View Full Version : 2005 NOBOer views on SOBOers, mosquitoes, etc
Fannypack
06-28-2005, 14:44
Check out this journal entry, http://trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=105589 , from a 19 yr sophmore at JMU... He seems to cover allot of thru-hiker subjects. btw, he is in Hanover today...
MileMonster
06-28-2005, 18:12
That was great. Thanks for the link. I really enjoyed the tirade on the skeeters.
wacocelt
06-28-2005, 22:09
I must admit, even though I consider myself a lifelong SoBo, he's funny, wrong entirely, but funny.
The Solemates
06-29-2005, 08:47
id have to entirely agree with MA being the worst state for mosquitos. it was just like he said for us as well. ive never seen them that bad, not anywhere. not in the deep deep south swamplands, not in alaska, not in other parts of the northeast, not in the rain forests of mozbeckistan. just before great barrington they were the worst.
Yea the bugs can be real bad that time of year, but the trail in Mass is much better than he gives it credit for. The first couple miles of the state are exceptional. I'm so tired of hearing hikers say "I hiked 42 miles that day and it sucked." Well no $hit! I practically had to talk two guys out of quitting the other day. Hiking 25-30 miles everyday over the rocks and wondering why they're not having fun. It's not rocket surgery
Lone Wolf
06-29-2005, 11:11
It ain't brain science either. :D
SGT Rock
06-29-2005, 11:36
And it ain't the military, you can quit hiking when it sucks. Hiking is supposed to be for enjoyment.
The Solemates
06-29-2005, 11:44
Yea the bugs can be real bad that time of year, but the trail in Mass is much better than he gives it credit for. The first couple miles of the state are exceptional. I'm so tired of hearing hikers say "I hiked 42 miles that day and it sucked." Well no $hit! I practically had to talk two guys out of quitting the other day. Hiking 25-30 miles everyday over the rocks and wondering why they're not having fun. It's not rocket surgery
yea i agree the first miles off MA coming down from Bear Mtn are awesome. great views. this photo is of my wife just before the bookends:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jcartne/detail?.dir=39f8&.dnm=6c1a.jpg&.src=ph
...but ive never heard of rocket surgery :)
Sorcerer
07-07-2005, 13:43
I just did this section myself in the last 3 weeks. I hated Mass. except for the very beginning and the very end. Sage's Ravine was absolutely beautiful, I was so pumped to be in Mass when I got in that part. Then the rest of the state happened. :datz Greylock was extremely cool, but don't stay in the hiker dungeon unless you like mildew! Really pricey, but the memorial was nice. Those are the two good places (now, that being said there are some real nice trail folks in Dalton and Great Barrington, but the trail itself...bleah!).
Right before Great Barrington the mosquitos are terrible. We don't have bugs like that down here in the south (thank goodness!). The trail going through the swamp just before the Shay's Rebellion Monument was the brightest idea I've seen. I don't walk very fast (about 2.4 miles an hour on average) but I basically sprinted the last 4 miles before Great Barrington. The bugs would eat you alive if you weren't flying. Even through 100% deet.......I think they thought it was Ben and Jerry's!!! :eek:
I agree with Traction's idea of a reroute that takes you through western NY and straight into Vermont. That would be so cool!!
On target about the bugs. I was there around primary time last year, and I saw mosquitos trying to vote.
wacocelt
07-10-2005, 19:30
I've just gotten to the Kennebec from Katahdin. The bugs are in bloom up here for sure, for sure. After two days of rain the temps hit 90 today, I considered just tying a bandana over my eyes and hoping for the best because of all the black flys trying to kamikaze my eyeballs. The skeeters are neglible in comparison to all the little critters trying to fly in my eyes, nose, ears and mouth. I love hiking!
YES! I remember last year hiking that Sages Ravine Section NOBO through Graylock - unbelievable mosquitoes...ran out of deet, and used that Purell Hand Sanitizers stuff I had in a little bottle every twenty minutes...actually worked till it ran out, never have experienced such brutal biting! But this year, just got off from a NOBO from HFerry up through PA and surprisingly never saw a mosquito....we were wondering where they were.....???
Traction
07-11-2005, 14:48
I was told by a day hiker (from Mass. LOL) that I could find a thread here about me. Neat. Fun. Glad I could entertain some folks..
Yes.. the mosquitos were bad.. but I still had fun.. so to Sgt.. Yes, I know it's not the military.. and I know if I wasn't having fun I could go home.. but, that is simply not the situation.. I'm having the time of my life, even when I'm getting bitten to death.. Though, I don't agree with the mindset of "if you're not having fun.. go home" ..Most of this trail is about pushing through hard times to get to the fun times.. hell, the hard times are what make the good times so damn good.. To me anyway.
And about Mass.. the southern part of the state was frickin' fantastic... I loved it.. hells yea buddy. And Greylock wasn't bad at all.. it was quite nice.. And, I agree that there are some kick ass people in Dalton.. Namely, Rob Bird of the "birdcage".. man, I love that guy.. I'm goin' back there for sure..
So, I'm in Gorham.. goin' into Maine.. it's time to update the ole journal and do some complaining about the whites.. (hah, yea right).