The Trail Was

After struggling for days to put pen to paper (fingers to keyboard) and finish that sentence, I think I'm going to take a stab at it! This is going to sound cliche, but oh well!!!

...THE TRAIL WAS...

Bitchin!!!
Really stupidly tough
An experience of a lifetime
Serendipitous
Everything I could have hoped for
Nothing like I expected
Beautiful

...BECAUSE IT...

Turned me inside out and turned me right again
Made me believe in myself like I never have before
Allowed me to see the world in an entirely new way
Always gave me a path to follow

Perhaps the most important thing about this trip is that is simply WAS...

Summit photos coming soon!

Being Done Sucks

No one told me that all my friends would leave and we would all have to go in different directions... I want to blog about the 100 mile wilderness and this experience as a whole, but it will have to be in later posts. I'm super bummed out right now!

Caratunk!

I left Stratton in the pouring rain and hiked, well dripped, 15miles without stopping. The trail, I mean river, traverses four mountains (one of which is a 4000 footer, and two of which are wicked exposed) only to ford a raging brook in the dark and slop into the shelter freezing, soaked, exhausted and more proud of myself than I have ever felt. It was a difficult and very cold day, but the dry shelter was a welcome comfort. To my surprise Traveler (a hiker I'd barely interacted with previous to that night) was huddled in the shelter; we were equally excited to see each other and chatted long into the night! We cranked out a 17 the next day through the swamp, around ponds, across flat trail adorned with fallen leaves, over bog boards and right into a shelter with a lake view! Then this morning we headed for the Kennebaec River, on the other side of which lies Caratunk.

To cross the Kennebec River you have to make the "ferry," a guy in a canoe who asks for your help to paddle you and your gear across the river! He is only there from 9 to 11 am. Traveler and I arrived just after 10am absolutely jazzed after the most beautiful and brisk 4mi walk of the entire trip!

We hit up the local pub to celebrate overcoming a few tough days!

Maine!!!

Finally here! And my favorite so far!

Seasons

One of the coolest things about being out here as long as I have is experiencing seasonal change first hand! The leaves are changing now, and the temperatures are cooling, quite a contrast from the bugs, bird calls, and blistering heat of summer or the leafless, song less, moderate climate of spring.

Here are a few photos of early fall colors. That's my friend Bo filtering water, and me playing in the waterfall!

Black holes

So every now and again we walk through an area we seem to just be unable to leave. I'm not talking about taking a zero day (or multiple), falling in love with a place, or getting lost somewhere. I'm talking about places that you hike away from but find yourself in at the end of the day anyway! Pearisburg, VA was this way: you hike until you hit a road (but don't worry, if you don't get a hitch you can try again from the next 3 road crossings). If walking through a few peoples yards (on trail), a cemetery, or along the interstate for half a mile wasn't enough to make you feel like you'll never get out of town, traversing the local industrial plant's property 3 times only to find yourself back at the interstate a few yards from where you left it 1-2 miles of hiking ago...

Another black hole exists around Mt. Washington. Because you essentially walk a giant circle around this monster, you have it in yours sights for a few days before you climb it, and almost a week after you descend it! I lined up three couch surfers for us in this time, and we made so many circles hitch-hiking to meet them all that we actually crossed the same intersection three times from each of the three highways that intersect there. No joke, the same guy picked us up on two different occasions, and was super confused; two which we replied "this area us like a black hole, what can we say?"

And the whole time you have Maine on the brain. It's like you can smell that sweet Maine air on the wind from only a few air miles away, but you just keep circling Washington....

Mt. Washington

Climbing Washington was cool. We had perfect weather, and therefore, were very sunburned by the end of the 12mile ridge-walk we did over this big guy! It was breezy, sunny, and rocky: a tough day of exposed boulder climbing, but as I stood in line to take a picture with the summit sign, i couldn't help but think "man, I'm so glad all these tourists drove up here to tell me I'm awesome!"

Beginning to think about reintegration

With 320 miles to go I'm starting to think about life after the trail. Even though I still can't be bothered to look for a job or a living situation (or location for that matter), I'm beginning to take small steps toward being 'civilized' again. I'm staying with some couch surfers in North Conway, NH who have helped me FINALLY cut this plastic croc piece out of my ear! For those if you who watched the video of me foolishly jamming that locking plastic annoyance into my ear, IT HAS FOUND A FINAL RESTING PLACE in a garbage bin in North Conway! Now I can make some cuter gages for wear in the 'real' world.

I also shaved my legs and armpits for the first time since late March! This feeling of clean is so wonderful, SO wonderful! I'm beginning to feel like a real girl again!

Being sick + hiking =

I caught a cold in Hanover, NH and after days and days of trying to 'hike it off' I'm holed up in Lincoln, NH. We've been hanging out in this guy named Chet's garage, watching the rain (and Dr. Who on my phone) and cursing this fever. There are a bunch of hikers here, some staying a few hours, some staying an undetermined number of nights!

Ski Lift Ride

Bam and I rode a functioning chair lift from the top of Bromley Mtn. to the base area and back! It was pretty much the last thing I anticipated I would be doing this summer!

I LOvermont!!!

Vermont has been filled with beautifully tough terrain and exquisite views! Here are a few sunset photos to give you an idea of what I've been seeing!

Signs

Maybe you will find these as funny/odd/ironic as I did! Every one if these is right on trail.

Check!

Pennsylvania?! Check

New Jersey?! Check

New York?! Check

SNAKES

Here are a few photos for you, mom! Copperheads, Rattle Snakes, Black Snakes...

Trail Magic

The community created by the trail is extremely generous. So much so that hikers are the recipients of numerous acts of kindness. Often these acts of kindness are so fantastic that they can only be described as magical. This so called 'trail magic' can come in countless forms: jugs of clean water or coolers filled with soda, juice or beer, plastic bins with hiker supplies (bug spray, first aid supplies, drink mix, denauted alcohol-for stoves than burn it, snack foods, duct tape, ziploc bags, aluminum foil, maps of the area etc.), people handing out snacks or cooking food at trail heads or shelters, locals who open their homes (and sometimes pocket-books) to hikers, and drivers who give exceptional rides (such as to the store and back, to a farther 'better' city, or to a train/bus station or airport). The bringers of trail magic are called 'trail angels,' and trail angels have become HUGE contributors to my hike; I've eaten omlmlets, curried quinoa, and hamburgers on trail. I've drank more soda this summer as a result of trail magic than in the entire year previous to my hike; I've had my laundry done, and taken many a free shower; I've recieved foot massages and new boots, enjoyed ice water and cold beer! Trail Angels are AWESOME, their kindness NEVER goes unappreciated or undermentioned! The trail community (hikers, angels, and hostel owners) have shown me that there are beautiful people in all parts of the country. I can only hope to repay the overwhelming level of kindness I have recieved on trail upon returning to a more normal lifestyle! I have to find a way to pay forward the positive energy I have been swept into while on this journey. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL THE KIND HEARTED, GENEROUS, SELFLESS HOSTEL OWNERS, SHUTTLE DRIVERS, LOCAL HIKERS, AND FAMILIES LOOSELYY CONNECTED TO CURENT HIKERS FOR YOUR MAGICAL ACTS!

Trail Myths

Somewhere along the way someone became misinformed and shared the supposedly true tidbit of information with another hiker.... and, as you can imagine, I have often learned that nothing could be farther from the truth!

"Once you get your hiker legs, you will fly painlessly over all terrain."

"When we get to Virginia, it'll be flat and we'll be knocking out 20 and 30 mile days every day"

Also... "hiking in VA is boring because all 550miles look the same"

"Enjoy the southern hospitality while you can, because once we cross the Mason-Dixon Line things change. There is no trail magic, no one picks up hitchhikers, and NY/NJ are notorious for being especially unfriendly to hikers."

"All of Pennsylvania is a boulder-field"

Trail = Home

The AT dragged me over a rocky washboard, making sure to thoroughly scrub away at the insecurities, physical ailments, mental blocks, and emotional instabilities that made this adventure feel like a dream and making it to Katahdin seem like a distant, unobtainable goal. But as I begin New Jersey, I feel these old stains fading. I feel at home on the trail and at home in my own skin. I feel open and excited about this new leg of my journey. I cant wat to see what the AT has in store for me!

Here are some shots of the trail in lovely PA!