-
Days 104-110: Connect(icut) Ten
1479.7 miles, 2,734,186 steps I know, I know, that’s an egregiously cheesy pun, but how else am I supposed to celebrate the state count hitting double-digits? Even someone as dashing as yours truly gets hard-up for clever titles now and again… On to business. Despite the rough start, this week restored my physical strength and…
-
Days 96-103: New York Sate of Mind
1392.3 miles, 2,577,198 steps Home to just 99 miles of trail, New Jersey was a breeze. The rocks are not nearly as onerous as PA, but something has me not quite at full speed. Whether it’s the lack of switchbacks, early summer heat, trail fatigue, or a bit of all three, most days I finish…
-
Days 90-95: Rocky Road
1297.1 miles, 2,376,538 steps Okay, I know, I largely dismissed the “Rocksylvania” nickname last post. And I had every reason to. As I discussed with hikers how PA didn’t quite match its geologic reputation, many would rebut with “Oh, well it really starts after ‘such and such’ gap”. I consistently found these statements wrong. That…
-
Days 78-84: Woah! We’re Halfway There
1220.8 miles, 2,249,330 steps Ladies and gentlemen, it’s official. Two weeks ago, I crossed mile 1098.7, the exact midpoint of the trail for this year. “This year?”, you may wonder. Yes, the trail’s advertised length fluctuates. The number itself is calculated by the ATC just before each year, after each club reports any changes to…
-
Days 71-77: Four States and Seven Days Ago
1070.1 miles, 1,980,534 steps Tired of reading “Virginia” in the tags for these trail updates? Me too. Well, we’ve finally walked away from the Commonwealth and across the boundaries of three more states, no less! Where exactly “The South” ends is up to debate, but when you’ve spotted Amish buggies and crossed the Mason-Dixon Line,…
-
Days 64-70: Oh, Shenandoah
972.6 miles, 1,804,360 steps The Shennys. Shenanigans National Park. The Sha-nay-nays. Whatever you want to call it, the second and final National Park is checked off. SNP contains 50% more of the trail’s length than GSMNP, the 101 miles afforded time to cook up plenty of those silly names. However, it is profoundly flatter and…
-
Days 58-63: The Blues
834.7 miles, 1,599,992 steps This was a less eventful week, for sure. The typical Virginia hiking experience of “ridge-walking” continues to dominate, leaving me with less novel sights to report. But I don’t mean to be a downer, there’s still a fair amount of trail joy to share. My mood and mileage have been muted…
-
Days 50-57: Familiar (Rock) Faces
731.7 miles, 1,432,756 steps … And we’re live after the break! Two weeks at Virginia Tech were much needed and well enjoyed. Highlights include concocting homemade cookie ice cream sandwiches, devouring pancakes for an entire week, catching up with friends over lunch, checking on the progress of my colleagues in the TREC Lab, and, of…
