nicolegrantyonk

Hiking Alone vs. In a group

From July 12-17 I was hiking on my own on the trail for the first time. People have the idea that if you hike alone, you are literally alone in the woods. That could not be further from the truth. The AT is a very well traveled trail and there are quite a lot ofContinue reading “Hiking Alone vs. In a group”

All in a day: Scary goshawk, patriotic pancakes, Kennebec crossing

Some days are more eventful than others, and this last day was newsy on the AT. I did my longest day yet at 13.5 miles, since there were no mountains and I’m feeling in better shape. During the last 2 miles there was a sign to beware of aggressive goshawks. I was wearing earbuds andContinue reading “All in a day: Scary goshawk, patriotic pancakes, Kennebec crossing”

People you Meet

When I decided to hike the Maine AT, I knew I would meet through hikers (Georgia to Maine or NOBO’s and Maine to Georgia or SOBO’s) and section hikers. However, I did not know WHY people would hike the AT. One of the greatest gifts of the trail is meeting people; it is an instantContinue reading “People you Meet”

Week 2 with Todd

On July 5th, Todd picked Alex and me up from Hwy 17 near Rangeley. We dropped Alex off at his car in Grafton State Park and then checked in at the Saddleback Motor Inn. After a big dinner and a good night’s sleep, we caught a ride back to HWY 17 and hiked north, endingContinue reading “Week 2 with Todd”

Rain, cold, and sleeping in a group shelter.

It rained everyday day 1 to day 4. Day 5 things cleared up. Climbing in the cold rain was a little scary with slippery rocks, and I averaged on 1 mile per hour. Day one 6 miles Grafton Notch to Frye Notch Day 2 Hall mt. 10.5 miles Day 3 south arm rd 5 milesContinue reading “Rain, cold, and sleeping in a group shelter.”

‘Twas the night before

I woke early this morning to treat my clothes and equipment with permethrin, a pesticide to keep ticks and mosquitoes away. I went to church for some final scrambling of last details. My daughter Olivia stuffed the backpack with me throwing a few more things down the stairs at her. After a quick goodbye toContinue reading “‘Twas the night before”

This is my sabbatical blog

This is where I will be posting updates from my Appalachian Trail adventure. I have been following my call to ministry for a long time. From where do you count the start date? In June 1996, I graduated from the University of Chicago Divinity School with my M. Div. 25 years ago, and that feelsContinue reading “This is my sabbatical blog”