$10,000 and a Thru-Hiker Species profile

I'd like to send out a thunderous THANK YOU!!!!! to everyone who helped this Dessin Fundraiser become an incredible success. Together, we raised over $10,000 for the homeless pets in our little corner of the world.

I'd also like to share with you a humorous article I recently found in the ALDHA Newsletter Spring 2007.

A Scientific Look at the Thru-Hiker

By Chuckie “Funnybone” Veylupek

Class: None Whatsoever.

Order: Rarely.

Suborder: More so.

Family: Other thru-hikers and trail angels.

Genus: Not to be confused with genius.

Species: Wildlife.

Geographical Range: The thru-hiker is primarily ian inhabitant of North America, frequently found in summertime climates along the high mountains of the United States’ most renowned ranges: the Sierra Nevada, the Cascades, the Rockies, and the Appalachians.

Habitat: Found in a variety of habitats, from treeless tundra to coastal sea banks, rocky cliffs, mountain forests, and desert canyons to open plains and everywhere between.

Description: The thru-hiker, upon first sight, is typically darker skinned, excessively hairy, generally thin and most often quiet. The average height is typically five to six feet tall. Shorter ones have been seen, as have much taller creatures. Males are predominant, but females are frequently seen as well, though it is often difficult to decipher between the two. Above and beyond appearance, however, it is the scent of the thru-hiker that is the dead giveaway – some have described this distinct odor as “lethal”. The thru-hiker has a complex thought-processing unit, but demonstrates its use sparingly.

Vocalizations: Again, the thru-hiker is typically an introspective, quiet breed. It has been known, however, to whoop it up when seen in civilization or atop mountains, particularly while overlooking incredible views.

Gear: Thru-hikers’ gear is their lifeline. Thru-hikers carry their houses on their backs, similar to a snail or a turtle; it is worth noting however that snails and turtles generally move faster. Gear includes tools to make meals (highly sophisticated), tools to light fires, and a wide array of footwear.

Related Species: The thru-hiker is often confused with its close relative, the homeless, but there a re major differences between the two species that are readily apparent when thru-hikers and the homeless are seen together, i.e. Gore-Tex.

Food: Thru-hikers are known scavengers who eat primarily from the snickers food group, as well as grains, dried foods, meat, pizza, ice cream, candy, berries, and beer, and most everything else that involves calories.

Behavior: Varied, depending on surroundings. May be seen alone or in social settings. Thru-hikers are strong individuals and, as stated earlier, smell just as strong. This small can hover for weeks on end and extend significantly beyond the thru-hiker’s ken. Though this doesn’t really have much to do with their behavior it does lead to the next thought.

Behavior of those around thru-hikers: Many cultures have regarded the thru-hiker as an omen of death, pestilence and disease. Of course, they’re generally right, but that’s beside the point.

Thru-Hiker Vital Statistics:

Weight: Invariably less after completing a thru-hike.

Pulse-rate: Almost always lower as the trip progresses.

IQ: Almost always lower as the trip progresses.

Stride Length: From 1 inch to 8 feet, depending on conditions.

Stride Amount: Depends on trail and stride length. On the PCT, anywhere from 1 to 8,000,000.

Lifespan: 85 years in the wild, give or take.

Breeding & Nesting: Not applicable.

Additional Notes: The best description of a thru-hiker is up to the individual actually thru-hiking.

(This article was originally printed by the PCTA, www.PCTA.org)

More Slide Show Bizz

The next public slide show will be at 7:00PM on Monday, Nov. 26 at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY, in the KJ auditorium. If you need directions, please lemme know at benrossetter@gmail.com .

And due to local popular demand, there will be another showing in Honesdale, PA, on Nov. 29th at the same time and place as the previous blockbuster-sellout!

We are planning future showings around New Paltz as well. Also, if you or your school or group would be interested in having us come and give a private showing, please contact us. We are willing and eager to share TrailMagic with all!!

~TrailDogs

Slide Show

Its been a month now, and life is as normal as it will ever be. We are, however, in the midst of wrapping up our great adventure. This Thursday at the Honesdale High School at 7:00PM we will present the TrailDogs slide show! All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Please let us know if you need directions. If you can't make this one, there will be at least one more showing, likely more: Wednesday Nov. 7th will be at the New Paltz Rescue Squad in New Paltz. There will also likely be a showing at Hamilton College, though the date is not set. Please come and listen to stories and share your own!

~TrailDogs

Imagine...

... two beleaguered, sweaty, tired hikers sitting atop an old wooden frame sign which itself rests upon the upper most crest of a towering mountain in the northern woods of Maine. Put our faces on those hikers, lots of blue sky in the background, and many other friendly hikers up there and you know what occurred last Thursday, the 20th of Sept... we finished the AT!!! YAY!!!! It was an amazingly beautiful day, and we were accompanied only by our fellow thru-hikers.

We exited the 100-mile wilderness the day before, where upon Roxi Roxtar was picked up by a local kennel as she is not allowed in Baxter State Park (we did however bring someone else along to take Roxi's place and assure her some glory atop the mountain!). The rest of the day was spent leisurely hiking 10 more miles to the base of Katahdin past roaring waterfalls and glass-covered ponds. Our last night on the trial west punctuated by a feast of epic proportions consisting of ramen noodles with tomato and cheese sauces as well as veggies... yum! We awoke early on Thursday and started up the trail around seven in the morning. The climb was very steep and involved much hand-over-hand bouldering and rock-hoping. It was however magnificent in scale and color; the leaves are in full bloom in Maine! At 11:05 EST, TrailDogs summited Baxter Peak on Mt. Katahdin, tapped the sign designating the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, and officially became Thru-Hikers!

It has been a dream two years in coming, and after everything that you all have done for us, we have done it: hiked from Georgia to Maine. Its done now; no more walking to do. Tomorrow morning we wake up and start unpacking completely: washing and drying clothing and gear, dividing up what belongs to who, storing gear away for the long term, attempting to reintegrate into regular life...

We'll probably be seeing most of you in the coming weeks. We need to say hi to our families and friends!! We will however be preparing and then hosting a slide show, hopefully with-in two months from now. We will be sure to publicly announce the slide shows, and there should be one near you.

For now, we are done! Huge thanks go out to the families that hosted us, the friends that took care of us, and all that simply followed our journey! We hope to see you all again soon!

~TrailDogs

100 miles and a pointy bit...

....is all that is left for the three of us to traverse. It had been a while since we've posted (there aren't too many towns in northern Maine) but rest assured that we've continued north. After leaving Ranger Doug and Sparky in NH, we we're rained and blown off of Mt. Washington, spent a week averaging only ten miles a day through the toughest terrain we have yet seen, walked to Maine (yay!!) spent another week nailing down well over 120 miles, and have arrived here in Monson, the gateway to the final chapter of the AT. Buy this time next week we will be at the foot of Mt. Katahdin about to ascend ourselves back into civilization. Its been over 2100 miles of walking since we've have seen most of you, and though we love and adore these woods, the urge for home and friends is strong. We will charishe the next week, our last, and look forward to our final meal. Our ascent date is tenatively the 21st, next Friday, so if any of you happen to be in the north woods of Maine...

Remember, however, that this walk is for the Dessin Animal Shelter. We have raised over 10,000 dollars now, but we need more. Please, if haven't already, click on the link to the right and help Dessin find good homes for as many animals as possible.

And I apologize; blogger is failing me right now and wont upload any more pictures. Will of course post more later on and hope to do a slide show when we return home, so look for the soon!!

~TrailDogs

Some Pointy Bits with Friends

Paul here (aka Sparky on the trail) with some news! The two successfully completed their Hamiltonian duties and I chauffeured them (along with Roxy in the back) up to the White Mountains. The two enjoyed their time with old and new friends, but were ready to get on the trail.
Because of my questionable fitness, we opted to do a day-hike our first day taking us 7 miles over Mt. Moosilauke. (See pictures below) Beautiful weather and a trail dog that liked to carry lunch and water made for a very enjoyable day. Amazing the two
said this was their first natural bald peak on the trail! Had I come at the perfect time to do the best part of the trial? Ha!
The next day we were joined by David, Ben's dad, who was similarly looking for some 'pain' as a fellow hiker put it. The plan was to do 27 miles in 3 days taking us over Franconia Ridge, one of the most scenic parts of the Whites (and maybe the AT!?!), onward past Garfield, South Twin, Zealand, then down into
Crawford Notch to our car. Little did we know it would be cloudy, windy, rocky, and long. As the pictures can attest it was windy and cloudy up on the ridge, robbing us of our much deserved views. We
pressed on, and on, and for myself I was doubtful I would make it past the next hill let alone mountain. After many painful steps David and I finished in good spirits, after all this was another day on the trail for the three Thru-Hikers who shrugged off the high mileage.
With some ice cream and junk-food for lunch, we left the three at the trail head with a few miles and vertical to climb before their dinner and bed. We will hopefully hear from them again before the finish!

Pete's Dad said...
Thanks, Paul, for the blog entry and pictures. That was an amazing day on top of Mt. Lafayette! Remember boys and girls, don’t wear cotton in the mist!How about those “White Mountain switchbacks”? 2,000 feet straight up or down through the rocks with a creek running through them. (I am not whining, Laura, just acknowledging the challenges - grin) Fortunately, the rewards were worth the efforts. Even if the views on the ridge were lacking, the freshness of the winds and the emotional highs were incredible. And much better views from the Twin Peaks the next day.Some of the highlights included Ben’s cooking (which Laura prepared last winter), stinky feet (which are not as bad on the trail), worshipping quick glimpses of the sun, leaning into the wind, watching Sparky light fires with wet wood and no white gas, and Snickers overdosing. Thanks, guys, for taking some of the weight out of my pack. I like the new “light philosophy” of your trip. And I promise never again to get on the bad side of the Trail Gods – they know how to bite back! My socks have not dried out, yet.After spending only three days with the Trail Dogs, I am blown away (literally on that ridge) with the magnitude of their accomplishments. They have been doing this for five months with another month ahead of them. So tell them how proud you are and support the shelter. They deserve it.Now that I have recovered from cramping thighs, calves, and feet, I find I really miss being with Tom Dooly, Pooch and Sparky the Eagle Scout. Gotta go, room service just arrived…-Ranger Doug, aka Pete’s Dad, aka David

and now for something not entirely different...

Tomorrow we head down to Clinton, NY, back to Hamilton to lead Adirondack Adventure. We will both be taking groups incoming freshmen into the woods to learn about college life, each other, and Hamilton life in genreal. However, this means that we now have to endure a near 15 day hiatus from the trail... ouch. We will lose our hiking legs, we will lose our toughness, we will not lose weight, but we will have a great time reuniting with friends long lost and taking lost of scared freshmen into the mountains for some lessons on real living. We are sad to say goodbye to many of our hiking companions as we will never see many of them again. By the time we get back on the trail, a few of them may have even finished!! But however long we spend away from the trail that we call home, there will no doubt be a quiet song in the back of our minds calling us ever north towards Maine. And when we return, north we will doubtlessly head. We have a target date now: September 24th. We think thats when this whole crazy thing will be done. That is over a month away, and yet we are mere 390 miles distant... so close, but there are a whole lot of pointy bits to go over before we get there.

We will spend tonight here in Plymouth, NH, in the heamaster's house at Holderness School (for the enevitably ungifted? ;-) The Peck family is hosting as the moment, recalling those days when we were in fact a part of their family, and perhaps still are. We will awake early tomorrow morning, look for our ride, and then be gone to NY!!

Sleep is calling,

TrailDogs

Just keep walking...

Its been a while, but rest assured, we contintue north. First, thank you to Bob and Ruth Bradley: your hospitality was truly astounding. We can't do what we are doing without people like you. We rested for a day at the Bradley's home in Windsor, MA, just east of Dalton. We were treated to delicious dinners despite a broken oven, two gorgeous Bernise Mt Dogs, a car with which to solve many a pack crisis, and hospitality to suit royalty. We truly cannot thank them enough, as with all of our homestays, for both putting us up and putting up with us.

We are now in Medon, VT, just west of Killington, in the home of Bruce and Amy Peacock, whose daughter Sarah is a current Hamilton student and great friend of ours. Once again, warm bed and filling meals are re-energizing us just in time to make our push into NH. Soon we will be getting off of the trail for 10+ days to return to Hamilton to lead Adirondack Adventure, a pre-oriention freshmen trip. First however, we must venture into the White Mtns. of NH for perhaps the hardest stretch of the entire trail: 3000+ foot climbs and lots of rocks lie ahead.

We must keep walking, so keep us in your thoughts, and hoping all is well. Happy Trails,

TrailDogs

Kent, CT

A very long over-due THANK YOU goes out to our friends in PA, "Mechanical Man", "Crayon Lady" and the "BLUR". Barely a week before our arrival, they unexpectedly lost their beloved Dobie, Tank. In honor of Tank, this wonderful family opened their arms and gave us a place to stay while Roxi recovered from a GI bug. We gorged ourselves with visiting the Velodrome in Allentown and the water park at Camelbeach. Not to mention the "Blur's" bmx stunt show that can't be beat (we actually let a 9 year old jump over us on his bike). Thank you again and our hearts go out to Tank.

Now in Connecticut, we have been staying with the family of Charles Vick, a fellow Hamilton College choir geek, for the past few days. Though Charles himself isn't actually here, James and Kate, along with their daughter Sarah, have been incredibly gracious hosts, giving us beds, showers, amazing meals, and a ride to Six Flags!

The time spent in Honesdale and New Paltz, though wonderful, escaped us far too quickly. Set in a frame of mind of wanting to do everything while we were home, it seemed we had little time to actually relax (Ben's fault, really; we need vacations from his vacations). We spent a night in Honesdale, we took to New York City to visit friend David Lu and catch a Yankees game (Laura cheered for the Ducks), we even managed a trip to the outfitters in Kingston to buy new shoes for our continued journey. Joined by college roomie and friend Steve "Rock Hard" Morris, we set off early last Sunday feeling as though we needed to sleep for another few days.

Unfortunately, we were then hit by the biggest heat blast of the season: 100 degrees, 500% humidity, or so it felt. Thru-hikers were dropping like flies all around us as we ascended Bear Mt. We were so exhausted from slogging through the heat that Roxi insisted that Sarah Vick be called a bit early to come pick us up and bring us to cooler locales... namely Six Flags, of course! Though Roxi couldn't actually come, she enjoyed lying beneath the shade of an oak tree with a chew-toy on one side and her water bowl on the other.

After yet another day of riding roller-coasters and water-slides, Steve dropped us off, this time including Sarah, where we had earlier escaped. The weather cooler, our minds refreshed, we hiked into Kent yesterday evening.

This morning we were greeted yet again by cheese omelettes and English muffins (thank you Kate!!). While Laura finishes packing Roxi food, I have escaped to the computer to write to you folks ;-) We plan on departing later this morning and heading for Great Barrington, where we will partake in FarmCamp for a day; an organic farm offers a work-for-stay program for hikers, and Laura really wants to schmooze with the cows and pigs. Roxi, of course, will be jealous, but oh well.


The trail of late has been a bit different; instead of the wilderness that surrounded us through most Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, we have of late been in more of an urban hike. We cross major state roads, if not interstates, every day; we hike through or near towns almost every other day. Some stretches have delis at every road crossing, making the food we actually carry un-needed. Though passing giant oaks and thrilling views, we also walk over bridges and overpasses. This is a different AT from down south, though it be the same footpath. The spirit and goal remain the same, but the footfalls feel more determined, the ambition beginning to increase as our goal draws ever so slowly closer. Ice cream and hogies are welcome and we will never resist the opportunity to eat something offered to us. We have certainly passed from one part of the country to another and a significant portion of our experience is now behind us, not to be seen again. For example, the Roxi that started with us is no longer the same dog; she has matured, aged, and calmed. Whatever magic of the trail-life there is had changed her into an amazing TrailDog. She truly has become a hiker-favorite and is a joy to spend time with. I imagine the likewise changes have occurred in all of us who've come this far. Its difficult to see those changes now; perhaps they will not appear till we have reached our goal, left the trail, and are attempting to re-integrate into our normal routines. Well, we have hiking left to do (~700 miles or so), I will leave you here to go finish packing my pack. Happy Trails!

~TrailDogs

Home!!!

Just a quick note, there will be many pictues and stories to come shortly. First of all, a big shout out to Mechanical Man and Crayon Lady for putting us up for nearly four days as well as being amazing hosts (yay velodrome!!). Second off, we are home now in New Paltz, resting, relaxing, and greaing up for the stretches to come. In fact, some of may have spotted a certain Laura Talaga discretely meandering the streets of Honesdale last night in the light of the fireworks... see you all soon!

TrailDogs

Thunderstorm Season

It had been hot and humid!! Yesterday got near 100 degrees, with 100% humidity it was not a day to be outside. Despite that, Suzie from the Dessin Animal Shelter came down with her cutie Mackie and we walked for a whole.... 1/2 mile!! We then quickly retreated to the A/C of Suzie's car and then a bakery for lunch. After some loverly sandwiches, Suzie dropped us off again at the Delaware Water Gap info center, and though we had been planning on hiking some more miles that afternoon, we ended up waiting out thunderstorm after thunderstorm until we eventually decided to just sleep on the porch of the center! We awoke early this morning (430 AM) and did a quick 17 miles until T-storms once again forced us off of the trail. We are now being treated to food, showers, beds, and movies by the Ken-Etiwa-Pec YMCA Outdoor Center. Yay for beds and free food!!!

All adventures are full of turmoil, and today proved it; while attempting to outrun the T-storm, we made a wrong turn and ended up over 2 miles not only from where we wanted to be, but sturdy shelter of any kind. We happened to have been hiking on a road, and just as we were about to put up our tent and hide a father and son came along and offered us a ride back to where we needed to be; thank goodness for Angels!!! Though our first day in NJ was a bit on the wacky side, we look forward to cooler weather tomorrow, as well as a hot breakfast to eat and a lake to let the Rox-star (AKA Roxi, Roxidoodle, Wookie) swim in!

Pics to be added in the next few days,

~TrailDogs

Come hike with us at the Delaware Water Gap!

Next Wednesday, June 27th, there's going to be a day hike at the Delaware Water Gap!
Meet us at the visitor's center off Route 80. We'll be getting together at 10:30 am, and leaving at 11. The trip is 10 miles, but shorter hiking options will be available. We're planning to head to Sunfish Pond and back. It is a gorgeous glacial lake at the top of the ridge, not to be missed! It should be a good time. Please bring plenty of water as it looks like a scorcher. We'll be under the nice cool canopy so it won't be that bad. Also, all dogs must be leashed as it is a state park. Hope to see you there!!!!

Green Eggs and Ham

Duncannon PA is the location, and though we have not had green eggs and ham for breakfast, we did walk through Maryland since our last adventure update. There are only ten miles of walking in West Virginia, and then 50 in Maryland, so after hiking more than a quarter of the trail through Virginia, we have been gluttons for state lines the past few weeks. However, now that we have entered the path of pointy rocks that is the AT in PA, we wont see another state line until NJ at the Delaware Water Gap, probably 2 1/2 weeks away still.

We were treated two nights ago to a lovely afternoon of hiking and then dinner by Laura's parents. They met us in Boiling Springs (found us playing on water slides, in fact), took us out to a loverly dinner at the Tavern, and proceeded to take us to an even loverlier Bed and Breakfast for the night. It was a welcome break from the toilsome journey that is the Appalachian Trail (water slides and all) and truly was appreciated.

Pennsylvania is feared in hiker-lore as a state of rocks; weather small and sharp or big and round, a hiker is supposedly unable to make a full stride through the entire state on account of the rocks. We were eager to test our rock skipping abilities in this state, and at the very least find out if the tales of nightmarish stones were true. The Thru-Hiker's Companion (our trusty guide on this long journey) has this to say on PA: "No other state is feared by more hikers who have never been there." True to lore, we have found that while yes, there are many rocks, stories are blown entirely out of proportion as the travel distance and time. Granted, we have much of the state in front of us, however nothing yet has sliced our ankle's clean off nor shattered our knees into a millions pieces. Truthfully, have spent the previous four years of our lives attempting to navigate the rivers that are trails in the Adirondacks, PA seems alright.

Our first stop in PA was in Caledonia State Park. Sue and Walt Powell, the parents of a Hamilton friend (Sally Powell) picked us up on a hot muggy day and brought us to their home in Gettysburgh. We were treated to a tour of the town and college, a full dinner, a bed to sleep in, hot showers, followed up by a gigantic breakfast and ride back to the trail. So truly, as you can tell, we have been living a tough life of late, full of turmoil and angst. Thank you Powells!!!

Our next adventure took us to Pine Grove Furnace Sate Park, the halfway point of the AT! The thru-hiker tradition upon reaching halfway to to join the "half-gallon club", which is to say, eat a half gallon of ice cream! Laura dove into her mint-chip while Ben meagerly toyed with his chocolate; as you can guess, Laura met the challenge (with a little help from Roxi) and Ben, though a valiant effort, was unable to claim the prize. The following morning we found the half-way sign and skipped into the second part of our journey!

Thanks for reading!

~TrailDogs

www.DessinShelter.com

Yee Haw!

We are here in Harpers Ferry, WV and have just hit the big 1,000. This town is mostly a National Historic Park and is quite fun but also expensive to stay in. It is also home to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Headquarters. We have certainly taken the time to sit back and reflect on our accomplishments, over a pint of course. 1,000 miles is a long way and the 1,175 we have left is even longer. One of our most simple realizations is that walking can truly be a mode of transportation, you just can't be in a hurry to get anywhere. It is exciting to experience the space in between destinations (even if it is tree after tree) as apposed to jumping in a car and cranking on the radio. I find it refreshing to notice the music of the birds and the quiet stillness after the sun disappears over the horizon. To actually make it to Maine would be quite a thrill.

Now that we have reached this once far off goal, we have been thinking quite a lot about why we are out here. Both of us feel more determined than ever to make it to Maine (I mean, we made it this far we might as well go all the way). Many hikers ask about Roxi and I eagerly spurt out her story. For her, being a trail dog is exactly what the doctor ordered. She is high energy and high drive: being a house dog is not what she had in mind. Many other dogs have not made it this far because hiking with a pack on is not the "job" that Roxi thinks it is. To think that our faithful Roxi was once in a kennel at Dessin almost jumping out of her skin for something to do. And now she is a trail dog, completely at home and content with life (still brimming with energy and very focused on anything she deems worth focusing on). This is why I am doing the AT. To get the message out about homeless pets and how wonderful they can be. Many are somehow surprised when I tell them Roxi is a shelter dog. I'm not sure if it is because she is a purebred or because she is rather well trained (compared to a few dogs on the trail that give trail dogs a bad rap). Roxi is doing this trail to raise money for the shelter that found her a new forever home. The Dessin Animal Shelter in Honesdale PA, is, simply put, a special place with a good heart. A small private shelter, it is funded entirely by donations and fundraisers. That's it folks.

I (Pooch/Laura T) have been working with Dessin for nearly nine years and there is a reason I keep going back. I love what Dessin does for the homeless animals in our community. I have set a $20,000 goal for this fundraiser. I am aware that it is rather ambitious, but if that goal is reached, this will be the biggest fundraiser ever for Dessin. EVER! In fact, it will be bigger than all the fundraisers put together in one year. We are on this journey as our way of helping a place that we care about. If Dessin did not exist.... well, lets just not think about that right now. Please, there is no better way to show your support of our mission than to make a pledge: every penny counts.

www.DessinShelter.com

Happy Trails (and Tails =-)
Roxi, Pooch & Tom Dooley

Wherever you go...

.... you know the rest. Front Royal, VA, and only 50 miles to Harper's Ferry WV and 130 miles to the halfway point... yay!!!!

Thunderstorms are loud, wet, and very scary, as Roxi will surely attest... Fortunately for us, we escaped the latest deluge while under a porch at Big Meadows lodge in the middle of Shenandoah National Park. Despite leaky roofs, non-functional gutter systems, and a very concerned German Shepherd, we were thankful to not be in the woods at the time. Url let down marble-sized hail and enough wind and rain to blow many a tourists' tent away down the newly formed "Shenandoah Rapids," formerly known as Skyline Drive. While sitting on our bench, reading our books and sipping our tea, we watched many a not-so-happy hiker trudge by in soaked boots and torn rain gear. Though this time lucky, we know full well that, sooner or later, our karma will run out, and Url will remind us who is master of these woods.

Today is a scorcher: 90 degrees, enough humidity to swim to the post office, and no clouds in sight. Though smoothies and iced-chai cool our lips, only the AC of Weasel Creek Outfitters cools our brows. This evening, when the sun has left us to burn the other side of middle-earth, we will again start our slow march towards Mt. Doom (I mean, uh, Maine).

Good night all; may Url be kind towards your own endeavours.

~TrailDogs

(PS In case you were wondering, Tom Dooley just finished reading "Return of the King", so that kinda explains the "worldly" narrative above ;-)

(PPS Pooch, however, just finished reading a true tale of the improbable but amazing connection between humans and animals: "Modoc" tells of an elephant and his human companion in an adventure that spans seven decades and three continents. Author: Ralph Helfer. (Grammy, once Ben finished the book we'll mail it back to you)).

PPPS Huge thanks to TrailAngels Jebb and Chris for putting us up (or putting up with us, whichever you like) for a week and half while we rode rollercoasters and relaxed our feet!

Busch Gardens, Family, and Fun

Yes, we did in fact go to Busch Gardens for a day :-) We took Tattoo, a friend of ours and as you will recall the new owner of Erwin, the dog we rescued. The three of us spent a day riding coasters, laughing at some really silly Irish step dancing, and eating funnell cakes... good day. We were even some of the very first people on the brand new coaster "GRIFFON", scary as heck and lots of fun!

We have now been in Charlottesville, VA, for a week. We are staying with Ben's Aunt Jebb and Uncle Chris, who have, in fact, been way too kind to us. A week and a half ago while climbing atop a baking ridge, Pete decided that enough was enough; he was tired of walking behind two slow moving humans in the frying sun with a pack on his back. He would much rather be chasing balls and swimming in creeks, thank you very much! That evening Jebb and Chris drove down to Daleville and picked Pete up off of the trail. While certainly a tearful fearwell, we knew we would see him again as soon as we got to Charlottesville, and it was time for Pete to go home.

Of course, we thought that our dog troubles were over... wrong!! Only three days later, after spending a morning hitching into and out of Big Island VA (its an adventure, right?), Roxi came up lame. While not in any mortal peril, she certainly wasn't fit to hike the trail. Relying upon the kindness of strangers, we found an angel of sorts that gave the three of us a ride into the booming town of Buena Vista and the vet's office. After a few tense moments, Roxi was ordered to just stay off of her feet for a week. So, we called Jebb and Chris again, and this time we just went with them back to Charlottesville.

We have since been doing a lot of day hiking with out the dogs, we've gone to Busch Gardens, and Ben's parents came down to share some mountain time with us. Pete leaves for his New York home tomorrow morning, and Roxi is back to her knee smashing ways!

There are so many stories to tell, so many treasures that we have found along the trail, is is difficult to simply give an update of our progress without recalling each little adventure alond the way, trying to hitchike to watching our dogs try to cross narrow bridges with packs on. In future updates we'll try to recount more stories, more adventures of the trail, so keep in touch, and here are some pictures!!

Thanks for reading.

Mother's Day Special

Here are two pictures which were sent to David (Ben's dad) and I to be given to the respective mothers. McAfee Knob, VA

Mile 622.7

Hidey-ho!!

We woke up this morning planning on doing a 19-mile day; we are instead currently sitting in a nice warm library staying away from the rain ;-) Yes, even we like to escape sometimes!

Not too much to report on; we keep walking and trail continues to stretch out in front of us. If there is one reality of the life on the trail, it is just that: the trail. No matter where you are, you're on the trail.

Well, that's our profound moment for the day. Hoping all is well,

~TailDogs

PS ~220 miles to Busch Gardens!!!

puppy dogs and little sleep

Damascus VA!!!!!

A couple of stories to note:

Story number 1) As you all know, we are out here as part of a fundraiser for the Dessin Animal Shelter (http://www.dessinshelter.com/). However, that doesn't mean that Pooch's (Laura) animal saving efforts have stopped... While in Erwin last week, we found a stray dog running about a White's Grocery Store. She is a little 7-8 month old black lab/corgi type mix, and we quickly gobbled her up after finding no owners or anyone else around that knew about her. She came back to the Hostel with us and was quickly dubbed "Erwin" after her hometown. After spending a day looking for her owners and finding none, we prepared to take little Erwin out onto the trail with us; there is no local animal shelter and we couldn't find anyone who would take her. As we were putting on our packs, just about ready to leave, an angel landed in the form of Tattoo, a friend of ours, who decided to take Erwin for himself!! After giving Tattoo some food, a collar and leash, and some pointers, the new father took her in.

Story number 2) Last weekend was a tough one; Sunday was spent hiking in sleet and rain in 50 mph driving winds on top of treeless ridges. That night, it snowed, up to six inches in places. The following day we decided to hike 24 miles, much of it in snow, to the Kincora Hiking Hostel in Hampton TN. We arrived after 12.5 hours of hiking to a very warm hostel and lots of pizza. That night, just after midnight, we recieved word of a lost hiker still up on the ridge. Tom Dooley (Ben) and another thru-hiker, Foot Pump, as well as a local hostel ownder, decided to hike back up the trail to look for the hiker. We had word that he thought he was only two miles up the trail, but had dropped his headlamp and cellphone. He had no overnight equipment with him, and had possibly broken his ankle. Pooch stayed in the hostel to keep track of things and call emergency services if needed. Forunately, after only two miles of hiking back into the woods, we found the hiker. His name was Mr. Davenport, and he was 70 years old, very crotchety, tired, hungry and thirsaty, but altogether just fine. He had only a small pen light with him, and was moving very slowly. After giving him some food and water, we accompanied him down the trail, making sure he didn't fall over ledges or into creeks. An hour later, we arrived safely back at the hostel, and went back to bed!

So as you can see, our fondness for finding homes for little lost puppies and saving lost old men never ends, no matter our location or time of day!!

Just to check up, Pete is still doing just fine, though his owner may need some fixing in the near future. Roxi is, as always, ready to go all the time, giving Pooch a real handful (and earful ;-).

Here are some pics, just for kicks, as well as a posting by Pooch that never made it onto the blog, which dates back to just before entering the Smokie Mtns.

"We are at Fontana Dam, the largest dam in the eastern United States. This marks the southern end of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. This next 70 mile stretch (thru the park) is one of the places the dogs cannot hike with us. The kennel picked them up this morning and they will surely love their much deserved rest and relaxation. As for Ben and I, we are enjoying our time away from the 'kids'.
Some of the other people we've been going at a similar pace with are Tatoo, Zoobe, Snack Break, WireNut, Ice Man, Cowboy, Dog's Life (Pete and Roxi inspired that one), CrankBait, Boo-boo, Mingus Kahn, Tin-tin, Joseph Stallin, Rennesance Man (with canine GoJo), Not Yet, Toto & Dorothy, Will & Able, and the famous Model T. We have even spent an evening with Little Engine who is a high school graduate just finishing up his south bound trek.
There are three groups of people out here:1-Young graduates who are putting off life for a while to reflect on life.2-Those in a mid-life crisis and are trying to find themselves.3-Retirees who are having way too much fun with life.All are grand company and have rather interesting stories to tell. Perhaps the only thing we all have in common is a fascination with this trail and a taste for adventure.
That's all for now; we gatta climb the Great Smokies!!"

See ya!

"Please refrain for using cell phones on the trail..."

I am in Erwin, TN, right now, though not on a good note. Two days ago we hiked entirely in snow; absolutely amazing and wonderful, well, if you know me, you know what I think of snow :-) . Pete had to wear his booties all day of course, as there is no way he could do all those miles without them (stupid ice balls). However, at the end of the day, he started limping really bad on his right front paw. We got to the shelter and checked him out, but we just couldn't find anything wrong. Yesterday he limped on and off, and towards lunch time he started limping really bad again. We decided that I would head into town and go see the vet whlie Laura pushed on. Fortunately, If all goes to plan, Laura should hiking into town tomorrow afternoon sometime; the trail even exits the woods right next the hostel where I am staying with Pete.

This morning I took Pete out to go pee and such, and of course, he wasn't limping. We went to the vet anyway, and she told us pretty much exactly what I already knew; its can't be too serious, so just get some rest and relax for a couple of days. So we'll wait for Laura and Roxi to arrive tommorrow morning and probably take off again on Wednesday sometime. Pete is, of course, just as happy as ever, and I think he really apprciated a warm bed for a night as it had been below ten degrees the past few nights in the woods. So don't worry about your Pete, he's still doing great, but think good thoughts for him nonetheless :-)

This town is pretty funny; there are, and I quote, over 60 Baptist churches!! The town is only 8,000 people, so 60 Baptist chuches is just about one for every family! The explenation I got was that often single parishes will have internal squabbles, so one group just goes off and starts their own church (so there! take that!). Like we said, this is a cultural adventure ;-)

I am staying at Uncle Johnny's Hostel. They have been real great with me and Pete (I think they feel sympathy for Pete) and have given us our own room at a really good rate. They picked us up of the trail yesterday and gave me multiple rides into town for food, the vet, and this library trip.

The weather the past few days has, literally, blown us away. We spend one night in a blizzard, another in five whole degrees of warmth, and a day hiking wind blown snow-drifted ridges. Though beautiful, our hardest wilderness test yet. We had nearly given up on carrying our warm weather gear with us; we had spent the majority of our first month in the woods in seventy degree weather with only two days of rain. So, of course, Url greeted us with a post-winter freeze! In face, as far we could tell, we were the only hikers on the trail for two days, as others had either turned around and headed back to warmth or simply not started out at all! We're not sure if that makes us tough or stupid... you decide ;-)

Unfortunately, the Library wont let me upload pictures, so you'll have to do without for now. At any rate, thanks for reading!!

Hot Springs NC

We are out of the Smokies now, in Hot Springs NC. It took us five days to traverse the seventy plus rugged mountain miles of Smokie Maountain National Park. The weather was near perfect; if not sunny, it was always beautiful. Mountain clouds turned normally longdistance views into geourgous cloud walks. We saw more wildlife than we had seen before, whether that was because of not having dogs or simply being in a national park, we didn't know. We nearly stepped on a rattlesnake, scared some grouse (whose call, which sounds like someone trying and failing to start a lawn mower, had us befuddled for days), and gazed upon soaring eagles.

Though beautiful, we were perhaps, relieved to escape the smokies for tamer land (or so we thought). In fact, upon reciving the dogs Monday morning, we hiked into perhaps the terrain with the best vews yet on top of Max Patch. This morning we took a liesurly three mile stroll into Hot Sptings for some hot southern breakfast biscuts and gravy. The dogs are happy to back with us on the trail, we are happy to continue hiking, and the journey continues. Hoping all is well!!

-Tom, Pooch, Roxi and Pete

Out of Great Smoky Mt. National Park

Paul here. We received a phone call last night detailing their progress. They just made it out of Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Dogs were not allowed in the park, so they used a dog shuttle service (hopefully Laura and Ben will extrapolate on this) and are picking up their dogs now. Internet access has been poor and when possible very low speed they said. I'll be writing as soon as I hear any updates and hopfully can post pictures if Ben sends any through snail-mail. Latest guess as to where they are.

Where We (They) Were

Paul here, Laura's older brother. From her previous posted image I found where they are on Google Maps using the coordinates. Here is a link to the map: http://maps.google.com...... The map should be centered on the coordinates with the trail marked. Zoom out using the vertical slider to the left of the map to get a feeling of where they were.

Pictures

We have some people yell at us for not putting up any of our own pictures yet (thank you Ron and Paul for taking and putting those two up for us), so I am just ganna load some good pics and perhaps update them in a longer entry another time. We are lucky to be doing this, in fact; a "trail angel" gave us hotdogs this afternoon and now a ride into town. Thanks Apple!!!

HIke Away!!!

Well folks, it has begun :-) Today is now our tenth day on the trail headed north. A week and a half ago on Thursday, March 8th, Laura's father Ron dropped Laura, Pete, Roxi and I off at the visitor's center at Amicalola Falls State Park, the starting point of the AT approach trail. Our boots were tied tight, our backpack's fully loaded, and minds and hearts pointed northward. After taking the ceremonious picture hiking through "the arch", we promptly... got back in the car and drove to the top of the falls; we had already done that part yesterday without packs, so whats the point of doing it again with 45 pounds on our backs??

It was then that we hit the trail north. The weather was unseasonably warm; 70 degrees. After 7.5 miles of cruising along mostly uphill trail, we reached the top of Springer Mt., the official Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail. After some hoots and hollers, a little food and water, we settled down for a nap, and got sunburned.

It has now been 10 days since hot sun and warms rocks on top of Springer. We have learned how to sleep with two dogs and two humans in one tent (not easy, especially if one or both of the dogs happens to have diarrhea all night long). Blisters have been formed, popped, cursed at, and eventually fixed. Dogs have barked with joy, delight, fear, and puzzlement. Rain has fallen and clothing has (and currently is) been dried in the sun and wind. We have found and shared in the first moments of trail magic, an indescribable experience that occurs when most needed but least expected.

After Springer we took four days to hike to Neel's Gap. Though our days were relatively short, only 7 to 10 miles, we still felt quite sore and needed the break that Neel's Gap would provide. After summitting Blood Mt. We descended for three miles to the Gap. Once there we promptly downed some cheese and sausage as well as some ice cream. We picked up the box of food we had dropped off on our drive down, fixed up a couple of blisters, and generally refreshed. After spending the night in the hostel we picked up our packs and trudged back into the woods.

The weather up to this point had been amazing; a couple of showered during the night, but almost all sun during the day with relatively warm temperatures. However, this past Tuesday afternoon, that all changed. Our first rain storm arrived fairly hesitantly; just a few sprinkles at the top of Trey Mtn. Clouds tentatively hung to the mountain side. And then Erl (the weather God) decided that was enough fooling around and dumped the bucket on us. For four miles we hiked in a downpour, slogging through growing streams slumping trees. Erl must have been looking after us, though, for as soon as we arrived at our campsite, the rain stopped. We set up camp and ate in peace. Erl however was grumbling after giving us some respite, and we took to bed as soon the rain began to fall again. The following morning we hiked out in clouds and mist and arrived at the Cloud9 Hostel yesterday evening.

We are now showered and warm, fed and fortified. We'll head back out into the woods this evening, and likely will be away for two weeks before another update. Please write us notes and tell other people about this site, we'd really like to share this we as many people as possible. Also remember to visit the Dessin Animal Shelter website at www.dessinshelter.com. And of course, please come hike with us!! We are now on our way to the Natahala Outdoor Center in N. Carolina; after that we'll be in the Great Smokey Mtns. Hoping all is well, and thanks for reading!!

Pooch, Roxi, Tom Dooley, and Pete

(PS those are our trail names, distinguish as you will ;-)

more than just walking...

Total miles covered today: 220. Distance from where we started this morning: 143 miles. Total cars used: 2. Trips made to Chrysler dealerships: 1. Cars killed (in a mechanical sense, no crashed involved): 1. Cars purchased: 1. Food drops made: 1. Circles made: depends on how you define a circle. Immediate destination tomorrow morning: back to the same dealership to try and fix the car we just bought.

Well, this is supposed to be an adventure, right?? :-) Still happy

Countdown

5 Days to Lift-off...

Roxi is ready. A marathon runner at heart, she has already packed her pack, triple checker her gear list, and loaded up on carbs for the big starting day. She is going to be the happiest dog ever going on the world's longest dog walk.

Me? I'm just glad we're finally going to be doing this trip. So much planning and waiting, I just want to go for a hike with my dog.

This white blaze painted on the trees is at the heart of the AT. Starting in Georgia, anyone can walk to Maine by following these blazes. No turning or navigating, just walking.

We'll see you in the South....

trail moms

Concerned Parent: "So how are you going to carry your cell phone, PDA, laptop, GPS, and emergency beacon??"
me: "Um, well, we're not..."
CP: "You're making the dogs carry them? That doesn't seem safe."
me: "No, we're not making the dogs carry them, we're simply not taking them."
CP: "Which aren't you taking? The laptop?"
me: "No, well yes, we're not taking the laptop, but I mean that we're not taking any of that stuff."
CP: "WHAT??? How will your mother know where you are??"
me: "Well, she wont, unless we call her."
CP: "How can you call her if you don't have a cell phone??? You haven't been thinking this through, have you."

;-)

Gear, pasta, and dog food

Tent, stove, sleeping bag, socks (thanks NE Sports), pack, pot, lighter, spoon, compass, journal, extra boot laces. Check.

Annie's Mac&Cheese, rice, beans, stuffing, couscous, apple rigs, hot cocoa, GORP, snickers, oatmeal, Ramen, dried peas, Instant Jello cheesecake. Check.

400 lbs of dogfood ordered from Pet Central (I'm not kidding, 400 pounds) ,60 pigs ears, 30 bullies, 30 pig snouts, 100 rawhides, 200 milkbones, 10 bags of dried tripe. Check.

Roxi's pack is up to 15 pounds and she carries it like gravity isn't working. At least one of us is in shape!

Food

So, we have to eat a lot of food while on the trail; six months or more's worth of food. For example, we're only planning on eating Annie's once, maybe twice a week; so we're getting 60 boxes total. Wow. That's a lot of food. More to come...