We didn’t leave the family until after 4:00 p.m. yesterday so we hiked into camp together after dark. We quickly set up our tents, made dinner, and bam - lights out! I was OUT and slept better than I did in the hotel too! Man I love sleeping outside. There is just something about it.
Today was our biggest day so far! 18.2 miles on the trail. Most of it was through farmland, which should have been a breeze! Flat land with barely any elevation change for 13 miles!!! Considering we have been on the trail for close to four weeks, we thought yayyyyy! However, I got new boots when my dad and sister came to visit us this weekend. I should have been skipping down the trail with flowers in my hair, singing songs. However, the lowa Renegades (boots) aren't working. My feet were in so much pain after the first two miles I had to put my crocs on. Hiking in crocs with a 40 pound pack (I'm working on lowering that sucker, I have to determine what I really need!) is dangerous. I had to hike slow and watch every step. It was tedious, but I didn't care because my feet felt much better without those stupid boots on. I swear, I want to dump a gallon of gasoline on the things and watch them burn. Obviously in a controlled environment! (Side note: The wildfires in the Shenandoah are so sad to hear. I have a serious love for SNP and I am sending love to everyone affected by the fires.) Back to the devil boots. Sprout carried them for 13 miles. He wouldn't let me carry them. He is always so selfless. He always puts others before himself, ALWAYS. Even though his pack is heavier than my pack and Smudgy Cheek's pack he insisted on carrying them. I swear I fall more in love with that man every day. It truly makes me believe that everything happens for a reason. We were destined to meet and fall in love. All day I thought about how lucky I am to have a husband like Sprout. I couldn't imagine a better hiking partner.
See my boats on the back of Sprouts bag?
Sprout resting his feet in a stream
We stopped at the Mid-Atlantic ATC to sit down. We hung out with a lovely thru hiker from 2015 who was finishing up a section she had to skip last year. Shout out to Slow-Mo! You are amazing and we really enjoyed chatting with you! And thanks again for the turkey wrap. It was delicious and my first trail magic. Go figure it would be from another hiker! Wish we would have been heading in the same direction. I could have hung out with her for days.
The boys drinking some energy for our long day!
There was a fun activity at the ATC. There was an artist trading cards station! The station had cardstock and colored pencils. As long as you drew a card and left it, you could take a card along with you. I picked out one that looked like a crazy dog. The artist's e-mail was on the card so I sent her an e-mail telling her that I am carrying her card on the trail. She text me back with a picture of her dog. No words, just the crazy picture below!
If you zoom in you can see the Moose I drew
The picture I got back...
I was so excited when the trail took us through a horse field. I was so close that I could touch the little guy (he was huge, not little). I wanted to hug him, but I refrained. I love animals. It made me think of Papaw (Sprout's grandpa) which naturally made me think of my Nanny (my absolute favorite, and Sprout's grandma) shout out to Nanny and Papaw. Thanks for being the most amazing grandparents in the world.
Look at how close this horse is to me!
Also, we saw cows today. And they were right in the way of the path! I was a little intimidated but Sprout handled it like a champ. He sounded like a farmer or something getting those cows out of our way. Moooooooo. I shouldn't have been afraid but I'm a city girl. I didn't know that they are scared of us and run when you raise your voice.
They are so close to us
The trail today was through and through amazing. The animals. The scenery. We walked past a nice stream for a while and there were fields of blue flowers which are beautiful. It made me think how blessed and happy I am.
We got to camp late and I was super happy to have made it. Lights out!!!
It is always hard to leave family. My sister and dad came out and helped us so much. I feel so grateful that Sprout, Smudgy Cheeks, and I have such amazing families who support and love us as much as they do. We really feel blessed beyond belief.
Dad does NOT like my new haircut
It was also a difficult day because, even though I got new boots, my feet are still hurting (bad). I had to focus on the positive vibrations (not the painful pulsating vibrations in my feet) on the trail. I am finishing this thru hike no matter how hard it gets and how long it takes. The pain is just part of this journey. I want to make my parents proud and I need to see Springer Mountain this fall. Even more importantly, and even though I am in a lot of pain, I am having the most amazing experience!
These signs can be confusing. Maine always come first even though that is actually north not south!
A really cool part about our hike today was the rock mazes. It was fun! The really awesome part was the fact that all three of us stayed together and helped each other. Smudgy Cheeks was showing me where he put his feet and grabbing my walking sticks from me when I needed my hands to climb. Sprout did the same thing. It was another reminder that we should all be out here together working as a team.
We woke up and had a nice conversation with a lady at the shelter named Bonnie. She gave us string cheese and we talked about God. Her husband works for a Christian University and they were out with three different groups of college kids.
Can you find Sprout?
Sprout pointing the direction we are heading
Sprout holding up the walking stick Papaw made him
200 miles!!
We tried to take our picture with the 200 but it was not working because of the sun!
We stopped at Pen Mar County Park in Maryland. It was a nice stop but the park isn’t open yet! The drinking fountains were not even on! My feet were really hurting and I was extremely tired. There were some little girls running around and chanting, “Running around the park, skipping around the park”. Really, they were just running around in a circle near us. Finally, their dad said to them, “You’re probably really annoying these people.” We told them that we really like it though because it reminded us of our nieces and nephews.
Pen Mar Park was closed but we still hung out
We walked across the Mason Dixon line after we left the park and listened to, If Heaven A’int Alot Like Dixie by Hank Williams, Jr. It was exciting to cross over another state line.
Mason Dixon Line!!!! Hello Pennsylvania!
My feet are super tender. We stopped at Falls Creek where there was a nice footbridge. We sat next to the stream on a rock and I relaxed my aching feet.
Relaxing at Falls Creek
Falls Creek
We finally made it to Deer Lick shelter. I was excited for bed!!
We got up at 6:00 a.m. but didn’t leave the campsite until almost noon. It was so hard to leave Porterhouse because I only see him a few times a year. We said our goodbyes and we planned for him to meet with us further down the trail. He’s going to camp with us again. I couldn’t help but be sad and I couldn’t help but cry the entire way up the trail to Annapolis rock. This part of the AT is extremely busy for day hikers and I got a lot of crazy looks from people as I was crying and climbing up the mountain. Most of them probably thought I was struggling to get up the mountain but I was struggling because my brother just left.
Butterfly or moth on the trail
It was a difficult day hiking for me because my feet were bothering me so much and because we did 13.1 miles. It’s also always hard after taking an easy day. I’m not sure if it’s the good food or the lack of using leg muscles.
It was dark before the end of the hike. Sprout hiked ahead so that he could set up our tent and get things ready at camp. I ended up hiking that last part of the day at night. I hiked without my headlamp for part of the way until I realized that there were rocks.
When I got to the shelter I made food with Robby and went to bed after eating. I was exhausted.
Look at how close these people live to the trail! Also, the bull in this picture was staring me down!
