Date: 2016-08-22
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Hello loves,It's been a long time. Like, 900 miles, since you heard from me last. But, despite popular assumption, I am on trail, some 800 miles from Springer Mountain. If you've seen my Instagram or Facebook you know I summited Katahdin and finished the NOBO half of my journey on August 1st. Since then, I took a week off to explore the eastern seaboard with Mama and Papa Bee then rejoined my hiking partners Keebler and Sin Nombre in Harper's Ferry. We've hiked through Northern Virginia and the Shenandoahs so far. At the moment we're holed up at Stanimals Hostel in Waynesboro because Keeb and Sin Nombre broke themselves. There aren't many other southbound hikers out here, as we're ahead of the SOBO and Flip-flopping crowd, plus I am quite fond of these two busted SOBs, so I'm sticking with them until they are un-busted enough to keep hiking. You all may be saying, "Rigby, who the eff are these guys? You never mentioned them before." Fair enough, I have been a WEE bit lax on updating you regularly. My bad. Allow me to introduce you and perhaps give you some background.Sin Nombre and I met on the summit of Mt. Greylock in Massachusetts. We've hiked together, on and off, ever since. He's our troubadour, with an infuriating and fascinating ability to think of a song for everything. He has the sassiest eye roll on the AT and, bonus, I genuinely haven't looked at a guidebook since I started hiking with him. He's the other founding member of the Cuben Fiber Luddites ¢¢, our crew, who are totes #squadgoals. Cuben Fiber Luddites is a hilarious name, by the way, so if you don't get the joke, just play along. I'm extremely lucky to have found him. It's been over 700 miles and I'm not quite sick of him yet.Keebler, our little elf, joined the crew a bit later. I picked him up in the White Mountains, after I got separated from Sin Nombre and the gang in Hanover. We hiked together for a few days, then I lost and found him a few more times. Eventually, he stuck around, due to lack of better options, so he's one of us now. He's a Horticulturist and a Gentleman, our go to for all things bug, critter, and plant related. Ask him about helgramites if you ever meet him. My favorite thing about these two is that they're polar opposites on virtually every point. Literally, the only thing they have in common is their height, but each thinks they're taller than the other and therefore refers to the other as "the little guy," affectionately, of course.My thruhike has evolved since we spoke last. I've hiked some of the most incredible mountains imaginable. Summited breath taking, staggering, mind boggling peaks. Been caught above treeline in a hail storm, chased bears and moose away from my hammock. All of those things have been memorable, but it's the people I've met that stick with me most. Sitting around campfires with wonderful, eccentric weirdos all drawn to the wilderness to share an insane experience. They're my favorite thing about the trail. They're the stories I most enjoy telling.As I have time, I promise to go back and post all my half-written stories from the north. There's a spectacular cast of characters to write about, I'm sure everyone will enjoy them. They're why I don't journal anymore, actually. I'm too busy spending time with them. I'm actually going to sign off now so I can do just that, because Keeb and Sin Nombre are downstairs watching The Revenant with Chatterbox and Don Quixote.