Ah, taking another nearo here in Manchester, Vermont. We went so many weeks without doing anything, mostly because through NJ-MA there weren’t any good places to stop. Everything gets expensive and hostels are few and far between. Last week we stayed at Tom Levardi’s house in Dalton, MA. It’s this guy who has a house on the trail and basically lets hikers camp or stay inside his house for free. You get a shower, laundry and ice cream at the end of the night. It’s a pretty sweet deal and I recommend everyone stopping in when you go through Dalton. We left Dalton on Friday and stopped in at Diane’s…

From our days hiking with Caboose and Spark and Merf. Meeting Hit and Miss at the Cookie Lady’s house. Finding a Moose track! COOL! The beauty on Upper Goose Pond. At the Mt. Wilcox #2 shelter for the night. Blueberry pickin’!! On Bear Mtn, Ct, right before going into Mass. Merf and Chris swimming in Sages Ravine. Too cold for me! Chris and Caboose on Bear Mtn.

Calling his wife to say he was done! Relaxing at the end of the trail, right before coming into Dalton. Make Time and Cob.

Alright, finally some time to do the best of #2! This is from Mile 501 on Pine Mtn to Harpers Ferry. Best View: -Chestnut Knob Shelter, Va: 561.8, elevation 4,409 -Rice Field Shelter, Va: 633.2, 3,375 -McAfee Knob: 703.0, 3,197 -Cold Mtn: 802.7, 4,022 -Rock Spring Hut, Shenandoah: 917.7, 3465 -Crescent Rock, WVa: 996.9, 1,312 Best Section: -Va606 to Wapiti Shelter: Miles 602-609.8 -Hazeltop Mtn, Shenandoah: 909.7 -Sky Meadows State Park: 977.6 Best Food: -The Barn: Atkins, Va. Cheap, very good hiker food. Right on trail. -Exxon station at Atkins, Va. -Ming Garden, Waynesboro, Va. Best Chinese buffet out there. -Trents Grocery, Va: Cheap, cheap burgers….good pulloff for a burger.…

Slowly, slowly are are making our way up the eastern seaboard. We’ve arrived in upper Mass. and are taking our first full trail zero since Damascus, Virginia, which is well over 1,000 miles south of here. That is if you don’t count our five days at home. We’ve been experts at taking nearo’s and half days, but we’ve been feeling the tiredness and beat down lately. It seems to be rampant among many hikers. The big push to do huge miles this last month has left everyone a little ragged and if we’re going to start hitting real mountains soon (Mt. Greylock tomorrow. Our first 3K peak since the Shenandoah’s)…