Day 115-120

7/23 Day: 115

Winnituri Shelter-Hart House

Total miles:16.5

It's been the most eventful day in recent trail memory. We woke with anticipation of getting some new gear. Around 7:30 a.m., we left camp trotting down the trail to the South Pomphret, VT post office. Dawn finally got some new shoes, and my phone problems would be remedied. The postman was extremely nice, but had no knowledge of where the box with Dawns shoes were. After about 5-mins of frantically pondering what do we do now, Dawn looked over and saw her zappos box in a corner beneath several other stray packages. While organization was not their strong point, they were very friendly about the matter. Dawn pranced around like a little girl who was getting ice cream as she tried on her shoes for me. 

At this point, it began to get really hot. Before we left we both filled all our water containers and drank as much as we could. Still, I didn't feel like I could out drink the amount of fluid I was losing. Thankfully, most of our day was spent in the shade of the forest. 

The most talked up part of today was the White River. Every southbound hiker has told us of the bridge we could jump off of, and the extremely generous trail angel who lives by the bridge. We hurriedly changed into our sandals and ran over to the to join our friends Lucky B and Acorn. Dawn wanted to hold hands as we jumped off the bridge. I had my doubts but not wanting her to be afraid as she jumped I relented and agreed. It would prove to be a pivotal mistake. As we jumped, I jumped further than she did, thus pulling her off center and causing her to land flat on her butt at the bottom of a thirty foot fall of water. As I swam for the surface invigorated by the rush, I found my wife spitting up water and a very visibly pained look on her face. Step number one of any aquatic emergency is to extract the victim from the water. I grabbed her torso and started swimming us both for shore. To my relief, she was okay but a little sore and shaken from the experience. A few tears and some tender hugs later, we moseyed back to the house and decided to sit down for a while to let her process what had just happened. About that time, a thunder storm began to blow in and the trail angel invited us into his house to wait out the storm. Waiting out the storm turned into staying the night and breakfast in the morning. What a blessing! This day has gone from awesome to terrible to awesome again. I'm super glad it's ending on a high note, and with us staying dry. Life goes easy. 

7/24 Day: 116

Hart House-Hanover, NH Thayer House

Total Miles: 10

It rained most of the night but our new palatially sized tent kept us dry. We packed up our gear, leaving the tent to dry in the sun, and went inside Mr. Harts house for breakfast. He was so nice, even remembering how much I had said I liked my morning coffee. We walked in and had a full size meal of eggs toast and bacon, washing it down with plentiful amounts of coffee. After thanking him for all his hospitality we got moving at 9:00am. 

The walk to Hanover, also the second to last border crossing, was super easy. Only made difficult by a few swarms of bugs, and some puddles. At the beginning of our day we had ambitions of slowly making our way through town and doing at least 17 miles for the day. This plan was quickly aborted as we learned of the overwhelming amount of thru-hiker orientated services. First, we hit up a pizza place for a free slice. Then we went to "The Green," which is a large park in the middle of Dartmouth college. As Dawn napped in the sun we learned of a list of local trail angels that will take hikers in for the night. We hit jackpot when we snagged a spot in Warren Thayers basement. He warned us that there would be another group of 4 hikers but that there would be plenty of room. His home was amazing! It was three story's tall and we had full access to his kitchen, bathroom, kuereg, porch, refrigerator, and laundry. To top it all off, he and his wife treated us to burgers for dinner on their porch. It turned out that we would be the only ones staying with them, which meant they also gave us a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. We truly felt like their home was fully open to us. We've had encounters where we really didn't feel completely welcome in a home but they truly made us feel welcomed. Our night ended with Dawn scooting two mattresses together so we could cuddle close. Life goes easy. 

7/25 Day: 117

Hanover, NH-Trapper John Shelter

Total miles: 16

I awoke this morning at a loss as to where I was. I looked around, saw Dawn and remembered that I was staying in a basement. We've been on the move for 117 days now and the places seem to blend together. I walked upstairs made some coffee and took up Warrens offer to raid his pantry. I found some nice granola cereal, and settled in for a delightful meal with a table and chairs. A little while later Dawn made her way up. Unfortunately, she declared that I had taken her favorite cereal. Since I was in the middle of eating the last bowl I offered to trade her for the Cheerios, but she let me keep it. I think my wife will make the best possible mother. She is always so willing to give of herself and save the best for the people she loves. I've truly married an amazing woman. 

After breakfast, it was slow going but at 9:30am we did get moving towards the trail. Warren gave us a ride back to where he had picked us up and off we went. The trail out of town was pristine. Mostly because it was covered in pine needles. Pine needles are the trail equivalent of walking on memory foam. We hiked until 2:00pm, and stopped for lunch at a trail head parking lot. At that point, it was 15-miles to our destination, but we still thought it was manageable. At 4:30pm, we came upon some trail magic and the idea of hiking another 9-miles at that point went out the window. After a few hot dogs and some orange soda, we hiked 2.6-miles to this shelter and called it a day. Finishing early our first day out of town always puts us on a good rhythm of getting early starts. Life goes easy. 

7/26 Day 118

Trapper John Shekter-Stealth camp

Total miles:22

Last night was one of the best nights of sleep I remember getting in a long time. It cooled off to about 50F and the humidity was minimal. Normally, I'm having to get Dawn to wake up but this morning I found myself the one clinging to my sleeping pad. 

After only 3-miles of hiking, we came across Bill Acerly's residence. His house lays 20-yards off the trail and is notoriously known for its freezer full of free ice cream. Bill wasn't there to greet us, but a note told us where to get the famous ice cream. We sat around for about a half hour ate 2 servings each and moved on. 

Our big climb for the day was Smarts Mtn. This mountain is the same height as Vermont's tallest A.T. peak, but will quickly be dwarfed in the coming days as we traverse the high peaks of the White Mountains. It even gave us our first taste of what's known as iron ladders. This is where the trail is to steep to walk so holes have been drilled and iron rebar is shaped and placed into the rock to form a ladder. For all the work we put into climbing it, the view was well worth it. 

The rest of the day was pretty tame with the exception of one more large hill to climb. At dinner, we had hiked 19-miles and since it was only 5:20pm when we got to the place we planned on stopping we decided to eat and move on. This was probably a good decision since the camp ground was full of teenagers who should have been made to hike twice the distance they had done so they would have been more peaceful camp mates. We did another three miles to a road, crossed it, and found the first well hidden tent site we could find. Our friends from England who also hiked on after dinner came and joined us in our little oasis. Sleep should come easy tonight. We're pretty tired. 

7/27 Day 119

Stealth camp-Wolf Mtn 

Total miles: 17

Today is our first day in the Whites. We broke camp at 8:00am and started heading for our biggest mountain since TN. Mount Moosilauke being our first of many ascents. Just before we started the climb a thunderstorm blew in. Thankfully, there was a shelter at the bottom to use while the storm blew through. Not only that but the shelter was also sheltering some day hikers who gave us some brownies and apples to help pass the time. After about 2-hours the storm passed, we said our goodbyes and started climbing. By the time we made it to the peak it was pretty foggy, but awesome none the less. Besides, the weather channel said it would be bad weather today, but nice for the rest of the week. The trip down the other side was daring at best. How anybody envisioned a hiking trail where we climbed down at is beyond me. At one point we decided to stow our trekking poles and use a more hand-to-hand technique to safely descend the mostly vertical trail. Arriving at the bottom felt like a serious accomplishment, and motivated us for the rest of the Whites. The problem was that since we had to wait out the storm earlier we would not be able to make it to our intended destination without night hiking. Of which I hate to do. Thankfully, Dawn was willing to forgo the night hiking and we found a nice little spot by the trail. It's currently thundering in the distance, but hopefully we won't experience any exceptionally bad weather. Life goes easy.  

7/28 Day:120

Wolf Mountain-Comfort Inn Lincoln, NH

Total miles:12

We got a good start on the day. Lately, we've gotten into the bad habit of eating breakfast in our tent. Not that I'm afraid of bears coming to the smell, but more concerned about mice smelling any crumbs left behind. As we slung our packs on it began to sprinkle. Soon, the trail was in full rain storm mode and the sky was really letting us have it. Just before we reached a side trail lighting struck very very close. The atmosphere turned from cloudy grey to extremely bright orange and purple followed by what sounded like the earth exploding. The rest of our day, if we stayed on the trail, was going to be spent on a exposed ridge line that would be terrible in a thunder storm. We came to a side trail called Gordon Pond and bailed off for town. One side trail led to another and soon we didn't really know where we were. Thankfully, my phone had service and we were able to use google maps to guide us to a road. I seriously felt like Bear Grilles at the end of one of his shows when I walked onto the road. The feeling of safety became very real. In only a couple hours time we were laid up in the Comfort Inn enjoying hot showers, and free coffee. 

Since we took a side trail down the mountain to escape the severe thunderstorm, it does mean we passed a small portion of the trail without summiting Mt. Kinsman. At this point, we have no plans of hiking back up the side trail we took to cover the ground we missed and basically doubling the miles. Right now, I'm enjoying chocolate milk and pizza which is our favorite town meal on the trail. Thank God for a side trail, safety, and for a warm dry place to sleep. Life goes easy. 

Dawn's new shoes

The Hart home during a storm

Dawn's bruise

Soaking wet hikers. Thankfully not us. 

The NH border

Warren's house

Iron ladders

Our new tent

Day 107-114

7/14-7/22 Day 107-114

Mount Greylock-Winnturri Shelter

Total miles: 135

I've had some issues with my phone and since it's been my turn to post, they didn't get done in a timely manner. Since the last post we have completed Massachusetts, and the majority of Vermont. The day we went down Greylock started awesome. The air was thick with humidity but none the less nice weather. The next town we came to was North Adams, MA, it was also the last. One enterprising town alderman trying to attract the revenue potentials of hikers had provided bicycles for hikers to ride and spend money at local businesses. It totally worked. I road a bike down to Price Chopper and bought some food and chocolate milk. Chocolate milk has become our drink of choice. It is loaded with calories and seems to have a rejuvenating quality about it. We hiked out, and soon we're caught by some showers. The showers quickly turned to storms and the trail to mud. Thus, Vermont greeted us in proper fashion and owned its nickname "Vermud." It was given that nickname because of the notoriously muddy trails. After another 14-miles of sloshing around in the swamp trail, we settled in at a shelter. It was there that we met our soon to be friend, Acorn, and we learned about the importance of selecting a tent site that drains well. It rained all night and when we woke it was up to a 3-inch deep puddle. We gathered our stuff and headed for town. 

Our first impression of Vermont wasn't flattering, but both of us were willing to give her a second chance. As we hiked out the next day, the sky cleared the birds chirped and the trail seemed to improve drastically. It would remain this way for the duration of our time in VT, thus quickly making it our favorite state. 

About half-way through the state we stayed at a hostel called the Yellow Deli. It's run by a group called the Twelve Tribes. I would best describe them as hippies that found Jesus. Their community was very inviting. All the men had beards, and the whole atmosphere was extremely joyful. If they had one purpose it would be to recreate the experience of the early church in the book of Acts. They believe in living a common life together and sharing all things, while maintaining that sharing the love of Jesus is the most important aspect of life. While I was not able to delve into all of their doctrine, from the outside looking in it seemed relatively sound though very different from how I walk my Christian walk. We left there happy that we had stayed. 

All in all, it's been a pretty good time. Thankfully, I was able to get my phone situation resolved and the coming post should be done in a more timely manner. I hope everyone who reads this enjoys it. We are having a great time. Some times are hard and some are easy, but I know this experience is quickly becoming a building block for the rest of our lives. 

Hello Vermud.

Yes this 6" deep water is the trail

The mountains of Vermont!

Fire tower on Stratton Mountain

One of the gorgeous ponds in Vermont

Found some water to paddle in.

And jump in!

Gondola on top of the mountain

Setting up a stake tent on a platform requires creativity and innovation.

Some mice got in to our food bags.

The rock garden we stubbled upon. We're not sure how we felt about this.

Mount Killington! Almost 4000 ft.

Yellow Deli fashion!

And the beard still grows..

Day 105-106: 7/13/14- 7/14/14

7/13 Day 105

Stealth camp-Dalton, MA

Total miles: 25

It's been a really long day. By far the most eventful part of the day has been meeting Rob Bird and his van Casper. We met Rob 3-miles before entering town. He was posted up on the side of the road giving out free sodas and fruit. From the moment we met him, he was nothing but smiles and full of happiness. As we trekked on towards town, he gave us some advice on where to eat and stay. As Dawn, Lucky B, and myself started down the final descent it began to rain. Which was fine, we only had to walk a little ways through town and we would all be enjoying a warm dry hotel room. Those pleasant thoughts were far from reality. We made it to the hotel and by that time we were soaked to the bone. The hotel had no vacancies. My heart sank. I was having flashbacks of Greenwood, NY, when out of no where came Rob and his van. He saved the day and gave us a place to stay. First, he took us to an all you can eat Buffett, then we went back to his place. We took hot showers and slept in such a wonderful bed! Fewer things are sweeter than listening to rain hit the roof and knowing you don't have to pack up a wet tent in the morning. 

7/14 Day 106

Dalton, MA-MT Greylock 

Total miles: 17.2

We woke around 6:30 a.m., and sat on the front porch with Rob sipping coffee. This guy has done everything, from police officer to studio recording artist. As much as we enjoyed hanging out with Rob, the trail still needed to be hiked. But not before we stopped at Walmart and grabbed some McDonalds for breakfast. I was also able to affix two new pole tips onto my trekking poles. The other set had literally been worn down to nubs. We finally started hiking around 10:30 a.m. Two small climbs later and we were in the town of Cheshire, MA which conveniently had a ice cream stand along the trail. After lunch and some ice cream we began out ascent to Mt. Greylock. The climb wasn't nearly as hard as anticipated and we were greeted with crisp breezes, a duck pond, and an amazing war memorial. It's been closed all year for renovations, but we met a friendly park ranger who let us in so we could get even better views from the top. He even gave us permission to sleep in the Thunderbolt Hut. It's a hut normally for emergency use only, but it is fully equipped for an over night stay. It was the ideal place to sleep. Not only was it fully enclosed but it also let us stay on top of the Mountain to watch the sunset. As we watched the sunset dip beneath the horizon, everything was perfect. Dawn and I held hands as we walked back to our hut and settled in for a cool, comfortable nights sleep. 

The first Southbound thru-hikers we've met. Toey and Spoons

Inside Casper the van

Oh hey. 

Monument on Greylock

Sunset on Greylock

Rob and his van

New shoes!

Days 100-104, 7/8/13-7/12/14

7/8: Day 100

Telephone Pioneer Shelter (1,441.7)- Thayer Brook (1461.9) 

Total miles: 20.2

Folks, we have survived 100 days out in the woods. It's been 100 days of blood, sweat, and tears, but the mission has been well worth it. This day is significant because not only are we 100 days into the journey, but we are over 2/3 of the way finished. The end is palpable, and we anticipate it. 

This morning we broke camp at around 7:30 a.m. It was hard to wake up because last nights rest was terrible. Our tent was on a sideways slant, so we were rolly pollying all night long. Plus, the rain did not relent through the night. We slowly trekked down the mountain due to the slickness of the rocky terrain. After that, the terrain was remarkably nice. New York farewelled us with a smooth, well-marked trail. What more could a hiker ask for? We had lunch at our last New York shelter- Wiley Shelter. We met a section hiker named Carol. She was an interesting lady, she was very quite and mellow at first until Jeremy asked if she was Buddhist, due to a book he noticed she was reading. She didn't claim to practice the religion just enjoyed the meditation aspect of it. We had the opportunity to talk with her about the Christian belief and how it has helped us. She seemed a little reluctant at first but at the end she let us pray with her over her back pain. Our job is to plant the seeds and let The Lord harvest them. 

Shortly after, we crossed over the NY/CT border. We have successfully hiked through nine states and only have five to go. Connecticut should hardly any time because it's only 31 miles long. The rest of the day was pretty easy. We are running a little low on food so our calorie intake was at a deficit. The short climbs seemed exponentially more difficult than previous more strenuous climbs. We decided to set up camp at a Brook one mile before our intended destination at the shelter. A couple reasons for this: one being we had already met our 20 mile goal and didn't feel the need to exert ourselves anymore; two, last night's rest was terrible at the shelter because there was limited tenting space and a good spot is never a guarantee. We found a nice spot at the brook and called it a night. While we were doing our nightly chores, Squirrel and Bagger showed up. They talked with us a little and Bagger moved on to the next shelter. Squirrel; however, asked us about our resupply plans and what we were doing tomorrow. We told her our food situation and we weren't sure if we'd had to do an unexpected stop or not. She offered us a couple cooking required dinners to help us make it to Salisburry since she was sending her stove home she had no use for them. We were very appreciative because it was just what we needed. We offered to give her money but there was no excepting it. The camaraderie on the trail is one of the best aspects of the journey. Shortly after dinner, we went to bed. 20's to Katahdin is the goal, and so far so good. 

7/9: Day 101

Thayer Brook (1461.9)- Sharon Mountain Campground (1482.6)

Total miles: 20.7

Today has been a great day. Don't you just love posts that start like that? Seriously though, it really has been a wonderful day. We broke camp around 6:30 a.m. Early starts are always our favorites even though waking early with the impending doom of hiking until at least 5:30 p.m. isn't necessarily jumping out of bed motivation, but none-the-less it's better than starting the day late. Two miles into the hike, there was a cooler by the side of the road with some pops, ice pops, and apples. We were absolutely thrilled because we were running really low on food and calories. We sat down and enjoyed a nice drink as the early sun was drying out the dew. Once again, it thunderstormed last night. We were just thankful the brook we camped next to didn't wash us out. 

The first half of the day went by pretty quick, and it was easy terrain. We stopped just before a 500 ft. climb to have some lunch and evaluate our shortage of food. As we we pulling out our food bags, a group of four rode up on bicycles and set their bikes down as they planed their hike up the mountain. We asked them if there was anywhere nearby to buy food and they mentioned a grocery/deli about two miles away. Never mind that. There was no way we'd walk that far out of our way. They offered to let us borrow a couple bike and we enthusiastically accepted. We were able to get chocolate milk, a burger and sub, and enough food to hold us over until Salisbury. What a blessing! The Lord truly provides every time we have need. We returned in plenty of time, and before they returned from their hike. We were even able to take a short midday nap. It was amazing. After lunch, we started the trek up the mountain. This would be the first of five decent ascents for the afternoon. It turned out to be a piece of cake. The big lunch and chocolate milk gave us enough calories to power through the first six miles of climbs. On the first climb we met another thru-hiker named Lucky B. He ended up hiking seven or so miles with us, and we just talked about life and what was to come after the trail. He made the comment that at this point in the hike you just needed to put the grit to the grind and go. We agreed; it's time to wrap this long journey up. We discussed how much more difficult the journey has been than anything we have ever done in life before. Lucky B had rowed for Rutgers and almost made it to the Olympics for rowing and he had practiced law for a couple years and he noted that the trail was indeed more difficult than practicing law. It was comforting knowing we weren't the only ones feeling challenged. 

We made it to the Pine Swamp Brook shelter which was only 2.5 miles from our destination right before the sky regurgitated what the ground had swallowed up the night before. We weren't planning on stopping, but quickly decided to eat dinner there and push on after the rain passed. It turned out to be a popular idea because 30 minutes later Lucky B, Stick in the Mud, and Unity showed up dripping wet. 

After dinner we pushed on the easy 2.5 miles to camp. When we arrived it seemed to be supper time for all the mosquitoes and their families. They zoned into every exposed portion of skin and even that you didn't know was exposed. It was a war- literally a flesh and blood war. I applied ever article of clothing I owned just to keep their piercing beaks from penetrating. We said goodbye to Lucky B as he left to add another three miles to his day. Just as it was dusk and we were escaping into our tent it's starts to spit rain. Not even ten minute later it was a full-blown monsoon of thunder, lightening, wind, and rain galore. Our hearts went out to Lucky B as we knew he was hiking in this madness. The only thing worse than hiking in a raging thunderstorm is hiking in one at night. We headed to bed after praying for our protection and that of our newly met friends. 

7/10: Day 102

Sharon Mountain Campground (1482.6)- Sages Ravine Campground (1502.5)

Total miles: 19.9

Last night it rained for quite some time. We woke to a soggy tent and dampened attire. It's become the norm lately. Before we left camp we rinsed off some clothes in the creek and hung them from our packs to dry out. Today was a resupply day so we needed to book it in order to still be able to do 20 miles and enjoy a nice lunch in Salisbury. With the terrain being similar to the recent days we ended up getting into town by 11:30 a.m. We resupply and bought some lunch from the deli. The grocery was a locally owned shop but one of the drawbacks to it was the prices were double what we usually pay for groceries. For two days of food and lunch we spent around 80 dollars. It is what it is. While we were eating outside, Lucky B arrived. We cheered and applauded that he survived the walk of danger last night. He reassured us that he was able to set up his hammock real quick before it got severe, but he did get soaked because his tarp lost the battle with the monsoon last night. Not long after, five other thru-hikers showed and we were all chatting and having a good time. One of the hikers, Lost Boy, we haven't seen since the Smokies, so it was great catching up with him. Around 2:00 p.m., we finally set out to finish the remainder if the day. We only had eight miles left, but there were a couple 500 ft. climbs to add some spice. The last climb up Bear Mountain wasn't bad at all, but the descent was one I'd like to not ever do again. I'm just thankful the rocks were relatively dry. We made it to camp by 6:30 p.m and met some section hikers that gave us a tube to clean out our water filter. We had lost ours a couple months ago and have just been borrowing others but they let us keep theirs because they had an extra. What a nice couple! We had a quick dinner and hurried into our oasis of liberty from Mosquitos. We are so thankful to have an awesome tent that shelters us from the little demon bugs all night. Praise The Lord!

7/11: Day 103

Sages Ravine Campsite (1,502.5)- Great Barrington, MA (1,517.1)

Total: 15.6 miles

This morning was the first morning in awhile that we woke up to a dry tent. Hallelujah, it did not rain again last night. We had a great night's sleep and we were well rested for the 21 miles we had planned to knock out. Today was such a perfect day for hiking. There was a steady breeze and the temperature didn't peak above mid-70's. It was glorious, at least until the 2.5 miles of Mosquito hell we went through later on. Hold that thought for a moment..

We had lunch at the Hemlocks Shelter which was at 2,000 ft. in elevation which meant amazing temperature, and little to no insects feeding on us. Later on, we descended back to the valley and that is where we walked through the mosquito hell. We crossed into a beautiful pine wooded forest immersed in swamp land, and all of the sudden these beastly bugs zoomed in and attacked every bare piece of flesh. It was appalling. We stopped for 15 seconds to douse ourselves with repellent and booked it out of there like chickens running from a butcher. Jeremy, bless his heart, remained completely calm, while I did everything but scream from the top of my lungs. After that episode, we made it to a highway and out of the woods. At this point we wanted nothing to do with the woods for the rest of the evening. We wanted a shower, clean laundry, and a climate controlled environment. Jeremy called his dad and he was able to get us a room at the Marriott in Great Barrington. The only thing between us and that oasis for the evening was a couple more miles of walking and a hitch into town. As soon as we got to the next road, we stuck out our thumbs and a sweet lady named Chandler in a Volvo wagon pulls over and let's us in. It was the very first car that passed us! The Lord never ceases to provide!! Chandler told us about her step-son hiking the AT a couple years ago, so that was neat to hear. We heavily thanked her and entered the hotel. The rest off the evening consisted of taking no shorter than 30 minute showers, laundry, and vegging out on pizza and chocolate milk in front of the T.V. It's been a good night!

7/12: Day 104

Great Barrington, MA (1517.1)- Stealth Camp (1539.5)

This morning, after a glorious breakfast at the hotel the ride back to the trail was a piece of cake. We start walking down the rode and before we could even attempt to hitch, a guy pulled over and asked if we needed a ride. Um, yes please!! We were back on trail in no time. We were rather sluggish all day. We were on and off about calling it an early day and just starting over tomorrow, but we pushed through and finally made it to our stealth camping spot close to a small spring. We only saw one other thru-hiker today, and he pushed on to the next shelter. Today has been rather uneventful. We are hoping to get back to the grind tomorrow and aim for a bigger day. We're still attempting to keep an average of 20's to Katahdin! God is good always :)

Largest Oak Tree on the A.T. in NY.

A little board walking.

 

We're starting to see more mountainous views! 

Bye bye New York

Big Rattle Snake on the trail.

Yummm!

1500 miles!!!

Old monument on another Bear Mountain in MA.

Hello Massachusettes!!

We climbed all the way up Mount Everett to see this view. 

Water we don't have to filter is always a blessing!

The exact spot Shays Rebellion took place.

Riding some borrowed bikes to get some food!

Covering from the bugs.