Introduction

About Pathways

Appalachian Trail

Why Walk?

Make a Pledge

Hiking Schedule

Journal

Photos

Links

Acknowledgements

August 18, 2001

When last I wrote, I was leaving the Inn at Long trail, happy to be hiking away from crowds and toward some pretend solitude--the solitude that comes from being with different people rather than truly alone.

Tonight I have total solitude high atop a mountain. I am spending my second night alone, stealth camping among spruce trees. I am lying very comfortable in a bed of needles that was probably used as an emergency bathroom area. And I'm quite happy to do it. I had a dry dinner of peanut butter and raisins and banana chips. I watched the sunset from the cliffs edge and caught my first daunting view of the climb up Mr. Washington tomorrow. I also saw a moose and porcupine today.

I can see the hut/camping area 1.7 miles away where I planned to be tonight. There is a light glowing as if they're expecting me still. Oh well, I have yet to pay the Appalachian Money Club (mountain club) to camp. I've never felt so safe in the woods as I do in the White Mountains. Perhaps it's because of the sheer volume of people all out here to enjoy the mountains. Or perhaps it's because the terrain is so difficult and access is so limited it's not a likely place for weirdos to come.

Katie and I camped on peaks last week, which also makes it more comfortable to stay here tonight. There have been meteor showers and stars so bright and close that even the dim ones caught my eye. The Milky Way looked like half and half.

I left the Inn at Long Trail with the intention of going to meet KT. I hiked my last marathon day in Hanover and stayed at the Tabard with Frankenstein, Lucky strike, Vacilando, Longshanks, Blur, Murph, and Chesapeake. The Tabard is a coed-fraternity that has opened its doors to hikers. The people are great--mostly sophomores there for the summer because it's a requirement at Darmouth. But everyone there loves to party. The day before I arrived, Cusi and a cohort won a handle of tequila for walking down Main street wearing only tongs. I was there on a Sunday and Monday, so it was more quiet. But the game of choice was still beer pong--a game so ingenious I can't believe I'd never heard of it before. The object of the game is to hit a ping-pong ball into any of seven plastic cups filled with beer at the other end of the pong table. If you get it in, ther other team has to drink that beer. If you rim it, they just drink half.

I decided to observe and save myself for hiking the next day. However, the heat wave and general exhaustion were too much for me. Vacilando and I only made it a mile and a half out of town before I took an hour nap.