The Appalachian Trail- (D.76, 14.3 mi)

(Dick's Dome Shelter --> Sam Moore Shelter) (993.9 mi total)

So, we had spent a little time on "The Roller Coaster" yesterday... I didn't remember to mention it because I tried to forget it ha.  The Roller Coaster is basically a series of 10 ascents in 13.5 miles.....the last bit of miserable in our trip so we were eager to conquer it.  It sucked....but we decided to split it into 2 days so we could better manage it and not hurt ourselves this close to the end of the trip!  We finally hit a really nice meadow in the trail....it was nice to see a little different bit or terrain.  We made it to the Shelter and hit the hay with dreams of hitting a 1000 miles the next day.

What my companion book has to say about the ol' Roller Coaster.....  :(

Finally one with nature....I have been trying to become one with the universe ha.  I decided long ago that if I could ever get a butterfly to land on my hand then I was getting close.  The last couple of weeks they have been getting close, and then today I felt it....it was destiny.

Whoop Whoop! Harpers Ferry on a sign.... finally feels like we are making it somewhere.

Beautiful spot we got to walk along.....loved it.

Bout to get this shit done son.

Ha, a little warning from the Trail Club!

Whiteblaze art...its been a while.

The Appalachian Trail- (D.75, 14.4 mi)

(Campsite/Spring --> Dick's Dome Shelter) (978.6 mi total)

We finally made it out of the SNP!  It was sad to see it go but we were ready to get moving and finish up our trip.  We didn't pass much for pictures today, but we did still have our hotdog dinner to look forward to.  Dick's Dome Shelter wasn't as nice as we had hoped......but we set up camp around it and enjoyed clear skies without having to set up our tarps!

Hot Dog time..... finally something besides Ramen and Tuna.

Made a great fire....took a little effort.

And worth it.....4 hot dogs a piece! Made some Mac N' Cheese to add to the top and grabbed some condiments for a loaded dog.

The Appalachian Trail- (D.74, 14.2 mi)

(Gravel Springs Hut --> Campsite/Spring) (964.2 mi total)

So, we had the idea today to hike quickly so we could get into Front Royal, Va and do a quick re-supply and laundry session.  Luckily we made it with little issues.  We hit the road to Front Royal and within 10 minutes of throwing up the thumb a nice girl stopped and picked us up!  She said she was running extremely late for a dinner date with a friend but saw us puttin' on a smile and thought that no one would pick us up.  She was driving a 5 speed.....even though she didn't really seem to know how ha.  We had just made it into the grocery store when a employee getting off was nice enough to say, "hey, you guys hiking? I just got off let me give you a ride!"  We were dumbfounded and felt truly lucky......it was a sham.  We rushed through our shopping only to find that our "ride" was a crude joke ha and he had already left.  Josh, did manage to buy some hotdogs for us.....a little celebratory dinner for the end of a long trip.  We started walking back (4 miles) in the dark, thinking no way anyone sees our thumbs....but someone did.  A small toyota pulled over and let us in.  We did a little night hiking and before we knew it we were setting up camp about a mile off the trail!

The PATC did a great job and left us thoroughly impressed with the trails!

Abby is sideways!

Another section of just great trail....it always a relief to catch some trail like this!

The last section of Virginia is really old and has plenty to offer for history enthusiast.

The Appalachian Trail- (D.73, 13.1 mi)

(Pass Mtn Hut --> Gravel Springs Hut) (950 mi total)

Another day walking....ha it was a pretty nice day with some interesting activities for sure.  We awoke to see a bear washing in the spring (water source) for the shelter....we felt pretty connected with nature to say the least.  I did manage to get some shots so that was cool.  We met two Sobo's (Old Bay and Trevor (?)) and they stayed night with us at the shelter.  Unfortunately my walking stick that I found in North Carolina broke today (not me breaking it either surprisingly) so it was a bitter moment...still got Timone (my wood stick) though.  Luckily, Josh spotted a good stick and managed to do some climbing and grab it for me!

Silver eyes....we have been seeing so  many deer everyday.  Crazy!

My walking stick.... it is off to a better place now.  The trash.

Did you think you were the only ones thirsty?

Fine, I'll leave.....but not quickly.

We didn't necessarily want to walk through Browntown.....

The Appalachian Trail- (D.72, 15.3 mi)

(Rock Spring Hut --> Pass Mtn Hut) (936.9 mi total)

Had a rather gloomy day today, but still managed to get decent miles done.  We hit some really low elevation's today and it kind of took a toll on me.  The humidity was intense and it left us drenched in sweat.  We were anxious to get to the shelter and put on some cleaner clothes.  Unfortunately the shelter we stayed in was pretty intense.....ha Josh managed to chop the head off of one (of two) snakes living in the shelter and I had to kill numerous spiders that found their way in my shirt ha.  Not to mention the ever present shelter mice.....ha getting pretty tired of these sleeping conditions.

Natural pool, usually a great view....as you can see the fog didn't allow that though.

Whats that in the distance?  Night hikes are already scary....don't need bears to make it more so.

Halls throat drops wrapper..... Ha, its like they knew I was struggling today.

I think my feet are giving up on me.....disgusting and bruised ha.

Ha, first sign that says "Your getting closer"

The Appalachian Trail- (D.71, 17.mi)

(South River Picnic Grounds --> Rock Spring Hut and (locked) Cabin) (921.6 mi total)

Another beautiful day in SNP.  We did have a little bit of rain in the morning, but it did manage to blow over in the end and left us with some breath-taking views of the Shenandoah Valley.  Ran into some folks climbing...surprisingly the first I had seen the entire trip.  I was very jealous.....cannot wait to start climbing again in Memphis.  We also got to stop by the Big Meadows Lodge today.  It is a restaurant in the middle of the SNP and a tourist trap if I have ever seen one....it did have some damn good coffee though.  We went to the hostess inquiring a seat.  She replied, "I take it you boys are hiking, we actually have a spot for hikers..."  This spot was in the corner of the restaurant and at least 30 ft away from anyone within a nose distance ha.

Shenandoah Valley, so beautiful.

Panoramic View of the valley..... it was so hard to move from this spot ha.

And I thought Charlotte's Web was fiction.....

....Jealous.

Conquered......great feeling.

The Appalachian Trail- (D.70, 14.7 mi)

(Pinefield Hut --> South River Picnic Area) (904.1 mi total)

A temporary lapse in mental stability led Abby to believe that a change in attire was necessary to go forth.  Fortunately I had picked up some patriotic pants (1992 Tommy Hilfiger swim-trunks) that fit the bill.  Another great day of great walking....and yes 900 miles.  WOOT WOOT!  Getting so close at this point I can almost taste the savory flavor of the steak kindly prepared by my momma back in Germantown.

Yeah, that's an Americu'n Flag on my buttocks....damn straight!

This is when walking is at its best....just nature touring.

Found a cemetery in the middle of our hike....it had a seat.  We were morally challenged but we figured you would only make your tombstone a chair on the AT if you wanted hikers to sit and reflect....so we did.

Very peculiar shelter....seemed to have a lot of folks that weren't really hiking.  I photographed timidly and from afar.