2009 Appalachian Trail NoBosters

finally we returned a piece of gear

2009-12-23T08:30:00.000-08:00

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

2009-07-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-06-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

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!

We're starting to CLIMB again!

2009-06-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

We're sitting in the library in Salisbury, CT (the quintessential New England town). We took a night off the trail to dry out our soaked tent, clothes, and bodies as well as take showers, resupply and get a dose of the real world. After watching this morning's weather report, the next few days are going to be a bit rough. Today (Wed. June, 10) our plan is to hike 14 miles after a late start to enjoy town. We will cross into Massachusetts (yea...10 out of 14 states completed!). It's amazing to think we have hiked 2/3 of the trail and have less than 700 miles to go!

After leaving the rocks of Pennsylvania, our hiking buddies agreed PA received bum trail rap. It's getting rocky & hilly again which is similar to first 3 states we trekked. "Canada" (a geology professor) said it best..."We were told Pennsylvania was bad. New Jersey was worse, New York was worser, let's hope Connecticut isn't the worsest." Hiking steeper mountains once again is preparing us for the New Hampshire 6,000'ers.

Since our last post, we've spoiled ourselves with deli's and ice cream shops. It's been nice to break up the daily mileage to eat tasty food. These fun stops are close to the trail (approx. 0.3 miles off the trail) on paved, highway roads.

The 3 highlights of New York,

1. We stayed with the mayor of Unionville. His hospitality, generosity, and kindness touched us deeply.

2. Hiking on the trail through a zoo. We saw 3 caged bears, the only bears we've seen on the trail (thank goodness).

3. Staying in a farmer's barn (a friend of a friend of "Canada's).

These days, hiking is more of a mental struggle than a physical one. Granted, our bodies still hurt but staying motivated takes great effort. Also, the bugs are really bad. Beyond mosquito bites all over our bodies, we are pulling ticks on a daily basis. "Too Klean" has poison ivy and is trying her hardest not to spread it. The humidity is unreal. Within a few minutes on the trail, we look like we have taken showers. Oh, the warm weather woes. If it's not one thing, it's another out here. We have concluded that perfect hiking days are rare and infrequent.

We miss everyone and can't wait to catch up in person. Because of limited time, we are unable to download pictures. Hopefully, we'll post them shortly! Happy Trails!

P.S. Garage Man & Pound Hound we're glad you found us. We are so happy to hear you're getting back on the trail. GET YOUR TUSHES HIKING!

Ta-Ta Pennsylvania...Hola New Jersey

2009-05-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Jersey! We just recently completed Pennsylvania (now 7 out of the 14 AT states hiked), and are happy to be done with the rocks. As expected, the terrain did a number on our shoes and feet.

We had some sun recently (even a couple days in a row). It was nice to be dry for a more extended time period. However, we were stuck in some thunderstorms. It is quite scary to be on the mountain when a storm rolls in. The storm that we were in a few days ago injured 4 hikers a bit north of where we were hiking. They were not hit directly but were rescued from the trail. We are very thankful that we escaped any injury.

For the past 3 days, we have taken a break from the trail. We spent the days at the Jersey Shore with some fellow hikers. The Caporale's were kind and generous to open their home to us. We were well fed, and clean. We will miss Clemencia (who we have hiked with for the past 6 weeks or so).

May is a popular month for hunting along the AT. Thank goodness "Dirty Mess" wore an orange bandana.

"Too Klean" contemplates hitching home to Chicago.

"Dirty Mess" poses on top of Washington Monument in Maryland.

A rock maze lets hikers know which direction they need to go to get to Maine or Georgia.

"Too Klean" on an overlook in PA.

We stayed at a shelter that had a resident porcupine. It would come throughout the night to chew on the wood. We were told they are typically sodium-deficient. They like to chew the wood where sweaty hikers sit. It kept "Dirty Mess" up all night with its frequent visits.

Checking out the elevation profile and figuring out mileage for the next day.

We stopped at a motel near the AT to get clean water. The nice owner gladly filled us up even though we didn't stay there. Every time we fill up, we have to unpack and repack our packs.

"Too Klean" and "Canada" cross the PA-NJ stateline. "Too Klean" gives her feet a break and wears Crocs. Yea!

Thru-hikers eating a delicious dinner at the Caporale's house. Good food...Good Company! It was a great visit and nice to be off the trail for 3 days.

Playing bocce ball.

"Too Klean" & Clemencia boating on the Jersey Shore.

"Too Klean" & Clemencia dodging balls on the boardwalk.

"Too Klean", Clemencia, and "Dirty Mess", on the Jersey Shore. How far is the Atlantic Ocean from the Appalachian Trail? We didn't hike there.

Our last night in Pennsylvania we decided to cowboy camp (sleeping under the stars without a tent). It was a cold, clear night...perfect sleeping weather.

"Whoot...whooot!!"

After a severe thunderstorm, we painfully set up camp. Everything was soaked, but we were glad to make it to camp safetly. Four hikers were splashed by lightening that night and had to be rescued. They were a bit north of where we were. Thunderstorms are always freaky.

"Canada", Clemencia & "Too Klean" have a meeting! They are planning the next few days.

"Dirty Mess" climbs out of Palmerton, PA. It was a tough rock climb.

All rocks and very steep. Our pace was definitely slow!

Grabbing a hitch back to the trail. On the way into town, we got a hitch from the Palmerton Fire Chief. We thought we were going to get busted for hitching when he pulled over. But it was pouring rain, and we think he felt sorry for us.

These types of signs of very common along AT trail towns. Because we only have 1 outfit, laundry is always an interesting situation.

The police in Palmerton, PA allow thru-hikers to crash in borough hall. We had to give them all our info and SSNs. I guess we don't have warrants out for our arrests because they didn't raid the place. We found tons of decorations which got us even more excited for our Jersey Shore stop.

We toured the Yuengling Brewery (Pottsville, PA) - America's Oldest Brewery. They don't distribute in Chicago, but it is our brand choice on the trail.

A Lady Slipper. We were excited to see a flower (but expected after the TONS of rain).

A former Anheuser-Busch motel located in Duncannon, PA. The Doyle Hotel is over 100 years and very hiker friendly.

"Too Klean" road walking in Pennsylvania.

A solar shower. A hose & holding tank heats up if there is sun. For us, it was CHILLY and a short shower. No complaints...we were clean!

DRUMROLL LADIES & GENTLEMEN...

2009-05-16T12:09:00.000-07:00

__________________________________________________________________________________Hi, this is Brittany and Kirstin's mom. They wanted me to tell you that they will be posting more pictures later as there was a problem downloading the pictures at the last computer they used. We are praying for nice weather and safety for them. Now onto what they posted:__________________________________________

We have two important announcements to make:
(1) We are the newest members of the 1/2 gallon ice cream club!!

A trail tradition is to eat a 1/2 gallon of ice cream once you hike 1/2 of the AT. We gladly (and excitedly) took on this challenge this past week. Heck, we have been preparing for this our entire life...right, Pops! Not only did we grow up drinking lots of milk daily, but ice cream is a constant in my parents' freezer. Our father would agree that we have been preparing for this challenge our entire lives. Granted, it's A LOT of ice cream. However, we had no issues finishing it nor keeping it down (unlike a lot of other thru-hikers). Our parents would be proud ;)

(2) Britt (aka "Hot Mess") has decided to do an official trail name change. Her new trail name is "Dirty Mess."

We need to thank Peyton, our cousin's son, for helping make her new trail name possible. One of the first things he said to Britt was "you're dirty." Presto, a change to her name. Thanks Peyton!

Other updates:
-After our visit Kara (our cousin), we were on the trail for 7 days and 6 nights after leaving Harpers Ferry, WV. For most of the week, especially the beginning, it was rainy. It was difficult for us to keep going. We discussed quitting the trail. However, we knew we would regret that decision. This journey is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We picked ourselves up (mentally and physically). Once we powered through the mental breakdown, not only did we enjoy our hike more, but we picked up our pace.
-WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED 1/2 OF THE A.T. We crossed the midpoint on Thursday, but have now trekked about 1,145 miles.
-We have finished 6 of the 14 states (Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. We are now in Pennsylvania, which is known as "the place where you boots go to die" because of the rocks. It is supposed to be a nightmare of a hike...the rocks are jagged and "spear-like." Thank goodness our health insurance is in place!
-
BAM...NAILED IT (thanks, Kiara!).

"Hiking is ruining our trail experience" (fellow thru-hiker)

2009-05-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY!

We have never in our life experienced so much rain. I'm not sure if we have been dry for a period of 48 hours since we have been out here. Hiking in the pouring rain, putting on wet clothing and shoes in the morning, and climbing into a damp sleeping bag has become the norm. It has been physically grueling and emotionally taxing. We slowed down this week to find refuge from the rain which played out in us doing a few 1/2 mileage days. It's hard not to stick with our planned mileage but even harder to hike miles and miles in bad weather. Many thru-hikers went into town, stayed at shelters all day, and even called it quits to escape the rain.

Hiking is hard work, but hiking...
-9-11 hours
-day after day
-with a heavy pack
-in bad weather
-without a regular shower
-in dirty clothes
-with body aches/pains
IS EVEN HARDER.

The best way I can think to describe this experience is that it is 75% tedious, 15% okay, and 10% amazing. So why have we continued? The amazing parts are INCREDIBLE (generous, kind, supportive & fun people-both on and off the trail, spectacular sights, living simply, reflecting on life, a sense of accomplishment, etc.). Also, our desire to finish fuels us to continue hiking. Who knows how far we'll go? Maybe a day, maybe a week, maybe to the end. We don't know. We're proud that we have hiked over a 1,000 miles and endured so many elements thus far. Thru-hiking the AT is one of the, if not THE, most difficult thing we have ever done.

Thanks so much to Kara, Peyton, CJ, and Pam! We had a wonderful time visiting with you. We really appreciate it everything you did for us.

FLAT TRAIL...very rare on the AT. We definitely enjoyed it.

A fun warning of the "Roller Coaster" trail we were about to hike.

"Hot Mess" taking a picture as we cross the border from Virginia into West Virginia. We were in Virginia for the entire month of April.

We've hiked a 1,000 miles...YEA!!

Pete, "Hot Mess", and "Too Klean" find refuge from the thunderstorms at Blackburn Trail Center.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) headquarters is located in Harpers Ferry, WV. We went there to check in and get our picture taken. It used to be the halfway point, but the trail has become longer. We still have 80 miles to go before reaching the midpoint.

Our picture in the ATC "Class of 2009" thru-hiker binder. It's fun to check out the hikers ahead of us and put a picture with the registry entries.

Our cousin, Kara, and her son, Peyton, playing with balloons. Happy 2nd Birthday Peyton! They were kind enough to take us in. A wonderful time off the trail with great company. Thanks for everything!!

Peyton...so cute and sweet!

"Look mom, REAL hikers!"

2009-05-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

The majority of the past 1 1/2 weeks, we spent hiking the Shenandoah National Park. The Shenandoahs were different in that it was not as isolated as the Smokies. There is a road that runs through it and waysides to eat at. But similar to our Smokies experience, we were stuck in miserable weather and had limited to no views. What is it with our hikes in the National Parks? A fellow hiker explained it best.

"If you want to know what is was like hiking in the Shenandoahs is like...put on your rain gear, put a pillow case over your head, get under a cold shower, and open a window for a constant, cold wind gust."

The TRAIL MAGIC that helped us get through:
-As we passed a campground, we were offered beer (what fun trail magic!) from a New Jersey couple, Brian and Amy. Beyond a refreshing, cold one, they also gave us trail mix bars and water! Some Canadian ladies also stopped by to chat and gave us an orange. Fun treats, great conversation, and sweet company! They will never know how much this lifted our spirits.
-We ran into section hikers, Gavel (who we met before) and his buddy, Caribou. These guys rescued us from a complete breakdown. They provided us rides to and from the trail to get out of the weather, slackpacked us, and treated us to a pizza dinner. We are so grateful for their generousity!

We also got a good chuckle from some of the tourists we passed. They would often take our pictures and make a comment such as "are you REAL hikers?"

As we left (okay, ran from) the Shenandoahs, we gave a "woot, woot" and glad it was over.

Cold and rainy day in the Shenandoahs.

Wow, look at the views in the Shenandoahs!

"Too Klean" crossing rocks - very hard on the feet. Our feet are extremely swollen and sore. We are definitely nervous for Pennsylvania which has a bad reputation for its rockiness.

We finally got our Starbucks. Better yet, it was free. The barista took pity on us. It made our day and felt like home for a moment!

Getting ready to head out in the morning...it was raining, OF COURSE!

"Hot Mess" hanging our food bags to keep the bears away from the shelter.

Too bad we couldn't keep the mice away. We woke up to mice poop in our food cups...YUM! Read: Unhealthy, but we think we are in the clear unless consuming too much bleach is dangerous.

Celebrating "Hot Mess's" birthday on the trail. Frosting and chocolate graham crackers. "Too Klean" thought the combo would be a good replacement for birthday cake.

BREAKING POINT #1: The dilemma - whether or not to aqua blaze through the Shenandoahs (aka raft instead of hike). "Caveman" and "Burns" trying to figure out the logistics . "Too Klean" is across the street trying to get cell service. We decided against because we weren't willing to give up our thru-hiker title.

BREAKING POINT #2: The dilemma - whether or not to go get out of the rain and head into town for the night. It was cold and we needed a break. Even chips and beer weren't lifting "Too Klean's" spirit. We gave in and went into town for an unplanned visit.

Five hikers crammed into a motel in Front Royal.

One of two tics "Too Klean" found burrowed into her.

"Too Klean's" shoes died in the Shenandoahs. She was hoping they would make it halfway, but the rain and rocks did them in.

NEW SHOES:) There was not an outfitters open so "Too Klean" settled for a cheap pair of New Balance running shoes. We think they should last a couple hundred miles which is just a few weeks.

"Gavel" and "Caribou" (retired judges from Maine and AT section hikers) took us out for pizza. They also shuttled us to and from the trail. They were extremely sweet and generous to us.

Pics From Our Daleville to Waynesboro Trek!

2009-04-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

A far away picture of the longest foot bridge on the Appalachian Trail.

Looking down at the Virginia countryside.

"Too Klean" crossing the longest footbridge in AT.

Kirstin under a wedged rock...cutely named "The Guillotine."

"Too Klean," "Burns" and "Caveman" crowd around the fire during an extremely cold night. "Caveman" always gets a fire going by the time we make it to camp. It was wonderful!

Sweaty, stinky feet! We tried to warm and dry our socks by the fire. We were also hoping the fire would cover up the smell...no such luck.

The YMCA in Waynesboro, VA...free showers, camping, and bite-sized sandwiches. They were so sweet to us!

Here's our 2 person tent. Isn't our tent nice? We've used our tent three times - 2 times on grass and once in a shelter (to stay warm).

"Dubbs" tattoo...it reads "I will not take my life here for granted. Nothing should be prized more highly than the value of each day." Hey Mom, do you like the tattoo?

Take #1: Will a.k.a. "Burns" failed attempt to keep his tarptent upright during a windy night. The shelter was over-crowded so he kindly tented. We woke up and had a few laughs...poor thing!

Take #2: "Burns" successful tenting at the YMCA.

Brittany a.k.a "Hot Mess, Will a.k.a. "Burns" and Steve "Cave Man" after an AYCE Chinese Buffet. We had to roll out of the restaurant because we were so full.

SMELL deSENSITIVITY - we're becoming thru-hikers

2009-04-28T08:08:00.001-07:00

Kim's Smell-o-meter: We've moved from being separated to other people turning their heads in disgust as we hike pass.

Our friend & fellow thru-hiker "Wooden Spoon" said he's gets embarrassed to hike pass other day hikers and weekenders because of his outrageous smells. As he passes hikers, he wants to apologize as well as inform them that he takes a shower whenever he can.

At the beginning of our thru-hike, we were told that eventually we wouldn't be able to smell the foul smell on ourselves or other thru-hikers. The other night as 8 disgustingly smelling thru-hikers sat around, Kirstin turned to Britt and sadly stated, "I don't smell anyone." We know we smell FOUL, and we can distinguish the brand of soap and shampoo that day hikers & weekenders use! And wow, they smell good! Too Klean a.k.a. Kirstin is jealous.

"Meet Virginia" - Actually, We've Become Well Acquinted

2009-04-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello! We're checking in from Waynesboro, VA which is one of the friendliest trail towns. Not only did a Trail Angel drive us into town (no hitching, Mom!), but we also were given free showers, camping, and sandwiches from the local YMCA. After 7 full, long days in the woods, we appreciated all of Virginia's kindness. Even better, we received a surprise package from our parents! It included sweet, encouraging notes and lots of dehydrated food-yum:). THANKS MOM AND POPS...we miss you and love you tons! You're the best!

The last 7 days have been interesting!

-The weather has fluctuated immensely. In one week, we experienced thunderstorms, hail, snow, and 90 degree temps without cloud coverage. We're excited for the heat wave to break. As a side note, Britt is extremely scared of lightening. One night, a thunderstorm rolled as we headed into the shelter. Kirstin was leading and told her to stay 50-100 feet in case lightening struck. Britt was too scared...so she remained 3 feet behind Kirstin. We still had over a mile to go uphill during that 23-mile day, and Kirstin moved aside so she could literally ran the entire way.

-While hiking, we were caught off guard by our first HUGE, black snake on the trail. Our screaming scared off the snake before we could get a chance to snap a picture.

-We experienced more trail magic (Virginia is known for it). Thanks Boy Scouts for the sun tan lotion, lemonade, and Little Debbie treats.

-Our tans are coming along nicely...our horrible tan lines are even better.

-Bugs are out! There are parts of our bodies (which we won't mention) that are completely covered...yippee! We plan to get flea/tick collars (yep, the ones that dogs wear) and tie them to our shoes. We hope this prevents ticks from coming near us.

-We are about to experience our first AYCE (all-you-can-eat) Chinese buffet. AYCE are frequented by thru-hikers at all town visits. While this typically sounds disgusting to us, we heard they have sushi. At this point, we don't care if it's sub-par...we need to satisfy our raw fish craving!

We have been in Virgina for almost 400 miles and still have about 150 miles of the state to complete (about 25% of the trail is in Virginia). Tomorrow morning we head off to hike the Shenandoah National Park. We can't wait to indulge with a blackberry milkshake, an AT must. Off we hike to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia (160 miles). We'll update you later.

Shelter Registries

2009-04-19T15:13:00.001-07:00

At the majority of shelters along the AT, there are registries that hikers use for the following reasons:
-Leave fellow hikers personal messages
-Provide advice and tips (places to go when in town, location of water sources, issues with animals, etc.)
-Write down how their hiking day went
-Express their thoughts and feelings
-And...anything else you can think of
-Track other hikers (you can tell how far ahead folks are). Authorities also can use entries to find missing hikers.

Some are funny, some sad, some straightforward, some inappropriate, some weird, some insightful...below are some examples...

Below is an entry we found at Wapiti (which means elk) Shelter in Virgina. It is post by Scott Johnston. He and his hiking buddy was shot last year by Randall Smith. Randall Smith was convicted of killing two women AT hikers in the early '80s at the same shelter. He was released from prison for good behavior and went back to the AT to attempt to kill again. Randall Smith died in jail a few days later after being apprehended. Scott went back to the trail a month later with a Washington Post reporter. Take a peek.

Below is one of my favorites. A fellow hiker, "Easy Goin'," wrote his thoughts about why some of us have chosen to thru-hike the AT even though it can often be tedious. It really resided with me. He plans to write a book someday. In case you can't read it...

"I've just been thinking a lot about what this trail means to me & what it is I'm doing out here or this journey. The only solution that I can find that seems lasting, meaningful, & substantial is the pursuit of love. I think that is why I am out here on the AT - only we're all out here - to learn to love ourselves, each other, nature, our world, & our lives. Love seems to be the answer, so I will walk the rest of this trail, step-by-step, in its pursuit. Not too fast, or too slow, but just right. Just the way that love requires. Much love." -Easy Goin' GAME '09

Troutville. VA

2009-04-19T06:29:00.001-07:00

Hi from Troutville, VA. We're at a Super 8 Motel with other thru-hikers. Today, Sunday, April 19 we took a "zero day". Since Tuesday, here are photos that capture the amazing sights we've seen and experiences we've had. ENJOY

On Tuesday, April 21 we head towards Waynesboro, VA. We have some big mileage days ahead of us. We're estimating 8 days to get there. As for the weather, they're predicting RAIN. So, here's to stinky feet!

Hanging out at McAfee Knob in Virginia.

Our shelter mate, "Sharptooth's", bear weapon/hiking poles. Notices the knife screwed to the top of his pole? He hopes to see a bear, kill it, and eat it. Huh? First, is that legal? Second, do Americans eat bear?

Passing some farms in Virginia. We caught this cow using the "restroom."

"Too Klean" and "Burns" hiking up after crossing some farms

Look Pops! We made it to the Audie Murphy Monument (a decorated WWII soldier).

"Hot Mess" stands beside the largest oak tree on the southern AT. The tree is estimated to be 300 years old.

"Too Klean" takes a hitch in the bed of a truck with "Burns" and "Wooden Spoon." We got a hitch right away. Not sure if because there were 4 of us (less threatening) are we used the wiggle approach (wiggle your thumb and make sure to have a cheesy smile). In the driver's glove compartment, there was a gun that "Hot Mess" saw when he handed her his business card.

We loved this message on top of a cooler of trail magic..."Thanks to those of you who dare to listen to your inner voice and choose a path that shows a different way of doing live. May we all discover that path."

Pearisburg, VA - 633 Miles Hiked

2009-04-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hi from Pearisburg, VA. It's Monday, April 13 which makes it Day #50 since beginning the approach trail (Tuesday, February 24). The "motel" we're staying at shuttled us to the library to use the internet. After our last library experience, if we were to vote, Pearisburg Library might win the "Friendliest Little Library on the Trail" award. Once our internet time is over, we're headed to the grocery store to resupply. Then, back to the motel for laundry, showers, phone calls and indoor sleeping.

Since our mom, aunt & sister dropped us off last Thursday, we've hiked 87.6 miles. We've been able to have more consistent high mileage days as the elevation climbs in Virginia have not been as steep and frequent as down south. Plus, we now have our hiking legs. Unfortunately, we are still experiencing aches and pains. We were told these will not be going away, and our recovery once we got off the trail will be at least a month.

Below is a breakdown of our mileage the past week:
-Thursday (1/2 day after the family visit): 13.9 miles
-Friday: 19.1 miles
-Saturday: 23.8 miles
-Sunday: 22.6 miles
-Monday (nero-aka low mileage-day heading into Pearisburg): 8.2 miles

Hopefully, the April shower's we're hiking through will bring us lots of May flowers. Until our next post...Happy Trails.

Drove to Virginia....all things know, all things know

2009-04-08T19:01:00.000-07:00

We are getting back on trail after an amazing 4 days with our family in Marion, VA. It was an odd feeling spending so much time away from the AT, but we immensely enjoyed being in town and spending time with our mom, aunt, and baby sister. We toured Abingdon, had tastings at a winery, ate well, cleaned up, slept in beds, and lounged around catching up with one another. It was absolutely wonderful.

We did head back to Grayson Highlands so they could hike a bit. However, Britt and I decided to be lazy and wait in the car for them. Hey, we had already done those miles on the AT!

Thanks Mom, Aunt Kristen, and Kiara for taking the time and effort to come visit us. We enjoyed and appreciated it more than you will ever know!

Our next stop is Pearisburg, VA which is about 90 miles away. It should take us about 4-5 days to get there. We are a anxious getting back on the AT as we never know what kind of elements we will be faced with out there. Mom stocked us with some snacks and dehydrated meals so our nutritional intake will be much healthier for the next week.

Being back on the trail, we’ll miss our hiking buddies that went on without us but hope to catch up to some of them. But, we’re sure to meet and hike with some other amazing hikers.

Enjoying samples and glasses :) at the Abingdon Winery.

SISTAS

Eating salad (fresh food!) and catching up on the outside world.

Mom and Aunt Kristen about to head off on a hike...don't they look like pros?

Kiara's hand sandwiched by Britt and Kirstin's hands. Luckily, it isn't too much of a close of up "Too Klean's" hand and her healing bug bites.

A page from the Partnership registry...

Pics from the Trail (post is below the photos)

2009-04-06T17:49:00.000-07:00

Hiking on a nice, sunny day. It reached a very, warm 70 degrees. The next day, it snowed. Luckily, we were in town visiting our family!

Posing with our hilarious, fun hiking partners ("C-Zur" and "Myko") for the past few weeks.

NOT AT ALL...mean librarian! She was the one that limited our access to 1 hour despite no one else being in the library and another 2 computers available. She wouldn't allow us to get back on all day.

We all pack into a tiny shelter on a very cold night. C-Zur reads to us each night from a ridiculous book. We wish it would have kept our mind ofd the cold that night.

"Too Klean" slips while trying to pose with the Grayson Highlands' pony. No worries...she laughed it off.

"Too Klean" making plans to meet up with the family.

Our packs outside a breakfast diner in Damascus.

A 26-mile day heading into Damascus (can you see the light's from the town?). We got there just after the sun went down.

Leaving TN and heading into VA where we'll be for over a month.

One of the oldest shelters on the AT.

"Hot Mess" crossing another bald during another foggy day.

Preparing breakfast.

Up on Big Bald just before staying at one of the tallest shelters on the AT.

"Too Klean" dips for water.

"Too Klean" deals with a financial mishap in Hot Springs. Of course, no cell service and the internet was a couple blocks away. Annoying.

Stairs up to Max Patch.

The place we stayed at to dry out after the Smokies. Good morning "Splinter" and "Burns."

"Hot Mess" manuvering around one of the many fallen trees.

"Too Klean's" turn.

"Too Klean" trying to stay warm and dry out.

"Too Klean" (aka Kirstin) takes a moment to check out the vista.

"Hot Mess" (aka Britt) built a nice fire which not only boiled our water, but it warmed us up as well.

Hanging our bags to try and keep the mice away.

SUN for the first time in a few days. We took the opportunity to enjoy!

"Splinter" and "Endor"...our hiking buddies through the Smokies.

"Hot Mess" hanging with the pony in the Grayson Highlands.

Crazy wind! Shortly after the picture, "Too Klean's" rain cover flew off. She ran so fast to catch it. Thank goodness it got caught on some brush.

Partnership Shelter is next to a visitor center. It has a phone which meant we could order pizza after traveling 25 miles. Look at all the hungry thru-hikers.

Life on the AT

2009-04-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Thanks so much for all your support while we are on the trail. We absolutely love all the comments and offers to send packages. We may just take you up on it :)

We are currently in Marion, VA with our mom, Aunt Kristen, and our baby sis (Kiara)! Yipee! It is awesome that they took the time to drive out and visit us. Plus, it feels wonderful to be babied - they did our laundry (talk about brave especially since they could barely stand our stench after they picked us up from the trail) and fed us an awesome dinner.

We'll be off the trail for a 4 days and are enjoying the (1) company (2) being clean for longer then 12 hours (3) food (4) being in "civilization" and a break from the wilderness (5) being able to relax for a bit (6) internet (7) cell service...Sprint is finally working for us (8) okay...you get the point.

Prepare yourself...this is a long post. Grab your cup of coffee, beer, or whatever you like. But, who knows when we'll be able to update you next. We will be posting pics in the next day or two. Until then...

We'll give you some perspective on what life has been like for us for the 6 weeks, and hopefully, next 4 or so months...read below.

OVERALL:
Despite the difficulty of hiking the AT and living life out here, we are truly appreciative to be having this experience. It's giving us perspective on life, challenging us in a multitude of ways, allowing us to live a differently, and giving us an opportunity to see part of our beautiful country. In our opinion, we think the below things are needed to attempt a thru-hike:

-Flexibility: It is nearly impossible to plan for anything out here. We rarely know how far we’ll hike in a day (due to weather, difficulty of terrain/elevation, emotional status, and soreness); where we will sleep; what we’ll be eating; who we’ll encounter and hike with; when we’ll be stopping in town; what we can get done it town; etc.

-Ability to be constantly and consistently uncomfortable: Life out here is not easy. If it isn’t one thing that is bothersome, it’s another. There are a ton of elements that affect us. Some days/weeks can be quite miserable. As a fellow thru-hiker stated in referring to the weather, “it sucked so bad and there is nothing I could do about it. So, I just started smiling.” We at times extremely dirty, smelly, sore, thirsty, hungry, tired, itchy, hot/cold, wet, etc. It is almost as if you start to go a bit crazy out here.

-Perseverance: There are times within a week, day, or even hour that we wonder “what in the world we are doing…we must be completely nuts.” Of course we don’t want to hike every day, climb all these mountains, be uncomfortable, etc. It is easy to understand why a small percentage of people successfully complete a thru-hike.

-Attitude: Like we mentioned above, we have our ups and downs every day. As the experienced hiker say, “never quit on a bad day.” We have hope that the uphill will end soon, the soreness/pain will feel better shortly, and we’ll dry out at some point. Having hope that things will get better, feeling accomplished at the end of the day, enjoying at least one vista each day, and laughing with our buddies keeps us going.

Things we love about the trail:
-People: We have met some awesome people...fellow hikers and hostel owners mainly. There is an instant bond and friendship is easily formed. Some of the funniest and neatest people are out here. We know we have made some life-long friends.

-The simplicity of life: For the most part, everything we need is on our back. We quickly realized how many things back in Chicago that we own and don't need. Additionally, all we have to worry about really is hiking and surviving (or meeting our basic needs...food, water, shelter, clothing, etc.).

-The appreciation we have for everything (of course, friends/family, our jobs, our home back in Chi City). But also, the little things, like pop, food, etc. We enjoy things so much more on trail.

-Challenging our bodies and minds every day. It is absolutely amazing what we can do when our mind is in the right place. It is also amazing what our bodies are able to do. Our muscles are tired, our joints are sore, and we constantly accumulate new bruises, bites, and scrapes. But, our bodies heal.

A typical day on the AT:

-Wake up between 7-8am (by sunrise not alarm)

-Take 1 hour to:
• Change into hiking clothes that have been stuffed into our sleeping bag. This helps dry them out SLIGHTLY via our body temp, or at the very least, keep them warm. Unfortunately, our sleeping bags smell dirty socks...literally. We often change in our bags which takes some talent that we have yet to master. Typically, we just tell the guys to look away for a moment.
• Pack up (deflate pad, stuff sleeping bag, repack entire pack...once we take a few things out, we have to make sure everything fits back in). This can be difficult as the mornings have been extremely cold, and our fingers often feel like ice cubes which limits ours dexterity.
• Eat (we typically grab something easy so we can get back on the trail quickly-P&B and tortilla, a breakfast bar, etc. If we need a bit more of break, we'll make oatmeal and coffee..oooh...gourmet :)

-Hit the trail by 8-9am

-Break every 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours. This ensures we get some calories in our body because we'll eat a snack (granola bars, candy, beef sticks...read bad-for-you-food), take off the pack, and give our feet/legs/shoulders a much needed rest. It also allows us to complain about the 5+ mountains we just climbed and the pointless ups and downs (aka PUDS), our soreness, laugh with our hiking buddies, etc.

-Reach the shelter/campsite by 6:30-8pm. Set up camp, eat dinner (ramen noodles, mashed potatoes, and most recently, our mom's dehydrated food...not only good for us...but delish!), hang our food bag (to keep the bears away from our food), hang out packs unzipped (to try and keep the mice out-fyi...keeping the bags unzipped allows the mice to go into our bag and not chew through our bags), and hit the sack. Hiker's midnight is 9pm! While we are in bed early and for a good 9-11 hours, we toss and turn quite a bit. Why? (1) Cold...switching positions allows us to warm different sides of our bodies (2) soreness (3) animals-like mice running across us (4) people's snoring (5) random noises.

A typical day in-town:
-Laundry: By this point, our clothes can basically walk off by themselves. Our socks keep the same shape as when they are on our feet. Talk about a funk. It is a similar smell to dead fish. What else could we expect from hiking in wet socks and shoes for 4-6 days.

-Shower: After 4-6 days of hiking all day long, we don't smell the prettiest. The deodarant helps us on the trail. Most hikers don't wear to avoid the extra weight in their pack, but wearing deodarant prevents many meltdowns on Kirstin's part. Hikers tease us about this luxury item we are willing to carry.

-Resupply: Unfortunately, we are too far from a decent grocery store. So, we often buy the next leg's supply from the Dollar General. They are well stocked on packaged, preservative-filled food such as granola bars, peanut butter, candy, chips, crackers, tortilla, etc. They are not well stocked on veggies, fruit, and protein.

-Internet: We try to hit up the world-wide-web in these small (okay, podunk) towns. For instance, one town had 680 people. Not only did I graduate from high school with that amount of folks, but we were able to hit up the entire town in 2 hours...literally. If the hostel does not have this amenity (which is typical), we go to the library. Speed is slow and time is limited. We have 1/2-1 hour to check email, respond to messages, figure out finances, look for gear changes, etc. Having such little time is CRAZY annoying. Librarians will kick us off even if there is no one else there...grrrh. No offense to any librarians reading, but they must take a course on "how to be a difficult to patrons for no good reason."

-Phone: Oh Sprint...not much good to say about the service. Therefore, we are reliant on good 'ole payphones. Yep, they still exist. If we do have cell service, we can usually only call at odd hours when friends and family aren't available. Just know, we want to talk to you all. It is just not as easy as you think.

Typical things we worry about:
-Weather. Rain is the worst (so far, that is). Everything gets soaked even gortex or gear that is meant to withstand wetness. Things don't dry out overnight either, which means we are putting on wet, cold gear in the morning. We would not wish this upon anyone. Hands and feet are beyond a prune-like state after 4-5 days of rain, and our gear smells horrific. But since we have been on th trail, we have been experiencing the trifecta...rain, wind, and cold...awesome. The next complaint is going to be heat, so check back shortly for those complaints.

-People. There are some bizarre folks out here (including people running from the law...no kidding). We spent the 2 days on the look out for a certain fellow wanted by the Polk County Sheriff. Don't worry, we took a picture of the "Wanted" poster for reference. FREAKY! While the majority of hikers are very nice, there are still quite a few weirdos. Britt has been solicited to "cuddle" for $100. Then, there are the mountain/hill folks which we have been warned to have big guns. As long as we stay on trail, we should be able to avoid most issues. They will fire warning shots to let us know they're out there. Luckily, we have been hiking for the most part with some great guys who watch are backs both in-town and on the trail.

-Animals & Bugs. They crawl on us at night, bite us, and come too close to our campsite/shelter.

-Water sources. Running low on H2O is worrisome. While springs can be plentiful, there are times when we'll go over a day without a good water source. We often have to dip into what many people would consider mud puddles. No worries...drinking dirt and leaves is beginning not to phase us. When we do get water, it is often right before we hit the sack. Of course, we have to then pee during the night. Britt is good about getting up in the middle of the night to use the ladies' room (read...the woods behind the shelter) while Kirstin rather stay warm and end up in diapers in a few years.

-Food resupply. Hunger is a huge issue out here since calorie burn is quite high. In one town we had to resupply for the Smokies (5 days) at a gas station. Let's just say peanut butter, pop tarts, and candy for every meal isn't the most nutritious. Plus, it was super expensive. We don't want to over-buy food because that equates to too much weight on our backs. No, we have not gotten our estimations down yet.

-Elevation & terrain. The steepness is tough on our shoulders and knees. The terrain (roots, rocks, etc.) is hard on our feet/ankles/knees/shoes. Mud slides cause us to slip.

Typical things we don't have to worry about:
-What to wear. We only have 1 hiking outfit, 1 sleeping outfit, and 1 set of rain gear. Can you tell by the pictures?

-What day is it. No one on the trail ever knows. There isn't much that separates one day from the next except when we're it town, and we need to know business hours.

-Manners. As we sit around to eat a snack/meal as a group, we'll find any given person (1) farting (2) burping (3) doing a farmer's blow (4) eating peanut butter with their fingers (5) using a sleeve as a napkin (6) spitting (7) using their dirty pants as a plate. No worries...these things haven't ruined our appetite.

-What we are going to do the next day…uhh…hike :)

Georgia...check, North Carolina...check, Tennessee...check

2009-04-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Damascus, Virginia. Yesterday (Tuesday, March 31) we hiked over 26 miles to get to town (our highest mileage yet!). We spent the night at a Methodist church. This morning, we ate breakfast at the local diner (eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy) connected to the gas station), did laundry, stopped at 2 outfitters, took showers , made a few phone calls, rented a hostel room ($10/person), and are sitting at the library to update our blog. We're always impressed what we can accomplish in such a short time when things are centrally located.

A BRIEF UPDATE!

Hot Springs, NC to Erwin, TN:
After leaving Hot Springs, "Wanted" signs were posted at each road crossing! The local Police department had posted photographs of a criminal hiding somewhere on the trail. Needless to say, we were a bit concerned. The posters offered very little information beside his photo, except that he was armed and dangerous, and immediately contact 911 if seen. At this time we were in a hurry to find some hiking partners (safety in numbers). Fortunately, we met up with Dustin a.k.a "Myco Polo."

Erwin to Greasy Gap Friendly (Hostel):
After leaving Uncle Johnny's hostel in Erwin, the rain began. Worried about another Tray Mountain experience, we decided to get off the trail and stay at a hostel. The Greasy Gap Friendly (she prefers friendly over hostel ;) is run by C.C. "C.C." stands for Crazy Connie or Cooks & Cleans, but we think the first name suits her better. It was nice to get out of the rain, drink hot tea, take a shower and sleep in a dry bunk house. After leaving C.C.'s house, we set off for some incredibly difficult climbs in horrible weather. After our hostel stay in Greasy, our hiking partner numbers increased by two (5 of us in total) - Cody a.k.a. "C-Zur" and Lucas a.k.a. "Mulleigh" and so did our laughs.

Greasy Gap Friendly to Kincora Hostel (Dennis Cove, TN):
Supposedly, we passed beautiful, scenic views however due to the horrible weather we were unable to see anything. We hiked in hurricane-like weather (torrential down pour & wind speeds that were captured by TV reporters). Once again we headed into town to get relief from the weather. The Kincora Hostel is run by Bob People (cool name!), a well respected man on the trail. He is one of the people that will sign our hiking certificate if, and when, we complete our thru-hike.

Kincora to Damascus:
Monday, we hiked over 15 miles to Iron Mountain Shelter. Yesterday, we hiked over 26 miles to get to Damasus, Virginia. Our bodies were a bit sore from the long hike but it helped being in such good company (our three hiking partners).

We will spend the entire month of April hiking in Virginia. Tomorrow (Thursday, April 2) we'll begin our hike to Marion, VA. Sunday, we will meet up with our mom, sister & aunt. We're so excited to see them & look forward to their visit. Unfortunately, we will say goodbye to our hiking friends as they move onward. We look forward to the next group of friends we will meet & hike with.

Trek On...Thanks to everyone for you support, comments & laughs! We wish we had more time to personally comment & talk with each of you .

Hi Everyone - this is Brittany and Kirstin's mom (Karen). The Chicago sisters as they are known on the trail were granted limited time to use the computer in the Damascus library (which made them very frustrated as they were unable to add any pictures or edit and complete this blog.; hope it wasn't a shower/hygenie issue). So please be patient and hopefully they will be able to give you a more complete update in the near future. Stay tuned!

PICTURES

2009-03-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Our stove & pot.

After Franklin, NC, we found "Apple," a trail angel, 15 miles on the trail. He cooked us hot dogs and had a buffet of candy & cookies. Plus, we spent the night in his tent with 2 other thru-hikers (the bonus: his wood burning stove.)

We built a wall of shoes around a fire-place in the Smokies. After hiking in the rain, a few boys from Kentucky were able to build a fire (they did have a fire block starter ;)

"Walk-About" & "Endor" in the Smokies. This shelter had a fire-place as well as a bear cage.

Christian Trail Angels "Fal" & "Herecules" opened their home to provide hikers with a meal & a book. It was so good to have a home cooked meal!

Surprise! We found cold Cokes in the spring...more trail magic.

An awesome care package from our parents...THANKS!

Kirstin somewhere around Big Butt.

SCENIC VIEWS

Dustin a.k.a. "Myco-Polo" & Kristin on top of Big Bald.

Hello from Hot Springs, NC

2009-03-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

water source for drinking & cooking...rainy day in the Smokies

QUICK NOTE: We are having issues downloading pics. More to come soon!

QUICK RECAP: We've finished the Smokies a few days ago. It was rough-it poured each of the 5 days, there were no views, the terrain was rough (the trail was steep, stream-like, and icy in parts), the trail wasn't well marked. Luckily, we met up with our 2 hiking buddies ("Endor" and "Splinter" at each shelter. This was nice as the Smokies is a bit freaky. For instance, the first night we stayed at a shelter that was caged in order to keep hikers safe from bears. A mama bear chased a group of hikers from Michigan out of the park earlier that morning. We didn't see her...phew! We took another unexpected pit stop (only 14 hours) in Gatlinburg, TN in order to find respite from pouring rain and cold.

After the Smokies, we rested at Standing Bear Farm hostel (200 yards from the AT). We enjoyed a $10 DiGiorno (sp?) frozen pizza and warm shower. Thanks "Rockhound" and Curtis for your hospitality!

The last shelter we stayed with "Endor" and "Splinter" was mice-infested. They ran all over us throughout the night. To make it worse, this shelter was known for bear visits. Needless to say, none of slept well.

Now, we are taking a zero day in Hot Springs, NC which we are enjoying immensely-coffee, food, shower, laundry, and internet. Our next planned stop is Erwin, TN which we should be at in 4-6 days. We hope to have cell service (but unlikely!) so we can catch up with all. Happy Hiking!

OFFICIAL TRAIL NAMES:

BRITT a.k.a "HOT MESS" - As mentioned earlier, Britt constantly falls, spills, loses things, has a bizarre organizational system (one that Kirstin doesn't understand nor appreciate).

KIRSTIN a.k.a "IDAG" or "TOO CLEAN" - While Kirstin wants to hang on to Idag which is explained in a previous post, our hiking buddies are disturbed by her obsession with being clean. She'll take every opportunity to do laundry (even if by hand) or take a shower. It doesn't help that she carries an oversized bottle of Dr. Bronner's soap. Fellow thru-hiker "Walk-About" said it is the size that the car wash buys once a year.

STATISTICS:

Tuesday, March 17, we've been on the trail for 3 weeks.
We've hiked 12.5% of the trail.
We're out of the Smokies (72 miles)...all in the rain and no views.
We've been in 3 states: Georgia, North Carolina & Tennessee.
We'll be on the border of North Carolina & Tennessee for an additional 115 miles until we are solely in Tennessee.
We've eaten 5 jars of peanut butter.
We've taken 5 showers...not bad, not bad.
We've had 7 rainy days and 1 snowy day.
So far, we've had 5 hitches into town. There was a 2 part hitch from Gatlenburg to New Found Gap (15 miles). Our funny story is that every hiker says we are more likely to get a ride since we're girls. However, as we waited on the side of the roade, are trail buddies (2 boys that were 150 yards ahead of us) got picked up first. We know it was our hard work :) When we caught up to them, they told us they road in the bed of the pickup truck, whereas we got to ride in the cab with the driver. Chivalry still exists!
Kirstin has 26 bug bites on her hands (not counting all the other bites on her other body parts). Keep in mind, it's not bug season yet...YIKES!
We received our first mail drop a.ka. care package (THANKS Mom & Dad! Yeah, for home cooking, sweet notes, and real deodarant!).
We've tried 2 new candy bars, Zero & Zagnut. More to come:)
Britt almost a dozen times on the trail. Kirstin has stumbled but no complete falls yet!
We've seen only one other girl hiker.
We've been called Yankees at least 7 times.
Britt's lost a mitten and dark Snickers bar. Kirstin's lost her bandana.
We've completed our first 20+ mile day (a bit further than our 19.3 mile day)
Sprint doesn't work ANYWHERE...grrrh!

THE THINGS PEOPLE SAY:

"What made you want to do this horrendous thing?" Will a.k.a "Burns"(a fellow thru-hiker)
"Are you them...there...those...long distance hikers?" An ederly couple offering a ride into town. We would have taken it, but we would have cut off 2.5 miles of the AT (talk about a white blaze purist which is an AT hiker that treks the entire trail with no shortcuts)
"Are you for sure heading back to Chicago? Because if your not, I'd have to call you a damn yankee!" One of our rides.
When we ask what kind of hike is ahead of us for the day. Everyone responds "A few MAJOR climbs, but nothing harder than what you've already done." This is code for "it's going to be a rough day again." Once we complete the AT, the elevation climbed will equal climing up and down Mt. Everest 16 times. We believe it!!
While on a steep climb, Britt asked Kirstin if she had her hiking legs. Kirstin's response: "Not yet."
"I'll quit tomorrow." - "Walk-About" told us to use this motto any time we feel like ending our adventure.

General Store Closed

2009-03-12T05:27:00.000-07:00

We heard from Brittany and Kirstin yesterday from a payphone outside a laundromat in Franklin, NC (Sprint service hasn't been very reliable on the trail). They had a couple days of nice weather for hiking, but the rain came in and the temperature dropped drastically. The general store was closed so they had to buy their lunch and supplies from a gas station (pricey), and of course get quarters for their laundry. While in their rain gear they washed their clothes (at least that is what I understood) - but no warm shower until the next stop. Here are some spot messages and their locations from the last couple days and one from this morning.

Monday, March 9:
SPOT Check OK. We're doing fine. Love you and miss you! ESN:0-7418605 Latitude:35.3243 Longitude:-83.5901 Nearest Location:not known Distance:not known Time:03/09/2009 08:22:10 (US/Central) http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=35.3243,-83.5901&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Tuesday, March 10:
SPOT Check OK. We're doing fine. Love you and miss you! ESN:0-7418605 Latitude:35.3308 Longitude:-83.6671 Nearest Location:not known Distance:not known Time:03/10/2009 08:46:30 (US/Central) http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=35.3308,-83.6671&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

and this morning Thursday, March 12:
SPOT Check OK. We're doing fine. Love you and miss you! ESN:0-7418605 Latitude:35.4482 Longitude:-83.7937 Nearest Location:not known Distance:not known Time:03/12/2009 07:18:16 (US/Central) http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=35.4482,-83.7937&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Am not sure if this will work, but if you click on the http address (or copy it to the address bar), you should be able to view where they are and their progress. You have the option to view their location on the map, the terrain, and/or the satellite. It is fun to see their progress. I hope it works for you.

They are on their way to Hot Springs, N.C. about 100 miles from Franklin (where they were yesterday), will be starting their trek through the Smokey Mountains today, and hope to be in Hot Springs in about a week.

It is always so wonderful hearing from them. They sounded good, and said they can tell that their legs are getting stronger. I will sign off now and let them blog more on their adventures. Thanks to all of you who are following their blog, they so appreciate it and especially enjoy the comments. They are on their way to Hot Springs, N.C. about 100 miles from Franklin and hope to be there in a week.

Trail Traditions

2009-03-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

Trail Magic:

Yesterday, prior to leaving the trail and heading to Franklin, we encountered our first Trail Magic. Former thru-hikers placed a cooler full of pop & honey buns at the end of the trail. This was an unexpected, lovely treat. The Mello Yellow tasted amazing, and it also help us patiently wait for a hitch into town.

Trail Names:

Another tradition on the trail is to acquire a trail name. This is a moniker that hikers use on the trail instead of their birth name. Often times, you don't know another hiker's "real" name. Prior to leaving, Kirstin creatively chose "Idag" which in Swedish means "today." She chose it to remind her of the importance of living each day to the fullest; to focus on the present day; not to worry so much about what lies ahead; not to reminisce too much over the past; and to incorporate her heritage.

Britt is having some trouble narrowing her name down. The trail names she is considering include: "Bobby Pin," "Stumble" or "Trip." If you know her, these words all fit her well. We'll break it down for those of you who don't know. Help her choose a name or offer a suggestion.
-"Bobby Pin": She is obsessed with keeping her bangs pulled back (which she cuts often despite wanting to grow them out). When she can't find her buzillion bobby pins, she freaks.
-"Stumble" or "Trip": She has already fallen three times, and Kirstin hasn't at all :) She lost a hand-knitted mitten that our mom made but wasn't willing to hike back to find it...who would? She spills food and water every time she eats/drinks. She loses our knife and mace on a consistent basis (but manages to find them at some point). She is a mess when she puts on her pack (gets all the straps in a tangle). The list goes on, but you get the point

When we've been registering, we've signed in as "Chicago Sisters." The other day, a man on the trail yelled "Hey Chicago" to get our attention. We also both have Chicago flag patches sewn on to our packs. We love representing this great city!

"It's a Matter of Survival" by Dave

2009-03-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning, we left our comfy hostel in the pouring rain with our next planned next stop in Franklin, North Carolina (76 miles away). This plan went awry due to weather. The rain continued through the night, which meant we woke up to soaking wet, cold sleeping bags & hiking gear.

It only got worse. Sunday, during our 15.5 mile hike, the rain turned into a blizzard. Snow covered trees made it hard to follow the white blazes to our shelter. We continued to get even more cold. Once at the shelter, we attempted to make macroni & cheese; however, our stove burnt out. So, we ate cold, cheesy liquid with crunchy noodles. The guys we shared the shelter with used various tarps and tent parts to desperately try blocking some of the wind and snow that gusted into the shelter. After 14 hours in our sleeping bag (got in around 6pm to warm up and dry off with no avail), we got very little sleep & remained FROZEN. Beyond our frost bitten bodies, our water and shoes were frozen. Even our hiking socks and clothes that we stuffed into the bottom of our sleeping bags were frozen. To make matters worse, we had only had 3 liters of water each for 3 days. When hiking 9 hours a day, one liter per day is clearly not enough. We knew we were severly dehydrated especially since Kirstin didn't go to the bathroom in a 22 hour period. Needless to write, we were miserable. It was the coldest we have ever been for an extended period of time. We had no other choice than to overcome our pain and hike the 10 miles off the mountain to find respite. The guys that shared the shelter with us that night told us it was necessary to get into town as quickly as possible. As Dave said, "it's a matter of survival."

These conditions forced us to make an "emergency" pit stop in Hiawasee (10 miles from the shelter). It was definitely not a good hike. We stayed at the Blueberry Patch hostel in order to thaw out, dry our gear, take showers, warm up, and try and sleep. The next morning, they dropped us back on the trail, and we hiked the 40 miles to Franklin. We are still trying to recover from the frost bite but it is healing.

Quick story. On Wednesday, we planned to hike 12.5 miles. This turned into 19.3 after a crazy man turned around to hike with us. He followed for over 5 miles despite every effort to lose with a quick pace. To make sure we weren't sleeping near him, we trekked another 6.8 miles (through the darkness). You'd be proud mom, we followed our instincts.

Every day has been a learning experience (nod to the Starcom folks) :)

Now, it's Thursday and were in Franklin, North Carolina. We are taking a "zero" day tomorrow which means no hiking. Plus, we'll enjoy showers, pillows, own bed, running water, flushable toilets, stores, food variety, people, and much more!! YEAH!

Milestones:
-We've hiked over 100 miles
-We've left Georgia & crossed into North Carolina
-We've night-hiked (kind of forced to)
-Kirstin's "being clean" obsession is breaking
-We've slept with wild boars and mice
-We've eaten a candy bar nearly every day (and don't feel bad about it)
-We've hitch-hiked

Kim's Smell-O-Meter: Leaving the huggable phase and moving into shaking hands territory

Unfortunately, our reliable cell service isn't working. So, to all of you...we love you tons, miss you bunches & will talk with you in 55 miles when we're in Fontana Dam (start of the Smokies!). Happy Trails!

In Georgia

2009-02-27T11:05:00.000-08:00

DAY 1: Approach Trail or Springer Mountain?
Out of the 7 hikers leaving on Tuesday, we were the only 2 to begin the trek at Amacola Falls. This meant we did the Approach Trail (an extra 9 miles). GO GIRLS!! The other 5 hikers (all boys) started at Springer Mt. We now know why...a tough, strenuous hike up and down 4 or 5 mountains.

We camped at Springer Shelter. It was a very cold 17 degrees. All was fine until we heard footsteps circling our tent. Freaky, for sure. The next morning we learned it was a guy wanting to party.

DAY 2: 15.1 mile hike to Gooch Shelter
The weather was beautiful. The trek was tough once again. However, our sore bodies and heavy packs added to the difficulty. The scenery was gorgeous, but it is hard to take it all in when you worried about falling off the mountain. Thank goodness our mom (and us) didn't know what the terrain is like or we would be even more nervous. We think the AT is making us hike up every peak in Georgia.

We spent the night with a young guy from Michigan. We agreed not to hang our bear bags because we were told the bears are hibernating. Haha...critters and other creatures are not. We didn't know mountains had pigs. What other animals snort all night long? This freaked out our shelter mate who continuously got up during the night to make sure his food was safe. Fortunately for us, and not so fortunate for our shelter mate, a mouse ran over his face. Yuck!

DAY 3: 11 mile hike to Woods Hole
Our goal was to make it to Neels Gap, but we cut it short due to sore feet and bodies. The weather was misty all day so it was hard to see what was ahead. This slowed us down tremendously as well. We spent the night with two brothers. This is actually the third pair of brothers we have seen on the trail. Kirstin's hypothesis is that crazies run in the family. We have yet to run into any girl hikers. The brothers were hilarious and lifted our spirits. Because of their snoring and other noises, we didn't get a great night sleep. It is nice to have some company in these shelters.

DAY 4: 4.5 mile hike to Neels Gap
Our first hike in pouring rain. We made it up and down Blood Mt. and decided to call it a day at Neels Gap. This isn't a town, but there is a hostel and general store. It was amazing to get out of the cold, take a warm shower, do some laundry (phew...our feet stink!), and get a warm meal.

Our next planned stop is in Franklin, NC pending all goes well. It is 75 miles from here and should take us 5 days to complete. These mountains are kickers...up...down...around...up...up...you get the point. We plan to pick up the pace once we get beyond the mountains.

Thanks for all the support and posts! We miss you and love you all.

And they're off!

2009-02-23T20:02:00.000-08:00

All packed up ready to go to the airport. With Dad. . . .
With Mom. . . . .
It was hard saying goodbye (we love having them so close and able to spend time with them and share in their other experiences). We are excited for them, impressed with their adventurous spirits, proud of their determination, and. . . . . . (I am their mom, you know). Anyway, they made it to the hostel in Georgia, and tomorrow they start their trek. Thanks to all of you for following their adventures. Normally they will post and keep you up to date, but I had the pictures and thought you all might enjoy them.

good bye

2009-02-23T05:42:00.000-08:00

Well we're off. Georgia bound. After a late, late night, we're packed, sparkly clean & well fed. Mom, Dad & Erik....THANK YOU. Kiara, you're excused because you lack the necessary skills such as rope tieing, bag packing and innovative gear adapting that was required:)

To everyone, thanks for the super sweet text messages, phone calls, emails, posts, prayers & support. FOLLOW US! We'll keep you updated.

Bob, I'll see you at the airport.

HEAVIER THAN WHAT WE WANTED

2009-02-23T05:15:00.000-08:00

Below are picture that make up the bulk of what we will carry. It doesn't include our clothes or our backpacks. Happy Hiking!

Shelter/Sleeping

Kitchen/Cookware

Hygeine

Emergency

First Aid

Luxury

our first week's menu

2009-02-20T16:41:00.001-08:00

Here is a picture of the food & drink for our first 40 miles. Tuesday morning (2/24/09), the hostel will drop us at the approach trail. It's an 8 mile trek to the beginning of the AT. Word is...this upward climb is extremely difficult and takes the entire day. Once we're on the AT, Neel's Gap is the first town which is approximately 40 mile away. As for our food, we're not confident we have the right amount but we are confident it's not very healthy. In town, we promise to load up on fruits, veggies, protein & milk. We'll let you know how this all pans out!

FOOD
4 boxes of macroni & cheese
2 packets of Teriyaki noodles
6 packages of ramen noodles
1 box of black beans and rice
4-7.05 packets of Chunk ligh tuna
1-22.5 oz. Flour Tortillas (family pack)
1-15oz. peanut butter
8 individual wrapped beef & cheese snacks
1-12oz. Barbeque roasted peanuts
1-12oz. Smoked almonds
12 remaining oz. from a COSCO size container
14 oz. Wasabi WOW! Trail Mix
6 Luna Bars (S'mores)
6 Sweet & Salty Bars (Chocolate Almonds)
6 Odwalla Bar (Berry Go Mega)
12 Sweet & Salty Nut (Peanut & Almond)
1 10oz. braided pretzels twist
6 Snicker Bars
6 Payday Bars
2 pound bag of Twizzlers

DRINKS
4 boxes of Propel (10 packets/box)
8 oz. instant coffee

Erik's contribution
2-2.4 oz. Hummus Dip
2-1/3/4 oz. Sausage
2-2 oz. cheese
6-1/8fl ounces of Tabasco
1-1.4 oz. mustard

Juju's supply
2 Clif Bar (Oatmeal Raisin Walnut)
2 Luna (S'more)
2 Clif Shot Electrolyte Replacement Drink
2 Clif SHot Recovery Protein Drink
4 Java Juice (French Vanilla & Hazelnut)

Happy Hearts Day

2009-02-14T11:37:00.000-08:00

We have a couple people to THANK.

Julie...for your fun filled, very thoughtful, super sweet package. Because of you, we will be warm, moisturized, nourished and able to see!

Jaime...thanks for the medical kit, GPS unit & fun messages. Your continuous support during our crazy adventures is always encouraging. Wish you could come with us. You will be missed!

Bob...thanks for making sure we stay safe. We appreciate you providing us with hard core ammo to ward off furry creatures and creepy people.

Mark, Trevor and Frank at REI...for your tips, jokes & encouragement. Now, our bags (Osprey Ariel 75) are ready to go! The bags have been adjusted, re-adjusted & molded to fit our hips.

If it weren't for the support of these people or tons of others, we wouldn't feel as prepared.

official last day at work - Friday, Feb. 13

2009-02-13T11:56:00.000-08:00

Brittany:
Over 4 weeks ago, my principal signed off on my plan to thru-hike the AT. Her support made my dream a reality. This past week, I...
Tuesday - transitioned a permanent sub
Wednesday - said goodbye & hugged my students
Thursday - celebrated honest Abe's birthday
Friday - completed paperwork & handed over my classroom key!
With a granted leave of absence, I'm on my way. To all my coworkers & students, see you in September!

Kirstin:
It was a bittersweet farewell. It's been 7 1/2 years to the day. On August 13th, 2001 at the young age of 21, I began my career at Starcom. On February 13th, 2009, I walked away from the familiar building, familiar routine, familiar work, and familiar faces. I have been comfortable with the challeging work, the stressful days, my talented and funny coworkers, and rewarding accomplishments. It's time for change, it's time to get out of my comfort zone, it's time to challenge myself physically, emotionally, and mentally. While I look forward to the experience and the simplicity of life for the next 6+ months, anxiety and nervousness seem to override my excitement for right now. Trying to keep my emotions in check has been difficult as this transition has been overwhelming and confusing. This will change as I become accustomed to hiking miles and miles every day and living out in the wilderness.

Thanks to all my sweet friends, coworkers, and management who are supporting me on my adventure and my desire to complete the AT. See you in September!

This next week will be devoted to our final trip preparations and goodbyes to friends and family. I know it won't be easy.

T minus 15 days

2009-02-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

Our flight to Atlanta, Georgia takes off Monday, February 23. Hostel prior to our trek is booked, majority of our gear is purchased, and our apartment is mostly packed up. While we have done so much there's tons more yet to be done.

Gradually, we've packed up our apartment in order to open up space for Kiara and Stasie. This process has showed how much junk we've accumulated. After several car loads (thanks Bob) to our parent's home, we had the grueling task of putting our boxes into the attic. We lifted boxes that weighted close to 35 pounds which is the weight we will carry on our backs. YIKES!

We keep checking our emotional status: excited - yes & nervous - for sure. Check in later.

have a great camp

2009-02-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

Today, Britt received the below precious email from a student. Enjoy!
ms. f, I wiil miss you. see you on september
have a great camp. -A

State by State

2009-02-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

We will travel northbound (NoBo), starting at Springer Mountain and ending our hike on Mt. Katahdin.

Georgia - 75 Miles
Tennessee-North Carolina - 371 Miles
Virginia - 544 Miles
West Virginia - 2 Miles
Maryland - 41 Miles
Pennsylvania - 232 Miles
New Jersey - 74 Miles
New York - 88 Miles
Connecticut - 52 Miles
Massachusetts - 90 Miles
Vermont - 146 Miles
New Hampshire - 161 Miles
Maine - 281 Miles

The Appalachian Trail Map

2009-01-29T13:05:00.000-08:00

what we're thinking

2008-11-22T11:36:00.000-08:00

We made the brilliant decision to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail (aka do the entire AT at one time).

WHAT?
-An almost 2,200 mile trail through 14 states in the East Coast
-We'll be hinking northbound (from Georgia to Maine)...hence our blog name NoBosters

WHY?
-To experience and enjoy God's land
-To live simply
-To challenge ourselves mentally, physically, and emotionally

HOW?
-Leaving our jobs...hopefully, granted a leave of absence
-Sub-leasing our apartment with most of our furnishings...thanks Kiara and Stasie!
-Storing our other things in our parents' attic...thanks mom and pops!
-Paying (and bribing) Kiara & Stasie to take care of McKinley (Britt's dog)
-Researching and buying all the necessary gear which will be on our backs the entire time
-Reading and learning as much as possible about life on the trail (but we'll never be fully prepared!)

WHEN?
-Starting Mid-February 2009
-Ending 6-7 months later

RESERVATIONS?
-Yes. Leaving our jobs in a bad economy
-Yes. Leaving our family, Britt's dog, and our friends for an extended period of time
-Yes. Being cold (Britt's concern), being dirty (Kirstin's concern), being hungry
-Yes. Leaving the comforts of our everday life (music, food variey, TV, flushable toilets, daily showers, books)
-No. Brekaing from the daily grind
-No. An adventure, leaving our comfort zone, learning a ton, challanging ourselves
-No. Enjoying the stars, nature, interesting people along the way
-No. Having everything we need on our back

This has been a big decision, but an even bigger preparation process. We have less than 3 months until we head out, and we have a TON left to do. We'll keep you updated.