All Journal Entries

23 June 2010, Manassas Gap/VA 55 to VA 522
Hopper dropped me off at Manassas Gap at 10:00 and I slack packed south back to VA 522.

I got off to a quick start. After walking for about 1/2 hour I ran into a group of northbounders that I did not recognize slack packing. I found out later on that they were the Doylies. They are the group that Warren Doyle slack packs every five years. They do the whole trail in three months and do an average of 25 mile days. They get two ...

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22 June 2010, Front Royal
Spoons and I left the hostel and took the blue blaze back to the AT. Once we got to the AT we had to hike south back to Compton Gap because that was where we hitched in from on the previous day. We did not want to skip those miles.

When we got to Compton Gap I checked the sign where I had left a note for Hopper the night before. The note was gone so I knew Hopper got the note. She either got it the night before or this morning. I was assuming ...

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So, you wake up one morning, at age 38, and realize that something is missing in your life. You realize that the world hold far too much beauty and adventure for you to sit around the house as much as you do. You take the well known, "long look in the mirror", and really don't like the unhealthy person you have become...
That was a couple of weeks ago, and somehow, in the time since, I have decided that hiking the AT is going to be the final goal of this journey I am undertaking. ...

21 June 2010, Compton Gap
The day started out like any other day. I got up and packed up and headed north.

I skip a section of the trail and did a road walk early in the morning to hook up with Hopper and her sisters who were only five miles in front of me. I will come back and do this section that I skipped in a week after I get to Harpers Ferry. I will be taking a week off in a sense from hiking north. I will still be hiking but I am going back to picked up the sections ...

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20 June 2010, Elkwallow
We woke up early this morning when other hikers got up around 5 am. Without knowing what time it was we ate and packed up. When we got to the trail head we looked at the time and it was 6:45. I have never started this early before.

We made it to Skyland resort and went to the restaurant. They had an all you could eat brunch going on. That was perfect for us. After breakfast we all called our dads to with them a happy father’s day. My father was ...

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