Zero in Rutland, VT

After putting in long days to catch my friends, I am finally getting a chance to rest my legs. We did a short day (or "Nero") of 9 miles into town yesterday and stayed in a Hampton Inn with Goose's family and today are staying in a very cool hostel in downtown Rutland. We have spent our time eating, resupplying, and have seen two movies in the theaters. Also plenty of ice cream. A perfect zero day!

Only a quarter left!

Yesterday we passed the 3/4 mark on the trail - only 550 miles to Katahdin! I also finally caught up with two friends I had hiked with in North Carolina and Virginia, Mav and Goose. I had been hiking solo since Waynesboro, VA as was very ready for some company again so I was really working to catch up to them since getting back on trail from New York. I spent the last ten days hiking high twenty mile days, and then cranked out a 30, 32, and 36 mile day to finally catch them. I'm glad I did, because I'm just about out of gas from the effort. We stayed in Manchester, VT last night and got everything dry after a week of rain. Vermont is amazing! Everyone is very friendly, a phenomenon we have missed somewhat since leaving the south. On Monday we will take a day off in Killington, VT. It will be much needed!

P.S. My GPS has not been working lately. Sorry to everyone following along! Hopefully I can get it working soon.

Salisbury, CT

After just a few days back on the trail I finished New York state and headed into Connecticut. Southern and central New York had been pretty rocky, but the last 15 miles or so of the state were really nice, with fast, smooth trail. The first 20 miles of CT were likewise beautiful trail, free of rocks and roofs and very smooth. There were also some beautiful river side sections along Ten Mile River and the Housatonic. The central section of the state was rocky, steep, and not much fun. The AT is only fifty miles in CT though, so I'll hopefully put those rough sections behind me as I cross into Massachusetts today. Last night I stayed in a beautiful 300 year old house in Salisbury, CT and resupplied in town. I also ate as much as I possibly could, as I've been getting very hungry on the trail lately. On to MA today!

Fahnestock State Park, NY

Well, I had hoped that a full week off the trail would leave me brimming with energy, but that does not seem to be happening. Yesterday was relatively short at 22 miles, but I felt surprisingly sluggish and sore. I had some company at the shelter last night, which is always a nice surprise. Today was a longer day, at almost 30 miles, and I was really struggling in the last few miles. I climbed Bear Mountain early in the day, which had beautiful views of the NYC skyline 35 miles to the east. Thankfully the weather has been beautiful, so my morale has been boosted by that.

Back to the trail

After a pretty long vacation from the trail, I'll be headed back into the woods tomorrow. I had a great time visiting some old friends from college in Brooklyn and enjoying the amenities of modern civilization. I had also begun to feel a bit under nourished on the trail, so I made sure to eat plenty of food! It was especially nice to have the opportunity to eat some of my favorite cuisines that I've missed on the trail, like Thai and Indian. The weather was beautiful over the weekend, so we spent quite a bit of time enjoying Prospect Park and its environs. Today I took a bus back to Greenwood Lake, and tomorrow I'll be back on the AT! Only 820 more miles to go!!!

Headed to the city!

After blasting through Pennsylvania and New Jersey, I've decided to head into New York City for several days of rest. My plan had been to take a train in from Pawling, NY on Friday, but instead I'll be taking a bus from Greenwood Lake, NY today. I woke up this morning and couldn't bring myself to get out of bed when my alarm went off at 4:45 am. My body was making it clear that it was time for a break. All those 30+ mile days in Pennsylvania had been tougher on me than I fully realized. I'll be back on the trail on Monday, well rested and hopefully with some fellow thru hikers having caught up with me. It will be a strange experience going from the woods to the humming metropolis!

Taking the day off in Palmerton, PA

The rocks have arrived! Everyone talks about how rocky Pennsylvania is, but up until Duncannon the trail had been no more rocky than any other state. North of Duncannon, however, the rocks are endless. And they come in every variety. Big rocks that require leaping, sharp rocks that must be avoided, small rocks that threaten to roll ankles, and even boulders requiring, well, bouldering. I've been really pushing my mileage in an effort to put the rocks behind me. Yesterday was 35, the day before was 30, and the day before that was also a 30 mile day. I'm making great time, and can afford to take today off. I'm only 35 miles from the New Jersey border, which I plan on tackling all at once tomorrow.