Category: 2018 Appalachian Trail

We got up at 6:30 again for breakfast. The big difference today is that Sassy joined us. Even though she’s not 100%, she is a go for today. Yesterday we had been told the shuttle back to the trail was at 9 so we planned on being ready to go at 9 today. When we stopped by the desk to make sure our names were on the list, they told us the last shuttle for the season was yesterday. I was floored. I knew that I had to step away from the counter because I wouldn’t have been able to remain calm. You’d think they might have mentioned this when a group of 5 thru-hikers extended their stay. No use getting mad. We would just unleash our secret weapon—Will Bear please come to the counter?

I actually felt kind of sorry for the counter person. They had no idea what kind of full Nelson mind maneuver was about to be put on them. I truly believe Bear is not only capable of talking his way out of a mugging, but he could end up with the mugger’s wallet, car keys, and gun with the mugger walking away, scratching his head, and feeling his ass to make sure he had stopped before full penetration, all the while smiling throughout the encounter. He’s that good. 

Our packs were lined up on the porch waiting to go. I had been informed we could call for a shuttle driver that would show up around noon and take us back to the trail for a mere $60. We ended with a shuttle in less than half an hour that cost us nothing. I think Bear also got a partial refund for the room, souvenir key chains for each of us, and a complimentary 6 pack of beer (he could have gotten a pony keg but we are trying to watch our pack weight). All in all, they were ecstatic to see us leave and couldn’t wait until we were gone. 

It was misting while we were waiting for the shuttle, but it had stopped by the time we were on the trail hiking. We all started with our rain gear on but quickly stripped it off as we ascended our modest morning climb. By all accounts, there’s not a lot of difficult hiking ahead of us until we get to Katahdin. Sure, we will have some tough days (the average age of our group is 56 but I’m not even 55 yet—have I ever mentioned that I’m the youngest of this geriatric hiking association?). For now, we just plan to take it relatively easy and plan to finish by the 9th or 10th of October. This will give us 5-6 days of leeway before Baxter State Park closes on the 15th.

The cool weather and steady, light rain of the last couple of days has had a fabulous effect on the forest colors. Right now, we are seeing much more color after our off day, but we are, by no means, at full fall color yet. It looks like we are going to enter the 100 mile wilderness at the height of the color explosion. As if I needed any more reason to love Maine. I’m sure I might have a different opinion if we were passing through during black fly season. It’s so beautiful here, I’m in a forgiving mood. I did like New Jersey and New York in spite of the heat. What the hell, Big Agnes, I’m putting you on notice that I forgive you for blatantly lying to me repeatedly. 

We took a short side trail down to the shore of Pleasant Pond where we stopped for lunch. There was a pleasant little dock where we sat admiring the pleasant little cabins that dotted the far sire of the, aptly named, Pleasant Pond. All in all, it was very pleasant sitting in the sun enjoying our pleasant lunch. The only thing that could make it better if we could climb a pleasant mountain this afternoon.

What luck. After our lunch break, we did get to climb 1000’ up Pleasant Pond Mountain. We can see a lot of mountains ahead of us, but they seem so far distant that we don’t have many concerns for the near future. The area immediately in front of us looks relatively level and pond drilled. We should be spending a good portion of the time walking near pond shores which will give us the illusion that we might spot a moose.

After our Pleasant Mountain experience, we continued the afternoon with a pleasant downhill all the way to Moxie Pond. There was an half way decent stealth spot around a trailhead parking lot that we decided to take. The other option was to continue on and take our chances finding another site with the worst case scenario of hiking another 6 miles to the next lean-to. None of us were willing to risk another 6 miles.

Bunny and I found a spot higher up in the woods above Bear and Sassy’s tent. This had a couple of real advantages. If someone decided to come into the parking lot during the night, they will more than likely, harass them before getting to us giving us time to sneak out the backside of the tent and make our getaway. It also gives me a target for middle of the night peeing on their tent. I only said I was putting Big Agnes on notice that I was forgiving them, not that I have forgiven them.

We set up camp on the hill and then came down in the valley to have supper with those beneath us. Chip was already in his hammock on the other side of the lot. Before anyone criticizes us for having an escape plan, keep in mind that GCN was already well hidden out of sight. While we were eating, a truck went storming by on the road. On further investigation, we discovered several houses/cabins further down the road.

Sometimes it’s easier to humor Bunny than reason with her. It was still light when we finished eating, so she wanted to go moose hunting. I KNOW we are not going to see a moose, but I agreed to walk along the shore of Moxie Pond and give it a go. I think the colors have even intensified more today. We went about 1/2 mile in both directions along the pond and then back to the houses on the spillway. The only wildlife we saw was a pancake shaped snake apparently ran over recently by a speeding pickup truck.

It was dark when we returned to camp. The only light was the reflection off of our tent and the glow of GCN’s iPhone from under his hammock fly. I tried to creep up to Bear and Sassy’s tent to relieve myself one last time for the night but then I had a tinge of guilt after Bear had managed to get us a free shuttle today. I satisfied myself by just peeing as high as possible on the tree closest to our tent in the hopes of intimidating any bears sniffing around. I’m hoping his thought process goes something like “if pee is this high on a tree, I may not be the alpha predator. I’d better move on!”

EFG

We all had agreed to get up around 6:30 and have breakfast downstairs together. Chip and I were first down to allow Sassy her morning colon cleansing time. Bunny followed shortly after me, but I was already on my 3rd cup of coffee, so not that closely behind. Finally, Bear showed up sans Sassy. Somewhere along the line, someone had performed the equivalent of slipping Sassy a mickey; i.e. she had a bite of bread. 

When Sassy says she’s gluten intolerant, she is for real. She found out accidentally that gluten was responsible for her joint pain a little over a year ago. Since then, she has shied away from it almost entirely. I’m reminded of a term I first heard while I was working for the Department of Energy in the nuclear weapons program. There had been an accident in a lab when someone had turned on a tank agitator in a vat of plutonium solution. There was enough plutonium present that it was able to achieve criticality when passing through the proper geometry (a long winded way of saying it released a lot of radiation but didn’t go “boom”). Everyone ran out of the lab when they saw the flash. One thoughtful technician calmly went back in to turn off the agitator causing the plutonium to go critical once again. He proceeded out of the lab and immediately experienced “explosive diarrhea” on the spot. This phrase applies amazingly well to Sassy’s exposure to gluten. 

She had lost a lot of fluids throughout the night and this morning (thankfully hitting the bowl and not the bed or path to the bathroom). She was feeling like crap according to Bear. He tried to take some food up to her to see if she could eat. GCN, Bunny, and I decided while they were upstairs that we would take a zero today to let her recover. It was already raining and there are worse places to stay a day that don’t have hot tubs or microbreweries on site. 

We talked to the receptionist when she came in to make sure we could keep the room. I spent the day drying out our gear, repacking, soaking in the hot tub, and occasionally trying out one of the beers on tap. Oh, and a few naps along the way. We only had two keys to the room. At one point, Bunny and I found ourselves locked out of the room without a key. I went to try the door and it was locked. I considered knocking until I put my ear to the door and heard snoring in three distinct pitches. 

Bunny and I soldiered on and returned to the lobby for another beer. We did text everyone to please let us know when they were awake and could let us back into the room. We never heard back from anyone. Eventually, they all showed up in the restaurant around 6. We didn’t mention being locked out. 

We sat and ordered. Sassy didn’t really want to eat, but she tried to eat a little. While we were waiting for our food to arrive, Chip received a text. It was actually the one from us from 3 hours ago. They were wondering why we had never come back in the room. Today was Handy’s day off which showed in our food portions. 

Sassy thanked everyone and apologized for making us take another zero. Honestly, no one minded at all. It’s pretty doubtful that we’ll even have another chance for the remainder of the trip. We all went up stairs to get packed and ready for the morning. Tomorrow is the beginning of the end. 

EFG

 

Today is a day we’ve been waiting for. Today we cross the Kennebec River. I remember talking to PC back in Pearisburg, VA about him crossing it last year. It was after the ATC Ferry had stopped for the season and he considered inflating his sleeping pad, putting his gear on it, and swimming across. It would have been quite chilly since it was October in Maine. Plus, not very smart since there isn’t a published schedule of water releases from the hydroelectric dam upriver. There’s already been one death here this year when a young kid wouldn’t wait until morning to cross.

As usual, Chip was first out of camp. Bunny and I were going to pull up the rear today since we were camped far enough away from everyone that we didn’t hear them stirring. We still had privy visits on the schedule as Bear and Sassy were about to head out. We were all talking with a older couple who were finishing up their AT section hike today. Their ending point is when they step out of the canoe on the other side of the river. 

I was the last to access the privy. While I was in there trying to get my work done so I could fill out the required paperwork, everyone else was standing about 10 feet away from my worksite. I’ve always had issues with working under observation and nothing has changed even after hiking over 2000 miles on the AT. I wanted to yell “step away” so I could get on with the heavy lifting without fear of innocent bystanders getting hurt. I had two choices: 1) either try to be as stealthy as possible, or 2) let her rip and don’t worry about survivors. I chose option 2. When I stepped out, everyone was gone. 

Bear and Sassy were waiting for us on the edge of the pond. The trail actually is built out into the pond in front of the spillway. Following the trail around the spillway leads to a road/side trail heading to the fish camp where we could have eaten breakfast. Instead, we followed the trail to a falls which is fed from Pierce Pond. This stream runs all the way to the Kennebec. 

This was one of the most pleasant walks we have had the entire trail. It was four easy miles with a slight downhill grade all the way to the Kennebec. In all, we dropped 1000’ in a little over 4 miles and had, at most, maybe 30’ of total climb along the way. When we arrived at the river, there was already a crowd forming to cross. To save time, the “courier/transporter/guy that paddles the canoe” gave us the schpiel as a group and gave us the releases to sign before we could get in the canoe. Chip went first, followed by the couple finishing up today, then Bear and Sassy, followed by 2 other guys we didn’t know, with Bunny and me last. 

Chip stood on the opposite shore watching everyone else cross. When the couple finishing up today stepped out of the canoe, I was convinced GCN had finally last it. He began to convulse in a tight circle. It most resembled a cat having fallen in a deep, narrow well that kept running to opposite sides of the well and trying to climb the wall of the well but falling back to the bottom before turning around and trying to climb up the opposite side of the well. When Bunny and I finally got across, we quietly asked Bear if Chip was mentally stable. He assured us that GCN was merely doing a “mummers dance” like drunken Irishmen do in the New Year’s parade in Philly. In all fairness, we’ve been all over Europe and North America. This dance is not a maneuver isolated to the Irish drinking community, but I wasn’t aware GCN was carrying alcohol. 

We still didn’t know where we were going to stay tonight. We just walked on to the Caratunk House Hiker Hostel. It was just about 1/4 mile off of the trail. When we got there, the owner told us he was closing for the season and not taking in any more hikers for the night. We were welcome to eat and do a little shopping in his store, but staying was not an option. The specialty of the house is pulled pork sandwiches and milkshakes. I placed my order, heard a familiar voice behind me, and turned around to a familiar face. Behind me was Handy who was working at Angel’s Rest Hostel in Pearisburg. He told me he had left not too long after we had stayed there and has been up here most of the summer. He was the cook at the Northern Outdoor Center down the road and we should stay there. 

We called the shuttle to pick us up after we got done eating. A milkshake is always worth the delay. When we got to the Center, they fixed us up with a huge room to ourselves. There’s a microbrewery on site as well as a full service restaurant, hot tub, and laundry. We took turns getting in the showers. I was the only one that opted for a spell in the hot tub with a couple of beers while the laundry was in cycle. We had supper in the restaurant in which Handy took very good care of us with extra large portions. Rain is predicted for tomorrow around noon, so we went to bed early in the hope of getting out ahead of the weather. 

EFG

Chip is an early riser like Bear. Chip does not share a shelter with Sassy who prefers to sleep in and keeps Bear from getting up before 6 every day. All hail, Sassy, the non-morning hiker that makes it possible for us to sleep until almost 7. As one might guess, Chip was the first to leave camp a full 20 minutes ahead of Bunny and me. We’re not sure how much longer Bear and Sassy took, but they were last to leave. They definitely fill the void for us since Patches left. Patches was usually first up and last out of camp.

Bunny and I tried to catch up to GCN but he was a Norris possessed today. He must be dipping into his Payday stash. After about 4 miles of trying, we came up to a beach on East Carry Pond where we saw a message sprawled in the sand. We were just a mere 10 minutes behind Chip, but we needed a break. We sat down for a snack and waited for Bear and Sassy to catch up. 

A bit of regional history: Col Benedict Arnold led an expedition in this area to attack Quebec in 1775. He had a contingent of 1000 men who bushwhacked through these ponds and woods making their way up to Canada. I’m pretty sure everyone is aware of Benedict Arnold switching sides in the American Revolution. This was due, in large part, because he felt he didn’t get enough recognition and credit for all his efforts (much like me doing all the cooking, fetching water, and carrying of gear—a simple thank you goes a long way, but I digress). I’m sure it was maddening for the expedition to only have fife and drum music to march by. If Apple Music had only been around, Col Arnold’s name might not be synonymous with traitor.

An hour later, we saw another message in the sand for us—Tom Jones. This was a very good sign. Chip was wanting some music to drown out our singing along the trail so he was trying to download a Tom Jones collection to listen to. If he was able to download music, that meant he had connection enough to make a call ahead to Caratunk and make us reservations for tomorrow night (yes, Chip is still the only one with cellular data on a regular basis, but we’ve taken to him to the point where we’d still hike with him without the extra dimension his cell phone brings).

We were only about 5 minutes behind GCN. We quickly closed the gap and had lunch together. I started singing Peaches and Herb “Reunited” so Chip wouldn’t have to resort to Mr Jones to fill his musical void. It turns out that he didn’t have signal after all but had found the Tom Jones collection in a hidden file. We still didn’t have reservations for tomorrow night (Guthook says it’s highly recommended to call ahead for reservations at Caratunk House Hostel). 

Another thing about Bear (and Chip, for that matter). Bear spent nearly 40 years working for NASA where they have to plan for every possible contingency on a mission, practice the scenario, and document a procedure for handling it. This is to reduce stress for the astronauts which are already in high stress situations just being in space and all that. Bunny and I don’t really plan ahead other that trying to find the next supply point down the trail and guessing how many days it will take to get there. Last year on the Camino, we never made reservations ahead and managed to find some great last minute arrangements.  Bottom line, we don’t plan ahead where Bear tries to work out all possible details ahead of time. It’s in his blood. 

Bear’s planning, although we benefit greatly from it, kind of puts me in a state of unease. One reason I’m out here is to get away from schedules and the stress associated with them. I know I could never have survived in the deadline driven world of NASA. I’m trying to learn to live in the moment and take life as it comes. I’m not trying to set speed records or go fast on the trail. Once we get done with this trail, we’ll take a bit of time off and head to the next trail. Why hurry or worry? Not that Bear is driving schedule or plans, he is also trying to live in the moment, but be prepared for every possible scenario in that moment. I’m pretty sure we would not have been able to pull off the 8 days of slack packing we just did without Bear’s planning ahead.

One reason we’re not pushing on to the Kennebec River crossing today is that there is a fishing camp near the Pierce Pond Lean-to that feeds thru-hikers breakfast (for a price, it’s not free but it is AYCE). When we made it to camp, we were going to set up then send a runner ahead to make reservations for the morning. It started raining while we were sitting up camp. Bear came over to the tent and said they didn’t want to eat there in the morning which makes sense. The breakfast is pancakes and Sassy’s chosen lifestyle of gluten-free doesn’t align. GCN also said he didn’t want to go, but we could. We’re going to be in town tomorrow night, so we can skip. Plus, I didn’t want to walk another mile round trip in the rain, to make reservations, or get up at 6a to eat.

Level spots were at a premium at the lean-to. Bunny and I got a prime spot right on the shore where Bear and Sassy were up closer to the latrine (as in all real estate; location, location, location). We didn’t feel like cooking in the rain so we just crawled into the tent and ate a non-cook supper. I slept with the food under my head until Bunny fell asleep, then I put it on her side of the tent (she always gets a thrill out of seeing bears). We were asleep before 5.

EFG

It was a crisper day and cool walking along ponds. We only had a few minor elevations to go over today, the biggest of which was only 1000’ over Little Bigelow Mountain. If we were younger and more ambitious, we could make it to the Kennebec River by tomorrow. Bear and Sassy could easily, but it looks like we are all committed to summitting Katahdin as a tramily. Even so, I don’t want to push the point and fall too far behind. I am Easily Forgotten. 

The most amazing part of today is that we still made another 4000 miles of progress today. It is very easy to trace the trail’s length as it grows over the years. Each year sees the 2000 mile mark move south a couple of miles. By the time we hit our 6th marker, the trail has lengthened over 20 miles in just a mere 5 years.

We stuck together today and stopped on the shore of Flaggstaff Lake for lunch. GCN cooked a hot lunch to reduce his time in camp before bed. He’ll be able to get in, set up, and go to bed while the rest of us have to cook a hot meal. This is probably the smart move, but I have never been accused of being smart on the trail. Bunny and I have decided long ago that we like to end the day with a hot meal and start the day with hot coffee or tea. 

There are a few things I need to mention about Bear. It’s been going on ever since we entered the Whites and I just can’t stand it any longer. It is a heinous thing for an engineer to do and he takes joy in performing this act in front of me. I honestly wonder how we have hiked with them this long. If something is worth doing, it’s worth DOING RIGHT. Bear folds his maps in any way that will expose the portion he wants to see. Did you hear that? He doesn’t fold a map on the creases! It wouldn’t take an extra 10 seconds to pull the map out, open it, look at it, fold it properly, and put it away. I’m not OCD. I don’t knock 3 times on the tent before entering. I don’t snap my fingers and turn 3 circles every day before starting to hike. I do, however, believe in folding things (tents, sleeping pads, and yes, maps) properly and putting them away. Mechanical engineers…please!

After lunch I tried to distance myself from the map abuse and pushed myself too hard walking to check if my legs were really better. I was hiking at a pace over 3 mph and reinjured my knee before getting to camp. The last 1/2 mile was hell. I’d take a few steps and rest. I had been way out front, but everyone ended up passing me and getting to camp ahead of me. To make matters worse, I wasn’t wearing my knee braces. If I’m going to finish the trail, I can’t be doing stupid stuff like this.

The lean-to was full but no one likes to sleep in shelters unless weather is terrible. Bear and Sassy still hadn’t decided on a spot when I finally arrived. There was only one spot big enough for our tent that didn’t have roots all around. We let them have that spot and we took a level spot next to them filled with roots. As much as I have bitched about Big Agnes’s sleeping pads, they are sufficiently thick enough for us to sleep on just about any surface. Chip set up by himself so we couldn’t hear him sobbing as he fell asleep.

Sassy went to the privy. When she came back, she told us it was bicentennial privy. If this were true, that would make it the oldest, continuously used privy on the trail. I had to go check it out even if nature wasn’t demanding so at the moment—think of the poop history here if it is 42 years old. That would make the contents much older than the age of the average thru-hiker. It was, in reality, an ATC Biennial Conference Privy erected in 2017 but it was a Cadillac of privy in terms of size and capacity. Oh, if poop could talk (the privies would be even creepier). 

There was magic in shelter, but people in there had already taken it all before we arrived. All they left us was empty beer cans and zip lock bags. I went to bed dreaming of food that wasn’t dehydrated and beer. I counted empty beer cans, instead of sheep, to make myself fall asleep. I’m not normally much of a beer drinker since turning 50, I prefer the classier way to get trashed—wine.

EFG

Breakfast at the gas station again. We took our time and bought plenty of hemp-bombs since they really seemed to help us sleep and recover. We tried to get GCN to join us, but he remains adamantly opposed to non-FDA approved hippie botanicals. It’s hard to believe the virgin pure crowd we have hooked up with. Stickers, Mizman, Mule, it’s a different world in Maine.

Even with our leisurely morning, we managed to be trail side a bit past 9. Maine seems like it might be a little schizophrenic—pot is legal, but you can’t sell or buy it. It can be given as a gift. Even the trail announces itself as a management free zone. Bear and GCN are both a little concerned since both have spent large portions of their working lives being “the man” at work. Chip managed a public works department in his hometown and Bear was all over the place in NASA managing projects, sub-contractors, departments, and setting NASA policies. If ever there was a “man” on the trail, it’s Bear. The AT tries to maintain its laissez faire stance towards hiking but these two might be diametrically opposed to the hands off approach.

Not too long after we start hiking, we encounter another 2000 mile marker, but this one looks official. I am certain that this one is at least 4 miles past the actual point. If we got 2000 miles of credit for every sign we passed, we’d be well past 8000 miles now. The discrepancy is easily explained, the portion of the AT in the south is constantly improving the trail adding switchbacks and rerouting the trail every year. The New England section is carved in stone, for the most part. At least the portions under the Green Mountain and Appalachian Mountain Clubs who oppose doing any rerouting from the original routes. The Appalachian Trail is ever growing in the south. When the trail was “finished” in 1939, the overall length was 2040 miles. This year, the trail is 2190.9 miles.

This is our first day of real backpacking in nearly 10 days. We have spent 8 days of slack packing with one day off. Our bodies have recovered from the grind of the trail, but, speaking only for myself, my body has also forgotten what it feels like to hike with 40+ pounds on my back. I’m a bit winded. Even Bunny is racing ahead of me.

It’s a pretty neat trick that the AT pulls on us today.  We started hiking around 1200’ above sea level climbing to an elevation just slightly above 4000’ but in order to accomplish this feet, we have almost 5000’ of climbing. I think GCN’s knees are hurting him a bit as he is back with me when he’s usually out front. Bear, Sassy, and GCN rarely complain about anything, though. They leave the whining and crying to Bunny and myself. We have to carry the load for 5 in the complaint department—our work is never done.

Many times I’ve been asked what is your favorite state along the AT. Up until the last week or two, I’ve always tried to be diplomatic and say each state has something special to offer and it would be like choosing your favorite child . Since I’ve entered Maine, I have unequivocally decided that Maine is the most beautiful and my favorite state. Since I’ve come to this clarity, I’ve also decided which of my children I like the most—it’s Ilana, without a doubt. The only common thread is that Maine is the last state and Ilana is my youngest meaning the most recent is the favorite. Since Bunny, Sassy, and I are all the youngest in our families, it only stands to reason that we are also the favorites (sorry you had to hear it this way big bro).

Unbeknownst to Chip and I; Bear, Sassy, and Bunny had decided they were going to take a break at the peak of North Horn. Since we were unaware and a bit behind, we decided we needed to stop for a snack. We tried to call and text ahead to find out, but cell service was not universal. Chip did have a signal, but no one else did. It had been almost 7 hours since our breakfast and I couldn’t go on. If I get too far run down between energy ingestions, I can’t recover until an extended rest (this often leads to arguments between Bunny and me because she can go longer between meals and snacks than I can, plus, if it’s only me needing food, it doesn’t matter). By the time we caught up with everyone at Horns Pond View (still almost a mile short of North Horn), they had been waiting a good 20 minutes and were ready to push on.

We did take in the views of Horns Pond below us before heading on. Bunny did slow down a bit to walk with me, but I was struggling bad. By the time we made it to Avery Peak (the last 4000’ peak before Mt Katahdin) Chip got a second wind. I momentarily caught up with Bear and Sassy at the peak, but they were not feeling any pain at all today and moving fast. While Chip and I were behind, we noticed the toll the trail was taking on our bodies. Bear and Sassy are at the equivalent point in their hike as we were at McAfee Knob. It became apparent when day hikers were passing us. At McAfee, we blew by day hikers even though we were carrying full packs. That’s how Bear and Sassy are doing now. We are on the downside of our strength curve after 2000 miles. Bear and Sassy are at the peak of strength at around 700 miles in. If they choose to, they could leave Bunny and me in their dust. 

The target spot for the day was Safford Notch Campsite, a mere 2 miles after Avery Peak. I guess I should mention that it’s named in honor of Myron Avery, the driving force behind actually get the trail completed, unlike Benton McKaye who came up with the original idea. Avery was pragmatic and knew it was most important to get a path in place and then work on the details after it was established. McKaye was unwavering in how it ought to be which meant anything that opposed his vision was a stopping point. They often batted heads. Myron Avery was originally from Maine and is the favorite son up here.

We were all getting tired, some more so than others, so we started spreading out along those last two miles. I was in the caboose position all by myself (even Bunny couldn’t walk as slow as I was going). It was getting dark, the woods were thick, I was alone and down when a killer bunny with huge nasty teeth appeared on the trail in front of me. He hopped right up to the top of a hill in front of me and dared me to come on. There’s never a holy hand grenade handy when you need one. He stared me down for a minute before he decided I wasn’t going to bother him. He then turned around and headed back into the woods.

The camp was a good 0.3 miles off of the trail on a side trail. I was the last to arrive by a good 15 minutes. Bunny had a site all picked out and was waiting for me. I told everyone about the bunny on the trail and everyone had had the same experience with the killer bunny (except for Bunny who sees all rabbits as cute and adorable). As soon as we got the tent set up, I went to get water to filter and cook supper while Bunny did the homemaker thing in the tent. If I would have allowed her, she would have gone to bed without eating. As it was, it was pitch black before I got back with water. We were the last to get in bed well past hiker midnight at 9p.

EFG

There is a regularly scheduled 8 o’clock shuttle to take us back to the trailhead, but Papa Smurf said since there was just the 5 of us, he’d take us whenever we were ready. We opted to walk all the way to the other end of town (two blocks) and have breakfast at the gas station. Living large on the Appalachian Trail. This was not just a breakfast trip, but also a trail life changing event…we found hemp-bombs. For a while, the four of us (we can’t get GCN to join the flower power coalition) have been using CBD oil to combat inflammation, but we have run out and can’t find a new source on trail. These bombs should fill the void. 

After we got recollected at the hotel, Papa drove us back to where he picked us up yesterday. We walked the half mile back to the trail only to find some magic waiting. There’s not a better way to start the day off than free food even if we have just eaten. We waited around to see if we might see a moose as we figured only a moose would have food this far from a road. He never showed himself. 

Today is going to be a quick up and down over the mountains named for the hero of the area—Betty Crocker. It was an easy climb to West Crocker Mountain where we took our time enjoying the views on the crisp clear morning. It was only 42 when we got to the first overlook where we got a clear view of Sugarloaf Mountain. To our left, we could see the Bigelow Mountains which are considered the last tough section we will have until we get to Katahdin. 

The cool air kept us moving fast today. In no time at all, we had gone over both Crocker Mountains (both 4000’—Betty and her man West). Coming down the north side we found another milestone; the 2000 mile mark. Whenever we get close to a 100 mile tick, I have Bunny watch Guthook closely so I can document the approximate exact moment.  This one was right on the white blaze itself. After all the pain we have gone through these last couple hundred miles and my self doubts about being able to finish, it was very satisfying to see our accomplishment of making 2000 miles (I won’t even mention that Bunny has skipped 80 miles which we will have to make up after Katahdin; I’m just that happy).

The remaining 2.7 miles was all easy downhill which we covered in less than an hour (a very good pace for the old farts in our group). Chip called Seth, aka Papa Smurf, who promptly picked us up. Instead of heading right back to town, he asked if we minded taking a detour to look for two hikers at Sugar Mountain. Of course we agreed since it was early afternoon. We looked around for them only to discover that they had told the wrong location and were really at the gas station where we had breakfast. In the end, they ended up paying $30 to be picked up 1 block from the hotel.

We had a time boon getting through our mileage so quickly today. We decided to make use of this time by doing laundry, shopping, and eating ice cream. We haven’t done laundry since Pine Ellis about 6 days ago. Even though none of our stuff is really very dirty, we probably won’t get another chance before we finish the trail. We top off our last day of easy hiking with supper at Papa Smurf’s other restaurant/job across the street. Tomorrow we become hikers again.

EFG

GCN turned over a new leaf today and woke everyone up early trying to regain our trust. In Chip’s defense, he worries a lot about keeping people awake at night because he, rightly so, has been accused of snoring. Let he without reverberations be the first to shake others awake. Even I have been accused of snoring when I’m sure they were hearing Bunny. We all have earplugs if we need them. 

Staci picked us up and returned to the scene of the old devils with evil eyes. Truth be told, they are just a little bit older than Bear. If all goes according to plan, there will be four 55 year olds and one crusty Bear summiting Katahdin when we finally make it. We made it a point to not sit at the same table we sat at two days ago. They didn’t show today so we crammed 5 people into a little corner table for no reason other than being scared of a group of retirees in just slightly worse shape than our group. Blue hair is frightening to those only having white. 

Bear read his daily news digest and reported that there were three mass shootings across the US yesterday. A banner day even for us. But then he followed it up that there was only 2 deaths and a half dozen critical injuries between the three of them. Please! Don’t waste my time on amateurs. The news media shouldn’t even bother reporting if there’s less than 10 deaths. Chip pointed out that there was a line behind me when I stated this but I don’t see how that could be possible since my back was up against a wall. But I will concede sitting in a gas station in a gun crazed backwoods is probably not the best location to make such statements. Also, I’d like to point out that I DO have all the answers if someone would just ask. 

On the drive back to the trailhead, Staci told us that she saw a moose after dropping us off yesterday. This got our hopes up on the drive in today. Coming around a turn, there was the biggest bull moose I have ever seen (this being my second). Staci stopped so I could get my camera and produce evidence, but by the time I was ready, he had already headed into the woods.  I tried to follow him but he disappeared as soon as he went in. I’m pretty sure this really happened even though, once again, we have no evidence.

GCN agrees to go the right direction today without argument. It felt right to me as well. Im going to put the failure of yesterday out of my mind. It was foggy from the get-go as we climbed up Spaulding Mountain.  The more elevation we gained, the more the weather deteriorated. By the time we reached Spaulding Mountain Lean-to many, we needed a break from the rain. We ducked in and another four sobos came in from the wrong direction (from our perspective, but sobos do everything backwards). It was too windy to use my umbrella so I needed a break from the rain.

Not very far after the Spaulding Mountain Lean-to is the AT completion marker. Two significant things have happened at this location: 1) the Appalachian Trail was officially completed on this spot in 1939, and 2) every thru-hiker that has ever passed this spot asks “can we quit since this is the completion point of the AT? We’ve already walked from GA to ME and this was the end, aren’t we done?” Thru-hiker sense of humor is not an area that deepens over the course of 2000 miles. 

Since is was raining steady, foggy, and windy, we decided to skip climb to top of Sugarloaf Mountain. When we came around to the west side of the mountain, we were hit with gale force wind. It was seriously scary. GCN has worked with FEMA and he estimated the winds in excess of 70mph. Walking along the open cliffs,the wind caught my pack cover and nearly twisted me off of the mountain. We had to use our poles to keep from being blown into the mountain. In the dangerous open areas, we passed singly but kept together as a group. We had three sets of open cliffs to pass in these winds. 

The trail drops down fast and we were glad of that. By the time we dropped just 500’ the wind and rain had let up. With a little over a trail mile to go and on the leeward side of the mountain, GCN made the call to Stratton Hotel (Chip’s phone provider buys him a lot of forgiveness with not waking us up in the morning). By time we got to the bottom, the sun was shining and all was calm. We had a short 1/2 mile road walk to get to the pick-up point.

Papa Smurf met us on the road walk out. We had heard Papa Smurf was at Angel’s Rest in Pearisburg, VA. As with most trail names, there are two Papa Smurfs this year (but only one Easily Forgotten). Our gear was already at the hotel when we arrived and Staci had reserved us two private rooms telling them to take good care of us when we arrived. We got settled in, cleaned up, and rested before heading to the hotel across street where Papa Smurf also cooks. He has decided to over-winter in Stratton this year where he will manage one hotel, cook at another, and rent gear at Sugarloaf Ski area. Stratton is not a big town but it is welcoming to former thru-hikers like Papa Smurf who finished his thru-hike almost 2 months ago. 

EFG

GCN quietly woke up at 4:30. GCN quietly evacuated his body’s waste (as compared to the normal agonizing screams we’ve grown used to). GCN quietly left the sleeping room to shower and eat breakfast. GCN quietly packed his bag for the day. GCN quietly got dressed. GCN quietly sat and read until 5:15 when he quietly came back into the sleeping room and whispered “its 5:15.” At 5:15:01 I heard Bear less than quietly say “Shit, the alarm didn’t go off.” Next was an adrenaline rush that propelled us from deep sleep to feet on floor and 60 mph to get ready. We had 15 minutes to get dressed, eat, and finish packing before Staci arrived. We took 20 minutes to do what we had planned to do in an hour. This was most difficult for Bear and Sassy who both have to put in contact lenses in addition to everything else. I’m not sure if Sassy got her usual double barrel in today. 

In the scramble to get ready to settle in for the nearly hour long drive to be dropped off, we did have one casualty/omission. Somewhere along the line, one of Sassy’s hiking poles got lost or left behind. Sadly, it wasn’t discovered until we were unloading at the trailhead by which time it was too late. I have to take responsibility for this one. I loaded the poles which were all piled together in the sitting room. The only thing I can say in my defense is “Damn it, GCN. Why didn’t you wake us up so we didn’t have to rush?” (I could be a politician since I so easily pass the blame). I swear I counted 8 poles when I picked them up. 

When we get to trail, GCN couldn’t accept going south and wanted to head north. Granted, I would have liked to head north as well, but if we did that today it would mean that we were skipping a section instead of going sobo. Sassy, Bunny, and I were out front so we missed Bear having to talk GCN into heading south. Guthook was referred to, but even then, GCN was still disoriented. While the direction discussion was happening, I asked Sassy if we should wait for them to catch up. She said “No. Bear is confessing to Chip about us, today.” I wondered what now? I knew they had lied to us about being married 14 instead of 13 years—nothing would surprise me after that betrayal. 

Sassy told me that they felt the need to come clean to Chip about being section hikers. If we are all going to hike to a Katahdin together, Chip should know the truth. After the way Bear and Sassy had been treated at Hikers Welcome Hostel in NH, I told them when people ask when they started, either just answer April or let me answer for all of us and they can say April afterwards. I will establish that Bunny and I are thru-hiking but imply all of us in the response. Bear and Sassy are stronger hikers than us so the whole “section vs thru” is just BS. Bear’s conscience bothers him misrepresenting himself to GCN. Integrity and honesty get in the way once again. I just hope Chip doesn’t act like young thru-hikers who constantly snub us thinking that we are section hikers because we don’t smell bad enough. Not all thru-hikers are as welcoming of section scum like Bunny and I are. 

When Bear and Good Chip Norris caught up with us, I decided to turn on some diplomacy to reduce GCN’s anxiety at being deceived by the knowledge that he was cavorting with mere section hikers (oh, the humanity!). GCN has been taken aback at times with how much the four of us sing along the trail while we are hiking. He has asked on numerous occasions “must everything that happens be a song?” (The short answer of which is “yes”). I feel, in my heart, that GCN might not have the pitch perfect vocal range that the four of us have been displaying on a regular basis. To assuage his fears and calm his nerves, I brought up the subject of musical influences in our lives. 

I started out with an innocuous statement along the lines of “I really used to like Steve Winwood when I was in college. I even dressed like him for a while.” GCN then dropped a bombshell on me. “I used to dress like hooters.”  The only hooters I know of are the girls from the restaurant with short, tight, orange shorts and t-shirts with owls on them where their breasts are. This was not what I would consider a good look for a young Chip Norris. When I started hyperventilating, GCN asked me what was wrong. When I explained the outfit and my picture of him, he changed his story to mean the group, “The Hooters” and not the waitresses. Nonetheless, I picked up my pace for a bit. 

It was a steady, but not difficult climb to Poplar Ridge Lean-to where Inch Worm disappeared about 6 years ago. She was a woman in her early 60s solo hiking, but meeting her husband at road crossings almost every day. At the time of her disappearance, it gained national attention. It was speculated that she might have wandered into the Naval SERE training center next to the trail here. (SERE is an acronym for Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape). This is where terrorist scenarios are acted out by Seal teams and the CIA. The training is supposed to very intense and very real. It was a full 2 years until her body was found starved to death in her tent just a short distance off of the trail.  In the end, it wasn’t anything sinister involved. She must have wandered off trail to pee and got disoriented—the woods are very thick when even moose can disappear with ease. She was on medicine to combat panic attacks but had run out. 

After the shelter, GCN took a hard fall. He must have still been bewildered and disoriented from this morning’s revelation. We stop shortly after the fall to take a break and allow Chip to recover a bit. I noticed him sitting off by himself with his back to us. I wanted to approach him and help him become adjusted to the revelation that he was hiking with section hikers—after all, Bunny and I have had nearly 2 months to adjust ourselves. As I approached him, I heard sobs and soft whimpers coming from him while he kept repeating “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.” Clearly, he needed more alone time to adjust. 

As we neared the ridge atop of Saddleback Mountain, GCN was beginning to become his old jovial self once again. I think I even heard him whistling a bit. The view from the ridge was amazing because a front had settled in the area immediately above the trail. In fact, the AT was the front with the cloud face lined up directly overhead. We stopped to admire the views before proceeding down into the abandoned ski area. It was much quicker today since we knew the area and what was in store ahead.

Once again, Staci picked us up and took us shopping for tomorrow. We had gone much faster than we had thought because it was still before 3 when we were all back at the hostel. We had time for naps and getting cleaned up before we crossed the street for supper. Staci will run our gear to Stratton Hotel (which she also owns) tomorrow after she drops us off. I am not going to make the mistake of carrying Bunny’s pack again. We will put all of our extra gear in trash bags for her to deliver. 

We called it an early night after supper, but it was dark. Even though we won’t be rushed tomorrow, we all set multiple alarms in case the first, early riser is exceptionally quiet. 

EFG

Staci picked us up at 8:30 and took us to the local gas station/sandwich shop for breakfast. She was very accommodating and let us take our time to eat and get food for the day’s hiking. There were a couple of tables in the back. The five of us took the larger table so we could spread out a bit. As soon as we got all situated, we knew we had made a mistake when a local group of seniors came in and started giving us the evil eye. How dare the 5 of us, spending $50+ displace the old people with their 89 cent coffees. If they would have been 30 years younger, there would have been a rumble.

Staci dropped us off where her son had picked us up yesterday. We had a short day ahead; just 6 miles but 2500’ gain to get to the summit of Saddleback Mountain. Only the last 2 miles was going to be really steep. We saw a few locals out day hiking but they didn’t climb beyond Pizza Rock. 

Speaking of Pizza Rock, I’ve got to start looking at Guthook a little better because I guess I tend to see what I want. When we arrived at the side trail, I noticed it was actually Piazza Rock which didn’t excite me quite as much. I had formed a picture in my mind of a pepperoni and cheese covered rock. Bunny and I climbed up to Piazza Rock while the rest of tramily went on ahead. Reality was not as thrilling as my minds eye had set me up for. 

Near the junction of the side trail to Piazza Rock was a trail in the opposite direction to Piazza Rock Lean-to. This was a worthwhile side trip to the shelter which has a sun roof and a two seater privy for those who wish to share a game of cribbage during their intimate moment. Obviously, the romance is gone from our marriage when I could barely get Bunny to sit in “Your Move” with me with her pants up. How thrilling to accentuate a great move in the game punctuated with a “take that” plop.

The clouds started rolling in as we stopped for a snack at Ethel Pond. This would have been an ideal setting for a moose sighting. We sat and gave the stupid f@#$ers plenty of time to make an appearance. Once again, they skipped over us. I’m not surprised by this because I know something about us and moose by now that I will explain in the near future.

The final 2 miles were steep but held some outstanding views. By the time we arrived at the summit, the clouds were almost completely covering the mountain. Staci told us, and Guthook confirmed, that there exists a side trail at the peak which leads down to the ski area below. We searched and searched but had no luck in locating the trail. We fanned out in all directions only to find the side trail at the false peak about 1/4 mile before the top where it’s supposed to be.

While searching for the trail, Bunny met a section hiker named Bru. He offered us assistance because he was familiar with the area. As they were talking, Bru asked where we were from. When Bunny said Cape Girardeau, he said his wife had just given a talk there. Bunny was able to deduce that his wife is Jennifer Phar Davis. Bunny then shared that she and I are doing a field test of his wife’s socks. When she went to show him, she realized she had switched them for a clean pair this morning (see what awkward situations obsessions with cleanliness can cause) and was wearing a different brand. To save face, Bunny ended up giving him a candy bar and sent him on his way. 

After Chip and I found the side trail on the false summit, I started heading down while he went back to let everyone know we had found it. There was a shelter not far down the trail which was an emergency aid station. I tried the doors, but it was locked up tight. Everyone showed up preventing me from following in my wife’s steps of breaking and entering.

The climb down the ski run to the abandoned lodge was really hard on the knees. It was during this portion of the hike that I decided I had no desire to climb back up anything this steep and I quietly accepted we’re going to be sobos for a day. I know in the overall scheme, no one gives a rat’s ass which direction we go while hiking the AT. In fact, no one gives a rat’s ass that we’re even hiking the AT. I’m the only one bothered by going the wrong direction. Everyone else has already shown they have no integrity on the trail. Good Chip Norris has slack packed before now. Plus, when it comes right down to it, Bear and Sassy are just lowlife section hikers so they don’t even count in the great scheme of things. It’s very easy to justify anything you do if you put your mind to use. 

When we got to the abandoned ski lodge, GCN called Staci to pick us up. On the way back to town, we got to see a porcupine on the road. A big plus to slack packing is seeing more wildlife from the car. In these modern times, even wildlife has to come to town more and more to share in modern conveniences such as dumpsters for food (not unlike thru-hikers looking for a bargain).

Staci convinced us that we needed to get going early tomorrow and that she should pick us up at 5:30 a f-ing m. Not only am I going to be a sobo scum for a day, I’ve got to rub salt in the wound by getting up before daylight. The only way we can pull this off is to go grocery shopping now to get food for breakfast at the hostel and lunch for tomorrow. After Staci dropped us back off, we all had time to shower before even heading out to dinner. It was still light when we went started downtown. 

The goal was pizza for supper, but the place was shut down so the owner could go to an antique show in another town. We ended up going to a bistro where everyone that doesn’t mind the taste or flavor of shit in their food ordered a seafood fettuccine. The one person with taste (and writer of this blog) chose to have some well done ground up cow.  Mmmm Mmmm Good. Bunny and I haven’t been drinking much of late so we decided to get a bottle of wine with dinner. It turned out to be a $12 bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc which the restaurant charged $32 for. 

Sassy ordered a glass of wine while Bear just ordered a glass of water. Here’s how my mind works. The waitress spent effort dipping ice into a glass and filling it with water for Bear. For a single glass, she had to open the bottle and pour it into a glass. For our $32 bottle of wine, she opened a fridge and grabbed a bottle. She set it on our table and didn’t open it or bring us an ice bucket to keep it cold. In all, she spent less effort bringing our wine than she did bringing Bear’s water. When it came time to pay, I tipped 20% + for the food and nothing for the wine. On our way out, the waitress came over and “tip shamed” me in front of everyone. In hindsight, I should have said “thank you for bringing it to my attention that I made a mistake in the tip” and then lowered it another $2. I don’t mind tipping for great service. I guess this is just me trying to convince myself that I was in the right, or, in the very least, should not have been called out in front of everyone in the restaurant for leaving a $10 tip. Maybe I was wrong, but I’ll never eat at that bistro again.

EFG