June 20 - Jenny Knob Shelter to Wapiti Shelter (mile 599.0 to 613.2)

We had planned on doing another 24 mile day, but we found out there was a store 1/2 mile off the trail that sold real food (as in they cook burgers), so, obviously, we had to get a piece of that action! It worked out okay because we got to spend the night at the shelter with our friend Ron Burgundy. He is hilarious and we hadn't seen him in a while.

600 miles! Woot! Woot!
 

June 19 - Jenkins Shelter to Jenny Knob Shelter (mile 575.2 to 599.0)

We hiked our first 24 mile day with a full load pack! We were getting water from a creek and Will thought the water tasted funny. As we were climbing out of the creek, Will found four medium-sized animal skeletons, pretty much intact. Kinda creepy and eerie.

Sorry! :(

Y'all have probably given up on me but just incase any of you are still reading...

June 9 - Lost Mountain Shelter to Thomas Knob Shelter

We stopped for lunch on top of Buzzard Rock. It was nice sitting in the sun and we even had a cell signal! But with dark cloud approaching, we got on our way in hopes of making it to the shelter before it started to rain. But we had no luck and it began to rain with 5 miles to go and a thousand foot climb left. Oh well. It started to clear up right before we got to the shelter and we were able to take a side trail to the top of Mount Rodgers, the highest peak in Virginia. The storm closed back in as we made it back to the shelter and it stormed all night. The shelter had an attic so we stayed up there out of the wind.

June 10 - Thomas Knob Shelter to Old Orchard Shelter

It was still storming in the morning, so we figured out how to change our schedule so that we could zero here at the shelter and miss the rain. But just as we got comfy the storm cleared up. (Darn I was excited for our lazy day!) Today we hike through the Grayson Highlands with the wild ponies! As we were hiking we saw a herd of ponies in a valley, being that this could be our only chance to interact with them we ran down there, dropping our packs on a side trail that crossed about half way down. The ponies licked the salt off my arms, it was cute and gross at the same time. We even got to pet the foals! It started raining again and the ponies ran to hide under the trees and we ran up to our packs. Which we could not find. Uh oh. We finally found them 10 or 15 mins later, it seems that when running up a hill in the rain you don't always come back to the same place you left. Haha. We saw another heard later. They are so cute and they walk right up to you. The shelter we stayed at was full when got there so we hammocked. It rained again in the night and Will got wet.

June 11 - Old Orchard Shelter to Trimpi Shelter

Will was not happy. His hammock and sleeping bag got wet in the storm last night. Stopped for lunch at a very nice new shelter and talked to this cool old dude named Grinder. Shared the shelter tonight with "The Fellowship". Five guys, two of them brothers, thru-hiking together. They were hilarious. Dr Seuss told us about trolls and how to deal with them if we come across them on the trail. Saw a HUGE black snake slither out of the roof of the shelter into a bush. Not cool.

June 12 - Trimpi Shelter to Marion, VA

It was ten miles to the visitors center where we could get a shuttle into town and we we had heard that you could get a pizza delivered there. So of course we all rushed to get there. But guess who doesn't deliver until 4? So no pizza. :( The shuttle came at 2:30, we resupplied and ate a ton of food.

June 13 - Marion, VA to Chatfield Shelter

Caught the 11 o'clock shuttle back to the trail and had a short day to the shelter. But that doesn't mean it was easy! The last 3 mikes we hiked through a tropical storm! It was crazy!

June 14 - Chatfield Shelter to Knot Maul Branch Shelter

This morning during our hike we took a side trail to an 1890's farm! It was cute. I always wanted to live on an old farm or work at Conner Prairie. We took advantage of a restaurant that the trail walked past. Mmmm... burgers!

June 15 - Knot Maul Branch to Bland, VA

Yay! Our family is coming today! We had a two thousand foot climb to a shelter with a beautiful view. We had extra time until our family arrived so instead of waiting by the road we hung out at the shelter with Toptart and Salamander, ate, and then took a nap in the sun. Mom, Kate, Sofia, and Luke arrived sometime around 8. Yay! My puppy!

June 16, 17, & 18 - Family Time!

We moved from the motel we stayed at last night to a hotel in another town and just hung out and swam in the pool. The next day we brought everybody back to the Grayson Highlands in hopes of seeing ponies!  No luck, but we had fun climbing on the rocks and they were able to do a little section of the Appalachian Trail. The 18th we had to get back on the trail, but not until like 3:30. Haha Nobody wanted to say goodbye.

Mary and Will's mom here

Hi. My husband asked me to add something here. Mary and Will are doing well. As of Saturday, June 22, they have hiked over 635 miles.  Will has lost around 15 pounds and Mary about 25-- almost the weight of her backpack without food and water! I keep hoping Mary will post more updates when they come into a town, but. . .

Last weekend, our daughter, Katie, Will's girlfriend Sofia, Mary's dog Luke, and I visited the hikers. We were able to spend a few days with them and even visited part of the trail that went through Grayson Highland State Park in VA, on which they had hiked a week earlier. We were hoping to come across some of the herds of wild ponies they had seen, but no luck. We did see some beautiful scenery, including azalea bushes in bloom alongside the trail.

 

 

June 8 - Damascus, VA to Lost Mountain Shelter

Sent home my old boots and my solar panel. Will's giant battery is large enough to charge both of our phones more than once.

It was a couple weeks delayed but Will recieved his trail name. The day we hiked out of the Smokies, Will fell in a creek, so rightfully his trail name is 'Splash'. If we just had one more clumsy person we could be 'TRIPle Threat'.

We ate breakfast/lunch at Mojoe's Coffeehouse and had the BEST breakfast bagel. So good we are going to have mom take us back next week when she comes to see us.

We didn't leave town until almost noon, which might cause problems if you have 15 miles to go...

A bridge was washed out earlier this year so we had to take a detour onto the Virginia Creeper Trail. It's a very nice trail that runs by the river and is mostly used by bikers, so you get some wierd looks like 'You know they invented the wheel, right? You don't have to walk'. Lol

We reached the shelter a little before sundown. Nice big shelter and cast of characters. Ron Burgundy, Mohawk, Wrong Way, Poptart, Salamander, Nigel, Swayze, and Hummingbird. Wrong Way has a string of christmas lights that she has strung above her hammock. Ron Burgundy cooked a feast for everyone, which sounds nice, but he was really just using us to get his pack weight down because he bought too much food. Hahaha

June 7 - Zero Day!

Staying up late and sleeping in! Woot!

Breakfast at Cowboy's. Yummy ciniman roll and blueberry pancakes!

Completely resupplied at Dollar Store. Haha. Bought new shoes.

Ate BBQ for dinner. First time eating pulled pork with coleslaw on top. It's good!

Packed and took more showers!

June 6 - Abington Gap Shelter to Damascus, VA

VIRGINIA! :D!

When we know we are hiking into town, we seem to fly down the trail. The promise of real food is a great motivator!

We got a room a this cute little inn called "Hikers Inn", if you are ever in Damascus, stay here!

We layed around and eventually took showers. Had a great burger and a sad peanut butter shake. Come on guys, I want my tongue to stick to the roof of my mouth with the amount of peanut butter!

Laundry. Permethrin for our clothes. Bought a new fuel canister, we cut it close, I'm surprised we didn't run out! Looked at new shoes, mine are falling apart.

I do not like karaoke. It's like the worst thing ever invented! Stop. Please stop singing. No.

We went to Blue Blaze for dinner and, if you can guess, there was karaoke. Gross. On top of that our server basically ignored us for an hour before taking our order. Wonderful. Atleast my sandwich tasted good.