Damascus, VA

WOOOOEEEEE!!!! we made it to damascus, va....4 states down, 10 to go!!! we had some awesome times out of elizabethton, hiking by a 16 mile lake, up and over mountains, hanging out with our friends and getting some awesome trail magic!  we got out to a shelter the night out of town, played some guitar, sang some songs, built up a fire, the norm pretty much....then the next night, made it to iron mt shelter, where laugh track and i decided to stay.  all our friends were heading another 8 miles to the next shelter, and we just didn't feel like walking anymore, and it turned into our best decision yet.  old crow and grandma showed up, and decided they were going to stay, then tuck, bandit and catalyst came by and decided they were going to stay too.  truckin' and biscuit saw they were outnumbered by the ladies, so they hauled ass to get out of there before "we started plucking their eyebrows and painting their nails." so the 7 of us had a  much needed "girls night."  like, omg.  we did indeed pluck our eyebrows, talked about boys, and giggled to the wee hours of the morning.  milk man and peter showed up around dinner time, but we banished them to "man-camp" so we could continue our girl talk.  the next morning, laugh track and i headed out into the mist, only to be stopped by trail magic of soda and cookies about 4 miles down the trail. after a pepsi and some packing tape, we walked another half mile before being called back by a thru-hiker from last year, the professor, who had just pulled up with our friends cope and meltdown. (cope knew him from the year before) and they grilled up some dogs, burgers, had some candy, cookies, chips, soda, and chocolate milk.  we ended up staying in the parking lot with them from 10am to 2pm, listening to wisdom and the must-see places along the trail from the professor, getting some sun, and just chilling out.  we finally got motivated to move, and made it to damascus but dinner time, getting DELICIOUS pizza and some local beer, meeting up with our friends, and staying at The Place, a cool little hostel in the center of town.  we are heading out tomorrow with the professor, up to troutdale, to hike south into damascus on thursday for the start of TRAIL DAYS.  a celebration damascus hosts every year for thru hikers, with bbq's, beer, music, parades and a lot more.  we are getting so excited for it! we will get to see our friends who are ahead and behind us, and have a few days of rest and relaxation before really starting VA...the longest state in the trail....550 miles of good ol' virginia.  we are getting geared up to go on! almost 25% done, and we don't ever want this to end!!!!!  hope everyone called their mothers yesterday!!!! happy mom day, momma raccoon! the best mom in the world!!!!  

Elizabethton, TN

well, it has been a crazy few days since erwin....we are a little more than 400 miles into the trail, and about 3 days away from Damascus, VA.  we left erwin around dinner time, and got to a shelter about 4 miles up the trail, ran into some of our friends, pixel, 6:30, gravity, and phlem. after that, the trail kicked our asses for a few more days...whew..this doesn't really get any easier.  BUT we hiked up some AMAZING mountains, little hump, and hump mountain were some of our favorites.  after a INSANELY hard mountain, called roan mountain, we camped at the highest (elevation wise) shelter, a converted fire warden's cabin with our friends, and made a delicious dinner of velveeta and ramps that we picked ourselves.  before we hiked up that mountain though, we met some bikers who were scouting a route through the mountains for a charity ride, and i met a meathead named BRUTUS...definitely took a picture with him.  then when i mentioned how much i loved the south, one of the bikers said, "well move on down here and i'll buy you a doublewide!"  they sure know how to make the ladies feel special down here.  haha.  the next day we stopped to have lunch at a shelter that used to be a barn, with a gorgeous view into a beautiful valley.  we spent about 3 hours lounging in the grass and eating a long lunch, then hiked up the humps, fantasitc balds with 360 degree views...it felt like we were in lord of the rings.  we camped at doll flats on the NC-TN boarder, and nero'd into elk park to get our mail drops! thank you everyone who sent fun goodies for us!!  we met some, ahem, interesting people...it seemed to be the day of crazies, after a shower fiasco, we headed to mountain harbour hostel, a farm with tent sites, showers, resupply, goats, horses...it was idyllic.  after showering for the first time in 12 days, we got some pizza with middlebury, then had an awesome night playing technology wars with vittles and jesus, two 'hikers' we have nicknamed douchebag one and douchebag two...fortunately their reputation spread like wildfire and they were kicked out around 10:30, so we got to watch pretty woman in peace.  the next morning we had possibly the BEST breakfast up at the farmhouse, homemade everything from biscuits and gravy, pancakes (with real syrup!!), ham, cinnimon rolls, eggs, fresh fruit, coffee...anything you could think of.  while digesting, we lounged on the couch and watched the news and read the paper...comparing different stories about osama (you think they heard that?? are we still stealth??)  while packing up we watched top gun (can our life get any better?) then hiked out 10 miles through beautiful farmland.  we then arrived at kincora hostel near hampton, and had a great night listening to gravity play guitar and playing charades after a group spaghetti dinner.  (girls against boys...girls won...duh).  we came into hampton the next morning to pick up our ipods that the best boyfriend in the world programmed for us...with our ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE playlist...just some songs that will give us the extra push to get over the next mountain.  we then came into elizabethton to run some errands and met the NICEST cafe/theatre owner, Thor, who gave us a free breakfast and is letting us see the 2pm showing of Fast Five...sweet!  life seriously couldn't get any better for the two of us...we are having the time of our lives.  trail days is next weekend! i'm sure there will be a CRAZY update after that is over!!!  don't forget to holler at your mom's this sunday!! love you momma raccoon! you are the best!!!  laugh track and i love life!!!!!!!!!!  cool guys don't look at explosions!!!  peace out, a-town down.

Erwin, TN

woot woot, so here we are in TN, we hiked out of Hot Springs on an 85 degree day, straight uphill.  Town made us a little soft, and we were a bit tired from the shinanigans of the night before, but we made it 10 miles out of town before finding a fire tower overlooking gorgeous mountains and city lights.  Laugh Track and I decided to sleep up there along with Bronza, Coyote, and Fish Head.  It was pretty cool to be sleeping 50 feet in the air, with the cool breeze keeping the bugs away and some good entertainment provided by the boys.  The mountains following that day proceeded to kick our asses, but we made it to the shelter or campsite every night in high sprirts.  One day we accidentally took a wrong turn and got to hike an extra 5 miles...that was fun, but we made up for it with a lot of chocolate and jokes.  We ran into some AMAZING trail magic from two wonderful trail angels.  Hercules and FAL hosted us for about 3 hours while they fed us belgian waffles, pork stew, quiche, pulled pork sandwiches, bread pudding, ice cream, and soda.  It was the best detour we have ever taken.  They both hiked the trail in 1998, so we picked their brain for about 2 hours after lunch and got some fun details about the trail, trail days, terrain in the different states, and where to find good water spots in PA.  Two nights ago we camped in a small valley with Little Bird, Yinz, Spins, Gumby and Bootlegger, since we heard there was a massive storm coming through...and sure enough, around midnight, the storm of the century hit the mountains.  to top it all off, laugh track and i had been telling ghost stories around the fire right before bed, so we were freaking out just a little bit.  the lightning was out of control and the rain on our tent sounded like bullets, and the sound of the wind was like someone screaming, but we survived the night with the aid of a few tylenol PM's.  wet and tired we headed up and down some more mountains, making it to the top of big bald, hoping for some views, but all that was up there was fog...not that we let that dampen our spirits!!  as we headed into erwin, a couple who had thru hiked last year had set up camp and were offering hikers hot dogs, baked beans, brownies, soda, beer and homemade hooch!  we met up with Bootlegger and the three of us may or may not have downd two gallons of the hooch (which is surprisingly easy to make...note to self) and spent the next three hours joking and laughing with the other hikers who came through.  Yinz met up with us and the four of us decided to hitch into Erwin for some snacks, beer, and to see the town.  We camped out behind a little league field, met some nice locals, got some nachos and watched some t-ball, which seemed to be the big thing happening around town.  This morning we got delicious breakfast, some biscuits and gravy, eggs, bacon, homefries, and coffee, and are planning on doing some laundry, and even taking a shower!!  We head out tonight to try to get into Elk Park for our next mail drop!!  We are having a blast out here, even though we look 80 years old when we hobble out of our tent in the morning, but as they say, no pain, no rain, no maine....so we deal with it with smiles and jokes, and a lot of snickers.  we can't stop talking about how amazing this adventure is, and how generous and giving so many people are, from the trail angels who give us food, to the local in the cavalier who stuffed four gross hikers and four enormous packs into his tiny car with a smile.  people are so willing to help out and talk to you, and knowing we don't have to be on a schedule or have a time limit on anything, this trip is definitely a huge learning experience, and the best idea laugh track and i have ever come up with.  we have been out here for a month, and can't wait to see what comes our way next!! 

Hot Springs!

well, laugh track and i made it to hot springs, NC.  we had an amazing time in the Great Smoky Mts. absolutely beautiful views from the tops of mountains and gorgeous walks along ridge lines while the sun filtered through the trees.  we didn't get to see any bears, unfortunately, but we did get to hang out with a bunch of awesome people, 2-beards, coyote, fish head, mouse, cool cat, woodstock, and goopa.  laugh track and i walked 18 miles to get to standing bear hostel in TN for a party they were throwing on 4/20 - all you can eat pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, salad, beans, rice, veggies, beer....it was amazing.  we camped out in the back yard, met some AWESOME people, including the former fiddle player for Old Crow Medicine Show, and just had an awesome time.  the next day we were set to head back out on the trail, but a few more of our friends rolled in, and we thought we should take some more time off to heal some nasty blisters that keep sprouting up, so we stayed on another night hanging out with last minute, goopa, knittin', mouse, milk man, box elder, tooth-pac, blue steel, and mel, making s'mores, drinking some beer, and playing with a pet squirrell.  the weather has been a bit dreary, but today it cleared up a bit, and we got to do laundry and take showers!! so all is right in the world again.  this trip couldn't get any better, the people are awesome, the views are fantastic, and we are having the BEST time just talking about stories from camp, our lives, and society and the world in general.  walking for 10 hours a day really gives you a lot of time to think and ponder certain questions and ideas.  we have talked A LOT about EVERYTHING, even though we have only been out here for about 3 weeks...i can't imagine what we will be like in 6 months!  i miss rugby like crazy, and we both miss NYC, but being in the wilderness and walking for miles each day is amazing...our toughest decision being whether to make pasta or rice for dinner...it is very agreeable.  we LOVE it out here.  miss you all!  we are thinking of you!  out to the pub tonight for some local brews and a few burgers!!!

Fontana Dam

So, laugh track and i made to fontana dam with a detour to the hostpital for a 'scrip for vicodin for a pulled quad on my part.  hiked 7 miles straight uphill right out of NOC in the FREEZING RAIN and 70 mile an hour winds....finally pulled up to sassafrass gap shelter, and cozied in with some other soaking wet hikers.  it's amazing how great a cup of hot cocoa with brown sugar can make you feel.  we spent the afternoon cracking up at the antics of Bronza, Fish Head, Rebel and Coyote... never before have i laughed so hard while wearing every article of clothing i own and trying not to move from my sleeping bag.  fortunately, laugh track got some of it on video so that should be up at some point.  3 hats curled up in our tent to keep warm, since the shelter was full by the time she got there, but thankfully, today was absolutely beautiful, soft breezes, blooming dogwoods, and a great lunch break with all our friends on the side of the road.  got pulled pork sandwiches, salad (our first green veggies in a while!!!) and our first mail drops!  Some nice surprises from friends and family back home!!! You are all amazing, thank you so much for the support and love you are sending our way!!! we love you and are having the time of our lives!!!!  We'll give you an update at our next town!!! Oh my goth! Nemo's thwimming our to thea!!!!!

NOC

made it to NOC today, as in Nantahala Outdoor Club in Bryson City, NC.  it was 12 miles of downhill today...our knees were dying, but well worth the views.  Laugh Track and I gorged on twix and chips and nacho cheese while watching guys in kayaks do tricks in the river.  Got a bunk for tonight, which means shower and laundry...hell yes! then grabbing a 6 pack and hanging out with our friends and watching the sunset.  Don't think the weather could get any better, or that we could be having any more fun. this is a blast and a half.  134 miles down.... GIT 'R DONE!!

Franklin, NC

Hey hey hey!!!! So we have made it more than 100 miles from Springer Mt, in GA to Franklin, NC.  The weather has been beautiful, sunny, warm, breezy, with only one hiccup on top of Trey Mt in GA where we got to experience a torrential downpour and insane thunderstorm while huddling in the back of the shelter.  We woke up to snow on the ground, but it melted before the day was out and the weather turned perfect once again.   Although our feet are sore and blistered, and our muscles tight, we are having the time of our lives.  We passed over Blood Mt, the highest mountian in GA, on the 4th, spending out first night inside at Neels Gap, resupplying and taking our first shower.  We then treked on to a few more shelters, doing our first 16 mile day on the way up Trey Mt, before collapsing into our sleeping bags during the T-storm.  After that, we made it into Hiawasse, where we indulged in McDonalds, a shower, some good convorsation with other hikers, and a great breakfast, courtesy of the Blueberry Patch Hostel.  After making it to the GA-NC boarder the next day, we were greeted by a mountain that seemed endless, the only respite being that we joined up with a group of hikers our own age, since mostly we had been hiking with retirees.  Gumby, Last Minute, Spins, Doc Boom, Yinz, and Little Bird made the next few days more enjoyable, since we got to see Spins do some fire spining at a camp and head into Franklin together.  We'll keep you updated!!!