Hello friends! I just walked into Andover, Maine!!! Which is incredibly exciting for me for a few reasons.
1. Maine is one of the few states that I have never been to (Hawaii, Alaska and North Dakota left)
2. It means that I am within striking distance from Mt. Katahdin!
3. umm.... I WALKED HERE!!!
So far the terrain has been very difficult, for some reason the trail makers decided not to make any switchbacks up these mountains. You walk to the base of the mountain, look straight up, sigh loudly enough so someone can hear it to show your frustration, and put one foot in front of the other. Climb over boulders and sharp rocks, and then head straight down the other side, which is just as steep.
Another very VERY exciting sponsor has decided to help me out along the "Trek." Hello and Thank you Merrell shoes!
My last pair of trail runners lasted about 1,000 miles but just were not cutting it through the whites. So I called up the folks at Merrell and introduced myself. They were kind enough to send me a sweet pair of shoes to help finish out the Trek Against Trash in Maine! Between the comfort level of the Merrell shoe itself and the sticky Vibram sole, it will be like walking on a cloud through the rest of Maine!
I will give my full review after I summit Katahdin, but as in the past... Merrell never ceases to amaze me with the comfort and style of shoes they produce.
Next stops-
Stratton, Maine
Monson, Maine
Baxter State Park
259 Miles to Mt. Katahdin
Thursday, August 21, 2008
New Hampshire and the Wonderful Whites!
Well on the 24th I crossed the Vermont / New Hampshire border!!! Welcome to the Whites! It had been raining for 6
days straight now as I rolled into Hanover NH. I hung my hammock behind the Dartmouth University Soccer Fields and got ready for another long
cold wet day. After hanging around Hanover for a little while I decided to go see a movie in town. Indiana Jones was the only thing playing, so Indy it was.
When I got out of the theater it was STILL raining, so I sloshed back to my hammock and went to sleep, to only have to wake up every 30 minutes to push the canopy up so water didn't come crashing through at soak me.
Next morning, I packed up and started heading north again. The trail looked like the Colorado River rushing down it, it was ankle deep with cold wet mud all day. I am not sure if I could have hated my life anymore at that moment. So I trucked up about 10 miles to Moose Mountain Shelter. The rain poured into the night as I fell asleep cold and
just about completely miserable....
Next morning, SUNSHINE!!!!!! Wow I had entirely forgotten what that beautiful ball of fire looked like! It was warm and refreshing! I feel like a new man (other than not showering in about a week) the trail was still so gross, but I didn't care anymore, at least I was not soaked to the bone anymore. After a few days of walking through southern New Hampshire I came to the sign that said, Entering White Mountains.........uh oh, here we go.
And that my friends is where this blog gets a little more fun......
As SOON as I crossed the Welcome sign I dropped to a little stream.....by little I mean raging rapids. And of course we don't have a bridge, so I took off my shoes and strapped on my sweet Vibram five fingers and jumped right in! Holy WOW, it was freezing, and up to my knees! But I safely made it across this huge body of water... well maybe not huge, but big enough!
After a few hours of walking I got to the bottom of Mt Moosilauke, and man was this thing huge! It was a 3,800 foot climb in just over 3 miles. Imagine an indoor rock climbing wall.....yeah kind of like that, but with 35 pounds on your back. The top was the first time we peaked out over tree line, so you could see for MILES and MILES. The wind up top was at least 30 mph, but it didn't stop me from eating my new favorite snack. Summer Sausage, Cheese and crumpled pringles on a tortilla! Yummmm!
After my lunch break I started heading down the steep mountain. What I didn't know was this was literally the steepest hill I have EVER come down. No lie, we had re bar anchored into the rock. So I am making my way slowly down this monster (don't forget everything is still soaking wet from the 6 month rain storm we seemed to get) as I was coming down the wooden steps notched into the rock, I was being as careful as possible. Well.......it happened..... Bearfoot went for a ride.
I had made it 1,800 miles without falling, but this one made up for it. So try not to laugh because I still am banged and bruised up pretty bad....
Imagine me, listening to O.A.R. on my MP3 player, just singing along....."That was a crazy game of po..........OOOOOHHHHHH MMMYYYYYY GOOODDDNNNNEEESSSSS!!!!!!" SLAM!!! I lost my footing on the wooden step and my feet started to slide down the rock. You know how you make that crazy move with your hands to try to keep your balance? Well I was skiing down for about 6 feet doing that. Then the cliff decided, "uh, well I guess its time to end" so I went tumbling off a 10 foot ledge...no lie. Landed on my hip and got my ankle twisted up in a root on the way down... stop laughing, it hurt.
So I sat for a minute to make sure I had not lost an arm in the process, and realized that I tweaked my ankle pretty good. Even better news! Storm was starting to roll in.... Time to get off this mountain, and fast. So I hobbled down the last thousand feet to the base of this ridiculous mountain, and hung my hammock for the night at the base. Of course it decided to rain again all night.
So the next morning I got to a road and hitchhiked into town to see a doc in the box about this ankle. Find out its a mild ankle sprain. Not a big deal, so I wrapped it up and kept on moving.
Next day.... Franconia Ridge!
So, if you have never been to this spot in the White Mountains, stop what you are doing, book a flight and go visit. I got up from Liberty campsite at about 6am to get a jump on all the day hikers. I had the whole ridge to myself. It was the most unbelievable views I have ever seen. I took a TON of photos from the top. I sat and enjoyed the views for a couple hours and decided to push on to one of the famous huts for the night.
Let me tell you something about the White Mountains, they get thousands of tourists a year to come hike. So every couple miles you normally see a few day hikers wearing the safari hat and full button down shirt, or cotton t-shirt. And here you are, stinky, sweaty and not shaven in weeks..... then the questions start-
Are you a thru-hiker?
Where did you start?
When did you start?
Have you seen a Bear?
Where do you sleep?
and so on and so on. So finally I just starting telling everyone that I was a day hiker, but just had a rough couple days... sorry!!
Well I stayed at Zealand Hut that night, what a great place. A hut is a place where people pay to get fed, a place to sleep and a little entertainment along the trail. Its like a hotel.....without the fancy anything. So thru-hikers can stay and eat if they do a "work for stay" which means after hiking up and down all day long, the only way you can stay for free is to work a little more..... I know it seems a little crazy. So I had to sweep the floors and do some dishes, but got a great meal out of the deal.
Well that is all I really have to report right now, the weather is turning really bad really fast again, so I had to take a side trail through the Presidential Mtn Range and down into Gorham. I am kind of bummed, but I know that I will be back to hike through Washington and the others. Its funny how the weather works at this elevation, at the base it is 70 degrees and sunny and the top of the Presidentials its 40 and storming like crazy!
My ankle is feeling stronger day by day and my beard is getting worse day by day....
I should be in Maine on Friday afternoon and am so excited I cant stand it. 291 miles to go until Katahdin!
days straight now as I rolled into Hanover NH. I hung my hammock behind the Dartmouth University Soccer Fields and got ready for another long
cold wet day. After hanging around Hanover for a little while I decided to go see a movie in town. Indiana Jones was the only thing playing, so Indy it was.When I got out of the theater it was STILL raining, so I sloshed back to my hammock and went to sleep, to only have to wake up every 30 minutes to push the canopy up so water didn't come crashing through at soak me.
Next morning, I packed up and started heading north again. The trail looked like the Colorado River rushing down it, it was ankle deep with cold wet mud all day. I am not sure if I could have hated my life anymore at that moment. So I trucked up about 10 miles to Moose Mountain Shelter. The rain poured into the night as I fell asleep cold and
just about completely miserable....Next morning, SUNSHINE!!!!!! Wow I had entirely forgotten what that beautiful ball of fire looked like! It was warm and refreshing! I feel like a new man (other than not showering in about a week) the trail was still so gross, but I didn't care anymore, at least I was not soaked to the bone anymore. After a few days of walking through southern New Hampshire I came to the sign that said, Entering White Mountains.........uh oh, here we go.
And that my friends is where this blog gets a little more fun......
As SOON as I crossed the Welcome sign I dropped to a little stream.....by little I mean raging rapids. And of course we don't have a bridge, so I took off my shoes and strapped on my sweet Vibram five fingers and jumped right in! Holy WOW, it was freezing, and up to my knees! But I safely made it across this huge body of water... well maybe not huge, but big enough!
After a few hours of walking I got to the bottom of Mt Moosilauke, and man was this thing huge! It was a 3,800 foot climb in just over 3 miles. Imagine an indoor rock climbing wall.....yeah kind of like that, but with 35 pounds on your back. The top was the first time we peaked out over tree line, so you could see for MILES and MILES. The wind up top was at least 30 mph, but it didn't stop me from eating my new favorite snack. Summer Sausage, Cheese and crumpled pringles on a tortilla! Yummmm!
After my lunch break I started heading down the steep mountain. What I didn't know was this was literally the steepest hill I have EVER come down. No lie, we had re bar anchored into the rock. So I am making my way slowly down this monster (don't forget everything is still soaking wet from the 6 month rain storm we seemed to get) as I was coming down the wooden steps notched into the rock, I was being as careful as possible. Well.......it happened..... Bearfoot went for a ride.
I had made it 1,800 miles without falling, but this one made up for it. So try not to laugh because I still am banged and bruised up pretty bad....
Imagine me, listening to O.A.R. on my MP3 player, just singing along....."That was a crazy game of po..........OOOOOHHHHHH MMMYYYYYY GOOODDDNNNNEEESSSSS!!!!!!" SLAM!!! I lost my footing on the wooden step and my feet started to slide down the rock. You know how you make that crazy move with your hands to try to keep your balance? Well I was skiing down for about 6 feet doing that. Then the cliff decided, "uh, well I guess its time to end" so I went tumbling off a 10 foot ledge...no lie. Landed on my hip and got my ankle twisted up in a root on the way down... stop laughing, it hurt.
So I sat for a minute to make sure I had not lost an arm in the process, and realized that I tweaked my ankle pretty good. Even better news! Storm was starting to roll in.... Time to get off this mountain, and fast. So I hobbled down the last thousand feet to the base of this ridiculous mountain, and hung my hammock for the night at the base. Of course it decided to rain again all night.
So the next morning I got to a road and hitchhiked into town to see a doc in the box about this ankle. Find out its a mild ankle sprain. Not a big deal, so I wrapped it up and kept on moving.
Next day.... Franconia Ridge!
So, if you have never been to this spot in the White Mountains, stop what you are doing, book a flight and go visit. I got up from Liberty campsite at about 6am to get a jump on all the day hikers. I had the whole ridge to myself. It was the most unbelievable views I have ever seen. I took a TON of photos from the top. I sat and enjoyed the views for a couple hours and decided to push on to one of the famous huts for the night.
Let me tell you something about the White Mountains, they get thousands of tourists a year to come hike. So every couple miles you normally see a few day hikers wearing the safari hat and full button down shirt, or cotton t-shirt. And here you are, stinky, sweaty and not shaven in weeks..... then the questions start-
Are you a thru-hiker?
Where did you start?
When did you start?
Have you seen a Bear?
Where do you sleep?
and so on and so on. So finally I just starting telling everyone that I was a day hiker, but just had a rough couple days... sorry!!
Well I stayed at Zealand Hut that night, what a great place. A hut is a place where people pay to get fed, a place to sleep and a little entertainment along the trail. Its like a hotel.....without the fancy anything. So thru-hikers can stay and eat if they do a "work for stay" which means after hiking up and down all day long, the only way you can stay for free is to work a little more..... I know it seems a little crazy. So I had to sweep the floors and do some dishes, but got a great meal out of the deal.
Well that is all I really have to report right now, the weather is turning really bad really fast again, so I had to take a side trail through the Presidential Mtn Range and down into Gorham. I am kind of bummed, but I know that I will be back to hike through Washington and the others. Its funny how the weather works at this elevation, at the base it is 70 degrees and sunny and the top of the Presidentials its 40 and storming like crazy!
My ankle is feeling stronger day by day and my beard is getting worse day by day....
I should be in Maine on Friday afternoon and am so excited I cant stand it. 291 miles to go until Katahdin!
Velcome to Vermont (think how dracula would say it..)
Well, another state down. Hello Vermont!!! Welcome to the Green Mountains. Staying in Manchester Center tonight. 538 miles to go and I am starting to get really excited!
I am going to come back to this blog and finish because the librarian has informed me that my "hour limit" is up.....man, do I miss having a laptop sometimes!
*******
Welcome Back!!!
So Vermont... ahhhh the Green Mountains! The smell of pine trees, the beautiful landscape, the rain.....huh? Rain, oh yes! I have not actually seen the sun in four days. The rain has not stopped pouring on top of us for almost a week! Everything I own is wet, cold, smelly, stinky, and funky.
The views were supposed to be great... they were fogged out for the most part. But beautiful nonetheless.
The terrain has gotten a little difficult again, where you actually have to earn your 20 mile days. No more stopping and piddling around for a couple hours. I actually did my biggest day yet yesterday. 28 miles! who knew that the body would carry you that far? Especially with weight on your back! It was raining cats and dogs from the start, and did not let up throughout the whole day. So at mile 18 I could have stopped to stay at the shelter, but I was already soaked to the bone and miserable... so whats another 10 miles?
I stayed in Rutland for a night at the Back Home Again Cafe. It was a neat hostel that you did a "work-for-stay" at. So here I am, wiping down tables and sweeping floors to earn my stay. They offered to feed us and everyone sits down and tells stories. Well that sounded really exciting... but I wanted to see the new Batman movie that was playing across the street...
It was awesome (the movie that is)!
I did have breakfast with the crew and told them about my revolution with Keep America Beautiful!
The next day coming out of Rutland was another wet, miserable day of walking down the flooded trail until I came to a blue-blaze trail that lead STRAIGHT UP a hill to a cabin. On the side was a ladder that lead to the roof.....ever then ladder was steep! When I got to the top, I have 360 degree views of the Green and White Mountains. It was incredible....other than the rain.
All in all, Vermont was a great state to walk though, I am sure I will be back to hike it when the forecast has a little better weather.
Next stop.... Hanover, New Hampshire
and the White Mountains
Bearfoot
I am going to come back to this blog and finish because the librarian has informed me that my "hour limit" is up.....man, do I miss having a laptop sometimes!
*******
Welcome Back!!!
So Vermont... ahhhh the Green Mountains! The smell of pine trees, the beautiful landscape, the rain.....huh? Rain, oh yes! I have not actually seen the sun in four days. The rain has not stopped pouring on top of us for almost a week! Everything I own is wet, cold, smelly, stinky, and funky.
The views were supposed to be great... they were fogged out for the most part. But beautiful nonetheless.
The terrain has gotten a little difficult again, where you actually have to earn your 20 mile days. No more stopping and piddling around for a couple hours. I actually did my biggest day yet yesterday. 28 miles! who knew that the body would carry you that far? Especially with weight on your back! It was raining cats and dogs from the start, and did not let up throughout the whole day. So at mile 18 I could have stopped to stay at the shelter, but I was already soaked to the bone and miserable... so whats another 10 miles?
I stayed in Rutland for a night at the Back Home Again Cafe. It was a neat hostel that you did a "work-for-stay" at. So here I am, wiping down tables and sweeping floors to earn my stay. They offered to feed us and everyone sits down and tells stories. Well that sounded really exciting... but I wanted to see the new Batman movie that was playing across the street...
It was awesome (the movie that is)!
I did have breakfast with the crew and told them about my revolution with Keep America Beautiful!
The next day coming out of Rutland was another wet, miserable day of walking down the flooded trail until I came to a blue-blaze trail that lead STRAIGHT UP a hill to a cabin. On the side was a ladder that lead to the roof.....ever then ladder was steep! When I got to the top, I have 360 degree views of the Green and White Mountains. It was incredible....other than the rain.
All in all, Vermont was a great state to walk though, I am sure I will be back to hike it when the forecast has a little better weather.
Next stop.... Hanover, New Hampshire
and the White Mountains
Bearfoot
Bear Mountain Hike with Keep Rockland Beautiful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgzNh7qLaR4This was such a wonderful day for me......
This was the release for the event-
"Keep Rockland Beautiful invites members and friends on a hike in support of Jordan Price and the Trek Against Trash. On March 17, 2008, Jordan Price and Carlie Roberts began an inspiring environmental awareness campaign in the name of Keep America Beautiful. Starting out on their trek along the 2,174 mile Appalachian Trail, they pledged to raise $150,000 and demonstrate how simple it is to clean up, reuse, and recycle along the way.
Today, Jordan continues the journey, with Carlie supporting him from home base. We will join Jordan for a hike from Perkins Tower on Bear Mountain down to the Bear Mountain Bridge, where we will gather to thank Jordan for his efforts. Along the way, there will be an opportunity to stop and pitch in on preparing a corridor of the Appalachian Trail that is being rebuilt by the NY/NJ Trail Conference. Hikers will also pass through the Trail side Zoo and Museums, where they will meet many of the areas wonderful inhabitants. This is a wonderful opportunity to get out and enjoy the beauty of our cherished public parks and to support Jordan Price in his efforts to inspire others to clean up and protect the environment, and to support Keep America Beautiful in its mission of uniting citizens, businesses and government to find solutions that advance its core issues of preventing litter,reducing waste and beautifying communities.
Jordan has been cleaning up litter, stenciling storm drains, planting trees, and promoting the three R’s with KAB affiliates such as Keep Rockland Beautiful all along his way. “We want to show that while not everyone is able to hike two thousand miles, or even one mile for that matter, being a responsible consumer in every day life is really quite simple!” It is fitting that we applaud Jordan’s efforts at the point where the Appalachian Trail crosses the magnificent Hudson River, for waste that litters our streets and trails often ends up washing into our precious waterways. Happy 85th Anniversary to the Appalachian Trail!"Umm, wow! It is a little weird reading these sometimes because you think that people forget that you are out here doing the Trek. So it always brings a smile to my face to get to be a part of such a great opportunity.
Originally I was supposed to be walking through Bear Mountain NY this past weekend, BUT...I am an animal so... (totally kidding) I got a little bit ahead of schedule and my dear friend Rob from Keep America Beautiful picked me up along the trail to bring me back down to Bear Mountain for a hike with the Keep Rockland Beautiful folks.
This was a wonderful event that my friend Sonia from Keep Rockland Beautiful put together. We all met up at Perkins tower at the top of Bear Mountain and took a few photos of the gang. Rob introduced me to some of the volunteers that showed up to support the Trek Against Trash. What a great experience, we had about 14 people show up in all to hike down the two miles into the park. It was humid (as usual) but luckily our great friend Dave from Pepsi showed up with some Gatorade and snacks to keep us all hydrated. We all did our best to pick up any litter along the way and actually filled up two trash bags worth. We got to the state park at the bottom and walked over to the Zoo. Same as last time when I came through, it was tough to see all these beautiful animals in cages, but they all sustained injuries in the wild, so they are now in the zoo being rehabilitated.
Once we got through the Zoo, we got together for a little ceremony (video should be up in a couple days) for the Trek. They read a letter from the Palisades Interstate Park Commission aloud to me that was incredibly touching.... I almost got choked up.
It was a wonderful day, and I got to spend some time with some really incredible people. And my awesome friend Zoey from Kent CT showed up to show her support!
After the hike, we went over to one of Rob's friends' house where we picked raspberries, cooked out and just relaxed for the evening. Adam and Lara introduced me to Dutch Peanut Butter........ummm it's by far the most delicious thing I have EVER tasted. Yes.. go find it.
Well back to the trail!
Vermont in the Morning!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgzNh7qLaR4
Magnificent Massachusetts!!
Well like I said before, I love the Appalachian Trail!!! I feel like I am finally back into the real hiking that I loved so much at the beginning of the trail! We had some great views from the top of Mt.Greylock, and could see FORRREEVVEERRR!!!! (....from "The Sandlot".... come on people, loosen up a bit). Anyway, it has been up and down and up and down for the past few days, which is a little more fun than the ridge walking we have been doing.
Strolled into Dalton, and came to a house on the trail where a nice man came out and offered me ice cream. Of course I said yes! He introduced himself as Tom, and he had a bunch of other hikers hanging out in the lawn all eating ice cream and looking like they were stuffed. So I figured that it was a good idea to drop my Mountainsmith bag and relax for a little bit......for a little bit I meant two days. He let us sleep on his floor, fed us, let us slack pack 23 miles. I mean this was the cream of the crop here. Tom is a legend on the A.T. but he is not listed in the books so he can keep a low profile.
I have to go back to Bear Mountain, NY tomorrow to do a little bit of media for the Trek. So if you are in the area, tomorrow (7/19/2008) I will be back at Bear Mountain, hiking down from Perkins tower and into the Zoo with a few people. Please stop by if you have time, we would love to see you!
And for those of you who have yet to go check out the website, pictures or DONATE! STOP READING and go buy a SWEET Trek Against Trash t-shirt or Trucker Hat (which I proudly rock along the trail). So if you want to be cool, make a donation or buy some gear. If not you are an L-7 square (Sandlot reference again, sorry we watched it at Tom's house and I cant get enough of that movie).
Thanks again for all of your support so far. 600 Miles to go.....whhewww!
Next on the list,
Vermont (Green Mountains.)
New Hampshire (White Mountains.) yikes!
Maine (Mt. Katahdin!!)
Check back in the next few weeks for an update!
Bearfoot
Strolled into Dalton, and came to a house on the trail where a nice man came out and offered me ice cream. Of course I said yes! He introduced himself as Tom, and he had a bunch of other hikers hanging out in the lawn all eating ice cream and looking like they were stuffed. So I figured that it was a good idea to drop my Mountainsmith bag and relax for a little bit......for a little bit I meant two days. He let us sleep on his floor, fed us, let us slack pack 23 miles. I mean this was the cream of the crop here. Tom is a legend on the A.T. but he is not listed in the books so he can keep a low profile.
I have to go back to Bear Mountain, NY tomorrow to do a little bit of media for the Trek. So if you are in the area, tomorrow (7/19/2008) I will be back at Bear Mountain, hiking down from Perkins tower and into the Zoo with a few people. Please stop by if you have time, we would love to see you!
And for those of you who have yet to go check out the website, pictures or DONATE! STOP READING and go buy a SWEET Trek Against Trash t-shirt or Trucker Hat (which I proudly rock along the trail). So if you want to be cool, make a donation or buy some gear. If not you are an L-7 square (Sandlot reference again, sorry we watched it at Tom's house and I cant get enough of that movie).
Thanks again for all of your support so far. 600 Miles to go.....whhewww!
Next on the list,
Vermont (Green Mountains.)
New Hampshire (White Mountains.) yikes!
Maine (Mt. Katahdin!!)
Check back in the next few weeks for an update!
Bearfoot
Hello Connecticut!!
Well with New Jersey and New York behind me the miles left are dropping like flies! I walked into Connecticut the other day and surprisingly.....they had mountains again! I have been so spoiled walking through Virginia and Pennsylvania, they have been a little "hilly" but not Connecticut! As soon as I got across the border my legs started screaming "uncle" welcome to some real elevation changes again.
A few wonderful things happened to me in Connecticut,
1. They had water again! The trail has seemed have had a shortage everywhere I've been since Virginia.
2. I found a wonderful town called Kent and made some wonderful friends.
3. My dear friend Rob (KAB-Man) came out to live "a day in the life of Bearfoot"
So Kent,
I looked in my book to see if this town allowed hikers to camp somewhere, it said that the church was the only place......but the sign at the church said "No camping, Sorry Hikers"
huh? well my options are either go back to the trail or go make friends.
What a cute town! They had everything a hiker could want or need. Deli's, a library, book stores, Post Office, and ICE CREAM!! So after eating a sandwich, a pint of ice cream and drinking a 2 liter of Pepsi I stumbled into a place called "The House of Books" great shop. I was looking at all the nature books they had and struck up a conversation with a wonderful woman named Terry. We got to talking about the Trail and the Trek Against Trash and she asked if I would like to stay in the back yard of a friends house right outside town. PERFECT!!! Now I didn't have to walk back to the trail. So she and her awesome daughter Zoey drove me to the back yard so I could get situated for the night. After getting set up we all were sitting down talking about....well everything you could imagine. They asked if I liked sushi.........um, first off if you don't like sushi you have a serious problem. Of course I like sushi! So off we went to a restaurant in town that had fabulous sushi. Ate, talked, enjoyed each others company. Great night.....it gets better!
They next day, I come out to the book store to visit my new friends and of course we are all B.F.F (for those of you who forgot that term, I am bringing it back, Best Friends Forever) we made fun of each other all day and just had a great time. After work they drove me back to the house, where Terry ordered Pizza for us....(sushi one night, pizza another...I may never leave this town) we all relaxed and ate way to much. They then asked if I wanted to come stay at the house with them....wow, I am not sure what I did to receive such wonderful people in these trail towns but something has finally clicked. I got to get a warm shower, sleep on a comfortable mattress, life was perfect!
On Saturday it was finally time for me to say good bye to my two new angels of Kent Connecticut, a few tears were shed because we didn't realize that I was actually leaving, it was really sad to leave those two.
If you are ever in Kent Connecticut go see my two of my best friends at the House of books Terry and Zoey, tell them Bearfoot sent you.
After leaving I met up with the man with the plan, Rob from Keep America Beautiful. He met me at the top of one of the mountains, and he was loaded to the top with goodies. Cookies from Gucci's Mom (Thanks!!!) my Hammock, and some sweet new Trek Gear.
We hiked a strenuous 7 miles to Pine Brook Lean-to. We were both sweating like fools, and mosquitoes seemed to fill the entire sky. Robs legs seem to be made of steel, he was hauling some 50 pounds up these hills.....yeah no joke. It is wonderful to have a friendly face out on the trail with you, especially someone who is as awesome as Rob. If it was not for him, the Trek would have been some dream that I had. He is the one who brought it to life!
Well I will be out of Connecticut in the morning and on to Massachusetts
A few wonderful things happened to me in Connecticut,
1. They had water again! The trail has seemed have had a shortage everywhere I've been since Virginia.
2. I found a wonderful town called Kent and made some wonderful friends.
3. My dear friend Rob (KAB-Man) came out to live "a day in the life of Bearfoot"
So Kent,
I looked in my book to see if this town allowed hikers to camp somewhere, it said that the church was the only place......but the sign at the church said "No camping, Sorry Hikers"
huh? well my options are either go back to the trail or go make friends.
What a cute town! They had everything a hiker could want or need. Deli's, a library, book stores, Post Office, and ICE CREAM!! So after eating a sandwich, a pint of ice cream and drinking a 2 liter of Pepsi I stumbled into a place called "The House of Books" great shop. I was looking at all the nature books they had and struck up a conversation with a wonderful woman named Terry. We got to talking about the Trail and the Trek Against Trash and she asked if I would like to stay in the back yard of a friends house right outside town. PERFECT!!! Now I didn't have to walk back to the trail. So she and her awesome daughter Zoey drove me to the back yard so I could get situated for the night. After getting set up we all were sitting down talking about....well everything you could imagine. They asked if I liked sushi.........um, first off if you don't like sushi you have a serious problem. Of course I like sushi! So off we went to a restaurant in town that had fabulous sushi. Ate, talked, enjoyed each others company. Great night.....it gets better!
They next day, I come out to the book store to visit my new friends and of course we are all B.F.F (for those of you who forgot that term, I am bringing it back, Best Friends Forever) we made fun of each other all day and just had a great time. After work they drove me back to the house, where Terry ordered Pizza for us....(sushi one night, pizza another...I may never leave this town) we all relaxed and ate way to much. They then asked if I wanted to come stay at the house with them....wow, I am not sure what I did to receive such wonderful people in these trail towns but something has finally clicked. I got to get a warm shower, sleep on a comfortable mattress, life was perfect!
On Saturday it was finally time for me to say good bye to my two new angels of Kent Connecticut, a few tears were shed because we didn't realize that I was actually leaving, it was really sad to leave those two.
If you are ever in Kent Connecticut go see my two of my best friends at the House of books Terry and Zoey, tell them Bearfoot sent you.
After leaving I met up with the man with the plan, Rob from Keep America Beautiful. He met me at the top of one of the mountains, and he was loaded to the top with goodies. Cookies from Gucci's Mom (Thanks!!!) my Hammock, and some sweet new Trek Gear.
We hiked a strenuous 7 miles to Pine Brook Lean-to. We were both sweating like fools, and mosquitoes seemed to fill the entire sky. Robs legs seem to be made of steel, he was hauling some 50 pounds up these hills.....yeah no joke. It is wonderful to have a friendly face out on the trail with you, especially someone who is as awesome as Rob. If it was not for him, the Trek would have been some dream that I had. He is the one who brought it to life!
Well I will be out of Connecticut in the morning and on to Massachusetts
New York State- Check!
Conquered: One New York State!
Welcome to New York!!!!!
Once I arrived into New York a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. It feels like I am actually making progress along this crazy trail. I got to Bear Mountain and it was beautiful!! At the bottom of the hill was kind of culture shock..
Bear Mountain State Park. There were people everywhere!! Talk about feeling a little out of place; I was like a cave man walking into Times Square! But it was beautiful nontheless. I look some time to eat and relax by the lake and read a book for awhile. I picked up my mail drop from the Post office and sent some more nonsense home that was not needed. After piddling around for a little bit I walked down the trail which actually leads into the zoo! That was quite the experience! Here I am coming out of the woods to see all these beautiful animals caged. It was kind of emotional for me. I stood by the bears for at least 45 minutes just thinking of all the bears I have seen running free (and trying to steal my food). It was a good time to really think about what I am doing out here and how lucky we all are to have the freedoms we do.
After the zoo I crossed the Bear Mountain Bridge. Holy Cow! Talk about crazy, go live in the woods for four months and then come down and cross this thing. I hand both hands on the sides and was flinching every time a car flew by me. Once I successfully crossed the bridge I headed up the hill to a campsite about three miles on top. I had a little reunion with some old friends. Shutterbug, Hotwheels, Corley, Beatbox, Rocksteady, Butters, Freebird....just a lot of people. We all hiked together for a couple days, until the heat and humidity really kicked in.
I drank about a gallon of water yesterday....a gallon. I was sweating from every pore in my body. After another long day of hiking I came to a spot called Nuclear Lake. It looked about perfect to swim in (I know with that kind of name you would think I would come out glowing of radiation, but my book said it was safe) so I cleaned my sweaty, stinky clothes and swam around for a little bit. It was quite refreshing until.......a storm that blew in out of nowhere! So I am now cool and soaking wet from the lake, but once the rain started pouring down, I felt like I was going to freeze to death. Luckily it was only a quick summer shower so it passed over pretty quickly. I stayed at a place called Native Landscapes last night. The A.T. Train station that will run you into New York is right behind this place. The owner will let you camp outside the building for free, he also had a shower and bathroom that he let us use. Yeah!
Today was my last day in New York so it is time to say goodbye yet again to another state. Thank you for your views and weather NY, you treated me well, and one day I will return to hike you again.
Connecticut bound tomorrow morning!
Once I arrived into New York a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. It feels like I am actually making progress along this crazy trail. I got to Bear Mountain and it was beautiful!! At the bottom of the hill was kind of culture shock..
Bear Mountain State Park. There were people everywhere!! Talk about feeling a little out of place; I was like a cave man walking into Times Square! But it was beautiful nontheless. I look some time to eat and relax by the lake and read a book for awhile. I picked up my mail drop from the Post office and sent some more nonsense home that was not needed. After piddling around for a little bit I walked down the trail which actually leads into the zoo! That was quite the experience! Here I am coming out of the woods to see all these beautiful animals caged. It was kind of emotional for me. I stood by the bears for at least 45 minutes just thinking of all the bears I have seen running free (and trying to steal my food). It was a good time to really think about what I am doing out here and how lucky we all are to have the freedoms we do.After the zoo I crossed the Bear Mountain Bridge. Holy Cow! Talk about crazy, go live in the woods for four months and then come down and cross this thing. I hand both hands on the sides and was flinching every time a car flew by me. Once I successfully crossed the bridge I headed up the hill to a campsite about three miles on top. I had a little reunion with some old friends. Shutterbug, Hotwheels, Corley, Beatbox, Rocksteady, Butters, Freebird....just a lot of people. We all hiked together for a couple days, until the heat and humidity really kicked in.
I drank about a gallon of water yesterday....a gallon. I was sweating from every pore in my body. After another long day of hiking I came to a spot called Nuclear Lake. It looked about perfect to swim in (I know with that kind of name you would think I would come out glowing of radiation, but my book said it was safe) so I cleaned my sweaty, stinky clothes and swam around for a little bit. It was quite refreshing until.......a storm that blew in out of nowhere! So I am now cool and soaking wet from the lake, but once the rain started pouring down, I felt like I was going to freeze to death. Luckily it was only a quick summer shower so it passed over pretty quickly. I stayed at a place called Native Landscapes last night. The A.T. Train station that will run you into New York is right behind this place. The owner will let you camp outside the building for free, he also had a shower and bathroom that he let us use. Yeah!
Today was my last day in New York so it is time to say goodbye yet again to another state. Thank you for your views and weather NY, you treated me well, and one day I will return to hike you again.
Connecticut bound tomorrow morning!
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