Sprout Day 81 (Thursday, June 16th, 2016) (NEED PICTURES)

We had a successful day.  It was a beautiful day as far the weather goes and we made it to Vermont! We ended our day with 736 miles, and we are now on the Long Trail. The Appalachian Trail runs along the Long Trail for 100 miles in Vermont. When we got close to the Long Trail we started to see some hikers starting. It was cool to be a part of the beginning of their adventure. It made me think of when we first started our hike and how I felt in the Shenandoah Park back in March. It's crazy to think of how far we've hiked and how much we have learned along the way. It's not easy waking up everyday and hiking along with doing everything that's involved in a backpacking trip but it's been the best experience. I remember the first time I had to hang a food bag and set up my tent in the elements. It was an overwhelming feeling.

I'm glad we got to camp at a reasonable hour because the place started to fill up fast.  There's some thru hikers from Georgia, some flip flippers, and now some people who are starting the Long Trail. As soon as I got to camp I found a good spot for the tent set up and hung the food bags right after that. I got a good fire going for cooking because we are still running low on fuel. The water wasn't too far away and it had good flow.

Right before we got to the Vermont border there was a small town a little over a mile from the AT. There's a guy who lives right down a side road from the town who lets hikers borrow bikes to run into town for resupplies. It was really convenient so I went to the store and bought some Captain Crunch! We received powdered milk in our last food drop and it mixes a lot better than the last dry milk we had so we were excited.

Right before the state border there was a rock garden with an incline.   It was a good way to say goodbye the Massachusetts.  I am excited to get into higher elevation and for the Whites.  Everyday is going to be a battle but I know we will make it through.

Earlier today I went to Money Brook Falls. It was a .7 side trail right by the shelter we stayed at last night.  It was a great way to start the day because it was beautiful. The falls came right off a high cliff and the trail led right to the bottom of the falls. I'm trying to make an effort to take any side trail that I can along the way. This one was definitely worth the extra 1.4 mile round trip.

Day: 81
Miles hiked: 9.9
Total Miles hiked on the trail: 737.8
Bears: 0
Bluegill: 2
Butterflies: 8
Chipmunks: 3
Cows: 24
Crawfish: 1
Deer: 20
Donkeys: 2
Horses: 12
Hummingbird: 1
Inchworm: 1

Really Big Dog: 1
Mice: 2
Nest of bugs: 2
Newts: 2
Owl: 1
Rabbit: 1
Skunk: 1
Snail: 1
Snake: 2
Squirrels: 11
Toads: 3
Trout: 2
Turkeys: 4
Turtles: 107
Vultures: 6
Woodpecker: 1

The Sprout Day 16 (Tuesday, April 12th)

Harpers Ferry was a cool little historical town.  I would like to go back and sightsee.

We crossed the Virginia/ West Virginia state line!  This was one of our major goals! I wanted to get into West Virginia and play John Denver’s Country Roads.  However, I was watching the rocks because I didn’t want to twist my ankle and missed the sign.  What a let down!

The VA/ WV State Line.  Poppa Lip was happy to see we made it into WV!!!

1.9 miles to Harpers Ferry

Entering the National Historical Park

When we walked into Harpers Ferry it was cool to see the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers conflux with the mountains in the background.  Words cannot express how beautiful it is.  It is also crazy how clear the water is.  Back home, the Cuyahoga looks like a mud puddle (and the lakes, ponds, and creeks) but you can see the bottom of everything here.  

While walking through Harpers Ferry National Historical Park we passed Storer College.  The college was established after the Civil War so that former slaves had a place to learn how to read, write, and learn marketable skills.  There were pictures of where they played football and we walked right beside their field!  It’s an incredible feeling to walk through an area that has such a rich history.

Walking over the Shenandoah river into Harpers Ferry

Look at how clear the water is

Shenandoah River

It felt great to get to the ATC.  We had our picture taken so that we could be in the record book.  We also got to see Ox’s picture!!  We took a picture of his picture and sent it to him.  We are flip flop hikers numbers 25, 26, and 27 for the year 2016!  We also got to see Mayhem.  He said he was working upstairs when Smudgy Cheeks walked in.  He said, “I know that smell” and came downstairs and saw Smudgy Cheeks!  I thought that was pretty funny.  It was cool to meet him in the real world.  He took our picture and bought us our first round of pops!  Even though he had things to do he waited at the ATC for Bubbles, walked to meet her on the trail, and then walked back to the ATC with her!  He is a great guy!

One of the cool things about the ATC is that they keep a record of the thru hikers.  When we were there at the ATC there was a lady looking for her grandma (who thru hiked in the 80s or 90s).  They searched for her picture and trail name and when they couldn’t find it they told her they would keep searching and get back to her.  It’s so cool that they do that for the hikers.

Post card to send home

Our official Harper's Ferry ATC photo card

We left the ATC and realized, after getting five minutes down the road, that we forgot our food drop!  I went back to get it and it was super heavy.  

We stayed at the The Econo Lodge, which was gross.  It smelled like a dirty foot and cigarettes.  Luckily, we are used to smelling ourselves and we got used to it in about five minutes.  

It was sweet to put all of our food out on the bed and see what we had to eat!

Food drop!! Time to organize

We pounded some pizza, which was good.  I tried to go to the library to print something up and I think they are still on dial up!  It was crazy!

I forgot, we walked past this crazy looking web of bugs.  Check it out!

What????

Day:  16

Miles hiked:  8.7

Total Miles hiked on the trail:  161.2

Bears:   0

Butterfly:  7

Chipmunk:  1

Crawfish:  1

Deer:  20

Really Big Dog:  1

Mouse:  1

Nest of Bugs: 1
Skunk:  1

Snail:  1

Squirrels:  11

Turkeys:  4

Woodpecker:  1

The Sprout Day 10 (Wednesday, April 6th)

Goodbye for now SNP!

Today was an awesome day, we reached our 100 mile mark!!!  We ended the day with 104.9 miles! It's such a great feeling to have gone over 100 miles!  We walked out of the Shenandoah National Park today.  I have nothing but positive things to say about SNP!  It is a beautiful place!  

It was a tough ten miles to get to our hut, we're staying at Tom Floyd Wayside shelter tonight. It has been cold the past few days and that always makes it harder to get moving in the morning. It's been down to at least the lower 20s. One night it got down to -5!

I'm really happy we started our hike here because it has been a great experience.  The views and the people I've met in the park have been my favorite things. Tomorrow we stay at a cabin/hostel.  We will get our food drop box and we will be going into town to eat some restaurant food!

We're out of coffee so we might get two this time.  We've been trying to think of food and other supplies we need from the store.  We're going to wake up early tomorrow and get to the hostel as early as we can. It's only three miles away!  I want to get into town and order a pizza or get some burgers! I want some Mountain Dew or a Coke.  Probably both!

Throughout the hike I've been watching and looking for a bear or other big animals.  I know they're out there.  Yesterday I was pretty close to the shelter and saw something big off in the distance... and it was getting closer!  I was watching this animal running through the woods and getting a little nervous, because its path was coming straight towards me!  It turned out to be a big dog!  Ha, a really big dog!!  It changed course before it got to me and kept going through the woods.  I thought I was starting to see things but everyone at the hut saw it too. I don't know whose dog it was, or where it was going, but it looked happy.

Yesterday we were staying with these two guys at Gravel Springs Hut.   One lives in Wisconsin and the other in Indiana.  They were really cool guys and one gave us a Mr. Goodbar! We melted the candy bar on the graham crackers that were left at Gravel Springs.  All we needed was a marshmallow and we would have had our s’mores!

At one point today I saw two huge deer (five today in total).  They were practically on the trail and didn't really mind seeing me.  

When we flip flop our hike, and start to head south towards Georgia, I want to take a day to see the waterfalls. I think one is around 70ft and the others are pretty big falls too. Hopefully it will be right after a big rain so they're really pumping some water! I'll be coming back to SNP again for some side trails too!

It's an early night, only 7:45 and I'm already in my sleeping bag!  I can't wait to get to the cabin tomorrow and get a ride into town to see what front Royal has to offer!

We are getting great views because of the lack of foliage on the trees

We wouldn't be able to see all of the features of this rock in the summer

Bubbles traversing through the trail

This looks like a good place to sunbathe

One of the five deer I saw today

Time to climb some rocks!  Bubbles is in this picture.  Can you spot her?

Compton Gap, last large mountain before we left SNP!

Another Where's Bubbles shot? You can see why it was a tough hike today!

Thankful my hiking partners are enjoying this experience as much as me.

Compton Gap view

We have been lucky because some people get too much fog to see anything!

Day:  10

Miles hiked:  10.5

Miles off trail to shelter:  0

Total Miles hiked on the trail:  104.9

Blisters:  0

Real Bears:   0

Really Big Dog:  1

Deer:  18

Squirrels:  8

Chipmunk:  1

Snail:  1

Maggie: Day 1

Today started off perfect.  We woke up excited and ready to go!  After showering we headed to breakfast and stuffed our pockets with jellies and condiments until the seams in our clothes were compromised!

As we headed back to our room, Dad met a thru-hiker named Ox at the front desk.  He asked Ox if he would like a ride back to the trail.  He did, and we officially met our first thru-hiker!! :)  

Ox on the way to the Post Office

Ox started January 29th.  He is one of the kindest persons I have ever met.  He had some very useful advice and made my heart smile.  He had to go to the post office first, to bounce a box (that means he was sending a box to himself up the trail).  This was was perfect for us since we had to mail our first mail drop.  (We also stopped at Walmart for a few last minute things)

We discussed, with Ox, that we would be at the same shelter later in the day because as fate would have it, we were starting at the same place, Rockfish Gap!

Our hike was fairly uneventful but we had a lot of laughs, smiles, and some cool views.  

Ready to get started!!!

I was a bit disappointed because there was trash on the trail (who would leave a whole ziplock gallon size bag of trash on the side of the trail?) #annoying.  We didn’t have any room in our packs to pick it up and bring it with us, but luckily, we met up with someone else at the shelter who did!  He carried someone else's trash for FIVE miles.  Fortunately, a few nice ladies (who had just day hiked) were driving down Skyline Drive on their way home and stopped to ask him if he needed anything.  They took the trash with them to throw away.  Thank you for taking care of our trails and our hikers!!!

When we arrived at Calf Mountain Shelter we set up our tents, filtered water, and then ate dinner.  Ox came over and gave us his cell phone number and told us to call him if we need anything or are in trouble in the future.  Side note:  This is why I am hiking the trail, because of people like him.  His story is compelling and heartfelt.  I would tell you more of his story, but he has a blog so you can read it.  Because of his kind soul, I would definitely recommend it and I haven't even read it!  His blog also contains his reasons for hiking the trial:  https://ox2016appalachiantrailhike.wordpress.com/

Later on Ox came back over and gave us homemade jerky that a friend made for him.  Even though he needs the protein himself, he was generous and kind.  He said he has lost 16 pounds!!! It really made my incredible day even better and the jerky was sooooooo good.

And now we are snug as a bug in our sleeping bags and ready for sleep!

Day:  1

Miles hiked:  7.7

Miles off trail to shelter:  .3

Total Miles hiked:  8

Blisters:  0
Real Bears:   0

Jeff and Robby on the trail!

Jeff enjoying life on the trail

I love trees!!

Let the Adventure Begin!

The Appalachian Trail (AT) is a mesmerizing National Scenic Trail spanning from Georgia to Maine along the Appalachian Mountains.  I should also mention that the trail goes up and over every possible peak in the Appalachian mountains. I am lucky to have the time and resources to attempt this challenging and rewarding 2,190 mile thru-hike with my husband Robby and my younger brother Jeffy.

This is my attempt to write a blog to keep our family and friends updated on our progress - Hi guys, we haven't been chomped on by a bear (yet) 😝 !

There are a plethora of reasons why I want to hike the trail. I won't weigh you down with all of them, but I will explain a few important reasons:

• My mom was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 23 years ago when I was five years old.  She can't walk. She can't do a lot of things, but she wants to. I am going to be hiking the Appalachian Trail for Momma Lip.

• My dad spent a lot of time on the AT when he was a Scoutmaster in the 80's and 90's.  It was always a dream of his to complete a thru-hike, but life and responsibilities got in the way.  And let me tell you, when he wanted to hike the trail things were a lot different.  Heavier gear, resupplying was almost entirely mail drops, no cellphones...😱 NO INTERNET!  When Robby and I approached my dad, and confessed our love for the trail and our thoughts on thru-hiking, he was completely supportive.

• I love a challenge.  I have the time.  I have the support of everyone close to me. So, why not?  My husband is my #1 supporter and always encourages me to better myself.  He loves me unconditionally.  

• To strengthen my relationship with my husband (if that is even possible) and my baby brother.

I always imagined I would be hiking from Georgia to Maine.  Up until about ten days ago that's what we planned.  This changed when I looked at the number of people attempting a thru-hike starting in Georgia at the same time as us.  I was discouraged. I love people and love being around new people, but I am looking for a full wilderness experience, not a tent city of people.  My dad is passionate about respecting the trail and taking care of it for future generations.  Over populated trails can permanently damage the trail.  After doing research we decided on a "flipflop" hike.  We are starting in Virginia and walking north to Mt. Katahdin in Maine.  After we summit Mt. Katahdin we will get a ride south to Virginia and continue walking south to Springer Mountain in Georgia.

So, I would like to introduce us!  We are flipflop hikers and we are damn proud of it!  We start our long haul tomorrow morning (March 28th) and it's expected to rain.  Is rain on the first day of a thru-hike good luck, like a wedding? Well if it isn't, it is now!

We are excited to be sharing our story with you.  Thanks for reading.  Happy Trails

Email us at flipflophikers@gmail.com

Mile:  0

Blisters:  0
Bears: 1

First Bear Encounter at West Virginia Rest Stop