Hey there fellas, thanks for sending lots of stuff. The letters are a great read and keep us going. We miss home. We have recently found out that the post offices hold post for 30 days only. So please don't send anything to a post office after Cheshire Massachusetts, until we post a blog about our progress. The stuff that has already been sent further down should be ok (we can ring the post office up, but we don't want to annoy them by constantly contacting them with a new eta).Please don't let our "dynamic" schedule put you off from posting in the future, the original plan we posted at the beginning of our blog is constantly changing!
Thanks again.
Nic and G
XxX
Tuesday 29 September 2009
Glencliff NH
Glencliff NH
Dramatic change in terrain yesterday. People have been telling us for 2 months now that it gets a little flatter after Glencliff, and boy it did. We walked through a field with grass and everything yesterday, first time! Its been forest so far, but we walked through a beautiful open meadow, heard lots of new bird calls (no idea what birds they are yet), and the weather is still warm in the daytime. Before i forget, saw wild turkey near Crawford Notch at the bottom of the presidential range.
Saw our best views yet of a moose a couple of days ago, they use the trails just like us, so we meet them now and then. Usually we hear them run off, but we got a glimpse of a young female moose, but it was too quick for us to take a picture.
We are dodging acorns dropping off the trees right now, trees are changing colour, and the trail will be a different beast going forward. I can feel we are using different muscles on the flatter trail than we have been when climbing. We're already planning slightly longer days, will update you on progress when we can. Where the internet turns up again, nobody knows.
Thanks to 'Phatt chapp' at the 'Hikers Welcome' for letting us get in for the night to dry off after 24 hours of rain, and letting us use the net.
Oh, and thanks to T.S. Father turning up at Beaver Brook shelter with a stereo, playing Led Zeppelin, and cooking everyone food, with a creamy mushroom soup starter. It was almost civilized, apart from the smell of THE WORST privy on the A.T. lingering in the background.
We'll be in Hanover in 4 days. There is no long term plan (apart from walking to Georgia to catch a flight home), we just get up in the morning and walk South with Fall, and take in the countryside on the way....
G
Dramatic change in terrain yesterday. People have been telling us for 2 months now that it gets a little flatter after Glencliff, and boy it did. We walked through a field with grass and everything yesterday, first time! Its been forest so far, but we walked through a beautiful open meadow, heard lots of new bird calls (no idea what birds they are yet), and the weather is still warm in the daytime. Before i forget, saw wild turkey near Crawford Notch at the bottom of the presidential range.
Saw our best views yet of a moose a couple of days ago, they use the trails just like us, so we meet them now and then. Usually we hear them run off, but we got a glimpse of a young female moose, but it was too quick for us to take a picture.
We are dodging acorns dropping off the trees right now, trees are changing colour, and the trail will be a different beast going forward. I can feel we are using different muscles on the flatter trail than we have been when climbing. We're already planning slightly longer days, will update you on progress when we can. Where the internet turns up again, nobody knows.
Thanks to 'Phatt chapp' at the 'Hikers Welcome' for letting us get in for the night to dry off after 24 hours of rain, and letting us use the net.
Oh, and thanks to T.S. Father turning up at Beaver Brook shelter with a stereo, playing Led Zeppelin, and cooking everyone food, with a creamy mushroom soup starter. It was almost civilized, apart from the smell of THE WORST privy on the A.T. lingering in the background.
We'll be in Hanover in 4 days. There is no long term plan (apart from walking to Georgia to catch a flight home), we just get up in the morning and walk South with Fall, and take in the countryside on the way....
G
Wednesday 23 September 2009
Lincoln NH
We're in Lincoln New Hampshire, and nearing civilization again, so i can blog.
Right, ok, don't be alarmed, but we saw a BEAR! It was about 5 days ago before climbing Mt. Madison and ascending onto the ridge that Mt. Washington is on. Bear just came strolling along the trail, while Nic and i were looking for a spot to cross a river. I was in an uncompromising position at the time (river crossings make me go to the toilet, i can't really explain it, but it happens every time!), and the bear just strolled past, turned towards the river and crossed in a flash. Before we could even get the camera. It got to within about 10ft of us. It was a beautiful 1 year old male, and pretty harmless to humans.
'The Whites' (Presidential Mountains including Franconia Ridge - awesome) were hard, but not as hard as Maine. Big ups and downs, but we have almost finished the hardest part of the trail. 20% of the distance, but 50% of the effort is complete, so they say. We had a Maximum gust of 91mph on top of Mt. Washington, the rain was horizontal and didn't even touch the ground, it was crazy (but pretty safe!) and so no pictures unfortunately, unless you like pictures of fog/cloud. Sun came out down the valley and all was good within a few 1000 ft. High winds are due to its position under the jet-stream, apparently. I would google that but i'm on a meter at the moment.
Now the pressure is on to complete higher mileage days as the trail gets flatter, but we intend to increase our distances gradually, and continue to enjoy the trail, and the good company along the way.
I had a birthday party in a place called the Mahoosuc Notch, slowest mile on the trail. Its a boulder field that you have to climb through. So we put our hiking poles away and got climbing, it was great. A few squeezes and a bit of crawling. There was still some ice down there from last Winter, the temperature drops dramatically in the Notch and you get an icy blast every now and then.
Met an American guy on the trail who knew all the words to the George Best song 'Georgie, Georgie, they call him the Belfast boy'. Got pictures, it was so random and funny. Met a few Brits recently and had a good moan about how we miss British food (Pies mostly), and discussed the weather, as you do.
Listened to the Northern Ireland game against Poland on the internet, was disappointed with the result of the next game, but thats just the way it goes.
We are off our original schedule for our trip, just because we have realized you can't really plan the trail to fine detail, because you have to get on it to realize whats its all about, what the terrain is like under foot etc. We have been lucky with the weather, but we were walking in mud for the first couple of weeks, due to heavy rain in June and July. We got the heat wave in Maine in August which dried out the trails for us in South Maine, and the trails are better/different as you get South in general anyway. We're still learning, so we just listen to what our bodies tell us we can do. Safest way to hike.
We are off to finish the White Mountains now, and to watch the leaves change colour, next town Glencliff, then we walk right through Hanover, our first true trail town, first of many, can't wait!
G
Right, ok, don't be alarmed, but we saw a BEAR! It was about 5 days ago before climbing Mt. Madison and ascending onto the ridge that Mt. Washington is on. Bear just came strolling along the trail, while Nic and i were looking for a spot to cross a river. I was in an uncompromising position at the time (river crossings make me go to the toilet, i can't really explain it, but it happens every time!), and the bear just strolled past, turned towards the river and crossed in a flash. Before we could even get the camera. It got to within about 10ft of us. It was a beautiful 1 year old male, and pretty harmless to humans.
'The Whites' (Presidential Mountains including Franconia Ridge - awesome) were hard, but not as hard as Maine. Big ups and downs, but we have almost finished the hardest part of the trail. 20% of the distance, but 50% of the effort is complete, so they say. We had a Maximum gust of 91mph on top of Mt. Washington, the rain was horizontal and didn't even touch the ground, it was crazy (but pretty safe!) and so no pictures unfortunately, unless you like pictures of fog/cloud. Sun came out down the valley and all was good within a few 1000 ft. High winds are due to its position under the jet-stream, apparently. I would google that but i'm on a meter at the moment.
Now the pressure is on to complete higher mileage days as the trail gets flatter, but we intend to increase our distances gradually, and continue to enjoy the trail, and the good company along the way.
I had a birthday party in a place called the Mahoosuc Notch, slowest mile on the trail. Its a boulder field that you have to climb through. So we put our hiking poles away and got climbing, it was great. A few squeezes and a bit of crawling. There was still some ice down there from last Winter, the temperature drops dramatically in the Notch and you get an icy blast every now and then.
Met an American guy on the trail who knew all the words to the George Best song 'Georgie, Georgie, they call him the Belfast boy'. Got pictures, it was so random and funny. Met a few Brits recently and had a good moan about how we miss British food (Pies mostly), and discussed the weather, as you do.
Listened to the Northern Ireland game against Poland on the internet, was disappointed with the result of the next game, but thats just the way it goes.
We are off our original schedule for our trip, just because we have realized you can't really plan the trail to fine detail, because you have to get on it to realize whats its all about, what the terrain is like under foot etc. We have been lucky with the weather, but we were walking in mud for the first couple of weeks, due to heavy rain in June and July. We got the heat wave in Maine in August which dried out the trails for us in South Maine, and the trails are better/different as you get South in general anyway. We're still learning, so we just listen to what our bodies tell us we can do. Safest way to hike.
We are off to finish the White Mountains now, and to watch the leaves change colour, next town Glencliff, then we walk right through Hanover, our first true trail town, first of many, can't wait!
G
Friday 4 September 2009
Andover
Hey,
Stopped in Andover to pick up re-supply before doing a 5 day walk out of Maine into New Hampshire. Maine is about 300 miles long, and one of the larger states. It has felt like we were never gonna get out of it, but it's close enough to almost touch it now, feels good.
Next Town is Gorham in New Hampshire, i will hopefully update you on our Maine exit next.
Bugs have died down now a bit, but the weather is still hot. Weather is good up until next Tuesday, which is nice. Hopefully we can walk South with the nice weather all the way!
Nicole's birthday was great, we had balloons on the trail, hanging off her pack to help lift it off her back, and then we stopped in a town for food etc....
We're meeting so many nice people along the way, we're always in great company and enjoying getting to know our fellow thru-hikers.
Keep the comments coming, nice to hear from you all (Y'all!).
Nic and G
Stopped in Andover to pick up re-supply before doing a 5 day walk out of Maine into New Hampshire. Maine is about 300 miles long, and one of the larger states. It has felt like we were never gonna get out of it, but it's close enough to almost touch it now, feels good.
Next Town is Gorham in New Hampshire, i will hopefully update you on our Maine exit next.
Bugs have died down now a bit, but the weather is still hot. Weather is good up until next Tuesday, which is nice. Hopefully we can walk South with the nice weather all the way!
Nicole's birthday was great, we had balloons on the trail, hanging off her pack to help lift it off her back, and then we stopped in a town for food etc....
We're meeting so many nice people along the way, we're always in great company and enjoying getting to know our fellow thru-hikers.
Keep the comments coming, nice to hear from you all (Y'all!).
Nic and G
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
