I am enclosing links for two articles published by my friends about my Appalachian Trail adventure. Please feel free to review.
First article is published by my friend Shantanu Pandit before I attempted the Appalachian Trail (AT) in April, 2021. We grew up together as neighbors in my hometown Dombivli in Maharashtra, India. He is an avid professional mountaineer, outdoor consultant, trainer, writer and activist who promotes safety. He truly operates in multiple avatars. He has done several expeditions and many other adventures in the Himalayas, including the Kangchenjunga expedition (28,169 ft), the third highest peak in the world. He has been my mentor and the safety trainer. I strongly urge all of you to check out his web site called outdoorpandit.com The link of the article on me is as below:
Second article is published by Leaky Boots recently in June 2022 in the magazine called “The Trek” (Leaky Boots is his trail name) after my AT attempt. I describe him as my tramily (trail family) member and a brother from another continent. We met accidentally in Pennsylvania on my recce trip on the Appalachian Trail, one year before my actual attempt. We walked together for five hours and bonded together since then. His article describes our interaction on AT. For me, keeping up with this 80-year old youthful brother on the trail is an humbling experience. Please enjoy!
Wise people on the long-distance trails warn that every thru hiker faces at least ten challenges or roadblocks on the trail when one wants to quit the trail. Lo and behold, I had my first roadblock even before I began my trail. What the heck! Now, I have even started counting these roadblocks. Here is number one! Woohooo!!
On Monday (March 22, 2021), I felt funny in the throat when I went on a 12-mile practice trail. By the time I came home, it was a full-blown sore throat. I quarantined myself, started using conventional Chloraseptic spray and took a Covid test early next day. While the test was negative, my doctor started a standard antibiotics medication. But then things went downhill quickly. By Thursday, I was consuming a so-called “high-strength” painkiller just to get a quick one-hour window to painfully gulp down water and some soft rice. I had no idea what the xxxx was going on!
Finally, at 2 am on Friday morning, me and Anjali landed in the emergency room. There was too much pus around my right tonsil and I needed a minor surgery! The ENT specialist arrived and gave a painful numbing injection inside my throat, removed the pus, and boom, this pain was gone for good. I have not taken any painkiller since my surgery. New antibiotics have now started for the week, and my trail practice is cancelled for a few days. But most importantly, my original date of second Covid-19 dosage was cancelled and has been rescheduled to Monday (April 5).
In all this drama, unfortunately, my start date of the Appalachian Trail thru hike is postponed by ONE week. Predictions of the wise people about such ephemeral plans have come true.
You are all at the front line of my thru hike saga and are getting dragged into this unnecessary drama. But on every such twist and turn, I am learning something that I never thought was possible, and I want you to know about it please. During this saga, I learnt that the stupid action that we all do inadvertently every 15-20 seconds, called “swallowing”, can be a source of so much happiness… only if one notices it. I would have never noticed it without such an excruciating drama.
There is a Japanese proverb which says that “One should eat with one’s eyes first, then with one’s nose and then with one’s mouth”. I have savored beautiful Sashimi to my eyes content in a traditional restaurant in Tokyo, filled every one of the cells in my brain with an aroma of a fresh coffee in the on-campus coffee house at Ann Arbor, Michigan and sipped my beloved “Katachi Aamti” (tamarind based spicy dal curry from western India) allowing it to linger on my tongue forever. But all these foods eventually had to be swallowed. Along with a sip of water in hot and humid Maine, breathing of fresh air on a sharp climb in white mountains and a bite of hopeless Ramen noodles on a famished stomach, now, this swallowing motion will add to the repertoire of simple, basic actions that give me unbelievable pleasures. Who would have thought of such a possibility?
Thanks to Harish Acharya, Bakul Desai and Jyotsna Vijapurkar for posters in the above video. Thanks a lot to Jyotsna for recording and to Harish for compiling the video. I am grateful to the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay class of 1982 for giving me the opportunity to present my AT plan
The above video does not contain live introduction and Question-Answer session to protect the privacy of the participating individuals. Those questions and answers are listed below in textual form for your review.
Q: (To Dadhi’s family ) How are you feeling about Dadhi’s thru-hike? How did you agree and absorb this project? A: (by Anjali, my wife) Throughout our lives, we have vetted out each other’s risky ideas within the family and walked into such ideas with eyes wide open. Nitin assured me that he will train himself well, he will be safe and he will listen to his body. We pray to the God for his safety. We, as a family, will live in this journey vicariously too. Besides, Aarti (daughter) is joining her dad in the 100-mile wilderness section and Tejas (son) is joining in the southern Maine.
Q: How did you prepare mentally for this journey? A: I initially jumped in without knowing what is mentally involved in such endeavor. But I have relied upon my training from other mountaineering friends over the years. Over time, I have also overcome challenges, such as heart attack or a surprise interaction with the animals on the trail by visually imagining the incidences in my head. The key learning is that I need to think about my potential difficult experiences as an enjoyment rather than as a challenge. I walk through such thoughts consciously in my mind to prepare myself mentally.
Q: When did you think about doing AT, before heart attack or after heart attack? A: It was way after my heart attack. My first year after heart attack went in working hard physically and mentally to overcome various issues, from not being able to stand in the shower to walking extensively on the treadmill, having defibrillator around my chest to freely driving on the road and from trying to block off thoughts such as “why me?” to blocking off heart attack entirely from my mindset. I always wanted to do a long-distance trail. But eventually, after recovering from the heart attack, idea of a thru hike crystalized. It was still a slow process to reach at appoint where it stands today.
Q: Will you carry weapons or pepper spray with you? A: No, I will not. I am not expecting any attack on me. Besides, this is a pilgrimage. I will rely on my intuition to save myself. Besides, if I have weapons, I somehow feel that I will be afraid of “something”. If I do not have weapons, I think I am not going to feel afraid of anything. Of course, I will have my trekking poles with me. Hopefully, their sharp front end can deter animals, if at all required.
Q: Will you join us for the zoom call with friends in this group while you are on the trail? A: Yes, I will definitely be interested in joining such a call.
Q: Will you consume any fruits and vegetables from the forest around the trail? A: There are probably berries and vegetables in the jungle along the trail. But since I do not know about them, I will not eat them. Incidentally, the first woman (Grandma Gatewood) who walked the entire trail at the age of 67 in 1957 used to eat berries along the way.
Q: Will Appalachian Trail Conservatory (ATC) consider yours to be a “through hike”? (despite starting from center, going to the northern terminus, flying back to center, and going to the southern terminus) A: Yes, in fact, ATC encourages this approach, also referred as “Flip flop”.
Q: Will you purify water along the way? If so, how? A: I carry a water filter that filters dirt and even removes bacteria (2 oz) (Sawyer Mini). As a plan B, I also have a few water purifying tablets with me.
Q: How many times will you see your family during the 9 months? A: Anjali and Tejas will see me off at starting point in Waynesboro, VA, Tejas will continue to meet me over the next three weekends (since he stays within the driving distance). Tejas will accompany me in hiking the southern Maine, and Aarti will accompany me in the 100-mile wilderness in central Maine They all meet me at the northern terminus at the Mount Katahdin and then at the southern terminus at the Springer Mountain, where I finish my trail.
Q: Dadhi, do you expect to lose weight while on the trail 🙂 ? A: Average weight loss for thru hikers is approx. 30-35 lbs. Hopefully, I will loose at least 30 lbs. of my weight.
Q: Are you planning on inviting friends to join you on day hikes? A: YES, YES, YES. That is a great opportunity for me to meet as many of you as possible. Please let me know. I can then add you in the WA group, where such hiking will be coordinated by my friend from Detroit. For those of you who want to host me (instead of hiking with me) for an evening, that would be great too.
Q: Will you do regular health checks from physicians? A: My cardiologist suggested that I do not need to do regular health check-ups. However, I plan to check my ECG every day using a watch and do detailed check-up before I leave.
Q: Do the cicadas bite? A: No, Brood-10 cicadas do not bite. They do make a huge noise as mentioned in the above presentation.
Q: What precautions would you take for covid-19 at smaller towns? A: I will be fully vaccinated before I go. Hence, I do not expect any Covid-19 issues. In any case, I will take all precaution as prescribed by ATC (such as mask, social distance etc.) to protect others on the trail and in towns where I replenish my food.
Q: How would you measure success on this trip? A: Extremely important question! In this trip, “Journey” is more important than the “Goal”. The fact that I get to do this itself is a blessing. So, every day on the trail is a success for me.
Q: Will you be travelling alone or in a group?? A: This is a solo trip. I will encounter campers in the evening (on many days) and few hiker friends will accompany me on a few occasions. Some other friends also plan to host me. They will pick me up from the trailhead in the evening and drop me off again at the trailhead next morning.
(Caution: This blog contains a description of heart attack. It can be uncomfortable to some of you)
On the occasion of Thanksgiving in USA. HUGE thanks to the first responders, medical professionals, family, friends and fellow hikers
It was Friday, December 14, 2018. Just another day with a long commute, lots of stale coffee, excel spreadsheets and non-productive meetings. I was eagerly looking forward to the social community event in the evening in a cute, small church in Farmington Hills, a suburb of Detroit. In such events, I transform into an excited, hyperactive child hugging everybody, doing a small talk blabber, laughing out loud at any small excuse, and pigging out on spicy red chili chicken and rice pilaf. Then, I dance and dance and dance. The rhythmic Bollywood music flows through my veins and I simply do not care for respectfully bewildered looks of the spectators watching 60-year old fat boy making quixotic moves. Today was another one of those friendly evenings – at least that was what I thought!
I noticed it almost instantaneously! My breathing became heavier. Shooting pain started right at the heart. I frantically looked around for Anjali (my wife) and found her chatting in the crowd. I almost yelled at her to come outside in the lobby. I collapsed on the bench. Joyous kids were screaming and playing “hide and seek” around me. Their cheerful racket sounded like a faraway TV program in another room. I was engulfed in pain. Somewhere inside my head, I was screaming, “Go home, go home!”. But I just could not get up. AND then they called 911.
I lay flat on the cold, hard floor with eyes closed. I could hear the ambulance siren – that familiar sound of the city. From the corner of my eyes, I saw a flashing red light. They came in, checked my vitals and brought in a stretcher. Even while in pain, my mind was admiring those first responders in uniform. They always look smart exuding confidence in ironed clothes and polished badges. I asked one of them, “How will you lift me on the stretcher?” He smiled with assurance. “It is easy. You will see.” I heard one, two, three, then I floated in the air for a second and landed smoothly on the stretcher. I felt, “Wow, these guys are magicians!”
As the stretcher was veered to the ambulance, I gave thumbs up to the entire lobby full of people as if I am an injured football player heading to the locker room. But unlike the stadium, they did not clap.
It was a weird feeling. There was no anxiety of the future, no thoughts on “what” and “why”, no yearning to live, no anguish of dying. It did not occur to me that I may never see a calm face of my wife or see my kids. Somehow, my mind was focused on the moment in front of me. They were struggling in a moving vehicle to insert the needle in my vein for IV and I was thinking, “how cool it is to get a ride in the ambulance!”
I knew that I was in the operating room when I saw a huge bright light on the ceiling and three or four masked nurses moving around my head. One of them with a shaver asked me, “I will be shaving your body. Any questions?” (I guess this was for ECG sensors!) I told him, “Can you draw a Santa Claus on my chest?” Everybody around me started laughing. One of them said, “It does not feel like you are going through a heart problem.” I told him, “I am just happy that I have a heart.” I love humor. I get a tickle when I see a smile on my friends’ faces. But this was not my regular, giggling, I-am-in-my-elements behavior. It was all subconscious, impromptu, involuntary reaction.
Today, when I look back, I remember one incident that happened just a couple of hours before my father passed away a few years ago. He was struggling with pneumonia at my brother’s place in New Zealand. At the age of 88, his lungs were all destroyed. He was surviving on ventilators and heavy dosage of morphine. He was in pain.
Doctor had just entered his room and examined him. Doctor asked my brother: “Can you please ask your father if he has any questions?” My brother translated the question in Marathi, our mother-tongue from India. My father responded in Marathi, “ह्यांचे वडील येणार आहेत का माझ्या शर्टाची बटणं लावायला?” (“Will his (doctor’s) Dad show up to button up my shirt?”) In that drab ICU, when my brother translated it back in English, both the doctor and my brother started laughing on this dry humor.
My father’s basic, “go-to” emotion was humor. I think those intangible genes were creeping up inadvertently in my chromosomes in the hospital.
Angioplasty continued in the operating room. I had no idea that they do not give full body anesthesia for the angioplasty. I was heavily sedated. But occasionally I could feel the pain in the heart. At one point the pain shot up. I moaned in agony. He said, “Do not worry. It will reduce as soon as I finish putting a balloon in your aorta”. WHAT THE FXXX? Balloon? In where? I had no clue what the fxxx aorta was! I cursed again before going back to sleep.
They knew the medical concept called “Time is muscle!” It means that within 20-25 minutes of the heart attack, a portion of the heart muscle starts dying and that dead tissue never recovers. I was in the operating room at 11:35 pm, the procedure started at 11:47 pm and the stent was inserted at 12:16 am. These angels had descended from heaven to do their job, and they did it with finesse!
Eventually, I was taken to the ICU. Entering ICU was like entering a slot machine room in Bellagio on the Strip in Las Vegas. Lots of blinking lights, lots of flashing numbers and lots of beeping noise. In all that chaos, my warrior wife was standing right in front of me, reassuring me with her smiling face and calm eyes. I had no clue at that time that doctor had just told her to get my kids here from across the continent, and that the next 72 hours were going to be very critical for me. High stake gambling was in progress in a slot machine room called ICU.
Within minutes after my arrival in the ICU, I threw up. I splashed a humongous amount of red, bloody puke all over the bed. It felt like a gory, violent scene from a Tarantino movie. There was a panic and commotion. Within a few seconds, many nurses and doctors gathered in the room. My wife was asked to leave. They were all looking alternatively at me and the monitor. I heard the word “blood” from their whisper. And I smiled. I raised my left arm and said, “Calm down everybody. This is just a red chili chicken.” James, my nurse, picked up a small piece of chicken from the mess and suddenly, there was a sigh of relief. I felt like the captain of the ship. I had magical control over all these people.
James was an amazing nurse. After cleaning up the mess, he started inserting various tubes and kept saying “sorry” for sticking adhesive tape on my hairy body. During the conversation, he told me that in his entire 16 years of career as a nurse, he has not come across anybody hairier than me. Then I told him the story. In my all-male college dorm of geeky engineering students, one day they decided to have the Hairiness Index for every student, like gasoline Octane number. The hairiest dude was assigned a number 100. I was away in the classroom at that time. When I arrived back to the dorm, they were humbled in their incomplete investigation, amazed at a fantastic display of Godly creation on my body and I was assigned the highest number of all, a whopping 110 for my hairiness index. Later James started calling me “Macho.” I asked him what he would call a “Macho” who survived the heart attack. Since then I have become the “Macho Square”.
Next day morning, the doctor came to the ICU.
Doctor: “Mr Anturkar, you went through a lot yesterday. You had a STEMI.”
Me: “What is STEMI?”
Doctor: “Oh, that is “S”, “T” elevated myocardial infarction. Your LAD was 100% blocked.”
Me: “What is LAD?”
Doctor: “Oh sorry for medical words. It is the Left Anterior Descending artery.”
WTF! Did my doctor come from some alien planet speaking alien language? What is infarction? Was that just a spelling error for infraction? What is ST? Why is it not AB or YZ or PQ? What the heck is myocardial? I learnt later that STEMI is nothing but heart attack with 100% blockage of the artery and ST are two specific waves on ECG graph. Some medical reports even describe it as a “widowmaker” event. Over time, I learnt from the Khan academy tutorials some very complex medical terms, such as occlusion, thrombosis and atherosclerosis for some very simple words such as blood clotting, clogging of blood vessels etc. Next day, I asked James, “I long for feculence. Can I wend my way to ablution?” That was my revenge on the medical establishment! Ignoring James’ confused look, I proudly went for a poop.
All this funny banter helped me in my hour-to-hour tactical challenges. I was not allowed to move my right leg for the entire 48 hours. I could not even imagine that my plum, fatty bums can hurt “that” much! Do you remember that crazy balloon in my freaking aorta? They eventually removed that temporary balloon after two days in the ICU. At that time, as a standard procedure, they had to exert the full body weight pressure on my open wound in the groin for 45 minutes, through which they had just removed an unbelievable eight-inch-long balloon. Yes, that is correct. EIGHT-INCH-LONG balloon! Pain was excruciating! I wanted to scream! I was holding my lips tight. Tears were rolling from my eyes with pain. But they had warned me. They had my trust, and these angels did not let me down. When it was all over, I gave them a beaming smile through my teary eyes and anemic face. In those 5 days, I gained a reputation as a “Dancing- guy-in-the-church”, “Macho square”, “cool patient” and so on.
But it was not all hell in the ICU. I had some priceless moments as well. Holding Anjali’s hand was so soothing! It took me to my private bliss far far away from the chaotic slot machine called ICU! Kids, Anjali and I watched the hysterical Bollywood movie “Three Idiots” together, laughing out loud while frantically keeping the ICU door closed to avoid disturbance to others. And there were those small pleasures! First successful and accurate pee in the pee bottle, first sip of the apple juice while lying flat on my back, shifting of my butt just a little in the middle of the night (which was not allowed!), little tickling in the nostrils with a draft from the ventilator, high-five to those rare 2-3 friends that were allowed to come in the ICU, and removal of the IV syringe from my body during the discharge from the hospital. Ahh!
Eventually, I started gaining strength over the next 6 months. I no longer needed to sit down while taking a shower. I gradually increased the duration of my physical rehab. I could get rid of my 24/7 life vest called a defibrillator (that gives an electric shock if my heart stops working). I could start drinking the same old stale coffee in my office. My ejection fraction (amount of blood pumped out by heart compared to its total volume) improved from 30% to 55%.
I could block off any concerns or anxiety about my heart attack. I accepted the fact that “shit happens.” I had no control over this shit. But, of course, all the mental and physical training was not easy. It was a daily grind, a daily challenge, facing the demon every day. They say that medals are not won in the stadiums in the competitions, they are won daily while training in the gymnasiums. I have been winning my medal every day.
Over time, it all started gradually. There was a calling – again and again and again. Those perky warblers, colorful wildflowers, intense thunderstorms, shades of green, lakes, rivers and mountains started calling me. Long time ago in the Himalayas, mighty mountains and roaring rivers had already adopted me as their child. These parents wanted to pamper their “newborn” child in person again. The idea of my long journey to meet them right here in America started taking shape. I decided to traverse the entire Appalachian Trail (AT). But mountains and rivers are tough parents, especially if I am going to stay in their home for a long time. They do not hesitate to give time out to their undisciplined children. They want children to follow all rules, do all chores, share all responsibilities and behave well with others. Then and only then, they would pamper me.
It was a very hard decision for Anjali to agree for my journey. But she loved my dream. She felt that I am destined to pursue this wild dream. She embraced it and the preparation began in earnest. So, how am I preparing for this AT thru hike?
Before the trail:
Block off heart attack as a concern from my mind (100% checked off)
Gradually increase physical stamina over one year (ongoing):
One hour of walk in the first month to 6-7 hours by the ninth month on the trail or on the treadmill
5 lbs. in backpack initially to 25 lbs. by sixth month. (This will be my target backpack weight including food and water)
Daily climb of 1,000 ft in the first month to 2,500 ft by sixth month on the treadmill
Alternate day yoga, core exercises and daily breathing techniques (called “pranayama” in India)
Thumbs up from cardiologist, knee surgeon and primary physician after detailed checkup (Complete)
Practice run on AT to test my gear and stamina for 15 days (Complete)
NOLS wilderness first responder course (Feb’21)
Vipasana mediation training course to prepare my mind (Feb’21)
On the trail:
Safety, safety, safety: That is the single most priority
Go slow, do not allow pulse rate to go up beyond 125 even on sharp climbs
Start from an approximate center point of AT at Harper’s Ferry (HF) in April’21 (near Washington DC), travel to north terminus in Maine, fly back to HF and travel to southern terminus in Georgia. This way, I get sufficient time to reach Maine before it shuts down by end-September.
Minimum three lit water to ensure hydration, never allow yellow tinge in my pee
Daily ECG and peripheral oxygen measurement on the trail using Apple watch
Carry satellite tracker to call first responders, if required
Protect myself from Covid-19 in every possible way
Woohoo, I will be ready for this epic, transformative journey. All stars are now lined up, all gear is purchased, doctors and angels have now blessed me. I am jumping up and down in excitement. I am waiting, waiting, waiting …
One of the most exciting aspects of the Appalachian Trail (AT) for me is to meet as many of you as possible during my travel to AT. So, here is a shameless request from me! Please join me on the trail or host me for an evening! You will either experience some amazing stories along with me on the trail itself, or you can hear them from me at your home! All I need is food, shower, laundry and charging of my battery packs.
The following write-up and the excel attachment will provide all of you the details for your consideration. Of course, the logistics, week-day schedule, family plans, unfortunate flexibility required in my plan, and many other compulsions may prevent you from joining or hosting me.
Most experienced thru-hikers would say that there are three steps in preparing the day-to-day plan for AT.
Step 1: Prepare day-to-day plan in detail,
Step 2: Print a hard copy of this plan,
Step 3: Burn away the plan in the furnace in cold Michigan winter.
The plan takes into consideration slow ramp up and specific slowdowns in White Mountains (New Hampshire) and in southern Maine. Availability of water and shelters/campsites decide the daily distance. Visit to nearby towns are planned every 5-6 days to replenish the food. Occasionally I take “zero” days to take rest during my brutal schedule and stay in the hostels at as many places as possible. It also provides me some idea as to where and when the medication and gear needs to be mailed by Anjali.
While such a plan provides insight into the overall schedule, it does not consider temperamental weather (including familiar hurricane season), sudden injuries, unforeseen delays, and host of other issues that one cannot plan for. Obviously, such a day-to-day plan is very difficult to follow. That is why most experienced hikers recommend burning the plan and hiking one’s own hike.
Guthook app has elevation details, water availability and other milestones of AT. AWOL guide further provides maps of nearby towns. Besides, many blogs (written, audio and video) provide information on ground reality of terrain and other difficulties. I considered all of them in this plan.
In any case, here are few interesting numbers:
Starting date is April 10th, 2021 from Waynesboro, Virginia (Southern tip of the Shenandoah National Park)
189 days to complete this very long trail of 2,193 miles, including 10 “zero” days
402,400 ft vertical climb, with average climb of 2,130 ft/day (This is truly insane!)
There are 36 days with climbs higher than 3,000 ft (equivalent of a climb of Grand Canyon from base to south rim)
There are 6 summits of altitude above 6,000 ft, 32 summits between 5,000 and 6,000 ft and 70 summits between 4,000 ft and 5,000 ft. The trail is routed to go to the top of each of these summits.
The trail is “embellished” with some ridiculous summit names. There are the Beauty Spot, The Priest (hikers confess sins committed on the trail at the base of this summit!), Roller Coaster and multiple President’s mountains
If you are joining me for the section of the trail: Find dates and locations that are approximately convenient to you. You can either be dropped at some intersection or park your car at the trailhead. Walk with me for a few days. There are local shuttle services that can drop you back to your car. Please note:
I recommend that you work on your fitness (especially with a 25 lbs backpack) to enjoy the trail. While column D (Distance) and column G (Climb, ft) in the excel attachment will provide you the extent of hiking every day, these numbers are partially adjustable for your and my fitness level.
Unless you are very fit or have done previous hiking, I recommend you NOT to join me in New Hampshire or southern Maine.
I will have space for one additional person in my tent and can loan my extra backpack. However, you will need all other gear. I assure you that you will continue to use this gear in future!!
Please contact me (248-635-9443 or nitin.anturkar@gmail.com) and/or Prashant Javkar (pjavkar@yahoo.com) for further discussion. Prashant will coordinate your plan during my travel.
If you are planning to host me: Two small cautions, please. Since I will not have a car (duhhh!), I need to be picked up from the close-by trail head and dropped back early in the morning on next day. I also may have a strong sweaty smell that will go away only after my shower. Please contact me (248-635-9443 or nitin.anturkar@gmail.com) and/or Subodh Ghonge/Aparna Patankar (ghonge@gmail.com) if you plan to host me.
To all of you, I can only say BIG THANK YOU just even for considering to be part of this plan!
Stay tuned for funny stories on my day-to-day plan preparation! That will be on some other day!
– Nitin (Dadhi) Anturkar (December, 2020)
View AT Plan Day by Day here in excel sheet. Please convey your interest in comments.
I had not seen a single soul in the last two days in these mountains, not on the trail, not at the campsites, and not even on local side trails. When I landed in the Allentown Mountain shelter, I was ready for another one of those meditational, self-exploring experiences. This was a brand-new shelter. Absence of chips in the wooden floor, neatly kept shovel and broom, and perfectly hung instructions on the wall in this shelter were reminding me of OCD person’s living room. Now, this neat living room would be my home for one night.
Dusk does come early in this dense jungle. It was not long before I had to start my routine evening chores. Change into equally smelling dry clothes, get water from some far away trickling stream, make hopelessly boring mashed potatoes from dehydrated powder, and then set up my sleep system (outfitters’ fancy name for the mat and sleeping bag!) in the shelter. I suddenly remembered my snake-fearing wife’s wisdom from 700 miles away in Michigan. She wanted me to set up my free-standing tent inside the shelter to keep me warm, away from snakes and away from any COVID-19 virus. I kept thinking, “Really? Is that what she wanted?”
And just when I started setting up the tent as an obedient husband, Chairman showed up at the shelter at 6:30 pm and startled me. He looked exactly like all other thru hikers. Long beard, dusty shirt, short pants, muddy shoes, classic posture of a person with a backpack and trekking poles, and very distinct sparkling eyes despite a long and hard 16-mile day in this rocky northern Pennsylvania. He declared that Sorrel and Porcupine will be arriving at the shelter as well.
In a conventional ordinary world, it takes a few days for the conversation with a stranger to go beyond pleasantries. On the trail, it takes 30 seconds to become a trail family, a tramily. Even before he removed his backpack, I already knew that his girlfriend had a stint at the University of Michigan Medical School, he worked for three years in my hometown, he has only 114 miles to go to complete the thru hike, lost 60 lbs. on the trail and his trail name Chairman was given to him because he carried a chair on the trail for first 200 miles.
Porcupine, Sorrel and Chairman have been traveling together for the last few days. Sorrel loves to add sorrel in her meals and is a Jazz singer, songwriter and composer based in New York city, originally from Maine. She is looking forward to meeting her mom in the next few days and plans to take a zero day (rest day) with her before completing the trail 500 miles away. Porcupine is a vegan from Ohio, who meditates and practices breathing techniques like a devout yogi. He loves Indian food, especially in Hindu temples. When I mentioned to him about my vegetarian wife, he promptly persuaded me to give up dairy products and meat. I told him that I have eaten grasshopper, crocodile and deer tail, and certainly want to explore a few more animals before turning vegan. His shocked face convinced me that he no longer considers me a Hindu.
However, Porcupine’s daily routine of meditation is not necessary to have a spiritual journey on the trail. Check out this casual dialogue among four of us while we were wrapped in our sleeping bags in the night.
Porcupine: What do you do, Dadhi?
Dadhi (that is me!): I recently retired from General Motors purchasing. Do you know how big these freaking companies are? We purchase $100 Billion worth of parts every year.
Porcupine: ohhh, I wish I had 100 Billion dollars.
Chairman responded instantaneously: If I have that much money, I will do PCT (another long-distance trail called Pacific Crest Trail on the west coast of USA) next year!
Sorrel: I will just vanish in the woods!
Somehow, I have a weird feeling that every thru hiker will have a similar response. All the preaching by monks, gurus, rabbis, and priests would probably never achieve such a simple ascetic mindset!
I spent my first week with my buddies from Detroit on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in Virginia. After completing Dragon Tooth, the team had landed at Catawba Shelter and were ready to chill. Moses showed up late in the evening at the shelter, just like the sudden appearance of Chairman. Moses did look like ancient character coming alive out of some Rembrandt or Michael Angelo painting with his sharp nose and triangular narrow beard. He was bored of his routine IT job in New York City and had decided to do half of AT along with his four friends from Virginia Tech. He had just finished 25 miles and was very tired.
Dadhi: What the fxxx? How did you manage to do 25 miles in one day?
Moses: I can describe it in two words, LSD and coffee.
Dragon Boy (my Indian buddy from Detroit): What is LSD?
We all started laughing. We did not want to spoil Dragon Boy’s innocence. Almost immediately, we came to know that Moses is also a vegan, did not want to bypass the 40-mile section of the trail unlike his four friends, and decided to walk and catch up in two days with them. When we all were sharing our food with each other, he told us that earlier he used to share what he had in plenty. The trail has given him a gift, a change in attitude, to start sharing his precious and scarce things. A life-long, beautiful gift, indeed!
As we continued our chatting, I realized that sometimes, the spiritual journey on the trail also destroys one’s ego. In this case, it was my ego, my pride that I am doing something special by attempting AT with a stent in my heart from the previous heart attack. When I mentioned my condition to Moses, he admired me. But then quietly commented about his friend on AT, who has lost 3/4th of his lungs. For non-hikers, my past health condition may be “inspirational”, “brave”, “little-too-much”, “unnecessary”, “Hara-kiri” and many other things. But on the trail, all the adjectives melt away.
I had just finished a sharp climb and was resting on a wooden log. Carrying 25 lbs. backpack on a 190 lbs. fat body was not easy. While I was huffing and puffing on the wooden log, another person showed up following the same climb. He appeared cheerful and was ready to continue. He said, “Hey, I am Leaky Boots. Can you please help me in applying ointment on my back? Some nasty bee may have stung me.” I, of course, obliged while visualizing a bee getting stuck in my hairy back before even attempting to sting me.
Dadhi and Leaky Boots
Leaky Boots started searching for the ointment in his small bag among a few small Snicker bars, a bandage, a couple of paper napkins and the rosary. He proudly held the rosary in his hand and said, “I carry my rosary, because I am a Catholic”. I also showed him a small red cloth in my pocket. I told him that my father gave it to me 10-12 years ago. It contains few leaves of Durva (a type of Bermuda grass usually found in India and is used in worshipping the Elephant God). My father’s faith was that it would protect me in difficult situations.
After applying the ointment, we continued our chatting. I could not believe that Leaky Boots was freaking 78 years old dude. “No way!”, I exclaimed while bowing to him. His energy, smile, chirpy demeanor, and positive attitude were mind blowing. He used to be the outfitter himself but eventually became a student counselor, his dream job. We walked for five hours together, discussing his students, his long-distance dating with a Japanese woman, today’s media, hiking gear and many other random things. I told him about my children, our family, where I come from, my parents and my writings. He was really looking forward to a surprise meeting with his grandchildren on the trail, secretly arranged by his daughter. When I told him about my daughter’s name, he said, he knows at least three Aartis as a counselor and all of them were very smart. “One of them even went to MIT!” I stopped in my tracks. I told him, “OMG, even my Aarti went to MIT!”
It was a funny small world, amazing coincidences, and uncanny bonding of brothers from two different mothers from two different continents!
Meals were getting ready! All of us had standard kitchenware. A tiny stove, small gas cylinder, a spork and 700-800 ml container. That is it! One boils water in a couple of minutes, adds packet full of dehydrated powder of some ready-made meal, and boom! You got your dinner! No need for a cooking range, a casserole, designer cutlery, cutting boards, umpteen number of containers and an entire room full of unnecessary stuff!
Tim and Tammy sat with all of us around this oddly constructed picnic table. Tim prayed and thanked God for the food on the table. We all said “amen!” and we started sharing food with each other. We thanked Tim when he said, “Do you know something? For me, faith is the anchor”. That sentence from my fellow Michigander, whom I met just one hour ago in the middle of the Virginia jungle on AT is stuck in my head! Yes, faith can be in any religion, faith can be in nature, in science, in oneself, in your parents, in teachers, in your friends. Faith can be in anything. But faith matters! It provides the anchor in your life! Makes our life meaningful, happy, enjoyable and desirable!
I have faith in my tramily! In just 12 days on the trail, I learnt so much from them, heard their mesmerizing stories, shared their goodwill and purity of hearts! I cannot thank them enough for enriching my life. And I already know that my tramily members will be growing leaps and bounds next year during my thru hike! I just cannot wait to hit the trail!
I bow to mine and Anjali’s parents, my teachers, amazing friends like Balya (Vasant Vasant Limaye), Chopper (Vasudev Gharpure), Mandy (Mukund Karwe) and Raju (Rajendra Bhat). With their blessings, I have inaugurated my journey right on the Appalachian Trail by traditional coconut breaking ceremony. Their teachings of positivity, discipline, skills, determination, self-motivation and safety will all be tested to the limits. Support and blessings from my family and all friends are with me. I am requesting your blessings from the bottom of my heart (My journey will start in April’21)
माझ्या आणि अंजलीच्या आई-वडिलांना, माझ्या सर्व शिक्षकांना आणि बाळ्या (वसंत वसंत लिमये), चॉपर (वासुदेव घारपुरे), मॅन्डी (मुकुंद कर्वे) आणि राजू (राजेंद्र भट) ह्यासारख्या गुरुवर्य मित्रांना नमस्कार करून Appalachian Trail (AT) चा नारळ अगदी trail वर जाऊनच फोडला आहे. त्यांनी आयुष्यभर शिकवलेली शिस्त, सकारात्मता, कौशल्य, दृढनिश्चय आणि स्वतःची सुरक्षा हे सगळं सगळं पणाला लावणार आहे. माझे सगळे कुटुंबीय आणि तुम्ही सगळे मित्र पाठीशी आहातच. पण तुमच्या आशीर्वादाची सुद्धा खूप खूप याचना! (माझा प्रवास एप्रिल’२१ मध्ये सुरु होईल)
I spent my last week on the Appalachian Trail alone in Northern Pennsylvania, also affectionately (?) called Rocksylvania. It involves miles and miles of boulders and is littered with nothing but the rocks. My objective was to get reasonable exposure to this fourth toughest section of the trail.
I was successful in completing the plan. There were two cold, rainy days. Night temperature stayed at 35-40F throughout this week. I was very very tired all the time and my progress through the trail was very slow. As expected, I lost the trail on a few occasions in the piles of boulders but did not see any snakes or bear. Here are few interesting learnings from this section of the trail:
After reaching the camp site after a long day, it is an effort to get water from a 500 ft. deep gorge climbing down half a mile. One quickly learns to save water by swallowing gargled water after brushing teeth and drinking rinsed water after cleaning the pot after the meal
You will be surprised to know the amount of tissue paper one needs to wipe your you-know-what. As per the math, if there are 1,850 sections in a roll of tissue paper, you will not require a new roll for at least 1,850 days on the trail.
All known muscles hurt all the time. And then some new unknown muscles show up abruptly and hurt as well. Suddenly, a very painful hot boil on my fat butt became just an irritation in all these other hurts.
Try hard not to take a photo wearing a down jacket of a colorful bug crawling near your stove. After quietly melting the outer layer of the jacket, it has a potential to make a fluffy rooster out of an ordinary bearded human being like me. Never mind that the patchwork of duct tape on the expensive jacket becomes a talk of the trail.
One can sleep like a log from 7 pm to 7 am. There is no concept such as “too much sleep”. In any case, in this jungle, even if your eyes are open, you feel like you are part of a black hole.
Those fancy, humongous, stable-looking 5-ton boulders practice their meditation most of the times. But when you step on them, they suddenly become Karate teachers and move around so that you get the same balancing exercise that Karate Kid got from Mr. Miyagi
Do not drink water after 5 pm. If you must go half asleep in the pitch-dark night, there is approx. 45% probability that you will pee on your own shoes
Reducing weight in the backpack should be the single point agenda at the start of the trail. Reduce the length of the toothbrush, do not carry nail-cutter, no soap, no hand sanitizer, no deodorizer, no Selfie-stick, no extra clothes, no nothing, if possible. Leave your super hygienic body with sandalwood aroma back home
But the real story of my two-week practice run is meeting my amazing hosts and friends. I visited my cousin in Virginia and my college mates and their families in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. They fed me amazing food with the same affection they have for their children, they listened to my stories with curiosity, and they shared their happiness and day-to-day challenges. Spouses “burst the bubbles” of my so-called smart college mates with such funny stories that I could not stop laughing. Thank you for making me part of your family! I had a blast!
I also had an exciting time with many hikers that I met at camp sites and on the trail. I will write separately about their out-of-the-world stories.
I do not think that I ever mentioned to you about why I have disconnected myself from all of you on WhatsApp groups and emails. I have a practical problem. On the trail, I have limited battery power (due to battery weight). I need to use that power to navigate using my cell, check my pulse and ECG using the watch, and to send my whereabouts to my family using the satellite tracker. I will connect with all of you soon. Meanwhile note that when my trail starts in April 2021, I will be disconnected for more than seven months. May I still request you at that time to send me your encouragement and other messages please (even when you know that I may not respond!)?
This is going to be one of the toughest blogs for me to write. Last week, I had a divine experience. It was beyond normal sensory perceptions, beyond words, beyond dreams, beyond imagination, beyond conventional logic of the left-brain and feelings of the right-brain. It is a challenge to frame such experience within the boundaries of the words, give it a name, paint it with any brush or any color, visualize it with any vivid lines, or remember it with any smells.
In any case, let me try to write.
I must have been on this trail at least 30-40 times this summer in Pinckney Recreation Area in South-East Michigan as a part of my 2021 Appalachian Trail (AT) thru-hike training. This has been my own 7-8 hours of personal time in nature. I do not connect to the cell phone or carry a watch. I do not take any photos. I do not even listen to the music. In all these repeated hikes, it has been my body, my soul, and my mind in tune with nature. There is no interference from the world, no disturbance of modern life. It is pure, everyday bliss!
I just let my mind wander off in whatever thoughts that come to my mind. It could be mundane, crazy, or weird current affairs in the world, kids, ripe avocado from grocery store, boring story that I wrote few weeks ago, schoolmates, my father’s death from few years ago, stupid jokes on social media, COVID-19 and everything else under the sun. Of course, the mind travels very fast from one random topic to another in rapid succession, and “I” helplessly can only watch this flashy movie as a weird, third person.
But invariably, every five minutes my mind comes back to the magic show of the nature around me. Thick forest with many shades of green still provides the canvas on which wildflowers with equally magical names bloom. Flashy yellow Black-Eyed Susan tries to coexist with delicate, white Daisy Fleabane. Suddenly, a bunch of bright and purple Rosy Strife flowers or quick squirrels rushing off on forest beds covered with dry leaves startle me to my senses. Dry, brownish spread of pine needles on the dusty trail creates a dark impression on my mind. That rare, mild breeze is only felt as a rustling at the top of the trees. Occasionally, a drop of sweat rolling on the tip of my nose reminds me of my clothes drenched in sweat. Gnats keep circling in front of my eyeballs. Buzzing of mosquitoes near my ears reminds me of an out-of-tune singer from the first round of “American Idol”. With rhythmic tapping of my trekking poles, I keep feeling like a baby in my mother’s womb.
In the last three months of this summer, however, forest has quietly changed. Hectic chaos of springtime regeneration is now slowing down. Bright plumage of birds is turning dull. I rarely see the yellow lightning flash of American Goldfinch or yellow warblers now in July. Shrill Blue Jays do not pierce the silence of the forest. I still eagerly look forward to those wooden bridges overlooking the lakes. But the water lilies floating on the lakes have slowly disappeared, along with the memories of similar looking lotuses found in India, my country of birth.
This was what living, breathing, pulsating trail felt like for me on this Friday as well. My usual walk continued until I reached my favorite wooden bridge of the Crooked Lake after about two hours. I took a deep breath, inhaled that open air on the lake, rested my hands on the railings and let my body loosen up. But it was a different day. The Great Blue Heron was standing still at its regular spot in the lake. Water had absolutely no ripples. For once, Tufted Titmouse were not singing their usual “Peter, Peter” call on top of their voices. There was absolutely no breeze whatsoever. My deep breathing was my only constant companion. And suddenly I felt it.
I felt that quiet emptiness. Complete lack of any senses. A zero, a void space, a total absence of thoughts. A space between the left and the right brain. My eyes were wide open. But that tapestry of the lake and its surroundings was non-existent. Everything was very quiet. This must have lasted only for a couple of minutes. But that feeling of emptiness was overwhelming. Tears were rolling on my bearded cheeks. But I sensed neither sorrow nor happiness. I had no idea what it was!
And then I felt confused. I even felt slightly embarrassed with my tears. I was overwhelmed. The whole incidence probably felt like a total BS. But this experience of nothing was real. Did I have a moment of low blood pressure? Well, I was very alert through this time. Was I fatigued? Certainly not, as I walked comfortably for five more hours after crossing the bridge. Was I dehydrated? I drank like a camel just half an hour before arriving at the lake. This was certainly a different experience. I came home, said nothing to Anjali (my wife) and remained confused and perplexed. It was a restless sleep on Friday night.
And then …. the world conspired to help me to understand my experience of emptiness.
First, on Saturday morning, I saw a social media forward from my friend. He sent a story from the recent memoir of Sanford (Sandy) Greenburg, college roommate of Art Garfunkel. These roommates made a vow that they will help each other in need, and unfortunately, within four months of taking a vow, Sandy suddenly became blind. The story was about how Garfunkel lifted Sandy “out of the grave”. Sandy later became a very successful businessman. The memoir said that the “darkness” felt by Garfunkel through his closest roommate’s blindness is the poignant opening line of the famous song “Sound of Silence”. And in the next few minutes, I was hearing Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence” for the first time in my life.
I had never heard of this iconic, one of the most famous American songs. I must be a culturally starved moron. In India, I had never heard of even one English song before going to college. In fact, I barely passed my English exam in tenth grade. I knew my mother tongue Marathi well. But I was still catching up with my pathetic English in college by barely reading Children’s books by Enid Blyton. And then for next 35 years, I was pursuing education in science, raising family, making a living, and chasing a stupid corporate career.
But today, I was lucky. I did not know the melancholy of the song, did not know the so-called message of extreme capitalism and consumerism. The song for me was about the sound of silence, about people’s inability to communicate experiences of extreme experiences – emptiness of nature beyond beauty that became my universe for those fleeting couple of minutes. In the middle of chaotic planet earth, I had found the ultimate experience, the emptiness, through the Sound of Silence.
Then in the afternoon, in a weekly discourse on Hindu scripture Bhagavad-Gita (in old Sanskrit language) and on one of its finest interpretations, Dnyaneshwari (in Marathi language), Datta was explaining Chapter 11, in which Lord Krishna visually demonstrates the entire universe to his warrior disciple Arjuna on the battleground to inspire him to fight the war with evil relatives and friends. Arjuna could not comprehend the complex universe. That universe had billions of galaxies, infinite oceans and unlimited space filled with silence. It was beyond Arjuna’s imagination, beyond recognition of his senses.
तेंव्हा मनासी मनपण न स्फुरे! बुद्धी आपणपें न सांवरे! इंद्रियांचे रश्मी माघारे! हृदयवरी भरले!!११:१९१!! (Arjun’s mind could not operate, his intellect became unbalanced, and senses withdrew (11:191) )
Scared Arjuna then told Lord Krishna to bring back that tangible, simple, easy-to-understand imagery of the universe that he (Arjuna) could relate to. While Datta was explaining this drama, it suddenly dawned upon me. In those two minutes on the lake, was I experiencing the intangible “feel” of the not-so-easy-to-understand aspect of nature? Did I slip into the emptiness of silence from my day-to-day tangible experiences of dazzling forest with hundreds of green shades, chirping Wood Peewees, yellow Meadow Parsnip flowers, and dry leaves on the forest floor? Who knows?
I was not so sure. Principles, philosophies, and scriptures of any religion continue to raise the conventional alarm of a skeptic in me. My ego of scientific and academic training still interferes with my surrender to such thoughts. Millions of Hindus learn Gita. Do they experience such extraordinary emptiness, even for a few seconds? I was not convinced. I was still not sure about what happened to me on the lake.
So, I guess, the world was also not done with helping me out. That Saturday evening, I received an internet link from my friend Mandar to a 90-minute interview of Mahesh Elkunchwar, Marathi playwright and writer from central India. Elkunchwar talked about many topics, such as the origin of the words as explained in ancient Indian thought processes, four layers of expressions, and various types of experiences. He explained that one should go beyond all knowledge, myriad books, and multitudes of religions, and start living the life. Most of the time, in such living, we only recognize our senses through the outer layers of expressions. But one may reach that elusive inner most layer of experience beyond expression through sustained, sensitive living. Then one can “feel” the enormous ocean of silence beyond human knowledge. It has no color or shape. It is live, it is smart. Surrendering to such silence is the ultimate truth.
Holy cow! Is that what I went through in those two minutes? Did nature touch my inner-most layer of expression? Does this kind of weird epiphany happen to others? From three completely independent incidences, I guess, it may have been. Will anybody understand such coincidences? Well, Anjali, my wife and soulmate, understood. A couple of my close friends understood.
The world did conspire to help me to understand my experience of emptiness. Not sure how far it succeeded.
Friends, I am not a creative fellow like Paul Simon or Art Garfunkel. I am not a nature philosopher like Henry David Thoreau. I am not a spiritual guru or swami or evangelist or a rabbi, or a priest. What the heck, I do not even have a defined faith as of now. But I love nature. I have a complete faith in nature, I believe in nature and I can be one with nature. When Anjali asked me about why I want to hike the entire Appalachian Trail in one go by myself, I had told her that I want to “submit” to the nature and natural forces on a sustained basis. Is this a glimpse of what to expect on AT?
Is there any other thru hiker, who felt what I felt in those repeated, sustained hikes in Michigan?
Nitin (Dadhi) Anturkar, August 4, 2020
(I would like to thank Ghonge and Parameshwaran for their help in identifying birds, Datta for amazing weekly discourses, and Mandar for sending me Mahesh Elkunchwar interview in Marathi language)
Announcement 1: March 3, 2020 was my last day in General Motors (GM). I refuse to say that I am retiring. But certainly, I am not joining any other company. Leaving GM at the age of 60 is a giant leap of faith. Thanks to Anjali (my wife), I depend on the health insurance from her employer until the age of 65, when government insurance will begin. It was a fantastic journey with GM, truly a great employer.
Announcement 2: I will be traversing the entire 2,192 miles (3,527 km) Appalachian Trail (AT) by myself starting in April-2021. This trail through mountains and jungles spans 14 states from Georgia to Maine on the east coast of USA. It will take me grueling 7 months to complete this journey. I will carry all my gear and food in my backpack weighing approx. 30 lbs. (15 kg). The numbers are daunting. Every day, I will burn as much as 4,000 Cal walking 8+ hours on the trail. Trekkers lose on an average 30-45 lb. on AT climbing 98 vertical miles during the traverse. This is a fricking mental and physical endurance test, day in and day out in rain or shine (or snow). To prepare for such an insane task, I have developed a severe daily physical regimen. Besides, I plan to do several treks in the USA, India, and New Zealand (totaling 84 days) before the actual trail. I will also do an 8-day Wilderness First Responder course organized by NOLS.
As Alex Honnold (check out Oscar winning documentary “Free Solo”) says, we should not confuse risks with consequences. So, let me highlight some of the risks and associated consequences of traversing AT:
Low risk, high consequences: Another heart attack (yes, I already had one in Dec-2018)
Low risk, medium consequences: Pain in fully replaced metal left knee, bears, snakes and other animals, flooding, hailstorms, hurricanes, lightning strikes etc.
Medium risk, medium consequences: Long list of diseases, including Lyme disease due to tick bites
This is a very very difficult decision for Anjali to support me in this endeavor. I have promised her that safety will be my highest priority and I will work very hard during my preparation to minimize the risks. I owe her big time! Really, really, big time!
I went on a 20 kms walking pilgrimage recently in Mumbai from Cuffe Parade to Babulnath (temple) to Mahalaxmi (temple) to Haji Ali (mosque) to Siddhi Vinayak (temple) in Mumbai, all of which are well-known iconic places of worship in Mumbai. But I also need your blessings desperately so that I can prep myself well. It would be awesome if you could join me for a few days on the trail (Tejas and Aarti are joining separately for one week each), or at least feed me when I am closer to your home near AT. I am willing to deviate to nearby or distant motorable roads for overnight hot showers and hot food. In return, I will share some crazy stories.
Woooohooo! the biggest challenge of my life begins NOW. Stay tuned for a regular Marathi and English blog.
