Jane Lee and Stephen Coburn, both of Monticello, are on the 2,200-mile journey of the Appalachian Trail. Coburn & Lee provide this installment as a first-person account from their hike:
Nana and Pops are still on the trail. Last week we passed the 400 mile mark. We have been on the trail now for two months. Hard to believe it has been that long. It has been an amazing journey so far. The views have been outstanding. One view we experienced was on what is called Prospect Rock. From this spot we could see the skyline of New York City far in the distance. Prospect Rock is the highest point in New York on the Appalachian Trail. There was one slight encounter gave us pause. As we were walking up the trail we came face to face with another hiker. A black bear! The bear and I stopped looking at each other and Nana called out to the bear. After a moment, he wandered of the trail. We continued on, with one eye on the bear. Another time we saw a Momma and her cubs. We were more interested in them than they were in us. We all kept our distance!
We are now in New York. The terrain has either been tranquil or steep. There are are number of times we literally climbed up the mountain! One hard climb was in Buchanan Mountain. At times we were on our knees moving up hoping the weight of our packs would not cause us to fall. The rough part of going up is knowing how steep the going down. But, so far we have been free of injury.
Hiking the trail is an obvious adventure, but it takes its toll on us mentally and physically. One mountain after another is exhausting. Not to mention the rocks! We have climbed rock cliffs using a rebar ladder only to arrive at what we thought was the top. The mountains seem to keep growing. One of the moments of celebration is when we get to the bottom and reach a highway with a great sense of accomplishment.
For today we are enjoying what is called a zero day. On zero days we get a room in a near by town or village. It gives us an opportunity to take a shower, do our laundry and enjoy something other than dehydrated meals. For instance today we ordered two large delivery pizzas, one for Nana and one for Pops. In case you wonder, there are never any leftovers!
Again, we are grateful that you are following along on this adventure with us. Life is good on the trail and the simplicity is refreshing. Until next time, stay present and be encouraged!
