Hello everyone! I apologize for not posting for 6 days; it has been a crazy week. I left off last post by talking about a phone interview that I was preparing for while in Damascus, Virginia. After interviewing on the phone, I was invited to visit the office in Wyoming for an in-person interview! So, I started arranging the trip out west immediately. The last hiking I did was Sunday morning into Damascus. Since then I've been travelling, and interviewing for this job. I actually had a pretty easy time getting off the trail for the interview thanks to the kindness of some friends and family! Staying with Mrs. Crabtree's relatives was great, Ethan picked me up and brought me to Knoxville that day, Paul picked me up Tuesday, and I drove his car to Nashville. Then, I flew to Denver Wednesday morning, and have been staying here since. All in all I had an easy time getting here, considering I went from Damascus to Denver in two days with no notice. Thanks so much to everyone who helped with that! (I just proofread this post, and realized that it is kind of a long story. So, if you don't want to read it all just skip the next couple paragraphs.)
The job that I interviewed for was one that I applied to on my break between hikes. During the break I applied to 15 different positions, most in Tennessee, but 1 in Wyoming. Out of all the 15 that I applied for, the position in Wyoming was the one that I did not expect to hear back from. That was pretty much the dream job for me coming out of college; statistics in the west. I didn't meet their minimum qualifications, but I threw my resume and application in anyway because you never know what can happen. From those 15 applications I only heard back from 2; a financial position in Nashville, which I never had a chance to interview before it was filled, and Wyoming, whom I heard back from in Waynesboro after hiking for a week. The human resources department of Wyoming wanted me to piece together any experience I had to qualify for the job. They needed 1 year experience. As most of yall know, I have done some things professionally, but have spent all my summers working for the Boy Scouts. They wanted job related experience. Well, I put together what I had, not really expecting anything to come out of it, but hoping for the best.
10 days later I received a voicemail asking for a phone interview; that was when I updated the blog in Pearisburg, VA. Those next few days were spent trying to get in touch with the Board in Wyoming, and trying to prepare for the interview. I spent hours mulling over my answers to all the common interview questions while hiking those next few days. I don't think there could have been any better place for me to prepare than in the woods!
I had the in person interview in Cheyenne, Wyoming on Thursday morning. I drove up from Denver, a 2 hour drive, and had a couple hours to walk around Cheyenne before interviewing. That was really great because I got to know the city a little, and chill out before hand. It lasted for 1 hour and 30 minutes, and I told people afterwards that it went "very good." I didn't want to get my hopes up even though I felt it was one of the best in person interviews I've ever done. They would let me know the next day, Friday (yesterday). All Friday morning I was uneasy. I jumped every time my phone went off, and constantly checked my email. I went hiking to get out of the house, and get my mind off of it. Plus, it would be a shame if I came to the Rocky Mountains without hiking at all! I hit some really nice trails around I-70, and had great views of the higher peaks which had gotten their first snowfall of the year the previous day.
The Board called me when I was driving back into Denver. I GOT THE JOB AND (if bigger letters were possible here they would be bigger) I GET TO FINISH THE TRAIL! I'm not even going to begin to explain how I felt at that time. I've done so many applications, sent out SO many resumes and had so many interviews without success. It just seemed too good to be true that I would land this job. I really want to do statistics, and I really want to live in this outdoor playground and I really want to finish the trail too. Now I get to do all three. It really has yet to sink in, and all seems very surreal still. In a nutshell, the job is doing statistical analysis for the Board of Equalization in the State of Wyoming. I will be making sure that each of the 23 County Assessors are in compliance with the regulations set by the state in regards to the valuation of property and the assessed property tax.
I went back up to Cheyenne yesterday to fill out some paperwork, and meet the rest of the office. I also found a place to live! Before I left to hike, I researched and had information on 7 properties. Then when I was called up, I arranged appointments to go view them all while driving to fill out paperwork. The place I'll be living is great, and only 1 block from where I'll work; literally a 2 minutes walking.
That was a really long story. It hasn't sunk in completely for me yet. I'm so grateful for the good fortune I've had. I know that God's hand is all over it. And I really can't thank yall enough for the amount of support that you have given me!
Next up will be finishing the A.T. My start date for the job is Novemeber 15th. (I'm going to have to be quick.) I'm estimating that I have 25ish more days of hiking remaining. It is 460 miles to Springer Mountain from Damascus, Virginia. At the rate I was going it would take me as little as 18 days though. The elevation changes get more intense as I step into Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia. I'm looking forward to getting back on the trail. It is something that I have definitely missed much since leaving a week ago! The offer is always up for those of you who want to come visit, however I am more limited on time now. I very much look forward to talking and visiting everyone back home! Thanks SO MUCH for following and being interested and supporting me! I have some pictures that I'm going to post now. Hope you are having a fantastic fall!!
The Kid
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The Home Stretch
Hello Everyone! I arrived in Damascus, Virginia this morning. Over the last few days, I have had some great times. I lost Antspants on Tuesday, he is ahead of me now, but have been hiking with 'The Griswolds' for the past few days. They are a young married couple from Ashville, NC and hike with their 5 year old Boxer named Otis. Since leaving Pearisburg on Sunday, we have had 4 days of rain. The socks had a tough time drying, and were never fully dry until I put them in the dryer. The Griswolds and I split a hotel room in Atkins on Thursday night. It was wet, and the room was great!! It is always nice to have a warm, dry place to sleep.
Saturday I hiked through the Grayson Highlands State Park. The highlands are similar to the grasslands of Montana (so they say). I had fantastic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains everywhere. We could also see into parts of Tennessee and North Carolina. I played a joke on some day hikers in the Highlands that was pretty good. Just before rounding a corner, I heard some people and turned around backwards. When I came up on them, I introduced myself as 'Rewind; the first person to thru hike the Appalachian Trail backwards.' They ate it up, and I never let them in on the joke. So if you hear a rumor of someone thru hiking backwards, you'll know who started it.
The last week has been great! Having rain from Sunday to Thursday has gotten the water flowing better. The terrain is still fairly easy, and I'm making good miles. I am currently at a family friend's relative's house (Thanks Mrs. Crabtree!!). I weighed myself here. It felt as though I lost weight, but I didn't think I had lost 14 lbs since September 8Th. I weigh 182 now; haven't weighed that much since high school. The weight loss isn't due to a lack of eating either. Since being in town, I've had Nacho's Grande, 12" Philly Cheese Steak, and a huge plate of spaghetti! Anyways, things are going really well here. I have hiked 1720 miles since starting, and have 460 miles left to go. Hitting the 500 mile mark was a great feeling!
Thank yall so much for following. I'm a little preoccupied tonight, so maybe more stories on a second post tomorrow. I have a phone interview tomorrow morning that I'm trying to prepare for. Thanks again, and I hope everyone is enjoying the cooler weather!
The Kid
Saturday I hiked through the Grayson Highlands State Park. The highlands are similar to the grasslands of Montana (so they say). I had fantastic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains everywhere. We could also see into parts of Tennessee and North Carolina. I played a joke on some day hikers in the Highlands that was pretty good. Just before rounding a corner, I heard some people and turned around backwards. When I came up on them, I introduced myself as 'Rewind; the first person to thru hike the Appalachian Trail backwards.' They ate it up, and I never let them in on the joke. So if you hear a rumor of someone thru hiking backwards, you'll know who started it.
The last week has been great! Having rain from Sunday to Thursday has gotten the water flowing better. The terrain is still fairly easy, and I'm making good miles. I am currently at a family friend's relative's house (Thanks Mrs. Crabtree!!). I weighed myself here. It felt as though I lost weight, but I didn't think I had lost 14 lbs since September 8Th. I weigh 182 now; haven't weighed that much since high school. The weight loss isn't due to a lack of eating either. Since being in town, I've had Nacho's Grande, 12" Philly Cheese Steak, and a huge plate of spaghetti! Anyways, things are going really well here. I have hiked 1720 miles since starting, and have 460 miles left to go. Hitting the 500 mile mark was a great feeling!
Thank yall so much for following. I'm a little preoccupied tonight, so maybe more stories on a second post tomorrow. I have a phone interview tomorrow morning that I'm trying to prepare for. Thanks again, and I hope everyone is enjoying the cooler weather!
The Kid
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Pearisburg
Hey Guys! Im in Pearisburg now. Antspants and I got in this morning and ate some breakfast at Hardee's. It's raining pretty hard right now, and it isn't supposed to stop until Tuesday! The area really needed some rain though, so I'm not complaining. At least it will be easier to get some water. The last few days have been great! Before leaving Daleville, we went to the outfitter and the P.O. I've managed to slim down my pack weight some more by sending home various things that I just haven't used in a while, as well as some of my warmer clothing. Also, I've switched my cook system to a Vargo Denatured Alcohol stove. It is made out of titanium, and weighs 1 oz! I carry 8 oz of fuel, which is cheap and you can buy anywhere (much more frequently than canisters), and use about 1.5 oz every night to cook dinner. My pack feels SO good now. I'm pretty much bouncing and skipping down the trail everyday!
Thursday was really good. Started at Lambert's Meadow Shelter, and hiked to Pickle Branch Shelter. After 12m we went into town to the general store. Guac and Queso were there, and the store was also being sold, so everything was half price. Ate a delicious sandwich, and had some ice cream and cold drinks. It is super hot out. McAfee Knob was cool! We have some great pics. I shot Ants doing back flips! Pretty Gutsy! Also, the girl that gave us a hitch into Catawba had just finished a northbound thru hike a week ago! Wow, what a cool thing! Hitching out of town, these three guys in a pickup gave us a ride. We sat in the back of their pickup truck next to all the beer cans and coolers. When they dropped us off, the guy in the passengers seat poked his head out of the window and asked "Do yall want some squirrels?" Well, we said yeah really quick because we thought is was slang for beer. So he hops out of the truck and goes around to the side saying "There fresh, just shot em' this morning!" Ants and I looked down next to the cooler at these three dead squirrels just lying in the bed of the truck! "Aw, haha no thanks man. We changed our minds." "You sure!? Them's great for protein." What a hitch! Some true hill folk right there.
Another 6m down trail and we stopped at another store for some cold drinks. I had an amazing orange slushy! SO GOOD in the heat of the day. Guac and Queso caught up, and we hiked Dragons Tooth. Amazing views and good company. It was a little high and dangerous, but we climbed to the tallest point and chilled for a while, watching the sun go down. Ended up having to night hike to Pickle Branch Shelter because we stayed too long. I'm battling a flair-up of Athletes foot. So, I was happy to stop hiking. Ants took a couple spiders to the face night hiking (I knew what I was doing letting him lead); that was pretty funny. We all walked down to the creek and chugged water because we had all run out. It was the best water ever, and the perfect end to the day. A nice cold stream to soak the feet in and get rehydrated. The new stove worked perfect!
Friday we hiked 23m. It was a tough day! The sun was super hot, which just kills me, and there were some rougher than anticipated elevation changes. Ants and were shooting for 30m, but were happy with what we got. We hiked on the "Eastern Continental Divide" if there is such a thing (there was a sign for it). The elevation profile in the guidebook made it look flat and easy, but it was overgrown, sideways slanted rock trail with no water sources for 10 or so miles at a time. Rough day! The hike to the shelter from the stream where we cooled off at was amazing! We hiked through gorgeous pastures; very scenic. I again replenished the fluids at the end of the day after being slightly dehydrated for most of it. Supposedly the body holds 3.5L of water and can use it all in less than an hour. Wow!
Yesterday was one of the best days on the trail yet! I had trail magic galore! We hiked 31m from Laurel Creek Shelter to Rice Field Shelter. The trail magic was such a blessing because I actually didn't have enough food to scrap by until Pearisburg. Friday night Antspants convinced me to take Tylenol PM. "Dude, you'll sleep so much better." So, I took it, but it didn't wear off until mid morning the next day! I felt super groggy hiking. The first 5 miles was a struggle, but it all got better when my first trail magic of the day happened at Wind Rock. I had been hiking with earplugs in for the flies buzzing around my ears, and came up to a couple of VT students at a campsite. I didn't hear what they were saying at first, but I could see they were talking to me. So, I took the earplugs out and they said "Want some pancakes?" Woohoo!!! Of course I want some pancakes! I sat there and talked to them for a while. They fed me 4 pancakes, 1 egg, an orange and 2 cups of cider! What a blessing.
The next stop was 'The Captians' at Dismal Branch. We stopped there because he has a zip line across the creek to his house, and gives sodas to hikers. Well, Ants and I hit it just right. We walked up and he invited us in for lunch! He, his wife and another couple fed us roast, veggies and chips and dip while we watched football! Sweet! I must have ate half the roast! THEN, we hiked up the ridge and 12m to Rice Field Shelter, eating apples along the way, and received more trail magic! At the shelter there were two space engineering PhD students from VT there that gave us homemade bread, apples, marshmallows and cheese. What a day! This morning I woke up, and it didn't at all feel like I'd hiked that much the previous day. Stretching is doing wonders for me! Then, to top it all off, I had a voicemail on my phone. A Chairman for the Board of Equalization in Wyoming wants a phone interview for the principal statistician job! Could this day get any better?!
So, it's still raining. I'm not sure if I want to hike more today or not. I really need to do some laundry and take a shower. Ants and I were planning on going 11m down to this hostel, but the locals are saying it is closed for the year...humm. What to do. Anyways, hope everyone is doing great! We are making really good time here, and I am expecting to be in Damascus, VA in 7 days! Damascus is on the Tennessee border, home sweet home! Thanks for following, and talk to some of yall soon :)
The Kid
Thursday was really good. Started at Lambert's Meadow Shelter, and hiked to Pickle Branch Shelter. After 12m we went into town to the general store. Guac and Queso were there, and the store was also being sold, so everything was half price. Ate a delicious sandwich, and had some ice cream and cold drinks. It is super hot out. McAfee Knob was cool! We have some great pics. I shot Ants doing back flips! Pretty Gutsy! Also, the girl that gave us a hitch into Catawba had just finished a northbound thru hike a week ago! Wow, what a cool thing! Hitching out of town, these three guys in a pickup gave us a ride. We sat in the back of their pickup truck next to all the beer cans and coolers. When they dropped us off, the guy in the passengers seat poked his head out of the window and asked "Do yall want some squirrels?" Well, we said yeah really quick because we thought is was slang for beer. So he hops out of the truck and goes around to the side saying "There fresh, just shot em' this morning!" Ants and I looked down next to the cooler at these three dead squirrels just lying in the bed of the truck! "Aw, haha no thanks man. We changed our minds." "You sure!? Them's great for protein." What a hitch! Some true hill folk right there.
Another 6m down trail and we stopped at another store for some cold drinks. I had an amazing orange slushy! SO GOOD in the heat of the day. Guac and Queso caught up, and we hiked Dragons Tooth. Amazing views and good company. It was a little high and dangerous, but we climbed to the tallest point and chilled for a while, watching the sun go down. Ended up having to night hike to Pickle Branch Shelter because we stayed too long. I'm battling a flair-up of Athletes foot. So, I was happy to stop hiking. Ants took a couple spiders to the face night hiking (I knew what I was doing letting him lead); that was pretty funny. We all walked down to the creek and chugged water because we had all run out. It was the best water ever, and the perfect end to the day. A nice cold stream to soak the feet in and get rehydrated. The new stove worked perfect!
Friday we hiked 23m. It was a tough day! The sun was super hot, which just kills me, and there were some rougher than anticipated elevation changes. Ants and were shooting for 30m, but were happy with what we got. We hiked on the "Eastern Continental Divide" if there is such a thing (there was a sign for it). The elevation profile in the guidebook made it look flat and easy, but it was overgrown, sideways slanted rock trail with no water sources for 10 or so miles at a time. Rough day! The hike to the shelter from the stream where we cooled off at was amazing! We hiked through gorgeous pastures; very scenic. I again replenished the fluids at the end of the day after being slightly dehydrated for most of it. Supposedly the body holds 3.5L of water and can use it all in less than an hour. Wow!
Yesterday was one of the best days on the trail yet! I had trail magic galore! We hiked 31m from Laurel Creek Shelter to Rice Field Shelter. The trail magic was such a blessing because I actually didn't have enough food to scrap by until Pearisburg. Friday night Antspants convinced me to take Tylenol PM. "Dude, you'll sleep so much better." So, I took it, but it didn't wear off until mid morning the next day! I felt super groggy hiking. The first 5 miles was a struggle, but it all got better when my first trail magic of the day happened at Wind Rock. I had been hiking with earplugs in for the flies buzzing around my ears, and came up to a couple of VT students at a campsite. I didn't hear what they were saying at first, but I could see they were talking to me. So, I took the earplugs out and they said "Want some pancakes?" Woohoo!!! Of course I want some pancakes! I sat there and talked to them for a while. They fed me 4 pancakes, 1 egg, an orange and 2 cups of cider! What a blessing.
The next stop was 'The Captians' at Dismal Branch. We stopped there because he has a zip line across the creek to his house, and gives sodas to hikers. Well, Ants and I hit it just right. We walked up and he invited us in for lunch! He, his wife and another couple fed us roast, veggies and chips and dip while we watched football! Sweet! I must have ate half the roast! THEN, we hiked up the ridge and 12m to Rice Field Shelter, eating apples along the way, and received more trail magic! At the shelter there were two space engineering PhD students from VT there that gave us homemade bread, apples, marshmallows and cheese. What a day! This morning I woke up, and it didn't at all feel like I'd hiked that much the previous day. Stretching is doing wonders for me! Then, to top it all off, I had a voicemail on my phone. A Chairman for the Board of Equalization in Wyoming wants a phone interview for the principal statistician job! Could this day get any better?!
So, it's still raining. I'm not sure if I want to hike more today or not. I really need to do some laundry and take a shower. Ants and I were planning on going 11m down to this hostel, but the locals are saying it is closed for the year...humm. What to do. Anyways, hope everyone is doing great! We are making really good time here, and I am expecting to be in Damascus, VA in 7 days! Damascus is on the Tennessee border, home sweet home! Thanks for following, and talk to some of yall soon :)
The Kid
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Central Virginia
Good Morning Everyone! I'm currently in Daleville/Troutville. Antspants and I split a room at the Comfort Inn last night, and had some amazing mexican food. We pushed a big 30 mile day into town yesterday. That kind of mileage isn't too out of the question these days, and around 23 we consider comfortable. I'm feeling good today after the long hike. I think this is mostly due to all the stretching I've been doing recently. I can put my hands flat on the ground now! When this leg of the hike started, I couldn't hardly touch my toes.
Two days ago, we woke up early to get the hike done with earlier in the day. The goal for the day was to hike 23 miles to Byrant Ridge Shelter. Well, we got up at 6A and we were on the trial by 7ish. At 10:30 we had only 6 miles done. Sitting down, taking a break I had no desire to hike at all. I just didn't want to. It was a terrible feeling not wanting to hike and knowing that we still had 17 miles to go for the day. I started complaining to Antspants about not wanting to go anywhere. Usually when one of us doesn't want to hike, or something of the like that we've set out to do, the other one does and we hike or whatever. But today neither one of us wanted to, so we sat there and read for 2 hours. After reading a bit, the prospect of hiking wasn't as bad as it was before, but I still didn't want to. Every once in a while it is hard to find the motivation, and want to hike. I think repetition is wearing on me a bit. The trail is amazing and beautiful everyday, and I wish I could feel that way about the hike everyday. It could also be a case of the 'Virginia Blues' or being in the same state for so long that it doesn't feel like you're making much progress. But I know I'm making good progress. Everyday is awesome, and I really look forward to it! Love waking up in the woods!
Recently I've seen some more wildlife. Last week, Antspants juggled a huge 4 foot long snake on his hiking poles, and later that day, we spotted an Eastern Coyote in the woods. There haven't been any bears around since we left the Shenandoah; guess they know where to go for food.The weather is still awesome, although I think some rain is coming later this week. Hiking in the morning is the best, and yesterday Ants and I got started around 6A. It was still a little dark outside, be cool morning air was great! It's getting pretty hot later in the day, guess that's because we're getting further south. Looking ahead, the terrain is flatish, so Ants and I will be making good miles. McAfee Knob is later today!!! McAfee Knob is this rock outcropping that juts out from the side of this mountain with a beautiful view. Total mileage is 1460, and with 719 to go. Today marks my 87Th day on the trail! Wow! Thanks so much for reading! Hope you are all doing very well!
The Kid
Two days ago, we woke up early to get the hike done with earlier in the day. The goal for the day was to hike 23 miles to Byrant Ridge Shelter. Well, we got up at 6A and we were on the trial by 7ish. At 10:30 we had only 6 miles done. Sitting down, taking a break I had no desire to hike at all. I just didn't want to. It was a terrible feeling not wanting to hike and knowing that we still had 17 miles to go for the day. I started complaining to Antspants about not wanting to go anywhere. Usually when one of us doesn't want to hike, or something of the like that we've set out to do, the other one does and we hike or whatever. But today neither one of us wanted to, so we sat there and read for 2 hours. After reading a bit, the prospect of hiking wasn't as bad as it was before, but I still didn't want to. Every once in a while it is hard to find the motivation, and want to hike. I think repetition is wearing on me a bit. The trail is amazing and beautiful everyday, and I wish I could feel that way about the hike everyday. It could also be a case of the 'Virginia Blues' or being in the same state for so long that it doesn't feel like you're making much progress. But I know I'm making good progress. Everyday is awesome, and I really look forward to it! Love waking up in the woods!
Recently I've seen some more wildlife. Last week, Antspants juggled a huge 4 foot long snake on his hiking poles, and later that day, we spotted an Eastern Coyote in the woods. There haven't been any bears around since we left the Shenandoah; guess they know where to go for food.The weather is still awesome, although I think some rain is coming later this week. Hiking in the morning is the best, and yesterday Ants and I got started around 6A. It was still a little dark outside, be cool morning air was great! It's getting pretty hot later in the day, guess that's because we're getting further south. Looking ahead, the terrain is flatish, so Ants and I will be making good miles. McAfee Knob is later today!!! McAfee Knob is this rock outcropping that juts out from the side of this mountain with a beautiful view. Total mileage is 1460, and with 719 to go. Today marks my 87Th day on the trail! Wow! Thanks so much for reading! Hope you are all doing very well!
The Kid
Monday, September 20, 2010
Glascow
I hiked for two days with Antspants, Guac and Queso. Queso's dad was up from Texas on a business trip, and hiked up to the Preist Shelter with beer and snacks for all. Guac and Queso then went with Queso's dad to the Virginia Tech footall game in Blacksberg, and Antspants and I continued. There have been 15-20 people at shelters, including 7 SOBOS. Antspants and I have similar hiking paces and have gone 23 and 22 miles the last two days. Like me, Anyspants just graduated (finance degree) and could not find a job. He is from Maine.
When we got to Glascow, there is a bridge over the James River, and there was a large group of free spirited looking folks jumping off of the bridge. It was about 35 feet, so it was a good jump. Of course, Antspants and I had to partake. It has been hot, and the water felt great. It was fun watching the locals, they were doing flips/twists, and two of them even did sychronized flips. Antspants is a snowboarder, so he knew the names of many of the flips and twists they were doing.
The plan is to arrive in Troutville Wednesday, and update the blog then. Now it is off to the store for food, with chili dogs on an open fire planned for dinner tonight. Thanks for reading!
When we got to Glascow, there is a bridge over the James River, and there was a large group of free spirited looking folks jumping off of the bridge. It was about 35 feet, so it was a good jump. Of course, Antspants and I had to partake. It has been hot, and the water felt great. It was fun watching the locals, they were doing flips/twists, and two of them even did sychronized flips. Antspants is a snowboarder, so he knew the names of many of the flips and twists they were doing.
The plan is to arrive in Troutville Wednesday, and update the blog then. Now it is off to the store for food, with chili dogs on an open fire planned for dinner tonight. Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Shenandoah National Park
The day before I entered the Shenies, I had a great day. I woke up at Blackburn Trail Center and the sun was shining once again through clear blue skies. Breakfast was good; half a box of reese's cereal. Stumblewolf and I hiked together all morning. We talked the whole way. He is a great dude, but not a strong hiker. I'm really impressed by his determination! Watched him fall twice that day through a rough section of trail called the rollercoaster. I can't remember if I've talked about him before. Here is his story if I haven't. When Stumblewolf was young he had a brain aneurysm that put him in a wheelchair. No one thought he would walk again, but after 4 years he did. He still doesn't have good use of the left side of his body. Wathcing him hike, and hearing his story is truely inspirational. He is very positive about everything, and a friend to everyone! At one point in the day he made this comment after we talked about how nice it was seeing each other again, and talking about how it would be nice to hike together for a while. I said 'Yeah it would be great to hike together for a while!' and he said "Yeah cuz we're having a blast together!" I hope you see the beauty in that, like I saw at the time, despite my poor retelling of the story. He didn't even check to see if that was how felt about it, but just assumed. I remember thinking this guy has a heart of gold, and that is definitely one of the reasons I like him. I felt bad leaving him at Bear's Den Hostel, but he said it was up to me, and we had only gone 7 by 1P. As you can imagine, I was itching to burn some trial by then, so I left. It would be nice to stay, and I worry about him through the rocky parts, but I reasoned that it is unfair for both of us for him to burden me with doing that.
I took a shower at Bear's Den, and started off towards Rod Hollow Shelter. It felt great to stretch out my legs, and go fast! The hike was long, and became even longer when the spring was dry at Rod Hollow. By then it was 5:30P, and I'd had my fill of hiking for the day (17m), but only had 8oz of water left, and I can't operate on that. So, I set out again towards the streams about 3m down the trail thinking 'O.K. I'll get some water there and find a place to camp close by.' Well, the water was there, good water too, but the campsites were not there. I ended up pushing on 6 more miles all the way through Ashby Gap and Sky Meadows State Park to Dick's Dome Shelter. I got there late, around 8:30P, and was super glad to be there! Should've followed Dad's advice back when I was in Memphis and replaced the headlamp batteries, because my headlamp was extremely dim. I had to night hike for a good 30 minutes. My thoughts at the time were something like 'Oh shit! I'm going to be stuck out here with no idea where I am, in the middle of the trail, no light to guide me. If my headlamp goes, I can't see, so I'll just feel around for a flat spot in the trail and lay there until morning! hopefully no bears will come.' Some backup plan huh? I made sure to get batteries 2 days later at the wayside in the Shenies. I really liked hiking at dusk, and in the state park. So, that is how a short day turned into a long day (26m total).
The next day I entered Shenandoah National Park; making sure to get the permit when I passed the info booth. The trails are pretty easy and flat, and I'm really enjoying Virginia! I've been seeing a ton of apple trees, and even spotted a peach tree in front of Gravel Springs Hut! Pretty cool. Friday night I was again blessed with more company. When I arrived at Gravel Springs, I met Antspants and Yaw; two SOBOs. Yaw has a crank radio, and Antspants make great fires! They're fun guys. Friday was a long day and I was glad to be done with it. When we woke up Saturday morning there was a black bear roaming around the camp! That was cool. It let us get a good view before scurrying back into the woods for cover. Saturday we left the shelter around 10A; a late start for me. It was good timing because we hiked the 7m to the wayside for lunch, but I don't like getting started so late. Saturday, like all the rest was a beautiful day as well! We got to the wayside, and met two other hikers going south from Duncannon. The 3 man wolfpack was now 5 strong. Those other two guys were cool, but are also the drink lots, hike slow type and Yaw got sucked in with them for the day. He packed out 2 sixers of bud from the wayside, and we still had 12m to hike to get to Byrds Nest #3 Shelter. Those other two guys didn't make it either, because they not only packed out beer, but were hauling 35 pound or so packs (it looked like).
Antspants and I ended up at the shelter with two more SOBOs, Guac and Queso. Guac does yoga, and has been doing it for 2 years. I've been doing some basic yoga now for the past several days, and it is helping out a ton! I'm stretching muscles on my legs that I've never stretched before. After doing yoga that first night, my legs felt so good; like they were melting. It also rained all night and quit early morning! I slept like a baby. Had some trail magic Honey Buns from breakfast from a guy who brought Antspants some new batteries for his watch-battery headlamp. Sunday morning was beautiful, and I got some great shots of the hike. That was the last day I hiked with those guys. The last two days I hiked longer in order to zero here in Waynesboro today. They are actually here at the library with me right now though! So we are all camping out behind the YMCA and using the showers. What a nice gesture to the hikers!
The last two days I saw some more bears, and just hiked my heart out. The last 17m of the Shenies were dry. No water at all! So I got pretty dehydrated the last little bit coming into town. It is nice having sunny great weather, but I passed three water sources that were completely dried up! Being dehydrated is the worst. Hope to never have that happen again! I think I'm going to resupply next in Glasgow, VA in 4 days. Long Mtn. Wayside is 3 days away, so I'll only need that much food, then I can get food for another day there. Well, I can share more, but I'm afraid of writing too much. So, love yall and thanks for reading!!! God bless! Until next post :)
The Kid
I took a shower at Bear's Den, and started off towards Rod Hollow Shelter. It felt great to stretch out my legs, and go fast! The hike was long, and became even longer when the spring was dry at Rod Hollow. By then it was 5:30P, and I'd had my fill of hiking for the day (17m), but only had 8oz of water left, and I can't operate on that. So, I set out again towards the streams about 3m down the trail thinking 'O.K. I'll get some water there and find a place to camp close by.' Well, the water was there, good water too, but the campsites were not there. I ended up pushing on 6 more miles all the way through Ashby Gap and Sky Meadows State Park to Dick's Dome Shelter. I got there late, around 8:30P, and was super glad to be there! Should've followed Dad's advice back when I was in Memphis and replaced the headlamp batteries, because my headlamp was extremely dim. I had to night hike for a good 30 minutes. My thoughts at the time were something like 'Oh shit! I'm going to be stuck out here with no idea where I am, in the middle of the trail, no light to guide me. If my headlamp goes, I can't see, so I'll just feel around for a flat spot in the trail and lay there until morning! hopefully no bears will come.' Some backup plan huh? I made sure to get batteries 2 days later at the wayside in the Shenies. I really liked hiking at dusk, and in the state park. So, that is how a short day turned into a long day (26m total).
The next day I entered Shenandoah National Park; making sure to get the permit when I passed the info booth. The trails are pretty easy and flat, and I'm really enjoying Virginia! I've been seeing a ton of apple trees, and even spotted a peach tree in front of Gravel Springs Hut! Pretty cool. Friday night I was again blessed with more company. When I arrived at Gravel Springs, I met Antspants and Yaw; two SOBOs. Yaw has a crank radio, and Antspants make great fires! They're fun guys. Friday was a long day and I was glad to be done with it. When we woke up Saturday morning there was a black bear roaming around the camp! That was cool. It let us get a good view before scurrying back into the woods for cover. Saturday we left the shelter around 10A; a late start for me. It was good timing because we hiked the 7m to the wayside for lunch, but I don't like getting started so late. Saturday, like all the rest was a beautiful day as well! We got to the wayside, and met two other hikers going south from Duncannon. The 3 man wolfpack was now 5 strong. Those other two guys were cool, but are also the drink lots, hike slow type and Yaw got sucked in with them for the day. He packed out 2 sixers of bud from the wayside, and we still had 12m to hike to get to Byrds Nest #3 Shelter. Those other two guys didn't make it either, because they not only packed out beer, but were hauling 35 pound or so packs (it looked like).
Antspants and I ended up at the shelter with two more SOBOs, Guac and Queso. Guac does yoga, and has been doing it for 2 years. I've been doing some basic yoga now for the past several days, and it is helping out a ton! I'm stretching muscles on my legs that I've never stretched before. After doing yoga that first night, my legs felt so good; like they were melting. It also rained all night and quit early morning! I slept like a baby. Had some trail magic Honey Buns from breakfast from a guy who brought Antspants some new batteries for his watch-battery headlamp. Sunday morning was beautiful, and I got some great shots of the hike. That was the last day I hiked with those guys. The last two days I hiked longer in order to zero here in Waynesboro today. They are actually here at the library with me right now though! So we are all camping out behind the YMCA and using the showers. What a nice gesture to the hikers!
The last two days I saw some more bears, and just hiked my heart out. The last 17m of the Shenies were dry. No water at all! So I got pretty dehydrated the last little bit coming into town. It is nice having sunny great weather, but I passed three water sources that were completely dried up! Being dehydrated is the worst. Hope to never have that happen again! I think I'm going to resupply next in Glasgow, VA in 4 days. Long Mtn. Wayside is 3 days away, so I'll only need that much food, then I can get food for another day there. Well, I can share more, but I'm afraid of writing too much. So, love yall and thanks for reading!!! God bless! Until next post :)
The Kid
Hello Again!
Hi again! I'm at the Waynesboro, VA library on a zero day. Since beginning in Harper's Ferry, WV on Wednesday, I've hiked 161 miles to get here over some easy terrain and through Shenendoah National Park! I'll do the play by play in just a second, but a few summary words about the trip so far. It has been nothing short of amazing! The weather is spectacular and the trail is super nice (DIRT!). I have only met a handful of people, but by Gods grace they have been well timed and my spirits are up/loneliness has yet to affect me in discouraging ways. The clicking in my knee has stopped completely, and I'm feeling great!
I'm going to start out by telling you about Tuesday, which is the day I travelled to Harper's Ferry. I left Knoxville at 12:15A on a bus. Jeff and Gary dropped me off, and I was sad to be leaving. The time back was amazing, and I was very anxious about hiking again. The bus got into D.C. on time around 12P and I walked to Union Station and got a MARC ticket (commuter train) to Harper's that left later that day. It didn't leave until 5P so I walked around Capitol Hill a while! Cool! I felt sick most of the day, which didn't help my attitude towards the whole traveling and getting back on the trail outlook. When I stepped off the train the town was asleep! I didn't really expect a welcome or anything, but I envisioned more than that. Found a place to get a burger and had some hot tea for the throat. Then I made my way across the Potomac into Maryland and camped by the river. It was a nice spot to camp! There was a breeze, but instead of soothing river sounds I was greeted with traffic noise from the Rd on the other side and train horns every 40 minutes or so. Still, I slept pretty well once I got over my fear of being alone in the place I was, which didn't take too long.
Next morning was great! I made my way to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, a .5 mile walk, all the time thinking about how alone this whole trip was going to be. I started to get a little down. I love community. As the last post described I received some unexpected kindness from an older lady named Sue, who invited me to her house for coffee! Thank you God! What a welcoming! I can't tell you how much this meant to me at the time. So I followed Sue, from Oregon, to her house just down the street and she made me eggs and toast and we talked and read the paper and enjoyed each others company! What a gift! She, living there for only 3 years, didn't know much about the trail. So I told her about that, and she told me about Oregon and Wyoming and we had a great time! Then well fed, and feeling like I had a home in Harper's Ferry I went back over to the ATC to wait until opening at 9A. In the back Admin offices I charged my phone and talked to Dad. Then, I walked out of the back of the Bldg, turned two corners of the Bldg to come around front of it, and who's standing there but Stumblewolf himself! Haha! Stumby! my old buddy from Northbound in PA! What a gift! By this time I couldn't hardly believe it! I was so anxious about being alone, and having no company. Jehova Jira! He was hiking SOBO on the same day, and so I ended up hiking out with him, and eventually stayed with him until the middle of Thursday. What great company! We talked about all our old NOBO friends and the trail up North the whole day. The guy at the ATC office was much more helpful and talkative than the prior guy on June 6th! This made me feel much better and more welcomed. So, with all these great encounters and the fantastically clear weather, I can't tell you how good I felt being back!
One of the things I've missed the most is waking up in the woods. What a wonderful feeling. I love the trail here too. It was a great first day back on the trail, and I felt so blessed by all the occurrences that happened that day! So much to be thankful for! O.k. this post is pretty long, so I'm going to make a second one about Shenendoah National Park hiking. Thank yall so much for following!!
I'm going to start out by telling you about Tuesday, which is the day I travelled to Harper's Ferry. I left Knoxville at 12:15A on a bus. Jeff and Gary dropped me off, and I was sad to be leaving. The time back was amazing, and I was very anxious about hiking again. The bus got into D.C. on time around 12P and I walked to Union Station and got a MARC ticket (commuter train) to Harper's that left later that day. It didn't leave until 5P so I walked around Capitol Hill a while! Cool! I felt sick most of the day, which didn't help my attitude towards the whole traveling and getting back on the trail outlook. When I stepped off the train the town was asleep! I didn't really expect a welcome or anything, but I envisioned more than that. Found a place to get a burger and had some hot tea for the throat. Then I made my way across the Potomac into Maryland and camped by the river. It was a nice spot to camp! There was a breeze, but instead of soothing river sounds I was greeted with traffic noise from the Rd on the other side and train horns every 40 minutes or so. Still, I slept pretty well once I got over my fear of being alone in the place I was, which didn't take too long.
Next morning was great! I made my way to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, a .5 mile walk, all the time thinking about how alone this whole trip was going to be. I started to get a little down. I love community. As the last post described I received some unexpected kindness from an older lady named Sue, who invited me to her house for coffee! Thank you God! What a welcoming! I can't tell you how much this meant to me at the time. So I followed Sue, from Oregon, to her house just down the street and she made me eggs and toast and we talked and read the paper and enjoyed each others company! What a gift! She, living there for only 3 years, didn't know much about the trail. So I told her about that, and she told me about Oregon and Wyoming and we had a great time! Then well fed, and feeling like I had a home in Harper's Ferry I went back over to the ATC to wait until opening at 9A. In the back Admin offices I charged my phone and talked to Dad. Then, I walked out of the back of the Bldg, turned two corners of the Bldg to come around front of it, and who's standing there but Stumblewolf himself! Haha! Stumby! my old buddy from Northbound in PA! What a gift! By this time I couldn't hardly believe it! I was so anxious about being alone, and having no company. Jehova Jira! He was hiking SOBO on the same day, and so I ended up hiking out with him, and eventually stayed with him until the middle of Thursday. What great company! We talked about all our old NOBO friends and the trail up North the whole day. The guy at the ATC office was much more helpful and talkative than the prior guy on June 6th! This made me feel much better and more welcomed. So, with all these great encounters and the fantastically clear weather, I can't tell you how good I felt being back!
One of the things I've missed the most is waking up in the woods. What a wonderful feeling. I love the trail here too. It was a great first day back on the trail, and I felt so blessed by all the occurrences that happened that day! So much to be thankful for! O.k. this post is pretty long, so I'm going to make a second one about Shenendoah National Park hiking. Thank yall so much for following!!
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