This verges on the "random" but ...
They say this online "quiz has been taken 8589 times with an average score of 47%" as of just now when I took it.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
I Never Knew You
I.N.I.
A sermon to be preached at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Arlington, Virginia, on the 3rd Sunday after Pentecost (a.k.a. 1 June 2008) and to be based on a part of the Holy Gospel for the Day Matthew 7:15-29, specifically Matthew 7:21-23
Grace, mercy, and peace be yours in Christ Jesus our Lord,
The text for this morning's sermon is those verses from the middle of today's Holy Gospel, St. Matthew 7:21-23.
Dear Friends in Christ,
At first blush, this is one of those readings that might make us wonder “Gospel? Where's the Gospel in this? What is the 'good news' in a lesson that tells us that Jesus will reject people who call on him on Judgment Day?
The context of this lesson is that it comes at the end of one of the most famous, if not well known, longer passages in the New Testament: the “Sermon on the Mount”. Jesus here is wrapping up three chapters of teachings – mostly moral and ethical teachings and interpretations of the Jewish law – that had started back at the beginning of chapter 5 with the “Beatitudes.” Of course, the Lord ended the Beatitudes by turning the concept of blessedness on its head with the puzzling “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you on my account.” Then much of the rest of chapter 5 flips the Law around with Jesus saying “You have heard it said ... but I say to you....” and thereby explaining to his hearers that God wants out of us a much harder but a deeper path to fulfillment of the Law.
Now, after preaching about prayer, and fasting, and trusting God, Jesus warns his hearers to beware of false prophets coming among them in sheep's clothing. And he says that “Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven.” One way of interpreting this verse that is our text would be to attach it firmly to what goes right before, that is, to make it an expansion on or explanation of the reference to false prophets. Jesus could here be giving a further explanation of what it means to be a false prophet disturbing the flock.
We can see that the false prophet at first appears to be one of the sheep. And we can see that it might take some time, a whole growing season perhaps, to tell clearly whether that prophet dressed in questionable clothing is false or not, because it just might take that long for the false prophet's bad fruit to appear. But eventually, Jesus says, it will become clear that those false prophets are inwardly ravenous wolves. The only plan those prophets have is to disturb and destroy and decimate the flock. It will have no peace in the end with a wolf in its midst.
And ultimately, Jesus explains, the false prophet/ravenous wolf has no peace either. He can be the one who cried 'Lord, Lord' on the last day only to have the gates of the kingdom of heaven swing shut in his face. That prophet is the one who may have done some works in the name of Jesus, but without his authority. That prophet is the one who put himself ahead of the Lord, who made himself the focus of attention, who grabbed for power on his own behalf. Yes, he may have mentioned God from time to time, but that false prophet's fruit is so very bad that it is clear in the end that he never knew Jesus, and worse, that Jesus never knew him.
That's one way of looking at these unsettling verses: they apply to and explain the earlier verses about the false prophets in sheep's clothing who disturb God's flock.
Another way of looking at them could apply the verses to the members of the flock. This makes them again more unsettling because these words of Jesus could then refer to any of us, even those of us who are not prophets (false or otherwise). As Christians we want assurance that we will spend our eternity with the Lord. But these words from the end of the Sermon on the Mount describe some fellow sheep who don't, in the end, make it into the kingdom on heaven despite all the sound and motion of their being constantly busy with what look like spiritual things. What's up with that?
The way to unravel this puzzle is to understand that there are really only two options when it comes to enjoying a close relationship with Jesus. Option A is the option of the Law; and Option B is the option of the Gospel. Most or all of you have heard this before, but it bears highlighting again in explanation of this text.
How does the Law Option work? Well, if you open your Bibles to the Old Testament Lesson for today in Deuteronomy 11 you'll see that the Lord made a pretty clear and simple offer to his people as they were about to enter the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 11:27-28: “...the blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God ... the curse if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God.” Couldn't be much simpler.
It was verses like this that motivated A.J. Jacobs, the author of the recent bestseller titled “The Year of Living Biblically; One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible”. Except that when you read his book you find that a lot of what he did was either 'pick and choose' or 'once and done' following the laws found in the Bible. That is, under the 'as Possible' escape clause of the last two words in his subtitle, he often picked one law to follow in a particular week (leaving others unfollowed), or he made an extraordinary effort to fulfill one law once and then ignored it the rest of the year. [as a footnote, it's perhaps instructive that while the Library of Congress classified the book under 'Bible interpretation,' his publishers suggest on the dust jacket that it should be shelved in the 'Humor' section.] Perhaps that's the way most people seek to live according to the Bible. But I, for one, can't see that we can use that plan when following human laws – imagine telling the state trooper on the interstate, 'but officer, I followed that law about a speed limit last week, this is the week I'm being extra particular to obey the laws about parking and using turn signals.' And if we couldn't get very far like that with mere human laws, how can we expect to follow God's Law that way?
In case you want some more specificity, jump up to one of the verses our reading skipped, verse 22, where the Lord spells out “If you will diligently observe this entire commandment that I am commanding you, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways” then the promised blessing will flow. God expects us to follow ALL his commandments if we're trying to live under Option A, the Law Option.
The other path is to follow Option B, the Gospel Option. Here we can turn to this morning's Epistle for a review of what that option entails. Saint Paul writes to the Roman Christians of the first century that “the righteousness of God has been manifested [made clear and obvious] apart from the law ... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift ... For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.” (Romans 3:21, 23, 28). And what applied to people then applies to people now. Paul is coming out and admitting that Option A, while a theoretical possibility, simply won't work. That Option promised God's blessings to everyone who followed ALL the commandments ALL the time. But it won't work for any of us because of what you know in your hearts without Paul bringing it up: we all have sinned, we've all fallen short, we're all stained. Every single one of us has tried to use the A.J. Jacobs escape clause of living as biblically as possible and hoping that it is good enough. Jacobs came up with a funny book, but our lives of sin are the complete opposite of funny.
All we can do to be that wise person who builds a house upon the rock is to hear the words of God and act on them. If we would happen to flood our lives with God's word – in the manner suggested in the beginning of today's Old Testament lesson, perhaps, or in other ways – then we will see what it is that God wants of us and what he doesn't. He doesn't want us to be that false prophet in sheep's clothing bearing bad fruit at the end of the season after decimating the flock. He doesn't want us strut around boasting 'hey, look at me, I prophesied and I cast out demons and I did many deeds of power'. Jesus wants us to be the person who is justified by grace as a gift, the one justified by faith apart from works of the law. Jesus is offering us the Gospel option as our way to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Our lives then will be lives built on the solid rock. If we don't act on the words of Jesus, but instead insist on laying siege to Heaven by attempting to keep all the commandments on our own, we will be laying our life's foundation on loose sand.
We want to be the people building on the perfect life of Jesus that freed us from the restrictions, the compulsions, and the guilt of the Law. We will be the people able to love our neighbors, to love our families, and to love our enemies, in ways that are creative and beneficial for all. We will be living out the love of Jesus in this world. We will be bearing good fruit. It really is a freer, easier life that is more “blessed” (in the sense of those Beatitudes) than trying to struggle our way into the kingdom of heaven through the Law.
Those of us who live in grace, justified apart from the works of the Law, are the ones building on the Rock. On that last day we will say things like 'did You not give us words to say, Lord? Did Your power not cast out demons? Did You not do many deeds of power?' When that day comes and we cry 'Lord, Lord' Jesus will invite us to enter the kingdom of Heaven. What a great and wonderful day that will be.
Then eternal peace that passes all understanding will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
S.D.G.
A sermon to be preached at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Arlington, Virginia, on the 3rd Sunday after Pentecost (a.k.a. 1 June 2008) and to be based on a part of the Holy Gospel for the Day Matthew 7:15-29, specifically Matthew 7:21-23
Grace, mercy, and peace be yours in Christ Jesus our Lord,
The text for this morning's sermon is those verses from the middle of today's Holy Gospel, St. Matthew 7:21-23.
Dear Friends in Christ,
At first blush, this is one of those readings that might make us wonder “Gospel? Where's the Gospel in this? What is the 'good news' in a lesson that tells us that Jesus will reject people who call on him on Judgment Day?
The context of this lesson is that it comes at the end of one of the most famous, if not well known, longer passages in the New Testament: the “Sermon on the Mount”. Jesus here is wrapping up three chapters of teachings – mostly moral and ethical teachings and interpretations of the Jewish law – that had started back at the beginning of chapter 5 with the “Beatitudes.” Of course, the Lord ended the Beatitudes by turning the concept of blessedness on its head with the puzzling “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you on my account.” Then much of the rest of chapter 5 flips the Law around with Jesus saying “You have heard it said ... but I say to you....” and thereby explaining to his hearers that God wants out of us a much harder but a deeper path to fulfillment of the Law.
Now, after preaching about prayer, and fasting, and trusting God, Jesus warns his hearers to beware of false prophets coming among them in sheep's clothing. And he says that “Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven.” One way of interpreting this verse that is our text would be to attach it firmly to what goes right before, that is, to make it an expansion on or explanation of the reference to false prophets. Jesus could here be giving a further explanation of what it means to be a false prophet disturbing the flock.
We can see that the false prophet at first appears to be one of the sheep. And we can see that it might take some time, a whole growing season perhaps, to tell clearly whether that prophet dressed in questionable clothing is false or not, because it just might take that long for the false prophet's bad fruit to appear. But eventually, Jesus says, it will become clear that those false prophets are inwardly ravenous wolves. The only plan those prophets have is to disturb and destroy and decimate the flock. It will have no peace in the end with a wolf in its midst.
And ultimately, Jesus explains, the false prophet/ravenous wolf has no peace either. He can be the one who cried 'Lord, Lord' on the last day only to have the gates of the kingdom of heaven swing shut in his face. That prophet is the one who may have done some works in the name of Jesus, but without his authority. That prophet is the one who put himself ahead of the Lord, who made himself the focus of attention, who grabbed for power on his own behalf. Yes, he may have mentioned God from time to time, but that false prophet's fruit is so very bad that it is clear in the end that he never knew Jesus, and worse, that Jesus never knew him.
That's one way of looking at these unsettling verses: they apply to and explain the earlier verses about the false prophets in sheep's clothing who disturb God's flock.
Another way of looking at them could apply the verses to the members of the flock. This makes them again more unsettling because these words of Jesus could then refer to any of us, even those of us who are not prophets (false or otherwise). As Christians we want assurance that we will spend our eternity with the Lord. But these words from the end of the Sermon on the Mount describe some fellow sheep who don't, in the end, make it into the kingdom on heaven despite all the sound and motion of their being constantly busy with what look like spiritual things. What's up with that?
The way to unravel this puzzle is to understand that there are really only two options when it comes to enjoying a close relationship with Jesus. Option A is the option of the Law; and Option B is the option of the Gospel. Most or all of you have heard this before, but it bears highlighting again in explanation of this text.
How does the Law Option work? Well, if you open your Bibles to the Old Testament Lesson for today in Deuteronomy 11 you'll see that the Lord made a pretty clear and simple offer to his people as they were about to enter the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 11:27-28: “...the blessing if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God ... the curse if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God.” Couldn't be much simpler.
It was verses like this that motivated A.J. Jacobs, the author of the recent bestseller titled “The Year of Living Biblically; One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible”. Except that when you read his book you find that a lot of what he did was either 'pick and choose' or 'once and done' following the laws found in the Bible. That is, under the 'as Possible' escape clause of the last two words in his subtitle, he often picked one law to follow in a particular week (leaving others unfollowed), or he made an extraordinary effort to fulfill one law once and then ignored it the rest of the year. [as a footnote, it's perhaps instructive that while the Library of Congress classified the book under 'Bible interpretation,' his publishers suggest on the dust jacket that it should be shelved in the 'Humor' section.] Perhaps that's the way most people seek to live according to the Bible. But I, for one, can't see that we can use that plan when following human laws – imagine telling the state trooper on the interstate, 'but officer, I followed that law about a speed limit last week, this is the week I'm being extra particular to obey the laws about parking and using turn signals.' And if we couldn't get very far like that with mere human laws, how can we expect to follow God's Law that way?
In case you want some more specificity, jump up to one of the verses our reading skipped, verse 22, where the Lord spells out “If you will diligently observe this entire commandment that I am commanding you, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways” then the promised blessing will flow. God expects us to follow ALL his commandments if we're trying to live under Option A, the Law Option.
The other path is to follow Option B, the Gospel Option. Here we can turn to this morning's Epistle for a review of what that option entails. Saint Paul writes to the Roman Christians of the first century that “the righteousness of God has been manifested [made clear and obvious] apart from the law ... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift ... For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.” (Romans 3:21, 23, 28). And what applied to people then applies to people now. Paul is coming out and admitting that Option A, while a theoretical possibility, simply won't work. That Option promised God's blessings to everyone who followed ALL the commandments ALL the time. But it won't work for any of us because of what you know in your hearts without Paul bringing it up: we all have sinned, we've all fallen short, we're all stained. Every single one of us has tried to use the A.J. Jacobs escape clause of living as biblically as possible and hoping that it is good enough. Jacobs came up with a funny book, but our lives of sin are the complete opposite of funny.
All we can do to be that wise person who builds a house upon the rock is to hear the words of God and act on them. If we would happen to flood our lives with God's word – in the manner suggested in the beginning of today's Old Testament lesson, perhaps, or in other ways – then we will see what it is that God wants of us and what he doesn't. He doesn't want us to be that false prophet in sheep's clothing bearing bad fruit at the end of the season after decimating the flock. He doesn't want us strut around boasting 'hey, look at me, I prophesied and I cast out demons and I did many deeds of power'. Jesus wants us to be the person who is justified by grace as a gift, the one justified by faith apart from works of the law. Jesus is offering us the Gospel option as our way to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Our lives then will be lives built on the solid rock. If we don't act on the words of Jesus, but instead insist on laying siege to Heaven by attempting to keep all the commandments on our own, we will be laying our life's foundation on loose sand.
We want to be the people building on the perfect life of Jesus that freed us from the restrictions, the compulsions, and the guilt of the Law. We will be the people able to love our neighbors, to love our families, and to love our enemies, in ways that are creative and beneficial for all. We will be living out the love of Jesus in this world. We will be bearing good fruit. It really is a freer, easier life that is more “blessed” (in the sense of those Beatitudes) than trying to struggle our way into the kingdom of heaven through the Law.
Those of us who live in grace, justified apart from the works of the Law, are the ones building on the Rock. On that last day we will say things like 'did You not give us words to say, Lord? Did Your power not cast out demons? Did You not do many deeds of power?' When that day comes and we cry 'Lord, Lord' Jesus will invite us to enter the kingdom of Heaven. What a great and wonderful day that will be.
Then eternal peace that passes all understanding will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
S.D.G.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
23 May - 2 June
Arden Valley Road, NY -- Port Clinton, PA
23 May 2005 (Monday) Wildcat Shelter, NY
Back on the Trail again! Ann dropped me off at Arden Valley Road (where it – and the Trail – crosses the New York Thruway to the west of Harriman State Park) at noon. It’s been a forgetful day in ways: first, I left my bamboo hiking pole at home; then, I forgot to ‘camel up’ from the extra bottle of water I’d put in the car; and finally, I forgot that I’d already done a few miles of the AT south of Arden Valley Road (maybe 3 miles or so, which I recognized when I was on it, back in 2002 or so). Other than that it’s been nice.
A little slow, perhaps, taking over 6 hours to come 10 miles.
It was pretty overcast all the drive up from home, and for 3 hours of hiking, but at 3:00 the sun came out and it warmed up a little (past the 56 degrees it was in the early afternoon).
Some native wildflowers along the way today, including this pink lady's slipper orchid just within a foot of the Trail.
Two folks here at the shelter when I arrived: a young girl named Odessa (she said it was because she was a Classics major in college) and an old guy (quite talkative) whose name I didn't catch, both going north. Two others showed up since, but they’re tenting. Then a guy and dog (guy in a skirt, dog with a pack), but they’re tenting somewhere, too.
It’s 8:45 and about 60 degrees. Pretty much time to go to bed. Odessa already has; guy seems about to be; tenters are sitting on the bench at the shelter fire ring chatting, eating, and looking at pictures on his cell phone.
24 May 2005 (Tuesday) Waywayanda Shelter, NJ
Cold day on the Trail. [Click image to see full size]
Overcast all day except for one very short outbreak of sun at 2:00. Hiked from 7:30 to about 2:30. I’m sure it wasn’t above 60 all day. At least it didn’t rain.
[Click image to see full size]
Crossed into New Jersey in the afternoon, so now I’ve done all of the AT in New York, too.
Played “leap frog” with the guy and dog. He introduced himself where they had stopped at one of the creeks we crossed as Jill (or, would it be Gilles?), then spoke to his dog “Here, Jack.” I said, “Oh, I get it: Jack and Jill. And you’re fetching water, too. What are the chances?” He said that when he started in Georgia he was carrying a small pail, too. Why not? They’re in the shelter tonight, too.
It’s only 4:50 and I’m done eating, put food in the “bear box” [a metal foot locker with a hasp on the front that’s supposedly bear proof], and have gotten into my may to warm up some.
I didn’t do any great thinking today on the Trail. Considered a little some of my regrets … what they might be. Like not having had the courage to through hike back in the 1970’s. Or not having taken batter advantage of New York City in all those years of living in Tuckahoe. Or not having really nailed my languages back in college. Missed opportunities all. I don’t want to have any more.
47 degrees at 6:00 pm. In my sleeping bag. Still warming up, because I’ve got my shoulders out. Can’t do crosswords or read comfortably.
Tomorrow’s start should be easy. After that, probably not too hard, it looks.
25 May 2005 (Wednesday) Pochuck Mountain Shelter, NJ
Another chilly day. Overcast all day, breezy, last night’s rain blowing off the trees especially in the morning.
I left Waywayanda at 7:00 and got here at 2:00. Seven hours for 12.3 miles (or something like that), but that includes 2 stops for water which are, of necessity, a little longer than 10 minutes each. It’s sometimes hard to stop and all when I’m chugging along, but I’ve skipped water sources before and regretted it later.
Today’s hike was mostly not too bad. Came down off one mountain on a long series of stone steps. And in the last mile there was a serious rocky patch. But in the middle, some flat areas traversed on puncheon and by the new boardwalk and bridge just put in last summer (or was it the one before?).
I saw some pink lady’s slipper orchids today, so I’ve seen at least one each day. And I think I heard a winter wren today. I’ve also heard veeries singing a few times.
Got one set of clothes hanging about various places in hopes that they’ll dry out before nightfall.
[Click image to see full size]
Pretty sweaty despite the chill. I didn’t check the temperature in mid-day, but right now in the shelter it’s 53 degrees – minus whatever the wind chill is.
A couple young guys showed up last night shortly before dark. Turned out to be people Jill had known back around the Smokies or before. I enjoyed listening to their chatter about who is on or off the Trail, and their recommendations to Jill about places to stay in Pennsylvania. Jill, it turns out, had started at Springer, hiked to about Harpers Ferry, gotten off to go to a wedding in Connecticut, decided to hike south from there, and is planning on jumping then from Harpers Ferry up to Connecticut to head north to Katahdin. He explained to his friends that it’s a ”kilt” not a “skirt” (even if it is a plain khaki color, not a tartan).
Tomorrow I have some elevation gain to make. The goal is High Point Shelter (near the highest point in New Jersey), but I think I might go a little beyond to Rutherford Shelter and then bump the next day on a little, both in order to shorten the scheduled 21 mile day on Saturday. I’m supposing it will work. I could have done 5 more today and still been in before dark. Least ways I feel like I could.
8:45 pm and time to turn in. Temp holding steady at 49 degrees last couple hours.
26 May 2005 (Thursday) Rutherford Shelter, NJ
[Click image to see full size]
So when I got to High Point Shelter it seemed too early to stop. It was only another 4+ miles to get here, so I did.
That was despite the suggestion of the creator/host of “The Secret Shelter” who told me that “it’s in a swamp,” likely to be buggy, and that he always suggests people push beyond it. I’d also met a NO-BO hiker named Chino – who recognized me from down south – who was here last night. He told me that “while it’s .4 miles off the Trail, it’s an easy .4.” The first tenth of a mile is actually a pretty steep drop down from the AT. I think that’s the big reason it doesn’t get a lot of overnighters. (It couldn’t be the phoebe nest with babies in the front overhang.)
Tonight I ate the “Flyin’ Bryan’s Garlic Potatoes” meal I got from the “Lipsmackin’ Backpackin’ Vegetarian Cookbook.” And to make things eerie, Flyin’ Bryan had actually signed the shelter register some months ago.
I called home from the High Point State Park office at 3:00, but had to leave a message. Since I was scheduled to have stopped 2 miles short of the office, I’m sure Ann wasn’t expecting a call.
Saw another pink lady’s slipper today.
This was another overcast, cool, damp day. Maybe the sun will come out next week. There was a lot of grassy field to walk through early this morning. It’s amazing how wet boots and pants get just walking thru a field. I’ve got my clothes hanging up to air out, but I’m certain they won’t dry.
I was alone at Pochuck Shelter last night and probably will be again tonight.
6:30, 58 degrees.
27 May 2005 (Friday) Brinks Road Shelter, NJ
I wasn’t alone last night after all. AND it was sunny all day today! Woke up at something like quarter after five and saw a bright moon shining through the trees. Seemed like a good omen. And it was, for 30-45 minutes later I could tell that the sky was blue. Just now at 5 pm a thunderstorm rolled in from somewhere, but I’m under a roof and that’s fine with me.
Saw two more pink lady’s slippers today. And my first real snake: a 5-51/2 foot long black snake which zipped for cover when I came upon it. Took a photo, but only got the front half of the snake in the frame.
The Mashipacong Shelter is the first place I saw some of Desperado’s trail magic. He takes care of a few shelters along here and stocks the bear boxes with goodies: lemon cookies, drink mix, first aid stuff, alcohol for fuel. The cookies were gone when I got there, but I took some fuel because I was concerned about getting through another week with what I had. Their privy is also a large metal shed over a composting privy, a commercial design; quite nice. [Click image to see full size]
I passed by the Gren Anderson Shelter because it was a little off the Trail, so I don’t know if Desperado stocks goodies there. I’d been scheduled to stay there, and had wanted to see it because it was built by Green Mountain Club members. Here at this shelter, though, I was able to partake of the lemon cookie gift. Makes up a little for the Worthington Bakery being closed. (Am I the only person on the Trail who didn’t know that it wasn’t open for business any more? There were constructions guys all over it doing remodeling, so maybe later this summer.)
The water at this shelter is down a blue blaze trail that disappears. I got off track coming back and the next guy got further off – had to holler for his wife to find his way back to the shelter. They’re from Mississippi. Talked to her a bit while he was getting the water, and she said that she’s doing this for him; and hopes her turn will come. They’re tenting.
Two young folks showed up and there was another younger guy (from Tennessee) already in the shelter when I arrived
As I was approaching the closed bakery today I met a guy on the Trail who had just started. His clothes were too clean, for one thing. He said he was headed for the Water Gap – so I turned him around and headed him south. We walked together to the road and he didn’t see the blaze there (okay, so it was a little hard to spot on the back of a sign) so I led on [wondering later whether I should have gone on down to the gas station I saw and gotten a soda as least – it was still hot then – or looked for a phone, or more water]. We hiked up the hill and he was telling me a story about getting lost once in the Smokies with two rock climbing friends, and we missed a turn while he was talking. I realized it a couple hundred yards down the hill on the woods road we were on (the down hill part should have tipped me off earlier), and turned us around. Up the next step part I told him “any time you want to pass me.” He said I was setting a good pace. When we got to the real top he took a picture of me eating the second of the chocolate-y granola bar snacks he’d given me, with a nice big vista in the background. He’d been telling me about his work doing something engineering rail trails, and how this part of New Jersey has a lot of lakes. Then he led off. And left me in the dust. “Good pace” indeed! Last time I saw him was about 10 minutes before getting to the shelter when I spied him up ahead a ways hoisting his pack after a break. He’d said to someone we passed that he was aiming about 6 miles beyond the shelter, but all my data book shows thereabouts is a road. Well, whatever.
Another guy showed up while I as writing that paragraph. I’m thinking they’re starting long holiday weekends. It is Memorial Day on Monday, right? I think they’re all tenting.
I’ve got 5:30 and 65 degrees.
Oh! First real trail magic was yesterday. I came down some hill to some unmarked (gravel, as I recall) road. Saw some ‘trash’ to the side of the Trail: two cardboard cases for beer. But something made me go over and check them. One had unopened cans (at least 2) in it! So I washed one off, popped it open, and drank down all those lovely carbohydrates. Quite unexpected, unmarked, and unreservedly appreciated. (Except that in the last day I found myself wondering whether I should have brought another can along with me. Ah well, share and share alike.) Time for dinner, I guess.
There’s another phoebe nest here in this shelter.
28 May 2005 (Saturday) Mohican Outdoor Center, NJ
Today was a good day on the Trail. Weather was nice, starting sunny and getting cloudier in the afternoon. Then just beginning to sprinkle as I was within the last mile of this place.
“This place” is the Mohican Outdoor Center, owned and operated by the Appalachian Mountain Club ( a little south of their usual stomping grounds). It’s got cabins and tenting sites and a couple buildings for groups. I’m in one of the latter and the check-in guy said there were only 2 other peoples here (so far) in this building. AND, I scored a single room rather than having to share bunkbeds in a room of 6 or 8. I got here about 3:30, I guess; checked in and picked up my re-supply box; walked down here to this building; read Ann’s letter (which was in the box); took a hot shower (!); and made supper. There’s a kitchen here, so I used their electric stove to heat my water. Same meal-in-a-bag, but sitting down at a table indoors under fluorescent light does make it nicer. (Here come the other folks.)
The 14 miles I did today were split right in the middle as a road crossing that had a water pump at it. Made it easy to stop for “lunch.” A couple handfuls of gorp. And it seemed like a lot of the Trail was fairly flat today, too. Some was actually abandoned asphalt road (now turned to gravel) from a vacation community bought out by the federal government when they were talking about damming up the Water Gap.
I go through the Delaware Water Gap tomorrow. It’s 10 miles or so from here to the west end of the I-80 bridge over the river. Then another 6.6 miles up to the shelter. Shelter’s at 1,500’ elevation. Bridge is at 350’. I should be going through the DWG right around noon and will dicker with myself about getting a restaurant meal. May depend on the weather somewhat.
A couple people mentioned to me that the worst of the fabled Pennsylvania rocks are between here and Wind Gap. I pass Wind Gap on Monday.
This is the first day I didn’t see a pink lady’s slipper.
Before I forget, more wildlife: ticks! Either the shelter had them last night or I brought them in with me. Killed 10 or 11, and 5 or 6 were actually on my legs, though not yet settled down for a meal. I got one more this afternoon off my calf when I took my boots off. And then two more in the shower. Had trouble getting to sleep last night, too, as a result. First some mosquitoes and, then when the cooling temperatures sent them on their way, thinking that every itch or tickle was another tick. Two or three times during the night I did pick something off me and toss it out of the shelter. I should have turned on my flashlight to see if it was tick-ish or not. The other guy in the shelter was sleeping soundly even though he had a very noisy air mattress. Actually, he was in his sleeping bag when I arrived, only got up to make his supper at one point after I ate, and went back in the bag right away. He only barely got up before I left this morning. He’s heading up to Hanover, NH (like the guy I was with the night before) where he will finish his AT hike.
It’s 6:00 and still raining. I’m going to get on a pair of dirty pants (so my clean ones will remain my “dry clothes in case of rain” pants) and go back to the lodge building to see about a phone and a candy bar.
29 May 2005 (Sunday) Kirkridge Shelter, PA
Ended up last night that there were probably 10 or more people in the building. Including 4 who were up and loud until 9:30. Posted quiet hours were from 10 pm on, but sheesh …. I was trying to get to sleep from 8:00 or 8:30, when it was getting dark outside. I think they might have been the same four kids who showed up at the Brinks Road Shelter at 9:30 that night, headlamps ablazing. They looked around and, deciding there weren’t any good tent sites there, walked back up the blue blaze to the AT. I found them in two tents at the junction with the AT when I started out in the morning. Their bear bags were hung about 4 feet off the ground.
I ended up sleeping pretty well in the end, though, and getting up just before 6:30. Ate, packed, and left at 7:30.
Had something of a long day. Sunny mostly until about the last 2 miles of 16. Went 10 miles to the Delaware Water Gap visitor center which was roped off and closed due to a flood some time back. I rested and ate some gorp there. Then walked over the bridge into Pennsylvania. (And didn’t think about it being the completion of another state until later.)
Tried to get a meal there in town at the Trail’s End Café, but after leaving my pack outside and reading the menu while waiting to be seated for the Sunday brunch, I noticed the sentence beginning “While we do not take any credit cards ….” Well, shoot! I really should have put last night’s room on the plastic and kept my cash. So, rather than walking further into town for an ATM or someplace taking plastic, I went on up the hill. Wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t seen the notice. Would they have held my pack hostage while I went for cash? Or had someone drive me to an ATM?
It turned out okay. It was starting to rain the last couple miles and I really bore down to make it to the shelter before it let loose. Might have been in more rain if I’d stayed and eaten something in town. Here at the shelter are 2 women with 2 high school girls (and I can’t figure out the relationships) and 3 college freshman guys, former boy scouts, who are not with the women. One of the guys mentioned “up at Saranac we …” so I asked him if he meant Young Life’s Saranac Village. He did indeed. He’d been there three summers in a row. I told him I was on the first work crew of the second summer it was open.
Saw another pink lady’s slipper today.
There were mega rocks around Sunfish Pond, the other side of the Water Gap. A real boulder scramble in places. [Click image to see full size]
PA doesn’t have all the rocks. People keep talking about the rocks and the register here is full of NO-BO remarks about being glad to be getting out of Pennsylvania. Guess I’ll find out how they rate in my own mind tomorrow. (There are also a few comments about how the rocks “weren’t as bad as advertised.”)
Met the Ridgerunner as I was entering DWG. He was closing in on the bridge and I told him “There’s a straight flat stretch up ahead with no rocks”
and then saw his ridgerunner patch. We chatted a bit. He didn’t know how the food was at the Trail’s End Café and suggested pizza or donuts in town. And didn’t know absolutely that the water up here was working. It’s piped in from a retreat center just in back of the shelter a short walk, and was reported to be out of service early in May.
Ann and I had a nice talk last night. She’s planning on hiking in to the last shelter and spending the night with me on Thursday.
It’s cleared off a lot and is probably 60 degrees here at 7 pm. Food is hung since there’s an apparently recent notice in the shelter about bears nearby.
30 May 2005 (Monday) Leroy A. Smith Shelter, PA
Well, so far, my home state is living up to its “Rocksylvania” moniker. There was a long, fairly straight, relatively level, and very slow and tedious stretch today. All because of those rocks. One really can’t look up very often; and there’s no place flat to place one’s feet. But it’s supposed to get better the further “south” I go.
One remarkable thing about hiking today is that I didn’t see a single hiker going either direction. I did pass two groups of campers who had hiked in to their camp sites (one family of 4, and one group of 3 Army guys), but since they weren’t hiking a the time I’m not counting them.
When I got to the shelter here I thought there were hikers in ahead of me, but they turned out to be 2 locals coming up the mountain for a holiday view from the top (this shelter is on a trail that heads down the side of the ridge to civilization someplace, and it’s near a power line crossing). They offered me food – Swiss cheese and granola bars – from their small picnic cooler. We chatted a bit and then I went off for water (a 10 minute walk each way). When I got back they were gone, but had left another granola bar for me. I took off my boots and put on my long-sleeved shirt against the chill of the sprinkle starting up. It rained in fits and starts. Then the people showed up again, having just gone up to see the view from the power line cut-through. We chatted a bit more, but they didn’t offer any more edibles. (I thought later I should have thanked them again for the food and mentioned that I hoped I didn’t seem greedy because I sure felt like I could have eaten a lot more.) Then they left. Rick and Maggie: they left a note in the register saying something about being under God’s almighty care, but faith didn’t come up in our conversation.
I did do more thinking about faith while walking today. It’s hard for me not to with the last phrases of the Te Deum ringing in my head for miles after my morning trail devotion (“Day by day we magnify Thee; and we worship Thy Name ever world without end.”) Just how do/should/can I magnify God day by day?
Through the tedious part of the Trail, though, I was mostly imagining what if I’d sat down to rest on some rocks, gotten bitten by a rattlesnake, got it off me quickly, killed it, taken its photo, and had to stat out for help. Somehow I’d have a cell phone and would be carrying on one of those long off-and-on calls to 911 that get written up in a Reader’s Digest story. Today, anyway, there wouldn’t have been anybody ‘coming along before too long’ to go for help after the venom in my leg made it impossible to get very far very fast (plus, remember all those rocks). It would have been sad, and nearly tragic. I ended up awakening in a hospital room, so I guess I made it out alive somehow.
I made it out of the shelter at 7:15 this morning. Good thing, too, judging from the timing of the afternoon rain showers (which seem to have stopped for now at 7:00 pm). The women and girls were all asleep or pretending to be. (Turns out that they were indeed Girl Scouts.) The three guys hadn’t emerged from their tent. I made breakfast, took two trips for water, packed up and set out; none of the rest appeared to move at all.
Yesterday another NO-BO recognized me on the Trail. This was “Metric” who was one of the 3 guys at Manassas Gap who identified the “Foe-bee” nesting in the overhang. And in the registers yesterday and today, I see that a couple other hikers I chatted with, “Chestnut” and “Palladin,” have already passed this way.
Here’s what may be a “first appearance in print”: in an article by Matt Heid (Senior Editor of AMC Outdoors) “Sticks and Stones; the pros, cons, and proper use of trekking poles” in AMC Outdoors Magazine April 2005, pp.14-16, is this sentence: “An informal poll conducted by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in 2000 indicates that 90-95 percent of Appalachian Trail thru-hikers carry trekking poles, as do 30-50 percent of short-term backpackers, and 10-15 percent of day hikers.” And the name change doesn’t become official until the meeting in July.
7:20 pm, 58 degrees, time to read.
31 May 2005 (Tuesday) George W. Outerbridge Shelter, PA
[Click image to see full size]
A good, long day of strenuous hiking. Some up. Some down. Some flat. Some rocky. Some not.
No pink lady’s slippers today, but I did get to hike over and through and down the Palmerton Superfund site, a former zinc mining and smelting area that looks like a cross between a moonscape and some Death Valley scene of desolation.
[Click image to see full size]
Even had buzzards circling overhead. Only thing missing were the sun-bleached remains of a broken down Conestoga wagon, and the whitened bones of an ox or longhorn cattle or whatever.
Before descending the huge rock pile to the river in Lehigh Gap there’s a long flat walk up on top (mostly on an old road).
[Click image to see full size]
Up there I met 3 kids slackpacking north – “the B’s” and “Hippie Longstocking.” I’d heard of all three before, mostly from register entries. They explained what I’d heard last night from the late-arriving group “The A-Team, that a group of about 15 NO-BO hikers had kind of clumped together, shelter by shelter through much of Pennsylvania, but had taken three zero days over the Memorial Day weekend to go to someone’s house in New Jersey. It sounded to me like it might have been Hippie L’s house, because she described its features and attractions “for that crowd” knowingly: hot tub, showers, bar, phone, cable modem Internet connection, washer and dryer ….
That “A Team” group came into the shelter after I wrote last night. During the heavier rain (which it looks like we won’t get any of tonight). I think they’re a guy, his sister, and her boyfriend. The latter two were cooking together, then turned the stove over to the brother to cook his meal separately. They, too, were coming off a couple day’s holiday with parents (the parents, by the way, signed in at tonight’s shelter register a few days ago). The girl was definitely running the show, and asked me questions about the Trail up ahead. The guys both admitted not really having heard about the Trail until some 6 months ago when she talked it up with them and convinced them to come. They started 13 February. She told me that she was a super-organized person and had started out with a schedule … which she quickly threw out. They were a little interested in the different outlook of section hikers. The boyfriend wondered how I could ever get back to hiking again once I’d get off for such a stretch; he imagined that if he stopped for months, he’d never go back to the Trail.
Between 6:45 and 7:00 tonight three guys showed up for the night. 7:14 and 71 degrees.
1 June 2005 (Wednesday) Allentown Hiking Club Shelter, PA
[Click image to see full size]
Another long day, but not so bad hiking. There were a couple places where there were real serious scrambles, needing focus and concentration (and no rain!), but a lot of today was pretty flat stuff, some of it even rock free.
My own highlight of the day came 4 mile from the end, where I crossed route 309. I toddled over to the combination restaurant and B&B to see whether they really do have water available as the guidebooks say. Well I couldn’t find an outdoor tap that was working, and the place was locked up tight. So I toddles back across the big parking lot to the Trail crossing. There were two truck drivers parked in the lot, hauling stuff to make or repair highway guardrails and one of them called over to me. We chatted a bit and she wanted to know why I did it, how far I’d come, and so on. Then she asked me if someone was supposed to be picking me up. No, I said, I was just hoping that they had some cool water to spare; and waved my empty water bottle. No problem, she says, and grabs a gallon jug of spring water from the seat beside her to fill up my empty liter. We talked a little more and she asked what I ate along the Trail. As I was explaining my trail food, the other driver’s cell phone rang and she called over to us that they were ready down at the job site. SO then my driver says, here’s some bread (a big roll) and some butter packets for your lunch. She also topped off my water bottle. I told her she was an angel. And we went our separate ways. Real “trail magic.” (Okay, maybe bread and butter and water doesn’t sound that exciting to you, but it really hit the spot with me at that moment.)
I saw a turkey cross the Trail this morning. And last evening there were two scarlet tanagers. Oh, and how can I forget at 4:38 this morning a whip-poor-will very near the shelter?
Last night there ended up being only two other hikers at the shelter with me. A third guy was there for maybe half an hour before pushing on (into Palmerton?). They were all very interested in my lurid tales of the size and difficulty of the Palmerton superfund hill. I showed them a couple of the photos I took, too. A couple of the guys gear talked for a while before the one left. Then there was some amiable chatting for a while.
The older of the two, “Buzz,” really hates the rocks, which are doing a number on his knees. The younger guy, “Catnip,” was maybe even still in high school, wearing a feather in his hair, and section hiking Harpers Ferry to the Water Gap. He seemed to subsist on snacks, and was hiking in his old skate-boarding shoes. He told me this morning that he ate only dry food and thought that maybe next time he’d bring a stove and cook some dehydrated food because the dry stuff just weighed too much (or maybe it was the other way around, I don’t remember). I didn’t pursue with him the essential differences between dried and dehydrated. Buzz, by the way, had left Springer on the 15th of March, a full month behind the A-Team, and now only a day behind them. Shows the power of taking zero days; he’d only taken 3 since he started.
Between the whip-poor-will and all, I was on the Trail at 6:45 this morning. Got in here at, I think, about 4:45. It’s a long hike for water. Their sign says 1,200 feet … which I figure is close to a quarter mile, but the “feet” make it sound closer. Took me ten minutes to hobble down to the spring.
It’s 7:45 and 71 degrees. We’ll see whether anyone else shows up.
Tomorrow I meet Annie, either on the Trail or at the shelter. It’s another 16 ½ mile day for me (plus a water run in the morning).
2 June 2005 (Thursday) Windsor Furnace Shelter, PA
Nobody else showed up last night. It’s a relatively new shelter, with a nice privy and all. And a spring almost a quarter mile away. Someone had left a plastic gallon jug in the shelter so I used it this morning to get my water, and was able to purify it all at once, drink a couple liters, and still have my water to carry with me when I headed out.
There was what seemed like a really long uphill along a road in some state game lands this morning. Pretty easy trail because it was a maintained gravel road, but constantly uphill. And the blazes not too close together so I kept wondering whether I’d missed a turn off. Eventually the road petered out, though, and the Trail reverted to ruts and rocks.
Pretty much all day there were only 3 day hikers, without even day packs. Two were before this long stretch and one was during. The last guy was pretty talkative and told me about seeing a rattlesnake up at “The Pinnacle,” a high point I was heading for. When I got there I didn’t see any snakes, but then I didn’t go out to the overlook either. From there on, the Trail was more “normal.” Well, except for passing a radio tower where I could hear the air conditioning kick on for the equipment.
Eventually, though, when I think I was about within a mile of the shelter, I spied Annie up ahead. How nice! We walked to the shelter together, sharing our day’s experiences (mine included seeing one of those grouse play the broken wing game to try to lure me away from her ground nest and babies). We rested and then had supper. Ann also brought Snickers and Butterfingers, enough to satisfy and have many left over to leave in a plastic bag for other hikers.
While we were resting and snacking a hiker came up to the shelter to write in the register. She looked vaguely familiar, like I’d seen her in Virginia, but her name didn’t ring a bell and we didn’t put together where we were when exactly. She was heading north and said something about 10 more miles before dark, which seemed an awful lot to me with what daylight was left to her.
I’m thinking that, just 6 miles north of Duncannon, this shelter doesn’t get lots of overnight traffic.
Oh, another example of NO-BO prejudice: just before the last road I came to (where the long uphill through the gamelands started) I came across a sign facing south that read “Ecologically sensitive area; no camping for next ½ mile.” So, if I’m coming from the other direction like I was – where there is no such sign at the end of the sensitive area – and I decide to camp within a half mile of the back side of that sign … am I still liable for disturbing the area? It wouldn’t be that big a deal to put up signs for SO-BO hikers, too, would it?
10 June 2005 (Friday) home
This would have been my final day on the Trail if I’d been able to keep hiking south in Virginia. Of course, things turned out well anyway. I was able to be home to get an important phone call; got some chores done; got a lot of good reading done.
And I basically filled in a long “gap” on my trail map. Now all I really have left is Connecticut and Massachusetts; everything south of Thornton Gap, Virginia; and north of Pico/Killington, VT. Simple.
Ann and I had a wonderful night in the shelter and the hike out in the morning was not too bad (from my point of view) except for a persistent drizzle. Didn’t take too long to drive home from there. And I start back at work on Monday.
The "math":
166.8 Trail miles in 11.5 days for an average of 14.5 per day;
total (with earlier in May hike) of 291.8 miles over 19.5 days for an average of 14.9 miles a day;
finished AT in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, and all but about 20 miles of Pennsylvania; also have the southern 100 miles of Vermont done
Friday, May 20, 2005
7 May - 15 May
Pen-Mar, MD -- Thornton Gap, VA
7 May 2005 – Saturday – Pine Knob Shelter (Maryland) on the Appalachian Trail
So, after some months of planning and figuring, Ann drove me from home this morning to the Pen-Mar County Park just barely south of the Mason-Dixon Line. We got there about 8:45 a.m., and I got hiking about 9:00. Got here to the shelter (17.6 miles later) at 5:20. Had a short lunch break at Ensign Cowall Shelter, which was roughly half-way in between.
Mostly the Trail was pretty easy. Long stretches of it flat and dirt-covered, but there were some harder rocky patches. And I really did need this shelter to be here. The big drawback here is the traffic noise from I-70, just down the hill, and a supposed drag strip nearby. On the other hand, the spring is close to the shelter.
Met 3 or so NO-BO through hikers. Ate lunch with a couple NO-BO section hikers from Syracuse who had started down in the Shenandoah someplace and were hiking back in the direction of home.
Saw a little wildlife: a turkey on the drive in; chipmunk, rabbit, various birds (heard but didn’t see a raven); some butterflies; and – remind me – is it a good thing or a bad thing to see a salamander in the pool of water at the spring you’re dipping from?
There’s a hiker holed up in his sleeping bag in the shelter. Raised his head to say hello when he heard me arrive, but laid back down again. Coughed a couple times. Maybe he’s waiting out a cold. Noisy group of tenters on the far side of the privy.
Scarlet tanager sighting – two of them! Make that at least 3.
Going to make supper and read the shelter register.
8 May 2005 (Sunday) Ed Garvey Shelter (Maryland)
What a nice shelter! Only drawback is that the spring is listed as .4 miles down a steep hill. Two guys left almost a half hour ago to get water and aren’t back yet. I filled up back at Gathland State Park, about 3 miles north of here and intend to make it last through breakfast and the 6 miles into Harpers Ferry.
The guy in the sleeping bag yesterday turned out to be a section hiker doing a shakedown hike preparing for a through hike he wants to start in January, after he graduates from college. He was learning a lot about what he didn't need to take with him.
The Trail today was again pretty easy. This sure isn’t northern Vermont. If I’d tried to do the miles there that I’m doing here, I probably wouldn’t be here. And that would be a shame.
Weather’s been beautiful. No clouds today, but breezy. Started out at about 48-50 degrees at 7:00 this morning and was in the low 70’s at mid-day. Went by the historic 1827 Washington Monument in the morning.
Birds abound. Not as many flowers as yesterday when there were lots and lots of yellow violets, but I did see a couple stands of pink azaleas today. Saw a deer today and something that might have been a groundhog moving very quickly through the woods when it heard me. AND I think I saw a bald eagle fly by after I got here to the shelter at around 3:30.
Yesterday my head was full of all kinds of thoughts as I walked. Today not so much.
In the morning it’s off to Harpers Ferry, downhill and then flat along the C & O Canal, a total of 6 miles. Then walking around town a bit to go to the ATC headquarters and maybe eat a restaurant meal. After that another 5 miles probably all uphill, then 5 more to the shelter, total of 16 + town.
Not sure about that uphill part because I seem not to have brought toe second map I need, plus I can’t find any of the photocopies I made of the data book or the thru-hiker’s companion. I really should be absolutely sure tonight. Actually, I should have 2 more maps to get to my first Post Office. Hmmm.
I get to call Ann tomorrow when I’m in town. Yay!
Found the maps and photocopies in the first pocket of the pack I looked into.
Two college guys hiking north are here and spreading their stuff in the upstairs loft. They’re eating that expensive Mountain House freeze dried stuff.
It’s 6:10. I’m going to review tomorrow’s maps and then read a while.
9 May 2005 (Monday) – David Lesser Shelter tenting area (VA or WV)
Tenting tonight mainly because 4 SO-BO college buddies are at the shelter. My thinking is that they’ll be up a while. It’s only 7:00 and I’m in the tent ready to lay down (well, I am already laid down to write). I followed these guys over the Shenandoah River bridge out of Harpers Ferry and we passed each other 3 or 4 times. I ended up in the lead somehow and got here about 15 minutes before them. They do a lot of chattering on the Trail. Then right away one of them went to sleep and started snoring – or breathing heavily – and I though I didn’t need that tonight. So I started thinking about the tent.
Tomorrow could be a hard day. Shorter miles planned – about 14 – but over a section called “The Rollercoaster” because of its constant ups and downs. An older guy pulled in here ca. 7:00 and said it wasn’t too bad because they’re short and because there’s a stream in each low point. Well good.
Today I did 16 Trail miles, plus over a mile in H.F. First I missed the turn to get to the ATC office and had to backtrack when I saw I was up to the Jefferson Rock. Maybe half a mile there. Plus it’s a half mile uphill from town center to the ATC Office. Half a mile back. Back up to Jefferson Rock and then onwards. BUT if I’d stopped to get out the new map, I’d have seen that the other blue blazed trail to the ATC was just a bit beyond the Jefferson Rock. Drat.
I had been thinking about a restaurant breakfast there in town, but there was nothing convenient enough for me. Saw the place. Got my Polaroid picture taken for the album (I’m section hiker #44 for the year to pass through the office).
The stretch from the last shelter to H.F. was nice.
Pretty flat and clear, then a switchbacked downhill, then the C & O Canal stretch.
[Click image to see full size]
Saw a turtle and 3 babies on a log in the canal, a deer coming onto the towpath from the river side, and then a flock of 6 or 8 orioles in trees between the path and the river just before getting to the bridge to cross into Harpers Ferry.
When I called Ann from the ATC office she was surprised. Had forgotten I’d be going right through town and stopping there. Made my bird reports. It was good talking with her.
My right knee is acting up a little. Doesn’t like downhills so much. Ibuprofen and prayer to the rescue!
If I get off early enough in the a.m.. I should be fine. I left Ed Garvey shelter at 7 a.m. today and got here around 4:00, but spent an hour or so in H.F., so I did 16 miles in 8 hours walking. Good pace.
Oh, the shelter register claims there was a bear nosing around food bags last night. I’ve hung mine (probably a little low). Took a little doing, especially getting the last knot in place.
7:23 p.m. I’m going to read a little and see about sleep.
10 May 2005 (Tuesday) Sam Moore Shelter (VA)
6:20 p.m., I’ve been here 2 hours by myself and might just be for the night (though, of course, it’s never too late for someone to arrive). I’d guess a lot of NO-BO hikers blow right by this shelter, headed for the Bear’s Den Hostel. I was going to blow right by the hostel this afternoon except that I met a north-bounder in between there and Snickers Gap who said the magic words “Ben and Jerry’s.” So, what the heck, I stopped. Spent $5.50 on ice cream and a bottle of Gatorade; used the bathroom; filled my water bottles; and I was returning the spoon I’d eaten the ice cream with when I saw a computer with internet access for their “guests.” It didn’t specify overnight guests or not, so I sat down to email quick notes to Ann and the kids.
I was on the Trail ca. 7:00 this morning. Walked in the clouds for 2-3 hours before the sun came out. Just occasional sprinkles now and then, and quite chilly, but a lot of that part of the Trail was level, easy-going stuff. My right knee really slows me down on the downhills, but I figure I was averaging the standard 2 mph much of the day anyway. Still hopeful of keeping that up.
Tomorrow I’m “scheduled” for Dick’s Dome Shelter, another 16 mile day after today’s 14, but I’m tempted to shoot for the next shelter (Manassas Gap) as it’s “only” another 4.5 beyond, is bigger, and of course closer to the Linden Post Office. And this is such a huge food box I’m picking up – 11 days’ worth. I should try to shorten that heavy day somewhat. I’ll probably also question to wisdom of walking that much food through Shenandoah when it’s supposed to have restaurants sort of near the Trail.
No special wildlife sightings today. Some pretty wildflowers, though, here and there.
74 degrees and breezy. It was breezy much of last night and I fretted over whether to put up the rain fly over the tent. Didn’t need it in the end. Heard there should be “showers” tomorrow (both from Ann on the phone yesterday in Harpers Ferry, and from a woman accompanying a bunch of kids north on the Trail to “do some rock climbing” at Crescent Rock. Looked to be about 7th graders. I was most happy to talk with her because I was having a little trouble pinpointing just where I was, and that at least put me south of Crescent Rock.).
This place is in a tulip poplar grove … lots of very tall, straight trees … no branches reachable for bear-bagging unless you’ve got a cross bow and lots of rope. I take the presence of a lot of mouse hanger thingies to mean that bears don’t like tulip poplars (even if mice do)
It’s cooled to 72 degrees at 7:30 and I’m going “to bed” even though it’s still light out.
11 May 2005 (Wednesday) Manassas Gap Shelter (VA)
Long, hot day. But here I am 4 miles further than my schedule said. I decided that 18(+2) was too long on a mail pick-up day, even if some of it was before the pick up. So now tomorrow will be 14 Trail miles + 2 road miles (round trip) for the mail.
A random view of the smooth AT footpath taken at 8:15 in the morning -
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And just three minutes down the Trail the rocks appeared -
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But it was hot today. I didn’t check the temp during the day, but the talkative guy in the shelter said the radio reported it at 91. Yowzers!
LOTS of trillium blooming today. There were a couple of miles of Trail just north of here where 30-40 feet off rail on both sides was carpeted with them! Quite a sight.
Here in the shelter there’s a gray bird with lighter chest that’s built a nest inside above the “door,” a sort of mud and stuff set-up. Was real hesitant about coming in when one of us humans was sitting in the doorway, but now that we’re both down on our sleeping bags, it comes and goes with a flutter. Wonder whether it’ll be singing us awake.
Trail re-route in Sky Meadows State Park cut half a mile off the section, but it was virtually all in the blazing sun. Not good. The promised rain for today kept to a brief, few minutes of sprinkle. Did cool things off a bit, though.
Physical report: feeling pretty good except that the knee still hurts a little; ups are still tiring; downs are still slow; and now I’m chafing (especially where my pack belt rubs). A real annoyance. Plus, I believe the “convenience” store near the Linden P.O. doesn’t open until something like 5 p.m.! The convenience part must be for the owner, not the hikers. Had been hoping to pick up some powder or something.
It’s 7:30 p.m. and 85 degrees.
That bird has a darker grey head , and bobs its tail when it’s on the branches contemplating a run at the nest.
Third guy just showed up and said two more are behind him. They’re here and identified the bird as an Eastern “Foe-bee.”
12 May 2005 (Thursday) Tom Floyd Wayside Shelter (VA)
6:30 p.m., 63 degrees, cloudy.
So, anyway, those guys were up until 9:45 last night and there seemed to be an awful lot of rustling of bags and bivies in the shelter until all hours and through the night. Between that and tired legs, I felt like I couldn’t get to sleep, and then didn’t sleep well.
The 5th guy at the shelter last night was there when I arrived, name of Pine Tree. Older, retired carpenter from the Midwest, now out of Florida. Started a thru-hike with his son a couple years ago. After his knee “went out” and he then had an operation on it, he’s at it again, but taking his sweet old time this time. Thought that next year he might go out to Wyoming, buy two horses (pack and ride) and just ride around out there to see what he could see. Likes Florida’s winters, but not its summer heat, so he’s planning on doing something away from there in the summer.
Today, then … up early (the 2 latecomers still in bed when I hit the Trail) and out about 7:00. Easy walk down to the road, then a flat road walk to the P.O. in Linden where the clerk got my box, and checked for but couldn’t find any letters. I repacked the food (what a load!) for the next 11 days and walked over to the convenience store which IS open in the morning after all. Called Annie from the payphone outside and got updates. She said she sent a letter last Saturday, same day as the box, and another one on Monday. Bought a bottle of grapefruit juice and cookies. Back to the P.O. Guy said he’d check again and found a letter in back someplace. I thanked him and asked about the earlier one. He checked the general delivery cupboard again and this time found it. Jeepers! Back to the store again, to get fuel. Their gasoline antifreeze is isopropyl alcohol and I mixed it with the methanol I have. Yeah. It leaves soot on the pot. Only an hour or so later did I remember that I wanted to get some foot powder or something, too. Maybe at the next store, if I still need it.
The hike wasn’t so bad with the heavy pack except for the last couple miles when it started to show on my shoulders. Did a lot of sweating today after the post office stop. Even stopped at a shelter to change pants, they were so wet from sweat. It’d almost started to rain in town, so that I put on my jacket and pack cover, but then let off before I got to the Trail … and didn’t take off either for a while; that may have been part of the issue.
At the last big road (Rt. 522. which goes into Front Royal) there was a parked car and I was hoping for a trail angel with something cold to drink. No such luck. It was a woman dropping off a couple, the woman of which was looking for her cell phone. I humped on up the hill without checking the map because this is in the new guidebook for the Shenandoah which I got in the mail; and I’d put the maps in the pack rather than separating the first one out into my waist wallet. Well, one way or the other I was hoping to get to what the book said was the Northern Virginia Trail Center where I could get water from a tap (I’d been warned by a NO-BO hiker to get water on the way to this shelter because it’s a long quarter mile from the shelter to the spring). I wanted to camel up at the Center and then get water at a spring and be set. Well, I never saw such a blue blaze trail. Maybe it’s not there any longer.
Then the guide book talked about benches and views and trails elsewhere. First bench was okay but now with no view. Next bench seemed to be on the wrong side of the Trail, I thought. Finally came to a sign which said the shelter was a half mile ahead, a rarity to get a warning (promise) like that. I took the long blue blaze to the spring and then went up to the shelter wondering if it would have hurt anything to build the shelter closer to the spring? (As it turns out, the spring wasn’t on ATC property when the shelter was built, else they might have.)
Rested; read; made supper; and as I was hanging my food bag on the cable by the shelter porch (I’m virtually in the Shenandoah so there may be bears about), the two cell phone people wandered up from the tent sites to see what the shelter looks like. They’re sort of section hiking: last year did Springer to Erwin, now Front Royal to Erwin, and maybe the rest later. I may be seeing them for a while because I’m pretty much going shelter to shelter through the Shenandoah (although I have seen neither hide not hair of those 4 guys who came out of Harpers Ferry with me).
Tomorrow’s only a 10 mile day. At 7:00 it’s a chilly 62 degrees. Gonna lay me down and read a bit.
[A chillier 48 degrees upon getting up in the morning. Hit the Trail ca. 8:30 a.m.]
13 May 2005 (Friday) Gravel Springs Hut, Shenandoah National Park, VA
Yeah, it must have been chilly last night. I ended up with my sleeping bag zipped all the way up, and was comfy, not too hot. Today I kept an eye on the temperature. It never got above 58 degrees. Then there was the wind, too, most of the day. Quite chilly. Didn’t see the sun at all until after I got to the shelter, and it’s just peeking through now and then; most of the sky is still thickly overcast.
Easy Trail today, though, and not so long (10 miles, I thi8nk it was), but the chill made it not overly enjoyable. Signed in and got my 'backcountry pass' when I got the the Park border. Saw deer a couple of times, and just a couple other hikers. One group of six kids calling themselves “Team Vanity” for some reason. Now a pair of No-BO sections hikers are here with me. The woman seems to be the one doing more hiking as they said he hadn’t been out with her before, and has only a week now, while she has a month.
Another phoebe nest in this shelter.
I spent some time after arriving trying to plot a shorter ay a few from now when I’m set for a 21 or so. If I bypass the shelter before there’s supposed to be a relatively flat former farm field about 3 miles beyond. That would make two 17 mile days in a row. ‘Course, who knows?
I’m going to get in my bag early tonight just to keep warm.
There’s supposed to be a restaurant of some sort not too far south at the Elkwallow Wayside on the Skyline Drive. Tomorrow, being Saturday, may see a bit of tourists, especially if the sky clears. On the other hand, it could be raining tomorrow. Maybe yesterday morning and today are the omens of rain … a cold front has come through, that’s for sure.
The shelter register has a lot of stories in it about a raccoon who has learned that there’s food atop the bear pole thing. It is said to climb to the top and then eat into food bags as they swing below. One entry says to hang your bag by at least 2 feet of cord so the coon can’t reach it. Others have tried to use trees (but a coon who can climb a smooth steel pole can just as well get up a tree, can’t it?). I’m going to try putting my cookset on top of the food in the bag, and then my dirty socks on top of that to make it more difficult for Mr. Raccoon to get to the food, plus mask the food smell a little perhaps. Or maybe the coon has gone elsewhere as the last coon story was a while ago – a few days anyway.
There’s a resident chipmunk here. And the register talks about mice (which could be the chippy) at night.
I’ve got 5:03 and 62 degrees --- but a pretty steady wind, too. Time for warm food.
14 May (Saturday) Pass Mountain Hut, Shenandoah National Park, VA
Much hotter today than yesterday, up around 80 degrees in mid-day with good sun pretty much all day. I was up and about before any of the others woke up. There were 2 SO-BO section hikers who showed up around dark, after I’d given up and snuggled deep into my bag looking for warmth. Found it, of course, but I didn’t get to really meet the people, so I half wondered if they were the two cell phone people. At 3:00 a.m. I heard the first two people waking them up saying that the raccoon was atop the pole getting her food, and they’d bring it in the shelter if she wanted. I heard them say it was the second time they’d gotten up to shoo it away.
At 5:30 I heard the pole and chain clanging, but by the time I got up the coon was gone. Then I sat and listened to the birds waking up (how do they ever hear their own calls in the morning amongst all the others?). After that I tried to pull my things quietly out of the shelter and packed a lot of it up. Then I got my food bag down, made breakfast, finished packing, and hit the Trail about 7:15. I suppose the others might wonder if I just disappeared. (I remember sort of envying the hikers in Vermont who could do just that.) At the bottom of the food pole there were the wrappers for a Lipton Cajun Style Beans and Rice, and for 3 granola bars. Guess the coon ate well.
Shortly after getting on the Trail something dropped into the leaves about 4 feet to my left. I stopped to see what it was and then suddenly there were 4 or 5 baby orioles playing a roughhouse game of tag from ground to branch and away. Quite a sight.
A bit of hot hiking later I got to the Elkwallow Wayside (gas station / snack bar). Was there about 10:30, so I could still get 2 egg and cheese sandwiches (one with honey mustard and relish, the other with barbecue sauce and relish). Yummy! Called home and left a message for Annie on the machine. Went back into the store and got 2 large Snickers bars (total of 810 calories if I did the math right). Washed up a little in the bathroom, where I removed the second tick of the day from myself and flushed it down the sink. These were the big dog ticks; I don’t know how anyone can see the tiny deer ticks.
Met the guys from Ohio again today. They come out to do 30 miles or so each year on this weekend in May, a group of 5 of them. They leave one car at either end of the day’s stretch, and exchange keys when they pass each other in the middle. At least they say there are 5 of them; I saw the same guys each day.
Talked with an older couple a little ways back on Pass Mountain. I’d stopped to rest on a rock and heard voices, then realized that there was someone just ahead. These two were sprawled out flat on their backs chatting. She was from Lebanon, PA and had gone to E-town College; he had gone to F&M and then taught somewhere. Their first time out this season, they said, getting their hiking legs back for backpacking later.
So I pulled into the shelter at about 2:30 to find the place swarming with at least 50 Koreans from a church in Vienna, VA. They were wrapping up a barbecue and offered me a slab of chicken, which I declined saying I’m a vegetarian. Didn’t get any other offers of food. What I was really hoping for was a cold drink. They cleaned and bustled (a few of them anyway) for half an hour and then were gone. One guy stopped and asked me about my hike; I asked him about the group. He said they were going on overseas missions trips and this was part of their physical training. They did a pretty good job of cleaning up the hut area, but the flies know they were here.
Which brings us to the newest pair of SO-BO hikers (you’d think with all these other people going southbound, I’d see some of them more than once). This young couple from Colorado popped into the shelter a little while after the Koreans headed downhill. Said they’d seen a bear back on Pass Mountain. Now I’m wondering how much Korean barbecue got spilled in the woods where the various groups were eating. And how much spilled bbq sauce is near the fire pit for mister bruin to come lick off tonight while I’m sleeping.
The guy just got a job with the High Mountain Institute, an interesting-sounding educational endeavor in Leadville, CO where they bring in high school juniors from all over the country for a semester and – while keeping them up on their regular subjects – also do some environmental/outdoor education stuff with them. Sounded fun. She used to be a park ranger in Colorado, but just recently quit because it’s getting to be too much law enforcement. So they put stuff into storage, jumped into his truck, and came to Virginia to hike for a while.
It’s kind of clouding over and cooling off now, down to 75 something degrees here at 5:00. The couple said we’re supposed to get thundershowers the next tow days, but the weather’s been wrong the last week, too. (They re-supplied from relatives today just down the Trail a piece, so it’s locals reporting the weather – or semi-locals anyway.) I’d appreciate a day with temps and cloud cover in between yesterday’s and today’s. Suppertime soon.
15 May 2005 (Sunday) Panorama Restaurant, Shenandoah National Park, Thornton Gap, VA
Well, like so many before me, I’m going to “get off the Trail” before I’d originally planned. My reason is gout. I’ve had it, I don’t know, 5-6-7 years or so, with only 2 flare-ups, both right at the beginning. Take my little pill every morning and it leaves me alone. Except now it comes back. Could be just what I was eating the last couple days, or that plus the stress of backpacking, or who knows what. (Ate much the same, and backpacked in Vermont 3 years ago without any gout. Go figure!) Yesterday I did eat the 2 egg and cheese sandwiches, and I’ve been eating gorp with mixed nuts in it (that I now remember some of which are on the list of foods high in purines hat should be avoided). Plus my meals have been the beans and rice sort of thing, but nothing different from my usual fare. It boiled down to a lot of proteins do metabolize. And, maybe, in the end, not as much water as often as I should. Oh, well.
Last night, again, I couldn’t find the right position to sleep in. Between that and my to joint hurting if I put pressure on it the wrong way, I didn’t feel like I got much sleep. I was up at 5:30 or 6:00, and really on my way before the others got up. The third other resident last night was a NO-BO section hiker from Montana and/or Colorado, just into a couple weeks’ vacation. No bears last night.
Well, I got here to the phone just a minute or two after 8:30 and called home. Ann had changed the greeting to a message for me saying she’d be out till 12:30, going to church with Jon. That was because I was scheduled to get to a phone later in the day at the Skyland area and she didn’t want me to miss her being home by calling too early. Anyway, I left a message and said I’d hang out here till 12:30 and call again. The restaurant is closed so I’m sitting on its porch to stay out of the wind.
Funny thing about the gout: in my experience it’ll be “all better” in a day or two. I probably could have stayed out on the Trail if I wasn’t in such a tight section-hiker schedule, needing pretty much to be at least to particular places each night, if not beyond. Maybe I’ll go back out next week and finish the part of Pennsylvania I haven’t done yet.
12:30 … called home and Joanna says that Ann left at 10:30 already, in between church services. So the wait won’t be as long. She has the cell phone with her, so I’ll call and let her know just how to find me without paying to get onto the Skyline Drive.
20 May 2005 – Elizabethtown, PA
So the gout flare-up is over and gone, as I thought it would be. I probably could have gotten along on the Trail in spite of it, but the Thornton Gap spot was too convenient to skip calling from there. I was slower getting down to it from Pass Mountain that I would have been otherwise (even back when my knee had been hurting). It was more real annoying that painful. But I still wouldn’t have wanted to stub my toe on anything.
Still thinking of the rest of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania starting some time next week. People had asked about my section hike and generally liked that I was going to be out for a month. I’d been telling them that I did the Long Trail 3 years ago, and so got the southern 100 miles of Vermont done then; and that I used to live in New York and got all of NY and a little bit of Connecticut done then; and that I was now in Pennsylvania and had hiked half of the Trail in PA (all establishing my “Trail cred” pretty firmly). As it turns out, when I looked at the maps and Data Book I’ve done a lot more than half of Pennsylvania. I’ve hiked from Port Clinton (Hawk Mountain) south almost to the Maryland border. From Port Clinton up to the Delaware Water Gap is only a few days’ hike. And adding New Jersey wouldn’t be all that much longer. Hmmmmm.
Friday, September 06, 2002
The Saga of My Long Trail
Over a year ago, on the 20th anniversary of my ordination as a Lutheran pastor by the way, I decided that I really needed to do something I've been wanting to do since I was in high school: take an extended backpacking trip. Many other circumstances in my life came together to make it possible this summer, but I still only had one month of vacation. Too short a time for the whole Appalachian Trail. Hmmm, what about that trail that runs the length of Vermont, Canada to Massachusetts? What was it? Oh, yes, the Long Trail. It's 270 miles long. That sounded like it was about a month's worth of not-too-hard hiking. So I spent as much time as I could over the last 12 months hiking, particularly on the AT sections in New York, so many of which are only an hour's drive from my home. And when classes and faculty meetings at Concordia College, Bronxville, NY were wrapped up at the end of June, I got a friend from the staff (Roger) to drive me to the northern end of Vermont and drop me off at the border. Roger was a good choice because he's on the college's development staff and I'd decided months earlier to let them use my hiking as a fund-raising tool. It was pretty successful. Anyway, without any further ado, here's my trail journal, pretty much as I wrote it up every night or morning. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope it encourages you to get out and hike yourself.
Journal Entry on Saturday, 29 June 2002 – Laura Woodward Shelter, 7:00 pm 10.8 miles from trailhead parking lot
Long day. Woke up at 6:30 at Lucie’s house in Newport, VT after riding up with Roger the day before from Bronxville, NY. Roger and I had cereal for breakfast and we all left at 7:30, us for the Trail and Lucie for a meeting in Brattleboro. We got (finally! at the end of a very long and extremely narrow and rutted dirt road) to the trailhead parking at about 8:00, I guess. Hiked to Journey’s End Camp, a tiny little place,
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after signing in at the first register. Signed in there, too, using the trail name "Concordia" and headed for the border. I guess we got there around 9:00 and took photos. Roger went back to the car and I headed into Vermont.
Impressions: Lots of mud, some of it boot deep! The ups were strenuous with a full pack, and I often stopped every few feet, out of breath and tired, but felt better once I got to the top. Legs feel great now. Have this odd bouncy feeling after taking off the pack. Water working okay, but it might get to be a drag squeezing and squeezing; I guess it doesn’t take that long to fill a Nalgene liter and quaff enough to be satisfied and refill the Exstream bottle for more fresh water on the way.
It’s only 7:45, but I’m here alone, so I think I’ll read awhile and see about sleep; the night noises or morning could come pretty early and wake me.
OR NOT. Between 7:30 and 8:00 a couple and their dog arrived. Since I’m now still up: didn’t mention food earlier. Ate only gorp between setting off and getting here. Just wasn’t hungrier at lunch for all the rest. So maybe at breakfast I’ll have lunch from the day before. That would save cooking in the morning. Supper tonight was, I think, the black bean soup with cous cous. I boiled (almost) 2 cups water, then poured it into the Zip-loc and sealed the bag, and let it sit 8 minutes. It worked just fine. And no clean up! Quite filling, too, but I was thinking that I’m going to miss fresh fruit by the time I finish this hike. I used 1 Tbsp. of alcohol in the pan and 2 Tbsp. in the stove itself, and it lasted just enough. It went out as I lifted the pan to pour out the water so I didn’t have any warm water to wash up with.
Journal Entry on Monday, 1 July – Tillotson Camp, 7:12 pm 8.9 miles on the 30th and 6.2 today
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Two very long and tiring days. Today seemed easier in the end for a number of reasons: shorter!, managed water better, and I’m getting the hang of managing my left knee. Yesterday early it was getting real sore and I worked out a way to go up and down mostly without bending that leg (step up with the right; step down with the left). Advil really helps, though. And I have a bandana wrapped just above my knee.
When I’m pushing hard up yet another incline that doesn’t seem to be in the Guidebook, I keep thinking how I could hitch to town at the next road and call Ann to come get me. Hurt knee = a good excuse (even though right now I’m like 1/10 of the way there). But after stopping, and resting, and getting water . . . it all seems better. A lot depends on how the knee’s feeling at the moment.
All yesterday I was hiking “with” the two folks and dog who had followed me in from Journey’s End and arrived late at Laura Woodward. Quite a pair: cousins, she ca. 22 and from southern VT, he ca. 50 from Dutchess County, NY. Some nice equipment, but I got the impression not much planning pre-hike. He was really weighed down by tons of excess food. She had a big tent. He dragged way behind, but carried the stove so she couldn’t eat until he arrived. She wanted to make lots of miles over the weekend (and maybe could have) but they left the Trail this morning after Hazen’s Notch. I asked her to call Ann and let her know it’s slow going and I might be a day or two late on the planned phone call. I surely will be.
Last night was at a full “camp,” a rustic cabin. The two of them and the dog, 3 high school boys finishing a NoBo thru hike, and a pair of crew cut women heading north. Sleep seemed hard to come by, what with sharing a bunk with one of the boys. Every rollover anywhere in the cabin made noise. And I just couldn’t seem to get comfortable (what was all that sleeping on the floor at home for?).
Tonight it’s me, a young married couple (NoBo section hikers) and their two dogs. They’re all nice and quiet for now.
Food: I’m not eating much gorp, by any means. It’s hard to chew and swallow on the Trail. And dinner both last night and tonight (Sweet Wenatchee Rice and Veggie Bonanza respectively) were just too much to chew and swallow. So this a.m. I ate half of dinner leftover, and I will again in the morning. So, no grits so far! Saves fuel, I guess, but why am I carrying it? Maybe as I forge on I’ll get hungrier … or if I take more days to the re-supply point I’ll need it.
Lots of beautiful ferns along the way. A variety of flowers, mostly ca. 5 different kinds. Some small frogs or toads today. Lots of birds all day.
Tired. It’s only 7:40. When I hear birds singing close to the Trail I imagine that Ann’s thinking of me just then.
Tomorrow to Spruce Ledge Camp, only 8.5 miles, or 5 ¼ Guidebook hours. But I’m hitting more like 1 mph. Plus the folks here told me that there are a lot of blowdowns along the way, blocking the Trail, for me to go over or under.
Guess I should try for an early start tomorrow.
Journal Entry on Tuesday, 2 July – Spruce Ledge Camp, 8:13 pm 8.5 miles
Got in at 5:45 and was alone for 2 hours. First order of business: collapse. Then get water and make supper. As it cooked in the bag I gave myself a “sponge” bath with my bandana on the porch and then air dried. Then I washed out my clothes as best I could. They’re hanging on the porch. This is a pretty neat shelter: new, has sliding barn doors, a picnic table area under a separate cover, and a water source closer than the one at the start of the spur off the Trail.
This wasn’t too bad a day. Much level and downhill, no steep ascents (tomorrow I guess I start off with one). Knee better for the most part, running on Advil. Attitude better, too, either I’m getting in shape, knowing I will eventually make the shelter, or I’m getting over it all.
After supper (and again I could only finish half of it) I spread out the food supply and got out the shelter schedule. I think I can make it to Jonesville only one day later than expected. Phone call from the Long Trail Tavern . . . they are said to be open at 3:00, serve food at 4:00; so I’ll still have 3 miles ahead of me after making the call but it looks like it’s mostly on old logging roads. By then maybe I won’t be praying Ann comes to pick me up early.
Big features today: long set of stairs coming downhill after the LT skirted a pond (and I missed – too bad – an overlook); also it was hazy today so I didn’t even think about going up the Belvedere fire tower; and shortly before the shelter, an uphill climb through “Devil’s Gulch,” with big rocks to scramble over, moss, ferns, a babbling brook … really pretty but might have been more appreciated in the morning.
Journal Entry on Wednesday, 3 July – Corliss Camp, 5:46 p.m. 6.7 miles
Another day, another mile. The guy at Spruce Ledge Camp last night mentioned living in the Northeast Kingdom. Turns out he knows Lucie because his wife is the high school librarian and they go to the Christian Science church where the twins play Sunday mornings. Sorta small world. I asked him to call Lucie when he finished his hike. He’s wrapping up a NoBo, Jonesville to Canada, this week.
So I left Spruce Ledge at 8:00 and got here to Corliss at 4:45. I’m figuring I walk faster that 1 mph, but with my breaks I’m not making more time.
I got to Bowen South Summit at 10:38. Took a lunch break from 11-11:23 at no place in particular. Reached the gravel road in the description at 11:28. When I got to Butternut Mountain at 1:55 I took another 20-25 minute pack shedding break, and got here ca. 4:45.
I also stop every half hour for a 3-5 minute water and gorp break. I guess that adds up, but it really seems to help keeping me going. Plus, of course, the frequent pauses on the uphill stretches.
So in the 2 hours and 20 minutes I got 2.4 miles (shelter to Bowen – a long uphill climb) I would have had ‘official’ breaks at maybe 8:30, and surely at 9, 9:30, 10, and 10:30. That’s 20-25 minutes of break, plus all the breathers on the way uphill. 2.4 miles in 2 hours, or 1.25/hour (roughly). Still, it took the whole clock time to get there.
Tomorrow I’m looking at an 8 mile day to Roundtop. OR make it an 11 and stay at the Long Trail Tavern’s 6 acre backyard. If I can pull that off it gets me to their pay phone, which is supposedly inside. They open at 3 pm and serve food at 4. BUT it’s also the 4th of July, so maybe they won’t be open at all. Unless they are for hikers. Life is so full of uncertainties.
If they’re closed for the 4th, perhaps the owners live on site, or check in. If worse comes to worst, it’s 2 miles into Johnson itself the next morning and I could find a phone there.
Well tonight. Got here and there was gear on the porch and picnic table. But very quiet. Three young girls, maybe in college, asleep inside on bunks. Must have been 85-90 degrees inside (no window screens) but they said they wanted to keep bugs out so they’d closed the windows and door. It is pretty buggy here. So I sat outside and looked at maps and trail guides, plotting my possible next two days. After a while two of them got up and sat on the porch. We talked just a tad and then I made supper: grits and fruit bits. Still didn’t finish last night’s repast. Appetite seems pretty suppressed. I had time to wash myself with bandana and warm water before they started to make moves about supper themselves. Then I came over to a bench by the cabin to write.
And in the middle of this, another girl shows up. She’s been chasing the other three since Williamstown. She’s just now telling a story about the Long Trail Tavern and how she didn’t want to sleep out back there because the crowd inside looked a little rough. Some local woman she met a little earlier had told her to phone her for a meal, shower, and bed. Hmmm. The Guidebook says that the owners are “very friendly” to hikers. Guess I’ll have to see. Anyway they’re all chatting up a storm. ‘Treat’ is the newcomer; the others go by Adhar, Sea Biscuit, and Trix.
I’ll be in the tent tonight (to justify carrying its weight) because the loft at the cabin is an open attic. You climb up a ladder from the porch. It could be hotter than inside, and I figure I ought to leave the girls to themselves.
Journal Entry on 4 July, still at Corliss Camp early –
Mega lightning and thunder from 9-11 pm, and then rain until about 2. I rushed to put up the fly during the lightning just in case it rained. And then the rain came so fast I didn’t have any time to duck inside to the loft. Everything but my food was inside the tent. In the morning the fly, bottom edge of the tent, and the groundcloth were all wet. Could have put it up better, but I didn’t think it was going to rain when I went to bed.
On to the tavern after breakfast and packing. It’s 6:20. I want to be walking by 7.
Journal Entry on Thursday, 4 July – at the Tavern, 12 hours on the Trail
Left Corliss at 7:45. Got to the Long Trail Tavern at 7:45. Rained hard and then lighter from noon to 3. Got ‘Rock Art Beer’ a Vermont craft brew, had pizza with peppers and onions, talked with a woman at the bar while I ate who happens to be an art professor at UVM. Then I called Annie on the phone using the calling card because I couldn’t get 10-10-220 to work. Should have called first as the juke box was really loud and I had trouble hearing her. But it was very good to talk with her. I slept out back in my tent after getting a hot shower with soap in their employee washroom! An unadvertised special. And for free, too.
It started sprinkling as I woke on the 5th, so I had to pack quickly. Traffic noise kept me up later than I’d have been in a shelter or camp. Also maybe got me up sooner.
During the day I didn’t see anyone except for at 8:30 a young guy named ‘Monorail’ was going the other direction looking for the girls, until I got to Roundtop Shelter and rested for the last run into Johnson and the tavern. Five minutes after I got there another guy came in from the north. Guess he’d been chasing me all day … almost all week. He left Canada “on Monday afternoon” (2-2 ½ days after me) and by Thursday afternoon had caught up with me. That was 5:00 or so, I think. Then another guy came in from the south. Nice guys; would have had a good time talking, I think, but I had to head on.
Journal Entry on Friday, 5 July – on top of Mount Madonna in a ski patrol hut, 9.8 miles
Long rainy day. Just couldn’t get to Sterling. Left the tavern at 6:45 am and finally got to the top of Madonna here at 7:30. Yeesh! What a cold, wet, dreary, fogged in, windy, foot-soaking day. I have to praise God that this warming hut thing is unlocked and available – and that there’s a young couple of trail adopters and their dog here to make me more certain that I won’t be arrested for trespassing. It’s 8:14, so I’ll be knocking off soon. Praying for sun tomorrow and the next few days.
Whiteface Mountain was a real bear today. Hard going up. Hard going down. At least the Whiteface Shelter and down side were on the leeward side of the mountain.
Journal Entry on Saturday, 6 July – Taft Lodge, 5:37 pm 5.8 miles
So yesterday, what a mess. All I had for supper was gorp. Too cold and tired and wet to do anything else. There was apparently a big thunderstorm last night that I slept through, too.
There were no views, no nothin’ yesterday. Just rain, wind, fog.
Today started out the same. I thought there’d be sun because there seemed to be some coming in the windows, but by the time I got up it was fog and wind again. The gal of the pair (I think her name was Addy) said a thermometer outside read 48. It’s possible. But once I got down into the trees it wasn’t so bad. And the further down the mountain I got, the nicer the weather became. It was actually sunny at the bottom. It did cloud over the last couple hours and start to sprinkle right before getting to Taft. (oh, and the thermometer in the window says 58 degrees)
Maintainers passed me once and were working past Sterling Pond itself when I passed them. They got to the bottom of Sterling descent at Smuggler’s Notch right after me. It was neat that she called “Bye Concordia” out her window as they drove by me a few minutes later.
Today wasn’t too hard. Mostly down from the shelter, to the notch; mostly down the road through the notch; then mostly up from the road to here.
Nice Lodge. Big. Caulked logs. Nice windows, but some still open, making me chilled. Still have to plan tomorrow’s hike.
Journal Entry on Sunday, 7 July – Taylor Lodge, 7:00 pm 7 miles
[Click image to see full size]
Woke up to another gray morning. No view. It was 7:45 when I got out of bed. Would have gotten up earlier if there weren’t so many people there in the lodge to wake up with my noises. Gradually, though everyone started to stir. About a dozen people there last night, including the caretaker. Nice guy. Gave me some cheese.
I left the lodge around 9:15 I guess. Maybe not till 9:30. Got to Taylor for the night at 5:00.
Mount Mansfield was in between. It wasn’t really so bad. I didn’t get to see anything in the way of a view as it was clouded in and windy virtually the whole time I was up there. At the “Forehead” two NoBo’s separately told me that there were some “gnarly” sections coming up. Then I saw two high school boys putting on their packs and I asked “Is this what I’ve been reading about?” They said “This dangerous part? This is really dangerous. Be careful.” I’d rather have gnarly than dangerous, but took it anyway. Unhitched my pack and actually there was just that one short section like that. Anyway, I did it. All by myself. Pretty neat.
The caretakers on the mountain mostly looked like tiny little high school kids. One was crouching down trying to avoid the wind. Maybe a lot of days it’s warmer with more visitors.
The rest of the day wasn’t that difficult at all.
Passed by Butler Lodge as it was only ca. 2:00. Didn’t even turn aside to see what it was like.
End to Ender’s Guide says I had a total elevation gain of 884 feet today and a loss of 2720 feet. That could explain some of it. Tomorrow to get to Puffer I have 1350 feet in gain and zero loss. All uphill? I guess so. And I want to go beyond there to Buchanan Lodge, another 4 ½ miles for a total of 8 on the day. That should even out the gain loss columns.
As I was in mid supper a couple with a baby showed up “just for a snack.” Don’t know quite where they came from, but they were nice. Talked some. Offered to take my trash and then she added “and messages, mail ….” So I asked if they had email, and if they’d send Ann a message for me. I wrote out where I’ve been staying and how I’ve been feeling. He’s an outdoor education professor at Johnson State (I think). They also gave me some food leftover from their snack.
While I was cooking, a chipmunk came onto the porch scavenging. And some kind of hummingbird buzzed by twice, too.
Journal Entry on Monday, 8 July – Taylor Lodge at 6 am
My first solo night last night. The pillow failed, too. Has a tiny leak in it somewhere. Might try to find it and duct tape it.
Had a lot of odd little dreams that ended when I tried to roll over. Remember two: one about the archives flooding and another about Emily’s wedding. Both sort of odd.
Looks like it’ll be sunny all day. Big hill (Bolton Mountain) to climb – though I’m already half way up it from the NoBo perspective. Getting on the Trail at ca. 7:45.
Journal Entry on Monday, 8 July – Buchanan Lodge, 7:26 pm 8 miles 11 hours
Well, it was a long day. Those totals for the day include a half hour lunch rest at Puffer Shelter. But still!!! I did go up and over Bolton Mountain, so there was a lot of climbing in the morning. Not looking forward to the long haul over Camel’s Hump. Without the Gorham Lodge it’s 13 miles betwixt Duck Brook and Montclair Glen. With the hold-up at Jonesville to re-provision and catch the shuttle. The latter gets me to the south side of the river ca. 10:15 or 10:30 I guess, and then it’s still 11.3 miles to Montclair Glen – from an elevation of 326 feet, up over Camel’s Hump’s hump summit at 4083 feet, and then down to the shelter 2 miles later at 2670 feet. And did I mention just having reprovisioned? This is on a full pack and 11 day old feet. Oy!
Today I spent a lot of time concerned about water. The Exstream filter was really sluggish this morning. Have to suck as well as squeeze. So I didn’t drink enough today, probably. And I’m thinking that if the Jonesville store doesn’t have iodine, I could get bleach and an eyedropper and put in 3-4 drops per quart and try that. Then about 3:00 I met two high school guys near Bolton’s peak and asked them if they thought the store stocked iodine. And THEN they offered me enough to do 6 quarts since they’re getting off soon. Amen!
I’m going to bed soon. Getting darkish at 7:40 under the trees. Looks like it’ll be another solo night.
Duck Brook is 6 miles away, apparently all downhill.
Just went to get my flashlight out and there’s already a mouse in my pack! And I hear thunder rolling. Going to hang the pack.
Journal Entry on Tuesday, 9 July – Buchanan Lodge at 7:30 am
. . . then the heavens opened up and my how it poured. For hours and hours. A little while after I’d gotten into bed and the rain had started to sprinkle, someone burst in onto the porch. I called a greeting and who else would it be but “Wide Load”? He hadn’t gone as far as Taylor the night before, but caught me finally at night. He motor-mouthed his way eventually to bed. Wants to stop at Duck Brook tonight. Thinks he might have to hitch a ride “into town” from Jonesville to get fuel, but I’m still going straight over the Hump. He says that what we’ve been through is as hard as anything he saw on the A.T. and that later on he thinks that “knocking off a whole section” of 19 miles in one day is feasible.
I don’t know if I’ve ever heard or seen it rain that hard that long. It must have been hours. In the midst of it my legs just couldn’t get comfortable and then it dawned on me: water. The muscles need water to repair; I still hadn’t drunk lots; so I sipped on my water bottle until it was nearly empty. And my legs did then feel better.
And another odd Emily dream, about riding the train on her birthday.
Well, it’s 7:47. Wide Load’s still asleep. Rain has stopped. Nope, he’s awake, I think. Mud and puddles will be full today.
Journal Entry on Tuesday, 9 July – Duck Brook Shelter, 5.9 miles
Dang if it isn’t still 1 mph, even when it’s muchly (though not all) downhill. Today’s Trail, overall, was much like the A.T. is in New York; nothing overwhelmingly rugged. Even the Guidebook’s “descends, then steeply” (which I have to translate into “ascends steeply, the ascends”) didn’t seem too on target. I mean I don’t remember ascending steeply. Ah, well. Looking forward to that store in Jonesville (just 2 miles or so down the hill), and hoping for fresh fruit.
Passed by this beaver pond this afternoon: [Click image to see full size]
So, anyway, I guess I’m kinda hiking with Wide Load for now. I left Buchanan at 10 (late start, knowing it would only be a 6 mile day). He left after me. Caught up with me at an overlook not too far from Duck Brook Shelter. But then I left to find this place(I was about to leave when he showed up) and then he fell asleep, he says, getting here about an hour after me.
He’s talking about the Trail we’ve been on as if it’s really tough. Maybe it is, but my comparison base is pretty small. He’s been on the A.T., I believe through hiking it last year or the year before. Talks a good story, so maybe it’s all true about this end being harder.
Doesn’t make tomorrow any easier, though. I’m thinking right now of leaving here at 6 am, probably taking 2 hours to get down the hill. Getting mail and checking the store for water purification and maybe some treat food. Re-packing the resupply box into my pack, hoping for a phone, catching the shuttle at 10. And then walking my pretty little legs off to get up and over Camel’s Hump.
Journal Entry on Thursday, 11 July – Birch Glen Camp
Pretty chilly right now. Don’t know how much I’ll write. It’s 7:38; I’m done eating; I’ve been here at Birch Glen about 1 ½ hours now.
YESterday, however! What a day! I did get up and leave at 6:00. But a little after dark someone had stumbled in and made noise getting to bed. Said he was just out for a couple days, a recently-moved-in local guy from Jonesville. And THEN late, after 10, three more folks rolled in with headlamps on. Sheesh! That really filled the place up. I had to take down the laundry I had hanging up drying after having rinsed it out in the gorge, so that they could get in and settled.
So then off we went and eventually got down to the post office. I got there a little before 7, so I hiked to the store and was the first customer in the door. Bought a quart of Gatorade and a small jug of bleach (which I’m trying out tonight, cross your fingers and say a prayer – two drops in about a quart of water). Then I called Ann from a phone out in front of the store. Walked back to the P.O. and was the first in there (Wide Load was sitting outside). Mailed off the book I’ve been carrying but haven’t opened; picked up my food box, a letter and box from Ann.
I carried it all back to the store. Repacking, I had to toss the Logan Bread which was growing some colorful mold, and two dinners – the dried veggies and garlic ones – for the same reason. Everything else came through well, it looks like.
Bought another Gatorade, tossed my trash in the dumpster, asked if there was a bathroom I could use (mirror and flush toilet!). And snacked outside at the picnic table waiting for the shuttle.
Shuttle ride took us around to the other side, and we got hiking on the Trail at 11:00. I got to Montclair Glen Shelter at 9:00 pm. An incredibly long day. Mostly up, too. Very windy at the top, but clear for a change. Had my picture taken with the sun on Lake Champlain in the background (there was a day hiker up there when I was there at 5:30 or 6:00).
When I got to the shelter I just rolled out my bag in the only empty spot and got in. No food. No nothing. Did eventually take off my socks. My feet were hurting and that seemed to help. Sleep is hard to come by when it’s so crowded, what with snoring and nylon rustling and so on.
Breakfast was hurried and cold.
Very chilly this morning. It said 50 degrees at the shelter thermometer. Seemed like a long hike, too. Burnt Mountain, bare rock tops, views of other hills and valleys.
Total mileage today 8.0, 8:30-6:00, 9 ½ hours, or slower than 1 mph.
Tomorrow there are shelters at 4.4, 6.3, and 13 miles away. Some serious climbing in and out of Appalachian Gap. The last one (at 13 miles) is Battell and just might be doable with an early start.
Met a guy today carrying a guitar!
Journal Entry on Friday, 12 July – Castlerock Chair Lift Warming Hut, 9.5 miles
Tried our darnedest to get to Battell Shelter today, but just couldn’t do it. Ended up here in this nice ski lift hut. Has carpeting, big windows, a new deck being built outside. All it lacks is a good water source (the possible one a little north seems lacking). It’s just 3 miles short of Battell.
Walked from 7:45 to about 6:00. Long day.
Trail wasn’t so bad. Maybe it’s getting easier already, after all. But I just couldn’t get up the speed. Saw a good number of peoples going the other way. And coming up out of Appalachian Gap, a number of day hikers, including one family with kids (who ended up swinging from the chair life chairs at the Stark’s Nest area).
Had the first of my Clorox water today at breakfast. Also in mid-day I drank 1 ½ liters directly from a spring. So I may get sick either way.
Last night Wide Load rolled in shortly before dark, having taken a nap along the way. Today he was in front some, and I was in front some. I rather prefer actually walking alone, but it’s okay to have someone to catch up to or talk with in the evening.
Falling behind on my shelter schedule, but while it’s been 14 days, there’s still lots of time left. Need to talk with Ann about either being late or getting picked up before the end of the Trail, maybe.
It’s 9:00. Getting too dark to write. Ought to get to sleep.
Journal Entry on Saturday, 13 July – Cooley Glen Shelter, 7:52 pm 9.5 miles
Woke up at 6 am; nice to be warm and inside for a change. I think I was walking by 7:30 until about 6 pm. There were breaks, particularly 3 miles into the day at Battell Shelter, and then at the road crossing in Lincoln Gap. And stopping to chat to lots of people coming up from the gap and heading for Mount Abraham, or down to the gap on the other side. Probably all of the latter coming from Sunset Ledge (or Rock).
Beyond the crowds the Trail on this side of the gap got a little sketchy, as we’re in “The Breadloaf Wilderness” where they don’t blaze much and don’t trim much.
All in all, though, this was an easier day than most have been. Good amount of level Trail, no real steep parts that I remember. Fairly good.
Thinking more about food, though. Not so much today about “The Seven Kinds of Vermont Mud,” or “Additions to Life’s Unanswerable Questions,” or “Life Instructions from the Long Trail.” A little, maybe, about giving an interview when it’s all done, and some about putting up a display in the library case [“and this is his stove … and these are his boots …”].
Got pretty warm in the middle of the day, but it’s cooling off now. Mosquitoes out and about as I write. Lotta people in tents at this location, but (for now) Wide Load and I are the only ones in the shelter. One couple chatted a long time at the shelter and cooked supper on one of those twig-burning stoves. It worked pretty well, smoky at first, got a good boil going. They said that last night their meal required 45 minutes of cooking which was no problem as they kept feeding in twigs.
I asked one of the tourists today to email Annie. We’re now almost 2 days behind my planned schedule. But making the hike. Tomorrow we pass the official halfway point! And we keep hearing that we’re going to get to the easier parts, especially south of Killington. Amen!
Journal Entry on Monday, 15 July – ski area just south of Route 125, 5:53 am
Yesterday I broke the first rule: Hike your own hike. My hike really ended at Boyce Shelter. Wide Load’s hike continued on to Lake Pleiad. I followed on past Boyce, and at 9:20 pm crossed Route 125, in the dark, broke out my flashlight, and started in on the last ½ mile or so to the lake. I turned around a little past the ski area because it dawned on me that setting up a tent in the dark would be harder than sleeping in/on ski lift structures. Their buildings here are locked (too near the road?) but this neat little shed is open-ended, tall enough to sit in, big enough for two to sleep in. I ended up having a fine night. Too late to make supper at 9:30 pm, so I went to bed without eating and am having “supper” for breakfast.
Sunday’s total, 12.8 miles
Good hiking for the most part. Kept hearing how Boyce’s water was a green, scummy puddle. They were right. But I drank 2 liters and refilled at Emily Proctor, then again at Skyline, and was okay about overnighting at Boyce. The hike from there like to killed me, though.
Today I’m aiming for ca. 10 miles, I think it is, to get to Sunrise Shelter and be only 1 day behind schedule. Tomorrow might have to be long . . . on my own accord . . . but then I’ll be on my schedule of about 9 mile days again.
It’s a little cloudy this morning, from the west. Probably about time for rain again, huh? We’ll see, of course.
Journal Entry on Monday, 15 July – Sunrise Shelter, 8:00 pm 10.8 miles
Good hiking today except for the 30-45 minute thunderstorm with hail, mind you. It was ca. 3:00 pm or so. I was going over Romance Mountain about that time, having romantic thoughts.
Unique experience of the day: getting passed by two southbounders! Two women, sisters in law, who seem really to be putting on the miles (although one took 5 days off for blisters). Their itinerary seems to skip every other shelter I stay in. One said they’ve been getting in at 9 pm or so every night. Today they got here to this shelter about 5:00 or 5:30. I pulled in close to 6:00. Nice people, but quicker than me. Some might be pack weight: they’re not carrying a tent and only have one stove and are sharing food.
The Trail was very brushy today, overgrown. People warned me about stinging nettles, but even though I was in shorts and short sleeves I didn’t get stung.
Then there were sections like the Mirkwood, dark and foreboding.
The Trail description for tomorrow doesn’t sound too bad. This 14 mile stretch just might work, especially if I get up and out soon enough.
Journal Entry on Wednesday, 17 July – Rolston Rest Shelter, 5:45 am
Phew! Yesterday was long and hard, but I made it. If the first few miles hadn’t been pretty flat and smooth, though, it might not have worked. On the Trail at 7:30 am to 8:15 pm. Total of 14.4 miles.
A little surprised to be alone at this shelter, too. Though on the other hand I only saw 4 NoBo’s all day, and the women and Wide Load were pretty intent on getting to Killington. The next shelter is another 3.6 from here and there’s no way I could have made it. My feet only have about 10 miles in them per day. Just real sore after that … and ached for probably a couple hours after going to bed.
But I should now have 5 days of less that 10/day, one of 12 ½ , 4 of 10 or less, one of 13, and then the final day of coming out of the woods. Not so bad. And pretty much of it (except for some this morning) on the “easy” part overlapping the A.T.
Yesterday morning one of the women – the friend who showed up after dark to surprise them! – identified the one bird I’ve been hearing all trip as a Winter Wren. It’s got a 10 second warbling song with a real pretty sound.
This woman, Phoebe, just popped in after we’d all gone to bed and Kristin & Carol got all excited. It was annoying for a while, but in the morning she had real orange juice and some bread she’d baked to share. I didn’t get any of the banana or yogurt she also brought for her friends. Then she was going to hike the mile back down to her truck, drive ahead someplace, and try to find then again. Maybe they’re all at the next shelter, or even in Killington.
My pack usually feels good on my back. Legs feel fine. It’s my feet that slow me down. Ah, well. Gives me reason to ‘stop and smell the roses.’
I plan on phone calls at the Inn at Long Trail this morning. I’m also dreaming of some sort of fresh fruit plate at their restaurant. I’m aiming for Pico Camp tonight, then over Mount Killington tomorrow.
Breakfast time!
Journal Entry on Wednesday, 17 July – Pico Camp, 4:38 pm
Wow, it feels like I’m getting away with something by being in shelter already. A trio of kids I saw earlier suggested I just go on to Cooper Lodge (another 3 miles) and I considered it, but why? I’m on track and feeling good. Why waste it?
Even though tomorrow takes me up and over Killington, it shouldn’t be a long day.
Today was fine. Woke up and wrote a bit. Made breakfast, off-loaded 2 suppers at the shelter in their register box (which some others had already started using as a hiker box). And got walking, I guess at 7:00. Had put moleskin on my big toes and the joint behind, and feet felt much better. Live and learn.
Walking wasn’t too bad either. As I neared the Tucker Johnson shelter, maybe ½ a mile away, I met a guy who said something like ‘hey, it’s too early in the morning to be huffing and puffing uphill.’ I told him I’d done a – for me – long day before: 14 miles. He said “Coming down from Maine, huh?” I told him, no, Canada. That confused him for a second, and then irritated him. He’d missed the Maine Junction. Whipped out my guidebook and told him it ought to be .4 miles the other side of the shelter. He remembered the shelter (“it was in my data book”) and wondered why there hadn’t been a sign at the junction and kept saying “but this is blazed white” (to which I kept saying “all the way to Canada”). Well, he turned around and zoomed away. And when I got to Maine Junction I saw the numerous large signs this guy had missed.
I took a 2 hour layover at “Inn at Long Trail.” And as I’m taking off my pack outside their door, guess who calls my name? Wide Load. He’d made it there the night before and was on his way to catch a bus “into town” (Rutland, I think). I told him I’d probably be there till 3:00, though it turned out I was ready to go at 2:00. I think he’s there a second night. He showed me around a little and I made my phone calls to home and to Ann.
I left a message at home on the machine. And talking to Ann was a delight. She’d gotten the idea I was 4-5 days behind schedule and was happy to hear I’m not (and that I’ll catch it up later on). She relayed a preaching request from Kevin, but I can’t even think of that now. She’d told him I might consider it if he could get a few extra days vacation to go visit my parents. He emailed her back that it was okay (did he actually check?).
After talking with Ann, I walked over to the pub section and ordered their fresh fruit salad (YES!). It tasted excellent. Had also a combination Long Trail Ale and Guinness (latter on the top), then a Guinness, than a plain Long Trail Ale. In between the last two I also had an apple crisp a la mode. All in all, an excellent way to spend two hours and $26.00. Plus, I made it up here to the shelter before 4:30.
There’s a young guy outside eating. I wonder if he thinks I’m the caretaker.
Quarter past five. I’m making an early supper and then going to read/rest/write till dark.
Journal Entry on Friday, 19 July – sitting down to breakfast at the Whistlestop Restaurant, East Clarendon, VT, 10:40 am
I rested at Pico and eventually 6 other people were there. Must have thought me unsociable as I just stayed in bed. One couple from PA, she teaches Spanish at a Mennonite high school sorta near Philadelphia. Others were guys, about 23-24 years old.
The hike was pretty easy except for the hour’s rain around noon. Got to Governor Clement shelter at 2:30, so I was making good time. Seriously considered staying there, but as I cleaned up the beer cans and put them in the fire circle I also found a .22 shell casing. Decided to move on. Before that I’d made a hot lunch and dried off a little. There was a young guy there who had napped through some of the rain, section hiking the LT north. We talked some. And an older guy showed up, also NoBo on the LT. They left before I did. I finally packed up and left at 4:00, bound for Clarendon Shelter.
But I didn’t make it. I got as far as the “Hiking Gnome” and decided to tent there since it was 6:30. The Gnome leaves soda cans in a creek for hikers. Trail magic. The little booklet he/she left there says that 1,388 sodas were given out last year! Wow! What a treat.
So I tented in a field behind there. The inside of the fly was wet in the morning, but I had wondered if it would rain some more (it didn’t). Had a rest 7:00-8:00, then made a supper. Hard to finish due, I guess, to the big “lunch” at 3:00. Went right to bed after that, but didn’t get to sleep for a long time due to the feet and calves. They’re sore, or trying to keep moving, or need electrolytes, or something.
Got up, waking first around 5:30, at 6:30. Left a little after 7, maybe even 7:45. Wanted to eat breakfast at the Whistlestop. And here I am.
Clarendon Shelter would have been nice, but I just couldn’t get there last night.
Trail this morning was not so bad at all. The drop into the valley for the road crossing was a longish rocky scramble. The two guys at the Gov. Clement shelter both warned me about “the long rock stairs” I’d have to go down. Sorry, but it wasn’t that bad.
Walking another ½ mile to the store with my resupply box. Getting (I hope!) iodine at the camping store next door to it. Then it should be less that 3 Trail miles to Minerva Hinchey Shelter. Good deal.
There were three NoBo A.T. hikers eating here when I arrived. Older women with southern accents. Two other hikers just arrived.
Journal Entry on Friday, 19 July – Minerva Hinchey Shelter, 6:48 pm 6.4 Trail miles, plus 2 road miles
Good day all around. After the Whistlestop, I went on down to the General Store, bought a Gatorade and 2 Snickers bars, and picked up my box and a letter from Ann. Then went to the camping store next door and bought iodine. Yay! Repacked the food and left the Clorox on their deck. Went back in and bought some moleskin and used their bathroom. Then went down to the phone to call Annie. Very nice. We settled on meeting in Massachusetts at the end of the Trail. Ran my phone card down to zero minutes, but I couldn’t add more the first time I tried, so I gave up even though I was thinking of calling mother and dad. Walked back up the road. Bought a big ice cream cone at the Whistlestop and headed for the Trail. Hot and humid.
Trail was relatively easy, just up and up and up with a full pack. Hard for that reason.
And then, icing on the cake of the day, I got here to Minerva Hinchey just minutes before it started to rain. It’s so nice to be dry and inside listening to it, rather than out walking in it. The walk up from the trailhead took 3 hours, 1:30-4:30.
Oh, and Wide Load pulls in about two minutes after the rain began. Good to see him again and catch up. He’s intending on finishing in about 5-6 days, though, so this could be the last time I see him.
Well, so, 21 years in the office of the holy ministry. And here I am. That verse from I Thessalonians is calling to me again: aspire to live quietly, work with your hands ….
Right now it’s time to sit/lay quietly and read a bit. Plan for tomorrow. Should be a 9.9 day to Lula Tye Shelter (camping for a fee). Longish day, but again even with a full pack, well within my range.
Journal Entry on Saturday, 20 July – Lula Tye Shelter, 6:00 10.6 miles
Waiting for supper to finish “cooking.”
So anyway, last night after it rained a bit, two girls pulled in. One sat on the ledge of the shelter with her pack on, while the other stood outside (pack on), and they talked with us. Were they checking us out to see if we were muggers? I haven’t seen any behavior like that before on the Trail. Take your pack off, at least!
The first one was an MIT graduate going to Berkeley in a couple weeks to start a grad program in molecular biology. The other was a less talkative gal from Alberta who had looked around for a trail of about a month’s length and somehow settled on the LT. Some pair.
I had lots of trouble getting to sleep last night. And it wasn’t all that the girls didn’t get around to cooking supper until it was dark. (…if you’d taken your packs off and settled in….) My feet and legs didn’t hurt much. Lots of mosquitoes. But just before midnight I decided it was that I really hadn’t focused any prayers during the day on the anniversary. So I spent a few minutes thanking God for letting me be his servant these 21 years, carrying his Word and Sacraments to people in all the places I have.
Today’s hike ran from 7 am to 4:30 pm. The last bit, around this pond, was rocky and made for some sore feet. Earlier on was easier, made good time to the way points listed in the Guidebook, for the most part. Pack is still too heavy from the re-supply. Have to stop every ½ hour for a sit, to get the weight off my shoulders.
This shelter’s ok except that water is down in the pond and it took me 15 minutes to get here from there. Going to try to head on with what I have in the am, rather than filling up before I set out. Seems easier than backtracking to the pond.
7:04 and the sun sets behind a peak directly in front of the shelter. Read a little now and sleep. Could be on my own tonight.
7:45 and the caretaker stopped by for the “rent.” When he saw that I marked that I’m a GMC member, he asked if I’d gotten my one free night. He wrote something on the back of my membership card and gave me my money back. That’ll probably end up a better deal than the old $1 off per night, because I’m not staying in that many fee shelters.
Journal Entry on Sunday, 21 July – Peru Peak Shelter in the evening 9.4 miles
Today was not bad, not bad at all. Pretty good, actually. Easy trail for the most part. Wonderful weather.
I met some folks on one peak I traversed (Baker, it was) and asked he knew any tenting areas beyond there. All he came up with is Bromley Tenting Area. To far to make today. But then I had a brain flash: instead of lengthening today, why not shorten tomorrow? I think it’ll work out well. So the day after tomorrow is a little longer, at least tomorrow’s not 13+ miles any more. Good deal.
It was sad to stop in at the lost Lost Pond Shelter and contemplate the ashes. Burned down in November 2001 according to the book. Wonder why. Stove gone wild? Candles? Foolishness or maliciousness? And what did the people there think or do?
I repacked the pack this morning with the heavy food bag lower down, at the bottom of the top compartment, and my clothes above. It made lunch a big Unpacking effort, but I think it rode easier on my back.
This shelter’s really nice. Just re-built a couple years ago. And maybe 30 feet from a waterfall on a stream that the Trail passed over. Pleasant sounds.
Hey, I passed the 200 mile mark today! There ought to be a sign on the Trail.
Journal Entry on Monday, 22 July – Spruce Peak Shelter in the evening 12.7 miles
Phew! Those last 2-3 miles are always the worst. I did stop at the Bromley Tenting area for a snack/lunch break, but it was too early to stop for the night. Besides, it seemed a little buggy near the stream. Some trail magic there, though: a big Zip-loc bag of various snacks and so on. I picked out an envelope of Pop Tarts, and some kind of power bar. Met some nice kids from Quebec who live right on Memphremagog and were hiking north to home with their parents (who were lagging behind). They stopped at the tenting area (I think for the night) and I met their parents about 45 minutes later at the road crossing.
It was only 3.5 miles past there to this shelter, so I figured, what the heck! And it’s crowded with some kid group. Oh, well. Some nice AT thru hikers here, too; older guys.
Journal Entry on Tuesday, 23 July – Stratton Pond Shelter 2:49 pm 9 miles.
In early for the night (and I’ve been here a while already) but this was as far as I was planning on getting today. And this place is a palace!
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The shelter is huge. It’s new. Has a big porch with a picnic table in the middle and built in benches on the sides of the porch besides. There are 8 other people here right now and I don’t feel crowded in the least.
I got to Stratton Pond after it had started sprinkling this afternoon, and I asked a guy who was passing from behind if there was water at the shelter (all he had with him were a couple water bottles). He confirmed what someone had said last night: none at shelter, get it by the pond. And he told me it’s .4 or .5 miles to the shelter (which it isn’t). So I turned back to fill up and just then it started to pour. I parked it on the caretaker’s ‘front porch’ (the space between the tent and the edge of his/her platform … but still under the tarp!) for about 40 minutes until the heaviest rain passed. Then I got out my rain jacket, hefted the pack, and walked up here to the shelter.
And here I found a dozen young kids from some kind of summer program. They talked to their leaders about having left things in their tents, so I knew they wouldn’t be staying. Still, it crowded things a long time. Because there were other hikers already parked for the night. The kids, their leaders, and two other hikers left when the rain just about stopped.
But that was all minor excitement for me today. I left the last shelter at about 7:30 this morning. At about 9:00 I was 20 feet or so from the start of a 1 mile road walk. Crunch, crunch. Pause. Crunch, crunch, crunch. I stopped and looked toward the noise. And saw what I thought was a dog. Then it stood up. “Hi, bear,” I said. It got down and ran off in the direction it had come from. (Do I smell that bad?) That made me smile for an hour or more. No moose yet. But a bear is pretty neat. Especially up here where they’re “shy.”
So last night: a number of NoBo AT thru hikers were there, “Cowboy,” “Lone Ranger,” and “Windbreaker.” That last one was a real talker. Too much for me, actually. One of those people who seems to fill the quiet spaces with words. But it was a little fun for me to hear them trade stories abut people and places to the south. Once again, though, I noticed not one reference to “that majestic view from the top of Mount X,” or “all those wildflowers covering Y,” or “the butterflies we saw at Z.” All their stories were about town stops, hostels, or other oddball characters they’re hiking with. Interesting again.
The kids’ camp group there did stay up late, but the hikers were out with them for a while into the dark (I was up in bed trying to read a little, though it’s typically dark in that shelter). Then the hikers came in (Windbreaker decided to tent, thank goodness, which left me the whole bunk/loft for myself), and it sounded like the kids were having a quiet sharing time around the dieing campfire. Then they came in without too much fuss and went to bed, taking up an entire half of the shelter space. And still I was awake. I don’t know. Something’s keeping me up.
Today was pretty much a breeze. Kind of nice. Very nice, actually. Not very long. The bear. Done early. Nice thinking time (about the life lessons book, mostly). Tomorrow’s getting over Mount Stratton and beyond, about 10.5 miles.
Journal Entry on Wednesday, 24 July – Story Spring Shelter, 10.6 miles
Another pretty easy day on the Trail. Stratton Mountain wasn’t that much of a climb. But I went up the historic fire tower at the top. Nice views all around. Took a couple pictures through the glass windows at the top.
Saw my first people of the day on the way down the south side. Late in the day I talked with a SoBo AT hiker who I talked with a bit here at the shelter before he set off again. He’s a librarian at City College in NYC. And he’d met the girl still at Stratton Pond Shelter (at 10:00!) whom I’d talked with briefly. She’s in library school, wants to get a history masters and work in a historical society or something. Her dad’s the head librarian at Holy Cross.
Since I’ve been here at least 3 people have headed out to other shelters. Me? I’m happy I’m done for the day.
Last night’s sleep was seriously unsettled by a snorer. Wouldn’t you think you’d do something about that before intentionally sleeping in enclosed spaces with strangers?
The register here has Wide Load’s entry on 7/23 “In last night.”
Journal Entry on Thursday, 25 July – Goddard Shelter, 8.9 miles
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Nice folks last night. One family in particular was real interesting. The mom and dad maybe my age with daughter and daughter’s friend. From “near Philadelphia.” They all hiked separately pretty much, but get together at the same campsite every night. They sort of cooked together, but it also seemed like they keep their own food. Had a dog with them. The girl’s name is “Gear Girl” and one other hiker was trying to stump her with his stuff (“Bet you can’t tell what kind of tent this is….”)
Today’s hike, being short again, was pretty nice. The Kid Gore Shelter was right in the middle. So I ate “lunch” at 10:30 or so. Left there at 11 and got here a little after 2:00 or 2:30. There’s a nice view out the front of this shelter, and it’s being cool already, pretty cloudy, too. There’s a bold chipmunk here who comes right up onto the porch and a reddish mouse. I suppose that means they’ll be in and out tonight.
Journal Entry on Friday, 26 July – Congdon Shelter, 14.4 miles
I decided to make today my long day instead of tomorrow when I got to Melville Nauheim Shelter and it was only 12:45 or so. It was too early to stop (sound like a thru hiker?). And it was “only” another 5.9 to here. Even at 1 mph I’d make it before dark. Well, I did. And wasn’t that slow. But the last few miles were hard, as usual. I think I could do a 3 mile day and still complain about the last 2 miles.
One of the people her is “Play Doh,” the gear show-off from Story Spring. He’d been in town a bit and couldn’t find cheap lodgings so he got back on the Trail. Gave me a tiny taste of what it’s like for AT hikers running into people they met earlier. Especially later on as two young college guys just starting the LT were getting their supper ready. Play Doh noticed that they turned the stove on first, before they had everything else ready. He thinks they’re going to run out of fuel before anything else. Said as much quietly to me as we watched them from the shelter.
There was some puncheon walking this morning: [Click image to see full size]
I ate a handful of red raspberries on top of Harmon Hill. Didn’t really take notice of Bennington from the top.
There wasn’t any view from Goddard, by the way. Not in the morning. Should have taken my picture of the view when I got there because everything was fogged in this morning. Grey and cool all day.
Journal Entry on Saturday, 27 July – Seth Warner Shelter, 2:13 pm 7.3 miles
Been here about an hour already, so it took about 6 hours. Maybe I’ll never be a speed hiker.
Last night got more interesting. After I got into the bag a guy showed up at the shelter. The other three were tenting, so I was the only one there and told the guy right away that I was only in bed because it was too dark to read and that he shouldn’t bother about making noise because I wasn’t trying to sleep yet. We talked a tad and then he set about making supper. Fiddled with his stove out at the picnic table for a bit. Back and forth to the shelter a couple times. Then he came in and asked me if I thought I “could open this.” “What is it?” I asked, sitting up and putting on my glasses. “Can of white gas.” Had one of those push down while you turn tops on it. I got it in a couple tries and off her went to the picnic table again. Back in a couple minutes and it seemed he’d given up on cooking. He did tell me he’d decided on a cold supper, and said something about his stove. I figured he just thought it was too dark by then.
In the morning it was almost the same routine. He got the gas can open on his own, but it had a metal seal on it that he couldn’t open. He showed it to me for my opinion, and I said it looked like it was meant to be punctured. He took it out to the table (thank you!) and ended up jabbing into it with the tip of his trekking pole. More fiddling ensued. Ended up not cooking breakfast as he couldn’t see how to get the gas into the stove without pouring it all over his sleeve.
Somewhere along the line (I think at night) I asked him “You did try this out at home, didn’t you?” and I don’t recall a clear answer. I asked this morning what kind of stove it is and he said “I don’t know. Some kind of Swedish brand. Got it from my dad. He called it ‘old reliable.’” I really think he hadn’t fired it up at home on his own. Dad probably showed him quickly – maybe without even using any fuel – and he was either too embarrassed or afraid to admit he didn’t get it all or to try it himself. I did suggest he ask around at camp in the evening because there are often gear heads who know about all kinds of different gear, maybe one could help him.
He’s one guy I can see not making it to the end of the LT. He met the other two guys this morning and didn’t seem to have a clear idea of how far he was aiming tonight.
Oh, and it rained pretty hard last night for at least a couple hours. Very good to be inside.
Neither that young guy nor a guy the night before knew what the mouse baffle hangers were for. Last night he asked “What are these? Sleeping bags?” and then he hung his food but left his trash on the floor with his pack. So we had a crunchy mouse going through plastic wrap in the middle of the night.
Most interesting sight yesterday: 3 grown men (my age) with fully loaded mountain bikes about 30 feet north of the huge split rock north of Route 9. How they got that far I’ll never know. I did point out to them that the Trail isn’t really designed for mountain bikes and one of them said “we were starting to see that.” Then I added that as a matter of fact it’s restricted to foot travel. One guy wanted to know if the Trail crossed any bikable roads and I made the (probable) mistake of saying “up there somewhere,” trying to make it sound pretty far. What I didn’t say was that their best bet was to walk the bikes back down the hill and look for another trail someplace else.
Journal Entry on Sunday, 28 July – Seth Warner Shelter 7:20 am
I’m up, had breakfast and I’m pretty much ready to go. Food is gone except for a little gorp and one dinner. I’m waiting until 8:00 to leave so as to give Ann more time to get up the Pine Cobble Trail. A number of people have said it’s pretty rocky and rugged (of course one of them was the kid who couldn’t light his stove). Plus, the 6 others in the shelter last night – all NoBo LT hikers on their first night out – are still getting ready to go, making breakfast, and so on. Seems to me they’ll learn to get up and go sooner in a few days.
Special thoughts this morning? Not particularly.
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