Jeff Daniels of Evergreen has about 100 miles left to go in his quest to become the first Conecuh County resident to “thru-hike” the world famous Appalachian Trail. As of Friday afternoon, Daniels, 53, has hiked 2,067 miles of the trail, which begins in Springer Mountain, Ga. and ends 2,181 miles away in Katahdin, Maine. As of Monday, he had 114 miles to go before finishing the hike.
Daniels began his trip on March 13 and hopes to finish his trip in about one more week. The trail, commonly referred to as the “AT,” is arguably the most famous hiking trail in the world. The trail passes through 14 states, including Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Last Thursday, Daniels passed another major milestone on the trip when he crossed Maine’s Kennebec River in a canoe.
“It is the official way to cross,” Daniels said, referring to the fact that the canoe crossing is an official part of the AT. “There's a hydraulic dam upstream, which periodically releases water. That can cause a sudden, rapid rise in the river. Someone drowned a few years ago, so the ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) pays someone to ferry hikers across.”
Later that day, he climbed Pleasant Pond Mountain, which climbs 1,100-feet over 1.1-miles.
“I picked a cup of blueberries on top for my oatmeal in the morning,” Daniels said. “They were so ripe that they were falling off as I picked them. Then I hiked down to Moxie Pond and forded Baker Stream.
“It was a knee-deep crossing if you went from submerged rock to submerged rock. I did take my shoes and socks off, and donned my crocs. The cold water actually felt great on my sore feet.”
Daniels also crossed a beaver dam on foot, flushed two coveys of grouse and “saw the first wild turkey for several states. I thought it was a hen as it ran ahead of me on the trail. But, after further evaluation, I saw that it was a gobbler because he had his beard slung over his left shoulder so he wouldn't step on it while running.”
On Friday, Daniels hiked up Moxie Bald Mountain and then forded Baker Stream by way of a rope strung across the stream, so that hikers can hold on to it while crossing. He later crossed Marble Branch and then the west branch of the Piscataquis River.
“Then I had one of the most beautiful walks of the adventure along the river for 5.5 miles,” Daniels said. “The weather was great - high sixties, slight breeze, and not a cloud in the sky.”
Daniels is still on track to finish his trip by Sept. 14, which will allow him to make his Sept. 16 flight from Bangor, Maine to Mobile.
(Daniels is keeping an online journal of his trip, and it can be read at www.trailjournals.com/moondoggie. Also, look for continuing updates about Daniels’ trip in future editions of The Courant.”)
8 days and counting!
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