Day 61 - Most amazing hitch ever (Dr. John)

July 15 - Raven Rocks Shelter to Rocky Mtn Shelter - 19.8 miles

It is impossible to describe the generosity that we received from one gentleman in Waynesboro, PA. He was our personal chauffeur, guide and source of funds.

Dr. John (General Practitioner) randomly picked us up from the trail-head, shuttled us to the P.O. where I had 6 packages (thank you Lor, Karen, Mom and Dad!). John actually helped carry my packages to the car then drove us to Martin's, where he gave us $55 to re-supply, buy wine and sweet... Who does that? The three of us are in disbelief but have learned to accept help from others who are willing and eager to provide assistance. When we told him that he was being too generous he replied "I'm having fun!"

Had my first real preaching experience today at the laundromat. Her name was Carol (we call her Crazy Carol) and she went on a tirade with her conspiracy theories of our government. She informed me that our dollar is only worth $0.73 and that Obama's birth certificate is a fake. I was bored (had about 45 minutes left with our laundry) so I decided to edge her on and let her think I was interested. I said about three words during her entire diatribe. It was great.

On a little different note, we had a fantastic dinner of Gnocchi with roasted artichoke hearts, creamy pesto sauce, E.V.O.O. (thanks Lor), Shiraz wine and cookie bars from my mother. Mmmmhmm.

Day 60 - Maryland done in 2 days

July 14 - Dahlgreen Backpackers Campground to Raven Rocks Shelter - 18.8 miles

• Hot shower in the morning
• George Washington Memorial
• Maryland done in 2 days
• Lunch: Rosemary herb flatbread, provolone cheese and pepperoni slices
• Samwise chased a groundhog

Day 59 - Harpers Ferry, Z-lite and Veal Scallopini Saltimbocca

July 13 - Harpers Ferry, WV to Dahlgreen Backpackers Campground - 17.9 miles

Went to the Appalachian Trail Center (ATC) today for the routine mid-way photo. Almost every hiker who passes through Harpers Ferry will get their photo taken outside the historic building here.

Found a scale at the outfitter and tossed my pack on. I'm ultralight! My pack weight (base weight) is 11.1 lbs. This is partly due to the fact that I bought the ThermaRest Z-Lite mattress pad (closed cell foam) at 10oz and sent home the more comfortable Big Agnes (19oz). It's great because the Z-lite is my sleeping pag, frame for my pack, seat cushion, yoga mat and fills space when I need it to.

Bought some insoles from Walmart - they would have lasted just fine if we didn't get poured on again. I cut the insoles in half and tore apart the Montrail ones to make them last a few more days.

Had a gourmet (I mean $24-40/meal type restaurant) at the Old South Inn. I had Veal Scallopini Saltimbocca and New York Cheese Cake. Though it was expensive, the memory was priceless.

Day 58 - Bonzo

July 12 - Sam Moore Shelter to Harpers Ferry, WV - 22.7 miles

Finished the roller coaster today.

Cruised at 4 mph during the intense heat today. Nothing stops the Party Train.

Took out my insoles as they really hurt my feet. Walking without insoles is not fun.

Called Bonzo - he picked us up in his Jeep, smoking a cigarette and drinking a Budweiser. Great guy though, very hospitable and friendly. He thru-hiked in early 2000 and occasionally offers his home/yard to hikers.

Day 57 - Abundant Raspberries, AT Speed Record

July 11 - Manassas Gap Shelter to Sam Moore Shelter - 19.8 miles

Spent at least 45 minutes today picking raspberries, right along the trail. Was at least 3/4 of a lb. So many raspberries!

Entered the roller coaster today. It's a 15 mile stretch of some fairly steep climbs (about 1/2 mile per climb). The Party Train loves roller coasters.

Met the support crew for Jennifer Davis (from NC) who is attempting to break the overall assisted speed record (47 days). She holds the woman's 2008 record. Found out that David Horton is a member of the support crew. I thought I had heard his name before in the ultra community and upon googling him I found out he's pretty legit. Check out his movie here - Extreme UltraRunner David Horton.

First Mountain House Dinner - Teriyaki chicken with rice. I really enjoyed it.

Day 56 - Guatemalan Grill Out

July 10 - Front Royal, VA to Manassas Gap Shelter - 10.7 miles

About 7 miles in to our hike I had to make a quick phone call to my mother, which led us to take a quick 5 minute break. While I was on the phone, a man from a nearby house approached us and asked if we would like to join him and his wife for their cook-out. Say what?!?! According to the hiker code we could not refuse and cordially accepted.

Steak, chorizo, chicken, beans, homemade corn tortillas and cold soda. Oh and liver too. That was a first for me. For dessert they brought out chocolate covered bananas and mango with a zesty tajin seasoning. What more could a hiker ask for.

Dinner was fantastic but what I really enjoyed was playing soccer with the five younger children. I even tried to enlist one to carry my pack... haha

Day 55 - 0 day - TownePlace Suites

July 9 - Winchester, VA - 0 day

Caboose's gracious parents, papa and mama nuke, have allowed us to lodge with them at the TownePlace Suites in Winchester. They have been the most generous, gracious and hospitable folks we have yet to meet. They have gone out of their way to ensure that we get a day of rest and relaxation and I cannot thank them enough for all that they have done. From a superb Japanese dinner to washing our sleeping bags and packs, they have been wonderful to us. Matt's mother even brought Harry Potter for us to catch up on before the final release next week!

Day 54 - Blackberry milkshake

July 8 – Pass Mtn Hut to Front Royal, VA – 30.9 miles

Last day in SNP today. Our daily average through the park (over 4 days) is 27 miles a day. We hit 88 miles in 3 days, which is 29.27 average. The terrain allowed us to hit these big miles but damn, that was still tough on the feet.

Randall Fields told us about the most dangerous thing in SNP. It's not the bears, rattlesnakes or bucks but the Blackberry milkshake. The calories will kill ya. hah We stopped in at Elkwallow wayside to get one.

About 7 miles before the end of the day mother nature decides to flood our trail for a good 2-3 solid hours (4 hours of rain but heavy rain for 2). The trail was 4, 5 even 7 inches deep! It did feel nice on the tired feet though.

We met up with Jedi and Chef, who hiked the last portion of the trail with us. They are both outstanding individuals and were a pleasure to hike with. They rode with us into Front Royal.

Day 53 – Lovingston Wine at the Skyland Resort

July 7 – Bearfence Hut to Pass Mtn Hut – 22.4 miles

Went to a wine tasting today. We arrived at Skyland Resort at 1:00pm, just in time for lunch at their restaurant. After being substantially disappointed by the very small portions of food (I’m not sure what they were thinking, especially being only .2 off the trail), we decided dessert was a must. Blackberry Ice Cream Pie. Don’t mind if I do. While enjoying a beer in their tap room we noticed a sign in the restaurant that was advertising a wine tasting at 3:00pm… how perfect is that? We could not pass up the opportunity.

Lovingston was the wine and it was naturally harvested, fermented, and bottled. Riaan Rossouw was the ambassador from the winery and did a phenomenal job of presenting, distributing, and informing our group about their wine. Here are a few notes I took during the event:

“You cannot make wine on an Excel spreadsheet”

Listen to the vineyard.

Each year are different temperatures, weather and other variables, which help create their respective vintages.

Why blend wine? For superiority. You can blend multiple great flavors for something even more spectacular… if you do it right that is.

We spent a good 45 minutes talking with Riaan afterwards, discussing simplicity and how that is such a disconnect from what truly makes us happy. He even offered to buy us a bottle of his own wine, which we glady accepted. Thank you Riaan!

Day 52 - 34.5 mile day, Randall Fields

July 6 – Blackrock Hut to Bearfence Hut – 34.5 miles

34.5 miles today – biggest day yet by 8.4 miles. My feet held up really well (probably due to our superlight packs through the park) except for some heel calluses that have been irritating me. I finally realized that I need to trim down my Montrail insoles – problem solved.

After hiking for nearly 11 hours we were all in zombie mode, only progressing forward because that was where dinner would be. Knowing that food is readily and easily available in SNP, we opted to carry light packs and do big miles. Knowing the camp store at Loft Mtn Campground closed at 7:00pm, we made sure to arrive at least 30 minutes before that. Around 6:30pm the camp store was no where to be found. Caboose was in the zone, denying my almonds like they were the plague.

Once we did finally arrive at the campground we soon found out that the camp store closed at 6:00pm on Wednesday... shit. We were depending on that for dinner. We must have been due some karma at this point because the manager was still inside, saw me standing on a rock peering into the window and gladly re-opened the store.

Randall Fields was his name. While we were devouring our food, he informed us of his life, thru-hiked back in the day and also ran cross country. He has ran every marathon under the sun, including Boston and a personal record of 2:14 (puts my time to shame). He also ran a 4:06 mile in his prime and ran with some of the greats, such as Steve Prefontaine, Bill Rogers and others.

Day 51 - Bears!!!

July 5 – Waynesboro, VA to Blackrock Hut – 20.0 miles

The Party Train entered Shenandoah National Park (SNP) today! Saw three bears roughly 10 miles in. I spotted the first two cubs scampering up a tree about 75 feet away. Since I was leading the Party Train I had to put the brakes on and inform my team of the spotting. We moved on quickly knowing Mama Bear was probably lingering nearby.

Not even 10 minutes later, we saw another bear, right on the Appalachian Trail. This guy was a younger male and would not get off the trail. After tossing a few rocks and making some loud noises (singing and yelling obscene things) he ran off.

Besides bears, we saw two bucks, one a 10-pointer about 15 feet away. I think i'm going to pick up hunting when I return to civilization.

Day 50 - Ming Garden Buffet

July 4 – Maupin Field Shelter to Waynesboro, VA – 20.8 miles

21 miles by 1:15pm today. 850 miles in 50 days.

Finally reached ultralight status (total packweight below 20lbs) – my base weight is now only 11lbs.

Made a visit to Ming Garden Buffet. Before we entered the restaurant we noticed a sign on the door advising hikers about the free showers at the YMCA only 2 blocks away… we disregarded that haha.
I accidentally consumed too much and slipped into my second food coma. I passed out in the wood chips/mulch outside of the buffet. Oops.

Day 49 - Boiled Green Peanuts

July 3 – Seeley-Woodworth Shelter to Maupin Field Shelter – 20.7 miles

Georgia boy was tootin’ his horn at this can of Boiled Green Peanuts he found at Harpers Creek Shelter. I have never had them before, nor had I known they existed. With as excited as he was I was anxious to try them so I carried them up a 2,000ft mountain.

They made for a tasty appetizer before dinner.

Day 48 - Jewelweed

July 2 - Camping to Seeley-Woodworth Shelter – 18.3 miles

Time for a new shirt – my Patagonia capilene has developed some nice holes on the shoulders.

Samwise’s leg is leaking - a ringwraith's morgul-blade got the best of him. Dirty Bobby advised him of some natural remedies for the poison sumac or poison ivy, such as Jewelweed.

Took a shower with ¾ of a liter of frigid water. Talk about being efficient!

Day 47 - James River Bridge Jumping

July 1 - Glasgow Hiker’s Shelter to Camping – 17.5 miles

Had a true Southern breakfast this morning at Family’s Inn Restaurant. In fact, this was the only restaurant in the town. I could get use to this type of cooking.

Jumped off of a bridge today. Was about 35-40 feet above the water (James River) too. All of the locals were doing it so we felt that we should too.

Met Emma today. She is thru-hiking as well and is really a joy to talk to. She has one of the only SteriPens that still works (all the other models I have heard about are having issues) so I might pick up hers. My purifying system of Aqua Mira busted – part A got a leak so I’m no longer purifying my water. Fortunately the cold springs have been fairly high up and fast flowing.

Day 46 - Glasgow Hiker's Shelter

June 30 - Bryant Ridge Shelter to Glasgow Hiker's Shelter - 24.8 miles

How about starting your day with a 2,000ft climb over 5 miles? It's a better wake-up than coffee, trust me.

We did manage to hit a 4.3 mpg avg after our lunch today. Granted it was primarily downhill and easy terrain.

The Glasgow Hiker's Shelter was actually located in the city. It was a weird feeling, sleeping inside of a shelter and hearing the cars drive by. I miss the woods.

New clothing system - 1 Patagonia t-shirt, 1 pair of shorts (Jubilees), 3 pairs of socks, 1 Mountain HardWear fleece, 1 Patagonia L/S, MontBell Dynamo pants (2.8oz).

Day 45 - skipping rocks, glazed donuts and Medford, WI

June 29 - Wilson Creek Shelter to Bryant Ridge Shelter - 21.2 + 1.4

As a result of being really good at this whole hiking thing we managed to put down 18 miles by 1:30pm. So what do we do with our time? Ice cream! Apparently there's the Middle Creek Campground just 1 mile off the trail with hand scooped ice cream. Key lime pie, moosetracks and vanilla.... yum!

After the ice cream we ventured down to Jennings Creek for a "shower." We ended up skipping rocks and playing in the water for an hour. I felt like I was 5 again.

About 5pm we decided to hit the trail and do the last 3.8 miles to our shelter. We made our way to the trail head and found Carol, our lovely trail magic mother who we had met earlier (the same lady who packed out our trash) waiting for her husband to get off the trail. She whipped out three glazed donuts and a cold coke for us. People like her really make this trip an awesome experience.

Met Pickwick (Bill Zirngibl) at Bryant Ridge Shelter. Out of the hundreds of people on the trail, from every State as well as different countries, he knows of Medford, WI! Apparently he lived there for a few years and has family up there... small world.

Bryant Ridge Shelter is one of the largest shelters (sleeps 20), along with Overmountain Shelter and Fontana Dam Shelter.

Day 44 - Reunited with Pilgrim

June 28 - Daleville, VA to Wilson Creek Shelter - 11.2 miles

Had a mediocre breakfast at the Howard Johnson Inn, consisting of a couple of mini lemon poppy-seed muffins, a questionable waffle and a mini bagel with cream cheese.

Hit up Kroger for another $0.50 donut and the Wendy's dollar menu for lunch. We were fortunate enough to catch the Women's World Cup game before we hit the trail.

Pilgrim caught up with us at Fullhardt Shelter today! It is always great to be reunited with another hiker that you had previously met and connected with.

After avoiding a storm at Fullhardt, we made our way to Wilson Creek Shelter for the night.

Day 43 - Kroger donuts, Vasque Mindbender

June 27 - Lamberts Meadow Shelter to Daleville, VA

Did 9.4 miles in exactly three hours this morning. My motivation? Kroger donuts for $0.50.

Our average mpg was 3.94 for the first 70 mins. That's pretty fast folks.

Got in to Daleville, got my donuts then I hit Bojangles for a sausage and egg biscuit and then I went directly to Wendy's for a vanilla frosty and a chicken caesar wrap.

Bear and Vertigo got off the trail today. Two good men, always about a half day ahead of us and we could never catch them. Props to your perseverance!

Bought new shoes today - Vasque Mindbender. The old Brooks Cascadias hit 600 miles and I have been experiencing numb toes for about two weeks.

Pack weight is down to 12lbs!

Day 42 - Simmer-on, McAfee Knob, Hiker-Tetris

June 26 - Pickle Branch Shelter to Lamberts Meadow Shelter - 23.3 + .8 = 24.1

Had a fantastic trail magic experience today. After 12 miles of hiking we were all pretty exhausted, tired, fatigued and just ready to be done for the day though we still had 10 miles to go. We hit a road and began our attempt to hitch in to Catawaba. The 2nd car picked us up, gave us a ride to a Subway/BP combo, waited for us to get a footlong and some cold drinks and then gave us a ride right back to the trail head. Sweet deal. Oh and a lady packed out our trash for us.

Met simmer-on today. He is 88 years old and is attempting to become the oldest thru-hiker by 10 years. I took his picture on McAfee Knob, what many consider the best location to view Virginia. It was worth my time to enjoy a Little Debbie Starcrunch.
Simmer-on also told us the name for his book once he finishes the A.T. but that I will not divulge to the public.

Played hiker-tetris in the shelter last night. My guide says it sleeps 6, we threw in 10. That was fun...

Day 41 - Simco

June 25 - Sarver Hollow Shelter to Pickle Branch Shelter - 16.7 miles

Lost a good man today. Simco was the name and ultralight was his game. He used an Osprey Ethos 46 pack with a Z-Lite pad and a clothing "system" with less clothing than myself!

After Hot Springs, NC (mile 271 in) we began hiking together, with Caboose too. Caboose and Simco had been hiking together prior and since we all had been averaging about the same pace we decided to hike together. A few days later Party Train Entertainment, LLC was formed.

His hiking philosophy was simple - only carry whatever facilitates walking, eating and sleeping. A few luxury items were allowed but beyond that he knew how to "GoLite."

Your presence out here will be missed.

Thank you for the fruit, donuts and Scatman.

Day 40 - Keffer Oak

June 24 - Bailey Gap Shelter to Sarver Hollow Shelter - 21.3 miles

665 miles in 40 days, roughly 16.62/day average.

Passed through tickville today - all of us had multiple ticks simultaneously. Samwise had a total of 5 on him in a 1-hour span - nasty nazgul.

Keffer tree - a 300 year old tree with an 18' 3" girth

Day 39 - Ed & the Captain

June 23 - Rice Field Shelter to Bailey Gap Shelter - 16.4 miles

Fairly early day today, only doing 16.4. We originally planned on a 25.2 day but with the pounds of baked goods we decided to cut it back.

Met Ed today. Ed is an iconic figure out here. He has hiked 50,000 miles... that's a lot of walking. When we asked Ed about his hiking endeavors he told us "I took the 90s off to hike."

Zip-lined across a river to the Captain's house. Apparently this man built a zip-line from the A.T. across the river directly into his backyard. Once across we saw a sign that said "Cold, yes cold drinks. Help yourself." So we ventured to his back porch and found the minicooler with sodas. Unfortunately the Captain was not home so we did not get to meet him.

Day 38 - 2lbs 7oz of Fudge

June 22 - Woodshole Hostel to Rice Field Shelter - 17.2 miles

Our gracious hosts of Woodshole Hostel had gourmet coffee in the morning, as well as warm cinnamon buns and freshly baked bread with homemade strawberry jam. It was tough leaving but we must trek on.

Re-supplied in Pearisburg, VA at the Food Lion.

Lunch at Barranca Mexicana - we devoured our food without saying a word to each other. The locals were looking at us funny...

Received a plethora of baked goods from friends and family. Mail drops are fantastic, especially when your girlfriend sends you 2lbs 7oz of homemade fudge (thank you Lor!). When your bag (GoLite Jam) only weighs 1lb 14oz you can really comprehend how much fudge that is, though it'll only last about 2 days with our hiking appetites.

Dinner tonight: chocolate chip cookies, walnut brownies, banana nut bread, cinnamon pumpkin cookies and fudge. Oh and an apple too but just because it's heavy and I didn't want to carry it anymore.

Day 37 - Woodshole Hostel

June 21 - Jenny Knob Shelter to Woodshole Hostel - 20.4 + 6.5 + .5 = 27.4

Forgot the cellphone at Watipi Shelter so I ran back to get it... in the rain. Ran about 6.5 miles total as I had thought that I had overshot the shelter, retraced my steps, and then realized I had not gone far enough. Add 6 miles to a 21 mile day was a first for me.

Bummer right? Add in a huge mountain that we had already scaled just minutes previously. Fortunately, my trekking companions offered to wait and watch my pack as I ran back.

Flying down the mountain, clad in nothing but the Jubilees was a surreal experience. On my return up the mountain I saw two little old ladies who were probably in their late 60s headed down the mountain, precariously stepping on the uneven terrain. As I approached them they politely asked "How far to the shelter?" My response without breaking stride: "About 8 minutes if you start running."

Upon returning to the Party Train, I told my boys that I would buy them all milkshakes as a thank you for waiting the 50 minutes it took. What would have been a 20.4 mile day turned into a 27.4 mile day instead. Thus, upon arriving at Woodshole Hostel you can only imagine my relief and gratitude at arriving here. Woodshole Hostel is more of a self-sufficiency home that shelters weary hikers and is a cooperative. The atmosphere here was outstanding. Michael ('05 thru-hiker) and Neville own and operate this quaint adobe. From the outside shower to walking in and seeing Michael building a pig pen was pretty cool. Samwise and I were fortunate enough to help with dinner, chopping onions, broccoli, garlic and adding spices to the dishes. It was a great break from hiking.

Day 36 - Oh Mormons

June 20 - Jenkins Shelter to Jenny Knob Shelter 24.4 miles

Ran out of water today. Water management is crucial on the trail as 1 liter weighs 2.2 lbs and I don't want to carry 2.2 lbs if I don't have to. I know just about exactly how much water I do drink for 5-10 miles so I only carry precisely what I need.

Lunch: Bacon Mac N Cheese with dried re-fried beans and fresh garlic.

Met a group of Mormons out doing a weekend hike. They played never have I ever and sang some worship songs. It was great.

Hike naked day is tomorrow!

Day 35 - poncho poncho man

June 19 - Knot Maul Shelter to Jenkins Shelter - 19.0 miles

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Late start today. Actually it was been our latest start thus far when leaving from a shelter or camping.

Another heavy storm - $1.99 poncho worked flawlessly.

Day 34 - lovely mother

June 18 - Chatfield Shelter to Knot Maul Shelter - 18.4

Krispy Kremes for breakfast today. The Party Train decided it was a good idea to purchase a dozen glazed donuts, which we did not end up eating so I carried them to the next shelter :p Ran into Chopsticks at Partnership Shelter yesterday and provided him with one of the sugar coated rings of deliciousness.

Hitched in to Atkins, VA today to pick up our mail drop. We both had delicious baked goods from our lovely mothers - thanks mom!

Day 33 - Little Debbie

June 17 - Trimpi Shelter to Chatfield Shelter - 17.7 miles

10 miles by 10am - Not too shabby.

Bought a 2lb triple fudge chocolate cake today for $5. Worth every penny.

I currently have a food bag that is solely dedicated for Little Debbie products. Not sure who this Little Debbie woman is, but she is an angel.

Day 32 - Ferral Ponies, Clouds and Starcrunch

June 16 - Thomas Knob to Trimpi Shelter

Hit 500 miles today! 544.5 is 25% but we're damn close. It's fitting that we also did 25.1 miles, our longest day yet. The best part- we could have gone another 5. We got in a little after 6pm.

Had a beautiful morning. We have had some gorgeous views on this trip but this morning was one of the best. It was a frigid morning at 5,400ft, with heavy winds and a light mist from being inside of a cloud. First time I've done that- waking up in a cloud.

Party Train Entertainment, LLC (the name that best describes the four of us traveling together) passed through the Grayson Highlands today. Why are the highlands significant? Feral Ponies! I saw around a dozen today right by the trail.

Oh and Caboose wants a Starcrunch.