Author Archives: kengochenaur

Shaw’s hostel in Monson, ME, is one of the most popular hostels on the AT. So I chose to spend September 9 there to find out what all the hullabaloo was about. Once again I was blessed to be indoors while two inches of rain fell during my 24 hour stay; that has happened severalContinue reading “Post #35: Commencement”

I nero at the Sterling Inn in Caratunk where I also resupply. The inn has a good selection of food for hikers to buy as well. When I resupply at a grocery store, I often can’t purchase food in the quantities that I want. For instance, I can’t purchase a single ramen noodle packet; IContinue reading “Post #34 Heading Toward the Barn”

I spent the nights of August 31 and September 1 at the Maine Roadhouse so that I could have a much needed zero day. The owners, Jen and Jen, just opened the hostel a couple months ago and provided everything a hiker could want: Shuttle rides to and from the trailhead and into town; aContinue reading “Post #33 Support”

Maine is starting to grow on me. I’m beginning to spend a little more time walking and a little less time clambering over boulders. I’m climbing some steep mountains but I’m not spending all day doing so. A couple of hours each day are spent hiking on a moderate grade where I can get intoContinue reading “Post #32. The Maine Thing”

8/20.  It takes about 30 seconds of hitching for me to get picked up and taken back to the trailhead from Gorham.  The guy who picks me up is about my age with the same occupation, and says he has had one too many things go wrong this week so he is going on aContinue reading “Post #31 Mahoosuc Notch”

August 16. Monday-  I am amazed at how many hikers are in Gorham during my zero day. In addition to the various hikers I see that receive just a nod and wave from me, there are a few I actually chat with, and others whom I met earlier on the trail that stop and catchContinue reading “Post #30 Wildcats and Carters”

During the first several days of hiking through the Whites, I meet a few SOBOs but now a big bubble of NOBOs has been passing me and we frequently camp at the same site. While explaining my hike, I often say that I just restarted my trip north, don’t have my trail legs, and ateContinue reading “Post #29 The Presidents”

Tuesday, August 3  We arrive at the southwestern border of the White mountains at noon, eat lunch, and I hike half a day.  Anita picks me up and we head to our rental up north in Bethlehem, NH.  The brewery that is a couple of blocks away looks like a fun place to eat, butContinue reading “Post #28: Slack Packing”

Inspect water bottle, hammock, and rain fly Buy reflective cord, groceries, toothpaste, shirt, AAA batteries Replace screen protector, update blog, invoice customer Apply permethrin to clothing, fluff down quilts Take tools out of truck, renew truck registration and pay insurance Download an e-book and audio book Yep, its time to take care of the unfinishedContinue reading “Post #27: Lists”

When I was in Erwin, TN, last March, a guy by the name of Doug provided rides for me, so I once again decided to use his shuttle services. I appreciated him going out of his way to assist me in procuring some freeze-dried food and alcohol fuel, because the local outfitter, from whom oneContinue reading “Post #26 Smokies”