Date: 2013-09-23
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Reeds Gap
Miles today: 18.8

We're baaack! With gusto The Florida Flip Floppers flipped. We cannot believe how easy the southern trail is in comparison to the northern part. It is also warmer and sunny, the birds sound familiar and the climbs feel like hills. The trail consists of frequent switchbacks which already annoy Cub. We can't figure out why the trail switches when the terrain is easier and in the Whites of New Hampshire and Maine the trail goes straight up!Thank yous to the women with whom I work. They sent a bunch of food which we are happily eating. Being Child Life Specialist they also sent fun stuff like bubbles, games, cards, etc. Cub and Buddy Backpacker appreciated that. I am so grateful for all of the support we've gotten. Can't wait to get back to St Joseph's and make slime!Big huge thank yous to Grammie who drove all the way to Maine, then Ohio and then VA. She took such good care of us, filling us full of love and support. Grammie got hugs from Buddy Backpacker and met his adorable family. Though she didn't get to meet BooBoo, which was a huge disappointment, she did get to meet some other hikers. Muchas Gracias, Todah Rabah to our beautiful Grammie.Though the path was so much easier our bodies were much stiffer. We couldn't believe it but we felt like stiff robots. We kept stumbling and tripping. I had another big fall. I landed on my already hurting wrists. I can't believe how much my body takes and keeps going. Sore and aching but moving on. I look like a Dalmatian dog I am so spotted with bruises. Our favorite part of the day was finding some SOBOs. They warned us of no love for SOBOs as they have had no trail magic since the NOBOs left. Night Walker started at Katahdin on June 10. He just graduated from high school. He remembers passing us in Vermont. Being one of the tribe he estimates that we are 4 of the 6 Jewish people on the trail. My mother-in-law used to tell me,"Honey, Jews don't hike." They do now! We also met Bear Bell, the seventh French person to thru hike the AT. He gives a shout out to Buddy Backpacker who he met when he was going North. He flipped just like us and this was his second day back. Gotta go hike. Will continue tonight...okay, I'm back! Iceman, you gave us quite the laugh. Iceman said,"I disagree with your mother-in-law. Forty years of wandering around in the desert I believe would qualify Jews as the first long distance hikers. They had trail magic every day and their shoes and clothes didn't wear out. Quite a trip I would say." Guess we were the originals. After the hike my parents picked us up at around 4pm. They are slack packing us all week. We are so grateful. We have the best family, they give us so much love and support. We were thrilled to hear that they had arranged to pick up a friend's granddaughter who is a Virginia Military Institute cadet. (VMI is my Dad's alma mater.) She wore her all white uniform. The girls were quite impressed. She was charming and interesting to talk to. We all went out to dinner. The girls got so tired I thought they'd face plant their plates. We ate at the South Inn. It was delicious!So happy to be back on the trail. We love the peace and quiet. We love seeing the deer again. Hopefully the bears are soon to follow. Happy thrills.