weblog.mikeandrox.com
Graduate Record Exam.. dun dun DUNN!
Hey everybody! Just wanted to pop in quickly to say that I'm as ready as I'll ever be to take the GRE. At least I hope I am, because today is the big day! It all starts at noon and could take up to four hours. Yikes. This is the first major step for entrance into Grad School, though I'm told that OSU uses it as more of a stat sheet than an entrance exam.
In other news, we're headed to Virginia this weekend to hang out with my cousin for a few days and then we'll be meeting up with some trail buddies - Ziggy and Thin Mint near Manassas and then none-other than Mr. Snarky Snarkerson himself in our Nation's Capitol. It will be a great time!
I'm off to do some warmup questions, will write more later!
Mike
posted by Mike Anderson at
10:23 AM
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Our so-called lives
It's been forever again; sorry about that. Things are moving right along these days, all to quickly. In the almost four months since we left Katahdin's summit, we've been on a journey to find the next step. Roxanne is all set to start school in late March to begin a degree in Envirnmental Sciences. All of her paperwork is done, her student loans are ready to go and all she has to do is schedule classes! Exciting!
I, on the other hand, have a ton of work before me to get my application in for grad school. I will also be starting in late March, assuming all goes well, and so far I have gotten no further than an informational meeting with a recruiter from Ohio State's Urban Planning Master's program and the submission of my FAFSA. My GRE is scheduled for Feb. 2, so my next week and a half will be spent prepping for that beast of a test! After that, it's writing a profile paper and formally applying for the school.
Life is good in Columbus. We're loving our place in the Short North and connecting with several people from a small group that we've found ourselves involved with. We are still Church shopping, but glad to be connected with a great group of people out of Vineyard Columbus.
I can't believe it's almost been a year from our departure from the civilized world. This time last year, I was scared to death of what the AT was going to look like. I hadn't yet told my boss that I was leaving and we still had prep work to do to get our maildrops ready. Almost 11 months later, I am still unemployed and can't stop thinking about the great time we had, the lessons learned and the spiritual, mental and physical changes we went through.
I've really been meaning to get these stories out to the blog, but I've been focused on other things. I had hoped to have a new blog posted every week or so; we'll see how it goes. Something tells me I'll need a creative outlet to decompress after studying for this exam.
Thanks for being patient with us, stay tuned!
I, on the other hand, have a ton of work before me to get my application in for grad school. I will also be starting in late March, assuming all goes well, and so far I have gotten no further than an informational meeting with a recruiter from Ohio State's Urban Planning Master's program and the submission of my FAFSA. My GRE is scheduled for Feb. 2, so my next week and a half will be spent prepping for that beast of a test! After that, it's writing a profile paper and formally applying for the school.
Life is good in Columbus. We're loving our place in the Short North and connecting with several people from a small group that we've found ourselves involved with. We are still Church shopping, but glad to be connected with a great group of people out of Vineyard Columbus.
I can't believe it's almost been a year from our departure from the civilized world. This time last year, I was scared to death of what the AT was going to look like. I hadn't yet told my boss that I was leaving and we still had prep work to do to get our maildrops ready. Almost 11 months later, I am still unemployed and can't stop thinking about the great time we had, the lessons learned and the spiritual, mental and physical changes we went through.
I've really been meaning to get these stories out to the blog, but I've been focused on other things. I had hoped to have a new blog posted every week or so; we'll see how it goes. Something tells me I'll need a creative outlet to decompress after studying for this exam.
Thanks for being patient with us, stay tuned!
posted by Mike Anderson at
1:31 AM
0 Comments
This is an accident.
I know, I'm leaving you hanging. We've been too busy living life to write about it lately. In fact, the only reason I'm logged on right now is to fix an old post that some jerk decided to comment on by posting links to an adult website. So, if you're getting email updates and one looks familiar, but like it was written in 2008 - that's just me fixing things. So now, you will have to get through security to comment, sorry about that.
Anyhow, since I'm here; here's our schedule for the next week or so.
We got back from Charlotte, NC today, just in time to pick up the keys to our new apartment in Columbus' Short North/Victorian Village district. It's a 20 minute walk to The Ohio State University, 15 to Nationwide Arena, home to the NHL's Blue Jackets (who stink really horribly right now).
We're really excited about this, and we will be moving carloads starting tomorrow morning, then renting a truck for Monday! After that, it's unpack and get ready for Christmas! It's going to be sweet having so much family around, and everyone's Christmas celebration is happening on different days, so we won't have the chaotic "Four Christmases" scenario going on this year.
That's about it until I have time to write more. We'll get apartment pics up ASAP, just as soon as we figure out how to get a king size bed into a room that's just barely big enough for one. Isn't moving fun?!
Anyhow, since I'm here; here's our schedule for the next week or so.
We got back from Charlotte, NC today, just in time to pick up the keys to our new apartment in Columbus' Short North/Victorian Village district. It's a 20 minute walk to The Ohio State University, 15 to Nationwide Arena, home to the NHL's Blue Jackets (who stink really horribly right now).
We're really excited about this, and we will be moving carloads starting tomorrow morning, then renting a truck for Monday! After that, it's unpack and get ready for Christmas! It's going to be sweet having so much family around, and everyone's Christmas celebration is happening on different days, so we won't have the chaotic "Four Christmases" scenario going on this year.
That's about it until I have time to write more. We'll get apartment pics up ASAP, just as soon as we figure out how to get a king size bed into a room that's just barely big enough for one. Isn't moving fun?!
posted by Mike Anderson at
12:50 AM
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A Million Miles... to Cleveland
Earlier this week, we drove up to Cleveland for the day to check out the city and hang out before rolling over to North Olmstead to catch Donald Miller give a talk at RiverChurch. As I mentioned last post, Don Miller is one of my heroes - I absolutely love this guy and If you've ever read any of his books, you'll know why. He's so genuine and friendly that he becomes your friend instantly! In fact, he's written about the phenomenon, about strangers coming up to him and talking to him about things that he's written as if they were there when it happened. He's really that good! All that said, his talk did not disappoint. He gave an overview of the book (it is a book tour, after all) and then told some other stories about the book itself, and gave some really interesting commentary about writing and spirituality. After the talk, he did a signing - We were both so excited to meet the guy that we've been reading for years! We milled around for a bit, then hopped in line behind this lady that had four or five different books of his.
As we made our way to the front, I realized that she was telling him about each of these books, who owned them, what they are dealing with and how they're adapting to it; how they're writing their own story. It appeared that he truly appreciated the stories, so much so that by the time we got up to have our book signed, he was totally drained. Well, we were too, for that matter, and completely out of witty things to say; about how we're inspired and challenged by his words, about how much we value his thoughts on life, etc.
In fact, we wanted him to sign the blank page just behind the cover and we stood speechless as he flipped to the title page to sign. I shook his hand, we took a picture, and we left - completely happy, yet wondering why we just stood there, speechless. It was an odd moment, indeed.
Definitely, one of the highlights of our post-AT life! If you've never read this guy, you gotta! And if you live near us, I'd love to let you borrow our books!
Labels: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Blue Like Jazz, Cleveland, Donald Miller
posted by Mike Anderson at
11:50 PM
1 Comments
What's Next?
Hello! We haven't forgotten about you; hopefully you haven't forgotten about us! It's now been a month since we summited Mt. Katahdin to complete our thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Since then, we've driven 3,324 miles, stopping off to see lots of great friends along the way and enjoying some of our favorite cities.
View Larger Map
On our way to Florida, I found out that the Property Management company I was working with prior to the trail was forced to restructure after a merge with another company in Columbus. With regrets, they were not able to justify allowing me to return from my "Leave of Absence" and were forced to lay me off. When I broke the news to my father, he suggested that I take a couple of weeks to come farm-sit for them as they went to Connecticut and Mass. for a couple of church conferences.
I accepted, glad to help them out and having all the time in the world. Unfortunately, Roxanne's mom was going out of town the next week and needed Rox home to care for the dogs, so she wasn't able to come. She flew home from Charlotte and I drove to the farm, not realizing how hard two weeks apart was going to be after spending seven months within fifteen feet of each other.
So now we've got plans to make! Now that we're both unemployed, we have a real opportunity to reinvent ourselves. We're doing lots of soul searching, trying write our life stories in real time. I just finished this book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, by one of my favorite authors, Donald Miller. It's about rewriting his memoir, Blue Like Jazz, for a movie. Rewriting it because, while it was good for a book, it was far too boring for film. This inspires him to become a student of storytelling and then merging that experience with the life experience. The second half of the book challenges us all to live a better story; to live out our dreams, to share them with others.
It really hit me that the AT experience is really a catalyst for us to live free, not falling into comfort zones and grinding ourselves through the workday so that we can pay our bills. When Roxanne was convincing me to hike with her, I became a Work to Live type, rather than a Live to Work. The AT will not be our last big adventure, I assure you!
So what's next for us, we'll know shortly. I think there is some school involved for one or both of us, and definately another road trip or two as I seek employment in Columbus. We'll be moving into the city, hopefully in the campus area to enjoy the city that we were raised outside of.
We're still going through pictures from our trip and hopefully, we'll be filling you in on the stories that we didn't have a chance to tell while we were on the trail. I hope to have a great compilation of stories that will fill a scrapbook when we're finished.
Keep checking back (or subscribe) for more updates! Just because we're done with the AT doesn't mean we don't have things to talk about! We'll try to keep things fresh, too - maybe weekly updates? Until next time...
View Larger Map
On our way to Florida, I found out that the Property Management company I was working with prior to the trail was forced to restructure after a merge with another company in Columbus. With regrets, they were not able to justify allowing me to return from my "Leave of Absence" and were forced to lay me off. When I broke the news to my father, he suggested that I take a couple of weeks to come farm-sit for them as they went to Connecticut and Mass. for a couple of church conferences.
I accepted, glad to help them out and having all the time in the world. Unfortunately, Roxanne's mom was going out of town the next week and needed Rox home to care for the dogs, so she wasn't able to come. She flew home from Charlotte and I drove to the farm, not realizing how hard two weeks apart was going to be after spending seven months within fifteen feet of each other.
So now we've got plans to make! Now that we're both unemployed, we have a real opportunity to reinvent ourselves. We're doing lots of soul searching, trying write our life stories in real time. I just finished this book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, by one of my favorite authors, Donald Miller. It's about rewriting his memoir, Blue Like Jazz, for a movie. Rewriting it because, while it was good for a book, it was far too boring for film. This inspires him to become a student of storytelling and then merging that experience with the life experience. The second half of the book challenges us all to live a better story; to live out our dreams, to share them with others.It really hit me that the AT experience is really a catalyst for us to live free, not falling into comfort zones and grinding ourselves through the workday so that we can pay our bills. When Roxanne was convincing me to hike with her, I became a Work to Live type, rather than a Live to Work. The AT will not be our last big adventure, I assure you!
So what's next for us, we'll know shortly. I think there is some school involved for one or both of us, and definately another road trip or two as I seek employment in Columbus. We'll be moving into the city, hopefully in the campus area to enjoy the city that we were raised outside of.
We're still going through pictures from our trip and hopefully, we'll be filling you in on the stories that we didn't have a chance to tell while we were on the trail. I hope to have a great compilation of stories that will fill a scrapbook when we're finished.
Keep checking back (or subscribe) for more updates! Just because we're done with the AT doesn't mean we don't have things to talk about! We'll try to keep things fresh, too - maybe weekly updates? Until next time...
Labels: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, Appalachian Trail, Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller, Raod Trip, work
posted by Mike Anderson at
1:01 PM
1 Comments
Pictures: Maine!
I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since we finished our hike! Incredible!
We had a blast on our road trip back home to Columbus, so much that we took off on another road trip as soon as we got home! I'm kidding; it was planned. Since we left in March, we've had 9 babies added to our circle of friends, so we though we'd take a trip to go visit as many as we could! We stopped in Nashville to see Jeremy and Katherine who had Wyatt, and now we're in Sarasota, Florida to see Jason and Christina and thier daughters Kansas and Ysabella and baby boy Boston. Next, we head up to Charlotte to see Theresa and Josh (no babies) and Matt and Meghan who are expecting Jack Fenway any minute!
In the meanwhile, I managed to get some pictures up! Enjoy!
We had a blast on our road trip back home to Columbus, so much that we took off on another road trip as soon as we got home! I'm kidding; it was planned. Since we left in March, we've had 9 babies added to our circle of friends, so we though we'd take a trip to go visit as many as we could! We stopped in Nashville to see Jeremy and Katherine who had Wyatt, and now we're in Sarasota, Florida to see Jason and Christina and thier daughters Kansas and Ysabella and baby boy Boston. Next, we head up to Charlotte to see Theresa and Josh (no babies) and Matt and Meghan who are expecting Jack Fenway any minute!
In the meanwhile, I managed to get some pictures up! Enjoy!
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| AT Pics: Gorham, NH to Abol Bridge, ME |
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| AT Pics: Katahdin! |
posted by Mike Anderson at
8:35 PM
1 Comments
Stairway to Heaven
We walked on The Golden Road to the Abol Bridge Campstore to find out that it was more of a truckstop/souvenir stand than anything else. Excited about burgers and sodas, we ordered a pizza sub and a double cheeseburger and watched the lady toss the pre-packaged sandwiches into the microwave. "Interesting," I think to myself. "My last town meal before Katahdin is a truck stop microwave burger. Maybe it won't be so hard to start eating like a normal human again."
From Abol Bridge, we hiked back into the woods and signed in at the entrance to Baxter State Park. Our group of 10 (One Step joined the Dragon the night before) would be the only hikers staying at The Birches that night. After that, we slowed down our hike and really savored our time in Baxter. We had a couple of big stream crossings, but mostly flat terrain to take us home.
Sleeping was tough for me. For some reason, I keep waking up at 3 AM. Usually, I can get back to sleep but this was the morning of Katahdin! It's like Christmas morning times 10! I found out that everyone else had a hard time, too. We were all running on adrenaline by daybreak - ready to make our final climb.
We all left the shelter and went to the Ranger's Station to leave unnessecary weight behind. Since we were going up and back, all we needed to carry was food, water and cameras. The weather was posted on the sign-in kiosk; it would be a Class II day. Not quite perfect weather, but nice enough to keep all of the trails open in the park. As we left, the top of the mountain was covered in a train of clouds. We had a good feeling the the clouds would soon lift and our moment would be clear as a bell.
The hike started easy, then moved above treeline and became a cold windtunnel. We layered up and stowed our hiking poles knowing that it would be a hands on climb for a few thousand vertical feet, into that train of clouds.
As we ascended above the boulders, the clouds began to lift and thin and there it was - Baxter Peak, the top of Mt. Katahdin, the end of our journey. Everyone forgot their pains instantly, the load was lifted and we were floating to the top!
For about an hour, we shivered as we celebrated our moment. We have been watching updates from the people hiking to the top before us; celebrating their moment with them, but this was our time on top of the peak. Our time to touch the sign, our time to scream as loud as we could, wiping the tears away. It was amazing.
And now it's time to enjoy it. We're taking almost a week to get back home, touring New England on the way back to Ohio. Camden, Bar Harbor, Acadia and Portland, here we come!
-- Gezza
posted by Mike Anderson at
10:21 AM
0 Comments
The End.
posted by Mike Anderson at
5:14 PM
3 Comments
The Beginning of the End.
Delayed Post: 9/22/09, 9 PM.
As expected, cell coverage in the 100 Mile Wilderness is hard to come by, so I am writing this knowing that it won't go out until I happen upon a signal.
The wilderness is fantastic. It's really been a highlight of the trip, not just because it's the last leg of the trip, but because its unimaginably gorgeous. There are clear bodies of water every few miles and the leaves are changing by the minute. We've caught a glimpse of Mt. Katahdin at least once each day since summitting White Cap, where I took the picture from the last update.
After White Cap, the trail became really flat. When we were planning how many days the wilderness would take, we decided that we could do two 20+ mile days and get to Abol Bridge on the 6th day after slackpacking the first day. This has worked out well, but has been quite an effort. We topped our longest unsupported day by hiking 25 miles yesterday! It took hiking three miles in the dark, but it allowed us to camp on an amazing sand beach under a star-filled sky. There were owls and loons calling to each other all night - it was beautiful.
Unfortunately, we had a small accident last night as well. When the nine of us were crowded around the campfire to cook, a pot of boiling water got tipped over and splashed all over Top Shelf's feet. It was horrifying; knowing that there was nowhere to find help for miles, no cell coverage, nothing. Her feet blistered immediately and I still don't know how she's able to walk, but she made it to the tent and got into her sleeping bag. With the help of a powerful painkiller, a handful of Advil and God's mercy, she was able to sleep through the night and wake up in the morning with significantly less pain.
We walked 18 miles today and she made us all look bad. She kept a 3 MPH pace the entire day and left me and several other members of The Chinese Dragon in the dust! It's unreal how tough she is, I'm so proud.
Tomorrow is our last full day of hiking, which is very strange to think about. We have 7 miles to Abol Bridge, the entrance to Baxter State Park. While there, we'll pick up a few supplies, drink some coffee and sign in for the shelter reserved for Northbound thru-hikers, The Birches. We will spend the rest of the day hiking in Katahdin's shadow, then going to bed early so we can wake up before sunrise to start up The Great Mountain. I can't believe the day has finally come!
The feeling is bittersweet. We want so badly to stop hiking, but we have this community traveling with us that will soon be split up and scattered across the country. We're really going to miss it.
The weather has been outstanding lately. A bit cold at some times, annoyingly humid at others, but we've made it through Maine with only two small showers of sprinkles thus far. Before we left Monson, it looked like rain on the 23rd and 24th; but last I checked the 23rd showed latenight showers and the 24th, our summit day, is showing partly cloudy with only a small chance of rain - it seems our praying has paid off!
This is so exciting, wish you could all be here! Can't wait to show you what the top of Mt. Katahdin looks like with us on top!
-- Gezza
As expected, cell coverage in the 100 Mile Wilderness is hard to come by, so I am writing this knowing that it won't go out until I happen upon a signal.
The wilderness is fantastic. It's really been a highlight of the trip, not just because it's the last leg of the trip, but because its unimaginably gorgeous. There are clear bodies of water every few miles and the leaves are changing by the minute. We've caught a glimpse of Mt. Katahdin at least once each day since summitting White Cap, where I took the picture from the last update.
After White Cap, the trail became really flat. When we were planning how many days the wilderness would take, we decided that we could do two 20+ mile days and get to Abol Bridge on the 6th day after slackpacking the first day. This has worked out well, but has been quite an effort. We topped our longest unsupported day by hiking 25 miles yesterday! It took hiking three miles in the dark, but it allowed us to camp on an amazing sand beach under a star-filled sky. There were owls and loons calling to each other all night - it was beautiful.
Unfortunately, we had a small accident last night as well. When the nine of us were crowded around the campfire to cook, a pot of boiling water got tipped over and splashed all over Top Shelf's feet. It was horrifying; knowing that there was nowhere to find help for miles, no cell coverage, nothing. Her feet blistered immediately and I still don't know how she's able to walk, but she made it to the tent and got into her sleeping bag. With the help of a powerful painkiller, a handful of Advil and God's mercy, she was able to sleep through the night and wake up in the morning with significantly less pain.
We walked 18 miles today and she made us all look bad. She kept a 3 MPH pace the entire day and left me and several other members of The Chinese Dragon in the dust! It's unreal how tough she is, I'm so proud.
Tomorrow is our last full day of hiking, which is very strange to think about. We have 7 miles to Abol Bridge, the entrance to Baxter State Park. While there, we'll pick up a few supplies, drink some coffee and sign in for the shelter reserved for Northbound thru-hikers, The Birches. We will spend the rest of the day hiking in Katahdin's shadow, then going to bed early so we can wake up before sunrise to start up The Great Mountain. I can't believe the day has finally come!
The feeling is bittersweet. We want so badly to stop hiking, but we have this community traveling with us that will soon be split up and scattered across the country. We're really going to miss it.
The weather has been outstanding lately. A bit cold at some times, annoyingly humid at others, but we've made it through Maine with only two small showers of sprinkles thus far. Before we left Monson, it looked like rain on the 23rd and 24th; but last I checked the 23rd showed latenight showers and the 24th, our summit day, is showing partly cloudy with only a small chance of rain - it seems our praying has paid off!
This is so exciting, wish you could all be here! Can't wait to show you what the top of Mt. Katahdin looks like with us on top!
-- Gezza
posted by Mike Anderson at
8:15 AM
0 Comments
Last Week's Highlights, 100 Miles Left!
It's unbelievable that we're so close! We've spent the last two weeks in Maine, digesting the fact that we walked here from Georgia. We get asked fairly often how far we plan to walk and the answer until now has been "to Maine." Now that we're in Maine, our focus has shifted to Katahdin. The locals all know why we're here and they are thrilled to share in our excitement. We've stopped in Andover, Rangeley, Stratton, Caratunk and Monson, celebrating Maine each time. The next town we'll see is Millinocket, after our summit of Katahdin - I can't wait!
The terrain has gotten easier since the Bigelows, but we've had to ford a couple of rivers since. Not too bad, it hasn't rained in a while so the water hasn't been deeper than our knees, but it sure is COLD!
The worst ford on the trail is across the Kennebec River. It's so bad the the official way to get across the river is to use the canoe ferry provided by the Maine Appalachian Trail Club! The boat has the trail's only mobile blaze painted inside the hull and it is usually operated by Hillbilly Dave, four hours each day.
There's definately a nip in the air. We've gotten into the 30's the past few nights and I'm still hiking in shorts! The leaves are changing very fast; the colors are better and better each day. We've been told that we're "right on time" for the past two weeks by the locals - it is a fact! We're right on time for the fall colors - absolutely amazing!
We're still running with our big group and loving every minute. We're calling ourselves The Chinese Dragon, as we've taken to hiking as one big group of 9 people for at least part of the day - it's a blast! It looks like we'll all be summitting at the same time - what a day that will be!
We expect to summit before the weekend, but we're not sure how the weather will work out. Unfortunately, I'm thinking that we'll be without cell coverage for a while, which might make this our last update before the big day! If we can get something out sooner, we will. Until then, please keep us in your prayers and pray for the continuation of sun in Maine!
-- Gezza
posted by Mike Anderson at
12:37 AM
1 Comments
Good Morning from Avery Peak
Avery Peak also happens to be the first real opportunity for hikers to see Katahdin, though it's a stretch and squint to see it. We're fairly certain that we saw it this morning - the end is actually and literally in sight!
Also this morning, we passed the 2000 mile mark for 2009. The traditional 2000 mile mark is coming up later today; the number painted on a road. Exciting stuff! We'll be in Caratunk tomorrow, have a great day!
Gezza
posted by Mike Anderson at
9:11 AM
1 Comments
Story time with Fat Kid
For those of you that thought we were just coming out here to sit around the campfire and roast marshmellows, this story is for you.
When we caught up with the Comrades a few weeks ago, Fat Kid had just picked up "The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks. Someone cohersed him into reading it aloud to the group at night, chapter by chapter. We came into the reading mid-book, joining right in the middle of a steamy romantic scenario and of course, became hooked. Sadly, the book ended the other night; two girls cried (not naming names), but the memory remains in our hearts forever.
I can't believe it's coming to an end. So exciting, but so sad. We're going to miss these crazy people. Thank goodness for facebook. I can't wait to sit down and look at millions of tagged photos of us and our friends!
By the way, I had my first experience with karaoke in Stratton, ME last night. It was a blast! I'm not sure if we're invited back after we took over the mics and dance floor, but I know some people enjoyed it!
Go Bucks!
-- Gezza
posted by Mike Anderson at
9:39 PM
0 Comments
This and That
Just wanted to update you folks and let you know that everything is going well for us and we'll be hitting Stratton today, as planned. Top Shelf's ankle is still sore and fragile, but is usable. I've been doing what I can to help her through the rocky terrain and big stepdowns as they come, but she's been able to keep her normal pace through the ascents and flat stretches without much help! That's awesome!
We'll continue to pray for improvement and ease as we make our way closer to the final stretch.
I forgot to mention that we switched footwear in Gorham. The new boots that arrived in Hanover, NH were shredded within two weeks and are both being replaced by Kayland and Vasque under warranty. In the meantime, we decided to try out some trail runners, knowing that Maine has some pretty wet spots and running shoes dry out much faster than boots.
Top Shelf is wearing LaSportiva Fireblades and I'm sporting the Adrenaline model from Brooks. So far, so good! I sent my replacement boots home, Top Shelf sent hers to Monson just to be sure her ankle would be ok without the extra support.
Also, I now have two dependable trekking poles that will hopefully get me to Katahdin without breaking! I'm back to using the Black Diamond Terra CF poles, but Black Diamond sent me the stronger aluminum parts to repair my broken pole from earlier. I liked the upgrade so much that I ordered the same parts for the other pole!
Today, we cross the plaque that marks having only 200 miles left to go! Our minds keep drifting to thoughts of post-trail life, both good and bad. I'm looking forward to that first haircut, but saying goodbye to the lumberjack beard is going to be tough!
We'll continue to pray for improvement and ease as we make our way closer to the final stretch.
I forgot to mention that we switched footwear in Gorham. The new boots that arrived in Hanover, NH were shredded within two weeks and are both being replaced by Kayland and Vasque under warranty. In the meantime, we decided to try out some trail runners, knowing that Maine has some pretty wet spots and running shoes dry out much faster than boots.
Top Shelf is wearing LaSportiva Fireblades and I'm sporting the Adrenaline model from Brooks. So far, so good! I sent my replacement boots home, Top Shelf sent hers to Monson just to be sure her ankle would be ok without the extra support.
Also, I now have two dependable trekking poles that will hopefully get me to Katahdin without breaking! I'm back to using the Black Diamond Terra CF poles, but Black Diamond sent me the stronger aluminum parts to repair my broken pole from earlier. I liked the upgrade so much that I ordered the same parts for the other pole!
Today, we cross the plaque that marks having only 200 miles left to go! Our minds keep drifting to thoughts of post-trail life, both good and bad. I'm looking forward to that first haircut, but saying goodbye to the lumberjack beard is going to be tough!
posted by Mike Anderson at
8:43 AM
1 Comments
Strangely Rangeley
We had a blast in Rangeley! We split a room at a lakeside motel called the Town and Lake with Cous Cous, Fat Kid and Wheeler - it was awesome! The Birds (three beautiful ladies from Colorado) and Dusty Bottoms were in the room next door. We hung out all day and then went to Sarge's Pub to celebrate our entry into Maine - it was a great night!
Later though, after we got back to the motel, Top Shelf tripped on flat land and twisted up her ankle. It was horrible! We stayed an extra day in paradise so that she could rest it and it seems to have healed enough to continue walking - we shall see. Keep us in your prayers - we're so close! Only 220 miles left to go! We'll make it, it's just a question of how long it'll take us to get to Stratton, what should be a three day hike.
Hope you're all doing well! We'll be seeing some of you soon, we're so excited!
-- Gezza
Later though, after we got back to the motel, Top Shelf tripped on flat land and twisted up her ankle. It was horrible! We stayed an extra day in paradise so that she could rest it and it seems to have healed enough to continue walking - we shall see. Keep us in your prayers - we're so close! Only 220 miles left to go! We'll make it, it's just a question of how long it'll take us to get to Stratton, what should be a three day hike.
Hope you're all doing well! We'll be seeing some of you soon, we're so excited!
-- Gezza
posted by Mike Anderson at
9:43 AM
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Climbing through the Mahoosucs
A long, long time ago, there was an earthquake that completely rocked two mountains just across the Maine border. The result is a huge boulder pit that formed between the mountains - the notch, and steep, rocky climb up to the northern peak - the arm.
The notch is a mile long, and can take from one to four hours to complete. We were able to do it in two and a half hours, which was acceptable considering the amount of laughs that we had trying to get both us and our packs through that mess! I had to take my pack off three times to squeeze through tight places - Top Shelf only dropped her pack once, but could have probably kept it on if she wanted to.
There were three completely enclosed squeezes and several clusters that we had to really stretch and pull ourselves around - contorting our bodies in ways that we never have before. There was also a pile of bones from a moose that fell into the notch a few years ago - I can only imagine how horrible the notch was as that beast was decomposing!
We camped right after the notch so that we could save the arm for the next morning when we were fresh, and I'm glad we did! The arm wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it would have been miserable if done right after the slowest mile on the AT!
The climb takes hikers to the Speck Pond area, a beautiful pond that sits at an elevation of 3500 feet - very high for a body of water! It is absolutely gorgeous and you can only get there by a good, solid climb!
After that, Maine got much easier and much more beautiful! We're so excited to be here - it's truly the cherry on top!
posted by Mike Anderson at
7:10 PM
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Pushing strong into Maine!
Seriously, the last two days of New Hampshire and the first few days of Maine were absolutely gruelling. We just haven't had time to keep things updated, so I will do my best to get some stories out as we are sitting in Rangeley, ME on a half day.
Before we made it to the state line, we had to negotiate some of the nastiest descents we've had so far. The scariest was a guantlet made of sandstone slabs that were about at steep as the biggest playground slides you could imagine. There was nothing we could do except get on our butts and slide down without sliding off the cliff.
After that, this group of hooligans - the Comrades - met us at the Maine border and made us wrestle them across the state line. We've been with at least two of them at all times since.
More to come later, more pictures too!
posted by Mike Anderson at
6:17 PM
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The Promised Land!
posted by Mike Anderson at
7:53 PM
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Fresh Pics
We're taking an impromptu zero day in North Conway, NH before we take on Wildcat Mountain and the last two days of the Whites. We've had awesome weather for most of the week, but today was 100% chance of rain, so we are staying with M&M, a former thru-hiker, who has opened her condo up to 14 thru hikers! Boofer, BluRay, Frankenfoot, Zen, Leif E, Stud the Dud, Kiwi, Fat Kid, Wheeler, Couscous, McBride, McLovin and ourselves have been watching movies all day and doing absolutely nothing! It's a blast!
We've also been going nuts with photos and everyone has had their turn to upload millions of pictures, including us:
Enjoy! We'll be in Maine in two days!
-- Gezza
We've also been going nuts with photos and everyone has had their turn to upload millions of pictures, including us:
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| AT Pics: Manchester Center, VT to Gorham, NH |
Enjoy! We'll be in Maine in two days!
-- Gezza
posted by Mike Anderson at
6:48 PM
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What a difference a day makes!
From there, the day seemed to get worse, no matter how hard we tried to shake it. By the time we got to the bottom of Mt. Webster, grey clouds moved in and by the time we were summiting, a full on wet windstorm was waiting to greet us. We quickly scaled the cliffs, crossed Mt. Jackson and cruised into the hut to arrange work-for-stay.
The huts in the Whites are pricey and require a reservation. However, thru-hikers are often allowed to do work for stay, allowing us to sleep inside on the floor and consume any dinner leftovers. At Zealand hut we did dishes and scrubed down the cast iron stove, last night at Mizpah all we had to do was give a little presentation to the paying guests. It was awesome!
We left Mizpah as heroes and made our way across the Crawford Path (AT) towards Mt. Washington, the centerpiece of the Whites! It is a completely clear day today, with a rare view of the Atlantic Ocean beyond the ridges. We're currently sitting at Lake of the Clouds Hut, enjoying a Pumpkin Curry soup and hot chocolate. It's 40 degrees out, with 40 MPH winds - Freezing!
Gotta scram! We have a mountain to climb!
- Gezza
posted by Mike Anderson at
11:06 AM
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Over the ridge, closer to Mt. Washington!
Well, we're moving right along! By the end of the day, we should be about halfway through the Whites!
Yesterday, we walked across the Franconia Ridge above treeline as we watched a storm roll right over the mountain and engulf Mt. Lafayette just as we started to climb it! We got sprayed with rain and pelted with hail, and it was a blast!
Now, we're drying our socks out in the sun at the Gailhead Hut, enjoying tw
posted by Mike Anderson at
11:38 AM
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Welcome to the Whites!
Today, we summitted Mt. Moosilauke in a blowing mist of clouds that hit us half way up our ascent and turned into a full on thunderstorm on our way down the notoriously slick and steep descent! It was AMAZING! Generally, we both get bummed out when it rains, but this time was different; this time we were fighting with a giant!
We haven't climbed this high in a very long time, especially not in one shot - 3500 feet of elevation gain without switchbacks! We got above treeline, then went right back down the steepest descent that we'll have in the Whites - all while having fun in a storm - great stuff!
We are now at Chet's One Step At a Time hostel drying out and scratching together a plan for the Whites. At the same time, I've been setting up and figuring out the new smartphone - the HTC Ozone - it seems like a winner, and I'm pretty sure Top Shelf wants one just like it to replace her phone, which I sat on and broke while we were in Hanover.
Anyhow, we're back to blogging wirelessly now, so assuming we'll get a signal we will be updating much more frequently.
Keep us in your prayers, the forecast for the next few days is pretty nasty!
--Gezza
posted by Mike Anderson at
11:16 PM
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We're in the Ivy League!
Hello from Hanover, New Hampshire! Home to Dartmouth College, the only school that has the AT running right through it! We've had a beautiful time in Vermont, so far it is one of my favorite states, but still behind Virginia. The climbs were pretty steep and eye-opening considering we are three days from the Whites - an out-of-shape hikers nightmare. Not to say that we're out-of-shape, but we're not the super hikers that we hoped we'd be by now.
We filled our last week in Vermont with stops along the way for each day. We hit the Inn at the Long Trail for burgers and beer for lunch after we climbed down from Killington, then we hit a general store/farm stand for ice cream and blackberry pie and the day after that, we hit up Cloudland Farms for organic Vermont mint ice cream paired with organic Vermont root beer! We also scored trail magic from a guy named Tim that we saw hiking south the next day, and we had a coke at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party - a plastic chair set up at the 500 miles-to-go mark!
That's right, less than 500 miles to go! 441.8 to be exact! We've slowed down our pace considerably this week and will continue to ease our way through New Hampshire - it's simply not possible to climb these mountains and do the mileage that we've been accustomed to in the mid-Atlantic states and even through Massachusetts.
Still no smartphone, yet - Verizon sent another dud to me in Hanover, so I've been working with Customer Service all day yesterday and today to get a different phone altogether. Things are looking good, and I should have a new HTC Ozone by Friday when we reach Lincoln, NH after we climb Mt. Moosilauke, one of the most dangerous, slick and steep climbs that we'll have to do. Surely, we'll have something to blog about, assuming we'll have service!
Thanks for sticking with us through the whole ordeal, we'll be back to regular posting as soon as we can!
Keep us in your prayers; the Whites are no joke! We're anxious about making our way through them, but considering we've come 1736 miles, we should be able to get through it without incident!
Love you guys!
--Gezza
posted by Mike Anderson at
3:08 PM
1 Comments
3/4 down, 1/4 to go......
Heading out on the trail this morning after a wonderful weekend in Vermont! We had a great time in Rutland at the Long Trail Festival. There was good music and best of all good company! We got to see so many people we have not seen in a while. It is strange, but we are all on the same page with how we are feeling at this stage in the trip. We are all getting tired, accumulative fatigue, and ready to be done. At the same time it is getting sad that we are almost done... bitter sweet. We also got to go to a Ben & Jerry's scoop shop which is based out of Vermont... we went three times in one day!!
We hitched out of Rutland and back to Manchester Center on Sunday morning. We went to the outfitter to fix Mike's broken stay in his back (support rod), then to the grocery to pick up some food for dinner. The Green Mountain house is amazing because it is an entire house just for hikers, so we have a real kitchen to cook in! Saturday we had a gourmet breakfast with hash browns, eggs and bacon. Friday night Sailor J made us some amazing meatloaf! Anyway, we got back to the hostel and spent the afternoon watching a lot of TV eating pints of Ben & Jerry's and popcorn... it was great!
We are well rested and heading out this morning with out our comrades that we have been hiking with. Sailor J is hiking with his brother for a while and Lunch Box is behind us somewhere. We lost him when he went home to Boston for a visit... we haven't seen him for almost two weeks now!! We hope to see him soon. We also found out that Bison is only a few days behind us, so we hope to see him soon as well!
Mike's phone needs to be replaced... again... it will be his 5th! Unfortunately, we will not get it until Hanover, NH so we won't be able to post until then. We are excited about the next state and getting into the White Mountains!!
Thank you all for your support and we will up date you as soon as we can!!
- Top Shelf
We hitched out of Rutland and back to Manchester Center on Sunday morning. We went to the outfitter to fix Mike's broken stay in his back (support rod), then to the grocery to pick up some food for dinner. The Green Mountain house is amazing because it is an entire house just for hikers, so we have a real kitchen to cook in! Saturday we had a gourmet breakfast with hash browns, eggs and bacon. Friday night Sailor J made us some amazing meatloaf! Anyway, we got back to the hostel and spent the afternoon watching a lot of TV eating pints of Ben & Jerry's and popcorn... it was great!
We are well rested and heading out this morning with out our comrades that we have been hiking with. Sailor J is hiking with his brother for a while and Lunch Box is behind us somewhere. We lost him when he went home to Boston for a visit... we haven't seen him for almost two weeks now!! We hope to see him soon. We also found out that Bison is only a few days behind us, so we hope to see him soon as well!
Mike's phone needs to be replaced... again... it will be his 5th! Unfortunately, we will not get it until Hanover, NH so we won't be able to post until then. We are excited about the next state and getting into the White Mountains!!
Thank you all for your support and we will up date you as soon as we can!!
- Top Shelf
posted by Roxanne Anderson at
8:47 AM
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Vermont - Picture Perfect!
Hey y'all!
We're well into Vermont now! I can't believe it! We're staying the night at the Green Mountain House in Manchester Center, VT. This is an amazing hostel that has a very nice computer and no time limit! I was able to upload, fix and label pictures this afternooy, so enjoy!
Tomorrow, we're taking a bus from Manchester to Rutland, VT for the Long Trail Festival. We'll be back to the hostel Sunday night and will hit the trail again on Monday.
I recieved a new phone from Verizon, but it doesn't work either - figures. We'll be working on that problem this weekend while we're in Rutland.
Maybe a Top Shelf composed blog tonight.. we'll see!
--gezza
We're well into Vermont now! I can't believe it! We're staying the night at the Green Mountain House in Manchester Center, VT. This is an amazing hostel that has a very nice computer and no time limit! I was able to upload, fix and label pictures this afternooy, so enjoy!
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| Unionville, NY to Manchester, VT |
Tomorrow, we're taking a bus from Manchester to Rutland, VT for the Long Trail Festival. We'll be back to the hostel Sunday night and will hit the trail again on Monday.
I recieved a new phone from Verizon, but it doesn't work either - figures. We'll be working on that problem this weekend while we're in Rutland.
Maybe a Top Shelf composed blog tonight.. we'll see!
--gezza
posted by Mike Anderson at
5:44 PM
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Hiking on the Appalachian Stream
We got into Dalton, Mass. early on Friday, after a two-day long wade through the Appalachian Stream. It has been incredibly wet lately, so much so that we were greeted with the front page of The Berkshire Eagle's headline "Pounding rains make July the wettest in 70 years: Another day, another deluge"! We've had to literally wade through knee-deep water in places, as there is nowhere to step to the side of the trail, no alternate route. The trail maintainers here have done their absolute best to make the trail passable, but there's just too much water and the bare footpath makes the path of least resistance easy for the water to flood.
Even still, we're having a great time in Massachusetts, though it is far too short of a state. We will enter Vermont tomorrow, as we've slackpacked Mt. Greylock with the help of Rob Bird, of The Birdcage hostel. Rob is an amazing guy; like Dick, Butch and Bill at the Outhouse in Unionville, he opens his home to hikers, free of charge and with the understanding that we are friends staying at his house for however long we need to. He picks us up off the trail, takes us anywhere we need to go, takes us further up on the trail so we can walk back to his house (slackpacking) and stocks his refrigerator with cold, cold beverages for us to enjoy! He's really a jewel out here, and we love the guy!
Mt. Greylock is the highest point in the state of Massachusetts and as I mentioned a second ago, Rob helped us slackpack the mountain from the Northern low point, up to the summit, then down and back to Dalton, a total of 22 miles. We were able to go with just food, water and a first aid kit, so it felt as though we were walking on air without our huge packs! The summit was completely engulfed in a cloud, so we weren't able to see any views, but we were able to eat at the Bascom lodge, and that was amazing! Much later in the day, I took a spill on some muddy rocks and broke a trekking pole; the second of the trip. I tried to reinforce the break with duct tape, but it didn't hold and the next time I needed to shift my weight to the poles, it gave and caused me to bust my shin on a rock as I was flipping over it, then I bumped my head on another rock. Not fun, but I am ok. Luckily, Ron found a pole that someone left behind that I can use until I can get my broken one fixed. Again, what a jewel that man is!
It seems things break in multiples sometimes. My phone has bitten the dust again! Verizon is calling it a software crash, and a new Motorola Q will be waiting for me in Manchester Center, Vermont when we arrive on Friday. Sadly, there will be no updates until then. I promise I will resume blogging as soon as possible, and with beautiful pictures of Vermont. We're running into tons of SoBo's (Southbounders) that say that Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are just spectacular! They're also telling us that it's been pretty wet, so hopefully we can keep "thinking like a duck" and not let the rain get to us. We've read that several have given up lately, just because of the rain; this will not happen to us!
Hope you are all doing well, we'll update as soon as we can!
posted by Mike Anderson at
1:30 PM
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MASSACHUSETTS
Virginia and the mid-atlantic section also caused us to forget what it was like to climb mountains! We had three consecutive climbs the other day, taking us over 2000 feet for the first time in a month or more!
We've had decent weather lately, except for the humidity. This appears to be something we'll simply have to get over, at least until temperatures start to drop as we get into New Hampshire.
We have been dodging some pretty awesome storms lately, sometimes arriving at the shelter just minutes before the rain. Monday, we climbed over Mt. Everett as thunder storms approached faster than we could walk. We hit the summit as the winds where whipping through and by the time we hit the shelter a mile away, the storm had moved on, leaving a beautiful sunset and no rain! The only thing better is when the storm dumps on us after we're all in the shelter for the night!
Yesterday, we woke up and got on the trail by 6:15 so that we could get into town early. We were pleasantly surprised by the sight that we found on the ridge before our descent. The entire valley below was covered in clouds, it was amazing!
We're currently in Great Barrington, Mass., a cute little town at the base of the Berkshires. It's sprawled out pretty far and tough to get around, but we're managing for the short time that we're here. We'll be in Dalton, MA by the end of the week and we'll update from there!
posted by Mike Anderson at
9:36 AM
0 Comments
Pictures!
Hey everyone! I forgot to bring my photocard tot he library, but I was able to lebel a good bit of the pictures from the last two albums, so here are the links! Enjoy!
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| Harpers Ferry to Unionville, NY |
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| Catawba, VA to Harpers Ferry, WV |
posted by Mike Anderson at
5:02 PM
0 Comments
Over the hill! 2/3 done!
Also, we've found the rain that we (have not) been missing! For the most part, we've avoided walking in the rain this week, but the storms in the evening make the humidity during the day horrible! Our clothes get soaked within the first hour of walking, then remain that way until we stop for the day. It's hard on the skin to be wet all of the time, as you can imagine.
The bright side is, Massachusetts is right around the corner, likely Monday! We..ve also got a couple of small stops planned that should be interesting, so watch for those
Till then, we' be going as far as we possibly can in a day. Think of us anytime you're blessed with A/C!
The picture is from us crossing into CT from NY. Sometimes a Sharpie says enough!
posted by Mike Anderson at
2:22 AM
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New York, New York
The Zoo was a lot of fun; always interesting to walk in crowds with full packs! All the hikers talk about how weird it is to see the animals that we coexist with locked up in cages. I'd have to agree, but I'm glad the place exists for people that don't 'get out' much.
After the zoo, we jumped on a bridge and walked right over the Hudson River. It was neat to think about how long ago the area was settled and how many things that old river has seen!
The terrain has been pretty rocky, with several pointless ups and downs to make things even more rough! I have to say, the scenery has been gorgeous! The northern states are certainly giving the South a run for their money! We'll be in Connecticut before you know it!
-- gezza
posted by Mike Anderson at
10:39 PM
0 Comments
