Dear Herm’s Hikers,

NEWS BULLETIN!!!!! SON-DANCE HAS FALLEN (but he can and did get up). STAY TUNED FOR THE LATEST DETAILS!
I am sorry to report that I have been TEMPORARILY forced off the trail due to a mild knee injury (At least I hope so.). I will be returning home (Parkton, MD) for a couple a weeks to recover and rehabiliate.
The injury occurred while climbing down the backside of mountain in southern Vermont. I simply slipped on the wet rocks and twisted my knee undeneath the weight of my body and my backpack as I fell forward. At first, I thought I had escaped with only a few scrapes and bruises, but walking became more painful as I continued down the mountain. You learn to live with a lot of pain (I already had a mild case of tendinitis on that knee.) on the AT but something did not feel right so I went into town to see a doctor.
The initial diagnosis was medial and/or lateral ligament sprain of the knee. There do not appear to be any tears in the ligament(s). At this point in time, the best rehabilitation is rest for the knee.
Fortunately, I was not more seriously injured. I truly believe my hiking angels were at my side and helped to break my fall. As you know, the mountains were getting higher and steeper in Vermont and the rain more frequent, a dangerous and hazardous combination in mountain hiking. Serious injury is always a step away, and your net step could be your last step.
Hopefully, I have many more steps on the trail to take me to Mount Katahdin. This is not the end of Herm’s Hike but only a timeout. Please continue to check my website for updates on my status. Please continue to spread the word about the hike. And above all, PLEASE REMEMBER, WE ARE STILL TAKING DONATIONS. There is still a ways to go before Katahdin and still a ways before meeting our fundraising goal.
Please continue to check my website for updates on my hiking status. And most important, keep me in your prayers. Hike in peace and hike with your angels!

Son-Dance

Dear Herm’s Hikers,

Greetings from Williamstown, MA, home of Williams College! Massachusetts was a tough hike due to the rain and the insects (mosquitoes the size of bluebirds), but what a blast!
First stop was in Great Barrington was the Guthrie Center (the old Trinity Church), formerly the home of Alice and Ray Brock of Alice’s Restaurant fame. For those who didn’t know or don’t remember, Alice’s Restaurant was made famous by folksinger Arlo Guthire in his musical monologue titled Alice’s Restaurant Massacre. The song was based on the true story of his arrest on Thanksgiving in 1965 for littering and subsequent rejection from the draft for a criminal record (or so the story goes). It has become Arlo’s trademark song to say the least.
The Guthrie Center is a community center that sponsors a number of social programs that includes free lunch on Wednesday. I made it a point to arrive on Wednesday to enjoy a hot lunch (meatballs, vegetable, salad, bread, and dessert with beverages) in the great room of the one of the most historical and hallowed sites in contemporary folk music (at least to the Flower Children of the 60’s). The walls were adorned with music memorabilia from Woody, Arlo, and the musicians/singers who have performed at the center. On a small stage was a guitar signed by those who who have performed during the year to date. If you want to enjoy some great folk music in a small, intimate setting, the Guthrie Center is the place. George and staff, thank you for your hospitality!
After leaving the Guthire Center, I walked down to the produce stand/bakery at the end of the road for a cup of Joe. The conversation with the cashier was well worth the walk. For it seems the cashier was a lady by the name of Dr. K. Andrews Dietrich who serves as an historical consultant to Denise Vanaria, a historical re-enactor who has a traveling road show called med “Titanic The Experience.” What a great time! Ms. Andrews is an expert on the Titanic. I told her that me and my oldest daughter were huge Titanic fans, and that my daughter would have been tickled to death to meet and talk with her. The conversation was so good that I stayed for another cup of coffee and two raspberry muffins.
Spent a night at the East Mountain Retreat Center, a silent, meditative center that houses hikers, where I met a ghost of the AT past. I was lying on my mattress reading one of the spiritual books from the retreat’s library when in walks a hiker who points to me and says “I met you and your wife at the Hiawassee Inn back in April.” The hiker was Just Tim, a retired Special Forces soldier, who had been driving the shuttle van for the owner of the Hiawassee Inn. At that time, Just Tim said that he was going to be hiking in New England later in the summer and that we just might run into him on the trail. He hiked, and we met. Just another small world story from the AT.
Spent another night at the Upper Goose Pond cabin, a fully enclosed 2-story structure with bunks, fireplace, pancake breakfast, and, of course, a scenic pond. The next morning as I enjoyed a cup of coffee on the front porch, a fellowhiker named Bluejay whispered “Don’t make a sound. Look to your right.” Right next to us on the ground was a juvenile black bear slowly making his way to the front of the cabin. The bear didn’t seem to mind us as much as we didn’t mind him. He took his good old time in circling the cabin which allowed us to snap a few pictures.
After the Guthrie Center, the next logical stop on any trip down memory (it’s been forty years since I graduated from high school in 1969 which also coincides with the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock music festival) is Rising Son Records, also the home to Arlo D. Guthrie, the folksinger of Alice’s Restaurant fame who happeneded to play at Woodstock. In the fall of last year, I e-mailed Mr. Guthire and his record company to see if they would be interested in mentioning/listing Herm’s Hike somewhere on a website. Never heard from Arlo, but the record company responsed that if you get in the area, stop by to see us. Well, I was in the area and I stopped by to see. So there I was standing next to Arlo’s house, trying to decide if I should knock on the door or just stand ther until someone notices me. In the quiet of the late morning, I heard voices coming from the building next to the house. Aftrer a few minutes of not being noticed, I knocked on the door of the buildng and popped in my head with the question “Is this the offices of Rising Son Records?” The four ladies gathered around a table sipping coffee looked at me and then each other wtih a gaze of confusion and bewilderment. When I asked if I could have a minute of their time, they once again looked at me and then each other with the same gaze. Finally, one of the ladies invited me to come in. I quickly introduced myself and retold my story about the e-mail to the record company. No one rememberd it which didn’t surprise me, but they did take one of my Herm’s Hike flyers and said they would see if they could post it on a blog. One of the ladies at the table was Annie Hays Guthrie, one of Arlo’s daughter, head of Rising Son Records and an outstanding folksinger in her own right. I asked about the possibility of meeting Arlo, and Annie responded that her father was home but not in at the time. I took a few picutures of me and the staff and then headed back to the trail. Rising Son Records, thank you for your hospitality, generosity and the Arlo CD!
During continuing showers (a hard rain is gonna fall accordng to Bob Dylan), I slogged my way through the mud along the trail to Dalton and Tom Lovarde’s house which is right on the trail as you enter the south side of town. Tom is probably one of the most gracious hosts on the trail. He opens his house and his heart to hikers, providing a bed, shuttle service, and, at times, food, and asks in return only that you remove your shoes/boots before entering the house. It was a great time with some great trail stories from Tom and fellow hikers !
The next day I took the morning off to do some Herms’ Hike business in town. One stop was the Dalton United Methodist Church which is right on the trail (the trail runs through the heart of town for about a 1/2 mile). No one was at the parish office, but I did hear music coming from the church. When I entered the side foyer, the contemporary music group, was rehearsing. When they took a break, the singer Meg asked if she could help me. I told her about Herm’s Hike, handed her a flyer, and then asked if the hike could be announced in the church bulletin or newsletter. When Meg asked me how the hike was going, I made the fatal mistake of saying in a church that the hike had been a spiritual journey. After I told Meg and the band about the prayer sessions, Meg asked me if I would like to speak about the power of prayer at their Sunday service the following morning. I immediatly accepted and returned to Tom’s place to prepare some speaking notes. The next morning I was called to the front of the congreagation and proceeded to speak for approximately ten minutes about the AT, Alzheimer’s, Herms Hike, and the power of prayer on a journey of faith. What a powerful moment! At times, I got my eyes teared and I and had to pause for a few seconds to collect my emotions. That really had people leaning forward in thier pews to hear what I had to say next. You could have heard a pin drop. After the service, I attended a coffee and cake social where one lady asked me what brought me to their church. I responded that I did not find their church, but their church found me. I told her that my hiking angels had simply led me to this place on this particular Sunday. That was the only explanation. After speaking with some other parishioners, I found out that Meg’s parents (Meg was the lady who who extended the invitation) had been afflicted with Alzheimer’s and one had recently passed away. The ministry of the trail continues!
A special thank you to Meg, Lisa and Bernie who conducted the Sunday service, and Barb and Dave Badeau who treated me to lunch at their house. To Barb and Dave, continue the trail magic. To all of you I say, you are truy trail angels!
Summited Mount Greylock, the state’s highest mountain at 3,491 feet topped with a war memorial, on a bright, sunny day. But don’t worry, coming down the other side, it grew dark and forboding as a vicous thunderstorm rolled over the mountain. For a few minutes, it was deluge of biblical proportions! I got off the mountain just as quickly as I could. My Goretex jacket was of little help!
From here it’s on to Vermont, just only a few miles north. It’s still raining hard and I have no doubt the trail will be muddy. After all, they don’t call Vermont “Vermud” for nothing. Another state down and only 3 to go! As always, keep me in your prayers! Hike with your angels and hike in peace!
One of my fellow hikers gave me a gift while passing through the state, a book titled “The Sun Dances, Prayers and Blessings from the Gaelic.”

Son-Dance

Dear Herm’s Hikers,

Time and miles are fleeting. In and out of Connecticut in 4 days. Good thing too because this part of CT is very upscale, trendy, and expensive. The trail is CT is excellent for hiking, some mountains, valleys, and river paths, but the mosquitoes are horrendous. The trail book said that when you hit Kent, CT, you hit the mosquitoes. The book has never been more correct. You have to lather yourslef in bug spray every few hours if you don’t want to be eaten alive. Combine the bug problem wih the constant rain that occurred this week and you have yourself a major disaster movie about killer mosquitoes.
Stayed at the Cooper Creek B&B. Thank you Cooper and Mary for a wonderful stay, the tour of the house, and the history lesson about Helen Botway, Cooper’s grandmother. In the 1920’s Helen started her art career as a still-life painter in New York, befriending some of the biggest names in the art businesses. She was your typical artist, eccentric and ecclectic until the end of her life, and all the while still painting and sculpting. A remarkable women with an fascinating life story. She was a liberated woman (married at least 5 times to some rich and famous people) in the Roaring 20’s long before the women’s liberation movement. Kent is home to Henry Kessinger. Celebrities such as Michael J. fox, Joan Rivers, Lynn Redgrave, and Meryl Streep live in the nearby villages, and that’s just a partial list. No you can see why everything is so expensive. While in Kent, I stopped at a thrift shop to buy a shirt while I was doing my laundry. For 10 cents, I picked up a great t-shirt (I left it at the B&B) that described the hike to a T (no pun intended). On the front of the shirt it said “Cabaret National Touring Compnay,” and on the back it said “Life is beautiful in here.” Is that beautiful or what! Great stuff! It was just too heavy to carry in my backpack.
Also in Kent I became I met a bank teller with that name of Travers. She told me that she had extensivley researched her family history and is able to trace her ancesters back to the some small village in Ireland to around the 1500’s. She said the Travers name was Irish in origin. I’ll drink to that. Now I know why I have developd a fondness for Guinness and Irish whiskey.
Spent a Sunday in the picturesque village of West Corwall next to the Housatonic River. As a matter of fact I liked it so much that I camped there that night. What a delightful night next to the white water of the river, even with the bugs! Since then I have obtained a bug bucket which is a hat with an overhanging bug screen. Thank you Just Tim for your generosity. Your book will be on its way when I get home.
To Steve at Baird’s General Store and Lisa and Mike at the Smokin’ BBQ in west Cornwall, thank you for your generous donations to Herm’s Hike. And to Bianca at the Wish House, thank you for your hospitality and assistance in sending a BD card to my oldest daughter. Hey Cindy, Happy Birthday this Sunday!!!!
Some here I am on a late Sunday afternoon in the tiny village of West Cornwall, now nearly deserted, looking to kill some time until dark. Crossing the street I look up to see this victorian house that is the Wish House, a boutique that sells paintings, books, and women’s clothing among other gifts. It was as if the building just appeared out of nowhere. Right out the Twilight Zone, I’m telling you. I can hear Rod Serling now saying “You have just entered the house of your wishes in the Twilgiht Zone.” As I entered the store with my backpakc still on my back, I almost knocked down a card stand. As I turned around to see what I hit, I standing fact to face with a rack of birthday cards. And, boom, then it dawns on me that next Sunday is my oldest daughter’s birhday. With the help of the store owner Bianca, I bought a card and stamp and then mailed it off just across the street at the post office. Since I couldn’t have the wish to be with my daughter on her birthday, my wish of sending her a BD came true. Yes, be careful what you wish for in the Twilight Zone.
Tuesday it was on to Salisbury where I had the pleasure of staying at Maria’s house. It was just like home. Maria was the German version of my mom (who by the way is Polish), and I say that as the ultimate compliment. Her motherly doting and devotion to was quite welcomed and refreshing. We watched the rain fall as she fed the fox in her yard and talked about the good old days. If you stay with Maria, make sure you cook your 3 eggs in the morning or she will be upset that a hiker went hungry from your house. Maria, thank you for a wonderful stay! I enjoyed your company immensely. Also visited the Salisbury Historical Association during my stay. Great visit ti a wonderful society. Salsibury was famous for cutlery and knife handles in its heyday.
Have to cut this entry short. The library is throwing me off the computer. Hike in peace and hike with your angels! It’s off to Massachusetts!
Son-Dancel

Dear Herm’s Hiker,

Greetings from Kent, CT! New York has been completed. Whee! At times, it was a very tough section to hike. It started with small rocks and small mountains and progressed to larger rocks and larger mountains. With no switchbacks, some of the climbing was hand over hand up some very large rock formations. But things got much better as I headed north. The last 20+ miles were some of the best hiking to date. It was a nice mix of hills, valley, flats and small mountains. I was finally hiking as I envisioned hiking, not rock stepping or rock hopping.
New York got off to a great start with homemade ice cream (Of course, 2 scoops of chocolate chip cookie dough) at the Bellvale Creamery on top of the mountain above Greenwood Lake. That night at the Wildcat Shelter, there was a large black bear roaming the woods about 50 yards away. That was the only bear sighting in NY. Saw a lot of very big bear tracks in the mud along the trailath with some smaller ones. That meant a mother and cub(s) were in the area. A situation to definitely avoid. The next day was a stop at Lake Tiorati in Harriman State Park to wade in the water and cool off the feet. That night was probably the best night’s sleep that I ever had in a tent. When I reached the William Brien shelter, there were two inflatable mattresses inside. No one wanted to use them so I took one and place it under my tent. Man, oh man, it was like sleeping on a cloud on top of a mountain. I didn’t sleep in the shelter because it was a stone structure with a partial dirt floor that resembled a stable. All that was missing were the barnyard animals. Nice shelters in NY were far and few in between to say the least, although we did spend a night at the RPH Shelter which was one of the best on the trail. It was previously an enclosed structure that was converted into a three side block shelter with bunks. Even better, you could order pizza to be delivered at your shelter doorway. That night I ate a whole pepperoni pizza for dinner. Hey, that’s what happens when you burn thousands of caloreis every day. Walk like a horse; eat like a horse.
The next day we hiked up and over Bear Mountain and crossed the Hudson on the Bear Mountain Bridge. Who should I meet on the bridge? None other than Circuit Rider and Sherlock. Circuit Rider is the minister who I prayed with earlier and met again in New Jersey. As we walked across the bridge about two hundred feet above the Hudson, Cirucit Rider asked if I would like to pray. Of course, I immediately agreed. I don’t think you could find a better place to pray. It was as if we had wings and were flying to heaven. I’m sure the sailboats that passed underneath were wondering what in the heck were those two guys doing on the bridge.
Of course, the highlight of the NY hike was another spiritual moment, a stay at the Graymoor Spiritual Life Center. Graymoor is a retreat center and headquarters for the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement. Indeed, it is a very spiritual place. Just the kind of refuge for a weary hiker. As I was walking around the grounds, I was introduced to Brother Pius, a retired friar who is the center’s groundskeeper, archivist, and historian. When I told Brother Pius that I was a history buff and fascinated with the history of the center, he told me to hop in his car. And off we went for the grand tour that included all of the chapels, the founder’s tomb, the prayer gardens, and abandoned structure that was to be the national shrine to Saint Anthony. After visiting the chapel that housed the shed that Father Paul, the founder of the order, lived for nearly a year, we were off to the chapel of St. Francis of Assisi, the highlight of the tour. Unbelievable! Inside the chapel was an altar that once stood over the site where St. Francis received his stigmata (the wounds of Christ). And above the altar was a statue of St. Francis. The face of the statue was made from one of the two known death masks of St. Francis. One is at Graymoor and the other at Assisi. The face was sad and mournful but also very contemplative. Realistic is an understatement. It was so life-like that I expected Saint Francis to step down the altar. With it’s tall wood pews and stained glass windows (the inside of this small chapel resembled a cathedral), it was kind of spooky having St. Franics peer down at you. Before leaving, Brother Pius asked if I would like to pray with him, and pray we did. The visit at Graymoor was the highlight of the day, the week, and the month.
On Wednesday, I stopped at Fahnestock State Park where I swam in the lake and lounged on the beach. What a great way to spend a few hours on a summer afternoon. They even had a grill at the concession stand. NY has some great state parks! Kudos to the NY state park system and their personnel.
Hope to be out of Connecticut within four days! The prayers and miles arre starting to pile up. Keep the prayers and donations coming! As always, hike in peace and hike with your angels!

Son-Dance

Dear Herm’s Hikers,

On Tuesday, July 7, I laced up the boots, threw on the backpack, and hiked across the Delaware River bridge to New Jersey. Relief was immediate. Oh, sure, they are plenty of rocks in New Jersey, but compared to Pennsylvania, the AT seems paved. So far, NJ has been a hiker’s paradise with a lot ot different terrain features, hills, mountains, cliffs, bluffs, and scenic overlooks. Hiked the first day with Graham, a 30-ish soccer coach from Nashville by way of Birmingham, England. We had a very enjoyable conversation about growing up in our native countries and the the sights to visit in Great Britain and the US. Our first stop of the day was the Sunfish Pond. a glacial pond that supports only a few hearty species of sunfish due to the acidity of the water. It was a great discovery to find a pond in the mountains. They have been far and few in between. The most water I’ve seen to date on the tail is creeks, streams, springs, beaver ponds, and a few resevoirs. After a break at the pond, Graham moved ahead and I was once again hiking by myself. Walking the up the ridge, I couldn’t help but think about all of the “black bear” publicity for NJ. It seems that NJ has one of the highest bear populations per square mile for any state, and after a day of waling in the woods, I had yet to see any bear scat or tracks. Minutes later, that changed when I turned a corner and came face to face with a rather large black bear who was walking towards me. Both of us stopped dead in our tracks about 20 yards apart and looked at each other with that “what the heck are you doing here” stare. I immediately started talking loud and raised my hands with my hiking sticks in the air to make myself appear much larger to the bear. As he slowly turned to walk down the trail, I reached into my pocket for my camera, but by the time I was ready to shoot, the bear was in the woods and climbing the rocks. A perfect hiking day was topped off with a stay at the Appalachain Mountain Club Mohican Center, a lodge/bunkhouse/campsite with lake for members and thru-hikers. There I met Susan, Tom, and the members of Venturing Crew 125 who invited to dine with them at the bunkhouse. Thank you crew for your hospitality. Hope you had a great hike back to Dingman’s Ferry. Susan, the cheeseburgers and quesadillas were excellent. Good thing I decided to stay indoors because it rained that night as ususal.
As I headed north, the trail became littered with more rocks but still nothing compared to Pennsylvania. The next night I had planned to stop at the Brenk Road shelter but moved on due to intolerable condations. If this shelter is not the worst on the AT, then it’s tied for first. Read more »