White Mountains pictures

This is what the "trail" looked like for about 7 miles north of Mt. Washington. It made for a long afternoon (Dad is posting this, those are my words. It didn't seem to bother Sam that much).

Dad and Sam with peaks north of Mt. Washington

Mr. Bean with Sam on Franconia Ridge in the clouds, which limited visability all day. The clouds and wind of about 40mph made a really cool atmosphere to hike in.

Dad and Sam with the morning peaks behind them, taken from Mt. Washington. Winds about 60mph here.

Dad climbing a drainage on the way up from Crawforn Notch

Presidents

Hello Everyone! I'm in Gorham, NH getting restocked, doing laundry and about to get a burger! This morning, Dad and I hiked 5 miles to Pinkham Notch Visitor Center from Osgood Tent Site, which is at the base of the Presidential Mountain Range. It was great to chill with the Presidents, but it was one tough hike! As Dad put several times, "MAN! Even the downhills have uphill!" We began the hike up the range Monday afternoon after purchasing a new camera to take pictures. The climb to Mizpah hut was steep, and this was our first exposure to the high winds that are present throughout that section. Monday's hike was 9 miles, and we earned every one of them. The trail was steep out of Crawford Notch up to the tenting area with many rock scrambles. The White Mountain National Forest has these 'Forest Protection Areas' that are around each hut, campsite and road. There are signs that let you know not to camp 1/4 mile away from huts and established campsites, 1/2 mile from road, and 200 ft from trail. So, a quarter mile before reaching camp we saw the sign; a welcomed sight after the steep climb late Monday afternoon.

Tuesday was a fantastic day! We could not have asked for better weather. There was hardly a cloud in the sky all day. The winds were brutal at times, and that wore me down just as much as the rocky trails going over and around the 7 peaks of the Presidential Mountain Range. Tuesday's hike was above treeline for the majority of the day, 12.7 of the 15 miles! We had increadible views of the Franconia Ridge, which we had hiked the two days prior, completely inside a cloud with 40-50mph winds. It was super nice to be able to see the ranges we had already done! The view from our first peak on Tuesday was increadible (Mt. Eisenhower I think), and just got better all day! I had that 'on top of the world' feeling all day; being able to see probably 30 miles or more in every direction! Huts were spread throughout our hike, which were a welcome break from the wind. The summit house on top of Mt. Washington was a madhouse, and I didn't care for it much. I kinda wish it wasn't there at all; people running around everywhere, kids screamin, people yelling to each other, crowding the summit sign, and whatever else; and that was on a Tuesday! Could you imagine that place on a weekend? Anyway, it was nice to be on the tallest, and the wind was extremely powerful which was cool.

The rest of the day was great as well! Again, it could not have been a more perfect day weather-wise to hike. I'm a little sun and wind burned, but that is to be expected. The trail was very rocky on the north side of Mt. Washington, but also had some of the best views of the range. We finished the day hiking up Mt. Madison and down to Osgood tent sight. I have some great pictures that I'm sure Dad will post here in the next few days. It was awesome seeing Dad and Mr. Bean!; great to have company and someone to turn around to on the top of a peak to smile at and say 'Man, this is cool!' The food was good too. We tried some new things; pad thai noodles, torallini with sun dried tomatoes and parm cheese, and a rice dish I made up. Things are going extremely well! I'm sad to see Mr. Bean and Dad go. Their visit has been a lot of fun!

I have calculated the rest of my hike to Maine, and am expecting to be finished there on August 15th. The trail ahead is tough from what the SOBOs are saying (rocks, roots, mud, scrambles, elevation), but I'm ready to put out some hard miles. Hope you are all doing very well! There is so much about the Whites I done have the time to write about. It is a beautiful and challenging part of the trail, and I enjoyed it very much. Thanks again for your support and interest! Hope to talk and see yall soon

The Kid

White Mountains

Mark and Sam called yesterday with an update (since Sam hadn't posted anything since Monday, July 19) to let me know everything was going fine.

Mark and Jim Bean met Sam Friday morning and starting hiking. I'm not sure when the reached Mount Jackson - elevation 4016 feet, but Sam said it was the best view so far, but very windy (blew his hat off). They will be looking for ear plugs for their Presidental Mtn. Range hike - wind forecast 50-80 mph winds - but SUNNY! Sunday night they stayed at Nauman Campsite next to Mizpah Hut.

Sam thinks he may have athletes feet - dry and cracked. I think it is probably from the smelly socks.

They had to purchase a new camera - Sam landed on the old one, but the pictures were salvaged.

Mark says it's the hardest hiking he has ever done!!! But the knee is holding - THANK THE LORD!

Sam is having a GREAT time with Dad - Mom is very jealous :(

That's all for now. I'm hoping that the next blog will come from Sam, he does a much better job of it.

Fiber One

It seems as though trail builders throughout New Hampshire have never heard of a switchback before. Hiking has been much more challenging ever since getting into this state. Out of Hanover, I had two great days of hiking! It has been cool, breezy and cloudy. Currently I am at 'Hikers Welcome' hostel in Glenclif, NH; a nice place with showers, internet, beds and dinner. They shuttled us all into town to buy food about an hour ago. Tomorrow I am starting the day with Mt. Moosilauke, the first big peak in my hike (4,800 ft.). The top is above treeline!!! So, I'm super excited for that, and have only 28 miles until Franconia Notch where I am meeting my Dad and Mr. Bean on Thursday. Tomorrow, after climbing Moosilauke, I will cross Kinsman Notch which is the official starting point of the White Mountain National Forest. That is what is going on schedule-wise.

For those of you who have ever wondered if you can have too much fiber in a day, the answer is YES you can! Oats and caramel breakfast bars sounded pretty good to me when I was shopping for food, and I paid no attention to the fact that each bar contains 35% of your daily fiber. My first morning out of Hanover I had fiber one bars for breakfast. Multiply that by three, and guess what...it equals way too much fiber to have before 7 in the morning! I'm not going to say anything else other than it was a smelly day, and I wouldn't recommend fiber one bars to anyone unless you really need them.

I'm glad to have hiking poles for the elevation changes, which are getting more drastic as I get north. Weather is going to be one of the primary concerns coming into the ridges and mountains above treeline. The forecast is always the same for the Whites; partially cloudy, 50% chance of precipitation. Basically people have no idea if it will storm or not, and you just need to look around at the skies to see what's going on. Lightening storms are the concern, and when you see something coming it's immediately downhill to lower elevation for cover. Hopefully we will have great weather, and that won't be a concern.

Things are great, and I'll be in Lincoln, NH on Thursday. Talk to some of yall then I'm sure! Take care, and thanks for following!

The Kid

The Granite State: Live Free or Die

Well, I've made it to New Hampshire! I crossed the border this morning on my way into Hanover, and am now at the library. I'd say at least half of the cars are subaru's and prius's. License plates have 'The Granite State' motto written on them; Live Free or Die! Today, Hanover is very lively with Streetfest, a festival on main street with lots of vendors and live music. Upon arrival, I went to the Dartmouth Outing Club to obtain information about where to go. Dartmouth is still busy with activity, and I have been able to park my stuff at a hiker friendly fraternity house, Phi Tau. They let me take a shower, do some laundry, charge my cell phone, and eat some cookies. Most of the time they let hikers stay, but tonight they are hosting a cookie event with several hundred people, so I will be finding another place to stay in town. Later this afternoon I'll be going to the bookstore, hanging out on campus and at the festival, and enjoying a short day.

The last two days have been strenuous. I hiked 20 miles each day, but for some reason they were harder than normal; I'm blaming elevation. It was difficult to get myself motivated to hike yesterday though. I really just didn't want to, and it didn't help that I had a ripped pack to worry about either. I stopped at this farmer's market on VT12 to eat. They let me use the phone there because cell service is hard to find in rural Vermont. Six Moon Designs, the gear company they manufactures my backpack, is sending me a loaner pack while they repair mine. So, I should have my old pack fixed in a couple of weeks no problem. It is a hassle to mail this stuff back and forth, but that is the way Six Moon wants to handle it...whatever. Anyway, I had 12 miles down yesterday by 3P and was taking a break at Thistle Hill Shelter wishing I could just stop there when I saw a cheeseburger joint in my guidebook, right on the trail, 5 miles away! I didn't need much more motivation than that, and had a burger, fries and an orangina in front of me 2 hours later. It was delicious!

My boots are now broken in, and much more comfortable to hike in. I think my left foot may be slightly bigger than my right because only my left foot had problems with blistering. I've been wearing my glasses now for a month. I think the last time to wear contacts was in Worthington State Forest in northern Pennsylvania. It's much easier to throw on glasses everyday than mess with putting contacts on. As for other gear issues, there are not many. I'll be switching out to a warmer sleeping bag soon for the higher elevation areas of NH and ME. Everything else is working out well.

I have been meeting a lot of SOBOs (Southbound thru-hikers) the last few days. It is nice to hear their experiences and stories from the two states I have coming up. I spent last night at the shelter with a SOBO named Mountain Goat and his dog Lou. It was good to get some advice on where to stop and what to check out further up the trail Hopefully I'll recognize a couple southbounders that I'm meeting now when hiking south from WV; that would be cool. The trails have continued to be well kept even out of the Green Moutain National Forest. The Dartmouth Outing Club (D.O.C.) is in charge of maintaining the trail from VT12 to Kinsman Notch (start of the White Mountain National Forest). You know you are near Dartmouth when the sign hanging from the shelter at Happy Hills is comprised of mosaic tiles. Eastern, rural Vermont was gorgeous, and I really enjoyed hiking through the open fields, pastures and ski slopes. It was nice to duck in and out of the woods every once in a while to catch a glimpse of barns and country life.

Hope you are all doing great! I miss home, friends, and everything else. Today is day 42 on the trail, and I am very much looking forward to late August when I get to see everyone again. I'm still enjoying the hike very much, and am anxious for what is coming up; treeline in 3 days!! As always thanks so much for the support and interest!

Sam the Kid

The Long Trail

The Long Trail overlaps with the Appalachian Trail for the first 105 miles of Vermont, and runs the length of the state to Canada. Right after Rutland, where I am posting from, the two trails part ways and the AT starts to head East toward New Hampshire and the White Mountains. The trails in Vermont have been spectacular! They are maintained by the Green Mountain Club, and have been in great condition. While hiking yesterday, Longshanks and I saw a trail crew building a new section of trail. They were all nice enthusiastic people, and really excited to be out working. Vermont does have the nickname 'Vermud' however, which has been fairly fitting most days. The views from atop the mountains are the best so far, and the water has been amazing. Springs are everywhere, and the water coming out is crystal clear and super cold!

After Dow left I had a pretty strenuous day due to a detour I didn't fully understand. That paired with a long day yesterday has led me to an easy 6 miles into Rutland today. I've been hiking with some friends the past two days; Longshanks, Maple, Tic-Toc and Cookie. Last night was cold and wet on top of Mt. Killington. There is a lodge on top to sleep in with 4 walls, so that helped cope with the cooler temperature. The peak is just shy of being above treeline at 3850 feet. I'm ready to get above treeline and have some great views!

Anyway, the time is limited to 30 minutes on this computer, so I'm going to get moving. Everything is working out well. I'll be in Hanover, NH on Saturday; wow...NH already! Hope you are all doing very well

Sam The Kid

Vermont views

This update comes from the top of Bromley Resort in the Green Mountain Range in Vermont. Bromley is a ski resort that shuts down in the summer. The AT goes to the top of the mountain, and there is a tower to climb. I hiked up here with Orbit, a very fast female hiker. The 360 degree view is really pretty on this very clear day. The last few days have cooled off, partially due to rain. It got down to 65 degrees late one afternoon, which felt wonderful.

My friend Dow arrived Friday late, after my last post. I got a haircut before he came, and went with the 1/2" buzz. No more landing brush for the bugs. Dow brought a bunch of good food, and I still have enough to get to my next stop, which is in Rutland, VT on Wednesday. Dow brought a lot of fruit and bread, including a massive loaf of homemade banana bread that was exceptional. He had quite a few plums, which were getting squished on our way up the mountain Friday night. We ate those first, and I've been quite regular since. It was great seeing Dow, and we talked about our Philmont days for much of the two days. It made me miss Philmont. I should catch up with Long Shanks and Maple today, so I'll have company to hike with for awhile. Big deer flys have been out lately, and they will follow me for half a mile.

Big thanks to Dow for the great food and company, and thanks to all of you for your support and interest!

Vermont!

I'm in Vermont! Yesterday, I crossed the border and made my way into the 8th state so far since beginning my trip June 5. I am currently in a computer store in Bennington, waiting for my friend Dow to join me for the weekend. Bennington is a great place, but is also 5 miles west of the trail along VT9. I was lucky enough to meet a local couple at Congdon Shelter last night who dropped me off in town at the shoe store. My newer pair of shoes that I received 4 days ago turned out to be too small, something I failed to realize when I first tried them out around the flat parking lot in Dalton.

My last several days have been slightly less productive (9 miles, 11 miles, 18 miles, and today will be 8 miles) due to record high tempatures and shoes that crush the ends of my toes going downhill. Over the last 3 days, I have met some new thru-hikers; Maple (from California who I hiked with yesterday), Tin-tin (from England), and Megladon. The hike up Mt. Greylock, tallest in Massachusetts, turned out to be more of a challenge than I anticipated. On the summitt was a nice lodge, newly renovated last year, which served lunch. That night I hung out with four guys, on a week long hike, that had driven from Detroit. The night was pretty normal until they proposed the idea of a drum circle. I soon found myself beating on the table throwing down a bass line, while one guy beat on a pan with a spoon, and two others beat on the logs and rocks around. It was kinda cool, but really strange at the same time. Apparently this happens a lot in differnt areas of the country because they go to one with 200 people in downtown Detroit every Wendsday. Also, I mentioned it to Maple during our hike the next day, and see had frequented a couple in some areas of California; not suprising. It was an interesting experience to say the least.

Arriving in Bennington I bought a new pair of Merrells, and was dropped off downtown by a nice lady who mailed my old shoes back home for me! I discovered a great used bookstore in town, and also got a haircut; buzz 1/2 inch gaurd. The town also offers free showers to hikers at the rec center! So, after the shower I did some laundry, and wondered town somemore in search of a computer which brings me to here.

I am still very much enjoying the hike, and am happy to have a renewed desire for reading. I feel a greater passion for the hike now, having entered into the Green Mountain National Forest and coming closer and closer to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Thinks are going very well for me, and I hope they are for you too! As always, thank you so much for the support and interest in my hike.

The Kid

Eats on the trail

It's record high temperatures here today, and I didn't get my early start as usual. Had to resupply at Wal-Mart, go to the P.O. and do some laundry. Today will most likely be a short day into Cheshire, MA where there is a hostel. Anyway, thought I would let you know what food I've been eating. It seems as though I can never get enough. Every night I wonder how in the world I will be hungry the next day with how much food I eat during the day.

This resupply was nice, and had a great selection of food. My tastes and cravings change, so I'm never really eating the same things over and over. Today I bought food for 3 days. It's a lot of food, but I don't want to go hungry, and sometimes food stretches out longer when I stop for a meal at a road crossing where there is a restaurant.
Flavored Oatmeal with these Fruit Crips (Bananas and Strawberries Freeze Dried to add in), a bag of bagels (Apple Cinnamon), Peter Pan PB (a big jar), 6 clif bars, a box of townhouse flipside crackers, tuna in a pouch, 12 flour tortillas, 2 fiesta sides Spanish Rice, a stick of summer sausage, shell macaroni meal, 4 individual packaged cups of mixed fruit, a baggy of mixed nuts, idahoan mashed potatoes with a real bacon package, some cheese grits with powdered milk, a bag of hershey chocolates, sour patch kids, 20 individual packets of drink mix, starbucks via packets, and a bag of m&ms. So, that's everything for 3 and a half days until my next resupply. My friend Dow, from Philmont, is joining me for the weekend, and he is also bringing some more food. That's about it. Until next time! --Sam the Kid

New England

Hi! I am now in Massachusetts, and only 28 miles from Vermont!! It is crazy to think of how far I have come. The start of my hike, in Harper's Ferry, was one month ago today. Since the start I have walked 546 miles total, and have 619.5 left until I reach Baxter Peak, Katahdin, in Maine. Tonight I am in the Shamrock Village Inn. This is my first hotel room stay since the beginning, and I am really enjoying it! Trying to remember the last time I had a real shower. Don't think less of me, because I do clean up every few days, but the last real shower I had before today was in Unionville, NY 11 days ago. The shower today was AWESOME.

The trail since Salisbury has been great! Elevation is getting steeper, and the weather is getting warmer. The last two days I have begun hiking around 5:30A to get the majority of the miles out of the way when it is cool outside. The shelters in New England are called Lean-to's, but are the same thing as a shelter. Riga Lean-to is where I stayed on July 2nd. Having stayed in Salisbury all afternoon to finish a book, I was graced with a gorgeous sunset from atop the Loin's Head on the way to the shelter. Riga Lean-to, which sat on top of the ridge, faced directly east with a view across the valley. This provided the perfect opportunity to see sunrise, something I had not yet woken up early enough for, but was easily viewable from my sleeping bag at Riga. July 3rd was nice, and I hiked with my friend Josie Wales for the last time probably. He is going a bit slower at his own pace; sad to part ways with him. That day I was again graced with awesome views as I hiked up Race Mountain. The night was spent at Tom Leonard Lean-to, where I had new company and a visit from a porcupine in the early morning. Grin and I woke up to this very loud scraping sound at 4:45A. Shining my light around, I realized a porcupine had crawled into the lean-to and was chewing on the wood, perched halfway up the wall and three feet away from Grins bunk! Grin hadn't woken up by the sound, so I yelled at him (the old guy can sleep through a tornado I guess because it was LOUD). He finally went away at the flash of a camera. So much wildlife around here!

July 4th I hiked out to Upper Goose Pond Cabin. It is a bunk house for hikers with a porch, kitchen, lounge room, and a dock on the pond. The water felt great, and it was the first time I had gotten a swim on the trail so far. Today, I had motivation to get here fast because of a hotel reservation here in Dalton, MA. I guess I planned food just right because I ate the last bit this morning, and walked into town with nothing but a baggy of drink mix to eat. Midway through the hike today I came to an infamous house at Pittsfield Road, home to the Cookie Lady. Marilyn Wiley, "The Cookie Lady," has been making cookies and handing them out to hikers for 20 some years now! A great stop on the way for someone who had finished all their food at breakfast.

I will be crossing into Vermont in 2 days! I'm looking forward to hiking with a friend soon. I think Dow is joining me this weekend; a Philmont staff friend. It will be great to see a familiar face! Anyways, I'm going to go relax some more and enjoy the AC while it lasts. Thanks to all the followers, and I will talk to some of yall soon! I will be making some calls later today and tonight. I don't have good cell reception at the hotel for some reason, but will be going to the wal-mart tomorrow morning. They are bound to have good reception right? Anyway, thanks again and I hope you are all doing well. Miss home, Knoxville, and friends and family :)

Sam the Kid

Pictures

Good view on the way into Salisbury.


Tic-Toc and Cookie. Cookie is the lady who sewed my pack up for me.


The trail is about a foot and a half wide on that turtle shot. He was big!


Survey marker


Woke up early for this view.

Black Bear

Sorry it's a little blurry. Black Bear behind a tree. They are GREAT climbers

Friends

Rummy, Little John, and Patch


Mimi


Josie Wells


Tup (from Scotland)


Smokestack


Gordito, Pocket, Me, and Bumpin'

Mullberries

Mullberries! I've loved the fresh fruit so far.

Right of Passage

Hi everyone! I am currently in the library in Salisbury, CT. Yesterday I left Kent after a leisurely morning of coffee, muffins, and a good book I picked up at the bookstore there. The 17 mile hike to the shelter went by much quicker than the previous days. Rest, even just a days worth, has made a world of difference. I did not realize how much I needed a break from hiking until I took one! The days hike was relatively flat, and the air was cool and breezy. So compared to past days of 90 degree heat, that was easy. Today I've hiked the 17 miles here into Salisbury, and will only be going another 3 miles to the next shelter. Reaching into the upper twenties mileage-wise is just overzealous, and I usually don't feel well the next day.

Up until today, I have mentioned little about aches and pains (I think), and have just been saying the body is great like everything else. However, truth be told, it hasn't been so easy to hike this fast. It seems like every part of my legs and feet have had to go through some right of passage in order to be deemed 'trail ready' by my body. Yesterday pain moved between three different places; the side of my left knee, my third and fourth toes on my left foot, and the tendon that runs under the arch of my right foot. Everyday brings a new spot that hurts, and the old spots are typically a little better. My conclusion is that most of the aches will hopefully go away with shorter days, and taking it easy. No complaints today though. I'm feeling great!

The award for most confusing and poorly blazed state goes to Connecticut so far. I got lost twice on the way to Salisbury today due to what I am blaming on inadequate trail markers. A large amount of navigation through CT has been spent convincing myself that I am going the right way. There is not that much navigation needed to begin with; you're just walking next to these white marked trees! Yesterday out of Kent, the blazes where so sparse, and the signage so rare, that I completely passed a shelter without knowing it until I was 3 miles later down the trail. The blazes along the river were there every quarter mile (it seemed), instead of every 40-50 feet like I'm accustomed to. So I asked a local. She somehow convinced me I was going the right way, and not shortly after I saw a blaze. Most locals never know where the trail is, so that was a lucky deal I guess.

This computer is great! I see an insert for an SD card, so I can post some pictures. I'm going to do that, then go find a cheeseburger. Happy Fourth of July to everyone!!