OD We stayed too long at the "Bear's Den." Spent the morning swapping stories with a section hiker. He has a trail name but he is about to get a new one. I have renamed him "Manhatten Bear Slayer" if you meet him you will know why. The route for the day involved seven mountains and ten miles. CC was a real trooper and we walked into the shelter after dark. We did the last mile and a half with our headlamps on. CC was bringing up the rear until an undertermined creature made a bunch of noise. The noise [View Full Entry]

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OD First we would like to send our heart felt thanks to Steve and Nate Yalle. They got up at 0400 to pick us up and be on the road by 0500. Both were real troopers and made getting to Harpers Ferry a real pleasure. Last night CC and I decided not to spend tonight in town as the price is quite steep. So much for well thought out plans. It took seven and a half hours to make the drive and we arrived at ATC HQ at 1230. After the requisite photo and placement in the 07 logbook we [View Full Entry]

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OD Well the first full, sort of, day on the trail. We both slept well last night. It did rain early in the morning. Woke up just long enough to have it register and see the sun was not even close to coming up, then pull the sleeping bag closer around my head and lights out. We weren't too awful sore this morning and it did not take long to get the kinks out. There was some grumbling at breakfast. I dug through my food bag and found there was no coffee, I got it in the re-supply boxes but [View Full Entry]

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OD Well I'll start with last night. Real bad lightning, wind, and rain about midnight. I woke up and did the flash to bang calculations, three to six miles away - no problem go back to sleep. CC didn't fair so well, it was a long night with bits of sleep off and on. The reward was a beautiful sun rise, and for the first time on the trail we had a sunny day for walking. The first half of the day was smooth and not bad up and downs. After lunch we hit a thing called the "Roller Coaster [View Full Entry]

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OD Well here it is two days before departure. We took all of our resupply boxes to be mailed out to Rochester and dropped them off at our daughters place. She will be responsible for getting them out to us on time. There was a total of 14 boxes. This has probably been one of the hardest logistical problems I have ever worked on. There are so many variables that we don't know I believe what I have done is just a real good guess. Loading it into the SUV I had to fold down one of the seats just [View Full Entry]

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OD, Prep, prep and more prep. So much to do and so little time to get it all done in. Sunday and Monday winter has returned to the "North Country" with a vengeance. Single digit temps high winds and blowing snow. No training hikes in a few days. We probably should be out there toughing it out, but the older smarter me says I will endure a little extra pain on the trail start than risk a fall on an icy walk. Sunday was a rest day both body and mind. CC and I were about brain dead on trying [View Full Entry]

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Update from Patrick (aka O.D.) Been heavy into Thru Hike prep for the past two weeks. We have done some conditioning hikes with about half trail weight packs. Some on the roads and one on a walking trail in Clayton. We have done quite a bit of food prep with dehydration and vacuum packing. We are taking store bought meals in bags like "Lipton Noodles" that are flavored and bags, removing them from the original bag.. Then we place it in a vacuum meal bag and add our own dehydrated veggies, meat and maybe a spice or two. Then vacuum pack [View Full Entry]

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The best way to open our Travel Blog I think is with a bit of "Robert Service " poetry. "The Land Beyond" Have ever you heard of the Land Beyond, That dreams at the gates of day? Alluring it lies at the skirts of the skies, And ever so far away; Alluring it calls: O ye the yoke that galls, And ye of the trail overfond, With saddle and pack, by paddle and track, Let's go to the Land of Beyond! Have ever you stood where the silences brood, And vast the horizons begin, At the dawn of the day [View Full Entry]

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