Author Archives: Warren Doyle

From a misty, moist midnight start on Springer (7/7) to a crystal-clear, cool, windy late afternoon end atop Katahdin (8/27), it was a journey of relentless forward motion steeped in perseverance, resiliency, focus, discipline, patience, adaptability, and sound decision-making.  It was a trek filled with natural beauty, smooth teamwork, intelligence, raw emotion and overcoming fear/self-doubt.Continue reading “Jupiter’s Final Reflection on Mercury’s AT Transit”

Mercury’s 2020 Transit of the AT  7/7/20 to 8/27/20             51 days  16 hours  30 minutes DAY   DATE   END                                 MILES  TIME                      Continue reading “Mercury’s Day-to-Day Transit of the AT”

WEEK          WHERE                              MILESa    MPDa    PACEa    TIMEa   SLEEPa #1 7/7-13     Springer to Erwin, TN    342.7        48.9      2.7mph  18:06      4 hours #2 7/14-20   Erwin, TN to VA621 Continue reading “Quantitative Recap of Mercury’s 2020 transit of the AT”

START:  Pollywog Stream     2 am FINISH: KATAHDIN!   4:30 pm 2,203.6 miles     42.4  miles per day average (final) Wonderful weather but a bit windy, and cool, above timberline Jupiter’s alarm goes off at 1:20am after a 4+ hour of sleep under two blankets – one made of cloth and one made of stars. HeContinue reading “Fifty-second (and last!) day R 8/27/20”

START:  West Branch Ponds Rd.  5 am FINISH: Pollywog Stream  7:45 pm 37.3 miles      14:45     2.5 mph 2,171.1 total miles   42.8 mpd Great weather – breezy, blue sky, cool temps Mercury heads off into the ‘Plain of Reflection’ – a relatively flat section of trail before Katahdin. She glides at a goodContinue reading “Fifty -first day W 8/26/20”

START:  ME Rt. 15     2 am FINISH: West Branch Ponds Rd. (Logan Brook Rd.)   11:50 pm 44.7 miles       21:50      2.0 mph 2,133.8 total miles  42.8 mpd average Misty, moist pre-morning; torrential thunderstorm mid-morning; clear in afternoon and evening What a way to celebrate one’s 35th birthday! Another ‘statement’ day fromContinue reading “Fiftieth day T 8/25/20”

#43  T  8/18    26.0 miles   Pinkham Notch             4:12am-6:27pm   14:15   1.8 mph #44  W 8/19   21.9 miles   Hogan Rd.                       7:02am-6:59pm    9:57    2.2 mph #45  R  8/20   30.3 miles   Grafton Notch               3am-6:30pm   Continue reading “Seventh week recap of Mercury’s AT Transit”

#36  T  8/11  44.1 miles    Stratton-Arlington Rd.             4:02am-10:35pm    18:33   2.4 mph #37  W 8/12  43.6 miles   VT Rt. 140                                   4:02am-9:30pm      17:28    2.5 mph #38  R  8/13   47.7 miles  VTContinue reading “Sixth week of Mercury’s AT Transit”

START: Boise Rd.  4:29 am FINISH:  ME Rt. 15  5:32 pm 31.4 miles   13:03   2.4 mph 2,089.1 total miles   42.6 mpd Morning nice; rain in the afternoon/evening Sometimes as the end gets somewhat near, the anticipation may effect motivation along with the weather and a summer sausage big toe. Mercury, instead of going into aContinue reading “Forty-ninth day M 8/24/20”

START:  Stratton Brook Pond Road   4:02am FINISH:   Boise Rd.     10:15pm 41.5 mileby s      18:13     2.3 mph 2,057.7 total miles    42.9 mpd Unexpected good weather Mercury finished the last of the last of the ‘227-mile roughest, toughest section’ of the AT before noon and now has 146 miles left with fewerContinue reading “Forty-eighth day Su 8/23/20”