August blew in like a lion . . . I asked the Turtle and Navigator if they might be able to end their adventure one day early. It was only something I asked them to think about. We talked about this possibility before they left, so it did not come as a great surprise.
I thought that they would just cut a day off their hike; however, keeping true to form they have chosen to push themselves harder to work in 20 miles over 10 days. August has had some delightful moments including the guys entering into an ice cream eating contest. Dale was the clear winner on this one, eating a half gallon of ice cream in less than an hour. Ben completed the competition, but took a little longer. They guys also were met by a Keith, Dale’s life long friend. Keith was their chauffer and tour guide to Gettysburg.
The good times were combined with a few scary moments in August . . .
Port Clinton - Turtle and Navigator called after arriving at their last ‘port-o-call’ or overnight in a ‘hotel’ on August 5. The term hotel should be used loosely . . . indoor accommodations maybe, not that’s not it . . . night with electricity is probably the most appropriate.
Their arrival to the city was one day earlier than expected. They called in the early evening, after showering, but before eating dinner. Both Dale and Ben’s voices were weary and weak. This was the first time that sounded this way.
The Port Clinton hotel experience was less than relaxing . . . to paraphrase Ben this hotel is slightly better than their worst experience, because there wasn’t a burned out bar in front of the hotel and the shower did not have holes to the outside of the building. Dale’s funniest comment had to do with the sleeping arrangements . . . .the hotel was located above a bar and restaurant with two bathrooms, one at each end of the hall, and beds only in the rooms. The bed was a double bed with a dip. The dip was across the center of the bed where your backside normally hits, so the head and the foot of the bed were slightly higher. It was not a very restful night.
Eckville Shelter – Navigator called around 6:30 p.m. to let me know that they were having yet another long day, 23 miles. He said that the terrain was rocky. On one climb he heard Turtle holler . . . this was somewhat disconcerting because a fall could have really been dangerous . . . it turned out that Turtle lost his footing and only slipped/fell a short distance. Navigator cut the call short because a storm was rolling in so I do not have any more details on the fall. Here’s hoping that Turtle did not hurt himself.
At this point the guys say that they will finish on August 9. Please continue to keep them in your prayers . . . the next few days are going to be the hardest. According to other hiker accounts the last 20 miles on Saturday are the most memorable part of the Pennsylvania trail and not because they are scenic qualities, because they are rocky and hard to climb.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
Rausch Gap to 501
Hi everyone. Julie here again. Mom's been a bit busy lately, what with going to New Orleans for the ArenaBowl last weekend (Go SaberCats! If the Soul had kept the ball on the field for the last 17 seconds of the game, they wouldn't have had a prayer.) and piecing the house back together now that the bedrooms have been carpeted (Let's just say that by the time this is all said and done, Goodwill isn't going to know what hit them).
Mom has been talking to the boys on a daily basis, however, and I'm sure she'll update soon with some of that information in order to fill in the gaps.
For today, I got to talk to the boys, and they were exceptionally chatty, so I've got lots to share!
This morning, they left Rausch Gap Shelter at about 7:30 AM. Turtle estimated the temperature to be about 70 degrees, but he said that, due to the humidity, after only about 20 minutes, his clothes were soaked with sweat. This was in response to my asking whether they'll choose to take the hike this late in the summer next year. Usually they hike in late May and early June, but because Navigator had to take a summer class, they had to postpone things this year. Turtle's response was, "Not if we can help it." He noted that when the sun does come out, things heat up pretty quickly.
Turtle did say, however, that he felt as if he was in better physical shape this year than in previous years. I guess that that gym membership paid off! (I hear that he's a monster on the elliptical machine. Not so much on the treadmill, after that one time that he fell off... :) Despite all that, however, he did tell me that they're both losing a little bit of weight. The waist straps on their packs are being adjusted accordingly.
Besides getting skinnier, the boys are also getting hairier. Neither shaves during their yearly hikes, so their beards are usually a sight to behold. Sometimes Navigator actually keeps a goatee. Turtle usually shaves his as soon as possible. I think it might be because it's brown near his face but gray on the ends, although he insists that it's not actually gray. It's just that the ends stick out from under the brim of his hat and get bleached by the sun.
Sounds like some good old-fashioned BS to me. :P
I commented on their good cell reception. It seems that during this year's hike, they've passed through areas with a higher population; therefore cell reception is better. Turtle mentioned that they're also at a higher elevation, so that helps as well. In fact, for those of you keeping track, they called today during their lunch break from a ridge on Blue Mountain, a little bit east of Swatara Gap. Unfortunately, though, they weren't enjoying a spectacular view since they were surrounded by trees. And so it goes...
Foot update: Things are about the same. Navigator's blisters, earned early due to his boots being too big, are healing. Even breaking in the new boots we sent him seems to feel better than the old ones. Turtle has been putting duct tape on his hot spots and has found that his boots, new this year, don't breathe quite as well as he'd like. As a result, his feet are soaked with sweat, and when he removes the tape, lately he's been taking off some skin with it. He doesn't have any blisters in the usual places, but Navigator spied one on Turtle's toe this morning. I think that this is Turtle's first of the year- a much better record than in the past!
It's been interesting to note how the character of each year's hike differs from previous years, usually due to the people that the boys meet on the trail. Through-hikers (those that complete the trail in one continuous stretch, unlike our boys who are called section hikers) usually do one of three things. They either hike south to north, north to south, or they hike south to north (when it's cooler in the south), hit the halfway point, and travel via an alternate mode of transportation to Maine where they hike from Mt. Katahdin south, back to the halfway point (before it gets too cold in the north). The boys, being section hikers, just pick up each year where they left off the previous year, so, depending on where they are and the time of year, they sometimes meet with many other hikers and usually meet some pretty interesting people along the way. This year, according to Navigator, they seem to be behind the crowd, so they haven't run into as many people. As a result, they had the shelter to themselves last night, and Navigator got to be the sole audience member for Turtle's snoring. Their hike concludes this weekend, and I imagine that Navigator is pretty excited about sleeping in his own room again- especially without the background noise!
Tonight, they're either headed to the 501 shelter (17 total miles for today) or a campground about 5 miles past it. They're going to try to finish a day earlier than planned, which means some really high-mileage days all the way to the end. As for today, the 22 total miles wasn't a promise. They'll get to 501 and see how they feel. They'd completed two significant climbs before lunch, one of which Turtle classified as a real "lung buster."
Mom has been talking to the boys on a daily basis, however, and I'm sure she'll update soon with some of that information in order to fill in the gaps.
For today, I got to talk to the boys, and they were exceptionally chatty, so I've got lots to share!
This morning, they left Rausch Gap Shelter at about 7:30 AM. Turtle estimated the temperature to be about 70 degrees, but he said that, due to the humidity, after only about 20 minutes, his clothes were soaked with sweat. This was in response to my asking whether they'll choose to take the hike this late in the summer next year. Usually they hike in late May and early June, but because Navigator had to take a summer class, they had to postpone things this year. Turtle's response was, "Not if we can help it." He noted that when the sun does come out, things heat up pretty quickly.
Turtle did say, however, that he felt as if he was in better physical shape this year than in previous years. I guess that that gym membership paid off! (I hear that he's a monster on the elliptical machine. Not so much on the treadmill, after that one time that he fell off... :) Despite all that, however, he did tell me that they're both losing a little bit of weight. The waist straps on their packs are being adjusted accordingly.
Besides getting skinnier, the boys are also getting hairier. Neither shaves during their yearly hikes, so their beards are usually a sight to behold. Sometimes Navigator actually keeps a goatee. Turtle usually shaves his as soon as possible. I think it might be because it's brown near his face but gray on the ends, although he insists that it's not actually gray. It's just that the ends stick out from under the brim of his hat and get bleached by the sun.
Sounds like some good old-fashioned BS to me. :P
I commented on their good cell reception. It seems that during this year's hike, they've passed through areas with a higher population; therefore cell reception is better. Turtle mentioned that they're also at a higher elevation, so that helps as well. In fact, for those of you keeping track, they called today during their lunch break from a ridge on Blue Mountain, a little bit east of Swatara Gap. Unfortunately, though, they weren't enjoying a spectacular view since they were surrounded by trees. And so it goes...
Foot update: Things are about the same. Navigator's blisters, earned early due to his boots being too big, are healing. Even breaking in the new boots we sent him seems to feel better than the old ones. Turtle has been putting duct tape on his hot spots and has found that his boots, new this year, don't breathe quite as well as he'd like. As a result, his feet are soaked with sweat, and when he removes the tape, lately he's been taking off some skin with it. He doesn't have any blisters in the usual places, but Navigator spied one on Turtle's toe this morning. I think that this is Turtle's first of the year- a much better record than in the past!
It's been interesting to note how the character of each year's hike differs from previous years, usually due to the people that the boys meet on the trail. Through-hikers (those that complete the trail in one continuous stretch, unlike our boys who are called section hikers) usually do one of three things. They either hike south to north, north to south, or they hike south to north (when it's cooler in the south), hit the halfway point, and travel via an alternate mode of transportation to Maine where they hike from Mt. Katahdin south, back to the halfway point (before it gets too cold in the north). The boys, being section hikers, just pick up each year where they left off the previous year, so, depending on where they are and the time of year, they sometimes meet with many other hikers and usually meet some pretty interesting people along the way. This year, according to Navigator, they seem to be behind the crowd, so they haven't run into as many people. As a result, they had the shelter to themselves last night, and Navigator got to be the sole audience member for Turtle's snoring. Their hike concludes this weekend, and I imagine that Navigator is pretty excited about sleeping in his own room again- especially without the background noise!
Tonight, they're either headed to the 501 shelter (17 total miles for today) or a campground about 5 miles past it. They're going to try to finish a day earlier than planned, which means some really high-mileage days all the way to the end. As for today, the 22 total miles wasn't a promise. They'll get to 501 and see how they feel. They'd completed two significant climbs before lunch, one of which Turtle classified as a real "lung buster."
Sunday, July 27, 2008
July 27: Starting from Devil's Racecourse
Hi there! It's Julie again, signed in as Mom. I'm incognito...
Got a call from the boys at about 8:30 this morning. Ben (Navigator) sounded rested and happy, probably because, according to him, they were on a rocky outcrop overlooking Pennsylvania! Beautiful views are good for the soul, especially because the Appalachian Trail is largely wooded, even on the tops of mountains, and expansive views can sometimes be difficult to come by. (Can we say that sometimes it's difficult to see the forest for the trees!?) :)
Yesterday was a 20-mile hiking day, and today will be approximately 18 miles, so they couldn't talk for long, but I did get a couple of updates.
Bear update: No more bear sightings recently.
Foot update: Ben's feet seem to be healing nicely. No mention of Dad's feet, so, they're either fine, or Ben doesn't care... :P
When asked if they had any good stories or met any interesting people, Ben said that they'd been hiking through a lot of areas where the Civil War had been fought and that yesterday, they (hiking northward) passed some southbound hikers wearing Confederate uniforms. The boys didn't stop to talk to the "soldiers," so they don't know the whole story, but I'm hoping that they were heading for a reenactment and not modeling REI's latest hiking-wear. While wool probably does a fine job wicking moisture away from your skin, I'm not sure it's all that breathable. Besides, those muskets can get heavy...
Got a call from the boys at about 8:30 this morning. Ben (Navigator) sounded rested and happy, probably because, according to him, they were on a rocky outcrop overlooking Pennsylvania! Beautiful views are good for the soul, especially because the Appalachian Trail is largely wooded, even on the tops of mountains, and expansive views can sometimes be difficult to come by. (Can we say that sometimes it's difficult to see the forest for the trees!?) :)
Yesterday was a 20-mile hiking day, and today will be approximately 18 miles, so they couldn't talk for long, but I did get a couple of updates.
Bear update: No more bear sightings recently.
Foot update: Ben's feet seem to be healing nicely. No mention of Dad's feet, so, they're either fine, or Ben doesn't care... :P
When asked if they had any good stories or met any interesting people, Ben said that they'd been hiking through a lot of areas where the Civil War had been fought and that yesterday, they (hiking northward) passed some southbound hikers wearing Confederate uniforms. The boys didn't stop to talk to the "soldiers," so they don't know the whole story, but I'm hoping that they were heading for a reenactment and not modeling REI's latest hiking-wear. While wool probably does a fine job wicking moisture away from your skin, I'm not sure it's all that breathable. Besides, those muskets can get heavy...
Friday, July 25, 2008
Pictures!
Hi guys- this is Julie.
When the boys take long hikes like this, they can't carry all of their food, so Mom periodically sends boxes of food and supplies to pre-arranged post offices for them to pick up. This also gives the boys a chance to send home anything that they might not be using- including dirty laundry! The idea is that the clothes can be washed and sent back to them with the next batch of food.
This year, I somehow earned the dubious honor of opening what I like to call the box o' stank. The good part, though, (besides the fact that the clothes are now clean) is that they also sent the data card for their digital camera. Since there were over 40 pictures, I decided not to attach them directly to the blog. Instead, I uploaded them to the Kodak Gallery site. Click on the link below to view the pictures:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=19h2vpy2.3d0rn9z6&x=0&y=4gn2jh&localeid=en_US
And please let me know if, for some reason, you're unable to view the pictures. I'll try to find another way to post them if I need to.
Sorry that there aren't any updates about bears or weather or sore feet. I haven't personally talked to the boys in several days. I'm just on temporary picture duty...
When the boys take long hikes like this, they can't carry all of their food, so Mom periodically sends boxes of food and supplies to pre-arranged post offices for them to pick up. This also gives the boys a chance to send home anything that they might not be using- including dirty laundry! The idea is that the clothes can be washed and sent back to them with the next batch of food.
This year, I somehow earned the dubious honor of opening what I like to call the box o' stank. The good part, though, (besides the fact that the clothes are now clean) is that they also sent the data card for their digital camera. Since there were over 40 pictures, I decided not to attach them directly to the blog. Instead, I uploaded them to the Kodak Gallery site. Click on the link below to view the pictures:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=19h2vpy2.3d0rn9z6&x=0&y=4gn2jh&localeid=en_US
And please let me know if, for some reason, you're unable to view the pictures. I'll try to find another way to post them if I need to.
Sorry that there aren't any updates about bears or weather or sore feet. I haven't personally talked to the boys in several days. I'm just on temporary picture duty...
July 23 – Starting from David Lesser
Motivation is knowing you are going to eat real food, get a shower and sleep in a bed . . . that’s what drives two very tired hikers to go 8.8 miles by lunch time!
The guys arrived in Harpers Ferry, WV today! The first thing they did was get some lunch at a pizza place, then it was off to the post office and to check in to the hotel. They got showers, had a nice dinner and were back at the hotel before dark! It was a good day!
8.8 miles today – 160.7 miles completed
The guys arrived in Harpers Ferry, WV today! The first thing they did was get some lunch at a pizza place, then it was off to the post office and to check in to the hotel. They got showers, had a nice dinner and were back at the hotel before dark! It was a good day!
8.8 miles today – 160.7 miles completed
July 22 – Starting from Same Moore
As usual the hiking day started around 7:30 a.m. The rain had stopped so things were looking up . . . about 9:00 it started to sprinkle.
About mid morning they reached the Bears Den Hostel. http://www.bearsdencenter.org/ The Hostel was terrific! They were able to get a cold drink and sit down and rest.
By 11:00 they were back on the trail and just after that it started to down pour. It looks as if they are going to have another ‘just add water’ type of day!
Sidebar: Much of the food they carry is freeze dried. For those of us who are old enough to remember astronauts landing on the moon and Tang® it is all about adding water to powder to make something ‘good’ to eat/drink. Freeze dried food has come a long way since the 1960s and from what I hear some of the food is pretty good. The consensus has been powered eggs still taste bad unless you add a great deal of flavoring, e.g., ketchup or hot sauce.‘Just add water’ hiking is much the same as freeze dried food . . . one or two meals/hikes in the rain aren’t too bad, but experiencing it day after day is like eating powdered eggs! Yuk!
They hiked on to Blackburn Trail Center. This too was supposed to be a staffed shelter . . . the guys were less than impressed. They decided that it was best to stick with their plans and hike to the David Lesser Shelter.
Notable events for the day . . .
At some point Dale realized his glasses fell out of his pocket. He knew he needed to go back and try to find them (Hiking back is not like writing with pencil and erasing it’s more like writing with permanent marker and making a mistake). Ben, being the dutiful son, offered to watch the packs while Dale hiked back to find his glasses. Luckily Dale only had to go back about a half mile. There was some good natured ribbing going on by the time that they called me!
After a hard day at work everyone likes to come home and relax a little, right? Well, the same is true for the guys . . . but there was no rest when they got to the shelter. The water source, a spring, was located a half mile DOWNHILL from the shelter. You might think to yourself . . . how bad could it be; they already hiked 14 miles what’s another .5? Ben reminded me that the water bottles are pretty light walking down, but then you have to carry them back uphill full! I said, “Oh! Sorry about that,” as I went to the kitchen and poured myself a class of water . . . really, I am grateful to be writing this from home!
NEW FLASH! Today marked another milestone . . . they crossed from Virginia to West Virginia! Another state complete!!!!!
14.1 miles today – 151.9 miles completed
About mid morning they reached the Bears Den Hostel. http://www.bearsdencenter.org/ The Hostel was terrific! They were able to get a cold drink and sit down and rest.
By 11:00 they were back on the trail and just after that it started to down pour. It looks as if they are going to have another ‘just add water’ type of day!
Sidebar: Much of the food they carry is freeze dried. For those of us who are old enough to remember astronauts landing on the moon and Tang® it is all about adding water to powder to make something ‘good’ to eat/drink. Freeze dried food has come a long way since the 1960s and from what I hear some of the food is pretty good. The consensus has been powered eggs still taste bad unless you add a great deal of flavoring, e.g., ketchup or hot sauce.‘Just add water’ hiking is much the same as freeze dried food . . . one or two meals/hikes in the rain aren’t too bad, but experiencing it day after day is like eating powdered eggs! Yuk!
They hiked on to Blackburn Trail Center. This too was supposed to be a staffed shelter . . . the guys were less than impressed. They decided that it was best to stick with their plans and hike to the David Lesser Shelter.
Notable events for the day . . .
At some point Dale realized his glasses fell out of his pocket. He knew he needed to go back and try to find them (Hiking back is not like writing with pencil and erasing it’s more like writing with permanent marker and making a mistake). Ben, being the dutiful son, offered to watch the packs while Dale hiked back to find his glasses. Luckily Dale only had to go back about a half mile. There was some good natured ribbing going on by the time that they called me!
After a hard day at work everyone likes to come home and relax a little, right? Well, the same is true for the guys . . . but there was no rest when they got to the shelter. The water source, a spring, was located a half mile DOWNHILL from the shelter. You might think to yourself . . . how bad could it be; they already hiked 14 miles what’s another .5? Ben reminded me that the water bottles are pretty light walking down, but then you have to carry them back uphill full! I said, “Oh! Sorry about that,” as I went to the kitchen and poured myself a class of water . . . really, I am grateful to be writing this from home!
NEW FLASH! Today marked another milestone . . . they crossed from Virginia to West Virginia! Another state complete!!!!!
14.1 miles today – 151.9 miles completed
July 21 – Starting from Dick’s Dome
There are times in our lives when things happen that make us move at a faster pace . . . today was that kind of day for Turtle and Navigator . . . the skies opened and rain poured down. As the rain poured the guys picked up their pace! They covered about nine miles by lunch time! Remember . . . yesterday it took most of the day to hike 9.9 miles!
After lunch they were headed into the part of the trail known as the Roller Coaster. Ben explained that the trail has a series of 10 ascents and descents that would last about the next 13.5 miles. The Hiker’s Companion describes this part of the trail as narrow, viewless and rocky ridges. Now doesn’t that sound like paradise? The reality is . . . trekking poles will save them from falling and twisting their knees and ankles. The poles also are used to drag their tired bodies step by step.
Good news - the stuff they are carrying seems to be staying dry thanks to the pack covers. But you guessed it . . . their clothes and boots are a different story. They wear clothing that should dry quickly if given a chance. After hiking all day with wet stuff on they do their best to hang their clothes at night to let them dry. Hiking socks never dry completely once they get wet. Dale said that his feet were all ‘pruned up’ when he took his boots off. He tried to sleep outside of his sleeping bag for several hours to give his feet time to dry during the night!
OK . . . I have really tried to write this as an informative journal . . . but really . . . aren’t you wondering why they keep doing this????? The only answer I can come up with is never ever give up on your dream, even if it means hiking through some nasty stuff!
15.3 miles today – 137.8 miles completed
After lunch they were headed into the part of the trail known as the Roller Coaster. Ben explained that the trail has a series of 10 ascents and descents that would last about the next 13.5 miles. The Hiker’s Companion describes this part of the trail as narrow, viewless and rocky ridges. Now doesn’t that sound like paradise? The reality is . . . trekking poles will save them from falling and twisting their knees and ankles. The poles also are used to drag their tired bodies step by step.
Good news - the stuff they are carrying seems to be staying dry thanks to the pack covers. But you guessed it . . . their clothes and boots are a different story. They wear clothing that should dry quickly if given a chance. After hiking all day with wet stuff on they do their best to hang their clothes at night to let them dry. Hiking socks never dry completely once they get wet. Dale said that his feet were all ‘pruned up’ when he took his boots off. He tried to sleep outside of his sleeping bag for several hours to give his feet time to dry during the night!
OK . . . I have really tried to write this as an informative journal . . . but really . . . aren’t you wondering why they keep doing this????? The only answer I can come up with is never ever give up on your dream, even if it means hiking through some nasty stuff!
15.3 miles today – 137.8 miles completed
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