Some of My Favorite Hikes

New Jersey Appalachian Trail

Only 45 minutes from my home is Delaware Water Gap and the beginning of the New Jersey section of the Appalachian Trail (AT).  The section is 73.6 miles long and it offers some beautiful vista's.  Many who have never been to New Jersey are pleasantly surprised by the beauty.  The image of New Jersey as an industrial setting is quickly dispelled. 

Water is abundant throughout the NJAT as are our resident black bear population.   Several sections of the trail mirror the Pennsylvania rocks.  The trails offers a fair amounts of UPS as well as great swimming holes along the way.  From good climbs to meadow walks the NJAT offers it all.

There are plenty of easy access routes for vehicles to the NJAT so day hikers are every present.  The shelters are evenly spaced except for one section of the trail.

All four seasons I've hiked on the NJAT and I always have a yen to come back for more year after year.  You can find additional information on this trail at NJ Appalachian Trail.

Batona Trail

Only 45 minutes driving time from my home is the Batona Trail.  This is the flatest trail I've ever hiked.  The highest elevation is about 200' above sea level.  Most of the trail meanders throught he New Jersey Pine Barrons.  The home of the "Jersey Devil".  You haven't heard of the Jersey Devil?   Half beast half man it has been roaming the pine barrons for many years,  Each year sightings of the Jersey Devil are recorded all along the Batona Trail. 

This mainly sandy trail meanders around cranberry bogs and rivers.   It is a true joy to walk this trail.  No UPS at all.  I repeat no UPS at all.  Walking amongst the pines and crossing the many streams is a very relaxing way to spend a days hiking.  

No black bears in this section of NJ.  There has been talk of reintroducing them in the area.  I would think all the cranberry growers will object strongly to reintroducing black bears in the area.  Other wild life is abundant throughout the trail. 

For more information on the Batona Trail visit http://www.bpbasecamp.com:80/wilderness/nj_pinebarrens/

For more information on the "Jersey Devil" visit if you dare http://www.nj.com/features/devil/

Old Loggers Path in PA

Old Logger’s Path

December 27, 1999

Don/Photon, Ron/Caboose and myself meet at the motel around 6pm and for the next hour we were all showing the all our new and different gear. It was like being back in school for show & tell day. A lot of OOOOOING and AAAAAAAAHING were being said as the gear train past by. Went from room to room to show our wears. Much discussion on what protective clothing should be brought. One statement I’ll remember is that I could NEVER wear the Fireball jacket while hiking, It’s too warm a jacket and just can’t be worn while hiking, In camp or rest stops it’ll be a great addition to my clothing list. They already had some snow on the ground and 1-2" was being predicted. We moved over to downtown Montoursville and had a great meal at an Italian restaurant and more conversation. Low and behold as we get ready for dinner it starts snowing REAL HARD. We all laughed it off but you could see us stealing glances as this white blanket fell covering the roadway. About an inch fell in less than hour. As the snow fell Jeremiah Johnson was the talk at the table. We were going to go out in them therrrr woodz and be "Pilgrim" just as he was. Photon had gotten maps of the Old Loggers Path and we went over our route. Back to the motel and re-packing was the next on the list of things to done. We were expecting temperature around 15-20 degrees with some snow during our hike. I wasn’t packed as yet as I was still deciding which pack to take. It was decided to call it a night and be ready to go eat at 8am. It was really good to meet up with Don & Ron again. Another look at the weather channel just in case there was any changes in forecast before I called it a night.

December 28

Up before 7am and loaded up the pack for the last time.

This includes gear I’ll be wearing & carrying

MountainLight 4000

compactor bag inside

8’x10’ siltarp

titanium stakes

50 ‘ 65 pound test fishing line for setting up tarp

15 degree Feathered Friends down with PDFE sleeping bag

silk sleeping bag liner

Ridgerest pad

1 mil clear plastic ground cloth

mesh food sack

75’ florissant 400 lb test line for bear bagging

3 days of food

hot chocolate mix packets

cherry Jell-O mix packets

little debbie nutty bars

snicker bars

breakfast cereal

soup-n-cup

small cans of tuna fish

lipton rice mix dinners

Platypus hydration system with 1.5 liter and a 2.5 liter containers

1.5 liter of water

MSR .87 liter pot and lid

Lexan spoon

Peak 1 propane/butane canister stove

Canister of butane/propane

Trangia stove and 16 ounces of fuel

Homemade stand for trangia

alumium wind screen

waterproof matches

bic lighter

mini-mag light

polar-pure for water treatment

EMS wind-bloc gloves

Gore-tex over mittens with index and thumb separate they were returns at Campmor & I bought them

2 sets of mid-weight capilene long johns

3 pair wool mix socks

10 plastic bags that newspaper come wrapped in for home delivery for VBL foot covering

New Balance 802 sneakers

Full length gaiters

Icers

Leki Super Makalu hiking poles

swimming trunks

Ex Officio pants (railrider zipper broke)

Gore-tex rain pants

Zephyr jacket

Fireball jacket

Sil-tarp 5’x8’ homemade poncho

Cinched balaclava

Tilley hat

Florissant orange watch cap to alert hunters

2 bandannas

eye glasses

2 pocket knifes

3 esbit tabs for emergency fire starters

35 mm film canister with vaseline & cotton balls inside for emergency fire starters

Olympus stylus 80 zoom camera

camera case attached to shoulder straps with velcro strips

2 rolls of film

battery for camera

2 AAA batteries for flashlight

fox whistle & compass on lanyard attached to shoulder straps

boy scout signal mirror

So that’s what was brought along for this winter camping trip including some friends. No I didn’t weight it but I would guess it to be between 28-32 pounds.

So we all meet around 8am and load up all our gear into my pick-up and off to breakfast we go. Montoursville is a quaint town with many shops along main street. They even have a small camping store but we’ll talk about that later on. We had a big breakfast at a nice restaurant and you can’t beat the price. Needles to say we had more discussion on the fresh fallen snow during the night and more gear questions.

After breakfast we headed to the trailhead as our knowledgeable navigator Photon guided along some beautiful countryside roads. We were in farmland and it was a joy to see it all. We arrived at the trailhead Masten and saw 3 other backpackers there with all their gear by their SUV. A pleasant howdy and well I guess we’ll see you on the trail today. One of the men said no they were returning as their trip was over. Oh, yeah so how did it go? It Was –5 DEGREES LAST NIGHT. It was WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT last night? -5 DEGRESS last night you heard right. Well about then you could have heard a pin drop on a bed of cotton. Complete shock is probably the proper term. Visions of did I bring the right gear for this trip floundered throughout our heads. Thoughts of going back to town and seeing some of rural America came to mind about now. They did say –5 DEGREES didn’t they? Yeah that’s what I thought I heard them say. Oh boy this is going to be a good test for our equipment and us. Can’t say I have ever camped in weather this cold. Lets me change that to I have never camped in weather that cold. So we park the car amongst the ruins of Masten which was an old logging community and the a CCC camp. So here I seat in a warm pick-up wearing capilene long john shirt, Ex Officio pants, wool blend socks, NB 802’s and my zephyr jacket. Temperature was in the mid-teens, no breeze, 1"-2" of snow on the ground with overcast skies. I then realize the temps we have been seeing on the weather channel aren’t in these mountains but town temps. Which as we all know are at a lower elevation therefore considerably warmer. Okay we all bundle up right about now. –5 DEGRRES is really what he said? This was going through all our minds over and over again. Okay I put on the plastic bags over my socks they’ll act as a vapior barrier keeping my feet warm and dry. Then the icers they look like a scandal with screws on the sole as studs to give you better footing on frozen ground or ice with a webbing to attach to footwear and then full gaiters. I also put on my gore-tex pants. The cinched balaclava goes on with the orange watch cap for the hunters near the trail. My gloves & gore-tex over mittens are all set to go to work. It’s cold real cold about now. Out comes the fireball jacket. It will be worn today. At least until I warm up. I have never worn this hiking and never thought I would see the day when I would? Ron is getting a real laugh seeing me put this on. He’s reminding me of all the times I said I WOULD NEVER WEAR MY FIREBALL HIKING and laughing his ass off in the process. It’s really cold and there are new rules in town. Once again I learn to never say NEVER once again. The FEAR factor is roaming our minds with thoughts of –5 degrees along with the ice & snow. Off we head to our campsite a journey of about 6 miles. The trail is well maintained and fairly level with a blanket of snow & ice covering the trail and all around us. We start off around 10:30 am and Don leads the way with Ron then me following behind. Once we get started you can hear the excitement in our voices. We are ready for this adventure and the adrenaline is on overtime. Right off I’m comfortable wearing all this gear. A couple of first impressions, the icers (Don & I wore these) or stablicers (Ron wore these) are a great tool in weather like this. None of us were slipping or sliding along the trail. I continued to wear the fireball until the first good up had really warmed me up and then it came off and went into the bag. The trail is well marked with brownish orange blazes. We saw no other footprints until we crossed a woods road during the day. Don signed us in at the trail register. It appears we’re the only ones out on the trail today. Jeeez I wonder why? After about 2 ½ hours we stopped for lunch and I heated up a cup of soup and added a can of tuna with oil to it for extra pep. I had been eating snicker bars along the way and drinking some water. We rested on a downed tree along side the trail. I started a small warming fire for awhile. I forgot to tend to it as I was boiling water for my soup with the peak and the fire went out. Onward we headed we still had 4 miles to go to campsite. The trail began to collapse under the weight of Ron & I. The snow & ice had formed a covering with the leaves and as we walked our weight broke through. We would drop through a few inches or as deep as 6-8 inches. I wonder why Don didn’t sink in like Ron & I? For those who don’t know us Ron doesn’t haul around that extra weight that Ron & I tip the scales with. We saw deer tracks but heard and saw none. Matter of fact I didn’t see any animals during this trip. I did hear birds 2-3 times but that was all. The forest was crystal clear and with no foliage you could see everything around you. For quite awhile we hiked along a fast moving stream and saw many smaller creeks and streams along the way. With the snow and running water we had plenty to keep us hydrated. At times we walked on rutted logging roads and that was somewhat difficult with the frozen ground. The icers velcro straps needed to be adjusted several times to get the right fit. With the straps they seem to work better with boots than sneakers or low cut shoes. We passed a few hunting cabins and summer homes along the way. Around 3ish we arrived at our campground 100’ feet from 2 fast flowing streams. It had a fire pit and each of us selected a spot to set up. I set up the tarp with the fine line and it was difficult to work with it in the cold. Ron loaned me his striptease line and it was much easier to manage. Another lesson learned no more thin line when I winter hike. During the day we were chattering back and forth as we hiked. At times it was difficult to hear what the other was saying do to the hood, hats and balaclava we were wearing. It was a great time had by all. Don stopped many times waiting for Ron and I to catch up. My feet were warm as toast as was the rest of me. During stops I wore the fireball until I warmed up again. It was getting colder as we were approaching the campsite. We all settled in to get a meal going and talking over the day’s hike. I used the Peak stove and the butane/propane worked quite well. I did put the canister in my inner pocket to warm up some before using. Ron did the same with his trangia. I think Don was using a whisperlite stove and his worked the best in these winter conditions. I realized I need a higher walled windscreen for the peak canister stove than the trangia. I’ll have to remember that for future times. I had 2 cups of hot chocolate and 2 cups of jell-o along with some snicker bars. I just didn’t feel like eating a big meal. The water we gathered from the stream began to freeze almost immediately. The inline filter froze. We boiled all our water we were going to cook and drink. I boiled an extra liter of water for during the night and breakfast. I kept the 1.5 bag with gaiters wrapped around them. I had blown out all the water in the hydration hose and it still froze before I retired for the night. During the day’s hike I had my water bag inside my pack and kept the hose free of water when not drinking. Ron gathered up some firewood for all to enjoy later on tonight at our campfire. It got dark quickly and the temperature started to really drop. After we all ate and bear bagged we chatted some more. We all looked forward to a long winters sleep. I treated a hot spot on my left heal with duct tape. I had felt it just before we had stopped for the day. I never had one before with these sneakers so it appears the friction from the plastic bag and or the rear strap for the icers were the cause? Ron had discomfort in his thigh and Don was AOK. We realized the difference in weight with wearing the icers/stabicers and working through the crumbling ice/snow along the trail all this wore us out. The adrenaline that had propelled us during the day was waning quickly. About 6pm we talked about a possible campfire and decided to call it a night. It was in the low teens and still getting colder. I started out wearing my orange watch cap, swim trunk & long john shirt inside the sleeping bag. I had zephyr, socks and pants inside to keep them warm for those late night nature calls. I used my sleeping bag stuff sack as my pillow with all my extra clothing stowed in it. All was fine till around 11pm. I was getting chilled. I cinched up the opening to the mummy bag and put on the cinched balaclava. Around mid-night it was nature call and I put on a pair of long john pants, socks and sneakers and took care of business. I left the extra clothes on and off to sleep again. I awoke much more than I usually do at night and felt cold spots on my legs, feet, arms and back at different times. I finally pulled my fireball into the bag and used it as a large collar. It was getting really cold and about 1" of fresh snow had fallen. The rest of the night I was fidgety.

December 29

Around 7am Don was the first to venture outside and we all soon followed him. Ron said he checked his thermometer inside his tent during the night and it read 5 degrees. So I do believe it was –5 degrees outside like the night before. Don & Ron both slept well and were quite comfortable inside their tents. Ron said he had ice on his sleeping bag from his condensation. Another lesson learned in cold winter weather no more tarp unless I have a –20 bag. The plan of the day will be a tent. The water in my platypus was frozen solid. Ron loaned me an extra he had brought along. My other platypus was for collecting water only and I had no way to purify it here. We all bundled up and as we moved a round we warmed up and were comfortable. The thought of another night in this cold with the sleeping bag and tarp wasn’t to my liking. I was tired and was ready to call it a day. Both Ron & Don had gone to bed fully clothed and fared quite well. Another lesson learned when sleeping in low temperature wear all you clothes at first. I told the others I was heading back and would pick them up when they finished their hike. They decided to hike back with me. I felt bad that I was causing them to cancel their trip. We took our time packing up and were on the trail around 10:30 am. It was in the teens, mostly clear skies with the sun showing it’s face every now & then. When it did the snow was melting and stuck to our footwear. The trail back was up hill a good part of the way. I had treated both my heals and they were bothering me on the ups. During the day’s hike Don would wait for us like he did yesterday. Ron & I seemed to be on the same wave length all day long . He or I would say something and the other would say I was just thinking that. A short way into the hike Ron mentioned he was glad he had decided to hike out with me as he was also worn out. The previous day we were on a adrenaline rush and our supply was now worn thin. We stopped at the same spot for lunch but stayed only a short spell. I noticed my plastic bags had worked there way down to my toes probably from doing all the up hiking? Yesterday I didn’t have that problem so I don’t know what else it could be? It was decided that the next 2 miles Don would follow the trail and picked up the truck and then meet Ron & I as we walked the last 2 miles on forest road towards the trailhead. Well the last ½ mile of the trail was all crusty ice collapsing under our weight. It made for a slow and tiring hike. Once on the road we sailed along and almost beat Don to the trailhead. Mind you he was crunching through ice and snow and we were walking on the well-used forest road. It felt good to remove all the extra gear and sit in a heated truck and just relax. We drove up some forest roads and viewed some beautiful scenery taking pictures along the way. We headed back and stopped at a general store and walked back into yesteryear. It was an old fashioned general store and the owner also was the postmaster. He had 3-4 mounted deer heads that were HUGE. They had racks on them that looked like a road map they were so big. In the back of the store he had a moose head that had a rack that was 64" and was the biggest head I ever saw. He said he got one this year that was bigger yet. In this store one could have spent an entire day just browsing around. If we weren’t hungry it would have been closing time when we left. So back to motel to get cleaned up changed and on to dinner. I had 2 blisters on heals. That’s a first for my feet in these sneakers. I hiked over 1000 miles in this type of sneaker and never even had a hot spot before. The friction from the plastic bag and webbing from icers were the cause. In the future I’ll put duct tape on before I start out when wearing this type of equipment. We went to Williamsport to a steak house called HOSS and had a GREAT meal. Just enjoyed relaxing and the conversation flowed on some more. Back to the rooms and the conversation went on about my getting cold in the bag during the night. Besides not being dressed warm enough to start with it was decided my back was to narrow for me. I tried Ron and Don bags and Don offered the most freedom of movement. Using the narrower bag I’ve been crushing the loft of my down and creating cold spots. Before last night I hadn’t sleep in weather this cold. They showed me the spots I would feel cold during the night. Needless to say they were 100% right. It took –5 degree night to teach me this lesson. Even though my bag is rated at 15 degrees plus the 5 degrees for silk liner and the clothes I was wearing I was only cold at the spots where the down was compressing. They suggested I should have draped the fireball over the upper portion of the bag or loose 25 pounds in body weight. Everybody is a comedian HA-HA-HA. This was an excellent lesson learned and one that will indeed help me prepare future winter type hikes. We talked on and finally called it a night. The plan is to meet after 8am for breakfast.

December 30

A good night sleep was had and I was up around 7am.

They have a coffee bar at motel so I had a few cups packed up and loaded up the truck. We all checked out and headed back to same restaurant for breakfast. During breakfast I mentioned I saw a camping store in the middle of town we might want to visit. We all decided this would be our first stop after breakfast. Well this shop was like stepping back into time. We spent over 2 hours almost 3 browsing all the wares. Well maybe we bought a trinket or 2 during this time. The family who runs the store were real helpful and had smiles on when we all checked out. I suggested we visit Equinox factory since it was only a few miles away. They gave us directions and off we went. Ron mentioned his first job was in a similar factory and didn’t seem too pleased we were going. The memories of his first job weren’t pleasant ones. We were invited in by and it was like letting kids run wild in a candy factory. They had this and that and more of these and those. Plus they showed the 3 of us things no one has yet seen. We talked that we’ve bought gear from Paddy Gear and he knew him as one of his distributors. The conversation went on about Lynne Whelden and all his lightweight gear. He showed us all the latest in new changes to current gear. They make Campmor tarps, Lynne Whelden packs, stuff sacks, gators for minigators and a host of other companies. For 2 ½ hours we toured and spoke with the folks there. It was total heaven. We explained we would be willing to volunteer testing out any new products for them. They just smiled at us. We were all glad we made this side trip. After our tour we headed out for lunch at the Italian restaurant we ate at before. We had our fill of food and talked more about the lessons learned over the weekend. We also talked about getting together in the spring for a hike of the PA Grand Canyon trail and others. Finally we said goodbye and headed back to our home. This was a special trip and a wonderful way to end the year.

John O

Backpacking Light Turkey Trot Hike

Well the Backpacking Light Turkey Trot Hike was a total success. The ride down from NJ was in fog and rains and no traffic at all. Sean & I left home around 0400 and arrived around 0900. Ron AKA Caboose, Kevin AKA Paddy Bear, Jim AKA Blazing, Sean AKA Jug and myself were the members of our group. This was to be Jug’s longest backpacking trip to date. We all meet at Linden general store at around 10am. Caboose led Paddy to a trailhead to leave on of the 4 cars we had along for the trip. The plan was to spend the night at Jim & Molly Denton Shelter. Paddy & Blazing were hiking north from VA 725 parking lot to VA 601 parking lot a distance of 12 miles. Caboose, Jug and myself elected to take a 1 ½ mile hike from a trail head to Dick’s Dome Shelter for lunch and then meet up with Paddy & Blazing on the trail as they were heading north. Once I began the short hike my mind began drifting back to May when I last hiked in this area. On the blue blazed trail to Dick’s Dome Shelter The large down tree across the trail I had to scurry over in the rain had been cleared from the trail. I had stayed at this shelter during my hike. I had a rush of emotions revisiting this shelter. In reading the shelter register I saw many familiar names. By the way this is Caboose’s favorite shelter. Well after lunch we headed back for the car & low & behold here comes Paddy & Blazing going northbound. They had plans to stop for dinner after their hike & meet us at the shelter. It felt good hiking again and the up back to the car didn’t bring on any asthma problem. We heard and saw a lot of hunters both on and off the trail. I bought a bright orange knit cap for $1.99 at the Linden general store. Caboose had brought along his own orange hat. We headed back to another trailhead parking lot for the 1mile trek to the Denton Shelter. The small creek at the start of this trek was swollen with rainwater and the only way to cross was slogging through the brown waters. Arriving at the "Hilton Shelter" once again brought back a swarm of memories. Well the 3 of us set up and relaxed. It continued to rain and it sure felt nice to be in dry clothes once again. As it got dark we figured Paddy & Blazing found another spot to settle down for the night? All 3 of us hit the hay around 1730 and I fell right off to sleep. Around 2030 I hear this people talking and somebody saying we got pizza & beer. Sure enough there was Blazing & Paddy with a pizza pie & 12 pack of beer. Well we all sat around talking and called it a night at 2300. Saturday morning we all headed out to Front Royal to run some errands and had a good breakfast. This wilderness experience is awesome. I had visited this shopping center and eaten at the same restaurant. It was beginning to feel like I was following in my own footprints. So Jug, Paddy & Blazing head off for they’re 10-mile hike and Caboose & I for our adventure. We had decided to spend the night at Bears Den Hostel. Caboose & I hung around and took a leisurely hike from Bears Den Rock south about 1½ miles. The weather was sunny & clears not a cloud in the sky. We all meet up and headed out for dinner. Berryville was where we landed and had a great Italian meal. Back to the Bears Den Hostel and a night of talking in front of a fireplace and a hot shower. Life is good. Up in the morning and headed out for a 6-7 mile trek from Bears Den Hostel to VA 605. Cars had been shuttled to VA 605. We all had lunch at Sam Moore Shelter. Blazing & Paddy headed out first as they were driving back to NY. The rest of us relaxed as we were staying at Bears Den Hostel once again. At the end of our hike we opted to return to the have dinner at Bears Den Hostel. A relaxing evening of conversation and sleep were in order. Monday we headed out to ATC Headquarters for a look see. So guess whom we met there? Coosa was stocking up with a wide selection of items. We had a nice visit and then headed to Harpers Ferry Outfitter down the road from ATC. They have a nice shop and they SUPPORT LIGHTWEIGHT BACKPACKING. So now we headed back to NJ.

I wore full gaiters for the first time and they worked great. When I took the plunge in the creek crossing my ankles and legs stayed dry. I was wearing my New Balance 802 sneakers and yes they did get wet. The water was forced out via mesh. The socks and sneakers were wet but not saturated. I’ll be wearing these gaiters for my January hike and the NB 802’s instead of leather boots. It rained heavy most of Friday and wearing tilley hat with orange knit hat, ex offico pants (on sale at Campmor the zipper broke on the railriders), gaiter, poncho & zephyr I stayed dry all day long.

This weekend was really special for me. It was the first time I tried some tough terrain since developing asthma in June. Well the vote is in and with the help of friends & meds things went very well. We hiked a couple of good ups and winded I was but still able to hike on. Having some good friend around for support helped a lot. They aided me in easing the fears I had developed with having asthma. It was special hiking a section of the trail I had previously done and the flood of memories that it brought to light. Another great time on the AT was had by all.

Next scheduled trip is to meet up early on the December 26 and start doing Shenandoah National Park southbound from US 522 area for 3 or 4 days. As always all are invited to join in the fun.

How does BackpackingLight Ho-Ho-Ho Hike sound for this one? Any suggestions for a trip name?

John O

BackpackLight Hiker Conquer Three States In One Day Hike – a report on the Maryland Death March Weekend

Written by Ron Richards

The challenge was made, the call was put out and five brave or foolhardy souls depending on your view answered the bell. Where they the Fabulous Five or the Foolhardy Five – that was the question that would be answered at the Maryland Death March. There was plenty of fun, camaraderie, pain, blisters and pride – but thankfully no deaths at this weekend BackpackLight Maryland Death March.

After much anticipation and discussion the Maryland Death March finally took place September 9-11. The event was a smashing success, with lots of tall tales, laughs, fellowship, gear displays, equipment discussions, and most importantly a hike that encompassed not only the entire state of Maryland but also included parts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Death March hikers were Kevin "PaddyBeer" Lane, Jim "Gus" Lanora, Fred "Ten Gallon" Soles, Don "Photon" Johnson, and Dave "Thread Well No More" Schultz. Also in attendance were "Senior" Support Staffers "John O" O'Mahoney and his trusty sidekick Ron Richards.

In the process of confronting the daunting challenge posed by this 40-mile hike the participants provided one of the great displays of athletic tenacity, guts, and shere determination that have ever been witnessed by the eyes of this humble scribe. Against the odds and in spite of all the obstacles the trail threw at them all of our participants finished – an achievement with which they should be proud of.

Participants began arriving late Friday afternoon and with the arrival of John O marked the beginning of the real action. No sooner had John O pulled his truck to a stop the gear show and tell began [yes list members - it does take a truck to haul all of John’s gear]. Packs, stoves, filters, clothes, and tents where passed around, displayed and played with. After several hours, it was apparent that the two most lusted after pieces of equipment where Don’s doubled awning Nomad and John’s O’s Stephenson 2RS.

After a late diner the New York contingent [Kevin and Gus] finally arrived. It seems that both of them had gotten lost and both seem to indicate that it was not their fault but the fault of New Jersey contingent’s [John O] electronically provided direction. After listening to both sides discuss the issue at some length it became apparent to this reporter that not only do New Yorkers and New Jerseyites not understand each other when they speak [they both appear to be speaking in tongues] – but that this language barrier somehow carriers over to the written word.

The arrival of Kevin also marked the arrival of Paddy Gear. With his wares in tow Paddy showed that in addition to his skills as a lawyer – he possesses sales skills that would make an old snake oil salesman like PT Barnum proud. In the fashion of a good old time tent preacher Paddy displayed his inline filters and flashed his photons slowly working the crowd to a fever pitch. It was at this point that Don just could not contain himself. In a photon overload he could be seen running around in the dark with flashes of white, blue, amber and red lights all around him. When all was said and done – Paddy Gear had separated more than one hiker from his money.

As midnight approached it found our faithful band of hikers still awake and keyed up with hiking anticipation. At 4:30 PM Don "Photon" Johnson sounded revile for the Maryland Death March. By 5:00 PM all the hikers had been assembled – at this point a tense situation occurred when Kevin could not be located, but a search of the premises found him out like a light on the hostel grass.

The support vehicles departed at 5:15PM – as they left the driveway the lead vehicle driven by John O turned right. It was at this point that bedlam overtook the second vehicle. Based on eye witness reports if appears that the hikers in this vehicle felt that a left turn would have gotten them to the trail head 3 minutes earlier and a near riot ensued. However, cleared heads prevailed and all parties were calmed down without use of force.

At the Happers Ferry trailhead our young hikers were so hopped up that the air was electric. John O was heard to say, "they have so much adrenaline pouring out of them that I’m getting a high just standing here." The taking of the traditional start photos reminded one of a scene at the starting gate of a Kentucky Derby were the jockeys are struggling to hold back their finely tuned thoroughbreds that just want to run. At 5:40 AM the hiker departed and the race was on.

Five rest stations had been preset to provide food and water. The hikers hiked the first 10.4 mile section in a blistering 3 hrs 25 minutes [see attached times] with the group all bunched together. However, when our hikers arrived at the first rest station, the Gathland State Park, they were puzzled to find no one waiting for them. After taking a twenty-minute break and still no support staff in sight they pick up their gear and stated marching across the park. There they discovered a civil war reenactment taking shape as well as their senile support staff. Seems that our crack support staff – being the old white bearded men that they are – were either a bit confused or directionally impaired. Instead of waiting for the hikers to come from the south our fearless senior citizen duo had been at the other end of the park for an hour and a half-facing north wondering when the hikers would appear. Sizing up the situation Kevin took the senior citizens aside and gave them a crash course in directions – on a level they could comprehend and remember. Now armed with the knowledge that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west and if they keep the rising sun on their left they would always be facing south. If not their ass would be facing south and they would look like asses again. This seemed to have worked and for the rest of the daylight hours the hikers arrived at the rest stations with the support staff’s best side looking at them.

The second section, 6.8 miles, is it became evident what while billed as a hike – the high levels of testosterone and macho nature of the participants had naturally turned this into somewhat of a competition. Also evident was the individual hiking strategy that where being employed. Dave was utilizing the California Muscle Beach strategy of powering out. Jeff and Don appeared to be using the rabbit approach – out fast, early, and ahead – however, we later realized in the hike the Jeff being a lawyer was a shark not a rabbit. Gus on the other hand was using the even and steady approach. Kevin, being the lawyer that he is, was using the shark approach – staying behind the pack ready to pick off the weak.

At the second rest station in Turner Gap the hiker came in as a group. The support staff treated the hikers to a lunch of gourmet sandwiches courtesy of Sam’ Exxon Station of Boonesburg, MD. As a side note is should be mentioned that when the purchase of this exquisite lunch was made Sam, the owner, volunteered to the several patrons in his establishment that this was the largest purchase of food ever from his fine institution. It should also be mentioned that at Turner Gap Ron was privileged to witness an historic moment when John O retraced his famous hike into the Dahlgren camp area. With every step John O was transformed back to that cold, raining day when he came upon this rural camp-site and discover that it had a free hot shower – right smack in the wildness. The heart warming emotion that was rendered in the telling of this tale is something that Ron will never forget and will always be in John O’s debt for allowing him to partake in this historic reenactment.

The third section was a 4.9 miler and provided the first glimpse of thing to come. Don and Jeff were the first hikers to arrive at the rest station with a limping Dave right behind. Dave discovered that his feet were badly blistered at the heels, balls, and toes and a heavy dose of duck tape was applied. Gus came in next. All four rested for twenty minutes and as they departed Kevin arrived. It seems that he was delayed by a call of nature – naturally lawyers being as full of it as they are it took him some time before he was back in the trail hiking and he lost 20 minutes. However, once he heard that Dave was suffering from blisters – the smell of the kill propelled our shark out in less than five minutes. He was last seen running up the trail with a smile on his face.

The fourth rest station saw our happy hikers hitting the wall. Jeff was first in and was complaining about the trail and cramps. However, it was on this section that Jeff showed his true lawyer colors - now seeing the weakened conditions of his fellow hikers – the shark instincts came out and Jeff turned on the speed and broke away from the pack. Don followed and was severely sore and wanted to lie down. Gus was next in and it seemed that his strategy had paid off – for he still looked fresh. Dave came in limping and had nothing good to say about the trail. In fact the rocks and trail layout [up – down, up – down] was a common complaint of all our participants and at one point in this rest stop a heated discussion ensued as to the parental lineage of the person who laid out this trail. After a rest, water, food, and drugs Jeff left followed by Don. Kevin had now also arrived and looked no worse for wear and was in good spirits. It was at this point that the Hiking Safety Committee, based on the condition of the hikers, decided to insert to two additional safety checkpoints. After rest, food and water Dave, Gus, and Kevin left in that order.

The first safety point was only one mile out – but after the most difficult part of the trail – a brutal long, steep downhill followed by a very steep up – which John O tactfully failed to inform the hikers about. Surprisingly our group of hikers had gotten their second wind with all making it in order and at a good pace.

At the fifth rest station it was apparent that the Ibuprofen had kicked in and the race to the finish was on. With the exception of Gus passing Dave the order stayed the same and none of the contestants stopped for a rest.

The second safety point came about after the sun had set and it caused quite a problem with the old support team members. Without the sun to apply Kevin’s instructions to gain direction – we now found the support staff wandered about helplessly lost. After hours of being lost our senior citizens finally made it to the spot only to find that Jeff and Don had already gone by. At this point a strategic decision was made and the pair split up - one staying in place and the other off in hopes of finding the end of the AT trail in PA. Gus came in good spirits and looking fresh – well as fresh as one can look after doing 38 or so miles. Kevin was next in – and it was here that he showed a striking amount of compassion for a lawyer - with Dave right behind him he asked that if Dave dropped out that the horn be blasted five times – otherwise he would most likely wait for him down the trail [note: all who witnessed this event have pledged that they would lie under oath that this never happened rather that see Kevin drummed out of the legal profession]. Two minutes after Kevin left Dave came in. At first he stated he was done – but on second reflection and being erroneously told the trail ahead was easy John O can only carry [the burden of this blame] – he went on.

It is here in our adventure that we can find evidence of the existence of a Supreme Being who watches over fools and drunks. For the trail that lay before our young but now lame Dave was not easy but in fact contained a huge downhill bolder climb – in the dark. Well before the bolder field our first miracle occurred - Dave missed a blaze and found himself off the trail. In an attempt to find Pen-Mar Park he was told the only way they knew was to hike two miles down the road – which he did. When he arrived at the park he found it closed and had no clue where the trail was. Meanwhile, Don had finally caught Jeff and at Pen-Mar Park both decide to wait at the park for the other hikers before crossing the finish line. The Senior Support Staff had somehow managed to find to end of the trail and became worried when Jeff and Don had not showed up so they decided to hike in. In the park they stumbled around in the dark and literally stumbled onto Jeff and Don.

It was a this point that Dave’s second miracle occurred. As luck would have it John O though his saw a light up the trail and started to yell for Gus. Dave, on the other side of the park hearing noise started to also yell and was able to connect up with the hikers. A hasty meeting was called of the Race Competition Committee and after a full investigation and careful deliberations it was decided that since Dave had not missed any blaze deliberately, had made a true attempt to get back on the trail and had hiked two equivalent miles on the road that he would not be disqualified. Shortly after Gus came in and was followed by Kevin.

In a show a unity and sportsmanship that is rare in this day and age [and may I remind you that there were two lawyer in this group] the hiker went on together to the Mason-Dixon Line to finish as a group. If was here that the most dangerous incident took place. On the insistence of John O and under protest from the bone weary hikers - a group picture was organized. However, since it was pitch black and John O could not see if he had the group in the picture he fire off a series of shots with accompanying flashes – thereby stripping the hikers of their night vision and forcing them to finish the hike in a blinded state. Fortunately no injuries occurred. At 9:09 PM - 15 hours and 29 minutes from the start our lionhearted hikers completed their challenge.

During post-hike interviews all hikers expressed their satisfaction at completion this hike, but none wished to repeat it. Proving that while this group may not have been bright enough to not try this hike – they are not fools enough to repeat their mistake.

POST HIKE NOTES:

After the race Don became quite ill. Dave could barely walk. Jeff suffered the chills for a while but recover quickly. Kevin and Gus were tired looking but after taking a shower made a remarkable recovery and looked like they had only taken a walk in the park rather than the 40 grueling miles. In fact they lead the partying at the hostel until well after midnight. Proving once again that New Yorkers are a tough breed. [A note here: If Kevin offers you a cigar take it - he smokes one of the best I’ve ever had - nice an mild]

The post race day brought a great sadness to the senior citizen on the support staff. They surely felt that these young wipper snappers would be hurting puppies the next day and would know what it was to feel old – and they could crow. However, this never occurred. With the exception of Dave’s feet – no other ailments existed - that or the young bucks wouldn’t give the old farts the satisfaction of seeing them hurt. Proving once again that life just ain’t fair.

[All times were record on a Suunto Vector the official timepiece of the Maryland Death Mach]

Start Point

Kevin 5:40 AM

Gus 5:40 AM

Dave 5:40 AM

Jeff 5:40 AM

Don 5:40 AM

1st Point - 10.4 miles

Kevin 8:45 AM 9:05 AM

Gus 8:45 AM 9:05 AM

Dave 8:45 AM 9:05 AM

Jeff 8:45 AM 9:05 AM

Don 8:45 AM 9:05 AM

2nd Point – 6.8 miles

Kevin 11:35 AM 12:05 PM

Gus 11:35 AM 12:00 PM

Dave 11:35 AM 12:00 PM

Jeff 11:35 AM 12:00 PM

Don 11:35 AM 12:00 PM

3rd Point – 4.9 miles

Kevin 1:55 PM 2:05 PM

Gus 1:36 PM 2:00 PM

Dave 1:35 PM 2:00 PM

Jeff 1:35 PM 2:00 PM

Don 1:35 PM 2:00 PM

4th Point – 8.5 miles

Kevin 4:55 PM 5:16 PM

Gus 4:45 PM 5:06 PM

Dave 4:51 PM 5:00 PM

Jeff 4:19 PM 4:35 PM

Don 4:25 PM 4:48 PM

5th Point – 3.5 miles

Kevin 6:33 PM 6:36 PM

Gus 6:23 PM 6:25 PM

Dave 6:28 PM 6:32 PM

Jeff 5:49 PM 5:51 PM

Don 6:03 PM 6:05 PM

Finish Point – 5.9 miles

Kevin 9:09 PM

Gus 9:09 PM

Dave 9:09 PM

Jeff 9:09 PM

Don 9:09 PM