The Appalachian Trail...2013: September 2013

A couple of years ago while we were on holiday in San Antonio, Matthew read Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. He really enjoyed it, so Stephanie and I read it and then Matthew and I half-heartedly made plans to "do that some day". It was the kind of statement you make while lying on a beach chair in the sun reading, while wistfully thinking about how cool that would be. Hmmmm... Amazingly, that day will arrive on March 27, 2013. Now, I realize that this is the kind of "some day" that most people will never have the luxury to find. I am (we are) incredibly lucky to have a chance to do this. Our benefactor - my generous wife Stephanie, is supporting us on this journey. She's staying home with Samantha and working, while Matthew and I wander in the woods for half a year. I am the luckiest guy alive and am continually amazed that she puts up with me. Her only condition: If we start it, we have to finish it - all 2160-ish miles of it. I owe her the world.

We're committed. We have been buying equipment, walked some short (10-12 mile) segments of the AT in New York to see what it looks like, and we have our one-way airline tickets to Atlanta. Stephanie and Samantha will be flying down with us to drop us off at the starting point on Springer Mountain near Atlanta, Georgia and they plan to meet up with us a couple of times on the journey when we are near civilization - once again, supporting us all the way. Have I told you how lucky we are?

I am planning to keep track of where we are on this blog using BlogPress and GPS Location. Between these two apps, I'll be able to save drafts of posts with photos and our position even when we're off the cell network. This will allow anyone to see where we are and what we're doing (at least after I get back near enough to civilization and cell service to post the drafts). Ideally these updates will be daily; it will probably be more like weekly. I guess I'll find out how connected one can be from the wilderness. As I write this in February, it's less than six weeks until we're out there.

The first two posts are just a couple of tests from the AT in early January to try out the software. While doing this, I discovered that BlogPress fails to find your location when you are not on the cell network, so I'll be using the GPS Location app to add coordinates to the posts.

Here's a link to the current weather all along the trail.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Finally Done!

September 14

Steve and Sam came to meet us late Friday evening and we all stayed at an inn near Baxter State Park. Sooo good to see them again. They picked us up at the Katahdin Stream Parking lot (where we would return Saturday morning early to summit Katahdin together). The AT actually goes through this parking lot.

We woke early so that we'd be starting our ascent by 7:00 am. Katahdin is perhaps the most challenging mountain on the trail. It's "only" five miles from the parking lot to the summit, but you climb about 4000 feet and a lot of that is very difficult rock climbing. It took us seven and a half hours to go up and about the same down. Ouch! I am so impressed by Steve and Sam. They never complained and went right to the top with us:

We saw many day hikers turning back during the climb without making it all the way up. It was much more difficult than Mount Washington in New Hampshire.

Approaching the top, it was very wet and windy. Here we are on the relatively level last mile of the Tablelands, just yards from the summit:

And then, Done:

Sun and blue sky above us for just a moment. It was glorious.

Location: KATAHDIN!!!!

Very, very happy and tired Nory and Doc leaning on the Katahdin sign at the summit.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Almost to the Tablelands

September 14

Afterwards, I'm kicking myself for not taking photos of the rock climbing ascent of Katahdin. We were all so focused on just getting up there (and back down before nightfall) that it never occurred to me. After climbing for just over 5 hours and the rocks ahead seeming to only keep going up into the mist, we decided to check where we were using a GPS enabled iPhone app.

The red line showed us our position and that we were almost up to the much easier Tablelands and that we had climbed 3000 of the 4000 feet. It still took us just over 2 hours to complete the ascent from there.

Location:Mount Katahdin, ME

Sam in a Tunnel

September 14

On our way up Katahdin, Sam found a tunnel to walk through.

High Water Stream Fording

September 13

We forded quite a few streams in Maine. Most not deeper than your knees and easy to traverse. Not the bother you might think it is, it was a nice, refreshing break for overworked, tired feet. It felt so good to remove heavy hiking boots and heavy socks and walk in cold water for a minute or two. Putting the warm, dry socks and boots back on afterwards felt good too.

Last night it poured down heavy rain all night. It stopped by morning so we were enjoying our last day of hiking in great weather. Just two more streams to ford. They looked menacing. Fast moving, crotch-deep, angry sounding water. We made it across, but we both admitted to being a bit unsettled by the experience.
Afterwards, we saw this sign on the north side of the second ford directing people around the ford during high water. Oh well. We had the experience and in retrospect, loved it.

Our First Look at Katahdin

September 13

Steve and Sam picking us up tonight and we will all climb this beast tomorrow. It is an awesome mountain.

Leaving the Hundred Mile Wilderness

September 13

The sign on the northern end of the wilderness warning south bound hikers of the length of the hike and lack of supplies ahead.

Porcelain in the Forest

September 13

More beautiful fungi. The colors were so vibrant - bright white and deep brown and were glistening like porcelain in the wet forest.

Maine Pine Forests

September 12

I love pine forests. The soft pine needle covered forest floor, the towering trees, that pine aroma and the quiet is so tranquil. In Maine, the pine forests we saw on the misty mountains were so wet that the forest floor was carpeted with green mosses and ferns. Beautiful.

Aluminum Stairs on the AT

September 11

There were many, many places on the trail with stone staircases. We probably climbed thousands of steps on the trail. They were all put in by volunteer workers and must have taken zillions of hours of effort. We saw some crews building stairs on several stretches and it looked very, very difficult. Stones are heavy and all the work on the AT is done by hand. No lifting or digging machines to help. It's all levers and shovels and strong backs. The stairs are awesome - so appreciated.

It was quite a surprise to see this aluminum staircase next to a stream in the middle of nowhere.

Moose Tracks

September 11
We saw so much wildlife on this trip and were hoping to see a moose. Everyone said we'd see one in Maine, but unfortunately tons of moose poo and lots of tracks in the mud on the trail is what we saw. Here's a track next to a large boot print.

Beautiful Fungi

September 11

The variety of growing things in the forest is astounding. The colors are startling sometimes. I loved these trumpet shaped "mushrooms"? Don't know what they are really.

Maine Water

September 8
Entered the Hundred Mile Wilderness yesterday and it is very wet. Many beautiful lakes

And waterfalls

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Hundred Acre Wood

September 7
We are on the last leg of the hike. Only about 110 miles to go. This part is called the Hundred Mile Wilderness and has the following stern warning sign at its entrance.

10 days food supply? We will be at the end Friday night (six days) to meet Steve and Sam for our family climb up Katahdin Saturday morning.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Fording Streams

September 6

You may remember my fascination with all types of bridges. In Maine it seems they aren't so inclined. Many streams must be forded which means a stop to remove our boots and a dip in the cold water.

Nory fording a stream in Maine

YouTube Video

Balancing Act

September 5
Some beautifully balanced rocks on the trail in Maine.

The passage to the left is long and just wide enough to squeeze through but the trail goes on the right side.

Hiking Again

September 4

The trail is feeling more like a hiking trail again. We are walking more than climbing these days. The trail is relatively flat from here to Katahdin. The White mountains were staggeringly beautiful and easily the most impressive part of the trail, but it feels so good to walk along a forest path again with pine needles under my feet and occasional hills to walk up and down.

Wet M&Ms

September 4

We buy large bags of M&Ms and keep them in zip-lock bags for snacks. A few nights ago it rained so hard it wet our food that was hanging in the trees in allegedly waterproof bags. This is what Matthew's M&Ms looked like after the bag leaked and filled with a few ounces of rain and then soaked overnight.

Yum. He just used his spoon to eat them like M&M soup.

Carnivorous Plants on the AT

September 3

Anyone who has known me long knows I was an avid grower of all types of plants in my youth. I had lights set up in my parents basement growing everything from African violets to cacti and almost everything in between. A particular interest of mine was carnivorous plants.
I was very surprised to see some huge pitcher plants in a bog on the trail in Maine. They were even in bloom. Just amazing. They are the purplish plants in this photo.

Mount Avery

September 3

This is the top of Mt Avery, the last mountain we have to cross in awhile. The official 2000 mile sign is up here although Matthew's 2013 AWOL guidebook has the 2000 mile point about 10 miles back. They change parts of the trail every year so the total length changes as well as milestone markers.

I love walking in these alpine growth areas. The plants are otherworldly and looking down on clouds while standing on the ground is very cool.

Location:45.14716, -70.28335

Longest Day On the Trail

September 2
Woke to howling winds and driving rain. We were both damp from the mist but not wet in our tents. We decided to wait it out as we have no town ahead to dry out for about four days.

A one person tent is a small space to stay in all day listening to the wind and rain. Here's the view:

Only 11 days left! We will have to pick up the pace to make up for lost miles today, but the terrain looks easier ahead.