My first Trail Magic

It was midday during that heat wave we had last week when I came down off a brutal descent of Old Blue Mountain. I noticed a blue cooler at the road crossing. The note read "Trail Magic from Baltimore. leave empties, no other trash please." Inside was a variety of icy cold sodas. I enjoyed my root beer while thinking "That's funny, this Trail Angel is from my home town."

The hitch into Andover, ME wasn't going so well. I waited for about half an hour, but everyone was headed out to the lake with their boats in tow. Before too long two things happened simultaneously: Pilot and Headbutt came down off the rocky slope, and David from Pine Ellis Hiker Hostel showed up with the shuttle. Pilot had made a mountaintop phone call to arrange pickup. I had chosen to hike without a cellphone and was trying to embrace the unfortunate situation while frying in the sun on the side of the road. David pulls out a small cooler from the car and pours the three of us lemonade. It was good to be on our way to town.

Later in the evening as things cooled down I walked to the one store in town to check voicemail at the payphone. "Teddy this is Jessica. We're on vacation in Rangely. Your Dad told us that you've probably already passed through but still not too far away. I hope we can meet up."

Well it turns out this was the most enjoyable of all trail magic. The way it all came together, you know? It was such a nice break from the trail to stop for some familiar company. The Mitchell family were the most generous hosts...they took me back to their camp alongside Rangely lake where little Annie and Wesley and Rees and I swam with the crawdads. Then the kids showed me their spaceship. I requested protein for dinner, and protein is what we had. Steak + potatoes + good company = a happy TMello with belly full. And we had the most amazing sunset over the lake!

The next morning Rees and I set out for the Aziscohos river in search of trout. After bitterly mailing home my fishing rod some days earlier, I thought I would never again get the chance to catch a Maine trout. Quick stop at the fly shop for some local advice and we were on our way. I wasn't planning on telling Rees that I had climbed a tree to retrieve stranded tackle. But word spreads quickly amongst the fishermen unless they've found a good hole to fish. I pulled in some tiny salmon fry which was better than nothing. Then eventually caught my first Maine brookie! Rees caught a few too and we both felt satisfied.

Later in the afternoon, Rees dropped me off. I can't say I was all that motivated, but I started walking with plans to stop for the night at the first shelter 5 miles in. I got in around 7 and dreaded the thought of being alone for the night. But who better to show up than 3 SOBO's from the Baltimore area. It was another pleasant surprise and made for a good night's sleep.

Thanks to all my Trail Angels out there! I'll be thinking about you and will not soon forget this stream of events!

A Tribute to the Trail Volunteer

  Group shot of our crew in Sand Spring, VA.

When I sign the trail register, I often like to express my gratitude for the hard work that thousands of volunteers put in on the trail every season. From impressive stone staircases to handcrafted log structures these trail workers have demonstrated some beautiful construction work. There are so many other jobs covered by the A.T. Volunteer: there are blazes to be painted, signs to replace, trail registers to collect, overloaded privies to tend, shelters to repair, fallen trees to cut... the list goes on.

From spring 2008 through summer 2011 I worked as a crew leader for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's Konnarock and Mid-Atlantic volunteer trail crews. Even before this I was an active member of the Outdoor Club of Virginia Tech going on day-long work trips. It was during these times that I came to appreciate the physical structures that help make this footpath passable and environmentally sustainable. It is easy to walk a short section of trail without realizing the immense task required to construct it. I will never look at a hiking trail the same again, and I plan on volunteering more of my time in the future.

Often a trail builder's goal is to create a final product that blends into its environment. (S)he makes use of raw materials immediately available. Timber or stone is harvested on site and set into the earth, ready to endure the foot tramping of many nature seekers to come. Simple hand tools are used to dig, chop, drag, crush, lever, and cut building materials. Water drainage and soil erosion are important factors if we want these trails to last through generations of use.

When a section of trail is beyond repair, a relocation is in order. The ATC or local trail club must contract a professional to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement along the proposed corridor. Local trail clubs along with the ATC then get to work recruiting volunteers. There are always multiple trail relocation projects ongoing along the corridor. Other reasons for relocations may include: to avoid beaver floodings and landslides, to eliminate dangerous roadwalks, to preserve the primitive or natural setting. Many projects take several years and thousands of volunteer hours to complete.

There are a total of 31 local trail clubs whose tireless efforts keep this trail alive. Many of these clubs are comprised of mostly retired folks with lots of free time. There are however two student based clubs, though turnover rate is quick. I say we need more young volunteers! There is great potential for bridge-building here!

The volunteer community is truly amazing. This long, thin line from ME to GA is the ultimate accomplishment! A concrete symbol of our great United States of America. These committed individuals have donated large chunks of their lives to the A.T.'s maintainance. So the next time you're out on the trail and you see someone coming with a mattock in on hand and rockbar in the other, please stop to show your thanks!

 I had the pleasure of bossing my Dad around while he and Rogebo joined the trail crew for a week.
 

 The unveiling of a brand new stone staircase, a two week project near Delaware Water Gap, PA.

Sean the stone splitter

Trail Names

This will be an ongoing list as I meet more trail characters along the way....


Big Daddy Duck Tape, CocoaToeJoe, LardAss, Buzz, Pilot, Headbutt, Burly, RedBeard, TreeBeard, Mudflap, Pundit, Trapper, Slowjourner, Greenmile, TeenBean, Rock Monkeee, Moonpie, SmilesNotMiles, Molasses Dragon, RIP Van Winkle, Mitch, DejaThru, Flutterby, CrawlDawg, Hellhammer, Yetti, BagO'Tricks, Baltimore Jack, Stryder, Mufassa, SpeaksLittle, Scout, Curly, MammaLush, Little Elf, Deva, Powder River, Bobwhite, HappyCamper, Hotsauce, Riverdance, Leprechaun, Jasper, RightClick, FreeMan, D6, Twisted Turtle, Josie, Happy Camper, Seskimo Sam, Mr Z, Buzz Lightyear, High Life, Talkin Tent, Pleasure, LaLa, Daks, Spoons, Foxtrot, Sundowner, Nuge, SafteyOfficer, Bogart, Coach, T-Mello, DayGlow, RainWalker, Wiggles, SweetPea, Sage, Sensei, Goldfish, Brothers3, Captain, Possum, Hops, SugeKnight, StrayCat, DenimChicken, Lefty, Cimmarron, GoinHome, Bewildered, Peregrine, MotherShip, LadySherpa, Coyote, Moose, Easy, Phenix, Framework, 9Lives, Pinch, Stretch, KissimbaWarrior-of-the-Light....


So far the trail name T-Mello has stuck with me. A man named Robert in Monson suggested "Wilson" as he thought I looked like Tom Hanks in the movie Castaway.

Trail Talk -- slang and abbreviations

NEW SLANG
cobbknocker- whoever is first to wake up and start hiking usually ends up clearing the trail of spider webs
pink blaze- verb to follow a female hiker
Aqua Blaze- to raft a nearby river and skip a section of AT, most popularly the Shenandoah river
scarfing- trail context, describes a hungry hiker searching 'un-bussed' tables at a diner looking for more food
freegan- one who seeks free food, as their appetite has a damaging effect on their pocket
bear box- lock boxes located at shelters and campsites for safe food storage
bear pole- pole with several hooks at the top and a long tool used to hang food bag, popular in Shenandoah

Thru-hiker- those attempting a complete passage of the 2178+ miles of A.T. in one calendar year
Section-hiker- those attempting the trail's entire length start-to-finish over the course of many years with several over-night trips
Day-hiker- those simply enjoying a day in the woods
NOBO- a Northbound hiker; we're usually talking about Thru-hikers here
SOBO- a Southbound hiker; once again usually those passing Thru
Flip/Flop- a journey attempting the entire trail with a twist... one option would be to hike NOBO from GA, then take a ride to Maine upon reaching some halfway point to begin a SOBO hike from ME
YoYo- to complete the entire distance end to end, then turn around and return to the other end resulting in 4000+miles
Zero- a day of rest when zero trail miles are travelled; this usually takes place in town
Nero- a day of light excersice when low mileage is travelled; usually the first day out of town with heavy pack
white blaze- 2x6 inch white paint mark on tree or stone used to mark the route of the A.T.
blue blaze- a side trail leaving the A.T. usually for water, shelter, or point of interest
yellow blazer- those who wish to skip a section of trail stick a thumb out on the 'yellow blaze' road
cairn- a pile of rocks used to mark trail where blazes are not practical
lean-to- three sided shelter usually near water source; built of stone or log; often a social gathering place
mousehanger- a string descending from shelter ceiling used to hang your foodbag; usually features an upside-down empty tuna fish can as a mouse baffle
privy- composting toilet for relief; BYOTP or use leaf
trail register- log book located at TrailHeads and Shelters where hikers may leave messages; prime source of entertainment and oppurtunity for creativity
hiker box- a box usually located at Hostels, P.O., or other place in town where hikers may either shed pack weight or score free food/gear
bounce box- a care package mailed to multiple locations along trail for resupply
slackpack- to arrange a shuttle of fully loaded pack to the next A.T. road crossing; a wonderful way to enjoy weightless freedom, but not for some purists
yogiing- a persuasive way of receiving help from those in town without directly asking; rides to town, hot meals, etc; Yogi Bear is our inspiration
Trail Magic- a chance encounter that lifts one's spirit during tough times; this could mean lots of things: keg party in middle of woods; an unmanned cooler with icy beverages at road crossing; a full service grill out/hiker feed; local residents taking hikers in for a night's stay; blueberry, blackberry, raspberry patch etc
Trail Angel- someone who takes pride in spreading trail magic
Ridgerunner- the uniformed eyes and ears of the A.T. similar to a forest ranger whose responsibilities include education, first-aid, search&rescue, visitor-use inventory, campsite/shelter monitoring and maintenance; a paid employee of either the Appalachian Trail Conservancy or one of the Trail Clubs.
Tyvek- lightweight, waterproof textile conventionally used for housewrap and envelopes; unconventionally used by hikers for rain tarps, ground cloth, packs, etc.
Beaver fever- Giardiasis is an intestinal illness caused by a microscopic parasite called Giardia lamblia; in other words... treat your drinking water
snowcone- a heaping pile of shit covered with toilet paper found in a privy that needs stirring
LNT- Leave No Trace
AYCE- All You Can Eat restaurant
ATC- Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Tough terrain pays off in the end

It's been a good restful time in Monson, and SOBO communion is exciting. About 8 of us headed out of town 8 miles up to Horseshoe Canyon shelter. A rough first day back on foot with recent beaver floodings for obstacles and a hot afternoon spent sweating out the "town poisons." Will get an earlier start tomorrow to beat the heat. 

The wailling loon music over West Carry Lake. Soothing shelter sleep. Sharing dreamspace with my friends Zach and Vallerie. Morning tea a bit chilly air temp. Nice and early start for big day over Moxie Bald. Looking to pitch camp on open summit, but weather does not permit. Brief rain to slippify long smooth granite slab slant walks. Down to shelter with Rinee the german. Everyone else already dry and settled at shelter. Rinee and I both had stopped beside Moxie pond for long nap earlier in the day.

STELLAR views from Bigelow Mountain's Avery peak. The freshest breezy weather day on the trail yet. This has been tough climbing for a rewarding night spent "Cowboy" style under a full moon atop North Horn for a sunsetmoonrise moonsetsunrise. Flagstaff lake skirting the north drainage.

After reaching the small town of Caratunk, ME and scoring big at the local whitewater outfitter's All You Can Eat Taco Tuesday, I make camp along the shores of the Kennebunk river. This is the A.T.'s most formidable bridgeless river crossing. Upstream dams create an unpredictable waterflow, so beginning in 1987 the A.T. Conservancy has provided a free ferry service for safe river crossing.

A full moonset over the river gives way to morning twilight... around 9am I meet the ferryman. Hillbilly Dave has been paddling hikers across the Kennebunk for the last 8 years. He wears a tattered felt hat and a freindly smile. Dave hands me a paddle and I jump in the front. Bow pointed upstream, we make our way across. The crisp breeze across the water and blue sky make for an unforgettable experience. Dave lifts our spirits as we cross "If this breeze keeps up then the mosquitoes shouldn't be too bad for a while. Oh and make sure to say hi to the Ridgerunner Johnathan up at Horn Pond." Me "Do you know...is his last name Lemberg?" Dave "Yeah, he finished up his spring season down at Springer Mtn, GA and now he's up here." This is where I realize my friend Johnathan is just a couple days walk away... certainly extra motivation to push ahead!    

So the next day when Twisted Turtle and I stopped at a lean-to for lunch I wrote an entry in the log book. It went something like: "In search of an old trail freind Johnathan the Ridgerunner, I hope to reach Horn Pond campsite to see him" I ended up not seeing him on the mountain, but he eventually caught sight of my log entry and tracked me down in the town of Stratton, ME where I was 'zeroing.' What a great surprise!

A reunion with trail friend and Ridgerunner Johnathan in Stratton, ME

Well I'm sorry to say I will be mailing my fly fishing pole home after several failed attempts for a trout dinner. This won't shed a whole lot of weight, but it will help.

So here's a weight breakdown 

my PACK with 5 days of food + water + stove fuel = 23 pounds

for emergency shelter I'm carrying some light nylon cord, 6 tent stakes, and a homemade Tyvek tarp.

other items include: small alcohol burning stove, small pot, water filter, sleeping bag and pad, bug netting, raincoat, headtorch, map, camera, and journal

Total weight with pack = 195

Pack to Body weight ratio = 16%

future considerations:

ditch the heavy boots after the white mountains

if conditions permit, carry only small amount of water, then have long watering breaks at springs and crossings

water could become something I may eventually carry more of as we move into a dry spell

modify pack to eliminate excess straps

drill holes in my toothbrush....seriously?

"A Penny a Mile" for the United Plant Savers

Some of you may have heard me talking recently about my desire to do more than just go for a walk in the woods. Every day I think about just how fortunate I am. I look for ways to give back to a cause.
After having just completed the most amazing internship at the United Plant Savers' Goldenseal Sanctuary in Rutland, Ohio, I have come to realize the cause to which I would like to contribute...

A group shot with my fellow interns at the Goldenseal Sancuary, May-June2011

"The United Plant Savers does a six week Spring and Fall internship program. Each session, 6-8 interns come to live and work immersed in one of the most ecologically diverse regions of the world. In these woods we find vast stands of Goldenseal, Bloodroot, Blue Cohosh, Black Cohosh, Wild Ginger, Virginia Snakeroot and other plants UPS deems ‘at risk.’ This land, like many of the other neighboring hills, was strip mined decades ago. Our ‘Talking Forest Trail’ includes paths that traverse these reclaimed channels onto neighboring lands of like-minded individuals. This makes the protected land not just 360 acres but up to 1000 acres or more. It is amazing to see the potential for land generation in this local ‘green corridor.’

  As interns, we come to connect to this place in a number of ways. We walk the forest learning plants with intern coordinators Chip Carroll and Sasha White as well as Paul Strauss. We take classes with local herbalists and neighboring landowners, learning herbal medicine and seeing sustainable land use methods in action. While learning from the land, we also do work for the land. Our work focuses on improving the sanctuary to help continue to give plants a place of respite but so that that others can keep learning from this place too. We do things like clearing invasives, weeding and maintaining shade house under story herb beds, trimming trails, seed saving and even doing building projects for the sanctuary. This Spring we had the opportunity to build a tent platform together in our prairie for future visitors and interns to use.  The trail network on the land is always in need of maintenance. It features signs labeling hundreds of plants as well as stories by herbalists on laminated sheets one can read as he walks through the forest. We spend a lot of time working on the trails, making sure the signs are holding up and the paths are clear. The internship for me has been a life changing experience, giving us the opportunity to live and work in a place where the way of life is different than most places. It has given me and the other interns would agree—a place to slow down and listen to what the plants have to offer."
          
-----see full article by Kelly Moody at  http://www.facebook.com/notes/kelly-moody/united-plant-savers-article-for-ecowatch-journal/10150268680697996

UPS Story

United Plant Savers was formed in the spirit of hope by herbalists and plant-lovers committed to protecting and re-planting "At-risk" healing plants. Our membership reflects the great diversity of American herbalism and includes wildcrafters, seed collectors, herbal products manufacturers, growers, farmers, botanists, practitioners, medicine-makers, educators, gardeners, and plant lovers from all walks of life.
The pressure on our wild medicinal plant communities grows yearly. Vast populations of plants are lost because of habitat destruction, urbanization and indiscriminate wild-harvesting. Many North American medicinal plants are exported to meet the demand in other countries where wild plants have already been gravely depleted.
We recognize that environmentally responsible cultivation, land stewardship, habitat protection and sustainable wild-harvesting are of critical importance to ensure an abundant renewable supply of medicinal plants for future generations.
In addition to assiting members of a nationwide botanical sanctuary network, the United Plant Savers engages in education, research, replantings, rescues, restorations.
The United Plant Savers also has a great website if your interested in learning more about this growing organization.

http://www.unitedplantsavers.org/

My proposal is "A penny a mile"
If you are interested in donating to my cause, we will agree on a penny for each mile I walk southbound from the beginning of the Appalachian Trail in Maine. In November/December if I reach trail's end in Georgia your balance due to me will be $21.75. I will accept pledges along the way whenever you are ready. Email is the best way to contact me. Just send me your home address and I'll put you on the list.

Here I am at the botanical sanctuary with Kelly and Hannah during our discovery of the chicken-of-the-woods mushroom.

This wonderful forest edible became a staple ingredient in our cooked meals.

Here I am shown with a drawknife. Stripping the outter bark of the Slippery Elm tree.

The final product are the medicinal inner bark strippings and a naked log. Slippery elm bark has a mucilaginous medicine that soothes mucous membranes of the body. It helps with the throat, lungs, and GI tract. This species, along with American Elm, is also affected by the Dutch Elm disease.

Katahdin "The Greatest Mountain"

 July 1st 2011 the approach to the start of the Appalachian Trail involves an 8 mile, 4000 foot vertical ascent on "The Greatest Mountain." It's right about here where I decide that the Knife's Edge is serrated.

Boots get laced up for the long downhill

The 'trickster' Raven brings positive energy to Katahdin's summit

On the way down off of table land

Taking my first steps along the white blaze trail.

The seed was planted

Summer 1997

Hello freinds and family,

About 14 years ago my father, uncle george, rogebo, timmy and tommy all summited Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine. Our first successful summit after three attempts. I was 13 years old and ready for anything.The feeling of being amidst the clouds in erie the silence made a profound impression on my young spirit.

A southbound hiker I once met on the Dragon's Tooth outside my college town of Blacksburg, VA was spotted howling off the top of the tooth in the ultimate exultation of freedom. His call of the wild was contagious. I decided then and there that I would attempt a similar feat... The seed was planted.

An idea to walk the entire Appalachian Trail in one extended trip.

My day has finally come.

Tomorrow my friend Nina and I will depart Roaring Brook Campground and head for the Baxter peak summit of Katahdin. If weather permits we will go by way of the infamous Knife edge. Atop we will meet my uncle matt, a committed high pointer, and my cousin Katie who will be travelling up the saddle trail. Here my 2175 mile journey will begin.

I want to let everyone know how grateful I am for all of your support and inspiration over the years. I want to thank my mother in advance for her thoughtful food drop mailings. And my father for driving me up here for the launch off. I want to thank the Konnarock and Mid-Atlantic trail crews for keeping this footpath alive and well. I want to thank the inventor of the food dehydrator and the two whitetail deer whose jerky will supply the protein needed for climbs over the Whites and beyond.

I look forward to keeping in contact with you all. My voicemail is working at 4434654261. I love you all.

Cheers

Ted Martello   (trail name:  "T-Mello")

Miles so far: zero