The Bad: It rains ALL THE TIME!
I get wet, I dry off, I get wet, my feet turn in to sponges, I get blisters, I stink, I dry off, my feet heal then the cycle repeats.
The more Gooderer: pledges are at about 40 cents per mile for Women At Risk International! Thanks for your support and please make a pledge if you are able.
My Parents dropped me off in the morning and headed back home. It was memorial day. I met "Rock steady" First person to see my WAR International sign and ask me about it. He started April 14th and is doing 30 miles a day!
Lots of weekend/day hikers out because it was Memorial day. Met "Ponie stride" and "preacher man" a section hiking couple. Preacher man isn't a preacher but he does work for Liberty.
Climbed up Spy Rock - was used during the civil war - for spying. Not sure who put a flag there but as it happened to be Memorial day it was wonderfully appropriate.
Hiked down from the Priest Mountain. Big descent then immediate big climb up 3 ridges mountain. Met "Civil" at the shelter on the way up. She recently retired from the Navy. She was an engineer for them. I told her that I was an engineer PhD (she asked) then I told her my name was steady-state and she immediately laughed and said "of course it is"
Saw two black snakes and a real small black and yellow snake on the way. Made real good time. 21 miles by 4 pm. Wandered around at the road/visitor center for a few minutes then a guy pulled up and offered me a ride to town. I had heard that this was common here. "six seven" and "lost" were at the hostel. Grace Evangelical Lutheran church. great hostel! Slept in basement went to Chinese restaurant with lost.
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
Ate and walked around and went to the Library. Ordered a kilt that should be delivered to Luray, VA.
They cooked us a free dinner at the Hostel. Met hikers "Smiles"(from England) and "Shutter Bug"
They cooked us a free dinner at the Hostel. Met hikers "Smiles"(from England) and "Shutter Bug"
Dropped off at trail in the morning by one of the trail shutters - with Smiles and Shutter bug. Got a permit to enter Shenandoah national park. Pulled two ticks off me in the evening. they were the bigger dog tick kind. Ticks are dumb and I hate them. Met section hiker "Dr. Pepper" German guy that lives in NYC
Corndog and Cruse showed up again here - I love seeing them!
Met "Johnny walker" and "Sinner"
I like Sinner's trail name. Of course he choose it because he does bad things or whatever but well we are all Sinner.
Corndog and Cruse showed up again here - I love seeing them!
Met "Johnny walker" and "Sinner"
I like Sinner's trail name. Of course he choose it because he does bad things or whatever but well we are all Sinner.
Day 80, Saturday, 6/1, Blackrock hut to Hightop hut mile 899.4, hiked 21.4 miles
Stopped at lost mt. Camp store for resupply then hiked another mile to the wayside sat down inside and ate my burger. Cruse and Corndog also showed up there. They got a cabin at the campground and a friend let them borrow a car. They offered to give me a ride somewhere but I didn't need anything. I also told them about WAR International.
Saw a big bear near Ivy creek. He was on the trail only 30 yards behind me! Sorry, but no picture, I was busy trying not to be in the bears way.
Saw a big bear near Ivy creek. He was on the trail only 30 yards behind me! Sorry, but no picture, I was busy trying not to be in the bears way.
Day 81, Sunday, 6/2, Hightop hut to Rockspring mile 923.3, hiked 23.9 miles
Big day but I stopped at Lewis Mt. campground and got lunch - just convenience store type food but it was great! Then I stopped at big meadows for dinner. Nice middle eastern family getting gas stopped me and asked all about my hike. I felt like a rock star.
The terrain was pretty easy- real flat in parts
Got to shelter and slept in shelter because it looked like rain - and it did. warning on the shelter about the norovirus going around again had me worried. Another hiker I knew was camping in a tent near there because he got sick again.
The terrain was pretty easy- real flat in parts
Got to shelter and slept in shelter because it looked like rain - and it did. warning on the shelter about the norovirus going around again had me worried. Another hiker I knew was camping in a tent near there because he got sick again.
Got up real early so I could be sure to make it to the post office in Luray before it closed. Saw Better man a few miles from the shelter he was camped there with Smothers. He said since I stayed at the Waynesboro hostel I should probably expect to get sick :(
Got to Luray Post office - kilt not there! got REI to send another one to Harpers Ferry
Stayed at a hotel in Luray. It was right across the road from Luray Caverns. My parents took me there a few times in high school. We always went to an archery tournament in nearby Harrisonburg, VA each spring.
Got to Luray Post office - kilt not there! got REI to send another one to Harpers Ferry
Stayed at a hotel in Luray. It was right across the road from Luray Caverns. My parents took me there a few times in high school. We always went to an archery tournament in nearby Harrisonburg, VA each spring.
Tower in Luray. The caverns are just beyond this.
Day 83, Tuesday, 6/4, Thornton Gap US 211 to Tom Floyd shelter mile 962.2, hiked 24.8 miles
Day 84, Wednesday, 6/5, Tom Floyd shelter to Dicks Dome Shelter mile 980.3, hiked 18.1 miles
Day 85, Thursday, 6/6, Dicks Dome Shelter to Bears Den Hostel mile 998.6, hiked 18.3 miles
Raining all day. Got to Bears Den hostel and took a shower and threw my stuff in with a few others doing laundry. Nice bunks and hang out area. Got a bunk, soda, pizza, ice-cream for $30. I even ate 1/2 of someone elses pizza. Did part of "the roller coaster" which is about 13 miles of lots of ups and downs but the worst part was all the rocks - i hate rocks.
Day 86, Friday, 6/7, Bears Den Hostel to just south of the VA-WV state line mile 1016.6, hiked 18.0 miles
Went to pizza place in the afternoon to eat and wait out the rain. Was not a terribly classy place but they were real cool about me bringing in my pack and being soaked from the rain. Rain pretty much stopped and I went back on the trail. Met a guy along the way carrying trash bags with his stuff in it. Not sure what his deal was but me mentioned being laid off 9 months ago and his wife kicked him out. Since then he was worked one place; McDonald's - for two weeks. I think he hitched to the trail. Real overweight and I think he was looking to hike half the trail - ok, um, ok
I set up my tent just south of the VA-WV line.
I set up my tent just south of the VA-WV line.
Crossed the 1000 mile mark!
Day 87, Saturday, 6/8, just south of the VA-WV state line to Harpers Ferry, WV mile 1019.0, hiked 2.4 miles
Got up and hiked in to Harpers Ferry. Finally out of VA! Hiked to the historic lower town district - nothing open yet. Baltimore Jack was there. Got some food recommendations from him. Went to the ATC headquarters and got my picture taken for their book. They have pics of everyone from years back. I was #369 to come through this year.
Walked to the diner and also went to lunch. Tried hitching but got nothing and I didn't see anyone else get a successful hitch either. called Davy to make plans to hike with him in PA.
Cherith and Daniel came by to pick me up. They fellow WAR international supporters that contacted me through Facebook. They live about 30 minutes away. Real nice couple from Kentucky went to Cedarville. Daniel is an EE. They let me shower and they did my laundry. They took me to dinner with their friend Neels.
At the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Walked to the diner and also went to lunch. Tried hitching but got nothing and I didn't see anyone else get a successful hitch either. called Davy to make plans to hike with him in PA.
Cherith and Daniel came by to pick me up. They fellow WAR international supporters that contacted me through Facebook. They live about 30 minutes away. Real nice couple from Kentucky went to Cedarville. Daniel is an EE. They let me shower and they did my laundry. They took me to dinner with their friend Neels.
Day 88, Sunday, 6/9, Harpers Ferry, WV to Crampton Gap shelter mile 1029.4, hiked 10.4 miles
Went to Church in the morning and in the afternoon Cherith and Daniel's friend Eric took me back to the trail. It was so nice meeting them.
With my new friends Cherith and Daniel (also the kilt makes its first appearance)
Shaman, Better man and Smoothers in Harpers Ferry
Day 89, Monday, 6/10, Crampton Gap shelter to Egsign Cowall shelter mile 1050.1, hiked 20.7 miles
Rained allot. Break in the rain in the afternoon then rained a lot when I got under the shelter. The rain stopped just in time to go met Ben and Ashley at the Road! Ashley is an old friend from Penn College and it was good to finally met her husband. They took me to a restaurant, bought my dinner and we got to catch up. Ash even made me cookies!
Day 90, Tuesday, 6/11, Egsign Cowall shelter to Antietam shelter mile 1067.0, hiked 16.9 miles
I crossed the MD-PA Border and the Mason-Dixon line! Hitched in to Waynesboro, PA and got KFC for lunch and a few things from food lion.
Mason Dixon line: Out of the South
Day 91, Wednesday, 6/12, Antietam shelter to Toms Run Shelter mile 1094.0, hiked 27.0 miles
Hiked to Caledonia state park by mid-day. Charged my phone and dried off my tent and got some food at the snack bar. I got to Birch run shelter by about 5:20 pm. Only one there and awesome shelter, got set up and had dinner. Then my parents contact me and I find out a big storm is coming through. I was only about 10 miles from the Iron Masters Hostel. I decided to pack up and try for the next shelter about 6.3 miles away so that I could easily bail out the next day if I had to. I left at 8:20 pm, no rain yet. As I set out the sun turned the white clouds red and the reflected light illuminated an orange haze across the trail. Made my way through the pitch dark night with only my headlamp to guide me. Crossed the half way point at mile 1093. There was no real marker there but I took a picture. There is an actual post marking the half way point but it is a few miles north of there and not at the true half way point - the trail changes from year to year so the half way point changes.
I do not always wear a kilt; but when I do, I rock it!
At the halfway point!
Day 92, Thursday, 6/13, Toms Run Shelter to Pine Grove Furnace State Park mile 1097.3, hiked 3.3 miles
Woke up at 7 am to the sound of thunder. I didn't want to get stuck in the shelter all day so I packed up and got out of there - bad idea. Only about 15 minutes after taking off the rained started coming down. I did the 3.3 miles in a little more than and hour - running a lot of it. It was pouring and the trail was under water. Boots were full of water and twice the weight. But don't worry the rain stopped when I got to Pine Grove Furnace and the Hostel. This is where Hugh and I hiked two about 6 years earlier. I hung out at the General Store all day and went to the AT museum. Stayed in the hostel that night, much nicer than it was when Hugh and I stayed there.
Day 93, Friday, 6/14, Pine Grove Furnace State Park to Boiling Springs, PA mile 1116.9, hiked 19.6 miles
Real easy hike to Boiling Springs, very flat and it was neet to go over a section I've done before. I went to a section a big rocks known as the rock maze - and it was a maze - I got turned around and almost headed back to GA! Made it to town sooner than a thought and got mt package from the post office before it closed - the second half of my guidebook. Christy came and picked me up and I stayed at her husband John's parents house. John and Christy are good friends from my college days (college part 1).
Day 94, Saturday, 6/15, Carlisle, PA , hiked 0 miles
My friend Abby came over to visit!
Then my friend John came to visit! He was my roommate all 4 years of undergrad.
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