Success!

Woke up early 6:15am this morning to do the 7miles to Bland VA. in order to get my new shoes and socks. Kinda sad that my boots didnt get to go to 600 miles but they were getting too hot during the day. Sunshine and I made it to the road by 10am, we scored a hitch almost instantly. Three miles later we were at the post office, shoes then food!
A diner in the back of the Citgo was our lunch spot and man was it good, I could have ate 3 times as much though. True grit (former thru hiker I guess) came in while we were waiting and asked us if we needed anything, anything at all. He was a really nice guy but was proud of the second amendment, due to the full size 45 he had holstered on his side. By the End of the conversation we were following him to the adjacent barber shop to use some power to charge our stuff.

The dollar store was our next stop, a nice mile walk through town and we were there, resupply was quick. After grabbing our phones and cameras from the barber shop we went to hitching back to the trail, once again bam! we had a ride. At the trail head two girls stood with coolers full of drinks and cupcakes...trail magic!

Finally we were back to walking about 3:30pm needing water we went 2 mi. to the first shelter .4 off trail only to find out water was another .5 miles downhill ugh pain in the ass. Back on track we hit the trail moving with a furry of 12 Dragons. 11 miles to the 600 mark and 20 for the day was the goal. As 8 o'clock rolled around we rolled into camp, Humen, crazy bugg and beacon were already here with a fire goin. Sunshine and I enjoyed our celebratory beers and conversed with the other hikers.

I am now laying in my tent, listening to something walk around outside. hummm sounds big. Either way today was great... such a success and my shoes are just what I needed.

Hope I done get eaten.
Carpenter

April 29

Didn't make it to Bland VA. today to pick up my shoes due to a late start this morning. Post office closes at 4:30 but no big deal. Sunshine, dutch and I are staying at an awesome campsite near a really nice creek. We arrived here about 5 and decided to make camp, while sunshine washed clothes in the creek I built a fire, surprisingly it's only the second I have personally built, I like to watch the young guns and city folk try to make a good fire lol. Later in the evening dutch strolled in and made camp as well.

About dusk I sunshine and I needed water so we walked down to the creek again, and that's when I had a craving for crawfish. yum! We spent about 20 min. catching crawfish big enough to eat. Dutch came down also to join in the fun, then we headed back to the fire for some appetizers. The crawfish were great...even better due to the fact dutch and I had been talking about lobster and seafood for the last 20 min. b4 we went to get water.

The next stop is Woods hole hostel (37 miles) for a shower and a mattress, I will have gone 10 days with no shower :-)

sleepy alligator says stay in school.

Carpenter

Don't choose the Virginia blues.

It has been one week since Damascus VA. and I'm having a great time. On Wednesday Minnesota Pete, sunshine and I hiked 16 miles the last 5 was in the rain, so instead of goin to the camp 3 miles farther we hitched a to troutdale VA. for a warm (free) bed at a church hostel and for some food. Unfortunately the restaurant in the guide was closed. After arriving at the hostel we realize B-rocket and chin music were there and hungry as well. Sunshine and I set off for the 4 mile walk to the closest food Fox Creek Restaurant. Luckily the owner gave us and our four pizzas a ride back to the hostel.

The next morning we walked 3 miles up hill on the road back to the trail head, we couldn't get a hitch to save our lives. Once we got back on trail we were headed for Partnership Shelter near Marion VA. were we got more pizza. (they deliver to the visitor center)
After dark we stared at the beautiful full moon then turned in for the night.

Marion has 50 cent shuttle rides to town for resupply, which is great most shuttles are crazy expensive. We got to town about 10am went to Wal-Mart got what we needed and headed to McDonalds for WiFi which resulted in us missing the 11 o'clock shuttle and us sitting under some trees eating and talking till 230pm oh well.

Last night was a rainy night, sunshine and I set up camp near a private pavilion we secretly hung out in to stay dry it was fun. After hanging around till 1:15 today the rain finally calmed down and we set off for a unknown destination. The destination being where I'm sitting now in my tent on the backside of a huge mountain we climbed right before dark. Rain is still in the air, I hope I don't have to pack up in the rain again ugh but that's just part of the game. No Pain, no rain, no Maine!

Early day tomorrow, sunshine and I are getting up early to do about 20 miles to the outskirts of Bland VA were my new trail running shoes will be waiting at the post office along with new socks. (very excited) thanks mom and dad.

Goodnight from the mountains of VA

Carpenter

AT... Mile 500

Yet again another great few days, Sat. and Sunday I stayed in Damascus VA and had a blast with some fellow hiker bums. Food, beers and laughter...great for the soul! Monday I headed back on trail with Sunshine, she is from Wisconsin and is a ton of fun and hikes like the wind. We split early in the day after one last coffee from Mojoes coffee house. I decided to take the Virginia Creeper Trail while Sunshine stayed on the AT (the two trails reconnect 1.7 miles from the second shelter)  I cut off two ups and downs to walk along the river for the day. Later in the day I ran into crow and shaggy sitting at a bridge...they had also taken the creeper. That night after meeting back up with Sunshine we hiked a few more miles and made camp.

This morning was kinda cold, we got out of camp around 9am and ran into Minnesota Pete who is probably one of the funniest people I've met out here. The Day started out with a big climb up to Mt. Rodgers the highest mountain in VA. As noon rolled around we all had lunch in a shelter were the Out cast mange pony was mercing around bein weird lol. After lunch we headed down to Grayson Highlands which is absolutely beautiful and where the normal wild ponies hangout. I took a ton of pictures and had a awesome day hanging out On the huge rock formations in the sun. It took sunshine and I 4 hours to do 5.7 miles we were having such a good time. Now I am in my tent in a equally beautiful campsite, the moon is so bright and I can hear the nearby creek...life doesn't get much better.

Our next high point is Partnership Shelter 30 miles from here where we can actually order pizza to the shelter and it has a solar shower! 

From 501 miles up the AT I say good day...

Carpenter

Back in business...

I left Erwin on Friday and went 8.8 miles to see our buddy Fresh Ground and his awesome spread of trail magic. Shaggy, disciple and I helped eat 20 hot dogs and some soup he needed to get rid of before heading out, we then helped him pack up everything into his car and said goodbye till next time. (he rewarded us with a sixer). He is now going to follow us all the way to Katahdin! Officially he is no longer trail magic but trail support...

Yesterday shaggy and I did 18 miles in 7 hrs. we are getting fast, 9 hrs. with breaks. That night we stayed at a shelter for the first time since the hiker plague got us, there we met Waffles a guy from Belgium who is going to Harpers Ferry to finish his Flip-Flop hike of the trail. I woke up this morning with the sun and laid In my bag till 8 due to the fact we had heard rumor of more trail magic at Hughes gap 3 miles up trail that started at 9am. Finally everyone woke up and got moving so I could turn on some Grateful Dead to listen to while we packed up.

9:15 we rolled out of the shelter to fuel up at the trail magic in order to do the 2000ft climb up Roan Mtn. I left trail magic at 11:15am and hit the summit at 1:45pm. Towards the top I ran into a weekend hiker Named Dwight and began talking to him as we hit the summit. Turns out We know some of the same people and potentially were going on the same hike in back in February of this year lol small world! We exchanged numbers and Email glad to meet the guy.

The views from Roan Mtn. (6217ft) on were amazing I got some video and a ton of pics, the wind was killer though it was hard to walk straight. I'm am now sitting in a barn that has been converted into a shelter and is awesome because the wind is blowing like crazy but it actually has four sides so we can just hear it. I only did about 15 miles today but I've wanted to stay at this shelter for a long time, and the time is finally here.

Tomorrow I'm gonna push a 20mile day to but me within 15 mile of Hampton, my last stop before Virginia, also we will hit 400 total miles tomorrow. (bout time)

Trail life forever!
thanks for reading

Carpenter

Good days... new friends...big miles

Had a great day coming out of kincora hostel. I left at 730Am to start another big day towards Damascus VA.
Climbed two 2000ft mountains and walked by a beautiful lake most the day. I met a few new hikers today who were taking pictures of a 4ft black racer that I of course walked up and grabbed...Every one thinks your crazy for catching.snakes I just think it's fun.  (thanks dad I learned that from you)

After that I hiked the second half of the day with another person I met at the hostel... Sunshine is her name and she can hike...fast. As the sun was just goin down We rolled into iron mountain shelter to complete the 25 mile day. Also here is shaggy who I'm now calling my little brother because people keep asking if we are brothers, Glover and Atlas are here also who are a really cool couple we all get along nicely.

Well it's an hour past hiker midnight so I'm gonna try to get some sleep before the storm rolls in at 4am that should do its best to soak us all tomorrow. Oh and almost forgot today we are 20% done with the trail...WOOT!

Cats on the tin roof, dogs in a piles, the only thing left to do is smile smile smile.

Carpenter

Hampton TN.

Made it to Hampton! 4.5 days woot, but at a price my feet are tore up. I'm staying at a 5$ hostel to heal up then 2.5 days to Damascus VA.
416 miles!

Big Day!

Wow what a day, we started at Sam's Gap at 11am today and crushed the first 6.8 miles with About 3500ft. of elevation gain in 2Hrs. 15 min to the summit of Big Bald. Only 18.2 Miles left in the day lol after a 40 min. lunch break we started back. At 630pm we passed the No Business shelter because the are all contaminated with the plague then stopped for another break. Twenty min. later we stood back up on our jello legs to finish the last 5.4 to uncle johnnies hostel were shaggies parents got us a room. (Awesome!). We finally arrived at the hostel at 8:53pm and we are now sitting at the tables waiting on a well deserved meal. That just arrived yay I'm gonna eat . later

Carpenter.

Dr. Walk-a-lot

Long time no post... Let's go back a couple weeks, we left Gatlinburg on a Thursday and hitched bk up to the trail head. Trail conditions were still pretty terrible with 4ft. snow drifts and a blistering wind. Three days later we came out of the smokies, and stayed at Standing Bear Hostel lol quite an experience. After a few more good hiking days I finally made it to hot springs NC. Easter also known as black Sunday to gyro and I was most definitely one I will not forget. Long story short I crossed Max patch at 12:30 am in a blowing rain...temperature below freezing and about 8ft of visibility. Needless to say it was an adrenaline rush.

Hot springs was fun, my sister came to see me which was nice. After a couple days in hot springs it was time to head back on trail towards Erwin TN. Weather has been amazing finally...and I finally have my trail legs. Miles had been rolling off like nothing then the plague hit us. A stomach virus has taken over the trail, basically 12 hrs. of  vomiting and diarrhea yay. Shaggy and I pulled an 18 mile day to Sam's gap to avoid the shelter that was riddled with sick hikers. After making a fire and having dinner we went to our tents for the night thinking we had escaped the sickness for another day, boy were we wrong...about 10pm it hit hard ugh. I am now in Erwin recovering...tomorrow we are going back to Sam's Gap to finish the 25 miles we had to skip, it is gonna be our biggest day tomorrow 25 in one day but we can do it.

Time is of the essence now...between the 10 year record for bad weather and the plague I'm way behind schedule. My new goal is to be around 700 miles by May, that should get me a lot closer to my schedule.

thanks for reading...
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Carpenter