We had another interesting day. Sassafras was he some issues with her shoes and feet. It looked like she needed new shoes. I was not to optimistic about Kent Conn. But I was pleasantly surprised. Mrs Kaboose called the outfitter in town and they directed use to Sundog shoes. The guy at Sondogs was great and Sassafras left with a new pair of Merrells.
As walked into town a thru hiker told us we could camp behind the clothing store. When we got there the owner told is to set up in back. There was a portapotty, cold outdoor shower and a shed with a hiker box and clean towels. We showered washed our cloths and has pizza, post a and ice cream. We also did our resupply at the IGA. What more should a hiker need. I am sitting in a lawn chair and Sassafras is reading her kindle in hèr tent. All is well.
We did a 16.8 mile day today. Sassafras has got her trail legs already. It was a mixed day. We started hiking in the rain and ended the day hiking in hot and humid weather. Sassafras ran the Call last 3 miles of the day because there was supposed to be trail magic at the shelter vendors including a chicken dinner. It was supposed to start at 3pm, we got there at 350pm and it was already over. We at our regular. Supper, which is ok because we would have had to carry it tomorrow. Wec are resting in the shelter and it just started to rain. It in relaxing and it is cooling of so sleeping will not be a problem. Connecticut tomorrow and resupply in Kent.
We drove down from Maine yesterday after picking up Sassafras from her last day of school, as a high school freshmen, and drove down to Danbury CT. Mrs Kaboose dropped us of at Horton town road and we started hiking north. We are at Morgan Stewart shelter tonight. It was a short 9 miles and we were done by noon. It is forecasted to thunderstorm this afternoon so we and are in for the night. We plan a 16.6 mile day tomorrow. It looks like it will be raining tomorrow. So goes the trail.
I thought I have stopped posting to this blog, but I guess I was wrong. Sassafras and I will be leaving Maine next week to hike north from where we got off the trail in New York in 2013 and hike north for 3 weeks. We hope to get into Vermont. If we do that Sassafras will have the rest of Vermont and a several days of hiking in New Hampshire to complete the A.T. Updates to come - Kaboose
Picture is from the top of Mount Moriah in northern New Hampshire from a hike last week.
I received a message from Nancy Orellano asking for an update. (Thank you Nancy for you interest and support). I went out on a little day hike this week and my leg is doing ok. Due to aggravating the ankle, leg injury I received in 2005 in a motorcycle accident, it looks like it will be some time before I am back to 100%. I have to remind myself that I am lucky to be able to walk and hike at all.
Sassafras is doing great, she just got back from 10 days at Band Camp at the University of Southern Maine, and has a great time. We got to see her in three concerts and it was great. She as a week off and then goes to a Girl Scout Camp were she will go on both backpacking and canoeing trips. The Camp is at the base of Mount Katahdin. And a week after she comes home from that camp she is going to a Cross Country running camp. She likes to be busy, she thought she was going to hike the A.T. for 6 weeks but appears just as happy with her new schedule.
Sassafras at her last Band Camp Concert, what a beautiful young lady
I think this will be my last entry in this blog. Sassafras will still do some backpacking, but she plans to put her energy's into activities any active high school freshman would including music (flue, piano and singing), sports (cross country running, cross country skiing and running the long distance races in track) girl scouts and her studies. It looks like Sassafras is starting an other busy and exiting chapter in her life. She still says with complete confidence that not only will she thru hike the Appalachian trail but also the pacific crest and continental divide trail for a triple crown. I would not be one to bet against her.
We had an interesting day. We hiked up the 4800 foot Mount Moosilauke, actually Sassafras ran upt. It as cold, windy and wet in the clouds on the summit. We did not hang out on the summit, i can tell you. I fell and rolled my ankle just as we were heading down. I got down but it was tough. My ankle is swollen, but it does not hurt too much. I plan to ice it and rest and probably get an ankle brace. We were going to go down to New York to start hiking north on Wednesday, but I think we will wait until Saturday and hope for the best. I want to make sure Sassafras can finish the A.T. this year. I do not know how or when I would be able to get the time off again. I hope for the bet. Kaboose.
Today was our fist dat on the trail. We started at 145pm after spotting our car at the north end on My. Modulator and getting a ride to My 25c were we got off last year. I made the mistake of taking us south bound for 2.6 miles until we met a man and two young girls hiking north form mass. I was very embarrassed bout this rookie mistake. We ended up hiking 10.8 miles. No so much fun starting late and hiking the wrong way. Sassafras has such a good attitude. She said it just made for a better training hike. We are in our hammocks after spending quite a long time settling them up. We will get better with practice. It is late Sassafras is sleeping and we hike the 4800 foot high Mt. Moosilauke in the morning so I am going to sleep. Kaboose.
I posted a video of a review of the new
Sawyer Mini water filter and comparison to the Sawyer Squeeze water
filter. I also showed my ideas on how to back flush both units
without having to carry the Sawyer syringe.
Sassafras and I are planing to be back on the trail at the end of June so she can finish off the trail. We will be updating more soon. Thanks - Kaboose
We got off the trail at NH25C/Warren NH. Sassafras's feet started hurting her and we decided enough was enough. We hiked 40 miles of New Hampshire and had a great time. This is the end of this chapter of Sassafras and Kaboose A.T. adventure for 2013. Sassafras says she still has lots of long distance hiking to do, but needs a break.
I plan to get out and hike some of my favorite sections of Maine in the next few months, but plan to do then on 2-4 day trips.
This trip has been amazing. thanks for all you interest and support. Kaboose
What a great day. Mrs kaboose dropped us off at the Vermont/New Hampshire border and hiked with us for a little way in Hanover. We saw the beginning of the shrinners parade in town. I could tell we have been off the trail and was grateful for the mild terain. We meet Teacher and Snacktime from white blaze doing trail magic (thank).
When we hiked into the shelter we heard a loud yell, it was coach lou who we saw in Virginia. He immediately took a picture of Sassafras and sent it to hikerboy who we started the trail with, to let him know we are back on the trail. In a few minutes Jacko from Australia walked in. We started on springer with jacko and his son the invisible man. What a small world.
Sassafras's feet are better and she wants to get back on the trail. Tomorrow Mrs Kaboose will drop us off at the Vermont, New Hampshire border and we will attempt to hike north to Route 2 just before the Maine border. Sassafras calculated that since she has hiked from Route 2 on the A.T. all the way to the summit of Katahdin, she will have 312 miles left to complete the A.T. If all goes well we we can complete those miles next year. We did not complete a thru hike, but are happy with what we have accomplished.
We all want to thank everyone who help support Sassafras's hike for hunger. The last tally shows $1819 donated to the New Gloucester food bank in support of Sassafras's hike.
I am on a bus going home to Maine. I have been on the trail almost four months and hiking without Sassafras is not what I want to be doing at rhis time in my life. I wanf to be home with my family. The separation has been hard on both my wife and I.
I want to thank everyone for their kind words and support. I apologies if I have let anyone down. Kaboose
Today was my first day on the trail without Sassafras. It was tough emotional. I miss her very much, but I know her feet need at least two more weeks at home to heal and more important she is happy at home and already has the rest of her supper planed. She already met with her principal and she is doing work to help get all caught up with school, so her reentry at school will be much easier. I miss my wife very much as well, but we both are committed to having me complete this thru hike. I am blessed in having such a wonderful family.
My sister who just happened to be visiting from New York gave me a ride back to the trail. (Thanks Wanda) I am at a pavilion at the Graymoor monastery. The place is beautiful and very peaceful. It is a good place for me to be tonight. There are several other thru hikers here tonight. They seem very nice. I had not met any of them before. It looks like I will be with a new group after being off trail for a week. So much seems new. This is a whole new chapter in our adventure. Kaboose
We have been home in Maine for a few days. Sassaffras's needs to be off her feet for two more weeks. Once we got home it was apparent that she done enough. 3 1/2 months with her Papa is enough, she missed being with people her own age. I had thought she would develop some friendships with some of the young ladies hiking the trail, but that did not happen. We now know she was very lonely. She still has plans to do the Triple Crown and backpack thru Europe. She will spend the rest of the summer doing as she call it "regular stuff" like camp and spending time with Mrs. Kaboose and her friends. We are so very proud of her, she is the strongest person I know. She always sees the good in things. She even thought the Doyle Hotel was beautiful. She was able to look past the decay of time and see the original beauty of the building.
It is with mixed feeling that I tell everyone that Sassafras is off the trail. Tomorrow my sister who is visiting from New York will be driving me back to Fort Montgomery N.Y. to continue the hike. It will not be the same without Sassafras and I do not know how I feel about it. As a family we decided it is important that I try to finish the thru hike. We do not know when I would be able to try again or if I would able to do it if that time came.
I will continue with the blog. I do not know how much interest it will be to others without Sassafras?
Mrs. Kaboose will be uploading videos from Harpers Ferry thru Fort Montgomery. I plan to continue to take some pictures and videos. I also do not know how interesting they will be without Sassafras. Kaboose
Sassafras has rested all day today and soaked her feet in epsom salt and we are applying antibiotic ointment per her doctors suggestion. Believe it or not they look better already. She has a dr. apt. tomorrow and should see what is next. I still can not beleive that she hiked 270 miles with her feet in the shape that they were in. She is my hero!
We flew home today. Sassafras is happy to be home. We will see her doctor asap. Her toes are very sore and it breaks my heart to think how strong she was hiking so long in such pain. It looks like I will get back on the trail next week and continue hiking. When Sassafras is cleared to come back on the trail and if she want to she will come out and finish the hike.
Thank you to all support and kind words. Anyone who knows Sassafras will tell you she is a very special girl. If she ends her adventure at the 1400 mile mark it still was a great success. She had fun, challenged herself, met many wonderful people. I hope she will have positive feelings about our adventure and the time we spent together. Kaboose.
Sassafras has had an infection in her great toe for over two weeks. We have been treating it the best we can with imput from her doctor at home. It has not improved. She tried to hike out today and was lethargic and got sick to her stomach. After talking with my wife we have decided to go home. Sassafras says she does not feel well is tearful and is ready to go home. It hurts me so bad to see her like this. We will fly home tomorrow and evaluate our options after she sees her doctor. Kaboose
We took the first of two days off the trail. We rested most of the day. We had to take a cab to the next town to get to a grocery store. It definitely was our most expensive resupply. Kaboose
