7/26 A Nice Spot to Camp

14.8 hiked today, 1857.7 miles N, 316.3 miles left
Wildcat Mountain Ski Lift

This morning was better as I hoped. Sitting in the shelter was a bit like a nature program on tv with a bold red squirrel dashing within inches of me all morning. I made loud noises and banged things to try to scare him off but he persisted. I even threw a pebble towards him as a
threatning gesture and though I aimed to miss but he reacted by accidentally running right into the path of the rock. I felt bad but he seemed unhurt and even persisted bugging me for some time yet. Finally he went away and I think I know why as I got a look at a beatiful Pine Marren. He looked a lot like a weasel with dark brown fur and a cute face. Pine marrens eat red squirrel and I am sure he decided to avoid this.
The climb out of the shelter and back to the trail was much easier than I recall the descent being, I'm sure due to the good nights rest. However the trail was just as tricky with it really was sucking a lot out of me. Just 3.3 miles into my day I was at Madison Srings Hut where I took a long break. The Hut us unquie in the there is literally a spring right under it with water bubbling up through it's foundation on the downhill side. I spent about an hour relaxing getting my energy up for a side hike up Mt. Adams. This time I left the pack at the hut. I took the Star Lake Trail which is rockier and steeper than the usually Airline Trail to the top but I am glad I did. Without the pack on I was light on my feet and the trail passed around the edge of Star Lake. It was surronded in soft grasses with occasional boulders. The climb up went well but at the summit I did not linger as there were swams of all sorts of bugs. Not any that seemed to be biteing but still rather unplease!
nt. The descent was uneventful and I had a snack before pushing on.
The trail upcomming was another abusive segment like last night going up and over Mt. Madison before starting a long rocky descent. Finally I made it to treeline and the trail softened greatly to my delight. The views may not be as good but I have developed a great apprecation for dirt in the trail. The descent was long to Pinkham Notch. On the way through I passed the Osgood Tentsite provided by the USFS, not AMC. That seemed the place to be because I proceded to pass about 10 sobo hikers all headed into there for the night.
At the Notch I checked in the with AMC lodge there to see if there was a place to spend the night. The clerk was exceptionally helpful but unfourtunatly there was not much he could do for me. On the up side he let me use one of the office computers to check my email. Thank you Charles.
After that I made my way north which ment climbing out of the notch. It looked like an easy climb on paper but when I did it turned out to be very bad. The trail spent the first mile putzing around by a pond making the last 1.7 very steep hand over hand type terran.
On the way up I heared a party of women ahead of me. After a while I caught up with them, a trio of maybe 18-19 year old women who worked in the AMC lodge. They were planning on hiking through to the next next notch to spend the night before they got back up to go to work at 7 AM. I passed them easily and made it to the top of Wildcat Mountain E. On the top was a ski lift for the Wildcat Ski Mountain. It was just as I hoped providing me with a grassy place to throw down and the lift itself provided good coverage if it should rain.
I fired up the stove and started dinner enjoying the dimming sky and outline of the mountains in brillant hues. The three I had run into before finally caught up and were rather rambuncious. First they climbed over a barricade to get to the closed roof top observation deck on the lodge up top of the mountain. Then two of three looked around for a sign to steal and finally one literally ripped on off a doorframe before noiseiy heading north and leaveing me in peace.
Tonight is quiet and the ski slopes give a great vantage to see the towns below and cars moving on unseen roads. The outlines of the mountains are visable in the glow of moonlight and then temp is very nice.

------------------------------
Get your service for FREE when you refer friends and family to PocketMail!

7/25 "Highly" Ugly

14.1 hiked today, 1845 miles N, 329 miles left
The Perch Shelter

Todays weather was about as good as one could hope climbing Mt. Washington. They brag they have someting like 3 days of warm weatjer a year and 311 days of rain. There was certainly mist in the air but it was patchy and the temps were in the high 50s-60s.
I am getting ahead of myself. The day started at Mizpah, a shelter whose name I can't help to think is Yiddish. I made a lot of friends during my talk last night and this morning and while walking the ridgeline I was talking to many of the same people.
When I climbed above treeline the winds were brisk cooling me quickly inspite of the 60 degrees temps.
The vision of the AT is a trail that follows the ridgeline of the Eastern mountains. Here however, where every summit holds among the best views of the entire AT, the trail frustratingly only goes over about half the summits chosing to get within half a mile of several without going up. What is even more frustrating is that there are several loop trails where one can climb the south face of the mountain and come down the north face and rejoin the AT a mile or so later. I, however, hiking as a purest can't bear to miss that mile of the AT so if I was to summit all the Presidental mountains near the AT I would end up having to hike along a side trail for .4-.5 miles and then turn around a go back along the same trail to pick up where I left off. This ended up causing to side trip 3.4 miles today as I peak bagged Mts Eisenhower, Monroe, Clay, and Jefferson.
The middle of the day I arrived at Lake of The Clouds Hut also know by hikers as Lake of the Crowds as it is the largest, busiest Hut. There I caught up with Big Muddy whom I had mistakenly waited for on Monroe summit as he hiked by. He had decided to spend the night at the hut and I decided to push on as there was still plenty of daylight left.
Still we climbed together Big Muddy sans pack.
The weather on top, as I mentioed earlier, was great. For the last week I have been able to spot Mt Washington easily. For one it is the tallest summmit around. Another reason is the top has numerous radio towers. Finally there is the black smoke rising up from it due to the caol fired cog train that runs up and down its side.
Mt. Washinton is home to the first cog railroad ever and it still runs the same way it used to, via coal fired steam engine.
With the combination of the attenias and the trail with its whistel the top of the mountain was a huge disappointment. It was covered in ugly buildings, noisey, packed with tourist, and sported over priced gifts shops and cafe. Very very tacky. It is a shame the most imposeing peak in NH has to be so tastless.
I took advantage of what I could. I sent a couple postcards from the post office up there. The clerk turned out to be exceptionly unpleasent almost snearing at me and making a note to give me 19 dollars in change in singles and quarters. Fortunatly the cafe operator was very farmilar with his habit of trying to weigh down hikers and was happy to trade my change up when I bought a couple egg sandwitchs. The clouds cleared up and I got some pretty pictures of the presidental range streatching to the north and south.
As this part of the trail is above the treeline it ran up and down over sharp rocky terran making it one of the toughest days of hiking yet. The rocks here are metamorphic which means they are sedamentary rocks that have been heated until they melt into a solid lump. As a result they are not very homogenious and there are small lumps of various minerals such as quartz, feldspar, mica, and so on. The rocks have wonderful appearances with shiny, matt, rough, smooth, hard and crumbbly details. However this also leads to uneven wear where some mineral components weather faster than others. As a result many of the surfaces have very very sharp crystaline protustions of some of the sharper and harder minerals. This makes brushing them a very uncomfortable thing to do. In my case I managed well not falling and never dragging anything across the sharp surface. Unfortunatly at one point I leaned my right calf into a rock for balance and I ended up with a row of small punctures from t!
he razor sharp protrssions of rock. Still I fared better the many who had bloody lacerations from brushing or falling in the rock.
On the way north from Washington I first came across Monticello Lawn so named, I assume, as it lies just shy of the summit of Mt. Jefferson. It was an inexplicable grassy medow amongst a massive area where only scrubby pines can normaly survive. It was nice to again see green after spending so much of the days in rocks. After that I took the .5 mile side trail to the summit of Mt. Jefferson where I was rewarded with yet another stuning view.
The rocks of the day being both difficult to cross and stressful along with the sun served to slow and tire me. I was hoping to push on to Madison Spring Hut tonight but I decided to take a 1.1 mile side trail to a shelter called The Perch. James had spoken highly of it yesterday and after spending so much time in the increasingly unpleasent AMC run trail system I welcomed the break to be in RMC territory. I can rant about why I hate the AMC for hours but for now I will hold my tounge.
The shelter is very nice and I am enjoying hitting the sack early. Looking through my journal here I always tried to make a note of the positive but I can not help but feel it is largely negative. That unfortunately reflects how I feel today anyhow. I left James behind and McGyver is ahead so I am certainly lonely. I think it is more than that. I am exhusted which always makes me a touch cranky. In the end though I think it is Katahdin Fever. I have gotten so close but the trail is slowing me down here. Also being away from my friends, family, and Dana is wearing me down. With so much happening at home; Dana's defence and our moving to Tucson; I can not help feeling a little detached from the trail and the home all at once. I just want to be done but I am torn as I know Maine is just around the corner and is said to be a place worth savoring. I resolve I will not miss my oppertunity and I am sure I will enjoy it but just as firmly I know my emotions will always remain confus!
ed. I hope I feel better tomorrow.

------------------------------
Refer-A-Friend to PocketMail today and a receive $50 in service or $25 in CASH!

My Last Resupply

Here is my last mail stop.

People who want to send or coordinate care packages, if you set the first line of your comments to "Tim don't read" I will erase the
comment before reading any more.

Again thank you to anyone sending or even thinking of sending a care package.

A couple hints.
Bubble wrap seems to be the trick for unbroken cookies if you are thinking of sending those.
Less is more, I have to carry everthing on my back so 10 cookies are much more appreceated that 30.

Mom and Dad, there should be a Chicago Backpackers MeetUp shirt you received. Can you please send it to this mail drop.

Dana, could you please send me my Rusty's shirt.

Finally, anyone who wants to get karma points, this is your last chance. As always "Thank You".

Below is the addressing information. Please send packages at least
7-10 days in advance. Also people seem to like my last name
"Laurence" written on all sides of the box.

--Grasshopper

Ashley Laurence
Exspected Arrival Date 8/13/07
C/O Shaw Lodging
17 Pleasent St.
P.O. Box 72
Monson, ME 04464

------------------------------
Get your service for FREE when you refer friends and family to PocketMail!

7/24 Easy, Sunny, Senic

6.4 hiked today, 1835.4 miles N, 338.6 miles left
Mizpah Hut

Today started out well. I was warned about the Webster Cliffs Trail which climbs out of Crawford Notch and up to the summit of Mt. Webster. In the end the trail turned out to be well built and elevation gains very manageable. What was really great about it though was after the first 1500' the trail opened up every 100-200' to give a view over the Crawford Notch and up toward Mt. Webster and Jackson.
Again the weather turned out great. The predictions included chances of rain and to my delight none came.
Flyaway, who I first met in Harpers Ferry, also was climbing the cliffs and we chated at the various lookouts. He gave me some bad news, Ranger had thrown in the towel. He had tried to thru-hike seven times and this was the farthest north he had gotten. However after a couple days in the Whites he had enough. He so close to being done.
At the top of Webster I spent about 20 minutes chilling before going through a saddle and up to Mt. Jackson. In the saddle there were small but totally stunning medows of grasses and wild flowers ringed by minature spruce and fir. Simply breathtaking. These are the little surprises I hike for.
I spent a couple hours on top of Jackson waiting for James to catch up. A sobo hiker name Honey Mustard stopped there too and we spent the better part of an hour chatting trading our knowledge of the trail ahead. After he left I enjoyed the views and warmth of the sun. Finally however I was getting too much sun and risked getting burned.
It was an easy 1.7 miles to Mizpah hut where I settled in to jounral. Chips and "Vitamin I" arrived followed by James/Big Muddy a little while later. They all annouced they were done for the day when they arrived. I had more in me but decided to hang out with everyone else and have an easy day.
We all got work for stay. I got a great chore, I was the evening program. That consisted of me talking and answering questions for about and hour and half about hiking the AT. It was chore I rather enjoyed.
Also tonight I got a matress to sleep on. :)

------------------------------
Get your service for FREE when you refer friends and family to PocketMail!

more photos

Okay everyone; here is everything from 6/10 to 6/26.... The next roll of film may take me a while to do; something funny about the dates; I will need to do some guessing on when they were taken. It has been fun seeing everything from the birds to the bees. I will continue to add posts as I can; but sorting through 300+ photos will go a little slower.

Update: Figured it out.... Photos should keep rolling in at a good pace!

7/23 Getting Better 2: Better Harder

7.7 hiked today, 1829 miles N, miles 345 left
Crawford Notch Campground in Harts Location, NH

The Stay at Zeeland Falls Hut has been great. Today we were treated to a very nice breakfast and more good conversation with the friendly Canadian couple. The trail was also very agreeable being the easiest we had seen in all the Whites. It was yet another beautiful. What more could ask for?
Well the sights could start just down the hill from the hut at Zealand Falls. It was a wonderful display of water flowing though retangular blocks of stone that taken together looked kind of like and art deco sculpture. From the hut we got on the Ethan Pond Trail. The remarkable thing about this trail was that it is built on a old logging railroad bed. As a result it was a dream to walk on and Big Muddy and I spent most of our time admeiring the view. There was a pond to our left in a region of blocky boulders with tanic yellow/brown water. We could see Zealand Mountain and Franconia Ridge too.
We passed Throu Falls and there was another sight to be seen. The river alternated between wide flat rock and bolder fields. The water in turn went from smooth wide sheets to rapid slots of turbulance.
We took a luch break at Ethan Pond which was a worthy break as the pond was lovely as well as the frog swiming near its shore.
After that it was a easy walk the rest of the way to the road by 1PM.
The campground where we are spending the night is 3 miles off trail and took us about an hour to get there.
While we waited for our hitch nearly 10 southbounders passed through. It looks like the rush has started back up!
One last of good news, I am pleased to annouce that Dana sucessfuly defended her disertation. She is now a Dr!

------------------------------
Tell your friend about PocketMail and let the savings start rolling in!

7/22 Getting Better

14.6 hiked today, 1821.3 miles N, 352.7 miles left
Zealand Falls Hut

I got up early today as I had to clear out before the Croo set the tables for the breakfast rush. During breakfast a lot happened. They first demostrated how to fold the blankets that are on each bunk. However they did this as a short play in the style of Star Wars. Luke defeats Vader by folding his blanket correctly and packing out his trash. Then it turns out the hutmasters birthday was today so the other Croo members baked her a cake....and fed it to her face while she was busy addressing the guests. Fortunately they had baked two and celibrated later. After all the guest were done eating I got all I could eat of the pancakes and oatmeal.
I had been having a good converation with a biochemist named Neal last night but he this morning he wouldn't stop. In the end I managed to break myself free at 9 AM and started the 1 mile 1000' climb up the mountain. It was an easy and senic mile. On the way I could observe the changes in the trees and plants. Behind me I was treated lto a beatiful view of Greenleaf Pond and Cannon Mountain.
Once back up on the ridge line I was again treated to clear skyes and beautiful horizon of mountains. The ridge continued to undulate for a while before going through a deep gap before Garfield Mountain. On the downhill I came across a bold chipmonk who was bounceing around right next to me almost poseing for me. I took advantage of it to take many cute pictures. Suddenly while I was taking pictures he jumped onto my leg and then jumped off. I jumped in shock of being attacked by a chipmonk but it didn't hurt me. At the botom of the gap was a small pond, Garfield Pond. There was a small overgrown trail to the shore and I managed to push myself through dense trees and found some rocks on the marshy shore to relax on as I took a break. Back on the trail and I realized I was moving slower than I had anticipated. This was a problem becase I agreed to meet James at the Galehead Hut but by the time I would get there it would be too late to make it to the next campsite or hut. Fina!
lly I got to Galehead a little before 3. James had left a note for me telling me he had already set off for Zealand Hut 7 miles away. I feared I was not going to be able to make it there before dark but when talking with the croo I found out that the next patch of trail much easier. Right they were as I made it in a little less than 3 hours. I didn't have to skimp on the views though. Along the way taking a few minutes to savor the tops of Garfield Mnt, South Twin Peak, and taking the side trail to Zeacliff outlook. All of these were stunning making this one of the most senic days thus far on the trail. The only thing I skipped was Bond Cliffs which I had been hearing loads about from people who had been there but it was over a mile off trail and I wanted to make it to Zealand before dark.
Finally at Zealand I caught up with James. It turns out this was the perfect night to be at hut as there were only two guest in a building for 38. As a result we got a private bunk room. The only downside was my chore was sifting the compost heap which was a very stinky job and I got several blackfly bites. Still it was an awesome night and again I was feed very well. This night they had lots of left over food in the forms of a very tastey salad, falafal, coscos, vegi sushi, and roasted tempeh.
The guest were a very friendly Canadian couple who I enjoyed talking with until bed time.
Today was a blissful day, one of the best yet with the views, pond, trees, people, food, and weather all contributing.

------------------------------
Get your service for FREE when you refer friends and family to PocketMail!

7/21 Drying Out in the Views

5.4 hiked today, 1807.7 miles N, 366.3 miles left
AMC Greenleaf Hut

I ultralight backpack and with it comes many compramises. One of them is in choseing gear. I could carry a light tent that weights around 2 lbs that would protect me from bugs and most rain. For 3 lbs I could get a shelter with a better floor and full coverage fly that would keep me dry even in the most driving rain. In winter I could, for just a few ounces more, could get something that would bounce spindriff. I, however, hike with a tarp. It is a fairly large one, about 9 1/2 feet long and wide enough for two people side by side. The nice thing about this arrangement is I only have to carry about 12 oz in my pack. Also if I am clever in how I pitch it I can keep one side open to view the sunrise or to catch a cool breeze on a hot night. On the downside however it weakens the bug, rain, and snow repellancy and last night was when the balance of conditions hit that hole.
Overnight the conditions grew worse and worse with a very cold breeze picking up to a steady wind with occasional gusts. Add to this rain. In the end the rain got atomized by the wind and though my tarp protected me from falling drops the rolling clouds of mist rained down on me under my tarp. By the time I woke up everything was wet. Fortunate for me my body heat kept most of the moisture out of the sleeping bag so I still slept warmly.
This illustrates part of my philosphy, I am happy to risk a bad night or day every hundred or so for 99 days of more comfortable hiking. Anyhow last night I still slept resetfully but I had to make an effort today to dry off.
After I woke I slowly packed up as James was still asleep and I felt no zeal for packing up wet gear.
Finally it was 9AM and I decided it was time and woke hime up a little while before I headed out.
Since James was behind me I decided to take the side trail up Liberty Mountain to the summit and I am glad I did. The summit was a rocky rugged summit with 360 degree views and srong winds. Initally when I arrived there was only one person up there, a weekender name Craig, whom I had a very nice converation with. After taking for about half and hour a crowd started to arrive and by the time I left the summit there were at least 20 people on it.
This how it would remain the rest of the day, every summit packed with day tripers. I dropped back down below tree line and climbed the famous Franconia ridge line which was packed with things too see. The ridge line runs above tree line for over 5 miles undulating between alpine summits with unrestricted views. Simply amazing!
On the way up Little Haystack Mnt, the first I would come across on Franconia ridge, I leaned over to stablize my self while climbing through some rocks. The water bottle on a side pocket popped out and fell into a rocky crevase where it slide out of reach or sight. I tried to get at for 5 minutes but finally there was no hope. I feel bad leaving it behind but there is nothing I could do. At least I had another couple liters inside the backpack in a hydration pouch.
On top of Little Haystack Mnt. I took great advantage of the sun ad breeze by putting out all my wet gear to dry. Some of the day trippers were locals around these parts and they often struck up conversaton with me. I was taken by their passion for these mountains visiting dozens of times a year in any season. I got a lot of good information on what to see along the way and the location of several "steath" campsites. The way the AMC has sites spaced out around here is very awkward and so this imformation gives me much greater flexibility. Others people were excited to be talking with a backpacker and peppered me with all sorts of questions. Also to my delight they offered me all their excess food and even a couple drinks so that I could replace my dropped water bottle.
Hiking along the ridge really slowed James and I down but I didn't mind. I enjoyed siting on top of the summits looking at the Presidental Mountains to the North. Below me I could see the trail along the barren ridge snaking from peak to peak. The views and weather were just awesome and really defy description but I took many photos.
The way things worked out since we were getting behind scedual today due to the rough hiking James and I agreed he would hike ahead to the Garfield Ridge Campsite while I stayed behind and took a 1 mile detour to the Greenleaf Hut just below. With this I could do a work for stay and they would feed me. Otherwise I will run out of food from the extra day hiking before town.
The descent to Greenleaf hut was fast and surprisingly easy for a mile and once there I got "work for stay" easily. The "Croo"(Crew) who manages and run the hut where super friendly. Work for stay is only available to AT section and thru-hikers. The way work for stay works is if they have room (usually there are 2 spots) they will give you some small job to dofor a couple hours. In return you can sleep in the dinning room and you get to eat any left over food after all the guest have eaten. The reality is if they run out of food they will cook more until you are full, here they made vegitarian potstickers and cereal after I finished the leftovers.
The Huts are of remote buildings with bunk rooms, food service, and running water but not much else. Alll the supplies there have to be flown in in the spring or carried on a croo member's back.
The hutmaster nearly forgot to give me a chore but at 8 PM she told me to sort some books so it was a cakewalk of a chore.
At sunset the croo invited me to join them on the roof of the hut and watch what turned out to be a stunning sunset over the mountains. It is the type of sunset that could kept poets employeed for years.
Then I just hung out until the people mostly were in bed and spread out on the floor.
In the end I am getting a pretty good deal as all the guest here have to spend $97 for the privlage to stay here.
The location is awesome with the hut located on the shoulder of Mount Lafayette. Between it an the summit is a picture perfect pond and the whole deal is surronded by the dense boreal forest I love so.

------------------------------
Refer-A-Friend to PocketMail today and a receive $50 in service or $25 in CASH!

7/20 Cool Night

11.4 hiked today, 1803.9 miles N, 369.8 miles left
Liberty Spring Tentsite

This morning the rain broke to everyone's relief.
Like last night the summer camp group at Eliza Brook Shelter had extra food from breakfast from which I scored two onion bagels and a package of cream chesse.
The trail was still wet and mucky so though our shirts stayed dry our feet were still wet much of the day. Initally today was spent climbing up a mountain along a Eliza Brook. This resulted in great views of the cascading water and the lush life that grows in the humid air. After a while the trail changed suddenly. It became a rock scrambel for about 1000' feet of vertical. I spent almost and hour covering what normally takes less that 30 minutes using every rock climbing trick I knew to keep a grip on the rock face. I felt a great sense of acomplishment from making it all the way up. At the top I was treated to a view of Harrington pond, another stunning mountain pond of which I can never seem to tire of.
The trail resumed it's poorly maintained status from yesterday as it climbed the last bit of distance to the top of South Kinsman. At the top the sun was shining warming me. I reacted to it like a man lost in the artic taking off my pack and trying to soaking in every bit of dry warmth I could get. Unfortunately the sun didn't last long as misty clouds rolled in a few minutes later inspireing me to press on. Still, thankfully, it didn't rain. Between South and North Kinsman was a long saddle and in that part I started to run into about a dozen day hikers out from nearby road accesses and huts. The trail quality also improved dramtically and I made good time until I reached the Kinsman Shelter where I stopped for a lunch break. I enjoyed leftover cream chesse and avacodo on totillas.
Two miles past I came to my first AMC hut, Lost Pond, where all the NoBo hikers where enjoying bottomless bowels of black bean soup. I got one for myself and setteled in only to hear news of James. He had taken a bad fall a couple miles back and had broken his poles but I heard he was uninjured so I decided that I would wait until he arrived and see if he was still OK. That gave me time to chill and relax. Also while I was waiting it rained a little so I got to miss the bad wheather.
Finally James showed up to my relief as I worried he might have been injured. It turns out he had taken a lunch break at Kinsman Shelter too.
We set off together down the hill on an erroded but well maintained trail into Franconia Notch. From there we had a challenging but manageable uphill to Liberty Spring. As night was approaching I made a late sprint to the site before dark so I could string up my tarp on one of the tenting platforms in light, a trickly thing to do. James made it up just as I had finished cooking dinner and is setting up while I am snuggling into my bag away from the cold.

------------------------------
Get your service for FREE when you refer friends and family to PocketMail!

7/19 Welcome to the Whites

13.5 hiked today, 1792.5 miles N, 381.5 miles left
Eliza Brook Shelter

Today started spectacularly. Beaver Brook shelter faces a clearing in the trees through which I could see the coming White Mountains. The rain had let up turning into thick pools of mist that sank into the valleys below leaving only the peaks and ridgeline visible as if floating on a lagoon. It was a great way to wake up after the wet day yesterday and immedatly I came up with a plan to reclimb Moosilauke in this better weather.
That is just what I did letting James get ahead of me before I started chasing him. I left my pack hung up in the shelter and set off. I carried trekking poles in my hands, some granola bars in my pocket, my camera, and my rain jacket around my waist. The climb back up went quickly getting to back to the summit in about 40 minutes.
Today the weather was much better with the wind only gentaly blowing. Mist still hung in the air keeping the views to a modest level with nearby peaks visable and far off ones only occasionally poking through the mist.
I marveled for a while looking at the views, studing the litchens, flowers, and grasses. The only thing that distracted was the blackflies which were nipping at me resulting in about a half dozen bumps.
I headed back down the mountain to pick up my pack and start my chase. Initally afterthe shelter the trail was slow and wet and the it got worse!
It started misting ending up in a light rain that would continue the rest of the day. The trail itself became extrodinarily challenging with steep rock, trickly footing, and in some places the trail itself was the stream. In parts the trail crews had in the past attached wooden blocks to the rock at steeper spots however they were replaceing the steps today and instead of removing one, and replaceing it they had whole sections removed at time which made the progress slow and very very trecherous. During this part I did get the treat of hiking next to Beaver Brook. The Brook was a long cascading water fall swollen by the rain. When I had to take a break from my progress downhill it was stunning to stare into. In the end it took me an hour and half to cover a mile and a half.
At last I got to Kinsman Notch where I started my up the one hill of the day. The uphill was not a big deal but the trail surface itself slowed one down. Seven miles of muck, roots, and rocks winding through the dense woods. Most of it could have benifited from the addition of bog brigdes with muck about a foot deep. It slowed me way down and when taken with the downhill from Beaver Brook I would have to say it is the toughest and slowest 9 miles on the AT thus far though not as painful as the northern PA rocks.
James and I arrived at the shelter at about 6P.M. to a summer camp camp group who was taking up ever inch. Every hook had something on it and their gear was everywhere to the point that we had to stand in the rain for 10 minutes before there was enough rom for someone to stand under the roof. It took them 45 minutes to clear enough space for our sleeping bags. Finally they cleared out moving into their tents and James and I unpacked, dried off, and started dinner.
Then the rush started with 9 more thru-hikers rolling in. Unfortunatly the shelter only had room for 6-7 hikers so people had to set up tents too. The summer camp group took up most of the tenting areas and the rest were so poorly drained that they will filled with mud. In the end people had to set up wherever they could find ground that wasn't a puddle. The site is the most poorly maintained I have ever seen. The prescribed paths in it are filled with up to 6" of much. They are badly need of bog bridges. This is the first section of AMC managed trail thus far and I fear that the next 100 miles or so are going to be very unpleasent if this is any example!
The summer camp consoler started offering us their massive stock of excess food. I benifited by taking a cup of chopped vegies to add to my MacN'Chesse along with some pesto. That made this dinner one of the best yet! Yum! They also gave me a couple of ripe avacados one of which I ate on totillas with cheese and the other which I am saving for lunch tomorrow. This dinner really rocked!
All in a very unpleasent day and for many unlucky enough to not fit in the shelter an unpleasent night.

------------------------------
Get your service for FREE when you refer friends and family to PocketMail!

7/18 Wetty Wet Wet

8.3 hiked today, 1783.4 miles N, 390.6 miles left
Beaver Brook Shelter

The word of the day is rain. All day and all night it rained. I always lived in fear of this. I have read of people on thru-hikes having their spirits broken and givng up due to the week of rain. In last two weeks I think I have had 3 or 4 days that have been rain free. Of those my feet have stayed dry 3 days and one of those days because I was indoors at the hostel! Still I have felt no buckeling in resolve. I do not like the rain but it is just part of the trip like the bugs or the heat or cold. I just sort of plug through it.
Today I let everyone leave and spent the first half of the day catching up on my journals that have fallen way behind. Also I needed to deal with some mail. This kept me at the hostel till past 2 P.M.. It looked like the rain might let up but the best it did was ease up to a fine mist.
The goal for the day was rather simple, go over the top of Mt. Moosilauke. That is no simple feat though given it is about a 3700' continous climb. Moosilauke is is the first mountain on this trip were we pass into an alpine zone and above tree line. The climb was unquestionably hard but it also was steady and gradual happening over about 5 miles.
Here the climb also climbed through various forest starting with something more mixed; maples, birches, and pine trees with bushes, mushrooms, and mosses. At about 3,000' the plants changed to only pine trees and mosses. The soil thined exposing more rocks and the trees formed a matt of roots that ran along the top of this rock base.
After that the pine trees start to change. The higher up one gets the shorter they become Balsim Firs. The start to become thicker as the trunks get shorter. This is all selected for as the wind is far too powerful for taller trees and thinner branches to hold up to. The wind was really something. It remided me of the winds I got ridiing along the lake front in Chicago. I had been hiking shirtless so I could keep my shirt dry and I was staying pleanty warm from the climb but near the top I had to put on my rain jacket to fight off the wind chill. As I continued up the mountain the mist reduced visabilty to 100 yards, then 50. The wind grew stronger and the plants adapted to compensate. The Pines trees gave way at about 4,600' to short grasses, litchens, and very small wild Sandwort flowers. The mist of the rain was horizontally blowing across the exposure on the summit. All I could hear was the wind and and rain beating itself against the hood of my jacket. I could only see !
the the ground just around me and the grey outlines of the next stone carrin leading me up. At the summit there were the ruined foundations of an old hotel. It must have been a massive undertaking getting not only people up here but also their supplies, firewood, and even water. The wind was everywhere and the only pictures I could easly take were to the lee side as the wind would wet my lens quickly. One wrong move and my pack cover caught the wind and tried to take off. After I took care of that I was looking in the mist and savored the moment. The view beyond these clouds, I am sure, is stunning but I took comfort in watching the wisps of mist rapid skirt by the rocks and shouting into the wind.
The down hill was gradual. I took it a little slower as it is harder to climb down wet rocks than up. Fortunatly I only had to descend about 1,200' so I was in camp about and hour later where I am warm and dry en enjoying the last couple hours of sun.

------------------------------
Refer-A-Friend to PocketMail today and a receive $50 in service or $25 in CASH!

7/17 Getting Ready For the Whites

10.3 hiked today, 1775.6 miles N, 398.5 miles left
Hikers Welcome Hostel in Glencliff, NH

Today was a short day. Due to the extra distance yesterday. We rolled into Glencliff in the afternoon. I did normal town stuff; check my mail, get a shower, do laundry, and got a ride to the nearest store to get some pizza and a sub for dinner.
In the mail I picked up food for the first 5 days in the Whites. Also I got my cold weather clothes; gloves, rain pants, and a warm vest. The Whites, especially Mount Washington, are know for their violent weather with everyone warning that it can snow any day of the year there. The south bounders I talked to said that it is still dropping below freezeing at night on Mount Washington. I have worried a lot that these additional items wouldn't be enough but my mind had been put at rest when I checked the seasonal avarages and records. The lowest it has ever been in August on Mount Washington in the Whites is 24 degrees and I feel very comfortable handeling that. On average it is 42 which is posativly balmy.
I am going to bed very late (2AM) as I have been doing a lot of packing and prep for tomrrow. Until I found that weather information I was aso busy worrying about the cold.

------------------------------
Tell your friend about PocketMail and let the savings start rolling in!

7/16 Geat Peaks

17.2 hiked today, 1765.7 miles N, 408.3 miles left
NH 25A

Today we slept in and hiked late. It was worth it though as we had two great secic summits and even got a little extra milage under our belts.
First was a rough climb to the top of Smart Mountain. The trail was wet and steep with many smooth slanted rock faces to climb that always make me feel nervous. I am glad we didn't make the push last night.
I did fine and was richly rewarded on top with a fire tower that put me above tree line in a cabin with a bench. The sun was out and sky clear so I took the oppertunity to dry off my wet socks and bandana. I also spent a couple hours just relaxing, reading, and journaling while I let James get a head start ome the trail. I finished the book "A Fine Night to Die" by Jack Higgens. It was OK but I would not say I would recommend it.
The view was great seeing moutains for miles all around. With the sun shining, breeze blowing, and views it was great to just relax and take it all in for a couple hours.
After that it was a downhill and back up to Hexacuba Shelter where James and I originally planed to spend the night. We got there early though so
instead we dcided to push on as we heard there was a campsite at the next road crossing. James went ahead and I checked out the Hexacuba Shelter, a very nice looking shelter with a unique hexagonal floor and center supporting column. It was huge with room for 10 or more. Again I caught up with James and we climbed up the final distance to the top of Cube Mountain. It is named, I assume, after the square blocks of rock that make up it's top.
The view up there was also stunning making me wish it could have been farther from Smart Mnt so I could savor each mountain seperately. We marveled for a few minutes and chatted with so south bounders who were just coming over the top. We have been seeing lots of south bounders as of late making me worry that they White may be crowded when I get there.
Finally just a little while after dark we found the roadside campsite and set up.
Something interesting is a log near my sleeping bag is making a clicking squeaking sound from small black beatels that are eating away at it's wood.

------------------------------
Get your service for FREE when you refer friends and family to PocketMail!

7/15 I've Got Nothing

15.2 hiked today, 1748.8 miles N, 425.2 miles left
Trapper John Shelter

I didn't make any notes for today so the journal entry is going to be short. We hoped to make it to the Firewarden's Cabin where there is a fire tower and awesome sunrises and sunsets but that will have to wait till tomorrow.

------------------------------
Tell your friend about PocketMail and let the savings start rolling in!

7/14 Welcome James

7.3 hiked today, 1733.6 miles N, 440.4 miles left
Velvet Rocks Shelter

Today was an easy day meeting up with James. The only problem was I had no idea when his flight was and we had no plans on where to meet. The hike out of the shelter and into Hanover was almost totally downhill and the last couple miles were a road walk to boot.
I was sad leaving Vermont, the state that has given me so much great hiking. The last town in Vermont, Norwich, was exceptinally hiker friendly with notices on all the services in town up at the road crossing. It was a shame too since I flew right through to Hanover. Hanover was nice and friendly but also rather expensive.
On the way in I ran into Squirrel Master and we hung out for a while checking our mail and having lunch. I thanked him for finding my PocketMail by treating him to lunch. Unfortunatly he told me he was planning on giving up on the thru-hike due to lack of funds.
We parted ways and went to the Darmoth Outting Club offices where I ran into McGyver, 5-String, Jersey Fresh, and Earl Grey. I found my PocketMail where Achilles had left it and checked my email on their computers. Then I found the Boston to Hanover bus schedual and figured out James's bus would arrive at 12, 2, 4, 6, or 8. This freed me up to take care of my resupply and email for the period between buses. That all went well but I still wasn't finding James yet so I killed time taking care of phone calls and email.
Then I decided to look around for a new pack cover when I ran into James and McGyver walking around together. It turns out one of the buses was early and I missed checking it. However James heard someone call out to McGyver and recognized his name for my journals. We all finished up out town business, ate a pizza dinner, and then headed up the mountain to the shelter.
Hanover was very much a upper class sort of town and I was happy to get out of there and back on the trail.
The shelter for tonight looks brand new and is only .8 miles out of town. The only problem is that it's roof is very low and everyone is hitting their head on it though fortunately not me.

------------------------------
Get your service for FREE when you refer friends and family to PocketMail!

more photos

done through 6/9 I last reported photos being added through 5/25
Some to look for;
Half way! for the ice cream
Bang head here, for the boo boo
Rocky Suckatude for a better view of the boo boo

7/13 Don't Touch the Eletric Fence

20.4 hiked today, 1726.3 miles N, 447.7 miles left
Happy Hill Shelter


This journal entry had to written after the fact due to the dropped PocketMail so the details may be weak.

I don't remember much of this day. It rained I know and the trail was up and down due to the ridge transfer. One thing that I do remember is that McGyver and I crossed and electric fence. There is stile to get over it and both of us climbed over. After however I bumped my trekking pole on it and learned the hard way that carbon fiber poles conduct electricity.
Also we started to see crowds of south bounders who started out on Katahdine. I wonder how long this rush will last but today we must have seen at least 10 people going south.
The only other I remember is we made a .2 mile side trip to Cloudland Farms where one can buy local products. McGyver and I got sodas. I got a Maple syrup soda which tasted about as I expected it.
This night we were only about 5 miles from Hanover so I should have an easy time making in town to meet James/Big Muddy.

7/12 Back On the Trail

19.9 hiked today, 1705.9 miles N, 468.1 miles left
Wintturi Shelter

This journal entry had to written after the fact due to the dropped PocketMail so the details may be weak.

Today started out well. Last night the hostel was making pizzas and this morning I got enjoy my left overs from last night for breakfast. McGyver and I packed up and headed out early. I wanted to make sure I could make it to Hanover, NH in time to meet my friend James/Big Muddy who was arriving on the 14th so I wanted a long day to make sure I was on time. The hitch out of town was rough by finally after almost an hour we got to the trail and started hiking. The initial part was easy rolling but we got to Maine Junction all that changed. At Maine Junction the AT diverges from the Long Trail. The Long Trail keeps going north to Canada and the AT makes a 90 degree turn east. This results in a ridge transfer and we spent the day navigating steep ups and downs. This slowed us down a bit so we hiked to near sunset. Three miles from the shelter there is a side trail to a house with a ladder mounted to side and platform on top that affords a great view of all the land around. To our SE we could see Killington and Stratton and the line of Green Mountains heading north. To our NE we could see the massive Whites which we will be soon climbing.
The view was surely worth it but the trip made our sprint to camp even tighter. In the end we covered the 3 miles in quick order. We got to shelter before we expected it and had a pleasant night.

7/11 Day Hiking

0 hiked today, 1686 miles N, 488 miles left
Back Home Again Hostel in Rutland, VT

This journal entry had to written after the fact due to the dropped PocketMail so the details may be weak.

This day I got up early and worked in the baker starting at about 6:30 AM. It was great, I baked focaccia.
Then my uncle Richard arrived. I decided for our hike I would get us shuttled so that we could rehike the stretch where I lost my PocketMail. The last place I saw it was at the Lost Pond Shelter site so I arranged that we hike from about there north. With the help of a trail angel, Plans Too Much, we parked my uncles car at a road crossing 12 miles up trail and then Plans Too Much Dropped us off near Griffith Lake. This plan had three benefits; it allowed me to look for my PocketMail and check journals to see if anyone had picked it up, the hike didn't have any unpleasant climbs, and finally I knew the territory was very scenic and I was sure my uncle would enjoy it. My uncle had a great time and the day was a nice until near the end. He got to see beaver dams, serene ponds, and a good view from on top of Baker Peak. After that though a storm front rolled in and we did the last 3 miles wet.
In the registers I found out that Squirrel Master had found my PocketMail so it was safe. I just needed to track him down.
My uncle dropped me off at the hostel. It was very pleasurable to hike with him and we had some great conversation.
I was originally planning on hiking the two miles out of town but since I was soaked through I decided I would spend another night and dry off. I helped do some more baking and met McGyver and Wolverine who were also spending the night. They told me Squirrel Master had given my PocketMail to Achilles who is a very fast hiker. He was then chasing me down. I hoped he would realize I got behind and leave it somewhere for me.

7/10 Waiting in Rutland

0 hiked today, 1686 miles N, 488 miles left
Back Home Again Hostel in Rutland, VT

This journal entry had to written after the fact due to the dropped PocketMail so the details may be weak.

This day I took a zero to do a few things.
First off I needed to resupply. There were two stores very near the hostel so that was easy.
Secondly I wanted to wait for people to catch up with me waiting for PocketMail. I left messages in the shelter journals yesterday that said I would be here and I am hoped somebody would come into town with my PocketMail. It has lots of irreplaceable information in there such as addresses and notes along with journal entries.
The people at the hostel are very nice. It is part of and Organization called Twelve Tribes. It a a Christian commune and if one pitched in to help run the cafe or baker on site the lodging was free and this is what I did. I helped out the baker with his computer problems and around the bakery. For this not only did I get to spend the night but they treated me to some of the best food I have had all trail. Lots if organic produce, good baked goods, and very awesome teas. I was having a blast.
The final reason I was sitting around is I would be hiking my Uncle Richard for the day tomorrow.
The PocketMail never showed up nor any other hiker. Despite this I had a great time as the Twelve Tribes people are really nice to hang out with.

7/9 Long Ups and Downs

20.1 hiked today, 1686 miles N, 488 miles left
Back Home Again Hostel in Rutland, VT

This journal entry had to written after the fact due to the dropped PocketMail so the details may be weak.

When I woke in the morning the rain was still coming down and when it stopped the fog hung on all day. Since it was raining in the morning I was sure no one made an early start after me. This means if I waited for someone to catch up with me I would run out of food before I got to town so left at 9 and gave myself a more leisurely hike.
Along my hike I came to Clarendon Gorge which I remember well from my first hike through these parts. Back in 2003 when I hiked the southern portion of the Long Trail I had purchased a new digital camera for the trip. At this gorge there is a suspension bridge and when I backed up to get a shot of it my heel slipped. As a result is swung my arms wide and the camera which was attached to a lanyard on my right hand swung even wider smacking into a rock so hard the lens popped out the front. The camera lasted 4 days. :( I am happy to report the camera I bought the next year has survived has much longer.
The gorge itself is impressive being a deep channel through near vertical solid rocks to each side. Down stream from the bridge there was a deposit of quartzite which is much harder than the limestone. It was sculpted smooth by the water but rose up about 6 feet above the current water level. The slight transparency to light and it white color made it look like one of those organically shaped sculptures that often perplex me. They look cool but I just don't now what to think of them.
After that I had a lot of trail magic. First I came across a creek I remember from 2003. In it Gnome has placed a short length of fencing such that the water washes through it sufficiently to trap cans of pop which are floating in the water. The cold drink was very refreshing and I enjoyed signing his journal once again.
After that there was another cooler on the trail placed by Mad Hatter at the 500 miles left mark. I celebrated with another can of pop before pushing on.
Thank you both of you, I was in a rather down mood due to my dropped PocketMail and the drinks a bright spot on the day.
The end of my day included a long hard climb up Mount Killington, a 3100' assent if one does what I did and take a peak at the summit. The climb went very well with me pacing myself well so I didn't have to stop. The terrain was great to look at in part because the fog blocked out anything else but also due to the climb through climate zones. The bottom of the mountain looks like just about any forest but as one climbs the species that thrive drop off due to harsher weather, shorter seasons, and thinner soil. The trail went from a mix of dirt, roots, leaves, mud, and rocks to a dense mass of roots that took up most of the trail with mucky spots in between the roots. On a downhill I could imagine this would be rather treacherous but on a uphill where one moves slowly it gave numerous foot holds to ease the climb.
Near the top of Killington is the Cooper Lodge Shelter. This is one of the more impressive shelters made of thick heavy stone with a view of nearby mountains. It is the type of construction is very old and generally missing on the trail. I rather like it. To my disappointment however party-goers feel the same way and take the chairlift that is about half a mile away to get up here where they graffiti the shelter, smash bottles, and general make a mess. As a result of this this is the last year of Cooper Lodge. :( You will be missed.
I left my Pack at the lodge and climbed Killington to take in the view. The climb is quick but steep and rocky making the descent a bit rough. However on top the rain had stopped. For the first time all day I felt the heat of the sun and the ground was dry. It was remarkable as less than 200 feet below the world is shrouded in mist, wet, and cold. The view was still obstructed with clouds being right at my feet. I saw wisps of it flow above the rock and through the trees and the strong breeze cooled me off well after the hard climb.
After that is was all down hill to US 4. The trail was very long and easy taking about 6 miles to go down 2000' but finally I got to the road where I hitched a ride to the hostel/cafe in Rutland, Back Home Again. The food there is amazing if you are ever in town!

7/8 Missing Pocketmail!!

19.6 hiked today, 1665.9 miles N, 508.1miles left
Minerva-Hinchey Shelter

I will never grow tired of mountain ponds and ponds. They are both still and filled with activity and life. The waters draw in thick banks of bushes and trees reaching out over the water for sun. In the water fish swim about usually darting off before I get a good look at them. In the pools that form near the shores frogs and salamanders sit in the warm waters. On the surface hundreds of small bugs either fly just above the water or dance on it surface. The water however remains calm and glassy. It is mirror like with only small ripples from the breeze and wildlife.
Griffith Lake is just such a lake. I spent a good part of my morning hike peering into it's waters.


I took it easy most of the morning taking a long break at the burnt ruins of Lost Pond Shelter. I sat on a log writing the above journal entry. After this however however I had to keep to task making sure I could make it to my intended destination tonight. The rain and mist again picked up ruining any chance at a view at White Rocks Clifs so I saved some time by skipping that. The turn off however had great display. Hundreds of piles of stacked rocks of all sorts of shapes and sizes in stacks from 2 rocks to 6 feet tall. It doesn't sound like much but standing in the middle of this display of human efforts gave me a bit of an eerie sensation.
At VT 140 the trail crosses a large bridge over a substantial creek that parallels the road. While on that bridge looking up stream I noticed to my displeasure that the view was marred with two pop cans floating in the water. I was a bit annoyed and decided I would haul them out to save others from this eyesore. I put down my pack and poles and climbed down the near 10' into the creek bed and rock hopped until I was next to the cans. That is when I realized they were unopened. There were 2 24oz Labatt Blue Beers floating in the water nice and chilled. I picked one up for tonight and left the other for the next lucky thru-hiker and pushed on.
The rest of trail was fairly uneventful. I made it to the shelter just before dark set in and efficiently set up camp. That is when I first noticed my PocketMail was missing. I assumed it was buried in the bottom of a pack pocket and thought nothing of it while I cooked dinner and enjoyed the beer.
Well I finally finished dinner and I looked in the bottom of my pack but it was nowhere to be seen. That is when it hit me that I have must have dropped it.
As a result everything written after the two line gap above was written week after the fact. The last I saw the PocketMail I was writing the bit above at Lost Pond Shelter. That was 15 miles back on the trail. It would have been a 30 mile round trip which would eat up at least a day. Also it was storming and so if it was sitting out it would likely be wet by that time I got to it. I decided the best plan would be to wait to see if anyone catches up with me carrying it.
Meanwhile I spent another nice night at the Minerva-Hinchey. On my through hike of the Long Trail the only night I had where that I spent alone, no tenters or fellow shelter-mates. Well again on this hike the only night which I have spent completely alone on my AT thru-hike thus far is at Minerva-Hinchey. I don't know why as it is a very nice and roomy shelter the is in reach of the US 4 road crossing where most people resupply.
I planned to stay here until noon the next day to see if some catches up with me and then push on and wait the US 4 crossing for a day. I would have planned to wait here longer but I would have run out food so really needed to push to US 4.

7/7 New Shoes!!

21.7 hiked today, 1646.3 miles N, 527.7 miles left
Peru Peak Shelter

Today I got one of my earliest start ever, 6:15 AM. I woke up at about 5 AM to sound of mosquitos buzzing around my head and although I had a head net they were still finding me. I had left my DEET in my food bag so I had to get up to get it. After all that fuss I decided I would just stay up.
I hiked by Stratton Pond on the way north and I again experianced the simple calm that this pond can bestow. Last time I was here I was bewitched and took a lot of photos and this time was no different. I experianced my first regret in that I think this would have been a spectacular place to take a trail zero but I had people to meet and places to be. One last thing that I noticed for the first time last night was there were small fish swimming in the spring that I was getting water from. Most fish hide at the first sign of a human looking down on them for some reason these fish did not and thus I was allowed some time to study and photograph them.
The trail for the rest of the morning was fairly easy with gental descents and rolling terran. I passed by the Spruce Peak Shelter and checked in the register. I remember this shelter well as it has a door and a wood stove for use in the winter.
At VT 11/30 I tried to get a ride into Manchester Center, a town notworthy as a great place to supply, but I found the hitch very hard. Finally I did get into town. I got to he post office about 10 minutes before they closed, I forgot it was Saturday, and picked up a replacement headlamp for mine that is on the fritz. I went to the outfitter in town where I had shipped my replacement shoes only to find they were not there. This ment I was going to have to search town for another pair of shoes as I really should not walk another step in the ones I had. Then made my phone calls and when I mentioned this issue to Dana she said had tracked the package earlier and saw they were signed for and delivered. After I got off the phone and took care of my food shoping I went back to the outfitter and looked for the shoes again. Using their computer I looked up the tracking and found who had signed for it and they found the box. The new shoes fit pretty good and I am sure will work. Later I had some issues with a numb foot and toe tightness but I am sure things will break in over the next few days.
Manchester Center is great place to peope watch as it is where numerous ritzy outlets are located. I enjoyed watching the people who were trying so hard while I was lounging around in unwashed clothes, unshaven for four months, and not shower since Dalton.
Finaly I made it back to the trail by about 5PM. I wanted to make it to Peru Peak Shelter so I had very little time to lose. However I did have to stop at the cutest display of trail magic yet. Northshore Day School in Manchester had put out two coolers, one of cold pop and oranges and the other with snacks and soynut butter and jelly sandwitches. One of the classes there had made them and they had left pictures of the pre-kindergardeners looking up at the camera while spreading the toppings. They were abosolutly adorable! There was also a camera and notebook. It requested I write a little about myselves which I did while I savored the pop. Then it was time for a my sprint to bed.

The first peak I went over was Bromely which also is home to a ski resort. The resort has a tower on the top which takes one above tree line where the view is awesome. I enjoyed it for a couple minutes and like when I hiked the Long Trail the winds were awesome too cooling me down very quickly after the hot climb. The trail down Bromely is a steep narrow slot that twists and turns in a very dense woods of small pines. I descended into Mad Tom notch followed climbing over Styles and Peru Peaks and finally the last descent by headlamp to the shelter.
The new shoes are much more comfy on uneven ground thanks to their fresh padding but I am finding the quality of th rubber in the soles extremely disapointing. They grip like crazy in mud but they are slicker than oil on anythign wet like logs, planks on bog bridges, and wet rocks. I slipped hundreds of times on surfaces like these and now on bog bridges I have to shuffle across because my feet slip so often. My old Montrails soles used to work great on these surfaces. I hope the rubber breaks in and starts gripping soon as I have dozens of miles of bog bridges in Maine!
I arrived at the shelter just aout twilight and got my delux dinner of Anne's Mac and Cheese cooking. I added cyane pepper I had gotten in town and that was a very nice addition!
This is one of the shelters in Vermmont where one has to pay to stay. Last night I paid at Stratton Pond and they were supposed to give me a recipt that would allow me to stay here free but they failed to so so. However since I got here so late the caretaker had already made his rounds and had retired to his tent so I escaped being checked for tonight. That is one advantage to rolling in late.

7/6 Dry Socks for Two Hours

19.4 hiked today, 1625.6 miles N, 548.4 miles left
Stratton Pond Shelter

Today started out as a great break from the recent rain. It was warm and sunny and not too humid. I made good time as I strolled along taking in the sight of several beaver ponds along the way.

At Kid Gore Shelter I stopped to dry off and ended up staying for about two hours enjoying an early lunch and the sun. The view from the shelter is wonderful with what almost looks like a garden forming a horizon to a great view of the valley and mountains beyond.
Finally everything was dry and packed up and I headed out. Shortly thereafter while taking a video of a particularlly noisey squirrel when I heard it, a long roll of thunder. It built up and I started to jog hoping to make it to the next shelter before rain hit but I was still too far. The rain started coming down lightly at first but quickly built up to a hail and heavy cold droplets that soaked me to the core. Fortunatly I had taken off my shirt and stashed in my pack so only my shorts and feet got wet. The jog kept me warm making the rain was refreshing rather than cold.
I got to Story Spring Shelter where McGyver, Wolverine, Earl Grey, Deb, and I all squeezed in away from the rain. After about an hour the rain let up but the thunder continued. I was the only one who risked it and I am glad I did as I got another 10 miles done in what turned out to be a rain-free rest of the day. One thing I didn't luck out on though is the Black Flies which are still active here. Usually the season ends in June but it appears a few hardy ones are left. Their bites are quick and painful but fortunatly I only saw a few. In the wrong season hear there are hundreds that swarm and bite at one.
After leaveing the others behind I made the climb up Stratton Mountain. It is a long climb that, for me, was again rewarded with a foggy view from the firetower on top. I did however get treated to the subalpine terran that is such a joy to look at. On the other side of the mountain I again stayed at the Stratton Pond Shelter. I remember this shelter fondly from my Long Trail hike and the pond is even more stunnning than I remembered. It is a pay shelter which should give a recipt to stay at the other VT pay shelters for free but the caretaker forgot to give me one before he went. I hope I don't have to pay again.
Tonight I am acommpanied by a group of boy scouts who are well behaved though carring astonishingly heavy packs.
Dinner is TVP Tacos which are normally my favorite but this time I choose bad seasoning mix and am not enjoyong them at all. :(
Tomorrow I am heading into Manchester Center to pick up my new shoes. I can not wait as these shoes really needed to be replaced almost 3000 miles ago. The soles are nearly slick and all the foam is pounded flat. I hope they fit well!

7/5 Familarity

21.6 hiked today, 1606.2 miles N, 567.8 miles left
Goddard Shelter

Today was my first full day in Vermont and it was a lot like a reunion. In Vermont there is a hiking trail called The Long Trail which stretches from the Massachusetts border to the Canadian border along the Green Mountains. The AT overlaps this route in VT for it's first 105 miles before it turns suddenly east to enter NH. I hiked the Long Trail from 2003-04 and so I have been through this first 105 miles before and hiking it again brings back long lost memories. I cannot recall the trail ouright but frequently have a sense of what is just ahead. Just as often I walk right into things and think "wow, how could I have forgetten this!".
Things I did remeber well were the mud, roots, and long ups and downs. Don't take this the wrong way though, the Green Mountain Club mantains the trail very well and the trail was clear and easily passable everywhere. Another thing I remember was the climate being more subalpine which it is. Near the tops of mountains the trees are mostly pine with a abundance of moss and ferns. As I climb the peaks I sometimes get the feeling I am climbing the trees to as they get shorter the higher up I get. Farther north in the alpine regions I climbed right over the trees until they were stunted, gnarlly, and 3' tall but thus far we have stayed too low for that.
One thing I had forgotten was the beaver activity. Sucker Pond being the most dramatic example. The trail passes around one side of it and as I hiked along the bog bridges my feet were about 2' below the level of the water to my left. The beavers had built a dam that was about 50 yards long that could sucessfully hold water above grade. It really is a starteling sight and I cannot believe I had forgotten about it. Harmon Hill was another that I had forgotten. In the dense forest the mountain suddenly opens up with a wide stripe of tall grasses that beg one to take a break.
The trail itself was not the only thing that brought back memories. After the steep descent to VT 9 we came across some trail magic. A rough fellow with a build that makes you think his job involves lots of dirt and grease invited us over to this pickup truck for some cold drinks. Something rang farmilar though. First I had a sense I had met him before. Then the food he pulled out looked farmilar too. His truck rang a bell too though softly. Finally I realized it was Paddy-O from very early in my thru-hike. The last I saw him was about 3 months ago at the base of Standing Indian Mountain where he dished out the best trail magic I had. Well he was back for more and I settled down for a long 2-3 hour break that involved drinks, jalopeno poppers, and 3 cheese calzones. The food was great and it was a real treat to see him again. I lounged and we talked and finally I fell into a nap induced by the beer and food. Alas McGyver, Wolverine, and I all wanted to make it to this shelte!
r before dark and so we had to say our goodbyes and start the climb up the other side of the pass.
Since we had spent so much time with Paddy-O we had to turn it up a notch and the three of us hiked like mad-men until we reached the shelter at about 8PM.
This will be the third night I have spent at the Goddard Shelter as I stayed twice during my sectioning of the Long Trail. The shelter, to my surprise, was brand new. The surprise is from the fact that the old one was new too. What I heard was the old one had a bad infestation of carpenter ants and it had to be torn down.
The shelter was packed when we arrived but Wolverine and I slept on the floor of the vestuble area it has and McGyver hung his hammock. There are a lot of Long Trail hikers starting out along with a few AT thru-hikers and a few weekenders.
The day was nice, not too cool, not too hot and the predicted rain never showed up my pleasure.
Now all of us thru-hikers have reached the point of less than 600 miles left. It is kind of rediculous as we all are thinking "Wow, only 600 left. That is not very far!". In the conversations people have started to become more focused on what happenes after the hike. I have also become more introspective seeing what I have learned and what changed. I have reached a sense of ease knowing no mater what happens I will be happy. I enjoy my time on the trail greatly and certainly do not want it to end. However I miss being in touch with my friends and familly and of course Dana. I know when I finish I will be in touch with the people I care about and certainly feel happy even if it happened due to an inury. I am also certain I will feel the draw of the open trail wherever I am.
What I feel most changed in that I have found myself more comfortable with emotions what I have always been a little weak on. I am sure more has changed and I look forward to seeing what it is.

7/4 Over Greylock

16.5 hiked today, 1584.6 miles N, 589.4 miles left
Seth Warner Shelter

Today was the Forth of July but as a thru-hiker holidays and wekends do not exist. However we do notice the difference in days when we go to the post office or try to shop in town.
The day started with me trying out sleeping without a sleeping pad in the wooden bunk. I slept quite well so I think I have graduated to bad a** thru-hiker though I still intend on keeping my sleeping pad as it does keep me warmer.
I woke up early but got caught up in good conversation resulting in McGyver getting a good lead on me. The first thing I did was climb Mount Greylock which has a commanding view of the area sorrounding. It also has a great a stunning oberservation tower but unfortunatly it was closed as they were rebuilding the road that leads to it. Still I enjoyed the views greatly.
On the other side there was a steep downhill that dropped me off in between North Adams and Williamstown. I walked to Williamstown and got my resupply in the grocry store there. I wanted to get lunch too but being the 4th everything is closed so picked up some stuff from the deli instead. I made phone calls while I waited out the rain that had started just after I got to the store. It was a light misting and finally when I had no more time to spare I headed out into it. Shortly later it changed to 50 degree temps and down pour. I ended up getting soked on the way to the next shelter and as is the case on all rainy holiday nights the shelter was packed but luckely they had room for just one more so I am pretty comfy tonight.

7/3 Saving the Climb for Later

13.7 hiked today, 1568.1 miles N, 605.9 miles left
Mark Noepal Lean-to

Today was an uneventful day. I got a late start. Our hiking was lazy and relaxed due to the heat. We would have gone longer but the next part of the trail involved a long climb up Mt. Greylock and I for one didn't want to do it. We still did a fare amount of climbing over the up and down terrain.
McGyver and I took a lunch break in the grass clearing under some powerlines soaking in the sun as well as the mosquito dissipating breeze that the clearing gave us.
The trail passes through Cheshire and we both had mail waiting. My previous shirt had worn through in the lower back and for the last couple of days I have been wearing it backwards to keep the pack from rubbing my back raw. The hole in the shirt has the amusing effect of only exposing my paunch and belly button making the unflattering look of a pack waistbelt even worse. Dana sent me a new shirt along with the pages of data for the upcoming trail.
Also in town was an icecream stand and I got myself a cone. Then while I relaxed and McGyver packed up a box for home I struck up a conversation with Yogi. He had hiked parts of the AT in the past but was now biking on the lovely trail that passes through the center of town. We had a great conversation about this and that and he offered to get McGyver and I an icecream. I initially declined but in the end gave in not that I suffered at all. He had been struck by the generous trail magic he found down south while hiking and he was paying the magic forward as I am sure I will do someday.
To our delight we ended up spending the night in the same shelter as Tripe and the Two Ladies from PA. Although again I was surrounded in teachers I am having a great evening with the interesting and lively company.

7/2 Dalton Chill

0 hiked today, 1554.4 miles N, 61.6 miles left
Dalton, MA

Today was a zero day for me. I took care of lots of little things. Recenty I have felt my legs were breaking down a bit too so this gives them a rest and chance to recover. I am staying at the Birdcage which is esentially the home of Rob Bird, a kind local who allows hikers to hang about and relax at his house. He gave me a lift to get a replacemnt stuff sack for my torn food bag and to look at shoes. Outside of that my day has mostly consisted of eating, reading, and typing. Not much else.

7/1 Two good choices

21.1 hiked today, 1554.4 miles N, 61.6 miles left
Dalton, MA

Today went much better than yesterday though getting a bed and going swimming really was a lot of fun so I am thankful for my low energy yesterday. The morning started with a pankcake breakfast made by the caretaker of this shelter/cabin. This was key as I was still running low on food and needed to get calories wherever I could get them.
After that the trail out of there was rooty and rocky trail but rather level so I had a comfortable hike.
We passed withing .1 of the "Cookie Lady's" house and stopped by to say hi. The guide books speak highy of her as she often gives out cookies and it is a blueberry orchard where one can pick their own blueberries. When we got there all we found was a water spigot, a register that for last couple months is filled with entries that say "Sorry I missed you, thank you for the water.", and bushes heavy with unripe blue berries. We wrote one ourselves and then headed on.
At Kay Wood Shelter I meet the The 2 Ladies From Pennsilvana. They were a pleasure and McGyver intially planned on staying only long enough to get water and read the register but we ended up staying at least and hour they were so nice to talk with. They both worked at the same elemantry school, one a a guidence conseler and the other a special needs teacher. I feel like I am awash in teachers, the two ladies from PA, Tripe from Goose Pond, and McGyver. They heard of my food predicament and feed me a Luna bar and cookies.
Finialy we worked ourselves free as we still had 3 miles left before Dalton. We did the rest of the day quickly.
Dalton is one of those few towns where there are choices where one wants to spend the night and where all of them are good. The first one is Tom Lavardies house. The guide said he let people tent on his lawn and use his water though when we gt there he was letting people stay inside and was serving dinner. Although we weren't spending the night he did serve us dinner and we and we spent about and hour after chatting about this and that. I gave him a lot of advice on a computer he was going to purchase soon.
My plan however was to stay at the Birdcage, a hostel that is advertised only by word of mouth. The trick is going to a gas station Rob owns and asking whomever is working about the Birdcage. He then comes by a takes you over to his house which is a excelent hiker hostel. He has spare clothes for when you do laundry, drinks in the fridge, beds with sheets, a phone with free long distance, and lots of useful info. For some of the others there is also big TV.
One question I have asked most hiker hostel providers is how they got started. Most aren't thru-hikers and some don't hike at all. Almost everyone tells the same story of a hiker on a rainy day asking if there was a place to spend the night in town and then the word of mouth spreading and soon being bewildered at the hundreds of hikers.
One last note about this town, from what I hear Dalton is where the paper mill that makes the paper for money is located. If I get a chance maybe I can get a tour. :)

------------------------------
Tell your friend about PocketMail and let the savings start rolling in!