So find some ground, lace up your boots, start walking
And you will find reason
Enough reason to believe
 |
| McAfee Knob / photo by KitFox |
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Breathe deep that yet sweet, lucid air
Every day, multiple times throughout the day, I think about the Trail and miss being out there. This song sums it up pretty well and always brings a few tears to my eyes.
So find some ground, lace up your boots, start walking
And you will find reason
Enough reason to believe
So find some ground, lace up your boots, start walking
And you will find reason
Enough reason to believe
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Seeks It
"No wealth of kings can compare."
I want to shout out a huge congratulations and mazel tov to our friend, Seeks It, for his recent and incredible accomplishment.
This year he walked 4,368.4 miles on the AT.
Many people attempt a thru-hike. Only a few attempt a yo-yo (hiking to the end, turning around, and hiking back again). Seeks It set out to hike the AT twice in one year by retracing his steps every day (essentially, a day by day yo-yo).
We had the privilege to meet him up in the Maine woods a couple days in a row as he was either setting out or retracing his daily miles.
We were blown away by what he was doing. Everything we went through, the steep inclines, rocky uneven terrain, bad weather... he did twice in the same day.
You need to think about that for a moment, and let it sink in.
Anyways, he is a much more gifted writer than I am, and I encourage you all to check out his blog and read back on his earlier entries.
Proud of you, Seeks It! And so glad KitFox and I had the pleasure to meet you.
I want to shout out a huge congratulations and mazel tov to our friend, Seeks It, for his recent and incredible accomplishment.
This year he walked 4,368.4 miles on the AT.
Many people attempt a thru-hike. Only a few attempt a yo-yo (hiking to the end, turning around, and hiking back again). Seeks It set out to hike the AT twice in one year by retracing his steps every day (essentially, a day by day yo-yo).
We had the privilege to meet him up in the Maine woods a couple days in a row as he was either setting out or retracing his daily miles.
We were blown away by what he was doing. Everything we went through, the steep inclines, rocky uneven terrain, bad weather... he did twice in the same day.
You need to think about that for a moment, and let it sink in.
Anyways, he is a much more gifted writer than I am, and I encourage you all to check out his blog and read back on his earlier entries.
Proud of you, Seeks It! And so glad KitFox and I had the pleasure to meet you.
 |
| The Maine Woods |
Monday, October 8, 2012
The AT in Numbers
It has now been 7 months and 8 days since we left Springer Mountain to depart on our epic Appalachian adventure.
In this time that we have been back from the Trail, I find myself constantly reminiscing about moments from our journey. Sections of Trail, campsites, people, towns, food, lack of food, animals, weather, sunrises, sunsets, fun moments, and sad moments. Times in which we celebrated and laughed on a mountaintop and times in which we struggled and cried in utter exhaustion.
We experienced so much on the AT. I enjoy writing about it, and I enjoy talking with people and answering their questions. I want to present you guys with a quick summary in numbers. Some of these might be common knowledge for anyone interested in the AT, but the rest are specific to our thru-hike.
The Appalachian Trail in Numbers
5,500,000 - approximate number of steps taken (based on 2500 steps per mile)
3,000,000 - approximate number of visitors to the Trail each year
160,000 - approximate number of white blazes painted along the Trail
6,643 - highest elevation in feet (Clingmans Dome, Great Smoky Mountains National Park)
2,184.2 - miles of Trail, Springer Mountain to Mount Katahdin
1,964 - number of stream/river crossings
1937 - year in which the AT was completed (2012 being the 75th anniversary)
550 - miles in Virginia (longest State)
260 - approximate number of shelters on the Trail
178 - days on the Trail
128 - days of Starbucks VIA instant coffee until having to buy more in the store (GA to NY)
124 - lowest elevation in feet (Bear Mountain Zoo, NY)
75 - snakes (5 being venomous)
46 - KitFox falls
43 - minutes it took to each consume a half gallon of ice cream
38 - average pack weight in pounds for ManCub
35 - cats
28 - average pack weight in pounds for KitFox
27 - neros
26 - longest day in miles
25 - % of thru-hikers who successfully finish
19 - twenty plus mile days
18 - ManCub falls
17 - longest hitch in miles (Grafton Notch to Bethel, ME)
16 - number of times one could climb Mt. Everest equivalent to elevation gain on the AT
14 - States traversed
12.3 - average mileage per day
12 - zeros
10 - most consecutive days without a shower (ManCub)
5 - bears
5 - National Park Sites (Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Pkwy, Shenandoah, Harpers Ferry, Delaware Water Gap)
4 - miles in West Virginia (shortest State)
2 - movies seen in theaters (Hunger Games and The Avengers)
2 - shelters stayed in
1 - moose
0.2 - shortest day in miles
0 - number of days slackpacking
In this time that we have been back from the Trail, I find myself constantly reminiscing about moments from our journey. Sections of Trail, campsites, people, towns, food, lack of food, animals, weather, sunrises, sunsets, fun moments, and sad moments. Times in which we celebrated and laughed on a mountaintop and times in which we struggled and cried in utter exhaustion.
We experienced so much on the AT. I enjoy writing about it, and I enjoy talking with people and answering their questions. I want to present you guys with a quick summary in numbers. Some of these might be common knowledge for anyone interested in the AT, but the rest are specific to our thru-hike.
The Appalachian Trail in Numbers
5,500,000 - approximate number of steps taken (based on 2500 steps per mile)
3,000,000 - approximate number of visitors to the Trail each year
160,000 - approximate number of white blazes painted along the Trail
6,643 - highest elevation in feet (Clingmans Dome, Great Smoky Mountains National Park)
2,184.2 - miles of Trail, Springer Mountain to Mount Katahdin
1,964 - number of stream/river crossings
1937 - year in which the AT was completed (2012 being the 75th anniversary)
550 - miles in Virginia (longest State)
260 - approximate number of shelters on the Trail
178 - days on the Trail
128 - days of Starbucks VIA instant coffee until having to buy more in the store (GA to NY)
124 - lowest elevation in feet (Bear Mountain Zoo, NY)
75 - snakes (5 being venomous)
46 - KitFox falls
43 - minutes it took to each consume a half gallon of ice cream
38 - average pack weight in pounds for ManCub
35 - cats
28 - average pack weight in pounds for KitFox
27 - neros
26 - longest day in miles
25 - % of thru-hikers who successfully finish
19 - twenty plus mile days
18 - ManCub falls
17 - longest hitch in miles (Grafton Notch to Bethel, ME)
16 - number of times one could climb Mt. Everest equivalent to elevation gain on the AT
14 - States traversed
12.3 - average mileage per day
12 - zeros
10 - most consecutive days without a shower (ManCub)
5 - bears
5 - National Park Sites (Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Pkwy, Shenandoah, Harpers Ferry, Delaware Water Gap)
4 - miles in West Virginia (shortest State)
2 - movies seen in theaters (Hunger Games and The Avengers)
2 - shelters stayed in
1 - moose
0.2 - shortest day in miles
0 - number of days slackpacking
 |
| March 1, 2012 |
 |
| September 15, 2012 |
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Readjust
"Good, I guess," I usually tell them. It was a little strange (and awesome) at first being back in the familiar settings with all the luxuries surrounding us. It did not take long to become comfortable again having access to every kind of food you could possibly imagine or crave.
But I'm kidding myself. It's not "good, I guess."
There's nothing I want more than to be back in this moment.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)