Day 95
7/25/12
Clarence Fahnestock State Park - Pawling, NY State Park
22.5 miles

Today was a great day to be alive, which made it a perfect day to be hiking.  I'm happy I'm still on the trail.  The weather was really nice today and that helped out.  I heard there was rain coming the next few days, but I won't worry about that until I have to.  The day went fairly quickly and by 4:15PM, I was at the road crossing that led to town.  I tried hitching a ride for about 30 minutes before I started walking the three miles into town.  I had no luck and started on down the road.  I got about 1.5 miles down the road when a little old lady was pulling out of her driveway and she asked if I needed a ride.  I was pretty thankful that I didn't have to finish the road walk because the shoulder was narrow and the cars were fast.  The lady was very nice and took me to the town park where they allow hikers to camp for free.  Tomorrow I'm going to resupply and then try to get a few miles out so I can keep the northern momentum going.

Day 94
7/24/12
Graymoor Spiritual Life Center - Clarence Fahnestock State Park
13.8 miles

I woke up with the sun like the rest of the hikers, but since I was only hiking 11 miles, I lounged around for a bit.  I even read a couple chapters in a book I picked up at a shelter.  Eventually, I gathered up the energy to get started.  It didn't take long to pack up and finish breakfast, and shortly after, I was on my way.  The day went fairly quickly.  I stopped for a quick break and got some interviews for my independent study and then it was four short miles to the road that led to the campground, or so I thought.  When I got to the road, there was a sign that said to keep going for another two miles to a side trail that led to the state park beach area.  I was slightly disappointed, but then again, it was only another two miles and I could just knock a couple miles out of my day tomorrow. The best part of the day was when I found a $5 bill folded up and tucked in between two boards of a picnic table.  That bought me a bacon cheeseburger and when the ladies behind the counter brought out all the unsold fries after the restaurant closed, that was the cherry on top.  After that, I got a shower, set up camp, and talked to 2-Step.  All in all, it was a pretty good day on the trail.  Tomorrow, I'm going to try and get 22 miles in and stop in a town that has free camping, so I can get a few supplies.

Day 93
7/23/12
West Mountain Shelter - Graymoor Spiritual Life Center
13.4 miles

This morning I had coffee with a deer.  I was the last one to leave and as I was putting the last few things in my pack, a deer walked up on me.  I stopped and watched it, and it just stared at me before walking towards the shelter.  I was planning on finishing my coffee at the shelter so I was curious if the doe would still be by the shelter.  After throwing the rest of the stuff in my pack, I walked to the shelter to check on the doe.  It was there and as I crept by, less than 15 feet from it, it only stopped chewing long enough to give me a look as if to say, "Don't mind me, just do what you need to do."  I sat down and watched the doe do its thing while I enjoyed not rushing out of camp like a maniac.  The doe was even kind enough to let me set up my camera for a self-timer shot and she even looked at the camera.  It was an amazing affirmation of my choice to enjoy the rest of the summer on the trail, rather than worry about the miles.  After that, I was ready to start my day.  I realize that I still hike like I'm trying to hike 25-30 mile days, but I'm trying to remind myself that I can stop and enjoy taking breaks again.  I had my first opportunity at the top of Bear Mountain, where I enjoyed the view of the surrounding area from the top of the look-out tower.  The view could have been better, but even with the clouds and moisture in the air, I still enjoyed the view. From the tower, it was only 9 short miles to the monastery where I was spending the night.  I stopped to check out a view a half mile off the trail, even though it was raining.  After that, I was back on my way to my camping spot for the night.  It didn't take long to get to the road that led to a shower, a pavillion I could hang my hammock in, and running water.  It was a good spot and best of all, I could get here and enjoy where I was instead of just eating dinner and going to bed.  I think this next month on the trail is going to be really good.


Day 92
7/22/12
Lemon Squeezer - West Mountain Shelter
10.5 miles

Thompson walked with me during the first part of my day.  We had a good time talking and checking out the scenery.  When we ended up at the Lemon Squeezer, we had to snap a couple self-timer photos.  It was a cool spot on the trail, where the trail went between two boulders that were so close you had to take your pack off.  We climbed over it rather than take our packs off.  From there, the trail meandered up, over and around the many small hills and mountains that make up Harriman State Park.  I'm definitely enjoying New York much more than I was Pennsylvania, just a  day ago.  At around 10AM, Thompson turned around to head back to his car while I continued north to enjoy the sights and sounds of the trail at a slower pace.  It was weird to think I would only be hiking 10 miles today, but I thought I would start out slow to get used to my new plan.  No sense in rushing it, right?  I'm excited about the new opportunities that this new plan has opened up.  I thought about a question I had on a final exam for one of my classes at Northland College. The question was, "After you take this class, what will you do with what you've learned?" (Or something to that effect).  My answer was that I was going to take the time to enjoy my surroundings and not rush around like a maniac, taking on too many responsibilities and projects.  Well, I didn't really do that, but now that I have the opportunity, I intended on taking advantage of it.  I still have things I need to do for my independent study, but since I'm not rushing around like a maniac, I hope to have more energy to be able to do them.  It didn't take long, even just strolling through the woods, trying to take my time, to get done with the 10 miles, and by 3PM I had set up my hammock, enjoyed the view from the shelter and was on my way to napping through the hottest part of the day.  This was amazing.  I had no idea the trail could be so enjoyable and relaxing.  This is exactly what I needed after wearing myself thin with too many big days.  Lesson learned, I need to take more time to do things, to really enjoy myself, and give myself plenty of time to enjoy the experience.  After my nap, I started catching up on my journal and before long it was dinner time.  While making dinner I got to enjoy the view of the Hudson River and the New York City skyline.  I was looking forward to trying to capture the lights after the sun went down.  I think I can get used to this new plan.  I may not get to say I thru-hiked the AT, but I can certainly say that I will have enjoyed an entire summer being outside, doing what I love, and meeting new and interesting people.  Thank you to 2-Step and my parents for being so supportive and encouraging over the last few days.  I'm so glad I have you in my life and really appreciate everything you've done for me.

Day 91
7/21/12
Palmerton, PA - Harriman State Park, NY 
(yellow blazed)

I woke up excited to see my friend, Thompson, from New York.  We met out in California and it had been a long time since we'd seen each other.  I was glad too, that I wasn't just going home in defeat.  The point of this summer, besides trying to hike the whole trail, was to enjoy the time backpaking and gaining experience for future adventures.  I was going to get that chance the last month on the trail.  I was apprehensive about not having a real plan, but I knew that it would work out in the end and I would just have to go with the flow until something more definite came up.  When Thompson arrived, I was ready to go and after dropping Cold Chocolate off at Delaware Water Gap, we were off to Harriman State Park with a stop in New Jersey to go see a movie.  We got to Tuxedo, NY, and had to get help from Thompson's dad in order to figure out how to get to the AT.  After picking up food for the night, we were back on our way to the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail.  Thompson's dad said this trail would take us up to the AT and on our way to our campsite for the night, we found a map of the park and knew for sure we were on the right path.  It was fun to catch up with Thompson and to see a familiar face in an unfamiliar place.  It also felt good to be back on a trail with a new plan.  My new plan is to just start hiking north on the AT to see how far I get.  My goal is no longer Katahdin, but is now to enjoy the time I have left on the trail and not stress out about the white blazes.  It had gotten to the point, before this decision, where I would debate whether or not it was worth taking my pack off to go look at a view off the trail.  Now I can enjoy every view and plan my days around the sights of the trail, rather than how many miles I have to put in before it gets dark.  Thanks Thompson for helping me out.  I appreciate everything you did, hopefully we can get you out of the city for another weekend on the trail!!

Day 90
7/20/12
Allentown Hiking Club Shelter - Palmerton, PA
4.1 miles

I was going to hike 18 miles into town, but when I woke up to grey skies and rain, I didn't feel up to it after coming to the realization that I wouldn't be a thru-hiker after today.  A few other hikers were only going to the next road crossing 4 miles away to meet up with a friend so they could go see the new Batman movie.  I asked if I could hitch a ride into town and I was happy when they said yes.  I walked along with Wild Bill, Long John and Detective and enjoyed the company.  I was able to interview Wild Bill before parting ways and I hope to post his and some of the other interviews I've conducted on the website soon.  After arriving in Palmerton, I walked down the street to the Jailhouse Hostel and signed in.  It's a free hostel for hikers that the town of Palmerton has in the basement of one of their town buildings.  After a hot shower, I was starting to feel a little better about how the summer was turning out and was looking forward to not having to chase every white blaze and actually being able to enjoy the rest of the time on the trail.  After I had settled in, a couple other hikers walked in and I realized one of them was my buddy, Cold Chocolate.  I was glad to be able to hang out with him while I was still kind of bummed about the last day, because he's a hilarious person and it was a good way to help lift my spirits.  Also, today is my brother's birthday, so Happy Birthday Case!

Day 89
7/19/12
Hamburg, PA - Allentown Hiking Club Shelter
21.9 miles

I was planning on doing a 30-mile day, but a little less than halfway through the day, my physical and mental strength broke down.  I couldn't take another step.  I called 2-Step and could barely talk.  My dreams of becoming a thru-hiker had just been dashing into the Pennsylvania rocks and I couldn't take it anymore.  I was tired and worn down and the stress I felt about trying to rush through almost 1000 miles in 6 weeks felt like a ball and chain wrapped around my feet.  It was too much and I decided I didn't want to do it.  In the end, I stopped 9 miles short of my goal and had come up with a new plan for the rest of the summer.  I had a friend in New York City coming to pick me up in Palmerton, PA and we were going to camp overnight on the trail in New York.  From there, I was going to figure out a way to get to Vermont so that I could still try to finish on Mount Katahdin by the end of the summer.

Day 88
7/18/12
Hamburg, PA
0 miles

I wasn't planning on a zero day, but I needed one, especially after the last 9 miles of the day before.  My feet had been getting pretty beat up by the Pennsylvania rocks in my New Balance Minimus shoes, and I took this opportunity to get some shoes with a little more of a sole on them.  I drank lots of water and recharged on food.  I got all my errands done and was able to hang out and relax with the other hikers and really recharge for the days ahead.  I found out too late (my fault) that instead of the middle of September, my classes actually start on the 5th of September.  This means in order to get done, I have to hike an average of 25 miles a day.  I'm nervous about it, but I'm going to try for it anyway.


Day 87
7/17/12
501 Shelter - Port Clinton, PA
24.1 miles

Surprisingly, I woke up feeling much better than I expected to.  I wasn't too tight; there were a couple spots that felt sore, but pretty good for the most part.  I was excited to get to town for another shower and some more food.  The morning went pretty quickly and then it went downhill fast, 9 miles before town.  Every water source was dry for the last 9 miles and I only had a half bottle left to get me to town.  To make a long story short, that last 9 miles felt just as long and as hard as the 35 miles the day before.  I was definitely in panic mode when I got to the road that led into town.  I knew if I stopped that I probably wouldn't get back up.  I didn't bother looking at the guide, I just went to the first house I saw and knocked on the door.  Fortunately, Maxine and Eddy were very nice people and they invited me inside.  Just stepping into an air-conditioned room helped me feel better.  Maxine took my water bottle, filled it with ice and cold water and I thought I had never tasted anything so good.  She refilled my bottle 3 times before I thanked them and was on my way.  I still felt pretty weak so I sat down on the side of the street to try and cool down and muster up the energy to walk to the hotel a few blocks the other way down the road.  As I was sitting there I saw a state trooper coming my way and I flagged him down.  Although  he seemed unsure, the officer said yes when I asked for a ride to the hotel.  He took my trekking poles from me, had me put my backpack on the seat behind him, and made me get in on the opposite side of the car from him.  I didn't care what I had to do as long as I didn't have to walk.  When I got to the hotel, I was so relieved.  Recently, my debit card for my primary checking account has gotten so beat up that it has stopped working, so I called 2-Step to see if she could call the hotel and pay over the phone with her card.  I went inside, after talking to her, to let the person behind the bar know they would be getting a phone call and ordered a cold soda as well.  That's when I met two of the nicest people I've had the pleasure of meeting this entire trail.  They told me that the soda was on them.  Something as simple as that had the power to lift my mood and make me feel refreshed.  It wasn't long before the caffeine and sugar were helping to energize me again, and I was able to join in the conversation between another hiker and the couple that bought my soda. The bartender then came up and informed me that his register wouldn't allow him to punch in credit cards without scanning them, so 2-Step's card wouldn't work either.  This wasn't good.  I called 2-Step and told her the problem and we figured that transferring money to a different account I had should work, since I had that debit card as well.  So I went back inside to wait for 2-Step to let me know that the transfer had gone through.  It was at this point that my day was made.  The couple (sorry I didn't catch your names) that had bought my soda told me that I should go ahead and order some food and they would buy it for me.  I was shocked, I told them I was fine and the woman said no, and that I should get something.  I was very thankful and went ahead and ordered a turkey and bacon club.  Not long after that, I got word that the transfer had gone through and I tried to pay for a room again. It didn't work again.  I didn't know what was going on.  When the couple left, I thanked them profusely and gave them my website, telling them to check in and see how the hike was going every once in a while. After they left, I started trying to figure out what was wrong with my card.  I called 2-Step again to confirm the transfer had gone through, and she said it had, so I tried it again.  It still didn't work, so I just told the bartender that he shouldn't worry about it and I would just go camp at a free spot in town.  He said I couldn't leave until I paid for the sandwich I had ordered.  I looked at him confused, and said that the couple from before had paid for it.  He said, "Well I didn't charge them for it."  This guy had been rude and very short with every hiker that came in, so I just gave him some cash, got my change, and walked out in a huff.  This was not what I was expecting.  Three other hikers had actually gotten a room, but when they saw the room, they asked for a refund. To make another long story short, we walked 1.5 miles down the road to the next town over and paid for a room for 2 nights that cost the same as one night at the other one.  It was also one of the nicest hotels I've stayed at on the entire trail.  I also found out that the reason my card hadn't been working was that I had been trying the wrong card the whole time.  I'm glad I did though, because then I wouldn't have met Disco, Mountain Goat and Palm Tree, and we wouldn't have been able to split the hotel room together.
P.S. Thank you so much to the couple that offered to pay for my soda and sandwich. Your generosity was amazing and came at just the right time in my trip.  Thank you!

Day 86
7/16/12
Peters Mountain Shelter - 501 Shelter
35.5 miles

The hardest thing I did today was not quit hiking. The second hardest was hiking 35 miles.  I was definitely tired by the end of the day, but even before the hike got hard, only a few miles from the shelter I started at, I began to really think about stopping.  I realized too late that my classes start September 5th, and in order to hike the whole trail I had to keep a daily average of 25 miles.  That was weighing heavily on my mind, as was the fact that I would be hiking alone for the rest of the trail.  At the pace I had to keep, I would meet peeople one night and never see them again when I left the next day.  It made the rest of the time on the trail seem much more daunting than it should feel.  It got so daunting it stopped me in my tracks and I had to sit down and do what I hadn't done on the trail up to this point...cry.  I sat there for 15 minutes and didn't see a single person.  I was so desperate I pulled my phone out of my pack and tried calling 2-Step.  The one time I didn't have service in 2 weeks was at this spot.  That didn't help at all.  After a while, I had gotten everything out and when I could think clearly again I realized that all I could do was keep going to get to a spot where I had service.  The rest of the day was long, but uneventful.  The next thing I remember is stopping at a campsite, desperate to see a sign for view that would mean I was only 7.5 miles away from the shelter.  I had service there, so I called 2-Step.  I was relieved to hear her voice and we talked for a few minutes.  Eventually, I got back up and kept moving.  Turns out that I had already passed the view and didn't even realize it, which was a relief because instead of having 8 or 9 miles left, I only had 5.  I found that out when I walked around a bend in the trail and saw the shelter that was only 4 miles away.  This meant that when I was sitting, talking to 2-Step, I had only been about a mile away from that shelter.  I stopped for a minute to talk to another hiker and then, before losing all motivation, I continued  on to the 501 shelter and the shower that was waiting there for me.  Four miles later, a shower, dinner and sleep happened in quick succession.

Day 85
7/15/12
Duncannon, PA - Peters Mountain Shelter
11.2 miles

The morning was pretty hectic.  I was trying to get all my town chores and errands done in a timely fashion, but it always seems to take longer than I think.  After packing up, getting a shower, and scarfing down breakfast, we were on our way to the grocery store so I could resupply.  Thanks again to Mike and Francesca for the generous hospitality you showed to me and my family.  Thank you as well to my parents for always helping me out when you've been able to meet me in different towns.  I appreciate you always helping to chaffeur me around town when I can't find what I need at one store or another.  Lisa, I'm sorry you missed that meeting, but I'm glad we got to spend a little extra time together at the Doyle.  I was starting to feel lonely thinking about heading North without anyone hiking with me.  I was glad to get one last bacon cheeseburger in with you guys before starting out.  After my parents left, I said some quick hellos to a few hikers I knew and then threw my pack on my back and got the hell out of dodge.  The hike started with a two mile road walk that included two bridges.  It was hot and I was glad to escape into the cover of the trees.  I only received a brief respite from the trees, because the trail started to climb the ridge pretty quickly.  Soon enough, the shower from a  few short hours ago was a distant memory.  The climb didn't last long though and I was at the first water source outside of town quickly enough.  I ran into my friend Golden and caught up before filling my water bottles and saying my goodbyes.  I have a few friends on the trail ahead of me, but if my ambitious schedule succeeds, I won't be hiking with them for very long.  If all goes well, in six short weeks I'll be standing on top of Katahdin wishing it wasn't over.  Although it's not over yet, and I still had 6.5 miles to go before the next shelter.  As I was hiking along, it started getting darker and I realized there was a storm rolling in.  Fortunately, it only started raining a mile from camp.  When I arrived at the shelter I was pretty wet, but I was happy to still see room next to three other hammocks to hang mine up.  After setting up, I checked in with my parents, made dinner, and made my routine call to 2-Step.  After catching up, I got in the hammock to write up my daily log while listening to the pitter-patter of raindrops on the shelter roof and the cry of coyotes off in the distance.

Day 84
7/14/12
Harrisburg, PA
0 miles

Since it's hard for me to get out of my hiker schedule, I woke up before everyone else.  I took that time to catch up on my daily log, while enjoying the cool morning air on the porch of Mike and Francesca's house.  It had rained sometime overnight and the air had a crisp feel to it.  Everything looked shiny and new.  I enjoyed the quiet neighborhood as people were slow to wake up on the first full day of the weekend.  With only the occasional jogger to break my concentration, I listened to the different bird songs as I finished updating my daily log, before starting my day.  When everyone woke up, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast of bagels and danishes.  Around lunchtime, my parents arrived from D.C. and we headed out to lunch at the Troegs Brewery.  Tasty beer!  The party didn't stop there though.  After lunch we went back to Mike and Francesca's place and fired up the grill for some delicious steaks.  After all that tasty food, I let the kids stay up and I went to bed.
 
Day 83
7/13/12
Darlington Shelter - Duncannon, PA
11.3 miles

Although we didn't set an alarm, we were both up early and ready to get to town for lunch at the Doyle Hotel.  The terrain looked fairly mellow and for the most part it was, but then 6 miles before Duncannon, we hit the rockiest section of trail I've ever seen.  I had heard that Pennsylvania was rocky, actually I had heard that the trail crews threw rocks on the trail and sharpened them to make it even more miserable, but I couldn't let myself believe it.  I do now.  Let me just say that if I had grown up hiking sections of the AT in PA, I would probably never have become as avid of a hiker as I am now.  There wasn't even a trail, it was just a jumbled mess of rocks that looked as if you could never get down to the dirt no matter how many you threw off the pile.  It was miserable but we didn't let that stop us from getting to Doyle and the best bacon cheeseburger I have eaten in many miles.  My brother had done really well during the week, but also gotten pretty worn down, and was happy to be at the Doyle with his pack resting in a corner rather than on his back.  Pat and Vicki, the owners of the Doyle, are some of the friendliest people I've met on the trail, and have created one of the most hiker-friendly locations imaginable.  My brother and I enjoyed our afternoon there immensely while waiting for our parents' friends, Mike and Francesca, to pick us up.  After Mike was done with work, he made the 18 mile drive over from Harrisburg to Duncannon and picked us up.  After stinking up his car pretty well, we managed to fit a shower in before dinner.  We ate at a delicious pizza place and even managed to squeeze in some room for frozen custard afterwards.  Thank you so much for dinner and the hospitality that you showed to my brother and I. We appreciate everything you did for us and it was a pleasure to hang out and catch up after so many years.  Thank you!

Day 82
7/12/12
campsite - Darlington Shelter
22.4 miles

Although we had stayed up late, we got up early so we didn't have to rush through the day.  Since the beginning of the trail, I've been looking ahead in the guide book at the terrain profiles and waiting for the day when I would reach one of the pages that was entirely flat.  Today was that day.  After a few very small climbs (one of which was the original midpoint) we descended into the Cumberland Valley for 14.1 miles of flatness.  One of the first landmarks of the day was the town of Boiling Springs, PA.  After getting our bearings we made our first stop, food.  It was 11AM and we were the first customers at Amile's Ristorante and Pizzeria and we were not disappointed.  Afterwards, we resupplied for the last night and day on the trail and headed on over to the outfitters for more water purification stuff.  In the guidebook it warns that the outfitter is mainly a fly fishing store and the hiker selection is limited.  It was right and they were out of water purifier.  The owner said that if we could wait until 2:30 or 3PM, he was waiting on FedEx to deliver some more.  Since the ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) had a porch swing that faced the outfitters I pulled out a book of Sudoku problems and kept an eye out for the delivery man.  Although annoyed that we couldn't just continue our day, we didn't want to leave without a way to purify our water.  It was exactly 2:45PM when I saw the FedEx truck and as soon as the driver left we hustled over to the outfitters, got what we needed, and were on our way.  The rest of the day was flat, boring and full of cornfields, but it went quickly and soon enough we were set up at the shelter.  It had been a long week for my brother and not long after dinner we were both in our hammocks heading for sleep.  Before falling asleep, though, I thought about something Grizzly, a trail friend of mine, said.  He mentioned that he had done the math and figured that if you did twenty 25-mile days in a row, it would put you in Vermont.  I was intrigued and before falling asleep, I had made up my mind to try and do that. 

Day 81
7/11/12
Michener Cabin - campsite
17.8 miles

Today was a really big milestone on my thru-hike, and I'm glad my brother was here to share it.  We hit the halfway point!!!  It was only a few miles from where we camped so it happened earlier in the day.  It was a very exciting moment.  Since the midpoint moves every year, there wasn't a sign so I made a sign and got some pictures.  Hitting the halfway point means that I have hiked/paddled for 1092.2 miles, and had just as many to go.  It was a big psychological boost that came just at the right time.  I have been missing 2-Step a lot and it has made hiking the trail kind of a drag, but she's been really encouraging about me staying on the trail, and hitting the midpoint really helped.  I was also really glad I was able to share it with my brother and I wasn't just celebrating by myself.  This is a big moment and even though 2-Step isn't here anymore, with her encouragement I know I'm going all the way.  After a break and some pictures, my brother and I were on our way again.  Not long after the midpoint, we passed through Pine Grove Furnace State Park and their general store, which is home to the "Half Gallon Challenge."  It's become a tradition to attempt to eat a half gallon of ice cream after making it halfway on the trail, and my brother and I were ready to throw down.  They used to give the ice cream to hikers for free, but with the amount of people that hike every year, they've started charging hikers for it.  Either way, we got our ice cream and set out to attempt the challenge.  Long story short, my brother couldn't make himself finish the last third of the gallon, but I came out on top and made it into the half gallon club.  The cheeseburgers we ate afterwards were delicious as well.  Of course, because we were both full of cheeseburgers and ice cream we didn't hop right back up to hike down the trail again.  That gave us time to go check out the new AT museum that they had just built recently and learn a little bit about the history and people of the trail.  After a long break we decided we had better move on down the trail before it got too much later and we had to hike the last 11 miles in the dark.  We were looking forward to camp, because at the general store we had met a couple that were hiking with a violin and a guitar.  With the terrain that we've had, the afternoon hike went quickly and soon enough we were setting up camp and eagerly anticipating our after dinner entertainment.  We weren't disappointed.  Vicegrip and Sap were very talented musicians and the style of music they played seemed very fitting for our surroundings.  Although we knew we had a long day the next day, we couldn't pull ourselves away from the good music and camping.  Eventually, well after dark, we got into our hammocks and called it a day. 

Day 80
7/10/12
Tumbling Run Shelter - Michener Cabin
22.8 miles

I had grand intentions of getting out of camp early, but that definitely didn't happen.  Breakfast was enjoyable though.  I got a Mountain House breakfast from some other hikers.  It was a bacon and egg scramble and it was delicious wrapped up in a tortilla with cheese and hot sauce.  It went well with a cup of hot coffee and I didn't really mind getting out of camp late, because breakfast was such an enjoyable affair.  Once we got going, though, we were off.  The short day yesterday was a really good break and after not getting much water, the day before that was a good way to make sure we re-hydrated.  It made all the difference because I felt like I finally had gotten my trail legs back.  The terrain was very mellow and the rocks didn't slow us down too much at all.  It wasn't long before we made it to our first real break spot for the day and had lunch.  I wasn't too hungry though, because some nice folks had set out a cooler of trail magic that included Kool-Aid juice boxes, fruit snacks, granola bars, and Rice Krispy treats. I did, however, call 2-Step, because going from seeing each other everyday, to not at all has been hard.  I miss her a lot and wish things would have worked out so we could finish together.  We will definitely come back and finish what 2-Step didn't get to do someday. After lunch we still had 13 miles to go and set a good pace.  We went much faster than anticipated and in no time at all only had 5 miles to go until the halfway point!  With that as our goal, we hurried on down the trail.  Although it's not technically the exact halfway point (we still have 2 miles to go) there is an awesome cabin that allows us to hang the hammocks under the roof of the porch.  It's a good spot to celebrate making it halfway.  My next mile marker will be less than 100 miles away.  When I reach the 1000 mile countdown, and with the pace I have to keep, I will be counting down the hundred-mile mark every 5 days or so.  This will make the time on the trail seem to fly by.

Day 79
7/9/12
Raven Rock Shelter - Tumbling Run Shelter
13.2 miles

Today was a very late start.  It was also significantly cooler.  Since we were short on water, we ate a dry breakfast and once on the trail, we were all business.  Our first stop was a county park that had running water and a great place to re-hydrate.  Once that was taken care of, it was .4 miles and across the Mason-Dixon line into Pennsylvania, to the road that led into town.  It wasn't long before we had hitched a ride into town and soon enough we were stocked with water treatment...and food.  After enjoying a Walmart deli lunch on the floor of their entranceway, we set out to find another ride to the trail.  We asked several people before a very nice lady came and asked us if we needed a ride to the trail.  Of course we said yes.  When we got to the intersection with the trail, we realized the woman had taken us to a road crossing further up the trail than we had left it.  Not folks to complain, we thanked her for the ride and set out 2 miles ahead of schedule.  After a short walk, we came to a stream crossing and happened to run into my friends, Fuzzy and Sourpuss.  My brother (whose trail name is now Brief) and I stopped to see how they have been.  It turns out they're going to yellow blaze (ride in a car or other motor vehicle) for 500 miles north to Vermont where the trail starts to become more interesting again.  It sounds interesting but I think I can still find ways to enjoy the trail before Vermont.  After a short break to catch up, we continued on another mile to our intended campsite for the night.  Since I am still going through 2-Step withdrawals, I had to call her first, before setting anything up.  After catching up, I continued with my camp chores and am about to enjoy a delicious dinner of mac and cheese with some hot taco seasoning.
P.S. I made it into the 7th state today!  Only 7 more states to go!

Day 78 
7/8/12
Rocky Run Shelter - Raven Rock Shelter
20.6 miles

Today started out pretty slow, it didn't even pretend that it was going to be hot, it was just started out hot.  We took our time getting packed and eating breakfast, and even moving slow we were still sweating.  This was going to be a long day.  The terrain was mellow and we kept a good pace, but the heat had us beat and we took lots of breaks to try and keep ourselves relatively cool.  One of our stops was the Washington Monument; a stone tower that was built by the people at a town to commemorate the life of George Washington.  It was very cool and the spiral staircase to the top of the tower led to an interesting view of the valley below. Our time to enjoy it was cut short though because we had run out of our water purification and had to get to the next road crossing to hitch a ride to what we hoped would be a store that carried Aquamira or iodine.  To make a long story short, the hitch to the Greenbrier State Park "camp store" was unsuccessful.  They didn't carry anything that could purify water.  So it was back on the trial hoping we would be able to borrow filters from other hikers as we passed water sources.  Shortly after our excursion, we came across the Annapolis Rocks that presented us with a great view despite the rain that had started to get closer to us.  Our next stop was another road crossing that took us on another town adventure to a Subway, to get dinner and clean water.  We had been lucky throughout the day that clean water sources from water fountains were in such close proximity to us.  Tomorrow there is a town with a Walmart where we can acquire some iodine tabs.  A lot of the towns that we've been passing, although close to the trail, are not stocked with certain essential camping items that you consume on the trail.  This is something that I'll have to keep in mind so I don't run into the problem my brother and I had today.  After dinner we had another 3.6 miles and busted it out fairly quickly.  It didn't take long for camp to get set up and us to get inside our hammocks.

Day 77
7/7/12
Harper's Ferry, WV - Rocky Run Shelter
15 miles

Well it was a bittersweet beginning to the second half of the trail.  2-Step and the pups are off the trail now.  We said our goodbyes today and I watched 2-Step and her family drive off as I turned around and once more put one foot in front of the other toward Katahdin.  On a much brighter note, though, my brother is on the trail with me for the next 120 miles.  I'm glad he could join me.  This will help ease me into hiking alone.  He did really well today.  We didn't start our hike until 1:30 PM, but we made it to camp before dark.  The terrain has really mellowed out; the altitude changes are not as severe as they once were.  The hike would've felt much quicker had the temperature not been comparable to the Sahara.  It was hot, damn hot!!  The ice cold Pepsi a half mile from camp helped ease our suffering a little bit.  Thanks to Bigfoot for the refreshing trail magic, it made the day, along with our leftover Bacon Pasta.  However, I do have to get my trail legs back.  I am much more tired than I should be, otherwise this entry might be longer.  As it is I feel the need to get some shut eye.  Happy trails!
P.S. I made it to the 6th state - Maryland!!
 
Day 74-76
7/4/12 - 7/6/12
Harpers Ferry/Washington, D.C.

The last few days have been very relaxing and it's been nice to have some down time with 2-Step before we don't get to see each other for the next 2 months.  This will be the longest time that we've been apart since we've been together and we're not looking forward to it.  I always gave credit to the hikers who had significant others off the trail because I thought that would be the hardest thing to do, and now I have to experience it for myself.  Although as I started writing this, my brother just walked through the door after quitting his job, getting another job and telling them he couldn't start until he hiked about 100 miles with me, so I guess I won't be starting out alone just yet.  I'll still miss hiking with 2-Step, but hiking with my brother will help ease me into hiking by myself.  I'm really looking forward to getting back on the trail since I technically haven't been on the trail since Waynesboro about 160 miles away.  Tomorrow, 2-Steps's parents are going to drop my brother and I off at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy where 2-Step and I will sign the registry, get our photo taken in front of the building and find out our hiker number to see how many other hikers have been there before us this summer.  I'll be seeing a lot of them as I cruise down the trail trying to get done in time for classes in the fall.  Hopefully a few of them will be willing to talk to me about why they are hiking the trail.  These next two months will be ineteresting.  I'm apprehensive about finishing on my own, but I think there will be some good things that come out of finishing something I've dreamed about on my own.  Before Harpers Ferry, hiking with 2-Step, it was our hike, we did everything as a team.  Now, even though 2-Step will still play a role in supporting me, it will become my hike.  Every decision I make on the trail will be mine and mine alone.  How long I hike everyday, how many days I'll resupply for, where I stop for breaks, all of these and many other choices will be mine to make alone and the only person they will affect is me.  It has been a few years since that has been the case and it's an exciting, yet lonely feeling.

Day 73-74
7/2/12 - 7/3/12
Shenandoah River
30/20 miles 

Today was a long day.  We paddled hard and made good time, but 30 miles took it out of us and we were ready to stop by the end of the day.  We were thinking that we might delay our take out until the 4th, but after being damp for almost a week and the last few days of heat, we were ready to get out of the boat.  At the end of the day we stopped at another campground and found a spot to set up. We made a delicious dinner of couscous and vegetables with a second course of pasta.  After 30 miles and a full stomach, sleep came easily.  We woke up early, hoping we would be ready to finish up the last 20 miles of our trip and to make it to our 5th state and our 1000 mile mark!  Maybe we didn't walk all 1000 miles, but we paddled enough to make up for it.  When we finally got on the water (our last day on the river) it was slow to start.  It didn't take long for our arms to feel the work out from the day before and it seemed like we might not make it, but we kept paddling and we got to the take out by 3:00pm, an hour earlier than our pick up time.  We were so happy when our shuttle came and even happier when they dropped us off at the hotel.  After showering up, we made the trek across the street to the seven eleven and got a case of beer and then picked up our pizza before heading back to the hotel.  Pizza and beer in bed with TV and A/C was the best thing ever, especially since everything was starting to dry out.  Tess was happy too!  The next day we would be meeting up with 2-Step's parents and catching a ride into D.C. with them where we would spend a couple days at my parents house.  This would give me some time to say good bye to 2-Step and the pups and to prepare myself to finish up the hike without them.

Day 72
7/1/12
Shenandoah River
20 miles

The days have been feeling long with all the paddling we've been doing.  Aquablazing is definitely not a lazy river float.  We work just as hard for our miles as we would be if we were hiking the mountains.  With the temperatures nearing 100 almost everyday it's been hot as well.  We stop to let Tess take breaks and cool off in the water, but it's hard to stay cool on days like the ones we've been experiencing.  The coolest site we saw today was a helicopter helping dump water on a forest fire on the mountains above the river.  We watched it as it made it's loop from wherever it filled up the bucket it was carrying and then back to the mountain to dump the water.  As we continued down the river we kept getting closer to the helicopter's loop and at one point I swear it filled up the bucket just around the bend in the river.  I couldn't be sure though because it was back over the mountain by the time we rounded the bend.  As we were going through a straight section we saw the helicopter coming our way and as we neared the end of the deeper part it stopped just behind us waiting for us to move out of the way.  We did this in a hurry as we felt the wind from the blades on the helicopter sweep over us.  As we cleared out of its way, it dropped its bucket about 50 yards from where we had just been and then flew right over us on it's way back to the fire.  It was so cool, not to mention the relief we got from the heat as the wind from the blades swept over us.  After that experience the day began to feel long.  It was hot and we were trying to make it to Front Royal to get a few food items to help supplement what we had gotten already to finish out the last couple of days.  We didn't get to Front Royal until about 6:00pm and by the time Golden and 2-Step had walked into town and back it was about 8:00pm.  We didn't feel like going too much further after the long hot day we had just experienced and we were glad when not even 100 yards from the boat landing we found a good spot to stop.  We were so tired we just had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner.  

Day 71
6/30/12
Shenandoah River
20 miles

We woke up early with the sun and gathered our things and walked back across the field to the boat.  We were happy to see that the boat had made it through the storm and our cooler full of food was still where we had left it in the middle of the canoe.  We were all very tired and were not motivated to get going, but the sooner we started the day the sooner we could go to sleep again.  Midway through our day we got to the only rapid that the guide actually warns us about.  This perked us up a little bit and we had a good time going through the wave train at the bottom of the rapid.  Even with our canoe so low in the water we made it through without taking on too much water, but there was a good lunch spot at the bottom of the rapid and we stopped anyway to dump the water and take a lunch break, as well as to dry our things from the night before.  We took a long lunch and then continued on our way.  We made sure to make camp earlier tonight and enjoyed our delicious dinner of brats and sauerkraut before falling into one of the deepest, most exhausted sleeps of our lives. 

Day 70
6/29/12
Shenandoah River
20 miles

Today was definitely not as intersting as the night was.  We had a long day where we were out of the boat almost as much as we were in the boat.  The water level was really messing with us during this section of the river because there were so many rocks and it got so shallow. We were pretty loaded down with three people and a dog and a cooler full of heavy food items.  This meant that we got stuck just as much as we floated and we were in and out of the boat all day pushing it over the shallow sections.  Since we had such a long slow day on the river we didn't get off the boat until about 8:00pm.  This meant we were scrambling to find a place to hang our hammocks, set up Golden's tent and cook dinner before dark.  Normally this wouldn't have been a big deal, but there wasn't a good place to hang our hammocks in a hay field, which turned out to be a good thing in the end.  As I was rigging up our tarp as a lean to, using one of the hay bails in the field, we noticed lightning off in the distance.  We were confused because we didn't think there was supposed to be any significant weather over the next few days and nights.  Fortunately, 2-Step had cell service and was able to use her phone to check the weather.  Turns out that out of nowhere a severe thunderstorm system had formed and was moving towards us fast.  There was a severe thunderstorm warning out in the area where we were located and they were calling for tornado force winds with gusts up to 80 mph.  As 2-Step was checking her phone we watched the storm move closer and closer.  Within 5 minutes of her first checking her phone we felt the first gusts of wind and we were scrambling to get our site cleaned up and everything underneath our tarp or in Golden's tent.  Within 10 minutes of 2-Step checking her phone the full force of the storm was upon us.  I've never experienced a more intense storm in my life.  I definitely thought that something serious would happen to us or our gear.  Sitting side by side in Golden's tent with Tess just fitting in the space in her vestibule, we waited out the storm listening to the winds tear through the trees like they were toothpicks.  2-Step and I were so thankful we hadn't hung our hammocks where we originally thought we would.  Even sitting in the tent away from the trees a little bit we were certain that the wind would blow a tree down right on top of us.  We were all definitely nervous and 2-Step was keeping an eye on the weather radar, watching the progress of the storm.  The only good thing about the winds was that it meant the storm would blow over fairly quickly, but the hour and a half that it took to blow over felt like the longest length of time in my life.  It was so surreal once the storm had blown over to be sitting in the still air again, it was as if nothing had even happened it was so calm. Thus began the most uncomfortable night of sleep on the trail.  Without camping pads and a way to hang our hammocks, 2-step and I shared her bugnet and used my hammock as a ground cover to lay on.  We felt like a can of sardines and needless to say we did not sleep well at all. 

Day 69
6/28/12
Shenandoah River
20 miles

The guide that Jeff had provided us for the river let us know that if we made it 20 miles we would be able to camp at a campground and the thought of a real cup of coffee in the morning helped us get there.  We knew that a group of hikers had started just a day before us and we were wondering if we would catch up to them at some point.  As we got to our first portage around a dam we found them.  They were just getting their day started as we were pulling up to the dam to unload and carry everything around to the other side.  Since there were some things that we had to take care of while phone service was available the other hikers got ahead of us again, but we were pretty sure we would catch up to them.  It didn't take us long after getting done with our phones to find them.  They had tied their canoes together and had formed one massive tank of a water vehicle.  We joined forces and floated down the river without paddling for a few hours.  Since everyone had coolers, everyone had beer too so we enjoyed a lazy float down the river with some cold beverages.  After a few hours of hanging out, we had to break up the party since they were getting off the river that day and we had a few more miles to paddle before our day was over. It didn't take long though and we were at the campground unpacking our boat and getting ready for our dinner of bacon and chicken tortellini.  I could definitely get used to this canoeing thing if I eat like we have been. 

Day 68
6/27/12
Shenandoah River
20 miles

We woke up bright and early for our first full day on the river and had a delicious breakfast of granola and yogurt to get us started out right.  We got packed up and were on our way down the river.  Having never been on an overnight canoe trip, we were all pretty excited to see what this part of our journey would bring.  I felt a little like Huck Finn when he started his adventure on the Mississippi River.  It didn't take long for us to find a spot that looked so cool we had to pull over and check it out.  A tunnel that went below the train tracks right next to the river led to an area that was so green it seemed fake.  After exploring for a little bit and getting some pictures we continued on our way.  After a few miles I saw something floating in the water and as we got closer it started moving and then split up into five smaller objects.  When we got just a little bit closer I realized that we were seeing river otters. I've never seen an otter in real life and almost thought I was imagining it, but when I realized I wasn't dreaming I got really excited.  We never would have seen these animals from the trail and so it just helped justify our choice to aquablaze that much more.  At the end of the day we found another perfect campsite along the edge of the river complete with a fire ring already built up.  We enjoyed our delicious meal of chili cheese dogs and smores and fell asleep more satisfied from dinner than I've ever been on the trail.  It helps when you don't have to carry all the food on your back.

Day 67
6/26/12
Shenandoah River
10 miles/15 miles shuttle

The shuttle to the river wasn't going to pick us up until 4:30pm so we had the day to organize our things and buy the food for our trip.  By the time 4:30pm came around we were ready to go.  Jeff, the guy who owned the canoes, came and picked us up and drove us to the river where he gave us a pep talk on the low water levels and helped take some pictures of us all loaded up on the canoe.  Since we got such a late start on the river, we only paddled for a couple hours before we stopped and found our first campsite.  The dinner for the night was steak and it was delicious!


Day 65-66
6/24/12 - 6/25/12
Waynesboro, VA
0 miles

Before we could do anything else, we made our way over to the Y and got our showers.  It was a welcome relief after almost making myself sick with my own stench.  Although having to put the dirty clothes back on was not the most exciting thing since we hadn't had a chance to do our laundry yet.  As everyone else from our slack packing group was talking about aquablazing, we were packing up our things to go meet our friend Golden at a hotel where we planned on splitting a room for the night.  We had talked about wanting to aquablaze before, but didn't know anything about it and didn't know if it was something that would work out.  When we met up with our friend Golden, she asked if we wanted to aquablaze with her and we started making some calls.  We found a company that gave us a pretty good deal for a canoe and shuttles to and from the river. We could also paddle all 150 miles from Waynesboro to Harpers Ferry.  We got pretty excited and started making plans; plans being what we would eat for dinner.  Since we had time to spare because we had to wait for a canoe to come back from a group already out on the river, we took the next couple of days to run our errands and plan out our meals. 

Day 64
6/23/12
Reeds Gap - Waynesboro, VA
19.3 miles

2-Step and I were only 2 of 4 people that decided to hike that day.  Some of the other hikers in our group had had a little more fun than us at the brewery and just weren't feeling up to hiking almost 20 miles that day.  Since we knew we were going to be in town that night, we took our time and stopped at all the viewpoints for breaks throughout the day.  One of our stops for water also led to an interesting conversation with Regina the Ridge Runner.  It was nice meeting you and we enjoyed the conversation about hiking and eco-psychology.  We also heard the crying bear that you had mentioned.  I wish we knew what was going on, it sounded so sad.  We eventually made it to town and hitched a ride in with a couple of ladies who had just finished up a 500 mile section hike.  Being hikers themselves, they knew that a cold beverage at the end of the hike was always welcome. When their husbands pulled up to pick us up, there was cooler stocked with cold beers and soda.  They gave us one for the road and when we got to the YMCA they gave us another for camp.  We couldn't think of a better way to end the day than having a cold beer or two, except maybe the free shower that was waiting for us at Y.  Unfortunately, they closed earlier than we thought they would and we didn't get the shower that was very much needed.  There have been no other times on the trail where my hiker stink could make me sick, but I had finally reached that point.  I was ready for a shower on Wednesday and today was Saturday with no chance of a shower until the next day.  We had made it to town and I made that work for me until I could get a shower the next day.

Day 63
6/22/12
USFS road 246 - Reeds Gap
22.1 miles

2-Step was going to take another zero today, but because so many people had the same idea in the group it turned into a near-o.  In order to help out Albatross and make the shuttling easier, all the people taking a near-o would hike 6 miles up the trail to the next road crossing that was more conveniently located to where we were stopping for the night, the Devil's Backbone Brewery.  We got a pretty early start at about 7:30am and had the 6 miles done by 10:30am.  From there I would hike the last 14 miles on my own.  I started out quickly and had the first climb done in no time.  With the Black Keys playing on the ipod, I started the long descent down to the next road crossing and the last climb of the day.  Now, I could have made the day longer by following all the white blazes, but we had gotten word of a blue blaze trail that cut out about 4 miles, although it was much steeper than the actual AT.  Since we were ending at a brewery, I figured I'd take the blue blazes and get there a little faster.  Although I might have made it to Reeds Gap faster, I definitely worked for it.  There was no messing around on the blue blaze.  It went straight up the mountain with little to no switchbacks.  On the bright side, it followed a creek the entire time and I got a cool breeze coming down the mountain.  There were all sorts of swimming holes and little falls along the trail that I wouldn't have seen if I had followed the white blazes.  There were also lots of awesome campsites along the creek that made me wish 2-Step and Tess and our full packs were with me so we could have stopped at one of them.  Patches, the only person who didn't take the blue blaze that day, said we didn't miss anything at all by taking the blue blaze.  At the end of the day, I made a call to the brewery to see if we could get a ride because another hiker had told us they would shuttle people to and from the trail.  The rental car was indisposed and wasn't able to come pick us up from Reeds Gap, which is why I made the call.  The hostess answered the phone and said that hikers got rides from employees that didn't mind coming to pick us up on their way to work.  It turns out, I called at the perfect time because they were able to reach an employee who was about to go to work 30 minutes from when I called and said she had a truck big enough for everyone and the dog.  I would like to go ahead and thank Smooth for giving me the heads up on the brewery.  They were worth the visit and were very hiker friendly.  I'd also like to thank the folks at the bar that bought us a couple rounds.  We had an interesting conversation and we enjoyed meeting new people.  After dinner we wandered over to the old sandwich shop that the brewery lets hikers stay in.  Although there weren't any showers, we had A/C and bathrooms and that was enough for us. We were going to be in Waynsboro, VA the next day and were going to be able to get free showers and camping at the YMCA.

Day 62
6/21/12
BRP 51.7 - USFS road 246
20.6 miles

I was dreading having to hike today.  I was so drained from the heat of the day before that I didn't think I could survive another hot day, but 2-Step and I got up and on the trail as early as possible.  This helped a lot and before it could get too hot, we were on our way and crusing down the trail.  About half way through the day we got to our first shelter and stopped for a break before the big climb of the day. We sat there for a while and some of the other slack packers caught up to us and did the same thing.  No one was motivated to start the climb, especially those of us that had hiked the day before.  Eventually we mustered up the courage to keep going and started the climb.  The first mile of the climb was fairly mellow and it led up to a road crossing where we saw some dark clouds forming through the break in the trees.  We then gained some energy with the hope that it would rain on us as we made our way up the steeper miles of the climb.  With thoughts of rain in our heads we started up and it didn't take long for the climb to feel as if it was going straight up.  The clouds had moved closer to us at this point and when we reached a spot where the climb leveled out for a few yards, we experienced one of those perfect moments on the trail.  We had just finished a steep section and as the trail leveled out for a few yards before the next climb, we got a cool wind that washed over us like we had just stepped into an air conditioned room.  It was truly perfect and it gave us a boost of energy and attitude that we needed to help get us up the next mile of the climb.  It wasn't long after the cool wind that we felt some rain start to fall and it helped ease my apprehension about finishing the climb and the rest of the day.  The temperature cooled of dramatically and it didn't take us long to finish up the last few miles of the day.

Day 61
6/20/12
Thunder Hill Ridge - Blue Ridge Parkway mile 51.7
25.5 miles

2-Step had decided to take a zero today and have some girl time since all the girls in the slack pack group had decided to not hike that day.  It was a welcome break for her and she didn't miss much on the hike.  There were some views, but this was the hottest day we've had on the trail and there was so much moisture in the air that you couldn't see much from the viewpoints anyway.  To give you an idea of how hot it was, when I got done with the day someone asked me if it had rained because I was soaked from head to toe. Unfortunately for me, it wasn't rain that had soaked my shirt and shorts. There was a cool part of the day though.  After my lunch break, I crossed the James River Foot Bridge, which is the longest foot-use only bridge on the trail.  It was pretty neat, but shortly after that I experienced the worst climb ever on the trail.  I didn't have to hike as fast as I was going, but when I hike by myself and know that 2-Step is waiting for me at the end of the trail, I like to get there quickly so we can spend more of the day together, rather than apart.  This could have been the wrong thing to do for the climb that I was on with the heat that I was feeling, but I didn't stop. Actually, I stopped, a lot, but I tried to go as fast as the heat would allow.  I finished the day quickly, but even the folks getting in after me thought that the day was pretty miserable and let everyone who hadn't hiked know that they probably made the right choice.

Day 60
6/19/12
Thunder Hill Ridge - Jennings Creek
14 miles

The beauty of having a car available is that you don't always have to hike north.  Moonshine, Albatross' wife, had planned today as a southbound hike because there was a major climb that we would have had to go up rather than down if we went northbound.  2-Step and I were part of the first shuttle to the trail that day so we got a good start on the hike.  Shortly after we hopped onto the trail, there was a blue blaze that led to a 200 foot waterfall that we thought would be an interesting site, especially since there was a loop back to the trail.  The trail to the falls was 1 mile off the AT and we didn't think much about it because of the loop back onto the trail; that is until we found out that there was no loop and we had to hike back up the mile we had gone down.  It was at this point that we realized the loop that we thought was there was another side trail that paralleled the AT for a mile before cutting back onto the trail.  We had already gone out of our way so 2-Step and I decided to see where this other trail took us.  We followed an overgrown path that looked as if it had once been a road of some sort. At first we weren't sure if we should turn around or not, but our interest in seeing where the trail led kept us going forward, and since we followed white blazes everyday, we thought a break from that would be good since we were already off the trail anyway.  About a mile after turning onto the second side trail, we came to an intersection that pointed us in the direction of the AT, and a half mile later we were back on our way north.  We thought we were going to be getting back earlier since we had gotten such a good start on our day, but the whole waterfall fiasco had taken longer than we thought, so we ended our day much later than we had initially planned on.  Oh well, that's one of the things about the trail, you can plan on one thing, but more than likely something else is going to happen.  It wasn't the end of the world, and we got to hang out at the Jennings Creek swimming hole another night, so it wasn't all that bad.

Day 59
6/18/12
Daleville,VA - Jennings Creek
28.2 miles

We started out late for such a long day, but the plan was to see where we got.  If people didn't want to hike all 28 miles, the driver of the rental car, Albatross, would be waiting at the last road crossing before our campsite to help shuttle people to the Jennings Creek swimming hole.  2-Step and I weren't worried too much about where we ended up and just enjoyed the day.  The terrain wasn't that bad, there were some climbs, but it was a comfortable temperature and a good day to be hiking, especially without a full pack on our backs.  About halfway through the day, the clouds grew dark and it started pouring on us, fortunately we were only about a mile from the next shelter and we were able to get there and meet up with the other slack packers to dry off for a minute and see if we could wait out the storm.  It wasn't long before the rain stopped, the sun came out, and we could continue on our merry way.  There weren't many views, so we didn't stop for too many breaks and we were at the road crossing where Albatross was waiting for anyone that didn't want to continue on to the Jennings Creek road crossing 8 miles away.  2-Step was tired after 20 miles and decided to take the ride to camp.  Since there were only 8 miles left, I figured I would leave my pack with her and only bring a water bottle, granola bar, and the page from the guide book with the terrain profile for the last 8 miles.  Now I'm the first person to avoid running, but since I've been on the trail and my legs are my only mode of transportation, I've tried to get to places faster and faster, and that has started to involve running. Only carrying a water bottle in my hands gave me the opportunity to do a little trail running, and I finished up the last 8 miles of the day in about 1 hour and 30 minutes.  That's definitely no world record, but I was happy to have set, what I thought, was a good pace for myself.  2-Step helped my mood even more when she told me she had gotten me 2 Whoppers for dinner.  It didn't take long before dark came and we were in our hammocks waiting to see what the next day would bring.

Day 57-58
6/16/12-6/17/12
Daleville, VA
0 miles

Since my dad and brother were planning on coming to pick up Molly we had a zero day to spend in Daleville.  On the slack pack into town, I had decided it was time to get a new pair of shoes.  My clean socks that I had put on the morning of the hike should not have been as dirty and crusty as they were at the end of one day.  The stench emanating from the bowels of my shoes was more than anyone should have to deal with.  After about 750 miles of use, it was time to retire them and I wasn't sad.  2-Step was also in need of a new pair of shoes since the ones she had bought in Hot Springs, NC were already starting to blow out and looked just as old as mine after only 300 miles of use. We thought that the outfitters in town might have a pair of shoes for each of us, so we headed that way after a leisurely morning.  The outfitters wasn't much help since they didn't have a pair of shoes that worked for either of us less than $100.  The whole store was rather outrageously priced and we didn't spend much time looking around.  After that little excursion we spent the rest of our time waiting for my dad and brother to arrive.  We parked by the pool with the other hikers staying at the hotel.  Soon enough they arrived and we spent some time catching up before heading out to Roanoke, VA where 2-step and I had found a Gander Mountain that had some shoes we were interested in trying on.  Success!  We both found a pair of shoes we liked and we didn't have to pay as much as we thought we would, which is always a bonus.  After a successful shoe search, we got back to the hotel to drop our things off before going out to eat some delicious southern barbeque.  The next day, we got up earlier to get our resupply done before my dad and brother had to leave to head back to D.C.  2-Step and I were so glad that my dad could take time out of his weekend to help us out.  We are truly very thankful for all the help and support my parents have provided this summer.  I don't know what we would have done if they had not been able to help us get Molly off the trail.  I was able to tell my dad happy Father's Day and thank you the next day, but I'd like to give a belated Happy Father's Day here as well.  Thank you for all the support and guidance you've given me over the years; without it I don't know if I would have been confident enough to have planned this hike.  I appreciate everything you've done for me over the years and I apologize if it hasn't always come across that way.  Thank you.  After saying our good-byes to my dad and brother, and of course, Molly, we went about organizing our things and repacking our bags to get back on the trail.  We were moving pretty slow since we only planned on hiking 5 miles.  Even with a late check out, we still went down to the pool to finish doing everything we wanted to do before heading north.  We ended up having some left over food that we couldn't finish and when we finally decided we couldn't drag our feet anymore, we picked up our bags and went over to a group of hikers that had just arrived, to see if they wanted any salad and a bottle of dressing.  I'm so glad we did, because while talking to them we found out that 2 people had just left their group and they had an opening for 2 more people to join their slack packing group.  It didn't take much convincing and within 2 minutes of talking to them we had dropped our packs, been handed a couple beers each, and were sitting in the circle of hikers catching up with Screaming Eagle, a friend of ours that we hadn't seen in a few weeks.  It's funny how things work out sometimes.  We did not want to get back on the trail that day and in a matter of minutes, had found ourselves taking another zero with the opportunity to slack pack all the way to Waynesboro, VA, 134 miles away.  There were going to be some long days ahead of us since we were going to get done with the 134 miles in 6 days, but we also weren't going to be carrying our full packs everyday.