Harper's Ferry, WV, 1015 miles, 6/29

Ryan called for the front porch of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia this afternoon.  He was getting his picture taken for their 2011 hiker wall.  Harper's Ferry marks the end of Virginia, a brief hike through the corner of West Virginia, and the psychological half way point of the A.T. He was very excited about this milestone.  Earlier this morning at the Virginia border he said they all turned around and cursed Virginia.  This was a much different attitude than he spoke of when entering Virginia.  Virginia represents the longest state on the trail at right around 500 miles of trail.  

They were being picked up by the friend of one of the current group of hikers for dinner, showers, and a roof.  He said they would go back into Harper's tomorrow and take the entire day off to rest and get ready for the Pennsylvania. 

He was on his way to the post office to pickup his packages and hopefully the new pack that was being replaced under warranty.  They plan on being back on the trail by Friday morning with plans for their next break in New York city around the 20^th of July.  He promised to get a picture card in the mail and call back before leaving Harper's. 

Congrats, Ryan.  1,015 miles in 2 months, 3 weeks.  He is about 10 days ahead of his planned progress.  He feels this should put him on the peak of Mt Katahdin around the end of September.   

Sunday Call - 6/26

We heard from Ryan Sunday afternoon.  He is out of Shenandoah National park and was near Front Royal, VA at an outfitter resupplying.  They only plan on staying off the trial long enough to get some supplies and find some  kind of low cost, high calories, high volume lunch.  He has hiked almost 30 miles each over the past two days.  He was glad to be out of the park and be able to camp where they choose again.  The park requires hikers to stay in designated camping areas at park shelters.  Shenandoah was celebrating their 75 anniversary and tourist traffic was greater than normal.  Many of the shelters were clogged with day and section hikers making accommodations tight for thruhikers.

Over the length of the Appalachian trail there are shelters averaging every 10-15 miles.  Shelters run the range of 4 sided barn-like structures to 3 sided lean-to’s.  Ryan has avoided sleeping in shelters as much as possible but often camps at the shelter locations.  He says it is much more comfortable in his 1 man tent and sleeping pad.  Snoring is a common problem as well as the general odor of 4-8 hikers that haven’t bathed for weeks.  Most often the shelters are overrun with mice which can eat through your pack and provisions.  He’s commented more than once about how much he likes having the tent.  He considers the tent and a book to be his best luxuries.  The benefit far outweighs the weight.

The hikers Ryan has been with over the past few weeks are Chimp from Knoxville, Achilles from Charlotte and Kipper.  Ryan has had his drop packages sent to Front Royal forwarded to Harpers Ferry.  The assault on Shenandoah will carry into Harpers Ferry where they plan a down day and celebration of half way point.  Chimp has some relatives in the area that have volunteered to pick the four hikers up at Harpers and take them home for the night for a shower and meal.

He was right at 970 miles yesterday. 

Blasting through Shenandoah - 6/23

Ryan called in last evening.  He was at Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park.  He was giddy with cheeseburger and ice cream poisoning.  Big Meadows has a snack bar and they invaded it with gusto.  He had 3 cheeseburgers, 2 orders of fries and 32 oz of ice cream.  The ice cream was a training exercise for the Harpers Ferry ½-gallon ice cream challenge.  He has covered 75 miles in 3 days and is putting together some high mileage days.  He is hiking with Kipper and two other hikers I have yet to identify.

As of last night, he has hiked 914 miles.

They are all less than enamored with Shenandoah other than the ability to move through it quickly, too many ranger and civilization, which does not seem to jive with adding three more bears to his total bear count.  He’s up to 5. Shenandoah require hikers to stay at designated campsites.  Ryan has been avoiding trial shelters and finds the regulation forces mileage based upon location rather than hiking comfort.  He has decided to bypass Front Royal altogether.  He is calling to have his packages forwarded to Harpers Ferry.  He hopes to be in Harpers Ferry in 4-5 days.  Harpers Ferry represents the psychological halfway point on the trail.  It is actually about 80 miles short.  The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is located in Harpers Ferry.  A visit to the headquarters and a picture for their wall is a tradition trial stop.  He will take a down day there. 

He said they were all lying in a grass field absorbing their food.  The three other hikers were convinced they had Lyme disease.  They had all removed ticks over the past few days, one in a very compromising rear location.  It was a joking discussion but ticks and Lyme disease are a true concern on the AT.  Ryan is fortunate in that his Doctor loaded him up with antibiotics and directions as to when and how to administer them.  They finally concluded that their malaise was probably 75 miles in 3 days and 32 oz of ice cream on top of multiple cheeseburgers.

Ryan seems to be taking on a new perspective with regard to safety and illness.  Listening to him talk, I think he realizes what could potentially end his trip.  He no longer views his will or physical ability to be the limiting factor.  He is concerned over getting hurt or sick ending what he knows he can accomplish.  There is a change in the way he is approaching the trial.  His confidence seems to have reached a new level.  He seems to be transitioning from an adventure to a mission.

He said that his ankle still bothers him off and on but he expected that would be the case for the balance of the trip.  Pain and discomfort is constant, the ankle just refocuses attention from other parts of his body.  He is pleased with the new tent and the weight reduction.  He said you would be amazed just how much difference a few pounds make.  At Waynesboro he had his pack down to 36 lbs with a fresh food resupply.    He carried almost 50 lbs for the first month.  He was down in the mid forties at 500 miles.  I suppose it takes a while to figure that all out but it seems like a hard lesson learned and apparently, one that take some time.  

He sounds strong, confident and happy.  He sounds like someone forging memories that will last a lifetime.  I hope he is proud of his accomplishment thus far. 

Waynesboro, VA - 6/20

Ryan called Sunday. He had just got into Waynesboro, VA.  He and Kipper were planning a stay at the Waynesboro YMCA.  He was in great spirits and very talkative.  Apparently quite a few thru hikers had converged on Waynesboro at the same. He hung up several times to talk to other hikers he’d not seen for a few weeks.  Waynesboro will be a resupply point for what he called a launch through Shenandoah National Park.  The park is around 100 miles long and they are going to try to make good time through the park.  He said he hiked 25 miles yesterday with a considerable climb over the Priest, a summit in Nelson County that climbs to 4,026 feet. He ran into Lemon, Fish and Beerburger in town and had a report that Habitat was on her way in that evening. 

Ryan commented that they have been extremely lucky with rain and that the Priest summit was the first real hard rain they had seen since leaving Tennessee. It was almost a novelty to hike in the downpour.  Ryan likened it to playing in the puddles as a kid.  He has become so accustomed to mild discomfort that being wet, getting wet, and slogging in the rain neither affects their progress or state of mind. He called it a nice change of pace.  The blackberries are in full fruit and he compared the trail to walking down a grocery aisle. They have enjoyed free blackberries for the last 3 days.

He has had a great week as far as trial magic is concerned.  He got a ride from the trail head into Waynesboro from a 2004 thruhiker that has started his own ultra lightweight hiking gear company. The name of the company is Alpin Lite Gear (http://alpinlitegear.com/).  He gave Ryan one of his ultralite tents for a trail trial and asked that Ryan provide reports as to how the tent performs and holds up. The tent uses the hiker’s trial poles for support. Ryan said it was almost 2 lbs lighter than his current tent.  Weight reduction is an effort Ryan continues to pursue. The tent came at a nice time. He will be mailing his old tent home from Waynesboro.

He said that the caliber of hikers on the trail at this point was extremely high.  Most of the asses had fallen off.  The arrogant, cocky and over or under equipped had long since gone home. He spoke of the many and varied personalities he had met and how he enjoyed hearing their stories and perspectives.  He has kept a record of ever hiker he has met with notes to remind him of who they were.  He was amazed at the brotherhood that was developing amongst the thruhikers as they proceed up the trail in rough groups associated only by geography and a common goal.  Many days you will go all day without seeing anyone and then they will bunch up and come together almost by happenstance at camp sites or town stops.  Everyone takes a down day or two a week.  This tends to separate them on the trial but over time they all seem to cross paths again.   

The end of Shenandoah represents roughly the ½ point on the trial.  Ryan talked of a discussion amongst several hikers this week about the idea that you really don’t get your true trail feel until somewhere in the 400-500 mile range.  It was the consensus of this group that it happened more in the 700-800 mile range.  Either way, he felt good that others were hitting their stride at a similar point as he.   Ryan says this every time we talk.  He was really starting to get it dialed in.  He’s approaching midpoint on the trail.  He’s hiked well over 800 miles.  I think he’s dialed in.  He is certainly a legitimate long distance hiker.     

We’re putting together a mail drop for Front Royal Virginia.  He’s asked for the normal mix of food, toilet paper, and books.  He claims to have some writing to share as well. 

Call from Cold Mountain - 6/16

Minutes after completing the last post Ryan called.  He and Kipper were atop Cold Mountain and were taking a break after the first real hard climb in several days.  They completed a 26 mile day yesterday .  He said he’s doing real well.  His ankle has settled down and the new hiking shoes have made a big difference.  In his last package he was sent an ankle brace. He said it fit well and really helped if only from a psychological perspective.  He was thrilled to have a water bladder back that didn’t leak.  One thing he asked for in his next mail drop is books.  I got his list and placed an order on Amazon.  The reading list includes:  Last American Man, Eiger Dreams, and Cactus Eater.  All three of these are adventure based, man against nature, books.  Single purpose, single minded.  He specifically asked for paperback due to weight and their emergency recycled use as toilet paper.  Toilet paper was second on his list of wants.  He said you’d be surprised at some of the awesome places he’s found to sit and read.  I don’t think I would be. 

He told me that last week he and Kipper had been as much as 5 days behind the group of Beerburger, Fish and Lemon but had closed the gap to 7 miles.  Trail logs at the shelters allow the hikers to pinpoint people up and down the trail pretty well.  They estimated catching up to them by this afternoon.  Ryan and Kipper encountered a case of trail magic yesterday by an older “country” couple who had set up a table on the trail and was making white bread, cheese and mayonnaise sandwich with hardboiled eggs.  The couple said the group had passed through the previous morning.   Two nights ago they camped near  a mountaintop air traffic control station.  The next morning a guy from the station invited them in and gave them a tour of the facility and some food. Ryan said the bear encounter was just after Pearisburg.  They later discovered it was a big female with cubs off in the brush.  He said she checked them out closely but made no advances.

He talked a bit about the wildlife he had seen this week.  He sat and watched a group of wild mink play along a riverbank.  I looked up the weather for him while he was on the phone and to my surprise they were hoping for rain.  He’s seen very little rain in the past two weeks.  Currently the weather was in the 70’s but will be headed back up in the coming week.   Rain is forecast off and on for the next week.  They were looking forward to getting to Waynesboro to resupply and enter the AT trail pancake eating contest at some restaurant that caters to hikers.  As with ever call, I always feel good about his frame of mind, physical health, desire, and true enjoyment of the adventure.  The best word I can find to describe it is – grit. 

Central Virginia, 800 miles - 6/15

We received a box from Ryan yesterday with some additional weight reduction effort and a picture SD card.  Based on his last GPS location it looks like they are just east of Buena Vista, VA.  This would put him right at 800 miles. 

He sent 300 + pictures.  I’ve picked the best and added them to a Web album listed in the right column.  This part of Virginia appears to be a mix of rolling farmland and mountains under 4,000 ft.  This week they have still night hiked.  It appears as the heat has backed off they have moved back to a day hiking schedule.  There is a picture of the railroad track camp location and also a few shots of a bear on the trail.  I talked to Ryan Saturday and there was no mention of the bear so this must have been Monday or Tuesday. 

The pictures of the bear are the darker haired animal.  The one with the hat is Ryan.  I understand the tradition of not shaving on the trail but his beard is growing 3x his hair.  He will be tripping over it by Maine. I may offer some incentive to see him shave but I'd don't think I'd get anywhere with it.  

They are paralleling Interstate 81 through most of the Blue Ridge and I would expect to hear from him this weekend. He’s been hiking with Kipper this past week.  It looks like they’ve done at least 20 mile days since Saturday. 

Call from Daleville, VA - 6/11

Ryan called this morning at around 7.   He was about 2 hours outside Daleville and trying to make it into town to get his package before the post office closed at noon.  As anticipated, he’s had an interesting and off beat week.  His map progress just did not seem to be adding up and he’s missed a few days sending his GPS location.  He had raised some curiosity from those on this end.
 

He and Kipper ended up spending around 3 days in and around Pearisburg and Woods Hole.  They decided to take their time through that area and let Ryan’s ankle Kipper‘s shin splints heal up a bit.  After leaving Woods hole they decided to move on into Pearisburg and stay at a hostel there to get cleaned up and rest.  He reported that the hostel was not to their liking so they decided to hike out at night due to the 100 degree heat they are having.  They hiked though the night with head lamps and found a place to camp. Just before dawn they set up their tents to get some rest. (This must have been the night he sent a GPS location at 4:10 in the morning.) After about 10 minutes sleep they discovered that they had set up camp a few hundred feet from the railroad.  Their location was near a road crossing where the trains sound their whistle.  He described the awakening as violent. He also said the track was heavily traveled because a train passed almost hourly.  Too tired to move they endured it for most of the morning but got little sleep.  

The next leg was another hike into the early morning and a stay at a location where the owner allows hikers to stay in their barn.  It was near dawn when they crashed only to be jolted awake an hour later by a flock of roosters and chickens  I didn’t get all of the exact details, as I was laughing pretty hard, but I believe that was last night.  They got a couple of hours sleep despite being overrun by chickens.   

I’ve had a hard time with the exact time frame and locations this week.  He has covered around 100 miles.  He’s had an extra down day and a few short days and/or nights.  Ryan described the past week as brutal on two fronts.  This part of Virginia has not seen rain for several weeks and the temperature has been in the high 90’s and 100. The humidity was also extremely high.  Much of this section of Virginia is through open fields with full sun exposure. They have found that ¾ of the water sources listed in the trial guide are non-existent.  They ran out water a couple of times. Ryan’s issues were exacerbated in that his water bladder was leaking. 

He called again from Daleville to ask about me handling one of his equipment exchanges.  He got his package and was at the outfitter that was going to replace some of his gear.  He got his water bladder and sleep pad replaced but wasn’t able to get the issue with his pack resolved.  He has decided to go back to a lightweight mid-height hiking boots to support his ankle better.  As soon as they picked up a few supplies they were headed back out on the trial. 

The trials and tribulations of the week were described with humor.  He feels his ankle is slowly getting better and the mid boots would give him added sense of security. They will be moving into Shenandoah in the coming days. The trail and campsites are reported to be sparse but nice.  Most of the trail is back under tree cover. The weather is forecast to cool down.  He’s got some new equipment.

He still seems to have his will but described the past week as humbling. 

2 months, 1,605,500 strides - 6/10

Today Ryan has been on the trail 2 months.  He has covered 700 miles.  He has taken 1,605,500 steps.  He has been in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia.  He has experiences 171,000 feet of elevation gain equivalent to 6 ascents of Mount Everest.  Taking down days into consideration, he has averaged just over 15 miles per day. He is currently just outside Catawba, VA.  Based on his GPS location it appears he may be at a shelter around Dragon’s Tooth.  He has been out of contact since last Wednesday and should be in Daleville today or tomorrow.  He has a package waiting at the Daleville Post office.  If he makes it into Daleville before noon on Saturday, he should be able to get it before the Post Office closes for the weekend.  His package includes his normal mix of protein bars and powder, a few packages of Tuna, flour tortillas, candy bars, cash, toilet paper, tooth brush,  maps for central and northern Virginia,  shoe inserts, and some advil.  He also asked for an ankle brace. 

Over the past two weeks his equipment has started to show considerable wear and failure.  He has gone through his third pair of hiking shoes, his water bladder has sprung a leak, his sleeping pad is leaking, and his pack is starting to show seam damage.  He was able to contact the equipment manufacturers while he was in Pearisburg and all have agreed to replace the equipment and will have replacements available at a trial outfitter in Daleville. 

I expect to hear from Ryan this weekend and will update the blog then.  He will need to set up his next mail drop.  He should be moving into Shenandoah National Park early next week and will remain in the park for most of the balanced of his trip through Virginia.    The “Virginia Blues” are legendary on the trail.  Virginia has the most trail miles of any other state, 550.   The trial is deceptively difficult as many hikers expect reduced elevations but find considerable ups and downs and long days.   Many hikers call it quits in Virginia.  It will be good to hear how he’s doing.    

620 Miles - 6/2

Ryan called Wednesday afternoon from the front porch of the Woods Hole Hostel.  He was icing his ankle down and was in a talkative and spirited mood.  He got in there Tuesday night and was taking the day to rest his ankle and resupply in Pearisburg.   He is currently at 619 Miles.  He said the miles are flying by in Virginia. He’s done 3 20’s in a row and that was on a tweaked ankle.  Lemon, Fish, and Beerburger are at the Hostel as well. 

One of the things we talked about was how he was doing relative to a “purist” hike.  Ryan is committed to no shortcuts or blue blazing.  He’s planning on walking every inch of the trail.  Often when hitching into town hikers will pick up the trail on the other end of town cutting off a few miles here and there.  A purist hiker will return to the trail head where they got off.  Throughout the system there are blue blazed side trails that shortcut bends in the AT or work around the sides of a mountains.  These are often day hiker trails.  Ryan said he is noticing more and more hikers that started with a purist mentality taking advantage of these opportunities to trim a few miles here and there.  So far he has not.  He said the volume of thru hikers is falling fast.  Many came off the trail in Damascus. 

He is very satisfied with his progress and timing.  He’s 8 days ahead of the plan he started with.  He’s also decided that the plan is useless and unnecessary pressure.  Hiking  beyond your comfort level for the day only drains you for successive days. He feels that he has finally reached the point where he can read his body and its limits.   He said that learning when to stop and for how long is the key to success.  He said the AT was an unmovable entity that humbles even the most arrogant.  He’s lost his cockiness and learned to respect the trail. He just can’t seem to say enough about Virginia.  He listed several sections that he was sure he’d return to one day to hike again.  He went on for quite a while about Grayson Highlands. 

He talked a lot about some of the people he has met on the trail.  He noticed that the age group for committed hikers met one of two categories.  They are either mid 20’s or over 65.  They are either post college/pre-career or retired.  He was amazed at the diversity of reasons, occupations, motives, and personalities.  They are either seeking a challenge or running from something.  Those seeking challenge talk freely.  Those running from something say little.  With a single exception, he really hasn’t run into anyone that falls into the nut category.  He said they had run into a woman back in Tennessee that appeared to be off her meds. 

Some of the more interesting characters included an 88 year old oriental gentleman that was section hiking and claimed to be one of the original chemists responsible for the develop of ibuprophin.  His trail name was Cimmaron.  He’s crossed paths with several hikers trying to set trail records.  These folks have a back up team and slack pack up to 35 miles per day.  He met a guy last week who was on his third thru hike.  Ryan said he was a Colorado logger who referred to the trail as adult summer day camp.  He also met a guy doing a trail documentary.  He hiked a few days with an ex-FBI agent.  One noticeable exception has been the lack of any type of authority figure.  He said they have not seen one Ranger or official in any capacity.  He said it felt a bit like the old west. 

The trail has it’s own communication system and society.  He said that information travels quickly up and down the trail.  Anyone trying to do anything off base is pegged quickly.  Food and supplies are much like currency on the trail.  There is a lot of swapping and trading that takes place.  Ryan said that you could almost make the trip from Georgia to Maine and not spend a dime just by living off other hikers.  There are those that attempt just that, they are quickly identified as mooches and dealt with much more cautiously.  With the economy the way it is there are a lot of hikers that are on the trail because they are unemployed and took the opportunity to hike.  There are expenses on the trail in equipment, town stays, food and travel back home once you reach the end.  It’s not free and it usually ends up costing a lot more than people expect.  Running out of money is one of the bigger reasons for coming off the trail. 

He’s talking a lot about New England and Maine.  He’s starting to come across southbound hikers and getting a lot of details about the northern part of the trail.  You can tell his mind has worked it’s way to Maine.   In the coming two weeks he will enter Shenandoah State Park which run a good part of the length of Virginia.  His next mail drop is Daleville, VA.  It’s about 120 miles out.  We probably won’t hear much from him until then.