Sunday, June 22, 2014

Halfway

Day 88

We woke up to find our shoes dry enough that, combined with our second pair of socks we kept dry, our entire selves were completely dry for the first time in several days! We hiked up, across, and down a mountain  ten miles to where the Trail took us through Caledonia State. Here there was a pool and small snack bar where we got lunch and cold drinks. It was hot. We hiked on, up another small mountain and across it a long ways. Toward the end of the hike we celebrated with dancing passing the official halfway point for this year. A small, makeshift sign had been erected to mark it. After resting there for a bit we pushed on a couple miles to Toms Run Shelters where we spent the night.

Miles hiked today: 25.8 Total AT miles completed: 1094.6 Total AT miles left to hike: 1090.7

Day 89

We woke up and only ate half our breakfast, one poptart instead of two, in preparation for our upcoming challenge. We got hiking, slightly downhill a little over three miles to Pine Grove Furnace State Park. We walked into the small general store, home of the half gallon challenge. It is traditional for thruhikers to consume a whole half gallon of ice cream in celebration of making it halfway on the Appalachian Trail. We had been excited about this for a couple of days and I was sure I could easily do it. The selection was a bit slim, but Nepsis chose Moose Tracks and I chose Chocolate Peanutbutter. The carton looked bigger than I remember them being. We took the ice cream outside to a picnic table with a stopwatch and the logbook for others who have come before us to tackle this challenge. We were off and I immediately knew I was in trouble because I only had a flimsy plastic spoon, whereas Nepsis had the spork. I also didn't realize that my ice cream would have big, hard-to-chew swirls of something they called peanutbutter in it. I thought there would be small peanutbutter cups. I regretted my decision and Nepsis was soon further than I. After about twenty minutes I don't think I'd even eaten a third and was feeling bad and didn't want to eat any more ice cream. I ate a spoonful every couple of minutes. Nepsis began to feel bad too, but she was already more than halfway done. We decided to visit the nearby AT museum and then get back to the ice cream. Nepsis asked to store hers in the freezer, but I kept mine out, knowing I was done anyway. The museum was small, but cool and had lots of memorabilia of the earliest, famous thruhikers and one of the earliest shelters broken down and was remade for the museum. After putting off the inevitable we went back, Nepsis to finish her ice cream and me to admit defeat and throw the rest of mine away. They gave Nepsis a commemorative wooden spoon with "Member of Half Gal. Club" stamped on it. We bought a few items for resupply and tried to let the ice cream digest a little before continuing on. We went slowly and even though the terrain was pretty easy, Nepsis was feeling bad. We decided to cut the day short and after ten more miles, including passing the 1100th mile we got picked up by the owner of Holly Inn, Restaurant and Tavern in Mt. Holly Springs where we got a room. It was nice to shower and rest and we even got to watch half of a World Cup game while we had dinner and beer at the tavern.

Miles hiked today: 14.1 Total AT miles completed: 1108.7 Total AT miles left to hike: 1076.6

Day 90

We got a ride back to the Trail as early as we could. After a couple of miles we went up a little and had to maneuver through a rock maze before going up and down a few more small mountains. We went back down and the Trail passed through through Boiling Springs where we had a great lunch with an awesome smoothie and gourmet cupcake at a local cafe/bakery. While there I watched the live written updates of the first German World Cup match of the year. We resupplied at a gas station across the street and started hiking. A hiker from across the street ran over and asked if he could hike with us. We agreed and he told us his name was Neckbone from Georgia and we talked with him while we hiked fast on very flat farmland, through fields and meadows. After several miles he told a story from his life that lasted an hour. It was a great time to pass the time. We parted ways when he got cell service so he could call his girlfriend and shortly after we discovered we were out of water. Anf it was hot, with little shade from trees, and we were hiking fast. I had forgotten to fill up in town and there wasn't any more water on the Trail for miles. So we hiked a bit further to a road and walked down it a half a mile to a Flying J Truckstop. We bought two Gatorades each and I downed one immediately. We then went to Duncan Donuts next door for some treats and just to sit down to rest for awhile. When we were ready we started walking back and Nepsis decided to try hitchhiking, but a state trooper pulled over and told us it was illegal to hitchhike in Pennsylvania. So we got back on the Trail and hiked on the flat terrain again for many miles and had one last push up a mountain to Darlington Shelter. We got there late and made dinner and got ready for bed, but it got dark before we were ready. When we did get under the sleeping quilt, we could hear thunder around us, but none ever reached us.

Miles hiked today: 22.1 Total AT miles completed: 1131.8 Total AT miles left to hike: 1053.5

Day 91

We began the day with an easy hike, with one small climb and along a ridge before descending the mountains in the late morning. The Trail led us through the outskirts of a town before taking us to the center of the small town along the main road. There was a construction crew blocking the way and the Trail was diverted around it through a park. Once we were back to the road we found the Doyal Hotel, a large, rundown building. Through the entrance was a small bar with a couple guests sipping drinks at the bar, and an old couple behind the bar. We sat as the wife slowly checked us in, with her small-town combination of friendliness and sass. We climbed the giant spiraling staircase to the third floor and our corner room, which was small, with no central air, but a small, creaky bed, a table, and a dresser. The whole place was run down, not just the hotel, but the whole town. All the houses were shabby or broken. Most of the town center storefronts were empty or boarded up. We went to the local pub for lunch where they were out of over half the food we tried to order. Our hotel had a computer with slow Internet in the barroom that Nepsis used while I blogged on the phone. After awhile we got incredible ice cream at a little kiosk, before heading back to the hotel where an employee from a grocery store came in a van to pick hikers up for resupply. We ate dinner back at the hotel and soon went to bed in the sweltering heat, trying to decide whether or not to shut the windows to keep the screaming noise of the nearby trains at bay.

Miles hiked today: 11.3 Total AT miles completed: 1143.1 Total AT miles left to hike: 1042.2

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

DC and Rainy Maryland

Day 84

We woke up and soon were on the subway trying to figure out where to transfer while everyone sped by all around us. We made it at last to Columbia Heights where we hit up Sticky Fingers Bakery. I got a yummy pistachio donut and Nepsis got a yummy cupcake. We stayed for a couple of hours, sipping on coffee. For lunch we went to a Hispanic bakery called Hellers and visited the Museum of Unnatural History. While we were inside it started to rain hard so we dashed to a nearby store to buy an umbrella. We then walked to the zoo and especially  enjoyed the golden lion tamarind who sort of looked like me. After the zoo we walked down to Dupont Circle and stopped for a quick dinner at Paneras. We visited the White House and the Washington Monument before taking the subway back to my brother's house to rest from walking around. When my brother and his wife came back home we had a nice time talking with them around the dining room table for awhile before going to sleep.

Day 85

We woke up and had plans for some sightseeing and museums before catching the four o'clock train, but instead stayed in and rested. We did our laundry and watched Modern Family on the Roku. For lunch we got some pizza and wonderful pretzels from the Pretzel Factory that had a wonderful caramel-mustard sauce to go with it. Our resting had to come to an end and so we hiked to Union Station, stopping at a store along the way to resupply. We got some dinner on the train and walked straight from the station in Harper's Ferry to the AT, which took us on a bridge over the Potomac River right into Maryland. The first few miles we walked on a wide, flat path between the river and the railroad tracks. Then the Trail turned and went up. As we climbed it started to rain lightly. After a few minutes Nepsis decided to put on her poncho. I put mine on too even though I would have waited for it to rain harder. Well, as soon as we pulled on the ponchos a heavy rain broke out. It got heavier and heavier and started to thunder and flash lightning. We stomped onward, and in a manner of minutes the entire Trail turned into a small stream. We were soaked. We tried to dodge the puddles, but this was futile. We ended up have to wade through some water that was over our ankles. After a couple of miles the storm stopped and I snapped a few photos before heading on to Ed Garvey Shelter. We thought there'd be hardly any hikers there and looked forward to that, but as we approached we heard a lot of noise. Inside the large two-story shelter were twelve boy scouts. They were very loud as we tried to set up our sleeping gear around them and the older ones kept apologizing and failing to get the younger ones to quiet down. Finally, the scout master came over from his tent and threatened to kick them all out of the shelter if they didn't quiet down. They kept quiet after that and we tried to sleep as another big storm erupted outside.

Miles hiked today: 6 Total AT miles completed: 1025.9 Total AT miles left to hike: 1159.4

Day 86

We woke up wet, changed into our wet clothes and shoes, and hiked in total wetness. The ground was wet, the plants and trees were wet, the air was wet with mist, and the Trail was wet with puddles and moving puddles. The terrain was easy to hike across, but we felt slow in all the wetness. After a few miles the Trail took us through Gathland State Park which had two one-room museums about the Civil War and Gath, a civil war reporter and author. After visiting these we went to the War Correspondents Memorial created by Gath before moving on down the Trail. We hiked along across the ridge line and down before it began to lightly rain. We pushed on up to the Washington Monument State Park for lunch even though it was late. We didn't want to stop until we could get under a pavilion and out of the rain. When we got to the pavilion near the monument itself, we found a bunch of the Warrior Hikers there. These hikers are all veterans who are supported along the way by local VFWs providing food and shelter. As we ate it began to really pour and the veterans mentioned they were getting a meal there in just a couple of hours. We were planning to hike much further, but the rain and wetness of everything really made it difficult to put in many miles. So we stayed and enjoyed fried chicken, mac and cheese, and baked beans safe under a pavilion as the rain came down in torrents outside. After we had our fill and the rain let up we journeyed on. We stopped by the Washington Monument, the first one ever made. It was small and crude, but crafted by some locals who wanted to show appreciation for the first president rather then some kind of big government or big business venture. We hiked three and a half more miles and squeezed into the small Pine Knob Shelter for the night.

Miles hiked today: 16.4 Total AT miles completed: 1042.5 Total AT miles left to hike: 1142.8

Day 87

We woke up and hiked. Everything was still wet, including us. We hiked nonetheless, on flat ground for a few hours. It began raining lightly and we soon pulled into a shelter for a break. Just as we were about to leave it began to pour. So, instead of getting even more wet or wasting time waiting, we had an early lunch. By the time we finished, the rain was done and we moved on. After a few miles we came upon a stream at Warner Gap. The small wooden plank that served as a bridge was completely covered and looked like it was jolted diagonally by the rushing water. We walked across the plank and had to step into the strong current for a few steps and slowly make the few steps to dry land. A little bit farther was Little Antietam Creek which was probably about five times wider than the stream with faster currents and no bridge at all. We stepped in, and the water came up past our knees as we carefully forded across. It was pretty fun. Just after we crossed the creek we passed a man with a camera going south, a road with a parked car, and up a hilly meadow. As we hiked up someone was shouting from behind. It was the man with the camera running to catch up with us. He asked to take our portraits and explained that he was a photographer for a project called Looking at Appalachia. When I find that he has posted the photos of us, I'll certainly provide the link. We hiked on quickly as the skies finally cleared and the sun shined down on us for the first time in a few days. It felt great as we hiked several miles to Pen Mar County Park where we order a large supreme pizza and a 2-liter root beer to be delivered. It came quite fast and we consumed most of it, while saving the rest for later. We got hiking again and soon passed the Mason-Dixie Line, crossing over into Pennsylvania. We hiked a few more miles to Tumbling Run Shelters where Forrester Gump, Wrecking Ball, and Pack Rat greeted us. The shelters were the best I've ever seen. Both shelters were small, and one was labeled for snoring and the other for non-snoring. There was a pavilion to cover the picnic table, the paths to the tent-sites and spring were well blazed, and the privy had four rolls of toilet paper and air fresheners hung up. After a bit of chatting, we quickly fell asleep, the non-snoring shelter all to ourselves.

Miles hiked today: 26.3 Total AT miles completed: 1068.8 Total AT miles left to hike: 1116.5                          

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Roller Coasters and Train Rides

Day 79
We woke up early and left the motel early to resupply at a local grocery store. Then we headed over to the library for a few hours of blogging. Before leaving town we went out for some spectacular malts/milkshakes and fries. We hitched back to the Trail and hiked an easy few miles up a gradual incline to Jim & Molly Denton Shelter where there was a deck with chairs we sat in to read.
Miles hiked today: 5.2 Total AT miles completed: 970.8 Total AT miles left to hike: 1214.5
Day 80
We woke up pretty early and hiked quickly all day. Despite taking an hour to eat lunch, we arrived at our planned destination at three o'clock. So we decided to move on to the next shelter and get half of the "roller coaster" over with. The "roller coaster" is the nickname of a stretch of thirteen and a half miles of tightly packed ascents and descents. When we got to the beginning of them a sign was posted warning us about them. Although they were tiring they weren't too big and not very difficult. After riding them halfway we came to Sam Moore Shelter where we spent the night with a bunch of weekenders.
Miles hiked today: 25.3 Total AT miles completed: 996.1 Total AT miles left to hike: 1189.2
Day 81
We woke up and soon began riding the roller coaster again. After a few miles we stopped by the Bears Den Hostel which was a small stone castle just off the Trail in the middle of the forest. It was built in the early thirties by a rich couple, but is now owned by the AT. We enjoyed a couple of cold sodas on the couch. It was already a hot day. We continued on the roller coaster and just before the next road at Snickers Gap was a cooler filled with cold drinks and cookies. Just across the road was a small pile of snacks and fruit. There was also a couple there who looked like they may have just finished a weekend hike and they gave us some Snickers. A short distance down the Trail we celebrated crossing the one thousand mile mark with dancing. We finished up the roller coaster, began hiking on the Virginia-West Virginia border and journeyed across the Devils Racecourse, a boulder field. I didn't really notice anything special about it because we frequently have had to traverse across rock and boulder fields. From here the terrain was easy and after grabbingba hot dinner from a gas station just off the Trail, we set up our tent at one of the only semi-flat spots around, just a couple miles from Harper's Ferry. We fell asleep to some loud music pumping through the woods, we guessed from some big house party nearby.
Miles hiked today: 20.9 Total AT miles completed: 1017 Total AT miles left to hike: 1167.9
Day 82
We woke up, took down our tent and began hiking. Soon we crossed over the border into West Virginia, leaving Virginia for good. We don't know exactly when we did this though because there was no sign. We hiked down the small mountain and crossed the Shenandoah River on a walkway right next to the noisy highway. After crossing the bridge we turned east and hiked on the edge of the town until the Trail popped out in the historic downtown. The place was deserted and all the restaurants and cafes were closed. We found one inn that served breakfast, ate, then headed into the residential part of town where we booked a stay at the Teahorse Hostel. We quickly showered and stopped by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Headquarters to get our picture taken for their album and records. Right after, we went to a Methodist church service where Forrester Gump was also. The kids were in charge of the service and we had cake after. For lunch, we went to the Canal House, a fancy and quaint little eaterie. After, we walked back to the historic part of town to find it overflowing with tourists. We took part in the fun, walking from exhibit to exhibit for several hours. After we'd had enough tourism and tourists we headed back to the hostel to relax. The hostel was very clean and comfortable and there was a lot of extra food we took for resupply. We also found some denatured alcohol in the hiker box. We went to sleep clean, comfortable and dry as it stormed outside.
Miles hiked today: 2.9 Total AT miles hiked: 1019.9 Total AT miles left to hike: 1165.4
Day 83
We set our watch alarm for six in the morning, but woke up a bit earlier than that anyway. We packed up and within a few minutes the owner of the hostel came in with her son to make waffles for breakfast. After, the owner drove us to the train station where we caught a train to Washington DC. As soon as we entered Union Station the hustle and bustle of the city hit us. We found an exit and walked over to the Capitol Building. It was still early enough to be clear of tourists. We then headed to the mall where some large groups of tourists were already forming. Since the museums weren't open yet we walked around and looked at the outdoor sculptures. A few minutes before ten we went to wait outside the Museum of Natural History where several large groups of schoolkids and other tourists had already gathered. When the doors opened we had to go through a security checkpoint. Everyone could just step through the metal detector, but if you had a bag, they had to search it. When the security person saw our bags he sent us over to an extra security person. She asked about our trekking poles and when we started emptying them she stopped us and just asked us if we had any knives. When we said no we took the bags to the locker room and squeezed them in. Free of our packs, we explored the museum, then hit up the more famous pieces at the National Art Museum. Since the overpriced slices of cheese pizza at the museum cafe didn't fill us up we walked to Le Bon Cafe, past all the tourists around the mall and past all the professionals around the Capitol. We had delicious French fare there and made our way to a contemporary art museum and enjoyed some paintings and videos there. By that time we were both quite tired of walking around museums so we got our bags from the lockers and decided to slowly make our way over to where my brother and his wife lived, to make it in time when one of them would be home for work. It was a hot and muggy day, even the city squirrels could feel it. We walked north and along H Street so we could enjoy pie at Dangerously Delicious Pies. We then walked over to Lincoln Park and enjoyed watching the many dogs playing there. We then went to my brother's house where his wife welcomed us and we took showers and settled in. When my brother came, they took us out to eat at a yummy Thai restaurant. We then went back to the house to sleep.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

The Shenandoahs

Day 72

I woke up feeling even better, but I didn't have much of an appetite and ate very little at the continental breakfast. We stayed in the hotel room until we had to checkout and headed to a laundromat to do our laundry. At some point we decided to take another zero to rest, especially considering the church hostel was now open and offered a free dinner and vesper service. After doing our laundry we went to the library for a few hours. We bought a few items for lunch at Kroger, but I still didn't have an appetite and ate little. We went to the free church hostel and had their potluck dinner. Again, I didn't eat very much. At the vesper service, the pastor talked about how great it was for us to be able to walk. He talked about how people are in their cars too much and don't get to engage the world from inside, but we, as walkers get to engage with nature and people a lot more easily. Soon after vespers we went to sleep with all the other hikers in the big auditorium room.

Day 73

We woke up and ate a little of the breakfast they had provided at the church. We hitched back to the Trail in the back of a pickup truck After a few minutes of hiking through the dreary, wet air we reach the entrance station for the Shenandoah National Park, where we registered for free. As we hiked on my stomach began to really hurt and I moved very slow. I felt like I was still sick, but pushed on for several miles before we sat for a snack. I thought maybe I was just weak and needed food so I ate a lot even though I didn't feel like eating that much. Once we began hiking again I felt all better. We hiked a few more miles to Calf Mountain Shelter where we ate lunch. We decided to spend the night there even though it was so early and we hadn't gone very far, mostly because it was supposed to rain in the early evening and we were going too slow to reach the next shelter before then. After a little while the sun came out to stay, but we stayed inside the shelter. Nepsis read while I read and napped. By the end of the day we wished we had gone on, but it was too late so we went to sleep and planned to wake up early and hike a long day.

Miles hiked today: 7.6 Total AT miles completed: 865.5 Total AT miles left to hike: 1319.8

Day 74

We woke up at five o'clock and started hiking. The terrain wasn't too bad. After a few hours we began to see several weekenders hiking on the Trail too. We also found a fairly large turtle on the Trail. The Trail kept weaving back and forth across the Skyline Drive which runs through the entire Shenandoahs. In the afternoon we passed by Loft Mountain Campground and went to the camp store to get a day's worth of resupply. When we were back on the Trail for just a few minutes Nepsis stopped and pointed forward. Just ahead, right on the Trail was a mamma black bear with two little cubs. They saw us and dashed into the bushes. When we got closer, we saw one of the cubs in a nearby tree, peering down at us. He jumped down and ran away. Nepsis noticed they had flipped over a large stone and were eating the bugs underneath it. A mile further we took a side trail down to one of the famous Waysides that sold the blackberry milkshakes I had read so much about during my research for our journey. When we got there I was hugely disappointed to find out their milkshake machine was broken. We bought dinner though, which neither of us could finish. I went to the bathroom and discovered I still had diarrhea. We hiked back up the side trail and when we got to the top I had to quickly rush into the brush with some more diarrhea. Just a bit further on I had to go yet again and took some medicine afterward. In a couple of miles we made it to Pinefield Hut where we spent the night.

Miles hiked today: 26.2 Total AT miles completed: 891.7 Total AT miles left to hike: 1293.6

Day 75

We passed over a few of the bigger mountains in the Shenandoahs, but they really weren't big at all. We hiked fast and in the afternoon we passed the 900-mile mark. On our way down a mountain a couple of girls were hiking up with daypacks and gave us each some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and small cans of coke. When we got to the gap, a woman had set up snacks and cold drinks as trail magic. We had just eaten lunch, but I still enjoyed a beer and a few snacks. We hiked on quickly and arrived at Lewis Mountain Campground where we purchased calzones at the camp store. Less than a mile from there we stayed at Bearfence Mountain Hut for the night.

Miles hiked today: 20.6 Total AT miles completed: 891.7 Total AT miles left to hike: 1293.6

Day 76

We woke up and hiked fast to Big Meadows Wayside so I could finally get my blackberry milkshake. Once there, a sign was posted saying no milkshakes because their soft serve ice cream machine was broken. I couldn't believe it, but thankfully the waitress told us she could still make us the milkshakes if we gave her time to let the normal ice cream set out a bit. We ate a second breakfast there and thoroughly enjoyed the milkshakes. I forgot to get a picture before devouring it, but thought I'd get one at the next Wayside. After our meal we took a side trail to Lewis Falls. The guide book said it was only half a mile away, but it was closer to a mile and a half. After enjoying the view of the falls we hiked a few more miles to the Skyland Resort & Restaurant where we consumed beer and expensive food with other hikers. We didn't leave until 6:45 pm and had six and a half miles left to get to the next hut. It was a race against darkness. After our legs kicked back into gear, we booked it, hiking so fast it seemed like we were constantly on the verge of breaking out into a run. We crossed Stony Man, a bunch of rocky cliffs, and down a rocky path toward the hut. In our way, we saw a few bears, including one walking down the path in front of it. I videoed it while we followed it for awhile, before it veered off into the woods. It started getting dark when we were on top of the Pinnacle and we raced down the other side as it got darker and darker. Byrds Nest #3 Hut came into view at about 9 pm just shortly after it got really dark. We were happy to be there and went to sleep quickly, despite the brave mice approaching close to our faces before scurrying away.

Miles hiked today: 22.4 Total AT miles completed: 934.7 Total AT miles left to hike: 1250.6

Day 77

We woke up and started hiking slowly. My legs were quite tired from the previous night's ultra-fast last six and a half miles. It was lightly raining for an hour or two before we reached the Elkwallow Wayside in the afternoon, my last chance to get a blackberry milkshake. They said the machine was down for cleaning which seemed way too silly. Every single Wayside had a problem with making their signature dish: the blackberry milkshake. We got lunch anyway and ate it under a pavilion outside with a bunch of other hikers. After awhile a few of them went back in and came out with blackberry ice cream cones. I went in and they said that not only were milkshakes unavailable, but also the ice cream because it was too hard to get out of the tub. That made me really angry, but I didn't protest. It isn't any good to get angry at such a silly thing. None of us hikers felt like moving on, but slowly we all one by one slipped on our packs and headed down the Trail. After several long miles we made it to Gravel Springs Hut where we spent the night.

Miles hiked today: 17.5 Total AT miles completed: 952.2 Total AT miles left to hike: 1233.1

Day 78    

We woke up and hiked ten miles out of the Shenandoah National Park. On the way out we saw one last cute cub which brought our total bears seen in the park to ten. It was a great way to leave. A few miles from there we hitched a ride from US 522 to Front Royal where Stonewall Jackson once battled the Union to take over the town. We found a cheap hotel and a pizza joint before walking around the town and getting a chocolate malt. In the evening we stayed in the room resting and watched a couple movies and TV shows before going to sleep.    

Miles hiked today: 13.4 Total AT miles completed: 965.6 Total AT miles left to hike: 1219.7

              
 Let's see if I can post the video: