Planes, trains, and automobiles!

Well, it was another great week on the trail! I finished up PA, which I ended up really enjoying. At first I was dreading Pennsylvania because of all the hype about how rocky it is. However, after the first few days, the big nasty rocks basically disappeared and there was plenty of nice easy walking. One day I walked 16 miles through fields and flat wooded trails- so lovely! I also crossed two important markers this week- the half way point of the trail and the Mason Dixon line! That’s right folks, I’m back in the south!

Also, all of the unexpected trail magic made PA even better. On Thursday I was hiking through a state park, and walked right up on a huge potluck picnic. About a hundred senior citizens that live in a golf course community had an enormous spread of food and invited me to join! Within a minute, my pack was off, I had a soda in one hand and a huge plate in the other, and was being ushered down a buffet of delicious comfort food prepared by grandmothers. It was awesome. Plus they packed up leftovers for me to take! Rock on, PA! I don’t want to jinx anything, but I’ve got kind of a ridiculous streak of trail magic going. Literally every day for the last month, something cool has happened to me. It’s not always something big, but it’s always greatly appreciated. Just like today, someone gave me a pair of new sunglasses, which I’ve been desperately needing! I don’t know if lately I’ve just been more aware of the nice things people do for me, but I’m definitely grateful.

So I was making really good time moving through PA and realized I could be in Harpers Ferry, WV by Saturday afternoon. This created an ideal situation for me to take a quick side trip, since I had to wait to pick up a package at the post office on Monday. So, I decided to go into Washington DC for the weekend to visit my old running friend Steven from Birmingham. Even better, Steven was having a rooftop party on Sunday. How convenient! As I was telling Kyle about my fun weekend plans on Thursday evening, I jokingly mentioned that he should come. Well, he actually did, which was an awesome surprise! I met him at the train station Saturday afternoon, and we hung out in Harpers Ferry that night. Then on Sunday, we took the train to DC and stayed with Steven for the night. I was stoked to get to visit Steven since I hadn’t seen him since last spring. And of course having Kyle there too really made it the perfect weekend!

Back to the trail today, and I’m excited about being in Virginia, especially this time of year! The leaves are changing, the air is cooling, and *I hear* the trail ahead is smoother. I’m just going to keep walking south, and I’ll be bringing fall with me.

Take a ride on the pink party bus

So I’ve been hitting it hard the last few days to get to Port Clinton to pick my new phone up before the post office closed for the weekend! Finally, I have a phone again- YAY!!! I can’t believe I made it over a month without a phone. At least now I know I can be independent without technology, although it was really challenging! Being disconnected from the world was nice for a little while, but then I started missing my people back home. Their continual and daily support is a huge motivating factor for me, especially when I’m not hiking with a group.

Anyway, when I got to town I was ready for a little break from the trail. I ran into two other SOBO buddies in town, Chaco and Doc, when I was eating a lumberjack sized breakfast at the local diner. They were going to try to get a hitch to the Yeungling brewery in Pottsville, about 15 miles down the highway. I, of course, was down for the adventure! We got an immediate hitch from a Haitian man who said that “it was God’s will to pick us up.” Right on, man! Straight to the brewery! The tour was great, complete with several free samples. As we were standing outside trying to feel out the hitching situation back to Port Clinton, we met Dave. It was his 50th birthday and he came on a pink party bus with about twenty of his friends for the tour. We became instant friends and Dave insisted we ride back with them. Inside the bus were platters of sandwiches, snacks, fruit and veggies, and of course tons of Yeungling beer! Best hitch of my life! Dave gave us Yeungling baseball hats and sat talking with us the whole way back. Such an awesome ride! Then when we got back to town, we headed over to the local firehouse, where there was an all you can eat and drink pig roast going on! As hikers, I’m pretty sure we got our $12 money’s worth!

It’s hard for me to convey how truly amazing it is how the trail constantly provides these kind of opportunities. It’s not just about getting free stuff (which is great, don’t get me wrong!), but it’s how people are so willing to open up their doors for you because they want you to experience life with them. It’s a beautiful thing! And the cool part is, these people are everywhere- you just have to open yourself up to find them.

adventures with mumsy

Walk into Murphy’s tavern in the village of Greenwood Lake, NY on any given afternoon, and you’ll most likely meet Mumsy. You’ll recognize her by her long silver hair, brightly colored wrap dress, and killer British accent. I came into town Friday for a quick stop at the post office and a hot meal. I sat down at the bar in the local pub next to Mumsy, and she ended up adopting me for the weekend. Of all the characters I’ve met on the trail in the last two months, Mumsy may be the most fascinating one yet.

She’s a sixty-six year old native Brit still on fire with a passion for life and adventure. She lived all over the world- practiced as a nurse in England, owned a bar in Spain, taught exercise classes in New Zealand, ran a hotel in Australia, and had a farm in Virginia. She had 3 husbands and 4 sons, and she still loves men. She was and still is a hard core hippie; she bought her first bra a few years ago. She rides a tricycle with a basket “big enough to hold a 30 pack of beer and a gallon of milk,” and the plate on the back says “Mumsy’s Hog.” She let me stay at her flat that overlooked the gorgeous lake, made me proper English tea, fed me in the pubs (because she doesn’t cook), showed me around the village, and took me to an awesome party on the lake Saturday night. She was hard to keep up with!

Lately I’ve been reading Jack Kerouac’s novel On The Road, and I feel like the weekend was straight out of scene from his book- “The air was soft, the stars so fine, the promise of every cobbled alley so great, that I thought I was in a dream.” I found myself in a serendipitous situation, caught in a town of truly unique persons filled with incredible energy; it was at times overwhelming but always very real and wonderful. I left the village knowing most everyone in town, and I left a group of people who genuinely cared about me. How can this happen after such a short time?! Mumsy’s magic, I guess! It was a much needed break for me, as the woods had been wearing on my body and mind. Spending time with Mumsy reminded me of why I’m out here, what I’m searching for, how I want to live. So far these are the type of moments that define the trail for me- the mountains eventually all begin to look the same, but it’s the people that inspire me to keep going.

like a southbound train!

I’m rollin southward! I hiked 130 miles in the last 5 days and am feeling great! Bring on the ultra miles! I’ve been highly motivated by some colder weather and chasing my old hiking buddies down. I probably won’t catch them until Virginia, but it gives me a great push to read their entries in the logbooks and know they’ve gone before me on the trail. I’ve loved hiking solo again. It makes me really appreciate people when I do see them on or off the trail, and I find the conversations I have with them are more meaningful. I’ve found I become the best version of myself when I have plenty of solitude in the woods.

Massachusetts may be my favorite state yet! The scenery is beautiful, the air is crisp, and trail magic abounds. Some highlights of the week were- walking right through the center of adorable little towns on the trail, seeing all the chicory flowers blooming in the Berkshire countryside, camping out in Tom Levardi’s backyard and riding a bike around town (you can move so fast with wheels!), visiting with the famous cookie man on his blueberry farm, staying at the Upper Goose Pond cabin (where the caretaker makes you free coffee and chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast!), reuniting with old SOBO’s I haven’t seen since Maine as well as meeting new ones, and stopping here in Great Barrington for a bed and breakfast in the lovely home of a local trail angel. I’ll be in Connecticut tonight, and New York on Monday! Holla!

our troubles are over, dude!

Cool Blue, me and Wolfbird on top of Mount Abraham

Another one bites the dust…

Oh Vermont! You have been good to me.

I finished the upper part of the Long trail on Thursday, and I can’t tell you how good it feels to be back on the trail I started (the AT)! Technically, I’m still on the Long trail since it coincides with the AT until I get to Massachusetts, but it feels like coming back home! The last couple of days on the Long trail really took a toll on all of us- Wolfbird’s dog got sick, the boys got shin splints, and as Wolfbird termed it, I was “diseased of the mind,” haha. Aka- we lost all motivation to finish these “bonus miles” which technically weren’t getting us anywhere closer to Georgia. Thankfully, Wolfbird was the glue that held the group together with his logical reasoning and unending positivity, and we finished what we started. And of course, all the pain was worth it! We were fortunate to stay in Rochester again with Wolfbird’s friends to recover from our ambitious jaunt though north Vermont. Their overly comfy couches, great movie selection, and Mama Draper’s fresh baked peach pies rejuvenated my mind and body.

It was extremely hard to leave Rochester due to the Draper’s amazing hospitality, but I had to meet a friend coming to hike with me for Labor Day weekend. So, I hesitantly pulled myself away from the comforts of home and hiked to Rutland. From the minute I got back on the trail, everything worked out in an almost unnervingly effortless way- it was as if the universe was smiling down on me. The hike into Rutland was super quick, I got an easy hitch into town by a nice man who conveniently dropped me off at the local co-op to get some food, and as soon as I walked in the co-op, I met Ellie, my new fairy godmother/kindred spirit. Within a few minutes of conversation, Ellie had invited me to stay the night at her house a couple blocks away, giving me instructions to let myself in the backdoor, and placed a peanut butter cup in my hand (for “energy” she said, haha!). I was floored and filled with gratefulness, as I hadn’t planned anywhere to stay that night. Then, I went down the street to the Yellow Deli, an organic cafe affiliated with a local religious group that also runs a hiker hostel, to pass some time waiting for my friend Kyle to arrive. The girl working there gave me a free muffin and a chicory (!!!) coffee drink and let me shower while I waited. I was again amazed at this series of events, and just tried to just enjoy the good fortune. When Kyle got there, we walked to Ellie’s house, where she arrived shortly after her shift was over at the co-op. I asked Ellie where we could find some great pizza and beer, and her response was- right here! We ended up ordering a Rutland- (and arguably, world-) famous Ted’s pizza, drinking local pumpkin beer, and watching an amazing film- Beasts of the Southern Wild- in her adorable Vermont home. The next morning, she took us to breakfast before dropping us off at the trailhead. (!!!) This was a trail magic experience unlike any I have ever had. The connection I felt to this beautiful woman was so strong, after only knowing her for a few hours. Even Kyle agreed that Ellie and I were so similar it was kind of eerie. Her lifestyle and spirit is just like one I hope to have one day. She told me if I ever wanted to come back to Vermont I always have a place to stay with her, and I’m definitely planning on taking her up on her offer!

Kyle hiked three days and covered 50 miles on the trail with me- pretty badass for someone who had never really been backpacking! The terrain seemed pretty easy to me, but granted, I realize I’ve had some pretty good training out here. I hit 700 miles yesterday! Watching and helping him learn about backpacking reminded me of how far I’ve come out here, from a total novice to now being pretty competent at this whole thruhiking thing. Anyway, I think he gained a greater appreciation for what thruhikers do and now realizes what a difference wearing a pack makes! We had great views on top of Killington, but the other two days were kind of cloudy and rainy. We still had a great time and it was really nice to share the trail with someone from back home. Manchester Center is a cute little town, and again everything has just been falling into place today. Vermont has stolen my heart! The people, the mountains, the maple syrup- incomparable to anywhere! I’m going to keep heading south tomorrow, motivated by fear of cold weather if I stay in Vermont any longer! I’ll hopefully knock out Mass and Connecticut in about a week, my legs are feeling ready for some bigger miles.

Looking out over Killington mountain

Great views of the Green mountains on top of Killington.

Ellie and I at Sugar and Spice, where she treated us to a delicious breakfast

Kyle on top of Bromley Mountain