it's because we've been hiking at a constant pace most of the time. For variety I set various paces today, many of them faster than normal. I'm especially tired because of it, but I hope it will bring us out of our physical doldrums state. It certainly was fun.

May 17, 2004.  Cove Mountain Shelter, PA, 8:30 pm.
It's been apparent for over a day now, but it still hurts; we're going to have to get off the trail. Yeah, I have trouble believing it too, but Sophia ha s all the symptoms of a metatarsal stress fracture. With pain at every step, sometimes severe, it's clear that she can't continue like this. We stopped early yesterday at Darlington Shelter after the pain first got severe. We already knew by then what it was. I was so upset I couldn't write. That, and a bird nesting in the rafters of the shelter which might have been disturbed by too much flashlight, delayed my writing about this until today.
Today we considered hitching out at the first road crossing, but we decided to walk on a bit, perhaps to Duncannon. But when we arrived at this beautiful shelter looking for water, we decided to take the rest of the day off. We have plenty of food and this place is nicer than the Doyle, so why rush the inevitable? We had a very nice afternoon sitting here enjoying the quiet of the forest. It was a 7-mile day.
We toy with the idea of limping from shelter to shelter, seeing if maybe she can recover on the trail, but it wouldn't be wise. She needs to stay off it for 12 weeks or so. Perhaps we can visit her brother Andy in Connecticut before we head home.


May 28, 2004.  Home (Mountain View, California).
It's been ten days since we got off the trail. The reality of it sucks. We pushed too hard and blew it. Now Sophia has to pay the price. I feel awful.
We did visit Sophia's brother Andy, his wife Chrissie and their children, Katie, Ryan and Alex in Connecticut. It took a couple days to get there. First we walked four more miles into Duncannon. We met Trail Angel Mary there who offered to drive us to the Greyhound bus station in Harrisburg the next morning. So we checked into the Doyle Hotel, a real landmark, built in the 20's. It must have been first class when built, but it's not in great shape anymore. Still, it's an AT landmark, visited by throngs of hikers every year.
In the morning, Mary cooked us breakfast and drove us to the Greyhound Bus station in Harrisburg. No bus to Connecticut was ideal. The ones that left soonest would arrive in the middle of the night, so we bought tickets that would arrive at the station nearest to Sophia's brother in the morning. Unfortunately, that meant our bus wouldn't leave until 11pm.
So we tried to explore Harrisburg as best we could with Sophia's bad foot. We hoped to find a movie theater where we could pass the hours sitting down. The only theater close by was an IMAX theater. We considered watching a couple IMAX shows, but they were expensive and each only 45 minutes long. That wasn't too appealing especially since the theater was full of noisy kids.
So I walked up to the information desk, explained our situation, and asked the volunteers if they knew of any other theaters or other attractions that might be better for us. There really wasn't much. I thanked them and returned to the bench where I'd left Sophia to discuss our options. As we sat there, one of the volunteers, Alice, came up and made us an offer we couldn't refuse. She took us home to her house!
It was wonderful. Rather than sit in the bus station for hours, we had great company and real comfort. When Alice's husband Dan came home, he was just as helpful. He insisted that we take Sophia to the emergency room to get her foot x-rayed. So we did. Of course that took several hours, but they sat with both of us the whole time and fed us dinner before returning us to the bus station just before our bus departed at 11pm. They really helped us.
The bus took us to Connecticut where we visited with Sophia's brother Andy and his wife Chrissie and their children Katie, Ryan and Alex. With Sophia's leg now in a cast, she got around okay on crutches. We enjoyed our stay, which allowed us to get a head-start on the long healing process before heading home.

Later in June:
Sophia and I went to the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. Of course she couldn't run, so we volunteered our time. It was hard for Sophia to be there and not run, but it would have been even harder not to be there. So we volunteered for two days before the race and two continuous days during the race. We timed all the runners as they passed through Dusty Corners aid station and then saw them all again as they finished that night and into the next morning.  We helped out the medical folks at the finish. It was an exhausting time, with no sleep, but we really needed to be that involved.

August 8, 2004.  Still at home.
It's been 12 tough weeks since Sophia got her foot put in the cast. But now she has the okay to start walking again. Because she's done no walking or running in all that time, her fitness has really suffered. She still wants to finish the AT this year, and so do I, but it's going to be very difficult. She will be susceptible to new injuries and even if all goes well, she's going to suffer as her body slowly gets back in shape. I pray that she can do this.
Our plan is to return to the AT in a couple days and start walking slowly from shelter to shelter, averaging no more than 10 miles per day. At that pace I hope she will get stronger and not get hurt again.
Time is not on our side anymore. The 1040 miles we have left would take 3 ½ months to complete at that pace. That would bring us to Mt. Katahdin at the end of November, obviously impossible. So we'll have to increase our mileage as she is able, or do a flip-flop. That would mean traveling south from Katahdin, finishing somewhere in the middle. Neither of us wants to complete our AT thru-hike that way. But if we must, we will.


(Brian and Sophia returned to the AT on August 12, resuming their hike north from Duncannon, PA, the point at which they left the trail on May 18. twelve weeks ago.) 


August 12, 2004.  The Doyle Hotel, Duncannon, PA, 8:15 pm.

We were last here 12 weeks ago!  It seems like forever.  Sophia's foot is supposedly healed now, but we won't know until we test it by walking.  That's scaring us.  So much is on the line.  If the bone hasn't healed enough it may break again and that would be more than I think we could stand.  This AT hike was supposed to strengthen Sophia for running, not injure her further.
We're both depressed from the 12 weeks of forced inactivity.  I ran a few days each week, but it was a far cry from the thousands of hours walking with Sophia that I expected.  That, and the dreariness of a rainy evening, the prospect of more rain tomorrow and the knowledge that all those we had been walking with in May are long gone now, makes this a somber evening.  I pray that the trail will greet us gently, with good fortune, and restore our spirits.  We need it badly.

My thanks go to my brother Greg for picking us up at the Baltimore/Washington airport, putting us up last night and driving us here today.  At least that part was easy.


August 13, 2004.  Peters Mountain Shelter, 6 pm.

11.3 miles today and it feels great!  The weather is cool and relatively dry.  It sprinkled a few times, but we didn't get wet.  I was relieved not to have to deal with high heat and humidity the first day back. 

We seem to be among the last of the northbounders.  We met six southbounders, none of whom have seen another northbounder for a couple days.  A mother and daughter duo were supposedly in the Doyle Hotel with us, so there are some northbounders, but not many.

Sophia's foot seems to be okay so far.  She has minor muscle aches already from the long layoff, but that's all.  Tomorrow will be another big test.  The next shelter is 17-1/2 miles away.  With rain forecast, we'd like to make it if we can. 


August 14, 2004.  Raush Gap Shelter, PA.

17.5 long miles today.  This was the minimum we could do today and stay at a shelter.  Since it's supposed to rain tonight, we felt it was worth pushing but we'll have to take it easier soon or risk hurting Sophia.  I hope the 501 Shelter up ahead is nice enough to warrant a near-zero day. 

After seeing six SOBO's yesterday, we saw none today.  I guess they'll come in waves.  We still haven't met any NOBO's either.  If not for a few day hikers, we wouldn't have seen anyone today.  Looks like we'll have this shelter to ourselves.

The trail was rather non-descript today, but we did see a small bear track in the mud.  That was exciting. 


August 15, 2004.  William Penn Shelter, PA.

The predicted storm never showed up, not that I'm complaining.  When it didn't rain last night, Sophia and I thought, "Uh-oh, it's going to rain all day."  But it didn't.  It cleared up and the sun came out, and it was reasonably cool.  The 13-plus miles today were complete by 1:30 pm, so we sat here at the William Penn Shelter and played solitaire (together) and worked crossword puzzles.  It's both strange and nice to have so much time.

We didn't see any thruhikers on the trail today, just three beautiful box turtles and a trail maintenance crew.  They were clearing brush that obscures the rock-covered trail.  It's hard to avoid tripping on rocks you can't see.  We'd heard about this section from SOBO's and figured we had it made when we saw the freshly cut plants.  Unfortunately we caught up to the crew and had to hike through uncleared trail.  No twisted ankles today, thank God.

One SOBO showed up at the shelter as evening fell.  "Whiz Kid" has been averaging 20 miles per day.  Not bad for a guy who just graduated high school. 


August 16, 2004.  501 Shelter, PA, 9 pm.

Today was a near zero.  Just four miles from the last shelter, but we needed a day off.  We hitched into Pine Grove for groceries and found some healthy options for Sophia.  Junk food hasn't been working well for her.  For some reason I do fine eating just about anything.  I still try to eat reasonably well, though.  We got back by having pizza delivered to the 501 Shelter, and we rode back with the delivery guy.  Clever, huh?

After we got back, I realized we left our data book in the truck that we hitched into town on.  Rats!  Fortunately, Don, the caretaker of the 501 Shelter says we can purchase one at the Appalachian Outfitter in Port Clinton.  I sure hope so.  We have trail info from here to Lehigh Gap copied by hand off a map posted in the shelter.


August 17, 2004.  Eagle's Nest Shelter, 8 pm.

We had good luck today.  No rain fell despite lots of thunder.  At least I think it was thunder.  It sounded like mortar fire, so if there's a military base near here, maybe that was it.  We also got a trail book.  The couple sharing this shelter had an extra 2001 ATC Companion book.  That'll be good enough to get us to Maine.  Perhaps we'll replace it with a newer edition later if we get a chance.  They have just come from Port Clinton and tell us the outfitter is closed tomorrow, so we were about to have a problem buying a new book. 


August 19, 2004.  Eckville Shelter, PA, 9 pm.

We've only hiked about 23 miles in the last two days.  Actually, that's a reasonable total given our desire not to overdo the mileage early.

After looking closely at the Companion book that Paul and Cathy gave us, we realized it won't stand alone.  It doesn't have much mileage information.  There are distances listed between shelters, but not the other trail milestones.   We really needed a data book.  So when we got to Port Clinton Wednesday the 10th and found the outfitter closed as expected, we took the rest of the day off.

Several southbounders were in town.  Boot and Rally, Gnome Sherpa, Windsock and one other guy were there at least part of the day, so we had lots of people to talk with.  Gnome Sherpa's name comes from his huge pack and the 1-1/2 lb gnome he carries on the back.  Apparently the gnome has traveled with him to Europe as well.

As evening approached, Rally and Boot decided to stay at the Port Clinton Hotel.  Since the food has been excellent there, Sophia and I decided to check in as well.  We were quite disappointed.  For $45, we expected more.  We can deal with a shared bathroom down the hall, but it's nice if they stock it with paper.  And I don't expect a brand-new mattress for that price, but there was no sheet on the sagging mattress.  We sat up watching the Olympics on TV, so we didn't notice the missing sheet until after the desk was closed for the night.

This morning we visited the outfitter shortly after it opened at 10 am, but they were sold out of data books and Wingfoot books.  Rats!  So we left town with some notes I copied by hand out of Rally's data book. 

About 3 pm Sophia and I met "Flare", a shirtless guy wearing a kilt, and feathers in his hair.  A really nice guy as it turns out.  A southbounder, he gave us the sections of his Wingfoot book he'd already used and we needed.  We promised to return them when we finish, so his hike records will be complete.  So we have good trail data once again.

Here at the Eckville Shelter, the caretaker knows "Fiddlehead", who, with "Pieps", tried unsuccessfully to hike the Triple Crown in one year shortly after I did so in 2001.  He lives part of the year nearby and came by to visit this evening.  It was great to see him (Fiddlehead) again and introduce Sophia.  He's just finishing up his second movie and lives much of the year in Thailand.  We talked until the fireflies came out and the mosquitoes chased us indoors.  This shelter has four walls and a door!


August 21, 2004.  The Borough Hall in Palmerton, PA, 8 pm.

Friday we faced worsening weather and 25 miles in the next two days to bring us here.  Still without a data book, we left Eckville Shelter in an early morning haze, hoping to get a jump on the afternoon thunderstorms we expected.  Well before noon we arrived at Allentown Shelter in what was turning out to be a very hot, humid and buggy day.  With the shelters spaced out at 7-1/2, 10 and 7-1/2 miles, we either had to hike 17-1/2 that day or the next.  We figured the shorter day was more useful entering town, so we pressed on, figuring to get wet before the day was through.

Though we dripped with sweat in a cloud of bugs, we escaped any rain.  Near the end of our day we rested in the cool breeze atop Bake Oven Knob.  The wind kept the bugs at bay and we felt cool as we watched for birds with an official hawk counter, who told us all about the birds we were seeing.  We enjoyed this for over an hour before we descended a particularly treacherous, rocky stretch of trail to Bake Oven Knob Shelter.  The rain held off long enough for us to collect water and get dinner started.  Then it really poured.  Terrifyingly loud crashes jolted us awake throughout the night, but the pleasant patter of rain hitting the shelter roof and cascading off the overhang lulled us quickly back asleep.

This morning we awoke to the last remnants of the rain and truly high humidity.  Fortunately the temperature stayed in the mid-sixties, which made me feel really strange as sweat poured off my brow and off my chin every time we climbed a big hill.  Serious rain was falling before noon today, so we got quite wet, but we were glad not to have to hike 17-1/2 miles nor cross any truly treacherous rocky sections. 

The hitch into town was fairly easy since the rain stopped.  Few people want to pick up dripping wet hikers.  The driver knew where to take us.  Nearly all the hikers come to "The Jailhouse" hostel.

There are about ten southbounders here, enough to fill the place, so it's a lively evening.  With cheap beer available in town, I suspect there will be some late-night partying going on.  I hope they don't keep the rest of us awake.  It's a big place though, so I presume we can all coexist respectfully.


August 22, 2004.  Leroy A. Smith Shelter, PA, 8:30 pm.

We had a nice breakfast in Palmerton this morning with Music Man and Balon.  Balon's dad, who's visiting from Palo Alto, California, treated us all.  It was great to talk with people from near our home.

The weather today was fantastic.  Clear skies, low humidity and cool.  It felt like California weather.  Hard to believe we got a day like this in August!  We sat in the shade at a rocky viewpoint overlooking miles of countryside, eating our lunch while watching turkey vultures cruise on the breezes.  It was an amazing day.  (14 miles today.)


August 23, 2004.  Kirkridge Shelter, PA, 8 pm.

I'm writing while watching the fireflies as they emerge for the evening in the clearing in front of the shelter.  It was another beautiful, cool day today.  No clouds, but slightly higher humidity than yesterday.  It's still really comfortable, but the views are getting murkier as the haze increases.

Sophia and I met two interesting hikers today, one northbounder and one southbounder.  "Four Winds" was the SOBO, who stopped to talk as we ate lunch.  He's been experimenting with higher mileage and had lots of questions for me.  Hopefully I helped him.  His first task will be to get some rest, as he appears to be suffering some symptoms of over-training, like sleeplessness. 

"Sebastian" is the NOBO.  He caught us from behind, averaging over 20 miles per day.  He was happy to meet me before he gets off the trail in Delaware Water Gap, and reports that there is only one northbounder behind us with a reasonable shot at finishing on Katahdin this year.  His name is "Dr. John", and he'll likely catch up to us in a few days.

We emerged from the worst of the Pennsylvania rocks today as we passed the Wolf Rocks.  The rocks we've been walking on seem piled up so high they must be the terminal moraines of the glaciers from the last ice age.


August 24, 2004.  Church of the Mountain Hostel, Delaware Water Gap, PA, 8:45 pm.

Today was a short hiking day, just 6 miles or so, but it was packed with things to do.  Thinking it was going to be a lazy day, I rolled over a few extra times this morning.  Despite the leisurely pace, the Pennsylvania rocks have taken a toll on me and I was a little worn out.  But when I read that the shuttle to the grocery store in Stroudsburg left at 10 am, I was sorry not to have gotten an earlier start.  A quick but careful walk got us there by 10:10, which was close enough.  We were the only people boarding and it wouldn't have left without us. 

There was so much to choose from at the Super Wal-Mart that I bought too much food.  So my pack will be heavy, but we'll eat well.  Waiting for the shuttle back took over an hour, so we were hungry for pizza, but not before getting some laundry done and hung up to dry. 

This evening "Walker" and 10-year-old "Daddy's Girl" walked in, a father-daughter duo.  They started as a 5-member family, but injury forced the mother and one child off in Massachusetts and the 15-year-old son decided to hike alone, flipping from there to Springer to hike northbound.  "Daddy's Girl" has had enough hiking and will be going home to start school, in about a week.  Father and son still plan to complete their treks, passing each other somewhere along the way.   


August 25, 2004.  Brink Road Shelter, NJ, 10pm.

25 miles and a new state today!  It looks like we're really moving now, although the big miles were dictated more than chosen.  We decided ten miles to Mohican Outdoor Center were too few, especially for $12 per person.  The next shelter was this one.  The last five miles were more than either Sophia or I are used to at this point.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area was really beautiful today, with great views to the Delaware River on the left side, similar views to some reservoirs on the right. 

We talked to SOBO's "Loot" and "King David" at the water pump today, but we have this shelter to ourselves tonight. 

Walking by Sunfish Pond today brought back memories of 2001.  I walked across the frozen surface that year.  What a trip!


August 26, 2004.  Rutherford Shelter, High Point State Park, NJ, 7:30 pm. 

After yesterday's stretch for miles, we didn't want to go too far, but the choices of shelters with water were at 6 or 16 miles, so we chose 16.  We're looking for a zero day in the near future so we can rest.  But Sophia seems to be doing okay so far.  Tired and sore, but not in any unusual or bad ways.  We even kicked in another complication today, dehydration.  Thinking there was water at Culver Gap, we started with very little.  When there wasn't any, we figured to pick some up at the Gren Anderson Shelter, but we missed the junction and ended up hiking all the way here on very little water.  We were thirsty enough to drink down over a liter each when we arrived. 


August 29, 2004.  St. Thomas Episcopal Church Hostel, Vernon, NJ, 7 pm.

We've had great places to stay the past two nights.  On the 27th we settled in at the "secret shelter" on the Jim Murray property.  With a loft, four walls, electricity, heat and hot water, it was really first rate.  This time of year the heat was unnecessary, but it would come in quite handy on a winter trip and keeps the pipes from freezing.  It was such a hot day when we arrived that even the hot water shower was mostly a waste; I just wanted cool water to wash off the sweat and grime.  On the way there we visited the high point of New Jersey, an 1,800-foot knob with decent views and a huge tower resembling the Washington Monument in D.C.

After a restful afternoon beating the heat doing little more than sink laundry, we were clean and dry for the next day's hike.  It turned out to be the hottest, most humid and bug-infested day we've had yet, so the shower and laundry were soon wasted in a puddle of DEET-laced sweat.  It was the kind of day Sophia has been telling me to expect; so close you could slice the air like so much warm jello.  It was hard to breathe going uphill and sweat ran off my chin in a vain attempt at cooling.  Fortunately we found a breezy spot on Pochuck Mountain for lunch so we could eat in peace without the usual halo of bugs.  Sophia tells me it is days like this that drove her to California from Maryland.

In spite of the heat, I enjoyed walking in two especially beautiful flat areas.  The wildflowers were profuse in the Walkill Natural Wildlife preserve.  I remember wishing for the shelter of trees the last time I went through.  I did again, but this time it was for cooler shade instead of protection from icy-cold wind.  The other beautiful wildflower section is new since 2001.  There's a suspension bridge over Pochuck Creek and a raised walkway through the swampy land surrounding.  It's quite a beautiful walk on very nicely constructed trail.

This hostel has been a good place to take our first true zero-mile day.  We're in the basement of the church where it almost feels air-conditioned!  It's very clean with a full kitchen, hot shower, and laundry facility.


August 30, 2004.  Wildcat Shelter, NY, 8:30 pm.

We finished up New Jersey today and are now in New York!  Eight states down, six to go.  After spending a rest day in Vernon, we hiked 18 today, the last of it in a driving rain.  The remnant of a tropical hurricane is coming through and we got caught in the first part of it.  Our shoes were soaked through in minutes, but at 80 degrees, it just felt good.  The ponchos kept the rest of us dry, though.  "Walking Blaze" picked us up in Vernon and drove us to the trailhead.  Amazingly, he's camped here tonight!  He's out for a 2-day trip. 


August 31, 2004.  Fingerboard Shelter, Harriman State Park, NY, 8:15 pm.

It rained all night and some this morning, but the storm took the worst of the heat and humidity with it when it left a little before noon.  Thank God!  The hiking has been fun in this section.  Lots of short, steep climbs and rocky ridges to traverse.  The wet rocks are still too slippery, though.  I took a second fall this morning after my first of the trip yesterday.  I wasn't hurt, but I landed on the camera in my pack.  Broke the LCD display.  Rats!  Still, I'm happy it wasn't me that broke.

Jan "Walking Blaze" Wright walked some with us today.  He's very interesting to talk with.  He had a great story about a Navy SEAL training camp class he took a few years ago.  Sounds like a lot of fun  though not for most people. 

There's a bat hanging out in the roof of this shelter.  We heard it squeaking before we spied it.  Also saw a small snake eat a little blue-tailed lizard on the rock out front.  I almost stepped on them before noticing.  Fascinating!  Since I've thought about just such a situation, I didn't have any trouble just watching.  Some might have thoughts of saving the lizard, but why side with the lizard?  The snake has to eat to live.


September 2, 2004.  Camped by the trail near a viewpoint 765.5 miles from Katahdin, 8 pm.

The hike from Wildcat Shelter to Bear Mountain Resort yesterday was an easy 13-14 miles.  We could almost make out the skyline of New York City from Black Mountain, but not enough to really see anything.  We missed a couple photo opportunities when the camera started beeping instead of shooting.  At first I assumed it was broken.  The LCD display is cracked and I figured it had gone completely kaput, but it turned out that the CF card was full.  With no LCD display to tell us that, it was guesswork. 

Last night we stayed at Todd Sinclair's home.  We stopped calling him "Sebastian" now that he's no longer on the trail.  Turns out his trail name comes from his hero, Sebastian Coe.  It should come as no surprise that Todd is an accomplished runner and teaches PE.  We had a great time swapping stories over dinner and the ice cream dessert afterwards.  Bedtime came too early.

This morning Todd drove us back to the trail early, before going to work.  We loved the early start, except that the zoo was closed.  The AT goes through a zoo, but we had to bypass around it before crossing the Hudson River.  Today's 22 miles was one of the largest totals since we returned to the trail.  We're still concerned about Sophia's foot getting reinjured, but we've also got to think about getting to Katahdin before winter.  To get there by Oct. 15th, we need to average 18 miles a day.  Fortunately, I'm comfortable arriving up to a week after that.  So any mileage over 15 is okay.  It's been almost three weeks since we returned to the trail and Sophia is still struggling to get back in decent walking shape.  I know she hurts.  That and a lot of mosquitoes have made life miserable for her recently.  Thank God for the mild, cool weather.  We're sleeping under the stars tonight.


September 3, 2004.  Telephone Pioneers Shelter, NY, 8:45 pm.

For the second day in a row, Sophia and I cranked out over 20 miles.  It's been difficult, and for Sophia, somewhat painful, but so far, so good.  No injuries.  The terrain seemed a little easier today, with nice views from Stormville Mountain and Mt. Egbert.  We took time to rest there and at the shelters along the way.  It's a reasonable pace that keeps us going until late in the day.  We arrived here at 6:30 pm, just 1-1/2 hours before dark.


September 4, 2004.  Ten Mile River Lean-to, CT, 7:30 pm.

After two 20-plus mile days, we decided to take a partial rest day.  Thirteen miles brought us here by 1:30 pm, with plenty of time to rest, wash up in the river and do some laundry.  The higher mileage has brought us close to Kent, Connecticut, our next intended resupply point, sooner than planned.  That and a little over-buying of food means we have enough to get us to Salisbury instead.  So that's our plan.  I'm sure glad that carrying over 5- day's food out of Bear Mountain has saved us some time.  It sure was heavy!

It also feels great to officially be in New England.  This is where the trail starts to get especially beautiful.  Even with a noticeable crowd of Labor Day weekenders around, it's obvious that we're leaving New York City behind and heading into wilder territory.

Just after County Road 20 this morning, we found a trail register that has been there since 2001.  In it I found an entry I recorded in mid-March, recording my relief that the "Storm of the Century" had fizzled and how happy I was to have just seen the first robin of spring.  It brought back the memories of all the snow through this section that forced me to jump to the CDT from Vermont, before the end of March.  It sure is warmer this time around.


September 5, 2004.  Silver Hill Campsite, CT, 7 pm.

We've been drinking slightly cloudy water out of pumps lately but this place take the prize for cruddy water.  I can't even see through the bottle!  Surprisingly, it doesn't taste as bad as it looks, which is good news, since it looks horrible.

We passed up Kent, Connecticut today, hopeful that the food will last until Salisbury.  A little trail magic at Mt. Algo Lean-to helped; we made a lunch of the Triscuit crackers, peanut butter, jelly and olives we found there.  There have been a lot of hikers out as this is Labor Day weekend, but we seem to have the place to ourselves.  But that's what I said last night, and Leprechaun, the local Ridge Runner came by at dusk.  It was great to talk with him again.  We've met before at an ALDHA gathering and a PCT Kickoff party.


September 7, 2004.  Salisbury, CT, 10:45 am.

I've got a few minutes here in town before mailing the latest journal entries. 

Last night Sophia and I camped at Limestone Springs Lean-to.  It was great to have a shelter to ourselves, and clear, fresh water from the namesake spring, but the ½ mile of trail down to the shelter must descend 300-400 feet!  It's a long way down and the shelter is rather dark.

During the day, we followed the Housatonic River for several miles of flat, easy walking.  The great falls were spectacular and full of Labor Day visitors.  Time to mail the journal.


September 8, 2004.  Monument Mountain Motel, Great Barrington, MA, 9:00 pm.

We're in town for a much-needed rest after some long days.  It's also raining outside, which is always much more pleasant when we have a cozy, dry place to stay.

Yesterday was the hardest we've pushed yet.  Sophia's foot has been feeling quite good lately, and she really cranked on the easier sections of trail, trying to will her body into better shape.  The 12-week layoff took a heavy toll on her conditioning, and she really wants to get back to being a premier athlete ASAP.  I don't blame her, and from what I can see, she's already well on the way.  I can hardly keep up with her at times.

The effort netted us 19 miles and a resupply stop in Salisbury along the way.  Now that we're in New England, it's getting more hilly, and the humidity was through the roof as the remnant of hurricane Francis approached.  I was soaked with sweat all day. 

There were some steep climbs early, but the first notable one was Bear Mountain, the highest in Connecticut.  I remember bypassing the summit in 2001 because of snow, not on the way up, but on the trail down.  I was right to have done so.  Going up was a scramble up a well-worn trail, but coming down the north side was really treacherous.  The trail hops from ledge to ledge down open rock faces.  It's not even recommended when wet, and coming down when icy would have been terribly dangerous. 

The ledges dumped us out at Sage's Ravine, my favorite spot in Connecticut.  The pools that were obvious even under deep snow in 2001 were as beautiful as I'd imagined.  We considered a swim, but decided against it.  The water is very cool in the shady ravine, so we wouldn't have been in it very long or been able to bask afterwards, so we moved on. 

Laurel Ridge, Race Mountain and Mt. Everett were next.  All in Massachusetts, the peaks were even higher than Bear Mountain., so the climbs were tough.  But Sophia stopped to admire every view, so we got a chance to catch our breath as she powered up the hill, sweat streaming off my chin.  About the time we got to Race Mountain, Sophia stopped with a painful side stitch.  It took about 45 minutes to subside and we figure it was a heat cramp from working too hard in the high humidity.  She was toughing out a difficult workout and probably overheated.  In spite of the pain, she hated slowing down; the fast pace had felt like flying to her, a state that she really misses from before her running injuries.  I know she'll get her conditioning back; it will just take time.  She's really tough and really enjoys moving fast over tough terrain on trails.

Today was a shorter, 8-mile day, and a much needed rest in Great Barrington.  It feels really good to put our feet up and watch the CSI Marathon on TV.  Sophia is modifying her pack.  A cinch-strap came off and she's taking off the top lid to fashion an attachment point for a new strap.  It looks really good.

I finally got hold of David Horton by phone this evening, too.  He's invited Sophia and me to run the MMTR 50-mile race on October 16th if we get done in time.  A former holder of the AT speed record, he is planning an attempt on the PCT speed record.  I'm a good source of help for him.  I know the trail really well, and can help him with planning logistics, gear choices and guide him through the southern Sierra snows.  It looks like the time has come for a fully supported runner to take a big chunk out of the current speed record.


September 9, 2004.  North Wilcox Shelter, MA, 9:00 pm.

After waiting out most of the bad weather, Sophia and I left the Monument Mountain Motel at 11 am, just before checkout time.  It sprinkled as we walked a mile or so toward the trailhead before we got a hitch to the trail.  There we donned our ponchos and headed up the wet, muddy trail.  Except for being very careful not to slip on the wet rocks, we moved quickly up the trail, arriving here after 13-1/2 miles and 5-1/4 hours.  It's a big shelter, which has allowed us to spread the ponchos and other wet stuff out to dry overnight.  It's doing okay, so the nearly 100-percent humidity we walked through must have fallen considerably.  It looks like showers will continue much of the night.


September 10, 2004.  October Mountain Lean-to, MA, 8:00 pm.

Today was one of our longest since coming back to the AT, 23 miles.  But we either had to do that or 20+ tomorrow on our way into Dalton.  Since we will be meeting Sophia's brother and his family there tomorrow, we didn't want the long day to interfere.  And today was also one of the best hiking days we've had, cool with low humidity, so it worked out great.  Clouds blew by early after a long night of hard rain, but we didn't get rained on and the sun came out strongly after noon.

We ate lunch on the shore of Upper Goose Pond, a delightful place.  Too bad we couldn't stay at the cabin there.  I hear it's really a special shelter.


September 11, 2004.  With Andy & Chrissie Norris, near Dalton, MA, 10:30 pm.

Today we're visiting with Sophia's brother Andy and his family.  We walked 13 miles this morning and got to Dalton in time to enjoy an afternoon and evening together with them and Andy's friend, Russ, and Russ's wife.  The trail highlight of the day was seeing Mt. Greylock from Mt. Warner.  We will be climbing Greylock the day after tomorrow.  The highest point in Massachusetts, it's profile stands clearly outlined on the horizon.  The relatively cool, dry air that arrived following the remnant of Hurricane Francis is crystal clear, enhancing the view.


September 12, 2004.  Mark Noepel Lean-to, MA, 8:00 pm.

It was really nice to get off the trail for a while and visit with Andy, Chrissie, Katy, Ryan, Alex, Russ and Stephanie.  They all walked up the trail with us for half an hour or so as we headed out of Dalton just after noon.  I'm sure some were wondering what it might be like to hike all 2,174 miles of this trail with us.  Even we can't really fit all those miles into our heads at once, so even we don't really know.  We just hike another chunk of miles each day until eventually there are none left, and the start of the trail is a dim memory.  Along the way we meet new friends and collect the memories that add up to a life worthy of the name. 

Walking today's section up the flanks of Mt. Greylock was another flashback to 2001.  Greylock was the first place that the snow got so deep that the white blazes were buried.  After stopping in this very shelter for lunch, I couldn't find my way to the peak from here, had to backtrack and spent the night here.  The next morning I backtracked another mile and followed the snow-covered road to the top of the mountain.  It was interesting to note places I recall seeing in deep snow, like the road, this shelter, and the privy, which was so buried that I couldn't get the door open!  Tomorrow I look forward to seeing where I lost the trail.  I wonder if I'll recognize any of it.


September 13, 2004.  Seth Warner Shelter, VT, 8:00 pm.

At last we're in Vermont, where the AT really gets pretty.  I'm excited to be back.

Going over Greylock this morning was fascinating.  I believe I spotted the place where I lost the trail in the snow in 2001.  The evergreen trees are a little stunted there, and the trail is cut through among them with branches meeting across the trail overhead.  I just couldn't be sure where the trail went when the white blazes were buried, but I was following in the right general direction.  It was a couple miles before the trail widened enough that following it would have been easy even in deep snow.  Today, the summit of Greylock was clouded in.  We could barely see the memorial tower from the trail or the top of the tower from the base.  But we climbed it anyway, looking out the windows at nothing.

A bit later, we met Ram Bunny and some other hikers.  They said Mrs. Gorp had completed her AT hike at North Adams yesterday.  We just missed her.  Too bad.

Crossing into Vermont, I got to see the sign marking the south end of the Long Trail.  In 2001, the sign was just sticking out of the snow; today the top of the sign was almost six feet off the ground!


September 15, 2004.  Stratton Pond Shelter, VT, 7:40 pm.

Leaving Seth Warner Shelter yesterday morning, I was interested in seeing the trail blazes up the hill.  In 2001, I lost the trail in deep snow up there and traveled cross-country to Sucker Pond and along a snowmobile track to Vermont Hwy 9.  This time I spotted the last few blazes in a semi-open area and noted a general lack of obvious trail signs above six feet as the trail took a right turn that I missed.  Ahead was a stand of somewhat stunted trees that I crashed through the tops of in 2001.  The trail passed below the tangle of branches above.  Too bad all that clear space was filled with snow last time.

I also noted Consultation Peak that I found cross-country, and couldn't really see Sucker Pond through all the trees.  In 2001, it had been obvious from way up the hill through the bare trees.  It's a very different place in winter.

After crossing Vermont 9, where I got off the trail on March 27th, 2001, it looked much as I remember it when I returned on October 1st, 2001.  We even stayed at the same shelter.  We're a couple weeks earlier this year, but won't be keeping up the pace I set coming off 7,000 miles of hiking in 2001.

We continue to have excellent weather, sunny, cool and barely humid.  Moose tracks are common, but we haven't seen the animal yet.  But we spied what we think was an eagle from Harmon Hill.  It was as big as a turkey vulture, but clearly different.  No red head and a much more beautiful outline, more gray-brown than black. 

Today was somewhat cloudy with some humidity, so we sweated some coming up Stratton Mountain, but the views from the observation tower were outstanding! 

"Seinfeld" and Dave, who we met at Goddard Shelter last night caught up with Sophia and me several times throughout the day.  They 're camped here at this shelter tonight too.  We spent last night talking over a campfire, but tonight the journals are taking priority, at least for now.


September 16, 2001.  Peru Peak Shelter, VT, 8:30 pm.

21 miles today.  For about a week now we've been averaging the 18+ per day that we need to get to Katahdin by the middle of October.  Sophia's foot is doing great, so it looks like we're finally up to speed.  After five weeks since restarting the trip, it's nice to be moving well again.  I know Sophia is far from back "in shape" again, but she's really doing great for having taken so much time off to rest her broken foot.  There were a couple times today she got ahead of me when I stopped for some reason and I was not sure I could catch up.  It's been a long time since I could say that.

This morning at Stratton Pond Shelter, I awoke to the call of a loon, far off, probably on Stratton Pond.  It was a long, lonely cry, not answered by any other creature.  I wish Sophia could have heard it, but it stopped when I woke her up. 

"Seinfeld" and Dave were waiting by the trailhead parking lot when Sophia and I rode up, having hitched a ride back to the trail from our resupply in Manchester Center.  They hiked with us as far as Bromley Mountain Shelter where they were considering stopping for the night.   We said goodbye, as we had eight more miles to go to get here.  We're heading for Sherburne Pass, where The Inn at the Long Trail is, by Saturday night.  That'll be 42 miles in the next two days.

The Peru Peak Wilderness at the end of the day was really beautiful.  High up in a red spruce forest, with just a minimally slim path cut through to allow passage, it was not as grand as the view from Bromley earlier, but quite cozy and small in scale, especially for a wilderness.


September 17, 2004.  Clarendon Shelter, VT, 8:00 pm.

Wow!  24 miles today in the rain.  I guess when there's nothing else to do but walk, the miles really add up.  But there were no major peaks today.  Baker Peak, White Rocks Mountain and Bear Mountain were decent climbs, but no views today.  Even before the rain started falling at 11:30 am, the views were fogged in.  The humidity is up too, especially just before the rain started, but it only got to the slightly uncomfortable stage that was routine just a couple weeks ago.  And the mosquitoes seem to have dried up along with the thick air.  I'll take warm rain over oppressive humidity and bugs any day. 


September 19, 2004.  Lookout "Shelter" with observation deck, VT, 8:00 pm.

The rain continued falling all night at the Clarendon Shelter and into the next morning.  If anything, it rained harder the next day.  Glad that we'd hiked the extra four miles the day before, we set off for another 18 or so to Sherbourne Pass and The Inn at the Long Trail.  In the heavy rain, there was no escaping wet feet, so we splashed through the mud on the trail and the swollen creeks crossing it.  Only once did I slip and crash down in the mud, but that was one time too many.  With so much attention needed to stay upright, I couldn't eat my M&M's.  Even when a short road walk section came, I couldn't keep them dry.  My wet hand soaked the whole bag, which quickly became a soupy mess. 

Worse, the attention to eating caused us to miss an obvious trail junction and we walked an extra ½ mile down the road.  A few cairns kept us from turning back until they led to a new shelter under construction.  We considered taking a break there, but decided that even a short stop would turn into a long one.  The rain was turning colder and we needed to keep moving to stay warm.  Later I regretted not taking the opportunity to put on rain pants and a balaclava, so at Governor Clement Shelter we did just that and ate an early lunch.

The rain eased up as we approached Killington Peak, the AT's highest point in Vermont.  But a break in the rain encouraged us to drop our packs at Cooper Lodge and hike to the summit.  As we arrived, the clouds parted and awesome views emerged.  We could see all the way to the White Mountains of New Hampshire. 

By the time we got back, the sun was coming out and it didn't rain again all day!  In under an hour it had gone from one of the worst hiking days to one of the best.  The mud was still awful, but with soaked shoes, we didn't care.  At Sherbourne Pass, we hosed off our feet and hitched a ride into Rutland where we stayed at the Royal Motel, did laundry, bought food and rested up.

Today we slept in a little, had a nice breakfast and hitched out of town about 11 am.  By 11:45 we were back on the trail.  That was just enough time to get here for a 16-mile day rather than stop at Stony Brook Shelter after just 8 miles. 

It's been quite cold all day, windy, with temperatures in the 40's.  That kept us moving fast just to keep warm, except when we met "Leki-less" coming south.  He had hitched up to Hanover to hike his last AT section southbound.  We were surprised to see anyone now that we're off the Long Trail. 

The view here is grand.  Even a cold wind couldn't keep us off the rooftop platform to watch the evening sun light up all the mountains from Killington and the Adirondacks of New York to the Whites.  Wow!  I'm glad this building has four walls too, as the temperature is dropping, probably into the 30's and the wind, though waning, is still strong enough to chill.  The loft is cozy though, and we have it to ourselves. 


September 20, 2004.  Happy Hill Shelter, VT, 8:45 pm.

23 miles today, and it hurt.  We're just not used to doing such big miles, and the ups and downs here, although nothing compared to what's coming in the Whites, are substantial and tiring.

From the Lookout Shelter this morning, we watched the sun rise.  The air is so clear that it was immediately too bright to watch.  But we didn't sit around long anyway; it was a much colder morning than we're accustomed to, perhaps 40 degrees.  But the temperature rose to a very comfortable level for hiking through most of the day.  This is a great time of year to hike in New England.  The leaves are just starting to get their color, too. 


September 21, 2004.  Velvet Rocks Shelter, New Hampshire, 8:40 pm.

After all the hard days in Vermont we needed a rest day, so we settled for 7 miles while resupplying in and passing through Hanover, NH.  But that's enough for another state, so now we have just two left.  New Hampshire and Maine! 

The rest is feeling great; my legs have felt really fatigued going up steep hills and we have a lot more coming up soon.  A late breakfast of an omelet, English muffin and home fries really tasted good.  Sophia especially really needed the protein in the eggs.  Her legs are getting plenty of exercise but to get stronger from it, she needs rest and nutrition, too.  We're doing our best.

We also picked up a box and an envelope at the post office.  Sophia now has new shoes and I picked up some new socks at the same time.  We also have a blank compact flash card for the camera, so we can take plenty of photos in the White Mountains. 

"Hippy Long-stockings" is camped with us tonight.  We last met her in Virginia, but now she's going south, having flip-flopped up to Katahdin.  She's also going to hike the entire Long Trail while in Vermont.  It's nice to see that someone from the first half of our trip is still out here.


September 22, 2004.  Fire Warden's Cabin, Smarts Mountain, NH, 9:20 pm.

After our short day yesterday, I was hoping we'd both feel refreshed, and we were, at least to a point.  My feet hurt less in general and my plantar fascitis in my right heel hurt less, in particular.  It's not been debilitating, but it's always there.  My legs also felt stronger, though sluggish at first.  Sophia said she felt far from fresh, but her pace up the first few hills showed that she, too, had benefited from the rest.

But this was a very hard, 22-mile day.  There were lots of hills.  The last was the worst; 2,300 feet up to the top of Smarts Mountain where we got some decent views through partly cloudy skies as the sun was setting.  The only better view was our lunch stop, when we got a great view of Smarts Mountain from North Peak Moose Mountain.  The warm, sunny rest spot had just enough grass to be very comfortable.  We took a whole hour for lunch rather than our usual ½ hour. 


September 23, 2004.  Ore Hill Shelter, NH, 7:15 pm.

After yesterday's killer day, we were spent.  Neither of us felt like getting up this morning, so we didn't until 8 am.  That left us unlikely to get 20 miles in, so we settled for one shelter less and a 12.6-mile day.  I guess we needed the extra rest.  Tomorrow we tackle the first peak of the White Mountains, Mt. Moosilauke.

The highlight today was Mt. Cube, with grand vistas on this extremely clear, warm day.  We could see all the way back to Killington Peak in Vermont, and we could perhaps see Camel's Hump on the northern part of the Long Trail.  New Hampshire is even more spectacular than I remember from 2001.

I'm also remembering just how hell-bent I was in 2001 to finish before serious snow set in.  I had done the same 22+ miles that killed us yesterday.  The next day I did not only the 12 we did, but 8 more getting to Glencliff for resupply.  I would have also added another 7 miles over Mt. Moosilauke if a storm hadn't kept me off the mountain with below-zero wind chill!  It amazes me to think I wanted to log a 27-mile day in this kind of terrain.  But I did; I remember being so scared that Mt. Katahdin would be iced in for the year before I arrived.  I was also in such awesome shape that I could climb mountains all day every day and barely notice the fatigue.  Amazing!


September 24, 2004.  Beaver Brook Shelter, NH, 7:30 pm.

I don't know where to start; this was such a wonderful day.  We got an early start from Ore Hill Shelter by getting up at first light.  The walk to Glencliff was fairly easy and we noted a couple spots along the way that would have made decent campsites.  Our warm clothes were waiting for us in the post office, but we nearly had to wait an extra four hours.  We arrived just at 10 am as it was closing until 2 pm.  We took our box across the street to the Hikers Welcome Hostel and repacked.  We sent a few things home to make room for the heavy jackets, tights, and heavy mittens.  We haven't used the sunscreen or camera tripod, won't need the light-duty mittens and hope we won't need the mosquito head nets any more.  Every little bit helps. 

The climb up Mt. Moosilauke is 3,400 feet, over 3,000 feet of it in less than 3 miles!  But it's nicely graded and it didn't seem as hard as the Smarts Mountain climb a couple days ago.  I also had a surprise to preoccupy myself with on this flawlessly sunny day with absolutely no wind.  When we got above tree line for the first time in almost 1,800 miles, the views were endless.  It was so sunny and windless that we were a little hot, almost looking for shade.  That's quite a change from October of 2001 when I was greeted by high wind and sub-freezing temperatures! 

Knowing how great a day it was and hoping that we'd find someone to snap our photo on the summit, I prepared my surprise.  On the summit of Mt. Moosilauke at 2 pm, while we stood posing for our summit picture, I pulled a ring out of my pocket and asked Sophia to marry me!  I'd been planning this for one of the major summits in New Hampshire or Maine, whichever afforded a suitable mix of good weather, photo opportunity and lack of crowds.  Luckily the elements came together today.  And yes, she accepted!  I can imagine no one better suited mentally, physically, emotionally or temperamentally to be my partner for life.  We are two halves of the same person.

We celebrated the event with lunch on the spot and then descended to this shelter.  The view here is almost as amazing as that from Mt. Moosilauke, with a view of Franconia Ridge and Mt. Washington peeking over the top.  The sunset was quite nice and it looks like the sun may rise over those same mountains!  It's a fine shelter with good water nearby and we have it to ourselves tonight!


September 26, 2004.  Galehead Hut, NH, 7:00 pm.

It's been a tough two days since I last wrote.  The day we left Beaver Brook Shelter was a 19-miler that took almost 10 hours.  The walk down Beaver Brook was as fabulous as I remember.  It's really steep, following a series of waterfalls.  Wood steps are anchored in the smooth rock segments, places so steep that you can't get footing any other way.  I remember these steps because they were covered in ice the last time I came through, 7,000 miles into my 7,400-mile hike.  I was really worried about falling and breaking a leg so close to the end of my big trek. 

Later in the day, we trekked over Wolf Mountains, East and South, then the Kinsman Peaks, South and North.  Each was incredibly difficult, with steep scrambles and lots of big rocks to clamber over.  It made for very slow going and our average pace for the day was below 2 miles per hour for the first time.

Today was much easier.  After hitching back to Franconia Notch from North Woodstock where we spent a somewhat rainy night, we began a 3,800-foot climb.  But the trail is really good, like a stairway, so we cruised.  The awesome views today slowed us though as we walked among a throng of other hikers out on one of the most beautiful Sundays of the year.  From Mt. Lafayette to here it's rockier, so our pace slowed again.  For the second day in a row we were well below a 2 miles per hour pace.

But half an hour of our day was taken by a meeting that I've been looking forward to; Andy Skurka is camped just over a half-mile from here.  He's trying to become the first person to hike the Sea-to-Sea Trail from Cape Gaspe, Quebec to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, a distance of about 8,000 miles or so.  It was great to finally meet him after talking with him on the phone several times as he planned his trek.  He's going to have to deal with some seriously cold winter conditions, but I believe he's as prepared as anyone can be.  I wish him the best of luck on a grand adventure.


September 28, 2004.  Pinkham Notch, NH, 10:00 pm.

I seem to be writing every other day, but we keep meeting lots of interesting people.  Yesterday it was Rambler, a thru-hiker we met near NOC months ago.  He finished his hike long ago but is in the area hiking, visiting places he missed this summer and visiting us.  We had no idea he was coming, but he read our whereabouts on the web and hiked in from Crawford Notch to intercept us on the trail and walk back with us.  It was great to hear about many hikers we've been wondering about.  Of special note, he hiked extensively with Willie Goat and Good-to-Go.  We hadn't seen them signed in anywhere, but Rambler said they just got tired of signing registers and finished the trail in August, I think.

Rambler also had some trail magic food for us and met us again at the end point of our day, Mizpah Hut.  We did work-for-stay again and Rambler helped us with our chores, this time sweeping the dining room, library, bunkrooms and bathrooms.  Mizpah has an extra bunk area way up top near the food stores that thru-hikers use when working-for-stay.  It's really nice and we got a great view of the rising full moon from the attic window. 

At Mizpah we also met another current thru-hiker who's already finished her hike.  Moon-Pie was there working as a naturalist and group leader for a group of 5th and 6th grade students.  She was thrilled to meet us for the first time and see Rambler again.  We all sat up until 10:30 pm talking in the dining room.

This morning we got a late start.  We ate breakfast with the Mizpah "Croo" after all the guests ate and the Croo cleaned up, about 8:30 am.  Only after eating, when all the guests were gone, could we do our sweeping chores.  That, and some last minute photos with Moon Pie and Rambler, took until 10 am.  With such a late start we didn't figure to make it 19 miles here over Mt. Washington and the core of the Presidentials.  But Moon Pie offered us a place to stay here at Pinkham Notch, so we accepted and told her to expect us after dark.  It took even longer than I expected, with clouds and wind all day, and we had to hike over 2 hours by flashlight, arriving around 9:25 pm.  Boy, are we tired!  But we're doing laundry, getting showers and making phone calls before bed.  I hope we get enough rest tonight.  I'm really feeling overworked.


September 30, 2004.  Rattle River Shelter, NH, 7:15 pm.

Yet another two-day report.  After missing dinner at Pinkham Notch due to our late arrival, and the 19, 21 and 19 mile days preceding, we were completely wiped out.  Even a huge breakfast at AMC headquarters didn't perk us up much.  Climbing up the Wildcat ridge would be difficult any time, with some tough scrambles up a route that can only loosely be called a trail, but in our weakened condition it was hell.  I had already decided to shorten the day and head for Imp Campsite, just 13 miles away, but the first 4 miles took us 4 hours!  We'd also got a late start, so it was 1:30 pm when we decided that Carter Notch Hut would be a better stop.  We owed the 6-mile day to our tired bodies for the previous days' tough miles.  We were thankful to have earned the rest as we hobbled into the empty hut at 3:30 pm.  Sophia's legs were shaky and she had several scrapes and bruises from falls caused by exhaustion combined with treacherously steep terrain.

We sat down and I availed myself of the $1 all-you-can-eat bread and cake.  Moon Pie had kindly given us enough food to bypass Gorham in favor of Andover, but I was worried that we might not have enough after such a short day.  In an hour or so, Amelia, the hut caretaker arrived and we all mopped the floor as work-for-stay.  This hut doesn't have full food service though, so we ate dinner out of our packs.  The bunk was really- comfortable though, and Sophia and I slept 10 ½ hours before broad daylight shamed us into rising, still tired enough to sleep longer.  I ate more hut-munchies for breakfast and we got started hiking at a barely respectable 9:30 am. 

Today's hike was hard once again, with a 1,400-foot climb up Carter Dome in the first mile-plus.  More ups and downs over South, Middle and North Carter Mountains provided grand vistas of Mt. Washington and the Presidentials across Pinkham Notch.  The weather was great this morning; sunny and very clear, so the views of autumn leaves on endless mountains were amazing.  This afternoon it clouded up, sprinkling just a bit as I went for water at Imp Campsite.  Then we crossed over Mt. Moriah and down 2,740 feet to this shelter.  It's sound but really quite plain, especially after so many nights at AMC huts, but the river here is really beautiful with several nice pools that would make for great swimming if it were a warmer day.  The high temperature was maybe 60 degrees today.

It's the end of September and we're almost done with New Hampshire.  Looks like we'll finish the AT on or about October 17th.  Since we got back on the trail, we've been the last northbounders.  We now believe we've passed a group calling themselves "The Caboose" in the mistaken notion that they're the last NOBO's.  We didn't see them, unless they were the small group camped near Madison Springs Hut, but they haven't signed any trail registers that we looked at today, and we believe they were just ½ a day ahead of us when we met Andy Skurka, so we must have passed them by now.  It's nice to know we're no longer the last NOBO's.

Oh yeah, we also saw our first moose of the trip today, a cow, on South Carter Mountain.  She was startled at first, running off-trail a bit, but stopped well within viewing distance.  Sophia snapped a photo, which may not turn out.  The flash went off and we may only have a picture of the nearer trees. 


October 1, 2004.  Full Goose Shelter, ME, 9:15 pm.

23 miles and a new state today!  Yes, we're finally in Maine and is it ever beautiful.  Trees in full autumn colors, views of the Whites behind us, and lots of rocks and trees to walk over and through.  Goose Eye Mountain especially was spectacular in the glow of evening light as we raced darkness to get here.  The flats just after remind me of Saddleback Mountain, still ahead.

The big miles mean we'll likely be in Andover tomorrow, before our food runs out.  We were getting worried it wouldn't last.  Stretching food is no fun.  Thankfully, we both had full dinners and plenty to eat tonight.  We're definitely not the last NOBO's any more.  Two others are camped here with us.


October 3, 2004.  Hall Mountain Lean-to, ME.
 
Mahoosuc Notch yesterday lived up to its billing. It took us 2 hours 15 minutes to go the 0.9 miles in good weather. The climbs up Mahoosuc Arm and Old Spec were also really tough, so the first 6 miles took us 6 hours! That and deteriorating weather made a 20-mile day into Andover unlikely and unappealing. With no food left, stopping short was not really an option. Fortunately, hitching into town early was. Bethel is a 17-mile hitch from Grafton Notch, 10 trail miles south of Andover, so that is what we did.
A Saturday night in peak leaf season is not the time to go looking for a great deal on lodging. The cheapest looking motel we checked first had no vacancy. Ouch. We shopped for food at the nearby grocery store, figuring we wouldn't be staying anywhere nearby, and perhaps we might have to hitch back to the trail that night! On a whim, Sophia suggested we check a very expensive looking Bed & Breakfast place. I was dubious, but agreed. A modest sign as we walked up to the door said that rooms start at $45. Wow! No way that price could apply on a peak weekend, but maybe, just maybe, we could find something under $100 if they weren't full. So in we went. It turns out they had one room left, at $45!! And it's really nice! Private bath, TV, phone, beautiful décor and clean. We couldn't believe our luck. I'm sure glad Sophia made me check. I would have walked on by.
So we ended up capping off a great day with delicious pizza down the street and a good night's sleep. Earlier we met two northbounders at Spec Pond who we recognized from our first day on the trail, "Samson" and "Father Ounce." Samson is a good-looking young woman with long hair who I figured wouldn't be traveling alone for long. Ounce didn't have a trail name when we first met him, but I remember that he couldn't ask me any questions until the next morning because he'd taken a vow of silence for the day.
Today was even more enjoyable. The pumpkin pancakes at the Holidae House B&B were really tasty and we walked over the Baldpate Mountains in warm sunshine enjoying endless views, instead of slogging yesterday in the rain while hungry. Nice choice!
At the road crossing to Andover, we met the proprietors of "The Cabin," a hostel in Andover, and "Loon," a northbounder who recently finished the AT and was visiting. We also managed to log 16 miles to this shelter just as the sun set. Not bad!

October 4, 2004.   Sabbath Day Pond Lean-to, ME, 8:45pm.
Oh my God, a moose charged Sophia today! It was late in the day as we walked along the edge of Long Pond when we spied our 2nd and 3rd moose of the day. This morning we spooked a shy bull, but these were a cow and calf. The calf was safely in the water so the sow quietly munched on a bush near the shore, just a few feet off the trail. I mentioned to Sophia that this was a reasonably safe arrangement; the moose would head for the water if threatened. We took a picture and tried to move on, but the cow was very close to the trail. Speaking softly to it as we passed, one-by-one, I hoped to avoid spooking the animals. Sophia went first with me close behind. Just as Sophia got past the cow, its calf, much farther away and in the water, bolted. It headed along the shore of the lake in the same direction Sophia was heading! The cow immediately ran toward Sophia to get between her and the calf, and then ran right at her! Sophia didn't panic, but backed quickly into the trees, looking for one big enough to hide behind. Fortunately the cow stopped 10-15 feet short as it glared at Sophia, eyeball to eyeball. Sophia had done nothing wrong, really. I felt awful, unable to do anything and later was ashamed that I let her get so close to danger. I hadn't figured on the calf bolting from a safer position to a more vulnerable one, but youngsters do foolish things. It's amazing how quickly things can go wrong. I saw the calf bolt and knew immediately that Sophia was in danger, but it was too late to do anything but watch in horror. Thank God she wasn't hurt.
Compared to that, nothing else that happened today seems of consequence, but we hiked 21 miles, feeling rather worn out much of the day. We perked up after lunch though as the terrain flattened out.
This morning, just after we reached the top of the first long climb of the day and admired the blanket of fog we'd just ascended through, we met a family of five hikers. Northbounders, they said they have missed some of the trail along the way, but are hoping to piece together those sections the rest of this year and next. After we left, Sophia and I wondered if maybe this was the same family of five who we met near Standing Indian in the snow, months ago. We can't be sure as most of them were inside the shelter, bundled in sleeping bags against the cold

October 5, 2004.  Saddleback Inn, Rangeley, ME, 10pm.
It was really cold today. The storm that came in last night dropped a little rain that changed to a fairy-dusting of snow, our first of the season, by morning. The high wind made it worse and we were wearing almost all our warmest clothing all day as temperatures very slowly rose out of the 20s.
Before the sun rose this morning, we heard moose munching just outside our shelter. When we could see well enough, they appeared to be the same cow and calf that conspired to scare Sophia yesterday. The calf tried to approach Sophia in the shelter as I was using the privy, but she shooed it away before mom got angry.
Temperatures are expected to get even lower tonight, so we're glad to be in town. Hiking over Saddleback tomorrow may be a chilly experience.


October 6, 2004.  Spaulding Mountain Lean-to, ME, 8pm.
It's been cold all day, but not too bad, really. It quickly got above freezing this morning. Ice remained as we climbed over Saddleback Mountain, but not enough to be a hiking hazard. Winds were lighter than yesterday too.
The air was clear enough to see Mt. Washington from Saddleback. We may have seen Mt. Katahdin too, left of and well beyond Avery Peak in the Bibelots, but I can't be sure if that was it. With over 200 miles to go, it's amazing to be able to see that far. Although as the crow flies, Mt. Katahdin is much closer.


October 8, 2004.  Little Bigelow Mountain Lean-to, ME, 9 pm.

Yesterday we hiked near to but not over the summits of Spaulding and Sugarloaf before cresting 4,000 feet twice in the Crocker Mountains. On the way down to highway 27, we saw a woodpecker at close range. He was unusually bold, pecking at a log lying almost on the trail. Once we reached the highway, we hitched into Stratton, ME, and stayed at the White Wolf Inn, the same motel I used in 2001. While there, I watched three hours of TV about the first commercial space ship, Space Ship One. That's a really clever design and an efficient way to get into space; I hope the business plan works.
Today we got started about 9:20am after the usual big breakfast in town. We traversed the Bigelows today, and it was a really warm day for the first time in quite a while. It made for a really special hiking day with lots of fabulous views. Sophia and I stopped a lot to enjoy this special time and place. Great views, weather and company made this a wonderful day.
But the stops made finishing even 15.3 miles before dark difficult, so we felt rushed as darkness approached. Finishing strongly, we made it here without having to break out the flashlights.
Oh yeah, we saw three grouse today. Usually they fly away before we get more than half a glimpse, but this trio, one male and two females, were preoccupied enough with courting that they ignored us for the most part. The male was really posing impressively, showing off some bright red tips on his plumage. I feel privileged to have seen his display.
We also met another thru-hiker from day one of our hike, "Regular Brian." He's finished the trail, but is out hiking some sections again with "Jaws" aka Seema. Brian's trail name is derived from mine. When we first met, around a campfire in Georgia, he didn't have a trail name yet, so he said he was regular Brian and it stuck. His friends have been calling him that ever since. It was nice to see him again and find out that he successfully completed his thru-hike.


October 9, 2004.   Pierce Pond Lean-to, ME

We're in a full shelter tonight for the first time in a long time, but we've caught up to more northbounders and the five of us fill this small place. "Marzipan" and "County" are here. We met County at Standing Indian Shelter in April. "Bramble" is here too. We met him doing a radio show from a restaurant in Damascus. It's amazing how many of the NOBO's who are still out are ones we remember meeting months ago.
Today was very easy hiking along several ponds and streams. The flat 17.3 miles were done by 4pm and we didn't even start until 8am. But none of us can hike much farther today; the Kennebec ferry operates only from 10am until noon. Ken "K-man" is also here, on a weeklong section hike.


October 10, 2004.   Bald Mountain Brook Lean-to, ME, 8pm.
18.7 miles today, including a resupply stop in Caratunk. The miles are getting easier, but the days shorter. It's dark by 6:30pm now
The day started late because we couldn't cross the Kennebeck until 10am, so we had breakfast at Harrison Camps. The apple-blueberry pancakes were surprisingly good, even allowing for our hiker appetites, which would make a Big Mac taste like filet mignon.
So we got on the trail about 8:45am and across the Kennebeck on Steve Longley's ferry boat canoe at 10:10am. Then "Underhill" and "Knuckles," who have a car, drove us to the store in Caratunk, which was closed. Steve Longley, the owner, was still out ferrying hikers, of course. So we drove to the next town, bought groceries and came back.
Just after noon, we resumed hiking. The 14.7 miles remaining were fairly easy, except for the climb up Pleasant Pond Mountain, which had amazing views of flaming foliage and mountains backed by puffy clouds. It was spectacular.


October 11, 2004.   Shaw's Boarding House in Monson, ME, 10pm.
22 miles over Moxie Bald today. Except for the climb over Moxie Bald and the fords of the Piscataquis River, it was fast, easy walking. We were done by 5pm.
Moxie Bald is where I met Fiddlehead and Pieps in 2001 when we were all on Calendar Triple Crown attempts, mine almost done and theirs just begun. It was a similar day at a similar time of year, but today we couldn't see Katahdin because of clouds. It was windy and cold, too.
But it warmed up some during the day, especially when the sun shone. Mr. Shaw says it's supposed to rain tonight, so I hope we have decent weather tomorrow.
Here at Shaw's we met "Pokey" and "Gabby." I met Gabby at ALDHA in 2001. The whole Shaw family also remembers me from my visit that year, so my big hike was one of the topics of conversation at dinner tonight as we ate spinach lasagna.

October 12, 2004.  Wilson Valley Lean-to, ME, 7:15pm.
Today was a short day, just 10.4 miles, but we resupplied in Monson and got a late start due to a rain storm that also slowed our pace on the slick trail. Sophia took a bad fall, but doesn't seem to be hurt too badly, just a bruise on her shin. Thank God. We didn't pack any extra food for the 100-mile wilderness, trying to keep the weight down, so we're going to have to do big miles the next few days. The weather forecast is favorable. The clouds should break about midnight.
We were well fed to start. We each had Shaw's famous 4x4 breakfast  Sophia's was without the meat, of course. The pile of eggs, sausage, bacon, French toast and home fries was huge, but I ate the whole thing easily. Yum.

October 13, 2004.  Carl A. Newhall Lean-to, ME, 10pm.
This was our second day in the 100-mile wilderness, and it was tough. After the short day yesterday, we hiked 5 extra miles today to make up for it. That brought the total to 25.5, which took until after 8pm including two hours hiking by flashlight. Ugh. At least the weather was great today, mostly sunny with some wind and a few clouds early. The stars shown brightly as we night-hiked.
There were several more fords today after a couple tough ones yesterday. I got across all but one with my dry shoes on, but the West Branch Pleasant River was too wide for a rock-hop or log crossing. It surprises me how I have no memory of these fords from 2001 until I see them. I could have sworn I never had to wet-wade in Maine.
The terrain is also much more difficult here than I remember. We worked really hard for the miles today, which I expected would be fairly easy. I hope we can handle the 30.3 miles I have planned for tomorrow.


October 14, 2004.   Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to, ME, 9:15pm.
We did it! 30.3 miles in 13 hours. We were up before dawn, on the trail by 6:30am and done by 7:30pm, earlier than yesterday.
It started out a hard day, with climbs over Gulf Hagas Mountain, West Peak, Hay Mountain and White Cap Mountain in the first six miles. Atop Gulf Hagas we saw three more moose; a bull, a cow, and a calf. Despite moose hunting season, they weren't alarmed by our presence and we got another close look at these gentle giants. We approached them with extra caution because of Sophia's recent experience getting charged. No incident this time, thank God.
The views from White Cap were panoramic. Katahdin was so close it seemed we could reach out and touch the long-awaited peak. Baxter Park closes tomorrow to overnight camping, so we'll need car support to get out of the park by sunset. With just 48 miles left, we expect to be there in two days!


October 15, 2004.   Rainbow Stream Lean-to, ME, 8pm.
Baxter Park closed at dusk today and we're not there yet. Fortunately, it's open during daylight hours starting tomorrow. That's when we will arrive. After 20 miles today, we have just 30 left!
We awoke to the sound of loons on the nearby pond at 7am. After the last two days, we needed some extra rest. It felt really good, but we couldn't relax too much. 20 miles is still a long day, and we also resupplied at White House Landing. We got there about 9am, the first hikers they'd seen in three days! Looks like everyone ahead of us has made it to Katahdin already. We'll be the first to climb after the park closure.
It has rained today since noon or so. But it's a warm rain, the remnant of a hurricane that starts with the letter "M." I hope it's warm enough not to snow or freeze on Katahdin. We'll see tomorrow; it's supposed to clear up by noon.
My brother Greg will be meeting us in Millinocket tomorrow evening, and we hope Sophia's brother Andy will be there too. It'll be nice to see them again and have company climbing Katahdin on Sunday, weather permitting.


October 18, 2004.   Katahdin Inn, Millinocket, ME, 9pm.
It's been a tough three days. We've still only done 25 of the last 30 miles. Those 5 were all hiked on Saturday, much of it in the rain. Sophia took another bad fall, slipping on a wet rock. She fell on her left side, bruising her knee, hip, arm hand and some ribs. Ouch! But no critical damage was done and she pressed on. Ordinary streams were raging torrents, requiring knee-deep fords. With shoes already soaked, we didn't mind. It washed off the mud from the ankle-deep bogs.
In spite of it all, we made it to Baxter Park and hitched into Millinocket Saturday night. We expected to meet my brother Greg in the Pamola Motor Lodge, but he wasn't there. When I called, he was home taking care of baby Zack and wife Meredith, both ill. That's certainly a higher responsibility, so no hard feelings. Sophia's brother Andy was also a possible last-minute visitor, but he didn't appear either. Since we didn't have a meeting place or time arranged with him, we needed to reach him by phone. But we couldn't get through on either his home phone or his cell phone Saturday night or Sunday morning.
That confusion, and residual rain, which we knew would be gone by today, made us decide against summiting on Sunday. We made good use of the time arranging plans to hitch, bus and fly home. It's hard to get out of this part of Maine.
This morning we were ready to finish the last 5 miles. We got up early, had breakfast and started hitchhiking at dawn. But it took 2 ½ hours and three rides to get to Baxter Park. A cold Monday morning in late October is a difficult time to get into the park. Very few cars were heading that direction. When we arrived at the gate, the ranger informed us that today is a class-4 day; no climbing above tree line. The mountain was closed for the first time all season! Ouch! The tail end of the storm was unexpectedly cold enough to drop snow on the peak. There's hope for tomorrow though, it's supposed to be a mostly clear, sunny day. If the snow is gone, we'll probably be allowed to summit. Getting there will be easier this time. "Underhill" and "Knuckles" have arrived with their car! They'll drive us up and back tomorrow. "Underhill" will summit with us and we can take each other's pictures at the big sign. Things are looking up.


October 20, 2004.   Katahdin Inn, Millinocket, ME, 6:15am.
Yesterday was another class-4 day, so we got our 3rd zero-day in a row. This is no longer comfortable. We even went for a walk just to stretch our legs! We're tired of sitting around, waiting. I hope they let us climb today. This is starting to feel like the movie "Groundhog Day." We keep reliving the same day and can't get out of town. Please God, let today be the day.


October 21, 2004.   Boston, MA bus terminal, 8:15pm.
We finally made it! My prayer was answered and we were allowed to climb yesterday! It was truly spectacular too. There was enough snow left to brighten the scenery, but not so much as to be dangerous. The Hunt Trail route, which we took, is very steep and rocky, but most of the snow was on the tablelands or higher.
We climbed with "Yoda" and "Mad Scientist" who arrived in Millinocket a couple days ago, so we had a group of four. That allowed us to look out for each other and take each other's pictures on the summit. With sunny, clear skies, the views were unlimited and with no wind, the otherwise cool air felt almost warm! That's quite unusual for this time of year. But even if it had been a nasty-weather day, I would have been happy just to finish the trail. I was really beginning to think we might get shut out for the rest of the winter. The next storm comes in tomorrow, so the climbing window was very narrow. Sophia and I feel really lucky.