The End Has Come

FIrst off, I apologize that I pretty much completely dropped the ball on this blog after Damascus. I did have chances to update, but simply just got lazy. I will do the best I can to sum up our last few weeks on the trail right now.

From Damascus, we had to push hard in order to get to Hot Springs on time for Thanksgiving with the family! The miles were tough and the days were long, but we managed to get past Erwin, TN before we schemed a new plan that was much better than doing 26 miles into Hot Springs the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Tuesday was a miserable weather day, cold and rainy, and as we sought cover under an interstate overpass like a regular bunch of homeless guys (which we basically were anyways), we realized there was a better way. I called my mommy, as my family was arriving in Asheville that afternoon. The family came and picked us up 8 miles further down the trail, giving us a night in a warm, dry house rather than a cold, damp shelter. It was GREAT being able to see the family. We had a terrific time at Thanksgiving, eating and enjoying the company of family. We also slack packed 2 days, taking us the final 34 miles into Hot Springs. The weekend was capped off wonderfully with a Florida State win over Florida. Sunday, we returned to the trail, which was difficult.

From Hot Springs we just had 2 weeks left on the trail. They would prove to be 2 extremely difficult weeks, as the weather came to bear down on us pretty hard. In the last 2 weeks we walked in the snow about 7 days. It wasn't just snowy, it was absolutely frigid! In the Smokies and even after the Smokies, we walked several days in sub 20 degree temperatures. Our beards were often frozen, and nights were so cold, we were no longer warm in our sleeping bags whatsoever. We found ways to stay in towns and hostels as much as we could in that final week, because we were just not equipped for weather that cold.

Finally, on December 12, we walked our final 20 miles on the trail. It was a snowy and very, very cold. We were on top of Springer by 5 that night. Conditions were not ideal for getting off the mountain, and we ended up getting extremely lucky. Addison and I had talked to a man at a hostel who would try to come up Springer to pick us up. However, the access road was so icy, the guy couldn't make it. We ended up getting a ride down the mountain from a few good ole Georgia boys who were joy riding the access roads in the their 4x4 Jeeps! Stoker, Baby Face, and a new friend, Lone Ranger, were extremely lucky for this, as they had slack packed to Springer and had none of their gear to keep warm. We got down off the mountain to a Dollar General in Elijay, GA, where our fallen companion Wolfman came and picked us up. It was an odd end to such an amazing journey.

I'm home now, and it is great to be back with family. Things are definitely a little strange feeling. It's odd having more possessions than just what fits into my pack! A room full of stuff is very overwhelming. I know that the full effects of our journey have not sunk in yet. I am excited to keep learning from it, and discovering things about myself that I did not realize before.

Thank you so much for all of the support! I couldn't have done this without the people who were behind me the whole way. Here are some pictures from the end, enjoy!

DAMASCUS!

Hey there from Trail Town USA, Damascus, Virginia! It's a beautiful little town that is synonymous with the AT because of Trail Days, a giant AT party that is thrown here every year for hikers. However, Damascus is even more special to me for 2 reasons: we are done with the state of Virginia, all 535 miles of it, and we are now only 463 miles from Springer Mountain! It's funny how perspectives change while on the trail. 3 months ago 460 miles seemed HUGE to me, and would have been an accomplishment to walk. Now I hear 460 and realize I'll only be on the trail for another 3 weeks (provided I don't have a trip ender in the next 3 weeks).

Virginia has been wonderful. We have been snowed on, sweated out hot days, and we even got to walk with some ponies! From here we go into Tennessee, where we will be at elevation for quite some time, around 5,000 to 6,000 feet for days at a time. It's going to get cold again, but it's still very exciting.

As usual, I recommend checking Addison's blog, which I'm sure will be updated later today, because he is just better at this whole thing than I am. That's www.addisonshockontheat.blogspot.com.

Only 9 days and I'll be getting picked up for Thanksgiving with the family and I CAN'T wait!

Love you all,

Tail End

719 Miles to go!

Hey everybody! Current location, Daleville, VA, approximately 2/3 of the way through the state, the longest on the AT. It is pretty surreal to think that we are at this point, and also very exciting!

No major news to report other than one sad piece of news. Our good friend and hiking companion, Wolfman, had to come off of the trail yesterday. While slicing the pit out of an avocado, his knife slipped, and stabbed him in the hand. The cut went so deep that he clipped a tendon, rendering his pinky unmovable. He flew home today so that he can have surgery, and with 2 weeks recovery time plus 6 weeks of rehab, he will be unable to join us again. We are all pretty bummed, and it definitely served as a reminder that this trip can end in an instant. We all have to be careful each day.

Currently we are 250 miles from Damascus, VA, the last city in the state on the trail. From Damascus it is only another 200 miles to Hot Springs, where I'll get to see my family for Thanksgiving. From Hot Springs, it is 270 miles from the summit of Springer Mountain, GA, the final stop of our journey! When broken down that way, it is amazing how quickly this journey will be drawing to an end (hopefully not too soon though). Thank you for the continued support!

Tail End

Less than 800 to go!

Sorry it's been so long since my last update, it's been awhile since I have had time to get to a computer.

We are in Virginia now! Actually, we have been in Virginia for a little while. On October 9, 3 months and 1 day after we began on Mt. Kathadin, we got to Harper's Ferry, home of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. There we officially registered as SOBOs. I was the 79th SOBO to go through this year. Being at the ATC meant that our hike truly became official, and it was the first time I truly realized the immensity of what I set out to do. Our pictures and information will be in the archives at the ATC forever (whether I finish or not, but I'm definitely finishing!) and that makes everything feel more real.

That night in Harper's Ferry, my Uncle Jim came and picked up Addison, Churchill and I for a night in a bed, and some college football! I'll never forget when he walked through the door of the ATC, as he had found us without even calling me, definitely a highlight of the trip, especially with the slack pack Aunt Maureen took us on the next day! It was definitely good getting to see more family. It was even better when I got to eat Firehouse Subs for the first time in over 3 months!

The Monday we left Uncle Jim and Aunt Maureen, we went and spent the week with Addison's parents. They drove up from Mississippi, picked us up and took us to a campground in Shenandoah National Park. They fed us a ton of good food, took us on a slack pack, and gave us time to really relax. It was wonderful, thank you Shocks!

Since then, we have been making miles through Virginia. We are currently in Glascow, having gone through all of Shenandoah and heading further and further south. My main goal now is to be in Hot Springs, NC in a month, enjoying Thanksgiving with the family!

Anyways, I hope that I can get to a computer again soon and keep you all updated, thanks for all of the support!

Tail End

Halfway there baby!

Woo! We are at mile 1,059, aka halfway done with the trail! We have come a long way, but we do still have a long way to go. I know it has been awhile since I have updated so I will try to get you all filled in.

After leaving New York City, we continued on our trek to New Jersey. Now the one thing that I heard about New Jersey since I was in Maine was that there are lots of bears in Jersey. All of the NOBOs we saw said that the number of bears they saw on the trail doubled in Jersey. Well I didn't see a single bear, so I was pretty bummed. That's 2 states now that I haven't seen the animals that I was told I would definitely see. Never saw a moose in Main or a bear in Jersey. Oh well. Actually it's 3 states, because I have not yet seen a rattlesnake here in PA as I was told, but I'm not too upset about that one.

Anyways, we had 2 really good experiences in NJ. First, we did a 20 mile day with lots of lolligagging, meaning we walked slow and took breaks the whole day. Around 6 o'clock we still had 6 miles to go, and resigned ourselves to night hiking to finish the day at the shelter we set out for. Well as we were going up Sunrise Mountain, the sun was going down, and when we reached the top, we got to see one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. We were perched over a valley on each side, and as the sun dipped below a distant ridge, we sat in peace and just enjoyed the beauty that God laid out for us.

It was the next day that our next big adventure took place, as we aqua blazed on the Delaware River. Our day started normal, planning another 20 miles of hiking. After 3 miles, however, we came to a little sandwhich shop at a road, and stopped for a bite to eat. Stoker and Wolfman, the perennial schemers, sat down with their map as they usually do to see what kind of trick they could pull off that day. Addison called it when he said,"The only thing that can come out of this is something so ridiculous none of us will see it coming." It wasn't long before they said we should canoe the Delaware River. Addison and I are both purists when it comes to the trail, we want to hike the whole thing, however, the idea of a canoe trip down the Delaware sounded like an adventure we couldn't pass up. The Delaware runs parallel to the AT, so it was perfect. We found a ride to the canoe outfitter (see the video on addsionshockontheat.blogspot.com)and spent the rest of that day and the next canoeing down to Delaware Water Gap, the beginning of PA. We saw bald eagles, ran rapids, and just enjoyed a nice change of pace. It was truly beautiful.

From there we began PA. As we were preparing to leave the hostel in DWG, we were told that in fact, there was no water in all of PA. This would pose a problem, and also give us an excuse. Because we couldn't find water, we had to and visit Stoker's friend at Lehigh University. We were just going to go for Friday night, however, it became a college football 0.

Since then things have been wonderful as well. Except for the 0 we took in a shelter due to a tropical depression dropping 6 inches of rain on us.

Once we got to Duncannon, we met up with my cousin Todd and his wife Patty, who let us stay a night at their house. We had the best ribs I have ever tasted, and my grandma and uncle came to visit. It was great. Then we woke up this morning to 45 degrees and rain. As we looked at our books scrambling for a better plan than what we had, Patty said we could hike and then come back again tonight, and so that's what we did. Then at dinner tonight, they said we should do it again tomorrow! We have been extremely blessed by their generosity, and we are incredibly grateful for the slack packing and all of the food we have been given, not to mention warm showers and a bed. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Anyways, in a week we will be in Virginia with Addison's parents, which is exciting. And that's pretty much all I have for now.

Much Love,

Tail End

Hey Everybody

I just wanted to give a short update on where I am and what not. Currently I am in Hamburg, PA, 970 miles from Kathadin. We plan on being in Duncannon, the "halfway" point of the AT on Saturday morning. When I get there, I will have a much more detailed post of our recent adventures!

Tail End

Greetings from NYC?

While I suppose this might come as a shock, it is true. In the middle of my journey through the foothills of Appalachia, I have ventured into one of the largest cities in the world, New York City! While I have only been in the city for a few hours now, I can say for sure that I am in a somewhat of sensory overload. I came from a place where I only need walk in a straight line, everyone smells bad, there are only a few people I see each day, in other words, a place drastically different from NYC. I did find one thing somewhat similar, however. Jessica and I went to the top of the Empire State Building, and the views up there reminded me much of the views from mountains such as Washington and Kathadin (if you take away all of the buildings and replace them with wilderness).

It has been nice taking a break from the routine of the trail. After getting rained on for the better part of the afternoon on Monday, we got picked up by Wolfman and Stoker (who had gone into the city earlier to surprise their families) and taken to Stoker's house. There, we got to watch Monday Night Football, and sleep on soft cushions, after a feast of pies (that's Jersey for pizza). It was heavenly. The best part came, however, on Tuesday, when I went to pick Jessica up from the airport! It was incredible to see her, and it is so nice to be spending time with her now, even though she sometimes has a hard time looking at me due to my new physique, as I look like a different person than the one she dropped off at the airport 2 months ago!

We came out of the woods about 6 miles from the New Jersey border, which is great news, because the state of New York is a pretty crappy state to hike through on the AT. The trail is generally in ill repair, with trash strewn about, loose rock everywhere, and pointless ups and downs (PUDs in trail talk) abound throughout the state. In other words, we can't wait to get into New Jersey, a state that several NOBOs we talked to claimed as their favorite. As we get into Jersey, the hills go from rolling, to non-existent, at least until Maryland or Virginia, so the next few hundred miles should fly by, as we typically average 20 miles a day now.

I forgot to mention that we took a little detour in Peekskill, NY, an impromptu 0 day! This past Saturday we were sitting at a gas station on a road that the AT crosses, when someone said "We should get a hotel room and watch football all day," half joking. Well the idea stuck, and that's just what we did! We laid in bed from 1 until the next morning, with the exception of a dinner break, watching football. It was wonderful.

Oh, I guess I didn't write much about Connecticut, but that's ok, because there wasn't much interesting to say about it.

Well, I hope this blog update finds you all well. Thanks again for all of the support, I love you all.

Tail End

Greetings from Salisbury, Connecticut

Well, we crossed into Connecticut this morning! Massachusetts was a relatively easy state, and certainly did not last too long for us. Connecticut is also not a long state, and we should be through here in 2-3 days. The miles continue to come easy, and the states are just dropping quickly.

A little bit of bad news... The Navy has broken up. Full Value and Plug are somewhere behind us, and have been for a few weeks now. Reset, Dread, and I are still hiking together, with the addition of a few new faces. With a melding of 2 groups, we are now hiking 6 deep. Wolfman and Stoker are frat brothers who just graduated from Penn State. Churchill is a trauma nurse from Camden, New Jersey, which means we are also now hiking with a medical professional (figured that would make Mom and Jessica happy). While I do miss our lost friends, we have had plenty of fun with the new group, and it is always reassuring to know that I've got someone to hike with, because camp is far more interesting with friends.

While short, Massachusetts was a great place. Two nights in a row, we managed to sleep somewhere with a bed (the thing I miss the most out here)! The first night we crashed in Dalton, Mass. at a place called the Bird Cage. This is actually the home of a man named Rob Bird, a retiree who has been taking care of hikers for 10 years now. He picked us up at the trail head with a cooler full of cold soda, took us to his house, and then did our laundry for us while we showered. That night, he drove us to an AYCE buffet, (which was GREAT)as well as the grocery store to resupply. His generosity was truly appreciated, and it was a pleasure to keep company with him. The next day we hiked 21 miles to a place called Upper Full Goose Cabin. While I had simply assumed that this was like any other shelter on the AT, I quickly found that it was not. It was an actual cabin, with a caretaker, on a lake. We got to swim in the lake after a long day, then we got to sleep in bunks that had mattresses on them. And to top it all off, the caretaker made free pancakes in the morning! The next day we played on a rope swing for hours before hiking, and it was a great and relaxing feeling.

More good news, I'll get to see my lovely fiance in 9 days! Because the Jersey Boys live near NYC, and Reset and myself have never been, they insisted that we take some time and go into the city. Jessica will be flying up, and I'll get to spend those days with her. I am very excited.

Well, that's about all of the news I have for now. Thanks for the support and I'll update you all the next chance I get.

Tail End

500 Miles Down

As of right now, we are sitting 538 miles from Mt. Kathadin! It's a great feeling to have finally gone over 500 miles, a distance that is truly significant, 25% of the trail!

Vermont has been a wonderful state, for the most part. The terrain is much less painful to walk on, with gentle slopes rather than harsh, rocky trails found in Maine and New Hampshire. In addition, we have walked through meadows and pine forests that have been really pretty to hike through. It's a good change of pace from the harsh beginning.

However, 2 days ago we did have the worst weather of our trip. Rain and cold as we went up Killington made the day not nearly as fun as it could have been. The day before that, Full Value, Reset, and myself got rained on hard in the morning while camping at a state park. We packed up our stuff, and went to the ranger's pavilion. Soaking wet, we were allowed to start a fire in the fireplace, and we sat there most of the day drying out.

We are 54 miles from the Mass-VT border, so our time in Vermont is drawing to an end.

Thanks for all of the support from everybody, it really makes a huge difference.

Much Love,

Tail End

Greetings from Hanover!

So yesterday we did a 24 mile day straight into Hanover, NH. The fact that we did a 24 mile day indicates that we are finally out of the really strenuous mountains of Maine and New Hampshire, and we are finally into the more rolling, gentle hills that make up a lot of the trail. It also feels really good to have my first big mile day under my belt. It's a real confidence booster to know that I can hike that far in one day.Of course the trail doesn't just become easy now. While the terrain might not be as tough from here on out, the true challenge becomes a mental one,as the trail will play mind games with me over the next 1,700 miles.

Being in Hanover, I have never felt more like a homeless person/general dreg of society. The trail literally goes right down the street in the middle of town here, so you would think the people would be used to us smelly hikers with our packs coming through, but it doesn't appear that way. Odd looks and mumbling as we go by is just degrading. However, it is quite alright, because I know how bad I smell and I don't really care how weird people want to look at me! It is a weird feeling none the less.

Anyways, I don't know when our next stop will be, but I will keep you all posted as best I can. I hope everyone is doing well! If you need to get in touch with me, you can always send me an email, a facebook message, or a voice mail, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible! Much love folks!

One More Thing

I forgot to mention that today I sent my memory card to my lovely fiance Jessica, so in the near future, there will actually be pictures attached to the link on my blog from my journey so far. Hope ya'll enjoy them!

Hello Again

Hey Everybody,

Well we are now almost all of the way through the infamous White Mountains of New Hampshire. NOBOs (that's trail talk for northbounders) warned us all throughout Maine about how tough and challenging the Whites would be, but honestly, they weren't bad at all. At this point I have climbed so many mountains that they just don't even phase me anymore. The terrain has been absolutely beautiful though. The ridges between Mt. Madison and Mt. Washington, as well as the Franconia Ridge were all incredibly beautiful places, and we were blessed to have great weather during our time here, as the Whites are known for their unpredictable and generally crappy weather.

I had my first bout of sickness on the trail a few days ago, which was very frustrating. After walking 2.7 miles I decided to stop for the day because I was throwing up and couldn't eat. It was good to get a lot of rest, but even better when I was able to go the 10 miles into town the next day.

At this stage, I have lost 40 pounds, which is mind boggling to me. I had to get a size medium pair of shorts because my larges wouldn't stay on under the weight of my pack! Also, my trail name is now Tail End, because I am the slow one in the group. Our next stop looks to be Hanover, NH, right before the Vermont border.

Thanks again for all of your support!

Tail End

Maine - CHECK!

So I know it has been quite awhile since I updated the old blog here, and I apologize for that. However, this should be a long and hopefully somewhat entertaining post. We are now in Gorham, NH taking a 0 day before we get into the White Mountains, some of the most difficult terrain on the trail. We came out of Maine 2 days ago, and wow, that was a really incredible feeling. Maine is 281.4 miles on the AT, and that's no joy ride either. So to recap my adventure so far, I'm going to share a few things that I have learned.

1) The distance 1.3 miles is very tricky. At the end of a long day, you see a sign that says 1.3 miles to your destination. Your heart goes starts racing and your pace quickens (at least it feels like it does). But after awhile, you think to yourself, "Wow, I really should be there by now." A few more minutes go by, and a slight panic comes over you. "Did I miss the shelter? Ok really, where is this thing?!" Shortly after this panic, you finally see the sign that you have arrived to camp for the night, and that last easy 1.3 miles becomes the longest of the day.

2) In Maine, if you think you are on top of a mountain, but there is no sign indicating you are in fact on top of the mountain, you are in for a big disappointment. False summits abound in Maine, and they can really trick you into believing you have gone farther than you actually went.

3) Clothing does not dry in Maine, unless you are at the laundromat. It hits dewpoint every night in Maine, so when you hang your sweaty clothes up for the night, they will still be just as damp in the morning, if not wetter.

4) Town days save your sanity. As much as I love being on the trail in the wilderness, going into town is a life saver. Not only can you do laundry and shower, you get to eat real, mostly fattening, food. You also get to drink something other than water. I love going into town and getting chocolate milk and Gatorade. And the only way not to get malnourished on the trail is to gorge in town. I have already lost 25 pounds, so when I get into town, I pack the food in!

5) Your body is capable of amazing things. It really is incredible how far you can push yourself out here. If you eat right and rest just enough, you can do a lot more than you think. Your body is working so hard during the days hiking, that even when you are in town relaxing, your heart is racing! And you actually get more sore when you stop, because your body finally has a chance to catch up and heal itself. It's a great feeling, sometimes.

6) Trekking poles save lives. There have been countless times that I would have face planted on granite if I didn't have my poles with me. At the same time, I have almost fallen off mountains tripping on them...

7) Every day brings new challenges, and new rewards. Even when you feel like you are going to be good, and you are ready for anything, you will probably get kicked in the teeth the next day. At the same time, each day brings something beautiful, whether it's a mountain view, or a nice swim in a lake, the rewards of the trail are truly special.

8) The people who run hostels (most of the time) are really incredibly people. When we stayed in Monson, the owner of the hostel let us take her car to grocery shop, and even left a car at the trail head for us to bring into town. There are a lot of people out there who devote a lot of time to helping hikers have the best experience they can have.

Finally, I'll do a little introduction of my trail buddies.

Addison, aka Reset, some of you may know. He is the fastest hiker ever, and I hate him for it.

Dread, the meanest and scariest person on the trail. We keep him around to scare off day hikers and north bounders. He has a zoology degree, so he is also our resident animal expert.

Plug is an ultralight hiker from the Texas. He is also an incredibly faster hiker.

Full Value is the biggest character of us all. A 41 year old who just sold off his own business and house to come hike the trail. He has been in the Peace Corp, worked as a commercial fishermen in Alaska, has his masters in Napoleonic Studies, and worked in the rodeo business.

Well that's all I have for now. Hope this has been a good post for you all, and thanks for the support everybody!

WOW!

So we have hiked 114 miles over the past 9 days, and it was HARD! I can't even begin to describe the difficulty of long distance hiking like this, it's like nothing I have ever tried before.

Mt. Kathadin, where we started on 7/8 was a huge challenge. It's 5.2 miles to the top, and 5.2 down, and it was easily the most difficult terrain I have ever encountered. It took me 4 hours to get to the top, including going over a major rock scramble. It was a rough day, but incredibly satisfying as well.

The next day we hiked 10 miles down, experienced terrible chafing, and camped at our last stop before we entered the 100 Mile Wilderness. On 7/10, we entered into the 100 Mile Wilderness, and walked out early this morning.

Over the past few days we have experienced rain, huge mountains, and hot weather. It was very difficult, but so rewarding. I can't thank all of you enough for your support, it means so much to me. There should be a more detailed post later on, but this will have to do for now.

Much love!

It's Finally Here

Tomorrow I leave for Maine to begin my hike. I don't know when I will first be able to update, but I am sure that it will be a good post. On the right of my page there is a link that will eventually take you to pictures of my trip, as well as a link (the map picture) to an interactive map of the trail. Enjoy!

So what am I doing and why am I doing it?

Here is a little bit of background information on my trip.

First off, I have become aware over the past year or so that not everyone knows what the Appalachian Trail even is, let alone anything else about it. The Appalachian Trail is a national trail that runs from Mount Kathadin in Maine, to Springer Mountain in Georgia, spanning a distance of roughly 2,175 miles. A Thru Hike, what I am attempting, is a hike of the entire trail. This hike will take the average person between 5 and 6 months to finish.

Allow me to clear up a few misconceptions about this.
1. No, I will not try to carry 6 months of food on my back at once. There are plenty of towns along the trail that I will stop in every now and then to resupply.
2. I will not be alone. Besides my hiking partner, Addison, there are hundreds of people who try this each year, meaning there will be plenty of people around while I hike.

I have often been asked "Why are you doing this?" Well for me, the answer is really quite simple. Since I was very young, I have always been fascinated with the outdoors. I spent countless hours of my youth in the woods behind our house, and I absolutely loved camping trips. A few of those camping trips brought me to the southern terminus of the trail at Springer Mountain, and really ever since I have known of the AT I have dreamed of hiking it. I crave the physical and mental challenge that this journey presents. Not only is it an opportunity to spend in one of my favorite places, the mountains, it is a chance for me to learn about myself and grow from the hardships. As Paul writes in Romans 5: 3-4 "3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope." While I am sure that I will have a ton of fun on this journey, it is about much more than fun. It is about growth, learning, persevering, and experiencing life in a whole new way, carrying everything you need in one backpack.

With all of that said. I fly to Maine on July 6, and I plan on summiting Mt. Katadhin, the northernmost point on the trail, on July 8. On the 9th, I begin my trek southward.

Welp, see ya'll later!

So this is where all of my friends and family can find information on my Appalachian Trail journey. I will update it as often as possible (I have no idea what kind of internet access I will find along the trail) with news of exciting events, my whereabouts, frustrations, joys, tears, sweat, blood, and anything else I may experience, witness, or otherwise be a part of during my journey.