The 100 Mile Wilderness: White House Landing

White House Landing: advertised as "an oasis with the 100 Mile Wilderness."  Hansel and Gretel stayed here their last night of the 100 miles.  The method of access to get to White House Landing was truly unique.  The hostel is located about a mile off the trail.  Hansel and Gretel had to wind their way along the shore of another lovely Maine lake until they came out to a dock.  From the dock, they were able to see the house across the lake.  At the end of the dock, there was a fog horn.  They tooted the fog horn and a guy came out of the house and boarded a little boat which he used to cross the lake and collect Hansel and Gretel.

White House Landing had a few private cabins where hikers could stay, though these were a little more expensive than the bunk house where Hansel and Gretel slept.  The house had no electricity and the pluming was fed straight from the water in the lake which the owners of the hostel pumped every day.  For this reason, they asked that showers be restricted to as few minutes as possible.  The water was warmed by solar heat.  They didn't have a true bathroom.  Just a compost privy.  For dinner, you could pay for one of two options.  You could either have a 1-pound burger or a 14-inch pizza.  Hansel selected the burger and Gretel got the pizza... although, Hansel ended up consuming half of Gretel's pizza since she got full after 4 slices.  "Gretel wimped out," Hansel explained.  For desert they had homemade whoopee pies- a Maine staple!

The next morning, the White House Landing care takers agreed to serve breakfast at 7am so that Hansel and Gretel could hit the trail as early as possible.  They planned on leaving their packs at the hostel where Two Bad, mom, and I could hike in and pick them up so that they would be able to slack pack a 31 mile day to finish the 100 Mile Wilderness.  Also staying at the hostel were two South Bounders, just beginning their AT excursion toward Georgia.  Hansel and Gretel finished their breakfast quickly and prepared their day packs so they were ready to go.  They would have to take the boat back across the lake in order start, but the two South Bounders were moving very slowly.

"Hey, we're ready to go when you are," Hansel said to them in an effort to get them to move it along.  Apparently Hansel was a litte too subtle and these South Bounders just didn't get the hint that they really wanted to leave asap.  Their boat driver was also fully prepared and the three of them were just kinda sitting around waiting for the other hikers to get it together.

Finally the boat man said, "You know what?  Screw 'em!  I'll waste the gas.  I don't care."  Once on the boat and out of ear shot he expressed a few more sentiments.

"These f***ing South Bounders.  THey don't know what they're doing.  You guys are quick.  You have it together.  You know what you're doing.  But these South Bounders, they take forever.  You're always waiting on them.  They piss me off."

And he was kind of right too.  North Bounders have the routine down.  By the time they reach Maine, they are very efficient and they understand how important their time and energy is.  Nothing is waisted.  South Bounders have not yet realized this.  The guys running White House Landing were also extremely efficient, so they appreciated Hansel and Gretel's timeliness.  It was very kind of the boat man to take Hansel and Gretel across early, because they certainly did have a long day ahead of them.

Later that day, mom, Two Bad and I hiked into the woods to retrieve Hansel and Gretel's packs.  There was a road that took us to the edge of the woods, and then we had to walk about .5 miles to the house.  Well, we would have had to walk .5 miles if we had taken that left turn at the start of the trail.  Instead we hiked about three quarters of a mile until mom called the White House Landing to clarify the directions.  Even driving in was kind of crazy.  There were no real street signs.  Instead we were given land marks.  "It's the third turn marked by a boulder that has graffiti on it.  Then turn left at the place with a hundred signs (*see picture bellow)."  Somehow in all those directions, we missed the left turn at the start of the hiking trail.  So our 1 mile pack retrieval ended up being a 2.5 mile pack retrieval.  This was my first time hiking since breaking my ankle, but luckily the trail was flat and tame, so the 2.5 miles were nothing too worry about.  We got their packs, took some pictures, and headed to the hotel.

Happy Trails!

The left turn marked by 100 signs to get to White House Landing.

Mom and Two Bad looking out at the lake at White House Landing.  You can see the small motor boat that brought Hansel and Gretel across the lake.

Me, Two Bad, and Mom at White House Landing, collecting Hansel and Gretel's packs.

A Soggy Return

Returning to the trail this time was very difficult for Hansel and Gretel.  All the novelty is gone and they knew the challenges that would be facing them.  After a week with their family, it was tough to go back into the isolation of the woods and their bodies had forgotten how to be thru-hikers.  They were more sore now than they had ever been.  Gretel's knee is aching and Hansel's boots are causing him plenty of pain.  He has been walking with his shoes untied (which provides absolutely no support) so they will stop pressing on one of his nerves.

It also did not help that their first day back on the Trail was a long one with some unwelcome complications.  They started their hike a bit later than they would have liked in pouring rain.  Luckily, t did clear up in the middle of the day.  They had expected to arrive at the shelter around 9pm, but Hansel made it by 8:15.  Five minutes later, the cats and dogs returned and it was pouring rain once again.  By 9 o'clock, Gretel still had not arrived.  At this point, Hansel put his boots back on and set off to look for his sister.  After walking a quarter of a mile in the dark and pouring rain, he decided to return to the shelter.  It did not make sense for both of them to be out in the rain and walking alone in the dark increased the possibility of both of them getting lost.  He knew Gretel had the right gear for the rain and at least the air temperature was still warm so she wouldn't be freezing in the woods by herself.  Hansel returned to camp where he was met by two older thru-hikers, Booksmarts and Caveman, who offered to join him and go look for Gretel.  Just before the search party was about to return to the forest, they spotted Gretel's glowing headlamp approaching from between the trees!  She made it!

When she reached the camp she explained that at about 8:30 she started to wonder if she had mistakenly passed the shelter.  It was dark and perhaps she missed a turn, so she decided to walk backwards to be sure she had not already passed it.  Little did she know, she had only two tenths of a mile to go before she decided to turn around.  Wet and weary, she sank into the hard floor boards of the shelter and Booksmarts and Caveman rejuvenated her with some hot chocolate.

The next night, Hansel and Gretel found some comfort in staying at a hostel in Waynesboro, VA.  It was located at Grace Lutheran Church which reminded them of home since the church we grew up in is Lutheran.  They had a "Fellowship Hall" and and they slept on cots similar to the ones we used to help set up at Calvary.  They also happened to have the BEST showers because they had seats in them.  Who can resist the opportunity to sit while you scrub?

Happy trails and elevated spirits.

A biscuit for the road... I mean trail.

Hansel and Gretel are disappearing into the trees... 

you might be able to make them out.

A Very Awesome Woodpecker 

Hitching...

...in an aqua pick-up!

The wind in his hair!

Two Bad!

Introducing the newest, short term, member of the Jabeccawalk Team: 

Dad!

Around 9 this morning, Dad stuffed his pack and a small suitcase into the trunk of a cab headed for the airport (since you can’t take knives and fuel in your carry-on bag, he will have to mail the empty suit case home after he reloads the off-limits items into his backpack).  Around 3pm Dad met Hansel and Gretel at their hostel in Catawba and they started their march back into the woods. 

One problem: they weren’t nearly as far as they thought they were yesterday after tumbling down the mountain.  Very quickly, their 3-mile hike to the next shelter turned into a 6-mile hike.   So much for easing Dad into the Appalachian experience! 

I was wrong before when I said there was only one problem.  It also was raining, so they all got wet.  Good thing Dad came prepared with rain gear.  And then we have the problem of age.  As Dad was hiking he reminded the young and spry Hansel and Gretel that he was doing this hike with “two bad hips, two bad, knees, two bad feet, two bad…”  He continued to repeat all of these problems as they hiked until Hansel interrupted him.  

“Well Dad, I think you just got your trail name,” Hansel declared.  “Two Bad!” Isn't that too bad?

And so, Hansel, Gretel, and Two Bad have begun their week together!

Happy trails!

Who needs an alarm clock when you have a rooster?  This little guy woke up Hansel and Gretel this morning!

A Hostel Friend

Gretel making an epic breakfast!

Hansel with his plate.  They picked the eggs right out of the nest!

Also, does anyone else thing that Hansel's hair is getting rather fro-tastic?

Mountainous Tumbles

If you have never hiked the Appalachian Trail before or any trail for that matter, you might be wondering how Hansel and Gretel are finding their way through the woods.  Well, every so often, they pass a trail marker, or a white blaze, much like the one in the picture below, assuring them that they are still on the path.  This has been working very well so far, and aside from the one time when Gretel went South instead of North on the trail, they have not gotten lost yet.  Today, however, they were not so lucky. 

White Blaze... you can see Gretel in the background 

Somehow, they managed to take a very wrong turn and ended up falling off the trail… literally… and practically tumbled down the side of the mountain!  Once their downward momentum slowed, they had a choice to make: Attempt to climb back up the mountain to the trail, or bushwack (bushwacking means to trudge through uncut, unmarked woods making your own messy path as you go and hope you end up somewhere convenient without getting poison ivy) their way back to where the trail picks up at the bottom of the mountain.  They decided to bushwack.   

They ended up finding another trail that led them to a road at the base of the mountain.  They were both exhausted and a little traumatized by their mountainous fall, not to mention completely clueless about where they were.   Gretel wondered if someone would help them if she worked up some tears.  

“I really just feel like crying right now, so maybe that could get us something.  Lemonade?  A seat on someone’s couch?”  She was feeling pretty desperate. 

Just then, they spotted an Appalachian Trail sign with a house right next to it.   As they approached, a person came out of the house and greeted them. 

“So, you here to here to stay at the hostel?”  The person asked.  I guess no tears were necessary.  Not knowing where they actually were, Hansel and Gretel inquired about their location.  Apparently, they had walked right to the front steps of a hostel that had just reopened and was so new, it hadn’t even made it into the AT Guide Book yet.  What luck!  They had made it to Catawba, found a hostel, and now could relax until tomorrow when they would meet Dad!  The Death March is over!

Until next time, happy trails!




And here are a few pictures of the trail friends Hansel and Gretel have spotted along the way:

Mooooo!

Box Turtle

Fantascus Damascus

Virginia!!!!


With three states and over 400 miles behind them, Hansel and Gretel arrived in Damascus, VA, "the friendliest town on the Trail."  A hostel called "The Place" was their first stop, though they quickly determined this was not at all the place to stay.  In Hansel's words, it was a bit sketchy.  Fortunately, in their wanderings they had stumbled across signs posted by Warren Doyle advertising a free bed in exchange for a few hours of work.

So, they called up Warren and he came and picked them up.  Hansel and Gretel soon learned that Warren was nothing short of an Appalachian legend!  This man has hiked the AT 16 times!  "Google him," my siblings said.  Sure enough, Warren is the living legend that they described and he is doing great things for the Appalachian community!  He started the outdoor school at George Mason University, and he routinely leads AT thru-hiking expeditions in large groups (maybe 20 people!).  He sets the rule that if you start the journey, you have to finish.  The only way you can give up on the Trail is if someone in your family dies or you break something.  He's extreme!  I'll include some links to Warren at the bottom of the post.

All these things Hansel and Gretel learned over the course of their Damascus stay, but their good feelings began as soon as they climbed into Warren's car.  The soulful music of John Denver was playing over the speakers, a folk singer who we three siblings grew up with.  As a matter of fact, John Denver was the feature of the very first concert we went to as a family just before he died.  As Hansel and Gretel drove down the road, there may have been a few stray tears that leaked out when "Looking for Space" started playing.  It seemed so appropriate for the life-changing journey Hansel and Gretel were in the midst of completing.  (You can listen to "Looking for Space" if you click here.)

The work that Hansel and Gretel did was to help build Warren's new Appalachian Folk School.  A place dedicated to sharing music making, dancing and hiking.  The school will be able to sleep up to 150 people so conventions can be held and people will be invited to teach in a very open setting.   There will also be homemade quilts and books of interest for sale.

For the most part, Hansel and Gretel moved lumber around the property and carried scraps to the "burn pile."  In exchange for their two or three hours of labor, they were given a free bed, a shower, and they were even able to do their laundry!  It was great to be able to contribute in a small way to such a worthy project!  Thanks Warren and best of luck with your new school!

Happy trails!


As promised, a few links to Warren.  Just click them:
Warren Doyle's Biography
Warren Wisdom Regarding the AT


"Looking For Space"
By John Denver

On the road of experience, I'm trying to find my own way.
Sometimes I wish that I could fly away.
When I think that I'm moving, suddently things stand still,
I'm afraid 'cause I think they always will.

And I'm looking for space,
And to find out who I am.
And I'm looking to know and understand.
It's a sweet, sweet dream.
Sometimes I'm almost there.
Sometimes I fly like an eagle,
And sometimes I'm deep in despair

All alone in the universe, sometimes that's how it seems.
I get lost in the sadness and the screams.
Then I look in the center, suddently everything's clear.
I find myself in the sunshine and my dreams.

And I'm looking for space,
And to find out who I am,
And I'm looking to know and understand.
It's a sweet, sweet dream,
Sometimes I'm almost there.
Sometimes I fly like an eagle,
And sometimes I'm deep in despair.

On the road of experience, 
Join in the living day.
If there's an answer, 
It's just that it's just that way.

When you're looking for space,
And to find out who you are,
When you're looking to try and reach the stars.
It's a sweet, sweet sweet dream.
Sometimes I'm almost there.
Sometimes I fly like an eagle.
But sometimes I'm deep in despair.
Sometimes I fly like an eagle,
like an eagle
I go flying high.

Hansel working in the yard.

A glimpse of the school.

Munching in town.

The Blueberry Patch

The day following Deep Gap Shelter, Hansel and Gretel awoke early and hiked 3 miles to a road crossing. Here, they hopped on a shuttle that brought them to a hostel called The Blueberry Patch.  This sweet and wonderful place had two houses.  The second house is where the hikers stayed.  THere was a large table, a stove, and three bunks (one was as a double bunk bed with double beds, and two were triple bunks with single beds).  Each was made from thick wooden logs.  Also in the shelter was a collection of food that people had left and was free to anyone who wished to take it.  There was still another box with free gear that people had left behind!

The man running the hostel washed Hansel and Gretel's laundry and they even were able to take a shower!   It is quite possible that this was their first shower since starting the hike a little over a week ago.  Yikes!

The Blueberry Patch sat on a huge piece of property.  The backyard was equipped with large garden in addition to four goats and two mules!

After hanging their wet clothing out to dry, Hansel and Gretel heading into town where they proceeded they found an all-you-can-eat buffet.  As it turned out, neither one of them was able to actually eat very much food.  It seems that after a week on the trail, consuming only small portions of food at a time, they can not hold nearly as much food as they could before starting.  The problem they encountered was that they ate insanely fast!  They filled their plates (fried chicken, creamed corn, sweet potatoes, etc.) and in less than 10 minutes, everything was gone!  By the way, Gretel is still a vegetarian, getting her protein through beans and peanuts and such.  Needless to say, our two favorite hikers were not feeling so stellar after that meal!

Following their feeding frenzy, a trip to Ingles Grocery Store ensued.  Ingles was chock full of great stuff!  Consequently, Hansel and Gretel's packs weighed quite a bit upon leaving the store.

That evening, our favorite hikers slept soundly in comfortable beds; a real treat after a week of sleeping on the hard ground!  The following morning, they went to church with people running the hostel.  It was a Southern Baptist church and it happened to be youth day, so there was plenty of singing to be done!  They all returned to an amazing breakfast or pancakes with blueberry syrup (homemade at the Blueberry Patch, naturally), sausage, cheese biscuits, eggs, orange juice, coffee.  It was excellent!  Then, Hansel and Gretel were driven back to the cross road where they emerged from the woods they day before and continued on their way.

That's all for now.  Until next time, happy trails!