Pics From Our Daleville to Waynesboro Trek!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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.