Showing posts with label AT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AT. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Mile 978
Mile 978
The last few weeks have been interesting. We have pretty much seen the last of what the south has in store. For the 1st time I actually feel like we have accomplished something when we reached 900 miles. It's hard to explain and surreal when I think about 900 miles anywhere and we are not even half way done lolol. Coda will be going home for a month, the heat and miles are to much for her right now, and the heat is only going to get worse. We will be in Harpers Ferry , WV on wed. It feels good especially because the vision of me hiking the AT started when I visited Harpers Ferry last fall, and couldn't seem to get the thought out of my head. So I'm excited to actually walk through there this time with a pack on my back and the full beard I have earned as an AT thru hiker class of 2012.
Last week we aqua blazed through 50 miles of the Shenandoah's it's actually 80 trail miles if you choose to hike it, canoeing is a good way to break up the trip and give the legs a rest. It was fun we made a good choice. Hiking Virginia is 600 miles just in this state alone roughly one quarter of the entire trip. Virginia is a mental beast, I have seen more people stray or quit due to injuries, financial strain or just sick and tired of hiking in Virginia, even some of the strongest of hikers are off the trail by now. Leif and I both feel fortunate to still be among the few still on track to finish in Maine by October. I have to give most of the credit to our family and friends even friends of family and friends .for their amazing support, we are just doing the walking but they are the ones keeping us here and driving ahead on schedule. In All we people ask me how we do it, I honestly don't know, I guess I just take it 5 miles at a time and that has lead to 978 miles traveled.
The heat this summer is exhausting, 5 miles feel like 10 with the sun and humidity bearing down on you. I can drink 5 liters of water while hiking and still manage to be on the brink of dehydration by the end of the day when we are finished. We welcome rain for the first time on the trip , but I have to admit no matter how hot it gets, I would tater sweat to death than freeze to death any day because in my mind, the cold is just demoralizing.
God speed to all those hikers left we are all out here sweating together.
~Nomad
Sent from my iPhone
The last few weeks have been interesting. We have pretty much seen the last of what the south has in store. For the 1st time I actually feel like we have accomplished something when we reached 900 miles. It's hard to explain and surreal when I think about 900 miles anywhere and we are not even half way done lolol. Coda will be going home for a month, the heat and miles are to much for her right now, and the heat is only going to get worse. We will be in Harpers Ferry , WV on wed. It feels good especially because the vision of me hiking the AT started when I visited Harpers Ferry last fall, and couldn't seem to get the thought out of my head. So I'm excited to actually walk through there this time with a pack on my back and the full beard I have earned as an AT thru hiker class of 2012.
Last week we aqua blazed through 50 miles of the Shenandoah's it's actually 80 trail miles if you choose to hike it, canoeing is a good way to break up the trip and give the legs a rest. It was fun we made a good choice. Hiking Virginia is 600 miles just in this state alone roughly one quarter of the entire trip. Virginia is a mental beast, I have seen more people stray or quit due to injuries, financial strain or just sick and tired of hiking in Virginia, even some of the strongest of hikers are off the trail by now. Leif and I both feel fortunate to still be among the few still on track to finish in Maine by October. I have to give most of the credit to our family and friends even friends of family and friends .for their amazing support, we are just doing the walking but they are the ones keeping us here and driving ahead on schedule. In All we people ask me how we do it, I honestly don't know, I guess I just take it 5 miles at a time and that has lead to 978 miles traveled.
The heat this summer is exhausting, 5 miles feel like 10 with the sun and humidity bearing down on you. I can drink 5 liters of water while hiking and still manage to be on the brink of dehydration by the end of the day when we are finished. We welcome rain for the first time on the trip , but I have to admit no matter how hot it gets, I would tater sweat to death than freeze to death any day because in my mind, the cold is just demoralizing.
God speed to all those hikers left we are all out here sweating together.
~Nomad
Sent from my iPhone
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Trail Index
So I figured to help acclimate other to what the heck I am actually talking about when I describe the trail ; so here it is!
Trail Index-
White Blaze-A white painted vertical rectangle on trees that designates your on the AT North is true north, to go south turn around and walk the opposite direction .
Blazing- the act of hiking while following a white, blue or yellow blaze.
Hostel - an affordable place to sleep that has bunks to be shared by all hikers.
Sobo- hikers starting in Maine and walking to Georgia.
Nobo- the opposite of above.
Slack Packing -leaving your packs at a hostel or hotel and getting a ride 10-20 miles out of town and hiking back in with out weight, it's faster and easier on the body, the next day you get a ride to where u started and continue north.
Squirrel Blazing- when Koda darts off for periods of time chasing animals; halting our movement.
Trail Spice- when an item you are roasting over a fire falls to the ground, the dirt that attaches it self adds to the flavor since; it's gonna get eaten.
Trail Magic- items left on the trail in a cooler by past thru hikers or citizens for hikers I.e. Beer, soda, snacks, bottled water ect. This selfless act will make the longest , hottest, rainiest day brighter and more manageable.
Trash- what we call gear that fails to live up to it's expectation.
Legit - good restaurant , good gear , great hostel or shelter or anything els on the trail for that matter that is vetted by a thru hiker.
Zero Day- hiking to a hostel or hotel. Spending the night and doing absolutely nothing the next day but eat and sleep.
-Nomad
Sent from my iPhone
Trail Index-
White Blaze-A white painted vertical rectangle on trees that designates your on the AT North is true north, to go south turn around and walk the opposite direction .
Blazing- the act of hiking while following a white, blue or yellow blaze.
Hostel - an affordable place to sleep that has bunks to be shared by all hikers.
Sobo- hikers starting in Maine and walking to Georgia.
Nobo- the opposite of above.
Slack Packing -leaving your packs at a hostel or hotel and getting a ride 10-20 miles out of town and hiking back in with out weight, it's faster and easier on the body, the next day you get a ride to where u started and continue north.
Squirrel Blazing- when Koda darts off for periods of time chasing animals; halting our movement.
Trail Spice- when an item you are roasting over a fire falls to the ground, the dirt that attaches it self adds to the flavor since; it's gonna get eaten.
Trail Magic- items left on the trail in a cooler by past thru hikers or citizens for hikers I.e. Beer, soda, snacks, bottled water ect. This selfless act will make the longest , hottest, rainiest day brighter and more manageable.
Trash- what we call gear that fails to live up to it's expectation.
Legit - good restaurant , good gear , great hostel or shelter or anything els on the trail for that matter that is vetted by a thru hiker.
Zero Day- hiking to a hostel or hotel. Spending the night and doing absolutely nothing the next day but eat and sleep.
-Nomad
Sent from my iPhone
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
First Day of Appalachian Trail Report
Rain -Rain-Rain; Rain -Pain- PAin, our first plus 10 day at 11 miles, showed up at low Gap shelter feeling good, only to see it full, with but the exception of a few are miserable souls. Eat chow, dry off, blue mountain shelter is another 7.3 wtf!!! Drive on in to the fog and rain.
- Chris, trail name ( Nomad )
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