Date: 2016-07-06
From: Luray Dam

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Skip ahead a few days. Nothing to really report on those days except more sun and less rapids. Today we ended up boating about 19 miles to the Bloomery boat landing. The boat ride there could have not gone any slower. There was hardly any rapids to speak of and lots of sun. I should't really complain because sun is much better then rain any day. We made it to the boat dock 10 minutes after my brother Sam had arrived. It was really great to see him and of course I told him he had to bring our dog Todd. Todd was more confused when he saw us. The look on his face was the look of seeing a ghost. I really didn't know how much I had missed them both till we were reunited again. Todd is a wiener dog and he is so sweet. We are planning on taking sometime off to have a half way break. Plus our gear is in major need of some cleaning. Most people will be continuing on toward Maine. After long talks Gray and I have decided that it will be best to flip up to Maine and hike south the rest of our journey. It will be sad to leave all of our trail friends behind but I want to experience Maine in the summer. Where if I choose to I can swim in the beautiful lakes. Instead of suffering through it during the fall months and worrying we wont make the close of Baxter in time. Sam was kind enough to take us to the Appalachian trail Conservatory so that we could check in for our half way photo. I would like to note that when we left Springer Mtn. GA we were thru hiker 1390 and 1391. If we were continuing North we were hiker 115 and 116 to arrive at the psychological half way point. That number is crazy to me I had thought there would have been so many other people ahead of us. We ended up going into the book as Flip Flop hiker number 43 and 44. It is still a crazy number. It is hard to wrap my head around the fact that we have made it 1023 miles. When I started Springer and took our picture at the top. I was super excited and had a huge smile because after all the planning we had finally started my journey. Now arriving at this point I am full of mixed emotions and feelings. I am truly proud of Gray because I have seen him grow so much and open up about his military career. I am proud of myself for making it this far in our journey. I am also nervous about the miles ahead but I know now that whatever happens I will be ready for it. I feel that walking in the woods has allowed me to reset my perspective on a lot of things in life. It has also allowed me to come to terms and forgive myself for mistakes I have made in my past. I told Gray the other day if I could go back in time to my younger self in my first enlistment. I would tell myself that its okay to be alone. Experience and do things for you. I also told him that I would have wanted to achieve something like this before we were married because I think it would have made me a stronger more independent women. I know that this hike is allowing me to grow with Gray as well. The rugged outdoors has a way of stripping down all those walls that are put up. It has allowed us to learn more about helping each other as well as learning how to be helped. The best advice I was given on the trail so far was from a man whom I called Hot Springs. His name for me every time we met was Iowa Legs. As we were chatting with him one evening he told Gray and I that the key to our success out here was to know that it is okay to have a bad day. However, if one of us is having a bad day the other needs to be the steady rock. In more ways then I can remember we have been able to achieve this. My hopes for the next portion of my journey is that it will bring more challenges physically and mentally. I want to be a steady rock for Gray as well as myself. I know that this journey would not be possible without God protecting us along the way. As well as the love and support that we receive from our family & friends. Now it is time for us to sign off for a bit. Not to worry though we shall be back soon well rested and ready for the second half of our hike.