Last Blog for the class!! Will Continue!! Tell me what you've thought so far?

This is the last blog that I need to do for this class; I've decided that I will continue to do entries as often as I can. What i would like to do in this entry is remember past entries, and ask what you thought of certain ones.

My favorite blog has to be the one about my revelation on the Appalachian trail about people and how the trail can help them through life problems. I also like the ones about just hiking the Appalachian trail and the experiences i had on it. I can't wait to have time and go out there and hike it again.

Tell me which ones you liked best and whether you want me to write about more revelations I've had in nature or just about hiking and the views; because I have many of both.

See you in the next blog!!

White Magic

Revelation In nature!!

I was hiking in the Pine Barrens again and I came to a fire tower and while I was up in it looking out over the vast forest of pine trees I pondered something.

What makes a hero? Is it great feats of strength? Is it courage in the face of evil? How about sacrificing one's life for that of another? No, I believe that it is character and quality of the soul of a person that makes a hero. Basically the hero is a quality in all of us that we have to release so it can save us. The hero quality makes us determined to hold onto our beliefs regardless of what someone might say. It makes people strive to keep themselves pure, free, and happy at all times. I realized that we merely need to find our muse, the one that will help us release our inner hero quality, and our lives will be changed for the better.

White Magic

Trail journal

June 10, 2008

I started the day waking up refreshed in a bunk. I got up, got my stuff together and then waited for the store to open. i got purifying stuff from the than started off, making good time. I kept going and saw many different kinds of trees and birds. I also saw a bunch of wild pigs and a mother bear and her cub. I stopped at tenta tree gap and ate lunch while talking to a scoutmaster who had brought water for the scouts that were coming down from the mountain soon. I got to the top of the mountain and watched the view. I then went to the next gap and up the next mountain. I then got the next shelter and ate dinner then went to sleep.

White Magic

Trail journal.

June 9, 2008

I left blood mountain shelter after a good nights sleep and hiked the 2 miles to neels gap. I know why they call it blood mountain, because of all the bugs that bite you and make you bleed. I got to the hostel at walasiyi-inn center and took a much needed shower. It took me 5 soapings to get clean. I finished the showering and went to pay for the room. It was a nice bunk. I ran into John again. I've seen him for 3 days now. I did my laundry and drank powerade all day. I fell much better now. I watched movies and relaxed the whole day. I ate dinner, brushed my teeth and then went to bed. Next shower spot about 10 days, I'm going to be ripe.

White Magic

Trail journal.

June 8, 2008

I embarked on my 14 mile journey with high hope and the beginning went well, 6 miles by 1:00. I stopped at woody gap for a snack and saw a magnificent view. Oh yea before i got up, during the night these people were arguing about School stuff. But anyway I also stopped at cedar mountain. The view was great i ate lunch. I passed streams and other trails. It got harder and harder and by the time i got to the shelter i was exhausted. I ate dinner and then watched the sun set. I then prepared my bed then watched the stars. After that i went to bed because i was exhausted.

I almost forgot i saw a bear today. it was up the hill a bit behind some trees. but i could tell it was a bear. I also saw a snake other that that the day was pretty uneventful.

White Magic

Trail Journal!!

06/06/2008

Last night was alright, except for herbert. The friendly mouse that decided to rip my toilet paper to shreds while i was watching the stars. I came back to a T.P massacre. It was everywhere. I scared herbert before he could finish the dastardly deed. He was brown and white and even though he looked innocent i saw past the cute smirk on his face saying, "who me?"

I started off on the trail making good time. I got to long creek falls at around 11:30. 5.1 miles from starting at 8:00 in the morning. The falls were beautiful. I took a swim in the cold water and found it very refreshing. I watched the majestic falls for about an hour then moved on to go to the hawk mountain shelter. It was up all the way, for 2.9 miles. Hard but enjoyable. I found a big oak tree with a big hole in it, like an owl hole. I peered up in it to see almost all the way up the tree. I didn't see any one but i'm not saying there couldn't be someone there. I also hit a big field on the way. It was huge and open, could of seen stars but i decided to finish to the shelter.

I came to the shelter and sat there for a while and had cheerios. Then i made pasta, ate it then sat around talking with the 12-14 people around the shelter. We sat by the fire and talked about random stuff. I then went to bed after seeing the stars.

White Magic Out

Trail Journal!!

Over the next couple blog entries I would like to share with you some of my trail journal entries that I made for the A.T.

06/05/2008

I started at my hiking at 6:00 this morning. It was nice and cool. After i finished breakfast i started hiking and immediately found the straight up climb to very difficult but enjoyable. I started up and up and up and up, for 8.8 miles straight up. very tiring. i saw one view on the way up, it was nice, mountains as far as the eye can see, and for me thats far.

I also saw Amicola falls which was refreshing, it bounced in every direction, falling to the ground in little diamond droplets. I saw a tree that had holes in that made a funny face and a creek at which i stopped at to wash my face with the cloth I am carrying. It was very cool and refreshing.

I continued my hiking and saw butterflies fighting, deer, and bugs..a lot of bugs, a great many bugs. So many bugs i wanted to take a flame-thrower and burn them all. I kept going and going up and up...I continued up until i arrived at the A.T. beginning. I decided to use the shelter that was .2 miles into the A.T. and will rest for tomorrow's journey. I ate stew for dinner on my grill and then hunkered down for a while. Then i looked at the stars for a while. Then went to bed.

White Magic Out

Ohh the things you learn from people on the A.T.

When I went to Georgia to hike the A.T I had one thing in mind, the long and arduous journey north. The people I met made me think a little more though. I met a man who looked like George Carlin, a woman that had just got divorced, a kid off on summer break like me, and a weird-hillbilly from the west who had no teeth and had grandchildren at the age of 55.

These people all had a story ranging from good to bad, and while we all sat around the campfire and exchanged stories, i realized how good my life has been. I realized where I could be, unmarried and with children and grandchildren, and where I might be, married and divorced, if I'm not careful. It made think that although they all had there different problems they all had one thing in common, the trail.

It was the one thing they all could turn to when things weren't going right. The one thing that truly got them away from it all. The trail helped them find peace and quite to sort out what was happening in their lives. It helped them find joy once again in the wonders of the mountains and the views of the sunsets. It helped them replace emotional pain with contact with strangers that were willing to just talk to them and hold a conversation and not judge them for past discretions.

This is why I love the A.T. It revitalizes the soul in a way not many other things can. It helps people who are on the edge of breaking down, find themselves again and to be reborn in a new light. It helps people realize things about their life that they might not have known and reminds them of what they might be missing. If nothing else, it helps people realize in many ways that life, although hard, can be lived through; regardless of what happens in it.

White Magic

Life's Little Revelations in Nature.

In my last blog I talked about the quite of the pine barrens and i would like to now share a revelation i had out there in the silence.

People always ask me why i have never been stressed before in my life, and i have always told them that it was because i don't care if i succeed in my ventures or not Which means i will never get disappointed. But i have come to realize that it is not because i don't care, it's because i have fun everyday of my life, every second of the day. I make little games and jokes about everything to make everything all right. I do little dances if I'm bored or some one isn't smiling and they need to laugh. I take joy in making others laugh and brightening their day. It makes me happy to make them happy.

I am always bust with work and school, but i always find ways to hang out with friends or family because it makes me happy.

So i guess the revelation is to make yourself happy everyday, cause if you do i guarantee you your life will be better, and the rest of it will sort itself out.

White Magic

Uneasy quiet...

Have you ever been to the New Jersey pine barrens? It is in south jersey. Very few people know about it, and even fewer visit it, but there is a wonder there that everyday people miss in there life and never hear.

I am talking about the erie silence that one can experience in the pine barrens. With the pine trees that rarely get rustled by the wind no matter how hard it blows and the sand which can't blow around, everything seems to be still and quite.

Nowadays it is impossible to find silence in our everyday life. With the hustle and bustle of ever growing cities, residential areas, and everyday life few people ever stop to see what the world is doing. The pine barrens can take you there. It forces you to slow down your life and see what is going on in it. It makes you think about where you have been in your life and where you should be going.

Nothing is more beneficial and more pristine than the silence in the pine barrens.

White Magic

BURN BABY BURN!!!

This boy scout story is from the early years. In those days be asked to make a fire was everything, and when my day came i was excited out of my mind.

I went about getting all of my wood, the tinder, the kindling, and the medium and big stuff. After that i put it all in position and got the matches. I was all set. I lit one match and proceeded to light the fire.

I got with the one match. Its a great feat for someone just starting to learn how to make fires. Everyone came back to the campsite after the hike they were on and marveled at my fire.

Then Some fat guy came and put huge logs out of it and made a bonfire out of it. But such is life, you do something and then someone comes and blows it out of proportion.

White Magic

Light match with Axe?

I was in boy scouts for a good amount of my young life. I have many memories from those days, more from the later years than the earlier ones. One of those such memories is from summer camp as a tenderfoot...

At summer camp they have competitions to test a boy scouts skill. The event i was assigned was to light a match with an axe. Needless to say i was confused as to the use of this in survival, but i found the task to be a fun one.

I practiced for hours chopping at a twig i put between a notch in a large piece of wood. I became so good i could split the twig in half with one try.

The day of the competition came and i was ready. I come up to the event and they hand me a hatchet, those of you who don't know, a hatchet is extremely small compared to an axe. I had not practiced with a hatchet so i was out of my element.

So it took me 2 seconds top light the match instead of 1. It was the fastest it had ever been done before. I was happy. Still would of liked to try the axe though.

White Magic

Waterfall, sharp rocks at the bottom, bring it on!!!

On the canoe trip that i was writing about before this i also had an amazing experience with sheer skill in the canoeing world.

Me and my crew went over a waterfall!!! We were creeping up to it and we were about to go over to the shore when the current caught us. We tried back-paddling but to no avail. So i decided we were going to go for it.

I started to shout out orders, and my crew followed without question. We got over the edge and slid the whole 15 ft canoe over it with no problem. We became kings of the canoe world in less than 10 seconds. It was the greatest feeling ever.

White Magic

Spider! Spider! Spider!

Last summer I went on a canoe trip with my friends. We had two canoes and all the gear we could possibly need. We had our tents and assorted sleeping bags and such. We loaded up our canoes and headed off...

We started out all right, just going along enjoying the river. the water was kind of low in places and we had to get out and pull the canoes in some places, but that was ok it was hot out anyway.

So like i said everything is fine until we come around a bend and brush close to a tree, me and my crew make it by fine but then its the other ones turn. They come along the side of the branch and the move along fine until, the driver come to it,

He sees a spider and starts screaming, SPIDER! SPIDER! and tips the whole canoe over. Everything goes in the water. The other people in the canoe that flipped had enough time to say I hate you 10 times before hitting the water. It was the funniest thing i had ever seen and made the whole trip more enjoyable for me.

White Magic

Walking Among giants!!

I forgot to post this one.

I know I have described some hikes among the Sequoia trees before but I can't tell you enough. We did many hikes when we were out there but few compare to this one.

We started out walking in the bright day of the forest with not a care in the world, then it got dark. The world got smaller and all was covered by a massive shade. We were in the giant's domain...

The giants were all over. They reached to the sky's above and kept going. Never to end. I felt like an ant in a way, way to big world. I always did among those trees.

White Magic

Stone Shelter!!

One of my absolutely favorite views on the Appalachian Trail, or A.T., was at the top of a mountain where there was an old stone shelter.

You could see in ever direction for miles upon miles. There was nothing but trees and lakes as far as the eye could see. The calm i experienced up there was overwhelming. The gentle breeze that brushed your skin, or the slight warmth of the sun on you back was amazing. The slight sound of song birds in the background mixed in with the sound of a river in the valley was the most calming i've ever heard.

The serenity of everything up there made the place almost heavenly. The place was very surreal and I never wanted to leave. Places like this exist all along the Appalachian Trail. If you have a particular place on the A.T. that was amazing for you, let me know; who knows i might have been there before.

White Magic

Appalachian Trail!!!

The Appalachian trail is the most amazing trail in the world. It is about 3000 miles long and goes along most of the east coast. It covers terrain from mountains to fields and habitats from deep woods to cities. Needless to say it is a very very diverse experience. Whether it is the terrain or the people, the trail is never the same.

I myself have done almost half the trail in my 21 years of life and i have loved every moment of it. The atmosphere and overall experiences you have are life changing. I have done some of the trail by myself and some with family. The trail is difficult one day and easy the next, is peaceful one day and violent the next.

The trail is marked by white blazes all along the trail. There are many shelters, campsites, and even lodging along the trail. The trail is maintained by volunteers who do things like maintain the trail, fix broken shelters, and make sure the water sources are still good. The volunteers are the heros of the trail.

There are many majestic and awe inspiring views on the trail. The views are so beautiful they make you think about life and what your life is like. I have had many deep thoughts about my character while looking over a valley or mountain range.

Have you ever hiked any of the Appalachian Trail? Let me know we will share stories of adventure.

White Magic

General Sherman!!!!!!

When it come to sequoia trees nothing is bigger than the Sherman. It is more than 22 feet across in diameter and takes about five minutes to walk around. I timed it when i went around the thing.

When I first saw this tree on our hike i didn't know what to say. The sheer mass of the thing left me speechless. Its height was no small measure either. Only a few people have ever been up in these trees, i wish i was one of them. This tree is like the father of forest.

The Sherman tree is massive silent sentinel watching over the many other trees and inhabitants of the forest, ever watchful, ever mindful, and everlasting to eternity.

White Magic

Across the desert and through San Fransico to the Red Wood trees we go!!

After about a week of the constant traveling we finally got to California. Our first stop was at a campground a couple hours outside San Francisco. We went into the city for a day to see what it had to offer... what we found was crowded streets and people that tell you to come in your restaurant whether you say no or not.

On the good side we saw things like Alcatraz and got to ride in the cable cars. But all this is inconsequential when i tell you that i hiked in the Sequoia and redwood forests...

If you have never seen these trees they are absolutely massive and insanely tall. You feel like no more than an ant when you walk among these giants. I hike four or five trails, all about 9 miles long, among these trees and i can tell you i never got bored of them.

I had to hike up a mountain just to se over these trees and even when i was halfway up i could only see the tops of some. When i got to the top of the mountain i saw the tops of these trees and it looked like a forest of broccoli. it blew my mind that something so huge could look like something so small.

What real blew my mind was when i found out how old some of these trees were. The oldest ones were about 3000 years old. Thats amazing, if you think about it these trees where here way before columbus or even some of the middle ages.

If you ever get the chance to go to california check out these celestial giants in the north, for nothing will make you more humble of power than they!

White Magic

Drive, stop, camp, sleep, .. drive, stop, camp, sleep,.. repeat

When traveling long distances in a van full of people that do nothing but bother you for the mere enjoyment, you come to enjoy the subtle freedom experienced when alone in the wilderness.

I can tell you that after being in the van for hours upon end while traveling west to california, there was nothing better then to find a secluded wooded spot at the campsite to just be alone. I remember that one campsite we hit had a lake and there was a nice bench by the water away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the campsite. It was my favorite place at the campsite and i watched the stars come out while sitting at this bench. With the trees and forest around me it felt like i was alone a lot further from humanity then i actually was.

The first campsite we hit where we actually did any hiking was at arches national park in the desert. It was a great reprieve from the endless repeat of driving and sleeping. The vastness of the desert amazed me. The rock formations were astonishing. The fact that some of them were still standing was impressive.

The most amazing thing about the desert is the stars at night. You literally see every single one. To look up into the night is to look at the vastness and wonder of our solar system. You will see shooting stars and constellations galore. The concept of how much distance is between us and the nearest stars is mind boggling.

The stars are a calming factor for me. Being under them makes me feel overwhelmed with wonder and amazement. It makes feel like no matter what goes on there is always someone watching over me. Its a calming feeling.

Have you ever seen the stars in the west? Till you do you'll never understand the heavens to their full extent.

White Magic

Go west young man!!!

In the next couple entries I am going to tell you stories of my journey west to california. The reason this is a multiple entry set is because me and my family... drove all the way out there.

We began our journey westward at 4:00 am! Needless to say the whole family was tired, that is except for my oldest sister... she has, shall we say, a very positive outlook on life even at 4:00 am in the morning. If none of you have ever been up at 4:00 am let me inform you that there is nothing positive about 4:00 am. Not even the birds are up that early.

As everyone is slowly going to the car and loading the last of the gear we need my oldest sister is skipping around telling us all how much fun we should be having and how much excitement we should be having this early in the morning. So we all decided to tie her to her chair and muffle her with a shirt.

This worked till about three hours into the ride when she got free. Luckily by that time we were all up and had no problem with the endless "this amazing" and "were having fun right guys?" All and all she makes the trips interesting. My favorite line she ever said to me was, after pointing at me, saying "Dam." I proceeded to ask her why she said Dam to me and she pointed to the dam on the river behind me.

Thats just the first recollection of a story i have of the amazing journey. The trip took us a total of a month and a half long. Many more stories of the amazing times and hardships we experienced are on their way. Stay tuned...

White Magic

Cliff Diving!!

Jump!! Jump!! Jump!! How many times does someone tell you to go jump off a cliff. Well I have taken this advice, and not just me but my family too.

In the depths of the Andorandack wilderness there is a river. Now this river is by a cliff that is 50 feet high. Me and my family saw some people jumping off it and decided it might be fun. So we jumped off the cliff.

The first jump was definitely the hardest. it took forever to get the nerve to jump off the cliff, nut after that initial problem it was a piece of cake. It was the most adrenaline pumping thing i've ever done. I highly recommend it to any thrill seeker out there.

The feeling of falling just can't be matched. Tell about any thrill seeking you have done? Was it more dangerous than mine?

White Magic

Trail Names!!!

What's in a name? Is it a word we use to identify ourselves, or is it a word that has deep meaning to its bearer and is treasured by the owner. Names carry significant weight to the owner and a trail name should have no less weight.

My trail name is White Magic, and though it sounds goofy it has a better meaning of who i am than most others i tried. White is a pure color, this represents me because i have a straight edge life style. I don't do any form of drugs, I don't drink or even eat junk food. I believe white symbolizes how i treat my body, purely. The Magic Part is simply explained by my love for reading books about magic and fantasy. It also tells of my love of adventure.

I love my trail name and i believe it explains who i am in the most accurate way. So what is in a name? Is it a deep seeded meaning explaining who the individual is, or is it just a word? Tell me what you think and tell me What your trail name means to you!!

White Magic

Majestic and serenity all around

I have done hiking since i was born, and at 21 I have done more hiking than most people do in their life. I have hiked a total of 800 miles of the Appalachian trail ranging all along the trail. I have also hiked a trail in almost every state in america. I have seen things from the wonders of the Appalachian mountains to the majestic trees of the redwood forest. I have seen animals ranging from deer to bobcats and I have witnessed the serenity of the woods and fields to the awe inspiring vistas of the rocky mountains. I have slept under blankets of stars in the desert to blankets of pure greenery in the Sequoia national park. I have witnessed the beauty and viciousness of mother nature and i can tell you nothing will ever deter me from her many wonders.

My main goal for this blog is to share the many experiences I have had in my many travels in the wonderful world of nature. To share and help others understand what they can experience if they only give it a try. I will be sharing great stories of adventure and intrigue. I will be bringing you along through the good and bad experiences i've had in the wilderness. I will help you learn from my mistakes and give general tips about what I've learned about hiking and more.

Also i wish others to comment about their travels and adventures through the wilderness; tell me if they are like mine or different. Tell me what you have learned and help me teach others how to hike to have fun. Tell us what your trail names are and what meaning there is behind it, or not.

Let me take you through the wondrous, adventures, majestic, and amazing world that is the wilderness and show you the many things you can experience and learn.

White Magic