Location: Outside Monson, Maine Tim and I hike most of the day together. The hike was wet and messy. The rain fell off and on. When we were coming down Barren early in the day, Tim and I followed Eric, who led us off the trail and a mile down an overgrown fire lane that […]
Nearly Killed by Lightning on the Appalachian Trial – AT Thru-Hike Day 12
Location: Cloud Pond Greg began south again at first light, which here comes at around 5:00am. The sun had not yet risen, but this far north, gray light appears hours before sunrise. I left the lean-to before Tim and Eric. The day began beautifully. I knew that I wouldn’t have water for the last five […]
Chairback Mountain, The StairMaster from Hell – AT Thru-Hike Day 11
Location: Unknown Shelter Greg and I began hiking together this morning. We forded the West Branch of the Pleasant River. Greg crossed without shoes and I decided to cross in my flip flops. The water was only knee deep and fairly calm. I was surprised there wasn’t a bridge because the area was very tourist […]
Kayak Fishing and Camping Lea Island – Coastal NC near Wilmington
Kayaking and fishing around Lea Island, NC is a weekend kayak trip well worth it. Lea Island is a small island, about 3 miles long, and it is uninhabited. On weekends it can get a little crowded on the south and northern ends, but the middle of the island is visited more rarely and allows […]
My Simple Secret to Successfully Thru-Hike Appalachian Trail – AT Thru-Hike Day 10
Location: Newhall Shelter Joe and Max left before me this morning. They planned 16 miles and I only planned nine, so I doubt I’ll ever see them again. On the last descent of the day, Greg caught up to me. I have to slow down on the manmade rock stairs on the mountain. While nature […]
Simple Rivers and Simple Miles – AT Thru-Hike Day 9
Location: Unknown Shelter I was the first to leave the shelter. I hiked eleven miles. I was well rested. I forded the East Branch of the Pleasant River, and I had very little trouble. The rapids had swelled because of the rain, but I was able to find a calm, waist deep route across the […]
Meeting My First Fellow Thru-Hikers – AT Thru-Hike Day 8
Location: Unknown Shelter I got more than I bargained for by wishing for a person to visit the shelter. Almost immediately as I zipped into my sleeping bag for a late evening nap, a kid of 10 or 11 years raced around the corner, shouting into a two way radio. I thought, ‘Oh Lord, here […]
Coldest Shower On Appalachian Trial – AT Thru-Hike Day 7
Location: Cooper Brook Falls The walk to Cooper Brook falls was uneventful and easy. It only took an hour and a half or so. I have completed my chores, and the sun will be up for a good while. I think I should start hiking for longer periods of time, yet it is hard to […]
Cached Resupply in the Middle of 100 Mile Wilderness – AT Thru-Hike Day 6
Location: Jo Mary Road I reached Jo Mary Road today. My cache of food and bug spray hung undisturbed. An animal had not ransacked the food bags and a human had not discovered the precious bug spray. Caching food at Jo Mary Road in the middle of the 100 Mile Wilderness was risky. It was […]
More Floods, Mosquitoes, and Falls – AT Thru-Hike Day 5
Location: Unknown Shelter Never again will I suspect that a day will be easy. Yesterday I thought the ten miles planned for today would be a cinch. Little did I know that I was setting myself up for disappointment. There are no easy miles in Maine, I’ll say every day. Though the trail today was […]