SEGA

I have started this post 16 different times. I have quoted Tolkien, waxed poetic about the impact hiking the AT had on my life, and began to tell the story of my friendship with Carrot. None of it worked. No intro led perfectly into what I want to write, and I can think of nothing to set this post up as poetically as I had hoped. So, I will just write.

Our lives are demanding, by choice. Carrot and both aspire for some pretty lofty physical goals while working long night and swing shift hours. Carrot has completed many triathlons over the past two years. She recently accomplished her first Ironman and CRUSHED it! Sick and wounded she started the race in good spirits and ended it strong. Completing an Ironman was a bucket list item for Jen and I was lucky enough to have been there to cheer her on. It was truly inspiring. This coming year she has her sights set on a few more tri’s with another Ironman distance set for next fall. I have no doubt she will accomplish any goal she sets for herself. She is one of the strongest women I know. 

This past year I finished a deep open water swim with a friend that we relayed. 6.2 miles total, both swimming 3.1 miles. I also finished a 1.4 mile ocean swim/race. In 2016 I hope to accomplish many more swims with the longest being a 5k, solo. I have registered for my first Ultra. In June I will run a 50k trail race in Bryce Canyon, UT. Jen will be there as my support. We love a physical challenge and know from past experience that we do our best when we are side by side. 

We continue to push ourselves at work getting upset when we feel we have lost knowledge or have to advocate a bit too hard for our patients and their care. I may be a type B personality and she may be type A, but together we both aspire to better at what we do and will always be growing. We both love to be challenged.

For those who do not know I am currently living in HI. I have a good job and can enjoy perfect weather for outdoor activities year round. I have met an amazing group of people and have friends here that I will keep for a lifetime. Carrot is in Atlanta. She is near her family and also has a great job. She is settling in and creating a wonderful life that is perfect for her now. We are 6,000 miles apart. We talk and text daily. We know about each others life down to the most minute detail. She can probably tell you what I had for breakfast, and I can tell from our texts what time she fell asleep. She is my person. I am hers. My mother said it best recently describing us as “sisters of the heart”. 

The past 2+ years have not been easy for either of us. My marriage ended and I faced illness and injury. I moved far away in hopes to heal my heart and was met with a few obstacles. A year and a half later I am starting to feel like myself again. I am healthy and beginning to feel “whole”. I am at last ready for some new challenges. I am reclaiming myself physically and am finding peace with love. I have my family and my friends, both new and old, to thank for this. While I am a bit of an introvert and loner, I am also aware that I would not be where I am without the love and support of these amazing people that have graced my life. Jen’s hurdles have not been that different. I am not at liberty to write so freely about her life but suffice it to say that she too has been met with a big move, heartbreak, and the love and support of her family and friends. She is squaring off with her challenges and conquering them with strength and grace. 

While hiking the AT I adopted a mantra. Strength, Endurance, Grace, Acceptance (SEGA). I would say these words as I climbed, crawled, and clawed my way towards our goal. I strongly feel that this is our mantra. I continue to use these words to get me through a workout or a challenging shift. I feel we both use this mantra to help us get through our days and our lives. 

I am very aware that we are not any different than anyone else. Everyone has hardships to overcome. We all deal with injury and illness. We all have to conquer this thing called life. Everyone just handles it differently. 

What does all of this have to do with anything? Carrot and I have simply realized that there is never a “perfect” time. You have to make a list of your priorities and goals, and you have to put a plan into motion. In 2011 Jen and I made a commitment to thru-hike the AT. I made a move from Germany to AZ to live with and train with Carrot. Carrot made the move to AZ from WA to start our training for the first of what we hoped to be a three year journey. Our goal was the Triple Crown. The AT, the PCT, the CDT. A very lofty goal. 

We accomplished the AT, not without hardship or heartache. It did not go as planned, but then we have come realize most things do not. I believe there is a saying out there about “the best laid plans”. Our lives have taken many different turns over the past two years, but about a month ago we did it again. Truly not much differently than we did the first time. Organically, 6,000 miles apart, in a conversation post shift we decided to commit. Together we agreed that there is never a perfect time and that if we want to do something we need to take action and begin to make the changes and arrangements  necessary to accomplish a second thru-hike. Yes, you guessed it, we have committed to the PCT. 

April, 2017 we will set out to hike from Mexico to Canada on the PCT. Thrutrailchicks is now up and running again as a training and gear blog as we map out our ideas and plans to conquer yet another long distance trail. This was always the goal. The AT (my dream), the PCT (Jen’s dream), and then the CDT (combined desire). We will not talk of the CDT. The AT taught us that goals of this magnitude are indeed best met one step at a time. Anything can and will happen. However, we are a bit stronger and wiser. I feel we are better prepared to accept the challenges we will face. Slightly less naive we will put into place a plan to hike. Starting now we simply place one foot in front of the other. We hope you will join and support us along the way. 

Strength, Endurance, Grace, Acceptance. Welcome back to Thrutrailchicks. Let the journey begin. 

  

 

 

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Day Nine: Tahoe Rim Trail

Oct. 29, 2013
Marlette Campground to Spooner Lake TH
4.5 miles

Ugh. I tried to get Jen to write this post, but it was technically my “turn”. So before reading know that I do not wish to write this. If it seems like I am bitter, I am.
A year to freaking day we got hit by Sandy on the AT. A year to the day! 12+ inches of snow. It is pretty and quiet and peaceful and blah, blah. It makes trail finding impossible. Especially on a trail that is small, alone, and pretty much marked only at intersections! Not a big deal when you can see the path, but buried under 3,000 feet of that stupid white fluffy stuff one can’t see squat.
Now, Jen and I were in the tent this morning making our decision. After looking at the map we realized the best course of action was to take the trail 0.5 miles to the fire-road. Once there we would take the fire-road, which is also the alternate TRT, 8.5 miles to a major trail head and hitch a ride into town. After this we would get a hotel room and see what the weather was like to determine if we could finish the trail with small day hikes.
The only problem with this plan is that once we packed up everything we had to get somewhere dry. Aggie is a three season tent. She was doing her best and did quite well, but with the weight of the snow she was sagging and her zippers were separating. Nylon does well when wet, but when there is contact on both sides as well as pressure the moisture seeps through. So where the tent had collapsed a bit and made contact with our stuff and our sleeping bags and our things were wet.
Some of you may or may not know that when down gets wet it loses it’s loft. The loft, or negative space, between the feathers or fibers of anything is what traps the heat and keeps one warm. Our immediate danger was that once we packed all of wet gear, and sweated through the clothes we were wearing, we would have nothing to warm us at the end of the day. So we knew that if we stuffed wet gear, wet down, and a wet tent into our packs we had no choice to get to a hotel where we could be warm and dry our things. If we left camp, we had to make it out. No other option.
Another issue freezing weather brings is that it takes a toll on all batteries. So even though we had our phones we could only turn them on after warming them against our bodies and use them for a short time. At nine am it was decision time. Jen turned on her phone so we could take a final glimpse at weather and received a text. Scott, aka Slacker, had been paying attention from home and had checked out some local web cams. Unknown to us he had borrowed a truck and driven to Tahoe! So we quickly touched base with Slacker and packed up camp in the snow.
The 0.5 miles to the fire-road was not easy. Hell, none of the hiking was easy. But any savvy outdoorsman knows that a lot can go wrong in a half of mile. So together, using the map, we set short bearings and hiked from one to the next. We were elated that after about 45 minutes we saw a sign.
We held our breath as we neared the post knowing full well it was possible that we could have just come full circle. Looking for prints in the snow we cautiously made our way to the sign. We did it! We found the “road”. Now we just had to keep ourselves on this path and hike carefully out.
Luckily for us the road was marked better than the trail. I am assuming this is for Ranger use. It does not matter really, we just had to keep the blue diamonds as our blaze and we would be set.
Hiking was slow and hard. Making trail in over a foot of snow, at times two due to drifts, is not without considerable effort. We took turns cutting trail to save energy. We were deliberate with our steps. We did stop at times to catch our breath and take notice of the beauty. The woods, fresh snow, animal tracks, and solitude are really something I cannot explain. The awesomeness of our surroundings were not lost on us.
The road had a couple of trail heads on it as we made our way out. At each one we stopped to uncover the signs, look at the map, and track our progress. I believe it was at the third one of these when I heard Jen draw a deep breath. I could not see around her and was like “what!” She took a step and I was able to see Georgy Bear galloping through the snow to greet us. What a happy sight. Scott soon crested the same hill and with a large collective sigh we knew we were soon to be warm and dry.
We all hiked back out another half mile or so to the truck. An easy task with the weight of our well being lifted, and because Slacker had already cut the trail. We attempted to take pictures but all batteries were too cold and dead, and yours truly was too cold and wet to bother with trying to find the replacement camera battery amidst her cold, wet gear. So we piled into the truck and sailed over the last four miles to the highway.
So what did we do next…. Eat of course! We made our way to a wonderful cafe, the same we had our send off breakfast feast, and quickly devoured nachos and French fries. Health food!! Carrot and I used the bathroom to strip off some wet layers and then ravenously consumed our fat intake looking and smelling like drowned rats. All the while clean, well dressed tourists were casting sideways glances at us as we drank a beer and laughed out our good fortune.
After breakfast Scott and I got coffee to go, and Jen looking out for us made her way to the Nestle bakery so we had enough chocolate to help ease the pain of our decision. We knew that after we had been hiking through two week old snow patches on the trail that there would not be a significant amount of melt to make the trail passable for us.
Scott drove us back to our starting point and to Jens car. We all took task to digging her car out and making our way down the road. It is always crazy to drive from elevation back down to the desert. By the time we had made it back to Jen’s home town the sun was shining and the earth was dry. It felt surreal.
So, what was next? Girlie things of course! The next few days were spent shopping, going to San Francisco, and visiting Alcatraz. There was also a fair amount of wine consumption. The night before my departure my dear friend Ashby made her way to me and the four of us managed to consume 7 wonderful bottles of wine, pizza, and laughed and cried through the night.
Please note that in true “thrutrailchicks” fashion this trail is not over. In the spring I will return, and we will finish the TRT within 6 months time. If you happen to be in the Tahoe area you can look for us. I imagine we will be easy to spot. There are probably only two hikers in the world that will now carry snowshoes throughout all of the seasons. Carrot and Lucky will now be seen as those strange hikers with snowshoes strapped to their packs in July. None of them will know our story, but you all will understand why. If we hit the trail, I imagine it will snow. We will have the last laugh this time though, for we will be able to do what we do best. We will be able to continue to put one foot in front of the other and conquer what lies ahead.

*important to note that TRT was just a backpacking trip. No lifelong dream of either of us. Just an accessible footpath through this beautiful land.
** special thanks to Scott for enduring my presence in the apartment and for bringing a warm dry place to us. A simple act, but thoughtful and caring. It was not unappreciated.

Day Seven: Tahoe Rim Trail

October 27, 2013

Mile 31 to Marlette Peak Campground

23.6 miles

Big day for the chicks! We woke up to a cold beautiful morning. Drank our calories and headed out for an immediate climb to the highest point on the trail. We summited Relay Peak early in the morning and took some not so flattering self photos at 10,330 ft. The day’s forecast was windy, but we had underestimated the toll it would take on us as we hiked. At 10,000 feet 35 mph winds are quite uncomfortable. Plus, Jen had been suffering from some low level nausea for a few days and I had started the day with same. While the morning was beautiful with a stunning view and some bright sunshine, the wind kept us from spending time on the summit.

The hike down was uneventful and after about two hours we stopped for our first break. We did our best to stay warm in the sun, but the wind was too much. We ate quickly and headed off down the trail. The day of the week was Sunday and it was in this section that we ran into loads of day hikers and trail runners. We took a “secret” way down past the Gallena Falls due to the fact that while yours truly was taking off her gloves she lost her poles to gravity. So we took the road less traveled, also known to Jen as the gripping rock scramble back down to the safety of solid ground. (sorry Jen!) We continued our descent to the next trail head that was well populated, had bathrooms, and a trash cans for us to deposit the refuse we had been carrying. (This is not to be look lightly upon for hikers LOVE to get rid of our trash. We understand that we “pack it in, pack it out”, but getting the old tuna packets and dinner bags out of our pack feels like spring cleaning!) As we sat on a sunny spot on the concrete like the hobo’s we are we looked to the weather.

We had been keeping our eye on the forecast. We knew that there was some expected precipitation headed our way and we wanted to be super responsible and safe. The forecast was for one inch slushy accumulation. Our gear and our preparedness had been for up to a few inches of snow, so we were comfortable with moving forward. The wind continued to blow as we hiked in Nevada. The afternoon was our normal routine of hiking and breaking, except that our breaks were taken behind rocks to shelter us from the blowing sand and gusts of wind.

We hiked on picking up the pace in order to get our miles in for the day. As the afternoon progressed the wind blew at a ridiculous speeds. Jen and I were both blown around and having to lean into the movements we were making in order to make progress. We actually had magnificent views and hands down the best view of the hike, but I was unable to stop for photos due to being knocked around.

We descended yet again into camp and set up for the night. We were at an established campground with a privy and bear boxes. This was nice, for we did not have to bear bag in the dark. The campground also had a well with potable water and a pump. A nice addition to prepping for the morning. Little did we know our six am wake up was not to be as expected.

 

Day One: Tahoe Rim Trail

October 21, 2013
Echo Lake to Mosquito Pass
7.5 miles
After a relaxing night in South Lake Tahoe we got up early to get started on our last minute errands and coffee stop. Jen had done her homework and looked up the post office hours as well as the best place for breakfast. After getting to the PO we found that the hours on the Internet were wrong. It is not often that these two hikers are anywhere too early, so we decided to go ahead and get breakfast first.
We ate at the Driftwood cafe and it lived up to its Internet rating. It was delicious! Jen had a healthy serving of oatmeal and a muffin, while yours truly had potatoes with veggies and bacon covered with two eggs. Yummy! We both had our share of coffee and then off we went. We picked up two stuff sacks, a harder task than one would think in Tahoe, and then back to the hotel to pack. After gearing up we headed to the post office to send out our drops and get to the trail head.
We parked the car and started out around 13:00. The weather was amazing. We took it slow and hiked at a nice even pace. Our plan was to get at least six miles in before camping, and we were quite pleased to make it a bit further. We set up camp at the last site along Aloha lake. It was gorgeous. We ate a quick meal overlooking the lake. As the sun set the warmth left. After a quick bear bag we squirreled away into the tent and the warmth of our down bags. Sleep was not far behind. It was a beautiful first day out.

Welcome to Tahoe!

We are here! Emily and I arrived in South Lake Tahoe this afternoon to do some final prep and get acclimatized before we head out in the morning. However, our adventure began before we even got here! About 15 miles outside of Tahoe we got our first opportunity to pay back some hitch hiking karma by picking up a female mountain biker in need. She had taken a big fall and was lost and disoriented, so we scooped her up and helped her get her bearings back before dropping her off with some locals. We have a lot more paying back to do, but it was a start!

We then arrived at our hotel for the night and quickly got the last of our food and gear organized. This was made a lot easier because we had been given a free upgrade to a suite with a separate sitting room and kitchen! We enjoyed the sitting room by doing Emily’s pre-race and pre-trail tradition- painting our toenails to increase our speed and stamina. It is scientifically proven. Try it.

Then we grabbed a bite at Stateline Brewery, known for its play on the “Keep Tahoe Blue” bumper stickers. The food was good and the beer was even better. We finished the night off with some sweets from the Nestle Tollhouse Bakery in town- something I couldn’t possibly miss out on! Now it is off to sleep so we can send our drop off in the AM and then hit the trail.

Tahoe Rim Trail Prep

As we get down to the last few days before we take off on Sunday, I just wanted to post a few more details about our next trail, the Tahoe Rim Trail.  It is approximately 170 mile loop around Lake Tahoe, making it one of the few long distance trails that is a loop trail.  The peak season to hike is between mid-July and mid-October, so we are just passed the peak and are keeping our fingers crossed for continued good weather.   The temperatures are supposed to be upper 50s to low 60s during the day and around 30F at night. and word is that there hasn’t been any big snow as of yet.  We have packed plenty of cold weather gear to keep us as toasty as possible since neither of us thrive in freezing temperatures.

Why the Tahoe Rim Trail in particular?  Well we chose this trail for a few reasons.  First of all, it is a loop which makes logistics easier since we don’t have to figure out rides to and from the trail.  Second, Emily only has two weeks off from her current travel assignment, so we were looking for a trail that we could conceivably thru-hike during that time period.  Most people do the TRT in about 10-14 days, which made it a good fit.  Lastly, about 55 miles of the Tahoe Rim Trail is on the Pacific Crest Trail, so we will get our first taste of what is to come in April.

One of the main challenges to this trail is the altitude.   The trail ranges from about 6,200 ft to 10,400 feet in elevation.  Adapting to decreased levels of oxygen is going to be a challenge, but we have decided to try a few techniques to give us a leg up since we are both coming from sea level.  A few studies have shown that taking gingko biloba several days before and then while you are at altitude can decrease likelihood of Acute Mountain Sickness.  In addition, iron supplements increase oxygen carrying capacity, especially for Emily and I who are probably both anemic at baseline.   The last approach I am taking is using the “altitude chamber” they have at my gym.   It is my first experience with one of these and it is basically a small chamber with an elliptical and a treadmill inside that simulates the oxygen deprivation and pressure of 9,000ft elevation.  I have been doing my full workouts there 2-3 times a week the past few weeks to get my body used to it.  I have had Acute Mountain Sickness a couple times in my life and hoping that my workouts at elevation will help decrease my chances of getting it again.

While our initial intentions for the trip were to try out our new gear and get in shape, life has thrown us many curveballs as of late (to Emily in particular).  While we will still  keep these goals in mind, to me this trip has become more about renewing our commitment to each other as a team and spending time with my “sister” in the place we love to be most- the back country.  Life can get incredibly difficult and complicated and it is important to remember the simple joy of putting one foot in front of other.  Even if we are huffing and puffing as we do it!

Here we go…

Well, it will be interesting I can guarantee you that. Since finishing the AT in June our lives have been a roller coaster. While I cannot exclude Jen, AKA Carrot, from this statement my life in particular has taken some very sharp turns. So before blogging about the preparations for the Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT), I will recount the some of my experiences as of late. So if you will allow, I will elaborate. If you don’t care and simply want to read about the trail prep just scroll down and I will highlight it for you.

My life: Finished the AT in June. It was amazing! All of our families were there including part of our trail family. Could not have asked for a better finish, really. It was an amazing day.  After this I flew back to AZ only to make a quick turn around to head to DC for a Travel nursing assignment. Gil went with me, for he was part of the reason I picked DC. There is apparently world class BJJ here and he was excited to train. Luckily for me, AKA Lucky, I love my job here. I am new to the PACU setting but my coworkers and colleagues are top notch. It is a great blend of critical care nursing with the turn over of an ER. The unit is fantastic and has a manager that is one of the best I have ever worked for. This is important because in late August I found out that my partner and best friend of 15 years, husband of nine, had been cheating on me. Multiple times with multiple women. The details are grotesque and the reality horrific. I am betrayed and broken. If you do not know me you can ask any of my closest friends and they will tell you that I feel honesty is the most important quality in a person. So here it is; new job, PCT on the horizon, life plan in place with my partner, and in a matter of 24 hours it is all destroyed. The one person with whom I had trusted my life and my love took all from me that I knew to be true.  The next week was a blur. My parents were here and brother stayed the night with me to keep me off the ledge. Carrot arrived the next day from California. She got me through the hardest part. Jen kept me sane, let me cry and scream, and helped me to find a divorce lawyer that will see me through to the end of this terrifying process. She made it ok to go from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other. She laid out a plan for me that put me into survival mode. Carrot even got optimistic and made a list of things for me to look forward to. I am not there yet, but I keep the list close at hand for when I need a reminder to keep keeping on. Work is important. My job gives me a reason to wake up on most days and get going. I am so thankful that I currently love my job for it has helped me in this time of unrest. I could not have asked for a better group of nurses to be around. No platitudes are given to me in response to my situation. Just a simple “that sucks, if there is anything I can do…”. This is important. For some moments in time I am sick of being a strong independent woman. Sometimes you just simply want to be quiet and let the pathetic wash over you. You do not want to hear “everything happens for a reason” or “God has a plan”. Because currently my response to that includes nothing but four letter words. I know people mean well, but my co-workers have really surprised me. There has been none of that. Just support and offers of copious alcohol. They do not look at me as if I am a wounded puppy, they look at me as if I am a Nurse, there to do my job. For now, that is my survival. I go to work. I come home. I have fallen into some old bad habits such as too much wine and cigarettes, but I know they are not to be permanent. Simple vices to get through to whatever will be the next stage of my life.

So now I ask you: What would you do if you were newly single, almost 40, and lacking of social skills outside of work? My answer… retreat to the wilderness. While Carrot was here plans were set into motion for the TRT. We will do another middle distance hike (maybe the AZ trail, maybe the Ozark trail) prior to hiking the PCT but for now the TRT. I fly on Saturday and we drive on Sunday after last minute preparations to Tahoe. We will spend 24 hrs at altitude before setting off so this sea level human gan get used to thin air. It will be an air sucking hike for me for I have indulged too much in the great crop of our nation as of late. But alas, I will do it. Carrot yelling and cheering at me in the same breath. Fun will be had by all. Also, we will be joined by our four legged thru-hiking companion Georgy. Let’s hope there are no porcupines to be hunted on this trail!

Tahoe Rim Trail Prep:

New Packs! We have both decided to go with ULA circuit pack for the PCT. This will be our trial run for the pack. After extensive research and talking with the owner of the company we feel that this is a good fit for our bodies and the minimum/maximum weight we wish to carry.

http://www.ula-equipment.com/product_p/circuit.html

I will set out with the GoLite 3 season quilt no longer being made as well as a sea to summit liner. Reviews to follow. It is going to be cold for us and we are setting off into new territory. Carrot will be carrying the new Zpack sleeping bag. So light! I am sure I will jealous.

http://www.zpacks.com/quilts.shtml

As for footwear I will be carrying or wearing the Innov8 trail roc 236, OR the Vivo barefoot SynthHikers. I believe Carrot is sticking with the Brooks Cascadia for they simply fit her foot the best and are tried and true.

http://www.vivobarefoot.com/us/ladies/synth-hiker.html

http://www.inov-8.com/New/Global/Product-View-Trailroc-236-Black-Blue-Pink.html?L=26

http://www.brooksrunning.com/Cascadia-8/1201271B300%2e050,default,pd.html?start=4&cgid=womens-runningshoes-trail

(It is important to note that while we hike extremely well together Carrot and I have very different builds and foot structure. Most apparel we agree on, but footwear is where we have to be different. Our feet and our bodies are simply not the same.)

We will carry Aggie. Our Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 tent that we did the entire AT with. This is not the tent we will use for the PCT but it is the one we own. I am currently seam sealing Aggie as I type. Lets hope she holds up!

https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Tent/FlyCreekUL2

As for food: We plan on shaking things up a bit. At night we are going to try pre-made dehydrated meals split and wrapped in tortillas. We feel we need to get a feel for them and that they will be a good fit for the PCT. Lunches will be the same old Tuna and Nutella on a tortilla, and our breakfasts shall be our cold coffee/protein shakes.

Attire: Well, this one is still in the air. We have both bought new puffy beanies for night and plan on carrying a puffy jacket of sorts. I know I will have shorts and Capilene circa 1998, while Carrot has purchased some awesome new Ice Breakers long underwear. I do have a wool pair from EMS purchased last spring and we are simply waiting on a weather report to make a final decision. We will wear our Darn Tough socks, and some Lulu Lemon seamless long sleeve shirts. I will also carry a flannel bought this year from Patagonia. Please look to actual trail posts to see what we set out with. All of this is very subject to change.

Water Filtration: We are going with Sawyer. It was something we were in awe over during our last stretch of the AT.  We love the squeeze filter. We are going to give it a shot!

http://www.sawyer.com/water.html

As always we will have sleep masks, melatonin, and ear plugs.  A must for any RN and especially anyone on the trail!

 

OK. So a lot of info in one post. We will see if we can add on to this as we post of our hike. Please stay tuned for pictures and details. We will try to post day by day alternating voices so as you don’t get sick of any one of the two of us.

Happy trails dear friends. Wish us luck!

 

 

What next?

Seeing as this blog is “Thrutrailchicks” and not “ATchicks” it is time to look forward to our next trail adventures!  Planning is already in the works for PCT 2014 (start date at the end of April in Campos, CA) and coming up even sooner the TRT!  The TRT is the Tahoe Rim Trail, a 165-mile trail that loops around Lake Tahoe in eastern California.  Our current start date is mid-October, which promises to be cold but hopefully not snowy.  About 55 miles of the Tahoe Rim trail is part of the Pacific Crest Trail, which will give us a nice taste of what is to come next spring.    It is also a good opportunity to remind our bodies what it feels like to carry packs and climb mountains. 

As much as we would love to say we are keeping in amazing shape and hiking 24/7, that would be… a stretch.  More like working our butts off at the hospital and then enjoying our wine and down time at home.  Most thru-hikers can commiserate about how difficult it is to keep the motivation up post-hike, and we are no exception.  We are hoping to do at least 2-3 of these 2+ week hikes over the next 6 months to keep ourselves on track and ready to do big days come April.  If anyone has any ideas of hikes that fall into this category and are doable winter/spring please let us know! 

 

Photo Highlights!

Here is a bunch of photo highlights from the whole trail I was finally able to pull off my nicer camera.  Enjoy!

1st Night at Katahdin

Besties sleep shirts

Katahdin Summit

Beautiful Maine View

Lucky, Carrot and Bear in the 100 Mile Wilderness.

Southside and Carrot and Bear.

Extreme river crossing by Emily.

Em hanging at Chairback Shelter, Maine

Moxie Bald, Maine

Emily and Jen on Avery Peak, Maine

The Horn, Maine

Emily making her way through the Mahoosuc Notch, AKA the toughest mile.

Jen and Emily through the Notch in Maine!

Camped out on Wildcat Tower, NH.

Jen crossing a bridge in NH.

The White Mountains, NH

The White Mountains, NH

Jen, Emily and Bear on top of Mt. Washington, NH

Lake of the Clouds Hut, NH

Mt. Moosilake summit.

Emily and Alison the pig.

One of our favorite meals- BBQ chicken pizza outside Belleview Creamery, PA.

The splinter after exiting Jen’s thumb after 7 weeks.

BFFs.

1,000 mile mark in PA!

Bear on the trail.

Bags hanging in the shelter in PA.

Fair warning.

Official halfway point!

We are going this way!

At the PA-MD line at 3am, starting our 42 mile day through Maryland.

Alabama, Lucky and Carrot at the end of the day in West Virginia!

Home State!

Our boys Gritz and Pace showing their Blaze Fashion.

Carrot and Em.

Shenandoah, VA.

Carrot and Lucky loving the Shenandoah in October.

Our final attempt to get back on trail post-Hurricaine Sandy. Sad day…

The return, April 16th at the same spot!

Bear meets box turtle.

Afternoon shelter napping by Carrot.

Beautiful campsite in VA.

Lucy loving the Blue Ridge Mountains, VA.

Jen enjoying a Blue Ridge view.

Lucky on McAfee Knob, VA.

Bear post-hiking and post-dinner.

Bear enjoys the view.

Lovely laurels in southern VA.

Em and Jen loving the waterfalls.

Lucky with 500 miles left!

500 miles left celebration by Carrot!

Emily making friends with the wild ponies.

Hi Pony.

Beautiful waterfall. Probably Laurel Falls.

First time crossing in NC!

Old shoes (475 miles on them) and new shoes we received in Tennessee.

Beautiful TN view.

Blazing away.

Emily trapped in the bear caged Davenport Gap Shelter in the Smokies, NC.

Hiking the Smokies.

Waking up Ebeneezer Scrooge, AKA Lucky.

Still waking up…

Amazing tree roots in GSMNP.

Charlie’s Bunion, GSMNP.

Lucky!

Lucky and Carrot in GA.

Chunky Gal Trail!

Yay for Chunky Gals!

Lucky modeling the latest Frogg Togg fashions.

Blood Mountain Shelter

Emily enjoying our wine Lead Dog carried for us the final 2 days.

Sisters.

4 miles left!

And…Done!

Emily and I both promise longer post-trail posts soon, but we just wanted to let everyone know that we completed the Appalachian Trail on June 22, 2013 at 11:00am surrounded by our families and friends. It was emotional and wonderful and maybe a little bit sad too. Here are a few pics (to be followed by many more!)