Westy
Trail Wise!
Diagnosed w/Post-Trail Transition Syndrome
Posts: 1,960 
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Post by Westy on Jul 6, 2023 9:11:44 GMT -8
Back on the AT! Mission: Complete the AT by hiking c. 700 mi. between Duncannon, PA and Zealand Falls AMC Hut, WMNF, NH. Have just come off 566 mi. on the PCT-SoCal to the hot, humid, where's the sunshine, rainy, forest with few views AT. Quite the transition!  A Philadelphia Story Valley Forge: George Washington mandated smallpox inoculation for all Continental soldiers in 1777. Arch to the Officers and Private Soldiers of the Continental Army December 19, 1777 - June 19, 1778. How can you leave Philly without stocking up on TastyKakes? Pleasant Gap, PA: Visiting with god daughter and her daughter.  Meet George Mohler 86-year old volunteer station master, Lewiston, PA. Raised in Amish orphanage and speaks Pennsylvania Dutch. AMTRAK Station, Harrisburg, PA and an Uber ride to the trailhead. Back on trail. AT hikers refer to Pennsylvania as Rocksylvania!  Misty and muggy! Trail across beaver swamp Finally a view. Rocky views have consequences! Two (2) Pennsylvania Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) enjoy a warm rock. Dense forest Interesting landmark. Eagle's Nest Shelter: There are about c.260 shelters scattered along the entire length of the 2,190 mile AT. Schuylkill River Holiday decorated doorway to local social club, Port Clinton, PA Scored a ride from Red in his '96 Subaru to... Pottsville, PA to visit.. America's oldest brewery! Yuengling is family owned 6th generation. has fascinating history especially surviving Prohibition!
A halo haircut by Joshua, Hamburg, PA |
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zeke
Trail Wise!
Peekaboo slot 2023
Posts: 9,886
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Post by zeke on Jul 6, 2023 9:40:11 GMT -8
Safe travels!
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rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,684 
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Post by rebeccad on Jul 6, 2023 16:31:38 GMT -8
Man, you are one tough dude. No way could I head out into the woods back east at this time of year. Heat and humidity reduce me to a whining blob in minutes.
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Post by starwalker on Jul 6, 2023 16:48:29 GMT -8
Much of the scenery is similar to the Ouachita Trail. Enjoy yourself and (as if you don't know) stay hydrated.
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Post by absarokanaut on Jul 11, 2023 9:01:05 GMT -8
I'd love to talk more about those mandated inoculations but...
Keep your stick on the ice WESTY!
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Post by oldbill on Jul 11, 2023 15:43:14 GMT -8
The weather is pretty nasty for the next several weeks. Here in central CT it's too hot and humid for me to train outside. Enjoyed the historical sites! Safe trails and look forward to future reports.
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Post by georgeofthej on Jul 13, 2023 10:01:06 GMT -8
Thanks for the great photos and report, Westy.
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Westy
Trail Wise!
Diagnosed w/Post-Trail Transition Syndrome
Posts: 1,960
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Post by Westy on Jul 20, 2023 6:39:24 GMT -8
Crossing the line….state lines! Weather varies between damp, wet and exceptionally wet. Taking a zero in the Village of Greenwood Lake, Town of Warwick, Orange County, NY.  Morning doe!  Hikers relaxing at Thunderhead Lodge, Andres, PA Ruh Roh!  Fortunately, The Lookout Hostel had a bunk available...phew! Morning after the storm The Knife Edge Rocks with a view! It was just me at the Leroy A Smith Shelter with space for six (6). Look Ma! No rocks! AT Ridgerunner, WIC on patrol. Focused on Barberi eradication. It's an evasive ornamental shrub native to Japan, outlawed in PA & NJ.
 The Potluck dinner for hikers was a culinary highlight. Thank you church members! About to cross the Delaware So long Pennsylvania, hello New Jersey1 Delaware Water Gap is a geological feature where a river cuts through a mountain range.  Sunfish Pond is a glacial tarn and a National Natural Landmark. This cabin at Mohican Outdoor Center was way beyond expectations. Presumed a bunk in a small grungy cabin.  Two Chains, Austin, TX, enjoying our accommodations featuring four (4) bunk rooms, three (3) toilets), two (2) showers, electricity, air conditioning, commercial grade kitchen and massive open area.  Catfish Fire Tower 1965 Ford Mustang. Photo and ride to the trailhead courtesy of Mr. John Marshall, Newton, NJ. Beaver dam Mountain Lion, 7-year-old from Florida is hiking the trail from Georgia to Maine. Caught her in a brief moment being a kid. The trail goes back and forth between New Jersey and New York The incredible 1.5-mile Pochuck Boardwalk elevates the AT over a prehistoric lake between the Pochuck and Wawayanda mountains in Northern New Jersey. 110-foot-long wooden suspension bridge over Wawayanda Creek. Locals call this Stairway to Heaven. Final NJ/NY crossing.  Took 0.9 miles to village option. Zero day needed.
Morning coffee at The Village Buzz, Greenwood Lake, NY |
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Westy
Trail Wise!
Diagnosed w/Post-Trail Transition Syndrome
Posts: 1,960
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Post by Westy on Jul 30, 2023 7:26:01 GMT -8
History abounds! Septuagenarian smiles! An up trail, off trail event canceled. Calendar wide open for the big Blue Blaze! Fitzgerald Falls - Harriman State Park, NY I Blue Skies!
 Grits (76) Valdosta, GA on his 4th AT thru hike. Extremely knowledgeable on all things AT.  The Lemon Squeezer, Harriman State Park, NY Another day, another early start! Severe thunderstorms and flooding closed trail, roads and nearby bridge. Bear Mountain State Park, NY Grits having fun on our re-route road walk.  Propolopen Arch Bridge closed, OK for hikers to cross.  Hudson River New shoes and socks! Resupply Fort Montgomery, NY American 🇺🇸 history! Bear Mountain Bridge AT hiker sorting kit at RPH Shelter Jimmy! (76). “Wish I had done this in the 70’s, not my seventies!” Philly native now lives in Peru. Was a social worker specializing in helping homeless Vietnam vets. Inside looking out at daybreak - Telephone Pioneers Shelter Started on trail while the kids were still sleeping! The Dover Oak! 300 years old, six foot diameter. Largest oak on the AT.  What a morning!  Opportunity! Wonder where the tracks go? Grand Central Station, New York City  Times Square Statue of Liberty Brooklyn Bridge  Metropolitan Art Museum Richard Avedon (1923-2004) “Chicago Seven” Open space represented 8th defendant, imprisoned Bobby Seale, Black Panther chairman  Claude Monet (1840-1926) “Ile aux Fluers near Vetheuil” -1880 Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) “Still Life with Apples and Pears” -1891 Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) “The Daughters of Catullus Mendes” - 1888 Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) “First Steps, after Millet” - 1890 Great tastings street tacos!  Eighth Avenue, Hell’s Kitchen, Saturday afternoon. |
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Westy
Trail Wise!
Diagnosed w/Post-Trail Transition Syndrome
Posts: 1,960
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Post by Westy on Aug 13, 2023 15:01:47 GMT -8
Kindness is common denominator on the AT! Great to be back in New England!  Back from the City. Farm Fence Turnstyle - Pawling, NY  Another sign, another state!  Tenmile River hiker bridge  Bonnie’s house Kent, CT. She allows tenting in her yard for AT hikers! Thank you!  Housatonic River  Roger’s Ramp  Connecticut countryside  Civil War monument, Salisbury, CT  Peppi should be way ahead of me. Got bit by dog on leash. Wound became infected. Lost seven (7) trail days!  Not feeling well. Sore throat, cough…short day, only three (3) miles. Relaxed at new Riga Shelter (2023).  OK! In case you asked! Moldering privey.  Complimentary sunrise photo  “I’m King of Connecticut” for a minute or two. State high point 2,312’.  Daddy-daughter AT hike. Lioness and Jaymo sponsored by Warrior Expeditions. Afghan vet served 21 years in Special Forces.  Thrilled! Step by step, feels like home!  Sherlock and Chef, Bristol, UK. Sage’s Ravine, MA.  Jug Hand - First views of Massachusetts  Mosquito Alley near Great Barrington, MA.  Trailside history lesson.  Joe “Papa Joe” Sokol, shuttle driver, Great Barrington, MA. Hometown Franklin, NH. Went to high school with a longtime work colleague in Salt Lake! Small world!  Great Barrington, MA - Upscale Berkshire weekend getaway.  Chips, ice cream sandwiches, soft drinks, Wi-Fi, charging station, trash can and spring. Perfect location at AT road crossing near the tiny village of Tyringham, MA  I liked this sign  Blueberry Hill on the Appalachian Trail - Home of the Cookie Lady. I picked a bucket of blueberries in exchange for dinner 🍲.  Hikers on Cookie Lady’s porch!  Cookie Lady - Ruth a retired 4th grade teacher purchased the property two years ago and continues the thirty year tradition of offering cookies and lemonade to all AT hikers.  AT hiker backpacks 🎒 outside a convenience store - Cheshire, MA  Mount Greylock, 3,488’ - Massachusetts  Bascom Lodge awesome. Bunk with view and beer on a chair!  Maybe and Backtrack, Providence, RI enjoying weekend at Bascom Lodge. Met them two summers ago at the Barn Hostel, Gorham, NH! Way cool! Way fun! Photo below: Veterans Memorial Tower, Mount Greylock, MA. A prayer for my cousin Glenn Bryden (USMC) who succumbed to conditions caused by exposure to Agent Orange.  |
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Westy
Trail Wise!
Diagnosed w/Post-Trail Transition Syndrome
Posts: 1,960
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Post by Westy on Aug 27, 2023 6:26:36 GMT -8
Meanwhile, in the land of muck and mire, the Appalachian Trail joins its older sibling, the Long Trail for 106 miles. Hikers call this place, Vermud!  The Long Trail follows the Green Mountain ridge for 272 miles from Massachusetts to Canada 🇨🇦! Corn Dog filtering water stream side. Hometown: Chester, Wales 🏴  A new sign, not common. Glastenbury Wilderness - Hell Hollow Brook Long Trail hiker family from Quebec! Gazelle, Martin, Ethan and Tim Beaver Dam Muck and Mire - Deluxe Version Hiking on Sunshine! Finally! Stratton Mountain Fire Tower - It was here in 1909 that James Taylor conceived the idea of a “Long Trail” extending from MA to Canada. Sunset from Prospect Rock near Manchester Center, VT Summit Bromley Mountain A wonderful half mile long boardwalk! Big Branch is one of four (4) Wilderness areas you hike through Feels like home! Fallen Birches! Big Branch Little Rock Pond Little Rock Pond Shelter - Uptown to the max, regretfully…it’s noon and miles to go before I sleep. Self Portrait - Bully Brook Clarendon Gorge Bridge Clarendon Gorge Stefan - West Palm Beach, FL. Recent Norte Dame graduate reports for duty January 15th to Fort Benning, GA for Officer Infantry School. Rutland, VT - AT hikers: Mouse Trap, Kennett Square, PA with Juke Box, Arlington, VA and Triple A, Danbury, CT.
Rutland, VT - Saturday Farmers Market |
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Post by absarokanaut on Aug 27, 2023 9:48:07 GMT -8
Outfreakinstanding! Many thanks to all who serve the world whatever country they come from. Cared for a Force Recon Marine that has struggled with his Nam, Laos, etc. Agent Orange Exposure since the 70s. Grateful to Afghan partners. My brother did basic at Fort Benning!
I love this style, articulate on worlds and long on visuals. Most folks have no idea how gloriously beautiful New Jersey can be.will never forget the Watchung.
MANY thanks for sharing man!
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Post by starwalker on Aug 27, 2023 19:24:50 GMT -8
I am enjoying your story and photos.
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Post by georgeofthej on Aug 27, 2023 20:36:02 GMT -8
Thanks so much, Westy. It's been great tp get this glimpse of life on the trail.
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Westy
Trail Wise!
Diagnosed w/Post-Trail Transition Syndrome
Posts: 1,960
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Post by Westy on Sept 1, 2023 15:28:34 GMT -8
Out of Vermont - Short and Sweet - Nobody told me there’d be days like these! Bienvenue New Hampshire!  A Tip of the Cap to Debbie for hosting me at her lakeside home! The AT shares 100 miles with Vermont’s Long Trail. The Maine Junction is where the AT turns off the LT and heads east to New Hampshire. AT thru-hikers serving up trail magic! Milkweed, High Point, NJ is off trail and recovering from an ankle injury. Her trail partner is Fun Facts from Omaha, NB An abrupt and unexpected ladder! Since we’re on ladders here is The Lookout, an enclosed cabin with an observation deck! New Hampshire in the distance from The Lookout! Asked a young hiker (Kodak) to take this rainy day photo for me. He’s from Salt Lake City and graduated from West High School in ‘16. Coincidentally, my daughter also graduated from West in ‘16. He knows her! There’s more to the story… Kodak now lives in Montreal and is studying Anthropology at McGill University. His hike is actually a work and field study of the AT culture. He recalled interviewing a German hiker in Grayson Highlands, VA. That hiker happens to be my long time hiking partner, friend and mentor, Curly! Birch grove had coverage. Made a call regarding the Club (Salt Lake Figure Skating). After an hour, started hiking. Five (5) miles later realized I had gone in the wrong direction! They say, “The trail humbles you!”, it’s true! Needed to come off trail. Contacted Wise Pines Hostel, Woodstock, VT. Wise Pine owner Chelsea to the rescue. Wise Pine is designed for the discerning 21st century hiker. The following morning they dropped me off at the trailhead for a re-do!  Maple sugar collection system.  Connecticut River is the border between Vermont and New Hampshire! Feeling good in the Granite State. Checking stats, found that I started my hike at AT mi. 1149 in Duncannon, PA. Hanover, NH is AT mi. 1752. Which means I’ve hiked 603 miles. 603 is the area code for New Hampshire!
Welcomed by Eliza, Keene, NH. A Dartmouth Senior, she is dressed eccentrically, to identify as designated outdoor leader for a mandatory freshmen outdoor activity, |
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