Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail is a 2185.9 mile long footpath stretching from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine. Every Spring, hikers from all over head to Georgia and start walking north, attempting to hike the whole trail in one season. This is called a thru-hike. Only about 25% make it all of the way.

This blog follows our progress as we hike north.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Hanover to Franconia Notch

New Hampshire is a whole new ballgame. In the roughly 70 miles since Hanover it has gotten progressively harder every day. Crazy steep climbs and descents. This is the White Mountains. Below are most of the peaks in order so far:

Moose Mtn
Smarts Mtn
Mt Cube
Mt Moosilauke
Mt Wolf
Kinsman Mtn

We are at Franconia Notch, resuppling for a 5 day stretch in the Whites.

Mile 1812.8 - 373.1 to go.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Manchester Center, Vermont

It is Saturday morning and neither of us is moving very quickly to get back to the trail. Decided to take the day off and walk around town a little, eat, and take a nap. It is a beautiful day outside, we should be walking.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Prospect Rock

View of Manchester Center, Vermont.

Back to the Wilderness

Back in a town, this time Manchester Center, Vermont. Enjoying the comforts of a motel room after 9 days in the woods.
Vermont trivia: Billboards are not allowed here. Even the Golden Arches are absent from the local McDonalds.
Mile 1647.8

We left Great Barrington with thoughts of getting through the rest of Massachusetts, which included getting over Mt Greylock, the highest point in the state. After that it would be on to Vermont, another new state for us. Stratton Mountain, a prominent peak in southern Vermont, was also quickly approaching. The weather has cooled off. The days are warm but not hot and the nights are refreshingly cool. Massachusetts was very nice, but after entering Vermont and the Green Mountains it feels as if we are finally back in the mountains and the wilderness once again.

7/31 Wednesday 11.7 mi
We weren't sure how we were going to get back to the trail in the morning, but by chance Miss Janet showed up to drop off a hiker at the motel and offered to give us a ride back. Awesome. Had donuts and coffee for breakfast, and carried more donuts into the woods. An easy day was in front of us, and we made it to Mt Wilcox South Shelter. It was a cool day but the mosquitoes were bad at night.

8/1 Thursday 15.8 mi
August! Up early and we had nice walking down a ridge and up the next one. Made it to Upper Goose Pond Cabin where we had a bunk for the night and breakfast in the morning. Looking at the register shows that we are about 2 days behind many people that we know. A nice cool night.

8/2 Friday 20.6 mi
Had a coffe and pancake breakfast at the cabin. A relatively easy day, we had planned 17 miles but friends Aquaman and Grinch lured us into Dalton MA with promises of food and beer. This became a 20-mile day, our very first.

8/3 Saturday 13.9 mi
Breakfast in Dalton and a deli sub to go. Over a ridge and then on to Cheshire, where we got ice cream. Went to the Mark Noepel Shelter for the night, halfway up Mt Greylock. Refreshingly cool, few bugs.

8/4 Sunday 11.2 mi
Up the rest of Mt Greylock where there were plenty of people. Down off the mountain we left the trail at the highway to Williamstown. There was a grocery and Chinese buffet close to the trail. While we were eating it poured down rain and we waited for it to stop before heading back to the trail.

8/5 Monday 16.1 mi
Entered Vermont and passed mile 1600. Start of Long Trail at state line, and the AT follows it for the next 100 miles.

8/6 Tuesday 15.1 mi
Went over Porcupine Ridge and Glastenbury Mtn. Made it to Kid Gore Shelter.

8/7 Wednesday 14.5 mi
Up and over Stratton Mtn, which turned out to be a nice gradual climb. There is a fire tower at the top.

8/8 Thursday 10.7 mi
Easy miles after Stratton. Passed 3/4 point today. Stopped just before highway to town so we can go in first thing in the morning. Not much food left. For the day had M&M's, Oreos, peanut butter, and mashed potatos for dinner.

8/9 Friday 0.5 mi
A half mile to the highway where we hitched into Manchester Center, Vermont. Found breakfast, went to the outfitter to get our resupply box, did laundry, went to the grocery, and made it to a motel room by noon. We are about 100 miles from Hanover NH, where we will be switching to our winter sleeping bags and some warmer clothes for the rest of the trip.

Tomorrow we continue walking north.

Vermont Part I

Massachusetts Part II