Day #110 - AT Hike

Tuesday, June 30 - Day #110 - AT Hike

Miles Hiked Today - 11.8
Total Miles Hiked on AT - 1535.6/2,193 (70.02%)

Great Barrington (1523.8) to South Mount Wilcox Shelters (1535.6) - tent at South Mount Wilcox Shelters

Total ascent - 2,982’
Total descent - 1,838’

**Rain - Overcast all day. Started raining around 4pm - it has been raining continuously since then (7pm now)

———-

70% complete with my AT journey!  Passing grade - can I stop now?  ———— Well - that’s not going to happen. To this day - whenever I’m asked about what I’m most proud of in an interview setting - I will often comment how I never got a  “C” or lower throughout my academic career (from grade school through graduate school). The reason I’m most proud of this is because I worked very hard to not be “just average”.  Some of you may see this and think - “A’s” and “B’s” are a given - easy-peasy.  Well - contrary to what some may think because I’ve largely achieved in academics throughout my life - I have very, very average intelligence (and that might be giving me too much credit). There were so many classes in college that were extremely challenging for me. I had to do everything in my power to not let that “C” ever show up.  I remember Concrete Analysis. For whatever reason, I struggled to pick up the concepts in this class. I went into the final on the B/C border. I needed a solid grade to get a B in the class. An A was not possible based on the numbers. Well - I studied non-stop for this final - NON-STOP. Once I thought I knew everything- I studied a couple more days. On the day of the exam - I was never more prepared in my life. When I finished - I knew I got 100% (this is not common on engineering finals). There was nothing on the exam that I questioned. A few weeks later - my report card came. I got an “A” in Concrete Analysis. The instructor was Dr. Jay McGarraugh - the head of the Civil Engineering Department. He was a great guy that I knew well - as I was very involved in the CE Department. He would not have given me an A unless I aced the final (he told me so much)

I tell this story above just to give you a bit of insight into me. And - to also explain why I’m struggling out here on the AT currently.  I sometimes push myself too much to try and reach a goal. It’s a blessing and a curse to have this fighting spirit. This trait doesn’t always result in “fun times” or “blissful enjoyment”. It often times results in heavy focus and burn-out. This journey is very difficult for me. I’m pushing myself to my absolute limits - daily.  I think I’m hitting that burnout phase. I have to just relax - take my time - and let my body dictate the miles. Because of this - I’ve decided to not really follow a schedule for a while. I’m going to “wing it” - I’ll do what I can. Maybe I’ll have more energy and more fun to boot.

When I went to bed last night - I wasn’t sure if I’d be hiking today or not. I felt completely spent - both physically and mentally. I ended up getting about 9 hours of solid sleep. When I woke - I felt more refreshed. I was still down mentally - but doing good enough to push forward.  Sometimes just showing up is half the battle. I shaved, soaked my legs/feet in an Epsom Salt bath, and doctored up my feet. I had time to grab a breakfast sandwich before the shuttle arrived.

I decided to only go about 12 miles today. I needed to break in my new shoes. Plus - I had a heavy pack with my resupply and hurting feet. It was a good call. Right after I got my tent setup at camp - it started raining heavily for 2 hours. I waited the rain out before cooking dinner. It’s now 8:45pm - and I’m just about ready for some sleep. I didn’t see a single person all day and I’m at camp all alone.  It’s all good.  The group of 9 people took a Zero in Great Barrington - I can always wait up for them if I choose down the road.

I appreciate you following me on my journey - during the good times and bad.  I’m going to try and set smaller goals for myself. Shorter segments with some type of reward involved - hopefully this will help. Tomorrow - I booked a hotel room at a lodge that is 17.3 miles away (and only 100 yards off trail). A good day will get me out of the rain mid afternoon - in a dry bed with some good food. Sounds like a nice incentive to me!

Here’s to finding that balance in life. Here’s to finding that 1 thing you can do at an extremely high level - that doesn’t require over-the-top effort.  What are you really good at - that comes naturally - and you find joy in doing it. Well - that’s the million dollar question I’ve been searching for my whole life. I don’t know if I’ll ever find the answer - but I’m praying I will some day.

Goodnight from a rainy, self reflecting night in Massachusetts!

Lots of road crossings

Big lake at the end of the day

Neat sign

Trail magic

One of the few views today

These guys are cool

Swampy trail today

Freshly shaved - waiting out the rain 

Day #109 - AT Hike

Monday, June 29 - Day #109 - AT Hike

Miles Hiked Today - 12.9
Total Miles Hiked on AT - 1523.8/2,193 (69.48%)

Laurel Ridge Campsite (1510.9) to Great Barrington (1523.8) - Days Inn in Great Barrington

Total ascent - 2,160’
Total descent - 3,092’

Total States Completed - 10/14

**Rain Day - Misty rain early - then continuous afternoon rain showers.

——

Tough day out there today. 12.9 miles - with 2 substantial climbs and a ton of technical downhill. I got to the parking area about 15 minutes after Chickweed and Cambyr. We grabbed a shuttle together into Grest Barrington.

I was exhausted upon arrival and slept a couple hours after a shower. It rained most of the afternoon so I did my chores between rain events. I had to go to a laundromat - no laundry facility here at the Days Inn.

I got my resupply box with my new shoes - very happy about this!  I bought a bunch of stuff to treat my feet. Hopefully I can keep from getting an infection.

Still really tired and not feeling it today. I’m just going to sleep and cut my losses - I’ll see how I feel in the morning and make the call on the hike.

Have a good night.

Peak of 2nd climb today

Mt Everett Summit

Technical climbing today

Overcast ridge

Field walks

Foggy morning 

Shays Rebellion memorial 

Overcast skies

My new shoes

Tough morning

Day #108 - AT Hike - Massachusetts starts

Sunday, June 28 - Day #108 - AT Hike

Miles Hiked Today - 15.7
Total Miles Hiked on AT - 1510.9/2,193 (68.90%)

Falls Village (1495.2) to Laurel Ridge Campsite (1510.9) - tent at Laurel Ridge Campsite

Total ascent - 3,630’
Total descent - 2,581’

Total States Completed - 10/14

**Rain Day - storm in the afternoon. Extremely humid conditions today

—————

Coming to you live from the Laurel Ridge Campsite. I didn’t go quite as far as I wanted again today (15.7 miles is still solid though) - because a big afternoon thunderstorm came on right before a big climb to my planned final campsite. If it wasn’t for the exposed climb - I would have continued. Better safe than sorry. It turned out well - I’m here now with Chickweed, Cambyr, Serpeant, and Dirty Jobs.  Onward - a flip-flopper is also in camp with us.

It’s really cool to be near this larger group. I hiked with Chickweed, Cambyr, and Serpeant early this morning - then solo for the remainder of the day.  It was super humid today. I couldn’t stop sweating. I had to sit down for about 20 minutes after a big mid-day climb — I was starting to get overheated again.

2 major milestones today. I passed the 1,500 mile marker on the trip!!  I also completed the state of Connecticut. Only 4 states to go:  Massachusetts (90 miles), Vermont (151 miles), New Hampshire (161 miles), and Maine (282 miles).

My shoes are completely shot - I can’t get to Great Barrington fast enough to get my new pair that I had shipped to me.  Due to the rain - the shoes have been rubbing on the tops of my toes. My big toe and the toe next to it are completely rubbed raw. I had pain on every step today. I stopped a couple times and put band-aids on — it didn’t help much. I’m planning to doctor them up the best I can and limp my way to town tomorrow. I’ll get my new shoes and restock on some foot treatment stuff.

Still 12.9 miles into town - hoping to be there by noon. That should still give me time to do laundry and resupply. We’re all planning to hike out together tomorrow- because we’ll need to share a shuttle into town.

Time for shut-eye. To welcome us to the great state of Massachusetts - here’s Boston:

———

“I looked out this morning and the sun was gone
Turned on some music to start the day
I lost myself in a familiar song
I closed my eyes and I slipped away

It’s more than a feeling
(More than a feeling)
When I hear that old song they used to play
(More than a feeling)
And I begin dreaming
(More than a feeling)
‘Til I see Marianne walking away
I see my Marianne walkin’ away

So many people have come and gone
Their faces fade as the years go by
Yet I still recall as I wonder on
As clear as the sun in the summer sky

It’s more than a feeling
(More than a feeling)
When I hear that old song they used to play
(More than a feeling)
And I begin dreaming
(More than a feeling)
Til’ I see Marianne walking away
I see my Marianne walk-in’ away

When I’m tired and thinking cold
I hide in my music, forget the day
And dream of a girl I used to know
I closed my eyes and she slipped away
She slipped away

It’s more than a feeling
(More than a feeling)
When I hear that old song they used to play
(More than a feeling)
And I begin dreaming
(More than a feeling)
‘Til’ I see Marianne walk away”

“More than a Feeling” — Boston

———

Good night from Massachusetts!!

Peak of Bear Mountain

Cooked under my tent during the storm

Welcome to Massachusetts

The Falls - early this morning

Close to the summit of Bear Mountain 

View from Bear Mountain 

Misty early morning 

11th state on my journey

1,500 miles

1,500 miles!!

Afternoon views

Misty morning 

Another pic of the Falls

Walked across a bridge this morning 

Hotel last night

Day #107 - AT Hike

Saturday, June 27 - Day #107 - AT Hike

Miles Hiked Today - 14.9
Total Miles Hiked on AT - 1495.2/2,193 (68.18%)

Silver Hill Campsite (1480.3) to Falls Village (1495.2) - Hotel stay at Days Inn

Total ascent - 3,377’
Total descent - 3,613’

Total States Completed - 9/14

**Rain - Big rain day. Started raining at 11am and rained consistently through early evening

————-

Well - I pulled an audible today. I’m currently in a Days Inn Hotel outside Falls Village, Connecticut.

The day started early for me. I was out of camp around 5:45am - everybody else was still sleeping in their tents. The hike was tough - tons of steep climbs and descents. Connecticut is another state that doesn’t get the press it should - for the difficulty it presents. Around 11am - it started to rain. At first - the rain was refreshing and helped cool things off. However - this little shower turned into a 5-hour steady, heavy rainfall.  This made the course tricky with the slippery rocks on the downhills.

Around 15 miles into the hike - the trail went by Falls Village. It was around 2:30pm - so I decided to go into town to get some lunch. I realized once I got into town - I was soaked to the bone from the rain and I was shivering from the cold. I sat outside this cafe eating a cup of soup. What do you know - here comes Chickweed, Cambyr, and Punchline. I knew these guys were coming into town - it was good timing. We sat together and ate lunch.

At this point of the day - I was still considering going 3.2 more miles to a shelter location.  But the rain was heavy and I was getting colder and colder. I knew the course would be treacherous to continue. We talked about our options. There were no hotels within walking distance - so we decided to call Lyft and get to a Days Inn a few miles away.

It’s awesome to be in a warm bed. I’ve been chilling all night. I talked a couple of hours to my buddies that were planning to go to Everest BaseCamp with me. We wanted to talk out our options - since the decision to go had to be made by July 1st. Due to so many unknowns - the decision was made to postpone the trip until 2021. I’m pretty bummed about this. Timing would have been fantastic for me this year. But - flights are still not allowed into Nepal. Nobody knows if/when this ban will lift. Then - there’s a possibility even with the travel ban being lifted - there would be a 14-day quarantine period before travel in the country. The group putting on the trip has to send money over to cover the cost of setup in a week - not knowing if we can even get to the country. The way things are set - the funds would be non refundable if the quarantine is in place and semi non-refundable if the travel ban sticks. The assumption right now are things will free up - but with Covid cases rising in some areas - it’s a big guess. We talked about trip insurance - but found clauses installed for not covering cancellations due to Covid. It’s just a weird situation - one I’ve never experienced before. There’s a lot of money riding on “maybe” and “if”. I have a sick feeling in my stomach about this - but feel the best decision was made. I’m such a goal oriented person - and it’s hard when things don’t work out like this. It’s going to take a while for me to gain acceptance.

Tomorrow will be another big day. The goal is to get as far as possible to give me a short hike into Great Bsrtington on Monday. The weather is expected to be really hot and humid with afternoon storms - it could be challenging for sure.

Good night from Connecticut- my final night in Connecticut on my AT journey. Tomorrow - I’ll welcome us to Massachusetts with “A band out of Boston”

One of the few flat stretches today

Crazy climb between 2 boulders

Falls Village, Conn

Early morning view

Got some trail magic today - trail mix

The tricky boulder climb

Heavy rains walking into Falls Village

Early morning view

Mid-day - when the rains came

Cool bridge into Falls Village

Day #106 - AT Hike

Friday, June 26 - Day #106 - AT Hike

Miles Hiked Today - 18.9
Total Miles Hiked on AT - 1480.3/2,193 (67.50%)

Ten Mile River Shelter (1461.4) to Silver Hill Campsite (1480.3) - camp at Silver Hill Campsite

Total ascent - 4,104’
Total descent - 3,563’

Total States Completed - 9/14

**Rain Day - Had an afternoon shower. Clear the rest of the day. High - 82. Low - 62.

———-

Already about 1/2 way through the state of Connecticut. A solid 18.9 mile hike today - with 4,104’ vertical ascent.  The vertical numbers have steadily been climbing - this will be good training once I get into NH.

I started the day with a 1.3 mile walk to a country store. I resupplied there for an additional 3 days into Great Barrington. The store only opened at 7am - so I arrived right at the opening. The rest of the crew (the 9 folks from yesterday) showed up a little after me. We all had some breakfast on the picnic tables outside the store. The big group was slack packing today. They asked me if I wanted to join - but I decided to just carry my pack. I went on trail a little early - because I was sure they would catch me. It was crazy - because only Dirty Jobs caught up to me today. Him and I ended up walking the last 5 miles together. He’s a really cool guy.

About a 1/2 mile from camp (down the hill - the camp required a steep 1/2 mile climb) - the group had to wait to get their packs from the shuttle driver. Dirty Jobs stayed down the hill and I walked up to camp and setup. 2 hours went by and nobody showed. I thought they all decided to go into town. Then - I could here Punchline and Chickweed coming up the hill. They hollered out for me when entering camp. Dirty Jobs knocks on my tent and hands me a beer. While they were waiting on their packs - they had a delivery of pizza and beers. These guys are solid!!

Tomorrow- all these guys are going into Fall Village - about 14 miles away. I’m probably going to go to the next shelter about 18-1/2 miles away. They are planning on being in Great Barrington on Monday (like me) - so I’ll see what’s in store down the road. I really like the fact their group is larger - you get a chance to talk to a bunch of different people each day. I think if you’re hiking with 1 person - your differences can be exposed easier and make it more difficult to always get along. I really like the respect these guys show each other. If you recall - I mentioned this about Punchline and his group when I met them several weeks ago.  It’s so tough to find the perfect connection on the AT (and in life for that matter - maybe reason I’m still single). These guys are fun, personable, and I’m really comfortable around them. But - they leave camp later than me and hike lesser miles. Caruso and Sherpa Mike had similar miles in mind and wanted to leave early - but the personal connection was never strong there. I could hang with them - but they never would have yelled out my name once into camp and brought me a beer. I barely know this group and they have welcomed me in. But - I’m taking my time here

Body and gear check
I’ve been feeling better the past few days - but still pretty tired. I could have almost fell asleep while walking the last 3 miles (because it was on a flat road). Besides my shoulder - the body is hanging tough. My heel pain has almost fully gone away. It’s unbelievable the difference this makes later in the day. My shoulder is still an issue - but I’m dealing with it OK.

Both my CNoc bags have developed a pin hole in them over the past week. I can’t store any water in these bags to carry with me on my pack anymore - because they’ll leak dry while I’m hiking. Today - I decided to purchase 2 additional 1-liter smart water bottles. I collected the water in the CNoc bags and then filtered it directly into the 3 - 1-liter bottles I have. Once I get into Great Barrington - I’m going to search for the 1.5 or 2.0 liter bottles. I’d like at least 4L carrying capacity.  So - moving forward - I’ll collect in the CNoc bags - filter immediately - then carry the smart water bottles in my pack. I think this system is workable.

Another big day tomorrow with over 4,000’ vertical. Here’s to being safe and healthy out there. Have a great night!

Peak - just about done with climbing today

Early morning bridge walk

Great

Late afternoon fields

Swing at shelter 

Cool bridge going into convenience store

Awesome bridge

We briefly went back into NY today

Dirty Jobs

Awesome

Mid-day field walk

Final climb

Needing new shoes

Early morning

Calebs Peak