That’s a Wrap

RTK on Katahdin

I started following 11 thru-hikers of the Appalachian Trail in February. Each of the hikers began their journey early. Most NOBO thru-hikers hit the trail in March and even early April. I wanted to see how the early birds did on the trail. Were they the birds that caught the worm, or did they become so discouraged by the cold, the snow, the slippery trail, and the loneliness that they exited the path for the more comfortable and less extreme?

Statistically, about 25% of all those who attempt a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail complete the journey. Of the 14 thru-hikers that I followed 5 of them crossed the finish line for a success rate of 35.7%!

The summary chart below lists the hiker by his start date, followed by his end date (either the date he came off the trail or the date he summited Mount Katahdin). All the successful thru-hikes were NOBO attempts (Northbound: Hiking from Springer Mountain, GA to Mount Katahdin, Maine). The days on the trail ranged from 14 to 233 – ranging from 2 weeks to 7 and a half months. Those that completed the 14-state hike averaged 195 days. (I count myself so very blessed to have completed my hike in 154 days in 2014.) It is not a race (thank goodness) and my admiration with a loud ovation is lifted high to any individual who can conquer the challenges of the trail.

Hiker	Start Date	End Date	# of Days	Miles	Miles/Day
Genesis	14-Jan	30-Apr	107	150	1.4
Zin Master	23-Jan	27-Feb	36	128.6	3.6
Hard Knocks	31-Jan	4-Jul	155	1817.9	11.7
Vagabond Jack	1-Feb	22-Jul	172	758.2	4.4
Opa	10-Feb	26-Sep	229	1690.8	7.4
Bamadog *	15-Feb	25-Aug	192	2190	11.4
Class Act	18-Feb	16-Mar	27	189	7.0
Chip Tillson *	20-Feb	10-Oct	233	2190	9.4
Sour Kraut *	21-Feb	25-Aug	186	2190	11.8
Next Step *	24-Feb	20-Aug	178	2190	12.3
RTK *	24-Feb	1-Sep	183	2190	12.0
David Snow	26-Feb	11-Mar	14	118.6	8.5
Hickory	27-Feb	17-Apr	50	731	14.6
Pigweed	27-Feb	25-Aug	180	1148.1	6.4

* Successfully Completed their Thru-hike

Bamadog on the Summit

So why did the hikers have to leave the trail? There were a variety of reasons given by the hikers on their online blogs.  Three of them did not give a reason, but rather just stopped posting their progress. One hiker changed his goal and decided to do a section hike instead. The other five pointed to a physical problem behind their need to exit the Appalachian Trail: one foot, one leg, one severe sickness, one debilitating medical condition, and one stated general fatigue plus his discouragement on his progress.

This year’s hike was filled with lots of rain, snow (for these early starters), and slick rocks/roots. It was a pleasure to follow their adventures and I congratulate each and every one of them. May the Appalachian Trail leave its mark on the heart of each hiker and may the lessons they learned be cemented in the minds for many years to come.

Thanks for joining me as we traveled the AT vicariously with these 14 brave, crazy, and bold adventurers of the class of 2018.

Chip Makes It to the Top

One of My Views of Maine’s 100 Mile Wilderness

Chip Tillson has completed the last stretch of his Appalachian Trail adventure. On September 30^th, Chip and his four hiking buddies (The Four Amigos: Bear, Sassy, Easily Forgotten, and Bunny Steps) arrived in Monson, Maine. They were opening the door into the 100 Mile Wilderness and the final 115 miles of the Appalachian Trail.

October 1^st was a 10.4-mile journey into the wilderness and Chip found a fairly easy hike filled with meadows and ponds and streams. The group enjoyed lunch beside a waterfall and an inspiring walk along a ridgeline. The threat of rain for Tuesday the 2^nd was cause for some concern.

October 2^nd did not disappoint as a cold and steady rain fell most of the day depleting energy but not dampening the enthusiasm of the group. They traveled 8.7 miles and stopped at Cloud Pond Lean-to soaked to the bone.

Wednesday, October 3 produced nicer weather and 10.9 miles.  With about 85 miles to go, the group began to make plans for the final climb.

White Cap Mountain

October 4 held the White Cap Mountain, the last major climb until Mount Katahdin. Chip managed to lock himself in a privy when the group stopped for lunch at a shelter and then laughed at himself as he walked into two different trees leaning over the trail during the afternoon. They completed the day at Logan Brook Shelter, sharing the lean-to with two other thru-hikers, putting seven people in a shelter designed for six.

October 5^th yielded 15.4 miles including a pre-arranged food drop from Shaw’s Lodging in Monson. The on-trail resupply would provide all the food needed for a successful hike through the 100 Mile Wilderness. The group made camp under that stars and planned to hike 10.4 miles on the 6^th in order to stay at White House Landing and enjoy a few hours of downtime.

October 6^th was a crisp and clear day making the 10.4 miles hike to White House Landing very manageable. The group experienced trail magic along the way as Pegamoose, who completed his NOBO thru-hike two weeks ago, drove into the wilderness and provided soda, candy, and apples beside the trail.

View of Katahdin from a distance

After breakfast at the Landing, the group continued their journey on October 7^th with 45.6 miles to the finish line. The morning was windy and cold, but by noon the sun appeared and brightened the chilly day. Before the day was over the group had hiked 15.5 miles arriving at the Rainbow Stream Lean-to.

October 8 brought the group out of the 100 Mile Wilderness as they arrived at Abol Bridge Campground. The 15.1-mile hike took Chip into some deep reflection regarding the adventure: “At the end of the day the trail crossed Abol Bridge where the view of Mt Katahdin filled the horizon – after 231 days the finish line is just a couple more one-day hikes away. So much has gone right to get me here. There’s a saying – “The Trail Provdes” – and it’s true. Every time I neared the end of my rope; hungry, frustrated, lonely, hurt, etc. someone would be there with excactly what I needed. When I was hungry Magic trail side food would be there. When I needed rest and healing friends and relatives welcomed me into their homes. When I was homesick friends came to visit me where I was. When the trail got really tough and loneliness was taking its toll 4 Amigos appeared and saved me.” 

October 9^th involved a relatively easy hike from Abol Bridge to Katahdin Stream Campground, the base camp to the great mountain with the big brown sign. The Four Amigos and Chip went to the ranger station to sign in and receive their official thru-hiker number, Chip was the 1,214^th NOBO hiker to make the climb.

Chip – Day One

October 10^th – Summit Day! The strenuous climb up Katahdin is a very steep 5.2 miles. It was an exhausting day for Chip and one he described as one of the most difficult days of the whole hike. The night before Chip made the finish line, he wrote, “Some years ago, as her health began to fade, my Grandmother Tillson made me promise that I wouldn’t wait too long in life to travel, see the world, and do the things I wanted to do. Promise kept. Thanks, Grandma, tomorrow is for you.” After the descent off the mountain, the group traveled to Millinocket and rested at a hotel.

My heartiest congratulations to Chip Tillson! The weather cooperated, the snow held off, and his joints were strong enough to complete this incredible journey. Unfortunately, Chip did not post any photos in his blog, so I have no victory picture with you. Maybe he will post a final photo in the next few days. If so, I will be sure to pass it along.

My final post of this AT season should be submitted in the next few days. I will summaries the hikes that I followed and provide some statistics on the brave adventures of the 11 hikers that I tracked in the class of 2018.

Photo of White Cap Mountian, Maine found @ https://mainebyfoot.com/whitecap-mountain-rumford/

And Then There Was One

Ferry Service Kennebec River

Last February, I started following 14 thru-hikers of the Appalachian Trail via their online journals. Three have completed the trail (Which Way, Bamadog, and RTK), another has reported climbed Katahdin, but has not reported doing so on his blog, eight have come up short of their adventure and two remain on the trail. One, Opa, returned to the trail on August 29th, after some major physical problems and several weeks at home. He is hiking SOBO (southbound) after traveling to Maine and moving back toward Vernon, New Jersey, where he left the trail in May. The other, Chip continues to hike NOBO (northbound) racing against time and the coming winter in Maine.

My last update was September 9. Chip was in Gorham, New Hampshire with 300 miles to go while Opa was in Stratton Maine having hiked 188 miles in 12 days including the 100 Mile Wilderness and the Bigelow Mountains.

Chip Pre-hike

Fast-forward to September 26 and Chip is in Caratunk, Maine, having crossed over the Kennebec River (where hikers are shuttled over in canoes as the official part of the trail, including a white blaze in the canoe). He has 152 miles to Katahdin. This portion of the trail took me ten days to complete. If he can duplicate my pace (which should not be that difficult to accomplish) he should summit Katahdin on October 6.

Chip has had some chronic physical injuries throughout his hike including difficulties with his left shoulder due to a fall and knees that have taken a toll over the rugged terrain. He provides some interesting insights into the physical problems still facing him as he progresses toward the finish line.

…..injuries, here’s the current report: I’m hiking with my arm in a “sling” again because of my shoulder re-re-injury. I had a minor fall on the other arm and now my right shoulder hurts too. My knees are screaming for time off (at least I’m not limping because they BOTH hurt). I’m also beginning to get a chest cold accompanied by a nasty cough. I have some antibiotics left over from my mid-hike root canal that I’m taking for that, it seems to be working.”

Opa’s Viiew at Mahoosuc Notch

Opa appeared to be going at a strong pace through Maine averaging 14.8 miles per day. On September 17^th he hiked 12 miles including the Mahoosuc Arm and the Mahoosuc Notch, two of the most strenuous obstacles on the trail. Then came the concerning news in his September 18^th post,

Looks like I’ve contracted Giardia, which comes from a parasite in untreated water. I make it a point to always treat my water, but I have recently had a couple of instances where I was careless. A few days ago I do recall mixing up water bottles, and not being certain which one had been treated. One bottle may have gotten a double dose of AquaMira, and the other no dose. Also, you are supposed to let Parts A and B mix and sit for 5 minutes before adding to the water. 5 minutes can be an eternity when treating 3 bottles, I maybe gave it a minute. Stupid on my part. I started having a bout of mild diarrhea along with an upset stomach a few days ago and didn’t think anything of it, but last nite….. I was up about 6 times trotting to the privy, and when I woke this AM around 8 (very late for me) I was an exhausted wreck. At one point during the day, I literally laid down right on the trail and took a 30-minute nap I was so exhausted. I didn’t eat anything all day, except for a cup of hot chicken broth tonite for dinner. Every step was a struggle. Not to mention that about every 20 minutes I had to go trotting into the woods….. Of course, the trail had no sympathy, on a couple sections, I thought I was back in the Mahoosuc Notch. I kept thinking of bailout options, how to get to a road, but nothing. On the last climb of the day up Mt. Success, I felt so wasted that I was contemplating calling 911 for help. Lo and behold on that climb I ran into a couple of NOBOs, who turned out to be my salvation.

Opa

Turns out that one was a nurse, and he asked Opa a lot of good questions concluding that he most likely Giardia. He offered some good advice. The other hiker gave Opa some electrolyte pills and some Flagyl pills, which is a prescription drug used to treat Giardia. Opa was able to hike 13 miles the next day and made it into Gorham, NH. He was able to see a doctor who gave hi a prescription for Flagyl and recommended rest for a few days. After zero-days on September 20 and 21, Opa was off again. His next three days averaged 8.7 miles per day, which is not bad through the Whites.

Then on September 26, Opa was hiking over Mount Hight and into Zita Pass in New Hampshire.

Opa and the Brown Sign

“The day started so promising today, I felt pretty good  – except for that incessant C Diff diarrhea which won’t seem to go away and is a real annoyance while on the trail…. Then all of a sudden at Zeta Pass I got very dizzy/lightheaded to the point that I thought I might faint. This happened to me once before since I’ve been on the meds for my C Diff, although not as severe. Anyway, today I tried to regroup and regain my strength, and started up the trail towards the next peak, but there was just no way – I was a wreck. My hike was over, my body was trying to tell me something. Fortunately, there was a 3.6-mile bailout trail at Zeta Pass that took me down to the road. I stumbled on down that trail, going ever so slowly so that I wouldn’t fall (as it was I fell once), then hitched a ride back to the hostel. I have no regrets, I gave it my absolute best shot, but my thru-hike attempt is over. I am very comfortable with my decision. I always told my family, and myself, that I wouldn’t do anything stupid and press on with my hike if that entailed compromising my health. The time has come to get off the trail. 

I am very grateful for the time I had on the trail: I met some great people, was the beneficiary of the kindness shown me by others, got to see parts of the country that I had not seen before, and had the time of my life. I have memories to last a lifetime. The good Lord watched over me for 1700 miles, I am grateful and thankful for the many blessings he has bestowed on me.” 

I am very sorry to see Opa have to leave the trail again. He was a warrior and should be very proud of his efforts.

Kennebec River Photo from https://appalachiantrail.com/20150827/hikers-fording-kennebec-river-on-foot-ignore-danger/

Opa is BACK!

Boardwalk near Vernon, NJ.

Occasionally, I check the journals of those thru-hikers of the Appalachian Trail that have gotten off the trail to see if they have updated their online blogs with additional information. Most of the time the journals are absent of an update, but a recent check on Opa revealed that he has returned to the trail. He has traveled to Maine, climbed Mount Katahdin, and is now hiking SOBO (southbound) back toward New Jersey.

Opa went off the trail on May 21, 2018, after developing a painful inflammation in the area of the arch on his right foot. He was in Vernon, New Jersey, and was able to get a ride from his son Eric who lives in nearby Westwood, NJ. After getting some X-rays, it was determined that Opa had a stress fracture on the fifth metatarsal. He was anticipating a fitted boot to help support the foot during the healing process. In addition to the foot, Opa was scheduled for hernia surgery in late June followed by some personal commitments during the summer months. He talked about returning to the trail, but honestly, I thought he would not return during this hiking season.

Opa and the Brown Sign

Opa, Reinhard Gsellmeier from Rochester, NY, was one of the strongest hikers I followed this year. He consistently put in high mileage and I thought he would be the first to complete the adventure. I was saddened to hear of his injury that took him from the trail, and I am excited that he has returned. He has about 833 miles to hike to complete his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

On August 22^nd Opa posted, “I’ve been thinking about the trail every single day since I had to get off way back on May 21st, so I am raring to go! Instead of being a NOBO I will become a flipflopper as I resume my hike by starting at Katahdin and hiking south. My preference would have been to continue as a NOBO, but I was concerned that with my end of August restart I would simply run out of time and not make it to Katahdin by the time they close the mountain in mid-October.”  

He climbed Mount Katahdin on August 30^th, and immediately started his SOBO adventure. In the two weeks since his return to the trail, Opa has hiked 188.2 miles. He has trekked through the 100-Mile Wilderness, across the iconic Kennebec River, over the Bigelow Mountains, and into the trail town of Stratton, Maine averaging almost 14.5 miles a day. However, on September 10^th, Opa recorded, “I think my trail legs are back, but as fate would have it my plantar fasciitis has reared its ugly head once again. My left heel is starting to become inflamed, but so far it is not impeding my progress.”

On Avery Peak – Bigelow Mountains

Opa has not taken a zero-day since his return although the nero-day into Stratton was only 5.1 miles leaving him with some needed rest time to recuperate from his aggressive pace. While resting in Stratton, his journal reflected his need for some R/R.  “I decided to take an unplanned NERO in Stratton, in part to give my left heel a little relief with a short mileage day, and in part to get cleaned up and dry out my gear. Am staying in a bunk room at the Stratton Motel and Hostel. Stratton is a small town, but has everything I need within a short walk of the hostel. Laundromat, grocery store and a place to get pizza. Ahhhh, pizza!  Guess what I had for dinner!

My plantar fasciitis and the inflammation in my left heel remains a concern, but as long as it doesn’t get much worse it is tolerable. My spirits remain high and I am as determined as ever to finish this thing!”

My prayers are with Opa as he attempts to complete his hike in 2018.

RTK Reaches Katahdin

RTK on Katahdin

Bruce Matson, RTK, completed his thru-hike of the Appalachian trail on September 1, 2018. Of the fourteen hikers that I followed this hiking season, RTK is only the third person to complete the journey. He left Springer Mountain, Georgia on February 25 and stood beside the big brown sign in Maine on September 1 – 189 days later. Quite a journey through mud, snow, rain, sunshine, incredible vistas, steep descents, rocks, roots, highs and lows. My heartiest congratulations to RTK who officially joins the class of 2018.

Since entering Maine, RTK had been hiking with Gbolt and Recon. Recon needed to exit the trail due to an injury on August 1, but Gbolt and RTK buddied all the way to Katahdin. I found out that Gbolt is a hiker from the Dayton area. He left for his AT adventure the middle of March, on his 58^th birthday.

Let to Right: Recon, Gbolt and RTK

RKT and Gbolt left Monson, Maine, on August 25 and entered the 100-Mile Wilderness. It took them six days to traverse the wilderness and arrive at Abol Bridge. On August 31 they hiked from Abol Bridge to The Birches Campsite in Baxter State Park at the foot of Mount Katahdin. Bruce’s wife, Cheryl, met them at Katahdin Stream Campground about 7:00 in the morning on September 1 and the three of them began their summit at 7:30.

I have taken excerpts from RTK’s journal to capture his thinking on the last day of his AT thru-hike:

“The hike started on smooth trail with modest incline for a little over a mile until we reached Katahdin Falls (beautiful).  The severity of the climb and the rocks increased as we hiked, but we were excited, and the climb did not seem too difficult.  After about three miles the trail breaks out of the tree line just as the severity of the climb becomes intense.

For almost a mile exactly we had little other than climbing up, over, around and through rocks, boulders, ledges and every formation or type of rock – mostly granite.  The climb was not technical, but vertical and difficult with some scary maneuvers.  We often had to help one another.

Gbolt, Cheryl and RTK at the Sign

Around noon we reached the “Gateway,” – the start of the (relatively flat) tableland.  We could see a congregation of stick figures a mile away at the Katahdin sign.  After a half mile we stopped for lunch on some rocks.  Then we climb the remaining hill to the summit….. It was 2:00 p.m. and we had to get back down the mountain.  We knew that the descent would be more difficult – and therefore would take longer.  

Eventually, finally, after spending a lot of time on our backsides working down rock slabs we got below tree line.  From there it was steep and rocky, but not the intensity of the rocks above the tree line.

With less than a mile to go, we lost most light and had to use headlamps and flashlights for the last 20 minutes. We were all thankful and elevated to return safely to the parking lot – having finished the toughest day, yet final day, on the trail.  We gathered and gave thanks – and then Cheryl drove us to Millinocket.  We dropped Gbolt at the AT Lodge and headed to our motel.

The journey was over.”

Congratulations RTK (and Gbolt) on a successful thru-hike!!!

Only 25 out of 100 make the complete journey GA/ME. Of my 14 selected hikers, three have finished the trail, with three more still plugging away. Twenty-five percent of 14 is 3.5 so my 14 brave early starters have an opportunity to be better than average in success rate.

Bamadog is Top Dog – August 25th

Bamadog

On August 25, 2018 Bamadog, Martin Dockings from Alabama at 61-years-old, earned the title of Thru-Hiker of the Appalachian Trail, class of 2018. Martin is married and has two sons, both of whom served in the military. Bamadog began his adventure on February 15th, after retiring from his career of 39 years. His adventure took him 192 days involving 7 different months (from February to August). That is a long time.

Bamadog’s winter tent

After experiencing some the winter days on the AT, Bamadog took a week off to rest up and thaw out (March 23- April 1). Upon his return, Bamadog hiked strong and consistently until July 1. He shared his decision to leave the trail on this July post, “Both of my knees are hurting letting me know I don’t need to be where I am alone scaling wet rock walls and cliffs and bouldering from daylight until dark. It is time to go home to my sweetheart.” His spiritual commitment, which was obvious in just about every post was so event in this mid-summer post as well, “I want to thank my Lord and Savior Most of all. His Holy Spirit has been with me every step of the way. He promised in His Word that He will never leave me or forsake me. You can count on that if you are a child of the King.1818.5 miles. Not bad for this ole guy. Only God knows if I will come back and get the rest of it done. That is His call. I have peace about it either way.”

His View of Katahdin from Rainbow Stream

Well, Bamadog did return to the trail after three weeks of recovery. He started where he left off at Franconia Notch in New Hampshire on July 22. He trekked through the last two states (the two most difficult states of New Hampshire and Maine) in 34 days covering 375 miles. During his last five days on the trail he enjoyed his final miles of this incredible journey. He arrived at White House Landing on August 21st, the only place along the 100 Mile Wilderness for a hostel rest, food drop, and a comfortable bed. The White House Landing is about 45 miles from Mount Katahdin 30 miles to the end of the 100-Mile Wilderness.

Bamadog let the White House Landing about 8:30 on Wednesday, August 22nd and hiked 15.6 miles ending up at the Rainbow Stream Lean-to. The trail was rocky and rooty (as it is almost throughout the state of Maine). He encountered some around noon that remained with him most of the afternoon making the trail rather slick.

Thursday, the 23rd, was a beautiful day, and Bambadog logged 15.3 miles. After getting a good look at Mount Katahdin from the Rainbow Ledges (about 21 hiking miles away), he ended his day at a camp site near Abol Bridge, the end of the 100-Mile Wilderness and a real restaurant

Bamadog on the Summit

Before leaving Abol Bridge on Friday morning, he had a nice breakfast at the restaurant. He then hit the trail heading down the AT for 10 miles with the destination of The Birches Lean-tos in the Katahdin Stream Campsite. He arrived at 12:20 and too a nice long afternoon nap.

Bamadog got up early on Saturday, August 25th with his eyes set on the summit of Mount Katahdin. The weather was excellent for the climb and he was kissing the big brown sign at 10:45. He hiked down off the mountain via the Abol trail and met a nice lady and her son who picked him up and took him to the Ranger Station to pick up his gear. At the Ranger Station, a fellow hiker offered him a ride into Millinocket where Bamadog spent the last night of his thru-hike experience at the AT Lodge. He planned to start his flight home 9:00 am on Sunday.

I offer my toast to Bamadog for a hike of diligence and determination. May he enjoy the trip home and some great days ahead with his family. May he also reflect back on his adventure with fantastic memories of the faithful of God in his life.

Update on the Remaining Five

Bamadog’s Taxi to White House Landing

Out of 14 thru-hikers of the Appalachian Trail, I started following at the end of February only six remain. One has completed the trail, Next Step! Five others are still on the trail. Let me provide a quick update on those five who are still hoping to complete their journeys. The update is based on their progress.

Bamadog – Bamadog is on his fifth day into the 100-Mile Wilderness. He arrived (8/21) at the White House Landing (a hostel only approachable by boat) for a resupply of food and then last 30 miles of the wilderness into Abol Bridge. White House Landing is located a little over 44 miles from Mount Katahdin in Baxter State Park, the northern terminus of the AT. Bamadog is making plans to summit Katahdin on August 25^th. My prayers are with him as he completes his dream.

Sour Kraut fishing in Maine

Sour Kraut –  After 32 days of silence online, I had counted Sour Kraut as off the trail having to abandon his attempt to thru-hike the AT. Then, on August 22, he posted 30 photographs. None of them have any titles or captions. They are all dated with the same date. They range from Mount Washington to the Bigelow Mountains to the Kennebec River without any strict chronological order. Many of the pics show beautiful mountain vistas that could be a lot of place along the trail. However, I think there is one of Moxie Bald Mountain in Maine. I am projecting that he is at least this far along the Appalachian Trail, leaving him about 135 miles to reach Mount Katahdin.

RTK on Top of the Rocks in NH

RTK – Although Bruce Matson, RTK, posts a week in arrears and his last journal entry (August 7) records his location in New Hampshire at Gentian Pond about 290 miles from the finish line, he posted a photo on Instagram on August 19^th from Pierce Pond in Maine only 155 miles from Mount Katahdin. Hopefully, I will not have to wait for two weeks after he summits the great mountain to hear and see his victory. Instagram might be my best source of up-to-date locations.

Chip – Despite a shoulder injury, Chip continues to hike that AT. He has just crossed over the Vermont/New Hampshire border. He is taking a zero-day on August 22 at Griffin’s Cabin on the border, trying to give his body some time to heal and refresh. He is about 437 miles to Katahdin’s brown sign, but he has the most difficult terrain in front of him – The White Mountains and southern Maine are brutally challenging.

Pigweed –  The last journal entry from Pigweed was August 14, penned from Gorham, New Hampshire, north of the White Mountains. Pigweed flipped directions and is now headed south to Virginia. He has hiked through Maine and is now headed over the Presidential Peeks of the Whites. With his 802 NOBO miles (from Georgia northbound to Virginia) and 320 SOBO miles from Katahdin to Gorham, Pigweed has logged in 1120 out of the 2190 miles of the trail, leaving another 1070 miles to complete his journey. He still has a great distance to cover before the cold weather makes it doubly difficult.

 

I am very excited for Bamadog, Sour Kraut, and RTK as they are in sight of the finish line. I will keep you posted as they complete their thru-hikes. I am more than a little concerned for Chip and Pigweed. I will be watching their progress closely and will try to update this blog regularly.

Next Step on Katahdin

The Destination!

One Day 176 of his adventure (August 20), Next Step was joined by his wife, Which Way and they both hiked to the top of Mount Katahdin in Maine, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Coming down off the summit Next Step joined the class of 2018 as a Thru-hiker. I offer my applause and greatest congratulations.

Darrell (Next Step) & Alicia (Which Way) Brimberry began their trek on February 24 from Springer Mountain, Georgia. Next Step had just retired from the military as an Army Colonel with 30 years of active duty service. They began their hike right after retirement and had not relocated out of Washington, DC, so technically they hiked the trail as part of the homeless in the US.

Not an Easy Climb

They hiked together for the first 1,000 miles. They were about 20 miles from Harpers Ferry, WV, the home of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, when Alicia’s previous back injury flared up to the point of needing some medical attention. She got a ride to Harpers Ferry where she reunited with Next Step and the next day traveled to Charles Town, WV for some therapy. The therapy was not effective enough for her to continue the trek so she ended up making her way to her parent’s home in Kentucky while Next Step continued on without her.

Not Easy at All

Next Step really increased his mileage as a solo hiker. It took Next Step and Which Way 95 days to hike the first 1,000 miles (an average of 10.52 miles per day). Next Step then walked the next 1,000 miles in 69 days (an average of 14.49 miles per day) and finished his last 190 miles in Maine in 12 days (Averaging 15.83 miles per day). He hiked the last 26 days without a true zero-day for rest.

Next Step and Which Way are delightful people who made many friends along the path. They seemed to have an exciting time together and a supportive time apart wishing they could be together. They were determined to summit Katahdin together and it was exciting to see the photos of them climbing the mountain and standing atop the big brown sign together. Hooray! Success!

Update from the AT – 8/17/18

Next Step starting the 100-Mile Wilderness

I identified 14 hikers attempting to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. All of them began their journeys in either January or February of 2018. And all of them were keeping an online journal via trailjournals.com. Three individuals took to the trail in January while the other eleven waited until February to begin their treks.

Eight of the fourteen are no longer on the trail. Zin Master embarked on January 23 but had to leave the trail after 130 miles because of a nagging injury on February 27. David Snow and his dog Abbie started on February 26 and ended his journal on March 11 in Franklin, NC. He had hiked 110 miles. Class Act, retired physician Alan Conlon, hiked just shy of one month, from February 18 to March 17, logging in 183 miles of the AT. Hickory, another strong hiker on the trail, began his journey on February 27 and then on April 17, he decided to change his approach from a true-hike goal to the completion of a section of the trail instead. He had arrived at Daleville, Virginia, and had hiked 725 miles of the AT. Genesis, Rick Miller from Pennsylvania, started his hike with his sister on January 14. He hiked on the weekends in Pennsylvania and then traveled to Georgia on March 1^st. He began hiking NOBO (northbound) but he returned home after some difficult days on the trail. He and his sister returned one more time in April to try to complete the trail but could not make it. Vagabond Jack left Springer Mountain, Georgia on February 1. He hiked 675 miles through Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and over 200 miles into Virginia. He left the trail on May 1 but then returned on July 12^th. He continued his attempt until July 22 covering 82 more miles before a painful injury forced him from the trail. Opa, Reinhard Gsellmeier, from Rochester, NY, hiked from February 10 to May 21. He was such a strong hiker and had traveled over 1350 miles before a foot injury made it impossible to continue. Hard Knocks, Patrick Knox, began his hike on January 31. His last post found him power hiking through New England and then he just stopped journaling. On July 4^th, he had arrived at Franconia Notch (about 1815 miles along the trail) in New Hampshire about to enter the hut system of the White Mountains.

Bamadog’s Photo at Bald Mountain Pond

Of the six remaining hikers, two are about to complete their journeys, one has been silent for over a month, one has suffered an injury in Vermont, one is hiking in the White Mountain in NH, and one is still over 1000 miles from the finish line.

The two hikers that are drawing wonderfully close to the end of the hike are Next Step, who is within 45 miles of Katahdin, and Bamadog, who has just arrived in Monson, Maine with 115 more miles to the big brown sign. Next Step began his adventure on February 24 and Bamadog stepped out one day later on February 25.

Next Step’s post on August 16^th was from Whitehouse Landing. This wonderful hostel was not open in 2014 when I walked the path, but it reopened in 2016. It does provide a welcomed stopping place along the 100-Mile Wilderness for thru-hikers. Next Step’s wife and hiking companion for the first 1000 miles, Which Way, will join her husband on the 19^th and they plan to summit Mount Katahdin together on August 20^th. When he posts photos from the top, I will share his celebration with you. I am excited to see him finish.

Sour Kraut at Mt Mooilauke

On August 16, Bamadog had arrived at the last community before the 100-Mile Wilderness, Monson, Maine. His knees are sore, but he has the end in sight. The first 40 miles of the 100-Mile Wilderness contains many rivers to ford, steep ascents, root-dominated trails and challenging terrain, but the last 60 are much easier and enjoyable for the hiker. The entire wilderness experience is absolutely beautiful. Bamadog is so close to the end, but perseverance is still critical. He saw a moose along the trail on the 16^th as he dodged thunderstorms throughout the day.

Sour Kraut rarely posts in words, but he has been fairly regular in updating his journal with pictures since his first on the trail, February 21. However, it has been 27 days since the last photo. He was on Mount Moosilauke in New Hampshire about 1795 miles into his trek. The number of days between pictures over the last three months has varied between 5 and 14 days. This long period of silence has me concerned. He might post tomorrow from Maine or even atop Katahdin, or he may be off trail without notification.

RTK Above Treeline

Chip Tillson started on February 20 and on August 16^th he was in Vermont. He posted from Cooper Lodge close to the summit of Killington Mountain. He has reinjured a shoulder during a fall. He writes, I had a bad fall this morning, slipped on a rock and went down hard re-injuring the same shoulder I hurt back in March. I was able to keep going dispite the pain but it was all uphill; it’s relatively easy to walk uphill with one arm in a sling – downhill not so much. At least I know what to expect: it’ll hurt a lot so use it as little as possible for a few weeks. Taking much time off at this point is definitely not an option. Fortunately, Superfriend Dan is coming up early next week with my fall weather gear so I’ll take a zero with him while kicking back at Ted Griffins cabin, maybe I can get in some slack packing with his help. Chip has some very difficult terrain ahead of him and I hope he will be wise in resting/healing that shoulder.

RTK, Bruce Matson began his hike on February 25. He usually posts on Thursday and reports a week in arrears. I have not heard from him yet this week, so his last entry was August 1. On that date, he was in the White Mountain about eight miles north of Zealand Fall Hut and 15 miles south of Mount Washington. My guess is that he is into Maine and could be as far as Stratton with about 190 miles to go. I will give you an update as soon as he posts this week.

Pigweed into New Hampshire

Pigweed, Lee Richards, took his first step on the AT on February 27^th. He hiked a little over 800 miles NOBO (northbound) then traveled to Maine and began walking SOBO (southbound). He has logged in 319 miles heading south and posted from Gorham, NH, on August 14^th. He is headed into the heart of the White Mountains with Mount Washington less than 15 miles away. My greatest concern for Pigweed is the number of miles left to travel – he has over 1000 miles yet to hike. I hope that time will not run out before he is able to complete his trek.

Katahdin is Drawing Close for Some

Next Step’s Photo of Moxie Bald Mountain

Of the six thru-hikers of the Appalachian Trail that I am following, a couple of the adventurers are getting close to the big brown sign on top of Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the trail. Others have quite a few miles left to complete their treks.

Next Step is still hiking strong as he has conquered New Hampshire and is trekking through Maine. On the 11^th of August, he was hiking toward Monson, the last spot of civilization prior to the 100 Mile Wilderness. However, after the 100 miles to Abol Bridge, he is only a 10 miles hike to Katahdin Stream CampgroundowH – the base camp for the climb us Katahdin. His published plan was to meet his wife, Which Way on the 19^th of August and hike the last 10.4 miles together (5.2 miles one-way to the summit and 5.2 miles back down). My guess for them is that they could do it on August 17^th is they wanted to move up the plan. Either way, Next Step has been so strong throughout New England and he is so close to recording his name in the roster of the class of 2018. My prayers are with him as he tackles the wilderness and the great mountain.

Next Step

I have not heard from Sour Kraut since July 20^th. But, if he has maintained his regular pace, he should be right behind Next Step. In fact, if Which Way and Next Step delay their summit until the 20^th, they may summit together. This is just a calculated guess. If Sour Kraut took some time off, or sustained an injury, or developed some trail sickness, he may be behind this schedule. On the other hand, if he has picked up his pace and made incredible time through the Whites, he may find himself atop Katahdin in the next few days.

If he would just post a picture, I would let you know where he is along the AT.

Bamadog is hiking well along the trail. He is over 70 miles into Maine – about 11 miles north of Rangeley with approximately 210 miles to go. The terrain is tough, and the daily mileage tends to be lower through this final state. I am estimating 16 days more days for Bamadog and a target summit of August 24.

RKT around Crawford Notch, NH

RTK posts a week in arrears so it is more difficult to suggest an ending date for him. A wild guess is August 28^th if he progresses at the approximate rate as Next Step. As of August 1^st, RTK was in Crawford Notch about 14 miles from Mount Washington in the White Mountains in New Hampshire with about 350 miles to his final destination. He will need to average 12.5 miles a day over difficult terrain to make my prediction, but he is a seasoned, strong hiker with deep determination.

Chip is about 25 miles into the state of Vermont. He needs to hike another 570 miles to reach Katahdin. From this point on the AT, it took me 47 days to complete my thru-hike in 2014. At my pace, he will summit the great mountain on September 26^th. If he can manage a pace of 13.3 miles per day, he can cross the finish line on September 22^nd. Either way, that is a lot more sleeps and miles to hikes through challenging mountains. If he arrives on the 22^nd, his journey will have taken him 184 days. Keep going Chip – you can make it.

Rangeley, ME – Unusual Half-way Point

Pigweed has flip-flopped along the trail having completed a little over 800 miles headed north, then travel to Maine, climbed Katahdin, and began his southbound (SOBO) journey back to Virginia. His last post was on August 8^th from Andover, Maine about 260 from Baxter State Park, the home of Mount Katahdin. Pigweed has the longest hike of the six hikers to complete as he needs over 1100 miles. My best estimate for completion for Pigweed is the middle of October. The next 185 miles will be the key to Pigweed’s success. I think if he can make it over the southern part of Maine and through the White Mountains of New Hampshire, he will have a real shot of completing his thru-hike. Since he began his adventure, he went off trail for 15 days during the last of March and first of April and then again in June/July he took 25 days to recoup at the beach. I will be anxious to see how much he wants to complete the trail. It will take a great deal of perseverance to maintain his journey.