Just checking in to let you know that we're alive and well. However, we've abandoned the thru-hike idea and instead are enrolling at West Point... Hoorah! David is shaving his beard as we speak.
Side note: I suppose all the Mexican food we ate in town this afternoon has altered our conciousness. Off to the hotel room to sleep it off. We'll be back on the trail tomorrow, still heading south for the winter and loving every minute of it!!!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Chesire, MA - Mile 610
On this overcast Saturday, as we are relaxing and giving our feet a much-needed rest, we thought we'd address the most common questions we hear. Many of the questions we're asked are similar, some are plain old silly (such as "Do you realize it's going to be cold when you are hiking in December?"), but the one that takes the cake was a woman in town who asked us "Why would you want to do this?" When we chuckled, thinking "Who wouldn't want to do this?" she asked more seriously, "No, really, why would you want to this?" unable to grasp the pleasure we receive from such a simple life out here.
Q: How many miles do you hike each day?
A: Our mileage varies depending on the terrain and scenery. Currently we are backpacking between 15 and 20 miles each day. As the terrain becomes easier (fewer rocks and significant elevation changes) we are hoping to maintain this mileage (not increase it) to prolong this adventure.
Q: What types of people do you meet?
The people we meet on the trail are an eclectic bunch. We've met hikers from age 10 to a handful in their 60s and early 70s. Most recently we have shared the company of a German-born Canadian named Heinz the Walker who (at the age of 70!) is hiking to Harper's Ferry, WV, as the last section of 4 to complete the entire A.T. He, like us, is looking for a quiet, reflective experience and his stories illustrate how full life truly can be. Some other hikers are out here to push their bodies (they fly by us) and others to socialize and party (we fly by them). Some of the friendliest people we have met are not even hikers, but trail supporters who live in nearby towns, at times offering us rides even when we haven't been hitching. Their generosity and kindness make up for all the weird and disgusted looks we get from everyone else in town.
Q: How heavy are your packs?
A: Without the rocks David hides in Emily's pack, each of us carries about 30 pounds including food and water. Our consumables make up the greatest percentage of pack weight, particularly as our appetites grow. All things considered, our packs are manageable, in large part because we share gear.
Q: What do you eat?
A: Maybe the question should be "What don't we eat?"! On the trail, we eat oatmeal or cereal for breakfast, followed by Poptarts and an energy bar for the morning snack. Lunch consists of tortillas or bagels with peanut butter or cheese and pepperoni. In the afternoon we enjoy a candy bar each and gorp or whatever other snacks we have. Dinner allows for a bit more creativity. Our current favorite is tortellini with powdered tomato Parmesan sauce. Usually dinner is rice or pasta based, although we did pack out a 28oz. can of beans and hot dogs earlier this week. In town, we eat consistently. As of this 9am writing, David has eaten 5 donuts, a half of a chocolate bar, and 2 pieces of pizza.
Q: What do you do other than hike?
A: Eat! We also try to spend time relaxing in the sun and reading at beautiful spots. When it was warmer, we swam often. Each evening we write in our journals. Due to our ongoing fatigue, we sleep 9+ hours a night (during which time David dreams about eating!).
Q: How many miles do you hike each day?
A: Our mileage varies depending on the terrain and scenery. Currently we are backpacking between 15 and 20 miles each day. As the terrain becomes easier (fewer rocks and significant elevation changes) we are hoping to maintain this mileage (not increase it) to prolong this adventure.
Q: What types of people do you meet?
The people we meet on the trail are an eclectic bunch. We've met hikers from age 10 to a handful in their 60s and early 70s. Most recently we have shared the company of a German-born Canadian named Heinz the Walker who (at the age of 70!) is hiking to Harper's Ferry, WV, as the last section of 4 to complete the entire A.T. He, like us, is looking for a quiet, reflective experience and his stories illustrate how full life truly can be. Some other hikers are out here to push their bodies (they fly by us) and others to socialize and party (we fly by them). Some of the friendliest people we have met are not even hikers, but trail supporters who live in nearby towns, at times offering us rides even when we haven't been hitching. Their generosity and kindness make up for all the weird and disgusted looks we get from everyone else in town.
Q: How heavy are your packs?
A: Without the rocks David hides in Emily's pack, each of us carries about 30 pounds including food and water. Our consumables make up the greatest percentage of pack weight, particularly as our appetites grow. All things considered, our packs are manageable, in large part because we share gear.
Q: What do you eat?
A: Maybe the question should be "What don't we eat?"! On the trail, we eat oatmeal or cereal for breakfast, followed by Poptarts and an energy bar for the morning snack. Lunch consists of tortillas or bagels with peanut butter or cheese and pepperoni. In the afternoon we enjoy a candy bar each and gorp or whatever other snacks we have. Dinner allows for a bit more creativity. Our current favorite is tortellini with powdered tomato Parmesan sauce. Usually dinner is rice or pasta based, although we did pack out a 28oz. can of beans and hot dogs earlier this week. In town, we eat consistently. As of this 9am writing, David has eaten 5 donuts, a half of a chocolate bar, and 2 pieces of pizza.
Q: What do you do other than hike?
A: Eat! We also try to spend time relaxing in the sun and reading at beautiful spots. When it was warmer, we swam often. Each evening we write in our journals. Due to our ongoing fatigue, we sleep 9+ hours a night (during which time David dreams about eating!).
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Manchester, VT - Mile 537.7
During our weekend in Burlington, we found ourselves reflecting on how satisfying our hike has been to this point. When reading the thoughts of northbounding thru-hikers summitting Katahdin in recent weeks, we decided we want to make this experience as thorough as possible. With the recognition of the work it took to arrive at this experience to begin with, we want to be sure to take the time both on the trail and in small towns, avoiding the mileage craze many hikers get caught up in. As we've gotten farther south and met the "back of the pack" northbounders we've encountered many happier hikers, enjoying the moment. As one hiker said, "A successful hike will have me summitting Katahdin on October 14th [Baxter State Park closes on the 15th] because it will mean the hike has lasted as long as possible."We're learning to appreciate all that the trail has to offer--the miles, the views, the wildlife, the social experience, and the ice cream. Ahh...the ice cream. This past Friday was a spectacular example of this experience. We had intended to sleep in and enjoy a relaxing morning, perhaps some reading. Instead it felt like we were in the middle of a Wild America episode. The sounds of branches breaking, scratching, and screeching outside the tent woke us up. I climbed out of the tent with a trekking pole in hand to discover a black bear about 30 meters away. A couple tense minutes turned out to be nothing as the bear had little interest in us and eventually moved on.
The remainder of the day continued to follow this pattern of unexpected events. A mile into our day we met a new southbounder, Restless, and shared stories for 45 minutes before heading on. Our mileage plans were interrupted yet again about an hour later when we came across a cooler of soda. We celebrated our first 500 miles with a Mountain Dew and a Pepsi (see picture), which finally got us moving for the day.
At noon, we walked a half mile off of the trail (yes, we will walk extra for food) and got burgers and ice cream at the Whistle Stop Cafe. By 6:30pm we called it a day despite not getting as far as we had originally intended. What we might have in the past perceived as interruptions have now become an essential part of our experience.
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