View Full Version : The LAST White Blaze
illabelle
11-26-2020, 06:10
We're done.
As of 10:15 am Tuesday, November 3, 2020 we have hiked all of the Appalachian Trail.
It took us 10 years.
We started on our 20th anniversary and we finished on our 30th.
Our first section was 25-30 miles in Shenandoah and took us about 5 days.
Our longest section was 103 miles in New York.
Our final section was 21 miles in Tennessee from Hughes Gap to Indian Grave Gap, but we added to that by starting at Elk Park and re-hiking over the Roan Highlands, one of our favorite areas.
This last trip took a little more than 4 days.
Why don't you stop what you're doing, put your boots on and take a walk with me....
illabelle
11-26-2020, 06:18
Sideways picture of a little bridge as we climb up the hill. It's chilly today, so you better keep moving if you don't wanna get cold.
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Some of the last blooms of the season. Isn't it amazing how resilient these "fragile" flowers are?
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Hey, look at the cool lichens on this tree! If we were in charging of naming such things, I'm pretty sure we'd call it Oak Leaf Lichen. I'm intrigued by the sheer variety of mosses and lichens you can find, often growing together in their own tiny community.
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illabelle
11-26-2020, 06:29
Hah! A tree with a square hole in it!
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Elevations in this section: 4000 ft, 5000 ft, 6000 ft. Looks like it'll be fun.
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A feast for the soul. Makes you want to spread your wings and lift off.
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What a lovely view we have going over Hump Mountain! The cold wind keeps us moving!
We thought we were going to camp on the balds, but nope, we head for the shelter of the trees!
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Crab apples! Lots and lots of crab apples cover the ground near our first campsite.
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illabelle
11-26-2020, 06:46
The Barn, beloved by many, still stands in its little valley. Condemned as structurally unsound, how long before it disappears from the landscape?
I so hope that the materials are used to build a new structure in this location. The materials are already there, after all.
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A piped spring near the Grassy Ridge side trail. Guess who installed that pipe 5-6 years ago? My husband!
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As we climb Roan Mountain the next evening, we see this: I just love the arching of the trees over the trail, creating a "doorway" beckoning us into another world.
Always walk through the door!
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That night we share Roan High Knob Shelter with a thru-hiker "Wawa" while the wind and rain rage outside.
One of the few shelters with a door, we are grateful to be inside.
Total wildlife for the trip: a handful of birds, 2 spiders, and this cold newt, moving very slowly across the trail.
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https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whiteblaze.net%2Fforum% 2Fattachment.php%3Fattachmentid%3D46965%26stc%3D1&t=1606385364&ymreqid=d1b53b09-0703-7f3c-2fa8-8708b801b400&sig=TYU6ZL6Q63pRMKlXZwemoA--~DOur LAST summit, Unaka Mountain, 5200 feet. Compared to all the other mountains we've climbed, this is nothing - nope, not intimidating at all.
The summit is a grove of trees, with sunlight pouring through all the gaps. The ground and lowest parts of each tree are covered in thick moss, in some cases growing 3' up the tree trunks.
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illabelle
11-26-2020, 07:06
After the descent from Unaka, we camp near the Beauty Spot parking lot.
I learned that Unaka is a Cherokee word referring to the color white. Back before the chestnut blight, it is estimated that 25% of the trees in this area were American Chestnuts, which have a white bloom.
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Our LAST sunrise. The same sun seen all around the world, but it seems like it belongs to us. So beautiful! So warm!
Michael and Heather, who generously responded to a Facebook inquiry, bring us breakfast on the trail for our LAST meal.
It's a special day, after all!
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"Onesimus" has his camper parked at Beauty Spot. Some of you probably know him. He said he's been camping up and down the Trail for several years.
A few weeks prior to this he was in the 100-Mile Wilderness. And by the way, he personally knows General Michael Flynn.
He takes our picture as we begin the LAST few miles. We hit the trail at 9:00 am.
What will it be like to finish? We're not thru-hikers touching that weathered sign on Katahdin, but we've walked just as far.
This Trail has consumed all of our vacation time for ten years. It has filled our house with gear, our pantry with freeze-dried meals, our conversations, our cameras.
Trail maps lie around like magazines. The Trail is our Life, and it's about to end.
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FLASHBACK: We finished the Mahoosucs, our LAST northern section, in September hiking with two others, Ironheart and Cap.
As we descended into Grafton Notch I felt the weight of it, the long difficult journey coming to an end - but I pushed the emotion to the side.
We were getting close, but we weren't done with the whole Trail just yet. The tears could wait...
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Back to Tennessee: It's not far, just 2 or 3 miles, but they fly by! So much for savoring the moment. As we round the bend, we see our vehicle.
That's it - the end is just right there in view! Our time left on the Appalachian Trail isn't measured in miles, it's now seconds, perhaps a minute.
illabelle
11-26-2020, 07:27
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The LAST White Blaze, appropriately a double blaze since there's two of us. So many of them, and this is our LAST.
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Matching shirts I ordered with the date 11-3-2020 (easy to find because it was also Election Day!) Why can't I get this photo flipped over????? https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whiteblaze.net%2Fforum% 2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Frolleyes.gif&t=1606385364&ymreqid=d1b53b09-0703-7f3c-2fa8-8708b801b400&sig=P4wcyeg1PGvnpoxtQIHIlQ--~D
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We make our own mileage sign with gravel from the parking lot and three rocks that will come home with me, one from Unaka, our LAST summit, one from Beauty Spot,
our LAST campsite, and one from Indian Grave Gap, our Terminus. They'll go in my collection, labeled with the date and location.
Funny how each rock I have brings up fond memories, some of them clear, others fuzzy, but always with a love and longing for the Trail.
A thru-hiker "Milkbone" comes along to witness our completion and takes a few pictures for us.
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It's our anniversary, so you can take your boots off and go back home now. We'll take it from here.
We went to Mt Airy, NC (Mayberry) and spent the night at a place in Mount Pilot.
We were going to climb Pilot Mountain the next day, but my husband got sick overnight, so that didn't happen. Still looks cool. Reminds me of Devil's Tower in Wyoming.
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1990 - the year we were married.
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I made our own completion certificates. Bob Peoples kindly signed them for us.
Bob was one of the first shuttlers we used, and I still have a pink ribbon on my pack that he tied there several years ago because it was hunting season and he wanted us to be visible.
Kincora was the first hostel we used. Thank you, Bob, for all you do for the Trail and the hiking community!
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illabelle
11-26-2020, 07:34
Congratulations!
Thank you sir, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
Traveler
11-26-2020, 08:13
Heck of an accomplishment, good job!
Awesome! It's quite the accomplishment
Thanks for sharing nice report and great pics.
What's next? (Is Otis still hanging around that jail )?
fudgefoot
11-26-2020, 08:32
Congratulations from a fellow section hiker! Cherish the memories and keep on hiking!
Illabelle, what a great accomplishment! I know you will treasure this time for the rest of your life.
Congratulations [emoji324]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Wonderful!
Even more so to have your Anniversary bookend all the many hikes.
Best wishes for a health and hike-full next decade (and well beyond).
Congratulations! Enjoyed the AT progress reports over the years. I could identify with them, as they sounded like it came from real people. This is quite an accomplishment. After all the dust settles, hope the hiking adventures do not end here.
Dan Roper
11-26-2020, 10:43
Congratulations to you all! I've been section hiking since 2007, and I'm 1500 miles behind you!
The blue flower is gentian.
I think the "oak leaf lichen" is actually a bunch of oak leaves. The tree probably suffered some kind of wound or disease that triggered the odd display of leaves, a type of epicormic branching. (That's my guess as an old forestry major, but I can't tell for sure without walking up to it, touching it, smelling it, sensing it.)
Congratulations! Love the Certificates as well. Glad you didn't let a little ATC dereliction of duty stop you from celebrating your accomplishment.
Much congratulations! You're very inspiring. Thanks for sharing, especially the photos.
Congratulations! Love the Certificates as well. Glad you didn't let a little ATC dereliction of duty stop you from celebrating your accomplishment.
And if anyone wants to get the "official" ones when they start issuing them again, it should be pretty easy. After all, anyone who has hiked the trail in sections over many years could likely find some section they hiked where the trail had since been re-routed (even if only a tiny bit). Go back, hike that re-route and now you've hiked in 2021 (if that is when they start again) and completed the trail (again).
Sarcasm the elf
11-26-2020, 13:55
Congratulations! :banana:banana
illabelle
11-26-2020, 14:26
Thank you all for your sweet comments. :)
We did not see Otis at the jail, but then it was a Wednesday, and I think he only comes in for the weekend.
It was nice to learn that Thelma Lou and Charlene Darling are still living in the area.
We will definitely continue hiking! I've been thinking about the PCT for a while, though we wouldn't try to do the whole thing. And then there's Alaska and Hawaii, plus more exotic places like Machu Picchu and places in Europe that I'd love to see. And while hanging out here on WB I've learned about the Wind River High Route. Sounds intimidating ... and exhilarating! So much to do, so many places. Last thing I'm going to do is sit in an easy chair and waste away.
Those of you that are still working on your section hikes, keep at it. One mile at a time, it melts away, and then it's suddenly all gone. If you're not so young anymore, get the hard stuff done while you still can.
I appreciate all the camaraderie and the high quality trail intel that's freely shared in this forum. Thank you all!
Pringles
11-26-2020, 15:48
Congratulations!
Kaptainkriz
11-26-2020, 17:27
Outstanding! I'm 1529.7 behind... :banana
You will always remember your last white blaze. For most it will be the sign on Kathaden, others Springer Mt., or just white blaze at a road crossing. It will always help you to remember your adventure.
The Barn, beloved by many, still stands in its little valley. Condemned as structurally unsound, how long before it disappears from the landscape?https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.whiteblaze.net%2Fforum% 2Fattachment.php%3Fattachmentid%3D46963%26stc%3D1&t=1606385364&ymreqid=d1b53b09-0703-7f3c-2fa8-8708b801b400&sig=JugJPpE8iDl9Tgdpo2uDiA--~D
There's no hurry, that's for sure. Looked the same this November as last December.
It's a strange spot for me. I normally don't care to see manmade anything when hiking, but somehow it just looks "right" there.
LittleRock
11-27-2020, 10:39
Congrats! Kinda funny y'all saved the section right next to home for last, but to each his own.
I'm 10 years in and still a little over 800 miles to go...
HUGE HUGE HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to You & and your husband BOTH!!
Reading through your post brought the memories and emotions for sure,
willin'
TwoSpirits
11-27-2020, 13:25
Congratulations! What a great accomplishment. I deeply admire the drive, discipline, resilience, and grit that it takes to keep returning until the goal is achieved and the dream realized ---> Total Respect!
Thanks for sharing, and helping to inspire and keep the flame burning for me!
wishbone
11-28-2020, 13:02
Congrats You Guys......Beautiful Finish with New Opportunities To Come! My journey continues w/945 miles to GO. In many ways to me, Section Hiking the AT spreads the Joy Out That Much Further. Thanks for Sharing Your Experience.
Traffic Jam
11-28-2020, 23:26
Congratulations! I’m so happy for you. What’s next?
Teacher & Snacktime
11-29-2020, 12:18
Congratulations! I'm foolishly proud of having been a small part of your adventure, and completely envious! What's next?
CONGRATUALTIONS !!! :banana:banana:banana
Had planned to finish my last 167 miles this summer, but now planning to do it in 2021. Considering it is NH & ME unfortunately I have not followed your advice in the next to last paragraph. So happy for you and your husband!
hagatflute
11-29-2020, 17:29
Congratulations on completing the AT!!! I have been slowly hiking the AT since 1989, only 1120 miles to go!!
Great accomplishment and even more special that you got to share it all with each other.
Great accomplishment and even more special that you got to share it all with each other.
Perhaps the bigger accomplishment " got to share it all with each other " :banana !
Much Respect and envy!
And you're correct alot of trails to choose from , not a short bucket list.
Hope y'all share many more "double blazes" !!
Congratulations! An excellent way to spend 2020. As a joint accomplishment, it is more remarkable. Best wishes that more of your dreams come true.
FlyPaper
11-30-2020, 12:52
We're done.
As of 10:15 am Tuesday, November 3, 2020 we have hiked all of the Appalachian Trail.
It took us 10 years.
We started on our 20th anniversary and we finished on our 30th.
Our first section was 25-30 miles in Shenandoah and took us about 5 days.
Our longest section was 103 miles in New York.
Our final section was 21 miles in Tennessee from Hughes Gap to Indian Grave Gap, but we added to that by starting at Elk Park and re-hiking over the Roan Highlands, one of our favorite areas.
This last trip took a little more than 4 days.
Why don't you stop what you're doing, put your boots on and take a walk with me....
Interesting. I've posed the question before. What is the shortest longest section of anyone who has completed the trail. Most people that complete the trail generally do at least one very large section at once. In your case, your longest section is 103 miles. I don't recall anyone else claiming to have completed the whole trail who's longest section is less than 103 miles.
The Kisco Kid
11-30-2020, 13:48
Congratulations on completing the journey!! Took me 20-something years too!
PatmanTN
11-30-2020, 15:16
Congrats!
Hey if you guys decide to do the Wind River HR, be glad to lend you my map set.:)
illabelle
11-30-2020, 17:38
Congratulations to you all! I've been section hiking since 2007, and I'm 1500 miles behind you!
The blue flower is gentian.
I think the "oak leaf lichen" is actually a bunch of oak leaves. The tree probably suffered some kind of wound or disease that triggered the odd display of leaves, a type of epicormic branching. (That's my guess as an old forestry major, but I can't tell for sure without walking up to it, touching it, smelling it, sensing it.)
Thank you Dan. I wish I knew more about the various flora and fauna we encounter on the trail. I sometimes tell people who are afraid to go out in the "scary" woods that if they knew the names of the things out there, it would help. So now I know the name of the flower gentian.
As to the lichen, I googled it and wikipedia says it's called Lobaria pulmonaria, or tree lungwort, oak lungwort, lung moss, and a few other names. So it really is a lichen after all. Cool stuff!
illabelle
11-30-2020, 17:40
Congratulations! Love the Certificates as well. Glad you didn't let a little ATC dereliction of duty stop you from celebrating your accomplishment.
No way! We walked too far to not celebrate! And honestly I'm much happier with Bob Peoples' signature than somebody I don't even know.
illabelle
11-30-2020, 17:42
Congratulations! I'm foolishly proud of having been a small part of your adventure, and completely envious! What's next?
There are SO MANY people who have been a small part of our adventure, from you and HMom and others WBers who have moved on, to random strangers we've met on the trail, shuttlers, hostel owners, people we've shared a shelter with, or a storm, or a hard climb - we all are a small part of each others' adventures!
:)
illabelle
11-30-2020, 17:45
Interesting. I've posed the question before. What is the shortest longest section of anyone who has completed the trail. Most people that complete the trail generally do at least one very large section at once. In your case, your longest section is 103 miles. I don't recall anyone else claiming to have completed the whole trail who's longest section is less than 103 miles.
That issue came up in a thread a few months back - maybe it was your thread??? Anyway, within the limited sample of respondents, I did have the shortest longest section. I'm pretty sure though that there are gobs of hikers that don't hang out on WB and we wouldn't have heard from them. Whatever, I'm happy to claim the title until somebody else snatches it. :D
illabelle
11-30-2020, 17:47
Congrats!
Hey if you guys decide to do the Wind River HR, be glad to lend you my map set.:)
Patman, that trail sounds intimidating. If we can persuade ourselves to give it a try, we'll definitely borrow your maps.
Hint, maybe you should drop in to the shop and work on talking Mark into it....!
illabelle
11-30-2020, 17:50
Thanks again, everybody for your posts. I am so grateful for the encouragement and fellowship enjoyed here on White Blaze - with anonymous people I'd never recognize in real life! And yet, I recognize your spirit, your love of the trail, and you feel like family to me.
:banana:cool::sun:D:)
Dan Roper
11-30-2020, 18:30
Thanks, Illabelle, for giving the information about the oakleaf lungwort. I looked it up and learned something delightfully new.
By the way, I've been section hiking since 2007, have accumulated 600 miles, have missed one year (2018), and my longest section to date is 75 miles (Uncle Johnny's to Dennis Cove Road).
Take care.
illabelle
11-30-2020, 19:49
Thanks, Illabelle, for giving the information about the oakleaf lungwort. I looked it up and learned something delightfully new.
By the way, I've been section hiking since 2007, have accumulated 600 miles, have missed one year (2018), and my longest section to date is 75 miles (Uncle Johnny's to Dennis Cove Road).
Take care.
Well Dan, it sounds like you might snatch that shortest-longest title from me! :D
Seems like most people put a lot of value in the Big View - from a mountaintop looking out into the far reaches of forever. I don't disagree; that's a marvelous view.
But I also enjoy the Little View - like a closeup of the small world at the base of a tree, or on the side of a rock. I get excited about damp rocks/logs that have an abundance of mosses, lichens, liverworts, hornworts, and other vegetative forms. Their variety, and the areas where the different species overlap are mesmerizing. These small places are foreign to us, in the sense that we live among larger things: trees, shrubs, grass, flowers. Kinda makes you wonder about the creatures that may be lurking in the world of small things.
One time I was occupied ... um ... over a cathole ...... and I watched a tiny living fiber moving around in the moss of a tree nearby. It was probably a parasitic worm of some kind, much smaller than a piece of spaghetti and probably at least a foot long. That thing tied itself up in a knot then untied and stretched out. It was very squirmy. I left it alone!
Dan Roper
12-01-2020, 00:13
Oops. Ignore. :)
FlyPaper
12-01-2020, 11:37
That issue came up in a thread a few months back - maybe it was your thread??? Anyway, within the limited sample of respondents, I did have the shortest longest section. I'm pretty sure though that there are gobs of hikers that don't hang out on WB and we wouldn't have heard from them. Whatever, I'm happy to claim the title until somebody else snatches it. :D
Yes, I went back to the old thread. We were in the same discussion back then. Obviously there are many section hikers that will never read this. But I find that few section hikers really finish the trail. Of the people I meet on the trail who are not day-hikers, it seems about half are thru-hikers, and of the other half, very few seem like they're likely to finish the trail.
I guess I'm kind of repeating the same things from a few months ago. Curious about other's experience. Of the section hikers you know (and this is directed at anyone reading), what percentage seem like they have a serious chance of finishing the whole trail? And of those that seem serious, how many of those have not done an extremely long section?
Quite an accomplishment...and your postings on Whiteblaze will hopefully help those who follow.
Cookerhiker
12-02-2020, 21:49
Congratulations! You hiked your own hike and made the most of your experience.
Gambit McCrae
12-03-2020, 14:21
Congrats!!! I have truly loved sharing section hiker info back and fourth over the years and comparing notes :) My day is not too far away now myself! What an amazing accomplishment!
illabelle
12-04-2020, 10:43
Congrats!!! I have truly loved sharing section hiker info back and fourth over the years and comparing notes :) My day is not too far away now myself! What an amazing accomplishment!
Honestly Gambit, you are such an energetic hiker that I was sure you would finish before we would. Surprise, surprise!
You don't have a lot left. But if you're finishing at Katahdin, you'll have to sit around and wait till it opens in June. That's a long time. But that mountain is worth the wait, truly epic.
Gambit McCrae
12-04-2020, 10:48
Honestly Gambit, you are such an energetic hiker that I was sure you would finish before we would. Surprise, surprise!
You don't have a lot left. But if you're finishing at Katahdin, you'll have to sit around and wait till it opens in June. That's a long time. But that mountain is worth the wait, truly epic.
Slated for 2 week trip revolving around July 4th, 2021 :)
Also, My energetic days are over at 32 LOL I have lost the ability to do 10 by 10am, or 20 by noon. Now I will still get my 20 in, but it will be from 8am to 4-5 pm :) haha I am very proud that I got a 16 and a 20 in the whites....I wasn't sure I was going to be able to pull that one off
Slated for 2 week trip revolving around July 4th, 2021 :)
Also, My energetic days are over at 32 LOL I have lost the ability to do 10 by 10am, or 20 by noon. Now I will still get my 20 in, but it will be from 8am to 4-5 pm :) haha I am very proud that I got a 16 and a 20 in the whites....I wasn't sure I was going to be able to pull that one off
Oh my, believe me at 32 you are still young, very young!
At least compared to us around twice that age. :)
Congratulations to you both and to all who finished as section or thruhikers this year. Keep hiking.
PS-I too finished the Trail in sections last year over a period of 22 years. Initially I was just doing sections that especially interested me or hikes I got invited on but around 2009 decided to do the whole thing. Not sure why the change but the desire was so strong only my own demise would have stopped me :) I too will keep hiking.
illabelle
12-20-2020, 06:50
PS-I too finished the Trail in sections last year over a period of 22 years. Initially I was just doing sections that especially interested me or hikes I got invited on but around 2009 decided to do the whole thing. Not sure why the change but the desire was so strong only my own demise would have stopped me :) I too will keep hiking.
Congrats to you Debbie! I understand (and I'm sure many others do as well) your strong desire to finish. Now we need a new obsession. :)
Thanks. Also thanks for the pictures-they brought back memories, especially the tree tunnel on Roan mtn. Re: new obsession, there ARE more trails. Pct, cdt, north country etc. My current obsession is simply to take a fun hike to someplace on the AT where I can enjoy snow and cold temps again. Not much of either in Miami:D
Kerosene
12-29-2020, 22:16
Congratulations on completing all of the Appalachian Trail. What's next? :-)
You're roadrunners compared to me -- I started in 1973 and didn't finish until 2014, a full 41 years later. Of course, I only got one big section in during the 80's and 90's due to family and work, so figure something closer to 100 miles a year or 21 years.
My next challenge was a thru-hike of the John Muir Trail, but my balky knees kicked me off the trail after only a few days. This year I finally replaced both knees and am looking forward to sections of the Superior Hiking Trail in the coming years, plus the Timberline and Wonderland Trails in 2022.
Thanks for the pictures. I knew the location of many of them as soon as I saw them. Great memories.
illabelle
12-30-2020, 06:52
Congratulations on completing all of the Appalachian Trail. What's next? :-)
You're roadrunners compared to me -- I started in 1973 and didn't finish until 2014, a full 41 years later. Of course, I only got one big section in during the 80's and 90's due to family and work, so figure something closer to 100 miles a year or 21 years.
My next challenge was a thru-hike of the John Muir Trail, but my balky knees kicked me off the trail after only a few days. This year I finally replaced both knees and am looking forward to sections of the Superior Hiking Trail in the coming years, plus the Timberline and Wonderland Trails in 2022.
Thanks for the pictures. I knew the location of many of them as soon as I saw them. Great memories.
Ah Kerosene, it must have been hard to keep at it for 41 years! What a journey.
I texted my husband the other day that I miss the trail. I was shocked when he called me yesterday from work and suggested that we grab the tent and go somewhere overnight! Normally I have to nudge, coax, and drag him along. But he wasn't quite serious, and due to his work schedule it's entirely impractical unless we camp on our own property Tipi-style. Still, before I went to bed I pulled out a couple maps to start planning some short excursions in the late winter and spring.
I need to do some research before I can make real plans for longer trails. For now our long-range thinking includes 7-10 day sections in Hawaii, Alaska, the PCT/CDT, and maybe some shorter trips to lesser known places closer to us. And I'm excited about maybe going to Machu Picchu! No plans to wade through gators and boa constrictors in the Florida swamps. Don't wanna carry water for 25-30 miles in anybody's desert. Don't feel the need to master the skills for serious snow and ice travel. Just keep active and see beautiful places. :)
Gambit McCrae
12-30-2020, 09:16
Ah Kerosene, it must have been hard to keep at it for 41 years! What a journey.
I texted my husband the other day that I miss the trail. I was shocked when he called me yesterday from work and suggested that we grab the tent and go somewhere overnight! Normally I have to nudge, coax, and drag him along. But he wasn't quite serious, and due to his work schedule it's entirely impractical unless we camp on our own property Tipi-style. Still, before I went to bed I pulled out a couple maps to start planning some short excursions in the late winter and spring.
I need to do some research before I can make real plans for longer trails. For now our long-range thinking includes 7-10 day sections in Hawaii, Alaska, the PCT/CDT, and maybe some shorter trips to lesser known places closer to us. And I'm excited about maybe going to Machu Picchu! No plans to wade through gators and boa constrictors in the Florida swamps. Don't wanna carry water for 25-30 miles in anybody's desert. Don't feel the need to master the skills for serious snow and ice travel. Just keep active and see beautiful places. :)
Those sound like great plans!! I have found that the bug for planning and adventure will not stop once the AT is completed for me. Thus starting the 3 trails close to home for the next few years. However, I think of the AT :) Alot of times I long to go back to my ways of redoing sections instead of these smaller trails however I know that that is only staying in a comfort zone I have created for myself. Venturing out to the new untraveled places is an unkown, a new adventure. My heart will always be in hiking the AT
illabelle
12-30-2020, 12:19
Those sound like great plans!! I have found that the bug for planning and adventure will not stop once the AT is completed for me. Thus starting the 3 trails close to home for the next few years. However, I think of the AT :) Alot of times I long to go back to my ways of redoing sections instead of these smaller trails however I know that that is only staying in a comfort zone I have created for myself. Venturing out to the new untraveled places is an unkown, a new adventure. My heart will always be in hiking the AT
We're fortunate to live on twelve-and-a-half acres. A few years ago I began cutting a trail, roughly a mile long. It weaves in and out of the woods, crosses open areas, and cuts through tangles of vines and thorns. I try to keep it reasonably clear, but I intentionally leave obstacles that you have to step over or duck under. It's my way of replicating the AT here at home, just outside my door. It even has an area I call the Honeysuckle Wilderness. Like the Hundred Mile Wilderness, it's the furthest from civilization.
Bubblehead
01-05-2021, 09:49
Congratulations on finishing the AT!
I plan on finishing this year...I have Crawford Notch to Katahdin left, about 345 miles. I started in 2016, and did not hike in 2020.
Bubblehead
01-05-2021, 09:54
My longest section was 803 miles in 2017...Pearisburg Va to Pawling NY. I have 345 miles left...Crawford Notch to Katahdin. Plan on finishing it July, August time frame this year.
illabelle
01-05-2021, 11:17
My longest section was 803 miles in 2017...Pearisburg Va to Pawling NY. I have 345 miles left...Crawford Notch to Katahdin. Plan on finishing it July, August time frame this year.
Good luck to you, and congratulations in advance!