Author Archives: Maple

About Maple

I'm a 50+ year-old woman in a 60+ year-old body with the hiking ambition of a 30+ year-old. Professionally, I work in higher education administration. In my free time I play the flute and paint with watercolors (or try to). My Appalachian Trail name is Maple. Why? Maples are my favorite trees. :-)

Tuscarora Overall Run Trail – Shenandoah National Park

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On the last day of 2019, December 31st, Birch and I arrived in Shenandoah National Park for an overnight backpacking trip. Neither of us could imagine a better way to bring in the new year. It was cold and gloomy but the weather forecast said that there was a zero percent chance of precipitation and we were well prepared for winter weather.

After getting our backcountry permit at the entrance, we parked at the Hogback parking lot (near mile marker 20) and hiked .4 miles on the Appalachian Trail before heading northwest onto the Tuscarora Overall Run Trail. This trail goes down in elevation – gradually at first but then makes some pretty steep descents. It passes trails to Matthew Arms Campground and then arrives at a beautiful 93 ft. waterfall called Overall Run. We stopped for water and to enjoy the view. This spot was about 3 miles into our hike and we were pleased with our progress.

We continued along the trail and continued to descend. At this point the winds began to pick up and the clouds began to darken. But the weather forecast said no rain? I was a little panicked because neither of us brought rain gear. A rookie mistake! Fortunately, there was no rain. Instead we encountered rugged switchbacks, reminding me how out of shape I was.

Finally, we reached the valley floor and followed the stream, crossing it a couple of times before we  came to the Thompson Hallow Trail.  It was around here that we saw a group of young adults out on a day hike. After passing the trail, we began looking for a camp site and found one to the right, just off the trail and near another beautiful waterfall. What a perfect spot to spend New Years Eve!  We spent the afternoon drinking coffee and reading.  At 4:30 pm we decided we better make dinner before it got dark.  We were tucked into our sleeping bags and asleep well before midnight.

The next morning was CHILLY! Birch brought me coffee in “bed” and, after making oatmeal, we packed up and began our ascent.  I was NOT looking forward to this, but it was a beautiful day and we took plenty of snack breaks.  In no time we were close to the falls. We ran into a couple and their dog who seemed surprised to see us.  Then, as it became later in the morning, we saw lots of people out for a “first day” hike.   

This is a beautiful hike, although a bit strenuous for us since we hadn’t been hiking in a while. It is a great reminder of how fortunate we are to live so close to this amazing park.

AT: NY-55 to Hoyt Rd.

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Birch and I were excited to get back on the trail this Labor Day weekend. A trail volunteer named Donna picked us up at the Hoyt Rd. parking area and gave us a ride to the trailhead. While traveling, we learned that Donna is an amazing volunteer. She is someone who actually supervises volunteers and is active in the work of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. She also volunteers for Hike for Mental Health (https://www.hikeformentalhealth.org).

The weather couldn’t have been better. It was cool (in the 70s) with just a hint of a breeze. The beautiful weather was matched by a beautiful woodland. The lack of elevations made for quick hiking, but we immediately noticed that water was going to be an issue. Each of the water sources that were marked on our map as being “plentiful” were, in fact, bone dry. Thus, when we found a low water source we took advantage of it and filled our dromedary, even though we were only a couple of miles into our hike. This proved to be a very good decision.

Birch and I approached this hike as a casual one so we built in plenty of time to just enjoy camping. We stopped at the Telephone Pioneers Shelter, just four miles into our hike. The hike to the shelter was super easy and included views of Nuclear Lake (that thankfully ISN’T contaminated with nuclear waste!).

For most of the day we had the shelter all to ourselves. We set up our tent, had a delicious hot lunch, read, and took an afternoon nap. How relaxing! Around dinner time, a couple came into camp carrying a regular-sized “car camping” tent, a small cooler, a large bag filled with bedding, and other assorted items. They had hiked up from the road, about 1.5 miles. Even though we had only hiked 4 miles they seemed impressed. I think we were impressed too, or perhaps shocked would be a better description.

The next day we got up early, despite the plan to have a leisurely day. (Birch doesn’t really know how to sleep in!) After having coffee and oatmeal we soon hit the trail. About .5 miles from the shelter was another “reliable” source of water that was dry. Thank goodness we had enough water!

The hike to our car was 10 miles. Within an hour we came across the famous “Dover Oak”, supposedly the oldest oak on the AT. It didn’t seem any bigger than the Keefer Oak in Virginia, but it was definitely huge. Because it was right by a road, we had no trouble finding someone to take our picture together.

Just before the 3-mile mark we emerged from the woods to a nature preserve and wetlands area. The cottontails were huge! We walked long the boardwalk and were glad that we didn’t have to hike through the swamp. At the 3-mile mark we reached the Appalachian Trail RR station. Just as we got there, an elderly woman named Jane arrived. Jane was wearing a beautiful pink gingham outfit with an AT volunteer shirt and cap. She came to meet the 9:20 am train and was carrying AT maps just in case anyone needed assistance. It really made me marvel at how people of all ages can play an important role in helping on the trail. (The NYNJTC has done a great job maintaining the trail, by the way.)

After leaving the train crossing we proceeded to cross a huge field until finally turning into the woods again. About halfway up a hill Birch realized that his favorite AT buff had fallen out of his pants pocket. Bummer! But when we stopped for water and a snack a couple hiked along and asked, “Did either of you loose a head scarf?” Yes! She had found it! We enjoyed a long chat with the couple who was from Pennsylvania and section hiking, like us. They had a HUGE dog with them (think 4 ft tall) and were looking forward to doing some hiking in Virginia later in the fall.

As Birch says, sometimes hikes feel they’re taking forever and drain you of every once of energy, and sometimes they sail by. This hike, we sailed. In fact, we completed the 10 miles in much better time than we completed the 7 mile hike a few weeks ago. Weather and no elevation changes made a big difference. With the next hike not scheduled until October, I’m hoping that cool weather will continue!

AT: Bear Mountain State Park to Fahnestock State Park

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This past weekend was a beautiful one for hiking! Bright blue skies without a hint of rain. Birch and I took an Uber from Canopus Lake to the Bear Mountain Inn and began hiking north by around 9 am. Unfortunately, the famous section of the AT through the zoo was not open, so we took the blue trail and crossed the bridge over the Hudson. After a short hike along NY-9D, we began our steepest ascent of the trip, up about 1000 ft to a peak known as “Anthony’s Nose” (supposedly named after a pre-revolutionary war sea captain).

Along the way, we ran into “Marmot”, a 70-year-old women who had thru hiked the AT about 30 years ago, and was now completing the north half of the trail, having done the south half last year. Marmot was enthusiastic and tenacious and was a great reminder that anything is possible.

Although the map shows many loop trails along the way, I really didn’t see them until we got to about 1 1/2 miles from the Graymoor Center. We crossed US 9 by a convenience store then quickly made our way to the Graymoor ballfield where we set up camp. The ballfield included plenty of picnic tables, water on tap, and even a shower. We settled in and relaxed, having the entire afternoon to read and enjoy the weather. Although we had heard that the center’s bells were loud, we actually enjoyed listening to them during the afternoon. We didn’t hear them at all at night.

In the morning, we awoke to quite a few more tents set up in the area. No one seemed particularly outgoing or friendly at 6 am so we quietly ate breakfast, broke camp, and got on the trail.

Our second day was much hotter than the first. Although there was not much elevation, we were sweating in no time.

The hike from the Graymoor to Canopus Lake felt like walking through a time machine. Old stone walls, the remnants of Revolutionary War era homesteads, seems to be everywhere. At one point we passed a plaque that marked where George Washington had inoculated troops against small pox. (Who knew that inoculations were possible then?!?)

It was at about this point that Birch and I hit a big milestone – our 1,000th mile on the AT! We were so excited! A hiker named “Digs” took our photo and gave us a fist bump, sending us on our way. We still needed to complete another 5 miles to get to our car.

We filled up with water at a pump station. The ascent to the Three Lakes Trail should have been super easy but the 90+ degree weather was a killer. We really had to take our time! The last two miles were very easy and we arrived at our car tired, but happy with our accomplishment.

AT: Crawford Notch to Pinkham Notch

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Day One: Crawford Notch to Mizpah Spring Hut

Birch and I awoke early in order to park our car near Pinkham Notch and catch a shuttle to Crawford Notch, US 301. It was a cloudy day, with rain and hail in the forecast, but as we began our hike no rain was in sight and it was a comfortable 55 degrees.

According to all maps, the 3 mile hike to Webster is brutal. It is about 3000 feet in elevation, practically straight up. But the first hour wasn’t too bad. I had the false hope that we were conquering it well. Within no time we were on the “top” of Webster – or so I thought. We took photos by the giant cairn and looked forward to the next few easy miles, which were supposed to be pretty flat.6-30_1035

Unfortunately, things only got more difficult. Time after time we were confronted with large slabs of rock that went straight up. Desperately, we clung to pine branches to pull us up, or we grasped for rocks, hoping to make it to the next ledge. We kept finding more steep ascents before us. Was this Mount Jackson? No! Eventually a forest ranger came up the trail just as precipitation and thunder began. She told us that the Mt. Webster summit was just ahead but that we better get below tree line because of the weather. She turned around to go down the mountain, leaving us thoroughly depressed.

Just as we got to the top of Mt. Webster it began to rain and hail. The wind picked up and thunder was in the distance. We wolfed down a sandwich and scurried to get below tree line. However, if we thought the hard part was over it wasn’t the case. The trail was now a virtual river and we still encountered steep rock ascents, only now we were doing it on wet, slick slabs of granite. Mount Jackson was super windy and we both ended up taking spills. We slogged through pools of water above our ankles but we still had miles to go to get to Mizpah Hut.6-30_1333

Then we arrived! Boy, that hut looked so good! The friendly staff assigned us to room #4. I took the top bunk and Birch took the lower one. We changed out of our sopping wet clothes and had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Dinner was honey wheat bread, lentil soup, salad, pasta and broccoli. Chocolate cake was the dessert. We climbed into bed early, exhausted but pretty happy about our accomplishments.7-1_0806

Day Two: Mizpah Spring Hut to Lake of the Clouds Hut

This morning Maple and I were treated to a breakfast of oatmeal with peaches, pancakes with maple syrup, scrambled eggs, and bacon. Immediately after breakfast, we changed into our wet clothes and wet socks from yesterday, knowing that there would be plenty of puddles to wade through. We packed our backpacks and hit the trail, leaving Mizpah at 8:10.

The trail up Mt. Pierce was steep and required constant scrambling up rocks and boulders, but we soon reached the top. Once there, we had to deal with the water remaining on the trail, although the frequent bog boards helped somewhat. Still, putting on our wet socks seemed the right choice.7-1_0812

The trail got easier once we put Mt. Pierce behind us, although we still had plenty of large rocks to deal with. As we approached the cutoff trail to the peak of Mt. Eisenhower, we entered the alpine zone, above tree level. We were, however, immersed in clouds, so we had no distant views. In the alpine zone, there are no white blazes; we were really dependent upon the cairns to keep us on the trail.

As we approached Mt. Monroe, the wind really picked up, and Maple and I had to pull out our hooded fleeces. Just past the cutoff to Mt. Monroe, we found a place out of the wind where we paused for snacks and water.

Finally, at 12:30, we came around a bend and there it was—Lake of the Clouds Hut. We had made good time, and this reassured Maple that tomorrow we can make it to Madison Springs Hut.7-1_1220

The wet socks took a toll on my feet. They have been rubbed raw on every side. Fortunately, we have a first-aid kit stocked with “vitamin I”–that is, Ibuprofen.

Maple and I have been assigned bunk beds, once again, in Room 4. The bunks are three-tiered, and allow insufficient room to sit up in bed. Maple has the middle, allowing me the bottom. We have already taken a nap and are looking forward to a pot roast for dinner.

Day Three: Lake of the Clouds Hut to Madison Spring Hut.

Birch and I awoke before 5 a.m. in order to get moving early. I was super nervous about this hike, anticipating that it would be arduous. We quietly left all our bunkmates and packed up our gear, bringing it to the main hall so that we could organize it. Thru-hikers were tucked into their sleeping bags, scattered everywhere. (The Hut allows them to stay for free, in exchange for some work—but no bunks for them.)

We ate cereal that we brought, and a croo member kindly got up early to make us coffee!

We were out the door around 6 a.m., and as we began there was a bright yellow sign: “Stop! You are entering an area that has the worst weather in the world.” Okay. No need to ramp up my nerves was needed. The ascent to Mt. Washington was fairly easy. We were completely socked in by fog, so the hardest part was finding the next cairn. As we reached the top, the wind picked up.

Once at the top we hoped that we could, at least, stop inside for a minute, but it was before 8 a.m. and everything was closed. (I was kind of surprised that they don’t leave it open as a shelter from the weather.)7-2_0731

Once again, the rain started just as we reached the summit. Luckily, it was just spritzing. We took photos at a Mt. Washington sign, but not the summit sign—too windy!

Birch led us up and over. On the way down, it was super rocky, super windy, and super foggy. My glasses misted up so much that I just took them off.

Once down about a quarter-mile, visibility improved. We crossed the railroad tracks and began hiking the ridge. After another hour the skies cleared and we could see into the valley! Beautiful. We could even see a puff of smoke from the train. This was my favorite part of the day. A slow descent. It was rocky, but it reminded me of Pennsylvania. Not bad.

One of the nice things about this hike is that there are many intersecting trails—so signs, with mileage, are everywhere. We climbed towards Mt. Jefferson, then went around the mountain and descended a very rocky path to another trail junction.

As we ascended, a ton of young people (20-25?) were coming the other way. It was a busy trail, with lots of day hikers, people doing the Presidential Traverse. I think the weather encouraged a lot of hikers. 7-2_1102

The last mile gave us beautiful views and fairly easy terrain, except for the .3 miles down to the hut. The view of Madison looks daunting!7-2_1349

Birch and I secured some awesome bunks, then hurried out. We played Scrabble at one of the dinner tables, while drinking coffee. Dinner was enchiladas. In all, it was a very nice day, but I’m exhausted!

Day Four: Madison Spring Hut to Osgood Tentsite.

I awoke Maple at 5:30 this morning, with a cup of coffee. Breakfast was at 7:00, and we were on the trail by 8:00. It’s been a beautiful day, with bright blue sky and gentle breezes. The view of Mt. Washington from the peak of Mt. Madison was unobscured.7-3_0843

We had a half-mile ascent over the rocks up Mt. Madison, and then a two-and-a-half mile descent. The going was slow, but we tried to be as careful as we could over the precarious terrain. It took us two hours to traverse the first mile, and five hours to get to Osgood Tentsite.7-3_1035

There were several day hikers from Madison Spring Hut who were making the ascent along with us, but on our descent we were pretty much alone. We met up with four or five people going up from Pinkham Notch and only one thru-hiker, who passed us up on our descent.

Maple had a couple of easy falls, but we both somehow managed to make it to Osgood without injury.

We have taken the second tent platform, close to our water source. Maple put to use our new Sawyer Squeeze water-filtration system, and seems to have had a good experience with it. We’ve already had coffee and had a nice nap.

We are both looking forward to our arrival at Pinkham Notch tomorrow, but we are also enjoying our down time at Osgood. Were it not for the mosquitos, our camping experience here would be almost idyllic. 7-3_1558

Day Five: Osgood Tentsite to Pinkham Notch.

The sun comes up early this time of year, so we were up early as well. By 6:30 am we had packed up and had eaten breakfast.  This trail was so different than the others we had experienced this trip.  It was much easier to  navigate.  In many ways this hike could be called the trail of waterfalls. We saw so many beautiful water sources along the way.  A highlight of the hike was the opportunity to walk over a suspension bridge. It swayed a bit but was lots of fun.7-4_0709

The trail has a gradual ascent that is very mild by the standards of the Whites.  With about 2 miles to go we crossed the Mount Washington Auto Road, where a tour van had slowed to show the passengers where the AT was located.  I felt a little on display as I waved to the folks who were taking the easy way down the mountain!

The last mile was super easy and I couldn’t help but feel a little sad that our adventure was coming to an end. It was nice to see the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center and I’m so happy that we had such a successful, injury-free experience.

Grand Canyon: North Rim to South Rim

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On May 15th, Tod and I traveled to the Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim, to begin one of our “bucket list” hikes, a rim-to-rim of the Grand Canyon. We arrived on the South Rim on the 14th and on the morning of the 15th we hopped upon the first Trans Canyon Shuttle trip of the season. Our van included three other hikers, including a couple from Michigan and a man from Seattle who works for REI. It is a 4.5 hour trip that goes through Cameron and then through the Navajo Reservation. Beautiful! Our driver was a great tour guide.

The North Rim park is much smaller and more isolated than the South Rim. We had lunch, secured a cabin, and were just getting ready to go back to view the canyon when the power went out – and came back on – and went out again. A small panic set in since food service was impacted and we really wanted a decent meal before our morning decent. Luckily, the park sold us some cold sandwiches for dinner. By the time we awoke in the morning, we had power again.

A shuttle drove us to the trailhead at 5 am. It was still dark but the sun was beginning to rise and, as we hiked through the large pine trees, we soon came upon the canyon itself. The first part of the North Kaibab Trail was very steep, with lots of switchbacks and opportunities for gorgeous views. We quickly arrived at Coconino Overlook (.7 miles) then the Supai Tunnel. At 2.6 miles, and 2200 ft from the top, we arrived at Redwall Bridge. From here we had opportunities to hike along a trail that hugged the canyon and gave us views of waterfalls. My legs were wobbly and felt as limp as spaghetti but we soon arrived at Manzanita Rest Area and this gave us a chance to load up on water, take a bathroom break, and enjoy some snacks. We arrived well before 8 am and were making great time! Manzanita is 4.7 miles down and over 3800 feet from the top.

From here we followed the Bright Angel Creek on the North Kaibab Trail, passing the Cottonwood Campsite which did not yet have water available. Thankfully, it was relatively cool (low 80s). (Note: if you ever plan to camp here arrive early to get a site that is in the shade!) Then, we arrived at the Ribbon Falls turnoff hoping to take the side trail. Unfortunately, the bridge was closed due to damage and the water flow of the creek made it impossible to ford. After taking a break here we moved on and were at least able to see the falls from trail.

View of Ribbon Falls from the North Kaibab Trail

Both Tod and I were not looking forward to the “box”, an area of the trail that goes through a narrow section of the canyons and is supposed to be very hot and confining. As we trudged along I was getting super hot and tired and was wishing that we could avoid it. Luckily for us, we were actually in the “box” but didn’t realize it. Before we knew it, we arrived at a sign that said we were only 3/4 of a mile from the Bright Angel Campground. We soon arrived at Phantom Ranch, checked in, and had a couple of glasses of their famous lemonade before heading to set up our campsite. I was not able to really enjoy it, and I now realize that I had a bit of heat exhaustion due to a lack of salt in my system. That won’t happen again!

Bright Angel Campground

We found a tent site right by the Creek and set up. Soon the winds picked up and we scrambled to put rocks on each tent stake as well as huge boulders inside the tent. As the winds battered our tent we found that at least one of us had to stay inside the tent to keep it from flying away! Would this last the night? If so, we were in big trouble! Fortunately, the winds died down by around 8 pm and we were able to get some sleep.

The next day we were excited to have a full day to ourselves at the Ranch. We had a leisurely breakfast and enjoyed sitting in our camp chairs by the creek, watching the mules arrive and depart. We took a day hike along the River Trail and had a chance to enjoy lunch overlooking the silver bridge. We hung out at Phantom Ranch drinking lemonade, playing backgammon, and mailing postcards. In the afternoon we checked into our dorms – barracks that accommodated 10 women or men. My dorm included a woman from my hometown in Minnesota!

The highlight of any Ranch trip is the food. Tod and I ordered the stew dinners and they were awesome! You have no idea how good food tastes when you know it has been brought down by mule and you are among the select few who have been brave enough (or crazy enough?) to be there. Across from me was an alum from American University (where I work) and the waiter was from our town.

By 7:30 pm everyone in the dorm had come back from dinner and were ready for sleep. Crashed! It was the perfect example of how hikers might have energetic days but are totally wiped out by the end of the day. We got our wake up call at 4:30 am for the 5 am breakfast. All of us were up and ready for the day, excited to hike out of the Canyon.

Tod and I made quick work of getting to Indian Gardens, which is the camp area on the Bright Angel Trail that is about 5 miles from Phantom Ranch and 4.5 miles from the rim. We took a nice long break here so that we could eat snacks and top off with a bit of water before hiking up the last 3000+ feet in elevation. By now, the temps had begun to inch up, the crowds began to appear, and the sun came out. It seemd to take forever to get to the first rest house at “mile 3” (from the top). Then again at mile 1.5. We took plenty of stops and sometimes our fellow hikers passed us, sometimes we passed them. While it was slow going (slower than we would have liked, anyway) we finally made it to the top and to the Kolb house. We had completed a rim-to-rim!

In all, we were fortunate to have fairly good weather, plenty of food, and available water. Right after we left the north rim, the winds whipped up and they had snow. The South Rim had snow right after we left. However, it could have been just the opposite problem – heat. On a side note, throughout our trip, we were struck by the incredible number of “trail runners” on the trails. These are athletes who plan to hike the canyon in one day, and carry little but water and a few snacks. Some seem to have little knowledge of trail etiquette and many do not seem to be prepared for contingency situations like rain and snow. A rim-to-rim trip is an amazing experience! Be prepared for multiple scenarios and have fun!

AT: NJ 94 Vernon to NY 17a. Belvale, NY

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This past weekend Birch and I went backpacking so that we could finish the New Jersey portion of the Appalachian Trail. Getting to NJ 94 wasn’t easy. There were very few shuttle options from our drop off point to the trail head. For this reason, we had to settle for a taxi service with a late pick up time.

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As we waited for the taxi the wind began to blow and the flurries began to fly. This was not going to be a warm weekend! The first part of the trail is known as the “stairway to heaven”. It is a short (1.4 mile) but steep ascent up Wawayanda Mountain that is fortunate to have many sets of stairs that make the hike interesting. There were a ton of day hikers who went up to enjoy the beautiful views. We, however, had mileage to make!

Unfortunately, our late start and the early sunset made it impossible to get to Wawayanda Shelter as we had hoped. Instead, we filled up with water at a stream just south of Barrett Road, crossed Barrett Road, made our way into the woods, and resigned ourselves to setting up camp. The sun was low, so we only had time for a cup of coffee and a cold sandwich before hitting the sack.

In the morning, we quickly made our way past Wawayanda Shelter and through a beautiful wooded area. After lunch, we began our climb up to the ridge. This included several places where I had to scramble and one area that had a very cool ladder that took us up to the ridge and across Prospect Rock to the highest point on the AT in New York. Again, we saw some day hikers who had come up to the area from a side trail. Once on the ridge we came to the New Jersey – New York state line. Another state complete!

This section of the New Jersey/ New York AT was surprisingly challenging. Although there is very little change in elevation, the ridge requires lots of short climbs, up and down, over a series of rocks. This slowed us down considerably! Another challenge was that the leaves had recently fallen on the trail, making following the trail very difficult at times. Thank goodness for the great job that the New York New Jersey Trail Conference did with its blazes. It saved us!

Instead of making up time from the previous day, we resigned ourselves to stopping short of the next shelter.  Given our time constraints, we agreed to end our hike at New York 17a the next day.  Weather throughout our trip was cold. After a warm dinner we tucked ourselves in for the night and when we awoke our water bottles were frozen. However, we had plenty of warm weather clothing, sleeping bag liners, and other gear that made us able to enjoy the trip despite the cool temps. The last day we had a very short hike to make it to our destination. Once off the ridge, the hike was very easy. We look forward to coming back when the weather warms up a bit.

AT: Culver Gap to High Point State Park

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It is the last weekend in September and we were excited at the prospect of hiking in sunny weather! Our trusty shuttle driver, George, dropped us off at Culver Gap early in the morning and we were able to make quick progress from Culver Gap to the fire tower, about two miles away. The view from the top was basically non-existent, given that it was very foggy. But it was beautiful nonetheless.

This section of the AT is flat but rocky. The biggest challenge was not the trail itself, but the incredible amount of water that turned the AT into a swamp. There were places where  we had to navigate way around the trail in order to avoid moats. The first day we had the pleasure of seeing the Sunrise Mountain pavilion, an enormous stone structure with beautiful wood beams and breathtaking views.

The highlight of the hike was an amazing encounter with “Maps.” We first met Maps at Guyot Shelter in New Hampshire, the day that Birch had terrible knee pain. As we turned the corner on the New Jersey trail, we saw him sitting on a rock taking a break. “Hey, I know you guys,” he said! What were the chances of us meeting up with him again? Maps had completed the northern part of the trail and had flip flopped in Connecticut. We wished him well and hope he makes a ton of progress this Fall.

We stayed overnight at Mashipacong Shelter. Built in the 1930s by the Conservation Corps, the shelter itself is kind of dark and low to the ground. It had a nice lawn in front of it and it is here that we decided to set up our tent (not realizing that we probably could have gone into the woods for more private tenting options.) This shelter does not have a water source, so Birch carried 6 liters of water with him so that we would be set. However, the shelter caretaker supplied the shelter with gallons of water, set in the bear box. We enjoyed a restful afternoon at our tent spot, reading and drinking coffee. We were amused to see many dogs, in all shapes and sizes. Two stayed at the shelter, including “Millie” (or Mildred when she was in trouble), an affectionate boxer with a bright blue coat that kept her warm.9-30_0742

It was a chilly night but we slept well and were up and out of camp before 8 am. The remaining part of the trail was just as wet but it offered some beautiful views. The mile just south of the High Point State Park office was about as muddy as it gets. All in all, it was a great fun and we look forward to completing New Jersey soon!

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AT: Delaware Water Gap to Millbrook-Blairstown Rd.

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Last weekend Birch and I resumed our northbound progress on the Appalachian Trail. After so much time going south to complete Virginia, we were happy to be back in New Jersey.

We dropped our car off at a parking area on Millbrook-Blairstown Rd. and were shuttled to the Dunnfield parking area by a shuttle driver named George Lightcap. George was a wealth of information, super helpful, and very encouraging.

8-25_1131The trail starts near a stream and then winds up a gradual incline for about 3 miles before reaching the top of a cliff and the Campground #2 tentsite. There are a ton of tent spots here, many with impressive views of the the Worthington State Forest, the river, and the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border. The site includes bear boxes and a couple of privys.

Birch and I set up our tent under a tree and had the entire afternoon to relax.  Each of us brought our Nooks so that we could read and we even brought a luxury item – a camp chair! As you can tell, this wasn’t a heavy hiking day. This was a day to just enjoy the trail and the outdoors.

The next morning we broke camp and continued north on the AT. It was flat and not too rocky. Before long, we reached the south side of Sunfish Pond. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1970. The trail around the pond was very rocky but it was fun to be by the lake and to see the frogs jumping into the water as we approached. About halfway around the lake there are sets of really cool rock sculptures.8-26_0826

After leaving the lake we hiked onto Raccoon Ridge. Here, we came to the Herb Hiller Overlook for hawk observation. Two men had binoculars glued to their faces. What were they looking at? A broad-winged hawk, we were told. This area is an ideal spot to watch the migration of hawks, we learned. This will happen mostly in September. One neat thing about this area is that it has an owl decoy perched on a long pole. Why? Who knows!8-26_0947

About 11 miles into our overall hike we passed the road to the Mohican Outdoor Center where there is a beautiful stream. Then, we ascended up to a ridge where we stopped for lunch and had some incredible views. After a few miles we reached the Catfish Outlook Tower. Here, the trail becomes more like a fire road. It wasn’t long before we were back to our car.

 

AT: Harpers Ferry to Gathland State Park

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It has been a very wet spring and summer in Maryland! Birch and I decided we couldn’t wait for nice weather to hit the trail so we planned a short hike from Harpers Ferry to Gathland State Park. We had done this hike before, only in the opposite direction.

Just as we got to the Harpers Ferry parking lot it began to rain. It was a gentle mist but we were ready with our full rain gear. As we crossed the bridge next to the railroad tracks, it was interesting to see just how fast the river was flowing. The heavy rainfall this spring definitely shows itself in the water below.

Before long we were on the smooth, wide C&O canal path that is also the AT. It was a very easy hike for the first couple of miles but the rain didn’t make it easy. It POURED! We heard thunder in the distance but never worried that it was dangerous. The real challenge was navigating all the huge puddles that formed. We zig-zagged along until we got to the point where we crossed the railroad tracks and began ascending the mountain.

I remembered this section of the trail as being very steep. I was really glad to see that our latest workouts seem to be paying off because Birch and I never even had to stop to catch our breath. We just scurried up the hill! Once on “top” we still had to contend with areas of puddles but it didn’t take long before we were at the Ed Garvey shelter – the only ones there!

Before long, folks started gathering at the shelter. By the end of the evening, there were probably 40 people staying either in the shelter or in a their tents or hammocks. Wow! I think we’re in the “bubble”.  We met many nice people, including Pac Man, a thru-hiker. When I mentioned to someone that we were going to have to go without coffee because we didn’t pack it, a nice young man immediately dug through his 55 pound pack and offered us some of his. (Not surprisingly, at 55 pounds he had a lot of extra stuff!) For dinner, we had kung pao chicken. (I was testing my recipes for our next long hiking trip.)

 

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Our tent, among a sea of others!

 

One feature of this location that is a real bummer is the water access. The guides put the spring at .4 or .5 miles away from the shelter. This is true. The tough part is that it is a very steep trek down to the water source. Many people decided that it was easier to wait until they got to Gathland than to load up with water here. The water source was really good, though.

The next day we packed up and quickly traversed the 4 miles back to our car at Gathland State Park. I really like this part of the AT. It may not be super strenuous, but it provides an excellent opportunity to get outside.

AT: Gathland State Park to US-40

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Birch and I have been itching to get back on the AT so we decided to do a repeat of our very first backpacking trip, but in the opposite direction. This gave me a real opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come (both literally and figuratively) since I first put a backpack on less than four years ago.

4-28_1135We started our day visiting Harpers Ferry and the Flip Flop Festival. My cousin, Lynn, works for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and she was a great hostess. We were able to leave Gathland State Park and get on the trail by 11:30 am. The first part of the trail going north is a mild incline, but we haven’t been on the trail for a while so it felt pretty steep.

I had forgotten just how beautiful the Maryland section is. It is relatively flat, but with enough hills to keep things interesting. There are rocks, but the trail is usually wide and smooth. There are no leaves on the trees yet so we had a chance to enjoy the sunshine.

4-28_1625After about 7.5 miles we turned the corner to see Dahlgren Campground. For those who haven’t been there before but have spent time on the AT, this is a VERY unusual place. It has about 6 camp spots, each with its own picnic table and a tent platform. But the biggest deal is that there are regular bathrooms with running water and flush toilets. There is a large sink on the outside of the building to get water and wash dishes. I felt like we were cheating!

As with most of our hikes, the best part was meeting interesting people. Camping near us was a man named “Vinegar” who was retired and had section hiked the trail from Georgia to Maryland. His goal was to get to the Hudson River. Vinegar’s personality was anything but sour.  He might continue on the trail and there is a slight chance that we’ll meet him again along the way. I hope so.

Dahlgren had two sets of newly started flip floppers. Among them were a father-son team who had never backpacked before. This was their first night on the trail. I must say, it really reminded me of our first hike to Dahlgren. We had so many questions back then, and had so much to learn. Even little things, like figuring out how to use the bear pole.

After dinner it began to rain, as forecasted. However, we had one super power that made this all right.  A new tent! The REI Half Dome 2+ is huge. It has a big vestibule that made it possible to keep our backpack and other gear outside. It kept us nice and dry.

The temperatures dropped considerably overnight and we were thankful to have our down jacket to put on in the morning. After a delicious cup of coffee and a not-so-delicious bowl of oatmeal (I forgot the sugar) we packed up and were on our way. We passed the church and took a picture of Birch at the same spot we took a photo on our first backpack trip. We stopped by Washington Monument and then descended. On this trip, we noticed that there were a lot of freshly cut trees. Someone had done a lot of work to keep the trail clean.

Overall, we had a fabulous time. Being on the trail never gets old.

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Birch near Dahlgren Campground 2018

Tod near Dahlgren

Birch near Dahlgren Campground 2014