NYC !!!

I crossed the New Jersey line into New York,
(see pic right). Stepped on the highest point in NY
      on the AT (Pic below)

 



  









I couldnt resist. I also couldnt talk anyone else into going with me.


 

But I quickly dove off trail in greenwood lake,

                                                                                

Times Square, NYC

and caught a bus to Times Square. I spent a couple of hours overloading my senses and am now back on the bus.


  



 I hope to get on trail this evening and make shelter before dark . 

Quick Update and Pictures

Kittatinny Mt- Rocky Summit

Wooden Tower near High Pt State Park

Sorry for the long pause since the last update.  I left Waynesboro with high spirits only to be washed away by a couple of days of long cold rain.  i didn't get any pictures due to the weather.  It was cold and wet.  I basically walked all day, took shorts breaks in shelters to eat and kept walking.

The less less than moderate terrain, this accounted for many miles but did not bode well for my feet.  I have been battling blisters and sores since then.  So now I am walking fewer miles.  4 nights in a row alone had me second guessing why i am out here.  I decided that i was too far behind the pack to stay motivated.  I made it to Boiling Springs, PA and "yellow blazed" a small portion of the trail to meet up with more hikers.  I landed in Delaware Water Gap, PA at a church hostel just south of the NJ border.

Knoxville- Sunrise Mt (storm)

The next morning, I started walking again and met a few cool folks.  Knoxville, IV, TP, Dingo, Free, and Flapjack just to name a few.  I'm sure there will be more stories about them later.

Catfish Lookout Tower

Switchback and Knoxville

Appalachian Mountains

Bear and Cub climbing tree

Boardwalk (.8 mile) Pochuck Creek/ Swamp

foot damage

I am currently is a hostel run by St Thomas Episcopal Church in Vernon, NJ.  Very nice facility with showers, washer/dryer, and sleeping for 12 hikers, plenty of places to ear nearby and plenty of resupply points.  Due to the condition of my feet I will spend a whole day here without walking to see if I can get them to heal any before walking out again.

Sorry for the short update... computer time is limited here and I have used my share of time.  Thanks for keeping track and let me know if you have any questions.

foot damage 2

-Switchback

Who said MD was easy?!

MD Rocks on Trail

I made it to Waynesboro, PA.  I'm only here for a "in and out" resupply.  I need to beat the next storm to the shelter for tonight.

Relatively speaking, MD is probably the easiest state.  It is mostly flat and only about 45 miles of trail.  However, most of the hikers that go thru here have already completed 1000 miles this year and that makes a huge difference.  To top it off, the upper 90 degree weather I mentioned in a previous post turned out to be 110 with heat index.  I have never sweated so much in my life.   I also have noticed the rocks in northern MD getting worse.  The story is that PA has the worst of it... I may lose this pair of shoes before NJ. 

Below is a picture of the trail and the terrain of the first 3 miles out of Harpers Ferry.  This follows the old C&O canal towpath toward Washington DC.  I believe you could continue this path for about 60 miles and go right into DC. 

C&O Canal Tow Path

Weaver Cliffs

The AT turns left off this path and makes the first climb out of Harpers Ferry.  It was brutal in the heat but the view at the top looking over the Potomac River and back towards Harpers Ferry was worth it.  Below is a picture of me on top of Weaver Cliffs.  You can see Harpers Ferry over my left elbow. 



I found myself at Gathland State Park around noon.  Nice park with bathrooms, water, pavilion, and lots of history.  I stopped and spoke to a southbound hiker for a bit, replenished my water supply and started heading north again.  As I crossed the field, I realized I hadn't eaten lunch.  I stopped at the pavilion, ate my lunch and rested briefly.   I stepped back on the trail and within .5 mile, I noticed I had reached my destination for the day.  It was 12:45!!!  I couldn't stop again and waste half a day so I continued on.

Gathland State Park.

After a 17 mile day, I made it to a small backpackers campground around 4:30, complete with bathrooms, fire rings, running water, bear bag hangers, and plenty of tent spots.  There was one other north bounder there asleep.  He woke up around 6:30, we spoke for a bit and he packed up and went on another 7 miles probably in the dark before he reached the destination.  He was the only other non-day hiker heading north I met all day.  his name was "Clean Cut".   That left me for a lonely night in the campsite.

 I am about 200 miles south of the crowd of hikers, something I am not used to.  I miss the community the trail has to offer at nights around a campsite.  I am going to have to do some catch up miles if I want to be a part of that.  I am considering a bit of a jump on the trail to catch the crowd and return here to complete this section last.  It will allow me to relax on the hard stop date of Oct 15th in Baxter State Park and put me back into the trail community.   I can easily return here after my summit and knock out this section.  I will work on these details during my next leg of hiking.

Until then.... Switchback

Head shaved and ready to go....



Official ATC Photo

....Now all I have to do is walk. 

I spent the day today in Harper's Ferry taking care of last minute items and preparing for my 7:30 am departure in the morning.   I checked in at the ATC office and got my picture made.

I was also able to snap a quick picture to document the mileage that is out in front of me.  If I didn't need to grab one more item from the store tonight, I would have kept going across that bridge and not looked back.  I am soooo excited and ready to start. 

The weather forecast for the next few days is clear but hot.  Like upper 90s!  Reports are good on water sources up until Duncannon, PA.  After that, I am hearing that rain is needed as the sources are dwindling. 

According to the ATC office, I am about 2 weeks behind the crowd.  That means there may be some lonesome nights during the next week or so until I catch some of those ahead of me. 

This will be my last update until I reach my first stop, Waynesboro, PA... some 40 miles north.   Thanks for following me on this journey and I appreciate all the emails and comments.

Later-
Switchback 

Mileage sign before crossing Potomac River (WV/ MD)

My Gear

As promised, I have finally finalized my gear list and will list in detail below.  Also a few pictures... Please feel free to ask any questions.

Sleeping:

• GoLite Cave II Tarp
• Tyvek house wrap ground cover
• Sleeping blanket by Rab
• Silk sleeping liner
• Ridgerest closed cell sleeping pad
• GoLiite titanium tent stakes

Cooking

• Titanium Pot/lid
• Alcohol stove/ windscreen
• Denatured alcohol-fuel
• lighter
• Spoon
• 2.5 liter water bladder
• Aqua Mira water purification solution
• Spoon

Misc

• 50' 550 cord (used to hang food in trees)
• whistle
• fire starter
• razor blade
• led light
• 3 led headlamp
• AT guide book by Awol
• leatherman micro tool
• Small first aid kit
• Hiking poles (Double as tarp poles)

Packed Clothes

• Fleece pullover
• Rain jacket
• short sleeve hiking shirt
• 2 pairt socks

Skin out

• hiking shorts (modified soccer shorts with 2 mesh pockets and 1 waterproof pocket)
• compression shorts
• merino wool socks
• Merrell shoes
• GoLite sleeveless hiking shirt
• Buff multi use head wrap

Notes: I have another pair of Merrell shoes already "broken in" waiting to be shipped when needed.

I wish I could do that!

   You can tell the time is near for me to enter the woods as my beard is getting long and scraggly.  That inner excitement has started to stir and the smile on my face is getting bigger every time I tell my story to someone that is hearing it for the first time.  But I have noticed a trend when I tell someone that I am embarking on a 3 month journey and walking 1200 miles... they always respond with "I wish I could do that" or "I would love to do that but I'm too old and out of shape".
It bothers me to hear friends and relatives say these things.  Then I realized that I was saying the exact same thing last year.
   In the summer of 2011, Rachel and I decided to downsize our lives.  We wanted to focus less on keeping up with the Jones' and more on quality of life and things that are important to us.  Things started to happen quickly, our plan was actually working.  Though a lot of hard work our goal was becoming a reality.  In fact, things were coming together so nicely that completing the A.T. was a topic on the table.  I actually had the support of my family to leave... voluntarily... for 3 months... just to walk!!!  This is very exciting, but there was one problem... "I'm too old and out of shape to do this".
It has been 9 years, 2 kids, a broken knee and almost 30 pounds since I hiked my first section of the Appalachian Trail in 2003.  I can't do much about the time, kids or my knee but I could absolutely do something about the 30 pounds.

On my May 1, 2012, we made the decision that I would hike.  I had 2.5 months to prepare.  On May 12, I started my nutrition and exercise program.  With the help of a long time family friend and nutrition coach, I have lost 23.5 pounds and felt better than my younger self did in 2003.  I have more energy throughout the day and there is no doubt that I am absolutely ready to hit the mountains of the Appalachians.  

Here's to Chuck and all the help!  Thank YOU!!!

-Switchback