Day 36: Nothing much happened to me or the elephant I am riding or to my 2 sheep I am shepherding. Although last night I lost one of my sheep to the wild ponies. I didnt see it coming, but was able to knit a wool hat and had some lamb burgers for lunch today. lol.
Actually, two things happened. I broke through the 500 mile barrier, and realized that we are done with 5000 & 6000 ft mountains till New Hampshire. Yeah. Officially did 20 miles today, which puts me at 514.2 or 23.6% of the trail completed.
Cowboy killer (story of his name to come) & Dynamite are here with me at this shelter. Still no CJ. Hopefully he will catch up to us.
Only 6 more days till I get to see Amee in Pearisburg!
Christine: Praying you & baby is doing well. Shane as well.
This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!
To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.
To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime 6.5 or higher is required. Visit www.apple.com/quicktime/download to download the free player or upgrade your existing QuickTime Player. Note: During the download process when asked to choose an installation type (Minimum, Recommended or Custom), select Minimum for faster download.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Trimpi Shelter.jpg
Grayson Highlinds.jpg
Day 35: Well if I thought the view from Hightop mnt was cool, I had an eye opener at the Highlands.
After Hightop, we went over Mt. Rogers to Thomas Knob shelter. There I ate dinner & headed on to Wise shelter. That is where I encountered the Highlands!
Grayson Highlands are the coolest part of the trail so far. They have wild ponies in the park. I saw 16 adult ponies & 2 younglings. I even got them to come up to me and lick my hand. Plus 2 bunny rabbits. I will put up some cool videos at Pearisburg.
Officially I hiked 23.7 miles today. I am 494.2 miles from Springer & 1682.0 miles from Katahdin.
Also today the 4 horsemen disbanded for the night. I am the only one here from our group. Dynamite & CK are tenting in the Highlands, and CJ actually is at his home. He had to get his warm sleeping back & will hopefully catch back up by Pearisburg. I have been hiking with CJ since day 14. I am alittle bummed tonight.
Lakewood: Widowmaker is here tonight. He thrud in 2007 & ran into u.
This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!
To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.
To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime 6.5 or higher is required. Visit www.apple.com/quicktime/download to download the free player or upgrade your existing QuickTime Player. Note: During the download process when asked to choose an installation type (Minimum, Recommended or Custom), select Minimum for faster download.
Whitetop Mnt.jpg
Hiked up Whitetop Mnt to Buzzard Rocks. Great views all around. Ate lunch up there for about an hour. Dynamite is chilling out and catching a nap.
Just wanted to post about it. More to come!
Shepherd.
This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!
To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.
To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime 6.5 or higher is required. Visit www.apple.com/quicktime/download to download the free player or upgrade your existing QuickTime Player. Note: During the download process when asked to choose an installation type (Minimum, Recommended or Custom), select Minimum for faster download.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Willie Boy.jpg
Good morning.
This is Willie Boy, who I met 4 days ago at Kincora hostel. He lives in Chicago.
Found out that he has 4 brothers that live in Lafayette, and that I actually work with one of them at Home hospital. His name is Chris DeFabio. I dont believe I have ever met him, but some of my coworkers knows him. It is a small world.
Well he is also thruhiking, and is doing well.
Beautiful morning so far. Not sure how far I will hike today.
Shepherd
Monday, April 7, 2008
Saunders Shelter.jpg
Day 34: Well today we didn't get out of the gates like we wanted. CJ had to get a pedicure, his back waxed & a massage. Nah, actually only a massage. He said it was totally worth it. I should of got one. So we didnt get on the trail till 3:30 pm. No complaints from me cause we just cont. to chill in the AC house with running water, tv and a refrig! Again thanks Joe & Kaye.
So officially we hiked 9.4 miles. We are 470.5 miles from Springer & 1705.7 miles from Katahdin. The weather was sunny & 70's. Very nice with very minimal bugs. Spring has arrived. Trees are flowering & some flowers are popping up along the trail. It is nice to see. Although I am about 6.5 miles off schedule, but that shouldnt be hard to make up. Get to see Amee in 8 days! Yeah.
Here at the shelter with the 4 horseman (what we are calling ourselves when we hike together), Matthew & Willie boy! I am glad to see Willie again. Will post about him tomorrow!
God bless,
Shepherd
Joe and Kaye Boggs.jpg
Here are CJ's parents, who went out of their way to feed and house 4 hungry thru-hikers. They are wonderful people, and I cant thank them enough for all the love they have shown me. To God be the glory.
Thanks again.
Shepherd.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Sunday service at Anitoch Church.jpg
Day 33: Well this was the longest I have walked to go to church. lol. The pastor even mentioned something about walking 400 plus miles to come to this church. Too funny.
Kaye, CJ, & I went to service. It was very refreshing to be back with God's people and to hear a biblical sermon and sing some hymns. We were in the book of Acts today talking about Christ's appearances after His resurrectuon. To God be the glory.
Now it is lunch at Outback and then resupply time! It is nice not having to hike today.
Shepherd.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Home Cooked Meal.jpg
Well I am stuffed! Check out the spread that Kaye fixed us. She had to be cooking all day. We had roast beef, potatoes, carrots, corn, green beans, beets, corn bread & salad. For dessert we had peach blueberry cobbler with ice cream, brownies, apple cake & oatmeal raisen cookies. Wow! thanks again for such wonderful hospitality.
It was delicious! To actually have food with vitamins and minerals was such a treat.
Tennessee and Virgina state line.jpg
Day 32: Well we made it to Damascus! We hiked at tough 25.9 miles today. My feet and legs definetly are feeling it. We are 461.1 miles from Springer & 1715.1 miles from Katahdin.
Also we knocked out another state today. Tennesse is finished, so 3 down and 11 more to go. Unfortunetly Virginia has over 550 miles long, so we will be here for awhile.
We are on our way to the Boggs' super deluxe hostel in Bristol. I cant wait for another shower and home cooking! Plus, I will get to go to church tomorrow! Yeah.
In the picture is me on the state line marker.
Happy birthday G-knee!
Shepherd.
Minature Shelter.jpg
We came across this shelter about 11.3 miles from Damascus. The funny thing about this shelter was that it was super small. If you can see Dynamite & Cowboy Killer are actually standing up in the shelter and you can only see their body from the chest down cause the entry way is only like 4 ft high. It barely sleeps 2. We found out that this is an emergency shelter, but it wasnt even in the data books. Funny. Well here is what I put in the register at this shelter. Warning: it isnt politically correct. lol.
This shelter was created for the increasing Japanese/Chinese hiking community on the AT or it is the honeymoon love shack for the newlyweds on the trail. Although you couldnt carry your new bride into the shelter. lol.
Well, we all had a good laugh there and got some great pictures. There were also some other good register entries as well.
Shepherd.
Friday, April 4, 2008
One Month Snapshot.jpg
Day 31: Well one month of being on the trail is now in the books. Hard to imagine that it has been that long. I thought I would snap a pic of me, so everyone can see my transformation into grizzly adams. Here are some one month stats as I reflect back.
Officially hiked 24.3 miles today, so we are 435.2 miles from Springer & 1741.0 from Katahdin, which averages out to be 14 miles per day.
Shelters: 19
Hostels: 4
Hotels: 4
Tarp: 3
Cowboy: 1
Showers: 8
Laundry: 4
Rain: 7
Snow: 3
Campfires: 11
Poptarts: 62
Snickers: 30
Paydays: 13
Nabs: 14
Pizza slices: 18
Cookies: 10
M&M's: 5
Milkways: 4
Ben & Jerry's: 2
Mayfield Ice cream: 2
Also I had lost 5 pounds by Hot Springs. Down to 162 lbs.
Tomorrow we will hike 25.9 into Damascus to spend the next 2 days with the Boggs' family! Yeah! Thank you. God bless.
Shepherd
PS: Totally understand about being under the weather. Hope you're feeling better, will be praying for you. No problem about Damascus, OK to send to Pearisburg PO. Thanks
Risk at Kincora Hostel.jpg
Day 30: Today was an easy nero day. Officially 9.3 miles, which puts us 410.9 miles from Springer & 1765.3 from Katahdin.
We are at Kincora hostel, which definetly gets 4 stars. Bob Peoples goes out of his way to cater to hikers. Bill plan to stay here. Showered and ate 3 beef n chedders & curly fries at Arby's. Dynamite ate over 3000 cals there! Then we went back to play some Risk! One of the greatest game created. I came out victorious, when all hope looked lost. Then we had some pizza & ice cream for dessert, and I know I am still loosing weight.
Well 2 days til Damascus. Rain in the forecast. Yeah.
Shepherd
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Hump Mountain.jpg
Day 29: Wonderful day for hiking. To God be the glory. This picture is of CJ hiking up Hump Mnt. In the distance you can see little hump mnt & Bradley's gap. This area is by far the most beautiful part of the trail to date. 360 degree views, took lots of pics and some video. Amazing. God's creation is beautiful. Worth the climb over Roan.
Well today we planned on hiking 17.4 miles but when do we listen to reason. We then decided to hike another 3.8 miles to Abby's place hostel. Well found that was closed for 2008, so we decided to hike onwards another 2 miles and camped at hardcore cascades. Officially, we hike 23.2 miles, and 401.6 miles from Springer.
So today we officially said goodbye to NC. 2 states down & 12 more to go. Plus we broke into the 400 mile territory! Yeah.
Then we will take a nero at Kincora hostel to resupply for Damascus push.
Happy birthdaty dad! Love ya!
Shepherd.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Jane Bald.jpg
Day 28: Well today was a beautiful day for hiking. God is great! He is even if it rained today. Wonderful views from Jane Bald and Grassy ridge. Thx Lakewood & PS for the heads up. Took lots of pics!
Officially did 12.9 miles, but that included Roan mnt. Our last 6000 ft mnt till NH. It was tough but not horrible. Did groan a few times though. It is a multi-tear mnt, so you go up & level off like 7 times before getting to the top! The southbounders have it easy going up Roan, it was very easy downhill!
Officially we are 377.9 miles from Springer & 1798.3 miles from Katahdin. We are in an old barn converted to a shelter with great views. Overmountain Shelter. CJ, Dynamite & Sam (now called Cowboy Killer) are here as well.
God bless,
Shepherd
Pine forest.jpg
Day 27: Praise God we made it to our shelter safe & sound. The day started off ominous with the threat of rain, and everyone was sick from the chinese yesterday. CJ couldn't even eat his Sonic breakfast buritto! Well we left the hostel at 9 am, planning to do 16.6 easy miles since it is all uphill & our packs are full of food.
Well CJ had this brilliant idea about half way to the shelter to go on to the next shelter since thunderstorms were forecasted tomorrow. Well once we did the 16.6 miles, we found out the next shelter was 8.8 more miles. So what did we do, you guessed it. We hiked on!
So officially we hiked 25.2 miles, the longest yet. We are 365 miles from Springer & 1811.2 miles from Katahdin. Yes we are lean mean hiking machines, but only plan to do 12.9 miles tomorrow! We got into the shelter at 7:15 pm.
The views from beauty spot were awesome, plus the pine forest on top of Unaka mnt was something out of a movie set.
Tomorrow is Roan mnt! Yeah baby.
Shepherd
