Lake of the Clouds - July 31

Currently an AT thru hiker is missing a hundred miles north in Maine. An older woman, she has been missing since August 24. That situation is very troubling.

I took a late morning start into a stiff climb. It was not too bad, a bit strenuous but not hands-on-rocks climbing like Kinsman Mountain was.

What a glorious hiking day! Largely above treeline, there's great views all day. The sun often pokes through, and the clouds are constantly changing.

I wish I was less worried about the weather as I scan the clouds primarily to foretell the rain and wind, and miss some of their pure majesty.

Zeacliff Ridge - July 30

Today looks pretty moderate for the White Mountains.  There's just one climb up from the Hut and then a reasonable trail (by AT standards) all day long. I don't have to focus as intently on the trail and I chat with lots of hikers and hear their stories, especially one guy who just retired Army with five deployments in Iraq. Sadly, he is decidedly pessimistic about the future of both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Maybe I should have focused a bit more. I fell several times and banged up my shin. I have a welt an inch across that rises half inch high within 60 seconds. But I quickly get an Ace elastic bandage on it and an half hour later it doesn't hurt too bad. 

14.7 miles to Crawford Notch

Mt Lafayette - July 29

The White Mountains are tough. But the morning climb is okay, more like stair climbing than the rock climbing of yesterday. Spoon catches up with me and we hike together most of the day. 

Mt Lafayette is amazing, with a great expansive ridge-walk for several miles. It is very exposed so we keep watching the clouds as they swirl above and below. Some are very dark, not shaped like thunderheads but still threatening a heavy rain. The wind and temperature remain moderate so we judge that we are okay despite the exposure.

Blues in the Morning - Mt. Moosilauke, July 28

From Spirit's perspective...

I was feeling blue.  Steady had started hiking for the day.  Although we were meeting in the evening, I missed his company.  I was also thinking back to the hiking friends who had stood us up for dinner last night.  Another missed opportunity for good conversation.  And my ankle hurt so much when I got up this morning, I couldn't walk.  Another lonely day loomed ahead of me.

When Steady returned from his decent of Mt. Moosilauke last night, he spoke of the rugged beauty of the trail.  He spoke of creeks, waterfalls and boulders cascading down the steep mountain face. It's one of the most beautiful sections of the trail, he said.  He urged me to try the hike up the trail.  But we both knew it was dangerous for my weak ankle.  The blues today also came from thinking of all the sections of the trail that I would never share with him. 

While eating my breakfast I knew that the only way to shake these feelings were to get out on the trail.  I had done a few 2 hour out and back hikes from trailheads.  I'd even completed a four mile loop.  Each time I felt more whole, more refreshed. So I overcame my hesitation, laced up my hiking shoes, picked up my outriggers (hiking poles) and stepped out of the RV.  I decided to hike an hour and see how far that would take me.  

Within the first few hundred feet I got my shoes wet and muddy from a stream crossing.   Good, one less thing I have to worry about.  I'm already dirty. 

The trail progressed easily with only minor rocks and tree roots to remind me that I'm on the AT.  I was enjoying the fresh breeze and the soft green light filtering through the dense canopy of trees.  I felt nimble striding over streams and crossing rough wooden bridges. 

I met two day hikers coming down the trail towards me.  We discussed the warnings on the sign posted on the tree in front of us. "This trail is extremely tough.  If you lack experience please use another trail.  Take special care at the cascades to avoid tragic results."  The hikers confirmed the warning, saying that they would not like to make the descent during the anticipated afternoon rain. With their wishes for a safe hike, I walked on. 

The trail immediately got steeper.  My outriggers served me well in navigating the almost vertical rock stairs.  I had fleeting thoughts that I didn't earn the right to be here.  I hadn't done the 1800 miles to get here.  My legs weren't strong and my ankle might not hold me up.  But I put those doubts aside as I reached the first waterfall. 

Joy erupted as I sat on the smooth granite bank in the midst of the cascade. Breathing in the sound and the force of the water washed away the blues. Ahh, have I reached my destination for the day? Surely this is enough.  Naw, that familiar spirit to see what's around the next bend overtook me.  

I didn't think that the trail could get any steeper, but it did.  I was rewarded with ever more waterfalls, unseen until I scaled the next rock face.  When I reached a vertical face with three rebar loops to assist in the climb, I paused for a moment.  Shortening the length of my poles, I started the ascent. Carefully placing each foothold, I hoisted myself up until I reached a rocky ledge 20 feet above. 

With a limited view of the distant mountains through the treetops,  I sat next to the stream in peaceful contemplation.  I had walked an hour and was satisfied that I had truly reached my destination.  It was okay that the mountaintop and waterfalls above were out of my reach.  With gratitude that such natural beauty exists, I started my descent. 

I walked taller and with a surer foot on my return.  Taller, not because I had  conquered a steep trail or my doubts.  Taller, because I was infused with the spirit of the forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Kinsman Mountain - July 28

There was very little hiking today. Only the last few miles were actual walking. The rest was all steep rock climbing, or skipping on rocks through mud. This was the toughest day of hiking so far. Much of it was hard work that yielded less than a mile an hour. 

Several times as I lunge up and forward I teeter momentarily. That's pretty scary as falling backwards could be a long fall into rocks. Not good.

Mt Moosilauke - July 27

We're definitely in the White Mountains now. The climb up to Mt Moosilauke is a steady relentless climb, but not difficult because it is good trail. Without tough footing, it is just like climbing the stairs to the top of a 400 story building with a pack on. Piece of cake. 

The top is alpine terrain, reaching above the tree line as Balsam firs and Red Spruce shrink to eight feet, then three feet, and then are gone, providing a wonderful open 360 degree view which is so rare on the AT.  I can see more rugged mountains to the north, challenges for the next week. 

It's a beautiful Saturday afternoon so the mountain top has perhaps 50 day hikers who came up an easier side trail. It's great to see so many people enjoying the outdoors.  

I summited at 2:15 and enjoyed lunch at the top and then accidentally added some bonus miles by dropping down 1000 feet on the wrong trail. I got to see the summit again at 4:00!

The descent (the correct one) was amazing as the trail plunges straight down next to cascades and waterfalls. The water is a nonstop series of jaw dropping spectacles.

This is easily the prettiest stretch of the AT yet.

13.9 miles to Kinsman Notch

The Whites are Coming - July 26

The hills keep getting bigger, with about 4,000 feet of climbing today. That's a prelude to the White Mountains - tomorrow I face that much gain just climbing Mt Mossilauke in the morning.

Croquet - July 25

A funny thing happened on the way to Smarts Mountain. A little sign along the trail said "Free Ice Cream and Croquet". I couldn't partake of the ice cream (conflict with doxycycline) but figured I'd check the place out.

Bill Ackerly's house is just a hundred feet off of the trail. He's an older guy full of positive energy that loves to chat with hikers, and play croquet.

Hanover NH - July 24

Ambitious day. One shelter is 17 miles up the trail (too few) but the next one is 24 (too many). In the sweet spot of 20'ish sits Norwich VT, so that's the target. 

The first five miles are tough up and down and I make just 1.8 mph. Uh oh. Then I hit lots of patches of muddy trail, also slow going.  But about seven miles in everything cleared up with good tread and moderate grade. I shifted gears and made up for lost time. Yep, my higher gears are back!

Woodstock - July 23

We woke to heavy rain, forecast to last all morning with warnings for high water throughout the day. 

I'd already heard that the next section can be muddy so I opted out of hiking into the rain.

Fresh Start - July 22

The hike begins again. I feel ready. Today will be a test.

It's a good stretch of trail with moderate up and down, and sections of good tread. I have a light pack again. A while back this would have been an easy day, but it will be bigger than I have done for quite a while. 

Baby Steps - July 21

The jailer opened the gate and the prisoner stayed put.

Probation - July 20

The jailer let me slack pack from RV to RV. I just carried the basic outdoor essentials and lunch, less than ten pounds. 

I'm seeing some hikers from prior weeks, since I've been stalled for a while. A while ago I met two hikers from Puerto Rico. We talked about water recreation, snorkeling, swimming, scuba diving, and kayaking. Puerto Rico sounds like paradise for water activities. I have a saying: any day outdoors is a good day; any day on the water is even better. We just added Puerto Rico to our future travel list. 

Spirit saw lots of familiar faces:

Pills - July 19

Part of the love of traveling and long hikes is the simplicity of life. Complications and structure fade away leaving just the basic elements of living. 

And then the pills showed up. 

"Take with food"

"Take 1 hour before or 2-3 hours after food"

"Do not take in combination with calcium including milk products"

"Do not lie down for 10 minutes"

Four pages of instructions.

Grounded - July 19

Spirit read my last blog, smiled deeply at the mantra I had repeated three times, and became emboldened. She whisked me away to an undisclosed location (Griffin Woods State Park) and let me know we were not moving any time soon. 

I hadn't listened to mama and I got myself grounded.

Doctor Visit - July 17

It's approaching two months since I started losing energy. Spirit has tried to get me to go see a doctor but it seems each time she convinces me the heat breaks and I feel better.  "It must be just the heat and humidity."

But this time she convinces me during a multi-day heat wave. Plus I had a burning fever with chills and aches last night. 

We find a walk-in clinic and head into town. The conclusion is quick: probably Lyme Disease.

Swimming hole - July 16

Another hiker mentioned a fabulous swimming hole coming up near the end of the day, the Clarendon Gorge. With the heat draining my energy that is just too good to pass up!

Alone again - July 15

I walked alone and slow all day. Two days ago I hiked with Backstreet and yesterday with him and Slacks. I enjoyed the company after so many miles alone. But after two days hiking faster than normal I was exhausted and sore, so I'm back to hiking alone.  

The trail was good and the climbs moderate but it still took nine hours to cover less than 17 miles. Dang I'm hiking slowly, even for me.

Glasses - July 14

I've always hiked with sunglasses on other trails. But the AT is a Green Tunnel so sunglasses are not needed. 

My regular glasses have progressive lenses, which means I'm looking down at the trail through reading glasses. To minimize distortion I wear the glasses way down my nose. Looking forward I just look over the top of the glasses.

Milestones - July 13

Today I'm two thirds done on this crazy trek. I've paddled and hiked 2,676 miles, with 1,323 miles to go. That still sounds like a long way, but the end of the Appalachian Trail is just 559 miles. 

More milestones are coming in rapid succession.

Good hiking - July 11

Today offers a straightforward walk up 2000 feet, bouncing along a ridge, then back down at the end of the day. While there are lots of ponds, swamps and muddy trail the mosquitoes aren't too bad.

It's great hiking weather. The cooler weather has really helped my physical and mental strength. I needed it. 

Tomorrow we'll go to the Tanglewood music festival with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Spirit wanted to go when we passed it a few days ago, but didn't and has been regretting it ever since. 

18.4 miles to VT 9 near Woodford VT

Mt Greylock - July 10

There's a severe thunderstorm coming and I'm going up in elevation to the highest point in the state. I worry about lightening, but the storm is moving very slowly: 5 mph. I decide to go for it and reach the visitor center at the top just fine. Made of stone, it's a safe place to hang out.

At the top are five northbound (nobo) hikers and one southbound (sobo) at the top.  Spirit drove up there too. The sobo is from Eugene OR (GO DUCKS), near our home city of Portland.

It seems odd to call Portland home. I won't be there at all this calendar year and it isn't clear where we will reside when next we set anchor. 

14.7 miles to Williamstown

Thunderstorm for Lunch - July 9

It's an easy morning with cooler weather, decent trail, and the bugs held at bay with DEET and headnet.

I stop for lunch at the Dalton City Park, under a pavilion as a lightning storm passes through. 

In the old days I'd be watching the shape and speed of the clouds, trying to feel subtle changes in the wind speed or direction or temperature. Today I watch the real-time Doppler Radar on my smartphone.

The Berkshires - July 8

Last night was a nice cool night.  It got down to the low 70s. That would be too warm ordinarily, but was welcome now. I bag eleven hours of sleep. 

Nothing is dry in the morning. My hiking shorts and shirt are just as sweaty as when I took them off. My shoes are soaked from rain. But I do have clean dry socks.  

This area, The Berkshires, is a vacation land for Connecticut and Massachusetts with little villages and B&Bs catering to tourists. There are both recreation and cultural attractions. For example this is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. 

Beautiful hiking lands me at Upper Goose Pond for lunch.

Pleasant Rain - July 7

This area has mosquitoes so I applied DEET at the road before entering the woods. It wasn't enough; I put more on 100 feet into woods. It doesn't last. I reapply more in 50 minutes. I don't like using that much DEET. I can tolerate moderate mosquitoes, say a few bites every ten minutes.  But this is more like another bite every second. I douse myself in DEET.

Skunks and Skitters - July 6

Despite my sour postings, this area really is pretty. Everything is green and lush with moss covered rocks and ferns and recently there have been more territorial views.

First thing in the morning I get treated to a tortoise in the trail. About 8 inches long, he is in no hurry as he moves along the trail. He eventually decided to let me pass and pulls his head in. I excuse myself, step over and move on down the trail.

Next up is a skunk.

Entering Massachusetts - July 5

I shifted tactics today. I took a full shoes-off break every three hours, and drank tons of water. I poured water over my head and shoulders. I immersed my feet in a cold stream mid-afternoon.

I still don't know if my lack of energy was mental or physical, or a mild illness, or what. But this morning I am on my way back to my (slow) normal self.

A Few Miles - July 4

Today I slept in again, but less so, and had a bit more energy on the trail. 14.0 miles to Falls Village is better than I've done the preceding four days.

Back to basics.  Maybe I'm just not drinking enough water. My body sweats but does not cool because of the humidity, so it sweats more.  With the heat maybe I need more water, a ridiculous amount of water. 

I drank more today, along with a slow pace to avoid getting so hot. I feel better. I pull out early not through exhaustion but to be conservative and slowly build miles back. I put the feet on ice to rest them. 

Will the energy come back? Will it come back enough to finish, even if it takes me longer?

A Break? - July 3

I sleep fourteen hours again. I'm exhausted. 

Maybe I just need a good break doing something different. Maybe I'm just done. Maybe there's something going on medically that is sapping my energy.

We talk about a break to go staff at BSA National Jamboree.

Worn Out - July 2

I'm worn out. Physically and mentally. 

I got up and then found myself back in bed. Twice. Fourteen hours of sleep. No energy. I finally hit the trail after 11 am.

Hot. Humid. Mosquitoes. Shirt stench. Sticky, drippy ooze of sweat and DEET. No fun.

Rocky up and down. Sluggish after just a few hours. Fell twice, once hard on my tail bone.

My mind is not in the game anymore. My mental and physical energy are drained. The few enjoyable stretches are separated by too many days.

July 2 11.5 miles to Hwy 341 Kent CT

Zero - July 1

The front pads of my feet are constantly sore. I've been meeting the RV at end of every day, putting the feet on an ice pack. But it seems to warm the ice pack more than cool the feet. Last night I tried immersing the feet in an ice bucket. That worked better, and then Spirit massaged them.

My feet still hurt in morning so I took zero day. By end of day the aching is much better, and I'm also getting the blisters under the calluses on the heal under control. My big toe still hurts, but overall better.

But I'm still just chronically tired. It's getting easy to take zeros. I can see my mental energy and motivation are slipping. 

July 1 zero