day 69 - 05/18

so an awesome reader of my blog (thanx adam!) not only sent me the correct directions to get into nyc, but also offered to buy me dinner. so generous! i decided, however, not to go into nyc, cuz 1) i couldn't find an affordable hotel/hostel for the night; and 2) i really don't think i could handle all of the sensory information. after being in the woods for so long i decided that nyc would be just way too much to integrate successfully. the first pic is from bear mt of the nyc skyline. all the way to the right (sorry it's so hard to make out as it was hazy - or maybe that is smog?), you can sort of see that the new world trade tower is already taller than the empire state building. the second pic is of the bear mt bridge that i walked over today. incredibly high. i didn't take any pics while on the bridge simply because i can be quite the clutz, as evidenced by my smashed iphone screen held together by packing tape after dropping it on a rock while hiking. :) so, needless to say, i refrained from pulling out my iphone while on that crazy-high bridge. i ended up staying at the franciscan greymoor spiritual life center and ended up meeting this awesome couple who are just finishing up their year long hike of the american discovery trail. for another great blog read goto: http://www.hikinghumanitarian.com/. they also very generously offered for me to stay at their house while passing thru salisbury, ct. i also forgot to mention yesterday that i talked to one of my favorite people, my aunt pat, and i get to see her when i pass thru lee, ma, so i am very happy for that! the third pic is of a frickin' huge spider i discovered very close to where i was sleeping last night. that is a quarter in the picture and is not even flush with the wall, therefore in the forefront of the picture making it appear larger, simply cuz i was too chicken to put the quarter on the wall next to the spider. it was big! tick count is at 14, including a nymph! 16.5mi from brien shelter to greymoor. 1404.1 total.



- posted using blogpress from my iphone on the appalachian trail

day 68 - 05/17

new york has some great hiking. there isn't a lot of elevation gain, but the hike can be quite technical, with times of scaling and climbing rocks. the pic below is of fitzgerald falls in the early morning. i went thru the lemon squeezer today which is this really cool rock crevasse that you literally have to squeeze yourself thru. i'm glad i am skinny. :) i also got some great trail magic from paddyo, a past thru hiker. a large bottle of gatorade really hit the spot as the water sources aren't so great in ny. i had to drink some urine coloured water, which did not look appetizing, but actually tasted pretty good cuz of all the iron. i met a couple of awesome hikers from cali at the shelter tonight and the conversation was great. tick count is up to 13. 19.6mi from wildcat to william brien memorial shelter. 1387.6 total.




- posted using blogpress from my iphone on the appalachian trail

day 67 - 05/16

i feel very well rested after my first zero day, albeit a little sluggish. today was another humbling day full of people's generosity and kindness. on my way to get my last starbucks frappachino in vernon (ya, i had three while i was there, hehe), a couple of high school kids offered me a ride to the trail on their way to school. then, when i got off the trail later in the day to get some awesome ice cream, a local guy showed where it was, then drove up when i was getting to the ice cream place to give me a large bottle of gatorade he had in his car. then, as i am sitting eating my ice cream, the first of two large ice creams, and mother and daughter offered me a ride into town to resupply. people are so amazing! great day of hiking too. lots of great ridgelines with views. the pic below is of my official crossing into ny after going back and forth from nj for the last two days. my 9th state! tick count is 12. 17.1mi from vernon, nj to wildcat shelter. 1368.0 total.

- posted using blogpress from my iphone on the appalachian trail

day 66 - 05/15

day 66 and i took my first zero today! it was a combination of waking up very fatigued and knowing that there was a storm coming that was anticpated to drop 3 inches of rain today. the storm never ended up materializing, but the rest and relaxation was frickin awesome! i think my body was just really ready to take a break. my mind and ego, however,  had a tough time of it today. my feet were just itchy, so to speak, to get back on the trail. i now feel very rejuvinated to move on tomorrow and be in ny and then ct in just a few days. i am still toying with the idea of going in to new york city for the day on friday. the metro north line goes all the way out to bear mt and only costs 16.25 to get all the way to grand central station. i am just a little concerned that i may get overwhelmed by the incredible amount of sensory information in new york city. i get a little overwhelmed in small little towns, so the city must be crazy. humans are very loud! this is something one realizes when the rustling of leaves by a squirrel is the loudest sound one hears all day! lol! 0mi today! 1350.9 total.

day 65 - 05/14

after a fitful rest at the murray cabin i hit the trail to go into unionville, ny to pick up a new water treatment system at the post office that i ordered from rei. since i contracted giardia from a micron filter, i decided to try a steri-pen this time around. since i'm now basically immune to giardia, the steri-pen only has to kill the cryptosporidium, which is apparently a little less common. i also had the best sausage, egg, and cheese bagel sandwich ever. it is so funny that i am eating sausage. i am no expert, but this was the best sausage i have ever had - they make it themselves of course! the pics below are of a cool 1mi long section over some marsh lands on the ny/nj border. then it started to rain, pretty steadily. i decided to hitch a ride (shhh, don't tell anyone cuz it's illegal in ny) to vernon, nj where there is this amazingly awesome hostel at st. thomas episcopal church. it is so good i am toying with the idea of taking my first zero day tomorrow for some much needed r&r. we shall see. tick count is up to 11 total. 13.5mi from the murray cabin to vernon, nj. 1350.9 total.









- posted using blogpress from my iphone on the appalachian trail

day 64 - 05/13

another awesome day with sunshine and almost no giardia symptoms! nj is totally unexpected as one typically thinks of east new jersey. definitely one of the prettiest parts of the trail. saw my second rattler today. this time was a little more precarious as his head was in the trail coiled and ready to strike. i just had to wait for him to turn away and i quickly scooted by. made it to this cabin on the murray property. basically this guy keeps mules on some farm land and built an enclosed cabin for thru hikers to use. it has electricity and even a hot outdoor shower. i love gettin' naked in a shower under the sun. one of the best things ever. oh, i also thought i would give a running tick count. with the three i pulled off today, i am officially at 10 total. they gave me the heebeegeebees at first, but now its just a daily thing. i also met this awesomely enthusiastic family at a pavilion at sunrise mountain. the dad even offered me some cash for my hike. people are so generous and amazing. so thanx to the ianni family (hope i spelled that correctly) for putting a smile on my face for the rest of the day. 25mi from brink road shelter to murray cabin. 1337.4 total.

day 63 - 05/12

sad day today as i had to say goodbye to bideebideebop, who had to get off the trail to visit with family. bummer. he walked with me up into nj, which was cool and then had to say goodbye. it can be difficult meeting such great people and then having to say goodbye. it reminds me of all the awesome souls i have met so far every time i say goodbye. hopefully i get to see bideebideebop again soon. on the up side i got to talk to my ex-wife, diane, for the first time in like 6 years. i am truly humbled by how healed we both are and it was an amazing gift today to be able to chat as the new people we have become. life is so great and i am so happy diane is back in the picture! passed mile 1300 today and nj is state number 8! 24.7mi from delaware gap, pa to brink road shelter in nj. 1312.4 total.

day 62 - 05/11

another unforgettable day with bideebideebop to delaware water gap right on the pa-nj border. we stayed at a free hostel run by a local presbytarian church. awesome time. 15.7mi from wind gap to delaware water gap. 1287.7 total.

day 61 - 05/10

met an awesome person in palmerton last night and after a great conversation over breakfast we agreed to hike together to wind gap, pa. bideebideebop, named cuz of his scatting skills and crazy musical talent, is by far the coolest hiker i have met to date. such effortless and meaningful conversation. we got to wind gap with a potential tenting place in mind and then just decided to split a hotel room, which was great cuz of the hot shower and cuz it was cold at night. we bought lots of fruit at a local natural food store, so breakfast was awesome. also had a salad for dinner which made my intestines very happy. on the mend and feeling much better. the amazing company always helps too! 20.2mi from palmerton to wind gap, pa. 1272.0 total.

day 60 - 05/09

day 60! wow - 2 months on the trail. time flies when one is in bliss! i found out today that i have officially contracted giardia and therefore have giardiasis. not sure if my threshold for pain and discomfort is unusually high, but it is not nearly as bad a i had heard it was. it certainly won't keep me from hiking. today was a rockin' hike over the knife's edge, which proved to be the most technically difficult hike thus far. it literally is a ridge line of rocks that meet at a sharp point with a steep and potentially dangerous and/or painful drop off on both sides. i was in heaven. so much fun. oh, and the sun finally came out! yay! i then went in to palmerton, pa and stayed at a free hostel that is an unused old jailhouse. so i guess i was in jail for the night. met some great section hikers and had a great dinner as my appetite has returned a little. 25.3mi from eckville shelter to palmerton jailhouse hostel. 1251.8 total.