So far I have enjoyed NJ. Yes, it has rocks, but not to the same extent as PA. I may be biased though for a couple of reasons. One, I grew up in NJ and have the classic NJ chip on my shoulder. I love my state and have definitely been looking past it's rocky flaws. The other reason is that so far in NJ, my girlfriend, Sarah, as well as my mom and two sisters have come out and backpacked with me.
Sarah and I knocked out almost 20 miles in our day and a half together. Our first night, we camped atop Mt. Kittatiny and caught an amazing sunset. I also ruined poor Sarah's Mac and cheese dinner with wayyyy too much butter flavoring, but she found it in her heart to forgive me.
On our second day we hiked past rattlesnake swamp and surprise- we saw a rattlesnake. A pretty big one too. Prob 4-5 ft i would estimate. Earlier in the day Sarah had read up on her venomous snakes in the lodge of the Mohican Outdoor Center and she suggested I walk first. As we were strolling down the trail I came about 2 steps from stepping on the fat rattler as he (or she) sunned in the middle of the trail. I instantly jumped back as I realized what was ahead of me and immediately the serpent coiled up in a strike position and shook the big rattle on his tail. He wanted space and we gave it to him. Sarah remembered that we needed to give the snake at least 5 feet of space at all times an we did just that. After a couple minutes the snake slithered off to the west side of the trail, but only about 4-5 feet in. We tried to sneak past and as we did, he rang that rattle loud at us again. So our sneak changed to a run and we were safe from any need for anti-venom.
After our snake encounter we met up with my parents and sisters (Lisa and Amy) and got a bite to eat. Sarah would be going back to NYC and my sisters and mom would continue hiking with me.
The four of us set out around 6pm and I figured we had about 1-2 hrs of hiking before setting up camp. Sure enough, as soon as we walked into the woods, there read a sign- no camping for the next 3.5 miles. This made me a little nervous as I did not know the terrain ahead and 3.5 miles could very well take us past dark- a problem since I was the only one with a headlamp.
We walked the trail and even had to do some light rock climbing at points. Once on a cliff, I noticed a storm off to the west. The combination of an approaching storm and darkness had me in full campsite search mode. Fortunately we found one not too long after and literally just as we had camp setup, the rain began to fall. Talk about good timing!
The four of us crammed into my two person tent and played rummy while the cool rain made pitter patters on the fly (tarp) surrounding us.
The next day we all hiked in some intense heat, but everyone performed quite admirably. I tried giving out trail names but no one really liked theirs. Go figure, my mom didn't want to be called Gandolf.
All in all, had a great time with my backpacking visitors for the weekend and welcome the chance to hike with any other friends who would like to give this crazy trail a try.
-mojo
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
See ya, PA
I was planning on writing an open breakup letter to the Pennsylvania portion of the AT, letting it know how I really felt about it. My overall experience on the trail in this state has been marked by rocks, blisters, excessive heat waves, more rocks, dried water sources, more rocks, and some of my lowest days on the trail so far. I cursed this state and it's trail on more than one occasion, vowing to never again return to the area where I can only imagine the battle between heaven and hell took place and a rocky wasteland was left in it's wake. I was going to passionately proclaim all of this, but that sort of negativity does no good.
Let's be honest. Pennsylvania has been the hardest state FOR ME so far. Terrain-wise, it is fairly flat. Because of this, I attempted to hike big miles (and I did - in a 24 hr period I covered 34 miles once) and that could have led to some of the pain I would feel. But the rocks. Oh the rocks. They were never-ending. There were large boulders. There were small boulders. There were large trail rocks. There were small jagged rocks. There were slippery rocks. There were rough, shoe chewing rocks. You get the picture. Lots of rocks. Every single day, all day, for over 200 miles.
About two days ago and after what seemed like the 100th rock I kicked while in stride, I felt defeated. I couldn't take it. My feet were horribly blistered for the first time on the trail and each step I took shot alternating numb and sharp pain through my body. I didn't want to go any further. I hated the trail, PA, rocks, the squirrels, trees, etc. I was not in a good place.
I wanted to complain and feel sorry for myself. Woe is me. This is too hard. Wah wah wah was all I was hearing and I was getting sick of it. This trail is hard for a reason. Less than 10% completion rate happens for a reason. "Only the strong survive." I came to the realization that there were two very simple choices ahead of me. Allow the trail to beat me or put your head down, walk, and beat the trail. I chose the latter.
I walked into Delaware Water Gap yesterday in the late afternoon, which is the border of PA and NJ. As a fitting send off, I slipped on a rock going downhill about a mile before town and fell on my back. But wouldn't ya know it, as I walked to the church hostel I was going to stay at, hungry, tired, and sore, I was informed of the Thursday night pot luck dinners at the church where hikers were encouraged to join. A pot luck dinner at the end of a really tough stretch seemed as good of a reward as any in my opinion. Perhaps it was coincidence or plain luck, but I think it was the PA trail cosmos giving me a symbolic pat on the back for not giving up.
I don't know if I will return to hike this portion of the trail again, but I will always remember what this trail has put me through and what I can do when faced with obstacles that seem too large to cross. See ya, PA. Onto New Jersey!
-mojo
Let's be honest. Pennsylvania has been the hardest state FOR ME so far. Terrain-wise, it is fairly flat. Because of this, I attempted to hike big miles (and I did - in a 24 hr period I covered 34 miles once) and that could have led to some of the pain I would feel. But the rocks. Oh the rocks. They were never-ending. There were large boulders. There were small boulders. There were large trail rocks. There were small jagged rocks. There were slippery rocks. There were rough, shoe chewing rocks. You get the picture. Lots of rocks. Every single day, all day, for over 200 miles.
About two days ago and after what seemed like the 100th rock I kicked while in stride, I felt defeated. I couldn't take it. My feet were horribly blistered for the first time on the trail and each step I took shot alternating numb and sharp pain through my body. I didn't want to go any further. I hated the trail, PA, rocks, the squirrels, trees, etc. I was not in a good place.
I wanted to complain and feel sorry for myself. Woe is me. This is too hard. Wah wah wah was all I was hearing and I was getting sick of it. This trail is hard for a reason. Less than 10% completion rate happens for a reason. "Only the strong survive." I came to the realization that there were two very simple choices ahead of me. Allow the trail to beat me or put your head down, walk, and beat the trail. I chose the latter.
I walked into Delaware Water Gap yesterday in the late afternoon, which is the border of PA and NJ. As a fitting send off, I slipped on a rock going downhill about a mile before town and fell on my back. But wouldn't ya know it, as I walked to the church hostel I was going to stay at, hungry, tired, and sore, I was informed of the Thursday night pot luck dinners at the church where hikers were encouraged to join. A pot luck dinner at the end of a really tough stretch seemed as good of a reward as any in my opinion. Perhaps it was coincidence or plain luck, but I think it was the PA trail cosmos giving me a symbolic pat on the back for not giving up.
I don't know if I will return to hike this portion of the trail again, but I will always remember what this trail has put me through and what I can do when faced with obstacles that seem too large to cross. See ya, PA. Onto New Jersey!
-mojo
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Friends on the trail
A whole lot of friends hybrid and I have made along this trail, like us, have their own trail blogs. If you have time, check em out and see how some of our hiking buddies are faring:
Wren:
http://citywren.blogspot.com/
Sage:
www.trailjournals.com/sage
Terminator and Bo Knows:
www.hikeforcam.org
Grasshopper:
www.at-grasshopper.blogspot.com
Next:
www.jhmcknight.blogspot.com
Wren:
http://citywren.blogspot.com/
Sage:
www.trailjournals.com/sage
Terminator and Bo Knows:
www.hikeforcam.org
Grasshopper:
www.at-grasshopper.blogspot.com
Next:
www.jhmcknight.blogspot.com
Rolla Coasta
Good morning from West Virginia! About to finish off the "roller coaster". It has been an enjoyable series of up, down, up, down, up, ad infinitum...
enjoyed a relaxed stay at bears den inn where I enjoyed a shower, laundry, meals, and a pint of Ben and jerrys ice cream.
Looking forward to a lot!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
enjoyed a relaxed stay at bears den inn where I enjoyed a shower, laundry, meals, and a pint of Ben and jerrys ice cream.
Looking forward to a lot!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Still kickin
Hi! It's been a while but I am still on the trail and kickin. I hiked through the shenandoah national park in six days and emerged in yet another forest in Virginia. The temperature lately has been oppressively hot but today should be nice and cool (only in the upper 80s/lower 90s...)
I am at the very end of the thru-hiking pack and although I miss my friends it is also nice to experience this shift.
I will arrive in Harpers Ferry soon to celebrate the half-way (technically a few miles shy of the "real" half way) and from there I have decided to aero-blaze up north to meet up with Mojo.
This creek here is running clear and cold so it's time to refill my water supply and push up the next ascent, then down it, up another, down, up, down, up, down, and then up again to hit my 19 miles for the day.
Take Care!
Hybrid
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I am at the very end of the thru-hiking pack and although I miss my friends it is also nice to experience this shift.
I will arrive in Harpers Ferry soon to celebrate the half-way (technically a few miles shy of the "real" half way) and from there I have decided to aero-blaze up north to meet up with Mojo.
This creek here is running clear and cold so it's time to refill my water supply and push up the next ascent, then down it, up another, down, up, down, up, down, and then up again to hit my 19 miles for the day.
Take Care!
Hybrid
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Near a creek
Thursday, July 21, 2011
The official half way, the half gallon challenge, an other assorted happenings
Ive been hiking in Pennsylvania for the past few days and have been enjoying the terrain thus far. PA is notoriously known on the trail as the "rocky stretch" and "where good sneakers go to die" as the rocky landscape and boulder fields make for tough traversing. So far it hasn't been too bad, but I hear the stretch coming up is supposed to be pretty rough. Here is a shot of a rock maze I hiked through the other day:
I passed the official half way point the other day.
Felt quite good to get by that marker. A hiker named Grasshopper equated this second portion of the trail to the second half of a football game. You've seen what your up against, you make your adjustments, now go and finish it out. I'm very much looking forward to the next 1090 miles.
Soon after the halfway point, hikers come upon a little place called Pine grove furnace. It is here that AT thru hikers attempt the "half gallon challenge". The challenge is to eat a half gallon of ice cream in under a half an hour. I was considering this test but knowing I can't eat more than a pint of ice cream on my own, I elected for the cheeseburger. A few other hikers were more brave than I and a couple met the challenge, scarfing their half gallon in no time. A few also failed...and it was painful to watch them try.
Met up with some new hiking friends and knocked out 52 miles in a couple days. Tiring, but it wad pretty flat, so nothing too bad. We had to hike across a 14 mile valley and the weather of late had been quite toasty. 100+ degree heat index can really make you sweat. To counter this, we constructed some heat reflectors. Check out our designs:
I couldn't find an umbrella in town, so Sunkist, Sage and I rigged up some cardboard to my trekking poles, which we attched to my backpack. We covered the cardboard in an aluminum emergency blanket (think the kind you see runners wearing after a marathon) to reflect the heat. It worked pretty well actually.
One final note...and a pretty funny one. As evening approached, we continued along this 14 mile stretch of farmland and intermittent tree cover. At one point we had to cross a field where a herd of milk cows were mingled. As the 7 of us approached the herd of about 20, they suddenly became agitated and started to run all together and ahead of our path. Stampede!! But the cows did not keep going. They ran to our direction and literally formed a semi-circle around us, staring us down. They mooed at us while we hurled taunts about the cheeseburgers we just ate the night before.
Uneasily, we walked through the semi-circle of cows they formed across the trail. Sure enough, as we passed, the herd followed us for another 50-100 feet through the field. It was almost as if they were escorting us off their property. A hiker named hawk took a picture, which I must get for you to see. He captured us walking away from the cows in a straight line with the herd behind us, just staring, their eyes lit green from the flash. A truly unique experience!
-mojo
I passed the official half way point the other day.
Felt quite good to get by that marker. A hiker named Grasshopper equated this second portion of the trail to the second half of a football game. You've seen what your up against, you make your adjustments, now go and finish it out. I'm very much looking forward to the next 1090 miles.
Soon after the halfway point, hikers come upon a little place called Pine grove furnace. It is here that AT thru hikers attempt the "half gallon challenge". The challenge is to eat a half gallon of ice cream in under a half an hour. I was considering this test but knowing I can't eat more than a pint of ice cream on my own, I elected for the cheeseburger. A few other hikers were more brave than I and a couple met the challenge, scarfing their half gallon in no time. A few also failed...and it was painful to watch them try.
Met up with some new hiking friends and knocked out 52 miles in a couple days. Tiring, but it wad pretty flat, so nothing too bad. We had to hike across a 14 mile valley and the weather of late had been quite toasty. 100+ degree heat index can really make you sweat. To counter this, we constructed some heat reflectors. Check out our designs:
I couldn't find an umbrella in town, so Sunkist, Sage and I rigged up some cardboard to my trekking poles, which we attched to my backpack. We covered the cardboard in an aluminum emergency blanket (think the kind you see runners wearing after a marathon) to reflect the heat. It worked pretty well actually.
One final note...and a pretty funny one. As evening approached, we continued along this 14 mile stretch of farmland and intermittent tree cover. At one point we had to cross a field where a herd of milk cows were mingled. As the 7 of us approached the herd of about 20, they suddenly became agitated and started to run all together and ahead of our path. Stampede!! But the cows did not keep going. They ran to our direction and literally formed a semi-circle around us, staring us down. They mooed at us while we hurled taunts about the cheeseburgers we just ate the night before.
Uneasily, we walked through the semi-circle of cows they formed across the trail. Sure enough, as we passed, the herd followed us for another 50-100 feet through the field. It was almost as if they were escorting us off their property. A hiker named hawk took a picture, which I must get for you to see. He captured us walking away from the cows in a straight line with the herd behind us, just staring, their eyes lit green from the flash. A truly unique experience!
-mojo
Sunday, July 17, 2011
West Virginia + Maryland = Done
Crossed through Maryland the other day. A couple of the guys we were hiking with said the trail had more vistas here than in the shenendoahs. Saw another bear today and a sunset last evening on overlooking Maryland farmland from atop Annapolis Rocks.
Also crossed the mason-Dixon line so officially out of the south. After such a long trek in VA, all these milestones in the past few days are overwhelming.
It is clear that we are at the "end of the thru hiker pack", however my feet and body feel strong and I am ready to do what needs to be done to finish this trail...mainly put the pedal to the medal.
Met up with my girlfriend, Sarah for a couple days in Waynesboro, PA and took her on a day hike. She did great and I'm looking forward to her coming out and getting some backpacking in with me when I'm a little more north. We also went to Gettysburg briefly on her last day. Awe inspiring and sobering at the same time. So glad I got to see my girl though!
Now onto the rocks of PA.
-mojo
Also crossed the mason-Dixon line so officially out of the south. After such a long trek in VA, all these milestones in the past few days are overwhelming.
It is clear that we are at the "end of the thru hiker pack", however my feet and body feel strong and I am ready to do what needs to be done to finish this trail...mainly put the pedal to the medal.
Met up with my girlfriend, Sarah for a couple days in Waynesboro, PA and took her on a day hike. She did great and I'm looking forward to her coming out and getting some backpacking in with me when I'm a little more north. We also went to Gettysburg briefly on her last day. Awe inspiring and sobering at the same time. So glad I got to see my girl though!
Now onto the rocks of PA.
-mojo
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