Update

6/27

(start 10. Finish 7. Sherman brook campsite. 12 miles)

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=42.71729,-73.15128&ll=42.71729,-73.15128&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

This morning this dude from Virginia said something funny to me. He was talking about how in all of the southern states you can have fires anywhere but in the most of the northern states you cant have a fire or only in certain locations. He was like but up here it's cold. What do they do in the winter? Just sit there and wish about having a fire, yea the north is really enlightened.

Man I've been weak today too. I didn't want to continue hiking after sitting around at the top of Mt. Greylock. It's the highest point in Mass and it's a tourist attraction. Its beautiful up there. It was a tough hike and a tougher hike down. There was this cute little kid up there looking down into the valley saying over and over again so joyously "Everything looks like toys... Lots of toys!" (because all of the houses were so small) You can see forever up there.

So i contemplated for a long time on how I could get down easily. Btw it's almost 3000 ft down, very steeply. So I thought about hitching or walking the roads or a combo of both. But I didn't. I humped it down, slipped a few times, cursed a few times, but I made it. One of the things motivating me to get down was I knew Friendly's was on the bottom in this town we pass. I've been planning to stop here since before I started. I was just going to have ice cream but I decided on dinner as well (the Reuben and picture menus are a mighty temptress). And while I was eating a married couple passed me on their way out and asked if I was going north or south. I said north and they nonchalantly walked out. A minute later my waitress came up to me and told me those people paid for my meal. It's amazing how often people help out hikers. Thank you anonymous couple!!!

I'm thinking I'm not gonna make the goal of 16.7 miles today. It's getting late and I'm tired.

Side note- the weather was great today. My boots are dry for the first time since June 21st. No bullshit. At no point before about an hour ago have my boots been dry since the 21st.

My legs are finally sore and I'm not liking it and I tweaked my hamstring a lil. One of the sayings that has been getting me through tough times is "there are good times. There are bad times." dean karnazes said that during an interview while he was running 40-50 miles a day to run across America. It's simple but powerful... and true. There are going to be good times (enjoy em). There are going to be bad times (get thru them so you can have more good times). That's what it means to me anyway. Expect the bad times and if you still want the end result, you gotta persevere to make it to more good times.

6/28

(start 9:50. finish 7:30. Melville nauheim shelter. 18.4 miles)

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=42.88803,-73.0954&ll=42.88803,-73.0954&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Today was just a grind it out day. I was sore, my hammy was hurting, I got a late start, but I hammered away the miles. I started by pretty much walking for 6 straight hours. Then took an hour break and knocked out my last 6 miles. The finish was tough- 1000 feet steeply down, then immediately 1000 feet steeply up.

It's not illegal. It's frowned upon. Thanks a lot bin laden.

Yo, this dude in the shelter is snoring loud!!!!

6/29

(start 10:10 finish 7:10. @ story spring shelter. 17.4 miles)

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=43.05038,-73.01236&ll=43.05038,-73.01236&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

This has been my 14th day out so it's officially my longest trip... I walked about 4 straight hours (8.5 miles) to start the day, took an hour rest then walked another 4 hours straight (8.9 miles) to finish at the shelter. My knee is completely better. My hamstring is close to be 100%. My feet and ankles are the weakest link. Everything else is doing good.

There really needs to be a term like "you've got boy scoutted." and here's why- it was a tough hike today, ups, downs, rocks, mud. Others decided to stay at the previous shelter and make it a shorter day, but I decided I'm behind schedule of getting to Katahdin by July 30th, so I'm trying to push the miles. So I pushed the miles, I'm really tired, really hungry, really thirsty and I get to the shelter hoping to set my stuff down, cook a peaceful meal and just relax AND no, because there are 15 adolescent boy scouts, who walked their 5 miles today and now they will take up all the spots in the shelter and be loud and annoying. 'I got boy scoutted'

6/30

(start 9:40. finish 6. William Douglas shelter. 15.8 miles)

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=43.14458,-72.99091&ll=43.14458,-72.99091&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

It's starting to smell a lot like Christmas... It was great today. The AT went through intermittent forests of evergreens that smell like Christmas trees. It's amazing how smell evokes memories. I couldn't help reminiscing about when I was kid and getting an Xmas with the fam. Good times. Its ashamed that as you get older you stop wanting to do those things. Now I'm so cynical i don't even want to celebrate christmas. All I wanna do now is get drunk and watch the grinch (kara will get that).

I've recently met this British bloq trailed named Charlie after Charlie Chaplin (not Charlie bit my finger). He's a cool cat. He finished schooling at age 15 and went into becoming a zoo keeper. He bought a house and paid it off in 15 years. Now he rents it out and travels all over. This is his 3rd thru-hike of the AT. He has hiked the PCT and biked the CDT twice. he and his girlfriend rode their bikes from anchorage Alaska to the bottom of south America in 9 months. They have done bike tours all over Europe. They have travelled around working on organic farms in Europe. He calls it playing. He's an inspiration to me.

Man I wonder what Arsenio is doing right now. He's probably at a wine and cheese party... He's probably mad cause somebody didn't tell him how good the cheese was.

That was from the Chapelle show, btw, but when i walk into this town tomorrow I'm getting a hotel room, a bottle of wine, a block of cheese and maybe a pack of cigarettes. Pass out for an afternoon nap, wake up and eat dinner either at a Greek pizza place or a Mexican restaurant. I've been trying to push the miles the pass few days and it's making me not appreciate nature. All I worry about is hitting my time and miles marks. I'm thinking I'm gonna slow it down which means I'm not gonna make Katahdin by july 30. So Im thinking I'm gonna hike at a fun pace then just hitch hike so i get to the 100 mile wilderness by july 23. (the 100 mile wilderness is the last 100 miles of the trail leading to Baxter state park and Mt Katahdin) that will give me 7 days to hike about 110 miles and then I can meet the fam at Moosehead Lake, hollerrrr at me!!!