=
Apologies for the delay. We will update in approx 2 weeks. We have lost most of our photos over the last 3 weeks hiking due to a techn ical hitch with a memory card. We have sent the card to a photo laboritory in Florida where a chap is trying to salvage the images. It is probably unlikely they will be retrieved but Pigs might fly. It would be a wonderful outcome. The 100 mile Wilderness & Mt. Katahdin in Baxter State park have been completed. Once we reach Gorham we will spend a couple of days getting up to speed with the website. Southern Maine is underway between Monson & Gorham (SoBo).
After a couple of days rest in Hanover & Tom managing to get the urgent medical attention he required, we headed back to West Hartford to resume the walk. All remaining Muffins were suffering niggling injuries and Tom wasn't yet back to a full bill of health by any means. The 53.7 miles to Glencliff was a good indication we were approaching the White Mountains. Elevations were increasing & hiking was becoming more demanding. The views over Moose Mountain, Smarts Mountain & Mount Cube were beautiful. This was the first time 'Fall' had begun to appear.The autumnal colours synonomous to this spectacular part of the world were as vibrant as ever. The ruby reds of the Maple tree were starting to explode like a floral bloom. Excitement was booming as we eagerley awaited and dreamed of the mountains ahead, the very range we had been longing for, for so so many months. Charlie arrived a day earlier than Michael & Tom as they were both slowed down from injury, so he managed to negotiate work for stay at the hostel to keep himself busy. Michael arrived the following afternoon but hadn't seen Tom since the previous day. Tom was still suffering the effects of the virus & dehydration and a lack of energy had held him up further still. And then serious bad news struck. Tom arrived later that evening by car, having had to come off the trail some 5 miles early, before the Glencliff trail head. His knee had completely given up on him in particular the anterior cruciate ligament. The fragility of even a minor injury is hugely apparent for any long distance hiker. The intense physiological demands that hikers bodies endure anyway, a pre existing injury is particularly susceptible to major problems down the line if the necessary precautions are not adhered to. Tom's knee had been less painfull, which may well have been the problem. Being behind struggling to battle through the troubles of Giardia & having a false sense of security with an improved knee. This meant that one downhill stretch, with a momentary lapse in concentration meant a speedy descent got the better of him. Initially we all remained positive that a few days of rest might have been suffice, but it soon became apparent this sort of injury at this stage of the trail was an undeniable End, or at least for this year. The Hiker Welcome Hostel managed by the trail legend 'Phat Chap' became the last base before Duffy & Charlie entered 'The Whites'. We met up with a whole crew of hikers while at the hostel. Just Jill, Prefontaine & Miles & Forgie & his folks Russ and Tina. Tom called the Brown's the following day to update with the news. Browny insisted on picking him up and took him back to Maggie's Farm, Londonderry, Vermont. Somewhere that has become a real home from home! After Browny & Maggie came to pick Tom up and emotional farewells exchanged, Michael & Charlie left the hostel and headed for Mt. Moosilauke (4802 feet) the first time they had been above tree line. The climb was pretty steep but both Michael & Charlie were surprised by the ease in which they summitted. Trail legs finally arrived then hey? The next 100 miles of the Whites were not quite as picture postcard and rewarding as they had imagined. The weather was atrocious, the views imparied and obscured or completely eclipsed by fog for almost the entire section. The weather is what it is. It is easy to moan and grown but they both managed to maintain a bit of humour and upheld morale, and after all this sort of stuff makes up an important portion of the trip. Character building and all that jazz! Our resupply was Lincoln, somewhere we had earmarked for a stop over at Chet's place, a hiker hostel in its second year of running. Many friends and hikers who had been there had spoken highly of Chet & Dutch a friend of his. It was also an opportunity to visit the outfitters to aquire new gear, warm accessories and new boots for Charlie. Chet had endured a terrible accident a few years earlier from a gas cooking stove leaving him with huge disabilities. He amazed us at how well he has coped with the circumstances of such terrible accident. He is an amazing chap & incredibly welcoming, kind and genorous and runs a great gaf. The videos and photos should highlight our journey over this spell bounding mountain range, up and over Franconia Ridge, Mt Lincoln, Mt Lafayette, Mt Garfield, MtGuyot, Mt Zealand, down into Crawford Notch, up Mt Webster, Mt. Jackson, Mt Clinton, Mt Franklin, Mt Washington, Mt Adams,down into Pinkam notch, up and over the Wildcats & Carters. Just to relate to home Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis is 4409 feet. Washington lies at 6288 feet. Most other mountains in the Whites tower over Nevis nearing such elevations as Mt Washington. Washington itself is said to receive the worst weather conditions of the entire US annually, and the weather really can change very quickly indeed, making hiking a little daunting on occasion. One particular day in the Whites Duffy and Charlie were caught out by time and weather. Strong winds, serious fog and heavy rain slowed down the hiking rate significantly and as darkness fell the shelter was still 3 miles from their reach. The only shelter was off the AT and down another trail marked poorly by stacks of rock known as cairns and relatively overgrown in places. The visibility was a matter of a few feet and the terrain consisted of large jagged rock, with no defined path. If there is a line between character building and down right dangerous and terrifying that night the line was crossed about as far a one can go before the mercy of the grim reaper was upon us. We have since learned that night hiking over such terrain should be avoided at all cost especially at such altitude and in such dangerous conditions. It is worth noting that 20mile days through the Whites even for the fittest of athletes are somewhat quixotic, as the climbs and descents are a completely different kettle of fish. That said throughout the Whites the AMC offer hikers mountain huts every 10 miles or so fully staffed and with catering for dinner, bed and breakfast. The AMC also provide a work for stay option for thru-hikers or at least the first two of every day, an opportunity hugely appreciated as the usual customers rates for stay is highly expensive, for good reason but none the less out of our range. Duffy & Charlie benefited from this great luxury throughout the Whites, particularly appreciated considering the weather over those 10 days or so. All the staff were hugely welcoming and friendly. Justin and Erin of Mizpah Spring Hut were in particular generally awesome and so we would like to thank them greatly and look forward to a possible rendez-vous post trail. As in keeping with this magical microcosm that is the AT, we met loads of really cool people, some day hikers, some section hikers and some thru-hikers. We are constantly aware and reiterating that if the wider world was a reflection of the people and communities of the Appalachian trail, what a better world we would have. Here are some of the people we have met over the last few weeks:We got off the trail for 24 hours after our horrendous experience coming off Washington. It was the final straw after days of being soaked through and food was running a little low. We hitched to Gorham where we stayed at The Barn, a mini quest in which we had sworn to tick fulfill. Melissa, aka Sunshine who had hiked in '96, Pump Jump and their gang assumed their trail surname there, 'Chicken Bone'. It was a great honour to be encouraged to continue their tradition and so we are now Chicken bones,i.e. Night Vision Chicken Bone and Variety Chicken Bone.The following morning heavy rain again dissuaded our getting back up there and so we took a whole day to chillax and it was superb. We met up with Prefontaine and Miles again and later Hammer and Nails, who we had met in Lincoln. An evening of movies galore, an all you can eat chinese, phone calls to family and a few beers and a hot tub. What more could a hiker want coming off the Whites? We learned that Hammer & Nails were cruising up to Mt Katahdin 2 days from then and that there would be space in the car to catch a ride to Monson, the beginning of the 100 mile wilderness, northern Maine. This gave us just enough time to complete the Wildcats and Carters from Pinkham notch before their departure & so the next morning we got up early and got back to the trail. More rain and even snow plagued us with no views so no change there and Duffy injured some really peachy cuts and grazes slipping around the wet rock and roots. By the time we got back to Gorham both our knees were in tatters and we were ready for another day off. Finally the Whites were completed, by far the most challenging section to date,and weather to boot. The lift worked out superbly well.We stayed in Bangor and then hitched out the following day to Monson, picked up by a lovely lady by the name of Dee who completely went out of her way to help us. She lived opposite the service station and had just stopped in for cigarettes and beer but felt spontaneity and a good will deed was her afternoon of destiny. We hadn't even stuck our thumbs out. Our luck was most definitely back in full swing. We went for a drink with Dee in the pub & low in behold we bump into TEG and Forge. What are the bloody chances hey? Amazing... Next stop the 100 mile Wilderness...
After a couple of days rest in Hanover & Tom managing to get the urgent medical attention he required, we headed back to West Hartford to resume the walk. All remaining Muffins were suffering niggling injuries and Tom wasn't yet back to a full bill of health by any means. The 53.7 miles to Glencliff was a good indication we were approaching the White Mountains. Elevations were increasing & hiking was becoming more demanding. The views over Moose Mountain, Smarts Mountain & Mount Cube were beautiful. This was the first time 'Fall' had begun to appear.The autumnal colours synonomous to this spectacular part of the world were as vibrant as ever. The ruby reds of the Maple tree were starting to explode like a floral bloom. Excitement was booming as we eagerley awaited and dreamed of the mountains ahead, the very range we had been longing for, for so so many months. Charlie arrived a day earlier than Michael & Tom as they were both slowed down from injury, so he managed to negotiate work for stay at the hostel to keep himself busy. Michael arrived the following afternoon but hadn't seen Tom since the previous day. Tom was still suffering the effects of the virus & dehydration and a lack of energy had held him up further still. And then serious bad news struck. Tom arrived later that evening by car, having had to come off the trail some 5 miles early, before the Glencliff trail head. His knee had completely given up on him in particular the anterior cruciate ligament. The fragility of even a minor injury is hugely apparent for any long distance hiker. The intense physiological demands that hikers bodies endure anyway, a pre existing injury is particularly susceptible to major problems down the line if the necessary precautions are not adhered to. Tom's knee had been less painfull, which may well have been the problem. Being behind struggling to battle through the troubles of Giardia & having a false sense of security with an improved knee. This meant that one downhill stretch, with a momentary lapse in concentration meant a speedy descent got the better of him. Initially we all remained positive that a few days of rest might have been suffice, but it soon became apparent this sort of injury at this stage of the trail was an undeniable End, or at least for this year. The Hiker Welcome Hostel managed by the trail legend 'Phat Chap' became the last base before Duffy & Charlie entered 'The Whites'. We met up with a whole crew of hikers while at the hostel. Just Jill, Prefontaine & Miles & Forgie & his folks Russ and Tina. Tom called the Brown's the following day to update with the news. Browny insisted on picking him up and took him back to Maggie's Farm, Londonderry, Vermont. Somewhere that has become a real home from home! After Browny & Maggie came to pick Tom up and emotional farewells exchanged, Michael & Charlie left the hostel and headed for Mt. Moosilauke (4802 feet) the first time they had been above tree line. The climb was pretty steep but both Michael & Charlie were surprised by the ease in which they summitted. Trail legs finally arrived then hey? The next 100 miles of the Whites were not quite as picture postcard and rewarding as they had imagined. The weather was atrocious, the views imparied and obscured or completely eclipsed by fog for almost the entire section. The weather is what it is. It is easy to moan and grown but they both managed to maintain a bit of humour and upheld morale, and after all this sort of stuff makes up an important portion of the trip. Character building and all that jazz! Our resupply was Lincoln, somewhere we had earmarked for a stop over at Chet's place, a hiker hostel in its second year of running. Many friends and hikers who had been there had spoken highly of Chet & Dutch a friend of his. It was also an opportunity to visit the outfitters to aquire new gear, warm accessories and new boots for Charlie. Chet had endured a terrible accident a few years earlier from a gas cooking stove leaving him with huge disabilities. He amazed us at how well he has coped with the circumstances of such terrible accident. He is an amazing chap & incredibly welcoming, kind and genorous and runs a great gaf. The videos and photos should highlight our journey over this spell bounding mountain range, up and over Franconia Ridge, Mt Lincoln, Mt Lafayette, Mt Garfield, MtGuyot, Mt Zealand, down into Crawford Notch, up Mt Webster, Mt. Jackson, Mt Clinton, Mt Franklin, Mt Washington, Mt Adams,down into Pinkam notch, up and over the Wildcats & Carters. Just to relate to home Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis is 4409 feet. Washington lies at 6288 feet. Most other mountains in the Whites tower over Nevis nearing such elevations as Mt Washington. Washington itself is said to receive the worst weather conditions of the entire US annually, and the weather really can change very quickly indeed, making hiking a little daunting on occasion. One particular day in the Whites Duffy and Charlie were caught out by time and weather. Strong winds, serious fog and heavy rain slowed down the hiking rate significantly and as darkness fell the shelter was still 3 miles from their reach. The only shelter was off the AT and down another trail marked poorly by stacks of rock known as cairns and relatively overgrown in places. The visibility was a matter of a few feet and the terrain consisted of large jagged rock, with no defined path. If there is a line between character building and down right dangerous and terrifying that night the line was crossed about as far a one can go before the mercy of the grim reaper was upon us. We have since learned that night hiking over such terrain should be avoided at all cost especially at such altitude and in such dangerous conditions. It is worth noting that 20mile days through the Whites even for the fittest of athletes are somewhat quixotic, as the climbs and descents are a completely different kettle of fish. That said throughout the Whites the AMC offer hikers mountain huts every 10 miles or so fully staffed and with catering for dinner, bed and breakfast. The AMC also provide a work for stay option for thru-hikers or at least the first two of every day, an opportunity hugely appreciated as the usual customers rates for stay is highly expensive, for good reason but none the less out of our range. Duffy & Charlie benefited from this great luxury throughout the Whites, particularly appreciated considering the weather over those 10 days or so. All the staff were hugely welcoming and friendly. Justin and Erin of Mizpah Spring Hut were in particular generally awesome and so we would like to thank them greatly and look forward to a possible rendez-vous post trail. As in keeping with this magical microcosm that is the AT, we met loads of really cool people, some day hikers, some section hikers and some thru-hikers. We are constantly aware and reiterating that if the wider world was a reflection of the people and communities of the Appalachian trail, what a better world we would have. Here are some of the people we have met over the last few weeks:We got off the trail for 24 hours after our horrendous experience coming off Washington. It was the final straw after days of being soaked through and food was running a little low. We hitched to Gorham where we stayed at The Barn, a mini quest in which we had sworn to tick fulfill. Melissa, aka Sunshine who had hiked in '96, Pump Jump and their gang assumed their trail surname there, 'Chicken Bone'. It was a great honour to be encouraged to continue their tradition and so we are now Chicken bones,i.e. Night Vision Chicken Bone and Variety Chicken Bone.The following morning heavy rain again dissuaded our getting back up there and so we took a whole day to chillax and it was superb. We met up with Prefontaine and Miles again and later Hammer and Nails, who we had met in Lincoln. An evening of movies galore, an all you can eat chinese, phone calls to family and a few beers and a hot tub. What more could a hiker want coming off the Whites? We learned that Hammer & Nails were cruising up to Mt Katahdin 2 days from then and that there would be space in the car to catch a ride to Monson, the beginning of the 100 mile wilderness, northern Maine. This gave us just enough time to complete the Wildcats and Carters from Pinkham notch before their departure & so the next morning we got up early and got back to the trail. More rain and even snow plagued us with no views so no change there and Duffy injured some really peachy cuts and grazes slipping around the wet rock and roots. By the time we got back to Gorham both our knees were in tatters and we were ready for another day off. Finally the Whites were completed, by far the most challenging section to date,and weather to boot. The lift worked out superbly well.We stayed in Bangor and then hitched out the following day to Monson, picked up by a lovely lady by the name of Dee who completely went out of her way to help us. She lived opposite the service station and had just stopped in for cigarettes and beer but felt spontaneity and a good will deed was her afternoon of destiny. We hadn't even stuck our thumbs out. Our luck was most definitely back in full swing. We went for a drink with Dee in the pub & low in behold we bump into TEG and Forge. What are the bloody chances hey? Amazing... Next stop the 100 mile Wilderness...
