Washington, DC (USA)

After weeks of rain, Mollie and I awoke to sunshine and realized we should seize the day - so we headed to the National Zoo! We left my apartment at 0900 and, driving through the area near the Kennedy Center, arrived about 45 minutes later. We normally take the Metro but this time we used our FoNZ membership perks (free parking, discounts on food, free tote bag). For several hours, we walked around the entire place, enjoying visits and visuals on several animals we hadn’t normally seen. Mollie was able to get information about conducting an interview with one of the Pinniped Handlers (for a school project). We also learned some new things about Genus-Species-Subspecies. First time & special highlights today: cute animal babies (gorilla, panda, grey seal, orangutan) playing, elephant with huge tusks (“Spike”), Komodo Dragon, tiger swimming, Orangutan crossing O-Line and more. Before leaving, we ate lunch at the Mane Diner and then walked around the Zoo one more time. We really made the best of the beautiful weather and can’t wait to return!

Mason Neck, VA (USA)

[went kayaking (from Reza's) on the Potomac with Stephanie for several hours - had to clean up both kayaks because they were full of mud (and a mouse!) - enjoyed the nice weather and paddled up behind Gunston Hall - helped Stephanie find I-95 - arrived home at 1545]

Alexandria, VA (USA)

[after dropping Mollie off at school, took a nice walk in Huntley Meadows - went home to telework]

Washington, DC (USA)

[riding bus - work - happy hour with Greta at Plan B (finished at 1800) - Metro/bus home]

Winston-Salem, NC (USA)

[we woke up at 0500 and got ready for our trip to North Carolina - Mollie made breakfast (English Muffin) but didn't end up eating it - we left my apartment at 0545 and used US-1, I-95 and I-85 during our drive towards the Notre Dame-Wake Forest football game - Mollie slept almost the whole trip (!) - we stopped for gas near the VA-NC border (South Hill, 0825) and then continued on I-85 until we reached I-40 - continued west until reaching Business I-40 and drove to Winston-Salem (arriving at US-52 by around 1015 - in addition to encountering construction delays in the area, we had a lot of trouble locating the parking lot for the campus - we got parked by 1115 and entered the stadium in time to watch the opening ceremonies (Army Parachute Team - wow!) - we also picked up some lunch (chicken sandwich combo from vendors) and Mollie helped me pay with money from her Nielson Ratings surveys - the game started at 1200 - it was very sunny and hot but we managed to stay in our (good!) seats for the entire first half - we spent much of the third quarter in the shade (under the stands) and ended up being noticed by the mom (and dad) of one of Erin's old roommates from JMU (and Virginia Beach) - with more thoughts about getting away from the sun, we found a place under a shady tree where we could watch more of the second half - Mollie got herself a snack (Dippin' Dots) in the afternoon - with about 10 minutes left in the game (1510), we went back to our car and headed out of town (listening to the game on the radio as we drove) - I'd originally planned to spend the night near Grayson Highlands (VA) but Mollie said she had too much homework to be able to really enjoy more than a few hours of sight-seeing - knowing that, I decided to take her to Guilford Courthouse National Military Park (near Greensboro) so she could get a NPS Passport Stamp - we used Business I-40, (normal) I-40 and I-840 and arrived at the National Park by 1545 - after watching videos at the Visitors Center, we drove around the park and even took a walk to pay our respects to Nathanael Greene's statue - we finished our visit just after 1700 and drove a short distance to have dinner at Taco Bell (1705, ate in the restaurant) - we then backtracked on I-840 to I-40 - we used the latter and, later, I-85 to get back to Virginia, stopping for gas near the border (Oxford, NC) at 1900 - the weather was not very nice during the last hour of our trip (on I-95) but we managed to reach Alexandria before 2230 - we unpacked the car and went to bed almost immediately (around 2330)]

Washington, DC (USA)

[riding bus - work - Metro - lunch with Daniel at Chinatown Express (until 1200) - Metro - work - home]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[riding bus - work - met Stephanie in the Metro - took train to Pentagon City - happy hour at Chevys (until 1820) - Metro/bus - Mollie at my house (studying)]

Landover, MD (USA)

Mollie woke up at 0815 and ate breakfast (corn bread muffin). She did some studying until 1000, when we packed up Mollie’s belongings and drove to Landover (Maryland) to watch the Redskins-Colts game in my company’s Suite! It turned out to be great weather for a football game and Mollie really enjoyed the opening ceremonies and festive fan behavior. We stayed there from about 1100 until 1530, eating lunch (fully stocked buffet in the Suite), enjoying the game and talking with my work colleagues. Mollie talked to me a lot about the Fairfax County Police Shadow opportunity and told me there was an interest meeting on Monday night. She asked if I could attend with her and I said I would). After the start of the Fourth Quarter (the Redskins were already losing by then), we headed back to Alexandria, arriving by 1600. Mollie didn’t want me to drop her off at Nicky’s yet so we visited the Eisenhower Animal Shelter and then took a walk along the bike trail at Holmes Run. At 1645, I took Mollie home.

Fairfax, VA (USA)

Mollie and I joined a cleanup crew at Accotink Stream Valley Park (near Annandale, off King Arthur Drive near Beltway and Little River Turnpike) early this morning so Mollie could get some service hours for school. We arrived at 0845 (the first volunteers) and helped with trash collection for over two hours. There were actually only four volunteers total - not nearly enough - so we were fighting an unwinnable battle against the mass of trash that had flowed into the creek from surrounding neighborhoods since the Spring clean-up. So sad to see - wish people would try a little harder to properly dispose of their refuse... Mollie and I filled five bags of trash in two hours - almost 80% was plastic bags and bottles and some areas were even packed with four-five inches of garbage. By the end of the day, we'd found a full liter bottle of Colt 45, an empty fire extinguisher, a huge piece of siding, three car tires and countless balls (baseball, street hockey, tennis, etc.). All assembled at the staging area, it was a depressing indictment of the residents of our town... There are a lot more weekends left to volunteer (through October 13) - we hope more people will get out there to help cleanup the watershed!

Washington, DC (USA)

[riding bus - lunch with Eric T at Justins - worked from 80M - HH with Greta at Scarlet Oak - she drove me home (via I-295) - helping Bob (locked out of his apartment)]

Pittsfield, MA (USA)

Up early again (no alarm needed)! When I was waking, I realized I'd gotten texts from Eileen in the middle of the night. It turned out that she didn't actually see me at the race, despite what I thought were direct glances at me all three times! I was able to text with her for a bit before I got ready, which was nice. When I went outside, I was shocked - it was so chilly this morning! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the cooler weather - but I was feeling very lucky that I had anything warm to wear when I got outside to find temperatures in the 30s again (0600). Ate breakfast at McDonalds in Pittsfield (0605) and then drove south from Pittsfield on US-7/US-20 and decided to take MA-183 into the October Mountain National Forest lands (looking for gravel road access). Without cell signal, the best I could do was to find a campground (they did have a map but it wasn't tremendously helpful). Decided to get back on the pavement and drive to an easily locatable trailhead on US-20 (Lee/Becket town line). After hiking from the parking lot down to the AT (probably a few hundred yards), I started NOBO (0645). I could hear the very loud traffic on the nearby Mass Pike for about the first hour - but once I crossed Becket Mountain, it got pretty quiet. It was nice to be on a ridge but there were no view points at all during my hike. I crossed multiple snow mobile tracks (some looked very new) and enjoyed the mainly flat terrain for several hours. There were (as always) some places where there was mud, roots and rock fields but I felt energized enough that they didn't bother me. Came close to a few bodies of water but didn't feel any mosquitos all day (nice). I came around a corner near one lake and was startled to see another person. He obviously felt the same way because he ducked anxiously behind a tree and only continued towards me after he peeked around to see what I was. He told me then (laughing) that he had just passed a moose track and had been expecting to see one any second. My broad-rimmed hat, dark colored clothes and, perhaps, lumbering frame caused him great distress... After we exchanged pleasantries, I continued on - encountered another hiker (much more oblivious to the possibility of nearby wildlife) shortly afterwards but kept going. Wanted to make sure I could hike in from the other direction without too much distance so turned around at a County Road south of October Mountain Shelter. By this point, the overcast was giving way to a bit of sunlight - however, the temperatures never rose above the 50s. I loved it - barely built up a sweat despite my pace. On the way back, I saw many more (~10) section and day hikers and at least one Thru Hiker (maybe a flip flopper or running really far behind the main group). Almost no chit chat at all, though - wanted to get to my car without much delay, dreading the long drive home and forecasted bad weather on the way. Finished up my hike by 1145 (after almost 11 miles). Got cleaned up and ready to drive. On the road (westbound in US-20) by 1215. Brenna called and we chatted for a long time. I used MA-102 to get to US-7 and then drove down to Great Barrington and got on MA-23. This road turned into NY-23 and I followed it until reaching the Taconic Parkway. From there, used I-84, I-81, I-83, US-15, I-270 and I-495 to get home. The rain started in the Scranton area and continued until I reached Frederick. Got a gas fillup at Loves in Jonestown (PA) at 1633. After being warned by one of those highway electronic signs that there was a major accident on I-81 near Hershey, I got gas to the north of the I-78/I-81 merge and then avoided the traffic jam by driving through Fort Indiantown Gap. As I finished the drive, I got to talk to Mollie on the phone again. Made it home by 1900 (whew). Was sad that I had to leave the Berkshires (and the Fall weather) but I can't be too greedy about having awesome hikes... Hope to be back soon! AT Today = 5.30 miles / G.T. AT = 1188.02 miles

Long Lake, NY (USA)

I found Autumn: it’s in the Adirondacks! I’d repositioned from the Berkshires to near Lake George last night so I only had to drive about an hour to watch Day 2 (of 3) of the Adirondack Canoe Classic (AKA "90 Miler"), an amazing long distance race on a series of lakes. Eileen was one of the competitors and I'd been hearing about the event for several years - wanted to see it first hand! Ate breakfast at my hotel in Queensbury and then got gas (Speedway, 0610). On the road, used I-87 to Pottersville, then took Valley Farm Road, US-9 and Olmsteadville Road to NY-28N. The temps were in the high 30s when I arrived in Long Lake (0730) - actually needed a sweatshirt! Had thought the race started at 0800 but it really began 30 minutes later. While waiting, I got lots of information about how to make the most of my visit. People were very nice and shared directions for trail access to the race course, stories of their family and friends in the competition and asked “who has the car from Virginia?” I found a place to watch under the bridge on the north end of town and waited. Listened to a recap of Day 1 and watched the volunteer timing officials set up for the day. Eventually, 9 waves of more than 250 paddle-powered watercraft (including: 1, 2 and 4 person canoes; 1 & 2 person kayaks; 1 & 2 person guide boats; war canoes; paddle boards; and others) sortied from the south end of the lake. Along with dozens of other people, I watched and cheered over the next few hours. Some of the boats were very pretty (custom built or new) while others were rented and plain. There were amateurs, hard core veterans and people who looked like they didn’t belong in a 90 mile race at all. Participants decorated their boats with nicknames, race stickers and other signs of accomplishment in local races - I even saw a pirate flag flying from the stern of a C2 team’s boat. Almost everyone got a cow bell salute as they passed! After seeing Eileen pass by in her war canoe, “Compass Rose”, I drove to Tupper Lake and then east on NY-30 until I found the access road to the Racquet Falls trailhead. A local person told me I’d likely miss the competitors if I hiked all the way to the falls so I took a shorter trail to Stony Creek. There weren’t many people there when I set up my chair at 1100 but it got much busier by 1230, when everyone expected the leaders to pass our location. It did warm up a bit (to around 70). Met a lot more nice people who had watched the race many times and never felt bored, despite the lengthy wait. The locals passed the word that the historically low water table apparently had a negative effect on the race (sandbars). As a result, we didn’t see any paddlers until well after 1300 - and that was when Matt blazed by in his Epic kayak, making it look easy. We waited for awhile again until there was a steady stream of boats. Many pit crew supporters changed out electrolyte bottles and tossed chocolate milk to their teams. Most paddlers were all business (and looked tired) but a few waved to the spectators. It took another hour and a half to see just the first third of the teams - they were really spread out! I got to see Roger and his friend in their K2 Epic (lots of cheers) and got to see Eileen pass again. I then headed back towards Tupper Lake to “The Crusher” (finish line). Met some more nice people there and watched the paddlers come through a third time. Eileen’s son (in his own Epic kayak) passed her war canoe before the end of the day (1530) and they were both smiling proudly about their day. The paddlers have got one more day to go... Amazing experience - glad I was able to be here! Can’t imagine being able to do the race but definitely have an appreciation for those who do. Was unable to locate everyone afterwards so headed back towards the AT hiking zone while the weather was still good. Tried to get groceries in IGA at Tupper Lake (no luck). Stopped at nearby Stewarts Shop (1555) and got a sandwich for lunch/dinner. Then used NY-30 to US-28N, Olmsteadville Road (to Pottersville), US-9 and Valley Farm Road to I-87. Later transitioned to NY-7 and I-787 to I-90. Took US-20 east from the Albany area. Got a gas fillup at Citgo in Pittfield at 1855 and stopped at the nearby Heart of the Berkshires (hotel) for the night (1930). Before going to bed, I took a walk (to get my 10K steps for the day). Reading and TV in my room. Mollie called me and we had a nice talk. Fell asleep easily after all the driving - AT tomorrow!

South Egremont, MA (USA)

Weather was forecasted to be really amazing this weekend so I worked a short day (only until 0930) and then drove north. In addition to some AT goals I had, I wanted to see Eileen race in the Adirondack Canoe Classic ("90 Miler") and the whole thing was going to require some amazing driving stamina - "challenge accepted"! Used I-495, I-95, I-695, I-83, I-81, I-84, Taconic Parkway, NY-82, US-44 to Salisbury. It rained from about Hazelton until the Hudson crossing at Newburgh. Got a gas fillup at Rutters in New Cumberland (PA) at 1125 and another gas fillup at Gulf in Millbrook (NY) at 1525. When I reached Salisbury (1600), I switched to CT-41 (which later changed to MA-41 on the way). I had thought about hiking in Connecticut but decided to take advantage of the remaining daylight and drove to the trailhead (got turned around a few times in South Egremont) on Sheffield-Egremont Road. I was pleasantly surprised to find the weather clear and cool! Started my AT hike from the Shay's Rebellion monument 1630. I mistakenly thought I was heading south (due to the trail orientation when I started) but several switchbacks helped me to realize my error. Oh well - I wanted to hike on both sides of the road anyway! Because of the nice weather (mid 50s), I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Unfortunately, the mosquitos were merciless when they realized this - I had forgotten my bug spray - and I PAID (ouch!)... Most of the hike was through wide open fields - it was quiet and peaceful and I didn't see anyone at all. Sometimes, I heard the sounds of gunfire (skeet range?) but it eventually stopped. I turned around at US-7 and raced back to my car. Got some bug spray (probably didn't matter anymore though) and headed back into the woods (SOBO this time). The trail on the other side was completely different - swampy land, boardwalks, tall trees, roots and mud. Reached Jug End Road (my second turnaround) before dark and was surprised to encounter a young man (a LASHer) sitting on a rock, nonchalantly smoking a joint. He was dressed in long pants, long sleeved shirt (mosquito netting) and heavy gloves. He told me he had tried to Thru hike from Katahdin but gave up in the 100 Mile Wilderness, tried again in the Whites (unsuccessful) and was now attempting to hike from the Vermont-Massachusetts border to the south "until the snow came". He didn't seem extremely confident but his relaxed demeanor made it clear it didn't matter to him either way. Some of his intel about the gravel roads to the north was helpful for my long term plans... After our (short) discussion, I headed back towards my car. It got darker a lot quicker than I had expected (sun behind the hills, thick forest covering) and I walked as fast as I dared. I kept expecting to need my headlamp but (except for a brief moment in a muddy morass) I didn't use any lights. The trail, even in the dark, was still visible - there was just enough light for me to see the darker shade of the beaten path... I was glad to reach the swamp again because the tiny sliver of a moon was just enough to light up a tricky bridge I had to cross. Made it to my car by 2000, after around nine miles. Felt pretty good - the section was a good one to choose for the start of my weekend. I got cleaned up and drove back to MA-41, which I took it all the way to US-20 (retreading some of my drive in July) - took US-20 to the west until reaching I-90 - all the way to Albany. Then used I-787 and NY-7 to get to I-87. Drove north for another hour or so and stopped for the night at an extremely overpriced Quality Inn (by a lot, even with a discount, "because of the car show") in Queensbury (NY) at 2220. Despite all the extra effort it took, I was glad I repositioned to cut down my early morning drive (the next day) to just over an hour. In bed by 2300, knowing that I was a lot closer to being able to watch tomorrow's action on Long Lake and the Raquette River! AT Today = 4.50 miles / Grand Total AT = 1182.72 miles

Arlington, VA (USA)

[work - happy hour (solo) at Chevys Pentagon City - home by 1830]

The Plains, VA (USA)

I woke Mollie up at 0645 and we got ready for church. We went to 0730 Mass (St. Lawrence). Afterwards, Mollie ate breakfast (butter rum muffin, English muffin) and did some more studying. After learning that the Twilight Polo from the previous night had been rescheduled, we decided to drive out to enjoy it in the evening (and to stay inside all the rest of the day because of the heat). Mollie studied until 1400 and we then went to Wegmans (1420) to pick up a picnic dinner (18 inch sub, macaroni salad, bean salad, fruit drinks). We next drove to Sky Meadows State Park and used one of Mollie’s REI receipts to get free entrance (1530). While there, we toured the historic land and did a little nature walk. We also fed chickens! Our next stop was at Valley View Farm (Delaplane, near Paris), where we picked up some preserves (peach butter) and learned about apple picking opportunities. We then drove back to the east (to the Plains). When we arrived at Great Meadows, we didn't see anyone collecting the entry fee so we drove back to the Corner Store (at Old Tavern) and got some snacks (1655). At 1715, we went back to the Great Meadows entrance and waited there. Eventually, the people who run the Twilight Polo event informed us that no entrance fee would be collected. This was great news - we parked and took our picnic stuff unto the venue and set to for one of the four polo matches. We enjoyed our food while we watched the horses and riders. It was really hot and there were very few other spectators (because of the reschedule). Several times, the organizers asked us if we wanted to move into the empty boxes and we eventually followed their recommendation. We stayed until around 1930 and then drove home, arriving by 2030.