Day 0: 6 July A spork is the quintessential example of something less than the sum of its parts. Part spoon and part fork, it does a piss poor job serving as either utensil, its… Read More »A Special Place: four days in Denali National Park
Day 16: 14 April, 15.6 miles today, 210.4 miles total, Fontana Lake North Shore, Great Smoky Mountain National Park Number of people seen on trail: 0 At 0900hrs, the agreed upon time, I flicked off… Read More »In Search of Redemption on the Benton MacKaye Trail, part four: the long silk tunnel
Day 10: 08 April, 15.3 miles today, 141.2 miles total, Moss Gap, Cherokee National Forest, NC Number of people seen on trail: 1 I was sitting in the TelliCafe of Tellico Plains, working my way… Read More »In Search of Redemption on the Benton MacKaye Trail, part three: this wild land
Day 05: 03 April, 15.9 miles today, 66.6 miles total, Double Hogpen Gap, somewhere in northern GA Number of people seen on trail: 8 I hadn’t been sleeping well. My master plan for fixing this… Read More »In Search of Redemption on the Benton MacKaye Trail, part two: this land was made for you and me
Day 0: 29 March, 8.4 miles today (none on the BMT), 0.0 miles total, Springer Mountain Shelter, Springer Mountain, Chattahoochee National Forest, GA The AT approach trail is no fucking joke. After lallygagging for an… Read More »In Search of Redemption on the Benton MacKaye Trail, part one: a return to the scene
Day 19: 7 July, 21.1 miles today, 238.5 miles total, Story Spring Shelter, Green Mountain National Forest Days without rain: 4 It took me a while to figure out why the hostel owner in Manchester… Read More »Bugs, Bruises, and Bogs on the Long Trail, part 5: zen and the art of thru-hiking
Day 14: 2 July, 0 miles today, 166.2 miles total, Rutland, VT Days without rain: N/A Non-hikers always assume you’re exaggerating when you tell them that Rutland’s Yellow Deli—famous all along the Appalachian Trail for… Read More »Bugs, Bruises, and Bogs on the Long Trail, part 4: at home on the AT
Day 8: 26 June, 10.6 miles today, 96.7 miles total, Montclair Glen Lodge, Camel’s Hump State Park Days without rain: 0 Thru-hikers on most trails detest road walking and complain loudly whenever the path their… Read More »Bugs, Bruises, and Bogs on the Long Trail, part 3: sort of like almost having fun
Day 5: 23 June, 12.8 miles today, 65.9 miles total, Taft Lodge, Mt. Mansfield State Forest Days without rain: 1 The climb out of Bear Hollow was gentle and the walking was easy, but only… Read More »Bugs, Bruises, and Bogs on the Long Trail, part 2: American Ninja Whatever
Day 0: 18 June, 0 miles today, 0 miles total, Burlington, VT There was no escape from the fact that my decision to hike the Long Trail seemed frivolous, timed as was just as my… Read More »Bugs, Bruises, and Bogs on the Long Trail, part 1: in search of a piece of peace of mind