WE MADE IT!

Day 123 This has been an adventure of a lifetime. We are anxious to get home and excited for our next adventure. We slackpacked 18 miles with Buckeye. The smell of balsam fir trees throughout the forest reminded of us Christmas. We ended the day with another amazing meal by Honey. 

Day 124 our first day in the White mountains. We slackpacked 17 miles up Mount Moosilauke with Buckeye. There were 40 mile an hour winds and hail at the top of the mountain. We picked up Justice, Buckeye’s dog, at a road crossing and he hiked the last 3 miles with us. 

Day 125 Honey dropped us off to hike 16 miles in the White mountains. At the top of Mount Kinsman we saw a glider plane flying above our heads. We were exhausted by the end of the day and turned in early for bed. 

Day 126 Honey dropped us off for the last time and we hiked 11 miles to a shelter. The climbs were tough but the views were worth it. 

Day 127 we hiked 3 miles to a hut to get the left over breakfast. We waited 45 minutes and got cold pancakes with no syrup, bacon, oatmeal and eggs. The White mountains have not been blazed well. We hiked 1.2 miles on the wrong trail and ended up hiking 16 miles total. We stopped for lunch at a hut and ate black bean soup and cake for lunch. Blueberry worked for stay at a campsite while Dylan paid the $5.

Day 128 we stayed at lake of the clouds hut after hiking 14 miles.

Day 129 we climbed Mount Washington.  We got left over blueberry pancakes at Madison hut. Our knees were hurting from the steep climbs but we hiked 15 miles. We picked up our weekly package and Pickle’s mom sent us some little candies. The Libby house B and B picked us up at Pinkham notch and we went in for a hot shower and resupply. 

Day 130 we slackpacked 21 miles over Wildcat mountain with Maps, Buckeye and Jetson. 

Day 131 we ate the hungry man special at the local diner before the owner of the Libby House took us back to the trail head in an 86’ Cadillac. We hiked 12 miles with Jetson, Buckeye and Maps to a tent platform overlooking Genetia pond. Life feels like these mountains we are climbing up and down. Through the ups and downs we have found new perspective in life. 

Day 132 we hiked 15 miles over Mahousac arm and notch. It took us 1.5 hours to hike one mile over the notch. It was incredibly technical and difficult. It took us 12 hours to get to camp.  

Day 133 we all hiked 15 miles, it thunder-stormed on top of a mountain, and we saw our first moose! It was a majestic thing to see standing 8 feet tall. We stayed at human nature hostel with 27 other hikers and owner Yukon who has been on the tv show naked and afraid. 

Day 134 we had coffee and all you can eat blueberry pancakes before hiking 10 miles to a campsite. 

Day 135 we hiked 17 miles to a lean-to with Buckeye, Jetson, Maps, Diablo and Wandering Dad. A hiker was taking a bath in the water source so we had to walk to another source to get our drinking water for the night. 

Day 136 we saw a moose, hiked 9 miles with Buckeye to Rangeley, ME and got a shuttle to town. We picked up our weekly resupply box and Stephanie, Pickle’s cousin, mailed us a special care package with the most delicious food! We stayed at a hotel on the lake and went downtown to Sarge’s for lobster rolls. 

Day 137 we ate breakfast at Moose’s bagel before hitting the trail. We hiked 15 miles today. 

Day 138 we became “2,000 milers” today. Wow! What an indescribable feeling. We feel grateful for the journey and the time we have spent together but are ready to see our families. 

Day 139 we hiked 16 miles and ate so many wild, Maine blueberries. We set up camp on a beach. 

Day 140 the terrain was breathtaking. It was our first easy day in a while. We have 9 days and 155 miles to go. We hiked 15 miles to a shelter in the rain. 

Day 141 in the pouring rain we took a canoe ferry across the Kennebec river. We resupplied and got milkshakes and BBQ sandwiches at Caratunk B & B. We hiked 18.7 miles to a campsite.

Day 142 we hiked 15 miles to a river with Oven, Blaze, Patches and Buckeye. 

Day 143 we hiked 7 miles to Shaw’s and got picked up at 8 am. We “neroed” and ate a lot of good food before heading into the 100 mile wilderness. 

Day 144 Poet and Hippie chick fixed us a huge breakfast before they took us back to the trail. It took us 8 hours to hike 15 miles to a lean-to that was full. It rained the entire 8 hours. We set up our tent in the rain. All of our gear including our sleeping bags and down jackets got wet. We climbed into our soaking wet sleeping bags after a long, tough day. 

Day 145 we woke up and put on soaking wet clothes, socks and shoes. We hiked 15 miles to a tent pad by the river. We barely got our tent set up before it started pouring rain. 

Day 146 we stopped on the top of a mountain to dry all of our wet gear on the rock slabs. We hiked 18 miles to a stealth spot on the pond. 

Day 147 today was a great day. We saw a moose, got trail magic (beer, Gatorade and little Debbie’s) and a drop box from Shaw’s. We saw Katahdin for the first time. We hiked 22 miles to a stealth spot. Our snake count is up to 53. 

Day 148 it was a long day. We haven’t taken a zero in almost a month. We hiked 21 miles to a lake and saw one moose. We saw a sea boat take off from a pond. 

Day 149 we hiked 18 miles to the Birches lean-to. We set up our tent for the last time. On the way we stopped at the camp store for icecream and sandwiches.

Day 150 summit day. We hiked 5.2 miles up the hunt trail to the sign. The sign we have been dreaming of for 5 months. At times it felt like we weren’t going to be able to finish. We all were overwhelmed with emotion. We made it. Despite Lyme disease, anemia, and a brown recluse bite WE MADE IT!! We are 2018 NOBO thru hikers. We cried and took pictures for half an hour then hiked 4.4 miles down the Abol trail to be greeted by 2 familiar faces, 

Pickle’s parents. We were so happy to see them and know that they were taking us home.

When everything felt like an uphill struggle we just imagined the view at the top. With enough sunscreen, positive thinking and determination you can do anything. 

Happy endings come after a story with lots of ups and downs. 

Despite Lyme disease, anemia and a brown recluse bite we made it!! 

Thank you to all of our family, friends and sponsors that have supported us along the way. We could not have done it without you. A special thank you to Pickle’s mom, Patty Burke for mailing us our weekly resupply box and extra goodies. Thank you to Stephanie and Oz Osborne, Briley Booth Manderson and Jeremy and Monica McCracken for mailing us care packages. Thank you Walker at R&R cigars, Shirley McCracken, Greg McCracken, Debbie Sexton, and Bernadette Tucker for your generous gifts. We really appreciate all of the love and encouragement we received. Thank you Jeanny Gilpin for taking such great care of us on the trail. Thank you to all of our family that came and visited and loved on us along the way. Thank you Jennifer Strother for making us essential oil bug spray and coming to visit us. 

We are sorry if we left anyone out.

Thank you to all of our sponsors:

Go raw, Dr. Kelly Ann, Mountain khakis, The paracord store, Sawyer squeeze, Mad hippie, Sweet earth natural foods, Primal kitchen, Sun potion, Four sigmatic, fifty50, Chico bag, Xero shoes, Ice mule, Betty Lous inc, Kuru, Swiftwick, Dick Stevens brand, Made in nature, Stronger bar, Buddha teas, Dang foods, Rickaroons, Perfect bar, Kind bar, Numanna, Probar, Oofos, Greens plus, Black Diamond, Omeals, Alpine start, Kar’s, Choice organic tea, Wild garden, Honest Tea, Traditional Medicinals, Purely Elizabeth, Organic Excellence, Rhythm super foods, Earthbound farm, Tree to tub, Enjoy life foods, Rawrev, Nelly’s organics, Food for life, Lotus foods, Sealskinz, Modern table meals, Tasty bite, Beanitos, Nutriom ova easy, Tough outfitters, Wild Zora, Nature Nate’s, Love grown, Sweet leaf, Suddora, Wise company, Know brainer, Legacy food storage, Seven Sunday’s, Emergency essentials, Power crunch, Kodiak cakes, Earthly choice, Crazy Richard’s, Clever foodies, Suja juice, Tofurky, WOLO snacks, Biotrust, Nugo nutrition, Mountain rose herbs, RW garcia, Uncle Matt’s, Hope foods, Mary Jane’s Farm, Zendesk, Biena foods, Sun Warrior, Bob’s red mill, Scramble, Bridgford foods, Yogi surprise box, Epic bar, Sockwa, Treeline coffee, One degree organics, Miracle noodle, Nature box, Tender Corp, Departika, Get unreal candy

Chapter 10

Day 105 we made breakfast at Maria’s of eggs, bagels, bananas, mango orange juice and coffee. We hiked 13 miles with Buckeye, Spider, Willow, Don’t care, and Scars. We went swimming in a pond with Scars. Chongo messaged us and said he ran out of money and wasn’t going to get back on trail but was sad because he felt like he knew us better than the people he went to high school with because we were spending 24 hours everyday together. 

Day 106 we hiked 20 miles with Buckeye, Jet and Diablo. We got trail magic of slim Jim’s, cosmic brownies, pringles, Reese’s, gatorade and sprite. 

Day 107 we hiked 16 miles to Upper Goose Pond Cabin with Buckeye. We inflated our blow up mattress and floated in the pond, then dried out in the hot sun. 

Day 108 the caretaker made us blueberry  pancakes and coffee for breakfast then we hit the trail to hike 17 miles with Buckeye. 

Day 109 on the 3 mile hike to Dalton, Massachusetts we saw a bobcat and got trail magic of donuts, bananas and a ride to Pittsfield. We got a hot shower at a hotel, ate at a great local diner, and resupplied with Buckeye and Jet. 

Day 110 we ate a hearty breakfast before hiking 20 miles to Mount Greylock. We tented on the descent down the mountain. 

Day 111 we saw two porcupine, hit 1,600 miles, crossed the Massachusetts-Vermont border, met up with Buckeye and hiked 10 miles to a shelter. We called it a day because it started to rain and we were all tired. 

Day 112 the three of us hiked 11 miles to Bennington, VT. At the bottom of the mountain was trail magic of banana, walnut, and chocolate chip muffins, coffee and pb and J sandwiches. We ran into Scars when he tripped on a root coming down the mountain and hit his knee on the ground. We called the owner of the hotel we were staying at to get a ride to town. We got a hotel room for the night, got a hot shower, resupplied and ate a hot meal. That night a trail angel brought pizza for all of the hikers. 

Day 113 We went by the post office to pick up Pickle’s new trekking poles and Altra shoes. We ate breakfast with Scars at Friendly’s before heading back on the trail. The four of us hiked 19 miles to a shelter. 

Day 114 We hiked with Buckeye 23 miles. Buckeye’s wife is coming to Vermont in a few days, and he asked us if we would like to stay at the house they rented and to slackpack us until the White mountains. We were so excited and told Buckeye we were in! The snakes are back! We saw three garter snakes today. 

Day 115 the three of us hiked 19 miles to a shelter before the rain started pouring. We ran out of food so Pickle got a hitch to town and bought enough food at a country store to last us until the next town. 

Day 116 we decided to zero at the shelter because it stormed all day and we didn’t want to hike in the rain. We rested and ate pop tarts and peanut butter sandwiches. Scars and Webster caught up with us and we stayed in the shelter while it rained cats and dogs. 

Day 117 we hiked 20 miles with Buckeye and Scars. We stopped at a deli for a sandwich and a short resupply. We tented next to a rushing river and slept like a baby. 

Day 118 we started hiking at 4 am to beat the heat and to make it to Killington, VT before the post office closed at noon. We hiked 15 miles by 11 and had trail magic of little candies in our weekly resupply box from Mama B, Pickle’s mom. We stayed at The Inn at the Long Trail with Buckeye, Honey, Scars, Webster, Torino and Spider. We stayed up way past hiker midnight, 8 pm, listening to the live Irish band at the pub. 

Day 119 We gave Buckeye’s wife the trail name of Honey because every time he would call her on the phone he would call her honey. So when she was coming to pick us up we asked what her real name was but decided we should keep calling her Honey. Honey picked us up after a 20 mile hike with cold beer and “pop,” as they call it in the north. 

Day 120 Honey made us a feast for breakfast then slackpacked us 22 miles. We got trail magic three times today! We went back to the house/base camp we are staying at for the week in Lyme, NH on the Connecticut river. We made hamburgers, hot dogs and watermelon for dinner. 

Day 121 (07.03.18) it was 95 degrees and humid outside. We got trail magic of cold ginger ales today. Honey slackpacked us 19 miles to mile 1766.3 and picked us up with beer and pop. We got a surprise care package from Blueberries family. We made grilled chicken and pasta salad for dinner. 

Day 122 we took a zero to celebrate Independence Day. Blueberry went to the doctor to get a rash looked out and found out she was anemic and had Lyme disease. She had been feeling exhausted every day for over a week and was glad to know that she would be feeling better after a round of antibiotics. We watched fireworks from the back of the truck at a local beach. 

 

Happy trails!

Blueberry and Pickle

Chapter 9

1,501 miles down, 689 miles to go!

 

Thank you to everyone for the unwavering support and positive words of encouragement as we hike the last stretch of the Appalachian Trail.

 

Day 80 we ate a good breakfast, did yoga and took one more hot shower before heading out in the rain to hike 12 miles to a shelter. 

Day 81 we hiked 19 miles to a shelter. We saw one snake today. 

Day 82 (05.24.18) we hiked 19 miles to a shelter. A super nice couple hiked sandwiches, fruit, drinks and all kinds of other goodies up to the shelter for a trail magic dinner. It was great! 

Day 83 we hiked 18 miles, ate divine French toast at Caffe 101 and stayed at a shelter with several other hikers outside of Boiling Springs, PA. 

Day 84 we hiked 19 miles in “Rocksylvania.”

Day 85 we hiked 19 miles, got trail magic of Powerade and oatmeal Creme pies and saw a rattlesnake. 

Day 86 we hiked 21 miles stayed at the 501 shelter. The inn keeper drove us to get pizza because the local pizza shop was closed for Memorial Day. It was best pizza on the trail so far! 

Day 87 we woke up to birds chirping, hit 1200 miles, hiked 24 miles, stayed at the pavilion in Port Clinton, PA and got trail magic of Gatorade and Oreos. 

Day 88 we woke up at the pavilion and a local stopped by to give us a ride to the town of Hamburg. We booked a hotel with plans of double “zeroing.” We ate good food, took 3 showers and went to the biggest Cabela’s in the world.

Day 89 Knee deep and Burnin’ daylight caught back up so we all went to dinner then headed to the hotel for a good nights rest. 

Day 90 we ate one last good breakfast before heading back on the trail. We hiked 15 miles and camped next to a peaceful creek. 

Day 91 we hiked 14 miles in the Pennsylvania rocks. 

Day 92 we hiked 19 miles in more rocks. 

Day 93 we hiked 22 miles in nothing but rocks. 

Day 94 we hiked 20 miles to Delaware water gap. We met back up with Webster and Wilson. We went for dinner and spontaneously decided to catch a bus at 5 am to NYC. We can’t believe we walked to NYC! 

Day 95 we went to NYC. We visited ground zero, ate noodles and dumplings in China town, drank bubble tea and got a backstage pass to Shakespeare in Central Park. We caught the last bus back to Delaware water gap and stayed there for the night. 

Day 96 we went to breakfast with 20 other hikers. We got a late start and hiked 13 miles. 

Day 97 the weather was beautiful. We hiked 18 miles, saw a black bear and stealth camped. 

Day 98 we hiked 20 miles to Unionville, NY. We tented in their local park, resupplied, and met Buckeye for pizza and a beer.

Day 99 we hiked 18 miles, climbed the stairway to heaven, and got awesome trail magic of beer, hamburgers and cookies.

Day 100 we hiked 20 miles with Buckeye, climbed Bear Mountain, walked through a zoo

and got trail magic of fruits and veggies. 

Day 101 we hiked 22 miles with Buckeye to a beach at a state park. 

Day 102 we hiked 22 miles to a shelter with Chongo and Bloodbeard. We made a fire, this time for enjoyment rather than survival. 

Day 103 we hiked 21 miles with Chongo. We stopped for lunch at a river and caught crawfish to boil. We walked to Kent, Connecticut for resupply and Asian food. 

Day 104 (06.15.18 1,500 miles) we hiked 13 miles with Chongo and Buckeye. Unfortunately Chongo’s spirits were low so he got off trail to regroup and rest. We resupplied, washed laundry and went to Maria McCabe’s house for the night. She was so lovely with many wonderful stories to tell. 

 

Xoxo,

Blueberry and Pickle

Chapter 8

Hi everyone! We are still on the trail.

Pounds lost:

Blueberry: 8

Pickle 13

Bear count: 1

Snake count: 12

Toenails lost:

Blueberry: 2

Pickle: 0

Miles hiked: 1068.3

Miles to go: 1121.7

States hiked through: 6

Day 69 we “zeroed,” bought a ton of food, floated in pounds of Epsom salt, and rested in the hotel the entire day.

Day 70 we slept in late, hiked 10 miles into the Shenandoah National Park and stealth camped on a lookout. That night a deer joined us for dinner.

Day 71 we hiked 23 miles, went to a camp store, bought $1 beers and stayed at a shelter with a few other hikers.

Day 72 we hiked 20 miles, hit 900 miles, got ice cream and a coke at a camp store, got trail magic of snickers and camped with some hikers.

Day 73 we set a PR and hiked 26.8 miles, ate breakfast and milkshakes at Big Meadows wayside, then ordered another breakfast to go.

Day 74 we set another PR and hiked a marathon plus some, totaling 28 miles. We stopped at two waysides, got trail magic from a Korean of tangerines.

Day 75 we enjoyed the Shenandoah’s nice accommodations of potable water, flushable toilets and toilet paper. We hiked 23 miles with knee deep and motorcycle mama.

Day 76 we hiked 4 miles to Mountain Cabin Inn and got a ride to town for a resupply and dinner. While we were in town, a storm came about so we sat in a Mexican restaurant in the dark because the power went out and drank margaritas with 5 other hikers until the storm passed.

Day 77 we ate a good breakfast of French toast, homemade jam and eggs before leaving town. It was smoldering hot so we only hiked 15 miles to a shelter.

Day 78 the skies poured down rain, we hiked 18 miles to Bears Den hostel where they served us AYCE (all you can eat) pizza, ice-cream and pancakes. Along the way we saw a copper head, a timber rattler, a bunny and a turtle on the trail. We hiked with burning daylight, motorcycle mama and knee deep. We all celebrated as we hit 1,000 miles. Blueberry lost another toenail today.

Day 79 the trail was muddy and wet. We hiked out of VA into Harpers Ferry, WV. The ATC took our picture for the yearbook.  We got trail magic of donuts and apples, ate at Anvils, then night hiked to Maryland. We continued to hike after dark because the Potomac river was supposed to flood and they locked the gates to get out of Harpers Ferry. We set up camp around 11 pm.

Day 80 it rained all day. We hiked 18 miles to a shelter.

Day 81 it rained all day. With soaking wet gear, we hiked 13 miles to a shelter.

Day 82 it rained, we crossed the Mason-Dixon line, hiked 8 miles to Waynesboro, PA and hitchhiked to town. We resupplied, got a piping hot shower and ate delicious food.

Day 83 we “zeroed” at the Cobblestone Inn, soaked our feet in the hot tub, ate a ton of food and took 4 more hot showers and hung out with knee deep, motorcycle man, burning daylight and buckeye. After 5 days of solid rain it was nice to get our gear dry and ready for the week ahead.

We are having such a great time meeting new people and exploring so many attractions!

Happy trails,

Blueberry and Pickle

Chapter 7

We are over 1/3 of the way finished!!

A lot of people have questions about our journey so here are the answers to some of the most common questions:

Are you living off the land? No

What are you eating? We are eating anywhere from 3,000-5,000 calories a day. For breakfast we will eat things like oatmeal or granola with breakfast essentials and peanut butter. We eat 3 protein bars a day in between meals. For lunch, we will put peanut butter (for extra calories) on a tortilla wrap with tuna. For dinner we will eat rice sides, chicken or other freeze dried meals with wild onions, fiddle ferns, and dandelion leaves. For dessert we have honey buns or little Debbie’s covered in Nutella.

How do you go to the bathroom? There are privies at shelters every 5-10 miles.

How do you cook? We have a small stove that we boil water in, then transfer to a bag that is covered by a cozy where the food will continue to cook.

 

Day 59 we set our longest PR with 24 miles. The weather was sunny and beautiful. We saw a snake and hiked to a shelter and were surprised to catch AM fog! We all made dinner together and caught up on the week before.

Day 60 the three musketeers hiked 20 miles to Catawba. We saw 2 snakes today and hit mile 700. A forest fire was started on Mcafee knob about 2 miles away from us. We called the DOF and they said it was fine to stay on the mountain so we camped there for the night.

Day 61 we got an early start and hiked to VA 311 parking lot where cousin Jeanny and her husband Eddie picked us up. Jeanny took us to her house to shower and made us a delicious homemade breakfast, then she took us to town to resupply. It was such a treat to spend the day with them. We had the best time!

Day 62 the AT was still closed due to the fire. All of the hikers had to wait until they opened the trail two days later or skip the Mcafee knob section and go back and hike it at the end. We decided to skip the 20 mile section and come back in August once we finish the trail to hike it. We hiked 19 miles, saw 2 snakes and camped with Eskimo. When we got there Eskimo had beer chilling in the creek and offered them to us. We drank a beer and watched deer eat nearby.

Day 63 we hiked 20 miles with Eskimo, stopped at a swimming hole and ate burgers at a campground. We caught back up with the Crawford’s, a family of 8, and stayed in a shelter with them.

Day 64 we saw one snake, took a swim in a creek and hiked 19 miles with Eskimo. We got trail magic from trail angel, Heather. A local from Glasgow brought us our package on the trail so we didn’t have to go into town. Pickle’s mom and grandmother put a card in the box for his birthday. We camped on top of a mountain so we could watch the sunrise for Pickle’s Birthday.

Day 65 (05.04.18) Happy Birthday, Pickle! We woke up and watched the sun rise at 6. We saw another snake! So far we have seen 7 snakes. We hiked 23 miles with Eskimo, hit the 800 mile mark, and ate Nutella covered apple fritters to celebrate Pickle.

Day 66 we woke up to the pitter patter of rain on the tent. We packed up and hiked 22 miles with Eskimo, got trail magic of beer, hot dogs and donuts. We camped with about 30 other day hikers and a local dog at a shelter.

Day 67 was a beautiful day so we hiked 22 miles and camped by a creek 5 miles outside of Waynesboro, VA. We got trail magic of chocolate muffins and tangerines. We saw an an owl and a rabbit.

Day 68 we hiked 5 miles to the nearest road and called “Southerner,” a retired criminal investigation agent that shuttles hikers to town. We picked up our package at the post office and sent home our winter gear. Then we checked in to the hotel, got a shower, washed our clothes and went to the grocery store. We finished the day with great food at Ming Garden, one of the most talked about restaurants on the AT.

 

Thank you for your continued support as we hike the AT!

Happy trails,

Pickle and Blueberry

Chapter 6

We’re still alive!

This year less than 2,500 people will attempt to thru hike the AT. We have already seen a lot of our friends drop off the trail.

 

 

Day 39 it rained, we hiked 18 miles and hit 400 miles.

Day 40 Blueberry got bit by a spider. We hiked 16 miles.

Day 41 we hiked 6 miles to Damascus. We got picked up by family with Dunkin’ Donuts and sprite. Blueberry went to the doctor about the brown recluse bite. Later that night we ate dinner at the Bone Fire grille.

Day 42 Pickle got a haircut from his sweet mom. Pickle got new shoes and we replaced the shock cord in our tent.

Day 43 we rode bicycles on the Creeper trail for 18 miles with Pickle’s brother and his girlfriend.

Day 44 the weather got bad again. It rained and snowed so we went to the Bone Fire grille again and antique shopping with Pickle’s dad, uncle and aunt.

Day 45 we decided to spend one more day with family in Damascus. We watched the snow fall from inside as we ate ice-cream and drank hot cocoa.

Day 46 we gave our family one last squeeze before heading back on the trail. We ran into AM fog at the beginning of the day and hiked 22 miles to White Top mountain with him.

Day 47 team Burke hiked 18 miles with AM fog, hit 500 miles, climbed Mount Rogers, went through Fatman’s squeeze, AND got to touch wild ponies in Grayson Highlands. They came up to us and licked the salt off our arms.

Day 48 we hiked 23 miles with our friend, AM fog. We walked with cows most of the day. There was amazing trail magic inside of an old one room schoolhouse. They gave us Little Debbie’s, sodas, Bandanas and more. We got to Partnership shelter with about 15 other people and all ordered pizza.

Day 49 we hiked 12 miles to Atkins, VA. We got picked up at the trailhead by Blueberries’ mom, brother, aunt, uncle and cousins. We were excited they drove from Alabama to see us!

Day 50 the eight of us loaded up in the car and drove to Burke’s Garden. On the way we stopped for local donuts and smoothies. In Burke’s garden, our family got to hike a bit of the AT with us. We also got to visit an Amish community and see llamas. On the way out we stopped at Cuz’s for delicious steaks and potatoes.

Day 51 we said goodbye to our family as we walked back into the woods. We hiked 15 miles to a shelter and met Spider and Sturdy Gurdy.

Day 52 we hiked 20 miles to a shelter in the pouring rain. We warmed up with hot cocoa and went to bed exhausted.

Day 53 more rain. We made it 23 miles in more pouring rain. We did get lucky and stop for burgers and a blueberry milkshake at an outpost.

Day 54 we hiked 22 miles to Woodshole hostel, in the rain. We have been hiking in the rain the past few days so we treated ourself to a stay at an organic farm. All was well after we got a hot shower and had stir frye family style with the owners and other hikers.

Day 55 Blueberry lost a toenail. Neville at Woodshole made the most amazing homemade French toast with homemade bread for breakfast. We hiked with Slippery doc, a doctor from Illinois. He took a look at Blueberries’ finger and said it is healing well. We hiked 20 miles and all stayed in a shelter.

Day 56 we hiked 20 miles. We went to Trent’s grocery to resupply so it took us until 8 pm to make it to camp.

Day 57 there are so many rocks in Virginia. We hiked 20 miles and stayed on the top of Windy rock.

Day 58 (04.28.18) the weather was beautiful. We caught up with AM fog and saw a deer and a snake. A local ATC member took our picture and interviewed us for an article. We are looking forward to Blueberries’ cousin picking us up in Catawba on Monday!

If you would like to mail us a care package you can send it to:

Dylan and Kathryn Burke
General delivery
200 S Wayne Ave
Waynesboro, VA 22980
Please hold for AT thru hikers
ETA 05/06

 

Thank you for all of the support!

Happy trails,

Blueberry and Pickle

 

Chapter 5

We got trail names!

Day 28 we ate spam for the first time. Kathryn packed out a pound of carrots. It was definitely worth it to eat fresh veggies with dinner. We hiked a 15 mile day to Allen gap.

Day 29 we hit 300 miles! We saw a rabbit on the trail. Kathryn had carrots left over from the day before and tossed some to the rabbit. It was so ironic that we saw a bunny on Easter and gave it trail magic! We walked 17 miles today.

Day 30 we walked 18 miles on and off with SS. We all ended up in the same place to camp so we made a fire and cooked dinner together.

Day 31 we ate honeybuns, corn dogs and beer for lunch at a concession stand right off the trail. We hiked 18 miles and camped with SS.

Day 32 we hiked 3 miles to Uncle Johnny’s in Erwin, TN. We hitchhiked to town to resupply and eat at an all you can eat pizza restaurant. We went back to Uncle Johnny’s and met Fox Trot, a 2016 thru hiker that was training for the PCT. She told us about an excellent hostel to stay at in the next few weeks that have awesome smoothies. We told her how we used to live next to a blueberry farm and Kathryn made blueberry smoothies every morning, and we always had blueberry popsicles or pie at home. And that’s how Kathryn got her trail name, Blueberry! We hiked another 9 miles and set up camp on Indian grave gap.

Day 33 we hiked to Clyde smith shelter. There we met Hillbilly, Clover, Star fire and Espresso. Hillbilly was section hiking and leaving the next day so we had a bonfire and ate the rest of his food.

Day 34 we got an early start and made it to Carvers gap by lunch. Budget, a 2016 SOBO thru hiker, had chili dogs and chips waiting. We devoured the trail magic and hiked 18 miles over Round bald to a converted barn. We met spice, a spunky yoga instructor.

Day 35 it was 29 degrees. We hiked with Spice and Sparky most of the day. Spice gave Dylan the trail name, Pickle. She said that his name is Dylan like a dill pickle and his pack cover looks like the color of a dill pickle. We all trekked 9 miles to Mountain Harbour hostel. We got there just in time before the weather got bad and started snowing. We got the last room they had and split it with Sparky. We will definitely be going back to this bed and breakfast once we finish the trail. They have fresh baked pastries waiting for you in the kitchen.

Day 36 we had the best breakfast we have had on the trail at Mountain Harbour hostel. Us and fifteen other hikers gathered around the table, family style, as we ate casseroles, tomato pies and pastries. We hit 400 miles and finished the day with 17.7 miles.

Day 37 (04.09.18) we woke up to a hole in our tent from a mice trying to get sun flower seeds. He made a hole, but didn’t get the seeds. We patched our tent, laughed about it, and hiked 14.5 miles up and down mountains and around water falls with Nubs, Fun facts and Culligan to Boots Off hostel in Hampton, TN. We got a shuttle to town and ordered McDonald’s meals and McFlurrys. We ate that meal then went to subway and we both ate a foot long and cookies. The last time we checked Pickle had lost 10 pounds and Blueberry lost 8 pounds. We are eating constantly and trying to take in as many calories as possible.

Day 38 we ate breakfast at Boots off hostel before heading out. We met the family of 8 that is thru hiking. Their kids range from 2 to 16 years old. We ate lunch on a cliff overlooking Watauga lake. We hiked 18 miles, stretched and set up camp just before sunset.

We have about 25 more miles until we get to Damascus, VA where family will pick us up for the weekend. We are very much looking forward to seeing them. If anyone would like to send us a care package, message us on Facebook for the address to our next stop!

 

Happy trails!

Xoxo,

Blueberry and Pickle

Chapter 4

We made it through the Smokies!

Day 19 the weather got bad so the Bed and Breakfast we stayed at before asked if we would stay with them another night to avoid the winter storm. We are in no rush, so we stayed with them and played with their four dogs another day. We went to the local honey farm and drank Meade on tap. Today we saw a bald eagle, tortoise and goats.

Day 20 we started a new day with full bellies and rested legs. We hiked 17.7 miles in the snow and rain. We were grateful for the extra day to stay off the slippery slopes. The elevation gain/loss of hiking the entire AT is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest 16 times! I’d say it’s safe to say we have climbed it once.

Day 21 we felt like Leonardo Di Caprio freezing in The Revenant. Hiking in slushy snow is like hiking in sand with 20 and 30 pound packs on our backs. The rain from the day before made the trails extremely slippery, and as a result, we ate it several times. We hiked 13.6 miles to Double Spring shelter.

Day 22 the snow started to melt and the trail was puddled with slush and mud. We walked up Clingman’s dome, the highest point on the trail, 6,658 feet in elevation. We passed through Newfound gap by Gatlinburg. The Smoky Mountain angel was waiting for thru hikers with cold drinks and fatty snacks. She interviewed us and posted to her YouTube channel, Smoky Mountain Angel. We hiked 13.5 miles to the Ice water shelter.

Day 23 we woke up to frozen socks and shoes. We couldn’t get our feet in them so we boiled hot water to steam them out, then pushed our feet in. We climbed Charlie’s bunion, a boulder that juts out the side of the mountain. We did hear that one guy in our class got hypothermia, but is doing much better now. We hiked 20.3 miles (our first 20 mile day).

Day 24 we made it out of the Smokies! They lived up to their name! There was a dense fog most of the week. We walked through Davenport gap and were greeted once more by the Smoky Mountain Angel. She saw us coming through the woods and cheered “Tuscaloosa!!” as we made it down the trail to her. We hiked 18 miles and tented on the side of the trail because the sun was setting.

Day 25 we were excited for the change in the weather and for warmer days to come! We sang the entire 99 bottles of beer on the wall song. The temperature was in the 60s and we hiked 15 miles with hops and spam to Kale gap.

Day 26 we woke up to owls cuttin’ up. We got an early start and hiked 13 miles to Hot Springs, NC by lunch. We feel like 80% of our thoughts on the trail are about food cravings. We stopped in for a second lunch at the local diner for a hand tossed pizza. We got two special packages from our moms. We opened them and devoured the cotton candy immediately. We also got some delicious deer jerky from Kathryn’s cousin, Briley. We resupplied and stealth camped by the fast flowing river outside of town.

Day 27 all the hikers in the town gathered at the Spring creek tavern for burgers and beer. We took a zero day and enjoyed the downtown Hot Springs. It was great to face-time our parents since we haven’t had service in 8 days. We spent the night with Carter the dog at Elmer’s Sunnybank Inn and supposedly it’s haunted.

We have had some people ask where they can send care packages so we will try to get an address on our next post to one of our next few stops.

Thanks so much for all of the love and support. We appreciate everyone that is reading our blog and following along.

Happy Trails!

Team Burke

Chapter 3

Hello everyone! Yes, we’re still alive and haven’t been eaten by a bear.

Day 14 we hiked 15 miles to mile 120.2, Wayah Bald Shelter, Kathryn’s new shoes helped tremendously and she was able to bebop along the trail. Our legs feel stronger every day. We got some wonderful trail magic of hot dogs, honey buns and hot cocoa.

Day 15 we hiked 15 miles to A Rufus Morgan shelter. The moleskin worked wonders for blisters and our legs felt great. The weather was really nice and sunny as we walked through the NOC, Nantahala Outdoor Center.

Day 16 we hiked to Brown Fork gap shelter, mile 152.7. The weather was cool and wonderful for hiking. There was a woman and two kids in the shelter so we set up tent. One of the kids woke up from being cold and uncomfortable. He also woke up the rest of the surrounding camp site as he threw a tantrum at midnight.

Day 17 our legs were tired. We hiked to mile 165.5, Fontana dam shelter “Fontana Hilton” in the pouring rain. We spoiled ourselves and stayed the night in a very nice bed and breakfast called Creekside paradise in Robbinsville, NC with host Cynthia and Jeff.

Day 18 we woke up to a winter wonderland and the most snow we have ever seen. We took our first true zero day at Creekside paradise. We drank hot cocoa and enjoyed the snow from the warmth of the log cabin. We went outside long enough for a dip in the hot tub. We resupplied and packed up for our eight day hike through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

Chapter 2

Day 6 we hiked 15 miles with Isaiah. This week we have endured blisters and poison ivy. We hiked to Blue mountain shelter at mile 49.9 and crashed for the night.

Day 7 we hiked 3 miles to Unicoi gap and caught a ride into town with two other hikers. We rode in the back of a van listening to Hispanic music on the way to town. We got to the hotel at 10 am and took the best. shower. ever. We went to the grocery store and resupplied for the week. We came back to a fire in the hotel. We decided to make the most of the day and went to the local brewery with some other thru hikers.

Day 8 We took a “Nero,” nearly zero, day. We hitchhiked from Hiawassee with a nice man and his shitzu, Chaco, and hiked to mile 53.7. The rain started pouring so we set up camp for the night.

Day 9 was a cold and rainy night. We woke up to a fallen tree branch 100 feet from our camp. We hiked in the snow and winter winds. Lion heart, a trail angel, greeted us with hot cocoa. It was a huge morale booster. We hiked to Sassafras gap, mile 62.7 with a couple from Scotland.

Day 10 we hiked to mile 73.5 and stayed the night at Plumorchard gap shelter. We hung out with Jacob, happiness, and Noel and learned all about being an arborist. We stayed on the third floor of the shelter and were clear of mice.

Day 11 we made it to North Carolina! The weather was really nice, it warmed up and got in the 50s. We stopped at mile 85.7 at Standing Indian shelter.

Day 12 whew! 100 miles! We summited Albert Mountain, elevation of 5,250 feet. We climbed to the top of a decommissioned fire tower. We walked through and had lunch in a bear sanctuary. Day 12 was our longest hike yet, getting to mile 102.0 and staying at Long branch shelter.

Day 13, 03/16/18, we took a nero day and came to Franklin, NC. Kathryn got a new pair of shoes with a wider toe box and Dylan got a thinner belt. Dylan’s poison ivy is gone and hopefully Kathryn’s blisters will be gone soon! We went to the post office and shipped a pair of shoes, belt, and other nonessentials. After we drank milkshakes and headed to Gooder Grove Hostel to relax for the night.