Our trail angels

Huge thanks and happy Father's Day! Bart's folks drove us up to State College to Champ's Sports Grill where my friend Leslie will take over. It was such a beautiful drive and Bart got a great nap. Onward and upward... Going to meet Tussey Mountain today!

Testing.

Testing again

After a solid hour, we got Bart's new phone hooked up to the blog.  Here is a delightful picture of Jo permethrinizing her purple wardrobe.  Now we leave in about 4 hours.

Leaving in 5 hours!

Jo is getting as much Sula time as possible.

We leave on Sunday. Today is Friday.

Bart: Hey, is it okay if we go grocery shopping tomorrow instead of late tonight?  Because I have to go to Beckley tomorrow anyway.

Jo, unenthused: Ehhhh.  It means we'll have a lot of extra work tomorrow.  What do you need to do in Beckley tomorrow?

Bart: Buy some shoes for the trip.

Jo: . . .

Wait, so, what?!

Here is the entire plan for summer 2014:

In a few days we are leaving for State College, Pennsylvania.  In Pennsylvania and Maryland, the Great Eastern Trail has two official routes.  To thruhike the trail, you need only choose one route and last year we took the eastern route, hosted on the Tuscarora Trail, Standing Stone Trail, and Greenwood Spur of the Mid State Trail.  

This year we want to explore the western route of the Great Eastern Trail.  We are returning to Detweiler Junction on the Mid State Trail, then heading south along the MST.  The MST is very proud to use the metric system, so we'll be brushing up on that while we hop over rattlers and sweat our butts off.

At the Maryland border, we will follow the GET through Green Ridge State Forest before our final GET jaunt along the C&O Towpath towards Hancock, Maryland.

From Hancock, Maryland, it is only 90 miles to Bruceton Mills, West Virginia where the northern terminus of the Allegheny Trail lies.  Had we more time we'd walk there, but instead we will be finding a shuttle.

You can read more about the Allegheny Trail by clicking here.  

Map courtesy of Cookerhiker.

The Allegheny Trail ends on the Appalachian Trail, about 16 miles north of Pearisburg, Virginia.  We will hike the newly-relocated section down into town and then flail our arms around until we figure out a way back to Mullens.

Even more info available at WVSTA.

Originally, this 500+ mile trip was planned to be a super-relaxing, no-stress 7-week trip.  We envisioned lots of time to chill out and visit with people.  Then Jo's summer gig needed her a week earlier than she had guessed.  Then Bart's school got extended a week in June due to snow days.  So our 7-week trip turned into a 5-week trip.  We are still looking forward to visiting with friends along the way -- we might just make you hike with us rather than relaxing with you. :)

Gear: Tent

This is Big Agnes' last adventure.  Of course, I said that last year too.

Mesh tents: not advised for winter camping, but whatever.

 This is the tent Bart and I lived in for five months and will use for five weeks this summer.  It is a Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2.

I bought it in 2009 with my hiking buddy Phil.  We still share custody of this tent, but I think I've done more to destroy it than he ever has.  Sorry Phil.

Seedhouse SL2  is not the lightest on the market, weighing just over 3 pounds, but it is freestanding and easy to set up - under 90 seconds.

For 3 pounds, you get a lot of tent.  The mesh is my favorite part; I have watched bears, stars, and mosquitoes all from the comfort of the tent.  The rainfly is only necessary in cold or wet weather.

Taking over the entire two-person tent. . .  it is very easy.

As you can see, a two-person tent means that although you can fit two people into the tent, you gotta like each other.  In the winter it was nice because the small living space kept the temperature significantly warmer.  In the summer the rainfly is usually off, keeping the tent cool.

After thousands of trail miles (3,500?  No complaints here!) certain things are bound to wear out:

-Zipper.  Big thanks to my dad, who operated on the tent's zipper and thus extended the tent's life one more time.

I was ridiculously
sad to throw out the
defunct rainfly.

-The rainfly.  On a rainy night in the Smokies, Fiskars and I realized that the rainfly was no longer waterproof.  At all.  I called Big Agnes Customer Service the next day and by the time we reached our next town stop, a new rainfly was waiting for us.  They gave me a discount and sent me stickers too. My allegiance is easily won with stickers.

-The floor.  The floor really feels like it's worn thin, and its waterproofness is all but gone.  Bart sprayed the tent with some waterproofing stuff and that helped.  Really, I think the floor is just shot (how could it not be?).  This could have been delayed by using a ground cloth more diligently.

The fact that this tent is still usable and without any gaping holes after all the hell it has been through is proof that Big Agnes is a solid brand.  I got really lucky to find a tent I like so much.  I even own the 1-person version of Seedhouse.  The Big Agnes website says this tent is like a "peanut butter and jelly sandwich," and they nailed it.

Advice:
When you choose a backpacking tent, weight is really important.

That being said, there are tons of lightweight options that I would never choose - just my own preferences.  Many people get by with a tarp.  I need to be enclosed or I can't sleep well.  For me, it is worth extra weight to carry an actual tent.

Hammocks are gaining in popularity, but I have a terrible relationship with gravity so I wouldn't consider one. I hear great things.

Try on as many tents as possible before you buy.  Set them up.  Climb inside. Take them down.  Annoy the people who work at the store (actually they are probably used to it).  You'll be glad you did: this is your second home you're purchasing, so be choosy.

How to (not) train for a long hike

Training Avoidance Level: Expert

Both of us are hard at work avoiding training for the hike this summer.  I just finished reading A History of the Green Ridge State Forest by Champ Zumbrun.  We will hike through Green Ridge State Forest for a couple of days on our way from the Mid State Trail to the C&O.  I really enjoyed learning more about the land we will soon explore.  Thank you Champ for writing such an informative and engrossing book!  I highly recommend it.

Training marginally harder than Jo.

Meanwhile in West Virginia, Bart has been making Adirondack chairs.  I fully expect him to use this skill to maximize our comfort on the trail this summer.

Finished product

.  . .yeah, that first mountain is going to kick our butts.  One week to go!

Gear: Backpacks

I bought my Granite Gear Vapor Ki in 2009 because it was was the most purple pack I could find.  (It used to be a lot prettier than it is now.)

Since then, it has survived over 4,500 miles of abuse.  Like throwing it down rock scrambles.  Dozens upon dozens of rock scrambles.

It is over three pounds lighter than my previous pack (Kelty Redcloud 5600), weighing in at 2 pounds, 2 ounces.  Vapor Ki is not considered to be an ultralight backpack, but the additional hip padding, pockets, and comfortable straps make it the lightest I would want to go.

What's great about the Vapor Ki, other than the fact that it has purple, are the following features:

I clip a vest or sweater to the top of
my pack in cold months so I can
easily regulate my temperature.

• Padding on the back
• A comfortable hip belt
• Durable material
• Zipper pockets (the black pockets on top of the pack)
• Stretch pockets (the black pockets on the bottom of the pack)
• Multiple options to clip in gear (like the straps on the back, sides, and top)
• A gap between the bag and the back padding. I use this for my water bladder - this means I do not have to keep my water inside my pack with the rest of the gear. It is easier to fill up and less likely to lead to disaster if the water bladder leaks.

Here are things I would change about this pack:

-There needs to be more purple, let's just be up front about that.
-Many lightweight packs offer mesh pockets on the hipbelt.  There are pouches available to add onto this pack, but mesh pockets would have been awesome.
-The back padding, while comfortable, retains sweat and hiker funk.
-They're not making these anymore?!  (But they frequently pop up online for sale slightly used and there are similar packs listed on Granite Gear's website.)
On a scale of 1-10, even considering the lack of mesh pockets, I would rate this pack an 11.  Okay, okay, a 9.  In 2009 I never would have guessed that five years later, this pack would still be going strong.

Bart's pack

Granite Gear is a common brand on long-distance trails.  Bart's original GET pack, an Osprey, met an untimely demise and he replaced it with a Granite Gear Crown VC 60 and has been very happy with it.

The company has been very supportive in the creation and growth of the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota, so I feel great about wearing their pack.

Choosing your backpack is a highly personal choice.  Try on as many packs as possible, making sure to load them up prior to trying them on. An empty backpack has to try really hard to be uncomfortable. Outfitters understand this and usually supply weights to add to the pack.

Gear: Pack covers

Backpacks are not waterproof.  I have used two different styles of rain covers.  My Granite Gear Cloud Cover weighed about four ounces and valiantly performed through the 3rd rainiest season in Maine and countless other weather atrocities. Originally it was much more orange than it is now!  Its magical abilities gradually declined after 3,000 miles, so I retired it.  It owed me absolutely nothing.   I would buy this again.  I will buy this again.

Granite Gear

Sea to Summit

I currently use a Sea to Summit pack cover.  It is significantly heavier but performs well.  It has acquired a rip after "only" 1,100 miles, but I have demanded a lot from it in those 1,100 miles and the rip will be easy to patch.  It's a great pack cover -- just heavier than I'd like.

Water can pool in the little creases
and then splatter down your back.
It's okay; you probably need a shower anyway.

General tips for buying pack covers:
Choose a larger pack cover than you think you will need.  This allows you to dangle stuff off your pack and still cover it - things like camp shoes, sleeping pads, and tents are often strapped to the outside or may be so in a pinch.  Usually a larger size weighs no more than an ounce or two extra, and those extra ounces are easily made up on rainy days by keeping your entire pack dry.

How orange was my pack cover.

No matter how big your pack cover is, your shoulder straps will get wet and water may drip down between you and your pack.  I occasionally hike with a lightweight poncho and use it in a true downpour. This simple, cheap, lightweight gear keeps my pack and my straps extra dry.

I have always purchased orange pack covers because I feel that, even if not blaze orange, the color sticks out enough to help me not get shot.  Additional precautions are needed during hunting season, but every little bit helps.

Gear: Water

Water is the most important thing on a hike.  They say you can go for three days without water -- but I wouldn't want to try.  Here is the water-related gear that we have carried and/or will carry:

First of all, you gotta carry water.  I find a water bladder to be well worth its weight.  I can carry just as much water in bottles, but the major perk of the water bladder is that I can sip on the go.  The hose is a reminder to keep drinking.  I can drink while I walk without slowing down.  Bottles have weight too, so for me the weight of a bladder is a non-issue.

There are two most popular brands of water bladders, Platypus and Camelbak.  The ideal water bladder has yet to be invented.

Platypus Pro: VERY easy to fill and clean

Platypus Con: Less durable material and developed many holes over the course of 1600 miles

Camelbak Pro: More durable, yet mine is an ounce or two lighter than the Platypus

Camelbak Con: More difficult to clean, more difficult to open and close

No matter which you choose, you will eventually have to swap out the bite valve because it will get really gross.  Either that or you have to clean it diligently, and on the trail, that just isn't gonna happen.  Bite valves cost a few bucks.

Water purification

There are many ways to ensure your water is safe for you to drink.  There are so many options that I can't go into them all, but I will show you what we have used.

I have been relying on Steripen since 2008 or earlier.  They use UV light to break down the DNA of any bad stuff that would make you sick.  The Steripen comes in a nice padded case to keep it safe.

Steripen Pros:
*Safe water is available in only 90 seconds
*No chemicals are entering your body
*You feel like a Jedi when you're cleaning the water
*It's ridiculously easy.


Steripen Cons:
*It is battery-operated, and as such, I would never rely exclusively on it.  The batteries are weird and hard to find, so I order them in bulk.  They cost several dollars per pair but they last 10 days in the summer and longer in the winter.
*If the water is silty, you're gonna end up drinking those floaties.  It's possible to eliminate some with a bandanna, but . . . floaties.
*It does not work in freezing cold water.  I mean water at 32 or 33 degrees.  It works great in cold water.  But relying on it in winter. . . eehhhhhh . . . 

I always carry a little bottle of iodine tablets with me.  It costs about $6, can be found at outfitters or even big box stores, and is a great backup.  When water looks particularly sketchy, I Steripen it and use iodine.

Iodine Pros:
*It is the lightest-weight water purification
*It does not rely on batteries or moving parts
*For a short-term trip, it's the cheapest option.

Iodine Cons:
*It's a chemical and it tastes like it
*Floaties are also an issue with iodine
*For a long trip, financially it makes sense to invest in something else
*There is a waiting period of about 30 minutes to let the iodine to its thing.  If you're really thirsty, 30 minutes is a VERY long time.

Another product I once used was AquaMira, which is a liquid that you put into your water to purify it.  There are similar pros and cons with AquaMira.

This summer, Bart and I are trying out the Sawyer Squeeze Mini Filter.  It cost $20 and weighs a couple ounces (!!!) plus the bag.  So you fill the bag with water and squeeze it and it squirts out clean water!  We'll let you know how it goes.

Update: It went well.  We had a couple yucky water sources and the Sawyer cleaned the water and we didn't get sick, so it must have worked.  I still prefer the Steripen, but there are times and places where a Steripen is not a great choice (dry season, desert) so I'm happy to have this as a backup.

A great thing about two people hiking is that we can take more stuff.  We'll be hiking with a Steripen, a Sawyer Mini, and iodine.  We like water.

Finally, no matter what you do, sometime you're probably going to come across a water source that doesn't taste great.  Maybe it's just tannin in the water, maybe it's just a little yucky.  

When that happens, the best thing in the world is to have some tea or juice packets.  The ones in the picture are not the greatest kinds (hence why they have been sitting in my food bag for a year), but even the kinds without extra vitamins are a blessing when you come to a yucky water source.  Juice packets help me stay hydrated by encouraging me to drink more.  And in the summer, that is a very good thing.

Back in Bath!

Bart: On the Maury River catching up with Jim Ashley a life long friend!

Jo: Bart's hanging out near a beautiful but very unappealingly-named river that the GET crosses on the Headwaters Section!

The next adventure . . .

For a year, Bart and I have been talking about the next adventure. We didn't always know what that next adventure would be, but somewhere along the way we got the idea of hiking the western leg of the GET.  See how the GET splits in Maryland and Pennsylvania? Lured by the Standing Stone Trail President, we took the eastern route last year.  What better than to now hike the western route and then the Allegheny Trail south for a beautiful 500-mile summer?

(I think it's pretty cool that not only did we not push each other off a cliff, we're willing to hike together again . . . or maybe Bart just wants a second chance at the cliff thing?)

I have all the maps.  Bart and I have the chunk of time carved out in our schedules.  I have a modest but comfortable amount saved up for the inevitable pizza stops.  I even have a train ticket.  Yet the hike has been in jeopardy because of me . . . and I probably want to hike this even more than Bart does.

Getting food poisoning last year made me feel like this.
This seems quaint after all the stuff I've had this year.

I've gotta say that 2014 has been the most challenging year of my life due to being constantly sick.  I've been out sick from work for the past two weeks with ten different medications trying to find a balance in my system, and I just feel like a ghost of a human being.

So, the long process of healing has begun.  After 16 days of being confined to bed, I joined the world of the living.  I have just a couple of weeks to regain my strength.  Today, my humble goal was to actually go to work.  I did it, took a five hour nap, and then went for a walk.

It's a start.

Cumberland Trail Conference Petition

Please sign this petition to help shed light on the recent dissolution of the Cumberland Trail Conference.

Signing will only take a minute and doing so will help ensure a vibrant future for the Cumberland Trail, which hosts the Great Eastern Trail in Tennessee.  This trail deserves answers.  Please sign!

Roadwalking on the Great Eastern Trail

"But aren't there . . . roadwalks?"
I get that a lot when talking about the Great Eastern Trail.  It's a fair question because yes, there are roadwalks.  There are roadwalks in the south, and there are roadwalks in the middle, and there are even roadwalks in the north, although they are rarer up there.

Hikers have a hard time with the R-Word.  I understand, because I used to have a bad attitude towards roadwalking, too.

Having hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, the thought of hiking a trail with roadwalking was very intimidating.  Except, oh wait, the AT has roadwalking too.  And not all of it is pleasant, in-town roadwalking.  Hiking out of New Hampshire into Vermont was not particularly scenic or enjoyable.
But what do the AT (and, for that matter, GET) roadwalks do for the trail?

• They allow for the best possible sections to happen.  
• They make resupply easy.
• The give hikers a break from constantly looking down at the ground
• They let hikers move at least 1MPH faster than they usually do.  
• They help the hiker out with useful bridges.
• They allow for hot meals and cultural tourism.  

The AT is always going to have some roadwalks and hikers like it that way.  No one really bothers to talk about AT roadwalks because they are no big deal.

But people do talk about GET roadwalks because we've got a 1,600 mile trail and about 25% of that is roadwalk.  Is this significant?  Well, let's put it into perspective.  First of all, this % is going down every year.  Since Bart and I hiked last year, I know of at least twenty miles that have been routed onto trail and off road, and there have probably been more. That's fast progress, but even so: this is a young trail.

Earl: Badass and inventor of the thru-hike

Back when Earl Shaffer hiked the young Appalachian Trail in 1948, the AT was nearly half on roads.  Half!
The Appalachian Trail Conference was founded in 1925, so the movement was around 23 years old when Earl hiked.

Compare to the Great Eastern Trail Association, which incorporated in 2007 and is about 7 years old.  The GET movement is much older than that but still, the active plans to link the GET host trails together are relatively new.  Yet it is about 75% finished already.  Pretty impressive, huh?



So yes, there are roadwalks on the GET and there will be for a long time.  Some will be there forever. The AT is still rerouting onto an optimal route; every trail is a work in progress. The Ice Age Trail and Mountains to Sea Trail are still 50% on roads; the Continental Divide Trail is 76% completed yet these all boast thru-hikers and positive hiking experiences despite roadwalks.  That's because roadwalks aren't inherently bad.

 Here are three examples of GET roadwalking.

Guess how many cars we saw on those roads?  The answers: 1, 0, and maybe 2.   Bonus: we got to see the POWERLINES sign.  It makes sense in real life, but I won't spoil the reason why.

Here are some things we saw along roadwalks:

Too bad there's no beauty along roadwalks.

This is without a doubt my favorite tree along the GET.

Nope, no roadwalk views to be found! :)

Roadwalks on the GET supplied all the perks of roadwalks on the AT, only moreso because as the roadwalks are larger, so too are the benefits.

•  Resupply was, on average, easier than the AT despite the GET's lack of hitch-hiker culture. 
•  Our packs were often very light, as some sections only required a day or two of food before resupply.  
• Faster miles were another perk that we could bank on - not only thanks to a lighter pack but also because roads offer fewer obstacles to trip on.  
• But most importantly, the biggest redeeming quality of roadwalks was the people.

We met people on roadwalk sections that we otherwise wouldn't have run into.  Like Ramar and Angie, whose kindness towards us inspires us even today.  So many people made time to talk to us, to help us. . . it was overwhelming.

Don't let the GET's roadwalks scare you away.  Many of the roadwalks are incredibly beautiful, unique, and refreshing -- just like the people you'll encounter.

Cumberland Trail Conference

We are sad to announce the abrupt and uncalled-for dissolution of the Cumberland Trail Conference.

The CTC was founded in 1997 by the Tennessee Trails Association (TTA).  The CTC has built and maintained the incredible Cumberland Trail and was on track to complete it in upcoming years. They have connected people, both local volunteers and BreakAway volunteers from across the country to the trail. CTC ensured that the trail was on-track not only for mere completion, but for becoming the definition of a high-quality, challenging, well-loved trail.

On our hike, CTC volunteers helped us in so many ways.  They:

• organized several interviews across the state for us
• hosted events to welcome us and spread the word about the Great Eastern Trail
• hiked and offered to hike new sections of trail with us
• spent lots of time going over trail conditions with us
• organized shuttles into towns for us
• allowed us to use CTC computers and printers to access some maps and guides that we'd neglected to find prior to our trip (oops)
• hosted us for the night in several towns
• welcomed us into their homes and fed us delicious food
• oh, and they were responsible for the trail being there in the first place!

Organizations are only as strong as the hearts and souls behind them, and the Cumberland Trail Conference was filled with passionate, intelligent, dedicated individuals who enriched not only our hike, but our lives. 

Unfortunately, the Cumberland Trail Conference was recently dissolved by Tennessee Trails Association. The TTA leadership responsible for this did not give advance notice to board members or the membership base prior to the meeting.  This hostile takeover of the organization and its assets is a shameful slap in the face to those who have given so much for the dream of completing the Cumberland Trail.

This is a heartbreaking and embarrassing chapter in the story of the Cumberland Trail and our thoughts are with the CTC, its volunteers, and with the trail itself.  Thank you for everything.

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