Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, November 17th: Back to the Trail
The Baltimore detour was great. Jonathan loved spending time with Colin and Baltimore friends. Hosts, Carly and Twig were most hospitable. Besides Colin's performance, there was a trip to a large farmer's market, Sunday afternoon in a park, a game of apples to apples, a home cooked meal by Colin, and most unusual for this hiker, watching a wrestling match. They headed back to Harper's Ferry about noon today. After picking up his mail drop, Jonathan discovered as he was repacking his pack that he left his great stove and pot behind in Baltimore. Though he was able to get replacements at the gear store in Harper's Ferry, he was pretty bummed to have had to spend $60 to replace them with items not nearly as good as what he had. Got a late start back on the trail so didn't go far before tenting for the night. The first shelter was still 10 miles away. He thinks he will come home for Christmas, tentatively planning on December 19th. Whether he returns to the trail after Christmas is a question currently without an answer. ~ Amy
Sunday, November 15, 2009
A Detour off the Trail to Baltimore
We Spoke Saturday morning as Jonathan was on a train which he picked up in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, en route to Washington DC and then on to Baltimore. There he was meeting up with his brother, Colin, who would be coming from Connecticut into Baltimore Saturday in preparation for a Monday performance. Colin is on a month long tour performing small venues, and the timing and proximity to the trail just happened to work out. Colin will return Jonathan to the trail at Harper's Ferry on Tuesday. Jonathan was really looking forward to the detour.
Last Saturday night he enjoyed another huge campfire with a group of about 10 weekenders, some of whom he had sheltered with the previous night. There were two side by side shelters at this location and both were filled to capacity. He tented nearby. On Sunday, he hiked to a store, food supplies were running a little low, and took on what he thought was his own personal 1/2 gallon (ice cream) challenge He easily consumed what he thought was a 1/2 gallon of Breyer's coffee ice cream but realized upon completion that it was only a quart and a half. Last weekend's weather was hot for hiking. He so wished he had not sent home his T-shirt.
He has run into a photo journalist named Ulysses who is documenting the trail on his second hike. In addition to the standard backpacking burden, he also has a very large camera and a collection of lenses to haul. He has run into Stick Man again, a section hiker with whom he connects well. Stick Man lives in Louisville and frequently passes through Cincinnati so they plan to reconnect after the trail. Stick Man routinely hikes in spring and fall. Jonathan also ran into Steel Steve, a hiker who he last saw in New Hampshire. I also learned the story of Fox Trot, a modest 31 year old man who began hiking at 18, and in the subsequent years has racked up an enormous number of miles. By the time this year comes to a close, he will have completed 31,000 miles of hiking. He has hiked the AT four times, the Pacific Crest Trail twice, the Continental Divide Trail , as well as numerous international hiking trails. Jonathan says he has the most enormous calf muscles he's ever seen. I dare say there's a reason for that.
On Monday, Jonathan crossed the Maryland State line which is also the Mason-Dixon line. The terrain was more hilly with little towns nestled in the valleys and some nice views. The mountains are starting to get a little bigger. This section of trail crosses four states in just a little over 50 miles. There are some ambitious hikers who attempt this 4 state challenge - hiking a continuous 24 hours at a very fast clip in order to step foot in 4 different states over the course of a day. Jonathan walked the week at a very leisurely pace because he was timing himself to reach Harper's Ferry Saturday morning in order to catch the train. Consequently, he had to ration his food which didn't prove to be a problem for he found his appetite went down in conjunction with the reduced daily mileage. Temps have been mild, 40's to 50's with light rain off and on. He said he did hike through a pretty good rain Friday which then stopped as soon as he got to the shelter for the evening.
There are a lot of section hikers on the Maryland trails, likely because of their proximity to DC. The trails and shelters in this area are particularly well maintained by the local Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. He had a particularly nice shelter all to himself Friday night; it had a second story loft which was completely enclosed giving the impression of being in a cabin. He is looking forward to Virginia which holds the promise of higher mountains, better forests and bigger views. ~ Amy
Last Saturday night he enjoyed another huge campfire with a group of about 10 weekenders, some of whom he had sheltered with the previous night. There were two side by side shelters at this location and both were filled to capacity. He tented nearby. On Sunday, he hiked to a store, food supplies were running a little low, and took on what he thought was his own personal 1/2 gallon (ice cream) challenge He easily consumed what he thought was a 1/2 gallon of Breyer's coffee ice cream but realized upon completion that it was only a quart and a half. Last weekend's weather was hot for hiking. He so wished he had not sent home his T-shirt.
He has run into a photo journalist named Ulysses who is documenting the trail on his second hike. In addition to the standard backpacking burden, he also has a very large camera and a collection of lenses to haul. He has run into Stick Man again, a section hiker with whom he connects well. Stick Man lives in Louisville and frequently passes through Cincinnati so they plan to reconnect after the trail. Stick Man routinely hikes in spring and fall. Jonathan also ran into Steel Steve, a hiker who he last saw in New Hampshire. I also learned the story of Fox Trot, a modest 31 year old man who began hiking at 18, and in the subsequent years has racked up an enormous number of miles. By the time this year comes to a close, he will have completed 31,000 miles of hiking. He has hiked the AT four times, the Pacific Crest Trail twice, the Continental Divide Trail , as well as numerous international hiking trails. Jonathan says he has the most enormous calf muscles he's ever seen. I dare say there's a reason for that.
On Monday, Jonathan crossed the Maryland State line which is also the Mason-Dixon line. The terrain was more hilly with little towns nestled in the valleys and some nice views. The mountains are starting to get a little bigger. This section of trail crosses four states in just a little over 50 miles. There are some ambitious hikers who attempt this 4 state challenge - hiking a continuous 24 hours at a very fast clip in order to step foot in 4 different states over the course of a day. Jonathan walked the week at a very leisurely pace because he was timing himself to reach Harper's Ferry Saturday morning in order to catch the train. Consequently, he had to ration his food which didn't prove to be a problem for he found his appetite went down in conjunction with the reduced daily mileage. Temps have been mild, 40's to 50's with light rain off and on. He said he did hike through a pretty good rain Friday which then stopped as soon as he got to the shelter for the evening.
There are a lot of section hikers on the Maryland trails, likely because of their proximity to DC. The trails and shelters in this area are particularly well maintained by the local Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. He had a particularly nice shelter all to himself Friday night; it had a second story loft which was completely enclosed giving the impression of being in a cabin. He is looking forward to Virginia which holds the promise of higher mountains, better forests and bigger views. ~ Amy
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Shelter Pictures
For the followers who stay up to date with our postings, you'll have to scroll back a few entries for the shelter pictures.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Saturday Nov. 7th: Leaving Tom's Run Shelter......Still in PA
After spending the night in close quarters with 4 weekend hikers in Tom's Run Shelter, (somewhere between Pine Furnace State Park and his next mail drop, Monday, in Blue Ridge Summit, PA), Jonathan caught me up on the last week prior to shoving off for the day. The shelter dates back to the 1930's but is well maintained - has had a recent paint job and a new roof. It is, however, smaller than most. The guidebook says it sleeps 6, but Jonathan said it was quite intimate with 5 Friday night. He enjoyed the company of the weekenders, young men in their late 20's who hail from Lancaster, PA. Weekend hikers are more inclined to build and tend big campfires than thru-hikers who are frequently too tired at the end of the day to do more than fix their supper and crawl into their bags. With daylight ending earlier, it's not unusual for bedtime to be as early as 6:30 some nights. However a campfire built and tended by others can lure one to a later bedtime. Young weekend hikers tend to hike with heavy packs as they don't skimp on the luxury items when their journey is short. This group packed pillows and camp stools, plenty of snacks and the necessary supplies for mixing evening drinks. They cordially shared with Jonathan. One of the men told him that on one weekend hike, he packed a 30 pack of beer - proved to be more weight than he cared to carry so has not repeated that as his beverage of choice. Jonathan will be sheltering with them again tonight for they all have the same destination for today.
Prior to this phone call, I last left Jonathan in Duncannon on Halloween evening at which point he returned to the hotel in town for live music - folk rock covers - an enjoyable evening. At the close of the evening, one of the hotel owners gave him a lift back to his campsite which was situated along a railroad track resulting in sleep that was somewhat jarring. He began Sunday in trail angel Mary's kitchen for french toast with fellow hiker, Lion King, prior to Mary giving him a lift to the trail to slack pack the 17 mile stretch he had skipped coming into Duncannon. Mary has an older, somewhat battered, boat-like car which she has signed (on the outside) by all the hikers she has given rides to. He didn't hit the trail till early afternoon but the weather was clear and once darkness fell, a full moon made his headlamp unnecessary during all but the last treacherous mile back down the mountain. He returned to Mary's for dinner and movies; says she is awesome.
He headed back to the trail and his southbound journey Monday afternoon and sheltered that night again with fellow hiker, Lion King, whose company he enjoys. Their paths have woven in and out this past week. Tuesday evening he left the trail at Boiling Springs in order to pick up his mail drop the following morning. He stopped in what he thought was a local tavern for a beer but found it to be a rather fancy restaurant. Though neither his clothes nor his smell were compatible with the other patrons, he sat at the bar and talked to a friendly bartender and a number of very nice people who were interested in his story. Although they have a camping permissible area on the outskirts of town, it is again located along a railroad track so he chose instead to lay his sleeping bag out behind some shrubbery in a town park. Arriving as he did after dark, he could do so unnoticed. In the morning, he was able to charge up his ipod on the computer at the local AT Conservancy office and pick up his package prior to returning to the trail on Wednesday. He sheltered that night with thru hikers, Bad Idea, Swamp Cricket, both flip floppers, Old Yeller, a south bounder, and section hiker, Fat Foot. He hiked with them the following day. Swamp Cricket straps a radio to his pack so as a group, they hiked to music - whatever they could pick up. When they stopped at a shelter for lunch, the rains began so they collectively wiled away the remainder of the day and night in the shelter. He doesn't know if he will run into them again as they hike fast and with longer days than he is generally interested in. Though it's good to have company, this is not a group that he feels strongly connected to.
His goal had been to make his next mail drop before the post office closed on Saturday so he toyed with trying to cover 42 miles in a straight 26 hours but opted for a more leisurely hike and a Monday pick-up. Knowing he would need to supplement supplies, he stopped at the General Store in Pine Furnace State Park and waited around till they opened. They are soon to close for the season and currently only open for 2 hours a day. He was unsuccessful in resupplying as the shelves were virtually bare. As they get to the end of hiker season, they don't restock. It is a tradition for hikers to take the 1/2 gallon challenge (ice cream) at the General Store - if you eat it, it's free. This is a relatively small feat for a hiker. They were, however, out of ice cream too.
Weather has been mostly clear this last week with highs in the 40's and lows in the 30's, though the weekend held promise for warmer weather. He had ice in his water bottle this morning - a first since the Bigelow Mountains in Maine. The terrain remains much the same as it's been throughout Pennsylvania - relatively flat by comparison, a lot of valleys, corn and soy fields, and cattle pastures. Deer are plentiful in the meadow areas at dusk. He should be in West Virginia by Wednesday or Thursday. The states are adding up. ~ Amy
Prior to this phone call, I last left Jonathan in Duncannon on Halloween evening at which point he returned to the hotel in town for live music - folk rock covers - an enjoyable evening. At the close of the evening, one of the hotel owners gave him a lift back to his campsite which was situated along a railroad track resulting in sleep that was somewhat jarring. He began Sunday in trail angel Mary's kitchen for french toast with fellow hiker, Lion King, prior to Mary giving him a lift to the trail to slack pack the 17 mile stretch he had skipped coming into Duncannon. Mary has an older, somewhat battered, boat-like car which she has signed (on the outside) by all the hikers she has given rides to. He didn't hit the trail till early afternoon but the weather was clear and once darkness fell, a full moon made his headlamp unnecessary during all but the last treacherous mile back down the mountain. He returned to Mary's for dinner and movies; says she is awesome.
He headed back to the trail and his southbound journey Monday afternoon and sheltered that night again with fellow hiker, Lion King, whose company he enjoys. Their paths have woven in and out this past week. Tuesday evening he left the trail at Boiling Springs in order to pick up his mail drop the following morning. He stopped in what he thought was a local tavern for a beer but found it to be a rather fancy restaurant. Though neither his clothes nor his smell were compatible with the other patrons, he sat at the bar and talked to a friendly bartender and a number of very nice people who were interested in his story. Although they have a camping permissible area on the outskirts of town, it is again located along a railroad track so he chose instead to lay his sleeping bag out behind some shrubbery in a town park. Arriving as he did after dark, he could do so unnoticed. In the morning, he was able to charge up his ipod on the computer at the local AT Conservancy office and pick up his package prior to returning to the trail on Wednesday. He sheltered that night with thru hikers, Bad Idea, Swamp Cricket, both flip floppers, Old Yeller, a south bounder, and section hiker, Fat Foot. He hiked with them the following day. Swamp Cricket straps a radio to his pack so as a group, they hiked to music - whatever they could pick up. When they stopped at a shelter for lunch, the rains began so they collectively wiled away the remainder of the day and night in the shelter. He doesn't know if he will run into them again as they hike fast and with longer days than he is generally interested in. Though it's good to have company, this is not a group that he feels strongly connected to.
His goal had been to make his next mail drop before the post office closed on Saturday so he toyed with trying to cover 42 miles in a straight 26 hours but opted for a more leisurely hike and a Monday pick-up. Knowing he would need to supplement supplies, he stopped at the General Store in Pine Furnace State Park and waited around till they opened. They are soon to close for the season and currently only open for 2 hours a day. He was unsuccessful in resupplying as the shelves were virtually bare. As they get to the end of hiker season, they don't restock. It is a tradition for hikers to take the 1/2 gallon challenge (ice cream) at the General Store - if you eat it, it's free. This is a relatively small feat for a hiker. They were, however, out of ice cream too.
Weather has been mostly clear this last week with highs in the 40's and lows in the 30's, though the weekend held promise for warmer weather. He had ice in his water bottle this morning - a first since the Bigelow Mountains in Maine. The terrain remains much the same as it's been throughout Pennsylvania - relatively flat by comparison, a lot of valleys, corn and soy fields, and cattle pastures. Deer are plentiful in the meadow areas at dusk. He should be in West Virginia by Wednesday or Thursday. The states are adding up. ~ Amy
Appalachian Trail...See the Movie
This is copied from an email I received from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. If you have enjoyed following our journey, it might be pretty cool to see it through National Geographic's eyes:
Tuesday, November 10th
8 pm EST
National Geographic cable channel
Don’t miss this exciting new full length documentary America’s Wild Spaces: Appalachian Trail capturing the Appalachian Trail as only National Geographic can. In addition to breathtaking scenery along the entire Trail, you will get a chance to meet hikers, volunteers, angels, agency staff, and scientists. Celebrate with fellow ATC members Frank Wright volunteering on Springer, Laurie Potteiger greeting visitors in Harpers Ferry, and Gary Hill completing his 2008 thru-hike atop Katahdin.
The film airs this Tuesday, November 10th, at 8 PM EST on National Geographic’s cable station, again at 11 PM as well as the following Tuesday (Nov. 17th) at 4 PM EST.
"Join National Geographic on a rollercoaster ride of agonizing ascents and rewarding vistas -- all courtesy of mountains roughly 480 million years in the making. Explore this 5 million step journey through the five distinct regions of the A.T. landscape and learn what it takes to keep this ribbon of green safe, healthy, and totally wild.
Also, two new posts coming soon. Madeline is working on a post about the shelter system along the Trail and I will post an update on the past week for Jonathan. ~ Amy
Tuesday, November 10th
8 pm EST
National Geographic cable channel
Don’t miss this exciting new full length documentary America’s Wild Spaces: Appalachian Trail capturing the Appalachian Trail as only National Geographic can. In addition to breathtaking scenery along the entire Trail, you will get a chance to meet hikers, volunteers, angels, agency staff, and scientists. Celebrate with fellow ATC members Frank Wright volunteering on Springer, Laurie Potteiger greeting visitors in Harpers Ferry, and Gary Hill completing his 2008 thru-hike atop Katahdin.
The film airs this Tuesday, November 10th, at 8 PM EST on National Geographic’s cable station, again at 11 PM as well as the following Tuesday (Nov. 17th) at 4 PM EST.
"Join National Geographic on a rollercoaster ride of agonizing ascents and rewarding vistas -- all courtesy of mountains roughly 480 million years in the making. Explore this 5 million step journey through the five distinct regions of the A.T. landscape and learn what it takes to keep this ribbon of green safe, healthy, and totally wild.
Also, two new posts coming soon. Madeline is working on a post about the shelter system along the Trail and I will post an update on the past week for Jonathan. ~ Amy
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
November 4th: Boiling Springs, PA
Madeline talked to Jonathan briefly this morning but has little to tell thanks to extremely poor reception. We have but a few facts, no stories. He arrived in Boiling Springs last night and after picking up his maildrop this morning was heading back onto the trail. I believe weather's been relatively mild and dry this week as he's traveled along meadow lands and farm fields. At some point this week, he has reconnected with hiker, Lion King. Spirits seemed good; body seemed strong.
~ Amy
~ Amy
Gimme Shelter
Shelters on the trail are mostly composed of three walls, a roof, and a floor, (sometimes the floor is wooden, other times it is stone and occasionally they are dirt). Shelters can vary in what they look like; for instance there was one shelter with a digital TV antenna on the roof. I probably don't need to say this but there was no TV inside. The following shelter actually contained an air bed along with a few bunk beds and mattresses. It was very nice, but not a common find.
This is actually the shelter where I got my trail name, LaCucaracha.
We got to this place late at night; it is an old abandoned farm house. Hikers are not allowed to sleep inside, in fact, the place is boarded up. So instead, we camped out on the grass, (which is allowed).
We did not actually stay at this shelter but it's rather nice, isn't it?
Well this isn't quite a "shelter", however, it is the first motel we stayed in. I stayed on the bed all day and watched crime dramas.
This is Upper Goose Pond Lake Cabin. There was a care taker there who was in charge of maintaining the cabin for hikers. It was a little ways off the trail but it was more than worth while because we got bunk beds with mattresses and in the morning, all you can eat pancakes. Yum!!!
There is nothing very special about this shelter, however, this is the only photo I have of Dehydra, (aka Dana), who was walking a section of the Long Trail.
This shelter was decorated with potted plants.
This was an interesting shelter. It was on land that belonged to a commune. The land adjoined the trail and the commune built this shelter for hikers.
Another great thing about this shelter was the view; a ladder led up to a platform on the roof. It was an amazing view.
All of the following pictures are of Trapper John Shelter. Unfortunately, our timing didn't allow us to stay the night here, but even though it was a little far off the trail, we came here for lunch. I couldn't miss this opportunity to visit a MASH related shelter.
Madeline
This is actually the shelter where I got my trail name, LaCucaracha.
We got to this place late at night; it is an old abandoned farm house. Hikers are not allowed to sleep inside, in fact, the place is boarded up. So instead, we camped out on the grass, (which is allowed).
We did not actually stay at this shelter but it's rather nice, isn't it?
Well this isn't quite a "shelter", however, it is the first motel we stayed in. I stayed on the bed all day and watched crime dramas.
This is Upper Goose Pond Lake Cabin. There was a care taker there who was in charge of maintaining the cabin for hikers. It was a little ways off the trail but it was more than worth while because we got bunk beds with mattresses and in the morning, all you can eat pancakes. Yum!!!
There is nothing very special about this shelter, however, this is the only photo I have of Dehydra, (aka Dana), who was walking a section of the Long Trail.
This shelter was decorated with potted plants.
This was an interesting shelter. It was on land that belonged to a commune. The land adjoined the trail and the commune built this shelter for hikers.
Another great thing about this shelter was the view; a ladder led up to a platform on the roof. It was an amazing view.
All of the following pictures are of Trapper John Shelter. Unfortunately, our timing didn't allow us to stay the night here, but even though it was a little far off the trail, we came here for lunch. I couldn't miss this opportunity to visit a MASH related shelter.
Madeline
Monday, November 2, 2009
Hallowen in Duncannon, PA
Jonathan had wanted to be off the trail for Halloween but was behind on mileage due to a blister on the bottom of his foot, so he hitched 17 miles into Duncannon Saturday. It took him two rides to get there. His first ride was a woman on her way to a baby shower. Though she does not routinely pick up hitch-hikers, she does pick up trail hikers. His second ride was from two young teenage girls who were not even going in the direction of Duncannon. He saw them going the opposite direction and then turn around to come pick him up. The driver said her dad has always picked up AT hikers; she apparently felt inclined to carry on the tradition. He appreciated it.
The past week has had its share of rain, and shortage of sunshine. There was a period this week when the trail was awash with a good four inches of water. The new boots stayed dry for a few days, but eventually became water logged; the blister was inevitable. There has been a scarcity of companionship this week, though prior to the blister, he felt healthy and strong and was once again enjoying the walk. Temperatures have been mild.
The landscape continues as it has been - rocky but not too bad, small mountains, following ridgeline, ups and downs, not too steep, views limited. The forest is young, not much understory. As far as trail terrain, it's a little monotonous here. He is noticing far more birds now that fall is here but doesn't know why. The hunters are out in full force in PA as the trail runs mostly through state game lands and at the moment, it's turkey season. He is wearing an orange bandanna to warn the hunters that he is not wildlife. He finds their presence intrusive.
He found a campground about a mile outside of Duncannon for $3.50 a night, and opted for that over the other available lodging in town, The Doyle Hotel at $25. a night. Once he had staked his claim at the campground, he walked into Duncannon, had a large pizza which he shared with no one, and then spent the afternoon in the Hotel Doyle where he had computer access and the opportunity to chat with the owners of this hiker-friendly place. Evening brought him out into the town where he enjoyed watching the trick or treaters. As he was sitting on the church steps talking to me, a young trick or treater thought he had the goods and approached him for candy. He was then planning to return to the Doyle for the evening for there was live music on the agenda.
Two other hikers showed up at the Doyle who skipped the same 17 mile stretch that Jonathan had just skipped. They collectively plan to recover it on Sunday, slack packing. Jonathan looked up a local trail angel named Mary at the convenience store and has arranged transportation back to the trail for the three of them on Sunday. They will leave their packs behind in Duncannon and hike these 17 miles Sunday, returning to Duncannon Sunday evening and then back to the trail, heading south, on Monday. He's hoping to be blister-free and dry. ~ Amy
The past week has had its share of rain, and shortage of sunshine. There was a period this week when the trail was awash with a good four inches of water. The new boots stayed dry for a few days, but eventually became water logged; the blister was inevitable. There has been a scarcity of companionship this week, though prior to the blister, he felt healthy and strong and was once again enjoying the walk. Temperatures have been mild.
The landscape continues as it has been - rocky but not too bad, small mountains, following ridgeline, ups and downs, not too steep, views limited. The forest is young, not much understory. As far as trail terrain, it's a little monotonous here. He is noticing far more birds now that fall is here but doesn't know why. The hunters are out in full force in PA as the trail runs mostly through state game lands and at the moment, it's turkey season. He is wearing an orange bandanna to warn the hunters that he is not wildlife. He finds their presence intrusive.
He found a campground about a mile outside of Duncannon for $3.50 a night, and opted for that over the other available lodging in town, The Doyle Hotel at $25. a night. Once he had staked his claim at the campground, he walked into Duncannon, had a large pizza which he shared with no one, and then spent the afternoon in the Hotel Doyle where he had computer access and the opportunity to chat with the owners of this hiker-friendly place. Evening brought him out into the town where he enjoyed watching the trick or treaters. As he was sitting on the church steps talking to me, a young trick or treater thought he had the goods and approached him for candy. He was then planning to return to the Doyle for the evening for there was live music on the agenda.
Two other hikers showed up at the Doyle who skipped the same 17 mile stretch that Jonathan had just skipped. They collectively plan to recover it on Sunday, slack packing. Jonathan looked up a local trail angel named Mary at the convenience store and has arranged transportation back to the trail for the three of them on Sunday. They will leave their packs behind in Duncannon and hike these 17 miles Sunday, returning to Duncannon Sunday evening and then back to the trail, heading south, on Monday. He's hoping to be blister-free and dry. ~ Amy
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday 10/27: Tortellini and a Poptart
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.
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.
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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