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Clarity on an AT thru-hike

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    • Ooh, cooling feet in the creeks would be wonderful!! I've been having to conserve bandages and have been changing out my socks several times a day to keep them dry, so I've been avoiding wet feet. In town now so I can stock up so I can regularly changed bandaging.

      I hit 100 miles today after 7 days on trail and one zero day. I walked 19 yesterday. In Boiling Springs for tonight, maybe even taking one zero here because I'm waiting on a maildrop that hasn't arrived yet. Oh well. Pretty pissed this place I'm staying charges $5 PER BOX for maildrops. I had some new insoles and some new sock liners sent here plus a maildrop from home. $15 to get my mail?!? Grr.

      Anyway, having a kick ass time! I feel great other than the expected sore feet. Stealth camped solo last night for the first time. It was pretty cool, though the howling coyote nearby was a bit daunting. :p Meeting some cool folks and spending some quality time on trail alone. Learning an assload out here!
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • Trail journal update tonight. :)
      Celebrating 100 miles on trail today! :) Celebrating with a :smile-beerglass: of course.


      I started a my hike a mile south of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia a week ago today. I've slept in trail shelters, hiker hostels, in my tiny tent at campsites and even stealth camping out in the woods alone. I've listened to owls and coyotes sing me to sleep in the woods, dealt with gnats unceasingly dive-bombing my eyes, felt muscles and feet protesting the next downward step (because down hurts worse than up...did y'all know that?), and blisters covering the backs of my sweaty feet that no Band-aid can adhere to.

      I've woken up at 5am with the birds and the sun every day, on the trail bright and early. I've belted out tunes from Gary Puckett to Radiohead to Pearl Jam from the top of a mountain. I've cried a bit, laughed a lot, smiled, hummed, thought, and proven myself TO myself in ways I have needed to for a while. I've listened to the woods in the waking morning, felt its brutal heat in the afternoons, taken its punishing steep and rocky steps. I've met people, wonderful people, who stand out from the rest of the society due to their benevolence and willingness to go out of their way to help a weary hiker. Friends, recurring and new, are ubiquitous on the trail. My family and friends back home have filled my life with warmth and support that astounds me.

      I'm having the time of my life! I could not be richer.
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • twistwrist wrote:

      Trail journal update tonight. :)
      Celebrating 100 miles on trail today! :) Celebrating with a :smile-beerglass: of course.


      I started a my hike a mile south of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia a week ago today. I've slept in trail shelters, hiker hostels, in my tiny tent at campsites and even stealth camping out in the woods alone. I've listened to owls and coyotes sing me to sleep in the woods, dealt with gnats unceasingly dive-bombing my eyes, felt muscles and feet protesting the next downward step (because down hurts worse than up...did y'all know that?), and blisters covering the backs of my sweaty feet that no Band-aid can adhere to.

      I've woken up at 5am with the birds and the sun every day, on the trail bright and early. I've belted out tunes from Gary Puckett to Radiohead to Pearl Jam from the top of a mountain. I've cried a bit, laughed a lot, smiled, hummed, thought, and proven myself TO myself in ways I have needed to for a while. I've listened to the woods in the waking morning, felt its brutal heat in the afternoons, taken its punishing steep and rocky steps. I've met people, wonderful people, who stand out from the rest of the society due to their benevolence and willingness to go out of their way to help a weary hiker. Friends, recurring and new, are ubiquitous on the trail. My family and friends back home have filled my life with warmth and support that astounds me.

      I'm having the time of my life! I could not be richer.
      you're doing it wrong!!!!
      its all good

    • hikerboy wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      Trail journal update tonight. :)
      Celebrating 100 miles on trail today! :) Celebrating with a :smile-beerglass: of course.


      I started a my hike a mile south of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia a week ago today. I've slept in trail shelters, hiker hostels, in my tiny tent at campsites and even stealth camping out in the woods alone. I've listened to owls and coyotes sing me to sleep in the woods, dealt with gnats unceasingly dive-bombing my eyes, felt muscles and feet protesting the next downward step (because down hurts worse than up...did y'all know that?), and blisters covering the backs of my sweaty feet that no Band-aid can adhere to.

      I've woken up at 5am with the birds and the sun every day, on the trail bright and early. I've belted out tunes from Gary Puckett to Radiohead to Pearl Jam from the top of a mountain. I've cried a bit, laughed a lot, smiled, hummed, thought, and proven myself TO myself in ways I have needed to for a while. I've listened to the woods in the waking morning, felt its brutal heat in the afternoons, taken its punishing steep and rocky steps. I've met people, wonderful people, who stand out from the rest of the society due to their benevolence and willingness to go out of their way to help a weary hiker. Friends, recurring and new, are ubiquitous on the trail. My family and friends back home have filled my life with warmth and support that astounds me.

      I'm having the time of my life! I could not be richer.
      you're doing it wrong!!!!
      Of course she is. She is out here dealing with heat, bugs, blisters...& all thet other crap. She is probably getting smelly by now too! :) Not true hiker funk, but that will come with time.

    • Mountain-Mike wrote:

      Love the post. Just take cae of the blisters. It's the small things like untreated blisters, & ticks than wreck many hikes. Not lion, snakes & bears!
      I like the quote I saw on the back of a cross-country runner's sweat shirt....."It's not the mountain that wears you down, it's the grain of sand in your shoe"....so true.

      "Victory comes to those who endure the storm".
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • Mountain-Mike wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      Trail journal update tonight. :)
      Celebrating 100 miles on trail today! :) Celebrating with a :smile-beerglass: of course.


      I started a my hike a mile south of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia a week ago today. I've slept in trail shelters, hiker hostels, in my tiny tent at campsites and even stealth camping out in the woods alone. I've listened to owls and coyotes sing me to sleep in the woods, dealt with gnats unceasingly dive-bombing my eyes, felt muscles and feet protesting the next downward step (because down hurts worse than up...did y'all know that?), and blisters covering the backs of my sweaty feet that no Band-aid can adhere to.

      I've woken up at 5am with the birds and the sun every day, on the trail bright and early. I've belted out tunes from Gary Puckett to Radiohead to Pearl Jam from the top of a mountain. I've cried a bit, laughed a lot, smiled, hummed, thought, and proven myself TO myself in ways I have needed to for a while. I've listened to the woods in the waking morning, felt its brutal heat in the afternoons, taken its punishing steep and rocky steps. I've met people, wonderful people, who stand out from the rest of the society due to their benevolence and willingness to go out of their way to help a weary hiker. Friends, recurring and new, are ubiquitous on the trail. My family and friends back home have filled my life with warmth and support that astounds me.

      I'm having the time of my life! I could not be richer.
      you're doing it wrong!!!!
      Of course she is. She is out here dealing with heat, bugs, blisters...& all thet other crap. She is probably getting smelly by now too! :) Not true hiker funk, but that will come with time.
      Yeah. I already repulse myself by my smell, and that's after only 5 days between showers. :P I washed my clothes by hand yesterday and the water was brown. Cheers to new experiences! :thumbsup:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      YOU are badass!!!! Smile108

      Keep having fun but don't push too hard.
      Have you tried duck tape on the blisters?
      :D Thanks! I have tried moleskin with first aid adhesive tape wrapped all the way around my ankle to keep it in place. That's working pretty well so far. Duct tape was a bit uncomfortable and wrinkly. The first aid tape is a lot skinnier. PA will tear up some shoes and feet. It's rocky as hell, and I hear the northern half is even worse. My feet aren't too bad off. I got nice new liner socks and new insoles yesterday. The day off today is helping too. I've got this. :thumbsup:
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • twistwrist wrote:

      Mountain-Mike wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      Trail journal update tonight. :)
      Celebrating 100 miles on trail today! :) Celebrating with a :smile-beerglass: of course.


      I started a my hike a mile south of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia a week ago today. I've slept in trail shelters, hiker hostels, in my tiny tent at campsites and even stealth camping out in the woods alone. I've listened to owls and coyotes sing me to sleep in the woods, dealt with gnats unceasingly dive-bombing my eyes, felt muscles and feet protesting the next downward step (because down hurts worse than up...did y'all know that?), and blisters covering the backs of my sweaty feet that no Band-aid can adhere to.

      I've woken up at 5am with the birds and the sun every day, on the trail bright and early. I've belted out tunes from Gary Puckett to Radiohead to Pearl Jam from the top of a mountain. I've cried a bit, laughed a lot, smiled, hummed, thought, and proven myself TO myself in ways I have needed to for a while. I've listened to the woods in the waking morning, felt its brutal heat in the afternoons, taken its punishing steep and rocky steps. I've met people, wonderful people, who stand out from the rest of the society due to their benevolence and willingness to go out of their way to help a weary hiker. Friends, recurring and new, are ubiquitous on the trail. My family and friends back home have filled my life with warmth and support that astounds me.

      I'm having the time of my life! I could not be richer.
      you're doing it wrong!!!!
      Of course she is. She is out here dealing with heat, bugs, blisters...& all thet other crap. She is probably getting smelly by now too! :) Not true hiker funk, but that will come with time.
      Yeah. I already repulse myself by my smell, and that's after only 5 days between showers. :P I washed my clothes by hand yesterday and the water was brown. Cheers to new experiences! :thumbsup:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      YOU are badass!!!! Smile108

      Keep having fun but don't push too hard.
      Have you tried duck tape on the blisters?
      :D Thanks! I have tried moleskin with first aid adhesive tape wrapped all the way around my ankle to keep it in place. That's working pretty well so far. Duct tape was a bit uncomfortable and wrinkly. The first aid tape is a lot skinnier. PA will tear up some shoes and feet. It's rocky as hell, and I hear the northern half is even worse. My feet aren't too bad off. I got nice new liner socks and new insoles yesterday. The day off today is helping too. I've got this. :thumbsup:
      If you can get some, try Leukotape.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Thanks all. Heading out in an hour...rain and storms are probable the next few days. I'm about to find out what I'm really made of, hiking in possible severe weather.
      Hoping to make it to Hamburg, PA by Friday or Saturday. Y'all have an awesome week! Thanks so much for your support, encouragement, and advice.
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • twistwrist wrote:

      Thanks all. Heading out in an hour...rain and storms are probable the next few days. I'm about to find out what I'm really made of, hiking in possible severe weather.
      Hoping to make it to Hamburg, PA by Friday or Saturday. Y'all have an awesome week! Thanks so much for your support, encouragement, and advice.


      You too! Be safe and have fun.
      Lost in the right direction.

    • Astro wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      Mountain-Mike wrote:

      hikerboy wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      Trail journal update tonight. :)
      Celebrating 100 miles on trail today! :) Celebrating with a :smile-beerglass: of course.


      I started a my hike a mile south of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia a week ago today. I've slept in trail shelters, hiker hostels, in my tiny tent at campsites and even stealth camping out in the woods alone. I've listened to owls and coyotes sing me to sleep in the woods, dealt with gnats unceasingly dive-bombing my eyes, felt muscles and feet protesting the next downward step (because down hurts worse than up...did y'all know that?), and blisters covering the backs of my sweaty feet that no Band-aid can adhere to.

      I've woken up at 5am with the birds and the sun every day, on the trail bright and early. I've belted out tunes from Gary Puckett to Radiohead to Pearl Jam from the top of a mountain. I've cried a bit, laughed a lot, smiled, hummed, thought, and proven myself TO myself in ways I have needed to for a while. I've listened to the woods in the waking morning, felt its brutal heat in the afternoons, taken its punishing steep and rocky steps. I've met people, wonderful people, who stand out from the rest of the society due to their benevolence and willingness to go out of their way to help a weary hiker. Friends, recurring and new, are ubiquitous on the trail. My family and friends back home have filled my life with warmth and support that astounds me.

      I'm having the time of my life! I could not be richer.
      you're doing it wrong!!!!
      Of course she is. She is out here dealing with heat, bugs, blisters...& all thet other crap. She is probably getting smelly by now too! :) Not true hiker funk, but that will come with time.
      Yeah. I already repulse myself by my smell, and that's after only 5 days between showers. :P I washed my clothes by hand yesterday and the water was brown. Cheers to new experiences! :thumbsup:

      TrafficJam wrote:

      YOU are badass!!!! Smile108

      Keep having fun but don't push too hard.
      Have you tried duck tape on the blisters?
      :D Thanks! I have tried moleskin with first aid adhesive tape wrapped all the way around my ankle to keep it in place. That's working pretty well so far. Duct tape was a bit uncomfortable and wrinkly. The first aid tape is a lot skinnier. PA will tear up some shoes and feet. It's rocky as hell, and I hear the northern half is even worse. My feet aren't too bad off. I got nice new liner socks and new insoles yesterday. The day off today is helping too. I've got this. :thumbsup:
      If you can get some, try Leukotape.
      If you can get some New Skin, brush it on and put the Leuotape over it when it's dry, only takes a few seconds to dry. New Skin is the best I've found, at least it stays on and doesn't wad up to cause more issues. Great to hear you're having fun.
      I may grow old but I'll never grow up.

    • twistwrist wrote:

      Thanks all. Heading out in an hour...rain and storms are probable the next few days. I'm about to find out what I'm really made of, hiking in possible severe weather.
      Hoping to make it to Hamburg, PA by Friday or Saturday. Y'all have an awesome week! Thanks so much for your support, encouragement, and advice.
      off mid morning Friday, Saturday and Sunday if you want some hikin' company or need some shuttlin' and such... My casa is aboot an hour from Hamburg/Port Clinton... Left ya a message...
      1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish...

    • twistwrist wrote:

      thanks! Yeah, started stronger than I expected, but I can certainly tell all those hours on the stairmaster with my pack were worth it.

      Thanks all! It's fun having folks to share this with. :)
      I hear you. This place is like a family; a little dysfunctional at times, but they will always have your back.
      Good to hear you're having a great time!

      Toli wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      Thanks all. Heading out in an hour...rain and storms are probable the next few days. I'm about to find out what I'm really made of, hiking in possible severe weather.
      Hoping to make it to Hamburg, PA by Friday or Saturday. Y'all have an awesome week! Thanks so much for your support, encouragement, and advice.
      off mid morning Friday, Saturday and Sunday if you want some hikin' company or need some shuttlin' and such... My casa is aboot an hour from Hamburg/Port Clinton... Left ya a message...







      Aboot? so, you're a canuck?

    • Trillium wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      thanks! Yeah, started stronger than I expected, but I can certainly tell all those hours on the stairmaster with my pack were worth it.

      Thanks all! It's fun having folks to share this with. :)
      I hear you. This place is like a family; a little dysfunctional at times, but they will always have your back.Good to hear you're having a great time!

      Toli wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      Thanks all. Heading out in an hour...rain and storms are probable the next few days. I'm about to find out what I'm really made of, hiking in possible severe weather.
      Hoping to make it to Hamburg, PA by Friday or Saturday. Y'all have an awesome week! Thanks so much for your support, encouragement, and advice.
      off mid morning Friday, Saturday and Sunday if you want some hikin' company or need some shuttlin' and such... My casa is aboot an hour from Hamburg/Port Clinton... Left ya a message...
      Aboot? so, you're a canuck?
      & there is something bad about being canuck?

    • Mountain-Mike wrote:

      Trillium wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      thanks! Yeah, started stronger than I expected, but I can certainly tell all those hours on the stairmaster with my pack were worth it.

      Thanks all! It's fun having folks to share this with. :)
      I hear you. This place is like a family; a little dysfunctional at times, but they will always have your back.Good to hear you're having a great time!

      Toli wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      Thanks all. Heading out in an hour...rain and storms are probable the next few days. I'm about to find out what I'm really made of, hiking in possible severe weather.
      Hoping to make it to Hamburg, PA by Friday or Saturday. Y'all have an awesome week! Thanks so much for your support, encouragement, and advice.
      off mid morning Friday, Saturday and Sunday if you want some hikin' company or need some shuttlin' and such... My casa is aboot an hour from Hamburg/Port Clinton... Left ya a message...
      Aboot? so, you're a canuck?
      & there is something bad about being canuck?
      I wouldn't think so, probably just excited to recognize it.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

    • Toli wrote:

      twistwrist wrote:

      Thanks all. Heading out in an hour...rain and storms are probable the next few days. I'm about to find out what I'm really made of, hiking in possible severe weather.
      Hoping to make it to Hamburg, PA by Friday or Saturday. Y'all have an awesome week! Thanks so much for your support, encouragement, and advice.
      off mid morning Friday, Saturday and Sunday if you want some hikin' company or need some shuttlin' and such... My casa is aboot an hour from Hamburg/Port Clinton... Left ya a message...







      toli, sounds awesome. I'm in Duncannon tonight. I'm planning (hoping) to get to Hamburg Friday (late). I'm planning to stay overnight at least, all plans based on how my knee and feet are doing. You offering a shower, by chance? Or a shuttle to town? :) we could possibly hike out Saturday if you'd like. Again all depending on how I'm feeling. Can you text me? I won't check here again until I get there. Thanks a bunch! Would love to meet you!
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • TW you may be lose to 3 ladies from West Oz who are thruhiking.
      If you meet them tell them Jacko says hello and someone is hoping to get them some trail magic in western Massachusetts so to be sure their blog gives good info of where they are in that area.
      Cheers.
      Resident Australian, proving being a grumpy old man is not just an American trait.

    • toli, if you do leave another voicemail, leave your phone number. Text is better and drain less battery.

      Max, I went, had two beers and a burger, and wasn't too impressed. The folks working there seem burned out. Found a friend I met on the BMT who's walking the ECT here in Duncannon and he showede this place where the people open their garage and yard to hikers for free. They also provide free beer and grilled dinner!
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • Toli wrote: off mid morning Friday, Saturday and Sunday if you want some hikin' company or need some shuttlin' and such... My casa is aboot an hour from Hamburg/Port Clinton... Left ya a message...

      Trillium wrote: Aboot? so, you're a canuck?

      Mountain Mike wrote: & there is something bad about being canuck?

      Astro wrote: I wouldn't think so, probably just excited to recognize it.


      my reply: Astro is exactly right. As a southeastern Michigander, Windsor, Ontario is south of Detroit and is just over the Ambassador Bridge. One of the ladies in my former office lived in Windsor and we like to tease the Canadians about their tooques, etc. Just a cute accent. My speedskates were Planerts and came from Canada.

    • hey guys! Zeroing in Hamburg tonight with some hiker friends, Columbo, Earth, Stakes, and Captain Planet. Having an amazing time full of trail magic in many forms! Hoping to update my trail journal today. My plan is to write an entry every 100ish miles. I've been 191 so far. My poor feet are swollen about twice the size I've ever seen them, and Pennsylvania is about to get even rockier.
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      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • thanks! My boyfriend sent me some Ininji liner toe socks. My feet have been feeling pretty damn good! I'm getting new shoes in Unionville, NY next week. May take you up on it if I need some then.
      Hope y'all are having a great weekend!
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • pics!
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      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • I updated this a few days ago. :)

      300 mile journal

      Over three weeks have passed since I began my hike of the Appalachian Trail...300 miles and four states hiked with 30-40 pounds on my back. This hundred mile section brought constant undulations and widely varying terrain. Brutally enthralling with unrelenting miles of tens of thousands of unavoidable rocks, all pointed upwards, their sharp points like daggers from the Earth just tearing into a hiker's exhausted feet, simultaneously dodging unavoidable poison ivy which apparently is native to this area; gray, cold, relentless days of rain; soaking, slopping shoes slipping and sliding over impossibly slick rocks and stomping through the deep mud and streams that cover the trail after a hard rain; agonizing shin pain with every step (oops...may have irritated that medial tibia a bit). I have experienced being dive-bombed by an angry, screeching hawk on a long bridge leading out of town with no escape. I have fallen and broken a trekking pole on the tractionless wet rocks that give Pennsylvania the nickname, "The Shoe Destroyer". Wildlife has ranged from a timber rattlesnake a few feet away, a 5-foot long rat snake blocking the width of the trail, a mama turkey crossing the path with her 6 babies following her like little ducklings, deer gazing as I pass at a close distance, multiple daily bear sightings by fellow hikers and innumerable butterflies dancing in my path. Myriad breathtaking ridge line views on sunny 78 degree days that have found me gazing down into towns, countryside, and watching the homes, the traffic, the world exist below. Limitless wild blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries line the trail and flowers as pretty as a painting can bring smiles when least expected. At times, the trail leads into a scene that looks like walking into a postcard. At others, I trustingly follow the white blazes through twisting, tangled trees that give the forest an eerie, haunted feel where a fairy tale evil witch might reside.

      Friends have been made, hiker bonds have been formed, and I found part of what we call our trail family. :) We mostly hike alone but plan our evening stops at the same shelter, campsite, or town. We split the cost of rooms when we take zero mile days in towns. Earth and Columbo have been big parts of this hundred miles! From campfires to ghost stories, to lullabies and zero days painting the towns, it's been a whirlwind of experiences, both on and off trail. Abundant laughter and goofy memories seem to be theme of this hundred miles.

      Out here, pure joy is found in many things we take for granted back home: a cold bath in a mountain spring after a sweaty, humid hike; a bird singing a good morning tune and seeming to follow you down the trail with her sweet song; two hour naps under the clouds on a day when the body has no more to give; a ride into town from passersby who take pity on the bedraggled hikers trudging along the road; the taste of a hot, cheesy slice of pizza; finding oneself in a shelter surrounded by friends while the thunder booms and the rain pours from the sky; trail magic three days in a row ranging from coolers in the woods loaded with various goodies to stumbling upon fun people grilling hamburgers and hot dogs at random road stops.
      All this experienced in less than a week. All this in only 100 miles of a trail in the woods. I can't wait to see what the next hundred miles bring!!
      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

    • Cheers to adventures! Sorry if some of these are repeats. BTW, that's A.T. Lt in the picture around the table. He was a trail angel and took a couple of us to lunch and for resupply! Awesomeness!
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      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by twistwrist ().

    • :) The first picture is one of my favorite. It turned out, well, picture perfect.
      Images

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      www.appalachiantrailclarity.com - Life on the A.T.

      Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.