Category: Uncategorized

• Woody

I said those words or something like them dozens of times during my last few weeks in the south as I finished up my thru-hike; the timing of my flip meant that the trail was nearly devoid of thru’s when I got back down below the Mason-Dixon. Starry-eyed section hikers and enthusiastic day-trippers were full of questions as I neared the end and, while I appreciated their interest, I couldn’t match their enthusiasm – not with almost 3,000 km under my belt. This section was my Scouring of the Shire (if you’re into the books), my fifth ending to Return of the King (if movies are more your thing). My last 3:55 of “Hey Jude.” An extended coda that was beautiful and moving and overstayed its welcome just a little bit. Come to think of it, this here blog post feels kind of similar. I’m wholeheartedly grateful to anyone who took time out of their life to read about my hike and look at my little pictures. I hope they inspire you to tackle some kind of foolhardy adventure of your own. Now that it’s all said and done, I think I’m ready to take a break from the internet for a while. Maybe I’ll go for a walk?

The Stats: 

Springer Mountain, GA: 0.0km/0.0mi

Mt. Katahdin, ME: 3,517.6km/2,198.5mi

Total: 3,517.6km/2,198.5mi

Days: 124

Mileage per day: 28.4km/17.7mi

Zero mileage days: 17

Mileage per day, net of zeros: 32.9km/20.5mi

Max. daily mileage: 57.3km/35.8mi

Min. daily mileage: 7.7km/4.8mi

The Details:

September 5th – 551.2km/344.5mi Travel Day – 0.0km/0.0mi

September 6th – 551.2km/344.5mi Travel Day – 0.0km/0.0mi

September 7th – 551.2km/344.5 Travel Day – 0.0km/0.0mi

September 8th – 551.2km/344.5mi Uncle Johnny’s – 0.0km/0.0mi

September 9th – 512.0km/320.0mi Nature’s Inn Hostel – 39.2km/24.5mi

September 10th – 471.7km/294.8mi Little Laurel Shelter – 40.3km/25.2mi

September 11th – 440.0km/275.0mi Hot Springs, NC – 31.7km/19.8mi

September 12th – 440.0km/275.0mi Hot Springs, NC – 0.0km/0.0mi

September 13th – 398.4km/249.0mi Groundhog Creek Shelter – 41.6km/26.0mi

September 14th – 357.9km/223.7mi Tri-Corner Knob Shelter – 40.5km/25.3mi

September 15th – 332.8km/208.0mi Gatlinburg, TN – 251.2km/15.7mi

September 16th – 332.8km/208.0mi Gatlinburg, TN – 0.0km/0.0mi

September 17th – 204.4km/184.0mi Spence Field Shelter – 38.4km/24.0mi

September 18th – 253.6km/158.5mi Creekside Paradise – 40.8km/25.5mi

September 19th – 217.8km/136.1mi Rufus Morgan Shelter – 35.8km/22.4mi

September 20th  – 176.8km/110.5mi Tentsite – 41.0km/25.6mi

September 21st – 137.8km/86.1mi Standing Indian Shelter – 39.0km/24.4mi

September 22nd – 111.0km/69.4mi Stanimals – 26.7km/16.7mi

September 23rd – 55.0km/34.4mi Tentsite – 56.0km/35.0mi

September 24th – 0.0km/0.0mi Springer Mountain – 55.0km/34.4mi

BONUS September 25th – Amicalola Falls State Park Approach Trail – 14.1km/8.8mi

• Poet

Shaw’s Hiker Hostel does a brisk business in Monson, ME at the gateway of the 100 Mile Wilderness. The proprietors Poet and Hippie Chick are devoted to the trail and live in service of the people walking on it. The hostel is the last town stop for most northbound thru hikers and the first stop for SOBOs. Every morning they serve a breakfast like you wouldn’t believe and shuttle exhausted, excited, nervous NOBOs back to the trail to begin the final leg of their journey. If you’ve made it this far in a thru the significance of the moment needs a poet to describe it and Poet understands this. The morning I took off into the 100 mile he joked with us as we loaded up, shared some trail history during the short drive to the trailhead, and recited a haiku to send us on our way. And he told us he was proud of us. I needed to hear that. I was proud of us, too.

The Stats: 

Erwin, TN: 551.2km/344.5mi

Mt. Katahdin, ME: 3,517.6km/2,198.5mi

Total: 2,967.4km/1,854.0mi

Days: 104

Mileage per day: 28.5km/17.8mi

Zero mileage days: 11

Mileage per day, net of zeros: 31.9km/19.9mi

Max. daily mileage: 57.3km/35.8mi

Min. daily mileage: 7.7km/4.8mi

The Details:

August 20th – 3,089.8km/1,931.1mi Grafton Notch – 22.4km/14.0mi

August 21st – 3,117.9km/1,948.7mi Sawyer Notch Trail – 28.2km/17.6mi

August 22nd – 3,149.6km/1,968.5mi Sabbath Day Pond Lean-To – 31.7km/19.8mi

August 23rd – 3,181.8km/1,988.6mi Poplar Ridge Lean-to – 32.2km/20.1mi

August 24th – 3,216.2km/2,010.1mi Hostel of Maine – 34.4km/21.5mi

August 25th – 3,216.2km/2,010.1mi Hostel of Maine – 0.0km/0.0mi

August 26th – 3,247.4km/2,029.6mi Hostel of Maine – 31.2km/19.5mi

August 27th – 3,269.0km/2,043.1mi Pierce Pond Lean-to – 21.6km/13.5mi

August 28th – 3,305.4km/2,065.9mi Bald Mtn Pond Lean-to – 36.5km/22.8mi

August 29th – 3,334.1km/2,083.8mi Monson, ME – 28.6km/17.9mi

August 30th – 3,364.6km/2,102.9mi Cloud Pond Lean-to – 30.6km/19.1mi

August 31st – 3,403.4km/2,127.1mi Logan Brook Lean-to – 38.7km/24.2mi

September 1st – 3,440.3km/2,150.2mi Potaywadjo Spring Lean-to – 37.0km/23.1mi

September 2nd – 3,475.5km/2,172.2mi Rainbow Spring Campsite – 35.2km/22.0mi

September 3rd – 3,509.3km/2,193.3mi Foster Field Campground – 33.8km/21.1mi

September 4th – 3,517.6km/2,198.5mi Khatadin – 8.3km/5.2mi (BONUS Knife Edge/Helen Taylor Trail descent route: approx. 6.4km/4.0mi)