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Monday, August 20, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
August 19, 2012
Start: Bromley Sun Lodge, VT (VT 11/ VT 30 on the AT)
Since Brian sprained his ankle, we have been at the Bromley Sun Lodge just outside of Manchester Center, VT. He has been resting it in hopes that he can hike on it soon. Today, we made the decision to shuttle ahead to Norwich, VT so that we would be able to finish our journey with our favorite part, the Whites. If we had more time before work, we would have continued from Manchester Center, but we couldn't let this trip end without a Mt. Washington climb. Once we arrived in Norwich, VT, we walked the 1.5 mile road walk (still part of the AT) into Hanover, NH. Just as we paused to take our picture on the bridge over the Connecticut River where the VT/NH border is, we were greeted by Sandy. There was a kayaking event (PowerPaddlers) going on for suicide prevention. Sandy is a volunteer who was standing on the bridge watching her husband paddle. After taking a picture for us, she gave us great big hugs and told us we are such an inspiration to her. She then walked with us to the end of the bridge, telling all the people around,"They're AT hikers!" Everyone congratulated us and wished us well on the rest of our trek. What a way to enter NH!!! As we parted ways with Sandy, she told us that hiking the AT is on her bucket list. I know she'll do it! Once we reached Hanover, it felt surreal. We've been here before, but we've never walked here (well, mostly walked). So many times we have seen thru-hikers or long distance section hikers in this town (and other towns), always wanting to do what they were doing. Now, we ARE doing it. So surreal. For the last two months, we've been looking forward to walking into NH and today, we finally did. We ate lunch at a great restaurant, visited the couple of outfitters and now are just relaxing in the middle of town. Later, we will get our free piece of pizza that the local pizzeria gives hikers and tomorrow, our free bagel that the bagel store gives hikers. What an awesome town!!! Brian's ankle held up well on the road walk into town, so we are looking to hike out tomorrow. With rocks and roots, we will have to take it slow, but with an average of 10.2 miles a day, we will make it to Gorham, NH by our end date.
End: Hanover, NH
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
Since Brian sprained his ankle, we have been at the Bromley Sun Lodge just outside of Manchester Center, VT. He has been resting it in hopes that he can hike on it soon. Today, we made the decision to shuttle ahead to Norwich, VT so that we would be able to finish our journey with our favorite part, the Whites. If we had more time before work, we would have continued from Manchester Center, but we couldn't let this trip end without a Mt. Washington climb. Once we arrived in Norwich, VT, we walked the 1.5 mile road walk (still part of the AT) into Hanover, NH. Just as we paused to take our picture on the bridge over the Connecticut River where the VT/NH border is, we were greeted by Sandy. There was a kayaking event (PowerPaddlers) going on for suicide prevention. Sandy is a volunteer who was standing on the bridge watching her husband paddle. After taking a picture for us, she gave us great big hugs and told us we are such an inspiration to her. She then walked with us to the end of the bridge, telling all the people around,"They're AT hikers!" Everyone congratulated us and wished us well on the rest of our trek. What a way to enter NH!!! As we parted ways with Sandy, she told us that hiking the AT is on her bucket list. I know she'll do it! Once we reached Hanover, it felt surreal. We've been here before, but we've never walked here (well, mostly walked). So many times we have seen thru-hikers or long distance section hikers in this town (and other towns), always wanting to do what they were doing. Now, we ARE doing it. So surreal. For the last two months, we've been looking forward to walking into NH and today, we finally did. We ate lunch at a great restaurant, visited the couple of outfitters and now are just relaxing in the middle of town. Later, we will get our free piece of pizza that the local pizzeria gives hikers and tomorrow, our free bagel that the bagel store gives hikers. What an awesome town!!! Brian's ankle held up well on the road walk into town, so we are looking to hike out tomorrow. With rocks and roots, we will have to take it slow, but with an average of 10.2 miles a day, we will make it to Gorham, NH by our end date.
End: Hanover, NH
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
Friday, August 17, 2012
August 15, 2012
Start: Stratton-Arlington Rd
At 8 am, No Whistle, Brian and I took a taxi to the gravel road we left yesterday. Our day started with a 3 mile, 1700 foot climb up Stratton Mountain. We were slack packing today, so we flew up the mountain and reached the summit in a little over an hour. At 3,936 feet, we were in the clouds. There is an observation tower at the peak, so we climbed another 55 feet up the staircase and had amazing views of the mountains and valleys that surround us. Beautiful! After about a half hour, we were starting to get cold so we continued on. The descent felt like it took no time, even though it was another 3 miles down. When We came off the mountain, we sat at Stratton Pond Shelter for a short snack break. It was noon and we had another 10.7 miles on relatively easy terrain so we were happy. About .1 miles after we left the shelter, Brian rolled his ankle on a rock. It instantly started swelling and it seemed pretty painful. We were quite a ways from the road, so Brian and I took it slowly while No Whistle continued on. I was happy we were slack packing because we only had one pack between the two of us so I carried the pack for the rest of the day. We finally reached the road and there were some forest service workers who were nice enough to give us a ride. We went to the hospital to have Brian's ankle looked at. Luckily, it isn't broken, but he has a bad sprain. The doctor advised him to rest for a few days.
After getting this news, we contemplated coming home, but we aren't ready to end our adventure. Looking at pictures of the amazing trail that lies ahead, particularly the Whites, we are excited to continue. We are taking a few days off near Manchester Center, VT for Brian to rest.
With two weeks left, the end is starting to sink in. I'm concerned about my transition back into everyday life. It's incredible how easy it was to simplify my life to the basics: walking, eating, and sleeping. Things like a bed, laundry, pure water, and being dry seem like luxuries. One would think that the thought of my own bed every night, any type of food and drink when I want it, TV, car, and, showers would be enough to lure me home. As much as I miss my family and friends, my cats, and my home, my heart, my spirit is home when I'm on the trail.
End: VT 11/ VT 30, Manchester Center, VT
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
At 8 am, No Whistle, Brian and I took a taxi to the gravel road we left yesterday. Our day started with a 3 mile, 1700 foot climb up Stratton Mountain. We were slack packing today, so we flew up the mountain and reached the summit in a little over an hour. At 3,936 feet, we were in the clouds. There is an observation tower at the peak, so we climbed another 55 feet up the staircase and had amazing views of the mountains and valleys that surround us. Beautiful! After about a half hour, we were starting to get cold so we continued on. The descent felt like it took no time, even though it was another 3 miles down. When We came off the mountain, we sat at Stratton Pond Shelter for a short snack break. It was noon and we had another 10.7 miles on relatively easy terrain so we were happy. About .1 miles after we left the shelter, Brian rolled his ankle on a rock. It instantly started swelling and it seemed pretty painful. We were quite a ways from the road, so Brian and I took it slowly while No Whistle continued on. I was happy we were slack packing because we only had one pack between the two of us so I carried the pack for the rest of the day. We finally reached the road and there were some forest service workers who were nice enough to give us a ride. We went to the hospital to have Brian's ankle looked at. Luckily, it isn't broken, but he has a bad sprain. The doctor advised him to rest for a few days.
After getting this news, we contemplated coming home, but we aren't ready to end our adventure. Looking at pictures of the amazing trail that lies ahead, particularly the Whites, we are excited to continue. We are taking a few days off near Manchester Center, VT for Brian to rest.
With two weeks left, the end is starting to sink in. I'm concerned about my transition back into everyday life. It's incredible how easy it was to simplify my life to the basics: walking, eating, and sleeping. Things like a bed, laundry, pure water, and being dry seem like luxuries. One would think that the thought of my own bed every night, any type of food and drink when I want it, TV, car, and, showers would be enough to lure me home. As much as I miss my family and friends, my cats, and my home, my heart, my spirit is home when I'm on the trail.
End: VT 11/ VT 30, Manchester Center, VT
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
August 14, 2012
Start: Kid Gore Shelter
We woke up to a beautiful view this morning! The shelter faces mountains with a lake in the distance and watching the sun come up over the mountains was gorgeous. I caught glimpses of the beauty between falling back asleep. I was really tired since the sound of squeaky, scampering mice had me up most of the night. We moved slow this morning, taking in the view and allowed Brian to walk around on his foot. We hiked out around 11 am and had a 500 foot climb to start the day. After 4.6 miles, we stopped at Story Spring Shelter for lunch. The spring water at this shelter was delicious!! It's amazing how much I appreciate cold, fresh, pure water! It was cold enough for Brian to use to "ice" his foot. We hung out for about an hour in the shelter to avoid the rain. While we were there, Miles Supertramp and Carver caught up to us again! We were happy to have the rest of our trail family back! After 3.8 miles we crossed a gravel road. Brian's foot was hurting and it was still threatening rain so I worked my town magic. We found a taxi that was available to take us to a motel about 20 miles away, but since they were from another town, it was going to cost $120!! I saw a mini van driving down the dirt road in the middle of nowhere and figured this was the perfect chance to put my yogi-ing (asking for something without actually asking for it) skills to work. I waved the van down and asked them if the road was closed in the direction they came from (the taxi had said the road was closed from that direction due to Hurricane Irene and that is why the price was so much). They said that it was and asked if we needed a ride. I explained that we had a taxi coming and why I asked them about the road closure. Their response... "Jump on in. We'll give you a ride!" I called to cancel the taxi and this awesome couple and their 3 kids drove us 3 very smelly hikers 23 miles to the motel!!! We couldn't thank them enough!!! Tonight, it is supposed to rain and thunderstorm so Brian, No Whistle and I are happy to be indoors after our 8.4 mile day.
End: Stratton-Arlington Road, VT - staying at Bromley Sun Lodge
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
We woke up to a beautiful view this morning! The shelter faces mountains with a lake in the distance and watching the sun come up over the mountains was gorgeous. I caught glimpses of the beauty between falling back asleep. I was really tired since the sound of squeaky, scampering mice had me up most of the night. We moved slow this morning, taking in the view and allowed Brian to walk around on his foot. We hiked out around 11 am and had a 500 foot climb to start the day. After 4.6 miles, we stopped at Story Spring Shelter for lunch. The spring water at this shelter was delicious!! It's amazing how much I appreciate cold, fresh, pure water! It was cold enough for Brian to use to "ice" his foot. We hung out for about an hour in the shelter to avoid the rain. While we were there, Miles Supertramp and Carver caught up to us again! We were happy to have the rest of our trail family back! After 3.8 miles we crossed a gravel road. Brian's foot was hurting and it was still threatening rain so I worked my town magic. We found a taxi that was available to take us to a motel about 20 miles away, but since they were from another town, it was going to cost $120!! I saw a mini van driving down the dirt road in the middle of nowhere and figured this was the perfect chance to put my yogi-ing (asking for something without actually asking for it) skills to work. I waved the van down and asked them if the road was closed in the direction they came from (the taxi had said the road was closed from that direction due to Hurricane Irene and that is why the price was so much). They said that it was and asked if we needed a ride. I explained that we had a taxi coming and why I asked them about the road closure. Their response... "Jump on in. We'll give you a ride!" I called to cancel the taxi and this awesome couple and their 3 kids drove us 3 very smelly hikers 23 miles to the motel!!! We couldn't thank them enough!!! Tonight, it is supposed to rain and thunderstorm so Brian, No Whistle and I are happy to be indoors after our 8.4 mile day.
End: Stratton-Arlington Road, VT - staying at Bromley Sun Lodge
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
August 13, 2012
Start: VT 9, Bennington, VT
Daddy Long Legs, No Whistle, and I finally escaped Bennington after 3 zeros. On our first zero and for half of the second zero, we spent time with Brian's parents. It was so great to see them! Thanks guys for coming all the way up to Vermont to see us! When they came, they brought the pack I had purchased before we left. The pack is an Osprey Aura 50 so it is lighter and smaller than my Gregory Jade 60. I love my Gregory pack, but I wanted to downsize before we left. Unfortunately, all of my stuff didn't fit in the Osprey, but now that I have sent home a lot of stuff I realized I didn't need, the Osprey is perfect!
We intended to leave town yesterday, but the three of us were so tired and or bodies were screaming for more rest so we took the zero. It was the best zero! We woke up, ate breakfast, took a nap, showered, went to the movies and watched The Campaign (very funny!), went in the indoor pool and hot tub, went to Chilis for dinner and relaxed some more!
Today, it was time to put some miles in! We took a taxi to the trail head on Rt. 9, where we had left the trail. Almost the entire day was uphill! After 2.6 miles, we were up on the ridge which was a gradual uphill until Goddard Shelter at 3,573 feet. We took about an hour break and then continued 4.3 miles to Kid Gore Shelter where we are spending the night. At least most of the last 4.3 miles were downhill. About a mile into it, Brian rolled his right ankle/foot on a rock/root. We took it slow getting into camp. I wrapped his foot for him and he is elevating it. Hopefully, it will feel better in the morning. We have a big day with Stratton Mountain at the end.
We are sleeping in Kid Gore Shelter tonight. There is a beautiful view of mountains and a lake in the distance. The shelter has bunks in it, which is good because I can already hear mice scampering around. Yuck! We were going to tent, but there aren't any good tenting spots available. I guess that's the trade off for being in a mountainous spot with great views! Today was a great 14.4 mile day!
End: Kid Gore Shelter
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
Daddy Long Legs, No Whistle, and I finally escaped Bennington after 3 zeros. On our first zero and for half of the second zero, we spent time with Brian's parents. It was so great to see them! Thanks guys for coming all the way up to Vermont to see us! When they came, they brought the pack I had purchased before we left. The pack is an Osprey Aura 50 so it is lighter and smaller than my Gregory Jade 60. I love my Gregory pack, but I wanted to downsize before we left. Unfortunately, all of my stuff didn't fit in the Osprey, but now that I have sent home a lot of stuff I realized I didn't need, the Osprey is perfect!
We intended to leave town yesterday, but the three of us were so tired and or bodies were screaming for more rest so we took the zero. It was the best zero! We woke up, ate breakfast, took a nap, showered, went to the movies and watched The Campaign (very funny!), went in the indoor pool and hot tub, went to Chilis for dinner and relaxed some more!
Today, it was time to put some miles in! We took a taxi to the trail head on Rt. 9, where we had left the trail. Almost the entire day was uphill! After 2.6 miles, we were up on the ridge which was a gradual uphill until Goddard Shelter at 3,573 feet. We took about an hour break and then continued 4.3 miles to Kid Gore Shelter where we are spending the night. At least most of the last 4.3 miles were downhill. About a mile into it, Brian rolled his right ankle/foot on a rock/root. We took it slow getting into camp. I wrapped his foot for him and he is elevating it. Hopefully, it will feel better in the morning. We have a big day with Stratton Mountain at the end.
We are sleeping in Kid Gore Shelter tonight. There is a beautiful view of mountains and a lake in the distance. The shelter has bunks in it, which is good because I can already hear mice scampering around. Yuck! We were going to tent, but there aren't any good tenting spots available. I guess that's the trade off for being in a mountainous spot with great views! Today was a great 14.4 mile day!
End: Kid Gore Shelter
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
Saturday, August 11, 2012
August 9, 2012
Start: MA 2, North Adams, MA
Why is leaving town at a reasonable time always so difficult??? We were excited to get on the trail but we still got off to a late start. After we packed up and ate breakfast, we stopped at Subway to get sandwiches to pack out. Brian and I met up with No Whistle and EMT and stuck out our thumbs. With 4 of us, we thought it might be difficult to get a ride so Brian and I walked a little bit down the road to hitch separately, but just after we separated, a nice guy on his way to work pulled over for all 4 of us! We started the day with a 1500 foot climb over 2.7 miles. The last part of the climb was up a steep boulder "wall." After that climb, the trail continued on the ridge for about 4 miles, during which we crossed the border into Vermont! Our 8TH state! We stopped at Seth Warner Shelter for about 30 minutes and ate our subs. Packing out Subway was a great idea! There was a 700 foot climb from the shelter and then a few bumps with a small descent to another ridge. We reached Congdon Shelter at 6:30 pm, took a short 20 minute snack break and continued on. We had 4.2 miles to VT 9 and planned to stay in Bennington. We knew it would get dark so we got our head lamps ready. The first 3.2 miles included 3 small elevation ups and downs. As the sun set, we turned our head lamps on and all of my senses seemed to be heightened. Night hiking is an exciting adventure. By the time we reached the 700 foot steep descent over 0.8 miles, it was DARK out. We took the descent slowly and were happy to see it was made up mostly of rock steps. There was a large tree that had fallen across the trail, which added some extra excitement to the evening. My knee began to ache on the way down and at one point, I came down on my right leg just to have it give out completely. I fell, but landed very gracefully in a seated position on a rock step. First full fall of the hike. Once we finally reached the road, I called a taxi. We thought that was a better idea than trying to hitch 6 miles in the dark. Once again I was able to use my skills to get the taxi driver to make a stop at McDonalds before taking us to the hotel. We ended the night with yummy food, a shower, and a bed. Tomorrow, Brian's parents will be visiting us and we will enjoy a double zero relaxing with them. Overall, today was a great 18.4 mile day!
End: VT 9, Bennington, VT - Best Western
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
Why is leaving town at a reasonable time always so difficult??? We were excited to get on the trail but we still got off to a late start. After we packed up and ate breakfast, we stopped at Subway to get sandwiches to pack out. Brian and I met up with No Whistle and EMT and stuck out our thumbs. With 4 of us, we thought it might be difficult to get a ride so Brian and I walked a little bit down the road to hitch separately, but just after we separated, a nice guy on his way to work pulled over for all 4 of us! We started the day with a 1500 foot climb over 2.7 miles. The last part of the climb was up a steep boulder "wall." After that climb, the trail continued on the ridge for about 4 miles, during which we crossed the border into Vermont! Our 8TH state! We stopped at Seth Warner Shelter for about 30 minutes and ate our subs. Packing out Subway was a great idea! There was a 700 foot climb from the shelter and then a few bumps with a small descent to another ridge. We reached Congdon Shelter at 6:30 pm, took a short 20 minute snack break and continued on. We had 4.2 miles to VT 9 and planned to stay in Bennington. We knew it would get dark so we got our head lamps ready. The first 3.2 miles included 3 small elevation ups and downs. As the sun set, we turned our head lamps on and all of my senses seemed to be heightened. Night hiking is an exciting adventure. By the time we reached the 700 foot steep descent over 0.8 miles, it was DARK out. We took the descent slowly and were happy to see it was made up mostly of rock steps. There was a large tree that had fallen across the trail, which added some extra excitement to the evening. My knee began to ache on the way down and at one point, I came down on my right leg just to have it give out completely. I fell, but landed very gracefully in a seated position on a rock step. First full fall of the hike. Once we finally reached the road, I called a taxi. We thought that was a better idea than trying to hitch 6 miles in the dark. Once again I was able to use my skills to get the taxi driver to make a stop at McDonalds before taking us to the hotel. We ended the night with yummy food, a shower, and a bed. Tomorrow, Brian's parents will be visiting us and we will enjoy a double zero relaxing with them. Overall, today was a great 18.4 mile day!
End: VT 9, Bennington, VT - Best Western
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
August 8, 2012
Start: MA 8, Cheshire, MA
We woke up excited today! We were going to be over 3000 feet for our first time this trip! The plan was to do a 14.1 mile slack pack up and over Mount Greylock. EMT, No Whistle, Brian and I headed out to get a 10 mile hitch back to where we left the trail. Within the first 3 minutes a car pulled over with a mother and daughter. The four of us squeezed in the back and they took us all the way back to the trail. The 7.7 miles up the mountain were a nice gradual climb with some short steep climbs mixed in. EMT walked far ahead while No Whistle, Brian and I walked together. I was hiking without a pack and I felt as though I was floating and gliding down the trail. Brian and I reached the summit of Greylock in 2 hours and 50 minutes. It was a gorgeous day so we climbed up the observation tower and had views of the Catskill, Adirondack, Taconic, and Green Mountain ranges. Stratton Mountain stood tall in the distance proudly displaying the climb we will face in a few days. We spent about 2 hours at the summit eating lunch and talking with lots of other hikers, both northbound and southbound. At 3pm we began the 6.3 mile descent to North Adams. It started gradual but the last 3 miles were steep, descending over 1500 feet in elevation. We reached MA 2 and stuck out our thumbs. Two nice women in a Prius pulled over about 100 feet in front of us and backed up all the way to where we were standing. They told us to jump in and they took us back to town. It was a beautiful day on a great trail up a tall mountain with gorgeous views. Amazing!
End: MA 2, North Adams, MA
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
We woke up excited today! We were going to be over 3000 feet for our first time this trip! The plan was to do a 14.1 mile slack pack up and over Mount Greylock. EMT, No Whistle, Brian and I headed out to get a 10 mile hitch back to where we left the trail. Within the first 3 minutes a car pulled over with a mother and daughter. The four of us squeezed in the back and they took us all the way back to the trail. The 7.7 miles up the mountain were a nice gradual climb with some short steep climbs mixed in. EMT walked far ahead while No Whistle, Brian and I walked together. I was hiking without a pack and I felt as though I was floating and gliding down the trail. Brian and I reached the summit of Greylock in 2 hours and 50 minutes. It was a gorgeous day so we climbed up the observation tower and had views of the Catskill, Adirondack, Taconic, and Green Mountain ranges. Stratton Mountain stood tall in the distance proudly displaying the climb we will face in a few days. We spent about 2 hours at the summit eating lunch and talking with lots of other hikers, both northbound and southbound. At 3pm we began the 6.3 mile descent to North Adams. It started gradual but the last 3 miles were steep, descending over 1500 feet in elevation. We reached MA 2 and stuck out our thumbs. Two nice women in a Prius pulled over about 100 feet in front of us and backed up all the way to where we were standing. They told us to jump in and they took us back to town. It was a beautiful day on a great trail up a tall mountain with gorgeous views. Amazing!
End: MA 2, North Adams, MA
Peace Be The Journey
~Flicka
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