Journal Comments

Speak the truth! Take your time! This is your life! control it!!!!

Have fun, elytis. That's a part of the trail I've not done yet - I've done from Great Falls to Elbow Trail north of Everett, plus most of the Greylock Range and the southern approach to Stratton. Gonna give Moosilauke a try later today (Saturday) in New Hampshire - hope the weather cooperates!

PS: Limestone Spring trail is an old A.T. routing and is very pretty. The shelter is in a nice, secluded hollow. If it's a convenient stopping place, I highly recommend it. Plus the water is great down there b/c there's lots of limestone in the ground - you can see lots of it exposed in the brook which runs near the shelter.

I liked Limestone Springs.

thanks for the heads up!

I hiked most of this section last weekend. SOBO Salisbury to Kent. It was a nice walk in the woods. Water sources are good. There is a recommended detour at Guinea Brook but most people I ran into either forded or found some rocks to hop over, I guess the ones that the AT had placed there are "no longer safe". At the spot where you squeeze through the rocks lock up there is a bird nesting there I think it was a turkey vulture or some ugly bridge was not happy with me and hissed until I left. Also avoid limestone shelter .5 miles off trail and 500 feet down. happy hiking.

I just weighed my pack and it came in a little under 30 lbs with 4 days worth of food and snacks and fully stocked on water.

Wish I could afford to thru hike right now, but like jalbright79 said it will be there when I am ready. Until then there are a whole lot miles to be hiked within reasonable driving distance of MA so I am starting there with section hikes, hopefully that will hold me over. Starting in CT end of April and working my way north through the spring/summer/fall always looking for someone to share the trail with if interested get in touch. HAPPY HIKING!

I also can't afford to take months of from work to thru hike. But the way I look at it the AT isn't going anywhere. Me and a friend of mine are going to do a section a year starting with Georgia up to NC September of next year. This way we are in no rush we can take our time and really enjoy what nature has to offer and take in as much of the experience that we can.

Yeah, not a failure. Look at what you learned.
The big mistake is thinking you can do 15 miles a day right off.
I guess some can. I can't, after sitting around all winter.
I'll be working on completing the LT in VT this summer.
Hopefully I can look to the AT the following year.

How about just doing a couple section hikes first?
That's what I'm doing.
Sure, I'd love to just take off for six months and just do it.
But in the meantime, there are a lot of things I need to learn first.

the condition of the trail up to Steward hollow was fine. Right after it though it became a muddy mess.

It gets better. Try to cut down on the miles in the beginning and increase slowly. I am a section hiker and love the unknowns but one I do not like is things I can not control. Just enjoy it when you are out there.

Ehh, don't consider it failing. It sounds like it was a learning experience for you. At least you got out there and put some miles down. You now know the terrain a bit better and can plan your next hike on the AT accordingly.

what was the condition of the river walk up to Steward Hollow, I want to day hike that section soon!