Friday 7/21; Delaware Water Gap, PA to Campsite at 1307 (1293.6-1307.3)
A leisurely day spent walking 14 miles, and included a long lunch at Sunfish Pond. We love NJ so far. The views are pretty and the terrain reasonable. we took our time and arrived at camp about 5 PM to find a large gaggle of young girls camping here. Many would be irritated by the noise and pre-Bean bickering, but I'm super excited to see a bunch of young ladies out here backpacking. We'll go talk with them shortly. They're excited about our journey and have a bunch of questions. Hope tomorrow is equally enjoyable!
Saturday 7/22; Campsite at 1307 to Brink Shelter (1307.3-1318.4)
I've decided that I really enjoy hiking/backpacking on short days. Like today. We walked 11 miles, and while part of me feels like I'm going to go nuts with an entire afternoon and nothing in particular to do, the other part of me says, "hey, you chased a couple of frogs, enjoyed some views, will read some, what more do you want?" The shelter here is pretty nice, and there's a bear box for our food which makes for easier evening chores--no bear line to hang. Just hoping for some company to keep the bears away. Tomorrow we'll make up for the short day today, but we'll worry about that tomorrow.
Sunday 7/23; Brink Shelter to Highpoint Shelter (1318.4-1338)
A tiring 19 (closer to 20) mile day in the books. We talked about cutting it short at 15, but opted to keep going. We made good time, had an argument, set up in the shelter (it's going to rain tonight), saw a mouse running around in broad daylight (which means they'll be crawling at night), decided to put the tent up despite the coming storm, and are now in the tent easy for a mouse free night. One of the guys name the mouse Peepers. Apparently the little guy has big eyes.
Tomorrow we'll stop through town and resupply, then head back out. If we can find some WiFi, we'll upload the last couple of days.
Monday 7/24; Highpoint Shelter to Pochuck Mountain Shelter (1338-1350.4)
Backpacking is no fun in the rain! We stayed dry last night (inside the tent), and put away A VERY wet tent and ground cover this morning. Spent a few hours walking in the rain this morning. BUT! we made it into Unionville, NY to resupply and have lunch, and we managed to hike 13 miles on top of that and arrive in camp by 4pm. Really, it was a good day. Looking forward to reading a bit, drying out, and getting a good night's sleep!
Tuesday 7/25; Pochuck Mountain Shelter Wawayanda Shelter (1350.4-1361.9)
A short and pretty great day! Can we say board walks? We found them in a bog/wetland area and walked on them for quite a while. We also found a farm store called Haven Hill Farm where we got treats in the middle of the day! Ice cream, apple cider doughnuts, a peach, and drinks were enjoyed before crossing the road and ascending the the Stairway to Heaven to view a gorgeous view, and then wander the rest of the way to camp for the night, but not before finding a cooler with trail angel sodas! I think I've got a little infection on my toe and am hoping that it clears up on its own.
Wednesday 7/26; Wawayanda Shelter to Campsite at Mombasha Road (1361.9-1379)
Holy rocks, New York! Yes, you read that right. We're in New York! And oh my gosh we scrambled. We're talking rebar ladder up a rock face scrambling. Fresh does not like! All in all, though, it was hard, and we hurt, but we're so proud of us! We hiked 17 miles today, got to camp at 6:30, AND stopped for hot dogs and ice cream! I'm exhausted which is nice. It makes me feel like I've accomplished something in a day's worth of walking.
Thursday 7/27; Campsite at Mombasha Road to William Brien Shelter (1379-1393.7)
And we're now convinced that all of the AT in New York sucks. Not really. But almost. We began today Rock climbing up the face of a boulder outcropping. The first half of the day was up, down, and back up, all rocks, and very challenging, over and over. The second half really want so bad. Still a lot of up and down, but manageable without the rock climbing. Harriman State Park is beautiful and has afforded a few picturesque views. We're rented tonight at a neat shelter built into the hill and, you guessed it, rocks. But the site is very pretty with lots and lots of space for tenting, and even some privacy as each site is well spaced. We ran into Yard Sale and Mishap tonight, along with others we know. They pushed on to the next shelter where there is said to be a view of Manhatten. We arrived earlier and both were tired and sore, so we decided to stay put. As the clouds cleared though, I began to second guess that decision. Hopefully we'll get some views of the city from above tomorrow sometime. Currently, in super excited to see Pig-Pen on Saturday!!! She's been missing an injury and is coming back out and will hike with us for a bit!! AND... We get showers! Guys, I'm disgusting! Shower time is surely overdue and I am so exited!
Friday 7/28; William Brien Shelter to Hemlock Campsite (1393.7-1406)
The terrain was a tiny bit better today. Still a lot of up and down, but somehow it wasn't quite as bad as previous days. Don't be fooled, though! I had a meltdown and Bean and I fought pretty big. This game happened too often, but a couple of times for sure. Being out here as a couple has its challenges!
But, we visited/walked over Bear Mountain and saw lots of tourists. Being so close to NYC, a lot of city folk find their way up here. It's kind of entertaining, really. I came across a couple of kids barreling down the walkway and moved aside for them. They ran past without any acknowledgement whatsoever. I pulled a dad and blurted out, "You're welcome!" Still nothing. So I loudly thanked another couple of young people who had thanked us, to which the ride children finally turned around. Never did hear anything from them. We ran into Yard Sale later and shared the experience, and she agreed that many of the people we encountered today shocked her, too. Maybe we've just been loving in the woods too long?
Anyhow, we wandered through a "zoo" on trail today. It's quite sad as far as zoos go, with small enclosures and a bunch of ridiculous people beating on glad fronts (which I told the kids next to us looking at the frog to stop doing--the girl asked me if we aren't supposed to do that, to which I responded, "would you want him tapping at you?"). Yeah, we've definitely been in the woods too long. After the zoo, we walked across the Hudson River on the Bear Mountain Bridge. That was sort of a neat experience! I wasn't even afraid--at least until we we're finished with the water and began walking over the trees. We then had to walk up from the road and saw a few days hikers who really we're there first people of the day to ask us questions about our journey. A change from the little trail towns where everyone knows what we're doing all the time.
We meet back up with Pig-Pen tomorrow and eat lunch at a "deli." I'll get back to you on the deli's authenticity...
Saturday 7/29; Hemlock Campsite to Clarence Fahnestock State Park (1406-1424)
Pig-Pen's back and we're gonna go hiking...Pig-Pen's back! We met up with her at the deli this morning (so, SO good!) And hiked out. It's been a pretty good day with moderate terrain/elevation, and GORGEOUS weather! It felt like fall in Georgia with cooler temps and a perfect breeze! So nice to hike in. We're camping tonight at the state park where they give us AT marked sites at no cost. We're ordered pizza and salad delivery which was tasty and wonderful, and had showers here at the park. Clean and full and in bed blogging. I just don't know what to do with myself. Don't know just what to do with myself. Ha! That one's from My Best Friend's Wedding. You know when Cameron Diaz is singing karaoke...Anyhow, I'm supposed to note that two nights in a row a few days ago, we heard coyotes singing at night. I heard them over night, Bean both nights. When I did, they were very close and a little scary. But they sound neat. Different from dogs. It's interesting.
Sunday 7/30; Clarence Fahnestock State Park to Morgan Stewart Shelter (1424-1438)
Wow, what weather!! What a BEAUTIFUL couple of days we've had! Low humidity, breeze, cooler temps...We know better than to think this will last. But we'll take it for now! We woke this morning and cleaned up camp, and then went to AT Joe's campsite in the state park for breakfast. Apparently, he spends every other week there making breakfast for hikers and chatting with us. He's from Yonkers and is the epitome of a New Yorker with his accent and such, but he was so nice! With a genuine love for the hiking community (which surprisingly, he's never been a part of), he showered us with praise for the strength that we have and told us (especially the "females") that he hopes we stay safe!
We're looking forward to checking out Pawling's Garden Center and Nursery tomorrow, as that's where we're sending a package. We'll camp somewhere near by, and then stay with a friend of Pig-Pen's the following night! Gonna be a good couple of days!
Monday 7/31; Morgan Stewart Shelter to Pawling, NY (1438-1448)
Thank goodness for short days! A 10 mile day into town in which we had literally nothing to do. We hung out with friends, relaxed, ate food, and I talked to family. Tomorrow will be another short day at 11 miles, and will do laundry AND shower, in a house, on the same day. It's the little things people. We hope that two short days will allow enough rest that we can about a zero for a bit and build up those miles. We've done a pretty good job so far and have brought down or average necessary to be our goal. This buys us a few days when we start into the hard climbing in New England. Morale is ok, though I'm very daunted by what's coming. On one hand, we've come this far and I know we/I can finish this, but on the other, I'm very unsure of my abilities. We've come too far to quit now-I think I can, I think I can....
Tuesday 8/1; Pawling, NY to Bull's Bridge In Kent, CT (1448-1459.9)
That's right, we're in Connecticut, people. The gateway to New England! We knocked out 10 miles by 1 PM, and met Mrs. Lisa (Pig-Pen's friend) at the Bridge. She promptly loaded us in the car, had cold water for each of us, and took us the short ride to her home to stay for the night. We had showers, did laundry, and resupplied (which included fancy, expensive, exceptionally tasty ice cream from the not-so-outdoor outdoor store; lavender honey blueberry for Pig-Pen and lemon poppyseed for me), all by 4ish PM. We had a home cooked meal (burgers, salad, and fettuccine Alfredo are hits among starved hikers), and watched Finding Dory while eating lots of ice cream, and went to bed to sleep like babies after not sleeping last night with the train going all night long. All in all, it's been a GREAT day!
Wednesday 8/2; Bull's Bridge In Kent, CT to Stewart Hollow Shelter (1459.9-1474.3)
Pig-Pen lost her apple pie. If you find it on the trail, please return to Pig-Pen c/o AT 2017.
Eliza is a friend/coworker of Pig-Pen's, and she came out to home with us for about 8 miles today. She's very sweet and we enjoyed meeting her! We are now in the shelter avoiding the rain. We beat the thunder storm here here and are just hanging out.
Thursday 8/3; Stewart Hollow Shelter to Iron Bridge (1474.3-1492.5)
We have two experiences today. Bean hiked with Pig-Pen, her boyfriend Tim, and his friend Dexter. I'm told the day was long, hot and humid, and relatively ok.
I...had the meltdown of the century. I woke up crying for a list of reasons. Erik was at a loss and could only hug me and ask me to tell him what on Earth was going on. Which, of course, I couldn't answer. So I decided that I would ask Pig-Pen if we could change the plan a bit. I took the car to, I hoped, find a coffee shop and reflect on things for myself quietly. I wound up in New Milford, Connecticut at an urgent care getting that infected to looked at. NP Kim was FANTASTIC!! She assessed me so quickly and found a simple infection which only needs antibiotics. She was helpful in keeping costs down for me, and happened to ask if I every want to quit on this day when I most wanted to quit. Thank you, Kim, for your kindness and your interest in our journey. It means more than you'll ever know!
After this, I ran errands to resupply, get Pig-Pen an apple pie (see yesterday), and talked to the one and only Allison who told me nothing I don't know, and everything I needed to hear.
Basically, I need you all to know that we post happy photos, and tell you fun stories. But the reality is that this is so hard. Mentally, emotionally, physically, the hardest thing we'll ever do. I can't speak for us both, but the driving force for me at this point is that this is too long dreamed for, and we've come too far to quit now. I think. If you'd caught me this morning, you'd have been sure I'd be on the next plane. We're looking for a rest day coming up very soon and I won't make any decisions before that. I can't promise I won't be a complete basket case until then, though.
I do have to say that Connecticut is absolutely beautiful! I will most certainly come back this way and do some site seeing in the future. Food, inns, camping, rivers... We're camping tonight in a small park in Falls Village near a hydro power facility. There's a shower head near the building and we took bored baths tonight. I can say definitively that this experience gives me a new understanding of the homeless population. We just hiker trash in posh New England.
Friday 8/4; Iron Bridge, CT to Laurel Ridge Campsite (1492.5-1507.9)
Rain and thunder storms arrived today, but my mood was better. Thanks in no small part to all of you Rockstar supporters out there egging us on! I thank you from the deepest place in my soul for your kind words of encouragement yesterday.
All in all, I call today a win. My mood was quite good, the rain only sucked a little, we hiked into Massachusetts, I currently have a mosquito dive bombing my head (have I mentioned the bugs?), and Erik's air mat has a leak in it. But another state in the books is something to celebrate! We have under 700 miles left to hike. Some days (like yesterday) this feels like more than I/we can possibly manage. Other days we marvel at how much we've accomplished. Into Great Barrington tomorrow and a zero on Sunday!!
Saturday 8/5; Laurel Ridge Campsite to Great Barrington, MA (1507.9-1520.6)
You know those days when everything seems to take twice as long as planned? Today was one of those days. It took us nearly 8 hours to hike 12 miles. Granted there was some trail magic in there from Pterodactyl's parents (Amazing--thank you!!) Which pretty much was the trail don't what the trail does...providing. BUT, we made it, wet rocks and all. And tomorrow...We ZERO!
Oh, and I got to talk to U-Turn tonight! I'm super glad she's doing well and hiking on! I had honestly forgotten how much I miss her!
A leisurely day spent walking 14 miles, and included a long lunch at Sunfish Pond. We love NJ so far. The views are pretty and the terrain reasonable. we took our time and arrived at camp about 5 PM to find a large gaggle of young girls camping here. Many would be irritated by the noise and pre-Bean bickering, but I'm super excited to see a bunch of young ladies out here backpacking. We'll go talk with them shortly. They're excited about our journey and have a bunch of questions. Hope tomorrow is equally enjoyable!
Saturday 7/22; Campsite at 1307 to Brink Shelter (1307.3-1318.4)
I've decided that I really enjoy hiking/backpacking on short days. Like today. We walked 11 miles, and while part of me feels like I'm going to go nuts with an entire afternoon and nothing in particular to do, the other part of me says, "hey, you chased a couple of frogs, enjoyed some views, will read some, what more do you want?" The shelter here is pretty nice, and there's a bear box for our food which makes for easier evening chores--no bear line to hang. Just hoping for some company to keep the bears away. Tomorrow we'll make up for the short day today, but we'll worry about that tomorrow.
Sunday 7/23; Brink Shelter to Highpoint Shelter (1318.4-1338)
A tiring 19 (closer to 20) mile day in the books. We talked about cutting it short at 15, but opted to keep going. We made good time, had an argument, set up in the shelter (it's going to rain tonight), saw a mouse running around in broad daylight (which means they'll be crawling at night), decided to put the tent up despite the coming storm, and are now in the tent easy for a mouse free night. One of the guys name the mouse Peepers. Apparently the little guy has big eyes.
Tomorrow we'll stop through town and resupply, then head back out. If we can find some WiFi, we'll upload the last couple of days.
Monday 7/24; Highpoint Shelter to Pochuck Mountain Shelter (1338-1350.4)
Backpacking is no fun in the rain! We stayed dry last night (inside the tent), and put away A VERY wet tent and ground cover this morning. Spent a few hours walking in the rain this morning. BUT! we made it into Unionville, NY to resupply and have lunch, and we managed to hike 13 miles on top of that and arrive in camp by 4pm. Really, it was a good day. Looking forward to reading a bit, drying out, and getting a good night's sleep!
Tuesday 7/25; Pochuck Mountain Shelter Wawayanda Shelter (1350.4-1361.9)
A short and pretty great day! Can we say board walks? We found them in a bog/wetland area and walked on them for quite a while. We also found a farm store called Haven Hill Farm where we got treats in the middle of the day! Ice cream, apple cider doughnuts, a peach, and drinks were enjoyed before crossing the road and ascending the the Stairway to Heaven to view a gorgeous view, and then wander the rest of the way to camp for the night, but not before finding a cooler with trail angel sodas! I think I've got a little infection on my toe and am hoping that it clears up on its own.
Wednesday 7/26; Wawayanda Shelter to Campsite at Mombasha Road (1361.9-1379)
Holy rocks, New York! Yes, you read that right. We're in New York! And oh my gosh we scrambled. We're talking rebar ladder up a rock face scrambling. Fresh does not like! All in all, though, it was hard, and we hurt, but we're so proud of us! We hiked 17 miles today, got to camp at 6:30, AND stopped for hot dogs and ice cream! I'm exhausted which is nice. It makes me feel like I've accomplished something in a day's worth of walking.
Thursday 7/27; Campsite at Mombasha Road to William Brien Shelter (1379-1393.7)
And we're now convinced that all of the AT in New York sucks. Not really. But almost. We began today Rock climbing up the face of a boulder outcropping. The first half of the day was up, down, and back up, all rocks, and very challenging, over and over. The second half really want so bad. Still a lot of up and down, but manageable without the rock climbing. Harriman State Park is beautiful and has afforded a few picturesque views. We're rented tonight at a neat shelter built into the hill and, you guessed it, rocks. But the site is very pretty with lots and lots of space for tenting, and even some privacy as each site is well spaced. We ran into Yard Sale and Mishap tonight, along with others we know. They pushed on to the next shelter where there is said to be a view of Manhatten. We arrived earlier and both were tired and sore, so we decided to stay put. As the clouds cleared though, I began to second guess that decision. Hopefully we'll get some views of the city from above tomorrow sometime. Currently, in super excited to see Pig-Pen on Saturday!!! She's been missing an injury and is coming back out and will hike with us for a bit!! AND... We get showers! Guys, I'm disgusting! Shower time is surely overdue and I am so exited!
Friday 7/28; William Brien Shelter to Hemlock Campsite (1393.7-1406)
The terrain was a tiny bit better today. Still a lot of up and down, but somehow it wasn't quite as bad as previous days. Don't be fooled, though! I had a meltdown and Bean and I fought pretty big. This game happened too often, but a couple of times for sure. Being out here as a couple has its challenges!
But, we visited/walked over Bear Mountain and saw lots of tourists. Being so close to NYC, a lot of city folk find their way up here. It's kind of entertaining, really. I came across a couple of kids barreling down the walkway and moved aside for them. They ran past without any acknowledgement whatsoever. I pulled a dad and blurted out, "You're welcome!" Still nothing. So I loudly thanked another couple of young people who had thanked us, to which the ride children finally turned around. Never did hear anything from them. We ran into Yard Sale later and shared the experience, and she agreed that many of the people we encountered today shocked her, too. Maybe we've just been loving in the woods too long?
Anyhow, we wandered through a "zoo" on trail today. It's quite sad as far as zoos go, with small enclosures and a bunch of ridiculous people beating on glad fronts (which I told the kids next to us looking at the frog to stop doing--the girl asked me if we aren't supposed to do that, to which I responded, "would you want him tapping at you?"). Yeah, we've definitely been in the woods too long. After the zoo, we walked across the Hudson River on the Bear Mountain Bridge. That was sort of a neat experience! I wasn't even afraid--at least until we we're finished with the water and began walking over the trees. We then had to walk up from the road and saw a few days hikers who really we're there first people of the day to ask us questions about our journey. A change from the little trail towns where everyone knows what we're doing all the time.
We meet back up with Pig-Pen tomorrow and eat lunch at a "deli." I'll get back to you on the deli's authenticity...
Saturday 7/29; Hemlock Campsite to Clarence Fahnestock State Park (1406-1424)
Pig-Pen's back and we're gonna go hiking...Pig-Pen's back! We met up with her at the deli this morning (so, SO good!) And hiked out. It's been a pretty good day with moderate terrain/elevation, and GORGEOUS weather! It felt like fall in Georgia with cooler temps and a perfect breeze! So nice to hike in. We're camping tonight at the state park where they give us AT marked sites at no cost. We're ordered pizza and salad delivery which was tasty and wonderful, and had showers here at the park. Clean and full and in bed blogging. I just don't know what to do with myself. Don't know just what to do with myself. Ha! That one's from My Best Friend's Wedding. You know when Cameron Diaz is singing karaoke...Anyhow, I'm supposed to note that two nights in a row a few days ago, we heard coyotes singing at night. I heard them over night, Bean both nights. When I did, they were very close and a little scary. But they sound neat. Different from dogs. It's interesting.
Sunday 7/30; Clarence Fahnestock State Park to Morgan Stewart Shelter (1424-1438)
Wow, what weather!! What a BEAUTIFUL couple of days we've had! Low humidity, breeze, cooler temps...We know better than to think this will last. But we'll take it for now! We woke this morning and cleaned up camp, and then went to AT Joe's campsite in the state park for breakfast. Apparently, he spends every other week there making breakfast for hikers and chatting with us. He's from Yonkers and is the epitome of a New Yorker with his accent and such, but he was so nice! With a genuine love for the hiking community (which surprisingly, he's never been a part of), he showered us with praise for the strength that we have and told us (especially the "females") that he hopes we stay safe!
We're looking forward to checking out Pawling's Garden Center and Nursery tomorrow, as that's where we're sending a package. We'll camp somewhere near by, and then stay with a friend of Pig-Pen's the following night! Gonna be a good couple of days!
Monday 7/31; Morgan Stewart Shelter to Pawling, NY (1438-1448)
Thank goodness for short days! A 10 mile day into town in which we had literally nothing to do. We hung out with friends, relaxed, ate food, and I talked to family. Tomorrow will be another short day at 11 miles, and will do laundry AND shower, in a house, on the same day. It's the little things people. We hope that two short days will allow enough rest that we can about a zero for a bit and build up those miles. We've done a pretty good job so far and have brought down or average necessary to be our goal. This buys us a few days when we start into the hard climbing in New England. Morale is ok, though I'm very daunted by what's coming. On one hand, we've come this far and I know we/I can finish this, but on the other, I'm very unsure of my abilities. We've come too far to quit now-I think I can, I think I can....
Tuesday 8/1; Pawling, NY to Bull's Bridge In Kent, CT (1448-1459.9)
That's right, we're in Connecticut, people. The gateway to New England! We knocked out 10 miles by 1 PM, and met Mrs. Lisa (Pig-Pen's friend) at the Bridge. She promptly loaded us in the car, had cold water for each of us, and took us the short ride to her home to stay for the night. We had showers, did laundry, and resupplied (which included fancy, expensive, exceptionally tasty ice cream from the not-so-outdoor outdoor store; lavender honey blueberry for Pig-Pen and lemon poppyseed for me), all by 4ish PM. We had a home cooked meal (burgers, salad, and fettuccine Alfredo are hits among starved hikers), and watched Finding Dory while eating lots of ice cream, and went to bed to sleep like babies after not sleeping last night with the train going all night long. All in all, it's been a GREAT day!
Wednesday 8/2; Bull's Bridge In Kent, CT to Stewart Hollow Shelter (1459.9-1474.3)
Pig-Pen lost her apple pie. If you find it on the trail, please return to Pig-Pen c/o AT 2017.
Eliza is a friend/coworker of Pig-Pen's, and she came out to home with us for about 8 miles today. She's very sweet and we enjoyed meeting her! We are now in the shelter avoiding the rain. We beat the thunder storm here here and are just hanging out.
Thursday 8/3; Stewart Hollow Shelter to Iron Bridge (1474.3-1492.5)
We have two experiences today. Bean hiked with Pig-Pen, her boyfriend Tim, and his friend Dexter. I'm told the day was long, hot and humid, and relatively ok.
I...had the meltdown of the century. I woke up crying for a list of reasons. Erik was at a loss and could only hug me and ask me to tell him what on Earth was going on. Which, of course, I couldn't answer. So I decided that I would ask Pig-Pen if we could change the plan a bit. I took the car to, I hoped, find a coffee shop and reflect on things for myself quietly. I wound up in New Milford, Connecticut at an urgent care getting that infected to looked at. NP Kim was FANTASTIC!! She assessed me so quickly and found a simple infection which only needs antibiotics. She was helpful in keeping costs down for me, and happened to ask if I every want to quit on this day when I most wanted to quit. Thank you, Kim, for your kindness and your interest in our journey. It means more than you'll ever know!
After this, I ran errands to resupply, get Pig-Pen an apple pie (see yesterday), and talked to the one and only Allison who told me nothing I don't know, and everything I needed to hear.
Basically, I need you all to know that we post happy photos, and tell you fun stories. But the reality is that this is so hard. Mentally, emotionally, physically, the hardest thing we'll ever do. I can't speak for us both, but the driving force for me at this point is that this is too long dreamed for, and we've come too far to quit now. I think. If you'd caught me this morning, you'd have been sure I'd be on the next plane. We're looking for a rest day coming up very soon and I won't make any decisions before that. I can't promise I won't be a complete basket case until then, though.
I do have to say that Connecticut is absolutely beautiful! I will most certainly come back this way and do some site seeing in the future. Food, inns, camping, rivers... We're camping tonight in a small park in Falls Village near a hydro power facility. There's a shower head near the building and we took bored baths tonight. I can say definitively that this experience gives me a new understanding of the homeless population. We just hiker trash in posh New England.
Friday 8/4; Iron Bridge, CT to Laurel Ridge Campsite (1492.5-1507.9)
Rain and thunder storms arrived today, but my mood was better. Thanks in no small part to all of you Rockstar supporters out there egging us on! I thank you from the deepest place in my soul for your kind words of encouragement yesterday.
All in all, I call today a win. My mood was quite good, the rain only sucked a little, we hiked into Massachusetts, I currently have a mosquito dive bombing my head (have I mentioned the bugs?), and Erik's air mat has a leak in it. But another state in the books is something to celebrate! We have under 700 miles left to hike. Some days (like yesterday) this feels like more than I/we can possibly manage. Other days we marvel at how much we've accomplished. Into Great Barrington tomorrow and a zero on Sunday!!
Saturday 8/5; Laurel Ridge Campsite to Great Barrington, MA (1507.9-1520.6)
You know those days when everything seems to take twice as long as planned? Today was one of those days. It took us nearly 8 hours to hike 12 miles. Granted there was some trail magic in there from Pterodactyl's parents (Amazing--thank you!!) Which pretty much was the trail don't what the trail does...providing. BUT, we made it, wet rocks and all. And tomorrow...We ZERO!
Oh, and I got to talk to U-Turn tonight! I'm super glad she's doing well and hiking on! I had honestly forgotten how much I miss her!
You are close to 5 months on the AT and your bodies have completely changed from the start date of March 12th. What doesnt kill you makes you stronger, so its said. So you are both super human beings now and you can do this right to the very exciting end. We are cheering you onward to the very end. Love you two.
ReplyDeleteMy aunt and uncle live in new Milford! -Amy
ReplyDeleteyes Connecticut is a beautiful state my home town, Charlotte i have faith in you, i'm sure it's hard however you have already proven your strength, miss you
ReplyDelete