Since our last post we took about a week off in Pittsburgh while Garfunkel's brother got married. I mostly sat on a couch and ate the entire time and spent some much needed time with friends.
We got back on the trail a week later after another 20 hour bus ride and night spent at Port Authority in New York. The next few days were very similar to our first days on the trail in Georgia. We groan and ache all over and are meeting dozens of new people. We have also re-countered Patch, Sophie (the dog), 180, Oz, and silent jay all hikers we met as early as Hiawassee and hiked with until about mid Virginia. Other hikers we hoped to see again are still behind.
The terrain in New York was a hodgepodge of rocky hog back ridges, open and grassy mountain meadows, and frequent 60-70 foot ups and downs. The most memorable part of the trail since getting back has been the mud though: the trail is covered with it and most of the water sources are oily black swamps (not all though).
I also bought new shoes in Pittsburgh but had to send then back after they tore skin off my toes and have me 6 or so blisters. Long story short I'm never hiking in boots or anything similar again, it's running shoes all the way.
We entered Connecticut a few days ago and have been enjoying the pine forests and Housatonic (sp?) river. We were just trail magicked day old bread from a bakery and enjoying all the treats we got in the mail in Salisbury. Thanks to mom and dad, uncle bob, and the fords. Next stop Dalton Massachusetts.
Also: we hiked through a zoo, hit the lowest point on the AT, crossed a raging river (or three), and stayed at a monastery pavilion under the tables to avoid the rain. The statue above me in that one picture is Walt Whitman. The bearded guy with the bread is Nickelodeon who we've been hiking with the past 3 days or so.
That beard...
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