Post War Hike

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Remember why we are doing this....

Today did not start out very well, I was ready to quit. But "the trail always provides" and provide a kick-in-the-butt it did today. Mom and I decided to come into Rangeley, ME and hangout at Sarge's Sports Pub & Grill to update the blog, enjoy a few beers, eat some great eats and relax.

While here at Sarge's we had the honor of meeting Brian & Tricia Roy, proud parents of Marine combat veteran Sgt Matthew Roy. Sgt Roy served and survived multiple combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, but unfortunately lost the battle to his demons and succumbed to suicide. Sgt Roy's mother, Tricia, has graciously provided me with a memorial bracelet she wears in Sgt Roy's honor. I am going to proudly wear his memorial bracelet as we trudge our way over Saddleback, Sugarloaf and Avery over the last three days of our thru-hike.

It often takes poignant moments, like our meeting Brian and Tricia, to put it all back into perspective and remind us what this is all about.

And so onward we trudge to honor, remember and bring to light the veteran suicide crisis.

Here is to Sgt Roy and the rest of my sisters and brothers in arms!!

Hendo & Hendo's Mom
"True to the Thru"~Lint

Finishing Plans

We have only 33.4 miles left, but i have never been closer to quitting than i am today. We have 23.9 miles from ME Hwy 4 to Carribou Valley Rd (Saddleback, Orberton Canyon & Sugarloaf) and 9.5 miles over Mt Avery left. We got a rental.car again to slack these last few days, but there are no road crossings passable with a non- 4x4 vehicle from ME 4 to Carribou Valley Rd, so we will overnight that section. We got the rental car again because our 15 degree sleeping bags are worn out from our extended use and are not keeping us warm at night in our tent, but sleeping in our car we are good.

The weather has been great but today is colder and rainy, so i think that is probably the source of some of my whininess. Anyway, i really wanted to finish on Friday 13 Nov, as that is the anniversary of my being MEDEVACd from Iraq, which is really the start of where I find myself today. But I think I need a day to eat and sleep today and finish on Saturday.

I thank everyone for their support and am sorry to disappont. I will wallow for just a bit and then suck it up and trudge onward.

So as it stands now we will finish on Saturday 14 Nov, by hiking southbound over Mt Avery. We will start in the Safford Brook Trailhead parking area, 0700 hrs, near Bigelow Lodge and Flagstaff Lake, hike up Safford Brook trail up to Mt Avery and then South over and down Avery to Stratton Brook Pond Rd.

Happy Trails

Hendo & Hendo's Mom
"True to the Thru" ~Lint

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Slowly but surely trudging to the finish!!

Maine is beating us up, but we are trudging onward. We are moving but slowly, as a result it looks like our finish day will be pushed back one more day and we should summit Mt Avery and finish now on Friday 13 November 2015. We are getting back on trail today and I will no longer have internet access until we finish.

If you want to come out and hike up Mt Avery or meet us at the end at the Safford Brook Trail trailhead parking lot on East Flagstaff Rd hear the Bigelow Lodge north of Carrabassesett, Maine, please call and leave us a voicemail on our cell phones, 404-234-6513 and 910-322-8893. One is AT&T and the other is Verizon so usually no matter where we are one or the other has a signal.

Click here for video of us looking out from the summit of Baldpate

Hendo's Mom hiking up Baldpate

The trail/scramble up Bemis Mountain

Hendo's Mom and Hendo on the Summit of Bemis Mountain

Thank you again to everyone for all of your support!!

Happy Trails!!

Hendo & Hendo's Mom
"True to the Thru" ~Lint

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Maine oh Maine oh Maine.....

Maine is making us earn it every inch of the way. We are bruised and scraped up, be still trudging. We have made it through Mahoosuc Notch (hardest mile on the AT) took us four hours and one flask of Jack Daniels. We didnt drink the Jack, Mahoosuc Notch swallowed it up in one of its bottomless pits. We have never been happier to see a flat tentsite at the end of Mahoosuc Notch. We made it up Mahoosuc Arm to Speck Pond shelter just in time for a huge storm to roll in overnight. We made it up the south side of Old Speck and over the top down into Grafton Notch before rain set in. We are currently in Bethel, ME at Pat's Pizza and were offered a place to stay tonight by an amazing trail angel. We will lick our wounds, dry out and continue north tomorrow.

Happy Trails!!

Hendo & Hendo's Mom
"True to the Thru"~Lint

Monday, October 26, 2015

Southern Vermont

We enjoyed our time in Vermont and not only because it meant we were that much closer to the end but because the Fall scenery was beautiful. We have rested a few days at a friend's home in New Hampshire and are getting back on trail at Mahoosuc Notch today, Monday 26 October 2015 and heading north to Mt Avery. I apologize for the lack of details in this initial post, but I ran out of time and wanted to get the pictures up for all to enjoy. I will post more details shortly.

Monday 12 October 2015 - Wednesday 21 October 2015

Our biggest challenges was the dropping weather temps, but we rolled with the punches and were able to get into towns along the way and keep ourselves warm and comfy.

Hendo and Hendo's Mom in the vicinity of Porcupine Ridge working our way to the top of Glastenbury Mountain

Hendo's Mom walking amongst beautiful black birch trees showing off their leaves of gold.

Hendo traversing one of many blowdowns along the trail. The Green Mountain Club doesn't clean up blow downs in some sections to supposedly enhance our wilderness experience.

Hendo and Hendo's Mom on the summit of Glastenbury Mountain

Kid Gore Shelter

We hung our tent parts up around the shelter platform mom and I slept in to keep us warmer at night, it worked great!!

Our improvised colder weather sleeping arrangements

The beautiful view which greeted us in the morning at Kid Gore Shelter

Looking out from Kid Gore Shelter

Hendo's Mom relaxing at the end of the day, enjoying the GMC magazine at Story Spring Shelter. We made it just in time before the rain started.

Stratton Mountain Fire Tower

Hendo's Mom and Hendo getting ready to climb up Stratton Tower

Hendo's Mom and Hendo on Stratton Tower, it was extremely windy

The beautiful view from the Stratton Tower

And the other side of Stratton Tower

Hendo's Mom and Hendo at Stratton Pond

A tree was down on the power lines leading into Manchester Center, VT...we called it in to Green Mountain Power.

Warning sign before highway VT 11/30

Video from on top of Bromley Mountain..

Bromley Mountain 360 video

Hendo's Mom on Bromley Mountain

Bromley Mountain

Styles Peak

Yep, that is white stuff on the ground...SNOW!!

Mother Nature's Confetti

Hendo's Mom on Baker Peak

Baker Peak View

Hendo Hiking up Baker Peak

Hendo on Baker Peak

We found a camera bag a gentleman had forgotten next to a tree at USFS Road 10 near Danby, VT. Luckily he had an ID tag on it with his phone number and we were able to contact him and mail it back to him in Illinois.