Week 9 - 2024

Dalton, MA to Manchester Center, VT

MILESTONES THIS WEEK:

We’ve entered our 6th state, Vermont!

WHAT WE LEARNED THIS WEEK:

That’s odd.  Now that we are staying at hotels more often (instead of camping), I have noticed something I can’t quite figure out. Why do they give you 3 bath towels for 2 people? I have no problem reusing the bath towels but who gets the third one if you did want a fresh one? Are they trying to start a family feud over who gets the extra towel? And what happened to table and chairs in your room if you wish to dine in? All the rooms we go in have 1 chair and a desk.  These hotels nowadays are just not family friendly!

Now let’s talk about mom and pop motels. I would normally avoid those and opt for the name-brand hotels but when in the hiker community, the motels are where the hikers go to take time off. I must admit, my view of motels has completely changed.  We’ve stayed in some of the best along the trail with personable staff, that offer hiker discount rates, good breakfasts and beds that are so comfy! AND guess what? They provide 2 bath towels and they have table & chairs to dine in.  Now that’s what I’m talking about!

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I tried, I really did. We were headed to the highest point in Massachusetts, Mt. Greylock, when the skies turned gray and the woods became eerily dark. We heard rumblings in the background and knew we would not make the last half mile without being caught in a thunderstorm. Putting on our cheap rain ponchos from Walmart seemed fruitless but we did it anyway just to cover our day packs and help keep them dry.  It was a warm day so at least we wouldn’t get cold when we got wet, or so we thought (who knew that being 3491 ft high with high winds while being wet would cause you to be cold on an 80 degree day?!)   The skies opened up and dumped everything it was storing up for the entirety of that LONG half mile walk as we slowly made the uphill climb to the top of the mountain.  I'm singing in the rain, Yes, singing in the rain, What a glorious feeling, And I'm happy again.  I sang it and tried to “be happy again” really I did, but it didn’t work, not one bit!  Thought if it worked for Gene Kelly maybe it’d work for me too. Nope!  Perhaps if I could carry a tune and was carrying an umbrella like he was, maybe it would have worked?

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A wee bit of history.  During the above-mentioned hike and before the thunderstorm, we met a fellow hiker on his way to complete his third thru-hike, did y’all hear that, his third thru-hike of the AT, 2190 miles x 3!

This got us thinking about the very first woman who also hiked the whole trail and did it 3 times.   Let us introduce you to:

Emma (Grandma) Gatewood, hiked solo in 1955 (at 67 years old), in 1957 (69 years old) and in 1964 (76 years old). The first two hikes were continuous, the last hike was done in sections (as we’ve hiked it).  This made her the first person to complete the trail three times. 

As we traverse the same terrain she did, we can’t help but wonder when she first did this in the 50s, how well was the trail marked, how was it marked, and was the path easy to follow since not many had walked this trail before her.  We recently bought a book written about her adventures, written by Ben Montgomery, “Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail” and hope to get answers to those questions when we’re able to read it.

Just a few interesting facts (and there’s many more!) I have acquired about her journey:

* She didn’t use a tent or sleeping bag (only a shower curtain and blanket)

* Wore Keds sneakers (went through 6 pairs of them)

* Only had 1 change of clothes (what?!)

* Carried everything in a homemade denim knapsack slung over her shoulder

* Slept on leaves and rocks heated by her nightly fire

* Carried cans of food (black beans and Vienna sausages), bouillon cubes, raisins, nuts, and ate berries and plants

Comments from FROG:

We slept in a 3 person tent that weighed a little over 3 pounds. Our sleeping bags were very warm and we had a light weight sleeping pad to sleep in. Our hiking boots were fairly light weight and for the most part waterproof. Our main meal was a dehydrated meal that you just add hot water to and wait about 5-10 minutes before you eat it. Our cook stove took about 2-3 minutes to heat up water to prepare our dehydrated meal. Our clothes were light weight and we had a water proof outer layer. And the Appalachian Trail for the most part was easy to follow, just find the next white blaze.

Grandma Gatewood, wow! What was it like for her hiking the Appalachian Trail?  She had no tent, only had a shower curtain to protect her from the ground and a blanket to go over her. She only had regular sneakers for footwear. She had no dehydrated meals or a cook stove to heat her meals up. Her clothes were mostly cotton and she had none of the modern breathable fabrics. The Appalachian Trail was not a worn path that was easy to follow and the risk of getting lost was very high.

The contrast between the Appalachian Trail for us and Grandma Gatewood were huge! Our accomplishment was huge but the accomplishment for Grandma Gatewood is really hard to imagine!

Comments from Faith:

I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m completely spoiled to have the best in equipment and solid sturdy boots, the best in dehydrated food, snacks provided by friends & family, resources to stay in motels and go to restaurants, and a few more changes of clothes … and I complained at times!  I can’t even imagine doing this journey with only the things she had and used, and 3 times! She is truly remarkable, one to be admired, and such an inspiration to so many hiking the trail today. 

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So … are YOU ready to play the GA-ME?  To backpack from Georgia (GA) to Maine (ME)?  Prerequisites to getting ready:  rock climbing, balance beam, rock hopping through fast moving water, long jumps, squats, lifting and carrying weights, and as noted above, walking in downpours as you sing and carry your umbrella.   Of course I’m not completely serious about those prerequisites, although all of those things would certainly be a huge plus to playing the GA-ME, but just know there is no way you can do a couch-to-AT (prove me wrong if you must). You have to be ready for some rough and strenuous terrain that will push you beyond what you think you can physically (and mentally) endure.  BUT … it will be one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have.  The people you will meet, the majestic views you will see of God’s beautiful creation, the wildlife, the flowers, the towns, the many rocks ,  learning to improvise and be flexible, thinking more about others, and the realization there’s more to life than accumulating wealth and things. You can survive with just what’s on your back. We don’t need much to get by - just look at Grandma Gatewood (that’s a reminder to myself!)

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I had no idea. The AT has its own Chaplain.  There has been one chosen every year for the past 11 years. We just learned about the current one this week. She is a 52 year old woman going by the trail name, “Mountain Goat”, and is currently in the Vermont area having started in Georgia in March.  Her mission is offer hope by spreading Christ’s love to those she meets. So many are searching for exactly that.   She has passed us by (shocker!) so we must have been off trail when she came through.  So sorry we missed meeting her. 

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BUT get this … we actually passed a couple (a young couple, I might add!) going in the same direction we were!  That has never happened!  Do I have to mention they stopped for a break and had a full backpack, whereas we didn’t?  Ok, well, forget those details then.  We passed them and they never caught back up to us by the time we finished for the day. Yay for us, we’re the winners!  Those who play cards with us know I have a competitive spirit, so won’t be surprised that I liked coming in first. Who doesn’t like to be the winner?!

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Welcome to Vermont, a.k.a. “Vermud” by the Appalachian Trail community, due to the amount of mud on the trails.   Vermont has 5 seasons, the 5th being mud season which happens after the winter snow melt and spring rain leaving trails completely muddy throughout the summer and fall.    After a day’s hike we look like we’ve just completed a mud run, our boots and pants are so muddy!   I guess we just need to go with the flow and not be such a stick in the mud and just mud-dle through!

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Trail Angels this week:

*Trail Magic provided by the First Baptist Church in North Adams, MA. Cold drinks and snacks left at trailhead

*Trail Magic from “Stops” cookies, pies, chips and soda

*Thank you, Robin, for giving us the  backpack that we borrowed from you.  What a wonderful gift that is getting so much use!

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And bringing up the rear … its time to reveal the bare facts of Hike Naked Day:  It was a hot 90 degree day so the possibility of seeing those hiking and enjoying nature in the “au naturel” could have been high; but I am happy to report that all the hikers we saw that day decided not to celebrate that big event by wearing only their birthday suits. Some would say that is a big flop, a bust, but I say I am so relieved that I wasn’t put in a position of being embarrassed where my eyes may wander if they had decided to bare all. So nothing to disclothes for Hike Naked Day 2024  …. that’s a wrap, folks!