6/10/15

6/10/15 Mt. Algo Shelter

     21.2 miles. Damn that's crazy, even for me! Even with trail legs, the terrain is going to start getting crazy. I'm perfectly content with 18 and under days up to Maine. Besides, I feel like I'm dying. Either that or my feet will fall off, no joke.

     That and I have so much stuff to do in town that I'm planning on "zeroing" here. Thought it's a little over 3 miles walking to and from town, not including everything that needs to be done in/around town.

     However, food comes first tomorrow. mmmmmmmm foooooooodd... *drools*

-Sam

6/9/15

6/9/15 Morgan Stewart Shelter

     7:00am. I always seem to write more often in the morning than at night. Maybe that's the trick to writing every day...

     9 miles yesterday to stop here at the Morgan Stewart Shelter. Waited till slightly after 10 am to leave cause of the rain. Since more T-storms are forecasted for this afternoon, I think I'm gonna head just to the next shelter at about 8 miles. Maybe a few more if the weather passes us by. Took a siesta in a field by a deli yesterday. Ate a ton of food then napped. Some days a siesta is required.

-Sam

6/9/15 "Telephone Pole" Shelter (Actually called "Telephone Pioneer" Shelter)

     Just a quick 8 miles into camp today because it was supposed to rain/thunder all afternoon; nothing happened though. Like at all. It was rather disappointing to say the least.

     Had I moved on it would have been another 2 miles to camp near a garden center that (someone actually told us an hour or so ago) has shitty camping. Besides if I moved it would have probably definitely rained. Like the whole plan for a disaster that never happens vs plan for nothing and shit hits the fan. If that makes sense. Either way I ended up pushing a 3 mph pace so I actually want to try a 20 miles day tomorrow. The terrain doesnt look too bad, lotta flat.

      As I am writing this a woman just came up and gave Fizzi and I each a bag of carrots! Woo Trail Magic! *munch munch* Also someone, probably accidently left, what are called "Vibram Five-Fingers" I'm calling them "toe shoes". They also happen to be my size... I'm taking 'em...

-Sam

6/8/15

6/8/15 (still) RPH Shelter

     It's 8:30am or so and it is supposed to heavily rain in the next hour or so. Since I'm only gonna do 9 miles as a cool down from yesterday. It wasn't necessarily hard, just very long. Did manage to go to a campground to get a hotdog and fries and whatnot. 9 to the next shelter with more food in between!

-Sam

6/7/15

6/7/15 RPH Shelter

     Biggest day so far of almost 19 (18.8) damn my feet hurt. Super tired and all. Gonna sleep now.

-Sam

6/6/15

6/6/15 Holiday Inn

     6/4 I had hiked about 10 to West Mountain Shelter. Yesterday was just under 8 into Bear Mtn. NY. Yes it IS a real city and I was surprised too. I keep saying I'll write everyday but I'm actually finding that hard. Every day I feel like my entry would be, 'Did X miles, tripped on some rocks, saw a creek, chipmunks running around...." It'd be the same day after day.

     The one random thought I had yesterday was about the TV Show "Hey Arnold!" Gerald said "My man fuzzy slippers told me..." or "Oh this? I got it from my man fuzzy slippers..." (that happens in a few episodes). It occurred to me that instead of a nickname for another kid, maybe that's just what he called his grandfather. =O Blew my mind at least.

     Also, UNDER 800 miles to Katadin! WOOOOOOO!

-Sam

6/6/15 Spiritual Outdoor Center

     A short day, but sometimes short days are needed. Besides getting out of town is always hard.

-Sam

6/3/15

6/3/15 Fingerboard Shelter

     Climbed down Agony Grind only to go up the other side through the Lemon Squeezer to end at Fingerboard Shelter. Nuff said.

-Sam

PS: 16 ish miles total. 

6/2/15

6/2/15 Breezy Point Inn

     Another two days! I swear this won't become a habit.5/31/15 I was hiking out of the hostel. I had stayed there the night of 5/30. 5/31 I hiked a quick 5 miles up what's dubbed the "stairway to heaven". It had rained the night before, as well as that morning. The hostel the day before was about a 2 mile hike from the trail head. I didn't wanna walk the 2 miles back so I waited for Sunday church services to be over. When they were, 3 of us managed to yogi the ride back and start around 11 to climb it.

     By the time I got to the top I was drenched. Not from any rain, but my own sweat. By the top, I was praying for rain. On the way back down the other side I started hearing rumbling thunder. "Screeeeeeew that!" I ended up getting to the shelter right as it started raining. Wooo! Out-hiked the rain yet again! That morning (6/1) it was misting rain. New York, being known for rock scrambles, was very welcoming with wet slippery rocks.

     10 miles and a lot of swearing later, I had had enough. We (Fizzi and I) got to the road crossing and ended up splitting a hotel room for the night. I woke up the next morning to heavy rain. Waited till about 11ish to see if the rain would let up. Since it did not, we all (Fizzi, Robin, Shadow and I) decided to zero since the next few days will be great weather. After a zero I always feel great enough to power through the miles.

     Besides, I needed the day to mourn the loss of one of my poles; it broke.  =[ Well it still works, just rather bent courtesy of saving my ankle at the cost of bending. Somewhere between my first and fifth fall they/it bent. Waaaaahhh!! =[

-Sam

5/31/15

5/31/15 Church Hostel

     So I haven't written the last two days.... Oops! I know last time I eventually got to the point I only wrote once or twice a week, but I'm going to try and avoid doing that.

     Even if it's only a sentence each day, I know I need to write more. 5/29 I stayed on a farm belonging to Jim Murray (didn't know Jim had a brother *cymbal crash*). He thru-hiked at some point and built a shack for hikers to sleep in. Outdoor shower and water spigot and everything, it was pretty neat.

     From there I hiked about 12 miles to where I'm currently sitting in an Episcopal Church basement that they allow hikers to use. There's AC, toilets, faucets, a sofa, what more could you want? Oh, there's a TV here too, which is awesome. Got a DVD Player and everything. One of the DVDs they have on hand is Pineapple Express (unrated) which made me laugh pretty hard. Not a very church friendly movie for sure...

     Just 5 miles today to the first shelter. Sometimes you need a short day when it's raining.

- Sam

5/29/15

5/29/15 High Point State Park Office (NJ 23 gap)

     3 miles so far today with another 8 to go. Even with my video yesterday it did not explain much. Yesterday I:
 - climbed up a fire tower
 - hiked 15 miles
 - passed up two shelters
 - slept in the third
 - had pizza for breakfast
 - saw a bear
 - went the last three miles with no water
 - talked on the phone for about an hour on Sunrise Mtn.
Everyone I've talked to has said that 'while there are a lot of rocks in NJ, they arent as bad as PA.' To which I respond with a polite 'you're full of shit.' Yes they are just as bad; they are different, but still utterly awful. I would love one day of flat trail. not 'no elevation change' trail, but truly 'no rocks sticking up in the middle' trail. If this crap persists, my feet will probably fall off. As my mantra for this hike so far says, "Everything is terrible!"

 - Sam

5/28/15

5/28/15    Gyp's Tavern

     I saw a bear! First time I've actually seen a bear in the wild. Well, not true, really. Yesterday was the first time i saw a bear, but it doesn't count since it was only a bear cub. Couldn't have been more than 50 feet from me just kinda sniffing around. I let it do its bear things and continued downhill, out of sight. Nothing really happened but damn did it give me a shot of adrenaline. Did something like 14 yesterday to the first shelter in NJ. Poured all afternoon into the night yesterday so I didn't feel like writing. In the tavern today continuing the deli bit. 3 miles down, 12 to go...

 - Sam

5/28/15 Video Journal

5/26/15

5/26/15   Mohican Outdoor Center (MOC)

     10.3 miles over more rocks hurt my feet. Baby blisters make walking around even without boots a challenge. However what I was thinking most of today was that I passed some day hikers. They were coming down as I was going up (duh). I had to have only gone 3 miles when the girl turns to me and says, "You're almost there!" It made me think rather hard since i knew i hadn't even gone halfway today. I'm almost there? Almost where? ...to Maine? to home? to the lake? (I was / had to walk around that 3 miles farther.) to New York? WHERE AM I?!???? Though it got me thinking how everyone is 'almost there'. Almost to happiness, healthiness, home, career, etc. You're almost always there, and sometimes you have to push yourself to get there. Whether it's pushing yourself to finish the trail, to finish a project, to find that someone, whatever it is. God I  sound like a motivational poster, I'm getting the hell out of here before I vomit. Starting the 'deli-to-deli' hike in NJ/NY. Yay food!

 - Sam

5/25/15 Delaware Water Gap, PA (Church of the Mountain Hostel)

     So yesterday didn't go as planned (as you can probably guess from the heading). Yesterday was supposed to be a 12 mile day to just outside of Palmerton, PA. However, the rocks were so unbearable that we were averaging like, .8 mph. We managed 6 miles or so in 7 hours. So I don't have trail legs quite yet but I can still do 13 some odd miles easy. Up, down, stairs, switchbacks, all doable at this point. Rocks? No, not when you have to watch where you step every step. Guaranteed there was less than .1 mile of flat, no rocks the entire day. Now imagine that's the 4th day in a row doing that and continuing for the next week. Yeah, that's how bad PA really is.

     So me and a guy I was hiking with (Rope) were sick of it. We both decided to try and call a Trail Angel to hopefully drive us into town. Not 30 seconds after we put our packs down, a car comes up to the parking lot. as the guy gets out I realized, "Holy shit, I know that guy!" It was a guy I met that I crossed paths with last year by the name of Soul Flute. The three of us get to talking and he's like, "yeah, I'm taking a guy up to Delaware Water Gap if you guys need a ride into town or something." Rope and I just look at each other, "Well, if you have room we are so ready to be in DWG." So an hour later, here we are at the end of PA.

     Thank God I'm done with this shitty state.

-Sam

(a stamp in from DWG)

5/24/15

5/24/15 Blue Mtn. B&B

     It was only 11 miles yesterday but at least 5 or 6 of those were jumping from rock to rock. Literally did not touch the ground during that time. Usually it sounds alright since it's something different that the norm, but add an extra 30-40 lbs and it's killer. Your feet will definitely hate you. 12 more miles hopefully to the shelter right before Palmerton, PA for a quick resupply tomorrow. I want to be done with the rocks already...

-Sam

5/23/15

5/23/15 Blue Mtn. B&B

     I'm not staying at the B&B, just tenting outside it. The restaurant here was fantastic. A couple whiskey sours definitely helped.

-Sam

5/22/15

5/22/15 Windsor Furnace

     Holy shit do I have bad allergies. And that's an understatement. I can't walk more than 10 ft without needing to blow my nose. Not kidding, I've gone through 2 mini packets of tissues and about half a roll of TP. Everything is terrible and I've only gone about 5 miles...

-Sam

5/22/15    Eckville Shelter

     It's not so much a shelter as a shed in someone's backyard. 15 miles N of Port Clinton. I'm still sneezing a crap ton. Everything is terrible.

-Sam

5/21/15 Port Clinton, PA

5/21/15 Port Clinton, PA

     Normally, most towns the AT passes through are pretty nice. They may be run down a bit but that certainly doesn't detract anything from how gorgeous it is. Whatever dilapidated state the town might be in, the people usually make up for it (if that makes sense). You'll never find nicer people who genuinely want to hear about that time you hiked 20 miles, fell down the mountain, and came face to face with a bear. (Even though anyone might want to hear about that). They'd want to know your trail name and how you came up with it as well as where you're from and how you got here and blah blah blah, etc etc.

     Except for one or two people, it isn't the case here in Port Clinton. Most people will straight up ignore you unless you've got money. That seems like a normal American town then, but it's not typical of a trail town. They don't really pander to the hiking crowd, which, unless this is a vacation spot for some unfathomable reason, doesn't seem like a good idea. Unless it's the fact that maybe they realize that, well, where else you gonna go? Since there really is nowhere else easily accessible on foot. And since hitchhiking is illegal in PA, it's hard to get anywhere. Anyone else coming through here should just pick up a mail drop and leave before they receive any dirty looks from the locals. Besides, nothing seems to be open before noon...

-Sam

     PS: Hands down best place is the barber shop across from the post office. One of the nicest guys I met. Definitely worth stopping only in there before heading out!

5/20/15

5/20/15     Eagle Nest Shelter

 15.5 miles over rocks today. My mind may have been ready, but my body wasn't/isn't, whatever. At least one blister and another hotspot I need to let up and not do 15 mile days yet. I have enough extra food that I can stay in a pavilion in Port Clinton. Either that or split a hotel room with another hiker. Also I was too quick to judge PA. Before I was saying how there weren't many rocks since 18 miles or so or through farmlands. Well the last two days straight I've been jumping from rock to rock; most of them slippery wet. PA lives up to 'the ankle breaker' state. 

-Sam 

5/19/15

5/19/15      501 Shelter

 So I had planned to start writing about the last week which my dad and I slackpacked. But to be honest not that much exciting stuff happened. All in all I went over 80 miles that week, most of which seemed uphill. Also most of those miles I did without seeing anyone or anything. I think I may have seen a deer once but whatever it was bounded away rather quick. Most of the interesting stuff I took pictures of and posted to Facebook. However today was a little nuts. First day with a full pack was challenging as it always will be. Had to play 'the floor is lava' to avoid breaking my ankles on rocks; but the steps with which to avoid the lava were wet slippery rocks that would also break your ankles. A couple miles of that we're super fun... This shelter is like partnership shelter where you can order pizza basically straight to it so that made up for rocks... 

Here we go again... 

 -Sam 

P.S. Happy end of Palindrome Week!

Gear List

CLOTHING


Synthetic short-sleeve t-shirt (black)

Synthetic long-sleeve shirt (orange)

Midweight fleece (black)

Rain Coat (scrunched into mesh bag)

Zip-off Pants (green w/ boyscout buckle) 

Beanie (black NYC)

Mittens / Gloves (tan)

Sunglasses (yellow) [in black pouch on side of pack]

Town Clothes (green Tshirt orange/black boardshorts) [scrunched into ziplock]

Crocs (blue w/ carabiner clips)


GEAR


pack (duh)

Jungle sleeping bag (black)

Sleeping bag liner (yellow/gray stuff sack)

sleeping pad (blue)

Camp pillow (green)

tent (brown/tan bag)

Trekking poles (pacemaker)

Headlamp (black)

Water bladder (blue)

Nalgene (blue) [small mouthed]

waterbottle (white/gray)

stove / pot /  lighter (Jetboil)

food bag (red)

Spork (maybe red? dont remember color)

collapsable cup (grey)

Water purifier (black/blue) [small straw looking device: Sawyer Squeeze]

Water bag (blue) [should say sawyer squeeze or something on side]

Single-blade knife (black/white handle)

Small first aid kit (red bag)

Map and compass (Clear compass / AT map book)

hand sanitizer 

Small notebook and pen (black pen/ yellow moutached book)

Appalachian Trail 'Thru-Hike': Take 2

     Is it weird that its been an entire year since any update has been made? Soon after that last post I left the trail, but I never really updated it saying I was leaving. I kinda just left it hanging. At any rate I had to leave last year as I ended up nearly cracking some ribs and never fully recovering. Everyone thinks they can push through it, but going up mountains and breathing hard with an extra 40 lbs on your back can get pretty taxing to say the least. When your chest hurts after every breath its time to call it quits. Sometimes you have the listen to the little voice in your head saying it's a bad idea, I guess. however I believe I have recovered enough to now finish the trail. 

     Quite a few people have wondered 'but MagicMan, didnt you hike enough last year? I mean, you DID hike over 1000 miles...' 

  To which I would respond "Yes, I did hike over a thousand miles, but that's not the whole thing." I know my initial goal was to hike the Trail in its entirety in one go. However I can also totally accept hiking the whole thing over a period of time instead. Sure my status (im my eyes) is slightly less since I've been reduced to a section hiker, but I still want to be able to say "Yeah i Hiked the AT... what part? oh you know... all of it." Besides, I already started it, I have to finish it now. Even if i didn't necessarily want to, it's out of principle at this point. I have so many projects and goals and various other things that I've only half completed. Granted finishing any number of those would be easier than hiking the northern half the AT, But if I can finish this, that I can sure as hell finish anything else.

Hobey-ho, here we go again

-Sam

P.S. My 'normal' journals will resume mid May as I start backpacking 5/18/2015

P.P.S. (6/11/15 - Kent CT) Since writing what was said above I have completely changed my view of things, courtesy of other hikers. My status has is way higher than the average 'true thru-hiker'. As a 'true' thru-hiker you get your trail legs once and spend 4 - 6 months out here. If you do in sections, you need to regain your trail legs for EACH section you start. Since quite a few people don't do bigger than one mother sections, you're barely getting your trail legs back. Then as you can push big miles you have to go back to 'the other real world'. Hence why I think i'm actually better than those guys from GA -> ME. Also I am still doing a thru-hike, just not a 'true' thru-hike. That's the only difference. No matter how many sections, if you walk from GA to ME that's a thru-hike no matter how you complete it. 

6/22/2014

6/22/14                      Rocky Run Shelter(s)

     Today was the most nondescript in the way of miles. 9ish more crossed off the list, but it felt as if I was simply on a conveyor belt walking in place while the belt moved the scenery around me, if that makes any sense. It is nice to walk with Fresh though; company makes miles go that much quicker. The miles were boring but the trail magic sure wasn't today. We got to Gathland State Park and took a break. There was a nice shaded pavilion with a lot of picnic tables. as we hung around for maybe five minutes, a woman who was leaving asked, "hey are you guys thru hiking?" which brought the attention of a couple other people who were just around for the day. Should've guessed seeing as it's Saturday. I naturally answered for both of us confirming we were indeed thru hikers. The woman got out of her car and opened the trunk and produced two cans of Mountain Dew for us. We both thanked her profusely as she explained she was up here for her son or nephew (clearly wasn't paying attention, sorry!) who was hiking as well. She eventually drove off and we finished our delicious liquefied sugar and caffeine. However not ten minutes later another woman drives up and asks us the same question to which we give the same answer. This time however we got more than just a soda. We got to talking and she mentioned a creamery not far down the road; maybe five miles. She offered to take Fresh and I as another big group of slackpacking thru hikers come up to the park. Her offer then extended to the group (made up of Nora V. , The Pope, Rowdy, Weatherman, and others) so four of us piled into her car and went to said creamery. On the way over the woman (who introduced herself as Vicki) was explaining how this is the best ice cream we'd ever eat ever. She wasn't kidding either; it was the best ice cream I had ever eaten. It was more a dairy farm that happened to sell fresh milk, cheese, and of course ice cream and milkshakes. We all got a cone of ice cream as well as some pints for the guys that decided to wait at the park because her car was a bit small for all eight of us. After we all enjoyed the ice cream we (just Fresh and I) hiked the 5 1/2 miles past there to the second shelter, Rocky Run Shelter. There were two shelters there, too; one old one in slight disrepair slightly past the newer and nicer one. The old one was closer to the water source and had a porch swing but the newer one was bigger and slightly cleaner. I might be living in the woods but i manage to have some cleanliness standards. 

-Sam

6/21/2014

6/21/14                      Ed Garvey Shelter

     Being back on the trail is so nice. No more stupid sun and UV heat. Hurray humidity I guess? From Front Royal VA, my buddy Will (AKA Fresh) and I got a ride up to Harper's Ferry to start hiking again after the fantastic fiasco that was our aquablaze. 7 miles out of Harper's Ferry today to the first shelter, and it may have been a bad choice. There are three different boy scout troops we are sharing the shelter with. Yes, THREE different troops here; something like 70 people in and around the shelter tonight. It was slightly overwhelming, but it was also kinda neat to see what I apparently was like. I thought for sure I was not that annoying at thirteen years old, but I'm no judge. It was kinda neat to make the passing remark 'we should start a fire tonight, huh...' and see fifteen some odd scouts run in different directions looking for firewood. Ah, to be lazy and still have your job get done...


-Sam

P.S. Iris and James are a couple of weekend hikers that were also at the shelter last night. very awesome couple indeed; especially if they were serious about sending a care package :)

6/20/2014

6/20/14                      Front Royal