Appalachian Trail Adventure

 

Invitations to my fellow AT hikers were sent and the weekend in New Hampshire was planned. I had 17 miles to go to complete my entire AT adventure. I invited family and friends who hiked parts of the AT with me during the past four years to join me for all or part on this weekend hike. On Friday, October 19 we would hike from Grafton Turnpike NH (mile 1767.3) and head south to Etna Road (mile 1755.7). This would be an 11.6 mile hike up and down two “mountains”: Holt’s Ledge, a 1200-foot climb  followed by Moose Mountain, a 1500-foot climb. Saturday October 20, we would hike the VERY LAST stretch starting at Etna Road (mile 1755.7) and continue south into Hanover NH (mile 1749.8). This would be a 5.9-mile hike with one “mild” uphill to Velvet Rocks followed by a walk into town to the Dartmouth College Green, the official “END OF HIKE”.

No tent camping for this hike! We spent a comfortable night at the “Breakfast on the Connecticut” a fantastic B&B in Lyme, NH just a short distance from the tail head. After a nice B&B breakfast we shuttled cars and started our hike…

Brave hikers today included Jan and Chip who made the trip all the way from West Virginia, Tom and Leslie (the original AT hikers from Cooperstown), John and Maureen (the newest Cooperstown AT hikers), Stephanie and Ed. It was a cold and cloudy day but the rain stayed away all day. My good friend Bill (aka Adventure) was recovering from his own hiking injuries recently sustained in Virginia. He couldn’t make it. We missed you! Best wishes for a full recovery. Also hope to hike some more in the future with Lee (aka Morocco Mole) who was unable to attend. Cousin Dan was enjoying the sun in Palm Springs. We missed you as well. Last but by no means the least, we missed Brietside and her bright spirits and Bruce.

 

Leaves were at their peak and clearly had starting falling.

Ed got the “Better Bauer” award of the day by making the trip all the way from Houston TX.

The hike ended about 5 PM and we had a filling pot luck dinner back at the B&B.

Our hiking crew enlarged the next morning with the addition of Bob and Michelle, Henry, and Ben and Sidney. I was so proud and happy that all four Bauer Boys, each whom had previously hiked sections of the AT with me, were able to join us for the final day of hiking.

This had to be a perfect hiking day: Sunny, cool weather, fall leaves turning color, just the right amount of ups and downs to make it into a “hike” but not a killer day. In summary, a nice walk in the woods.

By 4 PM we surfaced out of the woods into Hanover NH. The hike was complete! Cheers for everybody.

Partied all night….

 

Received an official document to go on the wall…

Just like that, we all went our own ways the next morning and the 2190 mile journey was over…

As I’m finishing up this blog, I would share some thoughts about the two most often asked questions put to me since I have returned…

1. How has the hike most effected you ?
2. What comes next ?

When I first started my hike in May 2016 I had planned to complete the entire trek in one 6 month season. That didn’t quite work out,  since after about 800+ miles, it was getting colder and colder out there and it was evident that finishing that year was not going to happen. I had to adjust my expectations to realize that I had to view a “successful” hike as a more long term goal. That turned out to be just fine, since every subsequent winter for the next three years, I had lots to look forward to. It’s a bit of a cliché to say “Its not the end of the trail…but the journey to get there” that makes it all worth while. To me, that is a real life lesson.

I was not “born to be an outdoor hiker”. There were few opportunities to hike and camp outside growing up in NYC. In fact, I had never spent a night backpacking or camping overnight in the woods until my first AT hike with Tom B.in the spring of 2015. That was the first night I ever put up a tent in the woods. Didn’t sleep every well that night with all the strange noises out in “the wilderness”. Now, hiking is second nature. I’m more confident out there and have no issues hiking for several days all by myself. I sleep like a log in my Big Agnes tent that I view as my little “palace in the woods”. I would otherwise likely never have hiked alongside the occasional rattle snake, bear or moose.

Hiking the AT is also a “social experience” at times. I’ve made some new life long friends. I would say I have a somewhat quiet, reserved personality.  Meeting and socializing with hikers on the AT has made me more at ease striking up conversations with strangers (hikers) in the woods, at hiker hostels, town diners or at local pubs (common meeting places for hikers).

Finally, I have come to appreciate the essence of “being in the moment”. There are so many unbelievably beautiful moments outdoors while hiking the AT. I’ve taken hundreds of pictures but none of them really do justice to the memory or experience of being there. I think one of the best parts of the AT experience was stopping while hiking up and down the mountains…  stopping at the nice views.. stopping after crossing over a stream… and just being able to appreciate and enjoy that moment.

What’s next…? Many of my new AT friends are still itching to hike some more. As long as my legs and other body parts will comply, I aim to join them as long as I can. It might be for a day, a weekend or even for a month or two. Maybe parts of the PCT (Pacific Coast Trail) or the CDT (Continental Divide Trail).

Stephanie is retiring at the end of this school year. She has promised to get out her backpack and her new air mattress for adventures in the woods with me. We may also make it more of a “Platinum hiking experience”. That means more nights in nice hostels and real restaurants.

I want to thank all my friends and family for supporting me during my time out on the AT these past few years. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Thanks also to all my loyal blog post readers and fans. I’ve never been a “blogger” before this and have enjoyed documenting the Trail with you. I hope you have enjoyed “following” me. Thanks for all the encouraging “comments”.

Best wishes and love to all

Mike

aka White Cloud

ala The Lung Ranger

 

 

 

 

 

I can almost taste the completion of my AT hike. Summer is quickly ending and I have some more hiking trips to share to keep you all up to date.

Before hitting the Trail again, I had some family excursions. Mid July,  Stephanie and I went to central Maine for several days and stayed at the Appalachian Mountain Club Gorman Chairback Lodge. No tenting for us… A nice cabin, great food and different day hikes each day.

 

Ed came home to Cooperstown for a visit the end of July and we made a day trip up to Lake Placid and summited Mt. Algonquin. It was a beautiful day and a great warm-up for me to begin my Maine AT hike.

Tuesday, August 6, my Cooperstown hiking partner John R. (aka Star Gazer) and I took off for Stratton, Maine. Out goal was to hike from Stratton to Grafton Notch, NH: 80 miles of some of the toughest climbing on the entire AT. Lots of very steep uphills AND downhills. Hiking up and down sharply angled rock faces, hand over hand boulder climbing and tricky descents in rainy weather just begged for slipping, sliding and falling. I’m glad we had each other for help and encouragement.

Our first night was a restful stay at the Hiker Hut Hostel. Solar heated shower available in the woods, no electricity by a comfortable bed in a nice cabin.

Our first challenge was to summit Saddleback Mountain. Up and down was an all day endeavor. Beautiful Maine scenery along the way.

A walk in the woods the next morning brought us face to face with this guy:

My first Moose! I’ve been waiting the past four seasons to finally see a moose on the AT and this was the day. He was right in front of us and was scouting us as much as we were scouting him.

What could be better than seeing a moose on trail? Well… That night we made it to a shelter just in time to save us from a fierce downpour. We stayed nice and dry the entire night. We also had to share the campsite with several young  french speaking women (ages 14-15) from a summer camp north of Montreal.  Along with their two camp leaders, they were hiking for ten days and nights in southern Maine. Their good spirits in spite of the rain as well as their french accents raised our spirits.

The next morning we left in the rain but were happy to see the sun come out before noon. Crossed a stream and then made it up Crocker Mountain.

That night we made it to The Cabin which is one of the “iconic” AT hostels. Our host were “Honey” and “Hopper” who provided home cooked dinner and an amazing breakfast the next morning.

Stories of the trail were shared over dinner with other fellow hikers. “Honey”, age 83 was the master of ceremonies.

The next morning …more of the same. Up and down those mountains. The views never disappointed us:

Lunch time we came across a “work crew”. These are adult volunteers who spend several days at a time hiking up the trails with heavy equipment repairing shelters and grooming the trails themselves. It’s very tough work and all AT hikers appreciate their efforts.

I’m glad I was able to help them out and do my share.

John’s tent had a small leak during a rainstorm earlier in the hike. Fortunately, he had a big tarp that served as a makeshift back up the next night. Good work John!

Only two more hiking days to go now. The views keep on getting better and the mountains get higher and tougher. We finally made it down Old Blue Mountain safely (barely), just before sunset.

Our last day in southern Maine was up and down Baldpate Mountain. This had to be one of the best days of our hike. A perfect weather day, a challenging hike and great views as a reward:

Made it home to Cooperstown the next day with a successful 79+ mile hike completed as planned.

No rest for the hiking addict.  Henry and I took a nice day trip up to Lake Placid to summit Whiteface Mountain. From the top you could see all the way to Lake Champlain and beyond:

One last bit of AT hiking before the end of summer. On Wednesday August 28 I drove to Wind Gap PA for a 15 mile day hike on the AT. I’ve been keeping close track during these past 5 years of all the “section hikes” that I have completed. This was one of the very last I needed to complete the entire Trail. In fact, having completed this rocky PA hike, I now have only 17 miles to go for the entire 2191 miles trek. My math tells me that I have now hiked 99% of the Trail.

AT hikers typically label Pennsylvania “Rocksylvania”. This is why:

I’ll be taking a brief break from the AT in September. Back to work!

But mid October, the Bauer clan and AT friends will travel to Hanover NH for a two day, 17 mile hike to mark the completion of this adventure. Final Blog and thoughts then. Thanks for following.

White Cloud

sometimes aka The Lung Ranger

 

 

 

We left the Laughing Heart Hostel the next morning for some uphill climbs to higher elevations (and better views). Rainy, foggy with limited views on a noon climb to Big Bald:

 

 

Now one week into my hike with Jan, we felt we deserved a break and found just what we needed: A stay a hiker hostel Cantarosso Farm and Apiary. This was a great place to relax for the afternoon and spend a comfortable night in a cabin with shower, hot water and a chance to wash our clothes. I bought a small cache of local honey to take with me, which was a great addition to peanut butter spread on my lunch wraps.

 

Nice views skirting the NC/TN border high up along the hills for the next day or so:

We tented most nights and frankly I slept better on my air mattress in my Big Agnes tent than in a hostel bunk bed. Having said that, a gastronomic highlight awaited us at Mountain Harbour B&B. How can you beat a food truck on site ( smoked ribs ) followed by one of the best breakfast buffets the next morning. Good thing we were also doing some hard hiking to burn off all those calories:

Hikers also need to cool off in the local stream:

We were aiming for 15 mile days for the rest of the hike and we were successful at reaching our goal for Damascus VA:

Chip met us in Damascus to celebrate the end of our hike. Jan and Chip headed back to West Virginia and I had a 10 hour rental car ride back to Cooperstown the next morning.

This completes one of the major sections remaining for my AT Adventure.

298 Trail Miles hiked on this section.

Next near final section will be an 80 mile  hike in the mountains of Southern Maine this August with my hiking buddy John R.

As my hike nears completion, I have been thinking more and more about how the experience has effected me in many ways. I look forward to sharing those thoughts with you soon!

Hard to believe that I first started my AT Adventure 3 years ago in May 2016 !I initially thought I would hike the complete 2190+ miles in one six month block of time but as my blog posts of the past 3 years have told all of you, this has morphed into a much longer trek. Someone who completes the entire AT hike in one season is called a thru hiker. I am now best described in hiker lingo as a “lasher” : “long ass section hiker”. Year 2016, I section hiked about 800+miles, year 2017 I hiked 500+ miles, year 2018 I hiked 500+ miles. This season I have to hike four separate sections of the AT ( about 400+miles) and then can call myself, in AT lingo a 2000 miler, which means I have completed the entire trail.My goal right now is for a 4 week May hike to include a 70 mile section from Springer Mountain GA to Dick’s Gap GA (69 miles), then to shuttle up to Davenport Gap NC to hike through Tennessee up to Damascus VA ( 240 miles).So here we go!Stephanie dropped me off in Albany, I took a non-stop flight to Atlanta, hopped on public transport MARTA train to REI store 30 miles north, then was shuttled up with a two hour car ride to the trail head. Started my hike by 1 PM!I was hiking solo this first stretch and took it slow with about 10 mile days. It takes a while to get back your ” hiker legs”. Most 2019 AT thru hikers have already begun their hike: usually in March or April. This is called the “big bubble”. I started at the end of the bubble and had smaller groups of novice hikers just beginning their 2019 thru hike as I left Springer Mountain. It was kind of fun being the “seasoned hiker” and being able to offer advice here and there.Hiking the AT is basically always walking up mountains or down mountains. No different in GA. Hard going, but worth it as long as you enjoy the scenery and the people you meet.Springer Mountain trailhead.My trusty Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 tent has held up nicely the past 3 years.It’s Spring. Wildflowers everywhere.After hiking about 30 + miles (3 days) I reached Neal’s Gap. This is the first major road crossing after starting the AT hike and there is a great outfitter store and hiker hostel right there. It’s said about 33% of new AT hikers decide right there and then that this was not what they bargained for and leave the trail. Look closely at the tree at Neal’s GAP Hostel and you can see scores of hiker boots thrown up on the branches. These were gifts from the hikers leaving the trail.Reached my goal of Dick’s Gap after the first 5 days.Passed by the Georgia version of the Cooperstown money Tree.Off to Davenport Gap!

My hiking partners Jan and Chip, dating back to our first meeting in the NH White Mountains back in 2016, picked me up at Dick’s Gap and we drove two hours north to Davenport Gap TN.

I’ll be hiking with Jan for the next stretch. She’ll be pushing me to do those “extra miles” each day.

The first two days were tough hiking in the rain. Fortunately, the second night we had a break late afternoon which gave us a chance to set up tents in dry weather.

Next morning we submitted Max Patch, a beautiful Bald (large meadow) on top of the mountain. Fog cleared up briefly, just enough for a good view.

After 3 days in the woods, we landed at Laughing Heart Hostel in Hot Springs TN. Time for a shower and clean laundry.

We’re off tomorrow for more ups and downs.

Miss my family, friends and hospital life but am truly greatful for the amazing opportunity to be out on the trail.

Will continue to keep you posted…

Signing off as White Cloud, aka The Lung Ranger

After three seasons of AT hiking, my life has gotten into somewhat of a “routine”. Hike some in the Spring, a bit during the Summer and now finish up with a nice Fall AT hike. I was lucky to sign up my longtime hiking buddy Tom B. as well as his daughter Kate (aka Bright Side) for a two-week hike starting Sept 18 at the northern border of Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We had two weeks to start hiking southbound and our goal was to cross the Georgia border.

It’s a long 12 hour drive from Cooperstown to Davenport Gap NC. We reached Standing Bear Farm hostel around 7 PM and early the next morning started our hike up our first Smoky Mountain peak. We were met but an ominous sign at the trailhead but fortunately our trek through the park was a few days after the hurricane and we actually had great weather for almost the entire two weeks:

We always had lots of energy early in the morning:

After three days and nights we were finally getting our trail legs. We kept looking for bear but this was the closest we every came to one:

At this point, also needed to go into town for a resupply. Gatlinburg TN certainly offered us this. Bellies full, we hiked the next day to the peak of Clingman’s Dome. This is the highest peak on the entire AT. It’s also a popular tourist destination accessible by car. On a clear day you can walk to the top of the lookout for great views.

Hiked another three days and night to reach the southernmost entrance to the Smokies at Fontana Dam. Nice rhythm of hiking up and down a few peaks each day. Always making sure to eat some of the necessary food groups each day! One of the great aspects of hiking is that you can eat anything and as much as you want and still be guaranteed to lose weight. ( just don’t try this at home )

One of the ways you know you are “on trail” is by passing these remarkable “indian trail markers”. Trees that were bent while thy were sapling to grow into distinctive shapes to tell us hikers and forest wanderers that they are on an established trail.

We hiked another week through the National Forests south of the Smokies through North Carolina. Kate went home briefly to pick up our new hiking companion Bruce who rounded up our new foursome nicely and led our pack through the woods.

Kept hiking south… soon our guidebook said “pass by the iconic twisted oak tree at Bly Gap and just south of here is the NC:Georgia border. Sure enough…

We made it ! Hiked another few miles to Dick’s Creek Gap with Kate and Bruce waiting for us at the truck. Fourteen hour drive and now back home in Cooperstown. We were all proud of our successful 174 mile adventure.

Getting close to becoming an official “AT 2000 miler”. That means completing the entire 2180 miles of the AT. Still need to complete 69 miles in Georgia, 240 miles in Tennessee and about 60 miles up in southern Maine. These are my 2019 hiking goals. Plan for a few weeks in May, a hike in Maine in August and final completion in the fall. Looking for partners… come join me on the AT in 2019.

Best wishes for all to have a nice winter where ever you may be. Happy Trails.

I last left the AT in Damascus VA late May. Spring and summer have been passing by quickly in Cooperstown. Working at the hospital three days a week in Pulmonary Clinic. Hard to call it “work”:

 

Had a great vacation with Stephanie visiting Kate and Steve in Boulder CO in July:

 

Had a great time at Bob’s graduation at Duke in Durham, NC.

Still about 100 miles of hiking planned to reach my goal to Damascus. After a four hour return drive, I started back where I left off. Within a few hours of hiking, I was face to face with wildlife in the middle of the trail. I was going South and he was going North. A game of chicken… He won and I walked around him.

It seemed like it rained at least part of the day, every day for the remainder of the hike. There’s an expression on the trail that goes “No pain, no rain, no gain, no Maine”.

Although it was getting hotter, hiking elevations were also getting higher keeping temps in the 70-80 degree range.

Glade Mountain hike in the rain was actually very pleasant.

Within a few days I reached one of the highlights of the hike at the Grayson Highlands. At elevations of greater than 5000 ft there are several “Balds” on the southern VA mountain tops. These are several acre expanses if grassland and rocks on the mountain tops. Groups of wild ponies roam and live along the trail.

Hiking through Elk Garden was a treat.

Made a push of 5 days of longer hiking (about 15 mile days) at the end. After 5 weeks I seemed to be finally in “hiker shape”. That usually means that although your legs might be aching at the end of the day, when you wake up in the morning, they feel fine and you’re ready to go.

As you may know, I’m currently hiking south. I reached my goal of Damascus VA yesterday. This is the southernmost town on the AT in Virginia. I started this section hike with John in Buena Vista (mile 806) and ended at Damascus (mile 470). Mile 0 is Springer Mountain in Georgia,which will be the”final” destination for the completion of the hike. Still quite a ways, but almost in sight. Another AT truism, that certainly can be taken to many other aspects of our lives is: ” It’s not the destination… It’s the journey”. Hope to continue the journey for a few weeks this Fall. Until then, best wishes to all of you. Thanks for your support. Have a great summer!

After John left the Trail, I took an hour shuttle ride down to Newport VA, mile 675 from the southern terminus at Springer GA. Started hiking solo. Hiked 120 miles these past 11 days. Ten+ miles a day is a modest pace for an old guy. Somedays I’ll hike 15, others only 6-7,usually depending on the weather. Young “kids” typically hike 20+ miles a day.

Homer shuttled me down to mile 675. He is a well known local AT celebrity who is now 72 years old. When he was 60, he and his wife and their 10 and 11 year old children all competed a one season through hike on the AT.

One of the best parts of hiking these past two weeks has been the daily sight of coming in and out of Spring scenery. Typically, each day you climb up and down at least two “mountains”. The “gaps” or lower elevations are about 1000-2000 ft. Mountain peaks are currently 3500-4400 ft. As I climb, trees are just budding up high. In the gaps, everything is in full bloom. I’m also hiking South and days are passing by. I suspect in a few days mountain peaks will be in full bloom as well.

My hiking friend Jan joined me for four days on trail. One of those days we were hiking through several miles of trail where there had been a “controlled burn” just the day before. All the ground cover was black. None of the trees themselves were damaged at all. Rangers assured us that this was good for forest ecology.

By the end of the day, we left the burn area and camped at Dismal Falls”.

Every four days or so I’ve been sleeping at a hiker hostel. These are inexpensive (typically $20 a night) bunk beds where you can also get a hot shower and clean your clothes. Each hostel has its own “vibe”.

Some offer message chairs:

This one had more of a “party feel”:

This place was a great hostel with yoga/meditation flavor:

My night yesterday at the Bear Garden Hiker Hostel was hosted by Bob and Bertie. He is a retired high school science teacher and she’s a retired ICU nurse from Michigan. They decided to open a new hostel on the AT this year as part of their mission committment:

Here’s some more picture highlights of the past two weeks:

Hiked a few days with Rhino. A great guy from Stuttgart Germany. He hiked most of the AT last season and plans to complete his hike this year:

Typing this blog post from Durham NC. Just came off trail, rented a car and drove three hours to spend the weekend with Bob and family. Bob is graduating from Duke University Physician Assistant Program this weekend! Congrats Bob, we’re all very proud of you.

Nice to get a little hiking break for a couple of days. I do feel like I’m finally getting into hiker “shape “. It definitely takes a good 3-4 weeks. I miss family and friends from home and work. Days go by quickly though and soon I’ll be back in Cooperstown.

Thanks for following along.

I finished my second AT season last October 2017 with an 80 mile hike in Northern PA. A long Cooperstown winter is finally winding down and the hiking bug has returned. My Season 3 goal is to complete as much of the AT from Buena Vista VA, heading south to Georgia as I can. I’ve figured about 800+ miles and this journey should be ended.

Tried to stay in shape this winter by going to the gym several days a week. It’s still tough actually walking up your first hill with a 30+ pound pack. John Rowley and I left Cooperstown early on April 20 and arrived late afternoon at the Buena Vista tailhead parking area. Short two mile hike to our first night camping at Brown Mountain Creek shelter.

everyone is smiling before we take our first steps. “This is easy!”

My sturdy Cooper Spur 2 tent is still holding out after two years.

Lot’s of rain lately so no problem finding drinking water in these small streams.

First full day of hiking was a fairly easy 9.5 walk in the woods to Punch Bowl shelter. We arrived by 1:30 PM and decided to call it a day. We’re breaking in our hiking legs:

You can decide if you want to sleep in the shelter or in your tent. With the sunny weather,we tented. First night was COLD… Around 30 degrees.

Checking out my new sleeping pad. VERY COMFORTABLE !

View up to sky from the sleeping pad.

Picking up the mileage for a 12.7 with lots of uphill climbing the next morning:

Early Spring here. A few weeks ahead of Cooperstown. Lower elevations it’s very green on the ground.

Getting up higher with some nice views.

Two foot lizard attacked John.

Crossing the Saint James River

Woke up sunrise the next morning. We had a 12 mile uphill climb to Thunder Ridge Overlook with a shuttle to take us into Glasgow for a dry night at Stanimal’s Hiker Hostel. Big rainstorm coming in.

Rain has started. We’re glad to have a dry bed tonight.

So far, a great start. John will be with me for a week then he’s headed back home. I’ve got the month of May to keep heading to Georgia.

Last time I left you all was mid August when I returned from my southern Maine AT hike. The end of the summer went by quickly. To keep in shape we did some nice family hiking up to Star Field in Cooperstown NY. This is one of our favorite local family outings… a pleasant 3 mile hike up and down with a view of Lake Otsego from up high. Michelle (Bob’s fiancée and Mattie the dog) are joining some of the Bauer crew.

 

Shortly after Labor Day weekend I had a Cooperstown reunion with three of by oldest and best doctor friends. We go back over three decades  to Rochester NY where we trained together to be lung doctors. We’ve been pretty good at getting together almost every year: Mike-Tony-Gary-Dave

Had to put in some tough days at work before my final fall hike:

My last official AT section hike was a one week solo adventure in Northern PA. It was starting to get a bit chilly in October, but once I could complete this last 80 mile section, I will have done every last bit ( minus a small stretch of southern Maine) of the AT from southern Virginia up to Mount Katahdin, Maine.

Stephanie dropped me off in Port Clinton PA, the heart of coal country.

Most of PA hiking is ridge walking along the crests of the mountains. At elevations of about 2000 feet, I would really call them high hills. Although not as spectacular at the sight up in NH and Maine, there are still some awesome views:

PA is most know for its continuous rock filled trails. The AT in PA is nick named “Rocksillvania” by hikers. Not too much difficult ups and downs, but lots of stress on you feet as you manage walking over rocks and rocks. Some are small and some are big:

This was the only stretch of the AT where I was actually attacked by wildlife. Well, not really wildlife… but I was bitten (unprovoked) by a pit bull. It was accompanying his owners on trail (was not on a leash) and started to bark as I approached. The owners said “He doesn’t like hikers that are using hiking poles”. Well, OK.. I quickly went back about 30 feet, put down my poles and started walking away. Next thing, he had two front teeth in my foot. I survived, wiped away the blood and took this picture to document my war wound.

 

As the years go by, the dog bite may morph into a bear bite as my memory fades.

Some more views during the next few days:

Last day of hiking was the most memorable. Around noontime, hiking from the opposite direction was Greybeard. He is/was a legend on the trail this season and I didn’t know he was in my neck of the woods. He is 82 years old and is competing a one season thru hike in 2017. If successful ( and I know he was at the time of this typing) he will be the OLDEST individual ever to have hiked the entire 2189 miles in one season. A true inspiration for us all.

As I type his last blog post of 2017 I am already day dreaming about 2018 hiking.

When I first starting this adventure in May 2017, I thought I might finish the entire hike in one season. That changed into a two year trek this season and it looks like 2018 will make it a three year challenge. I’ve got about 500+ miles to go in Georgia, North Carolina and  Tennessee. Mixed feeling about actually ending this hike. Hard work most of the time but every day something different to see and usually new interesting people to meet. I’m thankful to have support of family and friends. I know good health is something not to be taken for granted as I get older. Hiking the AT has made me realize more and more that it’s always good to have goals. Try to complete old ones you may have on your list but also think of new ones. They don’t have to be profound goals. My new goal of winter 2018 is to learn how to swim. I’ve been off to the local gym pool several times a week so far and seem to be getting the breathing down a bit easier!

Best wishes for a great New Year in 2018.

More posts coming next April !