Date: 2006-07-21
To: Aberdeen NC
Miles today: 0.0

More lists.First some of the best of and worst of: Favorites:Trail Section - Maine - had a little piece of every other state in it. Especially enjoyed the rivers and lakes.Scenery - Maine againTrail Angel - has to be Mrs Gorp. She took me in for four days. Honorable mention to my sister Charlene for getting me new hiking boots and Mr Leece in Pearisburg VA.Easiest trail section - Maryland and northern Maine Best:Trail Magic - found in GA thru TN and the NJ/NY areaHostel (and or B&B, motel, etc) - They were all good. Honorable mentions to Hikers Hostel, Blueberry Patch, Miss Janets, Kincora, Dutch Haus B&B, Holy Family Church, Terrapin Station, Church of the Mtn (DWG PA), Tom Levardis hosue, Hikers Welcome, Hikers Paradise, Stratton Motel, Shaws, AT LodgePizza - restaurant 1/2 mile west of road crossing at Caledonia SP in PAShelter - too many to nameTrail maintenance - is found in Maine due to the phenomenal job with stone work. Close 2nd was in the southern states (GA-TN)Easiest place to get a hitch - NJ, believe it or not. Close runner up was the Southern StatesFood - breakfast at Shaw's Boarding HouseWeather:Best - occurred in central and northern VAWorst - rain in Conn and MassColdest - NC (18 degrees at Winespring Campsite, record low)Hottest - in NY around Memorial DayUnpleasant but memorable:hardest trail - Glencliff NH to Andover ME. The White Mountains easily wins this award. Not only hard on the body but harder on the brain and overall trail maintenance was not very good. least enjoyable section - PA for poor scenery, rocks, dry ridgelines, limited trail angel activity and hard to get a hitch.shelters - cinder block shelters in TN just don't fit inHere's a list of the people that I can remember off of the top of my head. Some are hikers, hostel owners, trail angels or just plain ole people I met mostly in order from GA to ME. Sorry if I missed you and/or didn't remember your name. I met a lot of people!Josh & Leigh (Hiker Hostel owners), Batman, Robins Nest, Nose and the Pooler Bears, Wayfarer, Braveheart, Messeneger, Nuts, Crutch, The Bull, Sunset, Red Blaze, Mainiac, Gary, Pirate, the Staff at Neels Gap, Eugene (construction mgr for Benton MacKaye Trail), Gary & Lennie Poteat (owners Blueberry Patch Hostel), Lewis & Elizabeth, Jason & Jessica, Mother Mary, Nancy and Jeff Hoch (owners Hike Inn), Mtn Momma and her family, Curtis, Miss Janet, Pebbles, Trev (now aka Fatcamp), Moleman, Gary and his dog Pepper, Rachel & Ellen, Mrs Gorp, Jolly Green Giant, Elmer Hall and his staff (owners of Sunnybank Inn), Hit & Miss, The Travelling Dingleberries (Walt & Brian), Bone Pac, Guns of Jesus, Taco, Bob and Pat Peoples (owners Kincora Lodge), Lonewolf, Jeff & Dave (owners MRO), William, Graham, John and his dog Koby (The Tennessee Boys), Mark (w/ a backwards 'r') PaBert, Mr Gauthier (caretaker Holy Family hostel, Mr Leece (trail angel), Yahtzee, Woody Crow, D-Train, Inchworm, Cloud 9, Firefly (female), Bogie and Bacall, Easter Bunny (trail angel aka Greg), Julie (?, owner of CG near Jennings Creek), DoRag, Bleach, Mudrock and his dog Yellow Dog, Stamper, Nugget, Slip-n-slide, Coconut Monkey, Earl Sr, Earl Jr and Lois Arnold (owners Dutch Haus B&B), B-Man, Grateful Greenpeace Guy (aka as Mike, owner Terrapin Hostel), All the friends of Bill W in Carlisle PA, ATC office manger in Boiling Springs and the trail angel you hooked me up with for a shuttle, Hitch, 4 Bears, Don (mgr Pinegrove Furnace SP general store), Donna (? mgr Ironmasters AYH), the Mistress, Camo Doc, Gonzalez, Garlic Man, Pinky, Kpt Kangaroo, Lockjaw, Sunshine, Laurie at ATC HQ in Harpers Ferry, Jenn (ATC HQ volunteer), Redwing, Circuit Rider, Sundancer, Huff, Dreamer, Silverstreak, Stretch, Scout, Feather, Firefly (male), Chestnut, Bluebird (female), Red B and his dog LP (for 'low profile'), Chronic, Team Steve, Salsa, GI Jane, Rock, Lucky Pierre, Moses, Ron and Chrissy (trail angels), Bluebird (male) & Abandon, Sox & Elvis Trailsley (trail angels), Nick (AMC ridge runner), Anonymous in Kent CT, Rev Rose (? runs East Mtn Retreat Center), Caretakers at Upper Goose Cabin, Tom Levardi, 10-Speed, Attilla the Hun, Phatt Chapp (caretaker Hikers Welcome hostel), Bob Yarnold (a trail angel from Canada), All the Croos at the AMC huts, Madeline (? hiker/trail angel), Bruno Janicki and his wife (owners Hikers Paradise), Honey and Bear (owners The Cabin), Gary, Lefty, Sky, Oriain, Dirty, Heavy Foot, Ketch-up, Tin Man, Don Lema (owner Startton Motel/Hostel), El Duderino, Brits, Red Ranger, Buddy and the rest of the staff at Shaws Boarding House, Mart & Pat (Chestnuts parents), Don and Joan Cogswell (owners AT Lodge), Marta, Rowmin Goat, Viking and, finally, Skipole.