Tim On The TrailFollow me on my hike

May 31st Friends In Deed

People who know me know I often do things my own way, often by myself.  It takes a lot for me to ask for help.

That’s a subject I have done some thinking about recently.  Hiking the AT, everyone needs help one time or another.

I’ve needed help more than others.  First came Blissful, who helped me see reality by trimming 15 pounds from my pack.  She also sold me a 2-pound tent that served me well in my first thunderstorm.

Bill and Spice Girl showed me how to wear my pack better, allowing me to hike farther each day.  Recently, I did my personal best — 17 miles.

Piston has helped me trim my pack load even more, and has offered encouragement when I needed it.

Treehugger and Bad Brad shared knowledge and equipment.  Tree gave me a hiking pole (I’d done the first 150 miles without one) that has saved me from serious falls.  Brad donated to my crowd sourcing efforts for better equipment.

There was the couple who shared a sandwich with me when I was hungry and low after a rough day on the PA rocks, and the man who gave me cash outside a candy store in Duncannon when there was no ATM around.

Tejas helped me cross the Knife’s Edge, a dangerous rock formation that I had to traverse with duct-taped boots.  He even provided the tape — and some super glue.

Another couple near Palmerton saw a poor, bedraggled hiker and fed me a lunch of cheeseburgers, potato salad and a cherry coke — just what I’d wanted (especially the potato salad) on Memorial day.

Yesterday was a long hike with few water sources.  A man who had through-hiked 2 years ago crossed my path, saying he knew about the hydration problem in that stretch of trail.  He then handed me a 32-ounce Powerade drink that helped me make it to the shelter.  Thanks, Shepherd.

Thanks to all who have contributed to this effort.  And thanks most of all to Maris and Barbara for logistics support and morale boosting.

For those reading this, please comment on the line between self-reliance and asking for help.

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May 27th Trials and Tribulations On the Trail

This is Maris reporting in for Tim. I’m supposed to stick to the facts with less narrative so here goes:

15 mile hike to Eckville shelter Sunday May 24th. After 7 miles on assorted rocks and boulders Monday, Tim’s left hiking boot bit the dust and fell apart from all the wear and tear.

His friend Piston duct taped it and they were able to hike 6 more miles to a camping site where Tim contacted Brenda, (a Trail Angel — good deed doer for hikers) and arranged for a ride to a K-Mart for a quick temporary pair.

Tim will Hike 12 miles on Tuesday into Walnut Port, PA where Brenda will pick him up. Tim and Piston will spend a night in town regrouping and then continue on the trail.

Thanks to all who are reading this and supporting our intrepid hiker both in spirit and in currency.

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May 27th Days 18 – 20 Doings [May 23]

[Report from Maris]:

Was happy to get to speak to Tim with uninterrupted cell service twice these past two days. He has been hiking up and down some pretty steep mountains including a one mile uphill hike to the 501 shelter in PA where he spent Thursday evening. He described some lovely fields of ferns he walked past

and was pleased that the hike leveled out as they got closer to Port Clinton. Only drawback was a very steep downhill on stone steps.

Tim stayed in Port Clinton Friday eve. Was glad to have a chance to take a shower and wash clothes at the Port Clinton Hotel where his trail friend ‘Pogoe’ (Will), had a room. Saturday night Tim will be sleeping under the shelter of the Pavilion in town with several other through hikers.

I was pleased that Tim was able to receive a mail drop package I sent with some goodies of mint tea bags, gear ties, an inflatable solar light and some snacks.

He’s hiked about 200 miles so far, still has a bad blister on his left foot and his right ankle is swollen. He met up with my best friend, Dr. Marci and her daughter Audrey on Saturday, who were meeting up with friends for a two day camp out at Locust Lake. She checked him out and confirmed it is swollen but no infection. She prescribed rest and staying off it but we both knew the patient would not heed that advice!  They brought Tim some wonderful trail magic — a wind breaker, apples and most delicious Snickers bars.  Thanks Marci!

Sunday (5/24) Tim, Pogoe and Piston will hit the trail by 8 am for a 15 mile slack pack to the Eckville Shelter with Pogoe’s wife transporting their packs. They will then hike about 17 miles to Bake Oven Knob shelter.

Fingers crossed for dry weather but plenty of springs for water.  Keep your eyes on the trail…..

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May 20th Trail Update Day 17

Tim is in the tiny town of Lickdale, PA after hiking 11 miles in the rain today (5/19/15). He was staying at a Days Inn and doing laundry. He said he hadn’t shaved in more than a week and was looking pretty scruffy.

His cold is better but his left foot has a bad blister. I am gathering goodies for his next mail drop in a week or so. He has the sleep pad now and is enjoying it. One of his fellow hikers, Tree Hugger, has a daughter that hiked with them for a week and she gave Tim a trekking pole because she didn’t really like it.  Nice!

His plan is to hike to the 501 shelter tomorrow, followed by a camp out at Eagles Nest and to be in Hamburg/Port Clinton Friday.

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May 20th An Adventurous Couple of Days on the Trail

Sunday (5/17/15) saw the first extended rain, which caused me some concern climbing the rocks as I headed up the mountain.

The next day, Monday, started out sunny and I had a two mile uphill climb. Needless to say I don’t like uphill climbs. On the way down from that peak I saw my first two timber rattlesnakes, about ten minutes apart. One rattled at me as I kept to the far side of the trail. It figures I saw them on the way to get water at Rattlers Run.

It was drizzling as I reached my next campsite and set up my tent. I got inside just as it started thundering and lightning and really coming down. I was happy to be dry inside my Henry Shire tent (the super lightweight 2-lb. tent I bought from Blissful during Flip Flop Hikers Day in Harper’s Ferry, W.VA.).  I guess that was my initiation to hiking the Appalachian Trail.  So far PA is rocks, boulders, mountains and more rocks.

Thanks to all those who have already contributed and those who will contribute in the future.  It is much appreciated.  Click here to go to my Indiegogo page.

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May 16th Interesting Tidbit regarding Cove Mtn. Shelter

When I spoke with Tim this afternoon (Fri. 5/15/15) he told me there was a sign at the shelter warning hikers that porcupines had been visiting the shelter and getting into packs, etc. so the caretakers took the steps off the shelter so the porkies can’t get in!

Porkies love sweat and salt so I can understand the attraction!

(Tim says: The porcupine visited us the night I stayed there. It chewed on the tree stump beneath the shelter. Very loud. A hiker called Bear Bait chased it away.)

This is a photo from 2010 by a hiker named Tinker. Note the stairs.

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May 15th Where’s Tim on Day 11? [ May 13th]

For those of you following along at home, May 13th was day 11 on the trail. Tim has hiked about 100 miles so far and lost 10 pounds. His pack weighs about 33 pounds give or take water and food. He hiked from the James Frye Shelter to the Allenberry Inn (great rate for hikers) in Boiling Springs PA. Tomorrow (Thursday) he’ll hike about 15 miles to sleep at the Darlington Shelter and then wake up and hike about 11 miles to Duncannon, PA to the famous Doyle Hotel on Friday. That was the plan anyway. Except he has a slight cold and decided to take a break after 7.6 miles and spend the afternoon and evening (Friday) at Cove Mtn Shelter. Those rocks are killer!

The Doyle is an exciting rest stop because his super light (14 oz.) Thermarest Z Sol lite sleep pad should be there waiting for him (fingers crossed).  Hopefully the pad will provide a little bit of comfort for his body even if it can’t make things better for his feet!

Tim says Boiling Springs is a beautiful town with a crystal clear lake in the center of town which the trail goes right by.  He enjoyed watching, ducks, geese and swans swimming in the water.

Tim reported this evening that he saw and heard a piliated wood pecker. He said it was one big bird. That’s the one Woody was modeled on.

Big thanks to all those who have contributed. He is looking forward to purchasing trekking poles as PA trail is made up of rocks, rocks and more rocks!

Will update when he has cell service again.

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May 11th Day 8

Another rest day today; only 4 miles. After consecutive 13-mile days, it feels good to eat real food and rest my blistered feet.

The BLT sandwich with avocado at the Pine Grove General Store was the best sandwich I’ve had in years. (Hiking 30 miles in 3 days with dehydrated foods and trail mix for meals might have something to do with that rating.)

My trail friends are ahead of me right now, but I’ve found that new friends are always available on the Trail. It’s a welcoming community, with many volunteers keeping the trail going and ready to offer help for hikers. Today I had one guy give me a banana and a couple give me a sandwich.

Will probably gain weight after this rest stop.

By the way, the blisters are from the 75 miles of rocks I’ve walked on (out of 85 total walked so far).

 

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May 7th Made it to Pennsylvania

It’s Day Four on the hike and two things are clear: I’m not as flexible as I was at 21 (or even 41) and I don’t like going uphill — sometimes over rocks and boulders — with 35 pounds on my back.

My fellow hikers call me Time. I like it because it reminds me to take my time to notice nature’s beauty. I’ve seen a heron, hawks, turtles and toads so far, along with a 5 foot black snake. Others have seen rattlesnakes.

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