MAR 17 Jeff Hits the Trail
MAR 18 All Is Clear
MAR 19 Boots Gone Already
MAR 20 Snowstorm On The Way
MAR 21: How Many Thru Hikers Can You Fit in One Cabin
MAR 22: Rabbit Through Mashed Potatoes
MAR 23: Tarheel on the Trail
Jeff ran into former UNC Tarheel basketball player Serge Zwicker on the trail today. And his first journal entries arrived. No pictures yet until they get developed this weekend, but read about his latest adventures here! (Thanks to our Mom for typing all of this in from Jeff's hand-written trail notes!)
MAR 25: First Photos Are Here
More of Jeff's journal entries arrived (for days 3-5, including the blizzard) and the first photos of Jeff and Chip (I should say "Rabbit" and "Creeper") also arrived today. Thanks to our parents for typing, shipping, and developing photos!
MAR 27: Made Up For Lost Time:
In true Rabbit fashion, he's made up for lost time from the blizzard--and crossed the 10 day and 100 mile marks. See Jeff's journal entries and the first photos of Rabbit and Creeper. Thanks to our parents for typing, shipping, and developing photos!
MAR 29: Two Days Ahead in Wesser, NC
Jeff called from Wesser, NC, where they get to rest & eat real food for the weekend since they are 2 days ahead. Read about hitching, the old lady, the sheriff, the groupie, and booze in his latest journal. Roughing it--yeah, right! What a life!
MAR 30: Romantic Weekend in Wesser
Paula has gone for their anniversary to Wesser. Read about hitching, the old lady, the sheriff, the groupie, and booze here. Or about a size 19 shoe in Jeff's latest entry!
MAR 31: Still Waiting in Wesser
Jeff and Paula are seeing the sights of Wesser. Sure, he's not been hiking much for a couple of days, but realize they hiked 21 miles in one day to create this little vacation! Read about the soggy welcome to North Carolina in Jeff's latest entry!
APR 1: No foolin--Rabbit is on the Move
Jeff and Chip are leaving civilization after a much-earned weekend rest and are on the trail again. Read about the "high point" of their trip so far in Jeff's latest entry! And stay tuned for more photos later today!
APR 1: One More Day of Rest (update from Jeff's voice mail)
Voice mail from Jeff says they will rest one more day to let Creeper's tendonitis wane, and to let the new snow they got last night melt. Meanwhile, read about the "high point" of their trip so far in Jeff's latest entry! Stay tuned for more photos later today!
APR 1: No Foolin--LOTS of New Photos (3rd update today!)
Voice mail from Jeff says they will rest one more day to let Creeper's tendonitis wane and for the snow they got last night to melt. See the latest batch of photos including Serge and the snow! Read about the "high point" of their trip so far in Jeff's latest entry!
APR 4: Rabbiting Along Alone
Jeff is on the trail alone for now, as Chip recovers from tendonitis and rejoins Jeff later. Good healing Chip! See the latest batch of photos including Serge and the snow! Read about the a cold start to the morning in Jeff's latest entry!
APR 8: Halfway Thru the Smokies
Jeff is meeting up with Ashley's parents to stay in Knoxville for a night of real rest. Still waiting to see if Chip will meet up with him there. Jeff crossed the 200 mile mark and the website has had more than 1000 hits! See the latest batch of photos & read the new journal entry!
APR 9: Back on Track
After resting his foot a few days at the NOC, Chip got a ride to catch up with Jeff and meet Ashley's parents at Newfound Gap. Despite lacking town clothes from mail-delayed bump boxes, the hikers enjoyed the wedding reception for a family friend of Jane & Pat before leaving civilization again.
APR 12: Neither Rain nor Sleet nor...
Seems to be some slowdown with items mailed from a certain P.O. Jeff's bump box missed him in Knoxville, and we're still waiting for journal entries and film. Later journals have already arrived, so we've posted the next entry we have (4/4). Be sure to check back later for April 1-3.
APR 16: Easter Rabbit Sighted in Hot Springs
Witnesses including Jeff's parents and Pat & Jane (who drove over the late-arriving bump box) confirm that a certain Rabbit hopped off the trail on Easter at Hot Springs, NC. But this one seems to consume more eggs than he leaves behind! Still no sign of April 1-3 journals or film, but check back.
APR 17: Old News is Good News
No new live contact from Jeff, but four of his journal entries have finally found their way home! Thanks to Jennie for typing up 3/31, 4/1, 4/2 and 4/3 so quickly. Accompanying film will be developed and new photos posted soon, so check back.
APR 19: Pounding Out the Miles
With Creeper's departure from the trail on Easter Day, Rabbit seems determined to keep lonliness at bay by staying busy. He just completed a 20-mile day and doesn't show signs of slowing. For those of us doing less exercise, new pictures are here!
APR 25: Last Links to Home
Jeff celebrated his 4/20 birthday with Paula and his parents last weekend in Erwin, TN. This coming weekend his scout troop will meet him for a few days on the trail. After that, Creeper will be hiking on his own for quite awhile!
MAY 1: Welcome to May and Virginia!
We've been a little behind here, even as Jeff continues to be a little ahead of schedule! (He should be entering Virginia today!) But at least we've just posted seven new journal entries covering Rabbit's Easter celebration and his goodbye to Creeper. So go to the journal to see new entries starting with Day 24 to Day 30.
MAY 2: Rabbit Kills Bear With One Hand!
Okay, not really. Just seeing if you were paying attention. We got email from Jeff: "Hello from Damascus, VA!!! Arrived last night after hiking 26.3 miles yesterday. Saw my first bear as I was finishing dinner last night at the Abingdon shelter in TN. He smelled food and came within 50 yards of the shelter with his nose in the air." See new entries starting with Day 24 to Day 30.
MAY 6: Fire, Ice, and Cheeseburgers
Another email from Rabbit says he did 22 miles Thursday and 24 miles on Friday to have extra weekend time with Paula. They are bike riding near Damascus, VA and filling Rabbit with as many cheeseburgers as possible. I just posted seven new journal entries, Day 31 to Day 37, including the stories of the second snowstorm, Rabbit's 39th birthday adventures, and putting out a forest fire with Hip!
MAY 10: Over 25% Off!
Last Sunday marked Jeff's completion of the first quarter of the AT somewhere on the trail in Virginia. Wow! That Rabbit is really hopping! Read all about his adventures along the way in the newest journal entries from April 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th.
MAY 13: Moving On After Mom's Day
Rabbit should be hitting the bunny trail again today after a weekend "rest" with his parents and wife. Read about the barefoot sisters, the F-16, the bear, and those dangerous wild ponies in nine new journal entries starting with April 27th. The latest photos are up, too!
MAY 16: One Third the Way to Maine!!!
Rabbit crossed the 1/3rd mark in number of days (59 out of 177 total days), which, in our book, is an accomplishment in and of itself. Especially considering we get tired walking up two flights of stairs at work, and he has done more than 650 miles! Read about the barefoot sisters, the F-16, the bear, and those dangerous wild ponies in nine new journal entries starting with April 27th. The latest photos are up, too!
MAY 21: Maine Minus One Third
Now anyway you measure it, Rabbit has 1/3 of his journey behind him. Last week he passed the mark in terms of days, and as of today he's marked off 1/3 of the miles. When's the last time you walked 728 miles?
MAY 29: Back on Track and New Email Address
Sorry for the long silence on the site. We "upgraded" to Microsoft Windows 2000 and had a whole heap of problems. Meanwhile, Rabbit has been trekking on and journaling on. Catch up on 3 more journals here & photos over the next couple of days. Please note that JeffTrek email has changed to jefftrek@hotmail.com since Homestead email service is ending. The website address will remain the same!
MAY 30: New Photos, New Journals
We've posted 8 new journals and 2 new photo sets. These will be the last updates for the next 8 days since we will be on vacation, but we'll catch up when we return. Jeff has survived wild turkeys, vicious ponies, thirsty goats, and copperhead snakes, and keeps on trekking! JeffTrek email has changed to jefftrek@hotmail.com since Homestead email service is ending. The website address will remain the same!
JUNE 9: Jeff Crosses 1000 Mile Mark!!!
While we were on vacation, Jeff entered West Virginia and crossed the 1000 mile mark ahead of schedule! His location is parallel to Washington, DC, which is a LONG way from Georgia! Congratulations, Rabbit! Read about Bigfoot, a copperhead, and Dragon's Tooth in 9 new journal entries just posted!
JUNE 11: Rabbit Hops Into Maryland
More than 1000 miles later, Jeff is now in Maryland. Read about his latest bear encounter, the Trail Days Festival, and much more since we've posted 19 new journal entries starting with May 17 through June 4. Also check out the 50 new photos from batch 8 through batch 11! Happy reading and viewing. Don't forget to send Jeff an email about you, especially as more of his trail friends are quitting the journey.
JUNE 15: Halftime in PA
In both days and miles, Jeff is already halfway through his AT adventure. After entering Pennsylvania, he celebrated by eating a half gallon of ice cream! Read about other recent exploits for June 5 through June 11. No new photos at the moment, but be sure you've seen the ones from batch 8 through batch 11. Don't forget to send Jeff an email about you, especially as more of his trail friends are quitting the journey.
JUNE 23: Surprise!
Thanks to some serious road-tripping by Jim & Jennie, Rabbit took a few zero-mile days and made it home this weekend to surprise his wife for her birthday. Jeff showed up at Paula's office with a bouquet of roses and an ear-to-ear smile just for her! Check out new journals from June 12, 13, and 14. And feel free to send Jeff email.
JULY 2: Back on Track
After a four-day visit home to celebrate the birthday of Paula, a.k.a. Red Pepper, our Rabbit is back on the trail and has left Pennsylvania behind him. Check out his latest journals from June 15 - June 27 and a bunch of new pictures!! And take a moment to send Jeff email with some words of encouragement. It's getting tough out there.
JULY 11: Culture Shock
In honor of Independence Day, Rabbit and some friends decided to revisit civiliztion and make their way to Long Island for a real bed and some real fun. Changing trains in Manhatten was a bit of culture shock for guys come straight from the mountain. Read about this adventure and others in Jeff's latest journals from June 28 - July 4 and see the latest pictures.
JULY 20: Massive Jefftrek Update
As far as we know, Rabbit is well ahead of schedule so is taking a side trip to Boston with Phantom for some serious food feasting this weekend. He is more than 2/3rd of the way through this journey--somewhere in Vermont by now!!! Check out these latest ten journal entries from July 5th to July 14th! And there are about 50 new photos posted from batch13a to batch14b!!!
AUGUST 3: Killing-a-ton
Rabbit called earlier this week from the top of Killington Mountain, VT. Apparently the gondala operators take pity on the poor AT hikers who struggle up the 3000+ ft. climb. Those who hike up get a free ride down to the base for some R&R then ride back to the top again. A few new journal entries from July 15, July 16 and July 17 are here and more to come soon.
AUGUST 7: Quick fix
Rabbit is piling on the miles, and we at Jefftrek are piling up the journals. To get them out to you sooner than later, we're posting several more today without updating all the other notes and links. Read the latest from July 18 - July 21, and stay tuned for more journals and some great new photos soon to come!
AUGUST 10: Ten journals on the 10th
Did you think Jeff fell off a cliff? Or that we had given up on Jefftrek? Not to worry--we've been unable to update due to all the virus scares. But good news--Jeff's virus is over (once he got some antibiotics...or ate enough Guinness Stew to kill all the germs!). And he's hopping down the bunny trail in New Hampshire, his next to last state, with just 30 days and 350 miles to go. Read about his Stratton shock, his latest food fest with the Fab 4, and his moose encounter in the latest 10 journals from July 22 to July 31. And see the latest photos.
AUGUST 14: Meet the Heat in 8 New Journals
Well, it seems Jeff is having as much trouble writing these journals as we are posting them. As the months drag on, we're both finding it hard to keep up. We knew there would be lots of ups-and-downs on this journey, both physical and psychological. Right now the Hampshire ups are making lots of downs. As Rabbit, Phantom, and the rest of the Fab 4 face the heat, they could use some encouragement--so send them an email! And read about their conquering of Mt. Moosilauke and other adventures in 8 new entries from Aug 1 to Aug 8.
AUGUST 18: More than 5000 hits and 70 Photos!
Today, Rabbit and the Fab Four should be entering their final state: Maine. About 3 weeks and less than 300 rugged miles to go. In celebration of the Maine arrival (and our 5000th hit to the Jefftrek website), we're putting up a flood of new photos. There are six new batches from "Mass Fun" to "Peak Experiences in NH" with more than 70 new pix!! We've posted all the journals and photos we've got--things are taking longer to get here because Rabbit is in such a remote part of the trail. So keep checkin' the Jefftrekin'!
AUGUST 22: Presidential Power & 5 New Entries
My parents heard from Jeff tonight--he is in Andover, Maine with only 255 miles to go. The landscape there is rugged, but beautiful. We just got 5 more journal entries that are now posted, starting with Aug 9 through Aug 13. So read about the 100-degree Hampshire heat, walking in the clouds, sardine sleeping, torturing leeches, and what true presidential power really means.
AUGUST 25: Fab Five & Five New Journals
Priceless joined up with Rabbit and the Fab Four, so now there are five. And we've just posted five new journals, from Aug 14th to Aug 18th, that finish out the New Hampshire part of the journal journey. So read about the spruce goose, chocolate milk and sardines for breakfast, and an alphabet soup of steep peaks to climb, And hear about a surprise visit from the Preacher, who was last seen back in Hot Springs, NC. A symbolic moment for us webmasters today, too: we turned over Jeff's itinerary to the very last page today. He's in the middle of Maine, and near the end of his JeffTrek.
AUGUST 27: 2000 Miles & 36 New Photos!!!
Today Jeff and his fellow-thru hikers (at least the purists, anyway) crossed the 2000 mile mark! I don't know about you, but if I saw a road sign while driving, I'd be depressed to see 2000 miles I had to drive. So I can't imagine hiking all that way. But now they only have about 155 miles to the end-point at Katahdin in Maine. We've just posted about three dozen new photos in batches 19, 20, and 21, so click over to see some great pix of the Mt. Washington area. The latest journals put up a few days ago are from Aug 14th to Aug 18th.
SEPT 2: Monson Men & New Stuff
The Fab Five are deep in the woods of Maine with only about 10 days to go. They should be nearing the last trail town and mail stop in Monson, Maine as you read this. Hopefully this town will be a little more friendly than the town of Stratton, which proved to be a ridiculous adventure Rabbit hopes to never repeat (but I won't give away the story and will wait for the journal entry). Meanwhile, we've posted six new journals from Aug 19th to Aug 24th which carries the story into Maine. And I put up about a dozen new photos here. Enjoy, and stay tuned for the story of Stratton which should arrive in a few days!
SEPT 10: Stratton Sandal Scandal is HERE!!!
Well, we've got quite an update for you today with 9 new journal entries from Aug 25th to Sept 2. And also about 30 new photos starting with batch23a. But by far the most exciting thing to read is Rabbit's longest journal so far with the complete story of how he was accused of breaking into a restaurant in Stratton, Maine. Read about the whole Sandal Scandal here, and make sure to see the great photos of crime scene evidence! Meanwhile, the Fab Five have only about 50 miles left to their AT journey from Georgia to Maine. Rabbit expects to finish with Mount Katahdin on Wed or Thurs. Stay tuned for the latest on their journey's grand conclusion.
SEPT 11: Jeff finished AT trek!
Today's events are hardly the way any of us expected Jeff's journey on the AT to end, but today at about noon, Jeff successfully continued his 2168 trek from Georgia to Maine, He is doing fine, and spending the night with Creeper and others in a town in Maine. Of course, they are mixed with emotions of joy for finishing but also of tragedy for today's events around the country. Next step is to figure out how to get home from Maine. Send him an email here to congratulate him on his journey--and to take your mind off the awful headlines coming across the TV. Much peace and love to you all. (See what the site looked like on the day he finished by clicking here.)
SEPT 16: Read Some GOOD News!!!
I need a rest from all the bad news, so I've turned my attention back to JeffTrek. Jeff (a.k.a. "Rabbit") finished the trail only hours after the Sept 11th attacks on the U.S. and he has returned safely home to Charlotte. Jeff, Creeper, and several other thru-hikers rented a car in Maine and dropped each other off in different home cities along the east coast. All are doing fine--other than facing a mix of celebratory and sad emotions with finishing the trail on such an awful day in American history. Today I posted six new journals from Sept 3 to Sept 8. Read about the Fab Five's first glimpse of Katahdin, the AYCE breakfasts, and the return of the heat and bugs! Stay tuned in the coming week for the final 3 journals, photos, and some changes to the site.
SEPT 29: Final 3 Journals Posted!
Sorry for the long delay, but alas, the final three journals for Sept 9th, Sept 10th, and Sept 11th are finally here. Later tonight or tomorrow, I will post all of the final photos from the end of the trip. So stay tuned!
SEPT 30: Photo Finish--60 new ones!!!
Now you get to see evidence that Rabbit and the Fab Five actually finished the whole 2168 mile journey. Check out the 60 new photos from batch 24 to the final summit photos in batch 27b. And if you haven't read them already, check out the final three journals for Sept 9th, Sept 10th, and Sept 11th. In the next 10 days or so, we will be reorganizing things here at JeffTrek a bit, including putting up some photo highlights from the journey. And stay tuned for Jeff's final thoughts, whenever he gets them written up. The hike may be over, but the website will stay active for quite a while.
