Rob passes through home territory!

Here are some photos documenting Rob's approach to New England.

August 6 - New York. 793 miles to Katahdin, and the approach to the "Lemon Squeezer" shown on bottom sign. Here's Grizzle getting the squeeze.
August 10, still New York. Jake and Candy Bar pose by the largest tree on the Trail - the "Dover Oak."
August 12 - Happy Day! Rob ("BigBy") poses by a special tree - with the sign marking the Connecticut border.

The Connecticut AT features the Trail's longest river walk, along the lovely Housatonic.
Tater and Candy Bar (above) and Bigby and Candy Bar (below), enjoying the Housatonic on Aug. 13.

A beautiful Connecticut sunset.

August 15 brought them to one of the places that triggered Rob's love of the outdoors - site of many Boy Scout campouts! Here's Rob at a familiar spot - Bear Mountain, CT.
Aug. 15 - Welcome to Massachusetts!
A view of Connecticut.

Last week, friends Mark and Di Orenstein offered their hospitality at their wonderful summer home on Otis Reservoir in the Berkshires. The hikers were quick to accept! This was also the perfect opportunity for Rob's sister Annie to get a taste of the Trail

August 15 - Annie hits the trail! DadK and MomK delivered her to Bear Mountain State Park, where the Trail (and a shelter) are very close to the "road." We entered the park from the Turnpike exit (north) and our route included a near-perfect circle marked on the GPS, as we took the truck down what we thought was the right road to the trail crossing. When the trail became a cowpath, complete with giant potholes, we turned around, and traveled all the way down to the south entrance of the park, and followed directions UP to the trailhead. Turns out we were about a quarter mile away when we rejected the cowpath route!

Annie spent the night at a shelter, and hiked out to the next trail crossing on the morning of Aug. 16. There Dad K met them again, to bring them all to the Orenstein's home.

The truck cab was a little crowded, so Jake chose to ride in style!

Here Tater performs some earthmoving chores at the beach.
Supper at the Orensteins!
Kneeling: Tater, Jake, Bigby; Standing: Annie, Chele Orenstein, Mark and Di Orenstein, Candy Bar, Grizzle and Dad K. (AKA "Mr. Bigby")
A thousand thank yous to the Orenstein family, and to their friend Pete who helped shuttle the hikers back to the Trail after their Otis interlude.

Hello everyone!

This time it's Wingdale, New York! The trip into Glastonbury, New Haven and New York was an awesome battery recharger, although I was unable to visit any of my awesome Gbury friends (sorry guys, I feel really bad about that). Anyways, it's good to be back hiking. We hit the trail at Bear Mountain, NY in the midsts of a pretty brutal heat wave that seriously slowed us down for a few days. Luckily a well-placed lake and a swimming pool presented themselves at the perfect moments to keep us cool and happy.

While I was home, a few people requested that I post up what currently resides in my lovely backpack, the items necessary to keep a thru-hiker alive. The list is much simpler than it was when I left Springer Mountain 4 months ago! I'll list items from the bottom of my pack to the top.

-Mystery Ranch Futura Sport 4200 CI internal frame pack w/ pack cover
-25* EMS Caribou down sleeping bag (long, left zip)
-Insulmat Thermo-max insulated self-inflating sleeping pad (think therma-rest)
- Clothes
-1 pair shorts with liner (my everyday hiking wear)
-1 pair convertible pants/shorts with zip off legs (town pants)
- 3 pairs synthetic hiking socks (Smartwool)
-2 synthetic t-shirts
-1 cotton town shirt
-Fleece pullover
-EMS System 3 windbreaker/rain coat
-Antigravitygear 1.5 liter pot
-homemade "penny" stove
-8 ounces of denatured alcohol (stove fuel)
-Food bag with bear hanging line
-Random stuff
-headlamp
-small first aid supplies
-cell phone
-Katadyn Hiker water filter
-3 liter MSR Dromedary Bag (water bag)
-Maps, compass, and AT guide book
-digital camera
-AM/FM/TV/Weather band radio


Thats about all you need to survive for... an indefinite period of time.
Hiking across the Connecticut state line today, and into NEW ENGLAND FINALLY!

Love, peace, and bacon grease,

Rob!

Thru PA and NJ and into NY with a detour to CT!

Mom and Dad K, along with Sister Bear the Eldest (Jess) were privileged to host five hikers at our home this weekend. First - some photos to catch you up on Rob's progress since returning to the Trail post-Lyme Disease.

Heading back! Rob heads back to Port Clinton, PA, with buddy Matt Tobin (who provided the transportation.)

Is it Disney? NO, it's CABELA'S! Everything from a shootin' gallery to a living room. Matt's thinking about taking a shot; Rob is contemplating taking a nap, looks like.
Scenes of wildlife to ease Rob's transition back to hiker status!

Back on the Trail!!

Pennsylvania supplies a lesson in geology.

Over 1200 miles from Springer Mountain! We had heard there were rocks in Pennsylvania...
The Trail goes right over them, seems like EVERY one in PA! (Note the blazes.)

Minimalist Fishing

BigBy prepares his line...

Casts off...

Caught one! Really!

Rob was rather pleasantly surprised by the New Jersey section of the trail! Here, a boardwalk through a lovely wetland. Crossing into New York on August 1!
A scene from New York -
- soon after which it was time for their rendezvous with Dad K, and a LONG ride home crammed in our pickup. While it seats 6, it was a bit cramped!

Here, some scenes from our hiker weekend! Dinner at the house - menu included barbecue beef (appetizer); then lemon chicken, jambalaya, shrimp cocktail and fruit salad; followed by cheesecake. That's just the first night! Clockwise from left: Tater, Jake, Grizzle, BigBy and Candy Bar. The guys went out to Good Will to purchase some evening duds - and all journeyed to New Haven to meet up with some of "Tater's" friends at Yale.
MomK (the short one) almost made Jess (AKA Sister Bear) late for her train by insisting on a group photo first, prior to waving goodbye on Sunday Aug. 5.
Then this great group of people jumped in the pickup w/ DadK and journeyed to NYC, where they met Jess and helped her move to her new apartment. Many hikers made short work of the move, after which they had a hot dog feast and were delivered back to the trailhead near Bear Mountain, NY. Hopefully I can meet them again with "Medium" Sister Bear when she's home on break from Chicago next week!