I'm in New England!

Day 111 

I spent the morning getting things done at the house. Weedeater made pancakes, eggs, and home fries for breakfast which was delicious. I then had a full stomach as I worked on my blog and wrote another newspaper article.

Sue's parents took us back to the trail after lunch. Chameleon and I put in a short day. It was not exactly motivating to know my pack weighed 36 pounds when I left the house. Perhaps I should have weighed just my food separately because going into town my pack felt so light!

Day 112

There was a light rain up until the last five miles of the day. I walked over multiple swamps that had wooden walkways to keep my feet dry. Despite the portions of boardwalk-like trail I still must have squeezed at least a 1/4 cup of water from each sock and insole. I was happy to take of my boots this evening!

The trail did a complete horseshoe around a wildlife sanctuary. I saw two swans, a crane, a rabbit, and a small mammal (possibly a beaver) in the pond. Unfortunately no pictures today due to the rain!

Day 113 

I crossed into New York! Chameleon and I took photos at the border while swatting away mosquitoes. The  mosquitoes are currently humming next to the screen of my tent trying to figure out how to get inside. Setting up my tent with so many biting bugs was worse than setting up in the rain.

Before leaving New Jersey I climbed up Wawayanda Mountain. Oddly enough that felt like the first real mountain in a while. Pennsylvania and New Jersey were both quite flat, though rocks did make the trail challenging. New Jersey felt very short and was quite enjoyable!

Walking the boardwalk in a wildlife preserve

Day 114 

Late last night I heard a loud banging noise that sounded much like a dumpster shutting. The odd thing was is happened over and over again. Then it got worse! It sounded like a rock tumbling around in a dumpster. Then there were flashes of light. Was it really strange thunder and lightning? Then it dawned on me, fireworks were going off. They sounded so strange, perhaps because the sound was going over a lake and up a valley. At least I eventually figured out what it was!

My first impression of the Appalachian Trail in New York: it's rocky, it goes up and over all rock faces, blazes are painted on trees but hikers have to figure out where the trail is, there are real mountains, lots of broken glass, many mosquitoes, and many blown down trees. I am curious to see if all of New York feels like today. There were some great views!

up and over

lots of blazes, but how do I get there?

The weather was hot and muggy. As I sat on a rock for a rest it reminded of how I didn't shiver for months when I arrived in Chuuk. I was able to give myself a bandana bath in the early evening which helped eliminate some stickiness. Unfortunately my armpits are beginning to chafe again. Despite my complaints I am still happy to be on the trail!

Day 115

Many of my water sources today were trail magic water. It was so lovely not to have to filter the water and to "camel up" at unexpected spots on a hot day. Before the first trail crossing this morning Chameleon and I came across a cooler full of fruit for hikers! What a treat to eat a banana and a nectarine as a second breakfast!

I spent the afternoon walking through Harriman State Park. It was beautiful and had so many different terrains and landscapes. Parts of the trail were on old dirt roads, then rocks faces, then through fields of grass and ferns, then scaling rocks and squeezing through the lemon squeeze. I also went for a quick dip in the lake and took a shower! It felt so good to wash of layers of sweat and dirt.

Our camping spot tonight is great. We are near the top of a mountain with a view looking west. I watched the glowing sun sink behind the mountains. The wind is blowing in the leaves- I think I'll sleep well tonight.

Day 116

Happy 1400 miles! Chameleon and I had a quick photo shoot to celebrate. The sun was hot and we were squinting like crazy.

Happy 1400 Miles!

The trail took me up bear mountain which had a great tower on top. The stairway leading up to the view had old photos and facts about the history of the tower and inn. I may have seen the skyline of NYC or perhaps it was just wishful thinking. I also walked through a zoo which the trail passes through. It had bears and foxes as well as a bunch of reptiles, amphibians, and fish. The black bears there were brown and fat. I didn't know black bears could be other colors!

Chameleon and I tried to resupply in a town but encountered construction the made crossing the bridge as a pedestrian impossible. Thankfully we had enough food to camp tonight and head into a different town tomorrow.

Day 117

It is currently raining and I am excited. I am dry, I finished dinner before the rain started, and I should sleep well listening to the rain drops falling onto my tent. The air has also cooled off a bit. So happy I didn't get wet feet today!

The trail today felt very different from the rest of New York thus far. I did cross the Hudson River, perhaps the two are related. There were zero views today and very few rock faces. As a result hiking felt a bit easier, even with my pack full. Lots of beautiful green woods!

Our camping spot is close to an area that was clearly a party site on the fourth of July. When we first arrived it looked a bit like a crime scene with trash and camping debris everywhere. Thankfully there were other thru-hikers here so we camped near them.

Day 118

I am super tired and am ready to sleep. Here are the highlights from today.

Bathing in a lake

Seeing trail maintainers move boulders

Three deer

Trail magic- grapes, juice, chips & Clementine

Last night people walked up to the trashed campsite at midnight and stayed around yelling and laughing for an hour. All four of us were awake but didn't want to come out of the darkness to tell the people to go away.  

Day 119

I walked by a beautiful lake that had very easy access to the water, unfortunately it was called Nuclear Lake. A hiker later in the day told me he went for a swim and he's just fine.

I had some trail magic today! There were snacks and drinks left by hikers we met on the trail in Virginia. They knew exactly what hikers crave: juice, soda, cookies, crackers, fruit, fake fruity snacks, and more. It was lovely!

Tonight I'm camping between a road and railroad tracks at a garden center. There are many other hikers here too, including a pair of hikers that have the same tents as Chameleon and I.

Day 120

I walked into Connecticut! It feels so good to be back in New England again. There were a couple of mountains today too. Soon after entering Connecticut I walked by a river for a while which really made me feel I was in New England.

Today Chameleon and I met our first southbound hiker who started in Katahdin. We stopped and chatted for a bit and discovered his sister was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines. It will be fun to start meeting more hikers heading south. 


Day 121
This morning I walked into Kent in hopes of getting new socks and bags for water.  I should have looked at the guide first because despite making good time on the trail, I had to wait until 9 for the outfitter to open.  Unfortunately the store open 25 minutes late and had a horrible selection.  There was another store that opened at 10 that did have socks.  I waited around and played ukulele then was finally able to buy a pair of socks.

With all the delays I didn't get back onto the trail until nearly 11.  I had 5 and a half hours to meet Chameleon at our meeting spot to get picked up for the night.  Hiking at top speed was not very enjoyable for me, though I arrived on time. There was a cloud of little black flies in front of my face for most of the hike. They drove me crazy! 

So many bugs!

Peg, a friend of Chameleon's family, picked us up and took us in.  We had a fantastic dinner of chicken, corn on the cob, and fresh salads. Thank you!

Rock Encounters

Day 98

There was a lot of different terrain on the trail today. It began with a long hike in the woods. There was a great view then I made my way down to Duncannon where I walked through a hiker based fair then continued for over a mile on town sidewalks (which really made my feet hurt). I crossed the Susquehanna river next to a highway, got off the exit ramp, crossed some railroad tracks with a waiting train, then hiked a steep ascent up the mountain. Near the top I finally hit some of the infamous Pennsylvania rocks. It'll be slow moving when I navigate those in the future.

Chameleon and I chose to stop early today so that we could stay in a shelter tonight. We have been hearing about this big storm for days and figured it would be nice to stay dry.

Day 99 

For the first time I was present when a hiker announced they would be leaving the trail. I am sad to say Madhatter got off the trail today. Luna may be as well, though I don't know for sure. Hearing a fellow hiker's decision to get off the trail reminded me of hearing a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer's decision to go home. Both were hard choices to make. I am sad and bummed about Madhatter's departure but he had to do what was best for him. I am once again reminded of how lucky I am to still be strong, happy, and healthy on the trail with Chameleon.

Today was the summer solstice! I thought I might hike my biggest mile day on the longest day of the year but decided not to after finding a campsite next to water. Being flexible on the trail has been so important to remaining happy.

Day 100

Lots of water on the trail today. I discovered the sole of my boot has separated and now leaks. As a result I was trying to step on as many rocks as possible to avoid the water.

Trail magic with hamburgers was provided this evening! I was surprised to see six hikers there when Chameleon and I arrived because we had only seen two of them during the day. The Trail Angel was a past AT hiker and he had since hiked the Pacific Crest Trail.

Day 101 

I got to shower at the 501 shelter today! It was a bit of a bummer to put on my dirty hiking clothes afterwards but at least I smelled better.

Chameleon and I waited out a thunderstorm at the shelter. People could hardly believe we were leaving because pizza was being ordered (one of two shelters I know of where this can be done). I much prefer sleeping next to a river than in a shelter with a lot of snoring hikers.

I had the feeling of being back in Chuuk today. I decided to relax on the top bunk and laid down directly on the wood. The rain was pounding on the ceiling, and lots of people were talking in the room. The weather was also hot and humid. It was strange and fun to have the sensation of being back in Chuuk.

Day 102 

I woke up to a delightfully chilly morning. It felt like a fall morning when everything feels fresh. The air stayed crisp all day which was a welcome change. Yesterday I spent much of the day with my head surrounded by a cloud of flies. They kept trying to fly into my eyes too, and many succeeded. Thankfully no bugs today!

Tonight I am sleeping in the pavilion in Port Clinton, PA. I appreciate having a free place to stay. There are a lot of other hikers here too. Unfortunately no river to lull me to sleep tonight, there is a road quite close by. Off to buy new shoes tomorrow! I must remember to photograph the present pair before they are retired.

Day 103

I now have new boots! They are surprisingly similar to my last pair but these are Merrills since Patagonia doesn't make boots anymore. I only hiked three miles in the today but I think the boots will break in nicely. At least my right foot is no longer drinking muddy water from the trail.

Day 104 

I hiked to the Pinnacle today! The view was fantastic looking down onto farmland in the valley and across to the ridge I traversed in the morning. There were birds flying and soaring on the air currents. Perhaps they were hawks? One landed on a tree very close by.

The Eckville Shelter had a shower so I'm clean again! There were so many lightning bugs in the evening. I hopIe I am never too old to get excited about the magic of fireflies!

Day 105 

Today was one of the most challenging days on the trail thus far. It was a wet morning, though mostly just dripping from trees. After lunch the rain truly began and so did the rocks. As the wind whipped by, while I was on all fours making sure I didn't slip on the boulders, I couldn't help but feel a little crazy.

I was excited to reach the shelter hoping to get warm and dry. Much to my disappointment it was nearly full with room for one. While Chameleon and I are sure we both could have fit without making people squish too much, the inhabitants didn't agree. I was not impressed... we left to set up our tents. I was grumpy, cold, and hungry.

At least some of the bad Pennsylvania rocks were conquered and I ended the day dry, warm, and fed in my tent before going to sleep.

Day 106 

I got 12 hours of sleep last night! I woke up early, confirmed with Chameleon that motivation was lacking on a wet morning, then fell asleep for two more hours.

The hike out of Lehigh Gap was intense. I once again found myself on all fours on the trail comprised of rock faces and scrambles. Wearing a pack while pulling myself up and over rocks was not fun. I felt crazy again today. I am so thankful it didn't rain!

Tonight I camped in a pavilion behind a restaurant. Other hikers tipped us off about the spot. So much better than finding a shelter full of unfriendly hikers! When we arrived people immediately said they could make room for two more. Thank you!

Day 107

Happy Birthday to my brother! After making a number of attempts I did manage to reach him and catch up for a bit. It will be great to be home and close to family again when I finish the trail.

As I was trying to get service to call my brother, a hiker came walking towards me. When I asked how she was doing she showed me her freshly bloodied knee. I had her come into camp and was able to use my first aid kit to help her clean up her knee. I was glad I was able to help her out! Good luck Warm and Toasty!

I spent all day looking down at the trail today. There were so many small uneven rocks embedded in the path that I could barely look around at my surroundings. After Chameleon humorously lamented our progress I had to sit from laughing so hard. Much to my surprise and delight Weedeater came walking towards us at that moment! We hadn't seen him since Four Pines Hostel in mid May.  It was fun to catch up a bit.

I am excited that tomorrow will be our last day in Pennsylvania before heading on to New Jersey.

Day 108

Last night I was awoken by a crying, whining, sad animal noise. It went on for over an hour. Of course by the time I finally decided to get out my phone to record the noise it stopped. Today Chameleon looked up crying animal videos and we discovered it was a porcupine.

Tonight I am staying in the Church of the Mountain hiker hostel. Chameleon and I arrived around 4 pm which allowed for lots of leisure time. I feel like I have laughed more tonight than I have in while and I love it!

Day 109

So many new things today! A new state in a new month hitting a new milestone of 1300! It feels great to have completed seven states. New Jersey was beautiful today! There were multiple expansive views, less rocks, rivers, lakes, prickly dewberries, and blueberries. I climbed to the top of a fire tower and was surprised that I saw so many trees with hardly any civilization. I never expected New Jersey to be the place I felt most surrounded by wilderness.

At the end of our hike today Chameleon, Weedeater, and I were picked up and taken to a friend's house. I met Sue in a wilderness first aid class just before leaving to hike the AT and offered to take me in when I walked into New Jersey. We had quite a fun ride getting to Sue's house. She encountered a tree in the road and called her nephew to get us. He had a fancy red sports car that felt a little like a clown car as three of us and all our gear were loaded up. 

At Sue's house we were treated to a fantastic meal made by her and her parents. Lots of protein choices, fresh green beans, beans and rice, and dessert! Tonight we get to sleep in a bed while hearing the creek through the open screen door. I'm sure I'll sleep well tonight!

Day 110

Sue dropped us off at the trail this morning and we had a great day of slack packing. The weather was warm with a nice breeze. I saw a few other thru-hikers who all reported bear sightings though I didn't see one myself. The view from the fire tower once again revealed vast amounts of forest and a few lakes.

After Sue's parents picked us up we got our resupply and had a late dinner. Having a kitchen was such a treat! Thank you for hosting!