Jon

Hi! I'm Jon, but on the trail, I'm known as "The Incident." There's a good story behind my trail name, but I'll have to know you better before I tell it. Maybe after I summit Katahdin. Maybe. I'm married to "Northstar" (formerly, "Princess Beastmode,") father of three grown children, only one of whom has a trail name (Poppywhacker). Mrs. The Incident and I will be living the vanlife with our two golden doodles, Gus & Roux, as I hike the AT in 2023. I'm a mostly retired fluvial geomorphologist (I did river studies) and a published author (my River Elegy books can be found on Amazon). I hope to see you on the trail!

Posts

Day 156: Into the Wild

Day 156: Into the Wild

A few steps from the trailhead, a sign warned us that we were entering the 100 Mile Wilderness and that we should carry a minimum of 10 days supplies. I had one dinner, one breakfast, and two lunches in my pack. We’ll see how this turns out.

Oct 8, 2023 : Jon
Day 155: Monson and The Duke of Hurl

Day 155: Monson and The Duke of Hurl

We’d been debating how to hike the 100 Mile Wilderness for weeks.

Oct 7, 2023 : Jon
Day 154: The Glade

Day 154: The Glade

I’ll remember this peaceful glade forever, just like my lunchtime view from the glacially sculpted bald overlooking pristine forests and lakes. I’ll forget the pain, the heat and cold, being soaked to the skin with rain, walking ridges in wind so hard I could barely stand, the weeks of bad weather, the brutal climbs to viewless summits, painful blisters, the snobbery of purists, and the agism of younger hikers who wonder what I’m even doing out here.

Oct 6, 2023 : Jon
Day 153: The Kennebec

Day 153: The Kennebec

Crossing Maine’s Kennebec River is one of those milestone moments on the AT, similar to climbing Georgia’s Blood Mountain, standing on Virginia’s McAfee Knob, or getting your picture taken at the ATC Headquarters in Harpers Ferry. It’s the biggest (~500 ft) unbridged river crossing on the entire AT.

Oct 5, 2023 : Jon
Day 152: The Way Life Should Be

Day 152: The Way Life Should Be

I love Maine. I’ve forgiven it for trying to kill me on its New Hampshire-like trail near their border. I’ve forgotten the rain and cloudy summits during the first two weeks of my visit. And I’ll overlook the mud, roots, rotting planks, and other idiosyncrasies because she’s so beautiful. It’s how Northstar must see me – difficult, but pretty.

Oct 4, 2023 : Jon
Day 151: Tramily

Day 151: Tramily

Two thousand miles and we finally have a tramily (a trail family).

Oct 3, 2023 : Jon
Day 150: After the Rain

Day 150: After the Rain

A half mile later, I reached the 2,000-mile point. Two thousand miles. That’s a long walk, for sure, but it’s a hard number to comprehend. Most people have no basis of comparison in their personal lives. No one walks that far. Most people rarely walk a single mile, except cumulatively over time from the couch to the fridge. We rarely even drive that far.

Sep 29, 2023 : Jon
Day 149: Rain and Big Water

Day 149: Rain and Big Water

Most of the trail flowed like a small mountain stream. At first, I tried stepping around and over the rushing water and puddles, but after a few slips and missteps my socks and shoes were soaked, so I gave up. Hikers call that “reaching the notch-it point,” when you say, “Aw, notch it, I’m just going straight through. I can’t get any wetter.”

Sep 25, 2023 : Jon
Day 148 – Sick Leave

Day 148 – Sick Leave

It was a rough night – chills, shivering, runny nose, and coughing. By morning I knew I wouldn’t be hiking today, especially with the big storm moving in. I turned off my alarm and went back to not sleeping for the rest of the morning.

Sep 24, 2023 : Jon
Day 147 – Hikers Hike

Day 147 – Hikers Hike

I’ve got a full-blown, honest-to-goodness cold. But hikers hike, or so I’m told. Hey, that rhymed!

Sep 24, 2023 : Jon