I’m on my way back to the A.T. in New England.  I currently at BWI waiting for my flight to New Hampshire.  Maryland is home so it feels great to be here.  Can I have crabs for breakfast?

It looks like there’ll be lots of water on the trail.  It will be just like starting in Harpers Ferry with all the rain.  Here’s the current weather radar for Vermont and western Mass.  Yikes!

It will be days before I’m dry again. ☔️

And yes, I have my umbrella with me.

Update:  In order to avoid getting “burned out” (i.e. washed out) before I even start, I’m spending tonight at the Norwich Inn.  The weather looks much better tomorrow and I should easily make up the list distance with an early start.

   
 

A bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather and ask for it back when it begins to rain. – Robert Frost

I am here at home in St Louis waiting to return to the trail.  I have decided to go north where it’s cooler; I’ll also be back in the bubble of NOBO (northbound) thru-hikers.  It could be a little humorous to run into hikers that I met while hiking in Virginia in July!

I’ll be starting in Hanover, NH on the Dartmouth campus and heading south into Vermont and western Massachusetts.  I leave in 6 days and will return home in early September.  The goal is to do another 200+ miles from Hanover to Great Barrington, Mass.  Although, I plan to hike at a comfortable pace and may cut the trip short by a few miles.  I’ll be visiting friends in Albany before returning home.  If all goes well, I’ll get a chance to see both my brothers who reside in Massachusetts too.

And by the way, the invitation is always open to come hike with me…

It’s been hot here but I’ve tried to keep my legs by riding my bicycle.  My legs are strong, but I am getting a little saddle-sore.  Ha!

Here’s a shot of Forest Park from my last ride.

Hike stats from section 1 of the trek:
Days:  #28
Miles hiked from Harpers Ferry – 294.8 miles
Avg daily distance – 10.5 miles

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. ― C.S. Lewis

I’m heading back to St Louis later today.  So, I’m going to sign off for now.  Not to worry, I’ve made plane reservations to fly to New Hampshire in 2 weeks.  If I return to the trail it will be for another 200+ miles from Hanover, NH through Vermont into Massachusetts.  Then I’ll get myself to Albany to fly home.

Here are a couple of pics I took at the National Gallery of Art yesterday. 

  
And this one is by my sister-in-law, Tereska. 

 

What is the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable? – John Green

I’m spending the day in DC today.  Tereska and I rode bikes to Georgetown and back in the AM.

 

I took the Metro downtown and visited the Newseum and National Gallery of Art.

   

   
I’ll be heading home tomorrow and will be deciding on my plans within a week or so.  I’m currently leaning towards returning to the A.T.  in a couple of weeks to hike another 250 miles in New England.

Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise. – Victor Hugo

The last 10 days took its toll on me.  Instead of just taking a day off, I have decided to take a break from the A.T. and head home for a while.  I just boarded a Megabus headed for DC and am going to spend a day there with my mother and sister in law.  I fly back to St Louis in 2 days.  For now, my trek stands at just under 300 miles (294.5) in 4 weeks. 

 
I have lots of thoughts about my trek so far as well as where to go from here.  If you’re interested read on; if not, that’s OK.

• I think the reason I need a break is that I was trying to keep up with the youngsters instead of hiking at my own pace.  Averaging 12.5 miles a day in the mountains with a 20+ lb pack was too much for me.  Although in order to make it to Georgia by my deadline I needed to hike that fast.  I also have only taken one true “zero” day, at Skyland on day #10! 
• The weather here was also getting pretty darn hot.  Even at 3,000 ft it was near 80 degrees in the afternoon.  That means a lot of sweat and increased hydration needed.  (The humidity has dropped but it’s still high.)
• Water is becoming scarce.  Two of the last three shelters I stayed at had no water.  That wasn’t a surprise to me, but I carried almost 4 liters of water into these shelters.  (8 lbs extra weight, usually up a few thousand feet)
• I was about to get into a stretch with fewer supply points.  The next town is at least a 7 day hike for me.  That means more food weight to carry.
• Less people are on the trail.  Most all of the NOBO thru-hikers have passed headed to Maine.  That makes things somewhat lonely, however I was never completely alone at a shelter.  I was chasing Broken Feather, my good friend from NC, but only managed to “catch” him today at the local outfitter.  He’s back on the trail; I would be staying in Daleville for a “zero” day.
• Bear activity is reported to be increasing.  Not a big issue, but it is a small concern. I’ve gotten pretty good at hanging bear bags, which I do religiously. 🐻

So what’s in the plans?  I have several options.

• I could quit here and call my trek a 300 mile section hike through the northern half of Virginia.
• I could return after a 1-2 week break and continue hiking south.  If I do that I will likely skip a section and try to find Broken Feather, likely near the VA/NC border.
• I could rerun to hike a completely different section of the trail.  Southern New Hampshire, Vermont, and Western Massachusetts are attractive.  I would leave Maine, the White Mountains, and the 100 Mile Wilderness for another time but still be in cooler weather with many of the NOBO thru-hikers.  I could also fly into Manchester, NH and out of Albany, NY.  There’s plenty of time for another 250 miles or so at an easy pace.

So that’s it for now.  Jeremy, don’t be critical.  Brent, I’ll update you personally as soon as I decide my next move.  If anyone would like to join me when/if I go back, please let me know. 

 

I need to weigh myself in case I decide to quit here.  But I’m pretty sure I’ve lost ~30 lbs.  The bear count stands at 3. 🐻🐻🐻

PS – The Megabus is going north on I-81.  We just passed Three Ridges and The Priest.  I can see the spot where I took this picture.  Wow!

 
 

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ― Ralph Waldo Emerson