Katahdin 9/30

Based on last night's GPS ping they camped within Baxter State Park. By air it appears they are within 10 miles of Katahdin Peak, the northern terminus for the AT.  It's hard to say how many trail mile that equals.  They will need to check in with the park headquarters and request permission to make an assault on the peak.  The park is a very highly regulated wildnerness area where human come second to the wildlife and flora. The amount of people allowed in the park is controlled to very low numbers and those climbing Katahdin are required to sign and and gain permission for the climb.

It's hard to say if they will climb today or if they plan on waiting a day or two.  The weather calls for rain until Tuesday.  Based on Ryan's comments last week they may hang out aroud Baxter and soak it all in for a day or two.  It was also important that they have a certain group together to make the climb together.  While you would expect exhuberance over finishing the 2,181 miles there seems some sadness for it all being over.  I would expect there have been some very strong friendships and bonds formed over a 6 month 2,200 adventure from Georgia to Maine.  You have to wonder how the whole experience would change a person. 

I'll post as soon as I hear from him again. 

Videos Posted 9/27

There are around 30 new videos posted in the right column.  There may be a few more added but some are too large to get transfered.  These came from the same picture card as the latest pictures.  Both are listed as 8/29 - 9/20. 

New Pictures and Videos

I received a picture disk in the mail today from Ryan.  This one covers New Hampshire into Maine through the White Mountains.  It has over 500 pictures and 45 videos.  I will post them all.  The pictures are in the right column and it may take a few days to get all of the videos loaded.  This is by far the best group of pictures and scenery he has sent. 

Chairback Mountain, ME 80 miles to Katahdin

Haven't heard a word from Ryan since Monson.  Wasn't really expecting to.  He's in the 100 mile Wilderness somewhere around the Katahdin Ironworks road.  As best I can tell from the GPS ping they camped last night at the Chairback Gap Pond.

As of last night they have about 80 miles to go.  That should put them at Katahdin some time this coming weekend.  Depending on weather they may get held at the park headquarters before being released for the climb. 

Emails and Comments 9/22

Ryan has received literally hundreds of emails over the past months from friends and strangers. He got this one today, for some reason I thought it appropriate to post it here.

Hey,

I just checked out your video, and i'm in total awe. In the moment, living one step at a time. love it. i have books about hiking the AT, but haven't mustered the guts to do it...yet. you are inspiring.

Peace and Love my friend,

A...

Monson,ME and the 100 Mile Wilderness - 9/22

Received another short phone call from Ryan last night.  They arrived in Monson, ME around 5 last evening.  He reported that they have covered 19 miles per day this week.  They’ve been trying to make the last few hundred miles last but he said the trail is so nice and flat in this area that it’s hard not to cover 20 miles in even a half a day. 

I received an email from the post office at 9:00 this morning that Ryan got his package.  We’re still a little tentative about packages since he still doesn’t have a valid photo ID.  Apparently taping his picture to the package did the trick.  They gave the package up.

He sounded nearly romantic in his description of the Maine woods.  In the past few days, he has seen two moose.  He went on and on about the loons on the lakes and the awesome sound they made in the evening.  He described the forest as primitive, Jurassic, and isolated. 

He’s sending a picture disk home with 4GB of pictures and videos he promises to be the best stuff of the trip. 

They are camping this evening in the back yard of a trial supporter in Monson who is trading dinner, breakfast and stay for feeding the chickens and pigs in the morning and picking up all of the apples in his yard.  Ryan felt it was a good deal and a nice change of pace.

At Monson they are at 2066 miles.  That leaves 115 miles to Mount Katahdin.

While writing this Ryan called again to let me know he got his package and to say we’d probably not hear from him again until after Katahdin.  They are entering the 100 Mile Wilderness and Baxter State Park.  There is no telephone reception at all.   He was glad to get his rain pants and heavy boots as they are predicting rain for the next 4 days. 

Ryan will finish the trail with Chimp and Kipper.  These three have been together off and on since Virginia. They have one last goal for the trip other than to climb Katahdin and that is to do a 30 mile day.  They plan on doing this in the 100 Mile Wilderness after Monson.

He said their packs are heavy with food and supplies and he is looking forward to this week with excitement as well as dread.  He said it was really going to be weird not being in the woods after 6 month on the trail.  He knew he was going to miss it.  The adventure is winding down and is finishing with the most remote section of the trail yet.  I copied this description off the web and pasted it here:

THE 100 MILE WILDERNESS

The 100 Mile Wilderness is the northernmost section of the Appalachian Trail; the 2181 mile footpath running along the mountainous region of the Eastern seaboard from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Katahdin in Maine. Surrounded by more than 15 million acres of virtually inaccessible woodlands, this is also one of the most remote sections of trail in the entire United States. This is the land that time forgot; unspoiled, uninhabited and seldom traveled. This is a land of harsh contrasts; pleasing to behold, yet unforgiving to the ill-prepared. Make no mistake about it; this is nature in the raw. Treking across a rough and ragged footpath through an impenetrable forest of dense spruce, fragrant fir, mixed hardwoods and stately pines, the trail provides the traveler with a true Maine wilderness experience. Fording swift moving icy rivers, skirting pristine lakes and ponds, past narrow slate canyons flowing with cascading waters, thunderous waterfalls and deep pockets of emerald pools, the mind begins to wander as the miles slip by. Ascending high mountain ridges with far reaching panoramic views, the Appalachian Trail through Maines’ 100 Mile Wilderness is not only a journey of epic proportions, but a true test of ones own physical strengths and resolve. For many, this is a dream hike; a once in a lifetime experience that calms the soul within. This is a place of solitude and quiet contemplation; an opportunity to explore not only the vast wildlands, but the chance to look within ones own inner self. The 100 Mile Wilderness offers the visitor an outdoor experience rarely found elsewhere. Savor the natural beauty with each awe inspiring mile as you make your way along a path encountering but few, yet marveled by many. In many ways, your life will be changed; never the same. A new awakening to a world that once was and still is. This is Maines’ 100 Mile Wilderness.

Makes you wonder how fast you can drive up to Maine and walk that last 100 miles with them.   I hope to get the picture drive from him by the weekend.  I’ll get the pictures posted ASAP. 

Progress Through Maine, 2,000 miles 9/18

Ryan called Saturday afternoon from Stratton, Maine.  He had hiked into Stratton to resupply.  They will return to the trail before dark. The cell connection was bad and he could only talk for a minute or two. They have run into snow, sleet and hail several times in the past two days.  The tempertaure was down to 27 degrees Friday evening.

This afternoon he passed the 2,000 mile mark.
 
We quickly exchanged a list of supplies and a mail drop location for this Thursday.  He's asked for his heavy boots, heavy socks, rain pants, and picture disks.  He is down to one disk and can't send one home until he gets his others in the mail.  He and hopefully his package will be in Monson Maine on Thursday.

He was in good spirits and continues to talk about making the most of what he has left.

Rangely Maine 9/13

Talked to Ryan for a few minutes this afternoon. He is near Rangely Maine. He is doing well. They have 220 miles to go and are not in a hurry. He said Maine has been beautiful. He will be hitting an outiftter tomorrow and is in bad need of some new shoes. These are worn through.

They had wild grouse and trout for dinner over an open fire. Best meal he has ever had. From here on out no motels, hostels, or inside camping. He said it is as wild as you can get.
They are now figuring an Oct 4 finish date.

While the first part of Maine was the roughest he's seen, this section has been very enjoyable hiking. The climbs are gentle and the trail is soft and easy on the body.

As anxious as everyone was to make it this far they are all less anxious to see it end. He said they will make the most of every mile and miss nothing.

Maine 9/9

I received a short and crackling phone call this afternoon from Ryan.  He was on a mountain peak high enough to gain phone access.  He was on a borrowed Iphone.  His go-phone will not be usable for the balance of the trip to Baxter.  We are still trying to get his Iphone fixed and back to him.  We are running out of drop package options as he moved further into the Maine wilderness.  It’s likely he’ll be without through most of the trip to Baxter. Reception will be very limited regardless.  There are only a handful of trail towns left.  He will try to make contact when he comes to a land line. 
The first 50 miles of Maine are the hardest miles of the trail.  This is the section of trail he has hiked over 1900 miles to experience.  Yesterday he passed through Mahoosuc Notch which is the hardest mile of the hardest section.  It has been raining for the last 3 days and is forecast to continue through the weekend.  The weather is cold.  The trail is wet and slippery.  He claims to be in heaven. His enthusiasm and excitement is very high.  You can hear it in his voice and his struggle for the right words to describe his surroundings. He said the only description he could come up with is “awesome” but he’s worn that one out.  Apparently the woods of Maine are somewhere beyond awesome. He said he couldn’t explain it and you couldn’t imagine it if he could.  Grand ideas often lose their luster when the reality sets in.  Talking to Ryan today it became crystal clear that his reality is at least as good if not better than the idea.  He has not only conquered a significant portion of the idea, he has turned it into the realization of a dream. He has not hesitated or backed down since announcing the trip.  He has never mentioned quit and listening to him I am confident it has not entered his mind.   The trail is simply a matter of will. He demonstrated to himself his own power over his will.  
   

These are very rugged and rocky mountains.  He said most of the hiking is hand over hand. You do as much pulling yourself up as you do pushing yourself along.  Mahoosuc Notch is a cut between two rocky peaks.  The trail is littered with car and bus size boulders that have fallen from the peaks from either side.  Many times he had to remove his pack and drag it behind to squeeze between the boulders. The climb out of the notch rose 1500 feet in a mile.  While this section is particularly rugged it is typical of the trail ahead for the next 300 miles. 

I don’t expect to hear much from him in the coming week.  Hopefully he will be able to send GPS pings so we can track his progress. He is still hiking with Kipper, Chimp, Bluefoot, and the young lady in the last pictures.  I cannot remember her name.  I will get it.  This group will finish the trail together.  Most of the thru hikers around them are all pairing up for the final weeks.  Fellowship has advantages in this wilderness.  I get the impression that they all need to share the experience with someone capable of understanding the accomplishment.

1,900 miles, 5 months - 9/6

Ryan called Saturday from a land phone in Gorham, NH. His ATT GoPhone has reached its Northern Limit. We are trying t get his I phone fixed in time to get it to one of the few mail drops available prior to getting into the remote parts of Maine. It is reported that the 3G capability of his I phone may work at elevation.
He said the hike up Mount Washington was perfect. There are less than 30 days a year that the fog and weather do not diminish the view from the top and he was there for one. The hike was enjoyable but difficult. He said it was a little like walking through a rock quarry. He is anxious to get his photo card home to share the experience. He saw his first moose on the descent. They hiked back off the trail to get water and ran into her. Unfortunately, he did not have his camera but Kipper did and got plenty of pictures.
The weather is getting much colder with every day of hiking. He said it has been a perfect week with daytime in the 60’s and night temps in the 40’s. Unfortunately, their first week in Maine is forecast for rain most of the week. Based upon Sunday’s GPS they should be entering Maine sometime today.
Barring any major setbacks he is still estimating a September 30 arrival at Baxter State Park. He admitted that the 20+ mile days are over. The trials here are rough, rocky, and wind considerable due to rapid elevation changes. A good day is around 12 miles. The Maine / New Hampshire border is exactly 1,900 miles from Springer. He has less than 300 miles to go. In three days, he will be on the trail for 5 months.

Mt Washington Summit, Videos and Pictures - 9/2

I received a GPS ping at 8:30 this morning from the summit of Mount Washington. It’s impressive that they made the climb that early in the day. It’s rare that they even allow a summit attempt due to high winds and bad weather. They will have plenty of time to make it off the mountain this afternoon.
There are 3 new picture and video links in the right column. The last is pictures from 8/16 through 8/28. These are from Vermont into New Hampshire and run right up to the closing of the park for the hurricane. The other two links contain videos he shot on the trail. They are definitely worth watching.

Mt Washington Climb 9/1

Based on the GPS ping they will be making a run at Mt Washington tomorrow morning, weather permitting.  They are at Lake of the Clouds tonight at 5,000 ft of elevation. This is well up the side of Mt Washington and above tree line.

 I received a picture disk from Ryan today with 500 pictures and 7 videos.  These should be on the site Friday.