Porter and Pace shared their experiences and photos on Sunday, October 23. The Valley Falls Methodist Church hosted a covered dish supper and then Porter gave a presentation on the Appalachian Trail. Pace was there as a special guest and told some great stories too.
Thank you all to those who put together the supper. The food was fantastic and the audience was great with lots of questions for both of our thru-hikers.
Porter has already been asked to give his presentation to other groups. I will post them here as I know of upcoming talks and presentations.
Join Porter on Sunday, October 23, 2011 at the Valley Falls Methodist Church from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. There will be a pot luck dinner starting at 5:00 p.m. with Porter's presentation of his hike following dinner. Pace with be there as Porter's trustee side-kick.
We hope you can join him as he gives a pictorial trip up the Appalachian Trail. I'm sure, knowing Porter, that there will be several funny tales to be told.
Pace & Porter on the Appalachian Trail
The real question is, will Porter's hair be orange, blond, or brunette? They mystery awaits so come and see!
Where:
Valley Falls Methodist Church
16 State Street
Valley Falls, NY (2 miles from the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds)
Porter and Pace the end of the trail. Katahdin, Baxter Peak elevation 5268ft mile 2180. DONE!!!
Congratulations Porter and Pace! We are so proud and happy that you have fulfilled your dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail, the AT. They started at the Southern Terminus on Springer Mountain, GA on March 28, 2011.
They finished on Saturday, July 30, 2011, just four months, 2 days. That is an amazing hike!
As Dreamer was watching a the newest Harry Potter movie in 3D, the iPhone began to vibrate. I answered it saying "hold on" and left the theater to talk to Porter. He sounded exhausted but happy.
They started early up Katahdin and the hike was rough. Plenty of rocks and elevation to conquer before being able to snap the classic AT picture above. Porter sent the picture this afternoon at 12:52 p.m. so they made good time. Then it was back down again.
Porter snaps a shot of Pace on the way back down Katahdin.
Tonight, Saturday 7/30, they will be staying at friends in the town of Portland Maine. Then on Sunday they will stop by Stitch's shop to pick up some things to bring to the outdoor gear show in Salt Lake City, UT.
I'm sure they will be celebrating tonight and they deserve a nice cold pint after their long hike. Their next adventure will start this Monday as we all pack up and drive across country. The house and dog sitter are set and the dogs are on guard duty as usual. With three big dogs and a noisy little one, not much gets by them.
I'm looking forward to having my husband back home. Now the only thing is, will he answer to Matt or just Porter? Pace should be fine, that is what we have always called him.
The guys wanted to thank everyone for their good wishes, prayers, and encouragement as they hiked this epic trail. Stories will abound for years and I'm sure we will all get a good laugh out of some of those tales.
Once Pace and Porter's pictures have been downloaded and we have wi-fi, I will put together an album that will show highlights of their adventure. It has been a pleasure keeping this blog. Thanks for the kind words and for ignoring my typos and grammar goofs. What can I say...I wasn't an English major.
Porter and Pace also want to congratulate Mike and Tracy Needham on their marriage yesterday. Porter was sad he didn't make the wedding but looks forward to seeing them soon.
"The End is in Sight" - Katahdin Mountain in the distance. July 28, 2011
Pace and Porter are camping in the 100-mile wilderness and staying the night at Nahmakanta Lake south end campsite. Mile 2138.3 - elevation is only 650 feet above sea level. You can see what a beautiful area it is by checking out the link below. Porter used SPOT and sent this message via satellite.
View from Moxie Bald Mountain Mile 2044.6 - elevation 2629 ft. July 25, 2011
July 27, 2011 Porter's tent is try inside! 6:30 a.m.
Porter and Pace's Hyperlite Mountain Gear ECHO I Ultralight Shelter System kept them warm and dry during a rainy night. Thanks again to Mike St. Pierre for supplying both Porter and Pace with their own single-man tent. The shelters are working out great.
Pace starts out with his rain jacket on this rainy July 27 morning - 7:30 a.m.
Pace is looking a bit thin but is feeling strong as ever. It was a cool day to hike on Wednesday, July 27. It rained but not too hard and both of the guys enjoyed hiking in the cool weather. They said it sure beats the heat of the week before.
So with Katahdin finally within view, it won't be long before this amazing journey ends. There have been ups and downs, both literally and emotionally as they made their trek. Porter has gone through a record number of shoes...8 pairs last count. Three just didn't work and caused blisters and the others just wore out. Pace did a bit better and I think he is on third or fourth pair. I'll have to get the official count from him when he gets done.
Both have lost a significant amount of weight and with pants falling off they had to buy new clothes to fit. Broken hiking poles, backpacks, tents, and socks all have been replaced along the hike. It seems that Porter is much rougher on his gear than Pace. For those who know these two, that probably doesn't come as a surprise.
The guys are planning on getting into base camp on Friday, July 29 and then on Saturday, July 30 in the morning they will finish the final leg of their journey...the hike to the top of Katahdin Mountain.
I can't imagine how they will feel. Excited to start their final climb, elated to summit, sad to have it end. I'm sure all of that and more. I feel all of those things for both of our fearless hikers. I also am a little worried because...Porter noticed I put Engergizer Bunny ears on their picture in a blog entry.
He said, "So you like to play games????" I'm so going to get it! He threatened to put a picture of me on the blog looking like a yellow duck. Well, it could be worse I suppose. (I think I'm safe...he doesn't have the password to this blog! Smart thinking don't you agree!?)
I got a call from Porter today, Tuesday 7/26. They are in the 100-mile wilderness of Maine. They resupplied and will be hiking about 25 miles a day to their finish at the top of Katahdin Mountain. They are anticipating a summit this coming Saturday, 7/30.
It rained today while they were hiking but not too hard. Pace and Porter are glad the temperatures have dropped because it makes for a much more pleasant hike. No pictures today because of the rain. Porter's iPhone was tucked safely away out of the rain.
There are two posts for Sunday July 24 so be sure to read the following post first! Click HERE.
Pace & Porter - New Hampshire - Maine State Line mile 1897.7, elevation 2972 ft.
With the weather so hot the past few days, it has been a tough hike for Porter and Pace. They had to slow it down a few of the hottest days. One day "they only hiked 11 miles." Hmmm, slowing down? I suppose when they are used to hiking 20+ miles a day half of that must seem like a short day.
They arrived in Stratton, Maine on Friday afternoon. Porter needed a new Buff headband and he asked prettily to have me, Dreamer, send him one in care of the Stratton post office. Being an experienced trail angel, I made my "famous" Triple Threat Chocolate Chip Cookies", bought a brand spanking new YELLOW Buff for Porter, and threw in some energy gummies. When Porter and Pace went to the post office the package had just arrived. They shared the cookies with the trail angel that drove them into town.
Porter lost two bets with Pace when he opened the package. The first bet (for Pace's favorite frosty beverage) was that Porter would have received Dreamer's used blue Buff headband. The second bet (also for Pace's favorite frosty beverage) was that there would be a little love note for Porter in the package. Neither was in the box. I'm sure they will bet on something else and Porter will win the next round. Pace thanked me for letting him finally win a bet. ;-)
Here are some picture highlights of the week from Porter's IPhone.
Pace and Mike "Stitch" St. Pierre - Goose Eye Mountain, elevation 3790 ft - mile 1900. July 17, 2011
Somewhere along the trail in Maine, Pace and Porter finally named Mike St. Pierre founder of Hyperlight Mountain Gear. Since Mike makes ultralight backpack and tents, the guys formally named him "Stitch." He has had fun hiking with the guys on weekends as they got closer to his home state of Maine.
Congratulations Stitch on your AT trail name! Get stitching those new tents and packs for the gear show in St. Lake City, UT in August. Porter, Pace, and Dreamer will be seeing you there!
Pace and Stitch July 17, 2011
Stitch says his HMG backpack is so light he carries his own ice to keep cool! July 18, 2011
That may be stretching it a bit Stitch.
Porter said that they went down into Grafton Notch and it is so sheltered from the sun that there was still ice by the trail. From the picture above it looks like the guys had a lot of fun making their way through the notch.
Stitch went back to work and now it was just Pace and Porter. They recently saw Deva in town, but she was feeling under the weather so she decided to take it a bit slower. There were a couple of "emergencies" that had to be dealt with. Deva went to the ER to get checked out and everything is fine.
Pace had to make an emergency visit to the dentist. One of his crowns fell off his tooth and he was in pain. With help from some terrific trail angels they met in town, these wonderful people let the guys camp on their back porch for the night and then drove them 30-40 miles to the nearest town for a dental appointment they helped him make. With Pace's tooth back in order, he was ready to get back on the trail and get moving.
Deva was also in the same town so the guys did offer to hike 30 miles of trail they had already covered so she could hike with them. She decided to let them off the hook because she wanted to take it slower for a few days. She is hoping to catch back up with Crop Duster but I heard he is closer to Porter and Pace than Deva right now. She is doing fine but may be hiking alone right now. Keep going girl!
Pace at the summit of Old Blue Mountain. Elevation 3,600 ft, mile 1935.5 July 20, 2011
Porter on Saddleback Mountain, ME. Elevation 4,120, Mile 1,964.8 July 21, 2011
Saddleback Mountain counted as one of the 115 highest peaks in the northeast. Another peak "bagged."
(Mountains 4,000 ft or higher are counted toward the 115.) Check out this list.
Pace - Crocker Mountain - ME. Elevation 4,226 - off the AT but another peak bagged.
Beautiful shot taken on July 23, 2011.
They guys camped at a shelter on Saturday night. If you go to the map and click the satellite option and zoom in, you can actually see the shelter roof. Check this out.
As this blog is being written, Porter sent two more pictures and there is a really good one too!
July 24, 2011 - Pace waits for a canoe ride.
2,000 Miles Hiked!!!!!
Congratulations Pace and Porter!!!! They have crossed the 2,000 mile marker. It has been less than 4 short months. Our hiking heroes Porter and Pace anticipate being completed by July 30th. It has taken them less time than they had ever thought.
Some people have asked if they have been rushing through it. The answer is, no. They have enjoyed themselves completely as they undertake this amazing thru-hike. The hiking experience they have gained in the past 8 years have prepared them for this trip of a lifetime. They considered hiking less miles during the day but then they would arrive in camp early and would just be sitting around.
Pace only has so many chores he has to complete and he does them first thing when getting into camp. He isn't the kind of guy that just likes to sit around camp for hours when he could be out there hiking. He likes to move!
Porter, although he doesn't always do his chores right away, said he got lonely when he got into camp too early. Hanging out is nice but he missed Dreamer. So instead of feeling lonely, he liked to hike.
Both Pace and Porter just had too much energy left when hiking 10-15 miles a day so that is why they just kept going, and going, and going. Do you think they are related to the Energizer Bunny?
A quick email from Porter at 11:11 a.m. on Sunday, July 17, 2011
"Mile to Maine" (Yes, that's his message....very deep Porter.)
Porter - just one more mile to get to Maine, their final state to conquer.
------------
Pace and Porter are moving along swiftly. With Katahdin, Maine in their mind's eye they hiked strongly through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Ever the tireless hikers, they thought they would also "bag some peaks" while they were in the area.
As Porter, Pace, and Deva made their way through New Hampshire, they caught up with Crop Duster. You remember him, they guy that lost his camera in the river while tubing with us. Now the three thru-hikers became four.
On July 11th, Porter sent a picture of the outside shower they got to use.
Just like the shower at the Norwich Inn....well not exactly Porter.
Deva, Pace & Crop Duster - South Kinsman, elevation 4328 ft. - 7/12/11
Sunset: Little Haystack Mountain - Stealth Camping Mile 1811, elevation 4,760 ft.
Around July 12th these seasoned hikers came across a hut in the Presidential Range. The cool thing about this is that two thru-hikers can work for a one night stay at the hut. Deva and Crop Duster were the first thru-hikers to ask about this and were granted the privilege to work and sleep in the hut. (Actually the "dungeon" of the hut.) The bad news was, that Porter and Pace could not stay there. There are no tent sites or platforms around the huts so they had to push on and "stealth camp". Finding campsites on the AT in the Presidential Range is tricky.
STEALTH CAMP: to stay in an un-designated camping area off the trail that's hidden from view.
Porter and Pace pushed on another 6 or so miles to camp. The next morning they were up early ready to push through the rest of the range. Unfortunately, Deva and Crop Duster were still behind at the hut and about a half-day behind our guys.
If you are wondering why they hiked other peaks in the Whites it is because they are OVER ACHIEVERS. What usually takes the average person 5-6 days to do, they completed in two days.
Well actually both Pace and Porter are Adirondack 46'rs. That means they have climbed the 46 highest peaks in the Adirondacks. Another goal they have is to "bag" (climb) the highest 115 mountains in the North East. This includes, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Just for fun, they grabbed several extra peaks to add to their 115. This meant leaving the AT and taking side trails to reach the other mountains. What are a few extra miles to these guys?
So now they are firmly trekking through Maine.
On the map you will notice that Katahdin Mountain is circled in red and there is a marker. I added this to show you just how close they are to their goal. They aren't there yet but getting closer with every step.
(Remember you can click on the title above for a larger interactive map.)
7/2/11 Things are really moving for Pace and Porter. After a visit back home and being dropped off in Bennington, VT, Dreamer drove half-way to Manchester and got on the trail to hike in 6.5 miles to meet Porter and Pace. (Don't tell, but Dreamer went the wrong way for about a half-hour until she saw some hikers and asked which way was south.) Meanwhile Porter, Pace, Deva, and Mike St. Pierre of Hyperlite Mountain Gear, hiked 20 miles to Kid Gore Shelter, mile 1,615.7, elevation 2,795 feet.
I, Dreamer, has to admit that my 7 miles which should have been 6.5 felt like 20 miles since I haven't been on the trail in so long. It was good to be on the trail again and finally arrive at the Kid Gore Shelter where everyone was waiting for me. I would have beat them if the trail had been labeled north or south. Compass you say?
On 7/3/11, Porter and Dreamer were up at 5:30 a.m. to get an early head start. As Deva pointed out the night before..."no offense, but Dreamer hikes slow." She got slugged with a pillow but she's right, I sure do hike slow! I blame it on my short legs...it has nothing to do with being out of shape!
It was a great hike out with Porter and we dodged some light rain. Porter and I were lucky to get to our vehicle just before it started to down pour. We waited in comfort while Pace, Deva, and Mike slugged through the rain. We all met briefly and I sent them off to meet them in Manchester later that day. (Dreamer drove, I was pooped.)
The gang stayed at the Red Sled Motel in Manchester the night of the 3rd and on the 4th we moved down the road to The Chalet Motel where we had a cookout. It appears that Mike St. Pierre is a rather good cook. So after a zero-day on the 4th, we packed up and Dreamer sent them on their way again on the 5th. They hiked while she and Mike went back to work. That just didn't seem fair. Oh well.
7/5/11 Porter, Pace, and Deva hiked over Stratton Mountain where there is a fire tower open to hikers. Mile 1,627.7 - elevation 3,936 feet. The trails were muddy and wet.
Porter keeps his hiking shoes dry and washes his feet the AT way!
On 7/6/11 they saw this beautiful view off of Bromide Mountain.
They hiked and hiked, climbing Bromley mountain where they viewed five states from the observation tower, mile 1644.4, 3260 elevation, then down to Mad Tom Notch, elevation 2,446. They hiked up. They hiked down. They hiked back up and you guessed it. Back down. That's the story of the AT/Long Trail in Vermont.
Along the way, Porter, Pace and Deva stopped at the Inn at Long Trail just off the Shelburne Pass trail mile 1,693, elevation 1,690 ft. Porter's sister Debbie came out to meet them and stayed overnight at the Inn with Porter. They had a great time.
Of course, it was back on the trail again the next morning and they climbed Killington Mountain. They had a really rough hike down to get hamburgers. Hmmm, is this cheating?
The view from their chair lift down Killington to get some hamburgers for lunch, then back up and on the trail again.
View from Killington Mountain 7/6/11, mile 1,694.
On July 7th, things got desperate and Pace and Deva bravely dueled for the last cookie. I'm not sure who actually got it though, but Pace sure has good dueling form.
Pace and Deva duel it out with their hiking poles for the LAST COOKIE. Watch out!
The trio were moving quickly through Vermont and toward their next state, New Hampshire.
On July 8th, they crossed the VT-NH border at the Connecticut River. Mile 1,736.8, elevation 400 ft.
AT Wolf in Hanover NH across the street from Dartmouth College
They had a long hike on July 9th before they met Dreamer in Hanover, NH, home of Dartmouth College.
They resupplied and Deva bought new insoles for her shoes and Pace bought new rain pants in anticipation of colder weather in the White Mountains. Dreamer met them at an outfitter and then as they continued to follow the trail through the town, Dreamer went ahead to the Hanover Food Co-op to pick them up. The trail markers are on the telephone poles in Hanover. They resupplied with interesting trail food and by now, boring Cliff Bars, a staple on the trail. They were thrilled the bars were on sale!
Yes, this is part of the AT. Going through Hanover, NH
They were sweaty but happy to find rooms in the nearby town of Norwich, VT at the Norwich Inn. Porter and Dreamer stayed in the Victorian house and the rest of the gang, which now included Mike St. Pierre who came in from Maine, stayed in a new room that had a fireplace. The prices near Hanover, NH are high. Unlike some of the other motels they've stayed in, there were actually clean sheets on the beds and no graffiti on the bathroom wall. Amazing!
The Norwich Inn has great accommodations and food. They also have a delicious dark porter beer that they brew on location. That evening Mike from Hyperlite Mountain Gear (HMG), supplied Porter and Pace each with their own ECHO I Ultralight Shelter System to test. The entire tent only weighs 1.31 lbs (21.0 oz.) Porter sent his original Big Agnes tent back home with Dreamer and dropped a pound in weight from his backpack that is also from HMG. Mike also supplied Dreamer with a Hyperlite backpack...I can't wait to test it out. Thank you from all of us!
Deva relaxes near their ECHO I Ultralight Shelter System. Porter's is the camo print tent which is a test model.
On July 10th Pace, Porter, and Deva were getting ready to head into the White Mountains of NH and were getting closer to the Presidential Traverse with every step.
Porter and Pace were anxious to get closer to home and were excited when they entered Massachusetts. Many of you have probably seen the footbridge that goes over the turnpike in MA.
Pace & Porter on the footbridge over the turnpike.
June 28, 2011
After leaving Dreamer in Great Barrington on June 27, Porter, Pace, and Deva hiked 28 miles to the Upper Goose Pond Shelter (Mile 1538.2 at 1,480 ft.) The trio had a mission - to get to Bennington VT to pick up Porter's SUV and drive to his home about a half-hour away. They were ready to push some big miles.
With dreams of a soft bed, good friends, BBQ, and tubing down the Battenkill river, they turned in for the night. (Beats sugar plums dancing through their heads hands down.)
6/28/11 turned into a 30-mile day. They stopped in Dalton, MA for luch and then stayed a night in a church in Cheshire where there is a hiker hostel. Little did Deva know that she went past Lee, MA where there is awesome outlet shopping.
6/29/11 they hiked another 29 miles. A highlight was hiking Mt. Greylock where they had a two-hour break with lunch and enjoyed the view and the War Memorial Tower.
Mt. Greylock, the highest peak in MA 1,480 ft - mile 1538.2
Porter, Pace, & Deva - Mt. Greylock, MA
6/30/11 Pace, Porter, and Deva entered the state of Vermont.
They hiked down the famous rock staircase that is five miles outside of Bennington where they picked up Porter's SUV. The trio made a side-trip to Manchester to pick up fellow thru-hiker Crop Duster and then headed to Porter's house.
Rock stairs. 6/30/11
That evening the crew went to the Troy Brew Pub and met with friends and family. The guys were thrilled to be home for a couple of nights.
7/1/11 was a zero day (non-hiking day). For fun we decided to tube down the Battenkill River in VT. It was a cool and cloudy day and the water was frigid. Welcome to the great northeast Crop! (Crop is from TN.)
We were all smiles before we hit the water although Dreamer knew it was going to be cold! Dreamer was right and the water was cold but it was a fun trip down the swift river...for about 15 minutes. Of all the people to flip their tube, it was our southern boy Crop Duster, who found himself spitting water from his mouth as he surfaced. He did save his beverage, but his camera was lost at the bottom of the river.
Deva, Fix, the beverage and snack bar, Pace & Porter.
This was really bad news for Crop because all of his AT pictures from the beginning of the trail is on that camera. Brave Crop decided he would dive in where he tipped over and search for his camera. With eyes wide open under the water he dove a few times. On his last trip, just before he surfaced, he saw a silver glint, grabbed it and up he came with his camera! Seriously luck that guy has. The camera, being waterproof, was in excellent condition. Crop on the other hand being a southern boy didn't fair too well in the cold water. No anti-freeze in his veins like us Yankees.
Here is a sample of Crop Duster's AT pictures - now safely backed up on Dreamer's computer. (Hope you don't mind Crop.)
Crop Duster
Crop Duster at the 1,000 mile mark
Crop Duster was freezing and shivering something fierce but he made it to shore where Dreamer was waiting. The wilderness first-aid course Dreamer took came in handy when it looked like Crop was heading into hypothermia. The good news is that we warmed him up safely, the bad news was that we all decided to bail on the tubing trip and head back home. With a call to the outfitter, a van came and picked us up and we headed back home. It was short trip down the river but "all for one and one for all" was our motto of the day.
No worse for the wear, we celebrated by having smoked ribs by Porter and hung out with more friends and family. Both Pace and Porter's parents were able to visit with their sons. Burps was also there getting ready to hike some high peaks in the Adirondacks the next day. What a great day they all had.
7/2/11 it was back on the trail for all of the AT thru-hikers. Porter, Pace, & Deva were dropped off at their trail head in Bennington, and Crop Duster was dropped off in Manchester. Off they went, happy to be back on the trail.
As the week went on our hikers tackled Vermont with their normal steady pace. Their muscles are like steel by now and they are stronger than ever. There is more to this post, but since it is already long, I'm making it a two-part posting. More to come soon where we will see what they did in VT and NH.
Porter and Pace have sailed through Vermont and are in New Hampshire now. 100 miles of the AT is also the Vermont Long Trail which Porter, Pace, and Dreamer hiked back in 2005.
Pace and Porter thank everyone for all their support and good wishes they have received from everyone throughout their journey.
They are doing great and still having fun. The trail is much more rugged in the last leg of their journey, but they have hopes to be done with the entire trail by the end of July.
They ROCK!!!
Pace, Porter, and Deva...strong and hearty hikers all.
Serious days of hiking have been going on as they get close to home. I think Porter is looking forward to sleeping in his own bed and visiting family and friends. They will be in Bennington, VT on Thursday and they will take the vehicle I left for them to drive home. If anyone is interested, Pace and Porter will be at Brown's Brewing Co. in Troy at 6PM on Thursday, June 30 so feel free to stop in and say "hello" if you want.
Here is a little of what has been happening. Thank you Aleks for meeting the guys for some serious trail magic. Here is what Aleks wrote about his meet-up with Pace and Porter.
June 20, 2011
"The bear photo is from the zoo.
The pool picture was taken right on the AT as we entered the zoo.
We met up around 10 AM they told me they had gotten up at 5 AM and hiked in 9 miles going over Bear Mountain to reach the drop location. I have never seen a dozen doughnuts disappear so fast between three people. For the first half hour their concentration was on food, coffee and OJ.
We had a great time at the zoo and afterwards I drove them to a hotel near by. They where able to get a room and we had lunch that I brought mostly sandwiches and chips. I also brought along some treats, candy and snacks for the trail along with a resupply of zip lock bags and hopefully enough leftovers for lunch the next day.
Funny on how almost everything on the trail revolves around food."
-Aleks a/k/a "Fix"
Deva, Porter, Pace relax with donuts and coffee with Aleks.
They passed through New York State into Connecticut on June 23.
New York - Connecticut border sign. Mile 1452.5 - 1250 ft. elevation
Lions Head Mountain, CT mile 1492 - 1738 ft. elevation
On June 26th, they started early and crossed into Massachusetts. They had some beautiful views off the mountain where they were higher than the clouds.
Early morning view in MA.
On Sunday Dreamer played trail angel again and met with Porter, Pace, & Deva in Great Barrington, MA. While I was waiting, there were two thru-hikers that were waiting for a third to meet them. They had to cross a highway so I offered them homemade triple chocolate chip cookies. They seemed to appreciate them. Once the three hikers were together, I drove them to a deli that was a mile or so down the road. They seemed pretty happy to have trail magic.
It was good to see our hikers again and after some Gatorade and cookies we drove to a local hotel were I had reserved rooms for the night.
A few of Porter's work friends came for a visit and we all had lunch and hung out at the Barrington Brewery and Restaurant. Thanks Mike for lunch. The food was fantastic and the craft beer was tasty.
Dreamer, Doug, Porter, Pace, Mike, and Gerry
The last two days Pace, Porter and Deva have been hiking 30-mile days. Porter told me "I want to get home to Dreamer". That's something...90 miles in three days. They are strong determined hikers that's for sure.
6/27 Great Barrington, MA to Upper Goose Pond Cabin, elevation 1483. 30 miles
6/28 They hiked 30 miles to Cheshire, MA and are staying at St. Mary of the Assumption Church. They had to check in with the priest. (Talk about trail angels!)There are two hiker rooms, restrooms and an outside cooking area. There isn't any laundry or showers, but they have a good place to stay tonight. The doors are locked by 9:30 p.m. so it is an early night for all.
Pace has a new backpack from Hyperlite Mountain Gear, custom made for him. It came just in time as his last pack has given up the ghost and was causing some major blisters and rubbing problems on his shoulders. Pace is testing out a new pack and it has specially made straps that are wider and thicker than the packs Deva and Porter are using. Mike at Hyperlite took into consideration Pace's pacemaker. The pack looks like it fits him great.
Deva, Pace, & Porter back on the AT - Great Barrington, MA 6/27
Deva, Pace, and Porter show off their Hyperlite Mountain Gear backpacks. Keeping it light is how they can hike 30 miles in a day.
Deva is an official tester for Hyperlite, check out the blog.
I am looking forward to having my husband home for a couple of nights. Maybe he will mow the lawn and weed whack while he is here? Now that's a nice dream for Dreamer.
SPOT the GPS was on strike for a few days but seems to have decided to get back to work and is now sending messages again. Porter thinks SPOT was just getting tired of the trail life and didn't care if it had new batteries. SPOT was just tired this week. Don't forget, you can click on the title at the top for a larger map.
