Almost go time. Just need to make a final decision on which layers and shelter I'm taking, throw it all in the pack and hit the trail. I've been watching the forecast and (fingers crossed) it looks like we may have some nice weather. I sure hope so because, with the exception of a few … Continue reading Continuing The Long, Slow Crawl to Katahdin
In just a few weeks, mine and Deep Woods' quest to take the longest amount of time ever to hike the Appalachian Trail continues! Five years as of last spring to get to Damascus, VA. I suppose we should slow down, just to make sure we reach the summit of Katahdin on our dying breaths. … Continue reading AT countdown, a stray goat and a new pack…
Nasty head and chest colds had Loonie and I laid up over the weekend so Sunday it was all football, watching the snow fall and day dreaming about warmer days ahead. We didn't get near as much snow as predicted but it's been bitterly cold out and more of the same may be in store. … Continue reading Laid Up And A Slight Change in Plans…
This year's fall AT trip in the Shenandoah's scrubbed due to injury. Loonie's doing better but it'll likely be spring '19 before we can get out again. More to come ...
It's taken me forever (like 6 weeks or so) to get around to the postscript of this Spring's trip. Crazy! I finally made it through the pics of the AT section hike and have updated the link on the Appalachian Trail page under "Old Droppings" accordingly. That will get you to the Google Photos album. … Continue reading Spring 2018 AT Section Hike – Some Final Thoughts
Katadyn's BeFree Filter: Great...but... Deep Woods and I each used a Katadyn BeFree this time around, filtering nearly 40 liters apiece over the course of the trip. Not enough to give a fair evaluation, especially considering that nearly all sources filtered from were clear and gunk-free. No issues whatsoever though. Flow rate was great. Certainly better … Continue reading A Bunch Of Thoughts On Gear After the Spring 2018 Hike
Day Nine: Boots Off Hostel to Campsite near Turkeypen Gap. 13.1 mi We were up early again to try and knock out as much of the day's hike before the temps got the better of us. Downed some coffee and donuts while listening to a thru hiker who just arrived tell of how he had … Continue reading Spring 2018 AT Section Hike: Days 9-11
Day 6: Mountain Harbour Hostel to campsite at Slide Hollow. 9.6 mi After over-indulging ourselves (well, okay, I was the only one to over-indulge) in the AYCE (All You Can Eat) breakfast at Mountain Harbour, we resumed our walk north. Mountain Harbour is an awesome place to stay and I highly recommend it to anyone … Continue reading Spring 2018 AT Section Hike – Days 6-8
Day Four: Ash Gap Campsite to Overmountain Shelter. 9.0 mi There was a lot of anticipation leading up to this part of the trip and it didn't disappoint. The forecast was in our favor as we started up the trail. First stop was the site of the former Cloudland Hotel near Toll House Gap. The … Continue reading Spring 2018 AT Section Hike: Days 4 & 5
Deep Woods and I finished the AT section hike a day early, adding a few miles to each of the last three days to beat a storm system moving in. Additionally, Deep Woods got a text that a close friend had just passed away so he needed to get back home ASAP. To make things … Continue reading Spring 2018 AT Section Hike: Days 1-3
Bulldog's Droppings 