Those of you that know me well can remember our high flying travel days. Bryan and I were DINKS and we flaunted it. When we could get some time away from our crazy careers, we spent it in some pretty amazing places. In the old days, we would land at the airport and get whisked away in a private car to be tucked away behind the gates of some isolated resort. We rarely saw the outside world. Don’t get me wrong – the beautiful rooms, ironed sheets, lush grounds, private pools and fancy dinners were wonderful and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I’m still on Aman’s email list but I can’t bear to open them to see what I’m missing.

I took an early retirement to find my second curve and that meant cutting back on luxury travel. It has forced me back out into the real world and I am starting to remember how exciting travel can be again. Instead of private cars, I am taking public transportation or walking whenever I can. I rent apartments in real neighborhoods. I skip the restaurants in western hotels with English menus and search out the best local food I can find. It’s not easy – I often get lost, frustrated, embarrassed and just down right uncomfortable. The whole process of trying to immerse myself in a foreign place can feel overwhelming at times.

Today was a great example. I went for a run this morning – that part is easy. I just found a path along one of the long linear parks in the city and did some laps with my headphones on. I found a Bikram yoga studio that I wanted to visit but I wasn’t able to reserve a class online so I planned to just show up for and hope for the best. Just getting to the studio meant navigating a new metro system and learning and practicing a whole new set of Spanish phrases that would hopefully get me through the door and onto a yoga mat with a minimal amount of humiliation.

So, I gathered my courage and headed out early for the metro station nearby. All the while practicing my new yoga studio phrases. “Necesito una estera para yoga.” “Yo no tengo una reserva.” “Tienes espacio para mi?” The metro was super easy to figure out. It was an impressive piece of engineering buried three stories underground with gleaming white floors and walls. I was impressed at how clean and comfortable it was as I zoomed across town to the neighborhood called Chile Espana. The studio was right across the street from the metro station and I walked in with my held high and tried my new phrases. It worked! The yoga teacher got what I was saying and gracefully welcomed me to the space. I paid, got a mat, told her how long I had been practicing yoga and laid down in the hot room before class. I felt pretty proud of myself and it set me up for an awesome class.

I’ve been doing this type of yoga for almost thirty years now so I can do it regardless of language skills. I’ve even taken a few silent classes (but passed on the naked ones when offered). It was really cool to hear all of the cues in Spanish and I think I learned more in that ninety minutes than I did over two months of Duolingo. As much as I could, I tried to let myself just be immersed in the words without trying to translate everything. It reminded me of how I am traveling now.

It’s a richer feeling to be down in the grit of a place. Walking the streets, taking the buses and trains and navigating the grocery stores. Being absorbed into a new place as much as I can. It reminds me of my first trip to Europe during high school and that sense of awe that I had with travel. Bumming around on trains with no money but so happy to have the chance to see how other people live. It’s true acculturation. Instead of hiding behind the resort gates, I am back to where I started – a renewed sense of wonder spurred by real exposure to a place.

Ok – I’ll admit that I spent a fair amount of time in fine restaurants and fancy museums while I was here. But they were real restaurants with actual locals dining with me. The museums were packed with Chileans and the sidewalks around the beautiful neoclassical style art museums are a jumble of street vendors and hawkers. Santiago is full of incredible energy, great food and interesting people that I might not have seen from the Hilton perched on the hill.

I need to get out of Chile – and soon. If I stay much longer, I’m going to buy a truck and start gathering up all of these sweet street dogs and take them home with me. It will be a hell of a long trip back to Seattle but we will take lots of fun walk breaks. I love dogs so deeply I can’t hardly describe it and these guys and gals can sense it. Ok, maybe it’s all the cooing and eye contact that I’m making but they know a sucker when they see one. I was walking back to my campsite in Cochrane last night and this adorable scruffy guy just wouldn’t take no for an answer. He followed me down the sidewalk, scooted ahead of me and then flopped down on his back demanding a belly rub. It was an aggressive move but it worked on me and we spent some quality time together.

I was sitting on a park bench earlier in the afternoon and watched a cute white dog get his steps in. He rounded the block five times in the thirty minutes I was sitting there and glanced my way with a “What’s Up” nod each time he passed. There can be as many as ten dogs all hanging on together on street corners together. They sleep on busy street corners, roam around the town square, bark at each other all night and generally rule the town. Some are skittish but most of them just love attention. I approach them carefully and wait for them to come to me. It’s been a great way to pass the time in town as I am making my slow slog back north.

I just got off a bus in Coyhaique after more than sixteen hours crammed in a tiny seat. I kept my face pressed against the window wishing I was back on my saddle pushing that heavy bike up those gravel hills. I saw a few cyclists heading north and waved a jealous hello. They didn’t know how good they had it. The first section from O’Higgins to Cochrane was about seven hours including a ferry crossing and a flat tire. We heard a huge pop from the front left tire about two hours into the ride and knew right away what happened. The bus driver handled it like a pro. He knew exactly what to do and we were back on the road in about thirty minutes. I treated myself to a great dinner in Cochrane with a huge salad. Fresh vegetables are pretty hard to come by so far south and I was craving it. I found a good backyard campsite in town and slept well for my next leg to Coyhaique at 6:30AM the next day.

This one nearly broke me. I don’t sit still well and this was another nine hours of restlessness. To enhance the challenge, the guy behind me spent every single second that we had cell service on f’ing TikTok with the speaker on full volume. It was hours and hours of ten second clips of police sirens, screaming, car crashes, bad music and laugh tracks. By the time we pulled into the bus station in Coyhaique, I was about to jump out of my skin. I had all of my bags packed and ready to dart out of the door for sunshine and fresh air. I pushed old ladies aside and pushed my way off of that bus. I hit the ground running and quickly dropped my bags at my hostel and headed out for a long brisk walk around the town. I was getting MY steps in now. Maybe that poor dog had just bussed it from O’Higgins. I get it now.

My hostel in Coyhaique is great. I met a bunch of cyclists heading south and told them how much they had to look forward to. They are about to run out of pavement and that’s where the fun really begins. I love this place and can’t wait for them to experience the incredible views and sweet farm stays deep in Patagonia. These northern towns are fun but the real adventure starts here. I’ve really fallen in love with this place. It’s friendly, safe and beautiful. The streets are tidy and the food is amazing. Their recycling infrastructure is very good – I’ve seen well organized and large recycling centers in even the smallest towns.

I’m ready to get back to Bryan and Chuck but leaving next week will be bitter sweet. I’ve really enjoyed experiencing South America and can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get here. I have a fun weekend planned in Santiago. I found all of the art museums I want to visit, a good yoga studio and even an Olympic size swimming pool – all near the apartment I am renting. I’m going to soak up the last little bit of sweet Chile – for now. I’ll be back soon for more of all of the great things that makes this place so special.

Our small shelter at Camping Maria shook and rattled all night as the storm raged outside. It was so bad that I can’t believe the roof stayed on. It creaked and moaned from the strong gusts that blew branches and debris around in waves of violence that made it hard to get any sleep. I woke up at 6AM, made some coffee and quietly packed up my gear to let my cabin mates get some more rest. I was really hesitant about heading out into this weather but I was really low on food and Villa O’Higgins was just fifty miles away. The wind had blown our bikes around the yard. I gathered everything together and carefully loaded my rig. On days like this – when I really don’t want to go back on trail, I just take things in steps and try not to think too far ahead. Pack my bags, dress in layers, apply extra chamois cream, make sure I have lunch prepared and handy and check the bike over to make sure everything is working properly. Today was about seeing if it was possible to ride in this weather so I planned to take it as it comes. I hopped in my saddle in full rain gear at 7:30AM and headed south.

The wind gusts were incredible! Thank goodness they were coming from behind so it felt like someone was pushing (or punching) me down the road. The most striking thing that I noticed was the unbelievable amount of water that was coming off of the mountains and into the river next to the road. I looked up and saw that the cliff had sprouted dozens of waterfalls all around. Millions of gallons of water was rushing down and under the road through huge culverts. It struck me once again what an incredible engineering task this road is – especially for the careful planning required to make sure the road doesn’t wash away. Best in class hydrologic engineering for sure. New Zealand, are you taking notes?

The strong rain and wind came in waves as I started the six mile climb up over the mountain passes. It was really hard to keep the bike upright on the switchbacks with the strong shifting winds but I managed to make slow but steady progress towards the summit. The descents were a relief but required a tight grip on the handlebars as I sailed down the steep grades. I only took two really small breaks because I was afraid of stopping and getting too cold. My core was pretty warm covered in layers of wool but my hands and feet were frozen solid. There were several large trees down in the road and I saw a few large branches come crashing down near me.

It eventually started to clear up as I approached Villa O’Higgins. After seven hours of virtually nonstop riding, the sun came out about six miles from town. I stopped to peel off a few wet layers and have a quick bite to eat. Mostly, I wanted a moment to breathe easy. It was a stressful day on the bike but it all worked out just fine. I was feeling great that the end was near and full of gratitude for how well everything has gone on this adventure. No mechanical issues with the bike (or my body), I met great friends, ate wonderful food and spent two amazing weeks marveling at this beautiful part of the world. I was also feeling a bit proud that I can call myself a bike packer now. I’ve successfully completed a solo trip on one of the classics. I’m legit. It felt great rolling into town with all of this positive energy.

Villa O’Higgins is a small town of just 600 residents but it has everything that a tired cyclist needs. Great supermarkets, a few restaurants and nice cabins to rent. I checked into my Airbnb and tried to started a fire in the wood stove to warm me up. It took forever to get the fire going but I finally got it and it warmed up the space nicely. When I finish something big like this, I usually feel blue for a few days afterwards. After a hard race, hike or climb, I usually experience a sudden empty feeling as I unpack my gear and start my travel back home. The goal is completed and the adventure is done. I miss something hard to press against – a goal time, miles to crush and endless logistics. Sometimes this down time lasts days and even weeks and it can feel pretty severe. I felt that familiar gnawing ache come on this time as I unpacked by bike and started to get things organized.

But something different happened this time. I didn’t stay in that shadow very long – maybe a half hour or so and then I started to feel good again. A hot shower and a good meal and I was back to myself. Happy to be in this unique and beautiful place for a few days of rest and casual exploring. I have a theory about why I bounced back better this time. I stopped drinking before I left for this trip. I’m not sure if it’s forever yet but I’m taking some time away from alcohol to see how I feel. I can tell you that right away I feel a sense of relief. Just a few days after I stopped, my anxiety seemed to drain out of me. I can’t say that I’ve noticed any other major differences but I definitely feel calmer. It’s not really what I expected. I thought I would have more energy to burn but that’s not what’s happening.

I’ll take the less anxiety thing for sure – it feels great. Of course, I still worry about all the things that are out there near and far but I feel just a little more solid. Like the ground isn’t going to give way suddenly. It’s not some awesome rainbow of elated peace but just a subtle but real change of perception. It honestly made the trip itself a lot less stressful. One less thing to buy, carry, recycle and recover from. The cold mountain stream water never tasted so good and it was free, abundant and didn’t leave me feeling blah the next day.

So now what. I’ve cycled to the end of the road. For real this time. There ain’t nothing past this. Just a boat dock that will take you to Argentina if you are up for it. I’ve opted for the route back el Norte. It’s going to take two buses, a taxi and a plane over three days of careful planning to get back to Santiago. The first and most important task is to try to score a bus ticket from Villa O’Higgins to Cochrane. That sounds pretty easy – right? Nope. The bus only runs certain days and you can’t reserve a ticket or buy one online. I tried to WhatsApp the bus company several times to figure out how to get a ticket but couldn’t get an answer. I finally found a tourist office here and they helped me decipher Sandra the ticket lady’s schedule over the next few days. My next window to get a ticket is today between 2PM – 5PM. I’ll feel better once I have that in hand and I can start my reverse journey.

If you want to know anything about Villa O’Higgins – I’m your guy. I’ve walked all of the streets, went on a nice hike to see some glaciers, got laundry done, returned my bike, shopped in both of the supermarkets and visited all of the restaurants (there are four). The library is pretty decent and the main square offers a good place to hang and read in the afternoons. The street dogs are all friendly and I’ve finally mastered the finicky wood stove in my cabin. I’m ready to head out tomorrow morning and I’m itching to hit all of the big city things in Santiago. Art museums, yoga and big beautiful amazing supermarkets with peanut butter!

I had a good rest in Cochrane and reconnected with my Italian buddies for coffee before heading out. Francesco and his friends are really sweet and it’s been great to have some company in the evenings. I think I recovered enough for my next leg to a farm stay about 30 miles from the next ferry crossing. Leaving Cochrane felt like leaving civilization for good. I haven’t seen but a handful of cars since I rolled out of town and the animals have come out in force. I’ve had to slow down for horses, sheep, cows, bulls, rabbits, pheasants and geese that have all spread out from their farms onto Route 7 to hang out.

I love seeing all of these animals up close. The ride from Cochrane was beautiful but there was some serious work to do as I hit a few sections of strong headwinds that were pretty challenging. I didn’t mind the extra challenge though since the mileage was much less than I’ve been doing over the past few days. I got to my farm stay called Camping El Risquero around 4PM and the hostess showed me around her impressive set up. She had a nice cabin, hot showers and a covered camping area for us. The best part of the stay was her friendly lamb that seemed so excited to greet new cyclists. He followed me inside the cabin and showed me around his digs.

I had an amazing sleep tucked in my tent with a light wind coming up from the valley. The morning on the farm was so peaceful. The roosters and sheep woke me up gently and I spent a few minutes walking around with a cup of coffee to see how all of the other animals were spending the morning. The geese were grazing in the bright green field next to my tent and the cats were out and about hunting. The view from the farm was impressive and I wanted to stay longer and explore. I keep forgetting that it’s spring time here and the countryside is covered with cute lambs and chicks.

I had a hard time tearing myself away but I had a pretty good climb to finish before getting to Puerto Yungay for my last ferry ride of the trip. After a pretty calm start to the day, I came to the turnoff for the mountain and the grade got pretty intense real quick. Nothing more than what I rode at the beginning of last week, but my legs are pretty beat up and it’s getting harder to push my fully loaded bike up these mountains. The views were worth it though and I finally descended into Yungay to wait for the ferry.

I got to the port around 2PM and the ferry wasn’t due for another two hours. I asked a nice local what time the ferry was due to depart and he held up his right hand with four fingers and said “cuatro.” He then flashed me a mischievous smile and held up his left hand that was missing a finger and said “tal vez tres.” He was a sweet guy and he was in awe that I was cycling the route.

I made lunch and coffee in a little shelter packed with Brazilian motorcyclists that were frantically scrolling on their phones. There was a cell tower on the hill and they were taking advantage of the 4G coverage. We were just killing time and then heard some commotion outside to find that a small barge had pulled in much earlier than expected. I’m not sure if this was the 4PM boat that was early but a boat is a boat so we all gathered our stuff and headed to the dock. They invited the first few cars in the line and all of the motorcycles to board. I was the last one to get on and it was a pretty wild experience. It truly was just a barge – no where to go except hang out on the deck for the forty five minute crossing.

It was interesting to check out all of the fancy motorcycle gear. Many of the bikes had computer monitors on their dashboards and their luggage boxes were packed with heavy food and sodas. I was so jealous that they could carry so much and I marveled at the two liter bottles of Coke so casually stored in a luggage rack. Now that’s living! I packed one can of soda as a treat for the last three days and promptly crushed it during my first lunch. Yeah, it was supposed to be there for emergencies. There was a friendly dog that worked on the boat and he was super affectionate. We passed the time together until he saw the shore and he barreled down the gangway to herd everyone off the boat.

It was a short ride from the port on other side to the only covered camping spot between here and Villa O’Higgins called Camping Maria. It’s really just a big shed but they also built a toilet room and even had hot showers warmed by a wood stove. I was shocked that they also had WiFi via Starlink that they turn on for a few hours in the evening. The hostess told us that we will have internet access when the light bulb on the wall comes on. Sure enough, the light came on and were connected to the world again. There were three other really friendly cyclists there from the Netherlands, France and Germany. I know a bit of French and a tiny amount of German. Absolutely no Dutch. One of them spoke a small amount of English. It was a confusing but fun conversation and we laughed a lot and showed each other pictures from our trip. They didn’t know where Seattle was but they had all seen the famous Tom Hanks movie and I showed them where the houseboats were docked on Lake Union.

Tomorrow is going to be a real adventure. It’s payback day for all of the amazing weather I’ve had as a big storm is rolling in. The wind is howling and the rain is coming down in sheets. It is supposed to rain and snow hard all day tomorrow with strong winds for my final fifty mile ride to O’Higgins. I’m leaning against the cabin wall as I write this and it is shaking violently in the wind. I hope the roof makes it through the night but it sounds like it is going to rip off any moment. It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is my last day on the bike. I have so much to be grateful for on this adventure so I’ll count up all of the happy moments and good fortune along with the final miles.

I’ve done a few of these long treks and I’ve learned that it takes me a while until the adventure becomes all about food – but it always does. My legs and brain aren’t really talking to each other at the beginning of my trips. Somewhere about a week in, all of my thoughts turn to food. I am either eating it, planning for it or dreaming about the food I can’t get. I’ll bum food off of strangers, fill all of my pockets with snacks and order a second lunch without any shame. My brain wants the pretty views and cool interactions but my legs demand calories – and lots of them. I’m now squarely in the food zone portion of this adventures so I decided to take a zero in the next town called Puerto Rio Tranquilo and get down to some serious eating.

I booked myself into a cool Airbnb owned by a friendly German couple that built eight cool units out of something called flat packs. They look like shipping containers from the outside but they are all modern high style inside. It was a great place to spend the next two nights and fill up on all of the great restaurants in town. I ate amazing chicken soup, salmon, burgers, pizza, ice cream, salads, hand cut fries, bags of cookies, crackers, a half a bushel of apples and about a dozen liters of fizzy water. My Airbnb hosts made amazing breakfasts that set the days off to a great start. I did a little light hiking and lots and lots of reading. I was feeling great when I woke up this morning at 5AM for my long 70 mile ride to Cochrane.

The day started off pretty rainy and cold but the sun pushed through and the wind really picked up and it got hot. Fortunately, the wind was at my back for most of the day but I was feeling extreme gusts that felt in excess of 50MPH at times. The section today was a tough one. It didn’t look like much from the elevation chart, but it was a series of short but steep climbs and then quick descents – then do it all over again and again and again. I entered the Patagonia National Park and the views all around were stunning. I keep thinking that I must have seen the best that Chile has to offer but it doesn’t seem to end.

The water down south ranges from a bright blue to emerald green and the lakes are tucked into beautiful lush green valleys. Every turn is an “Oh Man” moment and it just keeps coming. A beautiful rainbow followed me for several hours and I could see both ends of it as it clearly arced across Route 7. My pictures just don’t do it justice but I hope you get the drift. I pulled into the small town of Puerta Bertrand around Noon and battled the wind as it tried its best to scatter my lunch, hat and everything else that wasn’t packed away around the town square. Nothing was open to buy more water but I stopped at small trail about ten miles down the road that led to the confluence of the Baker and Neff rivers.

The sight and sound of that incredible confluence was sobering and beautiful. The strength of all of those millions of gallons of water rushing over the narrow falls was breathtaking. I sat for a bit and just absorbed some of the immense energy coming from this place. I got right down to the water and filled up my water bottle. I helped a young girl fill up her bottle and we drank our wild treat together. It was cold and bright and I sat and drank three more bottles before filling up one more for the road. Really nothing tastes better during a long hot ride than cold mountain river water.

After this awesome experience, I had some forced downtime a little bit down the road when I ran into a road construction crew doing some blasting work. I was stuck there for about and hour and a half but made the best of it by finishing off my snacks and organizing my panniers a little tighter. I also had some time to think about something that was weighing on me today. I got some bad news from an application that I had submitted to train to be a Nols hike leader. They did not admit me into the program and I was really disappointed about it. It was a blind application process without interviews so it was impossible to gauge what happened but I am still bummed about it.

On the other side of the coin – I did get positive responses last week from two bike guiding companies that I recently applied to and have interviews coming up in the next few weeks. I am really excited about those and I can’t think of a better way to prep than riding 800 miles in Patagonia! The Nols loss actually helps me clear the deck for these opportunities and I really am stoked about these long bike trips (I don’t think I need to tell you that). But the news about the hike leader training felt heavy today. I am giving myself the chance to feel sad about it and also embrace where and when I am right now. Outside in a beautiful place, healthy, secure, safe, doing what I love and planning for great things in the future. All of those things can be there at the same time.

After the construction cleared, I had just eighteen miles into town but they were pretty brutal. Steep climbs followed by descents and then repeat for what felt like a million times. I had to stop on two hills and hang my head over the handlebars to regroup. I was out of water and snacks and just wanted to get to my Airbnb in Cochrane and drink a big two liter of fizzy water. I finally pulled into Cochrane at 6PM after twelve hours on the bike and I was spent. I found the nearest mini market and raided their cold drinks. My Airbnb is super comfy and I had a great burger down the street.

I hope everyone that reads this knows that I really do appreciate everything I have and all of the amazing things I get to do. At the same time, I’m being more transparent to myself and others when disappointing things happen. It helps to share these things. Big or small, I don’t want to feel the weight of feel of carrying it alone. Who hasn’t been turned down for an opportunity that they wanted, right? Let’s not hid the sting. What I get most about sharing these things is perspective. It puts it out there in the real world and it seems smaller and maybe even a good lesson or a helpful nudge in another positive direction. As always, thank you for following along on my adventures and listening with an open heart and mind.

Coyhaique was a nice break from Route 7 with its fancy restaurants and big grocery stores. I got lost in the Super Todo store wandering through all of the aisles of stuff. It was well named because I do believe they actually had everything. It was tempting to buy a ton of food but I have pretty limited space on my rig and kept it to the basics. I just have one gripe with Chile – no peanut butter! This is a major kink in a long distance cycling plan. I can’t find it anywhere. There was a report of it at a mini market just out of town but it was closed when I got there so I bought local honey instead.

I played with Gigi’s dogs Luna and Marta in the backyard for a bit in the morning and then headed out for my ride to my next campsite. Gigi was such a great host – we bonded as dog lovers and recyclers. She noticed my WhatsApp profile picture of Chuck and we had a good time exchanging dog photos. Las mascotas son familia! She had set up an extensive recycling station in the back of her hostel and I marveled at how much material she was able to capture for reuse. She even had a huge jar of batteries that she had been collecting over the years from travelers. I left with great vibes from the connections we made and she offered to help me during my trip. The traffic out of Coyhaique was pretty intense but it dropped off to nothing once I got about 20 miles out of town. There was quite a bit of climbing on this section so I stopped for a long roadside lunch at a bus stop and then into the Cerro Castillo National Park and the beginning of Patagonia.

The route through the park was stunning! The river alongside the road was running strong and the mountains were still covered in snow. The road wound through some pretty narrow canyons and the wind was pretty intense. I was pushing pretty hard to keep going forward – even on the downhill sections. I was pretty spent after about fifty miles so I found a secret camp spot in the woods and set up my gear to spend a lazy afternoon reading and catching up on my hydration.

The next morning was an easy quick finish over the summit and then a screaming fun downhill into Villa Cerro Castillo. I got into town way too early and all of the stores were closed. I was able to pick up some bars and a coffee at the gas station and then headed out for a long remote stretch due west into the stiff wind. A few miles out of town, I came across a sign warning of the end of the pavement. This was the last bit of asphalt that I would get to enjoy for the rest of the trip – the remaining route will be gravel. I enjoyed the last few moments of smooth sailing and tried to keep my head down and fight the wind.

The headwind was going to be pretty intense for the next twenty five miles so I put on some music and started my Garmin to keep track of my progress. I started taking mini breaks every five miles or so to refill water from the stream and give my legs a chance to recover. As I was stopped getting water out of a small waterfall, I met some really friendly cyclists from Italy. They were on their second day of riding and eager to chat. We road together for most of the rest of the day. Since we were planning to end in Villa O’Higgins around the same time, we exchanged WhatsApp contact information so we could stay in touch.

I was planning to stay at a nice resort along the river but it was closed when I got there. A nice man that was helping out with construction came out to the fence and explained that they were closed until December but invited me in for some water and an apple. It was just another ten miles to the next small town so I got back on the bike and headed down the road. I found another great farm stay at a place called Residencial Patagonia owned by two very sweet women. They had a tidy room ready for me and made me a great dinner. I was pretty wiped out after the nearly eighty mile ride in headwinds and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

My legs are screaming for a day off so I have booked a place in the next town for two nights. I’m ridiculously ahead of schedule to get into Villa O’Higgins and I’m looking forward to finding some good hikes and swimming in the next town. It’s time to do laundry again and take a long nap. I spent some time with the sweet cats outside of my hostel this morning and packed up by rig and headed back onto the gravel.

Traveling this distance by bike is really special. I see the fancy travel vans whizzing by me and I don’t feel any jealousy at all. I am getting such an amazing experience out in the open, sweating up the steep hills and experiencing this beautiful place at the speed of bike. Ok, maybe I am a little jealous when I think about how easy it is for them to just pull over, make dinner and crash in a comfy bed every night. But, they are missing so much. The birdsong, the cows lazily looking my way and the incredible smell of this fresh mountain air.

I woke up from my secret camp spot down by the river and set out at 7:30AM for what was going to be my first serious climb. This one was all on dirt road until the pavement started at the summit. It was a long series of narrow rocky switchbacks. Not too steep, but it was a long time to push my fully loaded rig. It took me about three hours until I got to the top and I was treated to an incredible view of the mountains waiting for me on the other side. The snow is still so deep and bright this time of year but it was warm enough outside to make the ascent without a jacket. The way down was a blast and I pulled into the next town called Villa Amengual with the plan of resupplying for dinner and then camping a few miles down the road. Amengual was a total bust. The mini market was closed and so was the restaurant. I went a little ways down the hill to pull some water out of the stream and ate what little I had left in my food bag. It was just an apple and a few slices of cheese covered in coffee grounds that had spilled out but it was going to have to last another thirty miles until the next town.

Fortunately, it was a pretty chill route and all paved into my next town called Villa Manihuales. I pulled in around 4:30PM and made my celebratory Coke stop at the grocery store and then found a delightful couple that offers farm stays on their property at Hospedaje Dona Ruth. For $6, I got a shady spot to pitch my tent, water, WiFi, a hot shower and laundry. The owners were super sweet and I loved hanging out with all of their farm animals and friendly dog. I treated myself to an amazing meal of local salmon ceviche and roasted chicken and potatoes and was ready for early bed.

If you were going to scout out the perfect location for a movie about dreamy bike packing you would definitely pick the road out of Manihuales. This gravel road wound through beautiful farms and into deep mountain valleys. There were clear streams running along the road for water and waterfalls all around the cliff faces. It was an ideal scene. The path looks deceptively flat but it is really one long twenty mile slog of a climb. I stopped a few times in the shade and give my legs a rest and finally came down into a small village called Villa Ortega.

I stopped at the market in Ortega for some cold water and a snack and sat down across the street in the shade with two dogs. A young girl no more than seven or eight years old came out of the store a few minutes later and come over to talk. She was holding a huge two liter of 7-Up that she could barely carry. She sat down with me for a few minutes and I shared my chips with her. We got the basics out in my limited Spanish. She was so sweet and offered me some of her soda before she left. I declined but she just put her hand on her heart and insisted I have a drink before I hit the road. I helped her get the cap off and poured a bit into my empty water bottle. We cheered each other and as she walked away she yelled out a loud “Goodbye” in English.

It hit me how sweet that was as I climbed my way out of town. She was so welcoming and excited to talk to a traveler. Her insistence to give me a little soda was really touching. It was such a small gesture but made me feel so welcome and supported out here. These are the types of experiences that make all of this hard work worth it. I don’t think I would have had the same opportunity if I was speeding through in a van. The speed of bike has its challenges for sure but gets you out into the community like nothing else.

More and more climbing in store for me as I left Ortega towards Coyhaique. I pulled in around 3:00PM and checked into a beautiful hostel hosted by a sweet owner named Gina. She built the cutest bike shed for my rig that was stocked with repair tools and a bike stand. This hostel is incredibly comfy. The hot strong shower in my private bathroom felt luxurious and Gina has a library and fully stocked kitchen for guests to use. The supermarket down the street had everything I needed for a good resupply and I had more salmon and mango ceviche at a great restaurant down the street.

I am definitely feeling the last seven days of riding in my legs. I still feel strong on the bike but I’m sore when I wake up in the morning. I’m drinking a ton of water and getting great sleep. I am going to drop the mileage over the next few days to give my body a break. I have a great stealth campsite picked out for tomorrow just 40 miles down the road and I’m looking forward to the shorter days ahead.

I can’t say enough nice things about everyone I’ve met here. I’m greeted with a smile and wave everywhere I go. My sweet Chilean hosts are suffering bravely through my Spanish and helping me get things done without fuss. While trying to find a laundromat yesterday, I told them that my clothes were sick. I didn’t have all of the words I needed so that’s what came out. There was a little snickering behind the counter at the lavenderia but it got the job done and I had a pile of freshly laundered bike clothes back to me in under two hours for just $10. To be fair, my clothes were sick – very sick after four days of riding. But now they are well.

I left my camp at Lake Yelcho around 8:30AM for a long climb to start the day. The climbing here has been fun so far. They built Route 7 with cyclists in mind and it shows. I haven’t encountered any terrible grades yet and there are plenty of pull outs to take a rest when my legs turn to jelly. The descents are a blast too and I am being treated to some of the most spectacular scenery that I’ve ever seen. There are wide views of dense forests and snow capped mountains in every direction. I’ve never seen anything like it – a mix of tropical looking forest posing in front of a pure white background. The Chilean Andes are mesmerizing. Today was especially spectacular on the other side of the climb and I stopped many times just to take in the views.

I met a nice young French couple that have been cycling for six months. They looked strong and happy to be out here. I admitted to them that I needed to slow down a bit and they seemed surprised that I had come from Puerto Varas in just four days. I need to chill but the riding has been so great and everything is working out so well that I just want to keep going. I pulled into my overnight town of La Junta around 4:30PM. I was headed to my hostel room that I had booked online but first this first – I needed a Coke. Coca-Cola is magic when you are on the road. It solves everything – really. I was pretty beat when I got into town but the Coke brought me back to life and I was ready to face my town chores.

My host at the hostel was Juan Carlos and he was so welcoming and patient with me. I had accidentally booked a room for two people and we tried to figure out how to fix that online together but couldn’t work it out. He didn’t want to charge me the extra $10 for the second person but I was happy to pay either way. My formula for overcoming my weak language skills are as follows: try to speak as much Spanish as I can, smile a lot, laugh and tip really well. He helped me find the laundry place around the corner and I grabbed dinner at a great small restaurant in town. I spent the rest of the evening trying to figure out how to get home. The secret about this ride is that it’s a ton of fun to go south but a real pain to get back.

My finish line is in Villa O’Higgins and it is literally where the road ends. That’s it. You can either continue hiking into Argentina or head back north by navigating a complex series of bus schedules to the nearest airport in Balmaceda and then fly back to Santiago. The bus from Villa O’Higgins doesn’t run everyday. To further complicate things, I have two video calls that I need to make on the 19th in a place that is notoriously disconnected from the rest of the world. I spent about three hours looking at different options and chose the bus route back. I found an Airbnb in O’Higgins that has WiFi and booked my flight from Balmaceda. I still have a few other logistics to cover but I think I am on the right path. My plan puts me back in Santiago a few days before my flight home but it will give me a good chance to do city stuff.

One of the things about Route 7 that i find so funny are the thousands of road and bridge signs. For sure, the plum contract you want is the paving work but a close second is definitely to be the sign guy or gal. No matter how big or small the hill, it gets a sign. When I first started noticing these signs I thought I would be headed into a big grinding climb and got myself prepared for some hard work. But, I quickly noticed that no matter how big or small the hill – it gets a sign. A little incline – sign it. Get to the other side for a small descent – put a sign up. It’s cute really. You can’t say you weren’t warned!

Same goes for the bridges. Every bridge gets name and a prominent sign – no matter how small or grand, each bridge is proudly introduced. I’m only about halfway, but I started to suspect that they are running out of names when I came across Salmon Creek Bridge 1 and Salmon Creek Bridge 2. It’s endearing to me for some reason. It shows pride in the work that went into this amazing engineering feat that was constructed to showcase the prettiest parts of the country.

I had a great rest at the hostel and rolled out after a late breakfast the next day at 8:30. I rode thirty miles to a small town called Puyuhuapi for a coffee and supermercado resupply and then to a thermal bath resort called Termas Ventisquero. It is an amazing natural hot spring along the fjord and I spent the next few hours alternating between the hot mineral water and the cold salty fjord. My sore legs and back relaxed and I napped in the lounge chair next to the pool. I’m too far from the next town so I picked a spot on the iOverlander app called “Hidden Spot Next To The River” for my overnight stay. It looked like a pretty good stealth camp spot and I found it easily and set up my gear.

It seemed like a pretty good spot – nothing spectacular but it had a nice flowing river and just enough space for my small tent. I settled in and made dinner and read for an hour or so. I peaked out of the tent to wash my dishes and I couldn’t believe what I saw. The clouds had cleared and I realized that I was camped underneath two enormous hanging glaciers tucked in between impossibly jagged snow-capped spires. The pictures don’t do it justice but it was everything that I imagined and hoped to see on this trip. I felt so lucky to be here right now – having a great time on a long hard ride in such a beautiful place.

I had a bit of apprehension about this trip at the beginning but I am settling in nicely and enjoying the uncertainty that each day brings. It reminds me of how I felt on the Appalachian Trail. I fell into a peaceful routine of hard work during the day but knowing that I would be rewarded by natural beauty. Both places were planned to showcase their best views and friendly locals enjoy serving the travelers that come through to rubberneck at their incredible home. This is a special place that I am so happy I got to see.

I “Doc Chey’d” it today and showed up two hours early for my ferry ride from Hornoperin. A “Doc Chey” is slang for showing up stupid earlier for something and coined by my dear friends Betty and Ernie. Ernie loves to get places early and he convinced Betty to show up for a running race many years ago sponsored by the Atlanta restauranteur Doc Chey hours before the start. They got there so early there wasn’t anyone in the parking lot and they ended up helping the organizers set up the check in table. So it became a “Doc Chey”. Betty has her own vocabulary in fact – nutballs, jing janging, two cupping – just to name a few. I was the first one to the dock at 8AM but I spent an easy morning having a coffee and watching the sunrise over the bay. The ferry showed up around 9:45AM and so did the rest of the drivers and riders eager to get this long journey started. This ferry is a whopping five and a half hours long but I spent the time well by meeting a few fellow cyclists and it was good to let my legs (and butt) rest after that big first day.

We pulled into Caleta Gonzalo at 3:30PM and they let the cars and trucks off first. I mention that because the next twenty five miles or so was a very dusty and rocky dirt road. It was pretty chaotic as the cars passed us on bikes and we made our way up and down the rolling terrain – but I was having a blast. This is what I came here for. Great gravel riding down remote roads, stopping to pull cold water out of mountain streams and being introduced to all of the new beautiful birdsongs. The topography is radically different here as compared the first day. It’s a beautiful mix of snow capped volcanoes and dense tropical forests. It’s early spring here so the snow is just starting to fill the rivers with electric blue water that tastes amazing.

I decided to make it a short day today and stopped for camp at Lago Negro after a ride of just 10 miles. The campsites each had nice gazebos, running water and toilets. The highlight was an amazing half mile trail that leads to the lake. After setting up my tent and making dinner, I walked down the short trail and it was such a peaceful experience. The trail was carefully built with an elevated walkway to keep you out of the mud (I hope you are reading this New Zealand!) and there was a nice platform at the end looking over the lake. What made the trail so special was all of the birds singing along the way. I took a short video below to share the moment.

I camped next to a sweet couple in their 60s from Switzerland that have been riding from Columbia since January. They were in remarkably great shape, loving their journey and still married after all of the time in a tent together. I was truly impressed with their accomplishment and told them as much. It’s so great to meet kindred spirits like them and it was great to hear some of the stories from their ride.

After a great nights sleep, I set back out onto the dirt road for my ride to Chaitan for a resupply. Chaitain is a small town but they had about a half a dozen supermercados. Don’t get too excited about the name – they were all super tidy but very small and I’m not used to what they have here so picking up trail food has been a challenge. I picked up a few essentials and set back on the road for another thirty miles or so of spectacular riding.

A few early observations about the riding in Chile. Its all awesome. Either really fun dirt roads or silky smooth pavement with incredible views of mountains and rivers all around. The towns and countryside are really well maintained and I’ve seen locals picking up debris everyday that I’ve been here. The roadsides are clean and the drivers are super friendly. I am not seeing many cars but the ones I do give me a ton of space, a friendly toot on the horn and a wave. I truly feel welcome here. I stopped for lunch and had a delightful time in a quiet restaurant in a small town. It was just another fifteen miles to my overnight spot and it went by quickly with a nice tailwind.

My apologies again for the lack of miserable tales of survival in the wilderness. It just doesn’t seem like it’s going to be that kind of trip. To make you feel better, my campsite tonight doesn’t have hot water but I did take an amazing dip in the cold lake overlooking the glacier filled mountain valley. How’s that for barely making it through alive! Hang tight, I’m sure something harrowing will come my way but in the meantime I hope you can tell how much I’m enjoying this place, the people, the food and the riding. The only downside is that I’m 1/4 of the way done after just 3 days. It’s going too fast! I’m headed into thermal springs territory tomorrow so I’m going to start taking more breaks to hike into those and soak. I know, this isn’t getting any edgier.

It’s hard to write a riveting blog post when everything goes just as planned. I want to send you some high drama and daring tales of survival deep from the mountains of Chile but this isn’t one of those tales. I started my adventure on the Carretera Austral (a/k/a Route 7) bike packing route yesterday with an ambitious schedule of logistics. I flew from Atlanta to Santiago on a night flight and then caught a connecting flight to Puerto Montt. The flights were both on time and super easy. I am traveling light so it was easy to move through the airports efficiently. I jumped in a cab in Puerto Montt and it was a short ride to the bike shop to pick up my rental bike at Austral Bikes. The friendly guys at the shop were waiting for me and it took just a few minutes to get my bike set up. After a quick trip to the grocery store next door, I found my Airbnb and, picked up some camp fuel downtown and had a great dinner at a beachside restaurant with a beautiful view of the Orsono volcano.

This is also my first real chance to try out my Duolingo Spanish lessons. I spent a few months learning some of the basics but mostly trying to push French out of my head. Not sure if this happens to you when learning a new language but my brain always defaults to that first foreign language I studied. Duolingo is pretty good but it crams you up with some pretty unhelpful phrases. It turns out that no one cares what fruit I eat. “Yo como manzanas” means “I eat apples” but you would be surprised how infrequently that topic comes up. I bought apples at the grocery store just in hopes someone would ask. All kidding aside, I pretty proud of my first restaurant trip – I was able to get my self a table, order and receive what I wanted, politely decline dessert and pay the bill – entirely in Spanish. Tres bien! I mean, muy bueno!

I started my first day of riding from Puerto Varas in very heavy rush hour traffic. It was a twelve mile ride to get to the official start of the Carretera Austral in Puerto Montt. A friendly driver helped me find a bike path so I could get out of the mayhem. Once I got to Route 7, the riding was awesome. It’s all paved road at this point and I rode 40 miles through fishing villages to the ferry at La Arena. It was a quick ferry ride across to Calenta and then back on the bike for another 40 miles to Hornopiren. This was my biggest day but I wanted to get down to here to catch my long ferry ride that I booked for November 4 and then slow down into a much calmer pace.

The road was pretty flat along the water but got very hilly every time it turned into the mountains. The bike handles great with all of the gear and I took the uphills slowly in my easiest gears. I stopped for some water out of a clear mountain stream and also took a break to take a Bainbridge Rowing board of directors call. It was nice to get off the bike for a bit and I’m thrilled that the eSIM that I bought for my phone is connecting to the networks as planned and providing great coverage.

I pulled into Hornopiren around 6PM, got settled in at my hostel and then went for an incredible dinner at a restaurant nearby. The food here has been amazing. I had a salmon ceviche followed by a perfect steak served with grilled potatoes and broccoli. They even had a good mocktail menu and homemade pastries for dessert. It felt great to splurge after the long ride and such a successful first day on trail.

I am headed down now to get on the long ferry ride. Today will be mostly on the boat enjoying the views of the mountains and then I’ll try to find a camping spot somewhere on the other side. I haven’t seen any other riders yet but hoping to meet some cyclists today. Maybe they will have some drama for you.

I’m re-reading Arthur Brooks’ book called From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life. I’ve been in an uncomfortable place lately. I left my main scuba gig in July and planned a month long bike packing trip in Chile this November. So, what to do with myself in this bardo? Ok, maybe that’s a little dramatic – but I am still going through a very significant transition from striver lawyer to something else – what exactly I don’t know yet. I’ve been beating myself up lately about whether I left my legal career too early. I don’t feel completely in control of myself to be honest. It’s like some else is making the right decisions but there is a voice inside wanting to run back to the money, the prestige and the endless stream of paper – rejoin my colleagues on the hamster wheel of modern strivers. I’m lacking something to push against. At least Sisyphus had something to do all day (and he was in killer shape).

So, I’m turning to Brooks again to help me process this middle-aged angst. He dedicated nine years of his life to helping others process this and his analytical approach makes sense to me. The first part of the book is hard to stomach – it is a very detailed analysis of intellectual and physical decline and how early it comes. Scary early. I have to read those sections with one eye closed. I don’t want to believe that you can’t just push through, work harder and continue that relentless upward chart of success. The rest of the book gets much better as he teaches you about how to cope with this new reality. One of his most helpful pieces of advice for me is about the power of friendships. When I left my legal career, I also lost a lot of deep connections with people I respect – then again when I left my last scuba job. Brooks says, “you need strong human connections to help you get on the second curve and flourish.” This reminds me of one of my favorite songs from 2008 by Passion Pit called “Smile Upon Me” and their clever lyrics about finding your people really resonate with me:

“Everything’s always better whenever I’m at rest. I’m wound up tighter than a dried-up bird’s nest. And it’s the truth, you know, that’s always the issue. But when it starts gettin’ blurry, one’s never better than two.

There’s a place in this world. Where people like me are found by people like you. So find a place as this, forever divine.

Oh, yeah, you’re the best damn friend that I’ll ever have. You’ll always smile upon me when the season’s bad. You’ll always make me feel best even when I’m blue. You’ll always smile upon me, and I’ll smile upon you too.”

One of the best things about scuba is that you meet amazing people. People that thrive in crazy environments – extreme cold, strong currents, complicated gear and an intense focus on careful planning and execution. One of the best places to put all of this together is my favorite dive site called Salt Creek along the shore of the Straight of Juan de Fuca. The Straight serves as the inlet for the Pacific as it floods the Salish Sea. Salt Creek State Park sits perched on steep rocky cliffs that overlooks the crashing waves across to Vancouver Island. The daily inflow and outflow of massive amounts of water brings rich nutrients to the animals along the shore and it fosters a thick and healthy bull kelp bed. I study the tide charts every year looking for the handful of days where Salt Creek won’t kill us with strong currents. Monday was one of those sweet spots and my dive buddies Xuanni, Pri and Henry agreed to meet me up there at mid-day. I met these three awesome humans teaching diving. Xuanni and Henry worked with me and are incredible divers and photographers. Pri was a client but the type of client that I learned way more from than I taught. She is a volunteer for Reef Check and an expert on all of amazing sea critters we love so much.

I drove up first thing and got to the dive site by 7:30 AM to check conditions. This place is notoriously finicky and the wind can make the entry impossible. It’s also a long drive from Seattle so I didn’t want them to make the schlep for nothing. When I arrived, the waves were crashing perfectly and the tide would be high for our entire dive window so I sent my buddies the “all clear” message. I killed a few hours with a hike up to the top of Striped Peak to catch the last bit of the sunrise and take in the beautiful views of Crescent Bay. The views were amazing and it helped calm my nerves a bit. I’m always a little nervous before jumping into the water at Salt Creek but the truth is that the really tricky part is just getting to water.

After we assembled our dive gear and photo equipment, we double checked everything, assigned buddy teams and talked about emergency plans. We walked down the steep stairs together and gingerly made our way across the sharp, slippery rocks to the entry point. If someone were to write down the instructions for the entry you wouldn’t believe them. I was incredulous the first time my Marker Buoy dive club buddies showed me the way. Yes, just step over all of that slippery bull kelp and onto the rocky narrow section between those boulders. Yup – that small sliver where all of that water is violently crashing between a canyon of sharp oyster beds. Then, once you get waist deep, get your fins on quick because you have about thirty seconds until the tide pulls you farther into the narrow inlet. The dive starts whether you are ready or not so masks on, regulator in, fins secured and get down fast to avoid being drug backwards over the boulders.

As soon as you get underwater it all feels worth it. We were surrounded by hundreds of bright purple sea urchins and I could see the thick bull kelp bed ahead. This is my favorite part of the dive. The kelp beds are just magical. The light streams through and sun beams shine through like a soft a forest trail. The strong bull kelp stalks sway with the surging currents. It’s surprisingly easy to dive through as long as you go slow and methodically part the kelp so you and your buddies can make it through. It’s about twenty five yards through the kelp to the other side and I looked back and everyone was staying together. As soon as we got out of the kelp bed, we turned east into the current and things changed pretty quickly. The current really picked up and we were kicking as hard as we could to keep up some forward momentum. This current was at my absolute maximum – any stronger and I’d be blowing through my gas too quickly and risking getting swept away and having to surface too far out. I was nervous for everyone but every time looked back to see how they were they gave me the ok signal and were positioning themselves for photos as best they could in the strong current.

We found amazing creatures! Huge cotton candy colored striped sea stars, a giant clown nudibranch, a sweet little gunnel getting tossed around in the waves and so many beautiful open anemones. The fish were even struggling as they went zooming past and giving us that look – what are you guys doing out here? I was wondering the same thing when I signaled for us to turn the dive at around 30 minutes. We all had plenty of gas left but I always dive this site conservatively and wanted to make sure we got back with a healthy reserve. As we turned around, the current sent us sailing west way too fast and we had to stay really focused and kick hard to the south to get back towards shore. I kept my compass out and stubbornly pointed towards as we entered back into the kelp bed and into calmer water.

The really tricky part about Salt Creek is making sure that you come back the same way you went out. We did not do this! We got to a depth of about ten feet and I popped my head up and saw some stairs and led everyone close to shore as I hoped for a graceful exit. We were losing control as we got pushed up and between huge oyster beds and boulders. I made it to a spot where I could stand and Xuanni was close to me. I looked back and Henry and Pri were making their way across some huge rocks. We all got pushed around in the strong waves that bullied us around. We all got drug across huge sharp boulders covered with oysters and clams as we tried to position ourselves for a safe exit.

We finally got everyone to shore and started the tricky hike across the boulder field to the stairs. As I got closer, I realized that these were the wrong stairs. These were the ones on the east side of the campground – not the ones on the west side that we came down. Our exit now required full on rock climbing in full scuba gear to get up there. This is when I really started to feel like I let my buddies down. I thought, “man, they are going to kill me.” We helped each other get to the stairs and set our gear down on the bench. I was about to open my mouth with a stream of “I’m sorries” when Pri turned to me as said “Wow! That was awesome. You are such a great guide and I loved that site.” I was stunned – everyone was smiling and pumped about the crazy adventure we just had. I was too but had started down that dark route of self blame. That’s when it hit me – damn, these are my people. They don’t mind being violently drug across boulders in scuba gear for the chance to see amazing things with great friends. This is that place – that forever divine. Where people like me are found by people like you.

I was genuinely impressed with how strong they all were. Positive people with great attitudes. Expert and skilled divers that are comfortable managing risk for reward. They’ve put in the hard work to get here and I felt honored to count them as friends and dive buddies. I shared that with them as I packed up for the day and they headed out for a second dive. That’s why made me the happiest. That I was able to show them such a place that they would head out for more in such extreme conditions. It was a classic Brooks “strong human connection” and I clung to that warm feeling for the rest of the day.

I had it all figured out. The last day looked like it was going to be super chill – the elevation chart shows a net descent and paved. There should be a big asterisk next to the word here in Oregon. Paving out here also includes anywhere where they throw down rocks in a regular pattern. I decided to blow through my last night of camping at the Deschutes River and push on to The Dalles to pick up my car. It would be a longer day of about 90 miles but if I pedaled hard I could get there around 1PM. Perfect plan.

Don’t do this to yourself! It never works out. It’s always going to be harder and longer than you expected and then you just spend a bunch of time recalculating everything. I left at 7AM to a beautiful sunrise. The road was a dream – silky smooth pavement, little traffic and all downhill. I was racing along and plotting my lunch menu in The Dalles. At the fifteen mile mark, the course left the road and took a left into the largest wheat field in the world. The road turned to gravel but it was fast and fun. I had incredible views of Hood, Ranier and St. Helen’s all with their first layer of snow.

The road quickly turned pretty technical with steep grinders. It was getting pretty monotonous out there in the field so I took a side road back to the pavement and stopped in a small town for quick lunch. I did some recalculating and still had about 35 miles to go. So much for my plan. The food made me feel great and I plotted a course with stayed on the roads to the Columbia River. There was a huge climb right after lunch through a giant wind farm and then I cruised for the next section until I could see the wide Columbia River appear carving its way through a steep gorge. I only had about 20 miles to go but there was one problem. I was at the end of the Oregon Outback trail and on my own for route planning. So, I could either take the flat and fast route down I-84 in 70 MPH traffic or climb back up a long dirt road onto the ridge and then sneak up on The Dalles from the south.

I’m not a fan of highway riding. While it’s technically legal here it really freaks me out so I avoid it at all cost. The cost today was a very steep dirt road. As I headed up, my back wheel kept slipping out no matter how much I pushed my weight down into the saddle. So, this meant a long “hike a bike” up through the vineyards until I got to the ridge line for spectacular views of the river. The rest of the ride was a blast. A really long descent all the way into to town. I was pretty cooked once I rolled into Main Street and stopped for an iced latte to help me get through the whole car rental and drive home logistics. It was great to back in a town and I had an easy drive to Portland for dinner at McMenamins Crystal Ballroom before heading home.

This was a great adventure. Much harder than I expected and way more remote than I had planned. There are a few things that I would do differently but that’s the whole point of this. Learning on the fly. Staying adaptable and positive. Making adjustments as needed. This course isn’t something to plow through. It demands a slow and steady pace, tons of planning and a little luck. I was thrilled I didn’t have any major mechanical issues and I was able to manage my water. I would love to do it again soon with a buddy or two to break the silence but it was an incredible solo experience.

I sincerely thank you for following. I love sharing my experiences and your comments and likes are great to read. Stay tuned for the Carretera Austral coming here starting November 1. A month of solo bike packing in Chile (unless I have any takers out there!)

If you are feeling overwhelmed by people, noise, traffic, the internet, planes, cars, stores, lights, electricity, buildings, animals or really anything at all, I have the cure for you. I know I’ve highlighted how remote things are on this ride but today’s section out did them – next level remote. I slept in and enjoyed my time in camp this morning. I didn’t sleep well last night. I had some visitors that kept hanging around my tent. Something with hooves but I didn’t peek out to confirm. After a few rounds of the hooves stomping around, the neighboring coyotes left for a hunt very close to my tent and their screeching echoed in the canyon in the bright moonlight.

I got everything packed up and headed out for a very long climb up a dirt road. It was a beautiful morning and the sun warmed me up on the climb. I was feeling like some quiet time so I didn’t listen to any music and just focused on the intensity of the silence in this place. The wind was calm and I heard a few birds but that was it. No cars, no planes, no farm equipment of any kind to break the stillness. Bryan and I visited the Hoh Rain Forest when we first moved to Washington after hearing a great article on NPR about a researcher that established a nonprofit called Quiet Parks International. It intrigues me that quiet has such a powerful effect. It’s something that we are quickly losing.

The climb finally ended and it was a beautiful descent into the town of Antelope – population 37. I only met one person near the local biker Honor Fridge (you didn’t even know these were a thing!) and he told me that this place was teeming with people in the early 80s when it was the epicenter of the Rajneeshpuram that ended in spectacular controversy as described in the NetFlix documentary series called Wild Wild Country. Several of the organization’s buildings have been converted to camping huts and the main facilities have since been acquired by Young Life. It is a beautiful setting but a wild history.

I had one last big climb into Shaniko today for my big treat of the trip – a night at the ghostly Hotel Shaniko. The hotel was built in 1901 to support the booming solo wool and wheat industry of the time. The town is now down to about 30 residents but the hotel is nice but absolutely deserted. I met Terry when I rolled into town. He manages the local RV park (which really consists of him and one other RV). He is super friendly and hooked me up with some quarters, laundry soap and the code to the RV park laundry room so I could wash my nasty bike kit that I’ve been in for five days. There aren’t any restaurants or stores in Shaniko so and I made some trail food in my room after a wonderful hot shower.

Tomorrow is my last day of the Oregon Outback trail. It’s been much harder than I expected but a blast to see this part of the country up close. I will definitely be back but right now I am itching to be back in the world of noise and stuff. I’ve missed all of you.

Today was an emotional roller coaster. I worked hard yesterday and I planned a relaxing fifty mile ride to my next campsite next to two streams. There was one long climb in the works but it otherwise looked like it would be an easy day. I slept in and took my time packing up and getting on the road around 9AM. There was a 50 mile running race on my route out of the canyon and it was a blast to cheer on all of the runners. My body felt good and the weather was cool and dry. It was setting up to be an awesome day.

I zoomed down the hill and stopped in Prineville for breakfast at Dad’s Diner. The wait staff (well, really one frazzled woman working the whole place) kept apologizing for the wait but I was happy as I could be. I was sitting in a warm diner with a cup of coffee. Take your time! My breakfast was amazing and I headed back out on the road around Noon for the big climb. I didn’t have to stop by the bike shop after all since my rear derailleur somehow fixed itself over night. I did lose my temper and told it to “KNOCK IT OFF” the day before so maybe it got the message.

The climb was long but wound through beautiful horse farms and the grade was pretty gentle. I got to my intended campsite at 3PM and checked out the water situation. Yikes – nothing around.. I was down to a half a bottle and all of the nearby streams were bone dry. I got back on my bike and the trail entered into The Nye Ranch. The Nye Ranch is possibly the biggest and most unfriendly ranch in the world. They posted big NO TRESPASSING signs on both sides of the road about every 25 yards and installed miles of barbed wire just in case you wanted to test their resolve. I stopped by a nasty ditch and scooped a few bottles of water out and ran them through my filter just in case this was the last water until Shaniko.

So now I had water and just needed a place to set up camp but I was in a literal tunnel of private property for what seemed like an endless slog. I road for three hours and I was still deep in Nye Ranch. I was getting pretty cranky and a little worried about what I was going to do about camp. I could always push the 35 miles to Shaniko but I really really didn’t want to do that after the long day yesterday. I was about to give up hope when the course rolled into a small town called Ashwood and saw a friendly sign for ice cream and soda.

I rounded the corner and this beautiful sight was waiting for me. A refrigerator stocked with Cokes, Gatorade and ice cream bars for cyclists. All of my anxiety slipped away as I grabbed a Coke and felt welcome again. The Nye Ranch situation was unnerving but this sweet gesture made me feel like I belonged here. I met a friendly woman’s across the street and asked her if I could set up camp. She cheerfully pointed me to her back yard full of friendly dogs, a nice level yard, picnic tables and a pit toilet. I have arrived!

It’s days like this that keep me coming back to do these adventures. It just takes small acts of kindness to make this such a special experience. This town has about four buildings in the middle of nowhere but I would honestly not want to be anywhere else right now. It might be Coke talking but I felt so happy setting up my tent in the sunset surrounded by this beautiful landscape and filled with simple hospitality. You can’t buy these experiences.

The icing on the cake is that I’ll have more time to chill in my hotel in Shaniko. I desperately need a shower and a chance to inventory and organize my bike pack situation. I don’t think there is much to do there but that suits me just fine. Just like today, I know the trail will provide what I need. Tonight it provided this stunning campsite in a quiet town. The crickets are singing and the Pinion trees smell amazing.

If you ask me for one defining feature about the Oregon Outback it is remoteness. A close second is an eerie lack of water sources. Today presented both of those in spades. I woke up at his morning after a pretty restless sleep to a hard rain pelting the tent. The cows kept the whole camp up all night with their incessant mooing. They were at it all night until the rain started around 3AM. Listening to the rain from my warm dry sleeping bag is one of my favorite things. Hauling myself out into the cold wet weather to pack my gear is not. I stayed dry as long as I could but had set myself a deadline of being in Fort Rock at 9AM to pick up my food drop that I mailed to the post office. Fortunately, the rain tapered off as I set out on the bike and the sun peaked through the clouds to light up the crater known as Fort Rock.

When I walked into the post office, the friendly postal worker perked up and before I said a word she said “Oh, you’re the General Delivery” – I was wondering about you today. I got all of my food organized and mailed a box back to myself home of some extra gear to lighten the load. When I started this trail my bike looked clean and packed like a pro. It’s a hot mess now – I’m stuffing things where they can fit. There is a washcloth hanging on the saddle bag to dry and sour patch candy stuffed in every pocket and bag for easy access. I’m learning a lot on this trip about space and how things can be carried on a bike. After I loaded all of my food in the saddle bag, my bike was much heavier but the weight distribution felt better. It moves like a tank now – best in the small ring and I have at least a five foot braking distance.

Before I left the post office, I chatted a bit with my new postal service friend. She asked where I was headed and she said “Oh boy, that’s down Cabin Creek road. That thing goes on forever and there ain’t nothing out there. I mean – NOTHING!” This assessment was absolutely correct. The trail notes warmed me that once I leave Fort Rock there is no water or other services for 70 miles. Outback riders have to make the decision to either haul enough water for an overnight somewhere along the way or travel with just what water you think you will need and make a run for Prineville Reservoir. I chose the later with three liters of water and it worked out great. It took a lot of discipline though – I held to a strict schedule of drinking in small sips. Carefully monitoring how much I had left so I would be sure to make it to the reservoir.

I stopped at thirty miles for my standard trail lunch. You can call it a charcuterie board if you are feeling fancy but it’s really just Parmesan cheese, sausage and crackers. I never get sick of this lunch and it saves time and water from not having to dig out the Jet Boil for a hot lunch. The ants loved it too. A few showed up as soon as I laid out my spread and they ran back and told their buddies and it was a full on ant picnic in no time. They hauled away a few choice pieces of cheese and meat and scurried back to their mound.

I never did see the group that I camped with last night. They were planning to stop for breakfast in Fort Rock and camp somewhere on the way to the reservoir. The other two other humans I saw were a couple of bike packers that were friendly and offered me to join them. I politely declined after finding out that they were doing the course in four days. I didn’t want to risk the possibility of blowing up over the chance to talk to other people but I’ll admit that was pretty tempting. It’s a lot of alone time in your head out here. I mean A LOT!!

I’m getting pretty good at spending large chunks of time alone. My mind races just like everyone else’s but I found a new mantra lately to try to quiet the noise. It’s from my favorite book “When Things Fall Apart” and the author Pema Chodron has this great advice: “Then we come back to just being here . . . We stop talking to ourselves and come back to the freshness of the present moment.” Well, ok. My present moment is leg pain, a sore back and thirst but at least I’m present damn it. Yes, my mind goes right back to the weird chitter chatter but this phrase sneaks back in and I let it go for a few moments. It’s a big leap for me and I’m going to keep at it.

The rest of the day was long but peaceful. I finished with a long four mile climb up out of the valley right at sunset. The light was incredible and it was a fast descent into the reservoir campground. I found a sweet spot next to the stream and there was potable water and a pit toilet. It felt like a five star hotel. I put my tent up in the dark and treated myself to a beef stroganoff dinner. I have an easy day tomorrow and am going to sleep in before heading into Prineville for a hot lunch and a trip to the bike shop to get my gears adjusted. Three days down and over halfway.

Day two of the Oregon Outback started out with a nice sleep in and a beautiful sunrise at my stream-side campsite. I only had 55 miles to ride today ending at the famous Cowboy Dinner Tree restaurant and I didn’t want to get there too early. The ride started out pretty tame but after a few miles things got real ugly. I ran into a part of the trail that had dozens of huge blow down trees. It was very slow going trying to haul my bike up and around the fallen trees. I think I covered barely two miles in an hour of hauling my fully loaded bike over the huge trunks and jumbles of burned branches.

I finally got through this mess and the trail really opened up. The rest of the day was fast paved road and compact gravel and I could relax into a good rhythm. Thing thing that I’m learning about bike packing is that it seems to go smoother if I slow down. My bike is pretty heavy so there’s no charging up hills like a hero. I’ve been spending most of my time in my small ring and spinning over the hills and rocky bits. I am also learning that it doesn’t do a lot of good to try to estimate how long sections are going to take. My instinct is to plan out the hours and arrive at certain goal times but that isn’t the bike packing vibe. Instead, I’ve been taking more breaks, stopping for pictures and I even dilly dallied for about an hour at a pretty spot and made a cup of pour over coffee.

There was just one thing driving me today – dinner at the Cowboy Dinner Tree at 4:00. This sweet place is out in the middle of nowhere but it takes months to secure a reservation for their famous chicken or steak dinners. It’s all cash and all out. They serve up a great salad with homemade honey mustard dressing and rolls, cowboy baked beans and then the main event – either a 32 OZ steak or a chicken dinner. I went with the chicken and was determined to eat everything. I know what I’m doing when it comes to eating too much food. I learned on the Appalachian Trail that I have about thirty minutes before my stomach won’t take any more so timing is everything.

I scarfed down the entire bowl of salad and played it smart with the beans and rolls. They brought my main dish and it was a whole chicken and huge baked potato. It was delicious! Spicy and salty and grilled just right. I finished everything and then had a little room for their strawberry shortcake. I was feeling pretty proud of myself until I tried to get on my bike and ride the five miles into camp. I felt terrible. I barely made it in and set up my tent so I could lay down. I’m still feeling pretty stuffed but the dinner was amazing and I’ll never forget this meal for sure.

Dinner was also fun because I met seven other bike packers and finish a good deed. I found a pair of fancy bike pants along the trail on my first day and I figured they belonged another cyclist so I picked them up and stowed them away. When I pulled in to Cowboy Dinner, I met a crew of cyclists and one of them had indeed lost the pants and was thrilled to get them back. It felt great to do the small favor.

I am camping with the other cyclists tonight at a nice RV park with hot showers and a power outlet to charge up my phone. Tomorrow is going to be a long day so I’m going to hit the sack early. The cows are mooing and it’s dry and warm out. So far, this trail has been a blast. So glad I made this all happen.

My new obsession with bike packing began back on the trail in New Zealand. On New Year’s Day 2024, I hiked with a great young German man that was something I’d never heard of – a bike packing racer. I had a million questions for him over the three days that we hiked together and he was more than happy to educate me on all of the gear. He had me at gear – I love it! Any kind of outdoor gear. I love the whole process of researching, buying and then using awesome gear in beautiful places. I take great care of everything that I’ve accumulated in our small but organized garage. I’m very proud of my collection and keep it all serviced, clean and stored in labeled bins. Scuba, cycling, climbing, mountaineering, paddling, hiking, rowing and swimming gear all live happily together. I aim to use it all at least once a month.

When I got home from New Zealand I bought my first gravel bike packing bike. It’s a sweet green Salsa Warbird and it rides like a dream in just about any conditions. It’s a strong commuter, an able long distance road bike and it handles beautifully on gravel and most single track trails. I kept my notes from New Zealand and started outfitting my new bike with a frame bag system from Revelate. I did two short trips – one on the Cascades to Palouse trail and then another from Victoria to Tofino but I was itching to try something big. I found the Oregon Outback trail online and it looked perfect. Just shy of 400 miles and point to point along the entire width of eastern Oregon.

I tried to get a few friends fired up to join me but it’s hard to find someone that can take off for a week at this time of year. I get it. I’m in a pretty unique situation and I appreciate it. I retired from my law practice pretty young and am now spending my time outdoors as a scuba instructor and bike guide. I am in good physical shape I have a lot of flexibility in my schedule. Most importantly, I have Bryan’s full support. He is always supportive of my need to be on these adventures.

To get to the start of this ride, I rented a car in Seattle and drove to Klamath Falls. It was a long eight hour trip but I stopped for dinner and a short hang at the local bike shop in downtown Eugene. I knew they would have some great advice for the ride. The owner was super helpful – he’s ridden it several times and he simply raved.

Logistics are always a little nerve racking but everything went great getting here. I got my bike tuned up and packed carefully. I’m in the middle of switching over to tubeless tires and there was a little problem with the set up on my back tire so I had to revert back to tubes on that one right before the trip. The drive down was smooth and I had a peaceful morning in Klamath before returning the rental car and heading on the trail. The first 50 miles are along an old railroad bed called the OC&E trail. It’s a mixture of paved path, forest roads and rutted bumpy cow pastures. As soon as I got out of town I knew I made the right decision. The weather was perfect and the trail was quiet. In fact, I haven’t seen another rider for the entire 65 mile length of today’s ride. Just cows, deer, a few snakes and lots of majestic red tail hawks. The trail did get pretty rugged at times and my hands were taking it all. I pulled my hands off of the bars and got a few electrical jolts of pain. Time for a break.

I stopped for short breaks in Sprague River and Beatty today. There isn’t much to these towns but their gas stations markets were a godsend and one of them even stocked fresh fruit! I had lunch in Sprague River and a really nice gentleman chatted me up an about the trail. He did it last June and he had some great advice about the next rough section into the campground. He was right on point – the next twenty miles into the first camping option rides through a recent burn area. Many of the trees have fallen across the trail and there was a lot of tricky “hike a bike” up, over, under and around fallen trees. I got to camp around 5PM and studied the area carefully before setting up my tent. I made sure I wasn’t in the path of any of these dead widow makers. I had just enough time before sunset to set up camp and make dinner. I forgot my cutlery kit so I whittled some chopsticks real quick while my tuna avocado noodle soup cooked. After dinner, I set out to hang my food bag but I also forgot my bear hang line. As I was stumbling around in the woods looking for a good tree, I found an abandoned line of rope just the right size (THE TRAIL PROVIDES!). I’m not sure what the bear situation is here but better to be safe than sorry.

It’s great to be out here alone. I don’t mind spending time with my thoughts, some good music and a quiet night next to a stream. Every time I head out into one of these adventures, the first few hours of escaping the world are my favorite. With every pedal stroke I could feel myself relaxing, noticing the birds and other sounds of nature. My phone becomes a navigation tool again instead of a source of stress scrolling terrible news stories. My focus turns to what matters – water, food and how my body is feeling. These things aren’t easy but that is the point for me. It is my way of making the decision to refocus my attention on what is real and exercise what control I have. Getting through the rough patches of these days makes me happy.

I went to bed super early and had a great sleep. I had that recurring billing sheet nightmare again. In my law firm days, I had to account for every six minutes of my day on my billing sheet and turn those in daily (I’m not making this up). In my nightmare, I haven’t completed a billing sheet for several years and I have to go back and try to recreate my time or I’m in big trouble. I even developed a plan last night of having ChatGPT start if for me. My nightmare was partially lucid and I talked myself out of it again by reminding myself that I don’t have to do that anymore. It always takes me a few waking moments to really convince myself. It’s a great relief to wake up in the woods and let that pressure slide off of my brain. I’m ok. I get to make some coffee, watch the sunrise and rattle down the trail on my bike.

Training and racing Ironmans was a great chapter. It was hard work but I was driven and encouraged by my teammates at Dynamo and Coach Matthew to push myself farther than I thought was possible. It worked. I got faster and achieved my goals but I never really loved racing. The nerves and pressure always felt so heavy. I did love the training and traveling together as a team. The best part of being in Dynamo was going to watch my teammates race. Just imagine standing in the shade with a cold drink in your hand yelling “YOU CAN DO THIS!” and then sitting back down in your lawn chair after they pass and shake your head thinking about how much that must hurt. However, the very best part of cheering at an Ironman race are the midnight finishers. If you are really lucky you might even get a leaner.

The Ironman course shuts down at midnight. After watching my buddies all finish, I would grab some dinner and a shower and then head back out to the course around 10PM with my bike. Location is key. I wanted to be about a mile from the finish line so I could still hear infamous Ironman announcer Mike Reilly. Before his retirement, Mike served as the finish line announcer and roll-down MC at over 200 Ironman events worldwide. I met Mike in Utah and he felt like family. He loved these final finishers too – especially the ones that would come stumbling through the dark with their glow sticks waving trying desperately to make the cut off.

Mike would get word that an athlete was coming and he would ramp up the crowd before you could see them coming. I liked to ride out to them and cheer them on. I never ceased to be impressed by these fighters. Sure, it’s also impressive that the podium finishers finished in time for brunch but these racers were my real heroes. They were regular folks achieving what used to seem impossible or they were seasoned athletes that had a tough day. They stuck it out – gritted their teeth through pain and suffering even though they were moving so slowly. Just because they said they would. No one really cares about your time at the end of the day but making that midnight finish was everything.

I’m not sure why it happens, but every once in a while you get a “leaner.” A leaner is an athlete that had pushed so hard for so long that they couldn’t keep their bodies upright at the finish. This got Mike really excited and he would scream into the microphone – “Hey folks! Looks like we got a leaner.” The crowd would go wild and cheer on the poor soul shuffling sideways through the chute. It always brought tears to my eyes to watch the relief fall over their faces when they saw the finish and knew that they were going to make it time. I am going to finish this thing but it ain’t pretty – you’ve got your leaner!

I felt slightly better after two nights at Riverton but the small town was starting to strangle so I headed out for the beach walk to Oreti. I wasn’t completely right yet but felt strong enough to walk slowly. It was a slog along the thirteen miles of beach until I got to Oreti Beach campground. They had one cabin left and I snagged it and then grabbed some dinner at the cafe next door. Kazu and Ryuji were also there having just finished the trail and relaxing for a few days before heading out. Kazu is headed back to Belgium and Ryuji is going to Bali. Now that they were both done, I think they felt a little more free to share their experiences. They both had fun but were just as frustrated as I was by the seemingly endless road walks and mud sections. We all agreed that it was a great experience and the Kiwis made it all worth it in the end with their endless hospitality. Seriously, these people have hearts of gold. They were so kind to us every single day.

I also caught up with KJ and Sophie – they are two super sweet Kiwi SOBO hikers that hiked the South Island together. We really hit it off. Before I left Oreti Beach campground, they convinced me to stay at the last trail angel farm stay on the route. I’m a sucker for farm stays. This one was run by a super friendly guy from the Netherlands and he had pigs, llamas, sheep, chickens, geese and kittens. Any chance to pet a pig and I’m in. We met there after a long and boring road walk along the highway. It was just six miles from the finish but we all had some extra camp food to eat through and I was feeling nostalgic for just one more night in the tent.

We set out together at 6AM for our last hike. The hike started off on the highway but then it took a hard right into the bush and the TA had one final surprise for us. The trail climbed up a gentle slope and we dipped into a beautiful coastal track. The sun was just making its way above the horizon and the gentle waves were splashing against the rocky shoreline. This trail is on the undeveloped part of Bluff – super quiet and easy terrain. It was exactly what I needed as all of the complicated and strong emotions started surging to the surface. I am happy to be done and I can’t wait to see Bryan and Chuck but it’s the end of something very cool. Some of the days were miserable but most of them were very special. I will miss my hiker trash lifestyle and all of the kindred spirits that I met along the way. I had that lump in my throat as we made the final climb across Bluff Hill to the finish marker. We turned the corner and there it was – the Bluff sign that had seemed so far away. I touched it just to make sure and the girls grabbed a great finisher’s shot.

Post hike is a weird time. I feel so relieved and happy that I made it but now my daily purpose is gone just like that. I have so much to look forward to though. I am embarking on a new chapter if my life and I can’t wait to get back to my sweet family, friends, swim team, rowing club and run buddies. I’m going to miss the birdsongs, steep climbs, sweet farm stays and that incredible feeling of freedom on the trail. I’ll really miss my hiking buddies and sleeping in my tent in the rain. Waking up to a setting moon and rising sun that help me find my way SOBO. Towards a simple sign that means so many complicated things. I’m going to head out early tomorrow morning to go back and find some NOBOs. To tell them that it’s going to be worth it.

I’m good at a lot of things. I’m organized, well-mannered and diligent in completing tasks. I’m well-read and kind to animals. I recycle and live simply. However, I’m not good at listening to my body. I hate hate hate being sick and I’m one of the worst patients out there. Bryan is singing “Amen” as he reads this. Sick Drew is grouchy and dramatic and I lay around pissed off at everyone that they made me sick and now I can’t do my usual routine. As soon as I feel even the slightest bit better, I’m out of the gate like a dog off a leash and always – and I mean always – go way to hard and set myself back even further. I don’t learn my lesson. In fact, I usually try to go out longer and harder to make up the miles and time that I missed. Someone must be watching and I need to keep up the pace. It’s Groundhog Day for me each time. I moan and complain and then go do something big and screw up the delicate balance that my body is trying to maintain. Setting myself up for more moaning, set-backs, repeat.

About five years into my Ironman training with my friend and coach Matthew, I asked him – “Hey, so tell me more about this adrenal system thing you are always talking about. I am feeling pretty wiped out all the time.” He took a deep breath and slowly explained AGAIN the need for rest and recovery to let your body’s endocrine system to reboot after hard races and illnesses. “Listen to your body”, he pleaded. I heard the words come out of his mouth but I know what was going on in my head – “Got it, sounds like he wants me to train harder.”

I woke up on Monday morning after two days of rest and my body was saying – “Meh.” I didn’t feel a fever but my other symptoms were still lingering. Two cups of coffee convinced me that I needed to get out of this ghost town and hike. My plan was to hike twenty four miles on the road to Colac Bay. So, I loaded up my podcast downloads and hit the road.

About two miles out of town, a huge tractor pulled up beside me and offered me a hitch. I told him I was trying to make it to Colac and he said he would happily take me there. I very politely declined and just shook my head again at how incredible these Kiwis are. The weather was great and the views of the Southern ocean were incredible. There is nothing down here except sheep, farms and wide sweeping views of the end of the world. I was feeling pretty good and enjoying the podcasts. I stopped for lunch in a bus shelter and pushed into Colac Bay. My plan was to stay at the Colac Bay backpackers campground. I walked in and chatted up a few hikers. I went to the kitchen and the bathroom and everything was pretty nasty. No offense taken – it’s a hiker thing but it’s all fun and games until you start puking. Naturally, I was especially tuned into hygiene after a very unpleasant couple of days caused by poopy hiker hands. So, I decided to push on to Riverton and get a private cabin at a campground seven miles down the road.

This was a huge mistake. I was feeling marginal but then I hit the wall hard about a mile out of town. My legs were screaming at me and I was heads down exhausted. I was shutting down. I dropped my pack where I was and laid down in the grass to try to reboot. I needed food – hot food and lemonade and there was a restaurant about a mile away. It was a long mile but I got some food and sugary lemonade in me and laid down on a couch on the bar patio. I was wiped out. Done. It was that completely empty feeling after a bad marathon or Ironman. Pushed way too hard without refueling and now I was in the hole. I limped into the holiday park and checked into my cabin. As I am fishing through the ice cream sandwich cooler, the manager says “You must be almost done – you look right fit.” What dude? I feel like I need to go to the hospital about now. I scarfed down my ice cream and dove into my bed until the leg pain eased a little bit. See, here we go again.

So, I’m just thirty five miles from the finish but that’s not happening right now. I woke up to a driving rain and high winds and the idea of hiking the next thirteen miles section on the beach made me shudder. I am listening to my body today and it’s going to watch movies and rest for at least two days. I have the time before my flight to Auckland and found a good place to stay. Bluff is around the corner and I’ll get there soon.

I left Te Anau early and got a hitch from an American guy that was traveling around New Zealand for a few weeks. He was thinking about starting the Appalachian Trail this year but he was on the fence. I think I talked him into it as well as providing him with a complete gear list and telling him about my favorite hiking store – Mountain Crossings. We had coffee together at my drop off point and I headed back on the trail. I was back to hiking alone for the day and enjoyed a pretty easy pace into the next hut about seventeen miles from the trailhead. The terrain was pretty challenging – lots of steep climbing and descending through a technical section and then big sections through high tussock grass. I got to the Aparima hut around 3:30 PM and my hiking buddies Kazu, Ryoji, Tito and Caesar were all there. The hut was pretty dilapidated and full of sandflies but we had a good time catching up and getting some rest.

I got up at 4 AM and was back on trail at 4:30 AM. The stars were out and my headlamp guided me slowly up the technical trail that led towards Linton Station. This was going to be a big day – thirty one miles through the largest farm in New Zealand. Once we got to the boarder of the farm we couldn’t stop until we got to Birchwood. The farm allows hikers to pass through but they don’t allow camping. The first eight hours were pretty hard and slow going but as soon as I entered Linton Station it was all fast 4WD track for the remaining six hours of the hike. Along the way, I met a NOBO hiker that was really sick. Her eyes were full of tears and she said she had been vomiting all morning. I immediately thought of norovirus. It’s common on thru hikes and spreads quickly amongst hikers. I asked if she needed anything but she just wanted to get to the next hut to rest.

Linton Station was a beautiful hike. The pastures were huge and we walked straight through paddocks filled with sheep, cows and bulls. One bull in particular was not too happy with me walking through his neighborhood and he let me know by slowly cutting me off the trail and mooing at me. I gave him some space and was happy that he didn’t get any closer. I was pretty wiped out by the time I got into the Birchwood hut around 6:30. It had been a long day and I was happy to get to this private hut with a shower and a bunk bed. Birchwood was filled with NOBOs – there were at least twelve northbound hikers sprawled all over the hut resting and planning their next day.

The next day into Merrivale hut was much easier. I had just one steep climb but the seventeen mile day felt so easy after hiking more than thirty the day before. Kazu, Rolph and I shared the tiny private Merrivale hut next to a big deer farm. I was getting a pretty good night’s sleep in the rain until I woke up around midnight with severe stomach cramps and all of the other fun things that go along with that. I couldn’t keep anything down but was also really thirsty and I felt like I was running a bit of a fever. The other guys left for their hike early in the morning while I tried to figure out what to do next. There was no way that I was going to be able to walk today so I went out to the road and waited about forty five minutes for a hitch. The wait and the ride were pretty uncomfortable. I had refrained from eating or drinking but still felt really nauseous.

My hitch dropped me off at the Last Light Lodge in Tuatapere and luckily they had a private room available. I showered and climbed into bed for the rest of the day. The hotel owner was so sweet and brought me dinner to my room since I didn’t want to be out and about and getting anyone else sick. Doing a little research online, I was pretty sure that this was norovirus. I had all of the symptoms and I am guessing that I picked it up at Birchwood hut given the crowded conditions and timing of my symptoms. I felt lucky to be in a warm bed and off trail for a few days. I ran a pretty high fever for the first night but then felt a little better the next day. Not fully recovered, I decided to take another rest day before walking again tomorrow.

Kazu was anxious to get done so he did something pretty crazy. He hiked the roads for sixty five miles straight from Merrivale to the finish at Bluff. It took him twenty four hours of continuous walking but he made it. I think his finishing picture says it all. I’ll miss hiking with him. He is a driven and friendly guy that really loves pushing himself. While I didn’t join him on some of his more extreme walking days, I admire him for it. He’s a tough dude. Tuatapere is a sleepy town and I’m ready to get back on the road. I hope I’ll feel better tomorrow and can head off for the last three days of South Island hiking to Bluff.

I was really anxious to get back on trail after the bike trip. Sean and I spent a great night in Queenstown and then hired a shuttle bus to take us to the TA trailhead at Greenstone about fifty miles from town. Kazu was walking into town on the same day and he shared a hostel room with us. It was great to connect with him again and catch up on our adventures over the last week. The road to the trailhead is not safe to walk – too narrow, no shoulder and very tight winding turns along the lake from Queenstown through Glenorchy and then around the head of the lake to the trailhead. The shuttle was quick and easy and we met a great couple from the UK – Jeannette and Richard along the way. The first day was a super easy seven miles to the Greenstone Hut. A big rainstorm came in that evening and we spent the night and morning hanging out in the hut with the other hikers. We had a great sleep and a lazy morning waiting out the rain. We headed out around 10AM in a light drizzle.

About five miles into the hike we came upon a stream that was raging after the storm. The water was really high and fast and it didn’t look very safe. We looked around for the best place to cross but there wasn’t anything obviously easy. I headed into the water and went immediately up to my waist and did my best to try to keep my pack dry. I used my poles to steady myself but they were getting pulled really hard in the fast current. I wedged my feet in between the rocks and reached up and grabbed a tree limb and pulled myself onto a rock and then jumped to the other shore. Sean made the crossing a little ways upstream and we both took a second to catch our breath after that one. It was right at the edge of what I am willing to try for river crossings but we made it across okay.

The rest of the hike was really beautiful. A mixture of tight forest single track and wide valleys that led us to Careys Hut perched on the shore of North Mavora Lake. Jeannette, Richard and Kazu shared the hut with us and we had fun making dinner and trading trail stories. I didn’t sleep well that night – a mixture of homesickness and also thinking about the end of the trail. This is a hard part of the hike for me. I can’t wait to be home but I’m also going to miss walking all day and being a dirtbag hiker. As hard as it is, I love it. Your problems are boiled down to miles to hike, food, feet and rest. I feel so accomplished at the end of the day and full of endorphins and sunshine. I laid awake most of the night missing Bryan and Chuck and finally got up around midnight to get some fresh air. As soon as I walked out of the hut I was struck by the stars. It was a perfectly cloudless sky and I was standing in a completely dark valley. The stars stretched from the north to south horizon and the Milky Way was clearly visible as were several of satellites circling the southern hemisphere. I can’t capture it with my phone camera but it was stunning and helped me reset. I returned to my bunk feeling better with the image of the bright sky helping me feel at peace.

Our next day started off with a fast and flat hike along the shores of Lake Mavora. It was cold at the start but the sun warmed me up quickly and Sean and I made good time to the lunch meeting spot. We hiked separately after lunch into Kiwi Burn Hut. The trail got a little more difficult with several dozen big downed trees to climb over. There must have been a big storm recently that toppled huge trees down and created a giant jumble of trunks and branches to try to get around or over. It was slow going but I finally got to Kiwi Burn around 3 PM. Shortly after I arrived, a young Kiwi couple showed up with their six month old Arther in tow. It was Arthur’s first trip to a hut and he was having a blast meeting all of the hikers and playing on his makeshift playpen in the hut. Jeannette and Richard joined us and we stayed up late chatting and planning the next day.

Our final day into Te Anau was a tough one. We started off with a river crossing and then to a difficult section of the trail – it was overgrown and really hard to follow in the high tussock. After about five miles of bushwhacking along a barbed wire fence, we ran across a private strip of land to meet the dirt road. It was much easier going for the rest of the twelve miles to the highway but pretty boring. We did have cell service finally so I was able to talk to Bryan and check in with friends back home. My buddy Ruth and I are reading book recommendations and we had some catching up to do.

I got to the highway intersection around 2:30 PM and grabbed lunch at a coffee stand and then hitched into Te Anau with a few NOBOs. Sean stayed behind a bit to relax and then met me at the hostel. We had a great dinner and I did laundry, grabbed food for the next section. Sean is going to spend some time in Milford Sound over the next few days while I get back in trail. I’m looking forward to some good long days ahead and meeting some more hikers. This is the last stretch to Bluff and it will be bittersweet for sure.

Sean and I just got back from our five day bike packing trip and we had a blast. After we got his bike rack patched up, the bikes performed perfectly and the trail was so smooth, safe and fun. I got to see so many cool towns that wouldn’t have been possible hiking and I can’t deny that the speed was fun. After our first night camping, we headed out onto a perfectly groomed trail ride through huge farms and around steep mountain ranges. We rode through Lumsden and had a great lunch at a coffee shop that caters to cyclists and tourists headed out to the Milford Sound. The bike trail is about ten years old but so many businesses have sprung up along the way to offer easy food and accommodation options. I’m not sure the sheep and cows are very excited about us racing through their pastures but it is wonderful that the farmers granted access to the trail.

After our second day, we rented a sweet little cabin at a holiday park. The best part about this place was all of the animals roaming around. We made friends with huge Hereford cow and her sheep friends grazing along the fence. We were greeted in the morning by two chickens waiting patiently outside our front door. I opened a package of oats for them and that attracted three peacocks that came by and got in on the treats. We had a lazy morning at the coffee shop in town and then headed back out onto the trail for our biggest day yet – it was over seventy miles to Te Anau. The trail wound along the river bed and through farmland until we got to a great little pop-up coffee shop and met another couple of bike packers that were headed in the opposite direction. We traded trail tips and then we headed down south a bit to Manapouri and to the Lake2Lake trail into Te Anau.

This was our favorite part of the tour. This trail was fast and swooping as it wound up steep and fun hills next to the lakes on the way to Te Anau. We put some pressure on the pedals and soared around the corners and over the hills. I completely forgot that I was carrying heavy panniers but I could feel the extra push they provided on the downhill sections. We rolled into Te Anau a day earlier than expected and headed to Rosie’s trail angel home stay. She didn’t have a room for us that night but her neighbor Paul was able to take us in for $30 NZD a night. It was such a great deal and Paul’s place was immaculately clean. We headed out for pizza and then checked the weather forecast again. Tomorrow was going to be a doozie if the forecast held. They were calling for harsh headwinds as we made our way back up north.

We headed out of town under a rainbow and followed a path through some farm roads that Google Maps said were public roads. About three hours into the ride, we got chased down by a farm worker and turned around. It turns out the roads are not all public and they have to turn many people around. It was not what we wanted to hear but we had to head back to the main road and back to the other side of the river. We stopped for lunch to re-group and then due north into the wind. We faced a stiff 20 MPH constant headwind with gusts nearly 40 MPH at times. It was tough going for about twenty miles and we took breaks about every five miles to catch our breath and check on our progress. It was slow but sure and we made it to Mavora Lakes by 3:30 PM.

We found a stunning campsite right on the water and I laid out on my pad in my sleeping bag for a few hours and dozed and read my book. The sandflies were confused by the wind and it was such a pleasant and quiet place to recover from the ride. As I stared up at the clouds whipping across the sky I thought – this is one of those great trail moments that I will remember. Leaning up against a tree and relaxing in the sun and cool breeze after a hard day of riding. I slept so well in the absolute silence of this place and we got up early for our final day of riding.

The final day was mostly downhill into Walter Peak Station to catch our ferry back. The valley was wide and cold in the early morning. We watched the sun come up over the mountains and it warmed our hands and bodies up to a comfortable riding temperature. The highlight of the day was coming across a group of cowboys herding thousands of sheep. We pulled our bikes off the trail to watch them work with their horses and their dogs. The dogs were simply amazing. They loved the work and raced around the herd of sheep until they got them headed in the right direction.

After the herding show, it was about an hour of fun and fast riding into Walter Peak Station. Again, we were early for the ferry boat but they were able to take us on the next boat across. The ferry is called the Earnslaw and it was originally launched in 1912 – the same year as the Titanic. The Earnslaw is the only remaining steam powered passenger vessel in the southern hemisphere. It has an open area on deck where you can watch them shovel coal into the steam engine and all of the thousands of pistons working together to move two huge propellers. I couldn’t believe that this ancient machine still worked so beautifully and the engine room workers seemed so happy to be a part of it.

We docked back in Queenstown and worked through our trail chores. Laundry, resupply, hike planning, returning our bikes and then a big dinner at a delicious Thai restaurant. We are heading out on the trail tomorrow and I can’t wait. I loved the bike trip but I’m looking forward to getting back to hiking and checking in with all of my trail buddies to see how they are getting a long. It’s a little fun family out there and I’ve missed them. Time to get back.

After I got my tooth patched up I was ready for a little break from the trail. Thru hiking can feel like hard work sometimes – especially with so many logistics to work through and I just needed to step away for a few days. It’s also a great opportunity to let my body rest and catch up on some missing calories. I was in the best place for this as I was just outside the tourist Mecca of Queenstown. I had a great hike from Arrowtown along the Queenstown trail and stopped in to have some delicious pizza along the lake. The owners of the pizza place had the cutest dog that had trained itself to hear the buzzer that they give you when your pizza is ready. As soon as it vibrated on the table, she came over with the sweetest face that you just can’t ignore. She had her share of my pizza and moved onto the next buzzer. Pavlov should be her name.

I had a heck of a time finding a place to stay in Queenstown but finally scored a dorm bed at the Nomads hostel for two nights to give me a chance to explore the area. The hostel was packed with loud but fun travelers from all around the world. It wasn’t the best sleep I’ve had but I met some great people and the hostel was right in the middle of town. Queenstown is a beautiful place but it is teeming with tourists and fancy stores. Louis Vuitton was the first shop I saw in town and it isn’t what I had expected. I learned while I was there that the city leaders have worked hard to turn this into a high end destination but it feels odd since it is really a base for getting out into the most remote and rugged areas on the island. There are so many great outdoor outfitters and mountain bike rental companies but they are sharing the same block with Burberry and Rolex. Needless to say, it was a bit of a shock to come from the trail to all of this activity. I went for a few great runs around the lake and had some good meals but then I was ready to get out of there after my two days were up. I was itching to get back the slower quieter ways that I had been enjoying so much on the trail.

As luck would have it, my new friends Laurie and Bruce from Bainbridge live part of the year in Glenorchy – a remote and stunningly beautiful small village about thirty miles north of Queenstown. Bruce picked me up and we drove out along Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy. The view of the snow capped mountains and the deep blue lake are incredible. They invited me to stay for two nights while I waited for Sean to arrive. I arrived just in time for the Glenorchy Races. This is an annual event where all of the local ranches bring their horses for a low key day of races that finish with a big party and live band. The horses were impressive and it was a blast to watch them race so close to the crowd. Laurie and Bruce treated me to great home cooked meals and warm hospitality in their beautiful home. It was great to get to know them and one of their sons Brian better. The great Kiwis just doing their thing again.

My friend Sean Parker from Bainbridge arrived yesterday and we had a great dinner together at Camp Glenorchy Eco Lodge. The Eco Lodge is a polished high end resort that is built to the highest green building standards. They truly have it all – luxurious accommodations all built with green and local materials and the facility produces more energy than it consumes. It was developed by the Brainards from Bainbridge Island that also built Islandwood. They have incredible taste and care deeply about the environment. It’s so great to see those two things come together. We had a wonderful dinner together in their restaurant and planned our bike packing adventure to the fjord land. Sean is going to do the bike trip with me before we head back to Queenstown to finish the trail together.

Laurie drove us into Queenstown early the next morning and we picked up our bikes from our new buddy Mike. Mike owns Around the Mountain Cycles and he also does some volunteer work with the Te Araroa. When he found out that I was a thru hiker he treated me to coffee across the street so he could get my feedback on the trail. The trail organizers are interested in increasing the number of hikers and wanted to know what I would change to try to make it more attractive. No surprise that I voted for less road walking but that is such a hard problem to solve on the North Island. It just takes so many resources to get access for a dedicated trail that long.

We headed out of Queenstown in heavy traffic and the first thirty miles along busy highway 6 was pretty hectic. About twenty miles in, one of the rack brackets that was holding his pannier snapped in half and a heavy bag full of gear went flying into traffic. We were able to recover everything and called Mike. Fortunately, he was on the way down to where we were and met us in Kingston and fixed the bike while we ate lunch. We also met a college student named Will and his family and as we got to talking we found out that he was just accepted on a full ride rowing scholarship to University of Washington. This is one of the best rowing programs in the world and I invited him over to Bainbridge to visit our rowing program. They were such a cool family and I hope Will reaches out when he gets to Seattle.

Mike fixed the bike in no time while we had lunch in Kingston and we started biking again. Kingston is the start of the Around the Mountains trail – a dedicated gravel trail that will take us on a four to five day trip to Te Anau and the gateway to the fjords. It was easy and fun riding and Sean and I had a blast talking and taking in the mountain views. I enjoyed my rest days but was so happy to be back out in nature and pushing myself again. I’m feeling so rested and relaxed and really looking forward to the fun days of cycling ahead. Sean is a great travel partner and is so exited about the trip and being in New Zealand. It’s been fun to show him around a little bit and share all the cool things I’ve learned. Enough with the rest already – let’s get back out there for some nice long hard days.

Sooooo, I had it all figured out. A great hike over Breast Hill and into Lake Hāwea, set up camp at the holiday park, a shower and then a big hamburger at the cafe. My New Year’s Eve was going to be perfect. Just one problem with that plan – I didn’t have cell service to book anything and there wasn’t a hostel, hotel, VRBO, AirBnb or campground of any kind for miles around with room for me. I hiked into town and researched everything I could think of on my phone and couldn’t find a thing. I ate dinner at the cafe and then decided that I would just ask someone in town to camp in their yard or find a stealth site somewhere under a bridge. It was looking grim.

I checked the TA App and there were no mentions of any trail angels in the area and I couldn’t find any legal camp spots listed. I made a desperate call to the YHA hostel in the next town over (Wānaka) and they just had one cancellation and would let me have the dorm bed for the highway robbery special of $130 NZD. It was NYE after all and there was big music festival in town that weekend. Perfect – sounded so quiet and relaxing but I took it anyway, changed into my clean hitchhiker outfit and headed out to the main road. I have a whole look for hitching. It takes a few minutes to pull together but it works. I change into clean shorts and a merino hoodie, clean the mud off of my legs, change into my flip flops and the secret sauce – my round black tortoiseshell glasses. Bad people just don’t choose these frames. I stand close to the road with erect and confident posture wearing a big smile. A real smile with my eyes and all. It works on every demographic. Old ladies, hunters, fancy men and single young women. They all love it. Or maybe Kiwis are just all awesome. Either way, I haven’t waited more than twenty minutes for a hitch. One chance to make a first impression.

All decked out and standing in front of the gas station, I wasn’t out there for more than five minutes when a shiny brand new Range Rover pulled over and asked me if Wanaka did me any good. Yes, indeed! He was such a friendly man about my age and his wife had hiked the TA last year so he loved to help out hikers. I was in town in no time and checked into the hostel. The reception host apologized profusely in advance for how loud it was going to be tonight. The place was crawling with a very young and robust crowd and everyone was carting around six packs and bottles of booze. There were bottles piled all over the tables and floor of the common area and every room had a smart speaker booming with hip hop and house music. Graciously, they paired me in a dorm room with just two other people – a sweet couple in their late 40s from Switzerland who demurely asked me if it was okay if we went to bed early and woke up at five. We instantly bonded and agreed to have a quiet evening and out early to start hiking. The roving packs of teens all went to the music festival and we didn’t hear another peep from any of them except for one guy that was screaming nonsense outside of our window all night. My earplugs just made it sound like a barking dog so I actually a great nights sleep anyway.

The next three days of hiking were really special. The majority of the Motatapu Track that connects Wanaka and Arrowtown was donated by Shania Twain to the Department of Conservation and I think it is my favorite section of the TA. Most of the track is above the tree line and there are steep but fun climbs and descents. The rivers are so clean and there are three beautiful new huts perfectly placed along the way. I took my time in this section and lingered for long breaks and lunches on the summits, chatted with NOBOs for way too long and took a million pictures of the wide open valleys. It was bliss.

On my last night at Roses Hut, I was flossing my teeth when I heard a terrible cracking sound. I do every single damn thing right for my teeth. I floss twice daily, get a professional cleaning every three months and fuss over them with an electric toothbrush more times a day than I can count. I just can’t get ahead of the terrible teeth genes that I inherited and I’m getting to the age where they are just cracking and falling out. I spit out a big chunk of tooth from an upper molar and waiting for the pain. Fortunately, apart from the terrible feeling of having a tooth missing, I didn’t feel anything. I didn’t sleep much that night and got up at 5 AM to hike to Arrowtown to find a dentist.

It was a dream of a morning. The sun was coming over the mountains into a perfectly still and cloudless valley. At the top of the first climb, I was stopped dead in my tracks – thin wispy clouds were sneaking eerily over the top of the pass. What a lucky place and time to be. I pushed the worry about my tooth aside and hiked strong and hard but always aware of where I was for the fifteen miles into Arrowtown. I called the first dentist I could find as soon as I had cell service and they had a last minute cancellation for 4 PM. I was ecstatic but I still needed to find a place to shower, set up my tent and then make it to the twelve miles to the dentist office. I ran into the same problem that I had in Lake Hawea – no where to stay. I decided to hike to nearest holiday park that was fully booked and the sweet woman at reception told me that she wouldn’t turn me away. If I could find a patch of grass then I could stay. I found one between the dumpster and the kitchen and made it my home. I did laundry, showered, shaved and then rented a mountain bike and made it to the dentist in Frankton just in time.

The dentist was incredibly professional and kind. They greeting me right on time, rebuilt my broken tooth in about thirty minutes and charged me a very reasonable sum for the whole experience. I was so relieved. And a little proud. That was a lot to figure out in and I didn’t even miss a day of hiking. I stayed calm, made good choices and acted decisively. I have all of my teeth again and I know where I am sleeping tonight. Not too shabby Mr. Low Branch.

The last few days have not gone has planned but I’ve never had more fun on a thru hike. I think I’ve finally found what works best for me on the TA. First, always follow kindness and second, embrace change. I think I’ve always followed the first rule but the second one is pretty new to me. I’m the kind of guy that gets shit done no matter what gets in the way. One of my work colleagues nicknamed me “The Plow.” Now I’m thinking I might have been missing out – at least when it comes to this trail. The TA just wasn’t designed or built for the purist and it doesn’t reward those that don’t open themselves up to spontaneous adventures as they come along. This isn’t the AT, PCT or CDT and it isn’t trying to be. It can offer so much more if you are just willing to be open to all of the incredible options that are out there. Look around and you’ll find out that it isn’t just all about crushing miles of trail.

The holiday season is in full swing now and it seems like every Kiwi in the country is out enjoying the lakes, trails and mountains of the South Island. I can’t blame them – it’s so beautiful here and there is so much to do. The rain stopped the morning after Christmas and I headed out with Kazu from Arthur’s Pass to get back on trail. He was worried about the rivers being flooded after the heavy rains in the next trail section so he planned a fifty mile road walk around the trails to our next stop in Lake Coleridge. I initially agreed to the plan but after seven miles along the highway I just couldn’t stand the road anymore so I said goodbye for now to Kazu and cut away to the trail. It turns out I made the right decision. The trail was so beautiful and there was a gentle but steady climb up and over the hills with wide views of Arthur’s Pass. After a long and peaceful day on the trail, I arrived at Hamilton Hut at 8 PM and had a late dinner.

I set out really early the next day to get a good start on the thirty miles into Lake Coleridge. I hiked from 5 AM until about 2 PM and found myself on a pretty boring stretch of gravel road into town. A few miles later, a big black BMW pulled up and asked if I wanted a ride. This kind of crazy nice hospitality happens all of the time here. I didn’t have my thumb out and was just heads down hiking. I’m not going to turn that kind of kindness down and I threw my pack in the trunk and got in the back seat. There was another passenger back there with me and they clambered for the window button to get some fresh air as the stench of my hiking shirt filled the car. They were incredibly sweet to me and fed me chocolate as they took me the last few miles to their turnoff. I then had just a three mile walk into town and stayed at a famous trail angel’s house called the Powerhouse Lodge.

In Lake Coleridge, I found out that my friends Francois and Alan are close by traveling in their camper van and they offered to help me get around the two impassible rivers that lie just south of Lake Coleridge. This is a frustrating feature of the South Island trail. The Rakaia and the Rangitata rivers are large braided rivers that are deep and fast. The Rakaia is absolutely off limits to cross but some hikers are crossing the Rangitata but with a big asterisk. There have been some harrowing helicopter rescues recently on the Rangitata after the river rose too fast and I just didn’t want to take that risk. I happily accepted the hitch around and had a great time catching up with Francois and Alan at their campsite in Tekapo. They made a huge dinner complete with a fine Merlot, a fresh salad, grilled corn and chicken. A far cry from my usual noodle soup and canned salmon combo. I felt a little guilty enjoying such a feast while my trail buddies are not but hey – this one combined my two new rules so it had to be okay.

In Tekapo, I found out it was possible to cycle the next section. I rented a mountain bike and tied all of my gear onto the back and headed out for a sixty mile ride to Lake Ohau. The ride was flat and fast and I heroed Twizel. A hero is where you blow through town quick for a resupply and then get back on trail the same day. They are hard! Town has all the things you’ve been missing but it can suck you in. I stopped for quick lunch and resupply trip at the store and then got back on my bike. The skies were crystal clear and the winds were calm as a sped along listening to music and feeling like a kid on his first bike again. Bikepacking is so sweet after the long slog of hiking. I stopped for a snack along the lake with dramatic views of Mt. Cook and spent some time planning out a bigger bikepacking trip when my buddy Sean gets here next week. I want to spend some more time doing this and it will also give me a chance to check out the fjords.

I got to Lake Ohau Lodge around 4 PM and met some NOBO hikers from California. They gave me some great advice on the next sections and I did the same. It’s so fun to exchange information and it’s so helpful for planning. The lodge hosted a huge three course dinner and I met a lovely couple from Sweden and we stayed up way past my bedtime chatting. That little voice in my head was screaming – “What are you doing? You have miles to hike tomorrow – go to bed!” Rule number one kicked in and these two kind and smart people were such a pleasure to talk with for so long. Isn’t this is what traveling is all about?

I had planned to solo hike for the next few days into Queenstown but then met Jans – a really great kid from Germany on the trail today and we hiked this beautiful section together and camped along the river about eighteen miles out. We shared a ton of funny trail stories but I think the one that made me laugh the hardest was a rule that his last trail family came up with together – pictures first, help second. Hikers do so many dumb but harmless things each day on trail. Getting stuck in mud, falling in ice cold rivers and sliding down embankments happen just about every day. No serious harm done but they are pretty funny moments that they all agreed to catch on camera first and then help you out of your mess. I think it’s a great policy. Hang on – just gotta get that shot before I lift you out of that cow dung.

It poured down rain that night and the wind was rocking my tent hard. I got a little wet and very little sleep but woke up to a beautiful sunrise and clear skies. We read the trail notes carefully and found out about an alternative route called Melina Ridge. It was about three miles longer and steeper than the TA route but other hikers were raving about the views and boy were they right. The climb up to the ridge started right after a private hut where we ran into four cows just hanging out around the hut. They were making a mess of the place but they were holding their ground so we let them be.

Once we got up on the ridge the views were just incredible. The trail was easy to follow and most of it was 4×4 track with a few narrow connectors across vertical scree fields. The most intense part of the day was the wind. It was funneled up from the valley and was at top speed as it broke the lip of the steep ridges. It was honestly hard to stand up for a good part of these sections. I cinched all of my gear down tight and tied the hood of my jacket as tight as I could to reduce some of the drag as I carefully stepped along leaning into the gusts. It was all worth it though for the miles long views of the southern alps.

We pushed on another three miles along a river after we came down from the climb and camped at a beautiful spot next to a waterfall. The only downside were the sandflies – they own this site and quickly covered us with bites until we could get inside of our tents. I made dinner in my tent and started to doze off. It wasn’t a particularly long day – twenty miles. But, battling the wind really wore me out. I was happy that I did the alternative route though – it was a probably my favorite section on the TA so far. Thanks rule number two!

Hiking into Lake Hawea Village tomorrow to get a restaurant meal and a dorm bed for New Year’s Eve. So much to be thankful for in 2023 and it will be fun to be one of the first to celebrate the New Year.

There are many strange things about this holiday season for me. Summer is in full swing and it’s hard to get into the spirit when mosquitoes and sunscreen are top of mind. But the weirdest part is that I’m so far away from home. I know I’m not the only one struggling with this part of the hike. It’s been really interesting listening to and watching what my other hikers did to prepare for the holidays. Some were getting off trail to spend time in Christchurch or Queenstown while others were trying to pick up some extra food and make it to a cool hut to chill for a few days. It was sweet to hear about their preparations and how different they all were but there was one thing in common – everyone wanted some serious rest. Like a total zero kind of day. No laundry, resupply or other chores. Just sleeping in, eating great food and resting our worn out legs and feet.

After my great day in Hanmer Springs, I took a shuttle back to the trailhead where I left off and spent the night at the Outdoor Education Center. They sold frozen pizzas and cokes and had a sweet little bunkhouse for hikers to spend the night. I met a new buddy named Will from Australia and also reconnected with Kazu. I thought he was way ahead of me but he was actually behind me. I’m not sure how I missed him but it was great to reconnect with him as I stepped out for my hike the next day. Kazu hitched into Hanmer to buy jam and Nutella. Yes, you heard me right. A thirty mile hitchhike into town for these two treats that he has been talking about for weeks. He didn’t have room in his backpack so the poor kid is hiking with a shopping bag. I think he is crazy but he really really wanted more food and was willing to carry a heavy tote bag along so he’s doing it! He’s reached the point where his stomach is making the decisions.

The next section from Boyle to Arthur’s Pass was pretty chill. The trail was pretty tame and it had a robust hut system. In the middle of the second day, I came along a hot springs pool that felt amazing except for the one billion mosquitoes that came out to feast on my face and neck while I soaked. It was a quick dip and then back onto the trail. Some of the huts on this section are pretty old but well loved. They each have their own personality. The Cameron Hut was described on our trail app by one the hikers as what “prison in Ecuador in the 70s was like.” It was cute from the outside – freshly painted and clean but they nailed the description of the interior. It was pretty grim with concrete floors and one of the bunks was filled up with firewood. I moved on until I found a better one but it made me chuckle.

I actually really love these older huts. They have a lot of history and everyone keeps good care of them. It’s so nice how everyone leaves them swept and rubbish free. I always take the time for some extra tidying before I head out as a thank you for the shelter and to leave it nice for my fellow hikers. These aren’t fancy by any stretch but it feels like checking into the Ritz when you arrive after a twenty five mile hike. Water, a bed, a fireplace and a long drop toilet. Pure luxury.

The third and last day of this section was a little frustrating. The trail app mentioned that it wasn’t marked very well and they were so right. After a few miles, the markers just disappeared and left me stumbling around in a wide rocky riverbed. It’s not fun to have to hike over boulders and also not knowing if you are on the right track. It was slow going and I had to keep a constant check on my GPS to stay on trail. It finally led back into the bush to a pretty challenging narrow trail with steep profiles along a river bed. I got to the road intersection around 1 PM and hitched a ride into Arthur’s Pass from an awesome Dutch transplant that immigrated to New Zealand eight years ago. She was out training for the Coast to Coast ultra adventure race in February. It was great to hear about her race stories as she whisked me into town.

I rented a bunk at a cool place called the New Zealand Alpine lodge. It is a climbers lodge that opens up unused bunks for hikers for $20 NZD a night. They have hot showers, electricity and a full kitchen. I told my hiking buddies about the deal and five of them showed up to spend the holidays together. The timing was perfect as the rain started to come down hard. We are assembling a big puzzle together, taking naps and drying our clothes in the living room. Maybe not a traditional Christmas Eve but it’s a blast. There is one store/cafe in town and we made a trip down there for Christmas lunch of hamburgers and fries. They have very naughty Kea birds on the cafe porch that try to steal your food. These native parrots are even more aggressive than the weka! I saw one hiker literally play tug of war with a kea over his bag of sugar. They have no fear.

I’m hoping the weather improves and I can get back on trail tomorrow. I love the rest but already anxious to get back on trail. We have some logistical challenges coming up to hitch around two dangerous rivers and that can take a few days I’m told. Happy Holidays to everyone and I wish you all a restful and peaceful time with family and friends. Don’t forget the sunscreen and bug spray this season. Thanks again for following along.

My zero day at the Alpine Lodge was wonderful. I read, took naps, got everything cleaned up and organized and got caught up on messages. The farthest that I walked was from my hotel room to the restaurant and back. My legs cheered the rest and the swelling from my fall went down and settled into a dull ache. The food was so good and I shared a great meal with some hikers from Finland and Germany. These guys were crazy – their original plan was to paddle board across the Cook Straight but the weather didn’t cooperate so they had to take the ferry like regular people. Just proof that no matter how crazy you think you are there is always another level. It was pouring on the morning I left back for the trail and it was really hard to pry myself out of that beautiful bed and get out into the cold rain. I set out all the same with the Bjork Essentials tracks helping me along.

The first day into the Nelson Lakes park was pretty flat and fast as it wound along the lakefront. I could see a crew team out there getting yelled at by their coxswains and coaches in the downpour and it made me miss rowing. Somehow the rain and cold doesn’t seem so bad when your crew mates are there with you. But, I was alone now that I lost Kazu on my zero. He wanted to push hard through the next few sections so he can walk all of the 100+ miles of road walk detours around two upcoming impassable rivers. That’s a hard no for me. He is a good man for it but I have my limits. Besides, I wanted to hike alone for a while. I’ve been moving in groups since I started and it gets complicated sometimes. It’s nice to be able to start, stop and take breaks when you want to without worrying about where your hiking buddies are. Of course, it comes with a trade off. Long long long days of time in your own head and talking to the birds. It gets weird out there but the best kind of weird. A chance to deeply cycle through all of those loops that keep coming up. All of those wrongs – the minor slights and the serious stuff comes up in equal measure. What I’ve been finding lately is that I end up in same place. A mixture of acceptance and forgiveness – for myself and others. It feels good.

I was a soggy mess once I got into the Upper Travers Hut after twenty miles. But, my spirits were up and the hut was busy that night with a big group of hikers I hadn’t met yet. I got a good nights rest for the next big day of climbs up and over Waiau Pass. I woke up at 4:00 AM and was poles down by 5:00 AM for a hike that looked okay on paper – twenty miles across the pass. I knew it was going to be a long one but I misjudged the difficulty of this section of trail. It was nearly 100% of rock and boulder scrambling with steep climbs and incredibly slippery descents. The views of Blue Lake and Lake Constance were amazing though. Blue Lake is the clearest water in the world and we were asked not to swim, drink from or even touch the lake to keep from spreading any contaminating algae. I got seriously turned around after the first big climb and ended up climbing over a huge field of boulder scree for an extra hour or so. Ugggg. I finally found the trail again and ended down into the valley to approach the big climb of the day. As I rounded around Lake Constance I saw what I was up against. The trail led me into a deep wide valley towards a dead end of huge mountains on three sides. There was only one way out of this and that was straight up!

The Waiau Pass is less than two miles but it took me nearly three hours to get up the nearly vertical ascent and then down the boulder scramble on the back side. I love the climbing but the descents scare me. My pack weight is a wild card and you just can’t lose your balance on some of these sections. The stakes are too high. It’s slow, careful moves with breaks to catch your breath. I finally got back down to the river and then it was another three hours to the Waiau Hut. I arrived at 8:30 PM after more than fifteen hours of hiking. I was exhausted but proud and two friendly hikers were already snuggled in their bags. We had a nice chat as I made dinner and crashed.

My final day in Nelson was just hard – I miscalculated just about everything. I got started at 6:00 AM for the thirty five miles into the Boyle Outdoor Education Center. The trail App said that there were cokes and a shower waiting for me. I could smell the barn. I hiked hard through a miles-wide valley and didn’t see another soul until I stopped for lunch and met a French NOBO hiker. I pushed and pushed and finally got into Boyle at 8:30 PM and jogged up to the Education Center to find it very much closed. I checked the trail App and saw that there was a town nearby called Hanmer Springs but I couldn’t tell how far. I went down to the road and got chewed up by mosquitos while a begged for a hitch. After about thirty minutes, a hunter stopped for me and gave me the scariest ride of my life – he drove so aggressive and fast along the winding roads. Hanmer was thirty five miles away and it was terrifying! He finally dropped me off at the turn off to Hanmer around 9:30 PM. I checked GoogleMaps and the town was still another six miles – damn it! It hoofed it into town on the dark road and made a hotel reservation at the closest hotel. I got in around 11:00 PM and had to wake the poor owners up to let me in. It was a long day and I checked my Garmin as I laid in bed and I had logged over 92,000 steps.

I had a restless nights sleep and woke up determine to slow down. I have nearly seven weeks to finish up the last five hundred miles so there is no reason for these insanely big days. Sure, it feels good when I get done for the day but my body is taking a beating. I had a big breakfast and headed to the hot springs and had a restful afternoon soaking in the mineral pools. I hired a shuttle driver to take me back to Boyle this afternoon and then I am going to do an easy late-afternoon hike into the first hut. It’s not easy to get a ride back to the trailhead so I needed to take the one I could get and pick up my food box and get back on the trail. I’ve planned some easy days ahead into Arthur’s Pass and then reserved a place to stay for Christmas. Here’s to some slow happy days ahead.

So, the Queen Charlotte Pub free camping gig backfired – big time. I had a great surprise FaceTime call with my friend Matthew and then snuggled into my sleeping bag with my new sci-fi book called “Three Body Problem.” It was about 8:30 PM and the bar was hopping. The jukebox was about three feet from my tent. You know where this is going. Hours passed and the music got louder and the drinking got heavier. I thought for sure that they would shut it down around 10:00 PM. Nope. They kept on going and every so often the bar would empty out for a few minutes for everyone to come outside and blow cigarette smoke towards my tent. I got fed up around 12:30 AM and packed up my tent and started hiking down the road to find a quiet place. I was pissed but it was a beautiful night out and it was fun hiking all alone on the road for a while. I found a sweet little spot next to the marsh and set up my tent and got a few hours of sleep. The ducks and frogs weren’t partying that night and were great camping buddies.

I hiked into Havelock the next day and bought eight days worth of food for the Richmond alpine section. I camped with my buddy Kazu at the Pelorus Bridge campsite and we bucket-washed our clothes and spread them out on the warm grass to dry. We got up early the next day and hiked into the forest. We followed the Pelorus River for about twenty miles. The water in this river is unlike anything I’ve ever seen – it’s super clear, aquamarine and very very cold. It’s also delicious. One of my favorite things about alpine hiking is the incredible water I get to drink. It’s so pure and easy to access. We had a few river crossings that were easy to navigate but several of them had swing bridges and I AM NOT A FAN. I do them because the hike around would take forever but these things scare the crap out of me. As soon as you start crossing, you look down and notice several bolts missing and the side fencing is often loose. The whole situation swings, rocks and makes these terrifying creaking sounds. I have to just focus on my feet and handholds and hope for the best. Deep breaths.

Our original goal was to get to Rocks Hut but I decided to stop there just for dinner and then press on another six miles to Browning Hut. I headed out for the final stretch at my favorite time to hike – the “Golden Hour.” Around 5:30 PM, the light starts to transform the forest. As the sun gets lower, it bathes the trail, trees and mountains in this gorgeous soft yellow and orange light. The birds start singing a little more and the wind starts to pick up just a bit so the trees can add their soft swaying song. I always ask the birds for an encore and sometimes they do. The hard work of the day is behind me and I slow my steps and take more time soaking in the fact that I am deep in the middle of the forest. It took days to get this far from the real world and it is a special place for sure. I love these moments alone on the trail.

The hiking in Richmond is tough. The trail gets progressively more technical and steeper as you work your way deep into the park. After a good nights rest with Kazu at Browning Hut, we got up at 4:00 AM for our biggest day yet on the TA – our Mount Rintoul crossing day. Our goal was to do a seventeen mile day across three high alpine ascents. It was a very aggressive strategy but getting started early was the best way to try to get it all in. The first big climb was four miles of very steep terrain that took us up above the tree line. It’s so awesome when you break through the trees and start the rock climbing portion of high alpine hiking. The wind picks up and then you find yourself hiking on narrow high trails with sweeping 360 degree views with steep drop offs. These places are sacred to me but the stakes are very high in certain sections as the trail took us along some very narrow scree fields. Mistakes were not an option in a few sections and I had to really slow things down to make sure that each foot and hand placement was just right. The descents are especially tricky and I spent portions of them scooting along on my butt and using my poles and feet as brakes.

I was a few hours into my first big climb when I got the news from Bryan through my Garmin InReach that LD took a terrible turn for the worse overnight and Bryan had to make the gut wrenching decision to put him to sleep. I called Bryan from the summit and we cried together – for the loss of our buddy but also for the pain that every fur parent has to go through in making the decision to help an animal leave in peace. We know it is right but it still hurts so badly. The veterinarian was very sweet to Bryan and reassured him that this was the right time. We will miss that bossy, mean, full-of-spirit Little Dude. He was in charge until the end. Bryan was his guy and I’m proud of him for taking such beautiful care of him. I took my pack off and spent a few quiet moments at the top of Rintoul to gather myself, remember LD and send Bryan good thoughts. I had two more big climbs ahead and a long way down to the hut. Time to get up and hike.

At the summit of the final climb of the day, I ran into four hikers that were enjoying the sunset. They decided to spend the night up there (without any water!) but I was anxious to make the use of the remaining daylight for the sketchy descent and to meet Kazu at Rintoul hut. As I was making the final steep descent down a scree field I saw a hiker sitting along the trail about fifty yards away. He or she was still as a rock and just staring straight ahead. I could make out the sun hat, pack and bedroll but as I got closer I realized it was just the gear and no hiker! That got me a little nervous and I called out a few times. No answer. I got a little closer and damn it – my mind was playing tricks on me. It was a cairn! Am I hallucinating? I need to get to the hut, like now. I got in around 6:00 PM and we were both exhausted. We made a quick dinner, chatted with a charming Dutch couple (Martin and Marie) and then climbed into our bunks. That was one hell of a day. I was so tired, sad for LD and Bryan. There was a beautiful sunrise from the hut the next morning and I let everyone leave ahead of me so I could have some time alone. I cleaned the hut really well and decided that I was going to hike softly today. Spend some more time resting, swimming in the rivers and just letting my busy and sad mind work through our family loss.

This next section was a bit easier in the morning. I stopped for a snack and surprised two wild goats. They stayed in the field near me and we had a nice long talk together. Yup, I must be going crazy but I genuinely think they enjoyed the company as much as I did. I met Martin and Marie at the Mid Wairoa hut for lunch and a dip in the freezing river water. There was a beautiful crystal clear deep pool to sit in and wash the hiker slime off. I emerged back into the bright sun and we had a leisurely lunch together and great conversation. We had just four miles left to the Top Wairoa hut but it was along the river the whole way and that means just one thing – a long and slow slog over what I call the “New Zealand River Scramble.” Instead of building a trail, the Department of Conservation will route you along, in and across the river. And when I say across, I mean like a dozen or so back and forth slippery crossings over the same river and then long, technical and slow crawling across rocks, mud and roots along the steep banks. It took me nearly five hours to cover the four miles and I collapsed with Kazu at the hut. We were so tired we couldn’t even spend time planning the next day. We knew what lay ahead – a chance to get to the town of St. Arnaud if we could get through the last thirty miles in one day. The best part about this hut was the long drop toilet. It had the most amazing views and you had to announce yourself as you approached because hikers would lazily sit on the toilet and contemplate their day while looking out over the mountain range. I might have been one of those hikers.

The hut was packed so we tipped-toed out at 4:30 AM and did all of our loud packing and gear rustling outside on the picnic table in the starlight so everyone could sleep. I hit the trail and steep climb up to the next summit with a headlamp at 5:00 AM for a spectacular sunrise. The climb was intense and the views at the top were amazing with the wind whipping hard. I packed my food and snacks so I could have easy access to everything and make it easier for a hard, non-stop hiking day. I paused quickly when I needed to refill my water bottle from the rivers but otherwise hiked straight through until I got to Red Hills hut. On the climbs, I counted out loud from 1-10 over and over to help me keep cadence and I hustled down the descents. Maybe a little too much hustling because I took a hard fall and slammed my left thigh and IT band into a sharp rock. It bruised up immediately and I was bleeding but nothing was broken. As long as I kept moving it felt okay. I finally arrived at Red Hills hut around 4:00 PM and it felt amazing to drop my pack off of my shoulders after eleven hours of continuous hiking. I made a quick sandwich and then discovered that there was a shortcut to the road that goes into St. Arnaud. Yes, Please!

I took the dirt road down to the main paved road and caught two hitches into St. Arnaud. I treated myself to a private room at the Alpine Lodge, a huge dinner with an ice cream sundae and my big beautiful bed even had a built in heating pad. It was heaven after a long hot shower and a chance to do my laundry. We ended up doing Richmond in four days – eighty seven of some of the hardest but most beautiful miles I’ve ever done. I probably should have taken it easier but it was a lot of fun to test myself. The hallucinations and talking with goats aside, I think it went pretty well. The trail guide recommended taking seven days to do this section but Kazu and I were up for a challenge. We got one! I’m taking a zero today while the rain comes down. I will read, nap and get my gear organized. There are rabbits and ducks grazing outside of my hotel room and my leg is healing up quickly. I have some beautiful days ahead in the Nelson Lakes area but that starts tomorrow. Today is rest.

Queen Charlotte – wife of Henry III, besties with Marie Antoinette and the namesake of one hell of a trail in New Zealand. After an incredibly smooth ferry and water taxi combination through Picton, we finally arrived at the head of the TA on the South Island and we were immediately smitten. The boat dropped us off at a small dock nestled in a beautiful turquoise bay and we hit the trail. This was trail like we hadn’t seen yet on the North Island – well formed, just rocky enough to be fun and composed of gentle switchback climbs that brought us to stunning views of the bays and islands that make up Marlborough Sound. The sun was shining and a cool breeze was blowing. I set off with Kazu, Chitan and Kirstin and we climbed in silent bliss. The South Island was everything that we were promised and the Queen Charlotte Track (QCT) welcomed us with open arms.

We had just a short six mile hike to our first campsite and went for a swim in the sound as soon as we set up our tents. I walked another mile to a small store at a nearby resort and bought us all sodas and potato chips and brought them back for us to celebrate the moment. We finally made it and were so excited about what lay in store. The QCT is forty five miles long and is used by hikers and mountain bikers. There are picnic tables and benches placed at most of the view spots and several rustic but elegant resorts in the bays along the track. The resorts all have great restaurants that are open to hikers and I had pancakes, pizza and salads along the way.

Right on cue, the naughty weka showed up. I’d read about these little guys in the trail notes. They are about the size of a small chicken and love all things human. They will carry away all of your stuff if it isn’t packed up inside your tent. Shoes, cell phones, kindles, shorts and entire dry bags disappear in seconds if you have your back turned. They have no fear of people and one even got in between my rain fly and tent last night to see if my tent door happened to be opened. Fortunately, they sleep at night but then come back out in small packs at dawn to hunt down more hiker gear. It’s unnerving to have these little troublemakers surrounding your tent at 5AM waiting for you to wake up.

The best part about the QCT is that I can truly let my guard down and relax into the hike. There are no mud pits, rock piles or roads to worry about and the trail is quiet. I was able to hike hard but peacefully. Listening to the bird songs and wind coming up the hills. The air is so clean and the views of the sunny coves are so nice. It also doesn’t hurt that I can stop and have a coffee at a resort and rest for a while before getting back to the trail. Ahhhh. This is thru hiking! I finished the QCT today after two twenty four mile days of blissful walking. I ended up at the Queen Charlotte Inn – a small roadside restaurant that lets you camp in the front yard and shower behind the kitchen if you buy dinner. What a deal. It’s a little strange to set up your tent in front of where you just dined but super convenient to walk from your table, get some love from Reba the kitchen dog and then snuggle in your sleeping bag. All part of this wonderful and weird adventure.

So, we aren’t calling it Bikram Yoga anymore because he turned out to be a racist, homophobic misogynist. Whatever you want to call it – the ancient twenty six pose series of hot yoga that he introduced to Americans is like a drug to me. No, not a drug – a mind-clearing and body-wringing twelve dollar therapy session. My friend Ann introduced it to me in 1996. We used to heat up her tiny office at Daytona Beach Community College to over 100 degrees and play a Bikram cassette tape. We did the sixty day challenge – ninety minutes of intense hot yoga every day for sixty days. We were thrilled when we found a studio in Satellite Beach and drove hours down there to practice in our first real studio. It’s been a part of my life ever since and people notice the difference in me after a class. During an incredibly stressful trip to New York trying to fundraise millions of dollars for Habitat during the 2008 financial crisis (what my coworker Cindy Song coined “Trying to ski uphill in a blizzard”), Cindy turned to me after a disastrous meeting a Credit Suisse and said – “Drew, you need to find a Bikram studio – like today.”

I’ve been down lately. My body was wrecked after the Tararuas and I’m homesick. I can’t even think about how much I miss Bryan and the fur boys. The North Island was tough and I’ve had to constantly adjust to what this trail is. I’m also feeling anxious about what is next. I want to get my scuba teaching underway. Whatever I end up putting together, I need to stay busy. I’m not a guy who sits around well. I like to have a plan. I went to yoga today pretty jumbled and as I laid my mat down in the hot room I wasn’t sure I could stay. My heart was racing and I was sweating before the class even started. I stayed in the room and the teacher came in and invited us to stand. Wow – her voice. It was just the right volume. She more chanted her commands than spoke them and her cadence was soothing but forceful at the same time. She invited us to “Puuuuuussssh, Puuuuuussssh, Puuuuuussssh” at the end of each stretch hold. She quietly commanded us to find a new way to move our spine and trust our body. I just followed her every instruction and the muscle memory of the hundreds, no thousands of classes kicked in. My heart rate came down and my sweat felt cleansing instead of stressful. I only had one thing I could focus on and that was my breath. Slow, rhythmic nose breathing and getting into the recovery positions as efficiently as possible and staying still in between the intense stretching postures.

I’ve been trying to practice sitting meditation for years now but I think I settled on something important today. This hot yoga thing is my meditation. Sitting around and following my breath on Headspace just doesn’t do it for me. Contorting my body in a hot room does. It forces me to focus on the practice while my mind works on the rest in the background. I walked out of class today feeling great – solid about my decision to be on this hike and feeling so lucky to be able to do this – physically, financially and emotionally. None of it would be possible without Bryan. He knows me and knows that this is right for me now. Ok, I didn’t figure out what exactly is next for me during this epic yoga class but I feel like I’m on the right path nevertheless. That’s quite a reset.

I’m on the ferry this morning to the Promised Land – South Island. We’ve heard so much about how great the trails are and I’m ready to hit the ground running. My resupply boxes are on the way, my feet are properly geared up and I’ve picked out my first few campsites. It’s about a three and half hour ride to Picton and then I am catching a water taxi to the northern terminus. It should be the last of the logistics for a while and many long beautiful days of hiking ahead.

Well, I made it through the North Island. I’ve had a few good showers and I’m still scrubbing mud off of my legs, feet and all of my gear. The trails here were brutal at times but also brought me to some of the most remote and breathtaking forests. Truly vast and untouched jungles with only the raging rivers to break up the green tunnels. I’ve also spent hundreds of miles hiking busy roads. I’ve charged at bulls in pastures in the morning and been on a commuter train in the afternoon. The North Island was never easy or predictable. It was everything they said it would be and I’m ready for something new. It was a challenge but just one phrase came to mind as I bought my ferry ticket to the South Island – Bye, Felicia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAeHj201afQ

I’m taking a few days off in Wellington to reset and take care of some logistics. The resupply options are pretty tough on the South Island and after my experience at Nichol’s Hut, guess who is not going hungry on trail again – this guy! I wasn’t in any real danger but I don’t want to have to split a ramen packet into several meals again. It means carrying more heavy food but so be it. I sent three weeks of food ahead to three drop locations – St Arnaud, Boyles and Arthur’s Pass. It was tough to shop for that many days – wondering around the busy Countdown grocery store in downtown Wellington with my backpack trying to sort out that much food. I bought all of the Sour Patch Kids and tuna packets they had on the shelf and then spread everything out in the lobby of the main post office. They didn’t bat an eye – this is where all of the harried TA hikers set up operations to sort their peanut butter and toilet paper and the NZ Post staff are so helpful and friendly.

This was also an opportunity for me to get real about my end date. My original return ticket was for January 18 but knowing what I know now about this trail – that is not happening. I had based my original plan on my AT experience but this trail just takes much more time. The logistics are daunting and there are big portions of the South Island that require huge hitches or several days of road walking to get around closed sections. I like to stick to a plan but I think trying to push twenty two to twenty five miles a day on South Island with no rest days is foolish. I checked in with Bryan this morning and he was supportive of me taking the rest of January to complete the trail. It’s less than two weeks longer but it makes a huge difference in my hiking plan. I might even be able to take a zero in there somewhere! I spent about an hour on the phone with Air Tahiti Nui and the agent was super friendly and changed my flight for a really minimal fee.

The very very best part about Wellington is that my new Superfeet arrived! Bryan’s package with my new inserts and socks came in a few days early and they felt amazing when I put them on at the post office. Several other hikers are also scrambling for Superfeet right now and no one can find them in New Zealand. I’m going to need to sleep with these in my tent at night to keep them safe. Anyone want to open a trail side Superfeet store in New Zealand?

I’ve finished all of my planning and logistics and have booked a private room in an Airbnb. I need a minute away from the cramped hostel dorm rooms and campgrounds. Tomorrow will be a true zero. Sleeping in, finishing reading my book and resting. I’m over half way now but still have an Island to cross. Time to regather my strength. Thank you to everyone out there following along. I’m loving the likes and comments and can’t wait to be home.

Thanks to Bryan and Erin at Further Faster run shop in Christchurch, I was able to fix my left foot with new inserts. It was three days of road walking from Whanganui to Palmerston North with a quick stopover in Fielding to pick up the inserts. I had the inserts shipped to the Fielding Holiday Park but when I got there it looked abandoned. It was a creepy place and I never could get the manager on the phone. I pounded on the doors and walked around the park and asked a few of the residents and they all said that they never see the manager. It the nick of time, a cleaning person showed up and she let me into the office to grab the inserts. As soon as I put them in I felt so much better.

I got into Palmerston North and treated myself to a big lunch and a day at the barber shop. I had him take off my beard and he played around with some different looks – first a big goatee, then a handlebar mustache and finally a soul patch before a fresh clean shaven face. It felt great to have a new look and I set off from Palmerston to meet my new hiking buddy Kazu at a campsite about twelve miles out of town at the entrance to the infamous Tararua Mountains. Kazu is a great hiking buddy – he is a nineteen year old student from Belgium but he seems like an old soul. He is a great hike planner and very disciplined and fast paced. He is eating only muesli out of huge bags for every meal and snack. I don’t know how he does it but it seems to be working for him.

As we set off for the next four days we had beautiful weather. The trails are very tough in this range. Very muddy, rocky and covered in slick tree roots. It feels more like climbing at times as we haul ourselves up and over obstacles all day. The pace is super slow and we hike thirteen hours the first two days with just a quick thirty minute break for lunch. We had been checking the weather and there was a huge storm coming on Sunday so we were trying to be to get as many of the big climbs behind us as possible. We were treated to some fabulous wide open views after a tough ridge climb on Saturday. I’m not a huge fan of heights and I had to focus really hard on my breathing and footsteps as we hiked along the narrow path with steep drops on either side.

We got into the Draco hut on Saturday night and awoke to dense fog and high winds. Our goal was to try to get up and over Mount Crawford. As we started the climb, the rain started coming down really hard and the winds were pushing us around on the narrow trails. We got lost twice and I finally turned to Kazu and yelled over the wind that we needed to find shelter quick. I pulled out my phone and we were coming up on a hut called Nichols. We made a quick but technical descent into the hut and got out of the weather. We were soaked and freezing so we stripped down and got into our sleeping bags to warm up. Another hiker named Isobel was hunkered down there too alone and she was so happy for the company.

After we warmed up, we did an inventory of our food and it was tight. I had one extra meal with me but I had to start rationing immediately. We stayed in our sleeping bags for most of the day and anxiously checked the weather. The rain and wind was intense. It poured constantly more than twenty four hours. We got up early on Monday and the wind had died down and the rain had slowed to a trickle. The ascent up the mountain was tricky but doable. The way down the other side was so slow. It was about four miles of steep and muddy bushwhacking. I made a bad choice at one intersection and found myself waist deep in thick cold mud.

After we got off of the high peak, I felt better. I came up with a plan for my remaining food and decided that I needed to push into town that day. It was another twenty two miles of hard hiking but I really needed to get more calories on me rather than risk another day in a shelter. I stopped and made my last ramen and chicken meal and set off with it in my thermos at a fast pace. I hiked hard and nonstop over the last two climbs and made it out of the forest exactly as the sun was setting. I stumbled out into a rural neighborhood and met a wonderful woman that was taking her dog out for a walk. I chatted her up for a bit and she was shocked that I had made it from Nichols Hut in one day. She told me to hang on for a minute while she went to get her car. She drove me in the last six miles into town and we picked up Kazu along the way. She kindly took us to the supermarket so we could get some food and then called a local trail angel that warmly welcomed us to stay in their old church hall for the night. I was able to take a hot shower and eat some soup. Such a relief to be warm and fed.

This was one of the hardest trails I’ve ever hiked. It’s as hard as the Whites in New Hampshire but so much more isolated so so so slow in the mud. I was proud that I was able to manage my food to get through and so incredibly thankful for the help in town. It takes a lot of kindness to drive two stinky hikers around late at night and I will be forever thankful. This trail has asked for so much from me but man – these Kiwis are just incredible. I’m going to take two easy days of hiking through town into Wellington and then on the ferry to the South Island! It’s been quite a ride so far and I’m looking forward to a change in terrain and more Kiwi hospitality.

When I was a kid my parents would buy comedy albums and we would sit around and listen to them together. My favorite was Steve Martin and his best bit is Cruel Shoes. A woman tries on every pair of shoes in the store – except for the Cruel Shoes. Well, you just have to listen to it to see what I mean: https://www.google.com/search?q=steve+martin+cruel+shoes&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari

I thought I was doing a smart thing by ordering a new pair of Altras and I was so excited when I picked them up after the Whanganui River section. They were a shiny bright red and looked so promising. I’ve been using Superfeet inserts for the last fifteen or so years and I wasn’t able to find them in New Zealand so I figured I would be okay without them. Altras are great hiking shoes but they don’t have any arch support. They are “zero drop” – meaning that they are pretty much flat. The Superfeet inserts are hard plastic insoles that provide high arch support and a strong heel cushion. My current pair of inserts were cracked and went into the trash with my destroyed pair of Altras that I started the trail with 900 miles ago.

I set off from Whanganui and knew immediately that something was wrong. My left toes started to ache about a mile into the hike but I figured that was just a normal adjustment after the canoe trip. As my feet started to warm up, I started to feel more intense pains in my left arch. By midday I was in a world of hurt. It felt like I had broken everything from my heel to my toes in my left foot. I loosened my laces and tried to stretch my foot but everything was cramping up and nearly impossible to walk on. I reached out to Bryan to see if he could find Superfeet anywhere in New Zealand. He tried several running stores and researched everything for me but they just weren’t available. He did find something similar in Christchurch and had those shipped to Fielding where I will be tomorrow. He also went out and bought a pair for me and is going to have them sent to Wellington. Thank you Bryan!!!

Today was a rough hike. I got up early and wrapped my left arch tightly with an Israeli compression bandage and tied it around my calf. Twenty seven miles of road and beach ahead of me and my foot was really hurting. As soon as I got off the beach section, it started to feel better and I was able to hike with just a steady ache. The sharp stabbing pains came and went throughout the day but I think my feet are just going through a serious adjustment. By the end of the day, I felt pretty good and was just dealing with normal sore heels and tight ankles.

I was pretty down for the last few miles but found the old Steve Martin recordings online and they got me through to camp. My feet are amazing. They have been through so much with me but I think pulling the inserts from them was just too much. I have the temporary ones waiting for me in Fielding and crossing my fingers that they will get me over the next mountain section and into Wellington.

Wow. I just got done with the 100 mile canoe section on the Whanganui River and I’m shattered. We were talking this section up as a chance to rest our feet and legs but I had no idea how hard this was going to be. We met our canoe rental company at Whakaharo at 9:30 AM and the next hour loading and packing was chaos. We only had a few minutes to get everything packed into our barrels, get maps, life jackets, a bail bucket and paddles before we headed out. Everything had to be tied down or attached to your body in case we dumped everything in the many white water sections coming up. I had some major butterflies in my tummy as we signed off on our checklist and liability waiver and headed down the river.

Saad and I were in a boat together and we decided that we wanted to try to do this section in four days instead of the recommended five. Not sure why – testosterone for sure but also because we thought this was going to be a cake walk. Boy, were we wrong. The first day was a long one – approximately twenty seven miles to our campsite. We had fun chatting with the other paddlers and learning how to navigate the white water. Saad and I made all decisions together – are we going left or right of that rock. We had two close calls on the first day getting stuck on rocks and tree limbs but managed to keep the canoe on top of the water but not after nearly flooding it in one particularly harrowing moment. We hit a rock sideways and took on several dozen gallons of river water in just a few sections. We pushed on to our first campsite called Maingawaiiti in heavy rains and wind. We were freezing and exhausted when we got to the landing and realized that we had a really muddy and steep climb up to the camp. It took us nearly an hour to get all of our barrels hauled up there and our tents up before we could make dinner and try to warm up. We met a great couple from Oregon – Sara and Bear. They were excellent paddlers and we soaked up their advice as they taught us the “J” stroke that the rear paddler uses to keep the canoe straight. After a good nights sleep, we hauled all our stuff back to the canoe and headed of for day two – excited to try out our new skills.

The day started off great but the wind really started to pick up. By midday we were trying to paddle into thirty mile per hour headwinds that were funneled through the narrow canyons. Our new “J” stroke skills were worthless as the wind caught our heavy canoe and spun us around and into the three foot whitecaps backwards. We caught a big rock on the side and started to take on water fast. We both yelled out – lean away! It worked in the nick of time and we recovered ourselves off the rock with a boat full of water. We paddled furiously over to the wall and bailed everything out just in time. That was another close call! We stopped for lunch at a Māori hut called Tieke Kainga and were treated to hot coffee and a lesson on the Tim Tam Slam.

Tim Tams are these awesome chocolate cookies that have become a staple on the trail and the Slam is a trick you do with hot coffee or hot chocolate. You carefully bite the ends off of the cookie and then suck the hot coffee or chocolate through until it melts and then suck it in your mouth really quickly. I was in a pretty bad mood when I got to the hut but after two Slams I was as good as new. Here are details on the Slam so you can try this at home: https://firstwefeast.com/eat/2014/10/how-to-do-a-tim-tam-slam

After leaving the hut, we had another six miles of headwinds and big river to tackle until we got to Pipiriki. It was miserable. We were paddling head down and as strong as we could and were only getting about a mile per hour. We had to take several rest breaks hanging onto the wall so we would go backwards. If we couldn’t get to the wall fast enough we would start to loose ground which was so demoralizing. After another six hours on the river we finally made it to Pipiriki and stumbled up to the holiday park for a dorm bed and a shower. We weren’t making a lot of sense to the woman at the front desk and I had to apologize. We were broken and just needed to sleep and hope for better conditions the next day. I made a huge dinner and took a long hot shower. We fell asleep fast and got up early for the third day.

Thank the river goddess! No wind or rain today but a long twenty five mile day into Downes Hut. We hit a few fun whitewater sections but had time to enjoy the many waterfalls and animals along the way. We saw wild goats, cattle, horses, sheep and tui birds. The river canyon is down right Jurassic. It’s so green and wild. Silent except for the singing birds and the beautiful sounds of the river. We spent many hours just quietly paddling. We pulled over for lunch and noticed a small sign advertising coffee in a small village about a mile from the river. It was worth the hike for a great coffee and a chance to see their piglets playing in the front yard. We got back on the river and competed a twelve hour day at Downes Hut. We had the place to ourselves and made a big fire and even bigger dinner with a few beers we had packed away. It was warm and cozy.

I got a good nights rest for our last big push – a twenty seven mile canoe to the finish. The weather was great but the river got really wide and slow. It was like paddling a still lake all day and everything hurt. My neck and back were twisted out of shape and I had weird electrical spikes of pain up and down my left arm. It was an ugly day but we got started really early and managed to get to the end at 1:30 to pick up my new hiking shoes I had shipped to myself at the Whanganui Holiday Park. Not a day too soon! My first pair were coming apart at the seams. I kinda know what that feels like now.

I’ll never forget this extreme and beautiful trip down the remote Whanganui. The TA never lets up. The rest days are not. The logistics and weather are daunting. But, after all of the craziness you find yourself in amazing places. Deep in the rainforest with no cell coverage for days. Talking to the birds and learning to read the river. It’s taking everything I have but I’m hanging in there. I’m enjoining the feeling of being wiped out at the end of the day and pilling it together for the next.

The last few days in the Tongariro National Park have been quiet, beautiful and peaceful. There is a certain energy around this mountain that is palpable to me. The water runs clear and strong and the snowcapped volcanos loom above. The way down took two days but I arrived today at the last stop along the trail before we head out onto the Whanganui River. This stop is at trail angel farm hosted by Sharon and Roger. They are such kind and welcoming people. For $20 NZD, they provide tent space, a shower, towel and a hot breakfast. Their sweet dog Ruby hung out with us all day as we relaxed in their garage, drank tea and compared hiking stories.

At the hostel where we stayed in Whakapapa, all of the signs and directions were in Māori and English. They also had some framed posters around the common areas with basic grammar and pictures. One of my hiking buddies pointed to the word “Koro” with a picture of an old man and said “Hey Drew – that’s what we’ll call you on the trail. Koro Low Branch.” Koro means grandfather or elderly man and it’s a term of respect. I honestly wasn’t offended but it sort of shocked me a little because I just don’t feel that way about myself. I don’t feel any different from my hiking buddies and I love it. My mind and body feel great and I’m moving as fast as these twenty somethings out here. I even have a What’s App account now.

This stuck with me when I got to National Park and I treated myself to a nice lunch at an expensive cafe. I sat across from a table of tourists in their mid-50s that arrived well-dressed in a posh tour bus. I was looking pretty rough after two days of hiking in the mud and I thought hard about why I wasn’t more like this peer group. Why was I hiking all day and crashing that night in a $10 bunk bed at the hostel when I could be touring around with these folks. I wouldn’t change a thing. I feel at home with these younger people. I love their energy and I share a lot in common with them. We listen to the same music and compare tech tips on our iPhones. So what if my beard is grey and I have a 401(k). I’ve lived a little but I’m not slowing down anytime soon. I’m happy to be the Koro. The respected elder but one that can hike four miles an hour!

I’m getting up early tomorrow to hike to where we meet the canoe operator. It looks like the river levels are going to be good for us to continue. I won’t have any internet or cell coverage for the next six days or so. I’m sure I will have some good memories to share once I get to Whanganui and I’ll be using my Garmin inReach to stay in touch with Bryan via satellite messaging. I wish everyone a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving holiday.

After the craziness of the planning in Taumaruni, I hiked a peaceful twenty four mile section of forest road to Owango. Thorsten, Saad and I found a great cafe in town and hung out there until they closed. We didn’t really have a plan for where we were going to stay that night so we wandered down to the abandoned-looking hostel at the corner called the Owango Hotel. The cleaning company was there when we arrived but no sight of the owners. They let us in to get out of the rain and we found the owner’s cell phone number behind the bar and texted Grant to see if we could stay. It took a few texts but he said no problem and we settled in. As the day wore on, more and more hikers showed up but Grant never showed up. We ended up with about ten hikers all crashing in random beds and couches and hoping Grant would show up to take control of the situation. Morning came and no Grant. There were hikers sprawled all over the place in the morning and I left some money hidden in the microwave behind the bar and texted a thanks to Grant. A weird way to run a hostel but honestly, it kinda worked. Hikers are easy to please and very very honest. Everyone left money for Grant and the place tidy for the next crew. I’m not sure how many Michelin stars Grant would get but it’s a solid three in my book. A clean bed, hot shower and coffee. Can’t be beat.

The hike out of Owango was tough. A mix of forest service roads and then miles of nearly impassable new trails that look like they were cut by some drunk guy with a Bobcat that didn’t bother to put the shovel down. It was deeply rutted and muddy and made for very slow hiking, sliding and falling. I was cussing pretty loud during this section but finally made it out to more service road that was covered in water after the three days of constant rain. I came across a pig hunter that had a dog with him that was badly injured. The dog had a terrible cut on his head and legs and the hunter told me that the ferel pig that he was hunting had killed his other two dogs earlier that morning. It was heartbreaking to see this dog so injured and listen to this story. I told him goodbye so he could get on his way to a veterinary clinic. His next words were devastating. He said that vets are too expensive and he was going to treat the wound with a staple gun. I just couldn’t get my head around the cruelty and had to press on. My heart went out to that poor dog and I wanted so badly to carry him away for proper treatment. I felt sad and heavy for the rest of the day.

I met Thorsten and Saad at the Tongoriro Holiday Park and we had a good nights sleep before the big climb up the Tongoriro volcano today. The rain stopped and there was just a little fog and wind hanging on to the top of the mountain when I started my climb. It took about four hours to summit but it was pretty spectacular. This is a very active volcano and there are several craters that are releasing strong sulfur steam. The rocks are orange and the water is not potable on the mountain. The final crossing over the summit was intense. The last section was really steep and I was leaning into strong winds and rain along a narrow path of volcanic sand next to eerie deep green lakes. It was one of the best days I’ve had so far on the trail – nice steady hard climbing with incredible views

The descent was fun and fast. Maybe a little too fast as I caught my foot on a rock while I was admiring a waterfall and landed on my face pretty hard on a rock. No major damage but it hurt. I dusted myself off and headed down a few more miles to the rest hut and made myself a cup of coffee and met a nice couple from the Netherlands. We ended up chatting for way too long. I rushed the next six miles into Whakapapa and met Thorsten and Saad for a goodbye dinner for Thorsten. He is leaving the trail in a few days to head off to his honeymoon in Tasmania. Trail families are strange creatures. They form quickly and we share intense experiences together. Then, they come apart as quickly as they started. He is a good man and a great hiking buddy and I will miss him. He liked to start early and go long like me. We shared food, music, laundry duties and planning, Lots and lots of trail planning. I know that we will see each other again but tomorrow’s hike will be bittersweet for sure. I have a few easy days until we meet the canoe company and I’m going to take advantage of the downtime to sleep in, read and eat. Fingers are crossed that the river is going to be in good enough shape for our trip but we won’t know for sure few more days.

I need a minute. The last two days have been a whirlwind. A fun one but man this trail asks for everything. Intense physical effort and planning. Lots and lots of planning. It’s exhausting for the mind and body but the payoff is pretty amazing. We camped at the Timber Trail trailhead on Wednesday night and rented mountain bikes for the next fifty miles of trail. The bike rental company met us at the trailhead at 9:30 and took our packs for us to the next overnight stay. Let me say that again – they took our packs for us and it felt glorious to say goodbye to it for the next two days. We jumped on the surprisingly high end mountain bikes with drop seats and hit the Timber Trail. It was a perfectly groomed and maintained trail with easy long climbs and beautiful suspension bridges across the steep river valleys. My plan was to take it easy on the first day but the bike was just too fun and I couldn’t stop. I pushed hard and had a blast on the descents. The drop seats were so great to ride the swoopy trail and hop over the rocky sections. I got into our overnight town around 1PM and ate two pizzas at the Timber Trail Lodge. I really wanted a beer too but they won’t serve TA hikers anymore after an unruly incident last year. I didn’t ask for details but I can only imagine.

We camped at the free campground that night and awoke to a drizzly rain. It was the perfect amount to make the second day of mountain biking really fun. The trail was now a little grippy It was a blast. I could push the turns and descents a little harder and the speed was intoxicating. I road hard again to the finish and then had to hang out for a few hours until they delivered our packs back to us. We were lucky to hitch a quick ride for the twelve mile road section into Taumaruni for an intense afternoon of logistics.

As soon as we hit town we had to eat lunch, do laundry, buy food for the next twelve days and meet our canoe company shuttle at the grocery store by 3:15. I only had 20 minutes to shop for everything and it was crazy stressful to plan everything for the five day mountain crossing which needs to be really light and the seven day canoe trip that immediately follows it. There is no weight limit on the canoe section so I was a little overwhelmed with the options. I finished shopping just in time and the canoe company picked us up and rushed to their campsite for an hour long safety briefing, booking and food packing. The safety briefing was intense. We are going to be paddling through some whitewater sections and the river is going to be high. It’s not if we will dump the canoe but when and how to safely get to shore and repack everything. The canoe will be loaded down with seven days of supplies for a five day trip (we might get stuck out in the bush for a few extra days because of tides) in big barrels that will be tied into the center of the canoe. Saad and I are going to be in a boat together and we sat with wide eyes as we soaked in the safety demo.

The briefing room was full of hikers and you could cut the tension with a knife. I think we all went into this thinking it was going to be a lazy canoe trip but it’s much much more. On top of all this, we also had to create a Department of Conservation account on the fly and book our campsites on the river before they were sold out. During the briefing, it was pouring down rain and that came with another set of warnings about if and when the river starts to flood. If we start seeing logs passing us then we should get to shore and hunker down until the water recedes. It sounds like a lot but I am really looking forward to it now that all of the planning is done. I feel confident in the water and navigating the rougher sections doesn’t make me anxious. They have satellite phones available at the campsites for us to use in case of an emergency. It’s all really well planned.

Everything is all set and we have the next five days in the Tongario mountains to recenter ourselves and take a break from all the planning. The food is packed, my clothes are clean and my backpack is full. The campsites are reserved and the canoe company will meet us after to alpine crossing in six days. I’m curled up in my sleeping bag and listening to my we favorite sound – the sweet bleating of spring lambs.

Every day around Noon I get a message from my Garmin watch that says something to the effect of – “Whoa Dude. You need to calm down.” It’s telling me to immediately stop activity and rest for the next eight hours or so. I’m regularly hitting over 50,000 steps a day and I don’t think it has a “Hike a Country” setting. I’ll have to email them about that in my next zero. The Garmin is also tracking heart rate and the amount of rest I’m getting so it might have a fair point. The last two days crushed me.

We headed out from Jo’s Funny Farm for a pretty twelve mile hike across pastures and fields to the town of Te Kuiti. The pasture hiking is beautiful but it’s tough because the sheep and cattle make big ruts in the fields that are hidden by tall grass. It’s slow going in most places as we try to navigate the big divots and clumps of manure. Thomas twisted his ankle pretty bad in a field a few days ago and he stopped in Te Kuiti to let it rest. The fun part about the pastures are all of the animals to interact with. We are regularly hiking straight through horses, cows, bulls, sheep, chickens, turkeys and deer. The horses are super friendly and nudge my pack to see if I have anything good to eat. I’ve upped my food game today and am now packing spinach, fresh avocados and fancy cheeses to make healthier lunches and dinners. I wanted to buy carrots today but was afraid of getting mauled by the horses.

After a resupply at the grocery store, we left Te Kuiti for another twelve miles to our campsite along a river trail that looked like it would be pretty pleasant. It was anything but. The first few miles were pretty tame but then the trail just kind of ended. It’s like they got bored with it and decided to just nail some trail markers to the trees telling us to head up to the steep riverbank. For the next nine or so miles we had to slog along in deep mud along really steep banks to try to make progress. It was slow going and covered in sharp sticker bushes. It ended up taking six hours of hard work and a lot of falling before we finally headed away from the river and up a nearly vertical slope into the valley on the other side. I was cursing this blasted river the whole way and couldn’t wait to get away from it.

I got into camp around 7PM and put up my tent in the rain, made some dinner and commiserated with the other hikers at the hut. Everyone was exhausted after the long day fighting along the banks. I fell asleep immediately. After a great night’s sleep, I awoke to an amazing morning. I hadn’t taken the time to notice where I ended up but I was deep in a deserted green valley and there were hundreds of birds singing their beautiful songs to wake me up. I stretched out in my tent and looked forward to the hike today on forest service roads – anywhere except that damned river.

Be careful what you ask for. As technical and uneven as the day before was – today was just the opposite. Twenty three miles of gravel and tarmac road with literally nothing in between. Just miles and miles of sheep and cattle farms. Hours of boring road walking punctuated every thirty minutes or so by a terrifying logging truck bearing down on you at sixty miles an hour. On the plus side, I made really good time and we found a hut to sleep in with a hot shower and great cell service. We spent the extra time planning the logistics for the next few days. Coming up, we have a mountain bike section, the Tongariro Mountain Crossing and then a five day canoe down the Whanganui River. It’s a lot to coordinate and negotiate with the Tramily so we needed the extra time to get everything sorted out.

This trail is challenging and so different from anything that I’ve done before. It takes a lot of planning and you have to be flexible when you run into really difficult and slow sections. I’m still learning how to manage all of this but my trail buddies are a big help. We’ve been taking turns acting as trail director. Thorsten gave up the reigns a few weeks ago and I’ve been leading the charge so he can just hike. We picked up a new buddy named Saad from Seattle and he has been helping with logistics as well. I’m ready to follow his lead for a few weeks if he’s up for it. We have a ferry crossing to the South Island, some complicated food drops and winter gear to coordinate. Just tell me what to do so I can hike!

The last few days have been awesome. I am about a month in and in the sweet spot for thru hiking. I’ve shed some pounds hiking about twenty five miles a day and living on ramen noodles and Sour Patch Kids. The pack is dialed in and we are hiking in a really remote section in the middle of the North Island. I left the Riverside campsite early to catch the sunrise and headed up a steep climb to the top of Pirongia Mountain. My legs and feet are feeling great and the mud is starting to dry up after a week of sunshine. We are cruising along and having a blast on the trails.

After a great climb down from the mountain, we crashed at Jo’s Funny Farm. Jo has been running her trail Angel campsite for the past ten years and hosted hundreds of hikers from around the world. For $30 NZD (about $18 USD), you get a tent site, shower and a huge home cooked dinner and breakfast. Her dog Pip is the official manager and she runs down to the gate to meet you with slobbery kisses and then shows you around to the pig sty, the chicken coop and the duck pond. She loves all of the hikers coming and going and makes herself at home in your tent. It was great to get a little dog therapy and some real food. We set off the next day for a great long hike through jungle forests, farm roads and beautiful green pastures. The pastures have changed from hosting sheep to cattle and the trail often goes right through open pasture land with signs inviting you to “interact” with the animals.

The official TA trail notes on open pasture land has a few pointers in case you encounter bulls. The advice goes like this – don’t wear anything bright and look intimidating. Great. I have a red backpack and five feet eleven inches on a good day. I was hiking on a forest service road today and came around a sharp turn to stare down six big bills that were not happy to see me. The bull in charge herded the others up the hill and then turned towards me and made a few menacing moves. I turned towards it and tried to stand tall while I backed up away from him to hide my bright backpack. I don’t think I quite pulled off being intimidating but he let me go down trail.

I hiked fast today into Waitomo and treated myself to a real bed in a bunk space at the hostel. The season is in full force here and it is packed with mountain bikers, climbers and hikers. We are headed out early tomorrow for a resupply in the next town and then into a long stretch until the next opportunity for food. I’ll miss this light pack I’ve enjoyed for the last two days for sure but I feel strong enough now for it.

I wish my spirit animal was something cool and fierce like a tiger or a wolf but I’m afraid it may be sheep. They are so sweet and curious about us hikers. Or, they might just be admiring my fancy new merino wool hoodie and tight beard trim. Either way – they are great company. I bought a bag of sheep food in town and had a blast feeding them a snack. We are deep in sheep country now and hiking the spectacular bright green windswept hills of the central North Island. This is the hiking I was dreaming about when I decided to go to New Zealand. The sun was shining and there was a cool breeze bouncing off of the pastures mixed with the sweet sound of young lambs calling out to each other. It was a perfect first day after we left the hustle of Hamilton.

Yesterday, we rented a car and drove out to Rotorua which is known for its natural hot springs and geysers. We found a beautiful hot spring that was the perfect temperature. I mean PERFECT – like the best bath that you’ve ever had and it never goes cold. It felt amazing to soak my sore legs and feet in the water and bury them in the hot sand below. It was hard to leave this pool but it was a great treat. On the way home, we stopped by Hamilton Gardens and toured their enclosed gardens exhibit. They had English, Japanese, Chinese, Māori and California style gardens but the most magnificent was the Italian Renaissance garden. I happened to catch it late in the day during the golden hour and the light was perfect. A great way to finish off our quick tour of the area.

Thomas has rejoined us and we were all really anxious to get back on the trail. We camped in a trail angel’s yard last night and planned out the next few days together. These little side trips are fun but the long hard days of hiking in the backcountry are really what I wanted most out of this trip. Looking back on my AT experience, I felt like I went on that hike with a long and heavy list of things to work through. I was also hiking through a global pandemic and carrying a lot of guilt and fear along the way. This hike feels different. I don’t have a list to work on. In fact, my main goal everyday is to let my mind rest. I am spending my long days out here just trying to focus on what’s in front of me. My mind races in a million directions like always but I tell myself several times a day that I can just let it rest. I listen to my footsteps and heavy breaths and let my shoulders and jaw muscles take a break. I think it’s working. When the thoughts and fears do surface I try my best to acknowledge them and let them keep going on their way.

One thing I know for sure is that I do my best thinking out here. My mind is most at rest when my body is pushing miles on the trail with a heavy pack. It’s the fresh air, sunshine and clean water. Something clicks as soon as I step off of the busy road and start following the trail markers. Body on, mind off. I just finished a book by Clancy Reese who spent most of his life guiding white water rafting trips and he put it perfectly when he described how he felt about his hard and dangerous work on the rapids – “I’m supposed to be here. I feel very much at home, at ease and comforted between the songs of the birds and water and the silence of the stones and the canyon.” Me too Clancy. Me too.

We are headed into the mountains tomorrow and the next few days look great. We are done with big cities and towns for the next few weeks and I couldn’t be happier about it. My pack is super heavy with supplies but that just means I am headed out into the woods to be with the sheep and birds. Restful nights sleeping by noisy rivers and pushing myself on hard climbs. Eased and comforted for sure.

The next section brought us into the northern suburbs and polished beach towns north of Auckland. I had mixed feelings about getting back to big city life. It is great to have so much food available but the traffic and busyness of the largest city in New Zealand was a damper on the thru hiking vibe for sure. I desperately needed a haircut and beard trim and I felt really out of place in the upscale neighborhoods caked in mud and smelling like a wet pig. The first few miles out of camp were flat and fast and Thorsten hiked along with me at a brisk pace so that we could make our crossing at low tide near Stillwater. It’s essential to get there as close to low tide as possible because the trail crosses an ocean inlet. One of the trail markers is actually high on a post in about three feet of water.

It seemed alright as we started to cross but the wind picked up and we sunk to about chest deep waters mid-way and had to finish the section with our packs on our heads. Oh, and don’t forget to shuffle your feet and make plenty of noise so you don’t surprise the stingrays resting on the bottom. I was already pretty exhausted after run/hiking for over five hours to get there before the tide came in. We made it across just fine but then ran out of gas and stumbled on the hill on the other side for a proper rest and lunch in a windswept pasture.

After lunch, we hiked through a beautiful pasture overlooking the bay with the city skyline in the distance. We hopped on a bus to the next suburb and then took an Uber into downtown where we treated ourselves to a nice private room in a hostel. As soon as we got into town, I found a barber and she did wonders with a pair of clippers. She cut my hair and trimmed my beard. It felt so nice to be pampered for a few minutes. On the way into town, I reached out to an old friend from Atlanta named Francois. I met him in Frontrunnners and he moved to Auckland seven years ago with his partner. They were amazing hosts. They treated us to a big dinner on the beautiful Auckland harbor and then gave us a great mini walking tour of downtown at sunset.

The next morning, Thorsten and I did some clothes and shoe shopping. He replaced his worn out hiking shoes and I found a merino wool hoodie to replace my stinky synthetic one that I started with. I then stopped by the pharmacy to talk to someone about sunscreen. I’ve been keeping myself covered and using sun block everyday but really struggling to keep from getting burned. The hole in the ozone layer is directly over New Zealand and the sun is vicious. The pharmacist was really helpful and recommended the highest rated sunscreen available. It was expensive but he said the stuff I was using really wasn’t that helpful.

Right before we left for our hike through Auckland, I got a call from Bryan with some really sad news about our cat LD. He had an ultrasound today and we discovered that he has a really large tumor that has been making him pretty miserable. Many of you know LD and he is a handful but he is our handful and we love him. It doesn’t look like this is something that we are going to be able to fix for him. It is a very rare type of cancer and it has been making him really sick for a few months now. We thought he had IBS but it turns out it is much more serious. I wish I could be there for Bryan and I talked with him about coming home. There just aren’t any great choices here so we are going to see what we can do to make him more comfortable and then plan our next steps. We love our pets and they are our family. It’s so hard to be away from Bryan at times like this. I struggled so hard during the pandemic deciding whether to stay on the trail. I just wish life is something that you could put on hold but it doesn’t work like that.

We are taking a bus to Hamilton today to pick up the next section of trail towards Wellington from there. Thomas has finished up his work tasks and is going to meet us tomorrow so we can all start hiking together. We only have Thorsten for two more weeks until he meets up with his wife in Sydney and they return home to Munich to start their married life together. Thomas is going to continue onto the South Island with me before he establishes his medical practice in Christchurch in early February. I’m on my own journey but just twenty five later than these young men. I looked them dead in the eye the other day said “Guys, it keeps on going. I don’t have it all figured out either. Just keep moving forward.” We’ve been having great long talks about the transitions we are in. It seems like everyone out here is on their way somewhere else. At the same time, we are in constant motion on the trail. Every day brings a new place to hike, explore and rest. There is something about being in motion while you are making these big shifts that feels right to me. It helps me refocus on what is most important to me. My life with Bryan, taking care of myself and my family and being thankful for these sunny days on the trail with my new friends. Please keep LD and Bryan your thoughts. They are going to need some help for their difficult transition too.

My zero day was amazing. I took a lazy walk around Matakana and visited a great brewery, had a nice long nap and then met up with my trail buddies for a scuba dive at Goat Island Marine Preserve. The water conditions were pretty terrible – the surf was still really strong from the storm and the visibility was less than three feet. We had fun anyway and I was really impressed with how everyone handled the conditions. It was the first time that Margaux had tried diving and she had a blast. We were all freezing when we got up from the dive. I love thru hikers because they tend to laugh when they are cold, hungry or tired. Hey, no one else to blame for the situation that you are in so you might as well laugh about it.

After the dive, we hitched to the next town for a big Indian dinner and then grabbed another hitch back to the campsite next to the trail. This place wasn’t really set up for camping but was just a spot behind an abandoned restaurant that hikers had appropriated as an overnight rest spot. It was pretty nasty. The ground was soaked and smelled sour. The back of the building was a ramshackle lean-to with some dirty furniture and abandoned hiker clothes and there was loud traffic noise from the busy highway below. The water source was this disgusting looking drum labeled “grey water”. It wasn’t the worst campsite I’ve stayed it but definitely in the bottom five. I named it Camp Sad Panda.

Things got much better as we headed back onto the trail the next morning. The next section was a combination of beautifully groomed trails and forest service roads with amazing views of the bright green hill country just north of Aukland. I felt great after my rest day and hiked hard for about five hours with Thorsten directly to the famous Puhoi Teahouse. Steve runs this place and it is a fun mixture of fancy teas and delicious hot meals combined with a free camping spot for thru hikers. We ordered one of everything on the menu and my Roobios vanilla tea was nothing short of spectacular after hiking in the cold rain. Steve is a wonderful host but not a fan of ducks. He shot one with an air gun while we were waiting for our lunch. The air gun just stuns them a bit as he is trying to keep them away from his chickens. I don’t think it’s working very well as the ducks were right back at it a few minutes later.

We rented kayaks in Puhoi for the next section down the Puhoi River and to our next campsite for the night. It felt great to get off my feet for a bit and let the tailwind carry me down river. Right before our campsite, we spotted a dog swimming across. We yelled over to a woman on horseback on the shore and she confirmed it was her dog and that he loves to swim back and forth alone. This was not a short jaunt across a creek but a wide river with strong ocean driven tides. He glanced over at us as we paddled by and we knew he was in his happy place.

The rest day did wonders and set me up really well for our next few days around Auckland and then further south. We got separated from Thomas for a few days while he takes care of some work stuff but we hope to meet back up with him after Hamilton. Our campsite tonight is a beautiful nature preserve right on the water. I had a big dinner at sunset and rested in my tent listening to the birds and lambs. The ducks came by for a visit. I’m in my happy place too.

You have been fairly warned not to invite vampires into your home. It’s their only way across the threshold and then you have precious few tools to fight back. A stake through the heart, garlic, some holy water. The same goes for thru hikers and your darling European style cafe. You’ve spent years perfecting the vibe. The vintage china, the comfortable chairs and the perfect playlist to accompany your fancy coffee drinks and delicate pastries. Then you make the mistake of letting thru hikers in the door. They will hang out for the good part of the day, order everything on the menu, plug in all of their devices without asking, leave mud puddles under your tables and unpack and repack their nasty gear in front of everyone. There will be gear and food exchanges, loud discussions about trail sections and all of your sugar packets will disappear. I mean ALL of them. Sugar is an unimaginable luxury on the trail and we are not going to lug around a ten pound bag of raw sugar. I sincerely apologize on behalf of all of my hiker buddies for what we do to your bathrooms. We change in them, clean our gear, wash our headbands in your sink and steal bits of toilet paper. Never the whole roll for goodness sake – just a few days worth. Do you know how much toilet paper weighs? We do! If you get within three feet of them, the stench will knock you over but they seem joyfully oblivious to it. If you ask when their last shower was they will scratch their dirty heads and think back a few days and giggle. No – washing out your socks at the gas station bathroom doesn’t count. This is the life of Hiker Trash and we wear it with honor. A stinky, dirty badge of honor. We earned this look.

We are a friendly bunch indeed but we lose all sense of decorum on the trail. I do my best to keep my hands and fingernails clean but my pack is covered in mud and my shoes are unrecognizable in all the dirt and cow manure. I gave up trying to keep those clean about a hundred miles ago. I keep a small comb in my front pocket and rake the crap out of my beard before stepping into public. It’s amazing what comes out of that thing. We do wash our clothes whenever we can but I’m not sure it really helps. We combine all of the laundry loads to save water and money. The embedded mud just gets evenly distributed in the wash and everything comes out of the drier a dingy grey – but hot and dry. We call this clean. Our shirts smell halfway decent for the first mile back on trail and then the rottenness returns in force. Or, it might be the handles on our hiking poles and the weeks of sweat embedded into our backpacks. To be fair – we think you smell too. When we pass a day hiker on the trail, the scents of deodorant, shampoo, perfume and drier sheets almost knock us over. Our noses have been accustomed to fresh air, pastures and our malodorous hiking buddies.

I am fastidious fellow – a neatnick. I keep my hair short, floss twice a day and keep my house in show-quality tidiness. I have a well loved dog-eared copy of Peggy Post’s “Modern Etiquette” on my bookshelf. This level of tightness just isn’t possible on the Trail and I kind of like that. If you pack for a three month trip and don’t include underwear to save weight, Peggy will have a few polite reminders about proper attire for sure. This forces me out of my comfort zone. One thing I do make sure of is that my pack is perfectly organized. Everything has its place and it goes in and out each day the same way. I can tell you where everything is and reach for it in the darkness. Sure, it’s not that hard when you’ve reduced your worldly possessions to a seventeen pound base weight, but that’s the point. Once you strip all that crap away that you don’t really need you feel lighter, freed from the burdens of maintaining more than one shirt in your life.

After I found myself screaming F*** You! at the trail yesterday I sat down for a second and promised myself a Zero or two. I’ve been pushing and I don’t think this trail rewards that the same way the AT does. I think the point of this one is to let the days unfold and let the adventures come to you. I slept in at Helena and Chris’ place today and had a lazy and wonderful hour-long chat with Chris about life. He made me a delicious flat white coffee and we pondered the big questions while the sun came up over the ridge. I dried and organized everything in my pack and headed down to the fancy beach town of Matakana. I wandered by the expensive cafes and slick clothing stores and then hitched a ride to the local brewery. Once again, the Kiwis came through. I’m not sure you can call it a hitch when the driver stops without your thumb out and offers a ride to wherever you want go. Five stars New Zealand!

I’m slowly backtracking a bit today to meet Thorsten and Thomas to go scuba diving tomorrow, finish “Lessons in Chemistry” and take a long nap. I’m in a good place with friendly people and seeing beautiful things. I hope you don’t take my complaining more seriously than what it is – the truth. It gets rough out there sometimes but I’m incredibly thankful for where I am and all of the people that make this possible. It’s everything that I was hoping this trip would be.

The last two days have been tough. I’ve been pushing some bigger miles. I’m tired and the conditions have been trying. As I headed out from Whangarei Heads, the rain started coming down hard and it dumped on me for the first half of the day. It was a long road walk with a ton of traffic to the first town and I was soaked to the bone when I found a cafe for a hot coffee and a sandwich. It was a relief before I headed back out into the rain for a long climb through forest roads. Once I got to the summit of the big climb for the day, the sun came out and I ended it with a pizza in Mangawhai Heads – a beautiful coastal town hugging spectacular beaches. I contacted a trail angel named Alan and he hosted me in his music room for the night. Alan was great and I was exhausted. I ran to the store to do resupply, hung out with his cat Ginger and then hit the sack for an early start the next day to beat the tides on a ten mile beach walk. Ginger is sweet but she must have peed on one of the pillows I was using. Honestly, I was too tired to worry about it and to be fair I didn’t smell any better.

Beaches are good for many things but hiking with a twenty five pound pack in the blazing sun is not one of them. I always give into the temptation to go for a quick swim but then I am sandy, salty and wet for the rest of the hike. I took an extra long break after the beach before starting the climb through the Omaha forest. It was a beautiful start as I gained some serious elevation through pastureland. I met a pig hunter out with his three dogs. He walked along with me for a while and shared some interesting stories about wild boars, the kiwi population and his disputes with his neighbors. The Northland area of New Zealand has had a pretty tough time controlling the boars since they were introduced but they are gaining ground and seeing the kiwi population steadily increase.

He warned me about the back half of the Omaha forest – there was some serious mud coming. He was not kidding. The next three miles was nothing but ankle deep mud with steep ascents and descents. It was taking forever! I was hanging onto trees and branches but could not stop from taking some pretty messy falls. My poles and shoes were getting stuck and I was covered in heavy mud. The next section took over three hours to get through and I was over it. I don’t know what you call this but it isn’t a trail. The hikers and cattle that follow this path create huge ruts that gather more rain and make it nearly impassible. Whatever this – didn’t want to be doing it. I was making plans to rent a car and book it down to the South Island. I was over it by the time I got to the road crossing where I discovered the most amazing thing – Trail Magic!

I’m not sure who left this huge cooler full of sodas but they instantly put a smile back on my face. I popped a cold Coke and sat on the cooler covered in mud and just laughed about how far my spirits had sunk. The Trail has a way of doing this to me. Just when I think I’ve had enough, it provides. It’s saying – “Hey man, I know the last bit was ridiculous but hang in there. Remember all that amazing stuff you saw last week? It’s all worth it.” The magic wasn’t over. I climbed back up to the road and stumbled over to Helena’s house across the street. She hosts thru hikers in her beautiful yard overlooking the bay. She was waiting for me with a cold beer, a hot shower and a strong hose to wash all the mud off my gear. I made a fancy chicken noodle and avocado dinner and all was well again. A nice quiet night in my cat-free tent.

Thru hiking might seem like a solitary adventure but it actually takes a lot of help along the way. Especially hiking Te Araroa. For me, it’s not just about the trail angels but also at home. Bryan is holding down the fort, working hard and taking great care of Chuck and LD. Mom and my friends are all cheering me on through the blog and I can’t tell you how much that helps. I have many hours alone on these long days and it’s great to get a boost stateside.

After we left Tutukaka, the next few sections really took a lot of help and the trail angels were out in force. We had a few river crossings to navigate and the first one had to be done by boat. James is the go-to for this crossing and we found out quickly why he is a legend on the trail. He runs an amazing hostel and boat service across the channel and really makes you feel welcome. We piled into his small boat for a quick ride across the river and then he gave us a really detailed and helpful guide to the next part of the trail through Māori land and how and when to make two more river crossings in deep mud before we got to the Tidesong camping grounds. There was a shot list of rules: (1) No pooing on this section, (2) stay on trail and (3) don’t use any of the dinghies that are resting along the shore. He treated us to some fresh oranges and filled up our water bottles before we headed out.

This hike across to Tidesong was remote and beautiful. We had some long walks in deep mud but were happy to have a hot shower and sweet campsite when we got there. Tidesong is a fancy bed and breakfast but the sweet couple that own the property built a great campsite for TA hikers. Our hostess Rose greeted us in the morning with snack bags and then donned scuba booties to escort us across the tidal flats and showed us how to connect through the farmland on the other side to the next hard trail section to Whangerai Heads. This portion of the trail was magnificent but very very steep with hours of climbing up to the summit with some daunting overlooks across the Pacific. We had a five mile beach walk and found a baby penguin that was worn out from the storm. I called a local bird rescue for advice on what to do and they told me to move him up to the rocks so he could rest. We found him a great secluded spot and fed him a can of tuna. He looked relieved to be out of the surf and I think he is going to make it just fine.

We made it across the Heads and then coordinated with another boat captain for a short ride over a bay for the final six mile hike across the beach and into our campsite for the night. It was a big day – almost twelve hours of hiking with a ton of elevation gain but we had a blast and found an Indian restaurant that delivered some great food to our campsite. All of these angels were so gracious and helpful and genuinely seemed happy to help us along the way. This is what really makes thru thinking so special to me and I love meeting these kind souls. Thank you Bryan and my new trail angel friends.

The last two days have been a little rough. That cyclone that caused us to hole up at The Farm parked itself over the North Island and dumped epic amounts of rain. We go too antsy at the hostel so set out for the next section in the pouring rain. Hiking in the rain gets old quick and especially when most of what we were hiking were long road sections. We also had a date with the dive boat in Tutukaka so we needed to make some KMs.

By the second day of slogging through the wet, we were a pretty sad sight. Soaked to the core and battling chafing caused by our heavy wet shorts. It was heads down, fast pace, chew some distance kind of hiking. Around lunch time on the second rain day, I noticed a woman in a bike headed straight towards me waiving her hands and yelling something about a cup of tea. We followed her down her long farm driveway and she and her husband invited us in for a break. They were a chatty and fun couple. He was from the Bronx and grew up on East 174th Street and she was a Kiwi. They have been farming 350 acres of their beautiful farmland for the last 50 years. They filled us up with coffee, tea, fresh fruit from their farm and cookies while we took a moment to eat lunch and get warmed up again. We were soaking wet and smelled horrendous but they didn’t hesitate to welcome us at their kitchen table. We met their grandson and then were on our way again filled with their sweet energy and good wishes.

Kiwis are very friendly people and they love to talk! I’m glad I’m hiking with Thomas and Thorsten because they like to take these long breaks with me to soak in the hospitality. We hitched a few times and you get some great stories then. Just the day before, a day care school bus driver picked us up. When I opened the van door I realized that the only place to sit was in a child seat strapped into the bench. Sadly, I kind of fit perfectly in one and it was pretty cozy. He chatted us up to the next trail intersection. He was so curious about where we were from and what we thought of New Zealand.

We got into Tutukaka and I checked my messages – the dive boat cancelled due to the rough seas! We were a little bummed but the sun came out and we dropped our packs off at the campground and met up with Thomas’s friends from Belgium. They bought a van here and are traveling for a year in New Zealand and Australia. We all piled into the van and went down to Tutukaka Beach for a skinny dip. It was cold but felt amazing to swim in the turquoise waters. We had to be careful to keep our feet off of the sand because there are so many stingrays. The waters are teaming with life and a hope I can get back here to make the dive one day.

We are taking an unintentional nearo (a near zero day) today because we have to wait for a boat captain to ferry us across an inlet in the next town. The ducks are keeping us entertained coming in and out of our cabin. I fed them a few potato chips last night and they went and told their buddies. There was a long line of ducks and seagulls outside waiting for us to get up this morning. The next few days should be beautiful as we hug the coast towards Aukland.

I’ve been at The Farm hostel for the past two days with my hiking buddies waiting out the cyclone. It’s hard to find the words to describe how cool this place is. It is a working dairy farm and they also welcome hikers and have a staff of young friendly workers from all over the world that help milk cows, raise vegetables and take care of this sprawling and chaotic hostel. There are dogs, kids, cats and hikers all milling about cooking, playing guitar, joining in card games and sharing stories from the trail. If I am going to join a cult this is the one.

It’s been raining nonstop and the wind is howling outside but the energy inside is amazing. Everyone is helping out, sharing food and just being kind. The owners love having everyone take over their home. The dogs seem to love it too. I don’t have a good handle on exactly how many there are but they bang their paws on the glass door when they want in and out and the cats sneak around with them. We have been resting our feet, organizing our packs and sharing pictures from the trail. One of the hikers is a yoga instructor and she lead us in a stretching class in their open air yoga studio overlooking the pasture during a heavy rainstorm. It gave me a chance to work through some back pain and also a moment to reflect on this hike so far.

We borrowed a car and took a harrowing journey to the dairy for dinner supplies. The winding beach roads are pretty technical – add right driving into the mix and it becomes quite a ride. They all teased me pretty hard for trying to drive from the left front passenger seat. Yeah – control issues big time. But, we made it back in one piece with a car full of supplies for dinner and cooked up a big meal together. We watched the rugby World Cup match and finished off the evening playing guitar next to the fire and a long game of Farkle.

When things are good on the Trail they are really really good. I’m at home here. We come from so many different places but we belong to each other for this short time in our lives. We are sharing this goal and adventure. Not sure if we are going to make it but taking the time to help each other along. This brings me back to my sweet Dynamo days. We trained, traveled and raced together in some beautiful places. It was a family built on shared goals. We pushed each other hard and were bound by achieving some pretty ambitious goals. I’ve always been drawn to this place where people work as a team under hard conditions. It’s what makes these thru hikes so special to me and I’m so happy to be back here.

There are places out there that are still pure. The air is clean, the trees are thriving and the birds fly in huge flocks over clear blue seas. It took traveling across the world, hiking for a week and then a boat ride deep into the Bay of Islands but I was there today and it was spectacular. I was a little anxious about getting off trail for this boat ride and the hike out to Cape Brett but it turned out to be simply amazing. I’ve been to some pretty cool places but this one took my breath away. Literally and figuratively.

Ten of us set off from Kerikeri early for a fast twelve mile hike through forest roads to Paihia. I found a great coffee shop and we had a long relaxing lunch until we met Captain Bob for our water taxi across the Bay of Islands to a place called Deep Water Cove. Along the way, Bob made a few stops and gave us some history of the area from hidden canon balls from Captain Cook to the final resting place of the original Smokie the Bear statue (seriously – Smokie ended up in New Zealand!). Bob dropped us off on a rocky cliff face and we had to scramble with our packs to the trailhead for a three mile hike to the Cape Brett hut on the northern most tip of the peninsula.

The hike out to the Cape was steep but beautiful. Once we got up to the ridge, the trail was very narrow and had 360 degree views of the Pacific. We came down to meet the lighthouse and then to the small hut. The cliff face in front of the hut is home to thousands of nesting seagulls. We threw off our packs, ran down the stairs and jumped off the cliffs into the ocean. It was cold, clear and so refreshing. There was another couple from New Zealand named Sue and Adrian staying here and we settled in with them for dinner and then for a long game of Farkle.

The hike out the next morning took us back out on the same trail but we continued on another six miles to the trailhead that intersected the road. This trail was the most beautiful I’ve seen on this trip – sweeping views of the bay on both sides dotted with pristine white beaches and turquoise water. But, there was some payback for this great trail. When we got to the end we stopped for lunch before heading out on a really long road walk to our next hostel.

About ten miles into the road section, a van pulled up and offered us a ride – it was Sue and Adrian! They had parked their camper van at the end of the trail and saw us huffing it on the road. We gladly accepted the ride into our next hostel and it saved us about five miles of pretty but boring walking. We arrived at The Farm hostel just in time as the wind and rain started to pick up. We are starting to get some harsh weather coming through as the last bit of a cyclone comes across the north island. A good time for us to take a zero day – my first since starting the trail. I’m going to kick my feet up, sleep in and watch the New Zealand vs. South Africa rugby final.

Kiwis refer to hiking as “tramping” and I thought it was just another word for the same thing but something is dawning on me about a week into Te Araroa. Tramping and hiking share a lot in common for sure but the former is turning out to be much more of adventure – and I’m loving it. In my first week on the TA, I’ve hiked beaches, riverbeds, groomed trails, muddy slopes, bushwhacks up mountainsides, sheep and cattle fields, forest service roads and busy connector roads. I’ve slept in dunes, behind a dairy store, perched next to a radio tower, in nice hostels (and not so nice hostels) and in open fields. Te Araroa puts all of these different things together. It’s a bunch of mini adventures inside one great big one.

I honestly don’t know what the day is going to bring when I wake up. That’s not my comfort zone. I’m a planner. My bread and butter has been charting a path, hitting the milestones and getting to the finish. It’s taken some time to adjust to this. I read the trail guide at night and plan my day but it’s impossible to know how hard or easy the day is going to be. Yesterday, the trail started off with a pretty technical slide down from the campsite in ankle deep mud until we got to the river. Then, the trail WAS the river for about three miles and it was a blast. We waded through the water and up over the rocks. I missed a turn off, ended up swimming across the deepest part with my pack over my head while holding my breath and kicking across. It felt amazing. The water was so cold and refreshing and washed the mud out of everything.

After the river scramble, the “trail” took us along a muddy embankment that was more climbing than hiking. We were fully re-mudded until we climbed up a 100+ step staircase into a beautiful series of farm walks past curious cattle. We camped at a Department of Conservation hut that was closed but a friendly Kauri tree scientist that happened to be there let us in for the night. We chatted about Seattle and it turns out that he is working with local tribes in my home county to make Native American canoes for export back to the U.S. – small world.

Today’s hike was postcard perfect. It was all on beautifully groomed trails through farms and past waterfalls. The lower parts of the trail are filled with giant palms and exotic birds reminding us that we are hiking through a rain forest. Spring is underway and the flowers are starting to bloom. The bird sounds are all exotic to me. The Appalachian Trail was in my blood and it felt at home. I’m truly in a foreign place that is surprising me every day.

After our great hike today, we popped out at a fancy Thai restaurant near the town of Kerikeri and treated ourselves to a big lunch and about a gallon of water. The town was a short hike away and then to an amazing hostel that has reserved the whole place for TA trampers for the month of October. They gave me an ice block (a popsicle) upon arrival and a tour of the facility. It is a thru hikers fantasy. Towels, hot showers and a washing machine. I got everything cleaned and re-charged and mailed a few more things home that I wasn’t using, headed over to the grocery store and then dinner. I met a new group of hikers that started with Thomas and Thorsten and they have put together an alternate route for the next few days and invited me along.

They’ve hired a private ferry boat to go to a really beautiful part of the peninsula off of the TA and then hike in a really remote area to a lighthouse hut. Now this sounds like true tramping and I couldn’t turn it down. It feels weird to leave the fixed trail route but I think this is what this experience is really about. Putting it together and seeing what the day brings. Another mini adventure as a tramper – not a hiker.

One of my favorite podcasts is called “Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet.” They read one star reviews from Yelp! in a really dramatic fashion. The name of the Podcast says it all – these were real complaints from a disgruntled beach resort vacationer. That’s what I felt like when I finished the 90 mile beach section of the TA. That section really got in my head. I saw other hikers at the campsite but I was spending the entire 6 hour hike each day alone with a vicious headwind and rain most of the time. It got pretty monotonous and I was so happy to finally get to Ahipara for the traditional beach finish treat of fish and chips at the Bidz takeaway shop. So greasy but so good going down with a sweet lemonade.

The next bit was a 9 mile road walk into Kaitaia where I had a bunk and a hot shower waiting for me. I caught up with a hiker from the Netherlands named Mahrin and we chatted our way into town and then we had a nice dinner together. The Beachcomber Hostel was hopping. It was filled with thru hikers playing games, comparing stories and cooking together. So much happy energy. Although these hikers are all in their 20s, I don’t feel any different at all. We all have the same goal here and I love being around them.

Today I headed out of town and met up with Thomas from Belgium and Thurston from Germany. They told me about a couple that prepares vegetarian Indian meals for hikers at their home right before we start our big climb for the day. We arrived at their farm around Noon and spent a lovely two hours with them while they served us a wonderful meal and dessert. They have a beautiful fruit tree farm and a sweet dog that likes to herd their chickens. They were so sweet and lived such a peaceful life in their farm in the valley.

Thank goodness for this big lunch because our day was just getting started for real. The final section of the day was a four hour climb in ankle deep mud up the side of a very steep mountain. I wouldn’t really call this a trail but more of a bushwhack over the mountain to get to the other valley. We lost our shoes several times in the mud and it was funny until we reached the final climb up to the radio tower and our campsite. It was crazy steep and almost vertical in places where we had to pull ourselves up over muddy banks climbing on tree limbs. I learned later that over 100 hikers have had to be rescued from this section over the last three years. Yikes!

The campsite is nothing more than a little patch of grass next to a radio tower but it felt like heaven. We made dinner and Thomas showed us a yoga poses that he learned last month while spent a month at a yoga collage in India. I climbed into my sleeping bag covered in mud and exhausted. We have a six mile descent down the other side of this muddy mess tomorrow but then the hiking should get easier.

Today was awesome. I had a great sleep at the campground and got up at 4:30 and made coffee with two of the young fisherman that were there for a long weekend trip. Their tent flooded during the night so they were up early and trying to get warm. They were so friendly and offered me sugar – another small thing that you take for granted off the trail but I don’t carry with me.

The trail today was 18 miles along the beach and it went by quickly. It was raining most of the day but I kept warm hiking a steady pace and got into the next campsite around 11. This campsite is a private beach resort run by a super friendly woman named Gabi and she has wild horses that stay on the grassy area between her sweet cabins and the beach. I got there early enough to score a bed. About a dozen hikers showed up over the next few hours and we had fun hanging out in the kitchen and planning our next few days. Everyone is talking about the fish and chip place in the next town so we are planning to hit that for sure.

Gabi and I started chatting and discovered our mutual interest in plastic pollution. I had picked up a few bottles I found along the beach and it got the conversation going. She is also a performance artist and showed me her work that involves sitting in a bathtub full of reclaimed plastic called “The World is Drowning in Plastic”. It’s a sad commentary but I’m glad she is out there bringing some attention to the problem. I told her about my work with Trash Hero World and it was nice to know there are so many others out there concerned and active in the cause.

The best part of the day is that I felt like I got back in my hiking groove. I have my gear organized, my food is dialed in and my pack feels right. I had a great night’s sleep and am meeting other hikers now pretty regularly. I had a ton of down time this afternoon so I was able to spend more time with Kingsolver’s “Demon Copperhead” and stretch my legs. Tomorrow is going to be a pretty hard push to get back to Kaitaia and my next food resupply.

My buddy Neil always joked when we were starting an adventure race that you know it’s going to be fun when the adventure starts early. Like an early flat on the mountain bike or a lost map. I always loved that saying because it turned a tough start into something funny. You signed up for an adventure so no complaining when it hits you right away.

My day started early with a bunch of errands. Food supply at the Pac N’ Save, a trip to the post office to mail some stuff I didn’t need home and a load of laundry. I hadn’t had a chance to wash my clothes since I left Seattle (yeah, that was 10 days ago) so things were getting interesting. My shuttle driver Dan picked me up right in time at 11AM for the 2 hour drive to the start. It’s a beautiful drive up here but there is nothing but sheep and wind. The start is at Cape Reinga with beautiful views over looking the South Pacific off of the northern most tip of the North Island.

The first miles of the trail wind along the coast and down to 90 mile beach with spectacular views. So I’m told. The adventure started early indeed when I discovered that the first 12 miles of the trail were closed during to flood damage. I felt like Chevy Chase in Vacation when he finally shows up to Wally World and it’s closed for repairs. Whelp, that meant a 12+ mile road walk and then a 2 mile bush whack across a stream bed. There were some incredible views of these huge sand dunes as I go closer to the beach but to be honest it was a pretty grim start. I knew there was going to be some road walking here but I was looking forward to the start from the pictures.

My mood improved when I finally got down to the beach and I was on the actual trail. I kicked my shoes off and walked along the deserted beach until I found a stream and a good place to stealth camp. We aren’t supposed to be camping along the forest unless it is in designated spots but I think they are bending the rules a bit with such a large section of the trail out of commission.

Camping on the beach sounds romantic but it’s actually a pain in the butt. Sand gets in everything and the wind becomes a real bully at night. I managed to barely keep my tent up to make dinner but not much hanging around the beach enjoying the sunset. If I’m not in my tent holding it down – it flies away. Tent spikes aren’t much help in these conditions. The adventure is starting early indeed.

It’s going to be a great trip but today – not so much. I did spend a lot of time refocusing on my beautiful surroundings. I’m in an incredibly isolated part of the world and I knew this was going to be tough. I didn’t sleep a wink with all the racket the wind was making. It even knocked my tent sideways a few times and blew sand up in between my rain fly and showered down onto everything in the tent. By morning I was covered in sand and a thick layer of dew. I looked like a powdered donut but a pissed off one. Again, had to re-calibrate. Tick off all of the great things about being here, make your coffee and start hiking dude.

I headed out for the hike – really a slow slog into the driving wind and rain on the beach. I decided that I’ve had enough of the dune camping for one trip and decided to head for the next campsite that is only 10 miles away. I would normally want to do close to 20 miles but the next campsite after that one was 38 miles away. I’ll get up to those miles soon but I don’t want to push anything so soon. Besides, I had sand in everything (and I mean everything!) and was looking forward to the luxury that awaits at the Maungani Bluff Campsite so I could shake this loose and dry off my clothes.

Maungani is heaven. It’s funny how quickly long distance hiking resets the definition of luxury. This place has a kitchen (a dirty lean to), running water, a patch of grass and a flush toilet. Yes – a FLUSH TOILET! It is basic but it’s right on the beach and the sound of the water and the birds chirping is pretty amazing. So, I checked in early and set everything out to dry and shook the sand out of everything I own, made a burrito and read my book. Now this is what I was looking for! Long, lazy days of hiking and tending to errands. It’s really what this is all about.

It’s me again. It’s been a while since I’ve checked in but I’m headed back out onto the trail and I hope you will join me. Instead of the Appalachian Trail, I decided to flip it to the other side of the world and try the TA – the Te Araroa that covers approximately 1,800 miles of the north and south islands in New Zealand. It is one of the newest long distance hiking paths out there and I can’t wait to see what it brings. From what I’ve heard, it is a bit of a “choose your own adventure” type of thing. The AT is the undisputed granddaddy of long distance hikes and is truly the “Green Tunnel.” Keep your head down, follow the white blazes, work hard everyday and you will find your way. That suited me just fine – thank you.

Te Araroa (meaning the Long Pathway) is supposed to be a different beast. There is a path and markings like the AT but there are a ton of alternates, a canoe section, road walks and a few sections that can be done on a mountain bike. While I love the simplicity of the AT, I’m looking forward to a more fluid experience this time.

Speaking of fluid experiences! I kicked off this trip in French Polynesia for a week of blissful diving with my buddy Adrian. Adrian flew to Seattle from New York and then we took a direct flight to Tahiti. We crashed for the night near the airport and then puddle-jumped to the atoll of Rangiroa for the best diving of my life. We went on 12 dives with a dive shop called The Six Passengers – named for their small but fun rubber dinghies that whisked us out to the Tiputa Pass. This is an area where the Pacific Ocean flows in and out of the lagoon created by the volcanic crater that makes up the atoll. The water is fast, clear and full of amazing creatures. We not only saw – but played with giant dolphins on several of the dives. You are not allowed to touch them but the dolphins didn’t get that memo and they want to play. After they position themselves around a group of divers they will pick a lucky few and hang horizontal in the water and rub up against you. Hanging out in 100 feet of crystal clear water while a giant dolphin spoons you is just as good as it sounds. I had to clear my mask a few times of happy tears.

The dive shop crew picked us up every morning outside of our beach cottage that we named the Scuba Bus Stop and we stayed with them for three dives a day with a delicious lunch served by sweet local ladies that thought my first name was hilarious. They would roll the “r’s” in Drrrrrrrrew when I placed my order and giggled for next few minutes. I would pass by to grab a cup of tea and it would start all over again. It made me laugh too and I felt right at home.

We dove the same pass each time but it was so different on each dive. Depending on whether the current was incoming, slack or outgoing changed the scenery drastically. For the outgoing tides we saw hundreds of grey and black tip sharks commuting in and out of the lagoon, huge schools of barracuda and my personal high point – a giant TIGER SHARK! I pointed and screamed through my regulator and Adrian and I exchanged high fives. It was my first tiger shark sighting and such an immense thrill. Such beautiful and powerful creatures.

Yeah, right you saw that. So where are the pics? You’ll have to trust me on this one. Adrian and I both decided to fully immerse ourselves in this experience instead of through a GoPro view finder. We were in the moment – just feeling so lucky to have the time, money and experience to be able to do something this extraordinary. Not one second was taken for granted. I just knew how incredible it was to be in that place, at that time with such a good friend to witness together such a rich and diverse environment. The best part of the trip was my buddy Adrian. He is a perfect travel partner. Just like my friend Neil, he is easy going, friendly and polite to everyone we meet. Always positive even when things aren’t going great. Admittedly, we didn’t have any bumps in the road on this trip but they wouldn’t have phased Adrian. He’s just happy to be on a fun adventure with his friend. Also, Adrian was a bit of a celebrity in French Polynesia. Tattoos are a big part of their culture and he was showing them a few tricks. The locals were impressed for sure.

Today was a travel day from Tahiti to Auckland on Air Tahiti Nui’s 787 Dreamliner. It was a was easy 5 hour flight to New Zealand but the biosecurity procedures at customs were pretty intense. Because I am traveling with all of my hiking gear, they had to test everything that had been used. I thought I had cleaned everything really well but there were a few bugs on my tent spikes that had stowed away from a recent camping trip. They were really sweet and professional about everything and I got through just fine. So, I am waiting on my flight to Kaitaia and then will take a shuttle to start my hike tomorrow morning.

I’m nervous. I’ve done this before but this one feels different. I am so far away from Bryan and Chuck. I left my job, my swimming bestie Ruth and my new friends at Bainbridge Island Rowing to do this. I pulled all the stops to get here and I am hoping that I find that same peace I found on the AT. I trust the trail. I know I belong there but damn if it isn’t scary to say so many goodbyes.

Thanks for following along with me again.

For the past 20 years or so I’ve spent my Christmas morning with Julia Child and David Sedaris. Julia and I started spending a lot of time together after I bought her Baking With Julia cookbook in the late 90s and discovered her amazing recipe for Pecan Sticky Buns. These are a three day affair that she calls the “ne plus ultra of sticky bundom.” I’m not sure if sticky bundom is an actual place or just a state of mind but these gooey caramel treats are worth every second of work and worry that goes into them. This year, I was missing my old next door neighbors Sara and Michael Baxter. We spent so many great holidays together and I often baked them a set of sticky buns on Christmas morning. It’s 2020 so we phoned it in this year via Zoom.

I’m not exaggerating one bit about the three day prep time. The brioche dough that you start with is easy to make but takes several long rise periods and it just can’t be rushed. We had our first Zoom baking session on Wednesday afternoon to start the magic together. It begins with a yeast sponge that is gently brought alive with warm milk. The dough making is the most stressful part for me. It requires a professional heavy duty mixer and no less than 20 minutes of medium to high mixing. I worry about how hot the mixer gets and spend the entire time dancing around the countertop to make sure the mixer doesn’t vibrate itself off the counter. Then comes the butter. Lots and lots of butter. This is the kind of recipe that you really don’t want to make yourself because you just can’t forget the fact that you crammed 5 sticks of butter into these innocent looking breakfast rolls.

The dough rises overnight and you have some down time to plan the next step. The Baxters dialed in the next day for the best part – log rolling day. The dough comes out of the refrigerator a little bigger than what you started with and it is pliable and fun to work with on a lightly floured surface. This is the only recipe that I use that requires a tape measure. We carefully rolled out our dough in 11 x 13 rectangles. They were a little jagged on the ends but it is fun to roll it out carefully. After incorporating a few more sticks of butter, we brushed the dough gently with egg and sprinkled it with crushed pecans, sugar and cinnamon. After rolling it into logs, we placed them in the freezer for another overnight resting session.

It’s Christmas morning and we are up at 4:30 to pull the logs out of the freezer and line the pan with more butter and sugar. Here is where David Sadaris joins the party. I put on his recording of Santaland Diaries and laugh at his sardonic tale of working as an elf at Macy’s Santaland. His stories of dealing with demanding New Yorkers as one of Santa’s helpers is even funnier to me now that I live here. I especially love his descriptions of all of the different long lines at Santaland. There are lines for everything in New York and you just have to accept it. Lines for the bagel shop, the hardware store and the post office routinely snake outside and around the building. I think that is why so many New Yorkers get everything delivered to their apartments. I don’t mind the lines actually. It’s fresh air and good chance to people watch. Plus, I am getting over 30,000 steps a day moving from line to line. This is especially important when you bake with five sticks of butter.

The final step for the sticky buns is actually quite dangerous. After baking for 40 minutes, they turn golden brown and are sitting in a lava hot mix of butter and sugar. The trick is to flip them over onto a plate without burning yourself or dumping them on the floor. It takes a swift decisive move – any hesitation and you are covered in hot caramel. I warned Sara and Michael about the plate trick and they did a beautiful job. Their sticky buns looked like the ones featured in the cookbook. Well done Baxters! Well – mostly Sara. Michael was up with her at the crack of dawn on Christmas so he deserves the credit. Bryan stayed in bed but was up just in time for the buns to come out of the oven. Well played Bryan!

It’s been tough spending this first holiday away from our friends and family but sticking to this tradition really helped. I sat peacefully this morning with Bryan in our new apartment and savored the warm caramel and sugary center of these beautiful treats. Santaland cheered me up while I baked and it was great to spend time with Sara and Michael over Zoom. Next year we will be able to bake and laugh together but in the meantime we have all of this. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

New York has a trash problem. It always has but during the pandemic things seem a lot worse. I think it is a combination of increased take out food, reduced sanitation budgets and just general 2020 funk. It’s been a tough year and it is showing along the beautiful streets and avenues of this lovely town. I just can’t walk past garbage and I have started picking it up as I tour my neighborhood and run errands. I even bought one of those trash pickers, special gloves and a reusable bag that I carry with me. I have been taking breaks from work lately and cleaning Morningside Park – especially the pond near where the homeless cats live.

I’m not the only one obsessed with trash. I started volunteering with a great group called One Block Upper West Side. They organize huge clean up events and several dozen volunteers scour the streets between the West 70s and 110th street. We fill several large bags and make sure to clean out the medians on Broadway. It’s incredibly satisfying and we get a ton of “thank yous” while we are out there. It just blows my mind that people can’t get their trash to the right place. There are literally thousands of trash cans and recycling bins all over this city yet the sidewalks are littered like there was no where else for it to go.

Come on New York! This is a beautiful place you have created. Let’s keep it that way. We have soaring skyscrapers, underground trains and beautiful parks all surrounded by wide rivers. This is all still so new to me and it amazes me every time I leave my apartment. My favorite adventure is a long run down the Hudson River greenway down to the World Trade Center for a fancy coffee at Blue Bottle. I walk around downtown and find new details in the old office towers and then take the train back uptown.

One of my buddies from One Block is named Linda. She lives down the street from us and we meet once a week and pick a few blocks to clean together. While we are walking together, she tells great stories about growing up here and about all of the secret places to explore around the Columbia University neighborhood. She loves this place as much as I do and it’s great to learn about her neighborhood. Linda is also really smart about all the animal habitats that are hidden all over the City. She has taught me about the importance of the underbrush in Riverside Park and how to keep the trees healthy that are planted along the sidewalks. She is my favorite trashy New York friend and with a few more like her we can clean up these neighborhoods together.

“Do you have a car?” This is a question that New Yorkers ask each other all the time and it makes me so happy. It is asked with absolutely zero judgment. It’s just a simple question but it isn’t something that I can remember ever being asked before. If you live just about anywhere else in the US, it’s presumed you have a car – several, in fact. But New York is flat, compact and is covered in inexpensive and convenient transportation options. Cycling is my favorite one by far. There are a lot of great things about this handsome City but the best thing about living in New York is that you can and should get just about anywhere on a bike.

Yes, a lot of people drive here but it is stupidly expensive or stressful. You either pay $700 a month for a parking spot or spend half of your week moving your car around to psych out the street sweeping schedule. It just isn’t worth it to me and a slow bike tour through Manhattan is a perfect way to discover her hidden little parks and beautiful architecture. There is just one rule to follow – if you are on a bike there are no rules. This is the only down side that I can see to cycling here. The hard core cyclists can be first class jerks. They ride the wrong way down the street, on sidewalks and they blow through traffic lights. In fact, if you don’t ride like this, well…. I left my apartment last week and headed safely down West 110th Street in the bike lane on my nifty Citibike. When I got to the 7th Avenue intersection, I hit a traffic light and made a safe stop. That was not cool apparently. Another cyclist came barreling behind me screaming “What the FUCK are you doing stopping? You’re on a bike ASSHOLE.” I guess I need to check the statues again on this but I could have sworn that the same rules apply.

Then there is the Central Park Peloton. There is a lovely five mile loop in Central Park and it is packed with cyclists and runners all day. This is the only place in New York where you have to follow rules on a bike because if you don’t then you will be crushed. Literally crushed. The course was designed for a lazy small ring recovery ride but New Yorkers have a better idea – an outdoor velodrome! It is a sight to see. Triathlon and time trial get ups galore. It looks like the bike course at Kona out here. Aero bars, aero helmets, full disk wheels and lots of very very tight kits. 250 watts is what these guys and gals are aiming for and I think they are hitting it just fine. Just don’t get in their way or you’ll get more of the helpful comments like I did on 110th Street.

Fortunately, there are a lot of happy New York cyclists out there and I found them at NYCC – the New York Cycling Club. They are quite amazing actually. They have a huge group of friendly riders of all levels and they post their rides on a convenient online sign up system that ranks the rides by speed and difficulty so you know exactly what you are getting into. I joined them last weekend for a long ride up to the summit of Bear Mountain and then we took the Metro North train back down to the City. Our ride leader was Steve Vaccaro and he is a bike lawyer. Yup. That’s a thing and he isn’t the first good riding buddy that I know that specializes in this area. My friend Ken Rosskopf in Decatur is also a bike lawyer and it is interesting to hear their stories. Steve is a passionate transportation advocate and a great guy to spend the day on a bike with.

For Thanksgiving this year, we ordered our dinner from a fancy place in Brooklyn and I was excited to go over there to pick it up with by bike trailer. It was a blast. I hooked up the trailer to my Merlin road bike and headed down the West Side Greenway downtown and the over the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a terrific way to get a nice ride in and our meal made it back safe and sound. Zero carbon emissions even! Although it has been a crazy year I still have so much to be thankful for. And cycling in New York is definitely one of them.

One of my favorite movie scenes is from Along Came Polly when naked SCUBA Claude awkwardly invites the nervous honeymooners to an underwater party. He declares himself the unofficial SCUBA king of St. Barts and wants to show them the beautiful coral reefs underneath is sailboat. His big sailboat. Lisa, played by Debra Messing, is very much for SCUBA but her tightly wound New York husband Rueben, played by Ben Stiller, is unsure about the whole set up. He is right to be wary and catches Lisa in an affair with Claude which sends him back to the City where he meets and falls in love with Polly. Its a great scene and a fun movie but could I bring my own SCUBA party to New York?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2fZJm1gU3U

Bryan and I recently moved to Harlem and got set up in our new apartment. As soon as I got into town, I went to visit the Adventure Scuba shop with my fresh dive resume and PADI Open Water Instructor license. They were very friendly and invited me to co-teach a class yesterday out in Long Island.

One of our goals in moving here was to simplify our lives and that meant getting rid of our car. Plus, it’s stupidly expensive and a huge headache to own a car here so I am learning to navigate around without my own wheels. Fortunately, New York is beautifully designed to get just about anywhere on bikes, trains and buses so here I go. I loaded up all of my gear on my back and headed first to the C train underneath our building towards Penn Station.

Another thing that I love about New York is that nothing phases these people. A dude schlepping all of his SCUBA gear on the train didn’t raise an eyebrow. They just don’t care – but in the nicest possible way. You do your own thing here as long as you don’t get in anyone else’s way. Penn Station is just a couple of stops from our place and then I transferred to the Long Island Railroad for a pleasant ride east to the Lindenhurst station where I met my co-instructor Tom. We shared an Uber to the dive shop and did some last minute planning on what we wanted to cover. Our students were on time and eager to learn. The day went perfectly and we were able to get through of our skills with time to spare.

This was my first real teaching experience and it was awesome. The excellent training that my instructor Bruce laid down came out automatically. I demonstrated the skills, stated the values, gave positive reinforcement and corrected in real time. I swiveled my head like Linda Blair underwater. It’s so important to keep a close eye on all of the students and I chuckled to myself as I remembered Bruce’s Linda Blair reference from The Exorcist that he drilled into us during our instructor course. The best part of the day was when I slowed down the skills and spent extra time with each of them until I felt comfortable that they achieved mastery. It was so fun to see the three different learning styles come out in these students and to adapt to those on the fly. That is what makes this so interesting. Watching the light bulbs go on and watching their eyes get wide in their goggles when they nail the skill. Those first breaths underwater are so fun to watch and I left feeling so good about what I was able to pass on. I thought I liked diving but I think I like teaching it a lot more. I have the privilege of introducing a whole new world. 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water and I get offer that up. Sweet!

I was on Cloud 9 the whole way home. I found a path to do what I love in a city that I adore. I felt so relieved that the instructor course prepared me so well for this real life experience and in so many ways the learning has just begun. Now I get to let my joy for this sport come through in a way that helps others find all the happiness it has brought me. As I finished my last leg of the journey home and came up from the 110th Street train station, I was greeted by a great impromptu jazz ensemble right outside of our apartment. I stopped for a few minutes, left some money in the tip jar and soaked in the moment. This is why I wanted to live here. I made the right move after all.

The City has been so kind to us so far. We love our place, Chuck and LD are happy and Bryan found a delicious Hungarian pastry shop around the corner that serves amazing hamantash. On the professional front, I start an exciting new job tomorrow as general counsel for Equitable Facilities Fund. It’s a lot of change all at once but it’s all very exciting and hopeful. This is what I wanted out of this year and it is coming together. I know we are all going through a scary time but there is a lot of good out there. Hang in there. Better times are coming.

Bray Wyatt a/k/a “The Fiend” is a WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) favorite and he coined the phrase “Yowie Wowie.” He explained it as follows: “You ever have something so amazing happen to you that you couldn’t control what came out of your mouth next? Yowie Wowie!” I can’t think of a better way to describe how I felt after my last open water test yesterday and I found out that I was an official PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor. A real live OWSI! Yowie Wowie for sure.

The PADI Instructor Examination lasts 2 days and it is a nerve racking 48 hours for sure. On Saturday, we met the examiner in a hotel conference room in Santa Clara. The day starts with a pretty formal run through of all of the requirements and how and when we will have a chance to make up any portions that we might fail. There are a few gatekeepers in place that you just can’t re-do. If you mess up on the standards exams or make a really bad mistake in the water then you get to come back another day. After the introduction, we had 5 timed exams covering physics, physiology, the environment, dive equipment and decompression tables. These involve a lot of calculations and some pretty quick decisions that you have to make. Some of the questions are intentionally confusing and they are testing whether you really have instructor level understanding of equipment, how depth and pressure affects your body, air consumption and common dive injuries.

We all passed these exams and then were given a 50 question exam on PADI standards. You simply have to nail this one. If you don’t get a passing score then you have to come back and do all of the exams over at another examination. Fortunately, this one is open book. This makes sense though – if you don’t know how to find the basics like maximum student/instructor ratios and what the key elements are to certify a new diver you are putting lives at risk. I was happy to get a great score on this one too and then it was off to our classroom presentations.

We were given about an hour to eat lunch and prepare a lesson assignment that we received that morning. We have to hit about 10 different components during the presentation to get a passing score. You begin by make a non-diving connection and getting interaction with the class, then you present the materials showing that you have mastery of all of the various electronic teaching aids that PADI provides. You also need to emphasize the environment, suggest equipment to buy, get the class interested in specific continuing education, use a PADI online tool, demonstrate using a non-diving training aid and then summarize, reinforce and close. It’s not that hard if you follow the formula that we were taught and I really like public speaking so this part is fun for me. I got a 4.8 out of 5 and was pumped by the score.

We then headed over to Diver Dan’s about 10 minutes away for the confined water presentations. The pool at Diver Dan’s is small and hot as heck and I was already pretty nervous so it was uncomfortable. I just stuck to my deep breathing and got through the skill circuit in good shape. The examiner had us do the following underwater skills – mask removal and replace, fin pivot buoyancy, regulator recovery and clear, remove and replace scuba kit and CESA (controlled emergency swimming ascent). She had us do these one at a time and we were being watched by the other six students in the exam. It went great and I got a score of 23 out of 25 and was really happy with that. Not sure where I got dinged and I frankly didn’t care. I only needed an 18 to move forward and I was there! After these demonstrations, we each had to teach a skill in the pool with two pretend students. The instructor also assigns problems to the students to screw up some component on purpose to see if you can correct it before they get too far ahead of themselves and risk getting injured.

My skill was to teach a controlled five point descent without touching the bottom. I fortunately caught both of my students’ mistakes (one of them tried to go underwater without their regulator in their mouth!) and was able to correct it early and have them re-do the skill. I got a 4.8 out of 5 on this one and was feeling pretty wonderful as I drove back down to Monterey that afternoon. I grabbed a quick dinner, prepped my gear for the next day a then went over my slates for my open water test the next morning at 7AM. For the open water, I got to do alternate air sharing (stationary) and teaching a knot skill underwater. Those are both pretty easy and I banged them out smoothly with scores of 5 out of 5 on both! I’m so glad it went well because I was freezing in the cold water and tensing all of my muscles to keep myself from shaking. As soon as we were all done, the examiner let out a little “Woo Hoo” yell through her regulator to let us all know that we passed those two skills. Ever seen a bunch of nervous divers let loose under water? It was awesome. We all high-fived and did little dances to celebrate. What a great release.

We just had one more skill to demonstrate – rescuing an unconscious diver in the water. This involves turning the victim over, establishing buoyancy, giving rescue breaths, removing all equipment (victim and rescuer) and towing them to shore. We had practiced this so many times during the course that these were damned near perfect. Or at least they felt that way. Smooth, slow and demonstration quality. We all felt so accomplished with this skill and it was a blast to show off a little. We did our debriefings with the instructor back on shore and then received our completion certificates. After we got cleaned up, we headed back to the dive shop for pizza and some nice chill time with the examiner.

This was a hard process. We put in over 100 hours of course time in addition to all of the online studying and travel. It was humiliating at times. We submitted ourselves to constant critique. We were evaluated physically and mentally every day in tough conditions. There were many times when I doubted whether I could pull this off. Our course director Bruce Weitzenhoffer and his colleague Dane Durand pushed, prodded and molded us into dive pros – not an easy task. Bruce pushed us hard but we were ready when the time came. He was also there for every minute of our 2 day exam. He didn’t need to that but it was so sweet and helpful to see him on the pool deck and shore cheering us on. He really cares about us and that was the best part of this whole experience. I feel like I have a true mentor and friend in Bruce. He took me to a new place. I feel so much better in the water and have such a deeper understanding of my equipment and how diving affects my body. I feel like a dive professional now and am proud to be in the their ranks. I think I’ll be a kind and patient instructor and can’t wait to get out there with my first student. Anybody want to learn how to dive? First class on me. Seriously.

If you ask anyone that has done some dive training they will tell you that you have to be prepared to get yelled at. A lot. I’ve had to learn to leave my ego at the shore for every dive training class that I’ve attended. It definitely varies in degree depending on the instructor but you are guaranteed to be at the wrong end of several hours of harsh corrections. They point, grab, yell, pull, yank and maybe – just maybe, tell you that you did something okay. It’s the whole point, really. The instructor feels a tremendous weight to show you the safest way to manage a very dangerous situation so you just have to let it come at you full force and learn the lessons.

My visceral instinct is to defend myself but you have to let that wash over you. I am here because I don’t have these skills and want to learn them. When my instructor tears me apart – I have to let it happen. It’s the development part. The meat of the thing that I’ve thrown myself into. Today was hard but wonderful. I came home last night completely worn out after 10 hours in the classroom and had several hours of homework after that. My shoulder was still killing me so I didn’t get a lot of sleep and got up at 4 AM to review my in water demo skills again and was back at the training pool by 6 AM.

We spent seven hours in the pool today showing 24 “demonstration quality” skills that I will be using when I start teaching a class. There were no less than four instructors rating our performance and it was intense. We would demonstrate a skill and then receive a long list of feedback. It was mostly good but very very very specific. If your motions were too fast or you weren’t watching your other students while also maintaining perfect buoyancy then you got dinged. To make thing more interesting, the instructors throw curve balls on every skill. They give our fellow students ways to mess with you to see if you can manage it. You are going through your demo and everything is going great. Then your student is spitting out their regulator and grabbing at their mask. You have to deal with this hot mess while also constantly swiveling your head around to keep track of your other students and your assistant. You just can’t freak out. Keep breathing and solve the problem. I did several skills that I thought were picture perfect and then had to absorb 5 minutes of corrections that I had never thought of before. Listen, learn and correct. I can’t be defensive or hurt. I am here to learn something I don’t know.

After our pool skills were were all exhausted but we grabbed some lunch and went back into the classroom to re-learn rescue skills for an unresponsive diver. This is the real deal. If you have a diver that is unconscious in the water, you have to know all the steps to turn them over, remove their gear, give rescue breaths, tow them to the boat or shore and summon medical help. Then we gave our first classroom teaching demo using the PADI lesson plan method that includes a ten point checklist of items that they want you to hit on every lesson plan. Engage your students in interactive scenarios, state the objective, answer the question, reinforce the value, tie in training aids, sell dive travel and products, incorporate online tools, summarize and reinforce. Oh, and be fluid and engaging. Don’t forget that part!

It really is a great feeling though when I get to the end of these hard days. I’ve learned so much already and it is going great. I am nailing some skills that I wasn’t really good at before and really bonding with my fellow students. We are learning little tricks to help each other out and have made a pact to stick together for our instructor exam next week. If we can do the live stuff together for the PADI instructors that would be great. We are learning each other’s strengths and weaknesses and we lean into those to help each other out in subtle ways. It’s sweet to watch them help me out and I can return the favor. We feel the anxiety together and it’s what gets us through to the next skill. Maybe that is the best thing I’ve learned so far.

Today was our first classroom day and it was an intense one. We started off with a two hour timed dive theory exam that included a bunch of calculations. The questions are designed to test whether you understand the basics of the physics of diving. It’s helpful because it makes you think about the science behind everything but it isn’t what you necessarily use on a daily basis. You have to calculate the weight and pressure of sea and fresh water and how it affects lifting objects, air consumption and decompression sickness risks. I missed 15 out of 100 questions so I am solidly in the passing range but have a few things to dig into before the final instructor exam.

We got a lunch break and I headed over to Mi Tierra taqueria for some of the best food I’ve had in a long time. I had to muddle through my terrible Spanish but I would do anything for another plate of these delicious pastor tacos with grilled onions and hot peppers. I’ll be back there tomorrow for sure. After lunch, we spent the afternoon on some practical tests on how to handle difficult class situations. It isn’t going to be easy to try to manage all of these new divers in the water and this part of the course is training us on how to manage the chaos while keeping safety priority number one.

My fellow students are really friendly and helpful. We also have two other students that are already instructors but they are training to be master instructors and shadowing our leader through the process. It’s hard on all of us. We are all lovers of the outdoors and it’s tough to spend 12 hours a day in the classroom but it just shows how dedicated everyone is to diving. We will suffer through the paperwork and long lecture to learn more, be better divers and teachers. I am also dealing with a bad shoulder strain that I am hoping gets better before our water training. I fell pretty hard the other day getting out of the water and the weight of my tank fell onto my left shoulder when I crashed to the ground. It took a day to show up but boy when it did, it came in strong. I can’t lift my left arm without a lot of pain. Hoping the Advil and Biofreeze will pull this together soon!

I arrived in Monterey yesterday to start my dive instructor training and got my first taste of diving the California coast today. We hit Monastery Beach with a few dive buddies and it blew my mind. The reefs and kelp beds are stunning. Neon creatures are packed everywhere you look and the cold water and strong currents are challenging but fun. I was just in 87 degree water a week ago but here I am diving in the low 50s in a 7mm wetsuit that isn’t keeping me warm for very long. After about 30 minutes in the water, I am shaking. West coast diving is next level for sure and I am excited to face the challenge but I sure do miss diving in nothing but a rash guard and board shorts in Palm Beach.

I’m nervous about this course. I am excited to learn how to teach but it feels like a very heavy responsibility as well. Diving is serious business and putting new divers in the water is a big deal. I remember the fear on my first open water check out dive and my goal is to find a method of teaching that helps students feel at ease. It would be a tremendous honor to be able to introduce new friends to the 71% of our planet covered in ocean. It has changed my life for sure and I want to share it with everyone that will listen. It’s amazing down there. The quiet world of wild animals and beautiful flora are a refuge from our world above. My dive buddy today said that she forgot that there was a global pandemic today. That’s powerful.

I am in good hands with PADI – the certification agency that I am taking the course with. When I set out all of the course materials on one place this afternoon it made me feel better. There are DVDs, encyclopedias, training guides, emergency first aid training and teaching slates that guide you through each step of the process. It is a paper dragon for sure but it gives me a lot of confidence in the process. I am comfortable with paper – I’m kind of an expert at creating complicated piles of it so this feels like home to me. The difference with this is that at the end of this long series of intense study and testing I hope to have the credentials to create wonderful experiences for new divers.

Before heading to my first class, I spent some time driving down the Pacific Coast Highway and enjoying the views of the ocean from Big Sur and it was as beautiful as I’ve heard. The views are stunning from the steep cliffs and I walked down to the beach and watched the marine layer fog roll in. I hope to share some more good pictures of the training with you. It’s going to be a lot of classroom time but I’ll send you just the good bits from the water.

We got up early this morning to catch the sunrise in this beautiful valley we spent the night in. The stars were amazing when I poked my head out of the tent at 5 AM before the sun started to warm the skies. It was just at freezing when we got up and there was a thin layer of ice on the tent and the grass. We had such a hot day our first day and it was surprising how much colder it is over 10,000 feet. Chuck is not showing any signs of altitude sickness which is great but the last two days wore the poor guy out. He didn’t want to get out the warm sleeping bag this morning but he looked happy once we got going.

The first six miles of today was probably the most beautiful section of trail I’ve ever hiked. Lost Creek runs down the middle of the valley and it is so green and full of animals. We saw dozens of rabbits scurrying across the trail and also a juvenile moose off up the hill. I couldn’t get a good picture of her before she ran off but it was so cool to catch sight of her for a few seconds. When we came out of the valley we had a nice easy series of gentle climbs through aspen and then down into a wetlands area known for a lot of bear activity.

We didn’t see any bear but we saw lots of intimidating scratch marks on the aspen trunks. It was a clear sign that we needed to swiftly get through this section and make plenty of noise doing it. The Guthook comments talked about several aggressive bears that are out and about. I would love to see one but glad in the end that we made it through without any issues.

We spent about an hour at a nice water stop and chatted up a couple from Kansas City. They were battling some serious blisters and had been trying out several different pairs of shoes to see if they could get some relief. They were taking it slow with a lot of breaks to doctor up their feet but having a great time in between. We stopped around the 17 mile mark today and found a campsite on a ridge next to a cattle grazing area. Taco does not like all the mooing but it isn’t stopping him from getting some rest in the tent. While we were snoozing this afternoon, a huge golden retriever came pouncing into the tent and scared Taco half to death. They made peace in the field but it was quiet a few minutes of drama.

We have a short hike to the road tomorrow morning and then are going to try to hitch into Jefferson for a resupply. Depending on how long that takes we might need to cut tomorrow a little short on the miles. It’s nice to feel so free to do some really easy days out here. I know that Noodle is going to pick it up after we are done but I don’t think he minds the easier pace for the time being.😁

This hike is all about Taco. I was pretty nervous about today since I’ve never hiked him above 10,000 feet and I watched him so carefully. We took nice long breaks every few miles and as we climbed into the higher elevations I made sure that he wasn’t exhibiting any signs of elevation sickness. He is doing great and I’m starting to relax into this a little. Hiking with a dog is a new ballgame. It is a blast but there is a lot of added mental stress making sure that they are staying safe, fed and rested. We are keeping the miles low but when we get into camp he heads directly for the tent and hogs my sleeping bag. He got dinner in bed tonight so he can maximize his rest time. He is so spoiled but so worth it.

We’ve met so many hikers already. I would say that I’ve met more in the two days that I’ve been on the CT than two months’ worth on the AT. We hiked a bit with Moe from Montrose, Colorado today and Noodle found us some puffball mushrooms and taught us how to open them to make sure they were edible. They were fantastic and had this wonderful earthy flavor that stayed with me for hours. Moe showed us a wildflower that you can use as antiseptic for cuts and that you can use aspen bark as sunscreen. I love learning about all these amazing backcountry tricks.

The CT itself is so different from the AT. The Trail is so smooth and fast. I would have killed for just a mile of this in Pennsylvania. The views are huge and we are seeing a ton of wildlife. Mostly deer and birds but there are two very friendly chipmunks in camp tonight. They came right up to our dinner area and started poking around in our food bags. I am hoping that they haven’t figured out how to chew through a bear hang bag but I won’t be surprised if they can. They look like the smartest chipmunks I’ve ever met.

These light miles and slow pace is wonderful. I’m not sore at all and it is great to spend a few hours chatting in camp and lazily making dinner and organizing gear. We climb into our tents around 6:30 and read for a few hours. It’s heaven compared to the pace we were heading to Maine on. We are camping tonight in a beautiful valley next to a nice flowing stream. It is a cool 60 degrees and the sun is setting behind our tents. The chipmunks are singing their little cooing song or maybe it is their war cry. I don’t know what they have planned tonight but I expect it involves trying to get inside our tents.

A few weeks ago my AT trail buddy Nasty Noodle told me he had decided to hike the Colorado Trail. I didn’t know much about it but after a few minutes of research it looked like something that would be great to join him for a bit of. He is going to complete the full 500 mile trail but Taco and I are joining him for the first 140 miles from the South Platte River up to Leadville. Today was our first day and it was so beautiful. So different from the AT and in so many good ways. The views are big and open and the first segment is all high desert and aspen stands as we got above 8,000 feet.

I really wanted to get Taco back out on the trail since his AT experience was cut so short because of the virus. We drove out here from Atlanta and the poor guy had to deal with 22 hours stuck in the car. We spent our first night in St. Louis and then we made the 13 hour jump across Kansas to Denver. Thank goodness for my new favorite podcast called Ear Hustle and was able to catch up on the episodes that I had been missing.

It was great to be back with Noodle. I had really missed his energy and crazy stories. We fell right back into our constant hiker chatter about gear, miles and food. He is such a positive person and I get a lot out of being around his attitude towards life. I think that is what I most enjoyed about being with Boogie and Scoobie too. They are determined to get through these crazy times being hopeful about the future. There isn’t a lot of that out there right now.

Speaking of – Boogie and Scoobie officially finished their 2,193 mile thru hike yesterday in Bland, Virginia. Not the most inspiring town for a finish line but Boogie’s brother fixed that right up with a beautiful sign and a balloon rainbow. They look so happy in this picture and I’m so impressed that they found a way to get this done this year. They are off to start college in a few weeks and what a great way kick off their freshman year.

We hiked 16 miles today and are going to let Taco set the pace. He is doing great with the hiking and the elevation but I don’t want to push him too hard. We will climb up above 10,000 feet tomorrow and stay there for the rest of the hike. I acclimated him slowly in Denver and then we drove to Cooper and Leadville for the night. Our hike today started at 6,000 feet and we slowly got above 8,000 today. He got a kick out of seeing this beautiful doe today and he was especially impressed with his first black squirrel sighting. I will try to get a picture of one for you but they are not so keen on posing for my blog photos. They don’t know what they are missing.

I’ve lost all credibility when it comes to the AT. Every time someone asks me which section is my favorite, I have a different answer. New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Georgia and Connecticut have all been at the top of the list. I feel like Patsy and Edina at their wine tasting in France on Absolutely Fabulous. They proclaim that each one is their favorite and end up buying out half of the winery. That’s me. Stumbling around the Trail saying “Fantastique” and “This is the one.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwBAI5wcuLw

To be fair, Virginia really went all out today. We had a huge thunderstorm last night and the Trail was bright and fresh this morning with a beautiful light fog. We saw deer, a big turtle and a sweet little baby bird. We also got an amazing summer thunderstorm after lunch and it felt so good to get soaked and feel the cool breeze some up from the valley. The thunder and lightning was a little intense on top of the ridge but it was worth it.

I really do love Virginia. The Trail is so gentle and green. The summertime scents from the wildflower fields are intense and the Trail crews keep it beautifully maintained. If you have just a few days to do on the Trail, I would pick a section in Southern Virginia and you can’t go wrong. The AT books all talk about the “Virginia Blues” that hikers get because you are in the state so long but I don’t know what they are talking about.

We got in 26 miles today and stayed in Glasgow so that Boogie and Scoobie could get their laundry done. We went to a great BBQ place and met a bunch of NOBOs that started in June. There are quite a few hikers that got back on late in the season and they are all pushing hard to get to Katahdin before they close October 15. They have some fast hiking to do but can make it for sure.

I’m going to shuttle Boogie and Scoobie back to the Trail this morning and then head home. They are doing great and have just a week of hiking left. When they get off Trail, they just have a few days before starting their freshman year at college. They are sweet, open and loving people and I’m going to miss being around their energy. Hopefully, these Trail friends are for life.

We woke up to a pretty funny situation this morning. A family of raccoons invaded our tent site around 4 AM and ransacked anything that smelled of food. They started by knocking my JetBoil stove around to find out that it just had water in it. They moved on to Scoobie and Boogie’s packs and unwrapped a few snacks and ran off to the woods with them. They tried to drag Boogie’s entire pack down the Trail but she was able to scare them off in time. No real damage was done and we had some good laughs to start our day.

We hit the Priest Mountain climb right at 6 AM and were treated to a spectacular sunrise as we hiked up and around the switchbacks. It is a shame that New Hampshire hasn’t been introduced to those yet. It makes the climb so pleasant. I popped in my earphones and cranked up my favorite Death Cab for Cutie mix and had a blast hiking fast up to the top. I stopped at a nice viewpoint and finished my coffee and watched the sunrise come up over the valley.

We took a nice long break at the Priest shelter and read through the confessions. Since this is a family friendly blog, I can’t share most of these with you. Let’s just say that thru hikers are and amorous bunch and there isn’t a lot of resting going on in the shelters. I think my favorite confession was from a thru hiker confesses that he yelled “Shut the F Up!” at a group of young Boy Scouts that were talking outside of the shelter at 7 AM.

This section of the Trail is really amazing in the summer. It is so green and covered in beautiful white, purple, orange and yellow wildflowers. The butterflies and bumble bees are busy pollinating and I got some great video of them that I can share with you when I get into town tomorrow. I’m so glad that I got to see this section in the summer. I don’t recognize it all from the relatively barren landscape that we hiked through in April.

We had hoped to camp on Cole Mountain for the sunset but there were signs letting us know that camping in the balds was prohibited so we pressed on to the next shelter. I had John Lewis on my mind today as he was remembered and honored at his funeral in Atlanta. I treated myself to a great On Being episode from 2013 where Krista spent an hour with him. It was so soothing to hear his sweet voice and soak in his message of love and hopefulness. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-being-with-krista-tippett/id150892556?i=1000376919740. Give this a listen when you have some time.

We got into the shelter just in time for a strong thunderstorm to roll through. The rain is pounding on the tin roof and the thunder is coming in strong. I’m so glad we are not on top of Cole Mountain in this! The rain will be great for all of the wildflowers and the James River should be running strong when we get to it tomorrow afternoon. Sadly, tomorrow will be my last day but it was wonderful to spend more time with my sweet friends and see how fantastic this part of the Trail is in Summer.

I wasn’t sure how it was going to feel being back on Trail after completing the thru hike. Without the goal, would I still feel the same about hiking through the challenging parts? The heat, sore feet and bugs are still out here but would I focus too much on those now that I don’t feel the pressure to finish? Did I really love the hiking or the accomplishment? I talk a lot with other hikers about how much of this is ego vs adventure for them. Everyone has a different approach and that is the beautiful thing about thru hiking. Some want to race it and others take a year to get it done. Both groups are fiercely proud of their approach and I love to hear them talk about it.

It turns out that I like it even better. I feel a sense of freedom that I didn’t have when I was so focused on making miles. I can spend more time at the summits, hunt down butterflies and take side trails to dip in cold waterfalls. Boogie and Scoobie must be feeling the same because they joined along with me. The highlight of our day was an awesome blue blaze trail down to a series of waterfalls and swimming holes. The cold water felt amazing on our sore and dirty feet. We never would have left the Trail before to explore like this and it was great. We lingered for about an hour and devised plans for how we can hike the Pacific Crest Trail together when they graduate from college. It’s four long years from now but it was fun to daydream about hiking from Mexico to Canada.

We got in about 27 miles today and found an amazing tent site next to the Tye River. The lightning bugs are out and there is a big moon rising up over our tents. It’s setting up to be a great night’s sleep once it cools off a bit. I also got some great news today from a dive instructor named Bruce in Monterey, California. He is going to be able to conduct the instructor certification course for me staring August 30. I got in touch with Bruce through a shop in Maui and we instantly hit it off. He was a real estate lawyer for many years before he started to teach scuba instructors and he really went out of his way to put all this together for me and another student. I’m really happy that I won’t have to leave the country. Although it will be cold diving in Monterey Bay, he swears that we can dive in a wetsuit instead of a clunky dry suit.

Coming back on the Trail was the right thing for me right now. I needed to give some space for things like this to come together. I had done all the outreach and coordinating that I could and refreshing my Gmail account was just making me crazy. I took one of the lessons that I learned on the Trail, applied it and it worked. Give things time. Slow down a bit. That’s big for me. I tend to plow through problems and it usually just ends up frustrating me to no end. Giving things a little space feels good. I’m still going to push like hell but I think I’m learning when to back away a bit to let things fall into place if they are going to.

We are getting up super early tomorrow to attack the southbound ascent up the Priest and deliver a new trail journal to the shelter. I’ll take good notes for you on some of the best confessions and I might have a few of my own. We want to do as much as we can before the sun starts to bake us again and then we plan to stealth camp on Cole Mountain Bald. We will have to hike our water up there but the sunsets are supposed to be amazing from the treeless summit. I’m a sucker for a great sunset and the last time I was up there we were socked in a cold rain.

It was so interesting to hike Shenandoah in a new season today. When I was here in May, it was cold and rainy and completely empty of any other hikers or campers. It was peaceful in a way but I definitely prefer the full speed summer version of this beautiful section of the Trail. The park rangers have also done an amazing job of clearing all the downed trees and keeping the path in pristine shape. There are a lot more section hikers out and everyone is being great about social distancing and masks.

We hiked 21 miles over really easy terrain and took a short break for lunch at a nice view point. It felt great to get back into the familiar rhythm of long distance hiking. My legs and back are sore again as my body gets used to holding the pack weight. It’s worth the price though for the peaceful hours of quiet walking in the woods. I think that is really what does it for me. All the work that goes into hiking really comes down to those hours alone with my footsteps. There was a great breeze in the morning and I was surrounded by the sounds of the trees swaying and the birds singing.

We finished up the hike at a Rock Fish Gap and got a ride into Waynesboro to stay at Stanimals. Boogie and Scoobie were thrilled to get a shower and do their laundry. They are getting really excited about finishing their thru hike and we talked a lot about how important it is to stay active after the finish line. Honestly, I think it might take more planning to manage what happens after the Trail than when you are doing it.

We have a big day planned for tomorrow to set us up for the 3,000 foot climb southbound up Priest Mountain. I remember coming down it in April and being thankful that I wasn’t climbing it in the opposite direction. Well, here I am. We want to tackle that first thing in the morning be for it gets too hot. We also bought a new blank trail journal to hike up there. We heard that the old one was full of and this shelter’s journal is the best one on the Trail so we want to give the hikers some more space to share their funny confessions.

So I’ve been off the Trail for a few weeks and I’m going through what everyone else has been experiencing since March. I’m surrounded by problems I can’t solve. It’s been a shock to come from the opposite experience on the Trail. Food, water and rest were my challenges that I had to face and I managed them with pride and ease.

I’ve been trying to keep myself as busy as possible. I’m selling bikes, cleaning out drawers and closets and trying to find ways to keep moving forward in a world that seems so out of control. I have finished my course work for my dive instructor certification but the hard part is finding a school that will be operating in the next two months. I’ve contacted course directors in Hawaii, Mexico, California, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand. I’ve scoured just about every Caribbean island. It’s the same everywhere I talk to. No one can see even the near future with so many new infections and shut downs. While I still want to try to get this certification done it doesn’t even seem right to keep pursuing it in the middle of all of this sadness.

I decided that the bee thing is for me to get back on the Trail for a few days. So, here I am. Back on the AT in Virginia to re-hike the Shenandoah and Blue Ridge sections with Boogie and Scoobie. They are in their last 300 miles and were happy for me to tag along for some more happy miles. Plus, I packed in some cold Cokes with me! We met at Black Rock Gap and they are doing great. They have been hiking the last two weeks alone and today was their first time back together. It was a blast to hear their rapid fire stories from the last few weeks. So many fun things happen out here and I missed the silly banter and even the terrible hiker food.

We have a fun few days planned and it will be good to hike the Shenandoah legit this time. When I came through in May it was closed and we literally ran through the park in four days dodging rangers. As it turned out, the rangers were not that concerned with thru hikers and tolerated us being out here. It’s strange that we are in an even more dangerous stage of the virus but things are back up and running full speed. I still feel a lot safer out here than in Atlanta and being outside is already pulling me out of the funk I was in the last few days. For the time being, I am back to problems I can solve and it feels good.

I know the trick is to learn to be comfortable with the things we can’t fix. I spent a lot of time working on that in my thru hike and I learned a lot of good things that I can apply. The next few days will be a good chance to reinforce those good habits that I learned on the Trail and bring them home. I need to make careful choices about how much news I consume, spend as much time as possible outside and connect with Bryan. The birds are where I left them and the trees are as solid as ever. This is a place of strength and happiness and I’m thankful I can spend more time here right now.

When I did Trail magic for Carbon Man and Heisenberg, I told them that I just wanted one thing in return – a summit photo. I got a happy ding on my iPhone this afternoon and these fine gentlemen were grinning back at me from the place. That wooden sign on the top of Katahdin is a powerful image and I was so happy they were finally there. This father and son team always appeared to love hiking together and I admired their easy relationship. They laughed with me at all the Trail misery that we endured together and we encouraged each other to the finish. That is what Trail buddies are for.

Seeing their summit photo was a strong pull back to the Trail and so I bought a fresh pair of Altras for my return to Virginia next week. I am going to meet Boogie and Scooby for a few days of hiking as they finish their flip flop SOBO towards Bland, Virginia. There are better places to finish the AT for sure but that is where they got off for COVID-19 so that is where they are headed back to. I am looking forward to my brief return to the quiet and peaceful Trail. Plus, I can try my best Lieutenant Dangle impression of new boot goofin’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmNfUUFAclw

The stress of being back in the middle of the virus is wearing on me. I’m refreshing my news apps way too much and it is hard every time I leave the house. The tension in the stores and on the streets is so intense. Every decision seems like life and death. It makes our Trail troubles seem so silly. I’ll take mosquitoes and Pennsylvania over this any day. I am managing though. I’m getting things organized, bikes sold and studying for my PADI dive instructor exam. I even think I’ve found an instructor that can conduct the course for me in September in Monterey, California. Fingers crossed. In the meantime, I am cooking a lot of good food with Bryan. We made homemade pizza from our Julia Child baking cookbook. It was delicious and therapeutic!

Ten years ago, I turned 40. About a year before my birthday, Bryan asked me what I wanted and I jokingly said that I wanted to buy a new BMW in Munich and then spend the next two weeks riding my bike through Europe while he crewed for me in our new car. He booked the trip and it turned out to been one of the most joyful times of my life. It wasn’t about the new car (but that was nice for sure) – it was spending all that time with Bryan in beautiful places and getting that great riding in. It was decadent for sure but I believe in milestone birthday events. The funniest part about the whole trip was that the first thing that we had to do with the new car was drive it into an elevator to park it in the hotel parking garage. I had to squeeze my perfect new car into this tight space and it was nerve racking! What a fun trip.

Today is the tenth anniversary of my 40th and I am still basking in the glow of the present I gave to my self – the Appalachian Trail. But there might be some other presents too, right? I woke up this morning so excited about what I just knew was waiting for me out front. My new jet black Toyota Tacoma 4 x 4 extended cab with manual transmission, camper top, bike rack and sunroof. I rushed from the bedroom to the front windows and was what I saw was heartbreaking. I ran back to get Bryan and he was just as surprised as I was. The space in front of the house was empty. How could this happen on my birthday? I knew that auto theft was on the rise in Decatur. Someone nicked my new ride. I grabbed the phone to call the police but Bryan said he had already contacted them and they were investigating. I hope I turns up soon.

I’m being silly. No new truck for me but I don’t know a man alive that doesn’t dream about a new Toyota Tacoma. Before the Trail, I probably would have bought one for myself but I have a different perspective right now. I just spent the last four months with all of my belongings on my back and was as happy as I could be. I think that is one of the most powerful lessons for me about the Trail. Less stuff. I came home with an itch to shed some things that I’ve been hanging on to for years. I have quite the bike collection from my days racing triathlons and its time to let this stuff go. I’ve got some great fast gear up on Ebay if your interested. I think I was hanging onto a lot of this because they were memories of a happy time in my life. I was training, racing and traveling to some amazing places with wonderful people. I experienced the same on the Trail and it gave me the space to let some of the stuff go. I have the memories forever but some of the physical objects can go now. It feels good and trust me – I’m hanging onto the really cool bikes.

So, instead of tooling around in my new truck, I spent a great day with my friends. Betty and Ernie came over and we had fun hanging out on the porch. They brought lunch and a midnight cake from Alon’s for Low Branch. That old dude turned 50 today. Yikes. Bryan and I went on a run and then did our new COVID-19 friendly workout in the back shed. I wrapped up the day catching up outside with The Baxters. Our favorite next door neighbors. We’ve known and loved them since our first day in Decatur in 2004. It was a perfect day.

I’m not proud of this but one of my favorite songs on my Apple Pride Party radio station is Glamorous by Fergie. Yes, Fergalicious Fergie. The lyrics are a silly fantasy about flying first class, drinking champagne, chaperones and limousines. It’s exactly how I feel my first week off the Trail.

https://youtu.be/q0SyUgw98tE

I’m sleeping under a down comforter with three pillows. The air conditioning is cranked low and I make freshly ground drip coffee in a Chemex. I bought beautiful hand painted coffee mugs today in a fancy gift shop. And best of all – I scored a bottle of Hildon this afternoon. If you don’t know about Hildon then I am sorry for you. It’s the best water in the world and a favorite of Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor – the Queen of the United Kingdom and fifteen Commonwealth realms (thank you Wikipedia). I dreamt of Hildon on the Trail. It is lightly sparkling and heavy on minerals – delicious. Just ask Hildon. Their website demurely describes their product as a “quiet appreciation of nature’s untouched simplicity.” Humble much?

This is indeed glamorous living. I was also accused of bourgeoisie living on the Trail by my hiking buddies because I had an inflatable sleeping pad and carried sugar for my coffee. These were extravagant indulgences that proved I was platinum blazing. The worst insult a thru hiker can muster. The Trail means suffering and pain. The summit had to be earned – not bought.

So I bought a little of the Trail. Sue me. I’ve worked hard and if there was a little luxury to be had on the Trail then I wanted a piece of it. in Daleville, I insisted on staying in a name brand hotel that was miles away from the flop house hiker inn right on Trail. Mallwalker was not happy about it but the sheets were amazing.

At the same time, I am also trying to hold onto the best of the hard work on the Trail – walking. Before my thru hike I wouldn’t have thought to walk to a gift shop three miles away in the blazing Atlanta afternoon. It was really pleasant. I didn’t carry a pack and it was a great way to run an errand. What do I care? The sweaty clothes go right in the washing machine. Now we are talking glamorous. Fergie should have listed her washing machine in that list of luxury. It costs a little extra but as Fergie puts it “if you ain’t got no money take yo’ broke ass home.”

I woke up early and had a nice cup of coffee in my tent. It was kind of chilly up at Standing Indian and I loved snuggling up in my sleeping bag one more time. Neil, Ben and I went on a great run up to the Trail and along a beautiful ridge line looking over the Nantahala forest valley. The birds were out in force and so were the wasps! I kicked a wasp nest early in the run and they were not kind to my right leg. It stung but you can’t really avoid these guys that live in holes all along the Trail. Funny – I hiked over 2,000 miles without a wasp encounter and then wham!

It was Ben’s birthday today and he turned 43. Neil’s birthday was yesterday and he turned 44. I turn 50 on Saturday and feel more like 25. The hike was wonderful for my body and mind and I want to hang on to that feeling for sure. The birthday dudes stopped for pictures of the valley and I told them a million and one Trail stories. I hope they didn’t get sick of hearing about it because I can’t stop talking about it.

I had originally planned to wait until tomorrow to head home but I started thinking about how I was only two hours from Bryan and Chuck and wanted to be home. I felt ready. The slow drive down was what I needed but I miss my family and my home. It was a calm drive back into the city and I felt proud about what I have accomplished. Poor Chuck is confused. I think the reunion for him yesterday was hard. He was happy to see me but just stared at me for the longest time. We have a lot to catch up on.

The Trail will always be with me and I can use that experience as a positive force as I move forward. I got what I wanted out of it – to reset and feel stronger. It really was a life changing experience. I am looking forward to figuring out my next step for dive instructor training. I had originally planned, paid for and booked a trip to train in the Philippines in September but I’ve come back to a different world. It might still work out but I am looking at some more realistic alternatives in the meantime.

I’m also committed to keep blogging. It really helps to journal my thoughts and avoid slipping back to where I was before. I can feel the pull. My mind seems to want to fall back into the same slot it was before I left but I keep telling myself that I’m different now. The Trail created new positive paths and I am going to stick with them. Follow those white blazes. They never steered me wrong.

My drive from Glasgow, VA to Standing Indian, North Carolina was really interesting. Highway 81 hugs the Appalachian Trail all through Virginia and so I was able to retrace my steps through all of those towns that seemed like huge milestones to me heading north. Franklin, Erwin, Hot Springs, Marion, Damascus. These spots brought back so many good memories. It was cold and rainy back then and it was great to see everything decked out in its summer green.

Standing Indian is where Chuck got his Trail name. I zeroed with those fun traveling nurses in Franklin before the coronavirus crisis set in. I stopped at Franklin for a few minutes before heading to meet Neil at the campground. This slow trip back has been a great way to spend some time processing the thru hike. It was just too big to me to just rush back home.

Today was Neil’s 44th birthday and it was fun to hang out with him to celebrate. We built a big fire and had Outdoor Herbivore meals together. They got hooked on these too and their children are loving the dehydrated dessert cobblers for breakfast. We spent most of the afternoon relaxing by the cold stream as the kids went tubing past. I had planned to spend another night but I am feeling the pull of home. I’m only two hours from Bryan and Chuck and I don’t think I can wait another day.

I said goodbye to Jitter this morning after we had a short hike out of our campsite back to the road. I got back to the car and was feeling a pretty heavy heart. Each day is pulling me farther away from the Trail and I can feel it in my body. I’m so glad I decided to do this gradually. The shock of a plane ride home would have been a real blow.

This drive home also makes me realize how far this Trail is. I drove another seven hours today through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia and then headed to my favorite place that I stayed – Stanimals in Glasgow, Virginia. I needed just one more fix of their particular style of hospitality and it is a great place to get my laundry done and hang out with Charlie.

Charlie hiked the Trail last year and he has some great stories. He was one of those hikers that took as much time as they wanted on Trail and ended up finishing in October with a flip flop. He skipped ahead to bag Katahdin before they closed and then went back and finished on Mt, Greylock in Massachusetts. I love hearing about his adventures. He took a bunch of zeros and spent a tons of time in all the Trail towns meeting all the fun locals. Next time that is going to be my style.

Charlie is also one of those hikers that refused to leave the Trail. When he got off, he found this gig managing Stanimals in Glasgow and he is perfect for it. He is fastidious to a fault and he keeps the inn in perfect shape. At the same time, he creates a warm atmosphere. He left a note on the door for me to make myself at home and I sure did. I did laundry, cut my hair and plopped on the couch and binge watched The Politician on NetFlix. He even made me some homemade blueberry bread as we snacked on that before bedtime. I ran to the store and bought tuna packets and rice sides for my next two days with Neil. He is at Standing Indian campground in North Carolina this week and I am headed there this morning to be there for his birthday and to get a few days of hiking and camping in.

The New Jersey section of the Trail was some of my favorite. For starters, it isn’t Pennsylvania and the path along the border of New York takes you through the most beautiful farming and wetland areas in the state. I drove down from New Hampshire this morning to give some magic to Jitter and her new tramily. She is hiking with Red Dot from Houston, Silver Fox from Atlanta and Van Go from Upper Peninsula Wisconsin. I met them at a campsite a few miles down the Trail at mile 1317 with sub sandwiches, cokes and apples. Dessert was Oreo double stuffs. I promise I will stop eating like this tomorrow but hey – I hiked a whole three miles to get here so I deserve it. All kidding aside – it’s great not to be hungry all the time and I feel like I am really healing well and my energy is coming back strong. I felt pretty empty for most of Maine but not anymore.

This trail magic business is a blast. I love giving back what I received and it’s fun to shop for the goodies that I know they will love. The favorite hiker foods are well known but what everyone talks about the most is fresh fruit. One of Jitter’s friends Red Dot waxed eloquently tonight about fresh pineapple that some trail angels brought out to them last week. It is such a nice break from the processed junk that we normally rely on to get us through.

It is also great to be back on the Trail for a little bit. After all of the driving today, it was so relaxing to get back to the blazes and the quiet of the campground. A strong storm moved through right before I got on Trail and there is a cool breeze coming up over the small ridgeline that we are sleeping on tonight. I am far enough away not to hear traffic and I will sleep really well out here. Hiker midnight comes early and it’s my favorite time of the day when we crawl into our tents around 8:00 and spend some quiet time.

I am going to hike out with these folks tomorrow morning and then head down to the Shenandoah area to see if I can catch any NOBOs that started in late May. I’ve heard there are a few groups out there and I’d love to meet them and encourage them along to the finish. It’s funny how much everyone wants to see my finish photo. I’m not even offering to show it to them but they ask to see it and also want me to text them a copy. We share the same dream and I think seeing it makes them feel like it could happen to them. I hope it helps and I don’t get sick of bragging about our perfect weather conditions on our summit day.

You know – getting stuck out on the Trail is a thing. I’ve met so many hikers that ended up finishing and then never really leaving it. They end up working at one of the Trail businesses or staring their own. Some just stay out here and do magic and hike until they need to go off Trail to make some money. It sounded crazy to me at first but I get it now. The friendly faces and constant sense of adventure are powerful forces. I don’t want to give them up either. It’s happy and quiet out here. The people that you hang out with are on an emotional and physical journey that I want to be a part of. I admire each of them for what they are doing. We come from so many different backgrounds but we share the misery and joys of long distance hiking like brothers and sisters at a remote extreme summer camp. It’s a camp filled with crazy adults that run around the woods all day hiking, swimming in ponds and telling rattlesnake stories. Sign me up for that again any day.

I am usually pretty down after a big race or other event. After I cross the finish line, I have a good day of endorphins left and then the bottom falls out and I have to pick up the pieces for the next week or so. Luckily, this time is different. I feel a lot more resilient after coming off the Trail. I miss just about everything about it but 2,193 miles was the last blaze and it was time to reunite with Bryan.

Bryan and I spent a few blissful days in Portland and I got everything cleaned up and allowed my body to rest. My first run on Tuesday morning was slow but it was fun to get back into it. We ate tons of good food and I took long hot showers and pampered my feet. Bryan flew back to Atlanta on Wednesday and I headed about two hours north to spend time with Sue and Dave at their beautiful lake house.

Dave was my managing partner for many years at Kutak and we became good friends with Sue as well. It was such a wonderful visit and they fed me like a king. I had a relaxing swim in their warm lake on Thursday morning and then headed about 20 miles to Bar Harbor to see Michele and Craig. They treated me to a great tour of Acadia National Park and we ended it with a classic Maine lobster dinner.

It’s magic time! I got up early and did a mini-hike at the Bubbles in Acadia and then headed back to the Trail with a car load of trail treats for my buddies. My first stop is at mile 2038 just shy of the Kennebec River. I met up with Carbon Man and Heisenberg and they were thrilled to have the cold Cokes, fruit and Oreos that I brought. It felt great to give back to the Trail but I was sad when I had to leave it today. It’s such a special place.

Trail karma is a wonderful thing and I was treated well for my kindness today. As I was waiting in the car for the guys, a beautiful juvenile moose came ambling up the road. My first sighting on Trail. She got really close and then decided to duck into the woods and continue on her day. What and awesome thrill.

I finished the day back in Gorham at a hiker inn where I stayed on the way up and chatted with some NOBOs that are making their way north. They got a big kick out of our finishing photos and I helped them out with recommendations for the Maine section. I am loving this part of the journey home. It’s great to be connected with the community again and to encourage others to press on. I have some more magic days planned but we are also going to get hit with a tropical storm system tomorrow so that might delay some things. Stay tuned for some more Trail fun.

Climbing Katahdin was surreal. We woke up at 2AM and hit the Trail shortly after. There were huge thunderstorms the night before but everything had cleared out by the time we started hiking. The sky was clear and a huge moon hung low in the sky. The climb itself was a blast. It is a challenging series of boulder climbs and rock scrambles leading you up to a flat area that looks like the moon before getting to the summit. Once we got above tree line, the views were stunning and we were hiking under crystal clear skies above the clouds. We timed it perfectly to watch the moon set and the sun rise. We each wanted to hike alone to be with our thoughts so we gave each other space to try to process the last four months and to think about what all this really meant. When I finally saw the famous Katahdin summit sign, it was pure joy. We were the only four people on top of the mountain and we cried, laughed, screamed and stood around saying “Wow.” We ceremonially ate our last tuna packets.

The descent off the mountain was as fun as going up and Bryan showed up shortly after I got back down to the campground. He had an incredible gift for me. He printed each of my blog entries and photographs and had them neatly organized in binders. I’m so excited to go through these when I get home. It will be a great chance to see the hike again with some perspective.

We all came on this journey for some pretty intense reasons and this was our chance to let it all sink in and set in place. For me, I came out here to work on some things in my life that I was stuck on. I wanted to understand why my father took his own life and to see if I could get my brother back in my life. These were tasks on my checklist. Things to be fixed. Surely, this Trail and these four months would sort these out for me.

I worked hard on these things. I journaled, read, talked with my therapist, listened to music and podcasts and made notes along the way. I got really angry that I wasn’t finding the solutions. I felt like I was wasting this opportunity. I was in the middle of Pennsylvania when something very different started to come together for me. I started to hear the same lesson from each of these teachers. Pema Chödrön sums it up perfectly for me. Pema is an American Buddhist monk that wrote When Thjngs Fall Apart. In her chapter on how to find healing, she wrote these amazing words.

“[T]he truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there
be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.” I heard this for the first time listening to On Being and it literally stopped me in my tracks. I took my pack off, sat down and just felt so relieved. It sounded like such a radical idea to me. I’m a fixer. I mark things off checklists.

Maybe I can’t fix this stuff. Maybe it’s time to surrender this fight and let this journey itself be part of the healing. I downloaded her book that evening and read these lessons over and over. I started messing around with this new way of thinking. I can let life be messy and sad at times – I just need to give myself the time, space and room to let it happen. This was a big moment for me and I feel like I have a cool new toy to play with. The ultimate ultralight piece of gear for life.

This was also my lesson with the Trail itself. I tried over and over to beat it. I set time goals, new personal distance records, attacked climbs and chased the hours. But my happiest times on the Trail were when I surrendered to her. She was way bigger than me and when I finally realized that each day I felt at peace. I slowed down and looked for frogs or smelled the woods. For me, the lesson of this adventure wasn’t about conquering or fixing anything but learning to slow down and be present. That is what I want to take with me as I take this short break from long distance hiking.

I can’t thank each of you enough for all the kind words and support you have poured over me. You literally kept me going at times. I really struggled with whether I should continue during the pandemic but it turned out to be the right decision for me in the end. You all supported me in that and I am so grateful. I am also so grateful for the care packages and trail magic that you provided along the way. It was so special to stumble out of the woods and receive such kindness.

Bryan and I are going to enjoy a relaxing day in Portland and then I am going to visit some friends in Maine before heading back to the Trail to do some trail magic on my way home. I’m anxious to return that sweet kindness. I’ll be blogging that for sure. I’ll leave you for now with a video I made of our summit day.

More later but wanted to share this awesome moment.

There she is. The sacred place that I’ve been dreaming about for so long. We got a great view of Katahdin from the Trail today and it really hit me that this is going to happen. The snow, rain, cold, heat, bugs, sore feet, aching back and constant hunger is going to pay off. The goal is in sight and it feels great. I thought a lot today about the progression of this and how I have been so careful not to let myself get too far ahead. In March, I wouldn’t even talk about it. In April and May, I would study the “Going to Katahdin” signs and finishing pictures when but I still kept my distance emotionally. In June, I started to talk about it for real and make final plans. I picked a date to finish in July and here I am.

Today was the first day that we really started seeing the SOBOs come through. The first groups looked fresh and happy. Near the end of the day we saw some that were truly struggling in the heat and mosquitoes. I stopped and talked with each one and told them how happy I was to see them out here. It took me back to those frantic first days in Georgia. I know what they are going through and it is an intense mixture of fear and excitement during those first few weeks. Hang in there. You will find you pace and your mind will settle. The mosquitoes on Trail were not as bad as we had expected so that really helped with the hike. We felt good so we pushed a little farther and got 28 miles in before stopping at Rainbow Lake and finding a sweet stealth camping spot on the shore. I think this is where the mosquitoes have been hiding all day and they made the camp chores pretty tough until we could get into our tents. The sunset on the lake was beautiful and the frogs and loons are singing us asleep. I’m going to miss these peaceful nights in my tent after a hard hike. It’s the best rest I’ve found.

We have just one last 17 mile hike to Katahdin Stream campground and then our summit early Monday morning. We are going to hit the Trail around 3AM on Monday to get a good sunrise as we climb. I won’t have cell service until I get done and back out of Baxter State Park but will be sure to send updates as soon as I can. Until then, thank you for following and stay tuned for post Trail updates as I try my hand at magic.

The great thing about the back half of the 100 Mile Wilderness is that it is mostly flat but it also winds through a long series of lakes and rivers that are absolutely filled with mosquitoes. We started the day around 2,200 feet in elevation but as we dropped down to the river bank to meet Poet for lunch, the little devils were waiting for us in full force.

Poet brought us huge turkey sandwiches and Cokes that were delicious. After lunch, we started to run into a few of the early SOBOs that left on July 1 and it was fun to see some new faces out here. I kept my eyes peeled for a moose all day but all I got was a funny grouse attack. This has happened twice already and it cracks me up. A grouse looks like a short fat chicken and they don’t like us one bit. They shoot out onto the Trail with their hind feathers all puffed out and come running and squawking towards you. Somewhere in mid-attack, they realize that you are way bigger than they are and run sideways back into the underbrush. We both end up running away and it is pretty funny.

We were headed to a shelter about 23 miles from where we started today but decided to cut it a mile short when we found this great sand beach to camp on. The mosquitoes were killing us this afternoon but as soon as I stepped out onto the beach they disappeared. We pitched our tents in the sand and lazily made dinner and collected water for the evening. This little beach had amazing sunset views and I slept with my rain fly off and watched the full moon rise as I fell asleep. It was cool to watch the moon move across the sky when I would peak out from my sleep. As it was setting around 4:00, there we a light fog across the still lake waters.

The frogs and birds started their morning songs around 4:30 and it was a sweet way to wake for our hike. It is back to mosquito alley this morning for our hike to Rainbow Springs and hopefully another beach campsite.

A NOBO hike just seems so perfect for me. I got to start off in Georgia where I know the Trail so well and was excited to explore new territory as I got farther away from home. The 100 Mile Wilderness is the last stretch before Kahtadin and it is an ideal space to reflect on everything that has happened on this wonderful adventure. I met new friends, visited angels, received magic and spent four beautiful months in the soft green wild.

Poet is the owner of Shaw’s Inn in Monson and he got up early on Wednesday morning and made us a huge breakfast of eggs, potatoes, bacon and blueberry pancakes. He drove us back to the Trail and we sat and talked for a while before we started hiking. He had some great advice for us to treat the next five days in the Wilderness like a gift. A chance to drink in the best part of this experience that will leave us overflowing.

The first two days of the Wilderness are pretty spicy. The Trail is technical and slow going but I took it easy and spent extra time looking for critters and wildflowers. I found a big new beaver dam and spotted my first beaver on the trip. These dams are mighty impressive! This one was over 50 feet long and 3 feet high with a huge den built in the middle of the new lake they created. It was shocking how much of the forest they took down to create this.

Our second day in the Wilderness included our last set of climbs called the Chairback. They were pretty steep but not very long and they had great views of the lakes and surrounding mountains. I never get tired of the views on these summits. It’s so fun when I finally get to the top and get to peek over at my reward for all that work. The sun, clouds and huge sky all working together to frame a beautiful picture. It was breezy at the top and a great chance to stop for a break.

We hiked 19 miles the first day and then 24 the next. Our campsite after day two was next to this beautiful mini waterfall and I crammed my tent in a small space right next to it. There was a light rain and it was perfect conditions for a great nights sleep after a hard day. Poet is going to meet us at the half way point today with sandwiches and cokes together with the rest of our resupply for the last three days in the Wilderness. The terrain for the rest of the trip is really easy and there are a bunch of ponds and lakes ton enjoy. Only 71.4 miles to go. It’s so hard to believe.

I think this is unique to thru hiking. When you get into town and do your laundry, the inn or laundry mat will have loaner clothes for you to wear while you are scrubbing up your gear. At most, thru hikers carry only two sets of clothes and they are both beyond gross by the time you get into town so you want to make sure everything gets washed. Also, loaner clothes is a great chance to play dress up. You can wear women’s clothes, tacky clothes, loud things – whatever you want. Just remember that this will also be your outfit for your trip into town so you better be able to pull it off in the grocery store and BBQ joint.

I went with this great UT sweatshirt that will make my Aunt Barbara and my cousin Cindy proud. Nasty found these awesome purple polyester pants with mesh pockets sewn into the calves. He paired that with a Dr Pepper t-shirt and was ready to hit the town. We are in Monson – the last Trail town before the 100 mile wilderness and home to the famous Shaw’s Hiker Inn. These people really have it all. They have a gear shop and resupply store right here and three beautiful happy dogs running around so you can get your “best friend” fix. They are also going to do a food drop for us half way through the wilderness so we don’t have to carry five days worth. My favorite is the music room on the first floor. They have a piano, guitars, a sitar and drum sets that we messed around on.

Monson has a great BBQ place down the street. The owner loves hikers and the food is fantastic and huge. We loaded up on Mac n Cheese, BBQ and hot cornbread with tons of butter and scarfed it down on the front porch before going back for ice cream. Three hours later – we were back for more! I only have a few more days to eat like this and I’m making the most of it.

I don’t have a lot of hiking pictures today. It was pouring rain throughout our 18 miles into town as we hiked on a pretty flat course along a river. There were a ton of blown down trees that took a lot of extra time to navigate through but it was fun. We even had a waist deep river to ford that was fun and refreshing. The mosquitoes were loving all this rain and were out in full force. I picked up some 100% deet at Shaw’s to get me through the wilderness. I am bringing out the professional grade stuff for the last push. I’ll leave you with a short hiking video that I took the other day. I may not have cell service for the next few days but I’ll blog for sure if I do.

We set out early this morning after a great breakfast at the Sterling Inn and headed into a light rain that lasted all day. Maine has been in a drought for the last few months and it’s great to see all of the plants and flowers really perking up with the much needed moisture. We had a few minor climbs but most of the Trail was really easy except for the mosquitoes. I added a bug net for my head to my gear and it really helps. It looks a little crazy but it does the job.

We’ve been hearing about an attack hawk on this section of the

Trail and someone posted signs to warn hikers. They were not kidding! As soon as Scoobie, Nasty and I past the sign we started running and she came swooping out of the trees and screeching really loud. We were laughing so hard it was tough to keep running. We made it through okay but Boogie didn’t fare so well. The hawk dive bombed her twice and pecked at her head and pack and she had to fight her off with her hiking poles. The comment board on Guthook is full of the stories this year. This hawk must have a nest near by and she is not cool with us hiking through her nursery.

We stopped for lunch at a shelter and when we left we found some Trail magic Cokes sitting on a rock on the middle of the woods. This is my favorite type of magic. It is usually found near a road crossing but when you find it out in the woods like this it feels even more magical. Some sweet soul took the time to hike this in and it so appreciated.

The rain really picked up so we decided to call it a shorter day than planned and we will make it up on our hike tomorrow into Monson. We are camping near a beautiful pond and the sound of the rain is amazing against my rain fly. I think we will be back in the wet tomorrow but we can regroup in Monson before heading out on our last stretch.

Wow. Today was a blast. We finally hit one of the flat and cruiser sections of the Trail and we chewed up the miles quickly. Nasty Noodle, Scoobie and Boogie and I got up early and hit the Trail around 6:00. We stopped by the first pond we saw in the morning and went for a swim and sat and talked with another hiker names Eeyore. The ponds here are so warm and shallow and it feels so good to really stretch out in the water.

Eeyore stuck with us and we hiked another ten miles or so until we stopped for lunch along another pond and did some more swimming and then lingered on the shore for a good while drinking coffee and watching the loons swim around. They were pretty active this afternoon and we even saw a momma loon with her brood out on a swim lesson. We had just another seven miles until our 18 mile goal at the Pierce Pond Fish Camp.

We got to Pierce Pond and everything looked open but we couldn’t find anyone around. The door was unlocked and a generator was running but all we found was a note that said they had gone to the lake. What we were really after was the pancake breakfast the next morning that was advertised on Guthook but we decided again to press on another three miles to the Kennebec River and see if we could get across.

The Kennebec is the only part of the Trail that you have to aqua blaze and it is too dangerous to ford. The dam is eleven miles up stream and when they release water the current becomes deadly. There is a free ferry that the ATC operates but it is only in the morning right now so we had to find another option. There was a note in Guthook that said you could stand on the shore and yell “Cheryl” across the River and if she was outside then she could hear and she would come and get you in her small boat. Luckily, we also had a bar of cell service down there so we we called Cheryl on the phone and she popped right over and ferried us across the River for $40. We asked her if the yelling thing was for real and she said “Absolutely, my dogs will hear hikers yelling and start barking so I know to come get you. Just don’t be trying to yell over here past ten o’clock.” We love Cheryl.

Cheryl also tipped us off to this amazing Inn to stay at down the street on the other side of the river. They came and picked us up and we had the thru hiker holy trinity – shower, laundry and pizza. A bat flew into the living room while we were eating pizza and I mostly ran around in circles yelling. Boogie calmly found a towel and get the little guy safely out of the window. Today was so fun because so much of it was unplanned. The company was fun and we solved some problems on the spot. It also ended with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s! Nailed it.

We are going to push a pretty big day today so we will be closer to Monson and can Nero in there on Tuesday. It’s mind blowing but Monson is my last town stop and resupply before we enter the 100 mile wilderness that ends right outside of Baxter State Park. Put on brakes – I’m having too much fun.

Deet is the active ingredient in the most common bug sprays out there and it is very effective. Thru hikers rejoice in watching mosquitoes die when they land on their deet covered skin. It also melts plastic – so I’ve avoided it and lectured anyone that will listen. I’ve been using another product called picaridin. Unlike deet, it simply offends most of the bugs but it is much safer for the environment and your health.

Maine has broken me down. The mosquitoes and black flies are everywhere and they are flying into my ears, nose and eyes all day. Today was especially bad with calm winds and higher humidity. I stopped for a break at a shelter and found a brand new can of Off brand bug spray. It was the fancy kind with 15% deet and a baby powder coating. I snagged it and covered myself in it and felt amazing all day. The bugs kept their distance and I retained what is left of my sanity.

Today was bitter sweet. We crossed our final series of 4,000 foot peaks and it made me a little sad. As we get closer to the finish, I am becoming so much more aware of everything that I am going to miss. Hiking these narrow ridge lines above the trees is one of my favorite. I stopped at the narrow peak today for an extra long lunch and watched a rainstorm move across Sugarloaf mountain.

I am also going to really miss all of my critter friends. I chatted with the red squirrels today and stopped by for a visit with this handsome frog. They shared their beautiful home with me for these last four months. They have quite the place out here and I was so lucky to see so much of it.

The hiking gets a lot easier from here on out but I’ve timed it just right on pace and won’t have to push too hard to still make my planned summit on July 6. I don’t want to rush this. It’s going to be missed.

Nasty and I got up early to get a head start on our day. I love that he likes to be up with the sunrise with me and get going early. We had a 21 mile hike to get to Stratton and wanted to get up and over the several 4,000 foot climbs that we had and get into town pretty early. The hike went perfectly. We swept my over the peaks in great weather and caught some amazing views of the Carrabassett Valley.

We are in a very remote part of Maine and it is wonderful to look out for hundreds of miles and see just endless trees and bright blue sky. We stopped for lunch along a deep river that we expected to have to ford. Just as we were finishing our lunch, two Trail maintainers arrived with a long plank that they install every year as a makeshift bridge. Man, does the Trail provide or what? They were great guys and had hiked this bridge in every year around the same time. They were excited to see us and we exchanged some hiking stories before heading up for our last big climb of the day.

On the way up, I reached out to Pancho to see if he was in the area to give us a ride into town and he was indeed. He met us right as we arrived at the parking lot and he whisked us into town for a resupply trip. When we got out of the grocery store he discovered that he had a flat tire. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a spare and there are no auto shops in town that could help. There was one next door but they were closed indefinitely.

It took me a minute to think of this but I remembered that I had AAA and reached out to them for help. They were great but it was going to be several hours before they could arrive and the closest tire shop was an hour away in Farmington. Pancho asked me to cancel the service call and he was going to buy some fix a flat and see if a local could give him some air. That worked and he said he was going to head to the tire shop in Farmington. Instead, he headed back to the trailhead parking lot hoping the tire would hold. You guessed it – it didn’t.

Nasty and I got another ride to the inn where we are spending the night and left poor Pancho in the parking lot to trouble shoot. A few hours later, he reached back out and I got up early this morning and back on the phone with AAA. They were so helpful and I got a tow truck on the way to help him out. It took a some serious sweet talking but they made an exception to the rule that I had to be present as the policy holder to render assistance. The phrase “I’m hiking the Appalachian Trail” is like a magic incantation sometimes. Try it – it works.

The inn where we are staying is beautiful and the beds were so comfortable. Because of concerns about the virus, they were not offering laundry service but they did set up some wash buckets and a hose that got the job done alright. We walked down to the BBQ place and had a wonderful dinner with unlimited fountain soda! The mark of true fine dining for thru hikers. We are headed out shortly to tackle the Bigelow Mountain range and we are just four days from Monson, Maine and that is our last resupply before the 100 mile wilderness. We are only 180 or so miles from the finish. I am going to miss all this craziness and problem solving. But I won’t miss the wash buckets.😬

It’s weird but I’ve been out here for so long that I have trail buddies that I’ve been missing and are finding again. Nasty Noodle and I hiked the first two weeks together and we got separated and just ran into each other here in Maine. He is a great guy and cracks me up with his funny stories. He is an avid hiker from Sedona and has so much energy. He is great to be around right now and I’m so glad we’ve reconnected. He has been traveling with Pepper, Shit Watergate, Piss Coon, Marmot and Villain.

We had a super easy start to the day and got on Trail around 5:30 hoping to spot a moose. We didn’t see any but the terrain was really smooth and the heat wave broke overnight so we had nice cool breezes all day. The bugs are still out but not as strong. At the 10 mile mark we all stopped by a place at a road crossing called the Hiker Hut. Vera runs the Hut and she provides a nice break spot with Gatorade and egg sandwiches. Her dog Levi was the best part of the visit and we played ball with him as he jumped in and out of the stream.

It was a great break before our climb up Saddleback mountain. It took a couple of hours to get to the top but we were above tree line for most of the rest of the day and were treated to some fantastic views. We hit four 4,000 + foot peaks and the wind was blowing pretty hard at the top. It was a great change from heat we were battling earlier in the week.

We are going to push over the next range tomorrow so we can get into Stratton for a resupply and hopefully a restaurant meal. The hiking is feeling better but everyone is slowing down – especially in the afternoon. Hopefully, our pace will pick up once we get a glimpse of Katahdin.

Last night at the Pine Ellis is what I needed. Eileen was so sweet and she had coffee and muffins for us on the porch this morning before driving us back to the Trail at 7:00. I left with my new crew of hikers and we had a big climb to start the day. The weather was so much better today. It was misty and cloudy which kept the temperatures down and the sun off of our necks. It was a blast to chat with Nasty Noodle again and we compared funny stories from the Trail all day. Just when I needed it the most, the Trail provided some cooler weather and a relaxing fun day.

We hiked a pretty easy 18 miles to Sabbath Day Pond. I slowed down my pace with the new group and they liked to take lots of little breaks along the way. It really helped to recover and still got in the miles I was looking to do. As soon as we got in, we made a big fire and I went for a swim in the warm pond. It is a big pond but pretty shallow so it was refreshing but very comfortable. I got out and stood next to the fire to dry off.

Today also gave me some confidence back. I was feeling really beat up yesterday but I ended up feeling closer to normal by the time we finished today. We talked a lot about Katahdin. Once we get over the Bigelow Mountains we will start to see it before we head into the 100 mile wilderness. It’s going to be a great sight to see her on the horizon. This has been such a big dream for so many years and I can’t believe that I’m planning my summit day logistics. Damn – it feels good.

I should be in Stratton by Friday or Saturday and will need to find a ride into town for a resupply and maybe treat myself to a hotel bed. I will miss the camping for sure but over 100 days of it has me anxious for the comforts of home. For now, I’ll just sit back in my sleeping bag and watch the fire die down. The birds are singing their afternoon songs and a cool breeze is carrying away the humidity. The Trail continues to draw me farther down to my goal. Sometimes she leads me gracefully.

Ok. So you’ve made it to Maine but this beast isn’t over yet. If I had any advice for a thru hiker it is this – don’t spend too much in the Whites because Maine wants to be noticed too. I attacked the Whites and tried to show her I could keep up my same pace. I may have won the battle but she took a chunk out of me for sure. I am in a bit of a recovery hole. I am getting some more sleep now but waking as tired as I went to bed. I’ve been here before with overtraining and I know what I need to do – slow the hell down.

Honestly, I think this is a little how you are supposed to feel after hiking over 1,900 miles so I’m not that concerned. Every hiker I talk to is pretty beat up. Our conversations have turned from how beautiful everything is to how we are managing our bug bite sores. Like it or not, we are struggling so it’s time to be extra kind to our bodies. Today was easier than yesterday but still really challenging, hot and buggy. This adventure still has some serious work for me.

I started the day with a steep climb up Baldplate and it looks a lot like Stone Mountain. The hike is a steep ascent up granite and the views are amazing from the top. It was a really clear day just after sunrise and I got some good video for you. The descent back into the valley was not that steep and then when I got to the other side there was actual Trail. The dirt kind! I hadn’t seen that since Vermont and it felt so good to stop pecking across boulders and settle into a nice pace on the soft path.

I stopped for lunch at a roaring river and waterfall and spend some time soaking in the cool water away from the bugs. Astronaut, Jellyfish, Fire and NC’Ice were pushing another 26 miles today trying to get done by July 4 but I have a few extra days so I shortened by day to 17 and got a room in tiny Andover. The Trail Angel at the Pine Ellis Inn is so sweet. Eileen is in her 80s and loves to have thru hikers stay at her house. She showed up with cold lemonade for me for the ride into town.

When I arrived, I ran into a crew of hikers that I had met in Gorham, NH and they are also slowing down so I am going to head out with them in the morning. They are a sweet bunch and one of them (Nasty Noodle) and I hiked the first two weeks of the Trail with. It’s funny how we have been so close all this time but had not seen each other until now. I think slowing down a bit will do the trick and I have a plan that should still get me to Katahdin by July 5/6. Just have to take the next days as they come and be kind to my body.

Yesterday’s section was rated 10 in our guide – the most difficult rating on the AT. I didn’t want to believe it after getting out of the Whites. I thought it couldn’t get any tougher but I was fooling myself. This section also contains the especially cruel section called the Mahoosuc Notch but it was far from the only challenge of the day.

What makes this part of the Trail so hard is the terrain. Sure, the elevation is steep but there isn’t any “trail” to speak of. Just an endless series of steep boulders. If you are climbing, then the game is to find hand holds or nearby trees to haul yourself up. When descending, there is a lot of sliding on your butt and hoping you don’t pick up too much speed and loose control. It’s excruciatingly slow and dangerous so there is nothing that you can really do to speed anything up. I hiked from 6:00 until 7:30 with just two short breaks and still only got 17 miles in.

The Mahoosec Notch is in a category by itself. It is .8 miles long and took me two hours to get through it. It is a crazy jumble of huge boulders, logs and ice. You have to plan each move, try to execute it and hope it gets you over something that you can still move forward through. Many times I would be so proud that I was able to get up and over something just to realize that I couldn’t move forward from my new position. Backtracking was the only option. There were three places where I had to shove my pack under or over a rock and then drag it through after I got myself over. Crazy.

The reward for getting through the Notch is a nearly vertical rock climb ascent. It was a brutal collection today and I was feeling totally wiped out. I hadn’t slept well in days and was really struggling. Everything was hurting. I had to talk myself through this – out loud. I hope no one heard my motivational phrases but I had to do something. I called my favorite cheerleader Betty and she gave me a great pep talk. More cowbell, please!

I made it down to Grafton Notch and found my first SOBO hiker at the parking lot. His name was Hats Off (a hawk stole the hat off of his head) and he looked so fresh. He was clean, healthy looking and chipper. I probably scared the crap out of him when I came shuffling out of the woods hunched over and snarling through the day. You will have days like this buddy. It’s part of the fun. I had one more climb of the day to the campsite and treated myself to a bath in the cold stream and a big dinner. I had a great night’s sleep last night and feeling better about today. I might even get a ride into town tonight and buy a spoon. It doesn’t take much to please a thru hiker.

Whelp. It’s here. I made it to the border of Maine and it feels great. I headed out early today from the Rattle River Inn after a delicious chocolate chip pancake breakfast and hiked under cloudy skies and thick humidity. After the first couple of climbs, I started to hear thunder and it opened up with an nice summer rain shower that cleared out all of the mosquitoes and black flies for a few minutes. Although we are officially out of the Whites, we still have quite a bit of technical bouldering and climbing to get through.

It’s been an amazing journey to this point and I am feeling so good about getting here without any major issues. Fingers crossed – I want to keep it that way for sure so I am being extra careful on the wet boulders. The views from the summits today were really cool with the thunderstorms rolling in. I didn’t spend a lot of time on the top because of the lightning but I did get a few good shots for you.

A few miles from the shelter I met Jellyfish’s parents and their sweet dog Tesla with the most striking blue eyes I’ve ever seen on a dog. Sweet girl – when her parents left she wanted to keep hiking with us. These technical sections are no problem for her four wheel drive. I get such a kick about seeing dogs on the Trail and can’t wait to see Chuck. Just a couple more weeks!

We are camping tonight just across the Maine border and I have a ton of food with me from our resupply. The only problem is that I lost my spoon while we were at Rattle River so I made a custom set of chopsticks to carry with me for the rest of the trip. They work great and are lighter to carry than my spoon. Every little bit helps. We have a big day tomorrow. We are going through the Mahoosec Notch which our guide describes as “a deranged jumble of boulders at the bottom of this deep cleft between Fulling Mill Mountain and Mahoosuc Mountain. Be careful, and enjoy!”

Slack packing is amazing. I just took some water and lunch with me and I couldn’t feel my pack at all. As I hit the first climb up to the top of the Wildcat ski resort, it was a blast to move so quickly up and over the big boulders. Once I got up and over the first climb, I came upon a beautiful cold mountain lake and jumped in for a quick swim before the next series of summits.

I felt great after he swim and stopped at the top of the next climb for a quick lunch. It was a grab and go because the black flies were ferocious and wouldn’t leave me alone for an a second. I am trying my best not to use deet products for the bugs but today was testing my limits. That is probably why I started to go a little crazy today and started seeing faces in the rocks. At least they aren’t talking to me – yet.

The only thing I don’t like about slacking is that it really changes my focus. Since I can go faster without my equipment, I am focused on that more than the beautiful surroundings. I did stop several times at the lookouts for some great views and a cool breeze on this really hot day. It got over 90 degrees today and the heat was pretty intense as I dropped back down into the valley.

After the last climb of the Whites, the Trail flattened out pretty nicely but the mosquitoes came out in force along the river and I had to break into a jog to try to get away from them. As I got within a few miles of the inn, I called and ordered a pizza and salad and it showed up a few minutes after I got in. I am taking a rest day today and picked up all of my resupply items including my last box from Outdoor Herbivore. They included a sweet note on my invoice and I can’t believe that this really is the final push. I’ll be in Maine on Sunday afternoon! I’ll take tomorrow off from blogging but will be back on Monday. Thanks again for following and I love all the comments.

Slack packing is amazing. I just took some water and lunch with me and I couldn’t feel my pack at all. As I hit the first climb up to the top of the Wildcat ski resort, it was a blast to move so quickly up and over the big boulders. Once I got up and over the first climb, I came upon a beautiful cold mountain lake and jumped in for a quick swim before the next series of summits.

I felt great after he swim and stopped at the top of the next climb for a quick lunch. It was a grab and go because the black flies were ferocious and wouldn’t leave me alone for an a second. I am trying my best not to use deet products for the bugs but today was testing my limits. That is probably why I started to go a little crazy today and started seeing faces in the rocks. At least they aren’t talking to me – yet.

The only thing I don’t like about slacking is that it really changes my focus. Since I can go faster without my equipment, I am focused on that more than the beautiful surroundings. I did stop several times at the lookouts for some great views and a cool breeze on this really hot day. It got over 90 degrees today and the heat was pretty intense as I dropped back down into the valley.

After the last climb of the Whites, the Trail flattened out pretty nicely but the mosquitoes came out in force along the river and I had to break into a jog to try to get away from them. As I got within a few miles of the inn, I called and ordered a pizza and salad and it showed up a few minutes after I got in. I am taking a rest day today and picked up all of my resupply items including my last box from Outdoor Herbivore. They included a sweet note on my invoice and I can’t believe that this really is the final push. I’ll be in Maine on Sunday afternoon! I’ll take tomorrow off from blogging but will be back on Monday. Thanks again for following and I love all the comments.

Back in March when I started the Trail, I met a delightful young lady named Taylor from New Hampshire. I remember being very impressed with her hiking fitness as I watched her glide up those steep hills in North Carolina and asked her how she got so strong. New Hampshire, she explained. She was used to hiking the Whites so everything else seemed like child’s play! That was when I started to get worried. Taylor left the Trail back in March because of the virus but I kept her number handy and contacted her as soon as I got here. She sweetly offered to come out and hike with me for the day.

It was a warm day already when I got started on my “Prezie Traverse” around 6:00. The hike that I had planned was a twenty mile stretch across famous Mt. Washington and her slightly shorter sisters called Eisenhower, Adams, Madison and Pierce. They are steep like the rest of the Whites but what makes them really hard is the terrain. They are a jumble of huge jagged boulders that are really slow to hike. Every step is calculated as you balance your pack and hope you don’t make the wrong move. Some of these sections were taking nearly an hour to finish a mile.

The weather was clear but hot. The sun was beating down on me all day and finding water up here is a real challenge. Fortunately, one of the huts had a working spigot but I had to seriously ration my fluids to get through the day. Taylor started hiking on at Pinkerton and headed south and we met up right around then Madison Hut. It was great to catch up with her and share Trail gossip. She has seen a few hikers come through over the past few days and it was interesting to find out that I’ve caught up with a few groups that I thought were way ahead of me. Cant help that competitive spirit!

We slowly pecked our way down into the valley and got back to her car around 7:45. We ran into Fire (Dustin) on the Trail and he joined us for a ride into town for McDonalds. I had Taylor drop us off at the inn where we are going to be staying for the next few nights so we can slack pack the section today. Slack packing is where you take only the essentials that you need for that day and it really feels amazing to have such a light pack.

I’ll end with a few cool videos that I wanted to share with you now that I have WiFi. We are headed out shortly to complete the next twenty one mile section and will finish back here at the inn tonight. And then . . . a beautiful zero to celebrate getting through the Whites and less than 300 miles to go.

I think today was the hardest day I’ve had yet. I got up early to get started on what I knew was going to be a sporty 27 mile day over some of the toughest terrain in the Whites. The adventure started early with a nearly vertical descent down from the campsite on a part of the Trail that also serves as a small stream. It was tough navigating those wet rocks with my peanut butter bagel breakfast in hand.

The views from the summits and ridge lines were spectacular this morning. I came around the corner and was faced with this beautifully framed view of the mountain I was coming down and the ones that I had waiting for me this afternoon. I took an extra long lunch by a fast waterfall, showered in the cold water and then laid out in the sun on a rock and drank a cup of coffee. It was great but I had to get back on the Trail to finish the last fourteen miles of the day.

After lunch, I was treated to a chill section of flat Trail and I could relax a little and enjoy the easy hike. That all changed pretty quickly when I crossed the road and started the long six mile climb headed to our campsite. Once I got up on the ridge there were several boulder climbing sections that are really fun and I’m starting to get the hang of how I can use my pack weight to help it hurl me up over some of the big ones.

I finally got to the campsite around 8:00 and found it nearly destroyed with huge trees blown down everywhere. It looks like a tornado or microburst went through here recently and they made haven’t had a chance to clean it up. Fortunately, a few of the tent platforms were still intact and the privy was open for business.

I am looking forward to tomorrow. I am meeting up with Taylor. She lives here in New Hampshire and we hiked together for the first couple of weeks of March before she got off for the virus. She is a super strong hiker an an expert on the Whites. More importantly, she is going to hike me in a cold Coke!

We had a perfect plan today. An easy five mile hike to the road intersection and then Pancho (yes – crazy Pancho is in New Hampshire) was going to drive us in to Lincoln for a quick resupply to get is through the rest of the Whites. Just one problem – there was a mix up and Pancho was waiting for us a couple of miles down the road. To top it off, he was sitting in a cell dead zone so we had no idea where he was or how to reach him. He tried to hitch but that isn’t happening right now so after a while we were able to find another shuttle driver to take us into town.

I actually love these moments when the wheels come off. It reminds me that I am on this crazy adventure and it’s fun to problem solve these logistics. Plus, we have a great story about that time we were stumbling around on the side of the road starving and cranky and then all was good when we got to the Mexican restaurant. Ahhhh. The Mexican food was amazing and we got our resupply done and even a couple scoops of ice cream. Pancho finally tracked us down and gave us a ride back to the Trail at 2:00.

We still had over fifteen miles to go and it included some intense climbs and beautiful ridge hiking to Mt. Lafayette. It was so clear out today that we could see for hundreds of miles in every direction. Several of our climbs were nearly vertical boulder scrambles and those are fun but exhausting with a heavy pack with all of my resupply items.

Around 5:30 we still had another ten steep technical miles to go so we decided to cut it a little short and stay at the Garfield campsite. The campsite in the Whites are really amazing. They built tent platforms to protect the vegetation and the entire campsite is beautifully maintained by caretakers. Even the composting privies are nice. There is a lot of love that goes into these sites and it is so nice to get to enjoy these remote spots high up on the range.

So we are off schedule a bit but I am in the hands of the Whites now. I’ve decided to take the next few days as they come. This extreme terrain is fun but it doesn’t care one bit about tour plans. Oh, you want to push twenty miles each day through the Whites? We’ll see about that. 😮

I was pretty nervous about my first day in the Whites but it turned into my favorite day on the Trail. The climbs are intense but the views are worth it. I started with Mt. Mousilake this morning and got to the summit just as the clouds were rolling away. It was a bright blue cold day with a brisk wind coming from the north. The hike across that ridge line was a blast and I took some great video to show you when I get to WiFi this weekend.

As if that wasn’t enough for one day, I got a text message from Bryan about the wonderful SCOTUS decision that employment discrimination against LGBTQ persons is unlawful under the Civil Rights Act. I had been following one of the cases that had been consolidated into the opinion and didn’t expect to get this decision. I was high as a kite for the rest of the day. I called my colleagues Kim and Leslie from Kutak with whom I had been working alongside for years on our inclusiveness and diversity efforts. Bryan read pieces of the decision to me and I read the full decision this afternoon. What incredible news at such a dark time.

The hiking for the rest of the day was tough as heck but a lot of fun. It was more like bouldering than hiking and it was a full body experience hauling ourselves up and over these peaks. I tried to get a few shots of the New Hampshire style of trail but I don’t think it does it justice. There were a few times when I just stood at a wall of rock and laughed before throwing my body at it and hoping my pack didn’t drag me backwards. It worked most of the time and was slow going for sure. I decided that the Whites are not impressed with my prior hiking pace and that I needed to forget about that for the next week or so.

Our campsite is nestled on the lake of this beautiful alpine pond and we are going to get up early to see if we can spot a moose. They left large clues on the Trail today that they are around. Astronaut said this is the perfect habitat to spot them in the morning. I’ll make sure to have my camera ready for you.

Ok. I think I just needed some sleep and I had a great rest last night and felt much better today. I had the strangest dreams but I woke feeling rested and ready to go. I am so glad that I decided to wait to do that climb until this morning. I got up early and on Trail by 6:00 and the sunrise was amazing climbing up to Smarts Peak with a cup of coffee.

The views from the ridge lines were so big. It was so clear and sunny that it looked like I could see forever. After some fun but technical hiking across some of the smaller peaks, I stopped for lunch at a stream. An older gentleman stopped and asked if I was a thru hiker and wanted to take my picture. I told him my story and he snapped a shot and recorded my trail name in his journal. Later this evening, my hiker buddies told me that they also ran into the same gentlemen and he told them that he thought I was lying. He said there was no way a thru hiker would be in New Hampshire already. They laughed and assured him that we all started at Springer on the same day.

We are officially in the White Mountain range and it is going to be a challenging couple of days. My strategy is to get up early and hike these big climbs steady and slow. Once I get into camp then it will be rest and stretching to get ready for the next day. Here is our profile for the first climb! The exciting part is that we will have amazing views from all of these peaks we will be climbing and I am looking forward to seeing the summit of Mt. Washington later this week where they have recorded the strongest winds in the world. Let’s hope it’s a tailwind.

It’s hard to believe that I am in the 13th state on the Appalachian Trail. My mind can’t catch up but my body sure has. I couldn’t get to sleep last night in that nice bed and am feeling exhausted today. The three cup of ambition that I had this morning got me out of the door but I was dragging all day. I didn’t feel like making one more big climb today so I am solo stealth camping and will get up early and attack it with fresh legs.

As tired as I am, I nailed my bear hang on the first try! It is perfect. High, far away from the tree trunk and a good distance from my tent. It is the little things like this that cheer me up on an otherwise grumpy Trail day. I’ve been sore all over the last few days and I think the stress of that is also adding up. I am going to take it a bit slower over the next few days and see if that helps. If not, just push harder – right?

This part of the thru hike is really where the mental game is coming in. I don’t feel stressed about resupply or the other logistics but it is the everyday aches and pains that are adding up. I have been trying to focus more on my surroundings and taking more mini breaks to help with this and I think it is working. It’s also getting so close to the end but I still have the hardest mountains to climb. Literally and figuratively. I hope this is where all that great personal growth stuff that I’ve been hearing about is going to happen!

Today was also hard because there were so many dogs on the Trail and I am missing Chuck in a bad way. Do you remember that scene from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure movie right after he realized that his bike has been stolen? Pee Wee is sitting on a park bench and every kind of bicycle that you could imagine rides by. Yup, that’s what I feel like.

I’m hanging in there though. I didn’t expect every day to be happy clappy but no matter how much this can hurt it sure beats my desk at work. I texted a few trail buddies that are a little ways behind me and they are all doing great. I like giving them recommendations on places we have camped out at or stayed. I hope I can also spend some time giving them Trail magic when I get done.

There really isn’t any better hiking music for me than Dolly Parton. I’m not a country music fan but after recently listing to the podcast Dolly Parton‘s America, I’ve been really interested in her music. Her voice and lyrics are so perfect for the Trail. She was born and raised in Appalachia and maybe that is why she seems so perfect for me now.

I was listening to her essentials today when I came to a Trail intersection and wasn’t paying much attention to the blazes. I got off course and ended up backtracking southbound for over two miles before I finished a nasty climb up to a beautiful field of thistles. Damn it. I’ve been to this beautiful field of thistles before – just an hour ago. I felt pretty silly but Dolly led me astray. Her songs just take me somewhere else and this time it took me in the exact wrong direction!

It wasn’t a great day to add extra miles. We were pushing over 28 miles to get into Hanover, New Hampshire and this little detour took me over 30 for sure. There is a big difference to me between doing a 20-25 mile day and anything more than that. It is really about having enough down time in camp to recover. If I can get in by 7:00 or so then I feel pretty good the next day. Tonight we got into Hanover around 8:30 and found out there wasn’t anywhere to stay.

In a normal year, the Dartmouth Outing Club invites thru hikers to camp in the green space on the main campus quad. Because of the virus this year, they are not allowing this and all of the hotels in town are closed. I saw an add for an inn that was still open in Norwich and thankfully they had space available for us at the last minute and came and picked us up. It was great to get a shower and a bed for the night and not really sure what we would have done otherwise.

We are officially in the next to the last state – New Hampshire. I’m going to take the next two days a little easier to get rested up for the White Mountain range. I’m looking forward to it but they are going to be a challenge for sure.

There was an ominous sign at the start of the Trail this morning. It said “YOU ARE ENTERING BEAR COUNTRY” and reminded us of the food storage requirements. Less than two miles into this section, I spotted a large black bear running away from the Trail after he sensed me getting closer. He was a good five footer and it was such a thrill to be together in the same space. Such a beautiful animal.

It rained pretty hard all morning but my spirits were way up because I was picking up my new shoes that Bryan shipped to me. He was so sweet to also pack in two new shirts. He knows better than anyone how much I don’t want this trip to end and he bought me a shirt with the phrase “The Trail Never Ends.” I hope so and what a great gift for me right now. Two points for Bryan.

The post office in Killington was next to a deli and I had a nice breakfast and coffee while I laced up my new shoes. They felt amazing but one of the first things I did was take a hard fall on the road as I hiked out. I slipped on a piece of plastic and went sprawling all over the road. I’ve found that once you slip with a pack on you are almost guaranteed to fall backwards with all that weight. Best to just go along for the ride. Luckily, I was fine and back on my feet in no time. I wasn’t long on the Trail before I christened my new shoes in a big pile of moose scat. Well, they are broken in now.

The rain cleared and the rest of the hike was great. I saw a hundred or so of our orange gecko friends and a friendly snake that was out sunning in the Trail. I am still seeing a lot of frogs and butterflies. I have my eyes peeled for a moose and I am just hoping the iPhone is out and ready to capture a shot for you.

Ahhhh. So happy to get back on the Trail this morning. The double zero was nice but I was anxious to get back into the woods. It was a beautiful cool morning when our shuttle driver Steamboat picked us up. He is an avid trail runner and was excited to run the ski trails near our condo where we were staying. He parked his truck in front of our place early in the morning and went for a long run and then shuttled us back to the Trail promptly at 9:00.

The Trail section we did today was fantastic. We are still deep in Vermont ski country and today we climbed up and over Killington Peak. There was a soft rain all day that just made everything look even more lush and green. I really enjoyed the steady climb up the mountain and rediscovered my Trail legs (and the aches and pains too!).

The transition from town to the Trail is really interesting to me. I first notice how much softer everything looks back on the Trail and I love hearing all of my familiar bird friends greet me. Things start to slow down. Mostly my mind. I take softer steps and as I get deeper into the woods I can start to let go of whatever I was holding. The news over the last few days has been especially disturbing and it took me pretty much all day to feel my shoulders start to relax.

I saw a huge frog and I was surrounded for several hours by tiny white butterflies. They were riding the stiff breeze that was blowing all day and they sure beat the black flies and mosquitoes that we had in southern Vermont. I also saw this odd looking snake/salamander thing that I haven’t been able to identify.

I am also feeling a little pre-nostalgia as we are reaching our last 500 miles. I was thinking a lot about my first 500 miles today and that was the night we spent with the wild ponies at Grayson Highlands. So many awesome experiences that I’ve had on this trip. I know I have a lot more coming but I truly don’t want this to end.

Except for one thing. Well, three actually. Bryan and Chuck. Oh, and LD too. I’m missing my buddies back home bad and can’t wait to be with them. I just wish they could come join me on the Trail and we could spend the day hunting down fun critters.

We are really enjoying our several days off in the Ludlow ski resort area. The weather has been so cool and the sun shining during the day while we are running our resupply errands. The only tricky part is that town is at the base of the hill and we are not! More climbing practice for New Hampshire. I will be back with updates when we get back on Trail in Wednesday but until then I hope you like these two short videos.

Stratton Pond is a really special place. It is a peaceful large mountain pond that can only be reached on foot. It is remote, quiet and cold. A perfect place to recharge after a long hot day of hiking. We started off a little earlier than usual and we had a big climb up and over Stratton Mountain. We climbed the fire tower at the top and the views were incredible on such a clear bright day.

After descending off of the mountain we stopped for a nice long swim at Stratton Pond. The water was 70 degrees at the surface and it felt so good especially on my feet and sore calf muscles. The best part about it is that we got a break from the relentless black fly invasion. As soon as I got out though, those guys were waiting on me and I made quick work of getting my back organized and headed back down the Trail.

We’ve covered over 80 miles in the last few days and apart from being hungrier than usual I feel pretty good. I’ve never done anything for such an extended period of time like this and it’s interesting to watch how my body is adapting. I thought I would reach some sort of plateau but I still think my legs and feet and getting stronger each day. We are going to be taking a few days off starting Sunday and I think that will be perfect timing before we hit New Hampshire.

We passed a lot of beaver bogs today and this one had a huge beaver den built right in the center. I am always on the look out for a beaver sighting but I haven’t spotted one yet. The cute orange newts are back. I saw several today and it has been a blast to track them all along the Appalachian ridge line.

Just as soon as I stepped over the state line, Vermont lived up to its nickname – Vermud. I found myself at the edge of a muddy part of the Trail that was full of frogs. As I was trying to snap a picture, I lost my balance and had to catch myself by stepping my right foot into a foot deep section of the dark mud. I was stuck in way deep and couldn’t get my shoe out without backing my foot out. As I was trying to maneuver that, I almost tipped backwards and just barely kept from falling by grabbing a tree limb. Now, I was cracking up. I sloshed around in my sock foot and rescued my shoe.

It took a good while to get myself sorted out and I continued down the hill enjoying the forest service road part of the Trail. After a few minutes, I realized that I had gotten off course a while back and didn’t see any white blazes around. I turned around and headed back up the hill to discover that the Trail cut off to the east. That’s right – just before the big mud pit that tried to eat me. All that drama and I wasn’t even on the dang Trail.

It was that kind of day. I picked a nice spot next to a beaver dam for lunch and dumped everything out of my backpack to settle in for a long lunch and a cup of PG Tips tea. As soon as was settled in I was swarmed by black flies. These guys are way worse than mosquitoes and they leave tiny red welts everywhere they bite. I grabbed everything and held it in my arms and went stumbling out of there as quickly as I could and had to go a pretty good ways down the Trail before they let me eat in peace.

The rest is the day was much better. I got to retrace some steps on part of the Trail that I’ve hiked before. I took a long weekend and flew up here to Bennington to hike this section. That was two years ago when I really got serious about wanting to thru hike. I had such a blast on that trip because I got to meet a bunch of thru hikers that really got me excited. I couldn’t see a way back then how this was going to happen but dreamed about it anyway. And here I am. I’m so glad a listened to those hikers and let their funny stories encourage me.

There is a full moon tonight and we are camping right in the border of Massachusetts and Vermont after a much longer day than we expected. We all have the same approach to how we read our AT maps. We follow the line maps only and never ever look at the profile. The profile maps can really get you down if you focus too much on them. I just want to look at distances and the cool spots to check out along the way. So, we had no idea that we had a six mile climb up to Mt. Greylock. I guess the name should have tipped us off that something was up.

The slog up there was totally worth it. The trees turned to huge firs and the wind was coming up the mountain just strong enough to keep the day feeling cool in the sun. On top of the mountain is a huge war memorial but my favorite part was this sweet cabin on this clear pond. It is so peaceful and quiet at this spot and it would be an wonderful place to spend a week or two reading and hiking all of the great trails in this area.

Massachusetts has been such a treat to hike through and I am already missing it. Not to worry because Vermont is on deck next and I know this part of the Trail from some hiking I did out here to get ready for Grand to Grand. It is muddy for sure but the terrain is so special. The Long Trail starts in Vermont and intersects with the AT for a while and was the inspiration for creating the full distance Trail from Georgia to Maine. What an inspiration it is. I can’t wait to share some of my favorite spots.

You may have been placing bets against me but I pulled one out of the hat. All three of my packages were in Dalton when I arrived! It was like Christmas morning. Wait, there is one more for you to open. I had a huge box of food that I had mailed to myself from Delaware Water Gap, new shorts from Chubbies and a new merino wool hiking shirt that Bryan bought for me. The shirt is supposed to be smell proof. We will see about that.

I crashed here in Dalton at a pretty sketchy hotel. Well, the only hotel. I went to Wal-Mart and then got myself reorganized and all my gear cleaned. I love washing out my pack and doing laundry. It makes me feel ready for the next hundred miles of Vermont. Astronaut, NC’Ice and Jellyfish camped about five miles down the Trail and I am going to hike the next few days solo and meet up with them again in Wallingford, Vermont. I’ll miss their company but I think the alone time will be nice too.

I am sitting outside on the sidewalk waiting for my breakfast and for the post office to open. The locals here in Dalton treat thru hikers like celebrities. So many friendly people are stopping to hear about the hike and give recommendations on the town. I love these little trail towns and they love their hikers. The businesses are really missing the normal rush of hikers they would get around this time but I told them they should be getting twice as many next year.

I heard from Jitter yesterday and she is back on Trail! She texted me from Dragon’s Tooth. I’m so glad the is back but I’m too far north to have any chance of hiking with her again. I didn’t have the heart to tell her about Pennsylvania. I am headed out know for a particularly pretty stretch up to the Vermont border. Massachusetts has been wonderful and looking forward to the beautiful but muddy section through Vermont.

During the hike today, I was reminiscing about all of the trail magic that we had in the southern states and thought we wouldn’t see that again before we finish. Right on cue, a gentleman came walking southbound on the Trail and asked me whether I was a thru hiker. Here was our sweet trail magic again!

This is Spineless Cougar and he drives over from Albany, New York to help out hikers. I used to be so polite and demure at these magic spots but I have changed over the last 1,000 miles into Mr. Bungle. Mr. Bungle is the villain in the 1950s educational filmstrip about lunchroom manners reintroduced on the Pee Wee’s Playhouse series. Check it out for yourself here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9nml8ddJpg

When I stumbled out of the woods and met Spineless I was a lot more demanding. I downed a Coke and Gatorade and then asked if I could take more to go. I asked him to take my trash and ate half of his cookies. Mind if I pee next to your car? No small talk for this guy. I had 14 more miles to go and grabbed my goodies and headed back to the Trail. It was so sweet of him to do this and it is really appreciated. I’ve just become a little more “food aggressive” as the miles pile up.

The hike today was perfect. The temperatures stayed in the low 60s and we had sunshine all day. I took a really long lunch break near Knee Deep Pond and picked several ticks off of me. It is getting that time of the year and I am being more careful to use Picaridin wipes and make sure I don’t have them on me for long. I also ran into a botanist from the National Science Foundation. She was out collecting samples in this part of the valley that she says has never been logged. It was so interesting to talk to her about all of the plants she is studying. I could have talked with her all day.

Tomorrow is an easy day into Dalton, Massachusetts to pick up all (yes ALL) three of my packages that have been spinning around in the postal service system over the last few weeks. It will be great to have a new hiking outfit and a fresh supply of Outdoor Herbivore to carry me through Vermont.

Ever since we hit our first deli in New Jersey we started to develop a bad habit of going into town for lunch even when it isn’t convenient. Isn’t that the definition of an addiction? Repeating a behavior that isn’t good for you even when you know it isn’t good for you. Today was low point and we need help! We were dead set on going into Great Barrington today for lunch but town was miles away.

We found a great bagel deli and sat outside in the grass and ate our sandwiches in the cool breeze. After the cold front came through last night, today was clear, cool and windy. The wind kept the mosquitoes and gnats down and the cooler temps made for ideal hiking weather. We are in the Berkshire mountain range for the next few days and it is so beautiful right now. The Trail is dotted with clear ponds and tiny gorges filled with swimming holes. Western Massachusetts is in a close second place to Virginia as my favorite part of then Trail.

We also saw Pancho today! He was up here over the weekend helping out some of our hiker friends. He has stayed really busy this year all up and down the Trail helping people resupply. I am trying to talk him into making this a full time gig. He needs to clean out the van and take out that huge pair of subwoofers that take up most of the van space. If he gets a little more organized, he could really do well at next season. He is great at what he does and now there are thru hikers asking for the “Pancho Experience.” Most of that entails digging through the piles of stuff in one of his many boxes and bags of hiker food and gear scattered all over the back of the van. The other (and best) part is listening to Pancho retell all of the thru hiker gossip. He knows where everyone is, who is dating and who is injured and he loves to hear what we’ve heard on the Trail. I can’t imagine what he will do next year with a normally crowded community of 4,000 hikers.

It seems like just yesterday that we entered the beautiful state of Connecticut and she is already behind us. I woke to a light rain coming down on the tent and it ended just before I needed to get up and on the Trail. Our first stop was just six miles out of town in the picture perfect town of Falls River for breakfast at the Toymakers Cafe.

I ordered the peanut butter cup waffles and they were amazing. I don’t think I could have eaten all of this off Trail but it went down quickly being no match for the hiker hunger. The hike out of Falls River was gorgeous and the Trail was lined with tall purple wildflowers that created a colorful tunnel.

The Trail crosses several large fields up over steep Bear Mountain. On the other side of Bear Mountain, I walked into Salisbury to finally retrieve my sleeping pad that I had sent home. It had arrived at the post office in Kent (thank you Bryan!) a day after I left. Bryan called the post office to have it forwarded along to Massachusetts. Instead, a sweet postal employee offered to leave it in her front yard in Salisbury for me to pick up. It was such a kind gesture and got me back to comfortable sleep a few days early.

About nine miles out of Salisbury we stopped at a famous swimming hole with unbelievably ice cold water. It felt so good but I could only stand it for a few minutes. Fortunately, that is all it took for my legs and feet to feel better. Cold water does the trick every time. Then we passed across then border into Massachusetts – my tenth state. I can’t believe that I’ve covered 1,500 miles in just three months.

Our final climb of the day was really steep but the views were worth it. It was so clear that we could see the Catskills off to the west. We didn’t stay at the top too long though because a big storm was moving in and we had to run down the mountain to get to our campsite before the winds and rain started. We made it in time and ate dinner quickly and got tucked into our sleeping bags. It’s going to be a cold night but tomorrow’s weather is supposed to be ideal for hiking.

You know something good has happened when you see your name in sticks! Way better than lights and so very carbon neutral. My dear friend Betty found out today that her multiple myeloma is in full remission! She battled hard with a full round of chemotherapy and then stem cell replacement and she is finally on the other side. I was so relieved and the tears of joy just came pouring out. I had a wonderful cry and felt so happy for Betty and overwhelmed with how strong she has been through everything. You know Betty – never missed a beat. She juggled all of these complicated procedures, was a wonderful wife and friend, worked full time, exercised and kept a positive attitude throughout. I just shake my head when I think about everything she has been through and on top of all that during a global pandemic. So proud of you Betty and I can’t wait to celebrate with you in person. In the meantime, you’ll have to party the virtual way and laugh at my silly jump selfie. I know how much you like these.

Betty’s wonderful news really helped balance me out today. The events over the last few days have been shocking and I was so thankful for the diversion. I woke up early and grabbed a great coffee at the fancy pastry shop in Kent and then hit the Trail with a pretty steep climb out of town. It was so lush and green today and the birds were all enjoying the warm weather. This picture is from a beautiful and flat 4 mile section along the river and it was a great break from the rest of the day filled with pretty technical and steep climbs on wet rocks.

We are camping pretty remotely today and the owls are already out and making a ruckus. Sometimes I think they are just showing off to the crazy humans hiding in their tents. This is definitely bear country too and Astronaut saw two baby cubs in a tree just outside our camp. That means mom is somewhere close so I am happy that they have a bear box here. I will leave you with a great shot of a wild lady slipper orchid that I found this afternoon.

Yesterday was a long day and when I got into Kent, Connecticut I decided I was going to take a zero. If they would have me. The AT intersects with Kent right outside a beautiful private high school that looks like a college campus complete with an ice skating rink. The Kent School is one of the top schools in the country with an annual tuition price tag that exceeded my entire educational costs. The town itself looks like a Disney version of a quaint country town. Well, one that is washed down in cash every day. The Main Street is lined with fancy bakeries, hip restaurants and public sculptures. Thru hikers are NOT their target market and we stumbled on that pretty quickly.

As soon as I got into town I went straight to the laundromat. It was open but no one else was there so I thought it would be okay to drop my shorts and throw those into the washing machine and then change into my pants. It was not okay. A woman came out of the side office and said “Hey, you aren’t in the woods anymore and you are on camera.” I was humiliated and apologized profusely. It amazing even to me how quickly we forget how things are supposed to work in the real world. She just laughed and said “Don’t worry about it. You aren’t the first one to do that. Today.”

Astronaut, Jellyfish and NC’Ice got it a few hours later and it was after dark. They had hiked into town and found all the restaurants closed and didn’t want to hike all the way back up the Trail to the nearest shelter so they set up their tents on a lush ball ground. It looked like a park but it turns out it was smack dab in the middle of the fancy prep school property. The security guard was very polite about the whole thing the next morning and they got a good night’s rest. We are getting the feeling that we might not be a good fit for Kent.

I was settling into my zero rest day very nicely and it must have looked pretty sweet to those three because they never made it out of town. Their plans kept changing from 16 miles, then 12 and finally they conceded that they were going to spend the night here and we’ll get back on Trail tomorrow. It felt great to rest and get everything reset for our next push in to Massachusetts. We will have to have another go at Kent when we are acting a little more civilized.

Not all rocks are evil. The little buggers in Pennsylvania could pay attention to what these sweet guys are up to here in Connecticut. As soon as I crossed the border, I noticed a series of beautifully painted rocks with encouraging sayings on them. They came at a good time too as today was a hot and long 29 mile day to get into Kent, Connecticut.

It is really warming up on the Trail and now my days are focused on finding the next cool stream or lake to take a dip in. I found a strong flowing cold river about mid-afternoon and sat and soaked in it for a while. It felt amazing and really helped with the rest of the climbs. There were a ton of cute critters out today and at least one was in big trouble. I heard something screaming in the leaves and thought it was a bird. It turned out to be a little frog that had one of its legs in the grips of a snake bite. I scared the snake away and the little guy went hopping away.

I got into Kent early evening and did laundry and ate a wonderful meal at a restaurant! No really. I sat outside and ordered off a real menu and ate off of plate with silverware. It was so nice to linger over a good dinner while my gear got cleaned. I checked into a nice inn down the street and am going to enjoy a great night in a real bed.

I am back to battle with the Post Office tomorrow. I literally beat one of my packages here from Glenwood Lake and I am walking for crying out loud! I am also in the process of ordering a new set of hiking clothes and spent a good part of the day trying to make sure those are on the way. I finally had to give up on the shirt and Bryan went and bought one for me in Atlanta and is mailing it to me. Wish us luck!

I can’t believe that I almost in Massachusetts and have been thinking a lot about slowing down. I’m enjoying it so much out here and I really don’t want to rush the experience. My only hesitation is that I would lose the buddies that I’ve been hiking with. It’s a hard decision but I think that is where I am headed. Hike your own hike!

We are using a smart phone app called Guthook for just about everything we need on Trail. It has amazing real time mapping and elevation data and great suggestions for places to see and nearby restaurants and resupply locations. The best part about Guthook is the crowd sourced comments and suggestions. Hikers will leave recommendations and warnings that are really helpful and funny.

Our favorite comments are from Poopy Butthole. It looks like he was a 2019 north bounder and a prodigious commentator all along the Trail. Each night after dinner we spend some time planning out the next day and we invariably come upon one of his or her notes and we say, “Well, Poopy Butthole says . . .” Most importantly, PB has not steered us wrong yet. Today, we visited a lake for an early morning swim and the advice was dead on. Worth the stop but we had to fight the mosquitos to get to the water!

Today’s hike was more fun than usual. It was a hot day and the lake felt so wonderful to cool off in. We stopped at another deli in the late afternoon and then Astronaut climbed this big beautiful tree that found we near the campsite. We can really feel how nature is taking back over as we get farther away from New York City. It was fun to see all of that but we are happy to be in a more secluded part of the Hudson valley.

We have a long day tomorrow but will be in Connecticut by early afternoon and (fingers crossed) a food resupply at the post office. I think my package is there waiting for me but I’ll believe it when I see it.

For the first few weeks of the hike we were battling some serious cold and rainy conditions. Our favorite saying to help us through these tough times was “Embrace the Suck.” The conditions sucked but we were training ourselves to deal with it. Face it head on and just know that it won’t last forever. This strategy worked for sure and it has been adapted as the temperature warms up.

The humidity is getting more intense and the afternoons are warming up. The gnats and mosquitos are coming alive and following us as we hike in an annoying haze. The spiderwebs crisscross the Trail and cover us in a thin layer of sticky residue. We are sweating all day and our clothes are constantly wet. Add in the bug spray and sunscreen and you have a quite slimy situation. The new mantra is “Embrace the Slime.”

I like it tidy and I knew this was going to be hard for me. I was daydreaming all day today of a shower or at least a deep stream to clean off in. I was fantasizing about clean hiking clothes and washing out my nasty backpack but I won’t be in town for another three days. When we got to our campsite tonight I was so happy to see that they had a well water pump house with clean cold water on tap! I spent about 30 minutes there taking a nice cold shower and scrubbing my hiking clothes out and hanging them up to dry. I felt like a new man. Not sure if I smelled any better but it felt amazing.

The 22 mile hike today was great except for a disappointing experience at Bear Mountain. As we came across the back side of the park we were facing a sad sight. There was trash everywhere. Water bottles, clothes, masks, diapers and toilet paper littered the Trail for several miles. A volunteer was out collecting as much as she could and I stopped to thank her. She said for some reason this area attracts a lot of day hikers and they are always trashing it. It was infuriating but seeing her gave me hope that there was someone else who care about keeping the park clean.

Jellyfish cracked me up this afternoon. As we were having lunch together at a deli today I noticed this huge stick attached to her pack. She explained that she lost her spoon a few days ago and she was whittling another one from a small tree branch. To prove it works she ate dinner with it tonight. Now that some awesome upcycling!

New York is becoming one of my favorite parts of the Trail. There is so much fun variety in the terrain and the views of the valleys are spectacular. We had some bouldering climbs today and a lot of other technical hiking that makes the day go by so quickly. I stopped for lunch on top of a nice grassy hill and there was a perfect breeze coming up the mountain. I had a bottle of Coke stashed away and I broke that out today on my lunch break. It tasted better than a bottle of fine champagne!

After lunch, I ran into a woman and we got to chatting. She was amazed at what I was doing and had a bunch of nice questions about the logistics of the Trail. Before I left she blurted out in a thick Russian accent “You are good omen.” I haven’t been called that before and I quite liked it. She was so happy to see someone hiking the Trail this year and it was sweet of her to get so excited. It’s nice to feel so welcome out here. It feels like people are starving for hope. Happy to oblige.

The end of the day was a pretty steep climb at sunset up to West Mountain Shelter with a view of Manhattan across the Hudson. Well, a view of the fog across the Hudson that is hiding the view. I heard about this place years ago and was so excited camp here tonight. It is quite a hike from the Trail but it’s worth it.

I got up at 4:30 to hike the 13 miles to Glenwood Lake NY to pick up my food resupply package. It was fun getting out early and the Trail started with a steep climb up over the rocky hillside that ran along side the valley where we spent the night. When I crossed the NJ/NY border there was a long series of boulders to hike that would have been a blast except that they were slick as ice in the light rain that fell all day. I slipped a half a dozen times but nothing serious. Just really slow going. I jammed out to Taylor Swift’s “Welcome to New York” as I navigated the boulders. It was taking much longer than I expected and I jogged up to the post office just before it closed.

Yikes! No package. This is super frustrating but not unexpected. The postal worker that sent the package for me in Delaware Water Gap explained that everything is a “hot mess” at their main distribution center in New Jersey and even showed me a picture of a huge postal warehouse backlogged with thousands of packages. I would have been a lot cooler about it all but this particular package had all of my food for the next week. Fortunately, there was a CVS next door and I’ve gotten pretty darn good at learning how to cobble together meals from drug stores and gas stations. I’ll be eating traditional hiker trash meals like Mac n Cheese, tuna packets and trail mix until I get to Connecticut. The real pain is trying to get this box bounced to another post office down the Trail. It is still spinning around somewhere in Jersey City. Wish me luck.

The good news about the trip into Glenwood Lake was the pizza. Just barely over the border and I am officially in pizza heaven. No one knows how to bake huge thin crust slices like New Yorkers. I scarfed down a huge beautiful salad and three slices on the steps outside of the pizza joint in the rain. A woman walked by and asked “Dining al fresco?” That sounds way classier when you put it that way. I smiled and took another huge bite of pizza and then headed next door to a French bakery for a huge chocolate chip cookie and a coffee. I am really going to miss eating like this when I finish. It really is a blast to eat so much delicious food and not gain any weight.

The cute orange geckos are back. These guys are my favorite and there were dozens on the Trail today. They look like the same ones that I saw in Virginia but a lot smaller. I was kneeling down on the Trail talking to one for a while when a woman came by and admired them with me. She said “Oh, these guys are my favorite – it’s like Christmas out here for me today.” I agreed. They are so sweet and seem to like to be held.

I finished the day at just over 25 miles and pretty worn out. We are stealth camping tonight near a pond. Stealth camping is my favorite. It is so fun to make a little home for myself out of nothing. I just need a relatively flat space and a water source. It feels like a real back country adventure. It’s super quiet at this spot tonight and I had some nice down time before bedtime to watch a movie and enjoy the warm weather.

We had the most amazing day of cool critters. First, our campsite was filled with birds and owls that were so active and loud all night. We got to laughing pretty hard at one bird that woke us up early with a screeching song that sound more like a house alarm than birdsong. The owls were going crazy all night either hunting or mating but they sounded like a pack of monkeys. As soon as we left camp, we found a big pile of fresh bear scat about 20 yards from our tents. So glad he stayed away but we know those guys are out there at night!

Our 28 mile hike today was a little longer than usual but we had another delicious deli break at Noon. It was so nice to kick back on the porch and eat a big sandwich and some ice cream. After lunch, I hiked over to a nearby town to pick up a package for Astronaut. They were a few hours behind and couldn’t get there before the post office closed. Luckily, I made it just in time and there was another deli next to the post office that had ice cream with fudge sauce.

The last part of the day was really cool. This part is a three mile elevated boardwalk through a wetlands marsh. The birds loved this area and I got a good shot of this beautiful black bird with bright orange and yellow wings. I had seen smaller versions of these in Virginia but their New Jersey cousins are much bigger.

New Jersey continues to amaze. We are camping behind a garden center and farm tonight right off of the Trail. The owners allow thru hikers to set up tents and use their water and electricity. I am headed out really early tomorrow to get to Glenwood Lake NY before the post office closes. I mailed a box of food to myself so I wouldn’t have to carry so much and I hope this all works out as planned. The postal service has been really slow lately so no guarantees. I’ll leave you with one more video of a the boardwalk portion of the Trail. Enjoy.

I first heard about deli blazing from Pop Rocks way back in Hiawassee and it sounded so far off and exotic. Well, here we are and it is everything that it was cracked up to be. We woke to a cool 35 degree morning and a beautiful sunrise. After an easy seven mile hike, we popped out of the woods in front of the Sunrise Appalachian Trail Deli. The owner John was so excited to see us. He loves thru hikers and goes out of his way to make us feel welcome. He has a charging station, hiker box and hiker logbook. He asked what we wanted and then stopped himself and said that we wanted the best cheesesteak sandwich in the world with all the fixings.

John was right. His cheesesteak was amazing and he served delicious strong coffee and jelly cookies with them. It was one of those moments that I won’t forget. A sweet group of friends enjoying great food on a beautiful morning on the Trail. It takes a lot to get here but when everything falls into place you know it. It’s that feeling that you are having the time of your life. I was truly in the moment and captured that moment in my mind (and my tastebuds).

Our 20 mile hike today was beautiful and the terrain was so easy. We are all so pleasantly surprised by the New Jersey section. It is so well maintained and dotted with interesting features and places to enjoy the views. We are so close to New York City but it feels a million miles away. I am day dreaming a lot about NYC lately and look forward to the day when I can go back and soak up her energy.

The mental challenges were a little steeper today. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) issued another letter yesterday and that was followed by a New York Times article about the Trail. The ATC letter was hard to read. The tone is harsh and attacks the moral judgments of thru hikers still on Trail. The NYT article was balanced but the combination of the two really brought back the struggles that I had come to peace with. I spent most of the day in imaginary arguments – mostly with myself. And then I stopped. I am the only one that can decide if what I am doing is right. These moral judgments are coming from a misunderstanding of how we are behaving. Masks, social distancing, excellent hygiene and a careful approach to every interaction in town and on the Trail is how we are conducting ourselves. It’s not easy to do the hike this way but we care deeply about the health of everyone we meet. I’m going to put this down for good now and continue hiking. Safely.

Ahhhhh. New Jersey. Beautiful, sweet, lovely New Jersey. I know I said some harsh words about her last week but I take them all back. The Trail is so nice here and mostly because we are starting to see the rocks dissipate as we get farther from Pennsylvania. There are also a lot of beautiful ponds and lakes to sit by and take a break.

We had a productive but restful zero day in Delaware Water Gap. There was everything that we needed to resupply and do laundry nearby but the highlight of this sweet town was the bakery down the street from our hotel. We each went there at least four times and sampled just about everything they had on the menu. The crowd favorite was the $2.95 hot dog and apple pie combo special and their sign was so darn cute.

I left town early and it was a perfect day for hiking. Dry and cool with bright sunshine. As much as I enjoyed the rest I was so ready to get back into the woods. I could feel my body relax as I made that first climb out of town. I stopped by a few of the lakes and enjoyed the views. I didn’t see many critters but Fire ran into a pretty good sized rattlesnake.

The group is intentionally scattered a bit today. Astronaut and Jellyfish are hiking a few days with a local friend. The other guys went ahead to check out an”secret shelter.” NC’Ice and I decided that we wanted to check out New Jersey’s largest waterfall so we camped at a nice spot 20 miles from town and then hiked a pretty steep section down to the falls. The falls were just okay but the best part was standing in the ice cold water to rest our feet and legs. When we got back up to our campsite the sunset was a deep orange on the horizon.

It should be a great quiet night. Unfortunately, I accidentally sent home my sleeping pad with my winter clothes so it will be a few nights of old fashioned leaves for cushions for me until I can get to an outfitter. 😬 Good news is that we are getting into the “Deli Blazing” section for the Trail soon and we hit our first one tomorrow morning. Hiker hunger is stronger than ever and we are going to hit as many of these great delis as we can. We are all going to meet back up tomorrow and then we will have just three more days until we cross the border into New York.

I have an outsized place in my heart for friends. I think it comes from my childhood growing up in a military family. We moved so often and I was plopped down in a new town every few years and had to make friends on fly. These connections grounded me in a way that I needed so badly and to this day they are some of the most important relationships in my life.

A few years ago, Bryan and I went on our first vacation to Guana Island in the British Virgin Islands. It is an amazing place but what is really special for us are the four dear couples we met there and who accepted us into their circle. They have been going there for many years and they shared the island with us so graciously. Pam and JP, Susan and John, Sue and Collin and Polly and Fred Beste. We had a beautiful dinner together on the Camanoe Terrace the second night we were on the island and have been great friends ever since. They are all so kind, open, warm and intelligent. Their conversations are funny and interesting and we get to spend a blissful week with these sweet souls every year. Sadly, Polly lost her dear Fred a year and a half ago.

Polly lives near the AT and met us with McMuffin sandwiches and coffee for everyone. She also made us homemade cookies and hung out with us for an hour while we enjoyed our treats. It was great to see Polly and talking with her transported me back to the Guana Island bliss that I carried with me for the rest of the day. Dear friends are so important and it was so wonderful for her to take the time to help us so generously.

Before I started the Trail, I made a list of the things that I wanted most from this adventure. At the top was the chance to make new friends. Our crew that has formed over the last few weeks as more than fulfilled that goal. They are a blast to hang out with and great hiking partners. We spend our days hiking fast and our evenings playing fun word games and puzzles. It’s exactly what I was looking for and I’m so thankful for their friendship.

We are taking a zero day today in Delaware Water Gap. It feels great to sleep in and give our feet a rest. I will head out into New Jersey tomorrow with a new pair of shoes and a full food bag. We are happy to be done with the rocks in Pennsylvania and celebrated with apple pie and ice cream.

Our penultimate day in Pennsylvania was a blast. It started out with an intense boulder scramble that people say is reminiscent of what we will be hiking in the Whites in New Hampshire. It was fun but some of the drop offs were pretty steep so it will take some getting used to.

Once we got to the top of the climb it was a really nice five mile hike along the ridge line looking down into the valley. While we were bouldering through the first section we met a day hiker that asked us if we needed anything. We rattled off all of our favorite junk food and she said it would be waiting for us at the next gap.

Sure enough, when we got to the next road crossing there was a huge bag of goodies for us to share. We spent a few minutes scarfing everything down and soaking in the good vibes that comes with these small but sweet gestures from generous strangers. These moments make me feel like I am part of a secret society of really cool adventurers. A proud sense of belonging to a group that I really respect. I am looking forward to returning some magic of my own as soon as I complete my hike.

The sugar rush from the junk food didn’t last long and we stopped for a healthy lunch looking over into the valley below. I made a delicious broccoli and salmon couscous wrap that my body was so thankful for. I’m learning a lot from my fellow hikers about food and we are trading some helpful tips for eating as well as we can on the Trail.

We got in early today and spent a lazy evening doing crossword puzzles during a light rain. We are all so ready to be done with the rocks tomorrow and we are taking a zero on Tuesday to recover. We haven’t taken a day off since April 28 and it will feel so good to sleep in late and prop our feet up for the day.