winturri shelter

18.0 miles, 1710.3 total.
took my time leaving the Inn this morning. had coffee and a big breakfast, and then I left around 9:00. rain held off a but in the morning but started again late in the afternoon.
trail was a little muddy and wet, but I was still able to move quickly. around 2:00, with only 5 miles left to go for the day, I came upon the best trail magic ever! a former thru hiker was at a remote road crossing with a grill and several coolers under a large canopy. he had hamburgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs, fruit and veggies, cheese and crackers, soda, water, Gatorade, beer, stove fuel, granola bars...anything a hiker could want. I sat and ate and drank and talked to him for about 2 hours. excellent.
got here to the shelter around 5:30. at 5:45 it started to rain again and hasn't stopped. it's been raining even harder in the last hour. here with 6 section hikers. I've been following several of them for a few days in the shelter journals.
later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

the inn at Long Trail

18.3 miles, 1692.3 total.
rained all night and was still pouring when I hit the trail at 8:15. guess it was just enough to flood the trail again. :(
took breaks at two shelters early on and one for lunch. rained hard all day. found some trail magic early - crackers and cheese and also sodas. very nice.
this Inn is right near the trail and caters to hikers during the summer, so I'll stay here and do laundry and get dry. tomorrow will rain again but not all day.
met several long trail hikers and a couple of south bound AT sectioners. haven't seen a NOBO thru for a while. this might help me in the new hampshire white mountains. there are a series of huts there that are expensive and serve meals, but they allow 2 thru hikers free bunks and meals in return for dishwashing and cooking services. work for stay, they call it. if I'm in a bit of a bubble I shouldn't have trouble getting one of the spots. I'll wash dishes like they've never seen anyone wash dishes before!! otherwise, I'll have to camp at least .5 miles away from the shelters or pay $80 to stay there.

later,
L

-- Post From My iPhone

clarenden shelter

16.9 miles, 1674.0 total.
early start today because the SOBO sectioners were up before 6:00. took my time and was still on the trail by 7:30. rained a little overnight but was very nice all day. the trail was even in very good condition.
saw several day hikers out near the road crossings and overlooks.
I got to my lunch stop shelter early, by noon (13m). so I ate and took a nap there. cool. this shelter was only 4 miles farther, but I had to go through clarenden gorge. it's a deep rocky gorge. down several hundred feet and then back up the other side. very tough. got here around 4:00. very nice shelter. here with a SOBO long trail hiker who will hike the AT after Vermont. he's already done re whole AT on 2003. very nice Canadian.
weird thing is that a local showed up shirtless on am ATV carrying a rifle and a big jug of whiskey. we listened to him ramble for a while and then he drove off. crazy. btw, just started raining and doesn't look like it will stop soon. ugh.

later,
L

-- Post From My iPhone

big branch shelter

16.5 miles, 1657.1 total.
took my time leaving town this morning. it was overcast and rainy, so I wasn't in a hurry to get out again. made it back to the trail around 11:00.
it was raining pretty hard for about an hour and then it stopped and actually cleared up a bit. the rain held off for the rest of the day. yea!!!
went over bromley mtn., styles peak, peru peak, and baker peak. very nice hiking and the trail wasn't too messy. I passed a couple very buggy shelters and one that burned down in 2006 - you can still tent there though. got to this shelter around 5:00, and am here with two south bound section hikers from Boston. there's a very nice river running in front of the shelter. was able to soak my feet for a little bit tonight, and also was able to dry and air out my tent. it smells like a wet dog. it was nice to be dry when I was done hiking today. almost a new feeling. overall, a very nice Saturday.
later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

manchester, vt

10.7 miles, 1640.6 total.
salt lake city couple was up at, drum roll please, 5:30! so I was up by 6:00 and on the trail by 7:00. rained again all night and was drizzling when I left. by the way, the gnats were absolutely terrible last night they were biting me through my clothes and leaving holes in my skin! seriously!
I was on the trail for about an hour when I looked up and saw a HUGE moose walking right toward me! it saw me at the same time and took off running into the woods. it's so funny, because we had been talking about moose last night at the shelter. we had all been seeing strange "droppings" and hoof prints on the trail and were arguing about what was responsible for them. two of us were right. moose.
the trail was a nice gradual descent to the road crossing to Manchester. I wasn't sure if I wanted to come into town, so I sat by the side of the road taking inventory of gear and food. I was just sitting there when a woman pulled over in her minivan and asked if I wanted a ride. easy hitch - sure!
did laundry, bought groceries, and exchanged my bent hiking pole for a new one at EMS (eastern mountain sports). then I looked at my shoes; caked in mud and stinky with one sole peeling off halfway. enough. they lasted me over 600 miles including rocky PA and almost daily rain since NJ, so I bought a new pair to get me through the last 500 miles.
decided to stay the night and probably an extra day when I looked at my feet. good thing I still can't figure out posting pics to this site from my phone. they're swollen and have red blotches and streaks all over them. going to soak and treat them...somehow. staying in a room at Sutton's Place (suttonsplacevermont.com). frank sutton, former NYC resident rents out rooms/beds in his georgeous old Manchester home to hikers and tourists for very little money. very cool. oh yes, and it's still raining. forecast is for thunderstorms tomorrow and intermittent showers the next 5 days going north. FUN!

later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

stratton pond shelter

19.3 miles, 1629.9 total.
it rained all night and was very chilly last night, so I didn't get much sleep. I was on the wet, muddy trail in the clouds by 7:30.
passed 2 fire towers that are rumored to have excellent views, but not for me. not today. only low clouds and rain. still slipping and sliding all over the woods. the woods are, however, very pretty here. not sure if I've mentioned that yet. re Vermont forests, or woods, are very lush, dense, and just cool looking.
here with the couple from salt lake city that was also with me at upper goose pond cabin, two girls from NY/NJ, two guys from VT, and a couple I met back in NJ.
later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

goddard shelter

21.6 miles, 1610.6 total.
woke up at 6:00 to hear section hiker next to me saying "bear, bear, bear!" there was a bear right in front of the shelter trying to get to some food that someone left on the picnic table. we scared it off, but it came back through camp after about 5 minutes and then wandered off toward the privy. I was able to get some pictures - a little blurry, but first pics of a bear that I've been able to snap so far.
trail was again wet and muddy but it didn't rain at all. the sun even came out for a couple hours. cool. I fell 2 times today. ugh. I'm all muddy and I bent one of my hiking poles. was able to straighten it enough to use for now.
last 4 miles took forever. all straight up - roughly 2000 feet. feels good to be climbing again.
here with 10 section hikers. some going all the way to Maine and some just doing a few days. also, from Mass/Vt border, the AT runs with the Long Trail for a 100+ miles. the long trail goes from vt to Canada. it's the oldest "long trial". I think it's about 200 miles long.
please don't use these facts on jeopardy. :)


later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

seth warner shelter (VT)

16.5 miles, 1589.0 total.
up and out by 8:30 - and the two youngsters were still sleeping.
went over mt greylock in a cloud. highest point in Mass - not sure if it's highest on AT in Mass or highest in the state. didn't matter cause I couldn't see anything - not even the war memorial and plaque at the summit.
trail was still pretty rough. rained a bit, but not too much. I'm still very wet and muddy.
crossed into Vermont at 3:00. here with 3 section hikers.

later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

mark noepel lean-to

13.7 miles, 1572.5 total.
I had a nice, and much needed, zero day yesterday. watched The Outlaw Josey Wales on cable. i've always loved that movie.
it has continued to rain so I'm still a little down about that. left the shamrock inn of dalton this morning at 9:30 and got to this shelter around 3:00.
I was quite surprised how much the condition of the trail had improved - even with the additional rain. there were still huge puddles and it was very muddy, but my feet and pants stayed relatively dry today. I fell once while trying to get around one of those massive trail puddles. cut and bruised my shin pretty bad, but I cleaned and bandaged it so...should be okay. it's quite swollen right now, though.
in the shelter now. listening to the rain and talking to two young local hikers who say they want to go all the way to Maine. I think they're really just out for a few days, but they're carrying enough equipment for a whole village. one has a hack saw and the other has a pocket fishing pole.
have a big climb tomorrow morning and then I should be in Vermont by mid-afternoon. 3 states and less than 600 miles to go by tomorrow evening. very cool.
I miss NYC.

later,
L

-- Post From My iPhone

dalton, massachusetts

20.6 miles, 1558.8 total.
left the cabin at 7:45. still raining and the trail was still in horrible condition.
about 2 miles into the hike there was a cooler full of sodas and little debbie snacks. trail magic! it made the mud a little easier to handle. again, several times had I cross water that was knee and waist deep. was like that all day long. I was also chased by a crazy bird of some sort. it came out of some bushes and fluffed up its feathers, screamed, and chased me down the trail. must have had some babies in there or something.
everything else was just wet and muddy. my pants, shoes, and shirt were all covered in mud when I got to town at 5 tonight. cool thing is that even though I looked like a mud monster and the town is right on the trail, a guy pulled over in his pickup and gave me a ride to the motel. motel clerk offered to do my laundery for me while I showered and cleaned up. very nice people. forecast is still for more rain, so I'm not sure what I'll do tomorrow. I had planned on a couple more 20+ mile days to get into Vermont by Sunday afternoon, but I'm not sure if I'll make it. the trail is too bad and the rain is starting to slow me down. also, my feet and toes are starting to hurt. everyday they're shriveled because of all the water, which is making them really sensitive...and two toe nails came off completely when I took off my socks today. yuck.
later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

upper goose pond cabin

21.1 miles, 1538.2 total.
days like today make people quit hiking.
it started raining at 3 AM and never stopped. not just raining, pouring. cats and dogs and chickens and hens and everything else.
the trail was flooded. streams and brooks were flooded and flowing over the rocks and bridges used to cross them. several times I had to walk through water that was waist deep, and many times the trail looked like a pond or log ride. miserable day. I was wet and muddy all day.
got to this cabin about 5 pm. it has a bunk house, kitchen, and living room with a fireplace. there are 5 of us here and we are all trying to dry out. socks and shoes and other clothes are hanging by the fireplace. forecast is for more rain the next few days.
I can't believe how bad the trail was today. it was like there was absolutely no drainage. didn't see anything except my feet, the water, mud, and roots. I fell several times in the muck. can't wait for tomorrow.
later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

tom leonard lean-to (MA)

24.4 miles, 1517.1 total.
what a beautiful day! no rain. was on the trail by 6:30 because I got up so early.
had climbed 3 peaks by 11:30. bear mtn. - 2300 ft. race mtn. - 2450 ft. mt. everett - 2600 ft. all were very cool. nice climbs with very technical rocky descents.
after coming down from everett I stopped for a snack at the guilder pond picnic area. I was sitting at a picnic table eating peanut butter -straight from the jar with a spoon - and reading my guide book. I got up from the table and walked about 20 ft away just to stretch my legs...when I heard a twig snap behind me. turned around and it was like I was part of a yogi the bear cartoon. a bear had come out of the woods behind the picnic table and was reaching for my food. when he snapped the stick he froze and just stood there looking at me. For some reason I screamed, Hey, get away from my stuff! and he scurried off into the woods slowly while watching me. then he just sat by a log about 50 yards away. how wacky. I packed up everything and got out of there.
anyway, so far Massachusetts is very wet, humid, and infested with mosquitos...and if you look at the name of the state long enough, you might go insane.
here with 3 other thru hikers. it's going to rain tonight and probably tomorrow, but I'm in the tent anyway - to avoid mosquitos.
later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

riga lean-to

19.8 miles, 1492.7 total.
man, it was buggy last night. had to totally enclose myself in the bag to keep away from flying little critters.
left this morning at 8. was a beautiful day and the trail was nice too. a couple of steep rocky climbs made it challenging in the afternoon, but still nice. worst part of the day was a long detour due to bridge construction. I had to walk down a small winding road for about 3 miles. I don't think the locals were happy with hikers on their road. they kept giving me dirty looks. also, walked by a small race track. looks like a private place where rich guys can take their own cars and zoom around at high speeds. hehe.
here by myself at a wonderful site. on the edge of a 1700 foot "mountain" overlooking valleys and other peaks. will be cool and dry tonight. no bugs so far. another nice day expected tomorrow and then 4-5 days of rain...again.
later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

pine swamp brook lean-to

17.0 miles, 1462.9 total.
rained again all night. at least I was indoors and high on cold medicine.
I felt much better this morning. had breakfast and coffee and hot the trail around 9:00.
looked like rain most of the day but it held off until I got to this shelter.
very nice hike today. some of it was a flat walking path along the housatonic river (hoos-a-tonic). did a very stupid thing this afternoon though. I crossed a raging stream even though tree were signs instructing me to take an alternate route. it was about 60 feet wide and there were only a few big rocks above water. I made it quickly to the middle and that's where I ran into problems. I had to take off my shoes and socks, put on my Crocs, roll up my pants and carefully go across using rocks that were under water. at one point I threw one hiking stick I the edge and used a tree branch that was hanging above. well I made. and it was really cool.
anyway, here with a SOBO section hiker and it's raining. at least I made it early so my stuff is dry. we'll see what happens tomorrow.
later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

kent, ct

.3 miles,
felt horrible this morning. last night it started raining at 8 and didn't stop - still raining tonight. also, around 10 last night a big group of girl scouts came rumbling into camp and took over 2 hours to set up everything in the rain. I didn't get any sleep and feel like I have a cold or something.
I hiked the .3 miles to the highway and then the mile into kent. didn't realize it was a Sunday - so stores are closed or don't open until late. buying groceries, doing laundry, and will stay here today and tonight to rest.

later,
L

-- Post From My iPhone

mt. algo lean-to (CT)

21.1 miles, 1455.6 total.
very nice day. finally. section hiker, jerryatric, woke up and started moving around at 5:00 AM. what??? who does that?
so I was on the trail by 7:00. knees were really sore, but they got better as the day progressed.
left ny late in the afternoon an the trail and scenery changed almost immediately. better marked, better maintained, and nicer signs in Connecticut. although, trail was still wet and muddy from last few days of rain. afternoon was sunny and dry, so I was able to get more stuff dried out.
this shelter is right next to a stream and there are bugs everywhere, so i set up the tent nearby just a four section hikers arrived and threw their junk all over the shelter. going to bed right away because I'm beat.

later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

telephone pioneer shelter

16.8 miles, 1434.5 total.
wow, what a thunderstorm last night. rained so hard I thought the roof was going to cave in. again, hard to get up when it's raining. didn't start until 9.
nice hike except for the rain, but it cleared up around 2:00.
after the climbing for the first 5 miles the trail came down to a highway and I found a convenience store about 1/4 mile off the trail. I bought and consumed: root beer, coffee, orange juice, Gatorade, and 12 chocolate donuts. man, that was good. I also bought another root beer to save for dinner. had lunch at a shelter at the 9 mile mark. it cleared up after that and I had a nice slow hike in the afternoon with some sun. I tied my wet stinky socks to the back of my pack and they dried quickly. dry smelly stuff is always easier to handle than wet smelly stuff.
passed several streams and a nice little lake. then, after going back into the woods from re east walk around the lake, I fell and made a bunch of noise...which scared a bear who was hiding behind a tree. he took off up the hill at a blinding pace, so I took off down the trail just as fast. he was a good medium bear - maybe 200 pounds.
only bad part about the trail in this section of NY is that it goes by so many residential areas. I can always hear kids, dogs, and traffic.
here with a couple of sectioners. and met the manager of trail maintainers for this section - she gave me some granola bars. went well with my luke warm root beer!
bought a major league baseball application for my iPhone, so now I can listen to the mets-yankees game tonight. let's go mets!

later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

RPH shelter

18.8 miles, 1417.7 total.
didn't get started until almost 9 today...was raining cats and dogs. I was soaked with rain and sweat by 10. stupid glasses fell off and are even scratched more. bigger nerd.
trail has actually been nice. good climbs and nice terrain, but the rain is a pain. hiked through Fahnstock state park - Kandra and I hiked this section a few years ago. it's in much better condition now - even when wet, but still has as many mosquitos.
took a couple of breaks in the rain, which is never fun, because there was nowhere else to sit. only on a wet rock under a dripping tree. yippee!
this shelter might have been someone's garage in a former life. almost completely enclosed - back is open and there is an actual front door. has six bunks and a nice covered porch with a picnic table. here with another thru. name is .2 or point two or two tenths. too tired to ask about it, and my knee is killing me tonight.

later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

graymoor spiritual life ctr

25.0 miles, 1398.9 total.
had a great time in NYC. tough leaving.
dropped off by bus at west side of Harriman state park to get on trail again. humid and drizzling, so my glasses were fogged up most of the day - NERD! well, I fell several times and scratched up the glasses. nice.
anyway, I got here. it's a monastary run by the fansiscans. very cool. camping under the picnic shelter at their baseball field. the friars have been down to check on hikers and bring food. very nice! it's raining and is to keep it up all night. tomorrow will also be wet. can't wait.
here with a SOBO sectioner and a NOBO section couple from NYC.

later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone

Arden, NY --- NYC

9.9 miles, 1373.9 total.

up and on the trail by 6:00 this morning.  the trail was very technical today.  lots of short steep climbs over large boulders and dead trees...and a couple times the trail was difficult to follow because the trail blazes were so faded.  sprinkled and drizzled all morning, so i was soaked.

had a little run in with a 2 1/2 foot long garter snake late in the morning.  i was climbing hand over hand up a steep rocky cliff, and i pulled myself up to the next level only to be face to face with the snake.  he shot straight out at me and slithered down between me and the rocky face of the cliff...then down and between my legs to the next level below.  i could feel him slither against my shirt.  i just braced myself against the cliff and a dead tree until he was past and out of striking range.  wow.

the end of the hike was very steep, all the way down to the highway.  I then walked on the highway, in the rain, 2.5 miles to the train station.  got there by 11:45 AM and was in my neighborhood by 2:45 PM.  i'm now in my living room in NYC.  very nice to be home.  

i'll be here until wednesday morning.  nice break.

later,

L

wildcat shelter (NY)

23.6 miles, 1364.o total.

everyone was up early today and on the trail by 7:00.  It poured all night, but it stopped around 5:30 this morning; although the grass and most of the trail was still soaked.

there were lots of ups and downs today, and passed through a lot of swampy/marshy land.  There was even a section about a mile long that was a boardwalk over a swamp, there was a walk through a cow pasture, and i crossed several railroad tracks.  one difficult climb this morning was up Wawayanda Mtn.  it went from 400 ft. to over 1400 ft. in a 1/2 mile...and was very rocky.  

the sky cleared up around noon and i took a break at the wawayanda shelter.  i took off my shoes and socks to let them dry in the sun, and i took a nap.  nice.  the afternoon turned mostly to ridge walking and i crossed the NJ - NY border.  just before this, about 50 yards, i came up to the top of the mtn. and ran into a medium sized bear.  he was just sitting on a rock looking around.  he saw me and jumped down the side of the mtn. and took off running - he was so fast it was just a blur.

here at the shelter with john, bad hummus, stovie, carolina, and another hiker.  it's very buggy and it looks like the clouds are moving in again.

later,

L

pochuck mtn. shelter

25.4 miles, 1340.4 total.

okay, a large bear came through camp at 2:00 AM (last night) and rattled my tent and rolled over a very large dead tree while looking for food.  He hung out for about 15 minutes before moving on.  It was a little scary for a few minutes.

I was up and on the trail early today - 6:15.  hiked up to sunrise mtn. early and had breakfast and watched the sun come up - only a few clouds.  there was a shelter/pavilion there with benches to sit on and see the 360 degree views.  i think i could see PA, NJ, and NY.  i blew through the first half of the day because it was very flat and there were fewer rocks on the trail.  by noon i had already gone 13 miles.  i stopped to have lunch at hightop mtn. shelter and my friend Indiana Jones was there taking a day off in the shelter.  i haven't seen him since duncannon.  we had a nice lunch and discussion about the trail the rocks in PA and NJ.

it clouded over late in the afternoon and began to drizzle.  i walked by a bird sanctuary and saw several types of large birds.  although, i have no idea what they were.  this shelter doesn't have a water source so i had to stop about a half mile before and get 4 liters of water.  that was okay...it was the last half mile hike that wasn't okay.  it was straight up the mtn with all that water on my back.  ugh.

here tonight with john (from E. TN), bad hummus, stovie, carolina, and team streetfighter.  looks like it could start raining hard at any time.  at least the bugs aren't bad tonight.

later,

L

gren anderson shelter

20.9 miles, 1315.0 total.

rained a little bit early on today and was cloudy most of the day.  hike was along a nice rocky ridge line with very nice views on both sides.  passed several ponds and small lakes today, so i heard lots of frogs and birds all day.

still looks like rain tonight.  didn't see any other hikers today and i'm here tonight with a southbounder from CT.  it's very buggy here tonight so i'm set up in the tent even though the shelter is empty.

later,

L

mohican outdoor center, NJ

26.1 miles, 1294.1 total.
was up and on the trail by 7:15 today and ready for any last rocky challenges PA wanted to throw at me. wasn't really that bad. I was moving very well and didn't even realize it was under the 3 hour mark when I reached the last PA shelter - 9 miles from my starting pt. took a break there and had some fruit that I picked up in wind gap. it's well worth the weight on the first day out of town.
6 miles later I was in Delaware Water Gap, PA and about to cross over into NJ when I felt a little wave of sadness. I'll really miss all those steelers fans. but that's all!!
hello new jersey. 10 miles later I arrived here, an outdoor center with a lake, cabins, trails, camp sites, etc. thru hikers stay for free and can shower for $3. who needs a shower? I just showered yesterday and that should be enough to get me through the entire week. But man, I could really use a manicure! forecast calls for 30% chance of showers tonight and the clouds are rolling in now. my food is in the bear box and I'm all set up in the tent. good for the night. thing I hate about these places is the tent sites are so close together. I can hear the hiker eating at the site next to me. it's like being in an apartment in NYC, but nobody out here breaks out an ironing board at 3:00 AM - like some friends I have. :)
later,
L


-- Post From My iPhone