THANK YOU!

Just wanted to thank everyone for their support. For certain it's one of the reasons we're still out here. Special thanks to Jane and Dave- for sending fudge to complete strangers! And Thom and Katie, too! Thank you Sejong, Marc, Tara and Brady, Jana, Nick, Sara, Dave, Bob, Shana, Danny, Brandon, Cheryl, Sharon and Marty, Aunt Karen, Baltimore Andy for town advice, Floss for sending messages about the miles ahead, and above all- our parents: thank you for raising us to be awesome! And thank you  to this guy for giving us free beer!!!!

We're still here!  It's been a while since our last post and we've come through the rest of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.  Now we've "flip-flopped" down to Georgia and are going to start walking north back towards Harper's Ferry.  We're staying with Mike's Aunt and Uncle in Duluth and getting dropped of at the Springer Mountain approach trail tomorrow morning.  1167.5 miles down, only 1018.4 to go!

We met Art Alameda, a NY ATC hike leader and trail expert/angel on Bear Mountain.  After giving us a;ll of his granola bars he took us on a personal tour of the trail on the north side of the mountain.

He was a real cut-up and had us laughing the whole time.

View of New York City skyline from Black Mountain, 34 miles from the city.  After the sun set we watched the planes coming into the 3 airports for hours.  Surprisingly it was also one of our best stargazing nights bc we were deep in Harriman State Park.

John is a trail angel who stocks a cooler full of food and drinks with money that he makes cutting firewood on the side.  He also gave us a big container of potato salad from his friends new restaurant, and it was one of the most delicious things we've had the whole trip.

He also stocks a medicine cabinet located up the hill.  It's loaded with everything a hiker could ever need.

The New York/New Jersey border.

St. Thomas Episcopal Church.  They provide a hostel in the basement of the newer church for hikers

The spindles were all made by the oirginal parishioners in the mid 1800's.  Each family was given the pattern and told to make one and they all came out a little different.

Window in St Thomas

There is a nearly one-mile long boardwalk that goes through a wetland in NJ

The Murray's open their property and one of the many cabins for the use of thru-hikers.  I was lucky enough to spend my 33rd birthday here .

Inside the Murray Cabin

Apple pickin'

Feeding some apples to the donkeys at the Murray's

Birthday burrito!

I got to blow out candles in a special "appalachian mud" pudding that Ellie made for me.

High Point State Park monument in NJ 

Gyp's Tavern overlooking Kitatinny Lake in Branchville, NJ

Boooooooooooooooooooo

"The pump don't work cuz the vandals took the handle..."

The Delaware River is the border between New Jersey and Pennsylvania 

The weirdest salon ever in Delaware Water Gap, PA.  Look closely...

Our hero.  No idea who it is, but the picture was up in the Church of the Mountain Hostel in Delaware Water Gap.

Some of the infamous Pennsylvania Rocks

View from the Pinnacle

The Captains are two SOBOs who just returned from serving in Afghanistan.  We've hiked with them off and on since Vernon, NJ

Bag o' Tricks and Camo Jack.  Two members of the infamous "Billeville" crew.  Tricks gave us gatorade and bananas with just the right amount of "sugar spots"

Target practice in Port Clinton, PA

The Cabela's in Hamburg is one of the strangest places around.

We were fortunate enough to see Joe Roberts and the Real Country playing a Pappy T's Lounge- a bar attached to the Microtel we were staying at in Hamburg

We met my parents in Hamburg and went to Roadside America.  An enormous train garden that a man created in the 50's and 60's.  He handmade every building, using locals structures as an inspiration.  This place was incredible.

How I wish Mt Rushmore actually looked like this!  George looks like such a badass!

This is what it looks like when a thru-hiker finishes.  Son Driven was coming north, but had to get off at this bridge outside of Lickdale, PA bc of a bad case of poison ivy.  When he came back to the trail he headed back south to the bridge.  We spent his last night and day of the trail with him.

Susquehanna River

Vintage working coke machine in Duncannon, PA

The Doyle, our home for 3 nights while we waited out a record 10" of rain

Odd mural in Duncannon, PA

Inside the bar at The Doyle.

A sign you won't see at many other hotels.

Camo wall paint and Goodies.

The Flexible Flyer Sled Factory turned Antique Mall has a penny arcade in the back with working vintage games.   Ellie is playing with Peppy the clown marionette.

The result of 10" of rain!

Starting the "Half Gallon Challenge" at Pine Grove Furnace General Store

Double Cookies and Cream in 21 minutes and 1 second

Ellie working through the pain.

Done!  Mint Chocolate Chip in 25:56

Your reward is a small wooden spoon with "Member of the Half Gallon Club"stamped on it!

I played and sang some songs at an open mic night at the Holly Inn in Mt Holly Springs, PA.  I did The Byrds "Wasn't Born to Follow" and Bob Dylan's "Tomorrow is a Long Time"

Halfway!

"What *%&#ing hick stole the Mason-Dixon sign???"

Dahlgren Chapel outside of Boonsboro, MD

View from White Rocks on Lambs Knoll in MD

Everyone gets this scared when they're this close to Ellie!

Passing the train at the MD/WV border

Our parents came to meet us in Harper's Ferry but didn't watch out for the zombies.

Family time with my Aunt and crew in Duluth, GA