Finally!

3 and a half months.  Almost.

That's how long ago I came home from Virginia.  INSANITY.

  

Recently I was talking to some old friends who were asking me questions about hiking.  One of them said... "I would know this stuff if you ever finished your blog!".  I laughed, but its true!  I never did finish up...

Some things I can't really put an end to... its hard to put into simple words and numbers my big adventure... but as I look toward the spring and towards moving on to new adventures it seems more than time to put some final details to the end of the last one... a closure of sorts... so here you go.  (I know, so exciting.)

The nitty gritty:
Days I was gone: 144 (April 27- June 12 and July 17 to Oct. 23)
Miles hiked:  about 1900 (not done yet!)
Biggest mileage in one day:  25.4 miles (July 18)
Average pack weight (without food or water):  22ish pounds in the summer, 27ish in the spring and fall (too heavy!)
# of times I cried:  NONE!
(Well, once on the trip, but it wasn't on the trail... darn you Greyhound!)
# of toenails lost:  3, 2 babies, 1 big (yep, gross)
# of pairs of shoes I went through:  4
# of packs:  2 (and I LOVE my new pack, LOVE.  Thanks Osprey!)
# of snickers consumed:  WAY WAY WAY too many
# of pounds lost:  40ish
# of nights I camped completely alone: 9 (don't tell my mom)
# of bears sighted:  about 30
# of moose:  technically 2, but really 1.  Yay for Maine!

My least favorites:
Trail town:  Port Clinton, PA... sorry Port Clinton... what a dump!
Trail things:  wet shoes, carrying a wet tent, and no water in PA and NJ in the heat of summer.
Mountains:  the one on the way out of Hot Springs, NC- terrible... and Old Speck Mountain- one of 2 days I actually, really almost quit.
Day: tied- Sept. 16th Speck Pond to Andover, ME (TERRIBLE COLD) and July 22nd into Boiling Springs, PA (MISERABLE HOT)

FAVORITES:
Trail Towns:  Stratton, ME, Monson, ME, and Hot Springs, NC
Parts of the Trail:  Roan Mtn to Mt. Rogers (TN/VA) especially the Grayson Highlands, Maine (all of it, especially the 100 Mile Wilderness), and the White Mountains (cliche but truly amazing)
Trail Magic:  Slack pack into Hanover, NH, slack pack into Andover, ME, and John the realtor's front porch in Salisbury, CT... and cinnamon rolls in the 100 mile wilderness
Sunrise/Sunset views:  Sunset on Cheoah Bald (TN), Sunrise by Moxie Bald Lean-to at the edge of the pond in my sleeping bag (AMAZING), Sunset at Byrd's Nest #3 all alone in the Shennies (BEAUTIFUL)
Days:  Sept. 9th- Lake of the Clouds Hut to Osgood Tentsite (over Mt. Washington and Madison- Amazing), Sept. 27th- Pleasant Pond Lean-to to Moxie Bald Lean-to, Oct. 7th- Katahdin
Animal Sightings:  MOOSE in Ethel Pond, Bear in the 100 mile wilderness and while climbing Snowbird Mtn.
Surprises:  Fort Montgomery, NY, slackpacking over Baldplate, seeing Ghandi on Katahdin, amazing friends.
People:  too many to list, but to start.... Oatmeal, Chill, Mojo, Old Skull, Uncle Rey, Chuck and Chow, AAA and Stitch, Clutch, Yoga Boy, (of course) Sweet Cheeks, and so many more


THE Very Best Memories:  all of it of course, but without a doubt these three:
-the first night in the 100 Mile Wilderness... we had planned to go much further but stopped at Wilson Gap Shelter and had a perfect night.  Blazing fire, great friends, laughter, and Oniagi played guitar and sang Indigo Girls... beautiful.
-Cooper Brook Falls in the 100 mile wilderness... after days of cold and rain I woke up in the packed shelter, beside beautiful waterfalls and changing leaf colors... so close to the end... beautiful.
-climbing Katahdin- I got cold and left before everyone else from the campground... it was SO cold, I was all alone climbing up, just a perfect day, everyone got to the top and it was EXACTLY how it should be... beautiful