u/ShadyZelkova

I’m looking at an early to mid June start next year. I’m on the fence between having what I feel like is a more ideal hiking experience vs having a better social experience.

Going north from Pawling beginning in June allows me lots of time on trail before hitting New Hampshire. You also get to approach Katahdin from the south, and you get to savor Maine a bit more, what with not cruising through it right out of the gate. Then, you turn around and get to ride fall all the way down the mid-atlantic. I think that’s my ideal version of experiencing the trail itself.

But there’s also a part of me that wonders if I wouldn’t be missing out socially. Sure, you get to hang with the NOBOs for a bit, then flip and the SOBOs catch up with you. But do you really get in tight with people if you don’t share those early days? I feel like in both cases I’d be like a kid who moved to the new school halfway through junior year—all the bonds are already made and you’re just the new guy.

Edit: I’m also curious about the aspect of coming off trail to get on a plane for the flip. I’m wondering if anybody found that jarring?

Am I overthinking it? Can you guys share some experiences?

It seems like anytime someone evens up with the curb and throws their car into reverse, three or four guys see it happening outside their window and rush down because they think their services are needed.

I just watched a lady, who by the time I showed up was already nice and cozy to the curb with plenty of space between her and the car in front of her and behind her--like she literally could have just thrown the car in park at any time--get micromanaged by two dudes giving conflicting instructions for no reason at all. One guy was behind her, just brainlessly giving the "keep coming" hand motion, while the guy in front was like "turn the wheel this way... no no no, turn the wheel that way!". But like, the lady was parked. She was there. She could have just turned off the engine and got out.

Why does that happen so much here?

I just walked down 110th and saw numerous, well I don't know how to say it politely, but numerous drug addicts. They yelled at eachother and threw trash on the ground and the whole place reeked of marijuana cigarettes. Its dirty and loud and the streets are covered with people who just don't look like good people.

What's worse--did you know there are big beautiful condos on 110th? People pay extra to sit on their balcony and look over Central Park, pretending to be ignorant of the fact that 50 ft beneath them there are a bunch of junkies? How do you raise a kid in a place like this??

I just ran a reaction to Tosylate Bis Hydroxy Peg 2000. Reaction took place in Dichloromethane. After the reaction, excess TsCl was washed using NH4Cl. Aqueous impurities were removed via separatory funnel. Solvent was blown off using nitrogen until we were left with a crude amber oil which we believe to be our target substance. the problem is, we’re having trouble recrystallizing. We added a small amount of DCM to resolvate, then used Et2O to precipitate. The best we were able to achieve was a momentary crystallization when the solution was in an ice bath, but the crystals immediately oiled out once removed from the ice bath. How do I get stable crystals 😭