Date: Fri 16-Aug-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

Appalachian-Trail-women

Full Text:

WOMEN ON THE TRAIL OF FRIENDSHIP, FUN, AND PHYSICAL CHALLENGE

B Y A NDREA Z IMMERMANN

Sunday, June 21: We started our ascent of Bromley Mt - 3,200 feet straight up

- at 8:25. It was a backbreaking, grueling climb on a muddy weed covered

trail. Thoughts of why we were doing this, entered a few minds...

Four women, all in their forties and each carrying packs weighing 35 to 45

pounds, struck out for a week on a 50-mile hike through the rugged paths of

the Appalachian Trail in Vermont. This was their second year making such a

sojourn, a time they had greatly anticipated during the intervening 12 months.

"It's just so great - testing your body to the maximum all day, having fun

with friends, being away from the family, being way out there," said Brigid

Demand of Sandy Hook. "Away from traffic, fences, newspapers..."

The first trip was the inspiration of Brigid and her longtime friend Laurie

Phillips, a former resident of Sandy Hook who now lives in Barrington, Ill.

Each of them brought along a friend - Pam Kochuba from Newtown, and Jane

Hansen from Illinois - and a tradition was born.

"We just had this crazy idea that we were going to do something physically

challenging. And cheap," said Laurie. "Something happens after the age of 40.

I never enjoyed the company of women before; now it's really special. What I

enjoyed the most [about the trip] was the self-discovery. We got some great

benefits out of it: learning about yourself, sharing ideas and feelings with

women your age that are in similar lives, and for me, finding out I was a lot

stronger than I thought I was. I came back thinking, `If I can do this, I can

do anything.'"

Enjoyed bunches of wild flowers growing in great profusion along the trail.

Reached the summit of Bromley at 10:00 to views of Stratton Mt to the west and

Mt Snow to the east.

"I very much enjoy being outdoors. I don't miss any opportunity to hike, or

canoe, or camp," said Jane, who is also knowledgeable about wildflowers. "As

we hiked through the forest there was not much in the way of undergrowth.

[But, in one spot] there were lush ferns. The light filtered through the pine

trees... It was very peaceful."

Brigid found the lakes to be particularly beautiful and enjoyed swimming in

them at night. "[One day] Pam and I hiked up this gorge. It was so beautiful,

like in Robinhood," said Brigid. "There was a waterfall and we took showers -

nobody can see you. No soap, of course. We were nature women...We were out

there with no restrictions. [We could] do stuff you wouldn't do at PTA

meetings, in your other life as a parent."

"That's not `me,' either," said Pam, who volunteered to keep the journal of

the trip this year. "You get out there and inhibitions take a back seat. It

was spectacular. You could see different levels of waterfalls with platforms

under each - like a shower. You could stand behind and look out from behind

the waterfall."

The first day, the group hiked 11 miles, the second day 10 miles, and the

third day 8 miles. They changed plans at that point because Jane had developed

terrible blisters from wearing new boots, and stayed with friends and went

day-hiking in Quichee, Vt.

"The mud made a big difference," said Brigid. "Last year, Pam could take her

boots off and hike in sneakers. This year, we were sucking along mud in the

trail with a 35 to 40 lb pack. But they got lighter every day because we were

eating. Were we eating!"

Usually calorie watchers, the women delighted in being able to eat M&Ms and

Dove bars and know they would work it off the next day. They ate oatmeal,

fruit and snacks, peanut butter and bagels, and dehydrated food including

their favorite pasta primavera. The consensus was thumbs down to the

freeze-dried desserts, however.

"You get really tuned in to your body," said Brigid. "You don't eat because

it's noon, you eat because you're tired and hungry."

The hikers range in height from 5'4" to 5'11" and in weight from 120 to 150

lbs, so the provisions and equipment were distributed accordingly. "We looked

like bag ladies with stuff strapped all over our packs," said Brigid. The two

golden retrievers that accompanied the group, Watson, 8, and Rebecca, 4, also

wore packs, she said.

"You're carrying everything from food to bed to medical supplies," said Pam.

"Knowing that we couldn't stop on the trip, that we had to do a certain amount

of miles each day - that was kind of a fun challenge."

The dogs toted dry dog food and the campers' garbage. "You have to pack

everything out - even toilet paper and wrappers. It's called, `No Impact

Camping,'" said Brigid. They purified the water they consumed, and were

directed to use a specific location away from the river at which to spit their

toothpaste after brushing their teeth. "And if there's a puddle in the middle

of the trail, you're supposed to go through it, not step off the trail."

They camped in two two-man tents; Watson joined them in one tent while Rebecca

stayed outside "leaning against the tent."

Monday, June 22: Stopped for blister treatment on Jane's heels - used Back

Packer Magazine's suggestion of duct tape and Bandaids to cover the blisters.

Had a scary 1/10-mile scramble up a rock trail to Baker's peak. Our packs made

us top heavy and felt like we could be thrown off balance over cliff.

"There was no whining - you just can't have it," said Brigid. "You have to

relax, be flexible, and get along with people. Nothing went as planned on the

trip."

The friends are similar in that they are about the same age, and all have

children. But they are also very different. Brigid is a nurse, Pam a dog

breeder, Jane is a student, and Laurie is getting reading to re-enter the

workforce after a five year hiatus. "I think it's because we're different that

we get along," said Pam. "Different personalities mesh together well. We just

happen to hit on it."

Hikers on the Appalachian Trail usually adopt a trail name, one they introduce

themselves by and use in signing the shelter registers. Their chosen names

indicate their individuality: Jane Hot Mama, Pam Pacemaker (she set the pace),

Brigid Mother Load (she carried more than her allotment), and Laurie Wild

Thing ("because I have the most vulgar sense of humor").

"One of the things that stood out was how good our temperament was," said Pam.

"There are mosquitoes and sweat just rolling off your body and the packs are

very, very heavy. We were covering a mile an hour."

Tuesday, June 23: Rain threatens but holds off. Met a large group of well

groomed older ladies out for a day hike just outside of Greenwall shelter.

They assured us Route 140 was only 1.9 miles away - we are beat.

The foursome met interesting people along the trail, including many women and

some thru-hikers. "I was amazed at the [thru-hikers'] ability to go out and be

on the trail for that long and be self sufficient; to be away from a town for

weeks at a time and then go in for supplies. And the strength, too," said Pam.

After struggling to reach one peak, the group encountered a 72-year-old man

who had just "waltzed up there." The only thing that allowed them to save face

was the fact that the man was carrying a day pack, said Laurie.

As a result of their backpacking trip, the women said they were surprised to

discover just how strong they really were - physically and mentally. "I was

feeling kind of disconnected when I started the trip, but I felt empowered by

the third day and that stayed with me the rest of the time," said Laurie. "Any

woman should try to do this for herself - it's a very important thing. To do

with daughters. To work in a group and challenge ourselves to do something

different."

"This day and age there are not too many physical challenges in our life,"

said Jane. "I'm not helpless. I like to push myself to see how far I can go,

how much I can do."

"What I learned was independence - that you can take care of yourself," said

Brigid. "You get used to having things you can depend on - like flipping on a

light switch...I burned my hand and held a bottle of cold water in it all

night. It's amazing how resourceful we can be if we need to; how strong women

are."

Traveling in a group and having the dogs along allowed the women to feel

fairly safe. Watson, who was congenial on the trail, would "woof" if someone

approached the women's campsite. At night, the dogs also kept wildlife at bay.

The hikers saw claw marks on a tree, but no bear, and just one snake during

their 30-mile journey.

Brigid said if you succumb to fears, you can cripple yourself. "After you've

taught teenagers to drive, it just doesn't seem like that much of a threat!"

she said.

"I love this," said Brigid, who is already planning next year's adventure. "I

love to ski - but this was, like, wow! Why haven't I done this before? This

was invented for me."