Date: 2005-05-23
From: Pearisburg VA

To: Pearisburg VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

621.1mGreetings to all from Pearisburg VA..Touk signing in real quick before hitting the trail for 7 more miles before dark. Gypsy is off getting the laundry and post office done and we are hoping to reunite on the trail to the "big K".We are doing well and are in wonderful health.. Sunburns and bramble scratches are all over our hiker legs and faces ontop of the bug bites... I'm trying to get into the confusing task of putting on sunscreen and bug repellant in the morning...   wow...   -and you thought just plain old trail permadirt was handy to block uv rays and repel everything that has a nose....no.. not only is it a gross feeling to wake up to every morning anyways....now add a couple layers of bombproof sunscreen and withering bug repellant with a top coat of hand sanitizer on occasion... yes... I looked forward to my once-in-a-month shower here in Pearisburg.Traildayz was such an inspiration to up to keep our smiles on for at least another 1800 miles... We had a wonderful time seeing our brothers Ben and Jacob who came down to see the big up 'n' up shibang merangue.. I of course beeing one to do stuff like this.. signed them both up for the "Hard Core" trail maintainance two day boot camp that the Tennessee trail maintainance crew out of Kincora does once a year after the trail days.... They bribe the thru hikers with cool looking patches to sew onto packs and free dinners.... witty isn't it... However Ben and Jacob decided at the last minute to head on home and Gypsy and I took off to build trail the hard core way... so our mini visit was short and sweet...   We are both looking forward to seeing the rest of the family sometime before October... but that curbed the homesickness a bit..Both Gypsy and I are hiking in new shoes... Merrell sent me a complimentary pair of trail runners that are an actual upgrade from the ones I had previously... I had a problem with a mesh part blowing out on the ouside edge of both shoes... not exactly waterproof...uuhh.. or dirt proof..uuuhh... or blisterproof...   Alls well that ends well.. I'm a fan.Gypsy had a sole on her shoes wear out and split right across the ball of the foot... watching her limp into demascus was painful for everyone.. Vascue sent her a free pair emediately, However She had her back up pair from home brought down to hike in...   We broke them in during Hard Core.. Trashed them big time.. its wonderful wearing our gear outin a way!!!! knock on head... The night after hard core Gypsy and I along with Nick and Dave got a ride back into .. of all places.. ERWIN!!!! the vortex the hikers can't excape from !!!! We stayed at miss janets for ONLY ONE NIGHT... record..   And were lucky enough to get TWO meals in a row cooked by Baltimore Jack....headed out the next morning sore and baked but cleaner and not so hungry.. and were dropped off in Atkins to resume our trek from Georgia thru to Maine...(insert a yippeee howwwlll) We were reunited with the GLGE crew (minus Linux, break-a-leg, and pacman..   They have kicked it into high gear and are planning a not so easy "kick VA's rearwithnolessthen20miledays" thing... hopefully we shall see them again but... we are still going light and VERY easy) We have had a fantastic hike... dude.. just plain wonderful!!!!! the weather is pleasant and the leaves are out!!!! We are now really REALLY hiking the long green tunnel... We have had wonderful trail magic since trail days from a former thru hiker "funkee munkee" .. He slacked us about 40 miles and hung around for a few days... Had a GREAT time as a group going swimming in dismal falls... nothing dismal about them.. they ruled! The water was so cold we were in shock and had a slaphappy afternoon...For the last hundred miles I've had an aweful ear worm...the pooh bear song "time for something sweet...."..yes... it could and ..has been worse BUT its beginning to really get on my thruhiker nerves...   the things that are significant to a longdistance hiker... who knew?.Well tootles. Once again my time has run out and I'm stuck having to type really fast and sheepishly grin at the grouchy librarian sweetly...   We are taking care.... we are B.A.M.M.'s... and we are treking onwards and upwards!!!!!!            The gypsy sister...Touk GA-ME 05ps... I have narrowly escaped a new trail name of "scarface".. come to find out my scars on my knee look sort of like a smiley face,, so I drew eyelashes and lips and put on a skit for the gang... hmmm.. Touk I remain... -t