Guest Post by Inara/Big Bird

Christine (aka Inara (It's Not A Race Already!)/Big Bird) here!

Patricia and I are wrapping up the last night of my visit with her and Peppy.  We had a fun week even though the weather forced us to change our plans a bit.  We did some backpacking, some camping, some hosteling, some motel staying, and some slack packing.  Here is a sampling of pictures from our week (do not be fooled by the apparently bountiful sunshine - I didn't get my camera out much in the rain!)

Our dual hammock set up (my hammock was hand-made by Little Bird herself!)

The chickens at Wood's Hole Hostel really wanted to eat our resupply...

...constant vigilance and trekking poles were necessary to keep our supplies safe!

One of my favorite photos I took of Patricia and Peppy at an overlook

Peppy napped in a bush while Patricia and I enjoyed a sunny overlook

I was astounded to realize we had hiked that entire ridge earlier that morning - only a few more miles to go to camp at this point (it will start raining again about 10 minutes after I took this shot)

Possibly the cutest thing to watch (though I held my breath the whole time they were crossing)

On our zero day we drove back and enjoyed Dismal Falls in the sun since it had been raining when we hiked there three days before. The stream was 1-2 feet higher at our second visit due to all the rain

No lost spectacles here but I did lose one of my contacts at our campsite the previous night

My favorite action shot of Little Bird and The Inspector hiking

Town trek through the outskirts of Pearisburg, VA

Yes, the white blazes really do go up and over this apparent wall.  Good thing we were slack packing that day - it was challenging enough to get Peppy through that without the 30+ pound packs!

"We love our bread, we love our butter, but most of all we love each other" (and wouldn't you love to know how much butter our favorite thru-hiker ate in a 24 hour period - I am not telling!)

We crossed Patricia's 600th mile at the beginning of Day 2.  She will cross mile 700 the day after I leave.  Way to go Little Bird - great progress and thanks for the fun week!

Choose your own weather adventure...

Remember those 'choose your own adventure' books where you got to make the decisions as you went along, flipping forward and backward to various pages throughout the book?  That's sort of how the weather has felt the past 24 hours.  Flip-flopping back and forth.  Hot and muggy?  Cool and torrential rains?  Cloudy with a light rain?  Dark, windy and wet?  Warm and sunny?  Which weather do you prefer?  Except it isn't choose your own weather, so we didn't get a say!

Christine, Peppy, and I had all of this weather in the last 24 hours.  The weather just couldn't make up it's mind, so yesterday it switched back and forth about every half hour.  We had soaking downpours multiple times, which turned the trail into a swiftly flowing stream and the stream crossings into raging river crossings (only a mild exaggeration!).  Peppy fell in the "stream" (I was standing right there and immediately hauled him out), but was surprisingly chipper about the whole wet mess of a day.

Hiding out under a rock outcropping during one of the torrential downpours.  Yes, I am soaked head to toe, as evidenced by my hair plastered to my head.

Contrast that image with this one taken the previous morning:

Hot and sunny at the time!

Since the weather couldn't make up its mind yesterday, we are drying out during a zero day today.  We're looking forward to eating dinner at The Homeplace restaurant later this week, which is famous for its delicious 'all you can eat' ('AYCE' in hiker lingo) family style meals.

On a side note:  For those who have had trouble leaving comments in the past, I think I have changed the settings and the issue should be resolved.

Two Month Trailiversary!

Yesterday was my two month trailiversary and I received the best present ever!!! My sister Christine came to join me for a little while!

Starting our hike near Bland, VA!

Today the weather was yucky and rainy.  Since Peppy and I had not taken a day off since Damascus over a week ago, Christine and I slack-packed her favorite distance (half marathon, 13.1 mi.) while Peppy trashed the hotel room (forgot to get a picture, apparently he is creative about getting bags full of re-supply food off the counter, though he really didn't get into the food, just made a mess scattering it about!)

Catching up on pictures:

Hot Springs where we had a relaxing zero day.

The river was flooded over the trail so we had to blue-blaze up the old AT.

Some trees revealed the trace of previous white blazes.

It was great to go home and see all the family for Meredith's graduation from Wittenberg. My grandparents Troy helped get me back to the trail. I am so thankful for such a supportive family!

Enjoying the view from Firescald Knob.

Good morning!! I love that my hammock allows me to set up among the knee high plants!

Cooking on my wood-burning stove.  I love not having to carry fuel!

I had the whole shelter to myself since most other hikers were heading to Trail Days.

Staying dry from the rain in the shelter.  Peppy and I heard thunder when we were 3 miles away.  We raced down the mountain, grabbed some wood and got water before it started raining!

This shelter is a converted barn overlooking the valley.  Talk about waking up to a gorgeous view!

View of the barn from above.

State number two crossed off the list!

Sometimes in the middle of the woods, on the top of a mountain, life sends you a bench.

And the view from the bench looks like this.

Love a good view!

Peppy saw his first cows...he wasn't sure what to think so he made sure I was between him and them as we walked past.

Three states finished!

Damascus is a very hiker-friendly town.  The trail runs through the center of town.

So far we have had great weather on the balds, which means amazing views!

Peppy likes the balds best because he can roll in the grass.  I have been trying to catch him rolling on video, but he manages to quit rolling by the time I hit the record button.  He must think it will ruin his dignity if I catch it on video!

The VA highlands are some of the most gorgeous sections of the trail.  Beautiful in the evening...

...Beautiful in the morning.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...pony pictures!

First glimpse of the herd.

The first pony approaches.

And begins to lick and nibble.

Peppy would bark at the ponies, but after the first time they barely jumped.  Then began the game of stalking up on him from behind.

This foal was very curious about Peppy too, but far more cautious than the mischievous adults!

Pony love!

I could have stayed here all day...

...Except that nibbling ponies are quite persistent, which actually gets a bit annoying when you are trying to watch the herd but keep getting your fingers bit and they want to eat your pack!

 The rain continues, but the miles are rolling by!

500 miles done!

The official count is now 600 miles, which I just completed today! I plan to complete another hundred while Christine is with me, so I better get to bed since it is way past hiker midnight (9pm)!

Thanks to everyone who has sent thoughts, love, support, prayers, and cards my way.  A special thanks to Mrs. Bauer's second grade class and my godson Emre for sending me this awesome packet of letters encouraging me on my hike!

Playing with Ponies (Not to be confused with Playing the Ponies...)

Since leaving Damascus, VA, Peppy and I have been crossing the Virginia Highlands, one of the most gorgeous places so far. There are herds of wild ponies that roam the area. They are very curious and will come up to lick the salt from your sweat. Peppy did not like the ponies and would bark if they came too close. Two of them decided to make a game of trying to sneak up on him and touch him with their noses before he noticed and barked at them!  They succeeded a couple of times!

Yesterday Peppy and I arrived at the partnership shelter right next to the Mount Rogers visitor center. There is a solar shower attached to the shelter.  It was was a bit chilly, but being clean felt amazing after six sticky sweaty days without a shower. We also ordered pizza delivery from the visitor center! A shower and pizza all in one day was so luxurious!

I'm looking forward to having my sister, Christine, join me this coming Wednesday! Pictures should be forthcoming then. Beware there will be an overabundance of shaggy ponies attempting to eat me! Disclaimer: Neither ponies nor hikers (neither canine nor human) were injured in the acquisition of the photos!

Little Bird and The Inspector

This text message was attempted to be dutifully transcribed (you be the judge, since there were a couple typos in the last transcribed mess age), but probably not (any odds takers?), from phone to computer by the recently reinstated Assistant to the Assistant Blog Master's Assistant, Len Troy, aka Bald Bird, i.e. nobody else was around when the message came in.

To err is human, to really foul up requires a computer (and hopefully someone's purloined password).