Red Bull traveled to Harriman New York to join his hiking group, a little north of New York City. He is now with Rd Brd and Sndy Mn. He was very happy to hear they had caught up with Cwby too. Red Bull was feeling much better, and was no longer limping.
Cntr and Sqtch got off the trail to attend a sister's wedding. Red Bull believes Cntr and Sqtch were then planning to head to the end of the trail in Maine, and do a "flip flop". They would hike Mount Katahdin in Maine, and then turn southbound on the Appalachian Trail ending where they exited the trail. We asked if Red Bull would like to do this with them, but he prefers to continue with the northbound hike finishing on Mount Katahdin as the finale. This is the most popular approach, but does contain an element of risk. They close overnight camping in Baxter State Park (where Mt. Katahdin is located) October 15th. Access to Mt. Katahdin is also closed during severe weather, and strong winds. One trail referred to as "the Knife Edge" is only three feet wide for 3/10 of a mile, with cliffs dropping off the sides. Several hikers have lost their lives when falling from the Knife Edge. There is more than one trail to the top of Mt. Katahdin, but they are all considered strenuous or extremely strenuous in difficulty. To finish on Mt Katahdin, they should plan to arrive late September/early October. They will need to hike approximately 19 miles each day, with one zero day per week to arrive by October 5th.
Mt Katahdin - Baxter State Park, Maine photo on Wikipedia by TJ
The Knife Edge - photo on Wikipedia by Greg Neault I believe those are hikers on the left
I have added a few photos to previous posts for Red Bull. I debated just adding them here, but I wanted to place them in with the posts from the locations where they were taken.
It is difficult for me to retrieve his photos from his Instagram account. I usually do it quite by accident... and am never quite certain how I achieve the accomplishment! :)
Since I had planned to spend today driving Red Bull back to the trail, I found myself with some free time... something that has not been available this summer! I took advantage of this to try to retrieve and post Red Bull's photos.
You will find a photo he took from the plane while flying to Nevada on the post for August 1st.
There is a photo from the halfway point of the A.T. on July 21st.
There is a photo of the Mason Dixon line on July 19th.
There are photos from the Washington Monument in Maryland, and a nice sunset scene in the woods on July 18th.
Sorry for any confusion! It has been a very busy time, and quite the ordeal to catch up with Red Bull's posts! I feel like my summer is just beginning... although back to school orientations begin this week! I am trying to NOT think about Back to School! I told Red Bull's siblings that we should take an extra two weeks of summer! Dreaming...
Red Bull took a second zero day today! He is still limping around, but does not need furniture to support his weight. His plan is to rejoin his group in New York tomorrow. They are taking a zero day tomorrow, so he will meet them at their hotel.
He feels with the rest today and tomorrow, he will be able to begin hiking again on Wednesday with his group. He has been drinking protein enhanced beverages, in an attempt to help his muscles heal.
I have my doubts about his ability to do strenuous hiking while carrying a 35 pound pack, but it is entirely his decision. We support him, while offering our guidance.
Red Bull was going to head back onto the trail today after his appointment (this was not a medical appointment), but decided to take a Zero Day. He had some strained muscles in his leg, and was still limping.
It did not help that in being a good son this afternoon, he went to our second pantry (in the basement) to bring his mother some supplies for preparing the family meal... then fell down the stairs. Fell down may be an exaggeration, perhaps it would be better said that he slipped and slid down the stairs on his side... the side with the aching leg. For several hours following that incident he was actually holding furniture to walk around.
He plans to return to the trail tomorrow... location to be announced! He had planned to join his group at their shelter tonight, so we now need to re-access the situation. We will also see how he is feeling in the morning! Poor Red Bull! A second zero day may be in order?
Red Bull had planned on us picking him up this evening, because he had an appointment on Sunday. He had a very rough day yesterday, and requested we pick him up a little early.
We picked him up at mile 1154.7 where the trail intersects with PA 225. He hiked a little over 4 miles today. It is a concern with no water available for 16 miles. We welcomed him home for lunch with pizza!
He is limping, has huge blisters on his heals, and a big area rubbed raw on his hip from the waist belt of his pack. He says he hurts everywhere. His new insoles cushion his feet well, but raise his heal higher in the shoe, and the shoes rub on the top of his heals.
We thought he had hiked 20+ miles his first day back on the trail. He actually hiked 22+ miles that day. He had accidentally gotten off the trail, and did not realize he was on the wrong trail until he had traveled a mile. So... an extra mile off and then back to the trail that day! I think he should have eased back into hiking a little more gently... but he was on a quest to catch his friends!
Red Bull has decided he would like us to jump him up the trail to his hiking group, there is no one in this area. We will make the 4 hour drive tomorrow after his appointment, to transport him to his pals. Upon completing the North section of the trail, he will come down to hike the section he missed. Hopefully in the fall the water sources will be flowing.
I remember hearing a few weeks ago that a hiker near this area was lost, and a search party had been sent out to find him. He was out of water, dehydrated, and left the trail to find water. He became lost and called his family for help, he was incoherent. The rescue party located him, asleep in his tent and very dehydrated. They transported him to the hospital. I now want to look up the story again, I am pretty certain it was in this area!
Yes, I just looked up the article. It appears to have happened about 15-20 miles North of where we picked up Red Bull!
Here is the story! Lost Appalachian Trail hiker found - Lebananon Daily News - part of the USA Today network
Red Bull had a rough day today. All seemed to be going well at first... but the water sources were dried up again, his new insoles were "ripping up" his heels, and he thinks he has poison ivy.
When he checked in for lunch at 3:00 pm, he was energetic and encouraged. He called me at 6:00 pm asking me to double check things in the guidebook, and by 7:00 pm was feeling very discouraged.
He took a lunch break in Duncannon, Pennsylvania, mile 1146.6 on the A.T., elevation of 353 feet. He was trying to reach the Clark's Ferry Shelter, and said he had been hiking up a very steep hill for over two hours. He said the guidebook was way off, and the terrain is much more difficult than it claims. The elevation at the shelter is 1,211 feet.
He was running low on water, and we were hoping the shelter had water as it claims in the guidebook. He had to hike a little ways (another hill) for the water, and he said it took almost an hour to fill up a water bottle... but there was water. This is good news, because I do not see any reliable water sources listed for tomorrow until he has hiked 16 miles!
He stopped for the night at the Clarks Ferry Shelter. He said he met a few people yesterday who were out hiking for a couple of days. He said he met a couple of people today hiking the trail southbound. He is all alone at the shelter tonight, which he does not like... and we do not particularly like. He is considering jumping ahead to rejoin his group. We have told him we will assist him with this if it is what he chooses to do. He would go back to hike this missed section at the end.
I hope he awakens refreshed, energetic, and ready to tackle what the day holds... I also hope he meets some good people to hike with, or at least talk to at the end of the day at the shelter.
Red Bull hiked to the Darlington Shelter on mile 1135.3 of the A.T., over 20 miles today. It is at an elevation of 1,221 feet. There have not been reliable water sources (like at his shelter tonight) so he carried 3 liters of water with him all day, keeping it filled as he crossed water.
He does not usually carry that much water, and has been off the trail for almost 2 weeks... he said his legs are very sore.
He did send this interesting photo. I believe it was taken by an old overgrown dirt road, near a spring at mile 1134.2 on the trail.
