Washington, DC (USA)

[late start (picked up prescriptions) - drove to Branch Avenue (1000) and took Metro into DC - work - left office at 1745 and took Metro to Navy Yard - walked to Due South (boardwalk annex) and got a two free beers and a "boot mug" from Heineken at the Dutchtoberfest event - got dinner (a delicious chicken parmagian sandwich) next door at Nicoletta Pizza - ended up meeting a young couple (Keller and Annunda) that worked in DC (him at the National Democratic Institute and her as a staffer for Rep. Seth Morton of MA 6th District - had a good time for almost two hours - walked back to Metro and took it to Branch Avenue - home by 2030]

Woodbridge, VA (USA)

[I’d been prepping for a backpacking trip and asked Mollie to run through the items to verify I had everything on the checklist I had (she did) - once I knew for sure what I was still missing (1100), I drove to Woodbridge to pick up a few more items for the trip (Mollie stayed home to study) - I got home from shopping at around 1230]

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - Metro to Archives - lunch with Elizabeth H at Hill Country BBQ (1115) - afterwards (1245), walked back to L'Enfant - work]

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - at around 1515, walked with Tyler to Chinatown - happy hour at Bar Louie - then (1745) walked back to L'Enfant]

Washington, DC (USA)

Erin had asked me to go with her to the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture and I picked her up at 1100.  We drove to DC via I-495 and I-395 and had a great conversation (life, school, work) on the way.  When we arrived in the District, we had trouble finding a place to park but eventually found a spot near L'Enfant.  During our long walk (in the hot sun) to the Museum, Erin told me that she needed to visit museums as part of the grade for one of her classes.  She described several other events she’d attended in DC for school (hockey, baseball, dinner at different restaurants with classmates, Capitol tour, Congressional hearings).  We got right inside (by 1145) and visited the museum exhibits for about two hours.  It was Erin’s first visit and she told me she was very impressed and thought it was a great museum.  Afterwards (1345), we walked to Penn Quarter and ate a late lunch (burgers, parmigiana fries, disco tots) at Plan B.  We walked back to my car at around 1445 and I took Erin home.  This time, I used South Capitol Street, I-295 (through Maryland) and I-495.  With another fun day behind us, I dropped Erin off at Nicky’s at 1545.  It was a great day of visiting the museum and talking!

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - walked to Chinatown for lunch - ate at Chinatown Express (finished at 1200) - saw Climate Change Action protestors on Constitution Avenue - after eating, walked over to the Capitol to listen/watch - walked back to office]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[work - Metro to Pentagon City - went to happy hour at Chevy's (until around 1700) and then walked through the Fashion Centre Mall to Sine - got a patio seat - Stephanie and Joe R joined me eventually and we had some drinks, appetizers and good conversation until around 1915 - Metro to Huntington (delays at King Street) - home by 2015]

Fairfax, VA (USA)

[telework in the early morning - drove to Fairfax to get a medical evaluation (appointment at 1030) - attended a telcon on the way - after appointment was over (1100), attended more telcons on the way home - stopped for lunch at Freddy's Steakburgers (1110) - went home and did more telework - at 1715, headed to Huntington - Metro (Yellow/Red) to Union Station - walked to Hall of States - Rooftop Reception for the Congressional Football Game for Charity (it started at 1830) - met a lot of really interesting people and learned a lot about the mission of the charity - the festivities started to wind down at around 2115 - walked back to Union Station and then took Metro (Red/Yellow, delays) back to Huntington - home by 2215]

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - Metro with Kelly to Archives - happy hour at Plan B - it was Bourbon Month and I sampled the Woodford trio: Distiller Select, Reserve Rye, Double Oak - stayed until 1810 - walked back to L'Enfant - Metro home]

Mason Neck, VA (USA)

Mollie asked if she could go kayaking with me this morning!  So I obliged her and we drove over to Mason Neck (0915).  When we arrived at my friend’s dock, we found the sea weed and sea grass were even worse than they were during my last visit. The tide was quite high - we didn’t even have a beach to launch from but managed to get both boats in the water alright. For the next hour or so, we paddled around on the “Sargasso Sea” (aka Pohick Bay in the Potomac) - it was better away from the shore but both of us got covered in the “green stuff”. We were blessed with high overcast and cool air temp and the water temp was just right. Out in the channel, we had to paddle just to stand still - there was a pretty stiff wind from the north and some good sized waves. We saw lots of birds - they lifted off the docks or rocks, gliding vertically in the air without even flapping their wings. We tracked north a few hundred yards and then reversed, passing the landing and continuing another few hundred yards south. We wanted to go farther from the dock but it was a LOT of work. Overall, though, we had a great time out on the water and look forward to our return!

Woodbridge, VA (USA)

Mollie and I left my apartment at 1000 and drove to Woodbridge.  We made it to the REI Garage Sale about 30 minutes later.  We found a few good things and explored other parts of the store to build up my backpacking equipment inventory.  After shopping, we walked a short distance and got some lunch at BurgerFI - Mollie really enjoyed their chicken.  Because the weather was so nice, we drove over to visit Leesylvania State Park.  We used an REI receipt for free entry and went to the Visitor Center.  While there, we learned a lot about local animals, the Lee and Fairfax families and local geology.  The park was pretty and had a lot of camping areas.  We took a nice walk along the shore of the Potomac River and our favorite spot was a long fishing pier - we could see Mason Neck and Indian Head from there.  The park was having a big family event and there were many, many people cooking out and playing games everywhere.  Mollie said she wasn’t in the mood to join in on any of the fun and, since we’d had a nice walk, I agreed that it was time to go.  On the way home (1400), we got some gas at a Wawa.  We had to finish our drive on US-1 because of a huge traffic jam on I-95.  Mollie told me she really liked my new car (“the seats are soft”).

Washington, DC (USA)

[work - at 1600, walked to Penn Social for happy hour with friends - stayed until after 1915 - Metro back to Huntington - drove to pick up Mollie (arrived at 1945) - Erin was there and came out to see my new car]

Arlington, VA (USA)

[work - at 1615, took Metro to Pentagon City (first trip there in around three months) - saw Samantha as I left the station - walked to Chevys and had margarita happy hour - left for home (Metro SNAFUs) at around 1730 - ran into Kevin F and talked on the train with him about our old Navy buddies - home by 1815]

Salisbury, CT (USA)

The temps dropped into the 40s last night and the morning was clear and crisp - not quite Autumn but almost there!  Got up very early, packed up the car and left the hotel.  I picked up breakfast at McDonalds (0635) and got a gas fillup at Shell (0645) in Great Barrington.  Used US-7 to reach MA-22 and drove to Jug End Road (a nice gravel road).  I arrived at the AT Trailhead (near the NY-MA-CT border) and started SOBO at 0715.  Immediately, I was faced with one of the most challenging climbs I've hiked in a long time. Actually, I’d heard complaints from other hikers about this section and it lived up to its notorious reputation. In the first mile, I climbed over 1000 feet across steep, slippery rocks. I hoped that the ridge would be flatter but that ended up being a series of boulder scrambles for several miles. One nice thing about being up high, though, was the amazing views of all the surrounding area - I could clearly see Mount Greylock, which was almost 50 miles away. Along the way, I passed six other hikers (mostly weekenders like me) but didn’t really talk to any of them. There was a gentler climb near the end of the section - that part actually reminded me of a hike on the PCT in the PNW. Eventually, I reached my turnaround point, the parking lot at Mount Everett Road near Guilder Pond picnic area. I quickly backtracked and made good time on the way back to my car. I passed four more hikers (all SOBO Thru hikers) and talked to a couple of them. I enjoyed the views again and somehow got down the cliff side without falling (yikes). In my car (after about 8 miles) by 1055. The best part of the day (and the entire weekend) was that it never got higher than 60 while I was hiking. Feeling pretty good after almost 40 miles of hiking this weekend, I pointed Nessie toward home.  I was on the road again at around 1100 and took Jug End Road to Undermountain Road (MA/CT-41).  From Salisbury, I used US-44 and the Taconic Parkway to get to I-84.  There was lot of construction in NY (I almost witnessed a huge tractor trailer accident).  To pass the time, I had three hours of telcons on the way...  Stopped for a break in Middletown (NY) and continued on I-84 to Scranton.  I used I-81, I-83, PA-581 (traffic) and US-15 to reach MD.  For the first time ever, I was able to take a break at the Maryland Welcome Center near Emmitsburg!  I continued on US-15 to I-270 and then used I-495 (lots of traffic at the end, unfortunately) to get home (arrived at 1830).  Digging the gas mileage in the Outback - didn’t need to stop for fuel at all! Thinking the Friday night to Monday afternoon model is worth repeating... AT Today = 3.90 miles / G.T. AT = 1466.86 miles

Bennington, VT (USA)

I left Danby at around 0800 (later than I'd planned).  Drove south to Manchester (via VT-7A) and picked up breakfast at McDonalds (0820).  From there, I drove south on US-7 until I reached VT-279 (bypass of Bennington).  Used that road to reach VT-9 and then (using my phone's GPS through the car display) located the back roads I needed to use to get to the AT Trailhead.   When I bought the Outback, I hoped it would provide an extra level of off road capability for my hiking weekends. Nessie may already rue the day I chose HER for the mission, though... Without worrying everyone, I’ll just say that I foolishly took my brand new car on a route that was impassable (according to some four-wheeling locals, who I met after I’d already done it). Overall, this is a boneheaded driving story, far surpassing the nail biting qualities of a legendary trek with the Twins on the McKendry Road in WV... And yet, there I was at the AT Trailhead on County Road (just west of Stamford) - the car wasn’t smoking and I didn’t see any damage. I was damn lucky - I can’t repeat this. After my heart settled back into its proper place, I started NOBO (1010). I immediately had to climb 1000 feet up a steep hill that had no name in the AT guide (I learned later that it was called Billy Lagalo Mountain). On the way, I passed an older gentleman who was out on a five day backpacking trip - he was taking his time in the climb. The temps were pleasant (50s) and it was mostly cloudy (it never rained on me, though). It was very muddy and there were countless rocks and roots - ugh. After reaching the summit, I got a little view and immediately dropped down more than 500 feet into a ravine. This repeated throughout the day - I counted 10 significant drops like this on the outbound lake (some without corresponding climbs). Essentially, the section was oriented downhill and I started dreading the backtrack, especially the climb back up to Consultation Peak... I passed 12 other hikers (mostly weekend backpackers) in the first half of my hike but only exchanged pleasantries. I didn’t see any wildlife but there appeared to be evidence of bears and beavers in the area. View highlights included a couple of pretty lakes and a panorama vista when I crossed a power-line slash. About a mile from my turnaround point (Congdon Shelter), I met a young lady who was taking a snack break - we didn’t talk much but I spoke with her when I encountered her again a bit later (in a different place, taking another snack break). She said she was Thru hiking the Long Trail. I told her that one of my friends was doing the same thing (opposite direction) and to say “hi” for me when they passed. On the way back, I “counted down” the 10 hills - it helped me overcome the depressing feeling each time I started up another steep climb. I passed a total of 6 more hikers (almost all Long Trail Thrus) on the way back. After more than 14 miles, I reached my car (1625) - I was exhausted, sore all over and drenched with sweat. Nessie was waiting for me - I’m sure she was filled with trepidation that we’d have another “adventure” but I took some smoother gravel roads down the east side of the mountain this time. Soon, I found myself in the town of North Adams, Massachusetts. I was still waiting to see if I messed something up, but my Subaru appeared to have been manufactured to anticipate Jim’s stupidity...  Bonus: I discovered that my drink hadn't spilled through all the bouncing on the bad roads!  After using MA-8 to reach Dalton, I called Jignesh (at the hotel) to tell him I was still going to stay with him for the night.  Before that, though, I stopped for a Reeses Pieces Sundae at Friendly's and soothed my nerves while I tried to plan a toned-down hiking day tomorrow.  At 1815, I left Dalton and drove to Great Barrington, where I checked into the Mountain View Motel (1905).  At the hotel, I discovered that the front bumper tabs had come unseated - I pushed them back in that appeared to be the extent of the damage from my ill-advised off-road adventure...  Was very glad to have one more chance for an AT Hike - can't beat the pleasant September weather!  AT Today = 6.90 miles / G.T. AT = 1462.96 miles

Peru, VT (USA)

I started my day in eastern PA after my late night drive out of NoVA last night. This gave me a rare opportunity to get farther north than I usually can in a weekend. I'd checked he weather in the Berkshires and Greens (it looked good) so got on the road as early as I could (0630).  Used I-78 to get to I-287 and then took NY-17 to NY-32.  Because of construction, I drove to Orrs Mill and took side roads to US-9W.  I got gas (first fill-up of the Outback) at a Gulf station in New Windsor (NY) at 0910.  Continued north to I-84 and then used the Taconic Parkway to reach NY-295.  Followed NY-22 and made a call to Jignesh (the hotel manager in Great Barrington) to see if he'd found anyone to give me a shuttle ride near his place.  Unfortunately, the regular driver was not available so late in the season.  Armed with that knowledge, I decided to hike in Vermont.  Used NY-7 to reach VT-279 and then drove to US-7.  I stopped at the VT Welcome Center for some information and ate lunch (leftovers).  Got back on US-7 and continued to the Manchester area.  There were cops hiding out all morning and most had actually pulled someone over.  So you can imagine my relief when I reached VT-11 (the road to Peru) at 1230. I wanted to check off one of the last orphaned sections I had and this required access to USFS-21 and USFS-58, near Peru but both had been closed when I’d visited in July. A trail blog I checked said the roads were open this time, so I took Nessie on her first off-road experience. Unfortunately, my progress ended up being blocked by a gate and I wasn’t able to reach the Griffith Lake Trailhead, the shortcut I needed to easily rescue the marooned section. But things weren’t as bad for me as they were for a guy who was trapped on the other side of the gate (i.e., he was locked in)! I talked to him for a little bit and learned he’d been waiting to get out for a long time. I then decided to just go back to the AT Trailhead and re-hike the section. I started NOBO from Mad Tom Notch at 1300 and hiked in about 3.5 miles to start the new section. It was breezy and cool and I made good time. I didn’t see any wildlife and there were very few views on the ridge. On the way down from Peru Peak, I thought I lost the trail since there were no blazes on any of the trees. Fortunately, I eventually made it to a trail junction and was able to confirm I was in the right place. On the outbound leg, I encountered 8 hikers, a few of which looked like SOBO Thru hikers. I talked to two interesting guys (both solo weekend hikers) - one was a New Yorker who was hiking his first AT after years of hiking in ADK and the other was a trail maintainer from Maine who was section hiking the AT towards the south. A highlight of the day was the stroll on a “boardwalk” that took me along the eastern shore of Griffith Lake. After that, I hiked all the way to Baker Peak, which turned out to be a rather treacherous climb - imagine trying to climb a rock staircase that was leaning 45 degrees... I was certain I was going to fall on the way back down so I took the “bad weather” bypass to start my backtrack. Just then, an unforcasted rain shower hit the mountain - it lasted for about 45 minutes and drenched me to the bone, even through my poncho. Did I mention that temps were in the 50s? A trail runner raced by me in the middle of the storm but he didn’t bring any rain gear... I slogged along until I reached the Griffith Lake Trail and decided to use it to get back to the car. The distance with this trail and USFS-58 was almost the same as taking the AT but I didn’t have to climb Peru Peak again. I made great time on the gravel road and caught up to a family that had been blocked by the locked gate earlier in the day - they hiked up the roads to reach the lake and then came down to see, like me, THAT IT WAS OPEN! I really can’t complain, though: I was back at my car by 1920 after about 13.5 miles and it wasn’t dark yet.  Realized - for the first time in decades - that I'd need to change my post hiking routine a lot if I wanted to avoid wrecking the interior of my new car!  Retraced my drive to US-7 and headed into Manchester for dinner and stopped at a familiar McDonalds (2000).  There was excitement at their drive thru - I was dining inside so I got a front row seat for a customer meltdown (complete with cops coming to referee) over a $0.30 charge for extra dipping sauce. That guy must have had a bad day and it put my own in perspective. I maintain that any hiking day is a good one!  After satisfying myself with lots of sugar (free soda refills), I got back on US-7 and drove to Danby.  I arrived at the little house by 2130 - soon afterwards, it started to rain.  Fortunately, I'd gotten all my important stuff in the house - I cleaned up then went to bed.  Gonna try to get another mountain high tomorrow! AT Today = 4.00 miles / Grand Total AT = 1456.06 miles

Timonium, MD (USA)

[worked until 1730 - took Metro to Branch Avenue - drove to Timonium REI (off I-83) - arrived at 1910 - class until 2000 - did some browsing and then ate dinner at Baja Fresh (2100) - they forgot chicken in my nachos and I ended up with lots of chicken and extra cheese - back on road by 2045 - headed to I-81 - talked to Mollie and Brenna on the phone - stopped at Lamplighter Inn off I-78 (no vacancy) - took farm roads to get back to Interstate (cops, etc) - checked into the Dutch Motel in Shartlesville (PA) at 2235 - bed]

Manassas, VA (USA)

[at about 0800, Stephanie came over to my place and gave me a ride to the Subaru dealership in Manassas (so I could picked up my new Outback) - we used back roads that cut through beautiful parts of Fairfax County and Prince William County that I'd never seen - the salesman wasn't there when I arrived and I ended up having to meet with the sales manager (ugh) to settle everything - after I got all the paperwork done (1015), Stephanie and I drove to Bull Run Marina (we'd seen it on the way in the morning) and took a hike along the a river/reservoir there - it was fascinating to me to discover that the park was part of a system that covered miles and miles of trail (both dirt and water) that follow Bull Run (including Occoquan Lake) from Manassas Battlefield to Belmont Bay - at around noon, I went back to the apartment (Stephanie followed) - after offering Mollie a chance to go with us to eat lunch (she declined), we drove to each at Chili's - we were done eating by around 1430 and I went back to my apartment]

Falls Church, VA (USA)

[at 1830, I went to Falls Church to have dinner with my friends, Kim and David - it was great to see them after several months since our last tag-up - I got home at about 2115 and talked with Mollie for a little while]