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  • Quote from odd man out: “you could take the train from Pawling. Is there a "_______ Blazing" for travel by rail? ” Steel-Blazing? Silver-Blazing? Rail-Blazing?

  • It's not a question of if they can hike for a week. It's whether or not they will have fun hiking for a week. Lots of good suggestions on having rewards to keep it fun. Planning a celebration for the completion of the hike might also be a good idea. A favorite restaurant, ice cream, etc. My buddy and I even used an indoor water park as a reward for our kids. And we didn't mind the hot tubs and bar.

  • Wildlife Sightings Today

    StalkingTortoise - - General

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    When I moved into my new house in 2020, I installed my squirrel-proof bird feeder ~10 feet from three mature arborvitaes. It took weeks for birds to finally find it and become frequent visitors. Now, the arborvitae are filled with nests. That keeps my bird dog very happy as well as the neighborhood Cooper's hawk. Combination bird feeder / hawk feeder. appalachiantrailcafe.net/index…7f60e9d31ce5b1b89fc787a6b

  • Taking the first step

    StalkingTortoise - - Coffee Talk

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    Quote from IMScotty: “I plan to keep working until it stops being fun. ” Now that I hit 59.5 and have penalty-free access to my retirement accounts, I am adopting the rule of three. Three bad days in a row = resignation letter. Back in 2014, I had 5 weeks of vacation and 6 personal days. That seemed about right. New jobs since 2016 have only offered 4 weeks of vacation, 4 floating holidays and sick days that I rarely use. That's not enough. Mrs. Tortoise has been retired since 2020 and planning …

  • Taking the first step

    StalkingTortoise - - Coffee Talk

    Post

    appalachiantrailcafe.net/index…7f60e9d31ce5b1b89fc787a6b March Forth! I always thought I'd be finished with the AT by the time I retired. Now it looks like I won't be using vacation days for my Maine section. Kind of a bummer, as the thought of getting paid while hiking got me up quite a few mountains.

  • On my first section hike in 2003, my buddy Receding Hare had pre-cooked prime rib servings (from Omaha Steaks) Fed-Ed's to the Mohican Outdoor Center. We ate like kings. After a hot shower, of course. I'm going to do the same as often as possible in the 100-Mile Wilderness. Life's too short to live it uncivilized.

  • So it is all about money. Got it. That explains a lot.

  • 100% agree with IMScotty. There are very few documented rules associated with a Thru Hike. To register your thru with the ATC, you have to abide by their published rules. But that's on the honor system. You get your name and date published in the ATC magazine and get a patch. Woo hoo! Hikers attempting a Fastest Known Time (FKT) attempt need to follow the rules set forth by the 'official' group of people that monitor such efforts. There was a scandal a few years back when a hiker claimed to have…

  • Quote from Matt_C: “I admit that I have not hiked the AT and don't know a shelter from a hostel. And don't even start about huts. What are those - just another place to obtain respite while cheesing your way along the AT? But I do know that a thru-hike of the AT means that you need to sleep in your tent every night. That's a fact and anyone who disagrees with me has no place being on the trail. If you don't believe me, then you're mistaken. It's obvious that almost all of you replying in this th…

  • Quote from IMScotty: “I've been trying to start walking again. Winter always leaves me fat, lazy and out of shape. Just snuck in a 4-mile walk along the beach between rain showers today while at work. ” Dean Wurmer: "Son, fat, lazy and out of shape is no way to go through life."

  • And In Other News

    StalkingTortoise - - Coffee Talk

    Post

    With the April 8th total eclipse rapidly approaching, I thought it would be helpful to post up important information related to the different types of eclipse events: 1. An eclipse of the sun happens when the moon passes between the sun and the earth. 2. An eclipse of the moon happens when the sun passes between the moon and the earth. 3. An eclipse of the earth happens when you put your hands over your eyes. 1 1. Weller, Tom (1985). Science Made Stupid. If you see a #2 eclipse on the calendar, …

  • We have one daffodil blooming on the south side of the house. I don't think it's going to like the 20 degree low overnight.

  • Wise Shelter - Virginia

    StalkingTortoise - - AT Specific

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    I have to be the 'no-fun guy' on the motorcycle forum that I run. But that is only for postings that would violate copyright laws. As in I don't want to get a letter from a corporate lawyer explaining that I am complicit in the dissemination of copyrighted material owned by the the cycle manufacturer. But it would be ridiculous for me to shut down conversations (for example) about how to pursue warranty claims when the dealer is being stubborn. Methinks the Croc-wannabe is overreacting. But we a…

  • Change of plans....maybe

    StalkingTortoise - - Trip Planning

    Post

    I've had more than my share of plans that fell apart. Improvise, adapt, overcome. You will still have the option of a smaller LASH - correct? Or was your heart set on one big LASH to finish the southern half?

  • Hiker Rescues and Fatalities

    StalkingTortoise - - General

    Post

    The bill for renting the Cog Railway train (three trips), fuel and engineer, and SAR should be considered reasonable compared to an Air National Guard helicopter. He admitted he wasn't prepared. I envision a bill in his future unless he paid for a Hike Safe card. Idjit. But at least he is a live idjit.

  • My hiking partner is an executive for a large IT company. There have been many times on our section hikes where he tried to check in with his teams during the day and couldn't get reception. It wasn't really an issue as his out-of-office message states that he will have no access. So staying connected is a major challenge. Keeping electronics dry is another major challenge. Keeping electronics charged is another major challenge. If you find a way to conquer those challenges, then you're left wit…

  • 60's by the end of the work week in SW Ohio. Then back to 40's/20's. Next week, I drive 17 hours southwest to Austin and just might see temps in the 70's by the weekend.

  • I liked this section enough that I brought my wife to the Huffman House B&B for our 25th Anniversary. We visited the Keffer Oak, Wind Rock, and did stop for a picture at the Mountain Lake Resort. "I...had...the time of my life. And I owe it all to you." Then came the big surprise. We drove up to Woods Hole for a couple's massage. I told my wife we were just driving up to a pretty overlook and she was totally freaked out when I pulled into the driveway. Must have been the banjo music... We had on…

  • Day 8: Saturday March 16th I woke up to the sound of rain on the tin roof. Darn it! We were in a bit of a time crunch for the day and a muddy descent into Pearisburg wasn't going to help. Fortunately, it was a small cell and soon passed our location. The logistics for today had a lot of moving pieces. Working backwards... Sox's flight out of Dulles was at 21:00. That meant I needed to drop him off by 19:00. 4.5 hours from Pearisburg to Dulles meant we needed to be at the remnants of the Rendezvo…

  • Day 7: Friday March 15th A high ridge to the east blocked the morning sun until close to 08:00. and with only 6.3 miles on today's agenda, there was no reason to rush. Just the way I like it. Today's hike marked a switch between Sox and I related to our overall hiking health. I was feeling great while Tim was counting down the remaining miles to get the hike over and done. He left 15 minutes before me but I caught him on the first climb. He passed me while I took a break along the ridgecrest but…