Hello from Andover!

We are tenting in the back yard of some nice folks here in Andover for the night. We are about 40 miles from being done with Maine!! We will be in Gorham, New Hampshire in about 4 days so send all mail there. I am not sure the P.O. number but it is online. No pictures this post but in Gorham I am going to post everything we covered from Stratton to the end of Maine. Thanks for all the prayers! Full post coming in a few days! Love you all!
Walking south,
Addison

Greetings from Stratton, Maine!

Greetings from Stratton, Maine!
We arrived in Stratton this morning around 10:30 after sleeping 8 miles away from town on a notch between two beautiful 4,000 foot peaks called the Bigelows. It was a great night even though a little cold and rainy. We are currently at mile 187.8 and about to hit one of the most beautiful sections of the trail through the Mahoosuc mountains of southern Maine and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. These mountains will also be the most challenging we will face! We are jazzed about it! Here are some pics since Monson.

This is me, Full Value, and Plug on top of Avery Peak (the highest mountain in the Bigelows)

This is me dying on the way up the mountain at the 2,000 mile marker...yes that is 2,000 more miles to go to Georgia.

This video is one that describes exactly what we do everyday since I have gotten so many questions asking well...what do you do every day.

Thank you all for everything! Send any mail to Andover, Maine P.O. 04216.
Walking South,
Addison

Katahdin and the 100 Mile Wilderness Done!

Howdy!

We are now through the 100 mile wilderness and resting comfortably in Monson, Maine. Ill give you a little recap of our journey. We hiked to the summit of Katahdin on July 8. It was cloudy and rainy on the summit but still great. It was 10 Mile round trip 4,000 feet up and then down.We left the Katahdin Stream campsite the next day and walked 10 miles to the Abol Bridge Campsite, the last stop before the 100 mile wilderness. Our miliage through the wilderness was 13, 15, 16, 11, 12.5, 11.7, and 16. We finished earlier than expected and walked out the last three miles to the road.Here are some highlights from the wilderness.

This was from our campsite at Cloud Pond Lean-to
This was our campsite at Rainbow Lake at sunset.
The last night when we were three miles out from the road I called from a buddies phone to get us a place to stay in town. An incredible lady named Rebekah answered the phone and said that she would make room for us to stay. I asked her if they had a shuttle service or if we needed to hitch a ride into town. She said that she would be able to pick me up then I told her that I was with three other guys. With relief in her voice she told me that at the trailhead there would be a red and silver pickup truck. She told me that the keys were in the ashtray and to just drive it into town and she would see us when we got to town. It was amazing haha.Here is the lovely truck and our crew loading up.

This is me and Brit walking up one of the mountians.

This was Mike and I enjoying our zero day at the Lakeshore House.

After two good days here at the Lakeshore House we are moving along and good news its starting to rain. haha. Everything is going great though and we are moving along. Our next stop will be in about a week in Stratton, Maine.
Send Mail to:
Stratton, Maine P.O. 04982
Thanks for everything!
Walking South,
Addison

Here We Go!

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010


Well, the day has finally come! This is me in the condo in Williamsburg, VA. My flight leaves in three hours from Richmond, VA and lands in Bangor, Maine later tonight. We will be crashing in a hotel tonight and then getting a ride the 80 or some odd miles to the base of Katahdin (the mountian that marks the northernmost point of the trail). We will begin the hike to the summit of Katahdin on Thursday. We will hike to the summit and then return back to camp in the same day then depart for our first leg of the trip on Friday. Our next stop will be Monson, Maine.


I will be posting Post Offices if anyone wants to send mail or things while we are on the trail. This is the proper way to address mail:





(Example of the first stop in Monson)


Addison Shock


Monson, Maine, P.O. 04464


Please hold for thru-hiker expected around July 18th or 19th


I will be posting other Post Office information along the hike!

I am not going on this adventure alone and I feel it is only fair to give some credit to my hiking partner Mikey baby Micheal W. T. Hop Hopkins a.k.a. Mike or Thunder.
I will be updating as much as I can. I am not sure of the internet access along the trail! Thank you for your prayers and thoughts!
Walking South,
Addison