Day 137 - Moody Mountain

Moody Mountain, 249  

 

I'm feeling particularly Moody this morning... Ok, not actually, but Moody Mountain did not disappoint. Progress is still slow through Southern Maine. I've only gone about 12 miles since the last post! One of the hurdles that goes along with tough terrain is that you underestimate the amount of food you need. I had to make a stop into Andover to pick up an extra day of food to get me to Rangeley. And man, Andover was very reminiscent of those nowhere towns in Virginia and Pennsylvania. The guy who we hitched a ride from to get back didn't even know about the trail!

Since getting back on trail after Grey Fox, I've been in a completely new bubble. And that's to say, there's no bubble! I've seen about five separate fellow northbounders since returning. Mostly I've been hiking with Five and Firestarter, two guys who I haven't seen since Shenandoah. Firestarter makes legit egg sandwiches for food, complete with kielbasa, cheese, fresh eggs, the whole kit and kaboodle! It's pretty impressive.

Well, back to the trail to face the next challenge: Old Blue!

-Scribbles (aka Ted)
10:00 a.m. 7/29/2015

Day 136 - Baldplate

Baldpate, 263

He's a Maine-iac! Wow! 13 states down, 1 to go. I really liked New Hampshire, and Maine is already similarly beautiful. Right now I'm up on Baldpate, a big rock slab 3800 feet up, looking around at a 360 degree view.

Maine has a lot more to offer than views. How about crazy bouldering adventures, endless rock mazes, and impossibly steep ups and downs? I've gotten all of that over the last couple days. I'd go so far as to say that the last two days have been the hardest two day span of my entire hike!

Two days ago I crossed into Maine via Mount Success (aptly named). Success was really difficult; it took me 3 hours to go 4 miles. Then yesterday I was faced with the "most difficult mile of the AT": Mahoosuc Notch. In the notch, I had to navigate some crazy boulders, tunnels, ledges, everything. My favorite point was when I had to sneak under some branches along a ledge, so I went belly-down with a 20 foot drop just to my left. Or maybe it was when I was trying to fit through a rock crevasse with my pack on, finally gave up after a 10 minute effort, and just carried my pack through. I don't know, but it was super challenging! I ended up getting through the 1 mile notch in an hour and fifteen minutes, which is actually pretty quick.

Southern Maine is certainly no piece of cake, but it is as pretty as any part of the trail I've been on. And it's humbling; no longer am I racing to some endpoint for the day. Instead, I need to simply focus on each mile. 

Next up, the infamous Moody Mountain, with its 1500 foot climb in .8 of a mile!

-Scribbles (aka Ted)
10:26 a.m. 10/28/2015

Day 134 - Trident Col Campsite

Trident Col Campsite, 291 

Man oh man, hiking is hard right now. I think it has something to do with the crazy slack pack I did a few days back. I was really sore yesterday, and today I am having a lot of trouble getting out of my hammock...it's almost 11!!! The bottom line is that I've felt lazy like this before, and I've found that the best thing to do is to wait it out and then ride the surge of energy that predictably will come afterward. So I will continue to try motivating myself... 

Looking back at the last week, it's pretty impressive the terrain I've covered. There were some big mountains in there! I'm still getting over how fast the Whites came and went. But I have more to do. There are no more Mount Washingtons, but there's still some really hard terrain. Most southbounders I've talked to said southern Maine is harder than the Whites. If that's true, then I sure hope I get that energy back soon! 

Anyway, yesterday I met up with my friend Stefan from Clark. He's a counselor at a nearby camp, and it was great to do a little hiking with someone familiar. We made it up Hayes Mountain and ate some wild blueberries before we had to split up. It was a nice recovery day.And now, after an additional recovery morning, I am ready to hike. The sun is trying to peek through after a cold and rainy night and morning. On to MAINE!

-Scribbles (aka Ted)
10:57 a.m. 7/26/2015

Ted's Progress Map: Week 19

Ted's Progress Map: Week 19

After time away at the music festival, Ted is back at it, and about to leave New Hampshire!

On the cusp of Maine!

Go Ted!

Day 133 - Gorham

Gorham, 298 

Where has New Hampshire gone?! I only have 17 miles left in the Granite State, and no landmark mountains either! The Presidentials are behind me, as are Wildcat, the Carters, and Moriah. Now, it really feels like all I have left is Maine. 

Two days ago was the test from Mother Nature. With fog settling and the wind whipping (I think the official report from Mount Washington was 75mph gusts), I tackled the northern Presidentials. It was kind of a blur. There were no views, but it was a lot of fun balancing myself between the uneven rocks and the wind. And then once in a while the Gulf Edge trail would take me right up next to a precipitous drop off. Good thing the wind was blowing away from said drops! 

There was a certain air of morbidity in the hike two days ago. At Mount Washington, there was a list of 155 people who had died on the mountain, from the 1800s to one month ago. Easily the scariest names were those who died of hypothermia and exposure...in the summer. It's possible. It was in the upper 40s with strong wind, so all it would take is some rain and a little unpreparedness... 

The good news is I survived with flying colors, and ended the day at a hostel. The hostel offers a slackpack for the 21 miles from Pinkham Notch to Route 2, and I decided to break down and enjoy my first ever slack.And what a slack it was. 21 miles!  

While that's doable pretty much anywhere else, in the Whites it is really difficult! I am pretty sore this morning after scaling three sets of mountains yesterday, all 4000 footers. First it was the Wildcats, which are crazy steep on the way up. Without a backpack, I felt like a god at first. I raced to the top of Wildcat, where there is a ski gondola, in one hour. Then it was Carter Dome, Mt. Hight, and Middle and North Carter. These were a long ridge walk, with some nasty ups and downs along the way. By the end of this I was pretty tired. And then it ended with Mount Moriah, which by the end I was just dog tired. 20 mile days are not recommended here! 

So today will be easier, and tomorrow I'll be in Maine. Wow. My goal end date is in a mere three weeks, August 15. Also wow.

- Scribbles (aka Ted)
8:00 a.m. 7/25/2015

Day 131 -Mount Washington

Mount Washington, 333

I'm on top of the world! At least it seems that way. Currently, I am at the summit of Mount Washington, 6288 feet up. Outside, it is a whiteout, with gusty winds that are very audible even from where I am, in the basement of the visitor's center. The mountain with the worst weather in the world is in full force today! 

Okay, so I haven't updated since Franconia Notch on account of never having service, and a lot of stuff has happened since then! The quick rundown: poured on Sunday night, beautiful on Monday, Franconia Ridge was spectacular, worked for stay at Galehead Hut, terrain is crazy in the Whites, had a big climb yesterday to Lake of the Clouds Hut, weather is pretty crazy too. Got all that?

I'll start with Franconia Ridge. It was incredible. It might even be my favorite part of the trail yet. I had beautiful weather, and there was almost no one there too! I kicked it off with a side trip to Mount Flume, which I've been to a few years ago on a trip with some buddies. And then the party really got started. The ridge traverses a bunch of really high mountains above treeline. So basically it feels less like hiking and more like flying. On the way down Lafayette, the view just spread out before me.

With the great views, however, comes some really tough terrain. I've already had a few 3500+ foot climbs. And even the "flat" stuff goes up and down, just not as much. On top of that, sometimes those ups and downs involve really steep, technical stuff. You always have to be on your toes up here!

One nice thing about the Whites is the options for camping. There are many good stealth sites, but even nicer than that are the AMC huts. The huts are way up at some gorgeous locations. The Lakes of the Clouds hut is only a mile and a half from Mount Washington, and 5200 feet up! Customers get a bed, dinner, and breakfast. But thru-hikers pay no money and instead work-for-stay. I've swept floors, done dishes, and folded blankets. It's easy work, and you get to sleep on the floor and eat all the leftovers from it! Not bad. Anyway, the huts seem like a pretty cool system for those who use them.

Well, I need to be hitting the trail. The weather is stinky, and I don't particularly relish being windswept at 6200 feet, but the trail doesn't hike itself, and my theory is that by hiking in bad weather, you gain weather karma. And I plan to cash in my karma at Katahdin! So 50 degree weather and 50 mph winds, here I come. Next stop Pinkham Notch!

Also, the mileage I put next to my location is the miles to go. I'm going to keep doing that til the end.

- Scribbles (aka Ted)
8:50 a.m. 7/23/2015

Day 128 - Franconia Notch (again)

The music is flowing through me right now. As usual I left Greyfox with a renewed motivation to get better at playing bluegrass on whatever instrument I can. I also left with six zero days worth of rest and a fresh mind for the trail ahead.

The festival was awesome like always. I got to see the people that I've been used to seeing over the years. I also met new friends, and of course I saw some wonderful music. It's always hard to choose your favorite act, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Stray Birds, The Wiles, Frank Solivan, Rushad Eggleston, the Steep Canyon Rangers, and Sam Bush, among others. Just an all around fun weekend.

It was also a somewhat strange weekend. I did not feel like my usual Grey Fox self until the end. Usually I'm all about endlessly going from stage to stage, staying up all night and then doing it again the next day. This year was different. I often found myself watching a band and being surrounded by people and saying "I think I need to take a break alone in my hammock." On one occasion, I found myself relishing a bathroom break in a port-a-potty. Some nice alone time. Perhaps being on the trail has gotten to me a little. I'm just not used to having so many people around me! 

All of the rest has certainly benefitted my body. I can feel it, walking around the last few days and even waking up this morning. I no longer feel like the tin man who needs oil! And on top of that, there is no fatigue in my muscles.And now it's time for the Whites! After being poured on last night (but staying dry!), today I will hike Franconia Ridge. I'm so so excited to be up above treeline! The sun is out! Mount Lafayette here I come!

- Scribbles (aka Ted)
6:41 a.m. 7/20/2015

Day 122 - Granny, Connecticut

I owe y'all an explanation. I can see the confusion now. "It's been three days!" "Why did you go back to Connecticut?!" "Where is Franconia Notch!?" Well, I have answers, and they lie in the story of a few jam-packed days.

I left y'all at Mount Moosilauke, which I've since decided has been my favorite and the most physically challenging mountain of the trail. Yes, I have raved about McAfee Knob, Bear Mountain (NY), and Killington, but after three days I'm still itching for another climb, view, and overall hike like Moosilauke. And yes, several mountains pushed me much harder than Moosilauke (I'm thinking Roan Mountain in TN or Chestnut Knob in VA), but putting weather and mental state aside, it's hard to argue with 3800 vertical feet over 5 miles up and a section of 2500 vert over 1.5 down.It took us 2 hours to do the latter. For those keeping score at home, that's 0.75 mph! (My usual speed is more like 2.75 mph). But slow and steady was the name of the game, especially with 15-30 pounds on our backs. One sign along the way warned inexperienced hikers to seek an alternate route and avoid "tragic results." That is some seriously scary wordage. At the bottom, we decided that we had earned a big 90 minute break.

The rest of that day was all about balancing progress with recuperation. As I mentioned in the last blog entry, Mount Moosilauke was one heck of a place to drag Uncle Phil and Nick into, and the predictable second-day slump hit us hard. Day 1 was 7.5 miles over Moosilauke, giving us a technical challenge, and Day 2 was 9.0 over the much smaller Mount Wolf, giving us a distance challenge. Honestly, Day 2 was harder, with Nick and especially Phil feeling the effects of the previous day.

But we made it, and bouced back remarkably well yesterday. Maybe it was the fantastic night of sleep, or the diminished pack weight from eating our food, or more than likely just those guys getting used to the hike and beginning to find trail legs. Whatever, we smoked 8.8 miles over Kinsman Mountain (I considered it a combination of Day 1's terrain and Day 2's distance) by 3PM! Then it was a short walk to the car, a stop back in Hanover to get a bite of food, and back to Connecticut.

We all went over highlights of the trip on the way home. The obvious one was Moosilauke, seeing all the massive, impossibly steep mountains to the east. Another oft-mentioned moment was the pit stop at Lonesome Lake for a swim in the crystal-clear water, with a similarly stunning view of Franconia Ridge. And then there's all of the gorgeous mountain streams we saw along the way. But for me, the highlights are less nature-y. I liked taking the hour long breaks for food and setback. I liked hanging out with a family of 6 the first night and then a bunch of thru-hikers the second night. And of course I liked doing all that with my uncle and cousin, sort of giving them a peek into what my life's been like for the past 4 months. Those guys did great. Hiking 25 miles over 3 days in the White Mountains is no small feat.

And now I'm in Connecticut, my home state. Way back in August of last year, when I was first planning this, I remember thinking "How can I still get to the Greyfox Bluegrass Festival?" As the plan begame more and more concrete and viable, Greyfox remained a part of it. And now, I am days away from a weekend of picking and singing. The festival, simply, is something that I decided to never miss again. It's a blast. I have friends there that I only see once a year. Each year it's been more and more fun, ever since my mom convinced me to go a few years back. The plan is to drive up today, set up camp tomorrow, and then watch music, jam out, and get very little sleep Thursday-Sunday morning. Then I'll be back on trail Sunday evening (most likely camping five steps from where I'm dropped off), and Monday I'll do the 4000 foot climb up to Franconia Ridge. Wow!

So as you watch the All-Star game tonight, consider this my All-Star break. 6 days off the trail, not hiking, and not even thinking about it. I'll be sure to send a mid-festival update, and of course update you again on Sunday. I think it will be strange to be off the trail for so long. To tell you the truth, being at my cousin's house is already weird! But I'm excited. Incredibly excited.

-Scribbles (aka Ted)
7:16 a.m. 7/14/2015

Ted's Progress Map: Week 17

Ted's Progress Map for Week 17
Ted begins the trek in the White Mountain National Forest.

Day 119 - Mount Moosilauke

I'm doing super here on the trail. Right now I'm with my Uncle Phil and cousin Nick, atop the 4800 foot Mount Moosilauke. It's the first of three days hiking with them, and we'll be at Franconia Notch when we're done.

The last few days were tough. It's like every mile feels like two. Not because of terrain but just because I've been so tired! I've been going pretty steady since Manchester, and it kind of got to me the last few days. Two days ago I woke up at 9! I still managed 20 miles however, and got over Smarts and Cube Mountain. Then yesterday I finished off the pre-White Mountains part of New Hampshire, and got to the Hikers Welcome Hostel.And now it's great. My uncle and cousin drove up last night, and now I get to hike 25 miles with them over three days. We made it up Moosilauke, which was a pretty hard spot to start! But man, what a view. The mountains out to the east are immense. Can't wait to hike em! Tonight we're headed to Beaver Brook Shelter, and then it's another 9 miles tomorrow.

So the trail is really great right now. My schedule is three 8ish mile days, then six zeros for Greyfox Bluegrass Festival, and then then back to the trail for the hardest part. I should be well rested! Oh, and a sidenote: the tahini was so bad that I ended up dumping it. It's back to peanut butter for me!

-Scribbles (aka Ted)
4:12 p.m. 7/11/2015

Day 116 - Moose Mountain

I'm in New Hampshire!

I've actually been in the Granite State for about 30 hours now. As always, there is a certain rush of energy and excitement that comes with being in a new state. But it seems even more so with this one. All of the states before, they sort of ran into each other naturally. The end of New Jersey was pretty similar to the start of New York, then New York and Connecticut, then Connecticut and Massachusetts, and so on. But now I'm at the start of the Whites. Mount Moosilauke is a mere 30 miles away, and I know that it and the mountains that follow it will be unlike any I have done yet.

If you just look at the first 15 miles of New Hampshire, they are similar to Vermont. Small, steep hills. And a totally cool town! The Norwich/Hanover town combo might have been the best trail towns yet. They're super funky, with all types of people living and working there. They're also a lot of fun. And, most importantly, they're friendly! I was amazed; upon entering Norwich, I came across 4 houses with trail magic on the road walk. There's an official list of trail angels too, which directs you to the kind folks who will let you crash at their house! In this town, thru-hikers might as well be rock stars.

I didn't end up staying at a trail angel's place, though. My friend MoJo got a hotel and let me take the second bed. Score! It was nice to be centrally located. We (me MoJo and Tate) ate at several places (my favorite was Lou's Diner), and just explored the town, which owes a lot of its character to Dartmouth College. Being in a college setting for the first time in months was quite the trip! Dartmouth has a sweet green, and me and Tate got some good frisbee tossing in.

Today was back to the trail, but not before sleeping in and waiting out the rain. I stopped at the Co-op for resupply, which had a remarkable selection. I took a chance on another peanut butter replacement (did I mention I'm sick of PB?). Unfortunately, sesame tahini is not what I expected. Oh well, live and learn. Hopefully the strange taste of tahini will be offset by the mountain views.

Live free or die!

-Scribbles (aka Ted)
8:44 p.m. 7/8/2015

Day 114 - West Hartford

This will be my last post from the state of Vermont. What a week and change it's been here. I really enjoyed the Green Mountains. The climbs, views, and most of all the people have been awesome. Today was a great example of all that.

I woke up with the view. Sleeping atop the Lookout was fricken incredible. The stars and moon were out, it was nice and cool, and the sunrise had me up at 4:30 this morning. The Whites were much more recognizeable against the rising sun. Then, once it was up, I was looking down into cloud-filled valleys.

Next were the climbs. Per usual, today had tons of ups and downs. Perhaps it's because it was hot, or perhaps it's because I've done like three straight half-Juricks, but I got tired really fast. No big climbs, but a lot of little steep ones. Reminiscent of New York. I did 19 miles today but I swear it felt more like 30.

And finally, the people. Like I said, I was dog tired 19 miles in, and luckily enough for me, 19 miles put me in the town of West Hartford, Vermont. West Hartford is the home of Randy, trail angel extraoridinaire. I got into town (which consists of about a half a dozen houses along a stretch of Route 14), and there he was, ringing a bell and yelling at me to come on over. I did, and man am I glad!

Randy totally hooked me up. Chicken and pasta salad, cold sodas and beer, a bed to sleep on, and most importantly great company. This isn't a hostel, but that's what Randy says he's working toward. In the meantime, it's just a totally dope and completely unadvertised place to hang out! I spent all evening talking with Randy and a fellow thru-hiker Joe, as well as the various local friends and family who have come to visit. This place was the perfect pick-me-up after a day that left my legs tired and my feet sore.

I only have about 10 miles left in the Green Mountain State, and I promise you they will not be easy. I just want to hang out here! But it's onward, New Hampshire awaits!

- Scribbles (aka Ted)
10:20 p.m. 7/6/2025

Day 113 - The Lookout

Today has been amazing. It started at Killington, watching a cloud whiteout turn into an incredible view. And it ended here, 24 miles later at a platform atop a cabin called "The Lookout".

Sleeping in the tent was great, and it was worth it. There wasn't any view from Killington at first, all clouds. But me and Tate waited and ate breakfast and the cloud disappeared around 8:30. Literally in a second it went from whiteout to view. We didn't start hiking until 9 and made it to town at 1. Tate had some packages so we split there. At Killington town, the Long Trail splits from the AT and goes north toward Mount Mansfield, while the AT goes east toward the Whites. I have to say I quite enjoyed my 100 mile foray into the Long Trail, as wet and muddy as it was!

Despite having already done 10 miles into Killington, that was where my day really began. I got into serious hiking mode, going 15 miles in 5 hours! My destination was here, The Lookout. I had heard it was a great view, and figured I'd shoot for sunset. I got here at 7:30 and have the place all to myself! Basically, it's a mountain with a cabin on top. There's not much of a view from the ground, but the cabin has a platform on top of it that allows you to see for miles. Being alone here tonight, I've decided to put last night behind me and try another cowboy camp up here.

But let me describe the view. To the northwest is the Green Mountains that the AT misses, including Mount Mansfield, Vermont's highest point. To the southwest is Killington Mountain, where I started today. Amazingly, I have never ended a day with a view of where I started the day. The result is breathtaking. Killington is waaaaay far away. I can hardly discern the radio towers on top of it! It's hard to believe I was right near those towers this morning.

But what's really great about this view is to the east. There, way out on the horizon, is a dark squiggle through the sky that outlines the peaks of the furthest mountain range: the Whites. I am so excited to finally have them looming before me. It'll take a few days, but I'm almost there. I can see them!

Anyway, the 25 miler was totally worth it. After being in a big ole hiker bubble yesterday, I'm on my own again. And tonight I can see stars. No rain this time!

-Scribbles (aka Ted)
10:00 p.m. 7/5/2015

Ted's Progress Map: Week 16

Week 16 Progress Map

Day 112 - Killington Mountain

Alright, where to start? It's been a super fun, tiring, and above all busy two days! It all started a half mile before Manchester, where I set camp up as the last rain fell on Thursday night. Since then, the weather has been perfect.

On Friday I went into Manchester planning to quickly resupply, as well as get my new gear and shoes, and then head back out and camp on Bromley Mountain. Well, I was just getting ready to hitch back out of town when my Mom called me and, guess what?! She was coming to visit! It ended up being an awesome evening with Mom. We got a room at the Palmer House, which has croquet and a jacuzzi! I ended my day having hiked a half mile.

The next day we dropped off her bike at Mad Tom Notch and hiked 5.5 miles over Bromley. Part of the climb was up a sunny ski slope, covered in wildflowers. It was a great view, and even better with all the snacks we brought up. And here's where it really gets good. Because of my slowed pace over the last month, I have drifted all the way back to my friends from Virginia and earlier. They all showed up at Bromley. Cliffhanger, Ox, Hot Pants, Forrest, and Tate of course. It's been a while since I've seen these guys.

Me and Mom hiked down to the bike, and it was goodbye again. Man, though, did I love the suprise meet-up! After she left, I hiked with Ox, Cliffhanger and Hot Pants for the rest of the day. We hiked 16 more miles from 2 to 8 pm, and ended the day with bratwursts over the fire. Not bad!

So that was yesterday. Today has been more miles. I hiked another 24 and ended Independence Day at Killington Mountain, 4200 feet tall. The day was punctuated of course by Killington, but also the Whistle Stop, a restaurant where we spent 2.5 hours eating and playing cards. I finally had to remove myself from the game and get back on the trail, or else I still might be there!

There was also some super steep terrain towards the end of the day. The climb out of Clarendon Gorge was intense, and made worse by the burger in my belly. And then of course Killington had its vertical points.

But right now hiking feels good. And the company is great. I'm in the biggest bubble I've been in since Delaware Water Gap, with a good 15 thru-hikers here at the Killington Shelter. We watched fireworks for much of the night from all over, every direction. Enjoying moments like this in a group makes it just a little better. Tomorrow I'll do my last Vermont resupply. Hanover is only 2 days away!

Oh, and a sidenote. This update comes from a tent! First time in a tent for me on the AT. I was going to cowboy camp at the peak of Killington, but then it started drizzling. Thank goodness I have a buddy like Tate, who has a two person tent and is willing to share. Here's to a dry rest of the night!

-Scribbles (AKA Ted)
10:44 p.m. 7/4/2015

Ted's Progress Map: Week 15

Ted's Week 15 Progress Map (a little delayed at the blogging crew was hiking last weekend in the Mahoosuc Range. Sorry guys!)

Day 109 - Stratton Mountain

There's an old folk tune who's chorus goes "Oh, the dreadful wind and rain." I think Jerry Garcia does a version. Anyway, all I can say is whoever wrote it would have loved to hike with me today! The wind and rain were in full effect. 

I summitted Stratton Mountain in the morning, after waiting out a thunderstorm in my hammock. Luckily, the rain was not too bad up there. But there was no view. Stratton Mountain is where James Taylor had the idea to build the Long Trail more than a hundred years ago. Then, it is where Benton McKaye had the idea for what became the Appalachian Trail. Pretty cool if you ask me! The only idea I had at Stratton, however, was to knock out miles and get warm and dry again. 

The day proceeded with periods of sun, followed by thunderstorms and heavy rain, followed by drizzle, clouds, and back to sun. It was weird. And of course, I was in the midst of a thunderstorm when I set up camp.\ 

But rain today doesn't bother me, you know why? The weather reports I've heard say blue skies and sun for the next week. That's enough time to get to New Hampshire! 

Tomorrow I'll do a short day, only into and out of the town of Manchester for resupply. I also have to hit up the outfitter where my third and final pair of shoes is waiting. And, as of two days ago, I have a broken water bladder and trekking pole that need to be replaced. I'm ready to be on two poles again, it really makes a difference!

-Scribbles (aka Ted)
8:22 p.m. 7/1/2015