Porter and Pace have been hiking Pennsylvania, affectionately known as "Rocksylvania" because of the rocky trail.
This is part of the trail they had to hike on.
Porter and Deva taking a rest.
Pace & Deva negotiate the rocky trail. Can you find the white blaze?
Now you are probably wondering who Deva is. She is a 23 year old woman that decided to take on the trail alone. After hiking with several other people, she settled in hiking with Pace and Porter. She can keep up with the "old men', as she like put it. She likes to rub it in about how old they are. I guess when you are 23 years old, 40 and 47 does sound OLD.... Of course, to people who are in elementary school, 23 sounds OLD doesn't it?
Last week when Porter was visiting me, Pace had the best trail magic and trail angels yet. His parents came to visit for the weekend.
Kip and Anita Stratton at Bass helping Pace resupply.
Pace said he had a wonderful time visiting with his folks.
Pulpit's Rock - Deva, Pace & Porter mile 1215.8 - 1600 ft elevation.
The view from Pulpit's Rock
There is a trail log book in here. Hikers should sign in as they go past.
Deva wonders which way to go. It says the AT trail goes that way, but there is a "No Trespassing" sign. It's a dilemma.
Pennsylvania has not been a very scenic part of the trail but they still have come across some interesting things. Snakes have been seen a lot including two copperheads. They also came across a wonderful turtle and a nest of baby birds.
Copperhead Snakes - checking them out from a distance.
A friendly Eastern Box Turtle.
Nest of baby Robins.
As usual Porter and Pace have found many trail angles and wonderful people along the way. Recently they stayed at the Blue Mountain Summit Restaurant and B&B. They asked the B&B owner if he had a special rate for thru-hikers. He said he did! It would cost more because hikers stink! Pace and Porter became fast friends with this man even though he kept threatening to throw them out of the B&B. He was kidding with them and they enjoyed his company until late that night.
Porter, Ken the B&B owner, Deva and Pace
Porter said they like to catch live music when they have a chance since there isn't much of that on the trail. They listened to Christy Jefferson that night and she played some Irish music for Porter.
Porter, Deva, Christy (singer) and Pace
On Sunday they passed through an area that had been devastated many years ago by zinc smelting. The smoke fumes killed off all the vegetation. Even today there is strong evidence of pollution from the smelting process. They had to be very careful where they got their water as some of the water supply is polluted.
Devastation from zinc smelting causing pollution in the area. It will take many more years to recover.
6/10/11: Eckville Shelter - it had a shower toilets and best of all...pizza delivery! mile 1223.3, elevation, 600 ft.
6/11/11: Blue Mountain Summit Restaurant and B&B - clean beds, showers, and live music.
6/12/11: Palmerton JAIL! - well, it was supposed to be a jail but it never was used as one. The town lets hikers use it as a hostel. Porter says it was was in the basement of a building and was loud and echoed. Must be fun to sleep in with a lot of people snoring...not.
6/13/11: Delaware Water Gap, PA resupply, mile 1284.4 elevation 520. This is a big resupply for the team. Deva is getting a new backpack from Hyperlite and she is testing it for the company. Pace & Porter are getting new stuff sacks for their gear. Porter had to get another backpack and ordered one from Hyperlite. He's looking forward to testing it out. He is also on another pair of shoes. (He really needs to take better care of his shoes.)
Porter is on his 4th pair of shoes. Here are some pictures of the ones he threw away at Delaware Water Gap.
Porter's shoe pulling away from the sole.
Porter's shoe...looks like an old fashion hobo shoe to me.
This morning Burt was a trail angel and picked up the gang to start their day back on the trail. Thanks Burt for taking care of our hikers!
Just a quick map update. The guys are in PA and after a long weekend of visiting family, they were off again. Pace's parents arrived in Duncannon, PA on Friday to visit for the weekend. Since Pace and Porter were off the trail, Porter made a surprise visit to me! It was wonderful to have my husband back home for the weekend.
Porter surprises Dreamer. An early surprise for her birthday that's on 6/14.
Of course, it was too short a visit but the trail calls to him. Off he went on Sunday morning to meet back up with Pace in a rented Lincoln, the only car they had available in Duncannon. On Monday they started at the same white blaze they ended with on Friday.
The break allowed several other people they have been hiking with to catch up.
Pace hikes through a farm field. They wear bug spray to keep the ticks away.
I will have some more pictures later on this week. My schedule is a bit hectic so I hope you all will be a little patient for a better update.
Porter and Pace are hiking machines. They officially joined all the other crazies out there that hike through four states in one day with a total of approximately 45 miles that needs to be completed within 24 hours.
At 3:30 a.m. on May 28, Pace and Porter got up to start their day. Buffalo, another hiker, decided to take up the challenge and hike with them. As Porter got ready for his day, Pace already dressed with hat and boots on, decided it would be best to wait in bed while he waited...Porter's bed of course. He wouldn't want boots on in his own bed!
Pace catches a few ZZZ's while he waits for Porter. 3:30AM comes mighty early.
Porter, Pace and Buffalo start their day as Burps (Liz, Porter's sister) sends them off. Porter turned SPOT on, his GPS tracker, and you will see their route on the map. Burps set up an area about halfway through the guy's day to be a trail angel. It was the Burps, Pace & Porter trail angel stop where any hiker that passed through could grab a cold Gatorade and some fresh fruit to help give them energy.
Buffalo and Pace enjoy Burp's trail angel gifts. Burps enjoyed the day reading and meeting other hikers.
Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland were becoming history as the three dauntless hikers crossed the Mason-Dixon line and into Yankee territory and into Pennsylvania.
Buffalo and Pace at the Mason Dixon line 1,055 miles under their boots, elevation 1250 ft.
Three tired by exhilarated hikers made it to their final destination where Burps was waiting to pick them up at the trail head. After 16 hours, they were done. A meal and then early to bed for them all. Pace and Porter will be taking a 0 day today (Sunday, 5/29) and will most likely be heading back (by car) to Harper's Ferry, WV to do some sight seeing. At least they won't have to walk back to PA, Burps will drive.
Porter, Buffalo and Pace - 4 States, 45 miles, and 16 hours of hiking.
Since they have begun hiking, Pace has lost about 30 pounds and Porter has lost about 20 pounds. We will need to fatten Pace up pretty soon.
Other interesting points from the past week and the amazing gifts of so many trail angels.
5/23/11 - Porter, Pace, Diva and Toto hiked 28 miles. They stayed at a public campsite where they met up with fellow AT thru-hikers Caboose, Upstate and Loop Hole. Now if anyone remembers the old TV show, the Odd Couple, that is a little like Porter and Pace. While Pace is getting his "chores" out of the way, Porter is going in the opposite direction and meeting campers. He met a group of car campers that had a campfire. Porter said hello and introduced himself as a thru-hiker and asked if he could buy a cold beverage from them. Of course, the wonderful campers insisted he sit down, enjoy some cold drinks and share a dinner of BBQ with them.
After some time, Pace and Diva wondered what happen to Porter and went on a small search. There he was, sitting next to a campfire enjoying some new friend's company and enjoying the evening. They all ended up hanging out with the campers and sharing S'mores with them. Yoging at its best. Good people, that's for sure.
5/24/11 - Hiked into a town. When they were walking down the street, a man came running out of a local funeral parlor to ask Porter and Pace if they were thru-hikers and if they needed a ride back to the trail head. They explained that they would need a ride later around 3PM. The funeral director told them that he had some other obligations but to come back and he would get them to the trail head. Around 3PM, Pace went into the funeral home. They man was busy with a client, but he asked another worker to take them any where they needed. Trail angels come in all forms, even undertakers.
5/25/11 - 35 mile day. Hiked from Skyland resort in the Shenandoah Valley, VA. At the end of the day, they came across two other thru-hikers they knew. They were in a parking lot talking to a couple of day-hikers in their car. The person who they called to get a ride into town was not available, so they were hinting around to the driver of the car about going to town. Practical Porter to the rescue. He just went up to the driver and asked if he could give them all a ride into town, he would pay. The unsuspecting man turned into a trail angel in a moments notice. All SIX hikers crammed into Craig's vehicle and they were driven to town. (Can you imagine what it must have smelled like in that car? PU!)
Porter and Pace SQUISHED in the car as they get a ride into town.
Their ride and friendly trail angel. Thanks Craig!
New friends and trail angels...Robert & Vicki. They had a great time with them both at Lewis Cabin and the next night at Skyland.
5/26/11 - A 30 mile roller coaster of a hike. They had to hike 13 ups and downs in 93 degree weather. They tented by the James river with Caboose, Upstate, Loop Hole, Toto and Divia.
5/27/11 - Arrived in Harper's Ferry, WV after a 10 mile hike. Diva caught a train to D.C. to visit family. Porter and Pace had their obligatory picture taken at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. They are hiker's 210 and 211. 1013.4 miles in 2 months. Way to go guys!
5/28/11 - Up at 3:30 a.m. to complete the 4 state challenge. Now in Pennsylvania.
Pace and Porter cross the 1,000 mile mark on the Appalachian Trail on Thursday, May 26, 2011!
Pace and Porter happy to cross the 1,000 mile marker on the AT.
I will be adding more information over the holiday weekend. Everyone have a wonderful Memorial Day (check out History.com link) and please keep our fallen heroes and heroines in your thoughts as you are having that BBQ.
Pace celebrated his 40th birthday on the trail. He brought in Jiffy Pop Popcorn and cooked it up over his stove. It was a big hit with the other thru-hikers.
Diva & Pace celebrating Pace's BIG 40!
Jiffy Pop Popcorn for Pace's birthday.
We formally celebrated Pace's birthday at Ruth's Chris Stakehouse. Dreamer (Shelley), Porter, Burps (Liz) and Pace.
On Wednesday, May 18 the guys hiked 25 miles and are feeling good. They continue to get stronger every day and their feet are holding up very well.
Porter and Pace drove to Arlington, VA, just outside of Washington D.C. for the weekend for a visit with Dreamer and Burps (Liz). They rented a car and I met Porter at a Marriott outside of Arlington. I was mighty surprised when I heard my name called as I approached the hotel and saw this.
Porter's attempt to go blond turned him "Sham Wow" orange!
A/K/A Damascus Blond
My jaw seriously dropped, my eyes bugged out, and I covered by mouth. GASP...what happened to my husband??? For the past two weeks I didn't receive any pictures of Porter but didn't think much about it because Pace said that he wasn't able to upload his pictures. The real reason was that Porter thought it would be fun to surprise me with his new hair color. Well he sure did!
Porter was telling everyone on the trail that one year I went from a brunette to a platinum blond. We were meeting in New York City for the weekend where Porter was working and I thought I would surprise him. It was like a bad sitcom. He was waiting for me to come off the train and surprise me at the station. He saw a blond with a red shirt on that looked like me, but hey, it couldn't be, her hair was blond not brown. Needless to say we kept crossing paths not seeing each other until we arrived at the hotel in separate taxis. My taxi was right behind his but I still missed him because he ran into the hotel before me thinking I must already be there. I saw him run in but couldn't catch up with him before he disappeared within. With that in mind, Porter visited a salon in Damascus, VA and went "blond."
When a brunette goes blond it doesn't always come out the way you expect. His hair was Sham Wow orange! He walked around like that for two weeks and everyone, including Porter, had a good time laughing at his hair. How the "hair dresser" could have let him walk out with orange hair is beyond me, but I guess that is what you get when you only pay $15!!! That should have been his first clue it wouldn't turn out good.
I decided he needed to get it fixed so off to the salon we went to turn him into a Billy Idol want-a-be.
Before
Don't try this at home kids!
Now he knows what women go through.
Porter's heroine... Jenny Vo of Bubbles Salon, Fairfax, VA
Billy Idol blond...at least it's not ORANGE! Porter and Dreamer.
Now Porter will let his hair grow out. He will have the funky dark roots and white tips before we know it. I just hope he doesn't dye it blue or some other strange color. As you can tell, Porter doesn't take himself too seriously. It's great to feel good in your own skin.
Tomorrow, more about Pace and I'll share more pictures he took. There are lots of great shots.
I am heading down to VA to visit with Porter and Pace on, drum roll please......Friday the 13th. Not being a superstitious kind of girl, I expect to have an uneventful trip from New York City where I have an event the night before. Porter's sister, Burps (Liz), will likely pick them up in southern Virginia and I will meet them in Washington D.C. for the weekend.
Since starting, both of the guys have lost inches. I recently had to order Pace a new backpack hip belt, size small. Porter will be trading his large for Pace's medium backpack belt. Porter already said he needs to buy new hiking pants since they are falling off of him. Both guys are hiking the shoes right off their feet. Porter is on his third pair of hiking shoes and Pace is on his second. They are burning rubber it appears.
In D.C. we will be celebrating Pace's 40th birthday that was on May 7, and will be going to a famous restaurant called Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. We will walk out with our stomach's fuller and our pockets lighter. It's usually worth it though.
The nights, although sometimes still cold, are getting warmer. Pace sent me on a mission to get his other sleeping bag from his apartment. (This guy is super organized...it was exactly where he said it would be. It was neatly in a bin, but I think I did see a dust bunny hopping around.) His current sleeping bag is too warm so he will go with a lighter version. If he gets cold during the night he will layer on clothing.
Here are some photos Porter took with his iPhone this week. (Don't forget to click on the title above for a larger version of the map. Ms.Carreau check out the bottom of the post for GPS locations.)
Dragon's Tooth...can you see it?
Spring on the trail - Rhododendrons in bloom.
Porter looking down from McAfee Knob: mile 703, elevation 3197
Fellow AT hikers - good looking crew.
Tracy - Trail angel giving they guys a ride into town and to the local HoJo, Daleville, VA.
Ms.Carreau here are the most recent GPS locations for your class to plot.
05/10/2011 06:41:04 AM (Latitude)
37.43338,
-79.9805(Longitude)
05/10/2011 06:22:10 AM
37.4346,
-79.98758
05/09/2011 04:02:27 PM
37.39291,
-80.03717
05/07/2011 08:24:00 PM
37.35504,
-80.3382
05/06/2011 08:01:20 PM
37.42188,
-80.60831
05/05/2011 10:32:11 AM
37.33108,
-80.73947
05/04/2011 08:35:42 PM
37.27065,
-80.83539
05/04/2011 04:21:56 PM
37.2238,
-80.82416
I'm looking forward to seeing our wandering hikers. Pace has a lot of pictures he wants to download to my computer so once I get them I'll put them online for everyone to look at.
They have hiked a total of 627.3 miles of the Appalachian Trail so far. Crazy Old Men!
A 20 year old hiker, Blaze, spent the evening in camp with Porter and Pace. He bet them that they could not hike a 30 mile day. Of course, that is pretty much like waving a red cape in front a bull so the bet was on. Our heroes Pace and Porter got up early the next day and started their hike. They had a head start on Blaze and hiked steadily. Somewhere along the trail Blaze passed our intrepid heroes but fear not, Porter and Pace passed Blaze and beat him into camp by a scant 15 minutes! It was a victory for our team.
I heard that Blaze grumbled a bit when Porter teased him about two old men beating him into camp after a 30-mile day. When Porter and Pace asked Blaze if he would hike another 10 miles into Damascus, VA Blaze told them, "You guys are crazy! I'm done for the day." So off went our heroes into the sunset to arrive in Damascus, VA around 11PM that same day. Yes, I agree with Blaze, they ARE a little crazy.
They stayed in a house called "The Place" that is free to thru-hikers and provided by the local Methodist church.
Mountain Man offers hikers a home cooked meal for a small donation or work around his goat farm. He picks up the hikers in his truck and brings him to the farm. Pace and Porter ate in the dining room while goats and chickens had free roam of the house. Porter said that the food was good but it was kind of strange having goats and chickens running around the dining room while they ate. A new experience for sure.
Pace, the goat whisperer.
Baby pigs at Mountain Man's farm. 5/3/11
Mountain Man's Goat Farm work to eat.
After they left the farm, they headed back to Damascus, VA and stayed at the Lazy Fox Inn where they met Tippy Toes from East Greenbush. Porter and Pace were able to choose their room and they chose this one in honor of me, Dreamer. Can you guess the room name?
The Clown Room...Dreamer doesn't like clowns. 4/27/11
A little back story:
Now when Dreamer had her 40th birthday, Porter thought it would be great fun to have Cranberry the Clown come and put on a show. Cranberry was very nice but Dreamer still finds something a bit strange about clowns.
Porter was kind enough to give me a video tour of the clown room using his iPhone and Skype video call. There must have been 40 or so clown items in that room. I don't think I could have slept there like they did.
April 27 was also the day that so many tornadoes went through Alabama and other southern states. Pace and Porter were in Damascus, VA at the the Lazy Fox Inn when a tornado hit the town next to them and there were some fatalities. They lost power at the inn but were safe. Porter used the grill in the morning to help the innkeeper, Ms Jenny, cook eggs, hash browns, and pancakes for the other guests. Way to go Porter!
Wild Pony 4/29/11
Chestnut Knob elevation 4440 ft
Kimberling Creek 5/4/11
Some of the towns they resupplied in:
Atkins, Stayed in a little motel that had more mouse droppings in the bathroom then they have seen in the shelters on the trail.
Bland - was bland but they had a Dairy Queen so they "carbed up."
On 5/4 they hiked a 34-mile day with rain, sleet and snow. They stayed at shelter on Wednesday night and hiked 10 miles on Thursday to resupply in town at Pearisburg, VA mile 627.3.
Two hikers, Diva and Timber have caught up with them. Timber is from Germany. Porter says that they have meet many German's along the trail. Last year there was a documentary that aired in Germany that followed a German hiker on the AT and it has drawn many hikers to our country to check it out.
Porter and Pace wish all the mothers a "Happy Mother's Day."
(Ms.Carreau, if I could get an email for you, I would be happy to send you the GPS coordinates as Porter checks in so your class can plot their location. Let me know.)
They are moving along briskly. I will add some pictures very soon!
(Don't forget you can click on the title of the post for a larger map.)
PORTER & PACE
Latitude:37.2238
Longitude:-80.82416
GPS location Date/Time:05/04/2011 16:21:56 EDT
Message:This is Porter and Pace. Everything is going fine. Until the next
check-in...We'll keep on hiking!
Pace sent me this email. (Don't forget to click on the title to see where they have been.)
Pace - in my own words
"April 20th, 2011 - 23 days on the trail - 348.1 miles
Porter asked Socks on why she was hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT) and she said, "Because I can." This got me thinking why I was drawn to the AT. Bottom line it that it was to put life in prospective. So often most of us get caught in the daily grind and lose sight of the simply and important things. The trail forces me to live in the present. I have not found myself living in the past or the future which is a true gift.
The thru-hiking community is very difficult to describe. For the most part, one hikes all day seeing very few or no people. When you meet a follow hiker you always ask for their trail name. Trail names are not your given name. For example, I am called Pace because I set the hiking pace and I have a pacemaker to keep my heart ticking. Anyway, often the converstation is about where they started their day and where they hope their lungs and legs will take them. It is good to check where other follow thru-hiker friends might be on the trail.
One of the best parts of introducing yourself is staying connected to the advice and wisdom of others. There are several repeat thru-hikers that have so much to offer. For example, Tim who is on his seventh thru-hike has made all of his gear out of cuban fiber and has a wealth of knowledge. Two days ago we met "501" who thru-hiked once before. He was heading for a hostel, but we where not sure if he knew what he was talking about. A couple nights ago a group of us were eating dinner at the shelter and discovered 501 was AT royality. 501 wrote the Thru-Hikers Handbook for years and recently sold the rights to David "AWOL" Miller.
Porter, 501, and Pace 4/19/11
So just like in non-trail life we pass judgments when you meet someone on the trail. Once you get to know people in the shelters you find how wrong you were. Porter and I have been working on not judging or having expectations of others on the trail. If their is room in a shelter we always stay because it is easier to set up and pack up in the morning. When it rains the shelters are heavenly, but often cramped and you always make room for more hikers. For example, one night it was snowing and sleeting and a lean-to designed for twleve people held twenty-two. When the weather is cold your tent is the best place for warmth.
Of the 23 days we have been out I have used my tent about six times. The tent will be used alot more during the buggy season. The weather changes often. One day we had a 90-degree day on top of the mountain and the next day we had 3 inches of snow.
The trail has humbled me and brought me closer to peace. PACE"
Jay & Carrie (Porter's Brother & sister-in-law) They drove down to VA to see them!
Easter Day Pace & Porter - They had spaghetti out of bag...yum.
Trisha - Bob Trail Angels
Roan High Knob Shelter - this shelter is the highest on the AT
Easter Breakfast at the B&B
Barn that is a AT shelter. They slept with 20 others and 3 dogs.
Outside Privy
Porter wishes everyone the best and says they are having fun. They plan on being in Damascus, VA on Thursday. They have 50 miles to get there.
