Day 130 (8/28) - it's a long way to the top

Day 130 - 13.5 mi/1992.2 mi tot/187.8 mi to go
Spaulding Mtn Lean To to ME 27 (Stratton, ME)

I forgot to mention yesterday that I ran into the first flip-floppers
that I knew from earlier portions of my hike. It was cool to chat with
them and good to see that Big Ooh, Koopa and Yahtzee are still going
strong.

Today was one of those days where the draw of getting into town
overshaddowed the several hills that were in the way. I made short
work (relatively) of the day and got to the road just after 1:30. The
only really bad part of the day was a 900 foot climb over 0.5 miles.
There was some other long slow climbing and descending sections but
those went fine.

Stratton is a nice small town with a nice motel (splitting double room
with Six Course), a store, and a great restaurant. The restaurant
serves the "wolfburger": a half pound burger topped with a sausage
patty, bacon, cheese and mushrooms. A great meal and it will
definitely result in a good sleep tonight.

Tomorrow ends the 200 mile section of the trail considered the hardest
of the whole trip. It will be nice to get into some flatter terrain
and make some progress towards the end goal for me.

Gettin' had, gettin' took, I tell you folks it's harder than it looks,
it's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.

- Snowfox

Sent from my iPod

Day 129 (8/27) - Back In the Saddle

Day 129 - 16.9 mi/1978.7 mi tot/201.3 mi to go
Piazza Rock Lean To to Spaulding Mtn Lean To

Today we tackled a few more formidable peaks including Saddleback, The Horn, Saddleback Jr and Lone Mtn. The hike up Saddleback was not as bad as expected and I was greeted near the peak with some pretty impressive winds, definitely harder than what I got on Mt Washington earlier in the trip. Just after cresting the summit, the clouds cleared and I got some really great views including back towrds Rangeley and some good views of the wind turbines on Kibby Mtn (we will have to see how the pictures of those comes out...I will get some more chances at them over the next few days too). Supposedly there could be views of Katahdin, but I couldn't find it today.

Overall today I felt good and covering the nearly 17 miles was good mentally since we still have about 30 miles of very tough terrain left before it starts to level out somewhat. Six Course and I are working well hiking together and are having a good time as we move along. It will be nice to keep in touch with him after the trail too since he lives near Baltimore sometimes. We are here in the shelter and there is a lot of company as a Bates College orientation program leaders group is out for a preliminary hike and stopped here for the night too. They were super nice yesterday to give me a ride into town too.

Heading into Stratton tomorrow and more hiking north after that.

Peelin' off my boots and chaps I'm saddle sore

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 128 (8/26) - Don't Steal My Sunshine

Day 128 - 11.2 mi/1961.8 mi tot
Sabbath Day Pond Shelter to Piazza Rock Shelter

The trail this morning was a swamp after all the rain yesterday. The sun did come out for most of the afternoon and we were able to get our gear dried out over any random horizontal surface in town.

I think my long day/short day alternating plan is going to be a good one to keep moving northbound. Being this close to the end is really a neat experience with everyone in the area being really excited about the prospect of completing this trek. Six Course and I spent most of the afternoon in town eating and visiting the local bars to get a true sample of the opportunities in Rangeley. After the good afternoon, we hiked out of town 1.8 miles and had a good relaxing evening at the shelter with a handful of section hikers. They had a fire going when we got there and the weather was perfect for an easy evening.

Tomorrow's plan is to go over Saddleback Mtn where I should get some views of Kibby Mountain as well as views of Katahdin...my ultimate ending point. the weather for the next few days is supposed to be great which is a nice change from recent days.

Do you like butter tarts?

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 127 (8/25) - Its Raining Men (In Skirts)

Day 127 - 17.0 mi/1950.6 mi
South Arm Road to Sabbath Day Pond Shelter

The amount of rain I walked through today might have exceeded the total amount of rain I have see the entire rest of the trip. The morning wasn't bad but right after Six Course and I hit the first shelter I started coming down hard. We were able to take a nice long lunch break but the rain wasn't going away. We geared up for it (including my rain kilt) and headed back out for the last 8 miles of the day. Those were slow miles in the rain and we had some really slow spots coming down off the Beamis range to stay safe on the flat slippery rocks. We made it through fine and got to the shelter just in time to claim the last two spots inside and avoid having to tent through the night in the wetness. Rumor has it that tomorrow will be the start of a few nice days so that will be a good change. I will head into my third to last town tomorrow, Rangeley, and then head back into the woods for the evening. Just under 230 miles to go.

(Katie...please drop in some lyrics here for me...my knowledge of this song is zero, but I got it up here just for you)

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 126 (8/24) - Forever Road

Day 126 - 10.1 mi/1933.6 mi tot
East B Hill Rd to South Arm Rd

Today was definitely not a "forever road" since I opted to take a nice short day over some easy terrain to get a little rest in. A few steep ups and downs but not a bad day overall. I took a mid morning shuttle back to the trail and finished my hiking by 2 pm and set myself up in a campsite near a stream. Spent the afternoon around a campfire (hey...why not, nothing else to do) and relaxed. Hopefully the weather the nex day or two doesn't make me regret not hiking on this perfect afternoon. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now.

Back with a pretty big day tomorrow, looking to cover 17 miles and the whole extent of the Beamis Range. Rangeley should be coming up for me on Thursday with Stratton on Saturday. Under 250 miles to go before I get to return home to my wife who I haven't seen in 2 months. She has been a huge supporter of mine on this trip and we are definitely on a "forever road".

But as far as I can see it'll be you and me just the way its supposed to be (I do love me some Hootie...er...I mean Darius Rucker...he will always be Hootie to me)

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 125 (8/23) - Slip Sliding Away

Day 125 - 14.9 mi/1923.5 mi tot
Speck Pond Shelter to East B Hill Road (Andover ME)

1) Southern Maine is tough.
2) Rain plus flat rocks are a bad combination

These last two days have been killer and have certainly taxed my hiking abilities. A lot of up, down, around and through. And to make it all worse, the rain makes all these rocks and roots very slippery too. But I was able to push through and make some decent time to cover the ground I planned to get over. Like yesterday, I can't wait untill I come back with Princess on her section hikes and can hopefully go through and over all of this in good weather. I am sure it will have a better impression on me then.

I met up with two section hikers (Circuit and Sherlock) around lunch today and they convinced me that since I was going into Andover to get a package I might as well stay at the Pine Ellis Hostel. A great call as David and Ilene are exceptional hosts and it was a very fun night hanging out with a full house of hikers, both NoBos and SoBos.

A short-ish day planned for tomorrow before entering the Beamis Range on Wednesday.

You know the nearer your destination, the more you slip sliding away.

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 124 (8/22) - The Final Countdown

Day 124 - 14.7 mi/1908.6 mi tot
Gentian Pond Shelter to Speck Pond Shelter

Made it into Maine today and my final state. Nothing left to countdown but the miles (271.4 mi to go from here). It was a cool milestone and a neat one to get to.

Other than that, today might have been my least good day on the trail yet. It was chilly, damp, rainy, windy, slippery, and overall miserable. My day was a big one and I definitely worked for each mile I completed. My knees are feeling the work I did today and two minor slips today left me with a nice bruise on my lower back. Oh well, another day on the AT in southern Maine. Hopefully the weather will be a little bit better tomorrow and I can dry out somewhat.

Mahoosuc Notch was interesting and made me take my pack off twice to get through some tight spots. I didn't think it was too tough, but was definitely a very slow and challenging mile. It might even be fun in warmer, dryer conditons, but that wasn't to be today.

Despite the tough day, still happy to be out here and looking forward to continuing my treck northward tomorrow. Plans for tomorrow wll take me into, or very close to, Andover ME, depending on what time it is when I get there and whether or not the PO is still open then.

Doo. Doo-doo-do-doo, do-do-doot-doot-do, doo-doo-do-doo, doo-do-do-doot-doot-doot-do-doo. (oh come on...are you telling me you can't hear the synthesizer here too?)

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 123 (8/21) - Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

Day 123 - 11.8 mi/1893.9 mi tot
US2 (Gorham NH) to Gentian Pond Shelter

Wow, sleeping in today felt great, didn't get out of my sleeping bag until after 7 and felt really good to have gotten that extra hour. I got to sleep in because the post office doesnt open until 830 on Saturdays and I had to go mail some food boxes ahead to my next two town stops so my visits there are simpler and quick. Other than that I spent the rest of the morning getting my things together and repacked and taking care of a few last town chores, like buying sodas at the gas station...got to have my caffiene.

Today was a planned short day of hiking and getting myself back into the pattern I had going before the White Mountains and their hut system got in the way. The trail did a lot of up and down today so a short day will also make tomorrow feel better. I made it to the shelter at a reasonable time and despite my plans to use my tent tonight, I will be in the shelter due to the presence of tent platforms in all the places where my tent would like to be. I think I mentioned it before, but since my tent is not free standing (it requires stakes to keep it set up), tent platforms are not a very viable option for me. Overall it might be a good thing since it looks like we might get some rain tonight.

Maine and Mahoosuc Notch are on the agenda for tomorrow. Those will be some good pictures.

Sleep my friend and you will see the dream is my reality.

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 122 (8/20) - Whistles the Wind

Day 122 - 15.2 mi/ 1882.1 mi tot
Carter Notch Hut to US 2 (Gorham, NH)

My last work for stay went great and the new crew there was a great team and was very accomodating for all of us staying there last night. I skipped out before breakfast and made good tracks towrds town. The hike over the various Carters, Mt Hight and Mt Moriah was a big day and I worked hard for every mile, both up and down. Very greuling and tiring for the day.

Once over all the hills, it was a nice easy walk for about 3 miles dwn to the road crossing. I stopped in at the Rattle River Shelter and chatted with Why2K, a southbounder doing a poor mans zero day at the shelter, while I ate my lunch. A really nice guy and gave me some spices to make my chicken packet lunch more appetizing and add some flavor to the otherwise bland lunch I had left in my bag.

I did the rest of the 2 miles to the road crossing in just over 20 minutes and was ready to get into town. A much needed shower and laundry then a round trip to Walmart using 3 separate hitches to get 8 days of food set up and maildrops put together for Andover and Rangely to use the last Walmart on the AT to its fullest extent.

A nice Mexican dinner and back to the hostel for some TV and beer tonight. Heading just a little bit out of town tomorrow and moving into Maine.

Where I am is where I want to be.

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 121 (8/19) - Wild Rover of Hell

Day 121 - 13.7 mi/1866.9 mi tot
Madison Spring Hut to Carter Notch Hut

After doing my chores at the hut during the afternoon/evening yesterday so I opted to skip breakfast at the hut and get an early start to my hiking day. The first three miles of my day took me up and over Mt Madison and down the ridge on the backside of the mountan. These were very rocky and very steep and took me 2 hours to cover these 3 miles. A very slow start to the day but it was necessay due to the terrain. After that it was fairly easy going to Pinkham Notch and I made good time through that section and there were actually some sections of the trail that I recognized from my previous trip so that was a good end to my morning.

Once in Pinkham Notch, I ran into Moss who I hadn't seen since the morning of my birthday in southwest Virginia. We chatted for a wihile and decided to do some "self" slackpacking using the Wildcat Mountain gondola. For $15, we got to leave our packs at the top of a 2000 foot climb, ride the gondola back down then hike back up to our packs. This worked out nicely and we made good time up this steep climb and didn't wear ourselves out along the way. After that we hiked the rest of the 3 miles to the hut and I spent most of that section playing pace car for a group of 40-somethings ladies. They had lots of questions and I seemed to entertain them well and they did fine keeping up as they bagged another 4000 foot peak.

Decided to stop at this last hut and do one last work for stay before getting out of the hut system. Should be nice since it seems like I might even get a bunk too.

Into Gorham, NH tomorrow and probably into Maine the next day.

Driving the highway with nothing to do...stereo pumping Metallica tunes...Ride the Lightning oh yeah (I have been waiting for a while for a good day to use this song by Volbeat and it was the first song on my Ipod shuffle playlist today and going up Wildcat seemed like a good excuse)

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 120 (8/18) - I Can See Clearly Now

Day 120 - 7.0 mi/1853.2 mi tot
Lakes of the Clouds Hut to Madison Spring Hut

Another good work for stay adventure with a good breakfast and a decent start in the morning. I wasn't in a huge rush since the summit of Mt Washington was in a cloud this morning. Eventually I made my way up there with 100 foot visibility and barely new I hit the summit when I showed up. Spent some time in the visitors center waiting for the cloud to clear and when it did, wow a great view. I was able to coordinate with my Mom to capture me on the summit in front of the observation tower webcam. Seems like it was a success and maybe a picture to be posted here soon.

This was the only specific memory of my previous trip to the Whites that I had...the summit visitor center and the summit of Washington sign. But it was a good day for it and the views when the clouds were gone were spectacular. A good day to get to the summit.

The rest of the day was more great views from the ridge and I did another side trip up to Mt Jefferson to bag another peak. Met some former thru hikers there and chatted for a while and got some trail magic powerbars before I left. Special thanks to those guys.

Ended up at the hut around 3 and was given a note to pass on from the last hut which apparently was a recommendation to take me on as a work for stay resident for the night. Another good hut experience to add to my other 2 so far and hopefully it goes as well as the rest.

Heading down off the ridge tomorrow and out of the Presidential Range. Maine isn't far off...

I can see all obstacles in my way.

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 119 (8/17) - Lump

Day 119 - 11.2 mi/1846.2 mi tot
Crawford Notch to Lakes of the Clouds Hut

Despite the high price tag on the bunk for last night it ended up working out really well, with a great breakfast buffet and a ride back to the trail with Kevin. He was super nice and it is very appreciated for his help this morning.

The start of the hike today was brutal. Very steep climb up Webster Cliffs that seemed to go on forever. I did manage to go over several high peaks including Mt Webster, Mt Jackson, The South Peak of Mt Clinton, Mt Clinton, Mt Eisenhower, Mt Franklin and Mt Monroe. Neither Eisenhower nor Monroe are directly on the AT, but with my short mileage day today, I was able to take some side trips and go for some shameless peak bagging.

The nice thing about today was that I was in no rush and was able to stop and enjoy the beautiful weather and chat with all sorts of people along the way. Speaking of good weather, it would have been a great day to be on Mt Washington since the summit was clear all day and is supposed to be the same tomorrow. The problem is the lack of stopping places after the summit. So I either stayed at the hut or...well, there realy was no plan B. I got here and was able to secure another work for stay deal and for some minor chores around the kitchen got a ton of dinner and a place to sleep just 1.4 miles from the summit of Washington.

Sitting in the hut, everyone here was also treated to a sunset that can not be described in words and I hope my pictures come out reasonably well to show how impressive it was. Definitely nothing like I have seen before.

Heading down off the ridge of the Presidential Range tomorrow and then back to mainly below treeline walking except for some periodic summits along the way.

Lump limped along at subsonic speeds.
(also good and appropriate for the name of the band - Presidents of the USA)

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 118 (8/16) - No Rain

Day 118 - 14.7 mi/1835.0 mi tot
Galehead Hut to Crawford Notch

The work for stay worked out great at the hut, but I am cautious about extrapolating this to other huts since it looks to be very dependent on the hut croo (yes, they spell it croo...I have no clue why). Got two good meals and a bench to sleep on out of the rain (and wow did it come down last night nea the hut) out of the deal and for doing some nominal chores around the hut, I can't really complain. The only drawback is that morning chores result in late starts (I didnt get going until almost 9 am today). Good thing it was a good day to have a late start since the terrain was very conducive to getting all my miles done at a reasonable time. Huts are also a great place for "yogi-ing" and I got a few gifts from some of the hut guests before they took off.

The climb out of the hut was a big one in a very short amount of time, which got the sweat flowing despite the cool temps and misty/foggy day. Overall it was a good day for some mediocre weather and I only missed one view because of it. I ate lunch at Zealand Falls Hut and yogi-ed some brownies from a day hiker before moving on down to the road where a tarp, chairs and cooler with soda and beer was waiting for any lucky thru hikers (like me) that happened to come by. I also was able to get a ride with a pair of day hikers to Highland Center where I had a mail drop and ended up staying the night in their bunkhouse. A little on the pricy side, but my original option for a bunk tonight does not actually have bunks, so this was as good as it gets. I met a father with his two teenage daughters here and had a good time answering questions about the AT for the older one (15) who has hopes of doing this hike someday. Kevin (the father) also offered me a ride back to the trailhead tomorrow after breakfast which will greatly simplify the morning.

Tomorrow should set me up well to go up and over Mt Washington on Wednesday morning sometime.

I read a book to stay awake and it rips my life away but its a great escape.

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 117 (8/15) - Workers Song

Day 117 - 12.4 mi/1820.3 mi tot
0.6 mi N of Franconia Notch to Galehead Hut

Today was supposed to be the most breathtaking day of the whole trip in terms of views and it did not disappoint. Once I got up onto Franconia Ridge (including Little Haystack, Mt Lincoln, and Mt Lafayette) the sheer beauty of the views are not describable by words and you will all have to wait for the pictures. I didn't spend as much time up there as I originally planned due to an incoming weather system (which I got some good pictures of it engulfing the ridge from Mt Garfield) but it was still a great morning.

The afternoon consisted of trying to time my arrival to the hut to be late enough not to get told to hike on, but early enough to have a WFS spot available. Success on both counts so I have an indoors spot to sleep in tonight during the likely rain and a free set of meals. Updates tomorrow on the outcome of the hut adventure.

This ones for the workers who toil night and day, by hand and by brain, to earn their pay.
(always good to get Dropkick Murphys involved...go Boston! Yankees suck)

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 116 (8/14) - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

Day 116 - 16.9 mi/1807.9 mi tot
Kinsman Notch to 0.6 mi N of Franconia Notch

A few things before I get into the meat of the post:
1) I am not lonesome so don't worry Mom and Sabrina
2) I didn't really intend to do nearly 17 miles today when I started
Explanations forthcoming.

So I got to bag two more 4000 foot peaks today with South and North Kinsman. The climb up South was a fun one with a good rock scramble and just fun hiking. Even saw a huge moose near Harrington Pond on my way up. Not much for views from South but the North peak had some good cliffs with some really nice views of the Franconia Ridge, where I will spend the day tomorrow.

On the way down towards Franconia Notch I passed my first AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) Hut of the trip. These huts are staffed facilities that have bunks for guests and serve breakfast and dinner. All for the bargain price of $97 per person per night and $116 on Saturday nights. Definitely out of my price range and a little steep for a bunk. Anywa, the Lonesome Lake Hut looked really nice and there were a ton of people there. Welcome to the Whites on a summer weekend with good weather. Definitely not lonesome at Lonesome Lake. One option that I was going to look into was to do a "work-for-stay" (WFS) at this hut. I would d an hour or two of chores in return for food after the regular guests have eaten and a place to sleep. Since the weather is supposed to be nice tonight and not nice tomorrow, I opted to push on and set myself up to try for a WFS at another hut tomorrow night.

The other fun thing about the Whites is that there are some areas that have restrictions on where camping is allowed. But it isn't always clear where those areas are and where they end. To avoid having to pay for a tent site or spot in a shelter (the AMC charges $8 per night at most sites along the AT) the option is to "stealth camp" along the trail and hopefully not be woken up in the middle of the night and made to move. So I am stealth camped near Franconia Notch with the sounds of I93 in the background (the last interstate I cross on the trip). Plan is to head along Franconia Ridge tomorrow and do a WFS at the Galehead Hut, hope it works out well for me.

I never seen a night so long when time goes crawling by, the moon just went behind a cloud to hide its face and cry

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 115 (8/13) - Elevation

Day 115 - 8.4 mi/1791.0 mi tot
Jeffers Brook Shelter to Kinsman Notch

Really, nothing could ruin today. My first time above treeline this trip and it certainly did not disappoint. The climb up Mt Moosilauke (summit elvation 4802 feet) was not nearly as bad as it was made out to be and I got to the top with a clear sky and views for many many miles in all directions. It was a great two hours I spent up there just relaxing and taking pictures from above the surrounding clouds. These are the views and locations I have been waiting for since Georgia. The balds in the south were nice, but there is something special about actually being above treeline. The hike down from there was a very slow one with a very steep trail following a cascading brook down the valley to the notch.

At the notch (AKA: gap for those who are more familiar with that term) I called up section hiker Dan (see blog entries from late May through mid June) who lives part time in the area and was able to meet up with him for the afternoon. A busy afternoon of drinking good beers, showering, laundry and dinner awaited. We had a good time catching up and going over my plans for the next 100 miles of trail since he is very familiar with the area. I stayed at his place for the night and will be ready to tackle two 4000 footers tomorrow.

Woo-hoo-ooh, woo-hoo-ooh...el-e-va-tion!

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 114 (8/12) - Small Town

Day 114 - 12.6 mi/1782.6 mi tot
Brackett Brook to Jeffers Brook Shelter

A nice short day today. A nice rolling trail up and over into the bustling metropolis of Glenciff. The town consists of a post office, about 20 houses and a hiker hostel. I spent most of the afternoon at the hostel relaxing and eating. I ate an entire pizza for lunch and demolished it in a very short period of time. Other than that I sat around, watched TV, played on the internet and hung out with the dozen or so other hikers in the area. After that I did a short 1 mile out to the shelter where a very nice couple had left a 30 pack of beer, chips and oreos for the shelter. A good social scene here tonight but I will need to separate myself from at least some of the group so I can take advantage of work-for-stay at some of the huts through the Whites. A big day tomorrow and hopefull some phone signal to get the last few days of posts sent out.

And its good enough for me.

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 113 (8/11) - Ready to Go

Day 113 - 20.8mi/1770.0 mi tot
Moose Mtn Shelter to Brackett Brook

I made a great call last night to stay inside the shelter since it rained, thundered and lightninged like crazy for a good part of the night. There were a few roof leaks requiring some rearranging of bodies in the shelter but nothing that 4 people in an 8 person shelter couldn't handle.

The hiking today was like pre-school for the introduction to the White Mountains and the Whites themselves. A few good climbs over the North Peak of Mooe Mtn, Holts Ledge, Smart Mtn, Eastman Ledges and Mt Cube. I can only generall estimate but my total elevation gain for the day was somewhere in the range of 6000 feet. This is just based on the low and high point along the way and doesn't include all the many dips and rises throughout the day. And I am camped here near this stream at just about the same elevation I was at last night so I also did a lot of downhill today, which isn't necessarily any easier.

The plans for the next two days look like this:
- tomorrow hike about 12 miles through Glencliff (to get my packages there) and get to the base of Mt Moosilauke
- Friday hike the 9 miles over the Mtn then head into Lincoln for a more extensive resupply and some rest. The rest will be needed since the hike is 3700 feet up followed by 3000 feet down. Definitely not an easy day and a fitting introduction to hiking in NH and ME.

The next 200 miles or so are some of the toughest on the trail, both physically and mentally, but are also some of the best stuff along the 2200 mile trek.

From the rooftops shout it out: baby I'm ready to go!!!!!

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 112 (8/10) - Another One Bites the Dust

Day 112 - 20.8 mi/1749.2 mi tot
VT 14 to Moose Mountain Shelter

I crossed the Connecticut River from VT into NH today and entered state #13. Only two more states to go through over the next 430 miles. The trip through the remaining parts of VT went through some really pretty sections of trail and the town of Norwich was definitely a nice little town. Unfortunately the morning was very humid and I ended up soaked with sweat just a few miles in. This was pretty much to status all day especially after the sun came out. The trip through Hanover NH was a quick one with stops to get my watch fixed (again), more fuel at the outfitters, ice cream and a grocery store stop too. Nothing else big and exciting today, and I am staying in the shelter tonight due to rumblings of thunder approaching. White Mountains in just a few days!

And another one gone and another one gone another one bites the dust...hey we're gonna get you too, another one bites the dust.

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 111 (8/9) - Round and Round

Day 111 - 16.4 mi/1728.4 mi tot
Winturri Shelter to VT 14 (staying in Woodstock)

The shelter last night was a good social scene and it was a nice night there too. Got a decent start this morning and made the 4 miles down to VT12 pretty quick and got connected with Castle's mom for some trail magic help in and around Woodstock VT. She was super helpful and got me to the post office and back to their house for a shower, laundry and some work to re arrange my pack to handle the winter gear that showed up in one of my packages today. On top of all that I was the recipient of a great lunch too while I waited for the laundry to finish. I had no clue last October when Sabrina and I met Castle and helped her out that I would be receiving this great help on my trip. Her parents are really nice and their help certainly made a big difference in my day today.

On top of all of that, I was able to slackpack about 13 miles today courtesy of the MacDonalds. Unfortunately during this slackpack it rained like crazy with more storms coming through the night. When I got down to the car where my pack was, I had a message on the phone saying that I was welcome to go back to their house and stay there to be out of the rain tonight. Hard to pass that up and they also fed me another meal. Definitely some of the best magic I have recieved yet. Thanks just seems like an understatement for their help.

Moving into NH tomorrow and through Hanover.

What goes around comes around.

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 110 (8/8) - Hit the Road Jack

Day 110 - 19.9 mi/1712.0 mi tot
US4 (Rutland, VT) to Wintturi Shelter

After my fun day yesterday at the Long Trail Festival I woke up to a soaking wet tent. That is the drawback to tenting in an open field when the dew falls. Not only does the outside of the tent get wet but the inside of the tent also gets soaked from condensation of breathing inside the tent. So I ended up with a late start after trying to get the tent dried out somewhat before packing it up. I made my escape finally and got some McDonalds breakfast then started the tough job of getting a hitch back to the trail. I ended up walking about 2 miles towards a bigger intersection before someone finally picked me up for the next 8 miles. The couple was very nice and the wife said to the husband as they were close to dropping me off "Oh great, this puts us right on the road to the yarn store." Having been the husband in that situation before, I got going and let them alone to determine the rest of their route planning, although I supect there was some yarn in his future.

Had some good trails today with neat light patterns through the trees and good temperatures for walking. The big highlight for the day was getting to "Maine Junction" where the AT and the Long Trail split and they head to Canada and we head to Maine. So this will be a marked decrease in the number of hikers I run into on a daly basis. Good luck to all the LT hikers on the rest of their trip.

Also had a good view from "The Lookout", a cabin with a rooftop observation deck where I am pretty sure I could see part of the White Mountains in NH...the part of the trip I have been looking forward to for a long time. There are a bunch of people here at the shelter tonight, mostly northbounders, some section hikers and a southbounder for good measure. A good social evening and the light really starts to go away early now so time for bed.

And don't you come back no more.

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 109 (8/7) - Celebrate Good Times

Day 109 - 6.3 mi/1692.1 mi tot
Cooper Lodge to VT 4 (Rutland VT)

Since it is late tonight this will be a short one. A quick downhill hike this morning after a very chilly start then got a ride into town with some previous AT hikers. Made a camera purchase at Wally world then walked back to the festival, meeting another hiker (Able) on the way. The festival was a good time with a bunch of music, workshops, trail movies and food throughout the day. Ended up hanging out with Hedgehog for a bunch of the evening including the "country metal" band set (great band and I plan to buy a CD when I get done). Will be back on the trail tomorrow and heading for Woodstock on Monday sometime.

Celebrate good times come on!

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 107 (8/5) - Nookie

Day 107 - 19.8 mi/1662.1 mi tot
VT 11/30 (Manchester Center) to Little Rock Pond Tenting Area

If I didn't mention it yesterday, the Green Mountain House Hostel is a great place to spend a night away from the trail. Had a good breakfast of Fruit Loops then a feta cheese omelete from what was left over in the fridge from other hikers. made for a good start to the day. Jeff drove me back to the trailhead and off I went.

It was another damp morning that turned into rain causing me to run (yup...I ran down the trail) the last quarter mile to the next shelter. I made it there just before the downpour started. This made a good time to wait for an hour until the heavy stuff passed. Right after the shelter there was a detour posted for the trail due to a missing bridge over a stream. The detour added 3 miles to my trip today but it avoided what was written up as a "dangerous ford". Turns out I was the only chump on the trail who took the detour, everyone else I ran into skipped the extra mileage and crossed the stream anyway. Turns out it was an easy ford and I should have not done the extra road miles. The road miles were tough on my feet with the hard packed surface and by the time I got to the tenting area I was ready to be done.

Unfortunately I was not planning on stopping at the tenting area and so I hiked past the area to get to the shelter another half mile down the trail. The shelter had been torn down that morning to make room for a new shelter being built over the next two weeks. So, like a chump again, I had to walk back to the tenting area and had to figure out how to set up my tent on a platform. Hopefull I won't have to do that many more times since it didnt work well with my non-freestanding tent. Oh well, at least I won't have a river tonight.

Like a chump, hey.

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 108 (8/6) - Break Stuff

Day 108 - 23.7 mi/1685.8
Little Rock Pond Tenting Area to Cooper Lodge (near peak of Killington)

So the big news of the day is that my camera appears to have broken, and it looks like it is a gear in the lens motor that is not working. Not a huge deal, I am heading into a town tomorrow and can either get it fixed or get a replacement. So how about I describe some of the things that I was unable to take pictures of today.

First, I finally got some views in Vermont since today was a clear day and no clouds around to block the views. There were some good ones near White Rocks Cliffs and again near Clarendon Gorge.

Second, there were a bunch of locations where hikers had made rock sculptures/piles and in one place there must have been 50 or more separate piles. A pretty neat sight.

Third, Clarendon Gorge. If I was more into swimming I would have been in the water, the river running through was nice and clear and there were some great swmming holes. More fun for a enginner like me, the suspension bridge also warranted a picture.

Finally, the shelter I am near tonight has a great view off the side of the mountain and the spot I have my tent set up in is a cool spot nestled in between a bunch of pine trees. On the flip side, I am at elevation 3850 and it is windy up here with temperature predictions near 40 for tonight. Good thing I have the right gear.

Tomorrow will be a short day as I head into Rutland VT for their annual "Long Trail Festival". Should be a fun time with music food and a bunch of other hikers.

your best bet is to stay away, its just one of those days. (hmmm...Limp Bizkit two days in a row, not intentional, it just worked)

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 106 (8/4) - River of Dreams

Day 106 - 17.4 mi/1642.3 mi tot
Near E. Branch of Deerfield River to VT11/30 (Manchester Center, VT)

So I had a new "first" on the AT today...a tent river. I thought that the place I pitched my tent last night was "flat enough" but apparently I was incorrect. About 11 pm I awoke to find water running crosswise through my tent due to the huge amount of rain that was dumping down on the area. Thankfully the rain was mostly over at that point and I was able to get rid of the water and get to a point where I could get through the rest of the night, even though I was somewhat damp. Not a big deal since I was heading into town today and could dry out at the hostel.

Then when I got up in the morning, the Boy Scout leaders were already up and had sighted a moose back near the road crossing so I went to go take a look and sure enough, there was a small moose. I say a "small" moose in relation to what a "large" moose would look like but this was still a huge animal. Once I satisfied my curiosity there I got my act together and got moving on the trail. All day was a damp, grey day until just about noon, when the sun broke through and some breezes kicked in. This allowed me to do some drying out at the shelter where I stopped for lunch about 3 miles away from where I would get into town.

When I got down to the parking area I wasn't sure what to expect...I had heard it was an easy hitch into town, but as a single male with a sketchy looking beard, who knows how long it could take. Thankfully, a carpenter who was an avid hiker had left something at home was using the parking area for a turnaround point and gave me a lift into town. The kindness of people along the trail (except for some parts of New Jersey) continues to impress me. Got into town and began my calorie binge for the night with some pizza, then some ice cream and then some soda. Not a bad start. From there I got my ride to the hostel for the night and was super impressed with this place...the Green Mountain House Hostel. The owners have a great place here that is very clean and updated with lots of amenities for the hikers staying here including laundry, a full kitchen, and plenty of space to dry out wet gear in the sun (convenient for today, huh). I got myself scrubbed down and took care of my gear and by that time the other hiker here was getting ready to cook some dinner and offered to make enough for two. Sounded good to me since it was spaghetti with clam sauce. A very nice dinner and very nice of him to share with me.

There are also plenty of new pictures up on the shutterfly site (see the new links at the top and sides of the blog), including everything from West Virginia to today in Vermont. Back at it tomorrow after another shower, just because I can.

We all start in the streams
We're all carried along
By the river of dreams
In the middle of the night

- Snowfox

Day 105 (8/3) - Lakini's Juice

Day 105 - 21.1 mi/1624.9 mi tot
Melville Nauheim Shelter to East Branch of Deerfield River

It is amazing how much sweat I generate even at an air temperature of 65 degrees when it is humid out. I would have thought that I wouldn't sweat as much just due to the air temperature but the mugginess won out today. Several stops to wring out my shirt, especially after some of the climbs. A good day of hiking in some really cool pine forests. They are my favorite with the way they look, smell and feel. Nice to have them as a more frequent part of the hike now. Other than that nothing really special frm today, just sitting at a campsite with a small group of Boy Scouts and leaders from Delaware. There was even a trail magic beer not far from here that made a nice addition to dinner, and fittingly enough it was a Long Trail Ale. Onto Manchester Center tomorrow after a 17 mile trip up and over Stratton Mtn and past Stratton Pond.

Hard to believe I will be into another state by Monday.

It was an evening I shared with the sun to find out where I began.

- Snowfox

Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 104 (8/2) - Its A Long Way to the Top

Day 104 - 18.4 mi/1603.8 mi tot
Sherman Brook Campsite to Melville Nauheim Shelter
It amazing how many more people are out on the trail when two trails share the same pathway. Starting at the MA-VT border and running for the next 105 miles, the AT and the Long Trail run together. I probably saw two dozen other hikers today, a combination of AT and LT hikers heading in both directions. Certainly adds more questions when running into people on the trail.
The hiking today was tougher than recent days but still not as tough as what lies ahead. There were some good climbs today and a lot of mud on the trail. Some stretches of trail were covered with as much as 6 inches of mud which really slowed progress when I was trying to hop from rock to rock and not get lost ankle deep in the slop.
There are a bunch of people here at the shelter tonight and the company is a nice change. I have some good climbs ahead of me tomorrow and hopefully some good views at top for rewards.
Gettin' mad, gettin' took, I tell you folks its harder than it looks, its a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll
- Snowfox
Sent on the go from my Peek

Day 103 (8/1) - I Got Friends in Low Places

Day 103 - 15.6 mi/1585.4 mi tot
Cheshire, MA to Sherman Brook Campsite (2.5 mi S of MA-VT border)
Well, actually we were in high places today, at least compared to anyone else in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. My friend Erik drove out from Boston today to go for a day hike up and over Mt Greylock (highest point in MA) with me today. We had a good hike all day and got some good views and some entertainment on the top of the mountain. There were a bunch of people hang gliding off the side of the mountain which was fun to watch as we ate the lunch he had hauled up for the two of us. As we headed down the mountain, we were glad we came this direction as the north side was definitely steeper and would have made for a more intense climb to the top.
We got down to Rt 2 and parted ways as he got his ride back to his car in Cheshire and I headed to the grocery store to pick up a few small items to get me to my next resupply point in 3 days, Manchester Center, VT. The spring at this campsite is great...flowing well and ice cold, making for really good water to drink tonight. I got some sprinkles after I got into my tent but I don't think there will be much more rain tonight. Overall this was a good weekend with my family coming out to see me and Erik here for a fun hike. Moving into state number 12 tomorrow (Vermont) and ever closer to Katahdin. Crossed the 600 mile to go mark today.
(oh come on...doesn't everybody know the words to this song? That's right...I have no clue of any lyrics...what did you expect from my use of a country song without Sabrina here to coach me along?)
- Snowfox
Sent on the go from my Peek

Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots....
-Princess