Date: 2009-05-19
From: Montebello

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Wow. First of all I am extremely sorry I have not updated in like 2 weeks. Second I do not have enough time to do every day of the past 2 weeks because that would take at least 5 hours to blog. So I am just going to do this one blog and hit all the highlights.After leaving The Dutch Haus we were going to celebrate our 2 months of hiking by doing a short day. Instead we got a chance to slackpack 10 miles over the Priest. Then we got to a shelter and Smiley, Fortune, Tekla and Hardcore were waiting. All of them were going 6 more miles to the next shelter and convinced us to go too. We ended up doing about 18 miles. The next day we did 15 and then had a 5 mile day into Waynesboro. We ate at an AYCE Chinese Buffet and took a day off. We went swimming at the local YMCA. Monday we set off for the Shenandoahs. Whoever says they are flat is lying. The Shenandoah is a lot easier than Georgia and everything but they aren't flat. Anyways we met this really cool British guy thats out hiking for 3 weeks. He got the trailname Soap because he was always clean. We also met an Australian couple out for a week doing a cool vacation all over the place. The husband, 74 years old and lifted this huge rock over his head to break a log for the fire! There was also Spielburg and his cousin, Sweater. We stayed with them for half the Shenandoah. We also got some pretty cool hitchs to Waysides where we got burgers and soda. We saw our first bear! I could have stood there for hours just watching him but eventually we had to go. I'll have pictures of him as soon as I get a chance (that might be a while though). The deer in the Shenandoah were so not afraid of us, they walked right up to the shelters. Another awesome man I met in the Shenandoahs, Footnote! He knew my name before I even said Hello! He was so cool and definetly brightened my week. He wrote a book about hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway, as soon as I find a bookstore I am going to get it. He is also in the process of writing a book and Cascade is going to be a nickname for one of his characters!!!! That was so exciting I wanted to cry. The other day we were really lazy and did 11 miles. We hiked half a mile out of our way to go check out some waterfalls and we also went rock climbing on some cliffs by the side of the trail. The day after that we decided to go down into Luray because there was supposed to be 3 inches of rain. We got a ride from a really cool couple from Vermont. I think. I'm pretty sure he's going to school in Vermont and I think she lives in Connecticut. But I don't remember for sure. They took us to a motel and we went to do laundry. A huge storm started and we had to run back to the room. It was probably close to a mile in the pouring rain. Lightning struck on a roof across the street from us and I was ready to just sit down on the sidewalk and cry. Luckily Pogo was there to help me keep running. (I'm really scared of lightning by the way.) We made it back to the room soaking wet and the storm was still coming down. I got in a little disagreement with my parents. So I guess I will explain a little bit. I have decided I am not a purist for this hike. I have not walked every step but I am alright with that. I came out here to have fun before I start college and I'm enjoying myself a lot more now that I am not concerned with every single mile. The goal is still Maine and I am going to do most of it but if I miss a mile here and there, well it's whatever. For example, the past 3 days, Pogo and I canoed from Luray to Front Royal instead of hiked it. It was awesome, my feet got a break and I got to work out my upper body. We saw lots of turtles and thankfully did not flip. We argued a lot because canoeing takes teamwork unlike hiking and we ran into a couple trees but nothing serious. We did 36 miles. The first day we did 8 and then Chris, a guy from the Outfitter that rented us the canoe was there and had started a fire for us. He took us back to his house and let me shower and do laundry. He also let us cook some of his hamburgers and gave us apples and gatorade. Then he let us ride his motor scooters (well I rode on the back) but it was so much fun! He was really nice and so cool. The next day we canoed 19 miles and accidently camped on someones property. There was no signs or anything and after we set up camp we went up the hill and saw that it was someones backyard. A really long backyard though. Anyways we figured out it works better if I am in the back of the canoe because we kept going backwards with Pogo in the back. His strokes were overpowering mine. Anyways we made it to our destination and Chris picked us up. He took us into Front Royal where we got a hotel room and are now waiting for Pogos family to meet us here! I'm excited to meet them! They should be here anytime now. Pogo wants me to say how much he appreciates and admires Mr. Roger Rogers. I have heard a lot about you and Pogo definetely thinks of you as a best friend.I'm sorry if I have disappointed or offended anyone with not hiking every step and will not call it a thru-hike if it does. I still feel the difficulties and experience the lifestyle but I shall call it my AT advenure instead if that pleases you. There are so many cool people out here though and you don't realize it until you get out and experience the world. If you live your whole life in a bubble with the same routine and no adventure you aren't truely living. On the trail there is a whole lot of time to think and a lot of times I find myself being grateful. For little things that we take for granite such as a shower. How many of us take showers everyday without even thinking about it? In the woods you can go a week with no shower and then just feeling the shower is simply amazing. A lot of the people who have helped us believe in the theory of Pay It Forward. If someone helps you then you help someone else for when you are in need you bet someone will help you. Anyways I think that is long enough. Any questions or want me to detail something a little better leave a comment or email me.Thanks!