Looking back while moving forward.

Since my time on the AT I have kept on adventuring. In 2012 I went to Belize on a medical expedition, I moved (twice!), I finally had a proper honeymoon (in Mexico!) and I got a dog.
I have never stopped missing my time on the AT. It is true that you fall into a sort of post-trail depression. Life seems so overwhelming after such a basic existence (find food, find water, find a place to sleep, and repeat). The only cure that I have found for my post-trail depression is more hiking.
I thought that I might hike the PCT. That seems the natural order of things: AT, PCT and then CDT. Eventually I hope this happens for me, but as I mentioned earlier, I have a dog. She is the cutest mutt in the world and the girl loves to hike! I could never leave her for 6 months or risk her life on the PCT. So my plan for Summer 2013 is the CT. The Colorado Trail It is just under 500 miles from Denver to Durango. I have always wanted to go to Colorado. I have always wanted to hike in the Rockies. I want to hike with my little brown dog. So here I sit making plans for me and the dog. Oh, and Ros is coming, too!

Well folks! I've made it! I did the summit yesterday around noon, such a great feeling! I'll update more when I find a computer!

20 miles to go! If all goes well I will be on top of Mt Katahdin tomorrow afternoon!

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Lesson 253 from the Appalachian Trail:Falling down and jamming your face into your trekking pole will result in bruising.

I almost lost a fight with a beech tree today. It decided it wanted to slam down right on the trail when I was hiking past. I've never run so fast!

2,000 miles!! Such beautiful weather today. I can't believe I only have 2 weeks left on this trail! ME has so many nice views and ponds, but it is very muddy!

190 miles left to go! I found some friends on the trail again so hiking is fun again! I'm in Stratton, ME about to do the Bigelows.

I'm back on the trail and it's quite a muddy wet mess! The trail is a bit lonely right now, it feels like I'm the only person out here.

I'm sitting in the ATL airport! Isn't it crazy that I can go from GA to ME in 2.5 hrs on a plane? It took me 5 months to walk that!! Not as much fun in a plane!

Trip to NC!

I'm just finishing up my 4 day weekend with Greg down in North Carolina. It feels weird being off the trail but I had a great time relaxing, eating lots of food, and spending time with the husband. Somehow on my days off he convinced me to go to the gym... twice. It wasn't so bad now that I've shed a few pounds! Now that I'm fully rested and my iPod is full of new music I'm ready to head back to Maine. I will head back to Andover, ME where I will have 257 miles until I summit Mt. Katahdin!!

Taking a brief vaca to N.C. to visit the hubby. Successfully hitch-hiked 85 miles across ME. Part of the journey was on a motorcycle :) Living the DREAM!!

Mahoosuc Notch was the most fun mile of this trip! I didn't even freak out too much when I squeezed through a rock tunnel. I kept my pack on the whole time!

I've made it to MAINE! 1900 miles down! About to do the Mahoosuc Notch! Look it up, it's a crazy sectionm

My last night in New Hampshire! I had so much fun here even if the weather was crappy! 285 miles to go, the end is near!

Just finished the Whites in NH! They closed the trails at 6pm due to the hurricane. I'm going to spend tomorrow nice and safe in Concord with Johanna!

Vermont

I've been having a lovely time here in the Green Mountains! There are lots of nice mountains to climb, great views, and lots of places to get a good meal. Right now I am sitting in Mountain Meadows Lodge where I just ate a fantastic veggie wrap and sat in a hot tub for an hour!
I would like VT more if there were less slugs. For those of you that don't know - I'm terrified of those slimy beasts. Every morning I have to pick 2-10 of them off my gear, shoes, and hammock rope. It is disgusting.
The other downfall in VT is the mud. The trails here get heavy use and there has been a lot of rain so there is a ton of mud.
Two days ago I had an extremely bad slug/mud day. I had to pick an unusually large number of slugs off my stuff in the morning. Then I slipped in a pile of mud. Mud all up my leg, butt, down my shoes --essentially everywhere. About 20 minutes later I started to slip again so I grabbed on to a tree. Apparently the world's juiciest slug lived exactly where I planted my hand, eck! About an hour after that I stopped next to a brook for a well deserved break. I sat on my backpack and BAM! I must have found the only bee around on that rainy day and planted my ass right on him. I got stung right on my butt cheek. Every step I took for the rest of the day hurt like mad. Now it's lunch time and I stop and make pasta. Everything is great, no slugs anywhere, I checked. I pick up my trekking poles, take ten steps and feel something slimy on my hand. A damn slug made a home in my wrist strap. I threw a temper tantrum until my friend got it off for me. About another 20 steps down the trail, SLIP! I fell straight on my stung ass.
Looking back on the day I can see how it could be very amusing, but I was not in the mood at that time. Now I have a giant bruise on my shin and a itching butt cheek to remind me of all the fun I had in Vermont.
1,697 miles down!

VERMONT! 1,600 miles in. 581 left to go! I've had the best 2 days of food, dinner last night was Indian! Section hikers gave me 2lbs of food and chocolate!

I'm sitting on the highest peak in Mass in a cafe! There's no better reward after climbing a mountain than lunch! Perfect hiking weather today and a great view!