HALF WAY THERE! So it's all downhill from here...right?

Hooray, everyone! We have lots of exciting news to share! Since our last blog, we have covered lots of ground....making me extremely proud to say that we are now in...(drum roll please)...Pennsylvania! Yep, we actually made it to the "land where boots go to die". Looking back, Pennsylvania seemed like a figment of our overeager imaginations, a rocky, faraway land that we'd reach only in our wildest dreams. Well, wildest dreams they must be, because we finally made it.

Once we crossed the famous Mason-Dixon line into PA, we knew we had another hurdle to overcome besides tons of rocks and rattlesnakes; the Pine Grove General Store Half Gallon Challenge. Unfortunately for us, the implications are exactly what you might think. Pick your favorite flavor of ice cream, purchase it in the absurdly large half gallon size, and see how quickly you can devour it at the picnic benches out front. Now let me be clear from the start: I, in no way, shape or form, not even for a second, not even for intense bragging rights, not even because I love ice cream, even for one millisecond felt the need to consume over 3,000 calories and 480% of my daily value of saturated fat (not to mention the obvious and unintended side effects of brain freezes and stomach aches) in one sitting. Now also keep in mind, even as all these thoughts of repulsion are running through my head (ew, who DOES this anyway?!) Jordan is looking at me with some sort of a death/imploring stare because he so desperately wants to take part in this Half Gallon Challenge....and since clearly only idiots succumb to the peer pressure of actually eating 2 liters of ice cream, he so desperately wants me to do it too.

So what the heck! I told him, hey, if you want me to partake, then you're wasting your $5.50, not mine, buddy. So he did, and I tried...but after about 10 bites I gave up. (don't act so shocked, I already told you I didn't want to do it!) Jordan made a slightly better showing, but still a disappointment to all of our other, apparently more speed-ice-cream-eating adept friends. (Shutterbug, don't you know girls aren't supposed to eat that much ice cream in TWENTY FIVE MINUTES?!?) Sorry guys!

On a final, more triumphant note, we hit the OFFICIAL halfway point today! Whoo hoo! We took about a million pictures that will posted soon and reveled there in our glory for about an hour. Then we realized we still had over a thousand miles to hike and sitting there on our butts wasn't getting us any closer to Maine. Oh well! One more time, whoo hoo! Halfway there!!!!

Coming up, Boiling Springs, Bob Evans, and a much needed day off in Duncannon!

Goodbye VA and WV, hello Maryland!

Hey everyone! We are back on the Trail after some much needed R&R for Jordan's birthday celebration and what an exciting few days it's been. In the span of the past week we've hit 1,000 miles, gotten our picture taken at the ATC in Harper's Ferry, and managed to make it in AND out of West Virginia. (okay, so it's only like 15 miles through the state, but still!) West Virginia wasn't the only thing we said goodbye to yesterday....the pinky toenail on my left foot finally called it quits. It was iffy there for awhile, but she just couldn't hang on.

The wildlife has been amazing since we hopped back on the trail; deer, rabbits, and butterflies are everywhere! It's no wonder really, with it being such a beautiful and green environment along the Trail. We've been finding plenty of streams and rivers along the way to stay hydrated, but apparently it's some pretty dry territory here within the next week or so, so that is something we'll have to be extra careful about, especially in this heat.

It was amazing to reach 1,000 miles, although what we're super excited about is the official halfway point, which is in Pennsylvania. Don't worry, we'll get there soon!

Happy Birthday Bearfoot!

Hooray for Jordan! He turns 25 this very day and what a better way to spend it than relaxing at the beach with friends and family? We will be taking a few days off in my hometown of Bethany to rest up, eat lots of good food, and play around on the beach. It will certainly be nice to have a break from the wilderness, but don't worry....it's back to the grind again next week!

We have an upcoming interview with National Grographic and we couldn't be more excited and honored! Once we hit the Trail, we'll be almost out of that lengthy state of Virginia and then it's on to West Virginia, Maryland, and beyond!

Now all together: HAPPY BIRTHDAY JORDAN! WE LOVE YOU!

Back in action!

Hey Everyone! I know, I know, you must have all thought that we disappeared off the face of the Earth. Luckily for all of us, we're still going strong...we were just too hot to type. :) Not surprisingly, we are fairly far from where we left you...having successfully completed the Shenandoah's and almost the last leg of the Virginia portion. HOORAY! One of the highlights of the past week or so has been the views from the Shenandoah's and the Blue Ridge Parkway. They are amazing! Also now that it's officially warm, we've been seeing lots more wildlife...yes, bears!...but mainly deer, rabbits, and birds that we can't identify but are enjoying nonetheless. Right up there with seeing a bear are the blackberry milkshakes that they serve at the waysides along the way! Talk about a little piece of heaven on the Trail! I was thinking about just stopping and camping at a wayside for a few months so I could have one every single day...but we figured we'd never get to Katahdin like that. :) We've been LOVING our Earth-friendly Mountainsmith packs and have gotten lots of questions about the Trek from people we've met along the way. We hope we leave them with the excitement and passion that we have not only for our journey, but for the cause as well. Thanks again for EVERYONE'S continued support!
 
On some housekeeping issues, I was having lots of trouble with my shoes (too small, I think) and had to stop in Waynesboro to test out some different ones at the outfitter there. Boy were we glad we stopped! We absolutely fell in LOVE with the store, the owner, and all the gear. Way to go Rockfish Gap Outiftters! They had any and everything we would ever need...not to mention their staff REALLY knew what they were talking about. Also we were EXTREMELY happy to see that they carried a men's and women's Mountainsmith recycled pack right there in the store. We made sure to get all gushy about how much we absolutely love ours and couldn't think of a better pack to travel the Trail with. They were excited to get that feedback! So they rocked! And thanks to them, I got some new shoes that actually fit and feel like I could run to Maine! Hmmm, maybe ALMOST run to Maine. :) Now if we could just get them to follow us and carry our packs....
 
Coming up in the next edition: the halfway point (wow!), Harper's Ferry, and the northern portions...

Wild turkeys and historic homes...

Lexington, VA, a historic Hampton Inn, and hitting the 800 mile mark...what's not to love? Not to mention we have witnesses to prove it! We arrived here on tired legs and were so glad to be greeted by Jordan's awesome family: mom, stepdad, and Uncle Tim! They'd been cruising the Blue Ridge Parkway and stopped through Lexington to treat us to a hotel room, delicious food, and motorcycle ride. I must say, riding on the back of a motorcycle wearing a 40 pound pack is an awesome way to get around....although it's a little tough on the abs! (thanks Tim, you rock! P.S.-the parade was on Sunday)

After cruising around, we made our way back to the beautiful Hampton Inn, which was originally the historic home of a prominent Virginia politician and located on a huge hill of the greenest grass and biggest trees I've ever seen! We were glad to be spending the day showering, shaving, and just feeling like human beings again (as opposed to dirty, grimy, hiker aliens, I suppose). The previous few days on the Trail hadn't been too tough, but had seemed long and we were glad to be in town! It could have something to do with the fact that we managed to pick up 2 garbage bags full of recycling on the road by the Trail AND be scared out of our minds by a crazy sprinting turkey right before we made it to Lexington! Oh, the trials and tribulations of trail life! :)

On a gear oriented note:
Our 100% recycled Mountainsmith packs are amazing so far and it feels so good to be getting more and more gear that's environmentally friendly (it's out there, all you have to do is look! Or in this case, just take our advice!). Our Leki poles and Sprint phone are also still rocking our worlds, without which we'd be legless and internet deprived. :) Thanks everyone!

One last thing: a big HELLO out there to all the friends, family, and kids who are keeping up with our journey. Your support means the world to us! Thanks for all you do!


Until next time, happy trails...

Wow, what a view!

Well gang, here we are, on top of beautiful McAfee Knob at mile 700 and I have to say: it feels good! We're moving right along and are now about one-third of the way to Maine....if you can believe it! (most times, we can't!) Since we're sitting here enjoying the gorgeously sunny day, relaxing and eating homemade goodies, we wanted to take a quick moment to say thank you to everyone who's sent goodies, well wishes, and prayers.

So here it is: thank you! You have all been fabulous and really give us the motivation and inspiration to keep on keepin' on! Especially the folks at Keep America Beautiful (Rob Wallace is our hero) who believe in our green dream and our family and friends....Kelly Grant among the top of that list for her great postcards, packages, yummy food, and just plain awesomeness! (Larry, don't worry, you're next on our list of "can you pretty pretty please send homemade goodies before we pass out or start stealing cookies from other hikers" list! :))

A special thanks this week to Jordan's wonderful mom, whose continual support and care packages keep us from going hungry or crazy and to a certain Jennifer Wise for her absolute uncanny ability to follow directions while simultaneously being awesome! Also a big virtual hug and thank you to my amazing big sister for never saying no to the many favors we ask and for taking time out of her busy schedule and marathon training (congrats on the big finish!) to send copious amounts of dehydrated meals (we know they aren't cheap), cookies, and music (I'm loving the 80's!). I love you!

For those of you feeling a little left out ("but I want my name in a blog, too!) and are just dying to send us a little love on the Trail in baked goods form, send us an email and we'll let you know what we're craving and how to get it to us. ;)

Trek.against.trash@gmail.com

Crazy Hiker Reunion, aka TRAiL DAYS!

Damascus. 3 days. Thousands of thru-hikers, past and present. Hundreds of gear vendors. Deliciously fattening food. Bonfires. Live music. This is the basis for Trail Days, a hiker extravaganza that we'd been hearing about for weeks now and couldn't wait to be a part of!

We arrived earlyish, before all the real mayhem began, and set up our tent in "tent city" (yes, it's REALLY called that) amongst hundreds of other tents (and an alarmingly large number of port-o-potties!). For three days it was relax, indulge, and shop as we caught up with a bunch of our long-lost trail friends who we hadn't seen in weeks! Bogey, Slim, Shutterbug, Hot Wheels, and Big Corley thanks for being so awesome and it was great to catch up!

It was a crazy few days (give hikers a bonfire and good food and hiker midnight turns into 3 am!) that flew by thanks to the town of Damascus and everyone involved! It was great to see our friends at Leki (thanks for giving our trekking poles some much needed love and new parts!) and Sprint and I want to give a big THANKS to Backpacker magazine as well! They gave away 20 great prize packages and I was lucky enough to have my name drawn!

Thanks again to everyone who makes Trail Days possible and we can't wait to see everyone next year! (ps-there are more great pictures to come!)