Steve Mackey AT Hike

• August 25, 2009

Mike Fuller came to visit me in Monson ME and we hiked together through the hundred mile wilderness, and climbed Katahdin on Sunday. The big adventure is over, and it's back to the real world.

For some reason I expected the 100 mile wilderness to be fairly flat and fast, but the first two days were more like steep and hot. I had planned on doing it in five - 20 mile days, but we ended up with 15, 15, 20, 20, 25. We passed a lot of lakes and swam on a sandy beach the one day to cool down a little and try to clean up a bit.

On White Cap Mountain we got of nice view of Katahdin 70 miles away. It was the last of the 3,000 foot plus peaks (other than Katahdin). It had a tremendous amount of rock steps on the downhill side.

It surprised us how many day hikers were in the wilderness. I guess there are a lot of logging roads that are maintained well enough to be used by autos. We even got trail magic a couple of times (sodas and bottled water). We stopped by White House Landing (a wilderness fishing resort accessible by boat) and had pizza for dinner. The owner was a little upset that we weren't staying the night. (He is having a poor season and is concerned he may not survive)

We had good weather through the wilderness and the mud was even drying up. We had heard all the horror stories about the south bounders having endless rain, mud, and dangerous river crossings, and were grateful that rain pattern had finally broken. The river crossings were easy, other than the fact that you had to keep changing shoes.

The summit of Katahdin was in a cloud, but we got some great views before and after we were at the summit. I felt good only having to climb 5 miles with a day pack so I fired up taking only about 2 and a half hours. The climb had a lot of big rocks where you had to use your hands a lot. I was worried that it was going to be dangerous on the way down, but the rocks had great traction and it was fun.

Thanks to everyone that visited and provided trail magic. I know and met a lot of really wonderful people. It was a great adventure.

• August 12, 2009

We are in Stratton, Maine. We should hit 2000 miles tomorrow. Yesterday we got rained on twice, and today there was a 70% chance of rain, so we took a zero day. In actuality it is nice out, but there are dark clouds now and then. The only big mountains we have left are the Bigelows and they should be done tomorrow. We should be in Monson in four days or Sunday.

From there we hope to do the 100 mile wilderness in 5 days, so the finishing day should be 10 days from today or Aug 22nd. The weather has been all over the place with brilliant sun and rain practically everyday. (If you don't like the weather just wait a few minutes.) I've been trying to eat more frequently and not even wait until I get hungry, and it appears to be helping. I feel strong and the finish is just around the corner.

• August 06, 2009

I'm in Andover, Maine. I passed the 1900 mile mark yesterday. I saw my first moose just before I left New Hampshire. I went through Mahoosuc Notch yesterday. Some say it is the hardest mile on the AT. It is a narrow valley with giant boulders that you have to go over, under, through, and around. It took me an hour. I had to take my pack off three times in order to drag it through some narrow openings. One of the guys at the previous shelter said he had to take his off seven times. In some of the shady spots there is still ice from last winter. You could feel the coolness when you were near it. I put my hiking pole away because you had to use your hands a lot. You also had to do a lot of leaping.

The trail in Maine so far has been very rugged. There have been no ridges, you're either going up sharply or going down sharply. We appear to have a good stretch of weather so the mud is drying, and the bed rock, that you're on a lot, is a lot easier and safer dry. I bagged Old Speck today. I only had to go .3 miles to the summit. I'm trying to get all the 4000 footers that the AT goes over or almost goes over.

I had a heck of a time hitching into Andover. The hostel will pick you up, but I didn't have cell reception. It was 8 miles to town and a car went by about every 15 minutes. After five went by, I thought I would start walking and if I saw anyone outside I would ask to use their land phone. After about 1.5 miles a pickup truck came by, and gave me a ride. It was greatly appreciated.

I forgot last time to mention that I saw Jean Holcomb. (The Gorham library was charging me $1 per half hour, and my time was almost up) She was on Mt. Wolf which is north of Mt. Moosilauke. She looked in good spirits, she has had to contend with some really rainy weather. I wish her the best, it's a long way, and a long time.

• August 03, 2009

I'm in Gorham, NH. I have about 16 miles of trail left in NH, so I should be in Maine tomorrow. I have a little under 300 miles to go. The Whites have been very hard. The AMC huts are about 7 miles apart, and one of the crew at the first hut said that a good plan would be to try to go to every other hut, so that is basically what we've been doing. The weather has either been great or terrible. It has rained almost every day but sometimes only at night. The trail has been steep, rocky, muddy, and slippery. When the rocks are wet (which is usually) they are almost like ice. I figure I have taken a fall at least 2-3 times per day, but so far I haven't gotten hurt.

You can stay at the AMC huts and do work for stay. Which means that for a little bit of work you can have dinner and breakfast leftovers, and get to sleep on the dinning room floor. They officially take 2 or 4 thru-hikers depending on the size of the hut. But they seem to have a lot of flexibility and often take more. At our first hut Gale head they took 7 of us, and we all got plenty of food. At Lakes of the Clouds Hut by Mt. Washington, I was the fifth hiker in, and got to stay in the dungeon for $10 and no food. They were very inflexible, but I understand, they are there for the paying costumers.

Last night I decided to hike the section near the Wildcats southbound so that maybe I could stay at the last hut (Carter) and maybe do one more work for stay. I got there around 4:00, which is when you are suppose to and they already had 8 south bounders. They let four work, so I got to spend another $10 and got no food. So I was 1 for 3, good thing I brought some food along just in case.

I think I've lost all the body fat I've ever had, so I'm kind of on the edge of good health. I think on the trail, I'm not getting enough to eat, so I'm trying to hit all the towns I can to get enough food. Maine doesn't have many towns to hit, so I'm a little worried about this last stretch. The good part though is that it is the last stretch. A couple more weeks (plus a few days) and I'll hopefully be climbing Katahdin.

• July 25, 2009

I'm in Glencliff, NH. There are a little less than 400 miles left. It has been raining a lot and the trail is a muddy mess. It also is getting steeper with bigger mountains. I will be climbing Moosalaki tomorrow. It is suppose to have great views so hopefully it will be sunny. I tried to do the 40 miles from Hanover in 2 days, but I got a late start Thursday.

The Bave sisters and Dan Dolan visited and treated me to breakfast (which was a very nice treat). I was all set to stop at 14 miles on Thursday but I figured I better do the six now because there was no way I was going to do 26 the next day. The last six miles was up Starter Mtn. I ended up doing the last two in the dark. It was cloudy and about to rain any minute and the mountain went on and on and on.

When I finally got to the summit and the old ranger cabin, everyone was asleep so I went to bed with no dinner. Between the big endless climb and the no dinner, and the mud, yesterday I had no zip so thirteen miles was all I could manage. So I'm at the hostel in Glencliff today pretty early and I will just relax and refuel.

• July 22, 2009

I'm in Hanover, NH. Another state, 12 down and 2 to go. I haven't seen Jean Holcomb yet, but she is pretty close. I hope I don't miss her being in town or something.

I had some nice visits from friends and family this past week. Ken Austin brought in some beer and home made cookies last week. I almost missed him. Someone was hiking southbound and asked if any of us was named "Legs". When I said yes, she said that someone had hiked into the shelter with trail magic, but that were heading out, and that if I hurried I might be able to catch them. I got to the shelter, dropped my pack, and ran 1.3 miles to the parking area and Ken was in his car ready to go. (Talk about cutting it close). Anyway thanks Ken, the beer and cookies were appreciated.

Mike Fuller hiked with me all weekend and got a good taste of what trail life is like. (I think he is ready to quit his job and continue with me). We were suppose to hike the trail together when we both retired, but I got anxious and jumped the gun a few years. Mike hopes to hike it in eight years.

My wife Licia, Jim and Maureen Coutant and family, and Mike Fuller and family, all enjoyed dinner at the Inn at the Long Trail on Sunday night. Jim and Maureen brought me some awesome cookies and treated me to a couple of Long Trail Ales.

I also got to see Gwenn Rippon on Monday and got to see her dad's house which is very close to a trail crossing. She brought me some homemade donuts and fresh fruit. Thanks Gwenn.

With all this food I've mentioned you might think I'm getting plenty to eat, but in reality I'm afraid to take my shirt off and Mike said I look like an Ethiopian.

I got rained on last night, but that is the only "bathing" I've had in a while, so very soon I have to get out of the library and get a shower and some clean clothes before they arrest me for imitating a human being.

• July 16, 2009

I'm staying at a hostel in Manchester Center, VT It costs $15 and includes soda's, ice cream, and cereal for breakfast. Also laundry, showers, internet, phone, flat screen TV all included. I think I'll stay here forever.

My nephew Jim, hiked in 10 miles this morning and surprised me at Stratton Pond. It was good to see him, and catch up on all the store news. I'm at mile 1636, and have 538 to go. So today was the 3/4 or 75% done mark. The view from Stratton was pretty hazy, but the pond was really nice. It even has a pair of loons.

We had a little rain this morning, but after I packed up as fast as I could, it cleared up and was a nice day. (I sort of hope it rains tonight while I'm in the hostel)

My buddy Mike Fuller is going to meet me tomorrow night and hike with me all weekend. We hope to be in Rutland Sunday evening and all eat at the "Inn at the Long Trail" (It is a classic thru hiker stop). Anyone that can make it is certainly welcome.

Thanks again to Neil and Jackie Parker for their wonderful hospitality.

• July 15, 2009

I'm presently at Bennington, VT on the trail, though physically I'm at Neil Parkers house in Schenectady. Neil and his wife Jackie hiked the trail in 1999, and they have graciously given me trail magic and fed me and put me up for the night.

The weather has been cool and sunny and though Vermont is pretty muddy, it is drying out. If we can get a few more sunny days, it should make for smooth sailing.

Neil is going through my hiking guide and highlighting all the good places to eat, and all the good hostels to stay at, for the rest of the trail.

I should hit the 3/4 done mark tomorrow, and be close to 1600 miles.

I was chatting with someone, and watching where to put my feet this afternoon when I walked into a substantial blow down with my head. I've got a pretty good bump and had a little bleeding, but I think I'm a little smarter. I think I will look up a little more often.

• July 12, 2009

I'm in Cheshire, MA staying at a hostel for the night. I hope to meet my mother, Licia, Bob, and Cheri for dinner tomorrow in North Adams. I get to go over Mt. Greylock tomorrow. I could see it from a long distance away today.

I saw a bear cub today. It was scampering up a tree right next to the trail. I couldn't see what it was at first because it was on the other side of the tree. When I realized what it was, I figured mom would be on her way soon, and I better get out of here. I was close enough to touch it. I wish I could have got a picture. I never did see the mother, but I'm sure she was on her way.

My little toe is still bothering me. It is rubbed raw where it touches the next toe, and the toe nail is all loose. I wish it would heal a little. Getting a little tired of the big miles, I might try and slow down a little.

We had a huge thunderstorm last night. I'm glad we weren't on the top of a Mtn. because the lightening was all around. It cleared by morning, so none of my stuff got wet except the tent. I dried it off today by the railroad tracks, it took about 5 minutes, since it was so sunny out.

Anybody that wants to hike with me, I'm as close as I'm going to get this week. Because it is a pain to spot cars, the best solution is probably to hike towards me and then we can visit and maybe go to dinner if we are near a town. Let me know. Also if you want to hike Katahdin it will probably be around mid August.

• July 9, 2009

I'm in Salisbury, CT. and will hit Mass. later this afternoon. Licia came to visit and I took my first zero day since Damascus. We went to the Norman Rockwell Museum, I really enjoyed it. It cost $15 each though, that hurt a little and we shared a cup of coffee for $2. It's a lot easier to hike today mentally after having a break.

I got stung by another bee on Monday. I was just on the trail through a farm field and I must have been somewhere near a nest. He tried to sting me through my wool sock so he didn't get me too bad. (Though he did get my attention).

Hitchhiking in Penn, NJ, NY, and Conn. has been nonexistent so it will be nice to get more rural and hopefully be able to get a ride to town once in a while. Also the towns in Conn. are either upscale and ritzy or there is nothing there.

I got my mother's cell phone activated. The number is 518-409-3200. It is T-moble and coverage appears to be a little sketchy but hopefully you can get a hold of me if you want to visit.

• July 6, 2009

I'm in Kent Conn. Kent, CT. at the moment, though I hope to do another 7 miles before dark. I hit 1450 today, so I'm officially 2/3's. This morning when I was exiting the outhouse, there was some (flies) buzzing around my head and when I went to swish them away I realized they were bees. I ran to the shelter and thought I was rid of them, but I got stung 3 times, and killed a bunch that were on my fleece. If it's not bears or snakes, it's bees.

Am hoping Licia can come visit for a few days. I'm getting a little tired of just hiking, and would like to do some tourist stuff, for a change of pace. I lost the AT for a little while this morning, but got to see a cool covered bridge over the Housatonic River. It said during the Revolutionary War, George Washington crossed over it several times with his army.

Am hoping to have my family come visit and have dinner out in North Adams Mass. I should be there around next Monday evening.

I've been doing a lot of planning and fooling around so I can hit restaurants or stores at least once a day. They have become the highlights of my day.

• July 4, 2009

I hit NY the other day. It was nice to be so far along. I just crossed the Taconic Parkway and am attending a 4th of July party. I have about 23 miles left in NY and then on to Conn. I did about 20 miles today and it seemed to take forever because I was looking forward to getting here. I've done about 1400 + miles so I will be 2/3 of the way in a day or so.

Harriman state park was really tough. The trail went up every mountain around. I did 6 fairly major climbs yesterday. I had to cross a stream today where the stepping stones were under water. I thought I had a viable route, but the rock was slippery and I ended up completely in the water. I switched to my other shoes for most of the day.

I've been doing twenty milers plus, but I'm getting a little worn out. Hopefully Licia will come to visit soon, and I can slow down a little. NJ was much wilder than I expected. Even from the overlooks there were mountains and forest as far as you could see. I saw 2 bears, I'm up to 20 total. I also saw a rattlesnake yesterday and got some good pictures. I saw him first, before he rattled.

In Jersey I was camping near a town and a bear came near. I yelled and shined a light at him and he climbed a tree right near the tent. Since he was scared of me, and I was scared of him, I thought it wise to move the tent across the road, nearer civilization.

• June 28, 2009

I'm in Delaware Water Gap, PA. That means NJ tomorrow. It is around 70 miles, so I hope to hike it in three days. There are all of a sudden a lot of section hikers around. The church hostel I'm staying at, is really full.

My feet are a little beat up, but today I only did 7 miles, (have to get my new sleeping pad at PO tomorrow). Hopefully the easy day will help me recuperate. Went to church today. They have a jazz concert in town tonight, so that will be a nice change.

Tomorrow should be the end of the rocks. Having beat up feet and rocks didn't work out so well. It will be good to get clear trail and pick up the pace a bit. Had a bunch of thunderstorms the other night, so I had to pick a campsite and set up the tent in about 3 minutes. I beat the rain, but I noticed a few rocks and sticks under the tent in the morning that I wish I had removed.

Should have lots of stores and restaurants for the next couple of weeks. Also I should get to see more bears in NJ, it has the highest concentration on the trail.

Another 120 miles and I will be 2/3 done.

• June 25, 2009

I'm in Palmerton PA, (Lehigh Gap). Pennsylvania is flying, I only have about 40 miles left. (two days). I hit the 1200 mile mark the other day. I got the new boots in Port Clinton. I had to hike fast all day to make sure I got to town while the post office was still open. I also was a little worried that LL Bean would send the boots UPS and then I wouldn't know what to do. But they sent them Parcel Post and all is well. There was four guys hiking to town, all to get new boots. My old boots had got holes in the bottoms and were letting in mud and water. I had to cross a stream by wading through the water and I was considering tossing them then, but for some reason wearing my camp shoes caused one of my little toes to start bothering me. I ended up wearing the old boots one more day. The new boots fit pretty well, but I'm getting some toe jam going down hill.

I saw a huge rattlesnake the other day. Another guy saw him first, but I was nearby and got to see him cross the trail. We didn't aggravate him. so he didn't rattle. He was around 5 feet long, and about as thick as my (skinny arm). He had a rattle that was around three inches long. He was way bigger than any I saw out west.

Pennsylvania is famous for having rocks, and I was thinking the other day that they really weren't that bad. Well, we finally got the real rocks. They aren't continuous, but when you get them, you really get them. I had about a half mile of them today and you pretty much don't touch the ground when you are in them. They slow you're pace down to at least half. If I had to hike in them all day I think I would go insane.

I saw some ripe blueberries today. I ate a few, but I was anxious to get to town. I had a sub at subway, it was awesome. I think the best thing about the hike, is hitting towns and getting the things you've been missing.

There were some hikers last night, that were attacked by a rabid skunk about a month ago. It actually got in their tent for a minute. One of the guys got bit in the leg and has been getting rabies shots for the last few weeks. He gets them in different towns and is still hiking. The couple that had him in the tent, got their tent and sleeping bags sprayed.

I hope my little toe gets better. I've had to be real careful where I step, not to aggravate it. It's better than it was, but it has been three days. I'm scheduled to get my replacement sleeping pad in Delaware Water Gap and presently I will get there Sat afternoon (PO closed) so maybe I'll slow down for a day or so.

• June 20, 2009

Hustled into Duncannon, PA this morning because I was hoping Big Agnes would have sent my new sleeping pad. The Post Office closes at noon on Sat. , and I didn't want to wait around until Mon. Unfortunately they didn't have that particular model available until this week so I will have it sent to Delaware Water Gap, just before NJ. It's a ways off but if I try somewhere closer, I'm sure there will be a snafu.

I hiked almost 12 miles this morning, in the pouring rain, and made it here by 10:30. I'm starting to hit the "famous" Pennsylvania rocks. This was the southern terminus of the continental glaciers during the last ice age, and there are constant rocks from here to almost NJ.

At Pine Grove Furnace State Park they have the 1/2 gallon challenge. Since you are half way you are suppose to see if you can eat a 1/2 gallon of ice cream in one sitting. I've got a pretty good appetite, so I figured I'd give it a try. I was hoping for Strawberry or Coffee, but I had to settle for Butter Pecan (Sp?). It took me 35 minutes, which was pretty good. The record is around 4 min. I actually would have normally ate about 2/3 of it, but I had to force the last 1/3. I think it was 170 calories per serving, and it was 16 servings. I felt okay, but if I had to run fast for any reason, I probably would have lost it. After it had time to settle, I had a hot dog and a hamburger for the rest of my lunch.

We've been able to hit a lot of stores and restaurants lately. Yesterday I ate all my meals out. It's nice because you get better food, more of it, and you don't have to carry it. I'm going to resupply today, but I should only need a couple days worth.

I got to hike with "Bronco" for the past week, he is about my age. I met him in Damascus about a month ago. He thru-hiked the trail last year, but he had three major gaps that he needs to finish. He had one in Tenn. that he did, most of Penn, and some in Vermont and the beginning of New Hampshire. He went home for a few days to attend to some work stuff, so I may or may not see him again. I am going to keep in touch and see what happens.

There has been quite a bit of hiking through farm fields. Also we have gone directly into the towns of Boiling Springs and Duncannon. The shelters have still been in the forest, though they are now on top of low mountains instead of deep in notches. Last night I was the only one at the shelter around sunset, but then 5 others came in during the dark.

Next stop should be Port Clinton - Hamburg PA in 70 miles

• June 16, 2009

You know how I originally thought I might try the four state challenge, and then I changed my mind. Well I changed it again and I did it yesterday. I started in Virginia a little before mile 1002.7 and I ended in Pennsylvania at mile 1052.7 (Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania), which also means if you noticed that I did 50 miles. I hit Pennsylvania around mile 1050, so I decided at the last minute to go for the fifty. I figured I was too close not to do it, since I'm never going to do it again in this lifetime. I had to do the last 12.5 miles in the dark with a headlamp. It had a lot of uphill and a lot of rocks, and I spent a fair amount of time route finding. (It's hard to follow the trail when you are on rocks.) A few times I took breaks and just sat there in the dark.

So today since I'm a little beat up I've been taking it easy and spent most of the day hanging around the town of Blue Ridge Summit, PA. I plan on resupplying a little bit and doing about 6 miles to one of the next shelters.

I stopped at the ATC visitor center in Harpers Ferry yesterday. I am number 339 thru-hiker. I ran into a guy Sir Richard (from England) and he said he took 10 days off to go to Washington DC and his number was around 200. So there must be a lot of hikers coming through.

I think I might need some new boots soon. The balls of my feet hurt (also from the 50 miles) but it is also because the boots are getting worn out. I might try to order some new ones and have them sent to a post office ahead of me.

• June 13, 2009

I'm presently staying at the house of some old high school friends, Greg and Sue Keefer. They were gracious enough to feed me a couple of meals and put me up for the night. I'm around 14 miles out of Harpers Ferry, WV. I should hit 1000 miles today. I just came through a 13.5 mile section called the Roller Coaster. The trail does 10 substantial ups and downs. (I still have 3 left to do.) It was pretty hot out and it was a tough day.

I'm having second thoughts about the four state challenge. There is a lot of historic sites and the Appalachian Trail Conference has their headquarters in Harpers Ferry and I don't want to rush through everything like I'm on fire. I'll try and do a big day later on when it's more convenient. They take your picture and get information about you at the ATC Headquarters. I'll find out what number thru hiker I am this year.

I ended up seeing a few more bears in Shenandoah. My count for the trip is now 18 bears. I saw a mother and three cubs, and I happened to see them before they saw me. The cubs were busy wrestling each other. I enjoyed the park quite a bit. The trail was a little more interesting and it was nice seeing so much wildlife. It was also nice having waysides (snack bars) every so often.

It will be nice going through states a little faster. I have gone through 4 and there are ten left, so they come a lot quicker. It will also be nice heading towards home and New England. If anyone wants to hike at all with me, let me know. I will be in Conn. and Mass. before you know it.

• June 9, 2009

Licia is heading out tomorrow morning. (Wed.) We ended up staying in regular park service campgrounds, and Licia ferried me back and forth to trail heads as needed. We got to do a bunch of the ranger programs and several times Licia went to the pick up areas and hiked back towards me. I didn't slack pack except for today in the rain, but I did carry less weight without my tent and minimum food.

I am presently at 924 miles from Springer and should hit 1000 on Saturday. There is a four state challenge where you start in Virginia, and hike through West Virginia, Maryland, and enter Pennsylvania, it is around 41 miles. I might try it if I feel strong and I can start near the Virginia border.

We had severe thunderstorms late today with hail but luckily we were on the way to town.

There are lots of deer and bear in the park. The deer don't even run away so I got some good pictures of a doe with her fawn. I've seen 6 bears in the park for a total of 13. They run a little ways when they hear you and then stop and see what you are doing. I've got some pretty good pictures of them but the camera only magnifies 3x and I could use a little more.

• June 5, 2009

I'm in Waynesboro VA., around mile 850. It has been raining for the past 24 hours so I have all my stuff hung all over the motel room to dry out. Licia is coming down and we are going to hike through Shenandoah National Park together. I think we can leave the car at a trail head, hike for a few days and then I will hitch hike back and move the car forward. I probably will get to slack pack a little (carry a day pack). When anyone else does it, I feel like they are wusses, but it's okay for me (this time).

There are a lot of hostels out there that will deliver you forward on the trail and then you can hike back to the hostel. I've seen a few guys doing it, and it seems like a crock. There was a guy two days ago, who has been section hiking since 1990. He slack packs as much as he can and he doesn't hike in the rain. He also picks his months, so the weather's not too hot or cold.

I saw a mama bear and 2 cubs, a couple of days ago. The cubs started to climb a tree, but then somehow the mother signaled to them to climb down and move out. I got a picture, it's not great, but you can tell they are black bears. The cubs must have been really young, because they looked the size of Boach (our cat). I've seen 7 bears so far. I hear the best place to see them is in NJ. I got a picture of a rattle snake too. It was a small one, but there is no scale in the picture so you can't tell.

I'm getting reasonably close to Harpers Ferry the unofficial half way point. It really feels like I'm making progress. I'm running into a lot of people that started in mid March. I told some guys today that they better get moving.

I had a medium pizza for lunch. It sure beats trail food for quality and quantity. The pack has been bothering me, so I'm looking forward to shedding a little weight from it. I definitely will switch to a lighter sleeping bag, but there are quite a few items on the chopping block. I'm thinking of dropping possibly the extra shoes, rain coat (to lighter one), ground cloth, chamois, mole skin, etc.

I went really fast in the rain today, about 12-13 miles, but I still had to do about a dozen water bars.

• June 2, 2009

I'm in Buena Vista, VA., I am a little under 800 miles. I will be in Waynesboro, VA., by Friday which is the beginning of Shenandoah National Park.

There was a hiker feed on Sun and Mon off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. I planned on attending Mon, but I ran into some other guys that wanted to go Sun. So Sun. ended up being a twenty three mile day with 3 major climbs and I was the only one that made it. I knew about 4 hikers, and met about 15 new ones.

The next day Mon was fairly easy and we ran into some of the ladies that were putting it on (the hiker feed), day hiking. They invited us back and said that they could give us a ride back at the end of the evening. So four of us hitched back and went to the hiker feed again.

The second day had a few less people, but almost everyone had hitched from some direction. There was only about 6 guys that actually hiked there. When we got back to the trail it was a little late, and I figured I'd just stay in the shelter. I still have my 20 degree bag and it was too hot, but any exposed body parts were getting bitten by no-see-ums. I suffered for a long while with no solution, and finally broke down and set up the tent (about midnight). Then I heard an animal crashing around. I figured it was a bear, but when it finally got close, I turned my light on, and saw it was a deer. Didn't get a lot of sleep.

• May 29, 2009

Well I'm finally in civilization again. I was in Pearisburg Pearisburg, VA., on Memorial Day, but the library was obviously closed. I'm in Daleville, VA., which is around 714 miles from Springer. I've done 214 miles in ten days since Heather and Licia left.

I'm going to head out tomorrow, but I'm going to do a short day and relax as much as I can. I've lost track of all my buddies. Damion had to get his feet checked out by a doctor because of numbness in the tops of his feet, and Wes and Dave are hiking with Wes's father about 150 miles back.

I saw the Dragon's Tooth and McAffry's Knob (sp?) today. I've gotten rained on all four of the last four days. Luckily I had just checked into the motel when another thunderstorm came. I saw a bear the other day. It was on a ridgeline and ran away over the side. It was kind of small.

My body has been holding up pretty well, but hiking in soaking wet shoes wasn't too great. Yesterday when the storm came, I put on my pack cover and rain hat and just got wet. By late afternoon I pretty much had dried out. I'm appreciating sunshine, food, and being dry.

• May 15, 2009

I'm still in Damascus, VA.. It looks like Heather and Licia are going to come down for a few days before Heather heads out west. Licia is going to drive out with her and then fly back one way. That way Heather will have my car again for the summer. They should arrive sometime on Sunday.

There is a lot of stuff going on here. They have a big campground for all the hikers, and there are major vendors there that will fix any of your equipment that needs repair. Part of the Sternum strap on my pack is missing so I hope to get a new piece from Gregory. In the park they have vendors selling new gear, as well as the usual fair food and flea market stuff. The first Baptist Church has gone all out. They have had two free dinners (so far) as well as health screening and free showers. They have a special trailer with five showers that they bring to emergency sites like hurricanes, floods, etc. I did the health screening, I still need to get my blood results, but my weight is down to 168, my body fat is 13%, and the doctor showed me a stretch I can do to keep my left knee happy and healthy.

I checked the route ahead and we should be able to slack pack (carry just food and water) for a few days when Heather hikes with us. Licia can drive ahead and pick us up at road crossings and we can all eat and camp together (or stay in a hotel). There also is a pretty neat bike trail here called the Virginia Creeper that goes about 50 miles. Maybe Licia and Heather can rent bikes and do part of it, so Licia doesn't totally get gypped out of having any fun. We should be able to do 2 or 3 twenty mile days slack packing north, so that is the plan for early next week.

• May 13, 2009

We are in Damascus, VA.. A new state #4. We have done around 460 miles, this is considered around a quarter of the trip. We are here for trail days. It is a big thru hiker event, with all kinds of vendors and lots of free food. We are a little early, I guess most of the events will start Friday. We made it here in 35 days, which is 5 days better than they usually forecast.

The last few days have been pretty good, but we've had a lot of rain. A couple of days ago we were hiking over some high balds (mtns, without trees) and we were having a major thunderstorm. We had to go as fast as we could because there was no where to go to get out of the open. They would have had some great views, but not for us. We have fairly routinely been hiking 18 - 23 miles per day. We are also routinely doing about 3 miles per hour. We plan on being here at least 3 days. The hiking is beginning to be a lot like a job.

We are hoping to motor thru Virginia fairly hard, so we can keep our enthusiasm. We have found that for us it is better to go fast without too many days supply of food, and hit a lot of towns. I did a bunch of trail work on Unaka and Roan Mtns. There was water running down the trail up high, and I kept stopping and making water bars to get it off the trail. I did at least 30 of them. The guys around here should hike in the rain, so they know where to put them.

• May 5, 2009

Today is a zero day, and hopefully we can meet up with Wes and Dave. It's cloudy with a chance of rain (again). The week forecast on the News last night was more of the same, as far as they predict. I hope to do laundry, get a few groceries, and maybe a haircut. I'm feeling pretty good, no major pains, and no blisters. Damion is falling apart, though. I told him I am going to start looking for someone else to hike with.

There is a 50 mile stretch just before Damascus that is suppose to be easy, and a lot of people do in two days. Hopefully we can, too. Ate a big breakfast, hopefully can fuel up and quit losing weight.

• May 4, 2009

We are in Erwin, TN . We have done around 340 miles. It has been raining a lot, so we are looking forward to getting dried out. It has been around 4 days of rain. We did 15 to 18 miles each day so we made it here a day early. Wes and Dave are still behind. We left Hot Springs a few hours ahead of them and just went a little further each day. The shelters have all been really full. The past two nights we would have stayed in them but they were all overloaded so we stayed in our tents. The good thing is that the weather can't throw much more at us, and if we can handle this, we can handle anything.

Yesterday we were crossing a bald in the pouring rain and I was thinking I'm glad I've done a lot of winter hiking, because it sure wasn't much different. We got to the shelter and it started down pouring. They had a fire going and somehow the rain didn't put it out. We got to stand around it after it stopped and warm up a little bit. It was perfect hypothermia weather.

We hope to attend Trail Days in Damascus, VA next Friday. We are a little ahead of schedule, so we need to figure out our schedule. It is hard to believe we are almost to Virginia. Tuesday night will make it one month on the trail. There is a pool here and I just looked out and see it is pouring again. Glad to not be out in for a change. I was just out in back of the motel, trying to dry out the tent.

We got passed by a hiker yesterday. His trail name is Buckeye. Damion said that's because he is young and fit, and I told Damion that he is young and fit, so that is no excuse. Anyway at least we are faster than almost everybody else. We went into Erwin to eat dinner and ended up walking 3 or 4 miles. I guess we will order pizza and have it delivered tomorrow night.

I think I heard a wild boar last night, but Damion was asleep and didn't hear it. It sounded like a lot of snorting. I saw a deer today finally, It's hard to believe how little wildlife we see. I also heard some turkeys. I got to wear wet boots today, the wool socks were so wet, they weighed about a pound. Hopefully I will write a little bit tomorrow.

• April 30, 2009

We are in Hot Springs, NC We have done around 270 miles. We are taking a zero day and hope to resupply and I might get a bladder (camelback) because I haven't been drinking enough water. We are all pretty strong and flying up hills (except when the sun is blistering hot). The long range forecast has rain or thunder storms all the way out. Those guys from the last hostel (hippie commune) caught up to us, sort of. They got a ride in a van for 11 - 12 miles and were on top of Max Patch Bald when we got there. I think once you start to short cut it is only a matter of time before you quit.

Yesterday we had about 9 miles to go in the afternoon and it seemed like we were never going to get to town, so I put it into overdrive and blasted here full speed. It felt good to still have the speed and be able to go so hard for so long. It has been a long time since I was in this kind of shape. One of the ladies that is section hiking to Damascus just gave me, a trail name. "Legs", it isn't too bad, definitely easy to remember.

I sent two articles to the Chronicle, one about the trail magic the Methodist Church guys gave us, and one about the bears. I only expect to do one every other week, so I should be set for awhile. I hope to send them a few pictures as soon as I am done writing all of you.

The next stop is Erwin, TN , it will take around 4 1/2 days. I will write soon.

• April 27, 2009

We left the Great Smokies today and are a little north staying in a hostel called Standing Bear. We should be in Hot Springs, NC in two more days. We hope to take a day off there, (we never did in Gatlinburg). It is really hot today and we are out of the mountains at the moment. It felt just like hiking in the middle of the summer. The leaves are all out and there are lots of wildflowers everywhere. Also there is a lot of flowering Dogwood throughout the forest. We were on a knife edge for almost 6 miles yesterday, it was very impressive. Everyone is getting strong and doing good on the up hills (except in the heat). Will write again from Hot Springs.

• April 24, 2009

We are in Gatlinburg, TN. There is a shuttle, but unfortunately it's not running yet. We had to hitch hike and a lady that had hiked part of the trail picked us up. The bad news is that it was a small SUV and we all (4 of us) had to squeeze in the back seat for 15 miles. We passed the 200 mile mark today that means we are about 10% done. Also, we climbed Clingman's Dome which is the highest peak on the AT 6000+ ft. The last time I wrote we stayed at the Shelter at Fontana Dam. The shelter had plenty of mice and also plenty of guys snoring, getting up to pee, dropping stuff, etc. Needless to say I didn't get a lot of sleep. So the next night we were in the park and decided to stay in our tents.

The shelter had a chain link fence across the front. (a sign we should have taken note of). Around dusk a mama bear and two cubs started coming down the hill towards us. We yelled at them and someone threw a rock at them. They slowly turned and headed back into the forest. Later that night around 10:30 another bear came back after all of us had gone to bed. I awoke when I heard my pack which was about 6 feet away being dragged into the woods, with pots crashing. Then for about the next twenty minutes you could hear the bear walking all around the campsite checking for food. He even shook the bear cables to try and knock some of the bear bags loose. I was kind of hoping the guys in the shelter would come out and help chase it away, but they didn't come out until after it was gone. It was pretty nerve wracking. It didn't end up getting any food and eventually left. At least he most likely wouldn't be back since he had thoroughly checked everything out. My pack wasn't harmed and I got all my stuff back.

There was one more funny part. A couple of times I have had mice climbing the tent. I think they like the vestibule and feel safe because predators can't see them. Anyway I haven't been closing the bottom zipper because bugs aren't that bad yet. The morning after all the bear excitement, I went to put my shoes on, and one of them had been crawling through my tent all night and filled one of my shoes with acorns.

The trail has been pretty tough. The up hills seem endless, the ones late in the day are real killers. We are moving pretty fast and are now catching hikers that started a week ahead of us. My knee seems better but still a little sketchy. No blisters yet. (knock on wood). I'm hoping to send a few things that I haven't been using home in the mail, and lighten my load a little. I weighed myself today and I'm down about 10lbs. At least the little gut I had is pretty much gone. I'll write some more latter tonight.

• April 21, 2009

We are at Fontana Village, NC. We will be going over the dam later today. We are somewhere around 175 miles from Springer. Everyone is holding up pretty well, but we all have little knee or foot problems. We were thinking about taking a day off (zero day) but hope to get to Gatlinburg in 3 days and take it there where there will be a lot more to do. We have been pretty lucky with the rain usually heading into a town during the evening, but our luck ran out last night just after we cooked dinner, it starting raining and we had to eat in the tents. Not a lot of room. We are all getting strong and flying up hills. There are a lot of hills, yesterday we probably had 5 big climbs and 10 smaller ones, and that is fairly typical. Damion got a major mail drop today, and he had so much stuff I bought some of it from him so I am all set for the next leg. There is a small store here and I was giving them a little advice. I told them we could lend them my brother and he could fill the place with stock in a day or two.

The leaves and wildflowers are starting to come out strong in the lower elevations. Saw a lot of trillium today both red and white. There are a lot of kinds (of wildflower) I don't know but am learning some from Dave. Hopefully we will hit a visitor center somewhere where we can learn a few more. I'll send a big update from Gatlinburg., TN.

• April 17, 2009

We are in Franklin, NC. We passed the 100 mile mark yesterday. The weather has been great, though the nights are pretty cold. We had our first trail magic yesterday. (That is where a stranger does something nice for you along the trail) We were on the summit of Albert Mtn. and there is a big fire tower on the summit. There were a lot of guys and kids that arrived about the same time from a different trail. It turns out they were from a Methodist Church and that they were doing a father and son camping outing. They invited us to stay with them for the evening and to have dinner and breakfast. We hiked another five miles or so, (it was an 18.3 mile day) and they picked us up with a pickup truck and took us to a forest service campground. They had a big fire going, we got to take showers, and they fed us chili and fried potatoes, with wild ramps (onions) that they had picked. For desert they had this folding iron contraption that you put butter, bread, canned fruit in, and then you close it and put it in the fire for a minute. It makes a pretty decent fruit pie. I taught the kids all, how to play capture the flag, and played with them for an hour. I got pretty winded a couple of times, but my buddies were all impressed that I had enough energy to still run around. It seemed a lot like summer camp.

This morning they fed us again, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, and grits. It was around they third time I've had coffee on this trip also. They were really hospitable. They took us back to the trail where they picked us up, and we hiked another 4 plus miles. At the main road there was another group doing trail magic. Since we were pretty full, we each had a drink. There was a bus that came by and picked us up and brought us into town. It is run by the guy that owns the motel.

Tomorrow we will leave around 8:00 and be back on the trail. The next stop is the NOC Nantahala Outdoor Center , they run rafting trips down the Nantahala River. It is around 30-40 miles. We are getting pretty close to the Smokies.

• April 14, 2009

I don't have too much time because I just wrote a Chronicle article and answered all my brother's store questions. I'm getting stronger, but not quite there yet. My left knee has a funny pain (tendon) but I've been trying to stretch it and so far so good.

It has been cold and rainy, but it looks like it is getting better. It was a treat hitting town and eating out. Our next town is Franklin, NC in about 3 days. We are going to cross the Georgia border tomorrow which will be huge. It seems like we are working very hard and making little progress when you picture a map of the eastern US. Crossing into another state feels like progress.

The older guys I started out with dropped by the wayside, so I hooked up with three younger guys, Wes, Dave, and Dameon. Wes and Dave just graduated from grad school at Virginia Tech and Dameon is a snowboard instructor from Mt. Snow. He is originally from South Africa. I am probably old enough to be their father, but we get along okay, and I hike as fast or faster so we are a good fit.

The woods remind me of the Catskills, lots of big hardwood trees with little underbrush. For some reason I have seen little wildlife. Lots of thru hikers, most shelters have been full and we have been tenting. There are around 30 at day that start and some have been dropping out, but we are also catching ones that started ahead of us.

We are going to go to a store shortly and resupply, lots of Cliff Bars and Snickers. Missed the family greatly on Easter, actually felt sad, I think I will appreciate holidays even more when I get back. This hike is a lot of work and hardship.

• April 10, 2009

I made it to Neels Gap today and am spending the night in the hostel. I got to take a shower and hope to do laundry shortly. It has been raining all day and has been a good test of my will and fitness. My legs are still a little weak because of the pack, but they are coming. I was able to motor today and am a couple of hours ahead of the rest. It was too cold to wait anywhere so I told them I would meet them here. I am with a group of four others.

I hope to get a little more food and then the next big stop is Hiawasi (sp?) [ webmaster note: I believe it is Hiawassee, GA

• April 7, 2009
Well I'm near the start, staying at a hostel. So far so good. The trees are leafed out a little more than at home, but not that much. It is pretty cold, I saw snow flurries several times but it is not sticking. I had to wait for quite a while at the northern train station, (outside) and I had to put on my down jacket.

I've met four hikers so far. One of the guys Ned the Fed (he was an FBI agent) did most of Virginia a couple of years ago and the hundred mile wilderness in Maine. He seems to have quite a bit of knowledge about the trail and gear, and seems to know a lot of people that are presently on the trail. Another guy, Joe has hiked the beginning three times, he had to quit twice because of his mother's health, and once because his pack broke and carrying it with one strap screwed up his hip. Both of them know the girl Lee, that runs the hostel fairly well. They drop us off tomorrow on the trail.

There is an approach trail that is 8.8 miles long and Joe and Greg want to start there. I didn't know there was a choice, but I'm willing to start on Springer all things being equal. I hope to hike all the AT, but I could care less about the approach trail. I'll write again hopefully from Neels Gap in two or three days.

Email from Steve Mackey on his Appalachian Trail (AT) Hike