Finito.

He's done. Finally, done. Amos went back to hike the remaining 150 miles between Bennington, VT and N.H. 25 these past two weeks. Tupperware, Spock, and Twiggy came along for the last week for his return to the grand outdoors. Oh yeah, and he came home with Lyme's disease... again. (Moral of the story: DON'T HIKE THROUGH Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, or Connecticut during the last 2 weeks of JUNE!! Unless you're dying for your own spinal tap & a mildy entertaining case of Bell's palsy.)

Here's his late-spring/summer packing list... in case you're crazy enough to embark upon your own AT adventure.

Pack: Golite Quest
Pack Cover: Medium Etowah Gear
Sleeping Bag: Golite Adrenaline 40 degree with stuffsack
Sleeping Pad: Therm a Rest Prolite 4.75 length
Tarp: Granite Gear
Stakes: 6 Sierra Designs Titanium
Tarp Lines: 3 small parachute cords
Ground Cloth: Tyvek Homewrap
Trekking Poles: Komperdell Hike Antishock Light
Hiking Shoes: The North Face Hedgehog Trail Runners
Camp Shoes: Crocs
Water Bottles: 2 plastic quarts

Cooking:
Cookpot: MSR Titanium
Stove: PBR alcohol stove with chicken wire pot stand
Windscreen
Spork: Titanium
Lighter: Mini Bic
Stove Fuel: Heet 6-8oz. in sturdy plastic bottle
Stove stuff sack

Clothing:
Socks: 2 lightweight synthetic hiking, 1 lightweight wool camp
Underwear: 2 synthetic boxer briefs
Hiking Shorts: The North Face synthetic cargo shorts
Camp Shorts: gym shorts
Hiking Shirts: 2 polyester/spandex t-shirts
Long Underwear: 100% polyester long sleeve shirt and long pants
Bandanna
Lightweight/Breathable REI Rain Jacket
Waterproof Outdoor Research clothing stuff sack

Miscellaneous:
Water Filter: Katadyn Hiker Pro with stuff sack
Cell phone and charger
Camera and charger
Ipod/Headphones and charger
Head Lamp: Petzl Tikka Plus
AAA Batteries: 3
Bug Spray: non Deet
Unfiltered Water Bottle: Platypus 1 Liter bag
Pocket Knife: Small Swiss Army
Stamps
Envelopes
Paper
Pen
Journal
Guidebook/Map: AT Thru Hiker's Companion
Sunglasses/Hat

Food:
Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner meals
Drink mixes
Condiment packets
Seasoning salt
Multivitamins
Food stuff sack

Toiletries:
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Toilet Paper
Hand Sanitizer

First Aid:
Ibuprofen
Glucosamine
Sunscreen: Waterproof 30 SPF or higher
Mole Skin: Dr. Scholl's
Gauze Pads: 2
Band-Aids: 5
Antibiotic/Pain Relief Cream: Neosporin +Pain Relief
Anti fungal Cream: Lamisil AT
Adhesive Tape: Latex Free/Waterproof
Antacid
Lip Balm: Burt's Bees
Waterproof first aid stuff sack: Sea to Summit

1 Step at at Time...

7/21/08 - Amos decided to drive up to Lincoln, NH where Tupperware, Spock & Twiggy, Buns & Roses were waiting for him - he's planning on going back to finish the section of trail (157 miles worth) that he missed in Vermont after they reach the summit of Katahdin.

• Arrived at Chet's house in Lincoln yesterday and just in time to enter the White Mtns! (Chet was blinded and confined to a wheelchair by a camp stove explosion years ago and has since opened a hostel for AT hikers.)
• Woke up and went to McDonalds for breakfast - Egg McMuffin, hash browns & coffee.
• A little out of shape from the 2 weeks worth of recovery (plus the White's are notoriously difficult) so they packed up slackpacks & took a shuttle to Kinsman Notch where they hiked south toward NH 25.
• Started with a 3000 ft climb up Mt. Moosilauke - most of it following a really, really, really pretty waterfall - until it disappeared near Beaver Brook Shelter.
• On Mt. Moosilauke, they were above treeline for the first time on the entire AT (I love that there are still "firsts" on his adventure!). They ate lunch up top where it was slightly windy & cold and where they met up with Mouth & Chef (2 north bounders).
• Climbed back down to Jeffers Brook Shelter when it started raining.
• Came to a brook near NH 25 and most crossed the raging torrent (sarcasm) in bare feet while Tupperware & Spock decided to build a bridge instead. They spent about a half hour stacking rocks and then crossed... Spock traversed successfully while Tupp fell in & got his shoes all wet anyway.
• Arrived at NH 25 where they stuck their thumbs out and caught a hitch to a gas station down the road to use the phone. Called the shuttle service only to find it extremely expensive & settled on having the hostel pick them up instead.
• Ate McDonalds - again! Then cleaned up- took showers & did laundry.
• Chet's house was chaos but all Amos wanted to do was go to sleep as he had only 4 hrs the night before. Snagged a bunk & drifted off to la la land.
• 9.5 mi slack.

7/22/08 - Ate breakfast at McDonalds AGAIN!! Hearts said he could feel his arteries clogging as he downed 3 hash browns - each of which you could squeeeze out the grease...

• Stood outside to hitch a ride back to Kinsman Notch but had some difficulty so Roses decided they needed a catch... something to grab peoples attention & instill security that they weren't a bunch of crazies... something like choreographed hitchhiking!! You can think of it as being similar to synchronized swimming for thumbs... and they did become quite creative! Unfortunately, all they got were a bunch of giggles, looks, and people pointing at them but no ride - so it didn't quite work - but it did pass the time!
• Eventually, a past thru-hiker from 1980 drove by & picked them up (they had given up the song & dance by then).
• Steep ascent up the Kinsman Peaks where they were met with more above treeline action. From North Peak -whenever the clouds & fog would break- they could see Franconia Ridge (the start of the Presidential Range).
• Then to the first hut - AMC Hut - to fill up water. [I learned that AMC stands for Appalachian Mountain Club and that they maintain the White Mtns but that they nickel and dime hikers to death and are thus often called the Appalachian Money Club. They argue that the $8 cost to stay in shelters and $90 cost to stay in their solar powered huts are necessary to helicopter in bark mulch for decomposition in the privies. At one point, Tupperware bought an AMC patch in one of the huts, asked for a red magic marker (in front of the salesman), proceeded to scribble a big circle with a line through their logo, and then safety pinned it to his pack. It would seem there's some tension between thru-hikers and the AMC...]
• 3 miles downhill, they walked past Kinsman Falls which Amos described as being the beginning of an "awesome, amazing" class V section of river known as Cascade Creek. He took (and you can enjoy) SEVERAL (maybe a half a roll of film's worth of) photos.
• Arrived at Franconia Notch & I-93 where it is illegal to hitchhike... they did it anyway. Got a hitch back to Rt 3 and then another from Rt 3 into Lincoln.
• It was a zoo back at Chet's house. Every hiker you could imagine had converged: The General, Jukebox, Chief Daddy, Mouth & Chef, Loafy, Catfish, Root, a bunch of south-bounders they didn't know, and 1 homeless guy.
• Not thrilled with the situation but Roses made up for it by whipping together a spaghetti dinner complete with salad & garlic bread for their little band (plus Chet).
• 16 mi day.

7/23/08 - DIDN'T eat McDonalds! Whohoo! But they did zero today due to bad weather on the mountain.

• Went to breakfast & had pancakes.
• Spock & Hearts went to several different outfitters to find water filters and they somehow managed to convince a clerk to open brand new water filters, take the filter out of the pump and sell them just the filter! That's skill.
• Then to the post office where everyone, except Hearts, mailed forward food.
• Back to Chet's (more chaos) for Poker & Eukre tournaments. Hearts didn't win, but Tupperware did - the Poker champion!
• Tupperware's dad surprised the group by putting $ into his account specifically to take the crew out to dinner!
• They went to a really fancy restaurant that served "free" hors d'oeuvres while waiting to be seated. (The word "free" is in parentheses because we all know nothing in life is free. It has been suggested that the very same "free" hors d'oeuvres were probably responsible for making Spock & Roses sick later that night...) Once they were seated in the main dining room, they realized the food was too hoity-toity and decided to go back & eat in the bar.
• Amos enjoyed a crab cake sandwich which was "to die for" (thankfully he didn't).
• After dinner, Spock was challenged to a game of checkers by an elitist 9 year old & LOST!! Man, that hurts!
• Amos shuttled the crew back to Chet's in his dad's little Honda Insight & then called it a day.

Back to Bennington...

7/6/08 - Pain & puking continued all night.

• Woke up with a full bladder, scrambled over to the side of the firetower & accidentally peed on Spock... who took it quite well, all things considered!
• Pain was too much to handle so they decided to hike back to Bennington & the ER. Hearts was so weak that Tupperware, Buns & Roses split up his gear & carried it back to town for him as he crawled back the same 10.5 mi they had hiked the day before. (Spock & Twiggy, and Cuda continued north.)
• Once at VT 9, Amos laid on the side of the road as the others stuck out their thumbs in hope of a hitch to the hospital... finally got a ride from a car full of drunks jamming to AC/DC. (I'm glad I don't hear about these things until WELL after the fact or I would have lost my already fragile mind a long time ago!)
• Took about 5 hours for the doctors in the ER to realize that something was terribly wrong. Just as they were about to discharge him - yes I said discharge him - they drew a blood sample to test for Lyme's and took his temperature one more time to find it at 102. (When he went in to the ER he was on a significant amount of ibuprofen & his fever was down but the OTC meds wore off by the time he was about to be discharged and it had just come back up.)
• It turns out that the new-found fever + his severe neck pain (and an assortment of other symptoms) = a spinal tap! ouch. (Going from almost being discharged to having a spinal tap is still a little inconceivable to me.)
• It took about 1 hr for the results from the spinal tap to come back and for the doctors to confirm that he had spinal meningitis. They assured him that it was not the deadly form of spinal meningitis (bacterial) but that it was likely caused by Lyme disease. Unfortunately, the test results for Lyme disease would not be back for at least 4 days... [not knowing whether it was viral or caused by the tick caused it's own set of problems - but that's another story].
• Tupperware stayed in the waiting room the whole time (!!!) and brought food from the vending machine room upstairs! It wasn't until 11:30 pm -when they said they were going to admit Amos- that he retired his post and met back up with Buns & Roses.
• They actually admitted him around 7 am... the next morning. It was a looooong night. He was given IV antibiotics and fluids but no pain meds or food & the ER nurse was less than pleasant. Too much pain, no sleep.

Don't we make a lovely pair. (I broke my nose kayaking the same day.)

7/7/08 - This is what Amos describes as being THE worst day (including the events of last night). Luckily, he doesn't remember much of it...

• Apparently, Tupperware, Buns & Roses stopped in to visit 2x - but he doesn't recall either visit - though he does remember Tupperware spilling something from Taco Bell all over the floor.
• Admitted to the ICU which made everyone freak-out... ok, maybe just me. (I still didn't know it wasn't considered "life-threatening" - I mean c'mon, he was in the ICU for cryin' out loud!)
• Spent much of the day rolling around, trying to get comfortable - that didn't happen. Nurse Jackie (really nice but really obtuse) took plenty of blood samples (4x).
• Finally given pain meds in the early afternoon which proved "very helpful" - made sleeping possible (and random, incoherrent phone calls for that matter).
• This is the day I really lost it & declared that I was driving back to Bennington and skipping the physics modeling workshop I was supposed to be enrolled in all week. MJ agreed to road trip, too!

7/8/08 - Started treatment for Lyme disease (still not officially diagnosed).

• Spock & Twiggy, Tupperware, Buns & Roses all took a bus from Manchester Center to come back & visit around noon! About an hour later, MJ and I showed up.
• Amos took a shower soon after we arrived & it was then that he discovered the bulls-eye rash on the lower-right corner of his back. It faded pretty quickly - already much less obvious an hour later.
• Transferred out of solitary confinement & into a room with another dude. Amos was less than thrilled to have to pull the curtain to pee in his jug every 20 minutes.
• We played cards & noshed on hospital food together (they gave MJ & I a free $5 voucher - yum!).
• MJ & I left to sleep at the Bennington Motor Inn while the rest of the gang attempted to enroll in a hospital sleep study (denied) but wound-up stealth camping in the waiting room instead.

7/9/08 - Slept-in. Hiking companions went back to the trail.

• Lyme results came back positive. Prescribed doxycycline.
• Also diagnosed with another tick borne disease, Ehrlichiosis. In fact, he will go down in the medical literature as being the first confirmed case of Ehrlichiosis in all of Vermont! (What a lousy 15 minutes of fame.)
• Ate a big breakfast & lunch - great to see the appetite back!!
• Released from the hospital: took a shower, put on normal clothes & wheeled out to the car. (That means I got to be his own personal pack mule - I know he secretly loved it!)
• Back to CVS to pick up his NEW prescription and then a long 10 hr trip back to Ohio.
• Got home late & still in a lot of neck pain - but good to be home!

7/10/08 thru 7/20/08 - Just enough time for recovery...

• Watched a bunch of movies.
• Got my nose re-broken.
• Played tennis.
• Birthday celebration(s) with AMAZING homemade pizza and a live guitarist at Mama Hearts'.
• Rafted the Lower Yough (R-2'd lunches in a bucket boat).
• Dinner at Patrons with my Mom, Brandi & Jerrod.
• Lots of crab rangoons!
• Kayaked Upper Yough (NO, no not me! Just Amos.)
• 9 holes of golf with (his) Dad.
• Did I mention... we got engaged on the Upper Yough?!! Amos yanked me out of the Shredder in the same eddy that I shoved him into 9 months before... where we had our 1st kiss! Now, that's amore...

  

• Oh yeah, and back to the trail...

Wrong sort of fireworks...

7/1/08 - Left the shelter before 7 am (to meet up with me later). Trudged through miles of muddy trails, moose tracks & more moose poop.

• Paralleled Roaring Creek for awhile - looked very kayakable.
• Took a break at Congdon Shelter then up Harmon Hill - which had absolutely no views.
• Finally an extremely steep descent to VT 9 where he waited around with Meltdown & another section-hiker until I arrived on the scene around 1 pm.
• Took Meltdown into town then off to Greenwood Lodge & Campsites for showers and to set up shop (home) for the next few days.
• Followed by THE MOST unproductive scavenger hunt for authentic Mexican food that you could possibly imagine... a good half an hour down the road (and then some) for a tribal-tattooed white guy to throw black beans and a "Mexican pizza" our way. I resorted to refried ice cream- for dinner.
• Exchanged birthday presents while we waited in the parking lot for the faux-Mexican restaurant to open. I scored an iPod nano while Amos got stuck with an assortment of odd souvenirs from Europe which included: Scottish sweater, Guinness tee, deck of cards, Viking helmet, wooden sword & matching wooden shield. I might owe him. Big time.
• Then back to the campground for margaritas & beer.
• 11.5 mi day.

7/2/08 - Woke up. I took what Amos describes as a "long" shower. In reality, I got sucked into talking to the campground owner, Anne & her son Chris, for at least 20 minutes.

• Into town to do laundry in a very smelly laundromat.
• Blue Benn Diner for lunch.
• Picked up Tupperware from the trail.
• As we were driving through Bennington, Tup rented a town bicycle, rode alongside the pretty little luxury SUV that my Dad had gotten for his 50th birthday and had graciously let me borrow for the week, somehow got a little too close, and accidentally scratched the multicolored metallic smoky granite mica paint with the handle of the bike. (I'll admit that was a bit of a run-on.) So, while Amos sipped on microbrews in Madison Brewing Co. (and I on water), Tupp snuck off to the nearest auto center for a repair kit. It didn't quite do the trick but luckily Dad didn't mind (I LOVE YOU!).
• Pizza next door then back to the campground for reheated Patron's, crab rangoons, an air hockey tournament and a game of HORSE - which I WON!!!
• Another campfire, more beer & margarita, to bed.

7/3/08 - Packed up camp. HORSE rematch - Amos won...

• To the library, Walmart, a bad stint at Taco Bell (man, we had absolutely NO luck with the Mexican!) then rented a room at the Best Western with Tupperware.
• Picked up Buns & Roses, Spock & Twiggy, and Cuda out of a soaking rain.
• Once we got everyone back to the hotel, Hearts started feeling ill & noticed a lump on the right side of his hip near his groin. After several phone calls to family pharmacists, two doctors and one dentist - all it took was one alarming allusion of impotence to trigger a trip to the ER.
• When we arrived, Amos told the registration attendant that he had a fever (Roses suggested this trick to get in quicker) - it didn't work as intended - but it did get him a creepy blue surgical mask to wear in the waiting room.
• Waited forever. Doctor finally showed up (maybe 3 hrs later) and instead of inquiring about Amos' symptoms he wound up spiraling into a 15 minute conversation about preferred hiking gear (no wonder we waited so long!). An ultrasound and a debate on appropriate water filtration later we left with a prescription for what the doctor decided -based on extenuating circumstances- was giardia. (NOTE: He had nothing intelligent to say about the lump on Amos' hip and assured us it was a bulging femoral artery - "no big deal"!!! We should have known...)
• Back to the Best Western & off to bed.

7/4/08 - 1st stop... CVS for Tinidazole. The lady who initially set off to fill his prescription somehow forgot all about him & so we ended up waiting about an hour for the drugs.

• Back to the Blue Benn diner for brunch but Hearts had no appetite.
• Dropped everyone off in town where we struggled to say a very long, drawn-out, sad goodbye and then I left.
• Hung out at Chris' house for the rest of the day. Played pool, cards, cooked on the grill, and enjoyed a Spock-led drum circle.
• Tried to fall asleep on the couch but felt awful - very feverish - still didn't think much of it.

7/5/08 - In the morning, he felt really weak but thought it would pass so they packed up and decided to hike out anyway.

• Stopped at the Blue Benn one more time for breakfast, then to the post office to pick up the Therm-a-Rest Half-brew sent in the mail to replace his - which had a small puncture wound.
• Hitchhiked back to the trail.
• Climbed up 1000 ft & immediately started feeling really weak and ill with a sharp/stiff neck pain.
• Took a much needed break at Glastenbury Lookout.
• Arrived at Goddard Shelter but it was full. Some lady pitched an entire tent inside the shelter and slept in it with her dogs! Another man in the shelter was shrouded in a full-body bug suit - which Hearts thought was hilarious.
• Moved on to camp on Glastenbury Mtn. Amos decided to sleep on top of the firetower to avoid setting up his tarp & Spock made him dinner.
• From that point on, his condition deteriorated... he was very feverish and no matter how many or what type of pain relievers he took, the neck pain would not go away. Spent all night vomiting off of the firetower.
• 10.5 mi.

Pure Imagination...

6/25/08 - Woke up in the cemetery to people walking their dogs & staring at the two crazies sleeping in the cemetery...

• Went into Salisbury to resupply at the IGA and then back to the trail to tackle Lions Head.
• Snack time at Riga Lean-to then up Bear Mtn. - which used to be the highest point in CT - now it's not. But it did have some of the best views they'd seen in a while!
• Down a giant hill into Sages Ravine... over a creek... and into Massachusetts!!
• Climbed over Race Mtn where they (Hearts & Tupperware) picked and ate an obscene amount of blueberries.
• Then way down & way back up Mt. Everett.
• Walked along MA 41 into S. Egremont but it was late and everything was closed... luckily local hospitality wasn't...
• Lady driving a Prius (let's call her Lady A) stopped and asked the boys if they needed a ride. They declined but stuck around to chit-chat. Another lady (Lady B - who Amos described as someone who 'could not be more hippie') pulled up an offered to cook them dinner out of her car... which she lives in and which runs solely on fry grease. Lady A then countered with an offer for them to stay at her house for the night.
• It's decided that a combination of offers will suffice. Lady B agrees to cook at Lady A's house. (It's best to keep in mind that they don't know each other from Adam!)
• Back at Lady A's house they (Amos & Tupp) took turns taking showers while Lady B cooked up some 'weird hippie food' which was described to me as a salmagundi of any and everything that came straight from the ground & was edible mixed with noodles - which were really the only distinguishable item. It was also mentioned that there seemed to be a bit of a love-connection between Lady B & Lady A as they did A LOT of hugging & also a few awkwardly placed pecks on one another's cheeks... bouw chicka wow-wow!
• Anyway, they all ate, talked, and then went off to bed. (I know nothing of Lady A & Lady B sleeping arrangements - so don't ask - goodnight!)
• 18.5 mi.

6/26/08 - Lady A gave the two a really early ride back to the trail.

• Instead of going directly to the trail they walked down US 7 into Great Barrington to eat breakfast at a local diner then back MA 23 to find the trailhead.
• Along the way, Tupperware had a #2 emergency and relieved himself in some guy's backyard... I can't believe I just typed that.
• Once they got back to the trailhead they took a break & ate lunch - then found themselves faced with a 1000 ft climb right off the bat - up to The Ledges.
• Then they took a big break at Beartown Mtn. Rd and had about an hour-long contest to see who could pelt a little sign with rocks the most (no clear winner). Entertainment should come so easy to the rest of us stuck out here in the real world...
• Back on the trail between Beartown Mtn. Rd and Jerusalem Rd it was EXTREMELY mosquitoey -loads & loads of them- most they've encountered on the AT!
• Walked along Jerusalem Rd into Tyringham where they bought brownies and soda from the Cobble View B&B and then caught a ride down to the town pavilion where they settled in for the night.
• 23 mi.

6/27/08 - Hiked back up the main road and started with another 1000 ft climb up to Webster Rd (still REALLY bad mosquitoes).

• Arrived at Upper Goose Pond about a mile before the shelter & decided to walk around the whole pond.
• Hiked into Upper Goose Pond Cabin (about a 1/2 mile off the trail) - Amos said it was a 'sweet' cabin and because they were the 1st ones there, he got to choose his bunk 1st!
• Met the caretaker, Nancy, who informed them that she would be making blueberry pancakes in the morning - score!!
• Wandered down to the pond & waded around then Tupperware hiked out to meet his parents in Lee.
• Right after Tup left, Meltdown rolled in with his "friend" Evan. Followed by Maggie & Furniture and then Memphis Tim (who Amos hasn't seen since the Smokys)!
• They all decided to go swimming at the pond. So they swam about a quarter mile out to the island where they were met by Furniture who came & picked them up in a canoe!
• Played some cards, cooked some dinner & then off to bed.
• A leisurely 8.5 mi day.

6/28/08 - Awoke to the promised blueberry pancakes & coffee! Packed up & hiked out.

• Down to US 20 where Tupperware's parents showed up with lunch food because Hearts ran out. Tupp's mom brought everything but the kitchen sink - coffee, cookies, fruit, sandwiches, chips, you name it! Wound up packing-out between 7-10 lbs of food!!
• Of course now that he was good'n fed and completely weighed down, he was immediately faced with a daunting climb up Beckett Mtn.
• Took a break at October Mtn Lean-to where the mosquitoes were bad with a capital 'B' and the logbook claimed a moose sighting the night before!
• Eventually made it to Washington Mtn Road which is known for the Cookie Lady's House!! Turned out not to be a lady at all - her husband was there to pass out chocolate chip, walnut (yum!!) cookies. Amos played with their puppy - the one in the photos and the one he describes as being the cutest dog he's ever seen in his life! (now THAT's a distinction!)
• Hiked up Warner Mtn & picked more blueberries. (I think if Amos were a character in a movie, he'd be the little American girl who ate the Three-course-dinner gum & turned into a giant blueberry - except he wouldn't be a little girl [of course] and he wouldn't incessantly chomp on a wad of gum - yeah, he'd just be a big blueberry.)
• Walked into Dalton with Meltdown & man-friend, Evan, Maggie & Furniture. Headed toward the Shell Station where they called Rob Bird (an infamous trail angel and pseudo-hostel owner in town) who picked them up to stay at his house - The Bird Cage.
• Bird Cage had showers, laundry & free beer in the fridge!
• It was there where he met someone Isaac worked with last year (can't remember his name) and where he slept on the couch with Rob's dog.
• 20.5 mi.

6/29/08 - Walked back down to the convenience store with Meltdown & Evan for breakfast.

• Met a 'slightly disturbed' woman with the BRIGHTEST neon green shoes imaginable on his way out of town. Said she would not stop talking to him and that he had a really hard time getting away.
• Hiked up Crystal Mtn and past a troop of Boy Scouts who looked like the were having the most miserable time.
• Stopped for lunch on top and then walked around Gore Pond where he spotted moose poop & tracks! Then up to The Cobbles which had a good view of Cheshire.
• Down into Cheshire to snag an ice cream cone from Diane's Twist. On his way out of town, he felt a random craving for potato salad so he stopped at a nearby convenience store to pack a container out... boy, I remember the good 'ol days when they used to pack-out beer!
• Once he scored the potato salad he was faced with a good 2000 ft ascent to Mark Noepel Lean-to where he spent the night. (Free Hugs showed up and cooked corn on the cob.)
• 13.5 mi.

6/30/08 - 1st to leave the shelter in the morning.

• Passed the 1st legitimate south-bounder on the trail who spent a good portion of their chat spouting off about how awesome he was...
• Climbed Mt. Greylock - 1st time over 3000 ft since Virginia! Sadly, it was cloudy so there were no views and everything was closed up top due to nearby road construction.
• Started the long long long, very steep descent into North Adams. Once he arrived, he hit up the Price Chopper for a birthday card and then headed next door to stuff himself silly at the Chinese buffet!
• Then back to the trail and onto a 2000 ft climb with an extremely full belly - quickly found out that immediately mobilizing after an MSG gorge-fest was a bad idea...
• Met Meltdown - who seemed a little melancholy because he had just said goodbye to his boyfriend in North Adams - on Eph's Lookout.
• Crossed the MA/VT state line with Meltdown and took their first few steps into the exceptionally muddy and horribly maintained section of trail that runs through Vermont - go GMC!
• Slept at the Seth Warner Shelter with the Unknown Hiker (know-it-all) and another guy that had just started hiking the Long Trail and was carrying with him a full sized blow-up mattress!! zowie!
• 16.5 mi day.

A very Heartsy Birthday...

6/24/08 - Amos' Birthday!!

• Woke up & went to Baird's General Store where Tupperware bought him breakfast - and planted a candle in his breakfast sausage... come to think of it, I'm not sure who had the sausage... also not sure if anyone sang 'Happy Birthday,' but Amos did say he made a very special birthday wish on that banger candle...!

• Decided to spend the day off of the official trail and on the road instead. So, they hopped from town to town as they hiked along US 7.
• En route, they came across Clarke Outdoors - an outfitter that rents kayaks along the Housatonic - tried to rent boats for the day but were a half an hour too late (they stopped renting at 11:00 am) - the lady in the store refused to run a shuttle for them and so the boys were denied. Birthday bummer.
• Onward to West Cornwall where they hung out in a coffee shop/restaurant and where Tupp bought Hearts a birthday ice cream. Inside, they waited out a pretty fierce rainstorm while their packs waited under an overhang outside... problem is the gutters drained nearby & created a small pond which they found their packs floating in later...
• Hiked out on River Rd. - flanked by the Housatonic and a set of railroad tracks. Stopped to yack it up with a few construction workers for about 1/2 hr - you know, trail talk.
• Next, on to Falls Village where they stopped for snacks & hung out in an old caboose that had been transformed into the town visitors center.
• Finally, the pair set off on a series of exceptionally scenic back roads up and over a mountain to Salisbury. The walk was highlighted by perfectly placed picturesque old colonial style houses encompassed by enormous, lush fields.
• Once they arrived in Salisbury everything was closed except for the White Harts Inn where a local man walking his dog escorted them & bought the boys free drinks! They hung out in the Inn till around 11 when they deemed the town sleepy enough to pull off a little stealth camping... in the town cemetery. It's the latest craze among AT hikers - all the cool kids are doing it (actually, I think this may have started the craze). Amos said it was quite peaceful - Tupperware was completely freaked out!
• 21.5 mi day - not too shabby!

Allow not nature more than nature needs...

6/17/08 - Breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts (chocolate donut!).

• Creepy guy with the Mystery Machine showed up to shuttle them back to the trail... it reeked! I'm going to go out on a limb and assume it smelled so badly because he admitted to habitually relieving himself... in jugs... in the van. That, and his dog smelled like it was slowly decaying from the inside out.
• Climbed up Wawayanda Mtn. and hiked along a ridge with views of the NYC skyline and conspicuously expensive homes nestled along picturesque lakes in the valley.
• Crossed NJ/NY state line which was very fancy in-and-of itself - spray-painted on a rock.
• Stopped for a tasty homemade ice cream treat at the Bellvale Creamery along NY 17A.
• Final break at Wildcat Shelter followed by 2 mi hike to Fitzgerald Falls - where they decided to spend the night and where they eventually found nearly every mosquito in the northeast to have converged for the evening...
• 19 total mi.

6/18/08 - Tupperware joined back up with the group. Mom dropped him off & he initially set-off the wrong way down the trail and had to turn around and hike back!! Eventually caught back up with the group & shared a box of donuts for breakfast!

• Came across the much talked about, highly anticipated East Mombasha Rd. (the end of Half-brew's hike) - turned out to be your everyday, ordinary roadway. I don't think it quite lived up to the hype.
• Water sources have been harder & harder to come-by. Most trail angels have been leaving jugs of water as trail magic.
• Climbed up Arden Mtn.
• Climbed down Arden Mtn. - described as 'horrible' - steep & rocky.
• Blue blazed along Arden Valley Rd. (in the rain) - Twiggy's 1st blue blaze! (Spock hiked the trail.)
• Hiked the last 4 mi to William Brien Memorial Shelter in the rain.
• Found a really nice father & son duo already set-up in the shelter. The young boy turned out to have terrible night terrors though & broke out into bloodcurdling screams throughout the night. Hearts was lucky enough to have the bunk directly above him but slept surprisingly well in spite of it!
• 18 mi day.

6/19/08 - Rain stopped. Hiked down to Palisades Parkway where a sign said 30 mi to NYC!

• Climbed up Bear Mtn. which was a bit of a let-down because the observation tower was locked - but they did come across an operating soda machine!
• Hearts left early to hit up the post office in Bear Mtn... also closed - really weird hours.
• Hung out at the entrance to the Bear Mtn Museum/Zoo (the lowest pt. on the entire AT @ 124 ft!). Eventually the group took a walk thru the zoo (free to thru hikers). Said it was really sad & full native animals in small cages... it's a shame bolt & chain cutters add too much pack-weight otherwise those critters could have been free!
• Crossed Bear Mtn Bridge which spans the Hudson River. Bridge must have a bad track record as it was lined with suicide hotline phones.
• Arrived at US 9 and hitched a ride into Peekskill from a self-proclaimed 'Shakespeare nut' with tons of Shakespeare website decals all over her van.
• Ate at local diner & realized there was nowhere to stay... so they headed to the library where they met a police officer who GAVE THEM HIS CAR so they could drive to Fishkill!! Yeah, a police officer GAVE THEM HIS CAR to borrow for the night! You've got to be kidding me - some people are unbelievable! I want to be that trusting & generous someday!
• Taco Bell for dinner #2, resupplied at Walmart (bought my birthday present - a new iPod), and then shacked up in a sweet Holiday Inn Express with a big HD plasma TV for Twiggy's birthday!
• 14.5 mi.

6/20/08 - Down to the lobby for a continental breakfast and then back to the room to pack-up.
Stopped at a gas station on the way out of town to load up on food & beer.

• Took FOREVER to hitchhike back to the trail - eventually someone did stop and they turned out to be another Shakespeare nut! In fact, they were friends with the first Shakespeare nut!
• Got back to the trail late.
• Passed Graymoor Spiritual Life Center and were bummed because they realized they had missed out on an opportunity to experience monk hospitality as the monastery allows hikers to stay at their picnic shelter.
• Hiked up to Clarence Fahnestock State Park & campground only to find the free hiker pavilion overrun with 15 other hikers from a Philadelphia hiking club. So they set up their tarps in their own area & did their own thing... listening to Tupp's radio & beer drinking.
• 12.5 mi.

6/21/08 - Hiked back to the trail. Around Canopus Lake. And up Shenandoah Mtn.

• Break at RPH Shelter - which was a little cabin that you could have pizza delivered to - but they didn't know & missed that opportunity.
• Made up for it. At NY 52 they hiked down to Danny's Pizzeria & Mtn. Top Market where they ate their pizza and packed out more beer & munchies.
• Hiked over I-84 & climbed Mt. Egbert.
• Arrived at Morgan Stewart Shelter fairly early so they started a fire & hung out.
• 16 mi.

6/22/08 - Woke up to rain, but it didn't last long.

• Crossed NY 55. Hiked around Nuclear Lake - the site of a former nuclear fuels-processing research facility given a clean bill of health but they didn't take their chances with the water anyway - and there were no blueberries nearby for Hearts nibble on so we lucked out there, too.
• Break at Telephone Pioneers Shelter (odd name).
  Saw the largest oak tree on the AT - the Dover Oak - I believe there is a picture of Amos hugging it...
• Passed the AT train station - which shuttles day hikers from NYC & only runs on the weekends.
• Hiked to NY 22 & stopped at Tony's Deli for lunch - bet you're wondering if they packed out more food & beer...
• ... of course they did.
• Heading back for the trail they came across a landscaping business and found that one of their fellow thru hikers, Root, got a temporary job there to help finance more of his trip!
  Next section of trail included some scenic field walking followed by pointless ups & downs. (Funny, that's how I see the entire AT!)
• Break at Wiley Shelter - worst shelter ever - which says a lot if you remember the ones without roofs & running water back in Virginia. Described as small, dirty, crappy, rundown, with lots of mosquitoes.
• Crossed the NY/CT border with a 'WELCOME TO Connecticut' sign!
• Climbed up Ten Mile Hill and then back down to Ten Mile River where they took baths & swam for a bit. Amos went skinny-dipping while Tupperware preferred to remain in his skivvies.
• Well deserved after a 20.5 mi day! Stayed at Ten Mile Lean-to.

6/23/08 - Trail meandered along the whitewater section of the Housatonic River Gorge (future kayaking trip)!

• At Schaghticoke Rd. they veered off the trail and walked toward Kent to see an Indian Reservation - disappointed to find the residents very poor & living in run-down homes.
• Arrived in Kent - 1st real New England style town. Upon entry they were greeted with rich Cape Cod influenced homes and a huge boarding school that looked fancier than most colleges... yes, even Muskingum!
• Outfitter, laundry, grocery store, post office, Pizza Garden (expensive!), then beer.
• Poured heavily while they were in the laundromat and the attendant shrieked at another thru hiker, Cricket, for being in the bathroom too long... wonder what she thought he was doing in there??
• Left Kent, walked along the road & saw Kent Falls which was gushing from the recent downpour.
• Next stop - Cornwall Bridge. Everything was closed except the liquor store and a gas station. BUT good news is that the owner of the gas station upholds a tradition that all thru hikers who stop by get a free beer! He also clued them in on a covert camping locale in town - a secluded spot behind the church.
• So they snatched up a few snacks from the gas station and camped out behind the church!
• 19.5 mi.

Hold your breath, here we go...

6/13/08 - I left... which was supposed to mean hiking would take place. Alas, it did not.

• First, he hit the post office & mailed home all of the stuff I forgot. (Thank you!)
• Then, they were supposed to hike out & have ChiliMac meet them at Culvers Gap but they didn't get started early enough sooo they decided to jump off a 40ft bridge instead and have Tupperware drive them to the pick-up point. (Which will mean a necessary slackpack tomorrow).
• Hearts, Spock & Twiggy, Meltdown, ChiliMac & Snoopy all gathered together - in a tiny Courtyard Mariott hotel room - with Half-brew, his wife, and friend for one last Eukre tournament in celebration of Half-brew's last day on the trail!

6/14/08 - Continental breakfast followed by 1st round of horrible diarrhea... (don't bother getting squeamish this early in the game - we're just getting started).

• Said goodbye to Chili, Snoopy, & Half-brew.
• Picked up a box of Imodium for the road.
• ChiliMac drove them (Hearts, Spock & Twiggy) back to the trail where they hiked south from Culvers Gap to County Rd. 602 while Meltdown continued north - I'm sure they were a twinge jealous.
• Managed to snag a ride back to Culvers Gap with another thru hiker, Nightterror, and then hiked an additional 3 miles north to sleep in Gren Anderson Shelter...
• On the way, they encountered an amateur ham radio convention on Culver Fire Tower - said it was like walking into a faux WWII control room reenactment... oh those boys & their toys.
• Get out your TI-83 graphing calculators kids it's time for vector trivia: If Amos hikes 14.5 miles due south, catches a ride back to his original destination and then continues to march an additional 3 miles due north and it pours buckets all day, how far has he traveled??!
• I refuse to dignify that with an answer. You figure it out.
• Once at Gren Anderson, they found themselves sharing space with couple called Beans & Benadryl (DYING to know how they got those names) who were less than thrilled to have their new shelter companions show up late & sopping wet but what can I say... thems the breaks.

Last slack...

6/11/08 - Tupperware's dad hiked along for a southbound slack-pack. Started at CR 602.

• Started at CR 602 and then along really cool ridge line w/ great views of New Jersey.
• Ate lunch Sunfish Pond.
• Hiked down to a little creek for a trip down the natural waterslides as a reporter from the Pocono Record took photos... there should be an article (along with multimedia presentation) in Sunday's paper!! (check it out at http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080615/NEWS/806150331)

• Went across the Delaware River Bridge - the PA/NJ state line - Pa's officially over!
• Someone chucked a beer can at Treat's head on the bridge... when asked why he didn't chase them down (cause he is a BIG guy) Amos reminded me that it's a shade of difficult to chase down a moving automobile. Good call.
• 13.5 mi total.
• Back to the Tupperwares' for my surprise visit then to a restaurant that claimed to be authentic Mexican but most certainly was NOT! (we've discovered - through a significant amount of grunt work - that the crappier looking the establishment the more authentic the Mexican - we should have know this place was going to serve pinto beans instead of refried - it was too clean & new to be tasty too.) Anyway the dinner was to treat the Tupperware's for their genuine/over the top hospitality!

Flirting with the Garden State...

6/10/08 - Man, they aren't kidding when they say 'early to rise'. Started hiking at 6:30 this morning!

• Dropped off at Pa. 33.
• 1st thing they encountered on the trail was a woman standing just off of the path who pulled her shirt up over her head as they approached -perhaps to hide (??)- and then walked off... keep in mind, it's 6:30 am! Weird.
• 'Really stinking hot' by 8:00, but by 9 or 10:00 the toughest/rockiest part of the day was over & the second half proved to be a fairly nice walk.
• Ate lunch at a random road crossing where some guy rolled up, opened his trunk & dropped a bag of garbage off on the side of the road. Spock quizzed him about the deviant discard & he rambled something about paying $130 to the garbage company & animals eating his trash and then he got in his car & drove off. Odd encounter #2.
• Hiked down to the Delaware River & into Delaware Water Gap. Arrived at the PA/NJ State Line but didn't cross - saving that little gem for tomorrow.
• 16 mi. Sat on the porch of the outfitter & waited for shuttle back to Tupperware's house.
• Back at the house: Ate dinner as a pretty severe t-storm rolled through - hail & all - while a reporter from the local newspaper interviewed Tupperware about his adventures on the AT. He scribbled down the names of Tupperware's hiking companions & took a group photo. I have a feeling all of this fame is going to go straight to their heads...

• ... ok, maybe not.

Where boots go to die...

6/7/08 - Woke up to a big 'ol black snake hanging in the trees above camp... oh hello there!

• The Treat made a campfire to heat up hot dogs for breakfast... don't worry Hearts didn't have one... but he DID LAST NIGHT! And under the guise of 'trail magic' - for shame! (For those who are keeping track - that's 2 hot dogs thus far on the trail and God only knows how much more mystery meat he's consumed & neglected to mention!)
• Hiked up to Pulpit Rock where they stumbled across more Girl Scouts than there are uneaten Tagalong boxes in my secret cookie cupboard. Just kidding... I don't have a secret cookie cupboard - don't bother coming to look for it... seriously you'll never find it anyway...
• I digress. There were a lot of Girl Scouts. Communication with the tribe was a breeze once the group realized Tupperware spoke their secret language... he was up on the Jonas Brothers & Webkinz and all sorts of things only pre-teen girls should know about - if he weren't hiking with his lovely girlfriend, Jen, I'd say it'd be fair to be a bit worried about old Tupperware... again, I digress.
• Hiked onward & upward to the Pinnacle which was supposed to have the best view in Pennsylvania. When asked if it lived up to the hype, Amos replied, "Eh."
• Sounds uneventful, but they did stumble across a HUGE HUGE HUGE rattlesnake - more specifically Amos stumbled across a HUGE HUGE HUGE rattlesnake - it was right at his feet in a crack between two rocks!!
• Tupperware's dad picked them (Tupperware, Jen, Spock & Twiggy, Buns & Roses, and Hearts) up at Hawk Mtn. Road to shuttle them back to Tupperware's house for a Thanksgiving-style feast (I am to place emphasis on the word 'FEAST')! Amos particularly enjoyed the strawberry shortcake and brownies a la mode that Tupperware's mom served for dessert (I guess he's finally over that whole half-gallon challenge ice cream sickness thing).
• Tryptophan and staggering heat forced the group to turn in early for the night. 9 mi day.

6/8/08 - Good thing they got to bed so early...

• Woke up at 5 am to hike 25 miles in 90 degree temps - this is when it's best to take advantage of the wee morning hours.
• Tupperware's parents made eggs & set out all sorts of goodies for breakfast including fresh fruit - yum! Afterwards, Tupperware's dad drove them back to Eckville Shelter to pick back up where they left off... only he dropped them off sans-pack! Yeah, you heard right! The slack-pack's back! In fact, the next few days are going to be spent slack-packing back & forth between the AT & Tupperware's house! (Super nice of the Tupperware's)
• Took a break at Allentown Shelter & then another at a restaurant they found on Blue Mountain Summit. Stopped to enjoy cold beverages from the diner & noshed on the sandwiches T-ware's mom had packed for them earlier- my gosh she sounds like a dream! They also lucked out by scoring free watermelon as they left the parking lot.
• Rest of the day was EXTREMELY rocky - several blisters, sharp pain in right foot (hopefully not a stress fracture), and considerable chaffing due to excess sweat...
• Dad picked them up at Lehigh Gap and they were back at the house by 8 pm for dinner, a quick shower and then right on to bed.

6/9/08 - Pancakes & waffles for breakfast! Hearts adorned his with fruit & whipped cream.

• 1st climb of the day -a steep boulder crawl- was awesome! Reminded him of the terrain in Wyoming.
• Then to the top of the Palmerton EPA Superfund Site - an old zinc mine that completely destroyed the mountain. Said the scarred landscape resembled a barren, rocky desert. This is where Amos chose to eat wild blueberries - wild zinc blueberries - against the wishes and better judgement of his hiking companions who are all convinced he's going to wind up with three-headed babies someday. I think as long as he steers clear of Three Mile Island tomatoes he'll be alright.
• Hiked up ahead of everyone & took a nap while he was waiting for them to catch up. When he awoke he realized he wasn't alone - there was a swarm of ants in his pants... maybe they like zincberries?
• So many rocks.
• Cheesecake and PB & J sandwich for lunch - again, packed by Tupperware's mom. This Tupperware clan has been unbelievably generous & overwhelmingly hospitable! They rock! (bad pun)
• 20.5 mi. Met Tupperware's dad at Hahns Lookout then hiked back to his car for a night out on the town. And by that, I mean dinner at Johnnies and grocery shopping! Another early to bed... and another early to rise tomorrow!

Poster boy for beer...

6/5/08 - Left 501 Shelter for a pretty uneventful hike.

• Walked around 2 huge boulder fields - says Pa is extremely rocky.
• 1st break of the day about 15 mi in at Eagles Nest Shelter.
• Then a big downhill into Port Clinton.
• As he walked into town a local stopped him & insisted he wait while he went to get his generator (to plug in Amos' electronics) and some beer! He also insisted on driving Hearts the remaining one-tenth of a mile to the town pavilion to meet up with the other hikers!
• Caught a ride into Hamburg for Taco Bell & to watch the NBA playoffs then back to Port Clinton to sleep in the pavilion.

6/6/08 - Following breakfast, the group (quickly) hitched a ride (2 cars! That HAS to be a record!) to Pottsville, Pa for a tour of the oldest operating brewery in the country!

• 1-2 hour tour ended with 2 free drafts - which all agreed was awfully generous!
• They also gave Hearts & gang a Yuengling poster and said that if they took it to Katahdin and snapped a group photo with it at the summit, they would hang it up in the brewery!!
• Excited about the prospect of being local celebrities, they set back out toward Port Clinton & wound up snagging a ride with the lady who gave them the tour!
• Packed up their gear & hit the trail.
• About 3 miles after they set out, the group came across a bunch of guys walking up a hill from jumping 40 ft into an undisclosed body of water. So they decided to participate in a little spur of the moment cliff jumping!!
• With an extra burst of adrenaline & a few degrees cooler they moved on to Windsor Furnace Shelter where they met up with Tupperware & his girlfriend who brought an assortment of goodies for the group to enjoy around a campfire!
• 6 mi day.

Hike-along Mom...

5/23/08 - Got up... drank coffee... and hiked on out of Harpers Ferry. But first they had to...

• Clean up the raging mess they made in their hotel room.
• Walk a mile into historic downtown Harpers Ferry.
• Hit up the post office (mailed new shoes ahead to Duncannon).
• Use and abuse the ATC's hiker box and free Internet.
• Hike along the C&O Canal bike path (the one that goes from DC to da Burgh & meanders through Ohiopyle and the B&B along the way!).
• Leave Half-brew behind. He was caught up discussing mountain bike features with a local.
• They eventually found their way to the Ed Garvey Shelter for lunch. Amos said it was a really nice shelter - with a loft & porch area.
• Hiked 10.5 mi. Ended up cowboy camping (illegally) in a field in the middle of Gathland State Park. All except Tupperware, who snuck into his tent in the middle of the night to avoid the bugs... and he calls himself an Eagle Scout... (dude, I would have done the same thing).

5/24/08 - Supposed to meet Mom at 3:00 - still 21 miles away! So they hightailed it to I-70.

• Passed a bunch of Boy Scouts.
• Passed a large group of inner city kids.
• Breezed by the Washington Monument.
• Came across another inner city kid who must have strayed from the group because he was 2 miles away & obviously lost. Amos gave him directions back to the monument - hopefully he's not still in the woods somewhere...
• Arrived at the road to meet Mama Ludwig at about a quarter past 3 & had to scout around to find the parking lot (which wasn't on his map).
• Tupperware's parents were meeting him at the same place & they had been there since 10 am!! Hearts said Tupperware's mom was chock-full of energy & a million questions about her son, his stability, and his experiences thus far. She ensured that they had plenty of fruit, veggies & brownies for the road & even gave Amos her cell # in case of a Tupperware emergency!
• Half-brew, Mom, & Hearts drove into Smithsburg for resupply & Subway the back to the trail where Mama Ludwig revealed her stash of pineapple & banana pepper pizza and Butt Monkey Ale - Momma knows best!!
• Hiked 5 mi to Devils Racecourse Shelter only to find it was down another big hill so they decided to show-up Tupperware by cowboy camping at the top. Look, Ma no tarp!

5/25/08 - Morning climb over a lot of rocks.

• Down to Pen Mar County Park where there should have been a bunch of old people dancing around and a snack bar... but apparently that's not till next weekend... which left them a little bummed out. Despite their disappointment, they stuck around for about 2 hours and enjoyed lunch anyway.
• Hiked another 0.2 mile and crossed the Mason-Dixon Line!! Which was memorialized with a small wooden post. Just the post. Someone had stolen the sign off of & someone else had scribbled its importance on with a magic marker... Welcome to the North!
• Then on to a climb Amos said Mom simply loved...
• 2nd lunch/1st dinner at Deer Lick Shelter which was overrun with mosquitoes.
• Almost camped at the next shelter - Antietam - but it was also very buggy so they decided to move uphill to Tumbling Run Shelter to try & get away.
• Another night of cowboy camping and so concluded a 13.2 mile day with Mom!!

5/26/08 - Woke up, drank coffee & climbed to the top of Chimney Rocks - which had a terrific view but was a rather rough start to the day.

• Stopped just after Pa 233 for lunch - Mom was amazed at how much food she packed in these past few days - Amos said she could have put a small defensive end to shame!
• Came across a coiled rattlesnake as they were coming off of a rocky ridge. It didn't move or shake for them but they found out later that it was a little more active when Half-brew and Trinity strolled by.
• Dropped down to US-30 and attempted to hitchhike into Fayetteville. Amos snagged one from a lady he boldly went up to at a convenience store just down the road. She flat out turned him down until she noticed he was with his muja.
• 10 mi day. Capped off by sitting on the porch of the Scottish Inn, sharing a pint of ice cream with Mom. Did I also mention the case of PBR?? Yeah, that too... like I said before... Momma knows best!

Ahoy, me Hearties...

5/19/08 - Started with your basic town-type chores: post office (mailed forward iPod & thru-hiker companion, etc.), groceries, liquor store.

• The next three days to be aqua-blazed: 12 hikers, 6 canoes, 1 dog and the Shenandoah River from Front Royal to Harpers Ferry.
• Once each canoe was outfitted with a cooler and all of their packs were tied in, the group - Hearts, Half-brew, Spock & Twiggy, Tupperware, Snoopy, Josh (Snoopy's friend), Buns & Roses, Meltdown, ChiliMac, and his cousin Ian - set sail.
• Amos said it was fun watching everyone get used to paddling but it didn't take too long for them to get the hang of commandeering the boats.
• 5 miles later, they pulled ashore for lunch & Snoopy fell out the back of his canoe trying to get back in! (I guess I spoke too soon...)
• Half-brew & Hearts kept getting too far ahead - show-offs - which made them miss the rope swing (okay by Amos, it was c-o-l-d).
• 17 miles worth of paddling led them to an overgrown field on an island where they were forced to bushwhack a small expanse with their paddles to set up camp for the night.
• Then it rained - which was pretty typical since they are still in Virginia...
• Batten down the hatches - the AW gauge had the river pegged as "high" even before this particular soaking... Luckily they had super-river guide Amos, who made sure to take the easiest lines through the class I/II whitewater - his main goal was trying not to freak Trinity out.

5/20/08 - Avast ye mate, twas still raining when they awoke - luckily it stopped about an hour after they got up. So, they donned soaking wet/cold gear & hit the river... or should I say 'the high seas'...

• 5 miles in, Half-brew & Hearts got ahead again & decided to stop on the bank under a highway overpass to brew coffee.
• It started to pour as the rest of the group caught up so they built a bonfire, tried to dry their gear & ate lunch. Amos said he felt a little homeless...

• 2.5 hours later - the rain stopped.
• Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen, the adventure had just begun...
• Shiver me timbers! With foam swords furnished by ChiliMac - pirate on pirate action ensued as scurvy dogs swashbuckled and pillaged booty from enemy ships - arg! Luckily, no one was sent to Davey Jones' Locker and as for walkin' the plank... it was a wee too cold for these buccaneers. (Man, that was a lot of pirate catch-phrases to squeeze into one entry.)
• 18-19 mi. Ended up stopping short of the island they had intended to camp on & realized they were on private property... oops! Spock & Hearts hitchhiked to a nearby gas station for supplies (s'mores, potato chips, & beer)... I guess those old salts built up quite an appetite.
• While half the crew turned in for the night, the other half stayed up singing songs to the tune of Ian's guitar. Crowd favorites included: 'A Whole New World' from Aladdin, ditties from The Lion King, Robin Hood... and many, many more popular, albeit cheesy songs. Amos found it particularly entertaining when his fellow thru-hikers started ad-libbing...
• Eventually fell asleep under the stars.

5/21/08 - Started out nice & dry. Crossed over the 1000 mile mark and into West Virginia!!

• Amos tried to get everyone to make a 'WV' with their boats & snap a picture, but no one cooperated - another good idea down the drain...
• Saw a ton of birds along the river & spotted bald eagles all three days!!
• Found an old, deserted motor boat around one river bend. A few hikers threw their canoes on the back & hopped-in to paddle it downstream. They eventually ended up beaching it along the left riverbank & had to abandon ship.
• Rescued a baby calf (maybe a week old) that had fallen into the river and couldn't get out because it was too muddy. Snoopy was first on the scene & almost got pooped on because it was so scared! They eventually wrangled it to safety as its mom cried & moo-ed along the shoreline. Well done boys... & Twiggy!!
• Barely made it off the river before the rain but they arrived at the take-out just in the nick of time!
• Shuttle from an old Upper Yough guide to downtown Harpers Ferry where they stopped at the ATC Headquarters to have their photos taken and logged in the Official Appalachian Trail Headquarters Register!!
• Off to dinner and then a room at the Quality Inn. 6 people, 1 room... @ $12 a piece, that's what I call quality (or is it quantity??)!

Duck, duck, duck hawk...

5/17/08 - Woke up to sunshine - finally!

• Ate brunch on the porch of Panorama's - an old, run-down wayside.
• Saw 4 Peregrine falcons flying together - which was neat because the rangers who were researching them a few days ago had only come across 1!
• Stopped for ice cream at Elkwallow Wayside & met back up with Spock & Twiggy (who were taking time off for their 3rd wedding anniversary -Congratulations!).
• Group was serenaded by ChiliMac's cousin, Ian for the remaining 6 mi to Gravel Springs Hut. Hiking with his guitar, Ian's playlist included (but was my no means limited to - I mean c'mon an entire 6 miles of strumming!!): The Doors, Sublime, Hendrix, and even the theme song from Deliverance. You name it, he could play it!
• 23.5 miles for the day.
• Shelter was full of section hikers (25+) so they filled up with water & hiked an additional half mile to camp back an unnamed fire road.

5/18/08 - Really early start with a brief brunch at THE LAST Blue Ridge Parkway/Skyline Drive crossing ever (there have been a lot)!

• Saw another black bear - full grown!
• Hung out at the last shelter in the Shenandoah's for a bit and then headed down to US 522 to snag a ride into Front Royal. On the way they came across a baby fawn - maybe a week old - with its mother nowhere in sight... come to think of it, I hope that bear was headed in the opposite direction.
• Hearts, Tupperware, and Meltdown tried -unsuccessfully- to hitch a ride into town for at least a half an hour. Efforts were thwarted partly because they're a group of 3 scruffy looking guys but also because some jerky section hiker intentionally hiked a half mile up the road ahead of them to get one 1st. No worries though - once Spock & Twiggy arrived, Twiggy flagged down ride in 3 cars flat!
• Front Royal good for Taco Bell, laundry, & resupply. Tomorrow they'll start the aqua-blaze...

Virginia has not been for lovers of cell phone reception...

5/6/08 - I think you'll find a good chunk of this week sounding a lot like the movie Groundhog Day. Up & down. Started with a big 2000 ft climb.

• Came across an ATC ridge runner (the AT's equivalent of police) & Half-brew laid into him about the crappy terrain. The ridge runner retorted something about how the AT's not supposed to be easy.
• Ate lunch at Punchbowl Shelter - pond on top of the mountain was lovely & unique.
• Climbed down 900 ft & took a break by Pedlar River before walking around Pedlar Lake.
• 18 mi day. Arrived at Brown Mountain Creek Shelter where Spock & Hearts took an ice bath in a nearby creek. Brrr!
• New blister... ok maybe that's not new, but an onset of athlete's foot is... probably due to the unrelenting heat & moisture.

5/7/08 - Started day with 3000 ft climb to Bald Knob - not bald.

• 2nd mountain was Cold Mountain. Which wasn't cold, but it was bald... go figure.
• Down to Hog Camp Gap - difficult water resupply - spring was located 1/2 mile downhill. Turned out to be a nice meadow with a tree swing - crew took full advantage of the wooden toy & stopped for lunch.
• Cranked out 9 more miles & passed Seeley-Woodworth Shelter to camp in Porters Field.
• 17 total mi.
• Built a campfire & drank Half-brew's bottle of Dickel's Whiskey to celebrate the fact that Half-brew made it 1 mile further on the trail than he did last year!! (plus the fact that they had all made it over 800 miles!!)... then it rained.

5/8/08 - Snoopy left the group this morning - got off the trail at Montebello to spend some time with family & friends.

• Everyone else climbed to the top of Main Top Mountain.
• Ate lunch at Priest Shelter (just before Priest Mountain) where entirely too many dirty priest jokes were told as Hearts ate oatmeal & coffee.
• Still raining... lets be honest it rained all day.
• Back down to 900 ft (getting old huh) along the Tye River where they'd had enough of the ups, downs, and the rain & decided to try & hitch a ride somewhere... anywhere.
• After a few failed attempts they were finally picked up by a seemingly jovial yet hard-core biker named Seth & his lady-friend (a UVA professor and cheating mother of 2 whose name will not be mentioned to protect her own anonymity).
• 7 people (Tupperware, Spock, Twiggy, Half-brew, Hearts), 5 packs, 1 dog, 1 Toyota Tercel.
• Rode (rather tight) 14 miles to a BBQ joint/convenience store. Ate, bought ice cream, watched Seth pop some pills & drink 6 pack in the parking lot... then things started getting really uncomfortable...
• Seth's drug-induced bipolar disorder began to rear it's ugly head soon after some sort of shady "transaction" with the check-out clerk went down outside. He got pretty antsy -some might argue downright rude or impatient. He yelled "gimme your wallet, woman" to his lady-friend (WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER - go back to your husband!!), grabbed her sandwich, took a huge/sloppy bite, threw it down, and demanded that the group get in the car & get going.
• Death-defying car ride back to the trail where he kicked them out of his car & went on his merry way. (Amos mentioned really regretting this particular hitchhiking experience.)
• Another 3000 ft climb (over 9 mi) to Maupin Field Shelter. 19 total mi.
• Arrived 10 minutes before it started to hail & managed to squeeze 8 people in a 6 person shelter.
• (THIS was the night that EVERY county in western Virginia was being pummeled by severe thunderstorms & tornado warnings... not watches... WARNINGS. All except Nelson County - smack dab in the middle - which listed as having a measly little flash flood warning. Despite knowing they were in that blessed little county, this was the night I was riddled with worst-case-scenarioitis & completely unable to sleep.)

5/9/08 - Started 4-5 miles on the Blue Ridge Parkway with Half-brew. Still raining & surrounded by fog - sounds like a good time to walk along the road...

• 16 mi to Paul C. Wolfe shelter for lunch.
• Saw 15-20 BRIGHT orange salamanders with black spots. Trinity kept stepping on them... & Meltdown probably too because he claims to have only seen 1. Which means he must not have been paying much attention...
• 21 total mi today. Hiked the last 5 miles in 1 hr 15 min!! Claimed it was because he knew he was getting to see me - I think it was because he was desperate for a shower & neck shave.
• Trail angel, Bill, took them to the Quality Inn in Waynesboro - where Half-brew, Tupperware & Meltdown remained for the next 3 days.
• I met Hearts at the laundromat & from there we went for Mexican, watched the Pens beat the tar out of the Flyers & camped at the KOA in Verona.
• Time to zero!

Cowboy camping just past the sugar shack, eh...

5/4/08 - Long snooze indeed... went to bed at 8:30 & slept all the way through till 7:15 in the morning! You're gonna need it...

• Hiked in a big train all day - Tupperware, Snoopy, Hearts, Half-brew, Spock & Twiggy - marched single-file down to 900 ft & then all the way back up to 4200 ft!! Big climb!
• By breaking it up into 5 mile intervals & peppering the climb with plenty of water breaks - they managed to make it much more palatable.
• Picture taken at the top of Apple Orchard Mtn. highlighting an oddly shaped FAA tower.
• Just before Thunder Hill Shelter they came across strange sight - a man unpacking his car...
• Turns out he was unpacking a ton of gear to cook the hikers pancakes & eggs at the shelter!! You KNOW Amos ate like 4 of them - and in true Amos fashion - made certain they were smothered in peanut butter, applesauce & real grade A maple syrup!
• Slept under the stars about 2 miles beyond the shelter with Half-brew. (Should I be jealous...? I think we all are.)
• Total 19.5 mi. (but not of that!)

5/5/08 - Woke-up & hiked over High Cock Knob and then meandered all the way down to the James River.

• Crossed over the James River Footbridge - the largest foot-only bridge on the trail.
• Chris (of Chris & Davey from GA) was waiting for them at the end of the bridge (Rt. 501) with Gatorade & a ride into Lynchburg!
• Lynchburg provided a quick resupply at Food Lion, case of PBR, Subway, AND I DISTINCTLY HEARD AMOS ORDER 3 WHOPPER JUNIORS over the phone - that's right - 3 Whopper Juniors - you know they're made of meat don't you!! He claimed they were for Half-brew, but I know for a FACT that Half-brew only ordered 2! Who do you think's going to shovel down the 3rd...!?! I know who.
• Chris took them back to the AT where they set off for Johns Hollow Shelter (about 2 miles down the trail... what... did anyone really think they were going to make it much farther than that with case of beer?? I'm surprised they didn't... and in fact I'd be willing to bet they cracked more than a few open well before the walk began).
• Not too shabby for a 14.5 mi day.