Summer 2008
INCOMPLETE JOURNAL
Objective: To cover as many miles as possible so that I
can take my time next summer completing the Appalachian Trail.
Initial Plan: Start out where I left off at Jennings
Creek,VA
– north of Daleville/Troutville, VA and hike to the Delaware Water Gap,
NJ. Skip over NJ (because I’ve already
hiked it) and pick up the trail at the north end of Greenwood
Lake, NY and make it to Vermont.
Reality: I got a late start due to a backache and then
my Father’s 75th birthday.
I got on the trail many days later than planned. Then I changed the sequence of trail to be
hiked to accommodate Dad’s birthday party.
Dad dropped me off at the north end of Greenwood
Lake, NY and I hiked to Kent,
CT.
Dad picked me up in Kent
and drove me home to Haledon, NJ. We all went to Dad’s birthday party. Then Dad drove me down to Jennings
Creek, VA. I hiked up to the Delaware Water Gap,
NJ. Dad picked me up. I attended an important board of ed meeting, then celebrated my son’s birthday. Then Dad drove me up to Kent,
CT and I hiked to Bennington,
VT.
Summary: I hiked much faster and smarter than last
year. I covered much more mileage in a
much shorter period of time. I learned
more about my caloric requirements and ate more perishable food. I didn’t overload on water like last year.
Lessons: Sil-nylon looses
its water repellency – poncho failure.
Mosquitoes are much more numerous in CT, MA, and VT than in the lower
states. Starting as far north as I did this
summer allowed me to be at the tail end of the thru-hiker crowd, which changed
the personality of the hike considerably from last year.
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OVERALL: Greenwood Lake, NY to Bennington, VT (skipped NJ) 767.9 miles in 51 days
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PART 1: Greenwood
Lake, NY to Kent, CT = 96.2 miles in 8 days
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Day 1: Thursday, 7/3/2008
Blue-blaze trail from Greenwood Lake
1357.5? to Stream, north of Fitzgerald
Falls, NY 1363.9
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Day 2: Friday, 7/4/2008
Stream, north of Fitzgerald Falls, NY
1363.9 to NY 17 / Arden Valley Road 1371.9
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Day 3: Saturday, 7/5/2008
NY 17 / Arden Valley Road
1371.9 to William Brien Memorial Shelter 1381.6
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Day 4: Sunday, 7/6/2008
William Brien Memorial Shelter 1381.6 to Hemlock
Springs Campsite 1392.7
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Day 5: Monday, 7/7/2008
Hemlock Springs Campsite 1392.7 to Shenandoah Tenting Area 1414.4
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Day 6: Tuesday, 7/8/2008
Shenandoah Tenting Area 1414.4 to Morgan Stewart Shelter 1424.7
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Day 7: Wednesday, 7/9/2008
Morgan Stewart Shelter 1424.7 to Wiley (Webatuck)
Shelter 1441.0
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Day 8: Thursday, 7/10/2008
Wiley (Webatuck) Shelter 1441.0 to Kent,
CT 1453.7
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PART 2: Jennings
Creek, VA to Delaware Water Gap, NJ
= 538.6 miles in 33 days
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Day 9: Monday, 7/14/2008
Jennings Creek, VA
744.2 to Thunder Hill Shelter 758.8
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Day 10: Tuesday, 7/15/2008
Thunder Hill Shelter 758.8 to Johns Hollow Shelter 775.1
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Day 11: Wednesday,
7/16/2008 Johns Hollow Shelter 775.1 to Brown
Mountain Creek Shelter 793.4
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Day 12: Thursday, 7/17/2008
Brown Mountain Creek Shelter 793.4 to Montebello,
VA 811.5
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Day 13: Friday, 7/18/2008
Montebello, VA
811.5 to Harpers Creek Shelter 823.5
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Day 14: Saturday, 7/19/2008
Harpers Creek Shelter 823.5 to camped on Humpback Mountain 839.0
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Day 15: Sunday, 7/20/2008
Humpback Mountain
839.0 to Rockfish Gap, VA (Waynesboro, VA)
850.5
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Day 16: Monday, 7/21/2008
Rockfish Gap, VA (Waynesboro, VA)
850.5 to Calf Mountain
Shelter 857.5
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Day 17: Tuesday, 7/22/2008
Calf Mountain
Shelter 857.5 to Loft Mountain
Campground 877.9
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Day 18: Wednesday,
7/23/2008 Loft
Mountain Campground 877.9 to Hightop Hut 891.9
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Day 19: Thursday, 7/24/2008
Hightop Hut 891.9 to Big Meadows Campground 912.3
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Day 20: Friday, 7/25/2008
Big Meadows Campground 912.3 to 5 minutes north of Byrds
Nest #3 Picnic Shelter 926.9
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Day 21: Saturday, 7/26/2008
5 minutes north of Byrds Nest #3 Picnic Shelter 926.9
to Gravel Spring Hut 944.2
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Day 22: Sunday, 7/27/2008
Gravel Spring Hut 944.2 to Chester
Gap (Front Royal) 957.6
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Day 23: Monday, 7/28/2008
Chester Gap (Front Royal) 957.6 to Dick’s Dome Shelter 972.7
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Day 24: Tuesday, 7/29/2008
Dick’s Dome Shelter 972.7 to Sam Moore Shelter 988.0
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Day 25: Wednesday,
7/30/2008 Sam Moore Shelter 988.0 to David
Lesser Memorial Shelter 1002.1
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Day 26: Thursday, 7/31/2008
David Lesser Memorial Shelter 1002.1 to Harpers Ferry,
WV 1011.5
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Day 27: Friday, 8/1/2008
Harpers Ferry, WV
1011.5 to Rocky Run Shelter 1027.0
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Day 28: Saturday, 8/2/2008
Rocky Run Shelter 1027.0 to Ensign Cowall Shelter
1042.7
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Day 29: Sunday, 8/3/2008
Ensign Cowall Shelter 1042.7 to Antietam Shelter 1059.6
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Day 30: Monday, 8/4/2008
Antietam Shelter 1059.6 to Birch
Run Shelter 1080.4
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Day 31: Tuesday, 8/5/2008
Birch Run Shelter 1080.4 to James Frye (Tagg Run)
Shelter 1097.5
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Day 32: Wednesday,
8/6/2008 James Frye (Tagg
Run) Shelter 1097.5 to Darlington Shelter arrived 8/7/2008 12:10 am 1124.0
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Day 33: Thursday, 8/7/2008
Darlington Shelter 1124.0 to Duncannon,
PA (Doyle House) 1135.3
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Day 34: Friday, 8/8/2008
Duncannon, PA
(Doyle House) 1135.3 to camped spring north of Shikellimy
Trail 1140.8
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Day 35: Saturday, 8/9/2008
spring north of Shikellimy Trail 1140.8 to camped
right before PA443 1168.8
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Day 36: Sunday, 8/10/2008
PA443 1168.8 to Eagles Nest Shelter 1196.7
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Day 37: Monday, 8/11/2008
Eagles Nest Shelter 1196.7 to Port Clinton, PA
1205.3
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Day 38: Tuesday, 8/12/2008
Port Clinton, PA
1205.3 to Eckville Shelter 1220.5
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Day 39: Wednesday,
8/13/2008 Eckville
Shelter 1220.5 to approx. one mile north of Bake Oven Knob Shelter 1238.9
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Day 40: Thursday, 8/14/2008
approx. one mile north of Bake Oven Knob Shelter 1238.9 to Leroy A. Smith
Shelter 1261.4
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Day 41: Friday, 8/15/2008
Leroy A. Smith Shelter 1261.4 to Delaware Water Gap NRA
Information Center, NJ 1282.8
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PART 3: Kent, CT to Bennington, VT = 133.1 miles in 10 days
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Day 42: Thursday, 8/21/2008
Kent, CT
1453.7 to Caesar Brook Campsite 1467.3
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Day 43: Friday, 8/22/2008
Caesar Brook Campsite 1467.3 to Limestone Springs Lean-to 1483.0
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Day 44: Saturday, 8/23/2008
Limestone Springs Lean-to 1483.0 to Brassie Brook
Lean-to 1491.7
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Day 45: Sunday, 8/24/2008
Brassie Brook Lean-to 1491.7 to 20 minutes north of
the Shay Rebellion Monument 1507.0
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Day 46: Monday, 8/25/2008
20 minutes north of the Shay Rebellion Monument 1507.0 to Shaker Campsite
1526.1
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Day 47: Tuesday, 8/26/2008
Shaker Campsite 1526.1 to 15 minutes north of West Branch Road 1545.7
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Day 48: Wednesday,
8/27/2008 15 minutes north of West Branch Road
1545.7 to Tom Levardi’s house Dalton,
MA 1556.6
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Day 49: Thursday, 8/28/2008
Tom Levardi’s house Dalton,
MA 1556.6 to Mark Noepel
Lean-to 1570.3
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Day 50: Friday, 8/29/2008
Mark Noepel Lean-to 1570.3 to Seth Warner Shelter
1586.8
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Day 51: Saturday, 8/30/2008
Seth Warner Shelter 1586.8 to Bennington, VT
1598.3
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Mileage Summary:
Greenwood Lake, NY
to Kent, CT
- 96.2 miles
in 8 days, average 12 miles
per day.
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Jennings Creek, VA
to Delaware Water Gap, NJ
- 538.6 miles
in 33 days, average 16.3 miles
per day.
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Kent, CT
to Bennington, VT
– 131 miles in
10 days, average 13 miles
per day.
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Total 765.8 miles in 51 days. Overall average of 15 miles per day.