Ben getting excited about Uncle Food's Italian meal! 
Box Turtle
1,000 mile excitement crossing the bridge into Harper's Ferry 
Fellow thru-hikers enjoying mom's homemade lemon squares
Dad this photo was taken for you... the horse's name is SugarFoot!
Crossing the Virginia-West Virginia Line with some friends!
Me proudly standing in front of the first trail side skinny dipping hole
Ben during one of his eating sprees ( this included 6 loaded chili and cheese hot dogs)We made it to Harper's Ferry yesterday afternoon and celebrated as we passed the 1,000 mile mark! Once we arrived at the Appalachian Trail Headquaters, our photo was taken to be added to the 2007 thru-hiker yearbook. We were numbers 115 and 116 so far this year! We were quickly picked up by my wonderful Aunt Becky and are planning to spend 2 full days relaxing with their family and eating and eating and eating and eating! For those of you who know Uncle Sam, you know food will be frequent and delicious.
The heat has been a bit of a challenge lately, but the leaves on the trees are finally providing us with some shade. Both Ben and I are now in the habit of performing detailed nightly tick checks as we have both found deer ticks on one another. For those of you who have not seen them they are incredibly small about the size of a pin head. I have had some boot issues, but a visit to REI today hopefully solved that problem. We are both excited to finally enter into some new states as we have been hiking through Virginia for the past 500+ miles. Other than numb toes our bodies are holding up pretty well.
In regards to Ben's upcoming 26th birthday if anyone wants to mail something to Ben please feel free. Below is the place we'll be closest to his big day and you will want to address the package as follows:
ETA: 6/4
C/O General Delivery
Duncannon, PA
17020
Hold for Northbound A.T. Hiker
For the procrastinators...
ETA: 6/7
C/O General Delivery
Port Clinton, PA
19549
Hold for Northbound A.T. Hiker
Much love to everyone and many thanks to the Pease Family for our wonderful mini vacation filled with food, laughs, foot baths and cotton clothes!
16 comments:
I love following your blog and seeing your pictures. Your description of the scenery and the trail is much better than the one I get from the Iron Chefs. True to their name, they spend most of their time describing what they have been eating. I'm glad that y'all are doing well. The Iron Chefs have found the hiking through MD and early PA to be easy. You can look forward to that. Miller's (Shaggy's)Mom
Hi, Great pictures!!! Hope you got some of the bears as well. Fabulous to hear your voice Ben, you two look very healthy, "that's a good thing,"to quote Martha Stewart,( my exact opposite). What an inviting river at Harpers Ferry and what a milestone for you guys. Glad you're on deer tick patrol, the wood ticks are numerous this year as well. Stay well, healthy, and content. Love Mom & Dad
Hi to you both--so nice to be hearing your voices, see your pictures, and witness your journey. Amanda I am so honored and grateful to be your mom and feel joyful to watch you and Ben travel, journey, laugh, grow, understand, touch your hearts, touch others. I continue to send boxes of food-we are on #15 now, wow-more than half done. They are really getting to know you at the post office, and hear about your journey, so many folks watching and cheering you on. An early Happy Birthday to Ben-may your day be filled with Blessings.....I will see you both soon, can't wait to walk with you and share the trail.
Lots of love and light to you both
mom/chris/cam
Congratulations on your 1,000 mile mark! How are the soles (souls) of your hiking boots at 1,000 miles?
Looks like you two are keeping fit with your boxes from your Mom on trail and your "caveman-like" eating off trail. Was it difficult not to be able to bring your calculator to count calories, Amanda?
Love your spirit and your stories. Hearing from you and all who support you is wonderful. Thanks.
Love,
Dianne
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN. What a year to remember. Enjoy each day.
T. P. Dog
Happy Happy Birthday to you Ben-enjoy each moment, enjoy your day to celebrate, enjoy arriving at Ducannon and taking a day to swim and relax..
Love and hugs from Chris and Eric.....
p.s. can't wait to see you both in person
Hi Ben and Amanda, been keeping track of your journey on this site. Thank goodness for computers huh! You both sound like you are enjoying it all in spite of the pitfalls. Kudos to you both. Ben, since you are not here, this is the way that I will wish you a Happy Birthday this year. I hope it is a special day for you, how could it help but be given you being on this hike. See you when you get to Maine. Love you, have for many years, Aunt Barbie
Hi Ben & Amanda, HAPPY 26th BIRTHDAY BEN!!!! Sorry I did'nt wish it sooner but I just got home from work. Let's see: if you're 26 I must be 29 right? Just goofing. Sure would like to give you a great big birthday HUG. Miss you two like crazy. Must have gone thru a slug of rain, hope you stayed dry somehow. You're Dad(the computer whiz) wishes you a wonderful day and he misses you too. Sweet dreams, Mom
Come on Aunt Barbie, no fishing licence?
Hi Ben and Amanda. Congrats on finishing Virginia and moving on to shorter states. We're in Delaware Water Gap today (6/4) so y'all need to step on it and catch up! We miss hiking with you guys! Patrick is about 2 days ahead of us and try as we might we can't get any closer; if you can get in touch with him, tell him to slow down. Also, we'll be in NYC from the 13th to the 17th if he's in NYC at all. Happy Birthday Ben. Enjoy the hiking and we hope to see you again soon.
-Shaggy (on behalf of The Iron Chefs)
Hi Ben & Amanda, Just wanted to let you know Ben, I sent your birthday stuff to Port Clinton to be sure this time you got it after the messup with the last thing I sent. I hope you were not in the rain we got here today huge downpours, we were dry but not now!!! Hope your birthday was fantastic. UMO called me today about the award you got in April. One of your advisors got up on your behalf and told the audience that you were on the AT and about your outstanding academic achievements. He is following you blog. Still proud of you. Love, Mom
Happy 26th Birthday, Ben! Sorry I missed it. I'm sure this year will be one of your best! I love viewing all the pictures and seeing that you two are enjoying yourselves...most of the time anyhow! What an accomplishment to have reached the 1,000 mile mark, you guys are awesome! I hope all is well and look forward to future entries.
Molly
Ben, when you are back in Maine, I would love to get your fishing license. Hope that you made it through all of the rain that was predicted for the area. So proud of both of you for doing this....keep smiling. Love A. Barbie
Hi guys, looks like you're eating up the states like you're at a buffet as you cruise steadily toward home. I'm really proud of you both. I'm sure some mornings you really have to reach deep down inside for the strength to pull those stiff, damp boots on your feet, load up that hefty pack and walk.........again. I trust you'll find a package at the next stop( you know, the one for the procrastinators). Oh and Ben it looks as though some anonymous commentor with inside information about certain aunts and birthday traditions has secured you yet another fishing licence. I wonder who that could have been? I hope this note finds you well. Keep posting the wonderful photos and keep smiling.
Love, Dad
Hey guys, I just finished tracking the package we sent to Penns Woods and discovered it to be on it's way back to Maine. It seems that UPS couldn't find the post office in Port Clinton (not enough information). I guess they need more than the town, state and friggin zip code. Now I know what all that brown about. I'll go outside, maybe you can hear me scream from your elusive corner of the world.
Guess we'll have to try again. I hope my love finds you!
mad dad
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