We head off for breakfast at the local diner, and both order 'the hungry man's platter'. Then we head off with packs and walk on to the highway to hitch back to the trail. Immediately a car stops heading in to town, with Sourdough and Spiritwalker, and they say - 'We can take you out to the trail,' so we had a quick return.
Sourdough hiked with us today, and it was great to walk and talk and catch up with all the news as we had not seen him for a few weeks. It is a hard slog - a climb of 2000' to the summit of Mt Success. We have lunch when we find a water source - water is scarce.
We arrive at Gentian Pond at about 5 pm and find a group of college students camping. We take platforms further up the hill and hope they won't be too noisy. We fall in love with the college students when they present each of us with a chocolate bar which they say is 'surplus to requirements'. We also meet 'Trooper' for the first time - he camps further up the hill in a patch of scrub - very much the lone wolf. But he does eat his chocolate bar.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Day 152 - 30th August - Imp Shelter to Goreham - 8 miles
An early climb of a 1000' followed by a steep descent. The last two miles is an old road and we pick up speed to head into town as fast as possible. Crossing a small creek I slip and fall on the slimy granite and hit my head hard on the rock. Blood everywhere, broken glasses, and a gash about 1cm long. I was so eager to get to town! Now I have a throbbing headache.
The trail reaches the road and in the car park there is a 'girl friend' dropping off her partner, an AT thru-hiker. She gives us a ride into Goreham. We stay at the motel, and do laundry and resupply. Walmart is 5 miles out of town and we have the phone number of Bruce, a trail angel who thru hiked in 1987, so we call him and he drives us out to Walmart and waits for us while we do the shopping. Amazing character, and then he didnt want to accept any money, but we insisted.
We eat dinner at the motel restaurant - Mexican. And lo and behold, lolling by the pool, Neutron, Sandbagger and Zan, having bypassed the Wild Cat Range.
The trail reaches the road and in the car park there is a 'girl friend' dropping off her partner, an AT thru-hiker. She gives us a ride into Goreham. We stay at the motel, and do laundry and resupply. Walmart is 5 miles out of town and we have the phone number of Bruce, a trail angel who thru hiked in 1987, so we call him and he drives us out to Walmart and waits for us while we do the shopping. Amazing character, and then he didnt want to accept any money, but we insisted.
We eat dinner at the motel restaurant - Mexican. And lo and behold, lolling by the pool, Neutron, Sandbagger and Zan, having bypassed the Wild Cat Range.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Day 151 - 29th August - Pinkham Notch to Imp Shelter - 13.1 miles
Today is a very hard, long day to climb Wild Cat Spur and do the full traverse of the Wild Cat Ridge. It is possible to bypass this hike, and hitch straight into Goreham, and this has appeal for many of the young hikers. We find a big mob of them lolling by the pool at the motel the following day. Digby and I remain pure and are totally exhausted by the day.
The track visits a shelter by a lake at Carters Notch Hut which is very picturesque - we decide to drop in and have some soup for lunch, which turns out to be the worst soup we have on the whole trail.
We crawl into the campsite at 6.15pm after a very serious descent - a cliff rather than a trail. We wonder how non rock climbers cope with this. It would one of the hardest sections on the whole trail.
Day 150 - 28th August - Madison Hut - Pinkham Notch - 7.8 miles
We depart early immediately after breakfast. It is sunny but very windy and we climb the steep spur up to Mt Madison. It is almost a razor back ridge and we enjoy the views which extend right across the valleys. A steep descent off Mt Madison, and we arrive at the campsite at lunch time - we know Scatters is fit - but we could not have come this far yesterday. Another couple of hours and we arrive at Pinkham Notch - a large settlement - visitor information, shop with accommodation and restaurant. We eat and then decide to start along the trail to find a bush camp next to the creek.
We find a lovely sheltered tent site and then sleep away the rest of the afternoon. What a treat!
We find a lovely sheltered tent site and then sleep away the rest of the afternoon. What a treat!
Day 149 - 27th August - Lake of the Clouds Hut - Mt Washington - Madison Hut - 7.1 miles
The weather report says that the winds will drop from 50 miles per hour to 20 - 30 miles per hour so we delay our departure until the dial shows the decline and we start hiking at 9.00am. It is a struggle to walk and climb the 1,000' to Mt Washington but we take it slowly and finally arrive. Mt Washington is swirling in mist, with occasional breaks in the cloud to view the ocean and valleys below.
We meet up with Donna, Scatter's mum, and her Aunt Margaret who have brought lots of food for us. We meet in the car park at the car and stuff ourselves with turkey rolles and then keep on going.
The clouds clear as we descend to provide some great views of the ridge we are hiking. There is a train which climbs Mt Washington, and we walk along the tracks and the see the train - something quite prehistoric. We follow the ridge to Madison Hut, and arrive around 4pm and decide to book in as guests. It is too late for us to try to reach the campsite.
Scatters decides to head on to the campsite with On the Loose - the things you can do when you are young and fit. We enjoy the evening at Madison, and meeting some of the 'paying customers'. A thru hiker called 'Golden Ray' who is deaf, falls on the summit climb to Mt Madison and knocks himself out. He is carried down to the hut, and looked after. A doctor happens to be one of the hikers. Golden Ray is very fit, but the doctor is worried in case he falls again, and gives him his phone number to call if anything else happens.
We meet up with Donna, Scatter's mum, and her Aunt Margaret who have brought lots of food for us. We meet in the car park at the car and stuff ourselves with turkey rolles and then keep on going.
The clouds clear as we descend to provide some great views of the ridge we are hiking. There is a train which climbs Mt Washington, and we walk along the tracks and the see the train - something quite prehistoric. We follow the ridge to Madison Hut, and arrive around 4pm and decide to book in as guests. It is too late for us to try to reach the campsite.
Scatters decides to head on to the campsite with On the Loose - the things you can do when you are young and fit. We enjoy the evening at Madison, and meeting some of the 'paying customers'. A thru hiker called 'Golden Ray' who is deaf, falls on the summit climb to Mt Madison and knocks himself out. He is carried down to the hut, and looked after. A doctor happens to be one of the hikers. Golden Ray is very fit, but the doctor is worried in case he falls again, and gives him his phone number to call if anything else happens.
Day 148 - 26th August - Lake of the Clouds Hut - Zero Day
The weather outside is terrible. I snuggle into my bunk in my winter sleeping bag and read the novel I have scrounged from the library shelf - Danielle Steele and her character Lily: 'which one of you bitches is my mother'. I am really glad that we have become 'paying customers'. All the thru-hikers who stayed last night and slept on the floor of the dining room in return for doing a chore, are told they have to move on. Outside the wind is howling, the visibility is dismal, and the temperature is chilling. The hikers are faced with a three mile hike to the summit of Mt Washington along an exposed ridge, in terrible conditions. The hundred dollar per person per night charge seems a small price to pay at this minute. I am not sure of the ethics of forcing hikers outside into hypothermic conditions, but all the beds are sold and they are probably expecting a new batch of arrivals and a new batch of bedraggled thru hikers. So the thru-hikers are moved on. If they make it to Mt Washington, it is possible to evacuate the mountain - there is a visitor centre and a bus which departs twice a day down to the valleys where it is possible to wait out the storm. But the bus costs money - and many thru hikers can't spare the cash.
Around 10.00am, a new set of room-mates arrive, dripping wet and hypothermic. This is a family of 4 from Boston, who have booked this night months ago - pity about the conditions. Lunch and morning and afternoon tea are available so we stuff ourselves. For one minute the clouds clear and the sun shines through. Digby rushes out into the freezing wind to take a photo. Early in the afternoon I hear someone calling 'Tripper! Where are you?' It is Scatters who has caught up to us doing another long day. This is great news - tomorrow we will be able to meet Donna, her mum on the top of Mt Wellington.
Around 10.00am, a new set of room-mates arrive, dripping wet and hypothermic. This is a family of 4 from Boston, who have booked this night months ago - pity about the conditions. Lunch and morning and afternoon tea are available so we stuff ourselves. For one minute the clouds clear and the sun shines through. Digby rushes out into the freezing wind to take a photo. Early in the afternoon I hear someone calling 'Tripper! Where are you?' It is Scatters who has caught up to us doing another long day. This is great news - tomorrow we will be able to meet Donna, her mum on the top of Mt Wellington.
Day 147 - 25th August - Mitzah Springs Hut - Lake of the Clouds Hut - 4.7 miles
We wake up to foul weather. Our job is to sweep the bunkrooms so we have to wait for everyone to depart before we can start the job.The weather has really closed in. Luckily we are sheltered below the treeline for much of the hike. It is very cold, with high winds, so we move fast. With one mile to go to reach the hut, we come across a small older woman, in shredded poncho, cotton trousers which only reach to mid-calf, drenched to the skin, and not strong enough to stand agains the wind. Digby holds her and guides her to the hut. We wonder how many of the hikers will be hypothermia candidates.
At the Hut we are able to book in as paying guests for 2 nights to give the bad weather a chance to move on.I snuggle down into my bunk and sleeping bag and read 'Lace' - not a wide choice of reading material but it passed the time.During the afternoon bedraggled hikers start to arrive. The weather worsens during the afternoon and then clears for a few moments during the sunset. The staff take the opportunity to strip to bathers and swim in the lake. You are only young once.
Our bunkroom is awash with wet dripping clothers, and parkas.
Hamsteaks for dinner.
A contingent of through hikers - we count about 15 - are allowed to stay and sleep on the dining room floor.I am glad we are paying customers. The interface between the thru hikers and the staff is fraught with difficulty. Some thru hikers have a sense of entitlement which staff need to manage - it is difficult to turn people out into the blizzard.
At the Hut we are able to book in as paying guests for 2 nights to give the bad weather a chance to move on.I snuggle down into my bunk and sleeping bag and read 'Lace' - not a wide choice of reading material but it passed the time.During the afternoon bedraggled hikers start to arrive. The weather worsens during the afternoon and then clears for a few moments during the sunset. The staff take the opportunity to strip to bathers and swim in the lake. You are only young once.
Our bunkroom is awash with wet dripping clothers, and parkas.
Hamsteaks for dinner.
A contingent of through hikers - we count about 15 - are allowed to stay and sleep on the dining room floor.I am glad we are paying customers. The interface between the thru hikers and the staff is fraught with difficulty. Some thru hikers have a sense of entitlement which staff need to manage - it is difficult to turn people out into the blizzard.
Day 146 - 24th August - Ethan Pond Campsite - Crawford Notch - Mizpah Springs Hut - 9.3 miles
We are up and hiking by 7.00am and get a lovely view of the pond.It is an easy walk to the highway at Crawford Notch and we are there by 8.30am We hitch a ride with the sixth car to go by - a female post doc from Dartmought College doing research on water quality, from mercury leaching from the old mines.
We restock at the Crawford Notch General Store and eat microwaved food for breakfast. Five day hikers squash us into their car and give us a ride back to the trail. The weather is fine and we have a great ascent of a very steep climb to the main ridge. We enjoy the sunshine and take our time, drying off our boots and lunching on one of the rocky outcrops overlooking the hut in the distance.
We arrive at the hut and get 'work for stay' with 2 southbounders (SOBOs) and we meet up with FOG - Friendly Old Guy - who has paid to stay. A pleasant evening reading and sleeping in the library above the kitchen. We are woken by one of the staff singing at us - I am sure she thinks she has a good voice - but alas its not true.
We restock at the Crawford Notch General Store and eat microwaved food for breakfast. Five day hikers squash us into their car and give us a ride back to the trail. The weather is fine and we have a great ascent of a very steep climb to the main ridge. We enjoy the sunshine and take our time, drying off our boots and lunching on one of the rocky outcrops overlooking the hut in the distance.
We arrive at the hut and get 'work for stay' with 2 southbounders (SOBOs) and we meet up with FOG - Friendly Old Guy - who has paid to stay. A pleasant evening reading and sleeping in the library above the kitchen. We are woken by one of the staff singing at us - I am sure she thinks she has a good voice - but alas its not true.
Day 145 - 23rd August - Galehead Hut to Ethan Pond Campsite - 11.8 miles
We wake early at 6.30am to pack up our gear and then set the tables for breakfast. For breakfast we have a big bowl of porridge, lots of pancakes and maple syrup. We finally manage to get away at 9.00am. The weather is still really bad - I am wearing all my layers. On the unprotected summits the wind is blowing to 50 miles per hour, but most of the walk is protected by the trees.
We arrive at Zealand Hut for lunch - and have lovely fresh baked bread and turkey and vegetable soup which is really yummy. I eat two serves. The track to Ethan Pond follows an old railway so we make fast time and arrive at the lake around 5.30pm and camp on a tent platform next to the lake. There are moose in the area but we have yet to see one. The Barbarians also stay here in the shelter.
We arrive at Zealand Hut for lunch - and have lovely fresh baked bread and turkey and vegetable soup which is really yummy. I eat two serves. The track to Ethan Pond follows an old railway so we make fast time and arrive at the lake around 5.30pm and camp on a tent platform next to the lake. There are moose in the area but we have yet to see one. The Barbarians also stay here in the shelter.
Day 144 - 22nd August - Liberty Springs Tentsite - Galehead Hut - 10.4 miles
The weather has closed in, but we start hiking regardless. The campsite has been quite sheltered, tucked away on the side of the mountain. We head up out of the trees and are hit by very strong winds with gusts to 30 miles per hour.The mist swirls so we have a surreal experience with low visibility on a moon landscape of rocky ridges and boulders. We follow the ridge, cliimb the peaks, see no views, freeze to death, and then descend down very steep wet boulder cliffs, and wade through muddy bogs. I think of Scatters in town. The descent off Mt Garfield is one of the worst on the whole trail for us.
Finally we arrive at Galehead Hut - we can hear the wind turbines screaming a few miles before the hut. We are lucky enough to be accepted into the hut as 'work for stay' which means they feed us and we get to do chores andn sleep on the floor in the dining room. The hut holds about 50 people - most of them college students from places like Yale, etc, who have paid a $100 a night for dinner bead and breakfast.
The Barbarians arrive half an hour behind us - Paul Molyneaux, Venato and Bluish - and they are accepted for work for stay as well. The noise from the turbines is deafening and the staff shut them down so they can survive the gales. We set tables andn defrost the fridge. We get to eat the left overs after everybody else has finished - potato soup, pasta shells in a meat sauce, and cake. We spread out our beds at 9.00pm and lights out at 9.30pm.
In the middle of the night the winds are so strong they blow open the front door - we are sleeping right next to the door and I struggle to close it against the force of the wind.
Finally we arrive at Galehead Hut - we can hear the wind turbines screaming a few miles before the hut. We are lucky enough to be accepted into the hut as 'work for stay' which means they feed us and we get to do chores andn sleep on the floor in the dining room. The hut holds about 50 people - most of them college students from places like Yale, etc, who have paid a $100 a night for dinner bead and breakfast.
The Barbarians arrive half an hour behind us - Paul Molyneaux, Venato and Bluish - and they are accepted for work for stay as well. The noise from the turbines is deafening and the staff shut them down so they can survive the gales. We set tables andn defrost the fridge. We get to eat the left overs after everybody else has finished - potato soup, pasta shells in a meat sauce, and cake. We spread out our beds at 9.00pm and lights out at 9.30pm.
In the middle of the night the winds are so strong they blow open the front door - we are sleeping right next to the door and I struggle to close it against the force of the wind.
Day 143 - 21st August - Eliza Brook Shelter - Liberty Springs Tentsite - 11.4 miles
Lasr night is really cold and I am snuggled into my winter sleeping bag. We sleep in an extra half hour and start walking at 7.45am. It is a very steep climb to South Kinsman Mountain, with huge rock slabs to negotiate, which test our rock climbing skils. We find it very tiring. The views from the top are superb, and little do we know - they are the last views that we see for a few days, as the weather starts to close in.
We have a long descent down wet granite slabs and cliffs which takes forever arriving at our first 'catered' hut in the Whites - Lonesome Lake Hut - and there are thousands of people here. You can pay to stay here, and there is a lunch menu so we tuck in - the soup turns out to be like dishwater. So disppointing. We make a fast descent to the road at Franconia Notch. Scatters catches us here and decides to head into town - she has heard the weather is turning bad. We climb another 2,000' to make it to Liberty Springs Campsite, which is nestled into the side of the mountain out of the wind. There must be 15 tents here, scattered through the trees, and a warden directs us to our campsite, and gives us the weather forecast - bad!
We have a long descent down wet granite slabs and cliffs which takes forever arriving at our first 'catered' hut in the Whites - Lonesome Lake Hut - and there are thousands of people here. You can pay to stay here, and there is a lunch menu so we tuck in - the soup turns out to be like dishwater. So disppointing. We make a fast descent to the road at Franconia Notch. Scatters catches us here and decides to head into town - she has heard the weather is turning bad. We climb another 2,000' to make it to Liberty Springs Campsite, which is nestled into the side of the mountain out of the wind. There must be 15 tents here, scattered through the trees, and a warden directs us to our campsite, and gives us the weather forecast - bad!
Day 142 - 20th August - Glencliff - Mt Moosilauke - Elisa Brook Shelter - 17 miles
An early start to climb the mountain which has been on our horizon for at least a week. It is a huge silhouette in the distance, which has psyched me out a bit. This is the first mountain of the Whites - the Whites are meant to be tough - I am nervous.
It turns out to be quite straighforward - cloudy, rain threatening and steep.We reach the summit in two hours. It is really cold and windy on the summit, with poor visibility - we don't hang around. Hikers loom up out of the mist. The descent is quite tricky. Once we are back into the treeline, the weather improves and we huddle together for a quick snack. Then another half hour of descending and the blue sky emerges - we wonder if there are now great views from the summit but we are not going back to check.
We follow a very steep track down alongside a waterfall - it is huge rockslabs with timber steps nailed to the granite to enable hikers to get a grip. I wonder how dogs get on doing this bit. Some of the granite is very slimy from the water flow - it is a serious accident waiting to happen here.
We arrive down at the road at Kingston Notch at about 1.30pm and stop for lunch. While we are waiting, Scatters catches up to us. We are still feeling good so decide to continue on to the next shelter even though this involves another climb, which turns out to be very steep and hardwork. We arrive at the shelter just on dusk, very proud of ourselves - we have completed 17 miles in very difficult terrain.
The shelter is packed. We seem to have caught up to hikers we have not seen before - the Canadian Geese, an older couple, and The Barbarians - a father with two children aged around 10 and 7. Both these groups are through hikers.
It turns out to be quite straighforward - cloudy, rain threatening and steep.We reach the summit in two hours. It is really cold and windy on the summit, with poor visibility - we don't hang around. Hikers loom up out of the mist. The descent is quite tricky. Once we are back into the treeline, the weather improves and we huddle together for a quick snack. Then another half hour of descending and the blue sky emerges - we wonder if there are now great views from the summit but we are not going back to check.
We follow a very steep track down alongside a waterfall - it is huge rockslabs with timber steps nailed to the granite to enable hikers to get a grip. I wonder how dogs get on doing this bit. Some of the granite is very slimy from the water flow - it is a serious accident waiting to happen here.
We arrive down at the road at Kingston Notch at about 1.30pm and stop for lunch. While we are waiting, Scatters catches up to us. We are still feeling good so decide to continue on to the next shelter even though this involves another climb, which turns out to be very steep and hardwork. We arrive at the shelter just on dusk, very proud of ourselves - we have completed 17 miles in very difficult terrain.
The shelter is packed. We seem to have caught up to hikers we have not seen before - the Canadian Geese, an older couple, and The Barbarians - a father with two children aged around 10 and 7. Both these groups are through hikers.
Day 141 - 19th August - Ore Hill Shelter - Glencliff - 7.5 miles
A relatively easy climb and descent through forest to the Glencliff Rd, followed by a 0.5 mile trip into 'town' to stay at the Hikers Welcome Hostel. At the road we are 'dicovered' by a film crew who want to film us to give a bit of local colour to their story of the AT. We are happy to oblige but when we ask if they can run us into town, they are suddenly too busy. So we start walking the half mile down the road. Not one car goes past.
The Hikers Welcome Hostel is a fairly ramshackle place - our first thought is that it would never pass council inspections in Australia and would not be allowed to operate with the toilet and bathroom facilities which are basically a tent, with one shower and one toilet for up to 50 people who are staying here in the dormitory or camping in their own tents. We pitch our tent on the lawn along with about 8 other tents, and get a ride into town with Red Hat and Lion King.We are able to have a nice lunch and do a resupply at the grocery for 4 days food.
The Hikers Welcome Hostel is a fairly ramshackle place - our first thought is that it would never pass council inspections in Australia and would not be allowed to operate with the toilet and bathroom facilities which are basically a tent, with one shower and one toilet for up to 50 people who are staying here in the dormitory or camping in their own tents. We pitch our tent on the lawn along with about 8 other tents, and get a ride into town with Red Hat and Lion King.We are able to have a nice lunch and do a resupply at the grocery for 4 days food.
Day 140 - 18th August - Perking Brook - Ore Hill Shelter - 14.4 miles
We start early and climb for an hour, and climb another 1,000' to reach the fire tower. I am glad we did not try and do this last night. It would have killed us.Stucco and Boss have just left 10 minutes before we arrived. Then we have a long 4 mile descent to the road.
Another 2,000' climb over spectacular rock slabs to Mt Cube which is quite rocky. There are glorious views and we have lunch on top with some southbounders (SOBOS) asking them questions about the White Mountains, gathering as much intelligence as we can on how the hut system works.
We are feeling quite tired today - the combination of two full days of heavy climbing takes its toll. We finally staggger into Ore Hill Shelter just before 5pm. The first red oak leaves are starting to fall.
Another 2,000' climb over spectacular rock slabs to Mt Cube which is quite rocky. There are glorious views and we have lunch on top with some southbounders (SOBOS) asking them questions about the White Mountains, gathering as much intelligence as we can on how the hut system works.
We are feeling quite tired today - the combination of two full days of heavy climbing takes its toll. We finally staggger into Ore Hill Shelter just before 5pm. The first red oak leaves are starting to fall.
Day 139 - 17th August - Etna to Perking Brook - 15.5 miles
Karen drops us off back at the trail. There is some serious climbing today. Boss and Stucco catch us up around 10.00am having started in Hanover that morning. HD Mamma reappears and her husband provides soft drinks for trail magic on a side road, with north bounders (NOBOs) andn south bounders (SOBOs) sitting around together swapping tips.
In the mid afternoon we walk through a field and there is a signpost saying 'ice-cream' so we follow it to a house 50 metres away. Bill, the owner of the house presents us with a chocolate paddlepop and asks us to sign the register. He has collected signatures from every hiker both NOBO and SOBO who have stopped for an icecream. We are #410 and #411. There have been twelve hikers through that day. We have been hiking today with 'Red Hat', an older woman of 63, whose husband died in December. She has hiked many sections of the trail in previous years and this year is doing her version of a thru hike. She decides to stay and sleep at Bills house on the verandah with her hammock.
We leave her to it and start the climb up Lamberts Spur to the fire tower. We climb 1,000', find a small water source with a flat spot nearby and decide to call it a day as it is 6.00pm. The fire tower can wait until tomorrow.
In the mid afternoon we walk through a field and there is a signpost saying 'ice-cream' so we follow it to a house 50 metres away. Bill, the owner of the house presents us with a chocolate paddlepop and asks us to sign the register. He has collected signatures from every hiker both NOBO and SOBO who have stopped for an icecream. We are #410 and #411. There have been twelve hikers through that day. We have been hiking today with 'Red Hat', an older woman of 63, whose husband died in December. She has hiked many sections of the trail in previous years and this year is doing her version of a thru hike. She decides to stay and sleep at Bills house on the verandah with her hammock.
We leave her to it and start the climb up Lamberts Spur to the fire tower. We climb 1,000', find a small water source with a flat spot nearby and decide to call it a day as it is 6.00pm. The fire tower can wait until tomorrow.
Day 138 - 16th August - Hanover to Etna - 5.9 miles
My boots have separated the sole from the top, so Karen drives us to a large outfitter to buy new boots. On the way we cross back on the bridge to Norwich and see Stucco and Scatters and Boss arriving on the bridge to enter New Hampshire.
Karen then drops us back in Hanover and we have lunch, do our food shopping and then walk the 5 miles back to Etna which is a very tiny village close to Tiggers Treehouse. We had spoken on the phone to Tater Chip, whom we had not seen since Virginia. He decided to 'flip flop' - after reaching Harpers Ferry, the half way mark he then headed to Maine to the end point of the trail to start walking back south to Harpers Ferry. He was worried that he would not complete the trail before the cold set in if he kept heading north. So Tater is heading south to Hanover and the plan is that we will cross paths with him on the trail today as we head north from Hanover. And can you believe it - we actually do meet up. He is as hail and heary as ever - keen, talking at a hundred miles an hour, with a strong southern Alabama accent. We sit and chat for half an hour and share recommendations. He has been sick and had to take a week off the trail to recover. He is walking with two young guys, who seem to fit in with quite well.
We turn off the trail to the general store at Etna and drink Mountain Dew and eat blueberry cake and potato chips and wait for Karen to pick us up. Another hiker arrives, who we meet for the first time - On the Loose - and we walk with On the Loose for the next 5 weeks and share the summit with her on our final day.
Back at Tiggers Treehouse we cook bacon and eggs for dinner in the microwave. It is very cramped and Digby and I restrain from killing each other.
Karen then drops us back in Hanover and we have lunch, do our food shopping and then walk the 5 miles back to Etna which is a very tiny village close to Tiggers Treehouse. We had spoken on the phone to Tater Chip, whom we had not seen since Virginia. He decided to 'flip flop' - after reaching Harpers Ferry, the half way mark he then headed to Maine to the end point of the trail to start walking back south to Harpers Ferry. He was worried that he would not complete the trail before the cold set in if he kept heading north. So Tater is heading south to Hanover and the plan is that we will cross paths with him on the trail today as we head north from Hanover. And can you believe it - we actually do meet up. He is as hail and heary as ever - keen, talking at a hundred miles an hour, with a strong southern Alabama accent. We sit and chat for half an hour and share recommendations. He has been sick and had to take a week off the trail to recover. He is walking with two young guys, who seem to fit in with quite well.
We turn off the trail to the general store at Etna and drink Mountain Dew and eat blueberry cake and potato chips and wait for Karen to pick us up. Another hiker arrives, who we meet for the first time - On the Loose - and we walk with On the Loose for the next 5 weeks and share the summit with her on our final day.
Back at Tiggers Treehouse we cook bacon and eggs for dinner in the microwave. It is very cramped and Digby and I restrain from killing each other.
Day 137 - 15th August - Thistle Hill Shelter - Hanover - 14.9 miles
We walk 5 miles into the small village of West Hartford and settle in at the Village Deli/General Store which is serving breakfast and is really busy. As we eat, everyone from the shelter last night arrive to have breakfast. We meet up with Wallflower who we have not seen since Virginia.
There is a sense of anticipation as we hike through the woods with the tall firs, as town gets closer. The first town is Norwich - there is a house with an esky at the front gate with watermelon slices and fruit cake for hikers. We love you Norwich! Then a car chases us down the street to give us a bag of freshly picked blueberries. Yum. We eat as we walk. and feel really special. We cross the bridge and leave Vermont and enter New Hampshire and the town of Hanover, the home town of Bill Bryson, who first introduced us to the AT with his book ' A Walk in the Woods'.
This is a university town for Dartmouth College. Accommodation is really expensive. We arrange to stay in a caravan with a family who come to town to pick us up - they are 6 miles out. We leave our packs at the Dartmouth Outdoor Centre, and wander around town and eat pizza then Ralph picks us up at 6.00pm and takes us back to 'Tiggers Treehouse'. This turns out to be an interesting experience. We sleep in a Winnebago - two nights in this space is enough for Digby and I to decide that we do not want to spend long periods travelling in a a caravan. Karen has 5 dogs - she is a very kind lady but has no idea how to make the dogs obey her. We will always think of 'barking dogs' as the main memory of Tiggers.
This is Sunday and we tally up how much distance we have covered for the last week - a total of 105.8 miles with a daily average of 15.1 miles. We are very pleased with our progress and think that we are still on target to complete the hike within our visa time which expires on September 30 - 6 weeks to go and 400 miles still to cover - and those 400 miles are renowned as some of the hardest on the whole trail.
There is a sense of anticipation as we hike through the woods with the tall firs, as town gets closer. The first town is Norwich - there is a house with an esky at the front gate with watermelon slices and fruit cake for hikers. We love you Norwich! Then a car chases us down the street to give us a bag of freshly picked blueberries. Yum. We eat as we walk. and feel really special. We cross the bridge and leave Vermont and enter New Hampshire and the town of Hanover, the home town of Bill Bryson, who first introduced us to the AT with his book ' A Walk in the Woods'.
This is a university town for Dartmouth College. Accommodation is really expensive. We arrange to stay in a caravan with a family who come to town to pick us up - they are 6 miles out. We leave our packs at the Dartmouth Outdoor Centre, and wander around town and eat pizza then Ralph picks us up at 6.00pm and takes us back to 'Tiggers Treehouse'. This turns out to be an interesting experience. We sleep in a Winnebago - two nights in this space is enough for Digby and I to decide that we do not want to spend long periods travelling in a a caravan. Karen has 5 dogs - she is a very kind lady but has no idea how to make the dogs obey her. We will always think of 'barking dogs' as the main memory of Tiggers.
This is Sunday and we tally up how much distance we have covered for the last week - a total of 105.8 miles with a daily average of 15.1 miles. We are very pleased with our progress and think that we are still on target to complete the hike within our visa time which expires on September 30 - 6 weeks to go and 400 miles still to cover - and those 400 miles are renowned as some of the hardest on the whole trail.
Day 136 - 14th August - Locust Creek to Thistle Hill Shelter - 16.4 miles
We climb to a mountain look out which has a private shelter owned by Look Out Farm. The cabin has a tower on the roof with a great view of Mt Moosilauke to the north. This is our first view of the 'White Mountains'. We arrive at a highway to discover a shop just down the road so we take detour to 'On the Edge' Farm where we can buy cheese, milk, soft drink, fruit and bread for lunch. We sit at a picnic table and watch a whole mob of cyclists heading past - a weekend ride.
The track has lots of climbs and descents - the climbing for the day adds up to 3400' - no wonder we are so tired. We find two cans of coke left in a net bag in the river as trail magic - we drink one - the other has leaked and is flat.
There are ten people at the shelter - and they are all new faces. We are wondering what has happened to our own 'cloud' of hikers. Camped next to us is 'Fog' standing for friendly old guy. He has hiked the trail before. This time he has decided to travel really light and fast. His pack looks like a day pack. He is covering over 20 miles every day so we dont expect to see him again. But surprise surprise - his face keeps reappearing over the next month, and we enjoy his company.
The track has lots of climbs and descents - the climbing for the day adds up to 3400' - no wonder we are so tired. We find two cans of coke left in a net bag in the river as trail magic - we drink one - the other has leaked and is flat.
There are ten people at the shelter - and they are all new faces. We are wondering what has happened to our own 'cloud' of hikers. Camped next to us is 'Fog' standing for friendly old guy. He has hiked the trail before. This time he has decided to travel really light and fast. His pack looks like a day pack. He is covering over 20 miles every day so we dont expect to see him again. But surprise surprise - his face keeps reappearing over the next month, and we enjoy his company.
Day 135 13th August - Inn at Long Trail - Locust Creek - 13.2 miles
A wonderful breakfast in the Inn dining room at the hikers' table. Digby orders 2 breakfasts, but the waitress doesn't believe he will be able to eat such a big feast, so only brings him 1 pancake not three, much to his annoyance. We eat breakfast with two hikers, one doing a section of the AT and one walking the Long Trail which overlaps the AT for several days.
Our first stop on the trail is at Mountain Meadows Lodge - at 2 miles. We ask if they can give us a 'packed lunch' to take away. They have obviously had lots of hungry hikers ask this question. They provide us with an amazing lunch - a turkey wrap, an apple (what joy!), corn chips and 2 cookies in a brown paper bag. While they make up our lunch we meet the star attraction of the lodge - the pet pig - it has a scrunched up face and when I scratch it behind the ears, it groans.
After the night eating and drinking we are feeling sluggish, especially with a lot of steep climbing. We finally call it quits at around 5.30 at Locust Creek where we find a patch in the bush just off the fire trail, above the creek There are two crews working on Quamby Mt trail and it is in very good condition. We watch a track worker using an axe - it was so painful I was waiting for Digby to rip the axe out of her hand do it for her. But he resisted!
Today we clock over the 1700 mile mark and feel very pleased with ourselves. Our campsite is at 1706 miles.
Our first stop on the trail is at Mountain Meadows Lodge - at 2 miles. We ask if they can give us a 'packed lunch' to take away. They have obviously had lots of hungry hikers ask this question. They provide us with an amazing lunch - a turkey wrap, an apple (what joy!), corn chips and 2 cookies in a brown paper bag. While they make up our lunch we meet the star attraction of the lodge - the pet pig - it has a scrunched up face and when I scratch it behind the ears, it groans.
After the night eating and drinking we are feeling sluggish, especially with a lot of steep climbing. We finally call it quits at around 5.30 at Locust Creek where we find a patch in the bush just off the fire trail, above the creek There are two crews working on Quamby Mt trail and it is in very good condition. We watch a track worker using an axe - it was so painful I was waiting for Digby to rip the axe out of her hand do it for her. But he resisted!
Today we clock over the 1700 mile mark and feel very pleased with ourselves. Our campsite is at 1706 miles.
Day 134 - 12th August - Clarendon Shelter - Mt Killington - Inn at Long Trail - 18.3 miles
An early start - we are psyched up to climb Mt Killington, the highest peak in Vermont. We have seen it on the horizon when we get mountain views for over a week and now the time has come to climb to the summit, at 4,000 ft. We start at 1190', so it is a long climb. We get into a rhythm and pound up the hill. The traverse on the contour is hard, for about a mile, with tree roots, rocks and steep steps to slow us down. We make good time and are sitting on the summit by 1pm along with 'the gang' - about 10 other hikers who we have been walking with including Scatters and Stucco. Everyone takes the opportunity to use their mobile phone on the summit, as reception is so good. We call Inn at Long Trail and book a room for the night - we get the last 'hikers' rooom'.
It is a long descent, and it seems like it is going on for ever. The Inn at Long Trail is actually a mile off the trail so we have to take a detour which is also full of tree roots. The Inn used to be on the trail, and then the powers that be decided to reroute the AT away from the Inn. Sad story? The owners tell us that it has actually worked for them - they dont get the hiker dregs anymore - the ones who want to dry their tents and gear all over their front lawn etc.
We settle into the bar - and what a surprise - it is an 'Irish' bar and they have cider - we are quite excited. Digby has Guinness on tap, this is the first pub in the US which has sold cider . We spend an enjoyable evening. On the TV Rugby League - Rabbitohs playing the Bulldogs - an Australian sense of deja vue.
It is a long descent, and it seems like it is going on for ever. The Inn at Long Trail is actually a mile off the trail so we have to take a detour which is also full of tree roots. The Inn used to be on the trail, and then the powers that be decided to reroute the AT away from the Inn. Sad story? The owners tell us that it has actually worked for them - they dont get the hiker dregs anymore - the ones who want to dry their tents and gear all over their front lawn etc.
We settle into the bar - and what a surprise - it is an 'Irish' bar and they have cider - we are quite excited. Digby has Guinness on tap, this is the first pub in the US which has sold cider . We spend an enjoyable evening. On the TV Rugby League - Rabbitohs playing the Bulldogs - an Australian sense of deja vue.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Day 133 - 11th August - Big branch - Clarendon Shelter - 16.9 miles
A wet tent and wet flor when I wake up. We have some great views today at Little Rock Pond. We stop at White Rock Cliff for lunch. The viewpoint is 0.2 miles off the trail with a steep descent, so have lunch at the turnoff, amongst all the rock stacks built by people. We share a lot of the trail with skidoo tracks - it must be snow covered in winter. We hit a road and detour half a mile off the trail to have dinner at the Whistlestop Cafe, an old railway station. Boss,Powerpak and Deetz join us. Chicken in gravy with mashed potato - pretty yummy.
The last two miles to the campsite are exhilarating rock climbs - quite chak
Llenging to swing out on a hold wearing a full pack
The last two miles to the campsite are exhilarating rock climbs - quite chak
Llenging to swing out on a hold wearing a full pack
Day 132 - 10th August - Bromley Ski Resort - Big Ibranch Shelter - 16.5 miles
An early start with a wonderful breakfast of make your own waffles. Dig by eats a huge breakfast. The receptionist gives her carkeys to her daughter who drives us back to the trail
We are climbing by 8 am and reach the summit of MtBromley via a trail across the ski run. We climb the fire tower and have great views looking down on theresort.
There is a shelter here and the log book Has an entry from Masterchief who stayed last night.
We follow a granite rige and climb Mt Baker. On the descent we meet Flgying Squirrel, and an all girls team moving boulders and upgrading the track. We met Flying Squirrel in the Smokies. As a ridge runner. Super tiny and super strong - wiry, and muscles, only five feet tall.
We meet three young men cutting logs,using only a chisels to shape them and leversto to place them. It is a designated wilderness area and no chain saw a are permitted. Bureaucracy gone mad. I appreciate the athleticism and muscles of the young men working bared to the waist. An unexpected joy to see their enthusiasm. We have seen more track workers today working on the trail, than for the whole rest of the trail. We discover the reason is that Vermont has funded this section which overlaps with the Long Trail,so gets lots of hikers doing both trails.
We camp across the Rivera re they are building a new bridge and put the tent tp on a small sand bar. There are great swimming holes amongst the boulders and even I have a swim.
We catch up with stucco and scatters and the rest of the gang. It rains in the night and the tent leaks.
We are climbing by 8 am and reach the summit of MtBromley via a trail across the ski run. We climb the fire tower and have great views looking down on theresort.
There is a shelter here and the log book Has an entry from Masterchief who stayed last night.
We follow a granite rige and climb Mt Baker. On the descent we meet Flgying Squirrel, and an all girls team moving boulders and upgrading the track. We met Flying Squirrel in the Smokies. As a ridge runner. Super tiny and super strong - wiry, and muscles, only five feet tall.
We meet three young men cutting logs,using only a chisels to shape them and leversto to place them. It is a designated wilderness area and no chain saw a are permitted. Bureaucracy gone mad. I appreciate the athleticism and muscles of the young men working bared to the waist. An unexpected joy to see their enthusiasm. We have seen more track workers today working on the trail, than for the whole rest of the trail. We discover the reason is that Vermont has funded this section which overlaps with the Long Trail,so gets lots of hikers doing both trails.
We camp across the Rivera re they are building a new bridge and put the tent tp on a small sand bar. There are great swimming holes amongst the boulders and even I have a swim.
We catch up with stucco and scatters and the rest of the gang. It rains in the night and the tent leaks.
Day 131 - Winhall R. - Bromley Ski Resort - 9.6 miles
We hike for a half day and then have the afternoon off at the ski resort. The manager from the resort picks Us up from the road after we call on our mobile phone. We have a room without a balcony which feels like a cave. The ski resort has mini golf,fun rides,cahairlift with a toboggan run.
There is a small general store and we do resupply from their shelves. Some great local cheese. There are crowds of people at the resort doing all the activities.
We find books to read and settle in for some reading therapy for the afternoon.
Dinner at the tiny bar. Prawns on skewers and pizza, and meet the locals. The manager let's us use his laptop to check our mail. On the computer, drinking margaritas.
There is a small general store and we do resupply from their shelves. Some great local cheese. There are crowds of people at the resort doing all the activities.
We find books to read and settle in for some reading therapy for the afternoon.
Dinner at the tiny bar. Prawns on skewers and pizza, and meet the locals. The manager let's us use his laptop to check our mail. On the computer, drinking margaritas.
Day 130 - 8th August - Kid Shelter - Winhall River - 17.1 miles
Today we reach the exact three quarter point of the hike at 1632 .8 miles. We climb Stratton Mountain today - 2,000 ft climb - we pound up the trail - very fit and fast. We meet daytrippers who have come across from the ski village by gondola. We see our first "moose poo".
We join Scatters, Stucco, Boss, Miles, and the two girls - Powerpak and Deetz - in a stealth camp by a swinging bridge over the river. We wash our clothes and bodies
in the river - a great treat.
We join Scatters, Stucco, Boss, Miles, and the two girls - Powerpak and Deetz - in a stealth camp by a swinging bridge over the river. We wash our clothes and bodies
in the river - a great treat.
Day 129 - 7th August - Congdon Shelter - Kid Gore Shelter - 18.7 miles
Today we have 2,000 ft climb to Mt Glastonbury, with a fie tower on the summit. At the first fire tower, there are 50 tourists waiting to climb the tower. A Jewish orthodox family with five young children dressed in old fashioned clothes, with the msles wearing ringlets.
On the summit, the winds are cold - we need to keep on the move.Most of the day we are walking ahead of the group, but they catchup in the last mile to the campsite, and then Boss races ahead got get the best campsite.
We camp on the dress circle balcony with stunning views back to the shelter. Stick walker and Belle the wonder dog.
On the summit, the winds are cold - we need to keep on the move.Most of the day we are walking ahead of the group, but they catchup in the last mile to the campsite, and then Boss races ahead got get the best campsite.
We camp on the dress circle balcony with stunning views back to the shelter. Stick walker and Belle the wonder dog.
Day 128 - Wiiliamstown -Congdon Shelter - 14.1 miles
We leave the motel early and have a steep climb to the Vermont border. It's very exciting to be crossing into a new state.
The track is very boggy and the water is flowing down the track - it reminded me of Tasmania.The trail follows a major river for several miles.
The night at this shelter becomes part of the trail folklore. A young predatory weekend hiker tries to pick up 'Boss' who turns her down, but Xan accepts her offer and moves into her tent. The campsite is crowded - all the campers get to listen to the giggling, and the talking goes on into the night. Nobody gets much sleep, and I feel cranky. On the trail that morning, every body debriefs - everybody is pissed off.
The track is very boggy and the water is flowing down the track - it reminded me of Tasmania.The trail follows a major river for several miles.
The night at this shelter becomes part of the trail folklore. A young predatory weekend hiker tries to pick up 'Boss' who turns her down, but Xan accepts her offer and moves into her tent. The campsite is crowded - all the campers get to listen to the giggling, and the talking goes on into the night. Nobody gets much sleep, and I feel cranky. On the trail that morning, every body debriefs - everybody is pissed off.
Day 127 - Cheshire - Mt Graylock - Williamstown - 14 miles
A late start after a beautiful BnB breakfast of French toast. Rain during the night and there is still heavy mist and as we walk through the forest,the forest is dripping and it is cold and spooky as we climb. Many of the young hikers have decided to slack pack today and do the walk in the opposite direction because it easier. As we climb up they are running down past us.
The weather starts to close in as we near the summit. We find the summit through the fog. The lodge provides a warm refuge. There is a large group of hikers inside playing cards,waiting for the weather to clear. Some are no wearing enough warm clothes, others are saturated and shivering.
Wehead out into the fog and cloud. It is difficult to find the right trail off the mountain. The signage is poor and the steep descent in the bad weather makes me anxious about being on the wrong trail.
We arrive on the Jain road into Williamstown and walk half a mile to the supermarket to shop. Then we make a bad mistake and decide to stay at the motel over the road - Redwood Motel. This is a BAD decision. The room is dirty - there is pubic hair on the top of the toilet bowl and used soap in the shower. We still stay but I am angry with myself for the next week that we just accepted it.
The weather starts to close in as we near the summit. We find the summit through the fog. The lodge provides a warm refuge. There is a large group of hikers inside playing cards,waiting for the weather to clear. Some are no wearing enough warm clothes, others are saturated and shivering.
Wehead out into the fog and cloud. It is difficult to find the right trail off the mountain. The signage is poor and the steep descent in the bad weather makes me anxious about being on the wrong trail.
We arrive on the Jain road into Williamstown and walk half a mile to the supermarket to shop. Then we make a bad mistake and decide to stay at the motel over the road - Redwood Motel. This is a BAD decision. The room is dirty - there is pubic hair on the top of the toilet bowl and used soap in the shower. We still stay but I am angry with myself for the next week that we just accepted it.
Day 126 - 4th August - Kay Wood LeanTo - Dalton - Cheshire - 12.3 miles
An early start to get to town for a big breakfast. The younger hikers plan to stay with Tom, who offers an open house to AT hikers. Having twenty hikers eating you out of house and home, lolling around in your lounge rom watching movies on your TV - we wondered how he could put up with it. He is one of the legends on the trail. We hear on the grapevine that Beaverchief has got Giardia, and Tom takes him and looks after him. We walk on past Tom's house into town and find the local diner for breakfast. This is one of the best breakfasts we eat on the trail. I order two plate size blueberry pancakes smothered with butter and maple syrup followed by three fried eggs, three slices of bacon and a pile of home made has browns, washed down with an orange juice freshly squeezed, and a coffee. As we eat, the tables fill up with hikers.
We shop at the local petrol station - not a great choice but we manage. We visit the post office to collect mail - the next set of guidebooks and maps. Mike and Theresa have sent us a card to encourage us and to congratulate us on our progress. We meet Beaverchief collecting a food package - loads of small packs of meal size serves of dried food, sent by his parents.
We walk through town, mainly old wooden buildings,and rundown gardens. There is a huge mountain we have to climb up and over to reach Cheshire. we slog it out, step by step, and the hikers pass us. There is some stunning views from the granite ridges.
Our first stop in Cheshire is the ice cream shop. At th picnic table in front of the shop, all the hikers gather. Miles needs new boots but there is no outfitter here so he rings the nearest outfitter to ask them to pick him up. They decline, so he hitches.
We are staying at Harbour Inn BnB - we call them and they pick us up. The inn is a wonderful old two story weatherboard mansion. We have a large room and the bathroom has an old clawed bath. Takeaway Italian is delivered and we eat out on the verandah.
We shop at the local petrol station - not a great choice but we manage. We visit the post office to collect mail - the next set of guidebooks and maps. Mike and Theresa have sent us a card to encourage us and to congratulate us on our progress. We meet Beaverchief collecting a food package - loads of small packs of meal size serves of dried food, sent by his parents.
We walk through town, mainly old wooden buildings,and rundown gardens. There is a huge mountain we have to climb up and over to reach Cheshire. we slog it out, step by step, and the hikers pass us. There is some stunning views from the granite ridges.
Our first stop in Cheshire is the ice cream shop. At th picnic table in front of the shop, all the hikers gather. Miles needs new boots but there is no outfitter here so he rings the nearest outfitter to ask them to pick him up. They decline, so he hitches.
We are staying at Harbour Inn BnB - we call them and they pick us up. The inn is a wonderful old two story weatherboard mansion. We have a large room and the bathroom has an old clawed bath. Takeaway Italian is delivered and we eat out on the verandah.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Day 125 - 3rd August - Goose Pond Shelter - Kay Wood LeanTo - 15.6 miles
When I went to check my notes for this day's hike the page was blank - I didn't write anything up. So this will be short and sweet. Two miles from Goose Pond Shelter we cross the freeway and find Mountain Tattoo waiting with his pick up truck by the side of the road, loaded with food for hikers. So even though we had just eaten pancakes for breakfast, we stopped and made ourselves salad rolls to eat and some to take with us for lunch - beautiful fresh bread. Yum.
We walked through a lot of pine forests and followed lakes modified by beavers. The beavers are able to change the landscape quite drastically - and they are so small. We are walking a lot with Ugly Tuna and Miles. We meet the wife of 'Doctor Rock' - we never actually meet him but we get to know his wife who has had to drop out of the hike because of a back injury. She now drives the car to points on the trail and waits for him and administers trail magic to hikers walking past. So aren't we lucky - lots of cokes on the trail.
There is a blueberry farm marked only 400 metres from the trail, where you can pick your own blueberries and also buy cookies - she is known as the 'cookie lady'. We detoured down to her house but alas nobody was home.
In the afternoon, we pass a large group of young hikers heading to the same shelter as us. We walk faster and faster to get there before they do so we can pick the best tent site. Alas the slope is steep everywhere, and the best night sleep is in a hammock. We are all packed in tight. Stucco and Scatters arrive in the dark and have to camp below the camp in valley.
We walked through a lot of pine forests and followed lakes modified by beavers. The beavers are able to change the landscape quite drastically - and they are so small. We are walking a lot with Ugly Tuna and Miles. We meet the wife of 'Doctor Rock' - we never actually meet him but we get to know his wife who has had to drop out of the hike because of a back injury. She now drives the car to points on the trail and waits for him and administers trail magic to hikers walking past. So aren't we lucky - lots of cokes on the trail.
There is a blueberry farm marked only 400 metres from the trail, where you can pick your own blueberries and also buy cookies - she is known as the 'cookie lady'. We detoured down to her house but alas nobody was home.
In the afternoon, we pass a large group of young hikers heading to the same shelter as us. We walk faster and faster to get there before they do so we can pick the best tent site. Alas the slope is steep everywhere, and the best night sleep is in a hammock. We are all packed in tight. Stucco and Scatters arrive in the dark and have to camp below the camp in valley.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Day 124 - 2nd August - Sth Wilcox Shelter to Goose Pond Shelter - 16 miles.
We see our first beaver swimming in a beaver dam, and are excited. Only the head and ripples from the swimming pattern but it is better than nothing.
There is some wonderful hiking through lush forests, and we revel in the damp moist New England environment. We find a Shaker community in a valley alongside the trail - a remnant religious sect based on very simple living from another century.
We find huge blueberries and feast on them. .We make it to Goose Pond, a place which is a legend on the trail. There is a luxury shelter, with a warden in residence, and loads of hikers. We camp on a platform 100 metres away from all the noise.
This is the only place where I actually have a swim on the trail. The water is cold. There is a great communal dinner cooked that night for all the hikers with everyone pitching in to help and make a donation. The same thing happens for breakfast. So we eat really well and feel full.
There is some wonderful hiking through lush forests, and we revel in the damp moist New England environment. We find a Shaker community in a valley alongside the trail - a remnant religious sect based on very simple living from another century.
We find huge blueberries and feast on them. .We make it to Goose Pond, a place which is a legend on the trail. There is a luxury shelter, with a warden in residence, and loads of hikers. We camp on a platform 100 metres away from all the noise.
This is the only place where I actually have a swim on the trail. The water is cold. There is a great communal dinner cooked that night for all the hikers with everyone pitching in to help and make a donation. The same thing happens for breakfast. So we eat really well and feel full.
Day 123 - 1st August - Jug End Rd to South Wilcox Shelter - 16.2 miles
We follow the Housotonic flood plain - with billabongs and signs warning that the water is contaminated with agricultural chemicals - PCB's and not to drink it. This pollutions comes from growing corn.
In the valley we find a stone memorial and plaque to 'Shays' Rebellion - which was a revolt against the taxation on whisky in 1787. The memorial marked the battle site. We thought it was a bit like the Eureka Stockade where the small miners objected to the gold tax in Ballarat in the 1850s. Shay was jailed for his leadership of the uprising but then later released, as the uncomfortable facts emerged that he was only behaving as the 'founding fathers' had behaved towards the English, objecting to the taxation of good such as tea - as per the Boston Tea Party when the american rebells through the english tea overboard rather than pay the tax on it. Shay was rehabilitated and pardoned. Read the full story in Wikipedia.
We sit down and take stock as to our progress. This week we have walked 80 miles, with a daily average of 11.4 miles. This includes the rest day at Kent, plus the next day where I was so sick we only covered 7 miles, so we are pleased that we have been able to manage the 80 miles. We have now covered 1523 miles total, with around 600 miles to go, and 8 weeks left before our visas run out. This means that we are within reach of our goal, but the hardest section of the trail is still to come - The White Mountains of New Hampshire.
In the valley we find a stone memorial and plaque to 'Shays' Rebellion - which was a revolt against the taxation on whisky in 1787. The memorial marked the battle site. We thought it was a bit like the Eureka Stockade where the small miners objected to the gold tax in Ballarat in the 1850s. Shay was jailed for his leadership of the uprising but then later released, as the uncomfortable facts emerged that he was only behaving as the 'founding fathers' had behaved towards the English, objecting to the taxation of good such as tea - as per the Boston Tea Party when the american rebells through the english tea overboard rather than pay the tax on it. Shay was rehabilitated and pardoned. Read the full story in Wikipedia.
We sit down and take stock as to our progress. This week we have walked 80 miles, with a daily average of 11.4 miles. This includes the rest day at Kent, plus the next day where I was so sick we only covered 7 miles, so we are pleased that we have been able to manage the 80 miles. We have now covered 1523 miles total, with around 600 miles to go, and 8 weeks left before our visas run out. This means that we are within reach of our goal, but the hardest section of the trail is still to come - The White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Day 122 - 31st July - Riga Leanto - Wild camp at Jug End Rd - 13.5 miles
I start feeling queazy at breakfast with the high energy milk drink we are carrying. I go downhill from there with cramps, gas and then diarroheoa by the end of the day. The food poisoning from Kent lingers on in my gut.
We have an early morning climb to the summit of Bear Mt with great views - there are 10 teenage boys up here with 2 leaders doing 'circle therapy'. We leave them to it and climb along the ridge which seems to go for ever - hard and rocky. There is a great view of Mt Graylock, the highest mountain in Vermont, in the distance.
We come across one of the most beautiful valleys on the trail - Sages Ravine, and wish that we had been able to camp here. It reminds us of home - the rainforest and the damp moss, and the fast flowing stream amongst the boulders.
And we cross another state border, leaving Connecticut and entering Massachussetts.
After the third mountain, we find ourselves amidst a lot of day hikers and familes and we descend into a picnic ground to find 2 guys waiting to provide trail magic for AT hikers - we oblige and stop for an hour even though my gut is saying stop eating, I keep stuffing it down.
The descent off the ridge down into the valley is not pleasant - we follow a knife edge rib and I need to stop and relieve myelf every hour. The pain is really bad - my guts are screaming and we press on to get down to the valley where there is water.
At the road we locate the spring and then head into the forest and make a wild camp amongst the ferns, 50 metres from the trail.
We have an early morning climb to the summit of Bear Mt with great views - there are 10 teenage boys up here with 2 leaders doing 'circle therapy'. We leave them to it and climb along the ridge which seems to go for ever - hard and rocky. There is a great view of Mt Graylock, the highest mountain in Vermont, in the distance.
We come across one of the most beautiful valleys on the trail - Sages Ravine, and wish that we had been able to camp here. It reminds us of home - the rainforest and the damp moss, and the fast flowing stream amongst the boulders.
After the third mountain, we find ourselves amidst a lot of day hikers and familes and we descend into a picnic ground to find 2 guys waiting to provide trail magic for AT hikers - we oblige and stop for an hour even though my gut is saying stop eating, I keep stuffing it down.
The descent off the ridge down into the valley is not pleasant - we follow a knife edge rib and I need to stop and relieve myelf every hour. The pain is really bad - my guts are screaming and we press on to get down to the valley where there is water.
At the road we locate the spring and then head into the forest and make a wild camp amongst the ferns, 50 metres from the trail.
Day 121 - 30th July - Belters campsite - Salisbury - Riga Leanto - 14.6 miles
Before we leave we chat to the large group of women - over 20 of them. They meet up each year and do 'a bit' of the AT.
There is long reroute of the trail to detour around the roadworks on a bridge. Maybe an extra 3 miles to our day so we are not impressed, but we enjoy the road walk through these old farm properties to the hydro stationa based at the waterfall.
There is a fast climb over a mountain into the cute village of Salisbury for lunch. We stop at a trendy tea house called 'Chiawalla' and invite Itinerary to join us - our shout. In town at the grocery we meet Kim and Laura and Clare the dog. We restock and Digby tracks down stove fuel from the auto electrician across the road.
We climb out of town to the northern outlook view of Mt Graylock in Vermont in the distance. We camp on a platform at the campsite.
There is long reroute of the trail to detour around the roadworks on a bridge. Maybe an extra 3 miles to our day so we are not impressed, but we enjoy the road walk through these old farm properties to the hydro stationa based at the waterfall.
There is a fast climb over a mountain into the cute village of Salisbury for lunch. We stop at a trendy tea house called 'Chiawalla' and invite Itinerary to join us - our shout. In town at the grocery we meet Kim and Laura and Clare the dog. We restock and Digby tracks down stove fuel from the auto electrician across the road.
We climb out of town to the northern outlook view of Mt Graylock in Vermont in the distance. We camp on a platform at the campsite.
Day 120 - 29th July - Stewart Hollow Leanto to Belters Campsite - 15.2 miles
I feel much better this morning and able make good time. The trail goes through some beautiful forest with FLOWING streams. This is a huge relief - we are finally back into the land where there is water - no more worries about where the next spring is. The hike is quite strenuous with plenty of 200' climbs and descents.
At one stream we meet Mr T - who we have not seen for many weeks. He has a beard and is hard to recognise but he recognises us. He is walking with Laura, Kim and the dog called Clare and waiting while they detour to visit a vet - they are worried that Clare has picked up a tick, which carries Lyme's disease. We have been washing our clothers in a special tick repellant poison recommended to us by Stickbuilt and we don't have any problems, but there are plenty of stories of hikers coming down with the disease. Belle the Wonderdog suffered from it and had to take a break from the trail.
We arrive at the campsite to racing car sounds coming up from the valley below us. A large group of women are at the camp. Later, Sandbagger and Clarity arrive. So does 'Itinerary', the science teacer of Yr 8 doing a sectional hike. He has lost his wallet and relying on other hikers' generosity - which is a whole new experience for him.
At one stream we meet Mr T - who we have not seen for many weeks. He has a beard and is hard to recognise but he recognises us. He is walking with Laura, Kim and the dog called Clare and waiting while they detour to visit a vet - they are worried that Clare has picked up a tick, which carries Lyme's disease. We have been washing our clothers in a special tick repellant poison recommended to us by Stickbuilt and we don't have any problems, but there are plenty of stories of hikers coming down with the disease. Belle the Wonderdog suffered from it and had to take a break from the trail.
We arrive at the campsite to racing car sounds coming up from the valley below us. A large group of women are at the camp. Later, Sandbagger and Clarity arrive. So does 'Itinerary', the science teacer of Yr 8 doing a sectional hike. He has lost his wallet and relying on other hikers' generosity - which is a whole new experience for him.
Day 119 - 28th July - Kent to Stewart Hollow Lean To - 7 miles
A very slow start. I am still feeling quite weak and we decide to do the minimum today - it is 1 mile back to the trail and then 7 miles to the next shelter.
The trail follows the Housatonic River. I crawl over the trail and we make the 7 miles by early afternoon and I spend the rest of the day asleep in the tent. Scatters and Stucco stop for lunch at the shelter before doing a very long distance to the next shelter. Those girls are machines.
I feel guilty that we have only completed 7 miles for the day, especially as we have already had a zero day, and it prays on my mind - 'Our weekly mileage is going to be terrible'.
The trail follows the Housatonic River. I crawl over the trail and we make the 7 miles by early afternoon and I spend the rest of the day asleep in the tent. Scatters and Stucco stop for lunch at the shelter before doing a very long distance to the next shelter. Those girls are machines.
I feel guilty that we have only completed 7 miles for the day, especially as we have already had a zero day, and it prays on my mind - 'Our weekly mileage is going to be terrible'.
Day 118 - 27th July - Kent - Zero Day
Breakfast at the local village cafe in the main street. Outside tables and the hikers start to congregate as the morning goes on. We visit the outfitter for some bits and pieces but we are surprised how poor his stock is - perhaps it is a sign of the times as half the shop has been made over into an ice-cream parlour. The owner says there are fewer hikers at this time compared to last year. Digby ends up at the local shoe shop which has a better boot range and buys a new pair of boots.
We have lunch at the local village cafe - burger and chips - 5 hours later I get my first dose of food poisoning. There is a local IGA supermarket and no Walmart. How come this town has not been 'walmarted'? The residents would never allow it - they are all rich enough to not need Walmart, educated enough to know the damage a Walmart can do, and smart enough to employ laywers to fight any approaches that Walmart make to the local council.
We catch up with Stickwalker and Belle the Wonderdog, Red Lobster, Scatters and Stucco - everyone is doing their laundry and resupplying. But none of them are staying in Kent - it is too expensive - once they have done their chores they walk the mile out of town to the trail and set up camp in the forest.
At around 4.00pm I start to get the shakes. This is followed by a 5 hr bout of severe diarrohea and vomiting. Lucky I have a luxurious hotel room to repair too. It continues all night and I am completely exhausted. This is my first sickness on the trail. A picture postcard town but the kitchen of the cafe doesn't sound too cute.
We have lunch at the local village cafe - burger and chips - 5 hours later I get my first dose of food poisoning. There is a local IGA supermarket and no Walmart. How come this town has not been 'walmarted'? The residents would never allow it - they are all rich enough to not need Walmart, educated enough to know the damage a Walmart can do, and smart enough to employ laywers to fight any approaches that Walmart make to the local council.
We catch up with Stickwalker and Belle the Wonderdog, Red Lobster, Scatters and Stucco - everyone is doing their laundry and resupplying. But none of them are staying in Kent - it is too expensive - once they have done their chores they walk the mile out of town to the trail and set up camp in the forest.
At around 4.00pm I start to get the shakes. This is followed by a 5 hr bout of severe diarrohea and vomiting. Lucky I have a luxurious hotel room to repair too. It continues all night and I am completely exhausted. This is my first sickness on the trail. A picture postcard town but the kitchen of the cafe doesn't sound too cute.
Time to separate my journeys
I haven't written in this blog for nearly 2 weeks - when I started I PROMISED myself I was going to write up each day every night, 365 days after the event. It always good to make goals but sometimes you just don't get there. Today I feel really fit and well - and for the first time have the energy for blogging.
My choice - intertwine the two stories or keep them separate. I have decided to keep them separate for a couple of reasons. The AT journey was a great high for me - and I don't want that memory dragged down into an abyss of sickness and depression or overidden or contaminated by the 'sick' story. The sick story may finish up OK and on a high but you don't know the end of the story until the end of the story. So I am going to separate my sick story out, so that you, dear reader can read the uplifting bit - AT in Retro - without having to cope with what I am now going through a year later. BUT if you want to be part of the sick story then you can read my journal for this new journey as well at my new blog - The Boob Tube.
My choice - intertwine the two stories or keep them separate. I have decided to keep them separate for a couple of reasons. The AT journey was a great high for me - and I don't want that memory dragged down into an abyss of sickness and depression or overidden or contaminated by the 'sick' story. The sick story may finish up OK and on a high but you don't know the end of the story until the end of the story. So I am going to separate my sick story out, so that you, dear reader can read the uplifting bit - AT in Retro - without having to cope with what I am now going through a year later. BUT if you want to be part of the sick story then you can read my journal for this new journey as well at my new blog - The Boob Tube.
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