"Appalachian Trail Is A Footpath For Those Who Seek Fellowship With The Wilderness."
Just right after I send out the previous Plog, I hiked to the most stunning epic view at Maceeb Knob (look at picture where I stand on a rock that looks like a diving board). Wow! I love this trip! The morning was gloomy and cloudy, when I arrive the knob, the sky cleared! Then when I get closer to Daleville, the weather turned to rain! Its like this trip is made for me! :) as I arrived Daleville, the party started! Yeahhh! Dan Gabel, Kevin Berrigan, Krystle Berrigan, Diana Berrigan, and Paige Johnson (sp? Sorry!) paid their visit! It was great to have my friends to be with me for a night! They left in morning leaving Dan and Kevin behind! Yes, it was so good to have Kevin Berrigan and Dan Gabel to join me for hike! Especially we communicate via without paper and pen!! It was so great to have them! They are hilarious because they totally were clueless what Appalachian Trail was like, they thought they could do 15+ miles a day. Nope they were wrong! Haha. They originally planned to hike with me for 2 weeks but they cut it down to three days after experiencing the AT! First day was 5 miles, second day- 13 miles (good!), then on third day it was only 9 miles!! I need that because I really need a good break from doing big miles everyday. The last day before they left, we camped at Jennings Creek (illegal to camp there). It was soo beautiful! They got swimming hole too! Ahhh! After a hot day of hiking, its so good reward! We enjoyed our last night with big bonfire and watching Dan trying to finish his Jack Daniel! Haha.
Pooooooorr YOLO had to suffer 20+ of ticks on him everydayyyy!!! He's lucky to have me doing all dirty work by pulling them out! Ticks kept on showing up just like tourists on the trail! :)
After Dan and Kevin left, I decided to give it all I have on me by doing 26 miles on that day! 9 miles of uphill only took me 3 hours! Very impressed with myself! Yeah that day I caught up Nesta! Nesta's reaction was priceless! So funny! My feet were about to fall apart! Lucky I got in by time before they fell. :) it was great day of hiking tho. Not too hard. Funny how doing hiking everyday improves your tolerate with big miles!
Next day was rewarding! We hiked only 2 miles to James River and swam! We jumped off the bridge! The river was so warm and perfect! I wish I could stay there all the day but I gotta keep on walking to meet Menko Kononenko!
We met her at Buenas Vista- a boring town. It was so good to have her to join me for hike. I was kinda worried that she might end up like Dan and Kevin who cut down their plan. But I was very relived that she is not quitter material! Even with the first day of longg uphill, she managed to reach top! Good job MENKO! :) we hiked together for 7 days. During that week, we went to stunning view on Spy Rock. It was great because I get to be top on it in honor of my late dog named Spy! :) pictures are sucks, it can't capture what I saw! So that means, u guys gotta go there for yourself!
Shelter's entries are sometime funny and boring. But this shelter called The Priest Shelter, its the best entries I even seen since I started AT! So hilarious when u read all of hikers' confessions!!! Some were so graphic and not so funny. I love it when they write down this, "Forgive me O Father for I have sinned. Forgive me again for I am not going to stop!" I wish they have copy machine so I can copy all those funny confessions and show them to you all!!
In next morning, Menko realized she doesn't want to do 6 miles of uphill over the Three Ridges so she hitched ride and meet me at next three shelters. Yeah I had to do 30 miles to meet her!!! Yeahhh I made it!!! Whee! The Three Ridges was crazy! Menko was smart to bail out that one otherwise I d have to carry her! She's champ bec when she hitched, she went to store to get me mountain dew! What a great refreshing after that BIG MILES!
On next day, we went to Waynesboro for a night to wash our clothes and hot shower! I regret for not jumping in pool! Stupid of me for choosing to lay on bed and watch TV! But I need that after that 30 miles! :) ahh. We went dinner with Mike Cooke who live nearby. He's so great to us!! He took us for a tour around the town and to Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind. Yes shame on me for never once visit there!!! I cannot believe with my own eyes after seeing the campus! Sooooo beautiful! Shame that the school is not exactly doing good after the mainstream's growth. The dinner, wow, salmon with artichoke dip on it and Sam Adams beer! Wow. After being in woods for so long, they became so delicious! I wish I have that again right now! Damnit. Millions thank yous to MIKE COOKE!!!
Next day we head out to... SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK!!! Finally I'm much closer to home! I can't say how impressed I am with this park. They really got great wildlife! I saw deers, bear, snakes, birds, all once in four days! I first visited Shenandoah last september and I told myself, "I can't wait til I come back here by foot!" And here I am! :D yeah Menko ended her vacation and going back to city life after three days on shenandoah! After she left, I hiked fast for 2.2 miles to Loft Mt Campground where they have trail magic! FREEEE BEEEEEEEERS!!! VEGGGIE BURGERS!!! HOMEMADE BROWNIES! SNICKERS! SODAS! Yummmy!!! I was supposed to do 21 miles on that day but I changed my mind and stayed there closer to beers! :D don't think of me as drunkyard- I just enjoy them so much after doing miles on the trail! :) good enough I finally saw my old buddies that I haven't seen for one month! Nice to see them again and hiking with them! The Trail Magic was hosted by Hot Foot's parents. They arer veryyyy niccce to us! Not only they served lunch but dinner and breakfast too!!!! I met new friend named Compass. I made fun of him about him being a compass that doesn't point North. Whoops, I jinxed him. Next day, he rolled his ankle and got several factures and had to leave trail for a long time!!! What happened was, two hot chicks hiked past him and he couldn't help it but to check them out and, bam, an ankle broken! Poor him.
Yeah Nesta is far ahead of me now, but at least I'm finally with Pyro who has been behind me for weeks! Good to see him again!
Yeah I decided to do only 10ish miles a day till I reach Harpers Ferry. That way I can be at there on weekend for you guys to visit me!!! And go on TUBING with me!!! I m expected to be there on 16th till 20th. LET ME KNOW IF YOU WILL BE THERE!!!!! Miss you guys!!
More Plogs upcoming!
Caribou and Yolo!
"Live Now and Die Later!"
Monday June 7, 4pm
My shoes are worn out! I'm thinking about getting to Harpers Ferry on Tuesday (15th) for you guys to pick me up and stay at dc for two nights. Same time get my shoes replaced. I'm sure one of my friends will take me back to harpers ferry on thursday (hopefully). And stay at harpers ferry till sunday. Will that be possible? Let me know asap so I can either hike big miles or not. I'm only around 110 miles to harpers ferry!
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