Chipmunk's Solo AT Thru Hike Update
Day 90 Appalachian Trail, VA Miles Hiked to Date: 885 Hiked yesterday: 15 Trail Miles, Miles to Katahdin: 1298
First, for those of you wondering where Papa Chip is ... he's officially in Colorado with the bike crew he is leading on the Adventure Cycling transam tour. The weather wasn't as bad as it had been but according to his facebook page, if he slowed to 18 mph or less, biting flies swarmed him and made his cycling miserable. Also, he's lost 22 lbs. Other than that, he's doing great.
Second, Janice: Papa Chip says he remembers Gmom's old station wagon, too! When we wrap up these adventures, maybe we'll look for an antique station wagon for Chipmunk to work on and fix up together with us. I can't believe she'll be eligible for a driver's permit in less than a year!
Day 90 Appalachian Trail, VA Miles Hiked to Date: 885 Hiked yesterday: 15 Trail Miles, Miles to Katahdin: 1298
First, for those of you wondering where Papa Chip is ... he's officially in Colorado with the bike crew he is leading on the Adventure Cycling transam tour. The weather wasn't as bad as it had been but according to his facebook page, if he slowed to 18 mph or less, biting flies swarmed him and made his cycling miserable. Also, he's lost 22 lbs. Other than that, he's doing great.
Second, Janice: Papa Chip says he remembers Gmom's old station wagon, too! When we wrap up these adventures, maybe we'll look for an antique station wagon for Chipmunk to work on and fix up together with us. I can't believe she'll be eligible for a driver's permit in less than a year!
Third, to Aunt Carol ... I'm sorry. You are right. Chocolate Chip's coat is not "black" fur, but rather "Brindle". FYI, Aunt Carol is Chocolate Chip's "original" mom, the breeder who brought our little baby into our lives. We love Chocolate Chip and she delights and comforts both Chipmunk and me daily.
Chipmunk returned to the trail this morning and said her heel is feeling better but now there are "rub" areas on her lower back where her pack has been pressing for months. In the warmer weather, it has created a bit of a heat rash and it is uncomfortable. I applied some hydrocortisone cream before bed yesterday evening and we are both hoping that helps. In this photo, you can see the concrete posts with the informational metal bands that Chipmunk likes (mentioned in yesterday's blog post).
We agreed on our first meet up spot and our "back up" spot, just in case I'm unable to get into the first one. She hugged me and kissed me and headed off to hike.
We agreed on our first meet up spot and our "back up" spot, just in case I'm unable to get into the first one. She hugged me and kissed me and headed off to hike.
Chocolate Chip and I drove up Skyline Drive and stopped at a few overlooks. This is a shot of Moorman's River that I posted on Instagram and almost instantly got a reply from a fellow hiker, telling me she had camper right next to the river the night before. FYI, her Instagram username is Hubba7 and she takes amazing photos! Keep in mind that my photos are all taken from my cell phone and by a very very amateur photographer.
I loved this view because the mountains looked like they were covered in a velvet scarf of treetops. Chocolate Chip and I drove on to our pre-designated meet up spot so that we could eat lunch together with Chipunk. When she arrived, she told me that she read a posting at one of the registries along the path, warning about the lone star tick.
So, if it's not enough that she has to watch out for bears, snakes, brown recluse spiders and deer ticks ... now she has to beware of the lone star tick. I researched it online and apparently, some victims of its' bite develop an allergy to red meats. When Chipmunk read that she said she really hopes she doesn't get bitten by one because she has no intention of giving up her beloved cheeseburgers. Here's a link to an article that better explains this pest: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324634304578537203916053308?mg=reno64-wsj.html?dsk=y
Chipmunk ate her peanut butter and jelly sandwich, her latest "must have" hiking food and pulled on her boots and pack before heading back on the trail. Chocolate Chip and I drove on and enjoyed the afternoon views at the overlooks. At one of the overlooks I met a lady who's also shadowing her partner, "Hamster", off the trail. "Punkin" told me that they usually stay in a nearby hotel and she provides trail support for him so he can slack pack most days. It was nice to chat with someone who's doing the same thing I am. We talked about driving forest service roads, finding obscure pick up spots, managing the food and lodging budget ... it was nice to commiserate. We exchanged phone numbers so that we could help one another out if ever we have car issues or the such. Then we both talked about how doing this was so much better than going to work every day or staying at home. Thanks, Punkin! I enjoyed our talk and look forward to seeing you down the trail... er, road.
Our last meet up spot for the day was one of the "Wayside" cafes along Skyline Drive. Chipmunk arrived about 6:15 pm, just under the wire for the 7 pm closing time. She said all she wanted was a chocolate ice cream cone. She cooled down in the air conditioning and paged through the catalog that came with her recent Chipmunk t-shirt. I asked her about the trail today and she said, "Lots of trees. Oh, yeah and I saw a bear cub. He was about the size of Coco (Chocolate Chip's real name) and he was sooooo cute!" I asked if she saw the mother bear anywhere and she said she didn't but that when she said "awwww" upon seeing the cub, the little guy scurried a short distance up and around a tree and then jumped down and ran away quickly. She said she continued to click her poles together and holler out so that if the mother bear was around, she'd know that Chipmunk was there.
We ate a simple dinner and read books in our bunks until we called it a night around 9:30 pm. In the morning, we looked over the A.T. Guide and were glad to see were getting closer to the spot where the whole idea for this adventure originated: Big Meadows Lodge.
If you enjoy reading the story of our adventure, and you’d like to send some “Trail Magic” to Chipmunk, click on the “Donate” button at the upper right corner of today’s blog post. Chipmunk maintains a twitter account: @openlymtngoat where a common hashtag is #GoChipmunk . She (or we) will try to answer any questions you may have about her hike and this family adventure.
Thanks again for all your support,
Mama Chip, Papa Chip, Chipmunk and her dog, Chocolate Chip
(Tammy, Jay, Neva and Coco)
We ate a simple dinner and read books in our bunks until we called it a night around 9:30 pm. In the morning, we looked over the A.T. Guide and were glad to see were getting closer to the spot where the whole idea for this adventure originated: Big Meadows Lodge.
If you enjoy reading the story of our adventure, and you’d like to send some “Trail Magic” to Chipmunk, click on the “Donate” button at the upper right corner of today’s blog post. Chipmunk maintains a twitter account: @openlymtngoat where a common hashtag is #GoChipmunk . She (or we) will try to answer any questions you may have about her hike and this family adventure.
Thanks again for all your support,
Mama Chip, Papa Chip, Chipmunk and her dog, Chocolate Chip
(Tammy, Jay, Neva and Coco)
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