Ski Lift Ride

Bam and I rode a functioning chair lift from the top of Bromley Mtn. to the base area and back! It was pretty much the last thing I anticipated I would be doing this summer!

I LOvermont!!!

Vermont has been filled with beautifully tough terrain and exquisite views! Here are a few sunset photos to give you an idea of what I've been seeing!

Signs

Maybe you will find these as funny/odd/ironic as I did! Every one if these is right on trail.

Check!

Pennsylvania?! Check

New Jersey?! Check

New York?! Check

SNAKES

Here are a few photos for you, mom! Copperheads, Rattle Snakes, Black Snakes...

Trail Magic

The community created by the trail is extremely generous. So much so that hikers are the recipients of numerous acts of kindness. Often these acts of kindness are so fantastic that they can only be described as magical. This so called 'trail magic' can come in countless forms: jugs of clean water or coolers filled with soda, juice or beer, plastic bins with hiker supplies (bug spray, first aid supplies, drink mix, denauted alcohol-for stoves than burn it, snack foods, duct tape, ziploc bags, aluminum foil, maps of the area etc.), people handing out snacks or cooking food at trail heads or shelters, locals who open their homes (and sometimes pocket-books) to hikers, and drivers who give exceptional rides (such as to the store and back, to a farther 'better' city, or to a train/bus station or airport). The bringers of trail magic are called 'trail angels,' and trail angels have become HUGE contributors to my hike; I've eaten omlmlets, curried quinoa, and hamburgers on trail. I've drank more soda this summer as a result of trail magic than in the entire year previous to my hike; I've had my laundry done, and taken many a free shower; I've recieved foot massages and new boots, enjoyed ice water and cold beer! Trail Angels are AWESOME, their kindness NEVER goes unappreciated or undermentioned! The trail community (hikers, angels, and hostel owners) have shown me that there are beautiful people in all parts of the country. I can only hope to repay the overwhelming level of kindness I have recieved on trail upon returning to a more normal lifestyle! I have to find a way to pay forward the positive energy I have been swept into while on this journey. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL THE KIND HEARTED, GENEROUS, SELFLESS HOSTEL OWNERS, SHUTTLE DRIVERS, LOCAL HIKERS, AND FAMILIES LOOSELYY CONNECTED TO CURENT HIKERS FOR YOUR MAGICAL ACTS!

Trail Myths

Somewhere along the way someone became misinformed and shared the supposedly true tidbit of information with another hiker.... and, as you can imagine, I have often learned that nothing could be farther from the truth!

"Once you get your hiker legs, you will fly painlessly over all terrain."

"When we get to Virginia, it'll be flat and we'll be knocking out 20 and 30 mile days every day"

Also... "hiking in VA is boring because all 550miles look the same"

"Enjoy the southern hospitality while you can, because once we cross the Mason-Dixon Line things change. There is no trail magic, no one picks up hitchhikers, and NY/NJ are notorious for being especially unfriendly to hikers."

"All of Pennsylvania is a boulder-field"