Bennington, VT (USA)

On the road by 0715 after a good night of sleep. Used US-7 to return to the Green Mountain National Forest so I could tie up a loose end south of Stratton-Arlington Road. Have been kicking myself all weekend about all of the simple things I could have done differently to avoid returning to the same trailheads - if I'd used my AT Guide the right way, I'd have more sections that were possible with limited time. Oh well... Started NOBO at 8:15 from the trailhead at USFS-71. I immediately encountered hikers but kept my distance from the ones going north so that I could "hike my own hike." All I had to do was reach the Black Brook (just over a mile) but I decided to continue after I encountered the worst mud of the trip. Saw lots of blueberries, ferns and evergreen sprigs. Temps were really nice again (low 60s). I ended up at the Stratton Mountain parking lot and walked back on the gravel roads to my car, arriving at 0930 after 3.5 miles. Headed south and stopped for a gas fillup, supplies and souvenirs in Bennington (1100).  Used NY-7, I-87, I-88 and I-81 to get back into Pennsylvania.  Eileen called me in the middle of the long stretch.  Stopped again for gas again in Harrisburg, PA (1710).  Drove home via PA-581, US-15, I-270 and I-495, arriving at 2000.  This has been a great weekend - logged almost 41 miles and nearly 20 new AT miles. Traded the heat of NoVA for a Vermont July - can't beat it.  AT Today = 1.10 miles / G.T. AT = 955.16 miles

Rutland, VT (USA)

Up earlier today, ate breakfast at the house and quickly got on the road towards the trailhead (VT-103, near the Clarendon Gorge). At 0800, headed NOBO with temps in the high 50s (ahhhh). The section wasn't long but it included a few small roller coasters, a steep rock scramble and some areas where I was in six foot tall grass with no overhead cover. Saw fewer hikers - just a couple SOBO in the first mile and no others until the turnaround (Cold River Road). After that, encountered a small group of NOBOs near the Clarendon Shelter. I did pretty well in the climbs and was careful on each descent - didn't break any records for speed but enjoyed the weather and views. Finished around 8 miles by 1215. It did get a lot warmer before I was done (~80) and I would have loved to get some ice cream at the Whistle Stop. Unfortunately, it had gone out of business since last summer (like many of the local restaurants and shops). Headed back to Danby to recharge in my home-away-from-home (thanks, Elizabeth!). After the break, I hoped to get some more miles in the evening. At 1700 PM, I drove to Rutland for dinner (Taco Bell). By 1815, I was at the trailhead in Gifford Woods State Park and headed NOBO. It was already dark in the trees along the edge of Kent Pond, so I hurried towards my turnaround (eastern side end of Thundering Brook Road). Terrain wasn't too difficult and I made really good time. Didn't see anyone except people fishing on the edge of the pond and some kayakers. The echoing sounds of loons were eerie in the twilight... Decided not to visit the waterfall because the mosquitos, which I hadn't noticed all weekend, were ravenous and persistent. It took all the Deet I had and they still weren't dissuaded. As a result, I got back to my car before the sun was completely set (2000) after logging just over four miles. Glad I went out tonight for a second hike! Drove back to the house and briefly talked to Eileen before going to bed.  AT Today = 6.00 miles / G.T. AT = 954.06 miles

Rutland, VT (USA)

I'm so tired!!! Didn't set an alarm clock, so didn't get out of the house until 0830. After breakfast in Rutland (McDonalds) and some backtracking (trying to locate the trailhead), I started NOBO from Cold River Road near North Strewsbury (0930). Like yesterday, the weather was great and the trail conditions were Varsity-level (mud, roots, rocks, cliffs). I did feel a breeze a few times but I was mainly in the trees (out of the sun). In fact, I couldn't see where I was headed (Killington peak) until I was almost there. I encountered more hikers (NOBO and SOBO, Long Trail and Appalachian Trail) - they were all in a huge hurry ("Hi", "Hello", "Have a good hike" & done). One NOBO blew by me in the climb but made me chuckle when I realized he was wearing a kilt. Also had to marvel at the "Reagan-Bush '84" hat I noticed (on a young guy) - it's certainly a collectors item at this point (must be a story there). I ended up talking to only one hiker all day ("Trek" from Leesburg, sporting a ZZ Top beard), who told me that the Main Bubble is about a week to the south. When I reached the summit, I found out the view (and restaurant) required an even farther climb - I didn't want to do that so I turned around at the Cooper Lodge Shelter and headed back down as fast as I could. In the ascent, I wasn't impressed with my stamina or conditioning. On the descent, I nearly broke bones with slips down reverse rock scrambles. But it turned out to be a tale of two hikes: on the way up, I nearly gave up a few times and wondered if my water would last - on the way down, I felt energized and confident. Made it to the bottom at 1715 (much later than I'd planned) after nearly 16 miles (backtracks and views). Water ran out just as the car came into view. A hiker was waiting for someone to give him a ride there and I took him back to his car on VT-103. It felt good to give some trail magic! My passenger's name was Dominic, from Montreal, and he'd been hiking with his friend for several days until the latter blew out his knee (I passed him a few miles from the trailhead without realizing the situation). Dominic told me I needed to visit the Gaspe Peninsula so I could hike on the bald hills there - spectacular views, apparently. After I dropped him off, I drove into Rutland for dinner and a sundae at Friendly's: mmmm (finished at 1800)! More tomorrow - if I recover tonight... AT Today = 7.20 miles / G.T. AT = 948.06 miles

Danby, VT (USA)

It had been more than two months since I logged a single mile on the AT, so I decided that I'd get away from D.C. again to add to my total. Made it out of NoVA by 0630, got gas in Thurmont, MD (0735) and was quickly on I-81 near Harrisburg. Ate lunch in Halstead, PA (1100) and took care of some tasks (telcon). Took I-88 to get to Albany - always a pretty drive. Gas fillup in Rotterdam, NY (1350).  Crossed the Hudson at Troy and then used NY-7 to reach Vermont. Overall, the drive went well - not too much traffic but a lot of construction. Stopped at the Welcome Center for some trail maps. Weather was great all day - clear with temperatures falling as I drove north. Decided to tackle a section in Stratton that I never finished in 2014. Had to drive about 10 miles on a gravel road (with "Moose Crossing" signs) to reach the trailhead at Stratton-Arlington Road (AKA Kelley Stand Road). At 1645, headed NOBO. The trail was headed to the top of the peak (almost 4000 feet) that actually inspired the development of the AT in 1921. Benton MacKaye, the creator, took the same hike and had the breakthrough idea at the summit. As I walked, I was treated to delightful evergreen smells, elaborate bird songs and deafening silence - perfect! Saw only a few other people - almost all Long Trail and AT Thru hikers. After navigating through LOTS of mud and rocks, I made it to the top. Talked to the campsite caretaker, who told me that this was one of the best views on the AT. When I climbed up the lookout tower, I wholeheartedly agreed - pictures don't do the place justice! While climbing the rickety ladder, the first effect was passing above the highest trees - as far as the eye could see. Then I was struck by the amazing panorama - views for miles in every direction of New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New York. The view of the other mountains, especially the Adirondacks, was stunning and low clouds framed the setting sun. The breeze was brisk (temps had dropped into the 60s and it felt like 40s). I'm not usually afraid of heights but I went very slowly and carefully to the get back down (yikes)... Headed back to my car immediately, recording around 8 total miles, but barely made it before the sun went behind mountains to the west (1945). There were pretty red streaks in the clouds and a crescent moon stood out in the clear twilight sky. Would have liked to hike some more but still had to finish my drive (to Danby). Day 1 on the trail was already the energy boost - looking forward to more tomorrow! AT Today = 3.80 miles / Grand Total AT = 940.86 miles

Warrenton, VA (USA)

[work - trip to Warrenton and back - gas in Gainesville on way back at 1225 - doctor appointment - telework rest of the day]

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - drinks with Rachel and Sean E. at Bar Louie Gallery Place - home by 1900]

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - went to dinner with Brenna at Cuba Libre (finished at 1915)]

Chincoteague, VA (USA)

[I woke Mollie up at 0730 and we checked out of the Navy Lodge at Wallops Island - we drove to see the wild ponies in their pen one more time (at the NS) and then stopped at the Chincoteague Blueberry Festival - we had breakfast (blueberry pancakes, sausage, eggs and hash browns) there and explored the displays of deep sea taxidermy, blueberry drinks and desserts, and local artwork - afterwards (1000), we left the island, got on US-13 and drove back into Maryland - we used US-113 and state roads to get to the northern entrance of the Assateague Island National Seashore (near Berlin, MD) - we talked about pets and fishing and family stories (of my grandmother) - after stopping at the Visitors Center, we crossed the bridge to the barrier island - we immediately saw wild horses near the road and Mollie took lots of pictures - we explored the driving loop and encountered a park ranger who was giving an interactive presentation on catching blue crabs - Mollie joined in and, even though she didn't catch any, enjoyed watching other people catch crabs (they were all released) - at 1230, we left the park and retraced our tracks to US-50, headed towards home - even though we never had to stop, the traffic was terrible - it took us over three hours to make it back to the Potomac - on the way, Mollie slept a bit and ate a light lunch - since she told me her mother was cooking a nice meal for her in the evening, I took Mollie home as soon as we reached Alexandria (1605)]

Chincoteague, VA (USA)

[we woke up at 0730 and ate breakfast - we packed our bags and left for the Eastern Shore (I-495, US-50) - after crossing the Bay Bridge in heavy traffic, we got off the highway (Cambridge MD) to visit the Harriett Tubman and Underground Railroad National Historic Park - we spent about an hour there and then visited the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge - like at the NHS, we stopped at the Visitors Center - then we drove on a wildlife loop, looking for herons, egrets and fox squirrels - Mollie had borrowed Nicky's fancy & expensive camera and took lots of pictures - we made our way back to US-50 and drove to Salisbury - ate a late lunch (Chick-fil-A) at 1410 - we then got on US-13 and headed toward Pokomoke VA - we got gas in New Church (1530) and continued to Wallops Island, where we checked into our room at the Navy Lodge 1545 - we got cleaned up and drove to Assateague Island National Seashore - at the Visitors Center, we learned that the only pony roundup we could view was going to take place at 1630 (Southern Herd) - we had thought we could watch a roundup on Sunday morning but got lucky that we didn't miss the Saturday one - it was very hot and crowded but we had a great view of the ponies as they entered the corral - Mollie and I then drove to the beach at Tom's Cove and walked on the shore for about 1.5 hours - we found a place with no people (with sea turtle nest) before we turned around - after that (1830), we drove to the Chincoteague Island Volunteer Fire Department Carnival - we ate dinner (burgers, crab cakes, pony fries, fried Twinkie) and enjoyed the live music - when a huge thunderstorm (spectacular lightning show) arrived on the horizon (2030), we drove back to Wallops Island - spent some time reading and watching TV - bed was at 2300]

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - headed to early happy hour at Penn Social but it was closed - moved to Hill Country, planning to stay just a short time - ended up paying for my car repair over the phone and staying in DC until 2200 -drove home and went to Bob's to watch Game of Thrones episode - home very late]

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - happy hour at Old Ebbitt Grill - started alone at bar, met Angela and had Oysters Wellington (done at 1735) - met up with my friends Joe R., Dan G., Kelly, Stephanie, Sean G., Casey (finished at 1930) - walked back to L'Enfant]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[work - happy hour at Sine Pentagon City with Bill W. and Gene C.]

New Market, VA (USA)

I woke Mollie up at 0800 and we left for Shenandoah National Park so Mollie could get a NPS Passport Stamp.  Used I-66 and drove through Front Royal to get to Skyline Drive.  That drive costs so much that it is always nice to still have our NPS Access Pass..  While visiting the Dickey Ridge Visitors Center for the stamp (and souvenirs), we hiked on the Fox Hollow Trail and that Dickey Ridge Trail (1100).  We then drove south to Thornton Gap and west to New Market.  After getting turned around on US-11, we stopped at New Market Battlefield State Historic Site.  We then ate lunch and took our time getting home, stopping for snacks and gas in Haymarket (1420).

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - HH at BWW with team and then at Scarlet Oak with Stephanie]

Washington, DC (USA)

Erin called me twice in the afternoon to ask me for help in changing Austin's tire.  I did my best to provide advice over the phone but I found out later that Mollie and Austin ended up doing all the work.  At least they got it fixed, though...  At 1700, Mollie took the Metro into DC and we went to dinner at Cuba Libre (her choice).  We had a very nice time and enjoyed delicious food.  Afterwards (2000), we took the Metro back to my car and I dropped her off at her mother's house.

Woodbridge, VA (USA)

[work - drinks at Gordon Biersh Navy Yard with work friends - later drove Bob to pick up his new car in Woodbridge]

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 16

We got up at 0730 and ate breakfast (eggs, sausage, yogurt, waffles, cereal).  We visited the George Rogers Clark National Memorial (in town) and 0900 and watched a movie at the Visitors Center.  After exploring the grounds, we got on US-41 and drove to the Lincoln Boyhood Home National Memorial in the southern part of Indiana.  We took a long walk there and watched a movie at the Visitors Center.  At 1130, we got on I-64 (headed into Kentucky) and headed home.  We ate lunch in the car.  The AC was working and this made the drive very pleasant.  We got gas in Simpsonville, KY (1415) and used I-64 all the way to Charleston, WV, when we got on I-79.  Then we used US-33 to cross the mountains into Virginia.  We ate dinner (Taco Bell) and got gas in Buckhannon, WV (1930).  We stopped at the Seneca Rocks as the sun was setting and then drove east on WV-55, which turned into VA-55.  We made it to I-81 by 2200 and used I-66 and I-495 to get home, arriving at 2330.  Unpacked part of the car and went to bed at around 0030.  What a great trip: 6500 miles, 48 license plates spotted and 27 National Park stamps!

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 15

Woke up later than we'd planned (0800) but were able to get on the road pretty quickly after we ate breakfast (cereal, waffles, fruit). We used I-70 east until we accidentally crossed the Mississippi  After turning around, our first stop was the Gateway Arch in St. Louis but we were unable to find a good place to park.  It was also raining so we didn't stay in the city.  Instead, we re-crossed the river on I-64 and then used I-55 to get to the Cahokia Mounds.  We arrived at about 0945 and spent several hours learning about the Native American site (movie, museum, walks around the grounds).  I was forced to do a bit more teleworking before the morning was done but it had a minimal impact.  We saw rabbits and deer while we were walking and got a great view of St. Louis from the top of Monks Mound.  At 12:30 PM, we drove (via backroads) to visit my friend, Scott, and his family in O'Fallon , IL.  We ate lunch (flank steak tacos, buffalo mac and cheese) with them and another friend, John, at Peel Pizza and Brewery. After returning to Scott's house, we visited for several hours.  After that, we said goodbye (1600) and took back roads to US-50.  Our air conditioning was still not working right and it was very hot.  We ate dinner on the way and made good time to Vincennes, IN, arriving at 1930 (time change).  I did some more teleworking in the room and Mollie called Nicky to follow up on their Summer Vacation plans.  We watched a little TV (Mollie also read) and we went to bed at 2300.

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 14

We woke up at 0615, got packed and ate breakfast (cereal, donuts) at the hotel.  After getting gas in Lincoln (0735), we drove south on US-77 to Beatrice and stopped at the Homestead National Monument (0845).  We watched a movie at the Visitors Center and explored the displays (a great ranger taught us a lot). We walked a good bit before we left and Mollie got another stamp for her Passport book.  I had to do some tasks for work, so that delayed us a bit.  Once that was done, though, we drove south (until we reached Kansas) and then took US-36 into Missouri.  We ate lunch on the way.  Used I-29 and I-70 to get through Kansas City and then stopped to visit Harry S Truman National Historic Site in Independence, MO.  We walked around town to see several landmarks connected with the former President.  After we got back on I-70, we continued east until we reached Warrenton (1740).  We got gas and found a coupon for a hotel in nearby Wentzville - we stopped there for the night.  I worked out in the gym and then we went to dinner (Pezzimenti's Cafe) at 1915.  Mollie wasn't interested, but I actually went swimming in the hotel pool (2030).  After that, I shaved my face for the first time in two weeks (leaving my beard, per Mollie's request).  We read until bedtime (2230).

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 13

We woke up in the rest area (still in Wyoming) at 0530 and, after cleaning ourselves up, continued north on I-25. We then got on US-26, headed east - we ate breakfast  on the way.  While waiting for the Fort Laramie National Monument to open, I took a hike along the North Platte River (0730) and then Mollie and I explored the grounds of the park.  As soon as Mollie got her Passport stamp, we departed for Nebraska.  I had to take care of some problems at work (phone) a few times as we drove.  We used NE-29 to get to Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, where we watched a movie at the Visitors Center and enjoyed seeing the bones and Native American art.  I took another hike up to see the Daemonelix fossils and then we headed back to US-26.  We stopped in Scotts Bluff NE for lunch (Culver's) at 1305 (finally!).  We also got gas (1345) and then drove to the National Monument (where we had visited in 2010) to get another stamp.  Continuing east (with no AC in 100 degree weather), we used NE-92 and US-26 to reach I-80.  We stopped for dinner (shrimp fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, crab rangoon) in York, NE (2015).  When we'd finished, we east continued until we reached Lincoln, NE and found a hotel (2120).  We did laundry and cleaned up.  We also read books before bed (2300).

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 12

We woke up at 0530 and packed quickly.  We were on the road (US-40) by 0615, eating breakfast (snacks) on the way.  After avoiding a traffic jam in Steamboat Springs (speed cameras, red-light cameras and metric system speed limits - geesh), we stopped for gas in Kremmling CO (0815).  We continued east until we reached US-34 and we entered Rocky Mountain National Park at around 0830 and stopped at the Visitors Center.  We went for a hike at the Colorado River Trail and then drove through the park, stopping for lots of photo opportunities (including for elk and moose).  Later, we hiked up a tall hill to 12,000 feet at the Alpine Visitors Center (1215) and ate lunch (hot dogs) and the Cafe in the Clouds.  Soon afterwards; we drove down the east face of the mountain and then decided to drive up to Bear Lake.  We arrived at around 1400 and took a hike around the lake and to Alberta Falls.  On the way back, we used the free park shuttle bus to reach our car.  We then headed towards Estes Park.  It was quite clear that we probably could not get a campsite in the National Park (and it looked like rain), so we decided to leave.  Before exiting, we did stop at the Morraine Education Center so Mollie could work on her Junior Ranger but she didn't finish.  After getting through Estes Park (lots of traffic), we used US-34 (Big Thompson Canyon) to get to Loveland.  We saw a bighorn sheep on the way.  Eventually (whew), we got on I-25 and drove north to Cheyenne, WY.  We ate dinner (sandwiches, salad, pie) at the Down Home Diner on the edge of town (finished at 1830).  Afterwards, we drove to Frontier Park to enjoy the Independence Day festivities.  The city was celebrating its 150th birthday and the mayor was there.  We enjoyed music and dancing by local kids, a gun shooting demonstration, live country music and fireworks.  Mollie truly got to see how "Small Town USA" celebrates July 4th.  Just before the event ended, (2200), we drove north on I-25 to a rest area near Chugwater, WY.  It was Mollie's idea, actually, and there weren't any hotels nearby anyway.  We slept the entire night there, starting at 2245 (despite local kids shooting off bottle rockets in a big field behind the building).

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 11

We woke up at 0530 and had breakfast (waffles, cereal, yogurt, toast) at the hotel.  We packed and then got gas in Green River (0645).  We used US-191 to drive into Utah, through the Flaming Gorge NRA.  After searching a bit for a place I'd visited previously (see AUG 2011), we stopped at Red Fleet State Park to take a hike on the Dinosaur Trackway (0845).  When we were done, we drove to Dinosaur National Monument and we spent about an hour at the Quarry site, viewing exposed dinosaur bones and petroglyphs.  We then drove east into Colorado on US-40.  Stopped for lunch (sandwiches, chips, apples, oatmeal cream pies) at a gas station in Dinosaur CO 1315).  Afterwards, we drove to the Canyon area of the park and visited Harpers Corner, where we took a nice hike and saw the Green River canyon far below us.  Mollie got a Junior Ranger pin before we left (1600).  We continued east on US-40 and stopped for dinner (Wendy's) in Craig at 1750.  Since there appeared to be incoming weather, I decided to get a hotel in that town (1830).  We spent the evening reading and watching TV, heading to sleep at 2200.

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 10

Woke up at 0800 and packed to leave.  We drove to City of Rocks National Reserve via ID-77, eating breakfast (muffins, danishes, granola bars) on the way.  There were many interesting places to see in the park, so we explored and hiked until around 1130.  We then drove to I-84 via ID-77 and farm roads after getting gas in Malta (1230).  This route took us into Utah and then we got off the Interstate on UT-83 and visited the Golden Spike National Historic Site.  While there, we watched a movie at the Visitors Center and walked the property (saw the cool replica trains).  We then drove back to I-84 via UT-83 and UT-13.  We used UT-39 and drove through Ogden, where we also ate lunch (Popeye's) at 1445.  We then continued into Wyoming on UT-16 and US-30 (very curvy, big climb).  We managed to get to Fossil Butte National Monument (1655) before the Visitors Center closed and learned a lot about the animals that were discovered there.  We even took a nice hike up to the fossil quarry (Mollie had her fill of bugs, heat and walking by the end).  We left the park at 1915 and drove east, stopping in Kemmerer to take a picture of the first ever JC Penney (we texted Brenna).  Used US-30 to reach I-80.  Ate dinner (leftovers, snacks) on the way.  By 2030, we stopped in Green River, WY and got a hotel.  It was nice to get a rest, so we watched movies and planned the rest of our trip.  Bed time was at 2350.

Summer Vacation Trip - Day 9

I woke up at 0730 and went to get the oil changed for the car.  When I returned (0830), we packed up and went looking for a restaurant that was recommended by the hotel.  We didn't find it, so we ate breakfast at Burger King (8:45 AM).  We then shopped for supplies at Walmart (0915).  When we left town, we realized that we were going the wrong way (I-15 instead of US-20) and corrected our track (headed west).  Our first stop was Craters of the Moon National Monument.  We explored and hiked and enjoyed the cool weather until about 1300.  We then used US-20, US-26, US-93 and ID-25 to get to I-84.  We ate lunch (snacks) on the way.  It got very hot; we used a farm road in Wendell to get to US-30 and the town of Hagerman, where visited the Fossil Beds National Monument (1530);.  We watched a movie at the Visitors Center and learned about prehistoric horses.  A little later, we then drove to see the Thousand Springs.  It was getting late, so we used some farm roads to get back to the Interstate at Tuttle.  Mollie wanted met to get to another park (for another NPS Passport stamp), so we got back on ID-25 and drove east to the Mindoka National Historic Site, barely making it to the brand new Visitors Center (1700) by driving down a closed access road to park right at the building (rather than walking).  After Mollie got her Passport stamp, we walked around the grounds for another hour.  We then used ID-25 to get to I-84 and drove until we reached Burley ID (1845); we checked into the Budget Motel and then tried to eat at the steakhouse on the river.  It was too busy, so we ate dinner at Perkins (finished at 1945).  We watched movies in our room until bedtime (2200).