Daily good karma

your good deed for the day is to click on this link and help my favoritest animal shelter win $10,000. I spent 7 months of my life walking in the woods to raise that much moola and all you've got to do is click, whoa!

http://www.care2.com/animalsheltercontest/70787/?refer=15053.03.1222449388.6282

good karma!
~pooch

$10,000 and a Thru-Hiker Species profile

I'd like to send out a thunderous THANK YOU!!!!! to everyone who helped this Dessin Fundraiser become an incredible success. Together, we raised over $10,000 for the homeless pets in our little corner of the world.

I'd also like to share with you a humorous article I recently found in the ALDHA Newsletter Spring 2007.

A Scientific Look at the Thru-Hiker

By Chuckie “Funnybone” Veylupek

Class: None Whatsoever.

Order: Rarely.

Suborder: More so.

Family: Other thru-hikers and trail angels.

Genus: Not to be confused with genius.

Species: Wildlife.

Geographical Range: The thru-hiker is primarily ian inhabitant of North America, frequently found in summertime climates along the high mountains of the United States’ most renowned ranges: the Sierra Nevada, the Cascades, the Rockies, and the Appalachians.

Habitat: Found in a variety of habitats, from treeless tundra to coastal sea banks, rocky cliffs, mountain forests, and desert canyons to open plains and everywhere between.

Description: The thru-hiker, upon first sight, is typically darker skinned, excessively hairy, generally thin and most often quiet. The average height is typically five to six feet tall. Shorter ones have been seen, as have much taller creatures. Males are predominant, but females are frequently seen as well, though it is often difficult to decipher between the two. Above and beyond appearance, however, it is the scent of the thru-hiker that is the dead giveaway – some have described this distinct odor as “lethal”. The thru-hiker has a complex thought-processing unit, but demonstrates its use sparingly.

Vocalizations: Again, the thru-hiker is typically an introspective, quiet breed. It has been known, however, to whoop it up when seen in civilization or atop mountains, particularly while overlooking incredible views.

Gear: Thru-hikers’ gear is their lifeline. Thru-hikers carry their houses on their backs, similar to a snail or a turtle; it is worth noting however that snails and turtles generally move faster. Gear includes tools to make meals (highly sophisticated), tools to light fires, and a wide array of footwear.

Related Species: The thru-hiker is often confused with its close relative, the homeless, but there a re major differences between the two species that are readily apparent when thru-hikers and the homeless are seen together, i.e. Gore-Tex.

Food: Thru-hikers are known scavengers who eat primarily from the snickers food group, as well as grains, dried foods, meat, pizza, ice cream, candy, berries, and beer, and most everything else that involves calories.

Behavior: Varied, depending on surroundings. May be seen alone or in social settings. Thru-hikers are strong individuals and, as stated earlier, smell just as strong. This small can hover for weeks on end and extend significantly beyond the thru-hiker’s ken. Though this doesn’t really have much to do with their behavior it does lead to the next thought.

Behavior of those around thru-hikers: Many cultures have regarded the thru-hiker as an omen of death, pestilence and disease. Of course, they’re generally right, but that’s beside the point.

Thru-Hiker Vital Statistics:

Weight: Invariably less after completing a thru-hike.

Pulse-rate: Almost always lower as the trip progresses.

IQ: Almost always lower as the trip progresses.

Stride Length: From 1 inch to 8 feet, depending on conditions.

Stride Amount: Depends on trail and stride length. On the PCT, anywhere from 1 to 8,000,000.

Lifespan: 85 years in the wild, give or take.

Breeding & Nesting: Not applicable.

Additional Notes: The best description of a thru-hiker is up to the individual actually thru-hiking.

(This article was originally printed by the PCTA, www.PCTA.org)

More Slide Show Bizz

The next public slide show will be at 7:00PM on Monday, Nov. 26 at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY, in the KJ auditorium. If you need directions, please lemme know at benrossetter@gmail.com .

And due to local popular demand, there will be another showing in Honesdale, PA, on Nov. 29th at the same time and place as the previous blockbuster-sellout!

We are planning future showings around New Paltz as well. Also, if you or your school or group would be interested in having us come and give a private showing, please contact us. We are willing and eager to share TrailMagic with all!!

~TrailDogs

Slide Show

Its been a month now, and life is as normal as it will ever be. We are, however, in the midst of wrapping up our great adventure. This Thursday at the Honesdale High School at 7:00PM we will present the TrailDogs slide show! All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Please let us know if you need directions. If you can't make this one, there will be at least one more showing, likely more: Wednesday Nov. 7th will be at the New Paltz Rescue Squad in New Paltz. There will also likely be a showing at Hamilton College, though the date is not set. Please come and listen to stories and share your own!

~TrailDogs

Imagine...

... two beleaguered, sweaty, tired hikers sitting atop an old wooden frame sign which itself rests upon the upper most crest of a towering mountain in the northern woods of Maine. Put our faces on those hikers, lots of blue sky in the background, and many other friendly hikers up there and you know what occurred last Thursday, the 20th of Sept... we finished the AT!!! YAY!!!! It was an amazingly beautiful day, and we were accompanied only by our fellow thru-hikers.

We exited the 100-mile wilderness the day before, where upon Roxi Roxtar was picked up by a local kennel as she is not allowed in Baxter State Park (we did however bring someone else along to take Roxi's place and assure her some glory atop the mountain!). The rest of the day was spent leisurely hiking 10 more miles to the base of Katahdin past roaring waterfalls and glass-covered ponds. Our last night on the trial west punctuated by a feast of epic proportions consisting of ramen noodles with tomato and cheese sauces as well as veggies... yum! We awoke early on Thursday and started up the trail around seven in the morning. The climb was very steep and involved much hand-over-hand bouldering and rock-hoping. It was however magnificent in scale and color; the leaves are in full bloom in Maine! At 11:05 EST, TrailDogs summited Baxter Peak on Mt. Katahdin, tapped the sign designating the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, and officially became Thru-Hikers!

It has been a dream two years in coming, and after everything that you all have done for us, we have done it: hiked from Georgia to Maine. Its done now; no more walking to do. Tomorrow morning we wake up and start unpacking completely: washing and drying clothing and gear, dividing up what belongs to who, storing gear away for the long term, attempting to reintegrate into regular life...

We'll probably be seeing most of you in the coming weeks. We need to say hi to our families and friends!! We will however be preparing and then hosting a slide show, hopefully with-in two months from now. We will be sure to publicly announce the slide shows, and there should be one near you.

For now, we are done! Huge thanks go out to the families that hosted us, the friends that took care of us, and all that simply followed our journey! We hope to see you all again soon!

~TrailDogs

100 miles and a pointy bit...

....is all that is left for the three of us to traverse. It had been a while since we've posted (there aren't too many towns in northern Maine) but rest assured that we've continued north. After leaving Ranger Doug and Sparky in NH, we we're rained and blown off of Mt. Washington, spent a week averaging only ten miles a day through the toughest terrain we have yet seen, walked to Maine (yay!!) spent another week nailing down well over 120 miles, and have arrived here in Monson, the gateway to the final chapter of the AT. Buy this time next week we will be at the foot of Mt. Katahdin about to ascend ourselves back into civilization. Its been over 2100 miles of walking since we've have seen most of you, and though we love and adore these woods, the urge for home and friends is strong. We will charishe the next week, our last, and look forward to our final meal. Our ascent date is tenatively the 21st, next Friday, so if any of you happen to be in the north woods of Maine...

Remember, however, that this walk is for the Dessin Animal Shelter. We have raised over 10,000 dollars now, but we need more. Please, if haven't already, click on the link to the right and help Dessin find good homes for as many animals as possible.

And I apologize; blogger is failing me right now and wont upload any more pictures. Will of course post more later on and hope to do a slide show when we return home, so look for the soon!!

~TrailDogs

Some Pointy Bits with Friends

Paul here (aka Sparky on the trail) with some news! The two successfully completed their Hamiltonian duties and I chauffeured them (along with Roxy in the back) up to the White Mountains. The two enjoyed their time with old and new friends, but were ready to get on the trail.
Because of my questionable fitness, we opted to do a day-hike our first day taking us 7 miles over Mt. Moosilauke. (See pictures below) Beautiful weather and a trail dog that liked to carry lunch and water made for a very enjoyable day. Amazing the two
said this was their first natural bald peak on the trail! Had I come at the perfect time to do the best part of the trial? Ha!
The next day we were joined by David, Ben's dad, who was similarly looking for some 'pain' as a fellow hiker put it. The plan was to do 27 miles in 3 days taking us over Franconia Ridge, one of the most scenic parts of the Whites (and maybe the AT!?!), onward past Garfield, South Twin, Zealand, then down into
Crawford Notch to our car. Little did we know it would be cloudy, windy, rocky, and long. As the pictures can attest it was windy and cloudy up on the ridge, robbing us of our much deserved views. We
pressed on, and on, and for myself I was doubtful I would make it past the next hill let alone mountain. After many painful steps David and I finished in good spirits, after all this was another day on the trail for the three Thru-Hikers who shrugged off the high mileage.
With some ice cream and junk-food for lunch, we left the three at the trail head with a few miles and vertical to climb before their dinner and bed. We will hopefully hear from them again before the finish!

Pete's Dad said...
Thanks, Paul, for the blog entry and pictures. That was an amazing day on top of Mt. Lafayette! Remember boys and girls, don’t wear cotton in the mist!How about those “White Mountain switchbacks”? 2,000 feet straight up or down through the rocks with a creek running through them. (I am not whining, Laura, just acknowledging the challenges - grin) Fortunately, the rewards were worth the efforts. Even if the views on the ridge were lacking, the freshness of the winds and the emotional highs were incredible. And much better views from the Twin Peaks the next day.Some of the highlights included Ben’s cooking (which Laura prepared last winter), stinky feet (which are not as bad on the trail), worshipping quick glimpses of the sun, leaning into the wind, watching Sparky light fires with wet wood and no white gas, and Snickers overdosing. Thanks, guys, for taking some of the weight out of my pack. I like the new “light philosophy” of your trip. And I promise never again to get on the bad side of the Trail Gods – they know how to bite back! My socks have not dried out, yet.After spending only three days with the Trail Dogs, I am blown away (literally on that ridge) with the magnitude of their accomplishments. They have been doing this for five months with another month ahead of them. So tell them how proud you are and support the shelter. They deserve it.Now that I have recovered from cramping thighs, calves, and feet, I find I really miss being with Tom Dooly, Pooch and Sparky the Eagle Scout. Gotta go, room service just arrived…-Ranger Doug, aka Pete’s Dad, aka David