Last Day Deja Vu

1,500 Miles!

Today was our last day of hiking for this round of Trekking. Amicus has to go back to work. I have to move across the state for medical school. Unfortunately, just as spring is arriving on the Trail, begging us to stay, the real world comes knocking and demands that we leave. It was a beautiful day and we hiked 14 miles. One of the longest days this month. Within those 14 miles was the end of the Connecticut section of the AT and the beginning of Massachusetts.

Welcome to Massachusetts. Where hopefully we don't have so many silly rules about where you can and can not go in our State Parks.

We saw a huge owl this morning. It swooped down onto the Trail in front of us and killed something. Then it saw us coming and proceeded to stare us down from a tree right above our heads until we had walked passed it. I think it was worried that we were going to steal its breakfast. Later in the morning, we came across about a mile or a mile and a half of Trail that was completely charred. It still smelled like a campfire, so it had been burned recently. Even more interestingly, there were miles of firehose curled up alongside the trail, and a 500 gallon plastic reservoir (complete with a small pump in a nearby creek that kept it full) in a clearing in the middle of it all. Clearly something happened here. Whether it was a contraband fire (campfires are illegal on the AT in Connecticut) that got out of hand, or a planned, controlled burn for ecological reasons, I do not know. The smell of smoke was still thick in the air though, so I'm very glad we didn't happen to be hiking this section of Trail yesterday.

Scorched Trail

The second half of our hike was pretty difficult. It included two big climbs, one up Mount Everett, which was over 2,000 feet in elevation, and the only time this month that we've climbed that high. The ascents seemed to go on and on. There were lots of false summits, or high points that seem to level off so you think you've reached the top, only to round a corner and reveal that you have several hundred more feet to climb. I have to admit though, some of the views were spectacular. Just like last October, it's almost as if the Trail knows we have to leave today, and was sending us off with something amazing to remember her by.

Last Climb

It took us 9 hours to hike our last 14 miles. We definitely took our time. We stopped at every overlook, pretty view, interesting sign and babbling brook. The fact that I have a small cold probably contributed to the multiple breaks, but I was glad for the chance to savor the day. Somehow, this ending isn't quite as emotional as our last ending. Maybe it's because my Trail Angel isn't with me this time, so I feel like my team is incomplete. Maybe it's because we were here one month instead of five, and hiked 200 miles at once instead of 1,300. Maybe it's because I'm becoming accustomed to meeting the Trail in these spurts. One thing is for sure, it is not for lack of love of what I'm doing. Just like last time, as I stomped down the final hill, there was no epiphany. I still haven't "found myself" on the Trail. But once again, I feel like maybe my "self" was never lost at all. I am so proud to be here. So proud to have done this, to have the ability to do this, to have an amazing family that supports me in doing this. It is time, once again, to thank everyone who follows this for tagging along with me on this incredible adventure. I have absolutely no idea when I will be able to come back out here. Maybe I will have a few more weeks to trek before I start the next great adventure of my life at medical school. Maybe it will be a year from now. But I know the Trail will be waiting. And again, I leave with a promise to return. Like a childhood friend who loves you unconditionally, no matter how much time you spend apart, I know we will greet each other again soon and pick up right where we left off, like nothing ever changed between us. I am blessed. This world is beautiful. Life is beautiful. And I've only begun to dig my toes into the surface of it.

Nano and Amicus. Adventure Friends Always.

Miles from Springer: 1,503.4

Miles from Katahdin: 674.6

Quote of the Month (Paraphrased from a wise man name Whitman)

AFOOT and light-hearted, I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me, leading wherever I choose...

...Mon enfant! I give you my hand!
I give you my love, more precious than money,
I give you myself, before preaching or law;
Will you give me yourself? will you come travel with me?
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?

Trekking with Zizzle

Nano and Zizzle on the Trail

Today we hiked a little over 10 miles, in the good company of our friend Zizzle, who came all the way from Pennsylvania to hike with us today. It was another beautiful spring day. The Trail was a bit easier than yesterday, with one big hill to climb with relatively flat Trail on either side. We passed a very fancy boarding school (which are apparently very popular up here), a hydroelectric power plant, and a very old, jam-packed cemetery. So there were lots of interesting things to see today. We even walked right by (and up onto) a very beautiful waterfall at a place aptly named Falls Village.

At the Falls. The Trail actually goes up to the top of the waterfalls, which was very neat.

We took our time. We spent almost an hour at the Falls. We stopped for lunch at the top of the big climb. When it's so nice out, it's hard not to dilly dally a bit so you can soak it all in. After we reached our destination for the day and did the dance of the vehicles to get everything in place for tomorrow, we meandered back to the RV and grilled some tasty burgers and roasted marshmallows on the campfire. We wanted to give Zizzle the real wilderness experience. Although we had it so nice today, I'm afraid he just got the impression that we're living the cushy life out here. Which, I have to say, some days I think so too.

To prove it, here's another picture of beautiful springtime on the Trail

Final Push and Company

Crossing Guinea Brook

Today we walked about 14 miles, and a very hard 14 miles it was. It was a section of Trail with no flat sections again, only ups and downs. It took us about 9 hours to go 14 miles. Plenty of breaks included of course. Early in the hike, we had to cross Guinea Brook. There was a sign at the edge of the brook warning hikers of the dangers of trying to cross Guinea Brook when the water levels were high. Dangerous indeed. The water levels weren't particularly high today, but there were very few stepping stones. Certainly none made for Nano-sized legs. We survived, though. I think the Connecticut AT Club should invest in a Guinea Brook Bridge. There were other adventures to be had and interesting sights to see, including a very unusual critters.

Albino Whitetailed Deer. Never seen one with this coloring before.

Things were pretty rocky today. I certainly wouldn't want to be on this section of Trail in a earthquake...

Not earthquake proof

...but I made it without falling down this time. Thank goodness for little victories. Towards the end of our hike, from the top of the hill we were on, we looked down and saw (and more importantly, heard) what appeared to be a test track for a car company. They had soaked down a circular track with water and were wearing two very loud and very fast cars out. Looked like fun. It took us a long time to complete our hike today, so we were pretty glad to see the end of it. Especially since, this evening we were graced with with the presence of one of my college chemistry major friends, Trail Name Zizzle, who will be joining us on our adventure tomorrow. Welcome to the Nano Express, Zizzle.

Nano and Zizzle

Happy Mothers Day from the AT

Airport Mothers Day Surprise

This weekend we got to do something very special. We didn't do any hiking. What we did do was surprise our Trail Angel at the airport for Mothers Day. She was flying home from Texas. She has been with a dear friend who is being treated for cancer in Houston. We decided that we would go be with her this weekend. So we found the nearest airport to us here in Connecticut and snuck down to the Nashville airport to meet the Trail Angel when her plane from Texas arrived.

Mothers Day Dinner

We stayed at a hotel in Nashville and took Mamma out to dinner at a nice restaurant. We brought her some tidbits from really neat places we've found in the small towns up here in Connecticut (a Belgian chocolatier and a glassblower, to be specific), but mostly I was just glad to be with my mother on Mothers Day. Being out here on the Trail isn't the same without my Trail Angel, and I miss her every day. There are not enough words for how wonderful my Mamma is. I hope and pray that I can be half the woman she is someday. Thank you, Mamma, for giving me life. I love you.

Nano and her Trail Angel

Spring is Setting In...

Things are really starting to green up on the Trail...

Yesterday, we hiked about 10 miles. It was an absolutely incredible day. I know I've said that a lot lately, but it seems like things just keep getting prettier and prettier out here. I think it's because everything is turning so green, and green is my absolute favorite color. The whole world looks fresh. I love spring. The first few miles of our hike were pretty difficult. Up a long rocky climb, then plummeting down the other side. The views at the top were great, and we sat and enjoyed them for quite a bit while we ate the piping hot, fresh pancakes with maple syrup that Amicus insisted he packed for us. Which tasted suspiciously like PB & J sandwich, but were delicious nonetheless. The backside of the hill was brutal. It was a near vertical drop, broken up by jagged rocks. I fell and bruised my left knee. It was very slow going, especially for little Nano with her Nano legs.

Easing down the rocks...

At the bottom of the hill, the second half of our hike awaited us. Over 4 miles of nearly flat riverside hiking. You rarely ever get truly flat Trail out here, so this was a real treat. Rather than concentrate on every single step you take, keeping your eyes fixed on the 5 feet of Trail in front of you so you don't fall down and break something, you get to let your mind wander just a bit. You get a chance to look around and really take in your surroundings. And on a day like yesterday, absorbing the springtime was truly welcome. At the end of the day, my legs were a bit sore from working so hard to walk down the steep rocks (as opposed to just ball up and roll down them), but I was a little sad to get in the car. Yesterday was one of those days that makes falling down, or being tired, or getting caught in the rain last week totally, completely, and undeniably worth it.

Watching Earth revive itself...priceless.

More Rain and A Hard Day

Georgia to Maine...via Connecticut...

Yesterday, it rained all day. Literally. A steady drip from the wee hours of the morning until after dark. Hiking in the rain is physically hard, it's true. The rocks, leaves and roots you step on are slick as glass, and there's nothing you can do to keep any part of you truly dry. But the harder part about hiking in the rain is the mental fatigue. I know that sounds silly....mental fatigue?...from rain?...but trust me. When all you see for hours is grey mist, and you are so cold and wet you start to forget what warm and dry are, and your $XXX dollar waterproof hiking shoes are full of muddy water, and the only sound that breaks up the plop of the raindrops on your rainjacket hood is the squeak of not-so-waterproof fabric against your chaffed skin...you start to get depressed. Don't get me wrong. Walking in bad weather is a key part of this experience. I've hiked in rain, thunder, snow, sleet, and high winds. At first it made me feel really hardcore. Then it made me feel a little anxious. After a few days of doing it, it just made me feel like I was making really bad decisions. Needless to say, this go around, Amicus and I had a pact, of sorts, that we would not start hiking in foul weather. If foul weather finds us while we're out, then we will brave it like the intrepid explorers we are. But if the foul weather beats us to the Trail, Mother Nature can have it for the day. Yesterday, the Trail definitely belonged to Mother Nature. We spent the say scouting routes and exploring the area, and amazingly, after a very dreary day, Mother Nature showed us her good side. Today was gorgeous. 65 degrees and barely a cloud in the sky. It was a great day to be out.

Beautiful Trail in Spring

We hiked a little over 11 miles today. And within the first two of those miles, we were very glad we didn't try to tackle this section of Trail in the rain. Today was the hardest day of hiking we've had yet. There wasn't a single piece of level Trail. It was all either up or down. Mostly over rocks and roots. On a gorgeous day like today, it was as challenge. Yesterday, it would've made for a pretty treacherous obstacle coarse. Our pace was pretty slow, but we made it over the rough terrain. There were lots of nice views and we took plenty of breaks to enjoy them. Everything is starting to turn bright green. I love it. It's beautiful. Everything is coming alive again. Not including us, though. 11+ miles of rocks and roots makes us hikers pretty tired. But it's a good tired. We will sleep well tonight.

Nano and Amicus at the River

Goodbye NY

It's really hard to see, but someone scrawled the NY-CT state line into the post of this sign!

Today we hiked the last 7 miles of AT in New York, and passed over into Connecticut. There's only about 40 miles of Trail in Connecticut, but they are a very popular 40 miles. Lots of local people from the area come to hike these bits, even though we haven't seen anyone else on the Trail here yet. There's even a thing called the "Connecticut Challenge," which is where you hike the entire AT in Connecticut (from the New York state line to the Massachusetts state line) in 24 hours. I have no idea how people do that. Even if I ran the whole way I don't think I could make it 4o miles in 24 hours. So we were not preparing for any challenges, just enjoying the last bit of AT in New York...

...which is apparently littered with what appear to be abandoned missile silos.

The hiking was relatively easy today. We hiked through some private farmland, and through some forest. The day was beautiful, but the grass in the pastures was very wet from the morning dew. So wet in fact, that my shoes and socks were soaked after just a mile of hiking. And it wasn't even raining! Luckily, Amicus had his "wet foot" kit, which consists of a pair of dry socks, Purell, and the little plastics bags you use to clean up after your dog. The Purell dries out your skin as it evaporates, the dry socks...well, they are just a nice alternative to soaking wet ones, and the doggie bags go over your feet to keep your new dry socks from getting wet in your damp shoes. Works like a charm. Every self-respecting hiker should have one. We finished our hike for the day in the early afternoon and spent the rest of the day relocating our entourage of vehicles further north. We even found a great little local dive where we had some yummy pasta and cherry pie. A good welcome to Connecticut!

Where they have very nice bridges. Made out of Lincoln Logs.

May Flowers

Waiting for the AT Train

Today was a relatively short hiking day, a little over 7 miles, because we needed to spend some time working on logistics (parking, driving routes, etc.) for the rest of the week. It was another beautiful May day though, and things around here are actually starting to look like spring.

The Dover Oak, the largest tree on the Trail. It is over 400 years old and over 20 feet in diameter. You can't see the top of it in the picture, but it's branches stretch out at least 20 feet. And it is still alive. Big tree indeed.

May Flowers!

May...Skunk Cabbage? It doesn't smell bad like its name implies, but this bright green swamp plant is in full bloom here in NY right now.

We finished our hiking for the day about 12:30 pm and spent the afternoon pondering driving routes through the rest of New York. This section of the Trail runs along a(nother) Parkway that RVs are not allowed to drive on. New York must really not want RVs in their state parks. The "No Fun Parkway" has thrown a small wrench into our day to day logistics, so we drive a lot, but we make do. In our driving today, we found the Red Rooster Drive-In, where we had some awesome burgers and milkshakes. Perfect post-Trail food. I think we have lots planned out now, so hopefully Mother Nature will continue to be kind and we can keep enjoying the AT sights.

NY's "Nuclear Lake." I have no idea where it got its name, but it doesn't look radioactive to me.

Happy May Day

Spring is in the air on the AT

Today we hiked a little over 12 miles. It's the first day of May, and although the May flowers that the April showers are supposed to bring aren't quite out yet, things are definitely looking greener. The weather was beautiful again today. I broke out my highlighter-yellow shirt because today is the first day of turkey season here in New York. I'd hate to be mistaken for a gobbler. The trail was mostly ridge walking with a big hill at either end. Not too many rocks to scramble over, so it was a good hike.

Even a picnic table for lunch

We finished our hike around 3:30 pm. We try to get finished by 4:00 pm every day. First, because we have a lot of driving to do between the trailheads (I really miss my Trail Angel...she was so good at navigation and logistics...) and second because Amicus and I both hit a proverbial wall of energy and willpower about 4:00 pm. We call it the 4 o'clock doldrums. When we were hiking long days and staying out overnight, if we pushed through until about 5:30 pm, the doldrums passed and we got a second wind. But since we aren't doing that this time around, we try to beat them to the end of our hike for the day. So far we've succeeded. We found a yummy local Italian place for dinner. I had baked ziti. It's supposed to rain more later in the week, but I hope it passes us by and we get some more of these great spring days.

Spring in NY