Roger Carpenter – Greg In Wild
Living with a sense of adventure
It was a glorious day in Baxter State Park after it rained until about 2 a.m. I woke at 4:30 in eager anticipation of the first day on the AT. The park ranger warned me and two other AT hikers to expect the climb and descent back to the Katahdin Stream campground could take up to 14 hours. That would be a 10 p.m. return and hiking by headlamp. I was determined to not get myself in such a predicament.
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Continue reading “Day 1, June 23: Mt. Katahdin Summit!”Left lovely camp at 630am. Climbed about 600 feet to Nesuntabunt Mtn 1520. The rest of the morning was hiking along Nahmakanta Lake. Here, the trail made agonizing steep climbs and equally steep descents from and to the shore. The lake has no homes or developments along the shore of the four mile long lake.
The AT this far north is showing signs of its real self. The rocks on the trail are bigger and more numerous. Same with the roots. After an early start at 6:30am, feeling fresh, I ascended to Rainbow Mtn. at 1550′ where I caught some nice views while eating some of Cindy’s nutritious granola. I have hiked 33.6 miles since starting the journey.
Been there, done that when it comes to attempted thru-hikes. In 1995 I started but terminated a PCT hike, and victoriously returned to the same trail in 1996. I worked hard for 20 years until a layoff from my employer became a gifted opportunity to thru-hike the Continental Divide Trail in 2016. With 5,500 miles of thru-hiking experience I did not understand the nervousness I felt when I carefully stepped off the Amtrak Lake Shore Limited at Boston South Station on June 20. The train was one hour late at 9:00pm, and the lack of daylight on the deserted downtown Boston streets unfamiliar to me did nothing to sooth my nerves. In just three days I will begin the 2,193 mile southbound hike of the AT, another unfamiliar route.
Continue reading “Anticipation”My backpack for the Appalachian Trail will contain essential items and a few more that will ensure I get sufficient rest, minimal hassles, eat great tasting food, keep the bears from eating my great tasting food, and take great photos.
For my last two hikes before starting the AT on June 23 I wanted steeper, higher and farther than my previous outings. The Mt Defiance trail climbs about five miles from the Columbia River to the summit at 4954′. The wonderful view of Mt. Hood is not altered by the constant, low level hum of the communication tower equipment. No worries…I was there for the conditioning and not a wilderness experience.
I was enjoying the cool serenity and the green lushness that is typical of the month of May during one of the many hikes I have been doing in the Portland-area Tryon Creek Natural Area. I stopped walking when I saw the 25-foot high branch in a tree along the trail, grabbed a 50-foot neon green rope attached to a small stuff sack loaded with a small rock, strategically swung the rock/stuff sack and released the rope with precise timing to hurl the weighted end up and over the branch. Once the weighted end of the rope fell to the ground and was properly draped over the branch, I whispered “awesome!” But I was not alone. As I proudly looked at the neon green rope, now hanging conspicuously from the branch, a woman asked, “are you pruning?” Feeling a little embarrassed and self-conscious while tugging the dangling cord I honestly confessed, “I am practicing my bear hang technique for my hike of the Appalachian Trail next month! No bear will steal my food at night!”
Continue reading “An Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike!”December 5, 2016.
One of the pleasures of hiking the CDT was to read the words of support from those who followed my journey on my blog and Facebook, and often wrote me kind, encouraging messages. My thanks go to each and every one of you! In early 2016 when I first announced to my friends and colleagues that that I would hike the CDT, some asked if I would write a blog. And I created my first blog site! During the hike, when I had access, I read every comment on www.elkpass.com and on Facebook! Knowing that my friends were reading was motivation to keep writing and keep hiking. Over 2,700 visitors to the blog from 30 countries made 10,000 page views. That includes multiple visits by the same people.
When I arrived in a town or a place that resembled civilization, I had numerous chores to take care of. Those chores included receiving and shipping parcels at the Post Office, managing my gear, shopping for goodies & calories to add to my backpack, eating pancakes, hamburgers, enchiladas, ice cream, etc., and of course, updating my blog. While writing, I took care to select meaningful photos and write a summary of what the previous four to fourteen days were like. I tried to describe the dramas that were my adventure, especially how I dealt with falling behind my original schedule which had me hiking five months to reach the Canadian border on September 18. It took me 15 days more than I expected, and during that stretch in beautiful northern Montana I was concerned about daily forecasts that often included cold, rainy or snowy weather.
Continue reading “CDT: Home for two months! Just saying thanks!”
THE CDT JOURNEY IS COMPLETED!
On October 3 at 1:30 pm I hiked to the US/Canada border at Chief Mountain with fellow thru-hikers Petr Kosek (Footprint), Olga Kubankova (Stormrunner), both from Czech Republic. My lovely wife and caring, unwavering supporter Cindy Kleinegger (Snake Maiden) met us for the final three miles!
We enjoyed six amazing days hiking the CDT in Glacier National Park, blessed with sunny weather most of final 95 miles.
Continue reading “CDT Sept 28 – Oct 3: East Glacier to Canada!”
CANADA IS WITHIN REACH!
Upon leaving the wonderful city of Helena I spent 14 days hiking 237 miles before reaching East Glacier Park., the last town and resupply point. The CDT crosses Macdonald Pass along a highway, where it had snowed the previous day when I enjoyed a zero day in Helena.
The route passed through Scapegoat Wilderness where fierce 60 mph blew across the Continental Divide, and did toss me off my feet once.
I picked up my parcel mid-way to East Glacier at the Benchmark Wilderness Ranch, where I pitched my tent on the porch in case of rain.
Yes, rain was in the forecast, and it did eventually rain in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, where I struggled to find a suitable camp late one evening. Thankfully, the rain stopped early the next morning and it did not rain or snow very much all the way to East Glacier.
Bob Marshall Wilderness, a haven for hunters, horses and grizzly bear. The route passed through dense forest and made me feel at home in the Pacific Northwest. Bear grass sprouted high nearly everywhere, just like the PCT.
Nearing Glacier NP was wonderful because it is the last hurdle before Canada.
I will write more and post more photos once I reach Canada. I am feeling healthy and optimistic. The weather for the final six days of hiking look very good. And my lovely wife Cindy is here to support me in East Glacier Park. My friends Footprint and Stormrunner will join me for the last section to the border.
GREG IN WILD HIKES ON!
