Damascus, VA

7/4
Started at Abingdon Shelter
Ended at Damascus, VA
10.2 miles

Woke up to rain on the tin roof of the shelter. It was supposed to rain all day so we ate and got our rain gear on. Since we were so close to town everyone was up early and out of the shelter fast. We were one of the last to leave, and within a few hours everyone had passed us.

Pete kept us from getting an early start by refusing to eat his oatmeal because it was the wrong flavor. Then he said it tasted bad and didn't want it. I'm out of flax, honey, raisins, and walnuts so it was really plain compared to my usual oatmeal. Still, the other kids ate, but Pete wouldn't, and then he got upset when I took it. It was a hard morning for him and dinner was not much better.

The walk to town was easy so we made good time, a little under 5 hours. The trail goes by a playground so we had to stop, and the sun came out about the same time so I was able to dry our gear before we got to the Dancing Bear.

After the playground we went into town. The trail goes over a bridge and the water was really swift, so we wont be doing any swimming, but if the community pool is open we will go check that out. The first stop was Mt Rogers Outfitters to see if my box arrived, but it did not. The boys found headbands and used the tooth fairy money to buy one. The hiker Jesus has two and the boys are copying his style. Pete has the tan one with hiker boot prints and AT symbols.

After showers at the Dancing Bear it was time to eat. We were really hungry and I had been hard at work getting everything out of our packs to dry while the kids showered. Once everything was out to dry we left for Hey Joe, a Mexican place. Sydney wanted the guacamole and the boys got soft tacos. They messed up Pete's order by adding salsa verde, and messed up Sydney's burrito by adding cheese. I asked to keep the soft tacos and I ate them, but when they brought his replacement tacos they had lettuce and Pete refused to eat them (I ate them too). Lucky he had a bunch of chips (but the chips had to much salt for me) and some of the cassadia appetizer. In the end Everyone but Pete was very happy and full. 

After Joes we headed to the Dollar General. They are in almost all the towns we pass. They carry some food so I like to look. This time I got crushed red pepper to spice up our dinners and honey in a squeeze jar so I can put the good honey Mary-j is sending us in it. We also got flip flops as camp shoes. They were a dollar, so not the best quality, but since our shoes have been getting so wet we needed a break. 

On our way back to the Dancing Bear the vegetarian store/cafe was open. We stopped in and got orange-banana smoothies. The menu looks amazing so we will go back. She gave us a sample of chips and homemade hummus that was AWESOME

Walking around town has been interesting because we know so many hikers. Just about every store we went to we knew someone. Even sitting on the porch we see hikers walking past who stop and say hi. 

At the outfitters I got the kids stickers and they used them to decorate their water bottles. They have been talking about getting stickers for at least the last 100 miles. Pete got the peace sign.

As we settled down to read, the kids tried on the flip flops and Pete got a pair that was to small. So we walked back to the store and switched them for a larger pair. As we walked around I decided to stop into a bike shuttle provider and booked us a 10am shuttle to the top of the mountain. At $20 each it was cheaper than the other places I had talked to, and the boys both fell in love with the BMX bikes they had. Sydney will get a nice bike too.

Abingdon Gap Shelter

7/3
Started at Iron Mt Shelter
Ended at Abingdon Shelter
A very rainy 15.9 miles

Today we started and ended our day with our rain gear on. We didn't stop much because of the rain so we made really good time. At the first road crossing we met two older locals who said we had an 80% chance of rain today and Thursday. When we crossed the road we entered a cow field, complete with cows and cow manure. The trail weaved around the fields and after about a mile we went back into the forest.

After a few quick miles we got to double springs shelter as Shivers and Unknown were leaving. They were planning to hike all the way to Damascus today and had 18 miles to go. We stopped at the shelter for a hot lunch (oatmeal) and as we packed up 3 north bound hikers arrived and 1 south bound hiker. It got crowded fast so we were lucky to leave when we did, but before we left Snickers asks me if the kids could have freeze dried ice cream! A guy at the previous shelter gave it to her to give to us. So the kids got a little trail magic today.

We had our Bobo Bars, a little magic from home, and loved the Cinnamon Raisin flavor the best (hint, hint). We also had a few other snacks along the way but with the intense rain we had to eat standing up.

Our water pump is still very slow and when we arrived at the shelter two ladies (mother and daughter) said they had two extra bottles of water (TRAIL MAGIC!!!!!). Now I had breakfast and dinner water. I used the rest to make a special double dose of Hammer Recoverite.

As dinner was cooking I rushed to get everything organized because I knew people would be showing up soon. As I finished cleaning the kids socks the others showed up, Mission Man and Madison, Snickers, the two from Ohio, and the two trail angels for a total of 11 at the shelter. Dinner was a bit chaotic but we all managed and nothing was spilt. As a treat we took two bars from tomorrow's lunch and split them for tonight.

The shelter was built for 6 and we have 8 in it now, the others are tenting. It also leaks, and as I've said it is really raining, so we setup a pack cover to catch the rain and spread some plastic over all of us to keep drips off. It is 8 and everyone is already in bed.

I was especially happy to see Harvey and Pete laying in bed reading Captain Underpants (lower right of picture). Pete has been carrying it in his pack and loves it. He shows it to other hikers and a lot of the guys have read them. Sydney also had fun at the shelter getting some girl time with Snickers (middle of picture). They brushed hair and talked. Usually Sydney has a fit if she can't sleep next to me but had no problem moving tonight.

Iron Mountain Shelter - 200 Miles

7/2
Started at Watauga Lake Shelter
Ended at Iron Mountain Shelter
13.6 miles
We've done 200 miles on the trail

After leaving the shelter we crossed the Watauga dam and met a guy from the TVA. He gave us bedrock from core samples they were drilling at the dam. He also told us about the peach tree and the berry bushes. We got a handful of berries but the peaches were not ripe yet.

At our first break we had a Big Sur Bar, 600 calories of energy packed goodness. They are like mini bricks and my pack is a bit lighter after eating them. 

At the Vandeventer Shelter Shivers and Unknown caught up with us and we got to talk and hike with them, and the boys even got to help light the stove for them when Shivers was making lunch. Our energy was really low when Jesus caught us and stopped to talk. He is a very mellow guy with lots of energy and really picked up our spirits. We hiked with him to the shelter and he stayed for dinner before moving on. He told us about biking the Virginia Creeper trail and he plans to do it too. 

We stopped for water before the shelter and my water pump is really slow, 10 min per 32oz Nalgene. That is painfully slow since we have about 5.5 of them to fill. I can't pump for an hour so we've been pumping at breaks and waiting for Internet so I can get the number and call. I hope it is an easy fix since the filter is only a few weeks old. 

At the shelter it was like a party with old friends; Jesus, Shivers, Unknown, Brad and his friend from Ohio, two 18 year old guys from NC, another guy who was impressed with the kids, and Snickers (the lone adult female). Brad played hacky sack with the boys while Sydney was excited to talk to everyone.  Brad later had problems with his stove so I let him use my stove. He is a runner who ran the Cleveland Marathon.  Shivers also ran a marathon but Unknown has only done a half (it was funny when he said "I only ran two half marathons" and everyone was thinking two halves makes a whole). One of the 18 year old guys brought a Frisbee and if you dropped it you had to sit on the "bench of shame."  Sydney loved sending people to the bench. Later we talked about the trail and southbound hikers told us northbound hikers what shelters to stay at and other trail related things. The northbound hikers did the same. It was a great shelter experience and one of the reasons the trail is so social and why hikers develop such close ties to each other. 

We crossed the 200 miles hiked milestone today.  We didn't celebrate, but Sydney said "I can't wait till 500".

I love this picture of Sydney enjoying her Big Sur Bar

.

Watauga Lake Shelter

7/1

Started at Kincora Hostel

Ended at Watauga Lake Shelter

10.7 miles

When we got up at the hostel, the owner Bob took a group 
of us into "town" for grocers. We stopped at Browns, a full 
service grocer. The had about 10 coolers for drinks, but a 
produce section that had one tomato and one head of lettuce. 
The kids were disappointed they didn't get bananas and now 
want at least 3 each at the next town. I made it up with 
a 3 egg omelet and oatmeal for breakfast. 

Today turned out to be a great day of hiking. The trail had 
a big uphill at the start and we made really good time getting
up it. At the top we had full cell phone reception so we got
emails and called Mary-j. During the hike Sydney tripped 
and her hiking pole hit her in the throat. She was a bit sore
but had some water and a bar and felt better. Harvey had
to go to the bathroom so bad he went behind a tree and I 
had to get the shovel and bury it after the fact. Pete and 
I are both fine. 

After the huge uphill the trail began a gentle downhill all the way to the lake.  At the lake we found a picnic area with bathrooms and covered picnic tables. I also found an outlet to charge my phone. We had lunch and then went swimming. It was easy to cleanup and get water so when it started to rain we went back under cover to have dinner. The rain didn't last long so I called Mary-j and just took it easy while the kids played. After dinner we started the mile hike to the shelter. About ten minutes into the hike it started to rain. The shelter holds 6, so only 2 spots are left for others and I knew of 4 others who were at the shelter. Lucky for us one wanted to tent, two others decided to hike on and tent (so we could have the shelter, thank you Shivers and Unknown).  After we got set up two more hikers came in, and by this time it was really raining, but they decided to tent. So we are sharing the shelter with one other person. Another guy from Kincora is in his hammock with his dog Bear Bait. Total we have 9 at the shelter, all long distance hikers.

This is the swimming spot. 

Kincora Hiking Hostel

6/30
Started near mile marker 396.8
Ended at Kincora Hiking Hostel
15.8 miles

Started with our awesome oatmeal and within an hour of hiking we pass this great waterfall. Lots of big streams today, so water was no issue. I even had a chance to get my hair wet and stood in water during lunch as an ice bath for my feet.

This is the Mountaineer Falls Shelter, a three level deluxe shelter that we stopped to have a Hammer gel. 

We also had a great spot for a snack, complete with a bench!

At the hostel we got our box and planned the 4 days to Damascus. The grocery store was already closed because it is Sunday. We may go in the morning to get some eggs for a deluxe breakfast because Pete has been begging for them (and bananas). They have a washer and dryer so we did our hiking clothes. Bob, the owner, is telling stories about the trail and Pete is reading "Captain Underpants".

Shelters

About every 8-15 miles along the AT you will find shelters, 3 sided with a sleeping platform and a picnic table. Some of the nicer shelters have benches for cooking and multiple levels. This shelter has 2 main levels with a third small platform over the cooking area. It is very nice, but we didn't get to stay because we tented.

Tenting near mile 394.6

6/29
Started at Overland Shelter
Ended on ridge near mile 396.8
17.8 Miles today

We awoke this morning with the other hikers and it seemed like everyone was having oatmeal and talking about how they make it so good or how they need to make it better. We had the deluxe version with flax, cinnamon, honey, raisins, and walnuts. A thru hiker named David (trail name Jesus, but pronounced the Spanish way) gave us some cranberries and now is the boys new best friend. We also had breakfast sausage to complement the meal. All that was missing was the orange juice.

The hike from the shelter was up, and we had some great views down on the shelter and all the tents next to it. The sky was sunny and we crossed a few awesome balds. We even got cell phone reception on a few. The picture is Sydney with Roan Mountain in the background.

In this picture you can see the trail going up the hill behind Pete and Harvey.

After the great views it was time for a steady 3 mile downhill to US 19E. Lots of cars were parked at the trailhead, and lots of signs saying it wasn't safe due to vehicle break-ins. Once over the road it was clear most people hiked the other direction. The first 2-3 miles were overgrown and we stopped to check for ticks often, but never found any. 

At one of our water stops the kids washed off the mud they had accumulated on the trail since the shelter. It was a challenge to stay out of the mud, but the boys especially enjoyed jumping over and around the mess. Sydney was more business like and just avoided it like she hikes muddy trails all the time. 

The boys are excited to get home and start a rock band. Harvey on drums and Pete on guitar. Harvey said he had the better voice, but Pete said Harvey couldn't sing because the drummer never sings. The song they are working on is called "I rock the ice age". It is about someone leaving Alaska after winter. Some potential lyrics include "winter is gone and the snow has fallen and the ice is cracked". They worked on it for about 30 minutes. 

It was getting late so we played "Don't let Dad catch you". They all took off and I would try to catch them. They made really good time and I thought we would get one of the camp spots in my book, but it was getting late so instead we just camped at the first flat spot I could clear off. Surprisingly it worked out great (so far). The ATV we can hear is a bit annoying, and the shooting guns finally stopped, so I think we might sleep good. 

I gave the kids a massage and inspected bumps and scrapes. Everyone is in good shape. I'm the only one with any problems. A rock got in my shoe and worked itself down to my toes. Before I could get it out I stepped on some rocks and really dug the rock into my foot. It is a little tender as I write this but it should be better in the morning. 

I felt bad pushing the kids so hard, but usually you can find a good camp spot every 1-2 miles.  This section has had very few camp spots. I'll try to time things better and/or stay in shelters.

Greasy Creek Hostel

6/26
Started at Deep Gap
Ended at Greasy Creek Hostel
12.8 trail miles and another .6 to hostel
We've gone over 100 miles total

This morning I woke up in the tent and a smile crossed my face as I noticed no rain on the outside and no condensation on the inside. Before I could move it started to rain, and kept it up for an hour. We cooked in the tent and rejoiced to have cinnamon and honey (not the good honey Mary-j is sending, but good for now). The rain slowed so we packed up and were hiking in the clouds. The first half of our day was in the clouds and the second half was cloudy with a few rain drops, but not enough to get us wet.

The boys love the rain because the rocks and roots are all wet and they can slide on them. It is a heart stopper for me to see them slide down a root on a steep decent but they are loving it. It keeps them hiking faster. At one point I was really tired and looked up to see Pete doing 360s off rocks. Not just one but off every rock!

We got to the hostel and had 4 boxes waiting for us. 2 from Amazon (Hammer Gel and books) and 2 with food. We should be well stocked to get us to the next hostel. We are waiting for another box with Pete's water bottle. We all had showers and since we didn't have clean clothes she let us borrow shirts. The bunkhouse is really nice and we are the only ones staying tonight.

It was late when we got here, so we had granola and soy milk for dinner. Tomorrow Connie is making eggs for breakfast. She is gluten free and looks for more natural foods so she has options for us.

The kids love the books and looking forward to reading tomorrow during our rest day. Harvey has almost finished one. Sydney was so excited to get mail from her friends and I am excited to read my magazines.

Overmountain Shelter

9/28
Started at Greasy Creek Hostel
Ended at Overmountain Shelter
15.8 miles per my guidebook, others had the distance at 17
11 hours of hiking

Today was our biggest mileage day ever. In addition to the trail miles we hiked .6 from the hostel to the trail and an additional .4 going to shelters. The trail has been rerouted and lots of switchbacks added so my guidebook probably understates the mileage, but the kids had fun finding the old trail.

We are hiking in the Roan Highlands and in the latest Backpacker Magazine that area is featured. I took a picture and attached it. We climbed over Roan Mountain today and didn't get to enjoy the view because of clouds and rain. The first part of the day was perfect, with a slight breeze and overcast skies with occasional sunshine. We eat every hour and had plenty of water, so things were good.

As we got closer to the summit the greater the threat of rain till it finally dumped on us. We timed it perfect this time, getting our rain gear on just before the skies opened up. Once over the mountain and down the other side the sun came out and we dried out.

The sky cleared and the views were really great. It was still about 5 miles to the shelter so we had a snack and took off. About four miles before the shelter we were passed by a guy who stayed at the Hostel. Pete latched on behind him and left the rest of us behind. He was flying!!  Pete realized we were not behind him after 30 min and stopped to wait. He was a little scared that we were so far behind, but we were all happy to be together. 

We heard all day the shelter was going to be packed, and when we got close we saw at least 10 tents. I was afraid we would be stuck outside, but inside the shelter we found plenty of space. The shelter is a converted barn and has two floors, we are sleeping in the loft. It has a big fire going by the weekenders and the thru hikers are sleeping in the loft.

Greasy Creek Friendly Hostel

6/27

Stayed at Greasy Creek Friendly Hostel
0 miles hiked

We had major rains last night and during the day so I am glad we are taking the day off. We don't have cell service or Internet so our trail updates are a bit late. 

Pete's water bottle came today!  Now we have all our boxes and can leave tomorrow (Friday).  I also repacked our food with 4 days of excellent meals. At the next hostel we will have access to a grocery store and will continue the hike/re-supply cycle. 

Breakfast was awesome. We had eggs and turkey bacon (she does not use pork products). We also had fruit salad that came in fancy glasses, the kids loved it. I got DUCK eggs!  A real treat that reminded me of the Minnesota days when I bought them at the coop. We also had oatmeal since I had some extra packets. She gave us raisins and honey for the oatmeal, and didn't charge us. She is very generous and even gave us other free food that hikers had left or that she had extra. 

Lunch was pasta/rice with broccoli, she added lots of broccoli and I bought a salad that Sydney got to help make. The salad was SO good, it had carrot, feta, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, celery and a candle. The kids sang Happy Birthday to me when Sydney brought out the salad. After we ate Pete wanted more broccoli so we got a plate of just broccoli with sharp cheddar cheese and Harvey and Pete split it. I was glad to get some vegetable in them. Next we had some brown banana she had in the freezer and microwaved it with dark chocolate chips. It was such a yummy treat. 

Connie has a dog and cats, one of the cats is very friendly and will sit on your lap. 2010 was a hard year for Cee-Cee (her trail name) after her car was stolen and other hardships, but the worst was when her favorite cat went missing. It was a huge cat, the size of a raccoon or medium size dog. It was so smart it could open the door and turn on the shower water. It would also do tricks for the hikers. 

Attached is a picture of Pete in the bunk house. We are sharing the place with another hiker and two more are on the porch. 

Deep Gap

6/25
Started at Mountain Inn in Erwin
Ended at Deep Gap
12.1 miles in under 9 hours

Started the day with a hot breakfast at the Mountain Inn. Sausage, yogurt, cheese omelets, and I took wraps and ham for a great breakfast burrito. We would highly recommend it to hikers.

Uncle Johnnies gave us a shuttle for $10 to the trailhead. When we were getting ready to leave I found that Pete's water bottle was missing. Our driver Sarge said he had one at the hostel so we went to get it. Sarge also had some free hiking poles so we took off a lower section of a free pole and put it on Pete's bent pole. I quickly sent a text to Mary-j about the missing bottle and we started hiking up and out of Erwin. By the time we had cell service again she had a bottle on order (we use Amazon Prime for two day shipping and the free videos).

With a big breakfast and yesterday's rest we were very fast up the mountain. In two hours we had covered the four miles to Curley Maple Gap Shelter. The kids wrote in the journal and rested on the second floor sleeping platform. It was a very nice shelter and we regretted we could not stay.

As we hiked I heard a load noise from the hillside. Sarge had told us about a bear and her cubs near the top of the mountain. I saw a flash of movement heading towards the kids and my imagination went into overdrive. The kids responded exactly as we planned. They walked back to me while we all talked nice to the bear. The thing stopped, then moved again, then came out from behind a bush; it was a huge deer. 

At Indian Grave Gap we had lunch at the road. It was sunny and we relaxed after eating our crackers with turkey and cheese. We met Foot Doctor who was pushing hard to cover miles because he only had a limited time on the trail before he heads north to help a friend on an organic farm. Organic farming is his passion and he wants to learn the business. He also avoids gluten after getting tested (by sending in his poop).  The kids were amazed and grossed out. 

The weather was getting cloudy and it seemed we would get afternoon showers so we picked up the pace and made it to Beauty Spot. At the top we ran into a couple on vacation from North Caroline who lived near the trail. They always carry extra food and water, and we were in need of water so they filled our bottles!  They are known as Trail Angels, people who help out along the way to make your journey possible. 

We heard thunder but still had at least 1.5 miles to a camp spot. The thunder kept us moving and we only felt a few drops. At camp things went really fast as we got the tent up, pumped water, and made dinner (spicy chorizo chicken soup with polenta).  We had bars for dessert and chocolate Hammer Recoverite.

Perfect day of hiking, then Harvey peed on the toilet paper bag. I'm not sure what he was thinking but the boys are no longer going to go to the bathroom together.

Curley Maple Gap Shelter

6/25

Today we passed Curley Maple Gap Shelter and Sydney and Pete both did pictures.

Zero Day in Erwin

6/24
Started and ended in Erwin, TN
0 miles

Woke up at 6:30 because Pete was excited about the Tooth Fairy visiting him, and he got $10 just like Harvey. Breakfast started then so we got up to start our day. The hotel plays the Weather Channel and the forecast was rain all week. Lucky for us the mountains cause the rain to get scattered, so sometimes you can get lucky and avoid the rain.

The kids were excited to swim so after breakfast we went to the pool, only to find it very cold and the hot tub broken. They jumped in anyway but didn't play long.

Today was also my day to shave, so I got a before picture. I hope the beard shows up in the picture because it was much longer than I would normally let it grow. 

Mary-j got Amazon Prime so I got the app on my iPhone and we were able to watch the free stuff. It was great to have something for the kids to do. Sydney and I researched Big Sur Bars and placed an order that will ship to a hostel. They were excited to hear we are hiking the AT. 

The kids also got some paper and did many drawings. The one below is one of my favorites. Sydney did it and one of the signs says "50 steps Ice Cream".  A perfect name for an Ice Cream shop along the AT. Sydney even drew us sleeping in a shelter and wanted the sun behind the mountain. 

Erwin, TN

6/23
Started at Whistling Gap
Ended at Erwin, TN
13.5 miles in a little under 9 hours

We had a great camp spot last night and this morning when the sun came up we had sunshine on the tent. It was a real treat after the rainy start to our hike. Harvey had lost his second tooth yesterday so he was excited to find the $2 the tooth fairy had left him. I guess the tooth fairy was concerned that $10 was a big incentive for a 7 year old to lose teeth. Shortly after breakfast Pete had a tooth come out. Pete says it was loose before Harvey got the $10, but I am not so sure.

After our exciting start we packed up and after about 30 min came to the real Whistling Gap (I know this because the real one has a spring and the spot we stayed at did not). Now we had a 14 mile day!

We took a side trip to "High Rocks" and two military planes flew over. We could see some towns and wondered if they were Erwin. After this the trail was mostly downhill, dropping 2,400 feet into town.

Look up Big Sur Bars, Sydney and I shared one and it was amazing. Not something we would normally eat, but she picked it out and with a name like Big Sur I had to try it.

We also saw the worst shelter on the trail today (No Business Shelter). It was a total dive with no picnic table and made from concrete block that didn't look finished. I wish I had a picture but we were in a rush to reach town. From the shelter it was a steep downhill hike but we got our first views of Erwin.

At the junction of the road and trail we saw Nolichucky Hostel, but everyone calls it Uncle Johnnies because that is the name of the guy who owns/runs it. We met two guys who introduced themselves by trail name, not the normal name. So I introduced us by our trail names, but had to use my real name to get my box. We ate a Clif Bar and it was fun to see the kids so excited about a new flavor, like they are Clif Bar experts.

The guy at the hostel was great and gave us a lift to the Mountain House Inn. In the van were a lot of people we already met; Grace who falls down a lot, Unknown who gave us the name Team Obla after reading Sydney's shelter journal entries (the kids helped pick his trail name), Packer Hat who is wearing a Packers Hat and went to U of Minn, Shivers, and a few other hikers. After dropping us off the others were going out to eat.

Our hotel is nice and I plan to stay two nights so we can rest a day by the pool. I also get to do laundry, the first since Hot Springs. And of course we had to eat out, Mexican because the kids knew we would get chips as soon as we sat down. We ate so much that Harvey felt a little sick. I think we had 4 bowls of chips, 2 salsa cups, 2 guacamole cups, and 4 full size dinner dishes. Pete didn't like his and started to cry and wouldn't eat and wouldn't let us eat his plate and wouldn't order something else. Finally I got him calmed down and we ordered him a plain chicken burrito. After that it was Wal Mart for food and then back to the hotel. For transportation we called a guy (trail name 10k) who drove us both ways. He is planning a PCT trip for 2014. Best of luck 10k!

Happy Day in Erwin

Happy hiker Pete eating at Los Jalapeños Restaurant in Erwin, TN.

Tooth Fairy

6/22
The tooth fairy came to visit us last night after Harvey lost a tooth. I guess when you are out in the wilderness you get something extra since he got $10!

Big Bald

6/22
Started at Hog Back Shelter
Ended at Whistling Gap
13.6 miles in 9.5 hours

Another tooth lost today (Harvey again). We are thinking of changing his trail name from Cheeze-it to Lost Tooth.

Big Bald was a highlight, 360 degree views and nice grass to sit on. We also met some locals since it is Saturday. Everyone asks us how far we are hiking and are excited the kids get this really cool opportunity to backpack.

After Big Bald we stopped at Bald Mtn Shelter. It was really nice, two levels and sleeps 10. We had First Dinner at the shelter and decided to hike 3 more miles and then do another 13 tomorrow to get to Erwin. Since the weather was great today I decided we could risk another tenting night. With extra motivation we should easily get to Erwin. Also, since we camped our spot had tons of firewood, so we are having a fire too! Another great day on the trail.

How do we get water?

Before we left, Mary-j got me a new water filter for my birthday. It will take out bacteria and viruses. It is also easy to pump. Harvey is pumping in the picture.

Bears?

At the shelters they have bear cables to hang your food bag from. In the picture I have both our food bags hanging. I also put a garbage bag over them in case it rains. Inside the food bag is a plastic zip top bag that is Oder proof, so animals can't smell the food. The fabric of our food bag is very strong so mice, and bears, can't tear it.

We met a guy last night that had mice get into his food bag to get his trail mix.

Hog Back Ridge Shelter

6/21

Started at Flint Mtn Shelter

Ended at Hog Back Ridge Shelter
8.9 miles (6 hours!)

The kids were really moving today. We had some major up hills but they kept up a great pace. On a major uphill we followed a creek and got a great view of a waterfall. 

The boys are full of energy and at our rest breaks they usually find something to play with. Today it was a teeter-tooter. 

At the shelter we didn't get cell phone service but at the privy we did!  I called home and the kids were excited to talk to Mom. I got the latest news about the trellis and the boys ceiling. It was so good to hear Mary-j's voice. We talk every day about what we will do when we get back home and what special things we will do for/with Mom. 

Another highlight of the day was dinner!!  Today was Annie's Rice Noodles in a cheddar sauce with dried red peppers to spice it up. Harvey is in the picture about to enjoy a bite. 

Shelter Journals

This is what the kids wrote at Flint Mtn Shelter.