Appalachian Trail

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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Johns Hollow Shelter 786.6
June 22, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Today was quite an easy hike except for one mountain climb right before lunch. Afterwards it went pretty even along the ridge.
Oh, and one of the 10 trail traditions took place today at the James River Footbridge, the longest footbridge on the AT. The tradition is to jump down from it into the James River but that is forbidden now. Of course we did it :) And right afterwards Julia jumped an officer of the National Forest Service showed up. But he was nice although he probably saw her.
Someone along the trail told us that a tropical storm is forecasted for tomorrow...Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Wild Camping Bald Knob 809.5
June 23, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 21 °C
First of all... No tropical storm or any storm, just a bit of rain at night. And right now again some rain while we're in the tent. We're both very tired after a quite long day and a crazy humidity.
Directly at the start of our day was a three hour uphill. The afternoon was pretty easy but then there was the other tough uphill. So we had a break just before the ascent at a Shelter.
There we've had some Trail Mix and two Oatmeal Nutella cookies from two fellow thru hikers named donkey and Qtip. They gave us enough energy to make it that far today :)Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Camping at Tye River Parking 832.1
June 24, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 18 °C
Still no tropical thunderstorm, just a slight breeze :) Third day in a row making more than 22 miles, it looks good with making it to Harper's Ferry. But first we need to make it to Waynesboro for resupply which is planned for the day after tomorrow.

Today we went up to "The Priest" to confess our trail sins. Of course there wasn't much to confess ;) But it's one of the trail traditions so we wrote those confessions to the Shelter Log. We were quite tired all day so it was surprising that we had the energy to make it so far today. I think I had my first tick today although I'm not sure. Luckily I saw it while it was crawling on my hand.
There was a super long (5ish) downhill from the Priest that we did in an night hike. But we had the same issue as always, as soon as we are tired there are no campsites anywhere to be found. So we added additional two miles until we found the cosy spot next to the parked cars :DRead more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Dripping Rock / Waynesboro 847.6
June 25, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
In the morning we got up early and moved to the next Shelter for water resupply (10 miles without a water source) and breakfast. During our excessive breakfast a fellow thru hiker named Hobbes joined us. After a bit of conversation he offered us all of his Poptarts because he was so sick of them. And he still had about 8 packs, now we have them :) Julia smiled all the way up the next mountain.
We changed our plans for Harper's Ferry and 4th of July a bit. Now we want to go to Washington DC just for the 4th and then back to Harper's Ferry and the trail. This seems like one of the best places to experience the independence day.
On the way to our today's Shelter we've met a man at an Outlook who offered to take us to the city. Even though we've initially planned to go to Waynesboro a day later we accepted his offer and drove in the back of his pickup. This offered us beautiful views over the Blue Ridge Mountains. Actually you usually have the nicer views from there instead of hiking the AT, which is kind of sad.

So we came to Waynesboro after a short stop at Swannanoa - an old mansion build fully of marble. In Waynesboro we just wanted to resupply and then head on. But it was already too late to catch a ride, so we decided to stay there.
The YMCA campgrounds were quite packed but worth it with showers, WiFi and even a hiker Pavillon with solar chargers.

Crunchy peanut butter 2 - 0 Sporks :(Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Camping near Calf Mountain 870.8
June 26, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 14 °C
We were up early as we made an appointment with a Trail Angel to bring us back to the trail. Fortunately the mobile phone finally worked. We were picked up at 6:30 so we needed to get up at 5 to get a free shower at the YMCA facilities. Tom picked us up on time and brought us back.
Julia finally saw a bear!! And it wasn't even running away, just foraging all the berries. So she were able to watch him for about five minutes.

Our camp spot was crazy crowded with insects!! We almost ate them because they fell in our Ramen Soup all the time. During dinner we needed to chase away a raccoon who got a bit bit too noisy. So we just wanted to tuck in our tent.Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Pinefield Hut 895.6
June 27, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 13 °C
We slept in a bit today and started later than usual around 8. We've had our tent set up next to another one and in the morning we met the inhabitant. A hiking enthusiast from Spain who hiked all the Caminos and is now thru hiking. Besides his personal blog he also writes about his experiences for the renown news Marca. Julia had already seen that he is on the trail from the Shelter logs and was excited to meet him so she finally had someone to talk in Spanish :)
In the after we came by the nice summit of Blackrock Mountain which is covered in grey rocks. But we suppose that they look blackish from further away. There are so many parking lots and tourists along the trail here. It doesn't feel like the calm walk in the woods anymore that we are used to.

Later we stopped by a camp store to a new gas canister to be sure to make it through the Shenandoahs. From there it was just a small hike to a restaurant where we had a well deserved Cheeseburger and Chili Cheese Fries. After lunch we met Maverick (Jup, Top Gun!!) a fellow thru hiker who has seen already 8 bears today :o And she hiked the exact same trail parts as us...

Oh, and I think I got my first blister today from the socks :( It's not too bad but still hurts, I just wonder why it took almost two months :DRead more
TravelerJoni, do you already have trail names for yourselves?
6/29/17Reply
TravelerYes, we do :D I'll write about it later
7/3/17Reply
TravelerOk, thanks :-)
7/3/17Reply
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Great Meadows Visitor Center 923.5
June 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 11 °C
In the afternoon I had another bear encounter. He was quite far away and I heard it more than I actually saw him but it was definitely a black bear and he looked big. That's the first one in the Shenandoahs which is supposed to have the largest population of black bears in the world, about 1 per square mile. But we still haven't seen any cubs :(
At around 6 we arrived at a campground where we resupplied on beer and ice cream. After paying I asked the shop owner of they have a hiker box but he said that the park service doesn't like to see them because there are restaurants and shops all over the park. He went to another room and came back with two ice creams and a pack of chips :) Trail magic at its best!! Outside of the store we set up our cooking stove and started preparing Knorr Pasta Cheddar Cheese for dinner just as a man came by and offered us a 3/4 part of a pizza. We ate and drank everything, I think our hiker hunger really starts to kick in.
Afterwards the man who gave us the pizza sat next to us. His name is Nope and he's also hiking the AT together with his granddaughter. He talked a bit about himself, a really interesting man. Vietnam veteran who was for years in Colombia to fight there against human trafficking. They will also be going to Washington DC for the 4th of July so we exchanged numbers.

Finally we went out for the night hike that should get us to Byrds Visitor Center with WiFi where we arrived three hours later. Then we spent two hours there enjoying to be connected and finishing some open tasks. Then we set up our tent across the street to the Visitor Center

Whoever said that Virginia - or the AT there - is flat, is lying!! It's not, BUT it is flatter than most of the parts that we already hiked. The uphills aren't as steep as elsewhere (especially the Smokies) and you usually stay on the ridge for some time. So today we had the usual game: uphill, ridge, downhill, gap... Repeat... Sometimes garnished with a nice view. Not the extraordinary views that you get when you're on the Skyline Drive Outlooks with clearings, just a rock :D At one of those outlooks we saw this stunning sunset where you could actually see the blue ridges of the mountains.Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Elkwallow Picnic Area 950.6
June 29, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 20 °C
We tore down our tent early so nobody of the officials would see it because according to the park rules you have to set up the tent further away from a road. Then we had our first breakfast at the Visitor Center. After we were done a guy came by and asked if we are thru hiking and gave us his leftover French fries from a day ago :D There's not much difference to a homeless sometimes. We were still hungry after the fries so we went to the Wayside restaurant and got us a footlong sandwich.
Well fed we put in some miles together with Jon, the Spaniard, to the hotel area Skyland in the middle of the Shenandoah National Park. In the afternoon we've encountered a deer right next to the trail that wasn't afraid at all. And just a few miles later we finally saw a mother bear with two cubs!! They didn't seem to notice us, so we could watch them for a bit. As we made a noise one cub ran to its mother, the other one climbed up a tree. Mama bear was watching us cautiously so we went on.
During the night hike we saw another bear crossing the street in front of us. We wanted to make it to a camp store for the night so we could wash our clothes but unfortunately we were at the only one in the whole park that doesn't have laundry :(

Despite that, the Shenandoahs have been like a luxury vacation. We didn't need to filter water since we've entered the park, there is a restaurant every 20 miles, restrooms and chargers. Additionally a vivid wild life, flatter trails and beautiful views.Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Colonel John Mosby Campsite 973.1
June 30, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 21 °C
Another late start into the day because we were waiting for the Wayside restaurant to open so we can get the footlong sandwiches!! 1010 calories packed in a ton of ham with a bit of cheese, both probably fake but it gets you going...
After a few yards on the trail we already saw a bear that was running away from us. At the rattlesnake viewpoint we switched from the Appalachian Trail over to the Skyline Drive. The main reason was because of the viewpoints along the drive, but also that it's flatter... Mile wise it's basically the same but it wasn't as much faster than expected and additionally we got a bit of a sunburn. So after about 8 miles of road walking we had some really nice views but we were more exhausted than usual because we were almost all the time exposed to the sun.

Right when we went back on the AT a man named Ken from Washington DC did some trail magic with ice cold Gatorade, popsicles and bananas. Perfect timing for a bit of regeneration :) From there it was just a short, easy hike to the next Shelter where we stopped for dinner. We also ran into Jon again and he shared some delicious (not fake) Chorizo and Manchego cheese directly from Spain with us. And we shared some Knorr Chicken Fettuccine with him. Meanwhile he showed some pictures of his family, his house in Bilbao and his apartment in Torremolinos.
The last section for the day was a night hike to the Colonel John Mosby campsite about 5 miles later. Within the first mile we saw three!! bears. One wasn't impressed by us at all and it took him like two minutes to head off into the woods.
On the way to our last stop a guy asked if we are thru hiking and if we want a beer. It wasn't too bad for the fact that it was with watermelon :DRead more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Rod Hollow Shelter 993.3
July 1, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 23 °C
This morning we stopped at a pretty nice Shelter for breakfast and resupplied on water. There was even a shower available but as we are planning to stop at a kind-of hostel there was no direct need for it ;) We're smelling bad anyways...
Otherwise it was one of the toughest days on the trail for me so far. The humidity is crazy!! Breathing is really hard sometimes and you can barely drink enough to keep yourself hydrated. A girl on the trail said that it will become worse over the month but that we are supposed to be fine further north... I hope she's right :)Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
David Lesser Memorial Shelter 1014.4
July 2, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 22 °C
Crazy!!! 1000 miles by foot :) But the last few weeks have been intense. Yesterday was the first time that I arrived at our final stop in daylight. Today the seventh day in a row that we made 20 or more miles. We're now just looking forward to relax tomorrow at Harper's Ferry and to celebrate that we achieved our goal.
To make it to here we needed to ride the Rollercoaster today. It's called like this because it is "a series of steep ascends and descends". But for our trained hiker legs it wasn't too much of a challenge and for lunch we were already almost through it. Another remarkable thing that happened today is crossing the border from Virginia to West Virginia. Virginia has been in general really good to us but not as "easy" and "flat" as everyone liked to describe it.

For dinner we stopped at the Blackburn AT Center and enjoyed a more than necessary free shower. Another night hike later we ended up at the Shelter about 8.6 miles before the Appalachian Trail Headquarters :) And we're almost out of food, just two cereal bars and a bit of trail mix left. Starvation as motivation always works :)Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Harpers Ferry 1023.7
July 3, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 24 °C
On the way to our personal goal we started early and super motivated to Harper's Ferry. The first part was quite an easy hike and we moved pretty quickly. After the breakfast we got slower because Julia's knee started to hurt with every step. And the last part before Harper's Ferry went over the Shenandoah River along a highway which was extremely humid and loud. As we arrived at the Appalachian Trail Headquarters I finally got my thru hiker hangtag :) And we registered ourselves to the official book of the thru hikers. We raided the hiker box there for a pack of Ramen Soup and then enjoyed a coffee and achieving our goal. I quickly went to the post office as our trail angel Sketch had sent us a care package with Elevation bars :)
Outside of the headquarters we met a nice guy named Corn Chips. We chatted a bit about the trail and the challenges we've already overcome. He offered us to stay with him in the Town's Inn as he rented a room there with several beds. We gladly accepted the offer because we didn't have any place to stay yet and the hostel is about five miles away the center. He told us a bit about his volunteer work as a fire fighter and medic.
After a small lunch we relaxed at the hotel, washed our clothes and sorted our stuff. We went to a restaurant in the evening with Corn Chips and Honeybadger but after two burgers I was still hungry, so we walked about two miles to a 7/11 and got us some treats :)Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Harper's Ferry/Washington DC 1023.7
July 4, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 24 °C
We had planned to sleep in on our first ZERO day but it didn't work, so we were already up at 7. I've finally had the time to look into the problem with the new US mobile phone as we weren't able to make calls anymore. But this also didn't work and in the end it was even locked and not possible to unlock it anymore... Frustrated I gave up with it and saved it for later. As we still had some time left until the - delayed, of course - Amtrak train to Washington DC arrived, we sat next to the Shenandoah River and had a beer.
Together with Jon we went on the Sightseeing Tour. As I've already been to Washington, I've guided them around along "The Mall", how the strip between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memo is called. There were many exhibitions, food trucks and other things along the ways because of the 4th. I was super excited to see a food truck with Mexican food and Torta Cubana. I've had food fantasies about it for some time!!! But unfortunately it wasn't as tasty as expected :(
So on the way we got USA tattoos, flags, stickers and we felt like we adjusted well to the patriotic behavior around us :D With a pack of beer (Budweiser which just said "America" on the cans) and White Cheese Popcorn we were excited about the fireworks. And also a bit disappointed because it wasn't much more than an usual village fireworks that we were used to.
For the night we went back to the Union Station because our train was supposed to leave as early as 5 in the morning... A mistake as were about to see...Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Wild Camping at Shenandoah River 1024.7
July 5, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 21 °C
At night we encountered that the train was supposed to leave at 5 PM and not 5 AM like we were told. So we checked on other possibilities and learned that we should better check on things ourselves. There were no other options so we tried to get some sleep at the station which didn't work because the policemen checked like every hour if we had a valid ticket and at 5 they said that we were not allowed to lay down anymore...
With just that few hours of sleep we didn't get moving and had some lazy time around the station. Another episode in the #hoboorhiker game: I've been offered food twice and one man asked if I need a job for the day. Some people threw coins to Jon and homeless started bonding with us. On the train back to Harper's Ferry another thru hiker told us that thru hiking is just the preparation for becoming homeless.

We were glad when we came back to Harper's Ferry and then back on the trail even though it was just for a mile. We were both tired and I expected a shipment by Amazon that I could pick up the other day. After a quick dinner we felt asleep already around 8 to a light rain on our tent. The tent was directly at the Shenandoah River, beautiful spot but a bit dirty.Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Rocky Run Shelters 1039.1
July 6, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 21 °C
The post office with my delivery opened at 8 but I slept in and arrived there at about 9 just to be told that they don't have any package. So I checked the tracking and it said that the package was undeliverable because the address could not be found... Apparently that wasn't a problem for the first package. I canceled the order by mail and hope that it will be fine then... Seems like Amazon over here is not as reliable as in Germany.
I got a coffee and a bear claw (sweet bread filled with cinnamon stuff) and we enjoyed breakfast together. At about 10:30 we went on the trail to finally make some miles again and we enjoyed it. Even though it was raining heavily almost all day. But that just means that it's less humid and the bugs don't bother you. So we like the rain usually...

We arrived earlier than expected at the Shelter and had some time to relax.Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Raven Rock Rd / Waynesboro 1064.3
July 7, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 23 °C
So, this was supposed to be our first normal day since hiking in to Harper's Ferry. So getting up early worked and we planned to do about 20 miles to another shelter because more rain was supposed to come.
After a few miles into the trail there was a campground upcoming. When hiking by we saw that there was even a shower!! So we took the chance and had breakfast and a hot shower there :) This normal thing now feels like a luxury. Another few miles later came the Washington Monument dedicated to George Washington. The AT led up to this building passing signs with milestones of his life. The monument itself wasn't that impressive and it was too foggy to see anything. At the Visitor Center we had a short break where I chatted with the volunteer that works there. He is the local chief of the democratic party and has relatives in Switzerland and Germany.
After the first 10 miles went pretty good we thought about going to Waynesboro, which would make it more than 25 miles. We set our deadline to 6 PM at the last Shelter, otherwise we'd stay there. Maybe an hour later we got a message from Corn Chip that he has got a hotel room in Waynesboro with a spare bed. So we wouldn't even have to camp at Walmart...
Shortly before it started to get dark we came to an area at the descent which was extremely hard and rocky. We already feared that we have to climb it down in a night hike which would have turned into a nightmare. But we managed to arrive down at our destination just before it got dark!!

On our way into the town we were lucky to get a hitch after about 1.5 miles. After resupplying in Walmart we went to the hotel where a neat room was waiting for us. Happy that we achieved our goal we went to sleep.Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Tumbling Run Shelters 1072.9
July 8, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
In the morning we checked out the breakfast buffet and it was great!! Stuff that I haven't had in two months, like Cereals and milk. There was also a waffle maker, scrambled eggs and orange juice. I was happy and completely destroyed that buffet!!
Julia needed to get a bit of rest and I went straight into the hot tub :) Afterwards we swam a bit in the pool and then relaxed in the outdoor area. After noon the preparation for the trail began with sorting our supplies and drying out the tent. Together with the trail angel Saggy, Corn Chip and Honey badger we had a late dinner before we got a ride back to the trailhead.
It was a tough decision to hike out because Corn Chip offered us to stay another night there. But as tempting the offer was there was nothing really to do anymore in town for us. So we hiked out to a Shelter just before a bit of a climb up to Chimney Rock.

Oh, funny story how we get to know the trail angel. Julia wrote with him about two weeks back when we were in Waynesboro VA and needed a ride back to the trailhead. He had a ride organized from Burger King but we couldn't find each other. At some point we realized that we were in different states...Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Birch Run Shelter 1092.5
July 9, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 16 °C
In the morning we had breakfast and with a ridgerunner who thru hiked the AT last year and had some interesting things to tell us. Like the best viewpoint to look over New York City or the upcoming half gallon challenge. Although it's not really a proper challenge as you still have to pay it even though you finish the half gallon of ice cream. A section hiker gave us some leftovers as he was going back to normal life today. Yummy stuff :)
The rest of the day went by pretty fast. There were some rocky areas but nothing too bad. Currently we can always say that we've already had worse and managed to do it! At a huge picnic area we had our lunch break, there were lots of people but no hiker feed for us :(
At around 6 on the way to the shelter we came by a couple that had rented a cabin next to the AT. And they did trail magic!!! We greatly appreciated getting some freshly grilled hot dogs and an ice cold beer ;)Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Camping near Pine Grove Creek 1109.6
July 10, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
We're now officially halfway through the Appalachian Trail!! 1094.9 miles away from Springer Mountain and from Mount Kathadin! It has been a crazy, exhausting, exciting and rewarding experience and we're looking forward to the things that are going to come.
Directly after the halfway point is the home of the half gallon challenge. Which means that you eat half a gallon of ice cream. But it is not for free when you achieve it, you just get a wooden spoon like in popsicles which states that you mastered the challenge. We decided that it's not worth it, so we ate it together :) Teamwork! Then we still had some space for a Hiker Burger (with egg, bacon, cheese and avocado) and a large portion of fries.

After about 2 hours we managed to hike on but we stopped already after half a mile because we came by Fuller Lake and beach. So we jumped in and cooled down on this humid day. Of course it didn't last for long...Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Wild Camping Conodoguinet Creek 1132
July 11, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
We had our breakfast in camp today and chatted with "Data", an interesting fellow thru hiker. So it took us until 9 to start the hiking day even though we knew that we will have quite a tough day ahead. The problem is that it's not allowed to camp in the Cumberland Valley which covers about 16 miles.
So we had the choice of either making 12 miles to the village of Boiling Springs or shoot for the next Shelter which would mean an overall of about 26 miles.
At around 2 we arrived in Boiling Springs at the ATC Mid-Atlantic Regional Office. There wasn't much to do there so we just had lunch and afterwards prepared a package to send to Clara. Our backpacks are still too heavy :(
Just as we wanted to get back on the trail two women from Harrisburg showed up with some trail magic :) Delicious water melon, PB & J Sandwiches and cold drinks!! So we were perfectly prepared for the 14 miles hike to the Shelter. We ended up about 4 miles before the Shelter wild camping...Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Duncannon 1147.2
July 12, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
The day started early at 6 when we went out for the town ahead. But already after half an hour the humidity was crazy and we were sweating as hell. The other thing was that mentionable about the morning were those freaking crazy bugs. They stay for about 3-5 seconds right before your face before they kamikaze right into your eye!!!
Anyways, we just hiked on and tried to ignore the weather and the bugs. Which went pretty well, actually so well that we missed the Shelter where we wanted to have lunch :) So we ended up at a viewpoint about two miles after the Shelter. And it was an amazing view and a great place to stay. We had the pleasure of two other thru hikers and almost forgot about the time while chatting on that rock (The place is actually called High Rock... How creative). And they told us about the hiker feed later that day at the church :)
A short hike later we ended up at the local hotel and more specifically at its bar. A well deserved, delicious and cheap beer... And another one ;) Unfortunately I encountered that I had lost my passport but at that moment there wasn't much I could do.
Then it was already time for the hiker feed and it was amazing!!! Spaghetti Bolognese with Parmesan, fresh salad, fresh fruits and ice cream. Of course I overate and could barely move afterwards. And Julia was tired, so were glad that someone told us about the "hostel" in the basement of the pastors house in another church. There were only four other hikers there and we had a necessary shower and WiFi :)
Humid, crazy bugs, lunch with view because missed Shelter, beer at tavern, hiker feed, church basement stayRead more
TravelerAnother fantastic adventure :-) did you ever find your passport ?
7/21/17Reply
TravelerHaha, I would've preferred to go on without that adventure :) But yes, luckily I got it back now.
7/22/17Reply
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Camping Henry Knauber Trail 1165.6
July 13, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
In the middle of the night Julia woke me up with news... She is now an aunt to the newborn Kyle Manuel Brown (Trailname "Gordito"). We are so happy and excited for her :)
We took our time this morning because Julia needed to text with her family and I checked the nearby grocery store. Afterwards I checked on my lost passport. At night I remembered that the last time I saw it was at the post office in Harper's Ferry. So I just gave it a shot and I got lucky! It is there and they'll send it ahead to another post office :)
The hike today was almost exclusively ridge walking on a bit rocky terrain. Nothing too hard but we didn't sleep very well so we were glad when we found a spot for our tent.

So, finally as promised about our trail names, mine is Wombat. It was back in the Smokies when we talked to Mantis. She told us about her experiences in Australia and I told her about my favorite children's book, "Wombat stew".And I was chubbier then so Julia said that it should be my trail name :)
Julias trail name is Autumn leaf because her name means something like pretty autumn in Mandarin and she is born in autumn.
Most common misunderstood names for me:
-Wombert
-Wallaby

For Julia:
-Awesome leaf
-Atom leafRead more
Sabine NoldI think that maybe i can find this book of the wombat stew again in my flat
7/19/17Reply
TravelerNice names! You are talking about your childrens books :-D
7/20/17Reply
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Camping near Abandoned powerline 1186.9
July 14, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 22 °C
As it was raining heavily in the morning we had a hard time getting up and tearing down the tent. When I finally managed to get out and prepared breakfast there was a downpour, so I went back to the tent and we had our breakfast there. It consisted mainly of cereal bars as we already ate all other breakfast supplies :D
The elevation today was almost non existent but we had to deal with some rock fields. At some point Julia said that her feet were hurting and so did mine. At the first opportunity we set up the tent, ate our last two packs of pasta side and then went to sleep.Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Hertline Campsite 1199.3
July 15, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
In the morning we got up early and hiked swiftly to the next Shelter as we ran almost out of water. As we arrived next to the Shelter Everest and Braveheart were already making themselves ready for heading out. But as we arrived we chatted a bit and they stayed almost until we were done. We really enjoy their company.
After the breakfast we went for the upcoming parking lot were we scheduled to meet with Daniel and his family. We arrived there a bit early and there was already a hiker who waited to be picked up. He just quit the trail and planned to go home to the beach. He said it was just not his thing... And right at this point it was less than 1000 miles to Kathadin. For us that was super motivational. But sometimes it's better to quit something early enough than to stick to hard to it. So, as I said, we were boosted by the fact that it's less than 1000 miles... It's just crazy when looking at the map how far we've come, we sometimes can't really believe it. We still feel like newbies compared to other hikers that optimized their packs to a minimum weight and counting every calorie. While we just hike on :D But as long as it works...

I dried our food bags that got soaked by the rain of the last days and Julia called Carmen (Feliz cumpleaños!!) and the rest of the family. Soon afterwards Daniel arrived together with some co-workers of him. It was really nice to see them again, it felt like meeting old friends again even though we just knew each other for a month. Together we hiked to a Shelter that was 2 miles further and on the way we came by two nice viewpoints. It was a perfect day for a hike, the sun was shining but the humidity was pretty low with a nice breeze.
At the Shelter we started a fire and Daniel grilled burgers. His wife made a delicious bowl of salad, oven baked vegetables and a fruit salad. That was the best meal we've had since starting the trail!! They even brought us resupply and a balloon for trail magic.
Because in celebration of the birth of Gordito we wanted to do some trail magic for our fellow thru hikers. Unfortunately there didn't come by many hikers today but we still managed to find some on the way. And the honey buns and cinnamon rolls also tasted good for us :)

We spent the afternoon chatting (auf Schwäbisch!! :)) and mainly relaxing. It felt like a vacation day and time flew. So unfortunately we needed to separate again later in the afternoon. But hopefully we'll see each other again!! We've hiked for another 7 miles to a beautiful camp spot right next to several streams.Read more
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Appalachian Trail Traveler
Port Clinton 1217.8
July 16, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 20 °C
We've had a tough day of hiking today because of the heat, humidity and bugs. It tired us more than usual even though the trail was going pretty easy on us. Except for a steep downhill part directly before heading into Port Clinton. We also saw another turtle on the trail today. It looked super creepy with red eyes. They are scary!! If you don't think so, you should check this video: https://youtu.be/-etGu9Y8blM That's what I always think of when taking a picture :D
We wanted to do laundry in the town but unfortunately there were no opportunities to do so. We stayed at a Pavillon that is a bit off the trail and had a great time there chatting with fellow thru hikers. Later on our even our good friend Jon (trail name "Bassachaun", which is basque for "man of the woods"). On arrival at the pavilion we were greeted bytwo veteran thru hikers (Bag o tricks and Tom) who told us stories about the trail. So overall it was a pretty relaxed afternoon and evening.Read more
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