08/16/12 - [Stratton] - 1,996 miles
Bonus zero! And boy, was it nice. Sleeping in. Coffee. Muffins. Gatorade. Sandwiches. Reading. Relaxing. Resting. Inspiring. Desiring. Refiring. I'm ready to do this thing! We've walked from Springer Mountain in Georgia – no, from Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia! And we are only several days away from climbing Mount Katahdin and finishing this epic adventure of ours. Epic.
***
Showing posts with label zero days. Show all posts
Showing posts with label zero days. Show all posts
Friday, August 16, 2013
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Day 168
08/15/12 - [Stratton] - 1,996 miles
We are staying in a hotel from 1918 in Kingsfield, ME. Reminds me a bit of Warrenton except no ocean nearby. This zero has been nice. Tomorrow we hit the Trail running. I know I will miss it one day (and probably soon), but right now I'm looking forward to getting to Katahdin and celebrating afterwards. We really are fortunate and blessed to be living this adventure.
***
We are staying in a hotel from 1918 in Kingsfield, ME. Reminds me a bit of Warrenton except no ocean nearby. This zero has been nice. Tomorrow we hit the Trail running. I know I will miss it one day (and probably soon), but right now I'm looking forward to getting to Katahdin and celebrating afterwards. We really are fortunate and blessed to be living this adventure.
***
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Day 167
08/14/12 - [Stratton] - 1,996 miles
Seven miles to get to a nice bed. Almost felt like 77 miles. So thankful for Dr. Bruce being within driving distance to pick us up and take us into town. Taking a day off tomorrow to rest and relax. We need it. And Katahdin will still be there a few days later.
***
Seven miles to get to a nice bed. Almost felt like 77 miles. So thankful for Dr. Bruce being within driving distance to pick us up and take us into town. Taking a day off tomorrow to rest and relax. We need it. And Katahdin will still be there a few days later.
***
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Day 142
07/20/12 - near Woodstock Stage Road - ≈1,721 miles
Back on the Trail after a nice relaxing spoilage with the Tuckers. Definitely hard to get back again after a really nice break, but we are now in the homestretch. Tomorrow New Hampshire. Then Maine. MAINE! In one month we will be getting ready to summit Mount Katahdin.
***
Back on the Trail after a nice relaxing spoilage with the Tuckers. Definitely hard to get back again after a really nice break, but we are now in the homestretch. Tomorrow New Hampshire. Then Maine. MAINE! In one month we will be getting ready to summit Mount Katahdin.
***
Friday, July 19, 2013
Day 141
07/19/12 - [Woodstock] - 1,719.6 miles
Anna's birthday! Sleeping in. Coffee. Lucky Charms with almond milk, movies, presents, food. Happiness. This has been a much needed rest. We will soon be back on the Trail with sore backs and aching feet, but the miles are diminishing and we are getting so close to Katahdin. Wow. We have been on this Trail for what seems like a very long time. March 1 seems like years ago. One month from now we will be close to summiting and calling an end to this great journey. But I know that with one end comes another beginning.
***
Anna's birthday! Sleeping in. Coffee. Lucky Charms with almond milk, movies, presents, food. Happiness. This has been a much needed rest. We will soon be back on the Trail with sore backs and aching feet, but the miles are diminishing and we are getting so close to Katahdin. Wow. We have been on this Trail for what seems like a very long time. March 1 seems like years ago. One month from now we will be close to summiting and calling an end to this great journey. But I know that with one end comes another beginning.
***
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| Birthday girl. |
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| Photo my brother sent to Anna. |
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Day 140
07/18/12 - [Woodstock] - 1,719.6 miles
Met up with Dr. Bruce & Glenda at the farm stand! So good to see them and begin spending these couple of days with them. Staying in a real nice Holiday Inn lodge type place. Shfancy. Ate so much food today. Tomorrow is Anna's birthday!
***
Met up with Dr. Bruce & Glenda at the farm stand! So good to see them and begin spending these couple of days with them. Staying in a real nice Holiday Inn lodge type place. Shfancy. Ate so much food today. Tomorrow is Anna's birthday!
***
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Day 121
06/29/12 - [NY 22] - 1,442.8 miles
I'm glad we weren't hiking today. HOT. We slept in. Ate some breakfast. Slept some more and lazed about. Read. iPhoned. Got some snacks. Got some 50¢ snow cones from some little girls. Long walk to the "grocery store." Huge, overpriced disappointment. Lunch at a neat deli/diner. Walked past an old abandoned mental institution. Very interesting/creepy. Hittin' the Trail tomorrow again full force. New England, here we come!
***
I'm glad we weren't hiking today. HOT. We slept in. Ate some breakfast. Slept some more and lazed about. Read. iPhoned. Got some snacks. Got some 50¢ snow cones from some little girls. Long walk to the "grocery store." Huge, overpriced disappointment. Lunch at a neat deli/diner. Walked past an old abandoned mental institution. Very interesting/creepy. Hittin' the Trail tomorrow again full force. New England, here we come!
***
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| The Harlem Valley State Hospital 1924-1994 |
Friday, June 28, 2013
Day 120
06/28/12 - [NY 22] - 1,442.8 miles
Zero! Temptation won out this go around. We cut our 27 mile day 7 miles short and hitched into the motel a night early. Full zero in effect, and I think we both were needing it. It's been about 8 days since I had a shower. Not so fresh. Took an hour nap by Nuclear Lake today. Beautiful. We found a nice, cool, shady spot by the water. We also found a few ticks on us, but it was still a nice relaxing spot. Today was a long day.
***
Zero! Temptation won out this go around. We cut our 27 mile day 7 miles short and hitched into the motel a night early. Full zero in effect, and I think we both were needing it. It's been about 8 days since I had a shower. Not so fresh. Took an hour nap by Nuclear Lake today. Beautiful. We found a nice, cool, shady spot by the water. We also found a few ticks on us, but it was still a nice relaxing spot. Today was a long day.
***
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Day 98
06/06/12 - [Harrisburg] - 1,140.9 miles
Hooray for ZERO! We're adults and we can do what we want! Extra day at the hotel doing absolutely nothing? YES, PLEASE.
***
Hooray for ZERO! We're adults and we can do what we want! Extra day at the hotel doing absolutely nothing? YES, PLEASE.
***
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Day 82
05/21/12 - Fairfax - 917.2 miles
The last zero. At least for a while. It has been great taking a few days off, and I'm so glad Anna has been able to rest these past two days. Today we went to REI again and exchanged some of our gear. Panera, Tony's Pizza and PinkBerry. Tomorrow, we will walk together again.
***
The last zero. At least for a while. It has been great taking a few days off, and I'm so glad Anna has been able to rest these past two days. Today we went to REI again and exchanged some of our gear. Panera, Tony's Pizza and PinkBerry. Tomorrow, we will walk together again.
***
Monday, May 20, 2013
Day 81
05/20/12 - Fairfax - 917.2 miles
Wow. It is just so wonderful to be with Anna again. It's only been a couple of days, but I have truly missed her. Today, the four of us spent some time together at Caribou Coffee, REI (where I had to seek refuge from all the people), Chipotle, the hotel, PJ Skidoo's, then to the movies to see The Avengers. These zero days are very relaxing.
***
Wow. It is just so wonderful to be with Anna again. It's only been a couple of days, but I have truly missed her. Today, the four of us spent some time together at Caribou Coffee, REI (where I had to seek refuge from all the people), Chipotle, the hotel, PJ Skidoo's, then to the movies to see The Avengers. These zero days are very relaxing.
***
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Day 80
05/19/12 - Odenton - 917.2 miles
Slept in. Juice breakfast. Clash of Kings. Light lunch. Coffee. Laundry. Basketball. Pool. Organic Market. Chick-fil-a. Help Dennis with dinner. Eat delicious dinner. Play with cats. Organic mint chocolate chip ice cream. Good night.
***
Slept in. Juice breakfast. Clash of Kings. Light lunch. Coffee. Laundry. Basketball. Pool. Organic Market. Chick-fil-a. Help Dennis with dinner. Eat delicious dinner. Play with cats. Organic mint chocolate chip ice cream. Good night.
***
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
Day 78
05/17/12 - Delaware Beach - 917.2 miles
Didn't think I'd be seeing the Atlantic Ocean until Maine. I really miss Anna.
***
Didn't think I'd be seeing the Atlantic Ocean until Maine. I really miss Anna.
***
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| The Atlantic |
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Day 77
05/16/12 - Washington DC - 917.2 miles
Anna is now off in Nebraska for Rachel and David's wedding. I miss her already. I really do. Had some good time with Dr. Bruce driving and missing turns, walking around DC a bit, seeing the Holocaust Museum, McDonalds, DQ, the library, AND meeting up with Dennis. Staying at his place now with three kitties: Melvin, Gabriela, and Monica. I knew it was love when Monica pooped on the carpet by my bed. I have missed cats.
***
Anna is now off in Nebraska for Rachel and David's wedding. I miss her already. I really do. Had some good time with Dr. Bruce driving and missing turns, walking around DC a bit, seeing the Holocaust Museum, McDonalds, DQ, the library, AND meeting up with Dennis. Staying at his place now with three kitties: Melvin, Gabriela, and Monica. I knew it was love when Monica pooped on the carpet by my bed. I have missed cats.
***
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| Sweet little Monica |
Friday, April 26, 2013
Day 57
04/26/12 - [Blacksburg] - 629.8 miles
Our first ZERO day. Mom and Dad came in to meet us and the plan was originally to set out for the Trail in the afternoon, but after some discussion at DQ and looking at the pouring rains, we decided to zero. It's great to see both of my parents, especially my mom... haven't seen her since Springer. Sarah wrote us a sweet letter and Brittany Stetson baked us a loaf of delicious challah! I can hear the thunder as I write this in a nice, warm, comfy bed – dry. I am thankful and glad we are here now.
***
Our first ZERO day. Mom and Dad came in to meet us and the plan was originally to set out for the Trail in the afternoon, but after some discussion at DQ and looking at the pouring rains, we decided to zero. It's great to see both of my parents, especially my mom... haven't seen her since Springer. Sarah wrote us a sweet letter and Brittany Stetson baked us a loaf of delicious challah! I can hear the thunder as I write this in a nice, warm, comfy bed – dry. I am thankful and glad we are here now.
***
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Rise of the Zero
We have been talking about this break in the hike since before we began. It seemed so distant in the beginning, and now it has come and gone.
These several "zero" days (zero mileage) have been a great source of rest, relaxation and reorganization. But at the same time they have been somewhat overwhelming.
Have we been in the woods too long?
Or perhaps in town too long?
Our first day off the Trail, I went from Shenandoah National Park, where we maybe see 20 or so people a day, to Washington DC, where I saw maybe 2,000 people in 20 minutes.
National Park to National Capitol.
Both are places of importance and awe but in completely different styles.
We were both looking forward to these zero days for awhile, but once I spent a full day in the city, I began craving the trail again.
The trees.
The earth.
The birds.
The absence of crowds.
I started missing the purity of Nature. Even though it can be physically much more demanding and strenuous, even painful, the stillness and calmness is always waiting on the Trail. I could not find calmness on the interstates going to and from Washington DC.
The zeros serve their purpose, and some hikers prefer more than others. I think from this point out, we are pressing on to the North. There may be another zero or so somewhere in the mix, but it is exciting to know that we are in the next phase of our adventure.
It is still a long way to Maine, but we are almost out of the behemoth, Virginia, and from there the States come and go more quickly. I'm sure we will get to Maine before we know it and wish the time had not passed so quickly.
So until then and since the beginning, it will be one step at a time.
***
By the way, we still have not seen any bears yet, but the morning before we got off the Trail, a bear came into the shelter we were tenting at. The sleeping hikers woke when they heard it rummaging around and started yelling to scare it off. But not before it grabbed our friend's bag of pots and pans and scampered off into the woods. We heard the ordeal but couldn't see it from our tents pitched 50 yards away. We're still looking...
These several "zero" days (zero mileage) have been a great source of rest, relaxation and reorganization. But at the same time they have been somewhat overwhelming.
Have we been in the woods too long?
Or perhaps in town too long?
Our first day off the Trail, I went from Shenandoah National Park, where we maybe see 20 or so people a day, to Washington DC, where I saw maybe 2,000 people in 20 minutes.
National Park to National Capitol.
Both are places of importance and awe but in completely different styles.
We were both looking forward to these zero days for awhile, but once I spent a full day in the city, I began craving the trail again.
The trees.
The earth.
The birds.
The absence of crowds.
I started missing the purity of Nature. Even though it can be physically much more demanding and strenuous, even painful, the stillness and calmness is always waiting on the Trail. I could not find calmness on the interstates going to and from Washington DC.
The zeros serve their purpose, and some hikers prefer more than others. I think from this point out, we are pressing on to the North. There may be another zero or so somewhere in the mix, but it is exciting to know that we are in the next phase of our adventure.
It is still a long way to Maine, but we are almost out of the behemoth, Virginia, and from there the States come and go more quickly. I'm sure we will get to Maine before we know it and wish the time had not passed so quickly.
So until then and since the beginning, it will be one step at a time.
***
By the way, we still have not seen any bears yet, but the morning before we got off the Trail, a bear came into the shelter we were tenting at. The sleeping hikers woke when they heard it rummaging around and started yelling to scare it off. But not before it grabbed our friend's bag of pots and pans and scampered off into the woods. We heard the ordeal but couldn't see it from our tents pitched 50 yards away. We're still looking...
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