Pawling, NY - 7/30

Talked to Ryan on Friday.  He's been hiking by himself since leaving New York City.  He said it was a nice change of pace but expects to reconnect with the group some time after Pawling. He had just made it to Pawling, NY where he had a drop package at the Post Office.  He said the trail has smoothed out nicely through  NY.  The weather has cooled down and was in the low 80's Friday afternoon.   The rockiness of PA and NJ has given way to much larger boulder fields making for new scenery and a smoother trail.  He commented that he's been very surprised just how wild the woods have been through NJ and NY.  Wildlife has been abundant and he's run into very few other hikers.

He said much of the real hot weather has moved out of the area. He plans to walk 6 days per week and may end up taking a down day near Pawling depending on how nice campsites are aroud Pawling.  He said his pace has quickened to the point where he's often coverd 20 mile by just after lunch.  The tendancy is to push forward but time on the trail has taught him to set realistic goals and stick with them.  Saving his feet and not risking injury has beome the priority.  He's averaged over 20 miles for the past four days.   He should be in Connecticut by Sunday evening.   He bought his fourth pair of shoes in NY.  The rough trails in PA and NJ went through a pair of shoes in a little over 300 miles. 

He sent a picture disk home from Pawling.  These should be on the blog by mid week. 

Back on the Trail - 7/26

Ryan took a train out of New York early this morning and is back on the trail today.  Monday morning he was interviewed by a reporter from the Clermont Sun.  I emailed her some pictures this afternoon for an article that will be in this Thursday's Clermont Sun Newpaper.  I talked to Ryan a couple of times while he was in New York and he was anxious to get back on the trail.
He is now officially in New England.  He has a little under 800 miles to Mount Katahdin.  This will be the most challenging part of the trail.  He will enter the longest stretches of wilderness, the highest mountains, the most significant change in scenery, and hike for the first time above tree line.  He was really pumped up about it.  His plan is to be at Baxter State Park in Maine by the end of September.

Journal Entry, Spork - 7/20

Almost 1,400 miles behind me. 1,400 miles, that doesn’t even seem possible.  It feels like I’m talking about someone else. I get these frequent rushes of just how much I enjoy this.  I learn something new every day about myself. I’ve gained a different perspective of who I am, why I am, and what life is about. The woods tend to take on an alien feel at times but less and less every day.  The woods are where I sleep.  They are where I eat, spend my day, and think. I appreciate a soft spot of ground to set up a tent. I appreciate the natural placement of a stump for sitting.  I appreciate the convenient scattering of dead wood for a fire.  It’s the little things out here and it’s the appreciation of the little things that makes the woods home.

All my days are basically the same and totally different at the same time. I normally wake up around seven or eight, stumble out of my tent and find out what new part of my body is sore. Food is the first thing on my mind. Food is always on my mind. I grab my food bag and take out a couple 430 calorie honey buns. I’ve fallen from the engineered hiking food tree right into the junk food aisle at the gas station.  I’ve come to realize that food is just fuel.  It’s like gasoline.  There are several grades but all propel the vehicle.  I try my best to eat as much protein as possible but calories are the gasoline that makes you go.  I am averaging around 10,000 per day and still having a hard time maintaining my weight.  6 months ago you couldn’t pay me to eat a honey bun.  This week, it’s my treat du jour.  Next week it will be something else.  I take them down in four bites. 860 calories in... Check.  The sweat starts to bead while I take my tent down and mentally prepare myself for the day.  Before I know it my pack is full and my campsite is empty. Some days I start to hike and feel great right away and others it takes 15 minutes to get my stride, but then, it’s on. I turn into a machine.

 I walk, I smile (sometimes breaking out into fits of laughter at a chipmunk that gets startled), I live. I have found myself cackling like a hyena at the antics of a four inch mammal. Around 12 or 1 I grab a seat on the "perfect" rock or log.  Sometimes it takes a while to find. I have walked an extra two or three miles in search of a sweet spot for grazing. Bacon, string cheese, and tortillas, maybe some Snyder’s pretzel nibblers if it’s a very good day. What do I do now? Walk.  By this point I’ve seen 30 chipmunks and squirrels, maybe a snake, a bear on a good day, birds, birds and more birds, and maybe one or two other hikers. Savages, how dare they intrude upon my home.     

Long distance hiking is a funny thing.  It takes a portion of your mind to keep you going but once the switch clicks the zone-out take over. My mind is all over the place. Random thoughts invade my head.  I think about what was going on 200 years ago where I’m walking, what the frog that just looked at me is thinking, how anyone could ever order a good steak well done.  I haven’t seen a snake in a while and every root morphs into one.   I make up new lyrics to old songs.  I make up new songs to old lyrics.   Sometimes I’ve walked 10 or 12 miles deep in thought before I have to stop and check where I am. I  quit long ago looking for white trail blazes.  My subconscious sees them and directs my movements.   You could solve the world’s problems on a long distance hike. 

Every day is a constant search for water.  Your world revolves entirely around water.  My day is like the spread of civilization.  People always settle near water.  I now know exactly why.  Where you have lunch, dinner, and camp must have access to water.  Thirst is a powerful motivator.

My world has recently turned into a friggin’ sauna, all day, every day. Water is tough to come by.  Many of the springs marked on the maps are dry.  Often potable water sources are mis-marked. The heat this week has averaged well into the upper 90s. The humidity is beyond description. The air is thick and soupy.  The vistas are smoky blue.  Planning your distances on the report that water exists at some point in the distance requires a lot of work. Being out of water is a crisis in this heat but it happens sometimes.  I used to flip out about these things but little rattles me these days. I feel much more in control.   When things go wrong the trail has a way of fixing it with something awesome that you didn’t expect. Maybe a cooler filled with water and Cokes, maybe an unexpected stream, or a fellow hiker that will hook you up with a liter of water. Trail magic is more than folk lore.  It is an almost expected and certainly anticipated part of the experience.  It’s really the last link to society.  It’s also a wonderful statement about the same. 

The pack always feels a bit heavier at the end of the day. Once you find the campsite, the pack comes off and the tent goes up. Now it’s time to eat.  I believe that I will remember every camp site I stayed at on the trail.  I think back over them now and they all seem clear. I have never slept so soundly.

I continue to surprise myself.  My latest surprise is the ability to walk 20 miles in temperatures over 100 degrees.  I’ve done it, several times.  Yet another challenge behind me.  I suppose you could say that you can do anything if you have to.  But the truth is it’s not what I have to do, it’s what I want to do. 

Pictures Harpers to NJ 6/30 - 7/17

There are new pictures in the right column.  These are the balance of pictures from Harper's Ferry and the trip throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania and into New Jersey.  There are several rattlesnake and bear encounters.  Ryan shot a movie of a bear and her cubs and we're working to get this on the blog ASAP.  He saw 5 bears, 5 rattlesnakes, and a copperhead on this leg.  

There are pictures of the ice cream challenge at Pine Grove and lots of rock scrambles.  It hard to fully understand the rock scrambles until you see the pictures.  Note in many of the rocky pictures that the white trail blazes go right up over the rocks.

Ryan also sent some journal entries and these will go on in the next couple of days.  He is currently in Brooklyn visiting Matt Oliver for a couple of days.  When I talked to him on Sunday he was web surfing pictures of the trail in New England.  He said he's really enjoying a day of street clothes and AC but is anxious to get back out on the trail.  He's meeting back up with his buddies on Tuesday morning to take a train out to the trail head.

9th State, 1,357 Miles - 7/21

Ryan called Tuesday night (6/19).  He was in New Jersey.  He describes New Jersey as having a lot of rolling hills and small mountains in the southern section.  Over the past week he has seen more wildlife than anywhere yet on the trial.  He has seen 4 rattlesnakes, 5 bears, and the usually small mammals, turtles, snakes, and deer.  He promises pictures of all.  He said his bear count is at 16. This week he has seen much of the same weather we have been experiencing in Southern Ohio. It has been consistently in the mid 90’s with high humidity.  (As of this writing he has crossed over the New York State border and is camped at Greenwood Lake.  The temperature there today was 103.  At this point Ryan has crossed into his 9^th state and has covered 1,357 miles of the AT.)   

The trail remained rocky through the last of Pennsylvania and all of  New Jersey. He has walked another pair of trial shoes off his feet.  He will be looking for new shoes as soon as he comes to a decent outfitter.  He said the soles of his hikers are smooth.  He is now in a full size larger shoe than when starting the trail.

 He describes the week as brutal. The mosquitoes and black flies have been relentless. Bug spray only seems to incite them.  In spite of the heat and bugs he has averaged well of 20 miles per day.  He had one stretch heading into Lehigh Gap where he covered 42 miles in 24 hours.   Much of this was night hiking. Much of this was hand over hand climbing.  Lehigh Gap has some of the more challenging rock scrambles south of the White Mountains. 

The biggest single challenge has been consuming enough water to avoid dehydration.  He’s been taking every opportunity to bathe in creeks and wherever he can find running water to stay cool and to rinse the salt that builds up with that amount of sweating. He described Tuesday night as a particularly challenging day and night.  The group he is hiking with often breaks up for a day or two and Ryan was catching back up with the group after a drop package pickup in town.   He hiked the day and late into the evening alone and got caught in an all night downpour complete with hail and lightning.  Bear activity in the area was extremely high and he was forced to camp off the trial, away from a shelter, and alone.  For the first time he decided to hang all of his food on a bear rope just in case. 

He caught back up to Kipper and Chimp on Wednesday around noon.  They are all hiking together again and all plan 2 off days this coming weekend in New York City.  Kipper has a sister that lives in NYC and a close friend of Ryan’s lives in Brooklyn.  They hope to be at Bear Mountain by Saturday and catch a train into the city until Monday.  They’ll take the same train back out to Bear Mountain and, as always, pick the trail up at the exact spot they left it.  Ryan has maintained his purist approach to the trail and has walked every mile since leaving Georgia.  He has done no blue blazing or walk-rounds.    

The past two weeks have been difficult with the heat and rocky trail.  Ryan said they are all pretty beat up.  He has a lot of blisters and a few days with dry clothes and feet will do them all good.  He’s hoping the weather will break a little cooler after the weekend. His spirits seem to be holding up better than his feet, but, he’s confident both will carry him to Maine. He will need to average 12.5 miles per day to make it to Baxter State Park by the end of September.  His response was “no sweat”.  He’s looking forward to New England and fall. 

I should have a new film disk and pictures posted by the weeked. 

Not heard from Ryan this week.  He did get a refill on his Doxycyclene in the event of another tick attack.  He also received a pair of boots he’d sent home in June.  He’s giving up on the low top hiking shoes until he gets up the coast a bit and away from the rocky trail in this part of the country. Looking at his GPS location, he is just about through Pennsylvania and should be getting into New Jersey sometime this weekend.  This map shows his progress through Pennsylvania. 

Duncannon, PA - 7/7

Ryan checked in last evening from Duncannon, PA to let us know he was feeling much better.  The antibiotics apparently did their job and his fever and flu symptoms were 75% gone.  In spite of feeling a little weak, he covered 24 miles yesterday.  He reports eastern Pennsylvania to be exactly as predicted – rocky.  The past two days have gone from open country to rocky outcrops.  Most of the trail is washed clean by rain exposing fist sized rocks.  He said it was very tiring to constantly shift position and weight to find good foot placement.  You have to watch every step.  
  
Trail magic has abounded so far in Pennsylvania.  He commented that the people in rural PA are very welcoming to hikers.  Wednesday night the trail passed through a small town and they were invited to set up their tents in a local’s field.  They made pizza’s for the hikers and they all stayed up till 1:00 in the morning answering question and talking about the hike and trail.   The next morning the people drove sandwiches and breakfast out to the hikers at 7:00 a.m.  

He felt he was finally 100% on equipment.  He got the right pack delivered in Duncannon and the package from home included another cycle of tick antibiotics, the ankle brace he wanted, and some clothing he’d asked for.

Since leaving Harper’s he has covered 125 miles in 6 days.  Pennsylvania has about 260 mile of the AT within its border.  New Jersey will be the next state he enters.  He should be in NJ before next weekend. Ryan’s efforts to reduce his pack weight have paid off in a 10-15 pound reduction.  He has taken on a minimalist attitude about necessities.  The only real luxury he’s carrying is a book. In these more populated areas he can resupply more frequently and carry less between resupplies. He also said that the water sources have been much better than in Virginia.  He’s had to do very little water filtering since leaving Harper’s.  All of these benefits help to add mile per day. He feels his stride had increased considerably.  He said after walking this far you get a real good feel for the miles and the time it takes to cover them.  Earlier on he felt was walking at about a 2 mph pace.  He thinks he is consistently walking at about 3 mph now.  

Talking to Ryan 2 months ago he was just walking.  Now, he is a walking technician.  Stride, foot placement, use of poles, pack position, shoe style, and trail surface all add or detract to forward progress.  Now, it’s all about the miles.  For the first time he talked, not about how many miles he has walked, but how many miles he has yet to walk.  Tomorrow he should be under 1,000 miles left.  Tomorrow he has been on the trail for 3 months. 

There is not an ounce of “quit” in anything he’s said or done since being dropped off on the trial head that cool day in April.  He is determined – and hairy.  I offered him a cash reward to shave that badger off his face – nothing doing.  He posesses the fastest growing beard on the planet.  Didn’t that guy used to play a bass in ZZ Top?

Pictures, Pine Grove and Ice Cream 7/5

We received a SD card in the mail yesterday. New pictures are listed in the right column. These are through much of Virginia ending in Harpers Ferry. The last pictures are Ryan’s entry in the Appalachian Trail Conservancy register of thru hikers. Ryan was number 650 for the year that’s made it approximately ½ way as either a northbound or southbound hiker.

Yesterday he reached the actual ½ way point at 1090 miles.

Ryan called late yesterday asking that we renew his prescription of doxycycline. He feels that he has Lyme disease and has started a cycle of antibiotic. Approximately 20% of the thru hikers are reporting it this year as a result of deer ticks bites. Lyme disease is a very serious condition if not treated promptly. Ryan is fortunate in that he received a prescription from his Dr in the event. Finding an attached tick and developing a bullseye ring around the bite is a pretty good indication. He said they are averaging 5 ticks a day. They are sometimes nearly impossible because to see they are much smaller than the ticks he’s used to seeing in Ohio. Symptoms are rash, joint pain, flu-like symptom, fever, and headache. He reported all. He started feeling bad yesterday and that the last 7 miles were the most difficult of his entire hike thus far. He started the doxycycline in the afternoon was feeling better today.

He must have felt better because he took on the ice cream challenge at Pine Grove, PA.

“For the past three decades, long-distance hikers arriving at the midway point of the 2,180-mile Georgia-to-Maine footpath have made it a tradition to stop at Pine Grove Furnace State Park in south-central Pennsylvania and eat an entire brick of ice cream. The reward: bragging rights, a small commemorative wooden spoon stamped in red letters with "Member of Half Gal. Club," About 350 thru-hikers each year successfully complete the gastronomic feat.”

Ryan said it was a breeze and still had the appetite to eat some more.

He said the trail in Pennsylvania so far has been rocky and relatively hilly. There has been many rock scrambles. Over the past 3 days they have averaged 20 miles/day. He’s still hiking with Kipper, Chimp and Achilles. Monday they encountered their first rattlesnake. He’s looking forward to getting into Duncannon later this week to get his mail package and pack replacement. The replacement pack he was sent in Harper’s ended up being too small and was causing some rubbing issues. The manufacturer is sending the next size up to Duncannon.

Other than the Lyme he still sounds strong. He promised to report in on how he’s feeling in a few days.

Pennsylvania - 7/3

spork Noun /spôrk/
sporks - plural

• A spoon-shaped eating utensil with short tines at the tip
• An Ohio based Appalachian Trail Thru Hiker known to carry an eating utensile behind his ear

Ryan called again before leaving Harper’s Ferry.  They got into Harpers late Wednesday and spent the night with friends of one of his hiking companions.  They got cleaned up and got to sleep in a real bed.  He said all 4 of them slept until 11:30 Thursday.  They then took Thursday off in Harpers and did some sightseeing and resupply.  They were back on the trail Friday morning.

Ryan asked that I send a specific shout out and thanks to Chimp’s friend’s parents, Fred and Melanie, for the hospitality and willingness to take a bunch of stinky hikers in.  He said it put more pep in his step than he’s had in a while. Ryan lost his ankle brace and Melanie drove up and hung one on a tree for him to find.  He said this experience has really given him a new perspective on how good and kind people can be.  He felt it would forever change the way in which he interacts with others.    

THANKS !! Spork

They’re currently back on the trail and camped last night just inside the Pennsylvania border.  Since Wednesday they have been in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Ryan was pretty talkative on Thursday and we discussed a lot about the trail and Harper’s Ferry.  He said Harper’s was the most interesting towns they had gone through to date. The town still had cobblestone and brick paved roads with old original architecture.  He said it was definitely a place he would visit again.  The area was rich in Civil War history.  Over the past week he passed through several battlefield areas both in parks and in the wilderness.  Several times they came upon foundations, dug trenches and rock walls where you could see the gun placements and trench layout.   He did some research in Harper’s about the areas.  He spoke fluently on the battles and history of the area. He said it was amazing how many Civil War battlefields were just out in open wilderness as opposed to protected park areas. The house he stayed in on Wednesday dated back to the Battle of Antietam. 

The bear activity is much higher in this area than the Smokies. He’s seen about a dozen bears, seen one fall out of a tree, and sees bear droppings on the trail daily.  One of the other hikers experienced a false charge from a mother protecting her cubs.  He said that for every bear he has seen he has heard several more.  He explained the sound of a bear running in the woods to be unmistakable.  You never know if they are running toward or away from you.    If they are just lumbering around they appear clumsy and almost clownish.  On a dead run they exhibit speed and a lot of noise. 

The bears are drawn in to the valleys by the berries.  Ryan said they eat black berries, blueberries, raspberries, and wine berries daily all along the trial.  Unfortunately, bears are after the same treat. Early last week he met and hiked with an older couple who were trail and wilderness experts.  Their names were Free Thinker and Firehawk.  He was excited about the time he spent with them because they taught the group a lot about wild edibles and plants in the forest.  When you spend that much time in the woods you get to the point where you notice every plant, nut, mushroom, and berry.  It was great to meet someone who could identify and apply names to the flora.  Ryan said they were some of the coolest people he has met. 

At this point on the trial minds are turning toward New England and the change in scenery and trail. There is a lot of hiking to be done through Pennsylvania and New York.  Pennsylvania is reported to be full of rock scrambles and rocky trails.  It is a part of the trail where a lot of injuries occurs from falls to sprained ankles.

He said they spend a ridiculous amount of time fantasizing about food.  The cravings are endless and very specific.  They rarely go 20 minutes without food coming up. His current favorite meal and resupply items are flour tortillas, real Bacon Bits, String Cheese, and peanut M&M’s.  He said they’ve had great success over the past week with Trial Magic and Yogi’ing (Yogi Bear).  That’s where you stop at a picnic area and look hungry and tired in hopes that a picnicking family will send some fried chicken your way.  He said it’s amazing how well it works.   One of their best hook-ups was a Mennonite family that invited them over for an incredible meal and discussions of beard length.  Ryan said the elder asked him how long he’d been growing his beard.  He seemed disappointed to hear that Ryan’s was only 3 months old.  He’d been growing his for 20 years and it wasn’t much longer than Ryan’s.

Ryan said it’s amazing how well know the AT is in this area and how people go out of their way to help or offers food and water.  A few days ago the trail crossed an interstate highway and they noticed as they walked along the overpass that cars were honking their horns.  They stopped and noticed that the people in the cars were all waving and giving thumbs up.  They spent 30 minutes on the bridge waving back and feeling like Rock Stars.

Ryan is doing well physically, although his ankle still bothers him at times.  He’s lost a total of 12 lbs since Georgia.  He said his calves look like wire ropes.    They’ve heard of several hikers getting Lyme disease and keeping an eye out for ticks is a constant battle.  Ryan has asked that I forward his other dose of Lyme disease antibiotic just in case. 

We’re getting a drop box together for next week.  One luxury item he has asked for is a can of Skyline.  They are hoping to get up on a mountain somewhere to get a view of some fireworks on the fourth.  As I’ve said before we only hear from Ryan when he hits civilization.  Almost all of the time between contacts is in the woods.  He said that thruhikers are down to a very few at this point and they often go days without seeing another hiker or a paved road.  In his words it bears, birds, and pooping in the woods.


Hope to have some new pictures posted mid week.

 He sounds great!

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.

Memorial Day Call

Received a call from Ryan Memorial Day morning.  He was just getting ready to cross over I-77 right around Bastian, VA.  He called at 10:30 and had already covered 9 miles.  He said with the heat he’s been trying to get out of camp at sunrise and cover as much trail as possible before it warms up.  He reported that he hiked 21 miles the day before and was planning to cover 23 miles on Memorial Day.  He also reported that he had rolled his ankle again on the 27th and ended up stopping early at a shelter to give his ankle a rest.  This is the third time he has rolled his ankle.   We talked about this for a while and Ryan tells me it is a common thing on the trail.  He said every shelter has a person nursing a black and blue ankle.   He said that although Virginia has had less altitude the trail is very rocky. Hiking downhill on rocky ground is difficult with a pack because you don’t have a good view of foot placement.  His plan is to hike 18 miles today and get into Woods Hole Hostel where he can ice his ankle and try to stay off it for a while.   
 

Ryan continues to rave about the beauty of Southern Virginia.  He’s hikes the past few days alone.  He lost Habitat and Kipper after his ankle layover.  Everyone has plans to meet up at the Woods Hole Hostel.  Lemon, Fish and Beer Burger should be there as well. As much as he enjoys company Ryan also enjoys hiking alone and at his own pace.  He felt that you just can’t get the entire AT experience unless you spend time alone in the woods.  One issue he has had since entering Virginia is drinking water.  He‘s run out a few times.  Most of the trail runs along the mountain ridges and stream and spring are rare.  Earlier on in the Smokies he was consuming about 4 liters a day and rarely carried that much because water access was good.  With the added heat, he’s pushing 6-8 liters and has to carry more when it is found since there is not guarantee of access. 

He’s run into several cases of Trail Magic this past week.  Trail magic is simply unexpected or timely acts of random kindness or good fortune along the trail.  Trail magic generally occurs when least expected or often most needed.  He’s run into a couple of instances of a cookout along the trial for hikers.  He also camped with a group of day hikers that packed in meat and vegetables for kabobs for all of the thru hikers.

In talking to Ryan something occurred to me when he talked about days of hiking without seeing a house or a road or other hikers.  He calls when he is at a location where he can get phone service.  Days go by without this being the case.  Most blog entries are based on town stops and the ability to connect.  Most of the solitude and wilderness is between the entries.  This can only be seen in the pictures.  On his last picture SD card, I found a movie clip that was accidentally started on his camera.  The camera was hung from it’s strap and moved around quite a bit.  It captured the crossing of a high mountain bald in  driving rainstorm.  You can hear the wind howl. You can hear the rain pelt his pack and thunder in the distance.  You can hear the effort in his breathing.  You can almost feel his footsteps. You see a bouncing panorama of a muddy trail, ominous clouds and distant mountain horizons.   It brought an audible “damn” from me.  This gave me a better perspective of the challenge he faces than anything I have seen so far. He seemed very far way.    

He was in good spirits.   We’ve set up a mail drop for Daleville, VA.  It’s about 6 days out.