this morning when i left the church hostel to try to get a ride back to the trail, you will never guess who stopped to pick me up. a police car pulled over and put his lights on and informed me that hitchhiking is illegal in new jersey. he took my liscence and ran it, and then told me he would give me a ride to the trail. i had to ride in the back though. my first ever ride in the back of a police car...
today was a pretty easy hike. i simply hostel hopped to unionville. this place is really cool, it is the former mayor of the town. he and he friends made us dinner and offer free beer and soda. his words were, as long as we are in the house we are like part of his family. He did make us watch an inpirational video about getting victory over the trail, but i kinda liked it. I think i am staying here tommorow too, so that i can cut out a day between here and delaware water gap.
i know it is a little far, but if you philly friends want to stop by and see me on the trail, this would probably be your chance. give me a call...
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
8/30 and things begin to clear
it started out cloudy and slippery and it ended up sunny and awesome. i made it here to new jersey and into a happy valley of sorts. there was a market right where the trail met the road where i got some ice cream. A large was like an entire pint of ice cream on the cone. my cone collapsed. i will be going back there for some hommade doughnuts before hitting the trail tomorrow. i hitched from there into vernon, nj. there is a hostel here in a church that has everything you need. shower, laundry, internet, tv, and a map of the town. I got a meal and some more snacks. now i am nice and weighed down to hike the long 11.8 miles to the next hostel, the former mayor's in unionville, ny. still hanging with tiger and wanderlust. and by hanging i mean hiking faster than and then waiting for them at the desinations. taking a day break in unionville to hopefully heal some weary feet. Then 2 day to PA!!!!!
8/29 hurricane remnants
it really poured last night. a lot. I was the only one brave enough to leave the shelter this morning when it was raining still. I was luck though, most of the reason I got wet was just wind blowing water from the trees. I stuck to the plan and did 20 miles so I can rest at a hostel tomorrow afternoon in nj. it would have been a beautiful hike with awesome views if there was not the misty low lying clouds. so much for seeing the nyc skyline from the trail. tomorrow I will actually post this stuff when I have internet. my feet can't wait for a break. they looked rough today. I think I need a mental break too...
- Taken at 4:58 PM on August 29, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
8/28 a bear of a day.
so john of the friary lived up to his promise and brought egg sandwiches in the morning. then half a mile down the trail we had second breakfast at a convince store. I forged ahead and got my mail drop as it began to rain. ate lunch at a deli since the mail lacked lunch foods. then at the top of bear mountain I took a wrong turn twice. I made this easy 15 mile day into a much longer one, in the rain. looking like bad weather for the next few days too. on the up side, a day hiker gave me some bbq'd chicken. it tasted great. a cold night it will be tonight.
- Taken at 6:45 PM on August 28, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
8/27 new southbounders
I woke up extremely early in order to have time to do a big day and also stop at a deli for breakfast. it was cold but worth it. the breakfast sandwich was awesome and the pepperoni sub I saved for lunch was even better. I saw no one before lunch, but when I stopped to eat I met a southbouder who was getting back on the trail after a day off. his trail name is tiger. now here at the 'shelter' there is another sobo named wonderlust. I say "shelter" because it is a pavilion on a ball field on a christian faith friary compound. we ordered pizza and a guy is coming to give us egg sandwiches in the morning. right now we are watching some spanish speakers play soccer on the field. the way the shelters are working out I have no choice but to stay at the same place as these new sobos. fwiends... getting mail tomorrow
- Taken at 7:25 PM on August 27, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
8/26 just walking
another ronery day on the trail. more salamanders in the morning and more college orientation groups. I entered new york but missed the sign. will have to make one in town and photograph it. saw some section hikers. and there was some hippie looking guy who I asked how it was going and he replied... this is just not the planet I want to be on right now. you interpret that, I had a tough time. tonight I am tout seul at the nice shelter. I noticed a big bump on the top of my right foot. hope it is nothing serious. gotta rest to do 28 tomorrow.
- Taken at 6:44 PM on August 26, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
where to step
how many salamanders can you find?
- Taken at 7:18 AM on August 26, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
- Taken at 7:18 AM on August 26, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
8/25 big day
I never thought I would complete a 28.4 mile day on such rough terrain. I woke up early and had 18 done before I ate lunch. I was going to stop at 25, but apparently the yale undergraduate orientation groups think they are entitled to the shelter. now I am here all alone at a campsite on the mountain, hoping for no bears. there were some interesting animal sightings today. hundreds of orange salamanders, I am sure I stepped on at least one. a few mocking birds. a big rattlesnake, more than a yard long. I tried to get a picture, but we were both a little scared. also a huge frog. that's it. I will be in ny tomorrow. will stop at some delis.
- Taken at 8:15 PM on August 25, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
conn border
- Taken at 9:38 AM on August 24, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
mass border
forgot to send this one. but i have missed several others so i guess it does not matter too much
- Taken at 1:31 PM on August 18, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
- Taken at 1:31 PM on August 18, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
8/24 conn man
shortly into the day today I entered state number 5, Connecticut. nothing too exciting about it. the signs are a nice olive color and... that is about it. stopped for lunch in salisberry and had to fill up the rest of the belly with ben and jerrys from the store. was making great time until there was a stupid detour on the trail. it took us way out of the way and we had to hitch backwards. now I am camping in a back yard of a cafe in falls village. had some soda from the package store and ordered a pizza. some of the last nortbounders are staying here too. won't be seeing them for much longer. kent , ct tomorrow and then new york. smell ya later new england.
- Taken at 8:19 PM on August 24, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
8/23 slacker
20 miles of slack packing. lunch with mom and dad. billions of mosquitoes. 8 miles with pack. rain at night. nerdy med students. this is a slack entry.
- Taken at 7:59 PM on August 23, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
Saturday, August 22, 2009
8/21, 8/22 storms parents
I started my trek out of daulton with 2 other southbounders. well, i guess i started it with a hug goodbye to shawn, but i am sure you assumed that. Six pack and fuego stayed with me most of the day, and we enjoyed some more mass trail magic. Sodas, cookies from the cookie lady on the blueberry farm, and more sodas. We were hoping to enjoy the hoapitality of the caretaker at the upper goose pond cabin and their famed morning pancakes, but no one was there. The caretaker was away, injured and the cabin was closed. But only mostly locked. SO we slept there in the bunks, which was nice after an afternoon of terribly violent thunderstorms. There was so much lightning that i could not even stop to moon shawn as i walked over the turnpike at 4:38 (my watch time).
In the morning, after cleaning out my food bag, i hiked to the first road, 2.7 miles away, to meet my parents in my new car. We got a document noterized and then had some breakfast. Then my dad insisted on hiking some of the trail with me. In anticipation of a rude awakening we planned for 5.4 miles. At about 5 miles in, on the last hill, the toughness of the trail hit him. Not bad for a first day, i probably started to break down only a little further on my first day too, and mine was a much flatter first day. I drove my car back to the hotel while my dad sweated all over the passenger seat. it drives nice and has a working air conditioner. We cleaned up, Then we enjoyed some food at a brewery.
After packing my bag i am ready to slack pack a little bit tommorow and meet them in the afternoon.
Then maybe a short work for stay on the organic farm tommorrow night...
In the morning, after cleaning out my food bag, i hiked to the first road, 2.7 miles away, to meet my parents in my new car. We got a document noterized and then had some breakfast. Then my dad insisted on hiking some of the trail with me. In anticipation of a rude awakening we planned for 5.4 miles. At about 5 miles in, on the last hill, the toughness of the trail hit him. Not bad for a first day, i probably started to break down only a little further on my first day too, and mine was a much flatter first day. I drove my car back to the hotel while my dad sweated all over the passenger seat. it drives nice and has a working air conditioner. We cleaned up, Then we enjoyed some food at a brewery.
After packing my bag i am ready to slack pack a little bit tommorow and meet them in the afternoon.
Then maybe a short work for stay on the organic farm tommorrow night...
Friday, August 21, 2009
8/20 more
i didn't stay at the hostel last night. shawn picked me up and we enjoyed 3rd thursday in pittsfield. It was his last night so he wanted to do a pub crawl of the town. I decided to accompany him on this venture and had a little bit of fun. Now i must go back on the hike and he must leave for maine. Maybe i will see him as i moon the mass turnpike today...
Thursday, August 20, 2009
8/18, 8/19, 8/20 mass journal
So, i forgot to write a couple of days... i will catch you up quick.
Shawn dropped me off back in vermont where he picked me up early in the morning. on the way there we stopped at dounut man and i ate 8 doughnuts. I felt a little sick with all of the driving, but i still managed to make it the 23 miles to the "foot of Greylock" which was most of the way up the mountain. It was fun to cross into massachusetts, my 4th state. THat night i ran into a southbound pair that i had seen just after leaving manchester; hot sauce and ishmael. They are recent newlywed, recent college grads, and they are pretty cool. We survived a nasty thunderstorm that night and several mouse attacks.
The next morning it was only 20 miles to daulton, where i am now. At the top of greylock i was reminded of mount washington, because i could not see anything but clouds. I imagine it would have been cool. Then there was lunch at a tiny ice cream stand, and then into daulton. The whole way in people were telling me which hostel to stay in... In this town there are 2 unique hostels which are completely free and will not even take money and they even compete to see who can be more hospitable, Tom Levardi's and Rob Bird's Birdcage. Tom was most reccomended and right on the trail so i picked there. He lived up to the reviews. He is really nice and lined me up with a spot on the couch after taking us all (9 people) to old country buffet. Hot sauce and ishmael showed up a little later and just missed the trip.
That brings me to today. A day of rest... Because of that buffet trip i may not be trying the omlette challenge. I just would not be able to do it justice after the buffet. Plus, later shawn is going to pick me up again and we will be enjoying some festival in Pittsfield that has good food and beverages. We will see...
Right now i am trying to plan the next few days because my parents will be visiting me for the weekend and bringing my new car to try out.
So you slower southbounders can finally catch me!!
Catch you later. it is ice cream time...
Shawn dropped me off back in vermont where he picked me up early in the morning. on the way there we stopped at dounut man and i ate 8 doughnuts. I felt a little sick with all of the driving, but i still managed to make it the 23 miles to the "foot of Greylock" which was most of the way up the mountain. It was fun to cross into massachusetts, my 4th state. THat night i ran into a southbound pair that i had seen just after leaving manchester; hot sauce and ishmael. They are recent newlywed, recent college grads, and they are pretty cool. We survived a nasty thunderstorm that night and several mouse attacks.
The next morning it was only 20 miles to daulton, where i am now. At the top of greylock i was reminded of mount washington, because i could not see anything but clouds. I imagine it would have been cool. Then there was lunch at a tiny ice cream stand, and then into daulton. The whole way in people were telling me which hostel to stay in... In this town there are 2 unique hostels which are completely free and will not even take money and they even compete to see who can be more hospitable, Tom Levardi's and Rob Bird's Birdcage. Tom was most reccomended and right on the trail so i picked there. He lived up to the reviews. He is really nice and lined me up with a spot on the couch after taking us all (9 people) to old country buffet. Hot sauce and ishmael showed up a little later and just missed the trip.
That brings me to today. A day of rest... Because of that buffet trip i may not be trying the omlette challenge. I just would not be able to do it justice after the buffet. Plus, later shawn is going to pick me up again and we will be enjoying some festival in Pittsfield that has good food and beverages. We will see...
Right now i am trying to plan the next few days because my parents will be visiting me for the weekend and bringing my new car to try out.
So you slower southbounders can finally catch me!!
Catch you later. it is ice cream time...
Hello from Green Mountain House
Hello,
It was a pleasure having you stay at Green Mountain House. Hope your hike continues with good weather and great friends. Be sure and send us a summit picture!!!
Here is a shot of you at the hostel.
Thanks again for the generous donation,
Jeff Taussig
Green Mountain House
2480 Richville Rd
Manchester Center, VT 05255
Green Mountain House
2480 Richville Rd
Manchester Center, VT 05255
Monday, August 17, 2009
mouse trap
- Taken at 11:40 PM on August 17, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
west side garden
- Taken at 5:28 PM on August 17, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
8/16, 8/17 first fwend meeting
So i thought i was going to get to hike a little with shawn, but he is kinda slow. he says he got stuck in traffic, but who knows what the truth is... He reached me 7 minutes after he started hiking (less than half a mile from the parking lot) and then hiked the 7 minutes back. Its a shame because he had brought a few beers and some food to eat for lunch. We drove back to his place and i got cleaned up. Oh, this was after i was given extensive tours of the county, town and apartment where he lives. A natural born tourguide. Fortunately we made it back in time to see the amazing 100 meter dash live, and a world record broken.
His job is pretty interesting and he can be seen here in a picture watering the community garden that he helps run in an effort to improve the town of pittsfield, ma. It is nice to know that there are people out there working for practically nothing, just trying to make communities better. I am sure he will do great things for that polish university he is going to work at (if he can learn polish, hehe)
ANyway, today he had to work. So i woke up ate breakfast, and walked into town, ate brunch, and met him for lunch. On the walk back it was so hot that i had to stop and get some ben and jerry's. Then we pulled some weeds in the garden and taste tested some things.
This evening after dinner we caught a mouse "jorge" in his apartment and released him back into the wild. The complicated trap can be seen in the picture.
Tomorrow morning i am getting dropped off early back in bennington, vt. There is a twist though....
I will be back here on thursday when i hike through daulton, ma for the GODZILLA challenge. A monster 13 egg, omlette containing everything on the menu. If you eat it all in 30 minutes you get a t-shirt. Shawn already tried it and failed, but i think i have convinced him to give it another go. I will keep you posted about that event.
I hope some of my hiking buddies catch up in time to try it.
oh, and happy birthday kristen : )
His job is pretty interesting and he can be seen here in a picture watering the community garden that he helps run in an effort to improve the town of pittsfield, ma. It is nice to know that there are people out there working for practically nothing, just trying to make communities better. I am sure he will do great things for that polish university he is going to work at (if he can learn polish, hehe)
ANyway, today he had to work. So i woke up ate breakfast, and walked into town, ate brunch, and met him for lunch. On the walk back it was so hot that i had to stop and get some ben and jerry's. Then we pulled some weeds in the garden and taste tested some things.
This evening after dinner we caught a mouse "jorge" in his apartment and released him back into the wild. The complicated trap can be seen in the picture.
Tomorrow morning i am getting dropped off early back in bennington, vt. There is a twist though....
I will be back here on thursday when i hike through daulton, ma for the GODZILLA challenge. A monster 13 egg, omlette containing everything on the menu. If you eat it all in 30 minutes you get a t-shirt. Shawn already tried it and failed, but i think i have convinced him to give it another go. I will keep you posted about that event.
I hope some of my hiking buddies catch up in time to try it.
oh, and happy birthday kristen : )
8/15 world track and field championships
that was the first thing i did this morning when I woke up at the hostel and ate my 3 free bowls of cereal , gay had the fastest heat time with the slowest reaction time. look out bolt. then i was dropped of at the trail and hiked again, bbig surprise.
I forgot to mention that the hostel owner reminded me of a real life ned flanders. he looked and acted like him, and i just kept imagining him throwing out an "Okalie dokalie neighborino" just thought i needed to mention that to give an accurate description.
when I got to the stratton mountain peak, after what seemed like a hundred switchbacks, I had lunch in the fire tower. then I called shawn. he will be meeting me tomorrow to hike and then maybe hosting a zero day for me. my first trail side friend encounter. hope there are more to come... hint hint
- Taken at 8:30 PM on August 15, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
I forgot to mention that the hostel owner reminded me of a real life ned flanders. he looked and acted like him, and i just kept imagining him throwing out an "Okalie dokalie neighborino" just thought i needed to mention that to give an accurate description.
when I got to the stratton mountain peak, after what seemed like a hundred switchbacks, I had lunch in the fire tower. then I called shawn. he will be meeting me tomorrow to hike and then maybe hosting a zero day for me. my first trail side friend encounter. hope there are more to come... hint hint
- Taken at 8:30 PM on August 15, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
Friday, August 14, 2009
8/14 manchester center
first of all, i woke up mad today as a mouse had eaten through the waist pocket on my new pack to get to a clif bar. then i was really tired and dragging for my first few hills of the day, but i pushed on...
random note: the plants in the woods seem to give off these distinct smells in the morning.
anyway, i hiked up to the top of bromley mountain today. i wanted to make it there last night, but alas i did not have the steam. a nice guy who was fixing a building up there pointed out some of the surrounding mountains from the fire tower. that was nice because normally when i get to the top of a mountain i don't know what anything is. then there were only three miles left to the road. there a nice retired geology professor picked me up and explained to me the tecktonics of the northwest united states on the drive in. i had lunch, bought some new shoes and some food and then came on down to the hostel. the best hostel ever. 15 dollars, clean as a whistle (a new one, not a slobber covered one), and all the free soda and ben and jerry's i could handle. I watched a little school of rock on TV and i will be checking the first day's results of worlds in berlin in the morning. i wonder if any big sprinters will choke in the heats.
Ok, its late and i have a comfortable bed i want to take advantage of.
smell ya later.
random note: the plants in the woods seem to give off these distinct smells in the morning.
anyway, i hiked up to the top of bromley mountain today. i wanted to make it there last night, but alas i did not have the steam. a nice guy who was fixing a building up there pointed out some of the surrounding mountains from the fire tower. that was nice because normally when i get to the top of a mountain i don't know what anything is. then there were only three miles left to the road. there a nice retired geology professor picked me up and explained to me the tecktonics of the northwest united states on the drive in. i had lunch, bought some new shoes and some food and then came on down to the hostel. the best hostel ever. 15 dollars, clean as a whistle (a new one, not a slobber covered one), and all the free soda and ben and jerry's i could handle. I watched a little school of rock on TV and i will be checking the first day's results of worlds in berlin in the morning. i wonder if any big sprinters will choke in the heats.
Ok, its late and i have a comfortable bed i want to take advantage of.
smell ya later.
a bridged
- Taken at 7:58 AM on August 13, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
8/13 whistle stop
today was an easier day. it started with a breakfast at an oldtrain station. a big breakfast called 'the works'. then I hiked. I stopped and talked to a lot of other hikers about various things. I was trying to make it to the top of bromley mountain, but stopped 5 miles short and only did 23.3 miles. it was a nice hike and I plan to do the slide or the zip line tomorrow morning before I head into manchester center to a cool hostel with free ice cream. being attacked by bugs. have to go.
- Taken at 8:46 PM on August 13, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
- Taken at 8:46 PM on August 13, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
8/12 encore
another day, another marathon for the sake of owning shawn in a 5k. 26.4 this time and a bit slower, but killington was right in the middle of it. this should sum up the day... morning flat smooth sunny. middle rain thunder hills rocks. afternoon smooth pretty sunny. oh I almost forgot that there was trail magic today. mountain dews in a stream in the morning and coke and crackers and a chair in the evening. I hope that's not the last of it. I needed that energy.
- Taken at 8:45 PM on August 12, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
backwoods camping
in the back yard, with the flamingos
- Taken at 8:25 PM on August 10, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
- Taken at 8:25 PM on August 10, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
8/11 marathon day
that's right. I had my biggest day yet. after a big omlette I headed out to do 26.3 miles in an effort to get to beat shawn in a 5k. along the way I saw hawks, a porcupine, orange salamanders, turkeys and raspberries. a good day... not a good marathon time 10.5 hours, but good for hiking especially with an hour for lunch. i am definitely cramping up. trying to decide how ambitious to be tomorrow. I will wake up early and decide while hiking. to killington at least
- Taken at 8:36 PM on August 11, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
Monday, August 10, 2009
8/9, 8/10 vermonty
So another day of town (non hiking) activities was in store on sunday. We went to see a movie at the local theater. 500 days of summer, it was a pretty good, artsy, love/anti-love story. i really like the girl that was in it, i forget her name, maybe zoey something. Then we went to mcdonalds and then bowling. The bowling was fun, but i did miss my shoes and my ball; i guess i am spoiled. lastly we got some ice cream and jon and i went to the frat that had the crawfish boil. There for the rest of the night i learned how to play the dartmouth version of pong. it is different and a little complicated, but pretty fun. you use the paddles to hit the ball around. It can get difficult the longer you are playing. Also, on a related note, they call pukeing 'booting'; i didn't do it, but it may have happened.
Today i did some wash and then walked into town for lunch. Got some pizza and more ice cream : ) Also i got some new silverware since mine was actual silver and corroding, it did not seem healthy to use for a long period of time. then i started walking again. All alone this time. Crossed into Vermont!!! Two states down!
my pack weighs a ton because i took all the food my parents sent. a 15 pound box full. I passed up the happy hill shelter (the first one ever on the AT) and came here to west hartford. Some northbounders told me you can tent in this guy's back yard. It is a nice deal, free, and there is a really nice brook for swimming right next to the yard. A general store has some good food too and this here library has internet for free... Looks like i will be carrying all of the food a little further.
Shawn. i am doing 30 miles tommorow, just for YOU.
Today i did some wash and then walked into town for lunch. Got some pizza and more ice cream : ) Also i got some new silverware since mine was actual silver and corroding, it did not seem healthy to use for a long period of time. then i started walking again. All alone this time. Crossed into Vermont!!! Two states down!
my pack weighs a ton because i took all the food my parents sent. a 15 pound box full. I passed up the happy hill shelter (the first one ever on the AT) and came here to west hartford. Some northbounders told me you can tent in this guy's back yard. It is a nice deal, free, and there is a really nice brook for swimming right next to the yard. A general store has some good food too and this here library has internet for free... Looks like i will be carrying all of the food a little further.
Shawn. i am doing 30 miles tommorow, just for YOU.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
8/8, 8/9 hanover
lets see, where did i leave off? ah yes, dancing bones. we woke up there and had an amazing breakfast of fresh fruit and something called pain perdu (basically french toast that has to soak all night). we then assembled a labyrinth and then we were off to the trail again. I cannot express how nice and strange the people of dancing bones were, but if i am lost in my spirituality when i am older and can remember it, i would probably return there to dance my bones away. anyway, we left.
now the interesting part. rocketman and i decided on a whim that we were going to hike through the night until we got to hanover. it would be a cool 35 miles and only 15 of it would be in the dark. it was easy terrain, and we had headlamps and it was an almost full moon. We made it 20 and then made some dinner. then the problems began... our headlamps stink, i could not see more than a few feet, and the moon did not make it through the trees. There is little to no depth perception in the dark. You cannot tell what is muddy and what is not. And lastly it is just plain creepy in the woods at night. After 2.8 miles in the dark we gave up. We were going to pitch a tent and then jon had an idea. He called his friend to see if she could pick us up. She agreed! Sooo, we came into Hanover, showered up and went to a party on dartmouth's frat row, a foam party. It was not as much fun as it sounds.
Today we slept in, went to breakfast and then a crawfish boil at a different fraternity. If you have never had crawfish, you should, they are like mini lobsters and the cajun spices make it delish. Then a barmitzva party and now here i am typing tipsy.
Tomorrow we will hike the section that we missed and then maybe go bowling! then i may have to start hiking again. i am almost in vermont. Actually i was just feet away when we went swimming today...
now the interesting part. rocketman and i decided on a whim that we were going to hike through the night until we got to hanover. it would be a cool 35 miles and only 15 of it would be in the dark. it was easy terrain, and we had headlamps and it was an almost full moon. We made it 20 and then made some dinner. then the problems began... our headlamps stink, i could not see more than a few feet, and the moon did not make it through the trees. There is little to no depth perception in the dark. You cannot tell what is muddy and what is not. And lastly it is just plain creepy in the woods at night. After 2.8 miles in the dark we gave up. We were going to pitch a tent and then jon had an idea. He called his friend to see if she could pick us up. She agreed! Sooo, we came into Hanover, showered up and went to a party on dartmouth's frat row, a foam party. It was not as much fun as it sounds.
Today we slept in, went to breakfast and then a crawfish boil at a different fraternity. If you have never had crawfish, you should, they are like mini lobsters and the cajun spices make it delish. Then a barmitzva party and now here i am typing tipsy.
Tomorrow we will hike the section that we missed and then maybe go bowling! then i may have to start hiking again. i am almost in vermont. Actually i was just feet away when we went swimming today...
next stage
the slightly easier part begins
- Taken at 10:30 AM on August 06, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
- Taken at 10:30 AM on August 06, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
8/6 next stage
moosilac was worth the wait. I luckily woke up this morning to see my first sunrise of the trip right in front of the shelter. then I had some sweet views on the top of the mountain. some guy slept up there. if I would have done that I am sure it would have rained. then on the way down the trail fumdamentally changed. bye bye rocks, hello smooth sailing. there was a field! reminded me of pennsylvania. we stopped at a hostel for lunch of frozen pizza and soda and hot dogs. now I will try to describe to you where I am now... we heard about a dance camp that feeds you extensive food in exchange for some dishwashing. the food was amazing but it turns out that it is a sort of commune that expresses themselves through dance spirituality. tonight is the fire dance. weird, but kind of cool. people apparentlyget sucked in and stay for a while... will i?
- Taken at 8:56 PM on August 06, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
8/5 the last white
today I started early and made it over the last white mountain. wait. I take that back. I almost made it. the weather started to turn a little sour while i was eating lunch. then some other southbouders arrived and we collectively decided to stay and wait until tomorrow to hit the top to make sure we get a view. and a short day is always nice. it is supposed to be nice for 3 days and the trail on the other side is supposed to be really easy. we made a nice fire and played chess to pass the time. still lost. I also spent 20 minutes chasing a cool looking bird for a picture for kristen. i was unsuccessful at that too. so this night has been a bit of a downer. just kidding, its a great night. to bed at 7:30, good night!!!
- Taken at 7:13 PM on August 05, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
franconia ridge 2
my favorite views thus far
- Taken at 10:30 AM on August 02, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
- Taken at 10:30 AM on August 02, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
8/4
I forgot to say one thing about todd. in the winters he works in oregon as a sled dog musher. looks like I have found a job for when I move... I also forgot to say that I took a zero on the 2nd and saw the harry potter movie. and cut my recently healed heel while riding the hostel loaned bike. I got a new pack too at a nice thru hikers discount. my dad can use my old one. today the pack was so comfortable. it was worth every penny. the weather was so perfect today and there were cool views. tonight the shelter is crowded and the tent sites are too. we have hit the bubble of nortbounders. finally done with the huts so I can eat my own food and make my pack a little lighter. mmm lipton sides. peanut m&ms for desert.
- Taken at 6:48 PM on August 04, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
8/2 , 8/3 trail magic
a terribly windy day with the threat of severe thunder storms. we had a big hut breakfast and then raced across the ridge. another hikers gave us his number to call him if the storms picked up answer we needed to leave the mountain as fast as possible. fortunately the threat was empty again and I had some amazing views from the top of the franconia ridge. when we got down we hitched a ride to lincoln to see a movie ans stay the night, but the hostel was full and we could not find a cheap place to stay. i called the guy from the mountain to ask if he knew of a cheap place and he said they were headed back to georgia. but then he called back to say they turned around and would split a room with us. we saw the movie and afterwards he picked us up and took us to the comfort inn. he said the room was on him. it was awesome. his name was todd and he hiked in 2007 and said he had been in our shoes and knew how tough it was. that restored my faith in humanity.
- Taken at 11:38 PM on August 03, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
8/1 welcome to august
that is one of the hut croo members said this morning. and that is how they spell it, don't ask me why. it was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine lollipops and so on. we saw lots of people on the trails. i guess because it was saturday and people in the real world only can hike on those days. this hut is awesome too. I will have to get a picture of it from the mountain top on the way out. lafayette mountain is a big one. oh I almost forgot kristen. I saw this bird. identify it for me.
- Taken at 10:10 PM on August 01, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
7/31 rocketman return
so last night the hut was "raided" by another hut at 3am. it woke me up, but it was kinda funny. the other hikers did not think the same and left early in the morning angry. more pancakes for me. I hiked all day in the rain and almost slipped to my death several times but towards the end of the day it was all worth it when I stumbled across some ripe blueberries. lots of them. I ate for 30 minutes. at the hut later rocketman john caught up to me again. that is good because the other hikers with no sense of humor were driving me nuts. we got lots of leftovers and played chess. I lost, but it took a while. tomorrow another hut and a sunny day.
- Taken at 10:18 PM on July 31, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
mount wash
should be cleaned, so dirty i could not see anything
- Taken at 12:15 PM on July 30, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
- Taken at 12:15 PM on July 30, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
on top of wildcat
see the gondola in the background?
- Taken at 10:35 AM on July 29, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
- Taken at 10:35 AM on July 29, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
7/30 the presidents
millions of peaches, peaches for me. actually it was a few pieces of mango I had with my breakfast in the morning before going over the presidential peaks. I did get to imagine my own view as I crossed them because I could not see more than 10ft in front of me. then when I went up to the washington peak and had my chilling dog, clam chowder, and soda, it got worse. I left there and almost got hit by a truck that was backing up in the parking lot. there was wind and rain and a threat of t storms, oh my. made it out and the skies began to clear as I left the summit. I saw a resort on the right an imagined a massage and chocolate fountains. made it to the hut and got some leftovers. I had to clean out the gak sink to earn them. stars were out tonight. sweetness
- Taken at 5:54 PM on July 31, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
7/29 madison hut
so I did not finish last night's entry because there were way too many bugs flying in my face. I will finish it when I get the chance but I have to tell you about today. the weather was awesome in the morning for wildcat down to the visitor center. there was a ski lift on wildcat, but rocketman and I resisted the urge to use it. we however could not resist the urge to dine at the visitor center deli for lunch. mmm cheesburger. then it was onward to try and beat the chance of afternoon thunder showers to the hut. rocketman was spent and stayed at the foot of the mountain while I tried the last three miles, all uphill to madison. almostright when I got out of the treeline the clouds and wind rolled in. I ran as much as I could but my legs were spent. luckily there was a summit bypass trail near the top so I did not have to actually enter the cloud. 30 minutes after arrival the rain and wind came. phew! here I met 2 awesome nobos. greenlight is like my long lost twin. he loves to socks too and has all the same bucket list items as me. we had a great dinner and capped the evening with great conversation and franzia. can't wait for more huts!!
- Taken at 6:12 AM on July 30, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
7/28 carter hut
today I had to say goodbye to colin as his family slowed him to a crawl. I did 15 miles alone to the hut from gorahm. these huts are cool and nice to thru hikers. they are only supposed to let 2 stay, but
- Taken at 9:56 PM on July 28, 2009 - uploaded by ShoZu
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