End of my Journey

I am sorry to report that I am getting off the trail. In the past several weeks I have had quite a bit of pain in my left ankle. (which was weak when I began) The only thing that has kept me going for the last few weeks is a steady dose of Ibprofen. Now my stomach has begun to bother me from eating too many of the pills. (10-12 per day). I felt is was better to stop now and finish at a later date as opposed to doing damage to my foot, and never finishing. I completed 1650 of the 2185 miles. I walked through 11 of the 14 states that the A.T. crosses. ( I have actually hiked approx. 70 miles of the AT in Vermont a few yrs. ago with Shellie) I hope to complete this journey one day with Shellie if she chooses to join me.( and put up with me).

 I have had an amazing time and met many interesting and fascinating people on my journey.I never thought that at my age I would ever get such a wonderful opportunity. And for this, I am eternally grateful to my family and friends that made such a trip possible.



I wish you all a lifetime of adventure and happiness !


                                                                      Tony  aka( Krispy)

The highest peak in Mass.

A view looking south across Mass and into Connecticutt. (Berkshires)

A view looking north toward the Green Mts. of Vermont from Mt. Greylock, Mass.

Ponds and Bogs

One of the many ponds I would pass by in Mass. The weather up here is great !

One of the many bogs I would pass by in Mass. Another nice day of weather near Dalton, mile 1630

Massachusetts Mile 1600

The woods got much darker, quieter, and mossier in Mass. The color took on a much deeper green. There was a lot more pine trees and water sources. A very nice state to hike in and one of my favorites so far.

Alien Creatures

I have never seen these before and thought they were rather unusual looking. upon further inspection I felt they looked alot like little alien creatures........ or eyeballs on a stick.

Miss Vanessa Breton

Vanessa runs a hiker bed and breakfast out of her home in Conn. She was an absolute sweetheart. We hit it off so well that when I left she gave me a pair of earrings to send home for Shellie. Vanessa makes jewelry and sells it at local markets and via the internet. She has her own very nice, upscale packaging etc. The pair she gave me were sterling silver with turquoise and fresh water pearls...... awesome ! This was one of my favorite places to stay along the trail.

The outside of Miss Vanessa's vintage northeastern home.

The United States first Library,Salisbury, Conn.

In 1803 Caleb Bingham established the Salisbury Public Library, the nations oldest. It was created for use by young people , ages 9 thru 16. It was so popular that many adults used it as well.

The Berkshire Mountains

 Looking toward northern Conn. and into Massachusetts. The "Berkshires" run all along the western side of both states.

This is a shot of the Berkshires the very next day after the picture above. The weather changes like baby diapers in the northeast. I had this storm hit as I was packing my tent at 8:00 am. It proceeded to rain the rest of the day and night and into the next day.

The rocks don't end in Pennsylvania, they just get bigger!. I had to cross this boulder field during my very wet hike into Salisbury, Conn.   Mile 1550

DiamondBack Rattlesnake/ Connecticut

I walked upon this guy near Salisbury, Conn. He was in the middle of the trail and he did not rattle or hiss, so I almost stepped on him. I sat my pack down and took a water break hoping he would move out of the way. Well, that didn't happen...... he just kept coming closer and closer while searching the plants for bugs to eat. After about 20 minutes I gave up and hiked down a steep hill and back up the steep hill to bypass my new friend.

He was about 3 feet long and as big around as my forearm.

Near Kent, Connecticut Mile 1500

Finally hit another state that is fun to hike in. Conneticut has beautiful trails and really nice scenery. The weather is also much cooler and less humid than NY/NY/PA.

 

 

The Ten Mile river that runs along the New York/ Conn. border.

New Jersey/New York

Grady, Mac, and Kari (Snickers) just outside of Unionville, NY. as we staddle the New Jersey/New York line for 20-30 miles. Unionville was a very tiny town that lets A.T. hikers camp in their community park for the night. I'll have to admit it was the only time on the trail that I had a grill outside my tent!

Ice Cream in New York - Mile 1,375

I stopped in Bellvale NY to have what is supposed to be the best ice cream on the trail. This place was only .3 miles off the trail and very close to Greenwood Lake where I stayed for the night. Anton's motel is right on the lake and the little village is a lot like Harpers Ferry WV. The cone was very good but the jury's still out on whether it is better than Ben and Jerry's. ( which I pass by in Vermont ).

Sundown on the New York countryside behind the Creamery.