Hiking The Appalachian Trail.. with Eric and Matthew

2011-03-08T13:31:00.000-05:00

2008-04-12T17:03:00.001-04:00

Certificates

2008-02-01T17:13:00.001-05:00

The end of the AT Hike at Buena Vista, Virginia. This day Eric and Matthew finished up the last legs of the 2100 mile hike from Georgia to Maine. Some day I will get around to posting photos from each segment along with some miles and days details. The exciting point was to know that they had both accomplished a enjoyable challenge and are still excited to take on many more adventures on the trail.

2008-01-24T21:13:00.002-05:00

Almost Finished with the Appalachian Trail:
In the summer of 2006 I dropped Eric and Matthew off at the trail head near Buena Vista, Virginia. They had bypassed almost three hundred miles of Virginia Trail in order to end the summer at the northern terminus at Katahdin way up in Maine. This morning Matthew called from the town of Buena Vista as he was shopping for some food. That means they have completed the entire north to south trek of the Appalachian trail. This puts the number of days and nights on the AT of about 127. It has been an exciting adventure for the hikers and those who have been following along. They have a couple of more nights on the AT as they will wait for their dad to pick them up on Saturday at the Buena Vista trailhead. I have missed a few reports and there has been limited cellphone service. I hope to fill in some more details and add photos when the wandering hikers return home by Sunday. So far they have posted some great photos on the Mitoc site. http://mitoc.mit.edu/gallery/album883

2008-01-23T16:19:00.000-05:00

Stream Crossing:

The trail guide from 2004 said the bridge was out. I would seem reasonable that by 2008 it would have been replaced. Such was not the case. Rather than double back and add six more miles of hiking the plan was to ford the stream. There was one problem and that was between the two hikers they only had one pair of CROCS. The creek was cold from the melted snow and the bottom was slippery. A simple solution was put into place. Step one Matthew puts the CROCS on his feet and gives one end of the rope to Eric.Step two Eric holds one end of rope and watches Matthew cross the creek. Step three: Matthew attaches Crocs to caribiner attached to rope. Step four: Eric pulls rope with attached Cocs across the creek. Step five: Eric dons the Crocs and wades across stream to meet Matthew. No problem. One pair of Crocs will be enough for these two hikers.

2008-01-21T22:58:00.000-05:00

Back on The Trail:
This reporter has been in Minnesota away from the computer and busy visiting family. Eric and matthew called tonight from Thunder Hill shelter which is about thirty five miles from Buena Vista, VA. This will mark the end of their long adventure along the Appalachian Trail. Eric said it was the coldest night so far, Probably about ten degrees. There is 3 to 4 inches at 3500 feet where they have set up the tent in the shelter to provide for more heat. They were in the process of boiling water over a big campfire. This hot water will go into Nalgene bottles which will be deposited near their feet in comfy sleeping bags.
The weekend with Amanda and her Mom was a fun time as they visited Mr Jefferson's Monticello and stayed at Natural Bridge. They were glad to take a rest, eat some Chinese food and sleep in warm motels. I will try to write some stories from previous days and then back date them so Eric and Matthew have some stories from the trail and readers will be able to share in more adventures with snow, snowshoes and scenic trails.

2008-01-19T10:54:00.000-05:00

Garrett's Expert Weather Forecasts:

The weather has been in between cold rain, snow and icy conditions for the past couple of days. In order to ensure safety and avoid hypothermia the hikers have been relying on the expert forecasts of Garrett. He sits in his warm and comfortable MIT dorm while monotoring the radar and charts in order to provide a personal forecast to the AT hikers. . Garrett warned of some afternoon freezing rain but determined there may be a window of opportunity between weather events when it may be possible to hurry up the trail to the shelter past Daleville, Va . It is great to have their own personal weather expert providing up to the minute advice. .

2008-01-18T10:08:00.000-05:00

Great Camp Fires:

As is the custom the fire was going good tonight. Tommorow at noon Amanda and her mom will arrive to pick up the hikers and bring them to a nice motel to get a warm nights sleep, good company, good food and maybe upload some photos. I am sure they will not be loafing in the motel but finding some more adventures close by. Gocery shopping and laundry may also be some of the activities.

2008-01-17T10:10:00.000-05:00

No Fire Tonight:

The camp for the night was a few miles out of Daleville, VA. It was a little cold so Eric was calling from the comfort of the tent which they set up in the shelter for protection from the cold wind. A fire would have be great for warmth but the lights from Daleville were visible and they deemed it would be a good idea to heed the no fire signs and keep warm in the tent. The drinking water is coming froms springs with Agua Mirra for purification. Meals include Lipton meals and powdered mash potatoes. The winter solitude of the AT has continued as they met one hiker today who said they were the first hikers he had seen in two weeks.

2008-01-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Camping in the Snow:

The snowshoes have proved to be extra weight most of the time but today The hikers strapped on the snowshoes for and hour or two. The snow was melting and about 4 or 5 inches deep. There was at least some slight vindication for toting the snowshoes along for the past two weeks. Some of the water for the day came from a cistern and some from melting snow.

2008-01-14T20:55:00.000-05:00

Snow on the trail:
It was only two inches of snow and not enough for snow shoes yet but it is sure pretty and there is hope for more. The hikers had another big fire last night and have rearranged their jobs. Eric has been in charge of fire building and Matthew sets up camp. This is a big change as Matthew usually is first one to be building the fire . As I wrote before, to Eric and Matthew a campfire is a requirement when sleeping out on the trail. It provides warmth, comfort and a genuine feeling of living in the great outdoors. The plans for next weekend are to meet Amanda and her Mom in Daleville, VA. That is another 60 or so miles up the trail. At the 20 mile per day pace the guys are maintaining, they will need to slow down or they will arrive in Daleville by Thursday. Maybe their wishes will come true and it will snow enough to slow down the northward progress.

Click here for a few photos Eric and Matthew posted of the first few days.

http://mitoc.mit.edu/gallery/album883

2008-01-13T20:26:00.000-05:00

Nice Folks in Pearisburg, Virginia:
The hikers set up camp up high on the mountain top outside of Pearisburg in hopes the would have some snow at a higher elevations. It was below freezing but they opened the vents in the tent to cool down a little. While in Pearisburg they restocked on groceries and white gas. They were hoping to buy gas by the ounce but ended up buying a gallon. When they returned the extra gas they couldn't carry along, the woman at Ware's Market was extra nice and "insisted" on giving them a refund for all the gas. With numerous trips back and forth into the market, the hikers got to know the store people pretty well. Matthew commented a few times how nice the people in Pearisburg were. One man gave them a ride to Walmart and another woman offered them a ride to a nearby hostel. She was concerned they were going get some icy weather and needed a warm place to stay. They politely decided to camp out but were grateful for the kindness of people along the trail. On Sunday morning they had their snack on the West Virginia border as the trail winds north.
The trail today has been level and somewhat featureless and they can see farms in the clear valleys while they are hiking in the clouds and fog. Once again they are stocked well with food and hoping for some substanial snow. Garrett is manning his post at MIT and his weather forecast for the trail called for some flurries. Matthew could "feel that it was wanting to snow". I could also feel that he and Eric were also really wanting it to snow. My best estimate is that after Sunday's camp, the distance to completing the long hike will be about 150 miles.

2008-01-11T14:27:00.000-05:00

To Damascus, VA and beyond:
We got a call fom Lick Skillet Gap saying"We are back on the trail." The hikers spent Thursday night at a hostel in Damascus called "Dave's Place". It was good to get off the trail and into a warm dry place after a rain soaking day on the trail. They got an early start and hiked the 18 miles to Damascus by 1:30 Pm. This gave then time to pick up a package at the post office, go to the library to load some photos on the MITOC page, wash clothes, dry out, buy some groceries and eat a good pizza.at Sicily's Pizza. While eating they struck up a conversation with a couple of old timers with one turing out to be the mayor of Damascus. Oh yeah, among the many tasks to accomplish this day was to enjoy some well earned ice cream. For those who are reading closely you can relax because the hikers now have water purification tablets, a solid pot grabber and a good selection of tasty morsels to maintain their energy.
After Friday's hike, the miles left to complete the trail should be less than 190.
In order to arrive at Lick Skillet Gap where they left off in 2004, they hired a driver with a van to shuttle them about 100 miles up the road.

This was the same place i picked up Eric and Matthew in June 2004. They have learned a lot since then over the course of 2000+ miles on the AT.

2008-01-10T16:17:00.000-05:00

2008-01-09T21:59:00.000-05:00

A Day of Trail Magic:
"We didn't expect people to be so kind to hikers in winter but today was amazing," said Matthew. "We were really running low on energy and the food in our packs was getting mighty slim. Then we stopped at a shelter and came upon a pack of six Protein Plus energy bars. Some kind person left them just for us. Later we came across two MRE's and a gallon jug of Spring watter. Now we are prety well set for food until we get to Damascus which is 19 miles up the trail."

Last night they thought about putting up the tent in the nice weather but instead went a little farther to a shelter. It turned out to be a wise decision as the skkies emptied a bunch of rain on the rooftop between 2:00 am and 6:00 am. Amanda had told them about weather reports that predicted the rain. As they woke up dry the skies cleared and they had another nice day to hike. Tonight they ended up at Double Springs shelter and plan to get an early start to make it to Damascus before the post office closes so they can pick up more supplies. The forecast for Thursday looks like rain. As we talked on the phone Matthew heard an owl hooting and then some coyotes in the distance. His mother told him to be careful.

2008-01-08T17:16:00.000-05:00

A great use for the GPS:
The weather has been nice and warm so the Nalgene bottles were getting low on water as Eric and Matthew headed north to Virginia. The guys forgot the water purifying tablets back home so they have had to boil water or snow. This takes a lot of work and is a slow process. Matthew checked his trusty GPS and found there was a church very close to the trail. Thinking there might be some water the guys bushwacked up the hill. The church at Buck Mountain was closed but sure enough there was a working water spigot on the side of the church and they were able to replenish the water bottles and continue on another 20 mile hike for the day.
As of Tuesday the 8th, they had hiked over sixty miles during the past three days. The stop for the night was the Watauga Lake Shelter. The nioght before they stayed close to Moreland Gap. The trail has been muddy in parts as the has snow melted. Later as the ground dried, the tennis shoes came on and the boots went off. They are dissapointed the snowshoes have not been used yet and will be very frustrated if they carry the extra weight and just get warm temps with sunny days. I think the sunny days would be just fine.
The food pickup at Laurel Fork Lodge worked out fine but they did not have many choices and no fresh food. They hope they have enough to get them to Damascus, Virginia in a couple of days.
During Eric's call we got to listen to "natural firecrackers" as Matthew tossed dried Rhododendron leaves into another big campfire and Eric held the phone close. "No campout is complete with out a good fire" say Matthew and Eric.

2008-01-07T18:11:00.000-05:00

Iron Mountain Gap, Tennessee, January 5, 2008. Back in April of 2004 Eric and Matthew were in a snowbank at this same spot... waiting for me to pick them up after their first extended hike of over 120 miles on the AT. They had gone from a high of 80 degrees to a near snow whiteout on a mountain close to here.(read Matthew's 2004 report) http://www.geocities.com/mgilbertson1618/ It was their first taste of a real snowstorm in the mountains. I think it was then they began to realize they really could hike the entire 2,200 mile trail from Georgia to Maine. Here they are starting the last legs of the trail with about 300 miles from Tennesee/NC to Central Virginia. They will hike for most of January until we meet in Buena Vista, Virginia.

Click to see a slide show.http://picasaweb.google.com/kgilbertson27/KeithAt

2008-01-07T13:10:00.000-05:00

It has been almost a year since we last heard about the AT from Eric and Matthew. This time they have the goal to complete the last two legs in Tenn and Virginia. With another 300 miles of hiking, they will complete the entire 2200 miles of the legendary Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.

The guys were thoughtful enough to invite their dad to hike a little way up the trail and camp for the night. Matthew pulled out the GPS and determined there was a nice flat bald about .88 miles going north. We proceeded to the spot and found a great place to camp at about 4:00. From then we were busy setting up camp, collecting firewood and finding snow to melt for cooking and drinking. It gets dark by 5:45PM and we were getting tired. The fire was warm and cozy but it finally died down and we were ready to go to sleep by a little after 7:00. A little rain at night disturbed us a bit but the rain fly did it's job and we woke up dry. Dad hiked along for a while and then it was time for Matthew and Eric to head North to Virginia and the completion of their Appalachian Trail adventure..

MITOC Trip Reports :: Across NH in January: Matthew and Eric

2007-01-23T09:40:00.000-05:00

MITOC Trip Reports :: Across NH in January: Matthew and Eric
Many more Photos have been posted in the gallery. They go day by day. As of Tuesday am Eric has posted reports for days 1, 2 and 11. More will follow soon.

2007-01-20T15:35:00.000-05:00

As of 1:00 Saturday Eric and Matthew are safely back in their dorm rooms at MIT. Over the past 13 days they hiked about 120 miles accross the snowy White Mountains of New Hampshire. I would say the highlights were Mt. Washington and sleeping in a snow fort. I just finished watching the slide show of the Mt Washington hike. Truly amazing with all the ice and wind blown snow formations. Here is the link
http://mitoc.mit.edu/gallery/album554. We are waiting for many more photos from each day. I will post links when ready.

2007-01-19T21:35:00.000-05:00

Mount Washington In January. It looks like the sky was clear and Eric and Matthew had some extra time to pose for pictures. The temp was a balmy 8 degrees I think that is Eric holding Matthew up for a hand stand.

We got a call about 11:40 on Thursday and the view from the mountain top was "awesome." Early in the morning the guys observed the weather and determined the ascent would be no problem for them. Once again their efforts climbing with snowshoes and crampons were rewarded with spectacular view and relative solitude.They made it safely down to camp near Pinkham Notch by late afternoon. Unfortunately Eric developed a heel blister on the descent from Washington. They decided to spend Friday taking it easy around Pinkham Notch and then catch a Saturday morning bus back to MIT. The activity for Friday will probably be to build another snowfort and rest their feet. I wrote this late on Friday evening. For those following the hikers, they are doing well and will be back in the dorm Saturday night. Eric gave us a short call Friday evening from Pinkham Notch Hut. There was no cell phone service so he used the last of a phone card with a pay phone. Then he and Matthew were heading back to their little camp about a mile away. We are very glad they will walk extra miles just to keep in contact. We all sleep better knowing they are safe.

Thanks to Jake for sending the Deck photos.

2007-01-18T17:06:00.000-05:00

Snowfort time!!. Today Eric and Matthew realized the dream they always seem to have when camping in the winter. They got to sleep overnight in a snowfort built using their very own MIT-MITOC winter engineering design principles. As planned they hiked about eight miles along a wilderness trail using snowshoes all the way plodding through the deep snow. They ended up at about 3,500 feet elevation which was safely below treeline. They stopped for the day at 2:30 and proceeded to begin construction of their lodging for the night. The procedure was to pile snow and let it settle for about an hour. Then they kept piling up snow until it was six feet deep. The ground snow depth was already three feet so now they had plenty of room to dig out comfortable sleeping quarters. Snow shoes served as shovels and sleeping pads transported the fresh snow which was dug out of the cave and then onto the top of the pile. Eric called from the fort at about 8:30. It was starting to warm up inside and they loooked forward to a cozy night in the snow and on the mountain.

The trail they took early in the day was very remote and Eric figured it had not been tracked on in the past couple of winter months.
Tommorow they hope to tackle Mt Washington again but are ever mindful of the cold and wind. On Tuesday night the temp on Washington was minus 30 with winds over 100. The forecast for Thursday AM calls for 10 above and 40-50 mph winds. They realize the potential dangers and I know will use great judgement.

White Mountains New Hampshire Highland Center at Crawford Notch

2007-01-17T16:28:00.000-05:00

White Mountains New Hampshire Highland Center at Crawford Notch

2007-01-17T16:21:00.000-05:00

Tuesday was a day of rest from the cold and snowy trail. Matthew is applying for an internship and deadlines loom so the two spent most of the day writing answers to questions and then sending the handwritten pages via photo email for Dad and Amanda to type and send off. There is not much to report but they had an enjoyable stay at the Inn.
The temps are hovering near zero and below for yesterday and today so Eric and Matthew are using good judgement and staying below treeline while the cold and wind remains. Plans as always in the rugged mountains are dependent on favorable weather. Most of us think cold and snow should cause us to stay inside but not these guys. But even though they thoroughly enjoy a snowy winter they have temp and wind limits. We are thankful for that bit of wisdom.

2007-01-16T15:43:00.000-05:00

Crawford Notch was the stop for the night. They had planned to stay inside of the hut but the cold forecast cause Eric and Matthew to change plans. Mom and Dad were glad to hear it. Monday night they tented near the hut in plus 20 degree cold and Tuesday night they will pay some money to the AMC(They may wash some dishes to lower the costs) and have a comfortable bunk, a warm fire, hot showers and a hearty morning breakfast. No hiking on Tuesday. They will stay inside to avoid the below zero temps predicted for late Tuesday and Wednesday AM. An added highlight is internet connection so Matthew can finish an assignment. It sounds like a relaxing day to rest in the cold NH mountains. www.outdoors.org/lodging/lodges/highland/index.cfm

When they picked up packages at the Highland Center there was a nice package from Amanda. It included a weather radio,delicious cookies and fresh fruit. More trail magic. Thanks Amanda.

The days' hike was good but tough with slogging thru six inches of fluffy snow. The climbs were "so much work" but on the down hill they could slide some with the snowshoes.They met two other groups and everyone was grateful for the trail being broken both ways. The snow was amazing and there was even heavy sleet with ice pellets bouncing off jackets in the 17 degree weather.

2007-01-15T12:01:00.000-05:00

The forecast was accurate as snow was falling all day and still coming down at 7:30 PM on Sunday. Kat got some experience driving back in the snow and we were happy to hear she made it home. After climbing mountains with up and down elevations of over 5000 feet, they made it to the Galehead hut and set up a tent as close to the porch as possible. The hut is locked for the winter but provides a little more windbreak than the tent. During the day Eric and Matthew donned their snowshoes and broke trail for over half of their 12 mile hike. It was rough going again especially on the steep inclines. The scenery was great with the fresh snowfall but Matthew said "You mostly forget about it when the hiking is rough." They spotted some rime ice formations that resemble 3 to 4 inch feathers. The next food

pickup is at the Highland Center at Crawford Notch. If all goes as planned they will stay inside a hut tonight.

2007-01-14T16:41:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning started out on a frustrating note with long steady rain and Kat being delayed by key problems... but it turned out very well by the afternoon. Kat arrived from Woods Hole, MA a little after noon.(Thanks to Kat for making the long drive up north to meet the wayward hikers.!!) After the guys finished drying gear and washing clothes they went to a good pizza place. From there they went in search of the stove which was stashed in the back of a red shed. It didn't take long for Kat to find it. They are now prepared to cook some more great meals and melt snow for water. Thanks to Anne L from MITOC for dropping off the stove.Then they found a nice economical motel and took nice hot showers. They did some repacking and later went out for some good Chinese food.
http://www.mountwashington.org/weather/summit_forecast.php I have been monitoring the weather forecast for the summits. It looks like some light snow and lower winds for the next two days. Eric heard someone say the forecast calls for 6 to 10 inches of snow so he is excited. The forecast I read calls for some accumulation.Today they planned to hike Franconia Ridge and stay at the Garfield shelter or hut tonight. That would leave them with sixty miles to hike by Saturday.

2007-01-14T13:53:00.000-05:00

Matthew called Saturday morning with word that there was a little glitch in the plans. They got up early and took down their tent in the steady rain. (It rained most of the night). Somehere along the line Kat had some bad luck and locked the keys in her car. At 9:30 they were waiting below an overpass to get out of the rain. They were hoping someone would take pity and give them a ride to North Woodstock. Meanwhile Kat successfully got into her car and was on her way but a couple of hours behind schedule. At about noon Matthew called from a laundrymat in North Woodstock, NH. He sounded dry and relieved. Some kind soul with a pickup had given them a ride. They were expecting Kat to arrive shortly One more detail in the master plan. Being Kat was too late to pick up the stove at Dunkin Donuts she had to resort to plan B or plan C. It what seems like some sort of clandestine plan, a friend from MITOC stashed the stove behind some haybales in a red barn near the Kangamangus Highway. We will stay tuned to find out if all the plans work and where they ended up on Saturday night. http://netrailhead.com/new_hampshire/kancamagus-scenic-byway/

2007-01-13T13:05:00.000-05:00

The highlight of today's hike was spotting a mother moose and her calf. The guys were following big tracks in the snow and could tell they were fresh. Sure enough mamma and a big calf soon appeared .When the moose caught sight of Eric and Matthew they(The moose) quickly headed for cover. Later on down the trail they found a few (bear tracks) shh...don't tell Mary Kay she was worried enough about the moose. They found a comfortable flat location in the woods to set up the tent close to the Franconia Notch shelter. A big fire was helping to dry out boots and everything else that has been getting damp. The trail is covered mostly in ice and when that breaks the boots go into water that comes over the tops. Their cooking stove has a malfunction so they boiled 6 pots of water over the open fire.

Matthew said hiking Kinsmen Mountain took about four times as long as it would in summer because of the tough wintry trail and the extra load of cold weather gear they need to carry.

The plan for tommorow is: Kat will meet them early in the morning near their campsite. She will bring a replacement stove from MITOC. Then they hope to go to town to wash and dry clothes, warm up and enjoy a good meal in a restaurant.

They met another person on the trail from MITOC today. This was the first day they were not breaking trail the whole day.

2007-01-12T12:58:00.000-05:00

The crampons worked well on the ice and snow covered mountains. "It was hard going" said Matthew, "we covered about 12 miles today." The steps on Mt Moosilauke were topped with a coat of ice. The trip up and down was well worth it. They could see way into Vermont and all the way to Mt Washington. The view extended probably 100 miles and was beautiful. I found out the night time temp was near zero but they claim to be warm enough. Last night was a bit warmer but every attempt to kindle a fire was met with frustration. The logs had absorbed rain and ice for days. The next destination is 12 miles away at Franconia Notch. Here they will meet Kat, get another stove and most likely get a cooked meal in Lincoln, NH. The tent was once again the accomodation for the night. They spotted one hiker on the top of the Mt otherwise the have the AT to themselves until the weekend.

2007-01-11T09:24:00.000-05:00

Last night Eric and Matthew pitched a tent about halfway up Mt Moosilauke. The campsite was covered with only a couple inches of snow but Eric said there is a quite a bit of snow on the peak. I checked the temp for Glencliff, NH this morning and it was 18 degrees at 8:00 am. Once again they built a nice big campfire to keep warm.The guys slept in a little in order to pace them selves to arrive at the Glenncliff Post Office by 2pm. It seems the PO is open for a hour or two in the morning and then reopens at 2:00 pm. If they had left camp at the normal time they would have had a long wait in town. The PO was the lone place of business. They restocked with food and had a big meal of couscous for dinner. They hiked about 10 miles today and have twentytwo more miles to hike on Thursday and Friday in order to meet Kat on Saturday near Franconia Notch. The crampons are very useful and they are using Agua Mira to purify water rather than filtering. All seems to be going well.

More info about the Mountain
http://hikethewhites.com//moosilauke.html

2007-01-10T11:23:00.000-05:00

On a cold evening in the New Hampshire mountains Matthew and Eric were keeping warm close to probably "our biggest fire ever". The trail has been a little lonely with no other hikers but then it is January. They had a "long and hard day" and covered about 19 miles to the Ore Hill shelter and are a little ahead of pace. One highlight was a 140 foot firetower on Smart's Mountain. The natural course was to attempt to climb it but the ice covered steps kept them from the top. The rain froze to the trees and made starting a fire a little difficult. Matthew was prepared for such an event and used some cotton balls coated with vaseline to improve his fire staring chances.

The Ore Hill Shelter looks comfortable but is not as warm as the tent. If it gets much colder they may set up the tent in the shelter. That way they will be warm and dry.

The sky was bright and clear enough to witness the Milky Way as they sat around the fire.

2007-01-09T16:09:00.000-05:00

The second day out on the AT was definitely a rainy one. The rain started late at night and kept going steady until about 2:00 PM on Monday. Eric and Matthew made wise decisions and waited out the rain while resting comfortably in their tent. It is just a little difficult to picture these two guys laying down with no walking for almost 24 hours taking into account they quit hiking at about 4:00PM on Sunday. They kept dry and found the Trapper John shelter after hiking about ten miles. The rain turned to some snow and some sleet but the shelter was dry and they found it stocked with plenty of dry firewood. They were enjoying another warm fire and dreaming of the cozy minus 20 degree sleeping bags. Matthew filled two nalgene bottles with hot water and kept one insulated. That way there is extra warmth in the sleeping bag for the whole night. They put the warm water bottles in the sleeping bags near their toes. As always they are hoping for snow and lower temps so the trail will be less muddy and the trip more adventurous. One of the next stops is the Glencliff PO to pick up food they sent ahead.

2007-01-08T10:59:00.000-05:00

It is January 8th, 2007 and the AT hikers are back on the trail. They plan to hike about 140 miles of the New Hampshire section of the AT. They started from Hanover, NH on Sunday afternoon and plan to finish up in Gorham, NH in about 12 days. Matthew called last night while sitting next to a nice warm fire about seven miles from Hanover. Eric's friend Kat had given them a ride to the trailhead, hiked with them a short while and then went back to Massachusetts. Thanks Kat!! The trail is quite muddy with the temps in the thirties. They are hoping for snow today. I will be watching the forecast.

Click on the link below to read about the NH Trail shelters huts mountains etc.

http://hikethewhites.com/at.html

2006-09-05T15:08:00.000-04:00

Berea brothers take break from MIT to hike the Appalachian Trail

By Tanya Stewart

Berea Citizen August 31st 2006

Atypically for most college students, Eric and Matthew Gilbertson spent their summer vacation this year hauling 50-pound loads on their backs in rough and sometimes treacherous terrain, in pouring rain and searing heat, eight hours a day, seven days a week, for almost three months.And they loved every frickin-frackin magnificent moment of it.
The two Berea Community School alumni, who are juniors at MIT, took 81 days to hike about 1,500 miles of the legendary Appalachian Trail, which extends 2,160 miles from Georgia to Northern Maine.
"We only had a school summer to do it," said,Matthew. "We thought we'd better get the hike done while we were young, while there was still time." The young men, who are majoring in mechanical engineering, figured the equivalent distance as being "from Berea to the Mexican border."
To simply get away from it all was reason enough to take up the challenge of the Trail. "We wanted to escape the stresses of school," said Matthew. "We didn't want to worry about math and physics. [On the Trail], you're not racing against the clock." Added Eric, "We only needed to worry about a place to sleep and what to eat.
The Gilbertsons' odyssey began on June 4 at Springer Mountain, Ga., about 20 miles northeast of Atlanta.We'd get up at sunrise and hike the whole day,"said Matthew. Hoisting backpacks filled with 50 pounds of camping gear, clothing, food, and water, they managed "only" 20 miles their first several days, slowed by blistered feet. Once their feet hardened to the trail's rigors they averaged 25 to 30 miles a day , snacking every two hours in addition to three full meals, to compensate for a daily 7000 calories burned. "It was eight hours of solid exercise," recalled Eric. "Like doing a marathon everyday."
"There were quite a few people on the Trail," said Matthew, including some who had been hiking the Trail piecemeal for 20 years. Provender was never an issue for the duo, as Eric had mailed packages of food four or five days' supply—to post offices along the way. Occasionally, they encountered what is known on the Trail as "Trail Magic": a cooler of food and drink left at path shelters, or even someone with fresh meat on a grill; those who cook or leave goodies are fittingly called "Trail Angels."
In the Southern states, the two pressed wildflowers to send to relatives; in the North, they feasted on blackberries and blueberries, which grew especially well near power lines. In between, the landscape was a "green tunnel" of hardwood forest, through which no "views" could be seen until one got above the treeline.
Weather on the Trail is notoriously fickle, and the Gilbertsons encountered the full gamut. In the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia, they endured- seven straight days of rain. We'd sleep in dry clothes , then pull on the wet for the day", said Matthew. When the sun put in an occasional appearance, the two men ]would throw their dripping gear in sunny patches or near power lines to dry. •
In New Jersey, the nighttime temperatures were a balmy 85 degrees, and the only way to escape the swarms of mosquitoes was to stay in insulating tents that quickly became saunas. "We filled waterbags and put them on our chests and heads," saidEric. In addition, Matthew saw a bear circling their camp one evening; "I could see his green eyes in the dark." Fortunately, unlike, the heat or the insect swarms, the bear passed peaceably into the night forest.
As the two men reached the New England range, temperatures plunged, descending to freezing at night; in addition to their usual sleep wear, they wore socks and gloves, with bottles of warmed water at ther feet.
The high point of their journey was its end—the last five miles to Mt. Katahdin in Maine, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. "We wanted to end with a bang," said Matthew. "We got up at 2 a.m. to be on top at dawn," Eric said. The two scrambled over rocks and on the edges of sheer granite cliffs in the dark;"The stars were so bright,"recalled Matthew. At 4:30,they began to sprint to the summit.
It was 30 degrees and still 45 minutes to daybreak when Matthew and Eric achieved the top of Mt.Katahdin. Wearing only the summer clothing that they had started the Trail in, and had worn the entire way, they did jumping jacks to keep warm, waiting for the sun.
"It was the most spectacular sunrise we'd ever seen," Matthew recalled. "The sun was just red." They had hiked part of the Trail before this trip, in high school; their goal now is to finish the 300 miles ofNew Hampshire andVirginia they had had to skip this time, which they plan to accomplish fromBoston.
To read more aboutMatthew and Eric's adventures on the AppalachianTrail, and to view additional pictures, go to www.ericmatthewat.blogspot.com

2006-09-01T09:46:00.000-04:00

The Berea Citizen published a very nice article featuring Eric and Matthew. For new readers of this blog, thanks for your interest. Scroll down and read some stories and then you can view a bunch of the summer photos via this link. The slide show function works well.
http://mitoc.mit.edu/gallery/album341

2006-08-26T11:39:00.000-04:00

New Photos!!

Click Here

http://mitoc.mit.edu/gallery/album403 Mt Katahdin

http://mitoc.mit.edu/gallery/album402 Gorham, NH to Abol

It is Saturday morning and the hikers are resting at MIT. They just added a bunch of great photos and it looks like they have folders for more. The bus trip from Millinocket to Medway to Boston went very well. Matthew said it felt a little weird to be staying in the big city. I said they would probably set up a tent on the field outside the dorm. The plan was to celebrate at an Italian resturant that offers a T-shirt to those who consume the whole quantity of a special meal. Matthew said "tonight would be the perfect opportunity" to accept the challenge of eating the big meal because they "still were operating on AT appetites."

Together with Eric and Matthew we will publish a summary of the trip as in number of miles, days hiked, shoes worn out,number of blog posts(97 so far) and people met along the trail.

Here is a short list of People met. June:Dad July: Amanda and her Mom, Grandma and Grandpa Wright, Uncle Terry, Aunt Nancy, Bilal, Kat. I know Eric and Matthew enjoyed meeting all of you along the long and rugged AT. Thanks!!

I see here that Matthew goes by Thor and Eric by Sven.. Trail names

2006-08-25T07:15:00.000-04:00

As Matthew and Eric got down off the mountain this afternoon, a group of hikers gave them a bunch of high fives to share in congratulations. In the course of the conversations they managed to gain an offer of a ride to the town of Millinocket, ME. (30 miles from Baxter Park). The other hikers were staying in town for the night and returning in the morning to summit the mountain. They were kind enough to drop Eric and Matthew off at The AT Lodge in town. Eric said it is an old house and the first thru hiker of the AT back in 1948 used to stay there. Their room for the night is called the Earl Shaffer room in his honor. Showers and laundry facilities are welcome amenities. http://appalachiantraillodge.com/

Both guys were totally worn out after a very long grueling day starting at 2:00 AM. It is times like this that we really appreciate all their phone calls this summer when often times after many miles of hiking they were totally spent and ready to crash for the night in the tent. After they set up camp for the night, they often hiked up ridges just to get a phone signal when they could have just gone to sleep. They knew that many people were reading this blog and they obliged our desire for news nearly everyday.
Friday morning the plan is to catch a bus in Medway, ME at 9:30 AM. The bus is then due to arrive in Boston at about 3:30 PM. From there they will stay at MIT until Monday aft when they will board a plane for Cincinatti where we will pick them up and bring them back to Berea. The next post should be links to photos. Check back like you have been doing all summer. Keith

2006-08-24T08:40:00.000-04:00

Victory!!!

Text message Aug 24th 6:23 AM

On top of Katahdin.. awesome sunrise.. cold windy.. spectacular

Matthew and Eric

Matthew called with more details at about 6:45 AM. They got up at 2:00 AM determined to reach the Mt Kathadin summit to witness the sunrise. They arrived 45 minutes before the sun came up and while waiting did jumping jacks to keep warm in the 31.4 degree cold. Words of "amazing, awesome and spectacular" flowed from Matthew.They jogged up the trail in the twilight for awhile not wanting to miss the sunrise and with this method, they made it with plenty of time to spare. Not wanting to wake us to early they hung around in the cold.The clouds were starting to roll in as we talked at 6:45 AM but that was no problem, they had already had a more than an hour of clear spectacular vistas of "probably 100 miles." They guessed they could almost see Monson on the other end of the 100 mile wilderness.

Speaking of the 100 mile stretch, they hiked it in about 3 1/2 days which is really moving with some 30.5 mile days. Matthew guessed the last few days they took in 7000 calories each per day in order to keep up their energy.

Yesterday they stopped at a campsite mid day and laid down in their sleeping bags to rest in anticipation of an Alpine start.After supper it was back in the bags for a few more hours rest. Climbing a mountain in the daytime is one thing but starting in the dark is called an Alpine start and is only for the true adventurers. This trip up was a little tricky when they only had one operating headlamp but they stuck very close together and the clear night and the stars helped a little . I also know they were closely watched over with the Lord's guiding hands.

The weather was too chilly to lounge around and celebrate so they toasted their accomplishment by hiking down a couple of thousand feet and then taking a new route to the top of Mt Katahdin. I doubt that is a very common routine for thru hikers. At noon after the second ascent, it was a "circus on the mountain" with close to a hundred people while at sunrise they had Mt Katahdin all to themselves. Such are the rewards of an Alpine start.

Somewhere along the hike they traversed the famous "Knife's Edge". We are all eagerly waiting for the hundred or so photos they took today. I will post the link when ready. I checked bus schedules and possible plans for getting back to MIT for the weekend. Tonight we should know the plans unless they decide to camp in the woods and try to make it to the bus station in Medway, ME on Friday. Keep reading for more updates. Very soon I will run out of news and writing reports everyday will be something I will miss. Thanks to Eric and Matthew for providing us with all these stories. I am just the reporter. Also thanks to you all for showing so much interest in the adventures of Eric and Matthew. The next report will be about travel plans to get back to Kentucky via MIT.

2006-08-22T16:52:00.000-04:00

Text message Tuesday 12:18 PM
Hi dad.. on top of nesuntabunt mountain.. good view of Katahdin..36 to go drying stuff out during lunch... get to abol bridge TMRW morn..
I found a view from the mountain.
A view of the Abol Bridge campground. I think the bridge is at the edge of Baxter State Park.

2006-08-21T17:36:00.001-04:00

Since we last heard from Eric and Matthew on Saturday afternoon they have progressed as of Monday night to within 45 miles of the top of Mt Katahdin. Today they were nearing the end of a thirty mile hike when they finally got a phone signal. Eric talked for awhile while continuing to hike towards the shelter. The stop for the night was Potaywado Spring Lean-to. Last night the shelter was full of campers and it was raining. They were within rights as thru hikers to ask the group to squeeze in tighter or have a some move out but politeness won out and they got a little wet in the rain. Eric said it is a "circus" up here with so many section hikers on the trail.
They have plenty of food and plan to split a pound and a half of pasta along with mashed potatoes and couscous for tonight's supper.
The scenery is great but to use Eric's term for things not going quite as hoped, "It's unfortunate" that the clouds and rain keep the views hidden. They were able to cruise at about four miles per hour hiking over 15 miles of very level terrrain. They wish more of the miles were like Maine. At this pace they should be camping below the mountain on Wednesday night with a possible summit on Thursday. The weather forecast looks good. I truly enjoy writing aboutEric and Matthew's summer long adventure story and in many ways do not want it to end. I asked Eric about it and he said they both are ready for a break but still have plenty of energy left. He assured me he will definitely have enough energy to hunt for ginseng when they get back to Kentucky.
Weather forecast for the Katahdin area
http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/tenday/MESPBX:13

2006-08-20T21:12:00.000-04:00

One more phone call before embarking into the 100 mile wilderness. They got up very early for the legendary breakfast. It worked like this. The waitress comes up and asks the hikers, how do you want your eggs cooked? Matthew said, "scrambled." Then the question was how many? I am not sure of the maximum but I think Matthew and Eric said four. To keep things simple, they bring four of everything including eggs, sausage, bacon, and pancakes. "It tasted so good", said Matthew. Eric is not a pancake eater real often but he ate everything on his plate. They filled up at the breakfast table and after doing a few more errands around town like picking up mail and sending some postcards were ready to strike out on the trail at about noon. The owner of Shaw's gave them a ride out to the trail head. Matthew said Monson was a great place to stop and the people in this very small town(About 1/10 the size of Montevideo, MN) were very friendly. Matthew and Eric were both eager to get back on the trail to enjoy the wilderness and plan to reach Mt Katahdin by Thursday or Friday. We may not hear from them for a couple of days depending on the quality of mountaintop phone signals. We are thankful that the Lord has been keeping them safe on the rugged trail all these many days. They will continue to do fine as the Lord is watching out over them.

2006-08-19T20:13:00.000-04:00

"Monson, ME is a very rural remote town," said Eric.The hikers arrived there late Friday afternoon after another 22 mile day. To stock up for the 100 mile wilderness, they went shopping at the local General Store and it seemed like everybody in town was there.There was some good hiker type food to pack and they bought out about half of the breakfast cereal in stock.
A group of people with guitars, fiddles and banjos gathered on the porch and played music for the whole town. Then they found the one restaurant in town and it served barbeque.Later they went back to the Shaw's bunkhouse. At first it looked like there was only one bunk left but then the owner said, "we have bunks for you guys, your dad called ahead." She also knew about the loyal reader who sent a check to pay for a night's lodging. It looks like a very nice place to stay for the night with six bunks in a big room. They will need to get up early for a six o'clock breakfast. The past few days Eric and Matthew have been getting to know a few more thru hikers. One group plans to reach Mt Katahdin in 7-8 days. Our guys are looking at about five days. One hiker said to them, "you guys sure do eat a lot of food." I am glad to hear that and know they need to eat big portions often to have enough energy to hike twenty to twenty five miles each day. Remember their packs carry over 40 pounds the first couple of days after grocery shopping.
When I asked Eric about the 100 mile wilderness he said, "Well I hear it is not really a true wilderness, about halfway along the trail there is a guy who comes out in a boat and you can resupply if you need to." You have to catch him at the right time. It sure still sounds like a wilderness to me.

Sometime tommorow... the miles hiked so far this summer should pass 1400.

2006-08-18T12:20:00.000-04:00

Matthew had a lot of stories to tell from the last couple of days so I am glad the phone worked for even a short time. They were 20 miles from Monson, ME at 9:00 AM Friday. On top of Moxie Bald they got a cell signal. The past two days the terrain has leveled out with only one mountain to climb. It is "very remote" with no cabins or people.
Yesterday they enjoyed a "Blueberry and Blackberry Buffet" in the wild. "It was the best patch yet," said Matthew, "We grazed like cattle picking our fill of the delicious berries."
One night they camped on the beach by a beautiful wilderness lake. It felt like, "we are really way up north" as we enjoyed the calling of four loons across the lake, all night long.
For the first time in Maine, swimming in the pond was possible without freezing in the icy cold water. Now it was only a little chilly and the leeches were looking for warm bodies. The swims were short but refreshing.
From Moxie Bald the air was clear with a visibility of 40-50 miles and it looked like the distant Mt Kathadin was appearing on the horizon. By the end of the day in Monson they will be about 115 trail miles from the mountain.
Yesterday I posted a page about crossing the Kennebec River. The crossing went smoothly riding in a big canoe. The water was about 4 feet deep in the middle and way too swift to wade. They talked with the canoeist for a while and he described how the dam upstream is opened periodically and then the water really flows.
The phone reception got weak but I heard about a ride to a food stand in Caratunk, ME and a restaurant and some more ice cream. Friday night they should be bunking at Shaw's lodge. I called up there and the owner said she would save them bunks.

2006-08-17T08:51:00.000-04:00

The boys have not called since Tuesday night so there is no news for now. I bet the cell phone towers are quite scarce near the trail. Here are a couple of web sites to learn more about where they are hiking. I will post news as soon as we hear from them
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Katahdin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_Trail

2006-08-16T19:50:00.000-04:00

Plans for further up the trail. I called ahead to Shaw's Lodging in Monson, ME to get some details. One of our most loyal readers wanted to treat the boys to a nice meal and good night's sleep on a comfortable bunk. Eric told of a place hikers talk about that serves a legendary breakfast and has a bunkhouse. . This lodge sounds inviting and it will be their last stop before the 100 mile wilderness. Look here for details: http://www.shawslodging.com/. We hope to hear from the guys soon as the phone service is very limited in the wilderness. Info on 100 mile wilderness.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100-Mile_Wilderness

2006-08-15T22:50:00.000-04:00

Mt Katahdin is getting closer each day. From the stories Eric and Matthew tell they are in no hurry to get off the trail. Judging by how much they are enjoying the trek , Mt Katahdin may be too close. Yesterday was another 26 mile marathon to Horns Pond Lean-to. They wanted to find a elevated camp at 3,300 feet in order to get a clear look at the starry sky. The caretaker at the shelter told them a mother moose and her calf have been showing up at the nearby pond early most mornings. They hope to spot them in the bright and early.
Some time tommorow or Thursday they will cross the Kennebec River. There is a man who ferries hikers across the wide river. He has a boat or canoe and gives rides during small windows of opportunites. The timing must be right or the choices are to wait until next time or attempt to ford the river with backpack overhead. The guys plan to time their arrival in order to ride. Link to ferry page with info http://www.riversandtrails.com/
Today was the first day they dared to jump in a creek with out fear of hypotermia. it was cold but refreshing. It looks like there may be more brief swimming opportunites in some of the ponds. The blueberries are still plentiful and they were told there are wild cranberries but they are difficult to find.
Again the trail was up a few thousand feet then down the same and right back up. I reckon that is why not all of us hike the Appalachian Mountain Trail. The trail will level a little bit near the river. They are hiking off and on with a group who plan to summit Katahdin near to the same day they plan to be there. We are glad to hear there is some company as they will soon be heading into what is known as the 100 mile wilderness. More about that later. Oh yes, Mt Katahdin is 182 miles up the trail.

2006-08-14T22:06:00.000-04:00

209 Miles to Mt Katahdin
Today was an easy day with a short eleven mile hike in the afternoon. When I look at the map I see a few more 4,000 ft mountains to climb but after Mt Bigelow it looks like the mountains are a little smaller. Pleasant Pond Mountain sounds a little less foreboding at about 2,100 ft. "Yes, said Eric, the trail is still steep and rough", with a 4000 feet elevation gain up and down.Wild blueberries are so plentiful they can grab clumps of five or more with out even breaking stride. Once in awhile they just "have to stop for blueberries breaks" and pick a few big handfuls of the delicious berries.
The overnight stay at the Gull house in Rangely was very enjoyable with a nice bunk, a shower and and an all you can eat breakfast for $20. Grocery shopping, lunch and laundry proved to be a challenge as they were not quite located close next to each other. Eric described a complicated plan, the result of it was to buy a bunch of groceries and a half of gallon of ice cream. They enjoyed the ice cream right outside the store before walking to the pizza place. It would have melted on the one mile walk from the store to the pizza place.
From the post office the guys looked out over the big lake and spotted loons along with big float planes landing and taking off on Rangeley Lake.
One other note: They talked with one of the hikers staying at the sort of crowded shelter/lean-to ,who is from Richmond, Ky. The miles hiked this summer should be over 1200 by now.

2006-08-13T22:04:00.000-04:00

Mt. Katahdin countdown.... 220 Miles
The phone signal was weak yesterday and even if it did get stronger on a mountaintop, Matthew said, "the last thing we wanted to do was take time to stop and talk on the phone." The wind was blowing hard and the temps were in the forties. The hikers just wanted to keep on going downward to warm up, knowing that the trail was a series of steep inclines followed by steep declines. Matthew said, "It seems like we keep on saying this was the roughest trail yet , but I am sure yesterday took the cake for toughest climbs."
Last night camping at about 3700 feet was another cold one, below thirty four degrees. There may have been a frost but it was real foggy in the morning. They slept in a shelter which often is colder than the tent.
Another 26 miles yesterday left them "dead tired" so today they were part way on a "wimpy day" of 17 miles which will leave them staying in a hostel in Rangely, ME. There is a shutttle from the trail and they are looking forward to a much warmer night for sleeping. A nice hot shower awaits them and that will also feel great. In the morning they will go to the post office to pick up some of the "perfect" energy bars that have gone from Worthington, OH, Petersham, MA and Berea, KY to Hanover, NH and now to ME. Matthew and Eric hope to get some postcards to send thank you notes those who sent the goodies. They both express thanks to Pat and Kat for sending energy. They will restock with groceries for the next 5 days and hope to find warm hats and gloves at the local outfitter.
The environment is harsh with steep rock slab trails but "it is really cool" that thousands of blueberry bushes are growing straight out of the rocks.
The best news is NO BUGS. It may be too cold for them. Some trees are already turning. Moose?? None yet ..but lots of tracks. "Some look big enough for a T-Rex." said Matthew.
There are plenty of lakes and a couple even listed a nice swimming beach. With the cold temps there was no chance the guys even considered diving into the water. They learned via a phone message from Garrett the MIT weatherman."The forecast for the next week looks warmer with lows in the high 40's and sunny."
Matthew said from the high mountain camps they could see 20 -30 miles in all directions. It is true wilderness as at night he only spotted 3 or 4 lights far off in the distance. Mountains and big lakes surround them.
Links Rangeley, ME http://www.rangeleymaine.com/index2.shtml

2006-08-12T16:21:00.000-04:00

Countdown to Mt Katahdin: 262 Miles
A few days ago we never thought we would be asking Eric and Matthew if they had enough warm clothes. Eric reported a temp of 37 degrees at 9:00 pm on Friday. He thought it might get even a little chillier because of the nice clear night. To keep warm at night, they boil water and put it into water bottles and then put the bottles in the bottom of their sleeping bags. As Eric was on the phone, Matthew was taking pictures of the rising moon as it was bright orange and almost full . Being on a mountain top at 3,700 ft, above tree line and a 360 view, Eric expects a nice very, very early sunrise.
Yesterday was "definitely fun" as they tackled the fabled Mahoosuc Notch. It was straight up and called for rock climbing techniques with handholds. The mile segment took about an hour as they stopped often to take off backpacks in order to fit through the small notches. Eric said they could have hiked the notch quicker but,"That was not the point." It was another interesting adventure. Along the way they found some big fifty pound plus.. slabs of ice. The sun never reaches some spots so winter ice remains mostly year round.As an experiment, both of the guys put big chunks of ice in their water bottles and are wondering just how long it will last. After the scorching hot days of PA and NJ a little cold weather is welcome. Based on reports from other hikers they expect the trail to be better, less difficult and the temp to rise a few degrees. They are on the lookout for moose. The next towns will be Rangely and Monson. They are filled with energy from earlier food drops and will pickup some more of of the energy bars,fruit mix and other goodies sent by Kat and Aunt Pat.
Here is a link to weather near Monson ME.The mountain tops will be a few degrees colder, about 3 to 4 degrees per 1000 feet. http://www.weather.com/weather/weekend/USME0255?from=search
For more weather details contact: Garrett: the MIT weather man.

2006-08-11T15:11:00.000-04:00

Mount Success was the site of a phone call from Eric this morning. The ME border was within a mile and they were anticipating a hike through the famous Mahuossic Notch today. This is often called the "roughest one mile of the AT." A couple of summers back Eric and Matthew hiked with a Math camp group through this part of the trail so they know what to expect. I looked up some info and plan to post some informational links. Eric said the trail today is open rock with limited vegetation. It is often steep as in "straight up" and quite different from other parts of the AT. He said the forecast for nearby Mt. Washington was a high of 40 degrees today. He is hoping for snow somewhere in the mountains and wilds of Maine. The temp was chilly and may have been in the upper forties last night. The destination for tonight is Grafton Notch. No moose spotted yet , only big tracks.

2006-08-10T23:22:00.000-04:00

The hike into NH went well and the guys picked up a bunch of packages at the Hanover post office. Eric and Matthew say thank you!! to Aunt Pat, Kat and Mom and Dad. They are very well set with energy bars, beef jerky and other goodies. They sent some up ahead to mail drops in Rangely and Monson, ME. By the looks of the Maine trail they will need plenty of Power Bars. The choice of a bus ride to MIT won out. In Cambridge they met Amanda, Garrett, Wendi and Eleanor. They all went to eat at Bertucci's for pizza and ateplenty of breadsticks. Along with some biking, making more of a chocolate chip, peanut butter concoction and running errands, they got a taste of the big city and headed right back to the trail via the bus to North Conway,NH. From there they got an expensive car ride to the trail head past Gorham, NH. After getting a three o'clock start, they hiked 11 miles to a nice shelter near the ME border. Early on Friday morning they will cross the border into Maine, the 14th and final state of the Appalachian Trail. After hiking about 1200 miles since early June, they have to hike only 280 miles more to reach Mt. Katadhin. So far we don't know of any friends or relatives to meet along the wilderness trail of Maine. Maybe if I jump in the car now I could catch up with them at the bottom of the last big mountain. Waiting for them to come back down would probably be best for me because after having Katahdin in their sights for most of the summer, they will most likely sprint to the top with arms raised in a salute of VICTORY!!

2006-08-09T22:01:00.000-04:00

"We have plenty of food and we are hiking off of the energy we built up during our weekend with Amanda and her Mom. We hiked 27 miles today to get with in five miles of the NH border at Hanover." Eric and Matthew
From a bunch of us who know Eric and Mattthew.We want Amanda's mom to know how much all of us appreciate your kindness to Matthew and Eric.. Thank you many times over. They both tell us how much they enjoyed meeting up with you in Vermont and Harper's Ferry and for all your generosity. We even hear you are a fine swimming teacher.
They plan to arrive in Hanover by 10:00 am, which will give them enough time to stop at the Post office and pick up expected packages from Aunt Pat, Mom and Dad and one they mailed ahead to themselves. After that they plan to catch a bus to Concord, NH. Then there is a decision to wait 4 hours and head north to Gorham, NH or go south to MIT and stay for the night. They would catch the first bus out of Boston if that choice is made. I guess you will have to wait for tommorow' s post to see what Eric and Matthew decided to do. Thanks to all you readers who read and keep up with the guys along the great AT adventure.

2006-08-09T07:44:00.000-04:00

HighLights:
Eric's friend Kat sent a great email last week telling about her "awesome" hike with Eric and Matthew. Read her letter by clicking here. http://newsfromkat.blogspot.com/

2006-08-08T16:43:00.000-04:00

It was another tough 26 mile day up and down the beautiful wilderness of the Green Mountains in Vermont. It seems like there is always one more "toughest climb yet." Eric said that one mountain which he wasn't even sure of the name had a very long sustained steep incline. He and Matthew kept on plugging non stop until they reached the summit. There wasn't much of a view so they kept on going to within 32 miles of Hanover, NH. It is the home of Dartmouth and located on the NH border. If plans go right they will catch a couple of buses Wednesday afternoon and end up in Gorham, NH via Concord, NH.. sometime late on Wednesday evening. From there they will catch a short ride to the AT in Maine. They decided to bypass NH for now in order to hike Maine which is pretty much off limits after late October. They should have other opportunites on weekends to hike the AT portion of NH from Hanover to the White Mts. The pervasive black flies are taking the place of the dreaded mosquitoes. It is tough to decide which is worse. Black flies appear in a large quantities resembling clouds. The weather is still very nice in the 70's. They woke up to raindrops at 4:30 AM but it only lasted until 6:30. No real problem after the many downpours in Virginia. The forecast for the week has some nighttime temps in Maine dropping into the 50's That sounds great while we are roasting here in Kentucky.

2006-08-08T14:02:00.000-04:00

I got an email from Amanda telling some more stories about meeting the boys in Vermont. When I told Mary Kay about the letter she said it sounded "cute" So it needs to be included here . Thanks Amanda!
I just posted a blog about seeing Matthew and Eric in Vermont this weekend. It was great seeing them again - my mom and I drove to Wallingford, VT on Saturday morning, and on the road where we expected to see Matthew and Eric, we kept honking our horn around every curve so they wouldn't miss us. It was awesome to be able to meet up with them in a random place. I wish we could bump into them more often. Amanda

2006-08-07T13:17:00.000-04:00

That last post was from Matthew, and this one's from Amanda. Matthew and Eric are lucky to be hiking in Vermont right now. Weather has been in the 70's, lots of opportunities to go swimming in a creek, and there is more activity since the Long Trail to Canada joins the AT for a while. What I liked most of all were the green mountains that were everywhere, hence "Ver-mont." The boys had a chance to rest, eat up, restock, refuel, and do laundry in Rutland, VT with me and my mom. We went to a movie theater on Saturday, then on Sunday morning before Matthew and Eric set off, we swam in Clarendon Gorge on the AT. This afternoon the boys climbed most of the way up Killington Mountain, the second highest peak in Vermont at more than 4000 ft. Almost to New Hampshire!

A little more from a call Sunday night. Matthew described a refreshing swimming experience in the gorge. There were rapids in the frigid water and the three kids, Matthew, Eric and Amanda practiced strong swimming strokes they had learned from Amanda's mom the night before in the Holiday Inn swimming pool. The current was strong but they swam into it and then floated down stream. After a picnic they got back on the trail about 3:00 and hiked another ten miles. The weather was chilly and it was the nicest night since the Smokies in mid June.

2006-08-07T13:00:00.000-04:00

The guys posted some more photos: look here.
http://mitoc.mit.edu/gallery/album382

http://mitoc.mit.edu/gallery/album369

2006-08-06T09:36:00.000-04:00

Glad to see Amanda and her mom. We're in the process of packing food - won't go hungry this time. Made a peanut butter and white chocolate chip, super-calorie concoction. Planning to go swimming in a creek this afternoon before heading off on the trail. We're getting reenergized for the trail with good food and relaxation.

2006-08-04T21:22:00.000-04:00

"Finally phone service," said Matthew calling from near Wallingford, VT. He had walked about a mile from camp searching for service. The service cut out quickly but I found out they are camped about 100 yards from the spot they expect Amanda and her mom to pick them up from Saturday morning at 9:30. They are ready for a rest and some good filling meals. The trail is rough and the miles long. This location puts them about sixty miles from Hanover, NH. The mile marker is 1660 which means Eric and Matthew's summer AT hiking totals just over 1,100 miles.

2006-08-04T14:46:00.000-04:00

Some Highlights from Vermont via text Messages
Aug 02 Hi Dad on rural road in Vermont.pretty sunset and half moon with fields of lupine..Marathon today.. coolest weather in weeks.

Aug 01 13 miles today near bennington hiked next to beaver dams really tired . camped behind outfitters almost saw moose.
I have been working this week in Bloomsburg, PA. while
Amanda has been doing a great job keeping us informed about the big hike. These are a couple of the messages that got through to me. I have some time on the computer today and I bet Amanda is getting ready to go up North to meet the guys in Vermont. I hope she will keep writing reports even when I start up again next week. One night Matthew tried to talk on the phone but the most he got out before the phone cut out was about frustrating muddy trails in Vermont. I guess they got through the mud as evidenced by a 26.5 mile day of hiking.

2006-08-03T08:18:00.000-04:00

At 8 am this morning, Matthew and Eric were 3 miles south of Stratton Mountain in Vermont, where it's believed that Benton MacKaye first dreamed up the AT. A firetower tops the 4000-ft. summit. Yesterday's firetower was atop Glastenbury Mtn. (elev. 3750 ft.), and Matthew told me that the wind was so strong that the firetower was shaking! Their total distance today was 23 miles. Though getting tired and hungry, they plan to push forward about 25 miles tomorrow, putting them close to Rutland, VT (mi. 1686.6), where my mom and I will drive up to meet them for the weekend. They will probably want a well-deserved rest day, while my mom and I will probably want to hike!

2006-08-02T20:55:00.000-04:00

26.5 miles today! The wind must have carried them along... Matthew said they enjoyed a "windy lunch" on top of a firetower and that the wind will keep them cool this evening. Terrain is becoming more characteristically "northern," so all there needs to be is a moose or bear to complete the picture. Tonight they observed a half moon - fitting since they've completed just about half of their AT journey.

2006-08-01T22:03:00.000-04:00

Got a message from Matt: they were "on" today. They traveled many miles, crossed into Vermont in the morning, and had a good mexican rice dinner at night. I will add more as I hear from the Gilbertson twins.

2006-07-31T20:09:00.000-04:00

Matthew called today from the top of Mt. Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts, with a 30-mile panoramic view. On top, there was a tower and cell phone service!, which has been a rarity in the MA section. After a filling lunch at a Chinese buffet, he and Eric ended up in Williamstown, MA tonight, which made their distance today more than 15 miles. They came from Cheshire, MA, where they parted with Kat. She got a ride back home thanks to a friend. Yesterday the three traveled about 9 miles and had fun accessorizing with birch bark. Go here: http://www.naturepanoramas.com/68001115.html to see a 360-view from the summit of Mt. Greylock.

2006-07-30T06:30:00.000-04:00

7/29/06 10:32 PM
Hi dad. low batt. charge in Dalton tmrw. did 32mi today!! meet kat in morning. hit 1000mi for this summer!! matthew
That sounds like an ambitious day and by the radar there looked like rain.
I am leaving for Pennsylvania now and I hope Amanda hears more news from the guys and tells us about it. Thanks Amanda

2006-07-29T21:28:00.000-04:00

Text message Friday night. Hi Dad mosquitoes bad at mt Wilcox shelter heavy rain today drenched big fire got fajitas for trail magic low batt matthew.

The Mt Wilcox Lean-to shelter is about 34 miles from Dalton, MA where they plan to meet Kat on Sunday.

I wrote yesterday about always finding good news amongst the frustrating times. This sounds like another day us readers are glad to be under a solid roof with the doors closed to keep out the weather and bugs. Even though they got soaked in the rain and bit up by mosquitoes they were happy because of "trail magic." We have grown accustomed to hearing more details from the hikers but I am very thankful messages get through with the magic of cell phones.

I will be going to Bloomsburg, PA next week to join a CAP work crew helping with flood relief. Amanda has kindly agreed to write in this journal next week as she hears news from Matthew. I look forward to reading Amanda's stories. Now we hope Matthew gets his cell phone charged soon.

2006-07-28T19:52:00.000-04:00

Highlights of Thursday on the trail. Added CT to list of state high points. We got a text message at 1:54. "On roof of CT.Elevation 2,380 Massachusetts tonight" They made it seven miles into Mass. and found a good shelter to get in out of the rain. The bug spray was working good and they had a big meal of chicken and rice, couscous and mashed potatoes.
Things to look forward to. After hiking a quick seven miles they should find a resting point that has three items ranked very high on a hiker's list: Ice Cream, hot showers and fresh fruit. On Sunday they plan to meet Eric's friend, Kat. She is doing research in the Harvard Forest near Petersham, MA which is about sixty miles from the AT. Kat will get a ride part way and then take a bus to Dalton, MA. From there they will all hike a few miles together before Kat needs to get back to work.
The trail is tough, the mosquitoes bad, and the weather often miserable but it seems the guys always find something to look forward to. It may be meeting friends, trail magic, a hot shower or even good weather. As they approach 1000 hiking miles it is fun to read back in this journal and find familiar themes revolving around great scenery, family, friends,food, weather, and a definite determination to enjoy a true adventure along the AT.
Link to info about Massachusetts AT trail

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.771247/k.AF3D/Massachusetts.htm

2006-07-27T17:49:00.000-04:00

The great state of Massachusetts.. the home of MIT is within eleven miles for the two hikers.(A hike from the AT to Cambridge would be about 5-6 days) They will arrive in MA on Thursday after a little detour to climb the highest mountain in CT. Mt Frissell. There are a few people out there who attempt to climb the high points in all 50 states. Eric and Matthew are making a dent in this quest. So far 4 western states AZ, NM, CA, NV and a bunch more including Iowa and NJ.
The trail in CT has been described as moderate but Matthew told of a roller coaster with climbs up and down of 700 vertical feet. The town of Kent,CT showed itself to be less hospitable than some of the more southern communities and was a little to0 rich looking for Matthew's tastes. The Housatonic River was a great place to relax, swim, soak,float and cool off after another warm day of hiking. The menus have been changing a little and the guys have decided to eat more each day to keep up their energy. The packs are heavy with food and they may need to restock more often. I often think how much easier it would be to eat in the cafeteria and have someone else cook. But where is the adventure in that?
http://www.americasroof.com/usa.shtml

2006-07-26T13:06:00.000-04:00

The phone reception was weak so Eric sent a text. 9:21 PM July 25. We're five miles past Kent. swam in Housatonic-no shower in town,not able to upload pics at library.Blog very impressive. Photo: Housatonic River, Kent, Connecticut.
I know they were unhappy about not posting photos and the rest of us sure wanted to see some of their new pics. They will have to go to plan B. It was also great to hear that the stars of the blog..Eric and Matthew.. like the hike report.
Link to info about trail in CT . http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.771635/k.3BBD/Connecticut.htm

2006-07-25T19:58:00.000-04:00

Hello Connecticut, Goodbye NY
I asked Eric tonight,"Are you still glad to be out there hiking?" His answer was a swift and excited, "Definitely". They are tenting about three miles out of Kent, CT tonight. Tommorow the plan is to upload photos and check email. Then they will resupply groceries and go a few miles up the trail. After a "true Marathon" of 26 miles today, a short day is in order.The trail went along many more stone fences today and touched the only Indian Reservation on the AT near Shetacoke Mt. (I will look up the spelling). After having a few nights of restless sleep the guys tried some experiments with shifting meal times. They came to the conclusion it is best to eat close to bed time and avoid desserts at night because the sugar may be keeping them awake. They will replenish calories with bigger portions. There are many lessons learned on the long trail. Water is a life line on the trail and they have been fortunate to find a few long handled pumps with cool pure water. (For the MITOC hikers reading this.)Being a reporter, I research highlights about the upcoming trail. When neither Eric or Matthew talked about the "Lemon Squeezer" I wondered if they had passed through it . "Yes, said Eric, "we went through it two days ago and it was awesome." It is a very narrow passageway through the rock and very tough to "squeeze" through. Just past it was a white blaze on a "class 3 scramble rock." They met five more thru hikers all taking the scramble instead of the "easy way" around. Mileage?? They will pass 900 today.

2006-07-24T23:12:00.000-04:00

Amanda wrote a very enjoyable journal telling the highlights of her 3-4 days hiking with Matthew and Eric. Read it by clicking here. http://amandasatjournal.blogspot.com/ I have posted 4 photos so far.

2006-07-23T22:14:00.000-04:00

So far Eric or Matthew have called or sent text messages every night since early June and I have written a report every day. This time I am combining Saturday and Sunday. Jacob and I took Doug to the Cincinnati Reds game on Saturday and we got back very late. Saturday for Eric and Matthew was very eventful as they joined other hikers for a delicious breakfast of eggs, steak, muffins and fruit prepared by a former thru hiker who drove up from New York City just to provide food and fellowship for hikers. There were a bunch of hikers the guys had met before and they talked Eric and Matthew into waiting until after 9:00 am for a great meal. It was definitely worth the wait.
During the day's hike they traveled over the oldest and original section of the AT as it passed directly through a zoo. The zoo was crowded with people and it "seemed strange to see so many people looking through glass" to see the same animals we have been enjoying on the trail. Many of the people "probably don't even realize that if they got onto the trail they could see rattlesnakes in the wild." Judging by the number of people they encountered the city of New York was missing a bunch today.
After the zoo, came the Hudson River and the bridge crossing over into what Matthew called another region. Hikers get by without paying a toll and the bridge is about 200 feet over the river. Quite impressive judging from a photo I posted a couple of days ago.
Sunday was less eventful and they somehow decided to stay at the Morgan Stewart shelter for the night. They had tented each night since Harper's Ferry. This is about 13 miles from the CT border. The weather is the most pleasant in days as it is 15 degrees cooler and the guys were even wearing longsleeves and pants. The day was "uneventful" according to Matthew but to me it sounded like a great day hiking near miles of old abandoned stone walls and a forest of Paper Birch trees. Other little joys.. The shelter had an old fashioned pump so the water was already pure. The plan is to make it near Kent, CT tommorow and then spend an "errand day" on Tuesday in Kent. There is public library with internet. Maybe they will check email . egilbert@mit.edu and matthewg@mit.edu and read this blog.
On Saturday and Sunday the miles covered were about 47. They should pass the 900 mile count on Tuesday but who is counting?? The stories are more interesting than statistics.
t

2006-07-22T22:29:00.000-04:00

The phone reception was weak tonight but we did find out the guys are staying in a NY state park with many "amenities." There is running water and picnic tables. The ranger said all thru hikers can stay for free. As if that isn't enough... there is a promise of a "Free Food Event" at 8:00 o'clock in the morning. A decision had to be made to stop early and "only" hike twenty two miles today , but thru hikers like Eric and Matthew will never pass up the opportunity for free food. Their campsite for the night is on a hill with a cool breeze.."the coolest night in two weeks" and the wind is blowing away any mosquitoes. They should get a "decent sleep tonight.
Amanda..... Matthew was just starting to tell me what was in the package you sent to him and then the phone cut out. Eric told about the cookies last night. After the phone quit we got this text message. "did only 22 mi. over tough ground. crossing Hudson tmrw. That would make 840 miles hiked in about 40 full days of hiking.

2006-07-21T14:58:00.000-04:00

Last night we welcomed another call from Eric. He and Matthew were resting for the night in a campsite a little ways in to NY state. They left the great state of NJ behind. Now the Mountains of New England are almost in sight. My latest count for Eric and Matthew has them hiking over 800 AT trail miles since June 4th. They may cross over the Hudson River tommorow near Peekskill, NY. The photo is from another hiker's journal with this caption. A foggy morning, looking at the Bear Mountain Bridge,our way across the Hudson River.
The miles are sailing by and Eric and Matthew seem to be about 3 days ahead of the mail drop plan. The extremely hot temps have subsided a little and that is sure a relief.
Animal report from yesterday. Some huge buzzards (also known as Turkey Vultures) viewed up close while resting on the edge of a cliff. I wrote quick notes I am not sure who was resting the buzzards or the hikers. Maybe it was both. Eric got photos of the buzzards. No reports of bears or snakes.
Last night at the church basement was very good with a cool fan blowing and no bugs. They tried to post some photos but the line for the computer was very long. Matthew enjoyed some of Amanda's cookies while taking some short rest breaks. With a recent stop at a grocery store the guys are toting about 40 pounds each.

2006-07-20T17:52:00.000-04:00

A hostel in the basement of an Episcopal church in Vernon, NJ was a great place for the Eric and Matthew to stay last night. According to Matthew it felt like a motel, they were watching "Back to the Future" on TV, a kind man asked them what flavor of ice cream they wanted, the showers were refreshing, the washer and dryers worked great and they even got to sleep on the floor. "We kind of forget that we are on the trail." They went to an Italian restaurant for dinner. A cool night behind closed doors was welcome relief after hiking a few more days in stifling heat
"The mosquitoes are terrible in camp, the "dinky little tent" was extremely hot and "so uncomfortable" They got maybe 4 or 5 hours of decent sleep each night. One idea other hikers/campers might want to try to cool off. At night in the tent Eric and Matthew put water pouches filled with cool water on their chests. This enabled them to sleep a little bit better.
I asked Matthew for more information about the bear sightings. He said, "I was so frustrated with the weather conditions and completely worn out, if that bear had even come close I would have said, Mr. Bear you have got a lot of nerve. This is the last straw." I would of had to fight him off and I would have won. Luckily (for Mr. Bear? Matthew?) he went back into the woods."
The mail pickup in Unionville went okay with two out of three. The Power bars and Matthew's contacts arrived and also a nice package from Amanda. The box of extras they sent ahead was not there yet but it was not essential. Matthew put Amanda's box of cookies securely in his pack and will save them for just the perfect time on the trail today. They will taste great!! Thanks Amanda.
I updated a couple of stories with photos click on the links below.
New photos from Grandma added to previous stories:
http://ericmatthewat.blogspot.com/2006/07/hi-dad-said-matthewat-800-pm-we-are.html
http://ericmatthewat.blogspot.com/2006/07/grandma-called-sunday-night-while-guys.html

2006-07-19T10:01:00.000-04:00

Goodbye to New Jersey for one night.. Hello New York. The trail touches NY for a mile or two and then turns back to NJ for a few miles then it heads to NY. The total states hiked in by Matthew and Eric numbers nine out of fourteen on the AT. Last night they stopped to spend the night in a city park right in the heart of Unionville, NY. Population 556. They needed permission from the mayor to camp here. This is standard practice. See the website for Unionville.
http://www.unionvilleny.org/content/newsletter_details.asp?ArticleID=20
The plan is to pick up some mail today and then hike twelve miles to a road crossing which is less than two miles from Vernon, NJ; population over 20,000. Here Eric and Matthew hope to rest, do laundry, check email,buy groceries, get a shower and generally slow down. Today was another "extremely hot day" There are often opportunities to meet interesting people along the trail and today they enjoyed talking with a man from Ecuador who had visited 130 countries so far. They talked about the Galapagos Islands and the man gave each of the guys cold bottles of water and a five dollar bill for a good meal . More kindness, greatly appreciated on a stifling hot day at High Point, NJ.
In Unionville the guys shared a half gallon of ice cream. I bet that was refreshing and replenished some burned up calories.
The trail guides talk about bears in NJ and sure enough they appeared. Last night Matthew spotted some green eyes in the forest and Eric heard a bear sneaking around. For added protection Matthew gathered some big sticks near the tent just in case the bear wanted some cereal and pudding mix. The bear must have figured out he was no match for these guys and drifted back into the woods. On Tuesday they came across a group of campers trying to scare a small bear away from their campsite. Eric said he got a good picture of the bear right before it took off. Just some more exciting adventures on the AT.

2006-07-18T16:47:00.000-04:00

New text message at 4:41PM Tuesday July 18th

Hi Dad on top of highest point in NJ brr its cold at this elevation with snow. ice on ground altitude sickness. head down for warmer weather Matthew.. End

2006-07-18T16:07:00.000-04:00

Dinner for Monday night was a big pizza from Gipp's Tavern near Culver Lake, NJ. That was sort of good news but the day did not go quite as planned. The guys hiked a few extra miles in the hot sun to reach a good restuarant with lots of choices and desserts only to find that it was closed on Mondays. The guide book failed to mention that. After some understandable dissapointment they continued on to find the tavern. Not being of drinking age, they were not allowed to sit inside but found a place next to the lake and waited for the pizza. It arrived while Matthew was on the phone. He said a quick goodbye as it looked good and he was extremely hungry. I reckon hiking 26 miles can work up a big appetite. They also had to go up the trail a little more to find a campsite.I have been watching the New Jersey forecast and it looks like it is very hot. Eric and Matthew verified that the temps were high and they got a little sunburned when the tree cover was sparse. They were ready for a good nights sleep and hoping the fresh supply of bug spray will ward off the pesky mosquitoes. The AT mountain club store had fuel so they are ready to do some more cooking. The pace looks like Unionville, NY on Wednesdaywhere they will be looking for mail. The next scheduled mail pickup is Kent, CT in a week. It would be nice if they got some notes and or treats. If you mail something do it real soon, Address it like this:

Eric or Matthew Gilbertson

Thru Hiker : General Delivery

Kent post office

Kent, CT 06757

Kent, CT 06757 July 27
North Adams, MA 01247 August 3
We got messages from four more people who are reading this blog. Including a MIT classmate, a hiking buddy, Aunt Nancy and my student Terry. Thanks for your responses. I will try to post some of the comments. Let me know you are reading ..email kgilbertson27@yahoo.com

2006-07-17T12:20:00.000-04:00

Hello New Jersey...Goodbye PA
Sometime in the late afternoon as Matthew spotted the Delaware River, he called his friend and New Jersey native..Garrett. He and Eric were granted permission by Garrett to enter the great state of New Jersey. Upon crossing the Delaware Matthew "knelt down on Jersey soil in Garrett's honor to pay homage to him" and his native state. New Jersey has some rugged trail and beautiful scenery. They will spend the next 70 miles and 3 or 4 days exploring New Jersey's high points.
The temps are soaring into the 90's but it was "fairly comfortable with a breeze" when hiking in the trees. In the clearings with bright sun light it has been mighty hot. At night it can be very hot in the tent but the screen keeps the mosquitoes away unlike the shelters which are wide open. These nights it would be great to have a bigger tent.
Having plenty of water to keep hydrated in this hot weather is a challenge as there were no springs on the trail for over 25 miles. Near one place the guys were planning to hike a half mile off trail to find water but then were pleasantly surprised to find more "trail magic". Some kind folks had left a bunch of gallon jugs filled with water right next to the trail. The Nalgene bottles were quickly refilled.Later in the day they hiked near a motel and there the worker glady filled up their water bottles. Simple acts of kindness mean a great deal to tired and thirsty hikers.
Camfires are not permitted in New Jersey so mosquito repellant will have to take the place of smoky fires.
By today Eric and Matthew have hiked over 740 miles.
Here is a link to info about the AT in NJ

http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.774739/k.AE4/New_Jersey.htm

2006-07-16T18:05:00.000-04:00

Some place on the internet I read that the PA portion of the AT was the easiest. Eric informed me that when climbing through Lehigh Gap he found the toughest trail south of New Hampshire. "At times, he said, we were using our hands to get us up the rocky trail." He said they were probably class three climbs. At the end of the day when setting up camp they were 24 miles from the New Jersey border. Maybe the trail will be smoother than the past few days. In order to get to Palmerton to pick up mail and buy groceries they had to find a way around a locked gate that was blocking the side trail into town. Eric described a complicated way of unloading their packs and slipping between the fence and gate. I asked if they could have found another way to town he said, probably, but this was more challenging. There is an old zinc mine by Palmerton and the trees on the trail for miles past it are all dead. I looked on another hiker's log and he called it the "Badlands". By the end of today's hike they found some woods again. The few problems now are mosqitoes,running out of cooking fuel and a little rain. They are using wood fires to cook and also shoo the mosquitoes. Just as the rain started they ran to a gazebo in town and waited it out. Just a few more challenges along the rugged trail. In case any one wonders Eric says they have been taking vitamins and ate a good meal tonight with mashed potatoes and a lipton instant meal. Pudding for dessert. They are expecting cookies and some Power bars when they pick up mail in Unionville, NY around Wednesday.

2006-07-15T13:35:00.000-04:00

Each day I look forward to hearing from the hikers and then telling their story on this blog. Both Eric and Matthew are curious to know who is reading as they hike the AT. We know Mom, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, some special friends and Lisa(one of my students)are following along . Maybe some people from MITOC are reading it. Let me know by sending email to kgilbertson27@yahoo.com . I will include some comments like this from Amanda's mom."I can see your hearty support to your sons in the blogspot. Very well done journey report. I really enjoy reading it as if I were on the trail."

2006-07-15T12:07:00.000-04:00

Another great day on the trail ending up with a" spectacular view on a beautiful night" from a mountain top near Palmerton, PA. The view was wide open and "it was like we are in a low flying airplane looking over the beautiful valleys"Matthew said they were camping right over the turnpike. If they were to dig a hole by their tent, they would end up in the Lehigh tunnel. Once again Matthew was tending another big mosquito chasing fire. The bugs are out in full force. After some days of hiking along the ridge amongst the trees this was the first day they could look into the distance for some great scenery. Matthew compared the rocks and valleys and blueberry bushes to vistas they have enjoyed in Maine.
When Terry and Nancy read this .. Matthew and Eric told us they had a great time visiting with you, great food and thank you very much. "It was a great break."

Last week I wrote of a minor disagreement between the guys over just how long to stop and pick raspberries. This day there was a similar conflict but now it was over blueberries. Matthew said, "Eric is the blueberry guy. We had to stop for him a lot today. Blueberries take longer to get a bunch than raspberries." I trust they compromised and enjoyed the fruits of the trail.
As for the terrain, Matthew described it as, "fifteen miles over the hardest toughest rocks ever. At times it was miserable to find our own way over the jagged, pointy rocks." He gave the trail makers a low rating based on his and Eric's own experiences doing trail maintainence in The Sierra Mountains last summer. Over all both of the boys are doing fine with the exception of being tired and some sore ankles after hiking twenty one more miles over the rocky terrain. The trail should be less rocky as they get to New Jersey in the next day or two.
Here are some photos from another hiker on the Penn AT. It gives me an idea of the terrain
http://royrobinson.homestead.com/flyinbrian_AT_Pix02.html

2006-07-14T15:02:00.000-04:00

Variety has been the word for this week on the trail. The guys spent Sunday night in a nice motel in luxury with their grandparents. Wednesday night a big rain storm came along and beat quite heavily on their little tent .It has been tested many times this summer and still kept them pretty dry. Thursday night Eric called during a short break in his game of pool with Terry and Nancy. They enjoyed a great meal, great company, a shower, and a good night's sleep. Eric said something about a delicious Oreo dessert. I will get details and the recipe. Again we are all thankful for Terry and Nancy and trust they heard some exciting trail stories.

It is fun to hear about the little things that hikers appreciate so much. Eric told about a nice man who drove by on the road in Port Clinton. He asked what he could do for them. They decided a nice ride to get some fresh water would be great. This saved Eric and Matthew the chore of finding a spring and purifying water. It seems like a simple thing but was greatly appreciated. Eric said the man was also ferrying some packs for a group of campers. Thank you.

2006-07-13T18:14:00.000-04:00

New Pictures

Amanda just posted some new photos look here http://mitoc.mit.edu/gallery/album365

Amanda also wrote that Eric and Matthew tried some ginseng and even though the taste wasn't great they are sure it gave them a lot of energy based on the long hikes they have been making. Matthew told me they mixed some ginseng pieces in their Couscous last night and they are ready to keep on hiking.

2006-07-13T10:09:00.000-04:00

After a twenty mile hike today Eric and Matthew will meet Uncle Terry at a spot near Hawk Mountain. Then they will take a ride to Birdsboro and spend the night at the Terry-Nancy Inn. I know for a while they were wishing they could have spent last night under a solid roof rather than a flimsy little tent. Tery left a voice mail telling of an approaching line of thunderstorms heading towards their campsite. The prediction came true as they were hit with a deluge for about fifteen or twenty minutes. Luckily the tent was set up and they were finished with supper. At the time they were tending a massive mosquito chasing fire. The smoke from leaves shooed away over a "million pesky mosquitoes." The rain drenched the fire but the temp dropped about ten degrees and the mosquitoes must have got soaked. They were looking to a good nights sleep in a dry tent. When the sun goes down they are ready to go to bed.
The twenty five miles they hiked today was over a long fifty mile ridge of Blue Mountain. There were no more farms and fields just trees and rocks. The terrain was very rocky all along the trail according to Matthew. He said, "It is mentally demanding to pick out which rocks to step on. You have to keep thinking about where to put your feet to keep from stumbling." During the twenty five miles of trai they hiked today they saw only one other person. Tonight they will see a few more and it will be special to spend some time with Uncle Terry and Aunt Nancy. the parents sitting here in Kentucky are very thankful for those great people who have been meeting out sons along the trail.

2006-07-12T16:16:00.000-04:00

Matthew and Eric had a nice leisurely(for them, rugged for me) walk today of twenty four miles through farm fields and along a mostly flat ridge. The only obstacles that impede progress are rocky terrain and clogged trails.During the nightly call(Thanks guys) we looked at the map and talked mostly about when and where to meet Terry and Nancy. The dilemma was to hike either thirty one miles the next day or hike forty five miles in two days and meet near Eckville, PA. I guess we will find out tonight what was decided. Eric said the guidebook tells about a free hostel near Eckville with ice cream, snacks and a shower . That sounds inviting. The total miles Eric and Matthew have hiked so far is around 620 and counting.

2006-07-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

Ginseng for Energy

Amanda's mother sent an email with a plan to keep the hiker's energy level at high level. Over the past few years we have harvested many pounds of ginseng in Kentucky and sold it for a nice profit. Most of our backpacking gear has been purchased with ginseng money.When Matthew met Amanda he started telling her about his adventure filled trips into the deep woods in search of elusive ginseng roots.. He soon found out her family knows very well of the many benefits of ginseng and have used it for years.They have always placed great value on its healthy effects. . We had a few extra roots and were delighted to send them to Amanda's mom. When the boys visited her last week, she sent them off with a gift. She wrote, "I wrapped two cooked ginseng roots for them and assure these roots will give them strength and energy while they are on the trail. Eric was delighted to accept it and kept one for Matthew."
I do not know when and if the guys will sample the roots but it seems they will need a lot more strength and energy to hike another 620 miles.

2006-07-11T09:16:00.000-04:00

"Hi Dad, said Matthew(at 8:00 PM), "We are sitting here by a nice campfire taking it easy. We cruised for about seventeen miles today after we left Grandma and Grandpa in Duncannon around 12:00." After eating some big meals and sleeping in a nice motel, they had plenty of energy for a long hike in the woods. Some highlights from the visit. Lots of fruit, grapes and a picnic with Grandma and Grandpa. Swimming. The World Cup Soccer Final was on TV and the guys got to watch it on Sunday. Not many thru hikers got the chance to see Italy beat France in a shootout. Clothesline in the motel room. Matthew made a fort to sleep under from a blanket and the motel table. Grandma couldn't find him in the morning. Grandma and Grandpa learned new ways to pack food and gear.. light for the trail. Change quarters to bills.. less weight to carry. Just a partial roll of TP. Minimal change of clothes. No paper or boxes. Leave no trace.
Both Kids and Grandparents said they had a great time together and the time went too fast. I did not realize how much planning and details go into spending weeks on the Appalachian Trail carrying everything you need to survive. The next highlight may be meeting Uncle Terry and Aunt Nancy near Port Clinton, PA. The mail drop list lets you know the planned schedule and just in case anyone wanted to send something you are welcome. Let me know and I will provide instructions.

2006-07-10T17:04:00.000-04:00

Grandma called Sunday night while the guys were down in the swimming pool. She was laughing while looking at a rope hung up in the motel room all covered with drying clothes. Seems the dryer wasn't working. She said they were using the same rope they hang up food for the night to keep it from the bears. She also said there wasn't enough time to do everything from shopping for groceries, loading pictures on the computer, eating and repacking to get back on the trail. "It is wonderful to see the grandkids." she said. "Everything was just great, we are so happy to get together."

2006-07-10T14:20:00.000-04:00

Hi Dad,
We just posted our pictures. http://mitoc.mit.edu/gallery/album360 Could you put this list of mail drops on
the blog?

Palmerton, PA 18071 July 14
Unionville, NY 10988 July 20
Kent, CT 06757 July 27
North Adams, MA 01247 August 3
Killington, VT 05751 August 10
Hanover, NH 03755 August 12 .
We just got a chance to read the blog and it looks really impressive.
-Eric
The mail drop plan looks ambitious. I am not sure what it means but I bet if a package of say.. cookies arrived at a post office in Unionville, NY or other spots with the names of Eric and Matthew on it. .... They might open it and be pleasantly surprised. I think after they buy groceries one place they will be sending supplies ahead to themselves to arrive at these post offices. I will find out more later.

Click here for a story and photos of Mattthew and Eric's April 2004 hike on the AT.
http://www.geocities.com/mgilbertson1618/ They bypassed this section in June 2006

2006-07-09T15:53:00.000-04:00

Eric and Matthew were planning to meet Grandma and Grandpa at 12:00 noon today. Eric said, "We almost made it on time but we found a big red raspberry patch by a bridge just as we looked over to Duncannon. We had to pick some more because they taste so good. Then we ran a little to meet up at about 12:02." There was no need to be in a hurry.Grandma was getting tips on good places to eat. "The Country Buffet" according to some church goers is a fine place to eat a lot of good food. That sure sounded good to a couple of hungry hikers.Grandma and Grandpa had arrived at a picnic table and church near the trail early enough to tell some people about their grandkids. Eric said, "Some people driving by told us, Your grandparents are waiting for you boys." Now how did they know??
Photo: Duncannon, PA and the Susquehanna River looking down from Hawk Rock on the Appalachian Trail.

2006-07-08T16:01:00.000-04:00

It was a "Berry, Berry" good day on the trail today. "We ate wild blueberries, black berries and mulberries but the most awesome wild berries were the bright red raspberries," said Matthew. "Our names were written all over them telling us to pick em."It was walk and pick for a big part of the day. One hiker wanted to stop and gather bunches and the other one wanted to keep hiking and pick along the way. It sounds like they came to an acceptable compromise. Matthew filled up a zip lock bag with about a half pound of the nicest red raspberries. When they stopped for a snack and rest, he hopped up on a big hay bale. There he ate his fill until he was almost sick of raspberries. They are both hoping there are many more delicious berries to pick as they keep on hiking. To complete the nutrious day with all the fruit, they came accross some more "trail magic" in the form of corn on the cob. They enjoyed some wonderful corn with their evening meal. The terrain on the trail was farm country with corn fields and tall wheat
With all the rain the past few weeks, everything is growing well. Matthew thinks that the some of trail was probably covered with flood water during the recent storms. They could see evidence of recent floods. Today the trail was dry and they covered a lot of ground to within ten miles of Duncannon.PA
They will take the tent down early tommorow morning in order to meet Grandparents by noon.

This is the clearest weather map I have seen in days. The temp in Carlisle, PA at noon was a "feels like" 74 degrees.

2006-07-07T22:09:00.000-04:00

"We had another real good day of hiking," said Eric. When we got up in the morning we had to put on all our layers because it was a little cold, probably in the low fifties." With good weather and flatter ground they hiked twenty eight miles to within 33 miles of Duncannon, PA ;which is near Harrisburg. A couple of years ago on one of our trips to MIT we hiked a little stretch of the AT near to where they are camping tonight. Eric said they will cover the same mile or so again tommorow. At that time Eric and Matthew talked of some day hiking the entire 2,170+ mile AT. Well, they have been getting a great big start on it over the past month. Someday is coming sooner than I dreamed.
Today at about noon they passed the half way point of the Appalachian trail. Eric thought of taking the thru hiker "Eat a Half Gallon of Ice Cream Challenge" but thought better and kept on hiking. If they had been much hungrier and the weather hotter... Well, Eric said they are stocked pretty good with food and are looking forward to meeting Grandma and Grandpa W. on Sunday.

2006-07-06T19:50:00.000-04:00

After one more night of steady rain Eric and Matthew had a beautiful day to hike all the way to PA. Early this morning they crossed the Mason-Dixon line officially going from the South to the North. After hiking another twenty miles making a total of 25 for the day, it was time to pitch the tent and have another delicious trail meal. I bet it was tough to get back to cooking their own Lipton meals after eating so well at Amanda's.
Compared to Virginia and Tennessee the trail is pretty flat. They camped about 60 miles from Duncannon, PA .
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.774877/k.951D/Pennsylvania.htm

2006-07-06T00:32:00.000-04:00

Back on the trail again. Well they sure had a good time in town for a few days and got a late start on the trail today. After a couple of hours hiking, the rain started again so up went the tent before everything got wet. Early tommorow morning they should cross the Pennsylvania border. From there the trail will cover about 228 miles before reaching New Jersey. The guides say the PA trail is relatively flat but has a lot of rocky terrain. The next highlight planned is to meet Grandma and Grandpa Wright sometime on the weekend at a place to be determined, probably Duncannon, PA. So far Eric and Matthew have hiked about 500 miles on the AT since June 4th.

2006-07-05T02:34:00.000-04:00

Another day off the trail. This night was spent watching the fireworks in our nation's capital. In attendance along with a few million others were Eric, Matthew, Amanda and Amanda's mom. They chose a spot near the Lincoln Memorial and were treated to an awesome display of fireworks.
Earlier in the day and yesterday the group toured some of the Smithsonian museums including the Arts gallery and the Air and Space Museum.

2006-07-03T16:49:00.000-04:00

A Typical Day on the Appalachian Trail with Matthew and Eric

The past week or so has not been real typical with all the torrential rains and going off the trail to Amanda's and Washington, DC.

This was typical of the first 350-400 miles and will likely start up again on Wednesday just a few miles south of the PA border. We won't have a regular trail report today.

Get up at about 7:00 am. Take down the tent and pack sleeping gear.
Take food bag down from tree or bear hooks.
Breakfast of either instant oatmeal or cereal with powdered milk.
Clean up and pack. Ready by 8:45. Check the elevation profile and distances on the map.
Hike about five or six miles until rest break at 10:30. Trail mix with granola,raisins, chocolate chips etc. Homemade cookies when available. Thanks...
Hike another five or six miles and then stop for lunch around noon.
Lunch is usually flat bread with sharp cheddar cheese, green peppers , beef jerky, Gatorade. After about 45 minutes they are ready to hike some more.
Hike another five or six miles until afternoon break with more trail mix or cookies when available.
Hike until 5 or 5:30 until there is a shelter or good campsite.
Set up camp. Cook supper. Often pasta or Lipton meals. Most nights there is pudding for dessert. Oreo Cookie is a favorite.
Clean up and hang the food up high to keep it from varmints.
Dry out socks.
Enjoy a beautiful sunset and campfire. Go to sleep around dark.
As we can see from many great photos at http://mitoc.mit.edu/gallery/album341, the guys stop often along the trail to watch for animals and gorgeous scenery.

2006-07-03T00:40:00.000-04:00

Birthday Report

Matthew said, "It was another nice birthday out in the woods." Amanda, Matthew and Eric each had a nice big bowl to make no bake cherry cheesecakes in. Amanda brought along two big matches to use as candles for the guy's bithday cakes. They got birthday messages on the phone from Aunt Pat and their Mom. Matthew's roomate Garrett left a text message and then Matthew called him back. It seems Garrett had told Matthew a while back that he would call him on his birthday at exactly 8:45 AM. It was nice they got to talk together and Garrett gave some more very accurate weather reports. Garrett if you're reading .. we think the Weather Channel needs you on their team.
They hiked another 12 miles today."the easiest so far" "basically flat and wide." The plan is for Amanda's Mom to pick them up again in the morning and head back to the city.
Another story about the luxury campsite from the night before. After Eric called the other night a boy scout troop arrived. They were making a quite a lot of noise. Matthew knew they wouldn't listen to him if he told them to quiet down,so he asked Amanda to talk to them. She politely asked them to be quiet. Matthew said, "After she talked to them.. we didn't hear another peep from the Boy Scouts that night." With bringing good weather, keeping the scouts quiet and keeping the hiking pace reasonable, it sounds like they need to keep Amanda hiking along with them on the trail.
Well this morning July 2nd,Amanda's mom picked them up again.. so now they are off the trail, resting and cooking while standing up by a stove. They had another delicious meal with chicken and rice. They opened up the care packages from Grandma and Mom and were enjoying the birthday cakes and Grandma's homemade chocolate fudge.Plans for the next day are to rest a while and then tour some of exhibits at the Smithsonian Museum.
It is great that they have kept us so well informed since they started hiking nearly a month ago. Thanks to all readers of these reports who tell me to keep them coming. I will do my best to keep track of the adventures of Matthew and Eric

2006-07-01T21:17:00.000-04:00

Happy 20th Birthday Eric!
Happy 20th Birthday Matthew
We will hear about the birthday if they call tonight!
Last night they found a luxury campsite with a picnic table and a shower. The night before the shelter was a plush one with two floors. It sounds like tommorow night they plan to camp in the woods so Amanda gets the "full wilderness experience." They have slowed the hiking pace to a more reasonable pace of about 12 miles a day. Matthew says it is good to slow down and renergize. It sounds like Amanda has brought them good weather with no rain for the past couple of days.