We Finished

March 25th to September 25th, 6 months!

UPDATE:

I've gone over 1000 miles
With less than 400 left
And 2 more states left
New Hampshire, and Maine

Asking for help and realizing this adventure isn't just for me.

So as I continue my adventure along the AT, I start to enjoy the
simple pleasures in life; like being able to stay dry when its raining
or being able to take a shower. As we get closer to Maine I realize
more and more how it feels to be homeless and yet I feel I am still
more fortunate then most who are homeless. It has made me really
appreciate the support that I have back home in Seattle and the
support that I have had along the trail. I now find myself in a new
predicament. I have less money to finish this trip then I would like
to have had at this point. However, I do not give up hope things will
be difficult, but I have learned that with help someone can survive
any obsticale that they may face. I have gotten to the point along
this journey that nothing, short of god's will, will stop me from
finishing it. However, I also realize that this journey is not just my
own but is those who have and do support me along it. I guess I write
all this to ask for help and to say thank you to those who have and
still do support me, especially my mom. Anyway if you would like to
help me along this journey the best way would be to send food if you
are willing. We have about nine stops before we reach the end and each
stop has a post office where you can send stuff. Below is a list of
places we are going to stop at and the address for the post office.
With any of the post offices whatever you send should be addressed to:

Chris Mears
c/o General Delivery
City, state, zip code

And the notation "hold for A.T. Hiker."
As far as what kind of food, all food is appreciated; ofcourse some
more than others. Any meal where you just have to add water is cool
such as lipton sides, mac and cheese, or instant mashed potato mix.
Snacks are always good too especially things like cliff bars or
granola bars or candy is always a good spirit lifter. In fact almost
anything is good, the lighter in weight the better. Again I want to
thank all of you who have supported me along this trip, it has been
one of the things I look forward to most when we get into town and
someone has sent me something.

List of our stops in order:

1.Hanover, NH 03755
Eta: Aug 20th

2. Glencliff, NH 03238
Eta: Aug 21st

3. North Woodstock, NH 03262
Eta: Aug 23rd

4. Gorham, NH 03581
Eta: Aug 30th

5. Andover, ME 04216
Eta: Sep 4th

6. Rangeley, ME 04970
Eta: Sep 7th

7. Stratton, ME 04982
Eta: Sep 10th

8. Caratunk, ME 04925
Eta: Sep 13th

9. Monson, ME 04464
Eta: Sep 16th

Almost 3 states to go

So it has been since New York that I have posted an update. Last I told you my phone was dead. Well it has been a couple of states since then, and we are now in Massachusetts and we have almost three states to go before we are done. I got my new iPhone when we were in Kent which was about a week and a half ago. However the new phone had none of my contacts. So I don't have any body's number anymore, so give me a call if you have my number and I might not be able to talk at the time but I can at least call you back. It has been an interesting couple of days with really cool views and interesting people to meet along the way. For example currently we are in a town called Dalton staying at a place called the Birdcage. To get to the birdcage we had to go to the shell station and ask for Rob. So it felt like we were going to a secret club or something but it turned out the Rob was a really cool guy who let us stay at his house for free and let us take a shower and even did our laundry for us and tonight we are going to celebrate the birthday of Guy who goes by the name of "naked time." Anyway things are going well except for the weather we seem to get rained on everyday for a little bit but you get used to it, I guess, and we are about two days away from Vermont. I hope everyone is doing well in Seattle and I hope to see you all as soon as I can.

The Death of my phone and the first in a new state

SO about two days ago. It decided to rain on us while we were hiking in the middle of the woods and I'm not talking about a thunderstorm where it rains hard for fifteen minutes and then stops this was hours upon hours of it. SO in the morning when it was still doing this we decided we were going to go into town, which was seven miles away. SO we left when it was raining and because of the rain, I decided to listen to some music on my iPhone because my rain jacket had a spot for it. Little did I know that with in half an hour of doing this my phone would die because it was sitting in a pool of water in the pocket that was supposed to keep it out of the water. When we got closer to town it stopped raining. So it had rained basically just long enough to turn my phone into a $400 dollar brick. The town we got to was called Unionville, which is the first town we came across that is in new york. While in town trying to find a place to stays the night we happened to find a number for a man who would let us shower and do laundry at his home. When we called this number it turn out that the offer was for a place to stay and that this aforementioned man was actually the major of Unionville. So for one night we stay at the major's house and were treated to a fine dinner and a very nice breakfast, free of charge. Any way we have gone about another thirty miles since then and today we found a cooler with water and a card with number on it. We called that number and found a nice couple on the other end who have offered us a place to stay the night free of charge as well. I started out thinking that new york was full of a bunch of; pompous, arrogant people who thought they were better then everyone else caused they lived in "the empire state." I have stay say though that new york has some of the nicest people that I have met on the trail so far.

My return to the trail.

So it been about two weeks since I got back on to the AT and what a
two weeks it has been. First off I have been reborn on the trail, I'm
sad to say that Cat hole is dead but I am quite proud to say that
Rainman is hiking strong. Rain man seems to be more in-line with where
I came from. Also I recieved this new name on account of the fact that
rain seems to follow me. Its the middle of summer and we have ben
rained on about a week out of the two that I've been on. Anyway we
have gone about 200 miles. We spent about two days in Maryland and
have spent the rest in PA the rockiest state on the trail. We spent
our 4th at Fayetteville a very small town but we did get to see
fireworks. The reason we stayed there was because it twisted my ankles
and my boots weren't working so for about five days I have hiked in
crocs and then got some keens, yeah keens! We are now in a town called
Port Clinton and will be in new jersey in about six days. I hope all
is well with my peeps back in Seattle.

How did you spend your 4th of July?

So I started this morning off with a hurt achillies tendon, that I
couldn't walk on in the middle of PA. With nothing to do in the
middle of no where and then it started to rain. So we got a room at
the scotish inn motel. Not what you would call a traditional 4th of
July celebration but we were able to see fireworks from out side our
window. So not very traditional but very memorable. Anyway I hope
yours was just as memorable.

Flying to Maryland

So I left Seattle on a Tuesday night to get to harper's ferry which is about an hours train ride from D.C. or it should be anyway. So I left at 10:10 Tuesday night from Seattle so that I could get to north Carolina by 6am then spent another three hours waiting for the flight to D.C. I got to DC at 11 and went to union station to get my train ticket to get to Harper's Ferry which was to leave at 4pm so I had about 5 hour to wast in DC. SO what did I do but sight see. So I got to see the white house which was ok, I got to see the Washington monument which was rather tall, I got to see the WW2 monument pool which was gross and green looking from all the ducks going to the bathroom in it, and lastly I got to see the Lincoln memorial which I have to say was a great place to visit. For me it brought into perspective all the things you learn in school about the civil war and the fight for equality it takes it from just plan history to real life. So I say all of that to say I really enjoyed the Lincoln memorial. Oh and if you can never take a train ride with Amtrak, what was supposed to take an hour took well over two hours, and they even had to bring the police on board because someone passed out in the aisle of our car. The first time the police tried to get on the train didn't stop at all it just went right past them and then the second them the train stopped in the middle of the city so we were blocking like three intersections for like thirty minutes and half our car had to be evacuated for our safety. Anyway I made it and am now hanging out in Maryland around Baltimore have some good time with Kathryn's family. I wrap this by saying hello to all in Seattle and I hope the weather has turned nice for you cause it seems to have fallowed me all the way here.

The iHiker goes back!

So from the title you can probably guess that I am finally going back to the AT. It has been a long couple of month since I left the trail, It will be really exciting to get back on the trail and I am very much looking forward to it. Anyway for those of you who are interested I will be heading over to Washington D.C. on the 24th and will meet up with the rest of the gang in Harper's Ferry on the 25th. I just wanted to say a couple fo thing about being back home and heading off again. I first off I want to thank those of you who were there for me when I needed it, I found that with in the first couple of days, of being home, how much I missed the trail and how bored I was being back. So for those you who were there even just to hang out with, I thank you. Second while for most of the time that I have been home I have longed to be back on the trail that doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy the time I got to send with my family or friends nor did I regret my desicsion to come home. I think I needed this in a way because it made me realize just what I had left, and with that I look forward to the time left I have at home and to heading back to the trail. I will of course miss all of my family and friends but I go this time knowing that I will get to see you all in three months rather than in half a year.

The lakehouse

So I had to post about this place. We stayed at this lake house for
two days and this was one of the best places I have ever stayed. You
can't tell from the picture but this lake house is a four story, seven
bed, four bath, two kitchen, two deck and dock. Anyway I get to go
from that to the cold bear infested smokies but good times.

Contentment and perspective

So all totalled now we've been on the trail for about 20 days now or
as I like to think of it 162.9 miles and there have been a lot of ups
and downs in both terrain and spirit but other then getting really
smelly and tired one of the things that being on the trail has given
me is perspective. So I figured I might share a little bit of that
with you. First off I have learned a level of contentness that I had
never before. What I mean is this when your on the trail you have to
learn to be content with the situation for instance the first 11 days
of the trip, 7 of the days it rained and it was really tough but you
get to the point where you don't let it botherbyou anymore because
like it or not you will get wet and dirty and like it or not you can't
stop hiking you stop and you run out of food. So you just have to be
content with your surroundings cause sometimes you just have to walk
in the mudd cause there's no where else to go. Beyond that you gain a
lot of perspective on other things you take for granted. Again take
something like a mile you don't really apericate how long a mile is
until you walk it up and down a mountain with forty pounds on your
back and then to get into a car and drive what takes you a whole day
to walk in less then 10 minutes and you really apericate how long a
mile is. Now for this next part I might get a little gross so I
appologize in advance. When you are on the trail you are given a
trail name by other people that you go by and then everybody knows you
by that name and so my name is decidely "cat hole" and for those of
you who don't know what that means a cat hole is a hole you dig in the
ground in the woods so you can go, well, poo. The reason I was given
this name was for what ever reason, I think I've been cursed, I have
had to go almost everyday since I have been on the trail if not twice
a day. So someone thought it would be a good idea to call me cat hole
since I have become quite good at making them. Anyway the reason I
tell you this is because after doing all this for twenty days when you
come across a port-a-poty it is one of the nicest and best smelling
things you come across and before I started I would never have let
myself go inside of one now when I get to one I want to take my time.
Again sorry if I grossed you out, but again take water it is one of
the greatest luxuries to come across a foset that gives you water the
moment it turns on and keeps giving you water until you turn it off or
even just being able to go inside when it rains. Well anyway I wrote
this not to tell you to stop taking things for granted rather I wrote
this to let you know how thing were for me and to have you maybe smile
every time you get to go number 2 while inside. I hope you are
reading this and doing well. This cat hole on the AT signing off.

The iHikers gone hiking

So I have a new blog for one very simple reason I can email post to
this blog and I couldn't with my other one so stay tuned to this one
for updates on my AT adventures.