Category: 2018 Appalachian Trail

I’m really glad that we didn’t stop hiking after Katahdin. That was such a terrible day to finish with the weather being what it was. It has been very refreshing to come back to Virginia and hike an easy section of trail. It has allowed our bodies a chance to wind down and start recovering after the strain of VT, NH, and ME. 

The walk into Pearisburg is not a bad one at all so we took our time getting ready after the communal breakfast. We got to spend some one on one time with Neville and have decided we will probably come back in the future to help out when she’s in the height of season (work for stay). This is an amazing setup but it takes a lot of work to keep everything going. Sadly, Neville and her husband have separated and she has decided to keep the hostel going. She will close for a while around the end of the year to get in a vacation. 

When we woke up this morning, it was snowing outside. The roof outside our window was white but it was melting as soon as it hit the ground. Neville told us we could stay as long as we liked. She knew we were finishing today as soon as we got to Pearisburg. 

Bunny’s son is picking us up, but he won’t get to town until 6ish. By noon, we decided the weather was about as good as it was going to get, so we headed out for our last day of hiking on the Appalachian Trail. I had mixed feelings. I was sad that it was over but I guess I am ready, especially with the cold of the last few days. It will be nice to get into a normal routine for a while. 8 months on the trail is just about my limit for one go.

The day was clear. It was the type of day I wished we could have had on Katahdin. The last time I covered this section, it had been raining and foggy. Today, we had great views so we could see the town below. As we were coming down the last hill to the road, we met a couple of sobos. They asked if we were section hiking. I couldn’t let it pass without explaining how we were finishing our thru-hike. They genuinely congratulated us. 

We could see the road in front of us. We quietly walked out to it and, “wa-la” we completed our thru-hike. After all the crap I gave Patches over finishing on a gravel road in NY and telling her she should join us for the hundred mile wilderness (she declined the offer), we finished on a blacktop road in southern VA. 

I asked Bunny if she wanted to call for a shuttle to town. She said “No, what’s the hurry? We just walked 2190 miles, we can go one more.” We walked into the Hardee’s where we had agreed to meet her son. The manager asked us how we were doing and I told her we had just finished our thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. She congratulated us and then did something special since there was no band to celebrate our victory. I’m not one to brag, but we each got a $6 burger for only $3.95 each. To the victor go the spoils. 

EFG

The Final List: We have encountered so many wonderful people on this trail. I am not a religious or even spiritual person, but I do feel blessed that we were fortunate to have the opportunity and resources to hike the Appalachian Trail. I will just take this opportunity to shout out to a few of the special people who were so important to us on the trail. I am glad that I got to know all of these people and I will not forget any of them even though, I know, I am Easily Forgotten. 

Patches—Bunny was immediately attracted to Patches because she’s the same age as Bunny’s daughter. Plus, it felt refreshing to hang around someone her kids age that actually doesn’t think everything we say and do is stupid. As I’ve said elsewhere, Patches was always happy. Another thing, Patches could eat. She was at her happiest while eating. When she had to get off the trail for a wedding just before Waynesboro, she was afraid she wouldn’t have her hiker appetite to maximize her trip to the Chinese AYCE buffet. 

Zoom Zoom—we met Zoom Zoom before she even had a trail name. She is from Indianapolis where I only know one person in a city of over a million. Of course I had to ask if she knew him…she did! We couldn’t keep up with her because she got her trail name for a reason; she’s a fast hiker.

Hot Sauce—Hot Sauce is one of the most gifted artists I have ever met. Like Zoom Zoom, we met him before he had a trail name and before the Top of Georgia Hostel. We were lucky enough to be included in one of his video updates on the YouTube channel “Jake Hikes.” Zoom Zoom and Hot Sauce ended up hiking the rest of the trail together and had one of the best summit photos of Katahdin with Hot Sauce pulling Zoom Zoom horizontally off the summit while she held on to the sign. 

Super Dave—I was walking down the trail and looked up to see a guy sitting in a lawn chair reading a copy of Walden. This was the first time I saw Super Dave. He stopped reading and offered us hot dogs and Special K sodas (K for Katahdin). After talking with him for a while, we discovered he had hiked the Triple Crown. He then offered to pick us up later in the day and take us to some friends’ house for supper. We ended up spending the evening welcomed into a new home with new friends we hadn’t met before. Super Dave was a lawyer and part-time judge who knew one of our friends, RTK, who he had done the same thing for (supper in town, that is) just the week before.  

Rich Grzanka—we met Rich and his wife, Laura, in a concentration camp in Germany. How many living people can make such a claim? Rich said he’d come out and hike with us on the AT, and he did. We got to spend three days on the trail, together. It was a major undertaking for him to catch up with us because he travels so much for work. We have met the most amazing people on our travels and Rich is definitely one of them. 

Dan and Sue Settle—I used to work with Dan in a previous life. They are a big reason I am freed up to hike because they spent numerous hours helping me fix up my place to sell. Dan and Sue were planning on meeting us in Damascus in April, but one of numerous snow storms caused them to back out of coming. Nonetheless, they have been a constant source of support for us before, on, off, and after the trail. 

Mr Overhill—We spent a night in a shelter in NC with Mr Overhill, Dirty R, and Grape Stomper. Mr Overhill seemed a little underwhelmed with the difficulty of the AT as he was already putting in 25+ mile days. He passed us the next day like we were standing still (mainly because we were standing still, but he was fast). We didn’t think we’d ever see him again. Flash forward to ME when we ran into him in late September. He told us he had pushed hard and fast all the way up to VT by early April (when we had only made it to Damascus). He was cold, miserable, and hating the AT. He had skipped the social aspect of the AT in lieu of getting big miles. He quit for the summer. Now he was back hiking in more of a style that we were and having a better time going slow, meeting people, and enjoying the trail. He is capable of putting in the big miles (I know he’s done the PCT) but now likes to enjoy trail life. He made us feel good about going slow. 

Lucky 59 and Pepper Pot—People in our age group stand out on the trail. Pepper Pot and Lucky 59 were just a few years older than us, but still in their 50s. She, Lucky 59, had always wanted to hike the AT and they decided the time was right. They sold their house in Key West and started hiking. They were a couple days ahead of us in the Smokies. The day we got into Gatlinburg was the day they got back on the trail from Cherokee. They ended up with a 5 day lead on us that we never could cut in to. They sumitted while we were in VT. 

Purple Haze and Earl Grey—This is another couple in our age group that we hiked with for a period in PA. It’s rare to find thru-hikers (especially women who aren’t too soft) willing to spend the time out. I’m not talking about the young people where the solo female demographic is rapidly growing, I’m talking about the creaky bone types our age. Of course, they were faster than us and we lost them at Delaware Water Gap when we got off trail for a few days to visit my old college friend. It was great to see that they completed the trail over a month ahead of us. 

The Family (the Crawfords)—I used to follow this family’s videos before we hiked the Wonderland Trail in Mount Rainier NP. While I was hiking with Gnome when Bunny had to leave the trail for a family crisis, we ran into “The Family” at Chestnut Knob Shelter. Gnome had a very emotional encounter which they included in their trail movie. Imagine a family of 8 (kids ranging in age from 2 to 17; the youngest had to be carried) hiking the entire trail. Not only hiking it, but hiking it fast. Ben and Kami have got to be the coolest parents I’ve ever met. 

Pappy—from the youngest thru-hiker, Rainier Crawford at 2, to the oldest, Pappy at 87, there was quite a span of ages on the trail this year. Pappy started within a few days of us but we didn’t get to meet him until we were in Maine. Because he was worried about timing, he flipped up to Katahdin and hiked sobo. We met him at Pine Ellis when he dropped by to visit Ilene who he had met over 20 years ago when he hiked the AT the first time. 

Ilene, Naomi, and Gloria—these three lovely ladies keep Pine Ellis Hostel open out of love and for the memory of Paul, Ilene’s husband who died 7 years ago. Gloria and Naomi live together with a third sister that has special needs. Between the 3 of them, they run a hostel, shuttle hikers to/from the trail, go shopping, and share their knowledge of the trail all with an average age in the mid 70s. They were incredibly friendly and fun, but do not brush your teeth in the kitchen sink or use Ilene’s bathroom without asking first. 

Curb and Vagabond Jack—Bunny and I had the honor of taking Vagabond Jack’s bed on two separate occasions. Like us, he sold everything and hit the road. Unlike us, his wife had recently died and he’s 72. He met up with Curb (from outside of Nashville) on the trail and they hiked together until Jack had to get off because of an injury. Curb ended up making it all the way to Katahdin well ahead of us. 

Geo, Summit, Bear Foot, and Little Blue—Geo and Summit are another couple that thru-hiked together. They met Little Blue and Bear Foot within the first 3 days of starting the trail. The amazing thing is, this foursome remained together almost the entire way and summitted together almost two months before us. We leapfrogged with this group almost all the way to Shenandoah. Geo is who shaved my head at Uncle Johnny’s when I fell asleep. He’ll claim that I asked him to do it. Bear Foot got his name because he was less than sure footed. I remember riding a bike and having a conversation with him. I turned my head and he was gone. Just like that, he had wiped out. A fitting name for him, indeed. I really enjoyed this group and wish we had been able to keep up with them, but youth trumps the geriatric crowd. I’m sure they had some difficult times, as all thru-hikers do, but the chemistry and humor of this foursome was infectious. 

No Worries—No Worries is a person that you meet that you don’t realize you had so many experiences with and had so much fun with until you sit down and think about it. Maybe it’s because there might be a slight alcohol haze around those memories. The first encounter I hazily recall is at the NOC when I ate her dessert. I’ll blame Patches for this one since she decided to drink beer and take a zero rather than hike in the rain. Next, I remember a woman falling from the upper level at the Fontana Hilton. There was beer involved there, even one in her hand that didn’t loose a drop in the fall. No Worries also followed me into the bathroom because the men’s room had electrical outlets. Then she started talking about her dog and wouldn’t leave. Something else that was in the men’s bathroom was toilets which I desperately needed but had to wait. We last ran into her at Stanimal’s where she eventually had to get off trail because of an injury. 

Pit Boss and Play by Play—Play by Play was only 14. He did all of his 8th grade school work ahead of time so he could take off in February to hike with his stepdad, Pit Boss. We hiked with them early on, leapfrogging all the way to Uncle Johnny’s before they got ahead of us. Postcard ended up keeping with them for quite a while and we managed to stay in touch until Play by Play went home at the end of summer. Play by Play was an intelligent and fun kid. Bunny definitely had mothering feelings for him. We missed them once they got ahead of us but knew they had a tighter schedule and had to push on. 

Finnegan—Finn was part of our Smokies tramily. Along with Patches, Stickers, Lady Bug, Dancing Dog, and Trail Runner we shelter hopped as a group through the blizzard to survive. Over a five day period where the temperature never got above freezing, our tramily worked as a single unit collecting wood, building fires, and fetching water. Sadly, Finnegan got frostbite on his hand during this period. He got treatment in Gatlinburg but was forced off in Hot Springs when he got caught in another blizzard a day behind us. 

Dancing Dog and Trail Runner—These are two friends of Bunny’s from home. They came out to hike a couple weeks with us through the Smokies up to Hot Springs. Unfortunately, they timed it with the blizzards in the Smokies where we were forced off trail into Gatlinburg. Dancing Dog showed an amazing pain tolerance having one of the worst blisters on her heel I have ever seen. She never complained and pushed on in spite of the adversity (intestinal problems, too); all the while laughing and enjoying being out. Trail Runner was also an animal. She was by far, in the best shape of the four of us. They were with us through some of our worst experiences on the trail, yet we’re still friends (I think ☺️).

Postcard—coming out of Gatlinburg and getting back on the trail was when we met Postcard. She was part of our family all the way to Pearisburg where we lost her. Like Patches, she had started her thru-hike last year and was racing the clock to finish before her year was up. She was a part of out hot tub gang in Hot Springs, with us at Uncle Johnny’s, and part of our house at Bear’s Garden.   

Stickers and Lady Bug—we hiked with Stickers and Lady Bug for almost 800 miles. We covered 42 miles in 2 days to make it to Damascus for Stickers’ Birthday. We were very fortunate they slowed down for us to keep up since they were less than half our age. One of the highlights of the trip was when Stickers gave us a sticker saying “Old people are cool.” I figured when they gave us that sticker, it was a parting gift, but they stayed back with us for another 500 miles. We couldn’t keep up any longer by the time we made it to Shenandoah although we still keep in touch.

Mizman—I’ve already shared my first impression of Mizman…serial killer; no one can be that happy. Mizman loves life and every moment of it. We followed his shelter log entries until we met him just outside of Franklin. We hiked with him until Bunny had to go home when her dad was in the hospital. He and his girlfriend, Judy, who was visiting, came and spent the afternoon with us the day before Bunny went home. We spent a couple of days with him when we got to the Hudson River. He then jumped up to Massachusetts where we got to hike with him again until he was forced off the trail for a broken tooth in Vermont. Everybody loves Mizman. He’s our canary in the mine…if someone doesn’t like Mizman, that is a dangerous person that needs to be avoided. 

Gnome—We first met Gnome at the Partnership Shelter outside of Marion. Even though the downstairs was crowded, we chose to stay down below rather than go upstairs and chase away Mongrel, again. Until someone snores in your face, you can’t really say you know them. When Bunny went home, I ran into Gnome and Little Blue my first day out. I was a little worried about hiking alone because Bunny and I have always hiked together. Gnome and I became constant companions. Our paces matched and he was fun to talk with. He’s a little older and has lived a life less ordinary. He grew up in Key West where he thinks his father was involved with the Bay of Pigs. He’s lived in a commune. He boated down the eastern seaboard. He is one of the most interesting people I met on the trail. When Bunny returned to the trail, we became a threesome. We got separated in the middle of Shenandoah when we figured out our pace was not fast enough to make it to Katahdin before October 15. 

Chad the Dad—We caught up with Chad the Dad when his wife and daughter came out to join him through Shenandoah. His wife had to leave after a few days, but Shea decided to hang on through the rest of the park. Since Shea stayed, we were able to keep up and hike together all the way to Front Royal. After Shea left, we just couldn’t keep up with Chad (and he was injured). We ended up using CTD as a forward scout along the trail. He managed to sniff out places to stay and activities we might have otherwise missed. We had great times together through Shenandoah. 

Good Chip Norris—He’s a Norris. Period. Bitten by a copperhead that eventually crawled off the trail and died; walking on knees that grate bone on bone; living on Paydays; afraid of nothing or no one; everything exudes toughness. Underneath that Norris exterior is a thoughtful man that goes out of his way to thank everyone he meets for their effort. He’s funny and considerate. He was a perfect addition to our tramily as he hiked the entirety of Maine with us. I can’t imagine not having Chorris with us, even if we did have to give up the moose. 

Bear and Sassy—we may not have hiked the longest with Bear and Sassy, but we spent the most time with these fantastic people. For 75 days, we were inseparable. I have never laughed as much as with Bear. I do hope he writes a book about his time at NASA. They provided the push, organization, and humor to keep us going through the final quarter of the trail. I won’t go so far as to say we wouldn’t have made it without them, but I will say we probably would have had to flip to make it. And we definitely would not have had as much fun. I, personally, learned a lot from these great people and feel that I am a better person from having met them (whether they would agree or not). 

Peter and Marcia—these are our oldest “couple friends” meaning the first friends we met once Bunny and I were a couple. We had to go all the way to Scotland to meet them on the West Highland Way. Since then, we have gotten together for at least a week a year and talk often. They have both hiked the AT and even had Warren Doyle at their wedding (they have legitimate trail credentials). They both hiked the AT before trail names were the norm although Peter signed the registers as Peter, Pure and Easy and they were known as “The Cosmic Dance Company” when hiking together. They live in Portland, ME, and have been instrumental in our growth both as hikers and individuals. The only bad thing I can say about our friends is that they are UConn alumni. 

Angel Alice, Paul, and Marsha—Alice was a childhood friend of Bunny’s. They hadn’t seen each other for more years than the average age of hikers on the AT this year. She was following our blog through Facebook and sent us a note when we were holed up at the NOC on Patches declared rain day. We were with Mizman, Patches, Stickers, Lady Bug, Pit Boss, Play by Play, No Worries, plus some other “red shirt crew members” when we got a note asking if she could send us a care package. This was the start of her being a trail angel for us on the rest of the AT. We received her first shipment when we got to Hot Springs. In it, she explained why she was doing this for us. Her brother, Paul, had died in a plane crash and her sister, Marsha, had died too young, as well. The family had spent a lot of time in NC when they were younger. Paul and Marsha had aspired to one day thru-hike the Appalachian Trail, but they never got the chance. This struck a chord with us because we had seen people our age, and younger, dying which made us decide to go hike sooner, rather than later. We decided to dedicate our hike to the memory Paul and Marsha. We had planned to take a picture on top of Katahdin with the picture of Paul and Marsha we carried with us all the way from Hot Springs, but the weather conditions just sucked. Even though I never met Paul and Marsha, they were an integral part of our hike this year. 

There are, literally, hundreds more people we got to meet and spend time with on the trail. I’m sorry if I didn’t mention someone here. Please don’t take it personally.

After we left Wapati shelter, the trail was virtually deserted today. We only saw one hunter out scouting for the weekend. We must have passed the South bubble yesterday. We did pass through a few more burnt areas from what appeared to be ground burns; not damaging the trees but burning off the floor. Usually what you’d expect to see from a controlled burn. 

By pushing on past Dismal Falls yesterday, we cut the amount we had to hike today down considerably. When we were in Portland making plans to return to this section in VA, I called Neville to make reservations for a stay at Woods Hole Hostel. We had a fairly easy 7 mile walk with just one easy climb of about 1000’ to get there. We got in before lunch time. 

I, being the good husband, of which I get so little credit for, had made reservations for a queen-sized bedroom in the house instead of the bunkhouse. The bunkhouse is nice, but I remembered it was an old, converted tool shed that didn’t have insulation. Plus, we’d have an inside heated shower. It never really got warm today. 

Neville greeted us, but didn’t really remember me from my last stay. To be fair, she has over 1000 hikers stay every season and I am Easily Forgotten. We had hot tea and a few snacks before we got cleaned up and took a tour of the place. There weren’t many hikers in the place, maybe 3, and two other women staying at the B&B. 

We had the communal supper and chatted with everyone. After supper while we were cleaning the kitchen, Neville decided to look up when I stayed before. I told her I had stayed the same time Little Blue was here. HE, she remembered. We tried looking up my name, but no record for me existed. We then looked up Little Blue, found the date and then searched that date. She found me then, sort of. She had listed me as “Almost Forgotten.”

EFG

Since we are almost done, I want to focus a little more on the people we met than the places we’ve been and things we’ve done. 

Today’s List

The Happiest People We Met on the Trail:

Neesha—technically, we didn’t meet her on the trail, she is the daughter of a friend of mine from college that we spent 3 days with in NJ. She always looks on the bright side of any situation and even has her own blog promoting happiness…smile4awhile

Mizman—when I first met Mizman, I was convinced he was a serial killer because he was so happy and positive; nobody is like that. After spending a few hours with him, it’s easy to see he’s genuine. He is happy to be alive and only sees the good in every situation. He likes to take his time and enjoy every minute on the trail. That’s why he’s up and moving by the crack of 10 every day. When he fell behind everyone, he flipped up and started hiking sobo so he could see everyone again. 

Fresh Grounds—a trail legend. We met him the first day he was out giving magic to thru-hikers. He spends 6 months a year traveling up and down the AT fixing meals for thru-hikers. This is his mission from God, to comfort hikers. He turned his life around from being a drug addict. He’s seen the dark side of life and wants to be a source of light now.

Little Blue—It took us until almost Uncle Johnny’s before we met Little Blue even though we knew everyone he was hiking with. I can’t remember a time I didn’t see Little Blue laughing or sucking on his skittles vape. We could always tell if he was ahead or behind us on the trail because we could hear the laughing around him. 

Patches—We Met Patches our second day on the trail. She came into our shelter after dark. We knew she was on her way because of some other people in the shelter had seen her. We had gotten magic in the form of a 12 pack, so we kept a couple back for her. I was worried about a young woman coming into the shelter by herself with all the farting and belching. When she got in, she found the beers. The first sound I remember hearing from her was a belch…she’ll be fine. We hiked with Patches until just before Shenandoah. She always had a smile on her face. I gave her a lot of crap just to see if she ever had a breaking point—she didn’t. 

We encountered the most people today we have run across since the Whites. I lost count after 20. We ran into someone we should have met before today. He started the same day that Good Chip Norris did but only knew him as Chip. He knew Stickers and Lady Bug. He remembered Geo, Summit, Bear Foot, and Little Blue. He even brought up Pit Boss and Play by Play. His recall of names was much better than mine, because I have forgotten his name. So why is he hiking sobo this late in the year? When he got to Harpers Ferry, he met a woman that started there and was flip flopping. They went all the way to Katahdin together and now he was hiking the southern half of the trail again to stay with her. It was a classic case of “pink blazing.” 

We also met another sobo with a decidedly British accent. After talking for a while we found out he had set a goal to hike the trail in under 100 days. Since he had already hiked the Triple Crown, he was looking for a tougher challenge. He told us he was off on his estimate. He was going to complete the trail in 85 days. Oh, he wasn’t British. He was German. He had learned English while he was visiting Australia. The Aussies had done this to him. 

I had planned on reliving one of my most memorable nights from the time Bunny was gone. I was planning on stopping at Trents Grocery, getting some beer, and hiking to Dismal Falls like Gnome, Little Blue, PC, and I had done nearly 6 months ago. When Bunny and I got to the road crossing, there wasn’t any traffic for us to hitch a ride so we decided to skip it. It had been cold last night and the forecast for tonight was even colder. Beer and waterfalls just didn’t sound that appealing in those conditions. 

Instead, we decided to push on to the dreaded Wapati Shelter. This was the location where the couple was murdered in the 70s. Our friend Peter knew the couple and had encountered the strange guy that was eventually found guilty of the murder. After the murderer served his time, he got out and killed someone else on the trail. He eventually died in prison. And, no, we don’t carry a gun. It’s not worth the weight. There’s been less than 8 murders on the Appalachian Trail in 80 years which gets over 5 million hikers a year. We are statistically safer on the trail than the average person is sitting in their own living room. 

Much to Bunny’s chagrin, we were the only ones at the shelter. We set up and started cooking when we heard voices. Not the voices of ghosts of the dead, but of hikers coming into the shelter. I was sitting inside the shelter and couldn’t see who it was, but I knew that voice. When they got settled in and I saw her face, I was convinced. As we talked, I was able to place it as the Swiss woman the four of us had met in VT at Peru Peak Shelter. At the time, she was trying to just make it by consuming protein powder to save weight. 

Doc, from Switzerland was hiking with Two Flowers. Figuring out where we had met vs where we are now, they had hiked nearly 1000 miles since we had last seen them while we had only hiked 600 miles. I had said I was kind of relieved they had joined us at the shelter considering it’s history. Two Flowers was aware of it, but Doc didn’t know. I decided to leave it alone until morning, but Doc kept trying to guess. When she got to a murder happened here, I told her. The truth is, it was in a different location and the shelter had been torn down. A new shelter had been built in this location but they used the same shelter name. 

Bunny and I went to bed, but Doc stayed awake listening to sounds. She was restless for quite a while, but I was able to quickly fall asleep knowing that someone was up looking out for strange happenings in the night. Considering the cold, I slept very sound knowing someone else was awake. 

EFG

Today’s List

12 Best Hostels:

12)—Pine Ellis Hostel, ME…This is not a fancy place. In fact, it’s a bit run down and a little dirty, but that can be overlooked when you hear the story of why it’s still in existence. Paul and Ilene started this hostel over 20 years ago because Paul loved talking with, taking care of, and being around hikers. Paul died over 7 years ago and Ilene promised she’d keep the hostel open for him. Naomi and Gloria, two sisters living together in the 70ish range help Ilene (82) keep her promise. This hostel is a labor of love.

11)—Green Mountain Hiker Hostel, VT…This is probably one of, if not, the cleanest hostel on the east coast. Throw in $1 Ben and Jerry pints (limit 1, but $1) and it becomes irresistible. Manchester Center has everything a hiker could want. 

10)—Herman’s Cabin, Kent, CT…This is an unadvertised hostel and you need to know about it to find it. Bunny and I got to rent a cabin to ourselves on the river with our own deck. The owners only operate it for a few months a year. We would have never found this one without Chad the Dad keeping us informed. It pays to go slow.

9)—Uncle Johnny’s, Erwin, TN…If you want a quintessential hostel experience, check out this place. It’s right on the trail so you can’t miss it. Uncle Johnny died but his wife is keeping it going. Free bikes are available to ride around town or there are set free shuttles every day. Word of caution, don’t fall asleep on a picnic table or you may wake up with a shaved head.

8)—Stanimals, Waynesboro, VA…Stanimal was a thru-hiker so he knows what thru-hikers want and need. This is a perfect place to get ready for Shenandoah with two of the best smorgasbords on the trail. Everything is in walking distance once you get in town. 

7)—Boots Off Hostel, TN…Just south of Damascus, clean, and new. Several options from a European style bunkhouse, individual cabins, or camping. There’s not much of a town around it, but then Damascus isn’t much of a town either. There are lots of unique stylings including an outside showerhouse made from a wash tub.

6)—Whitehouse Landing, ME…Not for those on a tight budget, but worth the boat ride across the lake if you’ve got the money. There’s no way I was going through the hundred mile wilderness without stopping here. Need more inducement? Free joints to those over 21. No, Bunny wouldn’t let me. 

5)—Rock N Sole Hostel, PA…Gateway to Yuengling brewery. We stayed in “Trashy,” the 50s I Love Lucy styled trailer. The living room is the stream running out back with lawn chairs. Some of the best home cooking you’ll get on the trail. 

4)—Angels Rest, Pearisburg, VA…It’s easy to fall into the vortex here. I ended up with a triple zero waiting for Bunny to return and was glad for it. Pearisburg is very welcoming to thru-hikers. The main bunkhouse can be a little noisy because it holds about 18, but there are other options available including private rooms in a trailer. Everything you need and more.

3)—Shaw’s, Monson, ME…Now this is a place that knows everything a thru-hiker needs. If you’re nobo, get the bucket drop! They will let you split the cost among a group as long as you all meet at the same time. Poet or Hippy Chick personally meet you to give you your resupply and take your trash. They have a decent resupply on hand as well as gear to purchase. If you’re sobo, they can help you get your act together if you had any problems through the wilderness. Don’t forget to visit the Baxter Welcome Center in town. 

2)—Bears Den, VA…This used to be an OBs private residence built in the style of a medieval castle. For $30 (2018 price) you get a bunk, a pizza, a coke, and a pint of ice cream. The ATC owns the house, but the PATC manages it so there’s a bit of a pissing match over maintenance costs, but that doesn’t effect thru-hikers. This is a great exit from the “roller coaster.”

1)—Woods Hole Hostel, VA…Hands down, the best and oldest hostel on the trail. Neville’s grandparents started the hostel almost by accident in the early 80s. Neville took it over when they couldn’t handle it any longer. She makes delicious, organic meals from food grown there or locally sourced. There are some rules to follow which only seem obvious, but remember, someone has done stupid crap to even cause the rules to be written down. This is a non-alcohol/non-party hostel. 

When we got going today, we saw evidence of a forest fire that had happened over the summer. I wasn’t aware of any fires other than the one that almost held us up around McAfee Knob.  It was another uncrowned day with us seeing only 6 people total and 2 of those were just day hikers. Cats Up and Mustard stopped by for a short walk on their way back to Florida. Cats Up is on the ATC board and had just been to a meeting. She gave us some candy as she likes to give out magic if she’s able.

We did stop at Brushy Mountain Outfitters for lunch. I shouldn’t be hungry with the trail being so easy, but I had a burger, fries, shake, Coke, pie, and M&Ms—I guess my body is preparing to be mothballed for winter.

Bunny did finally pass the 600 mile mark today. 8 months and 6 days to make 600 miles. We are slow. Shortly after the 600 mile mark, we endeavored to find a camping spot as we didn’t have another 4 miles left in us. We found a relatively level spot under some Rhododendrons next to what used to be a creek but was now just a puddle. 

EFG

Today’s List

12 Best shelters on trail:

12)—Plum Orchard Shelter, GA…built with the help of the Army Corps of Enhineers, this is a multi-level shelter and the nicest shelter in the state of Georgia. It feels more like a fun house than a mouse house. 

11)—RPH Shelter, NY…Ralph’s Peak Hikers. Normally, when the NPS acquires property, they tear down all man made structures on it. Ralph campaigned to keep the house and convert it to a trail shelter. The group remodeled the house and still maintain it, this could be why they left one of their volunteers legs dangling from the ceiling. 

10)—Overmountain Shelter, VA…an old barn converted to a shelter that sleeps almost 30. This is the biggest shelter on the trail. If you sleep on the platforms on the lower level, expect an amazing sunrise to wake you up. 

9)—Fontana Dam Hilton, NC…running water, showers, and electricity just a short walk up the road. Nestled on a rise over Fontana Lake, this is the gateway to the Smokies. Stay with 2 dozen of your closest friends in this double decker shelter. If you’re drinking, choose a spot on the lower level as the steps are tricky. No Worries found out the hard way.

8)—Whiskey Hollow, VA…This is a new prototype two story shelter with covered porch/cooking area. Definitely better than its brother shelter, Dick’s Dome which has a copperhead infestation. A few people decided to zero here because it was so nice. As with nearly every helper, there are mice. We didn’t discover this until one dropped on a woman’s head and her screams woke us up. 

7)—501 Shelter, PA…a fully enclosed shelter that sleeps 12. There’s running water at the caretakers house. Inside is a huge skylight. Even though it’s enclosed, mini-bears and mice abound so hang your pack. 

6)—Chestnut Knob Shelter, VA…A fully enclosed stone shelter located just above Burke’s Garden (a.k.a. God’s Thumbprint). As an extra measure, there is hurricane strapping over the whole building. I thought this was overkill until 2 in the morning when the winds started blowing. 

5)—Partnership Shelter, VA…Just outside of Marion, VA, this two story shelter with solar shower is just off the highway. There is a phone located at the adjacent park office with menus for the pizzas you can have delivered. What more do you need in the back country. 

4)—Bryant Ridge Shelter, VA…This shelter has the floor plan of a small house. It is multi-level with a wrap around deck. After stopping for burgers and shakes at  the campground just off trail, it’s the perfect hiking distance to just walk the swollen belly off before going to bed early. 

3)—The Lookout, VT…A private cabin with stunning views of the Whites just up trail. There is a platform on top of the two story cabin with a very steeply pitched roof that has a very imposing ladder to climb. The only drawbacks are no water and no privy. 

2)—Tumbling Run Shelters, PA…A tie for the two maintainers of the shelters that live just off trail. This is a twin shelter with segregated quarters for snorers. There’s also a very clean privy with toilet paper provided. 

2)—Quarry Gap Shelters, PA…The competitor for Tumbling Run. Also a twin shelter. I have to admit, slightly nicer with a swing and rerouted stream running in front of the shelter. When a rabbit hopped by, Bunny chose this as her favorite shelter on the trail. 

1)—Jim and Molly Denton Shelter, VA…A horseshoe pit to help pass the down time. Also, there is a separate covered picnic area, a stream-fed solar power shower, a extremely clean privy, and a huge deck in front of the shelter with a bench. After months on the trail, any seats are luxurious. 

It was still pretty cold this morning when we got going, just like my last time here. Does it ever get warm around Burke’s Garden? We didn’t see as many people today, only 3 sobos: Pulitzer, Marcus, and Polywog. And 4 section hikers one of which was Pack Rat. Not the same Pack Rat that owns the Hikers Welcome Hostel in NH. This was a rather interesting 72 year old Pack Rat. This was only his third day out and he was bored and lonely. To keep in shape he does push-ups. So far, he’s done over 11,000 this year. He’s thinking about getting off if he doesn’t run into more people. He’s averaging 25 miles a day and already had 18 when we ran into him. We had 3. 

We also ran into a trail maintenance worker from Piedmont AT Hikers. He was out scouting this section getting ready for some work this weekend. This section on the ridge was actually in pretty good shape. 

For some reason, I clearly remember the date Gnome and I walked through here last time. It was 4/20, but I have no clear idea why that date sticks out. I do know I spent 12 years in Catholic school (and not one time molested by a priest) and was an Eagle Scout. It’s funny how certain dates stick in your memory. 

A big advantage of hiking this section a second time is first hand knowledge of the area. I knew if we continued past Laurel Creek, we wouldn’t have water near the trail for another 9 miles and we’d miss Brushy Mountain Outfitters for a meal. I remembered a campsite with a picnic table by the creek, so that was our target for the day. Mission accomplished. 

EFG

Today’s List

25 experiences to not miss: (no ranking in order of enjoyment derived)

Spend the night at The Doyle Hotel in Duncannon, PA—As Chad the Dad told us, this is just one strobe light shy of being a haunted house. There’s a rumor that the place might close because of back taxes and not because of the exposed electrical wiring, the leaking drains, the crumbling plaster….

Pet some ponies at Grayson Highlands in VA—If you don’t see ponies, it surely means you are a loser in life. For best chances, spend the night at Thomas Knob Shelter just before entering the highlands; there is a group of ponies that will come to you there to lick your hiking poles and/or sweaty legs. (Or if you’re really lucky, one might follow you to the privy and save you some tp)  Don’t plan on eating at the picnic table there because they are nosey (to say the least)

Stay with the Twelve Tribes at either Yellow Deli and free Hostel in Rutland, VT or just before Harpers Ferry, WV—This is an incredibly friendly religious group that sees hikers as people searching for answers and, therefore, as possible recruits. Although on the FBI watch list for child labor violations because of their communal expectation that everyone helps out, they do not seem to be scary in the least. I don’t know if I’d go in alone, though. 

Dangle your feet over the edge at McAfee Knob/Tinker Cliffs in VA—If you do, get down and crawl out and back, standing up too fast can cause people to lose balance and fall. One person died this year from a fall here. This is the most iconic spot on the AT at McAfee Knob, but Tinker Cliffs is every bit as dramatic and not as crowded just a bit further up trail. 

Stop in at the Barbershop in Port Clinton, PA—As soon as you walk in the door, Frank points you to the free donuts and coffee. As he’s working on customers, he’ll talk to you about your trail experience and ask you to sign his log book. He has free charging stations and a bathroom for you to use. If you need anything, just ask for his help. We needed a ride to Walmart and he asked everyone there to give us a ride. The guy who was getting his hair cut took me as soon as he was done. 

Go for dinner at the Home Place when you spend the night at Four Pines Hostel —This is really a no-brainer. A free hostel with a free ride to a family style AYCE restaurant when your hiker hunger is fully kicked in. I don’t even normally like fried chicken but I couldn’t get enough (actually, I eventually did, that’s the beauty of AYCE). Any donation to Four Pines eventually works it’s way back yo a massive hiker feed at Trail Days. 

Hitch a ride to Devil’s Backbone Brewery and stay the night—If you get to the road early enough in the day, they will even come pick you up. We got there too late for the free shuttle and spent quite a while trying to hitch in. It was drizzling, foggy, and averaged 1 car every 10 minutes. It took a while but was worth the wait. We thought this was going to be just a small brewery with a grassy field out back. Instead, AB/InBev has bought the property and invested over $50M. This is first class yet they still keep to their roots and cater to hikers with free camping and a new shower house. All they ask is that you eat and drink there. Drink? I can do that. 

Stay at Upper Goose Pond and get some free pancakes from the AMC—This is one of the few things the AMC actually does for thru-hikers that they don’t charge for. Volunteers take turns coming in for 1-2 weeks to cook pancakes and coffee for hikers. The cabin sleeps at least 20 in the dorm upstairs and on the floor downstairs. It’s first come, first served. Remember, these are volunteers and it’s free so help out and ask before you do anything. 

Stay at the Cookie Lady and help out—Do a good deed and get some home made cookies. This lovely couple operates a u-pick blueberry operation and let hikers stay for free. They are well into their 80s and could use any help hikers can offer. We mowed their blueberry patch. Here’s your chance to pay back some of the magic you’ve received. 

Call for the boat ride across Pemadumcook Lake and spend the night at Whitehouse Landing—Keep in mind, this is not a hostel but a Maine backwoods camp. This is not for those tight on budget, but this is a unique experience. Things are a little pricey because of what it takes to get supplies out to here. They don’t cater to hikers, but they accommodate them. An over night stay is required if you ride the boat. Did I mention the $40 Bic lighters? They come with 4g of pot. 

Spend the night at The Lookout—This is a private cabin just a little over 1/4 mile off of the trail in Vermont. The owners let thru-hikers stay for free so clean up after yourself. There’s a deck on top of the 2 story cabin where you can catch the first sight of Moosilauke Mountain and the Whites. Carry in your own water. 

Spend the night at the AMC Highland Center, NH—Its an easy hitch to get there from the road. Even though this place has a bunkhouse, it’s not really set up for thru-hikers. There’s no resupply or laundry on site and it can be quite expensive if you are on a tight budget. What it does provide are clean rooms, plenty of bathrooms, and AYCE supper and breakfast buffets. There a well stocked gas station an easy hitch down the road. This was a very classy stop. 

Stay in The Dungeon at Lake of the Clouds Hut, NH—Be sure and go to bed right at dark to get the full peasant experience as the dinner show goes on overhead. The sunset views from the shoulder of Mount Washington were astounding. If you aren’t in a hurry in the morning, you can probably snag some food after the paying guest are done. This was, by far, the friendliest Hut ran by the AMC. 

Camp at Dismal Creek Falls, VA and have a party—Pack out some supplies from Trent Grocery. Soak your beer and feet in the cold water while having a leisurely evening. Lots of locals come down the opposite shore and are fun to hang with (think Yogi). Set your camp up below the falls where the sounds of rushing water lull you to sleep. 

Climb Washington Monument in MD—Too many people rush through Maryland obsessed with the easy walking. This state has a lot of sites worth slowing down for, one of which is the first monument/tower dedicated to George Washington. Study your history because this man was truly a great individual. He turned down the crown, not once, but twice. He didn’t lead a revolution to start another monarchy. He got it even knowing that “it’s good to be the king!”

Climb the tower on Bear Mountain, NY—On a clear day, you can see straight down the Hudson River to NYC. Study the history and soak up the views. Plus, the section of trail coming down Bear Mountain is probably the nicest section on the entire AT. Trail workers here are farming their services out everywhere because they know how to build and maintain durable long lasting trails. 

Climb the war memorial tower on Mt Greylock, MA—As part of the tower climbing streak of the trail, this is another tower to not miss in any weather—great views abound. There’s also a lodge just before the tower (if nobo) that serves great food and has WiFi. 

Climb up the backside of Mt Killington and eat a burger, VT—It’s a tough 0.3 mile climb up and over the peak but you’re rewarded with the most expensive burger you will ever eat. Consider this your reward for making it 1700 miles. 

Soak in a hot tub in Hot Springs, NC—With any luck, you’ll arrive on a cold snowy day. Nothing makes a blizzard more enjoyable than sucking down a few local brews, soaking in a covered hot tub, laughing with friends. Bring your own music and alcohol. 

Climb up the tower on Clingmans Dome in the Smokies—This is the highest point on the entire AT. I’ve heard, it’s rare to get a clear day, but we had a clear blue sky with a temperature of 15 F. The recent snow made for the most stunning views of the Smokies. Knowing that we were soon going to be inside after 4 days of below freezing temperatures made it all the sweeter. 

Stop at one (or all) of the Road side cafes (Waysides) in Shenandoah and have a blackberry shake—With all the eating options in Shenandoah, it’s possible to just enter the park with a day’s food and eat at all the restaurants and waysides and magic. It might get a little expensive but…hamburgers and beer for lunch every day!? Shenandoah is really the first chance you get on your thru-hike where you don’t have to spend the day watching your feet every step. 

Eat at the breakfast buffet at Skyline Restaurant in Shenandoah—Sometimes the house wins, sometimes the house looses. There’s bacon on the buffet and hungry hikers in line. Not good for the house. Fortunately, there are plenty of obese car tourists that prefer sweets. 

Eat at Three Little Pigs BBQ in Daleville, VA—Not only is the barbecue great, this place loves thru-hikers. Every time a hiker eats there, you get free banana pudding. This is the good stuff, too. Patches, no slouch when it comes to eating, got delayed a day getting out of town because she couldn’t resist another round. 

Grab a couple hot dogs and some ice cream at Bellvale Farms Creamery in NY—Unfortunately for us, the hot dog stand is closed on Mondays, but the dairy just down the road, is open and is popular for a reason. Great ice cream and a great view. I’m not certain what the distance limit for an off trail side trip for ice cream is (or if one even exists) but the 3/4 mile walk is not too long. 

Order a pizza at Penn Mar State Park—The park superintendent stopped by on his way home and made it a point to tell us we could not spend the night after we finished eating. He also made it a point to tell us he would be back at 8 the next morning. Of course, we stayed. We were woke up by locals who live next to the park bringing us magic and making sure we were on our way before we got in trouble. 

Tour the Yuengling Brewery, PA—This is the oldest continuous brewery in the USA. They managed to remain in production during prohibition by claiming there stout beer was medicinal for pregnant women, giving rise to an entire generation of mentally challenged politicians. Apparently, there are still a lot of mothers still using the stout during pregnancy because Washington, DC has an unending line of mentally impaired politicians to this day. Free Beer is always an attraction to thru-hikers. 

With our late arrival last night, we were not in a hurry to get up early and get moving. Bert came down about 8:30 and talked with us, and Bert can talk. She has done some LASHing of the AT and enjoys her trail time, that’s a big reason she and her husband started the hostel. Between talking with her, eating breakfast, and repacking, we didn’t get on trail until 10:30. Because this was where Bunny left the trail, I kept sharing events that happened to me along the trail while she was gone. If anyone reading this blog reacts as enthusiastically as Bunny did to me, I might as well quit writing.

We didn’t know what to expect regarding the numbers of hikers we would meet this late in the season. There had been a storm passing through the area last week which might have pushed a few late starting sobos off for a while. We did expect to see a few hikers. We weren’t prepared to see a total of 11 sobos including Baby who we had hiked with in Connecticut. He started at Harpers Ferry as a nobo when we had run into him. Once he sumitted Katahdin, he flipped back down to Harpers Ferry to head south to Springer. 

I was flabbergasted by the number of downed trees from rains from hurricanes that lined the trail. I had forgotten that this area had been hit by two hurricanes this year. Most recently, Michael had even forced Shenandoah to close down for five days. The damage wasn’t quite as bad as the damage from the microburst we had seen in New York, but it will take the trail crews a bit of time and effort to clear. I was going to show Bunny the trees that a tornado had taken down the day we had gotten caught on a ridge last spring, but those downed trees were indistinguishable from the rest now. 

I discovered a new hiking hazard—too much reminiscing. Everywhere we went, I’d recount to Bunny what had happened here while she was gone. This is where I ran into Little Blue and a Gnome and started hiking with them; this is where Gnome changed his clothes; this is where I peed (I always remember when I mark my territory).

After experiencing Maine, Virginia seemed all green. There wasn’t much color at all, but there were lots of leaves on ground. It doesn’t look like this area is going to have much in the terms of fall colors from all the storm damage. 

I was amazed at the dirt trails with switchbacks. At the time, we didn’t know how nice we had it in VIrginia. Now after VT, NH, and ME the trail seemed so…easy. What I had thought were big climbs were just little bitty climbs. Did I really whine and complain as much as I thought I did back then? I must have been channeling someone else. 

Even with the late start and the delays from reminiscing, we still made it to Chestnut Knob Shelter with plenty of time to set up and cook before it got dark (and the days are noticeably shorter, again). When Gnome and I had stayed here, we were forced to get top bunks because they were the only two available. The shelter had been completely full with lots of people camping further down the mountain before the shelter. This time, Bunny and I had the enclosed shelter all to ourselves. 

EFG

Today’s List

10 best trail towns:

#10) Pearisburg, VA—One of my trail friends was waiting in line at the post office and a random guy started talking to him, asking if he was a thru-hiker. When he said he was, the guy said “We’re very glad you chose to come into town. If there’s anything you need, let me know and I’ll set you in the right direction.” This stranger turned out to be the mayor. 

#9) Waynesboro, VA—Stanimals, 2 great smorgasbords, a great outfitter, ice cream shops, coffee shops, and a list of trail angels posted on the entry to town for you to call if you need anything. We stayed 3 days. 

#8) Rangely, ME—A back woods village that used to be a ski town. It has everything you need in an amazing setting. We even saw a moose on the road here (GCN’s influence doesn’t extend to off trail). Manageable, quaint, friendly, and a great place for a zero. 

#7) Kent, CT—A bit pricey for the average thru-hiker, but everything you need in easy walking distance. Charming and high class town that was very friendly to hikers. Just be sure to not take your pack into the laundromat. 

#6) Great Barrington, MA—Like Kent, this town is can be a bit on the pricey side, but it has everything a hiker needs to enjoy a great day of rest. The town also provides free camping and showers at the sports center for those on a tighter budget. A Berkshire paradise for rich and thru-hiker alike. 

#5) Delaware Water Gap, PA—The oldest jazz club/hotel in the country along with a gorgeous setting added to the fact that, if you are nobo, you are done with PA. The people and businesses in town welcome hikers with open arms. 

#4) Boiling Springs, PA—One of the most beautiful little villages I’ve ever seen. The town is built around a spring-fed lake. The ATC even has an office here right on the trail. It’s even easy walking in and out of town on the longest section of flat trail (almost 18 miles of level walking). Free camping and lots of discounts to hikers, but there are hostels as well. Stop by the ATC office for any help you may need. 

#3) Monson, ME—The gateway to the hundred mile wilderness. Recently, the founder of Bert’s Bees has been pumping money into the town in the hopes of developing a local art scene. Home of Shaw’s Hostel as well as an information office for Baxter to answer any question you could have and help you out with registering for Katahdin. Plenty of shopping choices in town but it’s easy to catch a ride to a grocery store in the next town if you’re on a tight budget. Plenty of help here, just ask. 

#2) Hot Springs, NC—What a surprise this town turned out to be. There are lots of hostels, restaurants, and activities. This is the first real town after the Smokies so it sees a fair amount of hikers quitting here. In fact, by the time hikers make it this far, 50% have quit. The town got its name for a reason, don’t miss a chance to soak in the hot springs. We got a tub for 6 of us on a snowy day…BYOB. 

#1) Hanover, NH—Now we’re talking. Dartmouth is a huge supporter of the trail and hiking. Everyone in town knows about the AT. People were so friendly, even crossing the street to enquire about how our hike was going. Literally, the road out of VT is lined with magic. It’s quite a trip to have obvious super rich parents and kids corner the smelly hikers, understand what you are doing, and praise you. Lots of hiker discounts and free food at local businesses. Places to stay are a bit limited, though. There are free buses and inexpensive hotels. Ask just about anyone you meet for assistance. 

Today was another zero day for us, but a total day of travel beginning at 4a and not ending until midnight. Peter and Marcia took us to the train/bus station in Portland for us to catch the early bus to Boston. From Boston, we caught the train to Roanoke, VA. We didn’t have to worry about missing our stop because Roanoke is the end of the line. 

Bubba picked us up in Roanoke and took us on a harrowing ride to Bear Garden Hostel. I tried to engage Bubba in conversation, but after an hour I gave up. Bubba is a man of few words, the total of which are “yeah, nope, maybe, I don’t know.” He was friendly, just not a conversationalist. The scariest part of the day was the final 20 miles on curvy back roads to the hostel where little critters were out enjoying the warm pavement on the cool night. Bubba had an inherent belief they would move out of his way. I had an inherent belief we were going to die. Bunny chose the ostrich approach and ducked down in the back seat. 

With all the available travel time we had today, I decided that I would put together a few lists about our trail experiences this year. The first of these lists follows. I was inspired by our final destination today, just outside of Bland, VA. 

EFG

5 most disappointing/worst trail towns:

#5) Bland, VA—there has probably never been a more aptly named town. There was nothing spectacular at all about this town. 

#4) Cheshire, MA—we encountered the rudest person we met on the entire trail here. An obese gentleman with sweaty armpits took time out of his busy day to follow us through the Dollar General to share with us that we needed showers. We truly appreciated the input as we had hiked 13.9 miles on a hot day and had no idea. 

#3) Glasgow, VA—the only redeeming aspect of this town was the giant dinosaur standing guard over the park. Hard to get into and out of with very little selection for the effort. Stanimal has a Hostel here which is not as well managed as his Waynesboro location. Without warning, they came in at 7:45 and asked if we were on the 7 or 8 shuttle. That was the first time we had any communication with the absentee host. 

#2) Gatlinburg, TN—tourist trap from hell. Not the ideal place to be stuck for 5 days waiting out a couple of blizzards in the Smokies. The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum was the high point with it being downhill from there. 

#1) Damascus, VA—trail town, USA was the biggest disappointment to us. We walked into town and didn’t see a single person on the street or an open business on a Saturday afternoon. The bar on the Main Street had just opened and served pizza, but no beer…coming soon! Hopefully, it comes alive for trail days, but after our first encounter, we opted out of a return trip. 

But the story of our thru-hike doesn’t quite end there. We still have an 80 mile section that Bunny tried to skip in Virginia that she was hoping I’d forget about, but I am a purist and a good husband. She tried suggesting that I rent a car and slack pack her through the area to try to make her life easier. She was merely kidding because we both know the minute that I’d drop her off in the morning, out would go her thumb the second I left. I agreed to do only as a good husband would. I will hike the 80 miles with her to make sure she covers every inch of trail. One day she’ll thank me. Today is so far from that day that we can’t even see the light from our dying sun. 

That’s just the start of our post-Katahdin hiking experience. In the mean time, we still need to explain about the breaking up of the fellowship and how we are to get back down to central Virginia to finish up. 

We had a hard time believing we didn’t have to get up and start walking again this morning. Instead, we slept in until almost 8 before we gathered together at the hotel continental breakfast where we had our first meal of the day while trying to decide where we were going to go have second breakfast. We know we’re going to have to cut back on our eating now that we’re not putting in the miles. We choose to work towards that end by only having 4 meals today—baby steps. It was agreed that second breakfast would be at Appalachian Trail Cafe as soon as we could round everyone up. 

There’s a tradition at the Appalachian Trail Cafe that every thru-hiker signs a ceiling tile. This usually takes 7-8 2’x4’ tiles every year. They keep this year’s tiles on hand and a few select tiles from previous years that they actually place in the ceiling. We all signed our tiles as well as looked through this years to see which of our trail friends had already signed. The number of people we knew was beyond count. It seemed like everyone we have ever met or talked to has passed us. 

We spent the rest of the first day doing laundry, packing, loading the car, driving down to Portland, breaking to eat lunch, making frequent bathroom stops, and snacking—we don’t want to cut off the supply of food too quickly and send our bodies into food shock. We dropped Bear, Sassy, and GCN at a car rental location before proceeding to Peter and Marcia’s new house. We are planning to meet later. Naturally enough, for supper…our last supper as a tramily. 

Everyone met up at Peter and Marcia’s house before heading to downtown Portland for supper at B Good. Portland has a thriving downtown with excellent restaurants, a local art scene, and a bustling harbor. B Good can be described as a locally sourced, organic, fast food restaurant. We need to transition to healthy food again after 8 months of mostly crap. I’ll admit, M&Ms, although delicious, are not a healthy choice. With our diverse geographic locations across the country—Bear and Sassy from Huntsville, AL; Bunny and I from the Midwest; Peter and Marcia from Maine (not lifelong residents which means, even after 20 years, still outsiders); and Good Chip Norris from NJ—GCN offered to act as translator for the rest of us since he from the geographic midpoint. Peter started talking with his ME accent with GCN quietly taking it all in. He then turned to us to translate “I have no idea what the hell he just said.”

GCN got up at 4 the next morning and walked to the bus station becoming the first to break away. The rest of us met up at the Bayou Kitchen for breakfast before Bear and Sassy headed back to their car in NH. Our tramily was officially dissolved after 75 days of constantly being together. It felt strange to not have Bear and Sassy with us, but at least we had Peter and Marcia who we’ve been friends with since we met in Scotland on the West Highland Way. Marcia had to work, so Peter took us shopping for resupply before we headed to Mackworth Island.

Not only did Percival Baxter give people of the state of Maine the State Park bearing his family name, he also built a school for the deaf on the island the family used to own and live on. We walked around the island, all the while amazed at Perceval’s generousity. He was a state representative, a state senator, and former governor of the state after earning his law degree from Harvard. His family had made its fortune in the canning industry which he inherited. He never had children of his own. He did have dogs which are buried on Mackworth where he had a requirement that they were to remain and have the grave preserved.

The next morning, we had breakfast at the Bayou Kitchen, once again. On todays agenda was a visit to the Portland farmers market. The main emphasis was for Bunny and I to rest and relax while spending time with the oldest friends we have as a couple. We spent a leisurely afternoon walking around cemetery close to their house which is the location of the Baxter family graves. We enjoyed the beautiful fall colors and got to personally extend our thanks to Percival Baxter for his generosity. In recent times, Baxter State Park has considered not allowing the AT to have its northern terminus on Katahdin because of some poor behavior on the part of some hikers. I can’t imagine a more fitting end to the journey (and ours was on a crappy day).

The next day, our last in Portland, Marcia had to put in a couple hours at work again, but we still managed to spend time in the afternoon walking through the cemetery again before connecting up with the city wide Portland Trail. This is not a paved trail running through town, but an actual wilderness trail in the heart of the city. Portland might only be a city of less than 70,000, but it has everything you’d expect a much larger city to have. 

The 3 days in Portland went by way too fast. Peter and Marcia have been trying to sell us on Portland as a final destination for us when we get done hiking. Once again, they have done an excellent job. In between walks and activities, we managed to get our gear cleaned up, get resupplied, eat home cooked meals, listen to some music, and play cribbage. We had so much fun, I didn’t even bother to pay attention to who won at cribbage. This isn’t surprising since I tend not to be the least bit competitive.

EFG

What should have been our crowning achievement turned out to be the most miserable day of hiking we had on the entire Appalachian Trail. Of course, I’m talking about finishing the hike by summiting Mt Katahdin.

I’m not into numerology, but when I got my summit number of 1212, I was excited. We started out doing an after hours registration in Amicalola Falls on February 11. When we called in to find our registration number, we found out we were 150 & 151 even though someone we met the first day on the trail had a number of 63 (meaning approximately 90 people started the same week we did). When we got to Harpers Ferry, we got 571 & 572. This demonstrates that over 500 people passed us up (plus probably twice that many started and quit before making it that far) from Georgia to West Virginia. Our numbers of 1212 & 1213 mean that a minimum of  another 700 people passed us up from WV to Maine. We nailed the “taking our time” objective of our hike. 

The ranger had the list of everyone who has been up Katahdin this year. He let me look through the list and I recognized well over 100 of our friends. Lucky 59, Pepper Pot, Pit Boss, Purple Haze, Earl Grey, Geo, Summit, Little Blue, and Bear Foot…most of the people we were hiking early on started submitting in mid August to mid September. The final four I listed made it almost the entire way together having met in the first couple of days of their journey. Little Blue had gotten injured and fell behind for a while. I was very glad to see that they got reunited and finished together. We also saw some people that we know didn’t hike the entire way, I won’t name any names other than Rick James because he was so blatant. This is an honor system so lying bastards don’t get shamed—except, luckily, part of my hike including judging other’s hike. 

While registering with the ranger, we asked about alternate routes down off of the mountain. The ranger told us that we could save well over a mile if we came down the Abol Trail which intersects the Hunt Trail at Thoreau Springs. It’s pretty steep up top until you get to the woods, but then it should be a cake walk out. 

One of our friends that we met on the West Highland Way in Scotland lives in Portland, ME. Peter had agreed to come up to Baxter State Park and hike Katahdin with us before bringing all of us back to Portland at the end of our hikes. We got up at 6a, ate breakfast, and loaded Peter’s car with all of our extra gear. We all headed up the Hunt Trail together. Peter still hadn’t decided if he was going to hike all the way up or not. 

When we got to Katahdin Streams Falls, we got some pictures as a group. It was here that Peter said he just didn’t feel up to the journey and that he was going to head back. He’d meet us at the bottom of the Abol Trail this afternoon. We said our goodbyes and continued up. By now, we were in a heavy mist. As we continued to climb, I started getting a little hungry. The trees were getting fewer and fewer so I talked everyone into stopping for a snack before we went any further. 

As soon as we got above tree-line, the wind picked up significantly. With the mist turning to light rain with sustained winds of 40 mph (Good Chip Norris has worked with FEMA and is pretty good at judging wind speeds—this is his estimate of the winds and not a figure I’m pulling out of a dark, secret, place below and behind me), and a projected high of 48 deg F. It was miserable walking. It took us as long to get from the Gateway to Thoreau Spring as it had to get from Katahdin Stream Campground to the Gateway. The mile from Thoreau Spring to Baxter Peak was the longest mile of the entire trail. We had less than 15’ visibility from the time we got above tree-line. 

While walking with my head down in the wind trying to divert my thoughts from my misery, I realized that the Appalachian Trail is really just a video game. Each state along the way is just another level where we develop a skill for later in the game. Once that skill is learned, you get to move on to the next level. Georgia taught us to walk in the rain. Pennsylvania taught us to walk on rocks and pounded the lesson into our feet. New Hampshire taught us to climb the trail. Vermont taught us to walk in running water and mud. Massachusetts drilled fog and poor visibility into the ground. Tennessee and North Carolina drove home walking in the freezing cold. Each state taught us a different skill and each skill has been required for us to make it up the last mountain, today. 

Even standing next to each other, we couldn’t hear each other speak. We stayed within 10’ of each other all the way up to not lose anyone. We had planned on sitting at the peak and looking back on the trail considering all that we had overcome to make it here. Instead, we took our obligatory pictures standing on the sign and getting the hell down as fast as possible. It was so foggy, I never even saw the cairn near the sign. 

An interesting set of numbers do apply to our summit experience. Today’s date is 10/10. We arrived at the summit at 1:11. My summit number is 1212. The numbers line up either making this a great day to buy a winning lottery ticket, or, more than likely, I’m being told NOT to waste my money on a lottery ticket as I’ve wasted my luck even making it up to the peak on such a crappy day. In either case, if your retirement plans revolve around lottery tickets, you’ve probably made some bad decisions along the way. Welcome to my world. 

We were practically running back to Thoreau Spring. We made the turn and started heading down the trail following the scar we could see from Rainbow Ledges just the day before yesterday. It was slick, cold, and miserable in all ways. We were losing feeling in our hands. I was leading to try to slow Bunny down. I was afraid she was going too fast and might fall. At one point, Sassy sat down to slide off the face of a large boulder only to slide sideways and fall. She started crying, asking “why does this have to be so hard?” There was a break in the wind and I could hear Chip a few yards behind me say “I was told there’d be cake.”

This was just the tension relief we needed. After a good laugh, we regrouped and pushed on. We did still lose the trail once, but not for long. Lucky for us, Peter had started to walk up the Abol Trail to meet us with about a mile to go. When we got to the ranger station, Peter had to sign out for us because none of our hands could grip the pen. With the wind blowing the rain, water managed to get in Bunny’s z-pack chest pack and ruin her camera and phone. I was just glad to be done with Katahdin without any significant injury. 

We piled all of our gear and frozen bodies into Peter’s SUV and turned the heater on full. We were so happy to have the ride all taken care of since we were later than the shuttle to the Appalachian Trail Lodge. Before we were out of Baxter State Park, we were starting to thaw out. Peter then shared a treat with us as a reward for a job well done—dark chocolate peanut butter cups. We headed to the ATL only to find that it was filled beyond capacity. The crappy weather had driven everyone into town. We had only seen 3 other hikers all day and this hostel with a capacity of over 25 was full. No special treatment for the victors, but the whimps that bail have a warm dry place. 

There was a hotel in town, fittingly enough, Katahdin Inn. Instead of sharing a crowded hostel with smelly hikers, we could get king sized beds in private rooms. What the hell, we’re no longer thru-hikers, we have completed our hike and are now civilized people once again. Granted, smelly and hungry civilians who wanted to celebrate Sassy’s birthday and finishing the hike. We can handle pizza before showers one last time. 

I will miss the three people with whom we spent the entirety of Maine with: Bear, Sassy, and Good Chip Norris. They made us laugh the entire way and kept us going when our motivation was dropping. I know from this day forward, whenever I’m having a miserable, lousy day of hiking, I’ll wish they were there (instead of me).

EFG

Having a Cabin next to a modern bathroom is not necessary. As soon as I stepped out of the cabin into the cold night air, there was no way I could wait the extra 50’ to make it to the bathroom. I just hoped that I didn’t leave so big of a wet spot on the doorstep that everyone noticed it in the morning. I felt most sorry for GCN who chose the bunk by the door with his head towards it to help mitigate his snoring for the rest of us. Every time I got up, he got a burst of cold air in his face. 

Chip was the first up and out. I thought he went to the bathroom until he came back with a cup of coffee. As soon as he got back in the cabin, I knew everyone was awake so I was the first to say “Happy Birthday, Sassy!” This Birthday changes a lot of things for us. First, unlike mine which brought me to 55 meaning 4 out of 5 of us were the same age, Sassy has now turned 56 leaving only 3 of us behind who barely qualify for the senior specials at certain restaurants. Second, unlike my birthday which didn’t significantly alter the average age of our group, Sassy’s extra year combined with Bear’s extra years now means the average age of our tramily, when we summit Katahdin will be 56 (yes, Bear has that many extra years to distribute). Thirdly, the “Happy Birthday” wish was not necessary which we only discovered when Sassy was packing up and couldn’t find her underwear. How they pulled that one off with 3 other people in the cabin can only mean it was quiet and short in duration. Whatever makes her happy. 

We all decided to forgo making our own instant coffee for some fresh brewed Green Mountain from the store. We headed up and got coffee as well as a very nutritious breakfast of Crispy Cream Bear Claws. The bad part was these were only the 560 calorie versions for those dieting, non-hiker type of people. I prefer the 720 calorie version when available. Sadly, the ice cream side of the store has been closed down for over a week. What idiot thought hikers wouldn’t want ice cream just because it’s 35 deg F out?

We started the day with a rare road walk. I’ll bet we haven’t walked a total of 20 miles of road on the entire trail. This is amazing when you consider that almost 1/3 of the Trail was on road when Earl Shaffer allegedly was the first thru-hiker after WWII. We walked along the Golden Road (sadly, there was a light shower in the air which made me feel dirty, I’m thinking I also felt a little Presidential in retrospect) for a little over half a mile before entering Baxter State Park. If one chooses to follow the road, which is cheating by any definition, he will reach Katahdin Stream Campground in just under 5 miles. We are not cheaters. One day everyone will thank me for hiking the extra 5 miles and maintaining our purity. To my surprise, today was that day. 

Over the course of the day, we will gain just a little over 500’ in 10 miles. This is not even a noticeable climb. Bear and Sassy are in such good shape that they can’t even detect a climb of less than 2000’ per mile. Chip, being a Norris, doesn’t even believe that climbs exist on the Appalachian Trail. He’s constantly making fun of his younger brother and refers to him as “Hollywood.” They just haven’t forgiven him for the whole “Texas Ranger” thing. 

Baxter State Park does have a special feel to it unlike any place else along the trail. Perceval Baxter donated this land to the people of Maine so they will always have a preserved wilderness space that is to remain in a virtually, untouched state. There are to be no permanent structures or roads on the land. There is no plumbing or electricity in the park, nor cell signals. The park, although called a state park, is not a part of Maine’s State Park system. He set up an endowment for its separate management and was very specific about his desires for the maintenance of the woods in a pristine state. I was prepared to be turned off by the park because of its rules, but was thankful for them. I did feel like I was entering a special place. 

October in Maine is wonderful. October in Baxter is perfect. Yes, it was cold. Yes, it was drizzling. Yes, it was cloudy. Yes, it was colorful. Yes, it was mystical. Yes, it was wet. And, yes, it was mooseless. 

Baxter was filled with colorful forest sections. Every turn, rise, or stream crossing led to another type of woods dominated by another color of foliage. Bunny was in heaven as we strolled along the Penobscot River for the first couple of miles until we reached the western side of Baxter and turned and started following the Nesowadnehunk Stream (hence forth shall be known as the Wad). 

Several side streams feed into the Wad which we had to cross. Normally, I’m the sure footed one so I try to cross first and have my camera ready as everyone else crosses. It’s been my goal to catch someone in the act of falling. Finally my efforts paid off and someone did slip off a rock and go in. Karma can be a bitch because it was me. Bunny was “Johnny on the spot” and got pictures of me. While I was trying to extract myself, I managed to slip and snap one of my hiking poles. This was a carbon graphite set of poles I have been using since Damascus, VA. The break was in the upper section which allowed me to shorten the pole to the length that Bunny uses so we could switch poles and continue on.

As we continued along the Wad, we had numerous water falls to our left. We stopped for lunch as a group adjacent to Big Niagara Falls. We were excited but ready for a break. I guess you could say we had shot our Wad and were in need of a short smoke break. It was so loud sitting next to the falls that we could barely hear each other. When another couple out dayhiking stopped to talk to us, we moved back a bit in order to chat a while. They were from Colorado and were RVing around the northeast for a fall vacation.

Even with my fall and broken pole, I still had a very enjoyable day. The sky had remained cloudy all day but at least the mist had stopped. As we got near Daicey Pond, we ran across some bulletin boards that the park maintains for posting of rules and weather reports. We got the bad news that the weather was not going to be on our side tomorrow. It doesn’t really matter because,  barring severe storms, we will finish the trail tomorrow when we reach the summit of Katahdin. 

There were just 2 easy miles left to get to Katahdin Stream Campground. We already had a reservation for a site, so we headed straight there to set up and see if Peter had arrived yet. We were hoping he would already be there so we could talk him into taking us into Millinocket for supper to celebrate Sassy’s birthday. He wasn’t there, so we set up camp and checked in with the ranger.

Everyone else settled in for naps but I was too excited. I headed back up to the ranger station to try to find Peter and see if the ranger had shown up so we could apply for our permits to summit tomorrow. I ran into The General and the Aussie who were just coming down from the mountain. They had shot straight up here from Whitehouse Landing to finish a day ahead of us (today). They were visibly shaken. The General was white. He told me this was a terrible experience and said  “do not underestimate Katahdin. This is the hardest day of the entire trail.” He then showed me a short video of their time on top. It did look miserable.

When the ranger showed up, I started the process for Bunny and me, then I went back to let everyone know that the ranger was here. I went back up just as the ranger had found a wallet. Bunny and I said it looked like GCN’s wallet so I ran back to camp to check on him. I met Bear standing in the trail looking worried. Apparently it was GCN’s wallet. He had torn apart everything he owned looking for it. He was now in the privy with a “nervous stomach” experiencing rapid weight loss. We finally have got a new phrase to indicate when we need to use the privy—“I lost my wallet!” Enough said.

Peter showed up a little after 5. When Bunny and I asked about going into town, he said it just wouldn’t be possible tonight because of the time to get there—almost an hour and a half. I quietly broke the news to Bear. Marcia had sent cupcakes, guacamole, and chips for us to have tonight, so we celebrated Sassy’s birthday in camp. 

Peter was a bit bewildered when we all turned in for the night a little after 6. It was dark and we had eaten, what else is there to do? Peter is coming straight from civilization and, usually has a bit of insomnia any way, so he was no where near ready for sleep. I got up for my first time after a couple of hours of sleeping and I noticed a glow coming from his tent. Here it was almost 9 and he was still awake reading. City boy!

EFG