June 29. Sitting at the Pinnacle

We had thunderstorms in the middle of the night last night. Mark is so sweet. He got up and put the fly on the tent at 2am when the rain started. He has always taken such good care of me and our family. He makes as great of a hiking partner as he does a life partner. I am thankful to have such a wonderful husband!

We have hiked four miles and are sitting at the Pinnacle. One of the best views we have seen in some time. The temperature is expected to hit 98 today. We are in a heat wave.

Today we saw our first rattle snake known as a Timber Rattler I always walk in front and set the pace. We do this because I can't go as fast as Mark on the uphill. This way we stay together. As I am walking I hear the rattle before I see it right on the trail it had started to get into the coil position. Of course, I backed up. I've never scene such a large snake. It's body was very thick and as it straightened out, close to four feet long. The coloring was really beautiful. I was shaken up. The snake went slowly off the trail and Mark tried to take its picture when it rattled again at him. It was scary and exciting. I could pass on future excitement in the snake department.

We met Dawn today at a vista. She lives locally and was kind to talk with. We shared some stories and talked about our families. We agreed to be praying for one another and swapped prayer request. God has brought many people into our lives these past few months to pray for and we enjoy thinking of them each day. Dawn was a joy.

Stopped at Echerville Shelter. This one had a caretaker who greeted us with Popsicles. This has been the hottest day yet. We took a shower to cool off and then had a nap. We wanted to wait until a little later in the day in hopes that it might not be quite as hot.

We made it to Allentown Shelter when we heard about trail magic two hours down the trail. We took off only to discover they had left. Exhausted, we set up camp, laid down in the tent when I realized we were .6 away from a B&B with a restaurant. We decided to call it date night. We chose the least stinky clothes, brushed my hair, and went to Blue Mountain Summit for an appetizer and a drink. We met the owner, Ken, and listened to live music. The bar closed at 10:00 but Ken invited us to stay. We ended up visiting until 1:30 in the morning and stayed in one of his rooms.

Missing Blogs

We had written a blog on 23 and 24 but not sure what happened to them. We spent two nights with Kyle and Sarah Kuehne. They were the best hosts you could ask for. Delicious food, good company and lots of relaxation. Just what we needed. Sarah's brother Eric and sister Abby and boyfriend, Mike came over for s'mores around the campfire. Such a nice family. We are glad to see Kyle so happy. We did some deck hoping starting where Kyle and Sarah got married. Then to a lunch spot and last at an Eagle viewing location. Thank you for all you did for us!!!!!

Kyle took us back to the trail and hiked a few miles. He carried my backpack. I tried to hire him for the rest of the trip, but he is a family man now. I could see the spark in his eye andlfrv

June 28. Hospital Visit

When EZ got up this morning, his ankle was really hurting. It has been bothering him for over a week. We decided to play it safe and get it x-rayed. It is sprained but he is ok to hike. It will need some time off to heal but it should not get worse.

We got a shuttle and K2 was also going to the hospital. He has gotten Lyme disease from a tick. They gave him the meds and he will try to hike soon.

It's in the high 90s so when we got on the trail at 3:00, it was hot. We stopped after 6 miles at a shelter and will get up early to make up some miles.

Still rocky as can be! Ugh! We will get through PA by July 5th.

June 26. What a difference a day can make!

Found a campsite last night by a river. Other hikers trickled in until there were several tents around us. Ages 18-60, two dogs, and everyone just enjoying the evening. Timber played some great music on his guitar and sang for us. Dancing with Flies built a fire. QTip had some word puzzles, and the night was relaxing.

This morning we woke early and felt good. By noon, we had 13.7 miles in and hit our 1000 mile countdown. Came across a cooler with popsicles in it. We were so excited like you felt when you were 8 years old after playing for hours in the summer heat and mom shows up with Popsicles. We finished our hike by 1:30 at the 501 shelter. Ordered pizza, salad and pop. Just when you think the day can't get any better in walks Sweet Frog with her dad Old Hat. Out for a day hike. Sweet Frog is going into the fifth grade and it was nice to talk with them. Sweet Frog hiked some difficult terrain. She is one strong girl. It was nice to have another girl in the camp! I hope she will do more backpacking. Her grandparents came and brought ice cream for all the hikers. Trail Angles.

We are feeling better but know the rocks get even worse tomorrow. We will take it slow

Official Report from Tracking Center

Edith Lamphier aka Grandma Great (my 100 year old grandma)
is the Mark and Julie 2012 AT tracking official. As of June 24th she has them ending their day at 1154,8 miles with 1029.4 miles to complete the journey. It is expected that they will be under the 1000 mile mark within the next few days. Upon finishing the trail EZ and Gravity will report to Grandma Great over lunch to make the journey official at the former Dugout Restaurant located in Marshall, Michigan. Can't wait!

We had a wonderful relaxing weekend with Kyle and Sarah-it was great to see you and your family-thanks for the much needed R & R. Upon returning to the trail Kyle hiked the first 4 miles with us and carried Gravity's backpack which she was loving and trying to talk Kyle into joining us for a week-the offer still stands but you will have to alternate backpacks if you decide to accept the mission : ) Kyle spotted two little fawns, they were fun to watch

We both had a bit of a rough day which was disappointing coming off a restful weekend-we are hoping to be back in the groove tomorrow.
EZ

Sometimes when we are having a difficult day, we think of Grandma and it inspires us to keep moving. We know her and Cheers are routing for us. Thanks for your support Grandma.

Gravity

June 25 Rainy Monday

Yesterday was difficult for us because our feet and bodies are still hurting even after a 48 hour break. We walked 14 miles and the last five were mentally straining as well as physically We chose to camp by a nice view and all I wanted to do was climb into the tent and lay down. I had dreams of home last night and woke up wishing I was there. It was beginning to rain at 6 am. I went back to sleep and Mark asked about the time at 7:15. We are usually hiking by this time. We heard thunder in the distance but decided to get going because the rain was very light. Just as we packed up, thunderstorm hit. We set up our tarp so here we sit. Mark is having a cigar and I am eating a cliff bar. Zero miles and 8:30 am. At least we are staying dry.

On our first day out from a zero day, my bag is its heaviest because we are carrying six days of food. Amazing what an extra ten pounds feels like. The rocks are pretty intense here as well. The terrain elevations are mild in comparison so my hope is we can get through PA by the middle of next week. It helps me to know this is temporary. I am certainly having a mental battle. Everyday is physically challenging but if we keep our attitudes in check, it can be great. When the attitude is wavering, it is just hard.


3:15

Morning turned out to be beautiful with a slight fog and beams of sunshine pouring through the branches. Stepped over a huge black snake before I realized what it was. A neat turtle was hanging out on the trail. We are taking a break because the rocks are killing our feet. We will end our day at the Raisch Gap Shelter with a total of 15.2 miles. Dinner tonight will be a box of Stove Top Stuffing with a bag of chicken mixed in. We plan to get an early start tomorrow to get to the 501 Shelter. They deliver pizza and EZ NEEDS his cold pop. 17.5 miles.

Found a great campsit

June 22 into Duncannon, PA

Knowing Kyle Kuehne was picking us up in Duncannon at 1:00, we got up at 5:30 to make sure we could make it on time. We knew we were going to come into the rocks that PA is known for. They definitely slow you down. Had a great view of the town and the Susquehanna River.

EZ had a rough morning due to sore feet to begin with. We are hoping the lower miles and a day and a half off will help his feet. By the end of the day, they began to swell.

In Duncannon there is a place called the Doyle Hotel where a lot of hikers eat and stay. As hungry as we were, it looked pretty rough so we passed on lunch and went to the barber. They trimmed EZs mustache and neck.

We were so happy to see Kyle who picked us up and took us to a local restaurant. We had a Cheese Steak "in the garden". In PA, that means tomato, lettuce, onion and mayo. It was delish.

PooOn to his adorable home and wife, Sarah. Sarah has had knee surgery and had prepared us an incredible dinner working on this cool little scooter she uses to get around. Then for an added treat, Sarah's parents, Dave and Julie, came over to enjoy dinner and a fire. Kyle never stopped moving between chasing the chickens, keeping track of the three dogs, grilling, serving drinks, chopping firewood...busy man. A terrific evening! We plan to stay here until Sunday morning.

June 20 Allenberry Playhouse Resort

The honeymooners told us about this resort they stayed in last year. A beautiful place that offers a huge discount to hikers. We hiked 113 miles in the last six days which earned us a Nero day- 8 miles into Boiling Springs. We are walking through farm fields right now and the temperature is in the upper 90s and humid. We hiked at 6am and loved the farms. EZ used to work on his Uncle Kenny's farm in Illinois when he was young. He was taking in deep breaths of the wonderful aroma of hay mixed with manure and reminiscing about the good old days. I could so see him as a farmer.

At home Mark has always been very focused on work. Since I bought Attuned Mind, I have as well. Being self employed and having had our share of hard times, it can be difficult to work less than 60-70 hours a week. It's a good thing until it becomes all there is. Out here we do have a job to do, walk enough miles each week to get us to Khatadin. This job requires little thought and leaves so much brain space. We have slowly been able to let go of that feeling that you can never do enough and be in the moment. I felt that freedom walking through the farm fields as the sun had just come up. Not just looking out at Gods creation but being a part of it.

Spent the evening with the Honeymooners. Went to the Tavern in town and found ourselves in a very expensive restaurant that was highly recommended. It was funny when Mark ordered thousand island dressing, the waiter said, "Russian?". Mark said, "tthousand island", "Russian?" the waiter was maybe 55 years old and acted a bit feminine and sarcastic. It's as if he was trying to coach us through the right way to order. So Mark finally agreed to the Russian unsure of what he was getting but certain he would eat anything. I had ordered Poppy Seed on the side and when I didn't like it asked for ranch. The waiter sternly said, "Why, everyone likes it. Let's stir it up and I am sure you will like it". When he walked away we started to laugh at this experience we were having. Of course, we were eating the rolls within minutes of him placing them on the table so we had him refilling the basket several times. When Mooner (that's how we refer to the husband in the Honeymooners) ordered his steak well done and asked for a bottle of ketchup, you should've seen the waiters face. Now we were just laughing out loud. I asked the waiter for a picture and we had a good time with it. I had the best dinner I've had since we left in March.

Enjoyed the town. There is a huge bubbling spring that fills the river running through town. The stream is filled with trout and brings fly fisherman in from a long ways. We returned to the lobby where a group had left some wine, crackers and cheese offering us to enjoy. We did and headed to bed. What a day!

Met Michelle by the river in the morning and talked with her about the hike. Also took a picture of Cheesewater enjoying the pool.

Rock Maze.