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Astro on the AT 2019

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    • Right about now, Astro should be finishing his breakfast at the Galehead Hut. He's probably feeling a bit 'puffy'.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
    • Astro, if what's happening in Boston is any indication that mist is going to turn into a downpour soon. A good day to find shelter early and watch the deluge from a dry place.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • Here's a screenshot of today's radar over the Whites for posterity. Hopefully Astro can make it to the Zealand Falls Hut before the yellows & reds hit Zealand Mountain.



      Edit: Zealand Falls and Thoreau Falls should be roaring tonight and tomorrow.
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard

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

    • Drybones wrote:

      This song goes out to all those actually hiking this year, of which, hopefully I'll be one.

      youtube.com/watch?v=_oL_pCjPgUg
      I know I've had the Walking Blues more than once on the AT.

      Go Astro go. Don't let them blues (or yellows & reds) keep you from Big K!
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
    • StalkingTortoise wrote:

      Drybones wrote:

      This song goes out to all those actually hiking this year, of which, hopefully I'll be one.

      youtube.com/watch?v=_oL_pCjPgUg
      I know I've had the Walking Blues more than once on the AT.
      Go Astro go. Don't let them blues (or yellows & reds) keep you from Big K!
      I don't have the blues when I am walking, only when I break/tear/hurt something and have to stop.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Day1
      Galehead Hut 2.7 miles
      Actually more miles including the Gale River Trail and backtracking on the AT. Tool AMC shuttle from Pinkham Notch to Highland Center where I transferred to another shuttle. Gale River was pretty easy until climbing all the rocks in the last mile. Walking along the river was a constant reminder you were outdoors.
      Was great to be back on the AT! Got to spend my first night as a guest at a hut. It is expensive, but they are well run with two good meals and a nice bunk. Also great for when it rains so you don't have to carry a wet tent.
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      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Day 2
      Galehead Hut to Zealand Hut 6.9 miles
      After a great breakfast started the climb up South Twin (1100 feet in .8 miles), but unfortunately there would be good views as a reward today. Rain up during the day to the point of a Lightning and Thunderstorm in the afternoon. But my primary focus was on my feet and making sure I did not slip on any of the wet rocks. Did catch a picture of a pine marten on Mt Guyot. Also saw some patches of snow. Feet were soaked from all of the rain, so near the end there were several crossings where I did notbother to use my Vivobarefeet, including Zeeland Falls which was raging. Finally arrived a little after 5pm, and several people who passed me on the way were happy to see me. Was happy to get all of the wet clothes off. Unfortunately found that I left my glasses case back at Galehead. Notified the head Croo guy at Zealand and is letting the Galehead croo know and it be at Pinkham Notch by the time I get back there. The bunks are really nice, even have reading lamps. But now I know to double check all of the shelves before I leave. Not something you have to worry about with your tent.
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      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Day 3
      Zealand Hut to Crawford Notch 7.8 miles
      Another picture of Zealand Falls from another location this morning, and few other shots of raging water. Rain off and on today, but nothing like yesterday. Would have been a real nice section of trail if not for for the rain and mud. Past two days trail has been more of a stream than trail. Was fortunate to hike with a couple from New Jersey who stayed at the huts with the two nights who gave me a ride with them to the AMC Highland Center. I am staying in the bunkhouse. It was awesome to take a shower. Oh, the things we take for granted I normal life. Ate dinner with the couple tonight. Hung clothes up to try and dry them out. I wonder if microwaving socks would work? So it seems wearing stuff is the fastest way to dry things (I assume due to body temperature).
      Hope I can get to Mitzpah tomorrow before the thunderstorms start.
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      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Took me a while to find that Pine Marten. Great job capturing a photo of him. I've been lucky enough to see a couple, but never fast enough to get a picture.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      IMScotty wrote:

      Took me a while to find that Pine Marten. Great job capturing a photo of him. I've been lucky enough to see a couple, but never fast enough to get a picture.
      I can’t find it...
      picture - top row, 2nd from leftjust below dead center
      lol...I saw that but thought a Pine Marten must be a bird. :rolleyes:
      so did i...until i asked google.
      2,000 miler
    • max.patch wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      IMScotty wrote:

      Took me a while to find that Pine Marten. Great job capturing a photo of him. I've been lucky enough to see a couple, but never fast enough to get a picture.
      I can’t find it...
      picture - top row, 2nd from leftjust below dead center
      lol...I saw that but thought a Pine Marten must be a bird. :rolleyes:
      so did i...until i asked google.
      I thought it was a weasel, till I showed the picture to the Zealand hut master and he told me what it was.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Day 4
      AMC Highland Center to Mizpah Hut 6.4 miles
      Got off to a later start than preferred since had to wait for AMC shuttle to get me back to the AT. Ended up being rougher than I expected falling multiple times including once 8 feet down a wet slate of rock. Nothing broken or torn. Just scrapes and bruises. Just too many wet rocks for me. Also some times I struggled with figuring the best way to get up the rocks. Put my poles ahead sometimes, and had to take my pack off a few times and put it over my head and then climb up. On Webster one time I felt like almost slipped and it would have been a ways down.

      Rained some and pelted with hail on both Mt Webster and Mt Jackson. Only the size of tic-tacs so it didn't hurt that much, unless with a gust of wind it nailed you in face

      Hade some good views. Also got a couple of mandarins from a day hiker. :) Even though I was an hour later to Mizpah, they served me the best meal yet. It was like Thanksgiving with Turkey, mashed potatoes, peas, and gravy. And the bread was also the best. :thumbup:
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      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

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

    • More views from Day 4
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      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Day 5
      Mizpah Hut to Lake of the Clouds. 4.6 miles
      Wonderful ridge walk on the Crawford Path
      Although winds got up to 70mph and I lost another packcover, this time on Mt Franklin. On Mt Pierce a helicopter had dropped new bog boards. They need them. The day before my shoe pulled off in the mud. Fortunately I grabbed it before mud could go inside. Once I got to LOTC I put my shoes outside on the rocks. With the sunshine and strong winds I will finally have dry shoes in the morning. :thumbup:
      Even though views were great, I probably took fewer pictures due to the strong winds. Sometimes hard to hold camera steady.
      Interesting night with Croo since it was the hut masters from all the huts. So I saw a lot of people from previous nights. The hut master from Galehead was on the cover of this quarters AMC magazine. Zealand's hut master's picture is also in the magazine.
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      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • I definitely would not want to stay in LOC dungeon. My pictures do not do justice to the beautiful sunset. If you only ever stay in one hut, perhaps this should be it.
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      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Day 6
      Lake of the Clouds Hut to Mt Washington 1.5 miles
      Climbed up Mt Washington finally. Now I can wear the shirt I bought when I rode the Cog Train up that says "This body climbed Mt Washington". While 1200 feet of elevation climb, the rocks were actually pretty well placed most of the time.
      I was supposed to go onto Madison Hut today. But with more rain and thunderstorms coming tomorrow and all the trouble I have had with "easier" parts of the Whites, I know that it is best that I move on to Maine. While I may never get a 2000 miler patch from the ATC, I can hike at least 2000 if not 2100 miles of the AT by the end of the summer. I would have liked the patch, but with my balance (or lack there of) the Whites and rain and wet rocks are not a good combination.

      I took the hiker shuttle down to Pinkham Notch and spending the night at the Joe Dodge Lodge. Washed clothes this afternoon and ran to Walmart to get some Cortizone 10 for what is either poison ivy or a lot of bug bites close together.
      Will drive to Stratton, ME tomorrow and plan to slack pack Crocker Mt on Wednesday, and head north as far my body can stay together. If I make it to Katahdin, then I will try to knock out Rangeley to Andover.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Day 6 Pictures
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      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Nice view of the Omni Mount Washington Resort on Day 5. Did you get an air of superiority looking down on the resort guests? finger.gif
      Trudgin' along the AT since 2003. Completed Sections: Springer Mountain to Clingmans Dome and Max Patch NC to Gorham NH

      "The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations...those are pretty good days." Ray Wylie Hubbard
    • Drove to Stratton, ME and staying at Stratton Motel & Hostel. Arranged shuttle to Caribou Valley Road so I can pick up where I left off last year and slack pack over Crocker Mountain. Took mail drop I had mailed here and bumped it to Carantuk to reduce what I needed to carry from here on Thursday to Monson. Took a picture on the way of Rangeley Lake.
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      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General

      The post was edited 2 times, last by Astro ().

    • i enjoyed the 2 nights i spent in stratton.

      stayed at "the widows walk" a bed and breakfast in a large house on main street that was built in the late 1800's. the owners, jerry and mary hopson, were gracious hosts to hikers and other guests. their living room was our living room, and i remember watching the olympics with them. they sold "the widows walk" in 2006; i don't believe it is currently used as a bed and breakfast. if you're on main street you can't miss this house.

      2 dinners at cathy's restaurant which i remember to this day becasuse they had a large salad bar which came with dinner.

      edit to add: i just checked my journal -- the nightly rate, which included breakfast, was $15 for regular guests. appalachian trail thru hikers paid $10. :)
      2,000 miler

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

    • Astro wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      With Astro jumping up to Stratton already I guess there's little chance of Kathy and I running into him.
      We'll head south out of Monson on July 2nd.
      I won't make Monson until July 4 or 5th.
      OK then, keep an eye out for a couple in their 60s hiking with a large dog.
      Sounds like well run into each other between Caratunk and Monson
      I'm looking forward to meeting you, someone from the AT Cafe :!:
    • LIhikers wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      With Astro jumping up to Stratton already I guess there's little chance of Kathy and I running into him.
      We'll head south out of Monson on July 2nd.
      I won't make Monson until July 4 or 5th.
      OK then, keep an eye out for a couple in their 60s hiking with a large dog.Sounds like well run into each other between Caratunk and Monson
      I'm looking forward to meeting you, someone from the AT Cafe :!:
      I am looking forward to it also.
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General