A Few Moments and Memories of the Trail...

You are more than welcome to scan through this long blog...it's more for posterity than anything else.  It's a series of events on the trail that I most remember...some interesting, some not so...

Georgia

·         Of Course, My First Day. Not exactly my first day, but the day before and the day I hopped on the trail.  Taking the subway from the Atlanta airport to the most northern stop I meet Gypsy Girl, Free Fall and Kirsten (Ensted).  Free Fall has extensive experience in long distance hiking, Gypsy Girl, a 62 year old woman from Australian, is attempting the hike again after breaking her leg last year (she made it all the way to Mt. Washington) and Kirsten is from New Zealand and an avid long distant hiker.  As an overweight executive I wonder what I am doing.  I arrive at the hiker hostel to find most of the hikers there just jumped off the trail to regroup from a major winter storm.  Andy, soon to be Malarkey, is one of those hikers. The next day Andy gets dropped off where he left off and I get dropped off on the trailhead…alone, cold and scared.  I concluded this was a big mistake but I have to stay out at least for a week to save face.

·         A Conversation with Luke (Hermes) On the Trail. Hermes is a young man from the University of Vermont, a very strong hiker and an all around good kid.  I met him on my second day as he was fixing breakfast at the side of the trail (I would steal this approach to breakfast).  Later, he caught up with me – and hiked with me for most of the day. This young man set my mind at ease and gave me confidence that I needed at that time.

·         My Blisters. After a steep climb I show up at Tray Mountain Shelter, set up my tent and peel my socks and boots off only to find two huge blisters.  Around the campfire I meet Jake (OTT), Battle Cat and others.  They all notice my blisters and conclude that there the worst on the trail.  I go to bed depressed and wondering whether I will survive, then to wake up totally drenched from a big thunderstorm.  My blisters would become the talk of the trail but they did not slow me down.

·         Meeting Rocket Rick and Firefly at the Blueberry Patch.  My first hitchhike experience was with Dave (Super Dave).  We got dropped off at the Blueberry Patch, a hiker hostel, and met Rocket Rick and Firefly, two hikers who had already established themselves as uber-hikers because of the big miles they were piling on.  RR would leave the trail at Newfound Gap with a hairline fracture and I began hiking with Firefly that same day (RR would meet up with us in Vermont to finish his journey to Katahdin).

North Carolina

·         Charlie Brown Giving Me Some Company.  During the first week, I showed up at Siler Bald Shelter early and alone, nervous about being the only person at the shelter. Made it even more unsettling when a strange and scary guy hiking the trail with a bike came by.  Fortunately, Charlie Brown showed up, giving me the security I needed at that time.  Charlie Brown would soon get off the trail due to an injury and lack of conviction.

·         In Heaven on Rocky Top in the Smokies.  One of the most magical moments on the trail for me was absorbing the incredible views on top of Rocky Top.  I left Russell Field Shelter early in the morning and was able to get up to the top shortly after sunrise.  The clouds were nestled into the mountains below as the sun was shining brightly above.  The light, the color and expansive views made me feel like I was in heaven.  Not seeing other hikers on the ridge, I yelled out the famous refrain from Woodstock, “We must be in heaven, man”.  Indeed!  The next day I was to summit Clingmans Dome in a downpour of rain and sleet, shrouded in fog and clouds.

·         Gary Hilton, the AT Serial Killer.  I was settling in at the Plumorchard Shelter, along with Moonshine, Holly and her dog, Darcy.  Skid shows up and introduces himself as T.J. Forester.  I said that sounds like a great name for a writer.  He said he was and that he walks the trail for ideas, etc.  I talked about bumping into a homeless person with two pit bulls at Woods Hole Shelter.  Holly mentions she is hiking with her dog in memory of her parents who were murdered on the trail three years earlier.  Skid knows the whole story about her parents and the murder of a young woman on Blood Mountain.  Makes for an unsettling evening thinking of the murders and the homeless person with the pit bulls that he was “rehabilitating”.

Tennessee

·         Peoples Paradise. There is a section of the trail in Tennessee that is maintained by Bob Peoples.  The trail weaves through waterfalls, a large stream, a mountain and a huge lake with a dam.  Part of the trail is difficult but thanks to Bob’s efforts we were fortunate to have rare switchbacks and beautifully constructed boulder steps along the way.  I felt like I was walking through paradise.

Virginia

·         Climb to Roan Mtn. Kicked My Butt and Smashed My Nose. Don’t know why, but I will never forget the last part of my day on our way to Roan High Knob Shelter.  It was only a 16 mile day, but was made up of lots of stuff, including the final stretch up Roan Knob.  The day started off well with trail magic from Mango at a road crossing.  About 75 yards away was the early scene of an accident where a car flipped over; the emergency crews were trying to get a badly injured driver out of the car and to the hospital.  Back on the trail, I had my first of several encounters with a “leaner”, splitting open a gash in my nose making a bloody mess of myself.  Cleaned up, the final leg of the day was extremely hard for me.  The elevation gain was 2,200 feet over 3 miles, not too bad, but I fell behind, and for the first time my legs felt weak and wobbly.  I truly didn’t think I would make it.  I did, had a great conversation with some weekend hikers and made my way to the shelter. A nice evening around the campfire with Cornell, Tree Thug, Firefly, Estero and a few others got me back on track again.

·         Wildflowers in Virginia.  One disappointment on the trail was the lack of fauna.  There was very little of it during the first month because it was still winter.  The wilderness seemed to be void of any color; the trees were barren and the forest floor was all rock, fallen trees and dead leaves.  Once we entered Virginia we noticed a change, almost overnight.  The forest floor was coming to life with small flowers and fern sprouts; Leaves started to bud on some of the trees.  As we hiked up and down the mountains (two or three times in a day) we noticed different flowers at the various elevations.  We could almost predict the elevation by the stage of growth and type of flower. Over the coming weeks the vegetation exploded and before we knew it we had a full canopy above us and fields of wild flowers and ferns at our feet.  Unfortunately we missed the beauty of the tunnels of rhododendrons blooming in Georgia and North Carolina but experienced our fair share of Mountain Laurels in full bloom.

·         Karaoke at the Pizza Inn. Damascus is a special hiker town, but sprinkle in Karaoke Night at the Pizza Inn and it makes it all the more sweet.  Thru-hikers (especially Triton) belted it out pretty well, but it was the locals who caught my attention.  This is the “big night out” for the locals and they put on quite a show, especially two older gents who could really put it together.  Got exposed to just a little bit of what life must be like in a small town of 1,500 people.

·         Most Challenging Weather: Mt. Rogers & Grayson Highlands. Leaving Damascus we knew that bad weather was coming so Tree Frog, Firefly and I pushed to get to Lost Mountain Shelter.  We settled in for the storm with some section hikers who gave me a full can of fuel and some Trader Joes bananas.  The first storm came in around midnight causing a sleepless night due to wind, rain and falling trees.  We hiked up Mt. Rogers the next day in heavy rain, water rushing everywhere, on the trail and off the mountain; the wind was blowing so hard I could not keep my hood on my head.  The sun came out briefly as we got to Tom Knob Shelter for lunch, watching wild ponies.  That night at Wise Shelter pelting rain turned into snow blowing and whipping into shelter.  It was so cold that my sleeping bag failed, even with multiple layers of clothes.  Knocking the ice and snow off our bags, boots and socks, we got an early start hoping it would warm us up.  It got worse as we hiked in a wide open expanse down to The Scales.  Wind was the strongest I ever experienced on the trail; we had to forcefully move forward with each step.  It was bitterly cold and windy but once we got back into the woods the sun came out, the wind calmed down and the snow melted.  Terrain was beautiful and lush…like traveling from North Pole to the tropics in a matter of a few hours!

·         Reunion at Chestnut Knob Shelter.  After two days off the trail to attend a Board Meeting I hopped back on the trail in Atkins, VA.  I was all alone and figured that most of my hiking buddies were well north of me.  With fresh legs I made pretty good time reaching my intended destination by 3:15. Reviewing the shelter log I realized that Shoofly, Nero, Malarkey, the Minstrels, Maniac, John Wayne, Hazard and Burley had just passed through, headed to the next shelter.  Knowing that another 9 miles would reunite me with the gang I impulsively decided to push on.  It was a gutsy move for me because it would make for a 23 mile day (longest to this point) and it was uphill in rain and fog.  Up the mountain I was convinced I had made a bad mistake when I ran out of water and lost track of where I was due to the dense fog and rain.  I found a pool of water full of tadpoles, filled up my Gatorade bottle and moved forward looking for a campsite, thinking I wasn’t going to make it.  Then, off in the distant I saw the shadowy outline of two figures dragging what looked like a log.  As I approached closer I see the dull flicker of a flame, realizing that I was at the shelter. The Minstrels hollered out, “Crankdaddy”.  I knew I was home.  Crashing into the fully enclosed shelter, high fives and hugs were had.  I had not seen this gang for several weeks and it was great to have some hiking buddies to hang with again.

·         My First Slack into Pearisburg. There is a 10 mile stretch between Woods Hole and Pearisburg that is relatively flat and straightforward.  A bunch of us got the notion that it would be fun to stay and Woods Hole one more night and slack into Pearisburg for drinks and resupply.  This little hike was one of the most uplifting days on the trail for me.  I started off before others assuming that I would be the slowest.  Before I knew it I found myself skipping along the trail having a blast.  Eventually, Nero, Shoofly and Jukebox met up with me.  Caught up in the joy of slacking, we began running down the switchbacks, all the way into town, completing the ten miles well under three hours.  It was a joyful morning topped off with Mexican food and margaritas!

·         A Great Cheeseburger and Two Peach Cobblers with Ice Cream at Jerry’s.  Having survived the awful rain/sleet/snow storm and blistering wind of the Grayson Highlands, Tree Frog, Firefly and I decided it would be good to take a break from the trail and stop at Jerry’s, a diner known for great food.  Not only did I have one of the best cheese burgers ever, I was treated to a freshly baked (even had to wait 20 minutes) peach cobbler with ice cream that was the best ever.  It was so good, I ordered another.

 

·         Two Hikes with Sprocket and Inchworm.  We had bumped into this couple several times along the way but did not have the opportunity to hike with them until our hike into Waynesboro, VA.  Sprocket is a walking encyclopedia on all things nature, describing the surrounding plant and animal life and the geography.  He is well versed in this arena and is an avid ultra-light hiker with strong views.  As a surveyor in the real world his credentials were pretty sound.  They were two of several hikers I met along the way that thought it was a frivolous exercise to filter water; they also resupplied with fresh meat, packing it in for several days with no worry of it spoiling.  There logic about food and water was sound but not something I wanted to pursue.  When I told him that I have had great angst about poison ivy and was having a hard time identifying it he stopped on the trail, grabbed the leaf of a plant next to my feet and said this is poison ivy.  I asked him why he had it in his hand; he said he doesn’t get it on his hand and went into a discourse of where, when and how you are most likely to get it and why.  We bumped into them once again headed to Atkins, VA. 

·         Slack Packing the Three Ridges to the Priests. One of my favorite hiker hostels was the Dutch Haus in Montebello, VA.  The problem is that it’s located down a steep and long hike off the trail (thru-hikers hate hikes off the trail).  It was heaven to stay there but the notion of hiking back up the hill to begin our day steered us into slack packing north to south back to the Dutch Haus (hiking down the hill again, to avoid the uphill climb to the trailhead).  It was a 20 mile slack going south beginning just north of Three Ridges Mountain.  The day encompassed a challenging and steep 3,000 foot rocky decent to Cripple Creek with a 3,000 foot ascent up to the Priest.  Going southbound, we met much of the gang heading northbound; each one of them cautioned us about the challenge up the Priest.  We were nervous about this climb because the scramble down Three Ridges was murder.   As it turned out, the Priest ascent was tame in comparison to the descent of Three Ridges – we should have been the ones warning our friends of the climb up Three Ridges!  The worst of the Priest was the final five miles of ups and downs to Spy Rock because we kept thinking it was over; regardless, we were rewarded with a wonderful view on top of Spy Rock prior to our hike back down the trail to the Dutch Haus.

Pennsylvania

·         Chilling on Hot Days in Pennsylvania.  Hot and humid days in PA meant hiking early, chilling in the heat of the day and hiking late into the evening.  One of my favorite times on the trail was chilling at Eckville Shelter, beginning with a quick stop at Gold Spring for a good soak (the water was incredibly cold and refreshing).  We hung out all afternoon on the shady grass with Crazy Goose and Puddle Duck and as Padre, Dead Man and Blue arrived we ordered out pizza.  Never having one before, I ordered a Stromboli, thinking it was a single serving.  It was large enough to feed at least five hikers.  Blue, Padre, Deadman and others joined me in the effort.  Crazy Goose, Puddle Duck, Firefly and I hung around after dinner waiting for a big storm to pass; we finally got tired of waiting and headed out; of course, it immediately began to rain and we ended up stealth camping at Dans Spring.

·         Everything about the Allenberry.  The trail was tough in Pennsylvania because of the terrain, rocks and heat. However, the towns were great.  Boiling Springs is a quaint town with a small spring fed lake right in the center.  The Allenberry Resort & Playhouse is not your typical hiker spot but it had both air conditioning and a pool.  There were about ten of us that decided to zero here to enjoy the pool, theatre and pub.  Locals also have club memberships for access to the pool, etc., so it was great fun to watch the big bearded boys (Burley, Juke Box, Malarkey, Colonel, etc.) having noodle battles in the pool as young moms with toddlers looked on in aghast.  The topper was when Firefly decided to take a dip, stripping down to her sports bra and underwear (did not pack a swim suit).  Between the pool, the pub and the theatre experience with the older ladies it was quite a break from the brutal PA trail.

·         Be Careful, There’s a Venomous Snake Ahead. Working our way through a popular stretch of Virginia we were pushing up a mountain when we came across a lone young boy about 10 years of age, hiking stick in hand, and trekking with great determination.  As we passed he stopped to tell us, “be careful, there’s a venomous snake ahead.  I leaped out of the way when it tried to strike me…I just think you should know.”  Of course, we appreciated his warning and we took heed.  But what struck me were two things: this young boy was hiking alone; and, he had a great sense of confidence and used words I can’t even pronounce (venomous).  As it turns out, he was not hiking alone but was well ahead of his parents.  After explaining our exchange, his father sighed in a proud kind of way and said, “Yep that would be my son…”  Quite a kid!

·         Lunches on Rock Outcroppings.  Most of our lunches were had at mid-hike shelters because they always seemed to be good halfway points and water was readily available.  Reflecting back, I wish that we had not been too focused on shelter destinations because our most enjoyable lunches happened to be on rock outcroppings looking over the valley.  There weren’t many of them, but the few times we came across a sunny rock ledge with a view it was always a wonderful experience.

·         Stealth Tenting Below a Fire Tower.  Heading back into the hills in the early evening after a big rainfall and steak dinner at a restaurant off the trail we were headed to a shelter on the other side of a steep climb.  At the summit prior to the decent to the shelter stood a fire tower with a beautiful view of the distance mountain range as the sun was setting.  Rather than heading to the shelter we decided to stealth tent at the tower, watching the tail end of the storm pass and the sun set into the mountain range.  We woke up to a beautiful morning watching the sunrise during our oatmeal breakfast.

·         The Day at Pine Grove Furnace State Park.  This is the place in Pennsylvania with the half gallon ice cream challenge, marking the halfway point of the AT. It was brutally hot and we were originally planning on staying at the state park.  As it happens, a bunch of us showed up, including Burley, Jukebox, Malarkey, Shepherd, The Colonel, Firefly and Charlie.  All who attempted the challenge succeeded (my half gallon of Mint Chocolate was consumed in less than 45 minutes).  Afterward we took a quick tour of the AT Museum and then made our way to the beach along a small spring fed lake.  We spent most of the very hot day hanging out in the water with the locals before Firefly and I decided to head out at 6:00 pm to a shelter 7 miles away, covering the mileage in just over two hours to meet up with Charlie and a couple of section hikers. We put in over 17 miles that day, even with a six hour break at the park.  I felt like a thru-hiker!  Prior to this, I could not have imagined consuming a half gallon of ice cream, inhaling two cheeseburgers and fries hiking 17 miles with a six hour break in between.

New York

·         Strolling Through Harriman State Park in New York.  Harriman State Park was what I was expecting the Shenandoah’s to be…a well groomed trail through a beautiful forest.  The trees were not as dense as they had been up to this point and the forest floor was lush with ferns and flowers.  It was a welcome reprieve from the miles and miles of the dark and dreary “green tunnel”.  The climbs were steep, rocky and challenging but fun because of the complexity; it wasn’t just all straight up, but in, over, around and through.

Vermont

·         Picking Raspberries and Eating Them with Homemade Ice Cream.  Planning on a long day with a break at Cloudland Farm in the middle of the day, we reached Dana Hill mid-morning.  Rocket Rick, Firefly and I had been hiking with a mother-son section hiker team and as we were walking along the roller coaster ridge we came across a field of raspberry bushes.  Rocket Rick either did not see the raspberries or chose to move on.   Our original intent was to pick and eat on the way but since there were so many Firefly, the section hikers and I thought it would be fun to pick some for later.  We filled a Nalgen bottle and finally forced ourselves off the hill and down to the gap to hike to the farmhouse for an early lunch.  When we got down to the road, Rocket Rick was waiting for us not knowing what we were doing.  We hiked up the road to Cloudland Farm only to find they also sold very fresh homemade ice cream.  Before we knew it, we were enjoying one of the best treats I had on the trail – best ice cream on the trail, topped with fresh picked raspberries!  We ended up making it a short day after the owner of the farm offered us a tent spot next to his barn.  His family manages 1,000 acres of land; he just happens to know David Ulien!

·         The Day I Felt Like a Thru-Hiker.  Maybe it wasn’t a particular day, but certain points along the way.  There comes a point in time where you are comfortable acknowledging to others that you are doing a thru-hike.   I can remember a mountain in New York we reached, shed our packs and bound up to the top of a large rock where there was a couple on a day hike.  They immediately picked us out as thru-hikers and were excited to visit with us; this conversation was topped off by a small airplane flying in low, shutting the engine off temporarily to yell down “good luck” to us.  Even up in the sky the people in this small plane could see we were thru-hikers and wanted to wish us well.  Certainly hiking through northern New Hampshire and Maine receiving a “congrats” from weekend hikers and south bounders was a nice nod; hiking into the trail towns with the look of a thru-hiker; and, coming into a shelter late in the day, dropping my pack and getting to business always made me feel like I was seasoned and a hiker that earned my stripes.  I guess it was moments of confidence that made me know I was a thru-hiker; as Rocket Rick and Firefly know, there were plenty of times when I doubted myself as well…especially in New Hampshire and southern Maine.

·         July 4^th Dinner in Vermont.  We were disappointed with the terrible weather on Mt. Greylock on July 3^rd, preventing any prospect of watching fireworks from the mountain.  On the 4^th, we hiked down the mountain and walked to the outskirts of Williamstown, MA to a Super Stop ‘n Shop for resupply and lunch.  On an impulse I decided to purchase a pound of cooked shrimp, asking them to pack it in lots of ice; I grabbed a couple of rolls and a bottle of red wine and announced that we would have our own July 4^th celebration at our first shelter in Vermont.  Figured an added three pounds over another 7 miles shouldn’t be a problem.  Unfortunately, it was a very tough 7 mile hike up to the border of Vermont and on to Seth Warner Shelter.  I was swearing at myself until we settled into the shelter, got a fire going, and broke out the wine, fresh rolls and a pound of fresh shrimp with cocktail sauce.  We met our first Long Trail hiker at the shelter, a very nice retired fireman from New York.  He was most interested in us as thru-hikers and we thoroughly enjoyed the conversation as we snacked on shrimp and sipped our red wine.

·         Watching the Storm Come in at Stratton Mountain & Pond.  Stratton Mountain was the point in which I began a hike on the Long Trail several years ago.  Back then, we took a bypass trail because of the difficultly of the hike up the mountain.  It turns out that the hike as not that bad.  Firefly and I did it at the end of a 19 mile day.  We hooked up with Mudflap at the top of the mountain and I scaled the fire tower.  On top I observed a very large and ominous thunderstorm coming our way.  We raced down the mountain in the thunderstorm happy to be off the top because of the lightening.  By the time we got to Stratton Pond Shelter the storm seemed to have passed so we thought it would be great to go for a swim in the pond.  Once at the pond we saw that the previous storm was just a warm up.  I had never seen more threatening thunder clouds in my life, except in movies depicting the end of the world.  Even though the clouds were moving quickly toward us, we decided to get our quick swim in; once out, things got very dark and we ran the quarter mile up the hill to the shelter and made it just in time before the skies crashed and opened up big time.  This was a classic late afternoon thunderstorm in the mountains with the potential to do lots of damage.  Fortunately we decided earlier not to tent because the shelter was so nice.

·          Guinness Beer at the Long Trail Inn. When I hiked the Long Trail several years ago, we ended it at the Long Trail Inn for lunch and a beer at the pub.  I thought that this would be a cool place to spend some time but our visit was cut short.  This time around, we got to the Inn in time to enjoy the pub and spend the night.  The pub is famous for atmosphere, live music and knowing how to pour a great Guinness.  We spent most of our time in the pub and had more than a few Guinness…a great break from the trail! 

·         A Day in Manchester Center.  Don’t know why, but getting a hitchhike into Manchester Center, VT by Paul Bettany in a 1974 Olds Cutlass red convertible set the stage for a fun afternoon.  Getting dropped off in front of the EMS store we spent an hour window shopping and making a few purchases; that effort whet our appetite so we walked over to a pub called Firefly that we just had to check out.  Firefly and I had a great burger and a couple of beers.  For dessert: a walk down the street to Ben & Jerry’s for a very large and delicious ice cream sundae.  Feeling in a mischievous mood, I meandered into the exclusive clothier, Hickey Freeman.  In my previous life, Hickey Freeman was my suit of choice due to quality and fit.  With the look and smell of a seasoned thru-hiker I walked past the sales manager directly to the rack of suits looking for my suit size, a 43R.  Aghast, the salesman watched me pull out a charcoal grey pinstripe off the rack and slip on the suit coat; fit great in the shoulders but very large in the middle.  Firefly takes a quick picture before we get shooed away, mission accomplished!  What could make the day better?  Arriving at Green Mountain House, by far, the best hostel on the trail (includes a pint of Ben & Jerry’s).

New Hampshire

·         The Tree Swing and Swim with My Son. Ben joined us just north of Dartmouth, NH well positioned to fully enjoy the challenge and beauty of the White Mountains.  Our first day was an easy 11 mile day topped off with a stop at a spring fed mountain pond (lake in other states).  Walking along the shoreline in search of a spot for a quick swim we come across a tree with a swing out to the water.  Perfect.  The water was cold and crisp.  We all stripped down, checked the swing out and took a refreshing swim.  It made for a great end-of-the-day adventure for all of us and a bit of an ice breaker for Ben, setting the stage for a terrific week on the trail with him.

·         The Up and Down Challenge of Mount Madison.  The White Mountains were beautiful and the weather afforded us with spectacular views as we hiked through the Presidentials.  Our final big hike with Ben was the up and down of Mount Madison.  The night before we were turned down at the Madison Spring Hut, forced to hike down a steep one-half mile trail to a primitive campsite.  We began the morning with the hike back up to the trailhead to get back to “square one”.  Madison is a very steep climb through one long massive boulder field.  As we gained in elevation the wind started whipping us sideways making each step a forced placement to prevent a devastating fall.  The summit was so windy that the best we could do is take a quick picture and move on.  Looking north, all we could see was the continuation of a wide open boulder field marked with cairns stretching up and down for miles.  Somewhat discouraged by what we had ahead of us, we pressed on, picking our way through the boulders step by step hoping that at some point we would make it safely off the mountain, away from the blasting wind and in the protection of the trees.  We finally did and we were rewarded with a smooth trail down to Pinkham Notch to end Ben’s journey with us.

Maine

·         The Call of the Loons in Maine. One of my favorite recollections of northern Minnesota is listening to the call of the loons on the lake.  It was something that we took for granted and it wasn’t until years later that I realized how pleasant it was.  So I was eager to reach Maine knowing that I could relive this memory.  There were dozens of lakes along the trail and my expectations were high, especially the notion of falling asleep in the evening to the sound of the loons.  The loons were out there, but not to the extent I had hoped.  There were only a few days on the trail where we heard the loons at night and early in the morning.  There’s nothing like it!

·         The Campfire at Pierce Pond Lean-to.  We had a campfire at the shelters probably about 20% of the time – at the most.  Everyone was either too tired or it was too wet and rainy to get a fire going.  Campfires were a special treat and we always enjoyed them because of the warmth, the camaraderie and diminished bugs.  This Lean-to in the Maine Wilderness was right on the spring fed pond with a great view.  After our swim, Firefly made it clear in no uncertain terms that Rocket Rick and I were responsible to collect wood because we were going to have a campfire.  Initially I was not thrilled with the notion because I was tired and I could see that there was little wood around for burning.  Reluctantly I hiked up the hill and into the distant woods and hauled down about three loads of marginally acceptable branches and limbs.  Firefly quickly got to work and before we knew it we had a pleasant fire to sit around while we prepared our dinner.  Subsequently, Cave Man, Twig, Kodiak, Hand-Me-Down and several other thru-hikers were drawn to the shelter to enjoy a swim and the warm fire.  Made for a very pleasant evening!

·         Mountains and Water in Maine.  Southern Maine was at least as tough as New Hampshire; the mountains were straight up and straight down with lots of hand over foot climbing and crawling.  However, we were well rewarded with spectacular views of valleys, mountains and vast lakes and rivers.   Getting to the summit of Bigelow Mtn. West Peak was particularly sweet because it represented the 2,000 milestone.  Water was everywhere, ranging from super warm to ice cold spring fed lakes; streams and rivers were everywhere.  It’s truly a beautiful state.

·         Hearing Burley From Behind, Yelling, “Crankdaddy”.  Firefly, Rocket Rick and I were pumped up with adrenalin working our way up to Mt. Katahdin.  We were hoping we would see some friends along the way but assumed that the “old gang” had reached the summit yesterday (as evidenced by the shelter journals).  About one-third of the way up, I heard a shout out of “Crankdaddy” from behind and shortly thereafter was bear-hugged by Burley and then by Malarkey, followed by Shepherd.  Turns out they got slowed down by yet another zero and we were all able to celebrate the completion of the AT together.  Doesn’t get any sweeter!

·         Reaching Mt. Katahdin. Naturally, this is an event I will remember forever.  It was particularly special because of the friends who were on the summit and the beautiful, sunny weather.  A meaningful part of the trek was far more challenging than we thought it would be but nothing was going to stop us.  The final stretch to the top was relatively easy and wide open making it possible to almost run up to the top.  It was a glorious experience hanging out with fellow thru-hikers on the top, drinking champagne, port, warm beer and scotch whiskey.  Others brought a very fancy meal but Firefly, Rocket Rick and I brought our normal peanut butter on a bagel for which we took a lot of grief.  The hike down for me was probably more emotional because of the realization that I completed my thru-hike and that it was now over.  I tried to take my time wanting it not to end.