Hey everyone! Sorry about missing a post yesterday! My battery ran out. I’ll try to fill in the blank best I can.

Yesterday I woke up in the fantastic camp site in the hemlocks near Monterey road. The air was crisp and the sun was shining. The day started with a good climb over ridge then down to moss hill leanto. This area was full large ravines and small creeks which made for lots of things to look at while walking. I enjoyed it.

The trail did a curve to the north through farm land and more rolling hills. Passed many old foundations and one 1820′s cemetery. I have no idea who this people were but I can only imagine how tough they must of been. Early settlers, native Americans and explorers, all make my adventure look like a simple walk around the block. I have a lot of respect for the character they must of had to live the lives they did.

Hiked on past the cemetery to the north and set up camp on an old two track road with more foundations. Walked about 13 miles all in all. Hip was sore as heck but progress is progress.

Late last night it started snowing. Woke up several times and knocked the snow off the tent. There was over 6 inches of new snow by sunrise.

I packed up quick and continued on towards hammondsport. The last long hill before the town was tough only because of my hip. it needs some r&r. On the way down the west side of the ridge I found a trail closure sign with instructions for a detour. all i could think about was coffee, eggs and bacon so i hustled best I could. Ended up being about a 10 mile day. And the omellete was totally worth it.

After i ate, I went the library to plug in my phone. I was then able to google search a motels. Turns out half the town is shut down for the winter season but I found a room above the village tavern at a discount price. I gladly took the room. The grocery store and post office are both within a 100 feet. Hammondsport is a great hiker town. Everything is within walking distance!

Tonight i washed all my damp and stinky clothes at the laundromat and went grocery shopping. I also put my gear spread out around the room to air out. I am currently still hunting for the air leak in my sleeping pad. Almost to the point where i should just buy a new one so that I can sleep full nights again.

My plan is to have a zero day tomorrow. Haven’t had a zero day in several weeks I think. Going to try to give the inflammation in my hip a chance to calm down. If it doesn’t calmed down by the weekend im going to find a physician to investigate it. If only my body could heal, I could start walking long days. I can hardly wait for that day! But for now I have to be patient. Although the fact is that patience has never been a character trait of mine but I’m learning.

Alright, more tomorrow. Good night.

Tough miles today. The old hip tried to make a point of wrecking day right from the start. Wind was blowing like crazy and it was snowing a bit. Blown down trees were all over the trail. Made me think twice about where I pitch my tent tonight.. Sure don’t want a tree tipping over on me.

Well I have to keep this short because my battery is about to run out.

I made it over 12 miles today and crossed monterey road. Camped in a big hemlock stand with a nice creek. Great spot. Finally out of the wind. Built a good fire. Warmed up. Dried out and cooked a feast over the coals. Made a rough day a whole lot better.

Enjoying the fire for a while longer then it’s bed time for this guy. Not a bad saturday night!

And the most important fact of the day is: Today is my moms birthday!

Happy birthday mom! I hope it’s a great one! I can’t help but think about the good dinner and desert I’m missing.

Tough miles today. The old hip tried to make a point of wrecking day right from the start. Wind was blowing like crazy and it was snowing a bit. Blown down trees were all over the trail. Made me think twice about where I pitch my tent tonight.. Sure don’t want a tree tipping over on me.

Well I have to keep this short because my battery is about to run out.

I made it over 12 miles today and crossed monterey road. Camped in a big hemlock stand with a nice creek. Great spot. Finally out of the wind. Built a good fire. Warmed up. Dried out and cooked a feast over the coals. Made a rough day a whole lot better.

Enjoying the fire for a while longer then it’s bed time for this guy. Not a bad saturday night!

And the most important fact of the day is: Today is my moms birthday!

Happy birthday mom! I hope it’s a great one! I can’t help but think about the good dinner and desert I’m missing.

Is summer here? It had to have been 50 some degrees today. Amazing. The warm sun and breeze felt so good.

The rivers and creeks are filling up quickly. I walked along Townsend creek today out of the gorge. It was fuller than yesterday. I took the high-water route around the crossing which made for extra walking but at least I’m dry. Several other small crossings today but complely doable. I just walked up or down stream to find a good spot to jump across.

All of the warm weather is turning the snow into sticky slush! I spent the day switching back and forth using snowshows and just my boots. Neither was a easy. Hip is pretty sore tonight. Going to have to sleep on my right side again. Haven’t been able to sleep on my left side in a month. Just to tender.

Got in over 10 miles today. Pretty darn tired but feeling good that I got some ground covered. I speculated about the weather most of the day. Trying to figure what the next few weeks will bring. I know it’s impossible to know but it’s entertaining to think bout on a hard day.

Walked through “buck settlement” this morning. Not much is left but foundations, old roads and cemetery. 1850′s era I read. I found it very interesting and almost stayed at the leanto there but wanted to walk more instead. I enjoy historic sites like that. I’m glad the trail makers put the trail through them. Thanks!

Climbed up sugar hill then over to parks hollow leanto for the night. It’s a nice old leanto in good standing. Next to a high flowing creek. The goofy part is that it’s smack dab in the middle of a snowmobile trail. The sled tracks are on either side of the shelter. I thought it was pretty funny looking. I highly doubt I’ll see any riders on a warm night like tonight though so I should sleep well.

Well battery power is low so that’s it for tonight.

Last night I slept poorly. It’s hard to sleep next to a city and highway. Fell asleep though about midnight. I am more comfortable to sleep far out in the woods then near people. I can’t relax when voices and car doors slammin can be heard.

However the campsite made it a quick walk into town early this morning. Shopping at walmart is so easy at 7am! I picked out 4 days of food to get hammondsport which is 40-some miles away.

After purchasing supplies, I stopped in at the post office. Sent home old maps, papers, book, gps and few other random things. Figured I should “clean house”.. No sense in carrying anything I don’t use. I bet I dropped almost 3lbs in that box.

then I walked across the street to a diner for a lumberjack special. Loudest breakfast I had. They were cutting out a new entrance into the wall from the parking lot. So I at quick and got outta there. To much commotion for this guy. My meals have been pretty quiet for sometime now and I’m getting used to that.

Met Eric at the BK lounge 11. We swapped out the bad binding and had a good conversation about backpacking. It was nice to have a down to earth chat. He is a darn good guy to help me out like he did. Very much appreciated Eric! good luck on your climbing this year!

Hiked up through the gorge today. The finger lakes trail goes along the south rim and offers good vantage points. The gorge is truly awesome. Never seen anything like it. So I took lots of photos to show you all when I get home!

set up camp next to beaver pond section of the creek. Saw two beavers walkin around on the ice while I filled my water bottles. Also saw my first wasps of the season. I think everyone was out enjoying the warm weather. I have a feeling it won’t last though. More snows coming. It’s just to early for spring!

Well an owl Is hooting like crazy above me. Reckon I should read some and catch up on sleep.

Got a lot done today and saw a crazy gorge. It was a good day.

Woke up to a nice clear morning. The snow was crunchy as I packed up at 7am and hit the trail. Hiked down the ridge to cross rt79 then up burnt hill road and over to the Dunham shelter. Signed into the log book quick and moved on. In the next valley i walked through a working sugar bush. Waved at the guys doing the work but they must of been grumpy today. haha. After that I hiked over the top of another hill (by Logan rd) which had an awesome view of the surrounding country side. It was a very good reminder of the many hills ahead… Because there was litterly no end in sight! It was there that I saw Seneca lake for the first time. I took lots of photos with both cameras.

Hiking down the hill I noticed that my right binding was broken even more! The metal base plate broke clean through. Just my luck.

So heres the deal about msr snowshoes. The binding is the only bad part of the snowshoe design. The actual shoe is tough as nails and has excellent traction on hills. That part has proven it’s self well on this trek. However the rivets and and metal baseplate of the bindings don’t hold up up to a 200lbs person walking at an average of 1.5 mph. Although, I do love the simple binding style so if they would switch to thicker rivets and sheet-metal these snowshoes would be nearly unstoppable. that’s what I figure anyhow.

so when I got into town today I made some phone calls. I called MSR and was offered a new binding set which I thought was pretty cool of them. Those should get to my parents house in a week or so and serve as backup.

I also called the Eastern Mountain Sports shop in Ithaca. Eric answered. He set me up with my boots a couple weeks back. We got straight to business and I told told him about my situation. I summed it up by offering free beer for anyone who’d drive over a new binding to my location. He didn’t even hesitate and offered to meet me the tomorrow morning. Perfect! thanks Eric! What a good guy.

We talked a bit more and it turns out that his sister married jesse. Jesse has a brother named mike. The SAME mike that I used to ride bmx bikes and snowboard with back home in houghton. How crazy is that! NOW that’s a small world.

I remember the first time I met mike. I was about 14 and just learning to snowboard out at a backcountry riding spot called wheelcate bluff. So the fact is that I met Eric’s now brother in-laws brother on a hill in the middle of the forest 12 years ago and 700 miles from Ithaca….

On that note…. I’m going to sleep tonight at my spot on the ridge overlooking the town of Watkins glen below. Today’s 14 miles of travel has made me sleepy. So good night!

The wind blew strong all night. It was cold but it made the snow crust hard again so I was pumped. The wind had mostly died down by morning. It was a bright blue skies kind of day!

First few miles of the morning was through the rest of the gorge I had camped by. It got deeper as I walked. Almost canyon like ravines. Several rivers joined in the center. It was interesting to walk through. Its close to a road so the trail was packed down. I’m sure it’s a popular spot for the locals. I saw a woman walking her dog. First person I’ve seen in three days. haha.

Went past Cayuta lake and over the next ridge to Texas Hollow. Went down to the bottom then climbed back up the other side. Got to the top of the west ridge of Texas hollow just before dark. Figured it was a good place to stop. Walked 10 miles today.

I had a migraine all day but finally feel better after three dinners, mashed potatoes and hot cocoa tonight. Guess I was pretty hungry. Well I have 13 miles until watkins glen. Not sure if I’ll go into town tomorrow night or wait until the next morning to resupply food and eat another feast. It’s amazing how my appetite continues to grow. Im sure it’ll only get bigger and bigger. Food is by far the largest expense. Well enough about food because I’m getting hungry again. Good night.

sorry no photos tonight because I have poor phone service at this location.

Last night was the warmest night yet! It was a nice change to sleep with normal sleep wear inside of every bit of clothing I have. I usually have to sleep with all layers plus rain gear, hat and mittens. So last night was pretty good!

Woke up in the middle of the night to a flat mattress. The patch we put on is holding perfectly so there must be another tiny hole some where else. Although I have already put the pad under water twice in bath tubs to look for air bubbles. So it must be really small. Next time I’m inside I’ll continue the search.

At dawn the sky was clear and the sun quickly warmed up the tent even more. I ate some really good bagels for breakfast that the Dando’s gave me. Amazing. Then headed down the path. The morning was spent finishing the climb up conneticut hill. The trail leading up goes on and off the road several times. Lots of putting snowshoes on and off. At 12:30 I got to the top by the radio tower. It’s a pretty big hill at 2100′ above sea level. The view was impressive but hidden by the trees so its better to see in person. It was a good feeling to look back across the landscape in the direction I had come.

I spent the afternoon hiking down the backside toward Cayuta lake. Stopped next to a creek below Todd road. It’s a small gorge withe hemlocks all around.

The weather switched mid day to high winds and sleet then snow so i tried to get out of the storm tonight by camping in the gorge. The wind is still roaring up the valley and shaking the tent. In-between gusts I can hear the creek below me.

Well i travelled 10.5 miles today and I feel pretty good. Sore but good. Thats double of what I could do last week so Im happy with it. Hope to do the same tomorrow.

Today I was notified that my interview with National Geographic Adventure was posted today as well as a nice write up on the Adventure blog. I’d like to thank them both for their support!
Check them out below.

National Geographic Adventure

http://ngadventure.typepad.com/blog/2011/02/trail-report-12500-mile-all-in-trek-hiker-samuel-gardner.html#more

The Adventure Blog

http://theadventureblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/12500-mile-all-in-trek-is-underway.html

This morning I packed up my freshly dried gear and ate an an amazing omelette. Then all three of us headed out to the trail head at route 13 which is about an hour from the Dando’s house.

Today was extra special because Roy and Laurie joined me for a couple of miles of snowshoeing. It was nice to have the company. We chatted most of they way up and spotted woodpeckers and deer.

When it came time for them to turn back, the sun was shining and it was 40 degrees. We said our good byes and I thanked them again for their kindness. The times we had were great. I dont think i will ever forget any of my times in the Ithaca area. I have made many new pals in this area. The trail community here has made a great impression on me. Thank you all.

but the trail is calling my name…

It was an odd feeling walking our separate ways this afternoon on the trail. They would be home in few hours. I won’t be home for a few months even then only as I pass through baraga county on the trail. I won’t really be “home for good” for well over a year. Man, what a life I have chosen. A life of a traveler. An adventurer. Its a crazy but amazing feeling to be doing this.

Life is good.

So I continued up the hill. It’s a long hill. Not steep but a steady climb. It switched several times from wooded areas to farm fields. When I crossed porter hill road and I set up camp on the next ridge. Tomorrow I’ll finish climbing up over Connecticut hill. Did 6.5 miles today. Got about 35 miles to go to watkins glen which will be my next resupply. I’m going to try to push it a little harder this week and see how my body takes it.

Tonight I ordered three external battery packs for my phone so hopefully I don’t have to worry about power ever again between resupplies. The batteries are just like the one i have now. Made by a company called “mophie”. Works well. Does the job. So that’s what I’ll stick with for now.

Today i broke my OTHER snowshoe binding. It’s simply just a poor design decision to use the small sized pop rivets to hold the straps to the base plate. It’s just to easy to pull the rivets out. So I fixed the situation again with zip ties. I think I’m going to just run like that unless something else breaks. Just have to make it through to Ohio which shouldn’t have snow by the time I get there. Hopefully!

Fact of the day: Zip-ties are as handy as duct tape on backpacking trips.

Woke to squirrels running around the tent inside of the chestnut leanto. Packed up and filled a bottle with water in the creek in front of the leanto then headed up the ridge to the west. Hiked about 10 miles to route 13 road. The walking today was both snowshoeing and road walking. A couple sections had “trail section closed” so I had to walk on backroads to get to the next trail head.

Everything worked out well though. It was a beautiful day. A little windy mid day but not to bad. The snow has an excellent crust forming stronger everyday. It’s a completely different experience snowshoeing than a week ago. I’m enjoying it while it lasts!

I saw at least a two dozen deer today. They were everywhere.

Met a mailman on Bruce hill road. The kid was pumped about the trek. It was a good upbeat chat. It’s fun to watch the reaction in peoples faces when i explain that im not insane and why I’m walking down the road with a loaded pack in winter. It’s usually something like “what? Really? Wow.” or it’s “why the heck would you want to do that?”. It’s kind of becoming a game of guessing someones response. Good entertainment! Im pretty simple. Haha.

The last little section of today’s walking was through the Sweedler Preserve. That place was awesome. Its located on the side a large hill and a creek called Lick brook goes down it in a gorge cut into the bedrock. Several water big falls can be seen from the trail on the way down. One was over a 100 feet I bet. I took several photos. It’s worth checking out if you’re ever in the area.

At the bottom of the preserve the trail goes over a small railroad bridge over the brook then cuts over to culvert under route 13.

At the end of the day I was picked up by my friends Roy and Laurie Dando at route 13 and taken back to their house for the night. They brought me a local speciality called “speedy” which was tasty seasoned chicken in a bun. Very good eating! thanks guys!

They took me shopping for food and let me dry my things out in the house. Took a shower and did laundry. After all was good and situated, we headed out to Mario’s pizza shop to meet their friends Larry Blumberg and Mike & Liz Flynn with their kids Katie and Danny. It was fantastic fun. Great humor all around and good discussion. And thanks to our awesome waitress Amber we got great New York style pizza. Although we still can’t believe she doesn’t like hiking or exercise she was a lot of fun tonight. I really enjoyed the evening! I want to thank all you guys for that.

On the way back to the house we stopped at walmart to get some fuel for the stove but they were sold out so we found some at a gas station. Back at the house I met Timmy Szczesny who is also a family friend of the Dando’s. We chatted while we all tried to patch my neo-air mattress. It’s been a challenge to get patches to stay on in the cold. Although I believe this one will stay on this time. Hope for at least for a while. It was good to meet Timmy as well. Good luck with the hockey game tomorrow!

Headed back out to the trail tomorrow morning. Roy and Laurie are going to snowshoe with me for part of the day. It’ll be fun. Next resupply stop is Watkins Glen in three or four days.

Alright it is super late and i need my rest for the trail tomorrow so good night everyone! It was fun! Thanks again!