Urbyville

As of 12:45pm yesterday, July 14th, we completed our adventure on the Appalachian Trail. It took 104 days total, 96 of which were spent hiking and 8 of them were days off in Myrtle Beach, SC. As of 12:45pm today, I’m currently riding in a rental car, on my way … Continue reading →

We finally got our last Post Office care package bonanza today and it was like Christmas morning for the two of us. I say finally because we planned on arriving by July 2ndbut after tough hiking in the Whites and the first part of Maine, we finally made it 6 … Continue reading →

Here we are, 88 days into the trail, and I’m still having new experiences that I never experienced on the PCT or yet here on the AT. On the PCT, Optimist and I made a decision near the beginning of the trail to only resupply in towns that were within … Continue reading →

Man the trail is full of ups and downs. Julie tends to be the one with the big emotional swings but of late, even the Optimist (I only referred to myself in the third person because of my trail name implying that I’m a positive person with a positive outlook) … Continue reading →

It’s our second day in Maine today, and though I was happy to cross the New Hampshire/Maine border, I have to say that I’m ready for the finish. If Matt were writing this, he’d title it, “So close, yet so far.” We are sitting about 250 miles from Mt. Katahdin, … Continue reading →

We’re out of the Whites and now just a few miles from the Maine border so it’s time for a little reflection. As with all things, there are the good and the bad parts and I will share a few of those. There is also rock climbing as opposed to … Continue reading →

We aren’t getting snowed out but the White Mountains of NH have been working us physically with long days, tough climbs, and little time to write or relax. It’s been so great to get into NH and we’ve enjoyed the amazing views of the Whites. We’d heard about this section … Continue reading →

We just might be the luckiest hikers on the trail, or at least it feels that way. Our cup is overrunning with trail magic at the moment. We got back on the trail a few days ago after the amazing trail magic from the Boshart family in Manchester Center, VT … Continue reading →

No, these are not names of thru-hikers. These are the names of the unexpected visitors we had to our shelter last night. Last night was one of the strangest nights we’ve had on the trail yet, where I had very little sleep and way too much excitement. About 10:30pm last … Continue reading →

We had our first full day back on the trail today after a week off and I was reminded again about why I love the trail. We had beautiful weather, nice forest to walk through, some good views on the peaks we climbed, and most importantly, good time to talk … Continue reading →

I know it does but for a week on the beach in SC, it sure seemed far away and almost nonexistent. We were in a touristy world so far removed from the Appalachian Trail that few would have known what it was all about and I actually enjoyed not thinking … Continue reading →

And by Boshart, I’m referring to Cara, Greg, Devin, and Moxie Boshart, the amazing family living in Manchester Center, VT that were the source of an angelic trail magic experience and quite possibly, the greatest hospitality I’ve ever encountered in my life. The story is that on Thursday, we were … Continue reading →

Yesterday was a monumental day for Optimist and me in our trail history together. We took a zero day. A zero is when no miles are hiked and no further progress is made on the trail. This was the first zero day we have ever taken including both the 109 … Continue reading →

Two weeks ago, we left our tent in Greenwood Lake, NY and have since been shelter hopping for our nightly residence. So far, so good, yet so different. I am so intrigued by how the presence of shelters shapes the AT experience. Since there were so few on the PCT … Continue reading →

We’re getting off the trail tomorrow for a weeklong vacation to Myrtle Beach, SC with our family and as I lay here in the shelter tonight reminiscing on the first 68 days I have some major thanks to give out. Julie has already done this with her post “Our Support … Continue reading →

And not like Run DMC. It’s been a painful and challenging experience to say the least. We had been rocking the “beach body push” on our way to 150 miles in 5 days and feeling good about it. To top it off, Sunday (Day 5) was to have been a … Continue reading →

So we’re both still on the trail and we’re making good time with plenty of positive wind in our sails. We had our rough seas and Julie almost didn’t make it through, but we’ve turned the corner and are moving through the miles yet again. Our motto is the “beach … Continue reading →

Just a few days ago, this post was going to be titled, “Trail Obituary.” I had had enough and had called it quits after 1361 miles just after the border of NJ and NY. That morning, after a terrible night’s sleep, we crossed the border on a hot, muggy morning … Continue reading →

So my last post about my bug bandana was supposed to be kind of funny and mainly stupid. I was in a lighthearted mood that night after hiking and wasn’t thinking about anything too deep. Then, what I thought was simply a light skirmish with bugs escalated into an all … Continue reading →

Optimist and I have found ourselves at the front of the pack. We knew it would happen eventually as we passed individuals and groups in our first weeks on the trail. Today marks 8 weeks out on the trail, with about 830 miles to go, and we are quite alone. … Continue reading →

I’m being much more positive in NJ than I was in PA. It may have something to do with the fact that for the first two days of the state, we’ve had sunny weather and it rained nearly every day in PA. I’d like to think it is my attitude … Continue reading →

This is not a declarative statement, but rather a noun and its adjective. It is a description of my views for the last week on the trail. During the weeks leading up to the state of Pennsylvania, I heard from a lot of other hikers, whether first hand in person … Continue reading →

Nearly every time I meet another woman who is not out here hiking the trail, but is rather in a town, camping for the weekend or just driving by the trail, she usually says to me, “I don’t know how you do it. I could never do something like thru-hike … Continue reading →

For starters, it’s important for me to note that Julie and I walk together every mile of the AT. In the first part of the trail, she would always walk in front and I would follow. We realized that either she has gotten faster, or I’ve gotten slower because we … Continue reading →

It’s rained for 8 days in a row now and everything is either soaked or at least damp, our spirits included. I am the Optimist on the trail and I am fully into this adventure but the rain, along with some of the trail section through PA thus far has … Continue reading →

I’ve been meaning to share a little analysis of what I think about while I hike all day and today is the day that I’m actually following through on it because today was a bit out of the ordinary. So I’ll share a little about today along with some of … Continue reading →

I spent the last 6 miles of our hike today thinking, “Please, let there be a room at the Doyle.” If you have ever passed through Duncannon, PA, you know that’s a big statement. The Doyle Hotel is an old, historic building that is cheap ($32.50 for our room), yet … Continue reading →

We have had such a great time the past week with friends, family, and food. We’ve met with my parents and brother on Saturday and Sunday and then met with our old roommate Brian, from Annapolis, today. The time off the trail with them has been excellent and we have … Continue reading →

While we may not be hiking an “assisted” thru-hike in the sense that we have people along the trail, bringing us food and water and carrying our packs, we certainly have one the best support crews we could ever compile. The support we have received so far via phone, email … Continue reading →

Today we passed the 1000 mile marker and completed our fifth state in moving from West Virginia into Maryland. I thought it was time to share one of my favorite joys I’ve experienced while walking ten to twelve hours a day. There are many good parts including the scenery, the … Continue reading →

We are now in the state of Maryland, which means we have officially left Virginia, a state that was our home for 3 weeks, which will most likely be the longest we spend in one state. When I look back at Virginia, I’ll most likely remember two things – the … Continue reading →

I am disgustingly dirty, and I’m talking about the down and dirty physical type such that I am covered in grime and filth and it is to a point that I disgust myself. We did this to ourselves. We each showered twice in Waynesboro last Saturday and Sunday but due … Continue reading →

We had our third hotel stop of the trail this past weekend in Waynesboro, VA at the southern terminus of Shenandoah National Park and this time we did the town stop different than the other two and while we had a good time in the previous towns, Waynesboro takes the … Continue reading →

I am going to paraphrase some Nietzsche from some lectures I’ve been listening to on my iPod while I hike along with some of the Nietzsche that I remember from college to discuss the memories from my thru hike of the AT 11 years ago with my friends Animal and … Continue reading →

I made a huge mistake upon leaving Pearisbug, VA. I had eaten so much town food that by the time we went grocery shopping for the resupply into the next town of Daleville, VA, I skimped a little. I thought the thousands of calories I consumed would carry me at … Continue reading →

I did it, I broke from hiker custom and shaved the beard off in Pearisburg. It was a good beard too. I started it in late March when we went to visit my sister in South Carolina and shaved it a month later. I did it for a few reasons. … Continue reading →

I don’t have many luxury items in my pack these days, as a lighter pack has greatly enhanced my ability to enjoy the trail. But there are still a few items that are worth their weight in gold, one of them being my ipod nano. I’m not even sure how … Continue reading →

After the night we had last night, I realized that more needs to be told about the shelter life. All this past week, we heard weather forecasts that would scare any hiker into staying in town and not leaving until the storms blew over. Unfortunately, we weren’t near a town, … Continue reading →

Most of my posts are about an idea or a specific story. I’ve been thinking about what to write since we left Damascus, VA this past weekend and while we have had many noteworthy experiences, there isn’t one best story or an overarching theme connecting them other than all happening … Continue reading →

We did not do much night hiking on the PCT, and thankfully have not started that habit yet here on the AT. So far we have hiked about an hour and a half in the dark, with our headlamps, and that’s about enough for me. There is something about the … Continue reading →

Physically, the trail is certainly a challenge; the emotional challenges may be greater. I think about the psychology books, Games People Play by Eric Berne and I’m OK, You’re OK by Thomas Harris to describe the emotional aspects of the trail that I often think about. They break things down … Continue reading →

There is a part of the hiking life that I never experienced on the PCT, which is incredibly prevalent on the AT. It is the shelter part of the trail life. All along the AT, ranging everywhere from 2 to 10 miles apart are shelters for all the hikers. Most … Continue reading →

Yes, we’re hiking with Whitney Houston. However, the Whitney we’re hiking with is a 27 year old guy from Oklahoma. He was excited by the mileage we were hiking and since we caught him, he hasn’t let us pass. We’ve since been pushing each other to 25 plus miles per … Continue reading →

Life on the trail is a stripped down version of a life and one that takes things down to the basics. This could be viewed as a simple life but simple does not imply an easy life. Thoreau might say that simple is better (I’ve never actually finished Walden) and … Continue reading →

I have had to drastically change my mindset about a lot of things out here, one being food. In normal life, I count calories in and calories out so I can maintain a healthy weight. Out here on the trail, I count the calories to make sure I don’t lose … Continue reading →

Jefferson: We tip our hats Happy birthday little brother. We are proud of you and who you are. We think about you often while hiking and have enjoyed simply imagining that you may join us for the second half of our journey. We have literally spent hours talking about it … Continue reading →

Something I have been reminded of lately is the swinging pendulum effect in all parts of the trail life. Not that this aspect is special to the trail life, but I believe it’s more deeply felt because of the rawness of the life to begin with. These last few days … Continue reading →

Our writing is admittedly biased and we’re not able to give the full report of the trail life. This isn’t some sort of conspiracy but the fact is that there are times that we’re so involved in the moment that we either can’t report about it at the time, we’re … Continue reading →

Holy Monday’s! For two weeks straight now, we’ve had huge thunderstorms on Monday night and both nights we’ve had to stay in our tents. Last night was especially trying because we’d just hiked our biggest day yet, 27 miles, and then had to set up the tent on a windy … Continue reading →