More Pennsylvania

When it comes to Pennsylvania, the AT comes with all kinds of warnings, caveats and nicknames, Rocksylvania, it is extremely rocky, Pennsylvania will eat your shoes up, your feet and ankles will ache more than anywhere else on the trail, the rocks of Pennsylvania are horrendous, etc, etc, etc.  However, we have been told by others that Pennsylvania is actually pretty nice, flat and fast, until you get to Palmerton/Lehigh Gap and then the rocks become horrendous on up to the PA/NJ border.  Up until Dan's Pulpit we have found the later to be correct, overall Pennsylvania has been flat and fast (unlike Virginia) and no more rocky than the rest of the trail.  But north of Dan's Pulpit, Pennsylvania has begun to show its rocky side and has begun to try our feet, ankles and nerves.  We are taking it mile by mile though, and have traversed far more challenging sections of trail in Maine and New Hampshire, so we know we will make it through. 

 

Our biggest irritation with Pennsylvania has been the lack of proper trimming back of vegetation along the trail.  The moment you hike out of Pine Grove Furnace State Park and Potomac AT Club's (PATC) section of trail maintenance you know it, as PATC is amazing in their dedication to maintaining the AT. The other AT clubs do not seem to have the same standard of dedication when it comes to trail maintenance!!  We have been told by local residents that part of the problem of the lack of trail maintenance/trimming north of PATC's area is due to the fact that the members in the other AT clubs are older, unable to physically help with trail maintenance and younger people are not joining and taking part in the AT hiking clubs maintenance responsibilities.  As a result, we have been spending our days trudging through the briar gauntlet getting slashed and gashed by the thorny briars, stinging nettle and limbs.  With the overall responsibility of the maintenance of the AT falling on the ATC, the ATC may need to help the local AT clubs come up with some courses of action to ensure the trail is properly maintained.

 

We are also becoming irritated with the choice of routing of the AT through some sections.  We are in no way fans of the "let's route the trail through this terrible, extremely physically demanding area, just because".  I cannot believe that Benton McKaye would approve of the physically challenging adventure trail that a majority of the AT has become.  The physical demands of the AT today exclude more people from coming out and enjoying nature than encourage, which is unfortunate.



Wednesday 1 July 2015
PA 72 near Lickdale, PA to William Penn Shelter-1486.7 miles
We took 3 zero days (28-30 June) sitting out more rainy weather and enjoyed meeting and spending time with my CVMA brothers and sister, Road Dog, Hammer & Mustang of CVMA 22-5.  Pennsylvania is usually known for being extremely dry and hot during the summer, however, this year it has been anything but dry, as rain and thunderstorms have abounded.

Several other hikers were not pleased with this creek crossing, but having already hiked NH and Maine we were quite happy with this "bridge".

 



A gorgeous butterfly on a pink cone flower along the trail

 



Cherries!!!!  They say the trail always provides and lately we have been provided with fresh ripe cherries and black raspberries.  Hendo picking cherries.

 

 

 

Thursday 2 July 2015

William Penn Shelter to PA 183 - 1500 miles!!





A sampling of the Rock of Pennsylvania.  Hendo's Mom rock hopping up the trail.

 

 

Thru-Hikers, weekenders and day-hikers not practicing proper tail-etiquette and Leave No Trace practices is unfortunately becoming more and more prevalent along the AT.  I believe the solution is going to be more patrolling of the trail by Law Enforcement personnel who can issue individuals citations for such behaviors.  "Doing the Right Thing" in order to protect the environment and ensure an outdoor experience for generations to come does not seem to be enough of a motivating factor to get people to do the right thing and follow the rules/laws/regulations.  Issuing tickets and taking people's money may be the only way to get the point across.



6 teenage jackwagon hikers spent the night at the William Penn Shelter tentsite area and left this 5 pounds of trash behind.  Hendo hiked it out 2 miles to the next road crossing and called the ATC Mid-Atlantic office letting them know what had happened and that the trash needed to be picked up.
 

Lush green ferns covered the forest floor, they are loving all of this rain.

 



It is great to learn of all the various history along the AT.  Historical marker just south of PA 183 along the AT.

 



Sporting our festive 4th of July headbands, Hendo's Mom and Hendo celebrate completing 1500 miles at PA 183 with our usual shot of Jack Daniel's

 

 

Weekenders were invading the trail for the 4th of July weekend and were getting on my/Hendo's last nerve, so when we arrived at PA 183 we called our friends Cindy and Todd nearby in New Ringgold, PA and asked if we could spend the weekend with them.  Being fellow long distance hikers and triple crowners they gladly took us in and showed us a great time.  Friday evening we attended an awesome outdoor concert at The Stacks in Bethlehem, PA.  A former Ironworks factory, The Stacks was an amazing backdrop to a great night of music.  Saturday we zero'd at Cindy and Todd's and enjoyed an awesome cookout with amazing fireworks Saturday evening!!

 

 

Monday 6 July - Tuesday 7 July

PA 183  to Port Clinton, PA - 1515.2 miles

Cindy and Todd put us back on trail and we headed on north and made it to Port Clinton.

 

 

 

Wednesday 8 July - Tuesday 14 July

Zeros

We got off trail at Port Clinton and took off a week to go to Harrisonburg, VA in order for me/Hendo to meet with Dr Matthew Bowen for the Combat Veteran Oral History Project and drive Hendo's Mom's car up to Vermont. 

 

 

 

Wednesday 15 July 2015

Port Clinton to Reservoir Rd

The downside of going down into town is that you have to climb back up out of town.  The climb out of Port Clinton was not as treacherous as the climb down into Port Clinton, but it was a climb none the less.  My friend Cindy, head of the non-profit organization River House PA https://riverhousepa.wordpress.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/riverhousepaadventures

was hosting River House PA's monthly potluck dinner and hike Wednesday evening, so she offered to pick us up at Reservoir Rd so mom and I could partake in the fun.  It was a great evening of camaraderie and delicious food!!!

 

 

 

16 July 2015

Reservoir Rd to Eckville Shelter - 1529.7 miles

Today was a great day of hiking, Earl Shaffer was right when he stated that the AT should be routed back along the Forest Service roads that it used to be routed along and off of the crazy obstacle course rocky ridgelines that it often traverses now.  Today we actually enjoyed ourselves and the woods around us as we hiked 5 miles on an old forest road from The Pinnacle to Eckville Shelter.  Rather than having to concentrate on the immediate trail below our feet because of the rocky trail, we were able to look up and enjoy the scenery around us as we hiked along the smoother forest road.

We haven't seen any snakes lately, but it has been pretty wet.  However, today it was nice and sunny and the below Timber Rattlesnake came out to enjoy the sunny weather.  We saw this one just as we were cresting the ridge to Pulpit Rock.  It was 6-8 feet off the trail, 4-5feet long and 3-4 inches in diameter.  We left it alone and it left us alone.

 



 Hendo and Hendo's Mom living on the edge at Pulpit Rock

 

 Hendo and Hendo's Mom enjoying the view at Pulpit Rock

 

 

 Hendo enjoying a post lunch nap on The Pinnacle

 

This Eastern Gartersnake was napping down in the rocks on The Pinnacle.  Yes, we noticed the trash next to it, but I wasn't going to reach down in there and grab the trash with the snake.

 

 

 Rain has been bountiful in Pennsylvania this July and this creek was literally gushing out the side of the mountain.

 

 

 

Friday 17 July 2015

Eckville Shelter to Allentown Hiking Club Shelter - 1537.1 miles

 

Unlike yesterday we did not and were not able to enjoy today's hiking.  The Rocks of Pennsylvania reared their nasty head today and the overgrown thorny gauntlet continued.  The rocks severely slowed our progress today and our feet and ankles were hurting by the time we got to the shelter.

 

 The overgrown thorn and briar gauntlet, also known as the AT in Pennsylvania.  It is not even close to being trimmed 4 ft wide.

 

 Hendo's Mom being engulfed by the overgrown trail.

 

 

 A Clymene Moth hanging out on a fern

 

 

 

Saturday 18 July 2015

Allentown Hiking Club Shelter to Bake Oven Knob Shelter - 1247.1 miles

 

Today's hiking started out nice, but quickly deteriorated to bad and really bad.  The traverses over Knife Edge and Bear Rocks were unnecessary and in no way appreciated.  If the trail is going to be routed over such locations it needs to be in a matter which is safe for hikers to traverse while wearing 30-35 pound backpacks.  Otherwise the main trail needs to be routed around the base of such locations with alternate trails leading up to the summits/overlooks.  That way we would not be forced to put ourselves in often dangerous situations. 

 

The condition of Bake Oven Knob was atrocious and completely unacceptable.  The trail leading to and area surrounding the shelter was completely overgrown and nearly impassable.  The trail down to the spring was extremely steep, overgrown and nearly impassable as well.  Walking/hiking 2185.3 miles in and of itself is a challenge, the added rugged and unmaintained condition of the trail is unwarranted.

 



 Hendo climbing/bouldering across Knife Edge

 

 

Just when you think you have seen it all, stupidity proves you wrong.  Today we were passed by two people mountain biking/camping ON THE AT!!  Just to clarify, bicycles are not allowed on the AT.  But apparently in this day and age rules/regulations/laws are simply suggestions.  The only way the situation on the AT is going to improve is if individuals with Law Enforcement authority patrol the AT and start issuing out citations to those who break the laws.

 Yes, those are bicycle tire tracks on the AT.

 

 

 

Sunday 19 July 2015

Bake Oven Knob Shelter to Palmerton, PA - 1554.4 miles

Today's section of trail was not as bad as yesterday's, however, today was hot as balls.  If it isn't one thing it is another. 

 

We met 2 section hikers on the trail today who offered us a ride into Palmerton, so we graciously accepted.  Palmerton is a great trail town and key stop along the trail for we hikers, but the one key feature it lacks is a place for we hikers to spend the night.  There is no campground, trailside tentsites, hostel or hotel/motel in town.  The one and only hostel (Jailhouse Hostel run by the city police department) in town shut down after some hikers were stupid last year. 

 

Mom and I were pretty beat up after the last several days of hiking and were hoping we could find somewhere to stay Sunday night near or in town.  As always, the trail provides...Tracy, the owner of Bert's Restaurant amazingly offered me and Mom and two other hikers showers in her back restaurant office shower, and to spend the night in her garage behind the restaurant.  It was perfect, we showered, did our laundry at the laundry mat next door and had a good nights rest inside our tent screen in Tracy's garage...she even gave us a fan to help us cool off!!!  Tracy and other business owners in town were/are frustrated by the city closing the one and only hostel without consulting with the business owners.  Tracy says the hostel's closing has significantly reduced the number of hikers who come into town, and this is unfortunate.  So if someone is looking for a new business venture, opening a hostel in Palmerton, PA is a definite option!!!

 



 Hendo enjoying a break in an Adirondack chair along the trail just north of Ashfield Rd.

 

 

 Hendo recently purchased an umbrella to use in rainy weather during the summer.  It works great keeping the rain and sun off!!  Hiking in the shade is quite nice.

 

 

 

 



Some Thoughts

The last week has been a challenging one for me.  Mom and I have made it to Port Clinton, PA.  We got off trail for a couple of days so that I could meet with Dr. Matthew Bowen in Charlottesville, VA and record my combat experiences to be used as part of his Combat Veterans Oral History Project.

While having my combat experiences recorded for history was a great experience, it has also stirred up a lot of different emotions and thoughts about myself. 

The morning of my interview with Dr Bowen I stumbled upon the following video of Gayle Lemmon,

http://www.ted.com/talks/gayle_tzemach_lemmon_meet_the_first_women_to_fight_on_the_front_lines_of_an_american_war#t-57630

In her presentation, Gayle talks about how in 2011 the CST females were the first females to serve in combat.  I was outraged, are you serious.  I did what the CSTs did and more way back in 2003 in Afghanistan, long before the "Good Idea Fairy" came up with the great idea.  And while I know my experiences are not that common amongst female combat veterans, I am certain that I am not the only female to have successfully served alongside men in combat prior to the CSTs in 2011.  I was and still am utterly insulted, especially since I have not been able to receive my CAB for Afghanistan, as a result of bureaucratic bullshit.  And so began my downward turn to feeling shitty for the last few days.

I have loved the last 21 years I have spent in the Army.  And up until I was MEDEVACd back from Iraq, I was very successful and confident, as a soldier in the Army.  However, since being MEDEVACd, I have struggled to make height/weight and pass my PT test and as a result, in the eyes of the Army, am a failure, loser, POG, UNSAT, NOGO, etc. 

When it comes to being a woman I have always been very self-conscious, a failure, lacking in confidence.  I have never been skinny, have never been able to wear a bikini, I haven't had a boyfriend in years, I am not married, I don't have a career, I don't own a home, I don't have a college degree, I don't have kids, I am overweight and out of shape and am 41 years old.  So in both major aspects of my life, being a soldier and being a woman, I have completely struck out.

I have been repeatedly asked why I am hiking and how has it changed me.  Most books you read about individuals hiking the trail talk about how the hikers had such amazing epiphanies, figured out the meaning of life, solved the world's problems, etc.  Well, just like not everyone who claims to have thru-hiked the AT has actually hiked the whole trail, I don't believe all these hikers had these amazing epiphanies while hiking.  I think more often than not that they may have just made up something to placate the questioners and sell books.  You want to know what I have been thinking about for the last 1500 miles...how my feet hurt, where is the next water source, how much further until we are done for the day, what a pretty plant animal tree bug flower etc, when are these rocks going to stop, shit another uphill, oh god my feet and knees are killing me on this downhill, what a great water source, what a shitty water source, great another day in the rain, oh my god I am hungry, I would love a shower, etc.  That is what I think about each day.  What am I going to do when I get done, I have no idea, I have to get done first.  How has this hike changed me, my feet hurt, I have lost weight, I can successfully hike long distances.  That's it, so I guess as an AT hiker I am a failure as well, because I haven't been able to complete the trail in 6-8 months, I haven't had an epiphany and I don't know what I want to do when I finish.  So why am I hiking, well that isn't a big fancy answer....why, because I want to.  I want to do something hard to show/prove that I can...that is what we paratroopers do...hard shit, just because. 

My time in the Army may be coming to an end and my last deployment was 8 years ago, but no matter how much time goes by I will never just let it go, forget about it and move on.  Having been in the Army 21 years, having been a paratrooper and being a combat veteran is something that I will never move on from, it is who I am to my core.  Asking or expecting me to just move on is like telling a writer to never put words to paper again, or a nurse to never nurture again, or a mechanic to never fix anything again.  And besides, time and time again those attributes and skills I have as a result of my time in the army or deployed have come in handy time and time again here in the crazy civilian world.  When Dr. Bowen's video camera broke during my interview I was able to Improvise, Adapt and Overcome by figuring out how to record my interview using his laptop; when our trail angel's lawn mower wouldn't run today I was able to take it apart, trouble shoot it, clean it, put it back together and get it running, just like my weapons in the Army;  when I have been hurting, tired, cold, wet or sore I have trudged onward, because we paratroopers don't quit.

I am who I am, a damaged female combat veteran paratrooper long distance hiker, who is hiking from Georgia to Maine and won't quit until I have hiked the entire trail, and I encourage and challenge any and all to get out here and do the same.  I probably won't ever be a squared away soldier again and I don't know if I will ever be what society expects me to be as a woman, but so far I am doing ok with this hiker thing, so I will stick to this at the moment and decide what to do next once this 50 meter target is neutralized.

There you go, my great words oh wisdom.  Tuesday 14 July we will be back on trail at Port Clinton, PA heading north to finish the AT.

Schedule to finish Pennsylvania

Here is our expected schedule for the rest of Pennsylvania. If you are along the way and would like to take us in for a night givr us a call and leave a voicemail or text, 404-234-6513.

Sunday  19 July, Danielsville, PA
Thursday 23 July, Delaware Water Gap, PA
Friday 24 July, Mohican Outdoor Center, Blairesville, NJ

Thank you to everyone for your support thus far
Hendo & Hendo's Mom

Halfway thru and Lovin' Pennsylvania!!!!

While Mother Nature has been a little rough on us as far as weather goes (lots of rain and thunderstorms) the terrain in Pennsylvania has been much more forgiving and enjoyable.  Our trail legs and feet are in good form and we have been able to make more miles for more days in a row without need for rest days.  It was rather obvious when we finally exited Potomac AT Club's trail maintenance area, as we have experienced several overgrown areas of trail and are regularly getting slapped in the face by low hanging limbs and climbing over blowdowns.  So far the trail surface has been pretty nice in Pennsylvania as we have not yet made it to the dreaded "Rocksylvania" portion of Pennsylvania.  Yes, the trail has been rocky in places, but no more so than the rest of the AT south of here.

Friday 19 June 2015

Just south of Alec Kennedy Shelter to Boiling Springs, PA, 1418.7 miles

Today we made it into Boiling Springs and called it a day.  Mom's heel was bothering her so we just did 4 miles and waited for our fellow hiker friend Drag n' Fly to pick us up for a couple of nights at her house. Drag n' Fly was even nice enough to take in our trail sister Fly Away who we have enjoyed hiking with over the last several days.

While walking back from lunch at a local diner I passed a military memorial, part of which is a plaque in honor of SFC Shugart, who was killed in Somalia.  I was positively surprised to see that the time was taken to honor a "Silent Professional" as so many have gone without the public honorifics they most certainly deserve.  

We were most thankful to Drag n' Fly, a fellow hiker and currently oldest AT female thru-hiker, who took in we hiker trash for a few nights respite from life on the trail.  In true hiker trash form we improvised to clothe ourselves while our laundry washed.  Here is Hendo in a tshirt 3 sizes too big and a bed sheet toga!!

Wild Garlic

Chicory

Common Daylily



Saturday 20 June 2015
Boiling Springs, PA to Sherwood Dr parking area, 1430. miles
Drag 'n Fly slack-packed us today, dropping us off and picking us up at the end of our day of hiking so we only had to carry light daypacks instead of our heavy full-packs.  We enjoyed a nice flat 11.4 miles of hiking.

Hendo and Hendo's Mom enjoying a hike through flat and fast Pennsylvania



Hendo's Mom crossing over a very well built and easy to climb fence stile.

Some fellow thru-hikers decided to take a day and provide some trail magic along the trail today.  We enjoyed cold sodas and hamburgers at mile 4. 

Hendo enjoying a "Share a Coke with an Adventurer" Coke...how fitting.

A cool picture of white blazes marking the way through the meandering trail in PA.

Near the end of the day we crossed over I-81, a little road walking is always a pleasant break from the rigors of the trail.

Hendo's Mom and Hendo hiking over I-81

You don't get much more picturesque America than this...it was nice hiking through the farm fields of America. 

Hendo's Mom hiking amongst the corn and soybean fields of PA.

The farmer was out tending to his soybeans.



Hendo enjoying a nicely built fence stile.



Bristle Thistle



Common Milkweed



Deptford Pink



Sunday 21 June 2015
Sherwood Dr to PA 850, 1435.2 miles
Mom and I slack-packed 5.1 miles today, as mom's heel is still a little tender so we wanted to make miles, but take it easy as well.  Fly Away decided to continue on north, so we bid her Happy Trails and hope to see her on up the trail again.

Fly Away, Hendo and Hendo's Mom

Hendo enjoying the open fields of Pennsylvania

Another picture of the rolling fields of PA.



Monday 22 June 2015
PA 850 to Riverfront Campground Duncannon, PA, 1445.7 miles
Drag 'n Fly dropped us off today and bid us a final farewell.  We are so appreciative of her hospitality and support!!  As usual, hiking down into town is followed by a hiking up out of town, and today was no different.  We enjoyed our time in the valley, but today took us back up onto the ridgeline.  The hike up was moderate with a rather rocky section  greeting us once we made it up onto the ridge.  The guidebook listed a warning that the trail was very rocky, but we really didn't find it any worse than many sections of Virginia.  We took an afternoon nap break at Cove Mountain shelter, before continuing on across the ridge and then down into Duncannon, PA. 

We came across these amusing porcupine warnings posted at the Cove Mountain Shelter.  Most people might not realize it, and we didn't either until we hiked through Maine, but porcupines love to chew/eat wood.  Therefore the wooden shelters and privys along the AT are porcupine "trail magic" in some ways.  Up in Maine the sign posts, privys and shelters in porcupine country are wrapped in metal harware cloth to disuade the porcupines from chowing down.  Here in Pennsylvania they seem to have similar problems of hungry porcupines.  These are two signs posted at Cove Mountain Shelter.  Since porcupines are primarily nocturnal we have not crossed paths with any in person yet.

Hawk Rock overlook looking down on Duncannon, PA

A funny side story...  As mom and I were hiking up to Cove Mountain Shelter today we passed a group of Boy Scouts who were out for a week long Philmont train-up backpacking trip.  They said they were heading to Cove Mtn shelter for the night.  We chatted for a few and then headed on leap frogging with them along the way as they would stop and rest and we slowly trudged on up to the ridge.  Mom and I made it to Cove Mtn shelter and relaxed for a bit, taking an afternoon power nap.  As we were waking up a second group of Boy Scouts, 2 fathers and 2 boys, hiked into the shelter area, they were part of the Boy Scout group we had passed early and asked if we had seen the first group.  We explained we had seen the first group approximately 3 miles south of the shelter, but they had not shown up at the shelter yet.  The second group explained that the first group should have been there already as they were faster than the second group.  I went down and refilled our water in preparation to head on into town while mom stayed and talked to the second group.  Turns out the men did not have each others cell phone numbers, so the men at the shelter were calling back to their wives in Maryland to get the phone number of the man in the first group.  In addtion to not having exchanged phone numbers, the men failed to properly distribute water filters throughout the two groups and the first group had the water filters.  We offered to filter some water for the second group at the shelter, but they said they were good to go.  The scouts at the shelter asked us to keep an eye out for the first group and to let the first group know the second group was at the shelter if we happened upon them.  Mom and I headed on to town.  Upon arriving in town we came upon the first group, they had missed the side trail for the shelter and ended up in town.  Talking to the leader of the first group you could tell the whole group was one soup sandwich, with poor planning and execution all around.  The men finally got each others phone numbers by calling their wives back in Maryland and arranged to meet up in Duncannon on Tuesday.  A perfect example of how not conduct a backpacking expedition:  always have a communications plan with a back-up plan; always ensure vital equipment, like water filters, are equally distributed; know how to read a map and have key features identified to help you find your destination or to know if your have gone too far and need to turn around and go back.

We heard about Montana, a Marine combat veteran who hiked/hitched from Montana to the AT in order to hike some of the AT and find some healing, from some fellow hikers along the trail and were pleasantly surprised to get to meet him at the Doyle Hotel in Duncannon, PA.

Hendo's Mom, Montana and Hendo

Tuesday 23 June 2015

Zero in Duncannon, PA

Mom and I were feeling pretty bedraggled so we decided to take a zero day in Duncannon and spent a night at the Doyle Hotel.  Yes, the Doyle leaves a lot to be desired, but we had a good nights sleep and were ready to set back out on trail on Wednesday.

Wednesday 24 June 2015

Duncannon, PA to Rockville Overlook, 1449.7 miles
We enjoyed our time and zero in Duncannon and were ready to get back to flat and fast Pennsylvania.  But leaving town always seems to mean climbing UP out of town, and leaving Duncannon didn't disappoint...it was quite the rocky hike up.  But once we got up on the ridge we were back to nice relaxing hiking.

Hendo's Mom crossing the Susquehanna River north of Duncannon

Because the trail in Pennsylvania runs up on the ridge, getting water usually entails some hiking dowhill.  The hikes down to water have been harder than the trail itself.  With getting water being more of a challenge Hendo has often turned into a camel or water mule, filling up any and all water containers mom and I are carrying in one trip...and hauling them all back up.  Here is Hendo on one such water refill mission at Clarks Ferry shelter, hauling up 8 litres or 16 lbs of water.

After watering up at Clarks Ferry shelter we hiked north a little further to Rockville Overlook and set up camp for the night.  Within minutes of setting up our tent we were rewarded with a Bald Eagle fly-by.  It was absolutely amazing, but we weren't fast enough with the camera.

Thursday 25 June 2015

Rockville Overlook to Peters Mountain Shelter, 1455.3 miles

Today was another easy day of hiking, we slept in and took it easy to let mom's heel continue to heal.  We enjoyed some trail magic at the PA 225 road crossing, provided by Flat, an AT Ridgerunner and 2014 thru-hiker.  We made our way to Peters Mountain Shelter for an afternoon snack.  While at Peters we read through the shelter log and noticed that Scott Jurek aka. El Venado, had taken the time to stop in and sign the log during his attempt to break the AT supported thru-hike record.

We stopped and set up camp just north of the shelter.  We wanted to make more miles, but rain was moving in and we wanted to be in our tent before it started.  Our timing was perfect, we made it in our tent just minutes before it opened up and started raining.  As we were setting up camp we were surprised by some fans, Sheila Seitz and her husband who are thru-hiking the trail and previously from Fayetteville, NC as well.  Sheila's husband had planned to thru-hike this year and then Sheila decided she wanted to join him.  During her research of hiking the AT Sheila came across our blog, twitter and TV segment.  She and her husband have been following us during our entire extravaganza and were thrilled to finally catch us on the trail.  We are thrilled that we have been an inpiration to at least two people out there...Mission Complete!!  We settled in for the night and got a great nights rest.

Friday 26 June2015

Peters Mountain Shelter to Yellow Springs campsite, 1468.7 miles
We got up bright and early and got on trail early and ended up doing our longest day since Buena Vista, VA, 13.4 miles!!!  We continue to get stronger and improve every day. 

Black Cohosh

Close-up of Black Cohosh

Rhododendron

Spotted Wintergreen in Bloomm

Saturday 27 June 2015

Yellow Springs campsite to PA 72 Lickdale,1477.4 miles
Today was insane and another benchmark for us reached.  It rained throughout the night with the last stint starting around 0530 hours and trickling off long enough for us to pack up at 0930 hours.  We got on trail at 1000 hrs and the rain began slowly and increased in intensity as the day went on.  By 1200 hrs we were swimming and decided when we reached PA 72 we would hitch a ride into Lickdale/Jonestown, PA and get a hotel room and pizza for the night.  In the midst of our "swimming" down the trail we crossed the 1/2 through Pennsylvania mark.  We also raised our bar by hiking 8.7 miles straight without a break.  We had gear hung up all over the hotel room drying out, but we were certain not to ruin any of the room's ammenities and cleaned up after ourselves, not leaving a mess for house keeping.  Yes, we are hiker trash, but we are respectable and tidy.  We will probably take a zero tomorrow, Sunday and go get Mom's car in Virginia and park it at a friend's house in PA, so it is closer when we get up to Vermont.