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

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.

Zoinks!...

6/15/08 - Slept in. Still soaking wet. Started hiking around 10 am.

• Beans & Benadryl left early early & didn't say a word to them all morning.
• Found a coiled & ready-to-strike surprise waiting on the trail just past Sunrise Mtn.
• Rattlesnake provided a few minutes of what I would deem ridiculous & freakishly unnecessary entertainment complete with photo ops & a video of Spock wrestling it off the trail with a long loooonnnggg stick.
• Stopped to take a break at Mashipacong Shelter. Beans & Benadryl were there but when they saw our boys (& lady -sorry Twiggy!) coming they split lickedy quick... I wonder what climbed in their sleeping bag??
• Came across a ridge line absolutely stripped by gypsy moths just before High Pt.
• Wandered down into Unionville where they encountered a man we'll call 'The Mayor's Henchman' who encouraged them to follow him as he drove his car to the mayor's house through town...
• Once at the mayor's house, the henchman spoke with the mayor... alone... then led them around back where he opened a hatch leading to the basement... - Let me stop for a brief moment to state the obvious which is that the only way you could have gotten me to shimmy down that dark hatch 'round back of the mayor's house is with a Great Dane & a well timed box of Scooby Snacks.
• Mysterious hole in the ground turned out to be a tool shed with an attached bunk room for thru-hikers and the henchman wasn't so evil after all- he made them pizza for dinner, gave them free beer, did their laundry, and offered the group showers!! ...Of course he could have been leading them into a false sense of security all along...
• 20 mi.

6/16/08 - Nope. Henchman made breakfast.

• Sat around for a good portion of the morning playing horseshoes in the backyard with Spock and waiting for news on whether or not the mayor would/could drive them north for a slackpack.
• No dice. Mayor wasn't scheduled to return till late afternoon so they hiked out.
• Down to Wallkill river and then to Wallkill Lake where they saw several large Trumpeter swans.
• Climbed Pochuck Mtn.
• Crossed Pochuck Creek Footbridge -kind of neat- it was roughly one and a half miles of boardwalk that meandered through a swamp and then over a small creek.
• At NJ 94 it started storming really badly so they caugh a ride with some creepy guy who likes to shuttle hikers around in his Mystery Machine. Drove to Vernon to stay at the St. Thomas Episcopal Hostel - which was simply a big church with several matresses in the basement.
• Watched Independence Day & then drifted off to sleep.
• Fairly uneventful for a murder mystery. Fred would have been disappointed- and with no word of free food, I imagine Shaggy was, too...
• 12 mi day.

Raining squirrels...

6/4/08 - Woke up to sopping wet shoes - although they are NEW sopping wet shoes!

• Trail angel bringing trail magic lost track of the trail... so Amos helped set her straight & carry her cooler to the underpass before I-81. Rewarded with 7-Up, mini Oreos, applesauce & bananas.
• And the rain rain rain came down down down: Feet were soaking wet all day which made them especially tired & sore and prompted a few blisters on his right paw to sprout.
• So it was raining cats & dogs... and apparently woodland creatures as well... At one point he heard a loud cracking noise followed by a dull thud & turned to find that a squirrel had fallen from a tree behind him. Soon after, the branch the little bugger was perched on came crashing down, too! Said the squirrel must have survived the fall fairly unscathed because he watched it scamper off... aww a happy ending!
• Parking it a 501 Shelter tonight - another that is well known for pizza deliveries! No fancy toppings this time though - just a large cheesy pie.
• Shelter also equipped with a solar shower but since there was no sun today Hearts had to settle for a cold rinse... brr. Then about a half hour later, a trail angel showed up with hot coffee - man, I cannot believe his luck sometimes. It's like somebody is blatantly looking out for him... and to that I say 'God is good' (can I get an Amen)!!
• So, if you're keeping track... 17 miles down today and...

less than 1000 miles to go!!!

Pick your poison...

6/3/08 - They shut down the bar just as the Pens went into double overtime last night!! What a let down... woke up still wondering who won!?? (Pittsburgh in triple overtime!!)

• Breakfast at Goodies. Had a dish just like the Good Start (2 eggs, homefries, & toast) at Sisters (in Confluence) but 20 cents cheaper! That IS a good start!
• Picked up new shoes & mailed old ones home... just in case. Can't wait to get that package.
• Left town around 10 am, faced a decent climb just outside of Duncannon & then picked his way through a boulder field...
• Nature extracts its revenge: came across a copperhead blocking the trail - apparently it didn't take too kindly to having its lunch tenderized the week before. None the less Amos did not sniff it to see if it smelled like cucumbers (maybe that's just something I'd be tempted to do) - he did take a very cautious photo and then Cu blazed around where he wound up in poison ivy instead.
• AND another bird came charging after him... I'm going to have to assume he's either venturing too close to their nests or they think his beard looks sexy... maybe just homey.
• Stopped for snacks at Clarks Ferry (4.5 mi) and Peters Mtn Shelter (11 mi) but an amateur meteorologist with a bad weather forecast told him that the chance for rain was low low low - at least until 1 am. She realized about a half an hour later - she was dead wrong... sorry!
• It became really dark as he approached the ruins of Yellow Springs Village & started raining cats & dogs about 10 minutes after that. His fancy ultralight camping umbrella didn't survive the canoe trip, so by the time he hiked the additional 6 mi to Rausch Gap Shelter, he was pretty waterlogged. Glasses nearly impossible to see through & water managed to seep into his headlamp - but it stayed lit! (now I have a scene from Pete's Dragon running though my head) He assured me the durability of his headlamp was very fortunate as he would have been screwed (with a capital 'S') without it.
• Got in around 10:30 pm - all in all hiked 29 miles - which is the longest he's hiked in 1 day by 1 mile!!

Quit grousing around...

6/2/08 - Caught a ride back to Pa. 944 with my Dad - who commutes to Philadelphia each week. Luckily Amos had left off near where the AT crosses the turnpike - completely unplanned but perfect timing!

• 3 hr trip back tempered by a morning cup of joe & plenty of conversation about deer hunting, park rangers & I imagine a few embarrassing stories about me in braces & rocking big 80's hair. Dropped off at trail around 11.
• Hiked up a mountain to Darling Shelter & used the largest privy he's encountered so far on the trail. Not to worry, he didn't fall in - it was just a really big building - too much empty space.
• Then off to Cove Mountain Shelter to: gaze beyond the overlook, tear up an afternoon snack (cheesy bean & rice burrito I believe), and be eaten alive by mosquitoes.
• Back on the trail (once the mosquitoes had their way with him) he became the target of an overly territorial grouse that came charging at him - feathers ruffled! Luckily this wasn't his first encounter with trail wildlife & he instinctively fell back on his trusty trekking poles for protection. Once the bird -mesmerized by the swift sticks- stopped rushing, he thought it best to move far & fast down the trail.
• On to Hawk Rock for a great view of Duncannon & the Susquehannah River.
• 13.5 mi. Arrived in Duncannon & just missed happy hour at the Post Office which closed at 4:30. He'll have to get his new shoes in the morning... said the left sole on his 1st pair fell off this morning. Again, not too shabby on the timing!
• Paid $20 for a "mildly scary looking room" at Doyle Hotel - owned by Anheuser-Bush & over 100 years old! That's okay - they've got cheap beer, the Pens game & rumor has it... simply delectable cheddar cheese fries.

Eukrazy hiking 1100 mi...

5/27/08 - Drove a bunch - Jordan & Colby arrived around 10:30 & on to the big car shuffle...

• Drove back to Md. 17 to snag Momma Ludwig's new ride - stopped on the way to pick up Half-brew's mail drop (in appreciation he treated the group to coffee at Starbucks!).
• Up to Pa. 944 to drop off Jordan's car and then back to Fayetteville to pick up where he left off on the AT the day before. About 4 hrs worth of moving & a shakin'.
• Started hiking through Caledonia State Park just as a slew of menacing storm clouds rolled in so they stopped to play a few hands of Eukre at a picnic shelter.
• Once the weather cleared, the group (Half-brew, Hearts, Jordan & Colby) moved on to Quarry Gap Shelter where they met back up with Meltdown.
• Odd characters at shelter included a socially awkward 90's Calvin Klein model who threw all of his trash in an unlit fire pit (very uncouth) and 2 section hikers who later described their group as "loud & obnoxious"... !
• 2.5 mi day.

5/28/08 - Woke up & hiked all the way to Birch Run Shelter without stopping.

• Hung out, ate lunch & played Eukre for 2 hrs.
• Eventually moved on to Toms Run Shelter where they stopped to play more Eukre... can you say 'stuck in a rut'? If not yet... you will.
• Passed the TRUE 1/2 WAY POINT (!!!!!) (unmarked & at 1087.5 mi by my calculations) then on to Pine Grove Furnace State Park to celebrate with the 1/2 Gallon Challenge - whose rules are to eat a 1/2 gallon of ice cream in one setting in honor of arrival at the AT midway point!!
• Amos & Meltdown chose to partake - everyone else "turtled out." (Amos' claims chickens don't scare easily & thus the saying should be changed...)
• They bought 1/2 gallon of chocolate & 1/2 gallon of vanilla - with the skill & precision of a neurosurgeon, they split the two down the middle so that they didn't have to barf up only one flavor.
• Amos said by ~3/4 of the way in he realized he had made a BIG mistake. (Which surprised me because I had seen him house several pints of ice cream at the Naked Ron ice cream orgy of '08 - my last visit.)
• Anyway... he did it! In 48 minutes AND without heaving it all back up!! (Meltdown finished in 1 hr 50 minutes.)
• 17.5 mi - man he made Jordan & Colby work!! (If you recall, I died after 1 measly 12 mi day!)
• Unable to venture beyond the site of the challenge, the haggard crew slept on the porch of the camp store (... after playing more Eukre).

5/29/08 - Woke up at 5 am & ran to the bathroom... expelled about 2 pints worth of last night's "dinner."

• Ate breakfast at the camp store & moved on to a photo op. at the midpoint marker.
• Hiked up to Green Mtn. General Store at Pa. 34 to eat lunch - subs, chips, & 1/2 gallon of "orange drink" (you'd think they'd be done with half gallons). More Eukre.
• Stopped at Alec Kennedy Shelter. Ate dinner - Jordan & Colby already sick of trail food... played Crazy 8's - just kidding - more Eukre... and then off to bed.
• 15.5 mi.

5/30/08 - Left camp at 7 am to hike through 3.5 miles of soggy cornfields and into Boiling Springs.

• Breakfast at JC's Country Time Cafe.
• Left packs at ATC Mid-Atlantic Regional Office & hiked another 12.5 really flat, really hot miles through a lot of cornfields, across a lot of roadways & through countless cow pastures. Smelled like poop all day... yep, all 16 mi.
• Didn't know roadkill was a possibility on the AT... just figured the traffic would be moving too slowly. I was wrong - Amos squished a toad that haphazardly hopped under foot just as he was stepping down - a moment of silence for Mr. Toad...
• Finally arrived at Pa. 944 where they picked up Jordan's strategically parked car, drove it back to Boiling Springs (to pick up their packs) and found the entire crew (Half-brew, Snoopy, Meltdown, Spock & Twiggy, Chief Daddy, The Treat, and Buns & Roses) sitting in the same exact spot they had left them earlier that morning.
• Drove to Chili's for real food & then to Pittsburgh for a surprise weekend visit!!

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...

Critters in all shapes & sizes...

5/14/08 - Started the day with a baby bear encounter! Said the little tyke was itty bitty - smaller than Trinity - and sweet... but not knowing where momma bear was lurking made them EXTREMELY nervous...

• Hiked along Skyline Drive after a pit stop at the Loft Mountain Wayside.
• Found another thru-hiker's wallet at a road crossing along the way.
• Ran into Rangers doing a Peregrine Falcon study - so the fellas chatted them up about the research & what they (as hikers) had to do to become rangers... graciously obliging in the conversation (which I think was a bit of bull - at least on Half-brew's part) they explained the hardships that they've found to accompany their rigorous & apparently highly competitive field.
• Took a break ~5 mi before Hightop Shelter where they ran into ANOTHER baby bear which led them to mom and 3 additional siblings!! That's 5 bears in 1 day!
• 21.5 mi. Returned Hugs' wallet once they arrived at the shelter - ecstatic to have it back and true to his name, everyone got hugs - Half-brew grabbed his butt... awkward...

5/15/08 - Cruised through first 11.5-12 mi - no stops save a few small breaks.

• Until... a 4 hour break at Lewis Mountain Campground & Wayside. Beer, munchies, ice cream.
• Also managed to squeeze in a shower & ticked off the campground attendant by sharing a 50 cent towel after taking a $1 shower. I don't know who to think behaved more comically in this situation... the lady for caring enough about sharing a 50 cent towel to yell or the boys for not forking over an additional half-dollar.
• Brew-hike: bought another 6 pack for the road & drank one at every overlook until rain forced them to pack it in for the night at Big Meadow Lodge.
• Saw a ton of deer along the way.
• Passed 900 mi! Today's total = 20.5 mi.

5/16/08 - Woke up covered in Kibbles 'n Bits. Trinity knocked her food off the bed & all over Hearts!

• Breakfast at Big Meadows Wayside - egg McMuffin w/cheese... delish.
• Didn't leave wayside till noon & hiked 9 mi to Skyland Lodge to decide on plans for the rest of the day.
• Plans heavily dependant on 'summer blizzard' (though nasty, maybe a bit of an exaggeration): cold, rain, fog, wind.
• Decided to stay at Skyland (name sounds creepy - like Michael Jackson's ranch) & got lost trying to find tent/cabin. (I wanna know how they can hike from Georgia to Maine with no maps whatsoever & manage get themselves lost in a campground??!)
• Burned a pile of ticks they found on Trinity - yuck! Amos said he's found at least 15 ticks on himself in the last few weeks but has been able to pinch them all off before they scurried up past his knees.
• When asked if he regretted sending all of his fleece & other warm weather gear home with me he responded with a shaky, "Nah, its all good..." I think that means he's chilly.

Mooove along...

4/23/08 - Hiked up over 2 different "Brushy Mtns" - they must be running out of clever names to call them-thar big elevation spots - lots of "Brushys."

• Spring has sprung in the valleys! Dropping out of the mountains was like walking in 'fast-forward' through time... warm weather & blooming trees are always a nice change in pace from barren mountaintops.
• Spooked a cow or it spooked him... depending on who you ask - it's debatable. It was hiding in the bushes & once they caught a glimpse of one another the cow split - quick.
• Hiked 16 mi to Trent's Grocery Store & gobbled down a sub, fries, and a pint of chocolate ice cream on the porch while watching a group of loggers "work" across the street. (Amos said they actually looked like they were playing with toy logs & Tonka trucks.)
• Remaining 8 miles wound along Dismal Creek - kept checking to see if it was 'kayakable'.
• Passed the 600 mile mark! Stayed at Wapiti Shelter - nice relaxing evening with a fire.

4/24/08 - Woke-up & hiked to a series of high-tension wires that "smelled like death" - like the power lines fried something furry & its rotting carcass was simmering somewhere nearby... but terrific views!! Green valleys against the bare ridge lines were a gorgeous visual contrast.

• 16.5 mi.
• Stopped for lunch & tried to eat everything he had because he knew he'd be getting into town tonight. Peanut butter & applesauce pitas were delectable!
• Down 2,000 ft in 1.5 mi into Pearisburg to the Holiday Motor Lodge (with pastel walls... looked like something you'd see on a roadside in the middle of the desert in Arizona). Free spot on the floor of Half-brew, Snoopy, & Shutterbug's room!
• Italian place for dinner - pizza & a fried platter (mozzarella, mushrooms, onion rings, crazy waitress... no wait - she wasn't fried. Or was she?! She did show up at their hotel room later talking about dealing, dropping out of school in 10th grade, getting hitched at the tender age of 16 (!), being an alcoholic mother of 3, chasing her abusive [and also alcoholic] husband around their motel room [home] with a gun AND having a warrant out for her arrest - something about being wanted for 'Conspiracy Against the State of West Virginia'!!!? - like walking onto the set of a really bad talk show... I told Amos I wish I could scoop her up - set her up with a nice set of verniers & save her... from herself. He assured me it was too late.)

4/25/08 - Torn between hiking like crazy to Katahdin or enjoying the scenery (& the experience) along the way...

• Chose the latter. A day of zip... zero... zilch.
• Or... Internet cafe, coffee, laundry, groceries, & post office.
• Time to savor the adventure.

Gettin' High...

4/16/08 - Get your mind out of the gutter! Hiked up to the top of Mt. Rogers (sans pack) - abundant snow & no view but the highest peak in Virginia so worth the trip. Then headed off to Grayson Highlands for a few wild pony sightings...

• The Highlands were "really awesome, the most beautiful section yet" - bald ridge lines & snowy pines - reminiscent of Utah.
• The term "wild ponies" is a little inaccurate, they're actually free-roaming ponies. Cowboys round 'em up in the winter. None the less, they've got free spirits alright... Amos caught a little pony porn. (I'm praying those pictures don't come out)
• Another pony walked up to him on the trail & started licking his trekking pole (he must have been doing some serious sweating the last few days to have created his own salt-lick). They even got comfy enough with one another for Amos to pet him!
• Hitched a ride with 2 fishermen to the Troutdale Baptist Church hostel. Troutdale is the highest town in Virginia. (Seriously. Stop. I'm still talking elevation.)
• Total of 21 mi.
• Slept on the floor in a storage shed & not actually in the shelter to avoid 2 very odd men - one of which produced a noise when he slept like no other audible sound on this planet - Andre the Giant snores... with gusto.

4/17/08 - The heart wants what it wants... and it wants pineapple & banana peppers!! (that picture from the last post is starting to make more sense). Goal was to make it to Partnership Shelter tonight because it's the only shelter on the trail where you can have pizza delivered - and of course Amos would take full advantage of that.

• Ate 3 pancakes for breakfast & was still a little hungry so had 2 more = 5 pancakes!
• 10:00 start to hike 15 mi.
• Walked 1/2 mile without pony protection (trekking poles) - forgot them after stopping to take a break & had to double back for retrieval.
• Brush with... well who knows what: Sitting at road & heard someone come up behind him (coughing). Looked back to see a guy behind a tree. Amos called out "hello?" 2x with no response so he hauled ass out of there... good move, but don't like the sound of that one.
• Made it to Partnership Shelter (safely!) - Snoopy caught up & Half-brew (& dog), too!!
• Ordered and ate an entire medium pineapple & banana pepper pizza. C'mon - pancakes & pizza all in one day!! He's living THE life.

Led astray...

4/11/08 - Fell asleep to a curious raccoon rummaging through garbage around camp last night... for about an hour.

• 22 miles & downright HOT - open to significant exposure since there are no leaves on the trees yet.
• Seriously considered taking a dip in Watauga Lake but thought better of it knowing that the water is still so cold.
• That is until scaling the next big hill... then nausea from the heat set in & he wished he'd gone avantouinti. (May have been suffering a mild case of heat stroke.)
• Lost for the 1st time - mile or 2 detour after misplacing the white blaze!
• Arrived at Iron Mountain Shelter fairly late. Everyone was asleep when he got there, so in an effort to let sleeping hikers lie, Hearts foraged through his dry provisions. Nothing fills a man up quite like dried nuts & berries after a long day on the trail...

Sip & slide...

3/28/08 - Goal was to hike 8 mi to Hot Springs & relax... maybe visit the springs...

• Made it there by noon.
• Spent 4 hours resupplying, playing on the Internet & eating lunch. Ate & drank 2 beers with a old friend he met at the beginning of the AT.
• Once his drinking buddy left (to take a week off & visit home), he quickly became bored & decided to keep on keepin' on...
• In haste to make it the additional 10 mi to the next shelter - forgot to restock his water supply (bad because he was SUPER thirsty from the two pints - as close to drunk-hiking as he's come all trip) & had to bum drinking water off a family on the trail!! (I feel like mooching food & water off of families has become so commonplace it should become its own blog label...)
• Managed to find his own water at the next gap.
• Got to Spring Mountain Shelter (which was bursting at the seems with people) at dark. VERY nice to be around fellow hikers after not seeing anyone for the last 2 days!
• Pitched tarp outside as it started to rain. Must have been a quick pitch (some might say haphazard) cause he wound up sliding a few feet down hill while he slept & the bottom half of him got soaked!

3/29/08 - Woke up wet and to another rainy day ahead.

• Hiked down to Allen Gap & came across a sign that said "Trail Magic to the Right!" - OF COURSE he followed it & it led him to a Christian couple (also former thru-hikers) who had opened up their kitchen to serve the masses: waffles, stew, and an assortment of deserts (banana splits, brownie-fudge sundaes, and cherry pie a la mode)! Hearts went for the chocolate : )
• Here's the twist: Before he made that rather tasty right-hand turn, a man from the Hemlock Hollow Hostel tried to dissuade him from going by spouting something like, "You don't know what's in that food." Amos warned the trail angels of the hostel-owner's attack & a BIG confrontation of the two groups ensued with Amos smack-dab in the middle! I guess the hostel-owner thought the trail angels were killing his business & Amos wound-up arguing in favor of the Christian couple and their trail magic... awkward!
• Back to the trail & up up up 5 mi to the top o' the hill where he encountered a youth group from KY passing out scripture-wrapped Snickers!! Amos took 8 - 8 Snickers.
• I don't know about you but to me this trip seems like it's been inordinately laced with goodies. In my mind walking the AT is like playing a life-sized game of Candyland. This morning, he drew the purple card & moved ahead 5 spaces to hang-out with Gloppy the Chocolate Monster... perhaps tomorrow he'll meet Gramma Nut or The Gingerbread People... yeah, hands-off Princess Lolly the skinny Viking with the sweet-tooth's mine!
• 15 and a half miles today.
• Jerry Cabin was full. One fellow hiker took up 2 spots with his dog so Hearts had to pitch the tarp... again.
• Unusual occurrences: some guy who likes to hike at night wound up walking in circles around the camp in search of a missing food bag - he got lost in the fog - & a frog jumped on Amos' face!

3/30/08 - Wet. Cloudy. Cold. Windy.

• The dense fog that shrouded the mountains all morning lifted part-way through the day, but EVERYTHING he has is wet. Go figure, the fog tends to seep in the cracks & crevices unlike a more reliable rain.
• Devised a way to dry his sleeping bag by wearing it like a cape the latter portion of the day. (It's almost dry!) Who wouldn't kill to stumble across Superhearts on the trail!!?
• 17.5 mi. Camping about a mile and a half past I-26. In hot pursuit of The General - maybe 2 or 3 miles behind him?! Not bad for taking almost a week off!

Not so cool to be all alone...

3/27/08 - Hiked the 1st mile with Isaac (late start - around 3:30 pm) to the top of Max Patch Mtn. One of his favorite places on the whole AT! Said he had spectacular 360 degree view & could see into his past (Great Smokys) present (da Patch) & future (Hot Springs tomorrow)!

• I think it was actually one of his favorite spots because he had Isaac there with him... & beer (which he made poor Isaac carry - with a broken toe!!)
• Saw a few people on the way back down the mtn. & no one else ALL DAY! Even passed 2 shelters around dinnertime & not a soul!
• Heightened senses from being alone all day - heard dogs barking in the distance. Which was weird because he's in a national park.
• Stopped for water 1/2 way down a mountain & 2 wild (WILD) dogs cut across the trail feverishly chasing after a deer. 2nd dog with hair-on-end stopped & stared at him for a second & Amos thought he was going to have to use his trekking pole as a weapon!! Very, very odd. And definitely creepy being so alone.
• Hiked between 11-12 mi & set up camp just past Bluff Mtn.

Hiking in the Smokys made dam near bearable...

3/15/08 - Another stormy day... Hiked 13 mi to Fontana Dam & stayed at the "Fontana Hilton" - the nicest shelter on the whole dam trail. (Brandi - don't get agitated about the missing 'n' - it's a play on words!)

• Hitchhiked into a nearby village with Ron. Stopped at the general store to resupply - he was shy 1 dinner and unwilling to live off of his oatmeal stockpile.
• BONUS: Laundromat open & they were able to dry their clothes! In true Hearts form, he housed a pint of ice cream while they waited.
• You know what's unbearable... no cell phone service when he's hiking along ridges through severe thunderstorms. The same low pressure system that spurred the EF2 tornado in downtown Atlanta the night before!

3/16/08 - Welcome to Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Started out around 60 degrees at the dam this morning but temps dropped drastically once he got into the mountains. Said most of the higher peaks in the Smokys look like they're capped with rime (a lesson in earth science - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rime_ice). Brrr.

• Grabbed a Mr. Pibb at the visitor center to wash down his cereal... bleah! Apparently, he's been craving sweets like nobody's business since he got on the trail.
• Hiked up Shuckstack Mtn. I only mention it because he LOVED saying "Shuckstack" and because on the way up he stopped to fill up his tank at a natural spring & looked 20 feet back down the mountain just as a HUGE BLACK BEAR crossed the trail!!! He tried to snap a picture & may have managed to get a slightly obscured shot as it was passing through some thick weeds!
• Unknowingly wandered into Tennessee & passed a sign that said he has less than 2000 mi to Katahdin!!
• Today's tally: 17 mi. Got the last spot at Spence Field shelter. It's filled to the brim w/ 20 people and an additional 10 more camping outside! TONS of people on the trail today! (Ron, Squire, Matthew, & Spruce are all there)

Got your goat...

3/14/08 - BIG day - hardest so far... 16 total mi, rainy. Climbed up 3000ft then down 3000 ft then up 3000 ft then down 3000 ft & then right before Brown Fork Gap Shelter... back up again!! Said there wasn't a flat mile all day!

• Started off right w/ a good breakfast: pancakes, eggs & coffee.
• Hiked with Matthew. Fun fact for the day - they came across a lot of garbage thrown over a hillside. Someone threw away their goat. Yeah. A dead goat. Which Amos decided to take a picture of while unknowingly standing in a heaping pile of dirty diapers... as Matthew poked it with a hiking pole... Something to look forward to on a future roll of film.
• Best dinner on the trail so far = instant buttery, salty, cheesy mashed potatoes!
• Shelter's holding Matthew, Squire, The General, Ron and a new guy who was pretty much asleep when they got there (Timber, Lumber, Forest... can't remember his name). Those boys are inseparable!

Certainly not boaring...

3/6/08 - Originally torn between hiking to Tray Mtn. shelter (12 mi) or continuing on to Deep Gap which was to be determined by tonight's weather...

• Wound up hiking 20 miles (!!!) to the Deep Gap shelter
• Good news: he'll be sleeping-in in the morning instead of hiking through the brunt of the rain (which looks to be peaking around 10 am or so)
• Rolled ankle 2x coming down the mountain - seems to be okay
• Planning on cutting back to 4 mi tomorrow & heading into Hiawassee to restock
• Fun fact: when we spoke this evening there were wild boar rooting around in the bushes outside the shelter - which I've learned aren't necessarily friendly - so we got off the phone fairly quickly so he could get safely back inside... : /