Appalachian Trail Day 2: Hurd Brook

Entering the 100-Mile Wilderness

Our first river ford


 Red and I at a waterfall that I forget the name of...

Maine's root and rock covered trails

Refilling my  water


I know the tree was probably a sapling when the rock was perhaps moss and dirt covered, then grew long roots to the ground below, but I like to think it was just a tired old tree who wanted to sit down for a while.

This is where we met Thumper and Bambi.  The older couple was from France, we saw them a few times, but could never communicate with them.  Someone later told me they were feeling kind of lonely on the trail since they were around so many people, but couldn't talk to them.  I wish I would have learned a few French phrases, they were very nice people.

Appalachian Trail Day 1: Photos from Mount Katahdin

Planning our hike up Mount Katahdin, the Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail.

My first white blaze


Alex and Red heading up Katahdin

Moccasin heading up Katahdin

The higher we climbed, the colder, windier, and rainier it became.


The wind gusts were strong enough to blow you off these boulders

Taking a break from the wind.


Another break from the wind 

The Katahdin summit and the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. 

Me at the summit. Only 2,181 miles to go.

Group shot


Heading back down



Our first AT shelter


Pleasant Pond Mountain

A cool breeze just isn't the same as when you climb a mountain to get to it. I'm very happy with my decision to do this. Since I boarded the train, I have not had a moment of regret. Even when I was on Moxie Bald last night in a thunderstorm. The sky was bright and blue on the way up. The storm clouds were hiding on the other side. The lightning began to strike as soon as I was on top of the bald. Exactly where you don't want to be when thunder cracks above your head.

I ran below treeline and the downpour came down so hard it turned the trail to a stream in minutes. I sloshed through one and three quarter miles of mud and water to the next shelter, while singing the Pearl Jam song, Driftin':

Drifting, drifting, drifting away.
I got myself a mansion, then I gave it away.
It's not the world that's heavy, just the things that you save.
And I'm drifting, drifting away.

Drifting, drifting, drifting along.
I rid myself of worries, and the worries were gone.
I only run when I want to and I sleep like a dog.
I'm just drifting, drifting along.

The suitcoats say, 'There is money to be made.'
They get so damn excited, nothing gets in their way
My road it may be lonely just because it's not paved.
It's good for drifting, drifting away.

Drifting, drifting, drifting, along.
I feel like going back there, but never for long.
I sometimes wonder if they know that I'm gone.
I'm just drifting, drifting along.

Crossroads

At a crossroad. Bambi is having bad foot problems that will take at least a couple days to heal enough to move on. I gave her my backup lightweight trail running shoes to replace her boots (luckily I have the feet of a petite 18 year old girl). I think that will help. We are trying to decide how we can stay together and give her time to heal. I think the girls will shuttle ahead a few days and wait for us. We formed a great little family here. We are all too attached to each other to want to split up right now. We've been through a lot, it would be nice to reach Springer together.

Just about ready to hit the trail. We have 75 miles to Stratton, ME before our next resupply.
(In the photo, Mock-a-Son eating a block of cheese, Red with a pint of Ben & Jerry, and Bambi)

Fourth Mountain

Pictures can't do the landscape justice. The difference between seeing a photo and being here is about the same as kissing a photo of a loved one and actually embracing them in person. Wish you could all be here to see it.

Summited four mountains so far today.. one more to go. Once we get out of Maine and New Hampshire they say 20% off the trail is finished, but 80% of the effort. This is no Walk in the Woods.

Thumper and Red at WHL

I have met a lot of wonderful people on this trip, that I will write more about when I can get to a computer, however this is two of four I find myself with every night (Thumper and Red). I know eventually our hiking pace will change, but I will find it hard to leave them behind. We tend to hike our own pace during the day, but all look forward to hanging out at night. And it has been a blast. I feel like I've known them for years already.

I think we'll stay together at least for a July 4th night in Monson. Then hopefully we will all be ready for some long days on the trail. Getting seperated is a sad thought, but I want to be sure I finish by Thanksgiving.

Trail Name Story #1

I heard my favorite story of how a hiker got his trail name. His friends were calling him One Way. I assumed his name meant he was heading only one direction, north to Maine.

He and his friends were trying to figure out the safest way to climb down a hill. He went first, fell, and slid to the bottom. One of his friends said, "Well, that's one way to do it." And the name stuck.

In the photo you see what I've been doing this whole time... Following the white blazes. The AT is marked by them at least every 100 yards or so to keep you on track.

White House Landing

A mile from the Appalachian Trail lies an oasis in the 100 mile wilderness. The side trail ends at a dock on a massive lake. Sound an air horn that is tied to a tree and minutes later there is Bill in a boat, the owner of White House Landing, coming to pick you up.

No phones or electricity, but WHL provides a small restaurant, bunkhouse, cabins, and showers for weary hikers or whoever else finds themselves in the Middle of Nowhere, Maine. After a shower, I headed to the restaurant for lunch. They have a high calorie hiker menu. I had the one pound deluxe hamburger with everything. Five days ago I wouldn't have thought that was very appetizing. But a lot has happened in five days.

After lunch, I washed clothes by hand in a tub. Then took their kayak out on the lake and paddled around with a loon. Now I'm relaxing on their porch swing. I could get used to this simple life.

I'm rested and ready for the 68 miles over White Cap Mountain into Monson, Maine, my next resupply point.

View of Katahdin

Another amazing day. I've been hiking with Thumper, Bambi, and Red today. I thought I would have spent more time alone than I have, but I'm really enjoying our nights at camp together. We all have our story of how we got here and why.

We just took a dip in a beautiful remote mountain lake under the first blue sky we have seen in a while. Now we are sitting on bedrock looking out at Katahdin (In the background). It's hard to believe I was on top of that mountain just 3 days ago.

I'm sorry to have to keep these posts so short and infrequent, but cell phone reception is rare in Maine's 100 mile Wilderness. As the name suggests, it is quite remote out here.

Only 2,146 miles to go!

Rainbow Ledges

I wanted to have some time alone today, so stayed at the shelter a little longer this morning to give all the other Sobos (southbounders) some distance on me. I think I heard a moose forty yards away just now. I'm going to hang out here quietly for a bit to see if it comes out.

I met more hikers at the Hurd Brook shelter last night. Two sisters from Kentucky going by the trail names Bambi and Thumper. I've been given the name Cam, short for The Cameraman, since I stop to take so many photos (anyone surprised?). It hasn't really stuck yet though. I'm still Ryan for the most part. At the shelter, I also met a retired French couple who don't speak a word of English. We try to speak through a very rudimentary form of sign language, but that isn't working well.

This is only day three, but I feel confident I will make it to Georgia. I'm having the time of my life.

On the trail

This is the first cell signal I've noticed since Katahdin. We caught back up with the hiker called Moccasin, who had to turn back on Katahdin, so there are still three of us hiking together. Just wanted everyone to know I'm still safe and everything is going very well. I am getting rained on one mile south of Abol Bridge just south of Baxter State Park. I'll update the blog soon as I can, but given the remoteness of this section, it won't be that frequent for a while...

Made It To Katahdin!

And so it begins. I'm at the Northern Terminus of the AT. The trip up was the hardest I've hiked. 60 mph wind gusts, pellets of rain pelting my face, and steep climbs requiring all fours. I wanted adventure and that's what I got. One member of our group had to head back down due to not having good rain and wind gear. I hope we meet back up with him again.

So far it's been amazing, the views breathtaking. I wanted to show you the view, but a cloud has moved in, so it's all white right now.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know all is well.

Bus

I'm on the bus to Bangor. Then will get on the next bus to Medway. Then I will be picked up and delivered to the Appalachian Trail Lodge, where my backpacking gear is waiting for me. In the morning they will drop me off near the base of Mount Katahdin. Not long now.

Next Stop: Maine

This is the Green Line in Boston taking me to the North Amtrak Station. I'm heading to Maine now. It's hard to believe I've been gone less than two weeks, and the real adventure hasn't even begun!

An Interesting Couple of Hours

It was a fascinating night. I'm not talking about how it rained relentlessly and how I wandered around Boston, day and night, soaked to the bone. I'm referring to how I helped a homeless man with his web site (he had a netbook and a city of free wifi connections).

I had to get out of the rain, so ducked into a McDonald's, hoping to use their free WiFi and see if the rain would pass in the meantime. It never did. Seeing I had a computer, he approached me with a question about his web site. He talked for a couple of hours about the contents of the site. Without going into details right now, I'll just say he told a fascinating tale about a prophecy foretold to him about Superman, OJ Simpson, David Keresh, and a little girl with red rain boots.

I didn't tell him my own story, but when he asked where it was that I called home, I just said , "Right now, nowhere. Just travelling and staying in hostels." He seemed happy to believe I was a penniless wanderer, or as he put it, "A fellow poor man." I couldn't tell him that I left my home and job deliberately. And anyway, with me in old soaking wet clothes and two weeks of not shaving, I certainly looked the part.

If I never write about this man again, the one thing I want to say is that even though he had so little, he still tried to give me 3 of his $13. Not for the computer help, but because he thought I needed it. He was intent on helping me.  He twice offered to buy me hot chocolate or ice cream, or anything I wanted at McDonalds.  Later, when leading me to the subway station, he introduced me to a man who became homeless and paralyzed after being struck by a car.  He then tried to give me money for the subway. I told him I had money, but I think he thought I just didn't want any charity.  I hate to think of all the homeless people I saw on the streets the past couple of weeks that I ignored when they were asking for spare change.

This reminded me of a story I once heard.  It was about an old man who gave a homeless man $10, even though he didn't have much money to spare.  He turned to his grandson and said, "Son, today we are rich."  This confused the boy, so he asked his grandpa what he meant.  He said, "because we have everything we need, and still had $10 to spare."

To Bil, it seems unlikely that you will ever read this post on your netbook, but just wanted to again say thanks for your amazing generosity.  I will not soon forget it.