AT Q & A’s!
The AT – Favorite questions from my friends
*** very SUBJECTIVE – these are my opinions and the facts are the facts! ***
How many pairs of trail runners – 7
How many days hiking (includes neros) – 123
How many zeroes – 17
Average pack weight – ( food & water) – 40 pounds,Heaviestload – Hot springs & Rattle river 45 & 43 #’s
Favorite mountains – Mt. Washington, (Presidentials & Whites), Kathadin, Wildcats & Bigelows
Favorite waterfalls – Little Niagara falls
Favorite hostel’s – Wood’s hole – Pearisbug, VA, Human Nature – Roxbury, ME. Shaws’ – Monson, ME
Most eclectic hostel – Standing Bear, TN
Favorite trail town – Hot Springs, North Carolina
State that surprised me the most – NJ, it was beautiful
Favorite state – New Hampshire
Second favorite state – Virginia
Third runner-up state– Maine (love boreal forests)
State that was harder than expected – Maine
Best maintained trail-state- Maine (included how remote it was)
Best Privy on the trail – Pennsylvania – Pine knob shelter (also nominated for best picnic table}
Best shelter/ privy state – Pennsylvania
Best Shelter – Mountaineer falls shelter, NC
Most Pleasant/ surprise shelters – Secret Shelter – NY, Bromley Mt warming hut – VT, Mt. Albert firetower- NC
Favorite plants – white lady slippers, pitcher plants, Virginia bluebells and redbuds!
Favorite experiences – getting an ovation walking into Pine Furnace by the boy scouts, reunion with friends on the trail – hadn’t seen my buddy Mark in 30 years! Hiking with and getting to know my Tramily members – priceless!!
Coldest weather – -5 in the Smokies
Rain days – 35
Hail – 5 times ( North Carolina, Vermont and Maine)
Rainiest part – 10” first 2 weeks
Snow, sleet days – 3 ( Smokies & northern Tennessee)
Warmest weather – 80 degrees – Harpers Ferry
Wildlife on the trail – Bear & Rattlesnake – Connecticut, Moose in Maine, Deer – North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Garter & black snakes almost every state. Turkeys -North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts, Loons in Maine, Indigo bunting in New Jersey, Rufus sided towhees in Virginia & Pennsylvania, Whip or will – Virginia, Bluebird – Virginia, Mosquitoes – (well they’re the size of birds) in Maine, Pileated wood pecker – every state and most seen bird!
Best sunset – Madison hut – Whites of New Hampshire
Best Sunrise – MacAfee knob & Pierce Pond, Maine (serenaded by loons)
Most miles hiked in a day – 32
Most miles hiked in a week – 190
Least miles hiked in a day ( Nero) – 7 miles
Most days hiked consecutively – 21 ( first 3 weeks)
Longest time hiking alone – 5 hours! Then 3 ½ ( this blew me away!)
Rolls of TP? – 1 ( no shit)
Best burger- Hot Springs, VA – Appalachian Café – 20 oz hiker special!
Best hotdog – Station 19E – Roan, TN
Best Pizza – Marion, NC – The pizza joint ( anytime you can eat hot pizza in a shelter ( partnership) it’s great!)
Best Hostel Breakfast – Shaw’s – Monson,ME & Harrison’s camp – Caratunk,ME
Best Hostel dinner – Woods Hole – Pearisburg,VA
Best Dessert – The Inn at Long Trail – Killington,VT
Best Ice Cream – Bellvale Creamery – Warwick,NY
Best watering hole – Station 19E & Long Trail Inn
Favorite energy bars – Gatorade Power bar cookies & cream, Clif bar cool mint, Clif tart cherry smoothie, Luna blueberry bar.
Favorite candy bar/combo – Snickers dipped in Jif singles ( lifechanging)
How many snickers bars – 270
Favorite loose candy – Haribo sour gummy bears
Favorite trail lunch combo – homemade jerky, Jif peanut butter, string cheese, hard salami or sopressada, wraps filled with Smucker’s Goober ( peanut butter & jelly)
Favorite trail breakfast combo – 3 Carnation breakfast essentials with powdered milk and 2 cinnamon poptarts!
Go – to favorite trail meal – Idaho cheesy instant potatoes with anchovies in olive oil. Or homemade dehydrated meat instead of anchovies.
Favorite firetower – Shuckstack – NC – Smokies
Easiest hiking state – Connecticut
Hardest Hiking state – New Hampshire
Muddiest trails – VERMUD – Vermont
State my feet hated the most – Rocksylvania – Pennsylvania
Buggiest states – Maine – mosquitoes, Vermont – blackflies, Ticks in Massachusetts !
Prettiest state – (based on views) – New Hampshire, Virginia a close second!
Flattest state – Florida (that’s why it’s not part of the AT!)
What equipment would I have changed? – nothing, but I will go more ultra -lite for the PCT!
What was my heaviest item? My Food bag !
Favorite AT book? Whistler`s Walk
Favorite piece of equipment – My Osprey atmos 65 – it was so huge everyone talked about it- LOL!
Equipment I couldn’t live without – My Leki trekking poles!
Motivational music – Chris Stapleton – Traveller
Most sung trail song – Country Roads
My Favorite fellow hikers that would always pop up! – Wow, Perk, Hound and my good buddy Swede!
Hardest hikers / big milers – Hawk, T-rex, Flash, Quinlin, Baskets and Garden state *
Most inspirational hiker – Walking home (2 heart attacks and 3 stints)
Favorite You-Tuber – Frozen
Favorite Female Pom – Togs (A Pom – is British born and resides in Australia)
Favorite Male Pom – Wow
Favorite Texan/cowboy – Lucky
Favorite southern gentleman – Murica
Favorite Hurler and fastest hiker – RD
When you say “America”, I instantly think of – Farmer (my hero)
Best Trail Angel – all of them ! Flip Lewis and AT Gracie are my favorites though!
Trail God – Fresh Ground (also THE biggest heart)
*If RD broke away from his Tramily, he’d be in this group!
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Comments 2
Was wondering what your next “CHALLENGE” would be. Do you get “antsy” not being on the trail now?
Job well done, John. You are to be congratulated.
So enjoyed your writing and following you. Congratulations!! Look forward to your PCT hike. DMFINO