Adjusting

It has been just over 2 weeks since I completed my through-hike, and moving on has been an interesting experiment. After walking 20 miles a day for four and a half months, everything else seems simple and dull by comparison. Roxy and I have both been very restless. Our bodies have been working in high gear for so long that now we have endless energy. I've been putting that energy into helping my mom clean out her house (her basement deserves a week-long special on Hoarders). Sifting through boxes of old letters, school projects, and photos has been an emotional experience, but sorting out my past is cathartic and definitely helping me decide where I want to go with my future.

Off-trail me wears real clothes and goes to interviews.

Speaking of the future, when I am not helping clean out old junk, I've been very actively searching and applying for employment. Now that all my AT funds have run out, it is time to make some money again. My first goal was to find some quick and easy seasonal retail employment, just to get back on my feet and start saving money for my next steps. This was surprisingly easy to do. I received invites for interviews everywhere I applied, and after opening with "I just finished hiking the Appalachian Trail," I got job offers at all 3 stores. Compared to the typical retail employee, I'm a rock-star.

Despite finding a job easily, I am not satisfied with spending any significant amount of time working in retail. Hiking the Appalachian Trail has taught me to never do anything that doesn't make me happy. As I search for career positions, I am only applying for jobs that will make me feel like I am doing something meaningful with my life. For me this includes mostly educational outreach positions at zoos, humane societies, museums, and nonprofits. I've applied for 10 different positions so far, and am genuinely excited about each of the jobs. Although I would love to live and work near the mountains, I am trying to stay open-minded about geographic locations. Click here to see my resume in case you want to see how talented I am :)

In addition to job searching, I'm trying my best to keep Roxy happy. Living in a house is driving her a little bit crazy. Despite having all the love, food, and companionship she can imagine, nothing compares to the constant adventure she was used to along the trail. All day long she follows me expectantly, usually with her favorite toy, just waiting for us to do something exciting. She sits and stares at me as I type away on the computer, or sort through all junk from my mom's crazy collection of junk. I've been trying to get back into running, but my body is still sore from hiking, and Roxy does not find jogging on a leash through a neighborhood of cookie-cutter houses all that interesting or physically satisfying. Luckily we found a dog park nearby, so once a day I take her for at least an hour of off-leash playtime. Roxy is an unbelievable dog, and I don't want any of her potential to go to waste. She is unsatisfied with being a suburban house pet, and I'm doing my best to keep her spirits high.

Since being off the trail, I think both Roxy and I just need to focus on new hobbies to keep our minds and bodies occupied. Staying busy helps keep my mind off all that I am missing from the trail. The lifestyle shift between trail and suburbia has been jarring, but it is important to focus on the positives. I keep reminding myself that new adventures will come, and my current conditions are only temporary. The adventures of house-life can be fun too. For example, now that I have a full kitchen instead of just a pocket-rocket, I've renewed my passion for cooking. Since I have all the time in the world, I have been making gourmet meals for my entire family. For me, cooking is an outstanding form of stress relief, and the delicious results are also fun :)

So despite no longer being on the Appalachian Trail, I hope to maintain this blog as an inspiration for adventure. For the time being, my posts may not include many mountains, but I hope to soon be out and exploring once again.

Living in the woods was the best, we'll get back there soon!

Mission Accomplished

This past Saturday I completed my Appalachian Trail thru-hike. Getting to the final summit proved to be more challenging than expected. Ever since Caratunk (about 150 miles from the end), the trail has thrown one obstacle after another in my way, but I'm proud to say I was able to push through all the challenges.

Success!

When I arrived in Caratunk, it began to rain, and that rain continued for more than 24 hours. I ended up taking a zero day (no hiking) in order to avoid the rain and allow my feet to rest. My feet were issue #2, because at this point they were in constant pain. My visibly swollen feet resembled those of a pregnant woman for the last few days of the trail, and walking on them for 20 miles a day was taking a toll on me physically and mentally. As much as I love trail life, I was just exhausted. Unlike most people who take 5-6 months to hike the Appalachian Trail, I was about to complete my journey in just over 4 months, and my body was definitely feeling it.

In addition to being in physical pain and being mentally drained, the torrential downpour of rain caused all of the river levels to rise dramatically. As I hiked through the 100 mile wilderness (a difficult stretch of trail just before the end of the Appalachian Trail), I was faced with many roaring rivers with strong currents. Fall temperatures made jumping into cold water  more than a little unpleasant, and sometimes downright dangerous.

Transporting packs across one of the deeper rivers. This one was waist deep in the middle.

Luckily, just as my morale was reaching a low point, I was lucky enough to be surprised by my older brother, Adam, doing trail magic for me near the end of the 100 mile wilderness. He set up a campsite with a blazing fire, propane gas stove for cooking warm food, and tons of delicious snacks. It was exactly what I needed to reinvigorate me for the final stretch of my epic adventure.

Adam making breakfast in the 100 mile wilderness.

After my half-day vacation at Adam's luxurious campsite, I only had one day's worth of hiking left before meeting my parents at Abol Bridge campground, the final campsite before climbing Mt. Katahdin. The original plan was to camp with them on Thursday and then hike up Katahdin with Adam and my dad on Friday, but unfortunately the weather was not agreeable so me had to delay our summit. This caused a slew of issues with our parking reservations at Baxter State Park, which has the most ridiculous rules of any part of the Appalachian Trail. Luckily we were eventually able to sort out all the reservations and as the rain poured on Friday, we lounged around a hotel room and hoped for better weather.

Beautiful view of Mt. Katahdin from our Abol Bridge campsite.

Saturday morning was luckily dry, but our hike did not start out too well. We arrived at Baxter State Park around 6:30am, but than had to wait in a long line of cars trying to get into the park. After being interrogated by 2 separate park officials we were finally on our way to the trailhead parking lot. The previous day's rain had brought in a cold front, so once parked, we bundled up in several layers and began our trek up the mountain. It was odd hiking without Roxy, who stayed at the hotel with my mom due to the fact that this section of trail is renowned as one of the most difficult parts of the Appalachian Trail. Despite not having my best friend with me, I was very happy to have Adam and my dad along for the journey.

Ready to hike up the final mountain!

As we hiked up the mountain, our spirits were high despite temperatures being low. However, after about 2 miles we started seeing people coming back down the mountain. Everyone who passed us let us know that weather conditions were too treacherous above treeline so reaching the summit was not possible. Despite their warnings, we pushed on determined to see for ourselves. Upon reaching treeline, we were hit with forceful winds above 45mph. It truly was impossible to stand upright due to the strength of the wind. Dejected, we hiked a few feet back down and tried to come up with plan B. Some hikers were sitting around determined to wait out the wind, but at the high elevations it was too cold for me to just sit around. So we decided to hike back down the mountain and try to find a warmer spot to take a break.

Everything was coated in ice.

 Unfortunately with the unpleasant weather, we were not able to find warmth until we were nearly back at the beginning of the trail. We found a massive boulder which was bathed in sunlight. After climbing on top of it, we finally were able to warm up a bit and think about our next move. Dad thought it would be best to just go home and come back in the Spring to climb the mountains, but Adam was eager to just wait an hour or two and then try to climb up again. After eating lunch and basking in the sun for awhile, we decided to give it another go.

Frozen wonderland above treeline.

This pile of rocks is the trail. If you look closely you can see a white blaze, and Adam and Dad further up.

 While attempting ascent #2, we did not see anyone coming back down the mountain, so we knew that the must have continued on above treeline. Sure enough when we reached treeline, we were shocked that the winds had died down significantly. Despite the morning's terrifying conditions, it was now possible to safely walk the remainder of the trail. Even though the winds had died down, the trail was far from easy. Nearly a mile of the hike was just a steep pile of boulders that needed to be climbed. After many hours and quite a bit of struggling, we all made it to the summit.

The final stretch

Just over 100 miles left to go. I've picked up my last re-supply box. All extra supplies have been mailed home. Nothing is standing in my way. Oh, except rivers with crazy high water levels, mountains made up of piles of boulders, and freezing temperatures. 

Despite still having a lot of obstacles in my way, I am feeling great about this final stretch of the Appalachian Trail. I've already overcome so many unexpected trials. For example a few days ago I accidentally sacrificed my trekking poles to the mountain gods, and had to hike up and down steep inclines without anything to take the pressure off my knees. I've also fallen more times than I care to admit, resulting in many colorful bruises, cuts, and new scars. I've gotten lost, ran out of food, and occasionally been creeped out by strangers on the trail. But despite everything, I've just kept walking. 

From the start I've looked at the Appalachian Trail as just one long walk in the woods. There has never been any doubt in my mind that I could finish the entire trail, because no matter what happened, I just kept telling myself to walk. As long as one foot continued to move in front of the other, I knew I could do this. 

So here I am, at the edge of the 100 mile wilderness, about to complete a task that is achieved by only 25% of people who set out to do it. I guess I should feel special, but I really don't. I've just spent 4.5 months walking, no big deal. 

So I have 7 more days to walk in the woods. The enjoy the simple life and avoid adult responsibilities. To take time to admire the natural beauty of the world we live in. And most importantly to cherish my time with Roxy and focus on just being happy. 

Almost Done!

We are in Maine! And it is beautiful! We only have about 150 miles left of the Appalachian Trail, and the past few weeks have been unreal. Phone reception and wifi have been rare to find, so sorry for the lack of posts. All is well and we couldn't be happier :)

Roxy and I have had amazing trail magic and met great people in the northeast. When we arrived at the Hiker Hut in Rangely, an amazing package full of goodies from Bob and his dog Buster was waiting for us. 

Look at all this awesome food! Definitely just we needed to get through the rough Maine terrain. Ever since we crossed into Maine, the trail has been crazy tough. I've climbed more ladders in the passed week than I have in my entire life. Roxy has tackled every obstacle like a champ. 

Ladder use is optional for Roxy. She usually finds an alternate route. 

In the package from Bob and Buster was a pink squeaky toy. Back home, Roxy doesn't get squeaky toys because they annoy me, but out here I allowed her to enjoy her special treat. Additionally I decided to pack the toy along since I only have a few more miles to go and my pack weight doesn't really bother me anymore. Every time we reach a summit or take a break, Roxy gets to play with her toy and she is so incredibly happy. I kind of feel bad that I haven't carried a toy for her all along. 

Playtime on the mountain :)

With the new toy along, Roxy is noticeably happier. The trail has definitely been wearing on both of us. We still have been doing about 20 miles per day, but they keep getting harder. The surprise trail Magic from Bob and Buster really reinvigorated both of us and got us pumped for these last few miles. As of now the plan is to summit the final peak, Mt. Katahdin, on October 9th hard to believe the end is in sight! 

Mountains as far as you can see! Once we reach the end we will have to find a new trail to follow :) 

Do I have to go back to the real world?

I decided to finally take a day off from hiking. During my thru-hike, I've only taken 3 true "zero days" without any hiking. Today is day #4. Since I am nearing the end of my hike, I decided to look into some real world issues I am going to have to deal with soon. The result was not pleasant.

I have no idea if I currently have health insurance, my bank account balance is slowly dwindling, my resume needs a major overhaul, and I definitely need to start looking for potential employment opportunities. I thought about updating my resume and writing a generic cover letter today, but all my prior job experiences seem so trivial and insignificant compared to what I am accomplishing out here on the trail. The idea of going into job interviews and pretending that any of my prior employments were stupendously incredible portrayals of my skills, just seems like such a joke. Of all my prior experiences, the only one that I am remotely proud of is organizing fundraisers for Friends for Animals. That actually required me to independently acquire and utilize a novel skill set. Being a good teacher was easy. Being a good student was even easier. Nothing about "working" was ever difficult. Not to sound too pompous, but when I decide to do something, I always do it well, so of course I was good at everything I set my mind to. (This is actually due to a personality disorder I've been diagnosed with. If you're curious here is more info about it: https://iocdf.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/OCPD-Fact-Sheet.pdf)

Anyway after a few hours of dwelling on the fact that the real world is looming in my near future, I've decided now is not the time to worry about it. Resume writing can get taken care of some other time. Whenever I think too much about what lies ahead, I like to make myself feel better by looking at all the pretty things that are around me right now, so here are a few pictures of how much better life is in the woods:

Fall is turning the forests into a beautiful kaleidoscope of colors. 

When in doubt, the AT always goes up the steepest rock in view.

But after you climb the steepest rock, you get to look back and see this.

At the end of a long day, it is nice to get home.

Beautiful views with my beautiful Roxy. The real world can wait.

White Mountain Wonders

Up above treeline in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

As I neared the end of Vermont, I had a temporary freak out about finally entering the White Mountains. According to my Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers' Companion guidebook "each year, carelessness ends in death for a a few visitors to the Whites." DEATH. Yeah, these mountains are intense. Everyone I've met recently has felt the need to share their horror stories about how tough the Whites are, and how it isn't possible to do 20 mile days in the Whites, and how there isn't any safe camping in the Whites. No matter who I talked to, everyone did their best to convince me that I was going to have a hard time in the Whites, especially with a dog in tow. I would have no where to stay, no where to get food, and no chance of maintaining my current hiking pace.

That pile of rocks is the trail. 

Map and elevation profile of Mt. Moosilauke

Wooden blocks cemented into a stone wall.

All the hype I kept hearing from everyone eventually started to get to me. I was planning on continuing my pattern of 20 mile days, but according to general consensus, that wasn't going to be possible. For me the problem with doing shorter days is that I have to resupply more often, and resupply points in the Whites are very limited. This stretch of the Appalachian Trail is definitely more remote, so finding places to get food for me and Roxy is a challenge.

But as with every challenge we've met along this adventure, Roxy and I decided to prove everyone else wrong. Day 1 hiking into the Whites we completed 23 miles and hiked over our first above treeline peak: Mt. Moosilauke. The summit was over 4,000 feet above sea level and the trail traversed many steep segments that were augmented with rebar, rock steps and wooden blocks for footing. Roxy of course navigated all these obstacles like a champ, and I carefully followed behind her. Although it was challenging, the trail was by no means as impossible as most people implied.

In retrospect, I'm not sure why I let the negativity of others influence my outlook on the Whites in any way. My very first real hiking experience was in the White Mountains during the winter. Several months later, I returned and hiked several of the peaks in summer. I didn't have any issues hiking the mountains during those two trips, so I should have been confident all along. However after constantly hearing about the difficulty of the Whites from so many hikers, I started to doubt my own memories. Maybe I didn't have an easy time during my last two trips to the Whites, or maybe hiking with a 35 pound pack would really make a huge difference.

The views from the summits are worth hiking all day for.

Turns out that just because everyone else thinks something is true, doesn't mean it has to become your reality. The Whites were my first love. They inspired me to find myself and focus on making my own reality. They showed me that I am strong and can overcome any obstacles. Last year when I was facing a very heart-wrenching and emotionally draining divorce, the Whites kept me moving forward toward a better future. The challenge of hiking over mountains kept my mind focused on what really matters rather then dwelling on all the heartbreak and manipulation I had put up with for 6 years. In the Whites is where I learned what really matters in life. This is where I first found purpose, strength, and peace. Although these mountains might seem tough to many hikers, for me this is a place of serenity and clarity, and no amount of physical challenge is too grand to stop me from doing what works best for Roxy and me. We will keep hiking 20 miles per day and loving every minute of it.

See those peaks in the distance? I'll be up there soon :) 

Things I Love About Vermont

I've been in Vermont for about a week, with only about 40 miles of the state left to go, and I am in awe of how outstanding this state is. The trail maintenance is superb, the people are friendly, and everything is beautiful.  

That's my brother Thomas hiking up to Bromley peak. 

Once again my dad came to visit me, this time with my brother Thomas, and we had the most amazing experiences. On the first day of hiking we were greater with trail magic for breakfast. A team of three hilarious men with a truck made us breakfast sandwiches and spoiled us with fresh fruit and beer. 

Trail magic! 

Our great luck in Vermont continued as we spent two days hiking with stunning views and perfect weather. 

Just taking in the awesomeness of Vermont. 

After Thomas and Dad departed, I had another perfect day of hiking over Mount Killington. The summit offered panoramic views, and even had an upscale lodge serving Starbucks coffee! This is the first time since Gatlinburg, TN that I have had actual brewed Starbucks, not just the instant Via coffee. 

Starbucks with mountain views, life can not get any better. 

Fancy lodge with fantastic food, electrical outlets, and real bathrooms!

To end this perfect day in Vermont, I arrived at Gifford Woods State Park, which for only $10 gave me a gorgeous campsite, hot water shower, free wifi and charging station, and Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Vermont knows how to treat its hikers!

Roxy enjoyed Killington Peak too. 

Happy in Vermont :) 

Hello Vermont

Officially reaching the northeast has been a thrilling point of my adventure. Seemingly overnight I've seen a drastic shift in many respects: mountains are higher, nights are colder, views are more spectacular, and my spirits are higher than ever. My first true mountain hiking experience was a day-hike up Camel's Hump Peak in Vermont several years ago, and ever since then I've been captivated by the stunning beauty of this state. 

Hiking in Vermont is a treat for all your senses. The Appalachian trail through this state finally veers away from major highways, so the background noise of speeding cares is no longer heard (this was an obnoxious issue in New York and New Jersey). The forests of Vermont even smell amazing. The first 40ish miles of Vermont were all pine forests, so with every step I felt like I was surrounded by a Christmas wonderland. 

Continuing north, I am now encountering stunning maple forests that are beginning to show signs of Fall. Many people travel to the northeast just to see the Fall foliage, and I'm going to spend an entire month walking through the epic beauty of colorful leaves. 

There is also no lack of water in Vermont. While in Pennsylvania and New York, finding decent drinking water was a constant challenge. In Vermont there seems to be a fresh mountain spring every few miles. Additionally, there is free food everywhere! Blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries have been a constant treat along the trail, but in Vermont there are also apple trees randomly growing throughout the forests.  Life is easy when the essentials are literally just a few steps away. 

To make this state even better, I got another visit from my dad! This time my younger brother tagged along as well, and we are going to hike the next two days together. Having great company on the trail always brightens my day and makes the hiking even more enjoyable. At the pace I'm going, I'll be out of Vermont and into New Hampshire in just a few days, but as always I am going to make the most of every moment I have along the way. 

Refreshed and reinvigorated

As much as I love the Appalachian Trail life, I had a very brief moment of melancholy sadness earlier this week. I'm getting closer and closer to the end of my journey, and I don't want it to end. I'm consistently hiking over 20 miles per day, and I've been pushing myself to reach the October 15th deadline for reaching the terminus of the Appalachian Trail at Baxter State Park (they close the final peak of the trail when winter weather hits due to safety concerns). 

Life can be messy, and even the AT is under construction. 

This week was full of milestones, beautiful views, and intense physical strain. And I loved every minute of it. I am having a hard time imagining a life where I am not physically working for ten hours a day. The thought of sitting at any kind of job feels like torture. For the first time in my life I feel truly alive. I'm using my body to take me to amazing places, and it feels so good. 

We've hiked over 1,500 miles!

Roxy continues to shock and awe me with her physical fitness. Her endurance and strength have grown exponentially. After hiking 20+ miles, we get to camp and she is ready to play. Her behavior out on the trail is perfect, and our bond is unbelievable. Again this is another thing about ending the trail that makes me sad: I'm going to have to spend time  apart from Roxy :( For the past three months we have literally spent every moment together. The thought of living in a world where I have to spend time away from her makes me very wary. I've grown to think of her as an extension of myself. We are inseparable and everything I do revolves around her needs. 

My better half :)

I have just over a month left of the Appalachian Trail, and I'm determined to make the most of every moment. When I got to town today and turned on my phone, I was blown away by how many encouraging messages and comments I had from family, friends, and even past acquaintances from the trail. I am so thankful for everyone who continues to follow and support my journey. It still humbles me to receive packages and letters from each and every one of you. The trail has been truly magical and has shown me how much good is left in the world. As I finish this journey I hope to find a new and remarkable path to follow. No matter where I end up next, I'm lucky to have such an amazing following of supporters :) 

The Appalachian is just one stop, life definitely has more fantastic places to take me. 

Peace and Clarity

Hiking the Appalachian Trail has allowed me to spend lots of time enjoying life and focusing on finding happiness. But as I wander ever closer to Mt. Katahdin and my final terminus, thoughts of what is going to come next have begun to creep into my mind. 

Wouldn't it be grand if life consisted of just following white blazes?

I've come to the conclusion that worrying about what comes next is a pointless exercise. On the Appalachian Trail, my only concern is finding the next white blaze which always leads me in the right direction. Life happens one step at a time. I plan on carrying this mentality with me on all my future endeavors. 

Changing states, but still following the same signs. 

Worry gets you nowhere, and even the best laid plans always end up falling apart. So I am not going to focus on the future. I am alive now, and you can't enjoy life if all you do is worry and plan for the future. 

So every time someone asks me "what's next?" or "what will you do when you finish?" my response is simply: I'll keep on living. 

America! The land of freedom and happiness :) 

Interest in Internet Waning

The longer I am out on the trail, the less I feel inclined to check Facebook, Instagram or any other sort of social media. The woods are so beautiful and peaceful, and I rarely have any sort of phone service. When I get into town, it is hard to spend time staring at a screen. So once again instead of a real blog post, here are some pretty pictures and quick updates. 

This is Roxy's new hiking partner. Bailey is hiking with her dad who is a retired marine. It has been awesome having another dog to hike with. 

These two little monsters are section hiking the Appalachian Trail with their dad. They are ten years old and hike 6-10 miles per day for about a week at a time. 

This bird looks like he is the messenger of death. 

Susy came to visit me to hike! The bugs are crazy vicious right now so the bug nets are a necessity. 

I have no idea what is coming out of this guy's butt. 

I stayed with a fantastic family in Duncannon and Jan made this delicious chocolate cake. 

Roxy is getting very wild out here. She sleeps outside by herself even if I'm staying in a hostel or in my tent.