Thursday, August 6, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Caleb's Hike
The first three days into the hike lead me to the idea that "...encouragement is found in the little things between sunrise and sunset. inspiration is acquired in a new color of a leaf, a cloud, or a flower. time is measured by drifting ideas or a completely blank mind. I'm not sure, I haven't figured out the difference yet."
Today is the third day after the hike and i find it amusing how true this statement holds. It holds true for our last climb up Kitatian, our drive home, and our day to day journey through life.
I'm glad to have experienced the trail.
Today is the third day after the hike and i find it amusing how true this statement holds. It holds true for our last climb up Kitatian, our drive home, and our day to day journey through life.
I'm glad to have experienced the trail.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Caleb and Luke: Against the Odds
2009 Northbound AT Thru-Hikers as of July 25th
Starting at Springer Mtn., Ga. 1425
Continuing at Neels Gap, Ga. (30 miles) 1325
Continuing at Harpers Ferry, W.Va. (1,000 miles) 703
Completed at Katahdin, Maine (2,176 miles) 8
Starting at Springer Mtn., Ga. 1425
Continuing at Neels Gap, Ga. (30 miles) 1325
Continuing at Harpers Ferry, W.Va. (1,000 miles) 703
Completed at Katahdin, Maine (2,176 miles) 8
Monday, July 27, 2009
It is Done!
Luke and Caleb finished the Appalachian trail at 11:00am this morning on the top of Mount Katahdin. They will arrive back in North Carolina Wednesday; blog update to follow.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Caleb and Luke to Finish
2171 miles from Springer Mountain 5.2 from Mt. Katahdin. Camping at the foot of Mt. Katahdin tonight; to the top tomorrow?
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
100 Mile Wilderness
Luke and Caleb are entering the last section of the AT known as the "100 Mile Wilderness"
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Katahdin Summit planned for July 27th
Luke and Caleb called on July 16th from Rangeley, ME; 1951 miles from Mt. Springer and 220 miles from Mt Katahdin. They plan to hike ten more days with only a re-supply stop in Monson, ME before reaching the summit of Mt. Katahdin on the 27th.
Who is "What If?" Who Is "On Board?"
This is Karla informing you of the correct answer to the last survey question I posted after our trip to Vermont. The answer is: Caleb is the "What If" guy and Luke is "On Board." The whole topic came up when Luke and Caleb were telling about the time when Caleb said, "What if we hike 48 straight hours?" or something crazy like that. Caleb was only joking but Luke said, "let's do it," and so they gave it a try. The boys said that happens a lot. Caleb will just throw something out there as a crazy thought and Luke is ready to turn it into a reality. Therefore, only three of you answered the question correctly. I guess that's because they both are "On Board" or they wouldn't even be doing this hike! Hopefully, the guys will update us soon on their progress. And maybe they'll post a new question for us to ponder. . .
Monday, July 13, 2009
Mt Washington
Luke and Caleb called from Gorham, NH on July 12th, 298 miles from Katahdin. They've hiked the White Mountains and will hike into Maine on the 13th. They have great pictures and stories including stare downs with black bears, but no internet access to upload them. They'll be in Rangeley, ME in four days maybe an update then.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
News from Massachusetts/Vermont
This is Karla relaying some of Luke and Caleb’s news from the Massachusetts/Vermont chapter of their journey. Carl and I did get to travel up and see the guys in person. Our initial impression (besides thinking Luke looked like an authentic Amish farmer with his reddish-colored bushy beard) was that the guys were in need of some good rest, some therapeutic treatment for their feet, dry weather, and renewed enthusiasm for their adventure. We were supposed to meet them in Bennington, VT but Luke called from North Adams, MA (about 20 hiking miles from Bennington) about an hour into our road trip saying their feet could go no further and could we meet them in North Adams instead. They were just going to stop and camp out behind a store and wait for us until we arrived the next day. Luke sounded pathetic on the phone and we knew they were in rough shape because it was still almost 24 hours until time to meet them, and normally, 20 more miles in a full day would not be a problem for them.
Their main problem was rain and wet feet. They had been in rain so many days in a row that their feet had been in a state of continuous wet. Continuous wet feet produce bad results for thru-hikers who rely on their feet more than any other piece of equipment. After hearing how forlorn and tired they sounded, we told them to get a motel room, take showers, get their feet dry, and wait for us; we would drive all the way to them instead of stopping over in PA as we had originally planned. So . . . Carl and I drove and drove and drove and drove some more until midnight when we got to Williamstown, MA and The Maple Terrace Inn located in the remote, ritzy Berkshire resort area. (The reason they chose this inn was because it was the only place that had internet access, but it turned out the internet was down the entire time they were there.) Luke said the innkeeper was not particularly hiker-friendly and wanted to hose them off before they entered, but he did rent them a room and gave them shelter which was what the boys needed. (The innkeeper just hosed their boots off and kept them outside by his storage shed.) It was great to see the guys when we arrived. Carl and I were exhausted from the drive but not nearly as exhausted as our boys who had walked even further than we had driven! We felt like wimps for complaining, but it's a long way up there!
After a good night’s sleep, the next morning we checked out of our inn and drove the short distance (15 minutes) to Bennington, VT . . . our original destination and began a delightful 2-day visit. First we found the famous Blue Benn Diner and ate an amazing breakfast. Then we did laundry, then purchased Epsom salts, foot care products, and dishpans so that we could begin nursing the boys’ feet, and then checked into our charming 2-bedroom apartment at a small motel in Bennington. It was just what we all needed. The guys’ spirits were getting much better. In fact, the boys laughed almost constantly about everything. They were giddy with happiness and helped Carl and me enjoy every moment. The boys can eat and then eat again, and even when we bought a dozen doughnuts “to go” from the Blue Benn Diner after we had stuffed ourselves and not realizing that each doughnut was almost a pound , by the next day, all the doughnuts were gone. (They were amazing doughnuts!) So after a couple of days in Bennington, some great meals at wonderful eating establishments (primarily, the Brewery), the boys bellies were getting full, their feet actually began looking like feet again, and they enjoyed watching the US soccer team and golf on the motel’s TV while it poured rain outside.
So after two days off the trail, the rains cleared and it was time to drop the boys off at the trail. This was last Tuesday morning. We returned to NC (stayed overnight in VA on our way back) and we were so happy that we shared a couple of days with two of the best people we know. We wish we could convey how much everyone's support means to them. Thanks for following the blog. If you haven't already, I hope you will watch the video they posted titled The Ice Cream Feast.
Before I close, let me tell you we got a call from Luke this evening, eight days after we last saw him. Today, they crossed into New Hampshire. They only have two states left! They are staying in a motel tonight and are taking tomorrow off to do laundry and rest. They’ll be back on the trail on Friday. Their spirits are good, even though they were experiencing even more rain. But Maine is in sight, and no doubt, these boys are going to make it. Let’s all celebrate when they get back to NC! We can have a Followers’ Party. I can promise you the guys will not run out of great stories to tell! Until they update again . . .
–Karla (Mom) for Nosehose and Hillraiser
(After hearing them talk and tell stories for two days, Carl and I suggested they should have the trail names of “What If” and “On Board” or “All In" . . . which by the way is the new question I am posting for the blog. Scroll down to vote for who you think is “What If” and who is “On Board” or “All In”
Their main problem was rain and wet feet. They had been in rain so many days in a row that their feet had been in a state of continuous wet. Continuous wet feet produce bad results for thru-hikers who rely on their feet more than any other piece of equipment. After hearing how forlorn and tired they sounded, we told them to get a motel room, take showers, get their feet dry, and wait for us; we would drive all the way to them instead of stopping over in PA as we had originally planned. So . . . Carl and I drove and drove and drove and drove some more until midnight when we got to Williamstown, MA and The Maple Terrace Inn located in the remote, ritzy Berkshire resort area. (The reason they chose this inn was because it was the only place that had internet access, but it turned out the internet was down the entire time they were there.) Luke said the innkeeper was not particularly hiker-friendly and wanted to hose them off before they entered, but he did rent them a room and gave them shelter which was what the boys needed. (The innkeeper just hosed their boots off and kept them outside by his storage shed.) It was great to see the guys when we arrived. Carl and I were exhausted from the drive but not nearly as exhausted as our boys who had walked even further than we had driven! We felt like wimps for complaining, but it's a long way up there!
After a good night’s sleep, the next morning we checked out of our inn and drove the short distance (15 minutes) to Bennington, VT . . . our original destination and began a delightful 2-day visit. First we found the famous Blue Benn Diner and ate an amazing breakfast. Then we did laundry, then purchased Epsom salts, foot care products, and dishpans so that we could begin nursing the boys’ feet, and then checked into our charming 2-bedroom apartment at a small motel in Bennington. It was just what we all needed. The guys’ spirits were getting much better. In fact, the boys laughed almost constantly about everything. They were giddy with happiness and helped Carl and me enjoy every moment. The boys can eat and then eat again, and even when we bought a dozen doughnuts “to go” from the Blue Benn Diner after we had stuffed ourselves and not realizing that each doughnut was almost a pound , by the next day, all the doughnuts were gone. (They were amazing doughnuts!) So after a couple of days in Bennington, some great meals at wonderful eating establishments (primarily, the Brewery), the boys bellies were getting full, their feet actually began looking like feet again, and they enjoyed watching the US soccer team and golf on the motel’s TV while it poured rain outside.
So after two days off the trail, the rains cleared and it was time to drop the boys off at the trail. This was last Tuesday morning. We returned to NC (stayed overnight in VA on our way back) and we were so happy that we shared a couple of days with two of the best people we know. We wish we could convey how much everyone's support means to them. Thanks for following the blog. If you haven't already, I hope you will watch the video they posted titled The Ice Cream Feast.
Before I close, let me tell you we got a call from Luke this evening, eight days after we last saw him. Today, they crossed into New Hampshire. They only have two states left! They are staying in a motel tonight and are taking tomorrow off to do laundry and rest. They’ll be back on the trail on Friday. Their spirits are good, even though they were experiencing even more rain. But Maine is in sight, and no doubt, these boys are going to make it. Let’s all celebrate when they get back to NC! We can have a Followers’ Party. I can promise you the guys will not run out of great stories to tell! Until they update again . . .
–Karla (Mom) for Nosehose and Hillraiser
(After hearing them talk and tell stories for two days, Carl and I suggested they should have the trail names of “What If” and “On Board” or “All In" . . . which by the way is the new question I am posting for the blog. Scroll down to vote for who you think is “What If” and who is “On Board” or “All In”
Monday, June 22, 2009
Caleb's Hike...
We recently found ourselves on a trip within a trip. We decided to escape the primitive lifestyle of the Appalachian Trail and enter the contemporary existence that was New York City. Talk about your culture shock. On our visit we view historic landmarks such as the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and a pizza parlor claiming “Worlds Best Pizza”. While these sites were exciting and much deserving of a photo they didn’t seem to follow me back to the trail. In fact two discreet experiences seemed to reoccur in hiking day dreams. The first consisted of a girl I casually walked past on the sidewalk. She seemed to be slightly older than me, dressed for exercise, and had a physical deformity that restricted her natural fluid walking body motion. I noticed that when this stranger’s and my steps crossed she seemed to hide her eyes in the pavement opposite of my direction. The second experience was a very large very expensive personal boat docked in a Hudson River port right off the coast of Manhattan. Similarly while I was looking stunned at the sheer magnitude of this individual’s ship I noticed that a black curtain was drawn over already tented windows.
Once I was back on the trail I couldn’t help but to think of these two totally separate experiences and the similarity in defense, security, or protection. The differences seemed easy to stereotype: giant verses miniature, substandard verses luxurious, humble verses arrogant. In addition, I quickly developed a similarity between the two in both of their habits to restrict and hide themselves. To take my mind off the trail I decided to try and play a game. I had hoped to combine the two experiences under one word. This word would have to serve as definition which takes these two nonchalant happenings and hyperbolizes them into greatness. For some reason I couldn’t escape the idea of heroic. Over time this idea faded in and out of my mind during the hikes. I kept trying to twist and skew the two experiences into heroism. For some reason I was never really satisfied with my struggle. Something just didn’t seem right and I never grew comfortable with the idea of defining both under this word. Nevertheless I liked the challenge and stayed persistent.
One day I was walking along a detour marked path. The Appalachian Trail was under construction and the new blazes lead me down a road parallel a river. The sun had just dodged a cloud and warmed the constantly cool Ct. air. The architecture of three story houses and old large barns were a nice alternate site for my eyes. The day was developing nicely. A few miles into my walk a car pulled beside me and told me that there had been an accident earlier in the day in the area. A few miles after this conversation I realized that heroic was the wrong word.
And as I type now, in this moment, I have come to learn that greatness is already the experience.
and this one.
Once I was back on the trail I couldn’t help but to think of these two totally separate experiences and the similarity in defense, security, or protection. The differences seemed easy to stereotype: giant verses miniature, substandard verses luxurious, humble verses arrogant. In addition, I quickly developed a similarity between the two in both of their habits to restrict and hide themselves. To take my mind off the trail I decided to try and play a game. I had hoped to combine the two experiences under one word. This word would have to serve as definition which takes these two nonchalant happenings and hyperbolizes them into greatness. For some reason I couldn’t escape the idea of heroic. Over time this idea faded in and out of my mind during the hikes. I kept trying to twist and skew the two experiences into heroism. For some reason I was never really satisfied with my struggle. Something just didn’t seem right and I never grew comfortable with the idea of defining both under this word. Nevertheless I liked the challenge and stayed persistent.
One day I was walking along a detour marked path. The Appalachian Trail was under construction and the new blazes lead me down a road parallel a river. The sun had just dodged a cloud and warmed the constantly cool Ct. air. The architecture of three story houses and old large barns were a nice alternate site for my eyes. The day was developing nicely. A few miles into my walk a car pulled beside me and told me that there had been an accident earlier in the day in the area. A few miles after this conversation I realized that heroic was the wrong word.
And as I type now, in this moment, I have come to learn that greatness is already the experience.
and this one.
Nothin but Love...
Wut up boys?? i think about yall all the time. It looks like you are makin it alright....miss you guys. -fittie a.k.a dirty seven a.k.a da fireman
Pictures from Penn to Mass
These pictures are a little bit out of order (start from bottom in order to be most chronologically correct), but at least they're up...
Huge snapping turtle in the middle of the trail. He said he started in Georgia in 1947.
Me asleep on top of Mt. Greylock after 24 hours of straight hiking...we made it 44 miles.
Statue on top of Mt. Greylock
Some beautiful views at sunrise above the clouds on Mt. Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts.
A frog enjoying the excess water that has been on the trail.
Caleb is a bit reluctant to leave his sleeping bag one wet, rainy morning.
Race Brook Falls just past the Connecticut/Massachusetts line, which possessed some of the cleanest looking water on the trail
A stop at the coffee shop in Salisbury, Connecticut before heading back on the trail.
We got a pizza delivered and stealth camped behind the library of Salisbury, Connecticut.
Rand's View in Connecticut
Caleb had been looking forward to climbing Caleb's Peak this entire trip.
There's a lot of moments I just stop and can't believe how lucky I am to be where I am at. This was one of those moments.
Caleb was hiking ahead of me when I crossed into Connecticut leaving New York.
Caleb in front of the Dover Oak, the largest Oak tree along the A.T. We thought the Keffer Oak, the second largest Oak we saw with Mike, Mike, and Matt was a cooler tree, though.
New York
A memorial to 9/11 was located on top of one of the mountains in New York.
A wet night of camping.
There were tons of delis and convenience stores along the New Jersey/New York hike. We had the self discipline to only stop a few times.
This is the only fire that Caleb and I have started when we were by ourselves this whole trip. Caleb did all the work with the fire, but I documented the occasion well.
Crossing the Hudson River on Bear Mountain Bridge
Seeing this sign was awesome. We walked from Georgia to outside of New York City! It's hard to believe...
The A.T. was difficult in parts of the beginning of New York
Trail Angels: Tom, Joyce, and their wonderful grandson
A huge bird 
The real New York/New Jersey state line
We thought this was the state line of New York/New Jersey, but it was only directing us to the "State Line Trail"
Two red ants carrying a black ant up a tree.
River Wallkill in New Jersey is beautiful
Tiny turtle closeup
After seeing the huge turtle, I found this baby turtle on a road
Huge snapping turtle that is pictured above.
My 34-mile-day was one of the most beautiful days I had on the trail.
I caught the sunset at High Point, the highest peak in New Jersey. 
Dinner from an awesome view
The climb outside of Palmerton, PA was the rockiest part of the entire trail.
Some cool panaramics in Pennsylvania
Who knew porcupines could climb trees?
A few random pictures from our recent hike...
Two hours after being in NYC, we were back in the woods with some cows.
Huge snapping turtle in the middle of the trail. He said he started in Georgia in 1947.
Me asleep on top of Mt. Greylock after 24 hours of straight hiking...we made it 44 miles.
Statue on top of Mt. Greylock
Some beautiful views at sunrise above the clouds on Mt. Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts.
A frog enjoying the excess water that has been on the trail.
Caleb is a bit reluctant to leave his sleeping bag one wet, rainy morning.
Race Brook Falls just past the Connecticut/Massachusetts line, which possessed some of the cleanest looking water on the trail
A stop at the coffee shop in Salisbury, Connecticut before heading back on the trail.
We got a pizza delivered and stealth camped behind the library of Salisbury, Connecticut.
Rand's View in Connecticut
Caleb had been looking forward to climbing Caleb's Peak this entire trip.
There's a lot of moments I just stop and can't believe how lucky I am to be where I am at. This was one of those moments.
Caleb was hiking ahead of me when I crossed into Connecticut leaving New York.
Caleb in front of the Dover Oak, the largest Oak tree along the A.T. We thought the Keffer Oak, the second largest Oak we saw with Mike, Mike, and Matt was a cooler tree, though.
New York
A memorial to 9/11 was located on top of one of the mountains in New York.
A wet night of camping.
There were tons of delis and convenience stores along the New Jersey/New York hike. We had the self discipline to only stop a few times.
This is the only fire that Caleb and I have started when we were by ourselves this whole trip. Caleb did all the work with the fire, but I documented the occasion well.
Crossing the Hudson River on Bear Mountain Bridge
Seeing this sign was awesome. We walked from Georgia to outside of New York City! It's hard to believe...
The A.T. was difficult in parts of the beginning of New York
Trail Angels: Tom, Joyce, and their wonderful grandson
A huge bird
The real New York/New Jersey state line
We thought this was the state line of New York/New Jersey, but it was only directing us to the "State Line Trail"
Two red ants carrying a black ant up a tree.
River Wallkill in New Jersey is beautiful
Tiny turtle closeup
After seeing the huge turtle, I found this baby turtle on a road
Huge snapping turtle that is pictured above.
My 34-mile-day was one of the most beautiful days I had on the trail.
I caught the sunset at High Point, the highest peak in New Jersey.
Dinner from an awesome view
The climb outside of Palmerton, PA was the rockiest part of the entire trail.
Some cool panaramics in Pennsylvania
Who knew porcupines could climb trees?
A few random pictures from our recent hike...
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