Alan T. Carpenter's Long-distance Hiking & Cycling Adventures

20/08/2019

I did it! The last 21 days I have been on the last leg of the Appalachian Trail (the AT). It's been an incredible journey of 2,187.5 miles- from Georgia to Maine. These last three weeks have been entirely in Maine; most of the "trails" were paths along roots and rocks. Me and some fellow hikers were doing "slack packing"- where we only bring with us what we will use for the day. We then usually hitch hike back to where we are staying for the night. Other times, when appropriate, we camp at lovely campgrounds, like the one pictured in the photo below- look at that mountain reflecting on the lake! It's been an amazing experience; now I'm heading back home to Colorado. Cheers!

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30/07/2019

Day 50 - Day 58

We Did It!! We completed our 4,184-mile long coast-to-coast cycling adventure!! Our Journey followed the Northern Tier Bike Route - from Anacortes, WA to Bar Harbor, ME.
After many pints of chocolate milk, many first and second breakfasts, and after meeting countless friendly people and fellow cyclists, we have reached our goal.
What should i do after completing such a trek you ask? ..What any normal and sane person would do.. I'm going to continue on the Appalachian trail- the leg of the journey I have not completed yet. LOL
Stay tuned, as I transition to hiking, and my rate of travel is much slower. The challenges should be quite different. I think you will enjoy reading about it. Thank you to all of you who have been monitoring my adventures- there's more to come!

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17/07/2019

Day 43 - Day 49 of Northern Tier Trail Bike Route

This part of our journey finds us venturing in Canada. Oh Canada! We saw breathtaking Niagara Falls from the Canadian side- where more water falls and at a greater depth than the American side. We also saw much Victorian architecture in our short tour of Canada.

We continue to eat two breakfasts a day on average, and I try to treat myself to chocolate milk whenever I have an opportunity. Such are the staples of a 3,000 mile biking expedition!

After Niagara, we crossed into New York, past countless fruit orchards and pastures. We even got to witness a motorcycle parade of about 500 bikers when we got into Markville, NY. Unbelievable!
As we continue to journey south, through NY, our journey is coming to an end. We should be done with our route July 24th!

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13/07/2019

Day 35 - Day 42 of Northern Tier Trail Bike Route

The last week, Betsy and myself have been in Michigan. What a beautiful state! We've rode through a tunnel of trees, rode along the gorgeous views of Bay View, Michigan, and passed by Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. We enjoyed our first day not doing any actual biking; we stayed with a family friend and checked on the renovation of our family cottage in Bay View. It’s been in the family for about 85 years!
On our day off we read books, ran errands, and I got my hair and beard trimmed. it's nice to have a short break. we have journeyed close to 3,000 miles and still have a thousand to go. On Day 43 we will cross into Canada!

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30/06/2019

Day 23 - Day 34 of the Northern Tier Trail Bike Route

We've journeyed through Wisconsin and into Michigan. These states are indeed the land of lakes. We've been able to ride past many of them, including Lake Michigan, around the Little Bay de Noc on the Northern side. We've met many fellow bikers: one gentleman from Southern MI was touring all of Lake Michigan, while a lady we ran into had begun the same route as ourselves- starting in Anacortes WA but deciding the journey had got the best of her. She was on her way back home when we encountered her.

This route certainly demands perseverance. We've biked more than 2200 miles, averaging roughly 70 miles a day. Mosquitoes have swarmed our tent, relentlessly dive bombing our door at times. Rain in the morning can delay our departure time, and rain in the afternoon ensures that we seek a dry place to rest, sometimes prompting us to get a hotel room so that we can dry off well. It's nice to be away from the bugs on such nights, but nothing beats the cool night air when we are able to sleep outdoors.

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24/06/2019

Days 18 - 22 of the Northern Tier Trail Bike Route.

Betsy and I have made it past Montana and into North Dakota!

Our journey is going well. The highlight of the last part of Day 21 featured hundreds of water birds on McKenna Lake: a shallow, 4-square mile reservoir. We saw white pelicans, geese, several species of ducks, yellow-headed and red-winged blackbirds, and an egret. A mile past the lake, we turned south on Hwy 3 and rode for a mile to Napoleon, North Dakota.

The next day, in happy spirits, we curved east on Hwy 46 for a 10-mile ride to Gackle. On the way, we met west-bound biker Nate from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. When we arrived in Gackle, we bought food at a convenience store, then rode into town to the Honey Hub Biker Hostel. We ate lunch and topped off our tires in the well-equipped room in the back of the host’s home. The lack of on-route camping options prompted us to attempt to ride another 57 miles after lunch to the Little Yellowstone Campground on the Sheyenne River.

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14/06/2019

Day 1 - 17 of the Northern Tier Bike Route!!!

My wife Betsy and I launched on a bike tour of the Northern Tier Trail on May 26. We are heading East, averaging 75 miles a day. The first tier of the journey consists of Washington State, Idaho, and Montana. We've crossed many prairies, wheat fields, seen lots of cattle and ponderosa pine. When the wind is at our backs we can sometimes travel 20 mph.

Whenever we can, we try to stop at bicycle shops to maintain our bikes. We've passed a lot of small towns, everyone we've met along the way has been very friendly.
Overall, the weather has been mild and cool with many overcast days. The photo is of Gorge Creek in Washington State (Day 2).

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05/07/2018

Well folks, I decided to leave the Continental Divide Trail and come home.

I’m glad I hiked 1,000 miles of the CDT. I’m also happy to be home. Being away from home for two months created substantial problems as I anticipated, even with Betsy’s frequent help. Being home after being on the trail reminds me how much I take for granted the comforts of home. Like the refrigerator... but that's another story.

Read my summary of my CDT experience and more on my blog here:

https://longdistanceadventures.com

20/06/2018

Made it to the Colorado Trail! Spectacular alpine views!

Read about my Continental Divide Trail adventures here:
https://longdistanceadventures.com

14/06/2018

Joys and frustrations alike on Days 36-41! Hiking through the South San Juans is challenging, but rewarding :-)

Read about my Continental Divide Trail adventures here:
https://longdistanceadventures.com

07/06/2018

Finally made it across the New Mexico border into Colorado!

Days 30-35 are now posted to my blog :-)

Read more here:
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01/06/2018

Days 22-29 posted!

Read more about my adventures on the Continental Divide Trail here:

https://longdistanceadventures.com

22/05/2018

I contemplated staying at the South West Motel but was discouraged by their sign!

Read more about my adventures on the Continental Divide Trail here:

https://longdistanceadventures.com

16/05/2018

Back on the Continental Divide Trail! Fully rested and feet recovered. It's Day 15...

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08/05/2018

..I reached the Econolodge in Lordsburg. After checking in I took off my shoes and socks. My feet were trashed with massive blisters on the front pads of both feet. I had heel blisters on both feet (see photo). My autonomic nervous system went wild with pain. I could hardly take one step. I ran water in the bathtub but my feet howled in protest when they touched the warm water. Amazingly, I got cold and started shivering. It took nearly an hour in my down sleeping bag to warm up. I have no idea when I’ll be able to resume hiking.

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Continental Divide Trail Coalition

04/05/2018

My journey hiking the Continental Divide has begun!
.."The wind blew constantly under cloudless skies. At 20 miles on the day, I sat under a spreading ash tree and inspected my painful feet. Deep blisters. The last three miles tested my mettle of pain tolerance. At 23 miles at 5:30 pm, I stopped at a stock pond. Trees provided shade and broke the wind a bit. I ate dinner with my biker pals then retired to my tent. 23 miles today. I hope my feet will recover a bit overnight."

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Continental Divide Trail Coalition

02/05/2018

Trail Days in Silver City, New Mexico turned out to be delightful as expected. The presentations were engaging and useful. Last night’s slide show by Cam Hoban highlighted his 15-month bike of twelve long trails in the US.

http://longdistanceadventures.com/continental-divide-trail/continental-divide-trail-preparation-part-3/

29/03/2018

Getting ready for another long-distance adventure! Read about it on my blog here:

http://longdistanceadventures.com/2018/continental-divide-trail-2018-preparation-part-2/

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Continental Divide Trail 2018 - Preparation Part 2. How to Plan a Long-distance Hike. I strongly recommend careful planning for a long-distance hike. It beats showing up at the beginning unprepared.

20/02/2018

I’ve decided. I’m going to through-hike the Continental Divide Trail from Mexico to Canada starting April 30 at the Crazy Cook monument in the boot-heel of New Mexico. If I can average 21 miles per day, I’ll finish in mid-September.

The CDT is different in several important respects than other long-distance trails I’ve hiked. First, the trail is often poorly marked or even lacking a well-defined tread. In the past, CDT hikers would spend several hours each day scratching their heads wondering where the trail went. Now, the Guthook CDT cell phone app http://www.guthookhikes.com/apps) makes finding the trail much easier but still not completely routine. Second, the trail passes through remote country. Cell phone coverage is spotty. Third, many fewer people hike the CDT that the Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail. Solo hikers, like me, comment that the CDT can be a lonely place. But maybe I’ll find a compatible hiking partner this time.

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http://longdistanceadventures.com/continental-divide-trail/preparations-continental-divide-trail/preparation-continental-divide-trail-2018/

Continental Divide Trail Coalition

02/11/2017

After cycling more than 3,000 miles in 40 days, I have finished the Southern Tier Route! What an adventure!

Read more on my blog:
https://longdistanceadventures.com

27/10/2017

Days 30-35 on the Southern Tier Route!

Made it through Louisiana into Alabama... and had many adventures along the way. Some that will probably make you laugh out loud!

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20/10/2017

Days 24-29 on the Southern Tier Route!

Finally made it out of Texas into Louisiana... and I even managed to rescue a turtle that was crossing the road.

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14/10/2017

Days 20 - 23 on the Southern Tier Route!

Still in Texas, and averaging about 60 miles a day.

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05/10/2017

Days 13-19 on the Southern Tier Route! Wind, rain, flat tires, 100s of miles, a run-in with a border patrol, and visually interesting landscapes.

Read more on my blog:
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29/09/2017

We're in New Mexico! Today we were biking past small farming towns on the fertile floodplain of the Rio Grande River. Lots of irrigated fields of red chilies, appropriate given that we rode through Hatch, New Mexico, the chili capital of the US. We also saw fields of irrigated cotton, corn, alfalfa, more chilies, and pecans. We rode over the Rio Grande several times and saw surprisingly high flows.

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25/09/2017

Going was easy at first then the grade steepened, but the scenery was great (see photo). After lots of huffing and puffing, we reached the summit then coasted for five minutes to the US Forest Service Blackjack Campground.

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Day 9 on the Southern Tier Route. The day began at 6:15 A.M. when Betsy walked to a 24-hr restaurant to buy breakfast burritos and to a convenience store for coffee. We dined in our motel room. At 7:00 A.M., we set forth on US Hwy 70. For four miles we passed by fields of irrigated grass.

25/09/2017

We stopped at Taylor Freeze, a soft ice cream place, for a treat. Two walls were decorated with photos of Southern Tier bikers (see photo). Our picture will soon adorn the 2017 portion of the wall...

Read more on my blog here:
http://longdistanceadventures.com/2017/day-8-southern-tier-route/

Day 8 on the Southern Tier Route. Up at 6:30 to the motel breakfast of industrially produced food like materials. We began our biking day at 7:30 heading east on US Hwy 70. In four miles, we entered the San Carlos Apache Reservation, and a few miles later passed by a casino.

23/09/2017

Days 3 - 7 biking across the country via the Southern Tier Route!

Read all about it on my blog here:

http://longdistanceadventures.com

19/09/2017

Days 1 & 2 biking across the country via the Southern Tier Route!

Read all about it on my blog here:
http://longdistanceadventures.com

16/09/2017

My wife, Betsy, and I fly to San Diego this Saturday morning to begin a cross-country bike ride on the Southern Tier Route, which starts in San Diego, California and finishes in St. Augustine, Florida.

I think that the most compelling aspect of this trip will be the adventure. Not knowing exactly what we will encounter, not knowing if we’ll find the heat exhausting, and not knowing where we’ll stay each night until we get there.

We have the seven-map set for the Southern Tier Route published by from the Adventure Cycling Association. Each map has about 15 smaller maps that show the route in detail (see photo). Based on the Adventure Cycling maps I used on my ride along the Pacific Coast Route in 2012, the Southern Tier maps will be essential in determining where we can find food, water, and shelter each day.

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Preparations for Cycling Across the U.S. - the Southern Tier Route. My wife, Betsy, and I fly to San Diego this Saturday morning to begin a cross-country bike ride on the Southern Tier Route, which starts in Sandiego, California and finishes in St. Augustine, Florida.

08/08/2017

The featured attraction of the day was Mahoosuc Notch, a mile-long slot filled with giant boulders between two steep hillsides. It's reputed to be the hardest mile on the Appalachian Trail​. I arrived at the southern end after walking 1.5 miles. For two hours, I scrambled over, under, and under boulders, shedding my pack three times to wriggle thru narrow openings and scraping my knees several times. After exiting the Notch, I gained 1,500 ft of elevation to the summit of Mahoosuc Arm where I rested for a few minutes with other hikers I met at last night's shelter. Olive took the attached photo of my shins. I dropped down to the Spect Pond shelter still under construction. After lunch at the shelter with the other hikers, I climbed 600 ft over several steep rock faces to Old Spect Mountain. I then began a 3.5-mile descent to Grafton Notch and Hwy 16. The trail wasn't ridiculously steep, but I fell twice, once on a wet roof and once on a slippery rock. Both legs hurt from the day's exertions. I realized that I have little confidence in staying upright on wet, slanting rocks or maintaining my balance. I'm concerned that I'll fall, suffer serious injury, and need to be rescued. Thus, I decided to end my AT hike. I've given it my best shot but it wasn't enough.

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