Month: July 2016

So here I am in Gorham, NH, about 17 miles from the NH/ME border. Just under 300 miles remaining. The whites were undoubtedly my favorite part of the AT so far. The views are spectacular, and I love being above tree-line. It might just be because I was lucky with the weather though. It would not be good to be on exposed ridge line and in a thunder storm.

After my zero in Lincoln, the AT went over the most prominent mountain ranges in the Whites. Franconia Ridge, with mount Lafayette and Lincoln, and later the presidential range, with Mount Washington and a whole bunch of other peaks. For some unknown reason, the AT proper doesn’t summit many of the peaks in the presidentials, so for that section I technically didn’t follow the AT because I wanted to summit each and every one. Call me a blue blazer if you must, but in the end it just made my route more difficult, adding a whole lot more elevation gain and loss.

Like I said earlier, I was extremely fortunate with the weather. Every ridge line I was on I had good weather. I even had clear skies on Mount Washington, which boasts having the worst weather in all of America. I’ll actually go into detail with Mount Washington.

The day prior I did the first half of the presidentials, stopping at lake of the clouds hut. Because it’s the most popular hut, I refer to it as lake of the crowds. Due to bad weather prior, a large bubble of NOBO thru-hikers had formed, so there were about 20 of us there that night. This meant work for stay wasn’t an option, but they let me sleep on the common area floor for $10. Me and a fellow thru-hiker Mogley decided to catch the sunrise on Mount Washington the next morning. That morning I woke up at about 4:15 with a red headlight shining in my face, a little disorienting at first. As quietly as I could I grabbed my pack and walked outside. There were still patches of fog, but at times it cleared and you could see the moon and some stars. It was very beautiful. With my headlamp on we started the ascent. It’s 1.5 miles and a 1000 ft elevation gain from the hut, so close but not immediate. Unfortunately we were too late for the initial sun rise, but it wouldn’t have made a difference because it was still foggy at the time. That’s when we did our summit photos. Luckily by about 5:45 the fog cleared and we got some spectacular views. Unlike what I’d expect, the summit of Mount Washington is quite developed. A weather station is staffed year round by meteorologists and there’s even a cafe and museum. Not to mention a gift shop, post office, and parking lot. Yes, you can drive to the summit, or if that’s too much work you can take a train… Due to the train and road, Mount Washington sees lots of visitors. Especially on a day with such good weather as we had. For this reason I decided just to stick around until the snack bar opened and then make my way down. I timed my descent perfectly. There are many thru-hiker traditions. Jumping off the James River foot bridge in VA, hike naked day on the solstice, and mooning the cog railway on Mount Washington (the cog is the train that goes to the summit). As a NOBO, you walk away from the summit when you pass the cog, so I figured there would be little chance of getting in trouble. Also, it’s a once in a life time opportunity. How many times will you get the chance to show your ass to a bunch of tourists as they’re pulled up the side of a mountain at 5 mph? I thought it was comedic, maybe I’m the only one.

Again, so much happened that I just don’t have time to write about it all, so I’ll just attach a bunch of photos and share the beauty of the whites.

-Orion

Well, here I am in Lincoln taking another zero, much earlier than I had planned, but it seemed like a good thing to do with severe thunder storms forecasted. It payed off, we did end up with some thunderstorms and rather than on an exposed ridge line, I was sitting happily inside a Dunkin Doughnuts. I’m staying at the Notch Hostel, a very comfortable place much like the Green Mountain House in Mancester Center. They also have a full kitchen here, but I didn’t take full advantage of it because it’s difficult to cook for just one. Golly is ahead I believe, her brother came out to hike the Whites with her. Bumble Bee had to take another zero in Hanover due to shin splints, so I don’t know where she is. Lt Dan also zeroed in Lincoln, but he ended up staying someplace else. I’m sure I’ll run into them all again.

The Whites are definitely no joke. I expected the worst, and that didn’t quite prepare me. The best analogy I can think of is this: for the last 5 months I’ve developed a super power. I can hike like nobody’s business. Three miles an hour for an entire day, alright. 22 miles, sounds good. Now it’s hard to get a 1.5 mile an hour pace. It’s like the Whites are made of kryptonite. The fix is going to be a combination of less miles per day, and twice as much chocolate. It’s definitely going to take all I got to make this happen.

Since my last update, I’ve watched a sunset and moonrise in a fire tower, almost got stuck in a gas station, and saw a moose! A lot more has happened, but I don’t have a ton of time, sorry. The sunset and moonrise was atop smarts mountain. I got there just in the nick of time, and it was spectacular! It was the first view of the White’s, and the clouds made for a quite dramatic scene. The fire tower was my final destination for the day, there was a small shelter right near the base. I’m not a shelter person, but it was nice to have a place to crash without having to deal with my tent.

The moose was sighted at the top of Mt Moosilauke, how fitting. Unfortunately the moose was injured somehow, I’m pretty sure that’s the only reason why I saw him. He was just about 10 ft off the trail, and at first I wasn’t sure what to do. After standing there for about 10 min talking to her, I just walked by. She just stood there, but I didn’t want to bother her and left. I did get some good photos though.

The getting stuck at the gas station story was just bad luck with hitching. Eventually I got a ride, but it was pretty late in the evening. I almost considered road walking at one point.

Tomorrow I’ll be going over Kinsman Ridge, which I am very excited about. Equally exciting is that good weather is forecasted. It should make for some spectacular scenery. Hopefully I’ll be able to do another update in Gorham NH, at the end of the Whites. Expect lots of amazing photos!

-Orion

Hello! Currently sitting in the public library here in downtown Hanover.

Since Manchester Center, I’ve stayed at the Yellow Deli in Rutland VT, as well as the back yard of trail angel Miss Linda. First the Yellow Deli.

The Yellow Deli is a restaurant and hiker hostel run by the Twelve Tribes. They get a bad rap for being a cult, but it wasn’t even that bad. I was never asked to participate in anything I didn’t want to, so it was pretty much just like any other hostel. When I was in town we decided to go out for some beers and see a movie. There wasn’t much that looked good, so we ended up seeing The Shallows. It was basically a modern Jaws, nothing really special. The next morning I took a bus back to the trail head. This made it really easy getting back tothe trail, and I was impressed. Rutland really takes care of their hikers.

Miss Linda’s house is in West Hartford, a tiny village with only a few houses. At this point the AT is just a road walk over the White River. You cross the bridge and are immediately called over to say hello. When I got there there were already a dozen or so hikers hanging out. There were hot dogs, cold sodas, and I was invited to camp out in the back yard with the chickens. I took Miss Linda up on the offer and also had time to jump off the bridge. Jumping from high places isn’t my forte, so I didn’t allow myself to take time on the ledge. I basically climbed over the railing and went for it. No time to think about it and make second guesses. It was a blast and I ended up going again, this time having a friend take a slow motion video of me.

After Miss Linda’s it was just an easy 8ish miles into Norwich. There was a good bit of rain, and a good climb as well. Luckily there wasn’t any thunder at that point, so that was nice. I got an early start to allow myself as much time on my nero, and it paid off. I got to Norwich at about eleven, took a shower and was invited to a Sunday brunch with the family I’m staying with. I was so gracious and didn’t expect it at all. A real treat. The people I’ve met on the trail is really what it’s all about. They had made two huge stacks of waffles, a large french press of coffee, and sausage and bacon. It was so delicious, and it was also fun to meet Lily’s family. She’s married to Omer, a dedicated husband who often travels to SF for work, and three children. A 9 year old, 5, and 3. Oh, and there’s also a very playful dog. It’s a pretty high energy household to say the least. After brunch I spent time catching up with the world, their wifi is amazing. Then we headed to the general store to pick up supplies for dinner. Spaghetti with Italian sausage, garlic bread, a large salad, and plenty of wine. I think it turned out quite nice. After dinner we joined Lily and her kids at the backyard fire pit and made some smores. It was great fun, and eventually turned into a game of throwing rocks into tires. Honey Badger (the nine year old) got 53 points! We all agreed he should play baseball now. After the kids were put down, Bumble Bee and I played a few hands of Gin Rummy and killed the wine. All in all, a very successful evening.

Today was a lazy morning. Golly made a pot of coffee and I did a bit of planning for the next few days. After she walked the dog we all headed down to a local diner and grabbed some breakfast. Hanover is an extremely hiker friendly town. At breakfast we were treated to a free doughnut. There’s even a pizzeria that gives a free slice to thru-hikers. I think I’ll have to hit that up on the way back. For the remainder of my zero I’ll browse the bookstore (pointless because I have an e-book, but still fun), pick up my mail from the post office, and dodge the rain. I think we’re expecting thunder storms in an hour or two.

In about two days I’ll be getting to the white mountains. I’m both really excited, and a bit worried. For the entire trail I’ve heard that this will be the most difficult terrain. I should be fine though, walking 1750 miles means my legs are in pretty good physical condition. I suppose that’s to be expected though. Service will be spotty at best, and I’m not sure when the next hostel or town stop will be, so it could be a while before I post again. But when I do, expect amazing photos of the whites!

Until then,

-Orion

Hello! Currently I am taking an impromptu zero at the best hostel on the trail so far. Green Mountain Home is truly an oasis along the trail. There’s an entire downstairs devoted just to hikers, complete with a fully stocked kitchen, a living room with movies, a large dining table, and even a piano. Last night I cooked a large diner of spaghetti carbonara for five of us. They all thanked me, but I really got the most out of it. Cooking in a fully stocked kitchen is something I really miss. I wonder what I’ll cook tonight. The best thing of all is that it’s extremely affordable. $35 dollars got me all that, plus a bed with clean sheets and pillow, laundry, a pint of ben & jerry’s and a coke. It’s pretty incredible.

Vermont so far has been one of my favorite states. It gets the nick name Vermud due to some terrible trail conditions. It’s not all bad though. The scenery is spectacular. The woods are full of coniferous trees and ferns. Small creeks and streams meander through the forest. There have also been two fire towers; however, weather hasn’t permitted any views. Lately it has been very wet. That’s partially why I took another zero so soon after Williamstown. I was soaked! Even my sleeping bag was slightly wet. It’s interesting how much being out here makes you appreciate the little things in life, like dry socks and shoes. Or sunlight. Unfortunately bad weather also means less photos, but I have a few good ones.

Taking this time today I’ve noticed that I’m a little self conflicted. I’m just not sure how quickly I want this hike to end. Should I keep going fast and have it be over with? Or rather take more time and zeros, stop and smell the flowers and relax. Either way I’ll be enjoying myself, I wouldn’t give that up. Just know that one isn’t necessarily better than the other, just different.

11 states down, 3 to go. Roughly 600 miles remain. It’s honestly been a while since I’ve been so excited about a stretch of trail. Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are often thought of as the most scenic states of the AT. They are also undoubtedly the most challenging. Since being on my own, I’ve been able to do 20-26 miles a day. I haven’t felt this good in my entire life, but I know it’s unrealistic to keep this up. I have to slow it down in the white mountains as well as the first part of Maine. Otherwise, chances are it will be unenjoyable or I could hurt myself.  
New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts have all been great. They really all do belong in the same group. Somewhat different but also all having similar characteristics. Towns were closer meaning I didn’t have to carry as much food. Swimming holes are becoming more frequent. I’ve also seen a lot more wildlife, especially bears. I still don’t have any good bear photos though. Luckily they’ve all been pretty good about running away. 

One thing that I have started doing more is camping alone. I used to always camp around the shelters. They usually have a good water source and a privy, both kind of nice things. However, I’ve recently been doing dinner around 6 and then hiking another 1-2 hours, so water isn’t a necessity, and frankly digging a cat hole doesn’t bother me a bit. It smells better than a privy and it’s probably much more hygienic. Camping where ever I want also means I can get some awesome views. For instance, the night before the 4th of July I got to watch fireworks from above on a ridge line. That was pretty neat. 

Right now is the end to my second zero since Harper’s Ferry. I’m in the town of Willows, technically still in MA, but there’s only several miles left to do in the morning before Vermont. That’s why I consider myself through it. Tomorrow morning I’m going to try and get as early a start as I can. That’s really been the secret to bigger miles. Hopefully this storm coming in won’t be all that bad. 

Wish me luck,

-Orion

Lately I feel like I’ve let the blog down. Due to higher mileage days, my time is either taken up by hiking or sleeping. Doing a blog, reading my book, and washing clothes has all taken a toll. This post won’t make up for it either, but at least it’ll be something. 

Since my last post I’ve completed Pennsylvania, walked through both New Jersey and New York, and now I’m in Connecticut. By the time I do another post I’ll be in Massachusetts for sure. It would be impossible to tell all the details, but here I’ll try and give some highlights.

Upon crossing New Jersey I saw four bears in one day, I haven’t seen any since. New Jersey was not what I expected, the views were very nice and it felt good to get away from all the farmland of Pennsylvania. I guess it’s not all just jersey shore. New York had some character to it. The rocks seemed to get a bit better, but you’d come across random steep up hills. This made for tiresome miles and prompted a zero, my first since Harper’s Ferry. So far Connecticut is awesome. Well groomed trails and good elevation profiles. I also noticed some nice swimming holes in my guide book. Sounds like a good place for a mid day siesta. These have become important due to increasing temperatures and higher humidity than I’m used to. 

Through the second half of Pennsylvania and all of NJ and NY I was with Deadwood and Echo. Now though I’m on my own. Hiking in a group changes a lot of things. It’s really nice to end the day with friends, but sometimes I felt like I could have gone further. I’ll see them again for a while on and off. 

Currently I’m in Cornwall Bridge CN, dodging some bad weather. Soon I’ll be in Massachusetts though. Man have these last states gone by fast!