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MRT Day 3: Sedona meets Hikertrash

April 15, 2022 kaulua26 Mogollon Rim Trail

Monday Apr 11th 2022, 0610-1800The Coxcomb to Oak Creek via Sedona, EABO mm 54.214 miles I slept really great in my cowboy camp configuration. It helped that not one thing bothered me all night…no bugs, ants, mice, nothing! I heard the soft hoot of an owl and some coyotes in the distance, that was it. We got going early in order to make it to town for breakfast. I wasn’t even sure how far we had to walk to get to town, since we planned to take alternate trails into the west end. We followed a series of mountain bike trails right up to the base of iconic chimney rock, then accidentally took a wrong trail straight up to the[…]

MRT Day 2: Red Canyons

April 15, 2022 kaulua26 Mogollon Rim Trail

Sunday Apr 10th 2022, 0610-1830Taylor Cabin to just NE of the Coxcomb, EABO mm 39.425.8 miles 4000 gain, 3900 loss I slept really well overnight and awoke to a cool morning. I was loving the detailed information provided by my thermometer. It read 46 degrees. What a swing from a high of 98 the day before. In my rush to pack in the morning, I got a little distracted trying to fold my new tent properly and neglected to pack my stakes. I wouldn’t realize this oversight until 6 miles and more than 4000 feet climbed. Ooops. Aside from loosing a critical piece of gear for the first time ever during a thru hike, the rest of the day was[…]

MRT Day 1: Into the Heat

April 12, 2022 kaulua26 Mogollon Rim Trail

Saturday Apr 9th 2022, 1300-1900MRT Western Terminus at Parsons Trail 144 to Taylor Cabin-Sycamore Creek, EABO mm 14.314.3 miles Well, it was finally back to the trail, which felt like a long time coming. Two weeks of travel preceded this start (as opposed to my AT start, where I hit the trail less than 24 hours after leaving my house). My hiking cohort for this trail, TS, was driving from the east, so I decided to fly to Denver in order to visit family beforehand. He picked me up along the way and we did a marathon drive from Canon City, CO all the way to my friends’ place outside of Phoenix. I dropped 3 food supply boxes along the[…]

My next adventure: The Mogollon Rim Trail

March 21, 2022 kaulua26 Mogollon Rim Trail

I will be attempting the 500 mile Mogollon Rim Trail in April 2022. This is the logical follow-up to my 2021 Grand Enchantment Trail (GET) thru-hike. Both routes were created and developed by Brett Tucker of Hike Invention and are not purpose-built, agency-sanctioned trails like the National Scenic Trails System. As such, these routes are pieced together using a system of pre-existing trails, forest service roads, and some cross-country travel. The MRT is sometimes referred to as the GET northern alternate, as it takes a northerly approach in bypassing Navajo reservation lands through Arizona, while the official GET takes a more southerly “sky island” route. Both meet at the Arizona/New Mexico border, at which point the MRT officially concludes. I’m[…]

AT Trail Angels & Trail Magic Recognition

February 22, 2022 kaulua26 Appalachian Trail

This is a free-flowing list recognizing the many instances of trail magic and trying to thank the many, many amazing Trail Angels I met along the way. I apologize in advance if I missed mentioning anything or anyone specifically; it’s not intentional, just a casualty of my sometimes faulty memory. First, thanks to all the hostels owners, shuttle drivers and support staff at the cool places I stayed…the AT has an outstanding network surrounding it, catering to the needs of so many hikers. Such folks really make the experience unique and sometimes even life-changing. Many of my best hostel experiences were in New England, particularly Maine (Green Mountain House in Vermont, AT Lodge, Shaws, Maine Roadhouse). There were also some[…]

AT Summary & Stats

February 2, 2022 kaulua26 Appalachian Trail

It took a long time to collect my thoughts and summarize my stats for the AT. In reviewing the details of my journey, it’s striking to me just how many events occurred every day. My experience was not monotonous at all, with plenty of diversions to keep me entertained and on my toes. Some parts held a lot of nostalgia while other parts were quite a surprise in terms of their difficulty and enjoyment. The AT is not much of a wilderness experience but it’s a fun adventure through a diverse region of the US. And the trail itself holds some of the most physically demanding terrain of any I yet hiked. While it doesn’t rank as high in my[…]

AT Day 2022: Updates

January 27, 2022 kaulua26 Appalachian Trail

I wanted to follow my belated final AT day post with a few updates and pictures. After the trail, I submitted my thru-hike details for recognition by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association (ALDHA). Both are great organizations, one with a focus on preserving the AT and lands surrounding it and the other on providing support and community for long distance hikers. They honored me with certificates and some nice stickers and patches. In kind, I’ll be make donations to such organizations to further their causes. I like having these official ‘records’ for my scrapbook, hoping to one day make a display showcasing all my trail paraphernalia. It’s nice that such organizations recognize thru-hiker achievements.[…]

AT Day 103: Nothing Lasts Forever, Even Cold November Rain

January 25, 2022 kaulua26 Appalachian Trail

Thursday Nov 4th 2021, 0710-1730Gooch Mountain Shelter to Amicalola Falls Visitors Center, SOBO AT mm 2193.1 plus approach trail24 miles (15.8 miles to Springer Mt, Southern Terminus, then another 8.2 miles on the approach trail)5030 gain, 5997 loss Well, this journey finally had to end and unfortunately it took me months later to compose this last daily entry. Sorry for this incongruity, dear readers. It’s now 2022 and I guess I’ve just been struggling to get over some severe writers block. I ran into a blog follower at a holiday party, who thought that I hadn’t even finished the AT based on this missing post. Rest assured, I made it all the way to Springer Mt, plus the end of[…]

AT Day 102: Penultimate Pizza

November 26, 2021 kaulua26 Appalachian Trail

Wednesday Nov 3rd 2021, 0710-1730 Low Gap Shelter to Gooch Mountain Shelter, SOBO AT mm 2177.327 miles6450 gain, 6650 loss The mice left me alone all night, or at least were stealthy enough not to wake me. As soon as I retrieved the food bags from the cables in the morning, they resumed scurrying about in full sight. I was happy to leave them behind. I had only one thing on my mind this morning and that was getting to Neel gap so I could eat a freshly re-heated frozen pizza. A hot, salty, greasy pie never sounded so good. Especially since the day started off so cold and dreary. The sun looked like it could make an appearance early on….there[…]

AT Day 101: Commitment to the End & Acrobatic Mice

November 23, 2021 kaulua26 Appalachian Trail

Tuesday Nov 2nd 2021, 0715-1830 Plumorchard Gap Shelter to Low Gap Shelter, SOBO AT mm 2150.331.2 miles8060 gain, 8020 loss I left the shelter in the dark, having a hard time finding the scant side trail. I must have wondered around in the dark for nearly 10 minutes before I finally found the correct path. I watched a nice sunrise from atop the ridge. The trees were sparse enough to allow a few views, the colors framed and enriched by the remaining colorful leaves. Some clouds rolled in and the sun was mostly obscured the rest of the day, making for some cooler temperatures. It was good for hiking but not for stopping. Something about the cold and the relentless ups[…]

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