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Katahdin At Last

This was a northbound section hike of the Appalachian Trail starting at East Flagstaff Road (NB mile 2025.8 and ending on Mt. Katahdin. This section hike was 176.9 miles over 15 days. I flew into the Portland, ME airport and shuttled to East Flagstaff Road.

Sept 15, 2024

Starting at mile 2025.8. Hiking northbound.

East Flagstaff Road to Flagstaff Campsite (2026.9) – 1.1 miles

I started much later than planned, after 4 PM. My shuttle driver was hours late. He blamed traffic, but admitted to shuttling someone else that morning so I think he was trying to squeeze in an additional fare. I don’t blame him because his $200 price was beyond reasonable given that my shuttle required him to be on the road for at least 8 hours. My original plan was to hike 6 miles to West Carry Pond Lean-To, but with the late start and the long travel day I was beat and didn’t care to push hard and hike in the dark. Besides, I had a great deal of slack time built into my schedule.

A year ago on the first day of my section hike I had a view of Flagstaff Lake from the Bigelows. Here is the view of Flagstaff Lake from my campsite on the my first day of this year’s section hike.

Sept 16, 2024

Flagstaff Campsite to Pierce Pond Lean-To (2042.0) 15.1 miles

Went to sleep last night to the sound of Loons. Woke this morning to the sound of Loons.

Taking a break on the dock at West Carry Pond Lean-To. This was my originally planned destination for the first day.

Last night and this morning I heard the calls of Loons. Today I took time to watch Loons. Sometimes they would pop up suddenly from down below. They are great underwater swimmers.

After pitching my tent at Pierce Pond Lean-To, I walked 0.3 miles to Harrison’s Camp to sign up for breakfast the next morning. I had not seen other hikers, until shortly before I arrived at Pierce Pond. That changed when I enjoyed a delicious blueberry pancake breakfast at Harrison’s the next morning and met several thru-hikers who were to become my occasional hiking companions all of the way to Katahdin, including Scarface, Tinder, Turkish Delight, and ??.

The photo below is my tent is pitched on a platform at Bigelow Col Campsite. There were more daylight hiking hours left in the day, but another brutal climb was ahead and I thought it would be wise to rest and let my legs recover some this first day.

September 17, 2024

Pierce Pond Lean-To Joes Hole Creek stealth spot (2059.1) 17.1 miles

This memorable day started with loads of coffee, scrambled eggs, bacon, and blueberry pancakes and the enjoyable company of a table full of 7 or 8 thru-hikers. The proprietor of Harrison’s Camp doesn’t seem to have a set price for thru-hikers, but if you ask, he suggests $6. With all of the hiker talk and stories, it was getting toward 9 am when I reluctantly pushed back from the table and was the first to set back out on the trail.

This is the Kennebec River crossing. Today, the ferry crossing was a canoe piloted by a certified Maine Guide named Rob. The river was about as low as it gets, but still, the water through the main channel was enough to make Rob work hard to keep the canoe from being pushed downstream too far. I was Rob’s first customer today and I waited quite a while and wondered about my ride. Finally, I saw a man step out of a shelter on the far side of the river. I waved until Rob saw me and I was soon climbing into the canoe and answering questions about whatever other hikers were headed this way.

This was easily the toughest day of hiking and the climb up Pleasant Pond Mountain was the toughest part of a tough day. There were several bigger mountains over the 2 weeks including Chairback, West Peak, Gulf Hagas, Whitecap, and Katahdin; however, climb up Pleasant Pond Mountain took place in the middle of a brutally hot afternoon.

There was only a mile and a half further to go to get to Bald Mountain Brook Lean-To, but I’d made a good distance and with plenty of extra time in my hike schedule, I didn’t need to push on. Besides, I though I had a second wind, it had been an hot exhausting day. The stealth site was too small to hardly qualify as a tent spot, but I pitched one end of the tent over a rotten log and called it a day.

September 18, 2024

Joes Hole Brook to Horseshoe Canyon Lean-To – (2073.7) 13 miles

A lot of hiking along the West Branch Piscataquis River where the trail surface as at turns rocky and rooty to the point that I began to be reminded of Pennsylvania, though nothing could be as rocky as Pennsylvania. There were several water crossings of various difficulty. Near the end of the day, I came to a wide section of the Piscataquis where three women were crossing. Two had taken off shoes and were in the process of walking through the stream. I rock hopped across while keeping my feet dry. I watched as the third woman attempted the same, but ended up slipping into the water. Ironically, with numerous dry foot crossings I eventually managed to step on a small log that rolled my foot into a small muddy puddle.

I was the only person at Horseshoe Canyon Lean-To where I set up my tent and spent a lonely night.

A cave like rock overhang.

September 19, 2024

Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to Route 15 Monson, ME – Shaw’s Hostel (2082.7) – 9 mi

I was up early and speed hiking 9 miles to hot showers, laundry, town food, etc. At Route 15 I called the shuttle for Shaw’s Hostel. Before 10 am I was at Route 15, I had also reached the beginning of the 100 mile wilderness.

By 11:30 AM, after a hot shower, laundry in the washing machine, and a cold beer, I’m already getting settled into town life in beautiful Monson, Maine. My usual Hostel stay involves sharing a room with a number of bunks, but this time I had planned ahead by reserving a private room. Besides having a more restful night, it made it much easier to spread out my gear and 10-day resupply to better organize my pack. As I looked at the piles of food, I wondered how I would fit it all in my pack and how I would manage the weight. Thinking it through, since water would be abundant, I planned to fill only a single bottle of water. I also strapped the tent to the bottom of my pack and my dry sack with sleeping bag and clothing to the top of my pack. Assundries were already in ziplocks that I kept in the webbing on the outside of the pack. Down jacket and vest were stuffed into the stretch sleeve on the lower back of the pack. That left the inside available for food.

I headed to the General Store where I picked up a sandwich and snacks for lunch. That night at The Lakeshore House, Tinder and Scarface who I had first met at Harrison’s invited me to join them. We caught up on each other’s hike and enjoyed the food, live music, and lake view.

September 20, 2024

100 Mile Wilderness – Route 15 (Monson) to Wilson Vally Lean-To (mi 2093.1) – 10.4 mi

Finally, I’m in the 100 mile wilderness which isn’t a wilderness at all, rather it is a 100 mile stretch where resupply isn’t possible. Unless, of course you are willing to pay $80 to Shaw’s or someone else for a drop that you will be required to meet. The money is one thing, but the requirement to be at a specific place at a specific time was also something I didn’t care for. I met a thru-hiker at Shaw’s that was organizing a group for an altogether different plan. Instead of paying for a food drop, hikers would share the cost of a shuttle to slackpack for the next 3 days. I had already noticed this guy from how much he was enjoying the camaradarie, beer, and food of town life; however, no matter how tempting this might be, it wasn’t my idea of hiking the 100 mile wilderness. I didn’t envy their daily hours riding in a van. I politely declined. He found a couple of hiking buddies, so for each of the next 3 days I looked forward to seeing this crew as they hiked south and I hiked north.

A somewhat foreboding message, this sign. It is not as all bad as that.

Here is Wilson Stream. I didn’t carry water shoes so I took off shoes and socks and waded across here. To avoid stepping on slippery uneven stones hidden beneath the water, I moved slowly and carefully.

I had a little crisis last night as I began to prepare my first freeze-dried meal in the 100 Mile Wilderness. The gas canister that I had bought at Shaw’s would cross-thread onto my stove and start hissing gas. After several tries, one of a group of 3 guys from Pittsburgh staying at the Wilson Valley Lean-To offered to try. Thankfully, he managed to thread the stove onto the canister.

September 21, 2024

Wilson Valley Lean-To to Cloud Pond Lean-To (mile 2101.8) – 8.7 miles

I finished early and claimed the choice tent spot with a million-dollar view over Cloud Pond. Ideally, I’d have hiked further, but there isn’t always a reasonable camping spot where you want it. I’m carrying 10 days of resupply where most people are planning for only 7 days. I’ve learned the hard way that sometimes the trail is harder than expected or the weather won’t cooperate so I’ve allowed a lot of time to complete this hike. As hard as it is to travel to this remote spot in Maine, I don’t want to come up short and need to return to finish the last few miles of the AT. I also don’t want to finish the trip too early just to end up spending an extra day in town waiting for my return flight.

2100 miles from Springer Mountain

Thanks to thru-hikers June and Taz who took my photo here. I met them in Monson where I tried the hostel’s slack line. June then gave a nice demonstration on how to move from standing to sitting to standing on a slack line. These cliffs would be a nice spot for a slack line. Don’t you think?

View from my tent at Cloud Pond. Note the stove with the blue and white gas canister. Once again I had trouble threading the stove onto the canister. Finally, after repeated tries, I was able to make it work. Whew! I’ve learned a lesson to check out any new canister with the stove before leaving town. The sad thing was that my old canister still had plenty of gas when I dropped it into the hiker box at Shaw’s. It probably had enough gas to make it through the 100-mile wilderness.

About an hour after I arrived at Cloud Pond, Tinder and Scarface showed up and Tinder began building a campfire. A couple of hours after that, the Pittsburgh Trio arrived. They told me that a couple of them were priests and that they were about to have Mass so I would know what it was and not think they were doing something strange.

Sunset at Cloud Pond

September 22, 2024

Cloud Pond Lean-To to Trailside near Gulf Hagas (2115.5) – 13.7 miles

Nearly every morning I have oatmeal for breakfast, but this morning at Cloud Pond, I treated myself to a breakfast skillet.

On the first major climb north of Cloud Pond Lean-To, I encountered the wreckage from this plane crash on the AT. I never found the story about the plane crash.

The descent off Chairback Mountain including this rockslide was a little long and tedious, reminding me of southern Maine.

View of White Cap Mountain from the descent off Chairback. At 3643 feet, this is the highest peak that the AT crosses in the 100-mile wilderness. It also marks the last long climb in the 100-mile wilderness.

Labeled by PeakFinder, this zoomed-in view from the descent of Chairback Mountain shows the route of the next day’s hike. That route bears to the left and descends to the valley where it continues to the left up the other side of the valley. It continues to the ridge at Gulf Hagas Mountain then follows the ridge over West Peak and Hay Mountain. To the right of Hay Mountain the lower slope of White Cap Mountain is visible. The AT goes over the top of White Cap and leaves the ridge, dropping down the other side.

Seated in the foreground is Extra. Standing from left to right: Stinky, Hemlock, Uphill, Empty Space, and Rebecca.

The 3 guys from Pittsburgh that I first met at Wilson Lean-To two nights ago had told me that they had arranged a resupply at Katahdin Iron Works road. I began hearing that the person doing their resupply had set up major trail magic on Katahdin Iron Works Road while waiting on the Pittsburgh guys. My hunger was kicking up so was began busting it down to the road and hoping that the trail magic would still be there.

I was in for a fantastic reward, but first Empty Space asked whether I’d seen the Pittsburgh trio and I reported that I’d spent the last two nights with them and that they were usually arrived about 3 hours behind me. Empty Space grilled me a hamburger and a grilled cheese sandwich which he served with hot tomato soup. I ate snacks and had a cold beer. Next, Empty Space opened a cooler that had been carefully packed with dry ice and ice cream bars. He said they were for the Pittsburgh guys, but he had a few extras and I could have one. Empty Space warned me to hold off eating because they were frozen as solid as a brick and I would break my teeth.

Later, Stinky and Hemlock’s hiking companion Dying arrived. We still hadn’t seen the Pittsburgh Trio. Dying was more of a hiking purist, having avoided shortcuts on the AT the whole way. Since I had passed Stinky, Hemlock, and Dying early in the day, I had wondered how Stinky and Hemlock had beat me to the trail magic. It turned out that they had taken a shortcut that came out further down on Katahdin Ironworks Road. This had avoided a lot of the Chairback Ridge. It was getting late. With the exception of an overpriced private campground, no camping is allowed for miles through this entire area of the Gulf Hagas. Stinky, Hemlock, and Dying opted to do a road walk to stay at the Gorman Chairback Cabins where they would be fed supper, breakfast, and a packed lunch the next day. It turns out that the 100-mile wilderness isn’t entirely without comforts.

I opted to keep my headlamp handy and I set off on a late-day trek out of the Gulf Hagas restricted area. I had no idea whether there would be a suitable tent spot, particularly since past Gulf Hagas, the trail began to climb and the map didn’t show any level spots. Thankfully, I was recharged with a full stomach and the trail was much smoother than the rockslides of the past few miles. As soon as I passed the Gulf Hagas boundary, I kept an eye out for level spots. I soon spied spots at the bottom of a steep drop-off below the trail. It was nearly dark and I scrambled down and set up my tent in a discreet spot next to the Gulf Hagas stream. (Just in case this spot wasn’t legal.) About 10 minutes later a couple of guys from Quebec that I had passed earlier came up the trail. At first, I wasn’t sure who they could be, but when I saw who they were, I waved them down. They were happy to find this level spot and I was happy to have company. The guys were Kevin and Mark and it turned out that Mark had extra gas canisters. This time, my gas canister would not thread onto my stove. I tried it on Mark’s stove and it worked. I tried Mark’s extra canister on my stove and that one worked. There was something strange about the compatibility of the canister from Shaw’s and my stove. Mark offered me his canister and I offered mine in trade. He wouldn’t take the trade and just gave me his extra canister.

September 23, 2024

Trailside near Gulf Hagas to Mountain View Pond (2131.5) – 16.0 miles

With cooler temperatures, climbing West Peak, Hay Mountain, and White Cap was easier than expected.

Labeled by PeakFinder: Here is the first view of Katahdin from White Cap Mountain.

I planned to hike 14.1 miles to East Branch Lean-To and tent there. When I arrived, it was still early and I expected to be the first hiker. I was surprised when I stepped around to the front of the shelter and saw a small thin man lounging in the lean-to. He was wearing a black mask and a sleeping bag and gear was spread out in the corner of the shelter. I found out he was staying the night. When he asked if I was staying, I told him I was going to set up my tent nearby. With the mask and an accent I couldn’t place his voice was a little garbled. He asked me for food. If it wasn’t already clearly obvious that he was homeless, this gave him away. I told him that I had carefully planned out my food carry to minimize weight so I didn’t have food to spare. I also said that other backpackers would to the same thing. My implication was that this was the wrong place for a homeless person to be begging for food. I was pretty spooked by this man, but not enough to hike to another spot so I began exploring the area for a private spot well away from the Lean-To. One where he was unlikely to bother me. After walking over the area and finding some nice spots out of sight of the Lean-To, I considered my options. I didn’t see other hikers. I might be camping alone with this strange masked man. It wouldn’t matter where I placed my tent because there was no way to hide out here. Checking “Far Out”, my other option was to hike another 1.9 miles to some limited tent spots at Mountain View Lake. Hiker comments on the Far Out App reported that most spots were hard to find or barely suitable for tents. I thought I had time to reach this spot before dark. The forecast called for rain in a couple of days. The extra distance today would make for a short day between Lean-To’s for the upcoming rain day. Also, camping next to another lake sounded nice. My biggest regret was that I wouldn’t have a nice privy.

Here is my tent spot at Mountain View Lake. This was by far the best spot besides being the only obvious spot here. After I claimed this spot, other hikers began arriving. Though tight, I offered the area next to my tent, but other hikers thanked me and wandered off in search of spots. More hikers dribbled in. They were having increasing difficulty finding spots for a tent. All told me that they had planned to spend the night at East Branch Lean-To, but when the man with the black mask begged for either money, food, or fuel they decided to hike on. Some hikers were arriving here as it was getting dark. I asked whether they saw anyone choosing to stay at East Branch Lean-To other than the homeless man. They all reported that the homeless man was the only one staying there. It seemed crazy that the homeless man had the Lean-To and privy all to himself while there were 7 – 10 hikers crowded around an area that was more of a stealth site area than a real camping site.

September 24, 2024

Mountain View Pond to Antlers Campsite (mi 2145.6) – 14.1 miles

Here is the view Cooper Brook from the Cooper Brook Falls Lean-To. Not many Lean-To’s can match this one for being perfect placement on the bank of a creek for the best view. I was making good time and it was such a beautiful day that I decided to take an uber-long break at this beautiful spot. I took off my shoes, rested, and ate lunch. After about an hour, guess who showed up? It was the homeless guy from yesterday. From the beginning and during the course of this section hike, I occasionally heard stories and rumors about this guy, though I never expected to meet him. At first, I didn’t realize it was the same guy I had heard about, but after meeting him yesterday, I realized that I already knew things about him. I had been told that this man was from the Phillipines and that he had been hiking the AT for nearly a year, having started last October. The black mask spooked people out and he had been reported to the police and the Immigration & Naturalization Service. Both INS and police checked him out and deemed him harmless. They said there was nothing they could do since he wasn’t breaking the law.

I decided to extend my long break and visit with this guy for a while and listen to his story. This time he asked for fuel. I had my extra fuel canister that wouldn’t work with my stove so I was glad to do without carrying the extra weight and I gave it to him. I explained that he might want to check it first since I knew it wouldn’t work with my stove, though it worked with other stoves. He was just glad to get it and didn’t bother checking it.

His name was Herman and he confirmed that he was from the Philippines and had started hiking a year ago in October. Now, I knew this was the same homeless person I had heard stories about. He was moving from shelter to shelter, or “lean-to’s” in Maine. I guessed that the fact that he was hiking each day to a new shelter kept him from being picked up by the police for vagrancy. Anyone who permanently moved into a lean-to might eventually be subject to arrest. Each shelter, hut, lean-to, etc. is typically no more than 7 – 8 miles from the last and sometimes much closer. I can see why he had been hiking since October. He told me that he would ask for food, money, or fuel and that he was homeless. I noticed that he varies what he asks for and only asks for one thing, whether it be food, money, or fuel. He said that he didn’t like homeless shelters and where he had things stolen from him. He said that the AT was the perfect place for him. He told me he would like to get a “volunteer” job in a small town somewhere. He talked about getting a job cleaning the offices of a small-town mayor in exchange for which they would feed him and provide a room for him to sleep in. I told him that every government no matter how small had a bureaucracy that wouldn’t allow for such an arrangement. I noticed that he was much older and thinner than I had at first guessed. I tried to pin down his age by talking at length with him, asking about his family and when and how he came to the United States. I guess that he could be as old as 65 or 70. He’s small and probably about 110 pounds and 5 foot 5 inches. He told me about how he hiked up to New Hampshire, but that he had to turn around because the AMC was charging fees for campsites and he had no money. He began hiking south and in Massachusetts met a lady who gave him money and gear. He said he owed everything to her and he wouldn’t be here without her. Having money, he began hiking north again from Massachusetts, through New Hampshire and to this point in Maine. He told me the man at the Kennebec River ferry (canoe) told him the ferry closed for the winter on September 31st. He said that now he was stuck in Maine forever.

Crawford Pond

Antlers Campsite is located on Lower Jo-Mary Lake and very cool. Tinder had given me advice on the best spot at Antlers. I arrived early and claimed this site on the tip of a peninsula overlooking the lake from both the front and rear of my tent. It was very exposed to wind which would be a problem if there were storms. Antlers is huge with plenty of spread-out tent spots. I was early and the sun was out so I took the opportunity to put on my shorts and get in the lake for a bath and laundry. I hung my wet shirt, socks, and pants on branches I could find in the sun.

September 25, 2024

Antlers Campsite to Wadleigh Lean-To (mi 2159) – 13.4 miles

The trail in this portion of Maine is easy. I could have easily walked farther, but if I made today longer, then tomorrow or the next day would be too short and boring. Rain was coming in later tomorrow morning and though still early, stopping here at Wadleigh Shelter would give me a perfect distance tomorrow. I short day in the rain is preferable to a long boring zero rain day spent in a Lean-To. As it was, nobody else was at Wadleigh Lean-To and I quickly grew bored. I explored the area a little. That didn’t help much with my boredom so I gathered firewood and built a campfire.

September 26, 2024

Wadleigh Lean-To to Rainbow Stream Lean-To (mi 2167.3) – 8.1 miles

Ahh, it was a rain day. I knew the forecast so for the last several days I had been planning to make this a short day. My unplanned 16-mile day into Mountain View Pond set up the planning to allow for a very short rain day. The rain was forecast to begin later that morning so I was up early and hiking fast to reach Rainbow Stream Lean-To without having to walk through a downpour. After a couple of hours a light rain started. By the time I reached the Lean-To before lunch, a steady rain was falling. To take the wet chill off, I change from my wet clothes into my dry sleeping clothes and snuggled into my sleeping bag. I was thirsty and needed to fill my water bottles. Rainbow stream was about 40 feet in front of the shelter, but the rain started coming down hard. I didn’t want to leave the comfort of my sleeping bag and get wet so I put off the task of retrieving water. After several hours, Turkish Delight showed up at the shelter. About an hour later, Sigma showed up. Later, the rain let up slightly and I quickly filled my water bottles in the stream. That night, it was the three of us staying dry in the Lean-To.

Nahmakanta Lake in Rain

September 27, 2024

Rainbow Stream Lean-To to Abol Bridge Campground (2182.3) – 15 miles

Rainbow Lake

View of Mount Katahdin from the bridge at Abol Bridge.

My tent at Abol Pines Campsite overlooks the Penobscot River. I gathered around the campfire that night with some of the thru-hikers that I had met along the way. Sigma, Turkish Delight, Scarface, and Tinder. As a section hiker, it was exciting to think about this last stage of my hike. I can’t imagine the excitement of these thru-hikers.

Penobscot River

September 28, 2024

Abol Bridge Campground to The Birches Campsite (2192.1) – 9.8 mile

No matter what reassurance the Baxter Park Ranger had for the Birches Campsite sign-up, I couldn’t help but worry that a bus full of people from town would arrive early in the morning to sign up for all the spots at Birches. We’d seen some southbound hikers who told us that was what happened to them. As stated on the sign-up sheet, only NOBO hikers completing the 100 Mile Wilderness are eligible. This means hikers can’t just be dropped off from town to sign up for the Birches. Even if you hiked the 100 Mile Wilderness, and then went into town for a minute, you would lose eligibility for the Birches. In reality, most of those going through the 100 Mile Wilderness are thru-hikers or long-section hikers and already know each other so they would know legit sign-ups from imposters. They could call them out. (For whatever good that would do.)

In my opinion, there is a great deal more stress than there needs to be regarding the rules and regulations in Baxter State Park. The Park Rangers try to act like everything is chill when they are doing their best given an overly regulated system that doesn’t allow for the expansion of campsites or parking. Baxter Park is enormous and it doesn’t need to be this way. The park was created through a Trust left by Governor Percival P. Baxter which established rules which seem to be used as an excuse to keep unreasonable restrictions and avoid expanding amenities such as parking and camping. It would be simple to increase the capacity of the Birches or add a 2nd camping area for thru-hikers. Thru-hikers take up much less room than car campers. It wouldn’t violate the rules to keep Baxter SP “forever wild” and in a “natural state” any more than the existing facilities violate those rules.

They advise you to take a photo of your sign-up as proof should something go wrong. The ranger at the sign-up kiosk makes sure that the ranger at the Birches Campsite receives a copy of the sign-up information. If no spaces remain, the ranger works to find you a spot at another campground.

I woke up at 3:15 am and walked 0.8 miles in the dark from Abol Pines Campground to the Baxter State Park entrance. After arriving at around 4:00 am, I was the first in line to sign up for Birches. Sign-up is at 7 am, so I laid down on my sleeping pad I snoozed as I waited for the Park Ranger to arrive with the sign-up sheet. As you can see, there is space for only 12 people at Birches Campsite.

I walked 0.8 miles to the park entrance for Birches sign-up, then walked back to Abol Pines to pack up my tent and Abol Bridge for some breakfast snacks and last phone device charging. Here I am after having walked back 0.8 miles a 2nd time to the park entrance for the last leg of my hike.

Stinky, Dying, and Hemlock chose to leave their tents and gear at Abol Bridge Campground and hike all night on a 30.2-mile round trip to the summit of Katahdin and back. They road-walked a portion of the hike so it was less than 30.2 miles, but that was in addition to the 20 or so miles they had already hiked that day. These thru-hikers have a unique way of speaking about themselves. It’s about 5 pm and they are packing up. They’ve already hiked 15 to 20 miles today. The conversation goes something like this. One says, “We’re hiking to Katahdin from here.” Stinky says, “Yeah, we’re doing an all-nighter.” Hemlock groans, “Yeah, we’re crazy”. “Actually, we’re stupid.” “We shouldn’t be doing this.” “We are idiots.”

Big Niagra Falls

Birches Campsite with Trail Magic

Hot Pizza at Birches Campsite. Thanks for the Trail Magic! I couldn’t imagine the work it took to bring in hot pizza and everything else and drive back home for work on Monday morning.

September 29, 2024

The Birches Campsite to Baxter Peak, Katahdin (2197.4) – 5.3 miles

View from Katahdin Climb

Fog and clouds move in as I continue the rocky ascent of Katahdin.

I reached the summit of Katahdin and finished the entire Appalachian Trail at 9:40 am. My AT section hike began 21 years ago. I hiked sections in 11 of those years. I section-hiked from Amicalola Falls to Ceres Gap, Virginia over the first 3 years. In 2 of the intervening years, I hiked sections in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts with my friend Sheffy. After retirement, I resumed in earnest in 2019 and hiked the remainder over the next 6 years.

I celebrate the completion of the AT.

December 26, 2024
Kayaking Everglades NP

On January 24th I set out on a 7-day kayaking adventure across Everglades National Park. I camped over the water on wooden platforms called “chickees”, on ground sites built by the Calusa from mounds of oyster shells, and on the beaches of Florida keys.

My original idea was to kayak the 99 miles along the Wilderness Waterway (WW) tracing a route through rivers, bays, and creeks from Everglades City at the northwest corner of the Everglades to Flamingo at the southern tip of the Florida peninsula. Upon researching this idea, I opted for a loop route out of Everglades City. The reason being that this would involve the difficulty and expense of hiring a 2.5 hour $450 shuttle. Besides, I was a novice of remote kayak trips with tidal currents and open water.

I own a 9 foot Old Towne kayak which was fine for overnight trips I had taken on the Suwanee River and on Fontana Lake. This kayak didn’t seem suitable for extended touring trips with difficult conditions, so I began shopping for a “bigger boat”. I settled on the Wilderness Systems Tsunami 140 (14 foot) touring kayak with a rudder. The added length would increase hull speed and the rudder would help hold a line in the cross-currents and winds of open water and would aid on the tight turns of serpentine creeks.

Another concern was simply finding my way. After all, I was going solo. I’m used to hiking where I can easily follow a trail, though sometimes with a GPS assist for snow-covered terrain. The Everglades is an altogether different matter. It is a byzantine maze of mangrove waterways, islands, bays, creeks, and rivers. Though the WW is marked with numbered posts, all water looks the same and it would be easy to wander well off the route. There is no cell phone coverage. Unlike hiking, where camp can be set up nearly anywhere along the trail, missing the official campsite in the Everglades means looking forward to a long sleepless night in a kayak. At the outset, I knew that I needed satellite GPS connectivity. I bought a Garmin Mini and downloaded the companion Earthmate App with it’s nautical charts. As backup, I bought waterproof paper nautical charts and carried a traditional compass. I placed my Iphone 11 Pro on a heavy duty bike phone mount on the front of the kayak cockpit. This served as my map/GPS dashboard. With the Garmin Mini, I could stay in touch with home and in case of an emergency, “hit the SOS button”.

Here is my overall trip track on Earthmate. An aerial map layer is shown; however, I used the nautical chart layer to better see navigational markers and water depths.

Although the Everglades is mostly water, there is no drinkable water on the Wilderness Waterway. The water is brackish so filtering and treatment does no good. It is recommended to carry at least a gallon per day. I carried four 1.3 gallon collapsible containers plus three 2.5 liter collapsible platypus containers and 3 smaller water bottles. Loaded down with water and camping gear, I launched into Chokoloskee Bay out of Everglades City at mid-day.

Here I am approaching Crooked Creek Chickee on the Lopez River. All night I heard fish splashing and skittering across the water. The fishing must be good here, but I didn’t bring my fishing gear.

Below is another view of Crooked Creek Chickee. This is a double Chickee, but I was the only one camping here. As you can see, there is a porta-potty on the Chickee. Every campsite on the Wilderness Waterway has porta-potties.

I kicked back on the chickee, sitting in a deck chair that someone had left behind. I also relaxed in my hammock and read books on my Kindle. With a roof, there was no need to use my tent fly so I enjoyed wide-sky views through this tent’s ample mosquito screens. Among the other purchases I made for the trip was this free-standing tent needed for platform camping. Also, notice how the kayak rests well below the platform. It was a little strenuous, to lean over the edge of the deck to load and unload the kayak, particularly at low tide.

Raccoons are a problem here. Campers are warned that they will chew through water containers for a drink of fresh water. Since I had to carry all of my water in soft containers, I chose to sleep with my water. A raccoon was going to have to crawl over my sleeping body to get at my water.

Much less threatening than raccoons were the Ibis. This Ibis was working the mud next to my chickee in search of yummy crawly things. Other than fish, the Ibis was the most common wildlife.

Here is another Earthmate aerial view of my track. This shows a small portion of my route on the 2nd day. From the bottom the course follows Lopez River into the crooked creek called “Crooked Creek” then into a larger body of water, Sunday Bay.

Lopez River into Crooked Creek and finally, Sunday Bay.

My 2nd night camping was at Darwin’s Place, seen below. For many years, this small island was home to a man named Charles Darwin who claimed to be 5th generation from the better known evolutionist. This hermit lived in a tabby house here and raised rabbits while living to the ripe old age of 112. I set up my tent in the foundation ruins of Darwin’s tabby house.

There were 3 older men from Maine who also camped at this sight. Each had their own flatboat (skiff) and shared enormous tents furnished with tables, chairs, cots, electric, stoves, dry ice coolers, and everything else you could think of to make life comfortable. They could live comfortably while completely sheltered from mosquitoes. Out for a 3 day camping/fishing trip, this was their base. One caught a 36 inch redfish along with a smaller trout. It is safe to say that their fresh fried fish dinner was markedly more delicious than my canned minestrone soup.

Below is the only alligator I encountered. Swimming wasn’t encouraged.

Alligator on Plate Creek

Same Gator, only closer.

On the third day I was making good time so I stopped here at Plate Creek Chickee only a mile short of my camp at Lostman’s Five. I took a long break. I set up my hammock, read my book, and ate lunch.

Plate Creek Chickee

Another view of Plate Creek Chickee

Here is the view from my tent at Lostman’s Five. This is a ground-site with a dock, but I was able to place my small tent on the dock and enjoy the view. This was the 2nd night camping by myself.

Below is a screen capture of Earthmate’s Nautical Map Layer with its low-tide depth numbers. It shows where I passed down Lostman’s River into First Bay and out into the Gulf of Mexico on the 4th day. In order to have favorable tides on Lostman’s River, I set out from Lostman Five campsite in the dark. Kayaking the Everglades before sunrise is an incredible experience. Paddling in the dark through early morning mists and fogs over dead still water made this the best and most mystic day of the adventure.

Kayaking still waters before sunrise.

Hog Key, shown below, was the only official camp area without a Porta-Potty. I was finally in the Gulf of Mexico.

Night 5, I camped on on the beach at Hog Key.

The tide was out over a quarter-mile the next morning, so I waited on the tide until leaving Hog Key around 11 AM. There was a small-craft advisory, high winds and choppy waters. After struggling to paddle only three-quarters of a mile to the next point of land, I stopped to eat my lunch and re-evaluate. Given the waves, I was in danger of swamping my kayak. The wind was ferocious and I was paddling straight into the wind. I considered whether I should hunker down where I was. Would I have enough food? Would the weather improve? I used my Garmin to request a weather report. It didn’t look good. High winds forecasted overnight. Eventually, I decided to set out again with the intention of just reaching the next point of land. As I moved toward the Ten Thousand Islands area, there would be plenty of choices. Before moving on, I dumped water out of my kayak. After another hard crossing, I stopped at another key and again dumped water. Eventually, after fighting wind all day, I reached Mormon Key, one of the park service’s official camping locations. That night I shared the beach with 3 guys who were out with their power boat. The original plan was to make my way up Chatham River to Watson’s Place, but the weather forced me to bypass Watson’s Place and continue north up the Gulf Coast to Rabbit Key where I had planned my 6th and last night. This cut out about 12 miles from my original trip itinerary.

I explored Rabbit Key by walking around it’s perimeter.

Low Tide on Rabbit Key

Conch Shell Graveyard on southwest end of Rabbit Key

Two canoeists relax at sunset on Rabbit Key

At night, this seabird continued it’s loud squawking.

A Full Moon night shot on Rabbit Key

My campfire on beach at Rabbit Key. Campfires should be placed below tide line. The next morning there was no trace of the fire.

On January 30th, I kayaked from Rabbit Key up the pass and into Chokoloskee Bay where I completed my journey. Along the way, the porpoises were putting on a spectacular show. They ripped through the surface, spraying and splashing water. Working in teams, they trapped prey by pushing fish toward the edge of the shore. At times, the speed and acceleration of a porpoise surpassed anything in nature I had previously witnessed, breaking the surface and ripping the water apart with unnatural velocity.

February 6, 2021
Foothills Trail

The Foothills Trail extends 77 miles as it crosses the highest point in South Carolina and crosses numerous rivers and creeks along its course from Table Rock Mountain State Park to Oconee State Park. Along the way, backpackers see a number of waterfalls including two of the highest east of the Mississippi. There are many opportunities to swim and fish in Lake Jocassee and a variety of frigid rivers and creeks. Many of the improved campsites have signage, benches, and fire pits. Here I describe my 5-day thru-hike of the Foothills Trail over 72 miles from Table Rock Mountain State Park to roadside parking at Jumping Branch Trailhead.

October 6th, 2020. Hiked 13.2 miles.

Sometime after 11 AM, my shuttle driver “Taz” dropped me off at Table Rock Mountain State Park and pointed in the direction of the trail. Taz is one of several people that the Foothills Trail Org lists as volunteer shuttle drivers on their website. Since South Carolina doesn’t offer long-term parking at their State Parks, I decided to leave my car at the first roadside parking short of Oconee State Park. South Carolina should take a clue from Georgia which offers “long-term parking” for multi-day hikers starting from Amicalola State Park. For a one time $6 fee hikers of on the Appalachian Trail can park at Amicalola using a hidden away gravel parking lot.

Taz and others in the area are very dedicated to the Foothills Trail. On the ride to Table Rock, he took time to show me a number of trail crossings. Taz was very recognizable with his red pickup truck, his orange hunting blazer and his Tasmanian Devil tie. As I later learned, he seemed to be constantly roaming the roads and trail crossings between Table Rock and Oconee, dropping off and picking up people and food caches. Thanks Taz for the lift!

Water Dripping from this rock overhang with my custom Waymark Backpack.

Notice the blue foam in the photo above. I also carried a NeoAir mattress. My idea was to get me off the ground some in case I had water running under my tarp.

Near Pinnacle Mountain is a view toward Table Rock.

After 4 miles of climbing, I finally topped out near where a yellow-blazed side trail leads 0.2 mile to the top of Pinnacle Peak (elev. 3425 feet). Since there is no view from the top, I chose not to take this steep side trail.

At old Cantrell homesite is a campsite with campfire ring and stone Adirondack chairs.

At 8.6 miles is one of the nicest campsite on the Foothills trail. The Cantrell campsite has a small stream and an impressive fire ring surrounded by Adirondack chairs. If traveling with a group, this spot is worthy of a relaxing campfire night.

Straddling state line at the highest point in South Carolina.

At 9.8 miles, I crossed the peak of Sassafras Mountain (elev. 3560 feet). This is the highest point in South Carolina. Did you know that the highest peaks in South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina are in North Carolina? Those are Sassafras Mountain, Clingmans Dome, and Mt. Mitchell. The first two share state lines. The highest point in Virginia, Mt. Rogers, is only 5.25 miles from the North Carolina state line and the highest point in Georgia, Brasstown Bald, is only 7.8 miles from North Carolina.

My first night at Chimney Top Campsite.

After 13.2 miles and a lot of climbing with my fully loaded backpack, I was glad to call it a day. I camped at Chimney Top Campsite. Although I regularly met other Foothills Trail thru-hikers coming from the other direction, over my 4 nights, I never shared a campsite.

October 7th. Hiked 14.5 miles.

Impressive Poplar Tree

Example of signage around campsites that provide good info on the distance to the next site.

Virginia Hawkins Waterfall

Several other hikers coming from the other direction advised me not to take the trail closure detour around Virginia Hawkins waterfall. This was good advice. The detour was due to a broken bridge; however the creek was small and easily crossed over rocks without getting my feet wet. In my mind, it was laughable to detour a trail around such an easily crossed creek. I couldn’t help but make a comparison with Wright Creek in the Sierra in June 2019. No closures or detours there. Only prayers.

Before camping, I had a 0.7 mile climb up and down the hundreds of steps that is Heartbreak Ridge. I was soon off the ridge and on the shore of Lake Jocassee where I cooled off with a relaxing swim. After another mile or so of hiking, I reached my campsite.

Campsite on Lake Jocassee

After the 14.5 mile day, I camped early with a beautiful view of Lake Jocassee and a picnic table. This was the only campsite on the Foothills Trail with a picnic table. I took my second swim of the day in the lake and sat at the picnic table enjoying my dinner and the sunset.

Campsite view in early evening.

October 8th, Hiked 15.5 miles.

The next morning it was a short walk to this 225 foot suspension bridge spanning the Toxaway River.

Toxaway River Suspension Bridge

By 11:30 AM, I had reached the Horsepasture River where it flows into Lake Jocassee. I stopped for an early lunch and swim break. Each day lunch is tuna in oil with sundried tomatoes in a tortilla wrap. I add Sun Chips to give it a little crunch and I usually have a cheese stick. The tuna in oil is a real find because it adds more calories without adding pack weight and it has become hard to find tuna in oil. Everything seems to be tuna in water.

It wasn’t long before a pontoon boat pulled up at the boat access here and a couple disappeared on a short hike. I slipped into the river near the bank where lake water mixed with river water, making the cold river more bearable. Swimming into midstream, the river’s frigid water took over.

View of steps with Horsepasture River Bridge Below

The Foothills Trail is all about steps.

The halfway point.

More steps, with a handrail this time.

Night 3 at Whitewater Campsite

The third night I made my 2nd campfire. I found that it was easy to start fires by shaving a stick with my knife. Little piles of curled wood shavings easily caught fire from my lighter. Tonight I ate Idahoan Instant Mashed Potatoes for the 2nd time. I mixed in some vegetarian sausage.

Lower Whitewater Falls plunges 400 feet

October 9th

The next morning (4th day), I found that the spur trail to Lower Whitewater Falls was a short walk from the Whitewater campsite where I had camped the night before. I wished that I had known this because I would have hiked from my campsite to Lower Whitewater Falls and back the day before. Instead, I had sat around my campsite with plenty of time on my hands. The spur trail to Lower Whitewater Falls was 0.9 miles, so with the extra 2 miles off the Foothills route, it didn’t seem like I really got on the trail until about 9 AM. You don’t really get near the falls because Lower Whitewater Falls is viewable from a platform at least a couple hundred yards away.

Bridge over Whitewater River

To cross the bridge you need to leap between boulders, then climb down a wooden ladder.

After a steep climb from the river, you reach a viewing platform for Upper Whitewater Falls. This one drops 411 feet.

Lake Jocassee

After Whitewater Falls, the trail climbs and levels out above 3000 feet where there are a some nice views and a pleasant high elevation walk with rhododendron.

Chattooga River

Dinner was couscous with gravy and vegetarian sausage. My special treat was a cup of hot chocolate. My final night was spent camping in the rain along the Chattooga River. As old as it is, my tarp kept me mostly dry. There was one drip from a seam that occasionally landed on my face. I used window wrap plastic for a ground cover and blue foam kept my sleeping bag further elevated away from any wandering water. On top of the blue foam, my NeoAir mattress put my upper body another 3 inches above the wet ground. It rained all night long.

October 10th

Hiking through the rain using my umbrella most of the time. I met a group of about 15 men who had just broken camp and were going in my direction. I moved ahead because it is hard to pass that many people on a narrow trail. I was surprised to see such a large group. Those numbers can be hard on a campsite. As for me, I hiked this entire trail without ever having shared a campsite. It was actually kind of lonely.

A beach on the Chattooga River

October 22, 2020
Hauling Trail Magic into Sierra Snow

This is part 2 of my June 2019 section hike in the Sierra.

Original Hike Plan Falls Victim to Injury

My intention had been to hike the PCT straight through from Lone Pine (Cottonwood Pass) to Mammoth Lakes (Reds Meadow); however, on the 2nd day out, I post-holed my right leg on a steep snow-covered slope, spraining my knee. I could still walk, but not with the confidence needed to push through all 7 of the major high mountain passes in these conditions.

My knee sprain occurred on June 15th and I hiked out at Kearsage Pass on June 18th. My flight out of Reno wasn’t until June 26th so having 8 days remaining, I decided to overnight at a Hostel California in Bishop, then hike out of Mammoth Lakes the next day. The new plan was to hike south on the PCT for several days, turning around at any point of my choosing before hiking back to Mammoth Lakes. If my knee began to act up, I could slow my pace and choose an earlier turnaround point.

Record Snow Year

This was a year of record snow accumulation and though now mid-June, many feet of snow remained. Mammoth Mountain had recorded 24 feet of snow in February. Residents there had to tunnel out of their homes. For the season, the summit of Mammoth Mountain had received 715 inches of snow. With 28 inches of snow recorded in May, the snow never eased up even in the late spring. Now, I was hiking only a few short weeks following the last of this record snowfall.

The Hostel California

An Inspiration to Carry Trail Magic Deep into The Sierra

Stocking up on provisions at Vonn’s Grocery, I had a sudden inspiration to pack out with Trail Magic. Having no firm plan on how much distance to cover, I had no big worry about the weight I carried. I loaded up with a 6-pack of Sierra Nevada IPA and a 24 pack of assorted snack chips. I split the 6-pack, dropping the beer cans where they would fit deep in my pack. I tied the gigantic pack of chips to the outside of my pack. Carefully, lifting the weighty pack to my shoulders, I checked to see that I could manage the load. With a 6-pack of beer and 7 days of food, all of my care in packing ultra-light thus sacrificing luxury was now pretty much thrown out the window. One luxury that I had sacrificed was a camp stove. Everything meal I would eat would be cold-soaked. I was accustomed to cold-soaked oatmeal for breakfast, but cold-soaked meals for dinner would be new territory for me.

Snowed-In Roads and Getting to Horseshoe Lake

I had planned to take the shuttle from Mammoth Lakes to the crossing of the PCT near Reds Meadow. With the road still buried in snow, this shuttle wasn’t operating. Here I was in a strange town, miles away from the PCT desperately trying to figure out an alternate plan. Studying, bus routes, trails, and maps on Guthook and Google, I finally figured out the way to a trail that leads over Mammoth Pass to the PCT. I rode the town bus as far as possible. Next, I road walked, eventually hitching a ride for a couple of miles, then road walking more. I soon reached closed roads that were covered with tall mounds of snow. Finally, I reached the trailhead for the Mammoth Pass trail at Horseshoe Lake.

Near Horseshoe Lake I met PCT thru-hikers returning to the trail. Note the snow-bank.

Signs around Horseshoe Lake warned against camping here. Carbon Dioxide gases are released from this area. Carbon Dioxide is heavier than air. If it displaces the air you breathe, suffocation is a real danger. The lake itself is a low area, making it an ideal spot for heavier CO2 to accumulate.

Horseshoe Lake

From Horseshoe Lake, I began GPS track-finding through the woods along snow-covered trail. Though thru-hikers had passed this way for R&R and resupply in Mammoth Lakes, the few tracks left on the firm ice soon disappeared in the afternoon sun. Fortunately, the PCT Guthook App included the GPS track for this PCT access-trail over Mammoth Pass.

Having ridden the Eastern Sierra Transit 395 from Bishop to Mammoth, it was late in the day before I finally reached Horseshoe Meadows. I hiked up Mammoth Pass trail until I found the first level snow-free spot. I set up my tent here. After working through all of the obstacles to getting back on the trail, I felt a great sense of relief as I settled into my tent.

Ice-Axe and Microspikes Required

After passing over Purple Lake Outlet, the trail ascended along switchback through the woods. Tracks leading down the creek bank indicated that many hikers had taken an off-trail route that descended in the opposite direction. Not feeling good about going off-trail, I chose to more closely follow the trail by cutting switchbacks while ascending steeply up the snow-covered slope. Near the top, I popped out of the woods. Ahead was a steep open traverse that crossed just above a near-vertical drop to large trees and boulders. I pulled out my ice-ax. With each step, I took a deep breath and I anchored my ice-ax as much as the brick-like frozen snow allowed. Feeling for the traction of my microspikes, I gazed below, imagining my fate should I slip and fall. Would I be able to self-arrest before skidding over the open drop or would I only pick up speed before slamming into the thick trees below? After a hundred feet of meticulous care, I was safe across the danger zone. Breathing a sigh of relief, I willed my heart rate to settle and I looked back to view my work. Although I had clearly been very near where the actual trail must lay beneath the ice, the hard snow showed very little of my prints. Likewise, there were no prints hinting that other hikers had come this way. This was a quite short, yet dangerous section. It had neither been mentioned by hikers, nor by trail guides or blogs. It is the big passes that get much attention and inspire dire warnings; however, given heavy snow conditions, many other short dangerous crossings deserve mention as well. Perhaps in a normal snow year, this short span would be completely unremarkable.

Several days later on my return trip, I sought to find a better way to cross this piece. Spying some exposed boulders I dropped lower. My idea was to rock scramble and use handholds on trees. Unfortunately, I found this lower route much too steep. I stepped off a boulder onto the ice and my microspikes began to slide. With a great deal of effort, I scrambled back up vertical boulders. After pulling myself up on top of a ledge, I puzzled around before choosing a crossing just below the route I took days earlier. There was no sign remaining in the snow of neither my crossing a few days before nor of any other hiker’s crossing.

Photo of opposing mountain while I was above Purple Lake Outlet and traversing a particularly treacherous slope.

Campsite on Lake Virginia

Lake Virginia is mostly frozen over and covered with snow.

The climb up the north side of Silver Pass was a series of 3 steep ascents each up to one of 3 bowls. I traversed to avoid the steepest terrain, but the most direct route straight up would have been easier. Any slide would have been clear of obstacles or drop-offs.

View from Silver Pass

At the top of Silver Pass handing out Sierra Nevada IPA and chips to lucky thru-hikers who are the first to arrive. I also met one solo hiker who had not resupplied at VVR and had very little food remaining. I gave him trail magic in addition some of extra couscous meals that I no longer needed.

I pitched my tent on the one snow-free spot on Silver Pass.

The clouds are blowing in.

Log crossing

I ate lunch and waited at this nice spot for the Vermillion Valley Resort Ferry.

The board at Vermillion Valley Resort or VVR. Hot meals and showers!

I turned around at VVR. On the return trip, I hiked with a group climbing Silver Pass from the south side. It was much easier following a group. Less effort on trail finding. Fewer stops to check GPS track.

Coming down the north side of Silver Pass the fun way. My glissade track is the longest one.

These are sun-cups. Very difficult to walk through.

Video highlights

August 13, 2020
Appalachian Trail Blue Ridge Parkway Section

On October 10, 2019, I began a 199.5 mile southbound section hike from Swift Run Gap in Shenandoah National Park (AT southbound mile 1282.6) to Virginia Route 311, Catawba, VA (AT southbound mile 1482.1). Most of this section generally followed the Blue Ridge Parkway between Waynesboro, VA and Daleville, VA. I hiked 11 days, finishing on October 20th.

Swift Run Gap, Oct 10, 2019, Thursday

At mile 1305. Hiked 22.4 miles today.

Started at the park entrance at Swift Run Gap. It was a pleasant day and though the trail was easy, my legs and feet are sore. The deer here aren’t afraid of humans. I walked past a doe that stood 3 feet off the trail and it never budged. It is not 8 pm yet, but I’m already going to sleep. Tonight, I am tenting on the side of the trail, a little beyond Dundo Picnic Area.

Last night, I drove to Rockfish Gap near Waynesboro and slept next to my car for the rest of the night. People kept driving up and getting out of their cars, even as late as 2:30 am. Not liking this much, I moved inside the car, but I still didn’t sleep well.

Here is the view early in the morning of my first day heading south from Swift Run Gap.

Waynesboro – Stanimal’s Hostel, October 11, 2019, Friday

Hiked 23.3 miles today, plus another 0.4 miles for water. At mile 1328.3. I finished the day at Rockfish Gap where I had my car parked. I am staying at Stanimal’s hostel and shuttling my car to Catawba in the morning. Meanwhile, I’m eating at the local Chinese Buffet, getting a hot shower, and shopping at Kroger for resupplies. (Most of my resupply for the next 7 days was already in the trunk of my car.)

Wintergreen View, October 12, 2019, Saturday

At mile 1340.6 Hiked 12.2 miles today after shuttling my car to Catawba from Waynesboro. I didn’t start hiking until 11:30 am and I struggled up Humpback Mountain with a pack made heavier with 7 – 8 days of food. Tented at Wintergreen view near nice rock outcroppings.

Water has been scarce. Here is where I collected standing water and a lot of floaters. I strained the water through cloth and treated it well with chlorine.

My reward for all of that climbing.

View from Wintergreen View.

My campsite at Wintergreen View.

On Side of The Priest, October 13, 2019, Sunday

At mile 1360.9. Hiked 20.3 miles today.

Started hiking in the dark at 6:40 am. In the early morning, I walked up on a group of 5 deer. It was a tough day with a lot of climbing through Three Ridges and Priest Wilderness. I camped near view at two thirds up the Priest.

Here is the swinging bridge over the Tye River. It is a fun bridge because it really pitches back and forth.

Here I am standing on an outcropping part way up The Priest. I camped about 30 yards straight up from this spot.

Pudding Day, October 14, 2019, Monday

At mile 1385.3. Hiked 24.4 miles today.

Today the trail was usually easy with wooded trail and cool winds, but right out of the sleeping bag I had to climb the Priest. At the end of day, I enjoyed some beautiful walks across high grassy balds.

For dinner, I ate chicken teriyaki by headlamp at Brown Mountain Creek Shelter. Dessert was chocolate pudding. For once, I actually slept in the shelter. I am the only person here.

Here is Brown Mountain Creek Shelter the next morning. (It was dark when I arrived the day before.)

Bluff Mountain, October 15, 2019, Tuesday

At mile 1407.5. Hiked 22.2 miles today.

Today I saw 2 snakes and one frog in a spring. Bluff Mountain was the big climb of the day.

Here is another swinging bridge.

Here is a view of the James River. Apple Orchard Mountain lies beyond.

Here is the Foot Bridge across the James River. It was dedicated in the year 2000. It is a foot bridge that is named in honor of a man named Foot.

Wet and Cold, October 16, 2019, Wednesday

At mile 1425.4. Hiked 17.9 miles today.

It started raining at around 5:30 am. I took my time getting started but soon realized that the rain wasn’t going away. After hiking all morning in the rain I was soaked because my rain gear didn’t work, particularly the jacket. The winds picked up and the temps dropped and the rain blew. I kept moving up the mountain in an attempt to stay warm. Tonight I am tenting next to Cornelius Creek Shelter. Highlights of the day were Apple Orchard Mountain and Black Rock overlook.

October 17, 2019, Thursday

At mile 1445.2. Hiked 19.8 miles today.

Cool and breezy made for pleasant hiking. My feet are beat up and legs sore, but it was a good day.

Finally, some nice leaf color.

Here is an American Chestnut tree.

American Chestnut

Town Night, October 18 2019, Friday

At mile 1463.3. Hiked 18.1 miles today. Spent night at Super 8 motel. Ate supper at Lil Pig.

Bear, October 19, 2019, Saturday

At mile 1477.7. Hiked 15.4 miles today. Tenting at Campbell Shelter. Saw bear climbing down a tree 0.6 miles before reaching the Shelter.

A cloud covered Carvins Cove Reservoir. McAffee Knob is the pointed mountain in the distance.

The trail is sheltered with a rock ledge.

McAffee Knob, October 20, 2019, Sunday

Finished section at mile 1482.1. Hiked 4.4 miles today.

It rained all night long and the floor of my tent leaked. I packed up my wet gear and headed out into the rain to my car. I passed McAffee Knob, but with the rain and clouds, there was no view and no photo ops.

October 22, 2019