Harper's Ferry !! Mile 1019

Well Pigpen has made it to Harper's Ferry, home of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and passed over 1000 miles!  He and Kara have been hiking with Zip and Dinner Party for the last week or so and doing well.  Dan's knee and shin splints are doing ok, and even well enough that he had a ceremonial passing of the knee brace he had been using on to Dinner Party.  Dan had been given the knee brace back in GA by fellow hiker Joe Granger and it may have saved him from having to come off the trail early.  Now it may save another hiker.  THANKS JOE !

Kara's getting tired and ready to come home for a while, and I'm getting anxious to hike with Dan again so I'm heading up tomorrow to hike with him a few days and bring Kara back.  I just basically loaded a small hiking outfitters store and grocery store into the back of my truck so he can get reset for the northern half. 

Thanks to everyone for the continued support as Pigpen continues on his journey, and here are some more pictures for you to enjoy:

View from mile 900

Another View from Mile 900

Typical Town Meal,...... yeah he ate it all!

Bear's Den Hostel

Bear's Den Hostel

Bear's Den Hostel

Ceremonial Passing of Joe Granger's knee brace from Pigpen to Dinner Party

Kara making friends

Typical Gorgeous View

Zip on the phone in the rain in the back of a truck

Dan and Kara make the ATC

Dan's official ATC photo as hiker number 421 to pass through

Trail Meal

The Roller Coaster - A 10 mile stretch of at least 10 steep climbs and descents just before the 1000 mile point.

Tired pup !

Dan's friend Tyler's ATC photo

Zip, Dinner Party, and Pigpen at Spy Rock

Zip, Dinner Party, Kara, Pigpen, and Spoon

Update 6-4-13 878 Miles

Pigpen update:  I spoke to Dan today and he and Kara are still doing fine.  He has joined up for a time with two other hikers, Zip and Dinner Party, and will be hiking with them for the next several days until they have to get off the trail temporarily. He has entered the Shenandoah National Park and will be hiking basically parallel to Skyline Drive for the next 80 miles.  He will get to the 900 mile point at the end of tomorrows hike.  We had the usual drop box discussion and he told me he is planning to do the " 4 State Challenge" when he gets up to Harpers Ferry.  The challenge is for the hikers to get from the northern edge of VA, passing through WV and MD, and into PA within 24 hours.  I think it is about 43 miles or so and he will probably have to hike at night some.  Once he is into PA, I may drive up and hike a few days with him like I did in southern VA.

Here are the latest pic's:

Second Hiker Seen Carrying Animal Skull

Trail Magic !

James River Footbridge in Distance

James River

Of Course Dan Jumped off the Footbridge !

The Guillotine

Natures' Flower Pot

Oak Swing at Campsite

Spy Rock

Update 760+ Miles 5-28-13

Pigpen and Kara are back on the trail as of last Monday and doing well.  As Dan reported in his last update, he had been having shin splint pain and took several days off the trail.  Trail Days in Damascus and Kaity's brother's wedding occurred during this same time so that gave him a few extra days off.  He seems to be doing ok for now with the pain.  He was fortunate to have left Damascus when he did last weekend.  He had intended to be in the hiker parade at Trail Days but a change in plans caused him to leave just before the parade.  As many of you know there was a bad accident during the parade when a driver lost control of his car and hit dozens of hikers injuring 50-60 and a few seriously.  I am pretty sure all the hikers are expected to make a full recovery, but we were happy to know Dan had already left.

During the past week he reached McAfee Knob which is one of the most photographed spots on the A.T.  He also passed by the Keiffer Oak (largest oak on the A.T. in the south at over 18' around and over 300 years old), and the Audie Murphy Monument (the most decorated soldier in WW II - fitting since it was close to Memorial Day ).

He had his first encounter with a bear!  A big one that scrambled up a tree and bear hugged it while he and Kara slipped by.  He also received some great trail magic when a hiker friendly family picked him up as he was walking into a town.  They gave him a lift, fed him, and invited him to spend the night in their home.  These are the experiences that make a thru hike so great!

Also, a big Thanks!  to Jeff and Cheryl Gilbert and Granny Susie for their "mailbox trail magic" which helps sponsor Dan's hike. 

Dan should be passing by the 800 mile point in the next couple of days and hitting the half way mark in about 2 weeks.

Here are some photo's Dan has sent me from the trail this week:

The Captain's Place

Captain's Place Camping Area

Zip Line used to access the Captain's Place

Bear!

Audie Murphy Monument

Eastern Continental Divide

Kara Bouldering



Keiffer Oak  300 years old



McAfee Knob

Trail goes through beautiful pastures

Copperhead!

Kara enjoying a rest with a nice view

Trail Magic Host Home

Bryant Ridge Shelter (20 person)

Big Miles>Shin Splints>Home Time

Hey Guys,
After I left Damascus I started doing more miles a day, averaging 22-23 for a week straight. I caught up to some old trail friends that I met back in GA, and ended up forming a group with about 5 other younger folks since we all ended up doing the same mileage for about 5 days in a row. It was fun to get to know those folks better and it made the rainy days more enjoyable. For the past few days we had rain almost every day. Wednesday was one of the rainiest days I've had so far, but we made it to a cool spot called Woods Hole Hostel at the end of the 21+ mile day. Woods Hole was the coolest place I've stayed at so far. It is a log cabin style farmhouse with an additional cabin that serves as a bunkhouse. It is run by a girl named Neville and her husband Michael, who focus on organic and sustainable ways of living. They have a big organic garden any free range animals including goats, pigs, and chickens. We shared communal meals and it was a very refreshing experience similar to Buffalo Cove, the place where I've spent the last three summers.
On Tuesday I began experiencing some slight pain in my left shin, probably from overcompensation due to the pain in my right knee (which is better now). On Wednesday the pain in my shin was worse, but I pushed on knowing the hostel was my destination and I wanted to get out of the rain. By Thursday morning, I was limping around and knew the 10 or 12 miles to Pearisburg, VA was going to be tough. I limped into P-burg with a lot of pain, shared a motel room with some of my knew hiking companions and knew that at least a few zero days were in my future. After talking to dad, he convinced me to come home and I agreed since it is Mother's Day weekend and my last opportunity to come home for the remainder of my hike. So I am back in GA once more, hoping to heal up this injury and be back on the trail healthy for a while. This is also allowing me to do one last gear switch as I have lightened my pack weight and needed to change out a few things. I am also going to bring Kara back out after giving her a week or so of rest.

Due to rainy and cold conditions, I simply did not have the energy/patience/feeling in my hands to take many pictures, but here are the latest ones that I did manage to take.

Kalamity Jane carrying a cow skull she found

This is what a shelter looks like on a rainy day

One of about 20 of these stream crossings I had to face on Wednesday

Woods Hole Hostel

Bunkhouse (left) and farmhouse

This was back in Grayson Highlands, taken by Bobby 

who helped me find the trail after I got lost in the fog

Hopefully my next post will not include any injury notifications. It is frustrating to work so hard to cover a lot of mileage and then having it be negated by an injury that keeps me from hiking. Thanks for all of your support, it keeps me motivated when I face tough times. I am doing this hike for myself, but it is nice knowing that I will eventually get to post pictures from the top of Mt. Katahdin for you guys. Can't wait to continue "The Trial of Miles, Miles of Trials" (as described by Quention Cassidy in the fictional book, Once a Runner).

-Pigpen

Trail Magic Thank You!

Dan received some very  generous trail magic today from Tim and Theresa Campbell and family. 

Thank You Campbell family!  I'll make sure it gets in Dan's next drop box.

Pig Pen Tracker: Mile 575, near Bastian, VA

Pig Pen has been moving along well since he dropped his parachute (me) last Wednesday.  We also brought Kara home for a while to give her paws a rest.  They were wearing thin spots and need to callus up some.  He has hiked 108 miles over the past 5 days and is now well past the 25% mark.  He resupplied himself at Marion, VA and we mailed him a drop box to Pearisburg, VA which he will pick up on Thur.  We will put him one in the mail tomorrow to Daleville, VA and that will get him through "Trail Days."  Trail Days is the big hiker festival in Damascus, VA May 17-19 where hundreds of thru hikers will convene to enjoy concerts, auctions, vendor sales, etc.  It is timed by Damascus so that most of the thru hikers will be somewhere within reach of a local ride up or back to the festival.  Afterwards the hikers will get a ride back to where they left off and continue on with their hike.

Here are a few micellaneous photos's he has emailed me recently.  The ones of the school house are of Lindamood School at the Settlers Museum in Atkins, VA.  Robin and I visited there a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.

Steer in Grayson Highlands S.P.

Trail Magic!



Lindamood School at the Settlers Museum