I was eating dinner when Jonathan called tonight - he wanted to know what we were having. He had tortellini and a poptart.
He spent Sunday again with family, John and Rose, Fan, Mark and Cookie-dog, as well as Amy, Tim, and Cally. It was a lively and entertaining afternoon. He left Cally's Sunday evening and joined cousin, Amy, at her house for the night. They watched DVD's and laughed; it felt good.
Amy took him to a super large outdoor store to shop for boots Monday morning. After trekking around the store in many a boot, thoroughly sick of the shopping experience, he settled on a pair and bought a one year extended warranty as well - not taking any chances this time. He then parted company with Amy in Port Clinton. There he visited the outfitter's store and purchased water treatment drops, a new spoon, a new water bottle, and a smaller fuel canister. He also got help cleaning his stove which proved to be a long undertaking. By the time all was accomplished, it was 4:30 and he chose not to get such a late start on the trail.
He slept again in the pavilion in the company of Bad Idea, who recently finished a stint in the army, special operations. He is headed south but not continuously. He did the 100 mile wilderness to Katahdin in Maine and then skipped down to Connecticut and headed south from there. Jonathan and Madeline first met him on the stretch to Katahdin. Stick Man arrived in Port Clinton this morning.
Bad Idea told Jonathan of another hiker he met recently who has not only had a bout of Lyme disease on the trail, but also had to endure the series of rabies shots after being bitten by a raccoon in a shelter as he slept. He dreamt that someone was putting nails in his head only to find a raccoon biting his head when he awoke(yow!). Bad Idea has had a wicked bout of giardia which landed him in the hospital as well. We have had lucky hikers.
Jonathan left Stick Man and Bad Idea behind in Port Clinton and returned to the trail today under a light, but steady rain. Tomorrow is supposed to continue with heavy rain. So far his feet are dry. He is currently less than enthusiastic about hiking though. He's feeling bored, the days seem to drag, and he gets preoccupied with just reaching his next destination. What seems to be missing is enjoyment of the moment. This is reminiscent of what I was hearing from Madeline prior to her decision to leave the trail. Jonathan realizes he may just be at a low point, and plans to forge on for now. He wants to make it to the next trail town by Saturday in the hopes of catching some Halloween spirit.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Saturday 10/24: Port Clinton, PA - shelter from the storm
Jonathan did make it out of New Jersey and to Delaware Water Gap, PA by way of New York City via bus, subway, and train. He made it to the hostel which is in the basement of the church about 9:00 last Saturday night (10/17), but found it closed for the night so he camped out back in a lean-to, and moved into the hostel in the morning when they reopened. He had acquired a cold and did not feel at his best so had planned to lay low for the day and return to the trail Monday morning. He had the hostel to himself though was told there had been a few other south bounders through a few days earlier. There is hope that he will encounter the community of hikers again, though not with the regularity of the north bound section.
He visited the outfitters store in town in the hopes of getting somewhere with boot replacement but had no luck. The store told him they have had previous experience with poor customer service from Vasque (the boot manufacturer) and will no longer carry their products. Readers beware.....do not buy Vasque products. Companies who do not stand behind their products on the trail are the exception; better to support the more hiker friendly manufacturers. He did buy a pair of gloves at the gas station and waterproofer for his rain gear. He struck out finding water treatment tablets so will need to be more selective in his water sources till he finds them.
He awoke Monday with cold symptoms in full swing and feeling achy and tired. He postponed return to the trail till Tuesday, napping and reading his way through the day. Another hiker, Stick Man, showed up Monday afternoon. He has thru-hiked the trail a number of times and is currently section hiking, south to the Shenandoah's. He is a slow hiker due to a failed back surgery, but their paths did cross again in this next section to Port Clinton.
Jonathan returned to the trail Tuesday, under clear skies and warm temperatures, and was able to put 20 miles behind him that day. He wished he still had a T-shirt but had been in such cold up in Maine, he mailed warm weather clothes home. He paid for those miles the next day and only hiked 5. He found a book in a hiker box at a shelter that once begun, had to be finished, so Wednesday was spent in the shelter between the pages of the book and ended with a satisfying campfire that evening. He was not minding the solitude.
This section of PA is relatively flat. The trail follows ridge line with only low dips down and back up. It is known for its brutal rockiness, but thus far, Jonathan has not found it to be too bad. Water sources are far apart which limits options. One day he had to venture off the trail to a town in order to resupply water. He was also able to get a cup of coffee, some bananas and batteries for his head lamp as well. He has done two night hikes this past week.
His goal for the week was to reach Port Clinton by the weekend in order to spend time off the trail with the Pennsylvania branch of our family. In order to accomplish this, he hitched the last 30 miles into town on Friday with a man whose non-stop talk was interspersed with biblical ramblings. It was rainy with the promise of heavy rains continuing for at least the next 24 hours. He wisely chose the ride in order to be sheltered from the storm within the generous and welcoming arms of family.
He arrived in Port Clinton Friday night, picked up his mail drop at the outfitters store there, resupplied water at a spigot outside the Port Clinton Hotel, had a pint of beer inside the hotel, and filled up on the home baked chocolate chip cookies from his mail drop prior to spending the night in a town pavilion that is available to shelter hikers. My cousin, Amy, and friend, Tim, drove from Birdsboro, PA to pick him up at their prearranged time and place early Saturday afternoon. They took him to my Aunt Cally's house in Fleetwood, PA where he spent the rest of the day and night in their collective company. Cally provided shower and laundry service, a bed with flannel sheets, the company of little dog, Jenny, and cats, Happy and Cassie, and the offer to darn his socks, in addition to the warmth and love of home and family. Amy not only provided the transportation, but also prepared a wonderful dinner of lasagna and salad of which he ate heartily, and also thoughtfully and lovingly purchased hiker food for him. He has more food right now than he can successfully carry, for I apparently oversupplied him in this Port Clinton mail drop. Cutting these previously packaged mail drops down to one hiker instead of the two they were prepared for is a little tricky. I don't quite have the hang of it yet. Perhaps Amy can use the food she purchased and he can find a hiker box to leave behind some of what I sent for a hungry hiker passing through Port Clinton. As I spoke to him Saturday night, he sounded tired but so satisfied to be surrounded by homey comfort, and the warmth and love of family. His respite with family will continue through Sunday. I wish I could share the moment.
~Amy
He visited the outfitters store in town in the hopes of getting somewhere with boot replacement but had no luck. The store told him they have had previous experience with poor customer service from Vasque (the boot manufacturer) and will no longer carry their products. Readers beware.....do not buy Vasque products. Companies who do not stand behind their products on the trail are the exception; better to support the more hiker friendly manufacturers. He did buy a pair of gloves at the gas station and waterproofer for his rain gear. He struck out finding water treatment tablets so will need to be more selective in his water sources till he finds them.
He awoke Monday with cold symptoms in full swing and feeling achy and tired. He postponed return to the trail till Tuesday, napping and reading his way through the day. Another hiker, Stick Man, showed up Monday afternoon. He has thru-hiked the trail a number of times and is currently section hiking, south to the Shenandoah's. He is a slow hiker due to a failed back surgery, but their paths did cross again in this next section to Port Clinton.
Jonathan returned to the trail Tuesday, under clear skies and warm temperatures, and was able to put 20 miles behind him that day. He wished he still had a T-shirt but had been in such cold up in Maine, he mailed warm weather clothes home. He paid for those miles the next day and only hiked 5. He found a book in a hiker box at a shelter that once begun, had to be finished, so Wednesday was spent in the shelter between the pages of the book and ended with a satisfying campfire that evening. He was not minding the solitude.
This section of PA is relatively flat. The trail follows ridge line with only low dips down and back up. It is known for its brutal rockiness, but thus far, Jonathan has not found it to be too bad. Water sources are far apart which limits options. One day he had to venture off the trail to a town in order to resupply water. He was also able to get a cup of coffee, some bananas and batteries for his head lamp as well. He has done two night hikes this past week.
His goal for the week was to reach Port Clinton by the weekend in order to spend time off the trail with the Pennsylvania branch of our family. In order to accomplish this, he hitched the last 30 miles into town on Friday with a man whose non-stop talk was interspersed with biblical ramblings. It was rainy with the promise of heavy rains continuing for at least the next 24 hours. He wisely chose the ride in order to be sheltered from the storm within the generous and welcoming arms of family.
He arrived in Port Clinton Friday night, picked up his mail drop at the outfitters store there, resupplied water at a spigot outside the Port Clinton Hotel, had a pint of beer inside the hotel, and filled up on the home baked chocolate chip cookies from his mail drop prior to spending the night in a town pavilion that is available to shelter hikers. My cousin, Amy, and friend, Tim, drove from Birdsboro, PA to pick him up at their prearranged time and place early Saturday afternoon. They took him to my Aunt Cally's house in Fleetwood, PA where he spent the rest of the day and night in their collective company. Cally provided shower and laundry service, a bed with flannel sheets, the company of little dog, Jenny, and cats, Happy and Cassie, and the offer to darn his socks, in addition to the warmth and love of home and family. Amy not only provided the transportation, but also prepared a wonderful dinner of lasagna and salad of which he ate heartily, and also thoughtfully and lovingly purchased hiker food for him. He has more food right now than he can successfully carry, for I apparently oversupplied him in this Port Clinton mail drop. Cutting these previously packaged mail drops down to one hiker instead of the two they were prepared for is a little tricky. I don't quite have the hang of it yet. Perhaps Amy can use the food she purchased and he can find a hiker box to leave behind some of what I sent for a hungry hiker passing through Port Clinton. As I spoke to him Saturday night, he sounded tired but so satisfied to be surrounded by homey comfort, and the warmth and love of family. His respite with family will continue through Sunday. I wish I could share the moment.
~Amy
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Water on the Trail
Water is a necessity, but it gains even more significance while on the trail, especially when the weather is hot. You also gain a certain appreciation for the value of water seeing as getting it on the trail is not as simple as turning on a tap. While not everyone on the trail treats their water, you do take certain risks if you don't. Water sources can be contaminated by bacteria that can make you sick. For the most part, people who don't treat their water are far more selective about where they get it, choosing water sources that look clean. Others choose to treat their water with chemicals. While I was on the trail, Jonathan and I used a water pump to purify our water. Now that I am off the trail, Jonathan has ditched the pump in favor of chemicals,(water treatment tablets), which are a much lighter alternative. You think more carefully about your equipment choices when you don't have anyone to share the weight. The only time we didn't treat our water was when it came from a spring. When getting water from a spring you are getting it directly from the source, usually a crack in a rock, and that makes the risks of contamination relatively low. The picture above, however, proves to be an exception. This was the first spring that we came across and it had been piped into a bath tub in order to make collection easier. We also didn't pump the water we would be cooking with. We had a collapsible soft bucket which we used to dip water directly from the water source. We sometimes had to let the sediment settle before using, but then it was treated by boiling. Sometimes the water had a very yellow appearance; at other times it had a pine-like taste.
Madeline
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Stranded AT hiker seeks ride to PA - 80 West - Will pay for ride
Lodi, New Jersey is where this morning's first ride brought him; hitcher friendly it is not. Hitch hiking is illegal in the state of New Jersey. Within a very short amount of time he was stopped by three officers. They all told him he could not do what he was doing. One officer, however, did tell him that since this was his road to patrol, if Jonathan would move off and lay low for a bit, he could resume hitching after the officer was out of sight and would not be bothered. This advice, although taken, was not fruitful for another officer came by shortly thereafter. This clearly was not the route to Delaware Water Gap.
On to Plan 2.....Jonathan went to a gas station and watched for PA plates and then attempted to explain his situation and request a lift. People were not interested in stopping to listen; one even ran from him to his car.
Plan 3..... Sit passively on the outskirts of the station holding a sign that read:
Stranded AT hiker seeks ride to PA - 80 West - Will pay for ride
One person did stop and try to give him change - not what he was looking for. Most everyone else just averted their eyes. One of the officers from a previous encounter stops by for another 'move along' kind of chat; he can not relate to the idea of an AT hiker; suggests the New Jersey Transit into New York.
Plan 4..... Jonathan decides that although expensive, this is about his only option. We last speak as he is walking the three miles to the bus station for a route into NYC. From there, he can get a bus to Delaware Water Gap, PA where there is a hostel run by the Presbyterian Church of the Mountain. He's hoping they will be open to welcome his weary spirit. He is not at his happiest. ~ Amy
On to Plan 2.....Jonathan went to a gas station and watched for PA plates and then attempted to explain his situation and request a lift. People were not interested in stopping to listen; one even ran from him to his car.
Plan 3..... Sit passively on the outskirts of the station holding a sign that read:
Stranded AT hiker seeks ride to PA - 80 West - Will pay for ride
One person did stop and try to give him change - not what he was looking for. Most everyone else just averted their eyes. One of the officers from a previous encounter stops by for another 'move along' kind of chat; he can not relate to the idea of an AT hiker; suggests the New Jersey Transit into New York.
Plan 4..... Jonathan decides that although expensive, this is about his only option. We last speak as he is walking the three miles to the bus station for a route into NYC. From there, he can get a bus to Delaware Water Gap, PA where there is a hostel run by the Presbyterian Church of the Mountain. He's hoping they will be open to welcome his weary spirit. He is not at his happiest. ~ Amy
287 to 80 West....peace and love
Jonathan drew a peace sign and a heart on the bottom of the cardboard sign he is holding as he hitches the last lap to Delaware Water Gap, PA, the point at which he and Madeline began their journey three and a half months ago. I suspect he looks like a safer pick-up with these embellishments. He has skipped the section of Maine between Stratton and Gorham.
After waiting out the snow at the hostel in Stratton, he headed back to the trail Wednesday morning; the snow of Monday night had not amounted to much and had melted with Tuesday's sun. However, 5 miles into Wednesday's hike, up in the higher elevation of the mountains, there was a good 4" on the ground. His boots leak, he has not yet received his heavier socks, his gloves are lost and his feet and hands were numb with cold. This whole next stretch would be in these higher elevations so did not hold promise of improvement. He changed plans - he knew his feet and hands could not endure. He headed the five miles back down the mountain and back to the hostel. In his absence, two hikers of past, Swift and Dream Catcher, had arrived. He enjoyed their company over dinner at the White Wolf Inn. They have been recovering the same stretch of Maine as he for they too leapfrogged that section in order to make it to Katahdin before the trail closing. They are planning to forge ahead, with the plan to do much of it by slack packing. This is too expensive a way to go for Jonathan - the expense of paying for your gear to be shuttled and all the extra nights in hostels is not in his budget. Perhaps they also have gloves and boots that are less deconstructed.
He decided not to recover this last piece of Maine and instead hitch back to their starting point and then resume his southbound hike. Thursday he began, and through a long series of short rides got from Stratton to Gorham where he visited that familiar Chinese buffet and stayed in the hostel where they began their leap frog nearly a month ago. He was most fortunate to cover good ground yesterday with a ride from a couple from Bethel, Maine who were headed to a Steve Earle concert in Woodstock, New York. He spent the entire day in their company and was dropped at their parting path at 5:00 yesterday evening. He was then picked up by a trucker and accompanied him to drop his load and switch out trailers before they continued on. The trucker stopped for the night at a rest stop but told Jonathan he would leave the cab unlocked so that if he couldn't get another ride and needed to crash, he could use the cab. Jonathan tried till midnight to hook up with another ride. By that point it was drizzling , so he took the trucker's offer and hunkered down in the cab till 5:00 this morning when he continued his efforts to hook that next ride. As we were talking around 8:00 this morning, the ride arrived. He hopes to get to Delaware Water Gap today and hopefully stay the night in a hostel there. Many of the hostels on the lower half of the trail are now closed for the season so they may be few and far between from here on out. Hopefully, it will be warmer in PA than it was in Maine. He has to get to a gear store and get new boots (the phone call to the manufacturer was not fruitful), his heavier socks are in the mail, and replacement gloves have been ordered. Before too many more miles are behind him, hopefully he will be better outfitted for the wintery mountain conditions.
~ Amy
After waiting out the snow at the hostel in Stratton, he headed back to the trail Wednesday morning; the snow of Monday night had not amounted to much and had melted with Tuesday's sun. However, 5 miles into Wednesday's hike, up in the higher elevation of the mountains, there was a good 4" on the ground. His boots leak, he has not yet received his heavier socks, his gloves are lost and his feet and hands were numb with cold. This whole next stretch would be in these higher elevations so did not hold promise of improvement. He changed plans - he knew his feet and hands could not endure. He headed the five miles back down the mountain and back to the hostel. In his absence, two hikers of past, Swift and Dream Catcher, had arrived. He enjoyed their company over dinner at the White Wolf Inn. They have been recovering the same stretch of Maine as he for they too leapfrogged that section in order to make it to Katahdin before the trail closing. They are planning to forge ahead, with the plan to do much of it by slack packing. This is too expensive a way to go for Jonathan - the expense of paying for your gear to be shuttled and all the extra nights in hostels is not in his budget. Perhaps they also have gloves and boots that are less deconstructed.
He decided not to recover this last piece of Maine and instead hitch back to their starting point and then resume his southbound hike. Thursday he began, and through a long series of short rides got from Stratton to Gorham where he visited that familiar Chinese buffet and stayed in the hostel where they began their leap frog nearly a month ago. He was most fortunate to cover good ground yesterday with a ride from a couple from Bethel, Maine who were headed to a Steve Earle concert in Woodstock, New York. He spent the entire day in their company and was dropped at their parting path at 5:00 yesterday evening. He was then picked up by a trucker and accompanied him to drop his load and switch out trailers before they continued on. The trucker stopped for the night at a rest stop but told Jonathan he would leave the cab unlocked so that if he couldn't get another ride and needed to crash, he could use the cab. Jonathan tried till midnight to hook up with another ride. By that point it was drizzling , so he took the trucker's offer and hunkered down in the cab till 5:00 this morning when he continued his efforts to hook that next ride. As we were talking around 8:00 this morning, the ride arrived. He hopes to get to Delaware Water Gap today and hopefully stay the night in a hostel there. Many of the hostels on the lower half of the trail are now closed for the season so they may be few and far between from here on out. Hopefully, it will be warmer in PA than it was in Maine. He has to get to a gear store and get new boots (the phone call to the manufacturer was not fruitful), his heavier socks are in the mail, and replacement gloves have been ordered. Before too many more miles are behind him, hopefully he will be better outfitted for the wintery mountain conditions.
~ Amy
Friday, October 16, 2009
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