Monson, ME: The Beginning of the End

Through the 2067 miles I have hiked so far, I have crossed through 14 states starting at Springer Mountain, GA. Now I am 114 miles away from the final destination: Mt. Katahdin, ME. I am in Monson, ME, the final town before the 100-mile wilderness before the final summit.

Last night, I sat on top of Moxie Bald with a friend "Journeyman". This was a short but humbling climb which gave expansive views in all directions. We both sat on top of the granite summit staring into the distance. On the horizon past the hundreds of acres of lakes and pines stood a faint blue peak against the sky: Mt. Katahdin. It was our first view of the end, though it seemed so far away. 100 miles of wilderness is now what stands between me and the end of my journey. The end is now in sight.

I hiked through southern Maine over the rocky summits and rainy weather. I've generally been pretty optimistic through the hard times, but the past week was truly a test. I ran out of food sooner than I thought, and the rain just wouldn't stop. I was discouraged to be honest. This trail will test you through and through, both the physical and the mental. However, as quickly as the rain started, it stopped and left blue skies.

I have been hiking with Journeyman for a couple days now, and we are planning on hiking the last few days together. We are currently staying at our last hostel: The Lakeshore House and Pub. The past few days have been really amazing with good company, great sunsets, and a full moon every night. This is truly a week of "lasts". My last resupply, my last hostel stay, my last meals on the trail, and my last steps of the thru-hike. I am planning on summiting Mt. Katahdin on Thursday, September 15th, the exact 4 month mark from the start of my adventure on Springer Mountain.

I am able to use a computer here, so here are some photos from the past few weeks:

Hurricane Irene damage in the White Mtns

Dad and I had to be creative to get back to the trailhead
Summit of Mt Washington, the day after Irene.


Welcome to Maine!

Trail Frog


Morning Fog in the Bigelows

The 2000 mile mark (though it was actually a few miles south of here)

The Famous Maine Blueberries

Night Photography on Moxie Pond with a Full Moon

Moxie Bald with Katahdin WAY off in the distance (camera couldn't pick it up)

"Journeyman" crossing the Bald Mtn Stream...at 7am. Brrrrr!

Journeyman and I hitching back to Monson, ME after our last resupply.

I will have a few post-trip entries after the last day. Thanks for your interest and support. I'm excited to get home to the civilized world once again!

Insane Maine Terrain

I wasn't able to write much on the last post, so I'll fill in some details...

Dad and I hitchhiked back to the trail as far as we could with a friendly hotel employee. We came to a highway bridge that was out from Hurricane Irene. The high water caused the bridge to buckle several feet as if an earthquake came through. Cops and workers were swarming the scene, so Dad and I walked across a nearby railroad bridge when the cops weren't looking. Rebels! We hitched another time, crossed more washed away roadbed, and finally made it to the trailhead (I wish I could post pictures, but I'm using my iPod touch). Since the hurricane threw off our plans, we crunched our 6 day trip into 5. The next two days were spent mostly above treeline with expansive views and dangerously rocky trails. We spend the night at Lakes of the Clouds Hut, but since the park was "closed", we got to stay for free in a warm bunkroom. It was great!

Another hard day over Mt. Washington and all the way down to Pinkham Notch left us exhausted. I was glad to be done for the day but was also sad it was my last day hiking with Dad. Being with him was like being at home in a way, and it made me miss it. I was sad to see him go.

Since then, I have seen pushing through Maine but it has been hard going. The terrain very difficult with slick rock everywhere. The past few days have been rainy and wet, so now I'm in Rangeley, ME getting a good meal, restocking on food, and doing laundry. At the grocery I ate a big bag of potato chips and drank a quart of chocolate milk immediately. I hope the weather is better so I can make it to Katahdin on Sept. 15! I can't believe my adventure is coming to a close...

Almost to Maine!

Here is a quick update from Gorham, NH. I left my dad yesterday morning, and I was sad to see him go. We crunched our 3 remaining days of hiking into 2, so we were completely exhausted. The Whites has brutal trails with no switchbacks whatsoever.

I am now hiking alone, but I feel the surge of energy for this last push until the end. I am about 15 miles from the Maine border and am really looking forward to it. Though New Hampshire has been the prettiest state, it has been the most unfriendly (except the town of Hanover). There are nice people here, but there are equally rude and unwelcoming people. The AMC (club that operates the Whites) was especially cold to us...

I have just two weeks left which I still can't believe...my time on this computer is about to expire, so I must go. I fill you in on the details next post.

Cabin Fever

Hurricane Irene passed over head today, but we fortunately made it to a hotel just in time. We ended up having to stay here all day as torrential rain and wind raged outside. Luckily, this is one of those hotels with a restaurant/bar and a list of movie to rent...yea, we watched THREE today...That's more movies than I've seen in six months. It was a lazy day but very needed. I hate that this storm had to hit while my dad met me, but it has still been so fun to be together.

There has been some pretty extreme flooding across the Connecticut River Valley, and locals are saying they haven't seen stuff like this since 1985. Rivers are cresting left and right, and everyone at the hotel is stuck with flooded roads to our east and west. We are staying another night in the hotel. However, the weather is suppose to be very pretty tomorrow and flooding already peaked. We'll see what kind of shape the trails are in. It's all part of the adventure...onward and northward!

Escaping a Hurricane in The Whites

Dad and I had a great time hanging out in town and getting our gear ready to hit the Whites. We parked at the southern end, Franconia Notch, and started the long, grueling hike up into the mountains. The fog hung low, and we entered it within the first hour of hiking. We had hoped to make it further the first day, but the rain pinned us down below treeline at 2pm. We were confined to our tents with reading and napping...I'll admit, it was a much needed break for me. The next morning, we packed up and finished the insane bouldery climb up to Franconia Ridge above treeline in the fog. As we traversed, the clouds began to break offering endless views as if we were in a plane above the clouds. It was a surreal experience. The clouds slowly faded away to beautiful blue skies the rest of the day. We were so thankful.

The trail got increasingly more difficult with massive boulder-strewn climbs of 1,000+ feet or more. It was impossible to hold more than a 1/2 mph at times or you would surely break an ankle. My dad did some crushing miles as if he were half his age...I was continuously impressed with his endurance and speed over such exhausting terrain.

As we hiked, the word spread of Hurricane Irene having a greater chance of hitting us directly. A mandatory evacuation spread throughout the mountain range and even the rangers were leaving. There was talk of 100+ mph winds on the summits, certain blowdowns and impassible streams, and no hope of search and rescue if something were to happen. Of course, being the stubborn males that we are, it took me and dad a while to finally decide we should head out too. We hiked a brutal 17 miles today over staircases of rocks to make it to a road. My dad never skipped a beat, but we were truly exhausted when we hit the highway at dusk. It took 30 minutes in the dark before I could wave down a car to get us out of there. A nice guy picked us up and we made it to a hotel tonight just in time ( thanks Matt!) The hurricane is projected to pass right over us...just a few miles south of Mt. Washington: "the worst weather on Earth!" If we hadn't been able to get out, we would have been in seriously trouble. It's nice to have an unexpected hotel stay with a good hiking buddy. I'll keep you updated on how our plans change, but we are safe for now. What a day...

Catching My Dad in New Hampshire

Hanover, NH was a great little stop on my venture north, and I would probably say it's my favorite "trail town" so far. The criteria: trail goes directly through town (check), good places to eat (check), available and free internet (check), good places to stay (double check), and friendly and helpful people (check). I was obviously pleased with the places to stay aspect as I stayed with Sally, an almost retired nurse and phenomenal watercolor painter. She cooked me dinner and a tasty blueberry pancake and eggs breakfast all from the kindness of her heart. She wouldn't even accept payment! It's really the people you remember. At least it will be for me.

The past few days have been a big haul and strain on my body. With 23, 27, and 18 mile days over the start of the Whites, I'll be the first to say...I'm tired. The rocks started to amp up again like in Pennsylvania but instead like car-sized boulders you have to climb over and around. Throw in some mud and elevation change, and you've got a pretty hard day of hiking. Mt. Moosilauke was the first above treeline peak in the Whites. It was a lot of work to get up and over but oh so worth it. There were stunning 360 views to the south and to the Whites in the north. It reminded me of the 14ers in Colorado I'd climbed...see people! The East has mountains too!

With all the hard hiking, relief was just over the next ridge. After some cell coverage issues, I finally connected with my dad! He picked me up on the side of the interstate like a homeless guy (beard and all...). We ate dinner at a great little tavern and drank dark beer in the cool mountain air on the outdoor patio. We then drove to Walmart not only buy more food than we could carry but also to find the same rednecks in a New Hampshire Walmart as in Tennessee. Tonight was spent packing, catching up, and sipping on Octoberfest. Im at mile marker 1808.5, leaving 372.5 until Mt. Katahdin in Maine, the final summit. I'm so excited for the next few days not only for the great scenery and a toned down pace but to spend some quality time my dad.

Hanover, NH: Home of Dartmouth

The past few days of hiking through Vermont have been really pleasant with amazing spruce forests all around. The pine needles make the trail soft, almost like carpet. The trails in this state are notoriously muddy and all the rumors were true. I have been hiking in the same Merrell shoes since Pearisburg, VA...that's over 1,100 miles ago! I've been impressed with the beating they have taken, but after all this mud, it's time for a new pair.

The weather has been absolutely perfect for hiking: long sleeves at night and morning and cool air throughout the day. I couldn't ask for better. I've been listening to my iPod more than normal because I have discovered the wonderful world of podcasts. I have been listening to the Google podcast, Stuff You Should Know podcast, Muscle Balance and Function podcast...so many good ones out there. There is great free stuff to download, and I love learning about new things WHILE I'm hiking...it's brilliant.

Today was the final day of Vermont, and of course I had to leave as I entered...soaked in rain. I've been hiking more miles than average the past week or so to make it to meet my dad on Wednesday. I came into town this afternoon after hiking an exhausting up and down 25 miles. The first house on the street had a cooler of food out with a list of numbers of people to call for a place to stay!...a dream come true for a wet and tired hiker. I called Sally (not even knowing who that is) and she came and picked me up. Next thing I know, I am taking a warm shower and being fed a salad and Ravioli by a complete stranger! Apparently this town has a pretty extensive "trail angel" network. I feel very honored to be taken in my Sally tonight, and I am looking forward to a bed and a roof over my head (that isn't a shelter). Right now, I am on the Dartmouth campus using their computers, and Sally is over at the university theater seeing a film.

I am meeting my dad at Franconia Notch at the beginning of the White Mountain in NH. From Hanover, it is about 70 miles away, and I need to crunch that distance in 2.5 days. We'll see how that goes...