9/25 Back home

Back home after a long summer...I'll do a post-mortem on the hike in a week or two once things sort of settle in. Thanks for everyones support and encouragement along the way!

9/18 White house landing

Only 16 miles today, we are into White house landing for resupply and to crash in their bunk house. It will be nice to get out of the cold! Word has it that Saturday the weather should be ok, with a chance of crap on Sunday...lets hope that holds!

45 miles left
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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9/17 Crawford Pond

OK, brrrr. We did 22.5 miles today, the hiking in Maine is pretty nice. But it is hard, constant little ups and downs, lots of roots and rocks.
We had a great view of Katahdin today from Whitecap Mtn. Boy that sucker is big! I think it is because there aren't any other big mountains around that it seems so impressive.

62 miles to go
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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9/16 Pleasant River

20.7 miles today, beginning with our first ford. The water was about thigh deep and about 60 ft across to the other side. The water wasn't warm, but it wasn't cold....lemme explain, the air temp was about 38 degrees, the water, oh, call it 55 or 60.
But we made it safely, and dryly to the other side. We will repeat the exercise tomorrow morning as the Pleasant River looks too high to 'rock hop' across.

84.1 miles left
2089.9 miles done

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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9/15 Changes

We hiked out of Monson today, did 10 miles in the remnants of a cold front that came through (drizzle and overcast). Tonights low will be 38 degrees...brrrrrr.
Changes. I've noticed some changes recently that really bring home how close to the end we are. Folks that give you a ride to the trail, and day hikers you pass on the trail say 'Congratulations!' now instead of 'Good Luck!'.
Now when you leave town other hikers get up and shake your hand, look you in the eye and say 'hike safe'. We all know it may be the last time we meet. Before, you could usually count on running into each other in the next town, or the next, or 500 miles later. No more towns left. only 104 miles left.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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9/14 Monson, Maine

We decided to zero today and hike out tomorrow. It would be nice to hit the hiker feed, but not that big of a deal.
Tomorrow is the first time we will have to ford a river. So far all of the brooks, streams, rivers and creeks that usually require fording have been so low on water that our feet haven't gotten wet yet. Another sign of just how dry this summer has been. Most folks have crocs or other camp shoes to wear during these crossings. Churchmouse and I don't carry them, seeing them as additional weight that would only be used a few times...why carry 14oz 2000 miles to avoid a day of wet shoes. So we are finally at the point where our decision is going to result in soggy socks...or will it?
I checked the hiker box and low and behold...river shoes! big enough for us both to wear, so we'll each carry one and will have dry feet! Ask and the trail provides!

Also, it looks like there might not be a real pay phone at Abol Bridge, so you all may have to wait until I get done to read the rest. Sorry!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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9/13 Monson, Maine

15 miles into Monson today. I really like the terrain here in central Maine. Not too many ups and, usually, well maintained trails.
The woods here are very pretty, lots of moss on rocks, crystal clear mountain streams tumbling down rocky slopes to numerous ponds and lakes with small beaches and pebble bottoms. And, at this time of year, no bugs! Today, we saw a moose, a buck with small antlers. A moose is huge, friggin huge! Imagine something the height of a horse, but with the girth of a cow. Amazingly, it ran away down the trail and then into the woods with virtually no sound. We saw this with bears also, they have the ability to either crash through the woods, or just stealth away.
We haven't decided yet, but we will probably zero here tomorrow, then head out into the 100 mile the next day..TBD though, maybe a slackpack tomorrow then a zero as there is a hiker feed in town saturday and Sunday sponsered by Whiteblaze.net. Shanty is in town, and has been for a couple days, Sideshow should be in town tonight or tomorrow early. It would be cool to hike out all together, but who knows.
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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9/12 Moxie Bald Lean-to

Today started out with crappy weather, but that shaped up by about 2pm. We had 19 miles to do, but only two climbs of note. The second climb was Moxie Bald. We got up top, the wind was howling, the sun was low (3:30pm at this latitude seems like 6pm to this mid-atlantic native) there was a chill in the air....but it was clear, clear all the way to Katahdin. So we finally laid eyes on her today. I thought it would be a more moving experience, but it was still pretty far away.

We head into Monson, Maine tomorrow. Our last trail town and the beginning of the 100 mile wilderness. I am looking forward to the 100 mile, but it means that after this set of updates, the next time you all hear from me will be from the base of Katahdin. There are no real roads, phones, cell service etc anywhere near the 100 mile wilderness...kind of cool.

132.4 miles left
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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9/09 Little Bigelow Lean-to

Today we were going to slack pack, but that fell through. So we set off to tackle the Bigelow Range at 9:30. All was going well, and I have to say, the Bigelows are some very pretty hiking. Really nice, and what I think of when I think of 'Maine'.
But then it started to rain, and it rained all day, and all night. But still, it was an ok day all n all.

One interesting side note, we saw a Least Weasel. This critter, which we identified by a field book, is a little further south than its supposed range, so it would be a neat sighting if it was one.

We crossed 2000 miles hiked today...man thats alot o mile!
172.5 left

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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9/11 Northern Outdoor Resort

We did a mighty 3.6 miles today. It is raining, my leg was still swollen...oh well, we are still on schedule........
As luck would have it <G> there is a micro brewery on site! I really couldn't believe the co-inky-dink that we stopped at a place that makes their own (pretty good) beer. I know, I know, all you folks that know me are thinking that this would be a completely 'out of character' stop. I mean Beer and Brian? nah they don't mix..... hehehehehehe

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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9/10 Harrison Camp

Staying at a campsite tonight just short of the Kennebec River crossing. The river is dam controlled, but the water is released based on demand for electricity, not on a schedule. A hiker died recently fording the river ( there is no bridge) so the official 'trail' is via canoe across. There is even a white blaze on the floor of the canoe for us to 'follow'.

The terrain here changed dramatically today, as soon as we came out of the Bigelow Range it was very flat. Most of the rest of the hike will be easy walking compared to southern Maine. I for one am glad!
I got stung by a bee today on my left calf. I didn't think much of it (after the initial pain) until I took my shoe off this evening and my ankle was all swollen up. Could 'bee' a short day tomorrow!

154.8 left
--Brian
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9/8 Stratton, ME

Hauled butt today into Stratton. Sideshow was already here, looks like he hitched from Rangeley to Stratton. Tomorrow we are going to slackpack the Bigelows, they look like the bigest chunk of nasty ups left.
The final date is set, Saturday Sept 22nd. Hopefully we will get good weather. We crossed under 200 miles left today!

187.8 miles left!

--Brian
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9/7 Stealthin'

Oh boy, it is good to be back on the trail! But man oh man, the firsat day back after 7 days off SUCKS! It is also hot and humid (by Maine standards). But it was a decent days hike, 14 miles out od Rangeley , we are camped by a waterfall so we will be lulled asleep by that. It should cool down to about 40 degrees tonight, so good sleeping weather.
Tomorrow we are busting ot a bigger day and hitting Stratton, ME. We are going to get in and get out as neither of us feel the need for a town day...I wonder why?

I have to say I have mixed emotions about taking a week of zeros (a Zeek if you will). On the one hand I got to see and visit with most of the folks I hiked with on the trail. I got to do some trail magic, and the week off puts me summitting with the crew I started with. On the other hand, it was a bit frustrating to be so close and have to wait to finish up. All in all it was, by far, a net positive. But I for one am ready for this adventure to be done. It looks like Shanty, Sideshow, me and Churchmouse will be rolling through the 100 mile wilderness together. Perhaps summitting on the same day ( the 21st). That would be very cool, the Pain Train reunited! So far we potentially have quite a crew coming out, Charlotte, my Mom, Martin, and :...Mystic! He is thinking about doing the AT again in 08 with someone he met while doing the Long Trail. It will be great if he can make it out, maybe I can talk some sense into him about the AT08 thing....or find out his schedu!
le so I can set up some wicked good trail magic. (y'all like the northern-speak there...wicked)

I had my first twinge of missing the trail while writing this blog entry. The waterfall, a cool night, good hang on the hammock, we had a fire after dinner ahhhh. And dinner was good, hamburger helper with cheddar and mozzerella on top and fajita chicken strips mixed in....mmm..mmm good!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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9/6 Rangeley, Me

Well, we are back. Returning the car tomorrow, today was very succesful, we picked up Shanty, tomorrow we'll pick up Sideshow! And we ran into Buffalo Bobby, so mission accomplished! Looks like everyone is planning on the 21st/22nd timeframe. Cool!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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9/3 Gorham, NH

We drove back up to Gorham, and the Whites. We ran into a couple guys we know at Pinkum Notch. Tomorrow I'm going to drop Churchmouse off at a trailhead south of Mahoosuc Notch so that he can hike (slack) it. If you recall, he missed that section because he was sick. I am also taking a couple coolers of sodas and beer out to trail magic some folks.

The next person we are trying to track down is Buffalo Bobby. He is an older guy we hiked with for a while, he is just a character. Then it is off to find Sideshow and Shanty. They should be getting close to where we are on the trail.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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9/2 Hanover, NH

So we picked up Grizzle at the Inn at Long Trail, and headed 'north' on the pavement AT and hit Hanover, NH....to pick up Bigby! We intercepted him just as he was hiking into town. It was great to see young Bigby. We lifted a few pints and spent the afternoon catching up. He is doing well, his pack is still huge, but seems healthy and happy.

We dropped himoff this morning, then we will drop Griz back at the Inn, then head 'north' again and see who we run into.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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9/1 The Inn at the Long Trail

We decided that we would head back down the trail and catch up with some of the folks that were behind us. First on the list was Grizzle. We met up at the Inn and had a good time listening to Irish music and having a couple pints of Guiness.
We also found out where Sideshow and Shanty were, looks like thay will be up near us (in Rangeley) when we get back on trail, they are planning on a summit date at about the same time as we are now.
Bigby is up the trail about a day, so we may try and track him down next.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/31 Bar Harbour Maine

I'm not sure why we came here, but we somehow settled on going to Bar Harbor. Cool little town which reminds me of Annapolis. We went up Mt Cadillac which is the highest coastline mountain peak in the US. Then we went on a nature viewing cruise. Originally we were going on a whale watch cruise, but it was cancelled due to bad offshore weather conditions. We ended up seeing harbor dolphins, bald eagles, cormorants, seals, and had a nice little tour of the bay. It was amazing how good it felt to be on the water again. I've always said that I could live in the mountains or by the sea, but I think I've got salt water in my blood. The boat wasn't any great shakes, but the smell and the feel of the town was right. This part of Maine is beautiful, rocky shores of granite plunging down into clear, deep water. The hills topped with pine, and cool crisp weather. Lots of old houses and buildings, and a rich history from the beginning of the US of A. But tomorrow we move on !
to somewhere else...at this point TBD!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/30 What a long strange trip it is

The Plan was good. Plan 'K' was ticking along like clockwork. It was working, and we were actually following it. The plan was leading us on our slow, but inexorable, march to Katahdin. Could anything stop the plan?

Yup.

I write this from Bangor, Maine....no, Bangor is not on the trail....no, Bangor is nowhere near the trail. A scheduling conflict back home meant that the 14,15,16 was out for a summit date. Now shooting for the 21, 22, 23rd of September. So, now I have an extra week to kill, and while Rangeley was a nice town, a week there would be boring, so I hitched 45 miles to Farmington, rented a car and took off for parts unknown. OK, well, I know (kind of) what I'm doing, but we'll see if it works out. So, if you just want to read about the trail, skip a couple entries.
If you want to go on a different adventure in Maine for a week....read on!

Oh, and it took about 32 seconds to talk Churchmouse into it....luckily, his father's schedule was flexible enough to accomodate the change in plans.

So awwwwaaaaaayyyyy we go!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/29 Rangeley, ME

Short day today, only about 10 miles. We're in Rangeley resupplying for the next chunk. Still no moose sightings, tons of moose 'sign' (read poop and tracks). Just so you all know, moose poop looks like mega-sized Cocoa-Puffs and for some reason the meese (plural of moose?) love pooping on the trail.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/28 Sabbath Day Shelter

Well, today was a very nice day! First off, crystal blue skies 80 degrees and not a breath of wind.
The Maine countryside is unlike any terrain we have passed through so far. The trees are all short needle pines, with an odd birch here and there. The trail consists of tree roots, rocks and mud. Maine is incredibly damp. If it was down south, it would be a muggy, swampy, bug infested mess. But, up here, no bugs and not enough heat to really swampify the place. With the dampness, you can really get wide ranges of temps. If you are in the sun you can be gloriously toasty, and in the shade be chilled. The woods here are actively logged, every vista we have you can see entire mountainsides denuded of their trees.

Ponds are all over the place, we are camped next to one tonight, the loons were calling to each other a while ago as the sun set into Long Pond. Nice!

Anywho, Maine is remote, still raw in places and quiet! Even more quiet than the other New England states. I was sitting alone pondering my naval today and realized I could hear an ant walking by my foot. Now, I do have dog-like hearing but it was so quiet, no airplanes, no birds, few flying insects, and not even the distant hum of traffic. Nice!

Maine is sorta growing on me...

229 miles to go
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

ps the plan has us in Rangeley, ME tomorrow, then 4 10 mile days in a row, I'm gonna go crazy... Did 18 today

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8/27 Slackin

We slacked south today, 10.1 miles, so it was an easy day.
The plan for the rest of the trail:
Rangeley, ME -- Aug 29th
Stratton, ME -- Sept 1st
Monson, ME -- Sept 6th & zero 7th
--- 100 mile wilderness ---
Katahdin (Birches Campsite -- Sept 14th

246 miles to go!
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/25 Andover, Maine

Well this morning Churchmouse woke up with the cold back in full force so he took a side trail down the mountain and hitched to town. I took off for a long day. Today had me going through the 'toughest mile on the trail', Mahoosuc Notch.
Finally something lived up to its reputation, it took be an hour just to get through. Mahoosuc Notch would be a great place to go out for the day and do some boulder climbing. Huge boulders jumbled together in a gorge with towering walls on either side. I'm not sure it really belongs on the AT. It certainly is not a foot path! A couple times you have to take off your pack and squeeze through/under/around boulders.
Also, in the notch, I saw my first Moose. Unfortunately it was dead, and had been for a while. The carcass was right on the trail and you had to boulder around it. If it had just been on the trail you could scoot by quickly, but here it took a minute or two or you would slip and tumble 10 feet down....onto the moose. uggg I won't describe how bad it smelled or go into the details, just imagine the worst and you've got the idea.
The Mahoosuc mountains, which we are in now, are really tough, tougher than the Whites if you ask me. They aren't as high, but you are going up and down steeper slopes on rocks, roots and mud. All day! No worries, it can't last forever!

256 miles to go
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

8/24 Carlo Col Shelter

MAINE!! We crossed the final state line today! Tough day but we made our miles and finished off NH.

Did 17 miles out of Gorham. We ended up staying another night because Churchmouse came down with a cold. He seems to be on the down side of the bug.
Tomorrow is Mahoosuc Notch, reputably the toughest mile on the trail, then into Andover. We've been hearing from some folks back on the trail, Bigby is doing well, he is hiking with Grizzle, thay are currently in North Adams, MA.
Circadian is about 2 days behind so he should be catching up soon. He is planning on the same summit date. Looks like it will be quite a crowd on the 15th.

280 miles left, last state!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/22 Stealthing

Just after Imp Shelter. Windy and cold tonight. 10mph breeze and we're at about 3300 ft elevation. Not too bad though, I've got my hammock strung in a good protected spot so no worries.
We went up Wildcat today, I seemed to be the only one who didn't have a bad day. We really made lousy time, only averaging 2 mph all day. Oh well we got our miles and have another small day tomorrow. Believe it or not, we will be back in Gorham for lunch! Gorham is at the crossroads of NH 16 and NH2 with the trail making up the third leg of the triangle. So we'll hitch in, do a quick resupply and grab a bite to eat. All this town time may start to get on my nerves, it is suppose to be relax time, but it seems to just delay getting this adventure done. Not to worry, this is all part of the plan and is built into our estimated summit date.

305 miles to go!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/21 Gorham, NH

We burnt a zero today and stayed in Gorham. 1/4 Moon seemed a little burnt out so it seemed prudent. Our pace has really slowed down. In some ways it is bugging me but it may be for the best. We have a plan that hits our date and doesn't push big mileage days, but for me at least, it is frustrating. We are so close, I get the itch just to finish this thing off as soon as possible.

Funny to think that in 3 weeks, I'll be at home with this behind me. That will be a tough adjustment, but I really want to get home to Char and Isaac and all those comforts of home. It seems like everyone is slowing down, we are creeping along, yet are still passing people...go figure.

I heard from Mystic, he finished the Long Trail, but the rest of his crew ended up getting off trail. Chill's knees were bothering him so they pulled the plug.

Next up is Wildcat, a ski area that we go 'up' then the Mahoosics. They are the next mountains that everyone swears will crush our very souls....getting tired of that! Every time we finish something someone comes along and swears the worst is to come...we'll see, I don't believe anything anyone says anymore about the trail until I see it myself!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/20 Mt Washington

I spent the night last nigt at Lakes of the clouds Hut. Pretty nice, I got what is called 'Work for Stay'. Which basically means you do a chore or two and don't have to pay the $89 that the guests do. I had to organize the game box. Anywho, Ohm and I left this morning at 7:30 and were on top by about 8:30. We are going to hang out here for a while then head on to Pinkum Notch.

The weather is benign today, 120 mile visibility, 8mph wind and 32 degrees. Yesterday the peak gust was 67mph and 32 degrees.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/18 Crawford Notch

WARNING! Weather in the White Mtns can change suddenly!

We awoke this morning to 35kt winds, 40 degrees and rain...Perfect hiking weather! NOT! Oh well, tomorrow should be nice. We'll be hiking up to Lake of the Clouds then hitting Mt Washington and Mt Madison. The weather on Washington was nasty today! We hit one of the AMC huts for lunch (all you can eat soup and bread for $3) and they had weather reports for the summits. 0-15 degrees with wind chill...glad we weren't there! Let's just hope for decent weather.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/17 Stealth Camp, Mt Garfield

WOW. What a day. We have gone 1812 miles, and today was the best yet.
This morning we started at Franconia Notch(1450 ft) and hiked north. First up was Liberty Mt (4250) then along a saddle and up Little Haystack(4760). At about 4000 ft we emerged from the scrub pine onto bare ridge and began a long ridge walk up Mt Lincoln(5089') and Mt Lafayette(5249'). We spent several hours on Lafayette eating lunch and hanging out. Bright sunshine, a few big puffy white clouds and a variable 10kt wind. It was still chilly, call it 60 or so at the top, less with the winf or when a cloud blocked the sun. We moved on to Mt Garfield (4488') and then down to below treeline to hang our hammocks. Really a great day all around. We only did 13 miles as we had planned to spend a long lunch and really enjoy these peaks.

And for the record, the White Mtns are not that hard to hike. They have been built up by everyone we meet that have done them. But honestly, it ain't that tough. Granted, I'm in great shape right now, my pack is light and hiking towards spectacular peaks really gets your blood moving, but, that is true of any NOBO at this point. I think everyone is moving well and not so knackered by climbs that you don't enjoy the mountains.

We saw Mt Washington (6288') today. I'm looking forward to that, although we got confirmation that some snow is expected the day we are there. Apparently they had half an inch a week or two ago. It would be very cool to get some snow in Mid August!

I can't really convey how great it is to be here, finally. This section is really what many of us are hiking towards. I'm close to the end, 80 more miles of NH then the 'wilderness' of Maine.

361 miles to go

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/16 Hiker Hostel

Success! We awoke this morning facing a long hitchhike. 35 miles to the nearest Walmart so that I could replace my camera.
It took a grand total of 30 minutes to get a ride, initially he was only going to be able to take us about half way but he ended up taking us the whole way. Really cool, because the further you get away from trail towns, the less likely you are to be able to hitch. People just aren't used to seeing hikers with their thumbs out.
Getting back was actually what was worying us, us being Churchmouse and I. We would be way away from the trail and several 'turns' away from our destination. Turns meaning changing roads. But after another 30 minutes, and the local boys in blue rolling past us several times, we were picked up by a former thru hiker. He asked where we were going, hesitated, because that wasn't anywhere near where he was going. But then said get in, and drove us all the way back. Amazing.
So back in North Woodstock, I was in search of a fleece. They are predicting some snow on Mt Washington the day we are going through, weird! 80 today, and in a couple of days 40-45 for a high (at elevation). So I added about 16oz of fleece and sent home a net of 7oz in broken camera (the new one is lighter) so plus 9oz but I'll be warm!
Tomorrow should be clear for our hike up Mt Lafayette and onto Franconia Ridge. Fun, Fun!
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/15 North Woodstock

We arranged a slackpack for today, about 17 miles from Franconia Notch to Kinsman Notch. For all their reputation, the Whites are too bad. The hiking is very different, more rock scrambles and light climbing as opposed to the endless miles of green forest we have been travelling through to this point.
Typically you start in dense pine forest with small stands of birch trees at about 1000 feet elevation, then climb up, and up and up to 4400 feet. At that point you are in christmas land trees. At about 4400 feet you reach the treeline, the trees have shrunk from towering 50 footers to 5 foot, 2 foot, then nothing. The last holdouts are old trees with thick trunks but have not grown to more than a foot or so. These are real bonsai trrs. After that, all that is left is alpine mosses lichens and a little grass.
The weather change is wild, 75 degrees at the bottom and 45 or 50 at the top. 5 mph wind at the bottom, 35 at the top. Really wild .
We made good time today, but we all took fals clamboring over rocks. I had a spectacular wipeout when one of my poles didn't bite like I expexted. I ended up almost breaking my neck, literally, but escaped with only a bashed up shin. Another victim of the White is my digital camera. The viewscreen broke, so I'm hitching 30 miles tomorrow to buy a new one. Kind of annoying, but this is the most beautiful area we hike through and I don't want to miss it. Also, I'm picking up a fleece, it is really getting cold here, we'll be camping at elevation (3400 ft) for a couple days, the lows are expected to be around 40 in the valley, so we are thinking we'll be back near freezing for a while. With al this to do, and thunderstorms predicted for tomorrow, we are going to take a zero. Unexpected, but we have 5 in the bank according to our plan. Besides, we have almost 13 miles of above tree line hiking up next, and want some good weather. So far both Mt Kinsman and Mt Moosila!
uke have been clouded in when we summited.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/14 North Woodstock, NH

Well, we went over Mt. Moosilauke today, our first experience of above the treeline hiking. Very cool, the trees kept getting shorter and shorter, until they were no more. The wind was incredible and the temp was hovering around 50 degrees. The mountain was shrouded in cloud, the only cloud around, as the mountain makes its own weather. Hopefully the next couple summits will be clear and we will get some great views. 3600 ft climb, but it really wasn't that bad, I was able to roll up it without a break. We have all been building these mtns up in our minds to almost mythic proportions. It is good to finally be in them and mowing them down!

The weather has turned cold, 70 degrees during the day, 40 at night....at 1000 ft, we will be between 4800 and 6200 ft, so it will be considerably colder!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/12 Hexacuba Shelter

Today we hiked 18 miles, and hitched into Lyme, NH just for giggles. OK, and 2nd breakfast <G>. But the big topic of the day was 'The Plan'.

Now frequent readers will realize that plans come, plans go, no one sticks to them etc etc etc. But this is a special plan. This is 'The Plan'. This is the plan that maps out the next 413 miles. This plan ends with the Big K. Katahdin. There are 2 variants and a sub-variant to the plan. Plan A has us summiting around 9/8. But with no zeros. Plan B is a week later with a good mix of neros and zeros and small mileage days around highlights like Mt Washington and the like.
The sub-variant is at my request, I want to knock off a 40 mile day so that may or may not be in there.

But it looks like plan B is the winner, so pencil in us arriving at Katahdin on Friday the 14th with a summit date of the 15th, and a rain date of the 16th. Of course, all is subject to change, but that is the plan.

413.2 miles, 34 days left
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/11 Mouse in the house

Churchmouse is back! After talking with Churchmouse we decided that the easiest way to get him up to Hanover was for me to rent a car and pick him up in Woodstock, VT. So after 2 lovely days in Hanover, I headed off to Vermont to pick him up. It is really great to have him back especially with the White mtns coming up. Already the craziness has already begun, we hitched into Etna, NH for snacks, probably the easiest hitches of the trail so far.
He seems to be doing well, ready to get this trail done. After talking a bit, it seems we both went through the VA blues when we were hiking alone. It seems that having a crew really helps keep folks going. Right now it is me, Churchmouse, Ohm, and Quartermoon. We all seem to be moving at the same speed, so we could stick together for a while.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/9 Hanover, NH

I finally heard from Churchmouse. He should be rolling into the Inn at Long Trail tonight. That puts him 4 hiking days behind me. Turns out he picked up a small injury (rolled his ankle) and hasn't been able to push the 30's to catch me. But, he is going to do another day of hiking then catch a ride up to Hanover and just skip the last bit of Vermont. That is really good news, if he hadn't, I don't think he would catch me by the end. So I'm going to be in town for a couple days, which will be nice considering we are on the doorstep of the White Mtns and resting up is probably a good idea. I saw the elevation profiles for the whites and they look quite intimidating...just massive and most of them end up above the tree line.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/8 Hanover, NH

OH YEAH! Another state bites the dust! I'm in Hanover New Hampshire, home of Dartmouth college. It is a beautiful town with a big college green in the middle and a bunch of little shops radiating out from there. Very hiker friendly, upon arriving we stopped first at the 'Brick and Brew' pizza shop and got our free slice of pizza they give hikers. Then I swung by the P.O. and picked up my box from home. Yep it made it here. That box went from Danby, CT to White River, NH to Manchester Center to the Vermont Sorting facility, then finally to Hanover. You should have seen this poor box by the time I got it. But, now I have rain gear and a stove so all's well that ends well.

I woke up this morning to torrential rains (and cursed my lack of rain gear). But in bad situations like that sometimes the best course of action is no action. It took until about 9a for the rain to stop, but stop it did and Ohm and I set off for Hanover. I had to be there by 5p (PO closes) and Ohm was getting picked up by his dad to get his hand re-xrayed back at home. Quartermoon caught up with us in Hanover and him and I will split a room tonight and wait for Ohm to get back.
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/7 Thistle Hill Shelter

I hate bugs. Really, I'm sick and tired of bugs. Vermont too for that matter. I haven't been impressed so far, and VT is over and done with tomorrow. Oh well, NH and Maine are suppose to be 'da bomb' so that will be nice.
Ohm and I did a gruelling 23 miles today. I'm not sure what made it tough, but we both were just dragging today. Ohm is off to get his hand re-xrayed when we get to Hanover, so I'll be flying solo for a while. That's cool, this is coming to an end and it is nice to just do your own thing sometimes.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/6 Stony Brook Shelter

Well, only did 10 miles out of The Inn at the Long Trail but was able to dodge rainstorms. We hung around the Inn until about 1pm, had lunch and watched the rain go by. We then dashed to here just in time to get under shelter as the storm threw us a parting shot. Nice to have some rain, but end up with dry shoes!
I had a nice visit from Bob and Janelle, they were in the vicinity to visit a friend of theirs and stopped in for the afternoon. They filled my belly and ran Ohm and I into Rutland for resupply. It is great to get news from home and see familiar faces. Even if it is just for a few hours it really reconnects you. Shout out to Chris, your mom says you should call more! <g>

Another good thing about hanging out at the Inn late today was I got to see my new friends 'The reunion crew' before they turn off the AT and continue up the Long Trail. The LT heads up Vermont to Canada while the AT turns right and heads for New Hampshire. Later days to Gator, Marley, Chill and Mystic, good luck on the LT! Tho, Mystic may show up in the White Mtns to hook up with us, who knows we might head off on another crazy side trip!

Speaking of the Whites, we are getting close now, we are only about 80 miles from the beginning of them. I can't wait, I've never spent time above the treeline, it should be quite an experience.

No word from Churchmouse, not sure if he is close or far. Also, we lost Quartemoon somewhere, either he is ahead of us or behind, but no one has seen him.
478 miles to go!
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/5 The Inn at Long Trail

Well, the plan was to do 21 miles yesterday, then 13 today. But strange things happen. Ohm and I took off at 7am and cruised pretty wuickly through 12 miles. We hit a road crossing at about 11:30. On this road was a lunch restaurant 2.8 miles away. After hitching in and getting a bacon cheesburger, Ohm decided that he wanted to do a 30 mile day. OK I said. The problem was that Killington was right at the end of the day. 2500ft elevation change, OUCH! But we rolled over it and caught sunset near the top of Killington. This morning we decided to do a side trail that takes you up to another peak, Pico. Really great views from the top and it was fun hiking down the black diamond slopes of Pico Mt.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/3 Big Branch Shelter

16.5 miles today. It took about a half an hour to hitch out of Manchester Center (the trail is 5.5 miles outside of town). Easy day, we had 3 1000 foot climbs, one of which went up a ski run. Bromley Mtn, which had a great view from the observation tower.
We pulled up early because we are under threat of rain and wanted to beat it. We got some thunder, but so far no precip. I hope it hits tonight and gets done with by morning. Behind the rain should be some cooler weather, it has been unseasonably hot and humid up here. No cool crisp New England days and nights, we've been running close to 90 degrees with high humidity...ahhh makes me homesick for August in Northern VA....NOT!

No cell service, so I couldn't find out if my package finally arrived in M Center, VT. Nor could I let Bob and Janelle know where I am planning on getting to to meet them. Tomorrow we are doing 21 miles to another 'Secret Shelter' which is at the base of Killington, Vt. It is a long day considering I am suppose to be letting Churchmouse catch up, but it sets up the climb up Killington nicely. 2500 feet in 5 miles, and, since this is the AT we are talking about, we don't actually summit. This is pretty common, you get to within 100ft of the summit, but don't go up. We will go up this one, even thought it is a steep .2 mile climb, because there is a snackbar at the top! But that is day after tomorrow, so I won't start dreaming of cheeseburgers yet.

521 miles left!
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/3 Manchester Center, VT

Stealth camped behind the movie theatre last night....interesting to say the least. We came in to resupply, and I needed to go to the post office. I had my raingear and stove sent back to me, originally to Danby, VT. But because I'm moving so slow right now, I thought I would call the PO and have it moved here instead. That way I could resupply and do the PO at the same time. It should have worked perfectly, except my package isn't here, or wasn't last night. So last night, with time to kill, and not wanting to shell out $120 for a room, I set up camp behind the movie theatre. And since I was there....went and saw the Simpsons Movie. Camping in town is a nerve wracking thing. Chances are the local PoPo's (police) frown upon it, plus you always risk some local yokel getting liquored up and going out looking for trouble. But all is well, I didn't hang my tarp, just the hammock, and I was nearly invisible from the road.

Once I'm outta here I'll be heading for Clarendon or maybe Killington, VT to meet up with Bob and Janelle. Long time family friends that have known me since I was knee high to a grasshopper.

With all these delays, both intentional and otherwise, Churchmouse should be right on my tail.

As for the gear changes, I got my stove back...hopefully, I was starting to crave mac'n'cheese so that's back. I'm not sure it is a weight gain or loss, when you are 'cold' (no stove) none of your food is dehydrated, so it maybe a push overall. As for the raingear, I'm sending home my town clothes (long sleeve shirt and pants). After talking with a couple SOBOs, they strongly recommended getting wind/wet protected so that you can enjoy the views at the top of thw White Mtns. Otherwise you will be hurrying off the peaks. Also, I'm sending home my filter. I had developed a gag reflex to the taste of AquaMira, but that isn't happening anymore (used some of 1/4 Moons) so that is a 11oz savings. Overall, I don't think I'm adding but an oz or two.

Or not....Just called the PO, no package, now I'm waiting to see if Charlotte sent it with delivery confirmation or a tracking number.

Well, Char, be the detail oriented person she is, did send it with tracking, but, all they can tell me now is that it was fowarded and is now in PO limbo. So I'm hiking on, hopefully it will catch up before I summit.
And BTW, to add insult to injury, it is suppose to rain today. At least my package will be dry.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/2 Bennington, VT

Had a good time yesterday, music, food beer. Quite a few of the hikers ended up showing up. Probably 40 or so, which for this far north is a respectable showing. Rob, our hero from Dalton, MA came up and brought a bunch of folks from further south. Tennessee Jed was there, I haven't seen him in a month. Now the challenge is to find our way back to where we started this adventure.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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8/1 Bennington, VT

Whaaaa? Weren't you just there? Yep, I hiked on, in fact, I'm actually up in Stratton Pond. But there is a hiker fest (read free food and free beer) here today. So me, a guy named Mistic and Ohm hiked a 22, then hitched 45 miles back to B'Ton last night. It was an incredible series of hitches to get here but we got back last night around 8p...pretty cool.

So a couple of nuggets, Ohm (broken hand) and Quartermoon yellow blazed up to Bennington and met up with me which is cool. I thought that I had lost them after Salisbury, CT. Also, I've been hiking with a crew that thru-hiked last year. They are out for a month doing a "reunion tour". They are hiking the Long Trail which shares the AT for 100 miles up to Killington. The AT turns right and heads to NH while the Long Trail heads north to Canada. Cool folks, Mistic, Chill, Marley and Gator. I have to add another type of hiker to my working list, the "Former Thruhiker". It has two sub species, the pos and the neg. The Neg will constantly tell you what they hated about the trail. For example, you can say, I'm going to XYZ shelter, or hostel or town etc. and they will say, "Oh don't do that, that place is a dump", or the water source sucks, or there are too many mice, or no view, or too many bugs, blah, blah, blah. The pos will rave about upcoming features of the trail!
, like the White Mtns, with barely concealed envy in their voice that you get to do it.
The "pos" really reinforces your resolve to continue, because they did it and it obviously inspired them. The "neg" worries you early on, but most hikers learn to tune them out pretty quickly.

Anywho, the reunion croo are really positive and have been filling my head with beautiful images of the upcoming trail. They don't sugar coat it, the Whites are a bitch, but you can hear it in their voices that the reward is worth the effort.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/30 Chillaxin in Bennington, VT

Only 14 miles today, so I took a detour into Bennington, for pizza and junk food. I'll be doing some short days, while Churchmouse is doing 25+. Hopefully he'll catch up in a week.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/29 A good day

I did a massive 7 miles today! But that's not the good part. I heard from Churchmouse, he yellow blazed up to Salisbury, CT. I don't know why yet, maybe it is my charming personality, or maybe he committed some heinous crimes further south and is now evading capture. Either way, it means he should catch up soon. I'm going to go slow for a couple days until we come up with a plan. There is a festival in Bennington, VT on Aug. 1st, but it would be hard to stretch the 12 miles to Bennington for 3 days. Oh, by the way, I'm now in Vermont, scratch another state off the list! Also, I'm under 600 miles left, just 590 miles to go!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/28 Still here!

I did a 24 mile slackpack yesterday in about 7 and a half hours. Why the rush, well, we got a late start, I didn't hit the trail until 10am, then our Hero's band was playing and we needed to leave by 6p. Result was a long day which included Mt Greylock. 2400ft uphill in approx. 4 miles, OUCH! It is probably the bigest climb since central Virginia. While hurrying, I think I tweaked my groin muscle. One of my feet slipped, and while I didn't go down, it was an odd motion as I caught my balance. So I'm hanging out at The Birdcage again and plan to hike out of North Adams tomorrow, and out of Massachusetts. Vermont here I come!

11am ... Reading a funny book,"Straight Man" by Richard Russo. The book doesn't have a compelling plot, yet, but the style of writing is hilarious.
The resident dog here, Tinkerbell, is sharing my bunk, he seems to sense I'm a dog person. Tink is a black lab / pit bull....call it 100lbs plus. We are in negotiations for bed space currently. His point is that this is his house and my bunk is the best place to guard the premisis from mailmen and cats. (Both have attempted infililtration this morning) My point is that I'm human. Right now I have a good 80% of the bed, but every time I move there is a subtle shift of the battle lines and Tink expands like a sponge. Before you all place wagers on the outcome, you should be warned that I've had a large coffee, I fear that the battle that has been won through my larger brain, will be lost through my smaller bladder. It makes me wonder if any great historic battles have been lost because a General was in the privy at a decisive moment.

2:30p Well, Tink won, I got up to use the bathroom, then helped out around the hostel a bit. When I returned, Tink had tranformed into a bunk shaped dog-blob. His eyes had laughter in them...So I moved over to the next bunk and picked up my book. Tink got up, languidly stretched on his hard-won territory, then he got down, wandered over to my 'new' bunk, placed his head on the bed and looked at me until I invited him up. He is now dreaming and kicking me as he chases imaginary mailmen.
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/27 Back to Dalton

Slackpacking back to Dalton Mass today from 26 miles up the trail, North Adams. Is it that great of a town, you ask? Well, no, but in this town is a gem of a guy.
He is the epitome of a Trail Angel. He owns one of the gas stations in town, the Shell, and has opened his home and his heart to the hiking community. His 'hostel' is called 'The Birdcage', but he doesn't charge any money for a stay. He puts thousands and thousands of miles on his minivan shuttling us back and forth to trailheads, restaurants, the outfitter etc, but won't let you give him a dime. Wow! you say, he must have really gotten some trail magic when he hiked to compel him to give so freely! Nope, not a hiker.
His story starts 7 years ago on a dark and stormy day, as all good tales must. A downtrodden, dejected soul of a hiker rolled into town, head down, beaten into submission by days of rain and, I'm sure, the requisite Mass. Air National Guard escort (mosquitos). He wandered across the street to the Shamrock Village Inn, the motel your author stayed at his first night in Dalton. The hiker emerged looking, if at all possible, more down hearted and walked across the street to our Hero's Shell station.
The hiker stood in the rain for a moment, then asked if there was another motel in town. There wasn't and the poor hiker's chin hit his chest with an audible thump. I can tell you from personal experience how low you feel when everything you own is damp, when all that has kept your feet moving is the promise of a hot shower and a soft bed.

Our Hero took pity on him and took him into his home, washed him up and sent him on his way the next day. That hiker's name has been forgotten by history, all that remains is a Polaroid snapshot. But the hiker spread the word of this great guy at the Shell station, and his home up the street. 7 years later, 350 hikers a year visit and stay, and have their picture taken. The Birdcage is in none of the handbooks we carry, our Hero won't let them add him. It is all by word of mouth.

I was waiting for the bus to go to the next town over, they have a supermarket, and he picked me up, waited while I shopped and dropped me back off. We listened to his band's brand new CD (really good BTW) and no, he wasn't going to the town on an errand, he just did because I needed to go. Last night he ran a bunch of us over to an all you can eat buffet, so I bought him dinner before he could protest. I can't imagine how much he 'gives' to hikers, monetarily and his time. Folks like this are what makes the trail, 'The Trail'.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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And on the Seventh day

He Zeroed....well, actually 17th day and 275 miles. Not bad, over 16 miles per day average.

619.6 miles to go
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/25 Dalton, MA

In to town, I may zero tomorrow, we'll see how the body feels in the morning.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/24 Upper Goose Pond Cabin

Wow! This is the lux! I was going to just check this place out then move on to make tomorrow an easier day into Dalton, MA....But, this place has beds, with matresses, scrrens on the windows...all for just 3 dollars! Pretty sweet, and to top it off the caretaker makes pancakes in the morning.

I talked with Churchmouse, he just entered New York, about 12 or 13 days behind. Good news is he has hooked up with Big Shanty, bad news is he probably won't catch up with me at this point. Who knows, maybe I'll take a couple weeks off....naaahh at this point I just want to get this hike done with, it has been fun, but I'm ready to be home.

I just met my first '07 SOBO hiker, kind of neat, but man, those guys are crazy!
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

7/24 5:30a The toughest part

So it is still raining, I'm laying here in my hammock. I really should get up, pack and start the day, but the shoes are wet and it is chilly out. So I'll lay here a while and hope the weather moves on, if it still sucks by 8, I guess I'll get up. The shoes will still be soaked from yesterday, all my cloths will be just as damp. This part really sucks.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/23 Tom Leonard Lean-to

Woke up with a headache, then it started to rain...great day! Made 15 miles or so, not great but enough to call it a day.
Shared the shelter last night with Uncle Tom, and tonight with Calamity Jane and Sinage. I had never met these people but had been reading their entries in the shelter registers for a while. Oh, and we have a section hiker with us, we'll call him Grumpy Old Man #4. He has pajamas with him, like you know nice thin, matching, cotton jammies.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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Trail Notes -- types of hikers

There are lots of hikers out here, and it can be difficult for an outside observer to tell the difference between the sub-species. Here are some helpful hints:
The Day hiker-- This creature wears a small pack that is usually stuffed with enough food to feed an army. Usually there will be 1 lb of GORP per person in the group. They are easily recognized by the 100% Cotton labels on all of their clothing. And at least one item will declare that 'Life is Good'.

The section hiker-- this beast has two phases. Early and Late. An Early phase Section Hiker is clean, while a Late phase will be grubby and smelly like the thru-hiker. Note, however, that the Late phase will still be carrying a huge pack and will be wearing clean cloths. The clean cloths on dirty hiker is a quick test you can use in the field.

The Father-Son team-- Another two stage variant, again there is an Early phase and a Late. They look like Section Hikers except they travel as a duo. To distinguish between the phases it is neccesary to evaluate the ratio of total gear weight each is carrying. For example, in an Early Phase pair, the 6'2" Father will be carrying a Section Hiker sized pack, and the Son will have a pack appropriate to his weight. In a Late phase pair, gear will have been shifted to the son, resulting in the 9 year old's pack, now larger than he is, being festooned with tents, cooking gear, dad's espresso machine and the groundcloth all strapped to the outside. If approached, the son (In a Late phase) will remark about how he hates hiking, and the Father will talk about going back to the gym.

The Thru-hiker-- A rare variant, esp. in northern climes. They can be difficult to spot as they move fast, and rarely stop for very long. They can be identified by smell from quite a distance. Typically their packs are smaller than all but the day hiker. If you see one on more than one occasion, they will be wearing the same clothes. This can make identification of individuals easier. With the rarity of this species, several tests have been developed to ensure proper identification. First is the vista test. For this test position yourself at the intersection of the trail and a side trail that leads to a vista. The side trail should be at least 200ft long. The Day Hiker will go to the vista then return the way they came, as the vista was their destination. The Section hiker will go to the vista, take pictures, and perhaps take a break there. The Father Son team will split up with the Father collapsing at the intersection, while the Son mills about, eventually gett!
ing bored, the Son will head to the vista. The thru-hiker will not stop for the vista and may, in fact, make a rude noise or mumble derogatory remarks about the trail crew's inability to have the trail visit the overlook directly.
The First test is flawed due to it's requirements for terrain and its vulnerabilty to having results skewed by inclement weather.

The definative field test is the 'Snickers Test'. While the hiker in question is approaching toss a half eaten Snickers bar onto the trail. The Day hiker will lecture you about respect for the wilderness, and feeding animals. The Section hiker will comment that you dropped a snickers. The Father Son team will either just trudge by, or the Son may kick the Snickers down the Trail for a while (depends on the phase, Late and Early respectively). The thru-hiker, in one smooth motion will skewer the snickers with his hiking pole, shove it into his mouth and mumble a heartfelt thanks while picking leaves and small twigs out of his teeth. Later the thru hiker will be heard describing the 'Trail magic' he got from 'The Snickers Dude'.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/22 The Hemlocks Lean-to

Another one bites the dust! Conn. is in the bag, I'm in the great state of Mass. And what a day, we started with the standard up out of town, then meandered around a bit, then hit a big up, Race Mtn. The top of Race was fantastic, a big rocky5 bald surrounded by short stunted trees. The views were breathtaking I would guess 100 mile visibility, little New England towns dotted on the landscape and big puffy, white clouds slowly rolling by the mountain. Just enough breeze to cool you down and temps still hovering around 80...Fantabulous! But wait, there's more. We also hit this real gem of a spot called Sages Ravine, right onthe Conn-Mass border. The trail follows a fair sized stream of crystal clear water down 400 ft of elevation drop. The stream is an endless cascade of waterfalls and deep clear pools. The sides are steep and the woods are olllddd. This area, according to the books, has never been logged. I tried taking pictures, but the camera (or my lack of sk!
ill) just couldn't capture what the Mark 1 eyeball was showing me. This is a place to revisit. Perhaps the best part is that it is relativly inacessible by road, and the hiking isn't a cake walk. Hopefully this area will remain as-is for a long time.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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Trail Notes -- North vs South

Well, this isn't what you might think, this is not a comparision. Actually it is just a random thought I had the other day.

Back in the Civil War days, the line of demarcation between North and South was the Mason-Dixon line. As time has passed, however, this has become less relevant. The true line is best describe by where the culture shifts from a 'southern' attitude, to a 'northern' one. The challenge in determining this is to identify a set of benchmarks that can be used as a gauge. The benchmarks I've chosen are food related. Each are taken seriously by their creators, and pride is taken in how good each is...for example, you would hear "We have the best XYZ food in town".

So I have determined that the Sweet Tea-Bagel line is somewhere near Catawba, Virginia. South of here if you want unsweetened iced tea, you are SOL. Likewise, if you want a bagel, you're screwed. As of Catawba, and points north, you probably will be back to dumping sugar in your tea and stirring like crazy to get it to dissolve. And you can get a bagel with cream cheese most mornings in town.

So as we can see, the line has migrated south quite a few miles. Now I know there is someone out there screaming at the computer, as he dunks his bagel in his sweet tea, upset because his locale does not neatly fall into one of the categories....relax, you are just in the DMZ of the culinary war, but stock up, one or the other is going away.

Oh and for the record, the best bagels are in New York, I doubted the word of my wife (a New Yorker) as I figured she was biased. But, to this point, NY has the best bagels. And pizza too, I can't tell if it is the sauce or the crust, but man o man.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/21 Stealthing

Just outside of Salisbury, CT. This is my last night in Conn. The trail here is pretty well maintained, except for several spots where it is not maintained at all. Kind of weird, you get used to a nice well blazed trail, then all the sudden, overgrown and no blazes...odd

The weather has been fantabulous. low 80's 70% humidity, good breeze. From talking with 1/4 Moon (who is from Mass. and has been around the Whitws a bit) it looks like I may have to get some cold weather gear back. I'm trying to decide both what to get back and when to get it sent.

Speaking of 1/4 Moon, I think I lost him today, it is 7:30p and he hasn't passed by on the trail. We are meeting up with Ohm tomorrow, he is getting back on trail. I'll get up early, get to Salisbury and do a resupply, hopefully I'll still make some miles tomorrow.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/20 Sippin a coffee

Thanks for the emails and voicemails from everyone! It is great to get contact from home, even if it is just a note to say howdy.

Just some random thoughts this morning and answers to some questions.
First, what am I dreaming about? Frankly, most nights I am too tired to dream, when I do they are odd dreams about normal everyday stuff. I had a dream the other night about trying to organize a list of things I had to get (at home), random stuff, you know weekend projects around the house etc, and I couldn't figure out the shortest route between stores and no matter which way I went there were really big uphills between every stop.
Usually the dreams are a weird synthesis of life out here imposed on 'normal' life.

Second What are you going to do when you get back? Dunno, it changes day to day. As of yet I have no plans, Char may have an adventure that she wants to do so who knows?

I heard from Oddjob and his ankle is doing fine, he is back to running on it so no permanent damage done. It was really interesting hiking with him because his trip last year had been southbound from Harpers Ferry. It sounds to be a completely different experience than my NOBO hike. Specifically, more solitude, going northbound is a very social experience.

Finally, we got whalloped by a storm that produced a tornado last night. It is the talk of the town and I for one am glad I wasn't 'blowing in the wind' in my hammock last night!

We got word from Ohm that he will be back on trail Sunday with his hand in a splint. Good news as we have lost a lot of people recently, our numbers are dwindling quickly.

I'm missing home as much as ever. We build our lives and surround ourselves with people and things we are comfortable with. Without them, your psyche is just making do. I've gotten to the point of comfort out here, but my surroundings don't contibute to the comfort, rather they are something to be coped with. I guess I miss the subconscious support you get from being 'at home'.

The end run: Yeah I'm getting close, but I'm not obsessing on Katahdin yet. There are folks out here recalculating their 'plan' daily to see when they will finish the trail. I guess we all deal with it differently, but I choose to go from town to town, planning only to the next resupply. I find the most enjoyable part of this experience is living an unscripted life. No grand plans, no far off deadlines. Just point your toes north in the morning and start walking. I noticed something funny the other day as we were crossing a farm field. We could see a large mountain ahead, (a 1000ft up was in our future), I stopped looking at it, just put my head down and kept walking, pretty soon I had passed over it, even though it was a tough climb, it melted away one step at a time. Same thing with the 700 miles or so left, at 100 miles a week (15 a day about) I'll be done in 7 weeks. Call it 14 resupply stops, 15, 3 or 4 day hops between completing a 'chunk'. Big problems and !
tasks are just a bunch of related sub tasks, even if the overall goal seems huge, each small task seems, well, small. I guess that is the moral of this rant. <g>

Anywho, it is a beutiful day, breezy, a little overcast and low 80's. Looks to be our lot for the next 7 days. Maybe I'll go for a hike or something! <G> Next stop is Salisbury, CT a day and a half away, NICE! That means a light food bag and happy feet.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/18 Kent, CT

Well, I know I said a couple short days...and I tried, I really tried! But I slipped up and did 29 miles of night hiking to get to Kent, CT on the morning of the 19th.
Now here is what happened.....
<stage lights down, spotlight on hammock>
The plan as of bedtime was to do a 12 mile day the next day, the sky was clear, we had a campfire, all was good. I awoke at 5am to 25mph gusting wind, rain, and inside a cloud. I hollered at Quartermoon and asked him if he wanted to wait until 7am to make a move...needless to say, he agreed to my proposal. I went back to sleep for a couple hours, but the weather rambled on throughout my 'bonus' slumber.

At 7am, with no marked improvement in the weather, we delayed again until 9am.

Again, Mother Nature decided to keep on clobberin and slobberin. She huffed and she puffed and she blew Quartermoon's tent down.

At this point I made an executive decision. I announced that I was going to zero right where I was. I would let the world turn once more upon its axis before attempting to increase my latitude by foot borne locomotion.

This plan was as easy to sell to Quartermoon as selling water to a man dying of thirst in Death Valley.

I hunkered down, grabbed my book, the latest of the Dune series, and got busy doing nothing.

All was going swimmingly (yeah, we had lots of rain, but I mean 'going well' in this context) when at 2pm I discovered the flaw in my cunningly brilliant master plan....I ran out of book.

By 2:30pm I was pacing the campsite and convincing myself that the rain really had stopped for good this time. It looked good, time to formulate the 'what'. The next shelter was 7 miles...we would be done by 6pm easy...but there was no water there :(. OK, after that, another 6 would take us to the last shelter in NY and it had water...but we would be setting up camp in the dark. Furthermore, if we continued on another 4 miles (total 17) we could finish NY which would be cool! But again, no water!!! hmmm only 5 miles later we had a shelter, with water and in Conn. ok...total 23 and we would be rolling in at 3am...ya know, 6 more miles and we are eating breakfast sandwiches in Kent tomorrow......

SOLD! We were packed and hiking by 3pm. Now you may think this is all crazy, but we were one with the trail. Rolling, bobbing, weaving, going with the flow and following the subtle clues she gave us as to what she wanted us to do.

You doubt me? Think ole Bytecode is a little sleep deprived? Maybe so, but I tell you, we listened, she spoke. We hit 4 different instances of 'Trail Magic'.

1) at 8:30pm we are taking a break at a road crossing in a parking lot of a garden center, the last employee stumbles wearily out to his car and warily eyes us...then asks if we want a ride to a deli that is open until midnight...oh and don't worry, I'll wait and bring you back. Score an italian sub, gatorade, snickers and headlamp batteries.

2) Midnight, cooler of oranges, cookies and ice water...just in time because the well pump we were going to hit is out of order.

3) 8am, in Kent after slaying 2 Bacon egg and cheese sandwiches, a lady walks by, plops t fresh blueberry scones on our table and says 'good luck on your hike!'

4) 10am at the outfitter, another lady rolls in, and asks if we want a ride anywhere...she proceeds to take us to our motel, then the grocery and Post Office...and hooks us up with an ice cold soda.

So crazy as it seems the 'day' of hiking, while long and arduous, went from Zero to Hero in record time...And, by the way, we got nary a drop of rain, took a 2 hr nap on a rock outcropping, going to sleep looking at stars and waking to sunrise rolling over the Conneticuit ridges. Just enough rest to make the final push into Kent, Ct.

2/3 of the trail done
9 of 14 states done
722.5 miles to go!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/17 Short day

Only 10 miles today, I've decided to hike a couple easy days and try and enjoy it more. Some really nice hiking today, probably the best maintained section we've seen. The trail maintainer who we met has been working on this one section since 1990 after completing his thru hike. He has widened the trail, put in tons of switchbacks and removed all the rocks (enough to build stone walls down one side of the trail for miles). Really an enormous amount of work. I noticed another thing today, NY has very few songbirds compared to down south. There are stretches of woods that are dead silent. In fact we have seen almost no wildlife in NY, except, of course, for chipmunks. Perhaps the NY chipmunks are slightly more evolved and have eliminated their competition. Watch out...we may be next!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/15 Graymoor Friary

What a couple odd days. Yesterday we hit a family reunion/hiker feed at a lake in NY. Then today we are staying the night at a friary. Pretty nice place, we ordered a pizza which is always a nice treat!

The hiking has been great, we have been hiking in Harriman State Park, really the prettiest forest we have hit yet. The hiking is tougher, we are getting back into mountains. NY doesn't believe in switchbacks for some reason, so it is straight up and straight down. Making good progress...779.4 left!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/16 RPH Shelter

Well, I guess I've got the Virginia blues, just a little late. So I'm going to take a couple really low days, finish my book etc. I'll be in Conn. in 2 days, New York has been nice, but the water is awful. Either the streams are dry or there are signs posted saying to not drink the water even if you filter. NY has some really pretty hiking, nice open forrests, little undergrowth etc. Oh, the raspberries, blue berries and blackberries are ripe...good eatin!
One of the guys I was hiking with, Ohm, fell and broke his hand (not a finger) so he is off trail for a while, hopefully he'll get back out here.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/13 Fitzgerald Falls

Weird day today! I guess since it is Friday th 13th I should have expected as much. I woke up at 4am for some reason, wandered around town, as we stayed at a hiker hostel last night in Vernon, NJ, searching for a cup o joe. No luck until Dunkin Donuts opened at 5. By then the guys I'm hiking with, 1/4 Moon and Ohm were up, so we got breakfast. As we are walking out, some firefighters ask us if we want a ride back to the trail...cool! But they take us to a different trailhead, no biggie, it chopped off a mile or so and wasn't out of their way. The about half way through the day we see that there is a .9 mile trail into a small town, so we took that and got some lunch and a beer....then got a ride out of town, again to slightly the wrong place, but again, only a mile or so. We ended up staying at a great campsite and are looking at a short day tomorrow because there is the rumor of a hiker feed 12 miles further down the trail. Overall it was a day that if you tried to!
plan it out, it would have not worked, but just rolling with the punches ends up making a good day.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/12 Vernon, NJ

Well sports fans, I am certainly NOT a long haired hippy freak any longer! I went and got myself a buzz cut, the first one of my life I believe. The good news is that I have a pretty normal shaped head, no dents, bulges or other oddities. The bad news is that I'm going to have to be careful of sun burn for a while.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/11 The Secret Shelter

Well, my Aunt Cindy came out and we did 2 days of slackpacking out of Delaware Water Gap. She did very well, knocking out a respectable 27 miles with no major problems. It was interesting to listen to her aches and pains after day 1. I know them all! I commented that she would be surprised that she felt fine in the morning. That was met with a bit of skeptisism, but lo and behold she felt better in the morn. Our bodies really are designed to walk miles and miles each day, eating lots of small meals. After the initial shock, the body seems to have an incredible ability to recover from the stress that hiking creates.
We saw 1 bear, from quite far away thank you, and one really pretty rattle snake from way too close. We were walking pretty close together when all of the sudden, from right next to the trail, we hear a lound rattle. The snake was about 3 feet long and in great shape, 8 rattles and in its 'yellow' phase. Cindy did a remakable dance down the trail when she heard the rattle and it 'clicked' in her hind brain what the sound was. It reminded me of a cartoon, her feet and posterior section were 3 feet down the trail before the rest of her body started moving. Quite hilarious!
Other than that thwere were no problems except for the weather, 96 degrees with 112% humidity. Today is much better, 80 degrees and drizzling, still humid as all get out, but maybe the heatwave has cracked. Into New York tomorrow, so add New Jersey to the 'done' list.

Forgot to mention, I saw a momma bear and cub today, mom stood up to check me out...those cubs are so darn cute!
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/8 Delaware Water Gap

Well, Stroudsburg, PA really, but thats a small detail. I zeroed today, which I really needed. The rocks of PA really crunched up my ankles, not that I rolled them or anything like that, but the day after day of pounding really added up.
My Aunt Cindy is out for a hike also, hopefully I won't injure her too quickly, and we'll get at least two FULL hiking days out of her(just kidding Kirk!). We plan on 13 miles of NEW JERSEY (Can I get an Amen!) tomorrow, maybe a bit more the following day, we're playing it by ear.

Got new shoes today, Vasque something or anothers....predators maybe... dunno, no one had my Hardrocks in stock and my feet had grown out of the size 10s. Well, 'grown' is the wrong word...been squished into submission by repetitive slamming into the ground is probably better. It is actually pretty common for you to go up a 1/2 size or so when you hike these long distances. Oh well, one can only hope that is the only permanent damage done by this escapade!

I'm getting to the 'Get er done' stage of the trail. I get this alot as I'm cruising towards a town day. "25 miles to town?"...."Noooo Problem, McDonalds here I come!". I'm starting to get that feeling out here, I see the end, now I want it to hurry up and get here. Don't get me wrong, each day out here has it's own special 'thing'. For example, yesterday, while hiking the last couple miles into the DWG, I entered a section of the trail that still had tonnes of mtn. laurel in full bloom. I haven't seen them in a month, it was like a scene from spring in the middle of the summer.
And I really enjoy the new people I meet on the trail, but the goal now, I guess as it has always been, but more so now, is to finish this beast off.

894.6 left to go!
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/7 Delaware Water Gap

Out of PA! Couldn't stand being in PA anymore, so I've been pushing to get here. Pennsylvania is done...New Jersey here I come!
Just for the record, I did not enjoy PA, the rocks were awful.

894.6 miles to go!
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/6 Wind Gap

Stealthing at Wind Gap, PA. 24 miles today, my feet are killing me!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/5 Outerbridge Shelter

21 and change today. It is like running through those tires that football players run trough, except the tires aren't evenly spaced, and are jagged and sharp. And in each tire is a sharp pointed rock that pokes into the bottom of your foot.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/4 Eckville Shelter

Only 16 miles today, but boy was it rocky! PA is really pulling out the stops. This is a nice 'shelter', really a barn in a backyard, flush toilets, solar shower...lush accomodations by trail standards.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/3 Ye olde Backpacker

Resupplied and stayed at a new hiker hostel, 'Ye Old Backpacker'. Free hostel stay which is good and he drove us to a grocery store as Port Clinton PA has nada in town. I also ended up getting a light weight sleeping bag, the fleece liner I was using just wasn't cutting it. The new bag (LaFuma) is rated at 40 degrees, but from talking to folks and looking at it, it is more like 50 degrees.

955.9 left!
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/2 501 Shelter

Well, I talked to Churchmouse he is zeroing in Duncannon, and planning on moving slowly for the next month. Hopefully he'll catch up some time in August.
It looks like I'll be out of PA by the 7th of July and into New Jersey. New Jersey is the 'easiest' state they say. Just for the record, the rocks of Pennsylvania started yesterday, and Pensylvania is very flat! Much flatter than Virginia.

BTW...today we crossed a big milestone, LESS than 1000 miles left to go!!
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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7/1 And just like that...

3 hikes are over. First off, I made it through snake alley, only seeing 1 rattler, but he did give me a couple rattles which was cool. There is something primal about that sound, it really hits a nerve.
So Kirk and I were hiking this morning and I heard him stumble behind me, I turned around and he was gimping around on his ankle. We took a short break and started again and only a few steps later I watched as his ankle fully rolled over...ouch! After 30 minutes, I could tell by his face that it wasn't good...but what are you going to do? Well, ask and the trail provides, a day hiker walks up and after 2 minutes of chit-chat we have secured Kirk a ride back to his car in Duncannon...magic!
Then when I got to the shelter tonight, a good trail buddy, Sylvan, told me she was getting off the trail tomorrow due to an inflexible work situatuion. She had been originally planning to only hike a section, but the bug bit her to do the whole thing. It is too bad it didn't work out, but you never know what life has in store for you, maybe the next great adventure is waiting back home. No regrets! Also, if she does thru in a couple years she'll be so far ahead of the game, preparation wise and mentally that she'll blow through.
The last was someone I just met, but he just didn't want to keep going, and stayed in Duncannon.
I guess the moral of the story is to not take for granted any days out here nor the people, family, friends and co-workers back home that make this possible. All it takes is one mis-step and it could be me. The ridgerunner said the other day that only 50% of the folks that make it to Harpers Ferry make it to Maine. Kind of grim statistics, but I'm beginning to see how it could be true.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/30 Peter Mtn Shelter

Ahhhhhh, the weather turned! Cool breezes, low humidity, it was a fantastic day! Oddjob made it to Duncannon and we got out of town at about 9 or so. We had an easy 11 miles to do, I had figured we would get out later, so we eneded up done hiking for the day by 2pm. Kind of nice, this shelter doesn't have a ton of bugs so that was a bonus.
Odd wildlife sighting today, as we were walking out of town, I saw this little bat clinging to the curb on Main street. I'm not sure why he thought that was a good place to 'hang' for the day, so I moved him to a tree....with my hiking pole mom! No I wouldn't touch a bat, yes I'm being careful, yes I'll brush my teeth...sorry folks, mom worries you know. Ah...mom stop reading....
So we've been warned that tomorrow we will encounter an area that has a bunch of rattlesnakes. 6 have been sighted within a mile or so of each other. The ridge runner describes them as 'hiker friendly'. I hope that means they won't bother me if I don't bother them.

The invasion of the moths continues, I guess PA doesn't spray like VA does...really incredible the amount of damage these things do.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/29 The Doyle -- Duncannon, PA

A nice half day to get here...Two beers and a good meal! I stumbled into a work for stay deal. Free room tonight for helping them fix their computer. Usually work for stay is washing dishes etc...good to know my skills are useful out here!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/28 Darlington Shelter

Hazy hot and humid today. It struck me today just how much of a mental thing this hike is. In my mind I viewed this as a short day...18 and change, which really isn't a short day, but what tricked me was how it was broken up. I had 4 miles to do in the morning to Boiling Springs, PA, then 10 to a rest point where the ATC volunteers do trail maintnenance out of, then another 4 to the shelter. Tomorrow is an easy 11 to Duncannon. My mid was all set for a short day today, and by the end I was really struggling. Your mind can really rally your body to do amazing things, but it can also weigh you down. I guess I'll be more diligent in my mental preparations for the day.

The shelter is full of thru hikers, for the first time in weeks, it seems that I have pushed out of the buble I was in. For many weeks, there have been only a few other thru hikers around. It is a weird phenomenon where we all bunch up and leave these big 'holes'. I've been in one of those holes for a while now.

i heard from Churchmouse, he is 50 miles behind me, but successfully completed the 4 state challenge...with 6 minutes to spare. He went from VA to WV to MD and crossed the PA state line in 24 hrs. Congrats!....now catch up, we still have a 1000 miles left!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/27 Alec Kennedy Shelter

Too hot to hike very far today. Not only is it as hot as the hammers of hell, but we have a plague on our hands..Gypsy Moths, they seem to have made the switch from caterpillar to moth and are EVERYWHERE!
The plan is to hike out of Duncannon on Saturday morning with Kirk, so no need to rush.
--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/26 Pine Grove Furnace State Park

It is official! 1/2 done! Today I did 23 miles due to the allure of ice cream at the state park. But the miles were easy and I caught up with a person I hadn't seen since Erwin Tennessee which was nice.
On to Duncannon PA by friday to meet up with Oddjob (Snyder).

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/25 Pennsylvania!

Got back on the trail today at about 10am. I decided to take it easy and only do about 15 miles today. It looks like Churchmouse didn't pass me so there is no need to try and play catch-up. My friend that I saw down at Trail Days, may be coming out for a 70 mile section between Duncannon and Port Clinton, PA. He has always been in really good shape, so it shouldn't change my pace too much. 15-20 miles a day should be a sustainable pace and get my butt to Maine before winter sets in.
I made a major gear change while off trail, I ditched my sleeping bag and replaced it with a lightweight fleece liner. Luckily it is only supposed to go down to 65 tonight, it will be a good test. Also, swapped out some clothes, and got a fanny pack (that I wear in front) to hold camera, snacks, mp3 player etc. Base weight is now 11 lbs.
Speaking of weight...I started the trail at around 157 IIRC, when I weighed myself this weekend I was 139.5! Amazingly, by the time I was leaving this morning, I had put on 6lbs. I'm guessing I was a bit dehydrated, and/or that was reallllllllly good wedding cake!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/24 Home again, home again

Well, it is amazing how hectic things get when there are schedules to keep etc! The real world is a pain sometimes. Let me catch you all up, I continued hiking north from Front Royal after visiting with my dad and made it to the Pennsylvania/Maryland border before heading home to attend my mom's wedding. I was the 351st Northbound hiker at Harpers Ferry for this year. That is about 15% lower than the same time last year, but who knows what accounts for that. The hiking has been pretty easy, although I started to hit some rocks north of WV that are a precursor to PA...what fun! Back on the trail bright and early tomorrow!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/19 Hades

Oh my god was it hot today! At one point I startled a squirrel, he movved too fast and burst into flames. Luckily, he had paid attention in squirrel saftey class and "Stop, Drop, and Roll"ed. At this point I sat down and re-hydrated myself, because there is no way that that could really happen, squirrels don't roll. Which is why they are no good to use as balls in Forrest Bowling...but I digress.

So long Virginia! I'm in West Virgina now! Just short of Harpers Ferry and about 2 miles away from the 1000 mile mark. Looks like rain and cooler weather tomorrow so I may spend some extra time in Harpers Ferry at the ATC headquarters.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/18 Rod Hollow Shelter

Wow, I guess because the Shannys were so full of day hikers that I didn't notice how few thru hikers there were. I'm here alone tonight and only saw 2 other hikers today. Looking at the register, it seems like there aren't alot of folks around. I guess the numbers dwindle the farther north you get, but it is a big change!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/17 Still in Front Royal

Well if there is one thing the trail teaches you, it is to be flexible. A car accident has prevented my dad from getting here until today so a double zero it is! I hit the outfitter yesterday, but the selection was pretty poor, so I wasn't able to get any of the gear changes I wanted done. I'll just do that when I'm home in 5 days and can hit my local REI.
Bob and Tim were able to come out and we spent the evening knocking back Coronas and catching up. It was great to see them and I hope to see them a couple more times because the trail goes right by the town they live in. Who knows, they may come out and do the 'Roller Coaster' with me which would be fun.
Speaking of hiking plans, I'm planning on hiking out of Front Royal tomorrow, doing about 15 miles then a couple 20's to Harpers Ferry. I've decided to not do the 'four state challenge', while it sounds fun, I want to visit the ATC headquarters and not just rush through. Harpers Ferry is the psychological half way point, the real half way point is some 75 miles further north, which it looks like will have to wait until after I get back on the trail.

Happy Father's Day dad!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/15 Front Royal

Knocked out a 24 today to wind up in Front Royal. The plan was to pull up 3 miles short, then go in early tomorrow, but the third rule of Hike Club, is that the plan is written in jello. Hoping to see my dad tomorrow, as well as two friends from the real world, Bob and Tim. Should be a busy day, resupply, outfitter run and visiting. I may get outta here Sunday, but may double zero. Church leaves tomorrow for home, Maybe I'll just take a couple easy days, short mileage wise, we'll see!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/14 Stealth campsite

We ended up doing a little over 21 miles today, basically the whole day was spent inside a cloud. It gets old hiking in drizzle and chilly weather, but we have been fortunate so far so I won't complain too much, yet.
A friend of ours, April Showers, had to get off trail for a bit due to injury today. She is going to hit Front Royal and see if some rest can fix the problem. She aggrivated an injury she incurred in 2004, on her previous thru-hike attempt. She had hiked all the way up north, only 200 miles short of Katahdin, when she blew out her ankle with a bad step. She waited 2 weeks (in 2004), did physical therapy etc, and tried to press on, only to have to admit she couldn't continue. She is one tough cookie. Personally, I couldn't imagine how upset I would be to get so close and have something like that happen. And then have the gumption to start all over back in Georgia! I hope this story will have a happy ending, we'll see.
Anywho, we continue to hike hamburger to hamburger in the Shenendoahs. I had breakfast at Big Meadows, bacon,eggs etc, a cheeseburger for lunch at Skyland lodge, then packed out a bacon cheeseburger, and fries for lunch. Life is rough out here, but we are surviving somehow. Looks like we may hit Front Royal a day early, the miles are pretty easy. We are hitting 20 miles by 4pm with a 3 hr break for lunch.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/13 Big Meadows

Nice easy 20 today, saw 2 bears, neither of which hung around long enough for a picture. 1 skunk that was just hoofing it down the trail, to tell yopu the truth I was more worried about the skunk! 2 bunnies, frolicking around until they saw me, then they froze and did their best impression of frozen bunnies (very convincing). 1 big old box turtle heading for Georgia (SOBO). And about a bajillion deer. A bajillion is defined by Websters as the number of deer in the Shenendoah National Park....go figure.

Apparently we had quite a thunderstorm/rainstorm last night, I slept through the whole thing. It was raining when I set up my hammock, so I knew my rain fly was set fine, I guess my brain decided sleep was more important than checking my fly at 2 am....go figure.

In case you all are wondering, there are tons of pay phones in the Shannies, so updating the blog is pretty easy.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/12 Hightop Hut

Well, the rain finally got us! Church and I have been able to dodge daily thunderstorms for about 4 weeks now, but today we got rained on for several hours. But on the bright side we had eggs, bacon and toast for breakfast, a cheeseburger for lunch and a ham and cheese, with a side of chicken tenders for dinner. You see, the Shannys have these things called 'Waysides' that are basically a souveneir store and short order restaurant. They are a great way to lighten your load because you carry minimal food. Unfortunately they also lighten your wallet, not quite as bad as eating at a ball game, but close!

Speaking of lightening loads,
1) I'm sending home the rain gear

2) swapping the fleece and town shirt for a long sleeve shirt

3)swapping the long underwear for a pair of zipoff pants

4) swapping the thermarest for 1/2 length foam pad.

5) getting rid of the sit pad

6) swapping 30deg sleeping bag for a something cooler

Grand total should be about 2 to 3 lbs less in the pack. Call it a base weight of around 10 or 11 lbs. That is half what I started with. Granted, it is summer now, but I would only add about 38 oz to get back to a cold weather load.

The key is: the less you carry, the happier you are hiking, but less comfortable camping.

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Mom, you should probably stop reading at this point!
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Oh, I almost forgot, we had a great bear sighting today! He was crossing the trail 100ft from us. I had Church grab my camera out of my pack, then I snuck down the trail to within 25ft of him....he just sat there looking at me (I'm sure contemplating what wine would go well with stinky hiker) I took a couple pictures, then switched my camera to movie mode, it made a noise and he moved off, but I got a really good short video of him from close range. After he moved off, Church grabbed his camera and tried to head into the woods after him, but the bear had had enough of our antics and moseied off. Next time, I'll head off to 'get the shot' and Church will video me, that way when a bear mauls me, at least we can get paid for the video!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/11 Blackrock Hut

Yeah, they are called huts in the Shannys. Dunno why, they are lean-tos up north...all the same, three sides and a roof, and mice. We stay at shelters, but not in them. In fact, there 5 thru hikers here tonight and none of them are staying in the shelter, even though the campsites are awful for tenters. Not so peachy for hammockers either as all the trees are too small or have too much underbrush between them. But, I got my trees, so I'm a happy camper!
The Shannys are the 'flat' Virginia we've been hearing about since Georgia. We did 20 miles today and only saw one up of 1000 ft. I guess hikers only have short term memory and forget the south and central sections. Of course, that makes perfect sense because we get up every morning and do crazy miles, forgetting how much our feet hurt the night before! Probably for the best otherwise we wouldn't be able to keep doing it day in and day out.
Looks like we will roll into Front Royal on the 16th. Then Churchmouse and I will part company, he is taking a couple days to visit home. I'll hike on until the 22nd when I get off trail for a couple days for my mom's wedding. Hopefully, we will sync back up pretty quick, we've been hiking together since 4/30 so it will be weird to be hiking alone!

It is weird being this close to home, but really being over 1000 miles from 'home'. I keep telling myself that the way home goes through Maine, but as I get closer to NoVa, the more my thoughts are occupied with home.

868.1 miles done, 1305.9 left to home.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/10 Waynesboro

Wohoo! Easy day today, tomorrow we start the Shenendoahs.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

Trail Magic

Virginia rules in terms of trail magic. Since leaving Damascus there has only been 1 or 2 days that we haven't found a nice little treat waiting somewhere on the trail. Today was cold beer and moonpies, yesterday hot dogs, beer and hoagies. Then for days we were finding coolers of soads, churches were running 'hiker feeds' etc.

Virginia rules!

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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6/9 Long day

We did 25 miles today, which included 'The Priest' a nasty 3000 foot uphill slog. We did the Priest climb in 1.5 hours exactly which worked out to be a 3 mph pace straight uphill. It was a serious amount of exercise, but it felt good to really push hard. all told we did 25.8 miles in 8hrs and 45 minutes, with all our breaks etc. The terrain really starts flattening out for a while which will be nice, we should start toying with doing 30's once we are past Waynesboro. Crazy, but I want to pack away some miles so that there is time to spare when the going gets really tough towards the end. Plus we have to prepare for the '4 state challenge'. You cross 4 state boundries in one 24 hour period. Leave VA, cross into WV, then MD and into PA, 48 miles in 24 hours....ummmm now that's crazy.

--Brian
aka "Bytecode"

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