Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving Folks!

 Well, it has been a long time since our last update. I was getting frustrated with the lack of internet access, but we are out in the woods after all...

We have passed several exciting landmarks recently.
Mile 1,049 - the length of an Iditarod. By the end of the trip we will have walked the distance to Nome twice.
Our record mile day into Boiling Springs, PA. 30 miles!  It was a rough day, but crossed the Cumberland Valley and was mostly flat. We had to try it...
Halfway was a big one, and cause for celebration. We camped near halfway, mile 1090, near the end of PA on Nov 9th. Already seems like so long ago!
Harpers Ferry had been a big destination for me since starting in Maine, so that was a fun place to walk through. We signed in at the ATC office on Nov 13th, and had our pictures taken for the yearly log book. We were numbers 112 and 113 for Southbound thruhikers in 2010. We went out for breakfast... and kept walking.
Maryland and West Virginia(4 miles) were short states, only two days for both of them. And then into Virginia -state number 11! It is a long one though, nearly 600 miles.
Shenandoah National Park was also an exciting section. 105 miles of beautiful, wide, well graded trails. We loved it! We also saw our first black bears.
And now we are spending Thanksgiving in luxury. Tyrell's grandparents picked us up on a gravel forest service road yesterday. We had just passed the 1,400 mile mark and were very ready for a break. We have appropriated 3 days for the holiday and are very excited for some time off the trail, especially after our hectic schedule the last 3 weeks. I will be missing my extended family get-together, but am happy to be here meeting more of Tyrell's relatives.

Our assorted shoes after 900 miles, just before Tyrell bought a new pair

 Stopped for a snack break on the trail. Eating chocolate macadamia clusters, thank you Papa!
A 1,000 mile smile!

 Walking through one of the trail towns around Halloween time we noticed these pumpkins... I was sad I didn't get to carve one myself.
 That's a lot of hay. Has been fun to walk through the farmland. I like seeing the livestock- horses, cattle, sheep.
We are starting to catch up to the other SOBO's(Southbounders). It has been fun to meet in person all these other hikers that we have been following in the log books for so long. Our friend Golden Ray thought this was an important half-way picture.

 A Washington monument. All the historical sites and remnants, and battlefields have been interesting to see. It's nice to learn some history and have something different to think about as we walk along.
 Harpers Ferry! I was super excited this day. Had been looking forward to this place for a long time. We also picked up a mail-drop from Mom. Thank you for another excellent box! She has been sending us extra goodies and homemade treats along with our requested food and clothing; the fruit roll-ups were fantastic. We also enjoyed the caribou meat, something we haven't had a lot of on the trail.

 Our friend Andrew, from VA met us in Shenandoah National Park and hiked with us for about 6 miles, and then treated us to dinner! Was awesome to visit with somebody else on the trail.

In Shenandoah National Park

 The apple trees! We have been munching on these for a couple weeks now. As much fresh fruit as I can hold, perfect. What a great kind of trail magic. We have met many kind people along the way and have received great "trail magic". One couple lives right beside the trail and hand out ice cream bars to hikers. We were number 600 something in their logbook, my first thought was, "That is a lot of ice cream bars..."

 A page out of Tyrell's guide book. Shows the elevation for the day and mile marks along the way. This was a tough day. We climbed the Priest(on the right). Dropped into the valley there, 970 ft, and then all the way back up to 4,000 something, ooof. And Mt. Marathon is only 3,022!
Cold Mountain. They mow the top to keep it open. Grass felt wonderful on my bare feet!
 The adventure continues...

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Mile 970.3

A section of the N.J. boardwalk

On October 30th we crossed into Pennsylvania at Delaware Water Gap. This was a place we had been hearing about since way back in Maine, so it was an exciting landmark to reach. One of the churches in town provides an excellent hiker hostel where we were able to get showers, but was too early in the day to stay the night. There was also a bakery in town where we bought a whole pie for Halloween.



New York and New Jersey were both short states. N.J. was definitely the most inhabited area we have walked through so far. We were constantly within hearing range of highways and railways, and all the views were full of farms, towns, or other structures. We were happy to get out of N.J.! Because the trail was such a high use area there were many, many rules and regulations. Every trail-head was posted with numerous signs, and trees all along the trail were covered with restrictions and warnings.
Delaware Water Gap
We have been enjoying PA so far. From all the North-bounders we had gathered that this was the rocky state- just miles and miles of rough going. So far we have been surprised by how great the trail is. Sure, there are some rocky sections, but they are spaced out by wide, flat hiking highways.
These two pictures were taken near Lehigh Gap, PA, which was a bit of a scramble. There had been a zinc smelting plant back in the 70's, and the area is now on the EPA Superfund clean-up list. It was a strange, interesting section to walk through. At the end we had to wash our hands and shoes in the wash station?!
The last few nights have been cold. Frost, and ice in the water bottles. Harder to get going in the morning when so chilly, but the days still warm up to 50's and 60's in the sun. The trail has turned West across PA, so we are not making as much progress South to warmer temps. And having left the balmy temps near the coast, the wind has a definite chill.


me and my honey bears! (could not for the life of me load this pic right side up)


We continue to eat well and have enjoyed hiking through these states with towns every day or two. A  meal in town goes a long way and with such short resupplies our packs are light! Usually about 30 lbs or less, depending on how much water we are carrying. Water has been a bit tricky recently. Up in Maine and clear through N.Y. water sources were abundant. This last week the trail has been up on long ridge lines and water is scarce. Springs are amazing. Also, many people offer outdoor water spigots from their home or business and is much appreciated.
N.J High point monument. Insecurities?
  
rocky trail in PA
Currently, we are relaxing in the home of some awesome "trail angels". It all started with the leatherman and cellphone I picked up on the trail way back in Vermont. They have invited us in, provided delicious meals, hot showers, laundry, and a wonderfully cozy bed! It feels great just to be indoors for a day.