Forty-two Miles of Dirt

My feet hurt and my legs are dirty.  Forty-two miles of dirt over the last two days to be precise.  The last two days have been a great test of conditioning and resolve.

Not Tan Lines - Forty-two miles of Dirt

I finally caught a reasonably good sunset in East Brookfield, MA.

Finally a Nice Sunset

Caught this about three miles before the end of a twenty three mile hike today.  Honestly, I could have done without the night hiking. It’s a little nerve wracking on the roads.  Long story short, it’s been a good two days, but I’m tired and headed to bed.

One State Down, Eleven to Go

Today, we passed out of the northwest corner of Rhode Island and into Massachusetts.  One state down, eleven to go. I’m pretty excited that we cleared our first state. I know, I know.  It’s te small one, and the rest are going to be quite a bit bigger and more challenging. Acknowledging all that, I’ll take he wins where we can get them.

Rhode Island-Massachusetts State Line Marker in the Background

There were and handful of other firsts today as well.  We’re camping for the first time tonight, and we’re breaking the rules to do it.  Stealth camping at its best, but we’ve already been caught.

It would not be camping if it wasn’t raining, and that’s a first for the trip as well.

We had our longest day walking today clocking in 19.22 miles.  Although we’re not quite on pace, I’m pretty pleased with the 14 miles per day we’ve averaged over the last five days.  We started off strong, and we're both settling into the daily rhythm of he road. Camping and moving was the net big hurdle to clear, and we’re giving that a shot as we speak.  More to follow on that tomorrow, but I’m optimistic.

Finally, it is hard to believe that  week ago today, I was hanging out with a great group of friends and celebrating the end of my Navy career.  it seems like so much has happened in those seven days. The travel has helped of course, but the massive life changes have been truly astounding in the bes of all possible ways.  I don’t know any other way to put it. I just feel that I’m on the right path right now, and I can't wait to see where it leads.

Another Short Day, but The Trail Provides

Today was another short hiking day, and to be honest I’m getting a little concerned about our pace.  We’ve covered fifty miles in four days, and that puts us off our pace by about a day and a half. It’s certainly not the end of the world, but we’re going to have to start stretching things out if we hope to make the Pacific before the weather in both the Rockies and the Pacific Northwest starts to make finishing the pilgrimage an unpleasant experience.

It’s fare too early to get really worried about those sorts of outcomes.  That’s especially true when one takes into account all the positive things that are happening along the way.

We set off early this morning, and the temperature was pretty chilly.  There was a brisk north wind that was right in our face the whole time.  Dad was wearing the hood of his rain jacket instead of his stocking cap because he thought he’d packed his stocking cap and didn't know where to look for it.

About five miles into the hike, he suddenly veered off to the left and said he was going to go into a convenience store to see if they had a replacement stocking cap.  I glanced around the neighborhood and wondered aloud if we shouldn’t just keep moving. He declined the offer of continued transit, and asked me if I was coming in with him to the store.

Now my habit has been to take my pack off at every opportunity, so I told him I was going to stay outside and wait.  I unhitched from my pack and commenced the wait.

While I was waiting, I peeked around the corner of the store and discovered what I can only describe as some sort of shrine made out of empty liquor bottles.  I glanced around and the quiet of the neighborhood was a little unsettling. It was like that feeling you get when you feel that you’re being watched. The feeling of being in the wrong place at the right time or the right place at the wrong time.  That feeling you get when the hairs on the back of your neck stand up just before something bad goes down.

I ate some trail mix.

I drank some water.

I glanced at my watch.

Twenty minutes.  It didn’t take twenty minutes to buy a stocking cap at a convenience store in the rough(ish) section of town.  WTF was the old man doing anyway?

Just as I was throwing on my pack to head into the store to find out what was going on, he came out the door with the store manager and the Coca Cola distributor in tow.

Making friends in North Providence, RI

Dad had been doing what he loves doing.  Making friends and influencing people. As you can see, he even managed to find himself a stocking cap.  Five bucks, and I’m pretty sure they could have sold it for twenty given how cold his shaved head had been all morning.

Although our pace has been slower than I would have liked, I cannot argue with the fact that time after time over the last four days the trail has provided just what we needed at exactly the right time.  If you want to restore your faith in humanity, I suggest that you take a long walk.

Landing in Providence - A Short Ten Mile Day

Today was a short day.  We only covered ten miles, but there was really no other acceptable way to try to traverse Providence, RI.  Dad was pretty tired after Day 2, and the next really viable hotel was a Hilton Garden Inn on India Point in Providence, RI.  I say viable hotel because after that one, there was hostel that Dad wasn’t interested in exploring and a $250/night Marriott at the twelve mile point.

Beyond that, believe it or not, there was basically nothing until the eighteen mile point near Smithfield, RI.  Dad didn’t think he was up to an eighteen mile day, so we had very limited options.

Long story long, we decided that the best course of action was to stop the day at the ten mile point and have two relatively short days in a row.  After that, we’re probably finally going to be into the camping, and frankly I’m looking forward to starting that part of the journey. It’ll be nice not being tied to a specific location.

One of the upside of a short day, is that I feel pretty good.  It’ll be good to get a little rest over today and tomorrow, but overall, my body seems to be holding up and adjusting to the pack quite well.

We entered Rhode Island from Massachusetts today, and we’ll probably be in the state for at least a couple of more days.

We wrapped up the day relatively early at four in the afternoon, but just before we got to the hotel, we crossed the Seekonk River.  Brown University had there crew house just below us, and there were good views over the harbor area south of Providence along the Providence River and the northern part of the Narragansett Bay.

View down the Seekonk River Looking Into Providence Harbor

It’s been a productive three days, but I’m looking forward to getting out of the city and starting to camp.

N2N-TCP Day 2 - The Magic Continues

This morning I woke up early and headed out to catch the sunrise down at the beach on the Sakonnet River.  The evening before Dad and I met a man living in the motel where we ended the day, and Greg suggested that we all get together for breakfast at Graziano’s in Portsmouth, RI.  It was on the way to our bridge crossing so we all agreed to meet.

Greg didn’t have a car, so he was walking as well so after a little more discussion the plan that unfolded included me heading off to photograph the sunset early, and Dad and Greg heading down to the restaurant a little about an hour later in the morning.

I woke up around five and managed to make it down to the beach in time to catch the dawn.

Sunrise over the Sakonnet River - Portsmouth, RI

The sky was clear and the weather was crisp and dry which doesn’t make for the most spectacular sunrise, but I had the beach all to myself.  The seabirds were calling, and the briny smell of low tide reminded me that later in the day we’d head west and would not see the ocean again for another three thousand miles.

After the sun was fully up, and I was beginning to warm up a little, I walked back and met Greg and Dad for breakfast.  We had a great time eating an getting to know Greg and Sharon from Graziano’s.

Greg, Sharon, and Me at Graziano’s in Portsmouth, RI

We went on to have a pretty good walking day covering a little over sixteen miles and ending in Swansea, MA.  The only minor fiasco was a battle with brambles that Dad (mostly) lost, but as fiascos go, this was a minor inconvenience.

I have been amazed at the willingness of complete strangers to lend us a helping hand during the (so far) short course of our journey.  I one ever wonders about where the country is headed, I recommend you throw on a backpack and grab some trek poles and walk just about anywhere.  You’ll find that people are interested, friendly, and helpful, and your hope in your country and your fellow man will be greatly restored.

The Pilgrimage Begins - A Double Digit First Day

Today was a great day to start the pilgrimage.  The weather was predicted to be cool but clear, and both Dad and I had gotten a couple of good nights’ sleep at the Beech Tree Inn and Cottage in Newport, Rhode Island.

We had a plan.  We were going to wake up a little before five am, grab a quick bowl fo instant oatmeal, grab our scheduled Lyft ride down to our starting point, and catch the sunrise on the pebble beach just down the hill from “The Breakers” (the Vanderbilt mansion) near the end of Ruggles Avenue. At five twenty, I’d packed my stuff up and headed to the dining area of the Inn to grab some hot water out of the coffee maker for my oatmeal.  A couple of minutes later, Dad joined me in the dining area to grab some hot water and some coffee.

He was just spooning a mouthful of oatmeal into his pie hole when I thought to ask about the room door.  “Did you leave the door ajar?” I asked because the door locked automatically, and the last time, I’d seen the key it was laying on the dresser.  He looked at me quizzically over the steaming spoonful of oatmeal. “I sure hope so.”

“Yeah, me too,” I replied as he headed through the dining side door to check.  You can probably guess the end of the story, but I’ll lay it out anyway. The door was locked.  I was checking the back windows to see if I could get in that way while Dad was trying to raise the innkeeper by knocking on the laundry room door.  We didn’t know it was only a laundry room at the time. We’d learn that later, but since neither one of us had a phone, we were doing what we could.

Of course, the Lyft driver showed up precisely on time, and Dad tried to call the innkeeper to no avail.  We stood in the dark for a few minutes scratching our heads until I finally decided to pay off the Lyft driver for her trouble and send her along.  I didn’t think we were getting into the room any earlier than seven thirty when the innkeeper would arrive to prepare breakfast. Sunrise at the pebble beach?  Totally off the table.

After the Lyft driver left, we sat around the dining area sipping coffee and reading books from the B&B library.  Dad read a coffee table book that told the story of the significance of birthdays, and I read a chapter or two from a book on the dangers of fires in the era of the proliferation of plastic.

The innkeeper finally arrived in the dining area at ten till eight, and we were able to get back on track.  Another Lyft ride by Cory to the end of Ruggles Avenue, I climbed down the hill to the pebble beach, snapped a few photos, and the Nike Running Plus application we’re using to track distance.  The N2N-TCP had officially started at ten till nine in the morning.

Pebble Beach - Newport, RI - No Sunrise, but at least we started

After a bit of a rough start, we had a great day.  The weather was good as predicted, and we made decent time.  At around mile seven on the day, we experienced our very first “trail magic.”  As we were walking along the sidewalk in Rhode Island 114 we were passed by a lady driving a hybrid.  She turned into the next cross street, parked, got out of her car, and came up and introduced herself to us as Deb.

Deb said that she had walked across multiple countries and wold not have made it except for the kind help of others.  She could tell by our outfits that we were walkers as well, and she asked us where we were going. We told the story of the N2N-TCP, and she offered to help us in any way that she could.  Since we had just started, we were pretty good, but she told us that we should give her a call if we needed anything during the next hundred miles. She said she’d figure out a way to help.

Now, that’s trail magic!

Sometimes when we were planning the pilgrimage, I would question whether this was the right thing to be doing.  Whenever I had those doubts, something like the trail magic that happened this afternoon would occur. I always felt like the Universe was sending a message to keep pressing forward, and that’s just what we did.

We ended the day with about thirteen and a half miles which was far short of our twenty mile per day average, but we had a good day.  There’s some conditioning to be done, but we broke into double digits on the first day so that’s a great sign.

We grabbed some dinner, and I’m turning in early.  I’m pretty tired, but feeling good. Tomorrow we’re meeting a guy named Greg for breakfast at Graziano’s 501 in Portsmouth, RI.  We’re having a great time meeting interesting people and re-connecting with the country. We’re off to a great start!

Packing Your Fears

We spent today getting the final preparations to start the Newport to Newport Transcontinental Pilgrimage tomorrow, April 1st, 2019.  After waking up from a great night’s rest at the Beech Tree Inn and Cottage in Newport, Rhode Island, we started to sort and pack the final gear list in our packs.  We still have far too many things based on the weight of our packs, but it’s hard to know at this point what we can leave behind.

A common refrain I’ve heard in the thru-hiking community is that you have a tendency to pack your fears.  I’ve certainly found this assertion has held true for me. I have zero interest in being cold. Not one little bit, and if you paw through my pack you would probably be able to guess that’s one of the elements of the pilgrimage that I am vigorously trying to avoid.  Even after getting rid of an unnecessary fleece and a couple of other small items, I can tell you that I’m probably carrying an extra long pair of pants and maybe a shirt or two.

Knowing that intellectually and doing something about it are two different things.  Tomorrow when we finally strike out on the pilgrimage, the temperature is supposed to rattle the mercury around thirty-five degrees.  I’m going to be wearing those long pants. Not because I need to be wearing them. I should be wearing my rain pants until it warms up a little later in the afternoon, but I just can’t bring myself to get rid of the long hiking pants yet.

It’s silly.  I’ve said during the course of the last four years of training that any temperature above forty degrees is by definition shorts weather.  Tomorrow supposed to get well above 40, and if I get cold I can always throw on my Under Armour Cold Gear leggings. Somehow I’m still caught up packing my fears.

Hopefully a day on the trail will cure me of such silliness.  One way or another we’re going to learn a little more tomorrow.