We are finally making our way through the state of Pennsylvania. We have been lucky to see friends and family every weekend for the past three weeks.
Being in familiar places makes leaving to get back on the trail very difficult. The comfort of a familiar bed, and seeing loved ones and then having to say goodbye for a tent and mosquitos is never fun.
But once we are back on the trail we always end up feeling good and making miles.
Until next time!
Last time I updated we were taking a day off in Pearisburg, VA. Due to weather, distances, and terrain difficulty as well as being plain homesick, this is the area of trail where many hikers experience the Virginia blues. Along with my fellow hikers I was feeling pretty down. It is amazing though, how a good meal and some decent weather can turn things around.
My spirits started to pick up again at a place called Four Pines Hostel. It’s a four bay garage where for the first time in a while, Mac and I found ourselves amidst a large group of hikers. We made our way to an all you can eat restaurant called the Homeplace and stuffed our faces. That night the garage was full, so Mac and I slept in a nearby barn and got to make friends with the Alpacas that slept there as well.
The following morning after being awoken by an alpaca walking by the bench I was sleeping on, we headed out towards McAffee Knob.
Early on in the hike we came across the 700 mile mark and had a celebratory swig of whiskey.
Six miles in we hit the trailhead for the knob and realized it was a Saturday based on the number of day hikers attempting the climb.
The weather was amazing and we hiked fast making the 4 mile climb up the knob in an hour and a half. Our newfound hiker friends made it up at the same time and we had lunch together.
The last part of our hike that day was over Tinker Cliffs. I took a quick video as we walked along the cliff side and you can click here to watch!
There ended an awesome day of hiking, and everyone’s mood seemed a little better. The next day we hiked into Daleville and ran into a group of hikers that we had met our first day on the trail! We decided to stay at their hotel and spent the rest of the day catching up around the pool.
Eager to put in some big miles on the next section, Mac and I left early the next day. Our plan was to hike two 18 mile days and two 20 mile days to get to the next town. The first day was hot, but we managed our goal of 18. On day 2 we were excited to get to a swimming hole around lunchtime. To our surprise we were met by a group of hikers who handed us beer and burgers. We could go no further.
Here is a video of Mac and I at the swimming hole.
With our plan derailed and only 10 miles done on day 2, we set out on day 3 with a goal of 21 miles. We were starting to worry if we had enough food to finish the section. Around 430 we wandered up to a shelter where a man asked us if we were hungry. 20 minutes later we were eating eggs, pancakes and sausage. Breakfast for dinner never gets old. It took us until dark to hike our 21 miles, but we made it and saw some great views on the way.
On day 4 we still had 30 miles before we could get to a town. We resolved to hike as far as we could that day and finish the rest the next morning. We were tired from the day before, and got a late start, but the weather was nice and we felt good. That day we came upon the James river bridge. It is the longest footbridge on the AT, and a hiker tradition to jump off of it. We were excited to get there and cool off in the river. I arrived last and found Mac and some friends sitting on the ground on the other side of the bridge. I knew why no one was jumping in. Nobody had expected a footbridge to be so tall! After some poking and prodding I managed to get a few hikers on the bridge, Mac included. Here is the video for your viewing pleasure.
With a late start and time spent on the bridge we knew we would probably be hiking well into the evening. Especially with an elevation gain of over 2000 feet still ahead of us. We got to a shelter around 730 and made dinner. The amazing Julia Comerford provided us we some dehydrated meals, and we enjoyed beans and rice with chicken. Afterwards, we got out our headlamps and started our first night hike of the trip.
We decided to call it quits around 11pm. We had hiked 23 miles that day and were getting a little unnerved by the darkness. The following morning we came across the 800 mile mark. We were so hungry we barely stopped eating to take a picture. Thus we couldn’t get a good shot and only have pictures of us chewing.
We hiked 6 miles to the road and found a ride into town. MacGuyver had two consecutive lunches and we were invited to stay with a hiking buddy at her godfathers house. Today we are taking the day off. We are 220 miles away from Harpers Ferry, WV which is the half way mark!
It has been a while since I have posted an update, and there is so much to talk about!
To start off, on the weekend of May 17th we headed up to Trail Days! It’s the biggest festival celebrating the trail, and it is held in Damascus, VA. Mac had to head back to PA for a wedding, but Andrew was able to join me for the weekend. Here are some pictures from the festival.
After the festival, Mac returned and we headed to Erwin, TN where we had left off. After a few days on the trail Mac and I stopped at a hostel/B&B called Mountain Harbor B&B. We had heard good things about the breakfast that the owner makes every morning so we decided to check it out.
This turned out to be a great decision. This was one of the best meals I have ever sat down to. Homemade jam, apple butter, and everything else you could think of, made completely from scratch. That thing in a corn husk isn’t corn, it’s a cornmeal tamale cooked inside of the husk. Amazing.
Over the last week and a half we have hiked over 100 miles and we are quickly approaching mile 500. Here are some pictures from the last few days.
Oh and click the link below to watch me walk directly through a herd of cows!
This week Mac, Tinder, Birch and I celebrated hitting the 300 mile mark as well as our one month anniversary of being on the trail! Our pace has picked up considerably in the last few weeks, we have gone 100 miles in 11 days and we plan to do the next 100 miles in about 9 days.
Our success, however, is not without a few hiccups. Almost immediately after hitting mile 300, Tinder realized something wasn’t right. After a rough night we decided that he was extremely dehydrated and possibly heat exhausted. Mac, Birch and I took as much pack weight from him as we could and began a 9 mile hike to the closest road.
Luckily Tinder is a damn animal and we could barely keep up with him as he set a record pace for the last 3 miles (55 minutes!). It took us all day but we finally settled into a hotel in Erwin, TN by around 5pm.
Over the next day and a half we took care of our chores including laundry and resupply. The town of Erwin is not very large, but it is very spread out for someone without a vehicle. The first night in town we walked over a mile to do our laundry and get some grub. As we wearily lugged our laundry, a few pounds of Chinese food, and of course, a case of beer back in the direction of the hotel, we prayed for a kind soul to take pity on us and offer a ride. And that’s when we met Miss Janet.
There are a few people of lore on the Appalachian Trail who, if you spend enough time on the trail, you are bound to meet. The first time I heard about Miss Janet was during our second week on the trail.
Have you met Miss Janet? No? … You will.
AHROOOGAH!
I whipped my head around to the sound a car horn straight out of the cartoons.
Y’all need a ride?
Miss Janet’s smiling face welcomed us aboard her Mystery Machine.
As we rode, Miss Janet introduced herself. She has been involved with the AT since she was a teenager. She used to own and operate a hiker hostel in Erwin, but has since decided that every year she would follow the trail north, helping hikers along the way.
The following morning Miss Janet swung by our hotel to take some hikers to a nearby Walmart.
It was around noon when we pulled into the parking lot.
will you wait for us here?
One hiker asked nervously, not wanting to be left behind.
I’m gonna wait right here
said Miss Janet.
I learned my lesson early on, getting all you hikers together is like herdin’ cats.
Miss Janet doesn’t charge for rides but she does take tips. In addition, Mac volunteered to wipe down the windshield.
The van was plastered inside and out with stickers and writings from previous passengers.
We rode along as she took everyone where they wanted to go, and eventually came back to our hotel. I doubt this is the last time we will see Miss Janet, as she plans to travel up the trail with the large group of hikers encircling us.
In a short time we will be in Damascus, VA for Trail Days, the largest festival celebrating the trail. Miss Janet along with many other trail celebrities will be in attendance.
We hope to get back on the trail in the morning. Onward to Trail Days!
The last time I did a blog update we were in Fontana Dam about to enter the Smoky Mountains. The night before we left Fontana, by an enormous coincidence we ran into Joan and Colleen from REI!
The next morning they became trail angels by giving us a ride back to the trail!
The trail in Fontana goes directly over the Dam, which Mac was very excited to hear that part of the movie “The Fugitive” was filmed.
After going over the Dam we officially entered the Smokies.
The Smokies are logistically different than the rest of the trail because we are required to camp at shelters. This means that some days we have to choose between hiking 7 miles or 16. Mac and I being the daredevils we are went for the big days.
That’s the morning after the first time we hiked 16 miles. Very sore.
There was some bad weather but in general the days were amazing and the scenery was awesome.
After exiting the park we headed to a Hostel known as Standing Bear Farm. I believe that this is the closest thing to a hippie community that I will ever see.
That’s a CHICKEN in that tree. They were everywhere.
Because of some severe storms instead of heading back onto the trail, we got a ride into the town of Newport, Tennessee to relax and refresh for a few days. Our first stop was Cracker Barrel.
We considered staying for lunch as well.
While in the Smokies we hit the 200 mile mark. We are over a tenth of the way to Maine!
Today we are taking a rest day at Fontana Village Resort just outside of Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
The last few weeks have been amazing. We have made so many new friends and are always meeting more.
Trail life is a very interesting thing. One particularly interesting part is the way that people’s paths diverge and then reconnect in the strangest of ways. Here is a story of one of those instances:
Mac and I had been hiking with two couples around the same age as us. They go by the names of Hustle & Flow and Tinder & Birch. We got along great and had fun spending time in camp together.
After a few days in the woods together we began to approach the town of Hiawassee, Georgia. We all had different plans and went our separate ways not knowing if we would see each other again.
Mac and I headed to the Top of Georgia hostel for a shower and a warm bed. To our surprise Tinder and Birch showed up and we all decided that we would head into town together the next morning for breakfast and groceries.
Getting a ride into town was easy. The hostel owner dropped us off and wished us luck. When we were done with our chores we decided we would try our hand at hitching a ride. And failed. Birch and I hid behind the boys while they timidly threw their thumbs in the air. We were novices.
We casually continued strolling toward the edge of town hoping a kind stranger would pick us up and drive us the 11 miles back to the trail. After a short while we stumbled upon a gear shop about the size of my mothers closest. The man behind the counter invited us in to take a look around and offered to call a friend of his to give us a ride. He says he can be there in twenty minutes, he just has to pick up two other hikers along the way. We thank the shop owner as he warns us that his friend looks suspiciously like Santa Claus.
A short while later Santa pulls up to the store in a large white pick up truck. As we walk over I look into the cab of the truck and realize that the two other hikers are none other than Hustle and Flow!
We all exchange smiles as Tinder, Birch, Mac and I climb into the back of the truck and we head back to the trail, reunited.
Too busy to write a formal post, so here’s a few pictures from the last week!
We started our trip on the Approach trail at Amicalola falls. We were dropped off in the evening and stayed at the Max Epperson shelter at the start of the trail.
We started hiking the next morning and by the end of the day we finally reached the start of the appalachian trail.
Over the next few days we made our way to Neels Gap, the first place to get a shower and a bed. We averaged about 8 miles a day and plan to start doing bigger miles in the next few weeks.
Our legs are sore but we are making a ton of new friends and having the time of our life!
On April 1st I will be flying to Atlanta Georgia with my friend Kyle. We are attempting a northbound thru hike starting in Georgia and heading to Maine.
We expect the trip to take about 5 months and plan to meet up with friends and family along the way.
With only a few days left before we leave, I have been running around trying to get everything done. I’ve finally pulled together all of my gear, and am starting to get a good idea of how much food to bring.
Here is a look at what I’m bringing with me: 
Here is a picture of my pack weighing in at 26 pounds without water.
I’m going to try and update this blog with pictures, videos as often as I can so that friends and family can follow our journey.
Thank you to everyone that has been so supportive of our trip!