July 16 Mile 1126
Feet, feet, feet! Hurt, hurt, hurt. Trying all I can do to get the right cushioning.
Plus very hot today- about 95, and we are very low in elevation, hiking across the Cumberland Valley. Very different hiking today- flat! Hiking along side cornfields and hay fields and crossing two interstate hiways- 76 and 81. Making great time due to the nice terrain, but hot in the sun. Luckily, they have us at the edge of fields in the shade. At one point we hiked in the woods and up over a huge rock and boulder pile. I thought, " what is this, the leftovers of some construction project?" Turns out it is the northern tip of the Blue Ridge Mtns. Out of the South for sure.
We bought some sandwiches in Boiling Springs to have for lunch, and it was a good thing. We were told that in crossing some of the highways today we would have some food opportunities.
No such luck. Only saw trucking companies. Don't believe all you hear out here.
Stopped to eat our lunch and cool off at the Scott Farm Work Center. I was afraid it was a place where they would make us work! But it a volunteer center for the trail. Nice spot to rest in the shade with a picnic table. Got there about 1 pm and decided to linger due to the heat. Had some trail magic, a sister of a thru hiker gave us ice cold Brisk tea. Terrific! Then a little later a local trail angel, Hooptime, brought us big slushies! Fantastic!
We have met the nicest people in Pennsylvania! They have been so generous to us. It's been a great state so far.
And then a cooling rain began to fall. Relaxed til about 5, then headed out to our camp spot up the ridge to the Darlington Shelter. Worked on my feet and they felt better on the hike out. A 14 mile day, but done very civilized and relaxed. The way the trail should be. Had Ravioli in a can heated over the fire. Chef Boy- r- Dee never tasted so good!
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Saturday, July 17, 2010
July 15 Mile 1112
Started out today near Fry Shelter and left the area cared for by the Potomac AT Club. Really going to miss those guys. They do a super job.
Moved pretty slowly this morning. Warm, humid day. Near 90 and at low elevatons. Like hiking back home in mid- summer. Very sticky. Hiked up and down about 5 little ridges. Cisco called it the "baby rollercoaster". Then there were huge boulders to climb over. Kinda fun and getting us into practice for New England. The streams in Penn are quite beautiful and very clear. They all have sandy bottoms, perhaps alot of sandstone here? Certainly, lots of granite.
Around noon had some nice trail magic. A day hiker named Lisa gave us peaches, 7-Up, and water. It may seem strange to regular folks who have a car and the ability to go buy stuff at will, but for us this simple kindness is priceless. Hiking this trail gives you a very different view of the world and people.
Stopped for a lunch of ramen noodles around 2:00, swore we would never eat these again. Need a better lunch item- we have gotten tired of everything we try for lunch. Vienna sausage, summer sausage, hard cheese, noodles, - it all has gotten very old. Still sticking with peanut butter, but three more months of that may be impossible.
Relatively short hiking day-12.5 miles-probably a good thing cause we were kinda pokey today and my foot- actually both feet were aching- I need an orthopedic foot doctor out here! There must be a solution to my foot padding issues. I just can't seem to get it right. All else is good- knees, ankles, legs; I finally have the endurance to do 20 mile days, but I am still struggling with this foot aching stuff. I cant seem to get the right supports or boots or something! Argh!
Today, we are going to town! Boiling Springs, Pa. Wanted to go a little further, but no camping allowed. Why is that? After lunch we found out, came off the ridge and down into the Cumberland Valley. No longer in the woods- now hiking between farms! Cornfields and soybeans. So all private property along the trail for the next 14 miles or so.
Very pretty country, though, and FLAT. And hot this afternoon. Hiked about a mile this way, crossed a pretty stream and we are in Boiling Springs. First guy we see says, " I thru hiked in 1995, here is my cooler, take whatever you want." Gatorade! And Reese's chocolate.
Went to the AT office here and found there is man in town, real close by, who will let us tent camp in his yard for a dollar donation. He's home and we are set. Down the street is a restaurant and convenience store and coffee shop. Fantastic and such a nice, picturesque town. In the south it's all strip mall towns, here it's real towns. Very nice.
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Started out today near Fry Shelter and left the area cared for by the Potomac AT Club. Really going to miss those guys. They do a super job.
Moved pretty slowly this morning. Warm, humid day. Near 90 and at low elevatons. Like hiking back home in mid- summer. Very sticky. Hiked up and down about 5 little ridges. Cisco called it the "baby rollercoaster". Then there were huge boulders to climb over. Kinda fun and getting us into practice for New England. The streams in Penn are quite beautiful and very clear. They all have sandy bottoms, perhaps alot of sandstone here? Certainly, lots of granite.
Around noon had some nice trail magic. A day hiker named Lisa gave us peaches, 7-Up, and water. It may seem strange to regular folks who have a car and the ability to go buy stuff at will, but for us this simple kindness is priceless. Hiking this trail gives you a very different view of the world and people.
Stopped for a lunch of ramen noodles around 2:00, swore we would never eat these again. Need a better lunch item- we have gotten tired of everything we try for lunch. Vienna sausage, summer sausage, hard cheese, noodles, - it all has gotten very old. Still sticking with peanut butter, but three more months of that may be impossible.
Relatively short hiking day-12.5 miles-probably a good thing cause we were kinda pokey today and my foot- actually both feet were aching- I need an orthopedic foot doctor out here! There must be a solution to my foot padding issues. I just can't seem to get it right. All else is good- knees, ankles, legs; I finally have the endurance to do 20 mile days, but I am still struggling with this foot aching stuff. I cant seem to get the right supports or boots or something! Argh!
Today, we are going to town! Boiling Springs, Pa. Wanted to go a little further, but no camping allowed. Why is that? After lunch we found out, came off the ridge and down into the Cumberland Valley. No longer in the woods- now hiking between farms! Cornfields and soybeans. So all private property along the trail for the next 14 miles or so.
Very pretty country, though, and FLAT. And hot this afternoon. Hiked about a mile this way, crossed a pretty stream and we are in Boiling Springs. First guy we see says, " I thru hiked in 1995, here is my cooler, take whatever you want." Gatorade! And Reese's chocolate.
Went to the AT office here and found there is man in town, real close by, who will let us tent camp in his yard for a dollar donation. He's home and we are set. Down the street is a restaurant and convenience store and coffee shop. Fantastic and such a nice, picturesque town. In the south it's all strip mall towns, here it's real towns. Very nice.
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July 14 Mile 1100
We crossed the line today. The Halfway Line, that is. Halfway to Mt Katahdin. This year it's mile 1089. Seems strange to have come so far. We have now gone half the miles in half the time available. Now we start going downhill.
Last night the rain poured down and did not stop until we got up. In fact
we stayed in our tents until we felt it was letting up- around 7:00am, late for us to get up. It rained so much and so hard that water leaked through the bottom of my tent. One of the worst things out here is a rain like this one where everything you carry gets wet. All you can do is pack it all up and hope for a sunny day later so you can take out everything and let it dry in the sun.
And the extra water probably adds two pounds to our packs!
As we hiked today we met a hiker named Germ from Atl. She was section hiking south and gave me some helpful tips on balancing my pack. For awhile today we hiked on beautiful pea gravel trails. I'm not sure who put them here, but they are terrific.
I must say it again, the Potomac AT Club has wonderful shelters here. They even have toilet paper in some of the privies, or outhouses near the shelter. Some parts of the TN trail didn't even have outhouses. ( no TN jokes, please) Supposedly they did not want to take away from our "wilderness experience". Having people fend for themselves and seeing toilet paper festooning the hillsides creates a whole knew experience for those coming after.
Got to Pine Grove Forge park in the afternoon. It was once a big forge and now all the building are part of the park. Cool old stone buildings. Have an AT museum here. Will have to catch it later, as it closed right after we arrived and we had more pressing business like going to the General store, getting our second lunch and drying out everything in our packs.
Here they have the "Half gallon challenge"- eat s half gallon of ice cream as fast as you can to set a record. Some hikers today did it in about a minute and a half! I just ate a pint, very slowly, to savor it!
Hiked on at 5:00, hoping to find a campsite. No luck for about 7 miles til we got near Fry shelter. Found a spot near dark- put up tents-.ate in the dark-tried something new to eat- Progresso Beef Stew- not bad, but heavy. Have to eat it the first day out. bought it at the camp store. Now gone 86 miles in 5 days- making up for Harpers Ferry!
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We crossed the line today. The Halfway Line, that is. Halfway to Mt Katahdin. This year it's mile 1089. Seems strange to have come so far. We have now gone half the miles in half the time available. Now we start going downhill.
Last night the rain poured down and did not stop until we got up. In fact
we stayed in our tents until we felt it was letting up- around 7:00am, late for us to get up. It rained so much and so hard that water leaked through the bottom of my tent. One of the worst things out here is a rain like this one where everything you carry gets wet. All you can do is pack it all up and hope for a sunny day later so you can take out everything and let it dry in the sun.
And the extra water probably adds two pounds to our packs!
As we hiked today we met a hiker named Germ from Atl. She was section hiking south and gave me some helpful tips on balancing my pack. For awhile today we hiked on beautiful pea gravel trails. I'm not sure who put them here, but they are terrific.
I must say it again, the Potomac AT Club has wonderful shelters here. They even have toilet paper in some of the privies, or outhouses near the shelter. Some parts of the TN trail didn't even have outhouses. ( no TN jokes, please) Supposedly they did not want to take away from our "wilderness experience". Having people fend for themselves and seeing toilet paper festooning the hillsides creates a whole knew experience for those coming after.
Got to Pine Grove Forge park in the afternoon. It was once a big forge and now all the building are part of the park. Cool old stone buildings. Have an AT museum here. Will have to catch it later, as it closed right after we arrived and we had more pressing business like going to the General store, getting our second lunch and drying out everything in our packs.
Here they have the "Half gallon challenge"- eat s half gallon of ice cream as fast as you can to set a record. Some hikers today did it in about a minute and a half! I just ate a pint, very slowly, to savor it!
Hiked on at 5:00, hoping to find a campsite. No luck for about 7 miles til we got near Fry shelter. Found a spot near dark- put up tents-.ate in the dark-tried something new to eat- Progresso Beef Stew- not bad, but heavy. Have to eat it the first day out. bought it at the camp store. Now gone 86 miles in 5 days- making up for Harpers Ferry!
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July 13 Mile 1080
Rained a bunch last night, but all stopped by morning. Stayed dry in our tents. Got up feeling much better after a good dinner and trail magic last night.
Good thing we tent camped away from
the shelter. After we went to bed a large group of 12 year old hikers descended on the shelters. It's summertime and groups are out hiking and camping, but us thru hikers don't mix well with normal people. We have our own hours and habits. Anyway, they didn't bother us.
Had a 17.5 mile day planned to get to a specific water and camping spot. Up a 1000 foot ridge to start the day and lots of rocks to hike thru. Excited cause at lunchtime we would be hiking thru Caledonia State Park, there is a pool there, water, bathrooms, and a Concession Stand!!! Got there at 1:00 PM and I looked across the field and saw a pool. But the concession stand didn't look very busy. Horror of horrors!! The pool was closed today for maintenance! And so was the concession stand! And no vending machines. We were dumbstruck. Back to eating peanut butter and honey on a totillas shell. And water. While sitting there we saw a huge ice cream delivery truck pull up to make a delivery to the concession stand building. We were inconsolable.
But life and hiking goes on. Had a tough climb after lunch to do another 8 miles for the day, and the light lunch probably made it easier on us, or at least we rationalized it that way.
Hiked thru beautiful mountain laurel and rhodendron thickets- hadn't seem them in quite a while. Also the trail was lined with blueberry bushes. Cisco tried one- " how was it" I asked. "Small" he replied.
Today, Cisco mentioned that the further along we go, the crazier the hike seems. Both of us see things very differently than we did before. And we are in all this new territory now. I asked him if he was still ok with the hike, and he said " absolutely, " and then wistfully remarked, "the woods are our home now."
We sat down a bit later after a long afternoon of hiking thru the green tunnel and listened to the birds and stared off into the woods. So often, you are so busy hiking you don't notice the forest. I remarked, it's too bad we can't just stop early every day and take all this in- but we are trying like everyone else out here to make Maine, so we all have to do the miles. Slower is certainly better.
Got to our camping spot and found terrific spring water at about 6:00 PM. Made very good time today for the 17 miles we did. Camped near a Potomac AT Club cabin.
The weather was threatening, so we got our tents up right away, and made dinner. Cisco even made blueberry muffins! My appetite is definately back!
Just like last night, the rain was very accomodating, waiting for us to finish dinner, clean up, hang the food bags and then, just as we got into our tents, the heavy rain began to fall.
The woods are our home!
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Rained a bunch last night, but all stopped by morning. Stayed dry in our tents. Got up feeling much better after a good dinner and trail magic last night.
Good thing we tent camped away from
the shelter. After we went to bed a large group of 12 year old hikers descended on the shelters. It's summertime and groups are out hiking and camping, but us thru hikers don't mix well with normal people. We have our own hours and habits. Anyway, they didn't bother us.
Had a 17.5 mile day planned to get to a specific water and camping spot. Up a 1000 foot ridge to start the day and lots of rocks to hike thru. Excited cause at lunchtime we would be hiking thru Caledonia State Park, there is a pool there, water, bathrooms, and a Concession Stand!!! Got there at 1:00 PM and I looked across the field and saw a pool. But the concession stand didn't look very busy. Horror of horrors!! The pool was closed today for maintenance! And so was the concession stand! And no vending machines. We were dumbstruck. Back to eating peanut butter and honey on a totillas shell. And water. While sitting there we saw a huge ice cream delivery truck pull up to make a delivery to the concession stand building. We were inconsolable.
But life and hiking goes on. Had a tough climb after lunch to do another 8 miles for the day, and the light lunch probably made it easier on us, or at least we rationalized it that way.
Hiked thru beautiful mountain laurel and rhodendron thickets- hadn't seem them in quite a while. Also the trail was lined with blueberry bushes. Cisco tried one- " how was it" I asked. "Small" he replied.
Today, Cisco mentioned that the further along we go, the crazier the hike seems. Both of us see things very differently than we did before. And we are in all this new territory now. I asked him if he was still ok with the hike, and he said " absolutely, " and then wistfully remarked, "the woods are our home now."
We sat down a bit later after a long afternoon of hiking thru the green tunnel and listened to the birds and stared off into the woods. So often, you are so busy hiking you don't notice the forest. I remarked, it's too bad we can't just stop early every day and take all this in- but we are trying like everyone else out here to make Maine, so we all have to do the miles. Slower is certainly better.
Got to our camping spot and found terrific spring water at about 6:00 PM. Made very good time today for the 17 miles we did. Camped near a Potomac AT Club cabin.
The weather was threatening, so we got our tents up right away, and made dinner. Cisco even made blueberry muffins! My appetite is definately back!
Just like last night, the rain was very accomodating, waiting for us to finish dinner, clean up, hang the food bags and then, just as we got into our tents, the heavy rain began to fall.
The woods are our home!
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July 12 Mile 1063
We're in Penn! We're in the South, real or sort of, no more! Maryland was a tough little state. When you drive over you think, "what a nice serene countryside" . The trees hide the rocks and boulders you have to climb over. As I was picking my way through all of them I looked outside of the trail and all was leaves. I guess they raked up the rocks just for the trail. One thing I saw today was rather sad. When you hike in wilderness or remote areas, people with spray paint seldom venture there. Now we are hiking in near suburbia. Went past a beautiful rock formation today that had received a paint job and a lot of personal notations. Don't see that much, thank goodness.
My illness seemed to still be in charge of me as we started this morning. Just didn't feel myself. Luckily, we had lesser hills to climb today. Just want to get my appetite back and my energy. These bugs take about a week for me to bounce back
But, today was a hiker's dream. Beatiful weather, not too warm. Hiked off by eight after a very cool night's sleep. As I mentioned, over rocks, but then after about 7 miles reached Pen-Mar Park. What an oasis! Beatiful county park that back in the day had a big hotel and all sorts of activities. Today it's a very nice park and nice to hikers. Drink machines, bathrooms with water fountains, and pizza delivery! Had pizza and salad for lunch and took the leftovers for dinner. Even had a place to plug in my cell phone for a bit. Beautiful view of the valley below. We stayed there for two hours and relaxed and enjoyed the place. Left there and two tenths of a mile later we were in Pennsylvania! Hiking wise Penn so far in the first 8 miles is a lot like Maryland. Rocks and ridges and lots of trees. But they have the nicest parks to hike through and get potable water, which is in very short supply around here. Hiked til about 6 PM and reached Tumbling Run Shelter area . Run by the Potomac AT Club. They have a big area they cover -about 240 miles. They have a terrific camping area here, which we jumped right on and then one of the local caretakers came by and gave us apples and cokes! It was fantastic. Rain was threatening, so we got our tents up quickly and made our dinner, including the pizza. As soon as we were done, the rain began to fall, perfect timing. Into our dry cozy tents and going to sleep with the rainfall outside to lullaby us. Ah, what a life.
A great hiking day.
We're in Penn! We're in the South, real or sort of, no more! Maryland was a tough little state. When you drive over you think, "what a nice serene countryside" . The trees hide the rocks and boulders you have to climb over. As I was picking my way through all of them I looked outside of the trail and all was leaves. I guess they raked up the rocks just for the trail. One thing I saw today was rather sad. When you hike in wilderness or remote areas, people with spray paint seldom venture there. Now we are hiking in near suburbia. Went past a beautiful rock formation today that had received a paint job and a lot of personal notations. Don't see that much, thank goodness.
My illness seemed to still be in charge of me as we started this morning. Just didn't feel myself. Luckily, we had lesser hills to climb today. Just want to get my appetite back and my energy. These bugs take about a week for me to bounce back
But, today was a hiker's dream. Beatiful weather, not too warm. Hiked off by eight after a very cool night's sleep. As I mentioned, over rocks, but then after about 7 miles reached Pen-Mar Park. What an oasis! Beatiful county park that back in the day had a big hotel and all sorts of activities. Today it's a very nice park and nice to hikers. Drink machines, bathrooms with water fountains, and pizza delivery! Had pizza and salad for lunch and took the leftovers for dinner. Even had a place to plug in my cell phone for a bit. Beautiful view of the valley below. We stayed there for two hours and relaxed and enjoyed the place. Left there and two tenths of a mile later we were in Pennsylvania! Hiking wise Penn so far in the first 8 miles is a lot like Maryland. Rocks and ridges and lots of trees. But they have the nicest parks to hike through and get potable water, which is in very short supply around here. Hiked til about 6 PM and reached Tumbling Run Shelter area . Run by the Potomac AT Club. They have a big area they cover -about 240 miles. They have a terrific camping area here, which we jumped right on and then one of the local caretakers came by and gave us apples and cokes! It was fantastic. Rain was threatening, so we got our tents up quickly and made our dinner, including the pizza. As soon as we were done, the rain began to fall, perfect timing. Into our dry cozy tents and going to sleep with the rainfall outside to lullaby us. Ah, what a life.
A great hiking day.
July 11 Mile 1048
Got up early at Rich's house. He set us up with a great breakfast, and then very kindly drove up back to the trail. We appreciate so much the help Rich gave us. It allowed us to have a really good dinner and breakfast, get resupplied, take a shower and sleep in a very nice bed. Plus it was terrific to see Rich and catch up on all he has been doing. Thank you, Rich!
Back to the trail and we hiked off with a plan to do 17-18 miles. The weather was very good - clear skies and below 70 degrees to start the day. The only thing that wasn't good was me. While I has gotten over the bug, I still didn't feel 100%. Kind of put me in a crabby mood. Cisco was very kind all day and hiked with me the entire time, as I felt I was very pokey.
After the first two miles we came to the Washington Monument- not the one in DC of course, but right here in Maryland just north of US 40A. It was a cool stone barrel shaped structure that you could go inside and climb to the top, like you would in a lighthouse. Nice view from the top. Built in 1827, and later used by Union forces as a signal tower. Been restored several times over the years.
I wondered where they got all the cool rock to build it. Didn't take long to find out- they got it off the trail! All day after that we hiked through rock and boulder fields. People said Md was easy. No easy trails out here, I guess. Rock, rock, rock.
When we stopped to eat lunch, sitting on a big rock, of course, one of the trail overseers ( first time I ever met one out here) told of a great camping spot with water- water here is as scarce as rocks are plentiful. So we hiked on and found the spot under some huge, but dying hemlock trees with a spring nearby. Perfect camping and perfect weather at the end of the day. A place called Warners Gap. Built a fire, made tea, and ate the luncheon meat we had bought the night before and froze at Rich's house. Fresh meat is rare out here, but very tasty!
Cause it was a Sunday and we are in a suburban area with lots of roads close to the trail, there were many day hikers out on the AT. A father and little girl of about 6 years old, wearing no pack passed us going south. As she passed she looked up at me and said " I'm tired!" We replied, " we are, too!"
Later, we were talking to a local hiker and he told us that this past June was the warmest in the last 30 years or so and very dry. Also, our temps in Harpers Ferry were record setters. I certainly believe it!
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Got up early at Rich's house. He set us up with a great breakfast, and then very kindly drove up back to the trail. We appreciate so much the help Rich gave us. It allowed us to have a really good dinner and breakfast, get resupplied, take a shower and sleep in a very nice bed. Plus it was terrific to see Rich and catch up on all he has been doing. Thank you, Rich!
Back to the trail and we hiked off with a plan to do 17-18 miles. The weather was very good - clear skies and below 70 degrees to start the day. The only thing that wasn't good was me. While I has gotten over the bug, I still didn't feel 100%. Kind of put me in a crabby mood. Cisco was very kind all day and hiked with me the entire time, as I felt I was very pokey.
After the first two miles we came to the Washington Monument- not the one in DC of course, but right here in Maryland just north of US 40A. It was a cool stone barrel shaped structure that you could go inside and climb to the top, like you would in a lighthouse. Nice view from the top. Built in 1827, and later used by Union forces as a signal tower. Been restored several times over the years.
I wondered where they got all the cool rock to build it. Didn't take long to find out- they got it off the trail! All day after that we hiked through rock and boulder fields. People said Md was easy. No easy trails out here, I guess. Rock, rock, rock.
When we stopped to eat lunch, sitting on a big rock, of course, one of the trail overseers ( first time I ever met one out here) told of a great camping spot with water- water here is as scarce as rocks are plentiful. So we hiked on and found the spot under some huge, but dying hemlock trees with a spring nearby. Perfect camping and perfect weather at the end of the day. A place called Warners Gap. Built a fire, made tea, and ate the luncheon meat we had bought the night before and froze at Rich's house. Fresh meat is rare out here, but very tasty!
Cause it was a Sunday and we are in a suburban area with lots of roads close to the trail, there were many day hikers out on the AT. A father and little girl of about 6 years old, wearing no pack passed us going south. As she passed she looked up at me and said " I'm tired!" We replied, " we are, too!"
Later, we were talking to a local hiker and he told us that this past June was the warmest in the last 30 years or so and very dry. Also, our temps in Harpers Ferry were record setters. I certainly believe it!
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July 10 Mile 1031
Remember the song by Credence Clearwater Revival " Stuck in Lodi".
Well, that's the way we felt about Harpers Ferry. Let us out of here. The town is not a hit with hikers. It's very expensive, for no good reason, and has very little that we want in the part of town we hiked through. No grocery store, no Wifi, or even a decent coffee shop. Our hostel was nice, but twice as expensive as it should have been. With the hot weather and our illness we were there 4 nights! Far longer than we wanted to be. On the good side, I was glad to be in AC and a bed when I was sick. But as soon as we could walk, we were ready to leave, even though I did not feel 100%. On the contrary, the morning we left I feel rather poorly still.
It rained during the night before we left, and at about 7 AM we had coffee on porch with Radar and Peru a very nice thru hiking couple. Peru and I compared notes on how to help numb toe pain and knee pain. She had some good advice.
The hike out of Harpers Ferry is very cool. You hike flat on nice gravel for about 2 mikes on the old C&O Canal.
into Maryland. The canal was part of a great public works project to move stuff by water, until the railroads came along and blew them away back in the 1830s. Still, it was quite a monumental undertaking, digging all the canals, and using all the great stones for the sides. Still impressive to me.
Maryland has only about 40+miles of AT, but it is not easy. Up and down and rocky. Had a great amenity today-
Gathland Park -vending machines, fresh water, bathrooms. It was too much! Up until Shenandoah never had public parks like this on the trail. The park is very cool. It was the home of a Civil War correspondent and writer. He built all these stone buildings on 100 acres. The most impressive is the War Correspondents arch, dedicated to the Civil War correspondents and artists and photograhers. Also, a Civil War battle was fought across his property just prior to Antietam. We
hiked the ridge all day- lots of rocks!
It was not too hot and we were able to do 17 miles, not bad after being sick.
Went by Dahlgreen state park- glad we weren't staying there - as it was Sat nite, the place was packed and there was no room for us to camp. Fortunately for us my Fraternity brother Rich Marshall had earlier very graciously offered to pick us up just past the Park and take us to one of our favorite places to eat-
Shoneys! All you can eat, even in my poor state, I looked forward to their salad bar. He took us to get groceries and then to his house to bed. He kindly offered me a beer, but, I must really feel bad, cause I declined. Actually, when you're hiking, a beer is not the best thing to be drinking, even off trail cause it can really dehydrate you. Gatorade stuff or water is the best.
Well, I'm not feeling my best. I ate pretty well at Shoney's but I sure
hope my appetite returns. Can't do miles without energy.
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Remember the song by Credence Clearwater Revival " Stuck in Lodi".
Well, that's the way we felt about Harpers Ferry. Let us out of here. The town is not a hit with hikers. It's very expensive, for no good reason, and has very little that we want in the part of town we hiked through. No grocery store, no Wifi, or even a decent coffee shop. Our hostel was nice, but twice as expensive as it should have been. With the hot weather and our illness we were there 4 nights! Far longer than we wanted to be. On the good side, I was glad to be in AC and a bed when I was sick. But as soon as we could walk, we were ready to leave, even though I did not feel 100%. On the contrary, the morning we left I feel rather poorly still.
It rained during the night before we left, and at about 7 AM we had coffee on porch with Radar and Peru a very nice thru hiking couple. Peru and I compared notes on how to help numb toe pain and knee pain. She had some good advice.
The hike out of Harpers Ferry is very cool. You hike flat on nice gravel for about 2 mikes on the old C&O Canal.
into Maryland. The canal was part of a great public works project to move stuff by water, until the railroads came along and blew them away back in the 1830s. Still, it was quite a monumental undertaking, digging all the canals, and using all the great stones for the sides. Still impressive to me.
Maryland has only about 40+miles of AT, but it is not easy. Up and down and rocky. Had a great amenity today-
Gathland Park -vending machines, fresh water, bathrooms. It was too much! Up until Shenandoah never had public parks like this on the trail. The park is very cool. It was the home of a Civil War correspondent and writer. He built all these stone buildings on 100 acres. The most impressive is the War Correspondents arch, dedicated to the Civil War correspondents and artists and photograhers. Also, a Civil War battle was fought across his property just prior to Antietam. We
hiked the ridge all day- lots of rocks!
It was not too hot and we were able to do 17 miles, not bad after being sick.
Went by Dahlgreen state park- glad we weren't staying there - as it was Sat nite, the place was packed and there was no room for us to camp. Fortunately for us my Fraternity brother Rich Marshall had earlier very graciously offered to pick us up just past the Park and take us to one of our favorite places to eat-
Shoneys! All you can eat, even in my poor state, I looked forward to their salad bar. He took us to get groceries and then to his house to bed. He kindly offered me a beer, but, I must really feel bad, cause I declined. Actually, when you're hiking, a beer is not the best thing to be drinking, even off trail cause it can really dehydrate you. Gatorade stuff or water is the best.
Well, I'm not feeling my best. I ate pretty well at Shoney's but I sure
hope my appetite returns. Can't do miles without energy.
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Friday, July 9, 2010
July 9 Mile 1014
Still in Harpers Ferry. Still feeling weak from the stomach bug and glad I'm not hiking today. The temps have decreased and the tourists have increased. Below our hostel each night a guy dressed as John Brown leads folks on a ghost tour of the town. We get to hear his introduction and his conclusion for free from the hostel balcony. He moves on thru the town for his better stories. At his conclusion he sings "John Brown's body lies amouldering in the grave" . This afternoon he was below us playing Civil War songs on a piano.
Time to move on. Cisco did a bunch of detailed trail calculations today, conferring with the Internet, on our past speed and what we can hope to accomplish going forward. Different speeds for different terrains coming up. We have 1165 miles to go by October 15, when the end park-Baxter Park- in Maine closes. Should be able to make it, but we have to keep moving. The next 550 miles is an accommodating landscape we are told, after that is 350 plus miles of big tough boulder mtns where you are lucky to do 10 miles a day-Vermont and New Hampshire. After that, Maine. With lots of miles-and an area called the 100 Mile Wilderness- with no amenities.
I hope to feel better tomorrow for the hike out. But, feel better or not, we have to go. No more room in this inn.
Sent from my iPhone
Still in Harpers Ferry. Still feeling weak from the stomach bug and glad I'm not hiking today. The temps have decreased and the tourists have increased. Below our hostel each night a guy dressed as John Brown leads folks on a ghost tour of the town. We get to hear his introduction and his conclusion for free from the hostel balcony. He moves on thru the town for his better stories. At his conclusion he sings "John Brown's body lies amouldering in the grave" . This afternoon he was below us playing Civil War songs on a piano.
Time to move on. Cisco did a bunch of detailed trail calculations today, conferring with the Internet, on our past speed and what we can hope to accomplish going forward. Different speeds for different terrains coming up. We have 1165 miles to go by October 15, when the end park-Baxter Park- in Maine closes. Should be able to make it, but we have to keep moving. The next 550 miles is an accommodating landscape we are told, after that is 350 plus miles of big tough boulder mtns where you are lucky to do 10 miles a day-Vermont and New Hampshire. After that, Maine. With lots of miles-and an area called the 100 Mile Wilderness- with no amenities.
I hope to feel better tomorrow for the hike out. But, feel better or not, we have to go. No more room in this inn.
Sent from my iPhone
Thursday, July 8, 2010
July 7-8 Mile 1014
Still in Harpers Ferry.
On July 7, in the morning, Cisco and I walked up to the Appalachian Trail HQ about a half mile from here to register . We were numbers 662 and 663. They estimate that 1350 people left Springer Mtn this year. So right now about 50% of those who started are still out here. Past years show an overall finish rate of between 25-30%. They took our picture and put us in their book. Found out that to be a "thru hiker" you have 365 days from when you begin until you finish. Thought you had to do it all in one calendar year. So I have until March 22, 2011!
Don't think I want to be out here that long. Spent some time going through the book to see the folks we have met along the way. It was fun to see familiar faces, many are far ahead of us.
Looks like we were wrong on Cisco's diagnosis. On Wednesday, July 7 after visiting the AT office, at about 2 PM I started feeling poorly when we went to lunch at the little pub to watch the World Cup game. Certainly wasn't heat exhaustion as I had been in the cool AC all day and the day before. Had a stomach bug-yuck- first illness of the trip. Not sure where we got it. Out here thru hikers don't shake hands, cause with limited hygiene, you don't know what you might catch. Every now and then, when you meet someone they revert to the civilized world and extend their hand. I'm no germaphobe, but really don't lke that.
On Thursday July 8 we both felt a little better, but might put off leaving until Saturday, with the extremely high heat still with us. It supposed to cool down a bit by then. So, we are hanging out at the hostel. Cisco went swimming in the river today with some other folks who are staying here. We saw the sights of Harpers Ferry- most known for John Browns raid of the US Armory in 1859 to start a slave rebellion. They have a John Brown wax museum, and a national historic site here. The Armory is long gone, burned during the Civil War, but they have preserved the site and the little Fire Engine building where John Brown was captured by Col. Robert E Lee.
Up until today, this placed seemed dead, but noticed a lot more tourists coming thru today. Maybe they wait for the weekend.
Hope to feel back to normal on Friday.
Sent from my iPhone
Still in Harpers Ferry.
On July 7, in the morning, Cisco and I walked up to the Appalachian Trail HQ about a half mile from here to register . We were numbers 662 and 663. They estimate that 1350 people left Springer Mtn this year. So right now about 50% of those who started are still out here. Past years show an overall finish rate of between 25-30%. They took our picture and put us in their book. Found out that to be a "thru hiker" you have 365 days from when you begin until you finish. Thought you had to do it all in one calendar year. So I have until March 22, 2011!
Don't think I want to be out here that long. Spent some time going through the book to see the folks we have met along the way. It was fun to see familiar faces, many are far ahead of us.
Looks like we were wrong on Cisco's diagnosis. On Wednesday, July 7 after visiting the AT office, at about 2 PM I started feeling poorly when we went to lunch at the little pub to watch the World Cup game. Certainly wasn't heat exhaustion as I had been in the cool AC all day and the day before. Had a stomach bug-yuck- first illness of the trip. Not sure where we got it. Out here thru hikers don't shake hands, cause with limited hygiene, you don't know what you might catch. Every now and then, when you meet someone they revert to the civilized world and extend their hand. I'm no germaphobe, but really don't lke that.
On Thursday July 8 we both felt a little better, but might put off leaving until Saturday, with the extremely high heat still with us. It supposed to cool down a bit by then. So, we are hanging out at the hostel. Cisco went swimming in the river today with some other folks who are staying here. We saw the sights of Harpers Ferry- most known for John Browns raid of the US Armory in 1859 to start a slave rebellion. They have a John Brown wax museum, and a national historic site here. The Armory is long gone, burned during the Civil War, but they have preserved the site and the little Fire Engine building where John Brown was captured by Col. Robert E Lee.
Up until today, this placed seemed dead, but noticed a lot more tourists coming thru today. Maybe they wait for the weekend.
Hope to feel back to normal on Friday.
Sent from my iPhone
July 6 Mile 1014
Bad night last night. After a long very hot day that I wrote about, Cisco awoke about 2 AM very sick. We were up all night. I googled his symptoms- glad I am getting coverage here. He was suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration. Very serious stuff. I was very worried and so was he. We broke camp as soon as it was light, but he felt terrible. We were thankful we were so close to Harpers Ferry, and glad we weren't some 20 miles from nowhere like we have often been. We slowly hiked to town, but you could really feel the heat rising, checked my weather on my phone- and it was to get to 102 today! Got to town, skipped the ATC office ( we'll do pictures another day) and went straight to our hostel- a very neat place in the old town in a very old building. Luckily I had a reservation and they had a room ready when we got there at 10:30AM. Cisco took a cold shower and went straight to bed in our air conditioned room. I cleaned up and went to breakfast and toured the the town. Walking around Harpers Ferry takes about 5 minutes, but it a very pretty little place. But I think they are under economic stress. It seemed all the businesses are for sale or closed. Don't quite get that. They have a train that goes to DC and it's a very nice valley with the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers coming together. Even have a Jefferson Rock (saw it) where Thomas Jefferson stood looking out over the rivers and wrote it was worth crossing the Atlantic Ocean to see this view. Maybe they had fewer trees then, or perhaps he was a member of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, I didn't have the same reaction.
As the day progressed, Cisco was feeling better, drinking lots of water and eating some food. Went to a little pub next door to see the World Cup game, but the workers there said they didnt get ESPN. How is that possible? I thought every bar in America had to have ESPN by law. We decided to eat some lunch there anyway, as I was racking my brain on how to find the game. Staring at the TV it finally dawned on me to check the channels. Sure enough, they didnt have ESPN, but they had Univision! American networks may not carry soccer, but the rest of the world does. So we got the game and will return tomorrow for the other semifinal game. Since we found the channel for them they told us they will advertise it on their board, expecting a crowd. They then told us we should come early if we want to get a spot at the bar. At least they could hold a seat for us!
Hiking in this type of weather is dangerous we have learned. We spoke with several other hikers who came in here today, and they all had similar heat related problems. Weather forecast for the next few days is more of the same-100+ temps. Think we'll stay a while. Maybe I'll go back and give that rock another look. I think I'll have the time.
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Bad night last night. After a long very hot day that I wrote about, Cisco awoke about 2 AM very sick. We were up all night. I googled his symptoms- glad I am getting coverage here. He was suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration. Very serious stuff. I was very worried and so was he. We broke camp as soon as it was light, but he felt terrible. We were thankful we were so close to Harpers Ferry, and glad we weren't some 20 miles from nowhere like we have often been. We slowly hiked to town, but you could really feel the heat rising, checked my weather on my phone- and it was to get to 102 today! Got to town, skipped the ATC office ( we'll do pictures another day) and went straight to our hostel- a very neat place in the old town in a very old building. Luckily I had a reservation and they had a room ready when we got there at 10:30AM. Cisco took a cold shower and went straight to bed in our air conditioned room. I cleaned up and went to breakfast and toured the the town. Walking around Harpers Ferry takes about 5 minutes, but it a very pretty little place. But I think they are under economic stress. It seemed all the businesses are for sale or closed. Don't quite get that. They have a train that goes to DC and it's a very nice valley with the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers coming together. Even have a Jefferson Rock (saw it) where Thomas Jefferson stood looking out over the rivers and wrote it was worth crossing the Atlantic Ocean to see this view. Maybe they had fewer trees then, or perhaps he was a member of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, I didn't have the same reaction.
As the day progressed, Cisco was feeling better, drinking lots of water and eating some food. Went to a little pub next door to see the World Cup game, but the workers there said they didnt get ESPN. How is that possible? I thought every bar in America had to have ESPN by law. We decided to eat some lunch there anyway, as I was racking my brain on how to find the game. Staring at the TV it finally dawned on me to check the channels. Sure enough, they didnt have ESPN, but they had Univision! American networks may not carry soccer, but the rest of the world does. So we got the game and will return tomorrow for the other semifinal game. Since we found the channel for them they told us they will advertise it on their board, expecting a crowd. They then told us we should come early if we want to get a spot at the bar. At least they could hold a seat for us!
Hiking in this type of weather is dangerous we have learned. We spoke with several other hikers who came in here today, and they all had similar heat related problems. Weather forecast for the next few days is more of the same-100+ temps. Think we'll stay a while. Maybe I'll go back and give that rock another look. I think I'll have the time.
Sent from my iPhone
July 5 Mile 1009
Crossed the 1000 mile mark today! Into 4 digits. Also, finally got to a new state, West Virginia, for a few minutes anyway. My phone GPS still spots us in Virginia, as we camp, but just over the line. That's probably why they say Virginia is 550 miles.
After our wonderful stay at Bear Den Rocks, we were off by about 9:00. This hostel was fantastic, I definitely want to return with my Sweety someday. I recommend it highly.
The hike today was not bad terrain wise. We finished the " rollercoaster" after about 4 miles, but the day was filled with lots of rocks! They even had an area we hiked thru called the Devil's Racecourse, due to all the boulders. But the key today was the HEAT. Hottest day yet- our thermometer got up to about 95! Yuck. Writing in my tent right now and it is still hot.
Cause this was a holiday for lots of folks, saw day hikers early in the day. When they found out we were thru hikers, they had lots of questions. How heavy is your pack? How do you get food? What do you eat? Do you get breaks? It was fun talking to them.
Drank lots of water today. Not much water on the trail, luckily at the 14 mile point there was a road with a gas station very close by. We got to the road about 5 PM and we took off our packs at a little rest area and Cisco walked down to the store and brought back Gatorade and ice cream Snickers and chips and most importantly, about 6 liters of water for the rest of the day and tomorrow morning. This is a big deal, as these types of amenities have not been available this close to the trail. As we are entering more populated places, this could be interesting. Our map told us we had to go at least 1.5 miles before we were allowed to tent camp. So we followed the rules and hiked on in the heat. About 2 miles up Cisco found us a great spot. Wanted to build a fire, but it's too danged hot! Put up out tents, made dinner and settled in. First night tent camping in a week.
Now we are only about 4 miles or less from Harpers Ferry, where we will zero til Thursday. Could have gone all the way tonight I suppose, but free camping is more appealing. Also, we want to go by the Appalachian Trail National Office and it's on the way into to town, and they closed at 5 PM. It's a big deal to go there, as this is the ceremonial halfway point. We have to go another 75 miles to this year's real halfway point. They are always changing the trail, adding miles and moving the trail around.
But they take your picture and you sign the register. It will be fun to see who is ahead of us, as we lost track of a bunch of folks . Heady stuff for thru hikers.
Sent from my iPhone
Crossed the 1000 mile mark today! Into 4 digits. Also, finally got to a new state, West Virginia, for a few minutes anyway. My phone GPS still spots us in Virginia, as we camp, but just over the line. That's probably why they say Virginia is 550 miles.
After our wonderful stay at Bear Den Rocks, we were off by about 9:00. This hostel was fantastic, I definitely want to return with my Sweety someday. I recommend it highly.
The hike today was not bad terrain wise. We finished the " rollercoaster" after about 4 miles, but the day was filled with lots of rocks! They even had an area we hiked thru called the Devil's Racecourse, due to all the boulders. But the key today was the HEAT. Hottest day yet- our thermometer got up to about 95! Yuck. Writing in my tent right now and it is still hot.
Cause this was a holiday for lots of folks, saw day hikers early in the day. When they found out we were thru hikers, they had lots of questions. How heavy is your pack? How do you get food? What do you eat? Do you get breaks? It was fun talking to them.
Drank lots of water today. Not much water on the trail, luckily at the 14 mile point there was a road with a gas station very close by. We got to the road about 5 PM and we took off our packs at a little rest area and Cisco walked down to the store and brought back Gatorade and ice cream Snickers and chips and most importantly, about 6 liters of water for the rest of the day and tomorrow morning. This is a big deal, as these types of amenities have not been available this close to the trail. As we are entering more populated places, this could be interesting. Our map told us we had to go at least 1.5 miles before we were allowed to tent camp. So we followed the rules and hiked on in the heat. About 2 miles up Cisco found us a great spot. Wanted to build a fire, but it's too danged hot! Put up out tents, made dinner and settled in. First night tent camping in a week.
Now we are only about 4 miles or less from Harpers Ferry, where we will zero til Thursday. Could have gone all the way tonight I suppose, but free camping is more appealing. Also, we want to go by the Appalachian Trail National Office and it's on the way into to town, and they closed at 5 PM. It's a big deal to go there, as this is the ceremonial halfway point. We have to go another 75 miles to this year's real halfway point. They are always changing the trail, adding miles and moving the trail around.
But they take your picture and you sign the register. It will be fun to see who is ahead of us, as we lost track of a bunch of folks . Heady stuff for thru hikers.
Sent from my iPhone
July 4 Mile 993
Happy 4th of July!
It was our last evening staying with Don, and I can't say enough about his gracious hospitality! He made us home cooked meals, breakfast and dinner, took us to the store for supplies, and drove all over northern Virginia so we could slack pack each day. Slack packing is a wonderful thing. Don, you're the best!
The hike was hard, but there were lots of rocks and it was very hot after such nice cool days in the Shenandoah. We're at lower elevations now, sometimes less than a 1000 feet. Like hiking in Atlanta's summer heat.
Today we got to ride "the Rollercoaster" so named cause you hike up and down about 10 mtns over 10 miles, up 400 feet, down 400 feet. It's not hard after getting this far, sometimes we had " rollercoasters" back in TN and NC that were 1000-2000 feet. But it was so hot, that it made for a very difficult day for me. Only planned about 13 miles to get to this hostel folks had raved about, but I thought we would never get there. Cisco felt the same way and told me about some theorist named Zeno that said you can never reach your destination, cause you can only go halfway, and when you have gone halfway, you can then only go halfway, etc. and will never arrive. I don't think that theory is correct, but he may have concocted it while hiking the AT. Some days you feel you will never reach your destination. Especially as night is falling.
On the medical front, while my upper back ache persists, the extra padding in my right shoe is making my foot feel better. We'll see if the outfitter in Harpers Ferry has any suggestions.
Finally reached the Bear Den Rocks Hostel after a long climb up and it was worth the trip. Right off the trail. A beautiful stone home some rich guy built in the 1930s to be in the cooler mtns. Now owned by the Potomac AT Club and used as a hostel and inn. Fantastic! Stayed inside in a nice bunkbed for $15, with shower! Cooked a pizza and had Ben & Jerrys ice cream, the thru hikers meal! The innkeepers are terrific. And you can drive to it. You don't have to walk 993 miles like I did. Near DC.
After dinner Cisco, Ripple, a really nice thru hiker we met awhile back who was zeroing here, and I walked down to some nearby cliffs to watch the fireworks from all the towns below in the valley. Alot of local folks had driven up as well. It was a great show, seeing all the extraganzas in the distance from several towns. I love 4th of July fireworks. And I love that we celebrate the freedoms that we have- liking hiking the trail ! What a great country!
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Happy 4th of July!
It was our last evening staying with Don, and I can't say enough about his gracious hospitality! He made us home cooked meals, breakfast and dinner, took us to the store for supplies, and drove all over northern Virginia so we could slack pack each day. Slack packing is a wonderful thing. Don, you're the best!
The hike was hard, but there were lots of rocks and it was very hot after such nice cool days in the Shenandoah. We're at lower elevations now, sometimes less than a 1000 feet. Like hiking in Atlanta's summer heat.
Today we got to ride "the Rollercoaster" so named cause you hike up and down about 10 mtns over 10 miles, up 400 feet, down 400 feet. It's not hard after getting this far, sometimes we had " rollercoasters" back in TN and NC that were 1000-2000 feet. But it was so hot, that it made for a very difficult day for me. Only planned about 13 miles to get to this hostel folks had raved about, but I thought we would never get there. Cisco felt the same way and told me about some theorist named Zeno that said you can never reach your destination, cause you can only go halfway, and when you have gone halfway, you can then only go halfway, etc. and will never arrive. I don't think that theory is correct, but he may have concocted it while hiking the AT. Some days you feel you will never reach your destination. Especially as night is falling.
On the medical front, while my upper back ache persists, the extra padding in my right shoe is making my foot feel better. We'll see if the outfitter in Harpers Ferry has any suggestions.
Finally reached the Bear Den Rocks Hostel after a long climb up and it was worth the trip. Right off the trail. A beautiful stone home some rich guy built in the 1930s to be in the cooler mtns. Now owned by the Potomac AT Club and used as a hostel and inn. Fantastic! Stayed inside in a nice bunkbed for $15, with shower! Cooked a pizza and had Ben & Jerrys ice cream, the thru hikers meal! The innkeepers are terrific. And you can drive to it. You don't have to walk 993 miles like I did. Near DC.
After dinner Cisco, Ripple, a really nice thru hiker we met awhile back who was zeroing here, and I walked down to some nearby cliffs to watch the fireworks from all the towns below in the valley. Alot of local folks had driven up as well. It was a great show, seeing all the extraganzas in the distance from several towns. I love 4th of July fireworks. And I love that we celebrate the freedoms that we have- liking hiking the trail ! What a great country!
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July 3 Mile 980
Spent another great night at Don's place. One nice thing about slack packing this way is we become like a day hiker- take your own fresh water from home, make a fresh sandwich, and have lots of room for fruit and chips. And Oreo cookies. Yum. Normally our lunches are peanut butter or cheese and tortillas shells. With Don dropping us off and picking us up, we had to do a configuration that linked hiway to hiway- today that meant another 20 mile day, basically 20 miles north from Front Royal, Va. Fortunately, it was a another nice terrain day. We were again in the woods all day, until about mile16 when we entered Sky Meadows State Park. The trees departed and we had nice views across meadows and into the valleys below- hence the name- Sky Meadows, I suppose.
I rattle off these miles like they are nothing- that is not so. They are all very hard. I can't believe we are doing 14 or 15 mile days, much less 20s. It's not monotonous, it can be grueling if you are climbing big mtns or struggling to pick your way through boulder fields. You just have to keep on going. And it's always changing. Someone recently said, there are no easy miles on the AT, and I think that is pretty much true. When the trail goes flat and smooth, you think, ahh, finally, but it's short lived and you are back to rocks or mtns or slabs of tilted sandstone. But you just keep going, cause you want to know what up beyond that next bend. Someone asked me about what it is like to have to hike 14-15 miles every day. Hadn't really thought about it that way and didn't have a good answer. I think it's because you take the trail in little bites. It makes my head hurt to think of the whole thing at once, sort of like trying to understand the size of the universe. Take it a day at a time, I suppose and let that be sufficent. We are out here for 6 or 7 months, and that's a long time to get somewhere. Before this, when I did day hikes, I might do 7 miles, feel exhausted, feel proud and go home. We have to at least double that every day. But it seems to go quickly, and as I have mentioned, even on woodsy days, you pass great rock outcrops, beautiful streams, cliffs, fields up high few have seen, old farms, orchards, and views. If terrain is good, we go about 2 miles an hour, as I have mentioned before. So if we start by 8, we can do 10 miles by lunch, and finish by 5-6 PM. The longer we are out here, the greater the endurance it seems. It's just if my foot hurts, or my knee hurts, or my back, that makes it difficult.
Today we had an extra treat discovering mountain raspberries, or as the locals call it wineberries- Cisco picked them right from the vine and ate them all afternoon. I didn't have but one, being afraid to eat anything out here- but they seem harmless enough.
So we finished up the day earlier than expected, ending at 6:45, with Don picking us up. Tired, but not exhusted. We have done three 20 mile days in one 8 day period- going 127 miles. Never thought we could do so much. Hadn't done a 20 mile day since the Smokys. Others do a lot more, but this is enough for me.
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Spent another great night at Don's place. One nice thing about slack packing this way is we become like a day hiker- take your own fresh water from home, make a fresh sandwich, and have lots of room for fruit and chips. And Oreo cookies. Yum. Normally our lunches are peanut butter or cheese and tortillas shells. With Don dropping us off and picking us up, we had to do a configuration that linked hiway to hiway- today that meant another 20 mile day, basically 20 miles north from Front Royal, Va. Fortunately, it was a another nice terrain day. We were again in the woods all day, until about mile16 when we entered Sky Meadows State Park. The trees departed and we had nice views across meadows and into the valleys below- hence the name- Sky Meadows, I suppose.
I rattle off these miles like they are nothing- that is not so. They are all very hard. I can't believe we are doing 14 or 15 mile days, much less 20s. It's not monotonous, it can be grueling if you are climbing big mtns or struggling to pick your way through boulder fields. You just have to keep on going. And it's always changing. Someone recently said, there are no easy miles on the AT, and I think that is pretty much true. When the trail goes flat and smooth, you think, ahh, finally, but it's short lived and you are back to rocks or mtns or slabs of tilted sandstone. But you just keep going, cause you want to know what up beyond that next bend. Someone asked me about what it is like to have to hike 14-15 miles every day. Hadn't really thought about it that way and didn't have a good answer. I think it's because you take the trail in little bites. It makes my head hurt to think of the whole thing at once, sort of like trying to understand the size of the universe. Take it a day at a time, I suppose and let that be sufficent. We are out here for 6 or 7 months, and that's a long time to get somewhere. Before this, when I did day hikes, I might do 7 miles, feel exhausted, feel proud and go home. We have to at least double that every day. But it seems to go quickly, and as I have mentioned, even on woodsy days, you pass great rock outcrops, beautiful streams, cliffs, fields up high few have seen, old farms, orchards, and views. If terrain is good, we go about 2 miles an hour, as I have mentioned before. So if we start by 8, we can do 10 miles by lunch, and finish by 5-6 PM. The longer we are out here, the greater the endurance it seems. It's just if my foot hurts, or my knee hurts, or my back, that makes it difficult.
Today we had an extra treat discovering mountain raspberries, or as the locals call it wineberries- Cisco picked them right from the vine and ate them all afternoon. I didn't have but one, being afraid to eat anything out here- but they seem harmless enough.
So we finished up the day earlier than expected, ending at 6:45, with Don picking us up. Tired, but not exhusted. We have done three 20 mile days in one 8 day period- going 127 miles. Never thought we could do so much. Hadn't done a 20 mile day since the Smokys. Others do a lot more, but this is enough for me.
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July 2 Mile 960
Another great hiking day and another bear sighting, actually two. Don made us another terrific breakfast and we were back on the trail before 9:00, with a plan to hike about 14 miles and meet an old friend and fraternity brother Joe Littleton who was kind enough to drive up a couple of hours from his home to see us and have dinner at a restaurant in Front Royal, Va. It was great to see Joe and we had a wonderful time catching up and talking about the trail.
As of today we have gone 500 miles in Virginia! Will this state ever end! The answer is yes, in about 50 more miles. One fourth of the trail is in Va. And it has been very tough, all the way to the Shenandoah Park. Had a great hiking day exiting the park. Nice trails. The AT in the Park is about 100 miles long, and the last third was very scenic.
Even saw some day hikers and families out walking. But it's usually pretty rare. Where is everyone! Come hike, people!
Have really enjoyed the slack packing due to Don's help. He has been super with his hospitality! Just carrying water, lunch, and a few other items is a dream. One more day and we are back to reality. But it will be a long 20 mile day! Have to do that to make the road connections.
Worked on my right foot problem today with a bunch of sole inserts I bought at CVS. Made improvements and hope to do better tomorrow. Stil have this weird muscle back ache. Hope I don't have rickets or some other odd malady.
Sent from my iPhone
Another great hiking day and another bear sighting, actually two. Don made us another terrific breakfast and we were back on the trail before 9:00, with a plan to hike about 14 miles and meet an old friend and fraternity brother Joe Littleton who was kind enough to drive up a couple of hours from his home to see us and have dinner at a restaurant in Front Royal, Va. It was great to see Joe and we had a wonderful time catching up and talking about the trail.
As of today we have gone 500 miles in Virginia! Will this state ever end! The answer is yes, in about 50 more miles. One fourth of the trail is in Va. And it has been very tough, all the way to the Shenandoah Park. Had a great hiking day exiting the park. Nice trails. The AT in the Park is about 100 miles long, and the last third was very scenic.
Even saw some day hikers and families out walking. But it's usually pretty rare. Where is everyone! Come hike, people!
Have really enjoyed the slack packing due to Don's help. He has been super with his hospitality! Just carrying water, lunch, and a few other items is a dream. One more day and we are back to reality. But it will be a long 20 mile day! Have to do that to make the road connections.
Worked on my right foot problem today with a bunch of sole inserts I bought at CVS. Made improvements and hope to do better tomorrow. Stil have this weird muscle back ache. Hope I don't have rickets or some other odd malady.
Sent from my iPhone
July 1 Mile 947
Finally saw a bear today!! He was in the trail ahead about 150 feet. He saw us and moved along out in the woods to our left. Took some pictures, but he was pretty far away. I think everyone out here had seen a bear, except us.
An absolutely gorgeous day! Blue skies, cool breeze and a high of about 70. Unbelievable for July. Slack packing today, thanks to Don's very gracious hospitality, driving us here from his home in Marshall. Trying out different shoe inserts today on my feet that I bought at CVS. Need to find a solution to my right foot ache. No final solution, but less ache than before. Developed a sore muscle or pull in my upper back. Not sure the cause of that. May be my pack being strapped on too tightly.
Wonderful hiking landscape today, most accomodating of the last three months. Plus a restaurant right on the trail, at Elkwallow in Shenandoah Park right at lunchtime - perfect! BBQ sandwich and milkshake . Weighed myself at Don' s last night and I have lost 20 lbs since starting. That's too much and don't want to lose anymore. Need to eat more and fatty things, too. Just the opposite of life at home. Out here men lose weight, women don't , weird.
Hiked about 14+ miles, finished at 5:00 and Don picked us up, took us to his house and made us dinner.
This is really nice!
Sent from my iPhone
Finally saw a bear today!! He was in the trail ahead about 150 feet. He saw us and moved along out in the woods to our left. Took some pictures, but he was pretty far away. I think everyone out here had seen a bear, except us.
An absolutely gorgeous day! Blue skies, cool breeze and a high of about 70. Unbelievable for July. Slack packing today, thanks to Don's very gracious hospitality, driving us here from his home in Marshall. Trying out different shoe inserts today on my feet that I bought at CVS. Need to find a solution to my right foot ache. No final solution, but less ache than before. Developed a sore muscle or pull in my upper back. Not sure the cause of that. May be my pack being strapped on too tightly.
Wonderful hiking landscape today, most accomodating of the last three months. Plus a restaurant right on the trail, at Elkwallow in Shenandoah Park right at lunchtime - perfect! BBQ sandwich and milkshake . Weighed myself at Don' s last night and I have lost 20 lbs since starting. That's too much and don't want to lose anymore. Need to eat more and fatty things, too. Just the opposite of life at home. Out here men lose weight, women don't , weird.
Hiked about 14+ miles, finished at 5:00 and Don picked us up, took us to his house and made us dinner.
This is really nice!
Sent from my iPhone
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
June 30 Mile 932
It was a nice cool morning when we awoke. And we had a nice hike out to the road, where another fraternity brother, Don Smith, was going to pick us up and host at his home for four nights, slack packing us during the day and drive all over the place to do it. What a great guy and much, much appreciated by us.
On the way down the mountain, we stopped at Marys rock, a nice overview into the valley. But on the way after that we had to hike thru rock, rock, and more rock! And my right foot was aching all the time!
Got down to the road and Don was there, picked us up and it was Gatorade time! Also went to CVS and got some shoe pads to play around with. Don was a Godsend. Off to his place for a shower and dinner and a good night's sleep.
Sent from my iPhone
It was a nice cool morning when we awoke. And we had a nice hike out to the road, where another fraternity brother, Don Smith, was going to pick us up and host at his home for four nights, slack packing us during the day and drive all over the place to do it. What a great guy and much, much appreciated by us.
On the way down the mountain, we stopped at Marys rock, a nice overview into the valley. But on the way after that we had to hike thru rock, rock, and more rock! And my right foot was aching all the time!
Got down to the road and Don was there, picked us up and it was Gatorade time! Also went to CVS and got some shoe pads to play around with. Don was a Godsend. Off to his place for a shower and dinner and a good night's sleep.
Sent from my iPhone
June 29 Mile 918
Today we got a special treat. A fraternity brother, who actually attended UVA after me, Jack Berry, is with the Potomac AT Club, a very professional group, reserved for us Rock Spring Cabin, right off the trail with a gorgeous view of the valley below, probably 2000 feet down and with a sunset view. The cabin is a real building with four walls made in the 1930s with chestnut logs and a stone floor and outside fireplace and inside woodstove. Jack has done alot of work on the cabin as well, rebuilding the stone outside floor. No electricity, but no need for it. And it's own private privy and great spring nearby, but you need to treat your water.
As we were hiking to the cabin, we stopped at a Skyline Drive pullout so I could rub my sore foot and who drives up but Jack! What a coincidence, and we are about 6 miles from his cabin. He then slack packs us the rest of the way. On the way we pass Big Meadows Lodge on the AT and Cisco takes a break there to watch a World Cup game. I continued on and looked back over my shoulder and saw the Lodge thru the trees. It was an odd sight to see a motel on the trail after all this time in the woods. Like to stay there sometime. Hiked by the campground and saw all these folks who drive right up to their campsites- you can imagine the RVs and other vehicles- plus the accessories people put up due to the 4th of July week. Lots of red white and blue decorations, and tiki torches. After hiking with the bare essentials, it was a little disconcerting, not bad, but a little strange to see all the stuff making a home away from home.
We were now hiking in the top third of the Shenandoah Park and it is quite pretty here now: overlooks, forests, the trail itself- very nice.
Got to Jack's place by early afternoon, he had brought our packs down from his car- very nice cause it was aways to tote them. And he made us a perfect meal: he brought a Coleman stove and cooked us steaks, green beans, brought potato salad, and Green Salad! And pecan pie for dessert! We ate on the cabin front porch and looked out on the valley below. We talked about the trail. It was a beautiful afternoon and evening. Many, many thanks to Jack for such an enjoyable evening!
The cabin can be rented by anyone for only $25 per night. That's the whole cabin, not per person. I definitely want to return there with my Sweety and return the favor to Jack.
Darkness came and we went to bed in comfortable bunks with matresses. Very pleasant day on the trail!
Sent from my iPhone
Today we got a special treat. A fraternity brother, who actually attended UVA after me, Jack Berry, is with the Potomac AT Club, a very professional group, reserved for us Rock Spring Cabin, right off the trail with a gorgeous view of the valley below, probably 2000 feet down and with a sunset view. The cabin is a real building with four walls made in the 1930s with chestnut logs and a stone floor and outside fireplace and inside woodstove. Jack has done alot of work on the cabin as well, rebuilding the stone outside floor. No electricity, but no need for it. And it's own private privy and great spring nearby, but you need to treat your water.
As we were hiking to the cabin, we stopped at a Skyline Drive pullout so I could rub my sore foot and who drives up but Jack! What a coincidence, and we are about 6 miles from his cabin. He then slack packs us the rest of the way. On the way we pass Big Meadows Lodge on the AT and Cisco takes a break there to watch a World Cup game. I continued on and looked back over my shoulder and saw the Lodge thru the trees. It was an odd sight to see a motel on the trail after all this time in the woods. Like to stay there sometime. Hiked by the campground and saw all these folks who drive right up to their campsites- you can imagine the RVs and other vehicles- plus the accessories people put up due to the 4th of July week. Lots of red white and blue decorations, and tiki torches. After hiking with the bare essentials, it was a little disconcerting, not bad, but a little strange to see all the stuff making a home away from home.
We were now hiking in the top third of the Shenandoah Park and it is quite pretty here now: overlooks, forests, the trail itself- very nice.
Got to Jack's place by early afternoon, he had brought our packs down from his car- very nice cause it was aways to tote them. And he made us a perfect meal: he brought a Coleman stove and cooked us steaks, green beans, brought potato salad, and Green Salad! And pecan pie for dessert! We ate on the cabin front porch and looked out on the valley below. We talked about the trail. It was a beautiful afternoon and evening. Many, many thanks to Jack for such an enjoyable evening!
The cabin can be rented by anyone for only $25 per night. That's the whole cabin, not per person. I definitely want to return there with my Sweety and return the favor to Jack.
Darkness came and we went to bed in comfortable bunks with matresses. Very pleasant day on the trail!
Sent from my iPhone
June 28 Mile 906
Hoped to do a 16 mile day, to reach my fraternity brother's cabin in two 16 mile days, but no place to tent camp on the way, so had to do another 20 miler! Whew! When this is all over and I'm out of shape again, it will be hard for me to remember that I was once able to carry a 30 pound pack for 20 miles up and down mtns in the summer heat. The only problem I had was the darn sore right foot sole. It has bugged me for 300 miles now. Have to find a solution. Tried pads under the arches, but the relief was very temporary. The arch supports my Sweety sent don't seem to be doing much good. Should have bought new supports when I had the chance in Waynesboro. First thing on my list when I am back in a town.
But, no knee pains, or toe pains, and very minimal new blister pains. All in all I think things are improving.
When this park was new in the 1930's and 40's, I suspect that since they bought up old farms and logged off areas that the views from the trails were probably pretty spectacular. But over 70 years, it has all grown up, and hiking you get very few scenic views- every now and then you get a break, but it's rare. I think this park is more for cars sightseers than hikers.
We're always in the green tunnel. But this evening, about 7:15, while hiking we got a special treat. This is an advantage to thru hiking the AT. As it was late for the regular folks, they were on their way home or at dinner, not hiking, we rounded a turn in the trail and actually had a view of the nearby mountains, and the sunlight falling on the mtns at that late time of the day was quite special. When we finally got to our camping area, a fee one with real bathrooms, the sunset was incredible- so very red !
Amazing. Ate in the dark of course and then to bed in our tents. A bit cooler today, with nice breezes.
Accidently swallowed a bug. There are lots of bugs out here, either flying or crawling. Got to be careful when you open your mouth. Made the mistake after dinner to breathe, and darn if a bug didn't fly in! Swallowed and coughed and coughed. But the protein is good.
Btw, our friend Tunes had a
bad day. His ankle was no better this morning, he tried to hike and got about 2 miles, but the pain was too much, so he and Tootsie Pop are going to take a short break. Bummer. We hope he gets to feeling better very soon. They are great folks and we miss them.
Sent from my iPhone
Hoped to do a 16 mile day, to reach my fraternity brother's cabin in two 16 mile days, but no place to tent camp on the way, so had to do another 20 miler! Whew! When this is all over and I'm out of shape again, it will be hard for me to remember that I was once able to carry a 30 pound pack for 20 miles up and down mtns in the summer heat. The only problem I had was the darn sore right foot sole. It has bugged me for 300 miles now. Have to find a solution. Tried pads under the arches, but the relief was very temporary. The arch supports my Sweety sent don't seem to be doing much good. Should have bought new supports when I had the chance in Waynesboro. First thing on my list when I am back in a town.
But, no knee pains, or toe pains, and very minimal new blister pains. All in all I think things are improving.
When this park was new in the 1930's and 40's, I suspect that since they bought up old farms and logged off areas that the views from the trails were probably pretty spectacular. But over 70 years, it has all grown up, and hiking you get very few scenic views- every now and then you get a break, but it's rare. I think this park is more for cars sightseers than hikers.
We're always in the green tunnel. But this evening, about 7:15, while hiking we got a special treat. This is an advantage to thru hiking the AT. As it was late for the regular folks, they were on their way home or at dinner, not hiking, we rounded a turn in the trail and actually had a view of the nearby mountains, and the sunlight falling on the mtns at that late time of the day was quite special. When we finally got to our camping area, a fee one with real bathrooms, the sunset was incredible- so very red !
Amazing. Ate in the dark of course and then to bed in our tents. A bit cooler today, with nice breezes.
Accidently swallowed a bug. There are lots of bugs out here, either flying or crawling. Got to be careful when you open your mouth. Made the mistake after dinner to breathe, and darn if a bug didn't fly in! Swallowed and coughed and coughed. But the protein is good.
Btw, our friend Tunes had a
bad day. His ankle was no better this morning, he tried to hike and got about 2 miles, but the pain was too much, so he and Tootsie Pop are going to take a short break. Bummer. We hope he gets to feeling better very soon. They are great folks and we miss them.
Sent from my iPhone
June 27 Mile 886
Whiporwill sang all night and
kept our friend Tunes awake all night,
He's the one who coined the term, "foot puzzle" to describe the delimma we have when trying to determine how to climb up and down big rock piles on the trail. We are hiking with Tunes and Tootsie Pops and they are great to be with. We all slept in late- about an hour- due to getting in so late last night and doing a 20 mile day. Only need to do 13 today to stay on schedule to get to mile 918, Rock Spring cabin, where my fraternity brother Jack Berry, will very kindly host us on Tuesday. We are very excited about that and really appreciate his hospitality.
Left about 8:30, with a goal of making it to our first food opportunities in the Park, and we are excited. The trail was very accomodating. After 850+ miles of ups and downs and 2000 ft climbs every day, it is so weird and wonderful to be on a place where the ups and downs are very shortlived and we can just cruise along. The forest is not very exciting and there are few views. I think this park is made for cars, to drive the Skyline Drive and go to overlooks. The only issue I am having is some right foot sole discomfort- an ache. Really think I need some new arch support there and will work on that. Otherwise, all ok.
Got to the camp store at Loft Mtn campground by noon- what an oasis!! Food, restrooms, soft drinks! Then a mile more and we are at a restaurant! It's a half mile off the trail, but real food in the middle of the day while hiking? I think this has happened only one other time, when my Sweety picked us up in Atkins, Va, about 350 miles ago.
Got to the restaurant and it began to rain- perfect timing. Ate the basics of a hiker- cheeseburger, fries, and milkshake. Need that fat! And calories.
Stayed around and rested til about 5 pm. Lovely afternoon. Hiked out and needed to go about 6 miles to the hut area. On the way a carful of folks drove by us as we crossed the Parkway and asked where the animals were. Told them we saw a rabbit.
Got to the Hut by 8, got dark, made dinner and in bed again late at 10 pm.
Along the way today by the campground met day visitors and they all were either astonished or interested in our thru hike. One child wanted to see our back packs. One woman asked how many days we'd been out- thinking maybe 4 or 5. I told her three months. She was quite shocked.
After a nice 3 hour break in the restaurant, and waiting out a little rainstorm, we hiked the 1/2 mile back
up to the trail and went on our way to the hut. Tunes has developed a pain in his ankle and had a hard time hiking to hut, which was about 5 miles. I felt very badly for him. When a person makes a commitment to the AT, it is a serious one taking considerable time and money. Many quit their jobs, or make other life altering decisions to be out here. You really hate it when a medical or physical ailment threatens your hike. That's why I've aleady gone to see the docs 3 times since I left in March. Hopefully he will feel better tomorrow.
Got to the hut late again, ate in the dark and into the tent for the night. It been warm, but by evening it's ok to sleep. Really glad about that in late June. Hopefully , as we go north, the temps won't be too bad.
Sent from my iPhone
Whiporwill sang all night and
kept our friend Tunes awake all night,
He's the one who coined the term, "foot puzzle" to describe the delimma we have when trying to determine how to climb up and down big rock piles on the trail. We are hiking with Tunes and Tootsie Pops and they are great to be with. We all slept in late- about an hour- due to getting in so late last night and doing a 20 mile day. Only need to do 13 today to stay on schedule to get to mile 918, Rock Spring cabin, where my fraternity brother Jack Berry, will very kindly host us on Tuesday. We are very excited about that and really appreciate his hospitality.
Left about 8:30, with a goal of making it to our first food opportunities in the Park, and we are excited. The trail was very accomodating. After 850+ miles of ups and downs and 2000 ft climbs every day, it is so weird and wonderful to be on a place where the ups and downs are very shortlived and we can just cruise along. The forest is not very exciting and there are few views. I think this park is made for cars, to drive the Skyline Drive and go to overlooks. The only issue I am having is some right foot sole discomfort- an ache. Really think I need some new arch support there and will work on that. Otherwise, all ok.
Got to the camp store at Loft Mtn campground by noon- what an oasis!! Food, restrooms, soft drinks! Then a mile more and we are at a restaurant! It's a half mile off the trail, but real food in the middle of the day while hiking? I think this has happened only one other time, when my Sweety picked us up in Atkins, Va, about 350 miles ago.
Got to the restaurant and it began to rain- perfect timing. Ate the basics of a hiker- cheeseburger, fries, and milkshake. Need that fat! And calories.
Stayed around and rested til about 5 pm. Lovely afternoon. Hiked out and needed to go about 6 miles to the hut area. On the way a carful of folks drove by us as we crossed the Parkway and asked where the animals were. Told them we saw a rabbit.
Got to the Hut by 8, got dark, made dinner and in bed again late at 10 pm.
Along the way today by the campground met day visitors and they all were either astonished or interested in our thru hike. One child wanted to see our back packs. One woman asked how many days we'd been out- thinking maybe 4 or 5. I told her three months. She was quite shocked.
After a nice 3 hour break in the restaurant, and waiting out a little rainstorm, we hiked the 1/2 mile back
up to the trail and went on our way to the hut. Tunes has developed a pain in his ankle and had a hard time hiking to hut, which was about 5 miles. I felt very badly for him. When a person makes a commitment to the AT, it is a serious one taking considerable time and money. Many quit their jobs, or make other life altering decisions to be out here. You really hate it when a medical or physical ailment threatens your hike. That's why I've aleady gone to see the docs 3 times since I left in March. Hopefully he will feel better tomorrow.
Got to the hut late again, ate in the dark and into the tent for the night. It been warm, but by evening it's ok to sleep. Really glad about that in late June. Hopefully , as we go north, the temps won't be too bad.
Sent from my iPhone
June 26 Mile 873
After being out here for a while you are not to picky about your appearance. But when I go to town , I do shower and comb my hair. This morning while eating breakfast in the motel lobby area a family walked in and a child about 2 years old looked up at me as he passed my table and began to cry! I didnt know I looked that scary, maybe it's my beard. I felt bad.
We're in Shenandoah National Park, and it looks alot like everything else we've seen. Had to hike a 20 mile day!
Had to so we could get to a water source for dinner and tomorrow's breakfast. Few water sources in this stretch. My feet are sore, and had to buy new hiking shoes in Waynesboro. My others I just bought in Daleville were not wide enough for my toes, so I got a wide size.
Seemed to do much better on the toes today, but my right arch ached most of the day, even with my arch support. Have to puzzle this one out. Sure there is a solution.
The hike was not particularly notable. But it was probably the most accomodating terrain we have seen the whole way. That's probably why I could do 20 miles. Up and down , but not so high or low. Felt like I was hiking in middle Ga. Went thru old farms, old pastures and orchards. By cell towers and now we are crossing and recrossing the Skyline Drive. Water was scarce today, but had some trail magic. A trail angel put out water bottles at our 5th mile, and Winging It, a fellow thru hiker, is taking a break to be a trail angel thru the park, provided us with drinks and melon as we hiked across and recrossed the parkway. It was most appreciated, especially with no water sources for most of the day. And it was a very warm day.
Had a scare--heard grr grr, as I hiked thru a scrubby thicket. Is that a bear? Lots of bear sightings in the area. Bears are protected here, so they are somewhat aggressive. I stopped short and listened and looked! Then I heard it Rrrrrr! It was a motorcycle starting up on the otherside of the thicket in a parking lot! Felt silly, but hey, no bears.
Later ran into some other hikers we know, and they told us of a very aggressive bear that menaced their campsite so badly, they had to relocate.
Anyway, kept on hiking, getting to our shelter ( now called " huts" ) by 8;30, just as darkness was falling. Long day but good day. Ate dinner in the dark and went to bed in my tent. Late night -sleeping by 10:30,
late for me. But all ok.
Sent from my iPhone
After being out here for a while you are not to picky about your appearance. But when I go to town , I do shower and comb my hair. This morning while eating breakfast in the motel lobby area a family walked in and a child about 2 years old looked up at me as he passed my table and began to cry! I didnt know I looked that scary, maybe it's my beard. I felt bad.
We're in Shenandoah National Park, and it looks alot like everything else we've seen. Had to hike a 20 mile day!
Had to so we could get to a water source for dinner and tomorrow's breakfast. Few water sources in this stretch. My feet are sore, and had to buy new hiking shoes in Waynesboro. My others I just bought in Daleville were not wide enough for my toes, so I got a wide size.
Seemed to do much better on the toes today, but my right arch ached most of the day, even with my arch support. Have to puzzle this one out. Sure there is a solution.
The hike was not particularly notable. But it was probably the most accomodating terrain we have seen the whole way. That's probably why I could do 20 miles. Up and down , but not so high or low. Felt like I was hiking in middle Ga. Went thru old farms, old pastures and orchards. By cell towers and now we are crossing and recrossing the Skyline Drive. Water was scarce today, but had some trail magic. A trail angel put out water bottles at our 5th mile, and Winging It, a fellow thru hiker, is taking a break to be a trail angel thru the park, provided us with drinks and melon as we hiked across and recrossed the parkway. It was most appreciated, especially with no water sources for most of the day. And it was a very warm day.
Had a scare--heard grr grr, as I hiked thru a scrubby thicket. Is that a bear? Lots of bear sightings in the area. Bears are protected here, so they are somewhat aggressive. I stopped short and listened and looked! Then I heard it Rrrrrr! It was a motorcycle starting up on the otherside of the thicket in a parking lot! Felt silly, but hey, no bears.
Later ran into some other hikers we know, and they told us of a very aggressive bear that menaced their campsite so badly, they had to relocate.
Anyway, kept on hiking, getting to our shelter ( now called " huts" ) by 8;30, just as darkness was falling. Long day but good day. Ate dinner in the dark and went to bed in my tent. Late night -sleeping by 10:30,
late for me. But all ok.
Sent from my iPhone
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