The Thru-hike facts...

Numbers and other boring facts:

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Highlights:

1. Mount Madison:  The sustained winds of 85-95 mph were one of the most amazing natural occurrences I've ever witnessed.
2. Hiking with Mike "Kay K. Harvey" Henderson: Mike joined me for about 3 weeks and it was wonderful to see him and let him run my thru-hike. Hell, someone needed to run it.
3. December 26th: I left Mt. Collins Shelter at 9:00 a.m. I crossed Clingman's Dome on what was a crisp, clear day. The temperatures were in the mid 20's and there was no wind. The day was incredible. I got to the summit of Thunderhead about 15 minutes before sundown. Standing on the pile of rocks you need to stand on to see over the Rhododendrons gave me some of the most awe-inspiring scenery I had on the whole trip. To my left were the eastern Smokies. The hills were dark, the sky a pale blue. To my right was something I'd never seen before. Wonderful, white clouds covered everything below 4000'. The valleys were filled with a sea of white clouds. Three or four peaks were tall enough to stand above the clouds, making them look like islands. The sky above the cloud-sea was clear and blue. Straight ahead of me the Sun was settling behind a mountain top, leaving brilliant oranges and reds and pinks splashed around. "Yes!" I said aloud while clinching my fists as if I had just created the perfect sunset. I hadn't created it, but I certainly enjoyed it. I was so motivated by the entire situation that I hiked for 2 and a half hours after dark. For the first time in my hiking memory I didn't want to stop hiking at the end of the day. A day in which I saw no other human.
4. Pokey Hontas: Pokey became a very good hikerette. She was hilarious by mistake. Sweet because she can't help it. The expression she made when we saw the Black Bear in PA was something I'll never forget. Remembering some of the sound effects she made to convey her excitement are making me smile as I type this.
5. Night hiking: I ended up doing what I consider to be a lot of night hiking during the last 7 weeks. I thoroughly enjoyed it as it opened up a whole new world of wilderness and beauty.
6. Breakfast at Shaw's: If you've had it, no explanation is necessary. If you haven't, no explanation is good enough.
7. Maine: I sit here and look at the screen and wonder what I should put after "Maine:" Perhaps it is better left just like that: Maine.
8. Thanksgiving: Out of a wonderful display of generosity and kindness, myself and three other hikers were picked up and driven 6 hours to the home of Stoat's sister. There we were given showers, beds and Thanksgiving dinner as well as being treated like family members. The entire two day excursion was, indeed, wonderful.
9. Summiting Springer Mountain with two other southbounders:  Two nights before I finished, I got to Wood's Hole Shelter sometime around 7:30. There, in their sleeping bags, were Windbraker and Q.P. I had followed them for five months, but had never met them. They had never heard of me. We spent the next two frigid days together and climbed Springer together. It was nice experiencing the finale with someone who had just been through what I had been through. I felt like I had known them for years.
10. Meteor Shower: I don't remember the name of it, but it happened in the middle of November. Sundown and I stood on the picnic table at The Priest Shelter and "Ooooo"ed and "Ahhhhh"ed as 5 or 6 meteors a minute lit the sky overhead.
11. The Smokies' ice storm: As I hiked from Davenport Gap to the ridge line of the Smokies (roughly 3 or 4 miles), ice was bringing trees down all around me. Branches and limbs were falling like rain. I had to hike looking up to make sure I wasn't going to be hit by falling wood or ice. The footpath became an obstacle course of ice-covered obstructions. It was beautifully frightening.
12. The Loons: Ahhhh, the Loons.

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Favorite this or that of the hike...

Official song of the hike:
"Got You Where I Want You" by The Flys. This song really pumped me up.

Official word of the hike:
"Outstanding". No other word better describes the experience.

Official phrase of the hike:
"Who was that guy?" or "Where are you going?"

Favorite hostel:
Kincorra. Of course, The Place is also very special. Even if it doesn't have heat.

Favorite Shelters:
I still like Bryant Ridge. Especially after the relo brings the AT right to the steps. The new Partnership Shelter is nice. I really liked the wood stove at the Blackburn Center Shelter. Other than the fact that the water is 2 counties over, the new Allentown Shelter in PA was nice. The new design in the south is nice. I like the overhang area with pic-a-nic tables. (Though, there is lots of air blowing through the floor on these shelters. Too much open-airspace below the shelters)

Favorite Trailtowns:
I really liked North Woodstock, NH. Everything was close together and most of the necessities were readily available. Damascus, VA is still in a class all its own, though.

Favorite motel:
Holiday Inn Express in Hiawassee, GA. A wee bit expensive, but the jacuzzi tub felt great and was strong enough to do a load of laundry. I also liked the White Wolf in Stratton, ME. How can you not like a motel with a resident transvestite. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)             

Best pizza:
The Red Onion in Rangeley, ME. There was also a good pie to be had at the Mad Greek's in Elizabethton, TN.

Best breakfast:
Shaw's. Next.

Best all-around meal:
Thanksgiving at Stoat's sister's house.
 

For balance in the universe, there must also be the list of leasts...
 

Least Favorite Trailtowns:
Gorham, NH is too spread out. Kent, CT is too Kent, CT. I didn't care for any of the 'trailtowns' in NY. Pearisburg, VA is, well, scary.
 
Least Favorite hostel:
Horsefeathers Inn in Oquossoc, ME. I realize this isn't a standard hostel, but...

Least Favorite Shelters:
Can you say "Tennessee Eastman"? And, other than the Wildcat Shelter in NY, there isn't much in the Empire State I liked.

Worst meal:
The Village Restaurant in Kent, CT was the worst overall dining experience I had on the Trail, if not ever. No details. If you ever see me in this restaurant again, get your coat; Hell's gonna be freezing.

Worst motel:
Pine Grove Motel in beautiful Poughquag, NY. We were actually charged more because we were hikers. If you ever see me here again, I'll surely have a can of gas and some shop rags. The Rendezvous still scares me. If those walls could talk.
 
 
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Animal Sightings:

The very first pond I came to (in Maine) had a cow moose standing in it. We saw moose in almost every pond through the Hundred Mile Wilderness. We even had a couple of face-off/stare downs on the Trail. The bull that Pokey had the argument with was the most impressive of the moose.

The Loons (which I capitalize out of respect for these wonderful creatures) were incredible. I shant soon forget the night we were open-air camping on a sand beach. We were treated to one of nature's symphonies. The stage was Lake Nahmakanta. Lighting was provided by the full Moon passing directly overhead. The Loons were playing their vocal instruments with indescribable expertise, complete with reverb and echoes. The perfect background music was played by the Canada Geese that flew across the sky, silhouettes in the moonlight. Beethoven himself would have been silent in awe. Nature's symphony, indeed.

Stoat saw a porcupine in MA and I found a pile of quills. I saw a couple of flying squirrels, a snowshoe hare, as well as 1,435,656 chipmunks. Pokey and I saw a 'huge' black bear in PA. The most, hmmm, fulfilling for me was the bobcat I had a 30 second stare down with just north of Damascus. It was way cool and then some.

I saw less than 5 mice on the entire hike. I saw no possi and only one raccoon. The raccoon scared the bejesus out of me. I was hiking after dark, listening to my walkman. I heard something running through the leaves next to me. I turned to look, shining my headlamp in that direction. The light caused the eyes of the 'coon to glow. As I was on a sunken roadbed, the 'coon's eyes were nearly the same level as mine, making it look larger than it was.  He was running, for some reason, right at me. I couldn't tell how far away he was because his eyes were all that I saw. When he finally emerged from the brush, onto the roadbed about 4 feet from me, we both jumped. I asked "What are you doin'?" as it ran down the road in front of me.
 
 
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