Tim On The TrailFollow me on my hike

Sep 21st Time Marches On

Maris reporting [Sept. 19th]:

With trepidation on my part and excitement of only having 114 miles left to go, Tim has entered the 100 Mile Wilderness.  He had an excellent breakfast of all-you-could-eat pancakes, eggs over easy and bacon.  Monk even got his own stack!

They made him a cairn of pancakes!

Tim covered about 37 miles in 3 days walking from Caratunk to Monson, ME.  He climbed up, over and through more rock scrambles like this one on Moxie Bald Mountain,

Near Moxie Bald Mountain, ME

and had to ford several rivers and streams.  One river, The Piscataquis, has a very fast current and is so wide that there is a rope strung to help hikers across.

The Piscataquis River felt cool on my feet.

Rosencrantz crosses East Branch of Piscataquis River.

He says the weather has been beautiful; a little hot for his taste (in the 80’s during the day) but getting cool at night.  We are praying for a cool clear day next Saturday when he will hopefully summit the holy grail of Mt. Kathadin.

I will meet him at the end of the trail and enjoy some fall foliage as we drive back to SC.

Cell phone service is spotty or non-existent in the Wilderness so you will get updates as I do.  Check back in, leave comments, send positive thoughts.

Thank you all for your love and support.

Sep 17th Time

Time works differently on the AT.  It’s measured in miles hiked per hour by some, days until Katahdin by others, and days until you can resupply by those of us obsessed by food.

Monk has his eye on the banana.

I’m in that last category at the moment, though I pay attention to the others.  Looking forward to something that’s not camp food really motivates me.  I can hike 2 miles an hour on days I expect to reach a town with a good restaurant.

Time can drag on hot days, or days with steep climbs or descents.  Some days I stop at a campsite or shelter early because getting to the next would require a night hike.  Then time drags, until another hiker arrives to help pass the time.

Five, Time, E-Z, Birdie, Squeeze, Tunes Loose leaf, Devon & Forever gather ’round the campfire.

The canoe is considered part of the Trail. (It even had a white blaze on it.)

For the record, I usually average 1.5 miles per hour, expect to reach Katahdin by September 26, and look forward to being with my love on that day as well.

You know I’m referring to Maris, not an all-you-can-eat buffet, right?

Guess it’s good my Trail name is Time.

Sep 9th Grinding Through

[As of Sept. 5th:]

For those of you who appreciate metrics, I’ve hiked 927 miles, 17 peaks 4,000 feet or higher, and 4 months on the AT.

I have approximately 225 more miles in Maine,

View of valley in southern Maine

including the Hundred Mile Wilderness (a stretch where resupply is a problem).

Three ibuprofen each night allow my knees to work in the morning. (Maris sent a knee brace that should help.)  And I have at least three more summits of more than 4,000 feet before Mount Katahdin, the northern end of the AT.

Finally, it should take another three weeks to reach Katahdin.

Can you all hang with me a bit longer?

Feel the Bern

Sep 6th The AT Isn’t A Walk in the Park

There’s been much interest in the AT recently.  The Associated Press, the New York Times, and a new movie called “A Walk in the Woods” have all chronicled its allure.  What none of these media mention, however, is how dangerous it can be if a hiker is unprepared or unlucky.

Watch Your Step.

Serious Rock Climbing

Approaching a tiny notch, about to get squeezed .

Rock climbs on 4,000-foot mountains, bouldering on near vertical ascents and descents, and assorted wild animals are all to be found following the white blazes. (White markings showing hikers the trail route are called “blazes.”)  Even easier stretches of the trail can be hazardous.

Here’s one recent experience I had in New Hampshire:

I had finished climbing a series of ledges and stopped at the top for a quick drink of water. Another hiker was there, so we chatted a minute, then went in different directions to continue our respective hikes.  In 30 seconds, I heard a loud “Ow!”, followed by a cry for help.

These roots will trip you up.

Boulders are not fun.

The other hiker had fallen, so I went over to see if I could help.  The hiker was sitting on a slab of flat rock, testing to see that all her limbs worked.  When she stood up, she was unable to put weight on one foot.  She worried that she had sprained or broken her ankle.  After resting a bit, she tried again.  It was obvious she wouldn’t get down the mountain unassisted.

She decided to call for emergency help.  Before she did that, we set up her tent, and made sure she put on warm clothes (in case she had to spend the night on the mountain).  She made the call.  When she reported her location, I asked her the important questions: did she have enough food and water; did she need to call someone who was meeting her; did she need a pain killer?
Another hiker got her more water, while I made sure she elevated her foot, stressing she shouldn’t remove her boot for fear the foot might swell.  After a couple of hours, she insisted we should both find shelter ourselves.  We did so, reluctantly, because we knew she was right.  We gave her our phone numbers and email addresses, then went on to find shelter.  A couple of days later, she reported that she had broken her fibula, the thinner bone in your lower leg.

After the notch, the trail leads up to the arm.

I have known others who hurt themselves.  One tore tendons in his knee.  Two more suffered stress fractures in their feet.  One woman had bent her finger sideways, then just popped it back into place.

Hiking the AT is more than walking along a wide trail at a leisurely pace.  It’s finding water when you’re running low.  It’s finding shelter when bad weather hits.  It’s planning how many meals you’ll need until you can make it to the next town.

The AT is not for novices — I’ve been very lucky people taught me how to survive on the Trail. Thanks to all of you AT teachers for the help.

Sep 2nd Northern Trails

[8/31]

When I finished the White Mountains — and then New Hampshire — I thought the hard part of my hike was complete. Once again, the Trail proved me wrong.

Entering Maine — The Fun Begins…

Maine tested me within the first mile, with an almost vertical 40-foot drop to negotiate.  That was the only way to the first shelter in the state.

Goose Eye Range

The first mountain range in Maine is the Goose Eye range.  It was hard hiking, but the hardest part was getting stuck above my knee in mud atop one of them. I couldn’t get myself out, but three hikers arrived to help.

Stuck in the mud,

One had a trowel to help me dig my leg out, and another extended a hiking pole and pulled me out of the muck.  Their plan was much better than mine, which was to lasso a passing moose — if one were to pass.

Then came Mahoosuc Notch

Relentless Bouldering

— more than a mile of bouldering, with no escape.  An average AT hiker can do a mile in 20 to 30 minutes. With the Notch, an average time is 2 hours.

Speck Pond — The highest elevation of any body of water on the AT…3,438 feet above sea level!

I’ll just say I’m glad to be out of it.

Hope the rest of Maine gets easier.

Time