Hi there! It's Julie again, signed in as Mom. I'm incognito...
Got a call from the boys at about 8:30 this morning. Ben (Navigator) sounded rested and happy, probably because, according to him, they were on a rocky outcrop overlooking Pennsylvania! Beautiful views are good for the soul, especially because the Appalachian Trail is largely wooded, even on the tops of mountains, and expansive views can sometimes be difficult to come by. (Can we say that sometimes it's difficult to see the forest for the trees!?) :)
Yesterday was a 20-mile hiking day, and today will be approximately 18 miles, so they couldn't talk for long, but I did get a couple of updates.
Bear update: No more bear sightings recently.
Foot update: Ben's feet seem to be healing nicely. No mention of Dad's feet, so, they're either fine, or Ben doesn't care... :P
When asked if they had any good stories or met any interesting people, Ben said that they'd been hiking through a lot of areas where the Civil War had been fought and that yesterday, they (hiking northward) passed some southbound hikers wearing Confederate uniforms. The boys didn't stop to talk to the "soldiers," so they don't know the whole story, but I'm hoping that they were heading for a reenactment and not modeling REI's latest hiking-wear. While wool probably does a fine job wicking moisture away from your skin, I'm not sure it's all that breathable. Besides, those muskets can get heavy...
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Pictures!
Hi guys- this is Julie.
When the boys take long hikes like this, they can't carry all of their food, so Mom periodically sends boxes of food and supplies to pre-arranged post offices for them to pick up. This also gives the boys a chance to send home anything that they might not be using- including dirty laundry! The idea is that the clothes can be washed and sent back to them with the next batch of food.
This year, I somehow earned the dubious honor of opening what I like to call the box o' stank. The good part, though, (besides the fact that the clothes are now clean) is that they also sent the data card for their digital camera. Since there were over 40 pictures, I decided not to attach them directly to the blog. Instead, I uploaded them to the Kodak Gallery site. Click on the link below to view the pictures:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=19h2vpy2.3d0rn9z6&x=0&y=4gn2jh&localeid=en_US
And please let me know if, for some reason, you're unable to view the pictures. I'll try to find another way to post them if I need to.
Sorry that there aren't any updates about bears or weather or sore feet. I haven't personally talked to the boys in several days. I'm just on temporary picture duty...
When the boys take long hikes like this, they can't carry all of their food, so Mom periodically sends boxes of food and supplies to pre-arranged post offices for them to pick up. This also gives the boys a chance to send home anything that they might not be using- including dirty laundry! The idea is that the clothes can be washed and sent back to them with the next batch of food.
This year, I somehow earned the dubious honor of opening what I like to call the box o' stank. The good part, though, (besides the fact that the clothes are now clean) is that they also sent the data card for their digital camera. Since there were over 40 pictures, I decided not to attach them directly to the blog. Instead, I uploaded them to the Kodak Gallery site. Click on the link below to view the pictures:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=19h2vpy2.3d0rn9z6&x=0&y=4gn2jh&localeid=en_US
And please let me know if, for some reason, you're unable to view the pictures. I'll try to find another way to post them if I need to.
Sorry that there aren't any updates about bears or weather or sore feet. I haven't personally talked to the boys in several days. I'm just on temporary picture duty...
July 23 – Starting from David Lesser
Motivation is knowing you are going to eat real food, get a shower and sleep in a bed . . . that’s what drives two very tired hikers to go 8.8 miles by lunch time!
The guys arrived in Harpers Ferry, WV today! The first thing they did was get some lunch at a pizza place, then it was off to the post office and to check in to the hotel. They got showers, had a nice dinner and were back at the hotel before dark! It was a good day!
8.8 miles today – 160.7 miles completed
The guys arrived in Harpers Ferry, WV today! The first thing they did was get some lunch at a pizza place, then it was off to the post office and to check in to the hotel. They got showers, had a nice dinner and were back at the hotel before dark! It was a good day!
8.8 miles today – 160.7 miles completed
July 22 – Starting from Same Moore
As usual the hiking day started around 7:30 a.m. The rain had stopped so things were looking up . . . about 9:00 it started to sprinkle.
About mid morning they reached the Bears Den Hostel. http://www.bearsdencenter.org/ The Hostel was terrific! They were able to get a cold drink and sit down and rest.
By 11:00 they were back on the trail and just after that it started to down pour. It looks as if they are going to have another ‘just add water’ type of day!
Sidebar: Much of the food they carry is freeze dried. For those of us who are old enough to remember astronauts landing on the moon and Tang® it is all about adding water to powder to make something ‘good’ to eat/drink. Freeze dried food has come a long way since the 1960s and from what I hear some of the food is pretty good. The consensus has been powered eggs still taste bad unless you add a great deal of flavoring, e.g., ketchup or hot sauce.‘Just add water’ hiking is much the same as freeze dried food . . . one or two meals/hikes in the rain aren’t too bad, but experiencing it day after day is like eating powdered eggs! Yuk!
They hiked on to Blackburn Trail Center. This too was supposed to be a staffed shelter . . . the guys were less than impressed. They decided that it was best to stick with their plans and hike to the David Lesser Shelter.
Notable events for the day . . .
At some point Dale realized his glasses fell out of his pocket. He knew he needed to go back and try to find them (Hiking back is not like writing with pencil and erasing it’s more like writing with permanent marker and making a mistake). Ben, being the dutiful son, offered to watch the packs while Dale hiked back to find his glasses. Luckily Dale only had to go back about a half mile. There was some good natured ribbing going on by the time that they called me!
After a hard day at work everyone likes to come home and relax a little, right? Well, the same is true for the guys . . . but there was no rest when they got to the shelter. The water source, a spring, was located a half mile DOWNHILL from the shelter. You might think to yourself . . . how bad could it be; they already hiked 14 miles what’s another .5? Ben reminded me that the water bottles are pretty light walking down, but then you have to carry them back uphill full! I said, “Oh! Sorry about that,” as I went to the kitchen and poured myself a class of water . . . really, I am grateful to be writing this from home!
NEW FLASH! Today marked another milestone . . . they crossed from Virginia to West Virginia! Another state complete!!!!!
14.1 miles today – 151.9 miles completed
About mid morning they reached the Bears Den Hostel. http://www.bearsdencenter.org/ The Hostel was terrific! They were able to get a cold drink and sit down and rest.
By 11:00 they were back on the trail and just after that it started to down pour. It looks as if they are going to have another ‘just add water’ type of day!
Sidebar: Much of the food they carry is freeze dried. For those of us who are old enough to remember astronauts landing on the moon and Tang® it is all about adding water to powder to make something ‘good’ to eat/drink. Freeze dried food has come a long way since the 1960s and from what I hear some of the food is pretty good. The consensus has been powered eggs still taste bad unless you add a great deal of flavoring, e.g., ketchup or hot sauce.‘Just add water’ hiking is much the same as freeze dried food . . . one or two meals/hikes in the rain aren’t too bad, but experiencing it day after day is like eating powdered eggs! Yuk!
They hiked on to Blackburn Trail Center. This too was supposed to be a staffed shelter . . . the guys were less than impressed. They decided that it was best to stick with their plans and hike to the David Lesser Shelter.
Notable events for the day . . .
At some point Dale realized his glasses fell out of his pocket. He knew he needed to go back and try to find them (Hiking back is not like writing with pencil and erasing it’s more like writing with permanent marker and making a mistake). Ben, being the dutiful son, offered to watch the packs while Dale hiked back to find his glasses. Luckily Dale only had to go back about a half mile. There was some good natured ribbing going on by the time that they called me!
After a hard day at work everyone likes to come home and relax a little, right? Well, the same is true for the guys . . . but there was no rest when they got to the shelter. The water source, a spring, was located a half mile DOWNHILL from the shelter. You might think to yourself . . . how bad could it be; they already hiked 14 miles what’s another .5? Ben reminded me that the water bottles are pretty light walking down, but then you have to carry them back uphill full! I said, “Oh! Sorry about that,” as I went to the kitchen and poured myself a class of water . . . really, I am grateful to be writing this from home!
NEW FLASH! Today marked another milestone . . . they crossed from Virginia to West Virginia! Another state complete!!!!!
14.1 miles today – 151.9 miles completed
July 21 – Starting from Dick’s Dome
There are times in our lives when things happen that make us move at a faster pace . . . today was that kind of day for Turtle and Navigator . . . the skies opened and rain poured down. As the rain poured the guys picked up their pace! They covered about nine miles by lunch time! Remember . . . yesterday it took most of the day to hike 9.9 miles!
After lunch they were headed into the part of the trail known as the Roller Coaster. Ben explained that the trail has a series of 10 ascents and descents that would last about the next 13.5 miles. The Hiker’s Companion describes this part of the trail as narrow, viewless and rocky ridges. Now doesn’t that sound like paradise? The reality is . . . trekking poles will save them from falling and twisting their knees and ankles. The poles also are used to drag their tired bodies step by step.
Good news - the stuff they are carrying seems to be staying dry thanks to the pack covers. But you guessed it . . . their clothes and boots are a different story. They wear clothing that should dry quickly if given a chance. After hiking all day with wet stuff on they do their best to hang their clothes at night to let them dry. Hiking socks never dry completely once they get wet. Dale said that his feet were all ‘pruned up’ when he took his boots off. He tried to sleep outside of his sleeping bag for several hours to give his feet time to dry during the night!
OK . . . I have really tried to write this as an informative journal . . . but really . . . aren’t you wondering why they keep doing this????? The only answer I can come up with is never ever give up on your dream, even if it means hiking through some nasty stuff!
15.3 miles today – 137.8 miles completed
After lunch they were headed into the part of the trail known as the Roller Coaster. Ben explained that the trail has a series of 10 ascents and descents that would last about the next 13.5 miles. The Hiker’s Companion describes this part of the trail as narrow, viewless and rocky ridges. Now doesn’t that sound like paradise? The reality is . . . trekking poles will save them from falling and twisting their knees and ankles. The poles also are used to drag their tired bodies step by step.
Good news - the stuff they are carrying seems to be staying dry thanks to the pack covers. But you guessed it . . . their clothes and boots are a different story. They wear clothing that should dry quickly if given a chance. After hiking all day with wet stuff on they do their best to hang their clothes at night to let them dry. Hiking socks never dry completely once they get wet. Dale said that his feet were all ‘pruned up’ when he took his boots off. He tried to sleep outside of his sleeping bag for several hours to give his feet time to dry during the night!
OK . . . I have really tried to write this as an informative journal . . . but really . . . aren’t you wondering why they keep doing this????? The only answer I can come up with is never ever give up on your dream, even if it means hiking through some nasty stuff!
15.3 miles today – 137.8 miles completed
July 20 – Starting from Jim & Molly Denton Shelter
July 19th Bear report: there was another bear sighting . . . luckily it was only one little bear who didn’t mind sharing its space with the guys!
Yesterday was about reaching the goal and they did just that by 6:00 p.m. when they reached the shelter! All 18.6 miles were completed! The heat and the trail made it a hard hiking day. Usually the trail is covered by trees. The natural flora and fauna create a canopy that covers the trail. Even on the days when the sun it bright the trail stays shady. Yesterday was a bit different . . . there were quite a few open areas where the sun beat directly down on the trail. The open trail made the hiking much harder. Both Dale and Ben said they were whipped by the time they reached the shelter. In fact, they had to lie down and rest for a while before they started their evening routine.
The Jim and Molly Denton shelter sleeps eight with an enlarged porch for extra sleepers. Only two other hikers shared this humble abode with the Dale and Ben so there was plenty of room to move around. The Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker’s Companion stated that the shelter had a solar shower . . . however; Mother Nature provided an all natural shower in the form of a rain storm that lasted all night long. Could this be the beginning of another year of ‘just add water’ hiking?
Today the temperatures are cooler, but the humidity is higher. They were grateful that they only had to hike 9.9 miles today. Hmmmmm . . . isn’t it funny how priorities change . . . hiking 9.9. miles in high humidity usually isn’t something that most people would feel grateful for!
9.9 miles today – 122.5 miles completed
Yesterday was about reaching the goal and they did just that by 6:00 p.m. when they reached the shelter! All 18.6 miles were completed! The heat and the trail made it a hard hiking day. Usually the trail is covered by trees. The natural flora and fauna create a canopy that covers the trail. Even on the days when the sun it bright the trail stays shady. Yesterday was a bit different . . . there were quite a few open areas where the sun beat directly down on the trail. The open trail made the hiking much harder. Both Dale and Ben said they were whipped by the time they reached the shelter. In fact, they had to lie down and rest for a while before they started their evening routine.
The Jim and Molly Denton shelter sleeps eight with an enlarged porch for extra sleepers. Only two other hikers shared this humble abode with the Dale and Ben so there was plenty of room to move around. The Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker’s Companion stated that the shelter had a solar shower . . . however; Mother Nature provided an all natural shower in the form of a rain storm that lasted all night long. Could this be the beginning of another year of ‘just add water’ hiking?
Today the temperatures are cooler, but the humidity is higher. They were grateful that they only had to hike 9.9 miles today. Hmmmmm . . . isn’t it funny how priorities change . . . hiking 9.9. miles in high humidity usually isn’t something that most people would feel grateful for!
9.9 miles today – 122.5 miles completed
Sunday, July 20, 2008
July 19 – Gravel Spring Shelter
This morning they called me at 7:45 a.m. and they had already hiked a little over a mile. Dale said that they were standing on a rock point overlooking a cute little town. The scenery this year has been different than in the Smokey Mountains. There are not as many scenic breaks and of course there is the summer haze that covers the mountain views.
Weather report: today the weather is warm, but windy.
Bear report: after only a little over a mile on the trail there have been several bear mounds sited . . . so the answer to the question, does a bear poop in the woods is . . . YES! So cross your fingers and say a prayer that the next bear they run into is also a distant cousin of Baloo!!!!
They expect to hike 18.9 miles today. The map shows that there will be more downhill climbs than they had on their last 18 mile day. Hopefully it will be a good day for hiking!
18.9 miles today – 112.6 miles completed
Weather report: today the weather is warm, but windy.
Bear report: after only a little over a mile on the trail there have been several bear mounds sited . . . so the answer to the question, does a bear poop in the woods is . . . YES! So cross your fingers and say a prayer that the next bear they run into is also a distant cousin of Baloo!!!!
They expect to hike 18.9 miles today. The map shows that there will be more downhill climbs than they had on their last 18 mile day. Hopefully it will be a good day for hiking!
18.9 miles today – 112.6 miles completed
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