All posts by richardkjudy

About richardkjudy

A 1973 Appalachian Trail thru-hiker, Richard Judy spent a career as a corporate PR executive and found time over the last four decades to find adventure hiking trails, canoeing, climbing mountains, etc. Both his kids are thru-hikers as well. Richard's novel, THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story, is published by the Appalachian Trail Museum. View all posts by richardkjudy →

Temptation in the Wilderness

I was asked to speak to a group of seminarians at Columbia Theological Seminary the other day, the kind of young people who take their religion and their scripture seriously. I let them know that I am no scholar but that I do have a major thought gleaned from more than 50 years of wilderness adventure: Creation is close to the top of God’s greatest gifts. In THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story, Doug, a thoughtful young man of faith, ponders the similarity between a thru-hike and the temptation of Christ. He writes in a shelter register: “This trip is tantamount to Christ’s 40 days in the wilderness, although he surely had a much rougher time of it. Aside from having all the equipment, food and clothing we need, we also have companions to nurture our spirits. Plus, we don’t have Satan tempting us with all manner of easy ways to go wrong. Or maybe we do. There is temptation out here to resist doing small tasks to support others in need, to make unkind remarks no matter how small or subtle, to allow fatigue to get in the way when you have a chance to give useful trail intelligence to an inquiring SOBO, and to just generally go clueless when you have a chance to improve a fellow traveler’s trek. Heat, dehydration, hunger and general trail fatigue obstruct my natural inclination to serve strangers. I pledge to do better.”

The Snows of Mt. Everest

My friend Larry Routt took this photo last year as we walked along a ridge in Nepal. It was bright, sunny and pleasant where we were, but Everest looked downright hostile. I don’t mind hiking within sight of it, but I’ll leave it to the young guys to actually climb that massive behemoth. Meanwhile, I have my mind on the Accursed Mountains over in the Balkans where I plan to hike later this year. More on that later. Stay vertical and keep walking — a sure cure for the blues. (Photo by Larry Routt, all rights reserved).

Cruising Down the Danube

It is not always necessary to travel with a heavy pack, trail food, drafty tents and dirty clothes. Sometimes you take the cushy route. That’s what Patsy and I did the past couple of weeks — sailing in an Avalon river cruiser from Budapest to Amsterdam. The trip was heavier on cathedrals and castles than I preferred and a little short on trail hiking and bike riding. Still, it was easy ridin’ with lots of gourmet food. I could get in the habit. Now, I get ready for the final leg of my AT section hike in Maine this July. By the way, the rivers are filled with numerous waterfowl species. Check out mommy and daddy swan with their bambinos. (Photo by Patsy Judy, all rights reserved).

Blue Devil’s Redemption on Cheoah

May 5, 2014UncategorizedAppalachian Trail, Blue Devil, Cheoah Bald, THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Storyrichardkjudy

Still thinking of Cheoah Bald. Last week’s hike tickled memories of my first time in 1973. The trail in those days was rocky and eroded — shooting straight and steep up mountainsides, requiring climbers to grab trees to pull themselves up. Now Cheoah trails are graded forest service paths which slab around ridges and switchback to eliminate steep grades. We hikers should thank trail planners, builders and maintainers for such amazing feats. Maybe they should thank hikers for making it all necessary. When my character, Blue Devil, climbed Cheoah in THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story, he wrote in his journal: “I reached Cheoah peak and breathed deep, deeper than my lungs had ever held, pulling all the pure alpine air into my chest to nourish my heart and my brain and my soul, expunging my bad behavior and exhaling out all the dumb things I’ve ever done in one glorious moment of young black male fervor.”

Tortilla Tosser Groovin’ on Cheoah Bald!

May 1, 2014Uncategorizedrichardkjudy

Tom LeVert earned this casual pose after a long climb up Cheoah Bald last Saturday. From this crest you can see Fontana Lake and the Smokys to the North on the AT and the Nantahalas to the South. We ended our hike the next day at NOC. Stay vertical and read THRU.

Puncheons, Bog Logs, Sills and Stringers

April 23, 2014Uncategorizedrichardkjudy

This photo of a puncheon was taken yesterday less than a mile from the Len Foote Hike Inn. The crew installing it — and many others — was fearlessly led by Richard Wannall who told me that the correct terminology for a wooden creation designed to transport hikers mudlessly over boggy areas is called a puncheon. The stout 6×6 bottom pieces supporting the treadway are sills, and the 2×6 horizontal walkway pieces are called stringers. Being in a feisty state of mind, I argued that I thought they should be called bog logs, the term I’ve heard used in New England. Richard replied that if I did not keep my mouth shut (always a struggle for me) he would soon be “Puncheon Judy,” thereby creating perhaps the worst pun ever uttered on the Hike Inn Trail, if not planet earth. Regardless, the puncheons are installed and many a trail runner will be spared a coating of black mud in future years. If you have not been hiking this year, get out there. (Photo by Roy Stallings, all rights reserved).

Climbing and climbing and still climbing!

April 14, 2014Uncategorizedrichardkjudy

Hard to believe it was just one year ago I was tackling high altitude and long ascents in Nepal. This photo was taken the day we left a Buddhist monastery and climbed past a yak farm and then kept ascending and climbing and going up and gaining altitude. It was one of the longest climbs I have ever tackled. At the end we got a marvelous view of glaciated peaks far higher than anything we see in the Western hemisphere. (photo by Marianne Skeen, all rights reserved).

Protect them Doggies!

April 10, 2014Uncategorizedrichardkjudy

Right about now, some wincing NOBO is having a “come to Jesus” moment regarding his feet. It always happens this time of year that people fight the Sisyphusian battle of keeping feet in trail shape. A man with an Adonis body or a woman who resembles Xena the Warrior Princess can be laid low by foot trouble.

In THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story, I describe what descents can do to hikers in their first few days: On the downhills, your feet slide inside socks and boots and jolt to a dead stop time after agonizing time — the genesis of blisters. If ignored, blisters turn from annoying hot spots into bulging, fluid-filled skin sacs. Untreated, they burst on heels, arches and toes. There are few prospects uglier than blisters turning into an oozing blight, a sight presaging a hike ending in its infancy.

I have had no blister problems in the many thousands of trail miles I’ve recorded over the last half-century or so. On a couple of occasions, I’ve had some irritation but never anything requiring precautionary treatment or causing me to lose time hiking. My main advice is take action early. My buddy, Tortilla Tosser, suffered untold misery over the years resulting from blisters. His totally successful solution is to swath his problem areas in moleskin before he even takes one step. Now, I can’t keep up with him anymore. The lesson from all this? Don’t wait for trouble. Attack it early. And if you sense a hot spot, don’t do like Captain Stupid in THRU and ignore the problem. Pull out every piece of artillery and attack the problem. Stay vertical and keep walkin’!

Looking East through the Keyhole at Hike Inn’s Starbase

Looking East through the Keyhole at Hike Inn's Starbase

At Len Foote Hike Inn, you can see Starbase which tracks the sun’s seasonal progress across the heavens. This photo by Jim Hall, an officer in the Pine Mountain Trail Association, is a view due east through the keyhole which zeroes in on the rising sun at the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. For some great hiking, Google Pine Mountain Trail Association to learn about some great hikes in west central Georgia. If you’re in an armchair hiking mood, now’s the time to buy your copy of THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story on sale at Amazon or at the Len Foote Hike Inn, among other places. (Photo by Jim Hall, all rights reserved).

Hawkeye is the man!

March 25, 2014UncategorizedBill Irwin, kidney donor, Springer Mtnrichardkjudy

Inspiration feeds on itself. Just days after putting out a post about the death of Bill Irwin, one of the most inspiring thru-hikers of all time, I was on Springer Mtn. There, I met a gentleman named Hawkeye. Let me tell you why Hawkeye is 2014’s Bill Irwin award winner. This 67-year-old NOBO was with his girlfriend who — amazingly — is also his kidney donor. Years ago, Hawkeye had a new kidney installed. He has also battled heart disease, but he seems oblivious to these problems. He was hugging his sweetheart goodbye and heading for Katahdin. She’ll support him along the way. Hawkeye is a tough hombre but also a very decent, gentle spirited man. I hugged him and his friend, wishing them well. March 24, I hiked south from Woody Gap and ran into him again. He was in high spirits and ready to tackle the rest of Georgia. God go with you Hawkeye. You’re my favorite hiker this year. Stay vertical and keep walkin’ all the way to the Big K!