Spirit-boosters



He's gonna eat the WHOLE THING!
Banana Split for dessert, following the Hiker Special Sandwich
at West Hartford Village Store
After that I think he's going to take a nap.

 From Sarah via email:
Jay told me where to look online to find the comics that he and I have been enjoying in the trail registers all summer. He met the woman who captioned them, Pony, a teacher who has been section hiking the AT every summer. This year she is still on the trail. Here is the link. Enjoy!

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?74523-comics-on-the-trail

July in Pictures

Jay swam in Nuclear Lake. Now he won't need a flashlight at night!
Just kidding, of course. This was only the 2nd lake he'd been able to
swim in within the previous 1400 miles. The water felt fabulous!

The "Cookie Lady" lives on a blueberry farm on Washington Mtn. Road near
Becket, MA. She lets hikers fill their water bottles from her spigot and gave
us free homemade cookies. She also sells boiled eggs for 25 cents apiece, and
she let us use her salt shaker and a dented pan for eggshells. Yum!



Brainfrog playing guitar at Silver Hills Campsite. He got his name from his
companions by saying, "My thoughts got lost in a brain frog."
(instead of "brain fog")

Unknown pond and shed in the mist near the top of Mt. Greylock. Beautiful!

 

One flat section of the AT near the Housatonic River.

  

Free cold shower for hikers!
Shower on the side of a pump house at a
hydroelectric plant near Falls Village, CT.



Trail maintenance crew volunteers from SCA. (Student Conservation Association?)
Thank you trail maintenance volunteers!

First Southbounder we met! July 9, 2011. Newt is
her name. This was just north of Kent, CT; she was
heading toward a break with family and trail angels.

Sarah in front of the Dover Oak. This 300 year old
tree on Dover Rd. is the oldest oak tree on the AT.

Bodie, a fellow thru-hiker and friend.



Sarah on a fancy boardwalk in the swamp just before the railroad.



Jay pretends to hail a train on the Appalachian Trail Railroad Station.



Last 100 Miles

From Sarah via phone conversation:

Jay eating lunch high above the mosquitos

Jay passed the spot that puts him within 100 miles of Katahdin yesterday! Hard to believe that he is closing in on his goal now. He has had beautiful weather after Irene, and the trails have been muddy but not bad. We are excited and proud to see him complete the trail!

Hiking after Irene

Mid-afternoon snack

From Sarah via phone conversation:

Jay spent Saturday and Sunday at a hostel in Stratton as Tropical Storm Irene passed through. He said it was packed tight with hikers coming off the trail. The electricity flickered a

 few times during the storm, but other than that all was well. Early Monday morning Jay got a shuttle back to the trail. He asked the shuttle driver if he was the first back on the trail from Stratton. The driver said he had shuttled two women earlier that morning.

Jay said the sky was blue and the air freshly washed as he hiked into the mountains Monday morning. He's in the Bigelow Mountains, and the views are spectacular. We're hoping he has great weather and a good hike the rest of the way to Katahdin!

Jay at the Lion's Head viewpoint

How ironic that 20 days after Jay began the AT in April some of the worst tornadoes in history came through the southeast, and about 20 days before he will finish the AT a devastating hurricane has swept up the east coast and across Maine. We are so glad Jay has been able to continue his hike and make it through. He's blessed!

Hurricane Irene

From Helen:
Jay made it to Stratton, ME, in time to stay out of the worst of Irene. We are thankful he was able to be off the trail while the tropical storm passed through. Baxter State Park and Katahdin were closed through the weekend. For more information about the AT status go to: http://www.appalachiantrail.org/hiking/trail-updates More posts with pictures to come soon.

Unusual Amenities



For those who are immodest enough to use it, the AT offers every amenity!



Jay by a piped spring with a bath tub catching the water. How the bathtub
got out in the woods, I guess only the bathtub knows!

Maine at last!

Jay on the suspension bridge across
Pochuck Creek

From Sarah and Jay via telephone conversation:
Jay crossed into Maine on Monday this week after a tough time in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It had rained on him much of the time he hiked through there.

One interesting hostel where Jay stayed is the White Mountains Hostel. http://www.whitemountainshostel.com/id1.html He entered through the garage, and upon entering saw that there was a spot to take off boots and shoes, a place to change from dirty trail clothes into clean clothes that were provided, and baskets in which to put dirty clothes. There was a shuttle going into town twice daily, and his laundry was done for him while he was in town. He said it felt pretty funny to walk around town in someone else's clothes. It was a nice hostel, and a great place to make the transition from New Hampshire into Maine.