Days 100-104, 7/8/13-7/12/14

7/8: Day 100

Telephone Pioneer Shelter (1,441.7)- Thayer Brook (1461.9) 

Total miles: 20.2

Folks, we have survived 100 days out in the woods. It's been 100 days of blood, sweat, and tears, but the mission has been well worth it. This day is significant because not only are we 100 days into the journey, but we are over 2/3 of the way finished. The end is palpable, and we anticipate it. 

This morning we broke camp at around 7:30 a.m. It was hard to wake up because last nights rest was terrible. Our tent was on a sideways slant, so we were rolly pollying all night long. Plus, the rain did not relent through the night. We slowly trekked down the mountain due to the slickness of the rocky terrain. After that, the terrain was remarkably nice. New York farewelled us with a smooth, well-marked trail. What more could a hiker ask for? We had lunch at our last New York shelter- Wiley Shelter. We met a section hiker named Carol. She was an interesting lady, she was very quite and mellow at first until Jeremy asked if she was Buddhist, due to a book he noticed she was reading. She didn't claim to practice the religion just enjoyed the meditation aspect of it. We had the opportunity to talk with her about the Christian belief and how it has helped us. She seemed a little reluctant at first but at the end she let us pray with her over her back pain. Our job is to plant the seeds and let The Lord harvest them. 

Shortly after, we crossed over the NY/CT border. We have successfully hiked through nine states and only have five to go. Connecticut should hardly any time because it's only 31 miles long. The rest of the day was pretty easy. We are running a little low on food so our calorie intake was at a deficit. The short climbs seemed exponentially more difficult than previous more strenuous climbs. We decided to set up camp at a Brook one mile before our intended destination at the shelter. A couple reasons for this: one being we had already met our 20 mile goal and didn't feel the need to exert ourselves anymore; two, last night's rest was terrible at the shelter because there was limited tenting space and a good spot is never a guarantee. We found a nice spot at the brook and called it a night. While we were doing our nightly chores, Squirrel and Bagger showed up. They talked with us a little and Bagger moved on to the next shelter. Squirrel; however, asked us about our resupply plans and what we were doing tomorrow. We told her our food situation and we weren't sure if we'd had to do an unexpected stop or not. She offered us a couple cooking required dinners to help us make it to Salisburry since she was sending her stove home she had no use for them. We were very appreciative because it was just what we needed. We offered to give her money but there was no excepting it. The camaraderie on the trail is one of the best aspects of the journey. Shortly after dinner, we went to bed. 20's to Katahdin is the goal, and so far so good. 

7/9: Day 101

Thayer Brook (1461.9)- Sharon Mountain Campground (1482.6)

Total miles: 20.7

Today has been a great day. Don't you just love posts that start like that? Seriously though, it really has been a wonderful day. We broke camp around 6:30 a.m. Early starts are always our favorites even though waking early with the impending doom of hiking until at least 5:30 p.m. isn't necessarily jumping out of bed motivation, but none-the-less it's better than starting the day late. Two miles into the hike, there was a cooler by the side of the road with some pops, ice pops, and apples. We were absolutely thrilled because we were running really low on food and calories. We sat down and enjoyed a nice drink as the early sun was drying out the dew. Once again, it thunderstormed last night. We were just thankful the brook we camped next to didn't wash us out. 

The first half of the day went by pretty quick, and it was easy terrain. We stopped just before a 500 ft. climb to have some lunch and evaluate our shortage of food. As we we pulling out our food bags, a group of four rode up on bicycles and set their bikes down as they planed their hike up the mountain. We asked them if there was anywhere nearby to buy food and they mentioned a grocery/deli about two miles away. Never mind that. There was no way we'd walk that far out of our way. They offered to let us borrow a couple bike and we enthusiastically accepted. We were able to get chocolate milk, a burger and sub, and enough food to hold us over until Salisbury. What a blessing! The Lord truly provides every time we have need. We returned in plenty of time, and before they returned from their hike. We were even able to take a short midday nap. It was amazing. After lunch, we started the trek up the mountain. This would be the first of five decent ascents for the afternoon. It turned out to be a piece of cake. The big lunch and chocolate milk gave us enough calories to power through the first six miles of climbs. On the first climb we met another thru-hiker named Lucky B. He ended up hiking seven or so miles with us, and we just talked about life and what was to come after the trail. He made the comment that at this point in the hike you just needed to put the grit to the grind and go. We agreed; it's time to wrap this long journey up. We discussed how much more difficult the journey has been than anything we have ever done in life before. Lucky B had rowed for Rutgers and almost made it to the Olympics for rowing and he had practiced law for a couple years and he noted that the trail was indeed more difficult than practicing law. It was comforting knowing we weren't the only ones feeling challenged. 

We made it to the Pine Swamp Brook shelter which was only 2.5 miles from our destination right before the sky regurgitated what the ground had swallowed up the night before. We weren't planning on stopping, but quickly decided to eat dinner there and push on after the rain passed. It turned out to be a popular idea because 30 minutes later Lucky B, Stick in the Mud, and Unity showed up dripping wet. 

After dinner we pushed on the easy 2.5 miles to camp. When we arrived it seemed to be supper time for all the mosquitoes and their families. They zoned into every exposed portion of skin and even that you didn't know was exposed. It was a war- literally a flesh and blood war. I applied ever article of clothing I owned just to keep their piercing beaks from penetrating. We said goodbye to Lucky B as he left to add another three miles to his day. Just as it was dusk and we were escaping into our tent it's starts to spit rain. Not even ten minute later it was a full-blown monsoon of thunder, lightening, wind, and rain galore. Our hearts went out to Lucky B as we knew he was hiking in this madness. The only thing worse than hiking in a raging thunderstorm is hiking in one at night. We headed to bed after praying for our protection and that of our newly met friends. 

7/10: Day 102

Sharon Mountain Campground (1482.6)- Sages Ravine Campground (1502.5)

Total miles: 19.9

Last night it rained for quite some time. We woke to a soggy tent and dampened attire. It's become the norm lately. Before we left camp we rinsed off some clothes in the creek and hung them from our packs to dry out. Today was a resupply day so we needed to book it in order to still be able to do 20 miles and enjoy a nice lunch in Salisbury. With the terrain being similar to the recent days we ended up getting into town by 11:30 a.m. We resupply and bought some lunch from the deli. The grocery was a locally owned shop but one of the drawbacks to it was the prices were double what we usually pay for groceries. For two days of food and lunch we spent around 80 dollars. It is what it is. While we were eating outside, Lucky B arrived. We cheered and applauded that he survived the walk of danger last night. He reassured us that he was able to set up his hammock real quick before it got severe, but he did get soaked because his tarp lost the battle with the monsoon last night. Not long after, five other thru-hikers showed and we were all chatting and having a good time. One of the hikers, Lost Boy, we haven't seen since the Smokies, so it was great catching up with him. Around 2:00 p.m., we finally set out to finish the remainder if the day. We only had eight miles left, but there were a couple 500 ft. climbs to add some spice. The last climb up Bear Mountain wasn't bad at all, but the descent was one I'd like to not ever do again. I'm just thankful the rocks were relatively dry. We made it to camp by 6:30 p.m and met some section hikers that gave us a tube to clean out our water filter. We had lost ours a couple months ago and have just been borrowing others but they let us keep theirs because they had an extra. What a nice couple! We had a quick dinner and hurried into our oasis of liberty from Mosquitos. We are so thankful to have an awesome tent that shelters us from the little demon bugs all night. Praise The Lord!

7/11: Day 103

Sages Ravine Campsite (1,502.5)- Great Barrington, MA (1,517.1)

Total: 15.6 miles

This morning was the first morning in awhile that we woke up to a dry tent. Hallelujah, it did not rain again last night. We had a great night's sleep and we were well rested for the 21 miles we had planned to knock out. Today was such a perfect day for hiking. There was a steady breeze and the temperature didn't peak above mid-70's. It was glorious, at least until the 2.5 miles of Mosquito hell we went through later on. Hold that thought for a moment..

We had lunch at the Hemlocks Shelter which was at 2,000 ft. in elevation which meant amazing temperature, and little to no insects feeding on us. Later on, we descended back to the valley and that is where we walked through the mosquito hell. We crossed into a beautiful pine wooded forest immersed in swamp land, and all of the sudden these beastly bugs zoomed in and attacked every bare piece of flesh. It was appalling. We stopped for 15 seconds to douse ourselves with repellent and booked it out of there like chickens running from a butcher. Jeremy, bless his heart, remained completely calm, while I did everything but scream from the top of my lungs. After that episode, we made it to a highway and out of the woods. At this point we wanted nothing to do with the woods for the rest of the evening. We wanted a shower, clean laundry, and a climate controlled environment. Jeremy called his dad and he was able to get us a room at the Marriott in Great Barrington. The only thing between us and that oasis for the evening was a couple more miles of walking and a hitch into town. As soon as we got to the next road, we stuck out our thumbs and a sweet lady named Chandler in a Volvo wagon pulls over and let's us in. It was the very first car that passed us! The Lord never ceases to provide!! Chandler told us about her step-son hiking the AT a couple years ago, so that was neat to hear. We heavily thanked her and entered the hotel. The rest off the evening consisted of taking no shorter than 30 minute showers, laundry, and vegging out on pizza and chocolate milk in front of the T.V. It's been a good night!

7/12: Day 104

Great Barrington, MA (1517.1)- Stealth Camp (1539.5)

This morning, after a glorious breakfast at the hotel the ride back to the trail was a piece of cake. We start walking down the rode and before we could even attempt to hitch, a guy pulled over and asked if we needed a ride. Um, yes please!! We were back on trail in no time. We were rather sluggish all day. We were on and off about calling it an early day and just starting over tomorrow, but we pushed through and finally made it to our stealth camping spot close to a small spring. We only saw one other thru-hiker today, and he pushed on to the next shelter. Today has been rather uneventful. We are hoping to get back to the grind tomorrow and aim for a bigger day. We're still attempting to keep an average of 20's to Katahdin! God is good always :)

Largest Oak Tree on the A.T. in NY.

A little board walking.

 

We're starting to see more mountainous views! 

Bye bye New York

Big Rattle Snake on the trail.

Yummm!

1500 miles!!!

Old monument on another Bear Mountain in MA.

Hello Massachusettes!!

We climbed all the way up Mount Everett to see this view. 

Water we don't have to filter is always a blessing!

The exact spot Shays Rebellion took place.

Riding some borrowed bikes to get some food!

Covering from the bugs.

Day 97-99

7/5: Day 97

Wildcat Shelter-Bear mtn

Total miles: 25

Last night a high pressure air front blew in. Blowing out the hot humid air and bringing with it optimism that their will still be decent weather days to be had. Since we did so few miles yesterday we were very ready to get going today. Around 5:00am my eyes opened and I began to awaken my sleeping beauty. She was reluctant at first but after a while she got up and started packing up all her belongings. She has such a precious way of making it all fit. Every morning she even looks herself over in the mirror. Most ladies out here have let themselves go, but my lady still enjoys a few normal-life aspects of being a lady. 

After a quick breakfast we got moving. Around lunch time we happened to run across an older gentlemen who offered to take us for ice cream. How awesome is that?! We followed him to his car and hopped in. He let us order and eat to our hearts content. I've developed a fondness for cookie dough, it tends to have the most calories.  With our bellies full he drove us back to the trail, just in time to start hiking with our friends bagger and Mother Earth. We decided to eat an early dinner along a stream and keep hiking until we found a camp site. We didn't find one until we made it almost on top of bear mt. Bear Mt. is best know for it's views of the Hudson and New York City. Which we will see tomorrow. As for now, it's time for some much needed sleep. 

7/6: Day 98

Bear Mt-Clarence state park

Total miles: 22

We got up early again, and thankful to a dry tent. The hike up and down Bear Mt. wasn't nearly as strenuous as we both anticipated. It was for the most part extremely well maintained and lacking in any of the normal life threatening precariously natured descents the AT conjures up. For that we were very glad. 

We came to early to visit the trail side zoo. It's a zoo the AT routes through and thru hikers can visit for free. What we did see was something I've been looking forward to for some time, the Hudson River. I can't tell you why but finally making it to the Hudson felt like a serious achievement to me. It was magnificent! The bridge we crossed has been in operation since Earl Schafer, the first thru-hiker, hiked the trail. I think it's so cool walking through history like that. After I got done being sentimental about my surroundings we started hiking again. 

For lunch we stopped by a deli. I ordered a large pizza and what I got was a pizza large enough to feed a family of 6. By the way, up here it's not called a pizza, any self-respecting pizzeria owner calls his creations "pies." Which was confusing at first since what I call a "pie" is far different. Any ways, Dawn helped me and had two slices. When we left it was hot and humid, and the brick of "pie" in my belly wanted out. Thankfully I held it all down, but it took work. 

At the end of our day we were greeted with a sign that said there would be free food and drinks near where we would be camping. We walked the mile to the park and sure enough a guy with his daughter was there making hikers all the food we could eat. The menu was a little random, we had a choice of either hotdogs or eggs. Dawn and I both got some hotdogs. The greatest treat of all was the hot showers we took. The state park had some showering facilities that had WORKING hot water heaters. Praise God! It was long day, but well worth it. 

7/7: Day 99

Clearance State Park NY-Telephone Pioneers Shelter

Total miles:23.8

After our awesome free meal last night the guy and his family offered for us to come back for breakfast and coffee. He had me at hello. We woke at 5:00am again, got out belongs packed, and went to his campsite. Back home Dawn used to make me these delicious egg and cheese toast sandwiches, and that's exactly what was on the menu. We ate till we were full and started hiking. Dawn remarked that after having eaten so much she felt like a super hiker. It's amazing what your body can do when properly fueled. 

At lunch we went to yet another deli. After eating a foot-long meatball sub and chugging most of a half-gallon of chocolate milk I had to use the bathroom to make room for my new food. I went to the shop keeper and asked for directions to their restroom, she replied I couldn't use it because the health department would give them a fine. I know I smelled bad, but I didn't pose any serious biological health hazards and was a bit dismayed at her response. I went next door to a pizza place and asked again. He replied that his bathroom was private and seemed offended I had asked. Lastly, I went to another business and asked to which I was replied it was impossible for me to use it. I attempted to reason with the man, in my desperate situation, that I was of a high level of book learning and could figure it out. He wouldn't budge. From that point it was off to the woods as fast as possible. 

It got fairly hot for the rest of the day and by the time we made it to the shelter the sky was clouding over with thunderstorms. Dawn and I divided and conquered to get camp setup as fast as possible. We've become ruthlessly efficient at this end of day operation. Just as I was sitting down to cook dinner the wind started howling and the sky started to give the warnings of an impending wall of rain headed our way. It was no big deal since our tent has two large vestibules that allow us to cook there in emergency situations. It rained for an hour or so but we ate in our dry warm tent. After the rain ended we heard some day hikers making a fire so we decided to go check it out and talk for a while. The invited us over and let us make some s'mores with them. It wasn't until 9:30pm we made our way back to our tent, which is way past our bed time. As soon as we made it back to our tent more rain started moving through. It made me glad that we have such a nice roomy tent that keeps us dry on long rainy nights. Life goes easy. 

Board walks

Bear Mt observatory

Hudson River bridge

Hudson River

Dawn and her bug net

Beavers help keep the waters from flooding the trail. 

Day 91-96

6/29 Day 91

Delaware water gap, PA-Stealth 

Total miles: 7

As a child I often wondered what it would be like to travel all the way around the world in a perfect circle and end up where I had began my journey. I also pondered if I could even find my way back to where I had began. I feel like I'm living out that scenario. Every step we take further north on this trail takes me geographically further from my home, but closer to it at the same time. Today was our last day with my grandparents. It's been a great week of rest and relaxation, but the time has come to begin the end of our journey. We've got 896 miles to go. It may sound like a lot from your end, but to us the end seems to almost be grasped by our finger tips. 

We made it back to the trail around 2:30, and promptly got back to hiking. After all we had taken an extra day off as it was. Our trek today started with a road walk across the Delaware river and through some state park facility's. When we got to the trail it might as well have been a highway. It was 10ft wide, mostly free of rocks, and full of weekend hikers. As has been the case in the past we knew this would only last until the first hard uphill, which was a correct assumption. I would say the toughest aspect of today was the re-entry to discomfort. In our first world, comfort/consumption driven society any, and I mean any, discomfort is abhorred. The very idea of discomfort has driven mankind to some of the most marvelous innovations the world has ever seen. Such as automobiles with internal combustion engines, air-condition, electricity, hot water heaters, golf carts, and body-wash. We had let our mental grit of being comfortable with discomfort slip over the last few days, and our short 7-mile hike was a big deal. As I sit here in my tent and listen to a swarm of Mosquitos attempting to dive bomb my blood rich skin, I'm thankful yet again, for the simple things. Life goes easy. 

6/30 Day 92

PA stealth camp-Gren Anderson shelter

Total miles: 23

It was late in the day when we crossed a road and began our last 3-miles. Halfway up a steep NJ hill I passed a family who asked me how I was doing. "Only a few more miles" I replied. I'd been telling myself that all day. As I topped the hill Dawn was already waiting for me and we were both greeted by the simultaneous rush of excitement that we had climbed our last hill of the day, and a beautiful sunset. She said "isn't it pretty?" To which I replied as I always do "Dawns are always prettier."

We did also have our most intense bear encounter to date. Dawn was hiking about 5-yards ahead of me. All of the sudden she turned around and had an alarmed look on her face as she started briskly walking back to me. She jump behind me and said "there's a bear up there." It was flattering to witness her response to trouble, if nothing else she knew that because of my sprained ankle and constant gimp these days she would be the faster runner. The bear was by far the largest black bear I've ever seen, larger than a zoo bear. It looked up, saw me, and kept walking my direction. I had a mental image of Tom Cruise in his movie The Last Samurai as he charges forward valiantly sword and spear in hand only to be shot down by a Gatling gun, which in my case would of been bear claws. Instead I took the advice of our thru hikers companion and swung my arms around in a broad fashion and yelled at it. The bear looked at me dumbly almost to say "what is he doing," and then turned to walk into the forest. All that happened in about 10 seconds, but the adrenaline rush felt like an hour of action. Dawn thanked me for being her protector and I skipped along until the adrenaline wore off and went back to limping. 

It's been a day that we knew would come. Getting back on the trail after so many days off has proven to be difficult, but not impossible. During our time off we were able to heal some sore joints and spend some much needed time with family. We did for the first time see Mrs. Janet. She is a serial trail angel that drives a van with a painted on AT logo up and down the entire trail helping hikers any way she can. I've even heard rumor that her daughter does the same thing in a separate van from time to time. One last observation, NJ mosquitoes don't play around. They bite through shirts, socks, and a select few of what I think are trained special forces ignore all forms of bug repellant. Thank God for our tent, it's our only tenable place to escape them. Life goes easy. 

7/1: Day 93

Gren Anderson-Murray Cabin

Total miles: 18

Since starting this journey we've listened to more podcast than I imagined possible. Mostly because they are free. I've been able to download and learn from two of the most knowledgable men of faith I've ever heard, Ravi Zacharias and Keith Moore. Listening to their services is almost an escape until the closing notes when I look down and am reminded that my shirt is sticking to me from my own perspiration. One of the less appealing aspects of NJ is nothing ever dries. The sweat on my shirt now is most likely the same sweat from two days ago. When I get done hiking at the end of the day I take off that shirt and put on my sleeping shirt. One shirt I sweat in while hiking, the other while sleeping. In some ways we've both come terms with this fact of thru hiking. 

Twice today we've been greeted with air-conditioned facility's allowing us to cool off. We hiked through high point state park. A relatively small park but stacked with amenities. First, we went into its visitor center to escape the heat of the day. The second was a lake! They had a short order grill and a beach to relax on. Three hot dogs a slice of pizza and an order of fries later we were both happy and simi-full. Dawn and I jumped in the lake to not only enjoy the water but also bathe off some of the sweat that has built up on us. It was at this point we observed a peculiar scene amongst our fellow hikers. Including Dawn and I there were six hikers. Only three of us showered, and only Dawn and I used deodorant. Upon observing others toe nails we are also the only ones who thought it worth the weight to carry a pair of toe nail clippers. We both remarked the importance of personal hygiene and it's correlation to relative comfort on the trail. I suppose in each individual case it's mind over matter, if they don't mind it doesn't matter. 

Towards the end of our day we saw our third bear. We've seen one every day in NJ. Our destination proved to be worth the walk. The Tim Murray Cabin is a privately owned cabin made available to hikers. He also gives access to electricity and well water. Running water is something to be treasured, especially when you have to otherwise filter all water for human consumption. It's such a blessing when people give out of the kindness of their heart. Just as I was falling asleep I heard a gang of raccoons screeching and yelling. I've always been more concerned with raccoons than bears. Mainly because I've dealt with both and raccoons have no prohibitions when it comes to personal space. They are a modern day version of Vikings, pillaging and plundering anything they can get their paws on. I told Dawn if they got any closer I'd deal with it. I also told her if she had to help that raccoons are to treated as enemy hostiles, they will receive no mercy, and a wounded raccoon is a exponentially more dangerous raccoon. Thankfully that war never happened. Life goes easy. 

7/2: Day 94

Murray cabin-Alpine Haus B&B 

Total miles: 6

We woke up this morning with a twinkle in our eye. The idea of not filtering water and charging our phones was more than enough to placate us after our ultra humid nights sleep. Around 8:45 we departed for our destination which was 18-miles away. It's been very hot and humid the last couple days and today was no exception. I learned in a video from the weather channel that hurricanes feed on heat and moisture in the air. When hurricane Arthur reaches NJ I predict it will become a super-storm. The first stop for today was unionville, NY. We stopped in their general store and each got a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. When I eat a pint of ice cream I always throw away the lid, because I'm not a quiter. After that we finished with a three day resupply and hiked out of town. That was when today got interesting. We hiked through some sun exposed fields, then a road, then a swamp. All in the sun. It's so much different hiking in direct sunlight as opposed to tree cover. Thankfully the NJ  forestry department provides access to a spring fed water spigot that was shaded just before an intense hill climb. After that my ankle became unbearably painful. It went from a dull consistent ache to a sharp, limping every step, pain. I looked down at my aching ankle and thought "why am I doing this to myself." Today has been the toughest day on my ankle yet. We reached a road crossing and Dawn noticed the wincing on my face. She talked me into letting her call a taxi for us and rest for the remainder of the day. That was a great decision. We ended up at a wonderful B&B. It was the most money we've paid this far for lodging but well worth it. The owners treated us with such care and kindness. We were given access to their washer and dryer. I don't know what kind of detergent they use but my clothes no longer smelled, it was amazing! We spent the rest of the afternoon sipping coffee and watching tv. Not to mention taking a scorching hot shower. Tomorrow the owners have agreed to take us back to the trail and stop by a rite-aid for me to pick up an ankle brace. I'm sure with the prayers of many people, the grace of God, and a couple days of shorter miles my ankle will heal nicely and we will continue on with our journey. Life goes easy. 

7/3: Day 95

Alpine Haus B&B-Greenwood, NY vista trail

Have you ever had one of those days when you wake up everything is going right and by the time you go to sleep the world has spun around backwards? Today was one of those days. At 8:00am we made our way downstairs to get breakfast. Our host cooked us some fully loaded omelets, brought juice, fresh fruit, coffee, and muffins. It was an amazing breakfast! Around 10:00am she gave us a ride back to the trail and I picked up an ankle brace on the way. Immediately we were greeted by a group of teachers putting on a very impressive trail magic. We sat and talked with them for an hour and then began our hike. Our plan wasn't very aggressive since we wanted to let my ankle heal. The brace functioned remarkably well and walking was far more pleasant today. Around 3:00pm the sky started clouding over and we could hear the rumble of thunder getting closer and closer. The sky started spitting mist and then opened up. The terrain the AT was routed across made for slippery conditions. At one point we had to climb a ladder, made more dangerous by the wet conditions. Dawn and I both slipped and fell multiple times. That storm passed after a half hour and we were greeted by comfortable temps. 

Then our happy-go-lucky day started to unravel into a tapestry of disaster. Another storm started blowing in, and by the sound of the thunder it was much more fierce than the last. Most of the trail at this point was traversing rocks already made slippery by the previous rain storm, and it was on an exposed ridge line. At some point just after it started raining I slipped. I yelled out Dawns name but she couldn't hear me. The wind and rain were to much white noise for me to over come. She turned around and noticed me on the ground as I was starting to get up. We then heard our worst fear. A town close by was blaring its tornado sirens and the wind and rain whipping up the earth around us corroborated that something was about to happen. We both agreed to seek cover and descend the ridge-line. We made it to a rock to hunker down beside for cover. As rain ran down our faces in river like fashion we both held each other for warmth and comfort. I prayed for our protection and our prayers where answered. The storm passed and we were able to safely start hiking again. I knew more rain was coming so we took a side trail to the town and started searching for a room. Being July 3 no rooms were to be found. It was a miserable situation. Not only was it about 9:30pm but more rain was moving in and we were going to have to hike back out of the town and set up our tent in the rain. I've never really wanted to quit and go home on this trip until that moment. It reminded me of a family vacation my family and I took to yellowstone. One family member lost the key to the rental car on top of a mountain we were then stranded and completely helpless. I came to the conclusion that life my sometimes seem helpless, but with Jesus Christ it's never hopeless. The rains let up and we got our tent setup just in time before another down pour started. God is good all the time James 1:17. 

7/4: Day 96

Greenwood NY vista trail-Wildcat Shelter

Total miles: 5

After last nights lodging debacle we weren't exactly bursting at the seems to get moving this morning. Once I finally got out of the tent at 10:00am to answer natures call I noticed our tenting position was being observed by two black bears. One was a good distance away, the other had gotten more curious. He was only about 25- yards from me. He literally looked at me and licked his fat lips as he meandered towards our tent. A few loud yells and a thrown stick later and he was gone. Around 10:30am we finally got all our gear together and ready to move, just in time to sit down and enjoy my morning cup of coffee.  

As we made it back to the trail everything was wet, all our clothes from the previous day, and shoes. We crossed a road and were pleasantly surprise by the nice trail we had to walk. It was Pretty level and few rocks. After 4 miles the sky started to threaten another rain storm so we booked it to the closest shelter, but not before we picked and ate some wild blueberry we found. One hour turned into three hours of solid rain, at which we point we called it a day and decided to stay. When that rain storm broke the wind started to blow and 45-mins later we had blue sky's. Albeit only a couple hours before dark. I set up our tent to let the breeze dry it out as best it could. By 7:30 we were laying in our sleeping bags enjoying the new high-pressure "cool" front that had blown in. My what a difference a couple of hours can make when it comes to weather. Tonight will be such a good nights rest. Life goes easy. 

Mrs. Janet's van

Just incase we get lost. 

Sun fish pond, our first glacier lake. 

Our friend pack rat attempting to downsize from a much larger pack. 

I asked Dawn to push me the rest of the way. 

The high point of High point state park. 

Alpine Haus B&B 

Tim Murray cabin

The rocks we got caught on in a thunder storm. 

Giant snapping turtle Dawn almost stepped on. 

Day 85-90, 6/23/14-6/28/14

6/23-6/28, Day 85-90

Harper's Ferry, VA

Total miles: 0

The Grand Days

What a week it has been! It's been a great time of relaxation and restoration. Our feet have deflated back to there normal size, our bodies and hair have been clean for six days, and our appetite has gone back to that of a normal civilian's. We've been comfortable. We were able to visit the Capital and live the life of a tourist for a day. We took the Amtrak to Washington D.C., and rode the Metro to our destinations of interest. It was enjoyable but almost as exhausting as hiking 20 mile days. Time literally flies by in this fast pace culture that we stepped away from for a bit. Towards the end of the week we became more accustomed to it. We got to explore the history in Harper's Ferry. We also met up with some extended family that lives outside of D.C., Mary Frances and her daughter Leigh Ann. Leigh Ann and her daughter Brenna took us bike riding around Old Town, and we saw Robert E. Lee's boyhood home and an old Torpedo factory that is now an art museum! The next day they took us out on the Potomac River on their boat and we saw Mount Vernon, wake boarded, and tubed! We gladly welcomed the water rather than the mountains. It was a much needed change of scenery, literally. 

The last day with the grandparents, we enjoyed the last bit of relaxation we would have for awhile. We resupplied, washed our clothes once more, and prepared for life on the trail again tomorrow. We have enjoyed our time so much and will cherish it; however we do look forward to finishing this mission stronger than we started.

Home for the next week!

What we looked like when we got picked up.

After showers, haircut for Jeremy, and some town clothes!

Red Robin's bottomless fries and Rootbeer floats hit the spot!

Napping in the hammock :)

The wonderful grandparents!!!

Relaxation in a climate controlled environment.

Arlington Memorial

Changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Abraham Lincoln Memorial

George Washinton Monument

The White House

Sporting our "I heart D.C." shirts!

Enjoying some ice cream!

The Wright Brother's first original airplane!

The Wright Brothers and Jeremy

Oh just posing in front of a missile.

Leigh Ann and Peyton's gorgeous house in Fairfax County that we stayed at one night!

We visited George Washington's forer church in Old Town.

One of the Torpedo missiles.

On the Potomac River!

The grands relaxing