Wednesday, September 5, 2012

A Long Overdue Update

Happy post-Labor Day to all. Much to report regarding AT for CZC as we begin the month of September. My sincerest apologies for not providing updates over the past several weeks. The combination of limited access to Matt, as well as relocating myself to the Northeast, has disrupted my routines.

Anyhow, I'm happy to report that all is well for Ewok on the AT. I spoke to him over the weekend and he informed me that he has safely made it to Hanover, New Hampshire. Over the past four days, he has enjoyed some R&R at Dartmouth College, no doubt enjoying the food and festivities associated with the start of the new school year. Hopefully, he's staying dry as well, as the past couple of days have been filled with rain her in the Northeast. He even seems to have found Internet access last night, having posted on Facebook: "Hanover, NH will suck you in... Love this town!"

A few items worth noting from my conversation with him this weekend:

  • At the time of our last conversation, he was waiting for hiking mates Crazy Beard, Low Profile and Houdini before continuing north towards Katahdin. He elected to split from them about a week ago after Houdini injured his knee and needed some down time. Matt chose to remain on the Trail with new hiking partner, Lightning Jack.
  • His hike from Connecticut to New Hampshire has gone very well. Cooler temperatures, an increased number of thru-hikers, and dense forests have been the norm, all of which have been a welcome change from his time in the south.
  • His SPOT device needs new batteries. For this reason, he has not checked in for the past couple of weeks with his current location. I suggested that he take the time in Hanover to find replacement batteries - hopefully, he'll take my advice!
Matt reports that he is hiking roughly 20 miles a day and in excellent condition. He has hiked approximately 1,150 miles, aquablazed about 150 more, and is 442 miles from Katahdin. The plan remains to hike the Pennsylvania portion after finishing in Maine, weather permitting.

At the time of publication, I suspect that he is still in Hanover. I hope to speak with him one more time before he sets out again on the Trail to undertake the rigorous hiking in the White Mountains. A most sincere thank you to everyone for reaching out and supporting Matt over the past several months. He assures me that his thoughts remain with Comfort Zone with each mile.

AT for CZC continues!

An addendum to the post:

I just got off the phone with Matt and he reports that he is still in Hanover, though planning to leave later today. He has enjoyed the past four days in town and calls it "the best time I've had on the Trail." He calls Hanover the most "hiker-friendly town" he has visited thus far, and has enjoyed free food courtesy of many of the local restaurants in town.

He wishes to thank the staff and students at Dartmouth College for their hospitality as well as the people of Hanover for their support. Thru-hikers have congregated over the weekend in town and are "pumped" for the White Mountains in a couple of days.

Matt plans to call from Lyme, NH in a couple of days before beginning a rigorous seventy mile portion of the Trail. 

No comments:

Post a Comment