Day 18. The shelter with the inchworms

Back to the trail, took an easy day, did a little over 5 miles today. My feet were a little painful, but no new blisters, and the ones I had weren't too painful. 

The trail for the first few miles was all road through Duncannon, which was a bit different than we've experienced. Then we hit the woods and a steep ascent. Rocksylvania is living up to its name and we haven't even hit the worst of it yet. We're holding our pace slow and steady. 

We were off trail by about 1:30 and spent the afternoon relaxing. Did some "trail laundry" by filling one of my dry bags from the spring and adding some Dr Bronners and our sweaty clothes. Then I mashed them around and we hung them from a clothesline.

 A little afternoon siesta, then we played games at the picnic table in front of the shelter. Said picnic table was constantly being bombarded by inchworms dropping from the tree above and crawling on us. Mildly irritating but what can you do? The bugs haven't been bad so far, with the exception of horseflies buzzing around my head, which drives me a little bonkers. I'll get used to it or I'll go crazy. 

-XL

Day 17- The Doyle

When I woke up this morning, I could barely move my feet. Even the tiniest movement was painful. My forty year old body is taking its sweet time to adjust to what I'm doing. It feels like my blisters have blisters. 

Coin and I tend to talk more to the older hikers when we're around them. We are definitely in the minority in our age. Most hikers are either in the 18-25 or the 60+ category. As middle-aged men, we have more in common with the older ones. One of them that we met imparted this wisdom on us- "Take lots of zeros while you're getting going. Your body will adapt to the trail, but if you push too hard too fast, you'll end up washing out with an injury." Seems to be true so far, I can feel myself getting stronger and I've definitely lost more than a few pounds already. 

So in light of me being barely able to walk and us needing to resupply, we elected to spend another night at the Doyle. The Doyle has been a hiker haven for years and years and been around for over a century. The AT goes right past its front door in Duncannon. It offers a cheap room, and a shower to many a weary hiker. It's old and very shabby but the food at the bar is good, and the people that run it do so with love. Not the Taj Mahal by any stretch but hey- I didn't decide to walk 1160 miles for comfort. 

We hit the grocery store, restocked our food supply and sat on the balcony and played some "Lost Cities" a card game Coin introduced me to which is quite good. Tomorrow morning, we'll head back to the trail, weighed down with too much food and hopefully my feet will cooperate. 

-XL

Day 16. Wow. Just wow.

I know what you're saying. You did 14 miles yesterday in the heat, with new shoes and a whole passel of blisters. XL take it easy today. I heard you in the back of my mind all day. But alas, it was not to be, despite my intentions. 

Had a good night's sleep, not getting eaten by a bear, and we broke camp fairly early. We were on the trail by 8am, and our plan was to hit the next shelter in line, which was about 8 miles away. About half the distance we did yesterday. My legs were still cooked and the trail was fairly rocky (PA is known for that) but we still made good time. 

We ran into this guy on the way-

And some of the trail was like this-

We arrived at the shelter just after 1pm. We ate and I camped out on one of the bunks (yes, some of them have bunks!) and promptly fell asleep for a few hours. 

During my nap, a woman arrived at the shelter and started talking to Coin. She was obviously mentally ill, and kind of babbling about people chasing her all over the trail. She showed him a fairly large buck knife and said she would protect herself from anyone trying to get her. She wandered off a short while later and we figured we were safe. 

A few hours later, she showed up again and let us know she was staying at the shelter tonight. We quickly decided we'd do another 4 miles into Duncannon rather than putting ourselves in any kind of situation. 

We strapped our stuff on and went on to town, which was a hellish experience. We had to descend about 1200 feet of steep rock steps, which is exhausting. But we made it to the famous (or infamous) Doyle Hotel. I'll tell you more about the Doyle tomorrow.  Suffice to say, we're relieved to be someplace safe for the night. 

-XL

Day 15- So flippin hot

Today was definitely the hardest day yet due to a number of factors. Factor one- it was hot as blazes out. Like 90 degrees all day, and humid. Factor two- we did our longest miles. A little bit over 14. Most of it was flat, but we ended with a 1200 ft ascent to the shelter. Factor three- brand new shoes. I have some blisters. Large, painful ones. 

So yeah it was a rough one but we made it. I'm getting ready to climb into my tent cause I'm exhausted and sweaty. I managed to spill tuna juice on my pants and hands, so I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be eaten by a bear tonight. I'm too tired to care. 

-XL

One of the views on our ascent. 

Ran across two of these guys today. 

Day 14 - Zero part deux

Second day of our "get Coin back on his feet" project. He's still coughing like crazy but claims he feels better. I hope so because we have a 14 mile hike to the closest shelter from where we're at currently. We go through a town about 8 miles in, so we can ripcord if we need to. 

We caught a ride back to the trail (well a place close to the trail) today with another friend of Coin's. We're staying at a place called the Allenberry Resort, which is actually a fairly swanky place (like rooms are upwards of $150 a night) but they have a "Hiker rate" which is only $40 for a double room! Pretty awesome, right? So we'll be here for one more night of rest and then back into the heat tomorrow. I'm kind of looking forward to getting back on the trail. It's less comfortable obviously but I want to rack up more miles. More miles mean more money for Extra Life! Great motivator!

-XL

Day 13- Zero

Today was a true zero day. For those of you who don't know the lingo, a zero is a day off trail, usually to rest or resupply. We got to Jeff's friend's place last night around 10pm, a late night for us hikers. We're used to being bed at around 8pm. We each grabbed a hot shower and then crashed. 

We slept in and pretty much laid around most of the day. We did take a few mile walk down to the Happy Valley Brewing Company. Drank some amazing beer, ate some pulled pork nachos and freshly pickled veggies. 

Not much else on the agenda for today. We may take a ride to Appalachian Outdoors in a bit. Jeff needs a few things and I need to look at some replacement shoes. My shoes are comfy as heck, but they have absolutely no tread on them, which is wreaking havoc in the mud. It's basically like having a set of skiis strapped to my feet. Rather than risk another injury, I think I'm going to swap out the shoes while I have a chance. 

We'll get to watch the Penguins in game 7 of the playoffs tonight, so that's a plus!

-XL

Day 12. On again. And off again.

Spent the night at the Pine Grove Furnace campground and we were a bit lazy this morning- I actually slept in til about 7:30am. It was finally a good night of sleep, which has been rare thus far. 

But all was not well with Team Coin Flip-XL. Coin woke with a mega sore throat and was pretty miserable. We decided to try for the next shelter, about 7.5 miles further down the trail. Today was hot, it was already over 80 (that's only going to get worse) but it wasn't too bad in the shade. 

It was a rough one on Coin. He was basically a walking zombie, but we made it here. Coin needs some time off trail to recover, so he decided to call in a tactical extraction from some friends in State College, PA. They'll be here to pick us up at around 8pm tonight. 

This will also give our muscles a little time to recover. The first few weeks are the hardest on your body, and believe me I can attest to that. I hurt in places I didn't even know I had. So on to another zero!

Saw this guy on our way through Pine Grove Furnace Park. No rattlesnakes yet. 

Day 10-11 C-c-combo!

I didn't have service last night so I couldn't get a post up. I still don't have service currently, but I'm writing it while everything is fresh in my head. 

Yesterday was a great day, another 10 miler that put us at a shelter with built-in bunks! No more rolling into someone in the middle of the night. I tell you, sleeping in shelters is kind of a crazy experience. There is usually a cacophony of different snores from all directions. Our last trip to town we invested in ear plugs. Well worth it. 

We got to the shelter early afternoon, the next one in line was another 6 miles and we didn't want to press it. We claimed our bunks and relaxed as more hikers arrived. There was a thunderstorm looming so a lot of them were torn whether to continue or just take a short day. The thunderstorm hit hard and it poured. I was glad to be nice and dry for a change. 

We ended up with nearly a full house, but three of the thru hikers really stood out to Coin and I. Topknot, Woods and Mambo were really great people to hang out with. I taught them a few games and we played until dark. They all seemed really to enjoy them. It was nice to share a little of my passion with different people. 

We got up with the sun this morning- around 5:30 and were on the trail by 6:45. Another fast 10 miles and we hit our destination of Pine Grove Furnace State Park. It's kind of the unofficial halfway point for thru-hikers. There's an AT museum here, which we got to check out. It's also home to the infamous "Half-Gallon Challenge". Hikers are challenged to eat a half gallon of ice cream from the general store. We met up with Topknot, Woods and Mambo and the five of us took the challenge. 

Left to right- Coin Flip, Topknot, Mambo & Woods. 

After a great degree of effort, and a lot of discomfort afterwards, all but Mambo finished the challenge. I'm still suffering the after effects. But hey I got this sweet prize-

The others all pressed on further down the trail. Coin and I set up camp here for the night, right next to an actual working bathroom WITH showers. I know you're totally jealous. We're going to do our laundry hiker trash style (in a utility sink) and head back to the general store for some actual food. 

Hiking ten miles a day does a lot for the waist line. I've already lost at least 2 inches off my waist. That will only increase as we go farther on a daily basis. 

-XL

Day 9 or the other day it rained all day.

Another day of rain. It looks like it will clear off possibly tomorrow and the rest of the week looks to be good, but hot. That will be something to start getting used to. I'm already sweating and stinky pretty much all the time, add a little heat to the mix- well, let's just say I wouldn't want to stand in my vicinity. 

Coin and I pulled a little over 10 miles today, and we made good time doing it. I definitely feel myself getting stronger. The first hour or so of the morning is tough, usually. The muscles all ache and are tired, but eventually I get into a rhythm and can just plod along at a pretty good clip. 

We finished our day at a hostel in Fayetteville, called the Trail of Hope, which is run by a local church. The people here are all really nice, and it's a great deal. Bunks, hot showers, dinner and breakfast, all for $22. Getting a hot shower and out of my wet clothes was worth it right there. It's a struggle to not fall asleep immediately!

I hope you are all enjoying following me on this adventure. And a huge thank you to all the people that have pledged to my Hikefor page. Currently I'm making $1.85 per mile for Extra Life! Maybe someone can get me to $2.00 a mile?

-XL

Hiker trash beard is coming in well. 

Day 8. Or the day it rained all day.

We left the comfort of the Days Inn in Waynesboro at around 9am and we're back on the trail by 9:30am. We quickly crossed the Mason-Dixon Line and we're officially back in the North! It has been a rainy Saturday and the forecast promises more of the same tomorrow. But we made excellent time today, doing almost 9 miles before we stopped at the Tumbling Run shelter. Both shelters were pretty much full so we set up the tents underneath a pavilion so we wouldn't have to deal with wet tents in the morning. 

Taking the zero day yesterday made a huge difference on the ankle, it felt worlds better today. I was able to set a pretty good pace. Coin Flip is convinced that he's not going to be able to keep up with me soon, but I have my doubts. 

Tomorrow we have our sights set on Fayetteville, PA and a hostel there. It will be our first hostel stay. It's about 10 miles further along the trail so we'll see how the day goes. 

-XL

Long miles

Day 6 on the trail and we had a long day- we did our longest hike yet, clocking in at over 10 miles. My ankle is still a little sore and a lot of the terrain is incredibly rocky, so it was a tough one. But we made it. The reward at the end of the day was a night off trail at hotel in Wayneboro, PA. That's right, we finished with Maryland and have entered Pennsylvania!

So I'm laying on a nice comfy bed, freshly showered (possibly one of the best I've ever had). Jeff went next door to do a load of laundry and I'm here resting my ankle. 

Tomorrow morning we'll gorge ourselves on complimentary breakfast, hit up Walmart to resupply and the tackle 5 miles to the next shelter. It'll be nice to sleep in a comfy bed tonight. I've got to write a post for Appalachian Trials that will review the last 6 days and also reveal my trail name! See now you have to read it (after I put it up, there will be a link on my FB page). 

On the fifth day

Day 5, 33 miles in. Another kind of rainy day. Did a really rough section of trail with a ton of rocks, thank goodness for hiking poles. It was tough on my ankle, but we made it through. Had a really steep descent after which also caused some aches and pains. 

We made the Ensign Conwall shelter and one of the other Thru's was ordering pizza to be delivered to where the trail crossed the road, we jumped in on that! After eating basically tuna fish, tortillas and instant rice sides for the last 5 days it was a welcome treat. After we finished, another thru showed up from a town trip with cupcakes which he shared out. The sense of community between long distance hikers is amazing strong. Everyone shares food and whatever kind of help they can without hesitation. 

Tomorrow we cross into PA, and have a room waiting for us in Waynesboro. It'll be nice to have a hot shower, a chance to do some laundry and a comfy bed to sleep in. I've already lost an inch off my waist size. 

Also the new pack is amazing. No shoulder pain at all today, thanks again to my Aunt Sandi! 

And please don't forget part of why I'm doing this- the kids at The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital. If you like following along, and you can afford to donate a few cents a mile it adds up. There's a link to support me on hikefor.com at the top of the page. 

Curse the pack

KoIt was about day 2 when I realized my pack straps were really causing me some issues. I have huge knots in both shoulders, where the straps rode. By today the pain was unbearable. Luckily I have family nearby that was willing to grab me a new pack from REI and drop it off to me. Thanks Aunt Sandi! You're a lifesaver!

Ankle is doing well, still a bit of soreness but manageable. We've done almost 6 miles today and we may try to get a few more done after the pack changeout. 

One of the cool things we saw today was the Washington Monument (not that one, the other one). It was a dicey set of steep stone steps to get to the top but well worth it for the view!

Air mattresses and ankles.

Day 2 started out pretty well. Felt good despite a mostly sleepless night in the shelter. We ate some breakfast, and got on the trail around 9. We had a short day to our next stop, still trying to get our (well, mostly my) legs used to it. We crossed through a park dedicated to civil war correspondents and eventually came to the side trail leading to the shelter. It wasn't all that well marked and we kind of wandered off trail a bit. I stepped on a rock underneath a pile of leaves and twisted my ankle pretty bad. 

Luckily we were only a short ways from the shelter. I was able to get it propped up and wrapped. It's pretty sore so we'll see how it goes today. 

I set up my air mattress and sleeping bag in the shelter and took an hour nap or so. When I woke my mattress was flat. Great. Jeff gave me a hand and using science (we poured water on it to find the hissing), we found the hole and I was able to patch it. 

We had a dinner around 6 and retired to our tents (the shelter was overcrowded, so we both opted to tent). It was a really cold night, in the 30s. I got a better nights sleep. Hoping the ankle will hold up once we start moving. 

First day.

The first day was hard- harder than I expected. The initial hike through Harper's Ferry was gorgeous. The town has a ton of history and the AT runs right through the middle of it. Then it was a few miles of nice flat trail next to the Potomac. Jeff and his ride met me at the end of the easy part and we hiked in to the Ed Garvey shelter, about 4 miles. About 20 minutes in to that seftion, it started to rain. Pretty hard. The rest of the hike was slow and muddy. Eventually we got to the shelter and settled in for the evening. There were a ton of people coming in, but Jeff and I managed to get there early enough to grab 2 spots. 

We had the fun experience trying to hang our bear bags. Seems simple enough right? Throw a rock with a rope and then haul it up and tie it off. Nope. It's a pain in the ass. We'll get better at it. 

Then last night was largely sleepless. As exhausted as I was it was nearly impossible to sleep. Lots of tossing and turning. Today we're going to keep it short as we break ourselves in. I'm sore as hell but it feels good. 

Last days

It's finally here. The day of reckoning. My feet hit the trail in less than 24 hours. The gear is packed. The food is stowed. I've spent my last night in my own bed (well on my couch). No more binge-watching TV. No more running to the fridge for a snack. No more PS4. No more comic books, no more cruising in the warm weather, windows down. It all changes.

I'm on my way to Harper's Ferry, where my journey begins. I'm meeting Jeff there, and we set out north. I'm excited to start my journey, and surprised that it's already here. I think that I'm going to point my life in a new direction with this experience. I'm so happy that I'm using it to not only find myself but to raise money for Extra Life. Extra Life has been such a rewarding experience for me, letting me give something back. I feel like it has filled a void in my life that was bigger than I ever realized.

When I set out, true to my geek nature, I'll be carrying a replica of the One Ring from Lord of the Rings. Frodo's journey to Mt. Doom carrying the ring has always been one of my favorite stories, and I can't imagine a better way to honor the feelings that I got from the series, than to recreate it (well, without all the Ring Wraiths and orcs and such). So I'm attaching the Ring to my backpack. Maybe I'll stash it at the end, and hope some other hiker finds it and takes it on another epic journey.

My next post will be from the trail -

Remember, it's about the journey.

Mail drops

Here I am, four days away from the start of my journey. It's been a crazy year of ups and downs and it's finally almost here. I had a nice surprise yesterday, a kind of impromptu surprise going away party from a whole bunch of my friends. It was a lot of fun but also made me a little sad. There's a lot of people that I'm going to miss over the next three or four months.

I head out this Friday, driving down to Harper's Ferry. Spending the night there, to hit the trail on Saturday morning. We'll probably start out slow, get our feel for things. It's about 6-7 miles to the first shelter, the Ed Garvey Shelter. Also starting on that day, you'll be able to follow along with where I'm at. My GPS unit will update my location every few hours. There will be a link posted on my Facebook page and also here. You can send me messages, and I'll do my best to reply in a timely manner.

One of the most common question/requests I've gotten is how people can send me stuff, and what kind of stuff should they send? As for what to send- it's tough to know right now, but here's what most likely will be on the list-

baked goodies like cookies, brownies, etc.
candy (snickers, peanut M&M's, Almond Joys are all good)
freeze-dried meals
beef jerky, dried fruit, dehydrated veggies
personal letters or notes (give me a little taste of what's going on at home)

I'll be posting a week or so ahead of time where to send things to based on where I think I'll be. When you do send something here's the way to do it -

If it's a Post Office-
Send via Priority Mail (they will forward for free if I happen to miss the package) to the following-

Jamison McLean
C/O General Delivery
Trail Town, VA 12345
Please hold for AT hiker
ETA May 16, 2015

If it's to a Hostel -
Priority Mail still

Jamison McLean
C/O Hiker Hostel
1234 Appalachian Way
Trail Town, VA 12345
Please hold for AT hiker
ETA May 16, 2015

I'll be spending the last few days here getting stuff ready to go. Cutting off my hair, and shaving the beard. The plan is to take a selfie every day and then do a time lapse when I get back. I'll definitely put up a final before I go post, most likely on Thursday or Friday. 

Remember- It's about the journey.

Tick Tock

Down to ten days now. The gear in 99%, and my life is mostly situated. I've gotten over most of the hurdles. Now it's just a waiting game. And as Tom Petty said, the waiting is the hardest part.

Let me talk a little bit about the last few weeks, more specifically the Chits & Bits Game Marathon, which was last weekend. It was a long weekend but I'm mostly recovered. The event was amazing- we had more than 150 people in and out during the day and upwards of 25 (I think closer to 30) that spent the whole 24 hours with us playing games. We gave away over a hundred raffle prizes and while we're still waiting for the final dollar total, we know it was over $20,000. Twenty. Thousand. Dollars. I still can't wrap my head around it. Last year we raised just over $6,100 for the entire year. That means this year we more than tripled our total. All of which goes to help the sick children that need the services of The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital.

It's humbling to be part of something that has grown from an idea that I had into something so big. A big part of my motivation to hike is to share how important Extra Life has become to my life. I can't imagine a better cause to ally myself with. The love that I have for my fellow Extra Lifers, the bond that we share due to common cause is strong- stronger than any I have ever experienced. I was asked to share what makes me successful as a fundraiser for Extra Life by my hospital reps. The reason is because of the team that I work with. Every member of the team makes the whole team stronger. A worthy cause is bigger than one person. I can't imagine a better cause.

More before I leave, I promise.

Remember - it's about the journey.