Day: 75

Day mileage: 13.5

AT total mileage: 1,463.2

Time: 4.5 hours 

--

Life is about adventure and the excitement of the sometimes unplanned. As we've discussed I'm a big fan of schedules and plans, but today I let the Trail be an adventure of its own dictation. I had initially planned a 30 mile day, and was set on that number as the appropriate distance to hike. Getting an early start, I'd have easily been on track to do the mileage. Though a few left before me to attempt to make it to the post office in Kent, CT before they closed at 1300hrs, I leisurely hit the trail around 7:30, making it a quarter mile before I realized I had the wrong trekking poles and had to return to the shelter to get them exchanged with their rightful owner. Underway for the second time I descended the small ridge and crossed over the Connecticut border unceremoniously at a sign posted 15' up in a tree. Welcome to state #10. 

The morning would begin with a silly 800' up & over type climb, dropping the trail back down alongside a gorgeous wide river. Had it been a little later in the day I would have considered swimming, but at 8:45 it wasn't reasonable. I passed a few day hikers, each of whom told me I was just minutes behind 'my group' and could easily catch them. In this moment I was torn... I knew they were heading into town which would undoubtedly net a short day while I was aiming for a long one. On the flip side, spending more time with them would absolutely be awesome, so I agreed with myself to hike at an pace that was comfortable, if I came across them again I would reconsider town, and if I didn't see them I'd simply keep hiking. The trail followed along a gravel road after leaving the riverbed, then began a 1.5 mi, 1000' climb up to a ridgeline that would extend 6 miles before dropping down to the next road crossing. I began my climb up and found myself frequently taking short breaks, having already soaked my bandana through with sweat by 9:30 AM. It was supposed to be unbelievably humid, and I cringed at the thought of uncomfortable and sticky hiking. I took my sweet time beginning that climb, with no need to race myself or overexert any energy. It was a great surprise when I came across Deep Blue, Rocket Girl, Legs, Dorothy, and Finn sitting around a trail magic cooler drinking beers halfway up the climb. The cooler is left and resupplied daily by Dora The Explorer, a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker who now does local Appalachian Trail magic. I had a beer and a soda, and then continued on with the other 5 hikers I've spent the last day with. We hiked at a good pace, my iPod synced wirelessly with Rocket Girl's Bluetooth speaker allowing music to be heard by everyone. 

Hiking as a group is something I'm not used to. I'd honesty say the last time I hiked with more than one person was when Papa Doc, Keegan, Crusoe and I were together before the Smokies (mile 70-160 for those keeping track). It's quite difficult to maintain an even stride when the person in front of you doesn't maintain one either. I ended up leaving a little space between myself and Deep Blue, and our pace as a whole picked up. The ridgeline would include two very steep climbs of a few hundred feet, which exhausted almost everyone in the early summer heat. Eventually reaching the road crossing for Kent, situated 0.8 miles east, Legs, Deep Blue, and the puppy Naila got a hitch in a pick up truck. The rest of us arrived in scattered groups over the next 10 minutes and after attempting to hitch, decided it was better to cut our losses and hike into town. Kent seems to be an absolutely gorgeous place, old pastel colored Victorian style homes lining a quaint Main Street opposite small shops and boutiques. We passed an antique shop with an old sign post still standing in the driveway, which I immediately noticed was once home to a Texaco sign from the late 60s. Rocket Girl thought this was ironic and took a photo of me under it. We met up as a group at the grocery store and I bought a deli sandwich, having no need for new food as I'll see my dad this weekend. I took a half hour nap under a tree with Naila the pup while the others visited a thrift shop. We were invited to stay in the yard behind a store on Main Street, which raised a big moral debate for me. Did I want to go back to the trail and A) hike the 17 more miles I'd planned on, B) hike 7 miles to the next shelter, or C) spend some more time with this great group I've found. In the end I'm staying here in Kent for the night. The miles will always be there, the people may not be. 

We pulled out some lawn chairs and sat in the lawn for quite a while, utilizing the outdoor shower and clean towels that the store 'Country Clothes' owners Carol & David leave in a shed for hikers to use. Cleaned up and in comparatively clean clothes, Rocket Girl, Legs, Finn, and I headed to the ice cream shop across the road. We stayed there for quite a while enjoying the air conditioning and comfortable chairs. I ordered strawberry ice cream and a grilled cheese, with both disappearing far too quickly. I got to have a great talk with Rocket Girl, a blonde in her early 20s, who left a job at NASA to hike. As I've said before, the variety of people out here is amazing. We settled up our bill and headed back into the humid outdoors, taking everyone's laundry and tiptoeing to the laundromat. Per hiker word of mouth and many newspaper articles, this laundromat bans hikers due to foul language, smell, carelessness, and the occasional nudity scandal. Not everyone on the trail carries 'town clothes' to change into during laundry times, so some strip down and wash everything they've got. Luckily Legs and Rocket made friends with the owner, and were permitted to do laundry. I was simply there for moral support, and got verbally 'kicked out' a few times by the owner, though she never did anything about it. As we were leaving and she noticed my presence, she yelled out 'didn't I kick you out a few times already?!' After the laundry was finished we went back to the yard and cooked dinner as a group, fighting the surge in mosquitoes. 

We talked for a few more hours, watching the stars emerge and the occasional satellite fly by above (Rocket was quick to point these out). Instead of cowboy camping, we fit 5 of us inside the shed due to the threat of violent lightning storms overnight. Deep Blue set up his hammock. In the morning I'll carry on, getting back into the swing of the mileage I'm used to. For the first time in a long time I exchanged phone numbers with most of the group, and will look forward to keeping in touch with them as time goes by. Hopefully the rain will bring down the temperatures, though tomorrow is supposed to be equally as hot and humid. I'm not sure how that will impair my hiking, but I'll have to be extra cautious to up my water intake. 

In the end I'll remember these two days fondly. It's amazing how much you can connect with people having known them for such a short time. I wonder how much influence the trail has on this, stripping us down to sweaty and grimy hikers all out here challenging ourselves in a way many will never understand the extent of. There's no time or care for bullshit or fake fronts, you are only who you truly are. I'll miss that part of this when all is said and done. 

Onwards & upwards with the suppressive humidity. 

Tex

Day: 74

Day mileage: 26.5

AT total mileage: 1,450.5

Time: 9.5 hours

--

I survived my night in the creepy field beside the boarded up house. The moon cast some interesting shadows, and the whole scenario was pretty much cut and paste Blair Witch Project.  After yesterday's hike length, I decided sleeping in wasn't a bad thing. Getting out of my tent at 7 AM, I was on the trail at 7:30 with a mile and a half downhill to the RPH Shelter. I pumped water from a well, and reading the 'bacteria positive' sign next to it, added two iodine tablets to my water bottle to neutralize any threats. The trip down the mountain happened quickly, and before I knew it, I was at the shelter, suddenly aware of the two dozen hikers who had occupied the place the night before. This was the beginning of my most social day in at least a month's time, and I had an absolute blast.

The RPH shelter I arrived at is a strange one. Nestled into a small neighborhood, it's actually more of a cabin or caretaker's house without a proper front door. Greeted by the many hikers sitting around between two picnic tables, my eyes gravitated towards a 6' folding table with a green Coleman grill set up. This is when a previously attempted thru-hiker named Grr Introduced himself to me and offered a hot breakfast of bacon, cheesy eggs, and a bagel. Not one to pass up free food, I of course said yes and he began cooking for me. He had coolers of drinks set out as well along with a large Tupperware of miscellaneous things hikers may need. He noticed the yellow iodine hue of my water and gave me bottles of spring water to replace it. Luckily I never had to sip the horrid taste of iodine. I sat down at the picnic tables with the many hikers and introduced myself. A few of them knew my name from the log books, and many were taken aback to hear my April 4th start days. Most in this group began their hikes at the end of February/beginning of March. I conversed with them for quite a while, meeting Legs, Deep Blue, Finn, Santa, Kamikaze, Handsome Dan, Rocket Girl, and a few more. Most of these people would be recurring characters in the narration of my day. After eating my breakfast and enjoying a delicious red apple I snapped a photo with Grr, signed his guest log book, and headed for the trail. A quarter mile or so up the next ridge climb I ran into Deep Blue again, and he and I hiked together for nearly two hours. An early 20s guy from Charleston, SC, he's a down to earth history major who was also sporting a Red Sox hat. We spoke for a long time about the trail, school, work, cameras, and military ships of all things. I eventually stopped for water (Deep Blue has a camelback water system with a hose so he doesn't have to stop to drink) and I told him I'd see him further down the trail. 

It was about this time that the jingle of a bell caught my attention, and a gorgeous and playful shepherd mix puppy came running by with a backpack/harness strapped on. For the next half hour or so the pup would run down the trail past me then turn around and run back from where she came. Eventually Legs (said puppy's owner) made her way up behind me and introduced herself. We would end up hiking together until the early afternoon as her dog Naila ran back and forth ahead of us. A psychology major in her mid 20s from North Carolina, she quit her job to hike the trail. We talked for a long time about the trail and work, and what kind of future endeavors could come from post-hike life. Around 11 we crossed over a bridge (spanning I-84) and met up with Deep Blue and Handsome Dan who were talking with a local Trail Angel doing magic. A photo was taken as Blue, Dan, and myself each had identical Red Sox hats on. Red Sox Nation is strong on the trail. Hanging out for half an hour or so I pressed on into the woods, with the intention of meeting my family (same group from Rhode Island) at one of the next big road crossings early in the afternoon. With 5.5 miles to go and a bit of time to get there, I held a somewhat leisurely pace. Before long the jingle of Naila's bell in her collar caught my attention, and Legs was back to hiking behind me. Conversation continued for another hour or two until we reached where I believed my grandparents were planning to meet me. They had informed me of a cooler they were leaving with Gatorade and McDonald's, among other snacks, as trail magic. Not seeing it immediately, I told Legs I'd bring her a burger later in the day. A few minutes later looking at maps I saw a side trail to a parking lot where it would have made sense for my family to drop food, and Legs and I discovered two bright trail magic coolers on the side of a 0.1 mile access trail to the A.T.. Chowing down on a few cheeseburgers and cold Gatorade, my aunts arrived closely followed by my grandparents. Legs joked with me that it was very soon to be meeting my family, having known each other for only a few hours. A few more thru-hikers made their way up to the Magic as my family conversed with them all, getting confirmation of my stories telling them that frosted pop-tarts and honey buns are staples of a hiker diet. We all spent about an hour together before parting ways, hugging everyone goodbye and thanking them for coming to visit me. My aunt Barb also saved the day by finding the correct Platypus bladder to get my water filtration system back in business, an unbelievably helpful act on her part. I left a note at the Appalachian Trail turnoff marking the trail magic coolers just off the side trail, so hopefully other hikers will finish it off. There were a few Pop-Tarts, water, oranges, and granola bars left. 

A mile from where my family met us, the trail passed by Nuclear Lake. The unusual name comes from the shoreline being home to a plutonium research facility a half-century ago, until an explosion occurred in 1972 and the facility was shut down and dismantled. The area and water were tested and deemed safe before the Appalachian Trail was routed past, and the lake is a popular swimming destination for many locals. Lots of the hikers in today's group stopped to go swimming as we hiked by, but with 13 miles left to go I pressed on. This was the only time in my day where I hiked alone. For two hours I was between two groups of hikers, and enjoyed a bit of solitude, although somewhat missing the excitement of conversation my morning had contained. Climbing up and over another mountain ridge, the trail dropped down crossing West Dover Road where the largest tree on the Appalachian Trail lives. The 'Dover Oak' is approximately 300 years old and with a diameter of almost 7 feet, is quite the sight to see. The trail then carried on up and into some pastures and rolling hills before passing by a train station and garden center where hikers are welcome to use an outdoor shower and spigot for water. During business hours they also sell ice cream and the like, but arriving at 1710hrs they had just closed. At this point I had caught up with the incredibly fast paced hiker Finn, while Legs and Naila were sitting in the parking lot of the store charging her phone and eating an ice cream. We hung out there for a while as a group before I moved on, well aware of the 6 miles left to go before the intended shelter. Moving out at 1800hrs I had two and a half hours of daylight left to complete a 700' climb and 5 miles of ridge walking before a short descent to the shelter. 

After making the traverse through some more pastures and over a few fence stiles (have I mentioned how much I hate fence stiles?) I began my climb up the ridge. Not long after reaching the top I ran into a barefoot hiker named Risky, who I'd end up spending the rest of the night hiking with. A 21 year old from Manhattan, he is section hiking the Appalachian Trail north, then will flip and head south. We had many things to talk about, as he also used to sail, and actually got a full college scholarship to Washington University on the east coast for small boat racing. He explained that by hiking the last few miles of every day barefoot, his feet relax and stretch a bit as a cool down method. I think he's crazy, and would quickly stub every toe on my feet if I ever tried this, but sure enough he maintained a good pace despite the lack of footwear. We arrived at the Wiley shelter at 1955hrs, and met an older gentlemen section hiking. With room for 6 in the shelter and rumors of overnight rain, I gladly set up my gear inside of it before beginning the process of cooking dinner. Before long Legs, the pup, and Finn had also arrived, with Santa and Kamikaze showing up shortly after. We ate dinner as a group around a picnic table and a fire in the fire pit, joking and having a great time talking. Having not had a group like this in quite a while (read: hundreds of miles. Literally, hundreds...) it was quite the welcome experience. It almost made me wonder if I would slow down and match their mileage and pace just to spend some more time with them.

Getting into bed around 2200hrs, 'hiker etiquette' was somewhat dismissed as we stayed up talking in the dark for a while. Tomorrow morning, a mere 1.5 miles into my hike, I'll cross into Connecticut. I've got a long day of almost 30 miles planned, but might shorten that to stay with this group. The debate of this is quite frustrating. Regardless, I shall hike into my 10th state of the Appalachian Trail, a fact which is pretty cool in and of itself. 

Having some social time on the trail made today an amazing one. New people to talk to, a group to have dinner with, and the whole vibe of community that was so present up until the last time I saw Soleil and JPEG at the Partnership shelter in Virginia. It really makes for a totally different hike when you can share it with awesome people. I'll go to bed torn over this issue, but reminiscing a great day on the Appalachian Trail seeing my amazingly supportive family and making a ton of new friends. 

Onward and upward with the sun.

Texaco

Day: 73

Day mileage: 38

AT total mileage: 1,424

Time: 13.5 hours

--

A few weeks ago I decided that I'd stop making a schedule for my hike. I'll typically draw out a week or so at a time and pick the shelters or camp sites  I want to end each day at, so that I know going into it where I'll be on what day. While I was in Rhode Island, I got a bit carried away with this planning and drew out a schedule through the 30th of June. I blame my scheduling on my career, as in the live events industry we really do love schedules. Having a crisp piece of paper with a newly revised schedule instills a sense of security (that being said, the famous 'f**k it, we'll do it live' quote is a common occurrence as well). Anyway, my grand plan had me at mile 1,424 for the evening of the 15th. Based on my schedule that would be a 35 mile day, not unattainable but certainly a long one. The issue arose when I ended 3 miles shy of my scheduled stopping point yesterday. Not only would today then include the original 35 miles, but an additional 3 to make up the difference. Hence a 38 mile day... But hey, I'm back on schedule. 

Sleeping with no rain fly on the rock was a perfectly fine decision. The Super Moon was present as promised, and throughout the night lingered much lower on the horizon than I seem to recall the moon typically doing. I woke up at 5, and at a leisurely pace packed up camp, having to wipe some condensation off the tent. I was on the trail at 6:45, debating my sanity and my plan for the day ahead. My legs felt much better, and before long I was 3 miles ahead at the shelter I'd intended to stay at. I'm thankful I didn't, as the place was packed with weekenders in their monstrous tents. I stopped to fill up my water bottles, and while filtering the stream water, my Platypus bladder exploded. For those keeping track, this is the second time this has happened. The first time it developed a slow leak, but this second bladder that I found on the trail actually exploded, soaking my feet with two liters of water. I was not pleased. My aunts who drove me to 17A yesterday are going to work on finding me a replacement, as I'll be seeing them tomorrow afternoon. Until then, it made my water sourcing for the day quite challenging. I hiked on, climbing up and over a few separate rocky ridges before dropping down New York's Palisades Parkway to a sign indicating only 34 miles to NYC. Climbing out of that gap I made my way up to the summit of Bear Mountain, a notable trek for weekenders with a full parking lot and observation deck overlooking the Hudson River, and with hazy views of the Manhattan skyline in the distance. The most important part of this summit for me was the vending machine of Gatorade. Despite horrible pricing inflation ($2.50 per 20oz bottle) I bought three to try and make up for any potential dehydration I might have had due to a lack of water intake thus far in the morning. I spoke with a few weekend cyclists, and began my descent down to the Hudson. The climb down was rather pedestrian, with beautiful stone staircases built by the local Appalachian club for the weekend hikers to climb up from the campground /state park below. Shortly before reaching the bottom of the mountain I was overwhelmed with the smell of hot charcoals, hamburgers, and hot dogs wafting from hundreds of occupied grills around the lake at Bear Mountain's recreation area where immeasurable amounts of families were gathered around picnic tables for a Sunday in the park. 

It's rather funny that to these people, I look homeless. I can only imagine the thoughts that went along with the stares I received as I walked through the park, practically drooling over their hot food and mentally begging to be invited to share some. I stopped at the food pavilion and asked one of the employees if they had a tap they could fill my water bottle with, explaining my situation and the lack of clean water on the trail. They said no. Great! So I found the bathrooms and forced myself to drink 3 liters of water (something we call 'camel up' on the trail) and ate a quick lunch before carrying on. The trail passed through more of the recreation area and picnic tables before passing under Route 9 and into the Trailside Zoo. In a million years I never would have guessed that the Appalachian Trail actually takes hikers through the middle of a zoo. Here I am, 1,399.6 miles into a thru-hike, and I'm staring at a black bear... in a cage... Which is ironically also the lowest elevation point on the entire trail at 160' above sea level. Exiting the zoo I began my trek across the famous Bear Mountain Bridge, a steel cable bridge spanning the Hudson River. It's about halfway across this bridge that the 1,400 mile mark resides for northbound hikers. I celebrated with myself for a moment, and hiked on. The climb out of the riverbed was steep, and was busy with make weekenders. One guy stopped me and after asking if I was thru-hiking, gave me a bag of peanut M&Ms saying he'd been carrying them all day without running into a thru-hiker. I didn't catch his name, but thank you again! 

The afternoon mileage flew by. I did my best to maintain a 3 mph pace as I still had 20 miles to go. I stopped at a place called the Appalachian Market, a grill & deli inside a Shell convenience store. Purchasing 2 Gatorades, a coke, and a cheeseburger, I upped my fluid intake and got some calories in me to fuel my afternoon. I pressed on, covering as many miles as possible per hour. Around 1700hrs I came across a pump house alongside a road with a spigot marked 'potable water' so I again drank three liters before filling my bottles and carrying on. I'll be happy to have a filtration system again. Around 1900hrs I passed within a mile or two of Fahnestock state park, carrying on alongside a gorgeous lake visible from the ridge above. The sun set around 2030hrs, and I donned my headlamp to fill out the dark sections of forest as dusk settled over the sky. From the highest point of the last miles there were gorgeous sunset views, and a painted 9/11 memorial flag on the rocks atop the mountain. True to modern annoyances, next to the flag was a giant 'KELLY- PROM?' spray painted. This is the 10th time I've seen this along the trail. 

The campsite I aimed for and arrived at is called the Shenandoah Campsite. It's an abandoned & boarded up old house with a large field for a yard where tenting is allowed. There's also a spigot for water, which is a huge plus in my book. There was a shelter 1.1 miles further along, but I had no intentions of descending a steep and rocky mountain in the dark. I set up my tent in this rather eerie lot, and will get as much sleep as possible tonight to rest my aches. Tomorrow I'll be meeting the same family members I saw in Rhode Island, and will have a leisurely 25 mile day. Connecticut will come first things Tuesday morning. 

Anyway, I'm off to bed. Onward and upward with the sun. 

Texaco

Day: 72

Day mileage: 19

AT total mileage: 1,387

Time: 7 hours

--

Waking up to no rain or fog was a very welcome surprise. The storm system that had kept the trail grey and wet for a week has moved on, hopefully being kind enough to leave me with some clear skies and sunshine for a while. Taking my last hot shower for a few days, I routinely packed up my gear and got my bag ready. Assisting in packing up the cars and tidying up the vacation house, I then sat down and devoured an entire box of cereal and half gallon of milk before hitting the road. My aunts Barb and Betsy had volunteered to drive me back to the same parking lot on 17A where I had been picked up Wednesday afternoon by my cousin. Hugging everyone goodbye, we piled into their fully loaded Prius and began the three hour drive back to the Trail. My request had simply been to be back hiking by 1300hrs, as I wanted to still make some kind of decent mileage for the day. We were on the highway by 9:30, with a three hour trek in front of us.  With a little traffic and an otherwise smooth ride, we arrived in Tuxedo, NY at 12:30. Stopping to pick up some kind of lunch (ultimately a steak and cheese sub) from a small town diner, we were at the trail head around 12:45. I hugged them both and thanked them for the generosity of driving out of their way to get me back here, parting ways as I hiked off into the woods and they got back in their car to head home. 

The first few miles were attainable at 3 mph. The terrain was flat with few rocks, and despite some pains in my legs (I figure due to not using them for two days) I made good time. Passing by the Wildcat shelter, the trail climbed up over some rocky sections before dropping down to a road crossing. Per usual it then climbed back up to another ridge line, a tradition that would be repeated a few times throughout the day. On the first climb out the terrain changed and my speed slowed. Instead of an occasionally rocky trail it became more hand-over-hand climbing up rocky walls. With trekking poles stowed I made these tricky ascents, reaching the top of an incline before dropping back down into the valley below to cross a road and do the entire process again. It was on one of these rocky climbs that my heart nearly stopped... I reached up with my hand to grab onto a rock in order to hoist myself up a few feet, when the rock I reached for had an angry head protrude from it... yet again confronting a snapping turtle in the middle of nowhere. Loudly saying a few colorful words, I made the climb up and around without touching the turtle, snapped a photo, and carried on. I really do love the little things like that which keep me on my toes. Descending into the next valley I crossed a footbridge over New York's Interstate 87, then entering a state park area where many weekenders had left cars in a dirt lot. Per the sign they had posted, it was 9.3 miles from that point to the shelter I was aiming for. 

I ran into many day hikers and a few weekenders, one of whom had attempted a thru in 2012 before tearing his ACL. He had some input about the next section of trail, which I listened to before pressing on. Passing by the massively expansive Island Pond, the trail then entered into what's nicknamed the Lemon Squeezer. A very tight section of trail passing between, under, and over many glacial boulders- some 30' tall- it certainly 'squeezed' me. I had to hand carry my dSLR and water bottles in order to fit through the crevices. I arrived at the Fingerboard shelter at 1930hrs to find it packed with weekenders tenting around the vicinity. I ran into Lead Dog and Slim Jim who were surprised to have gotten ahead of me, but happy to hear I spent extra time with my family. At this point I was only 16 miles into my day, so I said goodbye and hiked on. My goal had been to reach the William Brien shelter, a 22 mile day from my starting point, but at 2030hrs I decided I didn't want to hike for an hour in the dark on these rocks. I found a flat top rock face and set up my tent, ending at a 19 mile day. In the end I suppose it isn't too bad of mileage considering I didn't start until an hour after noon. 

The skies are clear and the wind is breezy, I left the rain cover off my tent in hopes of seeing the Super Moon overnight. Tomorrow I'll continue on, passing over Bear Mountain Bridge and the Hudson River. Weather looks to be playing nice so I might try and push for some good mileage. 

I'm missing my family already. 

Texaco 

Day: 71

Day mileage: 0

AT total mileage: 1,368

Time: 0

--

Taking a second day off was never in my plans. In fact many hikers who knew I was surprising my family by getting off the trail asked me if I thought I'd actually go back to hiking. I think that many would struggle with returning to the trail after having had a few days off, time with family, or incessantly hot showers. I don't blame them. Three months ago while in Orlando, my grandparents asked me if I'd be coming to Rhode Island for this vacation. At the time I had told them no, and explained that if I was 'still hiking' (aka not knowing if I'd have quit by that point) I wouldn't be mentally or emotionally capable of taking a week of vacation and then returning to the trail. Even with only taking two days off, I don't think I'd have been wrong. There is certainly a struggle of being somewhere dry in the rain, a 'port in the storm' if you will, that diminishes one's desire to leave civilization and go back out into the woods. Can you blame me?

Despite not being on the trail, I woke up at 5 AM, as if I'd need to still pack up my sleeping bag and hit the trail. Instead I wandered out to the living room and snuggled into the couch, listening to the waves angrily crash against the shore as immeasurable amounts of rain fell from the sky. Visibility on the beach was no more than ten feet as a thick fog blanketed the shoreline. Within a few minutes of rhythmic sounds from the ocean, I was fast asleep again. This kind of leisurely morning was just what I needed. I woke up again around 9 to the smell of bacon and eggs being cooked on the stove, and the quiet morning noises of family moving about the house. The day would be spent relaxing indoors as the weather worked away at its issues outside. I've never been so glad to not be hiking. My mom and I got to spend some time together, shopping for small resupply items at the local Walmart. I napped mid-afternoon, and the hours flew by until we ate a hodgepodge dinner just before dark, in a successful attempt to clear out leftover food before the rental of the house would end on Saturday morning. I took some time to answer many blog e-mails before I retired to bed. A quick conversation via text with Jellybean informed me that he and Pneumo met up again on the trail and were 43 miles north of where I got off. It would take some serious hiking to overcome that mileage spread, and I'm frankly not sure I've got the interest in working myself that hard. I drew a schedule out for the next few weeks of hiking. I've tried to stop scheduling my days, but it's a force of habit. I like knowing when I'll be where, and there are a lot of people who have been interested in knowing that information for the next few states. As of now it looks like I'll be entering The Whites (New Hampshire's White Mountains) on June 30th, at which point I'll have only 380 or so miles left to hike. 

On Saturday morning my aunts will drive me back to New York's 17A where the Appalachian Trail crosses the road. I'll begin hiking there, hopefully by 1300hrs, and will do my best to squeeze a 22 mile hike into what's left of the day. This will obviously be dictated by terrain, but I am hoping for some cooperation as I've got a plan in my head and would like to stick with it. I'm glad I took the two days off. I'm glad I got to spend this time with my family. There are few times in life where there is no real set schedule, so I think it was absolutely the right thing to do by coming here and spending an extra day. The trail will still be there when I get back tomorrow, and I'll be ready to hike it. Katahdin will be here soon enough, one foot in front of the other, one mile at a time. 

Until tomorrow,

Texaco

Day: 70

Day mileage: 0

AT total mileage: 1,368

Time: 0

--

The Appalachian Trail is about adventure, self discovery, and pushing yourself to achieve great personal goals. Such things, despite what many may think, are not attainable alone. They require a support system built on family, friends, and sometimes even complete strangers in order to keep moral up and motivation strong. In the 70 days I've spent on the trail, my family is what I've missed most. More than driving, more than work, more than sleeping in, more than hot showers, and more than food that doesn't required adding boiling water. 

On Wednesday afternoon at 1630hrs as I crossed over New York 17A, my amazing cousin Callie picked me up in her Subaru and drove me back to her house in Poughkeepsie, NY. For a month we had been planning this, a gigantic secret where she would retrieve me from the trail and we would drive to the rental house my grandparents and close family were staying at for the week in Rhode Island. As you may remember, a 60th wedding anniversary was coming up, so Callie and I decided that June 12th, the day of their anniversary, was the day to arrive. They would know she was coming, but nobody - not even my parents - would know I would be there as well. Callie took me to buy some clothes on Wednesday night (driving the hour home with the windows down, as I smelled quite bad apparently) and after I took a long shower, we headed out to get dinner and see a movie. How strange it felt to wear cotton, drink cold beer, and go to the movie theater... Arriving back at her house I inflated my air mattress and pulled out my sleeping bag on the living room floor despite the offer for a bed. At 0800 Thursday morning we planned to depart for Rhode Island. 

Waking up early, I took another shower and watched some TV before having some cereal and packing my gear up. Despite my wanting to 'save' my first time driving for behind the wheel of my Audi, Callie asked me to drive her car to RI so she could sleep more. Luckily it wasn't a total bust, as the Subaru is a 5 speed. Off we went with a 2 hour drive ahead of us, grey clouds in the sky, and occasional rain falling. My driving was a bit more cautious than normal, as I'm used to a much slower pace of life in the woods. I consistently left a fair amount of space between myself and the car in front of me, and throughout the drive would apply cruise control so I could bend my knees up and stretch my legs. They're not used to being stationary for so long. We arrived at the beach house around 10:45 and debated how to 'surprise' people with my being there. In the end we decided to just walk in, and actually had the fun of surprising three separate rounds of people as some were out shopping when we arrived.

Round 1: My dad, and two of my aunts. All greeted Callie who came up the stairs first, then looked at me and glanced away before their eyes darted back in disbelief and some choice words were said. Tears were present all the way around. 

To surprise the next group, I decided I'd wait in the bathroom then come out nonchalantly once they were settled. The next people to come back to the house were my aunt and my mom. 

Round 2: Waiting in the bathroom for a minute or two, I walked out to my mom who was standing with her back to me. Approaching from behind I put my hands on her shoulders, and when she said 'hi' (expecting it to be my dad) I said hi back, at which point she tensed up and quietly said 'no....' Turning around with already bloodshot eyes and tears pouring out. This was the reaction I was most excited about. 

With my grandparents approaching the house after going for a walk around the beachfront neighborhood together, I retook my hiding place in the bathroom and waited for them to come up. After greeting Callie and carrying on normal conversation, I approached them. They were thrilled, and there is of course a video that does much better justice to the scene than my writing, which I can't seem to post. There's a photo that might do a decent job.

We took a family photo on the beach, and spent the windy and overcast afternoon in the house talking over lunch. Some worked on a puzzle (a staple in our family vacations) while others read or played on iDevices from across Apple's product line. There was a moment while getting lunch ready that the influence of the Trail really hit me. Through no fault of their own, as I was choosing what to eat, many people were speaking towards me at the same time. Combined with being in a house I'm unfamiliar with and trying to get my bearings, I became exceptionally overwhelmed quite quickly. The commotion really got to me in a way I wouldn't have expected. Everything settled down, but it was still eye opening for me to see a first hand effect of being on the trail for all this time in quieter more isolated living situations. Though many don't see how there would be a 'readjustment' period after completing an Appalachian Trail thru-hike, this was my first realization that I may really need some time to adjust afterwords. 

I took a long nap, exhausted after walking 800 miles in 30 days to meet Callie in order to be here for the day, and awoke to a quiet house with everyone doing their own thing. We had dinner reservations to celebrate my grandparents anniversary, and I dressed in my new khaki shorts and blue t-shirt that our quick stop at the Poughkeepsie Target store had provided me with. Seriously, don't take wearing cotton for granted. After two months of nothing but polyester, it's practically like wearing kashmir (Seinfeld reference anyone?). Dinner was wonderfully entertaining as we heard stories about my grandparent's early stages of their dating years. We took a family photograph before heading back to the rental house for ice cream and cake. 

I spent the night in my sleeping bag, on a bed, with a window open and the sound of the waves crashing up on the shore. Rain is forecasted for the next day, and per the weather maps, the area of the Trail I was in are forecasted for flood-rains. Despite losing another day on the trail, I'll be spending the day in Rhode Island on Friday as well. I think I've hiked enough to earn another day off, out of the rain, and with a family I love. The Trail will still be there Saturday when I return, and the weather is calling for sunny skies and warm temperatures. I think that will be a much better situation to begin hiking again in. 

Onward and upward, but not for another day. 

Texaco