Location: The Birdcage Bears and I woke up later than I would have liked. To hike a 20 mile day, I like to finish ten miles by noon, which means I need to start hiking no later than 8:00am, so I can walk at a 2.5 mph pace. Bears and I got out of camp […]
Thru Hiker Breakfast Moldy Bagels – AT Thru-Hike Day 71
Location: Unknown Shelter I didn’t sleep well last night on the picnic table at the Spruce Mountain shelter. I tossed and turned and killed spiders until around 1:00 am. I could still barely hear the snoring of the old men. They all began snoring after I left. The night was cool though, and it calmed […]
Hiking Through Hot Pastures in Vermont – AT Thru-Hike Day 59
Location: Unknown I left the shelter late this morning because I only planned to hike 14 miles. The heat began to drain my energy as soon as I began climbing the hills in Vermont. I walked though a lot of pastureland today. The hills are still challenging, but the miles are pleasant. The heat is […]
Climbing Mount Washington in Near Zero Visibility – AT Thru-Hike Day 45
Location: Mizpah Hut, White Mountains This morning came early. Last night I had difficulty falling back asleep after being woken up by some noise in the bunkroom. The snores from the bunkroom were intolerable. I rolled to cover one ear and then the other with my makeshift pillow, an inflated Ziploc freezer bag with […]
Climbing Through Wildcats to the Ski Patrol Hut – AT Thru-Hike Day 43
Location: Wildcat D I hiked a difficult ten miles today through the cold rain. I left Imp Campsite early and reached Carter Notch Hut around lunchtime. I had already eaten lunch in the late morning on the summit of Carter Dome. I chatted for a bit with the hut master. He let me fill my […]
Meeting The Three Religious Brothers…One Rumored A Thief – AT Thru-Hike Day 42
Location: Imp Campsite in the Carter-Moriah Ridge I’ve stopped at Imp campsite on the Carter-Moriah Ridge for the day. I only hiked 7 miles, but they were a hard seven miles up steep and long slopes. I stopped short of my intended destination for several reasons, the main reason being that I need to be […]
The Repercussions of Nearly Being Killed by Lightning – AT Thru-Hike Day 39
Location: Hiker’s Paradise Today Stick and I crossed the Maine-New Hampshire state line. I felt a full sense of accomplishment for completing the hardest state on the AT without injuring myself. I had some hard falls, but each time I fell I got back up and continued hiking, taking the blood, bruises, and close calls […]
Bouldering the Mahoosuc Notch – AT Thru-Hike Day 38
Location: Full Goose Shelter My last full day in Maine. Tomorrow I’ll cross into New Hampshire. I only have five miles left in this state. Stick showed up at the campsite this morning before I had fully woken up. He stealthed on top of the mountain last night. He says that Flying Turtle has been […]
Death has his hand on the boy in the woods – AT Thru-Hike Day 36
Location: Frye Notch I left Andover with a full pack today. I had expected to reach Baldpate Mountain lean-to across the open ridgeline of the mountain, but I only reached Frye Notch. I felt sick for most of the morning because of a hangover from the night before with Sean Boyle and his sons. I […]
6 Tips for Successfully Thru-Hiking the Appalachian Trail
Successfully thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail requires physical endurance, perseverance, and, of course, a little bit of luck (or at least the absence of bad luck). I met a thru-hiker in Maine who was the unfortunate victim of bad luck. He had successfully thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and was by all accounts an experienced […]