Last July 17 I returned from the Appalachian Trail for 2012. This was a difficult section on par with my first hike on the Royal Arch in the Grand Canyon. After both hikes I was “hiked out”. Hopefully I’ll get back to Government Canyon this coming weekend.
I’ve begun work on the photos for the AT 2012 page I will eventually post on this blog. I began the hike at Conn 41 just outside Salisbury, Conn at mile 689.7 from Katahdin. Hedy and Nata joined me for the beginning of most of the day’s hikes. Nata hiked with me for one week before she had to return to San Antonio.
I concluded this 9th section hike at Stony Brook where there is an access road with a small pull off area for the car. This is fairly close to Killington, Vermont. My Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers’ Companion does not have a mileage marker for this although it is a prominent parking pick up on their official maps. The Stony Brook Shelter is about 1 mile from this point and that is listed at 477.9 miles to Katahdin, so I will use that figure to conclude the 9th section hike.
The total miles covered for the 9th section is 211.1 miles. That is my best to date. However, it has come at a price as I returned exhausted and had to jump back into work immediately. It was nice to be able to hike with Nataly on several extended hikes and it was great to start the hike with Hedy who provided excellent support and shuttling. Stony Brook parking area is about 35 miles from the Vermont-New Hampshire border. That means most of my 10th section hike, God willing, will be in New Hampshire. The AT goes through New Hampshire for 161 miles. I should get quite close to the Maine border next year but might not make it. It will be difficult to maintain the pace I had for the 8th and 9th sections. However, with Hedy coming and doing the shuttling it does provide me with opportunity to increase my mileage which is so important now. I would really like to finish this.
