Day 105: Dalton, MA - 1,565 miles

August 23, 2014 by Gary Sizer

I have lived in the deep south. I'm talking about swamps and gators. I've been to the rain forests of Peru and jungles in the South Pacific. And I have never encountered mosquitos as numerous or vicious as those in Massachusetts in August. One of them bit me through my shoe.

And yet for some reason I love this place. It's because I can finally see real mountains again. Here is Bear Mountain and way in the distance you can see Greylock, the highest point in MA. I'll be there tomorrow.

Before I get to Greylock I'll have to walk through the valley. Another reason I like it here is because much of it reminds me of home.

This is also where the mud starts. The AWOL Guide advises, "Walk through the mud. Do not trample vegetation beside the trail." Basically I'll run a a Tough Mudder every day for the next two weeks.

Maybe they should call it "MassaROOTSettes…!" Right? Hello? Is this thing on?

Day 100: Salisbury, CT - 1,496 miles

August 18, 2014 by Gary Sizer

New York. Finally starting to climb again.

Alright gang, things are starting to get really fast here. I started Connecticut on Friday and I'll be in Massachusetts by the time you read this. I haven't even had a chance to talk about New York yet and that's already almost three states ago.

Two things about New York State which I really enjoyed: the food and the terrain. It seemed as though every day I was crossing a road with a deli, or walking through some public recreation area with a concession stand. I ate a lot of pizza and thick meaty sandwiches during those days. I crossed into the state carrying two days worth of supplies, and still had most of it six days later.

A few days into New York the rocks finally started to ease up (yes, I am still complaining about rocks; I will hate them forever) and we started to see some actual uphill and downhill. Granted, these are small hills in the 200 to 300 foot range, but I am finally starting to use my leg muscles again for the first time since early in Virginia. The water sources are more abundant, and the temperature is starting to become cool. Especially at night.

One of my favorite campsites in northern New York.

Upon entering Connecticut, things definitely begin to seem more "mountainous." It's basically the same as New York but on a larger scale. More water, higher climbs, and more importantly, less road noise. The dirt is blacker, the climbs are steeper, and the views from each summit are starting to look a bit more like wilderness again, as opposed to some small ridge between two cities. So far, the only drawback to Connecticut has been their rule against camping and fires. This is no terrible inconvenience however, because the state is only just over 50 miles from end to end.

Nuclear Lake. Do NOT drink the water. Seriously, Google it.

I mentioned earlier that we have been running into more and more southbounders. In addition to preparing us for what's just up the trail, they have been providing us with a steady reminder that we are nearing the other end of the trail. Our conversations are often very brief, "Going all the way?" "Yes!" On occasion we camp together, and hear about how all of these small ups and downs are nothing compared to Vermont and New Hampshire. And, it's getting colder. Fast. Nighttime lows have been in the 40s, and I still have six or seven weeks left, and I am still headed 600 miles further north, AND my average elevation will be 3,000 feet higher than where I am now. There will be snow on this hike. Unless you move at a world record pace, you get snow at the beginning or at the end.

And finally one last interesting bit about the social aspect of the hike. For a while there I was a bit dejected having been separated from my "main crew." Sure, we text and communicate through Facebook, but it's not the same as actually hiking and camping together. It turns out I am not alone. Very few groups have remained intact this far into the hike. For the most part, we are all now a herd of individuals, forming pairs and triplets which disintegrate after two or three days and then reform with new members. I've heard news of multiple injuries as well as multiple cases of Lyme disease, but so far, knock on wood, all of my friends are still out there somewhere.

Here are some sample pages from the AWOL Guide, a book which almost every through hiker uses to plan their days. The squiggly lines represent elevation profiles of the local mountains. Above we see Connecticut, where I am now. Below, we see New Hampshire, where I will be in approximately two weeks. These are to scale.

Day 93: Fort Montgomery, NY - 1,400 miles

August 11, 2014 by Gary Sizer

First things first; let's see that bear video I mentioned a couple updates ago. I was camped at the Brinks Road Shelter in New Jersey with Dingo and Hungry Horse. Initially some raccoons had ripped open the bait bag (they're too light to trigger the device) allowing the bear to get a few free meals. As you'll see, his luck didn't last.

I am happy to report that the notorious rocks of Pennsylvania gradually fade away by the time the trail gets to New York. That sounds a lot worse than it is; I was only in New Jersey for about 3 days. I laugh to myself a bit when a New Yorker warns me about rocky trail ahead. There were times in PA when my feet didn't touch dirt for days. You know how the Eskimos supposedly have something like 47 words for "snow?" Same thing with the rocks in PA. There's gravel, but there's gravel of all sizes. The kind you find in a driveway is nice, but sometimes the gravel is comprised of pieces the size of baseballs. There's rubble and there are boulders. Vast fields of tumbled rock as big as cars and couches, a white blaze is visible at the other end and it's up to you to puzzle your way to it. You'll encounter what I call icebergs, ankle-high triangles which belong to a much bulkier obstacle, the majority of which lies buried. Even worse are the shark fins, jagged blades which sometimes run parallel to each other creating perfect foot-sized grooves. They either stab you or trap you; they never help you. But the absolute worst are the miles upon miles where the trail is simply a ribbon of densely packed, oddly shaped pyramids. Every step requires that you first solve a diabolical riddle: "Is it better to stab my heel on that small peak, or to roll my ankle in the spaces between?"

So basically, in New Jersey I'm allowed to just stand on the trail quietly. Got it.

New Jersey is actually very pretty once you get away from the highway.

I'm only a few days into New York and I'm really enjoying it. The people have been exceptionally friendly. I've had more people recognize me as a hiker and offer me rides and/or food than any other state so far. The water sources have been pretty dry because it's the middle of summer, so local trail clubs have been leaving dozens of gallons of spring water at road crossings. The terrain is finally becoming more mountainous again. I have been catching glimpses of the horizon ahead (and behind) - an aspect of trail life I have missed since before Virginia.

A lot of things have happened over the last week or so which have changed my perspective on the hike. Two days ago, I arrived at a shelter which has a view of the New York City skyline. For some reason, seeing the city in the distance made it really hit home just how far we've walked. For the past three months, this has seemed like some kind of hiking dream which would never end. I sometimes feel like I'm just going to walk forever. Now, the end feels near. Mile 1,400 is significant because it's approximately the 2/3 point. We northbounders have been running into southbounders more often and they all look like they're just getting started, because they are. I'm now looking at the miles which remain (785) as well as the miles behind. Seeing those numbers dwindle naturally leads to obsessive calculations such as possible finish dates, miles per week predictions and so on. "Just a few weeks left," I think. And then I look at elevation profiles for New Hampshire and once again it feels like this will never end.

Day 89: Unionville, NY - 1,345 miles

August 06, 2014 by Gary Sizer

This morning I walked into Unionville, New York. This is the ninth state on the Appalachian Trail, and I have to admit, I stopped and thought about how far I've come. It really boggles my mind sometimes. I have started to encounter Southbounders, that is, hikers who started in Maine, and it makes the end seem so much closer.

Lyme Update: I have been on antibiotics for five days now. Somewhere around day three I started to feel better, and now I feel almost completely normal again. It appears as though I caught this early enough so as not to be a problem. Yesterday I did my first 20 mile day in almost 2 weeks. It felt so good to be back!

Yesterday morning I saw one of the most exciting things I've seen on the trail. Not only was there a large black bear in our camp, we got to see it get caught in a trap (pictured below.) Apparently New Jersey is notorious for bear activity, and the Rangers had just set this trap on the previous day. I have excellent video of the capture, however this is on my good camera which is not connected to the internet. I'm sending home the SD card and hope to share that soon. (Video now available.)

Because I need one more thing to worry about.

Foot Update: My feet are no longer an issue! According to the doctor, I have unusually high arches. Because my arches were not getting enough support, every time my foot struck the ground the arch would collapse bit. This collapsing action would cause the bones in the feet to spread, which in turn would stretch thin the soft tissue in the bottoms of my feet, causing that tissue to absorb even more of the impact. Hence the bruising. About two weeks ago I switched to an insole designed to add arch support, and since then the bottoms of my feet have improved tremendously. Unfortunately, these insoles alter the fit of my shoe, and now I have blisters where I never had blisters before. Such is the nature of this hike: you are never 100% pain-free; you just exchange one problem for another.

And finally, as an added bonus, two days ago I caught up with some old friends I haven't seen since early in Virginia. Overcoming my physical discomfort has certainly been beneficial, but nothing compares to the spirit boost you get from hiking with old friends.

Day 83: Wind Gap, PA - 1,274 Miles

August 01, 2014 by Gary Sizer in Hiking, Appalachian Trail

This is going to be a very quick update because I'm getting back on the trail today after resting my feet for a few days. First of all, thank you all so much for caring about my feet! I've received a surprising amount of well wishes and prayers, and I'm happy to report that my feet feel good. I am wearing my favorite boots now, and they really help on the rocks. There's certain trail terrain that triggers a Pavlovian fear response when I see it, and now with the extra foot armor, I can walk with a normal gait again. My foot no longer "rainbows" over the pointy rocks. I feel protected, and strong.

I made one last stop at the doctors office this morning for a a final pre-trail once-over. I've had a rash for the past few days and I wanted to get it looked at. Within one second of examining it, the doc said, "You have Lyme disease."

This would explain the fatigue, headaches, joint pain and excessive napping lately. I just thought all of those things were the cumulative effects of three months of hiking. The good news is, I'm on a strong antibiotic, the bad news is, I'm going to feel like shit for the next month. At least I'll feel like shit out in the woods where I'm happy, and not in some stupid grey office building. So I've got that going for me.

One last thing, and then I'm back on the trail. If you're interested in more frequent updates from me, please find me on Facebook. I'm Gary Sizer and I'll be your friend. I try to put a lot of time and thought into updates here, which means less frequent stories. On Facebook, I'll toss up a pretty picture and a sentence or two about where I am or what I'm doing. It's light, but there's a lot of it, so that's an option too.

I cannot thank Lode Land Hospitality enough for giving me a place to convalesce these past few days. My body healed, but far more important is the restoration to my spirit. I have laughed and smiled and eaten and slept and even gained four pounds here. More importantly, I've gained a real friend, and I'm glad that the trail put me here.

Onward...