to kent, ct

Hello, we're in New England now. The fireflies have been putting on great evening shows along the Tenmile and Housatonic Rivers where we lie out on sun baked rocks... Yeah, it's summertime and the livin' is pretty durn easy! Unless you're made out of kool-aid:

Thanks to Amoeba for recording some of my random doodles in the registers like this one from PA. I hope to get a chance to add more images from the last few states soon. Happy trails!

to long island, ny

The wind blows through the leaves. With my ear close to the Earth's bosom, I can hear the roots of the giants creak and moan underneath. We're aboard a great sail boat soaring through space. I drift off and away to the great lands behind the sun.

We hiked into the Greymoor Monastery on Monday. U-dog, Cheeze, Widowmaker and I got to go home with Katerpiller to Long Island. What a treat this has been! Thanks to the Michel family for all the great kindness. We are so very grateful! We will return to the trail in a couple days. Meanwhile, Uwharrie gets to experience the ocean for the first time:

Blessings to all!

to unionville, ny

HeeHaw! Peace be the journey. I'll get some snazzy photos up here sometime in the not so distant future I hope. Highly recommend a stop to the End of the Line Deli off of NJ 284!!!

***New Snail Bait***

Matt Kirk and U-dog (AT Hikers)
General Delivery ETA 6/24ish
Kent, Conn PO 12594

Matt Kirk and U-dog (AT Hikers)
General Delivery ETA 7/8ish
Dalton, Mass 01226

Sorry, limited internet time!!! All my love to everyone.

to delaware water gap, pa

Howdy all,

Well, this pocketmail gizmo has crapped out once more. And due to this malfunction, the blogger-bound musings of 260 miles were lost in cyberspace, or worse still, never written. Maybe this is what I get for trying to be so techno suave saving paper... The show must go on! I will try to relay as many of my experiences as possible however and whenever I can. Tonight's late night ramble will reflect on an incredible two weeks of trials and tribulations.

On June 8th, we arrived to Delaware Water Gap, a very special milestone for us. After traveling over 1000 miles on foot from SC, I joined family from all corners of the country to honor my grandfather , the late William Angle. We held a touching memorial service in Blairstown, NJ to celebrate his wonderful life. It was humble and honest, all in all a brilliant reflection. And to gather with so many loved ones was such a treat!

The hot humid days leading up to the reunion were filled with bears, poison ivy, rattlesnakes and ROCKS. Pennsylvania chewed us up and spit us out. In hindsight, I would have it no other way. Yes, there were a few hairy moments such as when Uwharrie limped her way into the rocky state. Or when I interrupted the beautiful dance of two mating timber rattlers. Or as two bull bears, each 600 if they were a pound, stalked us above the Delaware.

There were infinitely beautiful moments too: the silence before the summer storm, all creation holding its breath in anticipation; the fat and happy birds stuffed silly with gypsy caterpillars sitting in the blooming laurels; the laughter of old and new friends; the abundant juicy sarvis berries; the light touch of a trail angel; a wondrous state submerged in a sea of ferns! Yeah, I was chewed up real good, beyond repair. But as these sandals still got some miles on 'em yet, I reckon we'll keep walking right on out of here. What else can we do?

It's hot as hell some days. Not good walking weather. Oh, and it feels like an awfully far distance in any direction to anywhere else right out of here. And I don't really plan on staying here for very long. And all my kin smell real bad and snore real loud. This is how it can hit the hopeless pedestrian pretty hard sometimes. We made it to here, and that's pretty darn far. So where to next? Well, I'll tell you where we're going...

North. That's all I know really. It's gotten hot, so we're going to chase some receding glaciers. We'll remain northbound on the AT. I recall some real nice country up around Vermont. I hear there's some farms that need helping hands up there. And then there's Maine, the way life should be. It's still wild up there. Really wild, not this kinda wild crap. Will Pamola unlock his mighty door? Will we run down Polaris? Will we outrun the Canadian mounties? Stay tuned to find out... Maybe.

Peace & Love. Cartoons to come!