Jump to: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
MASSACHUSETTS
Day 64, 25-Aug: Milepost 604.2, Daily 11.5 miles. Ascent 3545′, Descent 2475′, Highest 3455′. Camp: Mt. Greylock, below summit. 3260 Entered Massachusetts! Very tough 3400′ climb to Mt. Greylock, 3487′. Stealth camp below summit and Bascom Lodge.
Day 65, 26-Aug: Milepost 619.5, Daily 15.3 miles. Ascent 1910′, Descent 3995′, Highest 3305′. Town: Dalton, Bill Shea’s home.
Day 66, 27-Aug: Milepost 632.7, Daily 13.2 miles. Ascent 1915′, Descent 1310′, Highest 2075′. Camp: October Mtn Shelter, October Mtn State Forest, 1915′. Departed Bill Shae’s home. Easy but sweaty hike for 7 hours in hot, muggy weather.
Day 67, 28-Aug: Milepost 651.5, Daily 18.8 miles. Ascent 2825′, Descent 3915′, Highest 2170′. Camp: Shaker Campsite, Beartown State Forest. Most daily miles so far. Cool temps with showers, excellent hiking in lush forest, moderate trail grade.
Day 68, 29-Aug: Milepost 669.2 miles, 17.7, Ascent 3595′, Descent 3785′, Highest 2050′, Town: Great Barrington, MA. Easy start, tedius, strenuous last 6 miles through East Mtn State Forest.
Day 69, 30-Aug: Milepost 677.1 miles, Daily 7.9, Ascent 1855′, Descent 665′, Highest 1985′, Camp Glen Brook Shelter, Mt Everett area, 1896′ After flat, mosquito area, climb to and along 2 mile long ridge was tough going. Last full day in Massachusetts.
Day 70, 31-Aug: Milepost 690.7 miles, Daily 13.6, Ascent 2420′, Descent 3625′, Highest 2560′. Town: Salisbury, CT. Nice cool morning climb to Mt Everett led to amazing Day amazing views from ledges overlooking the valley east of the AT. Entered Connecticut.
CONNECTICUT
Day 71, 1-Sep: Milepost 699.7 miled, Daily 9.0, Ascent 2030′, Descent 2150′, Highest 1470′. Town: Got ride from Salisbury, CT to Great Barrington for hotel overnight during torrential rain after remant of hurricane Ida passed. Rain began early in the day and got heavier throughout the day. 3.5 inches of rain of rain fell.
Day 72, 2-Sep: Milepost 715.5 miles, Daily 15.8. Ascent 3340′, Descent 3480′, Highest 1325′. Camp: Stoney Brook Campsite along Housatonic Rv, 390′. Crossed or forded fast moving, high streams. Chose roadwalk instead of dangerous ford of Guinea Brook.
Day 73, 3-Sep: Milepost 735.6 miles, Daily 20.1. Ascent 1600′, Descent 1340′. Camp: 1340′, Highest 975′. Camp: Wiley Shelter 700′. Road walk through Kent, CT until Bulls Bridge to avoid possible dicey stream fords on official route. Entered New York! Stopped at a wonderful farm stand south of Kent.
NEW YORK
Day 74, 4-Sep: Milepost 752.2 Daily 16.6, Ascent 3050′ Descent 2380′, Highest 1320′. Camp: Morgan Stewart Shelter, Depot Hill area, 1300′. Walked across NYC commuter train tracks, kept hiking! Most scenic: Nuclear Lake and several nice pastures. Never far from civilization.
Day 75, 5-Sep: Milepost 768.9 miles, Daily 16.7, Ascent 2880′, Descent 3210′, Highest 1375′. Camp: South of Canopus Lake, 945′. Lot of small ups and downs, pleasant forest walk. Lunch stop at RPH shelter. Trail near Canopus Lake was tedious, frustrating.
Day 76, 6-Sep: Milepost 780.6 miles, Daily 11.7. Ascent 2085′, Descent 2580′, Highest 1050′. Town: Peetskill, NY. Felt fatigued, went to Peetskill for an overnight break.
Day 77, 7-Sep: Milepost 793 miles, Daily 12.4. Ascent 3265′, Descent 2390′, Highest 1295′. Camp: West Mtn Shelter, Bear Mtn State Park, 1205′. More energy today crossing the Hudson River and climbing to Bear Mtn and West Mtn. Great, dry weather! Views of NYC skyline!
Day 78, 8-Sep: Milepost 806.4 miles, Daily 13.4. Ascent 2965′, Descent 3435′, Highest 1380′. Town: Hwy 17, Southfields. Pleasant trail to Lake Tiorati State Park and stop for lunch, and to town of Southfields for hotel.
Day 79, 9-Sep: Milepost 823.1 miles, Daily 16.7. Ascent 2700′, Descent 2225′, Highest 1340′. Camp: Furnace Brook, Bellvale Mtn, 1145′. Some pleasant hiking with several challenging and hazardous and steep rock outcrops, slippery due to light rain. Nice ice cream place on route!
Day 80, 10-Sep: Milepost 833.5 miles, Daily 10.4. Ascent 1540′, Descent 2310′, Highest 1425′. Town: Warwick Drive-in Theater free camping and movie. Entered NEW JERSEY! Short hike in excellent weather to resupply in Warrick, NY
NEW JERSEY
Day 81, 11-Sep: Milepost 852.4 miled, Daily 18.9. Ascent 3230′, Descent 2225′, Highest 1360′. Camp: High Point Shelter, High Point State Park, 1275′. Excellent trail, nice grade. Mix of pastures and hardwood forests. Excellent weather.
Day 82, 12-Sep: Milepost 872.1 miles, Daily 19.7. Ascent 2640′, Descent 2870′, Highest 1740′. Camp: Brink Road Shelter, Stokes State Forest, 1110′. Another great day. Reached highest point in NJ. Views of several large lakes.
Day 83, 13-Sep: Milepost 886.4 miles, Daily 14.3. Ascent 1560′, Descent 1475′, Highest 1540′. Camp: AMC Mohican Outdoor Center, 1190′. Another great day in NJ! Mixed deciduous and pine forest. Camped in bunkhouse reserved for AT hikers.
Day 84, 14-Sep: Milepost 897 miles, Daily 10.6. Ascent 950′, Descent 1690′, Highest 1615′. Town: Deleware Water Gap, PA Entered PENNSYLVANIA!
Day 85, 15-Sep: Milepost 897 miles, Daily 0.0. Town Deleware Water Gap, PA. Zero day!
PENNSYLVANIA
Day 86, 16-Sep: Milepost: 912.5 miles, Daily: 15.5. Ascent: 2100′, Descent: 1575′, Highest: 1665′, Town: Wind Gap, PA. Rain ended as I started from town. Easy going hike with some very rocky but mostly level trail.
Day 87, 17-Sep: Milepost: 934.1 miles, Daily: 21.6, Ascent: 2725′, Descent: 2640′, Highest: 1600′. Camp: Near Palmerton, 0.8 mile S of Lehigh River, 1075′. Most daily miles to date! Level terrain in forest, very rocky mostly. Late afternoon very steep descent on boulders, and I crushed it!
Day 88 18-Sep: Milepost: 950.7miles, Daily: 16.6, Ascent: 1795′, Descent: 1380′, Highest: 1590′. Camp: Allentown Shelter, Blue Mtn. 1485′. Great weather, easy terrain mixed with boulders and a challenging knife edge to make things interesting. Salad at Thunderhead Lodge near AT.
Day 89 19-Sep: Milepost: 967.2miles, Daily: 16.5. Ascent: 1970′, Descent: 2580′, Highest: 1645′. Camp: Windsor Furnace Shelter, near Hamburg, PA, 880′. Great day except for fall which snapped one trekking pole and bent the other. Shopping for replacements tomorrow.
Day 90, 20-Sep: Milepost: 976.9 miles, Daily: 9.7. Ascent: 2180′, Descent: 1565′, Highest: 1505′. Camp: 3.7 miles south of Port Clinton on Blue Mtn, 1520′. Resupply in Hamburg, PA. New trekking poles.
Day 91, 21-Sep: Milepost: 997 miles, Daily: 20.1, Ascent: 1865′, Descent: 1940′, Highest: 1715′, Camp: 501 Shelter near Hwy 501, 1490′. Very rocky hiking. Started by headlamp but spent 10 minutes in wrong direction; later missed a turn and bushwacked for 15 minutes to regain AT. Still hiked 20 miles.
Day 92, 22-Sep. Milepost: 1014.7 miles, Daily: 17.7. Ascent: 2420′, Descent: 2685′, Highest: 1540′, Camp: Rausch Gap Shelter 1120′. Rainy afternoon, kept a steady pace to hike 17 miles by 4:45pm. Trail mostly easy going.
Day 93, 23-Sep: Milepost: 1032.5 miles, Daily: 17.8, Ascent: 2410′, Descent: 2520′, Highest: 1635′. Camp: Peters Mountain Shelter, 1130′. Heavy rain in morning made worse when I hiked in WRONG DIRECTION for 1 mile. Rain stopped in afternoon, a miracle!
Day 94, 24-Sep Milepost: 1043.9 miles, Daily: 11.4, Ascent: 1540′, Descent: 2450′, Highest: 1635′. Town: Jeff Zimmrrman’s house (Jeff is a Triple Crown recipient and hiked the PCT in 1977!). Hiked the last of Rocksylvania!
Day 95, 25-Sep: Milepost: 1061.2 miles, Daily: 17.3, Ascent: 2370′, Descent: 2140′, Highest: 1400′. Town: Carlisle, PA The BEST weather, very nice forest trail and flat hike in Cumberland Valley.
Day 96, 26-Sep. Milepost: 1081.1 miles, Daily: 19.9. Ascent: 2685′, Descent: 2445′, Highest: 1220′. Camp: Tagg Run Stream, Piney Mtn area, 695′. Crisp autumn weather! Finished Cumberland Valley, hiked into the mountains south of Boiling Springs.
Day 97, 27-Sep. Milepost: 1098.2 miles, Daily: 17.1. Ascent: 2630′, Descent: 1530′, Highest: 2035′. Camp: Birch Run Shelter, Michaux State Forest, 1800′. Cool, crisp morning; saw a wild turkey fly, and a baby chipmunk on the trail. I reached the AT HALF WAY POINT, 1096.5 miles!
Day 98, 28-Sep. Milepost: 1107.8 miled, Daily: 9.6, Ascent: 863′, Descent: 1685′ Highest: 2080′. Town: Gettysburg. Easy going morning in brief, light rain. Snacked at meticulously crafted Quary Gap Shelters.
Day 99, 29-Sep. Milepost: 1107.8 miles. Zero day in Gettysburg with father-in-law Bill.
Day 100, 30-Sep. Milepost: 1124.9 miles, Daily: 17.1. Ascent: 2795′, Descent: 2285′, Highest: 2030′. Camp: 0.2 mile N of Buena Vista Rd, 1.2 mile N of PA-Maryland border, South Mountain area, 1370′. Left Gettysburg via ride from Bill. Hiked in great weather to 1.2 miles north of Maryland border.