On the AT - Upper Goose Pond Cabin to Pittsfield Rd., MA

September 22, 2006 | Miles: 11.0
Start: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
End: Pittsfield Road, The Cookie Lady’s House
Danielle:
Beautiful and fall-like
After a wonderful breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes (thanks Jack! What a treat!), we headed back to the trail around 9am. This morning didn’t quite feel as cold as yesterday, although it could have been due to waking up after our nice, cozy (if noisy—Jack snores!) sleep in the Upper Goose Pond Cabin’s bunkroom…and we again had bright, clear blue skies. Today’s trail conditions could be summarized as wet and muddy sections interspersed with roots and rocks, but it really was a pleasant day in the woods. This section of Massachusetts has been quite nice. We crossed the bridge over the Mass Pike and wandered up and along a ridgeline, once again being treated to a few beaver ponds on the way.

Although we were pretty tired from yesterday’s hike, we made good time for our 11 miles today, making it to Pittsfield Road by 2:30pm. We wandered down the road to “The Cookie Lady’s” house. The couple who owns the house, which also has a blueberry farm, have been feeding hikers cookies for years, and let them get water from their spigot, relax at their picnic table, and sometimes do shuttles. We were treated to some wonderful cookies (Yum!) and “The Cookie Man” nicely offered to take us back to our car in Tyringham. After relaxing a bit, enjoying a few handfuls of wonderful high bush blueberries, we had a nice ride back to the car… This was a great 3-day/2-night trip, even though I had anticipated that it was only going to be 2-days/1-night! It was fun to be hiking, great that Ryan didn’t have any pain, nice to chat with the thru- and section-hikers we met, and even good to be smelly again :-) Now we’re scheming how we can get more miles in this season before the snow flies!

The flora and fauna highlight for today was that we saw a porcupine! It was in the woods a few yards from the trail, and didn’t seem too interested in the smelly hikers taking its photo. It’s the first porcupine we’ve seen on the trail. Pretty neat.

Ryan:
perfect
After a not too late night at Goose Pond cabin followed by the extremely loud snoring of the caretaker, Traveling Jack, we hit the road at 9:00 am. Unfortunately, the cabin is .5 from the AT, so we had some walking even before we were officially on the trail. It was cool again, actually it was a perfect, crisp, clear fall autumn morning.

Massachusetts is pretty mellow. A couple ups and downs but nothing big. Lots of little beaver ponds. But, we’re fairly certain that we would find it less pleasant if we were thruhiking still, since we would be in Massachusetts in early August…lots of mosquitoes.
So, I was definitely tired today, but no pain again. Knees and back both felt great. I’ve got a small thing in my shoulder, same thing that bothered me last year, but it’s my top priority for my massage therapist. (Yup, I’m that bourgeois.) I can work it out pretty well, though.

It was three full days back on the trail, and they were awesome. Couldn’t have been better. So, I just have to keep up with my exercises, and we should be out hiking every weekend. I can’t wait.

Oh yeah, we saw a porcupine today. Funny looking critter.

Today’s song: “C is for Cookie,” Cookie Monster – we ended our hike at the Cookie Lady’s house. She has been handing out cookies to thruhikers for 20 years. Her and her husband have a blueberry farm with very tasty high bush blueberries. Nice people. He even gave us a lift back to our car in Tyringham – 18 trail miles south. Yup, we walked a lot more than planned.

On the AT - Great Barrington to Upper Goose Pond Cabin, MA

September 20, 2006 | Miles: 5.1
Start: MA 23, Great Barrington
End: Mt. Wilcox Shelter North
Danielle:
Nice and fall-like
It's interesting what evokes an emotional response... we've been out hiking on the trail a few times already this year but something about going by "the rock" just past Blue Hill Rd. this morning really made us emotional. The spot where we decided to stop last year, where Ryan said "enough." To walk past it and up the trail was something. Wouldn't have thought it would mean so much to pass it by, but symbolically it was important...and on we went...

It was a mellow day for us, but our first day on the trail as an overnight with big packs. It's feeling like fall. Cool and crisp, with some of the trees changing too. Very nice. Had lunch at Benedict Pond, and passed a few other woodland ponds as we meandered to the shelter. Got here at 1:30, just before the rain hit. It's clearing up now, but just in case, it looks like we'll be in the shelter tonight...and likely early in our bags too. Brrr! Snowman is starting a fire to keep us warm, and another hiker, Ramps, has joined us. All in all, a wonderful day in the woods, and great to be out :-)
Flora and fauna notes: 26 orange salamanders, many toads and many cool-looking purple mushrooms.

Ryan:
today was our first backpack on the at since last year. our route also took us past the place we stopped last year - the rock. it's a faceless rock in the massachusetts woods. but, it's an important spot for us. i remember sitting on that rock last year knowing that i wouldn't get to see what was around the corner. today i did. needless to say, it was pretty emotional.

our hike was great. short but great. a good first test with the full pack. even with only 1 night of food, it's heavy. backpacking is hard. i felt great. i could have kept going, but stopping for the night was the better choice. another shortish day tomorrow. so, we'll see how i feel. but, i'm very optimistic. made a decent fire tonight...in the off and on rain showers. hairball would have been proud. danielle brought the wrong sleeping bag. i hope she doesn't freeze.

Song of the day: Boogie on Reggae Woman, Stevie Wonder.

September 21, 2006 | Miles: 14.0
Start: Mt. Wilcox Shelter North
End: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Danielle:
Gorgeous! Cool.
Well, remember how last year on the second day, our schedule went out the window? Today was very similar.... we had a nice morning hiking through the woods, scaring up a few grouse along the way and enjoying the woods. We went through some beautiful meadows and over a few nice bog bridges alongside some swampy fields. A great morning to be out. Anyway, we made our 7 miles to the car by 12:00, and Snowman really wanted to keep going. I was concerned that it would be pushing it, but he said he felt great, so after a little cajoling, we picked up some food at the car, and kept going... the next 7 miles were not quite as flat or smooth, but we made it here by 4:00. Upper Goose Pond is gorgeous, as the trail skirted its edges for the last mile or so... the cabin is set up in the woods, with a caretaker, above the lake. Travelin Jack is a fun character, sharing lots of stories and food! Great fun. After a filling dinner with lots of extra snacks, we are inside by the fire. Ramps is here too, as is a SOBO and 2 friends of Jack's. Lots of fun, and a gorgeous day. Bright blue skies and cool. Couldn't ask for a better hiking day! And even better, Ryan felt great. I'm a bit tired, but it's great to be out! :-)
flora and fauna: closed gentian-neat purple flower, endangered-,2 grouse, chickadees, one garter snake.

Ryan:
perfect weather
the plan was to hike 7 today. but, in a strange twist of at fate, i felt great. no pain. it was really quite awesome. so, really i have nothing to complain about today.
our car was parked at a road 7 miles from the start. so, we stopped, ate lunch, and i convinced danielle to keep walking. the best part was we were able to resupply at the car. kinda neat. of course, the 7 miles before lunch were easier than the 7 miles after lunch...reminded me of our 2nd day on the trail when we extended our plan and the pm was harder. but, really it wasn't that hard. see, i'm not complaining.
upper goose pond cabin is awesome. big fire in the fireplace and i was greeted with a beer from the caretaker. hiking is the best thing ever.

Song of the Day: Transcendental Blues, Steve Earle

On the AT - Grange Hall Road to Church Road, Cheshire, MA

September 18, 2006 | Miles: 11.5
Start: Grange Hall Rd., south of Dalton
End: Church Rd., Cheshire
Danielle:
Started off cloudy, turned into bright and sunny and warm
Back on the AT for us! We’re on vacation this week, and are doing pieces of the trail in Massachusetts, based out of Mim’s house, which is fun. We chose this stretch between Dalton and Cheshire since Patch said it was “flat.” Well, I’m sure his brain thought it was flat, but there were definitely a few bumps J Especially to those of us who haven’t hiked much this summer!

Still, we had a great day. Didn’t get the earliest start—well, which isn’t really new for us—and the taxi driver dropped us off at a different starting point than expected, which added a few miles, but we were still done by 3:15. Not so bad for 11.5 miles! The trail today took us through the town of Dalton for a mile and a half road walk and then up onto a nice ridge, where it dipped and turned, through some beautiful woods. We had our afternoon snack by a pond, the swamp maples just starting to turn, showing off their fall foliage. I picked a few blackberries that had ripened in the sun near our rocky perch, and which we enjoyed with our molasses cookies. Yum! It was great to get out on this gorgeous day, and even better was that Ryan felt good. Very exciting, especially as we’re hoping to get in a short overnight later this week :-)

As always, it was good to be outside and we’re happy to be back on the trail!

Ryan:
Sunny, Warm
Well, we’re back at it. Best of all, we’re on vacation. Certainly, there are more glamorous places to go on vacation than western Massachusetts, but there are still many miles to be done. And, as I said today, “Hiking is really fun when it doesn’t hurt.” So, that’s the good news of the day, no pain. Anywhere. Sure, tired feet and legs, but we walked 11.5 miles. Plenty of stretching is in order for tonight. We feel like we’re getting back into it slowly, but today was great and we’re very excited looking ahead.

So, like I said, we’re on vacation. Spending time with Danielle’s grandmother in Williamstown and using it as a home base for our hiking operations. The logistics are much more difficult since we’re not just walking north, but it’s worth it. Today, we drove our car to the finish point and had a taxi take us to the start. This worked out great, even though he dropped us off about 2 AT miles south of our plan. But it was fine. It gave us time to get a couple miles in before the long road walk through the town of Dalton.

The hiking today was fairly mellow: a couple little bumps that we would have barely noticed if we were in real hiking shape. We met a group of 10 or so headed south—the Monday Mountain Boys, a hiking group in the Berkshires of retired men who hike every Monday. The oldest of which was 80. That seems like a good goal.

We have a few more days to plan for later this week, including a short backpack. It won’t help us get a lot of miles done, but it will be great to be out camping again. It’s much easier to just carry the light daypack, but I’m really looking forward to it.

So, the AT was good to us today. Hopefully, that will be the story moving forward.

On the AT - NH25A to Rt. 25, Glencliff, NH

August 27, 2006 | Miles: 9.8
Start: Rt. 25A
End: Rt. 25, Glencliff
Danielle:
Cloudy for the first hour; rainy and cool for the rest of the hike.
A soggy, cold walk in the woods today. We started out at 9:30am again today to cloudy, windy skies. It didn't start raining until about an hour into the hike, and then it continued the rest of the way, turning the overgrown trail into a carwash! The hike today was just sort of a rolling walk through the forest, without any views and without too much to talk about specifically. With the rain and the cool weather, there wasn't much reason to stop along the way, so we just chugged along, taking 4 hours from road to road. Luckily the terrain was pretty mellow and the treadway was relatively smooth, which helped. Ryan hung in there really well, despite being tired from two good days of hiking. Saw 3 orange salamanders and 5 toads, but not much else.

Ryan:
Rain
Hiking in the rain isn't a lot of fun. But, I'm complained enough already today, so I'm not going to complain here. I finally stopped complaining once I realized that I was hiking. A month ago, I couldn't have done what we did this weekend. I certainly couldn't have done it 6 months ago. So, I really can't complain. Although, I'm tired and sore...and way out of shape. We did manage to hike the almost 10 miles today in about 4 hours, so that's encouraging. So, more exercises and a little running this week to keep up the healing. I had a little grouchiness in my right knee near the end of the hike, but I was able to stretch my legs and the pain dissipated. That was very encouraging. As far as the hike goes, it was an unexciting section and if we had to do a section of NH in the rain, then this was the section to do. It's back to work tomorrow and back on the AT again soon. Maybe even an overnight in our near future.

On the AT - Rt. 25, Glencliff to Rt. 112, Kinsman Notch, NH

August 26, 2006 | Miles: 9.5
Start: Rt. 25, Glencliff
End: Rt. 112, Kinsman Notch
Danielle:
Overcast with high ceiling, cool and nice
Ryan says it's not as exciting or enthralling to document the rest of our AT journey, as we'll be doing it in fits and starts. But, for my own satisfaction, I plan to document the whole darn 2100 miles, no matter how long it takes us :-) So, here is our first stretch back out on the trail, a year and a month after we last passed a white blaze. It's taken this long for Ryan to be healed again, and it was great to get back out hiking! And even more so to have Ryan healthy again! We have missed being in the woods, and we always enjoy our hikes together--today was no exception! I was feeling a bit nostalgic as we crossed Rt. 25 and passed our first white blaze, I must admit. And it's funny how even though we're no longer thru-hikers, we still think like then. Oh this is a good tent site; this would be a good stream for water; what is up with the road walk? The mind just reverts right back to that way of thinking! So, we started out at 9:30, to a 5.75 mile uphill, up to Mt. Moosilauke, which we have done before, but not via the AT. It's the first above treeline hiking for northbounders. And boy is it an uphill to get there! But very pretty forest, and gorgeous up top. About one mile from the summit, we hit the ridgeline, and it was a beautiful walk. It was cloudy but with a high ceiling, no wind, no bugs, cool. Can't complain! We had lots of company on the summit. A few thruhikers and lots of dayhikers. We had lunch at the top, taking in the views and enjoying the alpine tundra. Then it was the downhill on the other side. As a hiker wrote in the Beaver Brook register: "I am not looking forward to dropping off the face of the earth!" It was incredibly rocky and steep. But it did follow the Beaver Brook which had many cascades and was quite pretty. Down to the Notch by 4pm and then into town for pizza. It may not be the same as thruhiking, but finishing off the trail in sections does have its advantages! No big packs, not as much smell (still a bit! all our clothes still smell :-) ), plus cotton clothes and pizza at the end of the day! We're camped at one of the forest service campgrounds along Rt. 112, and Ryan has built us a great fire! Hairball would be proud :-)
Flora and fauna notes: Saw a Broad-winged hawk and several Golden-crowned Kinglets flitting in the trees. The bunchberries, particularly along the ridge before the summit, were showing off their bright red berries. Very pretty.

Ryan:
Mix of sun & clouds, nice
so, we're back on the trail. it only took a year. i wanted to be certain our first foray onto the at this year was a good one, so i'm glad we waited. after thinking i was fixed from my injuries from last summer, then getting reinjured, some serious pt was in order. then a lot of patience. so, i did my exercises and took it easy since april. and, it's paying off. i've been running a little, but i've clawed my way up to 3 miles without any knee pain. it's been my knees that have been the culprit this time. lots of running and hiking in my past have left them grouchy. but, like i said, it feels like things are turning around, which is exciting. danielle has been patient with me and very supportive, so she gets a lot of credit. so, after a little running and some shorter test hikes, i felt ready to hit the at. of course, we picked a fairly hard section...well, because we're dumb. but, it was awesome. no pain. basically it was a long climb with a steep downhill. stupid steep. not a lot of fun. but, then again hiking isn't really fun. it doesn't really matter where we went or what we saw because it was just good to be back on the trail together. it was a great day. and, we're 9 miles closer to our goal: walking past all the white blazes...together.
today's song: 18 and life, skid row - sometimes the only thing to get you through a long climb is a hair metal classic.

April 6 - Springer Fever

April 9, 2006
Danielle:
There’s something about this time of year… Springer Fever, they call it. And it’s true. We’ve spent a lot of time these past few weeks thinking about the AT, our friends and our adventure. We’re envious of those who are just starting their journey this year, who have so many miles, so many friendships, a lot of sore muscles and emotions ahead of them on the trail. We miss it. A lot.

But here we are, back in the “real world.” And we’re happy here in Maine. Happy with our jobs, and to be on the coast. Yet still, we both can’t help but have our thoughts turn to the trail, especially now, in early spring, thinking about where we were last year on this day and that. I guess this is why so many people say long distance hiking is an addiction. The trail really becomes a part of you, and you want to go back.

Well, we still have 600+ miles of the trail left before us. I had hoped we would get out there starting this month—and surprise, surprise, had come up with all sorts of plans to see how we could get the miles in this year—, but I guess it’s just not to be. Ryan is still recovering. His back and feet are better, but his knees are still bothering him. He’s working hard on it though, so we should be back hiking soon. It might not be until later this summer, but don’t give up hope on us yet :-) The trail calls, and we’ll be out there with our backpacks, following the white blazes and ticking off the miles north before we know it!

November 28 - 4 months later

November 28, 2005
Danielle:
As Snowman said earlier, it has now been as many months since we've been off the trail as we were on the trail. Crazy how quickly 4 months go by. We are settling in nicely to "normal" life here in Brunswick, Maine. We are enjoying being on the coast, taking in the sun flickering off the ocean and the rocks and pine that make up our new landscape. We are back to work (poor schmucks both of us, I know), but we're happy in our respective spots. I'm at the art gallery, and Snowman is working at a small ad agency that specializes in environmental and cultural clients. Although we have plunged back into "reality," we have not forgotten the trail. It stays with us... Snowman says it's through his stretching routine and the anti-inflamatories (which unfortunately is true, but he's getting there!), but it's more than that too :-) The comraderie, our friends, being out in nature every day, the simplicity of carrying all we need on our back, being smelly, all that good stuff :-) I am already scheming to get us back out there next spring and start heading north again, bit by bit. I am looking forward to it!

August 25 - A month later

August 25, 2005
Danielle:
Despite what you think of Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods," whether his friend Katz is real, whether he is truly depicting the AT experience, one has to admit that he is a gifted writer. As Ryan was finishing up his re-reading of the book today, he read off a quote to me that rang true for both of us.
"I had come to realize that I didn't have any feelings toward the AT that weren't confused and contradictory. I was weary of the trail, but still strangely in its thrall; found the endless slog tedious but irresistible; grew tired of the boundless woods but admired their boundlessness; enjoyed the escape from civilization and ached for its comforts. I wanted to quit and to do this forever, sleep in a bed and in a tent, see what was over the next hill and never see a hill again. All of this all at once, every moment, on the trail or off."
The trail was fun and pain, joy and misery, all at once. If we were still out there, headed north, we would have close to a month of walking to go. We know we would be excited, but tired, wanting to reach the end and not. The trail tugs at us, but civilization sure is nice. We are sad, still, to not be out on the trail with our friends, wandering through the northern woods, and yet, happy to know we'll have the chance to spread out our experience, enjoy the trail in short bursts and at a more leisurely pace over the next few years. We will never stop thinking about the trail, one way or another, remembering the good and bad, and I suppose, really, that was what it was, and is, all about :-)
-Sparkplug

My body still hurts. -a P.S. by Snowman

August 10 - Two weeks off the trail

August 10, 2005
Danielle:
Well, it's been almost 2 weeks since we got off the trail for this year. Amazing how much we've managed to cram into those two weeks as we attempt to emerge back into "normal" society. In a way, it feels like forever ago that we were out hiking on the AT.
But on the other hand, my body still aches for the exertion of the trail. My legs wonder why I'm doing all this sitting, with 30-minute intervals at 8- to 9-minute mile pace mixed in now and then, versus the nice 20- to 30-minute pace they're used to moving at all day long. My heart still yearns to be out following the white blazes, especially on these beautiful blue-sky days. But my mind, well, it admits that it's nice to be able to shower every day, put on clean clothes, eat fresh fruits and vegetables and not smell. :-)
We went over to the Inn at Long Trail in Killington, VT on Monday to pick up a mail drop we had sent there previously. We ran into a few thru-hikers as well as some hikers doing the Long Trail (which runs 270 miles from the MA/VT border to the VT/Canada border), and were able to do a little trail magic--giving away some of our food, driving them to the PO and the outfitter--and catch up a bit on the trail. Many of our hiking buddies--Beantown, Hairball & Snowbunny, Hopeful & Redwing--had already passed through there a week ago. And Patch had not yet come through. Still, it was nice to be there and help out as we could. We also left a cooler with drinks, candy and crackers at one of the VT road crossings, and we hope that some of our friends will find it and enjoy it.
It was bittersweet to drop the hikers off at the trailhead on Tuesday morning, and watch them shoulder their packs and head off into the woods, following the white blazes north. A bit of yearning and sadness to not be following, and yet, the knowledge that we have exciting times ahead of us too as we move on with our lives, and the acknowledgement that we will be coming to this spot again, hopefully next year, as we continue our journey on the trail...

August 1 - Ryan chimes in from NC

August 1, 2005
Ryan:
So, how does it feel when your dream dies? Honestly, pretty crappy. How does it feel when you've crushed someone else's dream? Even crappier. We dreamt of hiking 2,174.9 miles in one season. We disrupted our lives and took a risk to do so. We fell short. Why? Because my body fell apart. Not the way we planned it.
We're in North Carolina at Danielle's parents' house relaxing and picking up our car. We're going to hit the road tomorrow to head north, visit my parents and start anew. With a few days to reflect on the last four months, it's been a roller coaster. I'm so proud of what we accomplished, and I'm so amazed by all the people we met and friends we made...but, I feel empty, unfulfilled. We didn't make it to Katahdin, and that hurts. It's my fault, that hurts even more. In the back of my mind, I keep thinking that I'll see a doctor this week, he'll hand me the magic pill, and we'll be back hiking again. Not likely. Right now, my back hurts. It's tight and sore, but I'm certain that I can straighten that out. My feet, honestly, I think are kind of screwed up. My right foot especially is in bad shape. Who knew that all that walking with a pack would do such a thing? That bit of info definitely was not in the brochure. And because of all this...um...discomfort, I'm relieved. I'm glad to not be hiking. I know that my body is happy, and that it's ready to get fixed. Then, I look at Danielle. She so badly wanted to thruhike. I couldn't go with her. That's what hurts the most.
Here's the good news: we're ready to move on...or, we are moving on. It still hurts, and we're still sad. But best of all, we're still together. Everyone said that this hike would make us or break us as a couple. But, I don't really think it did either. We're definitely not broken, and we're definitely not defined by it. It was just four months of our time together. It was the best four months. I learned so much about myself and about us. In short, we can get through anything...whatever the outcome. I'm not sure we would have learned that if we had made it to Katahdin. Sure, it would have been nice to have finished on a high note, but I think in the coming days, weeks, months and years, we will look back on these four months and 1500 miles as a time that really brought us together and made us realize that we need each other more than we ever knew. She's my best friend, adventure partner, and a whole lot more.
So, look for us on the coast of Maine...in the woods, on the trails, and in the snow. Or look for us in other far flung and different places. For instance, the Long Trail is only about 270 miles...

July 29 - Headed back to NC

July 29, 2005
Danielle:
I just can't seem to let go. I keep crying. I want to be out there still. I don't want it to be over. As we drive down the highway with my parents, headed to NC to pick up the car, it seems surreal and yet, it makes it all seem so final. We are done. It sucks. It is sad. I had said to Ryan that this thruhike does not define us, that making it or not does not define us, but d@#* it, I really wanted us to make it. I feel out of focus. My mind has been stuck on Katahdin for so long, and now that is no longer an option for this year. It will sit in my mind of course, and I don't really think I'll rest until we've pieced together the rest of our 660 miles, but for now we just must move on. I've given myself today to be sad, and then, it's time to think about other things, and get Ryan all healed up and better again, so that we can get back out there on the trail and in the woods again another time.

But in the meantime, I can't resist sharing the following...
What I will NOT miss about the trail:
PA
NY
the overgrown trail
the poison ivy
being smelly, sticky and dirty most days
putting on wet clothes
being wet and damp for days on end, either from rain or humidity
the bugs, ants and spiders
hitchhiking

What I WILL miss about the trail:
counting salamanders
the simplicity of the trail--everything you need is on your back; every day you wake up and put one foot in front of another and follow the white blazes north
enjoying the cool breeze atop a rocky ridge
picking blueberries along the trail
Hairball's campfires
watching the hawks and vultures ride the airwaves
sticking my legs in a cold, clean stream
noticing the Scarlet Tanagers and other birds in the woods
tromping along the trail with my best friend
the comraderie that develops out on the trail
reading the shelter registers and catching up on the trail "news"
all the wonderful trail magic we received
and most of all, the friends we made--Patch, Clearwater, Hairball & Snowbunny, Hopeful & Redwing, Bravo, Fatigue, Free, Train & Raindrop, Beantown, L.B., Coyote, Free Radical and everyone else who made the trip special to us.

July 28 - the end of the line for 2005

July 28, 2005 | Day 123 | Miles: 1.2 | Total Miles: 1516.8
End: Mim's house, Williamstown, MA
Danielle:
Sunny and nice
This is a really sad entry to write. We have decided that today was the end of our journey on the AT for this season.
My parents dropped us off at the road this morning and after only a mile Ryan's back was hurting already. We sat on a big rock and decided enough was enough. Despite our mixed emotions and desire to be "thruhikers" and hike the whole trail in one season, it is not worth it if Ryan would be miserable every day and hurting all the time. What if it was permanent damage? Would the end be worth it? We decided not. This was a really hard thing to decide upon. How could we stop? We had made it so far, and been enjoying the journey so much... And yet, again, was it worth it? I really really wanted to finish atop Katahdin this year, but not without Ryan, and not with a Ryan who would be hurting himself more if he continued. What I really want most is to be with him and have us be happy. And this decision, while at this point being an extremely sad one, is the right one and will allow us to continue to get out and explore and hike and ski in all the years to come. I couldn't handle it if we couldn't do that. And if the journey becomes one in which all you wish is for it to be over, for the pain to stop, then at some point you have to listen to your body, and we needed to listen to his.
We've given it our best shot. We went after our dream. We made it over 1500 miles and that is something to be proud of. I am so proud of Ryan, pushing on through a lot more pain than I've had the past four months. He is one tough guy, and I am lucky to have him as my best friend and hiking partner. Yes, this is not how we would have wanted it to end, but life is like that. The trail will be there. We will finish off the next 660 miles over the next few years, and when we finish it will still be an accomplishment. Not what we had originally intended, but ours just the same...
We will never regret or forget our experience on the trail this year. All the people we met, all our trail friends and the ways people in the trail community opened their arms to us and helped us out. All our friends and family who have been so wonderful in their support and encouragement throughout this experience. I feel a bit that we have let you down, not making it to the end, but please understand that this decision was what we decided was best, although in our hearts we wish to remain on the trail... We will miss it.
But really this is not the end. It is the beginning of a new chapter for us. For new experiences and adventures. And despite all that, the trail will always be there, and we will be sure to walk it again soon, for it is part of us now and we still have miles to walk (eventually) :-)

Ryan, July 28, 2005
sunny, warm
well, this is not how we scripted it. we were supposed to end our trip on to of katahdin, not on a rock outside of great barrington, ma. but, my back says it's time to call it quits. not an easy decision, but it was an easy decision. we hit the trail at about 8:45 this morning with only a couples pounds in our packs. my back started to hurt after about a mile, and i knew that it was the end. nothing really meaningful or thought provoking to say right now...just sad. sad, but relived. my back isn't the only thing that hurts. but, without going into a litany of injuries, aches and pains, let's just say that my body has had enough. and, i can't spend any more mental energy pushing it...i've been doing that for too long now. the heart wants to keep going, but the current and potential future pain is too much. so, i'm relived. plus, the thought of katahdin was becoming more of a relief than a celebration. really, we just wanted to be finished. not this way, but finished. of course, i feel guilty for ending danielle's trip. we both know that she could finish. but, i can't convince her to go on without me...plus, she never learned to use the stove. we set out on this together, and i know if the foot was on the other shoe, i would be right beside her. and, as always, she was strong again today. so, we're done. today was the last time we sat in the trail and cried...it sure wasn't the first, but this one was the last. but, we're not done yet! we still have 600 plus miles to finish and we'll get them eventually...slowly...year after year. the trail doesn't care, the trail never cared, but we're going to finish. we'll get to katahdin. but, more importantly, we'll do a lot of other things together. i'll get my back fixed, and we'll be out doing more crazy things...for a long time. what it really boils down to is that we gave it a shot. we didn't just talk about it. we took a risk. and, despite not reaching that pile of rocks on maine, it was a great choice. it was a great trip, and i'm proud of the 1500 plus miles we walked together. and, i wouldn't trade any of it...well, maybe most of pa. pa sucks. thanks to every single person who touched our lives along the way and helped us get a few steps further. and thanks to everyone who has been reading our daily babble...sorry, we had to cut it short by a couple months. but, most of all i have to thank danielle, sparkplug...she's tough. grrr...
today's song - don't dream it's over, crowded house

July 26-27 in MA

July 26, 2005 | Day 121 | Miles: 0 | Total Miles: 1515.6
End: Mim's house, Williamstown, MA
Danielle:
Suny and hot
Laundry, grocery shopping, packing up mail drops, a chiropractor appointment for Ryan, and oh yes, sitting on the couch reading the 6th Harry Potter book. Plus eating. I'd say that about sums up our day. Got some things done but otherwise very mellow and relaxing...

Ryan:
sunny, hot
saw a chiropractor today. my body sounded like bubble wrap...and hurt. not sure if he really helped, but i feel like i've done everything i can. we're going to take another day off tomorrow, and then slackpack on thursday and friday. i know, i know...slackpacking. not our first choice, but it will be a good way to gauge how my back will perform. luckily, danielle's parents are willing and able to help us out for the rest of the week. it will be great to be able to come back to mim's house each day after only carrying a light pack...clean and well fed. then on saturday, we'll get back to it...well, for two shortish days before we walk back here on sunday night. i guess if i was going to be broken, the timing was good.
today's song - things can only get better, howard jones. (thanks to the stop n shop for this one...hopefully, it's true.)

July 27, 2005 | Day 122 | Miles: 0 | Total Miles: 1515.6
End: Mim's house, Williamstown, MA
Danielle:
Sunny, hot and humid
Another lazy day at Mim's. Very hot and humid, so we were glad to not be in the woods. We did some laundry, went to the PO, lazed around, then went to a matinee of "Wedding Crashers" with Mom and Dad. The perfect mindless comedy to keep us amused, and in the A/C, for a few hours.
We are planning to slackpack tomorrow. Now for those of you not up on your AT terms, slackpacking means you're basically dayhiking along the trail, with someone dropping you off in the morning and then picking you up at the end of the day. In general we have been "against" this, as it seems like an easier way to hike the trail, versus hiking with all your gear and being self-sufficient. But with our recent turn of events, to give Ryan's back a break for a few more days, and wanting to keep going, we figured we'd give it a try for a few days since my parents were kind enough to offer to shuttle us around. It will allow us to get in some higher miles and also assess how Ryan is doing without getting stuck out in the woods with him hurting. We will truly be doing the same miles, just without all the weight. To keep moving forward is the goal, so we'll do what we have to do to get there! Should be sort of fun to get out there without a big pack for a day or two and see how those miles feel! :-)

Ryan:
sunny, hot am, pm thunderstorms and cooling
another rest day...back at it tomorrow. fingers crossed.

July 24-25 in MA

July 24, 2005 | Day 119 | Miles: 6.6 | Total Miles: 1515.6
End: East Mountain Retreat Center, Great Barrington, MA
Danielle:
Sunny and nice
Not where we planned to be for the night... Poor Ryan. His back was hurting again today. It really sucks. Not just for him, but just in general, to be thrown off kilter again and off the trail for a few days when we hadn't planned it (again). This time we're going to get him to a chiropractor or someone who can hopefully whack his back into place so we can get back on the trail shortly. I have had a few hours to sit and think about this, and gain some optimism about the situation, but I have to admit that while we were slogging through the last 4 miles of our big 6.6m day, I was feeling pretty down, sad and pessimistic about everything. It really sucks to be out there in the woods, helpless, watching him have so much pain, and knowing that we have to keep moving so we can stop. Some twisted logic going on there, but that's just how it is out here when your feet are your mode of transportation. I worry about making it, about him being hurt for the long-term, about money and time and everything. We really want to keep going, so we'll do what we can to make it happen.
In any event, we are now showered and relaxing at this silent retreat place. They open a section of it to hikers, which is very nice. We plan to call my parents tomorrow, and interrupt their scheduled visit with my sister in Portland, ME to have them come pick us up early and take us to Mim's in Williamstown, MA for a few days off. They were going to do that anyway in a few days...this is just a bit earlier than planned. I wish we could stick to the schedule, but what can we do? We'll hope a bit more rest and a doctor's visit will make Ryan feel better, and then we'll head north again...

Ryan:
sunny, warm
today sucked. my back is bad. and, i sprayed insect repellant into my eye. we're going to take a couple days off. we're going to maine.

July 25, 2005 | Day 120 | Miles: 0 | Total Miles: 1515.6
End: Mim's house, Williamstown, MA
Danielle:
Sunny, hazy and hot
After a nice sleep at the East Mountain Retreat and a leisurely morning sitting around reading and playing RISK (I lost. Bummer.), Mom and Dad picked us up around 1pm and drove us to Mim's. We managed to get new pole parts (ours had taken a beating on the PA rocks) and get Ryan a massage plus a chirpopractor appointment all within 2 hours of being here. Very productive! Plus, I went through all the boxes that had arrived here either via mail or with Mom and Dad. Thanks to Corie and Rob, Krisser, Neal and Kendra, Nate and Shannon for thinking of us and sending along packages. It was like Christmas :-) We enjoyed the rum & cokes and bloody marys that Neal and Kendra sent along (only they would send alcohol through the mail :-) ) with our dinner. Yum!
After Ryan's massage, his back is feeling great. We'll see how it feels tomorrow, but we're feeling optimistic...
It's great to see Mim and my mom and dad. And a big thanks to them for coming to pick us up early! We really appreciate it :-)

Ryan:
cloudy am, sunny pm
car ride, poles fixed, shower, massage, food. what more do you need to know? ok, the raymonds rescued us from the ridiculous yappy dogs and slightly creepy atmosphere of the east mountain retreat center. not a bad place, but 24 hours was more than enough. so, we're further north on the trail than we've walked...the trail goes right through williamstown. anyway, the mountain goat ia the outfitter in town and they kicked ass...they basically refurbed our busted poles. new tips and new shafts for me. they also recommended a massage place in town. that was sweet. hopefully, that will help...i think so. i also have an appointment with a chiropractor tomorrow. take that busted back! gotta go...ice cream sundaes!

July 22-23 in MA

July 22, 2005 | Day 117 | Miles: 19.9 | Total Miles: 1494.5
End: Laurel Ridge Campsite, Tent
Danielle:
Warm and humid with evening rain/lightening/thunderstorm
We are just better at the big climbs than all the little bumps we've been dealing with the past few days. Today we had three big climbs and we did awesome. The terrain was nice, with lots of pines, and a very New England feeling. We went up and over the highest point in CT today--Bear Mountain. Nice rocky ledges and views out over the green hills and valley below. Then down into Sages Ravine where the trail wandered along the river, with pools and small waterfalls. Very pretty. And then, ta da! Into Massachusetts! Wow. Very cool. We're currently camped a few miles over the border. It was a long day today, but we did really well, although with getting in late Ryan did end up out in the pouring rain finishing cooking our dinner as a huge rain/lightening/thunderstorm rolled through. Poor guy. Then we were huddled up in the tent, eating as the rain poured down. Things are a bit soggy, but not too bad...
Ah yes, I did get stung by a hornet/wasp thing at the campsite before the rain. One of the tenting areas had a nest and as I was walking by, boom! I was stung in the finger. Ouch, that hurt! Stupid insects! Luckily it didn't swell up too much, but still... 1 sting for me; 2 for Ryan. Yikes.
But other than that one incident, an overall very good day :-)

Ryan:
sunny, hot, evening deluge
at miles - 19.9
big day for team snowplug! actually, it was a great day...long, but great. ct really showed me something today, and i'm even considering letting the at corridor be part of new england. maybe. but, all that doesn't matter because we are definitely in new england now after crossing the border into massachusetts late this afternoon. ct went out with a bang with a couple great climbs over lion's head (just about every state has one of those) and bear mountain (same here). bear mountain is the highest peak in ct, and was a great climb...decent views, too. then we crossed the border and followed sawmill brook for a mile or two, which was really pretty. the scenery is getting better everyday. it's starting to feel like home. the plants, even the rocks...it just looks like the mountains and trails we're used to and love so much. ah, new england. can't beat it. then it poured. lots of thunder, and a complete soaker...actually, since we're in mass...it rained wicked hahd, guy. the good thing was our tent was all set up and our stuff stayed dry. the bad news was that i was in the middle of cooking dinner. (you didn't know that i did the cooking out here, did you?) since i didn't think it was a good idea to try to move the stove mid boil. so, i waited it out as long as i could while the rained intensified and danielle said either "oh boy" or "oh no" each time from inside the dry tent. into great barrington tomorrow and possibly a night in a bed, but we're certain if that's a possibility. if not, we're looking at 19...oh yeah, bring it on! (as you can tell my back is feeling better, and my knees have recovered from the pa rocks. pa sucks.) by the way, we walked to massachusetts from georgia...holy crap.
today's song - luckiest man alive, finn brothers

July 23, 2005 | Day 118 | Miles: 14.5 | Total Miles: 1509.0
End: campsite along ridge past Great Barrington, MA, Tent
Danielle:
Sunny and nice with a cool breeze
What a beautiful day! After the rain last night and some early morning clouds, the skies cleared out to bright blue skies, cool and breezy. We went over Race Mt., where we walked along the rocky ledges, enjoying the views and the breeze. Then lunch on Jug End Summit, where we sat on the rocks, dried our stuff in the sun, enjoyed the wind and the blueberries--yum! Lovely. We got a ride into Great Barrington in the early afternoon for laundry, food and phone calls, but no place to stay-everything was booked up for the Tanglewood Music Festival, and the couple the outfitter said took in hikers for the night wasn't home--so off we trotted arund 7:30pm. I was not so happy about the prospect, and Ryan's back had been feeling stiff all day, so he wasn't either, but there was nothing else to do... we ended up finding a spot a few miles out of town at dusk, and set up in a record 15 minutes before we dove into the tent to escape the ravenous mosquitos. In fact, I can hear them buzzing outside the tent as I write--crazy! I don't think we've ever seen as many as we did tonight. They were everywhere!

Ryan:
sunny, warm
an interesting day today. basically, we hiked 12.5...slowly, then went into great barrington to resupply and do laundry. we had hoped to stay but no luck there. so, after eating a very tasty dinner of greek salad and pizza, we got back on the trail at about 7:30. now, we're hiding in the tent at a random spot we plunked down at from the ravenous mosquitos. i have never seen so many mosquitos in my life. they're wicked bad, guy. speaking of bad, my bad felt like crud today. not as bad as last week, but not good either. i wish i knew how to work it out. the shoulder problem that flared up at the beginning of the trip...i can stretch that out as i hike. this one i can't really figure out. hopefully, it will be better tomorrow. if not, i may have to look for some illegal narcotics. in other news, it's amazing how much better new england is. we had some beautiful climbs today. some open ledges with great views. our lunch spot was the best yet, jug end. a great view with tons of blueberries. looking forward to more of the same as the days go on. important milestone today - 1500 miles. we're getting there! oh yeah, send vicodin.
today's song - kentucky woman, neil diamond (the big y supermarket plays great tunes.)