4:45PM Start Day 49 (100717)
•4:45PM (Estimate) In Great Barrington for resupply, shower, eating, laundry, etc..
•8:00PM Dinner & sleep at Kathleen’s house
•6:00AM Wake up, pack
•10:00AM Breakfast with Andrea Crest
•2:00PM Heading back to trail
•4:30PM US Rte. 7, at trail head
(Mile 669.2)
•4:45PM Dirt Road (Mile 670.6)
4:45PM End Of Day 49
APPROX 1.4 Miles
(Add 3.2 miles back to trail head from Kathleen’s)
**Facebook Post 100617 at 6:32PM**
“I don’t think anyone really appreciates how slow you have to go in the Whites.”
– Caretaker at Stratton Mountain Fire Tower
4:45PM Start Day 48 (100617)
•4:45PM Tom Leonard Shelter
(Mile 662.8)
•4:00AM Wake up, pack
•5:15AM On trail
•10:00AM US Rte. 7 (Mile 669.2) Walk into Great Barrington (Post Office, Rite Aid, Co-Op, 54 River Kathleen’s House, Laundry)
•4:45PM (Estimate) In Great Barrington for resupply, shower, eating, laundry, etc..
4:45PM End Of Day 48
APPROX 6.4 Miles
(Add 3.8 miles to Great Barrington Post Office, Rite Aid, Fuel Coffee, Co-Op, Laundry, Kathleen’s)
4:45PM Start Day 47 (100517)
•4:45PM (Estimate) Upper Goose Pond Cabin (Mile 641.7)
•7:00PM Signed Trail Junction
(Mile 643.5) Sleep
•5:15AM Wake up, pack
•7:00AM On trail
•11:45AM Fernside Road (Mile 651.9)
•2:10 swan brook (Mile 656.5)
•3:30 MA Rte 24 (Mile 660.8)
•4:45PM Tom Leonard Shelter
(Mile 662.8)
4:45PM End Of Day 47
APPROX 21.1 Miles
**Facebook Post 100417 at 9:49AM**
Camping… It’s in tents!
(Intense… Get it? Huh! Huh! Huh!)
Seriously, I’m a total hobo now. Last night I basically slept in a church yard next to a parking lot. What’s next? The intention was just to go there to charge my phone, so I didn’t have to draw on my battery packs, but they immediately offered sleeping arrangements to me before I could even think about asking. So, I told them I would charge up, maybe use the bathroom and think about staying the night… They got me. It was just too easy.
It also helped that my “girl issue” decided to show up unannounced and completely at the wrong time, again, as I’m using the bathroom. Good timing at least. The whole reason I’m on birth control this year is to avoid that damage, but apparently my body, for some unknown reason, whenever I hike, likes to go with the flow, often and at random. Even the pill doesn’t work. Awesome. There goes $30 down the tube, per month.
The church, Saint Mary of the Assumption, is located in Cheshire, MA. Really cute little town where literally the gas station and like two other stores make your shopping choices. I’m sure there is more somewhere on some other side of town I’m not seeing, but from what I’m being exposed to, this is it. Between the three stores, I grabbed a couple odds and ends (thanks girl time) and am managing to leave town with a hot coffee and a breakfast sandwich in my belly. Yum.
The Appalachian Trail goes straight through town. And actually, yesterday on my way off trail and before venturing in, I had made my first stop at the brand new Dollar Store. This morning was the convenient store (HD Reynolds), which wasn’t so convenient. They were more of a pawn/hardware store. I was there for girl products. Not the right shop, which brought me full circle to the Shell that also happened to be a Dunkin’ Donuts… Shangri La.
Anyway, it was freaking cold as hell last night which meant only one thing… Condensation. My everything was wet this morning. The church had an outlet near its back door and I woke up super early with the intent of charging my phone while I attempted to dry my stuff somehow and pack. Their outlet, which was on the exterior of their building by the back door, pretty much juiced my phone in a trickle. I was left hanging about, killing time. Finally, I’m thinking it’s well after 8AM, time to go, wet tent or not, charged or not.
Packing it up, I headed for HD Reynolds, and like I said, they didn’t have what I needed. Which leaves me in this Dunkin Donuts, Shell Station, sipping on a Pumpkin Machiato and writing. Unlike the trickle electric I found at the church, Dunkin’s is on fire. 94% means it’s time to consider downing what’s left of my coffee and heading out.
I’m going to say, I can tell being at my family’s has gone two ways for me. One, I got spoiled and went soft and seriously have my doubts about wanting to finish the remainder of my miles. Plus, I find myself looking for any little reason to say sleep in a church parking lot rather than on trail. The other, two, is I do feel refreshed and a lot cleaner. Since it’s cold, none of my hiking is leaving me with that all over gross slimed feeling of sweat soup. For the most part I’m feeling OK.
The foot hurts on and off again. Still pretty sure I broke or fractured something, but I’m not letting that stop me anyway. I reached out to Fox to see where she was. Maybe she’d be close enough to catch up, but she said she’s still in Vermont. And my two buds who I walked into Williamstown with have finished.(Hell yeah guys!) So, I’m rolling solo.
Solo is cool, but like I said I was just with family. That side of my family is huge. I remember thinking as I’m brushing my teeth in the bathroom the other day at my aunt and uncle’s, how it sounded like a busy restaurant downstairs. Next thing I know I’m talking to myself in the woods, alone. Culture shock.
Well, enough babble…. My Machiato is at chugging level and the woods are calling. Let’s lay some miles. Shall we?
**Facebook Post 100417 at 10:44AM**
Water, water, anywhere???
BTW… I am carrying twice the water weight right now. Clean water has been getting harder and harder to come by. If you are behind me going south, just keep this in mind.
I’m cool with collecting out of desperation from some sources, but if it’s a choice to collect questionable water or hike on, I usually hike on and ration, but when source after source, after source, seems questionable, you do what you have to. So, I’m carrying heavy, rationing from the start and hoping to get to another town or an actual clean source before crap hits the fan and I’m out. Of course, I will try my best not to let that happen, but… Luckily, there are more towns close to the trail coming up. Plus, I know this is actually a bad habit, but I don’t drink as much as I should anyway. I’m almost never in a state of thirst. I’m usually forcing it down. So, rationing is never a problem for me. AND it’s cool out, so not a lot of sweat.
Wish me luck! And good luck to you other south-bounders who are making your way down! May clear waters find you!
**Facebook Post 100417 at 12:45PM**
Several years ago if a bug flew down my throat, I’d stop in my tracks and gag and almost vomit trying get it up. Then I’d spend the next 15 minutes spitting, hoping somehow it had come up. Today I swallow.
(Shut it Jason Kreider!)
4:45PM Start Day 46 (100417)
•4:45PM (Estimate) Dalton, MA
(Mile 621.1)
•6:30PM Day Mountain near Barton Brook footbridge (Mile 623.6) sleep
•5:00AM Wake up, pack up
•6:45AM On trail
•4:45PM (Estimate) Upper Goose Pond Cabin (Mile 641.7)
4:45PM End Of Day 46
APPROX 20.6 Miles
**Facebook Post 100317 at 1:19PM**
Me and my Aunt Jamie
**Facebook Post 100317 at 7:38PM**
My Grandma Marge’s granddaughters.
4:45PM Start Day 45 (100317)
•4:45PM MA Rte 8 (Mile 611.8)
(Add .3 for walking to Dollar Store)
•5:30PM Cheshire, MA (Mile 612.3)
(Add .2 for walking to Saint Mary of the Assumption Church) sleep
•6:30AM Wake up, pack, charge phone
•8:00AM Walk to stores
(Add .2 for walking to convenience store)
(Add .2 for walking to Shell/Dunkin Donuts)
•10:30AM walk back to Cheshire, MA
(Mile 612.3)
(Add .6 for walking back to Cheshire, MA)
•11:30AM Furnace Hill Road (Mile 612.8)
•4:45PM (Estimate) Dalton, MA
(Mile 621.1)
4:45PM End Of Day 45
APPROX 9.3 Miles
**Facebook Post 100217 at 6:42AM**
On The Road Again
It’s almost 6:30AM, and I have been laying in bed thinking of all the ways I could possibly freeze to death on the trail. Ha! No, really… I was writing a letter home and naming all the ways. I have a good imagination.
Actually, I’m sure I will be just fine, but as a Floridian, you never quite get used to the cold that northerners learn to live in. I’m always carrying extra gear I’m scared to mail home because I just know the moment I do, I’ll end up in some freakish snow storm that just happened to come early.
The weather in general has been odd. Although to the warm degree through most of Vermont, not the other way, but finally that broke a few days ago, and ever since I have been basically bundled in three sweaters daily. I have a feeling these last 500 miles are going to be me running as fast as I can south praying for warm air (chasing the sun – what the north-bounders say about south-bounders). Yeah. Good times.
It’s funny though. You do adapt and move past it. You have no choice. Notice I didn’t say get used to it. You just learn to put up with it is all. Other issues I foresee include the very real fact I think I may have done something pretty rough to my left foot. I’m thinking it’s broken in some way. I was teasing my aunt and told her I was going to keep hiking on it of course, because it’s only excruciating the first hour or so. After that I learn to ignore that too. And with enough Alieve I won’t notice it again unless I stop walking… Then I told her nothing says “I Love Hiking” quite like a permanent limp… Yes, I have a morbid sense of humor.
I’m soft again. Clean sheets and warm blankets. Showers and coffee and food and and and… This is going to be a hard return to the wild. Now I know why so many hikers get sucked into the hostel vortex. In the woods everything is a luxury. Being warm and dry is a luxury. You are constantly clinging to the thought that in so many miles you can get more food or water, or wash your clothes or yourself, or maybe they can charge your phone. It’s constant. Here, in the world, life is easy and comfortable, but I have a mission. And that mission isn’t over.
Returning to the dirt. Today it’s a love hate thing. Tomorrow a lifestyle.
4:45PM Start Day 44 (100217)
•4:45PM MA Rte 2 (Mile 597.6)
•5:15PM Pattinson Road (Mile 598.7)
•7:30PM Notch Road (Mile 600.8) sleep
•7:00AM Wake up, pack
•8:00AM On Trail
•10:00AM Williams Mountain (Mile 601.6)
(Got lost and went down the wrong side, 1.2 miles there and back)
•11:30AM Thunderbolt Shelter
•11:40AM Mt. Greylock (War Memorial)
(Mile 603.9)
•2:10PM Mark Noepel Shelter (Mile 607.2)
•4:45PM MA Rte 8 (Mile 611.8)
4:45PM End Of Day 44
APPROX 14.2 Miles
** Facebook Post 100117 at 9:52AM**
It just hit me that I have approximately 470 miles left to walk before I can say I have stepped foot on every single part of the Appalachian Trail.
What’s left:
Williamstown, MA, 597.6 to
Boiling Springs, PA, 1068.2
**Facebook Post 100117 at 6:04PM**
What my Uncle Danny does when he’s killing time on his porch.
**Facebook Post 100117 at 9:02PM**
Me and the old man.
11:25AM Start (100117)
•11:25AM MA Rte 2 (Mile 597.6)
•11:25AM MA Rte 2 (Mile 597.6)
11:25AM End Of Day 46
APPROX 0 Miles
(OFFICIALLY OFF TRAIL FOR GRANDMA’S FUNERAL AND FAMILY TIME)
**Facebook Post 093017 at 1:14PM**
My Grandma Marge…
11:25AM Start (093017)
•11:25AM MA Rte 2 (Mile 597.6)
•11:25AM MA Rte 2 (Mile 597.6)
11:25AM End Of Day 45
APPROX 0 Miles
(OFFICIALLY OFF TRAIL FOR GRANDMA’S FUNERAL AND FAMILY TIME)
**Facebook Post 092917 at 11:36AM**
Thanks For The Memories
Last night I split a hotel with a couple of north-bounders turned flip-floppers, Overload and Romeo. I originally met them in Maine when they were traveling in a larger group (A “trail family” as they call them out here.) getting ready to summit Katahdin. It was my fortune to randomly meet back up with them in Vermont when they came back through a small section they originally skipped. Last night, I’m proud to say we finished walking Vermont together and entered the great state of Massachusetts.
For at least the last few days, we have been leap frogging and hiking as a small unorganized group. I say unorganized, due to the fact we met up, then parted ways, then I met up with them again during their attempt at the 24 (miles)/24 (hours)/24 (beers) challenge. It’s a trail thing. Let’s say they were hard to miss as they sang and frolicked down the dirt path toward me at minimum 6 beers in already. LOL
The guys will be completing the 2,189 mile journey with this last section, a final 70 or so miles. (Good luck! You should be hugely proud of yourselves! The weather and sun are with you!)
I was unfortunately due to get off trail for my grandmother’s services today, and the guys were in need of resupply anyway. So we took it upon ourselves to push into Williamstown, Massachusetts last night. We arrived well after dark.
Upon hitting town, and immediately as we left the woods, I got this almost euphoric feeling. Things are different in the world, in towns. There’s water here and it’s plentiful, and you can get food, whenever you want. So, you can imagine as we searched for a hotel and randomly came across a grocery store, we would feel compelled to enter, which we did.
We wandered the isles originally as a group, but eventually set off in our own directions, One by one, we met back up in front with our gear and grub. It’s a good feeling to just hand over a bit of paper and suddenly have whatever you want to feed your face. You loose that appreciation when you have it every day, at your fingertips.
Also, staying in a hotel room with a hot shower and comfy beds is also a luxury you forget. Even though I had just been in town a few nights before in Manchester at Jen’s Place (hostel) literally hours after I had left, I was back covered in sweat, walking my tail off, and feeling the pain of my feet. It’s the small things that society provides that become so beautiful. I relish clean sheets, warm water, hell, running water, and food, all sorts of food. Prepackaged, whole, fresh, not so, whatever, open mouth and insert. When on trail and I run out of my favorite food, it’s not like I can just snap my fingers and get more. My next opportunity to have that flavor hit my tongue might not be for 100 miles. It can be brutal eating Ramen Soup for 5 nights in a row because you ran out of Campbell’s…
It was sad parting ways today with the guys. Our first meeting actually happened (over a month ago) during trail magic at a roadside stand where the hosts were feeding hikers hotdogs and burgers and cold soda. A blessing in the woods. Thank God for trail angels! Immediately after the magic, the guys and their trail family met at the bottom of the hill to camp and congregate over a warm fire. Being I had been traveling alone, it was a great experience to be included and have a little shared time with other hikers. Plus, I never burn a fire. I usually walk way late and have zero energy for fires. Plus, I’m alone, I just eat, then crash, typically.
You can make great friends really fast on trail. The experience of being out in the remote resonates, and we are all going through it together, in a way. The struggles are the same. For me, I have never had the very real experience of the “normal” through hike. I’ve always been in a hurry. Always trying to complete big miles and quick. I’m out for months, and I meet many people, but I can see how my experience differs from the traditional thru-hike. I don’t get the whole trail family experience long term, and I don’t get to share the moment of finally completing the enormous task of 2,189 miles shared with people who have gone through at least a huge portion of it with me or at the same time. I’m always half in, if you will.
I still have to say though, I’ve hiked with many folks over the years, through hikers, section hikers and day hikers, and the experience for me at least lasts. I actually stay friends, even if at a distance, with most of the people I have met on trail. It’s weird. Even though my time with them had been brief, it was still substantial, and holds deep in my heart. I can tell you stories in which the memory does not fade for each and every hiker I’ve shared moments and amazing conversation with. These people are not just friends, but people I have met that cannot be replaced in the experience which is my life. Moments and friends I will remember forever.
Hiking on the AT especially, has a magic about it that I truly can’t explain to the layman. I recommend it to anyone looking to expand their mind, change their life, feel more deeply, look more closely, in need of deeper relationships, looking for more, etc.. If you breath, I recommend it. I don’t care if you are 80 or 18. If you can muster up the time and energy, even if brief, get out there. It WILL not only change your life, but give you a paradigm shift that will fundamentally thrust you in a different direction forever.
So, good luck Romeo (aka Kevin Hanley) and Overload (aka Cameron Kearney)!!! I’m with you guys for those last 70 miles, even if I’m not physically there! You always have a place to chill in Florida! Just hit me up!
Sort of symbolic as I watched those two head one direction down the sidewalk today, as I headed the other. And here I sit, in Dunkin Donuts, waiting for my Uncle Brian (Brian York) and my father (Blayde York) to pick me up and bring me to NY for my grandmother’s funeral. We are all on our own sacred journey, aren’t we?
Peace and Love ya’ll!
11:25AM Start (092917)
•11:25AM MA Rte 2 (Mile 597.6)
•11:25AM MA Rte 2 (Mile 597.6)
11:25AM End
APPROX 0 Miles
(OFFICIALLY OFF TRAIL FOR GRANDMA’S FUNERAL AND FAMILY TIME)
**Facebook Post 092817 at 8:30AM**
Great… Two different foot injuries and no more Alieve left. Plus, there are so many leaves on the ground, I have zero idea what’s below my feet until I’m already on it. Fun…. AND it rained all night. So, everything is slippery as hell today…. May I add that today so far I have seen the most steep climbs since northern Vermont and New Hampshire, and rocky?
**Facebook Post 092817 at 6:33PM**
Massachusetts!!!!!!!!!!!
**Facebook Post 092817 at 11:16PM**
Officially off trail for my grandmother’s funeral… To be continued.
11:25AM Start Day 43 (092817)
•11:25AM (Estimate) Harmon Hill
(Mile 581.0)
•6:30PM Vermont/Massachusetts boarder
(Mile 593.5)
•8:00PM MA Rte 2 (Mile 597.6)
(Walk 1.7 to grocery store in Williamstown)
•OFFICIALLY OFF TRAIL
11:25AM End Of Day 43
APPROX 16.6 Miles
(Day short 15 hours, 25 mins)
