Day 62 - 67

Day 62: Distance hiked: 16.1 miles (actually ~19). My family and I (my uncle Paul AKA Chief, my brother Jeff AKA McNugget, my brother-in-law Doug AKA Splinter, my cousin Randy AKA Chicken, my cousin Mike AKA Squirrel, and my cousin Steve AKA No Sweat)  left the Econo Lodge around 7 AM and hiked into historic Harper's Ferry. We then crossed the train bridge into Maryland, stayed on the C&O Towpath for a bit before the Appalachian Trail started up a ridge. While hiking the ridge we noticed a black snake slithering up a tree just above McNugget's head. It was creepy and a good reminder to everyone that we were in fact in the wild. We stopped at Weaverton Cliffs for a nice view of the river and hiked all the way to Rocky Run Shelter over a very rocky trail. My family were complete troopers and I was very impressed with all of them hiking that distance with full packs. It was awesome.  My Uncle Paul had put together all of our meals and he did amazing job.  We were all very grateful.












Day 63: Distance hiked: 15.5 miles. We got up around 7:15 AM, ate breakfast, and started the day hiking to the Washington Monument (the first one erected in 1827, not the one in DC). The view from the momument was nice and then we continued on and ate lunch near the I-70 footbridge. Once again, my uncle had put together a great lunch for all of us. Thanks Uncle Paul! After lunch, it was just the brothers (myself, McNugget (who became Moses with his walking sticks), and Splinter) that continued on the final 8 miles to our stopping point at MD 17. It was very rocky and I was once again very happy to hike with the fam. That night we went into Hagerstown for dinner (Olive Garden) and stayed at the Comfort Inn Suites. The hot tub felt pretty amazing on my muscles.







Day 64: Distance hiked: 19.6 miles. Said goodbye to the family and started off by myself from MD 17. Still riding the wave of seeing family, I felt great all morning and passed into Pennsylvania around 11:30 AM. I then came across a road at 1 PM and hitched into/out of town to grab some Dairy Queen and get a hearty meal in Waynesboro, PA. When I started on the trail again, the lonliness started to creep in.  It wasn't until my family left that I realized how alone I've been for the first two months. It settled in and made for a somewhat depressing afternoon hike but I eventually made it to and camped at Chimney Rocks around 6 PM. It was a nice camp and had a great view.









Day 65: Distance hiked: 24.5 miles. Return of the Wolf Spiders!!!  I came out of my funk and put my game face back on. I hiked to the first set of shelters and decided to use the privy.  It was a dark, fully enclosed privy so, of course, as I was sitting there, scanned it wearily and noticed not one, but TWO Wolf Spiders!  One on the wall next to me and the other near my head. Not pleasant and I left as soon as possible. I walked into a nearby town for lunch again (only .3 miles) and then in the afer saw another rattlesnake. As evening drew on, I walked a mile out of my way to a hostel only to find out it was closed. I then decided to just hike another 5 miles to the next shelter (kind of nice that my early conditioning allows me to make such an easy decision). Set up my hammock at Toms Run Shelters.





Day 66: Distance hiked: 14.1 miles. Left Toms Run Shelter around 8 AM and immediately reached the official halfway marker. I scheduled to meet my friend Nick Rotunda at Pine Grove Furnace State Park at 10:30 AM so I made good time and arrived at 10 AM.  Since I had an extra half hour, I decided to knock out the customary half-gallon challenge (it is customary that at the halfway point hikers try to eat a half gallon of ice cream in celebration). I choose Mint Chocolate Chip and the ice cream had no chance. Nick arrived to witness the successful completion of the challenge (under 30 min). We then ate burgers and fries and hit the trail. It was great catching up with him and we hiked a total of 10 miles together. We came across some trail magic in the form of Capri Suns and then eventually made it to the road to Mt. Holly, where we decided to eat dinner in town and then part ways. It was a great day.







Day 67: Distance hiked: 8.8 miles. Left Mt. Holly at 7 AM and arrived in Boiling Springs, PA around noon.  It was a scorching day with the heat index at 105 degrees. My intentions were to continue on another 14 miles after lunch but some hikers convinced me that I would be crazy not to stop at Allenbury Resort, especially on such a hot day, so I did. Allenberry was incredible. For $23 I stayed at this immense resort (non-hikers have to pay $150 or more per night) and they even provided me board shorts for the pool and jacuzzi. The buffet that night was equally amazing and I have no doubt that Allenberry will go down as the best price per stay on the trail.   







Halfway stats/thoughts

Most people view Harper's Ferry as the more or less halfway point of the AT going north (the actual halfway point is another 75 miles north but usually when it comes to timing, it's generally the halfway point because people are able to do more miles the second half (that is they are better conditioned) and thus it takes less time). Anyway, some halfway stats: Distance hiked: 1016.6 miles; Zero days: 7; Hiking days: 54; Average distance hiked per hiking day: 18.8 miles; Mountains climbed: >97; Knobs climbed: >19; Balds climbed: >8; Gaps hiked into and out of: >151; Weight lost: 23 lbs.

Some thoughts: I've been asked some questions from other hikers as well as friends and family regarding whether hiking the trail is worth it and whether I ever want to quit (and other hikers ask me how it is to hike at the pace I've been going).  Let me try to answer these questions...This may surprise some people to hear, but hiking the trail at my current pace is not really as fun as it looks. I'd say it's about 70% work and misery and 30% refreshing and thrilling. Let me explain. Imagine this: let's say it's 85 degrees outside and someone tells you to put on a 40 lb pack and walk for the next 10 hours without stopping. It doesn't matter how tired you are or how bad your feet hurt, you have to keep walking for at least 10 hours no matter how good or bad you feel. Now when you are done doing that, that same person says congratulations, that was the easiest day you are gonig to have for the next 130. Every day from then on you will be hiking the same 10 to even 14 hours a day, but over vast elevation changes, not to mention sometimes while soaking wet and cold, sometimes through scorching heat, and sometimes with blisters, pains, bruises, etc. That's the Appalachian Trail for me. Does quitting sound appealing? Yes. Will I ever quit? No. So the question would be why? Well, aside from the thrilling aspects of seeing a bear or other animal and/or climbing a peak and sitting up at a magnificent viewpoint (some of the moments will be ingrained in my memory forever), it's more about how I feel when I'm NOT hiking. Everything, and I mean everything, feels new and refreshing. From a sip of soda to being able to sit on a chair (or even just being able to sit down!), everything feels SOOO good.  Whether it be a nice shower, a smooth surface underfoot, air conditioning, gourmet food, clean laundry, a bed, and/or pretty much every other normal day thing you can think of, coming off the trail it feels new, refreshing, and very luxurious. I am never bored while off the trail. Give me somewhere to clean myself up and rest my feet and I feel as good as if I just won the lottery. Everything is like that and that feeling of freshness and experiencing tastes and textures again like it's for the first time is priceless.  I remember having a similar feeling coming out of basic training (Plebe summer) but this is even more drastic as I am even more deprived, more exhausted, and more lonely. I'm not sure if I'm getting my point across but coming off the trail, I am grateful for EVERYTHING and it feels so good to be alive. I think a lot of times in everyday life people fall into routines, get used to the stuff around them, and only very rarely get super excited about certain things. Imagine getting excited for every meal, everytime you sat down, everytime you took a sip of something that wasn't water, on and on. It's a pretty incredible way to experience life. Anyway, I think I've said enough. Will it be worth it when I finish?  Aside from all the great times, memories, and experiences while on the trail (and there are a whole lot of those as well, don't let me fool you), I think if I can capture and hang on to that feeling of newness and appreciation for all things, even for just a few months (hopefully much longer), my life will be invariably changed for the better. So in short, yes, I think it's worth it and no I am never going to quit. 1167.4 to go. Katahdin awaits...

Day 59 - 61

Day 59: Distance hiked: 25.8 miiles. Started from Manassas Gap at 7 AM and went through Sky Meadows State Park.  It was a scorching day (95 degrees) and the heat just kept trying to suck the life out of me.  At around mile 15, I entered what is called "The Roller Coaster," which is a 13 mile stretch with ten steep ascents and descents. The Roller Coaster is never a fun ride for anyone, especially when doing it miles 16-26 to end your day. I got through it though and ended the day at the Bear's Den hostel (so far my favorite hostel of the trip).  For $27.50 you get a bed with fresh linens, a tombstone pizza, a pint of Ben and Jerry's, a soda, a load of laundry, a shower with soap and towel, internet, use of the kitchen, and all-you-can-eat pancakes for the length of your stay.  Pure awesomeness.









Day 60: Distance hiked: 19.8 miles. Surpassed the 1000 mile mark! I left Bear's Den around 9 AM and hiked the final distance to Harper's Ferry.  The first three miles were the remainder of The Roller Coaster and then after that it was pretty much a smooth hike into the city. I left Virginia behind (4 states down!), saw several more deer and a doe, and arrived in Harper's Ferrry at around 6:30 PM, just before a big thunderstorm, one day AHEAD of schedule. So thirty-four days ago, whoever bet against me averaging over 20 miles a day until I reached Harper's Ferry, I have just one word for you, "FAIL." All joking aside, it's great to be here in Harper's Ferry and I'm excited to see my family!








Day 61: Distance hiked: ZERO. I'm sitting here in Harper's Ferry waiting for my brother, brother-in-law, three cousins, and uncle to arrive.  They should arrive around 6 PM and we plan on grabbing a great dinner and then retiring for the night. Then we'll all hike out tomorrow morning and spend the next two days hiking to Smithsburg, MD where they will then go back home and I will continue on.  Today I'm doing the usual resupply, laundry, town bit and am going to take a trip over to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to "kiss the ring" if you will, get my picture taken for the Class of 2012, and sign the register.  I'm looking forward to a relaxing day and only the second zero day in the past month and a half! My feet are so happy for the break.





Day 51 - 58

Day 51: Distance hiked: 16.3 miles. Left Buena Vista around 11 AM and climbed Bald Knob and Cold Mountain. I really enjoyed this part of the trail (balds again) as there were great panoramic views of the surrounding moutains. I saw a few deer and ended up staying at the Dutch Haus Bed and Breakfast. I met two Germans (Sonic and Yona) and two Dutch guys (Nugget and Cool Cuts) and we had a great time talking and laughing about our experiences so far. They have a similar pace to myself so I hope to hang with these guys for a while.




Day 52: Distance hiked: 19.8 miles. Hiked out of Montebello from the Dutch Haus and then immediately climbed Spy Rock.  The view from Spy Rock was fantastic and I could see my next two climbs in the distance, The Priest and Three Ridges Mountain. The Priest was a good climb and then I had to hike down 3000 ft in elevation just to hike 3000 ft of elevation back up in order to summit Three Ridges Mtn. Because I knew I would have electricity at night, I decided to do something I rarely do--listen to music (I wish I could do it more often but I need to conserve battery). So there I was, listening to music, climbing along happy, when all of a sudden I heard a very loud static sound. I stopped, played with my iPhone, jiggled my earphones, and stood there a minute before realizing that the sound was not from any electric device at all, but from the very large, black, timber rattlesnake just to my right in a rock alcove. And it didn't look very happy.  "Ooooook," I thought, as I quickly sidestepped past the alcove. First rattlesnake I've seen and I was probably a few seconds away from it getting really, really pissed that I hadn't moved out of its area. Needless to say, I turned off my music and resumed my hike. Not ten minutes later I heard a sound on my left as I stopped to adjust my pack and there was a large black bear there, not 20 ft away, waddling along parallel to the trail. I wanted a picture so bad and was upset that I had turned my phone off (my camera is broken now). Then, about a half hour later, I came across a copperhead in the middle of the path.  I thought it was dead at first until it's head snapped toward me as I peered over it. Craziness.  I was convinced at that point that the mountain was trying to kill me. On the way down I came across another snake and then was swarmed by bees.  It was all worth it at the end of the day though because I had great memories as I ate a fantastic meal at the Devil's Backbone Brewery off the trail with Sonic, Yona, and the Dutch guys.  The owner let us camp in his yard next to the brewery.  Nice guy!  







Day 53: Distance hiked: 19.1 miles. I hiked into Waynesboro, VA and a trail angel came and picked me up at the trail crossing and brought me to town. I stayed at the Grace Lutheran Church which is a hiker hostel.  It was awesome and had everything a hiker could want--food, showers, laundry, movies. Sonic and I went and ate at Pizza Hut and he told me about how he prepared for the trail in Europe by hiking abandoned railroad tracks in France and Germany, including all the long tunnels (Sonic is a train engineer (conductor) in Germany and has access to the maps of abandoned lines).  What a cool way to hike through Europe! It was a good day of hiking and nice to relax in town.  Cedar cliffs was a highlight that day.



Day 54: Distance hiked: 23.1 miles. I immediately took a liking to Shenandoah National Park. The terrain was gentler and it was a very peaceful hike. I saw a few deer, got stung by a few wasps (did it have to be in the calf?!), but really enjoyed the park and hiking Blackrock around sunset. I then stealth camped in the woods out of the site of rangers and other hikers (Shenandoah has a lot of camping rules so I figured best to be out of sight).



Day 55: Distance hiked: 30.0 miles. Woke up to a deer walking around my hammock (I think I set up camp in its bed) and started my hike once I emerged from the woods and got back on the trail. I ate lunch at the Loft Mtn. Campstore which was divine (mostly because of the Ben and Jerry's) and had several great views throughout the day. I then night-hiked with Sunshine (guy I met the day before) for two hours before stealth camping again near Lewis Mtn. Campground.







Day 56: Distance hiked: 16.8 miles. It started raining around 4 AM so I took down camp in the rain and was soaked from the beginning of the day.  I trudged through the rain for 4 hours before making it to Big Meadows Lodge for lunch.  I ate lunch and luckily the rain stopped and the sun came out so by the time I started my afternoon hike, I was drying out and feeling much better.  I hiked to Skyland (the Shenandoah resort) and treated myself to a room and a nice meal that night. Very enjoyable.

Day 57: Distance hiked: 23.8 miles. I started off from Skyland at 10:30 AM after eating a superb breakfast. I discovered "Airplane Mode" on my phone (why I hadn't thought of this earlier was beyond me) which allows me to listen to music as much as I want without barely using any battery.  It was a great day of music and nature and because I had my tunes on, of course, I came across another rattlesnake.  This one looked like a plastic snake so I nudged it with my trekking pole until it's tail started rattling.  I then scanned the brush until I saw it's head staring at me and decided once again, "Ok, time to move."  I moved on, hiked the rest of the day into the night, and set up my hammock at Gravel Springs Hut.

Day 58: Distance hiked: 21.6 miles. I left Gravel Springs around 9 AM and spent some time up on a cliff overlooking Shenandoah, taking it all in one more time. I then hiked down and saw an adolescent bear that kept running parallel to the trail.  I kept catching up with it (intentionally) until I finally got a picture (I was on the lookout for mommy as well). I ate lunch near a stream, turned on some tunes, and hiked the entire day in 95 degree heat.  If someone collected all my sweat from today and channeled it into a stream, I'm pretty sure it would power a generator.  Anyway, I stopped hiking around 8 PM at Manassas Gap and was able to get into town.  And that's where I currently sit. On to Bear's Den hostel tomorrow and then Harper's Ferry to meet the fam!