454.5 and counting!

It is with a belly full of Ben and Jerry's Mint-Cookie icecream, half a large supreme pizza, some lemonade, Sprite and a few chunks of beef jerky that I write you this blog entry. This conglomeration of food may seem repulsive to some, but to the hiker it is a fat/calorie packed, uncomfortably delightful mixture that will fuel our drained energy reserves and prepare us for 16+ mile-days of hiking where we will burn an average of 4-5,000 calories - 2x a normal day. And, because I'm eating like this, it will also clue you in to the fact that Mike and I are back on the trail - 'SoBo' - or southbound in AT terminology. Mike's parents dropped us off in Blue Ridge Summit, PA five days ago (thanks again for the ride, delicious apples and even more delicious dinners Mary Ellen and Dick!). We can now check off Georgia, NC/TN, Maryland and West Virginia off our lists.

We're now in Virginia, Bear's Den Rocks Hostel to be exact. This place is very cool, built right out of the surrounding rocks and originally run as a summer home for wealthy folks who paid high dollar to stay here and take in the view of the Virginia countryside while hanging out in the petting zoo on site and listening to the wife of the owner sing Wagner operas (apparently she did this while hiking, too - probably would scare away all the wildlife - I wouldn't hike with the lady). Now it's run by a young couple (thru-hikers 2x) and their little girl (Hikling) who runs around laughing and playing while we talk, eat, shower and eat more.

Harpers Ferry was a great history lesson for us nerdy lore buffs. We learned all about John Brown and how the Civil War 'began' in this little town that sits above the intersection of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers - it's a hell of a climb out of it though - especially in a hail storm (ouch).

Thomas Jefferson said of the view from his favorite rock adjacent to Harpers Ferry that, "The passage of the Patowmac through the Blue Ridge is perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in Nature. You stand on a very high point of land. On your right comes up the Shenandoah, having ranged along the foot of the mountain a hundred miles to seek a vent. On your left approaches the Patowmac in quest of a passage also. In the moment of their junction they rush together against the mountain, rend it asunder and pass off to the sea. The first glance of this scene hurries our senses into the opinion that this earth has been created in time, that the mountains were formed first, that the rivers began to flow afterwards, that in this place particularly they have been so dammed up by the Blue Ridge of mountains as to have formed an ocean which filled the whole valley; that, continuing to rise, they have at last broken over at this spot and have torn the mountain down from its summit to its base. The piles of rock on each hand, but particularly on the Shenandoah, the evident marks of their disruptions and avulsions from their beds by the most powerful agents in nature, corroborate the impression."

I think the view of the pizza for dinner was better, but... Mike and I also got our pictures taken at the Appalachian Trail Conference Headquarters (the mothership of the AT) as 'eventual thru-hikers' and Mike talked with the folks working there about the artwork he's been creating of the wonders we've seen along 'the trail' - good networking :)

So, now Mike has more paintings and drawings in his sketchbook and I have more pictures of wildflowers (all of which I will be reading about tonight - medicinal uses and biology) and handstands on rocks. We have all that and the incredible gift of being able to put our feet on the sublime (and soggy) gardens of the earth for three more weeks.

Special shout-out to my dad. Can't wait to hang out with you on Lopez and thanks for driving up to see Mike and I after work - it meant alot and it was so good to see you. Thanks also for the support (on the trail and in 'real life'). Soak up some sun for me in Puerto Rico. Laura - so glad you're coming to Lopez!

Mary Ellen and Anne - Buon viaggio and enjoy your awesome trip to Italia!

Shenandoah here we come!!!

Lisa signing out