finally we returned a piece of gear

Yesterday, after being off the trail for 5 months, we returned our sleeping pads to REI.  This returned should have happened while on the trail because they became defective on the trail.  Nightly, we woke up needing to blow up our mattresses or we're woken up by an uncomfortable sleeper (typically Canada) blowing up a deflated sleeping pad.  Gear is essential to a successful & comfortable thru hike.  It's common because of the daily use of gear that it breaks while hiking on the trail.  It's also common practice for thru-hikers to angrily contact manufacturers and stores and request new equipment.  Typical to our form, we didn't return any of our equipment on the trail, we waited until we returned home.  Yesterday, while at REI, the worker offered to replace our sleeping pad and we opted for the cash back- $122.  Because for now, we don't have a need for a camping sleeping pad, we have a comfortable bed. What else can we return?

GA---->ME 2009

It's finally over! This afternoon, we sumitted Mt. Katahdin...yay! We were the 54th and 55th northbound thru-hikers of the 2009 season. Our parents were at the end to cheer us on which was awesome. Today, our parents hiked 1.1 northbound and 1.1 southbound on the AT. They're on their way to section hiking the trail. We will fully support their endeavor...happy hiking...no sarcasm. Now, we're a road tripping it back home with our parents. Such a better way to travel. We'll take numb behinds (from sitting) over soar legs, tired feet, bruised up, bug bitten, chaffed bodies. We will be posting pictures and writing updates very soon. We wanted to quickly up-date you all!


The road to Katahdin. You can see the mountain in the background.

Rocks, rocks, and more rocks!

Rock scrambling up to the summit.

An awesome view on our way up.

More rocks!

We made it...WOOT, WOOT!!

They are in the Wilderness!

We heard from the Chicago Sisters (Brittany "Dirty Mess" and Kirstin "Too Klean") on Saturday morning and they were packed and ready to enter the last 100 miles in the Wilderness to Mt. Katahdin - YEAH!!! Their father and I are heading out tomorrow (later than we thought, as their progress has slowed down) to meet them on the other side of Katahdin and bring them home. They are planning on summitting Friday, of course, depending on the weather. As you all know the weather has not been on their side. They have not had much phone or internet service since before New Hampshire. We will be bringing the laptop so stayed tuned and they will blog once they have summitted. Thank you all for your support, Karen (their mom)


As we entered the 100-mile wilderness, a sign warns hikers to take 10 days worth of food and supplies. We were able to go through in about 5 1/2 days. We were pumped to get to the end!

A beautiful section in the 100-mile wilderness.

Muddy shoes were unavoidable.

A spider web.

Dirty, wet socks...TYPICAL.

A view on top of White Cap.

"Too Klean" getting ready to ford one of the many rivers in the 100-mile wilderness. Because of the evening thunderstorms, the current was strong and the river was deep. Many hikers damaged and lost gear while fording.

We lost our sanity between the BUZILLION black flies and mosquitos. "Dirty Mess" gets creative to try and keep the buggers out of her ears and eyes.

It rained over 3 inches while we slept. Unfortunately, we weren't too selective in our tentsite. The result: We woke up with our tent and packs in a huge puddle. We literally poured water out of our gear.

We had to walk carefully through the 100 mile wilderness to avoid sinking.

Because of all the rain, the trail literally became a stream.

Taking advantage of the sun to dry out our gear.

WOOHOO...We're in Maine and have 246 miles left!

Hi from Anover, ME. We're staying at Pine Ellis Hostel. The hostel is busy with hikers as the northbound hikers are beginning to meet the Southbound hikers (who usually start in June). It's interesting to see all the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed SOBOs (southbounders) who have just started. All the NOBOs (northbounders) are a bit beat up and bruised...and of course, ready to finish this big trek and head home. We know we'll miss this life and each other. A few days ago, we successfully finished the hardest mile on the AT, the Mahoosuc Notch. This 5 mile day took us over 8 hours to complete. We climbed over, under and through tons of boulders. HELLO...we signed up for hiking not climbing. But, no compaints...we are finally out of the Whites.



We are heading to Rangeley, ME and moving slowly toward Katahdin. Lately, we have been traveling with quite a few section hikers. They are doing a great job lifting our spirits and getting us out of our funk. We hope we can maintain this attitude the next few weeks. To friends & family, we'e sorry about our lack of phone contact and/or emails. We haven't had cell phone service since New Hampshire and very limited internet access.



DAD, We finally saw a moose. Unfortunately, we were driving to the trail head.



CANADA, we miss you! A day on the trail doesn't go by where we don't repeat an inside joke or reminisce of our time together. Get your butt hiking & stay in touch! P.S. the waterfalls and raging rivers ARE the trail...no need to go back to make sure you didn't take a wrong turn. You should be in ME soon. Congrats to all our hiking buddies who have summitted! See you at Trail Days next year!Hi from Anover, ME. We're staying at Pine Ellis Hostel. The hostel is busy with hikers as the northbound hikers are beginning to meet the Southbound hikers (who usually start in June). It's interesting to see all the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed SOBOs (southbounders) who have just started. All the NOBOs (northbounders) are a bit beat up and bruised...and of course, ready to finish this big trek and head home. We know we'll miss this life and each other. A few days ago, we successfully finished the hardest mile on the AT, the Mahoosuc Notch. This 5 mile day took us over 8 hours to complete. We climbed over, under and through tons of boulders. HELLO...we signed up for hiking not climbing. But, no compaints...we are finally out of the Whites. We are heading to Rangeley, ME and moving slowly toward Katahdin. Lately, we have been traveling with quite a few section hikers. They are doing a great job lifting our spirits and getting us out of our funk. We hope we can maintain this attitude the next few weeks. To friends & family, we'e sorry about our lack of phone contact and/or emails. We haven't had cell phone service since New Hampshire and very limited internet access. DAD, We finally saw a moose. Unfortunately, we were driving to the trail head. CANADA, we miss you! A day on the trail doesn't go by where we don't repeat an inside joke or reminisce of our time together. Get your butt hiking & stay in touch! P.S. the waterfalls and raging rivers ARE the trail...no need to go back to make sure you didn't take a wrong turn. You should be in ME soon. Congrats to all our hiking buddies who have summitted! See you at Trail Days next year!





"Diry Mess" heads up to the peak of a Maine mountain.
Calling friends and family atop of a mountain (when the likelihood of getting service was higher).

A moose carcass on the trail.

Beautiful Maine.

"Too Klean" annoyed after slipping once again.

Did we mention that we signed up for hiking and not climbing?? Once again, the AT gets a bit hairy.

A toad.

Entering Maine..."the way life should be."

"Dirty Mess" climbs, climbs, and climbs.

Mud, mud, and more mud.

Yep, that's the trail. No wonder why our mileage daily mileage dropped!

"Too Klean" climbs up the rocks.

"Too Klean" crawls through a crevice on the AT.

"Too Klean" heads through a cave on the Mahoosuc Notch.

"Dirty Mess" keeps a smile while manuvering through the Mahoosuc Notch.

A full shelter at Speck Pond. We were the last to squeeze in and happy to be under a roof to avoid the rain.

Heading up Speck Mtn.

Trail up some Maine mountain. Not sure which one :(

A jam-packed hostel room in Andover, ME.

Heading onward and upward...as ALWAYS.

"Too Klean" sprained her thumb on the Mahoosuc Trail (the toughest mile on the AT). She liked to refer to the part of the trail as MahooSUCKS.

All the hikers in Rangeley, ME enjoy a meal together at a Thai restaurant.

Saddleback Mtn.

A section hiker we had been traveling with for a few days got injured near Saddleback Mtn. She punctured her leg. 911 was called and Search an Rescue came to the shelter to take her off the mountain. Here they are determining: (1) the easiest, quickest route down (2) whether to take her out at night (in the rain) or in the morning.

Search and Rescue + their dog. Over 10 guys came up to get the injured hiker down. There were also 10 guys on their way up for additional help and a crew at the road.

More guys from the Search and Rescue team.

"Dirty Mess" enjoys the beauty of Maine.

A view from our campsite near Avery Peak.

"Too Klean" has a tough hiking day.

A view from the Avery Peak (Bigelows).

"Too Klean" gets drinking water during a break.

"Too Klean" at the 2000-mile marker. Actually, the mileage was actually closer to 2,012.

"Dirty Mess" at the 2000-mile marker.

A nice bridge. YAY...we can avoid getting re-wet!

"Too Klean" helps canoe across the Kennebec River.

Hanging out at Kennebec River Brewery.

The AT signs warns about the dangerous Kennebec River crossing. A hiker died trying to ford it back in the '80s. Going across it by canoe instead of fording it is the official AT. There is a white blaze at the bottom of the canoe.

"Too Klean" heads up Moxie mountain.

"Dirty Mess" fords.

"Too Klean" is not too happy about fording another river.

Shut This Operation Down

Hitching outside of Williamstown, MA. We took turns putting our thumbs out. Canada was the winner. The driver's van smelled of drugs, but we got in anyway. We took what we could get.

A view from the bed of a truck. This hitch was outside of Manchester in Vermont.

A view from the bed of a truck as we headed back to the trailhead. This hitch was outside of Manchester in Vermont.

Looking out from a shelter in Vermont. Feeling sick in addition to the rain and cold temps encouraged us to stay in the shelter all day.

Muddy trail in Vermont...nicknamed "Vermud."

In the clouds in Vermont.

Butterflies mating.

Gorgeous woods in Vermont.

We came across this interesting art in the woods...hundreds of cairns.

Hiking through foliage in Vermont. It left us wet and itchy.

A creek we passed over in Vermont.

A cow escaped from its farm and decided to hike the trail with us.

"Dirty Mess" and "Canada" make themselves comfortable. A guy offered to let us crash at his place.

Vermont pasture.

Vermont woods.

"Canada" and "Too Klean" take a dip in river after an extremely hot day of hiking.

The VT/NH border.

While passing through Hanover, we stopped by the Dartmouth dining hall to grab a bite to eat.

Mountains in NH.

Sheep on Scott & Joanies' farm.

The sheep think "Too Klean" is going to feed them.

"Canada" and "Dirty Mess" fording a river. It was the beginning of the Whites and such a *nice* welcome.

"Canada's" friends Scott & Joanie from Dartmouth. They were amazing and so kind to us. They cheered us up with their humor.

The trail down Mt. Moosiluake.

A waterfall on Mt. Moosiluake.

A warning sign in the Whites. Yes, it was extremely difficult. Even thinking about the trail there makes me anxious.

Scott and Joanie let Britt and I sleep in their fancy treehouse.

This is actually the trail in the Whites. We couldn't believe it either. It was basically a rocky waterfall.

Franconia Ridge in the Whites.

The cairns helped us stay on trail in the bad weather.

Franconia Ridge in the Whites.

Setting up for bed in the Whites. As thru-hikers we were allowed to do work-for-stays in some of the huts. This entailed working for 2 hours. In return, we were able to stay on the floor of the dining hall in the huts as well as fed the left-over food.

Mt. Washington engulfed in clouds.

A view near Mt. Washington in NH.

Sunset in the Whites. It was our only clear afternoon while we were hiking it.

Warning sign in the Whites.

A view from the Whites.

Atop of Mt. Washington in the Whites. This is the highest peak on the northern AT.

A warning sign in the Whites. While we were hiking these mountains, a hiker found a man who had been missing for a month. This man went for a hike and sought shelter under a rock when a thunderstorm blew in. Unfortunately, he passed away likely from hypothermia. Weather is scary as it changes extremely quickly in the mountains.

Our title is a direct quote from a fellow thru-hiker "Just Ron". He believes that if the ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) cannot properly maintain the trail they need to "shut this operation down." This phrase has become a running joke of ours. Everytime we fall, have to ford a creek or have a rough moment, we yell, "Shut it down!"


The great "Spirit Fingers" wrote this message in a shelter journal, "Why is there so much wetmsess in this world."

With 16.5 miles left in New Hemphsire (or New "Damp"shire as "Canada" refers to it), we're preparing for Maine. The Whites were extremely challenging because of the weather. Also, because of The White's popularity as hikers/campers you are expected to pay for tent/shelter sites ($8-$10) or huts ($80-$120). As thru-hikers, you can do a "work-for-stay" at the huts. This means, as a hiker, you work for 2 hours and then are provided with left over food from dinner & breakfast. At our first hut, we folded blankets & swept the bunk houses. At our second hut, we washed dishes. Fortunately, we summitted Mt. Washington on a fairly clear, warmer day.


We want to thank to amazing couples who lifted our spirits & pushed us to continue. You'll never know how much you meant to us! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Scott & Joanie: We had an amazing visit! Your hospitality was above and beyond. Can we have your cookie & bread recipes;)?


Francine & Louise: if you ever visit Chicago, we'll visit dog friendly establishments. Like Matt said, "Do you have any questions or do you need anything?" We'll be skyping soon!


We'll continue to live each day by the motto, "We'll quit tomorrow!"

Don't have time to update you further or upload pictures. We hope to do so in the next week. Thanks for continuing to read.

Hi from Hanover, N.H.

Brittany and Kirstin have very limited cell phone and internet service and have asked me (Karen - their mom) to write a short blog to update everyone on their hike. They called last night (Saturday, June 27) from Hanover, N.H. - home of Dartmouth College. They were staying in an actual tree house! You will have to wait to hear more about that.

They finally finished "Vermud" nicknamed because of the mud. They are tired of the rain and are excited to have less than 450 miles left to hike. The "whites" lay ahead of them and they will once again be hiking elevations. According to Kirstin the "whites" are the mountains that are topped in snow year round. She said they are very glad to have their down jackets with them (even though it was in the 90's the last couple of days).

Hopefully they will be able to update their blog shortly. Stay tuned!

I'm Feeling Lymey

Greetings from Williamstown, Massachusetts. Today, we will be crossing into Vermont with less than 600 miles left to hike! We are hoping the rain holds off but the sky looks pretty dark. On the upside we are heading out with new shoes. We hope that helps lessen the pain in our feet. "Too Klean" has been having a rough time falling asleep at night because of the feet pain. "Dirty Mess" has been struggling with back aches. Uncomfortablness is expected out here, but pain is a bit concerning.


We have had some great days lately despite the weather, high-mileage days, etc. Of course there have been some rough days as well. We joke most days that we feel "lymey." Some of the symptoms of lyme disease are lack of energy, headaches, muscle and joint pains, being tired, pain, weakness, or numbness in the arms or legs, loss of confidence, etc. These syptoms are also typical of thru-hiking. We our diligent about checking ourselves and each other for ticks but know there is a good chance of getting Lyme's disease.

Caveman...if you're reading, we heard you got Lyme's and broke your thumb :( We hope that you are feeling better. Keep trekkin'!

Clemencia...we miss you and wish you the best in Washington!






Packed up and ready to hit the trail.

The high point of Massachusetts.

A vista on top of Mt. Greylock in Massachusetts.

Yippee! Trail Magic outside of Dalton, Massachusetts.

Upper Goose Pond in Massachusetts. We skinny-dipped in the pond. Not only did it lift our spirits but got a few days worth of dirt and sweat off of us.

A fancy privy...it had two basins (one for pee and the other for poop). The instructions read, "If you are female, the best way to use this facility is to urinate in the #1 basin first, then use the #2 seat for defecation, if desired." We weren't used to such luxury so we appreciated the "how-to" instructions.

The trail covered in water because of rain. No wonder our feet are always wet!

Yippee! Passing the Conneticut/Massachusetts border.

Yippee #2 of the day! Over 1,500 miles hiked.

The trail in Massachusetts.

On the high point of Conneticut.

Hiking, hiking, hiking.

Fellow thru-hikers enoying town food on a street corner. They had pizza delivered to them at a road crossing before heading back into the mountains..

"But Mom, we don't want to hike today!" We tented out in the rain because the bugs were so bad but spent the morning in the shelter to wait out the thunderstorm.

A copperhead on the trail. Fortunately, we were warned by another hiker that it was on the trail.

Packed up and ready to hit the trail again after staying in a NY barn.

Massaging our feet for free during a break.

"Dirty Mess" and "Canada" explore CT.

Enjoying a campfire after a long day.

We're about to cross the Hudson River on a hot day.

The outline of NYC in the distance. The "real world" feels so far away, but when we took this pic, the biggest U.S was only 35 miles away.

"Too Klean" climbs up some pesky NY rocks. Hey, the rocks were supposed to be done in Pennsylvania. They clearly are all over the AT.

"Too Klean" heads through the Lemon Squeeze in NY. Other fun obstacles in NY include Agony Grind, etc.

We got our tent set up before the thunderstorms rolled in. We were pumped even though we didn't make it our goal mileage for the day.

"Dirty Mess" and "Canada" hiking through New York.

"Too Kleans" hiker knees. Some of these spills not only caused bruises and cuts but also tears.

The high point of NJ in the distance that we climbed up the previous day.

The fine folks of Unionville, NY invited us up to enjoy pizza and beer after they saw us getting off the trail to head into town. We loved their trail magic, kindness, and company...thanks so much Jackie, Pattie, Bert, and Earl!

We stopped to rest and dry out our gear in the sun (we rarely see).

A New Jersey state trooper stopped by while we took a rest at a road crossing. He was suspicious/curious about our hiking poles. We ended up chatting with him for about an hour...it made our day:)

The sign shows that hunting and hiking are allowed on the A.T. but not biking. Our question...how in the world is it even possible to bike the trail?

Stealth camping (aka illegal camping) under a pavillion at the Delaware Water Gap. We tried to be as subtle as possible to avoid being kicked out by rangers or cops. It ended up pouring that night and soaking all of our gear...I guess we deserved it!