Home Sweet Home

That is my home from last night. If I can constantly hike away from cold weather this is all I'd ever need. It's a nice thought. I'm heading toward Great Barrington this morning. I may go into town for a little while and get into CT tomorrow instead of tonight. Mostly because you never really know what will happen when you wander into an unfamiliar town. Maybe I'll meet Kenny Rogers at an all you can eat Chinese buffet. Shut up, you don't know. It could happen and it could be life changing.

Bedtime

Calling it a day just before 2 AM after about 24 slow miles. I hung my hammock 15 feet from the trail. I'll be back on it in no time. I would have stopped earlier, but this area is covered in dead trees. That's not something a hammock dweller likes to see.

Full Moon 2

I heard it was tradition to moon the traffic from the US 20 bridge. If I heard that wrong, I just started the tradition tonight. There is a full moon tonight, but I'm pretty sure to the dozen cars that passed under the bridge with their headlights on, my white ass was the brightest thing in the sky tonight.

Full Moon

It's been a shitty couple of days, I won't lie. Luckily, nothing cures the blues like hiking. As it happens, it's my full time job now. Since I don't want to just sit around camp by myself, I've decided to hike under this full moon light until I'm too exhausted to stay awake. That might be in a mile, or maybe not until I get to CT in 40 miles. Either way I'll be in CT this weekend.

We Have a Winner!

In just 18 minutes, through chants of "Lard-ass! Lard-ass! Lard-ass!" (like in the movie Stand By Me that we all watched earlier today.) Super Bubba has become the first thru-hiker to conquer the Godzilla Omlete Challenge in 2011.

"Want anything for dessert?" the waitress asked him.

"Yeah, could I get a chocolate cake and like, an entire peach cobbler?" he said. "And maybe a stretcher?"

Two others also finished, one with only 16 seconds to go. It's never been more exciting to watch someone eat.

Competitive Eating

The Godzilla Omelette Challenge at the Misty Moon Diner is underway. Participants must eat a 12 egg omlete with every filling item on the menu, plus home fries and toast. It has to be eaten in 30 minutes or less. My money is on Super Bubba, not pictured. Five hikers are taking the challenge, nobody has completed the challenge all year. I'll post again in 30 minutes or less with the results.

The Birdcage in Dalton MA

Staying at the home of Rob Bird tonight. Another great person who opens their home to thru-hikers. Rob has had about 350 hikers in his home this year. "All you hikers give us old people a reason to be," he said. His first thru-hiker he met by a gas station on a rainy day who was looking for a cheap place to stay. None existed in town at the time, so Rob invited him over. He has since shared his home with over 4,000 hikers and has never asked for a dime in return. He hasn't advertised this service, but word of his generosity spreads along the trail quickly every year. I first heard about Rob probably 500 miles ago.

I took this picture right after everyone in the room was loudly singing Wagon Wheel with Rob on guitar. It's on my list of favorite moments on the trail.

Thank you Rob and Nancy for your hospitality!

Mount Greylock

The highest peak in Massachusettes at 3,491 feet. This is a WWI memorial at the summit. When lit, the beacon on top can be seen for 70 miles. I pointlessly climbed to the top for the view shrouded in clouds.

AT Day 74: Bennington, VT

AT Day 74: Bennington, VT, a set on Flickr.

AT Day 22 and 23: Hangover Day

AT Day 22 and 23: Hangover Day, a set on Flickr.

Biking in Bennington

Arla, a local artist in Bennington has opened up her home for thru-hikers since 2004. We are sleeping in the garage she has converted to a hiker home tonight. I didn't expect to walk in and see hardwood floors and a pool table. I'm still amazed at how kind people are to hikers on the AT.

Arla happened to have three bikes, which she let us ride into town. We took a little tour of the covered bridges and other historic sites, that are luckily still standing after the storm. We also went downtown and saw Arla's current bicycle art exhibit on display. We'll be heading out tomorrow, but not before checking out the Garlic and Herb Festival going on this weekend. I hear they sell garlic ice cream there. I can't leave town without first finding out why the hell they would do that.

A Homeless Door

I wonder what that door was attached to before the flood...

Got to Bennington, VT today where we found out we still couldn't get back on the trail until further notice, so we will continue hitching ahead a few miles to the first town or trailhead in MA. Bennington was hit pretty hard, but the rivers are low again and clean up has been in progress for a few days. Unfortunately more rain is on the way and the ground is still very saturated.

After Irene

The storm flooded some of the trail and left many trees in our way, but the extent of the devastation left by Tropical Storm Irene wasn't seen until we got back into town. Sections of roads are gone, as though erased off a map. Some vehicles and entire houses were washed downstream. Some smashed into bridges taking them out as well. Towns were divided into islands, cutting people off from food and supplies, and thousands were left without electricity and water. In the mountains, we only saw rivers swell and ponds flood. We did see a healthy tree get ripped out of the ground and go rafting over the rapids, but nothing makes you realize how destructive nature can be as when you see it meet civilization.

The Green Mountains, which are home to most of the AT in Vermont, has been closed. We've been told there is a $5000 fine if we try to get back on the trail here, so unfortunately we have to hitch ahead to MA. We will miss a few miles, but I'll come back to do them someday.

Spruce Peak Cabin

I'm in love with a cabin in the woods. It was built by the GMC and USFS to give passing hikers shelter for the night. We arrive just after dusk. I didn't yet have my headlamp on. I walked up the steps onto the covered porch, hoping it would be unoccupied. I slowly pulled back the squeaky sliding door. "Hello?" Nobody was there. We had our home for the night.

I slipped on my headlamp and had a look around. A wood burning stove sat between two sleeping platforms, above which were two lofts. In the corner between two windows was a table, worn from 27 years of thru-hiker meals and socializing. The girls walked in behind me. "Okay guys, here's the plan," Thumper said. "We go into town and get jobs, winter here, and finish the trail in the spring," First of all, I love when someone says, "Here's the plan". One, it means something great could be getting ready to happen. And it means I don't have to come up with a plan myself. I have to admit, I don't hate her idea. Living in a cabin in the mountains has been a dream I've held even longer than my dream to hike the AT. I love this place. And love that they love it too. We'll leave soon, maybe we'll come back someday.

Hurricane Irene

Picture from yesterday morning. With news of Hurricane Irene we decided to hunker down in a shelter for the day. We got to Big Branch Shelter, perched high above a babbling brook, away from dead branches and trees. We sat up all night in our three-walled home playing cards and watching the rain come down.

By morning, the brook rose several feet becoming an angry river that could have carried cars miles downstream and destroyed houses. Luckily we were safe above the high water mark, another reason we stayed there. Talking meant having to scream over the sound of the river and thunder that shook the floor, so we mostly stayed in the 18x8' shelter reading quietly with the river in view outside.

We could have tried to get to a town, like everyone else on the trail was doing, but didn't want to pass up the chance to spend the night on the AT during a hurricane. It was a relaxing day overall, it kind of felt like a snow day.

Sorry I didn't update earlier, I didn't have cell service.

Forest Service Notice

Breakfast

Just enjoying my birthday breakfast outside Cooper Shelter. I've discovered that adding cold water to a packet of oatmeal is as unappealing as it is easy to make. In the woods, however, convenience and easy clean up have become more important than taste.

It was a chilly night with clouds rolling through the windowless window frames this morning. The chipmunks were up early clattering their tiny claws across the stone floor looking for last night's crumbs. We slept well anyway, and slept in on accident. My alarm didn't go off, but we will still try to do 20 miles regardless of our late start.

As I'm typing this, Sixgun Wild (formerly Bambi) and I are singing Home by Edward Sharpe. It's sure to be a great day. Gotta go, it's time for my trumpet solo.

Late Night Rummy

Staying in a shelter tonight. It was already inhabited by chipmunks, but they seem cool with us crashing here.
Rummy has been a major source of entertainment for many weeks. This is the first night we've had a picnic table to play cards on, so after hiking to the peak of Mt. Killington to watch the sunset, we stayed up late playing. Maybe not a good idea since we have 20 miles to hike tomorrow.

Mount Killington

The final moment before sunset.

Rutland VT

Got to Rutland yesterday. I hiked 22 miles just to make sure I could, so getting to Georgia before winter shouldn't be a problem. I only need 14 per day for that. I have to often ask myself which is more important, getting in more miles or having more fun at camp or in town. It's not always easy to answer that question.

Rutland is the third largest city in Vermont and I arrived a day earlier than the girls expected, so I didn't think I'd see them until this afternoon where we agreed to meet. I took a bus into town for fast food and right after I ordered they walked in the door. We've been hiking together so long, maybe we just instinctively end up together at night even when we aren't consciously trying to.

Tomorrow we pass the 500 mile mark. That seems like so much, but there are still 1,681 to go. People who have asked if we are going north or south often say, "Oh so you're just starting out then." Yet, somehow climbing dozens of mountains over 500 miles of trail feels like a lot.