Life After the Trail

Hey folks! It's been a little over two months since I've returned from the trail, mostly readjusted to the muggle life and have had time to reflect on the journey. 

The first couple weeks home were extremely odd and a bit overwhelming. Right away I dove back into city mode as I got some killer freelance work that would help offset the cost of my journey. Surprisingly getting back to work wasn't the hardest part, but the overstimulation of the city and zombie-esque inhabitants boggled my mind. Every morning I rode the bus into the city and found most people unpersonable, looking at their phones, avoiding eye contact, and not even saying hello or good morning. I may be hyper-critical of these certain bus riders indifference to each other after being immersed in one of the most supportive and sociable trail communities, but the trail, deaths and accidents of family members and friends have taught me that life is extremely delicate and that you must not take a single day for granted. And I'm going to try my damnedest to stoke my fire everyday for myself and the people I meet, with a smile, a hello, a genuine conversation and an overall positive outlook filled with compassion, acceptance and love for all.

As I was asked by others and myself during the hike, "What's next?". Well I'll definitely be hiking more, no question about that, I'm hooked, maybe not as long, but who knows ... maybe I'll be able to convince my lady and pup to join me on another one. Otherwise I'm going to keep designing but also put effort and energy into outdoor education and local trails, trying to give back to the community at large that has given me so much. And I'll probably try and convince everyone that they need to go out on a "thru-hike" at least once in their life, whether its actually hiking or not. Just to mix up the life they know and feel safe in, explore this wonderful world, you might be surprised what you find out there but mostly what's within yourself. 

Again I want to thank all the trail angels on the A.T., all of my supportive family, my trail mates, my visiting homies Tom, Beckman, Nate and Matty and my lovely lady Sara for holding down the fort and remodeling some of it too.

Happy trails.
75° and sunny, every day ... even in Minnesota.

Tough Lashers and Maine in sight

Two weeks ago my good buddies Matt and Nate came out to get a taste of the trail. And boy did they get a taste of it. They got a full thru-hike experience shoved into 4.5 days. First they found me in a tiny town hanging out with trail angels that have been opening up their home for hikers  for the last 13 years. I had luckily showed up when they were pulling steaks off the grill, which they happily shared. From there we headed out for a tiny 4.5 mile hike to our first campsite. The next morning the A.T. thru-hike boot-camp began.

The first day they got to experience multiple trail magic snacks and coolers along the road which took us across the VT and NH border. We then hiked through Hanover, NH took a super quick glance at Dartmouth and hunted down the pizzeria that gives free slices to thru-hikers. 

The rest of the days were filled with tough miles and rough terrain as the trail gets more rugged in NH. They even got to endure an entire day of hiking in the rain. And on the last day we hit the Whites and went up and over Mt. Moosilauke. A tough day that had the reward of ridge walking above tree line, it was a little windy and cold but an epic end to a great hike with my bros. I probably pushed them a little too hard but they'll now be able to tell their kids about the time they crushed mountains on the A.T. in NH.

As of now I'm chilling at a hostel in Gorham, NH after finishing the Whites. Tomorrow I'll be crossing into Maine and finishing my adventure in early September. This might be my last blog post as it sounds like phone service and overall amenities are cut down in rural Maine, especially in the 100 mile wilderness. But it's been a blast and I can't believe I'll already be in the last state tomorrow. Happy trails everyone!

Doing the trench foot boogie in leopard with a cougar

After passing the halfway point many of us hikers have shifted our thinking to a countdown of miles left. A bitter-sweet countdown, as on one hand I'd love to be back home with my lovely lady, and on the other, I'm loving this hiker trash day-to-day lifestyle. Currently I only have 668.2 miles left and am estimating that I'll be done in early September. After already walking 1521 miles, 668 seems like a small number but it's extremely important for my mental attitude and ego to not slip. For North Bounders when you hit New Hampshire the saying goes, "You've done 80% of the trail and only 20% of the effort." New Hampshire and Maine being the last two states hold some of the hardest climbs and volatile weather. So as I'm sure you've seen, I am tending to some trench foot and taking a couple days off to let them heal for the last stretch of epic mountains.

Sadly because of my trench-foot I had to say goodbye to a couple of really cool fellas I'd been hiking with for the last week or two. Probably the longest time I'd hike with the same people since the beginning of this trek. One of my fondest memories with them was when a trail angel invited us to her home.

The three of us were in Kent, CT getting a short resupply of groceries and decided to get some food at a local pizza pub. We were the only three at the bar when a local woman came in and sat near us. She knew the bartender and we all started to shoot the shit about Kent and the trail. Eventually it came out that in the past she had taken hikers to her home to feed them and let them clean up and do laundry. Obviously, the moment she mentioned this all three of our ears perked up and we chatted with her more, in hopes of an invite. She then paid for our food if in turn we bought her a drink. So we finished our food and had a couple of shots. Then it finally happened, she asked "Are you guys going back out on the trail, or coming back to my place to get fed and cleaned up?" Of course we weren't about to turn down such a wonderful invite. So we went to the liquor store where she bought us beer and bourbon and then let me drive her new Range Rover back to her house.

Now from the sound of it, you might think this woman was a cougar on the hunt for young fit hikers. But she in fact was just an extremely hospitable person with a hint of cougar, as she was a recent divorcee turned lesbian with five kids. The strangest part of the evening was the only option for clothing to put on while we were doing laundry was her teenage daughters dresses. Now I won't lie, with our slender tone hiker legs, we looked pretty damn good. The rest of the evening was filled with beer, blabbing and bad music. Now I'm guessing it was the alcohol, but I openly considered wearing the dress for the duration of the trip. Plenty of guys wear kilts on the trail and some of the ladies wear dresses, so why couldn't I. But in the morning I opted out of wearing the leopard print hiker dress and her girlfriend took us back to town and bought us breakfast.

During breakfast the three of us couldn't stop laughing at what had just happened and how wonderfully weird it was. The night we wore leopard with a cougar.

Mileage Highlights & Trail Life

Hey everyone! Here are a few mileage highlights and an update of how life is going on the trail.

1. Passed the halfway point at mile 1094.6
2. Finished off 4 more states: VA, WV, MD & PA (only 7 more to go)
3. I've only got 895 miles left, yeah!

Currently I'm enjoying the finer things in life near the Delaware Water Gap at my Aunt Andrea's home. I took a couple of rest days to let my body recoup and let my mind decompress. I've been eating numerous homemade meals and even had an afternoon of drinking beer and floating down the Delaware River. 

One of the biggest observations I've had currently on the trail is that there seems to be less and less hikers. Maybe it's because I've started to pick up miles and I've gotten ahead of the bubble or maybe people are starting to jump off trail, who knows, but there is definitely a lack of hiker trash. Which makes it harder on the tough mental days as you can't share in each others misery or help each other get distracted from it.

The halfway point was bitter-sweet as it marked a great accomplishment but then the realization that I still have lots of miles left began to sink in. It seems that the mental game is really starting to kick in.

A past thru-hiker once told me that his favorite part of the trail was the first and last 500 miles. And I'm beginning to see why. The middle section of the trail has lower elevations, views are less frequent/less epic and there hasn't been much variation in terrain. Plus Pennsylvania's rocks really are just not enjoyable to hike on. Sorry PA, you're my least favorite state thus far.

Now after review, this post seems to be very much on the negative side, but I'd like to reassure all you wonderful peeps that I'm still loving the journey, soaking up every moment and living in the now.

I'm still mostly hiking solo and occasionally with someone else for a few days. Today I had a wonderful hike with my cousin Ryan.  I don't see him very often, but a 24 mile hike was definitely a great way to catch up and really learn about each other.

Also I've had multiple people ask if they can get in touch with me without having to post comments on the blog. You most certainly can, feel free to text, email or even leave a voicemail.

Again thanks for all the support! Happy trails! 

Almost half way and meeting Scott Jurek

Well I'm getting closer and closer to the half way point and getting pretty excited about it. But at the same time thinking, crap, I've still got lots of miles to go. Currently lounging at Stanimal's 328 hostel in Waynesboro, VA. A calm and quiet place run out of a past thru-hikers home with all the amenities a hiker needs, sitting in a peaceful suburb environment. So for the day I won't feel like hiker trash. :)  

Not much of anything new or exciting has happened since the last post. But I did get to meet Scott Jurek this morning by the stream I was camping near. I was just finishing packing up when I heard people coming down the hill. I noticed they didn't have packs on so I grabbed my phone and headed towards them, thinking this has got to be him. You couldn't camp for the last 9 miles and who the hell would already have 9 miles done by 8:15 am. So as I approached the joggers cooling off in the stream I got star struck. At first I said, "It's you, awesome!" Then of course we introduced  each other and took a couple photos. I made some cheesy Forrest Gump reference and off he went to crush the record.

The biggest take away is that he was super polite and friendly and more than willing to shoot the shit for a moment and take a photo with you. Afterwards I was super pumped and  inspired, so I crushed those 5 miles into town today. :) Yeah, too bad it wasn't a 20 mile day when I need the excitement but hopefully on those rough days I can think of what he's trying to do and channel that re-channel energy.

Keeping it a bit short and sweet this week, so until next time all you wonderful supporters. Happy trails!

What's been going on

Well hey everyone, sorry for not having any posts in quite awhile. It's not that easy finding a public computer in town and it's quite a pain to do on the phone. But it looks like I'll have to get over it and the phone will just have to do. 

So about two weeks ago my lovely lady Sara came and visited me. She picked me up in Marion and then we spent a long weekend together in Roanoke Virginia. Where she was treated to a real vacation and I enjoyed a vacation from my hiker trash lifestyle. We visited a winery, ate a bunch of delicious food, enjoyed some mountain music in Floyd, drove up and down the Blue Ridge scenic road, had a pleasant day-hike up to McAfee knob and I even had my very first professional massage. For all of those that get massages regularly, I totally get it now, they are amazing. And for those that have never had one, I strongly urge you to try it out at least once. 

But the visit is of course bittersweet as we again had to say good bye. Which was then followed by one of the hardest mental weeks I've had on the trail so far. Thinking mostly of Sara and missing home, I just had to plug in my headphones a few times, zone out and force myself to hike. Not that I wanted to get off the trail, it's just hard to hike 17-20 miles a day with other things on your mind. 

Currently I'm in Troutville Virgina around mile 730 taking my first break in two weeks and my feet needed it. The last four days have been raining and my feet began to get pretty beatup and rubbed raw from the constantly wet socks and shoes. But wonderfully here in Troutville there was a tiny festival for hikers where we got free spaghetti dinners at the local church, pancake breakfasts from the Boy Scouts and laundry and shower facilities opened to us at the local fire station. So I'm feeling refreshed and recharged and ready to get to the 1000 mile marker in a little over 2 weeks. 

Oh and in current events on the trail, there's an ultra marathoner right now trying to beat the assisted record and complete the trail in 42 days, averaging 50+ miles a day. I have mixed emotions about this man, as one, that's awesome and crazy, and two, what a dick, who does he think he is doing the whole trail faster than me doing even half the trail. Obviously I'm not that bitter, and sarcasm never really translates well over the web.

I truly and sincerely wish Scott Jurek all the best and I hope he makes it. It'd be awesome to see him go by and give him support. 

Again thanks for all the love and support! Happy trails! 

Q&A and some recent madness on the trail

Hey everyone. Below are the answers to most of the wonderful questions you posted.

Robyn: The shovel does a wonderful job when it needs to. :)

Wienes: NoBo stands for Northbound. Some hikers choose to go SoBo or Southbound from Maine to Georgia. Thanks for the reminder on Mother's day, I almost forgot. :) Yes I have seen a live bear, see the story below. I've only had a couple of boring moments, the people and trail stay pretty interesting. I'd say that the journey has given me more than I thought all ready. Weather has been all over the board: cold, hot & humid, sleet, thunderstorms, hail, and thankfully plenty of perfect days.

Mtka Nancy: Meals are pretty easy, nothing too fancy. Poptarts/bars for breakfast, summer sausage & cheese bagel sandwich with trail mix for lunch, then a pasta or mashed potatoes with some tuna or a protein for dinner. Then a bunch of bars and snacks throughout the day. I spend only a few days to a week with groups. I pop in and out of bubbles of people as I like to hike my own pace and go solo for the most part. 

Aunt Donna: Haven't lost that much weight, maybe 5-10lbs. I hiked with a bigger guy that lost 30lbs in the first month. I have slept alone in the woods but mostly with groups of people around shelters. Altitude isn't an issue on the A.T. as it only get about 6,000ft.

Ok now for some of the madness that has occurred recently on the trail. For the last week and a half there have been late afternoon thunderstorms. And it's never been a question of will it rain, but when will it rain and where will I be on the mountain.

One day I was taking in the views on an exposed ridge on top of a mountain when a roar of thunder echoed behind me. A storm had brewed up very quickly on the other side of the mountain and snuck up on me. It was one of the most terrifying moments of my life as I ran on a bouldery path with lightning flashing next to me and thunder all around. I've never ran so fast with my pack on. All I could think of was all the people that I love and that I hope I make it off this damn mountain. 

Another fun thunderstorm was on top of Roan mountain where we got pelted with pea and marble size hail that accumulated to 3-4 inches in some areas. It was the first time that the hail had actually hurt during the hike, as it bounced off your knuckles, arms and ears. I even found one hiker curled up in a ball on the trail because the hail was hitting her so hard in the face, luckily the bill of my cap kept my pretty face safe. And of course during this storm my destination was the highest shelter on the A.T. But it was a nice and cozy two level shelter that we packed past capacity due to the storm. You tend to get use to sleeping in really close quarters to some smelly strangers in situations like this. 

Now the last two days anything and everything that could go wrong did go wrong. After hiking a decent amount of miles I made it into Hampton, TN where I stayed at a hostel and stuffed my face with terrible fast food. I enjoyed a 6" Subway sandwich, chips, soda and then went over to McDonalds where I stuffed down 2 cheeseburgers, fries and an oreo McFlurry. Now putting this much food down in town is nothing new or out of the ordinary but something in that combo didn't mix quite right. In the middle of the night I woke up every hour for five hours violently vomiting. Never had I thrown up so much in my life. So needless to say I was feeling like hell in the morning, but I had to hike to the next town in a week to meet Sara, so I foolishly got back on the trail.

Weak, hungry and dehydrated I had to walk through a 4 mile stretch that's closed to camping and resting due to bear activity. Also leaving towns my pack is usually the heaviest  as I resupply my food and also just received a care package filled with other tasty treats. Then due to some landmark errors I missed my water source and had more miles than anticipated to the next shelter. So I set up camp a mile outside of the closed high bear activity area. About an hour later after setting up camp I heard some really loud rustling in the woods and see a momma bear and two cubs cross the road I was camping near. I screamed and made a bunch of noise to let them know where I was and even blew my ear shattering whistle. An hour after getting into my tent for bed I heard that similar rustling sound in the woods, only closer this time. I again made a bunch of noise and blew the whistle, but this bear could care less. She and her cubs did some acrobatics and got my hanging food bag out of the tree and destroyed my weeks worth of food. 

Now if this was just a solo bear I wouldn't be so nervous as I didn't have any food or anything aromatic near my tent. But since this was a momma bear I didn't want to mess around as I'm sure they'd come back in the night to try and find more food, or even chew on a tasty little hiker. :) So I called the police to let them know the situation and they sent out a sheriff to maybe help scare the bear away with a fire of his gun or atleast just get me out of the situation. Moments before the sheriff arrived the bears finally scampered off and I felt safe to get out of my tent. So I packed all my crap up quickly in the dark and he gave me ride into town. 

So now fully resupplied again I'll be getting back on the trail today and setting up better bear bags and making sure to hike even farther away from high bear activity areas. Happy trails!

(FYI this post is a little outdated as I am now safely awaiting the arrival of my lovely wife in a clean and well lit library in Marion, VA somewhere around mile marker 530.)

First Month Down

Hey everyone! Had a great fourth week out on the trail. Hopefully y'all have been enjoying the photos and videos. Yes that is a y'all in there. I've been picking up some southern slang, but don't worry I am heading North and I'm sure it'll fizzle away. 

I'm currently taking a nero (short mile day, not a zero) in Hot Springs, NC to resupply on trail food, give my body some rest and pack on some calories with town food and beer. Oh, and Hot Springs sits just on the 274.4 mile mark, so less than 2000 miles to go. Yeah!!!

So these posts seem harder and harder to write as so much happens within a week on the trail and the days sort of blur together. But some of the big highlights this week include hitting the 200 mile mark, hiking with Tom and Beckman in the Smokies, having the longest day yet at 18.3 miles and standing at the highest point of the trail at Clingman's dome (6655ft).

But the biggest thing yet to happen is that I've hit the 28 day mark. And I've been told that the moment you hit that amount of days you can make it to Maine. You're body is getting stronger and you've mentally figured out what the hell this hike is all about. And I'd say it was one of the best days I've had yet on the A.T. as we ended out the day up on Max Patch. Max Patch is a bald where the summit of a mountain was cleared for cattle to graze, but now it's just enjoyed by hikers, day trippers and the locals.

When we arrived at the top of the bald we were greeted by some past thru-hikers that were giving out trail magic (hot & ready pizza, chips, beer ,soda, water), but sadly, 15 minutes after I arrived the trail angel broke his collar bone diving for a frisbee. So we put him in a sling, gave him some pain killers and helped him and his friends carry the coolers and chairs back down the mountain. We hung out and camped on top of the bald the rest of the day and watched the sunset on one side of the mountain range as the moon rose behind us. We then woke everyone up early to watch the sunrise from the other side as the moon dipped away from view.

Other than that I've been hiking, eating and living a fairly simple life. So if any of you amazing supporters out there have any questions about this hike so far, hit up the comments and I'll have the next post be a Q&A. 

Thanks again for all the support family and friends. And thanks again Tom and Beckman for coming out and crushing so many miles that we turned your 6 day trip into 3. You guys are beasts. Happy trails! 

A Wonderful Week 3

Hey everyone, I'm still walking, yeah! This week has gone much better than the last. The weather has been great and the hiking tough, but my body and mind are finally syncing with the lifestyle as a hiker bum. 

Some of the most important things I've learned after 3 weeks is to love your feet, do those stretches, eat as much as you can when you can, stay hydrated, always take advantage of a shower or laundry and most importantly, hike your own hike (hyoh). 

Hike your own hike is something you hear alot and it seems easy enough of an idea. But until you get out here you don't really know what that means. 

The first week or so I was filled with so much nervous energy and hiking at rates that were just too fast or even too long at some points. I was enjoying myself but not as much as I could be. But now I've learned that I like to wake up slow and early in the morning, take a leisure hike for the first hour while I eat breakfast and then pick up the pace as my body warms up and the sun heats the chilly mountains. Then usually in the afternoon I'll run into a group of people and hike with them for the rest of the day.

I'd say the biggest achievement of this week is that I've crushed my usual shyness or anti-social behavior and have been making friends up and down the trail.

Tom and Beckman should be here at Fontana dam in the next hour or so and we'll hit the Smokies tomorrow. Excited to see some familiar faces. 

Sorry for the short post but it's tough to do this all on a phone. 😃  

Happy trails everyone.  

A Really Wet Week 2

So I've made it two weeks into the trail and have hiked around 120 miles. The last two days I've been staying in Franklin, NC. I'm ahead of schedule to meet up with a couple of buddies in the Smokies, so I've got to cool my leg jets and just chill out for a bit.

This last week was a rough one, a definite spirit crusher. I woke up to rain, hiked in rain and slept in rain, four days straight. And to add insult to injury, I'm reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. So as I'm in my own submarine of a tent in the muddy woods of North Carolina I'm reading about adventures in the deep sea. :) But as water can create misery on the trail it is the saving grace off trail in the form a hot shower and clean laundry.

This week was the first time that I surprised my self with my smell. I was packing up some gear when I stood up to figure out what that wrench was, and to my surprise, it was me. I'm guessing that's going to be happening a lot. Especially in the hotter months. 

Another rough part of this past week was having to let some new friends/trail family jump on ahead as I slow my pace. I've only known them for about a week yet it seems like years.

Getting off the negative Nancy train (not referencing any Nancy or Nance I know, they're the best) here are a couple of things this week that kept my spirits up: first state done, first 100 miles crushed, 30 minutes of sunshine, talking with Sara, my Kindle, and then some wonderful trail magic as I was heading into Franklin.

What's trail magic? It's those wonderful moments of genuine hospitality and human kindness found along the trail.

As I was getting off the trail and heading into town a nice elderly lady gave me and another hiker a ride into town and gave us a little history lesson on Franklin. Then to top it off the other hiker gave me his resupply box of food for the week as he was hopping off the trail for respiratory issues. It's always a sad moment to see people getting off trail.

But no worries I haven't thought for a second about hopping off just yet, this trail and I are still going to dance for the next five months, rain or shine. 

Also thanks to all the support I've been getting from everyone, it means the world to me and really helps out on those tough days. You're all the best!!!

Happy trails and can't wait to see some familiar faces in a week. 

Week One

Hey everyone, I'm still alive and so much has already happened within this first week. Rainy days, bear stories, poisonous spider bites, blisters, and meeting people from all over. 

I've hiked about 60 miles so far and after yesterday's long haul of 16 miles I'm taking a much needed break for my feet at "The Top of Georgia Hostel".  A wonderful refuge from the elements with a hot shower, laundry, hot tea, a gear shakedown and an awesome presentation on how to make it to Maine from the owner, "Sir-Packs A Lot". 

Talking with all the thru hikers on the trail it seems we all have something in common, we're in a state of transition and walking a really long distance was the answer. 

Thanks again for all the comments, messages, and support. I know on those tough days I'll be thinking of all of you that have my back.   

I'll probably be posting about once a week as service is unreliable in the mountains. Happy trails!

Breaking down my barriers and the beginning of a long hike

Well I think the only way for this blog to have any worth is to let down my guard and let you all know what's going on without filters. I usually keep the barriers up pretty high as I'm not much of a talker and only a small number of you know I'm a sensitive and emotional being.

Today was an extremely hard day. I cried when grandpa died, I cried when dad died, I tear up occasionally with a good book or a movie, and today I cried as I left behind my lady, my pup, my home and everything that I currently know life to be.

But as I sit out on the back porch of my hostel and see those mountains in the distance, not knowing what lies ahead, everything seems to be just right.

After months of planning and training and anxiety filled nights I'm ready to hit this trail. Breakfast at 7:30 with the other hikers and then we hit the trail at 8:30. 

Until next time.  

First blog post…ever.

Hey friends and family! 

Welcome to my first blog post. I'm not entirely sure how much I'll be writing here, being a visual person I imagine the instagram feed is where the magic will happen. But I will have some time alone with my thoughts in the wilderness and maybe on occasion one will be worth putting down. 

I hope that you enjoy what ever ramblings I come up with and that the photos bring you to a place of serenity, or at least grateful that you're not the idiot walking over 2,000 miles in the rainy and bug-invested forest for 6 months.

So why the Appalachian Trail you might ask. I don't know entirely, it's just one of those things that you can only explain with a, why the hell not? Regardless of the why, the A.T. has called to me and I'm lucky enough to have the funds, fitness, attitude and greatest lady in the world supporting me to go boots deep into this endeavor. And as a romantic, I hope that stripping away my modern day lifestyle will help me cherish life and all the small things just a little more. 

Looking forward to sharing my adventure with you. Until next time. 

-Joe