Mike P.

I will not be heading out to the trail again this fall! My fellow hikers from this summer, Lucky Boy & Gringo Loco, who I was going to join up with for a couple of weeks through Pennsylvania and Maryland have changed their hiking plans. Lucky Boy has a friend joining him on October 3 and they will be hiking together untill the tenth when they will leave the trail for some family time. Gringo is now going to pick up his pace and catch up with some other southbound hikers (Chris & Madison) so that he can complete the trail before Christmas. Which meansRead More →

Yes, I’m heading back to the trail for a couple weeks to hike with some of my fellow through hikers from this summer ( Lucky Boy & Gringo Loco). I hope to catch up with them by the New Jersey / Pennsylvania border and hike Pennsylvania, Maryland, and stop at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, which is the half way point of the trail. Provided I am able to complete this section I will have hiked about 800 miles. I will have missed the second half of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey which is about 300 miles of the northern half of theRead More →

It’s been good to be home! Being back with Bren and family, our conference grounds family, lots of great food (not trail food), ice cream each night, daily shower- even if I don’t need one, clean clothes every morning, and so much more! It has been relaxing and my knees and elbows are healing. Bren and I have been discussing if I go back to the A/T. I’ve completed over 550 miles including what I did this spring in Georgia. I still have 1600 miles to go which I can’t cover before my Thanksgiving Day end date. I will not hike after Thanksgiving Day, dueRead More →

Yes, after almost nine weeks on the trail and covering just over 500 miles I did a surprise visit back home to see my wife, Brenda, my children and grandchildren, and our Conference Grounds family for Labor Day weekend. It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over and fall is around the corner. That I have completed the A/T in Maine, New Hampshire, and almost half way through Vermont. It has been a challenge, but I have been blessed by so many hikers and made many friendships along the way! Missing family and home it was time to be refreshed and hopefully gain backRead More →

The puckets in the privy or large grey bins contain either wood shavings that the trail volunteers bring in or leaves and twigs that hikers gather prior to going and place in the hole after going. It helps the decomposition process and with the smell. It’s a good thing. Going potty is a systematic process on the trail. I know I will appreciate my bathroom and flush option a whole lot more.Read More →

One of the basics of trail life are the proves. When your body tells you have to pee you just walk off the trail and go into the woods or rock pile and relieve yourself, easy enough. When you have to do the waste management thing (poop) you have three choices: 1. Find a privy (usually by a shelter). 2. Go into the woods, dig a hole 6-8 inches deep and squat. 3. Get constipated and wait till you get into town or hostel (not recommended)! So far I have been able to make option number one work! Their are lots of different types ofRead More →

See attached pictureRead More →

After a zero day in Hanover I crossed over the Connecticut river (attached picture) and into Vermont! I have now survived the two toughest states, Maine and New Hampshire. Eagerly anticipating easier trails, less rock, and climbs and descents that are less steep. I was not disappointed! Hiking was enjoyable again and a lot less pain coming from my knees. Still many ups and downs, that is the trail, seeing more meadows, farmland, and the green Mountains of Vermont. Even some color is starting to show. I covered just over 50 miles over the five days of hiking averaging about 10 miles a day. I’mRead More →

As south bound hikers we were now looking forward to easier hiking based upon our guidebooks. The highest climbs were in the 2000 foot range and descents were less steep. Still lots of rock to climb over and around, but very manageable! The weather was good for the first two days, but then a major storm came in on our third night about 8 pm. I was in the shelter (called Trapper John’s – in the past it was the site where he supposedly stayed) knowing that a storm was coming and did not want to be in my tent. The storm came with lightning,Read More →

After five more days of hiking and little or no cell phone coverage it’s time for an update now that I’m in Hanover, NH, on the New Hampshire / Vermont border. I have now hiked just under 450 miles since my start on July 3. Mt. Mooselauki us a 4,800 feet high and it’s climb and descent of 3,500 feet. It is the last of the White mountain major peaks that we climb on the trail. It is also one of the steepest climbs for a south bounder on the trail. I would rather climb it then descent like the North bounders. It took 10Read More →