AT-2009

My 3.3 months on the AT was just fabulous!

But first of all, I would like to thank all the volunteers associated with the AT for keeping the trail in a hikable condition. Without them, my summer's journey would not have been possible.

My AT hike was solo but I had a lot of help from Jenny. She put together my resupplies and was forever sending me things that I designed and wanted to try out. I was working on a number of ideas, and most of them required sewing. I would send her descriptions and drawings, and she would make the prototypes and send them to me. Then I would contact her again with various improvements. I was like a hiking field-testing machine.

I met hundreds of friendly hikers along the way, and stopped to talk with many of them each day. Especially during the second half of the trip.

For me - and most other hikers - the many friendly hikers are what make the AT so special. That, and the natural beauty of the trail environs. Both were a big plus with me.

For the first 2/3 of my trip I hiked reasonably high-mileage days, about on par with Jenny's and my AT hike of '93. But then I started thinking, "I have plenty of time, so why rush things. Besides, I'm probably missing a lot of what the experience has to offer." So I slowed down in order to enjoy the remainder of the trip all the more. I started hiking only 20 - 25 miles a day. Through the Whites I hiked even less, because I stayed at many of the huts. And from then on I started taking zero days at some of the towns along the way. I didn't have time to do this from day-1, but for the last 1/3 of the trip I sure had fun.

Then through the 100-mile wilderness - near the end - I hiked that stretch in five days. The final two days I was trying to beat hurricane Danny, but it caught up with me during my ascent of Katahdin - with lots of rain, very strong wind, and of course cold temps. So that last day sure heightened the sense of adventure.

That last third slowdown would help explain the time-difference between our '93 hike and my '09 hike. But also there was another factor - the rain.

The Eastern United States experienced a lot of rain this spring and summer, and the AT was greatly affected by it. So were the hikers. At least the weather was not hot and humid, like it was back in '93. I enjoyed hiking and camping in the cool temperatures. And due to my gear selection I didn't mind the rain - unless the sky was really letting loose late in the day. But also the frequent soakings slowed me down, because the trail was sometimes more like a creek, and often oozing with mud. Some hikers tromped through the deep mud. Generally they were the ones were sore feet. I tried to avoid the pools of water and mud by going around them - and this took a great deal of extra time, because it meant tromping through the brush instead.

Most AT hikers slept in the shelters every night, when not in hostels. I slept in only two shelters plus a few hostels. Otherwise I camped somewhere near the trail.

I found the Ray-Way Tarp Kit eminently suitable for camping along the AT, from one end of the trail to the other. Particularly in the rain. I would not have traded my tarp for a thousand tents. Those stealth sites were SO comfortable, and the tarp worked so well at shielding me from the rain, and left my quilt and my clothes bone dry.

The tarp was a small (trimmed 2" from both the length and width) one-person, color white. Jenny sewed it back in 2004, and was exactly the right size for me on this hike. This same tarp is featured in Trail Life on pages 62 and 63.

Mid-hike, I removed the side-guys made of flat-line, and replaced them with side-guys made of "Small Cord, White" of the type shown on our Order Form. This is the same cord we use on the corner guys in our Kits. (We are now specifying this in our Kits.) With the side-guys, only, I tied permanent, small (1") loops (overhand on a bite) at the ends, and simply ran the stakes through these.

Also mid-hike, I developed a different knot for attaching the tarp ridge lines to trees. It is fast to tie, easy to adjust, and does not slip. I have described in my Tarp Book Essential.

For the record: About 90 nights under the tarp.
97% of them with the tarp pitched between two trees.
3% pitched between one tree and one support stick.
0% pitched between two support sticks.

I pitched my tarp over bushes or small trees about 40% of the time. Of course, a person cannot do that with a tent.

To keep the bugs at bay, I also used a Spitfire - a tent made of of netting, hanging under the tarp. The Spitfire was my home for the summer. It was very comfortable.

I pitched the Spitfire every night under the tarp - even when the bugs were not bad. It felt like crawling into a comfortable cocoon. The Spitfire has a waterproof floor and bathtub-type sides, and it is so small and narrow that I could move it around under the tarp to avoid any bushes or small trees growing under the tarp. On those chilly nights, my bug shelter helped trap some body heat. And it blocked the wind. That meant that I could pitch my tarp higher for more openness and better views all around.

I designed the Spitfire as a new variation of our standard Ray-Way Net-Tent Kit, and am offering it in kit form. Its like our standard model, with a few minor changes - a fraction lighter and more bug-tight.

My AT Spitfire had a urethane-coated floor, which is an option that I recommend for heavy use.

While using the Spitfire, I found that I did not need tarp lifters. (Using a tarp without the spitfire, the lifters are important.)

Rather than a sleeping bag, I used a one-person Ray-Way Quilt Kit. It had only one layer of insulation, and it worked perfectly.

For the first 1/3 of the journey, I used a quilt with our alpine insulation. Then when the weather warmed, I switched to one made with our Woodland (thinner) insulation. And when I reached the high mountains (Whites) I switched back to the first quilt made with one layer of alpine.

I used a Ray-Way Backpack Kit with no special modifications. It weighs about 9.5 oz. and carried my gear perfectly. It was just the right size, and when I had a load of food, I used the pack's extension collar.

My pack had an outside zippered pocket, which because of the incessant rain I never used.

A few facts about my AT hike:

Start: Springer Mountain, Georgia on May 18, 2009 at 5:00 pm.

Finish: Katahdin, Maine on August 29, at 8:30 am.

Duration: 103 days.

Average baseline pack weight: 7.5 lbs.

I followed the white-blazing 99.76% of the way.

I started the hike carrying six Tylenol pills for headache and pain, and ended the hike with the same six. I use none of them.

For the first two-thirds of my hike, (more than two months) I camped on dry ground exactly three times. (read R-A-I-N)

I slept in the shelters twice. With the first one, the shelter was full (with me included), but I wanted to find out what sleeping in a shelter was like. The second one, the shelter was empty except for me.

Ordinarily, I camped in the woods because I found it far more comfortable.

I found that the vast majority of AT overnighters stay at the shelters. They either sleep in the shelters or sleep in tents, tarps or hammocks next to the shelters. I see absolutely nothing wrong with this. To each his or her own. But again, of the 90 nights under my tarp, I camped within earshot of a shelter only twice.

During the last third of my hike, I often visited a shelter late in the day because I enjoyed meeting the hikers and talking with them. But then I would move on.

Also during the last third of my hike I enjoyed meeting the hikers at various hostels.

Do I recommend an AT thru-hike? No; it's much too difficult. (I'm being comical here :)

Despite the difficulties, did I enjoy it? Yes ...and more yes.

Would I do it again? I'm looking forward to the next time!

NOTE: On most of our adventures, Jenny and I prefer to eat corn pasta. But not on the AT. This is because the towns are spaced so closely together that it makes more sense TO ME (always think for oneself) to dispense with the stove, fuel, cooking pot, and the time spent cooking, and simply to buy food along the way.

In Trail Life on page 146, I left a big hole, with no mention of food during our fourth long hike: the AT in 93. On that hike we did not cook, but bought our food in the stores along the way. This was a nutritional disaster, granted, but it did get us from one end of the trail to the other. I think we could have made more miles each day on corn pasta. But as it was, we averaged about 28 miles a day, with a whole string of 30's.

In '09, my longest store-less stint was five days through the hundred-mile wilderness in Maine. Starting out with that pack, I really felt the weight. The "food" I bought and carried that summer was really heavy. But ordinarily, while hiking high mileage days on the AT, one can usually reach a store about every 2 to 3 days. This was completely unlike our far-flung journeys, which most of them tend to be. So different rules apply.

Ray's AT-2009

2009-08-13

Jenny: Ray is in Maine, on the Appalachian Trail. He's still having fun, despite all the rain and the muddy trail. Here is an excerpt from his journal from a couple days ago:

Today was "The Adventures of Plain Ol' Ray."

I had stayed overnight at a hostel in town. When I woke up I was quite hungry so I ate some cereal with fresh milk. In fact, I ate the contents of the whole box along with the whole quart of milk. And for dessert - breakfast dessert, that is - I ate a pint of ice cream. This is a typical example of thru-hikers' appetites, and their extreme need for calories.

The hiking was nice today, in fact all afternoon I kept seeing good camping spots. Of course, I wasn't ready to stop and make camp yet. Much later, in the evening, I was just hiking along, it was almost dark, when all of a sudden something's charging me. It looked like a horse and the front legs were up in the air and coming at me. It was a moose! And he knocked me right over into the mud. Of course, that patch of mud was the only one around, and of course, I landed right in it.

I was so mad at that moose for knocking me over in the mud. I yelled at him, "You doggone moose! Don't knock hikers over into the mud!" Actually, he didn't physically knock me down. But I saw him charging so I stepped back really quick and slipped and fell in the mud. Then I really let that moose have it! "You doggone moose!" The moose just moseyed off into the woods, as I berated him.

A ways further I came to a nice creek where I was able to wash the mud off.

By then it was quite dark and the clouds were getting ready to dump again, so I hurried on, looking for one of those nice camp sites. The rain was just starting to fall and I decided I needed to stop and make camp, pronto.

The trial was beginning a long ascent, and the sky was rumbling of thunder. It did not look too safe up there.

So I made a hard right turn and thrashed into the bushes. It was the most unlikely spot to set up the tarp and Spitfire, with bushes and saplings everywhere. I pulled out the tarp, tied the ridgeline to a couple trees, tied two of the corner guys to some trees - covering several saplings in the process - then tossed in my pack and dove under just as the clouds let loose.

From underneath the tarp I finished pitching, out of the rain. It took me 15 minutes to preen the impromptu site of small sticks and branches. I cleared away the sticks from a narrow strip, just wide enough to set up the Spitfire and lay down inside. There was no way a tent would have worked here because of all the saplings and bushes surrounding me.

And now I am snug and comfortable inside the Spitfire, sharing the space with some small evergreens. I never would have guessed this would make such a comfortable campsite.

Hi Ray, Thank you for posting a sampling of your AT adventure! I'm fascinated by your adventures and thoroughly enjoy reading about them. I realize you recently wrote a book but any plans to write one about your recent thru hike? Great stuff!" Ron F.

Ray's AT-2009

In this section I would like to give a special thanks to a hiker who goes by the trail name of "The Old Ghost."

I hiked the AT solo this year, but enjoyed a great deal of help from - first and foremost: Jenny - and also many people I met who call themselves "Trail Angels." These people volunteer their time and resources to help hikers. At the top of my list this summer was a hiker/trail angel called "The Old Ghost."

I was crossing a road in the early morning, at a place where the A.T. went through a small road-side parking space. This fellow had his backpack loaded and ready to hike, and leaning against his car, and was just locking the car doors. From the size of his pack I guessed that he was a section hiker about to embark on a multi-day journey.

We exchanged friendly "hellos," and then he surprised me by asking, "What do you need?" I must have had a look of deprivation on my face, for in truth I was urgently hungry - meaning that I was out of food. I was carrying no guidebook or maps, but I had a sheet of data that suggested the presence of a town called Hamburg (read: food) somewhere nearby, or not nearby - I couldn't tell.

So I asked the fellow, "Do you know where Hamburg is?"

"Sure," he said, "I'll take you there."

I could hardly believe my ears, since he was about to start hiking himself.

I said that I would walk there, if the town wasn't far. But I could see no evidence of a town, so was realistically figuring that I would be hiking the A.T. hungry all day.

He insisted on giving me a ride. I said I needed to return to here, somehow, after buying food.

"No problem. I'll drive you back here."

With that, he unlocked the doors, loaded his bacppack into the trunk, and said with a grin, "Get in!"

We drove about four miles to a gas station / convenience store, and my trail angel waited patiently in the store while I shopped for foodstuff - sandwiches and a load of junk food. With no stove, I wasn't being choosey. What mattered most this summer was that I was bolting down enough calories to power my high-mileage days.

I had carried my backpack inside the store, and set it against the wall where I could keep an eye on it. Walking back to the car, I carried my grocery sacks, while the trail angel carried my backpack.

"Feels like about five pounds," he remarked.

"Seven and a half," I corrected, since I was out of food and was carrying no water.

Back at the car, I hinted at doughnuts, since he had mentioned the name of a nearby shop that specialized in them.

"Sure, we'll go there next."

"For some reason," I confided, "I have been dreaming of fresh doughnuts for the last week."

"Yeah, I know how it is. Once you've been out on the trail for several days, you think of nothing but food."

In the doughnut shop I bought enough for six hungry people. The angel wasn't hungry, and said to the casher "This is all for him!"

On the ride back to the trail, we talked about the A.T. and some of the sections he had hiked. He said his trail name was "The Old Ghost" and I asked how he came by that name.

Seems that in the Army he had learned to walk in the woods without making a sound. He said he could walk up to a deer and touch it. (Special Forces came to my mind.)

He asked me what my trail name was, and I said "Plain ol' Ray."

Back at the trail, he shouldered his backpack while I set to work on breakfast. He directed me to put my sack of trash in his car when finished eating, then I was to lock the doors.

How's that for trust?

And how's that for helping a hiker in need? He certainly made my day!

As he was about to hike away, his mind must have started putting two and two together: "Plain ol' Ray" and my super light pack. "Are you Ray Jardine?" he asked.

:-) Dear Ray, It was a pleasure to give you a lift to Hamburg and back to the A.T. I could not believe that I met the great super hiker. you made me a great feeling. have a happy hike. The Old Ghost

Ray's AT-2009

Thanks for the help. Hope all is well man where ever you are. "Keep it real free the heel" - Steve L. "fly By," CO

Of all the people I met on my hike this summer, "Fly By" probably had the greatest influence. However, if you were to ask him what I learned from him, I'm sure he wouldn't have a clue.

Someone else I learned from did not even stop to talk. He raced by, hiking the other way, and was gone in a flash. Then I just stood there, overwhelmed by a realization that, after a few hours of thinking about it, changed the remainder of my hike.

I could write a whole chapter of book about what I learned from these guys and many others like them.

I like to think I was hiking like a sponge, soaking up knowledge moment by moment, day after day for weeks on end. Doubtless others could do the same.

I love your book! I met a SOBO on the AT in VT that met you, Ray, in the Whites, NH this year on the AT. He had the most awesome, respectful things to say about you! I think he stayed with you in a hut. - Chris C., NJ

Chris: Thank you, and yes, I met the fellow you are referring to at the Carter Notch hut. The two of us sat by a nearby pond while waiting for the guests to finish their dinner. The late evening was still and beautiful, and we had a pleasant 30-minute talk. I didn't get his trail-name, and he didn't ask for mine. The conversations were more about his philosophy on life at that particular time, which I found very interesting.

It seems that he had enlisted in the Army, and that they had given him enough time before deployment to thru-hike the trail, if only just. He was a young man in his mid 20's very concerned about America's security against terrorists, and wanted to do everything he could to help.

Later, in the hut after we thru-hikers had finished our dinner, he cornered me and asked how I was managing to hike the trail so fast. Seems that the others had told him who I was. The problem was, he confided, at his present rate he didn't think he would be able to make it all the way to Springer. So I gave him my philosophy in a nutshell of hiking slow in order to hike fast. When he heard the details he said, "You have just revolutionized the rest of my hike."

Later I heard from someone else who met this same person a thousand miles further south. He was hiking strong and doing fine.

Hi Ray, It was my pleasure to meet you this year on the AT, in Monson, ME. I really enjoyed the conversations. I try to learn something from everyone I meet; from you I learned a bunch. Meeting you also sparked my interest in lightweight backpacking. I also enjoy your website and reading about yours and Jenny's adventures. - Ed C., Atlanta, GA

Walky Talky: It was great to meet you at the Bald Mtn Brook Lean-to, I believe it was, and of course at Shaw's. I enjoyed our lunch at the Spring Creek BBQ. Looks like you had good weather on the Big K!

Ray-I heard you came in to the Birches on the 28th when I was leaving, but you weren't actually there when I left so I missed saying a last goodbye. Send me an email and I'll send you a few pictures of me at the beginning and my final too. They are too big to attach here. I've enjoyed a week or so of doing nothing, and now hitting the gym to finish off the goal. I hit the doctor tomorrow but I already started antibiotics for lyme disease as I'm pretty positive that was what was running me down the last 700 miles. My knees are hurting pretty bad, but I'm sure they will improve with some work. No clue what the world holds next...I enjoyed meeting you though. - "Feels Like Today," North Carolina

Hey Ray! Congrats on finishing another one! I was only about a day behind you from Monson all the way to Katahdin and finished on the 30th. It was great meeting you on the trail. Best of luck with the new puppy! - "Gutsy Rabbit," Tampa FL

Plain 'Ol Ray! Congratulations on finishing your thru-hike well! I wrapped up my own AT hike on August 27. I enjoyed meeting and talking with you at Shaw's. (I'm the guy with the insulin pump.) I look forward to hearing about your next adventure. My next self-imposed task is to watch some of your skydiving videos that you mentioned. Take care and God bless. - Paul M. "Firesocks," Huber Heights, OH

Hi Ray- Just to refresh your memory, I am one of the two "Hanover Housewives" from the Carter Notch hut. It was fun meeting up with you in the Wildcat Ridge in the White Mountains this past Saturday. What an impressive web page you have! Lots of good info and tips there. Thanks for your help in thinking that through and arriving at the right decision for us. We are home now, a little sore in the knees, but really happy with our trip and the fun we had. You are probably at Kahtahdin by now. Hope things are going well! - Audrey and Anne, Hanover, New Hampshire

Ray, I made it. You asked me to let you know how it went. It still blows my mind that we met at the Price Chopper in Manchester Center. Small world. God's richest blessings to you and Jenny. - Brad A., KY

Hi Ray! Greetings from the Hiking Poles! We met you briefly on the AT last summer - remember the Poles hanging in their hammocks? We enjoyed our conversations with you (smile) Congrats on your succesful hike. See you on another trail! - Tom & Malgosia "the Hiking Poles," Desert Hot Springs Ca

Hi Guys! Thanks for getting in touch. I remember Malgosia taking this photo. I was hiking behind Tom when she suddenly turned around and snapped the picture of me pretending to hide behind him. I'm sorry that she didn't appear in the picture too.

Actually our meeting was not so brief; we hiked together for a few hours, and leapfrogged throughout the rest of the day. Note: The "Hiking Poles" do not actually use trekking poles. Tom was thinking that, contrary to all the hype, they make the hiking a bit more taxing. I would have to agree, which is one big reason why I don't use them. But instead, the trail name is meant to suggest that they themselves are Poles (from Poland). Tom had hiked the AT before; he was making his second trip. And I believe he also hiked the PCT. Malgosia was making her first thru-hike, and was doing fantastic.

Hi Ray! I had SO MUCH FUN hiking with you those couple of days in New York!

We laughed a lot- like when we almost didn't get to spend our golden dollars at Tiorati Circle because the vending machines were closing - we laughed and laughed and ate ice cream and chips until it was late. And then we night hiked through the rugged rocks!

I teased you about being the King of Ultralight and carrying a full-sized can of Off!

Our couple of days hiking together was magical. I enjoyed hearing your life story - much of which I didn't know. I still think you should do speaking engagements, and make a movie! Your life story is fascinating, and I feel so lucky to have heard so many of your stories in person.

While we didn't talk about gear much, I learned a lot. You gave me confidence about hiking late in the day and enjoying the "magic hours" around sunset. I ended up hiking more during those hours and was rewarded by wildlife sightings like a mother and baby moose in VT, and beautifully lit vistas.

Your method of taking your time going uphill helped me enjoy Harriman State Park much more, and when I got to the rugged parts of NH and Maine, I definitely used a "lower gear" more effectively.

I was never very good about carrying less food, but I did get better about carrying less water. I remember you saying "Don't carry it, drink it!" And I never ran out of water!

Ray, when I think of the hiking we did together, I smile. Thank you for being a part of my AT hike!

May you and Jenny have many more great adventures!

PS: I can't stress enough how while for you, both accomplished adventurers, hiking the AT is like a walk in the park, for me it was a Really Big Deal, so it still looms large.

- Carla R. "Zipper," New Orleans, LA

Hey buddy! Don't know if you remember, but we met and hiked for a day in SNP. I was on your site and purchased a knife kit, and saw your summit photo. I finished Oct. 5th on a cold, windy, rainy day and have never seen a more beautiful mountain. Congrats to you and the AT class of '09! - Noah O. "honey-do!" Newark, DE

Indeed I do! And by the way, I was seeing Jewelweed all the way to Katahdin. It was amazing that it ranges that far north.

Here's a tip for AT hikers from honey-do!: Learn to recognize Jewelweed in the early season while still flowerless. It looks a lot like Nettle. But once you get to know it, it actually looks quite different.

And a tip from me: Jewelweed is a good remedy for poison ivy, and I saw both from GA to ME. If you break a stem of Jewelweed off a few inches above the ground, the plant will re-grow. So don't pull it out. Crush a few inches of the harvested stem between your fingers, and apply the juice to your rash. Save the rest of the stem for further applications. I don't use the leaves because the stem is much more juicy. Opinions vary, but I think this plant works for all kinds of skin aliments, including a nettle rash.

Best to you and Lydia.

Ray, we met you in 2009 while thru-hiking the AT.-in the White Mtns at one of the huts. The 3 of us did work-for-stay. You and my husband cleaned out the freezer. When we asked your trail name, you said "just plain old Ray". But, to us you'll always be "lightRay". Petunia & Treehugger ME to GA 2009.

That would have been Galehead Hut, and yes, I remember you guys well. Best of luck to you, and good hiking!