thru hike
Day 122: Conversation and Heresy
No Name also said something I’d just said to Northstar the night before. While talking about the cumulative effect of months in the long green tunnel he said, “At this...
Day 121: Zero Day in Manchester
I love our zero days. I’m sure I fall behind some of the hikers I’ve just met or passed while I’m lazing about doing nothing, but after four months of...
Day 120: Vermont’s Best View… And Its Worst
Once again, Gus and I had the forest to ourselves. Like yesterday, we saw no hikers, birds, or critters. I’d passed a tent at the trailhead, though the woods were...
Day 119: It Could Have Been Worse
Today’s hike called for 20.6 miles of trail and nearly 5,000-feet of total climbing, most of which occurred in the first 10 miles during the ascent of Glastenbury Mountain. FarOut...
Day 117: The Peak of Awesomeness
Even though East Mountain’s “summit” only had partial views of the surrounding valleys, it had a perfect lunch spot. A bright white, granitic rock outcrop formed the floor, large smooth...
Day 116: Adventures in Boondocking. And a Mountain.
On my walk into Dalton yesterday afternoon, I’d passed a house decorated with all sorts of AT paraphernalia, so my first thought was to knock on their door and ask...
Day 115: Gus Returns
Today’s hike started with a climb called Jacob’s Ladder. Anytime a climb has its own name, I assume I’m in for a doozy, especially when it includes the word “ladder.”...
Day 114: Zero Day
We’re back on our one zero day per week plan. As much as I want to get to Katahdin as fast as possible, I want to stay healthy enough to...
A Beginner Hikes the CDT: Heading Home
I decided to leave the trail a few weeks earlier than planned. Nothing is wrong, I'm not physically or mentally in any danger or pain, but the right thing for...
Day 110: A Nearo
One of the challenges of living the Vanlife along the AT is that my daily mileage is dictated by road crossings. Some days my legs tell me I should be...