Date: 2013-08-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So it's been quite some time since I've had a post and I must apologize for that. Traveling through the Mid-Atlantic took its toll on me mentally and totally sapped my desire to write. From New Jersey to Vermont I battled mosquitos night after night. We decided that you have to be a special kind of person to endure that kind of torture. I was happy when I left New Jersey, home to some ferocious mosquitos and a plethora of ticks. I only ever found a couple of ticks on me. Deer ticks are almost invisible and can carry Lyme disease which has afflicted several hikers this year. I consider myself lucky. New York was a bigger challenge than I thought. There were some pretty tough sections requiring some boulder scrambling that, when coupled with the heat, would wear you down. New York is also called the "deli walk" because, on most days, you can find at least one deli within a mile of the trail. I ate a lot of hero's in New York. Once I crossed the border into Connecticut I knew I was in New England. Quaint little trail side towns were filled with perfect homes and safe streets. Kent, Ct is one that sticks out in my mind. The woods of Connecticut were beautiful and blended seamlessly into Massachusetts. This is where the trail starts to get going again. Mt Greylock, on the northern end of the state, rises over 3400 feet, the tallest mountain I'd traversed since Virginia. But Vermont...Vermont was the state I'd been waiting for. I knew that if I could make it here, I could go all the way. It was such a beautiful hike too. Long, remote stretches allowed me to hike all day and see maybe one paved road. The woods were quiet again and it was such a delight. The most memorable mountain had to be Killington Peak at 4241 feet. The view from the top was incredible. I could see myself living in Vermont and I miss it. But as awesome as Vermont was, it can hardly hold a candle to New Hampshire. I just completed hiking through the Presidential Range of the White Mountains and it has been epic. The Whites are no joke and I have complete respect for these mountains. The trail is more difficult than I ever could have imagined. When I say the trail goes straight up and straight down mountains, I mean it. Huge boulders stand in your way, rock fields require navigation, and sheer faces call for four point climbing at times. It is exhausting work. Doing ten miles in the Whites leaves my body feeling like I've done twenty five miles somewhere down south. But with all this work comes great reward. I caught Mt Moosilauke and the Franconia Ridge, all above tree line, on perfectly clear days and the views were amazing. I made the climb up to Mt Washington yesterday, the second tallest mountain on the AT at 6288 feet. This thing is a monster. It is like walking on the moon on the climb up as the mountain is littered with rocks and completely devoid of vegetation at that elevation. It feels great to know that I've made it this far. The 14 or so miles above tree line around Mt Washington were simply amazing. I was lucky to have caught some great weather while I was hiking up there. Great views and, more importantly, safe travel. The terrain is treacherous enough as it is, no need to toss in a nasty storm. So as it stands now I have hiked 1866.5 miles from Springer Mountain to Pinkham Notch, where I caught a ride into Gorham, NH. I have 319.4 miles remaining and I could not be more excited to walk them. Katahdin or bust. I added a few photos from the past couple of days.